as the situation worsens in syria, try try to get aid to besieged areas. hello, this is the world news from al jazeera. after violent clashes, uganda's opposition warns the upcoming elections will not be free. i'm at a center for unaccompanied refugee children where a series of attacks countrywide have left them more

vulnerable than ever before. in afghanistan, we meet the artist turning rely licks of war into works of art. we'll start with renewed diplomatic efforts to end the violence in syria or at least a pause. u.n. sources say the syrian government has indicated they will allow humanitarian aid in to besieged areas. that is after the u.n. special envoy staffan de mistura earlier spoke to the syrian foreign minister. this was what he had to say when he came out to speak to reporters. we have been ticking particularly about the humanitarian and hindered access to all besieged areas, not only by the government, but also by the on thattation sentenced by isil. >> in syria, the situation on

the ground is not getting better. fifty civilians, including children were killed in bombings on monday. reports say five medical facilities and two schools were targeted in northern syria's aleppo and idlib provinces. the u.n. called template taint violations of international laws. monday we heard from president bashar al assad, who questioned the possibility of putting a pause in the fighting. >> we hear about them requesting a ceasefire within a week but who is capable of bringing together all of these conditions within a week? no one. who will. he to the terrorists if the terrorist organizations refuse to adhere? who will make them accountable. we are speaking that all these conditions will be met. >> we have more from dana hodor.

>> the opposition is coming under pressure in the province of aleppo close to the turkish border. they have lost more ground, but it's not -- the ground has not been captured by that the government and its allies, but by the kurdish armed group, the y.p.g. and its allies, syrian allied forces. they are now in control of two main rebel strongholds. those two strongholds opponents of the government are symbolic towns. they were the first to rise up against the government years ago. it has been a front line for isil for many months. the rebels have fought or isil advances for many months, so a lot of frustration in the ranks of the opposition. they do say they are going to fight back but accuse the y.p.g. and allies of is to being them in the back. they say the y.p.g. and allies

wouldn't have made advances on the ground if it weren't for the support of russian air power. russia and the y.p.g. are allies. they are under increasing pressure on the ground. it is clear from statements made by syrian government officials that they are in no mood to compromise. at the end of the day, the balance on the ground is in their favor and they feel empowered by the support received from russia both on the battlefield as well as political support. energy giant saudi arabia and russia agreed to a freeze on oil production to the levels it set in january, but only if other major producers follow suit. they met in doha, the saudi arabia royal ministers made their announcements alongside counterparts from qatar and venezuela. bernard smith was at that meeting. >> cheap petrol may be welcomes by consumers but with a 70%

drop, oil producing countries feeling the pain, so saudi arabia, russia, venezuela, and qatar say they want to freeze but not cut production. >> it is a beginning of a process which we will assess in the next few months and decide whether we need other steps to stabilize and improve the markets. this is very important. we don't want significant gyrations in prices. >> at either end of this table are the oil ministers of venezuela and rush, whose economies are struggling with the reduction of oil revenue. although the saudi oil minister dismissed concerns about the effects on his country's economy. >> i have read a lot in the press and it is rubbish. saudi arabia has access to many

sources of income, and we are working at a very fast pace to diversify the economy and increase the sources of income. >> so your economy can survive at the current price of oil? >> with no problem. >> oil prices have fallen because of oversupply and reduced demand, but analysts say producers have been reluctant to cut output for fear of losing market share. members of opec have faced pressure from money u.s. based shale oil producers. >> saudi arabia, qatar, venezuela and russia will only freeze oil production if other major producers, including iran and iraq agree to do the same, and that could be tricky. the iranians have only started increasing output after sanctions were released in january. uganda's main opposition leader has warned thursday's

elections will not be free and fair. he was detained and released twice monday. police fired tear gas at his supporters. some threw rocks. he is mountain his fourth challenge against the current leader who has been in power for 30 years. there is increasing fear that the government is using fear tactics. >> he joined the crime preventers in the run up to elections. the government said it's part of a police be program. the political opposition say in reality, it's part of the militia, here at her home, sarah said she supports the opposition. she says when she joined, received training and was issued with a uniform tee shirt, she had to keep quiet about it.

>> some have to pretend her supporters of the ruling party but in fact support the opposition. since they have to follow otherwise, they work for r.a.m. >> some opposition politicians say crime prevehementers part of the ruling party plans to keep itself in power by force if it has to. >> come bent president is seeking to extend his 30 year rule by another five year term. >> some political groups don't know what to do. they don't want strength, they want weakness. this crime preventer are the social strength for the country. >> the campaigns have been largely peaceful. they have held the most allies,

mostly in rural areas where the support base is stronger. >> the opposition have a lot of supporters here in the capital, and many people are are worried that a disputed election result could lead to violence. there were demonstrations following the last election in 2011 that brought at brutal crack down. >> human rights abuse says have been documented for many years. the whole question of harassment and intimidation seems to be a practice perpetrated mainly by that the security agencies normally against the opposition. that's something we really must fight the opposition says the ruling party will cheat if it

