the u.n. brokered talks aimed at ending the syrian conflict gets underway in geneva. you're watching al jazeera live from doha. also ahead, a powerful car bomb in turkey's capital ankara kills at least 34 people and injuries more than one hundred. al-qaeda says it carried out an attack on a beach resort on the ivory coast. 16 people are dead. trees are worth more in gold in

hong kong a new round of talks to try and end the syrian conflict are due to get underway in geneva in just a few hours. diplomats are hoping to build on a truce that has been in effect since february. the syrian government has agreed to attend but the foreign minister says the post for president is not up for discussion. there will only been an accepting of the government in 12 months. russia wants ethnic kurds included in the talks but they have not been invited. i.s.i.l. and the armed group al-nusra front also been

excluded. syrian i can't's-- syria's ambassador says there should not be conditions >> translation: the meeting happened in geneva is an all-syrian meeting without any foreign intervention and without preconditions live to our editor james bays who is there for us. what are we expecting for this first day? >> reporter: we're expecting in one thour's time to hear from the man who is the mediator of these talks, staffan de mistura. he will be giving a press briefing which we will be carrying live here on al jazeera. we also know for certain what is happening at the end of the day in geneva time because he will also hear the u.n.'s european headquarters briefing the u.n. security council by video link from new york telling him the progress on his talks. what is not clear is what will happen in between those two

events. will he see both of the sides today, remember these are proximity talks, they don't come into the same room. he sees one side and then the other side. he has seen both sides in the hotel, what he described as courtesy calls to them. i'm being told by one opposition source that is not confirmed by the u.n. that, perhaps, the full talks with each of the two sides will take place on tuesday rather than today, monday. that is not clear at this stage. i think we're going to get more information on that from the special envoy, staffan de mistura, when he speaks to the press in an hour's time even before this now round of talks begin in geneva, we heard the two sides, the opposition delegation and the government delegation. talk us through the potential issues and pit falls in geneva this time around. >> reporter: you heard a moment ago from the syrian ambassador

to the u.n., who is the chief negotiator for the syrian government saying there should be no preconditions. it is his side that are putting preconditions there and saying that the role of the president bashar al-assad should not be discussed and it's too early to talk about transition. i think when you listen to mr staffan de mistura in an hour's time, he will make it clear his agenda for these talks is one that has been agreed by all the regional powers and the international community and it is the resolution 2254 that was passed by the u.n. security council in december. that resolution makes it clear what these talks are supposed to be about. they're supposed to be about finding a transitional body to run syria for a period up to elections. it seems that the syrian government is not even on board with what has been agreed by some of its closest allies, the iranians and the russians. worth reminding you that when we had talks a few weeks ago, they never got to any issues of

substance at all. they've never discussed anything. it was all preliminary arrangements before the talks collapsed because of the syrian government and russian bombardment and also worth reminding you two years ago for the last syria talks. again, they never talked about the substantial issues of the future government answer of syria because then the chief negotiator for the syrian government, it was the ambassador then, argued about the agenda and all the talks were talking about fighting terrorism or the future arrangement for governing syria. this time around the special envoy says that is the substance of the talks and he want to start that straightaway interesting to see if there will be any developments this time around. thank for that in other world news, united arab emirates have not been able

to find one of their planes in yemen. they started fighting in yemen over a year ago three palestinians have been shot dead this monday in two separate attacks at the breath analysis of the jewish settlement near hebron in the occupied west bank. the army says that two palestinians were killed after they opened fire on a bus station wounding an israeli soldier. think third palestinian was shot a you few minutes later. the deaths take the palestinian toll to 199 since the latest up surge of violence began in october. the heart of turkey's capital has again come under attack. the blast happened at a busy transport hubs in the center center of turkey's capital. it at least 37 people dead and injured more than 100.

