>> welcome to the news hour. from al jazeera's news center in london. here are the main stories. a colonel in the south sudanese army tells al jazeera that a battle for a held city is emanant. and report from syria's second city after a week of brutal bombardment. >> reporter: from london with all the news in europe. finally free. russia releases two members of the punk band pussy riot.

>> and the bard behind bars. mexican prisoners perform shakespeare as part of a new rehabilitation program. welcome to the program. the conflict in south sudan appears to be escalating. a military spokesman has told al jazeera that government troops are about to step up their assault on rebels. the troops are just hours away from launching a strike from taking back rebel-held territory of bor. they took control of the area several days ago. more than 15,000 people are seeking safety in an oh compound in bor after violence from different ethnic groups. and there are people who are seeking refuge in juba.

bring us up-to-date on the fighting. it's now been taken by the rebels. >> well, government officials have said that the capitol have been taken by the rebels. and the rebels have taken control of a town near the border. there is concern because we're hearing fighting is still going on, civilians are running for cover, some running to the u.n. bases. some are trying to hide out in the bush. it's very terrifying at the moment. >> and they're on the move to retake the town of bor. what are we hearing about that government's operation? >> well, the army isn't saying much for security reasons. we don't know when exactly this operation is meant to start. but it's a concern.

we could see an h escalation in the violence. what is happening to get the two sides to meet and sit down and discuss people. people were hoping to convince president kiir and vice president machar to sit down. it's the ordinary civilians who are being affected. >> you mentioned the u.n. is struggling to contain the number of people caught up in the fighting. you spoke to the u.n. earlier. what more have they been saying about the humanitarian situation now? >> well, they have such a mammoth task. they're struggling t with all of juba. it's not just protection but it's food, shelter, people sleeping out in the open. the concern is the potential

strike by soldiers to take the town of bor from the rebels. there are still thousands of people crammed in that base. foreigners and locals as well. their concern is when the strike occurs what happens to the civilians. what if the fight reaches the u.n. base. the president spoke to parliament earlier today, and he released this statement. one thing he said in the statement, i will never take south sudan back to war. a lot of people are hoping these words are true. and that the country does not go back to civil war. >> just a final thought when talking to you earlier there are now fears of a much wider ethnic conflict. thanksgiving could help push the country in civil war. >> that is a problem. i think up to now a lot of people have been very careful about what they say, how they say it, any small thing could trigger something. what we're seeing now is a lot

of people admit that thi this is past trouble between two men. this is taking its toll on the people. in the camp we had sudanese officials with us from another tribe. when we walked in with them people got upset and said get these people out of here we will kill them and you will not be allowed back in the camp. this is building up and people are angry and frustrated. if this is not contained there is a fear that civilians could start turning on each other. >> hara, thank you. now 45 people have been reported to have been killed in another day of carnage in the city of aleppo. government forces have been dropping shrapnel for nine days. it is an effort to take areas

held by the rebels. >> reporter: for over a week now aleppo has come under heavy bombardment. not a single building still intact. a city in ruins. people devastated. and this is what it is left of what appears to be the syrian army weapon of choice. a base of a beryl filled with explosives dropped from the sky. and as am againsts and firefighters arrive to rescue those targeted a second barrel bomb was dropped killing more people. within minutes the locals frantically tried to hip the injured but it was not finished. one of the buildings hit in this indiscriminate bombings was an

apartment. many thought they were safe until what was left of the building collapsed. unimaginable suffering for people who believe their situation is being ignored by the world. >> aren't these muslims? aren't they your brothers? where are the muslim countries? [ yelling ] >> reporter: a short distant from destruction a clinic is turned into a mortgage. it seems that for now the only peace available to many syrians is in death. al jazeera. >> well, andrew tabler is a senior fellow joins us live by skype from washington, d.c. andrew, it's been another day of carnage in syria's second city. how significant is this on going government offensive, and why do you think assad's force forces e

