written everyday. it's not always pretty, but it's real... and we show you like no-one else can. this is our american story. this is america tonight. >> defiant words. >> if we don't negotiate it doesn't mean we stop fighting. >> as rebels in aleppo try the hold their ground. religious break through. >> translator: we spoke as brothers, we have the same baptism. we're christians.

>> pope francis and archbishop of the russian orthodox church. >> the conflict hasn't finished. i personally believe the ukrainian military are needed. >> a year afterward. the minsk ceasefire. >> and the riots in athens by bailout lenders. good evening i'm antonio mora. this is al jazeera america cps international new'snews hour. tonight, we begin with bashar al-assad says he supports the effort to bring about a

ceasefire in his country but he vows to retake all of his country no matter how hard it takes. russia's prime minister offered some advice. dimitri medvedev warned about sending forces into syria, doing so i.t. could spark another world war. for now it's mainly syria's war backed up by grim numbers, more than 11% of the pre-war population has either been killed or wounded in the past five years. assad says the fighting could continue for a long time. >> translator: we have fully believed in negotiations, and in political action, since the beginning of this crisis. however, if we negotiate, it does not mean that we stop fighting terrorism. the two traction are inevitable in syria. first through negotiations and second through fighting terrorism. >> assad added that a solution in syria will come at a heavy

price. the united states was quick to offer an official response to assad, state department spokesman mark toner was blunt in his assessment. >> look, i mean he's deluded if he thinks that there's a military solution to the conflict in syria. we've seen this wax and wane over now five years. but all we're looking at, if the syrian regime continues the fighting, is more bloodshed. more hardship. and frankly, a greater hardening of position he on either side. >> for more on the u.s. response to what's happening in syria here's al jazeera's national security correspondent jamie mcintire. >> if you cut through all the diplo-speak, the groundwork for

a singl successful meeting is he russians define ceasefire. >> under the agreement hashed out between russian foreign minister sergey lavrov and u.s. secretary of state john kerry, air strikes will continue but some groups will no longer be targeted. >> to that end we have also established a task force under the auspices of the u.n. and co-chaired by russia and the united states. and over the coming week this group will work to develop the modalities for a long term comprehensiven and durable cessation of violence. of hostilities. >> reporter: both sides have already grad that i.s.i.l. and

the el nusra front are legitimate targets, both having been designated as terrorist groups by the u.n. so any eventually ceasefire will have no effect on the u.s. led antii.s.i.l. air war. >> there is no being voint that we need to cease. >> rarely strikes i.s.i.l. targets and instead has been primarily focused on rebel groups opposed to the assad regime. russia insists it's battling terrorists as it bottom bard bos strongholds such as aleppo. which isn't being hit by

i.s.i.l. >> russia says it welcomes military cooperation with the united states while the pentagon accuses russia of bombing indiscriminate that thely and lying about it. >> the pentagon says the temporary cessation of battle, allows for humanitarian flow of besieged cities, but moscow also sees this as a big win. it puts russia in charge of the flow of humanitarian aid. it gives it another week to solidify battlefield gains and levers bashar al-assad even more firmly in power. >> jamie mcintire at the pentagon. the discussions in munich have had no effect on syria at least

at present. zeina khodr has more. >> rebels understand the need to hold ground, if they do thought, the government will be one step further to aleppo city, where tens of thousands of people live. the opposition is trying to prevent its stronghold from being besieged. >> translator: they are killing us but we will remain steadfast. we are still on the front lines. we will liberate every inch of territory they exushed. we won'captured. we are here. >> reporter: within a week the bombardment is supposed to stop but being received with skepticism on the ground. >> translator: i don't think the international community represented by the u.s. and russia is serious about a ceasefire for now. they postpone peace talks to

give the regime more opportunity to gain more ground. >> reporter: the government is on the offensive in more than one quarter in syria. the aerial bombardment is only intensifying and the casualties are rising. the rebels no longer control supply license into their strongholds and the u.n. is warning, the 125,000 inside risk hunger and disease. they have told us they have little faith in the syrian government and its backer russia. they say the munich talks will only force the armed groups to surrender. but a pause in the fighting and the delivery of many needed aid to the -- of much needed aid cannot come fast enough for the people. the battle for aleppo has according to the united nations left more than 50,000 homeless adding to the millions who have been displaced over the years.

