We are in hong kong where conservationists are trying to save trees from extinction. A moment of truth, thats how the u. N. Special envoy for syria describes the latest round of talks to try to end the war thats been raging for five years. Staffan de mistura hopes that by the time this third round of talks ends, all sides will have agreed on a roadmap. Following a meeting with the syrian demonstration, Staffan De Mistura reiterated there is only one way for it. I dont know where anyone else has a plan b. Here. Im only aware of a plan a. , which is giving the maximum chance, but the maximum pressure by the International Community in order to ensure that this type of intra syrian talks and the cessation of hostilities and the humanitarian task force is given the maximum opportunity. The alternative to that, to my knowledge would be regrettably returning to where we were, which was basically an ongoing conflict, which is going to be celebrated sadly and tragically into this time. Lets get to james bays now in geneva. After he spoke, syrias chief negotiator also had a couple of things to say. Tell us about that. Yes, the Syrian Ambassador to the United Nations is serving as the chief negotiator at these talks as he has done previous talks. What he said supposed to be different this time around according to Staffan De Mistura is theyre going to get the real issues of substance, the mother of all issues, he says transition. Its clear they didnt get to that in this opening discussion. It seems to be a discussion at this stage, a discussion perhaps that the Syrian Ambassador may be trying tactics hes tried in the past, tactics of delay, arguing over some of the procedures. He certainly questioned who was exactly in the opposition delegation, did they have a list of the members and exactly how the opposition delegation was going to operate, because he said hed been told nothing about that. Hes also submitted his own document to mr. Staffan de mistura, which he says he thinks will help with his thinking for this process. We want to have an interesting dialogue, a dialogue that is syrian led without foreign intervention and precondition. Going against this basic framework and method means someone is trying to sabotage this round again as they did in the last round. James, whats next . Well, next we see the opposition. They will be here on to do so to put their side of things, and if we do, then i suspect we will have a meeting with them, as well, because there has to be some symmetry in this pros. If we move on to the substance, thats where i think the problem is. You heardal jaffray, the syrian chief negotiator talking about there shouldnt be preconditions, others are trying to sabotage the pros. Hes referring to the opposition, saying that president assad can have no role in the future of syria. Of course he has a precondition and his side do, that president assad has to have a role. He has to stay as the president and this is the central issue, and this is going to be the real difficulty for mr. Staffan de mistura if hes going to come up with some sort of political structure which is what hes been tasked to do to take syria toward free and fair elections. The Syrian Opposition said the people of syria cannot accept president Bashar Al Assad staying in power, and need to see a sirius political transition. They only say what we promised our people to say and we only say what we were sent here for, to say for our, you know, for our own people, for their safety, to end bloodshed in syria. What i mean we will do anything for them, in fact, we will do anything for them and for them, i believe assad being in power again, its not acceptable and really, we stick to that. We will start negotiation about the transition and the governing body, and well start discussing all steps that follow that, but this is what Syrian People want in syria. They want to see a free syria, Democratic Syria without assad, without terrorism, without these militias or terrorists that he really recruited from outside. I believe its about times to no to this regime, to say no to these crimes in syria. We are here to really see a negotiation about transition, a political transition in syria, we are here to really see some serious work. We want to see a serious partner, and also, we want to see action by our friends. 8. 4 million syrian children are affected by the conflict which began five years ago. This is according to a new unicef report. 3. 