>> this is "cnn newsroom." we want to welcome our viewers joining us from the united states right now. and, of course, welcome back our international viewers. i'm errol barnett. >> i'm rosemary church. it's time to update you on the stories we've been watching this hour. moroccan authorities have arrested a man for suspected ties to the deadly attacks in paris last november. french and moroccan authorities say he knew the terrorists well. french law enforcement officials say he traveled with one of the bombers in 2013. >> this information just into cnn. officials say at least seven

people are dead after an explosion near a security check point. this is near peshawar. authorities have closed off the location. more than a dozen people are reported wounded in that explosion. at this stage, there's no claim of responsibility for the attack. released from iran last weekend is now home in boston. he arrived monday. the student was held for 40 days in iran. his release was not part of the prisoner swap which freed four other americans. >> it's important to point out there are other americans still in iran and one of them is missing. >> robert levinson disappeared there in 2007, and his family is demanding answers. >> reporter: along with the images of joy and relief for some released americans and their families, there's renewed

heart break and mystery surrounding two americans left behind in iran. one is robert levin southeson, r fbi agent. he vanished from a resort island of kish. iranian officials are promising to help find him. they have denied holding him and say they don't know where he is. >> we all believe, i think it's obvious, that they know where he is. >> reporter: at the time he vanished, the family said he was looking into a case of cigarette smuggling. the family has since admitted he worked as a contractor for the cia. no one has publicly acknowledged any relationship between the cia and levinson. they say they have reason to believe he may have been held outside of iran. in 2011, the family received

pictures of them in a jump suit. they earlier received a proof of life video. >> i am running quickly out of diabetes medicine. >> i think the chances of the iranians releasing live, a former fbi officer, someone working for the cia, are zero. i think the videos that came out showing levinson were a way to taunt and toy with his family and the u.s. government. >> another american who was released represents a different sort of mystery f. it's not clear why he was imprisoned in iran. a senior administration official tells cnn, he chose to stay in iran after his release, but neither u.s. more iranian officials are saying why. >> if he has assurances that are satisfactory to him that he'll be allowed to live freely in iran, he has family or business or for whatever reason, and chooses to stay there, it's

understandab understandable. >> as for robert levinson's family, we got a sense of his wife's frustration when she described retracing his steps at the place he was last seen. >> we went to the hotel and saw that it is in an area of kish island where there is not much activity, and very quiet. cç distance from the airport, and we believe that something happened between the airport and the hotel. >> what do you believe happened? >> i don't know. i have no answers. that's the hard part. i don't have an answer. >> reporter: adding to the mystery, this man who claims to be the last person to see levinson alive. he says he met with him just before he disappeared to discuss the cigarette smuggling case. he said that they were both detained by iranian police on the day that levinson vanished, but he has baggage of his own. he's an american fugitive, given

refuge in iran after helswé add killing a diplomat in the washington d.c. suburbs. they said he's not a credible source of information about robert levinson. brian todd, cnn, washington. >> the prisoner swap was complicated by an unforeseen incident. two vessels ended up in iranian waters. and iran took the soldiers prisoner. >> reporter: mr. secretary, you're a sailor. you were in the navy. when you saw those ten american sailors with their hands over their heads on their knees, was that enough for you -- did you threaten the iranians, zarif, the u.s. was going to walk away p immediately released? >> suffice it to say, i don't want to get into precise

language. that's inappropriate, but let me make it clear. i was extremely upset, frustrated. it was inappropriate, and i made it very, very clear to the iranians that we needed those people back and we needed them right away. >> what would have happen first down they wouldn't have returned? >> i don't think it does any purpose my counterpart, the foreign minister responded promptly. he could not have been more serious. he understood the gravity of the situation. the iranian president and others engaged. and within a matter of a few hours we did what could not have been done a year ago. we wouldn't have known who to call three years ago. that could have become a major hostage situation and could have been dangerous. because we have a channel of communication and have worked on this nuclear agreement, we were able to resolve this. that's important. >> if things start moving in the right direction, could you see normalization of relations with

iran, he opening of embassies as you said last year with cuba? >> can i see it somewhere in time? >> while you're still secretary of state? >> i have no sense of timing, and we've not had those discussions at this point in time. we need to work through serious discussions before that's on the table. the world would be better off if we could move down a different road and if we can reduce the tension between the gulf states and iran and because iran's behavior changes. that's critical. >> on syria, do you think iran will abanden bashar al assad? >> i never said that. >> do you think they could in. >> here's what i know. the iranians have agreed to come to the table. they've sat at the table with saudi arabia and other countries. nobody could have imagined that months ago. the both the saudis and the iranians have agreed they won't

