syria's government makes further gains from the opposition, as the u.n. formally invites the opposing sides to talks in geneva. ♪ hello there, i'm felicity barr and this is al jazeera live from london. always coming up. denmark's parliament overwhelmingly passes a law allowing police to seize valuables from asylum seekers. malaysia's prime minister is cleared of corruption, although $60 million remains unaccounted for. and the iranian president's post sanctions tour of europe

continues as the meets the catholic pope in rome. ♪ hello, the u.n. has sent out invitations to this week's planned talks in geneva on the war in syria. it follows weeks of dispute about which opposition groups should be asked to take part. let's take you straight away to geneva, and speak to james bayes. james tell us who is on the guest list then? well, we knew 24 hours ago when stephane dee mature are when he said he was go for the widest possible representation. the u.n. saying they are going to wait and see who accepts the invitations and then they will issue a list of participants. but he has done what he said he was going to do which was invite

a wide representation, which is not what many of the key opposition groups want. this is the so-called vienna process that built these talks that was supposed to take place on friday. part of the early meetings had a decision that one country, saudi arabia would go and find who the opposition were, who should be part of the opposition delegation. saudi arabia did that. they had meetings, conferences in riyadh, they pulled together what they called the riyadh list. saudi arabia, and those on that riyadh list believe they should be, the opposition that comes here. but russia objected to that reed a list, saying that there were too many fighting groups, too many jihadists, there weren't enough kurds and secular people on the list. and in the end, the invitations are going to be decided by the

united nations and he has clearly decided to include people who are not on the riyadh list. this is going to be very controversial among those on the riyadh list, but also key players in the region, key players like the gulf country and like turkey. >> james so much hassle, so much diplomacy on who is going to be at these various tables in a geneva, these talks themselves are almost impossible to manage. >> reporter: they are going to be very, very hard indeed. and i think the next thing to look for is those who are on the list are actually going to come, when they are going to be included by other groups which call themselves opposition, and i can tell you some on the riyadh list don't believe that everyone who has been invited as opposition is really opposition. some believe that some that are

coming now are russia stooges as it has been explained to me, turkey particularly unhappy about all of this. because one of the groups that had been invited the pyd, they believe is a terrorist group. turkey says it is withdrawing cooperation. that doesn't effect the talks because the talks are supposed to be between syrian parties, but whether all of those invited will actually ak tend we'll find out in the coming hours. >> james thank you. syrian government forces have recaptured a town in the south of the country. gerald tan has more. >> reporter: the syrian flag flies again. it has taken the army weeks of intense fighting with rebels to retake this town in the southwestern province of dara. state television showed the military forces entering the

town center after securing supply lines. it also reported to be continuing on the outskirts. the importance of the ruined town can be understated. it lies on the main road linking the capitol damascus with daraa, the city where the revolution began nearly five years ago. government forces had given up much of this territory. the intervention is being seen as a game changer. >> things have just turned around 180 degrees for the regime since the russians came in. just last summer, the -- the al-nusra front was making canes in the province, and now there's this significant reversal which will effect the rebels logistics. >> reporter: russian jets have carried out thousands of missions, helping the syrian

government regain control nationwide. it just recaptured a key base for rebels in the northern area of latakia. the russian government has been criticized for being indiscriminate. the kremlin insists isil and other terrorist groups are being targeted. gerald tan, al jazeera. and al jazeera's bernard smith has more from the syrian, turkish border. >> reporter: up until october last year, the syria regimes forces were really looking at the risk of defeat in the syrian civil war, and then the russians stepped in. russian aerial bombardments particularly have helped the syrian regime make considerable gains. a lot of those have been in the mountains. this is an area where the coastal area is controlled by the regime, and further inland,

you have idlib controlled by rebel forces. so important territorial gains being made there, and this latest capture, another significant territorial gain. and the idea, of course, is that the more territory you control, the stronger your negotiating hand in any negotiations or talks that are going to take place on syria's future. at least 24 people have died in a bombing in the aryan city of homs. state media says more than 100 others were injured in the attack which is being claimed by isil. a security check point was targeted by a car bomb and then a fighter wearing a suicide vest. >> a lot of [ inaudible ] about the fact that siege and denial of access is a tactic of war in syria. i have a lot of unease about that, as do all of us.

