joy. >> this is al jazeera. >> hello and welcome to the news hour, from al jazeera's news center in dho doha and london these are the top stories. trying to force rebels out of the strategic city. another day of death in aleppo. 45 people have reported to have lost their lives in just one day. >> all the news in europe including, finally free, russia

are releases two members of punk band pussy riot. and, the maker of the assault rifle ak-47, dice at 94. 94 -- dies at 84. >> so the conflict in south sudan appears to be are escalating. government forces are about to step up their assault on rebels. colonel phillip o'garre, says if to take back rebel territory. forces are are about to retake the area. ethnic violence between different groups. tens of thousands of people seeking refuge at the u.n.

compound in juba. from there, hari matassa sent this message. >> south sudan's capital juba, young people started to attack civilians with blades that looked like machetes. of the two to three hours i just got to hospital. >> reporter: and more people are expected to get hurt. president says the army is now ready to strike bor. currently,. >> to protect those towns bor and ventu and bring them under the government of south sudan.

the army concentrations are underway. >> this woman won't leave this u.n. compound even though conditions here are bad. >> there's no water. there's no food. when we are hungry here we want to find some food or water we cannot. >> reporter: tens of thousands of people are crammed into u.n. bases across the country. >> that doesn't include the people looking for shelter, in the cathedral in the capital, in the bush hiding, i've had coun countless accounts of people going back to their villages or hiding out between villages in the savannah is where they feel the safest. >> u.n. soldiers used to live on this side of the base but have had to make way for thousands of people who say they are too scared to go home. the violence is taking its toll on people and escalation in fighting between soldiers and

rebels will only worsen the humanitarian crisis. al jazeera juba. >> another day of intense aerial attacks on the syrian city of aleppo. government forces have been dropping so-called barrel bombs for a week now. a warning, this may contain some images you might find disturbing. >> people running for their lives. a sign that something table has just happened. freeing students pinned under the collapsed roof of the school. it's not clear whether all these children survived, but at least one did.

these are the latest pictures from aleppo, a city that already had large parts of it flattened after two and a half years of conflict. but aerial bombardment has flattened what's left and killed many people but many in the city remain defiant. >> we've had a series of massacres. if bashar al-assad thinks we will be eliminated by these massacres, we'll tell him we won't. >> for the last week the government has been releasing these barrel bombs, don't appear to be targeting anything specific. >> translator: he used to strike us with cannons and tanks. we were able to tolerate this. but air raids and barrels, this reflects how weak he is.

if one wants to show how powerful he is he has to join the battle on the ground. >> reporter: analysts say the government is focusing on aleppo because of its strategic importance, the ferocity coincides to the run up to the peak talks in switzerland. giving it as strong a bargaining position as possible when the negotiations begin. meanwhile, the situation gets more desperate by the day. al jazeera. french soldiers in the central african republic of facing strong are resistance, targeted any more or more than other armed groups. thousands of people have been forced to leave their homes to

escape the violence. a report from bangui. >> outside the international airport he was then lynched by an angry crowd. a total of 40 civilians were injured, three seriously and the central african peace keepers intervened. adding to that, another peace keeper, a congolese was hacked to death and french killed three people and it's a dangerous mix. this is the scene after a french army patrol confronted former seleka ribles in a mainly crircht district. cs the french had come under fire themselves after starting disarmament in an area where there had been secon sectarian killing. they decided to withdraw for a short while and then returned.

minutes later former seleka fighters started spreading hate messages to anyone of french nationality. then peace keepers backed up the french. there's an air of tension right now, this is a congolese contingent from the international peace keeping force deploying. we have seen areas where unofficial roadblocks had been set up. we stopped at one of them. we had to because we were threatened with a hand grenade. angrily stopping anyone who was french passing through. later, former seleka members, most here are fighters from the predominantly muz preliminary seleka. after it overthrew the government here in march it was supposed to be disbanded. the three dead were from the presidential guard and all the men here accused the french army of being soft objected the

christian militia, but hard on seleka. >> up to now we haven't heard of the french killing one antibollika, they only travel with the right papers. >> reporter: as the bodies were about to be driven away a relative of one of the dead gave this message. >> translator: i'm asking all of you french to go home. since independence you've done nothing for us. now you're manipulating us. sometimes you're with us, sometimes against us. which side are you on? >> reporter: this has all caused more fear for the impoverished people of this country. often folded by reprisals on civilians and the interim government appears to be doing nothing to cool down the antifrench sentiment. it is unclear whether this sentiment will increase. it is mainly confined to the former members of the seleka not the christians. the christians are venting their