concentrating all of their assets into aleppo. >> they're trying to take syri syria's largest de facto city. before the peace talks of gene geneva. that is the reason, i think, for the attacks. >> what are these weapons? why use them? they seem pretty indiscriminate. >> reporter: that's right. they are indiscriminate. they have been using them for some time, a year and a half, maybe longer. the reason for the recent resurgent of this is they are former minds of the soviet era packed with nails, razor blades, debris dropped on civilians by the regime. >> the u.n. recently condemned

the government offensive in aleppo yet assad's forces continue to hit the city indiscriminately with the defendant of so many civilians. is this another sign that the government doesn't really care about the civilian population. >> the assad regime continues to shoot its way out of this crisis and to bet the international community would do very little to stop it. his calculation was quite right in terms of the western world. the western world primarily deals with the effects of the crisis, but the rest of the region has supported the rebels. in the end i don't think this is going to end the war. it's not going to make peace any easier, and it's not going to make those who are supporting the rebels to give up in the region any time soon. >> just a final thought on peace and all eyes are on switzerland

in month, is there any hope that it will end this bloody war? >> talking about humanitarian access, preliminary cease-fires here, there, and anywhere, but i don't think there is a deal in the making unless there is one that we don't know about. >> andrew tablier, thank you. >> sure. >> a gunman has attacked a tv station in iraq killing a presenter and program director. security forces stormed the station and killed all four attackers. we have more from iraq. >> reporter: we have four gunmen who burst into the tv station. they went in shooting, and we're unclear whether they executed the presenter and program

director or if those casualties, they came in and cordoned off the area and what was believed to be a hostage stand off didn't occur. they were able to liberate all the hostages and killed the four gunmen. >> french soldiers are facing fierce resistence. rebels say they're being targeted more than any armed group. thousands have been forced to leave their homes to escape the fighting. andrew simmons joins us live from the capitol of bangui. there is a struggle in maintaining order, are we any clearer as to what actually happened on monday? >> reporter: on monday morning

it was the peacekeeping force that was involved in a riot situation. what happens was this. a civilian brought out a handgun and open fired at christian protesters. then he was lynched. he died from his injuries. then the peace keepers arrived and open fired into the air, and it was chaos. the french had to back up the peace keepers, forcin four inju, three of them serious. and there was a congolese peace keeper who was hacked to death. on top of this the french are facing serious problems after they shot three people. >> this is a scene of patrols in a mainly christian district. they shot three men dead.

the french came under fire themselves in an area where there had been sectarian killing. here they tried to secure the area backed up by a helicopter. they decided to withdraw for a short while and then return. minutes later seleka fire started spreading hate message against anyone who is french. the peacekeeping force is deploying and we've seen situation where is unofficial roadblocks had been set up. we stopped at one of them. we had to, we were we were threatened by a hand grenade. they were angrily trying to stop anyone who they thought was french from passing through. nato, most are from the muslim

seleka. the rebels were supposed to be disbanded in march. but the inter government announced the three dead were from the presidential guard and everyone here accused of being soft on christian beleka and soft on seleka. >> all the seleka are back in the barracks. they only travel with the right papers. >> reporter: they gave this message. >> i'm asking all of you french to go home. thisince independence you have e nothing for us. now you're manipulating us. sometimes you're against us, sometimes you're with us, what is going on. >> reporter: there is more fear for the impoverished people of this country. such clashes are often followed up on civilians and the interim government seems to be doing

nothing to calm down the anti-french sentiment. andrew simmons, al jazeera bangui. >> is this likely to worsen leading to more peace keepers being attacked? >> reporter: it could well do, it has to be said that it's the seleka side who are attacking the french. in that demonstration on monday morning that went so wrong there were some placards supporting the french. the christian side in any way as dismissive of the french. the problem is chadians make up the former seleka side. chadian foreig form fighters, mf them we understand are a tryingo

send the chadian contingent home. we understand the french in a news conference on monday in pair race said the foreign ministry said they to d stood b. it looks like it's simmering and the french are really clamping down in this capitol. they're coming up against stiff resistence, and the international peacekeeping force is only five days old and every single day it has had a massive job on its hands, and it's not doing extremely a well, he ones. >> thank you. much more to come, including keeping up protesters in thailand. why a common man will very soon take charge of india's capitol. and in sport he will a cricket team that underwent a meltdown in australia.

