turkey says it will retaliate after a car bomb kills at least 28 military personnel in ankara. with the world news from al jazeera. also ahead, polls open in uganda as president museveni seeks to extend his 30-year rule. venezuelans rush to buy cheap petrol before a massive price hike designed to save the

economy. the pope leaves mechanics ka with prayers to call an office-- - mexico with prayers to the country turkey's president says a bombing in cat tap will only strengthen the country's resolve. he is promising retaliation saying the fight will go on against what he called the pawns that carry out such attacks. 28 people were killed. our correspondent reports. >> reporter: the heart of turkey''s capital dropped by an explosion only four months after the last deadly attack. this had been caused by a car bomb. the target a convoy of military service vehicles that was waiting at a traffic light. the convoy was close to the military headquarters in the capital as well as the parliament.

security officials have said that the initial signs indicate the outlawed kurdistan workers party or p.k.k. is behind the attack. >> translation: the purpose of this attack is to intimidate our country and to inflict fear in our citizens' minds. our security governments appeared forces and citizens should be united because the terrorists are aimed to divide us in the past few months there have been four deadly bombings in turkey. one saudi born suicide bomber blew himself up in the district of istanbul in january. ten died in the attack. the bomber was believed to have been inspired by islamic state in iraq and the levant. last october two bombs exploded outside ankara central railway station targeting a rally. more than 10 were killed in those blasts, one of the

deadliest of its kinds in the country's history. it is linked to the war in neighboring syria. turkey has declared war against i.s.i.l. the east has been a battleground for months and as of late it launched ar till restrikes inside northern syria, a group that is an offshoot of the p.k.k. turkey p wants to prevent the y.p.g.'s expansion which it occurs a national security threat. turkey's national intelligence agency had warned of reprizal attacks in response to the ar till re barrages on position in syria. our correspondent joins us live. first of all, turkish raids in iraq, what can you tell us about that? >> reporter: the turkish army is saying that their plane s are targeting p.k.k. targets in

northern iraq. it is not the first time they've been targeting the p.k.k. in the mountains of northern iraq. they went to war with the p.k.k. in july, but coming a day after the bombing and it has been a while, almost two months since they have targeted p.k.k. positions in that area. this could be retaliation, but we have to make clear that the turkish authorities have still not pointed the finger at any group saying responsible for the bombing in ankara, but the turkish media are saying that they have identified the suicide bomber who was involved saying he is a syrian national. they identified him because of his fingerprints. there were cctv footage where you can see the car pull up close to the bus that was waiting at a traffic light, the bus carrying military personnel. up until now the turkish authorities are not pointing the finger at any group, not naming the organization, the suicide bomber is linked with, but we're also hearing from the p.k.k. now

initial suspicions fell on the p.k.k. because of the nature of the attack, the target really bears the hall mark of p.k.k. actions. the p.k.k. command saying that we do not know who was behind the ankara bombing but at the same time saying it could be a retaliation to what is calling the massacres in kurdistan. we have to remember that the p.k.k. has always said we're not a uniform body. there are certain cells who we do not control. undoubtedly tensions rising between turkey and the p.k.k. and it's not just that. the turkish military has been shelling positions inside syria of the y.p.g. group. the y.p.g. is an offshoot of the p.k.k., two organizations it considers terrorists thank you for that. the united nations say aid trucks have been besieged towns and villages in syria as part of

an agreement with the government to allow aid into areas where people are trapped. rob matheson reports >> 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. in madaya near the lebanese border they're bringing medical supplies and a mobile clinic as well as food. thousands here are trapped by forces supporting president bashar al-assad which include hezbollah fighters. aid workers say at least 40 people have died of malnutrition in the town since october. >> we have people to bring in the medical support kits and to make the assessments for people in need who have often been in extreme nutritional and food shortage. >> reporter: this convoy is heading for towns in the north. around 20,000 people have been cut off there by armed groups. huf gunfires-- heavy gunfires in

this area. trucks line-up carrying supplies for at least 30,000 people trapped here. more aid is expected to enter in the east, parts of which are held by i.s.i.l. the convoys are part of an agreement reached last year in munich by over a dozen countries, including the u.s. and russia. there's no deal to make sure that the supplies keep coming. not all the towns under siege can be reached. >> translation: why doesn't the northern countryside of homs get aid? u.n. resolutions call for aid to reach all areas. is the u.n. waiting for the regime to force rebels to surrender and ceasefires before aid can enter? >> reporter: the northern countryside of homs has been a battle field for months. local supply roots have been cut off. the food shortages could get worse for the 120,000 who live here. the last u.n. aid convoy to reach this part of the

countryside was in october. now the opposition control east of the aleppo city where tens of thousands of people live to close to being besieged. a ceasefire is to happen this week but there is no sign it will happen. a task force will hold a meeting on friday to discuss issues on ceasefires the united nations special envoy for yemen says talks to end the war must happen by march. negotiations were put on hold last month after renewed fighting in air strikes. >> translation: deep divisions persist which prevent me from calling talks. the parties are divided over whether a new round of talks should be held. i have not received sufficient

