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 testimonies are ruled

inadmitable at the international criminal court. and tractors on their way to greece's parliament over protests over more austerity measures. one of the most powerful men in fee foo once upon a time, given the foot by the world governing body. details coming up later in the program. ♪ syria's president says he is confident that his forces will retake the whole of syria, but he has also said that negotiations are worth pursuing. bashar al-assad's words come as word powers discuss the implementation of a cessation of hostilities. despite this diplomacy in germany, the violence continues on the -- ground in syria, russia air strikes are reported to have killed 18 people in

homs. 6 people died in air strikes east of damascus, and two more were killed in dara. >> translator: we have fully believed in negotiations since the beginning. however, if we negotiate, it does not mean we stop fighting terrorism. first through negotiations, and second, through fighting terrorism. >> zana hoda is in the turkish city on the border with syria, and she filed this report on the situation on the ground in syria. >> reporter: clearly the syrian president speaking from a position of strength. last july he was described as an embattled leader for the first time in a public address, he made have very rare admission that the army is suffering from a lack of manpower, and the army is now forced to concentrate on the core territories meaning

damascus, the heartland of the alawite community, as well as homs. now we're hearing the syrian president saying that their aim is to recapture the whole of syria even though it will take a long time. at the time, the government was suffering losses on the ground. they lost the province of idlib, the provincial capitol fell to the opposition, but ever since russian militarily intervened in the conflict in october, balance of power shifted towards the government. and right now the opposition is on the retreat. they are defending territory, and they feel that -- you know, these efforts to try to bring a cessation of hostilities, really is just aimed at giving the syrian government and itself backer, russia enough time to take even more land and weekend the opposition further. rebel fighters understand the

need to hold grown on this front line. if they are defeated the syrian government and its allies will be one step closer to the rebel-held east of aleppo city. after losing much territory in this province, the opposition is trying to prevent itself strong hold from being besieged. >> translator: they are killing us, but we will remain steadfast. we will still on the front lines. we won't surrender. we are here. >> reporter: within a week the bombardment is supposed to stop, but the russian, u.s. agreement reached in munich is being received with scepticism on the ground. >> translator: i don't think the international community is serious about a ceasefire for now. they are postponing the peace talking to give the regime more time to take more ground. it means the rebels won't be

able to regain the territory after a ceasefire is in place. >> reporter: south towards damascus the aerial bombardment is only intensifying, and the casualties are rising. the rebels no longer control supply lines into their strong holds, and the u.n. is warning that the 120,000 people inside risk hunger and disease. members of the opposition inside and outside of syria, have told us they have little faith in the syrian government and itself backer russia. they say the munich deal will just give them time to make further gains. but a pause in the fighting and the delivery of aid to the hundreds of thousands trapped in besieged areas cannot come fast enough for the people. the battle for aleppo has left more than 50,000 people homeless, adding to the millions who have been displaced over the years. >> translator: what have the people done to deserve this? they are not staring anyone.

not the children, women, ellerly. it has been five years and we continue to suffer from their oppression, this is enough. >> reporter: the conflict has laid waste to much of aleppo, the rebels are confident they are close to a victory, but claims of victory will mean little for anyone without a wider peace. the situation for the people there according to the u.n. is getting worse every single way. they highlights these towns. one is just outside of damascus, surrounded by government troops since december. 35,000 civilians there. and during intense shelling, very small children among those who died we understand from malnutrition. in madaya at least 26 people have died from malnutrition this year, and hundreds of people need immediate vacation from the

area. 200,000lying an isil siege where they have reportedly executed people for trying to smuggle in food. the situation grim for 20,000 under siege from armed groups. they have reportedly threatened to slaughter villagers in retaliation for government action. let's bring in james bayes with me in the studio. the talk is of an urgent need to get humanitarian aid in there, and that's understandable, but we have been here before, haven't we? >> we have david. this is a new initiative, a new effort, with a new task force being set up, the meeting chaired by the man who has been doing all of the work behind the scenes, he used to be the humanitarian chief of the u.n. he is now the special advisor

