>> welcome to al jazeera america. dying waiting for piece peace. syrian rebels agree to attend talks. but for many, time is running out. safe or not, confusion in west virginia and questions whether the company behind a chemical spill is shielding itself from responsibility. chasing that rocky mountain high. it is not just the fresh air now drawing tourists to colorado. and losing the appetite for shark fin soup. attitudes turning against a brutal delicacy. >> after years of war, tens of

thousands dead in syria tonight. some rebels have agreed for the first time to sit down and consider peace. it is a move the united states has long pushed for but will it work? here is the latest now from istanbul. >> it was a vote that ripped the coalition apart. members pulled out before it. more members committed to resign after it. but after days of discussion, the umbrella body representing the political and some military opponents voted yes to go into switzerland to take part in talks for the delegation from the regime. after the vote, the president of the coalition addressed the syrian people. >> we have traveled a hard involved and you have made sacrifices for your freedom. we have reached a critical point which we will cross together. you are determined to end the suffering that the regime has imposed on you so we can take the syrian congestution to a secure and safe place. >> because a decision was so

divisive, discussions and consultation ran overnight and included members of the more moderate rebel groups fighting inside sire yeah, without their endorsement, there was no confidence that the coalition could do anything they proposed. now the same fighting groups want to be in the as yet unnamed 15 member delegation going to switzerland. >> it has to be represents within the team. we have not discussed exactly who would be the rule. but definitely would like to be part of the -- >> the green light from the the fighting groups came as a surprise. >> none of this was enough to bring back a group of 44 member whose had withdrawn from the syrian national coalition because they didn't think the agreements made had sufficient international backing anymore. for them, unless geneva two focused on bringing about a transitional government it wasn't worth attending.

exactly who will represent the opposition is supposed to be decided within the next 24 hours. they face either directly or indirectly a high level team for the regime which does not acknowledge the need for a new government and only barely recognizes the existence of opposition at all. >> yet, there are many different groups battling for syria. the rebels that have agreed to the talks, did do not represent the fighters. and observers say expectations for a true peace are low. >> it was mentioned earlier that the number one condition that the rebel groups wanted was an agreement on a transition that would remove assad from power. that has been the sticking point for a couple of years now. that the western powers led by the united states have insisted that assad must go as a pre-condition. well, that is unrealistic. how can you hold any talks when the number one pre-condition is the one side must apolish itself. in the meantime, help arrived

for thousands of refugees in damascus. surrounded by war. they had been cut off from the world. many there are starving. >> we must warn you, some of the images are graphic. >> a moment these people might have thought would never happen. this camp has been cut off for months. the united states has tried to reach the people inside repeatedly and failed. but on saturday, at last, some aid got through. >> i really hope there will be more aid to reach every resident. there is talk of 7,000 foxes to cover all of the residents. we hope the aid will continue because many of our children are dying of hunger because of the strangling siege. into the suffering in the camp has taken many forms. but perhaps the worst effect has been on the youngest. malnutrition has struck many children. some people have resorted to eating grass to ward off

hunger. and dozens have died. before the war it was home to around 160,000 palestinian refugees. camp was set up in 1957 and has grown to include schools and health centers. >> it has been in rebel hands for a year and surrounded by government forces for several months. president's government says it recently sent an aid convoy to the camp but it was stopped by what the government calls terrorist gangs. the rebels say they have tried to get people with severe medical problems out. and were fired on by snipers. the un says it is a humanitarian crisis. but for some people on the streets, saturday seems different. >> i did take a box. i hope that everyone would be able to get aid and that safety and security come back to the camp. i hope that this will be a

glimmer of hope to the people of the camp. >> neither the rebels nor the government have indicated whether that hope is justified. dominic cane, al jazeera. >> and there has been another delay in destroying syria's chemical weapons. security challenges are blamed for the slow down. but the group overseeing the disposal says the process should improve. the weapons are supposed to stop at a mediterranean port to be transferred to an american ship and be destroyed. egypt's government got the result it was hoping for. voters approved a new military backed government. critics say the vote was rigged. and as is reported, the vent was widely boycotted. egypt's new draft constitution is passed. and the high election commission says the documents got an overwhelming support. >> the total number of voters