this is coming from us from the scene. investigators there are at work trying to find clues and also decide who was behind this attack on sunday. what's the latest in this investigation? any updates from the government today? >> reporter: the health ministries has announced that at least one suicide bomber took part in the attacks, that there was at least one person, a suicide bomber in that vehicle that exploded last night. we have also been told that the death toll has been raised last night which was at 34 and today it is at 37. about three hours from now an emergency cabinet meeting is due to take place here in the capital. we've also heard in have from the armed forces. they have put out a statement saying they have renewed air strikes against p.k.k. targets in northern iraq.

that does not mean that the government is laying blame for these attacks at the feet of the p.k.k. we need to remember that there had been these interest hit yent air strikes here and other areas last year, since the peace negotiations between the p.k.k. and turkish government ended this last year and since renewed hostilities began. that is one thing to note, as we do await today, a statement from the government in which we expect they will announce who they believe to be behind this latest attack. now, for a run-down of what happened yesterday evening, here is our report the second car bomb to hit the regard to of turkey's capital in less than a month. the blast ripped through the square, a densely populated transport hub when early evening crowds had gathered. the aftermath was chaotic. >> translation: there was a woman sitting behind me. her seat just blew away.

something hit me here and pierced through. there was a car, i think it was a black car. five or six people died in the bus. the neck of one was completely severed. something pierced me through here and i have one in my arm >> reporter: while there was no immediate claim of spoment, officials say they have completed their investigation and will announce monday whom they believe to be behind the attack. in february 29 people, mainly military personnel, were killed in a suicide car bomb attack claimed by the kurdistan freedom falcons. as a result the country has been on a heightened state of alert. >> translation: tight security measures were taken, instructions were given, but unfortunately terrorist tacks cannot be prevented 100% in any country. >> reporter: turkey is now facing multiple security threats as it has engaged on a war in two fronts, i.s.i.l. in iraq and

the p.k.k. in its south-east >> reporter: we're about 30 metres away from the scene of the blast. it is still cordoned off. there are investigator $on the scene continuing their investigation. there is a really pal papable sense here today. it really brings a lot of questions in turkey as to what the security is here thank you very much for that. the north african branch of al-qaeda has claimed responsibility for an attack on a beach resort in the ivory coast. at least 16 people were killed as well as the six assailants. it happened at a heritage site. >> reporter: a witness to the attacks on a popular beach resort in the ivory coast explained what he saw.

>> translation: i heard shots coming from over there. then i saw the centimetres. i was really surprised to see three people who were heavily armed. they had bullet begun guns in that front pockets. >> reporter: people were running away trying to reach a safer place. six armed men had started shooting people on the beach. according to the government the attackers targeted people at three hotels. >> translation: some tried to swim away. they started shooting at them. i was about of 0 metres-- 60 metres away. i don't how i mogd to get away. >> reporter: the area was evacuated and the police went after the assailants but by then a number of people had been killed. >> translation: i want to say that these cowardly terrorist attacks will be not be tolerated here. we've taken significant action. >> reporter: it took another two to three hours to bring the situation under control. but it will take a lot longer

for people at this normally peaceful weekend retreat to recover from this violence coming up after the break on al jazeera, thousands of coal miners defy authorities in china to take part in rare protests. we look at the makings of the syrian war as it enters its sixth year. stay with us. stay with us.

welcome back. our top stories on al jazeera. a new round of talks to try and end the war in syria are due to

get uppedway in geneva in a few hours. they're hoping to build on a fragile truce which has reduced the level of violence. a large car bomb has killed at least 37 people and injured more than 100 others in turkey's capital. al-qaeda in the islamic area said it carried out the attack in ivory coast. the syrian conflict began with peaceful protest against the government. on the fifdz anniversary of the-- fifth an ver vees on the start of the war we look back. >> reporter: in ask how the war began. syrians demanded freedom and reform. they did so by holding peaceful protests. this man was among those who

took to the streets in the hope for change and a better future. five years later. he speaks to us hipped one of the p.m. front lines that have divided his country. he is now a commander of one of the many armed groups on the ground. >> translation: i joined the revolution because we were living under oppression for years. for example, we used to see people getting arrested for no reason and never leave prison. when protests began i was a university student. at the start it was peaceful. we asked for freedom and new constitution and an end to the emergency and they responded with violence. bee started to ask for the fall of the regime. there was more violence and we were faced with no other choice but to carry arms. >> reporter: it didn't take long before the peaceful protests disappeared amid crackdown and the bombardment was about vie lensing voices of the-- silencing the voices of

