whether the meeting can in any way help with the problems of today. head to our website to keep up to date with all of the main stories from around the world, that is aljazeera.com. aljazeera.com. ♪ world powers agree to halting the war in syria, but it is unlikely to stop all of the fighting. once i'm in the white house, we will have enough political capitol to be able to do that? >> secretary clinton, you are not in the white house yet. >> hillary clinton and bernie sanders face off for the first time after the new hampshire primary. the w.h.o. announces two promising zika vaccines. plus 48 hour's notice for

the ride of a lifetime, big waive surfers descend on northern california. ♪ this is al jazeera america live from new york city. i'm richelle carey. syria's president broke his silence over the u.s. russia deal to temporarily end fighting in syria. bashar al-assad says he will not stop combat operations until he controls the whole country. >> translator: we have fully believed in negotiations and political action since the beginning of the crisis. however, if we negotiate, it does not mean we stop fighting. >> russia also said this morning, it will continue, quote, fighting terrorism during the pause in fighting, and there are already reports today of

more russian air strikes. jamie mcintyre is live from the pentagon. it's clear nobody is on the same page right now. syria and russia saying they will continue fighting, when there is supposed to be this full pause. so is this deal really not a deal? >> reporter: there's going to be this period, where they are going to have to work out what the terms of this cessation of hostilities is. a ceasefire has a more technical definition and denotes something more permanent. russia has said it is willing to work toward a goal of instituting that pause in the fighting by the end of the week, by a week from now, but we have to see if they are able to get to that point. the u.s. and russia are going to sit down in a task force and try to work out the rules of engagement, what targets would be legitimate targets on the ground.

the only thing they have agreed to now is there are at least two groups that will still be subject to air strikes by both sides, and that's isil and al-nusra. and any other group designated a terrorist group by the united nations. they are legitimate targets. the question is what other fighters on the ground is russia going to say are legitimate targets because they are, quote unquote, terrorists. but in the meanwhile there is another positive aspect to this agreement and that is while they are working that out, russia has agreed to facilitate humanitarian aid getting to besieged cities in area, places where citizens have been without food and medicine for days, weeks, sometimes months, and are in desperate straights. so if that humanitarian aid can get to them, it will make a big difference. and that is supposed to start

almost immediately. >> and that should be something that everybody can be on the same page about. what role can the u.s. play in implementing the terms of this agreement considering that isil or daesh and al-nusra is not a part of it. >> reporter: the pentagon says there is no ceasefire against isil. its operations in syria will continue both by air strikes, and also u.s. special operations forces on the ground trying to enable fighters fighting isil. the pentagon also says it won't be playing a direct role in the humanitarian assistance, dropping supplies or protecting convoys or anything like that. they are counting on russia's word saying they will facilitate these convoys. the main goal it will be playing is negotiating the details of that cessation of hostilities

agreement, and it will be a big test to see if the words on paper can be translated into a real pause in the fighting in just a week's time. all right. jamie mcintyre great wrap up there at the pentagon. thank you. the fighting in syria has had a profound humanitarian impact. the red cross says at least 50,000 syrians have now fled the fighting in aleppo, and at least 500 people have been killed since the syrian government began its offensive there. >> reporter: many in the opposition are welcoming any deal, really, that can relieve the suffering on the ground. the offensive in aleppo has displaced 50,000 people according to the united nations, many are living out in the open. they left their homes with nothing, and they cannot survive without aid. they are also welcoming any deal that would bring in aid supplies

to besieged areas across the country. at the same time they are skeptical. they don't believe that this deal will -- will really take effect on the ground, because they -- they -- they point to the fact that over the past five years, ceasefires have been agreed upon, but never really implemented on the ground. they have little faith in the syrian government and itself backer, russia, they believe the objective really has been to change the balance of power on the ground, to put pressure on the rebels in order to get them to surrender, and depopulating and laying siege to areas is to bring about a surrender. so for them the government is more concerned about imposing its solution to the conflict and not compromising. the northern homs countryside has been a battleground for months, and the united nations is now warning that up to