is 20 million the voter turn out is 38.6% of the population. the yes vote 98.1%, 1.9% said no. this is a higher voter turn out than the vote for the last constitution. >> the military backed interim government says the vote showed the people overthrowing the president in july. now, that the government got the yes vote needed, the incomes step is to set a date for more elections. but the alliance, which includes the brotherhood has described the vote as a sham. the group hailed what it called the historic boycott by the egyptian people including the youth, which indicates that a majority of the people reject the coup and the constitution. different groups are calling on their supporters to increase their protests to end the military coup, despite the

increase crackdown. egypt is facing tough times. and analysts say that is unlikely to change any time soon. >> i think we have patterns when military coups against elected institutions take place. you are faced with four possible outcomes. either a dictatorship or military dictatorship so the military domination, or a persistence of civil unrest. i think plan is to legit mate what happened on july 3rd by a new constitution. by a new -- but these procedures happen under mubarak and never had strong solid. >> egypt is divided and struggling to restore stability. next week will mark three years since a popular revolution removed mubarak from power. and as most egyptians mark

that occasion, the only thing that is certain is more elections. al jazeera. >> meanwhile, three al jazeera journalists continue to be detained. they have been held since december 29. they are accused of spreading lies harmful to state security. al jazeera denies the allegations and continues to demand their immediate lease. two other journalists from our sister channels have been in prison for five months. to west virginia's toxic mess now. the company responsible for the chemical spill has filed for bankruptcy. freedom industry owners has created a new company to bail freedom out. robert ray has more now from charleston. >> you can see over my shoulder the tanks holding the chemicals that went into the elk river that is freedom industry and what happened in

the past week affected 3,000 people and the water supply here in virginia. we spent most of our saturday talking to residents about their concern over the water supply and did our own independent defendanting on the water. here is what we found out. >> it has been a week since 7500 gallons of toxic chemicals used to clean coal spilled into the elk river in west virginia. 300,000 people were under a strict do not use water ban. though many of the bans have been lifted, residents are concerned as to whether the water is safe. >> inside this cooler are testing materials for the water in this woman's house. how long is it going to take to get the results back? >> five toiseach business days. >> jennifer is nine months pregnant. >> we haven't been consuming the water in the house just because it didn't taste right. it didn't smell right. >> she and her family are not drinking the water. but after the centers for

degrees control issued a caution on wednesday for pregnant women, she was confused. we got the okay, the thumbs up that the water was safe on monday night in my community. right near. and so for 48 hours to go by and knowing ha the public is consuming this water, that's really concerning. >> with very little data or scientific study, it is not clear how it could impact people's health. and because of the abundance of caution recommended by the cdc, al jazeera america has hired a consulting company to take water samples from jennifer's home. >> not only is mark from downstream strategies taking water samples samples from the , but on the river here in charleston, he is taking water surface samples. they are going to test these for the chemicals, the mix of chemicals that went into the river system here and we will have results next week.

>> according to environmental federal data, chemicals and waste from the coal industry have tainted waterways and groundwater supplies in west virginia and many doctors were already concerned and want testing to continue. >> i think especially in the case of pregnant women. we don't know effects on the unborn child. what is a developing fetus and shouldn't take any chances. >> the theme of environmental disasters in west virginia has reached a boiling point. >> nobody has jurisdiction. what needs to happen is for just overarching legislation to make sure that these companies aren't responsible for policing themselves. because they are not. if you don't have to, you won't. but there are no speed limits. i'm going to drive as fast as i can in my vehicle. >> inspectors discover that freedom industries, the company blamed for the disaster had not taken action to stop the leak or report to it authorities. that is according to the state

