♪ fighting continues on the ground in syria as the proposed talks to end the war there are delayed. hello and welcome you are watching al jazeera and i'm peter here in doha and also in the next half hour south sudan's former vice president and rebel leaders said a deal to form a unity government has collapsed. [gunfire] protesters in egypt defy a government ban on demonstrations to mark the fifth anniversary of the revolution, back to business and iran is welcomed by the

international community as president rouhani starts on his european tour. ♪ the proposed talks on the crisis in syria to be held in geneva have now been delayed, incorrect negotiations between the syrian government and opposition are due to start on monday but there is still no consensus on who will be taking part. the u.s. secretary of state john kerry says that issue will be resolved in a day or two. mohamed is a member of the syrian opposition now he says he is unhappy with the way the lead up to the talks is being hand d handled. >> translator: there is pressure on us to give up the natural rights of the syrian people, these pressures are represented in pushing our delegation to head to the talks without any clear agenda plus giving up good will measures and mainly addressing the humanitarian situation which has

nothing to do with politics and therefore we cannot tell the people who delegated us we gave up your rights and headed to geneva without stopping the air raids or receiving aid. >> we report from the turkish city close to the border with syria. >> reporter: staffan de mistura the u.n. special envoy on syria should have been sending out invitations on sunday, that didn't take place and now we are looking at possibly wednesday, some diplomates say but john kerry has stepped in again warning against any provocations by either side, what he called posturing and what has been happening are some elements of the syrian regime is no oppositions will be met and opposition speaking from riyadh and the main body which represents both the armed groups politicians as well said that it wants to see prisoners released,

it wants to see the syrians not using russia air power any more against civilians and it also wants to see some more movement from the syrian regime. it feels pressurized according to a number of opposition figures. now kerry has assured the opposition that it has a full support militarily, financially and politically from the u.s. and he knocked out suggestions that some countries are no longer backing the opposition and he said this terminology, he said that you can't make a horse drink water but you can bring it to the water and there is a question mark about if the opposition figures will even go to the water at this stage so a difficult position and very complex and very high stakes indeed. >> while diplomacy becomes more complicated the syrian government is making gains on the ground, syrian forces have

recaptured the last town held by rebels in latakia part of on going offensive and they backed up the opposition to backup labia and rob matheson reports. >> reporter: it's a small town but captured by syrian government forces could mark a big setback for armed opposition groups. >> translator: units from the national armed forces have been able to take control of the area in the northern side of latakia and successful operations led us in the last couple days to regain control of 18 towns and villages includeing rabia. >> reporter: troops loyal to bashar al-assad and it's a community to which assad belongs and the last four years it has been a key base for fighters and estimated 20,000 people have fled from their homes in the turkmen mountains. >> translator: ra bill was one of the opposition strongholds

and where they kept their supplies, ammunition for the area and villages west of rabil are safe heaven to the groups and safe to the turkish border for supplies. >> reporter: forces have been supported by russian air attacks and the taking means the russians are stronger in latakia and may turn their attention to idlib held by opposition fighters including the al-nusra front and talks to find a solution to the syrian crisis are planned for this week and doubt whether those talks will go ahead but in latakia syria's front line has been redrawn. rock matheson al jazeera. more on that and we have the vice president of the syrian coalition and without russian air strikes the syrian regime wouldn't be able to recapture any territory. >> actually damascus is not winning. russia is the one who are

winning. they are fighting on behalf of the syrian regime and this is we know this happened a few months ago as a step to push us to negotiation with the conditions and the thing that russia and the regime doesn't know is we won't go to negotiating accepting anything they will put it on the table as they want to have a government, not a transitional government with geneva communication. for three years and a half and the regime couldn't even come close but with what russia air strikes are doing of course we don't have that kind of weapon to stop the air strike and that is what has happened, it's not the regime as i told you, it has been controlled by the rebels for three years and a half and

