florence, al jazeera, indonesia. >> lovely pictures. just a reminder you can find out much more on many of the stories we're covering by heading to our website. the address to click on to is www.aljazeera.com. www.aljazeera.com. for all your latest news and sport. >> the trial for baltimore office implicated in the death of freddie gray is dallied before it even begins. g.m. heading to quarter over faulty ignition switches. starving residents in syria welcoming food and aid for the first time in months. [singing] >> and--fans around the world mourning the death of music legend david bowie.

>> this is al jazeera live in new york city. i'm del walters. an appeals court has delayed the officer the trial of officer goodison who is facing second-degree murder charges in connection with the death of freddie gray. jury selection was to begin this morning but the court proceedings have been put on hold. instead the court is focusing on whether officer william porter will instead of against goodison. he was driving the fan when gray suffered his injuries. >> he was aware from officer porter that freddie gray asked for medical help, and he didn't get it for him, and he was in control of the van. >> we're live in baltimore, john, what more can you tell us about the court's decision in this case? >> well, del, an absolute legal bombshell has just exploded here in the court system in

baltimore. nobody i think was expecting what did happen, and that is that the trial that was due to get under way today with jury selection of officer goodison, who was the driver of the police wagon that freddie gray was in on the day that he was fatally injured, that trial has now been postponed more or less indefinitely. and the reason is that the key prosecution witness in that trial was to be william porter, the officer who was tried before december, whose trial was declared to be a mistrial, and what was scheduled to be retried in june. his defense went to the court of special appeals in maryland and said this is not fair. this man has not had a fair trial, and you're asking him to testify in the trials of his colleagues. they stopped him from testifying until they made that decision. they wrote to the trialish and

said don't go ahead with your trial. wait until we decide what is going on here. the thing is the court of special appeals is not expected, according to legal analysts, to hear oral arguments in this case until january. i can only imagine they're either going to ride this out, which will push the whole thing deeper into 2016, or because officer porter was required as a witness in two other cases they'll retry him first to get this issue out of the way, or they'll deal with the other officers whose trial he's not required in first in order to get these trials, caesar goodison, the driver, and the supervising officer, he's required in her trial as well, they'll get to them much later. it's confusing, and the bottom

line is we don't know. >> william propertier, how important is his testimony in this case? >> well, it's the case. that's it. case closed. he either testifies or there is no case against caesar goodison because it is william porter, if you remember in his own trial, which was a mistrial in december, he was the one who said that driver goodison was aware that freddie gray had asked for medical help or was in some kind of distress. the prosecution is going to say instead of taking him to hospital or getting a medic to him quickly, which is what he should have done, he chose to pick up another suspect along the way. i think it's fair to say that the prosecution is in very real trouble now. and really it boils down to logistics. it's a logistical nightmare for them. >> thank you very much. from baltimore to detroit, jury selection is underway in a case involving g.m.'s faulty ignition

switches. the first case involving an oklahoma man. bisi onile-ere is in new york. why is this case so important to all of the victims? >> hi there, del. it's important because there have been people who have suffered injuries or even died driving in germ motor's vehicles. right now i can tell that you jury selection is underway. the jury consisting of 100 people. it's a packed courtroom right now. this case is one of several that will test of the boundaries of claims against general motors. >> today's g.m. will do the right thing. >> last yea gorge motors sheffield united out millions of dollars to settle hundreds of claims in connection with the faulty switch scandal. but it's part of a massive civil lawsuit. hundreds are waiting for tir

day in federal court. >> this is a very high stakes trial happening in new york. >> this week g.m. will face the first of six bell weather trials. the outcomes can determine the outcome of whether a party decides to continue litigating or settle. the first case involves an oklahoma man who prevents an switch from deploying during a crash. g.m. denies those claims. >> the engineers when designing it in 2001, they knew they had a problem with it, and yet they went ahead with the faulty design. >> general motors was aware of the faulty switches for more than a decade. but waited until february 2014 to issue recalls on more than 2 million vehicles. g.m. knew that ignition switches could slip out of position, suddenly shut off the position and leave airbags and power steering useless. dozens were injured, and more than 100 people died. >> our daughters, mothers,

fathers, wives, and husbands are gone because they were a cost of doing business g.m. style. >> laura christian's daughter was killed when they are chevy cobalt crashed in 2005. she settled her case against g.m. the following year. when the automaker reached $900 million settlement with the adjust department to avoid prosecution, christian was outraged. >> $900 million sounds like a lot, but to a massive corporationly g.m. this is their riding their way out of a bad situation. that's all it is. hundreds of families like miss who are left wondering how is it that they're able to get away with this? >> so far there have been no criminal charge filed against any current or former g.m. employees. >> a jolt or your knee hitting it very readily will switch the switch to the off position. >> clarence with the watchdog

group said that evidence presented an at trial could shed more light on who knew what and when. >> what it can lead to is tremendous amount, billions of dollars of additional damages and it could and should lead to homicide charge against individuals within the corporations that were responsible for these decisions that led to the deaths. >> as g.m. workers to move on from the ignition switch scandal it can't avoid the past. on the same day that the knacken international auto show gets under way in detroit automakers will also be front and center in the new york federal courtroom. >> and the presiding judge has maids a number of rulings over the past few weeks that may work against general motors. for example, it's been said that g.m. asked the judge to exclude some evidence and arguments in this case, and the judge refused. del?