opposition. he found himself under fire. the uprising descended into a wall. his goal has always been to achieve freedom and democracy, but they find themself in the middle of a complex raw which has drawn in regional and world powers. we didn't think the struggle would last five years. we didn't spebt all this bloodshed. we didn't expect the whole world to stand against us. we didn't think that we would reach the point that we are today. a divided syria. we didn't go out in the street to divide syria. we took to the streets for a tree syria. we were saying what we wanted to say and we felt free-- free syria. >> reporter: a partial ceasefire that reduced the violence allowed them to return to the streets. these demonstrations were a reminder to the world of the

popular uprising that began in 2011. the messages says there is still an opposition that refuses to reconcile with the opposition egypt's minister has lost his job and criticise offed r of a television interview in which he was asked if he would jail adjusts. me said sksh - journalists. he said he would. he made comments to advocate the muslim broorhood supporters. a right wing anti immigration party has made inroads into three states in the regional elections in germany. >> reporter: these are supporters of the right wing populous party. it has become the focal point to the refugee policies of the country. that opposition brought it

electoral success across germany, but the high point was here. >> translation: the results are fantastic across the board in all three federal states. here we have, of course, the top result >> translation: outstanding. the result is great. to take the voices of the voters seriously and talk straight from parliament. >> reporter: the problem for the ifd is no matter how successful they have been across germany on sunday, no other main party is prepared to warning with them in coalition. so they will not enter government. which means the vote they have received is just a protest vote against the policies of the coalition government. for the ruling cdu there was consolation in remaining the largest party. the state premier is from the cdu. on sunday might he railed his party showing in his own state.

>> translation: we managed to win with a good margin. we have roughly the same result in absolute votes as five years ago when we were in a different situation, a totally different party landscape. >> reporter: this election campaign has been dominated by the refugee crisis with many suggesting the vote was a referendum on the policies of angela merkel. her popularity has slumped as the refugees have grown. in recent weeks it has recovered some what, but not in time to save her party leaders where the cdu's main opponents were victorious and ifd candidates won seats at the expense of the established parties. one political scientist told me why he felt voters choe the ifd >> they feel they are the losers of the refugee chris says.

i'm not saying it is a real threat, but they feel it was and therefore they voted for this anti refugee party. >> reporter: the questions for the federal government will be what to make of the voters' verdict and where it leads their policy on refugees. dominic kane in brazil hundreds of thousands of people have taken to the streets to demand the resignation of the president. she is already facing impeachment proceedings over mismanagement of the budget. she is also unpap popular because of the faltering economy. >> reporter: in the largest gathering yet, demonstrators in brazil say they want this to be the last time they come out to call for the president's impeachment. they're upset at the poor state of the economy but most of all they want an end to corruption and a clean up of the government. >> we wanted to change it.

>> they are politicians, burglars, they're killing and we are here for justice. >> reporter: numerous corruption allegations have surfaced over the last two years involving high-level politicians and a state run oil company petrobras. last week the president's mentor was charged by prosecutors for allegedly hiding his wealth. during his presidency he was seen as a people's champion, bringing millions out of poverty. now many here want to see him in jail. >> reporter: even more people came out than originally expected. organisers put that down to brazilians going tired of the politicians and their lies and the judge that is pursuing the corruption investigation is being hailed here as a national hero. many turned out here where t thy

say they're using this is a gauge. it may be time for people to breakaway from the government. the sentiment expressed here goes beyond political affiliations so they say here. >> it is the corruption. >> reporter: it is anger towards the deeply entrenched system of corruption. they know it will take years to correct, but they are out on the streets to demand a move towards change thousands of chinese coal miners have been protesting demanding to be paid. there were scuffle $with police as the workers marching east, they say they haven't been paid for more than six months. some were arrested by police. >> reporter: this was a very big

