thanks very much. >> anytime. the show may be over but the conversation continues on our website aljazeera.com/considerthis. you can find us on twitter. see you next time. good evening, everyone. this is al jazeera america. i'm john seigenthaler in new york. measles warning, the biggest outbreak in the u.s. tonight the facts of the alarming new waves of infections. deadly violence and the rising tensions in ukraine with russian forces mobilizing at the border. secretary of state kerry issues an ultimatum to moscow. picture-perfect. he made a fortune painting fake masterpieces. we talk to a prolific forger.

plus, our special report reaching the sky and risking it all. what you don't know about mount everest. we begin tonight with that troubling report on measles. the u.s. is now in the grips of the worst outbreak in 18 years, and officials urge parents tonight to vaccinate their kids. 129 cases in just the first four months of the year. that's according to the centers for disease control and prevention. by comparison there were 189 for all of 2013. california has the most cases with 58. new york is second with 24 and washington state has 13. dr. david newman from mt. sinai medical center has the information you need to know. >> well, the measles is actually a virus. the virus itself is fairly

dangerous. it mostly has a proceed clift for children. we're in a significant outbreak of measles, and that's driven by a number of different factors. the most important factor is that there has been a steadily increasing number of people over the last 10 to 15 years who are not getting vaccinated. parents who choose to not have their children vaccinated, and any non-vaccinated person is a little bit of a public health concern because they're more likely to contract measles when they come in contact with somebody who, for instance, maybe imports it from outside the country. if they contract measles, there's a long incubation period of about nine or ten days where they're actually infectious and they don't feel ill. in general, you don't need to be revaccinated if you were vaccinated as a child. anybody who was not vaccinated as a child needs to be

vaccinated either as an adult or as less sent. the first and most important thing for parents who don't want their children vaccinate is there's no significant danger from the vaccine. there is very significant danger from getting measles. >> that was dr. david newman. turning to the crisis in eastern ukraine, on the ground there more lives lost and from washington news spreads from moscow. secretary of state john kerry says russia is running out of time to de-escalate that crisis. >> russia has chosen an illegitimate coercive armed violence to try to achieve with the barrel of a gun and the force of a mob what couldn't be achieved any other way. they've tried to create enough chaos in the east to delay or deledge jit miez the elections or force ukraine to give russia control over the domestic and foreign policies or force ukraine to overreact and create an excuse for military

intervention. >> kiev's forces crack down on pro-russia elements in the east today. ukraine's interior ministry says its troops killed as many as five pro-russian activists around sloyvyansk. russia announced new military drills. president putin responded to the fighting in sloyvyansk with a warning of consequences. barnaby phillips has followed the events on the ground in eastern ukraine. >> reporter: on the edge of sloyvyansk these pictures show ukraine's army doing something new, going on the offensive against pro-russian separatists. they advance and take over a roadblock that has been abandoned by the separatists. in the skies, ukrainian helicopters, but on the ground it's still the separatist gunmen very much in control and at least some residents seem grateful for their presence.

>> translator: it's just not possible to live with this government that has passed these kinds of laws. i don't know. people say we don't love ukraine. my dear, everyone born here and who grew up here loves ukraine, but that doesn't mean you love the policies. >> reporter: the attack on sloyvyansk never comes, and by mid-afternoon pro-russians have taken back the checkpoints. so another day of hesitation and confusion, although the government in kiev continues to talk tough. >> translator: we demand that the russian federation stop interfering in the internal affairs of ukraine and stop permanent threats and blackmail and move troops back from the eastern border of ukraine. >> reporter: we found these ukrainian soldiers on another road into sloyvyansk. their orders are to fight what the government calls terrorists but not hurt civilians. amidst all the propaganda, that is a difficult job. in the nearby town, a family in

shock. they're mourning a politician who campaigned against pro-russian separatists. they say he was tortured before he was murdered. at the grave site this man blam blames vladimir putin. both sides in eastern ukraine have now lost loved ones, and the danger is with so much fear and hatred and suspicion in the air, the momentum towards further violence will only increase. it's the national anthem that ukraine's glory shall not die, with words sung in sorrow. today they have a martyr, and they are steeling themselves for more to come. the white house has condemned the killings of three

