offline - healthcare.gov is taken down again as the obama administration works furiously to get it up and running. territorial dispute. china flexes its military muscle in the u.s. in a disagreement over air space. war crimes confession - an 85-year-old american veteran being detained in north korea is forced to apologise. >> the long walk to freedom. nelson mandela's fight for freedom in south africa comes to

theatres this weekend. >> welcome to al jazeera america. i'm morgan radford. the obama administration is preparing to announce on sunday that it has met its deadline to improve healthcare.gov. today is the obama administration's self-imposed deadline to have its healthcare.gov web site up and running for the majority of americans. it was shut down late friday for overnight repairs, and the goal was to handle 50,000 users all at once and to reduce errors. whether it can handle the capacity won't be put to the test. >> the latest setback for the affordable care act involves small businesses, which were supposed to use their own online marketplace to figure out the best health plans for employees. that won't happen for another year. instead, it's a full-court press to make sure healthcare.gov, the

website for individuals, is working. this week in california, the president stood firm. >> i'm willing to fix any problems there are. i'm not going to abandon people to make sure there's health insurance in this country. it's not something we'll do. >> on a conference call with state and local officials. the health secretary kathleen sebelius played cheerleader. >> we are on track to have a different user experience by the end of this month. that was our commitment. >> the goal is to handle 50,000 users on the site at one time. as many as 100,000 in a 24 hour period. >> we went online to see how healthcare.gov was working. as the white house promised it seems to be running more smoothly. the administration admits there could be log jams and they are testing a system that would people in a queue and let them

know an estimated weight time. >> the push is on to get young people to sign up. they are healthier and can offset the costs of covering older americans. aarp campaign calls on mums to get their kids to enrol. there are provocative ads by two colorado non-profits. some conservative groups are pushing young people to skip coverage. as of now the administration has not released numbers on how many young people have signed up for coverage. the next two weeks will be critical for obamacare. anyone who wants health insurance starting in january will need to enrol by december 23rdrd. >> a spokesperson for the group that operates the site says it needs more work. the website is expected to go down again for fixes on sunday, from 1am eastern to 5am eastern. in the first month of open

enrolment health and human services fell short of its goal. instead of 500,000 people signing up, only 106,000 got coverage. most were on state exchanges, not on the federal site. for the new sign-ups insurance will take effect on 1st january. the deadline for the initial payment was pushed back from december 1st to the 23rd. the open enrolment deadline stays the same. march 31st is the last day to register. president obama plans to lay out a security strategy for the united states. the white house announced the president would release an updated security policy by next spring. the blue print contains a proposal in 120, focused on ending the war in iraq and defeating al qaeda. the plan will call for economic reform. the state department is warning u.s. airlines to comply with new restrictions set by beijing.

china is demanding to know of plans for flying through their defense zone. it follows islands. japan is refusing to comply with the new rules. china has been flexing military muscle.

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>>... this woman washing her clothes, they have to use wood to cook. people can't afford to by gasso lean or fuel. the people have been here for a

year. they are worried. okay. they say that they are safe here, there is no violence, but there is a danger. in the next few days and weeks the temperatures dropped to below zero. we are along the lebanese-syrian board erted er -- boarder. this is a tented settlement. social workers warn that the kids are exposed to diseases. the floor is mud, no cement. when it rains the whole area is flooded. really miserable conditions. the lebanese government is unable to help the people and the international community is not providing the needed funds. >> thank you, that's a desperate need in the camp. >> ukraine appears to have

broken up a demonstration in the capital kiev. police dispersed the crowd in a dawn rage. thousands staged mass rallies, calling for president viktor yanukovych to resign. they are angry the ukraine government pulled out of a trade deal with the e.u. we have more. >> this move by the riot police to declare independent square came as no real surprise. the opposition leaders had been predicting a crackdown by president viktor yanukovych as soon as he returned from the summit in lithuania. the student union, the backbone of the protests said they will continue with them, despite the riot police action here in independent square in a predawn raid. president viktor yanukovych has decided he wants to strangle the

protest movement before it builds into the orange revolution seen here nine years ago. it appears that there will now be a series of running fights, perhaps, between the pro-europe protesters and the police throughout the city. they certainly have planned many actions. they were due to stage a large rally on sunday. all around the square, as you can see, there are riot police making sure no one can get in or out. >> still to come - a seventh day of protests in thailand. now pro-government demonstrators are out in force as well. and the struggle to preserve the history and traditional autonomy of the barotse people in western zambia.

>> welcome back. the top stories on al jazeera. thousand of syrian refugees are facing the misery of another freezing winter. in the biggest refugee camp in jordan. new trailers are arriving. many people have been living in tents for more than a year. >> riot police in the ukraine broke up a mass antigovernment demonstration in the capital kiev. the crowd was dispersed in a dawn raid. >> the leader of the antigovernment protests in thailand told supporters to escalate their campaign and take over other buildings. they are planning to occupy the prime minister's office on sunday.

demonstrators are angry about a bill that gives amnesty to the brother of prime minister yingluck shinawatra. yingluck shinawatra says she's open to talks, abobut the protesters rejected dialogue. it's not just the opposition flexing muscle on bangkok street. pro-government demonstrations are taking place. speaking to al jazeera thailand's prime minister appeals for calm, saying the opposition is hurting the country through its actions. >> if he loved the country, please do not hurt the country. please do not hurt the economy. i think not have any bias, i don't have any, like, it doesn't mean who will win, who will lose, but the lose is the country. >> you can watch the interview with yingluck shinawatra on "talk to al jazeera" next week.

>> scott heidler is at the monument in bangkok. >> like the previous six days, teams and columns of protesters have been dispatched across bangkok, focused on a government complex. there was a police department targeted. they got into the compound but did not enter the building. they went on to telecommunication companies owned by the government. a new tactic occurred on friday. a small letter campaign. protesters presented a letter to the head generate of the thai army. the question was are you with us or against us. does the army support the antigovernment protesters or the yingluck shinawatra's government. the army said it represents all that people quickly. there's something else going on on the outskirts of the city. a rally has been held in a

football stadium. some have been asked to go out to a university nearby. this is something not seen in face to face competitions. those for the government and those against the government. it's been peaceful. organizers were out there. they'll try to keep the groups separate. pins and needles the government is on. they want to make sure this remains peaceful. >> north korea releases a video of an elderly american citizens apparently following for crimes during the 1950s war. merrill newman read out a statement in a faltering voice. it's not known whether it was made under duress. in it it says he led a group of troops and they killed innocent people. he was accused of performing hostile acts.

>> nawaz sharif is in kabul. hamid karzai has pushed islamabad to have it talk to the taliban. it is seen as crucial as it was a backer of the taliban when it ruled in the 1990s. the meeting comes at a time when hamid karzai is locked in a dispute with the u.s. about the troop pact. >> jane ferguson has the latest were kabul. >> top of the agenda on the discussions between pakistani nawaz sharif and afghan president hamid karzai will be peace talks between the afghan government and the afghan taliban. they said for some time now they want direct peace talks with the taliban. they believe that pakistan is the right partner to facilitate that. they've had a complicated relationship with pakistani neighbours for some years.

the afghan government accused the pakistani military of harvesting the taliban, helping them to operate. what they hope from this is the civilian government in pakistan might be able to, through their new prime minister nawaz sharif, wrest a little more control on issues to do with the taliban and push peace talks direct with the taliban. as is indicative of that complicated relationship between afghanistan and the pakistani neighbours initials say over 15 more tar shells have been fired by the pakistani army in the last 24 hours. really, quite a complicated relationship here. both sides, whilst pushing forward, on something of a better relationship will face challenges. >> thousands of hatians have taken to the streets in demonstrations across the country, calling on president

martelli to step down. some object to political interference in haiti by the u.s. police and u.n. peacekeepers blocked roads around the embassy to prevent demonstrators from reaching them. police used tear gas and some demonstrators set fire to tyres. >> a number of malian rebel leaders called on end to the ceasefire with the government. lmna fighters will take up arms again. tuareg demonstrators occupied an airport run way, blocking a visit by the prime minister. government troops fired shots at the crowd. nigeria started an ambitious program to enrol 9.5 million children into public schools. they built facility and hired teachers. the schools may not benefit the student they are intended for. >> this is a traditional

religious school, one of several thousands across nigeria. many children don't have access to schools. a situation the government wants to change. so it came up with an education project. classes like this, traditional lessons and western curriculum are taught side by side. this is to ease concerns of parents who distrust western education. this could have benefit to the nation. >> it's not just for them to have access, but to have skill. we have skill. it is good for you. you can move on or move forward. forward with education. >> brian always wanted to go to a regular school. after a year in the school he

believes he's on the road to achieve his dreams. >> translation: i'm happy here. i don't have to worry about where to eat or sleep. i want to be a doctor. my people need a doctor. i want to help them. >> the school is better than public schools. >> the facilities are meant to give students basic education and skills. persons are taking their children out of private schools and enrolling them here, to take advantage of that, meaning the kids these schools are meant for my lose out. >> but the authorities say they will not let that happen. the success of the scheme depend on state government which are responsible for basic education. some have taken the program a step further. >> after the election, it has now been expended to 100 schools.