protest. we haven't been anal to independently verify some of the pictures that we've seen on social media, but certainly they show miners clashing with their police and families. they fwartdzed outside the offices of the mine on saturday demanding to pb paid saying they had gone 12 to 6 months without being paid or receiving benefits. the question is, is what we have seen here over the weekend a sign of what may be to come in the months and years ahead as china embarks on this delegate task of trying to shut down some of these big loss-making, inefficient steel mills and mines. in the past the government has poured cheap money into the state-owned enterprises to proper them up to keep them going, but that simply had the effect of creating even more debt. the government has said that model can no longer continue. so the question now is how hard

they wield their axe and it may well be in this particular town they wielded the axe too hard. the governor of this province had denied that the workers were owed money. he made that statement at the national people's congress mere in beijing, china's parliament which is meeting at the moment, but then he back tracked a few hours later saying what he said was, in fact, a mistake which caused more anger it was named the fragrant harbour years ago, but the tree that gave hong king its name could soon be extinct >> reporter: this is one of the lush country parks on the border with main land china. the woodland $are protected making the area popular for hiker. these residents are not here to hike. they're on patrol looking for criminals. >> i just saw this tree cut

down. i think they will come back later on to cut the other parts >> reporter: he runs an eco farm on the edge of the park. he and a team of local villagers are witnessing the disappearance of the agar wood or incense tree which is so rather it is internationally protected. >> they cut down more 50 trees in two weeks >> reporter: the tree's oil is sought after for traditional herbal medicine and fragrance which is used in incense and perfume. surging prices are urging more demand. the tree all but wiped out in china, hong kong have become the target of illegal loggers. >> not only take the root out of this beautiful tree, they also

take the root of hong kong out of our earth >> reporter: the problem is not just in this park, it is in a number of country parks across hong kong. villagers are reporting signs of illegal harvesting in what they believe is the work of gangs across the border in mainland china and if this continues, the fear is that this tree will become extinct. this is the last commercial plantation here. there are just 6,000 plants here. the capital hopes to replace the illegal trade and feed an industry it says is worth up to 12 billion u.s. dollars a year >> there are numerous examples of pieces sold close to here. >> reporter: it is the older wild trees which are considered the most valuable. as well as prayer beads and incense, it is also used for

luxury wooden art works. with demand falling well short of supply, people want the government to step in and protect what is left >> i think that within this few years, the trees will disappear in hong kong. >> reporter: with just 16 people arrested for illegal felling last year, the fate of this rare scented wood doesn't look bright a palestinian has won the global teaching prize for her work with children caught up in violence. she beat nine of the finalists who had been short listed from more than 8,000 nominations worldwide. >> reporter: in the occupied west bank they gathered to watch the ceremony for this year's global teacher prize. when the winner was announced, the celebrations broke out.

this educator from romala accepted the prize as a win for all teachers. >> translation: you are the power, you are the true power. believe in your ideas. work on them, challenge the world, give people ideas so you will spread them and you will find yourselves here >> reporter: she grew up in a refugee camp near bethlehem. she has written about her approaches in a book title we play and learn. in the week up to the ceremony she received honors from her colleagues. >> translation: this is a victory to palestine which adds our flag on the map of knowledge >> reporter: it comes with a one million dollar prize. she will use some of the money to promote her educational methods and to support her fellow teachers in the

palestinian territories a reminder that there's plenty more news on our website. aljazeera.com. the very latest on our top story there and the car bombing in turkey's capital ankara where the death toll has now risen 37. >> the us is now the world's largest oil and gas producer, in part because of what's happening here in north dakota, where advances in fracking have unlocked crude oil in the bakken shale formation in the western part of the state. north dakota is now producing more than a million barrels of oil a day. ten years ago there were fewer than 200 oil-producing wells in the bakken. now there are more than 8,000. >> they call it boomtown usa this is where all the money is. it's crazy the amount of money you can make here. >> this rapid pace of development and the flood of workers coming here,