and pair them with footage of high-speed train. science is doing lots of stuff that may or may not have anything to do with us. >> see you next time at "the listening post." >> good afternoon, welcome to al jazeera america. i'm morgan radford live in new york city. a lip dough mattic showdown in paris, secretary of state john kerry and his russian counterpart try to put the crisis in ukraine to rest. >> hundreds of volunteers and crew members leading the search in the washington mudslides. >> potential for stronger seismic activity on the west coast after earthquakes shake

southern california. >> secretary of state john kerry is in paris where he'll soon meet with his russian counterpart sergey lavrov. this is the latest attempt to ease tensions over the annexation as of crimea. we have that story from paris. >> this meeting between john kerry and sergey lavrov due to happen at the residence of russia's ambassador to front after a direct phone call between kerry and lavrov saturday. john kerry was flying back from the middle east to the u.s., but turned around after speaking to sergey lavrov. it's well known that the u.s. has concerns about what it believes it the bit up of tens of thousands of russian troops on ukraine said eatern border. it's very worried that in fact russian troops could look to

move into ukraine proper. sergey lavrov has been saying that russia has no intention of what he says would be invading ukraine. at the same time, he's been talking to russian state television on sunday, putting forward his idea of what should happen within ukraine. he said that there should be a new constitution for the country, one which creates a federal nation, which gives more autonomy to the regions notably more important for moscow, more self control for regions dominated by russian speakers. washington for its part has according to officials in the u.s. come up with its own plan, saying there needs to be international monitors to protect the rights of mines in ukraine. they want movement on direct talks between kiev, the interim government there and between moscow. that's something that hasn't looked like happening for a long time now, particularly not since

russian forces effectively annexed crimea, the peninsula after there was a referendum, a very controversial referendum to join the russian federation. so both sides have their differing visions of the future in ukraine. they have their own interests in ukraine. there's a lot to talk about in paris sunday night. >> that was aljazeera reporting from paris. >> since crimea became part have russia, ukraine has one major sea port left, the black sea city of owe did he say is a. we visited the city to find out just how losing crimea has affected the people there. >> ukraine is a country still coming to terms with what has happened and what may be still to come. divided loyalties are playing themselves out on the streets. in the black sea port of oh did he say is a, ukraine's only sea port after russia's annexation of crimea, the crowd unjails a

giant ukrainian flag. this is a powerful display of unity intended for russia who would prefer autonomy from kiev, the message is this count i is stronger together than apart. this is exactly the sort of threat that russia has prompted to defend against. >> their called right sector, a group that many credit for sustaining the protests that brought down the yanukovych government. they're small in number but now one of the new government's biggest problems. glory to ukraine they cried and death to our enemies. our enemies are those who want to encroach on our territorial integrity, our currentry, freedom and unless and that he is who kill the sons of ukraine. >> the pro russian camp by no

means a majority in town knows that russia supports its demand to split from kiev and promised to defend its rights. no one knows how russia may act or when. >> do you feel that your rights at ethnic rues in ukraine are under threat? >> when people walked the streets under neonazi flags shouting death to russia, then we feel threatened. >> in the end, a confrontation. the ethnic russian crowds against rights sector. the problem for kiev, how to promote national unit with ultra nationalists in the ranks. it's a contribution that russia is swift to highlight as it promotes the federal breakup of ukraine instead. aljazeera, owe did he say is a. >> the bat particular states that border russia are now watching the buildup of russian troops closely, trying to figure out what implications that might have for them. tomorrow morning on aljazeera

america, we'll discuss the crisis in ukraine with the former president of lithuania. he joins us live at 8:15 a.m. eastern time. >> churches in washing torn holding prayer services today for victims of last week's devastating mud slide. over 300 crew members and volunteers continue to search for missing people and the number of fatalities has grown. the number of missing has dropped from 90 to 30. we are joined from washington. tanya, good afternoon. can you explain to us why the number has dropped so significantly in terms of those missing? >> initially, call centers were set up so people could call in and list the name of those thought missing. through cross referencing, there were several duplicates on that list. now today, searchers headed back out there to search for those