anger at the chadiaan contingen. getting more and more hazardous. >> still ahead on al jazeera: fed up with corruption and the government toward russia? 18th government protestors in the koran sa ukraine will stay l after the holidays. keatkeystone exxon pipeline. >> and coming up in sports. after international protests russia has finally freed the remaining members of the punk

band pussy riot. let's go to lauren for the latest. that's right, the two women were jailed in 2012 after staging a protest against vladimir putin. sonia galego reports. serving a two year sentence, freed under putin's amnesty which she never asked for and didn't want. >> translator: yes, i was going to reject this amnesty but the prison had received an order, that's why i was brought here. now i would like to meet human rights activists. >> reporter: the final member of the band was released from her siberian jail a few hours later on monday morning. calling for nothing less than a

boycott of the olympics. >> i am calling for boycott. i'm calling for honesty. i'm calling not to sell yourself for oil and gas russia can provide. >> both were serving a two year sentence for taking part in an antiputin demonstration in moscow. a flash performance deemed obscene by the authorities interrupting morning worship in the church. the punk band mother of god were pushed away. sentenced for two years in a penal colony, after being charged with hooliganism. president putin's news conference last week he announced they would be freed as part of a general amnesty involving over 25,000 prisoners. about. >> i feel sorry for pussy riot,

not because they were jailed but because of the disgraceful condition of women. >> hundreds of miles away from their families and their children in moscow. both have suffered during their imprisonment. subjected to physical abuse and requesting solitary confinement for her own personal safety. the inventer of the most successful assault rifle, the ak-47, has died at the age of 94. peter sharp looks back at his life and legacy. >> it's 1947, the very beginning of the cold war. and rolling off the production line at the soviet armament factory, a new weapon, a weapon that will change the face of war. the ak .47 taking the name from

that of its invent err. a former tank officer he was wounded in the war and while recovering in hospital, listened to soldiers complaining about the lack of a reliable infantry weapon. rugged and reliable the ak 47 can fire 600 rounds a minute. lethal at distances of less than a kilometer. 14 countries 82 armies equipping their troops with the ak. still in use. it is a remarkably simple weapon to use, it only has eight moving parts. you could easily teach a child how to strip and shoot an ak .47 in under an hour. for the child armies of africa, in sierra leon, liberia and

uganda, it was the weapon of choice, turning ten yeerlsdz into killers. the ak was favored by drug dealers and drug cartels. a weapon that became an icon for violence in the 20th century. four years ago, the russian leadership celebrated his 90th birthday, awarding him the nation's highest honor, hero of the russian federation. but looking back on his life he had some regrets. i am proud of my invention but sad that it's used by terrorists. i would have preferred to invent a machine like people and farmers could use, like a lawn mower. >> in 20 minutes time, one of europe's maritime disasters, we return to lampedusa, to see how people are coping.

a palestinian man who went on a 260 day hunger strike against his detention by israel has been freed. he was captured in 2002 and released in 2011. he was rearrested the following year for violating the terms of his release. hunger strike began in august 2012 and ended in april of this year after a deal with the israelis. in jerusalem for us, nasreen can you tell us more about us and more informatio informations release. >> well, divia, he has been on the longest hunger strike any palestinian prisoner has been in the history of palestinians being jailed by the state of israel. he is being celebrated by the palestinian people everywhere.

he's receiving sizable fanfare, especially in his neighborhood in jerusalem. he's also what he did is seen, his release is seen as a victory. because he managed to pressure the diswreal government, through rks -- israeli government through his nine month hunger strike to release him early and to reduce his sentence from 17 years to only eight months. he is seen as a hero in many ways by the palestinian people and when hiss health deteriorated when he was on this hunger strike he garnered a lot of attention, attention from solidarity groups and that exerted so much pressure on the israeli government they had to release him early. he is seen as an icon that has mobilized the palestinian hunger striking movement in the facilities, some palestinians continue to be on hunger strike in order to demand better

conditions in prison or early release. so he is really an important item for palestinian people and this whole issue of hunger strikes in israeli prisons by palestinian prisoners is becoming a difficult issue for israeli authorities to deal with because often their health deteriorates so much that they're near death and israel begins to receive a lot of international criticism and eventually wants to avoid their death in prison and avoid a breakout of violence in the palestinian territories as well as riots and protests so it has been forced to release some of these hunger-striking palestinian prisoners. >> nisreen, thank you so much. let's go to india now, where for the first time in the state of del high's history, an