>> bisi, we heard mary barra in the package there, is it likely that any other executives will be taken to stand to testify about what they knew and when they knew it? >> del, i'm told it's very likely that ceo mary barra will be called to the stand as well as other executives. it's important to note that this trial is expected to last a month. the five remaining bell weather trials will take place over the course of this year. >> bisi onile-ere outside of the courthouse in new york. thank you very much. as many as 60 schools in detroit are closed this morning part of an organized teacher sick-out. the former strike is an effort by the treachers to show their frustration with the ongoing problems in that district. a group that calls itself "a group strikes to win" who say that they're unhappy with their pay and other schools closed friday because of similar sick sick-outs. and ten california teachers are now suing the state's

teachers association. they are argue that they shouldn't have to pay do yous to that union which bargains on behalf of all california public teachers. the group said that it violates their first amendment rights of public policy professor in california said that the case is being closely watched. >> i think there is a group of organizations and people who would like to limit the ability of workers to join the union. the supreme court rules for the plaintiffs it will be hard to sustain public sector unions. even if all the workers want the unions, then the workers will have an incentive not to pay their do yous. let other workers pay the dues for them and then when nobody pays the does the union doesn't have the ability to pay for the cost of bargaining. >> there are other states that have similar laws. the court said it will not issue an decision until june. remembering david bowie. his influence on rock music from

that era to today effected musicians as diverse as freddie mercury to kanye west. [singing] >> the news of his death from cancer shocking fans and fellow musicians at age 69 bowie had just released a new album that seemed poised to make a new come back. [singing] >> david bowie transcended styles and repeatedly reinvented himself over five decades. borne david jones in 1947 in south london, bowie rose to international fame with the 1969 single "space odyssey." [singing] from cult figure to flamboyant rock star, he took pop in a new direction with his alter ego

ziggy stardust all about flamboyant costumes. >> he brought new look to pop and rock music when it was dull in the early '70s. he brought a range of ability of being a pop star or rock star. >> he took on iconic roles in movies also starring as a globulin. bowie was inducted in the rock-n-roll hall of fame in 1996. in an interview in 2003 he acknowledged what his ever-changing image meant for the evolution of his good luck most people, they get to 20. now they stayed 20. but that didn't happen for me. i went on and on and suddenly i'm 56. i have to write from this unique perspective of somebody who never stopped being 20. but i went on. isn't that weird. >> just last friday on his 69th birthday, david bowie released his 25th studio album

"black star." critics praised it's innovative son and it gave more meaning for the music "lazarus." bowie died after an 18-month battle with cancer. his son film director duncan jones writing on twitter very sorry and sad to say it's true. british prime minister david cameron called bowie a master of reinvention who kept getting it right. and madonna called him talented, unique genius, game changer. al jazeera. >> an earlier al jazeera talked to curator victoria brooks who talked about getting access to the david bowie archives putting together the first look back at his extraordinary career. >> we didn't work directly with him. we were working with all of his, as you say, all of his objects and the archive that he built up over 50-year career. we worked very closely with his people. so i must say i figured i knew

him even though i only met him once. >> what did you learn from that? >> well, gosh, it's hard to know where to start. our exhibition was mainly, i suppose, around th the inspirations that bowie took, where he got his ideas from, also the process of how he worked, and also the very large number of creative people that he now influences, and there were so many tributes i've seen already today. beyond that is the fact that he means something to so many people not just creative people, but all people really, in the sense that he proposed this idea of creative freedom and freedom of expression, and he sort of gave license to people to be who they wanted to be. i think that for the fans is the big idea that they take away with them. >> brooks said that she and her

partner have taken 300 objects including lyrics, costumes, instruments and album artwork. >> preparing for his final state of the union address, and aid arriving in devastated parts of syria for the first time in months.

