>> this is al jazeera america live from new york city. i'm richelle carey with a look at today's top stories. egypt's interim government designate muslim brotherhood as a terrorist organization. >> people today have no concept of privacy at all. >> reporter: edward snowdon caller for the end of mass surveillance in a christmas message. thousands turn out in st. peter square as pope francis celebrate his first christmas as pontiff.

>> egypt interim government has declared muslim brotherhood as terrorism organization. muslim brotherhood president was ousted in july. >> a bomb that killed 16 people. in the immediate hours after that blast we saw a crowd on the street and we saw a wide reaction in egypt condemning the attack. now although the muslim brotherhood also condemned that attack in the minds of a lot of protesters, there was really no distinction between them.

i think this announcement won't come as much of a surprise. i think a lot of egyptian will accept it, but i think there is a core of supporters of people who believe in musli muslim brotherhood, who support it, and voted for t and believe it is an organization that has legitimacy, and in one fell swoop has been branded as terroristers osupporters of ter. any member of a group deemed to be a terrorist organization can be challenged and sent to prison for five years. there are a lot of activist who is supported the organization and been involved in organizing organizations, who have been involved not just in the core of

the muslim brotherhood but other related groups, charges, political groups and so on who also could be deemed as part of the muslim brotherhood infrastructure. in that context it really destroys or breaks up a lot of that movement. whether those people decide to take the risk and continue is an open question. we'll see how intensively authorities interpret question. if they with interpret it by the letter then we'll see people arrested and charged as a consequence of this. it's difficult to see how the brotherhood could continue if that's the case. >> let's take a look at this, president mohammed morsi was ousted from presidency in july. he was charged with inciting violence. by september 23rd the government imposed a ban on the

organization. it's financial assets and accounts were seized. on december 18th morsi and 35 other brotherhood members were charged with conspiracy. they're accused of working with outside groups like hezbollah and hamas for destabilizing hosey mubarak's government. and then 16 people were killed in a car bomb. the brotherhood said it was not involved but the government disagrees and called it a terrorist organization. joining me now with what this means for the muslim brotherhood and egypt, he is traveling and joins us by phone. thank you so muc, dr. darjury fr joining us.

what do you think about this announcement. is this surprising to you? >> thank you. it is important to condemn all forms of violence. the muslim brotherhood is a political movement. it is for peacefulness, and members of the party are against the bloody coup that took place on july 3rd. they have killed thousands an ad imprison thousands in egypt. we condemn the violence that is coming from this coup governme government. it is thugs that is committing this violence. the muslim brotherhood is a socio-political movement, and we

continue to be socio-political movement, and will resist and will insist on bringing democracy, rule of law and freedom for the egyptian people. >> you're rejecting the labor the government is putting on you. what do you think their motivation is? >> the motivation is to silence the opposition. the coup government is saying they would like a ref random. and so many parties decided to boycott and by boycotting they can label a terrorist. in any election that took place after the revolution of july, this is laboring others who think different, and terrorist is not a good formula for a

political word. this government does not present the egyptian people. it is really using field tactics and terrorism against the people of egypt to achieve political purposes. >> doctor, is this going to change your tactics going forward? >> say that again? >> absolutely. i said is this going to change your tactics going forward? >> our tactic we want rule of law protected as a country. we will never recognize this as true. we will keep our peaceful resistence. we will never change it, it's a socio-political movement. we believe dna is the only way to settle differences between different groups in egypt. >> thank you very much. we appreciate it.

>> thank you. >> today pope francis delivered his first christmas message at the vatican. from the balcony of st. peter's basilica he called for peace in the middle east and africa. >> prince of peace in every place turn hearts aside from violence and inspire them to lay down arms and undertake a path of dialogue. >> many are filled with joy as people come together to celebrate christmas. some are de dealing with the day realities of living in a land of conflict and separation. thank you for joining us in te telling people's personal stories and what they're doing on a day-to-day basis, nick, tell us more. >> reporter: absolutely, richelle, good afternoon f the little town where tradition has it jesus was born. there are 2 hyundai a-league "h"

