ah ah world leaders their efforts to de escalate tensions of the ukraine. the russian and french president say they found points of convergence after 5 hours of face to face talks. in the meanwhile, the u. s. president and german chancellor all of shows present a united front in washington. ah, hello, i'm barbara sarah. you're watching out a 0 life from london, also coming up at least 20 people dead after cycling. betsy re battles batter is

madagascar destroying homes and flooding large areas. and house 60 years of un sanctions on cuba government have left the island frozen in time and hit ordinary citizens the high. ah rushes president vladimir putin has warned. there would be no winner as if a war breaks out over ukraine. but says he hopes the situation can be resolved peacefully from moscow to washington, leaders of some of the world's most powerful countries are trying to strike a diplomatic deal to diffuse pensions hooting himself as just wrapped up hours of talks with the french president of unwell, micron russia denies its planning to invade ukraine, despite the point more than a $100000.00 troops on the countries borders. but it's also accused the west of ignoring its security demands. put in has warned that european countries will be

drawn into a war with russia if ukraine joins nato, but he also says it is possible to move forward on some old microns proposals via you were e g. but the luxury in the country are considered a number of my normal cons ideas, proposals, of which it's probably too soon to talk about possible to put to the basis of our joint stops. splish, it across more in the crisis is also dominated talks across the atlantic, where you as president, jo, by them has been hosting german chancellor. all of shots. the u. s. was sholtes the stopper crucial gas pipeline project between germany and russia. if ukraine is invaded, if on, if russian vase that means tanks of troops crossing the border of ukraine again, then there will be we, there will be no longer a nor stream to we will begin to do with it. but how will you,

how will you do that exactly. since the project and control of the project is within germany's control, we will, i promise you will be able do we are absolutely united and we will not taking different steps. we would do the same steps and they will be very, very hard to russia and they should have okay, was go a door, st jabari, who's live in moscow, a for more on that news conference between the russian and french president. so we did hear that portion, i'm across those said they found points of convergence as they said, i have the actually reached any resolution or does it seem likely? well, it's going to depend on what happens in the next few days. i think the french president at very clearly stating that the next few days are going to be very critical in

trying to see whether or not they can deescalate the current situation. of course, he'll be traveling to keith. well, he'll hold talks with officials there on tuesday, and he said that he's taking all of vladimir putin's concerns and suggestions with him. and the 2 men will again speak on the phone after he has those meetings in ukraine. i think there was quite a significant shift from what we saw at the beginning of this meeting and what we saw at the end of it. and in the 5 and a half hours prior to this press conference, we saw it very boisterous and very happy. vladimir putin greeting ammonia micron, clearly very much excited to see the french president saying that he was happy to have the face to face meeting since the 2 men haven't met in 2 and a half years as since a summer of 2019. and i think he was very much looking forward to having a very detailed discussion that is what took place for over 5 and a half hours in the kremlin behind closed doors. once the 2 men stepped out, it was slightly a different story. there wasn't as much optimism and from vladimir putin. he was

very much at sticking to his guns. and his point in some of the things he had to say were very, very, to the point. a matter of fact, there was no sugar coating, any of the things that he feels at the moment. he said that if you crane joins nieto, and if you crane tries to take crimea back, there will be a war, and russia will fight to keep crimea as part of russia. and that is not something anybody is looking forward to. and it's not something that where they will be, any winners and everybody will lose in that situation. vladimir put and also stressed that there were certain points to what macro had to say that could possibly form the basis of future discussions. he didn't specify what those points were that were made by the french president behind closed doors. and i have, he said that it's too early to share those ideas at the moment they're gonna have to see where they take them in the coming day. so i think there's a sense that very much difference has remained,

but i think the add next few days and, and the coming week will really determine the diplomatic skills of the french president. of course, he is up for reelection in april of this year in france. and i think this will be one of the most significant tests of his presidency when it comes to foreign policy in his role, really as a mediator in a international crisis of the scale. the french president said that he is looking forward to having further discussions with vladimir putin and he will continue this path. but of course, stressing that the next few days will be very, very critical in how the situation unfolds. and he also said that nobody's interested in escalating the current situation and all the all parties are interested in trying to find a new and innovative solution to their security crisis that is facing europe at the moment. or so jibari with the latest her own that from moscow door. so thank you. well, let's go to washington. d. c. now are where that the other meeting was taking place in prison. invited and the german chancellor of shots that speak to mike hannah,

