>> issuing an ultimatum in ukraine. opposition leaders call for an early election. they want an answer from the government in 24 hours. a live look at kiev where protesters are back out at this hour. >> translation: and i am here to convey my people's message of

trip, engagement, cooperation and peaceful coexistence. >> iran's president addresses the world economic forum in davos. days after sanctions were eased from his country. >> it can be an apartment. i don't care. i want somewhere to live. >> a little girl's dream to have a roof over her head. looking at homelessness through the eyes of a child. and an iconic statue of jesus damaged by a lightening strike. what they are doing to repair the damage down. -- the damage that was done. >> good morning and welcome to al jazeera america. i'm stephanie sy. the political crisis in ukraine is spiralling out of control. you are looking at live pictures from the cap fall kiev. this is the fifth day of violent

clashes in the city's main square. opposition leaders called for elections immediately. talks ended wednesday. one opposition leader said the government has 24 hours to prevent a blood shed. both sides say talks will resume. >> government forces stepped up their crackdown, closing off streets and firing a water canon at protesters. today's talks could be the last chance to slow the conflict. >> as mourning dawned, there was a sense of relief from the people here. nothing is happening overnight. violence escalated on wednesday. two were shot dead by police in the streets, a few metres away in independence square. protests have been peaceful. they are suring up for a battle.

there are rocks at every barricade in preparation for an assault by police. they thought that might be coming. the question is what happened politically. the leaders of the opposition scheduled to meet with viktor yanukovych or his representatives at some point to find a political solution to this problem. the meeting yesterday did not go well for 3.5 hours, all three came out with not optimistic prognosis. they gave the president 24 hours to find an end to the crisis, but there didn't seem to be a simple end to the crisis. the opposition demands remained the same. they threatened a general strike, it's unclear whether they could deliver that. it's all to play for. the ukrainians say he fought for democracy and their lights.

they didn't want to turn into a dictatorship. this is what this is about. an interesting 24 hours ahead as they tried to find a difficult situation. they had burning barriers. with sticks and stones. >> is >> that was jennifer class, a peaceful protest that began two months ago, escalating into a civil war. >> what is wrong in ukraine, why we want the revolution. what was wrong in ukraine. this is what is wrong. the government is against people. look at all. who are they. who are they? is there a criminal. they want violence or something like that. these are ukrainian people. and what is government and services doing.

those criminals. they are - the police officers are ukrainians too, and here is ukrainian. the government makes them, you know, quarrel and fight. >> yesterday in ukraine was supposed to be a day of unity. a mexican national was executed in texas despite international exceptions. 46-year-old edgar tamayo was convicted of killing a police officers 28 years ago. his lawyers charge he was mentally challenged. secretary of state john kerry asked texas to delay executions. edgar tamayo was put to death after the supreme court declined to stay his execution. 509 people have been executed in texas since the death penalty was reinstated there in 1967. israel said it stopped a planned

al qaeda attack. three palestine men are under arrest accused of plotting a suicide bombing, along with other attacks. they were recruited by an al qaeda operative based in the gaza strip. the state department has not been able to verify the games. >> a winter storm dumped a foot of snow across the north-east and millions are dealing with freezele subzero temperatures. more than 3,000 flights were cancelled across the country. >> drivers on long island in new york were stuck sitting in traffic for hours. folks in pennsylvania are looking at the bright side of snow. kids were provided with a perfect sledding. i'll do that later with my daughter in central park. temperatures are cold with the snow. what's it looking like, nicole.

>> i was think the the kids looked like adults. you may notice that it's so cold out there, the know shouldn't melt, but it's disappearing. i'm from minnesota, and you'll see it on the road. a day or two after the know storm, it's dry as a bone. definitely we don't have the temperatures. look at the northern tier. if you remember back to science class it was a process where a solid skips the liquid and goes to a gas. it takes a couple of conditions for that to happen. you have the drier air and snow with moisture. you have a possibility with that evaporation process. we have windy conditions.

chicago, already in the top 10 for snow, because we had so much. we'll see some of it go away. goodnight the front there's high pressure. it accelerates the process, giving energy for the snow to evaporate without going to the liquid stage. it will shrink, but we have a couple of days to play with it. as we get to the midwest we have snow areas, but it tried out gantly over the last couple of days. >> one place of concern, with the front in texas is you could bet cold air. but later we'll watch for freezing iran. >> the united nations chief negotiator will hold separate talks with warring sides in syria. lakhdar brahimi wants to negotiate willingness to sit the the negotiating table.

both sides were in switzerland to lay ground work aiming to talk about the syrian war. >> if you're syrian, you fight for syria. >> people are dying. >> no. >> >> at all levels the man in that exchange was a pro-syrian journalist, a member of the syrian opposition. representatives of syria's opposition are scheduled to meet tomorrow. they'll attempt to find a diplomatic solution to the syrian government. the u.s. military changed its tone. the pept says the new proto -- penalty says the new -- pentagon says the new rules will allow

their members to have religious beards or items as long as it does not impede flak jackets. >> president hassan rouhani is using his trip to switzerland to meet with oil companies. hassan rouhani says iran is ready to engage with the international community. >> i hereby announce that one of the theoretical and practical pillars of my government is constructive engagement with the world. without international engagement object tists such as growth, creativity and quality i are unobtainable. >> hassan rouhani stated that iran would not pursue nuclear weapons, and the counter agreements are preluds. he said the u.s. and iran could rebuild the relationship with mutual ests from both sides. >> a public forum will be hosted

on his website. and he'll chat about president obama's recent remarks on limiting the intelligence agencies international release. >> this is the website where former n.s.a. contractor edward snowden will answer questions live about the government's secrets he leaked to the world. >> it is our firm position that he ought to return to the united states and face the charges against him. >> the spying program are now under heavy scrutiny. in a report due out a government task force is expected to recommend that a security agency stop collecting phone records. the privacy and civil liberties oversight board says the government should purge his database. president obama laid out reforms, but stopped short of getting rid of those programs.

>> we cannot laterally disarm agencies. the review group turned up no indications. >> verizon reports that it received more than 1,000 requests. that was just last year. >> it was tracy potts reporting from washington d.c. meanwhile, the justice department is bringing charges against a private firm vetting edward snowden. the lawsuit claims united states investigations services filed hundreds of thousands of flawed background checks and billed the government millions in application fees. in the next episode of "talk to al jazeera", jim abe ram son talks about edward snowden, and how she rates the obama administration on transparency and relationship with the media. that'll be this sunday night. "talk to al jazeera" 7:00 pm eastern. >> the ceo of nissan talks about

his company at the live economic forum in davos. >> today he's a hero. >> a devastated mum remembering her little boy, an 8-year-old who sacrificed himself to save himself from a fire. >> repairing christ the redeemer. a 10-storey statue in brazil stopped by lightning. >> the youth movement has been slow to bid at the australian open. >> you are taking a live look at the situation in kiev, ukraine, where protests seem to have calmed down after days of violent clashes with police.

spa >> >> west virginia health officials say the water in charleston is safe to drink. this despite news that a second chemical spilled into the elk river nearly two weeks ago.

freedom industries notified the stit about the chemical found in felt-tip pens. the water authority says it's liking it was filtered out. the water supply of over 300,000 people was affected. al jazeera will share of the results as soon as they become available. >> some of the biggest movers and shakers on the planet are in davos. >> the annual meeting is attended by business leaders. they focus on fixing some of the world's biggest problems. >> ali velshi, the host of "real money" on al jazeera america, is in davos with a special guest. carlo, the chairman and ceo of nissan. >> good to see you. we are in europe's highest city. it's the world's diplomatic

forum. you have binyamin netanyahu and hassan rouhani, both here. the ceo of nissan and rehn all the are here. not many people run two different companies, he was a major player in iran's auto market. he had the 10th biggest automarket. that changed under sanctions. you can get enos and other cars not made. >> after the sanction, it was the last round of sanctions everything stopped. as you know, we were sending parts to iran. assembled by iran car makers, but you could not get paid. it didn't make sense to send parts, as long as you were not paid. hopefully when the sanction is relieved, and everything is taking place, it makes us optimistic, cautiously optimistic about the fact that the sanctions will be eliminated when you resume delivering parts

to an iranian partner. >> the outo mobile industry - this is a massive car market. being a big player, do you anticipate them being a big player. >> with the sanctions, the local car manufacturers figured out how to produce and sell 600 to 700 cars a year. it's the largest market in the middle east. i think with the elimination of the sanction i'm expecting this to double. and the market will go to 1.5 million cars a year with the intention to grow regularly. >> that's why all car makers are interested into the potential of the iranian market. obviously when the sanction will be elim nayed. >> i was in detroit at the auto show and talking about autonomous cars, and everyone hedged and hummed, us guys are on record saying by 2020 you'll sell an autonomous car. tell me about that.

>> i'm repeating it. by 2020, we'll have an autonomous car. this has tremendous advantage, first, in terms of safety. 90% of accidents on the road are due so human rear. a lot of people lose their driving licence after a certain age. as you know, our life expect si is going up. we want to establish the possibility for senior people to drive a car. on top of this, people on average spend two hours a day in a car. during the two hours, they don't do anything. autonomous cars allow you to gain back two hours, conferencing, working, reading. it's a tremendous potential in terms of quality of life, and safety. >> you sell cars around the

world. the imf came out with a new projection for the world. the u.s. will achieve 2.8% gdp growth and europe has bottomed outside. japan will be the same as last year. does that jib with what you are predicting. >> we are predicting another record year. 84 million cars? 2014, and i think practically all the markets will be growing, even europe, which have been decreasing for the last five years, forcing a growth of 1%. >> carlos, you are brazilian of lebanese extraction, running a french and japanese automaker. the next head of nissan, you think should be japanese, tell me about that. >> every car makers needs a top diversified executive team. >> really diverse. >> i would like to diverse the

team. a diverse team would do better decision, except that we doan want car maker to lose its identity. it is good to have an alternates. it's good to have somebody who is local, to remember the car company that it has a busy culture and a home. in the case of nissan, the home is japan. >> it's not an indictment of you. >> no, this is to say with equal potential, with equal talent and expertise. >> you were kind. in your words towards the u.s. automaker. many of us suspected that they wanted you to run. how do you fill about the u.s. automakers. >> they are doing better. doing better. >> i think we'd have to count with them both in terms of product and technology and strategy. it's fun, it's for the best

benefit. >> always a pleasure to see us. back to you. >> ali velshi with another interesting conversation out of davos switzerland. and ali will be in savos, covering the forum all week. you can catch the fascinating interviews here on al jazeera. >> for now, let's look at the temperatures. definitely cold after the last round. we have cool temperatures anywhere to atlanta. because of the pressure changes with the snow storm and the next system, it kicks up the wind. we have wind chills, 20 below in parts of the midwest. sneaking below zero. that's what you need to watch. that's what it feels like on your skin. it makes you hypothermic. things of that nature.