department of environmental protection. and as it turns out, there are virtually no regulations governing inspection and maintenance of the storage tanks that held the dangerous chemical. the smell of licorice that we heard so much about, the candy smell is pref prevalent here on this saturday as is an itch in my eye, which a lot of emergency rooms and doctors are saying is one of the problems, one of the symptoms that people are coming in and complaining about. so we are on the story. we will keep report. >> robert ray in charlton, west virginia tonight. new jersey governor is facing another allegation of political payback. it is alleged chris christie withheld sandy -- hurricane sandy funds. >> the governor came to hoe bong, she pulled me aside in the parking lot and she said i know it is not right, i know

this should not be connected, but they are. if you tell anyone, i'll dawn it. the governor says the claim is politically motivated. the new allegation is exactly the kind of distraction chris christie wanted to avoid today. he is in florida campaigning for governor rick scott and testing the water with big republican donors. the trip comes after lawmakers issued 20 subpoenas about whether a massive traffic jam was also politically motivated. much more ahead, including an al jazeera america special. affording college. the crowing importance of a four-year degree and the growing difficulty of paying for it. >>

>> will they make it in america? >> i have a chance... >> i learn america

>> every sunday night join us for exclusive... revealing... and surprising talks with the most interesting people of our time... >> parkinson's forced his wife to type his novels. >> not only was i typing badly, but i was hallucinating... >> now, a revolutionary proceedure is giving is giving this best selling author a second chance >> it was a wondrerful moment... >> after the implant, they turned the juice on, and... >> emily & martin cruz smith on talk to al jazeera only on al jazeera america >> i want to make sure students have what it takes to succeed beyond high school. >> the president and first lady encouraged more kids to

go to college. yet, a university degree remains out of reach for some americans. >> schooling in this country has come a long way. in 1970 only a quarter of americans had completed post high school education. by 2007, that number had jumped to nearly two-thirds. but the u.s. wasn't the only country sending kids off to college. in recent years the number of americans attaining four year degrees has stalled. look at this, 12th overall, and in danger of slipping further. meanwhile, the share of jobs that require some kind of college education has doubled in the past 40 years. according to a study done by georgetown university, 63% of all jobs will require more than a high school education by the year 2018. the need for a college degree will be especially important in the northeast.

getting anne education doesn't just help you get a job, but more money. those with a four year college degree have progressively made more money overtime and to those born to lower income families, agree increases chances of upward mobility by 50%. yet half of all people from high income families get their degree by 25. only 10% from poorer families do the same. >> president obama and first lady michele obama came from modest backgrounds but were able to get ivy league educations. college costs have risen by 500% since they went to school, putting higher education out of reach for many americans. >> at a while house college opportunity summit the president and mrs. obama brought together dozens of education leaders, no i'm doing this because that story of opportunity through education is the story of my life. and i want them to know that

it can be their story too. >> kevin wade watched the summit on tv. he was thrilled when president obama mentioned the program he is part of. they match high school students with people who can spend four years guiding them to the process of applying for college and helping them once they get there. >> my brothers went to jail. they had the chance to go to college but went down the wrong route. i thought if i had more guidance i would be on the right track. >> his mentor is adam jacobs. adam came up and picked me up at 5:00 in the morning. we went to breakfast and went over what i'm doing and how i'm going to feel after and it was like a burden off my chest. navigating the financial ed road is a mind field full of deadlines and someone who is excited to go to college may

miss the window of opportunity if they don't file the papers and the various deadlines they have to meet. one of many programs the president is pushing for. deborah is the founder of the posse foundation. it identifies students from urban backgrounds helping them attend colleges where they can be part of multiculture peer groups to give them support. >> it was important because it has shown a spotlight on this issue of poor kids of kids from the lowest economic not getting connected to college opportunity even when they are ultimately qualified. >> she says programs like these are critical. but the middle class is also now being squeezed out. >> it is also much more, more and more middle class kids who are also being denied the

opportunity to get the kind of education not only that they deserve but that this country needs them to have if they are going to fill the jobs in the workforce and make this a vibrant committee. a healthy committee. >> some quick math shoes shows he she was right. saving for college.com offers an online calculator. if you had a child this year and wanted to send them to a college that costs $25,000 a year, assuming an annual average increase of 5% and 6% concerned annually after tax, you need to save more an quarter million dollars or $561 a month for the next 18 years. and the college currently fost $50,000, then plan on needing half a million or 1121 a month. that is not chump change.