alternate form of government. but as nedi dutt reports from new del high, the desire to rule may compromise the party's populace credential. >> a few months ago, all of this seemed impossible. but now the reporters and police follow this man's every move. the income tax officer turned politician says common man's party is ready to form a coalition for the state of delhi. >> translator: during the last one week we asked the public whether we should form the government in delhi or not. through websites, smss and public meetings. and we got a response in huge numbers that we should. so i'm going to delhi's governor telling him that the party is ready to form the government in

new delhi. >> he may be ready too 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. >> translator: we have organized a meeting to discuss the result and the party will decide the future course of action. we will also discuss the formation of the government and how it will function. >> for weeks, am adni's support verse been celebrating their victory but it's not just delhi that these people are excited about. they are hopeful that this anticorruption government will play a large role in next month's election. by observing.

>> formal attachment that people have with politics, it is something that is truly innovative. >> the party has convinced many voters that it can fight corruption and make life easier for millions of people by providing cheaper electricity and cleaner water. it now faces a challenge of turning its campaign promises into practice. its critics are already asking whether an inexperienced government can succeed where other more seasoned ones have consistently failed. libby duff, al jazeera, new delhi. >> blocked some registrants from voting in next election. hundreds of demonstrators blocked access to a stadium. politicians were jeered and

whistled at before giving up and turning around. some opposition groups say they will boycott the polls unless prime minister yingluck shinawatra rien resigns. >> would be candidates and party for the february election will be taking place. now, the protestors don't want to see elections taking place because they don't is trust the process. they want a nonelected council to be in place and to overlook a raft of reforms. and the election commission has already been prepared for a situation like this, because the protestors had announced their intention over the weekend. the election commission says candidates unable to make it into the stadium can lodge a police report in the police

station next to the stadium as well as register over there. now, we've heard from the election commission that more than 30 parties have already registered. so it would seem protestors have not been able to achieve their objective. now the pro tetters have said over the weekend -- protesters have said over the weekend they will not be resorting to violence. they have said they do not want the elections to take place and whoever wants to take part in the elections will have to g.o. go past them that's what they have been doing, camping outside the venue, make their way from various protest sites throughout the city, to intimidate those who want to take place in the election. the prime minister, says because the prime minister has clung to power, protestors will have to chase her until she's dead or

until she leaves office. >> suicide has been on the rise for the last ten years in the turkish military. relatives of the dead conscripts say they have been victims of physical abuse and torture. al jazeera has yet to hear back, she sends us this report from istanbul. >> reporter: all turkish men have to do military service, it's a right for celebration and manhood. so it felt for jihan and his family. >> he was as happy as a man can be. if there was anyone who wanted to do a military service for the rest of his life you will say that was him. >> but 12 months later he was dead. a suicide, the military said but he had no history of mental illness and no reported problems in the army.

his mother keeps his bedroom as it was until they found out what really happened. >> translator: they are trying to cover this up but, as long as there is blood in my body, i will refuse to accept it. i just want justice. >> reporter: since tolga islam set up the website, more than a thousand families have brought up cases of suicide and mistreatment of their soldier sons to them. >> every day soldiers are lying, they label it as suicide anyway, but dying because of suicide or somebody is committing -- is killing them. >> sol expwrer rights platform published its article last year, over the past decade there had been 965 deaths classed as suicide while only 601 soldiers were killed in combat. the military since stated that issues like family and money

problems and drug addiction are behind the suicides, tolga islam says that is a diversion. >> one thing to explain what the ministry is, a system where you learn how to be humiliated and then you learn how to humiliate. >> classified as a suicide, was found to have two bullets in his head. his family are fighting for an inquiry. when the death of their young sons are investigated it has to be in the military courts not civilian ones. families want that changed. but in all cases the turkish justice system moves so slowly, families struggle for years to get a proper investigation if they feel they ever can. turkish soldiers relatives are calling for transparency for and respect for their sons' human rights. anita mcnaught, al jazeera.

