turkey vows to retaliate after a car bomb kills at least 28 people in ankara. ♪ ♪ hello and welcome. i am peter with the world news from al jazeera. also on this program. the polls are now open in uganda as the president seeks another term to extend his 30-year rule. ada rises in besieged towns and villages in syria. surprise for nearly 100,000 people. >> reporter: i am scott heidler in singapore, coming up we'll tell you how territorial

questions are prompting a rapid military buildup. the turkish president has vowed a bombing in the capital city will only strengthen the country's resolve. erdogan is promising retaliation saying the fight will go on on what he called pawns carrying out such attack, 28 people were killed by probably a car bomb used against milt terry buses. zeina khodr reports. >> reporter: the heart of turkey's capital. rock booed a massive explosion -- rocked by a months i have explosion and only four months after a deadly bomb attack in the city. the governor said this blast had been caused by a bomb. the attack happened on a convoy of military buses at a stoplight. they were headed to the parliament. security officials have said

that the initial signs indicate the outlawed kurdistan workers party or p.k.k. is behind the attack. >> translator: the purpose of this attack is to intimidate our country and to inflict fear on our citizens mind. our citizens should be united because the terrorists are aiming to have i described us. >> reporter: and it's not been an isolated incidents. there have been four deadly bombs in four months. one saudi born suicide bomber blew himself up in istanbul in january. 10 died in the attack. it was said to be inninged by by aisles. last month two bombs exploded outside a railway station more than 100 were killed in those blasts. one of the diddly i wa did deads

of eights kind in modern history. turkey has its own war against isil, also at war with the p.k.k. inside and outside of its borders the mainly kurdish southeast has been a battle ground for months as of late it launched artillery strikes inside syrian on the y.p.g. that ankara says is an off shoot of the p.k.k. turkey wants to prevent the y.p.g.'s expansion which is considered a national threat. they warned of reprisal attacks in response to the artillery barrages on kurdish positions in syria. turkish authorities are calling for unity. they say the bombing was not just an attack against the military but an attack against the nation. and president erdogan has promised to respond both inside and outside the country's borders. zeina khodr, al jazeera, southern turkey.

director of the turkey project at the center for strategic and international studies in washington he says if the kurdistan workers party, the p.k.k., is responsible any turkish response would complicate a difficult situation. >> the past five days turkey has been using long range artillery to hit syrian kurdish positions. this itself was in retaliation for syrian kurdish y.p.g. advances in the area in northern syria that, you know, turkey does not want the y.p.g. to expand in to. the complication here is that the y.p.g. is backed by russia in the white sox and by the united states in the east. and huh caused tension between the u.s. and turkey. if they were to be on the ground

it would further complicate that relationship. turkey could retaliate against the p.k.k. headquarters in northern iraq in the mountains, with its air force, as it has done numerous times during the past few months or it could sends in ground forces in to northern iraq. but it's more likely to retaliate in northern syria against the y.p.g. and i talked about the complications that would create within the u.s. alliance. it would further complicate the syrian war which is complicated as it is. the united nation says aid trucks have reached several we sieges towns in syria. the delivery is part of the agreement with the syrian government to allow aid in to areas where people are stranded. here is rob matheson. >> reporter: a ray of hope in the midst of war. over 100 trucks carrying humanitarian aid spreading out towards some of syria's besieged

towns. near the lebanese border they are bringing medical surprise and a mobile clinic as well as food. thousands here are trapped by forces supporting president assad. which include hezbollah fighters. aid workers say at least 40 people have died of malnutrition in the town since october. >> we'll have people who are able to bring the medical support kids but actually make the assessments for people in need who have often been in extreme knew tisch and food shortage. >> reporter: this convoy is heading for the towns in the northern. around 20,000 people here have been cut off by armed rebel groups. heavy gunfire close to damascus, rebels guard the entrance to the city where trucks line up carrying surprise for at they have 30,000 people trapped here. more aid is expected to arrive in the east, parts of which are held by isil. the convoys are part of an

