>> this is al jazeera america live from new york city. i'm tony harris with a look at today's top stories. a bitter clash over bashar al-assad's future that could threaten syrian peace talks. violence in ukraine becomes deadly. protesters killed in anti-government unrest. an attack by al by al-qaeda on . embassy in tel aviv foiled by israel. and chemical leaks in west virginia, some folks still

refusing to drink the tap water because of it. >> a peace conference in switzerland did not get off to a promising start today. meeting face to face for the first time since the conflict began, and both sides are very far apart when it comes to bashar al-assad's future. the u.n. mediator said he will meet with each side tomorrow to see if they can sit down for talks on try. nick schifrin from montreux, switzerland. nick, the difference came in sharp focus today on day one. there is a real since a chasm between these two sides. the goal is to create a

transitional government to replace bashar al-assad, but assad is talking about running in the next presidential election. given that the two sides are so far apart its hard to make even the smallest steps towards peace. >> all syrian people at the moment want it to stop. >> in a conference that is supposed to talk peace the two sides are yelling at each other. [ arguing ] >> the man is a pro syrian government journalist. the woman, a member of the opposition. this may be just one moment on a conference sidelines. in the conference hau hall, it's just as divided. >> there is no way possible that the man who has led to a brutal response to his own people could

regain legitimatcy to governor. >> reporter: president assad said he had no intention of stepping down. >> no one, mr. kerry, in the world has the right to give legitimacy or withdraw legitimacies from a president, government, constitution or law in anything in syria but syrians. >> syrians are being brutalized. the government is accused of torturing protesters. the opposition and the u.s. calls the regime intransijent. >> i must finish my speech. >> then i have to give equal time-- >> no, you live in new york. i live in syria. i have the right to give the syrian version here in this

forum. >> kerry is trying to isolate assad. >> today people can clearly understand how alone assad is in standing up for himself, not for syria. and the resolution of this crisis cannot be about one man's insistence or one family's insistence of clinging to power. >> reporter: assad supporters along with their allies, russia and iran, aren't going anywhere. today they chanted loyalty to the government. just a few blocks away the opposition held demonstration with a mock funeral. the hope here in montroex is for the two sites to come together but so far they've as far apart as ever.

>> the russians and americans, they're trying to create baby steps so the millions of syrians who need help, water so desperately can get them. they're talking about localized cease-fire, and the two sides are agreeing to that. that could turn into a citywide or region-wide cease-fire but it's clear that the two sides are very far apart. the silenc violence in syria is continuing unabated. >> you just said it. the question then becomes where are the pressure points that secretary kerry talks about all the time? who has the leverage here? if the syrian military and the syrian government thinks it is gaining ground or has a stalemate they will see that as a winning position, and the opposition is as fractured as

we've ever seen it. who has the leverage, what's the next play here? >> tony, i think it's a key question right now. the diplomats i talked to said they need to convince assad to stop the violence. they need to convince assad that he can't get with this violence. but president obama has taken military off the table, and the syrians know that, so give that, kerry and his staff are trying to create as you said what they call pressure points on assad. trying to convince assad he can no longer act with impunity. convinces iran and russia that they can no longer support assad. that's why they heard isolation, that assad is by himself. it's all about him, his family, his regime, and not about the

syrians that support him. not about russia and iran. if they can isolate him, then maybe they can stop the violence, but it has not gotten to that point for us. >> nick schifrin in montreux. today i asked how realistic it was for syrians to hang onto the hope of a positive outcome from these geneva two meetings? >> well actually from my trips there and especially to my tribes to damascus, i think it appears that the government is preparing for something like that. actually, a lot of people in damascus think this is what might be going on. it's that, you know, the government is giving some hope to these displaced people that they will be able to go home soon. there are already some people

who have been able to go back into their home district that have been completely evacuated for over a year. areas that have been under siege, that have been, you know, where nothing goes on but fighting between rebels and government aerial forces. but you know, the few people who have been able to go back to those areas, not to move back in or reblacks mind you, but just to go back and get some of their belongings, check on their home to see whether or not it has been destroyed, they've gotten the impression that they won't be able to move back permanently until after election. that's becoming something of a theme in damascus, that the government is preparing, you know, very slowly, building up

