>> only on al jazeera america. >> i am excited about really getting into the debate with senator sanders about the best way forward to fight for us and america too close for comfort. hillary clinton and bernie sanders neck to neck on the presidential race. the world news from al jazeera. also ahead a new advance by government forces in syria. they've seized control of a town in the northern aleppo countryside. top level talks on how to combat i.s.i.l. has leaders meet in

rome. the world health organisation declares a global emergency over the zika virus but brazil says the olympics will go ahead the race for the next president of the united states has begun as republicans and democrats choose their candidates in iowa. senator ted cruz one the republican-- one the republican. hillary clinton is in a tie with bernie sanders. >> the results are still not known, but it looks like we are in a virtual tie. >> reporter: with the polling, bernie sanders closed the gap

essentially shifting the tone and dynamic of the campaign >> it is rare that we have the opportunity. we do now, to have a real contest of ideas, to really think hard about what the democratic party stands for and what we want the future of our country to look like. >> reporter: the republican side the results of the iowa caucus were more definive. >>-- definitive >> god bless the great state of iowa. >> reporter: presidential candida candidate ted cruz was celebrating. >> tonight is a victory for iowa and this nation. >> reporter: a less impressive but still strong finish for donald trump who went into the caucus polling in first place he was very humble. >> there were 17 candidates.

i was told by everybody, do not go to iowa, you could never finish even in the top ten. we finished second and i want to tell you something, i'm just honoured. i'm really honoured. >> reporter: this is the moment they said would never happen. marco rubio promised if he becomes the republican presidential nominee he would rebuild the u.s. military and defend gun rights. >> after seven years of obama, we are not waiting any longer to take our country back >> reporter: with the snow storm looming, polls had readdicteded a low turn out there is a meeting. >> such as ramadi, sinjar. as we all know, the assistant secretary just went in with a couple of his colleagues, france and britain went into kabani the

other day and he can tell you what he saw and what is happening. beyond our official support, we have another challenge. we have to help the government of iraq remove the thousands of lethal explosives that are left behind by the terrorists. what happens is when d.a.e.s.h. leaves, almost every house they put a booby trap hoping that when the family comes back or somebody opens the door or walks in, they're blown up. so the war continues in that sense. we, many of the countries around this table, have particular expertise in ordinance removal and we need to do this. it also means we need to back the broad-based diplomatic effort to deescalate the conflict and achieve a political transition in syria. we've done a lot of work. everybody at this thabl, a lot of you on the telephone, a lot

of us have been talking together. the talks officially begin now in geneva. i will come back to that in a minute. we have an opportunity here that we didn't have a few months ago, and my profound gratitude to every country that came to vienna twice and to new york under tough circumstances, everybody's schedules were pressed but we got to the talks and that was the objective. in libya we're on the brink of getting a government of national unity and that will prevent d.a.e.s.h. from turning libya into a strangle hold and that country's future, as everybody knows, that country has resources. the last thinking in the world you-- thing you want in the world you want is a false caliphate with billions of dollars of oil revenue. we need to forge ahead with

training personnel and we need to make sure that there's a decisive territory edge to create a safe environment for government to stand up and operate. this is a major obligation for those countries, us among them, who were there at the very beginning when we felt compelled to protect people from 10,000 or more people being slaughterered by the dictator of the country. finally, our coalition has a profound responsibility to answer the urgent, the compelling, the stunning to address the absolutely stunning immance and life on the ground

for people in syria. it is required by simple human decency. the situation on the ground for the syrian people is unfathomable. we haven't seen a catastrophe like this since world war ii and it is unfolding before our eyes. people in madaya eating leaves and grass or animals of one kind or another that they managed to capture, people who have not had supplies for month. 113 requests by the u.n. provide supply and only 13 have been granted by the bashar al-assad regime. starvation is a tackic of-- as a tactic of war is against the law, but it is being used every day by the bashar al-assad regime. so we need to speak out

powerfully about the urgent need of geneva to deliver a ceasefire, to deliver humanitarian assistance and to get civilians from stop being bombed on a daily basis by those with airplanes who are dropping bombs. so i hope everybody here will join in calling for an immediate halt to the indiscriminate use of weapons and attacks on civilians, an end to the sieges and for the unimpeded delivery of humanitarian aid to every area designated by the u.n. as besieged or hard to reach, and the rirn regime has a responsibility, in fact all parties to the conflict have the duty to give access to syrians in desperate needs.