that's still to come. >> now after years of international protest, russia has breed members of the punk band pu pussy riot. >> reporter: that's right. they were jailed after staging a protest against president putin. they are announcing lance of releasing political prisoners. >> walking free just after dawn from the remote prison colony where she was serving a two-year sentence. freed from amnesty which she didn't ask for and didn't want. >> the prisoners had received an order and that's why i was brought here. now i would like to meet human rights activists and deal with the prisons.

>> reporter: the final member of the punk band pussy riot was released a few hours later on monday morning calling for nothing less than a boy cut of the russian winter olympics. >> european countries could revisit their opinion of the olympics but i'm calling for a boy caught. i'm calling for honesty. i'm calling not to sell yourself for oil and gas that russia can provide. >> those serving the two-year sentence were taking part in the anti-putin demonstration in a moscow cathedral. interrupting church with a punk prayer, modern of god pushed pussy riot away. >> it's not just any church. christ the savior cathedral, the largest in moscow, is the holiest of holies. the beating heart of the russian orthodox faith. no wonder that their run at the

altar drew outrage. three members of pussy riot jailed and served two years in a penal colony after being found guilty of hug hooliganism. it triggered international protest. at president putin's news conference last week he announced they would be free as part of a general amnesty involving more than 25,000 prisoners. >> i feel sorry for pussy riot, not because they were jailed but the disgraceful behavior against women. >> reporter: both women had served their sentences hundreds of miles away from their families and children in moscow. both have suffered from their imprisonment. maria had been subjected to physical abuse from other inmates and requested solitary

confinement for her own protection. >> so one of the pussy riot women who was freed described the release a as a p.r. stunt. is this about putin preserving russia's image? >> this might be part of the reason why putin made the decision. i don't see anything wrong with the president getting rid of some embarrassing irritants with the west. but it's about p.r. let's face it. >> they have been fairly defia defiant. how will they continue to criticize putin in this way? >> well, it will depend on what

they choose. if they continue to do things in the russian orthodox churches it will be very negative. let's hope that they do some human rights walk, civilized protests. their last action in the christ the savior cathedral, the problem was first it was seen as action against the church because they called the patriarch a pitc, and the action surfaced in the media. >> the amnesty will fear only a fraction of the political prisoners. is there a danger that it may backfire and bring more attention to political prisoners. >> i would say that in russia we

don't have people seeking jail for their conviction. you can end up in jail if you do some actions. like against police or some action out in a church. but in general we have no political prisoners in the old soviet sense of the world where you can end up in jail wher frot saying something in private. >> two months after one of italy's worst maritime disasters we return to lampedusa to see how people there are coping. >> british airways plane hit in joe lanceberg. on twitter one of the wings

hitting a brick building on the runway. all passengers were taken off the plane and will spend the night in a hotel. the united states has been secretly helping columbia's government kill leaders of the movement. it was launched in 2000 and helped colombia security forces track down and kill two dozen rebel leaders. they have been in peace talks for over a year. it was explained why the u.s. would help the colombia government. >> they have been helpful for quite some time. the covert aspects began with the killing of an american and the kidnapping of farc in 2003, and then things took on a certain amount of momentum from there. before 2003 farc was called an

international terrorism group particularly after 9/11. for quite some time before that the heavy involvement of the farc militants and international drug trafficking was considered a national security threat by the united states and it was made very clear as far back as the reagan administration. >> anti-government protesters in thailand have blocked some candidates from registering for next year's elections. some were able to register at an alternative venue. hundreds blocked access to a stadium. some opposition groups say they'll boycott the polls unless president shinawatra resigns. >> hundreds have been making their way to the stage and have gathered outside of the stadium as well as outside of a police station that is right next to

the stadium where the registration. would-be candidates and parties in the election would be taking place. now demonstrators don't trust the protest. they want counsel to be in place and overlook reform. now the election commission has already been prepared for a situation like this because the protesters had announced their intention over the weekend. the election commission said candidates and their representatives were unable to make it into the stadium. reports in the police station and register over there. we've heard from the election commission more than 30 parties have already registered. so we've seen protesters have not been able achieve their objective. the protesters have said over the weekend that they will not be resorting to violence.

