eerie scenes of an abandoned town in northern syria at least 12 people were killed in government strikes targeting the last rebel stronghold forcing thousands to flee . this is al jazeera live also coming up turkish president urges action to end the fighting in libya during a surprise visit to its neighbor tunisia. as one of its deadliest attacks more than 30 people were killed in a raid on an. i'm alan fischer in mexico city with the paintings gathered over hundreds of years from people giving parents for what they see as an act of divine

intervention. we begin in northern syria where thousands of people are fleeing the last rebel stronghold of. syrian government forces and their russian allies are closing in on the city of newman other parts of it libya also been under attack for weeks now while that goes on many syrians are in search of safer conditions for their families thousands are heading towards turkey the violence has displaced more than $130000.00 people this month alone. can now only. make god take revenge on all those who caused this what if we done to deserve this what have we done i plead to god for. god to punish them for displacing us using all of this for humiliating us. with being cleared to live. or to die or is that an attack on the turkey's border with syria he explains the dangers

faced by civilians. well there facing all kinds of dangers from the blitz carried out by a russian city and force. crafts of bombarding villages and towns startles sayed talk been intended to send these people out of their homes so that the syrian government forces can have a free hun dealing with the rebels who are in control of large parts of it we've seen long queues of vehicles. coming to it's a bubble our entry point to turkey they're not being allowed to cross of course and they are setting up comes along the road others have had to go into some big tents that have been put up by turkish chided living together in these. places because the winter is getting worse and it's getting colder and what is happening right now

is the turkish chided ts are telling us that they are working around the clock to ensure that these people have whole tamils and also have what they need but then they are also who are stuck for the off field along the road and they're fearing for their health because they don't have proper sanitation or access to food. turkey's president is in tunisia year where he's urging action to end the fighting in libya. to one made a surprise visit to libya's neighbor to talk to president karzai who once said he believed tunisia can promote stability in libya earlier turkey announced it by deployed troops to back libya's u.n. recognized government which has been facing a months long offensive by warlord how many for half his forces. you know we are not guess without an invitation and if it comes we shall look into

it we are in constant communication with them however we should raise an issue the forces president libya more than 5000 troops from sudan what are they doing there we should ask why are these forces present in libya a request was made to turkey and that's why turkey answered the call based on the agreement related to our economic zone we have signed agreements to rely on and our moves are based on legality and lawful forms however the other foreign troops have no legality to be present on libyan soil in addition are is not a legitimate representative of the libyan people but put up there why it is in tripoli he says the p is keen to get libya's neighbors involved in establishing a cease fire. in this surprise visit by the president of the learn he discussed steps possible steps and corporation with the tunisian president. to solve and to put a cease fire in place in libya we know despite the fact that

a deal done has defended the military and security cooperation agreement that he signed with libya the last month but meanwhile he seems to be keen to involve libya is it effective neighboring countries lake tunisia to take part in peace talks in in libya a deal one also has criticized the contras that have been denouncing the military agreement with libya saying that turkey has. dealt with the only. institution in libya which is a government of national accord that is backed by the united nations and the international community somebody herbie is the editor of international interest or current affairs magazine with a focus on the middle east and north africa he says to this year could be backing

turkey's role as a mediator to resolve the crisis in libya. i think let's remember the context these are discussions are taking place at turkish delegation went to yesterday to russia to discuss it live and there were talks that they discussed in libya as well russia has implied that it's ready to entertain the prospect of mediation tekkie doesn't actually want to send troops it feels that it doesn't want to be forced to send troops to libya it prefers the idea of mediation if we follow this line of thought and we should assume that the libyan parties want agreed to go to moscow for talks because they believe moscow is backing have now and the parties that back have to want to go to a car or turkey to discuss talks tunisia is the perfect middle ground you know it is a neighboring country it's not backing any of the parties it's a perfect place for the parties together and indeed i started last week showed an intention to invite the libyan parties to discussions so when we put all of these

that i mix together it may well be that ed to get has his has has gotten something from moscow or gotten some assurances that they are interested in mediation as well and this is now about setting up this mediation to take place in tunisia but the faso has declared 2 days of national mourning after an attack that killed at least $35.00 people it happened in the northern region of the military says it's killed 80 of the attackers the group has claimed responsibility. is something that. we have to think about solidarity and national cohesion people women for the most part were getting water and got murdered in cold blood by the terrorists while they were retreating we must show compassion with the populations that is why all flags will fly at half mast for 2 days and all christmas celebrations are canceled. now became a fossil was once a pocket of calm in the sahara region but security has deteriorated over the past 5 years the removal of long time president blaise company already in october 24th