temperatures don't warm up. all the way south or a single digit wind chill as far south as oklahoma. i do want to note that as we get into the date friday, there'll be more cold in the air. look at the break for the midwest. after wind chills 20 below, above freezing. t-shirt whether. one other part of the country. the west coast, mild, above average in places like los angeles. some of the warm air is contributing to a new fire danger. >> met life stadium cruise got in a practice run, removing a foot of snow from the stadium. n.f.l. executives say if a similar store came the day before the super bowl it would be taken at the time. the n.f.l. might move the game

to another day. we now new who will be in the finals. one will be the charm, mark morgan is here with the sport. >> in the wimness there's more parity than the men's. after advancing to the australian open final in 2011 and 2013, li na is back at the not so young tennis standard age of 31. this after almost retiring, following a second-round loss of the french open. li ended the cinderella story of eugenie bouchard, racing to a 5-0 lead, closing it out 6-2. eugenie bouchard tried to make a match of this. li completed a victory. he is 26 and 4 in the last five aussie opens. li na reaches the first final. in the other semi, rawonska was

sidelined. 6-1, 6-2. domininka cibulkova has won all but one of her matches in the tournament in straight sets. she reaches her first grand slam final. 0 and 4. we are talking about football here, and a lot of people took is further than football. >> ip was on the football showing passion. maybe it was misdirected and immature. those sorts from richard sherwin concerning the post game talking about seattle to main. the criticism rejected, being labelled a thug. >> the only reason it bothers me is because it seems like it's the accepted which of calling somebody the, "n" word. they say thug, and that's fine. that's where it kind of takes me back. it's disappointing. they know what is the definition of a thug. can a guy on a football field talking to people, maybe i'm

talking loudly and doing something, talking like i'm not supposed to. there was a hockey game where they didn't play hockey, they threw the puck aside and started fighting. i saw that and i thought, "i'm the thug, what's going on here." >> during his lengthy news conference, sherwin said if i had known it was going to go up like this, i would have approached it differently. in terms of how it took away from my team-mates. that's what i'm regretful about." >> the new york yankees opened the wallet for a picture they hoped would be a stopper at the top of the rotation. the yappingees signed a japanese player to $7 year, $155 nillion contract. >> this deal is the largest contact ever to make a japanese player.

tanaka was 24 and 0. the yankees outbid the cubs. finally. let's take a look at this, on the ice. this is carolina's. we'll take a closer look. he skates in and scores with a behind the back coal. he gets in front of the goal tender, puts the puck between his legs. gerbet enjoys working on trick shots. that has paid off the the hurricanes won 3-2. i can't see that shot enough. >> that's a good highlight. thank you so much. >> people across pakistan are holding massive demonstrations. >> what is behind the new wave of violence? >> it's so hard and so unbearable. >> the wife of a veteran killed in a movie theatre texting dispute shares her heart ache.

>> not embarrassed, i just don't want nobody to know that i live in a shelter. >> in a special series al jazeera takes you into the lives of america's homeless children to see their struggle first hand. >> here is a live look at the snow-covered mountains in davos switzerland. the swissal possess where the world economic forum is under way. a lot of news coming out there.

>> welcome back to al jazeera america. i'm stephanie sy, and these are the top stories at this hour. >> there have been five straight days of clashes in kiev's main city square. ukraine's stability rests on

opposition leaders, calling for elections. talks ended abruptly on wednesday, with an opposition leader saying the government has 24 hours to prevent bloodshed. both sides resumed talks. a mexican man was convicted of killing a police officers. edgar tamayo was never advised of his rights under international treaty. secretary of state john kerry asked rick perry to delay the execution. >> the icy grip as much as a foot in some areas, blanketing more than a dozen states. subzero temperatures continued through the week. massive demonstrations were held. people protesting a bus bombing that killed 25 pilgrims. >> the pilgrims were returning

from a trip to sacred sites in neighbouring iran. most of the protests taking place in kwetto. grieving families are refusing to bury their dead until the pakistani government stakes action. >> a new interim president will be sworn in. her top priority is restoring peace in the country. the united nations is warning the war-torn country is on the verge of genocide. french troops are trying to protect civilians. the french have armour and gun, but are struggling to bring peace to the country. the convoy travels to a town where the french were guarding a church. the christian militia would kill them if they left pt the brave priest is their saviour.

>> these muss limbs had no one to help them. this is why i decided knowing the possible consequences for my life. to invite them here. i went to their houses, i looked for them everywhere, and urged them to come here. >> we are told that seven people have been killed in this little town in the past few days. we are also told that the christian in the community tried to bring food and water, to help the huss limbs hiding in the church and those attacked by the anti-balaka militias. >> on the edge of the city, more trouble. the houses belonged to muslims. >> this man says muslims killed his parents. so now he says people here have decided to destroy everything belonging to muslims, so they'd all leave. the french take the man away.

but then they get called in another direction. a muslim man was murdered an hour before we got here. up the road rwandan peacekeepers try to reason with christians who are threatening another attack. a muslim watches, terrified. his family are inside the compound. it's been looted. now they want to get out of near alive. >> we don't know what to do. this is our country, but they are has angering us. we couldn't sleep last night. >> all around us people are looting the houses of muslims who fled. for months many christians suffered at the hands of the muslim led group.

>> the united nations says half the country needs humanitarian aid. another war-torn african country is criticising the united nations. south sudan's president accused the u.n. as acting as a parallel government, hiding armed rebels. a summit planned between the president and rebels has been cancel. thousands have been killed, half a million civilians have fled their homes. >> tens of thousands of platinum workers in south africa are on strike the the strikes began as unions and mining companies failed to agree on work levels. they want double the minimum monthly wage. some are calling on the government to step in and settle the it dispute. >> there's no concrete government action to prevent the kind of rolling strikes that we are seeing now for 11 months of

the year. i think government has lost control of the labour movement in south africa. >> it's the largest strike since the 2012 protest at the marikana mines. 34 were shot and killed there. >> a report from amnesty international says three years after the revolution that brought down egyptian president hosni mubarak, there's wide-scale repress. the egyptian authorities are using every available method to squash human rights. the report says egyptian authorities enacted repress legislation paying it easier to silence critics, and security forces have been given free rein and no prospect of the being held accountable for abuses and calls for the release of

prisoners of conscience. >> 17 years after a 14-year-old george stinney was sent to the electric chair lawyers made their case. is a judge must decide whether to toss out a guilty verdict. george stinney junior was executed for allegedly killing two young white girls. during his trial his lawyer called no witness and failed to cross-examine witnesses for the prosecution. george stinney junior was the youngest person executed. his two sisters and brother took the stand, hoping to clear his lame. >> an argument over texting led to a shooting at a florida movie theat theatre. a 71-year-old gunman, a former police officer, said he feared for his life. the wife of the victim says she wants justice. >> it's hard, unbearable.

>> nicole oulson is speaking out about her husbands death. he was shot and killed after an argument involving texting. >> my whole world has been shattered into a million pieces and now i'm left to put them back together. >> the suspect, curtis reeves, was angry that chad oulson would not stop texting. he opened fire an chad oulson threw a dark object at him. it was popcorn. curtis reeves said he feared for his life, raising the likelihood he'll use the stand your ground law, allowing for the use of deadly force if the person is suspended. it raised its head during the trayvon martin case. it was not used in that case. >> 23 countries have that defense. one is language, saying that one

may stand your ground. the local sheriff says stand your ground does not apply. if reeves and his attorney pursue it, it will be up to a judge to decide. >> nicole oulson says she and her husband were out on a date night and he was texting his 3-year-old child, saying giant. >> an 8-year-old died trying to save his grandfather from a burning house. the family was asleep when the fire broke out. he significantly sprang into action. >> i heard my dad yelling for help. taylor ran in there and tried to get him. >> crystal said her son was a friendly boy and wanted to grow up to be an artist.

tyler's uncle and grandfather also died in the fire. >> medical tests on a brain dead woman showed her foetus has problems. >> she is legally dead. the hospital can't do it because of a state law. her husband found her unconscious. doctors believe she is about 22 weeks pregnant. a hearing in this case is scheduled for friday. sh >> thousands of anti-abortion activists marched, marking 41 years since roe v wade, the landmark case that legalized aborgs. the theme was adoption, in an effort to convince people it can be an alternative to abortion. president obama said in a statement:

>> for most kids there is no place like home, but a growing number of children in minnesota live without that luxury. children under the age of 17 are most at risk of being homeless. in our series "being eight", diane eastabrook tells us how a child is adapting to life in a homeless shelter. >> before the sun rises on a snowy minneapolis morning. jay jakayla starts her day like most kids. but she's not like other kids, she's living in a shelter sharing a room with her mum, brother and sister. >> you're in my way. >> you're in my way.

>> the family has little money. her mother gets $700 from the state whilst enrolled in a job training program. she lost her job as a cook in a nursing home, forcing the family to move from the rental home. now magthat-tom eters are part of the surrounding. she finds comfort and friends here. >> i like it. i get to meet new people, and i get to go to activities and play games. >> jakayla's resiliency comes as no surprise to her mother. she's always like that, adapting well. it's like her parliamentary. >> but on the bus heading to school, jakayla's guard comes down as she talks about having a real home. >> it can be small, big, an apartment. i don't care.

i just want somewhere so live. >> at school the third grader focuses on her assignment. there's a pop quiz in maths on this day. >> i think i had that part (b). >> jakayla's situation is not all that unusual in minneapolis. of the 35,000 children attending public schools, one in 10 is home louse. jakayla is a good student and popular with her classmates. she laughs with her friends. still, she doesn't want then to know about her life outside school. >> i feel embarrassed - well, not embarrassed. i just don't want nobody to know that i life in a shelter. >> jakayla's mother says the shelter brought stability to the family and hopes to have a job by summer. >> we'll paint different ones. >> that means living behind the daily activities and the

friends. >> i will miss the people i met here, a lot. >> it could mean moving into a house and maybe sharing a bedroom with one person, instead of four. >> and coming up in the next hour we look at chicago's efforts to count the number of homeless people living there. >> time to look at business. the debt ceiling debate is back on. jack lewize is acting for the debt ceiling to be risen. of the treasury expects to pay more in tax refunds. >> the japanese automaker toyota held on to the title, beating out rival general motors. the company expects to sell more than 10 million vehicles this

year, the first time an automaker topped sales of 10 million. >> the chairman of nissan, and rehn all the predicts a strong year. ali velshi spoke with ceo carlos gohan at the world economic forum in kavos. >> we are predicting a record year. all the markets will be growing. even europe, which has been decreasing for the last five years. we are foreseeing a growth of 1%. >> ali velshi will have more from davos. you can see his reports on "real money." here on al jazeera. >> lenova is buying part of the server business, allowing the chinese computer maker to broaden its reach. it will

offer 7,000 ibm employees jobs. it's the second deal. lenova but the pc unit in 2005. >> wall street muddles along. the day starting at: in asia markets ended lower after factory activity in china fell to a low. european stocks are lower. >> we'll get a look at how the used hope market is faring. the national association of realtors releases home sales for december. economists expect sales but supply of single-family homes is tight. one industry watcher says first home buyers will have a touch time purchasing a home. >> the unemployment rate for the millennials is 15% underemployment. meaning they are working part-time for economic reasons.