missing. >> a week after the mud slide, heavy rain soaks the crushed trees, mud and debris. that's all that's left of the lives lived here. >> earlier at 10:37 a.m., a moment of silence. the moment one week ago, when oso, washington became home to one of the worst mudslides in washington state history. more than 200 crew members, along with rescue dogs navigated through the floodwaters in search of victims. the letters p.v. are spray painted to notify rescuers of possible victims. >> the slide hit with such force that oftentimes, the rescuers are not recovering full, intact victims. >> dianna has come to terms with the worst, her youngest son, alan will not return home. >> the hope lingered for still three or four days, but probably the knowledge was very

immediate. >> though rescuers have not recovered his body, she is certain her son, his fiancee, along with her grandparents are missing. >> i picture them as being in the kitchen, having breakfast, going what's that noise, and it being over. >> alan and delaney were planning an august wedding. they were eager to start their lives together. moments before death, alan wrote a facebook post about his fiancee. >> his last text was about 45 minutes before the incident, and it was to delaney. it said the 10 things i need to make me happy, and it was all you. ten "yous." >> she understands the possibility that while rescuers work around the clock, his body may never be found.

>> it's only their body, their shell. they died together. they're together now. i picture them together where they're at approximately that's only their shells, but i still picture them together. >> now, while 18 are confirmed dead, authorities have recovered several bodies. they're waiting to identify those victims, waiting for dental records and also from positive family i dent if i occasion. they are hoping that the weather lets up today, it's been range heavily here and it's very cold. there's flooding in the area of the mud slide. authorities hope clear weather will help them recover other victims. >> you mentioned the rescue crews heading out in that weather, but what events are planned today to honor victims and those still missing? >> there is a prayer service, an official prayer service expected to happen in just a few hours here in derriggton specifically

for miami members of the missing. they hope to keep it a privateer. they can come together, talk about their grief and pray with each other. >> tanya reporting from washington state, thank you for being with us again this afternoon. >> as just mentioned, it's another wet day in the pacific northwest. that as crews continue to search for mud slide victims. we have more on the forecast for those rescue teams. what can we expect? >> first i want to tank tanya for excellent reportinging on such a devastating story. we're going to have to deal with that rain along the river. right here in washington, they expect half inch to three quarter inch of rain through monday. that comes down as it continues to make its way onshore. another system you can see is just spinning across the pacific. it's going to make its way into washington state, also into northern california where we're

also expecting to see a little snow. they need the snow across the sierra, but could use without the rain in the pacific northwest. it has been a very, very wet month, records already broken across the pacific northwest this month. the northeast, we have the rain coming down heavily across eye 95, across portions of pennsylvania and also on into portions of maine. an icy mixture around portland, so be careful on the roads today. back to you. >> the search continues for that missing malaysian jetliner more than three weeks after it vanished on its way to beijing. ships and planes are searching where experts believe the plane went down. they are trying to locate objects that were spotted by aircraft over the past few days, but so far, no debris from that plane has actually been found. >> although until something is found, many family members are clinging to hope. others are angry as weeks pass

without any sign of their loved ones. several dozen chinese relatives arrived in malaysia, demanding answers from the government. >> three lebanese soldiers have been killed and four injured in a suicide car bomb attack. the explosion happened just near the border with syria. the lebanese military says a suicide bomber drove a car loaded with explosives right into an army checkpoint. the wounded were evacuated by helicopter and a sunni group is now claiming responsibility for that bombing. >> voters in turkey, casting their ballots. up next, we'll tell you why today's local poll could have national implications. >> plus a prisoner swap, threats to derail peace talks in the middle east.

