a court in egypt sentenced 683 people to death in a mass trial, including the leader of the muslim brotherhood. this is al jazeera america, live from our headquarters in doha. also ahead - president obama signs a 10-year defense deal with the philippines, allowing greater u.s. military access in the region. u.s. secretary of state john kerry says israel risks becoming an apartheid state if a 2-state solution fails.

>> i'm in the pakistani city of karachi. find out why the armoured vehicle business here is booming. hello. a court in egypt sentenced 683 people to death in a mass trial, including the leader of the muslim brotherhood. now, the same court reversed 492 death sentences out of 529 it passed back in march, with most of them sentenced to life in prison instead. they were convicted for their alleged role in the violence after the ouster of president mohamed mursi last july. we'll have more on that developing story out of egypt later in this news bulletin. meanwhile al jazeera continues to call for the immediate release of its journalists healed in egypt -- held in eequipment.

the trial has been -- egypt. the trial has been adjourned until may the 3rd. peter greste, mohamed fadel fahmy, and baher mohamed are falsely accused of providing a platform for muslim brotherhood. abdullah al-shami, a forth sournalist in -- journalist in detention has been held since august last year, and has been on a hunger strike for 98 days. al jazeera relevant all charges. president obama seeks mediation in the territorial dispute in china. americans finalised a so-year defense pack. the deal with give the u.s. access to military camps and make it easier to deploy fighter jets and ships. a filipino commander will have access to areas shared with the american forces. the philippines is one of a number of countries involved in territorial disputes with china.

the claims focus on parts of the south china sea, ships from china and the philippines were involved in a long standoff which both countries claim. more recently china surrounded a contested territory. beijing claims a vast area of the south china sea, parts of which are claimed by at the end of the day wrarn, brunei, malaysia and vietnam. we have more from manila. >> reporter: this agreement would many an increased perhaps of u.s. soldiers, the fortification and upgrading of u.s. military facilities also in the we were philippines, particularly the area facing the south china sea. washington said, though, that this does not mean the return of the u.s. bases. they were taken off and forced out of the philippines in the 1990s. in reality the u.s. soldiers never left. there's more than 600 of them supposedly involved in

counterterror. >> operations, particularly in the southern philippines, now the president added - president aquino said this agreement is not just military, but improving and bolstering people to people ties. a lot of skeptics are wondering whether an increased military presence in the region particularly in the philippines means that the philippines is a bigger fa bigg presence. talks due in ethiopia between sued job and south sudan. fighting broke out in december between pro-government forces loyal to the president and those loyal to the former vice president.

atrocities have been reported on both sides. the united nations says the rebels slaughtered hundreds of civilians when they seized the south sudan oil town in april. the rebels dismissed the accusations. days later armed men attacked the compound sheltering 5,000 civilians in bor. we have our correspondent in juba with the latest. >> reporter: there's a degree of disillusionment here with the peace process. the cessation of hostilities agreement was signed amid fanfare, all the way back to january 23rdrd. the fighting has been active. in the last two weeks we have seen some of the most brutal violence. there's a major difference in this round of talks, and that's that the four political prisoners have been released. the detention was a stumbling block. the rebel side saying they couldn't reach a peace agreement

with the government until they were released. now that they are occupant, there's a small degree of optimism that it could make a difference and an agreement might be reached. >> 22 people have been killed in an attack in the central african republic. three local staff from doctors without borders were among the victims. well, in the capital itself, moscow is luted after some of the last-remaining muslims were escorted out of the city by peace keepers. tens of thousands have been forced out of their homes after fighting between christians and muslims. . >> reporter: these women are getting ready to leave bangui and travel to the north for safety. they are muslim and caught up between fighting between two groups, muslim seleka rebels and anti-balaka militias. >> translation: the anti-balaka are killing a lot of muslims. we cannot stay in central

african republic. we'll leave to stay ourselves our skin. >> along the way they are protected by african and french peacekeepers. not all are escaping the violence. some have stayed behind. >> the plan is not to leave. we are working on social cohesion. there are other projects to keep them here, like cash for work, dialogue that will start. and i'm not sure that they will want to the leave. they say they prefer to stay in bangui. the condition is the security. >> the trouble in the central african republic started about a year ago when mainly muslim seleka rebels overthrew the government. christian groups formed militias gains the seleka fighters, carrying out revenge attacks. >> it's regrettable, but we can't do anything about it because they are the ones that brought weapons here.