until election time, which could take place this coming summer, and then after election, which of course, you know, people expect the president bashar al-assad will win, it's not actually not an election but a referendum with only his name on it because that's usually how it's been done, then once that happens there will be a sense of, there you go, now you can go back home and everything-- >> now wait a minute. that sounds a lot like dangling a carrot to people who are in desperate straits right now. hey look, if you're willing to vote in this referendum for assad to continue as president of the country, then guess what, after the election you'll be allowed to head back home. doesn't that sound like a brutal form of coercion? >> well absolutely. well actually, people know--they don't even have to vote.

just like in previous years the referendum will magically come out 99% approval rating whether or not people vote. but it is definitely a carrot in terms of oh, let's just forget about this whole up rising rebellion business, and let's focus on getting back home and maybe sweeping everything under the rug, and just surviving, just keeping what little that we have left. >> raja, if you would, take a moment and tell us about the day-to-day experiences in syria. is there any semblance of normalcy? i'm sure there are pockets of normal life or something close to normal life, but generally speaking what is it like? i'm thinking about the big cities, aleppo and damascus, of course. >> well, focusing on government-controlled areas like damascus and the syrian coast, you know, people do their best

to go about their lives as normally as possible, but that is near impossible. logistics. the check points on the ground that divide the city, closing off one part from another, places where you used to be able to get to ten minutes by car now you can spend two, three hours waiting in line at a checkpoint. you don't dare honk your horn or complain because the government guard can, you know, treat you with impunity. then there are other problems, for example, the so-called committees who are basically civilians recruited by the government and given machine guns. some power, their purpose is supposedly to guard their local neighborhoods from so-called terrorists. but what they end up doing is they treat civilians with

impunity. there have been armed robberies that they're responsible for that locals don't dare report to the police. when they have reported it to the police, the police have not dared to act on it. there is a culture that you're either part of the regime, or you know, you're high up in the regime, and you can sort of act with impunity, or you're an ordinary civilian, and you're bullied. that's just your life. >> that's r asha inside syria. thank you for that report. issuing an ultimatum to the pratt after a day of deadly protest in the capitol. this is a look at kiev where fires are still burning after a day of violent clashes with police. three demonstrators were killed. whoa, fireworks of some kind, and the country's prime minister is cracking down on people disobeying new anti-protest

laws. jennifer ga glass joining us frm kiev. what is behind you? i see fires, but i also what los to be fireworks. what is going on? >> reporter: now that, tony, is the site where protesters are in a stand off with police. just a few hundred yards to my left here, just a few hundred yards from independent square where the main demonstrations are going on. those fires that you see are burning barricades, burning fires that the protesters have set alight, to try and first of all kind of mitigate the effects of any tear gas or any pepper spray that the police would throw. and the fireworks is the weapon that they use here. one of the weapons that they use. so when you see fireworks going off, that's protesters firing those fireworks at the police. violence broke out on sunday, and there have been running battles in the streets earlier today in that street that you're seeing, that's the street that

runs from european square up to the parliament building. a very tense uneasy stand off between hundreds of riot police and protesters. >> jennifer, i don't want to lose the window with you, but i'll try one more. you mentioned stand off a couple of times in your report so far. what can we expect in the next 24 hours or so, how tense of a situation is this? >> reporter: it's very tense. opposition leaders have met with president yanukovych today. they say it's up to him to stop the bloodshed but they came away very unhappy with what they heard from him. he didn't appear to listen to any of their demands. when they asked that the draconian laws that went into effect last week be repealed. he said he had the power to do it, but he would have to ask

parliament. but parliament acting in his favor. many wonder if there will be an alassault against the governmen. israel says it has foiled a plan by al-qaeda to attack an embassy in tel aviv and other targets in the country. israeli intelligence officials say three people have been arrested in connection with the plot. we're in washington, d.c. lisa, tell what's you know. >> reporter: well, tony, the israelis are saying the three men were planning to attack the u.s. embassy in tel aviv, and at the same time a conference center in jerusalem and possibly other targets including a public bus. two of the men are from east jerusalem, we're told, and they actually had israeli i.d.s. one of the suspects is from the west bank. the men were recruited from the internet including using facebook and skype, and they were recruited by someone in the

