>> we tend to band together, so we have a voice. >> we're just surviving. it's really hard. o >> zika threat. >> the explosive threat of zika virus to new geographical areas with little population immunity is another cause for concern. >> health officials say the mosquito-borne virus linked to birth defects will spread across the americas. gaining ground. the syrian government recovers a key town from opposition forces,

while diplomats argue about who can attend peace talks in geneva. europeans decide to strengthen border controls. and they blame greece for not keeping out refugees. tight security marked the five year anniversary that toppled hosne mubarak in egypt and promised change. good evening i'm antonio mora, this is al jazeera america, international news hour. we begin tonight with new fears over the spread of a virus throirchgviruslinked to severe .

the zika virus is believed to be spreading to all countries except chile and canada. health inspectors are now making a special effort to quarantine mosquitos that carry the disease. researchers say they will try to develop a virus in record time. more from john holman where authorities are also taking action against zika. >> the first taste of the zika virus now spread to 21 other countries says the world health organization. zika is spread by mosquitos and not life threatening for adults but causes microcephaly in which newborn infants heads don't develop.

hasn't been definitively approval but, el salvador, colombia have taken the extraordinary step of inviting women not to get pregnant for the time being. issuings guidelines. >> we are concerned about the zika virus, advising pregnant women seriously consider postponing travels to these areas if possible. >> the world health organization has just come out and said this is affecting the zika virus, 21 countries and territories in the americas and they think that it's going to spread to every country in the region, apart from canada and chile, who don't have the type of mosquito that brings the zika virus with them. mexico has already fume gated public spaces and towns in the south to try get ahead of the

virus. >> we will not stop the virus. we have not been able to stop chikungunya or dengue which is spread by the same mosquito. but you should avoid being bitten by the mosquitos. how, use long sleeves pants and repellent. >> just months away from the brazil olympics this summer will also be vulnerable to the apparent threat of this advisor. john holman, al jazeera, mexico city. syrian government forces are advancing on two different fronts. today they seized control of a town in the southern province of darra. al jazeera's rob mathison said these could prove to be crucial victories for assad regime. >> this small town captured by syrian government forces could

mark a set back for armed groups. >> translator: taken control of the area of rabea, a series of successful operation have allowed us to regain control of 18 towns and villages. >> troops loyal to bashar al-assad, stronghold to the alawite facility. key base for turkman fighters, it is estimated 20,000 have fled from their homes in the turkman mountains. >> i.t. was where they kept their supplies ammunition and weapons for the area. also many villages west of rabia were considered safe havens for the groups. >> the syrian government forces have been supported by russian air attacks. taking of rabia means the regime

and the forces are now stronger in la takia. they may turn their attention to idlib. talks to find a solution to the syrian crisis is planned for this week, there are doubts those talks will go ahead but syria's tropt line will be syria's front line will be redrawn. rob mathison, al jazeera. james bays reports from geneva. on why they are delayed. >> the delayed talks are set to start ton friday but still, the controversial e-trofn is who wilcontroversy is over who will attend. staffan de mistura will send out the invitations, he says the agenda will be based on the u.n. security council resolution passed at the end of december but he says he knows which

issues should be discussed first. >> the agenda will be already set up. is the governance 2254 resolution about the new governance new constitution and new elections. the first priority will be the focus of the talks of what most syrians if not all, want to hear. the possibility of a broad ceasefire acknowledge and the possibility of stopping the threat of i.s.i.l. and therefore, intents to a broader ceasefire and increase of humanitarian aid. i'll give it now to al jazeera, thank you. >> james bays from al jazeera. you won't list a solicitor who you're going to invite but you are going to invite. how many rooms will you be shut ling between, how many

