only on al jazeera america. >> turkey will admit to 30,000 people to cross the syrian border when necessary. refugees drown as they try to reach greece. good morning. an eight-year-old girl is pulled alive from a taiwanese apartment block 16 hours after it was toppled by an earthquake. we're on patrol with peace keep necessary mali, considered one of the dangerous peacekeeping missions in the world.

>> haiti wakes up to its first day with no president. and bangladesh cover up, why these artwork are said to make the chinese ambassador explode with rage. >> hilter hello, we begin in syria. governments and opposition forces are locked in a battle for control. 30,000 people are now braving the cold at the turkish border hoping to cross to safety. turkey's prime minister said that they'll be allowed to cross when necessary. the crisis dominated the discussions with the german chancellor in ankara. they agreed to new steps to halt the flow of refugees from syria. angela merkel was highly criminal of russia saying the government was not just appalled

and horrified by the curving caused by the airstrikes on syria. all this as 33 people died while their boat sank while trying to cross from turkey to greece. angela merkel said that the refugee crisis is a burden for all humanity. >> turkey is willing to help the syrian refugees without limits. but it is not a problem for turkey alone. this is not simply a problem with germany and the e.u. but all. >> we were shocked to see the suffering caused by the russian bomb batterment. the is security council demand that all side respect the resolution which was signed by russia. >> so thousands of people are now trying to make their way into turkey to escape the

russian-backed offensive in aleppo. they're moving north towards the turkish border. they must make it through some territory now controlled by the government. thousands of people have managed to make that journey. we're joined live in turkey. so tell us how far then are these government forces from the turkish border? >> well, the government and their allies are now positioned approximately 25 kilometers south of the border. and we know that their objective is to reach that border because they want to seal it. they want to choke the opposition and deny the opposition, really, from a vital supply line a lifeline, really. in order to reach the border they're going to have to capture a main rebel stronghold. and it is, like i mentioned, a major rebel stronghold. we understand that the opposition has promised to fight

back. but the biggest question is can the opposition hold ground in the face of intense russian airstrikes? they haven't been able to do that in other areas across the city. so the government now has its eye set on the area. now there is another force on the ground taking opposition controlled territory. that is the kurdish group, the ypg. the ypg control an enclave, and when they offered the offensive in aleppo, the opposition facing these two forces on the ground. one of the objectives of the military operation is to reach the border. but what the government is trying to do is encircle the eastern half of aleppo city and lay siege to rebel-held territory. there is a fuel shortage in syria, so the people living in the opposition controlled east of aleppo city have begun. they are preparing for the

possibility of a siege. already supply lines have been disrupted by the government offensive. fuel is needed in a city without electricity and the city that relies on pumping wells for water. >> there has been a rise in the price of basic goods. most of the supplies are now coming in from the western countryside. but our supplies are low. we don't have enough supplies. what we have is only enough for a few days. >> it is not known how many of the 3,000 people in the east have left, but there are those who are too poor to pay for a ride out. a siege would cause suffering. >> the syrian government and it's allies still have not manage told lay siege to the rebel controlled east of the city. the only road leading into those neighborhoods is coming under heavy airstrikes. russian air power has also allowed the government to advance towards the border with

turkey. >> they have expanded their control entering town after town as they try to reach the main rebel stronghold 25 kilometers from the border. the rebels have been fighting back. people are growing increasingly concerned. they're starting to leave the main place of refugee for those displaced by the recent offensive. a ten-minute drive to the border. but there are those who are still have not lost hope. activists return to the streets from when their up rising began to demand the creation of an united aleppo army. >> we're calling on commanders or else we tell them that the people will re3406 you from power. >> they also had another message. the people of syria don't want bashar assad, they chanted.

winning on the battlefield won't lead to peace. >> what the government is trying to do really is to impose a military solution to the conflict gaining the upper hand on the ground. it will give it leverage in political negotiations. but the opposition remains just as defiant. yes, many syrians are frustrated. they feel desperate because they feel the world has abandoned them. but the opposition is still putting up a fight on other front lines in the country. we're focusing on aleppo, but the war rages across the country. >> we're live there. thank you very much. >> an official from the u.s. treasury said that isil has cut its fighters pay up to 50%. ththey said that u.s.-led airstrikes have had a big impact especially from oil in iraq.

meanwhile, independent u.n. investigators have released a report documenting alleged war crimes and accusing the government of massive and systemic violence. investigators say detainee detainees are are amounting to state policy of extermination of the civilian population. many deaths have been caused by injuries sustained through torture and rival groups. the report also notes that a pattern has emerged in start of the conflict in which civilians were arrested for supporting the opposition. u.n. commission member said the syrian government has conducted killings on a massive scale using state with offices. >> over 15,200 interviews regarding state officials in government detention facilities were examined in detail. the information helped to establish procedures and

policies and how killings were organized and carried out. killings and deaths described in this report in high frequency after years and were able to establish how this high frequency. over a long period of time and since the beginning locations with significant logistical support involving vast state are described in detail in the report. officials, high ranking officials and government are aware of deaths on a massive scale were occurring. no one can deny knowledge of this.