again created a security vacuum which has been exploited by several groups as well as homegrown fighters groups from mali affiliated with al qaeda and us all have crossed the border igniting ethnic and religious tension the u.n. says more than 700 people have been killed since 2015 at robust half a 1000000 have been displaced al-jazeera is up but it dress is in a boucher he says the groups have taken advantage of the political instability in the region over the past years we've seen the fallout and the importation of a movement of fighters as well as arms and munitions from the conflict in libya into the sahara into parts of west africa and how these have helped groups in this region to execute their activities or other to push their agenda in this region so in addition also governments in the region have not addressed the key issues that

give rights to these local armed groups in the possibilities for example the issue of poverty but issue of education employment and of course government presences so many communities so these fighters when they come into these areas they explode the situation allying with them with local communities sometimes they even render humanitarian services to this community and also there is that threat of fear be used to get the civilian population if they spy on them or have the government forces. iraq's largest parliamentary block is not without its choice for the country's next prime minister. he has been the governor of the oil rich province of basra since 27 there have been antigovernment protests in iraq for both the corruption and the lack of opportunities let's go live now to baghdad. by some of the now this nomination has been what's the process from. well

he has now officially been nominated by the iranian backed corelation which was the cleric the largest bloc in parliament we've seen many names floated throughout the past 3 weeks but this was the 1st time that representatives of the correlation actually met with president saleh to officially hand over the nomination now much of the delay that we've seen throughout the past weeks has been because it was not exactly clear who is the largest bloc in parliament president had sent requests for clarification to the iraqi speaker of parliament who don't confirm that it is indeed now in terms of the options going forward for the president he cannot challenge the speaker of the parliament on which block is supposed to be nominating but what he can do is actually reject the candidate that has put forward on the grounds that this may not be a candid this is acceptable to the street and this may not be acceptable to the other political parties because let's remember that the prime minister has to be a consensus candidate that is accepted by all of the parties and as of now we're

still waiting to hear their reaction especially from iran which is the bloc that is led by shiite cleric. ever more to outlawed in there and the reaction from protesters relock the continue to see protest against this nomination and the political process in general. well it's very likely that this candidate will be rejected by the protesters and actually have already spoken to protesters will said that they will absolutely refuse him as a prime minister because he does not represent the sweeping changes that they ask for as the current governor of butter he very much represents the status quo and many will be looking towards how he handled the protests in 2018. and his response to that those protests are very much seen as a precursor to the ongoing demonstrations and they very much had similar grievances such as unemployment and the lack of services by those demonstrations where met

with a systematic crackdown against the activists who who organized those protests and at that time actually met assad in basra and despite why it's widespread calls for him to resign he insisted on remaining in power and that's something of course that will be very much considered by the demonstrators there will be very fearful that a similar response could follow his official appointment but for now we have to wait until he's actually officially confirmed by the president if he's actually confirmed that we'll have to wait for the reactions of the street. from baghdad. still ahead on al-jazeera another moves by india's government has critics to reboard discrimination against muslims. you should not expect the 1st person on the educated are still just because they can't or refuse your background. sky's the limit we hear from a syrian refugee who tells us about her hopes and dreams after fleeing war.

hello there we have still got some good to skies around will coastal areas of china famines a cab through the interior and we have seen some rain and a little bit of snow as well to those higher elevations but as you can see hong kong for the say it is fine and dry 25 celsius fairly mild in shanghai a team with that cloud it does cool off as we go into friday but you see where the main bulk of rain is it is this is a typhoon pushing out into the south china sea it will weaken by friday but even then still a very powerful storm and still some very heavy rains to come across much of the philippines where you for the next couple of days we want is a fairly quiet picture really across much of and you want to scott today was a. as well as we had through day and on into friday in fact by friday it is a clearer picture temperatures

a lot lower than also just 16 celsius in new delhi say that really will fail at little bit chilly meanwhile the cloud and the rain has cleared up away from sri lanka so 29 the high in colombo on friday and then the arabian peninsula temperatures handle to about atoll the mid to high twenty's court of course in the overnight hours quite a bulk of rain a cloud just sitting off the coast of oman a day doesn't really make a lot of progress could just bring a stray shower of those case as we head towards friday. capturing a moment in time. snapshots of all the odds. of the stories. providing the clips into someone else's work. the one you the 4. inspiring documentaries

from impassioned filmmakers. witness on al-jazeera. that watching al-jazeera here's a reminder about top stories thousands of people are fleeing syria's last rebel stronghold of the province government forces and their russian allies a closing in on the city of newman other parts of it live have been under attack for weeks turkey's president is urging action to end the fighting in libya. but if he's choosing sides and says he believes tunisia can promote stability in neighboring libya. became

a fossil has to create 2 days of national mourning after an attack that killed at least $35.00 people it happened in the northern region of been the military says it's killed 80 of the attackers. india's government has approved funding for an updated national population register which opponents say is anti muslim it follows a new citizenship law that's led to huge protests across the country elizabeth paradip is in new delhi where more demonstrations against that call. a taking place . already in the capital new delhi. cheering to protest the protests have been hit on by the government approving of this national population register the government says that is just. just over form the face of. the national register of. the country protesting against.