americans in hospital in afghanistan. one of the victims was a pediatrician. the shooting happened in the western part of the capital of kabul. police say the gunman was an afghan security guard at the cure international hospital. an american nurse was also wounded. our jennifer glasse knows the hospital well, and she told us about the critical role it plays in that community. >> reporter: the cure hospital is on the outskirts of kabul, and it draws 37,000 patients a year, mainly women and children. it has an intensive care unit for young children. it does surgeries on women. it's not just the medical procedures that they do on afghans. it's also the medical training, the doctors that i spoke to there said that's a huge part of the program. they bring in a largely american doctors to train afghan doctors in procedures because that is so very much needed. the united nations says right now 40% of afghanistan has no access to health care, and this is a country that is still one

of the worst places to be a pregnant mother or to be a young child, 1 in 10 children will die before the age of 5 years old. those numbers are better than four years ago when the taliban fell, but still, a long way to go. this hospital is one of the critical care and one of the best care hospitals that people can come to. when i visited it, there was a couple that drove 48 hours just to get medical care. >> the question about security has been a problem for years, and the real question is can the afghan government protect its own hospitals? >> well, that's the real question. the man who opened fire was part of the appf, the afghan police protection force. these are the people charged with guarding such facilities. we've seen over the past couple of years a lot of insider attacks. we saw afghan army attacking nato forces and american forces, and that has gotten less and less as they have -- as they have increased the security of the forces, so now we see softer targets attacked. doctors at a hospital,

obviously, not wearing any protective gear inside the gates of their own hospital. i think that is the real question. the question is, how much of the ranks have been infiltrated. the afghan government has over the past year and a half really beefed up its vetting program of its security forces. how much that extends to the police force isn't clear. it's very hard in a country where there aren't many written records, there certainly are very few computer records to keep track of who's who, what their intentions are, where they came from, and what they want in the future. so that, i think, is a real concern, and it is these kinds of attacks that create an aura of uncertainty in kabul, an aura of nobody knows what will happen next and that's the motive behind the attacks. >> jennifer glasse, thanks for the insight. now, to a new set back in the middle east peace talks. israel ended negotiations with the palestinians today. it follows the reconciliation

between fatah and hamas. netanyahu said this about the decision. >> they had a choice, peace with israel or pact with hamas. he chose to make the pact with hamas, so that's the blow for peace. i hope he changes his mind, and until he does so, i think it's important we have clarity. as long as i'm prime minister of israel, i will never negotiate with a palestinian government backed by terrorist organizations committed to our destruction. >> the failure of these talks is a major blow to john kerry. the talks have been the centerpiece of his diplomatic efforts as secretary of state. now, ending nine months of work with both the israelis and the palestinians, kerry said, we will never give up our hope our or commitment for the possibilities of middle east peace. president obama is wrapping up the first parts of his asia tour tonight leaving japan and heading for seoul, south korea. while in tokyo he discussed

security promising to defend japan if disputes with china over territory escalated. in south korea he's expected to warn north korea about pursuing a nuclear agenda. for more on that, let's go to harry fossett in seoul. >> reporter: president obama arrives in the country gripped by grief and a sense of national self-examination after the deaths of so many young people in the terrible ferry disaster last wednesday. his officials say he will make time in the schedule to express his sadness and sympathy about the event. he will lay a wreath at the war memorial in seoul and visit the grandest palace in seoul you see behind me. then there's the meat of this visit when he has extensive talks with the president. this is an opportunity for president obama to do what his officials say he'll be doing throughout this tour around asia saying the momentum is still very much behind the administration's rebalancing of its political, economic and military efforts here in asia. that's something that people in this region have been, to some

extent, doubting with what's going on in syria and, of course, more recently in ukraine. the united states having to deal with these very serious issues in more traditional areas of interest. so that's something that the white house has been saying will be a key component of this visit. he will also have more specific issues, of course, to talk about here in seoul. the likely threat it seems of another north korean nuclear test coming up. the south korean defense ministry said they defected increased signs of activity around the nuclear test site in northeastern north korea. that's the first time north korea might carry out two nuclear tests in successive years. the relationship between south korea and japan is very tense and keen to get the two important allies on better terms. >> that's harry fossett reporting. hailed by some as a freedom fighter, the nevada rancher that

fought back against the government is seeing many supporters disappear. as you remember cliven bundy and his armed supporters held off government attempts to seize his cattle grazing on federal land for some time. two weeks later he lost much support because bundy made vicious outrageous remarks about african-americans, and now his comments have gone viral. >> they put their young men in jail because they never picked cotton. are they better off as slaves picking cotton and having a family life or are they better off under government subsidies? >> joins us to talk about this is dave level leventhal, our political contributor. >> i look at the calendar. are we in 2014 or 1964 here? regardless whether you're a democrat or republican, a