>> the latest presidential poll showing that the races are getting tighter with just three weeks to go before the iowa caucuses. the poll giving having over bernie sanders in iowa, 38-45%. and marco rubio trailing with

13%, and in new hampshire trump's lead is bigger 30%. rubio is second with 14% and ted cruz third with 10%. the president is getting ready for his final state of the union address. he'll go to capitol hill for the last time tuesday night. the white house said he'll deliver a different kind of speech. our senior correspondent mike viqueira has a preview. >> president obama delivers his final state of the union address on tuesday and it's likely to be a combination victory lap as what he seize as success in his seven years in office and insistence that this last year won't be a lame duck session but that there is much work to do with or without congress. he'll enter the house chamber on a wave of good economic news. the employment rate is up, and so are wages. we can expect the president to tout the opening to cuba and iran and what he sees as the success of the affordable care

act. all in all the president wants to talk about his legacy and add to that. congressional acceptance with pacific trade teal with the pacific rim nations known as the tpp. and he'll push for something that has bipartisan support, criminal justice reform, reducing mandatory minimum similars and reducing the prison population. there is one promise that has not been filled, closing the military prison in guantanamo bay. president obama wants to work with congress to do that, but that's not likely to happen, and the president has made it clear that he'll go around congress if he has to, as he did with guns and immigration. and like many presidents before him mr. obama is expected to spend much of the last year of his office overseas defending his approach to syria and the fight against isil. all in all president obama will make the case against the state of the union on tuesday that he

has turned things around, especially on the economy since he took office seven years ago. but there is much more to do in his final and eighth year. mike viqueira, al jazeera, washington. >> and al jazeera special coverage of the state of the union dress begins tomorrow evening beginning at 8:00 p.m. eastern time. women in oregon now have the option of getting birth control without their doctor. instead they can get their precipitations filled at local pharmacists. oregon is the first state in the nation to allow pharmacists to write precipitations for birth control and it will reduce unintended pregnancies. >> we know from research in studies that's been done that consistency, particularly in pills or patches, is the most important factor in the effectiveness of the medication. and by having available in her medicine cabinet or wherever she stores it, a full 12-month

supply of birth control that women can give herself a chance at 30% reduction in the likelihood of an unintended pregnancy. that's a very big advance for women. >> al jazeera takes a closer look at the effect of the law in oregon tonight at 8:00 p.m. eastern time. the armed group occupying the national wildlife area in oregon is asking supporters to send in supplies. the stand off now in its second week. the leader of the occupation is rejecting calls that he leaves. he said that will happen when he sees the transfer of the federal land into local ownership. the officials have called on the group to leave but none have tried to force them out desperately needed aid reaching syria. convoys reaching the areas right now. the government has blockaded cities for six months. aid is being handed out in towns

that have been sieged by rebel groups as well. >> leaving damascus carrying desperately needed aid to western syria, but there are demands that more need to be done to help many others in need. >> what is going on now giving aid to people is not good enough. the united nations have done this exactly three months ago and look at where we are at now. >> to the north supply trucks from the aid organization trundle through idlib heading to areas where both convoys had to arrive at the same time as part of a deal negotiated with the syrian government a few days ago. pro government forces have blockaded the area for months. cut off by armed rebel groups. people say they've been reduced to eating handfuls of salt, tree leaves, cats and dogs.

>> are we not arabs? i swear to god we are arabs. these children, what wrong have they done? this child, what wrong did he admit? >> the world food program said that the aid will meet the needs of 40,000 people but only for one month. the u.n. said there are 400,000 people trapped by various sieges across syria. activists say it's vital that they're lifted. the u.n. has more aid convoys planned for across syria, but their delivery depends on the warring sides and if they'll let deliveries of aid through. >> in iraq eight people are dead after gunmen stormed a mall in baghdad. the group taking control of the mall located in a mainly shiite part of the city, the men setting up a car bomb at the entrance, they then moved in.

dozens of people are still believed to be trapped inside. when al jazeera returns, ringling brothers barnum brothers will end their controversial elephant performances. plus the hollywood foreign press honors the best in their business.

>> the winners in for the u.s. car and truck of the year. the honda civic has been named the best car. the top truck is the volvo sp 90. it was the second victory for both. awards given to auto writers in the u.s. and canada. the time to show off shiny new models mercedes benz showing off advance driver technologies but this year's show is also about winning office customer trust. hollywood's award season kicking off with quite a few surprises. >> the golden globe goes to d.

>> it was the final act of the night with the bloody frontier thriller taking the award for the motion picture drama. it upset the field in every major category including best actor globe for leonardo dicaprio. it ended with hesitant collapse for ricky gervais. >> i'll do this monologue and then go into hiding. not even sean penn will find me. >> he continued to ridicule hollywood's elite. jennifer lawyers took home he lawrence took home her third golden globe for her work in "joy." >> i'm extremely surprised and overwhelmed. >> moments later matt damon won for his role in "the martian." >> it's literally been 18 years

since i've been here doing this, with a little more context i know how lucky i am. >> the moment of the night went to sylvester stallone for his role in "creed." >> i want to thank my imaginary friend rocky balboa for being the best friend i ever had. >> a well-known circus group is ending its elephants acts. they'll retire the elephants in may. they've had acts for more than a century. their parent country owns the largest herd of asian elephants. the 11 elephants in four will join the rest in at a conservation in florida.

>> breaking the siege, trucks with aid finally arrive in syrian towns where people are starving. hello there, i'm felicity barr. this is al jazeera live from london. also coming up. at least eight people are killed in a siege in a shopping mall . in germany officials warn