we lived together for a long number of years, they are the ones that brought weapons to kill us. >> as the trucks pulled out of the city, some people cheered. >> others looted property owned by muslims, and vandalized the mosque. the government is against evacuating people, saying it divides the country. but with thousands of people killed, and many more forced from their homes, this may be the only way to try and end the violence. >> u.s. secretary of state john kerry has reportedly warned that israel is at risk of becoming an apartheid state. kerry was setting up the consequences if peace talks failed to produce a separate palestine state. the comments were published by "the daily beast", saying it had a recording of john kerry's remarks of officials with the

u.s., russia, and others. john kerry said: the u.s. department told al jazeera that kerry was echoing statements previously made by former israeli prime ministers, and its spokeswoman said: >> you're with al jazeera. still ahead macedonia's opposition cries foul after a snap election. and... >> we are in columbia. farmers are gearing up for a new strike that promises to bring the country to a halt once

again. . >> hello again. you're with al jazeera. >> a court in egypt sentenced 683 people to death in a mass trial. including the leader of the muslim brotherhood. the same court reversed 492 death sentences out of 529 it passed in march, with most of them sentenced to life in prison instead. south sudan government is expected to resume peace talks with rebels. they are due to be held in the capital of neighbouring ethiopia. negotiations failed to advance since the psych of a -- signing of a ceasefire in january that never took hold. u.s. president barack obama is meeting president aquino in

the philippines. they finalised a defense deal allowing a larger u.s. military presence. barack obama made comments on placing sanctions against russia over ukraine. >> we are going to be moving forward with an expanded list of individuals and companies that will be affected by sanctions. they remain targeted. we will also focus on some areas of high tech defense exports to russia that we don't think are appropriate to be exporting in this kind of climate. >> on monday members of european union will meet to discuss further sanctions. a team of european observers are being held by pro-russian separatists. the g7 group of leading economies will impose sanctions on russia over the weekend. we have this report from eastern

ukraine. >> reporter: the european military owners were paraded before the cameras by slovyansk's self-appointed may yore vechislav ponomaryov, they are in no position to comman about what happened about them. >> we are not prisoners of war. we are the guests of mayor vechislav ponomaryov, and we are treated as such. >> at least they were able to show their families they are alive and well. later one observer from sweden was released on grounds of ill health. others have not been treated so kindly. these three men were captured by pro-russian gunmen near slovyansk. ukrainian intelligence officers. this is what they looked like after their interrogation. >> on the road into slovyansk, the ukrainian army. this is it not a town under siege, but the soldiers are working to prevent weapons coming in. >> this is the ukrainian army trying to show that it is in control. but throughout the crisis, its

approach has been hesitant and cautious. that's because the government in kiev is very concerned at how russia will respond to any use of force by these men. in the next town artemivsk is a demonstration in favour of russia. it's a small crowd. they seem to have some support on the sidelines. pro-russians control the government buildings in donetsk. they had an unexpected visitor. mikhair khodorkovsky, one of the russia's richest men before falling out with vladimir putin, now trying to mediate. they call him a traitor, and tell him to go away. also in donetsk armed pro-russians took over the regional tv station, and yet again the ukrainian police, unreliable allies of the government in kiev stood by and watched it happen.

but the largest crowds of the day were in the cemeteries. this is the day of the dead. when people go to meet their ancestors spirits. nataliya mourns her dead relatives, wondering what they would make of all this chaos. >> my relatives would be shocked if they could see what is happening. they would say "you have to fight for our beloved ukraine." my brother lives in russia, i live here. i'm afraid of war, and worry that my son will be taken into the army. >> she's part of a silent majority that wants peace and their country to stay intact. macedonia's leading opposition party says it will not accept the results of this weekend's elections. votes have been counted. the ruling party claimed a double victory.