they don't intend to break into the premise, but they did say that they do not want the elections to take place, and whatever wants to take part in of the elections has to go past them, and that's what they've been doing, camping overnight outside the venue, making their way in from various protest sites around the city to try to intimidate candidates who want to take part in the election. the top protest leaders have already said because the prime minister is clinging on to power, protesters have to com, d they will not until she's dead or leaves office. >> in east texas where a section of the keystone pipeline is getting ready to begin operations. we'll talk to residents about their fears for the future. >> and look out for this man,

although you may get run over. the indiana pacers continue rolling over the boston celtics. we'll have more on sports. (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.

al jazeera america. take a new look at news.

>> welcome back. a quick reminder of the top stories here on al jazeera. two thousand soldiers have defected to join the former vice president fight against the government. the strike to take back rebel-held territory is emanant. 45 people have been killed in another intense day of aerial attacks. government officials have been dropping barrel bombs for nine days. and peace keepers are trying to restore order after a wave of violent incidents in the capitol of bangui. hundreds of civilians fled the fighting in central african

republic into chad. they're joining 70,000 who have been there for years. >> reporter: hundreds of refugees from the central african republic flee from violence from their home. >> i was walking out of my home when i was hit in the arm. i took my family to the town where we stayed, and then we received warning of the anti-beleka rebels were coming and we fled to chad. >> reporter: another man was captured and they broke their bones. >> even old people like they were tortured. this the cut off the arms and legs of some. >> reporter: chad already hosts more than 70,000 refugees

since 2003. over the last two years 5,000 more have joined. the unflux has been limited but continuing. >> reporter: new arrivals are coming since the recent flare up of violence. according to the u.n. 400 people have been hosted here in the last weeks. many families are sharing the same safe but soon they'll be building their own little homes using this type of materials. providing tents for those who arrived earlier. and those propagating christian hatreds and are at the core of the conflict have no visible evidence here. as christians participated in

church, others watched. >> the anti-beleka came looking for any muslim to kill. >> reporter: it is clear the living conditions here are way below acceptable standards. but after the dangers they see at home these refugees are happy to find a safe haven in chad. al jazeera, southern chad. >> it might be cold. it might be the holiday season in europe, but anti-government protests in ukraine are continuing. >> reporter: one of the main reasons for the persistence is anger about widespread corruption. ukraine rank 17 174 on a list of 177 on that issue. >> reporter: this man knows all too well the perils of starting a business here. >> the corruption in ukraine because everything you should

pay. >> reporter: for small to medium businesses like his the landscape is bleak. from landscaping bureaucracy and endless inspections and laws that are not he sai hard to und. corruption is part of daily life effecting police, healthcare, court, and education. almost anything connected with government. transparency international this month labeled ukraine the most corrupt country in europe, and most ukrainians believe it starts at the top. they believe viktor yanukovych and those around him siphon millions a year from the economy. >> reporter: like the president's someone, alexander. his business has skyrocketed since his father took office. >> from $7 million to