>> translator: what have the people done to deserve this? they are not sparing anyone, not the children, not the elderly, this is enough. >> the conflict has laid waste to.of aleppo and syria. in this deeply divided country claims of victory will have little meaning for anyone without a wider peace. zeina khodr, al jazeera, southern turkey. >> defense secretary ash carter has said the uae has offered to send more fighters to syria. the u.s. ally will help train sunni arab fighters focused on capturing raqqa from i.s.i.l. iran and saudi arabia clarified their intentions in the region. al jazeera's dominic kane. >> a dominant theme here at the

munich security conference on its first day of deliberations. a succession of speakers chose to stress the dangers posed by terrorism and the islamic state of iraq and the levant, the saudi foreign minister also spoke about why it was fundamental to combat daesh, i.s.i.l, but he also had a very pointed message for syrian president bashar al-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, and the destruction of a inflation. a man who has -- who is the single most effective magnet for extremists and terrorists in the region. >> the main backer iran has been

steadfast in its support for him since the arab spring began. here at the munich security conference on friday, in zarif said it was upon that iran could find some sort of arrangement with the saudi arabiaian saudi n government but a new paradigm needed to be found to let that happen. >> thinking about their own future rather than setting the parameters on what they need to do. we should also agree that iran and saudi arabia cannot seclude each other from the region. iran and saudi arabia can accommodate each other in the region if they each define their specific interests in all these places. arbut that specific interest in order to be accommodated should not be the exclusion of the other party. >> the mood music has suggested that everyone wants obinding solution to the syria crisis but the question remains whether

what's being discussed and agreed here will translate to reality on the ground. >> dominic kane in munich. the european union is giving greece three months to tighten its borders and slow the influx of refugees. if it fails the eu is threatening to suspend greece from its passport free zone. a commission says greece has been improperly registering refugees. canada says it is on track owelcome 25,000 syrian refugees by march. so far the country's expedited program to process refugees has taken in more than half of those promised. daniel lak reports. >> pediatrician anna has been treating newly arrived migrants in toronto for two years now but her patient list is overwhelmingly syrian.

>> translator: we've 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 with the kids' allowances and paperwork 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, then making sure everyone has the right clothes for winter, that's where the community comes in. these toys books were donated. >> my husband that you hear shouting, he's a big reason why we got involved in the initiative. he's syrian from damascus damascus. very early on this the conflict he lost his uncle and a cousin in a car bomb. >> there in person was the new

canadian prime minister, pierre trudeau. it is becoming difficult to find permanent housing. it's been a long journey from displacement, but for hundreds of refugee families this represents a new start whatever the difficulties in finding them a permanent place to live. here too the public is stepping up. canada allows private sponsorship of refugees, community groups raising money to help families. this community is looking for volunteers and there's plenty of interest doing more. going directly to syrian families stuck in hotels offering to set them up with accommodation, the bath for a new life. >> we need to look for a family to sponsor for a year, we are approved to do that.

we are all registered with the volunteer organization we are working with we're all set and let's go. >> sliding down a snowy hill in a individual joe that went viral early this month. so far, the new arrivals have adjusted very well. daniel lak, al jazeera. a confidential u.n. report, accuses nearly 250,000 people have fled the violence in in burundi, more than 75,000 of them entering rwanda. when burundi's president decided to seek a third term his opponents believe is unconstitutional. pope's unpress tented meeting with the russian

orthodox church. shared message for the world. >> tough action to stop north korea's nuclear program.

