the u.s. says it will have to negotiate with president assad to end the war in syria. hello. live from doha. also coming up in the next 30 minutes: >> we do not know if our families are safe or not. as a leader of the nation my whole heart is for the whole people of the nation. >> vanuatu says years have been -- of progress have been wiped out in the cyclone hit islands. >> in sao paulo t years after

military rule, the president who was tortured by the same regime is hearing calls for her impeachment. broad powers to make venzuela's laws. allowing president maduro to rule by decree among rising tensions with the u.s. hello. u.s. secretary of state john kerry says he is willing to negotiate with bashar al assad for a political transition. up until now the u.s. had insisted he had to go. kerry is in lusanne switzerland for talks. james bays is there. ♪. >> secretary of state john kerry in shamal sheik in egypt where he called for a fresh start.

he spoke with cbs. >> we are working very hard with other interested parties to see if we can reignite a glom outcome. why? because everybody agrees there is no military solution. there is only a political solution. but to get the assad regime to negotiate, we are going to have to make it clear hoto him that there is a determination by everybody to seek that political outcome and change his calculation about negotiating. >> that's underway right now and i am convinced that with the efforts of our allies and others there will be increased pressure on assad. >> you would be willing to negotiate with him? >> well we have to negotiate. >> the u.s. had a role in previous peace talks when former u.n. negotiator brought the syrian government and members of the opposition for talks at the

u.n.'s headquarters in geneva last year. the u.s. and russia acted as guarantors of the process but the u.s. has not had direct negotiations with the syrian government before. why is it being proposed now? well, dr. brahimi's success ors efforts to bring a freeze or cease-fire to aleppo have stalled. diplomats say the plan seems dead. from egypt, secretary kerry traveled to lusanne in switzerland for the latest round of nuclear talks. the deadline for a freaky framework deal is at the end of the month. >> what happens at these ongoing talks could not only have a bearing on the big issue of iran's nuclear program. glommats tell me if there is a new push to restart a syrian peace process, then all international and it regional players need to be involved. iran remains syria's closest ally and has key influence. >> on monday the iranian foreign minister will travel to

brussels. fedderikee modirini. she recently told me an iran deal would be an historic opportunity to create a new framework for the middle east. james bays al jazeera, lusanne. >> in the syrian city of aleppo there have been missioned reactions to john kerry's suggestion of dialogue with the syrian president. some have welcomed it. others say it should have happened four years ago. >> i think the remarks by the secretary of state john kerry were very late. at after four years, 15,000 martyrs, tens of thousands of prisoners, he arrives with this offer of dialogue. he should have said this at the beginning. revolution. >> the comments today where john kerry pressured assad is something we don't reject but we don't accept it without conditions. meaning we will accept it with conditions and we won't reject

it outright. i am sure the people who have suffered directly will reject any dialogue with assad. we need to be political saavy and hold him accountable. we don't accept any outcome that doesn't include his trial. >> dozens of civilians have been killed in rebel-held areas in the syrian town of douma. activists say 30 people including 13 died in government airstrikes on residential buildings in the town just outside damascus. about 100 people are also said to have been injured t the president of vanuatu says cyclone pam has wiped out years of progress. aid agencies 90% of the buildings on the mine island of port vila have been damaged or destroyed. at least eight people have been declared dead in the pacific island nation. >> very emotional. very emotional. i as head of the nation my heart is for the people.

everyone has that same feeling because we don't know what happened to our family. there is a breakdown of communications that we cannot reach our families and we do not know whether our families are safe or not, and as a nation my whole heart is for the whole people of the nation. >> andrew thomas has more from vanuatu's capitol, port vila. >> our team was on the first non-military flight to be able to land in port vila since this monster cyclone and first impressions of the capital city port vila is that it is a town that has been badly damaged but not quite devastated. the vast majority of buildings have sustained damage whether it's a tree falling on top of them like this one mind me or whether they have been totally flattened. there was a major repair operation already going on underway from the bottom up, it must be said because most people don't have insurance and there isn't much sign yet of a