west bank who said that he was working on behalf of al-qaeda. in fact, the al-qaeda leader. if that is true, that is a very first time that there is an indication that al-qaeda was planning an attack inside israel. the attack against the u.s. embassy was reportedly going to be carried out by five men who would fly in israel with fake russian passports and pose as tourists. that planned attack against the u.s. embassy had very little chance of being carried out. tony, these men were arrested in late december, but there is a gag order, which is why we're just hearing about this case. >> is there any reaction to this? >> the state department were asked about this today. they're working with the israelis and looking at the information. they can't independently confirm what the israelis have said although they have no reason not

to believe it. and spokesperson rhea harf said there is no plans right now to increase security at tel aviv. >> obviously we employ a wid wie range of security measures. i refer to you the government of israel for the specifics. we obviously don't discuss all of our security measures. we already have high security at our facilities there. >> she was asked if this would effect the israeli-palestinian peace process? she said no, she did not think it would. they will take a look at what the israelis have uncovered. >> lisa stark for us in washington. thank you. we are learning new information about the second substance found in the west

virginia chemical spill. the chemical pph is an industrial solvent and could be harmful to the skin. now the state's department of environmental protection has freedom industries, the company responsible for the leak, to reveal all the chemicals involved in the spill. jonathan, i know you'v you have received new information, but before we get to that what is this pph. >> reporter: why are officials just hearing about it. they really haven't gotten a clear answer. despite the news of this new chemical they don't believe there is a new health risk, but still they're going around testing different water samples to see how much of this chemical is in the water supply. they feel comfortable telling people that the water is safe to drink.

she found out overnight that pph was also leaked into the river. >> when i saw that there is this new chemical nothing at this point can surprise me. and i will never use the tap water here again, ever. >> reporter: state officials did not know either. they found out about the pph when they received a document from freedom industries. abouthis new surprise, randy hoffman, the secretary of west virginia's department of environmental protection. >> according to the folks from freedom who revealed this to us yesterday, they thought they had stopped mixing that material and

recently discovered it was in the tank with the mchhm. >> reporter: the water process likely filtered out the chemical but many residents aren't convinced they're getting the truth from the government or the state. >> the team has not withheld any information. we have not manipulated any information. we're making as much available as much as we can. >> reporter: now serious questions are mounting. when they knew about the chemical and why it took so long to notify the state. >> this causes it to take a huge hit. >> they're fully responsible, freedom industries because it was their site, their watch, their tanks. >> reporter: we have repeatedly reached out to freedom industry to ask them about the spill itself, the lawsuits against them, but they say at this point they have no comment. >> how long can you take that

stand. jonathan participant for us, jonathan thank you. hope for detroit up next. also australian officials responding to fatal shark attacks by launching a great white hunt, but their prey is a protected species.

>> welcome back. it is a new plan to help save detroits pension fund. rick snyder committed $350 million over the next four years but it is well short of what detroit owes it's creditors. bisi onile-ere, good to see you. take a moment and tell us more about the governor's plan. the goal is to boost pensions in detroit and at the same time save some of the art at the

detroit institute of art. $350 million is what they want to go towards this plan spread out over 20 years. and this money is not coming from the general fund. today during a press conference, governor snyder stressed this is not a bail out. he stressed this is an option that the city of detroit needs to help this along. >> this is a settlement. this is not a bailout. this is not a bailout paying debts of the city of detroit. this is not a bail out of banks or creditors. this is helping to reduce and help mitigate the impact on retireyretirees it's focused on

protecting assets and moving forward to resolve this case in a more positive rather than negative way faster and better. >> reporter: and if this is approved it needs to be approved by the michigan legislature. if it passes through those chambers then it will be presented by the bankruptcy judge. he'll have the final satan this matter. after the governor had his press conference there were some creditors speaking out saying they were going to fight this. >> bisi onile-ere, we see you tearing up, how cold is it there? >> it is very cold. the last time i checked it is 7 degrees. as it gets lighter and lighter, the temperatures dip, and it's cold. >> i've done nothing to abuse her. it is cold in lancing.