120,000 people face the risk of starvation and disease because aid cannot enter. there is cautious optimism, but we still did not hear from the armed groups on the ground on their position of whether or not they are going to abide by this. because at the end of the day, it means a freeze on the front lines, and a freeze, really, that the government and its backers are holding on to the strategic gains they have made over the past few weeks. the red cross says water supplies in aleppo have been cut, and some of the supply routes used for delivering aid also have been cut off. congress is trying to punish north korea for its cent rocket launch. the house passed a bill to place more stringent restrictions on pyongyang. the vote was 408-2. north korea conducted itself

fourth nuclear test, also prompting south korea to remove its workers from a jointly owned manufacturing plant. a teenager has been arrested for hacking of the fbi director and the cia official. hillary clinton and bernie sanders are in minnesota today to attend a democratic party fund raiser. last night the two clashed and their first debate since sander's big win in new hampshire. michael shure has the blow by blow. >> reporter: the two democratic candidates for president, bernie sanders and hillary clinton debated. this time here in milwaukee, and this time for the first time since the result from new

hampshire came in, results that had bernie sanders winning by more than 20 points. these debates have really been festivals of agreement, tonight they showed a little bit of disagreement. they went head-to-head over healthcare reform. >> the family in the middle of the economy would pay $500 more in taxes and get a reduction in their healthcare costs of $5,000. in my view, healthcare is a right of all people, not a privilege, and i will fight for that. >> we both share the goal of universal healthcare coverage. before it was called obamacare, it was called hilary care. >> reporter: they also took on the economy, jobs and education, and at times it was contentious. >> once i'm in the kwhooits, we will have enough political capital to be able to do that. >> you are not in the white house yet. >> reporter: when foreign policy came up, it was sanders perhaps trying to strengthen his

candidacy in an area where he has less experience. >> she talked about getting the approval or support or mentoring of henry kissen jer. i happen to believe that henry kissinger was one of the most destructive secretary of state in the modern history of this country. >> i know journalists have asked who you do listen to on foreign policy, and we have yet to hear who that is. >> reporter: the moderator brought up the new hampshire results. >> i have spent my entire adult life working towards making sure that women are empowered to make their own choices even if that choice is not to vote for me. >> look, we are fighting for every vote that we can get. >> reporter: president obama loomed over the debate as clinton aligned herself with the obama legacy throughout.

>> the kind of criticism that we heard from senator sanders about our president i expect from republicans not from someone running for the democratic nomination for president. >> madam secretary that is a low blow. >> reporter: a rare moment of caustic exchange as now the democratic campaign may be taking on a different tone with more frequent debates and so much at stake. michael shure. al jazeera. a federal judge has ordered the state department to release even more of hillary clinton's emails. the judge says four more batches must be put out by the end of this month. in that means there could be more revelations about her time as secretary of state. those releases are just in time for the caucuses in nevada and the south carolina primary. as for the republicans there's a new fight between ted cruz and donald trump. cruz ooeps campaign is denying any knowledge of controversial

robo calls in south carolina. the calls reportedly became hostile when residents say they are supporting anyone other than cruz. donald trump has accused cruz east campaign of conducting so-called push polling against him. former president george w. bush plans to hit the campaign trail next week in support of his brother. he will hold a rally with jeb monday night. the 43rd president won the south carolina primary in 2000 and in 2004, and jeb bush is trying to capitalize on that. a new york police officer is now facing 15 years in prison after being convicted for killing an unarmed man. he was patrolling a dark stairway in 2014 when he was startled and fired a shot. that bullet hit a 28 year old. his lawyers plan to appeal. >> they added an intentional element of the crime, which was

uncharged. and they added a cover up, which was also uncharged. >> there are no winners here, but justice was done. and we want to make it clear that this conviction in no way is a conviction of the new york city police department, which is the finest police department in the world. >> reporter: he was dismissed from the force after the verdict was delivered. he major called he death a tragedy. stopping zika with a vaccine. work is underway, but just how long will it take? ♪