liberal or conservative, these were overtly racist comments that upset everyone and made to question to the deepest level whether he knows what he's talking about. >> some american politicians came to his defense last week. last week senator rand paul came to the defense of bundy and said there's a legitimate constitutional question here about whether the state should be in charge of endangered species or whether the federal government should be. i don't think calling people names is going to calm this down. well then he issued this statement today. he said his remarks on race are offensively and i wholeheartedly disagree with him. is this a major political issue in the presidential race? >> for politicians like anyone, buy erbie wear. if you hitch your wagon to somebody who is volatile and you don't know a whole lot about, even if he sort of fits the narrative that politically

speaking you'd like to put forward in the case of rand paul and ted cruz and dean heller, a more anti-big government certainly mantra they put forward, it really just blew up their face and backfired in a way that caused political heartache in the short term but in the long term, too. you have to remember rand paul and ted cruz are mentioned time and time again are everyone's list for potential 2016 presidential candidates. so even if this does fizzle out, john, even if two weeks from now we don't talk about mr. bundy out in nevada, two years from now we may see television commercials from superpacs and nonprofit groups and liberals and democrats saying, remember when they associated themselves with this guy? let me remind you about that right now. >> why is it that a rancher that talks about hate the way he does, why does he capture the attention of so many people in this country? >> long before or at least a

little time before he made the statements that he has in the past couple of days, his cause resonated with certainly some politicians we just mentioned and americans that believe that the american government is strong arming a lot of people and that the federal government is too big and aggressive. that was an issue separate and part from the issue of racism we're having right now. again, it goes back to the idea that politicians oftentimes like to hold up an every man. somebody that resonates with their base and their supporters and say, look, i support this guy because he's like all of us. he's somebody who is fighting against the government. he's really trying to take it to them. he's fighting for the little guy. but that can be fraught with peril and often tiemdz like right now it blows up in your face. >> so does it hurt republicans more than democrats? >> it probably hurts a few republican

republicans definitely more than democrats. a lot of republicans we're not mentioning right now, because from the get-go they figured this guy might be a little too toxic to begin with or they don't necessarily want to associate themselves with him. there are a lot of prominent republicans, presidential hopefuls for 2016 and the republican party in general that really didn't take his cause up and decide to sit this out. there were a few who definitely did, and they're getting their up commings today. >> good to see you. >> thank you. >> coming on, con arts, fakes pawned off as masterpiece. we have a forger that shows how it's all down. plus, the most dangerous climb. our special report. what you don't know about mount everest. horlivka

. >> electronic or e-cigarettes are gaining popularity among young americans. washington is stepping in to reg eye late them. tom ackerman reports. >> reporter: it's taken five years for the u.s. food and drug administration to exercise authority to regulate electronic cigarettes. it's a $2 billion industry with u.s. sales doubling by the year.

big tobacco companies are leading the way, offering products with advertising pitches like this. >> i get to have a blu without the guilt, because it's vapour, not smoke. >> the proposed regulations require ingredients to be registered and listed, limit claims of risk to those based on scientific evidence, including health warnings and banned vending machine sales unless located where underage youth are barred. f.d.a. is stopping short of restriking online sales, tv adds or fruit flavour ourings, which, according to crit ecks, are targeted at younger users. >> at this store in washington which restricts customers to 18 and up, the manager says the regulations are welcome. >> there's a lot of companies making products. it's up to the vendor at this point to do the research, find the companies that are putting out solid products, reliable, made properly.

>> promoters hope to reduce the conventional rates which has not fallen below 20% in recent years. >> e-cigarettes will be more likely part of the solution than the problem. >> anti-smoking campaigners are skeptical. >> the big question is will it reduce the number of people that smoke or act as a gateway to smoking, especially amongst kids. >> the answer will depend on the shape of the regulations and research to determine whether esecrets convert -- e-cigarettes convert smoking into something else. >> an indictment is rocking the art well. at the center a forger. in new york pei-shen qian used works of art like this untitled painting by jackson pollack, and copied them. with collaborators in spain acting as sell e the ring made

$80 million selling the fakes, making it an exteriored art swindle. how did he do it. how do we know what is real and name in museums. with me a man with some answers. ken perenyi, an art forger who made a fortune fooling experts into believing that his paintings were works of masters. good to see you. >> thank you for having me here tonight. >> can you tell me how you got into this? >> well, i didn't really plan a life in the art world. i just - just a chance meeting with artists from new york city, introducing me to pointing and the museums and the gallery scenes in new york. i wanted to try my hand at it, and fit in with new friends and discovered i had a hidden talent to paint pictures. it was when i was about 17, 18.

