♪ syria talks, the u.s. pushes to an immediate ceasefire after russia's proposal for it to start in march. ♪ i'm lauren taylor and this is al jazeera live from london and also coming up, president under pressure in south africa and jacob zuma is heckled in parliament as the protests continue. mexican prison riot frustrated families demand answers after more than 50 people die in an

monteray jail and new window on the study of the cosmos as einstein is proved right about gravitational waves. ♪ hello and we start with renewed efforts to revive the floundering talks in syria in germany ahead of a proposed meeting between the government and rebels later this month, the u.s. secretary of state john kerry and sergei fedorov are hosting the talks in munich, a ceasefire to be on the first of march has been suggested by russia but the u.s. wants it to begin immediately. meanwhile on the ground there is continued fighter near syria border with turkey and they captured an air base which was originally controlled by the syrian military before it was seized by rebels. elsewhere nato defense minister meeting in brussels and agreed to sent war ships to the aegean sea to stop mugingly refugees and migrants to europe.

more on that in a moment but first to munich and our diplomatic editor james base and is there much cause for optimism? >> i don't think so at this stage. certainly there is a great deal of effort going on, 19 delegations now meeting the so called international syria support group, the international supporters and backers of the process trying to get the process and talks in geneva back on track but in many ways it was a meeting that happened a few hours ago that was most important of the day between sergei fedorov and the u.s. secretary of state john kerry. you just have to look at the meeting and pictures from the start of the meeting and it told you from the very start this was a very difficult meeting. russia proposing a ceasefire but from the first of march the u.s. and its western arab allies saying that means russia would have another three weeks of bombardment to change the situation radically on the

ground. i think they are talking perhaps about some measures to alleviate the suffering on the ground, some humanitarian measures trying to get some access to humanitarian supplies but on that ceasefire they seem to be a long way apart, watching all this not part of the big meeting but watching it and lobbying people is the syrian opposition, the high negotiations committee and earlier their spokesman spoke to reporters. >> for us it's important to stop the russian aggression of the syrian people. we are working with our friends now to bring relief to the people under siege in syria and we are trying to find a solution. it's important for us to see implementation of resolution to u.s. i mean security council resolution 2254. this is very important to us to start the negotiation. >> reporter: and james what happens if the whole process

fails, is there a plan b? >> well, all along we have been told there is no military solution, only a political and a military solution cannot be a plan b but in reality diplomates will tell you they believe russia and the syrian government may well be carrying out plan b as we speak in northern syria, that they believe there could be a military solution to this and can tell you too the opposition is having discussions about the military options, there was a meeting in the last few days in turkey and took place between opposition leaders, the turkish and qatar and saudis and are leaning for warfare and gorilla warfare and trying to help in any way they can. on the ground in syria fighting is as fierce as ever and this report is from al

jazeera zaina. >> reporter: the syrian opposition has lost more ground in the northern providence of aleppo. and military air base however was not recaptured by government troops and their allies. it was taken by the kurdish armed group the ypg and arab allies and the opposition says the ypg has been taking advantage of the damascus advantage for areas in control of aleppo. >> translator: ypg militia from the start of the revolution has been working for its own interests. it created an aton mouse area and never recognized the syrian revolution and used it to create its own state. >> reporter: the capture of the air base means the ypg is now close to the main rebel held border crossing with turkey. this has increased concern in turkey which considers the group and its political wing the pyd a terrorist organization. >> translator: pyd has been the

unstoppable winner and will gain aspirations and stretch all the way to the west, it's not logical for us to carry out operations against pyd in syria while i.s.i.l. has a presence and will draw reaction from the u.s. and even russia. >> reporter: ypg and the ally and democratic forces are partners in the u.s. led coalition against aisle and the obama administration made it clear this policy is not going to change. the ypg also enjoys good relations with russia. it's a complicated web of alliances on the ground in syria. officially the damascus government and ypg are not allies but have not turned their guns on each other since the start of the up rising. it's not clear if there is any coordination in the offensive against the opposition in aleppo but what is clear is that the government and the ypg are both heading towards aleppo's border crossing with turkey. the border towns close to that crossing have received tens of

thousands of syrians displaced by the ongoing military operation. turkey continues to be criticized for not allowing them to tender enter and instead argues the refugees could safely remain in a designated zone on the syrian side of the border, such a safe zone would serve the national security interests by acting as a buffer and stopping ypg expansion and keeping the syria regime away from its doorstep, zaina southern turkey. ♪ south africa's president zuma has been repeatedly interrupted making the state of the nation address. in the end representatives from the economic freedom fighters party walked out after being asked to leave or remain silent and in cape town they fired stun grenades demanding that zuma stand down and correspondent miller is in cape town so what is the latest on those protests?