security council resolution 2165 allowed us to reach more people cross border, because until july 2014, the u.n. was not able to do so. have we been able to reach all people in need? no. earlier we said we have less than 4.5 million today, despite resolutions, that we are not able to reach because of the actions of the parties to in conflict. ♪ the last remaining pockets of isil fighters are proving to be a problem for iraqi security forces trying to clear the city of ramadi in western iraq. despite this, the government says it is firmly in control of the rest of the city and is working to secure it. our correspondent reports. >> reporter: iraq's police forces say they have opened police stations within some of the areas of ramadi city itself.

this is a significant development, because they will be the first line of defense against isil fighters if they come back -- or if they try to come back to the city. these police stations are key in order to try to secure the city of ramadi itself, they are going to open more in the next few days. at a ceremony of the opening of one of these police stations, the police force were given weapons by americans. a very public show of support by the americans for iraq's police forces. now whilist all of this was happening, iraqi security forces have announced the halt of operations to try to clear the last remaining neighborhoods of isil fighters. now they say that this is a tactical decision that they are still going to go into the neighbor and once they have taken that, that will be the whole of ramadi city free of isil fighters. the reason they haven't, this operation that has been ongoing

for about a week now, is there a real fear there are civilians trapped within the area itself. there has been heavy shelling with u.s. and iraqi air strikes, but those air strikes are only so effective when there are civilians trapped in there. you really need to go into that neighbor to try to take it back. so what is going on is a halt to the operations against the last remaining pockets of isil fighters within ramadi. but the opening of the police stations is always seen as being crucial, and iraqi security forces are beginning to get back in charge of ramadi. refugees seeking asylum in denmark will have their valuables seized by police to pay for their stay. under the rules asylum seekers will have to hand over any valuables worth more than $1,500 to help cover the cost of housing while they are being processed. the decision has been criticized

by human rights groups and the u.n. >> the decision to give danish police the authority to search and confiscate valuables from asylum seekers, sends damaging messages. it runs the risk of fuelling sentimentses of fear and discrimination, rather than promoting solidarity with people in need of protection. >> a spokesperson for the dindane -- danish government has been misunder stood. >> reporter: we're simply saying when they have enough money, then following the rules for citizens wishing to be on unemployment benefits, you should pay for yourself but the government does. more than $680 million were

transferred to the malaysian prime minister's private account in 2013. but it says it was a private donation from the saudi royal family. our correspondent has more. >> reporter: various media outlets here in malaysia had been speculating as to what the conclusion of the attorney general's report would be into his investigation over allegations of corruption, made against the prime minister. well, those allegations have been put to one side by his statement at a press conference on tuesday, saying that the prime minister had done no wrong, and that there were no reasons for anyone to think that the prime minister had done anything corrupt and that the donation of over $600 million was made by sources within the saudi royal family. but the actual scenario now

leads to as many questions as it does solutions. there will be questions within his own party as to what has happened to the money and should be going into party coffers, and questions about his position, should he stay on as prime minister with this cloud still hanging over him. because the opposition certainly is not going to let this issue lie and that they will completely continue to hammer the ruling party as this country heads towards a general election within the next two years. do they want to allow him to step aside, and allow a new face to take the helm of the party and lead it into the next general election, all of those questions perhaps will be answered in the next few weeks. still to come on the program, temperatures plunge to minus 40 in some areas. and why free messaging services are pushing all of the