>> painting pictures is one thing. passing them off as the real thing is different. did you feel like you were doing something wrong? >> not really. i felt that it was a contest of wits, to pit my skills against the knowledge of experts. >> how much money did you make? >> it would be hard for me to put a figure on that. >> millions? >> i've done well. >> millions. >> i would say so. >> why didn't you want to tell us? you wouldn't go to gaol, wouldn't be prosecuted. you have taken a straight and narrow now, you don't want to tell us? >> it would be hard for me to figure it out. my career spanned over 30 years. and i - it certainly would be in the millions. but i couldn't be accurate on

any kind of a figure. >> how many of your fake paintings are out there that people think are real? >> well i have at least 1200 photographs of paintings that i created through the years. there are more that i didn't have the time to make a record of. i could say with confidence, at least 1200. >> i want to show come pointings and the red flowers. you sold yours - so the - the real ones on the left. the fake on the right. you sold that for $700,000, is that right? >> yes. that one for over $700,000. at sotheby's. >> it's now worth? two and a

half million? >> well, a similar painting of that series by he today would go for a couple of million. i sold mine in 1995. his appreciated. a passion flower is one of his rarest series of paintings, so they are highly sought after by collectors. >> clearly you have an incredible talent. >> thank you. >> when you look at the paintings, you didn't copy them exactly, they are your interpretation. >> exactly. you have to learn to think like the artist and create a new compost suggests within the framework of the artist creative powers and so it takes a lot of research and a lot of study. some time i make an exact copy,

like the stanford gifford that you see there. it's a close copy. generally speaking, i invent a new, what you might call an original painting by a noted artist in his style, but it's a new composition or creation. >> so you didn't get caught. i'm not going to plain this. i'm going to let people read your book. tell us the name of your book. >> it's "the secret life of an american art forger." . >> it's a fascinating story. thank you. >> thank you. goodnight. >> coming up, what you don't know about mt everest. the dangers of the climb and challenges sherpa'size, and the price of reaching the peak. are those taking risks - are those taking the most risks

making the most money. [ grunting ] i'm taking off, but, uh, don't worry.

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>> mt everest the world's highest peak, an unemployment challenge. hundreds try to -- ultimate challenge, hundreds try to conquer it every year. it is also a graveyard. climbers passing the bodies of those lost to the mountain. those who survive have sherpas to thank. >> they put up the tents. they are taking the risks, climbers get the glory. >> on the eve of peak climbing season sherpas are saying enough. too many risks, not enough reward. the mountain's challenges. and changing environment. what

you don't know about mt everest. >> i'm john seigenthaler in new york. it was 60 years ago that sir edmund hillary and his companion reached the peak of mt everest. since that day there has been a lot of changes on the mountain. more than 4,000 people have made the trek. 3,000 of those climbed more than once. mt everest located on the border in south asia. 20,000 feet, 10 times higher than the world's tallest building. the mountain claimed the lives of 200 people. it's not cheap. you can expect to make 75,000. today, some climbers are packing up their bags and leaving of the the guides that take them up the mountain refuse to make the trip to the top. richelle carey is here with more on thax. >> hundreds climb everestery year, doing it with the help of

sherpa, natives of nepal. the avalanche that killed 13 sherpas changed everything. there's so much anger in the community many insist on closing the mountain for the rest of the year. >> the disaster is the worst loss of life ever. the sherpas are taking their anger out on the government. >> the entire community has been hit by the death of the sherpas. the government provided little or no relief. the government makes thousands of glass. if the government gives a small percentage of that, it would many a big deal for the families. >> major expedition teams call aufr off the plans. >> the government has been slughtly unfair to etch -- sleightly unfair to everyone involved. we pay a lot of fees they don't always go to the people who deserve it. >> the avalanche happened as guides prepared ropes and