i'll grow it. the local governments are encouraged to assist. >> many states are struggling to pay teachers salaries. unless that is tackled, the project will fail, along with the hopes and dreams of millions of children. >> the president of democratic republic of congo promised residents of a former area that the war is over. the comments were made earlier when the rebels were defeated. it's the first visit to the region since the rebels captured part of it in the spring of 2012. >> the wreckage of an airplane has been found in nearby namibia. the plane disappeared during a flight from mozambique to ang

owla. they had been searching a park in namibia when they had contact with the pilot. >> dozens accused of treason have been released. charges have not been dropped. barotse monarchy signed a treaty and joined an independent zam bia. autonomy in barotseland are farmers, whose lives are remote from politics and history. some today are too afraid to speak out against the government. we meet a farmer willing to share his story. >> this man has lived on the zambezi river his whole life in the western province. his naturfarm is in the heart o

barotseland, a monarchy until a treaty was signed in 1964 to join an independent zambia. when the rain comes, they watch the river rise. >> translation: i think the biggest problem is that our leaders treat the barotse separately. they promised to help us. after becoming president he has gone back on his word. those that question it are charged with treason. >> it's progress, but he has seen none here. like many in the impoverished province. he believes the sam bian government failed to improve infrastructure and basic services. he can't afford to send all his boys to school. some have to work.

>> i was expecting to make a good living from this. i need help from government to plough seeds and fertiliser. i work hard, but get hardly anything from it. >> after hours spent in the field the day is nearly over. he's had a long time to think about his family's future. he is afraid he may get in trouble for speaking his mind, like the doezens arrested this year. >> from what i have seen over the years government has not helped us lead full lives much barotseland should be let go. we don't benefit from the union. >> their life is simple in a complex and historical scene. around the evening fire the desire for self-determination burns. >> these organizations in the u.s. are protesting against

unprecedented restrictions on reporting on the white house. they say only official white house photos are allowed. independent journalists are being shut out. we have this report. >> sometimes it may seem like the white house press corp are spending too much energy covering the mine usual yeah. the freedom of the press to cover event is a fundamental right. the white house didn't have a problem for letting photographers in for this, the welcoming of the christmas tree. for other significant events no independent observe observation will e allowed. official photographs like these will be released. such pictures are adding to the administration's transparency as they are taken at private events. >> we have tried to provide new technology and the president's personal photographer as a way to provide additional insight into what is happening at the white house. that's why on your television

network n.b.c. will ask if there's a photo we can release. that is because we want to private additional access. >> some argue many events are official business and the administration's release of carefully vetted photos to be distributed by social media shows the white house recognises their newsworthiness. the whitehouse is accused of replaces individual journal. >> with press releases. this photo of the per cent and hartsfield jackson international. >> it's to give a sense of what is happening. we released a photo. >> it's a photograph of them >> the washington editor which operates 30 newspapers announced tuesday its publications will not run photos unless there's a national security reason for not having allowed an independent photographer to attend. if the white house isn't going

to allow basic journalistic access to take pictures, we don't feel we should run those issued. we have seen a lot of measures that we haven't seen before, to this degree, to crackdown on a flow of information. >> at the white house the photo op is over. contemporary reporters will have photos of the historical record of the white house christmas tree ceremony of 2013. the same cannot be said for other moments during the presidency. >> it doesn't quite fit the profile of a regular snooker player. a 4-year-old from china has become the internet sensation with his snooker skills. videos of him potting balls have been viewed on the internet by tenses of thousands of people. his father puts him through

three hours of training with the help of a platform and tiptoeing. in just one video he potted 15 balls in 10 seconds. >> don't forget more news, features and video on the website. click on aljazeera.com.

>> production of animal protein using livestock is resource heavy and puts an incredible strain on our natural systems. it also has a bigger impact on global warming than driving cars. >> as our population and our global appetite for meat increase, we need to find other ways of satisfying this demand. i'm here at wageningen university, holland, to check out the environmental benefits of eating bugs.

professor van huis? >> that's right. yeah. >> great. >> oh - my - goodness. why are you researching insects as food? >> well, we will have a meat crisis very soon. 70 percent of all the agricultural land at the moment is used for livestock. the world population is doubling, and the meat demand is also doubling, so we need another earth to feed the world, so just impossible. also, if you look at it environmentally, 18 percent of all the greenhouse gas emissions are from livestock, so we need alternatives for our protein and insects are an excellent alternative. >> what do you call this? it looks quite slippery. >> this is a locust species. >> this is a locust. >> yes. be careful because they bite, so you have to... >> they bite? to be honest, it's a stretch for me to think of

this guy as food. but that must be the battle that you"re facing, trying to convince westerners that there"s a good meal to be had out of these guys? >> yeah, but it's only the western people have problems with it so... >> yeah. yeah. >> ...most of the world population doesn"t have any problem. and i would also say if you taste it once then the next time is not a problem anymore so. >> so there you have it, insects such as locusts, grasshoppers and mealworms are nutritious and have much less impact on the environment than livestock. but finding the right insect is just part of the story. if we're gonna make any impact at all on the global demand for protein, we need to make sure we"ve got a reliable and sustainable supply. so we've come to the kreca insect rearing facility. this is marieke. >> hi. >> tell us what you do here? >> well, we have a lot of insects here. we breed ten species. >> wow. >> most of the insects are for the animal consumption, but we have one insect also for the human consumption.

>> okay, can you show us how you do it, where you do it? >> yes, of course. come on in. >> okay. (pause) wow. >> yeah. >> those worms are big enough for selling. coming week, they get sieved and then we sell them. >> let me see. >> you can put more worms in one place than you can put cows. i think there is between 700 and 1,000 kilos only in this room. >> of insects? >> of insects, yes. >> insects are great at turning plants into protein. it takes ten kilograms of plant matter to make just one kilogram of beef, but that same ten kilograms will produce nine kilograms of insect protein. this is "cause they"re cold-blooded and don"t need to waste any energy in controlling their body temperature. okay, so we've done our feeding of the mealworms. the next stage of the process is now to take the mature worms out.

oh my god! wow! wow, look at that! there's a lot of worms! so this is like pure adult mealworm which is ready to go off to market and to the kitchens basically. the rest is all gonna go back into the incubator and start the cycle again. but that's our work here done for just now so that's it. okay, so we've found out that insects are nutritious, you can farm them on a commercial scale and they"re better for the environment. but all this means nothing unless people are actually prepared to eat them. >> they just need to be warm and... >> johan verbon is the chef at the restaurant of the future. he's been cooking with insects

for over three years. >> for your average person, having a look at that to begin with would look pretty... >> yeah. if people ask me often this question i always say to them, "do you eat shrimps?" >> yeah, i do. >> and they say often, "yes and i like them," and i say, "those are the insects of the sea." >> i think i recognize this guy from the lab this morning. i could be wrong but... >> you feel and hear how crunchy they are? >> yeah, really. >> if you just add a little bit of salt on the head... >> okay. >> ...they're a nice snack. >> yeah? >> yeah. >> their heads. we'll just go right in there for the head. okay, moment of truth. >> if i kind of step out of myself and just don't even think about it then that is really nice. that"s crunchy... >> yeah. >> ...salty, and there's a, yeah, a nutty flavor. >> a nutty flavor in there. yeah. >> the majority of this burger

is still beef, but even just by using, what did you say, 20 percent? >> 20 percent, yeah. >> even by using 20 percent grasshopper in this that's 20 percent less beef, so less damage to the environment, less water that you're using. >> mmm! yum. you're eating the entire... >> the entire insect, yeah. >> ...the entire insect. no waste. >> beef you eat about 55 percent of a cow, and this is the whole insect 100 percent. >> wow. >> yeah. >> you"re cooking with worms! >> yeah, we"re cooking with worms. >> i mean, how are you gonna actually get people to eat worms, basically? >> make it nice. >> okay. >> make it look nice, make it taste nice. and when food looks good and you're hungry you will eat it. >> okay, professor, grasshopper burger is served! >> oh! thank you. wow. that's great. >> well, i hope you enjoy them. they're prepared with a lot of love from johan and i think it"s a fantastic idea. so, thanks to your research, hopefully we'll see a lot more restaurants

serving grasshopper burgers in the future bon appetit! on inside story, we bring together unexpected voices closest to the story, invite hard-hitting debate and desenting views and always explore issues relevant to you. (vo) al jazeera america we understand that every news story begins and ends with people. >> the efforts are focused on rescuing stranded residents. (vo) we pursue that story beyond the headline, past the spokesperson, to the streets. >> thousands of riot police deployed across the capitol. (vo) we put all of our global resources behind every story. >> it is a scene of utter devastation. (vo) and follow it no matter where it leads, all the way to you.