very close to ribil and the regime couldn't even come close and now with only 65 days or 66 days with russian air strike yes, they are controlling but unfortunately we asked but none of them help with the russians helping the regime. >> south sudan rebel leaders says a deal to form a unity government collapsed and it has fell through because they want to trouble them in south sudan and appoint governors and that is counter to their power sharing deal. >> peace agreements in ten states and even the transitional constitution of south sudan

faced in ten states but now the government is insisting that it should be to the united states. >> reporter: we have more now from the south sudan capitol duba. >> reporter: to understand the root of this problem it's back in august when the president signed this peace agreement and did so under extreme international pressure and he made it clear that was the reason why he was signing it, not because he supported its content. two months after he signed it he then changed south sudan's ten states to 28, something which inflamed the opposition and they said they couldn't possibly accept it and now the question that everybody is asking did i decide or have intention of making peace and ready to form a peace agreement or was it simply outside pressure that caused them to do so and therefore for can this one hold and over seeing the discussions the former president of botswan he said he knew even before the

deadline for the transitional government had passed the creation of 28 states would be very, very disruptive to the process and under mine the progress they had made, however, he said it ought to be implemented any way and act in the spirit of the agreement if not the latter but doesn't look at the moment like it's happening and looks like the peace process has been put on hold for the time being and it may even be necessary to go back to the negotiating table. >> iranian president rouhani just arrived in italy part of his first trip to europe since the lifting of sanctions on iran this month and during his visit he is hoping to sign a number of business deals with european countries including a two billion contract with an italian steel firm. let's go live now to rome and our correspondent jackie roland so who gets what out of this? >> well, obviously on this first

day is economy and business and investment and both sides stand to gain because we have to remember that iran has been increasingly isolated since sanctions were in 2012 and with them lifted a week ago iran can get western investment, up to the minute technical investment in communications, energy, and the airliner, the company iran air whose fleet is very old fashion and desperately in need of upgrading and the flip side of the coin for the west obviously is they have the kind of equipment that the iranians are after so in the oil sector they will be looking to western oil firms to help upgrade their oil infrastructure and as well the state air carrier and buying from air bus and the deal will be signed in paris and also

boeing, the u.s. aircraft producer, so both sides on the economic front stand to make gains. >> remember jackie it wasn't long ago and you touched on the idea of france and had a delegation in tehran, 130 people from politics, from big business france and if you are the president francois hollande and sign the multi million deal for air bus because air bus had its ups and downs over the past decade or so it makes him look good. >> we have to remember ironically if you like that during the negotiations over the nuclear deal france took a particularly hard line stance, it really dug its heels in, demanded more from the iranians on at least one occasion it was the french position that prevented those sanctions from being lifted from the deal being

signed earlier so up until now the french if you like have been quite hawkish from a political point of view and the deal is done and sanctions lifted a week ago and french are keen to turn a new page for a number of reasons, you have touched on the economic reasons and obviously the french economy very stagnant so the possibility of new money coming in, investment, creating new jobs in france where the unemployment rate is very high, all of that is a good thing for france and francois hollande and also on the political level we have been hearing about peace talks on syria stalled, iran obviously has a huge amount of influence on the president assad and the western powers will be hosting that iraq can bring influence to play in a positive way and also been trying to encourage iran to really lower the temperature in these escalating tensions that we have witnessed in resent days and weeks between iran and saudi

arabia. >> jackie thanks very much. do stay with us on al jazeera and we will take you to some of the places where winter is really biting. a cold snap sweeping through east asia bringing with it record low temperatures plus. >> near the epicenter of april's earthquake where quake survivors now facing a very cold winter often with snowstorms. ♪