>> reporter: well, president jacob zuma got in the substance of his state of the nation address. he is about 45 minutes, almost an hour into it, looking at a number of issues around the economy and cost cutting and that was very much the concern from the economic freedom fighters who we spoke about. they left parliament after trying to disrupt proceedings a number of times and ultimately not getting into what they say is the major issue around president jacob zu ma and negative impact he had on south africa economy stemming from him firing two finance ministers in just a week and some of the decisions he has made and has a lot of criticism in south africa and to give us a better idea of what the president said this summer we are speaking to the analyst outside parliament and judith the president has been speaking, addressing parliament, has he addressed some of the major issues that are of concern to the country? >> well, he has touched on many of them.

he has talked about the economy. he has talked about the usual nine point plan on the economy. he has spoken about extra money for drought and we are in the middle of a severe drought and costing the country billions and a lot of this is going to depend on what money there is in the budget and the finance minister's speech on the 24th of february. the significant issue in the state of the nation address was also the cost-cutting measures which president zuma has announced for across the board with the government. of course one might be cynical about that and say that the president himself has been involved in obsessive expenditure of his own homestead and legal case if he ought to pay back some of that money so some of that while it's important for austerity measures some rings hollow because the credibility on authority is really low. >> we have also seen members of one opposition party cope as

well as the economic freedom fighters leave parliament, one saying he is corrupt, another saying he doesn't deserve the country's respect, have both approached the challenge to the president in the correct manner? >> well, the economic freedom fighters used this strategy of trying to filibuster in parliament, raise points of order, raise points of privilege until the inevitable sort of leaving or being thrown out. last year it turned to violence. this year it didn't. and that i think was probably one of the positive more positive elements. having said that i think the strategy is rather limited but of course the economic freedom fighters and some other opposition parties have also made important challenge in the constitutional court regarding the issue of excessive expenditure on the president's homestead and this has not been handed down and it was the concessions there which were made on tuesday by the president's lawyers in that case a crucial and i think the esf would feel void by that but also

they need what is the politics of the theatre of politics and that is what we sort of saw some of that tonight with the walking out and chanting at the president, it's all part of the atmosphere they want to create and the theatre around it. >> thanks for your time and insight into developments here at parliament and away from the opposition parties really when it comes down to what south africans say around zuma's address if he has responded to their concerns adequately. >> thank you very much indeed. 52 people have been killed in a prison riot in northern mexico. comes just one day before pope francis is set to arrive on his first visit to mexico as pontiff and we report from mexico city. >> reporter: witnesses say the fire and riot began just after midnight on thursday. dozens of prisoners were killed before authorities took back control of the prison. the fire lasted for several hours according to witnesses. and it's the largest prison in

northern state and it's known for being over crowded. rescue workers evacuated victims, some apparently with burns. on thursday morning the governor of the state spoke to the press. >> we have ruled out there were jail breaks, escape attempt or use of firearms and the security perimeter set up around the prison as well as the rest of the prisons in the states. >> reporter: family members gathered outside the prison and started to try to break their way in. several hours after authorities took control family members were still waiting for answers. >> translator: i don't know please help us, the woman director with all due respect come out and confront us, give us the names, please, the names. that's it. where is she? >> reporter: in resent years deadly prison riots have become common in mexico where members of rival drug gangs are often housed in the same facilities. pope francis is set to arrive on friday and planning to visit a prison in the northern border that used to be controlled by violent drug cartels.

adam rainy with al jazeera, mexico city. still ahead on the program one of the oldest surviving nazi guards stands trial for killing of jews at auschwitz plus. i'm jessica baldwin in the netherlands where the city of denmark is celebrating its favorite son, mr. bosch. ♪