agreement reached last week in munich by over a dozen countries including the u.s. and russia. but ther there is no deal it mae sure the surprise keep coming and not all the towns under siege can be reached. >> translator: why doesn't the northern countryside of homs get aid. u.n. resolutions call for aid to reach all areas, isn't the u.n. wait for this regime to force rebel to his surrender and agree to ceasefires before aid can enter? >> reporter: the northern countryside of homs has been a battle ground for months. the united nations warns that local supply routes have been cut off by a syrian government offensive. the u.n. says food shortages could get worse for the 120,000 who live here. the last u.n. aid convoy to reach this part of the country side was in october. now the opposition-controlled east of aleppo city where 10s of thousand of people live is close to be besieged. arizona a pause in the fighting has been agreed for the end of this week, but there is still no sign it will happen. and international task force will hold its first meet on the

ground friday to discuss the practicalities of ending the hostilities in syria. first they need to agree on who they regard as syria's legitimate opposition and who is on the international list of so-called terrorist groups, rob matheson, al jazeera. the u.n. special envoy to yemen says talks to end the war must happen by the i month of march. negotiations were put on hold last month after more airstrikes, thein' has not been able too organize new discussions. >> translator: deep divisions persist which prevent me from calling talks. the parties are divided over whether a new round of talks should be convened with or without an end to the hostilities. i have not, unfortunately, received sufficient assurances that a new ceasefire, should i call for one, would be respected. as the secretary general has stated repeatedly, there is no military solution to this conflict. a recommitment to end hostilities leading to a

permanent ceasefire is the practical expression of this truth and i urge the council to support this step and take action towards it's implementation as soon as possible. the polls have opened in uganda no presidential, parliamentary and local lexes. the president is seeking another term to extend his 30-year rule. his main challenger is running against him for a fourth time. malcolm webb now reports from the capital. >> reporter: he came to power 30 years ago now he wants another 5-year term. >> reporter: here at his final rally in the dap tal, thousands of supporters waited in the sun

for hours. >> what he is doing here, he is bringing the government to the villages levels. >> reporter: he started speaking, some people left. people here said they had been told they would be paid about $1.50 to attend. the ruling nrn party denies paying people to attend rallies. the main opposition leader has ran against the president three times before and lost in elections that he says were rigged. and this time supporters have been handing money to him at rallies. he says he has more support than ever before. >> the voice from the people is that they have been failed in the last 30 years and what could not be done in that long period cannot be done in another five years. >> reporter: the other prominent candidate is a long-time loyal i was and former prime minister.

critics say he was involved in the government's alleged corruption and violence. he denies it. but his supporters say he can bring change through his powerful connections within the government. >> my main worry is the use of state machinery to support one candidate against all the laws. and the two, the planned interference with the electoral process and the possibility of rigging. >> reporter: on monday police stopped he and his supporters from attending a rally he had called in central cam pal a otherwise campaigning has been largely peaceful. he has been arrested many times by police over several years, and monday's unrest seemed to make him only more popular at the final rallies. after driving around the suburbs for hours, he has picked up crowds of 10s and 10s of

house of supporters, it seems wherever he goes, more and more just follow. there is no doubting that here in the capital, he has the numbers. with about 85% of ugandans living in rul rural hours not he in the city all parties say they have the rural vote. ugandans are waiting to see if the polling will be free and fair and if they accept the result. a disputed result could lead foo more unrest. still to come for you here on al jazeera. we look at what's at stake as britain tries to renegotiate its relationship with the european union. five years after the massive sunam any japan, we hear from one survivor who is still looking for answers.

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♪ ♪ welcome back. top stories on al jazeera. at least 28 people have been killed by a car bomb in the turkish capital. the president is vowing retaliation after the blast in ankara. it appears a military convoy was the target. the united nations says aid is being distribute ed in some besieged years in syria. trucks carrying food, water, and medicine to nearly 100,000 people reached villages and towns on wednesday. and the polls have opened in uganda for presidential, parliamentary and local elections. the president is seeking another term to extend his 30-year rule. his main challenging is running for a fourth time.

pope francis has wrapped up his visit to mexico with a mass in a city mer near the border wh america. the murder rate there has fallen the city is still considered one of the most deadliest places notorious for its drug violence the pontiff prayed for those who died trying to cross the border in the u.s., adam raney is there. >> reporter: pope francis has departed mexico after a five-day whirlwind tour of this country from the southern border to the northern border here. he says mass here at the u.s. boarder praying for my grass, a group of people he has often offered support. he's very critical of policy in the united states and some countries of europe of policies restricting or making it harder for migrants who are fleeing poverty and violence, he said a prayer mirra long the rio grande as the river is known in the united states or the rio paragraph dough this border river just about 100 meters from where i am standing he said a prayer in honor of the migrants

