the show ends here, but you can join us on our website, facebook, or twitter. see you next time. this is al jazeera! ♪ hello welcome to the news hour, i'm adrian finnegan in doha , coming up on the program, celebrations as the president of the central african republic quits. but will the killing stop? thousands forced from their homes, the impact of fighting in south sudan as the government claims a new win on the battlefield. i'm in london with the latest from europe, including the ways greeks are trying to get around their job crisis. plus, the law on animal testing

in italy is about to change. campaigners say they want stricter rules, but scientists say that can hamper life-saving research. i'll be reporting on this divisive issue. >> and why the views in rio are taking the breath away for all of the wrong reasons. the pollution causing a stink ahead of the olympics. the interim president of the central african republic has resigned. she had been under regional and international pressure to step down. months of fighting have killed a number of people and forced many from their homes. but now the fear is a power vacuum could make things worst. >> reporter: this man seized

power last march, becoming the country's first muslim leader, but in the months since the commandinger came to office, violence between christians and muslims have driven almost a quarter of the people from their homes. news of his departure announced at a summit in chad was welcomed in the streets, but there are now fears that a power vacuum could make a desperate situation even worse. it leaves the central african republic in the hands of a weak government, but it's hoped his resignation may calm armed militia groups. they now have 15 days to choose another president, but that isn't much help to the millions living if -- in fear. >> it is ongoing, and we absolutely need to reach all

people at that airport. at the same time our distributions to the entired displaced community continue. >> reporter: since independence from france in 1960, there have been eight coups, but this latest crisis could be the worst yet, the country has no leadership, little chance of community and growing sectarianal violence. >> now to barnaby phillips. >> reporter: we're have crowding celebrating at the news that the president has stepped down. they say that he was a thief. but the mood here is extremely tense at the moment. we have been hearing a lot of gunfire within the last hour. it's not certain whether that is sell la brat tore gunfire or if something else is going on.

it's far from obvious that there is any individual who can unit the central african republic at this point in time. >> and barnaby phillips is with us now on the line. he has been unable to hold the rebels in check that lead to the deadly cycle of attacks we saw in that country, now, i suppose we wait to see what they'll do next. >> reporter: yes, it's a very frightening power vacuum now. the president's fall of power has been nothing short of disastrous, even by the miserable standards of this country, and the fear of many is that sectarian conflict, which you alluded has really poisoned the atmosphere between christians and muslims. there is a lot of hatred and fear here, and pulling back from

the brink is going to be difficult. >> so the celebrations we saw in your report perhaps might have been a little premature. >> reporter: well many are happy that he has stepped down, but that doesn't necessarily mean that things are going to get better. my over all impression here -- perhaps in those pictures you saw a hundred or 200 people is that most people are staying at home trying to work out what is happening. in the last hour we have heard a lot from the neighborhoods from the capitol, we understand that was between selica militia and the french troops. this is a very telling and distressing scene, we saw

truckloads of people who we were told were chadians. they certainly looked like muslims to me being escorted out of one neighborhood, we assume to an area of safety, and there were hundreds of people who presumably were christians standing by the road cheering and jeering. so it's a very unpromising situation. i think everyone here understands that the international community is going to have to react extremely quickly. there's nobody nationally who can unite this country, and the african troops and other troops are welcomed by most people, but it is probably not enough. we're talking about 6,000 people across a big country, and of course the trouble in recent weeks and months has not just

been here in bangi. >> thank you very much. the rise to power was a turbulent time for the central african republic. the rebel group he lead mostly selica took over large parts of the country. a failed peace deal followed. by march they had taken the capitol and overthrown the former president. but it wouldn't be the last time we would hear from him. he was sworn in as president and the in the former month he announced the selica group would be dissolved, but france was warning they were on the verge of genocide as christian groups took up arms against the selica arms. in december an explosion of violence forced tens of thousands of people to flee their homes to shelter at un bases where they remain.