>> a "a" major retail already not offer health insurance any more. for thousands of part-time workers. david shuster join us. he's filling in for ali velshi in "real money" at the top of the hour while ali velshi is in davos, switzerland. what has target done. >> reporter: they've made headlines again. their part time workers, and we're talking 35,000 part time workers for target have now been told that their company-sponso company-sponsored health coverage is going away. this is actually good news for part time workers because by the company's own admission there are better options available to them through the obamacare exchanges. it's an interesting move by target. the thing we're going to jump in to this is a growing trend involving part-time workers and it could involve some full-time

workers at some other companies. we'll talk about that tonight. >> let's say there. what else are you working on at the top of the hour. >> reporter: with the opportunity to get into obamacare, we'll get into the numbers, where it's working and some of the key challenges and some of the differences that may be over the next year. we're also going to get into something that i know you love. i know you're a big fan of the midwest. this is like my home state of indiana. we're going to talk to the mayor of kokomo, about the key of their success and lessons for every city across the country. >> yes, a lot of time in cleveland. really enjoy the city. aside from the winter months. okay, david, appreciate it. david shuster for us. texas is about to execute a mexican man despite claims that doing so is violating international law. the last-minute appeals and the case that sent the man to death row. and evidence of budget cuts to

the food stamp program is hitting some of the most vulnerable americans particularly hard.

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j. >> welcome back to al jazeera america. here is a look at your top stories. the syrian government and opposition went after one another during the peace conference in switzerland to end the country's three-year-old civil war. an u.n. mediator will meet with both sides tomorrow to try to get them to participate in direct talks on friday. opposition leaders in ukraine want protesters to stop clashing with police after a violent day on the streets in the capitol of kiev. at least three demonstrators were killed at the protest camp. we're learning more information about the second substance found in the west

virginia chemical spill. pph, an industrial solvent that may be harmful to the skin, freedom industries are told to disclose all of the chemicals spilled. the final mush is underway in mexico to save the life of a man whose lawyers say was denied a fair trial. 30 minutes before his scheduled execution attorneys are trying to block the execution of he har tamayo, a mexican citizen accused of killing a houston police officer. but the mexican government is demanding a view saying he was not allowed mexican counsel when he was arrested. heidi zhou castro, what appeals are still available? >> well, tony, there is only one thing now standing between edgar tamayo and the lethal injection

now, that is a supreme court. justice scalia now considering a last-minute petition for a stay on the execution even as protesters have gathered voicing their opposition. the death penalty and supporting edgar tamayo to live. not only is their client mentally retarded, but his life is protected by an order made by international court. edgar tamayo was 4 years old when he shot a houston police officer three times in the back of the head. now 20 years later the mexican government warns tamayo's execution would violate international law. >> we'll take every step necessary in order to preserve the life of mr. tamayo. >> reporter: at the heart of their claim is an international treaty that says a person arrested in a foreign country has a right to contact their

consulate for help. mexico said that did not happen for tamayo nor for 50 other mexican nationals who were sentenced to die in the united states. two more mexican nationals have been already been executed in texas. in tamayo's hometown protesters a march the streets hoping to convince officials in texas to spare his life. this woman was his teacher in primary school. she said, i believe it is unfair because he's already been in prison more than 20 years. people who knew him here said that tamayo only turned violent after a bull stepped on his head when he was 17. his attorney said that never came up in his trial or cleansecclemencyappeal. >> they would have made sure that the legal representation of mr. tamayo was a professional one. >> reporter: in september u.s.

secretary of state john kerry asked texas to delay tamayo's execution saying that it directly impacts u.s. foreign relations as well as our country's ability to provide consular assistance to u.s. citizens overseas. the setting of an execution date for there tamayo would be extremely detrimental to the interests of the united states. >> reporter: now the state's position is in keeping with th the 2008 decision that says only congress can tell a state to follow the convenient i vienna . >> heidi, appreciate it.