20%. worse, is that the credit box, you know, the credit overlay, the stressful credit environment that we are this is not accommodating to first-time home buyers. >> weekly jobless claims are on the calendar. >> netflix shares are soaring after the company said it added 2.3 million customers. it's experimenting with a praising strategy and hopes to have three different options for consumers. >> china's growing economy is leaving a dirty impact in the states. researchers say air pollution from the factories made its way across the pat iffic, into california and arizona. the u.s. national academy of science says it makes up a quarter of air pollution. the pollution is a reminder that our demand for cheep imports has

a boomerang effect. >> chinese factories are churning out the latest technology, sending it to our shores, along with something less desirable pollution. >> you see the pictures of people in budget with maths on. you don't think about what comes across an o. >> steven co-authored a study finding that emissions from chinese plants manufacturing exported goods have been found in air samples on the west coast. the study looked at 2000 to 2009, with 2006 as a sample year. it could be as much as 24% that you experience on the west coast. relating to the exported goods. while the amount of chinese pollution is small, picking up

4-5%, it amounts to more each year. >> it's not just in los angeles. >> it's stopped by the rockies. the pollution is carried to the west coast. more than 6,000 miles across the pacific ocean, by westerly winds that are strongest. >> south coast air quality experts met with the chinese government to minimise export-related solutions. >> this is transported air pollution that comes to us. it's in low concentration, but contributes to the background that we would see on a clean day. we are concerned about air pollution. officials point out that pollution controls could mean higher prices. and that could cost. americans may not be willing to pay that cost. >> according to the research, about a fifth of the pollution

china sends into the atmosphere is created by factories making goods for the u.s. and abroad. >> a lightening strike damages the famous christ statue. the iconic image of brazil. crews are working to repair it and prevent future damage. >> and that latest blast of cold air has not had a lot of moisture, but could cost freezing rain. i'll have details in your forecast. >> and a look at the snow and ice-covered roads in new york city. it is 8 degrees. this is brooklyn bridge. the cold not keeping people from walking and driving across it.

cl >> welcome back to al jazeera america. just ahead - how the statue that's the symbol of brazil is

being repaired after a damaging lightening strike. first a look at where the snow and rain may fall meteorologist nicole mitchell is back. >> after the midwest and the ea we have another. it's sunking south wards, not causing problems, but reinforcing the cold air. there's a couple of problems. there's the dry pattern in the west. over the next couple of days the northern parts of california seeing the red flag fire warning. that will be one of our concerns over the next couple of days and staying dry. then in the southern interior of the country, there's a front coming through, not seeing a lot on the radar, but there's enough in this direction. cold and freezing rain. another system over the course of weekend that we are monitoring. a brief warm-up.

this area of snow hitting the midwest as we get into the friday forecast and saturday for portions of the east coast. looks like we'll stay in a snow which pattern. places like chicago in the top 10 for snow. >> indiana state legislators are trying to pave the way to celebrate christmas in public schools. they are considering a bill to allow teachers to display christmas trees and a nativity and allow teachers to teach the history of winter celebrations. some are concerned it will violate the separation of church and state. >> christ the redeemer brings thousands to rio de janeiro each year. two recent storms damaged the popular tourist attraction. brazil's government is wasting no time repairing the landmark.

>> he's christ the redeemer, a symbol of brazil. look closely. crew us are busy working on the statues hand, emergency repairs after it became a conduit for vaults of electricity. a finger on the right hand was damaged when it was truck by lightening during the storm. this is the photo of the moment it happened, shot by a local photographer who caught it on the camera. tourists were not sure what to make of it all. brazil's relationship with the icon was emotional when he was vaned illized. the statue was 82 years old. it was made from reinforced concrete. it's not the first time he suffered and needed repairs.

engineers are busy putting in lightening rods so when the next strike happens, damage will be limited. >> we'll increase the receptors crowning on the head. we will increase that and the receptors will expand as far as the middle finger, because the clouds come from the east and the finger sustaining the most damage. >> the statue is managed by the arch diocese and says tourists have little to worry about. >> we'll guarantee a good repair job and allow access to tourists and protect the statue. >> there's no telling how long the repair work will last. more than 30 workers will be assigned to the job. officials will spare no effort or cost. it is christ the redeemer and the famous symbol of the catholic country.

>> christ the redeemer is one of the seven wonders of the modern world. >> these are the stories we are looking at in the next hour. >> opposition promises to go on the attack if president viktor yanukovych doesn't call for early elections. >> iran's president addressed the world economic forum. hassan rouhani is using the trip to switzerland to meet with oil companies after economic sanctions have been eased. >> texas executed a mexican national who killed a police officer two decades ago. edgar tamayo was put to death after the supreme court refused to delay the execution. also - they represent 150,000 mothers who lost their children to cancers they believed were caused by toxins. what the mums are doing to get justice. >> some call it a school to prison pipeline. different punishments that

schools are handing out to minority student. i'm nicole mitchell, meteorologist, the bitter cold air is not going anywhere fast. that and your forecast. >> al jazeera conditions, myself and richelle carey will be back in 2.5 minutes. >> al jazeera america is a straight-forward news channel. >> its the most exciting thing to happen to american journalism in decades. >> we believe in digging deep. >> its unbiased, fact-based, in-depth journalism. >> you give them the facts, dispense with the fluff and get straight to the point. >> i'm on the ground every day finding stories that matter to you. >> in new orleans... >> seattle bureau... >> washington... >> detroit... >> chicago... >> nashville... >> los angeles... >> san francisco... >> al jazeera america, take a new look at news.

>> ukraine opposition leaders threaten to go on the attack, giving the government 24 hours to respond to a call for an early election. >> we want to see a better future for us to be able to overcome those problems in the past. >> seeking to change iran's image, taking center stage at the world economic forum in

davos. >> reverse commuting. crossing back into the u.s. as part of the morning commute. >> if there's not enough resource to say meet the needs, that's the challenge, they will be vulnerable, at risk. >> working to end homelessness. volunteers are showing compassion to help people off the cold streets in the windy city. >> welcome to aljazeera america. i've stephanie sy. >> i'm richelle carey. the political crisis in awe crepe is spiraling out of control with the fifth day of violent clashes in the main square. government forces closed all streets, firing a water cannon at protestors. >> talks ended abruptly wednesday with one opposition leader saying they want

immediate elections. both sides say talks will resume today. the dialogue could be the last champions for both sides to slow the spiraling national crisis. >> as the standoff in kiev turned deadly, nighttime brought a fresh wave of violence. wednesday saw riot police firing toward protestors. still, they were unable to hold their ground, as reinforcements arrived on the protestor's side. >> i carried one other guy and myself from the front line. he was shot directly in the heart and he died. >> as the man's body was brought out of a makeshift hospital and driven away, some said it would only make them more determined. >> even with this killing, they won't stop the protests. many more people will come in response. >> i'm scared, because of what's happened, but i'm more afraid of

our future under this government, which is criminal and lawless. >> wednesday, the president did hold direct talks with opposition leaders, aimed at ending the crisis but there was no conclusive outcome. >> for four nights, this has been a battleground. it's hard to say right now exactly how or when the violence will end. >> so far, the fighting's happened in one small area of the capital, but the protestors are angrier than ever, promising to stay put. aljazeera, ke kiev. >> joining us now from kiev is jennifer glass. good morning. this appears to be the calm before perhaps another storm. what are you hearing today there in kiev? >> that's right, just in the last two hours, there's ban mall break through, one of the opposition leaders went to those

front lines where since this morning, tires have been burning in a barricade between police lines and protestors. he spoke to the he's, asked them to calm down, and then negotiated a ceasefire protestors until 8:00 local tonight. that's just in the afternoon your time. we have seen for the first time in two days, the dark smoke in the skies of the ukrainian capitol, so at least for now a small ceasefire as opposition leaders and the government try come to some sort of political solution. >> jennifer, and clearly the opposition listens to him, because it does appear calm in this live picture we are seeing in kiev. what about the u.s.? i understand there's been reaction to the latest violence in ukraine.

>> that's correct. it won't tell us which ukraineens go to the united states, the united states said some visas have been revoked. >> it appears that we have lost jennifer glass's live shot there, but we are apologize for that and we'll continue to follow the latest on ukraine. >> massive demonstrations across pakistan today with people protesting following a bus bombing tuesday that killed 25 shia pilgrims. >> they were returning from a trip to sacred sites in neighboring iran. most of these protests are taking place where many of the victims were from. the grieving families are refusing to bury their dead until the pakistani government

takes action. >> israel claims it stopped a planned al-qaeda plot to blow up the american embassy in he will ave. three men were arrested on christmas day, accused of plotting an attack on the embassy an other targets inside israel. the palestinians were rehe throughouted from the gaza trip. there are no plans right now to evacuate personnel at the embassy. >> this is the latest in a heated debate between israel and e.u. with the e.u. threatening sanctions if zeal continues to build jewish settlements. >> an iranian president is addressing leaders at the world economic forum in davos. he took center stage today using his speech to promote economic

development and peaceful coexistence with tehran. we have the latest from davos. >> we've heard it described as perhaps the most significant speech to take place here in years, and that's because this was president of iran, the first leader to appear here in davos in a decade. it was perhaps his most significant public effort since his august election to put forward a friendly face of iran, to put forward the message that iran is open and willing to do business with the world. it was a speech that had themes of construction and interaction with the international community and key throughout the whole thing was investment. this was a call for business. he will be meeting with the chiefs of the big oil company,

all meeting here and ask them to come help revive iran's much flagging oil industry. it's exports halved as a result of sanctions. he wants them back in there, and the message, of course, is we will, as he said in 30 years time be one of the leading economies in the world. all of that presupposes that sanctions will be lifted, so the message from him in that speech is that he fully backs the nuclear process that of course started in november in geneva with confidence-building measures, a six month interim agreement that would lead eventually, they hope, to a final solution and a full lifting of sanctions. implicit in this business drive then is his full support for that. it was a speech that there was something in it for just about everybody although as they watched iran's political reemergence in the world, saudi arabia and israel would have taken something quite different away from it. >> reporting from davos.

>> edward snowden will be posting a public forum on his website thursday, taking questions from twitter with the hash tag ask snowden. it is the second he has hosted since he released classified documents on the n.s.a. last june. >> the white house is forming a new task force to fight sexual assault on college campuses. the president said young people need to realize that sexual assault is unacceptable. the white house found one in five female students are victims of sexual attacks but only one in eight victims report it. >> michigan's governor announced a plan to help detroit's financial troubles. the 350 million plan would give aid to the city's art museum in cash-strapped public pensions. detroit is working through a bankruptcy to help recovery

$18 billion in debt and liabilities. >> there are reports the f.b.i.'s been questions mayor down zimmer's staff in hoboken new jersey, related to allegations that chris christie's office threatened to cut off sandy relief funds unless she backed a construction project. the office said federal investigators conducted them not to conduct interviews. federal investigators asked them to keep emails and documents related to the investigation. >> that snow that blanketed much of the east coast is slowly starting to disappear despite bitter cold temperatures still gripping a large chunk of the country. >> it is so cold, i don't know how that's possible. let's bring in meteorologist nicole mitchell. >> it seems a little counter intuitive. it's that cold, the snow can't melt, so it's just going to stick around. that's no the what happens.

if you like to play in the snow, you want it to stay around longer. the kids have been enjoying it. i usually notice in minnesota more on the the roads than anywhere else, but they don't plow all the way to the edges, but after a couple of days, you can see the snow receding off. what that is with that? >> we saw the snow in the northern midwest and mid atlantic northward, any signs of warming temperatures in the region are not there. sublimation, you can go to a gas without the liquid stage. this is a couple of conditions that help this. if you have the winds and we still have a good chunk of winds from the midwest the into the northeast. you have the dry air over the snow with moisture, the wind will stir that up, the sunshine energy helps that pros, too.