$500 million. in less than four years. >> reporter: and while there are laws against corruption they are not enforced. >> there is a problem in ukraine with law enforcement agencies. they will never ever start prosecution of corruption of high officials. >> reporter: constantine knows that all to well. men raided his bookstore just when yanukovych became president. he has rights to the lease but someone wanted to force him out. >> after three years of court cases his only solution was to temporarily put the historic building in the care of the city. >> there was less corruption a few years ago because you could still go to court. but now if you go to court the

judge also ask what you're doing here. >> reporter: he said all he can do now is wait for ukraine's current leaders to leave office. jennifer glass, al jazeera, ki kiev. >> people in capitol are accusing the government of signing away the gas utility as part of the deal to join the customs union. the travel to moscow for a meeting on the trade block. italy's prime minister is promising to improve conditions for migrants held in refugee centers. he was speaking after video of people being hosed down. he said it will be the government's top priorities i in 2014. one of the worst disasters

in italian maritime history when a boat sanked off lampedusa, and 340 people were killed. the trauma of that terrible event goes back. we look at some of the key stores of 2013, we go to one of the men who tried to help the drowning migrants and who is still haunted by what he saw. >> reporter: he has been a fisherman for 40 years. the sea was his second home. but two months ago he witnessed a tragedy that made him scared of the open waters. >> we were sailing back to the port when we spotted a stranded point. i saw a lot of hits in the water. we rushed to their help. >> reporter: in the beginning of october he and his brother from the first rescuers to the scene.

more than 450 migrants died when their ship capsized. >> reporter: that night he and his brother pulled 18 migrants from the sea. he said he's happy he saved so many lives but he's still haunted by those he left behind. >> there was screaming, raising their arms. for everyone we saved one wouldn't drown. i have not been able to go out at sea any more. >> reporter: since that tragic night the idea of leaving the port sends him into a panic attack. but more than worrying about himself his thoughts go to those he saved. >> i hope they'll be happy wherever they go, god help them. they had nothing. it is hard for us here but we have a home. they don't. >> reporter: for a seaman, home is out at sea. until he let's go of his fears he will stay on dry land and

watch his brother sail away without him. al jazeera, lampedusa. >> that's the news from europe. let's go back to doha. >> thank you. an al jazeera reporter in an egyptian jail has gone on hunger strike after 322 anti-coup prisoners are protesting against bad treatment and conditions they're being held in. they said their cells are full of insects and they're let out only for a half hour a day. he was arrested during an violent crackdown on anti-coup protesters on august 14th. to india now in the first time an alternative government looks to government to form the next state government. but after reports from new delhi some who desire to rile a may compromise the populist

credentials. >> reporter: all of this seemed impossible. but now reporters and police follow this every man's move. he said his common man's party is ready to form a coalition for the state of dehli. >> during the last week we asked the public whether we should form the government in delhi or not. and we got the response in huge numbers that we should. so i'm going to delhi's governor to say that we're ready to form the government in new delhi. >> reporter: he may be ready to get to work, but most of his party's elected representatives have never spent a day in office. despite the problems this presents they're confident that inexperience won't hamper their

ability to lead. >> we have organized a meeting to discuss the result and the party will decide the future course of action. we'll discuss the formation of the government and how it will function. >> reporter: for weeks sporters have been celebrating their party's victory. but it's not just delhi that these people are excited about. their they're hopeful that this anti-corruption party will play a big role in next year's national election. by involving voters in every step of its decision-making process political observers say the aap is changing the dynamics of indian politics. >> for them to involved voters in this manner rather than the once in five-year former attachment that people have with politics is something truly innovative. >> reporter: the party is convinced many voters if it can

fight corruption and make life easier for millions of people by providing cheaper electricity and clean water is now facing the challenge of turning it's campaign promises into practice. but even before india's newest political party is sworn in its critics are asking whether an inexperienced government can succeed where more seasoned ones have consistently failed. al jazeera, new delhi. >> to canada where people are facing power cuts one of the worst in the city's history. ice has brought down trees and power lines and icy roads are being blamed for the death of three people. bringing oil from canada to the u.s. is meeting increased resistence. it's one of the most controversial projects for 2014.