>> pope francis arrived in mexico tonight for a five day visit. earlier in the day he made history in havana with a first of its kind meeting. pope francis shook hands with the head of the russian orthodox

church. >> the two men exchanged hugs and kisses, called themselves brothers. they said the meeting was expression of the world within them. joint declaration issued after a three hour meeting at the international airport in havana the two talked about the despair in the world, common goal to work towards a solution that would combat what they called the extermination of christians in the middle east and north africa. they sited iraq and syria specifically, said the international community needed to work to bring an end to the violence and the terrorism. wide scale humanitarian aired to refugees. both leaders mentioned that they have sympathy for other faiths that have also been impacted bin the violence in the region and they promoted this notion of interfaith dialogue. now this entire meeting has been

framed as a way to yooufnt the o sides. patriarch is closely aligned with russian president vladimir putin. it's likely putin signed off on this meeting, at a time when russia is isolated from the west due to its actions in ukraine and syria. an attempt by russia to raise the profile in the west. >> miguel diaz is a former u.s. ambassador to the holy see. joinings us from chicago. ambassador very good to see you. the poach greeted the patriarch by saying, finally brother, given the great schism between the catholic and orthodox churches, almost a thousand years ago, that is putting it mildly. why now? >> there are many factors that contribute to the historic meeting. very interesting that it takes

place or took place in havana which the pope called the crossroads between east, west, north and south. but i primar primarily see thiss pope is very much in line with the three themes of his papacy which have to do with first of all in this year of mercy, the proclamation of mercy, and the cultivation of mercy. two, a culture of encounter and three, the marginalized those who suffer, in a globalization of indifference. given those three themes it is no surprise that in light of the state of christians in the middle east and in africa that these two figures would try come together and try in different ways to bring about a mediation of peace and also, an leask lean oanalleviation of human needs.

>> especially in ukraine, proselytizing. >> in respect to religious differences and in terms of respecting each other's traditions. i think there's plenty of justification at leets to say well, if we take time together thee logically, that is the work of thee lodgans, we might be able to build consensus he can you a mehe canyou a menhe ca cli.

he can consensus ecumenically. >> this is why i mentioned in diplomacy everyone tries to bring something to the table and everyone tries to you know get something out of whatever it is whatever deal is reached. and so i do think that u.n. that all those factors are also, you know, factors to consider in this kind of meeting but for the roman conflict church and for the pope this has been something particularly in the form of suffering of christians in the middle east, if the pope sees this as a way to alleviate human suffering he sees some relief in trying to -- >> but do you see the pope is trying to move rudd, the patriarch has been openly

against the moves in ukraine and syria is the pope reaching out to the are country now? >> in terms of the loss of religion in society many terms in the world, and again primarily the issues of suffering and the plight of immigrants, i think this is part of the difference of this particular pope in terms of how he sees you know the time will tell but in terms of how he sees the ability to change minds an hearts. and he is opting for this cultural of encounter, mercy, and engagement and preferential option for the poor and the marginalized and i think he's banking on the possibility that you know, because this is a christian practice, that in the long term, this has the best chance of yielding the kinds of stability of peace that the

church seeks in the image of christ. >> former u.s. ambassador to the vatican manuel diaz, thank you for being with us. >> thank you so much. >> pope francis arrived in mexico, during his five day stay he's examined to raise some sensitive issues that the government would rather avoid. adam rainey has the story. >> one more tangible, to see mexico city cured of the being overcome by the corruption. >> translator: i urge you to fight against trafficking, war, division, against organized crime against human struggling ling. >> mexico, for tens ever millions of people here there is excitement for mexico's

political leaders though there is discomfort as pope francis is expected to point out some of their failings. one official was asked was the pope concerned about the words? >> the pope comes to a mexico which in some parts is in crisis. the case of the 43 students who went missing now believed to be dead through attention to the plight of many mexicans who simply disappear. many believe the government has done little to find them. a country that has seen so much death after drug raids. >> he will travel to the southern part of chiappas, and travel to the u.s. border to show the polite of fieg rabts.