>> "inside story" takes you beyond the headlines, beyond the quick cuts, beyond the soundbites. we're giving you a deeper dive into the stories that are making our world what it is. reminder top stories on al jazeera, diplomatic discussions to revive talks on syria are underway between the u.s. and russia in munich, moscow said it will begin a ceasefire on march

the first and washington says it must begin immediately. south africa's president zuma interrupted making the annual state of the nation address and in cape town they fired stun grenades at protesters demanding zuma stand down and at least 52 inmates died following a prison riot in the northeast of mexico. nato ships are being sent to the eastern mediterranean in response to the on going refugee crisis and the multi national groups was requested by germany, greece and turkey. paul brennan reports from brussels. >> reporter: in defiance of tougher border controls and in spite of winter storms and dangerous seas refugees and migrants continue to attempt the aegean crossing from turkey to greece and the group was rescued on today and this year 1500 people a day are making the dangerous crossing. turkey has taken in some two million refugees from the syrian

conflict and now wants help. turkish president in a critical speech on thursday warned that without more support he could simply open the borders and let the refugees leave. >> translator: in the border town we put them on a bus and turned them back but we can only do this once or twice then i'm sorry but we can open the doors and tell them have a good journey. >> reporter: nato defense ministers have been meeting in brussels but the german turkish greek proposal to sent ships to the eastern aegean was floated on monday this week and seemed to take nato by surprise, nonetheless the ships are being sent. >> our military authorities will workout all the other details as soon as possible. allies will be looking to reenforce this mission. this is not about stopping or pushing back refugee boats.

nato will contribute critical information and surveillance to help counter human trafficking and criminal networks. >> reporter: it's not going to be plain sailing and the nato group will ararrive with the mission still being worked out and turkish will have to stay in their own territorial waters and for it to work they need the coast guard to act effectively on nato intelligence provided to it, one thin this mission is not is an intercept and rescue operations. any refugees that are saved by nato vessel also be returned to turkey and turkey has a willingness to receive them back but for how much longer. paul brennan, al jazeera, brussels. the first pictures emerged of some victims of a double suicide bombing at a refugee camp in nigeria, as many as 70 people were killed when two women blew themselves up on

tuesday and rob matheson has the story. >> reporter: freightened and bewildered some of the youngest victims at the latest bomb attack in nigeria, two women are said to have blown themselves up at a refugee camp, one woman attacker has been arrested. >> from a town nearby according to the one arrested life she compares and she even hints to the military there after this because a parent i become and that is why she refused the bomb. >> reporter: the attack is said to be the hallmarks of the armed group boko haram and it is fighting to establish an islamic state in nigeria, in 201 niger yanukovich army took back large parts of the country seized by boko haram. in december the nigeria president hadi said the group had been technically defeated

and since then there have been three hit-and-run style attacks and people were killed in the village outside of the capitol in bodugary. >> they moved from asymmetrical warfare which the government was actually successfully trying to hinder them in december and early january to these gorilla attacks that you see happening now. >> reporter: refugees fled to the camps hoping to find protection from boko haram but it seems even there they have not safe, rob matheson, al jazeera. a former nazi guard has gone on trial in germany over the murder of 170,000 people at the auschwitz death camp during world war ii and he is 94 denies any involvement in mass murder and from munich dominick cane reports. >> reporter: he entered the court an elderly man with a dark past. in his youth henning was an ss guard as auschwitz. on thursday that past caught up

with him. he was accused of being and accessory to the murders of at least 170,000 people. auschwitz was the most murderous cameron in the course of the holocaust and a million jews and around 100,000 others were exterminated there during its 4 1/2 year existence. henning has admitted being at the camp at the time but denied involvement in mass murder. the prosecution alleges that he met jews as they arrived and may have escorted some to the gas chambers. when the soviet army liberated auschwitz they found the belongings of those killed, mute evidence of the mass murder for which the camp became synonymous. this trial is the first of four such that are due to take place in germany this year. a fact welcomed by the survivors of the camp who say they have lived for the chance one day to confront people like henning.

>> translator: for me it's only about justice, i would like if the man who is to stand trial mr. henning tells the truth by going to schools and tell the truth about what happened then, he should also tell that. >> reporter: very few of the people who survived auschwitz are still alive today. still fewer of those who served with the ss there. henning says he is not guilty but it will be for the court to decide. dominick cane, al jazeera, munich. tensions between the two koreas escalated after the north ordered all south koreans to leave the jointly run kaesong industrial park and ceased all the assets and harry faucet reports from seoul. >> reporter: on the southern side of the korean border the conconsequences of north korea's resent rocket launch, vehicles headed south from the kaesong industrial complex, the joint venture that south korea

