a double bombing kills at least 42 in homs as john kerries he's reached a provisional agreement with rush over a ceasefire for syria. hello, you're watching al jazeera live from london. also coming up, fiji struggles to restore power after hit by its strongest storm on record. india deploys thousands of troops to calm protests by the community which left new delhi facing a water crisis.

tonight, i am suspending my campaign. the end of the line for jeb bush as he pulls out of the republican presidential race. the syrian city of homs has been hit by a double car bombing. at least 46 people were killed and more than 100 others injured in one of the deadliest attacks to date in the government held city. the car bombs targeted the area of the city home to maintenance of president assad's sect. hours later, a southern suburb of damascus was hit by a number of explosions, killing at least 30 people and injuring dozens. the attacks came as government forces captured 31 villages in aleppo in the north from the

so-called islamic state of iraq and the levant. u.s. secretary of state john kerry said he has reached a provisional agreement with russia object terms of a ceasefire in syria. we have more from the turkish border. you may find some of the images in the report upsetting. >> it was an attack in the heart of homs, the government held city in central syria. two near simultaneous explosions killed and injured dozens of civilians, many of them women and children. the neighborhood is where the same sect lives as bashar al assad. sunday's bombing is described as the worst bombing. over the years, the government has managed to regain control from the opposition but these bombings are a reminder that a military solution won't end the war.

there seems to be progress towards a truce. >> we have reached a provisional agreement in principle on the terms of the cessation of hostilities that could begin in the coming days. it is not yet done and i anticipate that our presidents, president obama and president putin may speak somewhere in the next days or so in order to try to complete this task. >> kerry was speaking in jordan, which is also a member of the international syria support group. it is also the country given the task of putting together an internationally agreed list of who is a terrorist in syria and who isn't. there was no mention of whether a consensus has been reached. >> u.s. secretary of state john kerry has said a deal on a cessation of hostilities is closer than ever. hours earlier, the syrian government and the opposition said they would be ready to accept a conditional ceasefire. the government doesn't want the rebels to exploit a truce to

rearm and regroup and the opposition wants russian airstrikes to stop and sieges to be lifted. they made their positions clear, but it is the u.s. and russia who are the main players. >> one of those details is the presence of the el nusra front, fighters linked to al-qaeda. the u.n. designates it a terrorist organization, but it fights alongside some opposition groups who participate in the political process. the opposition says excluding al-nusra front in any deal would give russia an excuse to continue targeting rebel positions. a pause in the fighting will bring relief to the millions of syrians trapped in battlegrounds but it will not mean an end to the conflict. there are differences between the warring sides and their u.n. and international and regional backers about what comes next. >> the answer to the syrian civil war will not be found in any military alliance with assad. let me make that clear.

i am convinced it can be found in a broadly supported diplomatic initiative aimed at a negotiated political settlement with a transitional governing council. >> on the ground, the syrian led alliance changed the balance, particularly following the offensive in northern syria. the opposition's hand in negotiations may have been weakened, but the general thought is that the government cannot win this war militarily. a truce would silence the guns, but peace still needs to be fought around the negotiating table. al jazeera, southern turkey. jamal, we see a pro regime area coming under pressure today in homs and a very significant part of the syrian capital, damascus. just take us through developments so far.

today there were those explosion ins homs as you mentioned, the number varied in terms of those killed depending on the different sources there, but we understand at least 40 people were killed. a few hours later, in damascus in the capital, there were simultaneous explosions, now two sametains explosions, now coming from the capital. just another reminder if anybody ever needed one that the war in syria is not limited purely to the front lines and engagement battles taking place between the opposition fighters and all their different force and factions in the syrian regime or this russian air force but also right in the capital, the heart of the capital and that is something that will show you just how complicated the situation is and how any sort of ceasefire is going to be very difficult to reach, because it doesn't necessarily just require the agreement of the plethora of