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on this occasion i would like to honour the memory of those who have fallen, and i appreciate and pray to those who have been injure injured, offering condolences to their families, assuring them that their blood will water the tree of freedom for the homeland. here ends the message. president. the president reiterated to us that he is holding steadfast and adhering to his legitimacy as the lawful legal president of egypt. this was a message dig tated verbally to -- dictated verbally to us by the president mohamed

consider this... antonio mora brings you smart conversation that challenges the status quo with unexpected opinions and a fresh outlook. including yours. consider this unconventional wisdom weeknights - 10 eastern on al jazeera america >> the sahara desert covers nearly 10% of africa. over the past few decades a decline in rainfall coupled with soil degradation due to over-grazing has caused a huge increase in the rate at which the sahara is spreading. if this continues the impact of this spread on the environment

and the people that live here will be nothing short of catastrophic. over there is the sahara and in this direction is the sahel, a belt of dry grassland which separates the sahara from africa's tropical forests, we are about to visit a new project that is aimed at stopping anymore land from looking like this. the great green wall is a multi-state project launched by the countries that lie within the sahel. the objective is to build a 7000 km long and 15km wide wall of trees straddling the edge of the sahara desert and stretching coast to coast through 11 states. senegal was the first country to begin planting. colonel sarr is the project's technical director and forest expert., >> nice to meet you

>> welcome. >> so the first seed was planted in 2008? >> senegal is the leader lots of countries near the sahara have the same problems we must be together. >> so we are just about to walk into one of the very first plantations of the great green wall, this was planted in 2008. wow what a difference, it is green i can see dragonflies, it is a complete contrast from what i saw this morning. >> in the past in this area there was nothing. >> how does something like this stop desertification? >> bio diversity of species, we have 3/4/5 species in this area. each species takes different

things from the soil. >> so the microorganisms work together? >> yes we are challenging the land where nothing can live. >>: so it is about recuperating land and giving it life again? >> yes >> this is livable. >> but now its time to work >> it is one the big challenges of the population is desertification. it is the crisis of this area; cattle are dying, and have no water. >> so this is so much more than desertification, is't it? >> so i am here with moesie who

is going to teach me the proper technique of planting the acacia. here we go, my contribution to the senegalese part of the great green wall... maybe i will come back and watch it grow? what is really amazing here is that all the planters are volunteers, they are doing this in their free time to help out, like mohammed. why did you travel all the way here to volunteer and help out? >> in order to help the effect of desertification, to make it green for us and also to fight against poverty, i am so proud to be part of this. >> so we call this the mohammed

plant? >> we will put the m here. the great green wall is a project that is not solely about stopping desertification. colonel sarr takes me to see a recently created fruit plantation for the benefit of local people. >> it will be the first time we plant the mangoes in this part of our country. >> it will be very popular with the kids. >> wonderful >> are people healthier? >> yes now they don't have disease. they have fresh vegetables to eat and also to sell >> so the market must be bustling? >> yes and the economy is developing here. >> so this is the village right next to the plantation we were just at and as you can see it is market day and it is really busy, we just want to find out what people think of the great green wall. so they work here on the project?

>> if we doing something like this in 2000km, dhaka to djibouti desertification will be stopped. >> that is something to be proud of. don't you think? >> yes it is possible. i will do it. >> my generation of nepalese grew up with the saying which

is. the green forest of nepal are its true wealth. but that national wealth is declining really fast. every year 2 to 4% of the nepal's forest is decimated and in the past 2 decades we lost a quarter of our forest coverage. we're heading to the mountains the district of in comprehendible? where things are significantly different. so here we are in eastern nepal and tusia and ganesh are going to take us through the forest managed by the local community somewhere down there. shall we go.

so for each tree that is chopped at least 2 or 3 trees are planted, just to make sure that the forest is stable..

so we just seen the forest that's doing really well. now we are going to see a forest that's just been started a couple of years ago.

the people here depend on the forrest for their living. handing forrest management back to these communities seems to be a perfect way to address the needs of the people, and the environment.

>> every day, events sweep across our country. and with them, a storm of views. how can you fully understand the impact unless you've heard angles you hadn't considered? consider this... antonio mora brings you smart conversation that challenges the status quo with unexpected opinions and a fresh outlook. including yours. >> what do you think? >> stories that matter to you consider this unconventional wisdom. weeknights 10 eastern on al jazeera america

>> the rivers of britain ((famous for their salmon)) are also home to one of the longest living invertebrates in the world. the fresh water peal mussel. they are a vital component in this aquatic ecosystem. they filter algae and bacteria from the water, and stabilise sediment in lakes and riverbeds. but they are also one of the most threatened species on the planet. silt caused by livestock grazing and other human activities is their single biggest threat. the juveniles die as silt clogs their filtering mechanisms, and prevents them from attaching to riverbeds. >> i'm mei-ling.mcnamara and i'm here at kielder salmon centre in northumberland, to find out about a new project that's saving britains fresh water pearls. >> this one is maybe 45. >> 45 years old! wow that's quite old. >> centre staff: ah that's one of our youngest ones and then one like this which is very big she's probably over 100 years old. >> 100 years old oh my goodness.

>> centre staff: we've got mussels aged maybe 45 to over 100. but we've got no young ones at all because in the river they no longer breeding, we cant find any juveniles. we want to breed them in captivity so that we can release young mussels back into the river. with the aim of helping the population to recover. >> ann's research is carried out at the salmon centre because the mussels must spend a part of their life cycle attached to the gills of juvenile salmon, after three months they detach, and drop to the riverbed. richard bond is the manager of the centre. >> we're just looking at these gills just to see what pearl numbers of glocodia are like so it gives us an idea of how many we are going to be stocking back to the river. >> o.k so what am i looking at? >> so you can see the gill archers there from the fish.

>> oh yeah! >> you can have up to 2000 on each of the fish, a very high number, so it just helps us to monitor the numbers of glocodia there, helps us to improve our techniques for the future, for future generations of peral mussels really. >> so these babies are the host for all other fresh water pearls? >> that's right later on in the summer these eggs would have hatched and there will be fish about maybe 3 - 4 cm in length. >> you've got some of them then? >> yes we do we've got some of those from last year in the tanks behind me there. >> there's about 4000 salmon in this tank at the moment, we're actually gonna take them to the river later today and release them to the river, and back to the wild and hopefully they'll grow, head off to sea and come back in a few years time. >> so now i'm actually catching some of the salmon i'm, netting

it. i'm putting it into this bucket here and then we're going to transport it back to the river. >> each one of these carries thousands of pearl mussels on its gills. >> so you wont see if the pearl mussels have taken off in the river maybe for 10, 15, 25 years. why do you do it? why do you do it? >> well i think it's really important that we keep our rivers as good as they can be, and the pearl mussel is the bench mark for that. >> but you never see it, you may never see it. >> well i'm not that old! i think i will be retired before we get a really healthy population back in this river.

which is er sad. but its for the future. >> ((but)) re-introduction alone is not enough, a bigger plan is also in place to create protection zones along river beds. >> so this is the moment of truth. well this is the moment anyway when we let the fish go that have thousand of little larvae inside their gills hoping for the best i guess. >> they will just head off, find their own little territories and set off their little place for themselves. >> why are the pearl mussels so important? >> well not only are they, very endangered species, they very important for the environment. they filter water so they clean the rivers; they are a fantastical biological sort of indicator to tell us how important the rivers are. the

>> many people there have been living in tents for more than a year. imran khan is at the refugee camp in northern iraq, and filed this report. >> if you speak to people from the u.n. they'll say they are 90% ready. let me show you around. a tent typical of the accommodation that you find there. the people here are trying to make this as homely as possible.

they put rugs down. there's a washington machine at the back. in terms of making this bearable for the winter, there's a few things they are doing. one of the things is they are putting on this - plastic sheeting allowing the rain to some down into the drainage system, over there and out into the the camp itself. >> in ukraine pro-european union protesters are back on the street. riot police broke up a mass antigovernment demonstration. police used batons to disperse the crowd in a dawn raid. thousands staged mass rallies calling for viktor yanukovych to resign. they are angry they pulled out of a trade deal with the e.u. >> this move by the riot police

to clear independent square came as no real surprise. the opposition leaders had been predicting a crackdown by president viktor yanukovych as soon as he returned from the summit in lithuania. but the student union who have been the backbone of the protests said they will continue with them, despite the riot police action here in independent square in a predawn raid. president viktor yanukovych obviously decided that he wants to strangle this whole movement - protest movement - before it builds into anything like the orange revolution seen here nine years ago. so it appears that there will be a series of running fights between the pro europe protesters and the police throughout the city. they certainly have planned many actions. they were due to stage a large rally on sunday, but all around the square, as you can see,

there are riot police making sure no one can get in or out. >> the pakistani prime minister nawaz sharif is in kabul. it comes at a time when president hamid karzai has been pushing islamabad to help negotiations with the taliban. jane ferguson has the latest from kabul. >> what they hope from this is that perhaps the civilian government in pakistan might be able to, through their new prime minister nawaz sharif wrest more control on issues to do with the taliban, and push forward peace talks that are direct with the taliban here. today, as is indicative of that complicated relationship between afghanistan and the pakistani neighbou neighbours officials say over 15 mortar shells have been fired on to afghan land in the last 24 hours.