this should not be happening in one or two months. it ought to happen in the next few days and it ought to be helped to happen. so with sufficient effort by everything, with continued military financial and humanitarian contributions by the members of this group, i'm confident that we're going to degrade and destroy d.a.e.s.h. we're going to do it not just because we're against what they're doing, which is enslaving people and destroying culture and destroying history and trying to sell the notion that raping young women is somehow the will of god, that we're going to do it because everything that we stand for in terms of decency and civilization and culture and

obeying the rules of law and order and rule of law itself is worth fighting for. it always has been. every one of us has come together based on that notion. so this is a very important morning, a very important meeting and we look forward in the course of the working group reports and the back and forth and give and take to clarifying even further how we can do this faster. the impact of this crisis on jordan, on lebanon, on turkey, on the region, throughout the horn of africa, throughout all of the arabian, asia and the world, this false narrative about islam, the false narrative about legitimacy about a state, requires every single one of us to get this job done as fast as

we can. i know everybody here is ready to roll up their sleeves and get to work. >> reporter: thank you very much. this closes our session and open to the press. so i ask the journalists and the cameras to leave the room and we are now going to our-- that was the secretary of state john kerry at a meeting in rome. 23 countries are at that meeting all aimed to fight i.s.i.l. he says when it comes to syria we haven't seen anything like that since world war ii, people in madaya eating grass. he focused on what was happening in libya at the moment. our correspondent is live for us from rome. talking about libya, he seemed to be hopeful that i.s.i.l.'s time there is limited considering the government of

the national unity. >> reporter: the international community is pretty much concerned about the territorial gains recently made by i.s.i.l. in libya, particularly talking about the coastal area of 160 km along with the strongholds. this is talking about a platform on the doorstep of europe. we're going reports from different sources that the gathering here in rome is definitely going to come up with some decisions about how to move forward and how to team up with re-januarial players in north-- regional players in the area, which is basically taking action again i.s.i.l. in libya, under mining its military capabilities and also stemming the rise of

its ideology. they need to come up with a clear strategy of the war against i.s.i.l. and how to train the libyan forces. the biggest problem with libya, they need a national army to take on i.s.i.l. this is not something going to happen any time soon. i think this is the reason why kerry was saying that we basically need to upgrade the will military capabilities of their allies, but i think today in rome they were trying to think about different options, particularly air strikes against i.s.i.l. in libya he did mention air strikes. he said it is unacceptable how many people are dying from air strikes. we know so many people are involved, including the russians. it is has a devastating humanitarian effect. >> reporter: basically, the americans since the start of the nti coalition in the summer of 2014, they have been trying to

expand the coalition because they have been concerned about the ramifications of the conflict in syria and iraq with the potential stabilization of countries. despite the fact that they have undermine some of the military capabilities of i.s.i.l. in syria and iraq, i.s.i.l. is still in control of huge areas, particularly in raqqa and northern parts of iraq and they don't seem to be losing ground in those areas. i.s.i.l. has emerged as the most powerful power in libya. so looking for all the possible scenarios and the best possible action to be taken in the near future to put an end to this because if we look at the map now and this is becoming a nightmare scenario for the

europeans and the americans, with i.s.i.l. expanding in the coastal area, we can easily have a platform for them to smuggle their items and it is something that the international community is now wanting an end to breaking news from iraq, reports of a car bomb attack on a military headquarters just north of ramadi. we go to our correspondent imran khan. >> reporter: i can tell you that this is a blow to the iraqi security forces. they've long said that they control 95% of ramadi, including the north where this happened. there were at least three suicide car bombs that travelled to that base. two were repelled but one got through killing at least 18 people. this tactic is one that we see a lot from i.s.i.l. they use these car bombs to devastating effect.