joining us live now is the director of the central africa project for the international crisis group in nairobi. are you surprised he has given in to the pressure put upon him to resign? well, there has been actually a lot of pressure from the economic community of the central african state but also from chad actually for him to resign. basically sanctions because -- because of the escalation of violence, and because the transition last year has been a complete failure. so now we are going to have a new transitional services, and of course we're going to see if -- who is going to join actually, and if the transishal

government is going to be recomposed more or less. >> should selica and ballca be included in any knew transition? >> well, we see this is quite possible. it seems that [ inaudible ] is basically a repetition of the last december [ inaudible ] -- i mean the [ inaudible ] in december 2012. at that time, also former president and the selica leaders were summoned by the region and a solution was imposed on them. the solution was to create an inclusive government. so the outcome of this is now the new -- probably a new transishal government but enforced in the very same way,

so we may have some representatives of the anti-selica groups, and i know [ inaudible ] was invited, so we see a preindication. but what is more mysterious to note is the selica commanders are going to be accommodated, and this is of course a big question mark because as it was said this is going to be a key element for the selica fighters gathered, and i know that the french and the african peace keeper that had been put on high alert. >> okay. so what happens while all of this is going on? while this interim administration is put into place? the president is gone, the prime minister is gone, and with the ethnic and religious complexions to the violence that we have seen in the country, is it up to the international community to get involved here? to move quickly?

what about the french? >> well, the french are actually playing a military role for the moment, and i don't think they want to play another -- another role. there have been of course some consultation between the central african countries and paris about -- about the fate of the president, but i don't think that paris wants to engage politically speaking with that problem, and they also paris is also quite reluctant to send additional troops in central african republic. so for the moment it is playing a low profile, and it's really the central african region who is trying to engineer the political solution, because what was missing after the deployment of the french soldier and the

african peace keeping was really a political settlement. maybe the [ inaudible ] is the beginning of this political settlement, but i think it's too early to say, and we need to know more about the composition of the new transitional authority. >> okay. many thanks indeed. across the border in south sudan, government forces have regained a northern town held by rebels loyal to the former vice president riek machar teny. it recaptured a crucial oil-producing region. oil production has been down some 20% since the beginning of the conflict. so what is the latest you are hearing? did rebel forces withdraw ahead of that government advance?

>> reporter: government officials saying they are very happy. they are saying this could give them an advantage at the peace talks happening in neighboring ethiopia. people were saying it seemed the rebels didn't put up much of a fight when the army came into the town. the key people are waiting to see is what will his next move actually be? another concern for the go of course is it's all very well to retake this area, convincing people that it's safe to go home is another challenge. a lot of people are waiting for any plane to come and get them. people don't feel safe enough to go back to their homes. >> is this move, though, going to give any impetus to those ongoi

ongoing peace talks? >> it might, because it means maybe the government has the upper hand. these people have been through sickling of violence before, they know signing a piece of paper and agrees to peace won't solve the problems they actually have. they have seen it before, a paper signed and a couple of months or years later fighting erupts all over again. they want their leaders to get into the root causes of these problems. it's a power struggle, issues of behind the scenes ethnic power lines. there's no guarantee that a peace deal will last. >> all right. let's get the latest on the peace talks from mohammed who is live for us in the ethiopian capitol. any progress being made at all at these talks? >> well, adrian the mood of the

talks is one of optimism, and particularly among the mediators from south sudan's neighbors. they are engaged in amending a draft ceasefire agreement that they have circulated earlier on in the day to delegate from both sides, and the negotiators from both the go and the rebels have given them their feedback and their objections to some of the clauses in the argument, and right now they are involved in trying to find peace between the two parties, and if they do that, we could have a signing ceremony really soon. >> we were hearing just a moment ago that many thousands of people have been displaced by the violence, some have fled to neighboring nations like ethiopia, what soert of help are they getting once they get there? >> well, the un refugee agency

has confirmed that refugees have entered ethiopia and put in a camp right at the border with south sudan, and in particular from the western region from most of these people have come from, because it has been one of the flash points of the fighting, where heavy fighting has been going on for the last three weeks. these people have joined already helping refugees some of them fleeing the 20 or 30 years of conflict that has been going on, and cent ethnic fighting, and being assisted by un agencies and by a governmental organization here in ethiopia.

>> thank you much indeed. still to come on the news hour, tit for tat diplomacy. and later in sport the australian open draw is now complete as the players fine tune their game. the details a little later in this the program. ♪ u.s. forces in afghanistan have accidentally shot dead a four year old boy. marines based in the province blamed poor visibility for mistaking the boy as an enemy. nato is investigating the death. and in the east two u.s. servicemen and a civilian have been killed in an air plane

crash. india is asking the united states to withdraw a diplomat from delhe. >> reporter: her arrest caused one of the most serious breakdowns between diplomatic relations between india and the united states in years. but her return to india, and the end of a month-long standoff is now in site. >> the u.s. government requested to and we [ inaudible ]. >> she was the deputy console general in new york city and was

