>> hello, and welcome to the news hour. here's what is coming up in the next 60 minutes. hospitals and a school hit in two separate airstrikes in syria killing more than 21 people. turkey and russia in a war of words as fighting escalates inside syria. plus... >> i'm in sweden where aid workers and officials are struggling what to do to help

migrants who arrived alone last year. >> the center is protested in australia. and in mexico where the pope is heading south to one of the poorest parts of the country. ♪ >> hello a series of airstrikes across syria has left more than 21 people dead. dozens more are injured. three hospitals and a school are among the buildings' bombed. turkey is blaming russia for one of the attacks. we're following events on turk turkey's border in syria. here are the reports. >> reporter: there is no red line in syria's war. that seems to be the attack where a school, a hospital, and other buildings were hit. among the casualties were recently displaced syrians who

escaped the fighting across aleppo province. turkey has called azaz a red line and vowed to not allow the town to fall not only because it is being held by the opposition but it is being threatened by the ypg, an opposition group that is called terrorists. >> the ypg has stepped back from azaz and it's area. if they come closer they'll see the most severe reaction. we will not allow azaz to fall. the whole world should know this. >> turkey has been attacking ypg positions to prevent further advances. they have captured many areas held by the oppositions taking advantage of the government offensive against the rebels across aleppo province. the ypg and it's allies have rejected its ultimatum to

recapture areas, instead they're advancing and now are at the door steps of the strongholds in the northern corridor. many in the opposition say they've been able to make those advances with the support of russian air power. air power is not only being used in aleppo and the rebel-controlled province of idlib in the west, another hospital has been destroyed causing more casualties. the facility was supported by doctors without borders and provided services to more than 40,000 people. the organization called it a deliberate attack but it didn't blame anyone but activists say russian planes were responsible. just last week one of its facilities was hit. >> we've seen a lot of--for example, since the beginning of the year, areas have been targeted in syria and many others, so we need to see that

the areas are targeted, and health targets are on display. >> monday's attacks were a message from russia. dozens of families have already left towards the turkish border. azaz is no longer safe. instead it has become a new front line that could trigger an even larger war. >> well, russia said that we'll continue with airstrikes near the syrian city of aleppo, and the kremlin has criticized turkey for its attacks. that brought quick response from the turkish government. >> russian airstrikes have been directed at aleppo and the humanitarian aid corridor and they have been breached by russian and syrian regime forces. hearing the declaration statement made by russian foreign ministry today goes to show that russia is content on

massacres and in an aggressive stance in syria. turkey is on the side of syrian brothers and sisters in aleppo and will continue to send them humanitarian aid. ypg and other forces will receive turkey's reaction if they continue in this manner. >> crossing over to the turkey-syrian border, you talk about azaz being a new front line. how do we expect the situation to develop? >> well, turkey and russia have been locked in a war much words with deteriorating relations. turkey has accused russia of ethnically cleansing northern aleppo. changing the demography, russia has accused turkey of allowing what it calls jihadi groups to enter syria illegally and supporting jihadi groups. but russia has expressed serious

concern about what it called turkey's aggressive policies in syria. now turkey has been targeting ypg positions inside syria. the ypg enjoys good relations with moscow. moscow still has not responded to that, but still there is that risk of confrontation. turkey has been frustrated by the fact that it really has been a game changer. the assad regime has been surviving. they're no longer on the retreat. russia is targeting opposition groups that turkey supports. so turkey's maneuver really in syria has been eliminated especially the downing of the russian jets because they deployed missiles on the ground, so russia controls the skies. we heard them say that for them

azaz is the red line and we will not allow it to fall. and russia is saying no, this is not a red line. the advances near the turkish border is not made by the russian government but by the ypg. a group that ankara considers opposition and they will consider this provocation. >> we have the latest now from moscow. >> the last few days of intensified fighting in syria i think demonstrate that as we push up to the supposed cessation of hostilities, the regional powers involved here are going to try to push home their objectives and their advances. russia has been very critical of shelling of kurdish positions in the north of syria, calling these aggressive acts, they run counter to the pledges made to