we have this report. >> reporter: there was a sell ebb ratry mood at the prime minister's headquarters. his party, the right wing dmrodpn and e were elected for a further term. the social democrat opposition says this result was too good to be believed. >> translation: the citizens of macedonia are cheated. there's no conditions for basic electoral process, which was conducted in an uncivilized manner and the constitutional rite of the citizen was you surped. the union of macedonia, as the biggest opposition party asks for the creation of a government of technocrats. >> as the biggest political party, they are asking for an interim government of the technocrats to oversee a repeat

election. >> reporter: what this moons is the social -- means is the social democrats will likely refuse to take a seat in the new government. which does not mean the election result will be ipp valid. authority to govern would be undermined. so a political crisis is on. >> voting seemed to go smoothly in the district where the prime minister is elected. and he has his supporters here. >> the vmro built schools and hospitals. they have created jobs. president does a good job fighting for the country overseas. >> but others point out that the country is losing its youth to better job markets and open societies. this man, a political observer and commentators believes that political polarization led to more people out of the process..

>> when you lead democracy, the only way is to go out on the streets, the square, and something even attacking the state institutions. i'm not supporting it, but if things develop in that direction, then it's easy to expect that it may happen here. >> that seems to be what the social democrats have decided to do. the ruling dmro and its leader have been masters of the political game for a long time. now the social democrats are indicating that they will no longer provide legitimacy to the system. >> australia prime minister says it's highly unlikely any debris from the missing malaysian plane will be found on the ocean's surface. flight mh370 has been missing since march 8th with 239 people on board. australia is leading an international search operation focused in the indian ocean north-west of perth. >> essentially, though, what we

are looking to do is conduct as thorough an undersea search as humanly possible, if necessary, of the entire probable impact zone which, as you know, is roughly 700km by 80 kms. we owe it to the families of all on board. we owe it to the wider travelling public to do everything we reasonably can to get to the bottom of the this mystery. increasing violence in pakistan's largest city prompted many affluent residents to seek safety. the demands is an attempt to counter a raising number of gun and bomb attacks. we have this report from karachi. >> reporter: making a vehicle bomb and bulletproof is not easy. this was stripped to its frame. mechanics will insert metal

plates into the door, and in-store bulletproof windows and up the suspension to cope with the 1,000 kilograms of steel and glass. the city of 18 million people has a long history of violence. much is associated with gangs linked to political parties. in recent times the taliban has grown in influence. just last year more than 2,000 people were killed in attacks, and around 100 were abducted for ransom. the killings and kidd snappings shows no signs of slowing. that's why those that can't afford it are installing windows which can stop an ak-47 bullet and a frame which can resist a bomb attack. >> this man has been in the car manufacturing business for more than 20 years. over the past year he has seen an increase in the demand for

armoured vehicle. initially he had one or two customers, now he has a dozen at a time. >> i think people have become aware that such an investment is probably quite necessary, especially if one can afford it. armouring a car is not treat. making it bomb and bulletproof is anywhere from 30 to $40,000, on top of the purchase of a vehicle. it's a small price to pay for peace of mind. he's asked us to hide his identity for security reasons. he had his jeep armoured a few months ago. >> i was mugged, like, four times in the last 2, 2.5 years. the time comes when you feel enough is enough and you have to look for a solution. >> in a country where many live on a few dollars a day, it's a solution opened to a privileged

few. the death toll in saudi from the middle east respiratory syndrome, known as mers, is 100. eight new cases have been identified. that brings deaths to 102, since the virus was identified in 2012. there is no known vaccine. farmers in columbia are preparing for a nationwide strike. they say the government failed to fulfil promises it made after a wave of violent strikes last year, weeks before the presidential elections. our correspondent has been speaking to farmers. >> reporter: on these hills that man has been growing potatos for generations. that is changing. >> i used to plant 180 hectares. now i barely plant 20. i would employ 120 people. i'm down to 10 or 12. business is not profitable any