>> turkey's prime minister faces corruption allegations. the countries voters head to the polls. even though today's elections are local, the prime minister

says the vote will affirm his legitimacy. >> a constant stream of voters eager to make their voice count, for them, this is more than local politics, and people are bitterly divided. ali is 85 years old, believes turkey needs a new political direction. >> the nation needs honesty, change. it is a sad situation. >> inside this polling station, people are waiting patiently, and for some, it's a duty to support the government. >> there are internal and external forces that are trying to take turkey backwards. it's our duty as citizens to come and vote. >> there are more than 52 million registered voters around turkey. around 10 million are registered in istanbul, but these elections are overshadowed by political fighting that's left see so it deeply polarized.

the build up to these elections was tense, the first vote since the anti-government protests last summer, and it's held amid allegations of mass corruption against the government. >> at the center of this political storm is the prime minister who was among those casting their ballots in istanbul. he remains defiant, blaming his enemies for orchestrating smear campaigns to topple his government. he says this day is crucial for turkey. >> despite the claims made during the election rallies by my opponents, today our people will expression the fact of everything. >> but the main opposition, the republican people's party is hopeful that the time of change has come. >> my biggest dream is to pave all the way for clean politics, to hold all politicians accountable to the people, to prevent politicians from fooling the people. as the day goes by, there is a

growing sense of anticipation and unease. the results could reflect turkey's appetite for change or a strong support for the prime minister, but regardless who wins, turkey will probably remain divided ahead of presidential elections in august, and general polls next year. aljazeera, istanbul. >> a potential setback for the french president. for the first time anyone's 1995, the party looks like it will win in several cities, defeating the socialist party. the runoff comes as unemployment surgeries to a record high. >> the first round of egypt's presidential election is set in may, the announcement coming days afterral sisi resigned. if no one gets more than 50% in

this first round of votes, a second round will be held in mid june. >> it's 92 days a aljazeera journalists have been held by the egyptian government. they are all accused of spreading false news and of belonging to a terrorist group. aljazeera rejects the charges and calls for their immediate release. their trial was adjourned last week and will pick back up tomorrow. >> protestors across the middle east today are marking land day. that's commemorating israel's seizure of arab land in 1976. the anniversary comes as israel misses a prisoner release deadline, putting the u.s. brokered peace talks in limbo. aljazeera's nick shiffrin looks at the issue through the eyes of two families affected by that conflict. >> in the face of a man he never met, he sees himself. he is 32 and that's the man he was named for, his uncle, an

israel soldier kidnapped and killed in 1980. >> i was born a year to the day after his murder. i bear his name. i live under the shadow of the murdered. >> this is your son? >> 30 minutes down the road, this woman goes through photos of her son. he killed the uncle. he is serve ago life sentence. this weekend, israel was supposed to release him. the deadline came and went. >> there's nothing dearer than a son, not a brother, not a father. no one in the world can replace a son. >> her son and his victim's fate are forever linked and may help determine the fate of the current peace talks. israel agreed to release prisoners across four rounds. palestinian agreed not to seek u.n. recognition, so long as the

final round of prisoners around freed, the palestinians are threatening to walk away. his mother supports that. >> we will talk after the prisoners are released. the prisoners must come home. >> for israel, the prisoner releases are unpopular. avi leads protests against them, accusing the government of betrayal. >> these negotiation are very painful for the bereaved families. we are talking about a knife stabbed in our heart time and again. >> israel's government says it's not willing to anyways anger and release the prisoners unless the palestinians agree to extend the peace talks. i now support palestinian president pursuing the israeli and the united nations. my brother won't be the price to obstructs this.

>> his family opposes the palestinians giving in to further demands, even if that might mean that furniture bought for his homecoming stays wrapped. avi's family will fight for his release. as both sides dig in, the more likely the u.s. sponsored peace talks will collapse. nick shiffrin, aljazeera, northern israel. >> still ahead on aljazeera america, a strong quake ends dozens of aftershocks hit southern california. why some experts say it could be the end of an earthquake drought.

