ings. >> is this is being being al jazeera. this is al jazeera ir. >> welcome to the news hour, i'm darren jordan from al jazeera's center in doha. these are the top stories. a huge appeal for aid. $6.5 billion are needed to help it will children in the conflict in syria. >> the u.n. says it's launching an inquiry of atrocity in the.central african republic.

>> honoring the did, france holds a service for the number of people killed in the central african republic. and a spectacular show from italy's mount etna. concerns it's happening too frequently. >> welcome to al jazeera. the united nations has launched its largest ever appeal for aid. it wants to raise $6.5 billion to help syrians. the u.n. says that number may rise to 4.1 million who have emigrated. the price of bread has gone up you 500% sings the coul conflict began. and the food that can be bought

is scarce. 80% of people say they're worried about food running out and access to fresh water is also a developing problem. james bays is reporting. the u.n. hasn't been that successful in the past of getting aid money for syria. will this appeal be any different do you think? >> i think it is going to be difficult given the numbers involved. but it's worth remembering how bad the situation is. we have been talking for months and months and months about the humanitarian crisis in syria, taking stock of where we are, one year ago there were half a million refugees. now 2013 gone up over four times to 2.3 million refugees, some of them trapped in places which are

besieged. they are 9 million people. this shows you the scale of the problem. something talked about a few hours ago when secretary general ban ki-moon talked to the u.n. is. >> the people of syria cannot afford another year, another month, even another day of brutality and destruction. i just is briefed if security council on the mission being led by professor helstrom. we should be deeply concerned about his findings that chemical weapons were used not only in the august attack in area of damascus but on several other occasions, including against since civilians.

>> the all importancen geneva 2. talk us through those. >> the first one of those the 15th of january we now know is when the international community are invited to kuwait. they're invited with their checkbooks and i think the u.n. wants people to pledge a very large amount of money to get to this number of $6.5 billion, we said darren the figure for 2013 was $4.4 billion, and they only got about 60% of that and it's going to be a difficult task. then the harder efforts to solve the underlying problems. no one thinks there's going to be pooh suffering and misery of syria you have to stop the violence. that means some political deal. that's montreur, taking place in another swiss resort and that will be the very difficult task

of trying to get all the parties around the table. >> james bay, thank you. used his year end address to talk about the central african republic. he described 2013 as the year car descended into chaos and he has called for a commission of inquiry to investigate the atrocities. >> 4.6 million is affected half of whom are children. more than 600,000 people are displaced and nearly 70,000 have fled the country. >> meanwhile rebels in central african republic are using child recruits. many are now in makeshift camps in the capital, bangui. the being town of bossanangoa is

another place where children are fighting and people are fleeing. as andrew simmons reports. >> we have a situation going on nearby where a number of houses have been burned. antibalaca fighters we understand active in the area now attacking muslim homes. we've seen the smoke. we've had a report from an dgesl jazeera spokesman reports of death, we can't confirm that now but there seems to be a situation going on, with warning there is retribution from some of the muslims. that is unclear. what we have here is effectively a microcosm of the crisis afflicting the poverty-strin country. i'm standing in a camp contains muslims, after the most atrocious attacks, antibalaka

means antimachete. they have beening attacked by the seleca, nearby out of shot here, we have a central african peace force, the army a short distance away. it appears none of them have deployed in response to what's going on down the road. to give you an indicators of what the mood is like, we happened to meet militia from the village and that's what their leader has to say. >> seleka are people like us. if they had come to live with us in harmony everything would be all right. they turned their guns towards us and we died in large numbers. >> you have children with you as well? >> all the children we have are ready to fight. >> is it right that children of this age are fighting? >> we are overwhelmed.