equipment for climbers. they were 20,000 feet up when the avalanche hit. chunks of highs crashed down. aside from 13 killed, three others are missing. presumed dead. >> there's big pieces of ice. >> vin is an alpine guide. >> as the sun hits the big pieces of ice happening on the mountain, they move a little bit. if you are in the wrong place at the wrong time. we have tragic accidents. >> nepal's government depends on the industry. it is fighting to keep the mountain open. >> they cannot stop other people or force other people. it's illogical and unfair. >> nepal's government insists the mountain will remain open. they'll send a delegation to the base camp to talk to the sherpas about concerns. >> the business of mountain

climbing is one of the few sources of money for sherpas. a guide can make $2,000 every climbing seen. elites can make between $4,000 and $5,000 in two months, above nepal's median income. we were guides make $50,000, plus tips. we go to kathmandu. . >> reporter: nearly 1500 experienced sherpa guides work here. they learnt their trade over many years. the knowledge of the environment is vital. they have little life or health ipp adjourns. work is un -- insurance. work is unpredictable and dangerous. demonstrated by the avalanche that killed 13 sherpas. trekkers say there needs to be more protection for the sherpas. >> they are taking all the risk. the climbers get the glory.

the sherpas take the gear up and down for weeks, and they are the ones taking the risks. it's not fair. >> it's the height of the tourist season in nepal. visitors from across the world are gathering. nepal offers what many can't. trekking holidays on highest mountain peaks. it generated $39.1 million, attracting 800,000 visitors, accounting tore 4% of g.d.p. this is a former cabinet minister and clear as to what the authorities need to do. >> we should be strong and push the government to bring solutions, implement what they promise as compensations, you know, the financial examinations and social management of the families that have been affected by this incident. >> tour operators know that they need to act together to save

income and protect the guides. >> accordingly the government should understand the facts involved in the system, and work with the private sector to come into an amicable solution where all parties, government, operators and people working in this industry are equally happy and satisfied. >> the country mourns the death of a large number of sherpas. for many who risk their lives, they know it won't be the last. >> there's no sign that sherpas want to climb a mountain, officials extended agreements giving a validity of five. those groups at everest base camp are packing their bags because the season to climb the world's tallst peak has come to an end. >> pete is a mountain ear who

reached the top of mt everest several times. and had a role in the rescue efforts in the mt everest disaster. welcome. he's in seattle. >> thank you. >> give me your reaction - did this bring back, this avalanche, anything about the 1996 disaster to you? >> well, the grief that i feel for the sherpa families that are experimenting this tremendous lose are similar to "96. all the people lost in "96 were western climbers. it doesn't diminish the amount of grief for the surviving people. >> how dangerous is it to be a sherpa. >> how dangerous is that? obviously the sherpas are a bit of a victim of their own success. they have an incredible fizziology to do well at altitude. they have become proficient as

technical guides and climbers, and have taken on more and more responsibility, and have done that happily, stoically and accepted the disproportionate amount of risk. some called it accepting the outsourcing of risk, of climbers towards the sherpas. i believe that people will continue to climb everest from the south side, will go through the sherpa heartland. there needs to be a potential solution to the compensation issue. the lack of really superb rescue. there needs to be a referendum. people need to stop looking at it through the prism of this being a labour dispute. i don't believe it's what is operating here. >> why wouldn't western guides and companies pay the sherpas

more money than they v. >> you are looking at a scale of economy. you are looking at over compensating. when you look at the fact that they are ultimately paid 10 times what the nepalese are working on, there needs to be a discussion about this. what is the proper compensation for them. importantly, there needs to be an urgent discussion about the insurance. because obviously the risks on efferest cannot be completely diminished, there's no way to eliminate them. we need a plan in place to manage the grief and the feeds of the families when the breadwinners are killed, injured or disabled. >> will this affect the people that want to climb in the years to come. do you believe this is a turning point for mt everest and the climbs?