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♪ and a reminder of the top stories on al jazeera. the u.n. has sent out invitations to friday's planned talks in geneva, aimed attending the war in syria. it follows weeksover dispute about which opposition groups should be asked to take part. malaysia's prime minister has been cleared of wrongdoing in a long-running corruption scandal. and denmark's parliament has adopted measures, allowing

police to cease valuables from refugees allowing them to stay. many children are waiting to find out if they can travel to britain to be with their families. it follows a legal test last week, when four people were allowed into the u.k. their position came to light thanks to one woman who gave up her job to work for the children. >> reporter: it's the depths of winter. everywhere there are expressions of yearning to go to the u.k., but for most hope and reality are worlds apart. but this woman has given some hope to the children here. she gave up her job, and has spent the entire winter walking the camp trying to find unaccompanied minors who have relatives in britain. it was through her assistance that four young people came to the u.k. last week.

>> it's something i'll treasure forever, just seeing their faces and knowing they have been in this process with me about four or five month, but they haven't seen their family in two to three years, some of them. so what a moment to share. >> reporter: the camp is divided into different quarters. this tent was the home of one of the boys who were allowed to the u.k. >> i think there's a misconcept shun that these are warm. they are not. they are dry, but it is still freezing. hello, how are you? >> reporter: last week's historic legal victory for the children has left the rest here besides themselves with excitement, as we were talking this 15-year-old turned up. his uncle and brother already live in britain. laura tries to keep his spirits up. >> he has given me a photo of his brother in my wallet to keep just in case i can see him in

england. >> reporter: this tent has to sleep four and it is bitterly cold inside. mohamed is getting ill. >> the doctors are going to come out to see you, so we don't know yet what will happen. it's torture. they have seen their friends leave. they are in the same process. they are still here. hi. morning. how are you? >> fine. >> as we walk the camp, more and more children come to laura to ask how she is progressing with their cases. but the u.k. government is deciding whether to contest the ruling. in the meantime they remain stuck. >> i have identified about 150 to 200 unaccompanied children who have a legal right to claim asylum in the u.k. >> all of the basics are done by

volunteers here. laura's persistence has given hopes to many more children left out without their families. it will become clear in the coming weeks when the british government steps in. sweden's prime minister has visited though town where an asylum center employee was killed to death. he was allegedly killed by a 15-year-old boy on monday. police have confirmed the boy was a resident at the home. the prime minister says the attack has raised concerns that authorities are being overwhelmed by the number of asylum seekers in the country. >> translator: i believe quite a few people here in sweden now feel a great worry that there will be more similar cases as sweden accepts so many unaccompanied minors. many have had traumatic experiences, and there is no

simple answers as to how they should be handled. the president of iran has met pope francis. he is visiting italy as part of his first european tour since the lifting of sanctions on tehran earlier this month. >> reporter: this visit to rome has been primarily about reestablishing political and economic links between iran and italy. italy historically has been an important trading partner for iran, and this period of sanctions viewed in that perspective was only really a brief interception, an italian company is keen to get back doing business in iran again. italy an important mediator, possibly a messenger between the west on the one side, yet also had good relations with russia. so an opportunity there for the

italians to play a pivotal role. president rouhani next is due to go on to paris. the french may will slightly disappointed that they were not chosen on this first stop, but obviously french companies as well looking forward to doing business with iran, and an announcement from the iranians that they intend to buy 100 airbus planes. ten policemen have been killed after an attack by a fellow officer in afghanistan. the district governor says policemaning a check point were poisoned and thin shot dead. the taliban have claimed responsibility. ammunition and weapons were also stolen chinese shares have fallen to their lowest in 14 months, leading stock markets drop by

more than 6%. shares fell across all industries, including commodities and newer growth sectors like technology. a cold snap has been blamed for the deaths of dozens of people across asia. many were elderly in taiwan not used to the freezing conditions. temperatures in hong kong fell to their lowest level in six deck said -- decades. >> reporter: asia is freezing. cancellations and delays mean public transport is in chaos. businesses are grinding to a halt because staff are struggling to get to work. >> translator: i was supposed to board the 2:00 train, but i'm thinking of going home, since i don't know when the trains will arrive. >> reporter: in taiwan dozens of people, many frail and elderly have died. the sudden drop in temperature strains their heart and lungs. many homes don't have central heating.