let their differences at this moment get in the way of a process of trying to work on syria, and the iranians have put together their plan for syria which involves a cease fire, a negotiation of reform with respect to the constitution of syria, a rewriting of that constitution, a>@aé unity government, and an election. that is very close to what geneva has been trying to achieve over a period of time. so this needs to be explored. i'm making no promises. i can't tell you whether this can or can't work. i can tell you that if you're going to have a political settlement which everybody says is critical, this is the only way to get to it, and we're going to put it to the tests. >> the saudis have severed diplomatic relations with iran. saudis executed a cleric. the saudis really, like the uae and several of the moderate arab

states, they hate this improved relationship with iran, the billions of dollars -- >> they don't hate -- what they hate is what iran is doing in the region and engaged in in their country, they believe, and in yemen and elsewhere. that's what they don't like. >> they're not even -- >> they don't like it any more than we like it. we don't like the fact that his hezbollah is the principle attraction of jeed ihadijihadis. that's why we're pushing forward in that negotiation, in a effort to see if we can come to an agreement in a transition government. the people of syria can choose their leader going forward and we can resolve this challenge. now with just two weeks to

go before the iowa caucuses, the democratic presidential candidates are highlighting the differences that separate them. >> hillary clinton and sanders started the day in south carolina after sunday night's contentious debate. >> reporter: hillary clinton and bernie sanders speaking in a unified voice today in south carolina about martin luther king's legacy. >> dr. king died with his work unf unfinished, and it's up to us to see it through. >> what is important is that we remember his vision. >> reporter: but last night -- >> i think secretary clinton knows what she says is very disenjen yus. >> reporter: a democratic house divided. accusing sanders of wanting to scrap obama care by providing medicare for all americans. >> i want us to defend and build on the affordable care act and improve it.

>> we're not going to tear up the affordable care act. i hoped write it. >> reporter: it aveareveals how competitive the race has become. clinton zeroed on on sanders' moderate voting record on guns. >> he voted for immunity from gun makers and sellers which the nra said was the most important piece of gun legislation in 20 years. >> reporter: sanders said he's willing to reconsider his vote on immunity and turned his attention to clinton's ties to wall street. >> i don't get personal speaking fees from goldman sachs. >> reporter: clinton hit sanders were voting to deregulate credit default swaps which paved the way for the financial crisis. >> you're the only one on this stage that voted to deregulate the financial market in 2000. >> reporter: but it was bill

clinton who backed that bill signing it into law. the clinton campaign highlighting the former president's admission years later that it was a mistake. now sanders is looking south for support from black voters who gt disproportionately support clinton. former attorney generaler eric older and others have gone for clinton. >> whose policies do you identify with? for me, it's sanders. members of britain's parliament debated whether donald trump should be banned from the uk. it was in response to a petition accusing trump of hate speech over his remarks in the u.s. about muslims. >> now, some british lawmakers expressed sport for trump while

others slammed him. most said banning trump would be against free speech. >> this ridiculous individual may be elected as president of the united states. >> the great danger by attacking this one man is that we can fix on him a halo of victim hood. we give him the role of k8[f martyrdom which can seem to be an advantage among those who support him. >> i've heard of a number of cases where people have been in trouble for hate red. but not for stupidity. >> the prime minister said he was against banning trump and he's proposing a plan to integrate muslim women in the uk forcing them to learn english.

the uk on a spousal visa must pass a series of language skills tests or risk being deported. >> we want to build a one nation society where everyone can make the most of their talents. you can't have a country of opportunity if some people can't speak the language. there are many cases, it's no fault of their own. they've been put into a situation where they've been encouraged not to integrate and learn the language. that needs to change. and this will make sure it does. >> that proposed language program will cost $28.5 million. >> the academy awards are promising big changes. this after black oscars were shut out of nominations once again. we'll bring the controversy after this. when my doctor told me i have

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"yeah, completely painless." "credit karma. give yourself some credit." we want to get you to the u.s. state of michigan now. protesters there are calling for the arrest of governor sninick snyder. this over lead poisoned water.