especially in the midwest, you can see a lot of sunshine now that the high pressure has replaced, so you will actually see that snow pack shrink down over the next couple which days until we manage to replenish, which actually is on our doorstep. this next front has been drier, but already by this weekend, look at another system starting to come through, so friday and saturday, more snow for some of those same areas. >> a fire is till burning at a bio diesel facility after it was rocked by several explosions. the plant in northern mississippi converts chicken fat into alternative fuels. the fire began when a fuel tank exploded. this happened wednesday morning. firefighters plan to let the fire burn itself out. no word on what may have sparked that explosion. >> bay area transit police are warning of a cop accidentally killed by a fellow officer. the shooting occurred while police were searching a home in california. investigators are not releasing

details into what happened and who was involved. this was the first on duty death in the department. >> a mexican national was executed in texas just a few hours ago despite international protest. 46-year-old edgar tomeo was convicted of killing a houston police officer 20 years ago. his lawyers argued he was mentally handicapped and did not have proper legal representation. secretary of state john kerry asked for the execution to be delayed but the supreme court denied that request. >> let's take a look at headlines around the world. the detroit news is reporting promising news for juveniles facing life in michigan prisons. a recent federal court decision may reopen their cases, leading to reduced prison terms and even complete exoneration. >> the baltimore sun reports that cameras around the city likely charge drivers millions of dollars in unnecessary speeding tickets, more than what

was previously disclosed. >> i hate those cameras. >> i do, too, stephanie. >> i guess they're an effective law enforcement tool. >> at least be accurately. >> the wall street journal has a report about the host of the superbowl and it is not new york city. it's actually east rutherford new jersey, this small town of 9,000 people. that is where met life stadium, where the superbowl is going to be played. the mayor said the nfl has given his town no love, they've all but ignored his little town. speaking of the superbowl, the nfl has now said bad weather, all this winter stormy weather could delay the game and it could now be played anywhere between february 1. >> many were not happy with this selection in the first place. >> the northeast, we get snow. it's winter. >> we'll have to wait to see what happens. >> imagine crossing borders on

your morning commute. >> some americans' daily drive to work can be longer. >> why they're living the lifestyle of living in mexico and working in the sum you. >> taking on the mafia. the pleas some in italy are making over environmental crimes they say are responsible for their children's deaths. >> our big number of the day, 2,300,000, why that boost is bad news for a competitor.

>> now to today's big number, 2,300,000, that's the number of subscribers netflix added at the end of 2013. those numbers shattered wall street expectations after the company reported fourth quarter earnings wednesday. analysts say the spike in subscribers come as more people favor netflix's flexibility over cable's, like h.b.o. and show

time. netflix now has 31.7 subscribers. that number eclipses the once untouchable h.b.o. i bet that has to do with their original shows. >> absolutely. if my sofa could talk, it would tell you i'm a big netflix fan. >> shoot. >> welcome back, i'm richelle carey. >> i'm stephanie sy. getting to work cab nightmare but imagine having to cross from one country to another to get to your job. some americans do that. we'll find out why they are living south of the barred are and working in the u.s. >> first, temperatures across the country this morning, meteorologist nicole mitchell has this. >> this could be part of the reason netflix has gone up recently, it's minus 15 in minneapolis, no one wants to leave the house. well to the south, atlanta is at

24. this is spread through the gulf coast. we've got combinations of freeze warnings and fire warnings at the same time in the gulf coast. you don't usually see those together, but it's because the dry air was also cold. you add in the wind, we have a pressure shift cranking up the wind this morning. that means the feels-like, minus 36 in minneapolis where the winds are gustier. you can get the frostbite within about 10 minutes. you really don't want to be outside exposed for any period of time. some singles and negatives into the northeast the as well. tomorrow, a brief warm up, even temperatures above freezing in the midwest. more cold air after that, so enjoy it while you've got it. >> a legal dumping of trill waste in italy's southern region has been a lucrative dirty business for the mafia type crime syndicate in the region

and the capitol naples since the 1970's. some mothers in italy say it's costing them dearly. >> traveling all the way a italy's president to look for justice for their dead children, these are some of the 150,000 mothers whose children died of cancer they say caused by toxic waste dumped by the mafia in their back yard. they now hope the president will hear their cry of help. >> we want someone to finally go to jail. we ask for justice for our land, region and our children. >> we are here to find out what was thought done in the last 15 and 20 years and find out who didn't do what they should have. our children are are the victims of a problem that's been going on for a long time. >> this is where they come from, towns surrounded by makeshift landfills filled with toxic waste dumped by the local mafia, who for decades charged

industries a fraction of the official disposal rate. the extent of the problem became clear last year when a previously secret confession by a former mafia boss was made public. he told prosecutors in 1997 that people living near the landfills were all at risk of dying from cancer within 20 years. 16 years later, these mothers say his prediction came true and their children are among the victims. they bravely faced him in a television studio and accused him of poisoning generations to come. he told them you are all going to die anyway, before storming out of the studio. >> during the meeting, the mothers asked the president to prosecute those responsible to strengthen environmental laws, but also asked him why as he was an interior minister in 1997

when the confession came but didn't do thinking about it. the penalty promised them he will take matters into his own hands in the hope to end this deadly environmental crime which has continued undisturbed for decades. aljazeera, rome. >> the mothers have asked the president to prosecute those responsible, strengthen environmental laws and visit the impacted area in the next three months. >> turning to some business news, toyota remains in the winner circle, holding its title of top automakers for the second year in a row. it sold almost 10 million vehicles in 2013, beating out rival general motors and he can specks to sell 10.3 million vehicles this year. that would be the first time an automakers topped the global sales of 10 million. >> it is official, buying the server business for $2.3 billion, the acquisition

will allow a personal equipment maker to expand. it will offer 7,500i b.m. employees jobs as part of the agreement. this is the second big deal between the two companies. lenovo bought i.b.m.'s c.p. unit. >> the s&p stands at 1844, the nasdaq at 4,243. asia, markets end the day lower after factory activity fell to a six month low and european stocks also lower. >> find out how the housing market is holding up this morning. national association of realtors released existing home sales for december. economists expect sales to post their first increase in five months but supply of single family homes remains tight and the recent winter storms may disrupt the housing sector. >> it ham percent the job market

and nobody wants to buy homes at this time of the year. the only people buying homes are investors, picking off the lower end properties, there's less and less of them. it's certainly going to contribute to the pent up demand of housing and you're going to see that roar back in the february and march time frames. >> weekly jobless claims are also on the economic calendar for this morning. >> concerns about the federal debt ceiling are back. secretary jack lew with us urges congress to raise the nation's sixteen-dollar and seven cents trillion borrowing limit before the february 7 deadline to avoid a federal default. the treasury expects to spend more money paying the tax refund in february of this year. >> the high cost of living in southern california have driven resident to say new levels of extreme commuting, but some trail blazing professionals taking the road less traveled to work. >> feed the dogs, pour the coffee, grab some breakfast, and

before the sun's up, linda is out the door. like many professionals, linda has a substantial commute to and from work, yet it requires more strategy, planning and patience than most. to understand why, i joined linda on her drive. >> good morning, linda. >> good morning, jennifer. sometimes, if it's a holiday, i can be downtown san diego in 40 minutes to 50 minutes, and other days, it's hours. >> but it's not so much the normal rush hour traffic slows her down. every day linda drives across this, the world's busiest land border. >> i live in tijuana, mexico and i work in san diego. >> so does mario lopez. he's an american citizen working in the mayor's office in downtown san diego, and just like linda, he lives south of the border.

on this night, his border crossing back home to tijuana wasn't easy. >> there's a situation this week, because the wait is so long. usually i would have just taken the freeway. >> the occasional bored are back up aside, both mario and linda say living in mexico and working in san diego is a life tile choice. based on simple math, and the desire for a better life. >> i found a beautiful home on the beach, and owning a home on the water is an amazing thing, a very special thing, and i could never afford to do it in california. >> a move to mexico can cut living sells by 30% to 40% which is why thousands of people who work north of the border are choosing to move south and commute, additionally tijuana is

evolving into a multi-cultural city. >> there's a culinary scene, craft brew scene, a wine scene. i think california in the last few years have small things to offer to locals. >> tijuana is also safer than it used to be. >> the police have been improved in the city, the security trends are very positive. in fact, tijuana as a large city actually compares very well to many cities in the united states in terms of homicidal rates. >> ken morris is an expert on the u.s.-mexico border region. he said the trend is likely to continue and that's a good thing. >> san diego benefits, tijuana benefits and the businesses on both sides of the border benefit, too. >> it feels like i could live the rest of my life here and be comfortable and take care of myself, and be very happy. >> cross border commuters finding the american dream south of the border. jennifer london, aljazeera, tijuana, mexico. >> one of the check points from

tijuana to san diego is now setting up webcams to stream live pictures of the border traffic to gauge how long the wait will be. >> tough words from oh opposing sides at negotiations to end the violence in syria. >> there were some chilly moments on day one of the geneva two summit. >> whether that could spell trouble for efforts to stop the six war in syria. >> iran's president are a has note takes the stage at the world economic forum p.m. he hopes to bring a change to the perception of tehran. >> the school of hard knocks, the policies that put some students behind bars and have critics calling for change. >> federer and nadal, names forever linked to tennis history, a rivalry renewed one more time, that story ahead. every day, someone leaves their home searching for a better life.

>> two hours in, we come upon a body. >> now, in a breakthrough television event, al jazeera america takes you beyond the debate. experience first hand the tragic journey of these migrants. >> a lot of people don't have a clue what goes on until you live near the boarder. >> six strangers with different points of view... >> i don't believe in borders. >> our government is allowing an invasion. >> ...get to experience illegal immigration, up close and personal. >> its very overwhelming to see this many people that have perished. >> a lot of families that don't know where their babies went. >> i want to make sure that her life, its remembered. >> what happens when lost lives are relived. >> the only way to find out is to see it yourselves. >> on borderland. only on al jazeera america. >> any of you guys want to come to the united states?

>> looking at a live shot of the brooklyn bridge here in new york city as people make their way to work on this bitterly cold morning. how cold is it? >> i don't know. it's depressing, i stopped keeping track. >> good morning, welcome back. >> tense talks in switzerland as opposing sides in the syrian civil war try to agree to end the blood shed. we'll break down whether any real progress can come from these negotiations. >> some say the talks were done before they even started. >> school policies that often result in students being arrested for minor violations. it's the school to prison pipeline. the obama administration has even weighed in on this. >> this is a must-see report. >> major cities facing homelessness. officials in chicago are making a push to document just how many people are homeless so they can offer up help in better ways.