when things are tuft we have to shoot back and cause fear, to save ourselves. >> meanwhile, the first cacialtiocasualties were broughn monday. marion over to you. >> yeah, that's right darren. french president francois hollande paid tribute. simon mcgregor woods hassing details. >> the presence of president francois hollande. the decision to send french troops was his. >> translator: antoine lequino and nicholas lecaller, they died for france. they did a noble mission which was to save people in the

central african republic. >> but what of french public support for this latest military intervention? one poll shows a drop from 51% in favor down to 44% in just a week. the two soldiers apts deaths, the emerging humanitarian cries he, the brutal killings, the sheer scale of the problem is causing people here to have second thoughts. >> translator: there should be a concerted action by the u.n. there are no solutions, being the picture on the plane kissing this person, that person, doesn't make any sense. >> translator: compared to mali we have much less grasp of the issue. we understand the presence of french troops but apart from that it's difficult to give an opinion. >> this is the second major frerchl mill tril exposition this year. ing it might be different. for most french people the

central african republic is much further away, its problems much more complicated and the chances of success however that might be measured far more difficult to achieve. >> francois hollande took a risk and he made a bet. it can be a bik success. it can also a catastrophe because we have to remember that france intervened many, many times in this area of central africa without they result. >> france used to intervene, they said, to appropriate prop up corrupt regimes. the french government is already askingi partners for help. may cause serious political problems for francois hollande.

simon meg gresimon mcgregor wool jazeera. >> ing fell short of a majority. they spent the past three months negotiating the coalition deal with their arch rival, the spd. hundreds of workers at amazon's german operation have launched a 24 hour strike against the be online retailer. targeting three of the company's distribution centers during the crucial christmas period. the union staff says the workers receive lower than others. also protest in amazon's headquarters in seattle. >> and swedish police have made dozens of arrests after a neo-nazi group attacked a

demonstration in stockholm. group held bottles and rockets at the protestors. i'll be back from europe a bit later this hour. now let's get back to darren. >> thank you. thousands of people fleeing their homes after 13,000 people have sought refuge at the u.n. peace keepers in jubal in south sudan. those the being senior u.n. coordinator says the being situation is relatively calm. pet sacked his entire cabinet in july. >> south sudan's president says he defeated an attempted coup. >> at 3:00 a migrate was

scheduled for the national liberation council. those present were planning to carry out a coup, they actually attempted it but the coup was foiled. we will slice them out of their hiding. >> a number of people were killed and several have been arrested. among those detained his former vicvice president. blaming that on soldiering loyal to the vice president. this was official presented as a reshuffle but it came after musshar challenged his leadership. >> we now have one man's rule. so what is it at issue? >> dressed in his military uniform the president seemed operator prepared -- prepared for the battle. >> we are the front line means

we didn't abandon that war. these people are criminals and this is a criminal act. >> south sudan became an independent country two years ago when it split from sudan. al jazeera. >> people are celebrating in bangladesh. bits independence day. the bitter war of 40 years ago is still causing voyages. a tribute to nelson mandela is being unveiled on the national day of being is consolidation. coming up in support.

>> people across india are marking the first anniversary of a gang rape and killing of a 23-year-old woman in new delhi. changes to the law to better protect women. but rights groups say much more needs to be done. liliby duff reports. >> their daughter was raiched and beaten -- raped and beaten. the woman died of her injuries two weeks later. one of the accused committed suicide and the other five have been found guilty of her rape and murder. but time has done little to ease this family's pain. >> translator: a new law was made in this country, a lot has changed. but if there's one thing that hasn't changed it's our society. it's very important to change that. this change will happen only from within, and nowhere else.

>> reporter: the huge protest that blocked the streets of the indian capital last year has been replaced by vigils and community gatherings. hundreds of people attended events to remember a woman who has come to symbolize a national campaign against sexual violence. >> we have endured, we have not talked about it and i think women especially just came out and broke their silences and lifted the veil on the being issue that is sexual l ro violence. >> i don't think any of us want a case like that to happen. but the judicial system needs to do something. >> reporter: across india, people use the incident to being

force action. deliver on promise he made in the aftermath of the attack. in particular, the creation of a multimillion dollar fund to help victims. this fund is has created the infrastructure for victims of sexual assault. it has not happened. that means there is an insensitivity, irresponsible behavior and also, that there is -- nobody's caring. >> one year ago actual swal voyages was an issue that few people in india openly discussed. but opened the discussion of treatment of women and prompted people to deal with a traditionally uncomfortable topic. but the challenge that india faces goes well beyond talk. and this is an important anniversary to ensure the safety of all women. libby duff, al jazeera, new

