♪ police arrest the main challenger to uganda's president as the opposition alleges vote rigging. good to have you along, i'm david foster. also coming up in this program. syria's main kurdish armed group denies turkey's accusation that it planted a car bomb in ankara, killing 28 people. the u.k. prime minister david cameron is in brussels meeting other e.u. leaders.

and punished at the pumps why venezuela's government has increased some petrol prices by 6,000%. we begin in uganda, where the main opposition candidate in the presidential election has been arrested. [ inaudible ] >> this was the moment witnessed by our cameraman and by our correspondent when he was detained by police. he had made allegations of vote rigging and gone to a place where he believed that was being handled, where there was vote rigging taking place. and malcolm webb was our

correspondent there. you saw this go down. how did it lead up to this particular point where he was taken away? >> reporter: the opposition -- people from the main opposition party had called us and some other journalists, and said they wanted to show us a house that they said there would be information, and they had been surveying this house for some days, and they had evidence to suggest that there was a vote rigging operation inside. so we followed them to this house to a wealthy residential neighborhood in the city. there was a police vehicle -- a vehicle marked with police markings outside. and inside when they went up to the gate, the people inside the house jumped over the back fence and ran off. some were apprehended by supporters. at least two of them were

carrying handguns, which had markings of the uganda police. the supporters managed to disarm them and also handcuffs and some other property that they took them. the police arrived a short while after. the opposition and his supporter demanded access to the house, but that doesn't allowed, and the senior police officer after some time ordered for him to be arrested, and put him in a car, and then we understand they drove him home to his house, which is in a suburb outside of the city. >> so not detained as far as you know, malcolm, just arrested and removed from the scene? >> on this occasion that's what we know. that is often what police have

done. in 2011 when they detained him provoked on arrest by messages from supporters [ inaudible ] densely populated, it's the place most at risk of unrest, and the place where the opposition tends to have most support. >> and previously malcolm -- [ overlapping speakers ] >> how likely -- malcolm, how likely is he in this presidential election to become the next leader of uganda? >> reporter: a lot of people believe it is not likely. supporters say he is still the most popular, they point to opinion polls, which say he gets more than 50%. and the runner up [ inaudible ]

getting just over 10. the opposition though, say those polls are incredibly inaccurate. he says he has more support than ever before. he said this is the time -- he says the elections are rigged, but this time he says he has enough support to get through [ inaudible ] ruling party deny. but there's a lot of scepticism amongst the supporters -- >> malcolm, the line is breaking up. i think we'll leave it there. a bus crash in ghana has left 71 people dead. the packed overnight service hit a cargo truck head on. 13 people were seriously injured. officials have described it as the deadliest road accident in

recent memory. ♪ kurdish fighters who are based in syria have been blamed for a suicide car bombing in turkey in which 28 people died on wednesday. turkey's president says there is evidence that the attack in ankara was carried out by think ypg. the ypg denies any involvement, and says it is being made a scapegoat to give turkey an excuse to step up attacks in syria. >> reporter: it took the turkish government just a few hours to identify those its believes carried out wednesday's deadly bomb attack. officials are blaming the ypg, though it denies any involvement there the explosion.

ankara says it is a separatists group that has been fighting the turkish government for decades. >> translator: the investigation into the attack continues. so far nine people linked to the bombing have been taken into custody, and others have been identified. there will be other arrests in due course. that's all of the information i can give in detail right now. >> reporter: security has become more and more of a concern in turkey in cent months. in october, twin bomb attack killed close to a hundred people outside of the main train station in the capitol ankara. and just a few weeks ago, isil claimed responsibility after a man blew himself up at an historic site pob lar will tourists in istanbul. all of these attacks are linked to the war in syria. turkey has been saying that its allies need to support it in his fight against those it calls terrorists. but the u.s. and other western