demonstrations will there be. >> the issue about rooms and delegations will be part exactly of the creativity of the proximity talks. and you will see it yourself because there will be in my opinion a lot of shuttling because there is not only different delegations but there are also civil society women and others who deserve to be heard. the issue is they will be meeting me and my colleagues. and those, we will be assigning as facilitators or negotiators. so you could have quite a lot of simultaneous meetings taking place. >> reporter: so potentially a great deal of diplomatic activity here in the u.n.'s diplomatic headquarters in a number of different rooms simultaneously starting on friday. but that of course is if the talks start on friday and that depends whether the main fighting groups, those on the so-called riyadh list, decide to attend. >> al jazeera's james bays in

geneva. ambassador peter gal braitbh has served, joins us from brussels, ambassador good to see you. let's see where james bays ended. do you expect the parties who must attend if there's any hope for peace will show up? >> i don't know. the syrian government has said that it will show up . there are two opposition delegations, the one that includes the syrian kurds, the main u.s. ally in the fight against i.s.i.s. they say they'll show up. and so the question is if they show up, will the other opposition delegation that was put together in riyadh in december, will they come? >> right because that's part of the problem. because even american allies aren't all together on the same page. because turkey said the

participation of the syrian kurds would be dangerous and end the opposition. is that posturing? because the syrian kurds have been the most effective anti-assad fighters. >> if turkey says it doesn't want the syrian kurds there it has the leverage to get the other opposition troops not to end. and that's been a dilemma diplomats have been trying to sort out. both the united states and syria agree that some of these other more moderate opposition forces should be there and they would have a constructive role in the peace process certainly from an american point of view because they are very strongly secular. they promote things like gender equality, and you know rights for not just for arab syrians but for all syrians of all ethnicities and religions. >> so on the other side, on the syrian government side there are also issues because the syrian government has said that they

will have no concessions whatsoever. but their allies the russians and the iranians are saying that there is a willingness to negotiate. so is that posturing on the syrian part? >> yes, i think it is. clearly, if there's going to be a peace agreement, there's going to have to be a compromise both on the part of the syrian government and on the part of the various opposition factions. so if you 30 of what the solution -- think of what the solution is going to look like it's going to include elements of power sharing. a presidential system, a presidential dictatorship if you will to a parliamentary system which would allow power sharing not only in the parliament but in the government. actually, a system rather like what exists in iraq. >> now the opposing sides won't sit in the same room. the talks were supposed to start today and they were pushed off. do you think this shuttle gloams

frodiplomacy from room to room l work? >> i don't know but i'm not at all surprised that it's been difficult to get the talks started. i don't see that as any great set back. i think that the posturing, the laying-down of nonnegotiable demands of conditions, this is all normal. so i don't think -- i would be surprised if, in fact i feel quite confident that the negotiations will not take place around a table. they certainly will take place with a mediator going from room to room. >> now, westerners, especially people here in the u.s. consider i.s.i.l. the top priority in syria. how will the defeat of i.s.i.l. factor into any kind of ceasefire? >> well, this is one of the oddities about these negotiations. because there really are negotiations among factions that are fighting -- who are at war

with each other. so it's not about coming to a political solution which would then enable a better fight against i.s.i.l. it's still very important because the syrian civil war has been, you know, a devastating humanitarian tragedy and has created the opportunity for extremist groups like i.s.i.l. and georgi jabad al nusra. somewhat separate from these peace negotiations. >> ambassador galbraith thank you for joining us. >> let's hope they are successful. dealt a set back since 2014 two regimes have claimed control of libya one based in tripoli, the internationally recognized government is in tobruk. today that government voted against the plan. one said it appeared to have

been drafted to satisfy the demands of libya's militias. the officials says it will work to moderate the demand. the report released at a meeting at eu ministers in amsterdam today, new model across europe? it also says that i.s.i.l. has set up training camps on european soil. afghanistan's president is vowing revenge against i.s.i.l. in a review with the bbc, ashraf ghani said they confronted the wrong people. launched a series of suicide attacks in afghanistan killing dozens. u.s. authorized expanding its air campaign against i.s.i.l. from syria into afghanistan. i.s.i.l. has a strong presence in areas like jalalabad in the