retrospectively granted immunity. before she left she told the press trust of india, the charges against me are false and baseless. however the nanny at the center of this row stands by her accusations of mistreatment. in a statement she says . . . >> but in india, it's the government's response to america's treatment of the diplomat and not the nanny's case that has been the focus of attention. many indians have welcomed the

removal of security barriers outside of the us embassy. >> she is not an individual, she is representing india in the u.s. [ inaudible ] and i as an indian think the u.s. government is taking back steps and [ inaudible ]. >> translator: we should be treated as equals by the united states or any other developed country. we're very happy that india stood up for itself. >> domestic political pressures also played a part in the handling of this case. there will be national elections soon and politicians want to be seen as strong leaders, particularly when it comes to defending india on the world stage. the egyptian interior ministry says that 46 protesters have been arrested in opposition

rallies. police fired tear gas to disperse hundreds of protesters. violence broke out when pro morsi demonstrators marched following friday prayer. meanwhile three al jazeera journalists will be detained for at least another two weeks. they have already been held without charge for the past 13 days. mohamed fahmy, baher mohamed, and peter greste are accused of spreading lies harmful to state security and joining a terrorist group. al jazeera says the allegations are fabricated. the three are being held separately in the prison outside of cairo. israel says it is building 1,400 new homes in the occupied bank. the decision is likely to prove a stumbling block to the us-lead

effort to broker a peace deal. the decision follows the release of palestinian prisoners? late december. talks in the southern city are named at unifying groups opposed to president bashar al-assad government. >> i think we have a lot of hopes first of all. i think various people come together and opinions are coming closer. it's a great step to meet in this country here. we're grateful to the spanish government. the region government in iraq, says 14,000 people from fled from the violence where security forces have recently been involved in shells residential areas of the city.

when the shells land they land randomly, and there are areas where there aren't any militants present. they land on people who have caused no trouble. >> reporter: the vast majority of people fleeing are staying in hotels or with friends and family. officials hope they will be able to return home in a month once the situation stabilizes. italy has some of the strictest rules on animal testing, but now they are about to get tougher. for more on that we go to london. italy's parliament will introduce stricter controls and ban the breeding of animals for testing. some scientists fear important life-saving research could be

effected. >> reporter: protesters campaign for an end to experiments on animals. but the new italian law on animal testing is about to make that stricter. transplanting organs won't be allowed, and animals can no longer be bred for testing. but some legislation won't come into effect until 2017. these activists say that is not good enough. >> millions of animals die every year for animal testing, and medicines do not guarantee our salvation. in fact, in the sa law vic country, the fourth cause of death is due to the side effects of medicines. >> reporter: the home of a scientist in milan was graffitied with the word assassin. and this young italian girl

received online threats after she owed her life to medicines tested on mice. this man only had months to live before he has a liver transplant. >> translator: if the people writing these things had a child with a genetic disorder or needed a transplant would they deny them certain medicines tested on animals? >> reporter: almost a million animals are tested every year in italy. some are behavioral. the aim of tests like this is to eventually help with the research of things like autism. scientists say experimenting on animals is crucial to the advancement of medicine. but some campaigners say life can be saved without cruelty to animals. campaigners want alternative

methods like using living tissue. scientists say that wouldn't have worked for research into infectious diseases like hiv and polio. >> polio has been solved thanks to a vaccine that has been developed on the basis of research done on monkeys for many years. >> reporter: scientists say once the new law comes into effect, some labs will be to close. whatever the outcome here, this is an issue that will continue to divide italians. al jazeera, rome. the cruise ship concordia will probably be removed in june and taken to a port to be strapped. several italian ports are interested as well as

international bidders. 32 people died when the concordia ran aground and capsized in january 2012. and 23 syrian have been rescued from a boat drifting off of the italian coast. the number of people traveling by boat to italy more than tripled last year, fuelled by refugee's fleeing syrian's civil war and conflicts in the horn of north africa. greece assumes the european union's six-month presidency is job employment. >> reporter: the adrenaline is flowing, coffee island is a hit with the people at the port of athens.

it's a greek franchise born during the crisis, and this branch was born of the desperation of two sisters who couldn't make ends meet on slashed salaries. now they have 15 full-time employees. >> translator: we took a risk and we had a lot of will power. we knew we were hardworking and we weren't afraid, and we hadn't .done it we might be on the streets like many others. >> reporter: in greece it's a rare example of people creating their own jobs. nearly 28% of the work force is idol, now the state is beginning to eliminate permanent positions as well, suggesting that the standard form of salaried full-time employment is eroding everywhere. these women are among hundreds of cleaners recently laid off from tax offices.