powers say the ypg are its allies in the fight against isil. >> translator: the pyd and ypg and linked with the pkk in turkey, we have touched upon. there is a strong link between them. and this attack will obviously help our allies to understand. sooner our later our allies will understand. one day these terrorist organizations and those who support them will be judged. >> reporter: earlier on thursday turkish war planes bombed a targets in iraq. ankara has been shelling ypg forces inside of syria for weeks now as well. so long as syria and its russian allies control the sky, the option appears to be off of the table, unless nato and turkey's partners agree to support them. with wednesday's attack comes

increased anger from turkey towards its allies. it feels it is being let down by the u.s. and nato. it's positioned towards syrian-based kurdish groups continuing to be at odds with that of its allies and that difference of opinion looks likely to remain a problem. the united nations has announced it will make its first air drops of food in syria. the world food program says it has a concrete plan for carrying out the operation in the next few days. it is surrounded by isil. food and medicine have now made it into five parts of syria, where 80,000 civilians are stranded. britain's prime minister has said he is in his words battling for britain as he arrived in brussels for a crucial e.u. summit. he hopes to return with a reform

package ahead of a referendum on britain's membership of the e.u. but he is facing resistance from some other e.u. leaders on some of his demands. >> we have got some important work to do today and tomorrow, and it is going to be hard. i'll be battling for britain. if we can get a good deal. i will take that deal yoshgs but i will not take a deal that doesn't meet what we need. i think it's much more important to get this right, than to do anything in a rush, but with goodwill, and hard work, we can get a better deal from britain. >> joining us is the leader of the u.k. independence party which wants the u.k. to believe the european union. our viewers worldwide may want to know about the future of the e.u. if britain decides to get out. will the whole institution

unravel if one country says that's it? will other countries follow suit? >> reporter: i think everybody inside these institutions says that if britain leaves the european union, the european union will be gravely weakened by it. its foreign policy will be weakened. it economy will be weakened. i have to say for me, britain divorcing itself from this political union isn't just about britain. i personally hope very much indeed that a break would be followed by a broader conversation that went on right across europe, and i would love to think in five or ten year's time we would have a european union made up of democratic sovereign nation states working together, trading together, but without a flag, anthem, army, or police force. >> you were a broker, you know

about money, and how the money markets -- the trades -- the stocks and shares market hates uncertainty. that ten years between now and when you think there could be a host of sovereign nations would be an uncertain time. and that could prove rather difficult given the way the world markets are right now. >> i tell you what is really uncertain, what is uncertain is continuing on the current course, because its a economic and military union that is seeing the north and south of europe being pushed further apart with every month that goes by. what is uncertain is a european union where the german chancellor has now signaled that she wants turkey to be a member. i don't know what the time frame of this would be. perhaps it would be a lot shorter, but what i can tell you for absolute certain is i stood on this spot ten, 11 years ago

when there was a european constitution. the first time ever that the european union honestly told the citizens of union that it wanted to build a united states of european. nowhere, but nowhere across the continent of europe -- had the people said they wanted a political cooperation. trade and cooperation, yes, but not a economic union. >> hungary has said it will set up a permanent fence to keep migrants out of that country. do you foresee a time coming when refugees let's say from syria, are just not welcome anywhere in europe? >> look, i mean, i have been saying very, very clearly since last april that the implementation of the european union refugee policy was a huge

mistake. they opened up the doors to countless numbers of people. that era was compounded by chancellor merkel. and politicians have said enough is enough. we're back to uncertainty not just with the euro zone, but the migrant crisis, and the schengen now under throat. any objective analysis would say this european union just isn't working. >> you would never get an objective analysis of something as controversial as this. but if other countries follow what hungary is proposing, do you think that would be a good idea? >> well, look, i mean, if i was living in one of those countries, and i had seen what had happened in lone on new year's eve, where a thousand men in full public view were sexually pestering and in