>> the pope at a picked thee places because the weather,. >> father, alejandro is considered too croakal of th vo. >> government would rather keep in the dark, the government plans on keeping things hidden. >> even though the pope, some solace or those whose faith has been so severely tested. >> adam rainey in mexico city. mpleghts being worldwide effort to contain the zika virus an exaggeration. an uncertainty in ukraine,

millions are living in economic limbo while focused on syria's civil war.

welcome back to al jazeera america i'm antonio mora, coming up in this half hour of intrrve internatio, china wants north korea to pay

for its nuclear ambitions. but first a look at the stories making headlines across the u.s. in our american minute. from wung at peoplswung at peopt emachete.michigan governor ricks getting his day in congress. explaining his administration's actions with regard to the water problems in flints. the date for a hearing has not been announced. the white house says president obama has designated three new national monuments in the desert areas of southeastern california. they cover nearly 2 million acres and would double the amount of sensitive lands he's protected as president. senator dianne feinstein has asked him to use his powers under federal law to create the

new mo mojave snow and other ar. >> a move analysts, month earlier, pyongyang conducted its fourth underground nuclear test. the bill is now awaiting president obama's signature. pyongyang's nuclear ambition has drawn the ire of the most important ally. north korea pay the necessary price. >> translator: in taking further steps and adopting a new and further sanctions resolution, the u.n. security council should have an objective, to curb the dprk's nuclear and missile technology. >> north korea has been under sanctions since its first test

in 2006. world health organization has said in a matter of weeks it should be able to connect the zika virus with newborning rg issues. >> this is the first zika patient,. >> the symptoms made me believe i had contracted dengue fever because zika virus was only found recently. >> infection of the virus is not life threatening for adults, but it is a concern for pregnant women because it is a strong link to babies formed with deformities. more effective test kits should speed up diagnosis, also working on possible prevention. >> translator: there is great

optimism that we could develop this vaccine in less time than originally foreseen. we believe that within a year we could have a vaccine in its developed form. >> reporter: but the world health organization says it's likely to be 18 months before a vaccine can go to large scale trials. the brazilian government says over 1.5 million zika cases have been reported there and brain deformities in babies. in venezuela for example at least 70 people have been hospitalized. there are also cases in the u.s. and people who have traveled south and one suspected case from sexual contact. at reese one case in china at least two pregnant women have returned from latin america to o australia. doctors have not yet found any evidence of deformities in babies. >> translator: he told me that

it shouldn't be dangerous at this stage. that if i was closest to giving birth it would be. >> reporter: zika was first identified in uganda in 1947. people are worried what would happen if this latest outbreak could spread from cape verde to other parts of africa. >> this is a large portion of the world, it is about india, about tropical area. >> on february 1st the w.h.o. designated zika a public health emergency. a virus of international concern. caroline malone, al jazeera. >> the mayor of rio de janeiro is down playing the threat made by zika. mayor eduardo pais, said

visitors circulate not be concerned. >> i think there is a certain lack ever knowledge of the matter. flu affects more people than dengue fever, there is a little overreaction on it this moment. >> spread across latin america and has now been labeled a global health emergency by the world health organization. the white house says vice president biden spoke by phone with ukraine's president, the second day the two have spoke. reforms are a condition of a 17.5 billion bailout from the international monetary fund. the tatar residents of crimea, say russian security forces on the black sea peninsula have raided homes and charged four of them with terrorist offenses. the four of them could face up

to 20 years in jail. the tatars make up 20% of crimea's population. opposed crimea's taking by russia two years ago. many caught in the cross fire including children. al jazeera's are charlings stratford. >> brought up in poverty and two with severe learning disabilities they now live with their adopted parents in the village of zavonka. despite repeated calls for a ceasefire the fighting continues and especially at night. >> nadia is always very afraid

when there's shelling. she cries and screams at night. we try to keep the girls calm. we try show them that we are not afraid. >> reporter: an agreement signed in the belarusian capital of minsk. heavy weapons are supposed to be withdrawn as part of the minsk deal but both sides accuse each other of breaking that agreement almost every day. the ukrainian army tell us the separatists regularly target their position he using antitank weapons and mortars. they also tell us that the two towers on the horizon are about two and a half kilometers away and the separatists use those towers as lookout posts and sniper position he. they've moved 78-year-old grandmother sonia to safety four

times since the fighting started. but she's come under fire every time and every house has been destroyed. >> translator: i'm not going anywhere because i got married here my children were born here, my grandchildren were born here. everyone's 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 in order to deter the enemy's onslaught. the conflict is frozen, to help the people who decided t decide, to bring an end to the conflict. >> ukrainian volunteers entertain these soldiers. these people are fiercely patriotic and anti-moscow. >> people are strong in their unity when we are united.

