>> announcer: this is al jazeera. ♪ >> hello, and welcome to the news hour, i'm steven cole from our broadcast centers in doha and london. the un moves to stop terrible acts of violence in south sudan. >> i'm barbara sarah with the latest news from europe, including the russian president, vladimir putin visits victims of

deadly bomb attacks. >> and the us state of colorado beginning to allow the general sale of marijuana. ♪ but first the united nations says it will do everything it can to prevent further terrible acts of violence in south sudan. negotiators are due to meet in the ethiopia capitol in a few hours. most of the fighting has happened in these places, juba, bor, malacal, and mion. much of the split is along political and ethnic lines. muhammad is live for us in juba. so the un warning about what

they call the terrible level of the violence and says it must end? >> yes, steven, a few hours ago the un representative to south sudan hilda johnson, spoke. she said that un resources and particularly peace keepers were severely stretched on the ground. she said they are now just capable of protecting those people who have so sought protection in un compounds. and also give a very grim picture of what has been happening. >> we have seen terrible acts of violence in the past two weeks. there has been killings and buttalty, gave human rights

violations and atrocities committed. we have seen apparent ethnic targeting of south sudan citizens. this can lead to a perpetual cycle of violence that can destroy the fabric of the new nation. >> what is the situation like in bor? this is a town strategically important to both sides. it seems to have changed hands several times. who controls it now? >> well, bor is under the control of the rebel forces. the town is largely deserted as people have fled because of the latest round of fighting and

even before that. they have left town and the government are waiting for enforcements to come to them from different parts of the state, particularly juba. they said they will be retaking bor from the rebels within the coming hours. >> okay. let's look ahead, muhammad, both sides have sent delegations. i suppose number one on the agenda has to be some kind of ceasefire? >> indeed, you are correct. that is the first item of the agenda, because both sides have to stop shooting at each other first before they can deal with the other contentious issues, but before they discuss that issue of the ceasefire, the government is saying they are not going to allow any

arrangement that would include sharing power with the previous vice president. the president is categorical that he doesn't want to share power. and this could derail the talks many fear here. >> thanks, mohammed. there are reports that the lebanese army has arrested one of the most wanted man in saudi arabia. lebanese security forces say they are awaiting the outcome of tests to confirm his identity. the group claimed responsibility for the bombing of the iranian embassy in beirut in november. in iraq sunni tribesman have ceased control of all of the police station in the [ inaudible ] province. that follows the demolition of a

sunni muslim camp by security forces on tuesday. >> reporter: gunmen took control of government buildings and police posts. employees were allowed to leave before some buildings and property were burned. violence like this appears to show how angry sunni tribesmen are, with the shiite lead government that they say neglects their needs. troops cleared anti-government protest camps in the city, and gun battles soon broke out. the prime minister has long accused many of the protesters in the this province of being members of al-qaeda. but after 44 mp's submitted their resignation, maliki demanded all troops withdrawal. the prime minister hasn't

accepted the resignations yet. >> translator: you are welcome to come and talk. we need them to come here to work together hand in hand. >> reporter: in another move seemingly aimed at the residence, they decided to provide extra aid to the province. sectarian violence has killed people this year than any 12-month period since 2008. but withdrawing the security and providing aid has provided little help. the end of the deadline to remove the most toxic chemical

weapons in syria has been missed. bennett smith reports. >> reporter: this blast was caused by a barrel filled with explosives, and dropped from an aircraft. the target is a damascus suburb. forces loyal to the president have been intensifying their attacks on rebel-controlled areas across syria. the regime may have been stripped of its chemical weapons but that seems to have little effect. the combination of bad weather and poor security on the ground means the december 31st deadline to take the weapons out hasn't

been met. >> everything we need to remove the chemical weapons, all of the equipment has been provided and delivered, so now it's a matter of getting the train rolling. there are a number of factors which have made the authorities unable to meet the december 31st deadline. >> reporter: the organization for the prohibition of chemical weapons says it is still on track for the december 30th deadline. the syrian government is responsible for moving, packing, and transporting the weapons to the port. convoys could still be vulnerable to rebel attack. but it is the conventional weapons that are causing the death and destruction.