a lot more needs to be done. jonathan. back to you. thanks, court any. >> earlier i spoke to whittier college president and rory o'sullivan with the young invincibles and praise president obama and the first lady for their new initiative. the president and first lady were inspirational, both in their personal examples and in their motivation to get this country moving again in terms of appreciate appreciation of the val view education. do you think you will make any changes to your university? >> yes, we have joined the president's campaign and are focused on two initiatives. one is to reach out to our local high schools, expanding our mentorship program and helping those students get to college. and the second initiative is to expand our partnerships with area community colleges

and community colleges outside of our area to encourage the very talented students that are starting their education at community colleges to transfer to the best colleges and universities that they can. if you had to pinpoint one reason why so many low income american children are not going to college, what would you say, it is the cost, the strict admissions, what is it? >> i think you are right. the cost will be the big factor. we hear that from young people across the country. the cost of a four year public university has gone up by 84% over the last two decades. there are a lot of low income students who look at the price. what we need to do is get more information to young people so they have an idea of their

students and can take advantage of them. >> help us understand, why is college so expensive? >> i think your school charges $40,000 for tuition like many other schools. why it is so pricey. where is the money going? >> college is a personnel driven enterprise. and so the quality of an education is very much tied to the cost. the quality of an education is very high touch. that means you need is a small proportion of students to every faculty member that you have. so, that is one of the reasons why college is expensive. but even more important than that is the fact that as a country we have retreated from the notion that education is a public good. so while we used to believe that we should support and

subs subsidize students going to college flew grants and through direct supports to educational constitution. we really have cut back on that as a nation. >> i heard this debate before whether b whether it is worth it in this day and age for young people to go to college, that maybe they would be better served starting their own business, going into a mentoring program. do you think that is a reasonable idea at this point? >> absolutely. it is still worth to it go to college and it is an important message to go out there. a typical four-year college graduate today makes 80% more than someone with a high school diploma. that has gotten more significant over time. good decision to go to college. what we need to do is give young people the information to know what major is more likely to make more money or not. and make the decision really

that is right for them in the long term. >> in the meantime, the president hoping to expand access to higher education for millions of students across this country. sharon and rory o'sullivan, thank you for coming in tonight. we appreciate it. thank you. the average cost of tuition to a private four year college last year was just over $3 deer,000. let's get achieve checks of weather. out west concerns over the drought and wildfires. >> yes, both working together along with record high temperatures. again we saw record highs, across california. where it is staying warm in the 80s around los angeles. but it is staying very dry where as the east coast is a different story. let's go now to what we have been seeing here. and we are looking at all-time low precipitation for the calendar year for a number of cities. these particular ones from south and southern california. some cities just lucky to get even three inches of rainfall the entire year.

needless to say we have got some problems with drought and the percentage of normal when we go to precipitation. the darkest areas of red. that is the lowest point. only 20% of normal is what that area in california got. different story across to the northeast where we have a big storm roming through and boy is it bringing a chill to the air. temperatures drop quickly as snow has been falling. it has been moving through indiana and ohio where it will continue to bring a few more inches before it starts to track up to upstate new york and maine. and we will get around i would say around syracuse, one to three inches of snow. we get another polar outbreak here. i shouldn't say results. it is going to come in. monday night into tuesday night. tuesday is going to be reaching to the southeast. i think everyone will be feeling the chill in the air on wednesday. >> here we go again. okay, thanks. well, training ground for international hackers?

still ahead on al jazeera america. we will go inside the private it school attended by nsa whistle-blower edward snowden. plus they adopted two children from the democratic pep of congo but one american couple can't bring them to the u.s. details ahead.