for staffan de mistura, to try to get access to these besieged areas. and he was selling me most of his besiege areas, it's quite simple, all you need to do is get permission from the groups. the difficult one of course is isil. the proposal there is air drops. what is a new task force going to achieve that the u.n. security council hasn't achieved? >> so if this is what they are asking for, and it is that easy, you have to take it forward politically, so what will change politically to make the situation anymore likely to succeed in terms of getting the help these people need. >> if you get talks going in, you have to get the humanitarian

assistance. diplomats say yes, that's a very noble thing to do, but everyone behind the scenes is also talking about potential military options. and you heard president assad, he is talking about military options. a big debate on those opposed to president assad, what to do. some that i'm hearing in the defense community saying why don't we persuade countries like saudi arabia, like the uae, qatar, turkey, to take out isil, and then use that area to then use a bridge head against assad's forces. but the saudi foreign minister says no, we have got to get rid of assad before we destroy isil. >> it's worth repeating isn't it, there isn't anybody who has signed up to anything at the moment, is there? there is a bunch of people who have said this is a good idea

and that's as far as it has gone. >> it isn't even a ceasefire, it's a cessation of hostilities. and the people that agreed were the international community. not the people on the ground. although there is one important player that is involved militarily, and clearly that's russia. and russia's bombardment is what has changed the military picture in the past six months. >> how can russia possibly say we want to see the hoes illties ended and continue on a booing campaign which has lead to more deaths within the last 24 hours. why is it allowed to do that? >> i think it's interesting too, when we heard the announcement of this deal, we heard sergei lavrov focusing on a task force to start cessation of hostili

hostilities within a few days. >> james thank you. the annual munich security conference has been taking place with leading international figures there, and the war in syria is pretty much close to the top of the agenda as we join dominic kane live for us in munich. is that pretty much all they have been talking about? >> so far. we have heard from a succession of speakers that are integral to finding a solution. we heard from the king of jordan, and the iraqi prime minister both mentioning the need to combat daesh, the islamic state of iraq and the levant, that was a sentiment that was echoed by the saudi foreign minister. but he also had a message for

mr. assad. >> in syria, we are working to bring about change, political change if possible to what is happening in syria, in order to remove a man who is responsible for the murder of -- 300,000 people, the displacement of 12 million people, a man who is the single most effective magnet for terrorists in the region. that's our objective. >> reporter: following on from that speech that we heard from the saudi foreign minister. we have been hearing from the iranian foreign minister, and he tried to avoid mentioning syria insofar as the conflict is concerned and chose to speak about the possibilities of a paradigm shift in terms of relations between the saudis and the iranians, he compared the

situation in the middle east to the situation that his own country faced with regard to the nuclear issue. and there had been some ability to come to a an agreement. and he said perhaps that should be the approach that the two sides in the syrian negotiation could take. we know the saudis are anything but backers of the iranians. so you have this suggestion that if all sides take a new paradigm then perhaps progress can be made. >> thank you. that's dominic kane wrapping up our coverage on events in syria in munich. coming up on this news hour. we'll be looking at the world health organization claim that it's looking pretty likely now that the zika virus is linked to birth defects. ukraine and what happened to a ceasefire there. we meet the children caught up in the fighting in the east of

the country. and we have the sport, kenyan athletics in a race to get its house in order or miss out on the rio olympics. ♪ thousands of egyptian doctors have been protesting about alleged abuse from police. they say officers who attacked their colleagues haven't been held accountable, and the doctors are now threatening to strike. paul brennan reports. >> reporter: this is a rare seen on the streets of cairo, thousands of doctors, who have had enough of what they say is abuse by the police. their accusations come after two doctors were reportedly beaten up by police while at work in a cairo hospital last month. the doctors who said in televised interviews that a policeman pulled a gun on them after a dispute over the medical treatment of an injured officer. at the headquarters of the

doctor's union, doctors threatened to begin a gradual strike if the police are not held accountable. >> translator: what is happening now, we can't tolerate. we're not only faced with aggression from patient's relatives but also from the police who are supposed to be defending young doctors who need to work in a safe environment. >> reporter: such protests are rare under president sisi. large demonstrations and public gatherings are effectively banned in egypt. but these doctors insist they will not be silenced. they say they are profending their professional dignity, and they are calling on the health minister to resign. three u.n. peace keepers have been killed another 30 have been injured in an attack on a base in the north of mali.