this is new year's eve, more than 46,000 civilians have been killed since the conflict began in 2011. bernard smith, al jazeera. it's the fourth day that three al jazeera journalists are being held in custody in egypt. our correspondent is still at a police station in cairo. al jazeera continues to demand that its staff be released immediately. russia's president putin has visited victims. let's cross to barbara. >> stephen thank you very much. vladimir putin has also met

security officials and vowed to find a way to keep russians safe. the bombings have raised fears ahead of the winter games next month. >> reporter: president view tin's visit came after he vowed to quote, annihilate terrorists in his new year's eve address. dozens were wounded in the attacks, many of whom remain in hospital. the city is still under lockdown since the bombing. the focus for the leadership is how security would be beefed up ahead of the winter games in sochi. the bombings have demonstrated how vulnerable security is ahead of the games. >> translator: the crimes committed here do not need further comment, whatever

motivated the criminal's actions there is no justification for committing these acts against civilians. >> reporter: it is a transport for an area of south of russia. president putin has placed a huge amount of importance on the games in sochi, the challenge for him will be to keep the violence away from such an international platform. >> the palestinian ambassador to the czech republic has been killed in a home explosion. michael schumakers condition remains stable after a third night in a french hospital. the seven-time formula one world champion has undergone two

operations, and remains in a medically induced coma. >> michael's condition has remained stable over the night and also now. so the good news for today is we do not have the feeling to hold a press conference, because there is no significant changes. >> the catholic pope has marked the beginning of a new year with a traditional mass. it was the first new year's mass at the vatican. he emphasized the importance of accepting the differences of others in order to stop the killings. >> translator: we're called on to recognize the violence and injustice in so many parts of the world, and which cannot leave us indifferent or immobile. >> back to steven in doha.

>> thank you, barbara. the u.s. president, barack obama's health insurance plan has gone into effect, but not everything can going as planned. and jo will have details in sport. north korea's leader says the purge of his uncle has made the country stronger in a new year's message he spoke publicly for the first time since the execution more than two weeks ago. rob mcbribe reports. >> reporter: north korea goes into the new year according to its leader all the stronger for being rid of this man. his removal from power and subsequent execution, kim said has strengthened the whole

country. >> translator: our party took firm measures to get rid of the factors of sewage that permeated within. the lines have become much more solid by purging the anti-party and anti-revolutionary faction. >> reporter: this is only the second time kim has given a new year's address to his people. this purge seems distinctly old style however. >> the whole process of purge and execution of such person of importance was demonstrated that kim jong un is now in control of the country. he calls the shots. he knows the master plan for north korea. >> reporter: he was seen as an architect for north agency

policies. but the implications are, that kim wants to continue economic reform. and he knows he needs peace and better relations with his neighbors to achieve its, even appearing to strike a conciliatory tone. >> translator: it is time to put anning end to slanderous attacks that cause more harm than good. >> reporter: but analysts are still divided over whether the purge proves kim has secured his grip on power, or is evidence of a wider struggle for north korea, the optimism is not shared. south korea is worried the new year could see him provoking some kind of confrontation, in a bid to create unity in the north korean leadership, and for

china, the unpredictable poses one of the big unknowns for 2014. thousands of people have marched through the streets in hong kong in protest of the leader of beijing. protesters say they are trying to control the outcome of the vote. they are calling on opposition and chinese critics to run for office. indonesian gunmen have killed six after opening fire. one person was arrested. the gunmen are thought to have been involved on several attacks on civilians and security forces. indonesia is launching the world's biggest health care scheme. they want 240 million people to have medical coverage in the next five years, but not

everyone who needs it will benefit from the plan. >> reporter: queueing for medical care, patients who could never afford to go to the hospital are now finally being treated. the free health care plan is up and running, here, and the whole country will follow in 2018. it's a major break through for indonesians, but there are still concerns that many will be left out. workers organizations have protested they say more than 35 million people who live just above the poverty line will not be covered. >> translator: the government covers these people with an poverty programs.

so many will now be rejected by hospitals. >> reporter: in the new scheme people known as near poor will have to pay a monthly premium of around $1.50 per month. for many this is quite a burden. the government took care of most of the heart operation costs for this man, in the new scheme he will have to pay the monthly insurance payment. >> translator: my only business is selling noodles, i get around $15 every day, but i still have to eat and pay all of the bills, so you can count yourself. how can i pay for the premium every month? >> reporter: but the government insists that small entrepreneurs will be able to pay, and more poor indonesians pay more on cigarettes that the premium.