>> >> welcome back. tonight's headlines. main rebel group in syria has agreed to peace talks. it may be too late for some. thousands of palestinians living at a refugee camp in damascus have been under siege and are starving. some food good through for the first time in months. new information about the company behind west virginia's toxic chemical spill. freedom industries has filed for bankruptcy and its owner has created a new company to bail freedom out.

mount near funding was founded the same day freedom industries filed for chapter 11. more than 98% of voters backed a new government in egypt. but only 20 million people voted. critics say results were rigged. united states has condemned a tail pan attack on the afghan capital. 21 people were killed including three americans. more than half those who died were foreigners. jane ferguson has more from cab you will. -- kabul. only after sun rise was the level of damage clear. over 20 guests were enjoying dinner at the restaurant. it is believed none survived. tough death told is 21 deaths, including 13 foreigners and eight afghans. >> when attackers approached the restaurant. there were cars parked around here as there would be at any

popular restaurant on friday night. still, this morning, there is blood in the street. but they haven't managed to clean up the entire carnage from those who were injured or killed outside the restaurant. now the first attacker was the suicide bomb whoever blew off what were incredibly six steel doors here. allowing attackers to enter. the restaurant is just behind this wall. that is where so many people lost their lives. once inside, this they shot dines and staff. many tried to hide under tables before being killed. the victims were of various nationalities. the u.n. hoped that the restaurant was safe. but no place can guarantee security. if anything it speaks to the fact that security is always a big issue. no matter how secure is a place may seem, it is always going to be an issue. the restaurant was popular with foreigners and

high-ranking afghan officials. a rare space to relax in a time of war. its lebanese owner was well-known and liked. speaking to al jazeera in 2008, he was confident his business would not be targeted. we do not take part in any political or military activities. we are essential too. and the protective and economic -- so it is beneficial. not only to us, but to all afghani people as well. >> hama di died in the attack. jane ferguson, al jazeera, kabul, afghanistan. south sudan's army has recaptured the last state capital under rebel control fightphyting the world's newest country has forced thousands of others to flee their homes. the conflict has raged for

weeks. >> next door, the deadliest war in modern african history. more than 5 million people have died in the democratic republic of congo. most from starvation and disease brought on by constant fight. the country has more than 800,000 orphans. but now it has suspended foreign adoptions leaving many would-be parents with little to do but hope and wait. here is the story of one parent in tennessee. elainea has everything ready for their two adopted boys. but no one is here to use them. >> i want to adopt as many as i can because they don't have anybody. nobody to take care of them. >> justin caro left for the congo in november thinking he would come home shortly with their sons. but months later they are

still 7,000 miles from home. she hassed carbon dioxide us to hide their faces for security reasons. justin has missed a lot in those months. the biggest change, their new daughter born on november 25th. she doesn't even look same when she was first born because she is two months old almost and is changing. and growing. she is out of her newborn stuff. it is just getting hard. >> last year exit permits were suspended for adopted children. >> it has nothing to do with adoption. it has everything to do with international politics. upon is a lawyer special idessizing in international adoptions. using it as a foil, a tactic to achieve another kind of diplomatic win, no it, it does

not work. the motive is unclear. the state department says applications for exit permits are held up because of concerns about falsified documents. drc authorities have said it was over concerns about abuse or abandoned children. or that some children were sold to homosexuals. >> whatever the reason they have no choice but to communicate through kuip. it is the only way she can see the boys and dad can see his new consider. though it is a is an unstable and violent situation, they feel safe. >> the unstability, something can always happen. there is the chance that you can wake up one day and it be a very, very unsafe day. >> she will keep the chris cast decorations up when they come home from africa. >> and dad can see his daughter for the first time. >> jonathan martin, nashville.

>> years before he made global headlines he went to india to learn hacking. he among thousands of foreigners who have done that. >> hacking isn't confined to those with high end computers or computer genius. this it security expert says the hacking, whether done to improve security or steal data can be done with a laptop or just being in the right place at the right time. with simple hacking people can break into companies and do significant damaging. but with complex hacking and the skills are easy to find in india at any private it colleges. that attracted snowden, the former contractor with the u.s. security agency.