7 million children have been born since then. Nearly 7 million children are living in poverty. Half of all Syrian Refugees are children. Many of those fleeing the fighting in syria have taken refuge in jordan. We went to one of the camps housing them. When the first Syrian Refugees arrived in jordan, they never dreamed they would be here this long. Five years later, a new generation has been born here. In february, rima became the 5,000th baby delivered in the u. N. Hospital in jordans biggest refugee camp. Most of the refugees here in the camp are from dara province, just across the border from jordan. Its where the uprising began with protests against the arrest and torture of syrian teenagers. Nearly half a million more refugees are in jordan cities, straining the country resources. The government has closed hundreds of kilometers of its border with syria to refugees except for the wounded. There are a lot of wounded. They include children and the fathers and mothers whose lives are forever altered. We were in the battle, the plane hit us. We were about 10 people, six were killed and the rest injured. I was then taken to a field hospital. He is going back to syria soon to meet his twomonthold son, born after he was injured and named after his nephew who was killed in the air strike, which maimed him. Despite a receipts size fire, the wounded keep arriving. Most of them at the beginning were gunshot or just bomb blast, but we have some cases of now mines. This 10yearold boy was hit by shrapnel. Surgeons are trying to repair damage to his chest after doctors in dara couldnt treat him. A lot of injured come here to a program that tries to treat their psychological as well as physical wounds. A jordanian therapist tries to make the children feel safe enough to cope with the trauma. It affects behavior, our feelings. Its a generation of syrians learning to live with the legacy of war. Jane ewrath, al jazeera, jordan. Cracking down on terrorism after sunday said ankara bombing. Funerals began taking place in ankara for some of the 37 victims. A car bomb exploded at a busy transport hub sunday night. More than 100 others were injured. We have this report from the scene of the blast. As the turkish cabinet holds and emergency meeting to discuss the results of the initial investigation into last nights deadly attack in ankara, the sense on the scene here is one of extreme worry and fear. One lady just a few minutes ago told us that in light of the fact that there had been three such attacks to hit ankara in the last six months, she is surprised that she and her family arent dead yet. Thats just to give you a sense of how much fear there is from citizens in ankara that have come to the scene today to check it out and to try to figure out what the authorities are doing to guarantee their safety going forward. Now while the turkish government has not yet named who they believe to be responsible for last nights attack, one Government Official told us a few hours ago that they are looking into the possibility that perhaps there was a fee pale suicide bomber involved in last nights attack and they said that that suspect has links to the p. K. K. Also of note, today we heard some Turkish Armed forces say that 11 war planes, 11 turkish war planes were involved in attacks against p. K. K. Targets in iraq and various raised in cities today in which p. K. K. Targets have been targeted add suspects believe to be affiliated with the Kurdistan Workers Party have been arrested. We await more word from the government. We await to find out who the government does officially belief to be behind these attacks, but again, a very palpable sense of worry and fear on the scene here in ankara. In ivory coast, soldiers are patrolling beaches in an affect on a resort town. Alqaeda has claimed responsibility. At least 16 people were killed, as well as the six assailants. It happened at a unesco heritage site. We have this update just outside grand bassam. Security forces are going to try to secure this explosive thats still here. The attackers came from my right to the left, attacked two hotels before entering this one. Midday on that sunday, there were so many people sun bathing here and they all fled inside the hotel. Come with me here. They all fled inside the hotel to try to find a spot, a safe spot. This is when the Security Forces entered this hotel and neutralized all six attackers. Now this hotel, there is now a massive investigation scene, a criminal investigation to try to figure out how all of this happened. Now of course, alqaeda has claimed responsibility for this attack, and the chase at ivory coast is not a coincidence. There are 500 french soldiers here and these resorts here on the coast are very poplar with french expatriots living here in ivory coast. Meet the refugees from afghanistan whose hopes of a better life abroad were dashed. Back in search of a life on mars, a new mission Just Launched to investigate the red planet. Our american story is written everyday. Its not always pretty, but its real. And we show you like noone else can. This is our american story. This is america tonight. Hello again, the top stories on al jazeera, the u. N. Special envoy to syria, Staffan De Mistura has described the latest you round of talks engeneva as the moment of truth. The Syrian Opposition said it wants to see a political transition. 