>> in thailand antigovernment protests entered their seventh day. the leader called on supporters to intensify their ag tags. the government supporters are rallying as well. tens of thousands turned out to an event in the bangkok sports stadium. >> thailand's prime minister appeals for calm, saying the opposition is hurting the country through his actions. >> please if you love the country, don't hurt the country or its economy. >> those are the main stories, more details on the website aljazeera.com.

>> when i think of india... i think of an emerging power...

a country of new billionaires the planet's largest democracy... what i don't think of, is the india that is a war zone. a 40-year long civil war has been raging in the jungles of central and eastern india. and trapped in it are the poorest of the poor. india's very own aboriginals - the adivasis. >> i've come one thousand four hundred kilometres from india's capital, new delhi, far from the country's bustling cities and tourist trails, into these jungles, to meet the adivasis. an uprising by maoist fighters,

and its brutal suppression by the indian government, has claimed more than 10-thousand lives since 1980, and displaced millions of adivasis. >> displaced and destitute in india's tribal heartlands, that span almost the whole country... ... millions of india's aboriginals are caught in a deadly crossfire. >> an ancient way of life... the adivasis, are believed to be the india's earliest inhabitants...

a loose collection of tribes, there are roughly 84 million of these indigenous people... ...about 8 percent of the country's population. the pristine beauty of these jungles has been home to the adivasis for centuries. they not only rely on the lush forest for sustenance... it also nourishes their spirits. they are at one with this land. for generations, kandul deori's family has lived in the village of khandadhar, in the eastern indian state of odisha... surviving off subsistence farming and what the jungle provides.

>> in fact, the entire village of khandadhar can make the same claim as kandal deori. everyone here even has the same last name. and this is all they have ever known... but it's a way of life increasingly under threat. for the last 40 years, the adivasis have become victims of the very land that once sustained them. mineral deposits estimated to be worth trillions of dollars lie beneath this soil... and the indian government wants to cash in. forests have been cleared and dug up for iron ore, manganese, bauxite and a number of other minerals. and the government evacuated hundreds of villages to make room for steel plants and mineral refineries.

this is the rourkela steel plant. it was built in 1955, as a symbol of a newly independent india's self reliance. it produces almost 2 million tonnes of steel a year. thirty two adivasi villages were demolished to make room for the plant. i visited some of the people from those villages who ended up in this settlement camp nearly 60 years ago. they were all promised jobs and prosperity, but say they were given nothing. soma lakda was a child when he came here. his son was born and raised in this camp, and is now in his twenties. wary of outsiders, lakda is hesitant to complain. he would much rather say that

things are just fine. >> as an aboriginal person in india, do you feel different from to the rest of the citizens? upon hearing his son's angry words, lakda musters up the courage to speak up about how his people are really treated here.

>> when it comes to fighting for the rights of adivasis, dr. binayak sen has been a thorn in the side of the indian government for the last 5 years the 61 year old pediatrician has been arrested numerous times. he remains relentless in his criticism. >> so these focused processes of expropriation are forcing these people who are already living on the brink of starvation off the land and into

more severe poverty. and i would submit that the condition that is being crated today in large sections of the population, particularly those living in the forest areas that are mineral rich, these conditions correspond to a genocidal situation. so the indian nation needs to be very careful at this juncture in its history not to expose itself to the charge that they are committing genocide on sections of their own population. >> the risk of losing everything they've ever known in the government's land grab, made many adivasis fertile recruits for india's maoist rebels or naxalites, who also call these forests home. >> the maoists began their battle against the indian government nearly 50 years ago,

and are thought to number as many as twenty thousand armed men & women. they are a loose collection of anti-government communist groups, that initially fought for land reform. but over time, their focus expanded to include more fundamental questions of how india is actually governed.

like all revolutionary movements, the maoists see themselves as fighting for the greater good of the people. we have obtained a never before seen interview with the elusive maoist leader kishan ji. he won't show his face on camera for fear of being identified. kishan ji insisted that his struggle is for india's rural poor.

>> for four decades, kishan ji's fighters have recruited hundreds of disillusioned young adivasi men and women. their ideal of a just society without hierarchy seemed to be the antidote to the indian government's land grab. but the aboriginals soon found out that their new allies have a very dark side.

power of the people until we restore our freedoms and right

conversation that challenges the status quo with unexpected opinions and a fresh outlook. including yours. consider this unconventional wisdom weeknights - 10 eastern on al jazeera america >> when it comes to enforcing their ideals in the communities under their control, the maoists are iron fisted. >> in 2009, the same year as kishan ji sat down for his rare interview, his fighters

chased all the inhabitants out of 5 villages ... because the adivasis from those villages refused to work for them. in their zeal for undermining the indian government, maoist fighters have torched construction equipment, bombed government schools, and de-

railed passenger trains, killing hundreds. >> here, a maoist court delivers its punishment to these 2 men, convicted of selling and drinking alcohol -something that maoists see as anti-social behaviour. a threat to their view of an ideal society.

the maoists are vigilant about traitors in their midst. those even suspected of collaborating with the indian government are brutally executed. during my visit, i tried,

repeatedly, to meet the maoists, and ask them why they would terrorize the very people they claim to be fighting for. over and over again, my request for a meeting was denied, citing security concerns. at one point, in a scarcely veiled threat, i was even told that they couldn't guarantee my safety. so i came to calcutta and caught up with ashim chatterjee, one of the original members of the maoist or naxalite movement when it began back in the late 60s. he left the naxalites not long after, but today, he mediates between them and the indian government. a stroke has distorted chatterjee's appearance, and left him with a speech impediment. he has become one of the maoists' harshest critics.

>> whatever violence is being perpetuated by those who call themselves naxals... whether it's killing suspected defectors, blowing up police stations...would you describe that as terrorism? >> the village of diyanmari is one place where that

terrorism has made its presence felt. if there's a word to describe the atmosphere here, it's fear. it's the quietest place i've been to in india. i've come here to meet sakri bandra, who was almost beaten to death by maoist fighters, because they suspected him of treason. >> tell us what happened to you and your family ?

the maoists were upset that you were mentioning to people that you were giving them food perhaps shelter...was that true? >> bandra and his brothers were accused of trying to poison the maoists, when some of the fighters fell ill after eating food from the village. >> bandra tells me the maoists destroyed part of his house as they left. and that he spent 2 days in a coma. his other brother looks on as we talk, but refuses to

say much. he's far too afraid of what the maoists might do to him. >> have the maoists ever explained to you why they fight against the police? >> the maoists say that they are fighting for you, that they are fighting for all the people in india who are like you, who are neglected by the government, they represent you and want to empower and strengthen you.

>> but the maoists are not the only ones who bring death and destruction to the adivasis. deep in india's eastern jungles, the village of tadmetla is in ashes. it was raided by indian government paramilitaries when, after 76 of them were ambushed and killed by maoists in the area. the maoists were long gone, but the people of the

village bore the brunt of the paramilitaries' anger. the indian government says it's fighting the maoists in order to protect the adivasis from their violence and exploitation. but in this village, the government's "protection" takes on a whole new sinister meaning.

almost all of tadmetla has been destroyed. and its people have now decided who they support. it was an easy choice. >> in the 40-year-long push and pull between the rebels and the indian government, it's clear to me that the biggest losers in this armed struggle are india's 84 million aboriginals.

. welcome back. you are watching al jazeera america. i'm morgan radford. here are the top stories this morning. the barack obama administration is expected to announce on sunday that it has met its deadline to improve healthcare.gov. the goal is for the site to handle 50,000 users all at once. but it was shut down late friday for overnight repairs, and a spokesperson says the website needs more work. >> plus, a warning from the state department. all u.s. carriers need to comply with restrictions set by

beijing. china is asking all planes to identify itself as they fly over japan's air defense zone. japan says it won't play by china's rules. >> north korea is holding merrill newman. merrill newman reportedly apologised for hostel acts during the korean war. merrill newman was detained o month ago. it is a cold start to the day, especially across the eastern u.s., where temperatures dropped into the 20s around new york city. we have widespread 30s from atlanta and houston, starting at 39 degrees. definitely one of those days where you will pack the extra

sweater. here in the north-east it's not going to be all that worm. our temperatures will stay around 10, up wards to 50 degrees as we get into the afternoon. we are at 12 degrees. highs will make it into the 30s and 40s. taking a look at the work week ahead and through the weekend around philadelphia we are expecting dry conditions. high pressure keeping us on the quiet side. temperatures will see an increase in numbers. we'll stay in the mid to upper 40s as we set oun on wednesday. >> as winter sets in and the war in syria drags on refugees are fighting to stay warm. in northern iraq 50,000 are living in tents with no heat. imran khan visited a camp.