coordinated effort. people are getting on with it. the real concern, though, is the outlying island. the cyclone tracked right across all of the islands and it hit those in the south, south of where i am right now particularly hard. aid agencies haven't been able to land there and certainly haven't been able to get there any other way. so far they have done recon sans flights over and anecdotally, i have been told from the air it looks like total destruction. what isn't known until boots are on the ground is whether it is just damage to buildings and infrastructure or whether there have been significant loss of life or injury as well. the president of vanuatu was at the disaster preparedness conference in japan. he called it a monster and one that will take vanuatu many years to recover from. >> hundreds of thousands of protesters have been marching across cities across brazil. many calling for the impeachment

of the president. the government is forcing growing anger there and a deepening scandal of petrobras. adam raney reports from sao paulo. >> reporter: a dorsey of people all squeezed on to sao paulo's main avenue that lies at the heart of the financial sector. one of the demands, the impeachment of the president two months into her second term. protesters are seething over a corruption company and worried about an economy that seems weaker every day. >> the resilience that the brazilian people have is they are taking our money and we don't have anything back you know. only we pay taxes and taxes and taxes, and we don't have anything back.

>> rising taxes, you know, taking people's rights from everyone. >> tennessee 6 thousands marched in other cities, too, along rio dejaniero and cocobano beach. they want the president out. >> reporter: hundreds of thousands of people have come out to march here on sunday. i roncally the 30th anniversary of the return of democracy in brazil when after 20 year military rule there was finally, free elections. people marching say they have democracy but they say this is an attack on democracy. >> there were conservative trains visible, signs calling for military intervention and rejections of communism. opponents have accused her and the party of following. while the protests followed on,

roussef's justice minister said the president is listening to the demands and will act on them. it's a response by a president from whom it seems many no longer want to hear. adam raney action al jazeera, sao paulo. >> in venzuela lawmakers have agreed to give the president new powers which allow him to make unilaterally decrees. barracks obama slapped new sanctions on them. >> reporter: the government has given maduro sweeping powers the right to pass laws without congress approval. the fist pump in the air, the national anthem and cries of yankee go home the president spoke to the crowds. the nationalist sentiment was clear. what was missing was a clear idea what the new powers meant. >> the american government has committed the most embarrassing

repugnant and aggressive act that we can remember in our 200-year history. since venzuela was called venzuela and since bol i have a r liberated united states. >> that's why i went to the national assembly. >> the move comes days after the u.s. granted a national threat and sanctioned seven government officials. as the head of the country's parliament, hand delivered the law, thousands outside the palace roarred in support of what they say will allow president maduro to protect the oil rich nation from a u.s. invasion. the mood was festive, hardly the signs of a country under siege. >> i am here because as venzuelaanses we need to unite. what obama said is no small matter. we need to support maduro's proposal wholeheartedly. >> the day before military and civilians rehearsed military maneuvers to fight for an invasion. >> nicholas maduro has a little

over 20% approval rate and parliamentary elections loom ahead. in these streets, people are more worried about the soaring crime rate than a crime tract. >> our domestic problems are more real than a foreign enemy n we are being robbed and killed everywhere. >> president nicholas maduro has successfully turned the issue of sanctions into a matter of national sovereignty. it's brought international support, but whether the support extends to its own backyard will only be known at the upcoming polls. al jazeera karakas. >> still ahead on al jazeera, when we come back: the front line in iraq has reinforcements join a battle to retake the city of tikrit from is isil. the deaths of two young boys 10 years ago led to riots in a paris suburb. two police officers will go on trial.