the government said it saved millions of dollars a year to hire contractors. >> translator: they started with us, thinking that because we're low on the pecking order, we wouldn't have the strength to react. but we have proven that cleaning ladies have a lot of heart and strength. if somebody is leaving, it is not us. >> reporter: not everyone wants to understand take the risk of business, and there simply isn't enough capital to pick up labor as quickly as it is being shed. but younger more hopeful greeks are willing to take the risks more from europe a little later in this news hour. now back to doha and adreeian. still to come, a tail of two americas. we find out who is being left behind in the wake of the u.s. economic recovery.

plus -- ♪ >> -- we meet the winner of one of classical music east most prestigious prizes. and in sport, the knicks give the heat a run for their money. the details in around 20 minutes. ♪ real reporting that brings you the world.

>> start with one issue ad guests on all sides of the debate. and a host willing to ask the tough questions and you'll get... the inside story ray suarez hosts inside story weekdays at 5pm et / 2pm pt only on al jazeera america al jazeera america gives you the total news experience anytime, anywhere. more on every screen. digital, mobile, social. visit aljazeera.com. follow @ajam on twitter. and like aljazeera america on facebook for more stories, more

access, more conversations. so you don't just stay on top of the news, go deeper and get more perspectives on every issue. al jazeera america. hello, again, good to have you with us. adrian finnegan here, a reminder of the top stories this hour. the interim president of the south african republic has resigned. he stepped down under pressure after months of violence that forced millions from their homes. in south sudan, government forces have taken over a major city from rebel forces. and india is asking the

united states to remove one of his officers from new delhi. the indian consulate is on her way back to india, aftering be indicted now to felicity. france is hoping the european union will get involved to help quell the uprising in the african union who has 6,000 of its soldiers there to try to restore order. the european union is considering deployment of 700 to a thousand troops. let's start with the develops in the car.

>> well, france will be quietly satisfied with the announcement that he is leaving the position of interim president. france has argued for a long time, really, that he has been unable to control events in the country, that really he has had absolutely no control whatsoever over the violence which swept through the central african republic. now in terms of official reactions we have heard from the defense ministry and the foreign ministry here in france, both of which have said they hope to see a replacement put into place as soon as possible and in calm and secure circumstances, because of course it's the power vacuum in the central african republic which could potentially be particularly dangerous. france has had to be quite careful, not to be seen as medaling too much. and so france has made a point

that it is for the africans, and in particular central africans to decide the way away and choose an interim leader who could basically oversee the country up until elections which it hopes will take place before the end of the year. >> just how much do you think the french need involvement by the eu, and how likely is france to get any involvement from the european union? >> apart from those african troops, it has very much been the responsibility of the french to try to contain this violence, which has had such devastating effect in recent months. 1600 french soldiers as you mentioned on the ground, and who soldiers were killed in violence back in december, so france has already paid a cost in lives for its involvement on the ground. the french soldiers have very much taken the lead in securing

the airport and securing important access routes enabling humanitarian aid to come in. it is hoping if there is european involvement, it could either hand over the airport, freeing up french soldiers to do other duties elsewhere in the count think, or ask the europeans forces access to the routes. so while theeu has given financially, it is only the french who have committed troops to the ground. certainly, i think we would be likely to see an early stage logistical support from the european for maybe seeing actual forces on the ground. >> jackie in pairs with the latest. thank you. you are fully up to date with

the latest news in europe. let's return to doha and to adrian. more now on the conflict in south sudan which has forced thousands of people from their homes and across borders, more than 23,000 refugees have arrived in neighboring uganda. that's about 2 -- 2,500 a day. a refugee camp in kenya receives around 300 people a day, and cares for well over 4,000. we'll hear from them in a moment. and there are still 230,000 internally displaced people within south sudan. the picture first from uganda. malcolm works from the refugee

camp. >> reporter: these children had to run for their lives. they are already traumatized and now they have lost their parents. they are among tens of thousands of refugees who fled fighting in south sudan. after days on the road they reached this holding center. now they are waiting for help. this girl says she had to hide in the bush for three days. she said she stepped over more dead bodies than she could count. >> translator: when we crossed the river some people drowned. i got separated from my son, i don't know where he is or if he is alive. >> reporter: the other children are hoping they will find food and shelter. they are all taken to the reception center of a long-term refugee settlement. people brought whatever positions they would carry.