>> >> but it is the number of foreigners attending glasses that sets this one apart. >> in india, because we are a global source, a global00 for it training, and get students from all over the world -- >> what snowden learned here probably helped him get his job at the nsa. >> new delhi alone attracts thousands of foreign students. most of the students returned to their countrys with an upgrade to a current position or with better job prospects. but some worry the training can be easily misused as in the case of snowden and the industry needs better oversight. >> it is like a wild, wild west. this cyberlaw specialist says a lack of regulation over the

it schools has made it a free-for-all, and there should be proper guidelines stating who can take potentially dangerous courses. there has to be a structured approach on how these institutions can help become actual arsenals for the growth and protection of cybersecurity rather than being ammunition in the hands of potential cybercriminals. but he argute -- argues any education might be misuse idea. >> there are hundreds of professionals who have learned skills with us and -- >> india has no plans to regulate its it schools so foreign students come to enhance computer skills before deciding how they will use those skills before returning home. >> al jazeera, new theyly. there are claims that minority communities are taking the law into their own hands. officials say there are some areas where officers are never

called. here is our report. in the predominantly neighborhood, they are working closely alongside the police. the group dismisses claims some communities prefer to dish out justice on their own. >> we always report things to the police. you know, it is the law. they are responding to claims from the chief inspector tom windsor. speaking to the times up in windsor said there are cities where the police never go because they are never called. they never here hear of any trouble because the community deals with that on its own. they just have their own community justice. it could be anything from low level crime. tom windsor referred to honor killings as the most extreme

example where a woman is murdered for supposedly shaming her family. >> if he has any imper cal evidence i would like him to bring it out. but to make such remarks as the inspector for police i think is highly irresponsible. it is not constructive. and this is what happens when you have the -- you appoint someone who has not been in the service. >> the reports of hate crimes have wrist risen over the past year. but others say there is truth to windsor's claims. the iranian and kurdish women's organization didn't want to appear on camera but told me honor based violence remains a hidden problem in the uk. the group fears it works with predominantly south asian and middle eastern communities and it fears ha the midlands police are bad at responding to the women who did ask for help. >> they have issued an

invitation to the chief inspector. >> see the nice work we are doing. >> rather than criticizing us. >> they criticize anybody. >> all agreed that trust in the police is vital to assure crimes are reported to award any vigilante law enforcement on the street. a short time ago california lifted all mandatory evacuations for residents. thousands flood after an inferno swept through the hills of glendora two days ago. but battling the blades is far from over. it covers 1900 acres northeast of los angeles. firefighters managed to stop the flames from tread spreading. but there is anything anyone can do about the historic drought that has left the state parched. governor brown has declared a drought emergency that allows them to seek federal aid and eases rules about pompomping water from one place to another. one place that needs the water is napa valley, the heart of

wine country. melissa chan has more. >> wine makers are not panicking just yet but are watching the drought closely. to give you an idea how serious it is, usually there would be green localing hills, instead all we see is brown. there should be grass standing up to my hips. we are at a vin added a had a chance to speak to them. he tried to take as positive a spin as possible on this drought. if february and march we do get a typical normal rainfall for the rest of the winter and we started out the growing season spring with a fully wet soil profile the vines are going to grow and start the season off and grow well and do their normal thing. so, you know, i feel like we will be okay. soy the wait not really about what's happening right now but what might happen in the near future.

all all, the vines are in a dormant stage. they don't need water right now. what people are worried about is the near future. we are halfway through usual rainy season. if there is no water in the reservoirs and well there will be no water in july, all, september when wine makers do irrigate the vineyards. what is the time they should pan physical there is no water and the drought continues. there is much more including colorado's pot wall proving to be great for tourism. how it is affecting the states overall tourism ahead. >> >> i'm phil torres, coming up this week on techknow... >> a mystery, deep in the heart of the rain forrest >> we haven't seen something actually build them... >> it's been really frustrating >> it's a spidery clue that has our team of scientests stumped... join our journey to peru... then, it looks like chicken, tastes like chicken,