37 people were killed in ankara and the turkish president is vowing to crack down on terrorism. Ivory coast on high alert after 16 people were shot dead in the grand basham resort town. They might look carefree, but these palestinian youngsters are becoming more and more used to seeing violence on a daily base. Recently, they witnessed Israeli Forces shooting dead a local 13yearold in this refugee camp. I was just 10 meters away when they shot him said this 14yearold. He fell to the ground. There was blood coming out of his mouth. Then the soldiers ran towards us. We all ran away and they shot two other boys in the leg. Of the roughly 200 palestinians killed since the current wave of attacks started last october, almost a quarter have been under 18. This footage shows him after his arrest. Hed carried out a stabbing attack in occupied East Jerusalem along with his 15yearold cousin who was shot dead. In some cases, they are younger. A 12yearold was arrested recently at the entrance to an illegal settlement near hebron for allegedly carrying a knife. She is serving a sentence in an adult jail. Her family have no direct contact with her. They imposed a huge fine on that us. Her sentence is disproportionate. Four and a half months is a long time. We miss her whenever we sit down for meals. Its very different in the house now. For the family, this is clearly a difficult time. At the age of 12, shes the youngest palestinian in an israeli jail but there are around 400 other children behind bars and juveniles make up half of the 4,000 palestinians that israels detained since the current upsurge in violence began last october. For this organization for palestinian rights, its part of a disturbing cycle of events. Security forces are allowed to use live ammunition, Excessive Force in protest, which will increase the militarized zone in which children are growing up, so children are forced to pass through checkpoints, they are forced to interact with settlers, with soldiers all the time, including in their daily life. Her brothers and sisters look forward to having her home again but its hard to say what the longterm effects of her experiences will be on her and her family. Al jazeera in the occupied west bank. More than 200,000 afghans left their country in the hope of a better life, but once in europe, many are disappointed, with a cold welcome and the hardships of living. Some of them accept Cash Incentives to return home. They left with hope, but returned with dejection. Afghans who sought a new safer live abroad arrive back in kabul defeated. He spent five months getting to germany. It was not what he expected. They gave me a document and it said that i could be subject to deportation and there were no guarantees of a Bright Future for me. It said it could take year for me to be accepted into society. He couldnt find work and couldnt get permission for his wife and three children to join him. He accept add payment of 2,000 from the German Government to leave. He told me he paid 7,500 to the smugglers and that he wasnt to germany for the future of his family but now had nothing left in afghanistan. That welcome mat which so many countries put out for refugees appears to have gone. To intercept any vessel. This is a t. V. Ad produced by the australian government. The message is clear. If you travel by boat without you a visa, you will not make australia home. The rules apply to everyone, families, children, unaccompanied children, educated and skilled. There are no exceptions. Even germany, the most welcoming of all is taking steps to slowly withdraw its unconditional welcome of the past. It started a campaign to persuade afghans to reconsider making dangerous journeys and quash rumors. Germany is prepared to take an unlimited number of people from all over the world and also afghanistan. Another rumor is any asylum request is actually granted, which it is not. We try to make them understand that it wont be an easy ride there, either. More than 200,000 afghans have made the desperate journey to europe, but fewer than a thousand have taken the cash deal to return. It becomes even more important to open doors and to return for qualified afghans to return to support even the administration, the private sector, the academia or the professional sectors, because those afghans can bring back the skills and sometimes the capital to actually redesign maze the economy, which is very fragile. To walk in any hospital in afghanistan and see the wards filled with civilian war wounded, you can understand why many want to leave. En that asked say they will leave if they get the chance, even though the warm welcome of europe may be a thing of the past. Al jazeera, kabul. German chancellor Angela Merkel has vowed to continue with her refugee policy despite her party suffering losses in region ales. The right wing anti immigration a. F. D. Party made significant in roads. Dominic cain filed this report from where nearly a quarter of all votes went to the right wing party. The headlines have spoken about the triumph of the alternative of the a. F. D. Party and its right wing policies. Reacting on monday, the leader of the party said that she believed her party had now become the peoples party, and that they wanted to change the republic in germany, where as for the governing c. D. U. , Angela Merkel, the chancellor has effectively accepted that it was a bad day for her party, and she has tried to refer to the refugee policy and said that she felt this was one of the defining issues of these elections. Lets see what she had to