but they couldn't bring much because they travelled here for hundreds of kilometers on the back of trucks. they put up shelters to mainly keep the sun off. they are waiting for aide agencies to bring more supplies, and the number of people here is just going up every day. aide workers struggle to register all of the arrivals. >> the numbers are great, the need is huge, as you can look around, there are so many children who are coming without parents and so many elderly. and we need all of the support and assistance we can get. >> reporter: at the nearby health center john needs more assistance than most. he was shot by soldiers and then robbed. >> i don't know why they shoot me. they took my money and they

leave me. they go. >> reporter: he is waiting to be taken to a hospital for surgery. and like many here he blames the leaders for making civilians suffer as they struggle for power. meanwhile this woman and her children look for a place to lay down. it is tough, but it's what these people want for now. they don't seem to expect peace at home any time soon. malcolm webb, al jazeera, northern uganda. >> let's hear from now from the refugee camp in kenya. >> reporter: this refugee camp was initially set up in the 1990s to take in the influx of refugees coming in from south sudan during the brutal war between the south and north, and it is one of the saddest aspects of being here today.

when the peace agreement was signed in 2005 and after the 2011 referendum that gave south sudan its independence, many of these people were meant to be going back home, and there was an active repate ration process going on, but now we're seeing many coming back. we'll being told the majority are women and children, and they are facing many, many challenges. this is a very dry and arid area, so they are unable to plant their own food and are entirely dependent on the food given to them by external resources. and there will be increasing pressure to provide shelter and sanitation for these people. >> there is much more on our website, get a full break down

and briefing on what the conflict is all about on aljazeera.com. this morning encouraging economic news coming out of the us. unemployment fell from 7% to 6.7% with the addition of 74,000 jobs, but as john hendren reports there is a cloud behind the slight silver lining. >> reporter: from his new wine shack, nick sees two americas, those looking for a job -- >> i see a lot of kids out of college that can't find a job that are willing to work for wine store money, a lot of them. >> reporter: and then there are the customers with money to spend. >> people are not looking for low-priced items -- they are not buying regular mill, they are buying organic mill. they are buying $15 bottles of

wine. >> reporter: that confidence is born out in the polls. >> everything is getting better. even the weather is going to get better. >> reporter: however, when it comes to jobs that rising confidence comes with a but -- >> i have a job right now, so i'm okay. but you never know. and i see a lot of people still out unemployed. >> everyone keeps talking about it getting better, but i haven't seen it. >> it needs to get better. i don't want to see people out here hungry asking for something to eat. >> reporter: at here in the shopping district there is a sense of guarded optimism, but how you are doing depends on who you are. >> some people are benefiting from the economic expansion, but others are still having extreme difficulty in the labor market. the share of the long-term unemployed is still very high.

and the disparity in income is greater than at anytime. and that reflects the tail of two americas. >> reporter: one prosperous and spending the other out of resources and hope. back now to the central african republic who's interim president has resigned. he had been under regional and international pressure to step down after months after fighting killed an unknown number of people and forced a million or so people from their homes. the fear is now a power vacuum could make things worse. we were -- speaking to barnaby phillips earlier, and he told us about gunfire he could hear, he is on the line once again now. barnaby what is the latest? >> reporter: the latest is certainly in the part of the city where we are, there has

been quite a marked deterioration in the last half hour, the gunfire has got a lot closer, therefore a lot louder, and we're also hearing mortars being fired at regular intervals. we believe that this isment cooing from a selica base, that is the militia of the outgoing president, which is unfortunately close to our hotel. we're hearing french helicopters overhead and this underlines what a difficult time -- a difficult few hours and days now lies ahead for the central african republic. >> this was going to be the worry, wasn't it that news broke of his resignation, how the selica rebels would react. unable to hold the selica rebels in check apparently? >> yes, that's right. and what happens to them now is

the crucial question. many of them came down from the northern part of the country. in fact many people will tell you they were aided by people who may have come from chad and sudan as well. can they leave the city peacefully? will there be revenge attacks on them. will there be flashes with other african units or french forces? that's very uncertain. obviously i can't stick my head out of the window right now and tell you who is shooting who. whether it's selica against the christian anti-ballca mission or if it's the french involved. >> barnaby thank you. still to come, rio de janeiro's coast bay, as the city tries to clean up its act. and renaldo becomes a goal