country's east. al jazeera's omar al saleh sent this report near the afghanistan-pakistan border. >> on the front line of afghanistan's fight against islamic state of iraq and the levant, it runs through a vast mountainous area near the border with pakistan. we had a strong army escort up to this military post. the government relies on these villages to keep i.s.i.l. at bay. >> translator: we are defending our country. it's our duty. >> reporter: but off camera this fighter tells me doesn't have enough bullets to fight. i.s.i.l. is not far from here. their flag says it all. this is i.s.i.l. territory. i.s.i.l. emerged in afghanistan over a year ago, mainly in the east of the country. afghan soldiers say it is made up of, a transformation of

taliban and al qaeda. 50 millimeter caliber guns are capable of subduing the in-coming fire. fighters take their positions. there's been fighting and clashes for the last half hour or so. we are about one kilometer away from the village of sh acres oflar where i.s.i.l. is present there. they have their flag in that village and it is clear sign who is in control of that area. now afghan intelligence military intelligence sources have told us that there are about 4,000 fighters from i.s.i.l. based in the province of nangahar on the border between afghanistan and pakistan. it is very mountainous terrain. there are over 10,000 afghan security forces based in the province of nankahar. they are tasked with fighting

i.s.i.l. and the tackle. the commander says i.s.i.l. will be defeated soon. >> they posed a serious threat in the beginning and we will clear the areas and defeat them by march. tell i.s.i.l. they don't have a footstep here. >> the afghan ministry of defense say more than 190 i.s.i.l. fighters have been killed during last two months. not far from the base this market is busy. for many here, i.s.i.l. is more than a threat. it is a reality. >> translator: the government controls the main roads and bases. i.s.i.l. controls the rest. they are carrying out executions. >> reporter: the afghan army is already overstretched fighting a resilient enemy the dabl. butaliban. but the battle won't be over soon. omar al saleh, al jazeera, the

afghanistan pakistan border. >> coming up the zika virus, how fast they could spread across the country. and muslim brotherhood supporters take to the streets of giza five years after protests led to the ouster ever egyptian president hosne mubarak. are disappointed with the results.

>> growing global concern about

the zika virus is the subject of tonight's incontext segment. the number of cases of the illness has exploded as have the cases of brain disease in babies. a concern tonight a possible rapid spread throughout the americas. more from al jazeera's marianana haunt. >> the zika virus has been around for years, in the last nine months there have been half a million cases of contagion of the virus and a dramatic rise of birth defects in babies. >> normally, zika is thought a very dangerous disease, self limiting with mild symptoms but what we see in brazil right now is that in lots of the areas where we have zika infections,

women are also -- have born babies with microcephaly. >> microcephaly is a condition in which a baby's brain and head don't fully develop. back in 2014, before the virus arrived in brazil, there were 150 known cases in the country. since october, that's jumped to 4,000. the link to the zika virus still hasn't been confirmed but it's enough to prompt senior u.s. health officials to act as if there is one. >> we are quite concerned about the potential complications to the fetus of a zika virus infection of pregnant women so we are really advising that pregnant women seriously consider postponing travel to these areas if possible. >> those areas cover 20 different countries throughout latin america and the caribbean and there have already been a handful of cases in the united states. health officials are still not clear why it's fled into an

epidemic so quickly but they are worried that the olympic games in re rio de janeiro can cause it to spread even further . >> it's the olympic games and a lot of tourists will arrive in rnlgd are and will be exposed to getting a virus, so zika has consequences not just for the brazilian public always health but for the health of the worldwide. >> officials in brazil, columbia yah and el salvador have taken the unprecedented step of advising women not to get pregnant for now. the mosquitoes also carry dengue fever and chicken. limiting exposure to the mosquito is the only answer make mosquito eradication programs like these all the more important.