shelling hit the area on friday and people nearby reported seeing u.n. helicopters in the sky, and hearing an exchange of gunfire outside of the city. no group has yet said it was behind though attack. the international criminal court says against kenya's deputy president has been dealt a severe blow with key evidence now being ruled inadmissible. the testimony linked him to the violence around the 2007 presidential election, in which 1200 people died. but five witnesses have asked for the testimony to be withdrawn. catherine soi sent us this. >> reporter: they basically said that admitting such evidence would be unfair to the accused because the witnesses were not cross-examined. this is a big blow to the prosecutor -- or to the

prosecution. the chief prosecutor had said without the evidence her case is greatly weakened, because the former witnesses directly link the defendants to some of the crimes they are accused of. she said these witnesses were bribed or intimidated by people said to be associated to the defendants. now what happens next? two things. either the prosecution drops the charges, something many people who have followed this case say might not happen, or the trial judges rule in favor of a no case to answer motion, which was niled by the defense. the defense saying there was no evidence against it, the witnesses were not credible and admitted to being compromised. the prosecution, of course will be trying to argue otherwise. now to greece, and farmers there have confronted riot police in athens during protests against new austerity measures. all the latest in weeks of

demonstrations against the left-wing government which is still trying to introduce new financial reforms. neave barker reports from athens. >> reporter: protesting farmers attack riot police as an angry crowd tries to storm the ministry of agriculture j. plumes of tear gas fill the air. many of these farmers has travelled from the island of crete to join a day of demonstrations that began with violence. from across the country, farmers converged on at thens in their thousands. this group came in convoy. farmers have staged at least 70 blockades on highways across the country. >> the country is the people. these measures are not going to help the people. they are going to destroy them. not only the farmers, most of

the society. >> reporter: close to parliament some protesters have pitched tents. they say they will be here for several days. >> translator: we have come here to protest with determination and decisiveness. we won't leave here until we have found justice. >> reporter: last year the greek government signed an agreement with its lenders, that if it introduces a raft of deep-seated economic reforms, it would have access to a $95 billion bailout. the greek government sighs the reforms are a matter of necessity. but they mean sharp increases in pension contributions, changes these farmers say will make their small businesses no longer viable. neave barker, al jazeera, athens. the world health organization says it is looking more and more likely that the zika virus is linked to birth defects. the disease is affecting many

countries in the americas and could spread to other parts of the world. >> reporter: this is china's first zika patient. he was in venezuela when he began to get a fever and feel dizzy. >> translator: the symptoms made me believe that i had contracted dengue fever, because zika virus was only found recently. infection with the virus is not usually life-threatening to adu adults. the latest outbreak begin in brazil nine months ago. health sorts are pushing to distribute more effective health kits to speed up diagnosis. >> translator: there is great optimism that we would develop this vaccine in less time than originally foreseen. we believe within a year we could have the vaccine in its developed form. >> reporter: but the world

health organization says it is likely to be 18 months before a vaccine can go to large-scale trials. 4,000 suspected cases linked to brain deformities in babies. the virus has been detected all over the americas. there are also cases in the u.s. and people who have traveled south. at least two pregnant women have returned from latin america to australia with zika. doctors are closely monitoring the pregnant women, but they have not yet seen evidence of deformities. >> translator: he told me it shouldn't be dangerous at this stage. that if i was closer to giving birth, it would be. >> reporter: it was first identified in uganda in 1947, and people are worried about

what would happen if this latest outbreak spread. >> potentially zika can come in areas where the mosquito is present. so this is a very large portion of the world. >> reporter: on february 1st, the w.h.o. designated zika a public health emergency, and since then health authorities have stepped up their response to what is now a virus of international concern. caroline malone, al jazeera. an agreement which was signed a year ago that was supposed to end fighting in ukraine between government forces and pro-russian separatists, but orphans are among the civilians still suffering. charles stratford reports. >> reporter: these children used to live in an orphanage and now they live in a war zone. brought up in poverty and two

with severe learning disabilities. they all now live with their adopted parents in the so-called gray zone between pro-russian separatists fighters and the ukrainian army. despite repeated calls for a ceasefire, the fighting continues, and especially at night. >> translator: nadia is also very afraid when there is shelling. she cries and screams at night. we try to keep the girls calm. >> reporter: an agreement signed last february in minsk was supposed to end the fighting. this is the front line in another village. heavy weapons are supposed to have been withdrawn as part of the deal. but both sides accuse each other of breaking that agreement almost every day. this area has seen some of the fiercest fighting since the conflict began.