delhi. >> being more than 100 people have been injured, the most seriousers attack took place in the northern city of baiji. it is victory day in bangladesh to mark the end of the 1971 war of independence from pakistan. bltion execution of a political party leader. maha satar reports from the bangladeshi capital of dacca. this year is a little bit different. tens of thousands of volunteers streaming into this national ferry ground. these squares show where they should be standing in order to form a guinness book of world record to show the world's biggest human flag. victory day marks the end of

bangladesh's being independence from pakistan. the largest human flag is held by pakistan. >> we didn't experience the liberation war ourselves but by participating we feel like we are doing our part. when we make a world record it's going to be a great patriotic moment. >> the issue of patriotism has been the center of most of the political violence this year as the country grapples with the war crimes try. the mood is festive, very different from the feeling in bangladesh of late. five opposition activists were killed in clashes with security forces. 33 people have died in political violence since the senior opposition leader was handing five days ago. 32 years later, the war still resonates. >> it feels like we've achieved

independence again, we've defeated the pakistanis again. by breaking the guinness world record. >> it's been a bleak war in bangladesh. with the people at the parade ground are putting their worries aside at least for today. al jazeera, takla. >> in egypt police have fired tear gas to students marching. outside university campuses in cairo. mass arrests of activists. since the coup in july egypt's military backed government has arrested dozens of people for demonstrating against its. dozens of children have been detained and now a student has been detained because of a plastic ruler he took to school.

his father has been arrested. >> a small detail can say a lot about the bigger picture. like these plastic rulers, in fact. they have slogans calling the overthrow of president morsi a coup. the school, looked in khalid's bag and he found a timetable and other things with the raba symbol. >> now instead of attending this secondary school, khalid is jailed. he had already taken part in demonstrations. when he turned up here he would never imagine a simple ruler would get him in such trouble.

the four fingers, pertaining to raba ladawia. spriding inaccurate information to students. the area where hala lives is in protest against the interim government. that is real reason he's being detained. >> translator: they want to break our will. they arrested 19 people including khalid. they arrested others alike, protesting the coup. >> reporter: in the current situation, only god knows when he will be out. if they rched the law there is nothing they can charge him with. we are living in a country that doesn't uphold the law. >> reporter: so now khalid's family say they don't expect him to get a fair trial.

>> a comoins foreign minister, 16 people died including two officers during the clash in the northwestern region of shinn jang, the government is repressing their religious freedoms. officers were making arrests when the mob attacked them with knives and explosives. >> u.s. secretary of state john kerry has held talks in vietnam. be washington has offered $32 man$32.five million in aid. jamilla is in the philippines. >> two countries being long standing political allies in southeast asia. that's why the u.s. secretary of state, john kerry, is visiting manila. he wants to increase the u.s. military presence in the philippines. this is all part of the u.s.

government's position to pay more attention to the asia pacific region. to counter china's growing influences there. >> now china comes in, flexes it muscle. an destabilizes the situation. of course us, we're, in turn we need to react, by ensuring that we'll be able to deter any of wherever, whatever country, whether it's china or any other country, that threatens the sovereignty of our country. and what better ally, that can come to our aid, than the united states? >> manila is in a tense territorial dispute with beijing over the south china sea. and president aquin offer has been criticized for failing to balance relationships between washington and beijing. still, the philippine government

is hoping to boost military agencies and turning to being united states for help. but many are worried that an increased u.s. presence will mean that the philippines become a bigger target. >> that is the backlash having the u.s. around. because the u.s. superpower has many enemies and presence in the philippines you also attract the enemies of the united states. >> but the deployment of almost 10,000 of its troops to pr philippines has boosted washington's standing as a source of crucial assistance. to some that suggested that if any agreement arising from kerry's visit could include more aid. the united states releasing more aid, temporarily silence critics, what this disaster has also highlighted is the philippine government's continued dependence on the united states in resolving its

own problems. jamilla alendogan al jazeera. >> out of this world. these are the first images beamed back from china's first moon rover, the jade rabbit is due to spend the next three months sempin -- searching for minerals. >> the moon exploration project will turn to the next page. collecting samples. its manufacture will be completed by 2017. >> lots more to come on the news hour. two years after taking the helm, kim jong-un is apparently amassing more power than his father. in the world record that has australia on the verge of

reclaiming cricket's passions. more. while you were asleep news was happening. >> here are the stories we're following. >> find out what happened and what to expect. >> international outrage. >> a day of political posturing. >> every morning from 5 to 9 am al jazeera america brings you more us and global news than any other american news channel. >> tell us exactly what is behind this story. >> from more sources around the world. >> the situation has intensified here at the border. >> start every morning, every day 5am to 9 eastern. >> with al jazeera america. night with the combatants in their training base.