♪ good to have you with the top

stories coming from al jazeera, syrian government forces recaptured what they say is the last rebel stronghold in latakia providence and dispute of which one will be resolved soon. south sudan former president and rebel leaders has a deal to form a unity government collapsed and said it failed because the president wants to divide the country into 28 states instead of ten. iranian president rouhani is on his way to europe since lifting of sanctions earlier this mother and going from italy and france today and tomorrow and expected to sign a number of lucrative business deals. egyptian security forces reported to have used tear gas to dispews protesters near the city of alexandria and big groups took to the streets and marked five years since beginning of demonstrations and led to the ousting of mubarak

and they are marching through the streets of the madi district. the revolution in 2011 driven by the young people of egypt but five years on many of them today feel betrayed by the outcome and we now report. >> reporter: it was supposed to be a new dawn as millions of egyptians came together. people from all faiths, backgrounds and ages united in the call for change. nearly 50% of egypt's population is less than 24 years old so the youth were the driving force of the revolution. even opposing football fans and the white knights joined the protests. and it started with a tech savvy generation that galvanized through the mobile phones. >> youth were leaders of what was happening and not really into politics and we didn't really care or know much about politics, who is right or left

wing. we just knew this is wrong and should speak up to that and this is exactly what happened. >> it was a period of demanding political freedom and even words became canvass and it was later that groups and political forces joined protesters all calling for an end of decades of tourney and injustice and the days out took him to step down hundreds of protesters were killed and a government replaced by the military and now stricter laws protect the protest and icons of the revolution are either in exile or jail and outrage which fueled the revolution also deflated it. >> the same tool that united us to topple dictators eventually tore us apart. >> reporter: people like nobel peace prize winner and former vice president of europe are living outside the country. prominent blogger and prodemocracy activist is being

jailed for five years for violating protest laws. >> he almost hit me and missed by an inch. >> reporter: crack down at cairo's square and aftermath and despite feeling betrayed he says he also has a sense of accomplishment. >> the generation never really moved up to what is going on and never talked about the -- all the corruption of the mubarak regime and all that. >> i think there will be a revolution happening in the next maybe five years, that would happen. >> reporter: five years on a blood stained chapter in egypt's history continues to over shadow what many egyptians saw as the people's revolution. >> al jazeera. now there is as of today a new push for australia to become a republican and all but one of australia state and they said the british monarchy should be

served and viewed negatively by some indigenous australia people and we report from sidney. >> reporter: the skies are gray but on the 26th of january last year there were still celebrations on sidney harbor for australia day and this year the weather forecast looks good but on tuesday some won't be celebrating. many aboriginal people think the date is a date to mourn and marks the anniversary of the landing in 1788 of captain arthur phillips' first fleet and start of the first british colony on land known as australia and aboriginal heritage even if they have european heritage too that was a colonial invasion. >> it was an invasion. there was though colusion between the people who lived here and the british, the british just came in. >> reporter: those here planning a march on tuesday to mark what they call invasion day 1788 began a period of history

when some indigenous australians were initially massacred by white settlers and later marginalized and even today aboriginal australia people are seriously disadvantaged compared to the descendents of many migrants. >> i don't think any aboriginal person should be celebrating this day, every one of the people should stand up and say no i will not sing the national anthem becausism an aboriginal person in the country and because this hurts my people. >> reporter: many indigenous people though will be taking part in official australia day events and organizers say they are sensitive to what the day means. it's important for us to recognize that australia day is a complex day for indigenous people but the great tinning that thing that has happened is there is wonderful day between australia and the indigenous community. >> the biggest issue is the date, australia's national day they think should have nothing to do with the arrival of

captain phillip in 1788 and should be the first of january 1901 when six states became the common wealth of australia, marking january 26 instead to some is offensive. >> first of january should be australia day. i mean that would be in line with their history, this is in line with creating war against aboriginal people, you can't acknowledge that. >> reporter: next year they will vote whether to change the country's constitution so it recognizes the country was inhabited before white settlers arrived, changing the date of the country's national day say some should follow. jacqueline troy director of aboriginal and islander research at sidney live on skype and signing a document and pushing to sever ties within the common wealth within the monarchy, within the establishment, two

