siyrian for as they take the last rebel-held town of latakia province ahead of proposed peace talks >>> welcome. i'm jane dutton live from the headquarters in doha. also coming up. >> reporter: protesters in egypt defy the government, ignoring an official ban on demonstrations to mark the fifth anniversary of the revolution. a cold snap sweeps through parts of east asia bringing with it lower temperatures. we get rare access with the afghan troops fighting on the front line against i.s.i.l. >>> the u.s. secretary of state john kerry says the question of which group should attend in direct talks between the syrian regime and the opposition will be resolved in a day or two. the summit in geneva has been delayed due to negotiations over exactly who will take part. a member of the syrian opposition and he says he is unhappy with the way the lead-up to the talks is being handled. >> there is pressure on us to give up the rights of the syrian people. these pressures are representative of pushing our delegation to head to the talks without any clear agenda, plus giving up the goodwill measur

in latakia. rob matheson now reports. >> reporter: in say small town but its capture by syrian forces marks a series position by armed forces. >> translation: armed forces have been able to take control of the city in latakia. it has led us in the last two days to regain control of 18 towns and villages including rubare. it is a stronghold of the community to which bashar al-assad belongs. for the last four years it has been a key northern place for turkman fighters. it is estimated 20,000 people have fled from their homes in the turkman mountains. >> translation: it was one of the oppositions biggest strong holds. it was where they kept their supplies, ammunition and weapons for the area. also many villages west of rabeer were considered safe places for troops. >> reporter: the syrian government forces have been supported by russian air attacks. the taking of robeer means the regime and the russians are stronger in latakia. they will turn their attention to idlib still held by opposition fighter

from the national armed forces have been able to take control of the area in the northern side of latakia successful operations led us in the last couple days to regain control of 18 towns and villages includeing rabia. >> reporter: troops loyal to bashar al-assad and it's a community to which assad belongs and the last four years it has been a key base for fighters and estimated 20,000 people have fled from their homes in the turkmen mountains. >> translator: ra bill was one of the opposition strongholds and where they kept their supplies, ammunition for the area and villages west of rabil are safe heaven to the groups and safe to the turkish border for supplies. >> reporter: forces have been supported by russian air attacks and the taking means the russians are stronger in latakia and may turn their attention to idlib held by opposition fighters including the al-nusra front and talks to find a solution to the syrian crisis are planned for this week and doubt whether those talks will go ahead but in latakia syria's front line has been redrawn. rock matheson al jazeera. >>> more on that a

we are talking about latakia, on the coast. luckily for those in latakia, being on the coast, you are right close to the warm water. if you are near the coast. it goes grey. very soon. when you climb in height and go to the border, it's snow. the forecast suggests that there'll be more snow dying out. behind me is the next proper storm. it was a vast amount of snow inland. that is dug in so it's not cold in georgia, and there's frozen water falls now. if took a while for that to come down, and a good part of eastern europe. now it is cold, and that cold spreads and lasts for a long time. >>> now, the united nations is facing now allegations that its peacekeepers sexually abused girls. the misty upham started an investigation into four underaged girls. in a statement it says it is looking into other episodes of misconduct by u.n. peacekeepers and international forces. it follows a series of complaints stationed in there 2015. kenya's university reopened nine months after gunmen stormed the area, killing 148 people. security was

the poem talking in latakia and in the turkman encounters. they were talking of being minus 10. they knew people who were displaced, getting more aid. it's really running out. we made calls to idlib to our old friends living in the mountainous area. reporting there is a lot of snow. the people in that area demonstrated on behalf of those living south. you probably have heard of the town of madaya, 40km north of damascus. for over 170 days, that town has been besieged by the syrian regime forces and hezbollah. it's happening close to the lebanese border. people there are saying they are running out of the pooed. there's reports from the n.g.o.s, that come sort offed to death. pictures are looking dreadful. prices have racqueted. is this what used to be a few cents worth for pa bag of rice is going to 649,000. >> if the u.s. can drop hume job tarian aid, why can't they drop humanitarian aid on the people desperate for food in that area. the messages coming out of syria and across the region, that the effort to get the talks under way, they need to look at what is happening here, a

steve rosen work reports from the russian base in latakia.e: it is still russian bombers that dominate the skies. we last visited russia's air base two months ago. today, we noticed an extra runway and extra security. the s-400 rocket launcher was brought in after turkey shot down a russian jet in november. launched in syria and operation 3.5 months ago, russian air forces have carried out near latakia. .t has boosted president assad the russians put on display their firepower today. we were shown how they load missiles onto their most advanced bombers. how accurate are the russian airstrikes? has claimedts group unguided russian munitions has caused hundred of civilian -- hundreds of civilian deaths. russia denies it. there is nothing new about statements like this, the general tells me. we hear them all the time. we never see any facts or proof. are you saying after nearly 6000 russian bombings, no civilian casualties have been caused? >> da. , says therrect general. now, there is a humanitarian operation. this is food and medicine for a sy