now the ukrainian army sell us the separatists frequently target their positions, and they say the towers on the horizon, and they say the separatists use those towers as look-outposts and sniper positions. they have loved this 78-year-old grandmother to so-called safety four times since the fighting started. but she has come under fire every time, and every house has been destroyed. >> translator: i'm not going anywhere, because i got married here. my children and grandchildren were born here. everyone is gone, and i don't want to go, because if i do, how will they find me? i won't move until there is peace. >> translator: the conflict hasn't finished. i personally believe the ukrainian military are needed her to deter the on slot. we have to protect and help the people who decided to stay and

to bring an ebb to this conflict. >> reporter: at a nearby check point volunteers entertain the soldiers. these men are fiercely patriotic and anti-moscow. >> translator: we are strong when we with united and together we will defeat our enemy. >> reporter: among the destruction of war, people across this region have no interest in talk of victory, wishing only the fighting would end. charles stratford, al jazeera, eastern ukraine. we're going away for just a minute or so, so when we come back, you will have this. pope francis on his way to cuba where he'll be meeting the head of the russian orthodoxy. the first such meeting in nearly a thousand years. and robin has the sports, and we'll explore the science behind one of the world's

deadliest sports.

>> this is al jazeera america live from new york. >> at 7:00 - "news roundup". tony harris gives you a fast-paced recap of the day's events. >> this is the first line of defense. >> we have an exclusive story tonight. >> then at 8:00 - john seigenthaler brings you the top stories from across america. >> the question is, will these dams hold? >> and at 9:00 - >> i'm ali velshi, on target tonight... >> ali velshi on target. digging deeper into the issues that matter. >> i'm trying to get a sense for what iranians are feeling. time to go over the

headlines here. syrian president bashar al-assad has said that he and his troops will retake the entire country of syria. his comments come after international leaders agree to a cessation of hostility in the coming days. and here violent scenes in the greek capitol between police and thousands of farmers during an an an anti austerity protest. iran's prime minister is in munich where the war in syria understandably dominates discussions. he says his country is now prepared to work with saudi arabia towards stability in that region. >> we believe there is nothing in our region that would exclude iran and saudi arabia working

together for a better future for all of us. we believe we face common threats. we believe isil al-nusra extremism in general are as much a thread to our brothers in saudi arabia as they are to the rest of the region, even more. so we are bound by a commonny of a threat that has problems with our brothers in turkey, has problems with our brothers in saudi arabia, in the region, pakistan, afghanistan, and southeast asia. the u.s. and itself allies partners need to think hard about what they are doing in syria and that all sides could negotiate, instead of bringing along what he called a new world war. he is worried about what here? >> he is basically being

hypocritical to put it in blunt terms. when he talks about world war, he is excluding russia from that scenario, it's as if he is saying russia's participation in syria's war is legitimate and the others are not. >> are the others going to take notice? >> i think the way things standing on the ground in syria, are leaving the allies outside with very few oppositions. they can't let the syrian opposition become extinct, and therefore there has to be an exka lags of support, especially the western support has decreased significantly in recent months. >> what did you make of what he had to say about we will destroy daesh, isil, whatever way you want to term it, and we will not

back down in any way, shape, or form. >> i think he is being serious. daesh does form a existential threat in the middle east. and saudi arabia and gulf countries generally recognize it is the presence of the syrian regime that is contributing to the presence of daesh in the first place. >> we see the iranian foreign minister saying we will cooperate with anybody. but is iran actually if not happy, it's quite prepared to let russia continuing doing what it is doing to -- to support the assad regime, and see the oppositions position fundamentally weakened as a result? >> i will say that iran in the very beginning had a more leading role in the syrian conflict than it is today. today russia is the leading actor, but of course, iran is benefitting from the scenario, because without russia's air campaign, i think iran was about to struggle in syria on the