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on al jazeera port villa, eight people have been declared dead in the pacific island nation. demonstrators across brazil are calling for the resignation of dilma roussef, facing a deaning scandal. a more iraqi militia members head to go tikrit to take back the city from isil. military commanders there say the offensive to reclaim the rest of the city is briefly on hold until reinforcements arrive. ays has attained exclusive footage from the front lines of the battle. jane arraf reports. >> five kilometers, this counter terrorism unit is pinned down by sniper fire. isil specialize ins snippers and explosives and here, its used to deadly effect. this battle last week is an indication of why taking tikrit

is slow going. the counter terrorism battalion is an elite unit, u.s.-trained. they have been deployed from nearby cam spiker to clear the road for advancing soldiers and malinc. a men. in just a few minutes, they lost five of their men on the battlefield, seven were injured. this is a side of the war not normally seen. the military and malitias won't disclose how many have died in battle. to out isil gunmen the troops set fire to the fields. as isil retreats from around tikrit new evidence of a massacre has emerged. near the village of abujuil, health workers found some of those believed killed near camp spiker last august. >> we have come today to open up the graves and lift the remains and transfer them to baghdad. there, we will take them to the

forensic labs to give their dnas and match them with the victims' families. >> the malitias who took back this town said there are 400 bodies spread across four grave sites. they are believed to be some of more than 1,000 unarmed military recruits left undefended who were killed by isil making it not only tragedy but a huge political issue in baghdad. unlike the iraqi army collapse when isil rolled into iraq last june no one is running from this fight. in the past two days, shia cleric muqtar asadr, sending the former army to reinforce fighters in tikrit. camp spiker is a rallying call. these fighters chant, we are going to avenge our brothers four-fold, referring to the dead recruits. they are just setting off. they haven't seen the fighting

yet. >> iraqi military leaders are confident they can retake tikrit. the u.s. officials share that view. victories like this come at a very high cost. the unknown hundreds of soldiers and militia men who have been killed in battle or at the hands of isil and the uncertainty of how far the desire for revenge will go. jane arraf, al jazeera, baghdad. >> the fighting in theback battle for tikrit caused severe damage to the too many of saddam hussein. all that remains are the support columns that once held up the roof in his hometown just south of tikrit. he was buried there in 2007. iraqi media reported last year his remains were removed from the site. the location wasn't disclosed. now, two police officers will go on trial in france in connection with the death of two teenagers two years ago. the incidents where the two boys died of electro krugs triggered

weeks of rioting in the superb of paris. jacky roland reports. >> 15 kilometers outside paris is a world apart. to many people in france the suburb is synonymous with unemployment, poor housing and social problems. ten years ago, these streets erupted into violence. night after night, protest orders set fire to cars and public buildings. the riots spread to other suburbs and the government declared a state of emergency. the riots were triggered by the death of these two boys: zid beener and buna troair. >> when a police patrol pulled up thinking the police were after them the boys ran in to an electricity substation to hide where they died of electrocution. the death of the teenagers shocked the whole community. it also raised broader questions about police behavior and the lack of central government investment in these communities.

mary any sesay was the cousin of one of the victims. the experiences led her to become a community leader. today, she is deputy mayor. >> to die because you are afraid of the police that should not be happening in the 21st century. the police are supposed to be guardians of the peace. they are here to protect people not to make them afraid. >> the government has started addressing the roots of some of the social problems. these blighted power blocks have been condemned, their windows bricked up waiting for demolition. buildings on a more human scale have replaced them. >> people here often feel uneasy when they see a film crew. the mainstream media has tended to misrepresent them and their neighborhood. the sight of a camera is often

greeted suspicion or hostility. >> another sign of public investment in the suburbs, a new school building will provide badly understooded places for young children starting their education. so clichy subwa has taken a few steps on the road to regeneration. many problems remain. notably, the high rate of unemployment. the future for the children of the suburbs remains uncertain. jackie roland al jazeera, clichy subwa. >> the kosher supermarket where four hostans were killed in january has re-opened. the french interior ministers praised the reopening saying it was a sign of resilience. the gunmen stormed the store. >> how dhow i feel? still the same. i repeat. a lot of hate and anger,

injustice, these are the words that come to my mind. you can't die at 20 bombs of human stupidity and because you are a jew. >> a taliban fighters in pakistan have claimed responsibility for two suicide bomb attacks on churches in lahore filled with people attending sunday mass. at least 14 people were killed and 70 others injured. it is the latest attack against pakistan's christian minority. victoria gaten background reports. >> the pakistani taliban timed its attacks to apparent cause maximum devastation. the two churches in lahore were packed with catholics and protestants attending sunday services. there was chaos in the moment after the bombs exploded. within minutes of each other. >> i was on guard inside. a small gate was opened. suddenly, there was a sound of a blast and the gate was blown away. i quickly turned around and all of these splashes of blood fell on my clothes. after that we got busy with the rescue effort. >> sunday's attack was the worst