>> john, i believe that this is an opportunity to have a serious new narrative for sherpas who see it as their destiny to climb an everest. we need to initiate a new narrative where the sherp ape's see some of their communities, pilots, teachers, engineers working in the hills - in the southern foot hills. there's different nar tiles. as we understand it, that is the second poorest country there are people bucking the trend, and there are different narratives in place. >> it has sparked a discussion about a number of issues and will continue to do that. >> we appreciate you sharing your expertise and stories thank you. >> i'm sorry that we are together on a sad occasion to do

so. i'm hoping it ignites a referendum on the issues facing sherpas and all climbers around the world. >> me too. >> climbing the highest peak is an enormous challenge. risks are great. last week's avalanche is an example. avalanches are like i to happen after a fresh lair of snow, new snow sliding off existing snow packs and open slope is effected by changes in atmospheric conditions, high winds on an exposed mountain path could trigger an avalanche. conditions are cold, gruelling, dangerous winds, posing risks for some perspective we turn to science and tech untilingy expert scrd -- technology expert michael jordan on a peak in anna cavell. >> i'm on a rugged peak in anna cavell. it's only 2,571 feet, an average

low temperature of 48 degrees farenheit compared to everest, which is more than 10 times as tall. 29,000 feet with an average low temperature of negative 31 farenheit. if that weren't enough, it has seen wind speeds of 175 miles per hour. that's enough not just to kill you via windchill, but fessicly whip you off the mountain. the thing about if is you not only would succumb to the elements. the altitude can kill you. above 26,000 feet climers encounter the death zone. you go into oxygen death that you can't come back from and sky. other terrible things afflict you. i have experienced sort of a minor version of these afor examples. even at 11,000 feet i have experienced the various evils that altitude does to the body.

the lack of oxygen, hypoxia bringing on paranoia and hall use nations. i believed people were in my bed and i had to have people walk me everywhere, i was afraid of the dark. i can't imagine what it is to survive an altitude twice that high. not just trying to survive, eating, cooking and walking around, they are doing the hardest athletic work that one could do. the experience of being up there is unimaginable. >> jacob ward this calf. thank you. next - sherpas risk their lives. who are they? mother nature and mt everest - concern that climate change is making the mountain more dangerous.

>> everest is 29,000 feet high. the peak is more than 10,000 higher than the base camp, and the top has nearly the same altitude as a commercial jet in flight. people that risk and scale the mountain pay the ultimate price. who are the sherpas, they are nepalese ethnic group living in the himalayan region. the word sherpa is tibetan meaning eastern people. some work as climbers, serving as guides, carry supplies, set up camps and are essential to anyone climbing mt everest, but their work is dangerous. there are an estimated 150,000 sherpas in the area. those that work the mountain earn about 5,000 during climbing season. nearly 200 sherpas died working on nepal's mountains.

a sherpa joins us. the president of the united sherpa association in united states. he is in new york. welcome. >> thank you. >> let's talk about the money. that is critical. the government offered 45,000 rupee, what do you think of that amount? it's about $4,000. >> the government offering, like, 40,000 rooupees, comes to $415 is like an insult to the community. the government acted a little in haste because they had to - they scuffed with other people in the profession. coming up with the figure - we took it as an instalment to the community. as an animal, to the base of the

mt everest - the price of that animal - it's coming to 40,000, 50,000 rupees. a sherpa on 40,000 rupees, is a ridiculous amount. it's not just an amount. it's not just the monetary, but the respect that we deserve - people that risk their lives to go up the mountain, bringing so much glory to nepal and sherpa, and their being treated by the government is not fair. >> what about the companies that plan the trips? what sort of respect do you think they are showing sherpas when they pay them less than other guides? >> the companies or the tour operators, they are the middlemen between the western climbers and the climbing sherpas that work on the

expeditions. the trekking company employs them. of course, they look for profit and business. we feel like the companies are owned by the people, and it's their moral responsibility that climbser who work on the mountain is hard, with honesty and honour. they have to take up the cause with the government, because the government is more a symbol to the people. the tour operators have their own association, so they have more access to the government. they should bring up the issue with the government to care for the safety, making sure that the climbers on the mountains are mentally and physically fit. there has to be a fitness certificate for them. >> do you think the sherpas are

being taken advantage of by the companies. >>. >> i think to some extent, yes, it's not true to all companies. to some extent they have not taken up all the issues. they try to represent the interests of the tour operators. and they are the middlemen, they'll work on that. we believe they have a moral responsibility. >> is the climbing seep done this year -- season done this year, do you think? >> what i have heard from the news is that we want to rest the mountains. the minister of tourism - heent up the base camp to negotiate. they told them i think we should

rest the mountain, and this has been the concern of environmentalist groups around, and i think the climbers requested the government, like, the permit that they hold for the season should be valued for another five years, so they don't lose the money or roilty. >> the -- royalty. >> clearly the conversation continues. welcome, and thank you for speaking was tonight. we appreciate it. >> thank you, thank you so much. >> mt everest is a beautiful and highly prized destination, and one of the world's most polluted. decades of climbers left a filthy mark. let's bring in science and technology correspondent jacob ward back into the conversation. so, you know, you think that mt efferest would be pristine. climbers have left behind garbage, is there a chance of cleaning it up?