>> you have the right to achieve the highest possible status of health. okay? but there is no right without responsibility. >> reporter: the healthcare scheme will not be fully implemented until 2013. the government says it has started a nation-wide program to indecent medical capacity and quality, everyone should be able to enjoy professional healthcare five years from now. january 1st marks the day when the affordable care act moan as obamacare is to take effect. >> reporter: social service agencies working the phones and the web trying to get people

signed up for health insurance. >> well, i was suspecting, you know, to qualify for some help. >> reporter: they are reaching out to people like jose. he hasn't had health insurance for 15 years. >> this coming year, i will incur around $69,000. >> reporter: that's too much to qualify, he found out he'll have to pay around $800 a month. >> sometimes i can afford it, but what happened when i don't have something to do if i'm working myself. >> reporter: his is a story repeated across the country. the president's healthcare plan is not going as planned, but in his final press conference for the year, president obama tried to point out the positive. >> we now have a couple million people, maybe more who are going to have healthcare on january 1st, and that is a big

deal. >> reporter: but that's far from where the administration said it should be by now. >> i think success looks like at least 7 million people having signed up by the end of march 2014. >> reporter: health economists say the low number could be a big problem. >> if all of a sudden there is only a million and the disproportion at it or sick and older, then it will cause all kinds of problems with respect to the balance and in future years, insurance companies are going to be forced to raise premiums. >> reporter: premiums that are already too high for those like reyes. >> that is the way it is. >> reporter: the left without signing up for health insurance, facing the choice pay 1% of his income and a fine, or find 6% to pay for insurance.

he and others will decide how the president's health care plan will survive the year. the state of colorado, is known as the high country, and that's where marijuana smokers can get legally high too. >> reporter: harvesting and processing pot is a family affair at nature's herbs and wellness in garden city, colorado. three generations work here and business is booming. >> we started out with 1200 square feet. and right now we have about 10,000 square feet, and the next grow up we're finishing is 12,000 square feet. >> reporter: pot is the biggest game in town in tiny garden city, population 300. the four medical marijuana

dispensaries here already account for a quarter of all tax revenues, and that's before they start retail sales. a fact that has the major seeing green. >> i always like joke there is not a pothole in my entire town, because we have been able to invest in our infrastructure. >> reporter: colorado is about to reap a bumper crop of cash thanks to legal weed. sales could hit $606 million in 2014. right now there are about 100,000 users of medical marijuana in the state, but another half million are expected to start legally lighting up recreationally. and that's not even counting tourists. >> it's the next vacation destination, no doubt about it. we get so many phone calls a day. i would say we're getting about

50 phone calls a way. >> reporter: the u.s. department of justice says it won't try to shut down the industry, but banks aren't taking marijuana retailer's money at lease of now. but john for one thinks other states will soon see dollar signs through the haze. >> colorado will be one of the rich estates eventually, that everyone will follow suit if they can. >> reporter: so while there are questions about how legal weed will play out here in colorado, it is safe to say hopes are high. the world's first-paying passenger flight was launched exactly a century ago. to mark the anniversary, reenactmentments are taking place in florida.

a replica eventually took off. in 1914 the plane could only ferry one passenger at a time, and there were no security checks either. promise of new technology. we take a look at what will be big in 2014. and in sport, why this footballer is being compared to lionel messig. >> 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.

welcome back to the news hour from doha on al jazeera. i'm steven cole, delegations from both sides of the conflict in south sudan are in ethiopia for planned talks, but fighting goes on, meanwhile, thousands of government troops have arrived in the town of bor in an attempt to retake the city.

