the differences and similarities of cultures across the world. so no matter what lucy, al jazeera will bring you the news and current affairs that matter to you, al jazeera. ah, yeah, what a russia says it will drastically reduce its military operations near ukraine's capital achieve is another round of talks are held and it's tumble. and ukraine offers neutrality in exchange for international security guarantees. ah, you're watching all 0 life from a headquarters in delphi. i'm jerry navigator also has a russian rocket, his government headquarters, and the ukranian for city of nikolai, of which has been under heavy attack for weeks also ahead gunman talk

a passenger train in northwest nigeria, killing a number of people, an attack by a rebel group in the democratic republic of congo forces 1000 to cross into uganda . hello, we begin with what's being described as the most significant progress yet in talk between russia and ukraine, dots, according to the turkish foreign minister who hosted the delegates and it's tumble . so the russian defense ministry now says it will radically reduce military activity near ukraine's capital keith and turn to have in the north ukrainian negotiators of also put forward concessions. they're ready to discuss both sides describing the talks as constructive didn't go to taking into account the principles discussed during today's meeting. the ministry of defense decided to fundamentally cut back military activity and the directions of kids enter and have

to increase mutual trust and create the necessary conditions for further negotiations and achieving the ultimate goal of finding an agreement in january. and they were demanding clear cut, legal binding security guarantees which in its ca, and she should be similar to article 5 of the nato treaty. so that means if ukraine is the target of any aggression or military attack, we will be entitled to hold consultations within 3 days. if consultations fail to bring about a solution, the guaranteed countries should provide us with military assistance weapons. and we do not rule out the possibility of closing the sky over ukraine. but on the ground fighting goes on, a russian strike has ripped a hole in a government building and make alive the southern port city has been under heavy sold for weeks. now, the mayor of merrier poll says 5000 civilians have been killed there since the war began. red cross warning time is running out for those who are still trapped and are unable to receive humanitarian aid or so far as our has more on the talks from

a stumble. now the delegations are going to back to their capitals and have consultations with deer and leadership. however, the proposal that has come in that came from the rainiest side seems to be welcomed by the russian delegation here as well. simply the proposal is asking for the international security guarantees that the proposal that came from the ukranian side. and they said that in that sense, if russia attacks ukraine after 3 days of the consultation, this gun tours, this current guarantors, countries are going to provide arms and even impose and no fly zone over ukraine. so 2nd, in return, ukraine will become and none aligned at non nuclear states, and with no fordham baez's in ukraine, which means no need to a basis as well. and that means and announcement of the neutrality that russia was

asking ukraine to do. but however, the doors of your opinion are open for you. graham russia says that it will not object having an object as regarded. did that it did, they did a ukraine to asked to join the european union and turned out for that that that's also quite new for the 1st time. ukrainian side is making some of the concessions regarding the eastern ukraine, crimea, and also the dorm bus region. ukraine and russia are going to discuss the status of the crimea for the next 15 years, and ukraine will not use the force to solve the problems there that ukraine is given. the guarantees to that has a man better is joining us now from oscar. to tell us what we make of the russian gesture, the announcement from moscow. what is it single to us hashem during the air deputy defense minister alexander forming in it his member of

the negotiating team, the russian negotiating team came at right after the end of the 1st of that session of the talk saying that the russian, our military is going to her, the increasing and significantly deescalate, in the region of kia and, and chair, nego of later or the top negotiator vladimir. mit is case said that the reason we're doing this is to prevent or to or we don't want to put care under at a great military risk stressing at the same time this is bloody min medeski. this is not a cease fire. this is a di escalation in vecchio churney go a region a. it looks like a gesture by the russians to the ukraine years as the talks and seem to be making some mer or some significant gains. medeski also said that they're written proposes

by the ukranian at a step towards a compromise. now, the russian military has been paving the way to this announcement because earlier in the day, so gay, chicago, the defense minister said that the military offensive is as planned. so that its targets achieved, stage one is over, is done, and that the focus is going to be now on the dumbasses beach. and this is where you have the self proclaimed republics of le ganske antoniette and particularly in years. and he asked, the russian army says that he has a controls 50 percent of the territory and that they are aiming to further expand territorial against their. now, during, from a russian perspective, the biggest concern worse. and they say that for quite some time they have been telling nature and ukrainians, and the u. s. that is not going tolerate, seeing more weapons poured into your cray seeing ukraine acquire a nuclear arsenal because they see that came along with