>> still ahead, we visit the island of lampedusa. hear from one fisherman would was first to arrive at the sinking boat and haunted by the memory. and in sport, the indiana pacers continue to roll over their opponents, that's coming up. case. >> there hasn't been progress, we haven't got him back. to suggest anyone has abandoned him is incorrect and not helpful. the fact is i have personally raised the issue. >> we know that he is not incarcerated in iran. >> how do you know that? >> if he is, he's not every hour. >> here are the headlines at this hour. >> only on al jazeera america.

every sunday night join us for exclusive, revealing and surprising talks with the most interesting people of our time. this sunday. >> we try to be funny in serious stories which is very, very rare. >> he made radio cool with his sense of humor, insight and curiosity. he opened a new window into american life. >> before they know it we're actually able to present something new that they haven't heard about. >> talk to al jazeera with ira glass. >> welcome back. let me take you to our top stories in al jazeera. south sudan's army could launch a strike against rebels in the

jonglei state within hours. rebels are in control of the city of bor. at least 45 people have been reported kills in another day of intense aerial attacks in the syrian city of aleppo. authorities have been bombing the city for days. >> and the inventer of the ak .47 has died at the age of 94. let's look more closely at south sudan. the army is key to power there. now as the president is supposed to be in control of the military, but his arrival say are loyal and they control the jonglei state and the upper

state, whoever controls the oil is in control of the country. after all, oil exports are accountable for 95% of the south sudan state. joining us from washington, d.c, amadusi, can we just start with just the whole idea of where south sudan is headings? the world civil war has been thrown around quite a lot. are we at that point? >> i'm sorry, i can't hear you. >> firstly let me check. can you hear me amadusi? >> yes, now i can hear you. >> okay, okay. we're talking about just starting with the overall picture of what's going on in south sudan. the word civil war is being used a lot. is it really heading in that direction, are we at that point yet?

we are in a very dpaij russ risk of civil war. we are in a -- very dangerous risk of civil war. flammable situation where anything can pour oil on the fire and we need really to go to a peaceful swailings to a dialogue, political dialogue-peaceful situation to a dlool, political dialogue, very quickly. >> wants to be president, salvakuir wants to secure his power base. firstly, who controls the military and is there any way to get both of those men on the table? it's very difficult to stay at this stage who controls the military. you have seen in unity state one governor has seized power

claiming they was threatened by the regime. now, all parties that can influence the president, vice president should do so. the special envoy is there, he will play a role. it's really, really essential that these two sit at the table. if not, it's the women, the children and the men of south sudan who will pay the price. >> meanwhile, the u.s. is sending more military reinforcement, ban ki-moon has called for more peace keepers on the ground. which direction are you seeing this escalating in? it doesn't seem like those two men are going to be discussing any solution at the moment. >> so the u.s. has forces on the

ground and then they even threaten more severe action like even cutting aid if dialogue is not being pursued. but i think the solution has to go through the splm because the crisis at the origin is a testimony of the leadership of the splm, not being able to really maintain unity. so all stakeholders should put immense pressure on these two to sit together, avoid humanitarian crisis, voy nent men and women to be killed. this is really key. >> our correspondent had mentioned that along with these two, people aligning them also are moving in tribal -- between

tribal boundaries. now, how much of a danger is there that this is also going to be a tribal conflict? >> so if you look at the president kiir's, not of the same ethic group as riek machar. ethnic tensions can be instrumentallized and be used towards people's objective. so we really have to be acting very quickly here and 2.5 million died to have this country born. and this country's endowed with oil, arable land and the future education should benefit from this and we should truly not allow this to happen. >> thank you, it's good to get your thoughts.

>> thank you. >> it might be cold and it might be the holiday season in europe but antigovernment protest in ukraine are continuing. let's go back to lauren for more. >> dici, one of the main reasons for the protest is about widespread corruption. ukraine ranks 144 out of 177 countries on that issue. according to transparency international. perils of starting a business here. >> very big corruption in ukraine because everything you should pay. >> for small to medium businesses like his the landscape is bleak. from navigating bureaucracy to dealing with endless inspections and laws that aren't easy to understand. >> translator: we try to figure out what taxes we don't have to pay, what we have to pay and whom to pay them to. >> reporter: it's not just in

business. ukrainians say corruption is part of daily life, 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. believe viktor yanukovych and those around him siphon billions of dollars a year from the economy. like the president's son alexander, his businesses have skyrocketed since his father took office. >> from 7 million to $510 million. less than four years. >> and while there are laws against corruption, they're not enforced. >> there is a problem in ukraine with la law enforcement agencie. they will never ever start a prosecution of corruption of high officials.