>> it's early morning. the women here prepared food. they've been cooking outdoors since the summer. that will have to end. winter has come and with had plunging temperatures and heavy rain. they wonder what they'll do when it's too cold to cook outside. >> i make a special effort to cook every friday. a small treat. with the rain we will not be able to do this. this small treat will be taken away from us. preparations are under way. drainage systems are being put in place to make sure the camp doesn't flood. this man from the u.n. refugee agencies says things are on track, but there's a long way to go. >> there'll be challenges, but we will support the international community. we are ready to support. >> there's a huge difference between a camp being ready for winter and the reality of living

there. despite the hard winter conditions around the corner, however, children find a way to style and have fun. these children take advantage of the mild weather before the severe winter comes. it almost doesn't matter how well prepared the camp is for winter. the one thing that these children and every resident want is one thing that can't be given - a safe passage back to syria. >> there are more pressing things to worry about. >> translation: 10 days ago it rained. the camp was flooded. my tend was flooded. my children couldn't walk anywhere. winter is coming. >> with the u.n. agencies facing a funding crisis, the camp is not ready.

what happens next is up to god. >> with the camps overflowing some refugees are taking shelter in schools, warehouse and mosques. >> in jordan better shelter is arriving. we have this report. >> for 18 months the refugees here weathered scorching heat, sandstorms and snow storms. their only shelter a plastic tent. another freezing winter is coming. these new trailers couldn't arrive soon enough. >> in the winter the rain caused floods. tents collapsed on people and floated around with their belongings. if a tent is connected to electricity, when it rained it would catch fire. i can't describe the suffering. >> the people that have been here the longest are the first to get a trailer. there's a lot of frustration

when they are given out. there are strict rules to prevent people who get the trailer from taking advantage of their good fortune. in the past refugees who left to live in host communities would sell their trailers for hundreds of dollars. now refugees have to sign contracts promising they won't trade camp property. this man says he's been in the camp for a year. the aid worker answers. those getting trainer replacements have been living in tents for a year and a half. each costs $2, 500. replacing tents has cost $35 million. thousands are waiting for a trailer. around 3,000 families live in tents like these. the u.n. refugee agency says the hope is replace all tents with

trailers. refugees are getting thermal blankets before the winter sets in. winter clothing and shoes are given to the vulnerable, children under the age of five. there's not enough money so conditions in the camp is difficult. >> we are not prepared for the crisis to last longer. it took many donors - not by surprise, but let me look if i have more money available. >> these refugees have no idea when they can return to their country. >> the zatary camp is home to 100,000 refugees. >> and the olympics are right around the corner. mark morgan, you are here with

an amazing story of a u.s. bob sledder. >> hard to believe the games are almost here. count down to 2014 winter olympics , and for steve hulcombe the focus is on capturing a medal. focussing was not always an easy task. >> steven has been competing as a bob sledder since 1988. he struck gold as the driver of a 4-man team. it was the first such win for the americans since 1948. it was sweet for hulcombe who had to overcome an eye disease. >> i had a degenerative eye disease. it's a thinning of the kornia that causes them to bulge out. i was taking off, everything was doing well. it causedi isolation, i withdre

from everything and hit rock bottom. >> that is an understatement. as he struggled with vision and keeping his disability a secret. he withdrew from friends and family, and tried to take his own life. >> you would be surprised what the human body can endure. you go through crazy stuff. i attempted suicide at one point. it was devastating. it was a moment i realised i was here for a bigger purpose, there was more for me to go. >> he found the courage to address his secret disability and did so with a risky experimental procedure. >> we were lucky to find an experimental procedure in beverly hills. it's revolutionary, and is being introduced and it saved my vision. we won the first world championship in 50 years after having it done, and two years to the day, the first gold medal.

as the u.s. bob sled team prepares to defend their medal, he a grateful for an opportunity. >> if i can have one person, motivate one person, it's a great feeling. i'm here for something bigger and better. hopefully i can send a message and hep others. >> all right. the socchi winter games begin on february 7th. we'll be back in a moment.

welcome back to al jazeera america. i'm morgan radford. the wet weather on the way, we are trying to figure out where it's heading. we'll bring in metrologist. we are seeing quiet weather in the east. it's the western u.s. that will be mainly impacted with the wet and snowy conditions. i've been watching the south-west and the north-west through the morning. lots of moisture trying to come in. across the south-west good news. it's been a little wet.

mainly just light morning drizzle and then the rain tapers off as we continue through the morningment to the north-west we are getting started. it will be heavy at times. we are watching out for the possibility of flooding. some of the rivers around the cascades were there could be 3-6 inches of rainfall. temperatures moderate. once you get to the northern rockies, we are expecting rain. freezing rain to the north-east of montana. you'll want to take it easy through the morning. freezing rain advisory until eight local times. snow on the lighter side, even a few light snow flurries around the cape, along the coast of new england. >> a humanitarian crisis is growing worse by the day in somalia.

migrants trying to reach yemen are falling victim to hunger, fatigue and human smugglers. >> they keep coming. somalis and ethiopians who want to make the journey, flock to the port town. 23-year-old mohammed and his friends are from ethiopia. >> translation: for the four days i have been here, i've been washing cars to raise the fee the smugglers need. i have to make the journey, i won't go back. >> it is an accept of humanity. the image of a smuggling boom town is one they have failed to shed. over the years, those that want to take a shot have been flocking here. >> puntland cracks down on the smugglers, but they lack being

able to stop those involved in the trade. >> translation: we arrest them and put them in prison. these are people that need a lot of help. feeding them alone is beyond our means. repatriating them to their country is also not available. >> this is a convicted people smuggler. >> translation: the solution is not in locking us up, but creating opportunities for people at home. we are serving demands. >> smugglers charge between 40 and $100. if all goes well, the trip in crowded and rickety boats lasts left than a day. thousands have died but it has done little to halt the exodus. >> translation: fear is for

those that have something to lose. i have no fear. >> to the casual observer, that people are willing to risk death at sea for a jab that may never materialize may seem crazy. the story of every migrant shows the story of their homeland. every hardship fits the hardship they escaped. >> clashes between the clans in somalia are complicating the plight of migrants. >> crackdown on protests in ukraine, calling for closer ties with the e.u. 10,000 protesters showed up. some carrying signs saying ukraine is europe. he suspended a deal with the

e.u. that would have opened borders. the president made the decision after facing pressure from russia. opposition parties are calling for a nation-wide strike. >> the move by the riot police to clear independent square came as no surprise. opposition leaders predicted a crack doing from president viktor yanukovych as soon as he returned from the summit in lithuania. the student union, the backbone said they will continue with them, despite the riot police action in independence square in a pre-dawn raid. president yank ing decided to strong the the the movement before it builds into anything like the orange revolution that we see here nine years ago. it appears that there will be a series of running fights between

the pro-europe protesters and the police throughout the city. they have planned many actions. they were due to stage a large rally on sunday. all around the square, as you can see, there are riot police making sure no one can get in or out. >> that was david chaiter reporting from kiev. >> joining us from i understand is anton. he is a researcher at the school of east european studies at university college in london. first off, what is at stake now. is ukraine better off walking away entirely from the e.u.? >> no. the situation is quite dire. it is extremely serious. what is at stake is the ukraine is now on the verge of becoming a dictatorship and on the verge of a civil war between

pro-european citizens and the riot police and the policement >> you say it's on the verge of a dictatorship and a civil war. what did russia do to change ukraine's decision? >> russia exerted a lot of pressure on the ukrainian authorities. that was not the only reason why ukraine decided not to sign the agreement. another reason was that the ukraine was not interested in the european integration it was friday in money it could get from the e.u. to safe the economy. we can't blame everything on russia. it was not only the financial decision. also the ruling party is mostly pro-russian, mostly pro-customs

union. that was part of the betrayal, i would say. >> oeg, but russia is afraid of further n.a.t.o. expansion. what should ukraine be concerned about. >> well, as i said, now ukraine has to be worried about becoming a dictatorship like belarus or move further. if we don't like viktor yanukovych, he has strong backing in his count yip. >> viktor yanukovych, the current president, does not have that backing. the majority of citizens would prefer closer ties with e.u., rather that russia. >> you mentioned backing. do you agree with e.u. commissioned president who described the interference as contrary to all principles of

international law? >> i absolutely agree with this. and furthermore, in the "90s when ukraine decided not to have nuclear weapons, they had an agreement with the u.s., u.k. and russia. this agreement involved that point, but said that russia, u.k. and the u.s. would be guarantees, but there would be no economic pressure on ukraine. so the u.s. and the u.k. should now be quite strong and resolute. and show russia - that is it cannot insert influence. >> there is influence. around 80% of what the european union received from russia is transported through ukraine. how does pipeline politics affect what is going on?