a nature's expansion eastward. as a and is x as in existence, threat. so russia and therefore this explains why they had to last this military campaign. it seems that now they are getting some major concessions from the ukraine is particularly when it comes to the neutrality status when it comes to did nuclear eyes issue, which means that a nuclear will have to abandon in pursuit aqua and nuclear weapon and ukraine won't contemplate joining ne, to any time soon. thank you so much. has some had better reporting from moscow? in southern ukraine there has been more heavy bombardment, a russia miss. alice struck the forsythia mac alive ripping a hole in the main government building, killing at least 7 people are corresponding. stephanie decker is following the attack on the regional administration building there severe damage to the civil administration building in the heart of michel, i a via the rescue operation. the recovery operation continues to strike happen

just a couple of hours ago. now, the city is incredibly tens, the military very time holding a spot for, for ages. now allowing us to access it from michael i. it has been holding back a russian assault for weeks. now even managing to push back russian troops in the last couple of days. but of course the air strikes the missiles, the shining air is something that the people who will tell you is something that they cannot control. yes, there are air defense systems in place. but just this is now the result of a strike at the very heart of governance. harris city that has been applauded for holding back that russian. portia, this is the last front line to when it comes to our data. this is ukraine's largest port seems the jewel of the black sea, and really seen as a key try is really that the russians want. if the russians managed to take this entire line, they will cut a few crane from its access to the black sea and the as of sea,

but certainly at the moment. incredible shock here and people were talking to terrify saying they simply want this war to ent, kirk, even the east is also being bombarded by russia as a big as their authority here have said, 47 buildings have been destroyed in the last 24 hours. now where we are now has been shown in the last 2 hours or so, and this is the closest we can get without putting ourselves in the line of fire. the russians are not far from here. we are well in the range of their guns, but when we talk about destroyed buildings, what does that mean? that the owner here as carney allowed just to show you know, this is hipaa show the ball was blown out. and inside, if i take you inside here, just take a look at his house. this is what was left now. he told us that he managed to get his family into the basement, him, him his wife and his daughter, and they felt the shockwave. now this was someone's not just the house. if someone's home lives, its memories,

people have spent the entire lives growing up here and building their, their homes. they had solar panels. you can see the trains, you can see the books that they've managed to salvage from this rubble. and if i take it further in here, you can see the kind of damage. it's actually done. there's nothing but rubble left . i can, i can see over a school photo, you know, like i said, people people's people's memories. and he now lives this in one part of the house. and i said, why haven't you left this still selling going on? and he said, i'm 72 years old. i don't want to wonder the world of the poor man. and this is where i'm going to die. and as many people like this, the light moving, there are many people left the city, but many people don't want to move. but again, take a look at this. looks like it was a living room. the radiator can see a book shelf. i can see plates, i can see, cutlery,

i can see so many things her what, obviously the, the pets i still have. but many people don't want to leave because this is their lives. but they are under constant bombardment. and in the line of fire and according to authorities here since the start of the wolf, 1222 residential buildings have been destroyed. 69 schools, 53 kindergarden, and 15 hospitals. the international committee of the red cross is urging ukraine and russia to reach an agreement hello civilians. to leave mario poll, there's still no safe passage out for approximately 170000 people who remain in the besieged port city. vital supplies, like food, water, power, and medicines are running out the i. c r. c says moscow and teams should allow us to visit prisoners of war. you are not seen unco is a spokesman for the international committee of the red cross in keys. she says the main priority is to help people get out safely. if the situation in the city has

been around this and the level of suffering and destruction is absolutely incredible and people have been finding, finding the way to escape the city, to go to safety. but what we have been trying to achieve with both russian and ukrainian site in the past several weeks is to try to get them to come to concrete agreement for to give people the possibility escape escape in a safe manner. and for those people who are still in the city to receive so many care assistance, it is very difficult for me to give you the effect assessment of the condition. because we just have very little visibility of what is happening inside the teacher right now. and it is one of home major concerns. we had a team in the fall, but they have come to the they have reached the conditions where they were no longer able to work. and they had to, they had to leave the teacher. unfortunately, we now have trouble with humanitarian aid and we have teams that are ready to go to