that. act. and here at this rally. yet. now that there are protests against the citizenship act and the national register of citizens the government is using a better tool in the form of the national population re just we know the economy is ravaged they destroyed the economy with the monetized the hiding that it and a lying about it to the people. but that he made. no protest at all over the country why the. $500000000.00 on a population just when the economy is worst state in 6 years to stay. on the register 10 states. citizenship carry out a national register. for the government. from the country and.

disapprove. of it just. to continue until the supreme court hears petition. a state funeral has. played a key role in president but in a general. suffering a heart attack. because he's lived there. for years he was the chief of staff of the algerian national army. but i heard good solid who mostly be remembered for being behind the resignation of president up to put a flicker after 2 decades in office. on march 26th the cea not long after hundreds of thousands of algerians march in the

streets demanding the president's debt down it was get salah speech urging but if we could to quit that made that a reality the army backed the arrests of many of beautifully his allies a month later seles supported the newly appointed interim leader. and salah i would . i would like to confirm in truth that the transitional period to prepare for the presidential elections take place with the oversight of the national people's army which will keep watch over the course of this transition in lot of the mutual trust between the people and their army. just last week get salah attended the inauguration of the new president to measure. but many protests is a boycotted the election that brought him to power saying there was little choice of candidates beyond the established elite get sas spent his entire adult life in the armed forces. a former officer in the national abberation army he spent

years working his way to the top of the army. he forced non-serious war of independence against the french and was considered a hero in his country. as a close ally to then president beautifully in 2004 he became chief of staff of the army and 2013 vice minister of defense. in february this year and the sudden wave of protests algerians demanded the entire government step down. his loyalty to prove flicka had come to an end and he joined the calls from protests as for the president to resign but many algerians tell their own to get. obviously is part of the establishment because of different positions he had in the military it's only recently that some

of the protesters as well calling for him to go because as far as they were concerned he didn't all that. did not live up to expectations they expected all they wanted a more open democratic. some protesters are rejecting a 3 day mourning and a calling for real democracy and an end to the military state. thousands of people in the philippines a strategery in the christmas holiday after typhoon 5 phoned by landfall many in the predominantly catholic nation were stuck in airports and bus terminals authorities have evacuated coastal areas fearing floods and landslides the typhoon is expected to move across central philippines and into the south china sea by thursday. in afghanistan 27 peace activists have been abducted while on a botched the leader of the people's peace movement says the group was taken by the

taliban in the west and bullock district the taliban has not responded to requests for comment. the truck sol is a spokesman for peace movement afghanistan he says some of his colleagues have been captured by the taliban before this is not 1st time that will be fierce with such incidents so this is full time the taliban their culture our members and they're asking certain questions that. who are you and how you started them this is this gathering this movement but the main issue is that this moment is. started by local people and this is. effectiveness in the princes in the districts and among the people on the communities it's very efficient under people like us because they want peace and they want to make a good life for themselves and it's a. good life for every afghan and if. his style of going to me to interfere but

you want to make good life for them only incident that to this simply happened. distract actually we had planned to conduct a gathering and march and. and but this is but when our people do a common. sense and they wanted to conduct the covering a much in purpose this incident happened we hope and i reassure the taliban that correlates do it safely and they will be there to get new home from the from the taliban and to be added to to provide. proof and evidence that local movement and it's not a letter to anybody and we want just good life and everyone. millions around the world are celebrating christmas but in hong kong the festive period has been marked by violence between antigovernment protesters and police demonstrators occupied

a shopping mall and rallied in the streets around a busy shopping district and it's the most other wrist the territory has seen in weeks while many australians flocked to the beach firefighters in new south wales managed to in the a brief christmas break before heading back to tackle the region's bushfires more than 70 fires still burning across the stage. pope francis has held a bass at the vatican as part of the roman catholic church traditional christmas celebrations he said wishes of peace and prosperity in south south sudan where negotiations have faltered between the rival sides he also mentioned syria he still . may christ bring his lights to the many children suffering from war and conflicts in the middle east and in various countries of the world may bring comfort to the beloved syrian people still see no end to the hostilities that have lacerates their country over the last decade. the consciences of men and women of goodwill by our