say. The main subject was the refugee policy and the subject of the refugees and the fact that in the eyes of the people, this subject has not been given a solution yet, and that has certainly had an effect on the elections. Huge protests held across brazil have put even more pressure on president roussef. Half a Million People took part in demonstrations sunday demanding her resignation. Brazils economy has fallen into recession and the government tainted by corruption allegations. In china, thousands of coal moneyers were protesting. There were scuffles with police as workers marched. The miners say they havent been paid for more than six months. It was named the fragrant harbor centuries ago, but the tree that gave hang congress its name could become extinct. It is worth more than gold and poachers are moving in. This is one of hong kongs lush country parks on the border with mainland china. The wood lands are protected, making the area poplar for limiers. They are on patrol, looking for criminals. Still alive, i think they will come back later on to cut the other part. He runs an eco park on the edge of the park. He and a team of local villagers are witnessing firsthand the disappearance of one of the parks most prized trees, the incense tree, a tree so rare, its internationally protected. Especially last year, i think they cut down more than 50 trees. I think within two weeks. The trees oil or resin is sought after, but only for traditional herbal medicine but for its aromatic fragrance used in innocence and perfume. The oil is fetching more than gold. With the tree wiped out in china, hong kong has become the target of illegal loggers coming to feed the international trade. They not only took the wood, they also took the root of hong kong out of our earth. The problem is not just in this park, its in a number of country parks across hong kong. Villagers are increasingly reporting signs of illegal harvesting in what they believe is the work of gangs from across the border in mainland china. If this kind of activity continues, the theory is that this tree, which is threatened will become extinct. This is the last commercial plantation of the trees in hong kong. There are just 6,000 plants here. Most are young but all of sustainably grown. There are numerous examples. Thats a value that 1 million u. S. Dollars. Its the older wild trees which are considered the most valuable. As well as prayer beads and incense, its also used for luxury wooden art works. With demand falling well short of supply, conservationists want the government to protect what is left. I think within a few years, the trees will disappear in hong kong. With just a few people arrested, the sight of this scented wood doesnt look bright. Weve been sending journey to mars. It joins a long list of probes exploring the red planet. This craft has a unique mission. We know more about the planet mars now than ever before. There are seven active rovers orbiters above the planet. Recent discoveries have included the presence of liquid water, some below the surface of the planet. Theyve also shed light on how mars atmosphere was depleted by solar winds. The big question, whether theres life on the planet remains unanswered. Thats why the european and Russian Space agencies are sending the exo mars trace gas orbiter to the planet, using an array of highly sensitive instruments to explore its atmosphere. In particular, it will look at the presence of methane and whether its being produced by active volcanos or gas belching microbes. Methane is a hot topic, so trying to understand the origin of the methane and where on the surface of mars and when its being produced and how it is destroyed is very important. Water in a liquid form has been seen on the planet surface before, but its not known how much this exists nor whether this conforms to likes under its surface. We need to understand what is the water inventory with depth, because if you want to land people on there, theyre going to need Drinking Water and you dont want to carry it with you. The Exo Mars Mission will drop a small lander on to the martian surface. This will give it the opportunity to test its Landing Technology particularly in dusty conditions before a planned rover is sent to mars in 2018. Along with existing spacecraft, another two from the u. S. And india are expected in the next two years. The flood of new data will tell us more about the red planet and its role in the formation of our solar system. Back to earth and the reality that is syria. This is the moment of truth. Thats our lead story on our website. Those are the words of the u. N. Envoy, Staffan De Mistura on the first day of talks to try and come to some sort of resolution when it comes to syria. Fighting for surviving in the president ial race, betting their futures on the primaries in florida and ohio. An attack in turkey, a powerful car bomb in the capital kills more than three den people. Now the government is going after those its were responsible. Get your pencils and your brackets ready, the field is set for march madness
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