thank you. texas leads the nation in the number of execution since the death penalty was reinstated in 1976. the state has executed 508 prisoners. since lethal injections began. prior to that 361 inmates were killed by execution. and from the 18 women executed in the united states, four were from texas. the 41st annual march of life. the march is held each year to protest the supreme court decision of roe versus wade which legalized abortion. al jazeera's libby casey has more. >> i think the least we can do is pray for those who didn't have a chance to be here. >> reporter: 19-year-olds like megan french are what organizers like to see. young, activated. >> put it on social media, there are so many young people out

here standing up for life 1234 marchs have had the same format for four decked. the focus on roe versus wade. but this year organizers wanted to shorten the speeches, give it a softer tone by promoting adoption and welcoming religious leaders and building a momentum. >> most happens at the state level. republicans gained ground in the last mid-term election and passed state laws banning abortions. but on the national level g.o.p. leaders need to convince more voters that this is an important issue, so they're tieing it to economics. next week the house votes on a bill banning tax-payer funds for abortion. that despite existing federal policy not to pay for them. >> i do make you this promise the people's house will stand for life.

[ cheering ] >> reporter: peter tomisello has been coming for 20 years. >> i'm pro-life. i'm not republican or democrat, i'm pro-life. whoever represents that gets my vote 2347 the question is whether less committed voters will care. only 40% of americans want roe v. wade overturned. and the recent governor's race in virginia tied abortion to women's issues and the democrats won. both parties convinced that they have the winning argument as they head into the midterm election and they hope to mobilize a new generation of activists who will help them spread the word. >> the white house is taking new action to combat sexual assault especially on college campuses. the president today called all sexual assaults an affront on our basic decency. >> this is not an abstract problem that goes on in other families or other communities

even now it's not talked about enough. it can still go on in the shadows, but it affects every one of us. not all of us, our moms, wives, our sisters, our daughters, our sons-- >> a new report published by the white house states one in t.v. women are sexually assaulted while in college, but only 12% of victims report the assault. recent cut in the food stamp program now known as snap are forces more people to turn to food pantries and kitchens, but in some cases some food pantries are flat-out running out of food in new york city we see much longer line than before. what did you learn? >> reporter: 9 director of the food pantry told me he has seen a 30% increase of new people seeking help. some visitors to the pantry told me that they've been running out

of food at home. >> katie used to pick up free food once a month when she ran out of her $200 worth of food stamps. but since november she has had to come here every two weeks. >> now we're even struggling more because foot stamps was c cut. life is very hard for me and my husband, but we're low income people. >> reporter: since the cuts last fall the community kitchen and food pantry has handed out an additional 10,000 meals a month. >> we're seeing more working families and a lot of students, but we're also seeing more single mothers and now single fathers who are trying to provide food for their children. >> reporter: the story is the same at assistance sites across new york city. in a new survey 85% of food pantries and soup kitchens here said they had more visitors this year than the year before, and

around the country food banks from illinois to texas tell us many food pantries are seeing more people. >> it is a national program, and it impacts the 47 million americans. so it's every single city. small town, u.s. big city u.s. it's impacting all of us. >> reporter: the more people are coming to this pantry the shelves are still stocked but the food bank in new york city which over sees hundreds of food pantries say over half of those they survey report they're running out of food. >> reporter: and congress could cut more from the food program. snap makes people dependent on government help, but community activists say half of the recipients are enrolled for 10 months or less, and many have kids with disabilities like katie and her husband, who say they can't find work. >> when we go home with the food, by the time the end of the

week is finished, the food is all gone and finished. >> food banks across the country tell us it's too early to tell us how bad the situation will get with further cuts to the food stamp program, but they're concerned that some will try to get more donation, and they're concerned that they might have to turn some people away. ox anna after the novembe november 1s cuts, how much does the average food stamp recipient get to spend on a male. >> before the cuts they got $150 on average, now it's $1.40, and as you can imagine, the male across the u.s. costs a lot more than that. >> in geneva, opposition representatives will meet with an u.n. envoy to appropriate them for talks on friday. i spoke to a professor of modern middle east studies of ucla, and