we will defeat the muskovites. >> wishing only the fighting would end. charles stratford, al jazeera, eastern ukraine. >> good to see you again. >> thank you. >> here we are a year after the minsk 2 accord, stopping the violent, still people are being killed and accused of violating the accord. is anything better? >> it would be better if russia at any time have anything to do with minsk. other than that every single day ukrainian position he have been fired on. no international monitors are allowed to go by russia. >> they can't monitor? >> they can't monitor. >> to see whether troops and equipment are going back and

forth. >> the effect on civilians, 5 million people have been traumatized by war. 3.2 million right now are in danger in dire need of humanitarian aid and living in combat areas. it is a really large number of people. i don't think people in our country know population of iowa 3.2 million that many people are living in dire humanitarian need. >> russia argues that ukraine is partially responsible, ukraine has not gone through the process it needs to give those regions in eastern ukraine proper direction. >> a certainly status law allowing for special status in those two areas, however, what's happening is, they keep moving it, so russia now wants constitutional reform. another country wants constitutional reform in ukraine. i think you understand how

difficult constitutional reform is in any country. we can't do that overnight. it is a matter of time for that purpose. the thing that russia wants is to delay it, delay the reforms. >> yoare you afraid that the crisis in the middle east has distracted world leaders from what's happening in ukraine and that's partially what's leading to the continued fighting? >> the sad part is these crises have happened in almost simultaneously. what we've had in syria is ever since the beginning of the ukraine crisis people have been telling us in congress wait we have to work out syria, putin has helped us in syria and he has played both sides successful trying to delay the process. >> is there anything because of what's happened in ukraine and russian sanctions have hurt the russian economy that he might be any more inclined to change his position on ukraine?

>> this is syria once rudd russt involved in ukraine, that's the eighth conflict zone. whether it is the crimea or the dundun bas, the westba. dunbas, what's the plan to deal with russia now. >> vice president biden has talked with president petro poroshenko to talk about these imf bailouts, why is that not happening, is there a lot of division inside the ukrainian policpoliceparliament? >> it is a lot of change.

>> ukrainiapolls, down in the 2d 30s, ars an yatsenyuk yuck his g likabilities is ricing. >> they have to redo the prosecutors office and all the judges, it is a massive. >> ing i'm very bullish on ukraine, ukraine has a lot of people who are underemployed overeducated and is vastly rich in natural resources. anybody who's investing in ukraine now a country on the border of europe who is not going to be paying eu levies in a long time is investing in a country with a strong upside. don't forget, ukraine has one of

the largest militaries in all of europe. it will be a world power for years to come. >> good to have you with us as always. >> thank you, antonio. pakistan's military announced it had foiled a prison break, designed to free the man who killed washington posting reporter andrew,. >> violent conflict with police over pension reforms. sarah mckey shares her story, liking through deserts and mountains. rebalancing of president obama's foreign policy in asia and the reasons behind it. behind it.

>> in dwrees, violence erupte erupted -- this greece, violence erupted. trying to deal with greece's massive debt. al jazeera aal jazeera's neave r reports. >> angry groups tries to storm the ministry of agriculture. many of these farms had traveled from the island of crete. from across the country, farmers converged on that's in their thousands. this group came in convoy from corinth. in the last two weeks, farmers have stages protests now they're taking their acre to th ache ane

capital. >> most of the society, not just the farmers. >> on the square in athens close to parliament, some protesters have pitched tents. they say they'll be here for several days. >> translator: we've come here to protest with determination and decisiveness. we won't leave here until we found justice. >> last here the gre greek government signed an agreement with its financiers, the international monetary fund. it will have access to a $95 billion bailout. the greek government says the matters arreforms are not a matf choice but a matter of necessity. evening came, the crowds increased, tractors that had been stopped by police on the edges of the city were allowed