ground as well. >> thank you. >> thank you. >> appreciate your ebbs per tease on this. now to canada is country which says it is on track to welcome 25,000 new syrian refugees by next month. 4,000 have already arrived since the end of last year. >> reporter: this pediatrician has been treating newly arrived migrants in toronto for two years now. but her patient list these days is overwhelmingly syrian, as thousands of people arrive in canada's largest city every week. >> translator: we have had a great welcome from the canadian government, and the red cross has helped us so much. the organization that runs this clinic is helping us, then we can look for a house and settle in. >> reporter: getting them vaccinated is crucial for starting english classes in the

city's schools, so is making sure everyone has the right clothing for winter. that's where the community comes in. these coats, boots, even toys were donated after an appeal on facebook by a couple with a personal stake in the situation. >> my husband is syrian, originally from damascus, only been here five years. early on in the war he lost his uncle and 15-year-old cousin in a car bomb. >> reporter: canada's new prime minister was there in person last year to welcome the first rivals, more than 13,000 have landed so far, and it's becoming difficult now for some to find permanent accommodation. hundreds await resettlement in hotels best described as modest. it has been a long journey to this hotel. but for hundreds of refugee families, this represents a new

start. whatever the difficulties in finding them a permanent place to live. here to the public is stepping up. in meeting is looking for volunteers to help newly arrived refugees and there's plenty of interest in doing even more, going directly to syrian families stuck in hotels, offering to set them up with accommodation, the path to a new life. >> we have to raise the money to look after a family for a year. well, we are all set to do that. we have all been approved by the organization that we're working with. we're set to go. let's go. >> reporter: young syrian refugees fitting right in, sliding down a snowy hill in a video that went viral earlier this month. so far this country, and itself newcomers seem to be adjusting to each other rather well. daniel lak, al jazeera, toronto. in yemen, the u.n. is being

warned to remove its staff from areas controlled by houthi rebels. on the ground government forces seized control of a military base 50 kilometers from sana'a on thursday. saudi arabia and itself allies support the president and are fighting against the houthi movement as well as supporters of former president saleh. pope francis is on his way to cuba, where for the first time in nearly a thousand years a patriarch on the russian orthodox church will meet a roman catholic pope. they are holding talks on friday. pope francis is on his way to mexico for a week-long tour. our correspondent reports. >> reporter: the sites and sounds of a russian orthodox service. in the great schism of 2054

political and theological differences split christianity in to what are now the eastern orthodox and roman catholic worlds. >> translator: the main topic is going to be defending christians in the middle east who are being destroyed. there have been loud voices, especially from the russians, calling for people to pay attention, unfortunately these voices haven't been heard. >> reporter: for some of russia's faithful, meeting is a welcome, if rather abstract event. >> translator: i think any negotiations are good. maybe they are going to discuss some issues or solve some problems. >> translator: we hope this meet willing be useful for people, for world, for everything. peace is the most important thing. >> reporter: though president putin doesn't among the priests waiving him off on wednesday,

the kremlin has presumably given this trip its approval. the two men will sign a joint declaration as well as the fate of christians in the middle east, political tensions between the west and the east may be discussed too. it seems putin views francis as less critical of russia's policies than many western leaders. moscow's main catholic church services as a veriried organization. the father, who is going on the trip to cuba has high hopes. >> when leaders come together and they show their willingness to -- to speak -- to talk to each other, to overcome os tillty -- maybe not hostility but suspicion towards each other, something is changing. >> reporter: as historic as this meeting is, it's not really about history, in the end it will be judged on whether the

meeting can in anyway help with the problems of today. in mexico, the pope is hoping to bring messages of peace and solidarity to victims of drugs, violence, trafficking, and discrimination. it is thought that 81% of the mexican population are catholic. >> reporter: the faithful pray for salvation, not just the spiritual kind, but one more tangible to see mexico saved from the violence consuming so many parts of the country. pope francis wants to help them achieve that. >> translator: i exalt you to fight every day against corruption, trafficking, war, division, against organized crime, against human smuggling. >> reporter: mexico is home to the second largest number of roman catholics in the world. for tens of millions of people here there is excitement. for mexico's political lead

tlers is discomfort, as pope is expected to point out some failings. one official was asked if the government was afraid of what the pope might say. >> translator: the term fear doesn't exist for the government. there's a great expectation that the pontiff's words will have an effect on mexico society and all three levels of government. >> reporter: the pope comes to a mexico which is in some parts in crisis. the case of the 43 students who went miss drew attention to the plight of many mexicans who simply disappear. many believe the government has done little to find them. meanwhile killings are on the rise again in a country that has seen so much bloodshed. the pope's very itinerary is seen as provacative. he will travel to the southern state to hold meetings with indigenous leaders, and travel to the u.s. border to show the plight of migrants. >> translator: the pope picked