completely different things, if it happens who will push it and how long will it take? >> well, average australia will be pushing for this too. we should at least be a republic as part of the push they will also be a push to recognize our sovereignty and to take us right to a place in the political and legal leadership of this country. >> every reputable study has been done into doing away with those ties over the past generation or so has always said the same thing and it's this, it is we like her majesty queen elizabeth the second but we have questions about those ongoing ties with the monarchy. could it be that a generational shift when it is king charles or king william perhaps that would be the right time to do this? >> no, it's the right time now. this country should be separate and independent from the country

that aboriginal people from our point of view and we have to recognize that england as a sovereignty but england never recognized our sovereignty there is no better time than now when we have a government that will potentially support a republican movement. >> how would lack of sovereignty improve the lives of aboriginal people, why can the government of australia not improve the lives of aboriginal people? >> well, there is still this harkening back to an anglo system and legal and political system that sits uncomfortably with this country. you have to remember that it was british and the legal system recognizing the rights but in a new political era in australia i belief believe we as aboriginal people will be consulted and

have a better voice in the country that originally belonged to all of us. >> to understand that why not simply change the legal system and enshrined within law how aboriginal people in australia are treated, change the message, don't condemn the messenger if you will, the british monarchy is what it is but change the law in australia to make sure that aboriginal people are properly looked after. >> well, it's an acronymistic to have two sovereign systems and it deserves to be a political union its own and aboriginal people were not recognized so it's difficult to recognize another sovereign. i suggest there has never been a time which any aboriginal people really recognized the sovereignty of the british monarch, as you said she is a lovely person, queen elizabeth the second but she is an acronym

for us. >> jeff and troy thank you very much. cold snap continues to bite in east asia and china weather service says the temperatures in the west and southwest will continue to drop and rob mcbride in hong kong. >> reporter: arctic like condition of minus 40 in the far north of the country down to just above freezing here on the south china coast and also some weather in between in the main southern chinese city here there was a flurry of snow yesterday, the first time according to one newspaper that happened since 1929. further north in shanghai temperatures there still around freezing and should be eight degrees this time of year and northeast asia being affected bety same weather phenomenon the blast of polar area and south korea snow falling off the south korean coast with the heavy snow

in three decades and japan expecting 70 centimeters. >> miking life miserable for people in nepal and despite 4 billion for reconstruction thousands of people are still living in tents and we have more now from the village of laprak. >> reporter: here the weather is un ppredictable venlt and th took the lives of people and it had to be moved 1,000 meters up hill on the plot of government land and they gave it endanger of being swept away by landslides but no storms over the last two weeks brought biting cold and made the lives of the villagers miserable. a primary school teacher worries about her five-month-old

daughter. >> translator: i can't sleep at night because my feet get really cold, some nights i have to keep massages my feet to keep them worm and we might just die this winter. >> reporter: the walls of the shelter here there is nothing to shield those inside from the bitter cold and she sleeps with her daughter on this bed and this is where she will sleep. it feels quite damp. as you can see there is a plank that separates the ground from the mattress and if you put your hand beneath this mat tras it becomes wet. as night falls people are by fires and use oil in an attempt to warm themselves up and many are afraid they will catch pneumonia and old and young are getting sick and the sun comes and the snow and ice start melting and tell us villagers

forced to choose between the cold and the landslides. >> translator: just last week the government gave the final nod to relocate on this plot of land, if they had approval a few months ago we would build warmer houses and some are going back to stay in the ruins because the cold can be unbearable up here. >> reporter: billions pledged to rebuild the country but delays to see what land are available to relocate the families from risky areas and reconstruction has not started yet and they want government officials responsible for reconstruction to come and experience the cold, perhaps then they say they will be serious about rebuilding their lives, al jazeera, northwest nepal. >> one aspect of the top story and expecting at 5:00 this afternoon gmt, 6:00 p.m. gmf a statement from staffan de

mistura the u.n. special envoy to syria, we are assuming that he is going to tell us if the invitations to the geneva talks aimed at achieving peace on the ground in syria have been issued and also who has accepted them and we will have headlines for you here on al jazeera in just a moment and do check out the website. a need for speed turns america's stock market upside down. and meet the computers that can make hundreds of million in milliseconds for investors in the stock brutal. the