stopper rather than a goal scorer for real madrid. all of the reaction coming up. >> every sunday night, join us for exclusive... revealing... and surprising talks... with the most interesting people of our time... >> as an artist you have the right to fail... that's a big right to have >> his work is known across the globe. but little is known about the gorilla artist behind the glasses... we turned the camera on the photographer shaking up the art world. >> 2... 1... that's scary jr... >> talk to al jazeera with jr only on al jazeera america

hello again. brazil is facing more unwelcome at tenning. this time because of water pollution in rio de janeiro. sailors hoping to compete say the city's bay is simply too dirty for sport. >> reporter: rio de janeiro is unquestionably one of the most beautiful cities in the world,

and yet, if jesus christ could from his iconic vantage point he would surely hold its nose when overlooking the bay. it's unbearable stench and debris takes one's breath away. what you see is one of the hundreds of rio's open suage canals. you can literally see the waste from people's toilets floating buy, and it goes straight into the city's only bay. a bay that some have described as a latrine. the same pal -- waters where sailing events are to be held. rio state authorities took us for a spin around the bay on one of their ten new floating rubbish collectors.

what is it designed to stop? >> all kinds of garbage that floats. woods, parts of the furniture, et cetera. >> reporter: authorities are also installing 18 barriers to stop rubbish like this from reaching the bay. but in this city of more than 6 million, where only 30% of suage is treated, these measures seem like little more than a band aid. where rowing events are scheduled the water is too polluted for swimming. >> our main concern is always the health of the athletes. >> reporter: i asked a spokesman what their plan b is if they can't guarantee sanitary conditions for athletes at the current venues? >> the sailing competitions in the bay, and plan b and c is

sailing at the bay. in an event like this, the only option you have is always the best option. we need to clean the water. >> reporter: with the eyes of the world soon to be glued on this city, optimists believe authorities will probably be pushed or shamed into taking action before the olympic torch arrives. time now for our full sports round up. >> thank you adrian. the draw for the australian open was held earlier on friday, the year's first tennis grand slam, and melbourne welcomes back the world number 1. his first round match will be a tough one, though. he is up against home favorite in the opposite half of the draw, three time defending champion aims for its fourth title here.

and the player from slovakia in the first round and number 3 seed who takes on the columbian. on the women's side, top seed and five-time champion serena williams opens against the australian teenager. the two-time champion are in the opposite half meaning they could only meet williams in the final. she faces joanna larson of sweden. the coach, sicx time grand slam champion says it will be tough. >> on a given day anybody can beat anybody. there is a season where the ranking is one and around 50, but on a good day, surprises

happen in tennis. nobody wins for sure, but this match is going to be hyped-up by all of you guys a lot, and i understand that, and i -- i will be the first one to watch it as well. >> number 5 is in to the final of the international, the lead up to the australian open. he won in straight sets in just 64 minutes. he will now face the depending champion. and on football now, the world's most expensive player returned to real madrid's starting lineup. they won the first leg of their competition 2-0. >> reporter: making his first domestic appearance of the season for real madrid. spain's world cup winning captain quickly reminded fans his ability by speaking out.

real supporters have seen plenty of this man this season, and the french host the league. christiano renaldo was free, but stopped short of the keeper. and then playing up the young spaniard. real had a chance to get a third but renaldo got in the way. real madrid having to settle for a 2-0 first leg victory. richard parr, al jazeera. manchester city fielder has been named the african footballer of the year just a day after he helped his side to a 6-0 win. the 30-year-old has claimed the

consideration of african football's top prize for a third straight year, edging out fellow countryman and the player from nigeria. >> i'm very lucky today, and what i'm doing now, i'm doing very well, and i'm very happy with that. the miami heat were beaten by the new york knicks on thursday. the knicks are proving to be the [ inaudible ] team with a fourth win in their last five regular season meetings. even the league's mvp adding 32 points for miami his side web down. [ inaudible ] was the star for new york with 29 points and 8 rebounds. and that's it for me. >> thanks indeed, that will do it for the news hour. we'll update your top stories in just a few moments on al

jazeera. don't go away.

>> welcome to aljazeera america. i'm del walters and these are the stories we're following for u a disappointing jobs report will have reaction from the white house. targeting much worse than expected. 70 million customers are affected. declaring nine counties in virginia disaster areas. stunning news from the labor department today. the economy adding a disappointing 74,000 jobs last month. that is well below forecast. the unemployment rate may