mariam nahond, al jazeera. infectious disease specialty, amish very good to see you. at this point sit pretty certain that the increase in cases of microcephaly are associated with the zika virus? >> i wouldn't say it's completely certain. there is onive evidence gettin d it is reasonable to advise pregnant women to avoid places where this is prevalent. >> the zika virus is not unheard of. why worry about this if it is the culprit? >> we didn' learned about zika e 1940s. when the population is completely nonimmune to this virus, there may be some mutation in the virus that's causing it to do this and we've

never seen this big of an outbreak before. maybe the law of big numbers, like in ebola these rare complications now that we have half a million cases in brazil this may be a rare complication that may become somewhat more common when you do have this large number of cases. but those are all important cases that we don't know the answer to yet. >> what is the likelihood it will spread to the u.s. and how quickly? >> it's definitely a possibility. we have seen other viruses like dengue an chikungunya spread bye same mosquito, all it really takes is a person who is infected with the virus to get bit with the correct mosquito and you can have local transmission where the mosquito is present. it is a real threat we have to look out for. >> is it in those areas or can it spread throughout the country?

how common is the mosquito? >> the mosquito is restricted to some of the southeast for some of them and southwest for the other one, but it is a big swath of the united states. not places like north dakota, for example, texas and hawaii as one of the key places for these mosquitos to abound, where they will establish themselves like dengue and chikungunya transmitted in florida as well. >> will all the people traveling to rio next summer, also cause the transmission of zika. >> it is venerabl very well pos. if they can then get bit by that mosquito and then have local outbreak. so that is an important aspect of how this could spread arrange e-around the world and i think it's something we have to really

be cognizant of. >> there is also concern that zika could be involved with the start of guillan barret syndrome. >> we know it can be triggered by a multiple different types of infection. it wouldn't be surprising to see zika equity connected to guillan barree. because of the sheer number of people that are infected and the fact that these are all people that live in areas where zika has not again and they have no immune response to the virus. >> is it time for a bigger effort to develop a vaccine for zika and how long would that take? >> it's very hard to predict how

long against zika to be manufactured. vavaccines are a tricky busines, we have to see how the immune system responds to them. it is an important effort because we're seeing this microcephaly being linked to zika. people are aren't tolerant of that, people are attuned to the risk of feetal malformations. just as the case was for reu belrubella, this will probably a major effort. >> especially when you have soful countries telling women they should avoid getting pregnant. we'll see how helpful that is, dr. amish adalgo, good to see you.

billions of dollars in business deals expected to be signed now that nuclear sanctions have been lifted. and controversy over an australian holiday some say celebrates invasion and genocide.

$. >> welcome back to al jazeera america, i'm antonio mora. coming up in this half hour of

international thuz, the refugee chris crisis is leading to more criticism in new york and the bankse. but first a look at the stories making headlines across the u.s. in our american minute. digging out from under more than two feet of snow after the blizzard. at least 37 people died because of the storm. a manhubt i manhunt is underwaye men who escaped from a maximum security priz an. they eventually got to the roof and then rappeled down four floors using nothing but bed sheets. they were being held on charges ranging from measured to kidnapping and torture. their escape was not discovered until friday night. hundreds of convicted killers sentenced to life in

prison while they were juveniles. the u.s. supreme court ruled in 2012 that mandatory life without parole for juveniles was unconstitutional. tonight we'll take a look at a new report getting the death penalty in iran. hassan rouhani is working quickly to capitalize on the removal of economic sanctions against his country. he landed in italy today on his first official visit since the sanctions were lifted. a big delegation of iranian business leaders expect to sign deals worth $18 billion in italy alone. >> i hope these trips will benefit our nation economy and technology. we should make the most of the postnuclear deal for employment of our country and our dear youths. these trips are in line with this objective. >> reporter: more on rouhani's