>> they don't need reminding that they live in occupied bethlehem. this wall surrounds their home on three sides. every time mother, claire, walks out her front door she has this view this 30-foot wall. her son did last-minute decorating, they try to enjoy their christmas, but their thoughts are on this wall. it is ten years old. it was built when palestinian militants fought israeli

soldiers. for the last decade it has brought incredible hardship. >> this is the house. >> in her ground floor shop tourists ask about her life. she sells souvenirs with removable walls. but since the real wall's construction the family's economic fortune plummeted, and this year christmas arrived with a huge disappointment. >> were you able to buy your children presents? >> no, no, i couldn't. i couldn't buy them. the gifts, this morning, i apologized for them. >> like so many here claire celebrates living just two miles from the spot where interest

says jesus was born. she attends christmas parades and christmas morning mass. the local archbishop prays for peace. back at home that's the same message that 16-year-old daniel sends to 16-year-old american kids who are lucky enough to open presents. >> i pray for peace because there is no peace any more, i guess, here. >> on this day claire prays for the wall to come down. she prays for peace. even if it feels a long way off. >> despite everything she's been through. everything she's seen, she said she's hopeful for the future because her faith is still

strong. >> a strong report there, as well. thank you, nick. christians were targeted in three separate bombings in baghdad today. 37 people were killed. most of the deaths near a catholic church right after mass. so far no one has taken credit for the christmas day attacks but catholics have been a target for al-qaeda militants. many have fled the city for safety. on christmas day it's not only a day to celebrate, but to reflect. >> giving thanks and praying for the future. the kurdistan region of northern iraq christians come together to celebrate the birth of jesus christ. they sing in the ancient language, a tradition that has not changed in years.

for the bishop, this is his first christmas day service. >> for me it was overwhelming. this is the first service that i do for christmas since 28 years that i left my family. and it was undescribable, honestly. that's what i told the people, the congregation when i first started the speech and getting the direction to follow for the rest of the service. >> after the service its time to catch up with new friends and old. >> well, i was excited. i felt it went very well. i see people from my church, from my nation coming together in a place that we meet here. >> for some this represents more than celebrating the life of jesus christ. although there is a joyous occasion i, there is sadness for some. many have had to move away from

the danger of baghdad to the relative safety of this city. for them that's a big change. and it's not just the capitol of baghdad that christians have left. this man moved his family from one of the worst-hit cities four years ago. he's happy that they can practice their religion openly, but he's still wary to talk about politics. >> it was so dangerous. there was no work. my children couldn't go to school, so i had to move here. in 2014 i hope there is peace for christians and for muslims. >> there is no accurate figures for those who have fled to the kurdistan region. for many others in iraq there is no chance to celebrate christmas openly and in safety. >> now to a christmas message from nsa whistle blower edward

snowdon. he taped one that aired in london to counter the annual message from the queen. snowdon almost up staged new pictures of the queen's new grandchild prince george. >> reporter: he quickly transitioned into the main theme of his address, privacy or the a lack there have. he said the late british author george orwell, would have no idea what real capabilities modern technologies would allow governments to snoop into people's private lives. he warned that a child being born today may very well live his or her life never knowing what personal privacy is. >> the conversation according to them will determine the amount of trust we can place both in the technology that surrounds us, and the government that regulates it. together we can find a better

balance, end mass surveillance, and remind the government if it really wants to know how we feel, asking is always cheaper than spying. >> in contrast the queen gave her traditional christmas address, and she spoke for a great period of time reflecting on the last year, 60 years since her core nation, and certainly a momentous year when it comes to the addition of the royal family. >> my own family is a little large their christmas. as many of you know the arrival of a baby gives everyone the chance to contemplate the future with renewed happiness and hope. >> during the address they also showed previously unscene footage of prince george from his christening earlier in the year. that was a particularly historic

moment it is said because you get to see in one room four monarchs or future monarchs. the queen's address has been going on for roughly 80 years and will certainly have been watched by many more people here in the u.k. live than will have watched edward snowden, but certainly the potential is there for edward snowden to be grabbing the headlines tomorrow. >> phil ittner reporting there. snowed den's call for tightening regulations. happy holidays, thank you for joining us. we appreciate it. >> thank you, how are you? >> we're great. we're great. edward snowden said that children will grow up with no concept of privacy. let's talk about what privacy means in the age of facebook, twitter, when you're talking about social media you're making a choice to share a certain amount of information. but what does privacy mean in