some cases molesting woman openly in the street, i would say i want to protect my country from this. >> and you think that would be a good thing? >> well, actually, you know, good fences make good neighbors, and normality across the rest of the world. there are 200 countries in the world that make their own laws, control their own borders, and decide who can come and live and work and settle in their country. that is normality. lunacy is the european union where we have tried to present 28 different countries can live and work and breathe together under common policies, whether they are economic or dealing with migrants. it is never going to work. there is no democratic consent for it. and we the british have the honor, perhaps of beginning the

end of it. >> what about a kinder, fairer world in which people turn around and say i would like to help you rather than put up a wall? because a fence doesn't necessarily make better neighbors. it keeps friends away, doesn't it? >> well, the one country that needs no lectures on granting refugee status is my country, and my own family, we're french protestants who were massacred 300 years ago and came to britain. we have had wave after wave of migration. brit as the has the best record of anyone. and the e.u. has broadened the definition to say anybody displayed by war. the united nations i say currently there are 59 million people displaced by war. europe needs to redefine who a refugee is.

an a refugee is an individual in direct fear of persecution. >> let's get back to the reason why we're talking to you in brussels today, which is about what david cameron is going to try to put to the electorate. you remember the european parliament, is it correct that no matter what he comes back with, if britain votes to stay in the european union, after that the european parliament could vote to say that's nonsense, we don't like that idea, we're not going to pass it? in >> yeah, i mean it is rather like the prime minister is saying to people, here is a nice secondhand car, and i would like you to buy it from me, oh, but you can't test the engine first. because the fact is that the changes to migrant benefits within the united kingdom will come through secondary legislation amending existing

directors, and the european parliament could vote the whole thing down. and what i have seen in the past couple of weeks are a lot of senior figures objecting to this deal happening at all. and there are one or two promises about britain's commitment to have a closer union and all of that can be struck down in luxemburg. so what mr. cameron cannot do is sincerely look the british people in the eye and say this is the deal, if you vote to remain, you cannot do it. >> thank you. i appreciate your time. >> thank you. you are watching al jazeera, coming up in a moment, born on addict, how the number of u.s. babies dependant on drugs is increasing. we have a table and eight chairs and david. >> we'll tell you about the aussie town that has been take

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♪ these are the top stories this hour. the main opposition contender in uganda's presidential and parliamentary elections has been arrested after alleging vote rigging. turkey says syrian kurdish rebels were behind wednesday's bomb attack that left at least 28 dead. but the group known as the ypg said it did nothing of the sort. britain's prime minister says he is battling for britain, as he negotiates a package that

could determine his nation's membership to the european union. venezuela has pushed up the price of some domestic petrol by 6,000%. and it now costs $0.94 a liter, it was $0.02. this is part of the emergency measures in the country that has the highest inflation rate anywhere in the world. virginia lopez reports. >> reporter: according to the state-run oil company, fuel subsidies can cost the country as much as $15 billion a year. the president said that at the current prices the state was paying to fill up people's tanks. >> translator: this national fund for missions will receive every extra resource needed generated by the new system on venezuelan gasoline prices. >> reporter: the magnitude of this price increase in a country that sees cheap petrol as a natural right, could be such

that people didn't even wait for the president to finish his speech before rush k to petrol stations to fill up one last tank. while some say they want to take advantage of the last of cheap fuel, most feel the increase was long overdue. >> translator: i think it comes too late. and it should have been done slowly, not so suddenly, because the effect will be greater. >> reporter: the move comes as he faces increasing pressure from a strengthened political opposition. only two months ago, his ruling socialist party, suffered a major defeat in parliamentary elections, due to anger over the crisis. but raising the price of fuel isn't easy. in 1989 a similar increase in food and gasoline prices lead thousands to the streets to protest. so traumatic were the represents of those days, that fears of a repeat had kept prices frozen

for close to 20 years. battling food shortages, salaries that are worthless, and now power cuts, venezuelans fear that an increase in petrol prices will naturally lead to an increase in the cost of transport, food, and basic services. economists say the measures, though welcomed could still fall short in the country that even at the new price still has the world's cheapest petrol. barack obama is going to be the first u.s. president to set foot in cuba in nearly 90 years. he is planning to visit late in march. the trip has been criticized by some, including republicans presidential candidates who believe that obama should not be going there until the castro family is no longer in power. in iraq 16 have been sentenced to death for a massacre carried out by isil in