different armed factions and the different regional powers of iran, russia, the u.s., turkey, but also that there are these different attacks that take place, car bomb explosions, suicide bombs and to bring a cessation of those hogs tilts is a tall tasks to the least. >> we see bombardment continuing in the north of syria, we have these deadly attacks in homs and also in damascus. we know john kerry has spoken with sergey lavrov about the possibility of a cessation in hostilities. is there likely to she much progress on that? >> well, i mean that's anyone's guess. some analysts will tell you and some we've been speaking to is possibly the increased number of attacks that have taken place in the past 24 hours could ironically bode a good omen that some want to make their final mark before the cease of hostilities, that they went out

on a high, so to speak, or it could just be a continuation of the carnage and bloodshed that has horrified syria and devastated it over the past five years. significant to note that leading up to these -- this potential ceasefire is each side trying to gain as much ground as possible. the russians and the syrian army have been trying to push as final as possible to the turkish border so if there is a cessation of fire, they can at least consolidate ground as far up from the capital. the other side need to assure they hold on to the positions they have particularly if they want to ensure a corridor of supply, be it humanitarian or military coming from turkey, because that corridor of supply is essentially a lifeline. without it, the opposition factions could not survive. without it, the aid that goes to a lot of these areas are dependent on the aid that was

coming from there. that's where maybe the tricky evident situation is and where the future of syria doesn't really lie in the hands of those factions as much as it lice in the hands of the world super powers and regional powers in and around syria. >> thank you very much. >> meanwhile, turkish authority has detained 22 suspects in connection with a suicide attack in ankara last wednesday. a turkey based kurdish group that claimed responsibility, but at your co blames y.p.g. for the attack. they have denied involvement. people in fiji have been told to stay inside for a second night as officials try to assess damage and restore services after their strongest storm on

record. people of fiji told to stay inside at officials assess damages and restore services after their strongest ever storm on record. the cyclone brought 300-mile per hour winds and potential rains. at least six are dead. >> a glimpse of the damage in fiji after the strongest cyclone on record there. a town on the main island escaped a direct hit but the storm still left its mark. cyclone winston brought torrential rain and 300 kilometer an hour winds, flattening homes. there is damage in other parts of the main island, even though it's a part of the country with the strongest infrastructure to withstand such winds and rain. >> it's vital that everyone remain in their homes while government teams and officials carry out the important work of repairing and restoring our critical infrastructure. there is a great deal of debris on our roads and in our communities. power lines have gone down all over the country and roofing,

iron, glass, live electric wires and other hazardous materials pose serious threats. >> the cyclone passed close to fiji's other 300 islands. phones and power lines are down. it's difficult to contact people living there. some deaths and injuries have been confirmed. relief workers are finding it difficult to get around because of trees strewn across the roads. >> i have offered australia's support and we have in place prepositioned supplies that are available. i've also offered the a.d.f. to send a p3 orion to carry out aerial surveillance particularly in the outer islands and do a needs assessment. >> fiji relies on the tourist industry. there are about 1,200 australian registered there and other nationalities also affected. getting home will be difficult

because airports have been closed. many low lying islands are flooded and flash floods and mudslides are feared. rescuers are trying to provide drinking water. the government has declared a 30 day state of emergency. because many of the islands are remote, it may yet be sometime before the full extent of the damage from the natural disaster is known. at least 10 are dead and more than 150 injured after violence in india. the demonstrators are mostly from the jat community, unhappy about india's quota system. troops have been deployed with orders to shoot on sight. the rampage continues with protestors burning buildings, torching vehicles and we're also hearing incidents of looting in shops and of a.t.m. cash machines.

the rampage continues with protestors burning buildings, torching vehicles and we're also hearing incidents of looting in shops and of a.t.m. cash machines. travel also has been severely disrupted, also in neighboring states, as it is the key gateway to the northern state of india. any train that passes through deli to the north has to pass through hariana. about a thousand trains have been canceled. >> we are facing a lot of trouble commuting. the train services have stopped. there are blockades by protestors everywhere. even the bus services and taxi services refusing to where the protestors are. >> it is inevitable that the effects of the protest would be felt in the capital. not just with travel disruptions, but also water shortages, dheli gets more than half of its water supply from the area and the main source has

been shut down by protestors. there are still curfews imposed in several towns and districts, but leaders said they are going to carry on with their campaign until they get reservation e more to come on al jazeera. preventing a catastrophe in iraq, urgent repairs are needed to stop the world's most dangerous dam from bursting. china ponzi scheme scam. with almost a million people defrauded, could this be the country's biggest ever fair ball scandal.