>> these are interesting stories. the united nations chief negotiator will be holding separate talks with warring sides from syria. they want to gauge the willingness to sit at the table in geneva. as aljazeera reports, the summit got off to a rocky start. >> all syrian people at the moment want it to stop. >> in a condition presence that's supposed to talk peace, two sides are yelling at each other. the man is a pro syrian government journalist, the woman a member of the opposition. this may be just one moment on a conference sidelines, but in the conference hall, the diplomats are just as divided. the u.s. wants to create a transitional government and remove president bashar al assad. >> there is no way, no way possible in the imagination that

the man who has led the brutal response to his own people could regain the legitimacy to govern. >> in response, the syrian foreign minister said assad had no intention of stepping down. >> no one, mr. kerry, in the world has the right to give legitimacy or to withdraw legitimacy from a president, a government, a constitution, or a law or anything in syria but syrians. >> the opposition says the syrians are brutalized, the government accused of torturing protestors and targets population centers. the opposition called the assad regime transigent. >> i must finish my speech. >> i have to give -- >> no, no, no. >> yourself, you live in new york, i live in syria. i have the right to give the

syrian version here in this forum. >> yes, of course you do. >> the u.s. is desperate to convince syria to start listening and stop the violence. kerry is trying to do that by isolating assad. >> today, people can more clearly understand how alone assad is in standing up for himself, not for syria. the resolution to this crisis cannot be about one man's insistence or one family's insistence about cling to go power. >> assad supporters here along with their allies russia and iran aren't going anywhere, they chant loyalty to the government. a few blocks away, the opposition held a demonstration with a mock funeral. the hope here for the two sides to come closer together, but so

far, they're as far apart as ever. aljazeera, switzerland. >> here to provide insight on the second day of talks, director of the carnegie middle east center in beirut and we appreciate you joining us this morning. the obama administration first learned about photo evidence, syrian torture back in november. that is what "the new york times" is reporting. that was about three months ago, reported to the world. was the timing of that strategic to further isolate bashar al assad ahead of the talks? >> yes, absolutely. the timing is strategic and it will serve to strip away the credibility that the assad

regime has been trying to weave around its own brutality against the syrian people by saying that it is engaging simply in a war against terrorism, so that the photos clearly demonstrate that the brutality is being conducted by the regime against the syrian people. >> secretary kerry and the saudi foreign minister have been very vocal in their opposition to assad, and the saudi foreign minister actually said that bashar al assad or any of his regime symbols whose hands are stained with the blood of syrians will have no current or future role in this arrangement, talking about a transitional government. if that's the case, is there any hope of making any progress at these talks? >> i don't think the geneva two talks will result in a political transition in syria, but they

are important, because by participating in the talks, the syrian regime thinks that it can convince the international community of its narrative about the conflict being about fighting terrorism, and therefore, it's legitimacy and why assad should stay in power. at the same time, the geneva talks are the first forum bringing together the opposition and the regime in one space. although the formal venue of the talks may not result in a deal, the hope is that some back channel conversations cap at least start. >> that's what's going to happen tomorrow when those two sides are going to come together. let's talk about iran who is not there, but their voice is still being heard. of course they were invited, then uninvited by the u.n. we have been hearing from the president rouhani.

this is 2014, his twitter feed was busy yesterday. basically, what he he said is that all of us should try to stop the blood shed in syria, but add that had no outside party or power can decide for the syrian people and country. was it a diplomatic mistake to ever think to include iran or would it have been pointless and perhaps even damaging to include iran, given their interest in syria? >> i think the inclusion of iran and then the withdrawal of the invitation was more of a political move. we all know that eye rap is heavily involved in the syrian conflict and pragmatically speaking, any solution to the conflict cannot not include iran. by withdrawing the invitation, the international community is sending a message to iran that it does not yet trust its

intentions about actually wanting to end the blood shed. >> i'm going to interrupt you. i think that's the a good place, i appreciate you very much. right now, in davos, the israeli prime minister -- lets go to ali velshi. we just saw the prime ministering up the stairs there. this is much more than just about economics at davos this time around. good morning. >> much more. much more. in fact, i started calling it the world's diplomatic forum this year around so much of the news. around all the normal things, but so much of the news is focused on the iranian president rouhani and benjamin netanyahu just walked by. netanyahu did say the other day to the media that if president the rouhani wants to talk about the state of israel and israel's right to exist, he will meet him

in davos. i intended to ask president the are a was note that this morning but he canceled his morning interview so we were not able to ask him if he would meet with netanyahu. the iranians are saying they are open for business, meeting with oil executives. iran's oil producing ability has been depleted because of sanctions. they can't get the parts for the factory. they want the oil companies back in. they also want the car companies back in. before the sanctions, iran was the world's 10th largest market for auto mobiles. one company that was in there wasnault. i speck to the c.e.o. about doing, with them. here's what he told me. >> even with the sanctions, the local car manufacturers figure out how to produce and sell about 600 to 700,000 cars a

year. we're still making the largest market. i expect this to double, go to 1.5 million cars a year with the potential to grow regularly for many years to come. >> it's interesting. 1.5 million cars would be a 10th of what was sold in the united states last year. the business world is fascinated by the idea that iran might be open for business. >> it is so interesting to hear hopes expressed at davos this year, something we couldn't have imagined really several years ago. the chairman that you interviewed of nissan is predicting a strong future including a push for driverless cars. i want to hear about that. >> i was at the auto show last week trying to get people to talk about you that. most of the c.e.o.'s wouldn't. industry a understand insurance are all backing away from the idea that a car can drive itself, but cars have all sorts of pieces to them, let you park, keep you in the lane, you can

reverse without looking. nissan has said they will have a mass-marketed autonomous car by 2010. they've tested it approximate it works. you'll have to have a driver, it's like auto pilot in an airplane, but they think it will give the driver, keep them safer, give them more productive time and as people age, keep people in their cars longer, because otherwise they'd lose their licenses. >> that is fascinating. live in davos approximate can't wait to see what you come up with next. thank you so much. >> police in india say a 20-year-old woman was gang raped in public by 12 men on the orders of village elders. the attack took place and the woman punished for an unauthorized relationship with a man from another village. she was gang raped after she couldn't pay the $800 fine for being in that relationship. >> the u.s. military is changing

its tone when it comes to troops wearing religious clothing and hair tiles while in uniform. the new protocol will allow soldiers to sport religious beards and tattoos. the upon the gone said religious apparel cannot interfere with firing weapons, helmets or flak jackets. >> there is a lot more respect in the nations school hall ways than when they were kids. fewer believe parents and students respect teachers. only 31% agreed with the statement "students respect teachers." 79% say that was the case when they went to school. only 49% of adults say parents now respect teachers and they say that used to be 91%. >> the obama administration released new guidelines on how schools handle student discipline, designed to curb the

school to prison pipeline. schools say the current policies criminalize minor mishair, sending especially african-american kids from the school house to the jailhouse. the guidance comes a little too late. >> i got arrested and booked and handcuffed approximate. they cuffed me and another student up. >> an officer said they were going to arrest me. >> we sat down with one parent and two juniors at the high school to learn what happened and how it turned into such mayhem. >> i was there to pick up my twin daughters, so i'm in the car pool lane. i just saw a lot of police presence there and didn't understand why at that time. i went inside and was going to check my daughters out. they told me there was a senior day prank and water balloons. >> that's right, a massive water balloon fight is what triggered the 911 call. the police department dispatched 24 officers over the next few hours to restore order.

>> a police officer runs up behind me, a really big guy. he grabs me. i snatch away from him, and he turns me around, and grabs me by my neck and slams me on my back. i actually saw him getting picked up, slammed to the ground and handcuffed by a police officer, very, very disturbing. it was very, very graphic. >> the first thank went in my head was i can't believe i'm about to be arrested, i got to walk my sister home. >> he was not ultimately arrested, but robert brown was and charged with disorder conduct, a misdeem for. >> an administrator grabs me from behind, my shoulder, and he's like i seen you throw a wore balloon and i was like no i didn't, they take me to a conference room and tell me i'm about to be arrested. >> eight students were arrested that day, along with parent

kevin hines. hines said of a witnesses what happened, he entered the school to alert the principal. >> he radios in to two other officers and they come swarm on me and slam me against the wall. he says tase him, tase him, and at that point i said for what? for trespassing. i said i have daughters here. he was charged with trespassing. >> people might say listen, cops have no idea what they were walking into, they got calls, things sounded hectic. >> senior prank is supposed to be fun, neve hurting anybody. i didn't see anyone getting hurt by a water balloon, you know, just a little water. >> just a little water, but for these families, a life-altering impact. >> i want people to know we're not bad kids, we're not criminals, you know, we're not thieves, murderers, anything like that. we were just kids at school who got put in the wrong situation. >> coming up this evening, we

look at the discovery of the link between murder and algebra, how the math class can shape some students' lives. you can see it at 9:00 p.m. eastern here on aljazeera america. >> it is down to the final four in tennis's first grand slam of the year and two greats are set to go head-to-head. mark is here with that. >> nadal and federer i'm assuming? >> two tennis fans here? >> i always love watching borg and mcen row. >> you're dating yourself here. >> do i still do this? i guess i should. nadal and federer will renew their rivalry, federer considered to be the greatest player of all time by many and nadal set to break his record. ross shimabuku now with a look at these tennis titans. >> they are two living legends

and their numbers speak for themselves. federer and nadal have combined to win 30 grand slam titles, and their as i am my final showdown will be their 33rd meeting with nadal with a 10-2 add wrong. >> it's a great match up, you know, i think we play so different, you know, and we've had so many great matches on the big event stages, back in wimbledon in particular. here, french open, i give myself chances and was close a few times. we've had really some good ones. the u.s. open is the only one missing for us, so it's nice that we can get another opportunity to play each other here. >> at 32 years young, federer has turned back father time. because he won his first three matches in straight sets despite the heat. the quarter finals was his biggest win since the 2012 wimbledon final. federer looks like the fearer of

not that long ago, because the shots have been precise and powerful. >> it's a great run for me. i did play the finals last week in brisbon. the build up was key to get through four weeks of really just solid work, no setbacks with my back. i needed confidence with my game and that i got the last couple weeks. >> he is on the verge of making history. if he can win the australian open, he'll become just the second player ever to capture two titles at each major, joining the greats. nadal is nursing a nasty blister on his left hand and he knows federer will be fired up. >> it takes a lot to beat this man. >> these two eye consist have had epic battles and will continue their rivalry at the australian open. >> this is federer's 11t

11th straight aussie open semifinal. he won in 2010. nadal won in 2009. >> a bunch of dinosaurs, really, the women, too, right? they're all over 30. >> >> compassion and understanding as frigid temperatures grip the windy. >> i volunteers collecting information on those without a roof over their head. >> the project trying to bring an end to homelessness.

al jazeera america gives you the

>> pretty big breaking news, there could be a possible ceasefire deal on south sudan by

the end of the day. a rebel spokesperson says it is very likely that they will sign deal with the government. the fighting has been going on for five weeks, divided the world's youngest country and brought it to the brink of civil war. the unrest began with soldiers loyal to south sudan's president fighting those in favor of the former vice president. this will be developing throughout the day. we will have an update for you at the top of the hour. >> a lot of developments there. good morning and welcome back to aljazeera america. i'm stephanie sy. >> i'm richelle carey. the brutally cold weather is difficult to bear, even more so if you're homeless, it can be deadly then. we'll look at steps one city is taking to make sure they can help people. >> first let's get a look at snow and rain across the u.s. today. >> talking about that cold air, it was another reinforcing shot of all of that. you can see the next front, this isn't even the one that was a snowstorm for the east coast,

we've had system after system coming through. not only did it bring the cold air in, but a little moisture to the southern tier of the country. texas and overnight tonight, you have the cold air intersecting the warm. watch for the possibility of freezing precipitation. i'll have more on those temperatures coming up in just a little bit. back to you guys. >> being an 8-year-old has its own share of challenges, but imagine having to experience those growing pains while being homeless. as part of our special series, we spent the day with a girl who knows this firsthand. >> before the sunrises on a snowy minneapolis morning, this girl starts her day like many other 8-year-olds. >> the bus comes at 7:30, so we get up at 6:00 and get ready. >> she isn't like move kids. she lives at this homeless shelter in minneapolis, sharing a ruffle 30 square foot room with her mom, brother and two

sisters, she copies with tight quarters and little privacy. the family has little money, her mother gets about $700 a month from the state while she's enrolled in a job training program. she lost her job as a cook in a nursing home last summer, forcing the family to move. now warning signses are part of the 8-year-old's new surroundings. still she manages to find comfort and friends. >> i like it because i get to meet new people and i get to go to activities, and just play games. >> her resiliency comes as no surprise to her mother. >> she's always been like that. she adapts pretty well, pretty quickly. i think it's just her personality. >> on the bus heading to school, her guard comes down as she

talks about having a real home again. >> it could be small, big, it could be apartment. i really don't care, as long as i just want to have to live in it. >> get set anding. >> at school, the third grader focuses on her assignment. there's a pop quiz in math on this day. >> i think i parole got a b. >> her situation isn't all that unusual in minneapolis. of the 35,000 children attending the city's public schools, roughly one in 10 is homeless. she laughs easily with her friends. still, she doesn't want them to know about her life outside school. >> i feel embarrassed by it, but -- well not embarrassed, i just don't want nobody to know that i live in a shelter. >> her mother says the shelter has brought stability to the family. she hopes to have a job by summer and move out.