russian president has visited the southern it is hit by two suicide attacks. 34 people have been killed and dozens more have been injured. let's go back to our top story. the author of from revelation to independence is here joining us live from london. matthew this was considered to be all about ethnicity, the conflict, but is it reallying a power struggle l in the world's newest country? >> it is very much a political power struggle rather than an ethic confrontation. >> well, surely the rebels and the government forces are divided ethnically, aren't they? >> there are ethnic elements to what is going on, but certainly the government makeup is quite

heterogene us. and on the other side, if you will, it is certainly more complicated than just two sides actually. you also have quite a mixture of individuals who hail from different communities. >> different communities, just tell us a bit more what you mean by that. >> well, i mean, it's -- if the situation isn't a clear-cut two ethnic groups organized with leaders as leaders of those ethnic groups opposing each other. certainly the situation is more of the kind where you have political leaders who have affiliations with tribal groups, and in certain cases, some of those associations, those identities are being instrumentalized as a part of the political confrontation that is occurring, and in the end it

is important to maintain focus on the fact that this is a political confrontation, and those who are opposing or challenging the government were members of the government up until recently. so this is a political confrontation after the future structure and politics in the state of sudan. >> indeed. the un is extremely concerned, reacted unusually quickly for situation elsewhere in the world, is that because the level of violence is so high that it is sending the message that the country is hurdling towards a civil war. >> i think the level of violence is dangerously high, and in a lot of cases it is not a situation where the groups defined as opposition groups,

who is in control and of what? in that sense i'm sure the united nations is very concerned of who is in control and of what, and the consequence of much a messy situation and the region is facing several challengest at the moment. >> yeah. is it clear -- i have to interrupt, because we have run out of time, but what is the intent of the rebel leader? he says it is a power grab. but he has talked already about heading towards the capitol. he might be trying to bolster a negation -- negotiating position. do we know what that is? >> well, we don't know what the

intent of the leader is -- >> the is the main leader, isn't he? >> he has certainly taken on that figure and mantra. granted the leadership on the ground where forces are actually engaging is a lot more complicated than that. i can't imagine how difficult these negotiations will be, because this is not a conventional two-party situation where you have easy confessions that can clearly be made. i think the government still sees this as a criminal action. >> all right. thank you for joining us. work restrictions have officially been lifted for migrants from romania and bulgaria across the european union. >> steven thank you. yes, the united kingdom has accepted some of the first migrants from the two newest members of the trading block.

it's a politically sensitive issue here in the uk. now the imgrants were welcomed to the country, by british mp's and explained why they made the move. >> i go to work. tomorrow i work. >> do you have a job? >> yes, wash car. it is not a great job, but i come to -- down to make it big here, because i know i have very exciting, and i don't know, maybe the best choices make for this year. >> there are some opportunities in norway and denmark, but you have to learn the language. english is our language. >> some members from romania and bulgaria, but latvia has become the 18th nation to join the

euro. people marked the end of their currency at the stroke of midnight. but not everyone is convinced that it is a move for the better. [ cheers ] >> reporter: braving below zero temperatures, latvians in the capitol of rega ring in 2014. marking the beginning of a new year and new currency. the prime minister is making the first withdrawal of euros from a cash machine. [ cheers ] >> first it is going to help us reduce interest rates. second we are a very small and open economy, we do about 70% of our foreign trade in in euros which means we spend a lot

converting back and forth. >> reporter: latvia gained independence in 1991. but that doesn't make the adoption simple. not everyone is happy with the currency change. there has been a big government publicity campaign to inform people about the euro switch. >> translator: i started with a pack of euros and that is it. >> i was prepared for the euro. >> translator: i'm not ready. i thought lats would last forever. >> reporter: businesses have been displaying prices in euros and lats since september and will be forced to continue for another three months. critics say they never should have moved to what they call an unstable currency.

>> those who have joined the euro zone have ended up in in an economic crisis. >> reporter: the euro change is symbolic too. well in greece, the celebration of a new year has brought hope among its people and taking over the presidency of the eu. hundreds of athens residence defied the cold to watch fireworks. crowds said they hoped 2014 will bring with it an improvement of the country's crippled economy, and a reduction of employment currently at 27%. as 2014 gets underway, the eu and the euro zone still have problems to solve. debt has reached nearly