welcome back, you're watching al jazeera. at least 46 have died in a double car bombing in homs, syria. syrian state television said bombs killed 30 others in a southern suburb of damascus. authorities in fiji trying to restore power after it was hit by tropical storm winston which killed at least six. protestors from indias jat caste continue to demand special status for that community. water supplies to the capital were cut after demonstrations turned violent. it's described as the greatest disaster waiting to happen in iraq, the mosul dam has already had hundreds of millions of dollars worth of repairs to stop it bursting, but needs more because of the risk of collapse being greater than first feared. with the government in iraq being in a difficult financial

situation, it doesn't look like it will get that money. if this dam ever fails, millions of people will be affect and northern iraq flooded. a 50-meter wall of water will come crashing down. since the dam was built, engineers say it has unstable foundations. now the u.s. core of army engineers say there is a significantly higher risk of failure than previously thought, despite effort to strengthen it. since the 1980's, iraqis and foreign companies have been regularly pouring concrete into the dam to reinforce them. this isn't a permanent fix. repair work was disrupted when isil briefly seized the dam in 2014. the huge task of continueual maintenance has been delayed

because of political in fighting over who controls the dam in the budgetary crisis. >> the main problems is the multiple layers located in the base of the main dam, which are the dam's foundations. therefore, the maintenance pros is still on going in full swing and around the clock to help strengthening those foundations. >> iraqis are especially concerned because security forces preparing for an offensive to recapture mosul from isil. soldiers have recently arrived southeast of mosul to generations. >> there is a real fear that isil will attack the dam if they're defeated in mosul, which they currently control. money is a real issue. it costs $300 million to repair the dam. that money is likely to come

from the rural bank, but even that is in doubt considering the budget crisis. al jazeera, baghdad. the race for the white house is hotting up with two candidates cementing front runner status. on the democratic side, hillary clinton is breathing a sigh of relief after narrowly beating her rival, bernie sanders in nevada. donald trump scored a decisive victory in south carolina, winning 32% of the vote, while senators marco rubio and ted cruz were locked in a tight battle for second place. after coming a distant fourth, jeb bush dropped out, ending his dream of becoming the third president bush. alan fisher reports from south carolina. >> donald trump back-to-back wins, first new hampshire, now south carolina. >> there is nothing easy about running for president, i can

tell you. it's tough, nasty, it's mean, it's vicious. it's beautiful. when you win, it's beautiful. >> if this was a good night for the billionaire businessman, it was an awful night for jeb bush. he campaigned with his mom, his brother and used the family name. he was the choice of many in the party establishment. it wasn't enough and he stepped out of the race. >> the people have spoken and i really respect their decision so tonight i am suspending my campaign. >> yeah, yeah. thank you. >> south carolina has always been an important and significant stop in presidential primaries. while the republican party in the state remains largely old, white and male, it is a very diverse state. the trump campaign moves on from here believing if it can win here, there is nowhere in the united states where they can't win. texas senator ted cruz believes the next few contests give him a chance of a few more wins, but

marco rubio's performance in south carolina suggests he will now become the anti-trump candidate, the person the party establishment will back especially now bush is gone. >> this has been a long road. there were many people on this campaign when it first started, many good people, many of whom in any other year would have been a front runner. now practically speaking, it's down to three. i know that our campaign gives us the best chance not just to come together, not just to unify our party, but to unify our country and to grow this movement. >> in hillary clinton's victory speech, she addressed issues raised by bernie sanders. she took swipe at the vermont senator. >> we aren't a single issue country. [ cheers and applause ] >> we need more than a plan for