these places where the level of conflict shows the shortcomings of mexico society, and the debt mexican politicians owe itself people >> reporter: this father is regarded as being too vocal of a critic to be invited to meet the pope. but he is excited. >> translator: francis is going to shed light on issues the government would rather keep in the dark. >> reporter: even if the pope makes mexico's leaders uncomfortable, it is unlikely his visit will prompt rapid change. adam raney, al jazeera, mexico city. and add this to the pope and the patriarch being in cuba, though probably not linked, the u.s. government is going to say on tuesday that it has signed an agreement with cuba to restore commercial air travel between the two countries. it could be up to 25 a day

between the u.s. and havana. okay. let's take a look at what we're going to be examining in just a moment. race relations dominating the democratic presidential debate in the united states as candidates seek more minority votes. and the government using subsidies to try to bring down the price of beef. and big air snowboarding prepares for its olympic debut, fans in the u.s. are getting an early taste of what it takes to fly. ♪

♪ did you know that indonesian beef is some of the most expensive anywhere in the world? lack of supply, apparently, and farms are small and it is pricey to move cattle between these thousands of different islands. we canned steph vaessen to go witness the animal's long journeys. >> reporter: bulls boarding a ferry for a week-long boat ride to get to jakarta. they have already traveled for days. they have had to make 13 stops along the way, and at each one their price went up, and their health down. the government now tries to speed up the process and reduce high transport costs by introducing this subsidized ferry. >> translator: if jakarta wants to reduce the price of beef,

that's impossible. even if we would send 1,000 bulls every week, with the high demand, the price can't go down. it's like throwing salt into the sea. >> reporter: low supply has turned indonesian beef into a luxury item, with one of the world's highest prices. indonesia imports hundreds of thousands of cows every year from australia to keep up with demand. these cows have become a symbol of national pride with indonesia trying to be less dependant on trail crease imports -- australia's imports. as long as this man has been a cattle farmer, he says he has never received any government assistance to improve production. his cows are skinny because he struggles to offer good food.

>> translator: if the government would care about the cattle farmers, i'm sure we would be able to compete with australian beef. but we can't do this on our own. >> reporter: the governor says he can't help individual farmers, but he is trying to increase production by assisting breeders. >> translator: our beef is a lot tastier than australian beef because it's all natural. it is still expensive, because we can't mass produce. >> reporter: he hopes to increase production to 1 million cows in the next two years. they have resumed transporting bulls to jakarta, hoping prices will come down. >> we have the sport. we have robin, and it doesn't get any bet ere for fifa, does it? >> it doesn't another day, another fifa scandal, it seems. the man who served as sepp

blatter's right hand man has been banded for 12 years. the ethics committee found the frenchman attempted to destroy evidence against himself. blatter and mra -- mra teeny will oppeel their bans next week. tennis integrity unit is coming under criticism for a perceived lack of action. it now says it will investigate all claims thoroughly, but won't report back for the next 12

months. djokovic revealed he rejected an offer of $200,000 to throw a match ten years ago. kenya have been told they have two months to prove they are tackling doping or face expulsion from the rio olympics. they have been placed on a watch list. the country which excels at distance running has given two months to bring in new legislation and funding. jordan spieth is well off the pace. he had all sorts of hazards to deal with in the opening round in california. it doesn't just the deer on the course. murray also tried to steal his thunder. after all of that he did manage three birdies.

he is seven strokes behind the leader. this week the world surfing league announced their finalists for the annual big wave event. but jake ward explains knowing where to be and when can all be in the science. >> reporter: the mavericks big wave event is an annual gathering of the world's best and bravest surfers flying in from all over the world to ride waves the height of a three-story building. but how do they know when the competition is on. 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. >> the reality is we want guys to be able to catch waves, ride it well, compete, and not die in the process. >> 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, and this el niño year is going to create those circumstances, incredit amounts of waterer produce the largest waves on earth. he looks for big storms at sea. that's what creates the swell necessary to create these punishing waves. >> they are just like throwing a pebble into a pond and the waves ripple out from that. only our pebble is a storm. >> reporter: the underwater topography of mavericks is what makes it all possible. if the swell is powerful enough it shoves with enough force to create an normal triangle that