on the community since the devastating double suicide bombing in the northwestern city of peshwara killed more than 80 people. this time, the bombings were in the uhanabad neighborhood, home to more than 100,000 christians. >> today in lahore our churches were attacked. we strongly condemned the act and demanded the government provide protection to all places of worship of all religions, including muslim prayer places. in pakistan minorities of insecure. we want security. >> lahore is the capital of punjab. it is generally considered peaceful compared to other areas of pakistan but attacks have been increasing after the government's failed attempts to hold peace talks with the taliban last year. christian community leaders say the government isn't doing enough to ensure their safety and that attacks like this show

they are a target. victoria gatenby, al jazeera. >> afghanistan's president is in sawed 0 arabia for a two-day visit. he was received in the capitol re rihad. invest orders have committed more than $36,000,000,000 to projects in egypt on the last day of an economic summit there. president sisi has pledged to fix the crumbling

that. >> israel prime minister been ming netanyahu called on supporters to come out and vote. he spoke on sunday where he said a left-wing government must be prevented from coming to power. ♪net is trailing in opinion polls before tuesday's parliament election. his campaign has focused on security issues and the stlet from iran's nuclear program. but its failed to inspire voters. many say economic issues including soaring house prices and the high cost of living are their main concerns. >> the fire has broken out in one of russia's most noted atracks, the bell tower of moscow's convent engulfed by flames for three hours on sunday night. the fire began in a wooden scalding surrounding the building. the 16th century landmark has been undergoing renovation work:

china accounts for nearly a quarter of global scales in the ant acts market. galleries around the world are eager to show case their pieces at hong kong's art week. in recent years, local artists have been overshadowed by big international names. a new art fair that is promising to turn the spotlight back on hong kong artists. >> for a couple of million dollar, this two meter bronze pumpkin is yours. art takes all forms from a golden bridge to sack of colorful cake along with well known iconic freezes andy war holy. more than $3,000,000,000 is expected to change hands at this year's art show. it has personal hong kong on the circuit but critics say the glitzy ven done little for local artists. >> hong kong artists don't love to go to events or meet like new

clients or meet people. they are a bit shy. for us a lot of these artists, we approach them. >> that's what the newest art fair set outdo. 20 percent of the artists are local. you don't need a pile of money to buy a piece of art here it's billed as a more affordable and edgy art fare with asian galleries featuring lesser known talent. >> vivian's work will be seen by thousands of people and top collectors. >> ist's a nice feeling. i talk to like my friend and like do you think my work is good enough? am i embarrassing myself? i really worried. >> her creations stand alongside more flamboyant pieces like a chinese mona lisa. behind a life sized simpler rh i & o and two story paintings by mainland. discovering muse and information

appeared to be positive. >> today with all of the technology and busy-ness, i am drawn to more minimalist colorful work which beliefs a feeling of joy and happiness. >> the last day of the art fair almost all of vivian's pieces have sold showing there is plenty of room for local artists and there is demand for it. al jazeera, hong kong. >> when you are planning a ski trip northern india is not a destination easily comes to mind but the tourism industry is indian administered cashmere is hoping to change that. take a look. welcome to the snow festival the two-day event featuring a number of activities including dancing, snow cycling and skiing. the main objective to attract foreign tourits, the much needed economic boost for the state after devastating floods last

year. this is where we go our separate ways for those of you watching us in the united states america tonight is up next. a reminder of the head lines just ahead for the international viewers but wherever you are, keep up-to-date with all of the news on our website, aljazeera.com. >> on an "america tonight" special report: drugging america. >> marv and linda lost their son jason last august. >> i never thought he was going to die. >> the tomah va told them his death was caused by an aneurysm. >> despite the va's most serious warning, they found the nursing home residents with dementia