it will go from nebraska to east texas where the pipeline is expected to be operational in january. from there we have reports. >> reporter: the driving of the back roads of east texas is a birth right. this land was left to him from his grandfather. but the fields have changed. the pipeline now runs through the family's property. something he fought for three years in an expensive legal battle. but his concern is not what happened in court but what happens next. >> what if it leaks, it's not like your common crude oil or gas. this stuff is dangerous. >> reporter: opponents point to a history of major spills in similar projects across the u.s. in 2010 transcanada keystone once spilled a dozen times and residents in east texas say the pipeline is so close to the river that it could threaten

their fresh water supplies. but texas is no stranger to oil pop lines. this state's fortunes was built on oil industry, and transcanada said they have gone above and beyond to create the safest pipeline in u.s. history. when we contacted their headquarters in alberta, they stated that testing is critical to pipeline construction. transcanada went on to say that each section is built to high standards and the company won't compromise when it comes to safety. >> you can hear this pipeline leaking. it's totally creepy 2347 but maya has spent her life living in the shadows of what she calls extreme extraction. her property has several pipelines running through it, and it's close enough to give her concern. >> this pipeline is something that puts a lot of fear into the daily lives of people all along it's route.

and people--that alone should be enough to stop this project. people should not have to be afraid for their health and safety and for their communities. >> reporter: the final approval for the northern portion rests with president obama. and so far it's a decision he has delayed time and again. but in east texas opponents say it won't make any difference. this section of the pipeline will become operational in january. al jazeera, east texas. >> apple has made bigger strides in taking its share of the chinese mobile market. china mobile has 760 million customers. the deal expected to help the iphone penetrate the difficult chinese market. still ahead in sport how this brazilian is making his mark in the german league. we'll have more on that story a little later.

>> welcome back, now over half of mexico's prisons are overcrowded and many are under staffed. few prisoners take part in rehabilitation programs and nearly a third reoffend when released. now one program started bay non-profit theater company is trying to change all that. here's the story. >> reporter: confronting one of literature's greatest villains, inmates at this mexican penitentiary are learning about drama and gaining personal

insights. >> king richard forced us to face our dark sides, the parts of us that are false and hypocritical. but everybody has a bit of richard iii inside them. >> reporter: for garcia, who is serving a life sentence for kidnapping playing power hungry king richard hits close to home. they write monologues based on the play. rehabilitation is part of the program started in mexico city. the other is to challenge the audience to question their own assumptions. >> people come with the idea that we are terrible and have no redeeming qualities but when they see us perform they see that we're talented and passionate. >> reporter: for many of these people entering the prison is an intense experience.

not only do they have to overcome their fears, but their stereotypes of the men they will perform. the play begins on a bus ride to the prison. a former inmate and member of the theater company is the warm up act. he intimidates the audience by sharing his own violent experiences when he was in jail. this is woman's second time seeing the home. for her the experience humanizes people behind bars. >> as you watch the play you forget that they're inmates and committed crimes. you see so much of their emotions and really see them as people. >> reporter: back in the theater she along with family members of the inmates and even other prisoners watch as the play unfolds. one person in the audience is missing. >> i wish my victim could come see me perform so he could

realize that we all just make mistakes, but that we can change. even trash can be recycled, then why not a life? >> reporter: a challenge these criminals-turned-actors hope that more and more mexicans will accept. al jazeera, mexico city. >> well, time for the sport. anticipated is here. >> reporter: one of the biggest gangs from the english premiere season arsenal losing 6-3 to second place manchester city last time out. chelsea, if they win with mourinho dismissing criticism of his side. >> you have to forget and don't be influenced by what the critics are saying.