>> that's the problem here. the decades of experience that climbers brought to climbing the mountain does not extend to the care you take of it. in california everyone is into not littering. you would think that people paying five or six figures to get to the top of everest would treat it with respect. shaving a couple of pounds off your pack is the difference between getting down the mountainar dying. when you throw things away, you tle it into a low pressure freezer, preserving it. the stuff that comes out of people's hands is what it was. it extends to a grizzly artefacts. there are bodies that never came

down, resources are not there. the bodies are as they were when they let go of their last breath that's how stark it is. >> do we have a sense other than the sad bodies, how much bodies is on the trails. it's overwhelming. her is what he had to say. >> my first trip was in the late '80s, early '90s, and i saw what was there sips 1953 when the first expedition to everest was there. the oxygen bottles, old tent sites that were garbage dumps, and slowly it was building up until the early '90s. we thought that we needed to start cheeping the mountain, not

only clean down what we carried up, but what was left behind. that has been going on for a number of years, the clean-up of everest. >> the nepali government said it would rur climbers to bring 18 pounds down per person. hopefully that'll put a dent into what is, by all accounts, fields of garbage, a place overwhelmed by oxygen bottles, food waste. hopefully we can put a dent in the problem. >> jake ward in california. thank you. >> a native sherpa was born in the nepal region and is lecturing and in our first person report she talks about the life of a sherpa. >> the sherpa is an ethnic group, but it's used with porters and guides and expedition workers, because in the past most of the people who did the jobs were sherpas, and

they are having to pay most of the cost as far as safety and risk goes. whereas not getting enough insurance coverage and being protected or supported is something - if something happiness to them. the region has seen a lot of people coming in, going out, and towerism is one of the biggest industry for the people. in every household in the region, it's directly or indirectly affected by tourist industry. so it plays an important role in the economy. the sherpas are not boycotting this for good. at the time they are going through the process of grieving and coming to terms that they have lost their friend a few days ago. it makes sense that they do not want to climb at the time. i don't think they are going to stop climbing the mountains.

it seems unless someone says that they'll boycott, nothing will happen and the situation will continue. >> the fact that they are saying that they are going to boycott is going to put pressure on everyone to pay more attention to the safety measures, as well as examination for the exhibition workers, who are doing the real tough job and putting their lives in danger. expedition workers make around 3,000-$5,000. no one is looking out for the sherpas as far as safety go, we fear that the situation will continue and the expedition workers who are putting their lives in danger will face the same kinds of difficulties and at the same time are not going to be covered fully or at least sufficiently by the state or

ex-petitions that they are working for. it this is not the first time they have died on the oun main, it's the first time they are object come out and talk about the situation. making sure that everyone understands that expedition workers are there not because it's their hobby, but because they see that as the only option to better their lives and family, and make sure their children are taken care of. what happens when they are killed, who will support the families, and who will take care of the children. that is the larger question that we need to talk about and find answers to. >> she hopes that attention can be drawn to the issues of the sherpas working and living in the himalayas. an image that caught our attention is from nepal, 60 years ago, a view of climbers

organised to reach the top of mt everest. headlines are coming up after this.

>> welcome to al jazeera america. i'm richelle carey. here are the top stories - the u.s. is experiencing its worse measles outbreak in 18 years. 129 cases, according to the c d.c. this year. california has been hit the hardest, new york and washington close behind. parents are urged to vaccinate kids. secretary of state john kerry gave russia an ultimatum, abide by terms. geneva, or face consequences. that as forces stage exercises with the border. talks in the middle east collapsed. israel announced it will end negotiations with the palestinians. in is after a unity agreement reached between palestine authority and hamas. president obama wraps up the

first leg of his asian tour. it was intended to cement ties. they are the headlines. i'm richelle carey, "america tonight" with joie chen is up next. check out the website aljazeera.com. only america tonight, threats and more threats. the crisis in ukraine, was again this time the evidence of a russian roll getting a direct slap from the american president. we have seen them abide not by the city of the agreement. >> albuquerque again, days after a scathing report, officers for using excessive force another suspect is shot down killed by the police.