>> we're here to fully get into the nuances of everything that's going on, not just in this country, but around the world.

getting the news from the people who are affected. >> people need to demand reform... >> ali velshi on target. >> these people have decided that today they will be arrested. >> i know that i'm being surveilled. >> people are not getting the care that they need. >> this is a crime against humanity. >> hands up... >> don't shoot. >> hands up... >> don't shoot. >> what do we want? >> justice. >> when do we want it? >> now. >> explosions going on... we're not quite sure - >> is that an i.e.d.? >> al jazeera america brings you independent reporting without spin. >> not everybody is asking the questions you're asking me today. >> we give you more perspectives >> the separatists took control a few days ago. >> and a global view. >> now everybody in this country can hear them. >> getting the story first-hand. >> they have travelled for weeks, sometimes months.

>> what's your message then? >> we need help now. >> you're watching al jazeera america. nine people have been arrested in connection with the occupation of a oregon wildlife refuge are in court today. the occupation ended thursday after the final four people surrendered. it had lasted six weeks. one occupier was killed last month in a confrontation with police. but thursday's surrender was peaceful. >> there's good that can come out of this. you know, friends and neighbors can get off of social media and sit down over a cup of coffee, and talk out their differences. we can work through these things. there has been a lot of hurt. there has been a lot of things said, but i don't think there is anything that has been done that can't be worked through.

>> a total of 29 people have been charged. they are accused of interviewing with federal workers. crews in california say it may be several days before a gas leak near los angeles is permanently sealed. thousands of families have been forced to leave the area because of the methane gas leak. the world health organization say it may be a matter of weeks to know for sure whether the zika virus can be linked to birth defects. plans are being made here in the u.s. to deal with the virus. >> reporter: there have been only been a few dozen cases of zika diagnosed in the u.s., but there are worried those numbers could climb in the bring and summer. >> we are receiving about 30 calls a day from obgyn doctors.

>> reporter: the center for disease control says it has identified 22 cases in u.s. states or territories since 2015. the cdc says nine of the ten cases identified in the u.s. virgin islands, and puerto rico were acquired locally. cdc director said americans should take heed of those numbers. >> we have issued travel advice, not to travel if you are pregnant. we will likely see significant numbers of cases in puerto rico and other u.s. territories where there may be intensive spread of zika. >> reporter: the cdc says because most people infected don't present symptoms, the agency is not instructing border patrol age ents to do any special screenings. president obama has asked congress for $1.8 billion to

fight the virus. >> so we're getting prepared, but we do anticipate some sort of bipartisan action on this. >> reporter: the largest portion of that money could go to the cdc. nearly $600 million would go to the hardest hit areas like puerto rico and overseas. the world health organization says two zika vaccine candidates appear promising, but they are at least 18 months away from large-scale trials. john henry smith, al jazeera. infectious disease doctor joined us earlier on your world this morning, and we asked her if she believes the money is enough. >> almost half of the money is going to the cdc, so that will be used for surveillance to see what type of mosquito populations we have circulating, and are they infected. in addition the cdc is going to

be developing better diagnostic tests, and also vaccines, diagnostics, money to the fda, and helping control mosquitos in latin america as well as cdc's efforts here in the united states, and, you know, one other area that we are funding is for pregnant women's health in puerto rico, because that's the one part of the u.s. where we are concerned about pregnant women getting zika virus. >> venezuela has now linked four deaths to the virus. protests against pension cuts in greece are taking an ugly turn today. hundreds of farmer from crete clashed in front of the agricultural minister as well

today. some of the biggest names in surfing gathering for a legendary contest. a closer look at the event where athletes only get 48 hour's notice.