$16 trillion. cyprus, spain, greece and portugal are still paying out billions in international bailout loans. more than 70% of spaniards predict bleak times ahead. and also as we have just mentioned there are disputes across the continent over how to deal with immigration. for more on this, we're joined by steven barber a political economist from london's south bank university. thank you so much for joining us. i guess the main problem still has to be tackled by the eu. what have they learned from 2013? >> we're no longer talking about serious break of the euro zone as we were perhaps 12 months ago. so it is a healthier and happier

place than it was a year. >> is that because the systems put in place are working? >> yes, over the course of the last two years or so, there have been a number of innovations in particular bolstering the power of the european central bank to intervene in the bond markets, and they factor taking control over fiscal policy as well. greece, italy, france, spain, what do you think the flash points might be? >> the likelihood is it is moving into growth. but beneath that there are more positive stories, but you are quite right, france looks like it is moving backward. italy has very different sort of issues, the kind of political

problems that we saw in 2013, there is all sorts of institutional reform there, and debt levels which are very, very high. >> and not going down at all. no, and growth helps that, but that's where you see growth within the euro zone. if we look back to 2013 there were a number of flash points, including the bailout of cyprus. but the institutional changes meant that on the whole the euro zone road out those storms, and the likelihood is it will do the same thing again in 2014. the new crisis seems to be more of a political crisis than an economic crisis. >> for a lot of countries, now, the eu is hugely unpopular, and they still see the eu has

lacking popularity. >> yes, i think that's true. and what we're seeing is the potential rise of populous parties across even here in the uk. even kind of popular uprising of those sorts of parties, could put real political pressure on this project. >> steven barber, thank you so much for joining us. >> yes. and that is it for me and the rest of the team in london, now back to steven in doha. >> barbara thank you very much. every household in the indian state of deli is set to receive water every day. but not everyone is convinced it will solve deli's water supply

problems. >> reporter: the state is trying to regulate how much water people like this can consume. he is offering 670 liters of water for free every day, but only if she caps her water usage at that amount. in modern india that's difficult. >> translator: these days we all use a lot of water. i have a water filtration system and also washing machine, now even toilets consume a lot of water. >> reporter: the government has promised regular water supply to housing communities like this one in the hope of better managing consumption, but critics describe this approach as a matter of misplaced priorities. they say the real water supply challenge lays in places like this. a tap with fresh running water

for this woman is a luxury. she describes cleaning, cooking, and bathing with just a few buckets as a daily struggle. >> translator: sometimes we get supplies from water tanks. if they don't come, we go to a nearby temple or houses and fill up buckets and bring them home. there is no regular water supply here, and we have a lot of problems. >> these are the new meters which have been installed. >> reporter: this man has studied the water system for years, he knows all too well how precious these devices are. in india, a government issued water meter is a stamp of luxury. >> if there is a policy that needs to actually raising the

demand without looking at what is the level, it is going to create problems. >> reporter: despite economic divides, households across know how precious water is. but millions of people are once again talking about who has it and who doesn't. coming up all of sports news, and we'll be telling you what psg are getting up to in their winter training break in the desert. ♪

innovations in technology promise to change the way we live work and communicate. others prove to be little more than a passing fad and quickly go away. here are some of the technologies that may change the world this year. >> reporter: 2014 will see google's glass eyewear go on sale to the public. the same goes for smart watches that link to your phone. tech giants apple, google, and microsoft will add their offerings in the months to come. some experts are also predicting

we'll see the rise of virtual coins like the bitcoin. >> the transaction fees are almost zero, and once you have the bitcoin, it is fungible. a lot of people are also seeing it as a virtual safety deposit. once you have it in the bitcoin universe, you can use it anywhere you want. >> i believe watson has the potential -- >> reporter: artificial intelligence is also set to enter every day life. ibm has given the world access to watson, the world's smartest computer, his ability to understand natural language could change just about everything. >> it can monitor what you say,

what you do, and what your activity is online. and then you can get a search energy specific to you. >> reporter: in 2013 we learned how spy agencies track us, and now there's increasing demand for secure and encrypted mobile and email messaging. this has lead to the rise of apps like snap chat. >> when you share the photo it deletes itself after the person saw it. things like snap chat are a new idea that are taking hold quickly. holographic or 3-d images are also being developed for personal video calls. they are expensive, and the advance technology needed make it inaccessible for most at least at least for now.