>> constantine knows that all too well. 100 men raided his bookstore just after yanukovych was elected in 2010. he has the rights to the lease but it's prime real estate and someone wanted to force him out. >> translator: this is a raider scheme but it didn't work because this shop is known all over kiev and the world. >> reporter: 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. now if you go to court the judges are asking what you are doing here no chance of winning. >> reporter: he says all can he do now is wait for ukraine's current leaders to leave office. jennifer glasse, al jazeera kiev. >> protests have also taken place in armenia, part of a deal

to join a russian led customs yuns. in the tiny caucus state, protests like this are rare. freezing temperatures, thousands of people took to the streets. they're frustrated that their parliament has signed a deal which basically hands over control of armenia's gas industry to russia for the next 30 years. among the chance here, no return to the soviet union and russia, go away. there's also anger about the apparent misuse of government money. this demonstration is not on the same scale as protests in the ukraine but activates say this could be the -- activists say this could be the beginning of a wider antigovernment movement. >> to accumulate $300 million worth of debt, secretly not sharing that information with the parliament and now trying to solve it all with a deal that is

strategically economically politically so one-sided that it's a huge burden on armenia, that all these steps will in fact lead to the people's continuing protest. >> joirnlts try to interrupt -- journalists try to interrupt the session. some try get behind the glass. these placards say we decide. many opposition members of parliament refuse to vote. >> i'm so proud that so many free citizens and armenians have gathered here to protest. >> this limits our sovereignty in every way. it gives monopoly to the opposition. >> the count had already begun. some people say this decision has more to do with political pressure. moscow recently threatened to cut off military aid to armenia.

the armenian president denies he's doing what the kremlin tells him to do. he will have to convince these people that he is right. navini many mashiri, al jazeera. >> speaking after shocking video emerged of people being hosed down by guards to disinfect th them. top priorities for 2014. some of those migrants in that video were survivors of some of the worst military disasters in history. more than 350 people were killed by a boat sinking off lampedusa. the trauma of that terrible event goes on. al jazeera looks back on the key stories of 2013, a man who was first to help and still haunted

by what he saw. >> this is the year that domineco will never forget. he has been a fisherman for 40 years, the sea was his second home but two months ago he witnessed something that made him scared of the open waters. >> translator: we were sailing back to the port when we saw a stranded boat. i saw lots of heads in the water, we rushed to help. >> reporter: in the beginning of october he and his brother were the first to arrive at the wreck of one of the worst trooj disthat ever happened in the mediterranean see. that night, domenico and his brother pulled 19 people from the sea. he is happy he saved so many but troubled by what you saw,.

>> i have had palpitations ever since. i haven't been raibl to go out at sea anymore. >> since the tragic night, the idea of leaving port sends him into a panic attack. but rather than himself his thoughts go to those he saved. >> i hope they will be happy wherever they go, god hem them, they have nothing. it is hard for us here, but we have a home. they don't. >> for a seama seaman loo like domenico -- >> al jazeera lampedusa. >> up to date with the news from europe. let's go back to divia in doha. >> thank you authorities in toronto say it's one of the

worst storms in the history, icy roads are also being blamed for the deaths of three people. plans to transport oil from canada to the u.s. are meeting increased resistance. the keystone xl pipeline is one of the most controversial. extends almost 2,000 kilometers across the u.s. canada border. into nebraska and on to east texas where the southern end of the pipeline is said to become operational in january. andy gallagher has this report. >> driving the back roads of east texas is a birth right. this land was left to him by his grand father but his relationship with these woods and fields have changed. the section of the keystone pipeline runs through his property. his main concern isn't that he lost in court but what might

happen next. >> so it's going to leak. and the stuff that's in this pipe is not like your common crude oil or gas or anything like that. this stuff is dangerous. it's hazardous. >> reporter: opponents of the pipeline point to similar spills on similar projects in the u.s. in 2001, transcanada's keystone 1 leaked twice. texas is no stranger to oil appliance. this stat state's fortunes weret on this. when we contacted the company at their headquarters in alberta, stated construction and testing are critical to the pipeline's construction. trans canada went on to say, the company won't compromise when it comes to safety.

>> you can hear this pipeline through this station. which totally creeps you out. >> but mia legalon says she has spent her life in extreme extraction. the pipeline is close enough to give her concern. >> this pipeline is something that puts a lot of fear into the daily lives of people all along their route. that aploan should put a stop to this project. people should not be afraid of their health and safety and the safety of the community. the northern section rests with president obama and so far it's a decision he's delayed time and again. but opponents in east texas say it won't make any difference. this section of the pipeline will become operational in january pnl eanld gallagher, al

jazeera, west texas. this race track closes its gates for the first time in 75 years, we'll tell you why. >> al jazeera america is a straight-forward namera.

