>> retaliation after at least 28 people are killed in a bomb attack on a military vehicle in the tap calf ankara. hello there, i'm julie mcdonald. also coming up, trucks carrying aid arrived in besieged areas in syria. the u.n. said that the supplies will help nearly 100,000 people. china's accused of surface to air missiles from its islands in the china seas. pope francis visits what was

once one of the world's most dangerous places. >> welcome to the program. first, to turkey where at least 28 people have been killed in an explosion in the capital of ankara. the blast appeared to be caused by a car bomb that was detonated as vehicles carrying military personnel stopped at a traffic light. >> the hard of turkey's capital rocked by a massive explosion. only four months after the last deadly bomb attack in the city. the governor of ankara said that this blast had been caused by a car bomb. the security officials say initial signs indicate that the kurdistan workers party the pkk may be behind the attack.

>> the purpose of this attack is to intimidate our country and to inflict fear in our citizens mine minds. our citizens should be united because the terrorists are aiming to divide us. >> it's not been an isolated incident. in the past few months there have been four bombings in turkey. a saudi born syrian suicide-bomber blue himself up in the histori historic. the bomber is believed to have been inspired by the islamic state in iraq and the levant. last october two moms exploded outside of ankara central railway station targeting a labor peace and democracicy rally one of the deadliest attacks of its kind in the county's modern history. turkey is facing an critical point at an attempt to maintain

control over its security. mired in regional tensions it has been trying to establish a no-fly zone in neighboring syria. and it hinted that it might send ground troops there as well. meanwhile, ankara has launched attacks on kurdish positions. turkey's national intelligence agency had warned in response to the artillery barrages in syria. yet another better conflict that is being played out in this war-torn region. al jazeera. >> the turkish president released this statement following those attacks saying our determination to respond in kind to attacks taking place inside and outside our borders is getting stronger with such acts. he said it must be known that turkey will not shy away from using it's right to self defense at any time, any place, or any

occasion. well, earlier i spoke to a columnist villa skype from ankara about the public's reaction to the attack. >> well, of course people are shocked. there has been diverse attacks. there have been a shock certainly, but there has been a president. the difference this time is that the attacks the attack happened at the state district as it's called. >> the united nations said that aid trucks have reached five besieged towns and villages in syria bringing food, water and medicine to nearly 100,000

people. the operation comes after a syrian government greed to allow further aid to help people who were stranded and starving as the violence intensified. >> it is a step forwarded. it is part of what was agreed on by the u.s. russia and others in munich last week. u.n. trucks filled with food and medical supplies entered the government-held towns in the north, which are besieged by the rebels. and opposition-held towns by seened by the government around the capital of damascus. nothing them madaya where 40 people died of malnutrition since last october. >> the last time aid entered was 45 days ago. since then 15 people have died because of malnutrition and diseases. people need urgent medical help but only ten were taken to hospitals outside. >> the latest aid deliveries will bring relief to thousands. aid agencies say that it is

progress, but there is no deal to ensure supplies will continue to be delivered to these villages and not the besieged communities across syria have been reached. >> why doesn't the northern countryside of homs get aid? u.n. resolution call to reach all areas. isn't there a regime to force rebels to surrender before aid can enter? >> the northern countryside of homs has been a battleground for months. the united states warn that the offensive in the area has cut off supply routes, and it says food shortages are likely to guess worse for the 120,000 who live there, the last u.n. aid convoy to reach the country was in october. u.n. secretary ban ki-moon said that starvation as a weapon amounts to a war crime. many accuse the syrian government of using the tactic when they're unable to take or hold territory and such a strategy has forced rebels to

either surrender or accept local cease-fires. >> now the opposition controlled east of aleppo city where tens of thousands of people live is closed to being besieged. there is no sign that a pause in the fight willing happen this week as agreed an international task force will hold its meeting on friday to discuss its practicalities where any hope of that to happen they first need to reach a consensus on who is the legitimate opposition and who are on the internationally agreed list of terrorist groups. al jazeera. southern turkey. >> libyans are marking five years since the revolution began. there have been several rallies in major cities to celebrate the anniversary. but the country remains divided between the militias and two rival governments. we have more now from the libyan

capital. >> as you can see many people have come here in the tapcal to mark the anniversary of the revolution. but many have issues have been raised here, especially the fighting. the people here have been calling on political rivals in order to end the fighting also pictures of the victims have been displayed here. and it reminds people of the national division. >> more than 500 sunni arabs

have been caught near the town of sinjar. we have reports now from baghdad. >> back in november they took back sinjar. it had been occupied by isil since august of 2014. it was seen as a crucial victory against the group, but not for everyone. sunni arab residents in areas like these found themselves trapped. they had been living under the rule of isil as an occupying force, but peshmerga forces became suspicious, believing they were isil sympathyest. they were reported to have been refused to enter the area. >> we have serious concerns because around mid-november last year 1,800 individuals who are arab sunni who is are from the tribe here had fled from their villages, and they got trapped