but many think it will become part of every day life. al jazeera's vision of sport. here is jo. [ laughter ] >> thank you very much, steven. earlier manchester city belt swansy 3-2, which put them ahead on the points. elsewhere, chelsea are at south hampton where it is also goalless. manchester united are level on points at toteham. >> they are a difficult opposition. so i think toteham have been pushing for the champions league. >> the french league restarts

next week, so in the meantime, leaders are soaking up the sun in this qatar. they are preparing to face real madrid on wednesday. but with some time to themselves the team headed to the desert and meeting the local wildlife. when the transfer window opens [ inaudible ] has urged [ inaudible ] to join him. he says it would help the french side become european contenders. it may pay to go back to argentina. the fact that an 8-year-old is already courting teams with his talents. >> reporter: this boy with the ball at his feet is a footballing phenomenon. they know that down here where he lives in the beautiful andian

town. >> translator: we were surprised. we were all surprised. it went through the clouds. the tv channels came here. it's great. let more come and find the next great footballers. >> reporter: here he has been put through the motions at one of the biggest clubs in the country. several others are also keeping tabs on the tiny talent. a spanish company is looking after his and his family's interests. and his mother is carefully monitoring his development. >> translator: we couldn't believe it. we knew he could play football but really couldn't believe what he were hearing on the phone. it is a dream for millions but claudio is living it.

>> reporter: claudio suffers from the same hormone problem that slowed the growth of the young nessie. leo nessie was whisked off to barcelona before he had the chance to play professional football in argentina. the same is likely to happen to young claudio, who shortly is off on a tour of the mayor clubs of spain. claudio still has a long way to go. for now he is entertaining his friends and family, while dreaming of a future on the world football stage, scoring goals that will excite fans in their tens of thousands. andy murray started 2014 hasn't gone as plan.

the wimbledon champion has been knocked out in the second round. he was up 3-3, when the german came back. murray's defeat came in front of former madrid lidegend. the world number 1 is set up against the player from germany. second seed is on to briton. she'll play stephanie burger [ inaudible ]. we're one day into a new year, and there has already been a new world record. the new zealand cricketer has

hit the fastest century. he hit his mark in just 36 balls. the previous record was 37 balls. and had 159 runs to level the series. over at abbudaby . . . more than 150,000 ice hockey fans are expected to cram into michigan stadium to watch the nhl's wip -- winter classic later. the game was pushed back because of last season's lockout. fans who paid for the novelty of watching a game outdoors will

have to brave frigid temperatures. 2014 will be a big sporting year for brazil. but there are plenty of other events to look forward too. south africa will feature the best national football teams, and is made of entirely of locally based teams. it is also an olympic year. thousands of athletes will compete. and for the first time, 16 nations will compete, including six associate members who have qualified. march will see the major league baseball season start in the southern hemisphere for the first time. and the big one june 12th, the fifa world cup.

32 nations converging on brazil. july, athletes are in glasgow for the commonwealth games, the largest event to be held in scotland. another event, the asian games get to underway in south korea. 45 nations will compete, and golf fans will remember the miracle of madina in 2012. and the 40th rider cup is definitely one to look forward to on september 26th. there is plenty more on our website, check out website website/sport. and of course the rugby world cup in ten month's time. >> thank you jo. the rugby world cup taking place in the united kingdom.

stay with us more news in a half an hour. four part series, as we return to fukushima only on al jazeera america many worry that the gains made in education will not stick in the future. aljazeera's jane ferguson takes us to a school in kandahar city that was long considered a success and is now facing closure. >> it's a place offering more than these girls know, a quality education in real tangible skills, a path away from positivity and early marriage and towards university and

a career. since 2002, the modern stud has been teaching women languages, like management and computer skills. that they are skills that speak of ambition which in the heart of tallle ban country is remarkable. >> we are a unique school, preparing women to go to jobs. our school is preparing women to go to universities.

welcome to al jazeera america, i'm del walters. these are the stories we are following for you. the first day of coverage under the affordable care act starts with an exemption. and legal recreational marijuana sales beginning in colorado. >> i think they are trying. they are all aware that we are here. we were put on vacation list. >> american missionaries caught up in the crisis in south sudan. they want to come home, but fear for the orphans they may have to leave behind. ♪