>> that's good.... >> but it's not... the foamy inovation that's making hardcore meat eaters happy. >> techknow on al jazeera america

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>> well it is not just a scenery attracting tourists to colorado anymore. now visitors can buy marijuana legally if they like. but is it boosting the state's overall business? here is a look. >> the call of the wild. the rush of white water. and the excitement of the slopes, just a few of the things that attract droves of tourists to colorado. but now there is a new reason people are making the trip to the rocky mountain state. some say the pot tourist rush means big bucks, but others worry that weed will tarnish colorado's reputation. >> people should not be expected to be able to smoke at a ski resort but enjoy a family friendly vacation on a safe and beautiful train that we have here in colorado. most of colorado's resort towns like steamboat springs are allowing pot outlets to open for business. but not just anywhere. >> steamboat voted to approve

retail weed by a larger margin than the state. but they are concerned enough that they will not allow any retail pot shops here in historic downtown. if you want to buy pot in steamboat. you have to go outside of town. >> rocky mountain remedy sits n a drab industrial park in the outskirts of steamboat. co-owner showed me the long list of rules. >> three pages long. >> this has questions about everything from storage to cameras to cash registers, it looks like. >> and while you might be able to buy weed, there aren't a lot of places where you can smoke it aside from a private residence. we saw in line people that couldn't smoke at their hotel room. so another friendly -- said come back to our place and smoke. police chief joel ray says lighting up in public won't be allowed. >> and there's people not walking down the sidewalk drinking a beer. there shouldn't be anyone walking down the sidewalk smoking a joint. they are more than welcome to do it here. >> some hotel owners smell

opportunity. >> you don't have public balconies and things like that where other people, patrons can see you. you are very secluded here in our own enclave. meanwhile, near not so secluded mile histoid stadium. the local pot shop is getting fired up for sunday's show down bun the problemcos and the patriots. there wouldn't be a lot of smoke in the air. >> 25 new england fans and 25% bronco fans. the patriot fans from out of town won't be able to take the weed home with them. and broncos fans hope they don't go home with a win. al jazeera, denver. >> oh, boy. those broncos fans. i wonder if they can take the weed inside the stadium. they are getting fired up. i got the joke. >> exactly. very nice. >> getting fired up this weekend for the nfl. >> and why not? it is a great, compelling two games there on tap for the nfl. tomorrow is championship sunday in the nfl.

in the afc the new england patriots and the denver broncos. while everyone is focus on the match-up of the two quarterbacks, the match-up of each quarterback against the opesting coach is also compelling. patriots coach bill belichick has beaten manning in 11 of their 17 meetings. tom brady has already bested broncos coach john knocks a big game. 10 years in super bowl xxxviii when the pats beat the carolina panthers. and check out this nugget. the last time the patriots were deemed a playoff underdog by vegas was the 2007 afc title game. they lost that game to a colts team, quarterbacked by peyton manning. >> all the hype and hoopla has surrounded peyton manning and tom brady. light ritefully so. they are two living legends. sunday's championship game will be the 15th meeting between the two quarterbacks. brady has the edge in victory with 10 while manning has

thrown for more yards and touchdowns. but manning has struggled big time in the playoffs against a bill belichick led defense. in three playoff games, manning has six interceptions. make no mistake, the two quarterbacks have a lot of respect for one another. into the one thing that jumps out about tom is his consistency. i feel he has been a better player each year than he was the year before. and that to me speaks to his work ethic in the offseason. his refusal to be complacent or satisfied, that is just one thing, you know, there is many, many well deserved you know accolades and adjectives to describe the way he has played quarterback. they have got a great team and one of the best offenses in history. what that means for us, is we better score some points because that is what they do best. they outscore you and they can score quickly. and know what that means for our offense and we have to be