onto the square. in recent years greeks have experienced soaring taxes, volatile elections. many have asked what these waives os thesewaves will produ. now to our global view segment with a look at how news outlets across the world are reacting to various events. surge in oil production followed as to new technologies to more efficiencily extract oil from the earth. the higher prices also spurred a reduction in oil efficiency. the result is that we now have more supply less demand and as a result lower prices. india's the hindu says, the detection of gravitational waves is a paradigm shift for science. opening up entirely new angles of scientific exploration and

study. the paper says watershed moments of scientific discovery like this are a rare opportunity to launch a new wave of research and technology. and secretary of state john kerry says that we are nearing a final crunch time on syria. the korea herald says that is a familiar tactic, a last desperate push for diplomacy before it goes out the window. the old agreement still remains providing assad, rebel groups, although kerry prase presses ony should be ready to move on. on off the radar segment, sarah mckee is here to discuss her book wild by nature from siberia to australia, three years alone in the wilderness on foot. as the title suggests, the work chronicles her three year walking journey through some of the world's toughest terrain.

it's an amazing book and you started, in fact ending your prolog by saying, we're going walking. what an understatement. you went through deserts and mountains you faced snakes and leopards anda alligator presidents. why? >> my journey is two years preparation. you started walking, now let's go walking, action time one step at a time. you have to let it go. all the preparation you have done all the knowledge because i've been studying every culture in every country. and the language most of the time i could actually speak few word in every language. >> so is it the challenge or do you just love being out there doing this? >> i think it's more different than this. i think it's a question of understanding of how we are built, you know what got inside.

how -- ways of strengths, where we hide all that strength inside us. >> and you actually found that what you were changed over time as you were out there for so long that your senses changed that your body changes that you could smell things you could never have smelled before? >> this is incredible. the body, the human body is perfect. so by being out there like the first six months, i was like in a washing machine where you feel the pain you feel everything and you just have to go through this. and you know you've got the family the voice of your loved ones, can you still hear them in your head. and then one day you wake up and there is none of that, you're just like one with nature and that's why i'm walking to experience this. >> and you had to deal with aggressive monda mongolian hors, you had to deal with drug dealers in laos, you find humans

more of a challenge than the nature you faced? >> it is true actually. as a female being out there it's been a challenge really. so to avoid this i actually disguised myself as a man. it was really a challenge but at the end of the day, you are out there, and you have to survive. female or male. so it's hiding, you have to hide. >> and surviving you know isn't easy especially in the places where you went. i know you tell people you said that when you tell people what you're planning on doing, people don't say cool project, they say you're crazy. i would be one that says you're crazy. at one point you had to be air lifted, because of an infection and another time you had den gavdenguefever and you had to te

yourself to a tree. >> there is only one way to go. you have to open your mind, out of your comfort zone. that is what really interested me. you use the capacity inside, i'm not different from anybody, we are all the same, we do have that strength inside really strongly. >> were you scared? >> of course. you have that fear, you build that fear over time, you have the right fear which is the one that goes right up here and just all your hair on your body just stand up. is it the right fear? you have to listen to that fear. >> the world has been google mapped. there is very little that has been unexplored unseen. but a piece about you in the new york times says you are an explorer born in the wrong age. do you agree or do you think there's much left to discover? >> i think i just come back from an expedition where i got dropped in the helicopter in the

northwest corner of australia, where there is nothing out there only crocodiles and sthaik snakd bush fire. the an ridg aborigines used to e there, the wildlife and the birds didn't know, they came so close to me, make me hoping there's some space in this planet where nobody's been. >> sarah, good to see you. wild by nature, three years alone in the wilderness on 72nd. that's it on this al jazeera america news hour. next, florida wh everyglades. e.

>> good evening i'm antonio mora. this is al jazeera america. russia's bombing campaign in syria has restarted as world leaders plot out a platt for the middle eastern country's future. >> also. >> there's nothing conservative about donald trump. >> on air and online. >> fixing a gas leak in l.a. spewing toxic fumes for months. how the damage to the surrounding area could last for decades. historic