i asked him what can come out of the talks when both sides start from such a far distance apart? >> the only way that this can possibly work is if the both sides in syria, the opposition and government look at each other and say my god, we're hopelessly stalemate, there is no military solution. simultaneously some of the major outside players, the united states, russia, saudi arabia, qatar, iran, hezbollah, etc. saying that there is no way that anybody can win this thing. under those dirks it's possible that there would be a negotiated settlement. we're not a that point. the government tends to be leading ground. and my last cease-fire was immediately broken by the jiha

jihadis. >> the syria silver war has displaced millions of people who have left to go to different countries. residents are not optimistic about the peace process. >> reporter: it's the first time syria's government and opposition agreed to finally meet. but many syrian refugees in lebanon are indifferent about this much-anticipated international conference. refugees struggling to meet their daily needs say they don't believe the conference is credible, it's three years later. having lost her father in the war an three of her brothers have gone missing, she's making a mattress for her sister-in-law who has just arrived from syria. she believes the conference will

be a future. >> we need to go back to our country. stop spilling syrian blood, accepts that have our children. why should our children live like this. >> reporter: refugees living in unofficial communities receive little aid. >> fund something stretched to breaking point, and many destitute syrians are left without even the most basic necessities. education is a child's basic right, but hundreds of thousands of syrian children are deprovide of this in lebanon. state schools account accommodate all syrian school-age children. that left aid agency with only one option, providing these

informal schools are where they feel their opinions matter. i want to tell world leaders we hope the fighting stops, and we all return to our country. it's better than living in a tent. >> reporter: every one of them wants to return to syria, but some say that's just a desperate dream. >> syrians inside and outside really don't see hope in these meetings. there have been meetings before. the friends of syria and geneva one. the decisions made never amounted to anything, so this is why we don't care for them. >> reporter: unless this conference comes up with decisions that will improve security, their hopes of achieving anything major are little. age. >> the u.n. has called for an inquiry after nearly a dozen people died in a boating accident in greece. the packed fishing boat was carrying afghan and syrian

migrants when it capsized. at the time the boat was being towed by a greek coast guard officials, they aused th they am entering greece. anti-government demonstrators in thailand marched to police headquarters. they announced a state of emergency saying they wanted to prevent an escalation of violence. but the leader of the red shirt movement was shot and injured in the northeast. nine people have been killed since late october. the designer of a plaque gun that can be made on a 3d printer is back in the news. maria? >> let's start in new york where the man who designed a three-d

printer. they will print gun printer's guide to the apocalypse. it's set to be released in the fall of 2015. the 25-year-old was an university of texas law student when he posted blue prints for a 3d print for make a pistol. in tennessee hundreds of headstones ar were involved in a fire. officials with the cemetery say they'll be cleaned over the next few days. a few of the headstones will have to be replaced due to extensive damage. two sisters who both needed a lung transplant, their doctor found one donor for both of them. a rare match for the blood, type, size. the sisters were debating which

should get the available lung, they wanted each other. now after the surgery they're both reported to be doing well. with a foot of snow accumulating in regions, flights were canceled, schools from closed in boston, new jersey, and philadelphia, but not here in new york city. go to school, kids. >> i've been in the desert for two years. i like a little snow. but about up to there with it. that's my limit. thank you. lawmakers in one part of australia saying they want tory use the number of shark attacks by killing the sharks, but the plan is getting a lot of push back, and some say it won't even work. there have been warnings for the upcoming went olympics, >> are you going to resign if you're indicted?