>> the gas transport system in ukraine belongs to ukraine. the gas supplies - there's one lever, and that is russia - russia uses to exert influence on ukraine. the loans on the debt of ukraine to russia and its gas prom, that is another way to influence politics in ukraine. >> thank you, anton, joining us from london, researcher at the university college of london. thank you for being with us this mornin morning. >> thous aned of haitian are protesting what they ais american influence. they say the u.s. helped to bring martely to power.

many are angry over the rising cost of the living, government corruption and local and legislative elections. >> and mark morgan is here with more in sports. we begin on the hardwood. >> fans in new york city working college hoops to maddison square gardens. the championship game of the nit tip off. arizona squaring off against the blue devils. duke led by three at the break. aaron garden with a quiet night. an alley-oop slam. arizona improved to 7 and 0. >> now let's head to campus for college football. lsu hosting arkansas. the tigers with three losses.

a disappointing season. the hoggs were having none of that. less than a minute to go brendan allen find a wide open. with a little over a minute in the game. lsu down. anthony jennings - 49 yards for the score. lsu up for the score. arkansas river one last chance. brandon allen fumbles. the tigers all over it. >> turning to the mba, on thursday lebron james hosted team-mates for thanksgiving at his home. miami wrapped up a roadtrip and the heat of not being in a giving mood this season. gaid wade full-court pass with the emphatic reverse slam.

second quarter chris bosch looking for james. 42-32. james 10 of 17. leading the scores. fourth quarter. lebron for three. 90-83 is your final. core memo anthony and the nicks were trying to finish against the newing et ceterament the nicks struggling out of the gate coming in 3 and 11. foy was 17. nuggets up nine. the nix within one. final seconds, nix down. anthony down low against foy. let's take a look. foy up, nuggets win it. the nix dropped eight in a row. i'm mark morgan, that's a wrap for sports this hour.

>> and a bright spot in space news. astronomers loft sight of cometizon. but new images suggest that the space rock may have satisfied the trip after all. gk survived the trip. at the end of the first hour, here is what we are following. the affordable health care site is offline again. a terror torial dispute over air space between china and japan. the area over the east china and japan. >> an 84-year-old war vet detained in north korea apologises on tv. the korean government says he

killed people during the war. >> miami heat warm up. a closer look at lebron james. >> ilshow you what to expect travelling through the mountains, and i'll pinpoint where rain and snow could slow you do. >> i'm morgan radford, and richelle carey is back with you in 2.5 minutes. in the meantime you can follow us online at aljazeera.com.

us online at aljazeera.com us online at aljazeera.com

>> offline - healthcare.gov is taken down again as the obama administration works furiously to get it up and running. >> territorial dispute. china flexes its military muscle against the u.s. an 85-year-old american veteran being detained in north korea publicly apologises for war grahams. >> nelson mandela's sight for freedom in south africa comes to theatres this weekend.

>> welcome to al jazeera america. i'm richelle carey. today is the obama administration's self-imposed deadline to have the healthcare.gov website up and running for the majority of americans. that's the goal. the administration is preparing to announce form that it met the deadline. the goal is for the sight to handle 50,000 users at the same time. whether it can handle that capacity will not be clear until it's put to the test. >> the latest setback for the affordable care act involves small businesses, which were supposed to be able to use their own online marketplace to figure out the best health plans for their employees. it's a full-court press to make sure healthcare.gov for individuals is working. the president stood firm. >> i'm willing to fix problems that there are, but i will not

abandon people to make sure they have health insurance in this country. >> on a conference call with state and local officials health secretary kathleen sebelius played cheerleader. >> we are on track to have a different user experience by the end of this month. that was the commitment >> the goal is to handle 50,000 users on the site at one time. as many as 800,000 in a 24 hour period. >> we went online to see how healthcare.gov is working. it seems to be running more smoothly. the administration admits there could be log jams and are testing a new season that could put people in a cue. as the website improves the push is on to get young people to sign up. they are healthier and con offset the costs of older parents. kids have been urged

to enrol in obamacare. there are provocative adds. and on the other side some conservative groups are pushing young people to skip coverage. as of now the administration has not released numbers on how many young people signed up for coverage. the next two weeks are critical. anyone that wants health insurance will need to enrol. >> a spokesperson for the group that operates the site says it needs more walk. it will be online tomorrow. >> in the first month of open enrolment, services fell short of its goal. instead of 500,000 signing up 106,000 had coverage, most on

the state exchanges, not the federal site. the deadline for the initial payment - that's been pushed back from december 1st to the 23rd. the open enrolment deadline is the same. march 31st is the last day to register. >> president obama lays out a new security strategy for the united states. the president will release an updated security policy by next spring. they'll extend a proposal that the administration put forward in 2010. it focuses on ending the war in iraq and defeating al qaeda. the state department is warning u.s. airlines to comply with the new restrictions set by budget. china is demanding it be employed of any planes wanting to fly through the defense zone. it covers a set of islands claimed by china and its neighbours.

they have been flexing their military muscles. >> the skies over the senkakku islands or diaoyu island are busy. there are chinese fighter jets surveying american and japanese aircraft that are taking what they call routine patrols over the island, and i think the danger is there could be a confrontation or accident if the number of planes flying over the region continue. japan and america say they are not backing down from chinese threats. japan will set up a permanent base for spy planes, and they have one already, and they will send in a second aircraft in the new year. while you could argue the chinese are being provocative,

the japanese and the americans are not going to back down. >> north korea accused an american war veteran of war crimes, releasing a video of him apologising for hostile acts during the korean war. >> this video claims to show 85-year-old merrill newman reading an apology. >> i can understand that in u.s. and western countries there is misleading information and propaganda about pprk. >> video and a statement cannot be verified on the newsagency, accusing num of: >> it alleges he was involved in the killings of service personal and civilians. >> and attacked the communication system, killing

three operators. >> the veteran and grandfather visited north korea as a tourist when he was detained. his family has not heard from him since. his son said his father wanted to return to the country where his father fought. all the other tourists flew home. >> they had checked out of the hotel, gone to the airport, boarded the plane. we understand were five minutes from taking off when a korean official came aboard, asked to see his passport and he's been there ever since. lee newman wants her husband of 56 years home safely and hopes he's getting medication for his heart condition. >> we hope whatever that misunderstanding is, it will be resolved quickly, and that he can return and be at our table for the holidays.

>> now it's not clear if that will happen. >> pyongyang has been known to coerce statements from detainees. at least six americans have been held in the country since 2009, despite strong warnings from the state department, tourism is picking up in north korea. >> antigovernment protesters in at the end of the day land. protesters want the government to step down. they aim to take control of state ministries, saying that sunday will be their victory day. a pro-government group is out in force, racing concerns about possible violence. police in ukraine crackdown on hundreds of protesters calling for ties. these are live pictures. 10,000 showed up. some with signs. they are calling on the

president to resign after suspending a deal with the e.u. the ukraine's president says he made the decision after facing pressure from russia. >> 34 are dead after a plane crashed in namibia. flict 470 never arrived at its destination. >> rescue workers searched for survivors? scotland after a helicopter crashed into a pub. the chopper smashed through the roof of this crowded bar in glasgow, killing one, insuring 32 people. more than 100 people were in the building listening to music. >> a few moments after the crash, people poured out of the pub. dust came up from nowhere. out the roof, out the door.

>> it was called a black day for sclnt. -- scotland. >> we'll see tranning wim weather conditions for those hitting the roads. watching a storm system that is tarting to take shape. for now we are watching parts of the midwest. not so much the rain and snow, but we are dealing with an ice jam it creating flooding concerns. in and around the area the water is rising. water levels have barely stable. so it looks like you'll want to monitor that if ut live in the area. we are expecting to see snow. notice as we go through the weekend, not as much as far as

accumulation. no additional precipitation. we'll see more rain-snow variety across the north-east as the next storm system takes shape. in the north-west you see the darker green-shaded areas. that is rain, snow that is impacting you. >> here is a look at the know portion of the storm. a bit of snow coming in to the east of the kcascades. know lowering 4-5,000 feet to valley lef ills. is number of advisories have been posed -- posted. >> large retailers are cashing in on sales. it's hoped saturday will be the day. one city neighbourhood

struggling to survive after hurricane katrina. >> this pet store was closed for 11 months after sandy. the manager happy to be serving customers again. >> he's beautiful. >> like paco, an owner/tailor st clair. >> i try to go to local restaurants and stores. that might be my personal preference, but i find there's better service and quality. >> many ventures are closed. the owner hopes to get this opened by christmas eve. >> it's been difficult. you'd think when something of this magnitude happens, two small business, and we are all small businesses, things would be expedited quicker. >> if the businesses could have opened sooner, there may not

have been customers. most of the customers were forced to leave. they started coming back recently. >> the small businesses formed an alliance, saying there's strength in numbers. some say if they've been part of a large corporation their businesses would have been open. >> do you think if you were a macies or blooming dales. >> it's a bump in the road. yes, it's been difficult. down the street it's tourists in this italian restaurant. that's not usually the case. >> for most people it's 75% of the people local, and 25% are tourists. to most people we have neighbours and local people. >> the best way to establish the restaurant is to rebuild the

community. >> walmart employees took advantage of a large holiday crowd to demand better wages. union workers chanted, held science. they want a large private retail trader to pay at least $45,000 a year. >> syrian refugees struggling to cope with the cold. how they are making it bear ail. >> in france, is racism on the rise. >> a documentary shedding light on narco music.

good morning. welcome back to al jazeera america. a national debate taking place in france about racism. first a look at the temperatures across the country.