>> we're going to paint different ones today. >> that would mean leaving behind the shelter's daily activities and the friends she's found here. >> i'm going to miss the people who i met here. a lot. >> it could be moving into a house and maybe sharing a bedroom with just one person instead of four. aljazeera, minneapolis. >> families are the fastest growing segment of the homeless population in the united states, one in every 45 children in this country is homeless. that's a special little girl. >> right. >> within our second hour, del walters joins us. >> good morning, opposition protestors in ukraine threaten to go on the attack if the president doesn't call for early election today. violent clashes have escalated all week long. >> iran's president addressing the world economic forum this morning, using that trip to davos, switzerland to meet with

oil executives after the easing of economic sanctions. >> texas executing a mexican national who killed a police officer, put to death after the supreme court refused to delay his sentence. more news straight ahead in two and a half minutes. i'll see you then. real reporting that brings you the world. >> this is a pretty dangerous trip. >> security in beirut is tight. >> more reporters. >> they don't have the resources to take the fight to al shabaab. >> more bureaus, more stories. >> this is where the typhoon came ashore. giving you a real global perspective like no other can. >> al jazeera, nairobi. >> on the turkey-syria border. >> venezuela. >> beijing. >> kabul. >> hong kong. >> ukraine. >> the artic. real reporting from around the world. this is what we do. al jazeera america.

so many money stories sound complicated. but don't worry. i'm here to take the fear out of finance. every night on my show i break down the confusing financial speak and make it real. >> texas executes a mentally ill man who killed a cop 20 years ago. how that decision expected to strain relations between the u.s. and mexico. >> a glimmer of hope in ukraine after days of clashes between police and government protestors. opposition leaders are calling for calm as both sides gotten negotiate an end to the violence. >> china's most dangerous export could be the air you breathe. how the booming economy is

polluting parts of the u.s. >> good morning, welcome to aljazeera america. i'm del walters. we begin with an execution that is drawing international outrage, a mexican national being put to death by lethal injection in texas. he was convicted of killing a houston police officer 20 years ago, his lawyers arguing he was mentally ill and didn't have proper legal representation right after his arrest. there are fears this execution could ultimately affect the relationship between the u.s. and mexico. >> he was 24 years old when he shot a houston police officer three times in the back of the head in 1994. he was eventually convicted and sentenced to death by lethal injection. under the vienna conviction, four nationals who have been arrested have a right to

consular assistance. he was not told of his rights after his arrest. >> the mexican government up to the last minute will use all forces, resources and pressure so there is a stay of execution. at the moment, the government has not changed its position. he is being processed and i want to in form you practically up to the last second, the texas governor can change or give his pardon, so that possibility exist across that possibility ended late wednesday with his execution. the mexican government warns his death is a violation of international law. secretary of state john kerry had been pushing for a stay of execution, as well, sending a letter to texas governor rick perry saying it would make it more difficult to help its citizens facing legal problems abroad. he said:

>> the setting of an execution date would be extremely detrimental to the interests of the united states. his lawyers say he was brain damaged and had an i-consider of 67, something perhaps officials could have used to build a stronger defense. texas has executed two others not granted consular access, one in 2011 for the rape and murder of a 16-year-old girl. protestors in mexico took to the streets, making a final appeal for his life. texas governor rick perry and the supreme court refused a stay of execution. >> a spokesperson for the governor's office says texas is complies with state law, telling aljazeera it doesn't matter where you're from, if you commit a despicable crime like this in texas, you're subject to our

state laws, including a fair trial by jury and the ultimate penalty. >> richard deather is the executive director of the death penalty information center and joins us live from washington. the mexican government saying he wasn't informed of his right to seek diplomatic help. they say that is required under international law, so what exactly are consular relations? >> that's the right of a person who's arrested to contact his consulate. if you're arrested in the united states and you're a mexican citizen, you can contact the mexican consulate and let them know, maybe they can help with legal representation, translation, cultural differences. these are the things a foreigner needs when they face problems with the law. >> did the united states violate the treaty in this case? >> absolutely, yes. i think the u.s. admits this. the international court of justice in the hague found that we did. president bush admitted that we

did, so i don't think there's any question that the treaty was violated. the question is what should be the remedy for someone like mr. tomayo when that happens. >> i want to show you a written written by secretary of state john kerry to texas governor rick perry saying: >> in this case, is there a fear that what is good for the goose is going to be good ford gander? >> sure, that's why the u.s. military officers, missionaries have all, you know, urged that we do something about this problem, because they want their people protected when they're in foreign countries. if somedays a tourist and their child gets arrested for some

crime, they want to go to the u.s. embassy. they want to at least consult with the consulate and that's the same treaty that should have protected mr. tomayo. that's why this is a broad problem, not just about one particular case. >> by texas arguing that they're not bound to the international court of justice. are they right? >> not really. they are bound, treaties are the law of our land. the question, i think, is what should texas have done given that this was violated, the world court said you should hold a hearing, and that issue went to the supreme court of the united states. the u.s. supreme court said maybe, but first, there has to be legislation in congress requiring that. that's how we make our laws. congress has a bill introduced by senator patrick leahy to remedy the situation, but congress hasn't passed this. it's two years running that it hasn't been passed. >> here is the $64 million question and i bet there are an

awful lot of police officers in border states right now questioning whether or not what they have to do when they make an arrest. first of all, do you think most officers even know about consular treaties. >> unfortunately most of them don't know about it. the u.s. state democratic has made efforts and i should cards in various languages that police can read to foreigners. it's just another line in the miranda warnings that you have a right to a lawyer, a right to remain silent and if you're a foreign citizen, you have a right to consult with your consulate. that's all that's needed. police don't know about it. texas thinks we don't have to follow international law. well, if the u.s. sign as treaty and we signed and ratified this back in the 1960's, we do have to follow it, and texas has to follow it. >> richard dieter joining us from washington. thank you very much. >> thank you. >> ukraine's stability may rest on negotiations ongoing between

opposition leaders in the government. we want to show you live pictures from kiev. after five days of violent chance in the city's main square, both sides are taking a break while talks resume. negotiations ended wednesday with opposition leaders demanding new elections right away. they say if they don't get what they want, they have promised to the protests will begin again. government forces stepping up their crackdown, closing streets and firing water cannons at protestors. at least four people were killed yelled. >> iranian president addressing the world, using his trip to meet with oil company executives and financial leaders. he said iran now ready to engage the international community. >> i here announce that one of the theoretical and practical pillars of my government is constructive engagement with the world. without international engagement, objectives such as growth, credittivety and quality are unattainable.

>> rouhani firmly stating that iran will not pursue nuclear weapons and that the current agreement will lead to future pact the. he says the relationship can be built if both sides respect each other. >> talks from warring sides with syria, how much both sides are willing to engage in talks at the negotiating table on friday in geneva. both sides are in switzerland to lay the groundwork aimed at ending the bloody civil war. the summit getting off to a rocky start with exchanges and speeches all around. >> the man is a pro syrian government journalist, the woman a member of the syrian opposition. they'll attempt to find a diplomatic solution to the civil war including setting up a

transitional government. >> police in india say a 20-year-old woman was gang raped in public by village orders, being punished for an unauthorized relationship with a man from another village. they say she was gang raped after she couldn't pay an $800 fine because she was in that relationship. >> israel now saying it has stopped a planned al-qaeda attack on the embassy in tel aviv. three men under arrest accused of plotting a suicide bombing at the embassy, along with other attacks, israeli intelligence say they were recruited by an al-qaeda operative. the state department has not verified those climbs people bundling up again this morning. this is a live picture of the brooklyn bridge connecting the outer borough to manhattan. some are braving single digit temps to walk to work, temperatures almost treating for some of you out there.

that's balmy compared to other parts of the country experiencing temperatures well below zero. of course a lot of you got hit with a lot of snow be up to a foot in when places, but let's see whether or not any of it's going to melt with nicole mitchell. >> melt? not likely in a lot of cases. have you ever left an ice cube foot freezer for a long time and come back and it's smaller? we're going to have the same thing happen to the snow over the next couple of days. you might notice, i'm from minnesota, a lot of times, the roads don't get totally plowed, but over a couple of days, the snow shrinks back, the roads clear up. temperatures well below freezing for today all in the areas that got the recent snow. it's not going to melt. where is it going? it's a process that is what you learned in science class, you can have a solid go right to a gas state, skip the liquid. that's what we see happen you. need a couple conditions for

that to happen. we have dry air that came in, so you already have the dryer air. the snow is a moisture surface, so a little bit is this moisture evaporates into the dry air. winds fuel this. we have the winds today and especially in the midwest and northeast, we've been ethat go. that will contribute to that process speeding up. believe it or not, sunshine, not the sunshine itself so much with the warm the, but adding an energy source for that process to occur. we have plenty of that now, the high pressure settled into the northwest, so you might see the snow shrinking over the next couple of days. we're already watching another weather system to the north that could bring us more toward the weekend. i'll have more on that coming up in a little bit, plus those temperatures. >> nicole, thank you very much. >> as the latest deep chill sweeps the nation, a lot of you shelling out more to heat your homes. mother nature not playing ball when it comes to propane. >> as another round of sub zero

temperatures sets in, residents in rural areas face an additional challenge to staying warm. a propane shortage means millions of homes, businesses and farms will have to brave the frigid weather with little or no help from their energy mainstay. his propane tank is less than half full, he has stocked up on fire wood and is conserving what he can. >> when you're running low on your tank, you have to start becoming more conscious of how much you're actually using. >> with temperatures dropping into 20 below zero in minnesota, some homeowners there are worried. >> living in the city, it's something you take for granted, you know, you flip on the switch and the heat comes on, you turn on the stove and the gas runs. here, if i don't have that tank full, we're not going to be having a warm house to come home to or be able to cook our meals. >> the u.s. department of transportation i should emergency orders for 10 midwest states, 14 eastern states and eight southern states.

it will allow delivery drivers to stay on the road longer and transporters to move propane more freely in the severely affected regions. it is a shortage that started last fall with an increased propane demand to dry craps for storage later in the year. pipeline repairs caused delays to depleted in veneries throughout the area. >> coupled with extreme cold this winter, demand for the fuel surged. >> we don't have any reports of people running out of propane at this point, in either new england or the midwest. we know that our members are working double time to make sure that homes are serviced. >> last week, the u.s. department of energy reported record natural gas and propane storage withdrawals. bad news for 5.5 million customers who rely on propane to heat homes and for suppliers feeling the pressure. >> we're stressed out just like everyone else. we don't want our customers to

stress out and think they're going to freeze. we're asking them to conserve, turn the thermostat down, put a blanket on or sweatshirt, something like that. >> adding to the misery, the stocks and demands are pushing midwest propane prices to report highs. industry leaders expect the shortage to last through the winter season. aljazeera, chicago. >> on top of those 5 million homes, 1 million businesses in the u.s. rely on propane. >> the latest export from china could be hazardous to your health, how the economic boom is leading to more pollution here in the u.s. >> the iconic statute in rio de janeiro, how they're making sure it doesn't get struck by lightning again.