governments and the international community to find solutions that can guarantee the security and the care existed. in the region and to the unspeakably suffering. it's a mexican tradition hating the story of what someone believes was a divide intervention for hundreds of years artists have captured the moment they felt they prize for today the sometimes surreal works of popular as pieces of art from mexico city al jazeera alan fischer reports. from the devote the pious and the grateful thank you mark in recovering good fortune or success in mexico they're called paintings delivered to the church a devotion gift after prayers were answered. those who wanted their story to be known ordered these little paintings they were

made by artists that worked near the church and people told them their story and they would interpret it painted and wrote a few lines about it at the bottom of a painting. the idea of giving gifts in fact has been around for thousands of years and even as the survey see the mexico is becoming less religious there are still those commissioning paintings to mark what they see as divine intervention. one of the artists most in demand is afraid of wheelchairs from a small studio in a working class area in the west of mexico city he's been painting for more than 30 years he started after losing his job as a builder. i started doing what i thought i could do drawing in small pieces of paper cardboard in solet in sardine cans anywhere and at some point i want to sell them on the street and that was it it's difficult to start as an artist. people give thanks for many things recovery from illness a man being released from prison after care he was accused of stealing turned up

a prostitute who wanted more customers praying for someone's return after the 911 attacks in new york who wanted to work for the bull as an ex voto painter i hear many stories but my favorites are love stories giving thanks for having found the love of their life because his partner came back when she thought it was over those are nice because the feelings are nice there are always 2nd chances or a lot of photos work is always in demand he said exhibitions in canada germany and even at the world famous lived in paris. but his greatest joy creating for those who live nearby for those who want a permanent reminder of the day when the prayers were answered alan fischer al-jazeera mexico city. the end of the year for many people is a time to reflect on what's happened in the past and also look forward to some who fled war and conflict settling in a new country can be tough being away from loved ones even are at let's see the story now of one syrian refugee who arrived in britain 4 years ago who believes

nothing is out of reach. my there was biogas out i'm 20 years old and i'm from damascus syria i'm really hoping to become a commercial pilot one day and you know perhaps be the 1st ever female syrian refugee parla i was 11 when the war started and it just moved closer and closer until it happened the mosques were always prepared that we're going to do something at some point because that's what war does that's what everyone's face from experience during the war is them losing something whether like a relative a loved one their house their businesses and different stuff so it was all the stuff when i were like like my parents would leave the house they would they would say good bye as if we might never see them again so we're alive but we were not living. my mom my 2 younger brothers and i got from

damascus to live on on taxes therefore on them from the airport we went to turkey and then from turkey to america. i always. believed that if you cation is what's going to define my future and education is how i can represent myself my country my family where i'm from. i knew the kind of stereotypes that people have about refugees of being on the hated unskilled i just feel like when people look at me i don't want them to define me with these kind of ferreted for labels it should not expect that this person is on the vacated on skill just because they came from a refugee background you don't expect them to be broken in south than like you know the past like they can be you offer your best support and like try to be the kindest you can but also expect that you're treating just a normal human being with normal impressions and hopes and dreams and you can find

much more on our website the address for that is w w w dot al-jazeera dot com. this is al jazeera and these are the top stories thousands of people are fleeing syria's last rebel stronghold of live province government forces and their russian allies are closing in on the city of bharat are new but other parts of it lead have been under attack for weeks turkey's president is urging action to end the fighting in libya dr bird won but with his chinese your counterpart tries saeed and says he believes chinese year can promote stability in neighboring libya. we are not guests without an invitation and if it comes we shall look into it we are in constant communication with them however we should raise an issue the forces president libya more than $5000.00 troops from sudan what are they doing there we

should ask why are these forces present in libya a request was made to turkey and that's why turkey answered the call based on the agreement related to our economic zone we have signed agreements to rely on and our moves are based on legality and lawful forms however the other foreign troops have no legality to be present on libyan soil in addition have tar is not a legitimate representative of the libyan people iraq's largest parliamentary bloc is not without its choice for the next prime minister assad danny has served as the governor of the oil rich province of basra since 2017 he's nomination is likely to fuel more antigovernment protests but so has declared 2 days of national mourning after an attack that killed at least $35.00 people it happened in the northern region of the military says it's killed 80 of the attackers no group has claimed responsibility for thousands of people in the philippines a strategy a jury in the christmas holiday off to typhoon fund phone by a landfall many in the predominantly catholic nation are stuck in airports and bus

terminals both already have a vacuum waited coastal areas fearing floods and landslides the typhoon is expected to move across central philippines i did to the south china sea by thursday pope francis has offered a christmas blessing at the vatican as part of the roman catholic church's traditional celebrations he said wishes of peace and prosperity to south sudan where negotiations are faltered between the rival sides he also mentioned conflicts around the world including syria well those are the headlines the news continues here on out jazeera off the witness reading north.

but i've gotten along also the mayor more credible and with the least interested but it up coming. from him was on our little ball now don but after the news you know.