as they take up the last rebel held town in latakia province over proposed peace talks. welcome. i'm peter dobby here at our headquarters in doha. a cold snap with record low temperatures in east asia. we get rare access to the afghan forces fighting on the front line against i.s.i.l. plus. >> reporter: i'm andrew tom is as on sydney harbour. ahead of australia day i will be explaining why some aboriginal australians see no reason to celebrate. to them 26 january marks "invasion day" >>> top story this hour, the u.s. secretary of state john kerry says the question of which group should attend indirect talks between the syrian regime and the opposition will be resolved in a day or two. the summit in geneva has been delayed due to negotiations over exactly who will take part. our correspondent is a member of the syrian opposition. he says he is unhappy about the way the lead-up to the talks has been handled. -- this man on the phone is a member of the syrian opposition >> translation: there is pressure to give up the legitimate rights of the syrian people. the delegation is being p

the syrian regime takes back the last opposition stronghold in latakia. political turmoil in moldova. protesters rally to demands early elections. new york begins the clean up after one of the biggest snow storms recorded. >> reporter: i have all of the sports stories for you and update on the massive game taking place in denver. also arse nol seeing red as the chance to be number one are dashed by the london rivals. -- arsenal are seeing red >>> the syrian government has taken the last i.s.i.l. stronghold. it was backed by russian air power. while the president bashar al-assad's forces make advances on the ground, talks in geneva appear to have been delayed. rob matheson reports. >> reporter: this is a small town, but its capture to mark a big setback for armed opposition groups. >> translation: units from the national armed forces have been able to take control of the area in the northern countryside of latakia. a series of successful operations have led us in the last two days to regain control of 18 towns and villages. >> reporter: the streets are now

here we see latakia. >> translator: we are refugees here. we have been here for four years.ocal councils are lacking. the relief and support is all going to the new refugees. we don't have wood or heaters. we ask those concerned to look into refugees rights, because our situation is very, very bad. >> translator: i was displaced from the kurd's mountain. it took us a couple of days until we secured ourselves in this cold. we barry managed to get a tent. we don't have anything at all. we have an old person. it's a too cold. we are unable to get firewood or relief. >> our correspondent is on the turkish border with syria. >> reporter: these arctic conditions that have faller here in southeast turkey, and across the border behind me in syria, are having a grave impact on displaced people and refugees. one family who had taken refuge in a tent in the southeast of turkey, their four-month-oldson couldn't cope with the freezing temperatures and he died on month of hypothermia. this is just one family in the thousands that have taken shelter outside of syria. those in the valley, l

that incident may have been why tartus, two hours south of latakia. this is the russian navy's only foothold in the mediterranean.s base seems to be one key reason president putin maintained, and now is escalating, his support for bashar al-assad.stination was the "moscow," a guided missile offshore. and did everything short of firing off one of its missiles to demonstrate russia's naval might.ly the flagship of the black sea fleet. it now has a new mission. when i see all of this, i... iou fighting? isis doesn't have any capability like this.ld us the ship's main mission is not to fight terrorists. after turkey shot down the russian fighter, the "moscow"o provide anti- aircraft defense. that a russian guided missile cruiser is providing air defense agai what was supposed to be a war against isis and islamic terrorism is a sign just how complicated this temporary be reckoned with, which has been putin's goal all along throughout the 15 years of his leadership.man is a political analyst in moscow, one of the few independent voices willing to publicly c

to get to the russian airbase in latakia, syria, you have to start here in moscow. you don't just show up at the gates of the airbase. you have to be invited by the russian ministry of defense, then taken on a russian military transport on a circuitous five- hour flight over territory friendly to russia- the caspian sea, iran, iraq, before finally landing in syria. it was almost midnight when our plane took off from a russian airbase outside moscow. as we started to take pictures out the window, we were told nyet-- "no"-- something we heard often during the next three days. >> no, no, no. >> whitaker: this was the first face we saw after landing. that's syrian president bashar al-assad. this once was a syrian airport. since the summer, the russians 4,000 personnel, paved roads, rolled in truckloads of equipment and munitions, erecting a bit of russia in the heart of assad-controlled syria. this is mostly friendly territory, at least 20 miles from the closest frontlines, but the russians aren't taking any chances. helicopter gun ships constantly patrolled the perimet