they are difficult to defend against. they normally attack checkpoints and smaller iraqi defensive positions to actually go and attack a base will be a blow. most of the fighting in ramadi which, as i say, is under 495% control of the iraqi security forces, is in the east. that's where they've been concentrating their fighting, so this is a blow to them. this is an attack in the north of the city, an area that the iraqi security forces there thank you for that. syria's government has launched a major offensive in laep. it has taken the strategically important town. hundreds of families are leaving their homes. talks in geneva condemned the offensive and proving that the

groups are not seeking peace. >> reporter: as the talks are taking place in geneva, tell us what is happening on the ground in syria. >> reporter: no let up in the fighting, no easing of the conflict on the ground. the army, as well as its allies in the northern countryside of aleppo, a strategic corner of syria. the army is trying to advance north and two towns. we understand they're only 6 kilometers away from those towns and once they reach those towns they will be able to cut the road, the only rebel supply line from the turkish border to rebel controlled areas inside the city of aleppo. so, basically, they will cut the links between rebel-controlled areas in the city of aleppo to

the northern countryside. many of the opposition fear that there are tens of thousands of people inside the city who live in rebel-controlled areas and they will be under siege. this offensive is take ignore place while efforts to bring about peace are happening in geneva. what the government has been trying to do is cut the rebel supply lines to turkey because turkey has been their lifelong. they're not only pushing north of the aleppo province but also in the northern province of latakia. this is what is happening in one corner of syria, but in another corner of syria civilian $are suffering, they are store syringe and living in fear. according to activists it is the forgotten corner of syria. >> reporter: these young men came to southern turkey to escape the power on the ground, i.s.i.l. and the syrian

government. activists from a group are being slaughtered. we cannot verify the truth of this video. >> translation: we don't feel safe because people are fighting back. there are sleeper cells that target i.s.i.l. members and while many syrians join i.s.i.l., they're not loyal. they've joined out of fear or to get a salary. >> reporter: live is just as hard in government districts in the provincial capital. people are poor and hungry. food is scarce and expensive. the u.n. says there have been deaths from starvation, but activist saz they are facing a double-- activities say they are

facing a double probleming aid. >> translation: the people are faced with two relates. in regime areas they're starving. if they leave the only way out is through i.s.i.l. territories and there is no guarantee they won't be killed by i.s.i.l. >> reporter: people need to apply for permission to leave and pay with money, which many don't have. those close to a government can travel from a military air base. the armed group has killed people. much of the province is in i.s.i.l. hands. it allows the armed group to move freely. it is also rich in oil. the u.s.-led coalition has been targeting oil fildz in the area to cut i.s.i.l.'s main source of revenue, but activists say it has only caused more suffering for the people. >> translation: yes, the strikes have cut i.s.i.l.

revenues, but they're still selling oil and the price has increased. civilians suffer because they need i will, especially during the winter. >> reporter: it is dangerous to get messages out, either from i.s.i.l. or government-held areas, but those who manage to do so say they want to remind the world about what they call the forgotten corner of syria the w.h.o. has declared a health energy in relation to the zika virus. it is spreading across the americas. a report from el salvador. >> reporter: you could be looking at at least part of the answer to the zika epidemic. here they're calmed sombo fish and they love eating the lavae of the mosquito who transmit the virus. this scientist found out about

them a few years ago when looking for an answer to the dengue fever. since then she started the first breeding program for this fish. the fish are killing the local mosquitos. >> translation: from 2012 to 2015 we have had great success in the community. we have had zero cases of dengue and now we're not afraid of zika because this fish is in control of the community. >> reporter: as the mosquitos have disappointed so sceptical villagers have been won over. she deliver their fish to every place around town. even the school gets a supply. >> translation: there were loads of mosquitos in the school but now we have the fish in the tanks so they don't come out any more. before they used to wear pants because they got bitten so often, but not know. >> reporter: now the zika virus is threatening el salvador, the government is taking notice and