my to as soon as the situation allows this. but again, we are constantly in contact with both parties and we need the safe condition to be able to do so. slide on al jazeera apologizing for food shortages officials and china admit they were strict. covenants restrictions are causing a problem. man, this temperatures rise, cities are going to need to get a whole lot smarter. we take you to one that's leading to way ah look forward to brighter scully's, the with sponsored play cuts on airways while they've been taken in the heat, sand, northern india for the past few weeks, and extend its heat wave here. so pre monsoon heat, that's a theme, but in some spots we're reaching record breaking temperature. so for example,

a new delhi wednesday, we got you in for a high of 40 degrees. we look at the extended forecast here. the record for march is $40.00. so you could certainly get their winds will shift around to the northwest that will drop your temperature just a bit. but still, while above average. now for se, asia, we've got bursts of re more center toward eastern areas. so bali loan book as we had in towards to the whizzy and also west papua as while a slug of rain that plague the southern islands of the philippines is moving across the south china sea. this did bring some severe flood advisories for the philippines. it's now going to slam into vietnam, and this will be with us for the next few days. and i think we face a similar threat here of seen the risk of flooding. se, china, it's still raining, has been raining for days and more of a comm manager falling in between the gang, see, and the pearl river valley, but it dry day for hong kong on wednesday. the high of 24 degrees off to japan. those cherry blossoms in peak bloom and you're going to enjoy it. if you're in tokyo, you've got

a hive. 18 degrees in the sunshine. that's it for me. see around for the weather, sponsored by cats are always in my life. you see beat or do use on there for ball is one of you with. right? i do not know. and it is the job that is followed in nigeria. life manager is manager, is your development manager? is this is my nigeria my my year on out with the me

again the top stories on al jazeera, this, our russia says it will reduce its military activity in northern ukraine, including the capital keys. the announcement followed the latest round of negotiations with ukraine and its stumble. ukrainian delegation has proposed adopting neutral status and exchange for international security guarantees. if there is progress and guarantor countries will join talks to finalize and agreement, a russian walk, it has it. the regional government building, and nikolai, as at least 9 people, were killed and 22 wounded. the southern port city has been under heavy assaults for weeks now. the netherlands, belgium, and ireland are all expelling a number of russian diplomats. a total of $42.00 are being sent home. all 3 countries accused them of spying and posing a threat to security. there just the latest and a number of european countries that have been taking action against russian embassy staff after moscow's invasion of ukraine. the polish deputy foreign minister says

europe can be free of russian oil and gas by the end of this year. how job loan ski was talking to al jazeera as some is done. how soon do you think when you speak with your european counterparts? what is the time table in your mind? when do you think that you can be off of russian gas? i think this can be done by the end of this year because the end of this message, civil, because we are an economy that is very flexible, very agile. we are able to adjust the can be costly to economies. but if we are able to do it, if we are able to cut russia off one and actually gas is not even that important, much more important thing is oil. do you think you're in be off of russia when it comes to oil? it is actually paradoxically, much easier for you to do it because there is much easier way to diversify it. where you can watch the full interview. i talked to al jazeera on thursday, the 31st of march at 1630 hours. gmc nigeria is army chief,

has ordered soldiers to find the gunman who attacked a passenger train around the 1000 people who are on board. they were travelling from the capital boucher to could do not in the north witness to say some were killed, injured or kidnapped by the attackers, known locally as bandits could do in the airport was also attacked a few days ago. i did research more from a boozer. we understand that the military is now coming the bushes trying to obey the orders of the army chief to rescue those kidnapped. we are not sure how many have been taken, but victims or survivors will be attacked. i say that many people have been kidnapped in fact, not one, not 2, not 3 coaches have been emptied by the bandits and they heard at the people into the night and disappeared with them. we understand at the moment that the militaries having an operation in the area. but again,