who was monitoring the meeting for us. they did seem to present the united front at the white house, but on the future of north stream 2, that's the gas project. the between russia and germany did you sense any divergence there? well, they were really trying very hard to present a united front following weeks of speculation as to the exact nature of the relationship. and very significant to that, all of schultz actually spoke in english during that formal news conference with president biden. this is the 1st time i can recall a german chancellor speaking in english during such a formal occasion, president biden insisting that the us and russia and germany will and exactly the same page. the german chancellor backing him up. but you mention that issue of the know it's drawn to pipeline. now president biden, they're absolutely adamant and saying very clearly that should russia invade

ukraine than the u. s. would take steps to shut down that pipeline or prevent its construction, ongoing development as part of the sanctions package. now interestingly enough, the german chancellor would not be drawn on what germany's position was on that pipeline should sanctions a be imposed as a points of difference to is that germany has to refrain from posting additional troops to nato's eastern flank as have some the u. s. and some other nato partners, it's also refrain from sending lethal assistance to ukrainian forces, sending non lethal supplies instead. so they all major differences between the u. s . and germany in terms of what should be done and should russia invade. and that is something that concerns the whole of nato. that's not just the u. s. german difference. it's also a german difference with its nato allies. and is there any indication, do you think of what biden told chancellor show on us plans going forward?

well, the u. s has been very clear about a 2 pronged approach. we heard it again from state department in the course of the day. it's all about the terrence and diplomacy. the u. s. continues to say as president biden, that there, that the preference is for a diplomatic solution. at the same time add methods of the terence have to be used to bring about such a solution perhaps. but at the same time as well, the u. s. has been saying that to impose sanctions before any invasion would remove that threat of to terrance. now that is a complicated issue and one which some of the u. s. allies do not necessarily agree with, but certainly president biden would have spoken to the chancellor about the u. s. program of a what he would call de terrance and diplomacy. this is something that the u. s. has been pushing, but also what the u. s. has been doing is waving red flags in terms of russian

intentions. we heard again today from state department claims that a false flag operation was being contemplated by russia. but when pressed on details of the state department said it couldn't release a full details because it could not reveal where the information came from. it was limited in terms of what it could say about that alleged operation. so all sorts of things happening within the u. s, but what one can take away what the german chancellor would have taken away? is that a dual way of moving forward as the u. s. puts it a deterrence and diplomacy? my cana with the latest from washington d. c. thankfully ah, emergency, rescuers are struggling to reach parts of madagascar ravaged by a cycling over the weekend cycle. and that's it. i made landfill on saturday, battering the eastern coastline until i moved away late on sunday. even many roads

and bridges impassable, at least 20 people have died and tens of thousands have been displaced with rising river levels threatening to force even more people from their homes. gillian wolf reports psycho betsy re slammed into madagascar as eastern coastline with heavy rain and wind speeds of a 100. 65 kilometers per hour flooding roads and leaving several houses completely submerged. tens of thousands of people have been displaced. alaska or le marino vision will em. i thought it was early morning were still sleeping. our landlord came to tell us that water was rising. who got up to moved furniture all while the water continued tries. the house started cracking. some of our furniture was still upstairs and the crack started to get worse on margaret. some far belongings have been destroyed. margaret as she shut the residents, use tree branches to measure the depth of the floods. the damage compounded by the

destruction left by another cyclone. 2 weeks earlier, which killed dozens and displaced a 130000 people. michelle de la demonte, lucia hyatt don't talk the damages bags. the wind was very strong. and even if people took her to protect their belongings, there had been a loss of damage to wonder if done fulfill b. e, the disease had prepared food to distribute those in need with you and evacuation flights on standby children and worried parents fill the floors of this local evacuation center. i won't be the guardian, i can follow campbell. we live on the hill on the edge of a cliff. the wind was strong, but our house is also strong. early in the morning there was a landslide to be safe. the head of the neighbourhood told us to go to the back. you ation center. that's why we're here. madagascar has recently suffered drought, another country hit by extreme weather as a result of climate change. gillian wolf al jazeera. at least 10 people have