>> it is definitely a chilly start to the day. cold temperatures all the way down to the golf coast. it is 39 degrees, we are at 30. this is 35 in atlanta. it's 12 now in albany. 26 in philadelphia. we are going to see numbers moderate. 10-15 below average. temperatures back on track by sun. we'll be into the upper 40s. dry skies, a knew clouds. chile temperatures - warmer numbers later today. houston making it to the mid and upper '60s. >> iran is facing a population crisis as the country ages and more young couples choose not to have children. we have this report.

>> this is a message from the iranian government to its citizens. have babies and lots of them. not the standard message in a country of 79 million. iran is on the verge of a crisisment the population is ageing. the birth rate has dropped. >> they say there is no choice but to have children. >> we want to encourage our young children to marry as soon as possible, to have employment, a house, to help them have a stable economical position, and to help them have more children in one marriage. we think every marriage in here should have two children. >> the encourage is being ignored. divorce rates have risen, people are getting married later and

putting careers first. with a bad economy, convincing iranians to do otherwise is a challenge. >> as for having more children, we are from the working class. i am a welder and should live in a way where i manage expenses. today's children need a lot of expenses. >> if iran's population continues to decline, the government says it will threaten productivity and national security. it scrapped programs and increased money for new marriages. the government wants only the educated to have children. >> this is a group that are educated. they are finally better than the lower class. they can race better children. these new children will not be a burden on the family. >> that means no burden on the

states. many pushing the program agree rapid population growth is not the solution. it will make the problem worse. it should be a long-term solution. it was a baby boom in the 1980s, creating this problem. it doubled the population, caused environmental damage. it made conditions worse for poor families. for many politicians, the biggest challenge they face is not repeating the mistakes of the past. >> like many of its arab neighbours, iran has a population where more than half is under 25. >> the egyptian government plans to pardon 21 women.

the pardons will come before other appeals are exhausted. that could take months. >> protesters and friends will rally against racism on the rise. france has tough anti-speech clauses. >> it was a small provincial protest against same-sex marriage. the impact shocked a country. the target was the french justice minister, a black woman. children chant, "monningy eat your banana and wave a skin." their parents and the police stood by and watched. >> translation: the groups which are prominent during the protests against gay marriage law tried to occupy pt debate in a wave of debate. homophobic, sexist, race it.

>> in a survey in 2012, 7% of those asked admitted they were racist. 44% said they were not racist at all. in 2012 there was a 23% increase in racist incidents and threat reported in france. it's not wowed precedent. racism in frons is sirkular phenomenon. we are seeing security issues, immigration and human differences in a world worried by globalisation. in a survey. 65% of those asked said certain behaviours justify racist reactions. the far right has capitalized on people's fears about jobs, economy and security.

the far right rejects evidence that racism is rising. >> >> translation: i don't believe this. i think there's a media game. i think the only racism growing in france is anti-french racism. >> it's not difficult to find minorities that suffered discrimination. these algerian youths are regularly called dirty arabs. should the children be prosecuted. >> let's be serious. politicians and the media, they are to take responsibility - it's an important moment. the principal means that france is colour blind. government surveys is not allows to ask about a racial, religious

background. when it comes to oppose racism perhaps it's time for everyone to stand up and be counted. >> france - racial insults in public are punishable by 6 months and gaol and $40,000 dollars. >> the obama administration has decided to move its embassy in the vat con to the embassy. the embassy has its own entrance, it's secure. >> it's a music hard for some to here. songs that glorify drugs and violence. kate kilpatrick explains their popularity. [ singing ] >> machine-guns, blood, drugs - there are thousands of videos,

illustrating narco, traditional mexico music that glorifies drug lords. >> this is the most popular right now. >> even hor in new york's lated eeno neighbourhood. 2,000 miles from the mexican boarder. the genre responded. more than 100,000 people have been murdered there since 2008. as the murders become gruesome with bodies detap tated and dismendered. so does the entertain: narco culture is booming.

>> these kids see the drug war failing and see the king points running around and they are the new robin hood, the new stars. they alluded the system of u.s. and mexico. >> charles swarts is a war photographer, and he documented the explosion of violence in the border city where 3600 were killed in 2010 alone, making it the murd ir capital of the world at the time. he's turning an eye on narco culture. >> i don't ems brace it. i think the cartel is the cancer of mexico and the u.s. if we want to change what the kids think, we have to change reality. the music is banned in mexico, it's more popular. >> popularity that stretches to the u.s. >> it's popular. then this.

this is very popular, mexican. something you wanted to dance right away. >> in spite of the ban on playing this music on radio station, youtube racks up as many as $20 a bees. as long as the drug war continues, the music will keep up with the brutality. these go back to the 1930s, glorifying murder and torture >> a video game is all the rage to cuba, called "final feat." game developers say it's a way of educating younger people about cuba's history.

>> the movement in senna gal is being threatened as american phones dry up. >> i'm mark morgan. sfu rival lis will be as immense and bitter as the game today.

>> welcome back, i'm richelle carey, these are the top stories. the obama administration is expected to announce on sunday it met its deadline to improve healthcare.gov. goals for the site handle 50,000 users. it was shut late friday for overnight repairs. a spokesperson says the website needs more work. a warning from the state department. carriers need to comply with restrictions set by beijing.

china is asking all to identify themselves. >> an 85-year-old american war veteran is being held by the koreans. they apologised for hostile acts during the conflict. >> the u.n. says there are more than 2 million syrian refugees displaced by syria's conflict. the refugees face of challenge of staying warm. >> approximately 50,000 ref these are living in tents. that means no heat. imran khan is live from a refugee camp. it sounds like it gets worse for the refugees by the day. >> that's absolutely right. winter is coming. the process - what the u.n. calls winterisation.

it's worth showing you that this is one of the camps here in the region, 14,000 people living under canvas. it's stretching out all the ways up in the hills. you'll see the unhcr logo. they are plastic shootings for the tent. the reason for that is this place gets heavy rain. that is a uj problems. drainage is an issue of the these are the miserable conditions that people have to life in. with heavy rains, people are scared. i spent friday in the camp speaking to people. this is what they told me. it's early morning the the women prepare food. they've been cooking outdoors. it will have to end. winter has come and with it plun

ging temperatures. they wonder what they'll do when it's too cold to cook outside. >> i make a special effort to took every friday, a treat to forget where we are. with the rains we won't be able to do this for longer. this small treat will be taken away from us. preparations to get the camp ready are underway. drainage systems are being put in place. things are on track, there's a long way to go. >> there will be challenges. wr ready to support them for the winter. >> there's a huge kirches for a tamp being ready for winter. despite harsh conditions children find a way to smile and have fun. they are taking advantage of the

mild weather before the winter comes. it almost doesn't matter how really prepared the camp is for winter. the one thing the chin and residents want is the one thing the aid agencies can't give them, a safe passage back to a peaceful syria. the return is a distant dream. there are more pressing things to worry about. >> translation: 10 days ago it rained. the tent was flooded. my children couldn't walk. winter is coming. >> with the u.n. agencies facing a crisis. this camp is typical of ready. it's ready technically for the winter, it's significant comfort for those that have to live through it. what happens next is up to god. >> u.n. agencies of strapped for

cash. what are they trying to do to fill the gap. >> the local government, the kurdistan government has stepped up to the plate. they provided land and millions of dollars to be able to make the camp ready for winter. there's a long way to go. it's a better camp. there are bigger camps than this. there's one that has a long way to go. that camp has been open for a year and a half already. there's a long way to go, a lot of money needed. the kurdistan government say that they need to work with the aid agencies, and they need to help them. the u.n. is facing a massive funding crisis. thank you so much. meanwhile in jordan better shelter is arriving.

