it is. and just may be the mining companies are starting to feel the pressure some marco has unexpectedly agreed to an interview at its headquarters the german a complex everything was going to go to the. jersey louise santiago is overseeing some markets negotiations with survivors we can speak to him on condition that i don't ask about the actual collapse of the dow or the ongoing investigation of senior executives according to some are could the real causes of the disaster remain unconfirmed and the company has commissioned its own investigation. denies that some marker is using the anger of the workers to force the authorities to reopen the mine days a public perception that the company and the directors of the company lied about the collapse of the dam what are you going to do to build trust with people we

believe we regret and some of this trust by demonstrate that we were able to recover the environment and especially do the weight off a lot of people lost their lease in it is it possible to compensate people who've lost lives land and who've also suffered through huge trauma how can that be compensated for. i mean we're never going to compensate the loss was from that so we're really sorry for him and i understand that. but as far as the. sort of elaine and all the sayings here that are we walking towards some sort of recover some sort of compensation or we want to repay as much as we can where we cannot repair them we talk about compensation that's the principle we apply. the fact is before the collapse of some mark who was regarded as an industry leader in the field of corporate responsibility. according to official data from twenty fourteen one. third of the state's four hundred fifty dams are classified as high risk and

we want to find out just how this can be allowed to happen. we just approaching a place called egypt really too and that's where dam collapsed in twenty fourteen now the reason why this is significant is because that was a dam for which the paperwork had made it stating that it was fully safe just like the from dollar. we're heading for two dams operated by brazil's largest mining company valley the kohen of some of. the first one is my o.b.'s one a dam classified as highly unstable in twenty eleven and twenty fourteen due to structural problems. but our destination is my vs two being met by cloud you know how poor. the dems location right next to housing development cost the authorities to flag it up for its potential to cause high damage we are facing nearly seventy million cubic meters of mud. of stones and to fill the

heart. just be honest there is no smell so according to your calculations if this dam was to break now what would happen specific a miracle of all but if. we follow cloud you into the market neighborhood where he lives he used to be a geologist for brazil's nuclear energy authority but his retirement is dominated by his fight against mining companies what if the mining companies say to you well the dams were there and then you came in build your houses so if it is not safe you should have moved to a different place. or just. given the danger in the event of a dam break prosecutors have instructed valley to buy these residence houses all in

. moscow wanted by forcing course to readdress. for safety now but will this year we're safe to. assume ma'am my goodness to back up. the phone bill then cloud your tells me that valley is currently trying to obtain a license plate of the third. he says that in order to get this license the company is under playing the potential damage in case of an accident or illness he has made a video that illustrates what could happen if there was a dam break plowed you says valley bases the estimate of the damage on a dam that is only a quarter full his own estimate is much higher based on data from past dam breaks. by higher ups some of us a lot of my more and much worse than much he is outraged that five months after fidel collapsed that he actually increased merrily

astri's proposed capacity by twenty million cubic meters or eight thousand olympic swimming pools there to drop from dome they're very revoke are mostly worn hologram in those roles and be opposed to the resume or one of programs or if one were in june this year the preliminary license for my vs three was approved. brazil seems to be lacking the right laws to make mining safer and it is back at the state assembly in belo horizonte that the political debate around the licensing of dams is taking place within days of the collapse of a commission was appointed to write a report and to propose new laws. i have come to attend the final session. last night i had a look at the members of the extraordinary commission of dams and what's quite

striking is that half of them have been accused of being involved in the rupture and all for receiving substantial mining company donations so i've made a little brief here with pictures so that i recognise them today so this many it is drought my lawyers he's particularly interesting. because he's currently on trial for dozens of corruption charges he's accused of being involved in selling an illegal mining concessions in a case that involved a staggering bribe of half a million u.s. dollars and then here the deputy gustava corera has received over seventy thousand u.s. dollars in campaign donations from mining companies mining companies to native nearly ten million u.s. dollars during brazil's twenty fourteen general elections this prompted such concern about the influence of brazil's largest companies that a year later the supreme court ruled future complained the nation's illegal in the assembly will victims of mining disasters and activists prepare to keep up the popular pressure. but we hear the drome other noise the lawmaker facing