>> from our headquarters in new york, here are the headlines this hour. >> al jazeera america is the only news channel that brings you live news at the top of

every hour. >> a deal in the senate may be at hand and just in the nick of time. >> thousands of new yorkers are marching in solidarity. >> we're following multiple developments on syria at this hour. >> every hour from reporters stationed around the world and across the country. >> only on al jazeera america. >> start with one issue education... gun control... the gap between rich and poor... job creation... climate change... tax policy... the economy... iran... healthcare... ad guests on all sides of the debate. >> this is a right we should all have... >> it's just the way it is... >> there's something seriously wrong... >> there's been acrimony... >> the conservative ideal... >> it's an urgent need... and a host willing to ask the tough questions >> how do you explain it to yourself? and you'll get... the inside story ray suarez hosts inside story weekdays at 5 eastern only on al jazeera america

are. >> welcome back. a quick reminder of the top of stories on al jazeera. the united nations has raised its biggest ever aid appeal. wands to raise $6.billion -- wants to raise $6.5 billion for syria. we're planning to carry out a coup. >> the president of south sudan says renegade soldiers have failed in an attempt to overthrow him. tensions have been high since july. urg returning to our top story on that huge aid appeal for syria. anthony gutierrez, the high commissioner for aid. says the countries have not done

enough. >> the problem is that the needs are so massive, the situation is so dramatic that until now, everything that was possible was not enough. and there is why we are making -- that is why we are making now this dramatic appeal and that is why we hope that the international community will be able to understand that this is not just another crisis. this is the mega-crisis of the century and it requires exceptional measures and exemptional support. and -- exceptional support. these people inside these countries have massive needs. countries like lebanon, jordan and turkey are having dramatic impact on their countries, societies, economyless, countries are overwhelmed by the presence of syrian refugees, massive security is needed for

the refugees to care for their basic needs but also for those local communities that are striving with enormous difficulties, their education systems overwhelmed, their health systems not working effectively anymore, infrastructure being not enough, water supply being not enough. countries that are indeed extremely generous, providing solidarity to the syrian refugees but need the same solidarity from the international community and until this time the solidarity has not been enough. the government reshuffling adding to the trouble offing ukrainian president viktor yanukovych. >> a critical meeting with his russian counterpart vladimir putin. try defuse a crisis.

since late november, following yanukovych's decision to move closer to moscow. ukraine meeting of foreign ministers in bri brussels. ing being russian minister being silicois you many sergey lavrov. gls he accused the ukrainian government of preanniversary cases, and essentially said the eu was turning its back. on monday that message has been slightly adjusted not by stefan

fuller himself, we have, dutch and swedish foreign minister who are roughly saying the same thing which is actually let's not be too hasty. if ukraine changes its tactics and comes to the eu with a much more open and available attitude, then it all might tell be open. this is the most useful thing in this situation. there seems toob schis to be a w to handle the situation. >> president yanukovych is set to meet with president putin. >> this is one of the last times they met in public celebrating navy day in june. but much rests in the meeting between putin and the ukraine leader.

president yanukovych apparently dichtion a deal w eu, the question now will putin ride to the rescue and at what cost to his neighbor? all this will be played out in moscow on tuesday as tens of thousands of pro-european protestors remain on the streets of kiev. the fears of these people that yanukovych will be forced to sign up to access to cheap guess and favorable debt repayment he needs to survive. only three members, russia, kazakhstan and bel belorus. , l rival thei in scope and power. the customs union is opposed by the u.s., it's seen to establish another usssr against the united

states. apocalyptic view, if russia does not respond quickly he says the west will gain control over the entire ukrainian market. their wealth will be plundered and tanks will stand at moscow's doorstep. scary tactics. the ukraine declared its independence from the old soviet union in 1991 but to many russians, it's as though it never happened. ukraine remains a much loved part of mother russia and it's this sense of shared thaift makes many did-- history that makes an acts of we trail. >> i want ukraine to cooperate with russia. i want our countries to be united. i don't want a european union.