>> for 18 months the refugees weathered scorching heat, sand storms and snow storms. the only shelter is a plastic tent. these new trailers couldn't arriving soon enough. >> in the winter the rain caused floods, tents collapsed on people. if a tent is connected to electricity when it rains it would catch fire. if a gas heater is blown inside a tent it catches fire. >> the people that have been here longest are the first to get a trailer. there's frustration when they are given out. there are strict rules to prevent those taking a trailer from preying on that fort yin. in the past they'd sell the trailers for hundreds of dollars.

now they have to sign contracts. >> this man says he's been in the camp for a year. the aid workers answers those getting trailer replacements now have been living in tents for a year and a half. each trailer costs $2,500. replacing tents cost $35 million. >> there are thousands waiting for a trailer. around 3,000 families live in tents like these. the hope is to replace the tents with trailers bip january, before the whether becomes unbearably told. refugees are getting blankets. winter clothing and shoes are given to the most vulnerable - children under the age of five. conditions in the camp are difficult. >> don't think that we are prepared for the crisis to last

so much longer. it took many donors not by surprise, let me go and look if i have more money available. >> these refugees have no idea when they'll return to the country. if the funding is not delivered they could suffer for more summers and winters. >> the haasarsy camp is home to 100,000 refugees. >> founding from the u.s. helped afghan countries in a fight against aids. those funds have been cut short. consequences could be disastrous. the second part of our eerz looking at h.i.v. and aides. this report from sin gal. >> this woman never wanted to become a sex worker. she had to feed her children. things got worse when she

developed aids. the stigma was unbearable. we changed her naum. >> my son is only three years old. he's enjoyment. i gave him aids when he was born. i'm worried what will happen which i die. he'll be seen as the son of a prostitute. >> this organization helps sex workers with aids access life-saving drugs. nearly 20% of sex workers are h.i.v. positive. the medication rer dueses the chance of passing on violence. less than 1% are h.i.v. point of view. s that's partly credited to a campaign. treatment and prove engs. the local graffiti artists chime

in. these games have been possible across the continent with billions of support from the u.s. president bush significantly increased spending on aids prevention and medicines for africa. under president obama the funds reduced. paul runs an aids clinic depending on foreign for, but they need more. >> we need more services from obama, and ask him to help us. we need help. everyone needs to be treated, has to be treated. >> the u.s. says it's now spending more efficiently so more people in africa are on the medication. there are millions who aren't. for women like this woman - the risk is enormous. the fight against i think is not

over yet. >> the world health organization estimates that preventative treatment could save 3 million lives. >> demonstrators protested in front of port awe prince. demanding the resignation of marteli. police shut roads around the embassy after reports of violence. haiti's neighbour sent hundreds back across the boarder following a spate of violence. >> we are in a remote part of swern democratic republic of congo, and we spent time speaking to the local people and the policeman on duty. last friday night two haitian men broke into a home behinds the hills there, which we can't

get to. it's the home of an elderly couple. they broke into the home. the couple were stabbed to death. the haitian men left with money and fled. the community here, the dom cans in retaliation and anger killed two haitian men. word of those attacks spread quickly. hatians living and working here fled to the mountains, some came to the local police. on thursday dominican police came in trucks and took away 300 hatians. they deported them back to haiti. the two countries have a long history of animosity. in september a dominican court ruled anyone born in this country to foreign miling rants may not qualify for citizenship. anyone morn here and given

dominican citizenship may be sent home. 200,000 could be affected by the ruling. the tiny vil ig was a flash point for the hostility. the dominicans want all hatians to leave and go back to their country. the local policeman hasn't seen relationships between the two this bad in a long time. >> mark morgan is here with sport. this is a huge saturday in college football. >> you are jacked off. >> i'm excited. >> you covered everything. nice. there's much at stake this afternoon in the annual iron bowl between alabama and auburn. the hostilities will be amped up. we are joined live from auburn.

>> you talk about fears rivalries in sport. we think about the red sox and yankees. nothing compares between the iron ball. this dates back to 1893. it's hike the hatfield and mccoys, dividing families, ending marriage. not since 1971 has this game been important. both teams ranked in the top five with a chance to compete for the b.c. s national championship. the last four winners won the champion shop, adding significance to the match in auburn. >> from the start of the even. alabama has been the creme de la creme. chasing its first national title. fast-forward-the crimson tides, 11 and 0. auburn the only team remaining

on the schedule. the iron ball never determined the winner. that is what is at stage. >> when you add a fact that the winner goes to the s appointment p championship. it makes it bigger. >> i don't think it's a big game. it's another saturday. when you are undefeated. others are trying to take what you've worked for. if you lose the game the goal of reaching the championships may be over. >> this is the irish bowl. we tell players to focus on their right stuff. >> the two teams combined to win the last four championships. a cimp son tide win over auburn will ensure alabama's shot at another title. >> a win for the tigers could

pet them in the mix for the shot at the time. >> we have worked hard to create an opportunity. the focus needs to be on playing your best football, which goes back to preparing the best, playing with the best immediatals, having discipline, doing your job the best you can. against a very good team. >> they've been doing good jobs. it'll be about... >> regardless of your record. it's a winning season. >> there's no downplaying the importance of the 78th edition of the iron bowl. now players and coaches try to downplay the match up all they want. there's revenge on the mind of players. that was the second biggest marnalin of victory in the history of the iron bowl. >> i see you rocking the gloves. i understand it's going to be

chilly. what's the weather update? >> now it's cooler than they had predibilityd. local time here about 7:30. game is scheduled for 2 o'clock. it is 34 degrees. it's supposed to be around the mid 50s in auburn. if the temperatures don't rise, it's harder to carry the football. it may be serious if the temperatures don't get to the mid 50s. >> auburn has the second-ranged returning offence. how much important will it be for the alabama defense to slow the tigers down on the run? >> based on what you heart from the coaches, the running game will be the most significant. not only do auburn have the best defense in the fcc giving up 160

yards total and nine points. they give up 91 rushing yards. that's a serious matter of will versus will. you'll see a good match up. trey mason, a best running match. they do not give up 100 yard rushes. the alabama defense. >> enjoy the game. >> all right. we mentioned rochelle was excited, here is why. it's rivalry saturday. in addition to the earlier match: >> i'm mark morgan, that's a wrap for sport. >> all right. a young triathlete who lost her

father to prostate cancer decided to act. seen here in the video. she's 14. she raised half a million racing for a cure and is the youngest person to have run marathons on every contain tent. i spoke to her about her father and how her grief fuels her drive to help others. >> my dad - he was not an athlete growing up, he was a musician since he was 5 years old. he grew up playing in poker bands. music was his life. he started to do running after he saw what my mum and brothers and i were doing. >> he sounds like a fun, fun guy to have been around. so you are 14 now. you have accomplished so much. more than people twice your anal, three times your age. how did you do this? >> it's definitely a task.

i had to sacrifice a lot. i haven't gone to public school and competed in cross country and things like that. it's worth it. having helped to raise close to $500 thou. >> it's a lot of pressure on someone do young. do you feel the pressure? >> i didn't in the beginning. now that i'm out there more, i definitely feel more pressure. especially in these races. i put more pressure on myself as well, knowing that i have to do well - that's what i figure - in order to get prostate cancer out there. >> are is there time you want to quit and do regular school and things children your anal do. >> i wish my dad was here and i could be a normal kid. at the same time now i can do

online schooling and out in you training for the winter olympics i have other opportunities. >> what are your life-long goals? >> i think one of my biggest goals is to make the 2018 winter olympics for aerial skiing. education is up there. i hope to go to stamford university and study business. >> you threw out an amazing number, $500,000. you have raised so much. do you have a monetary goal, a commonly goal that's out there? >> i don't have a goal as far as how much money team winter will make, there's to set gel. i'll raise more money until we get prostate cancer out there and get as many blue ribbons as

pink ribbons. >> that's a fantastic goal. best about of luck on all goals. it's a pleasure to meet you and get your message out there. great talking to you. >> it's she great, "long walk to freedom", the movie the nelson mandela's actioning against aparthe apartheid.

>> welcome back to al jazeera america. nelson mandela is receiving intensive medical care in his home in south africa. the 95-year-old nobel peace winner is at home. he clings to life and a new movie looks back at his fight against apartheid. we have the reaction to the movie in south africa. >> the school girls in south africa were born after apartheid ended. they watched "long walk to

freedom' based on nelson mandela's life. >> there's a lot of fighting scenes and violence. it's happening today. there's too much conflict and horrible things going on. >> i don't think there'll ever be world piece around the world. it's too much wars and civil wars and fighting and vounls. >> was it depressing in a way, the movie. it was sad. the eens from the fighting is emotional. you mind yourself crying. >> we are not breaking any laws. >> the movie is an emotional and violent journey through the struggle to end white minority rule. >> producers say making the movie was a long and intense

journey. for others nelson mandela's story is an eye opening experience. >> it showed what it was like for people who weren't white in south africa. it was accurately for trade in how much nelson lost so etch could be free. for some, it's simply inspirati inspirational. >> it's very difficult to understand that someone who had the pain, the best thing he could do is forgive and tell other people. >> nelson mandela is a huge part of so mean people's lives. the former president is 95 years old and ill. >> those that live through apard hide will never forget his achievements and they hope courage and tolerance can bring a peaceful end to bitter

divisions. >> nelson mandela has been hailed a revolutionary. he delivered a campaign. nelson mandela was awarded the noble peace price in 1993. he served as the president of south africa from 1994 to 1999. >> the first family set to decorate the white house christmas tree. it was loaded on board a wagon. first lady michelle obama and over doubters went out. it'll go on display in the white house house. >> another update after the break. do keep it here. >> only on al jazeera america. >> evey weeknight on al jazeera america

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