this current age? >> well, we americans travelly value our privacy to the extent that our founding fathers inclined the fou fourth amendmet that frees americans from unreasonable searches and seizers, and in modern days i think that would include social media. i think americans may sympathize and this message may resonate that this unparticularized massive surveillance of your average, ordinary citizen is very troublesome. but the way that he went about exposing it is troublesome. i think it goes so far to be treason. he defected to china and ultimately is giving televised messages from russia. i think this kind of reminds those of us who remember back in the cold war era where people

would defect to the soviet bloc and then they would come out and give tv interviews denouncing the united states and things like that. i think really he might have a different agenda other than getting his truth out. >> interesting. has he really denounced the u.s.? >> it seems that way. it sort of seems like what he's doing is by passing the route that he has as a former military member myself with a security clearance i can tell you there are ways to--if you want to be a whistle blower, or if you think things are going wrong, you can take it to congress and there are other routes he could have gone through. but instead he chose to defect and went straight to russia. >> let's talk about this. you said yourself you had a high level security clearance. if there was something that you felt as deeply about as he did, in fact, some of the things that he has exposed, what would you have felt compelled to do? i'm putting you on the spot.

>> there are a lot of procedures in place. it depends on what agency you're in and what circumstances are that you're faced with. >> because he has forced a very important public conversation, has he not? >> he has, and there are great many people including myself that this spying on the average citizen of the united states has gone way too far. for those of us who have cell phones, we don't expect the government to be watching our every move, but he could have gone to congress. he could have gone secretly and privately to congress. he could have gone through his chain of command within his own agency and worked within the law. but from everything that i've heard and read he chose not to do that. he went straight to china and wound up in russia. >> i'm sure the conversation will continue on many levels. mr. holloway, thank you again for your insight today. we appreciate it. >> thank you.

have a nice day. >> thousands across the midwest and north east are without east anheatand light. in maine 70,000 homes are waiting for power to come back on, but utility workers are facing many challenges including below zero temperatures and strong wind. power may not be fully restored until sunday, and more snow and ice are expected through the weekend with temperatures dipping well blow freezing. in turkey, key cabinet ministers were forced to resign. and now they reveal replacemen replacements, stay with us.n foy

and they don't have good jobs they can't go out and shop. i think the best sales will be after new year's because a lot of retailers loaded up on inventory. that's why the third quarter gdp was as high as it was. but now they have to get rid that have inventory because they can't sell it. >> basically when we're talking

about a couple of positive job reports, and consumerism that we thought was up, you said that was all a smoke string and it should not have been a surprise to anyone. >> yeah, i think this is an illusion. when this bubble pops, the financial crisis that we're heading towards is going to be much worse, look where we're going to be when it starts. the fed already has the interest rate at zero and i think we're headed back to recession in spite of all that. >> merry christmas to you, peter. we call on you because we appreciate your insight. thank you. it's the state of hawai'i versus the city of chicago. as two major locales go head-to-head to host the barack obama presidential library. and the california condor

was once on the brink of extinction. i'll tell you the latest threat to their survival and what is being done to save them. was -- prince william was dating kate middleton. >> ross shimabuku is here with sport. >> dennis rodman is in north korea to train basketball players for an upcoming player. he wants everyone to know he's not a joke. this is the same guy who dressed up in a wedding gown and will rite a book with his bff, kim jong un. the 52-year-old rodman, who never shies away from the spotlight arrived in north korea

>> welcome back to al jazeera america. here's a look at your top stories. edward snowed enwith a christmas message to run against the queen's. the egyptian government has announced muslim brotherhood a terrorist organization. pope francis called for an end of violence in africa and the middle east. in the philippines today, today they're still suffering from the tremendous loss of

life, land and hope. >> she's worked constantly in makeshift conditions since the typhoon. she admits that she's burying her grief in work. a single mother from the age of 18, the last time she saw her four-year-old daughter angel was when she left for work the night of the storm. >> we hugged each other, and s she--she lead the prayer with us. [ crying ]

she said after the prayer, she said its raining. >> she searched and searched, but still hasn't found her baby's remains. >> sometimes i feel her presence in my dreams. in my dreams she doesn't cry. she just laughs. >> reporter: christmas eve is traditionally the night of the bibig feasts. but there isn't much money and there are no festive dishes on the table. at the church workmen finished last-minute repairs before the midnight mass. the entire roof came off the cathedral, and it's raining heavily. more than a million people are in makeshift shelters across the region. the mood is serious and solemn on what is supposed to be a