>> the greek coast guard said that more than 2,000 refugees have been rescued on monday trying to reach greece on inflatable boats. the far right political party has been demonstrating against the country's policies on migrants. and they also want to register and manage people when they arrive in greece. there was a counter rally held i nearby. 180 people have died from swine flu since last september. the virus has been found in parts of eastern ukraine, which the kiev government is no longer in control of. the virus is a disease contracted by contract between humans and pigs. rescuers are still pulling out survivors after saturday's earthquake in taiwan, which toppled a 17 story building. an eight-year-old girl and a woman believed to be her aunt

were pulled alive from the rubble 16 hours after the quake. more than a hundred people are still buried under the building. rob mcbride is in taiwan where it has been a grim start of the lunar new year for many people. >> a short distance from the collapsed building this temple is busier than usual. new year worshipers join some of the volunteers who have come to this part of taiwan to help in the rescue. >> we pray to the gods for those who are still trapped inside. >> this tragedy has overshadowed the humaner new year for many. and if has stirred others to join in the communal effort to do whatever they can, even offering up prayers in the hope that nor lives can be saved.

on the grounds of the temple some of the volunteer groups and charities have made their base. the rescue team came from central taiwan. on his first mission he helped to save a life. >> although we can't be with our families, if we can save someone's life then it's worthwhile. >> at the apartment complex the collapsed in saturday morning's quake trapping hundreds inside rescuers continue to find survivors. the time is running out. rescuers have to decide whether to bring in heavy lifting gear to reach anybody trapped below this mountain of rubble. the danger is causing further collapse that might endanger life. but for relatives of those still inside it might be their own only hope. rob mcbride, al jazeera, taiwan. >> all right, still to come on the program, war of

independence. how those who are independent of either party could decide the president of the united states. i'm telling the truth.

>> the nation's first primary, and a critical next step on the road to the white house. >> republicans, democrats... >> stay with al jazeera america for comprehensive coverage that's... >> welcome back. here are the top stories. the turkish prime minister said that around global help.

trying to surround the city of aleppo to cut off rebel supply lines. eight people including an eight-year-old girl were rescued from republic after saturday's earthquake in taiwan. a suicide-bomber tried to blow up an airlines jet was thought to be flying with another airlines. the subjected bomber was one of 70 turkish airline passenger who is were recruited last tuesday to djibouti. he was sucked out of the hole made by the explosion, which forced the plane to land in somalia. their laptops were stuffed with explosives. the u.n. mission in mali is considered one of the most dangerous in the world. international troops are trying

to bring stability in the north after years of conflict there. and just last friday a group linked to al-qaeda attacked a post in timbuktu. we went on patrol with peace keepers who are operating under constant threat of attack. >> the makeshift starts. we were given rare access to the united nations blue helmet parole police. this unit came under attack last friday when al-qaeda exploded a car bomb outside one of the spaces. the u.n. police provided support to its local counterparts. >> when the residents want suspicious behavior, strange things happen and they call us to verify what is going months. >> city is in permanent lockdown. no vehicles are allowed in or out after 6:30 in the evening. and there are constant power outages. >> we can't see anything because

there are no lights. but they're still patrolling for a short block. there is no electricity. >> the mission has around 10,000 soldiers after the fight for independence in the north. the mission is one of the most dangerous in the world. 60 of its soldiers have been killed since the creation i in 2013. we are fully equipped the swedish contingent has replaced some of the operations with drones. the golden days of caravans and merchant markets are gone. hotels are empty, and police say a third of the population is armed. these men return to the city after a peace deal was signed between the government and the coalition of separatist rebels.

al-qaeda-linked groups were not part of the deal. >> they all sign a peace deal. but they can't eat sand to survive. there is nothing more than sand in this desert. >> blue helmets i keep an eye of the area outside of timbuktu. >> we say hello and ask if they need anything here. >> the mandate now includes the protection of civilians. an ambitious goal that will have to maintain peace in a theater of war. al jazeera, timbuktu mali. >> the united nations is urging heaty to quickly form a new government and the president stepped down on tuesday.

from port-au-prince we have the reports. >> the haitians were supposed to be celebrating carnival and hand over power to a newly elected president on sunday. instead protesters fill the streets near the presidential palace and vaughn valley festivities were canceled due to fears of violence. yet again haitians do not have a president. protesters say they won their first battle. president michel martelly stepped down after a five-year term came to an end. they accused him of cronyism. now they say the next fight is to insure a delayed presidential election is free of corruption. >> it is hoped that the deal will tamp down a political

crisis and end street cries which has left one soldier dead. it is hoped that a new president will be sworn in mid-may. the last interim government lasted two years. presently haiti is suffering from lack of jobs, poverty and hopelessness. >> a high level u.n. panel has called for urgent reform at the world's health organization warning that the next pandemic could cause thousands of preventable deaths. president buspresidentdeaths.