who have died making their way north in to the united states. thousands have died in recent years as the united states has militarized its border, made it harder to cross which means more and more try to cross in deserts where it's much more common that they die there than in the past. china has been accused of deploying a miss toll air. the allegations is supported by the u.s. and taiwan officials but beijing says western needs that has misinterpreted the issue you. more military hardware arriving in the area. al jazeera's scott heidler joins us live now from singapore where one of asia's biggest defense and air shows is taking place. scott, over to you. >> reporter: well, china and the united states have been accusing each other, trading accusations over the last several months of militarizing this territory around the south china sea, six

countries have disputes with china but there is a distinct ramping up of military activity and assets in the region. the sky over the south china sea is becoming crowded. several nations, including vietnam, the philippines and malaysia are accusing china of moving in on their sovereign territory. china refutes this, saying 90% of the south china sea is theirs. but what is undeniable is that the steadily increasing tension has led to a military buying spree. >> i think, you know, china's military expansion, its increases in its defense spending and its actions in the maritime area have, in fact, triggered something of an arms race. >> reporter: a united states military foot print in the region is not new. but it's been steadily growing over the last several years. >> militarization of the south

china sea, and particularly the artificial islands that will be used for military purposes by china is a concern for the united states. but it doesn't pose an existential threat. >> reporter: but the u.s. wants its presence felt. general lori robinson commands all u.s. air forces in the region. greeting staff at the singapore air show. >> i can't tell you how much it means to me to go out here and see all this joints air power and be in what we are doing as team america and being out here to show our commitment to the region. >> reporter: and part of that show of strength in the region is this, the p8 posiden, one of the most sophisticated survey ends aircraft in the sky. the united states frequently flies them over the disputed territory. >> so whether it's singapore, the philippines all over the asia pacific, we are able to pretty easily within a span of a short amount of time put one of our jets there and operate out of that region and support our

regional allies. >> reporter: the philippines, a long-time u.s. ally has taken its territorial dispute with china to the hague and recently announced its buying nearly $100 million worth of military equipment to boost maritime security it says. if the situation in the south china sea continues on this track of heightened tension, the region could remain one of the defense industries dream markets for years to come. and now to discuss this militarization further we'll bring on graham and he is with the institute for defense and studies right here in singapore. thank you for joining us. when you look at things this move by china moving missiles in this to disputed territory, what does it do for the militarization of the region. >> it's not a good sign, scott. what has happened is that with the deployment of the chinese missile batteries which were detect the just yesterday, i think it's going to set in place further escalation. we are going to see -- likely to see this year more

militarization all around particularly from the americans. increased navigation maneuvers be they maritime patrol craft. warships and on the chinese side this year with can expect mayor tile patrol craft from their sides side as well. including possibly some might say the deployment of chinese aircraft carrier to establish a stronger presence in the south china sea. >> reporter: and when you -- we were going through this and china and the united states have been on opposite sides of these disputes for quite sometime. do you think this is a tit for tat because china expressed displeasure about the americans moving missiles up to the border between north and south korea. could this be a response to that, do you think? >> i wouldn't rule it out. the chinese are known to be very far ranging and wide rangeing in the way they see the world and the way they perceive threats and challenges to their national up interest. so clearly the development in south korea, the u.s. decision to sends a patriot missile

battery to beef up its currents slate of missile batteries there in south korea is clearly will have a response from the chinese and, the chinese placement of their own missile batteries be that as they may in the south china see say signal that the chinese are displeased with the american maneuver, an american forward presence in the region. it's a dangerous territory when you merge these disagreements and conflicts to all the other disputes going on the in region and the americanss saying they are doing for freedom of navigation if you draw in china to response to something else the united states has done it's a tricky business, do you think it could go even further, could other conflicts be drawn in to this and responses based on that? >> i think it's possible. you raise a very interesting question, where it comes to the cayman states the japanese claiming the a lands, east china sea, or whether it's about the vietnamese and filipinos and