joyful celebration for christmas. [ brand new babe cries ] >> reporter: two babies were born here, both girls at exactly midnight on the 25th of december 2013 at the regional medical center. outside of the hospital the talk is of destruction of the risk to health and food security. a different story here. mother and child in an intimate moment while others mourn. >> countries across the globe celebrated christmas in their own traditional way. they try to maintain the sense of normalcy by holding christmas events but gunfire was held. violence has killed more than a

thousand people this month. santa claus or father frost as he's known in russia proud crowds to the moscow zoo to kick off the holiday season. two out of three russians consider themselves orthodox christian. in the capitol of iman, jordan said it has received more than 2 million refugees. it reports christians being targeted by hard line groups. protesters in you cocain uke demanding an investigation after an attack on a journalist who was beaten and left in a ditch after publishing an article on the opposition. we have reports from kiev. >> reporter: he calls himself the commandant in independent

square. he helps organize the infrastructure that keeps this place working. >> how much does it cost? freedom has no price. truth has no price. freedom, free thinking and a democratic ukraine for our children and grandchildren, it's priceless. >> reporter: but not cheap. running this program has cost an estimated $5 million. he said half comes from big business, 30% from small businesses, the rest from individuals. and business owners want to stay out of sight. >> people don't want to be open about it because then their business disappears. >> reporter: he said businessmen who publicly support protests are hassled by the tax police and other authorities. in the evenings and on weekends the number of demonstrators swell but not by much. >> we have people protesting, the main thing is that ukraine is boiling and the goal is to shake up those in power.

>> reporter: make no mistake, this is not a repeat of the 2004 orange revolution that ousted then prime minister now president viktorra r yanukovych. >> reporter: demonstrators say the strength of this protest is it's grassroots foundation. but that's also one of its down falls. there is no clear message or plan. >> reporter: the movement is the next step that is supposed to spread support for economic government reforms. >> ththey carry on our cause. >> they insure that the ideas born on the square don't die

here. al jazeera, kiev. >> 17 migrants drowned this morning. local officials say their boat capsized under police tow back to shore. the migrants are believed to be from haiti. 33 others were rescued in this accident. coast guard off the british territory in search of additional bodies. it's hawai'i versus chicago in a battle brewing to see which would be the best location from barack obama's presidential library. hawai'i is stepping up it's game. let's go live to honolulu where jennifer has to tell us what the state has to offer. it's clear what it has to offer in terms of the scree scenery bd you. >> it certainly is, while chicago may be the birthplace of president obama's political career, hawai'i is the birthplace of the president. the first family is spending

christmas right here in oahu. while some say it's a long shot people hearsay there i here says good reason to put the presidential library here. with waikiki on one side and downtown on the other. it's well off the beaten path for tourists, lofty plans are taking shape to transform that and change this waterfront in something, well, presidential. >> there are two lots here that are possible sites for presidential center in honolulu. >> reporter: an associate professor of american studies at the university of hawai'i. he's help to go spearhead the 44th official library here. >> obama in a way is our first global president. he has roots in hawai'i, kansas,

indonesia, kenya. this is a good place to tell his international story. >> reporter: while hawai'i can suffer from the stereotype of sun and sand and little substance, the sheer number of visitors makes the aloha state a contender. >> 8 million tourists come to hawai'i every year. they come mainly for the natural features, the beauty, the ocean, but they often looking for something educational and civic as well. >> reporter: hawai'i's vision for the presidential library is as big as the pacific ocean. associate law professor at u. of h. >> of course it would include a library and museum, that's standard, but now we have a various pallet of things that would enhance the mission. one of those things could be a policy school or institute, and we have a learning acted that is looking at cultivating the next generation of thinkers in

innovative ways. >> reporter: while presidential libraries are usually located in the chief commander's home state, the president's ties to the 50th state run deep. >> he took his first breath here in hawai'i. we think we have an unique perspective to offer in that regard. >> reporter: still, the governor is quick to point out he doesn't view this as a competition with chicago. >> our principle is not to compete, but to compliment the motivation in putting together a comprehensive library system, a series of components that will reflect the president's true legacy in history. >> reporter: the question of where that history will be housed won't be decided by