the international support group to syria and runs counter to u.n. security council resolution. russia has also said that after the cessation of hostilities comes into affect it will carry on its air campaign because it says it has an obligation to carry on striking what it calls terrorist groups. but of course, what russia calls the terrorist group and what turkey calls the terrorist group differs. they consider the kurdish groups to be terrorist. russia considers them to be the integral part of the dialogue and wants them to be involved in any political settlements for syria that gets negotiated some time down the track. >> while all this is happening, aid agencies and the united nations are struggling to gain access to the regions worst affected by the fighting in the area. we have the latest on the effo efforts to feed and clothe the

cold and starving. >> reporter: this convoy is carrying aid for those suffering from the fighting in aleppo. >> we have wheat, flour, oil, rice, lentils. >> reporter: every month almos the need for aid has become more urgent. the u.s. said nearly half a million people in syria are living in areas held by rebel forces. up to 45,000 people are cut off from aid since government forces stepped up their offenses. to the east of the capital, the u.n. said that the government is using starvation as a weapon of war.

some aid has got through but hundreds need to be moved for medical help. and up to 200,000 people are living under an isil imposed seize where food and water are running out in the last few days the u.n. has successfully delivered aid to thousands of family in yarmouk. it is where thousands of palestinian refugees have been under siege by government forces for almost three years. >> this is a community of civilians where in any case women have died during childbirth for lack of medicine, and this is an u.n.-protected community, they've been eating grass in some instances, so we need sustained access, and we need it urgently. >> in the rebel held stronghold of douma, an aid convoy has arrived in the city. they have medicine and milk for children. last week world leaders pledged

humanitarian assistance to syrians trapped in besieged areas. but it is still not known whether any of it has been delivered. al jazeera. >> the former head of haiti's parliament has been sworn in an interim president, but will this subside the threat of violence in the country. >> i'm in stockholm, sweden, where aid workers and workers are struggling how to help refugees and migrants who have arrived here alone in the last year. >> kobe bryant wins it's last nba all-star game. all that coming up in this next hour. >> first we go to uganda where there are some disturbances following the arrest of an opposition leader who is running for president. take a look at these latest pictures we're getting from the capital, and we're also getting

reports of protest. malcolm webb joining us to tell us more about the situation in uganda, and where the opposition leader is right now, malcolm. >> well now,-- [ inaudible ] >> malcolm, i just have to stop you right there. apologies, we're having trouble understanding what you're saying. our apologies to our viewers for that connection with malcolm. he was reporting from uganda and telling us that the opposition leader has been arrested but he

has subsequently been released. in other news u.n. investigators are requesting north korea to be investigated for crimes against humanity. the investigators are asking the u.n. human rights council to notify leader kim jong-un that a request has been made for the serious charges. this comes as north korea is under heavy scrutiny from the international community after launching a satellite a week ago. now, pope francis has visited a children's hospital in mexico city. he was accompanied by mexico's first lady angela rivera. earlier the pope held mass in front of millions of people in a notoriously violent and poor suburb of the capital. pope francis is now visiting the poorest state, the indigenous population has been marginalized there for years and has the lowest percentage of catholics

in the country. >> the father looks more like a freedom fighter than a catholic priest. he is one of the movement of the clergy who say their place is outside of the church with the forgotten and desperate. >> now pope francis is visiting chappas paying attention to its three-quarters mostly indigenous population who live in poverty, and to priests like marcello rebelling against the conservative catholic hierarchy and local politician who is act more like feudal lords. >> corruption creates poverty and violence. because i expose it, they want

to kill me. they put a price on my life. now it's 100 million pesos. >> he does not leave the church now without his bodyguards. in 1994 an army of indigenous farmers rose up in chappas rejecting the state and creating their own autonomous area. the government responded pouring in troops and money to pacify indigenous communities. but human rights groups say they're rarely consulted before it's spent. a good example of these houses heavy authorities built thousands of them for indigenous people. but they lack services and land for crops and to keep animals. so no one moved in. this is also focused on mega projects to exploit the state's natural resources the. >> government is working with the sector who wants to open areas for extraction for control not for the poor. in that way the pope's visit

comes to give hope to those below and to say those above don't always win. >> that's a message that priests like marcello have been preaching for years. now they have the top man on their side. john holman, al jazeera. chappas. >> we'll bring in john now who is joining us from chappas, john, the message the pope wants to send out, and what is expected from him next? >> well, the pope is about to rise. you can see behind me we've got the open space where he's about to give mass. and in that space we saw queuing up lots and lots of indigenous people who have come to be part of this celebration. this visit really is all about them. chappas is the poorest state in mexico. they live i