>> first, real money with ali velshi brings the big-money issues home where they effect you the most. >> household debt has been slashed. >> then, what real people are talking about in real-time with the stream. >> all of our communities lightin' up twitter tonight. >> and stay with us for live, breaking and in-depth news. real reporting, this is what we do. al jazeera america. >> evey sunday night,

>> an e-mail threat to attack winter games has been declared a hoax. olympic organizers say the message comes from a source with a history of making phoney threats. the international olympic committee is getting help to spot cheating at the winter games. they'll watch for game fixing and other fraud. betting on the olympics is illegal in nevada casinos, but they also monitor illegal and off-shore betting for signs of game fixing. a great white shark hunt is underway in western australia. they want to kill a number of great whites to lower the number of attacks.

but some say the plan won't even work. this is pretty controversial stuff, isn't it. >> reporter: i mean, considering that the great white shark is an endangered species in australia, and it's about to send it's own representatives from the government officials to capture and shoot sharks larger than three meters in length. that's an adult shark. that means 9'0" as an example here. i'm 6'7", and just to give you an example. and females can grow to five meters. there have been seven fatal attacks off the coast. but if you compare that to the rest of australia there have been 82 fatal cases in queensland. so other parts of the country have this problem. the united states had the highest number of shark attacks,

but there is almost no sense that this is going to reduce really the risk to human beings. >> so jacob, if there is no--nothing really to suggest that this is going to make folks safer, where is this happening? it begins to feel like public relations and-- >> it seems like there is no coincidence that australia really relies on tourism, and it is a big national political issue. if you're an australian official you want to protect people from attacks of shark. but there is an average of one a year in the entire world. the idea that we're seeing occasion record years does not mean anything unless it happens over many decades. this is an endangered species and it's our going into the water in greater numbers. >> let's talk about this whole idea of capturing and killing. we're looking at the cages, and the divers going down in cage.

what is the plan? >> they're talking about 72 baited lines that will bring them onshore and then they'll shoot them onshore. it's brutal stuff. but we barely understand sharks. the idea that we're going to take this endangered species that we have answer taken so much effort to preserve. we don't know how they mate, breed, a lot of that stuff is a mystery, and now we're going to endanger them ourselves. >> is there a big push back against the plan? i don't know if it's started yet, but is there a big push back. >> reporter: absolutely. enormous, and protests on the beach in australia. it's a mascot of australia. and there have been many instances in which the fishermen who have been tapped to do this type of hunting have refused in fear of reprisals from activists. >> you think about the great white, the koala bears, kangaroos, you think about

australia, and i would imagine that for some adventure divers and adventure seekers the idea that you could go to perth, and maybe take an organized dive, and perhaps have an encounter with a great white would be a reason to go. >> reporter: the thing that i think we're all learning about this, and science has been discussing all together, it's not killing off the sharks, separating ourselves from them, but it's more about learning about their world, not ours. >> thanks. there may not be any benefit to switch to diet soda. overweight and obese americans who drink diet soda consume the same amount of calories. dieters just get more of their calories from food. in a twist researchers found that healthy weight people who drink diet soda do consume less

calories. we have david united statesser ishuster in for alivelshi. >> reporter: we will explain a d weigh in from davos. we'll talk about the secrets of success. all that and more on "real money."

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>> this is al jazeera america. i'm tony harris with a look at our top stories. tensions are high in switzerland. secretary of state john kerry

put the u.s. position on the talks quite bluntly saying that president assad cannot remain leader of syria. but others said removing assad is not an option. three people have died in ukraine as protesters clash with police. today opposition leaders issued an ultimatum calling for new elections or face more popular rage. a new chemical was leaked intinto the river in west virgi. freedom industry is responsible for the leak. thousands of anti-abortion protesters gathered in washington for the 41st annual march for life. it was held in protest of roe versus wade, the supreme court case that legalized abortion more than 40 years ago. from the midwest to the northeast, many are dealing with

a bitter cold snap. travelers are delayed after a big snowstorm. colder than normal temperatures are expected to stake around through the weekend. "real money" with david shuster in for ali velshi is next. >> the spotlight is once again on mega retailer target, but this time it's because of obamacare. we'll explain and hear from the ceo. and we'll talk to the mayor of hoosier state where the economy is surging. and the landing club has done it again. we'll share their secret. ali velshi is reporting from davos, i'm david shuster, and this is "real money."