committees in chicago, hawai'i, or even politicos inside the beltway. it will ultimately be u up up te president himself. chicago is also making a strong case saying it is, in fact, the home city of the obamas, his children were born there. his political career was born there. the university of illinois at chicago making an official bid as is the university of chicago, which is of course where the president taught law school before he became a senator. so far no word from the president as to when he will make a decision. >> the people that you had spoken to in hawai'i, do they really think they have a chance of getting the library? >> reporter: of course they would like to believe that they really do have a chance, but in speaking further with the governor he said there are many components to the financial library. it's not just a library and museum. there could be a policy

institute and a civic arm. he said we're happy to be part of anything to do with the presidential library. they would be happy to host part of the components. of course they would love to have all of it here. but they're also happy to work with chicago if that is in fact where president obama ultimately chooses. >> live from honolulu, thank you. the california condor is nation's largest land bird, and it may be facing it's greatest threat yet. it's not being hunted, but a controversial ban is keeping the bird from bombing instinct. >> reporter: home to the endangered california condor. thanks to aggressive wildlife programs like this, the condor population has grown to more than 400. up from just 22 in 1987. but the birds remain under a

constant threat. >> lead is the leading cause of death. it killed 40% of the condors. >> reporter: lead from bullets that shoot other animals that later become food source for the bird. >> we check the blood lead level. if the bird has been exposed to lead. >> reporter: wildlife biologist overseas the refuge that cares for condors. >> two-thirds of the birds that we've trapped just recently had elevated lead levels and needed to be treated. >> most of them stay with us for two weeks. they go through two chelation therapist. >> reporter: in october the zoo took in a record number of condors, 21 birds tested positive for toxic levels of

lead. >> if they stopped taking condors in and stop treating them for lead poisoning and providing additional food for them the condor would likely go extinct. >> reporter: the california director of defenders of wield life and led the ban on lead bullets in california. >> i have to applaud the governor. i believe he was under pressure from the national rifle association and sports and shooting foundation. the advocates from the gun and ammunition industry. >> reporter: hunt for truth.org it states, quote, there is substantial evidence that the groups behind the proposed ban on the use of traditional ammunition have based their claims on faulty scientific studies. but dr. curtis ang has seen the damage from lead poisoning firsthand. >> this is the fragment, the

bullet fragments into millions of pieces. the bird comes along, eats this meet, and now has lead toxicity. >> five birds are released with the hope that the ban on lead bullets will let the condor board lead to record heights. creating a safe haven for other talented artists. look at that. you won't believe this rather unusual christmas tradition. hearing this i'm sure from patients.

does big pharma impact the doctors in their decision to not offer alternatives to the pill here? >> i think that there is evidence that if you have interactions with pharmaceutical companies, it does impact -- and there's actually pretty good studies based -- that have looked at physician prescribing patterns and interactions with big pharma. i think one of the luxuries i have is i'm in academic medicine, and we have a policy that we don't interact with pharmaceutical companies. so i hope that gives me a better perspective. and i think a lot of these doctors aren't having these conversations with their patients because i have countless patients who come to me and said they have never heard of iud's. so i think there is some impact

of that. we know there's an impact of that. and it makes it challenging, you know, to -- to have a completely unbiased view even though we as doctors like to think we have an unbiased view, there has been evidence that shows that they do impact us in some ways. so i think it's important for us to go out and educate our providers too. there is no one size fits all birth control, and there are a lot of options that work for women. >> we want to take a closer look, are there unique challenges facing women in minority communities when

>> for years cubaen artists have struggled to creat funnel creat. one artist created a space for artists to flourish. >> reporter: in havana's crumbling buildings being restored to their former colonial glory. taking this former power station and renovating it to house a dream, the factory of cuban art. >> it's the place that would allow cuban artists to enhance their work. it's a place where they can display their art and theirs lives. >> in this particular corner of havana this former power station is being painstakingly renovated

to provide a showcase of cuban art and culture. [♪ music ] >> finding fame at home and abroad, but like most cuban artists he often had to struggle to be heard. >> there are a lot of talented youngsters out there who generally have nowhere to perform. >> reporter: with his own money and the support of the cuban authorities the factory of cuban art to be home for photography, music, and art. >> the public is hungry for culture who want to see photography, music and classic art all in the same place. thi remember when i went learnee

was energy. >> allowing cuban art to breathe and thrive. al jazeera, havana, cuba. >> in syria some children who have fled to lebanon are getting a chance to act like kids if only for a day. we have this christmas celebration. >> reporter: these children from syria are reciting their christmas wishes, and they don't include new toys. santa, i want my old clothes back. i want my old toys, and to go back home. in the freezing cold of lebanon, in a makeshift refugee camp n a makeshift school of tents a safe zone for these children.