so i learned that--i learned that over the years, that they bark and you just keep walking. >> we've made good results because there is good deliverance in the squad. i don't see any sign of that dropping. i think even more the players are focused to respond to monday night. there can seems be a weaker period. it's how you respond. >> reporter: well, barcelona are the team setting the standards. they're once again top of the table as their winter break begins. a nine-minute lat trick helping barca overturn a deficit again getafe. >> reporter: already at the top, barcelona will force scoring

twice in 15 minutes. but a champion knows how to respond in style. pedro to get barca on the board, and he did it again just two minutes later. the spaniard was not done with getafe yet. his hat trick in just a space of just nine minutes. they ensured that they would be put out of their misery in the second half, he score in the 68th and 77th minute to complete the 5-2 win. barca back on top. third-placed real madrid would

look to keep pace with the leaders and they were put ahead against have valencia. the doubleheader after 34 minutes. ronaldo would ensure that they would delay at halftime. now sitting at 18 goals but still valencia refused to lie down. the result wasn't secured until the 82nd minute as the clinching all three points. athletic bil bibolbao.

al jazeera. >> we look at that break, real madrid, they're five points back in third place. >> now a couple of great goals to show you from the german bundesliga who are also at winter break. up to third an ever this draw. rafael with the equalizer. almost as good this kick coming up from venezuela's arango. they put 2-1 up and finished 2 2-2. now some nfl history, peyton manning, he has broken tom brady's record for more passing records in a season. he passed brady's mark of 50. >> you can have a lot of yards and not have points and not win

games. this only means something because it's helped our team win games. we won the division today in a competitive afc west that is a good thing. >> in the nba the oklahoma city thunder suffered their first defeat of the season against the raptors. the boston celtics were in action against the indiana pacers. roy hibbert finished the game with the double-double 15 points and 12 rebounds for the pacers as they controlled from the start. leading the way for indiana was paul george. he scored 24 points to lead the night. the pacers winning this one, 106-79. a couple of games on sunday in the nhl for the first time since '96. the winnipeg jets the canucks taking the first period lead. reflecting this goal in. the canucks with a major loss in the game as their starting

goalie luongo left due to injury. winnipeg tied the game in the second but in the third vancouver would get the winner, the 2-1 win. the new york rankers hosting the minnesota wild. the 1-0 lead in the first but then the rangers would even the game at 1-1. and new york went on to a 4-1 win. now chaos continues to surround england's cricket in australia. they would deny that he was criticizing his own teammates while announcing his retirement on sunday. he said certain players are up their own backside but since claimed he was not referring to the england team. australia has an unfayible 3-0 lead with a start in melbourne on thursday. >> when you play for england for

every sportsman and for us we very much take it with pride, and we want to give it our best, and we in no way take it for granted, absolutely not. >> check it out at www.aljazeera.com/sports. for from me later, but that is for now. >> we'll see you then. now celebrations have been held across japan for emperor's birthday. concerns for his health has grown since his surgery but despite his age he said he wants to continue his official responsibilities for as long as possible. celebrations were held across the country for the emperor's 80's birthday. we'll be back at the top of the hour with another full bulletin of news. stay with us.

al jazeera. >> al jazeera america is a straight-forward news channel. >> its the most exciting thing to happen to american journalism in decades. >> we believe in digging deep. >> its unbiased, fact-based, in-depth journalism. >> you give them the facts, dispense with the fluff and get straight to the point. >> i'm on the ground every day finding stories that matter to you. >> in new orleans... >> seattle bureau... >> washington... >> detroit... >> chicago... >> nashville... >> los angeles... >> san francisco... >> al jazeera america, take a new look at news. here is more. >> beneath the fluorescentsun in a former meat packing plant is the latest trim in farming. they call it "vertical farming."

these fields grow on floors on at industrial park and farmer john adel and his staff agrees user. >> my shipping proceed did you say 1500, 2,000 miles to get are. >> the plant of the indoor -- as the indoor formers call it doesn't grow corn or soybeans but mustard, high end micro greens on the plates of white-napkin restaurants. these fish supply the vert liser that number issues the

>> welcome to al jazeera america. i'm richelle carey. here are the stories that we're following for you. power outages and canceled flights number some americans face holidays delayed or in the dark as ice storms hit new england rand the midwest. obamacare shoppers making the list and checking it twice said the deadline to sign up loom. and how one vet's visions is putting soldiers to work. >> ice, snow, and powerful winds are putting a damper on holid