>> they will be under owe repetition, they will be told what to do. ukrainians are not strangers to us. our hearts bleed for them. >> but an eu wedding with the nervous and unprey dictable viktor yanukovych would not be possible without vladimir putin. but at brussels this may be one guest too many at this particular union. al jazeera moscow. >> amnesty bill could see some political prisoners freed. the arrests took place during a demonstration in moscow just a day before the bill is to be heard in parliament. if passed it could mean some band members be released from prison. avoid jail under the.proposed legislation. >> there is concerns over

increased volcanic activity by mounts etna. claudia lavanga sent this update from mount etna. >> a spectacular fireworks display by the highest and biggest active volcano in europe. the red ho hot lava, equally dangerous was the inevitable ash cloud causing flight cancellations across the region. locals from nearby towns are used to the eruptions. but they say they are worried about the increasing frequency. >> translator: the windows in the house he were shaking. the -- hus -- houses were shake. it makes you feel about it. >> it's almost like the buildup of a very powerful eruption.

the tremors are happening every day and you can feel the tremors in this city which is rare. >> an alpine guy who knows the mountain well, agrees. >> makes me feel a big eruption might be on its way. this is the highest accessible points on mount etna. on monday, thick clouds infield the volcano. but there was no need to see to it know that the eruption was ongoing. the thundering could be heard in the distance and volcanic aish kept falling to the ground. some brave the weather and the lava to get a look at the created ir. it's too dangerous to go beyond this point during eruptions.

the nearby airport of catana was shut down, disrupting commerce to and from italy. by the sound of it, it may not be the last one. claude claudio lavanga, al jazeera. italy. >> pack to darren. >> the u.s. has sent two is beings guatemalan refugees back. closed the facility in cuba. 160 detainees still being held, many without charge. now tuesday marks the second anniversary of the death ever north korea's former leader, kim jong-il.

his son kim jong-un is taking on are leadership, execution of his powerful urchpowerful uncle. harry forcette reports. dispachg for the first time a north korean flight into space. unprecedented public shaij and d execution of the are president's uncle. >> if you look at the is clearly expressed. is glk suddenly kim jong-un has projected showmanship, promoting any part of leisure facilities.

in a country where almost no one skis. when kim jong-il was late to rest two years ago, that his son would have the experience to lead men decades older than himself. kim jong-un got rid of nearly half of the leergts, including five of the seven men who accompanied him alongside his father'father'sfather'father's . >> many we have to see. >> the south korean government has expressed its deep concern, saying instability could lead to provocations. this year's heightened tensions still fresh in the memory.

he has committed his country to twin goals, improving the economy and the nuclear opportunities. february's nuclear test was pearnlg successful. there is evidence of economic growth, but attracting investment has largely failed. balancing economic improvement with authoritarian rule was a trick that his grandfather pulled off but his father never could and could be a test of kim being jong-un still. >> all the sports in the english premier league, hunt for a new manager for curricula. stay with us.

>> welcome back now call it a permanent stop sign. after producing nearly 4 million of its mini buses, volkswagen is now putting the brakes on its iconic comepi. >> droif up and down south america in his volkswagen bus. the vehicle is a little beat up but full of personalities and quite reliable, he says. >> the only time i had to put the motor out was in quito,

ecuador. put in some parts. >> it's different. >> you don't buy a car. you enter a relationship. and i feel it. i feel this car. >> panto nrveg and other vw bus lovers gathered in sao paulo. , volkswagen is discontinuing production on the combi at the end of the year. this is the last place in the world the combi is made. 140 a day are produced here, they are assembling a final few. >> all new vehicles sold have to come equipped standard with air bags and eanlt lock -- and eafnt locantilocks breaks.

ing the people at voc waggen say it's better to just retire it. there was nonstop talk about their adventures with the vehicle. a map inside his combi traces everywhere its been. dozens of countries and four different continents. >> translator: when i'm trafg in it, it's where i eat, where i sleep, i stop the car and spend the night with it. >> spoanl like a true combi lover, now no more will be made. gabriel asando, being al jazeera. >> marchups have been decided for the round of 16 in the uefa league.