the victims continue to no rate ordeals in the hands of kidnappers. those who escaped the kidnappers, and those who escaped with their lives. when the kidnappers opened fire on the train, as well as when the train tracks the rail truck to a bunk. currently, we understand we have confirmed information, but at least 6 bodies have been deposited at one hospital, a military hospital that was visited by the governor and also the vice president. border officials in uganda, say thousands of refugees have crossed from northeastern democratic republic of congo. this follows an attack, thereby the m 23 rebel groups. the guns and army says there will be no restrictions for people fleeing the violence. meanwhile, the un peacekeeping mission in the region says it's lost contact for the helicopter, flying over an area where fighting broke out between rebels and the congo leaves army. invent him up with the empty tray, rebellion is a crumbling movement that it doesn't benefit support from any neighboring country.

accusations of the d. r. c is just to cover the capacity on the ground. as for the ongoing flight, we had been defending ourselves against different attacks in the facing from the government forces for many days. let's cross over to come paula and speak to irene knox city, who's the spokeswoman for the uganda red cross society. welcome to al jazeera. so border officials are saying that thousands of refugees have crossed from the d. c. into gander. what kind of numbers are we talking about here? what have you seen? thank you for having me. of course, by live, by last evening in a single day. when about 6000 people that rose from the phone, what you got down on today, of course we received a few people. the number had been verified by me, but i think what did we manage to report a report of 6000 people? i know that you cannot comment on the conditions, but the refugees are fleeing from. but from what you've seen,

what kind of conditions are, are they in upon arrival? when i can, i can actually ship wouldn't use. we've managed to get reminders to give bus one crossing, but of course, of course when people are moving in but population movement environment, nobody pdf. and of course them arrive when they're majority mothers and children. and of course basically they needed a lot of support. so, but we did not try to reduce the people that correcting that know anything were to move by them so. so once they get to the border, what happens then where people scott had filled up the whole town. we had people back up to we're not gonna fix them at what comes up when they're going to pray. monday school and people have been basically, i hate of being relocated to the traffic. so in the event that they're not making back birthdays,

but to select teams on the ground of what's been people began come against them walking and walking to that district. and of course, that had to be a very good meeting to date on how we're going to handle that population most. right. so how has you gone to red cross society, for example, handle this and what kind of preparations have you put in place? and are you preparing for perhaps more waves of refugees to cross over you're going to read, chris works along the government because of that role and kids who have a new office or whatever it's happening. we're working with that district to be held for by us that they were managed on been established that needs of the people. and then of course, they've got me to beg, what's the next step? so we're going to try to bring them to be off like a head of being relocated to me right now. i know the help training,

the 1900 screaming i don't. the purpose is i'm going to be done. i've been just requesting play a role. we already walking with the family pressing unit with the i see the support of the i need to definitely interesting because in the process of predictable will get detached from their families and they'll need restoration of family. we also offer, i think, what this is the boss to the people because we know that the migration of them are traumatized and others actually anticipate that they want to go. but they will basically we offer the kind of emotional support to be able to offer lifeline information to them as well. all right, we'll leave it there. we thank you so much. irene sheets for joining us from kampala. now the u. s. secretary said anthony lincoln is a morocco. that's where he's meeting with the foreign minister and also to rita security issues are the agenda, as well as the export of algeria and gas to europe. last year, algeria stop supplying gas to the e. u through morocco, after tensions about the long running western sahara territory disputes,

police in the u. k will issue fines to at least 20 staff from the prime minister's office for attending parties that breached cove with 1900 lockdown roles. the names of the individuals have not yet been disclosed. the investigation related to 12 events last year on the year before, where restrictions may have been violated. prime minister boars, johnson has come under heavy criticism for taking part in at least 2 gatherings. all brennan has more from london but what happens next is the police continue with their investigations. they well. busy obviously once they finished looking at other individuals, they will bring those. busy forward and either decide to issue fixed penalty notices, which defines of $200.00 pounds or more, or simply let them go. the crucial thing will be what the reaction of back bench, conservative m. p 's and parliament are. many of them have withdrawn the letters of no confidence against the prime minister a sentiments,