that incident may have been why we were taken to tartus, two hours south of latakia. this is the russian navy's only foothold in the mediterranean. holding onto this base seems to be one key reason president putin maintained, and now is bashar al-assad. this day, our destination was the "moscow," a guided missile cruiser that lay a mile offshore. they brought us aboard and did everything short of firing off one of its missiles to demonstrate russia's naval might. the "moscow" is normally the flagship of the black sea fleet. it now has a new mission. when i see all of this, i... i just wonder, who are you fighting? isis doesn't have any capability like this. general konashenkov told us the ship's main mission is not to fight terrorists. after turkey shot down the russian fighter, the "moscow" was reassigned to provide anti- aircraft defense. that a russian guided missile cruiser is providing air defense against turkey, a u.s. ally, in what was supposed to be a war against isis and islamic complicated this temporary mission has become. >> maria lipman: russia has to be

to the border. >> russian air attacks and the taking here means the russians are now stronger in latakiaan turn attention to idlib held by opposition fighters including the al-nusra front, talks to try to find a solution to the syrian crisis are planned for this week, there is still doubt about whether those talks will go ahead but in latakia syria's front line has been redrawn. rob matheson, al jazeera. >>> vice president of the syrian national coalition and is on skype from istanbul and for the people trying to get these talks off the ground in geneva they seem to be lacking desire or reality check to keep up with what is going on on the ground and it's this damascus is winning. >> actually damascus is not winning. russia is the one who is winning. they are fighting on behalf of the syrian regime and we know that this happened a few months ago as a start to push us through negotiation with the lowest conditions but the thing that russia and the regime doesn't know that we won't go to the negotiation except with anything they will put it on the table as they want with the government and

it has just recaptured the town of rabia in the northern province of latakia. the bombardment has been criticized for being indiscriminate. i.s.i.l. and other armed groups are being targeted. some human rights groups say the air strikes have killed more civilians than fighters. gerald tan >>> meanwhile diplomatic efforts continue ahead of friday's indirect talks to syria for which invitations are likely to be sent out in the coming hours. james bays is here. before we talk about who is likely to be in geneva and invited, tell us about what is happening on the ground and the retaking of this important town is impacting efforts to get the warring sides to talk. >> reporter: it will certainly be causing concern here at the united nations. we've seen quite a bit of fighting, not just in the last few hours, but in the last few weeks. it is a pattern that we've seen over the last five years of the war in syria. when there is talk, diplomatic talk, there is often a last-minute grab to try and get land before the talks start. remember, that if these talks start on frid

harsh winter weather has hit syria's latakia refugee camp covering the area with snow. refugees living in temporary accommodation are asking for help. let's get more on our top story. military hydrogen bomb having been tested. now, it's the most powerful type of a nuclear bomb. potentially two thousand times more destructive than the bombs that were dropped on japan in 1945. unlike atomic bombs which break apart, a hydrogen bomb derives its blast from fusion. it can produce intense white light that can induce blindness. our guest says north korea uses tests to put pressure on the international community. >> a hydrogen bomb is a pretty substantial step forward. this is something that wasn't developed until the 1950s. they have never been used against civilians. we don't know what this would actually do in a city. that's why people are so terrified. this is a major step up. i also say that we have no other evidence other than the north koreans have said. they said this a couple of months ago that they had this. there was a lot of scepticism. until we see something, i'm st

harsh winter weather has hit latakia's refugee camp with snow. the storm swept across western syria and forced thousands to seek shelter. there are temporary accommodations and there are appeals from aid agencies. >> translation: we are refugees here from turkman mountain. we have been here for four years. the local councils are lacking. we don't have wood, heaters. we ask those who are concerned to look into the refugees' rights because our situation is very, very bad. >> translation: ifs displaced from the occurred mountain. it took us a couple of days until we secured ourselves in this cold. it is minus 10 degrees here. we barely managed to get a tent. we don't have anything at all. we have an old person. it is too cold. we are unable to get firewood or relief >>> kenya's university has reopened nine months after al-shabab gunmen stormed the campus and killed 148 people. security was tight with police carrying automatic weapons and patrolling the grounds. the university says most of the staff have now returned to work and classes will begin ne

their lives, but some turnaround for the assad government with the help of russian airstrikes in latakia, where big gains are being made. >> probably no coincidence it that the level of force has been put behind this push by regime troops and covered by air power in russia, incessant airstrikes in the province of latakia. the town of selma fell to the regime and now on sunday, rabbia, the last main town on the road up north from latakia province to the border with turkey, that town has fallen to the regime, making much of this on state t.v., and the russian air power, every step of the way has been the key to it all. now, of course, going right back to september 30, when the russians became directly involved in this conflict, this has been a partial game changer, not only just in terms of helping the syrian forces make some gains and of course this is a strategic move, this area in la take i can't, because it is the stronghold for the alawat party, the stronghold of bashar al assad and of course it also is a sea port and of course has russian strategic interest at heart. not only that, i