four day european trip from al jazeera's jacky rowland. >> the iranian delegation including around 100 business leaders dashes through streets of rome towards the italian presidency. this is hassan rouhani's first official trip to europe since international sanctions against iran were lifted a week ago. and he chose rome rather than paris his first stages. destination. among the first deals to be signed, an indication of the long standing cooperation between italy and iran. >> translator: we have gone through difficult tense times. the past sheds lights on the times in which both our people struggled but we've learned to recognize each other, to have a desire for dialogue, stability, peace and respect between our people. this is the italian government's

wish. i'm sure we share these sentiments with the iranian government and i'm grateful to president rouhani that he chose to mark this issue with the visit. >> prance to buy more than 160 european planes mabel mainly from airbus and it's to sign deals worth up to $18 billion largely with italian energy and steel firms. the european union and the united states still have a number of issues with iran, notably in the field of human rights and also, on its support for groups like hezbollah and hamas. however, they have come to the conclusion that there's more to be gained from engaging with iran than isolating it. iranian infrastructure desperately needs investment and state-of-the-art equipment from the west. especially in the oil and gas sector where iran is already ramping up production. there's also a huge appetite for

consumer goods including designer brands. in return the west hopes iran will contribute positively to reducing tensions and conflict in the region. >> italy being a eu member a member of nato, an ally of the u.s.a. can start to establish and develop an intense political dialogue with russia, with iran, which are crucial partner for any issue in the middle east both in syria and in libya. >> the issue continues on tuesday when the iranian president heads to the vatican to meet pope francis. yld, ajacky rowland, al jazeera. at least 35 people were killed in the town of bodo, dozens more were seriously injured. the attackers blew themselves up in a marketplace and elsewhere. officials blame boko haram and

retaliation raids against the group. killed 17 boko haram fighters. >> security was tight as police discouraged public commemorations of the ousting ever hosne mubarak. supporters of the muslim brotherhood chanted down with military rule as they marnlgd in giza. and as -- marched in giza. and as osama ben javad reports: >> it was supposed to be a new dawn as millions of egyptians come together, people from all faiths, backgrounds and ages, united in the call for change. less than 50% of the egyptian population were under 12 years

old. the ultrahavlavi and the white knights joined the protest. and it started with a technical savvy generation that galvanized the crowds. >> we were not really into politics so we didn't care or know much, who is left wing, who is right wing, but we knew this is what we should do stand up against it, and this is what happened. >> even walls became canvases. all calling for an end of decades of tyranny and injustice. but in the 18 days it took to force hosne mubarak to step down thousands were killed. now an elective government has been replaced by about the military. many of those who became icons of the revolution have been put

in jail. sometimes what fueled the revolution also deflated it. >> the same fuel at a united us eventually or the us apart. >> people like noble peace prize, prodemocracy activist allah abdel fattah has been jailed for five years. most i remember is the crack downed at cairo's tahrir square. >> we always blamed the previous generation how they never really moved up towards going on. they never talked about the older corruption about the mubarak regime and all of that. i think there will be a revolution happening within the next maybe five years. that will happen. >> reporter: five years on a blood stained chapter in egypt's history continues to overshadow

what many egyptians saw as the people's revolution. osama ben javad, al jazeera. >> european leaders are in their second day of meetings trying to figure out how to reduce the number of refugees. they may vote to eliminate the schengen zone. barnaby phillips reports from germany's bother with austria. >> reporter: on the austrian border the german police have been controlling the border, this is not what the schengen zone is accounting for. in amsterdam european ministers held talks again on how the manage the flow of refugees and migrants. some governments increasingly frustrated with greece which they say has failed to control its borders with turkey are now

talking openly of suspending it from the schengen zone. >> i believe if it is not possible the protect the border then the border will move towards europe, greece must accept help. >> the greeks say they have carried an unfair burden on behalf of the rest of europe. it is a blame game against a fractured continue inept. all the while refugees keep on coming. these companies mainly syrians and afghans are being processed in austria before crossing into germany. all ages all hoping to start a new life far from where they were born. and finally, on a dark, cold winter's night, they arrive in southern germany. the last country they hope in their long journey. the german authorities say that between two and 3,000 refugees