more. it cost more to produce than what we make selling. >> lack of subsidies, high production costs and lack of trade agreements bought prices down, triggering strikes that brought the country to a halt in 2013, when farmers located major roads and clashed with the police. the protestnded when the -- protest ended when the president promised reforms. the farmers will return to the streets as the government has not delivered. >> translation: what else can we do? we can't tolerate the situation or continue to work the land. they are kicking us out. they shouldn't call them free trade agreements, they are free plunder agreements. the government will not renegotiate them. >> small farmers across the country are ready to start the

process on april the 18th. with president yam legislations weeks away the government fears a strike could impact the outcome of the vote. ministers are touring the country saying many reforms have been implemented and others are on their way. >> translation: our negotiations are generating results. there is no reason for the farmers to despair and act violently or illegally. why protest when they are not heard. we are not onliling, we are solving the -- only listening, we are solving problems. >> big agriculture companies agrees, strikes would damage the country itself. >> translation: if the reasons are there, dialogue is the best option, especially now that the government recognises we don't have a policy and need to build one. >> many small farmers feel time has run out and unless the

government changes the international agreements, they fear their business will slowly disappear. >> at least 12 people have been killed by tornados in the united states. the twister has caused widespread damage in arkansas river, and oklahoma. whipping out entire neighbourhoods in some areas. rescue workers have been struggling to find survivors in the darkness as they try to dig through the rubble of buildings and forecasters issued thunderstorm warnings. >> basketball players from the l.a. clippers staged a protest against racist comments allegedly made by the team's owners. donald sterling was alleged to have been caught on tape telling a woman not to promote her association with black people and not to bring them to games. joie chen reports. >> the protest took place before the game, with players wearing

inside-out warm-up jerseys so the l.a. clippers logo could not be seen. banned at the gam against the gold state warriors expressed shock at the statements made by donald sterling. >> he sounds ridiculous, he opens a basketball team with african american players. that made him sound like a racist. >> i am an n.b.a. player, i have supported the team for the longest time. whatever he said is his own personal thing. it's not ours, we love the l.a. clippers. the issue goes beyond basketball, with president obama commenting at the press conference halfway around the world during a visit to malaysia. >> when ignorant folk want to advertise their ignorance, you don't have to do anything, but let them talk. that happened here. >> the audio renewed the debate about america and racism:.

>> lebron james, one of the biggest names in the game is calling on new n.b.a. commissioner adam silver to take a firm stand against any bigotry. >> there's no room for that in our game. we found a way to make this the greatest game in the world, and for comments like that, it takes our game, and we can't have that, can't have it from a player, an owner or a fan. >> adam silver promised swift action. the n.b.a. investigation could be complex. the voice from the recording has to be authenticated as donald sterling, and there may be an issue about how it was obtained. the players' association is asking to be included in any decisions about the team owner. >> we are collectively one family. i am confident that this family

will speak together in one voice. there is absolutely no place in the n.b.a. family for ignorance, intolerance, reprehensible comments that are unacceptable and not fitting for what the league is all about. >> as for the team, l.a. clippers's coach doc rivers feel the best move is to move on as one. >> the biggest statement we can making a men - not as black men, as men - is to stick together and show how strong we are as a group, not splinter or walk. it's easy to protest. the protest will be in the play. >> the team was hoping for a different outcome. the l.a. clippers taking a pummelling on sunday, losing by double digits. >> reporter: donald sterling's comment may shock many but some say it's nothing new and has been going on for years. the question will be why his

behaviour was ignored for so long. well, you can always keep up to date with that particular story by joie chen, as well as the other day's top stories by going to the website. it's all at suspended in limbo between the living and the dead. these patients are the infected - victims of a contagion so lethal it kills almost one and a