has to. while many in the city agitate for change, others hope the election will pass without more violence. >> to europe now where 10,000 unaccompanied child refugees have disappeared since arriving. it is feared many have become victims of trafficking. more children seem asylum in sweden than any other country in the world, many arrive by themselves. social workers say many children choosing to missing, fearing their applications for asylum will be reject and they will be sent home so they live on the streets of towns and cities throughout the country. for those in the system, you have attacks against refugees and migrants which have left many fearful especially among those trying to protect those child refugees. we gained exclusive access to a center where aid workers say the

refugees are more vulnerable than ever before. >> this may look like simple childhood fun, but neither laughter nor levity come easy anymore. reminded constantly, as he is of a awful journey. >> i was scared, but i was so tired of the life that i had. >> he set out from iran at the age of 14. alone and afraid, he paid smugglers what he could. by 15, he'd made it to sweden, where he spent months in a transit camp before finally placed here at the city's light house center. >> there are 14 unaccompanied refugee children residing here. that hardly makes these minors less vulnerable. the past month has seen an increase in anti immigration sentiment in sweden and with

that, a string of arson attacks chargessing shelters just like this. now extra precautions must be taken, even the location of these centers are no longer made public. >> ate workers said it's not just the threat of violence the kids have to worry about. >> they are without legal guardian, also, trafficking, pedophiles. we have some reports of it. >> at a time when thousands of unaccompanied refugee minors have gone miss, it's getting harder and harder to make sure these chirp of safe. >> it's an open camp and they can go and come almost as they please. >> like the other children living here. he chose sweden because the agencies aid children coming everything that are under the age of 18 that are granted

asylum. he lost contact with his parents and siblings over a year ago. while he applied for asylum, he doesn't know if it will be granted. >> i'm afraid of what will happen to me if they send me back to afghanistan, one of my brothers there was killed and another kidnapped. >> despite attempts to brighten the mood at light house, it's been a real challenge keeping the darkness at bay. >> when you're a refugee, you don't have the time to process everything, but when you come here to these camps, then you have your own room, you are alone in the room, and you think about everything. >> in his room, the atmosphere seems as bleak as his outlook. >> i can't sleep well. i have nightmares. i go to see a psychologist for these problems but i still think about all the traveling i did just to get to sweden. >> now, even at this shelter, his desperation only grows

deeper as he wonders when and if this harrowing pilgrimage will finally end. >> in the news ahead, calls for a president to step down. opposition supporters in the democratic republican of congress call a strike. that plus. >> it's not uncommon to look around havana and see a construction site. development is underway, but can it keep pales with the influx of tourists? coming up, what cubans hope for and the challenges ahead.

>> "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.

top stories here on al jazeera, u.n. sources say the syrian government has indicated it will allow aid into besieged areas of the country under its control. the special u.n. envoy to syria staffan de mistura is in damascus for talks with government officials. energy giants saudi arabia and russia agreed not to increase the amount of oil they are pumping. they say they'll freeze production at january levels but only if other major producers are to follow suit. uganda warned elections on thursday won't be free an fair. over the border in the democratic republican of congo, opposition parties called for a nationwide strike, demanding the president steps down when his

term ends in december. we have more. >> human rights campaigners review video footage from last year's protests while campaigners took to the streets claiming the president was trying to delay the election. more than 40 people were killed, but the government also dropped plans for a census that would have been held before the poll and taken after three years, the election is supposed to be held later this year. >> we are afraid because we were ruled by a dictator for many years. >> the opposition believes there is still a plan to delay the pol. $1.2 billion is needed to otherwise local and international elections. the government said there is no money. the president called for a dialogue with the opposition but

they will hear none of it. >> elections should she left to the electoral commission. if he wants to talk about a peaceful transition, we will do it. that's the only thing we will talk about. >> people are told to stay away and not take their children to school, a nationwide strike. >> you find boards like this one, an opposition countdown to the end of the president's rule. urban areas say that the president must step down at the end of his term in december, but the democratic republican of congo is a large country and most of the people live in rural areas. >> this ruling party member say the president support goes well beyond urban areas and that the opposition is causing panic for

no reason. >> we are in february, not december. why do the people say the president wants to extend the rule? he has not said it. he said he will respect the constitution. >> this man updates the countdown. it's slightly more than 300 days before the president's term expires. many agree that preparing for elections will not be easy. they are congo with more than 70 people, have very little infrastructure with instability in the east. supporters say it still can be done. zimbabwe's prosecutor general is appearing in court charged with obstructing justice and a breach of duty. we have more details. >> inside the magistrate's court, one of the most

intriguing cases is being heard involving zimbabwe's top prosecutor, caused of obstructing justice. a few weeks ago, four men, some of them were soldiers, some civilians trade or allegedly tried to bomb the dairy owned by the president's family. they were stopped before they could do that and arrested. it's alleged that the top prosecutor basically released two of them, saying that they had turned state's witness. some felt that he is obstructing justice, maybe has a hidden agenda and that's why he was arrested, brought to court and out on bail. if the top prosecutor is found guilty, he could get up to 15 years in jail. people of zimbabwe are asking what this is really about. some say it could be personal, maybe someone in his office doesn't want him around. many say this could be a much bigger issue. he is getting older and some say this has to do with the cessation battle.