assurances that a new ceasefire, should i call for one, would be respected voting is under way in uganda for presidential and parliamentary elections. the president museveni seeking another term to seek his 30-year rule. his major challenges is besigye, running against him for the fourth time. our correspondent joins us live. claims of irregularities early on. how smooth are things going now? >> reporter: well, ugandans here in the capital came to the polling stations early. many were there by 6 o'clock keen to vote. many opened late. supporters have alleged there have been vote rigging. here agents from the opposition party say when they came this morning they checked the voters registered and it's not the same

as previously published. they say names have been added to it. they say when they raised this with the ruling party, they were removed from the polling station and the police took them away and detained them for a short while at the police station. we spoke to the agent here from the ruling party and he says the list hadn't been tampered with and said any trouble makers or people disrupting the process had to be dealt with by the law. meanwhile, the opposition leader has said that there there will be rigging. this time still they can do it in spite of that. he urged people to come to the polling stations early and wait at the polling stations to guard their votes until counting, polling ends and counting begins. the ruling party says that this is all proper beganed and-- propaganda and says this election will be free and fair tell us more about the candidates challenging the president.

>> reporter: besigye is challenging him for the fourth time. he was with mr museveni fighting to over three the previous government. so he was in this government for some years before it lost its track and he defeated and started running guns museveni in elections e he has been declared the loser of the previous elections. he said they were rigged and he wop several of them, but-- won several of them. there is another prominent candidate former museveni illoyalist, besigye. he was in the government until last year when he was defected and now running as an independent. he is in third place. he is second to museveni's first. mbabazi is thought because of his powerful connections within the government can be able to

wield influence. the polls are not accurate nor credible and that this time they do have more supporters, not just here in the capital, but also among the other 85% of ugandans who live in url areas. that's where the rural party claims it has its support base too thank you for that. still to come on al jazeera. >> reporter: i'm in singapore. coming up we will tell you how territorial disputes in the south china sea are prompting a rapid military build-up and not going anywhere former government workers in zimbabwe say they will work on the streets until the state pays them their wages. she

welcome back. let's key rap the head-- recap the headlines. turkey's military has launched air strikes against the p.k.k. strike. the president had promised retaliation for a bombing of a car killing at least 28 people. the u.n. says aid is being distributed in some besieged areas in syria. trucks carrying food, water and medicine to nearly 100,000 people reached people on thursday. ewe taliban dans head to the-- ugandans head to the polling booth. museveni is seeking to extend his term u.s. secretary of state john

kerry says increasing evidence of militarization by china in the south china sea is a serious concern. beijing is downplaying reports it has deployed surface to air missiles over the island. there will be more talks with china in the coming days. self-countries lay claim to the territory in the resource rich region. the regional tension is part of the reason for a spending spree at asia's largest defense and air show in singapore. more than a thousand companies from around 50 countries are taking part in the event. scott heidler reports >> reporter: the sky over the south china sea is becoming crowded. several nations, including vietnam, 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. what is undenial that the

tension has led to a military buying spree >> i think the china's expansion and increases and defense spending and actions in the maritime area have, in fact, triggered something of an arms race. >> reporter: a united states military foot present in the region is not new. it has been steadily fwroeg over the last several years. -- 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 annex owe extension-- threat. gentleman general robinson commands all u.s. air forces in the region greeting staff at the european air show >> i can't tell you how much it means to me to see all this joint air power and what we're

doing as team america and being out here to show our commitment to the region. >> reporter: part of that show of strength in the region is this, the pa poseidon. the u.s. flies them over. >> we're able to pretty easily within a span of a short amount of time put one of our jets there and operate out of the region and support our region and allies. >> reporter: the philippines has taken its despite with china to the hague and is buying 100 million dollars of equipment to boost military efforts. the region could remain one of the defense industry's dream markets for years to come venezuelan has raised petrol

prices from the equivalent of 2 u.s. cents to around 94 cents a litre. it is the first rise in 20 years. the president says the hike is needed to balance the economy. he also devalued the currency. petrol is heavily sub-sydneys died-- subsidized in venezuelan. >> reporter: people here are expecting that these measures will somehow help ease the tension building up up for the last couple of years. it is common to see people lining up for hours outside food shops and finding shelves bare. it has been suggested by freeing up some of these strict price controls, food would, again, start appearing in market shelves. perhaps the most meaningful decision that the president took

was to raise the prize of goes or gasoline. -- gas or gasoline. this is the first time in 20 years the government has decided to raise the price of petrol. in 1989 a similar decision meant that people took to the streets and rioted for three days or more. after that event, the whole idea of raising the price of petrol here has become pretty much taboo. it is still unclear whether it will have a similar effect and the president have asked for people to remain calm. the magnitude of this decision is such that as the president announced that this increase of as much as 6000% was to take place, people rushed to fill up their tanks. it was unclear whether they were having one last chance to fill