>> he admits the situation is a disaster, but says he won't be stepping down. he's called in the national guard to help deliver clean water to the 10 0,000 residents. health officials say they don't affect the zika virus to go farther in the united states, but there's a case in hawaii that has people asking questions. >> reporter: this is believed to be a first. the first time that a baby was born in the united states with microreceively linked to the zifabl % virus. it's where the baby's head is too small, and that can be very serious. it's not spread person to person, rather, it's.9wv sprea ma s mosquito bites. the mother was in brazil. it's believed that is where she

contracted the virus. most people don't know they contracted it. only one in five get sick, and it's mild. it's a rash, a fever, but with babies, the situation is different. with babies, thousands have been born in brazil with this birth defect and dozens havenqvz died. that's why the cdc on friday issued a travel warning to women warning them, warning pregnant women about traveling to parts of central and south america and to mexico and puerto rico. there are no known cases where someone was infected with zika from the united states. >> five soldiers were killed on monday while taking part in a military training exercise in the french alps. pedram javaheri has been following this closely. talk to us about the situation now, because this is just a tragedy. >> it is. and the it's another one of which occurred in this region

the last week or so we've had multiple avalanches in a similar spot. take a look at the image of the actual location across this region, across portions of the french alps where the snow pack has been significant in the that's part of the story here. i want to show you what's transpired. to put everything in scale, we know in this region it's been dry until the past couple of weeks. the snow depth impressive in the last two weeks. here's the most recent avalanche where we had five fatalities, several people injured. military exercises, you worked region had three fatalities in the last week from an avalanche that to cured with a snow pack between 45 and 60 centimeters. we've had brutally cold temperatures on the eastern side of the continue continent. right here across eastern parts

of french is where the avalanches that occurred within 100 kilometers of one another. look in that region, the temperatures are mild even in the higher elevations. you work your way into the higher elevations, minus one to one above zero celsius. mild enough in spots to where some of the afternoon snow is beginning to melt, and have to keep in mind the bond between layers is a factor of avalanches. there's been tremendous snow pack in recent weeks, mild temperatures, parts of the snow packs are starting to melt and glaze over. additional snow comes over and that sets up this disaster where it destabilizes the top layer of snow and everything collapses in the avalanches. >> great way to break all that down, explaining how that happens. we appreciate it. we'll see you here next hour. >> see you next hour. >> in the u.s. many mark the

national holiday of martin luther king on monday.  to his memor to lay a wreath. >> others celebrated with acts of service paying tribute to king's legacy by helping others. >> we have got more black police officers, even black police chiefs, and a black president, and, yet, we have more racial profiling, more police brutality, and excessive use of force, black young men keep dying on our streets at the hands of police officers. way, but weme a long 1 still have a long way to go, and we really don't do king justice by simply having some

recitations and programs on his birthday. and in the rest of the year, we go about the business of prejudice, bias, racism, sexism, and all the things that dr. king stood against. >> and on that point, that he just made, two big names in hollywood chose today to take a stand for diversity at the academy awards. >> jeremy roth has that story. >> let's let the academy do that with all grace and love, and let's do us differently. >> reporter: in a video posted to facebook, jada pink et smith says she's boycotting the academy awards and won't be watching from home either.

it's over a controversy. >> begging for acknowledgment, or even asking diminishes dignity and diminishes power. and we are a big any if ied people. her husband, will smith is one of the actors of color who did not get nominated this year despite his performance in concussion. his wife says it's time to re-evaluate things. >> maybe it's time that we pull back our resources and we put them back into our community into our program. >> she is not alone in her frustration. on social media, many have vented over the lack of oscar diversity. for the second straight year, hash tag oscars so white has been trending. spike lee is boycotting as well. the director asks, quote, how is it possible for the second z contenders under the actor

category are white? both stars said they wish their friends involved in the oscars production the best and pinkett smith praised chris rock. >> and what was an unprecedented move, the president of the academy expressed her frustration publicly over the lack of inclusion. >> she says the academy is taking dramatic steps to alter the makeup of our membership in the coming days and weeks. we'll conduct a review of our membership recruitment in order to bring about much needed diversity. >> of course, a lot of the conversation being pushed on the social media. certainly connect with us online. let us know what you think of all this. >> and next hour, my interview with an entertainment reporter boycott. why not stay with us? dear, why don't we switch to directv?

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♪ light piano today i saw a giant. it had no arms, but it welcomed me. (crow cawing) it had no heart, but it was alive. (train wheels on tracks) it had no mouth, but it spoke to me. it said, "rocky mountaineer: all aboard amazing".

>> back together, emotional reunions for the families of americans released by iran, and new details on how the deal almost came to pass. >> tough talks, donald trump ramps up his attacks on cruz, and cruz responds in kind.