bizarre things have been be happening. the president's wife alleged some people in the military are trying to kill her son. officials say there was a bomb scare at a top hotel a few days ago. zimbabwe has been quiet over the last years, but many say now things could start getting more interesting. there are reports that four american journalists arrested in bahrain have been released. they are accused of taking part in an illegal gathering with intention to commit crime. they were detained while covering clashes between shia protestors and government forces. the united states and cuba are set to sign another agreement to bring them closer together. this time it will allow commercial flights between the two former foes, the first time in more than 50 years. can the island nation handle a new big influx of tourists. we went to havana to find out. >> like most cubans, richard solare ant after to travel but

says he is still seeing the world with each tourist he meets. he gives horse drawn carriage rides on the streets of old havana, with the expected wave of americans and more foreign investment, he says this cuba in a time capsule won't last. >> not a mcdonald's or kentucky fried chicken is going to change cube bees. that's a lie. >> tourism is one of the island's primary sources of income with that when president obama announced the normalization of relations in 2014, it was like opening a flood gate. last year, the number of visitors rose from three to three and a half million. cuba is struggling to keep pace. airports, hotels and the infrastructure are in need of expansion. there aren't enough hotel rooms, so the rates keep rising.

>> it's a chain. we suffer many years, we struggle. >> he is capitalizing on the moment. for almost 20 years, he and his family have rented rooms in their homes to tourists. he's hoping the government will loosen restrictions and allow people to own more than one house. >> i think it's a best moment until we open. one of the things that we have a lot of freedom of operation now. >> the people we spoke with say they are confident the government will device a strategy to develop the country without overshadowing what makes it distinctive. >> hello, excuse me, sir. >> whether it's next year or the next 10 years, tourists are guaranteed to experience the

cubano spirit. al jazeera, havana, cuba. mexican inmates where a riot claimed 49 lives were actually living a rather luxurious life. the authorities entered the prison after the riots and found cells decked out with big beds, televisions, paintings, even an aquarium. south korea's penalty says their communist neighbor has proven it doesn't want peace, addressing the parliament about what she called on going provocations from pyongyang. last week, a rocket was launched which i have the says was carrying a satellite. the trial of two suspects over a bombing has begun. an explosion at a shrine last august killed 20 people and

injured more than 120. this is handled now by the military courts, because it involves issues of national security. in india, journalists, students and teachers have protested inside a university campus demanding the release of a student leader. >> they say the arrest i also just the latest of the example of the clamp down on freeze speech. they are marching because colleagues were attacked outside court yesterday, as they awaited news of kumar's detention. >> i am concerned about the way as he addition charges were being brought. i think freedom of expression is being clomped down upon.

>> they say there is a shrinking stage for debate. forty universities extended support to the student. he was arrested for holding an event to mark the execution anniversary of kashmir separatist. a former teacher has been arrested on charges for holding a similar event to mark the death anniversary of that separatist. decades of fighting have left afghanistan littered with decaying relics of war. one artist is now making those old war machines her canvas. >> in afghanistan's former battle fields, now grave yards for tanks, rusted carcasses was war machines are getting flowery

makeovers. they are the creation of the 28-year-old iranian. she worked for months to get permission to paint the tanks. she said her work is neither political nor anti-war. when starting an art magazine didn't pan out, she turned her attention to relickion of war, abandoned by the satisfactory yet in the late 1980's. i he be joy that kind of recycling things. >> it took months to get permission to paint this. with the help of soldiers sent to escort her, she revived the once rust covered surface into a glossy cold hunk of steel trimmed with traditional persian patterns. >> the environment doesn't have that much color, it's monotone. i wanted very bright colors.

>> this is what an abandoned personnel carrier looks like before she found it. this is what it looked like after. in another neighborhood, before, after. she insists her work is neither political nor anti-war. her only motivation is to have fun and get people to think. >> i just wanted to make some questions in people's mind that what's going on around themselves. >> perhaps the biggest impact of her work has been the fact that she's taken grim reminders of violence and war and turned them into colorful attractions, where afghans, especially children, can come and just have a little fun. >> it became beautiful. we love it, say these afghan kids who play football on a nearby dirt field. neda would like to stay in afghanistan and paint more tanks

and murals, leaving her colorful mark on an otherwise bleak landscape. al jazeera, kabul. so much more news for you on line from the middle east and around the world. keeping you right up to date, all at aljazeera.com. tornado threats, severe storms race up the east coast after impacting millions with snow, ice, rain and twisters. i came here for two reasons, one because i care deeply about jeb and two because i care deeply about our country. brotherly love in south carolina, george w. stumps for jeb, but will it help turn the tide in his bid for the white house. state of emergency, hawaii gears up against the