>> stories that impact the world, affect the nation and touch your life. >> i'm back.

i'm not going anywhere this time. >> primetime news: weeknights at 8 and 11 eastern. only on al jazeera america. o. >> and now, it's time for sports and here's jenna. >> thank you very much. top spot in the english premier league as they host chelsea. one point lead with their defeat of cardiff. chelsea are under pressure having lost four of their past away-matches in all competitions. >> you have to stick with it and forget and don't be -- you don't be influenced by what the critics are saying. so i learned that, i learned

that over the years. that the dogs bark and you keep walking. >> we have made good results until now because we have a good solidarity level and a good togetherness in the squad. and i don't see any sign of dropping even more. the plays are focused to respond it on monday night. it can happen late in the season, sometimes it will be a weaker period. it's how you respond. >> threatened to be a bleak christmas for cardiff city manager matthew mckay, he was given orders by the other than vincent tan to resign or be sacked. all along, crystal clear, i will not resign, i love working

for cardiff and love cardiff and i'm proud of that team and that's something i have a steely determination to look after that group of players, that will not change. change is not in my hands. >> continues to surround england's cricket tour of australia. crit sizing his own teammates for allowing his own retirement on sunday. says quote up their own bad fights, has claimed he wasn't referring to the england team. 8th has an unsailable lead. starting at melbourne on thursday. >> it is the pinnacle for every sportsman and for us it's vex take it with pride and we want to give it our best and we in no

way take it for granted, absolutely not. >> denver bronco peyton manning has set an nfl record of most touchdown passes in a single season. 7-13 win ove win. >> it's a unique thing in nfl history, each though it may be temporary, i personally think season records are going down, especially if they go to 18 games and there won't be an asterisk after them. brady will probably break it next year or the year after. we'll enjoy it for as long as it lasts. >> in the aba, the oklahoma thunder suffered their first defeat at home, to the toronto raptors. hibbard finished the game with a double double 15 points and for

the pacers as they stalled from the top, paul george top scored with 24 on the night, the pacers winning 106 to 79. celtics have lost three straight. winnipeg and vancouver have met the first time in 17 years. canucks, deflecting that goal in the canucks had a major loss in their game as their starting goal tender left due to injury. winnipeg tied the game but instead vancouver would get the winner. giving canucks a gig 2-1 win. chad liggetty had to settle

for third in the world cup giant slalom over the weekend, made up for it by claiming victory in italy on monday, collecting the world record prize of over $100,000. body miller had to settle for third. both competing in the winter olympics in soxi. for the first time in history hollywood park horse park has held its last race. the venue was opened in the summer of 1938, bankrolled by a group of shareholders that included walt disney and bing crosby. seabiscuit won the first race. after decline of fences the 260 acre site will be replaced by

housing and retail developments. that's a shame. that's it for me. >> thank you very much. half of mexico's prisons are overcrowded and many are understaffed. nearly a third reoffend when they're released. one company is trying to change that. our rachel levin has the story. >> inmates at this mexican penitentiary are blerng drama and gaining personal insights. >> king richard forces us to face our dark side, the parts that are hypocritical. but everyone has part of richard iii inside of them. >> serving a life sentence for kidnapping, playing king richard is close to home.

each actor uses his own life experience. rehabilitating and facing personal demons is one objective of the prisoner program, the other is to challenge the audience to question their own assumptions about prison life. >> translator: people come with the idea that we are terrible an have no redeeming quality. but when they see we are talented want to create. >> for many of these people entering the prison is an intense experience. not only do they have to overcome their fears but the stereotypes of the men they will perform. the play begins on the bus ride to the prison. a former inmate a member of the theater company is a member of the act, he intim dates the

passengers by explaining his experience in jail. this experience museumizes people behind bars. >> you forget they are inmates and commit a exriem you see much of their experience and see them as people. >> 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 just all make mistakes but that we can change. if even trash can be recycled then why not a life? >> a challenge, thee criminals turned actors hope more and more mexicans will accept. rachel levin, al jazeera, mexico city.

>> that's it for this news hour. don't go away, there's another full bulletin coming your way.

>> welcoming to al jazeera america. i'm richelle carey. here are the stories we're following for you. an extension to the affordable care act could explain. target, what they are doing to fight back, following the massive credit card hacking scandal. and the man who designed the world's most popular weapon has died. >> can a is a key dead line for government health care if you want coverage to start in jan. a short time