been injured by sudanese security forces who fire to tear gas at demonstrators marching towards the presidential palace in cartoon, thousands of staged weekly rallies to denounce the military takeover in october. at least 79 people have been killed by security forces since then pro democracy groups have refused to negotiate with the army until there is a civilian lead administration. if morgan has worn out from captain, despite a ban on gatherings in the central part of saddam's capital, by the same security processes against military rule on monday, once against the street, making their way to the presidential palace to voice the anger against the military rule. which is now in the 4th month processes are demanding that the military return to the barrack. but they also having other demands which include accountability for the processes who have been killed since the military power. in

late october last year. he's solving a government. they're also demanding their release activists ample as need who have been arrested by the military because of their opposition to the military rules. security forces have repeatedly for the 1st similar process, nearly 80 processes have been killed. more than 2500 has been injured since the military take over last year. on monday, security forces, once again, you guys to disperse from the vicinity of the presidential palace where they tried to make their way to let the military know that they want power behind it. to civilian government. now sit down sovereignty council headed by general abdel who lead the over says that it will not handle the power unless one elected government or a government that comes to power through a political consensus. and that is the issue here. political consent has been very hard to greet since that take over many political parties have refused to actually

sit down with the military and negotiate a deal to nominate a transitional government to leave until july 2023. i, for general, i've been put on the un with an incident, has been trying to end the political deadlock, but for the time being for us to continue to take to the 3 demanding the military, hanover power. so civilian government saying that is the reason why they are releasing in 2018 and they will continue to protect until a civilian government is in place still to come in this half hour. no window is, but a surprise result in costa rica was presidential election plus a canadian court orders, and the vaccine professors occupying all to want to stop honking their horns. he said, ah,

we've been talking about how snowy the winter has been for western japan. hello, everyone here is a bit more prove support. oh, $60.00 centimeters over 24 hours. that's good enough for a new record. it stop trains on monday, we'll see if we can get them going on tuesday and still more snow showers for you on tuesday with the high up minus one central china right now looks like this. we've got some snow locked in between the gang seeing the pearl river valley, some showers though for a great lynn with the high of 66 degrees. now fort mentally island. look at this pouring rain to be expected. that includes ford to vow with the high $31.00 degrees . gotta be on the lookout for some flooding here. se asia, sundry downpours for west java, produce about 60 millimeters of rain, solid bands of rain over call them poor and singapore. next stop, we're going down under about a quarter of western australia under catastrophic fire danger. and that's because this state has been parched at in those high winds in speaking of the winds. we've

got a southerly buster that's going to drop down the temperature and adelaide just like this. he co from 34 down to 20, fought off to new zealand. i think the heaviest of that rain is now going to start to peter outs. how long the escape so gives bins got a high of 22 degrees on tuesday. that sure weather thanks for joining it. ah, with feel like our present colson, of who i am. and what i want people to remember me by boxing is my get out ticket is, is not the you just want to get the people around like you've got to, when i'm telling the story about my life and it's going to take 50 future to do a don't so bad with you, deep. oh ward, with your documentary. wait on now to sierra.

ah, a reminder now of the top stories and russian president vladimir putin has worn there will be no winner is if a war breaks out over ukraine, but says his government will do everything i can to find a compromise. he was speaking after 5 hours of talk with the french president, there was a crunch. who said the coming days will be crucial. and the crisis also dominated talks between us president joe biden, and the german chancellor on short at the white house fight and says he will stop for crucial gas pipeline project between germany and russia. if ukraine and the emergency, rescuers have been struggling to recheck parts of mazda gas ravaged