between the front lines of the peshmerga and isil, which is located about a kilometer or two kilometers away from them. >> with you that's an accusation that the kurdish regional government denies. >> what we reject from this report is the generalization of the report. general indication of the topic of the report. they say they're surrounding the civilians. they have cases of hundreds of thousands of civilians and they have cases where even today the civilians have passed lines. >> despite the denial it is clear that there is significant tension. what we have been told off the record by some sources within the kurdish region is that these people aren't being allowed to move because they're seen as having collaborated with isil. now whatever the truth of the matter is, it goes to show you that all sides here are eyeing each other with suspicion. al jazeera. baghdad. >> pope francis has arrived in

juarez, the latest stop on to mexico. the city has been one of the most dangerous cities on earth synonymous with the city's drug war. >> he's using this visit as a way to try to look at what he might call the discarded of society. highways long been a supporter of prisoners not because he supports violence. but because divine mercy shows that the way we treat prisoners is perhaps an indication of the society that we are. he gave a homily, a speech at that prison here in juarez saying that people need to be rehabilitated, and many are just truly locked up rather than rehabilitating them, and he said

its important to treat every human being with mercy. now beyond the reach out for these prisoners. he's here because of the symbolism right here on the northern border with the united states. it shows migration about the america's. he has been very critical of the way rich countries have or have not received migrants whether that be in europe or the united states. >> adam raney reporting here. he's already been in power 30 years, so can uganda's president extend his time in office even further in thursday heirs elections? and access denied. why tech giant apple won't tell investigators how to unlock the iphone from a mass killer.

a reminder of the top stories here on al jazeera. blasts targeting military personnel in ankara. the u.n. said aid trucks have reached besieged towns and villages bringing medicine and food, and water to nearly 100,000 people. >> china has been accused of deploying surface to air miles. taiwan said an unspecified number of missiles have been placed on woody island a claim supported by the u.s.

this previous satellite image of woody island shows considerable development by china including a runway. the island is part of the chain of islands under chinese control for 40 years but claimed by vietnam. this is all much to the anger of the nearby philippines, malaysia and brunei. >> woody island, has been in beijing's hands since 1974. in 2012 china formally declared a city on this tiny speck of land home to more than a thousand people. now according to taiwan, which claims the island along with vietnam, it's also home to two advance surface to air missile batteries. china's foreign minister blamed

the western media's appetite for creating news stories but didn't in so many words deny that the reports were true. as for the limited and necessarily self defense facility that china has been on the island stated by chinese personnel, this is considered self preservation that china is entitled to under international law. >> but it is seen as militarization. the u.s. has sailed warships within 20 kilometers of the islands controlled by china. problem has promised more of the same. >> i think it is clear that this is part of a trajectory of shrine preparing these islands for possible deployment for missiles. this has been the great fear in washington. that this would deny these areas of the ability of u.s. navy ships and other navy ships to

deploy freely without the threat of the use of force. >> taiwan's president-elect is due to take office in may. she's called for self-restraint. japan, which has a separate territorial dispute with china has issued a sterner rebuke. >> china is increasing tensions by carrying out extensive and rapid land reclamation and utilizing them for military purposes. we have deep concerns over such actions and want to reemphasize that japan cannot accept this. the tensions between the two largest powers in the region extend here to the koreanen peninsula as well after north korea's recent nuclear test and rocket launch the u.s. is in talks with south korea about debrissing an anti-missile system here on south korean territory. that's something that beijing is opposed to, seeing it as a direct threat to its own military interests. that's hardly the intended side

affect. the u.s. wants beijing to reign in its ally in pyongyang. there was a show of force. american f-22 stealth fighters demonstrating what the u.s. calls its commitment to defending it's ally in the face of north korean threats and a show of force that will be noted just as much by the leadership in beijing. harry fawcett, al jazeera, seoul. >> u.s. secretary of state john kerry said that the dispute must be resolved systematically. >> there is an increase of militarization of one kind or another. it is of serious concern. we've had these conversations with the chinese. i'm confident that over the next days we will have further very serious conversation on this. and my hope is that china will realize that it is important to try to resolve the

jurisdictional issues of the south china seas not through unilateral action, not through force, not through military indication but through diplomacy and by working with the other countries and maim atlantas in trying to resolve these differences. >> ugandans will vote in residential parliamenpress presidential elections. malcolm webb reports now from the capital of kampala. >> he came in 30 years ago. now the president wants another five-year term.