up or of a repeat of 27 years ago, of looting and violence in the streets the british prime minister will try to renegotiate the u.k.'s relationship with the european union at a summit in belgium. our correspondent has been to the city of manchester in northern england to look at exactly what is at stake. >> reporter: these people work together like a family. they have been building conveyor belt belts. >> it we could remain as members but less of the red tape, more flexibility to do some of our

own legislation and not be controlled by brussels. >> reporter: david cameron was to say inside the e.u. family but looking to over haul britain's relationship. he 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 closer union cross europe. 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 critics saying he is asking for too little but some say he is asking for too much. he will try to paracel the deal to the british public, many of who are still undecided about which way they will vote in an in or an out efr referendum. the idea of one of europe's

biggest economy's 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 is at stake is the sovereignty issue, the clash of p individual nations interests and that of the wider european union. that's where cameron is getting - coming up against resistance because there are they are saying they don't want to have less rights for our citizens migrating to places like britain >> reporter: these talks will be tense and could help paver the future direction of the entire e.u. they're getting ready here to send stock abroad on not knowing if the path ahead will arrive so smoothly if britain is taken down a different track thousands of people have

gathered in kosovo's capital regarding the government resigns and calls fresh elections. it marked eight years of independence from serbia. the opposition has been blocking all parliamentary activities p since october with a series of protests. the government has accused the opposition to come to power through violence. more than 200 people are protesting in zimbabwe over unpaid salaries by the government. despite the economic problems, the president hopes to throw a party for his birth on the weekend >> reporter: they used to work for the marketing board. they have sleeping here for a week. it is their way of protesting outside the kilometer's headquarters. they were filed last year because of budget cuts. they are still owed ten months salary and sench pay. she is worried about her

3-year-old son. >> translation: we are sleeping in the open with our children, many of us women had 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. >> reporter: the company says times are tough economically. it is struggling to pay its former employees >> it is getting dark and the men are lighting the fire. they're going to feed dinner. it will be feeding more than 200 people who will be sleeping outside the grain marketing board. this is where some have been sleeping and they try to make themselves comfort. they're sleep on top or inside cardboard boxes. it is not ideal but it is their way of protesting until they get their money. people are desperate. >> they need to pay it. they need to send their children to school and food for their children. >> reporter: the issue has been discussed in parliament.

the government is telling workers the problem will be sorted. >> the people here have a right to be paid. it is unfortunate that it has come to where it is now where people with babies are sleeping outside. it is inhuman and we cannot condone that level of treatment of workers. we are a government that was created and our basis, we represent the workers >> reporter: it is not clear where the money will come from. like many companies here the state is struggling to pay its workers. for the first time since independence in 1980, civil servants were paid late last year. all this before the president celebrates 92. he is planning a berth party estimated to cost hundreds of thousands of dollars while others in the country struggle to make it through the day

some breaking news. reports of explosion taken place near a military convoy in south-eastern turkey. that is coming less than 24 hours after military buses were targeted by explosions in ankara. we will bring you more details on the latest attack as soon as we get them. pope francis has finished his five-day trip to mexico with a mass on the country's border with the u.s. the pope says the powerful must do more to help mexicans living in corruption and violence. our correspondent reports. >> reporter: a prayer for thousands of migrants who have died trying to reach the u.s. pope francis finished his visit to mexico with a mass just metres away from the u.s. he has long been a supporter of migrants and add mondayished rich countries to do more. >> translation: -- aadd

mondayished. >> translation: this crisis which could be measured in numbers and statistics, we want to measure with names, stories and families. >> reporter: hundreds of thousands attended the ceremony. thousands more watched on cctv over the border in texas. the support of migrants stands in stark contrast to anti immigrant rhetoric from republicans running for the presidency. people were particularly touched by pope francis's visit here. >> translation: we're hurting as a city with so much violence, so much fallout from the violence, so many children and youth, so many who have lost their way and many families that fled. we're still here giving it our all >> translation: we're hoping for peace to arrive because of all the violence we've had. we ask him to bless our city and the whole world, but especially

here so there won't be so much violence >> reporter: earlier in the day he visited a prison that was once run by drug gangs and was the scene of deadly prison rights in 2009. he was able to show he wants to reach out to those discarded by society, prisoner and migrants, people that politicians and often churches want to overlook. it was the final stop on a five-day visit that took him from the southern tip of mexico to the northern border. along the way he criticized politicians that allowed criminal gangs to flushish, also bishops of standing behind their posts and not supporting their flock. still millions of mexicans feel he stood with them aas they looked for a way to break free

from years of corruption and violence if you want to get more on all those stories we've been telling you about, you know where to go, aljazeera.com, our website. it's updated around the clock. you can so ethe front page there.