and migrants are arriving every single day and this is the middle of winter. everyone expects that the numbers will increase whether the weather gets warm again. europe is in a race against time to control its borders and preserve its unity. they wait to find out where in germany they'll be sent whilst their asylum claims are being considered. they need to rest and recover but they're grateful to get to germany while it's still possible to travel agains throuh europe. barnaby phillips, al jazeera. >> banksy, depicts the young girl from les miz. miserables. thousands of migrants have been using that border town as a gateway to the united kingdom.

pope francis apologized today for all the sins catholics have committed against other christians. it was part of the pontiff's efforts to heal wounds. the pope made the comments at the end of his week long prayer for christian unity. he also announced a rare trip to sweden in october. it's now january 26th in australia, the date known as australia day, to mark the arrival of white settlers. but members of the indigenous community says the holidays representative genocide. >> 26th of january is not a day to celebrate it's a day to mourn. for people here it's invasion day, the anniversary of the moment that europeans effectively white settlers arrived in australia and started pushing aboriginal people off their tradition lanal land and y

see no reason the celebrate that. the date shouldn't fall on a date people here see as a very sorry occasion. injustice they feel continues to this day. aboriginal people are far more likely to be in jail, to have jobs at all, and educational achievements are lower. even today aboriginal awnts are australians are not even recognized in the constitution. >> it's important to show the atrocities that are happening here in australia. >> i live here, i see what's happening, i see the prejudice. you only have to open your eyes and listen to conversations on trains to feel, oh my god, we have to educate people. >> we still have policies that actually are in place that when you look at them actually are

discriminatory towards aboriginal people. >> so the speeches are over, the people will march to the center of sydney where there will be a rally to mark invasion day. for vast majority, a day to celebrate with parties celebrating what it is to be australian. the people here don't mind that at some other point in the year. it is the anniversary on the 26th of january that bothers them. they think more respect should be shown to an ridge flal peopln australia. >> andrew thomas. new york times reports a gambling website saw an unusual spike in bits torts one pair of players, the unit requested the players, following reports that authorities have ignored

evidence of match fixing. still ahead on al jazeera america, plummeting temperatures are causing serious problems in asia. how the cold and snow have turned deadly and affecting everything from cars to crops. and how aerobics classes are being used in south africa to improve the physical and mental health of the elderly. the only way to get better is to challenge yourself,

and that's what we're doing at xfinity. we are challenging ourselves to improve every aspect of your experience. and this includes our commitment to being on time. every time. that's why if we're ever late for an appointment, we'll credit your account $20. it's our promise to you. we're doing everything we can to give you the best experience possible. because we should fit into your life. not the other way around.

>> a british explorer has tragically failed in his attempt to make the first solo transit of antarctica. died 30 miles from his goal. he had pulled his sled 900 miles until exhaustion set in. died of organ failure. his expedition was trying to raise awareness for wounded veterans. a cold snap dropped

temperatures around freezing in ty wap. homes were simply not equipped to protect them from a blizzard. as al jazeera's rob mathison reports the band of extreme cold has swept across asia. >> reporter: asia is freezing. reducing traffic oa crawl. cancellations and delays mean public transport is in chaos. businesses are grinding to a halt because workers are struggling to get to work. >> i was supposed to board the 2:00 train but i'm thinking of going home since i don't know when the trains will arrive. >> many frail and elderly have died. the suddenly drop in temperature strains their heart. many don't have central heating. in vietnam, thousands are seeing their crops and animals die. >> this weather is badly