a string of corruption charges is needed by a local journalist makes an introduction clearly on the soul the new yorker that it was our. mother the outdoor show the number one show how loud were going to allow tautologically spectrum once can we speak to her later. oh if you're . not really sure why you. saying that he hasn't seen the record i've actually got a copy and he's listed as one of the co-authors. back in the assembly hall commission members are arriving and the session has opened the military here with me oh really girls are going to see me i'll see. it starts with a passionate intervention on behalf of some marco to the when i was born. she. says i'm here. or forest.

or even if you see. or some people in the audience disagree with. robert. who i see his. wife is very sick. and there are also some of his supporters i saw was not working. yet to be dad's jimmy lives even still this life. was he. was. then. the reports main author presents the proposed new law was in line with the people's petition the first snow proposes to ban the construction of dams like fun dow and wants to block new dams from being built near existing settlements. in

addition it suggests increasing the mining tax to improve the authorities oversight . is your fourth wall do you think of all of the work with you or war or is. this book is by the way. the panel agrees for all laws to go forward but this is only the very first step now of the proposed last phase a journey a fact finding debate and approval by formal commissions before being put to a vote in the assembly. it is see if the previous attempts to reform the mining sector failed when politicians stall to voting process so the question is whether the norm makers hearts really are in the new legislation and we look for draw against nato and your own trial lawyer over the focus of whether you're on trial for dozens and dozens of corruption charges why should the brazilian people trust you to act in the interest of us today please why should you be trusted to. do

that. and. say. you're not going to tell us. about the status quo here does agree to an interview my most pressing question is whether the seventy thousand us dollars that he has received in compendia nations from mining companies could influence his views as a culture that this world will so much that this will be discussed as well but here you are going to god because it was used against. us it's just it was if you got this mess halls where it was on food so you can say categorically that with all this money that you've received from mining companies then no expectation was tied to that donation or you know what exactly was. it was that your. book.

says that we will go through all sorts of what will the guards. is also with us tonight the darkness. was the debate about new mining laws takes its course in the state capital marian elder and the people of bend to have been deciding on a site for their new settlement is that if i understand fully. and i'm not russia seeing. more things from the. prosecutor to laramie disseminate back their struggle to find a place as similar as possible to the old location. as it gets they are conducted into vault a lot as is so vital to money on and all of their future since the fall and you know i saw. our government in the us i have. three major view that you're seeing this for the first time do you like it and that the protests. simply not the assad. want to bomb now the onus is on legislators

to vote for laws to make brazil's mine safer. prosecutors likely lammy has vowed to keep them in check it's important to the people he protesting. seem to feel it's. most that i'm using to talk about this in a cafe how. does marley's nick you call him from a means. to listen. and discuss better salaries for making money. he. became advocates. who they want to start and not an honest thought wasn't. because. we asked assembly member dollars for a further response to issues highlighted by this programme he didn't reply we also

asked to address concerns raised about his marriage really has terms it told us the necessary adjustments have been made and today the stability of them are obvious one is guaranteed. is characterized as potentially associated with high damage to lower the potential damage to people downstream of the valley works with the safety management system and ripostes emergency plan in response to the suggestion that given the potential risks violation of prevented new communities from being built near them are appealing as to the company said the area at risk is not an exclusion zone and therefore it is not necessary to remove communities so long as the risk curity mechanisms in place for permanent control and to provide warnings in situations of risk the company also said it is not underestimated the risk arising from a possible breach at the merrifield just two or three dams and that the proposed

capacity of its merivale is three has never been increased. and generally the twenty fifth twenty. nineteen another mine tailings dam burst in the same state this time near the town uproot medina. at least one hundred sixty six people were killed almost two hundred more are still missing. is it being constructed in the same way as the from down down. on friday the fifteenth prosecutors said they had arrested h. employees a brazilian mining company filing as part of an ongoing criminal investigation. for some. for others it's a way of life. a battle is raging between the whaling industry and conservationists

as the future of whaling in iceland the quarters is decided. people in power.