>> good morning, welcome back to aljazeera america. i'm del walters. straight ahead, the pollution in the air that some americans breathe could be coming from china. a closer look at what is causing it. first, let's check temperatures

across the nation today with nicole mitchell. >> i was saying how it really wasn't warm enough to melt the snow. here's some temperatures. we got the new snow from the northern midwest and mid atlantic northward. there's the breeze from the system that moved off because of the pressure change we saw with that, so it's feeling like right around zero, some places interior, even negatives, so that would be a brutal walk across some of those bridges this morning. midwest, gustier here with the next clipper that's gone through, bringing wind chills, 20 below zero, 30 below zero. that's the period that 10 minutes outside and you can get frostbite. be careful today. those temperatures don't warm enough into the day today. as we get into the day to really, we start to see a little nudge up at least in the midwest. in the meantime, the west coast stays pretty much dry and warm, but that is a short-hitched warm up. temperatures go right back down. enjoy it while you've got it.

>> former nsa contractor hosting a public forum on his website today. he is expected to chat on line about a wide range of topics, including the president's changes to the n.s.a. >> this is a website where former n.s.a. contractor edward snowden will answer questions live this afternoon about the government seek relies he leaked to the world. >> it is our firm position that he ought to return to the united states and face the charges against him. >> the spying program snowden exposed are now under heavy scrutiny. in a report due out today, a government task force is expected to recommend that the national security agency stop collecting americans' phone records. in a split decision, 3-2, the privacy and civil liberties oversight board will also say the government should purge its database. in a speech last week, president obama laid out reforms but stopped short of getting rid of

those programs. >> we cannot unilaterally disarm our intelligence agencies, the review group turned up no indication that this database has been intentionally abused. >> verizon reports it has received thousands of requests for reports last year. >> >> united states investigation services filed hundreds of thousands of flawed background checks. on the next episode of talk to aljazeera, new york times executive editor joe eight ran son joins john siegenthaler to talk about edward snowden and how he rates the white house on transparency and relationship with the media. that is this sunday evening at 7:00 p.m. eastern time. >> medical test on that pregnant brain dead woman revealing now her fetus is abnormal.

she is still attached to machines at a texas hospital, considered legally and medically dead. her husband has asked for her to be taken off life support, but the hospital can't do it because of state law. her husband found her unconscious in november. doctors believe she is 22 weeks pretty good that want. a hearing is now scheduled for friday in that case. >> china's growing economy affecting the united states in a not so good way. that researchers say air pollution from factories making its way across the pacific into california and even arizona. national academy of science says china is responsible for one fourth of the air pollution in the western u.s. it is being called a boom range effect. >> from cell phones to v.s and computers, chinese factories are churning out the latest technology and sending it to our shores along with pollution. >> you see pictures of people in

beijing with masks on but you don't think about how much is able to come across the ocean. >> steven co authored a recent study finding emissions from chinese plants manufacturing exported goods have been found in air samples in los angeles and the west coast. using data by the chinese government, the studies look at 2000-2009 with 2006 as the sample year. >> it could be as much as 24% of the sulfate is related to these exported goods from china. >> while the amount of chinese pollution is small, making up only 4% to 5% of our overall emissions, it amounts to an extra day of smog per year that exceeds federal standards. it's not just in los angeles. >> it's pretty much stopped ultimately by the rockies. >> the pollution is carried here to the west coast. more than 6,000 miles across the pacific ocean by westerly winds that are strongest in both the

winter and spring time. >> south coast air quality experts met with the chinese government, along with state and federal officials to minimize export-related pollution, part of ongoing talks between both countries. >> this is transported air pollution that comes to us. that it's in very low concentrations, but contributes to the background that we would see on a very clean day. so we are concerned about all forms of air pollution that gets transported into this region. >> but officials point out that more pollution controls could mean higher prices for consumer goods made in china, and that's a cost that americans might not be willing to pay. aljazeera, los angeles. that. >> according to the research, about one fifth of the pollution china sends into the air are created by factories making goods for the u.s. and abroad. >> the water in charleston is declared to be safe to drink. freedom industries notifying the

state about a second chemical which is found in felt tip pens and paint thinners. west virginia's e.p.a. there saying the likely substance was filtered out and poses no harm. the chemical leak tainted the water fly for 300,000 people for more than a week. >> in business news, we begin with breaking news. fewer of us are eating at mcdonalds, reporting fourth quarter declines because of a drop in the number of customers. in the u.s., sales fell 1.5%. mcdonald's said it is partly due to bad weather, calling 2014 a challenging year. >> netflix shares are soaring after the streaming video provider added 2.3 million customers in the fourth quarter. they are working on a new pricing strategy and hopes to have three different options for customers. >> wall street continuing to muddle along, dow futures down.

>> the markets ended the day cloweer after activity in china falling to six months lows. >> toyota holding the title of the world's top automakers, selling almost 10 million vehicles in 2013. that is a record. they beat out their rival general motors. the company expects to sell more than 10 million vehicles this year. that would be the first time an automakers sold that many cars and trucks. >> the chairman of nissan and renault predicting strong sales. carlos goin spoke to ali velshi. >> we are predicting another record year for our industry in term of volume of sales, 84 million cars in 2014, and i think practically all the markets will be growing, even

europe, which have been decreasing for the last five years, we are expecting a growth of 1%. >> ali velshi will have more throughout the day. his show airs at 7:00, right here on aljazeera america. >> later this morning, we look at existing home sales, with the december numbers. they expect the first increase in five months, but the supply of single family homes is tight, and young, first time buyers are finding it tough to break into the market. >> with the unemployment rate 15%, under employment, which means they're working part time for some economic reasons is about 20%. worse is that the credit box that, you know, the credit overlays, the stressful credit environment that we're in is not really accommodating to first time homebuyers. >> weekly jobless claims also on the economic calendar for this

morning. >> the debate over same-sex marriage in two unlikely places, a closer look at how the battle is playing out in the conservative religious states of oklahoma and utah. >> after five days, a break in fighting in kiev as both sides come together for a talk. it is a very fluid situation. >> it's so hard and so unbearable. >> gun violence, changing her life in a split second. a wife describing the moment her husband is gunned down in a movie theater just because he was texting their young daughter. >> a breakthrough of sorts at the australian open, a newcomer to the big sting looking to crash the party.

>> welcome back to aljazeera america.

i'm del walters. international outrage after a mexican citizen was executed in texas, in connection with the 1994 killing of a police officer in houston. his lawyers arguing he was mentally ill and didn't have proper legal representation. mexican officials say that death violates international law. >> iranian president addressing the world economic forum in davos, switzerland today says iran is ready to work with the international community and has no intention of pursuing nuclear weapons, saying the temporary deal that eased sanctions against iran is a prelude to future agreements and engagement the. netanyahu is speaking to the crowd live right now. >> a rocky start to the peace process in switzerland. there were tense exchanges between the sides involved. tomorrow, members of syrian's government will meet with the opposition in geneva, hoping to find a diplomatic solution to three years of war. >> the political crisis in

ukraine in a holding pattern. you are looking live at pictures from kiev. tension have softened today, both sides now agreeing to stand down while the talks resume. those negotiation ended abruptly wednesday with opposition leaders demanding new elections. they say if their demands aren't met, the opposition plans for blood shed. government forces stepping up their crack down, closing off streets and firing water cannons at protestors. at least three people, as many as four were killed wednesday. aljazeera's jennifer glass is in kiev. i understand both sides agreeing to tanned down, but how fragile is that agreement? >> fragile is a very good word for it, that ceasefire negotiated just a couple of hours ago. one of the opposition leaders, a former heavyweight boxing

champion, went first to the riot police, and asked them to stand down and then to the protestors. there were burning barricades earlier in the day. it's an uneasy truce. they put those barricades out. right now, peaceful scenes here, but earlier, days of violence, police firing weapons. two protestors were killed. it's unclear what ammunition they were using. yesterday, we saw such an escalation of violence here, the peace though only scheduled to hold until 8:00 p.m. tonight, that's 1:00 in the afternoon in new york, so just a few hours, while the opposition leaders head over to see the president. we saw two of the three opposition leaders being blessed by the head of the orthodox patriarch here. they weren't terribly optimistic they're going to get a lot of out of it. they are asking for concessions from the government here. they would like early elections. they want all political prisoners freed, calling them prisoners of war and they would

like to see reforms especially those draconian laws passed last week that limit freedom of speech, freedom of expression and basically make it illegal for this protest, everybody involved in this protest basically becomes a criminal under those laws. they want to see those revoked. that's what they're doing right now. >> recognizing that this is a very fluid situation, have we heard of any reaction from the u.s. to the violence that is taking place in ukraine? >> there has been, del. the united states exerted what pressure it could here this week, saying that i has suspended the visas of several ukrainians it says are connected with the violence and continues to watch what's going on, monitor the situation and might take further action. we also saw late last night and early this morning, the u.s. embassy was surrounded by what

they call basically thugs. they surrounded the embassy for several hours, pelting it with eggs, claiming that the united states has some sort of involvement with the unrest, the united states revoking visas of those ukrainians they say are connected with the violence. they won't tell us who they are because of privacy issues. >> thank you very much. >> a research associate of ukrainian studies at the university of alberta is in toronto this morning and joins us. the first time clashes turned deadly there and now there has been away break no violence. as you heard jennifer mention, it is a fragile peace. >> we are practically at 99% fragile. yesterday, five to seven different reports are people who died from snipers one from a

vigilante death squad and one thrown from a roof. when you have movement into blood shed, then you cross a red line. that's why the u.s. introduced targeted sanctions, by the e.u. is thinking of that, as well, and freezing bank accounts. when you have blood shed, even people who were until then not very happy at the violence but supported the opposition would also consider maybe moving into that direction. you have a situation where the authorities have really pushed the opposition to a corner where there hasn't been much option. if americans, canadian had their rights and national identities under attack and government was highly corrupt, they would be on the streets in the millions and i'm sure some had of them would be undertaking violent actions. the authorities first began this in november, when they ended