able to match it. this will be the fourth meeting between the two quarterbacks. brady has a 2-1 edge. but the good news for manning. the home team has won every single ballgame. it should be a good one. sunny skies with temperatures nearly 60-degrees. in denver, colorado, for al jazeera. thank you ross. now to the nfc. where the conference championship game will be a true rivalry match-up between two teams and two coaches with no love lost between them. things have been testy between the seahawks pete carroll and the 49ers since their days coaching in the pac 12. the rivalry goes back to 1976 and has been tight with each having won 15 and lost 15. the defense should be tight too. 49ers the third toughest team to score against this year. seahawks were the first toughest. jessica taff is in seattle with a plea view. >> sunday's nfc championship game will have plenty of

fireworks. no doubt these two division riels know each other way too well. admittedly and the atmosphere here will be electric and one of the loudest stadiums in the nfl. century lake field not a plates for colin kaepernick and company have fared well. the last two times san francisco has played here they were outscored 71-16. but with a ticket to the super bowl on the line, throw out all of the stats. >> i think the biggest thing is we haven't played well when we went up there. and they do have a good defense. we have to go up and execute at a high level. >> it is the most important 60 minutes of our lives right now in terms of playing football. >> and all the other things, that is what we have been doing all year. focusing on the opportunity that we have right now. yesterday is already gone. today is all we got right now and tomorrow is not even here yet. so our biggest thing is focusing on the moment we have and the game that we have. and to win this championship would mean a lot to this organization. and obviously i want to win.

i hate losing. seahawks have won six straight playoff games at home and no doubt plan to use their 12th man to get back to the super bowl for the first time since 2005. reporting from seattle, jessica taff, al jazeera. >> thanks a lot jessica. kickoff between the patriots and bronco says 3:00 p.m. eastern time while the nf country championship is schedule for 6:30 eastern time between the 49ers and the seattle sea hawks. quickly. at the australian open, serena williams falls in three sets. john, quite the shocker as we end this hour in sports. >> not her night. not at all. >> thanks. well still ahead, china is losing its appetite for shark fin. why this one time delicacy is falling out of favor. >>

al jazeera america sundays.

>> china appears to be losing its appetite for shark fin. a controversial ban on the delicacy is now being adopted

by restaurants and hotels. here is the report from beijing. >> in the back streets of hong kong, shark fin sellers are becoming sensitive about their trade. any attempt to document the product is met with stiff resistant. the brutal nature of shark finning and the sheer numbers that are killed to satisfy the cravings for shark fin soup. it is considered one of the eight treasured foods from the sea, good for sexual potency and boosting one's chi. it was served at state functions weddings and business dinners as a sign of wealth and prosperity until recently. >> the government banned the delicacy at state functions and that has had a profound effect. >> china's ministry of commerce says the ban has led to a decline in shark fin consumption by as much was 7 0%. that has hit traders hard, not

only here in china but also in major asian distribution markets like hong kong and taiwan. traders wouldn't speak us to directly but say privately the trade has been decimated. >> in recent times the volume dropped a lot. the people are more concerned about environmental protection. it has dropped about 30% compared to previous years. while the trade isn't illegal in hong kong, it is about to become less profitable. in mainland china, they are losing their taste for shark fin soup. >> we have stopped selling shark fin in our restaurants. it is too brutal for the animals if we continue to sell the shark opinion. we hope to arouse more social awareness among our customers by doing so. >> sifts estimate 100 million sharks were killed for their fins last year, earning the trade more than a billion.

shark done servationists say the ban and further support from restaurants and hotels could save the supervise. into the ban has contribute to the shark fin sales in china. the number will continue to decline if the situation remains. >> shark advocates are taking advantage of the government ban with a new social media education campaign in china. but over the lunar new year holiday. if they don't tact now the gains made in the past six months could be lost if the government relaxes its cost cutting measures. craig leeson. al jazeera, beijing. >> in china a blanket of thick smog has blanketed the skies. bryant video screens boone beamed out images. it is a stark contrast to the

reality there. >>