the big banks. the middle class needs a raise and we need more jobs! >> let's put this thing away, and let's make america great again. thank you very much. thank you. >> many thought donald trump's candidacy was a joke, that it would soon disappear. he's now the republican front runner and he can't stop smiling. al jazeera, south carolina. voting is underway in bolivia where citizens are deciding whether to allow president morales to run for a fourth term. he staged a rally to drum up support for the yes vote, which is seen its lead in the polls narrow in recent weeks. we have more prom la paz. this country is notorious for constant changes in government. if this goes according to plan

and president morales wins, he will be in power until 2025. the opposition alleged several corruption scandals, one in particular saying a company run by a former girlfriend of morales has benefited from government contracts. the president's.coms have been less than convincing. the opinion polls have the two campaigns running more or less equal, but they rarely get out into the isolated rural areas, where president morales has a large following. what we have here is a yes campaign that wants more of the same, much, much more, and in no campaign, including some of the penalty's own supporters, we're a little worried that too long in office could be damaging to

bolivia's democracy. the people of niger are voting in presidential and parliamentary elections. the jot going penalty is hoping to secure a second five year term, but he's been criticized for his handling of security and clamping down on political consent. he said he met his promises on growth and infrastructure while improving security. his rivals include former prime minister in prison over allegations of child trafficking. we have more from the capital. we can see people queuing up outside the voting center.

people are queuing outside the room. they vote for the parliamentary members. we have 171 parliament seats to choose here. they go and vote in that corner. after that, they go to this side, where we have the ballots for the presidential candidates. you go to that corner and here you have that box for the president and this box for the parliament members. it is a smooth operation. we haven't seen any major violations. we can see people queuing up outside the voting center. this is the high school. we ask people here whether we think this is a big turnout, they said no, but they believe it will pick up in the afternoon, because in the morning, people are busy with their daily work. this election is about many, many issues in the country, including security and democracy in a country which has seen quite a lot of coups in the last three decades. the last was in 2010. the most pressing need for the country is the need for prosperity, the need for money in the pockets, the need for a better economy and also the need for less corruption in this country. we have many complaints by

people here and during the last few days talking about exactly these issues, talking about unemployment. they want to see a new government that will take care of the population better than in any time in the past. police in china are investigating what could be the country's biggest ever financial scandal. we have a report. >> the on line lender's doubtful was trumpeted on state media, the same broadcaster aired commercials promoting the company days earlier. now it was reporting how the firm had taken more than $7 billion from investors. he was one of them. he told me he signed up last november, putting in more than $450,000.

in their glossy brochures, the finance company promised annual returns of almost 15%, money supposed to be for on line borrowers. >> every day, when you turn on t.v., right before cctv prime time news, there was always these ads. i don't know why all this official news outlets supported it. we can't say how real or how unreal now. we did our research and we thought it was backed by the government. >> less than two years after the firm began trading, it suddenly shut down last december. >> this scandal has highlighted an unregulated alternative to the traditional banking system, a system in which there may be

as many as two and a half thousand so-called person to person lending platforms, with investors often failing to recognize the financial risk. >> mar insists he was misled. >> the government needs to give investors a clear reply. it's been too long. we consulted some lawyers and they say the investors themselves should take responsibilities. that made us panic. >> for some, panic has turned to protest. social unrest is what the government fears most, especially when it involves 900,000 disgruntled investors who thought they were buying into something the government endorsed. the firm's beijing offices remain closed, but the authorities are urging investors to register their claims, raising hopes there could be compensation. following the protests, police arrested 21 of the firm's employees, with the owner making an on-air confession. more arrests are possible, as investigators say they now want to know if corrupt government officials were also involved. adrien brown, al jazeera, beijing. there's more on that story

and everything we're covering right here, the address is aljazeera.com, including of course all the latest on those deadly attacks in syria be, in western syria and homs and also a very significant part of the capital, damascus, aljazeera.com. this week on talk to al jazeera grammy winning cassandra wilson >> singing it from the heart, telling a story she was in a home filled with jazz, she played the piano followed by the guitar and was working by the mid 70s >> there was something that was