>> here at his final rally in the capital of kampala thousands of supporters waited in the sun for hours. what he's doing here, he's. >> he started speaking some people left. people here said they had been told $1.50 to attend. the party has denied paying people to attend rallies. the main opposition leader lost three times before in elections he said were rigged. and this time supporters were handing money to him at rallies. >> it's voice of the people is that they have been failed in the last, and what could be done in that long period cannot be done in another five years.

>> the other prominent candidate former prime minister critics say he was involved in the government's alleged corruption. he denies it, but his supporters say that he can bring change from powerful connections within the government. >> my. >> well, she campaigning has been largely peaceful, the opposite significance has been arrested several times, and monday's unrest only makes him more popular at the final rally.

>> it seems wherever he goes more and more just follow. there is no doubting that here in the capital he's got the numbers. >> about 80% of people. it will ar remain if the election will be fair. and it could lead to more unrest. >> ungear ran prime minister has indicated that his opposition to sanctions against russia meanwhile, the russian president has described hungary as an important and reliable partner in europe.

>> i think by the end of this, countries are supporting the view that i'm telling you about. i'm in position of hungary, but other countries are also asking what to do with these sanctions, so everyone starts to realize that we need to cooperate. >> the ball is not in russia's court but we're calm about this process. we're sure that it will happen sooner or later. >> thousands of people have gathered at an independence day rally in kosovo agency capital. they demand in a the government resign. the kosovo prime minister said that the government won't be dismissed. >> an indian student leader arrested during protests on friday has been attacked as police brought him to court. he was arrested on a

controversial sedition charge. his hearing has been put on hold while an investigation takes place in how he could have been attacked despite heavy police protection. more than 200 people are sleeping outside of the headquarters of zimbabwe state gray marketing board angry about unpaid salaries. thousands across the country are losing their jobs in a stagnant economy. stet the president i--at the same time the president is hosting a laugh relinquish birthday bash. >> they've been sleeping on the streets of harari for more than a week. it's their way of protesting outside of the company's headquarters. they were fired last year because of budget cuts but they say that the company still owes them ten months salary and self republicans pay. this woman is worried about her three-year-old son. >> we're sleeping in the open with our children. many of us women to bring our

children because there is no one to leave them with at home. we have to be here. we want our money. we need our money. >> the company said times are tough economically. it's struggling to pay it's former employees. >> it's getting dark and the men are lighting fires. they're going to make dinner. it will feed more than 200 people who will be sleeping out here, outside of the offices of the gray marketing board. >> this is where some are going to be sleeping, and they're trying to make themselves comfortable. they're sleeping on top of cardboard boxes. it's not ideal, but it's their way of protesting until they get their money. they say they're not going anywhere. >> people are desperate. >> they need to get food for their children. >> the government is telling workers the problem will be sorted. >> those people have a right to be paid. it's unfortunate that it has

come to where it is now. where people where babies are sleeping outside. it is inhuman, and we cannot condone that level we are a government that was created, a and. >> it's not clear where the money will come from. like many companies in zimbabwe, the state is struggling to pay its workers. for the first time all of this is happening days before robert mugabe turns 92. it will cost hundreds of thousands of dollars meanwhile many across the country struggle to make it through the day. >> apple will not help the u.s. government encrypt the iphone. apple said breaking into the

phone will threaten the security of all of its suesers. here is tom ackerman. >> the legal fight between apple and the u.s. justice department came to a led after the decemb december 2nd attack when a couple open fired at a christmas office party in san bernardino, california. he left behind a facebook entry pledging political to isil. fbi investigators tried to obtain evidence from the iphone farouk used for work and asked apple for hem in unlocking it. a feature wipes the memory after ten failed attempts to enter the correct password. apple claims that helping to break into the phone would cause them to have to build a new software. the company says it will fight a judge's order to comply with a government demand. at a white house cyber summit

last month apple's ceo said that the company was standing on principles and against government offriver. >> if those of us in position of responsibility failed to do everything in our power to protect the right of privacy, we risk something far more valuable than monday. we risk our way of life. >> but fbi director james comey said that apple has the means to decrypt the phone. it's real motive is to protect a highly profitable product from competition. >> lots of good people have designed their systems and their devices so a judge's orders cannot be complied with, for reasons i understand, i'm not questioning the motivation. the question we have to ask is should they change their business model. >> apple is not alone. silicon executives and senior justices failed to reach a consensus over cyber security.

>> well, you can find out much more on our website. you can see our top story there, the bomb blast earlier in anka ankara. you can find all that and more on www.aljazeera.com. i'll have those headlines in just a couple of seconds. >> we've arrived in puerto rico, a us island territory, more than $70 billion in debt. residents are american citizens, but the poverty rate here is 3 times the national average. now, with the economy facing collapse, record numbers are using their american passports to get out. >> i have never been away from home, like this is the first time for a long time.