this vietnam, farmers are helplessly watching their crops freeze and their animals die. >> translator: since i was born i have never seen anything like this. >> reporter: the south korean island has had its heaviest snowfall in more than 30 years. airports were shut over the weekend, leaving many travelers stranded. >> translator: staying in the airport is really exhausting, and i really want to get out of here. i have been here for 12 hours. >> reporter: hong kong experienced its coldest day in nearly 60 years. in other parts of noe noern -- northern china temperatures drops. the temperatures are expected to creep back up to normal. this will come as a relief to so many people. political leaders are trying

to resolve an election process in haiti. the election was canceled following allegations of fraud. the president is expected to leave office in two weeks even though he has no replacement. a parliamentary hearing is due to start in south africa, following complaints from mobile phone companies. they say they are losing customers who are using the internet to make calls, and they want tighter ru -- rules. >> reporter: this man needs to know if his friend managed to deposit money into his bank account. it is better for him to call using what is up? >> it's easy to connect and cheap. that's why i use it. i called my wife, even my son, the most [ inaudible ] members of the church too, i connect

with those people. >> reporter: but these services could soon be regulated in south africa. they are popular because they allow users to send messages and make calls over dark networks often at a lower cost. some of the big mobile networks say the current system is basically not fair. over the top service providers don't pay tax in south africa, and they are not subject to the same form of regulation. in south africa, ot services like what's up are estimated to have more than 10 million users and growing. >> the cost of competition comes with a finite price, and as we determine what the cost is, their infrastructure goes into it, and regulatory issues, which we need to comply with, and we're basically saying that otp's in their operations, particularly in the african market must also comply with

some of these legislation -- legislative provisions. >> reporter: others in the industry disagree. >> there is a tried of change happening across the world. the services the otp players provide, give their customers what they want. and to regulate them in anyway is the wrong approach. >> reporter: some consumers say it is all about revenue. >> these what's up wi-fi calling has saved us a great deal of money. the mobile networks are looking for ways to claw that revenue back. should we be paying for it? absolutely not. we as consumers should be very clear about our rights. >> reporter: consumers, especially the poor say they want to pay as little as possible to keep in touch. now scientists in charge of the so-called doomsday clock are due to announce whether the

world is closer to catastrophe. the clock is a symbolic countdown. tarek bazley explains. >> reporter: the clock was first established in 1987 to gauge the threat of nuclear war. in the nearly 70 years since then, the clock has been adjusted more than 20 times. [ explosion ] >> reporter: in 1953, in response to the successful testing of hugely powerful hydrogen bombs by the u.s. and soviet union, the clock hand was moved to just 2 minutes to 12:00, the closest it has ever stood to midnight. [ explosion ] >> reporter: following a ban on nuclear tests in 1963, the threat eased and the clock hand retreated to 12 minutes to midnight. the 1980s saw the threat level

again rise, as cold war tensioned reached new heights. in 1984, the clock was set to 3 minutes to midnight. that was soon to change with the fall of the berlin wall in 1998, followed by the breakup of the sef yoet union. in 1991, the clock hand was moved back to 17 minutes to midnight. since the 1990s the clocks hands are moved largely in one direction, arriving last year at 11:57. the reason? continuing nuclear proliferation, the threat of climate change, and potentially harmful new technologies such as genetic modification. last year we have seen north korea resume nuclear bomb tests and confirmation that 2015 was by far the hottest year on record, both of those factors

have the potential to move the clock's hand one against. >> you can find much more on our website, as usually the address to click on to is aljazeera.com. aljazeera.com. ♪ china's markets stumbles again as u.s. pollty makers meet to talk about interest rates. >> you have to have somebody who is a proven, proven fighter. the battle for iowa, democrats sparring before next week's caucuses. it can help you, like, calm