affecting our society and my family's economy. >> the south korean island of jeju has had its heaviest fall of snow in 30 years. and public transport is stranded. >> i've been at the airport for 12 hours. >> it's been hong kong's coldest day in nearly 60 years. in other parts of northern china temperatures dropped below minus 40. china's transport is grinding to a halt at the beginning of the lunar new year holiday where millions of people are supposed to start traveling. the snow continues to fall. forecasters say it's going to get col colder. rob mathison. al jazeera. dalin co-founded the chinese working group of, swedish foreign ministry said he was taken into custody because china deemed him a national security

threat. china gained notice,. >> adam zubin says vladimir putin uses state assets to influence allies, putin conseals his own personal wealth, zubin is the acting secretary for terrorism and financial crimes. he made the comments to bbc. vladimir putin had choice words of his own for some of the people who founded the soviet union. he denounced lenin for redrawing borders in eastern europe. >> lenin stood for the idea that the state the soviet union was established on the basis of i may put it wrong but the idea is clear of full equality with the right to secede from the soviet

union. it was the time bomb under our state. >> putin pointed to eastern ukraine as the reason it's dealing with failed policies. now to our global view segment with a look at how news outlets across the world are reacting to various events. the japan times says putin will face no consequences after being aware of the enemy, letveninko. more lawlessness to follow as russia's power and prominence grow. pakistan's the nation says it's a great sign that the afghan taliban has agreed to peace talks but its precondition that the u.n. remove taliban members from the international travel ban black list is unacceptable. the paper argues that the taliban must take concrete steps towards an agreement and prove that it is taking the talks seriously before getting any

concessions. the korea herald says the u.s. should not expect a new blossoming relationship with iran despite the friendship between secretary of state john kerry and iranian foreign minister zarif and hassan rouhani's positive overtures to the u.s. the real power is in the hands of ayatollah khamenei, despite the success of the nuclear deal. one municipality in south africa has started a controversial program to girls who remain virnlg ins. the mayovirnlgvirgins opponentss trying to control women's bodies while not holding men accountable for the spread of hiv. the united nations says south africa has the largest population living with aids, 6.8

million people.elderly people in south africa rarely have access to exercise, but exercise has been used to give the elderly physical and mental support. haru mutasa reports. >> it's probably not your usual aerobic class in south africa. these participants are between 60 and 80 years old. some of them have a little trouble can keeping up, but that's not going to stop them. >> i'm finished, i can't run. >> i saw you exercising. >> exercise is all right. running, no. i can't run. i can walk. >> the depression and anxiety group says one in five south africans have mental problems. >> sometimes you get out of

stress. yes and you feel strong. >> groourp leaders say as many as 90% of depressed people over 65 don't get help. many come from poor communities. doctors say so many elderly patients don't easily recognize the symptoms of depression which is often underdiagnosed, and have a health problem of hiv an aids take precedence. sometimes exercise alone isn't enough. >> reach point saying enough is enough. maybe it will be better if i die and then that is a very last stage of depression, whereby you need to get attention immediately. you have to be put on antidepressant immediately. >> for the class here meeting five days a week for at least four hours seems to be what the doctor ordered. >> i'm thinking sometimes, get

lost your self, mind, so that's why i had to exercise for that maybe sometimes with other people, it's easing your mind. >> even after their workout some still want to keep going. the classes are not just a chance to catch up with friends and make new ones, it's helping some senior citizens to fight depression and maintain a health body as well as a healt healthy. haru mutasa, al jazeera. >> without undergoing gender reassignment surgery, the recommendations would go in for this year's olympics in rio de janeiro. athletes who transition from male to female were required to undergo two years of hormone therapy before competing.

that's it for this edition of al jazeera america international news. i'll be back with more news in two minutes. minutes.

good evening. this is al jazeera america. >> we cannot continue to have a government dominated by the billionaire class. >> there's only three in us here and only one who can still upset the apple cart. i >> i couldn't be doing it if i didn't it was absolutely necessary to try and build on the progress that we've made stating that are their case to be the next president. the three candidates take to