but the war in ukraine is probably more important at the moment than party gay. but that's not to say that there couldn't be a real backlash against this statement has been issued by one of the societies. one of the groups of represent bereaved families from curvy today. thank it's crystal clear now that while the british public rose to the challenge of making enormous sacrifices, those are down the street failed. frankly, bereaved families have seen enough this p. m should have resigned months ago over this. so there's still clearly very visceral public anger in some quarters about what happened in those crucial months of 202020. 21. officials in the chinese city of chang should have apologized for food shortages, caused by lockdown measures. operations of 2 major wholesale food markets had been closed. the local government says it's organized, the delivery of food and basic needs to its residence. china, financial capital, shanghai is being split into on the 2nd day of

a cove with 1900 lockdown. mass testing has begun in the eastern half of the city of the western have to follow in a few days time. shoppers have been panic buying. this is public transport shut down and millions are forced to stay home. katrina, you has more from beijing the streets of the eastern part of shanghai are eerily quiet. china's most populous tissue has begun. it's true stage. corona virus looked down. the 1st since the pandemic began for monday morning, about half of the cities 25000000 strong population has been told to stay. home. authorities are conducting mass testing desperately trying to curb the number of infections which have spiraled out of control in recent weeks. so far more than $8000000.00 people have been tested now on the western part of the city, people killing up the course restores and supermarket collecting supplies to their turn at the severe lockdown which will begin on friday. earlier this month,

shanghai authority said that the city, which is china's main financial hub, they said that it would not be shut down. but china is 0. tolerance approach to the pandemic is being severely tested by the highly infectious alma kron variance. each day there has been about 5000 cases, reported mostly a symptomatic, but still china continues to respond with its playbook of mass testing, heavy quarantine and heavy restrictions. despite an increasing sense of frustration among china's population, as well as continual drag on china's economic growth. australia, new zealand are among countries alarmed by negotiations for a security packed between china and the solomon islands leak documents and china's military and are police will be allowed to protect chinese projects. there. the islands, prime minister says the backlash is very insulting. both manasseh still gavera and beijing deny allegation that china is pressuring the solomon islands for

a military base. thousands of farmers and sure line car protesting against the crippling economic crisis. there are food shortages and shortages of fuel and medicine as well. rally was organized by the national people's power opposition alliance, who accused the government of mismanaging the economy. despite having some of the highest emissions of carbon dioxide per person in the world, the cut re capital has become a leader of the sustainable city movement. global experts are and so how to discuss how cities can incorporate nature and sustainability into every urban projects. victoria gate, because one during dough household summer's when temperatures hit above 45 degrees celsius, most people tend to stay in doors. but staying cool here in a district of the katara capital known as miss sharon, is much easier. it's been designed as a so called smart city from the control room for all non for thought or got to do and go from the beginning with designing the project as rose, roseville, to be

a smart city with forgot, accommodate all the platforms for all the future uses and doctors caribbean within the city of beacon towards sustainability. experts gathering in doha for this year's smart city expo. same as shera is an example of how innovation and new technologies can be used to caught c o 2 emissions and tackle climate change. they say urban zation and population growth mean more smart cities are needed in the future. there are nearly 8000000000 people in the world and 55 percent of them live in cities. but the un says that number is expected to rise to 68 percent by the year 2050 with close to 90 percent of this increase happening in asia and africa. we have for a few challenges in today's world like as sustainability like innovation. like having a better integration of everybody's a better life, you know, within a city and the challenges you have smart citizens,

citizens are not. so as mark and the world will be affecting those, we're bringing a smart solution. sign to say new technologies and cities will help bring down greenhouse gas emissions those attending this expo say they hope it will provide a roadmap on how to get their victoria gay to be al jazeera, doha ah, hello again, the headlines on al jazeera, russia says it will reduce its military activity in northern ukraine, including near the capitol cheve the announcement fall, the latest round of negotiations and stumble. go to them that we agreed to move to negotiations to the practical level. in order to build trust, the ministry of defense has decided to decrease military activities in keith and turn he's ukranian delegation has proposed adopting neutral status and exchange for international security guarantees. if there is progress guarantor countries will

join talks to finalize an agreement you boise was scott the she we want an international mechanism.