>> mosquitos spreading rare diseases. >> as scientists we'd be fighting a losing battle against mosquitos. >> they'd kill one person every 12 seconds. >> just like that, i might have genetically modified a mosquito. >> it's like a video game with genes. >> this is what innovation looks like. >> i feel like we're making an impact. >> let's do it. >> techknow, where technology

meets humanity. only on al jazeera america. >> coming up tonight, we'll have the latest... >> does the government give you refugee status? >> they've marched to the border. >> thousands have taken to the streets here in protest. >> this is where gangs bury their members. >> they're tracking climate change. >> privacy advocates say the new york city police department has been spying on cell phone traffic for years, using what is called string ray technology. ines ferre has the story. >> reporter: new york's branch of the aclu, says the new york

city police department has been using stingrays since 2008. after reviewing documents obtained under the freedom of information act, they say the technology which mimics cell towers were used over a thousand times in a span of seven years. it's something privacy advocates have been arguing against for years. >> basically by masquerading as cell towers, these devices allow police to turn cell networks into spy networks. >> reporter: they say the stingrays were used out obtaining search warrants. the rev laces come weeks after the aclu obtained documents showing how anaheim police built an inventory of surveillance tools like stingrays. >> the challenge is they can't isolate just my mobile phone as a target.

rather, they get at least 200-plus people in a small geographical area,sy mull containously that they can intercept the communications. >> reporter: police departments tend to be tight lipped about the use of surveillance devices. the justice department limited the use of devices like stingrays and dirt boxes by federal agencies unless they obtained a search warrant. >> the nypd pushed back against privatesy claims saying this uber will shell out millions to end claims that it mislead customers. the firm will pay more than $28 million to settle two class action lawsuits. the suits claimed uber mislead

customers about the steps it took to keep them safe. under the settlement, uber will stop using safety-related advertising language, and rename his safe ride fee as a booking fee. and facebook has lost a legal battle in france. a french user can sue after the site removed its post of the 19th century nude painting and facebook closed his account. facebook said the post was removed because it showed female genitalia. the 57-year-old teacher wants his account restored and more than $22,000 in damages. some of the top surfers in the woeshld have gathered in california. they had only 48 hours to get themselves there for that context. jake ward tells us why. >> reporter: the mavericks big wave is an annual gathering of

the world's best and bravest surfers. but those waves only happen a few times a year, so how do they know when the competition is on? >> all of this energy -- >> reporter: this guy, big wave surfer, and official big wave forecaster. when he says the word, more than two dozen professional surfers from around the world say their prayers and get on a plane. >> reporter: we want guys to be able to catch waves, ride it well, compete, and not die in the process nch >> reporter: if you were walking at the base of this cliff, you might not think this beach is anything other than a picturesque california scene, but under the right circumstances, incredible amounts of water get pushed over that rocky outcropping, and produce the largest waves on earth. >> like a bulldozer just scoops

the ocean up. >> reporter: he looks for big storms at sea. that's what creates the swell necessary to create these punishing waves. >> it's just like throwing a pebble into a pond, only our pebble that has everything aiming towards northern california. >> reporter: the ocean is 60 feet deep just offshore, but then bumps into a triangular wedge. if the swell is powerful enough, it shoves with enough force to create an enormous triangle that dumps more than three swimming pools worth of salt water over the rocks in every day. and the question of style goes out the window. the primary motivation is

survival itself. >> you are basically as alive as you can possibly be. your heart is pounding. you are breathing hard, and it's just you and the ocean. >> you need a lot more volume in the board. >> reporter: mark is not just a weather geek. he has been on the bad end of mavericks. >> you are in the water. i go to grab my board and i go where is my other arm. it is floating back behind me. i had to pull it over and grab on to the board. my arm was fully dislocated. >> reporter: predicting these waves is like riding them. choose a swell big enough for a contest, but not so large that anyone's ride will be their last. jake ward, al jazeera, half moon a bay, california. >> thank you for watching. i am richelle carey. the news continues live next from london -- i almost said doha. london. whatever the case keep it here on al jazeera throughout the

day. thanks for your time. ♪ >> announcer: this is al jazeera. ♪ and this is the al jazeera news hour. i'm david foster live from london nflt let's take a look at some of the stories we'll be studying in detail in the next 60 minutes. syria's president says his forces will retake all of the country. just hours after an international call for cessation of hostilitieses. doctors protest in egypt after the release of police accused of attacking their colleagues. key