africa's largest democracy goes to the polls to elect a president parliament and governess corruption. and economic. politics remain widespread. coverage of the issues the candidates and voters have hopes. venezuela closes its border with brazil as president nicolas maduro tries to keep aid from his neighbors from coming in.

and i understand the attain this is al jazeera live from also coming up donald trump makes a huge announcing that some u.s. troops will remain in syria for a while. pope francis calls for concrete action as he convenes the vatican's fast have a conference on clergy sexual abuse. and seducing another big step in space what japanese scientists will learn from a landing three hundred fourteen million kilometers away. venezuela's border with brazil has been closed as president nicolas maduro steps up attempts to stop u.s. aid from getting in madeira says it will stay shots until further notice he says he's also considering closing the border with colombia a brigade of volunteers is trying to get the fast in every into venezuela by

saturday several groups have been blocked by the army the aid includes food and medicine and brazil's vice president has told al jazeera that his country will help but it won't be crossing the line. we're not going to spend the border ok. what are we can do we can put supplies on the border in a forgiving as well as want they can come and get it but i don't think this will work ok because. you see from until the river it's almost a thousand kilometers and all these is that empty space in venezuela so there is not enough population there to come to brazil to to reach for supplies ok i think that the main points for g.'s humanitarian aid would be the ports and hours of the border was colombia. has invested in brazil near the border with. brazil's government has been really reiterating the fact for the past forty eight

hours that they are going to be delivering aid to pocket aima which is the town directly on brazil's border with in his way and that that aid will be made available for distribution into venezuela starting saturday february twenty third but it's a little bit more complicated than that especially now considering the fact that president nicolas maduro has close venezuela's border with brazil now all the officials that we've spoken with here this evening insist that the government says the plan will go ahead but we don't yet know when this aid is going to arrive here in which is the capital of northern what i'm a state we don't yet know how that aid which is comprised of foodstuffs and medical supplies is going to be transported to. which is right on the border

and we don't yet know where exactly it's going to be dropped off on the border and be made available for pick up by this venezuelan convoy so again the even though brazil's government continues to say that everything is proceeding as they had originally planned it certainly looks to us and to others we've spoken with here as though this is going to be riddled with more complications than originally anticipated in the next few days. process the kind of actor in the center for economic and policy research he says the u.s. aid is more of a publicity stunt than an effort to help venezuelan people. it itself won't make a difference it's not that much aid anyway especially compared to the damage that's being done by the economic sanctions that the united states has had on the country for years now in fact the same thing since august of two thousand and seventeen

created financial and bargo and that is cost the economy and i emphasize the economy because it's often portrayed as though the same things really hit the government but they really hit the people many many billions of dollars have been lost along with the imports of medicine and food and spare parts and everything else so the aid is really a symbolic thing that the trumpet ministration in the. president the self declared president i should say. though have been saying from the outset they're using it as part of the regime change operation that is they're trying to use it in a way that would get armed forces of venezuela to disrobe a orders of the president and it's all about public relations and i should say that's why the united nations and the international red cross and the groups that

are actually concerned with humanitarian aid they want no part of this and they've very harshly criticized the whole thing the white house says a small group of u.s. troops will remain in syria after the rest of the american forces withdraw donald trump announced the pullout in december surprising allies in the west and on the ground u.s. troops have been training supplying and advising the cut is dominated fair and democratic forces in the fight against i sell cable that is under has more from washington d.c. . it's been over two months since donald trump made the surprise announcement that he was going to be pulling out all two thousand u.s. troops from syria that's an announcement that came as a surprise and also went against the advice of many if is top advisers at the time well now we're getting indications that trump is backtracking from that a little bit with this announcement that the u.s. will keep two hundred troops within syria for an undetermined amount of time. the