>> in brazil the country was hit by the zika virus, spirits have not been dampened for the carnival. many are out in full swing with revelers filling the streets. now voters in the u.n. state of new hampshire will choose their preferred presidential candidates on thursday. independent voters who are not edit saided to the republican or democratic parties could have a big say in who wins alan fisher reports. >> it is a state which prides itself on its independent spirit, and says so right there on the license plate. you have voters who also pride

themselves on vetting presidential candidates, the nation's first primary election deciding who goes on from here and who simply doesn't make the cut. >> that leaves the candidates chasing the independent thoughts. that's a difficult way to foll follow. they have to convince the party faithful while calling the free spirits into the voting both. many describe themselves as independents. that means they can choose which party to support, republican or democrat, and then which candidate gets their vote. a former republican she now judges candidates where they stand on issues important to her. >> most people in the other parties are pretty predictable because they follow party lines and stay in the box. independent voters are really swayed by so many things that candidates have to be on top of their game in order to sway independent voters. the party line won't do it. >> the growing sense of frustration and disappointment

in both parties. that has led to more people calling themselves independent. but one analyst believes that many rarely switch allegiance but like the idea of calling themselves independents. >> most people who say they're independents are consistent voters for one party or another over time but for whatever reason they like to think of themselves as independents and say i'm not a democrat i'm an independent. i'm not a republican, i'm an independent. i have just voted republican in the last seven elections. but it still matters. i think the independent mindedness behind that sort of impulse matters to a lot of these voters. >> winning over independents is a crucial test for anyone who wants to be president. they can't bank on the party's base to carry them to victory. and voters back in new hampshire don't always win their party's nomination. but it remains an important stop on the road to the white house. alan fisher, al jazeera. >> celebrations in north korea's

capital after sunday's rocket launch. thousands gathered for a parade to mark the event. it was followed by a ten-minute fireworks display. it drew condemnation and threats. ththreats. the government said it was carrying a satellite. south korea fired warning shots at a north korea parole boat after it crossed a boundary in the fellow sea. harry fawcett has more details. very much on high alert from further provocations from north korea. they're reporting that a north korea patrol boat came south of the de facto maritime border. the northern limit lin of about 6:55 a.m. local time. the defense ministry saying that

five warning shots were fired by vessels of the south korean navy, and that that's a boat that retreated north of the line of about 20 minutes. the incident was over. the presidential office saying that a heightened alert status would be maintained. there is no schedule for the president on this new year holiday day. south korea has said it will expand its loud speaker broadcast sending propaganda along the demilitarized zone. lafayette pressure being brought to bear to support much tougher new sanctions in response to the nuclear test and sunday's rocket launch. >> an adviser has told

al jazeera they're investigating ways for her to become myanmar's new president. the democracy party won comfortbly, by syi is barred from the presidency. there may an around to get around the constitution. >> if we can suspend temporarily, i think there will be no restriction for aung san suu kyi to become president. >> three people have been injured by the attacks say a man was trying to escape over a

gate. he was chased for several hours. they managed to shoot the lebanon period with a tranquilizer gun. several artworks have been covered up after complaints of china. beijing's ambassador exploded with anger and threatened there would be consequences if the works weren't removed. al jazeera has more. >> it could be an artistic statement about centership itself by pages covering up works of art. but that was not the original intention of the artist. the panel contains letters written by self emulators who burn themselves to death and protests of autopsy of tibet. however when the chinese ambassador to bangladesh visited this art summit, he, according to one of the curators,

exploded, demanding that the artwork be taken down or there would be consequences. we don't know what these consequences might be, but the summit organizers told us that they were worried that not covering these works up could jeopardize future events. china has been increasing its role in bangladesh, seeing it as important for its connectivity to the indian ocean, and now artists here tell us they're worried, that china could be exporting it's censorship abroad. >> finally, what was supposed to be a stunt for an up coming film. [ explosion ] >> the explosion of a major bridge in london has sparked alarm. the blast was a scene for a film starring jackie chan and pierce brosnan. some people say they were not given enough notice and the stunt was an uncomfortable

reminder of a suicide-bomb attack that killed 13 people. and you'll find much more on many of our stories over on our website. that's what the front page looks like at the moment. to get to it you simply click on www.aljazeera.com. www.aljazeera.com. >> less than 24 hours before voting begins in new hampshire, and a new poll shows that sizable lead for the front runners. >> weakness is simply not an option. >> the united nations considers new sanctions in response to north carolina's launch of a long range rocket. days after a powerful earthquake rattled taiwan crews hold out hope in the search for survivors. >> and beyonce