declared indefinitely closed as of wednesday. >> translator: i feel horrible. if it stops operating companies like ours have to close business. it's difficult. >> translator: we jokingly said kaesong may be shut down but surprised to see it really happening. i feel sorry for the north koreans because they are more worried than we are. >> reporter: as the vehicles start to come through it's clear this is not going to be a quick process. there are 124 companies inside the kaesong industrial complex getting all of their equipment is going to take a while. but a few hours later it became clear it wouldn't be happening at all. north korea said seoul's action was a dangerous declaration of war cutting the last lifeline of north-south relations and putting it under control and freezing south korean assets and ejecting all south korean nationals. more than four hours after the

deadline that north korea had imposed the staff members, 280 of them streamed south, finished products, raw materials, valuable equipment all had to be left behind. the catalyst for all this sunday's launch by north korea after its long range rocket coming a month after it carried out the attack and they had a cast of it on thursday after the nation's young leader and mounding reports he had other pressing matters on his mind, south korean government official quoted as saying that north korea army chief of staff was executed for corruption and abuse of power this month. can't be corroborated and such reports have proved false in the past but it would chime with a high level meeting in pyongyang with a crack down on corruption and the fact that he has been missing from post rocket launch festi festivities, harry faucet, al

jazeera, seoul. 100 years after einstein predicted the existence scientists say they have seen gravitational waves and it's exciting for physics and astronomy and could open a new way of observing the universe. >> so this is it. this is what we saw. september 14 last year we saw this signal in livingston, louisiana. that is the measure, that is a wave form that we saw. the unit is a distortion of space time and you can see it a peak value, the largest value of this wave form was in part of 10-21. for four kilometers that is a tiny, tiny fraction of a diameter. that is incredibly tiny. >> reporter: more from our science center. >> reporter: einstein predicted some of the most powerful

processes in the universe like colliding black holes and stars would cause disruption to the fact rit of fabric of the universe and thought it would radiate at the speed of light with ripples in space time and the problem is these gravitational waves were thought to be very weak and almost impossible to detect. that hasn't stopped scientists from trying. an upgrade completed last year to the $620 million advanced laser gravitational wave observatory in the u.s. it uses four kilometer long lasers to attempt to measure the minute squashing and stretching believed to be by gravitational waves. >> we look at telescopes that collect light but now we will be able to change modes, look out in the universe in a completely different way and find very different objects to what you would actually be able to see directly with a normal

telescope. >> reporter: scientists are testing technology in space that could be used to detect gravitational waves, away from interference on earth, the european space agency path finder mission was launched late last year and able to measure movements as small as one millionth of a millimeter and hoped the readings will eventually aid to those from observatorys from those on earth. >> plans to develop the technology and in particular to open new detectors at different places on the earth, and that slowly allows you to kind of start try angulating where they are coming from and pinpointing objects. >> reporter: new ways to observe the universe like using radio waves or x-rays we are vastly able to increase what we see. in fact, images like these would not be possible without them and hope the discovery of gravitational waves will do the same and reveal new details about the formation and structure of galaxys and behavior of black holes and

evolution of our universe. little is known about the life of dutch painter born in the 15th century, now some of his paeintings can be viewed together in his hometown and jessica baldwin reports. >> reporter: ghouls and grotesque animals and it's the world of medieval painter bosch and to commemorate 500 years since he died 17 of his 24 paintings are reunited at an exhibition in his hometown. the lighting is low to protect the works and it's difficult to film. bosch has fascinated for centuries. the interest hasn't waned. his works have a modern feel inspiring mural and others. >> his paintings are traditional in a certain way. he is very modern in the way he is painting in his imagery. >> reporter: the pictures have

come from museums around the world. part of a trip tick has been temporarily reunited with works from the leuve and yale university in the u.s. for half an mellinum and are they religious reflecting a powerful church and he would have passed them to pray at st. john's cathedral and who knows if they inspired his work. not much has changed in the market square since he was born here around 1450. the painter had his studio on this square and he was actually born in this square in the greenhouse behind me. at the time this city was a thriving metropolis like that on antwerp of brussels and plenty of patrons around to support his painting. the artist is clearly the city's

favorite son and took his name from here and now the city is celebrating his virtual return, 500 years later. jessica baldwin, al jazeera, the.netter lands. lots more for you on our website, the rest of that is al jazeera.com. ♪ ♪ ♪ >> inspired by the ration to riches story of the hero, manny pacquiao, the brutal reality is few will succeed. not that it stops young hopefuls from trying, even i