by cycling back, which may land on israel's police chief has asked for an independent inquiry. after the reports that investigators use the controversial pegasus spyware to target citizens. colby shopped, i said the investigation is needed to restore the public's trust. that's after and his really newspaper reported that police tracked several prominent figures using the hacking software pegasus. spyware has been linked to the illegal surveillance of human rights activists, journalists, and politicians worldwide. well, let's believe the spyware may have been use the target benjamin netanyahu and his son. this was the former israeli prime minister's reaction williams, a hole in the united slope. this is a black day for the state of israel without referring to my issue, which of course has wide implications. i think this case concerns all citizens of

the country. not right, not left. all citizens of the country without exception or something inconceivable has happened. here comes a un report says north korea has stolen tens of millions of dollars of crypto currency to help finance it's nuclear and ballistic missile program. it says pyongyang store more than $50000000.00 through cyber attacks between 2020 and last year. a separate study indicates that as much as $400000000.00 may actually have been stolen. north korea conducted 9 ballistic missile tests. and just last month, rob mcbride has more from so this does follow a pattern. we do know that north korea has been accused. now, for years of being involved in all sorts of nefarious international criminal activity as a way of getting much needed foreign reserves to basically a let it survive. it has been involved, for example, has been accused of being involved in international narcotics in an illegal arm

sales. but it does seem to have found a lucrative avenue in cyber crime with another reporting 2019, for example, from the un suggesting that north korea had managed to accrue $2000000000.00 worth of digital assets in recent times. and it, with the current economic, dire straits that north korea is in. it seems as though it's not going to desist from a cyber crime. because of course, it's if face is international sanctions, the impact of 2 years of basically being cut off from the outside world or by the pandemic. it is in very difficult to die an economic straits. there are talk of food shortages in north korea. and as we get into 2022, still the same. a question of how to deal with north korea, especially given this flurry of a missile launches. how's the re k set for a presidential van off in april after nill candidates, secure at the 40 percent needed to win somebody's election?

former president has said that if you let us came 1st, we're 27.3 percent of the votes counted so far. sh, but the surprise of under up was the former world bank official, rodrigo chavez, who got 16.7 percent. john holman, has more of the winner of the 1st round of custody cuz elections was expected. ex president, posing muddy a forget is the runner up, was no. loosen rodrigo chavez, an internationally recognized economist, nevertheless, seen in costa rica as a political up star after 6 months now, his finance minister in which he classed with the outgoing president. now the 2 men who had to have run off the site prove for chavez, who polled in full place that's already in achievement. bob was how and as they wound that wrong, we are going to a 2nd round the new body and where the youngest body of this campaign is going to the 2nd round. but we are leaving behind the counter nickel from facia. some struggle to make peace with

a man whom several women accused of sexual harassment during his more than 20 years with wo bank, he dismissed the claims as gossip and lies. the man who now facing the run of drags the weight of his own scandal behind it, possibly comedian accused. jose maria forget is of receiving bribes from a french telecommunication company back in 2000 and pool. he denies that the case never went to cool and presents himself the next president running with one of the countries oldest parties as a safe pair of hands. 10 points clear chavez. he's feeling confident or is at all cost to day. costa rica won it up on them, yet we're not, was not even the pandemic could stop the civic spirit of our people then west of way of courage and love for our homeland, our responsibility to take our country forward. congratulations, costa rica to day. we return to shine in the world. but that's painting a very rosy picture of an election which saw about 40 percent of the electorate declined to vote. that's the highest abstention for

a 1st round in 70 years. only say that's not just you to the pandemic, but a general lack of enthusiasm for the political options, even as living costs rise, and unemployment stands at 14 percent in his window. now seniority, forget is, and chavez, we'll see who gets the chance to tackle that. as a run again in april, john hohmann al jazeera in columbia, hundreds of wildfires are burning in the amazon drought heat and our sin attacks by armed groups are thought to be behind the blazes. but now the capitol as being put on air pollution alert as priyanka go type reports, toxic s. she'll kill columbia's capital book a time. a st cloud of smoke looms over its 8000000 people, carried by troy winds hundreds of kilometer away from fires, burning in the amazon that i had. okay. was the ceo cameras was a good thought here as a law we have decided together with our secretary of health. to decree,