dumps more than three swimming pools of salt water over the rocks every wave. >> you are basically as alive as you can be. >> reporter: mark is not gist a weather geek. he has been on the bad end of mavericks. >> 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, and it was just ugly from there. so my arm was fully dislocated. >> reporter: for him predicting these waves is like riding them, choose a swell big enough for the contest, but no so large that anyone dies. and on to the sweden motor event. the roads have been laid bare. alongside more traditional

sports like hockey and weight lifting, this year's south asian games includes a sport rooted in the continent. we went to the northeast of india to kind out more about cocoa. >> you are either a chaser or a defender. chasers can only run in one direction, and must tap their teammate on the back and shout co, allowing their teammate to run in the other direction. it requires both seed and strategy, and it's more than just a bit of fun. for some young athletes, it's a ticket to a better future. she comes from an underprivileged background. >> translator: i am getting job offers and scholarships which will go a long way to helping me financially. >> reporter: many of her teammates have similar stories

to tell. it has taken a very long time for cocoa to get to this official sporting platform. there are references to the game in ancient hindu text which date back thousands of years when it was used to chain soldiers in strategy on the battlefield. and that's exactly how the coach of nepal's national team cease it. he calls it the mother of all games. >> translator: cocoa has speed and endurance, and it's a mind game too. it should become compulsory for all of our police and defense forces, because it keeps you alert. >> reporter: but this is a cricket mad region where cocoa doesn't have the kind of money behind it to drive big sponsorship deals. >> translator: in today's day a cocoa player can only earn big money through matches and competitions. >> reporter: the days of league,

cocoa may still be a way off, but here it's the spectators that are keeping the game alive. big air snowboarding with enter the winter olympics program for the first time. fans in the united states got an early taste. fenway park hosted the event. what you are looking at now is the winning runs from canada's max [ inaudible ]. he won the men's event. julia taking the lady's competition, in front of the 12,000 spectators there. that's all of your sport for now. back to david in london. >> no chance. thank you very much indeed. we'll leave that to them. the former u.s. secretary of state hillary clinton has tried to regain the upper hand over

her rival bernie sanders in their latest democratic debate. they are facing off in another primary vote this month, as part of their long race to the presidential nomination. let's round up where we stand right now with kimberly halkett in washington. >> reporter: hours before the democratic debate, bernie sanders released this television ad. it features the daughter of eric garner, killed by police during an arrest for selling cigarettes. now an activist, she says she is endorsing bernie sanders for president. but hours earlier the political action committee of the prominent congressional black caucus, endorsed hillary clinton. the battle for the support of african american and latino voters was the focus for the democratic presidential

candidates in their latest debate. at issue, who was more supportive of immigrants allowed to stay. >> i voted for immigration reform in 2007. center sanders voted against it at that time. >> when we saw children coming from these horrendously violent areas of honduras and neighboring countries, people fleeing drug and cartel violence, i thought it was a good idea to allow those children to stay in this country. >> reporter: they also argued over the causes of systemic racism in the u.s. sanders blaming a political system that favors the elite. and when it comes to supporting america's first black president clinton went on the attack. >> said senator sanders said that president obama failed the presidential leadership test, and this is not the first time he has criticized president

obama. in the past he has called him weak and a disappointment. >> madam secretary. that is a low blow. i worked for his reelection -- his first election, and his reelection, but i think it's really unfair to suggest i have not been supportive of the president. >> reporter: clinton is counting on the backing of minority voters who have in the past supported her. but bernie sanders has been gaining support in key demographics that hillary clinton once counted on middle class and younger voters, including young voters of color, making the so-called minority vote one that hillary clinton can no longer count on. and continuing coverage of those contests here on al jazeera. that's it for me and the news hour team. felicity barr is coming up next. we'll see you next time.

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syria's president defies calls for cessation of hostilities. bashar al-assad vows to retake the entire country. ♪ hello there i'm felicity barr. and you are watching al jazeera, live from london. also coming up. doctors protest in egypt after the release of police officers accused of attacking their colleagues. farmers fury. tractors drive to greece's parliament in a protest against more austerity measures.