the biggesting will see manchester city take on barcelona. two of the best managers in the world, going head to head. madrid clashed with selca and manchester united. >> manchester city,. >> fc bar barcelona. >> it's the draw that neither side wanted. february 18, manchester city has averaged more than four goals a game at home this season. manchester united and arsenal among their victims. >> well, i think it's a beautiful game. very good teams. >> translator: we should wait and see how the teams are doing in february. how manci nfergi stands in thece

league. >> german side shelka. >> against i think they're more experienced in this competition and more history, more quality. i think that's a good draw for them. >> premier league leaders arsenal will have to overcome muniic, knocked them out of the tournament on their previous two meetings. it will be a homecoming, of some sort by drogba. as stanford bridge. >> i think for chelsea's point of view, i think didier yay many in that point of view, we could be welcomed back to stafford bridge. >> currently lead the groak grek

league by eight points. english premier league. >> come on, never easy to play manchester united. i think we are just a young team and we know that we need to respect manchester united in all at home we suppose that we can do something at home. >> all roads now leading to list bolisbon for the may 28 finals. >> e urveghtsropa league it's the ending of the road for their manager andre bo-as. he has been sacked from the english premier league club, being totnam had to struggle despite spending $160 million the new players in the transfer window.

>> yes, of course, when money is taken, especially important money as yuck money, doing very well in all the teams, english he didn't have time in both clubs. but i am absolutely sure he will continue his career. >> croatia's player, making pronazi chants, playoff game last month against iceland. he said the salute was discriminatory and offensive. siminich is banned from playing the stadiums where being croatia will play. san lorenzo held a two point

advantage, a game of few chances san lorenzo's keeper more than earned his position. a nil-nil draw, the other match finishing 2-2, san lorenzo, first loss. five wicts ar wickets, is at stand, they took a second innings league of 503 on day 4. shane watson, around world record 28 runs. which included three, 6s. they lost captain al stair c oompletkmen. knowledge. half centuries for bell and

stokes, helped them to 251 for five at the close but they still face an uphill climb to avoid defeat on the final day. >> it's a special moment at this point in time and everyone answer career in the awfnl austn team. we will have to fight our best, turning up tomorrow morning to be able to get the results we deserve. we have certainly had the running in every game, we have made the running every tump match so far. >> hugelhugely spotty. there'hugely disappointed.hats k they have been favc, they have caught better than us and thrown better than us, that's what cricked is about.

we haven't been able to get it out. >> again the denver nuggets beat the nornlz pelicans. block at -- new orleans pelicans. it was j.j. mickson who tal 80ed listen points and 11 rebounds. chris ristige, made it an end to end piece. >> patrick sharp put the final nail in it is casting,ingness sharn is continues to impress as he looks for a spot on the canadian team. being. the southeast asian gaims, one of the most plan sports is the regional tournament and was

an important win for the thais as they meat indonesia. they continue their domination on the track. both men and women is took leaders in international rallies. 59 goals and 153 in total. they're ahead of vietnam and host myanmar. is. well, there's much more sport on our website. the champions league draws power top story there, there's also details there on how to get in touch with our team using twitter and facebook. that's all in sports for now, darren back to you. >> thank you? now it's an international holiday to celebrate the day of reconciliation. beings a statue mass been revealed offing nelson mandela. 24 hours after his state

funeral. from pretoria, reporting. >> a statutes of the new and old. the flags on the union buildings no longer at half-mass, this an opportunity for the country to pose. ooms nation without nelson mandatmandela. >> we have to respect his legacy and see what we do, to make sure it is not forsaken. >> the statute be looks out over the valley, the state, blacks were feared and key spied. -- d. mandela changed the attitude of

many. adamant that the drive to eradicate the last vestiges of racism will continue. >> we're an incredible democracy. our legacy must be mr. be mandela's legacy. >> one man can't speak: in too few have too much and too many have virtually nothing. >> cacannons fired, but this day of reconciliation much to be done before the mandela legacy is assured. mike hannah,pre yah, al jazeera. >> thank you for watchingings al

jazeera.

>> welcoming to being al jazeera america. i'm del walters. these are the stories we're following for you. senate on the hill taking up presidential nominations on a budget deal and some americans about to be cut off. unemployment benefits running outs in days. i. we begin with breaking news coming from massachusetts. police there investigating a security scare at one of the nation's most p