wants to expand the program across the country which has suffered for many years with these diseases. they thrive in water tanks common in poor communities. throughout central america people relie on stored standing water to wash disheses or clothes because there's such a shortage of it, but that means there's an ideal breeding ground for the mosquitos in their very homes. the program is trying not just to keep mosquitos down, but also to help the young volunteers stay out of trouble. in one of the most violent countries in the world. 14 year old is the star program's capturer. >> translation: this really helps me not to get into trouble and into bad habits. i'm more folked and i can--

focussed and stay out of trouble. >> reporter: a good thing too is that they're good to eat a former malaysian minister has filed a lawsuit challenging a decision to clear the prime minister of corruption. last month he avoided prosecution over a financial scandal in which he received almost 700 million dollars from the saudi royal family. the attorney-general said the money was a donation and most of it was returned, but the new lawsuit says there is strong evidence of wrongdoing by the prime minister. to myanmar now where a new power in parliament, the n.l.d. is facing huge challenges, including ethnic division and poverty. the party led by aung san suu kyi was sworn in on monday. >> reporter: this historic transition of power is taking place in the parliament at the far end of this main

thoroughfare in the purpose-built but still largely deserted capital. it is seen by many as an folly to the years of military control. the changes taking place here, nevertheless, promise to roll back the military years, fixing the whole of myanmar. a few kilometers from that world is the reality of a country mired in poverty, ribboned by ethnic divisions. aung san suu kyi and her national lead for democracy, or n.l.d., may not have created those problem, but they do now own them and there's an expectation that they're going to fix them >> translation: this government will be better. it is a government we never had before. >> translation: this government will be more transparent and reliable. in the past we didn't know what was going on. >> translation: i have confidence in aung san suu kyi and that's why i voted for her. >> reporter: with the military retaining the grip on power, the

new administration will have to govern constantly looking over its shoulder to see what the generals think, but without betraying the tufts for the masses that came out to-- trust of the masses that came out to support them many have been stranded in central china's railway station where snow in the region has disrupted the travel rush. they're expected to make 2.9 billion trips during the 40-day period which began on january 21. greece has been threatened by the european union with expulsion from the schengen free zone to failing from stopping refugees and migrants from passing through. there has been a spike of people travelling through the border.

>> reporter: on this northern greek border you can see just how disfunctional europe's management of the refugee crisis has become. mass don't aon the other-- macedonia are let iting are not letting through maen here >> translation: i met men from palestine. they were not allowed to go through >> reporter: they have no choice but to risk the mountains and forest and the mass gone i can't police. this algerian was prepared to try it for a third time >> translation: not stay inside, but stay outside. i sleep here, i'm sleeping there. >> reporter: what are the police like in macedonia? >> yeah. they are shouting and like this

and do this. go. >> reporter: the border camp houses pakistanis and others that will never have a chance to get through. macedonia has been praised for keeping them out >> have >> reporter: greek has been threatened with expulsion from the schengen border areas if they keep allowing everybody to come through. the government in athens insists that it can't be the place where all the refugees and migrants end up, and so the buses keep coming. the consequence of that is that there is an absolutely flourishing trade here now for people smugglers. every night it is the same, the smuggling gang that shows them the way and off they go into woods, where they could be beaten by the macedonian police. the greek police watch them go

into the darkness and they did nothing. by the next morning another 1200 had arrived just down the road. many will have an asylum claim and others will not. another 6,000 are on their way from athens. >> they say that send them back. the rest with the false paper, i don't believe greek realise who has those papers or not. >> reporter: so this early in the year some things are already becoming clear, turkey cannot stop them from making the sea crossing, greece cannot control its borders and the european border is counting en masse don't, which is not a member state, to be its new frontier. the situation is out of control which foreign gangs make a fortune from british energy giant bp has revealed it suffered a 91% decline in profit last year due

to falling oil prices. the company suffered a loss of 6.5 billion dollars in 2015. bp also blamed the substantial losses on restructuring costs and the huge write-down on assets. you can find out more about that on our website. week on talk to al jazeera grammy winning cassandra wilson >> singing it from the heart, telling a story she was in a home filled with jazz, she played the piano followed by the guitar and was working by the mid 70s >> there was something that was