>> welcome to al jazeera america. i'm morgan radford live from new york city and here are today's headlines. secretary of state john kerry is in france right now meeting with russia's foreign minister discussing ways to reduce tension over russias annexation of crimea.

lavrov said there are no plans to further invade ukraine. >> voters head to the polls in turkey, today's elections seen as a precursor to elections later this year seeking to end the decades long rule of the leading party. >> prayers for victims of last week's devastating mud slide. volunteers continue to search for missing people. the death toll rose from 17 to 18. >> a 4.8 magnitude earthquake shook communities in the midwest this morning, it struck about 65 miles southeast of montana and in southern california, friday, 5.1 earthquake caused structural damage and evacuation, but no injuries. with more than 100 aftershocks, residents wonder if more quakes are on all the way. >> in an area that hasn't had a

massive earthquake in decades, this quake rattled store shelves and nerves. >> the sound was horrible. i never heard that before. >> while the damage was light, it was the second significant shaker to strike los angeles in the past two weeks. on t. patrick's day, a 4.4 quake woke residents out of their beds. many are worried about the increase in seismic activity as they recall the days of the north ridge quake. >> los angeles has been in a particularly quiet time since the north ridge earthquake. since the after shocks ended from north ridge, the decades before north ridge, we had a damaging earthquake in los angeles almost every year. >> friday's 5.1 quake was centered 20 miles southeast of downtown los angeles just below the 25-mile long wiltery fault line. 300 fault lines have been mapped in southern california and while more data is needed, it appears likely that more people here

should be prepared to feel more seismic activity. >> we should expect the no normal to be higher. just the last 15 years was too quiet. it can't be the long term. whether or not we've really gone into that new phase, we're going to have to wait and see. >> more than 100 aftershocks have hit since the quake, including a 4.1 magnitude shaker that struck while we were talking to a fullerton resident. >> that was a strong one. >> what the heck was that? >> that is what you call an earthquake, honey. [ laughter ] >> oh, my gosh. >> friday's quake was the strongest to hit the los angeles area since 2008. aljazeera, los angeles. >> a hectic signing season is winding down to sign up for the affordable care act. the deadline is extended to mid april for applications stalled on the website.

>> for an in depth look at the affordable care act, what it does and what it does not do, watch the week ahead. tonight at 8:30 easementern, 5:30 pacific. >> it's going to be 60 degrees in minneapolis today, 58 in chicago, a comfortable, beautiful day filled with lots of sunshine. 65 in memphis and 75 in houston. the cold weather will head toward the northeast, windy and chilly, winds gusting to 26 miles per hour in toronto, philadelphia a little bit less gusty, but 33 miles per hour in washington, d.c. where today, they're going to be in the upper 40's, maybe reaching 50 degrees. earlier in the day, we saw a little snow across central portions of pennsylvania, but along the coastline, the rain is coming down heavily across maine. we're looking at ice mixing in. be careful around the portland

area, the roads may be treacherous. temperatures today feeling cooler out there given the fact that those winds are pushing in out of the north, toronto right around 44. philadelphia 52, and we may just make 50 degrees in washington, d.c. it's a much more beautiful day across the southeast. yesterday, we had to deal with hectic severe weather, damaging winds, hail knocked down trees and power lines. you can see the clouds have moved out of the way and today we'll see a little sunshine as temperatures remain in the 70's and 80's for the most part across florida, 63 in atlanta with winds pushing in out of the north. red across the plains, the winds are going to be gusting quite a bit out there today. we have red flag warnings in effect, basically meaning we have low relative humidity and gusty winds. temperature with all the sunshine is going to be rising, so there's an increased fire threat across portions of the plains. northwest, we have a flood warning in effect north of

seattle right around the oso community. we're going to see river levels rise, seeing more rain out there today, from a half inch to three quarter inch of rain through monday. keep that in mind traveling along i-five, another system pushing into the pacific northwest will keep us wet through tuesday. that rain is going to push in to northern california, also. >> march madness became march mayhem in tucson last night. ten people were arrested in a near riot after the university of arizona failed to make the final four. police used pepper spray and rubber bull lets to disperse the crowd, but the group of students chanted police brutality. that was after this happened, a man was taken down and arrested. thousands pulled out of bars and restaurants after arizona lost in overtime. pleas say the crowds threw beer

bottles. >> thank you for watching aljazeera america. you can always check our website at aljazeera.com. to explain how helping others makes you more successful. looking for a job? you aren't alone. there are roughly three op