a yellow alert for the prevention and care of severe respiratory disease in bogota throughout the public and private hospital system. the air quality is so bad, the government says it's best to stay most the endorse. but for those who can't, it's come at a cost lanier, somebody's up or like want, i mean i feel may barely get the yellow alert for pollution haunts me because i work on the street every day and it's harming my lungs more than it should because it has increased more in columbia's amazon record temperatures and deforestation gleamed on formal fog. rebels are creating a combust of makes here the defense minister gets a 1st time look at the nation's largest national park, a unesco world heritage site under threat. and the last 4 years up or down army, been the chevy became the national park was burnt by criminal hands that seek through this practice of the forest to appropriate the landing. and the

responsibility for the support practice lies with the fog dissidence yardsale of the ever since the fark rebels disarmed and gave up control of the territories they once held destruction of the amazon has been on the rise. groups of rebels who rejected 2016 p. steel with the government are accused of starting fires to grace, cattle, or girl coca to make cocaine. its effects are now being felt in cities across columbia. priyanka got their, i'll to sir. a court in the canadian capital ottawa has banned vehicles from beeping their horns as part of a crackdown on 11 days of anti government protests by truckers. police have also seized thousands of liters of fuel and removed an oil tanker. ah, the so called freedom convoy began in anger and a coven, 19 vaccine mandate for cross border drivers. well, it since evolved into

a wider protest against prime minister just intrude those strict measures to fight the pandemic. auto was mayor jim watson, the clearest state of emergency on sunday, saying the demonstrators are a threat to resident safety with reports of racially charged attacks. cuba is marking 60 years since the u. s. impose sanctions on the communist government. the un estimates of the world's longest stringing economic embargo has cost the island more than a $130000000000.00, and it's mostly affected ordinary citizens as our latin america editor, who cnu reports. the disintegrating buildings of tobac, once magnificent capital, a reflection of a crumbling economy in which was once regarded as the jewels of the caribbean. it's as though the country had been frozen in time back to 1962 to when the united

states declared an economic, financial and diplomatic embargo against its tiny communist neighbor. it was at the height of the cold war. 75 year old roland ignacio reese was 15 then just 3 years after the triumph of the cuban revolution. 60 years later he lament that the embargo is still in place of the robber. they should have removed it long time ago . if after all this time the united states has an achieved anything, it's said tend to want. no, it only has our people by the governed remains in place. he's not wrong. the world's longest economic embargo has certainly hurt ordinary cubans. limiting access to medicine, cheap us imports technology credit through a u. s. dollar dominated financial system. washington's purpose has always been to modify or force out cubans one party communist system. but clearly it's failed miserably. your global blood, on the contrary, in cuba case embargo has become

a fundamental component for the survival, the cuban state. as current government a tougher the sanctions, the easier it is to accuse the united states of violating sovereignty destabilizing countries and organizing rebellion. yet that is exactly what happened when economic hardships and restrictions on freedom of expression exploded into m president of mass demonstrations last year. good ankle, referring to 60 years of economic embargo president miguel diaz cornell alluded to sanctions against cuba as allies, venezuela, and nicaragua. irritably, the guard galena immortal. this criminal and a moral policy imposed systematically against us is a massive violation of the human rights of the cuban people and is the same one that is now threatening and attacking other nations of our region with unilateral course of measures. her sanctions against venezuela and milder once against nicaragua, daniel ortega have, in fact, encouraged alliances with china, russia and to run,

making them less dependent on the us. not or not. i don't know of any case in latin america. we're sanctions of produced the desired results, even partially the same might be said for unilateral sanctions in other parts of the world. but while they may not be effective, they remain washington's preferred means of persuasion. to see a newman al jazeera ah and now reminder of the top stories on al jazeera, russia's president vladimir putin has warned that there will be no winner as if a war breaks out over ukraine. but says his government will do everything it can to find the compromise. hootin was speaking after 5 hours of talks with the french president, the manuel micron will told them that ukraine's independence must be preserved. actually, russia denies its planning to invade ukraine, despite deploying more than a 100000 troops on the countries borders. sh.