negotiations for the european union association agreement. that was already in the process of five years negotiations and they abruptly ended it without any explanation. >> i want to break in and can is a burning question at this time, and that is as we watch these images, see this violence escalate, how close is ukraine to being on the brink of a civil war? >> well, civil war is probably the wrong word, because that would mean that one part of ukraine is against the other. what we are talking about is pouptlation at large really being at war with the authorities and the regime declaring war on its own population. i wouldn't be surprised if events move in the direction of even targeted terrorist attacks down the road. there are many weapons available for people in awe crib. they love hunting there, and so yes, we are in that potential

direction. it depends on whether the president today because of the ultimatum agrees to some of the demands of the opposition, as we just heard on the news program. >> we heard yesterday secretary of state john kerry talking about the situation in syria and how it grew out of something small. this grew out of a protest over a deal with russia as opposed to a deal withle e.u. how did it get so large so quick? >> well, because the cancellation of the agreement with the european union in late november was just the straw that broke the camel's back. there was a whole range of different factors that have been swelling up the last four years. the slow progression of attacks on democratic rights, which culminated in last week's totally abry gation in ukraine. the agreement which was broken

in november was just the culmination. inevitably, you have years of growing frustration and people snapped. they snapped again that after black thursday of last week, a future home in the european family of democracies. >> thank you for being with us this morning. >> thank you. >> >> the latest battle grounds over same-sex marriage are in utah. aljazeera ronald reports the debate goes to the heart of the state culture. >> let me check. they look pretty clean. >> westin and brandon were married in the state of utah, now they're in a state of

ambiguity. >> the pair raising two children were among the more than 1300 gay and lesbian couples to marry in december after a judge struck down utah's laws against same-sex marriage. >> the state didn't expect it, the community didn't expect it. it was just completely out of the blue. >> two weeks later, the utah government got the u.s. supreme court to halt the marriages during appeal. same-sex marriagion already performed would not be recognized at legal. the federal government does recognize the marriages. utah is one of the most politically conservative states in the u.s. two thirds of the people belong to the mormon religion. >> mormon doctrine emphasizes the importance of the traditional family and church leaders are strongly opposed to bay marriage. >> they see this as the equivalent of pulling a brook

out of the bottom of a wall of the house. the whole wall would fall. >> another judge struck down anti poe leg my laws. if same-sex marriage were permanently legalized in utah, it changes utah culture. it changes the definition of family and marriage. >> clark and marks say ultimately, what's important to them won't change. >> to having a marriage certificate or not having it doesn't change how i feel about him or how we feel about our family. >> an appeals court will hear arguments in the case in march. aljazeera, salt lake city. >> meanwhile, virginia's attorney general will fight that

state's same-sex marriage ban saying it is unconstitutional. >> five suspects have been arrested in connection with the famous lufthansa highlight. a resulted member of a crime family was arrested. more than $5 million in cash and $1 million in jewels, worth $20 million today, that heist made famous in the film "goodgood felgoodfellows." >> it's so hard and it's so unbearable. >> nicole speaking out for the first time about her husband's death, chad olson was shot and killed last week at a florida

movie theater after an argument over text messages. >> in the the blink of an eye, my whole world just got shattered into a million pieces, and now i'm left trying to pick them up and put them all back together. >> the suspect allegedly became angry that olson wouldn't stop texting. reefs said he opened fire after olson threw a dark object at him. it was popcorn. reeves said he feared for his life, raising the likelihood that he'll use the stand your ground law as a defense. it made headlines during the trayvon martin shooting, lawsuit the law was not used during the case. 222 states have laws that one my stand his or her ground. >> in rewards to the olson shooting, the local sheriff said

stand your ground does not apply in that case. ultimately, if he decide to say pursue it as a defense, it will be up to a judge to decide. >> aljazeera with that. >> nicole olson said she and her husband were out on a date and he was texting their 3-year-old daughter to say good night. >> troops wearing religious hair styles while in uniform will be allowed to sport relidge owls beards and tattoos. troops will be allowed to wear at your bans under the new rules. religious apparel cannot interfere with wearing helmets and flak jackets. >> this morning, a swiss player not named roger federer making news at the aussie open. >> who i also it? >> it's kind of an interesting story, close but no cigar. that doesn't quite describe the quest for a grand slam title. that until last year's u.s. open, he never advance the past

the quarter finals in the majors, a understand broke through into the semis in new york and has enjoyed a run down under. his run is on going in the australian open semifinal. he showed the same form he did in the previous match, this one goes four sets. the djokovic match went five. he prevail would in the fourth in a tie breaker, the final point, he advances to his first ever grand slam final. next up will be the winner of the other semi between nadal and federer. nadal has an advantage in those head-to-head matches. roger hasn't beat him since 2007. >> the women's final, lee has

now reached the open final three of the last four years, while her pone anyone is making her first person. >> tiger woods will hit the links today tees off at tori pines in california. his eye is on the majors. tiger said he is ready for the upcoming season. >> i view it as every year's a big year. every year that i get a chance to compete and play in tournaments and major championships, for as long as i decide to do it, everior is a big year. every year counts. i know that i don't have, you know, 20 years in my prime. i'm 38. i don't see being 58 and being on a prime. most players don't dump on a foul line at 58, so it's a little different, but the outlook is still the same.

>> superbowl saturday. sounds odd, doesn't it? nfl officials admitted that yes, they have contingency plans for superbowl xlviii to be played at any point from friday, january 1 and february 3. the league would take a massive snowstorm to move the game, even more than the foot or so of snow that fell in new jersey earlier this week. the weather forecast now calls for a low that night of around 25 degrees and a 30% chance of precipitation. again, we're more than a week away from the big game. >> check this out. this is a time lapse look. outdoor hockey in southern california. it's do believe because of advancements in refrigeration techniques. it is a night game with temperatures cooler. there is no rain in the forecast. refrigeration equipment and

pumps circulate coolant to keep the ice at 22 degrees during the game. >> later on this month on the 26th, the rangers and devils will play at yasser arafat tom in the bronx as a rink will be constructed there. obviously it will be cooler in that area than california. >> in fact, i don't think they'll have problems keeping the rink cold. >> that should not be an issue. >> thank you very much. keeping tabs on the homeless in america. why they went out on a bitter night in chicago just to count the people who have no place to live. >> construction crews busy at work raring the christ the redeemer statue in rio de janeiro. they want to make sure it never receives a direct hit from lightning again.

al jazeera america.

>> just ahead, more troubles for justin bieber. he has been arrested. we're going to tell you what he did to wind up behind bars. let's find out where it's going to rain and snow across the country today. here is nicole mitchell. >> we've had another clipper system move this way from the country, cold air to the south. not as much moisture with this one as the big snowstorm a couple days ago, but there's been a couple areas to monitor. the winds over lake michigan, this is about the best bet you can get to get heavy snow in michiana. that's winding down. you can see that front we were just talking about, moisture with it, but it's dropping temperatures from texas. overnight tonight, watch for that potential for moisture and temperature can frost for possible freezing rain. very dry in the west coast and a big storm in the central pacific could kick up the waves in southern california over the next couple days. there's another weather system friday and saturday for the midwest and northeast.

back to you. >> say it ain't so, justin bieber has been arrested in miami, accused of driving drunk. police say he was drag racing on a residential street just before sunrise. he failed his sobriety test and taken into custody. the person he was racing also arrested. less than a week ago, detectives searching his california home after a neighbor accused of him egging it. >> counting the number of homeless people living in our country. we went out in chicago. >> on a bone chilling chicago night, surveyors went for a search of the homeless on city streets. >> is this your first time experiencing homelessness? >> in hospital emergency rooms within in shelters and behind fences. >> where are you going to sleep tonight? right here? >> hud uses the surveys to track the homeless and provide services.

>> to provide outreach services and prevention grants to help people avoid eviction, all the way to permanent housing. >> the surveys give a better picture of the homeless in communities. >> my name's maura. >> nice to meet you. >> nice to meet you, two. >> she found more of the homeless had been on the streets multiple times. >> you have to have multiple episodes within a three year period. we've definitely come across people who have had more of, you know, five or more episodes. >> the surveyors target so-called hot spots in the city. some homeless advocates say they could be missing key segments of the homeless population like families who stay with relatives and teenagers who couch surf. >> 110,000 americans were homeless, about a three and a half% drop from the previous year. another survey found

homelessness increased 4%. the executive director of a teen shelter worries too many homeless teens will go uncounted in this survey. >> there's not enough resource to say meet the needs, they will be vulnerable, they will be at risk. >> have you ever received services, government serviceness. >> the government admits the point in time survey can't possibly track every homeless american, but cities like chicago say it helps them better understand who is homeless and why. aljazeera, chicago. >> the volunteers are also handing out bags of basic essentials to help the homeless survive. >> apple employees know the signs of broken glass with broken i-phones. in new york city, the flag store is looking at a 32-foot problem. one of the glass panes shattered during the snowstorm and hit by

a snowplow. this is going to cost $450,000 to repair. >> christ the redeemer bringing thousands to rio de janeiro every year. two storms recently damaging it, brazil's government wasting no time fixing the landmark. >> he's christ the redeemer, one of the world's most famous statues, a symbol of brazil, the city he looks down on from his mountain top pen. crews are working on the massive hand. emergency repairs after it became a conduit for hundred was millions of volts of electricity. >> finger on the right hand was damaged when struck by lightning last thursday. this is the moment, shot by a local photographer. any tourists visiting the statue

weren't quite sure what to make of it all. >> i hope it didn't hurt too much. >> brazil's relationship with it's famous icon is emotional. when vandalized, it was called crime against the nation. it took nearly a decade to build and is reinforced with concrete. it's not the first time he satisfied direct hit and needed repairs, but part of a finger is a first. engineers are putting in lightning rods so when the next strike happens, damage will be limited. >> we are going to increase receptors, lightning protection, we will increase that and they will expand across as far as the middle finger, because the clouds usually come from the ocean on the east and usually it's the finger which susstains the most damage. >> the catholic archdiocese of rio who manage the statue say tourists have little to worry about. >> we have this continuing

worry, but we will guarantee a good repair job. we will allow access to tourists and protect the statue. >> there's no telling how long the repair work will last. more than 30 workers have been assigned to get the job. local officials will spare no evident or cost to rare the damage, because after all, it's christ the redeemer and the most famous symbol of this largely catholic country. aljazeera, sao paulo. >> christ the redeemer one of the seven wonders of the modern world. that's it for this edition of aljazeera marrying. thanks for spending part of your morning with us. always, more news at the top of the hour. i'll see you then.

states. researchers say air pollution from the factories made its way across the pat iffic, into california and arizona. the u.s. national academy of science says it makes up a quarter of air pollution. the pollution is a reminder that our demand for cheep imports has a boomerang effect. >> chinese factories are churning out the latest technology, sending it to our shores, along with something less desirable pollution. >> you see the pictures of people in budget with maths on. you don't think about what comes

across an o. >> steven co-authored a study finding that emissions from chinese plants manufacturing exported goods have been found in real reporting that brings you the world. giving you a real global perspective like no other can. real reporting from around the world. this is what we do. al jazeera america.

>> syria strikes back at critics. former ambassador to syria, wayne crocker, weighs in on the peace talks. >> why can't america's military win wars outright? >> should violent rap lyrics but their author behind bars >> you might want to thing twice before buying a small car >> i'm antonio mora, you might want to "consider this".