readout that came from the white house indicated that the phone conversation with trump and aired on the both sides indicated that they wanted to do what was right for both of the country's interests within syria and that really comes down to what they're calling this potential safe zone there in northern syria now the turkish air go on he wants this safe zone area stablished and in that part of syria in order to clear the kurdish militia forces out of there considers them to be terrorist organization but the kurdish fighters were very much allied with the americans and helped very much lead the fight really in many ways the fight of clearing of syria from eisel fighters and so the americans standpoint is they still want to protect the kurdish fighters in a lot of ways too so there's still a lot of unanswered questions on how this is all going to be coming about but

clearly we're getting indications that trump indicates that these two two hundred troops remaining in syria will be good for the united states and it appears in some ways at least that this potentially is agreeable with erda one as well now the turkish minister of defense will be in washington on friday meeting with his american counterpart the interim secretary of defense for the united states will be continuing these to these discussions what is also unclear is well is how this decision will affect european. allies particularly the u.k. and france they announced that they would also pull out of syria if the u.s. did that as well but now with these two hundred u.s. troops remaining remains to be seen if the u.k. and france remain in syria as well david does russia is an associate professor at the near east south asia center for security studies and previously sabs at the

pentagon he says keeping a small number of u.s. troops in syria is a political gesture. it's not a large number of forces so it's too small to be militarily significant so when you look at it has to be political politically significant and i think there's two possible messages one to the turks is that yes we are serious about protecting your interests as you see it and so we're willing to keep our forces here in order to restrain the kurdish elements of the syrian democratic forces from align themselves with the p k k attack in turkey and i think the second message will be to the y.p. g. forces which is that you're not going to be abandoned we will have a presence on the ground here to restrain the turks from attacking you so in extent and in practice it looks as though these guys will almost be. there as hostages to both sides to keep them on their best behavior before this report that we're going to be no troops being left there so i think they will welcome it bear

in mind you know the numbers that we have in syria is only about twenty nine hundred that is not a large number either and so they were looking at nothing i think two hundred is substantially better than nothing and you know they're there is enough in that to provide the level of support that we're willing to provide but it certainly won't be the same numbers as we had at the height of the battle to fight isis. bangladesh has called off the rescue mission in the capital dhaka after a fire tore through several buildings in the old town at least seventy people have died and forty others austere easily injured by reports. burn tat chemical cylinders some of what's left at the watch at mansion in dock his old city mohammed alam run a store close by the fire has changed his life and i tell him as our son died he was with me in the store just before the incident i told him to go home and have

his dinner and ten minutes of the he left i heard some big noise then i came out and saw a large fire off to seeing the fire i went back inside my store but i couldn't stay inside the store because there was an intense heat generated from the fire and. the area was known for its chemical warehouses and perfume factories but people there say that's not where the fire started. because there were several loud noises so i came out to see what was going on witnesses told me that a gas cylinder in a car in a wedding procession exploded then the far spread towards the why did mention second floor where perfect chemicals were stored which then ignited fire fighters have launched an inquiry to establish exactly what happened. to vision and throw the investigation. closed just those close and. the reason for the five there are an estimated one thousand factories in the old

part of dhaka more than eight hundred fifty of them are illegal a fire in the same area killed one hundred twenty people nine years ago since then the government has carried out raids to shut down illegal operations as recently as last month under the landowner so if i am not letting them to stop their water things here are for the search for does. and of the people who were trapped in the building as it. is i'm going to wait for this one to the news of friends and relatives who are inside it is an anxious one. the u.s. and china are trying to reach a deal that could end a seven month trade war high level talks are continuing in washington to end a standoff that seen washington and beijing imposed tit for tat tariffs on hundreds of billions of dollars of goods negotiators are drawing up six memorandums of understanding on issues including see.