other states are fighting with -- over the territory in the south china sea or whether it's about south kariya, these are all seemingly compartmentalize issues. but on the chinese side they see it as a big flash point where they an increasing containment by the americans of the chinese,-y themselves being remembering fenced and a need to push back real on all front, they are pushing back of displeasure on the south korean issue, in the south china sea and also a push back in the east china sea. it's perceived differently a both sides. but clearly not a good sign for this year. >> reporter: graham, thank you very much very much for that. party we'll see more militarization because of these conflicts in the territory that are emerging. >> scott thanks very much. to europe now where e.u. leaders are today due to meet in brussels in the coming few hours or so. the british prime minister david cameron will try to renegotiate the u.k.'s relationship with the e.u. mr. cameron promise aid referendum on e.u. membership

before the end of 2017. emma hayward reports from manchester ore what's at stake. >> reporter: engineering in manchester they work together like a family. they have been making conveyor belts since the '60s, this one will go to djibouti. but they also sell inside the e.u. so what role britain plays within a future europe is important here. >> if we could remain as members, but we are left with the red tape and more flexibility, to do some of our own legislation and not be controlled by brussels, i think that would be an ideal scenario. >> reporter: david cameron wants to stay inside the e.u. family. but is looking to overhaul britain's relationship with it. so what is he pressing for? his proposed reforms include restricting benefits for up to four years for e.u. migrants arriving in britain. and to be able to opt out of the

e.u.'s drive to pursue an ever closing union across europe. plus he wants to put a stop to the financial regulation which some believe is strangling business in britain. david cameron goes to brussels already under pressure, with his critics saying he's asking for two little, and brussels, though, they may say he's asking for too much. afterwards, he'll face the challenge of trying to sell the deal to the british public. many of who are still undecided about which way they'll vote in an in or out referendum. the idea of one of europe's biggest economies potentially going it alone has prompted questions about what an e.u. without britain or a britain without the e.u. might look like? >> really what's at stake is the sovereignty issue. the clash of individual nations' interests and that of the wired european union and that's where

cameron is getting -- coming up against resistence because those countries in the east are saying we don't want to water down the citizens rights who are perhaps my great to go britain. >> reporter: these talks will undoubtedly be tense and could help pave the future direction of the entire e.u. they are getting ready to sends stock abroad, not knowing if the path ahead will run quite so smoothly if britain is taken down a different track. emma hayward, al jazeera, in manchester. venezuela has raised the price of pet al about 6,000% it's the first price rise in decades people cued up for hours before the price goes up tomorrow. the president nicholas maduro says the price rise is needed to balance the economy. virginia lopez from caracas. >> reporter: people here are expected these measures will help ease the tension that's been building up for the last

couple of years. it's very common to see people here lining up for hours outside food shops and even then going in to find that shelfs are bank it's expected or some economists have suggested that by freeing up some of these stringent or strict price controls, food would, again, start appearing in market shelves. but perhaps the most meaningful decision that president maduro took was to raise the bruce of gasoline, this is the first time in 20 years that the government raised the price of pell troll. in 1989 a similar descension meant that people took to the streets and riot today three days or more, this was the first time in venezuela which was considered by then to be the longest standing democracy that an events of this nature occurred are so after that event, the whole qualified raising the prize of petrol here has become pretty much at that poo. it's still unclear whether it

will have a similar effect. certainly president nicholas maduro has asked for people to remain calm but the magnitude of this decision is such that is as soon as the president announced this increase of as much as 6,000% was to take place, people started rushing to petrol station to his fill up their gas tanks. again, it's unclear whether people were trying to take advantage of one last tank of the cheapest gas in the world or whether they were somehow afraid i've repeat of the events 27 years ago of looting and violent previous tests in the streets. it's almost five years since japan was hit by the su tsunami caused by a big earthquake, nearly 16,000 people died. al jazeera spoke to one survivor who lost two children. >> translator: i lost my parents, and two children in the sutsunami.

the children grew up here and there are so many memories of them in the house. they had been alive. i would have demolished it right way. and i would have moved way somewhere completely different to build a new house. but for me, this is the only place where i lived with my children erica and k atar on. it was hard to agree to have it demolished. it was hard for may to see the owner en it might me think of a lot of things, evening when the sun was rising over it beautiful, or the waves in the sunlight. it made me think that the ocean nick life away i found my daughter's bods i but never found my son. they were everything to me. if i had been able t to find my son i would have hugged him, apologized to him and ended my life there. about a year later i realized that he did not come back to may so he could keep me alive.

today i have my wife and my daughter, so i would not think about committing suicide. but as a parents, it is our most important job to protect the children. the disaster has no end in my mind. >> thanks for joining us on "america tonight." i'm joie