latakia has been covered with snow. storms forced thousands of people to seek shelter. many refugees have been living in very basic temporary accommodation. they have appealed for extra help from aid agencies. >> translation: we are refugees here from the mountain. we have been here for four years. the loun council is lacking. there are many shortages, we don't have wood or supplies. our situation is very, very bad. >> translation: i was displaced from the kurdish mountains. it took us a couple of days before we secured ourselves in this cold. it is minus 10 degrees here. we barely managed to get a tent. we don't have anything at all. we have an old person. it is too cold. we are unable to get firewood or relief >>> hundreds of people in germany have been protesting against violence towards women in the city of cologne. police believe around a thousand men were involved in almost 90 assaults and robberies of women on new year's eve. officers say young man of north african or north-eastern appearance. >> translation: i came to the demonstration today because i think it's

that incident may have been why hours south of latakia. this is the russian navy's only foothold in the mediterranean. holding onto this base seems to be one reason president putin maintained and is escorting his support of bashar al assad. this day, our destination was "the moscow," a guided cruiser that lay a mile offshore. they brought us aboard and did everything short of firing off a missile to demonstrate russia's naval might. "the moscow" is normally the flagship of the black sea fleet. it now has a new mission. when i see all of this, i just & wonder who are you fighting? isis doesn't have any capability like this. >> translator: the general told not to fight terrorists. >> reporter: after turkey shot down the russian fighter, "the moss wow" was reassigned to provide anti-aircraft defense. it was supposed to be a war against isis and islamic terrorism, is a sign just how complicated this temporary mission has become. >> russia has to be reckoned with, which has been putin's goal all along throughout the 15 years of his leadership.

we were taken to tartus, two hours south of latakia. this is the russian navy's only foothold in the mediterranean. holding on to this base seems to be one reason president putin maintained and is escorting his support of bashar al assad. this day, our destination was "the moscow," a guided cruiser ship. they brought us aboard and did everything short of firing off a missile to demonstrate russia's naval might. "the moscow" is normally the flagship of the black sea fleet. it now has a new mission. when i see all of this, i just wonder who are you fighting? isis doesn't have any capability like this. >> translator: the general told us the ship's main mission is not to fight terrorists. russian fighter, "the moscow" was reassigned to provide anti-aircraft defense. it was supposed to be a war against isis and islamic terrorism, is a sign just how complicated this temporary mission has become. >> russia has to be reckoned with, which has been putin's goal all along throughout the 15 years of his leadership. >> reporter: maria lipman is a po

in latakia mountains they're talking about a lot of snow and freezing cold conditions, and many of themon't have the money or resources to find fuel to keep warm. in idlib they're demonstrating for the people further south of the country. 40 kilometers south of damascus 40,000 people have been besieged in that town for over 170 days by the syrian forces and hezbollah. one of the activists told me they have managed to get some money through. one of the ngos would get money through for the people. but prices have been heightened. a kilo of rice now costs as much as $250 u.s. dollars. the negotiations, the lifting of blockades and humanitarian aid cannot come soon enough. >> qatar has recalled its ambassador after a week's attack on the saudi embassy. he said his country wants to prevent the crisis from spreading. relations between iran and saudi arabia were inflamed after a shia cleric was executed. >> iraq is at the heart of the region. we have used our broad relations with arab countries and other countries so iraq can play its role and eye leavate tensions between iran and saudi arabia

>> first of all, the airbase at latakia is able to handle 30 to 35 aircraft. it's very small. one is building on newer syrian airbase, a couple of points are important, lou, the new airbase is in the part of syria that's controlled by the kurds, and secondly, it's right up against the turkish border about, 20 miles from the turkish border. what this allows the russians to do is to poke a stick in the eye of the turks to punish them for shooting down that -- that russian fighter plane and also to expand their presence in syria. now russia today is an expanding power in the middle east and they're not going to stop any time soon, lou. lou: expanding power, the ruble is collapsing. the economy is in dire straits. we don't have a clear picture at all of the health of the economy, other than it is not, not nearly as seversa the president forecast, when he put sanctions in place against russia. we're also watching -- i wanted to add one thing to this, as you point out in the kurdish region of the country, that is also another stick in the eye of turkey which has no love for the kurd