2014. 40 have been convicted so far for the attack on the camp. as many as 1700 iraqi soldiers were killed after the military base was overrun by isil. protests which began at a new delhi university this week have spread to other parts of india. students and teachers are demanding the release of a student leader arrested on sedition charges. our correspondent is in new delhi. >> reporter: people from all walks of life from joined this protest. we of course have the university students, not just for this university, but from universities across the state. they there are also professio l professionals, activists, and the average citizen who say they are worried about the events that have taken place. many are shouting to free the student. theyry saying we are his

friends. but others we spoke to said this is more than just an issue about the student. this is an issue about free speech and a growing intolerance under this government. >> to think that a student can be just picked up and branded, and he can be slapped with sedition charges which carry a life sentence, when there is no evidence that is presented. and they are letting lose their goons to do whatever they feel like. i'm so outraged. >> reporter: he will remain in jail until march 2nd. his appeal for a bail will be heard by the court. he was arrested for allegedly holding an event in which anti-indian slogans were used. he denies the charges. more than 2 million people in the united states are struggling with addiction to opiates such as heroin, and increasingly to prescription

painkillers. in the last ten years heroin use among women has more than doubled. the number of drug dependent babies is soaring as a result. >> reporter: every day for two weeks, michael george has made this hour-long trip on public transportation. his first stop to a methadone clinic, part of a treatment to withdraw from addiction to heroin. his second stop is to see his newborn daughter, also withdrawing from drugs. >> it hurts every time i leave here. >> reporter: his daughter isabelle was born hooked on heroin and other drugs her mother took during pregnancy. after two weeks in hospital, isabelle, like so many other drug-dependant babies is still suffering from tremors, feeding difficulties and distress. >> when you see your baby withdrawn it hurts a lot. it does. >> reporter: in the united states, the number of

drug-dependent babies is scoring, quadrupling in the past decade. they argue the reason is an increasing number of prescriptions being written for painkillers u.s. doctors wrote 209 million prescriptions for painkillers. >> this past year we admitted about a hundred babies with withdrawal. now that ends up to be about 20% of the total infant population here. >> reporter: at baltimore's hospital, special units are now equipped with low light to help baby's wean off their opiate dependencies. >> my addiction was so bad, you know, that i really didn't stop and think what i was doing to my child, but when she was born, that's when it really opened my eyes. >> reporter: to the outcome of their addictions, michael is now

jobless, facing jail time for drug use, amanda must submit to random government drug tests. if she tests positive, she could lose custody of her child. that's why they say sobriety is now the only goal. >> i want the best for her, like every mom does, you know? i just have to keep myself together so she can have that. still isabelle faces challenges. she remains in intensive care, spending another night in the hospital without her parents, adjusting to a life without drugs. kimberly halkett, al jazeera, baltimore. take a look at this weed in this australian town. it's a wild weed known as hairy panic, and the tumble weed is clogging up everything. locals are blaming a farmer for not looking after his paddock, and the council says it can do

nothing. >> we have got a table and eight chairs, and a david, and probably a few plants. >> i spent eight hours yesterday, cleaning up the tumble weed. and this is what i have got today. >> aljazeera.com for all of the news. the pontiff versus the presidential hopeful, donald trump and pope francis trade bashes. the white house lays out details for the president's newly announced trip to cuba. new numbers show donald trump may be losing his lead heading into the next republican primary. and turkey blames russian kurd -- syrian kurds -- pardon me -- for a deadly explosion and launches counterattacks. ♪