almost 500 students come here to get an education, psychological support and even some food. an non-governmental organization called beyond uses money donated by unicef try to create a safe haven for these children. they are under tremendous pressure, and the goal is to alleviate some of their suffering and give them emotional support. we could watch buildings destroyed, neighborhoods, but to destroyed children is not acceptable. >> it's important to celebrate christmas like they celebrate other non-christian holidays. >> to teach them coexistence, to celebrate each other's holidays and give them a break from reality. >> last year she lost her father to the war in syria.

this week she lost her mother during a snowstorm that hit lebanon. yet she still can sing. she's only four, and she's an orphan as well. most of these children have lost something or someone. >> i want to forget the suffering. i want my toys back, this girl sings. 12,000 children across lebanon receive gifts like these. dolls, cars, and maybe what will prove most precious of all, hats to stay warm. hundreds of thousands of syrian children are dependent on charity for their basic needs. today they got much more in the spirit of christmas. >> bracing the cold, taking part of an annual christmas dip in a

celebration that dates back to 1984. in london they took on 40 degrees temperatures in the 100-meter race. better him than me. singing christmas carols can be more than just a fun holiday activity. researchers found it could be good for your heart. [♪ music ] >> reporter: it christmas music this time of year with hendel's messiah a hit. but joining in the occur russ could be even better. a swedish study shows that swinging together is good all year round and researchers

scored the biological response to music. >> when people sing together their hearts start beating at the same place. the nerve that runs from the brain stream to the heart becomes activated in a pump-like fashion. >> reporter: while singing the nerve activates and the heart rate goes down. >> i see that it is quite possibly because everyone is breathing together. >> i know when i'm singing with a group we all three to breathe together. we try to crescendo and decree showdecrescendo together. >> it does not take long for singer's heart rates to synchronize. chanting saw similar results. >> this is there is a feeling in the room. serve on the same page, singing the same music, speaking or

reaching out for the same wavelength. >> as we set this, we find online that it's a more focused state and peaceful state. just very natural. >> reporter: it is just the state of mind and heart that swedish researchers say could be treated with age. the trigger is how to continue that rhythm once the music stops. >> perhaps one of the most unusual christmas traditions you'll ever see. look at this. the seventh annual stress r relieving mass pillow fight. the band plays and ten minutes

of head pounding and feathers flying. the master minds say this is a great way to relief stress caused by work and school. merry christmas. when we come back look at this, this beautiful, beautiful skyline in new york. we'll have the national forecast. that is gorgeous.

>> meteorologist: well, it's a quite day across the southwest and we could use some rain across portions of the four corners. we'll have to deal with these conditions as we track on through this afternoon. portions of california are dealing with drought peppe perpe perpetuating the fire danger. through today and tomorrow evening with santa anna winds. winds channeling through the mountains that's why we have that extended fire. in addition to that low relative humidity and temperatures in los angeles are at 80 degrees.

very different story across detroit where roughly people are without power. earlier this week just this past sunday we had to deal with a snowstorm that really put weight on branches, causing power lines to fall down. temperatures currently are at 23 degrees. at chicago we're at 26. and in indianapolis around 27. right now it's snowing across portions of wisconsin, also into michigan. we're looking at snow pushing through chicago as we speak. as we track on in to tomorrow, conditions will improve t. in the northeast we can expect a little bit of snow across portions of pennsylvania and possibly in new york city later tonight.

>> this is al jazeera america live from new york city. i'm richelle carey. here are your top stories. egypt's military interim government is formerly declaring the muslim brotherhood a terrorist organization calling for punishment of anyone involved with the group. turkish prime minister erdogan's had three cabinet members resign when their sons were