>> announcer: this is al jazeera. ♪ >> hello and welcome to the news hour. i'm here from al jazeera's news center in doha. this are the top stories. the first civilians leave a desieged syrian city as the ceasefire holds. >> it was pretty impressive frayed craft. the audio was extremely clear. >> a top u.s. official left to explain an bare raszing leaked

conversation about ukraine and europe. >> i'm paul beban at the winter olympics in sochi. cost overruns and scandal will take second place to the pageantry. >> even in the plane, new york was pulling us down. and i had a great time. >> ringo remembers the day the fab fouring landed in america and beatle mania took off. ♪ hello, the people of [ inaudible ] are finally starting to get the help they are waiting for, after months of shelling reduced the syrian city to ceasefire. aid should start arriving on saturday. here is the latest. >> reporter: these are some of

the most war-weary residents of holmes. they have been trapped in the rebel-held city without regular access to food or medicine and have come under near daily shelling. their evacuation is part of the surprise deal brokered between the go and the opposition by the united nations. according to state tv they have been used as human shields by what it called terrorists. but it's estimated around 2500 residents remain under siege. it has been a key battleground in the uprising against president bashar al-assad since 2012 when many of its neighborhoods fell under rebel control. but the government has steadily recaptured most areas.

assad's forces have used similar siege tactics to surround and try to starve out rebel fighters, but the plight of residents trapped here was thought to be so bad, it was included in the agenda of last week's long-awaited peace talks. negotiations broke out without a hope for a agreement on access for relief supplies. the move by damascus to allow some residents to evacuation comes as peace talks continue next week. >> let's get the later from the lebanese capitol because of reporting restrictions inside of syria, to tell us what you are hearing on the latest. >> we understand that up until now according to syrian state tv, around 60 civilians have been evacuated from the old town

of holmes. they have left through [ inaudible ] according to the governor, they might be going to elwar, which is a safe area and controlled by government forces. ores will have the option to leave to other places in holmes or syria. one of the evacuees was an elderly man. he arrived on the bus while being evacuated injured. opposition groups say that syrian troops or a sniper opened fire on him while he was getting on the bus, whereas the syrian government says an armed rebel shot another him. he has been evacuated and transported on an ambulance and taken to the nearest hospital, and as you mentioned a lot of these civilians, mostly men women and children -- elderly men -- are suffering from

malnutrition and we understand many of them are extremely frail and really need immediate and urgent medical assistance as well as proper nutrition. >> and those that are still in holmes, how are they getting the aid? what is happening with that part of the agreement, and is there a belief that the ceasefire will hold? >> well, on saturday, the aid deliveries, mainly food and medical supplies will begin. the evacuation started today. according to the russian foreign ministry in moscow, the ceasefire should last for three days for this whole humanitar n operation to be completed. there are around 2,500 civilians who still live in the area, and up to 700 armed rebels. they have been living in very

difficult conditions for over a year. they have either not been able to flee in the past or have chosen to stay because they want to protect their homes. now this is the first time that this ceasefire takes place, and an evacuation is actually ca actually -- carried out. the hope is the ceasefire will hold until the evacuation is complete. >> all right. thank you. now the united states has moved to play down an embarrassing leaked phone call in which one of the senior diplomats takes a crude swipe at the european union. >> reporter: on the tape top u.s. diplomat, victoria new

nuland used expletives to describe the european union's role. >> i'm not going to comment on private diplomatic conversations other than to say it was pretty impressive trade craft. the audio was extremely clear. >> neve barker joins us live from key eh. the european union in brussels so far has said nothing about nuland's comments. what has been the reaction where you are? >> no comments from either of the opposition or the leadership here in the ukraine either. they are treating this as sensitively as they possibly cannot to make it any worse. but the people we have spoken to, the opposition are somewhat decided about what has come out

in terms of information regarding this leak. there are those that shows that the americans are making concerted efforts behind the scenes to bring about an end to this three-month standoff. there are others who think that the americans are essentially meddling in affairs that have nothing to do with them. >> translator: the whole discussion about a new government is provocative. it does not coast pond to the demands of the people. >> translator: i don't think this is meddling with ukraine's internal affairs, if they can assist us with advice and pressure on the government, we'll be grateful. >> there are still some that

would say the release of this recording could discorrect it the opposition. >> i think it's important to note that the opposition protest movement has essentially been made up of three opposition political parties. but what the leak shows is that the u.s. have preference for at least one of those figures to take up the position of prime minister in parliament. now the position of prime minister and deputy prime minister had already been offered by president yanukovych to who key leaders, including the named man, as well as klitschko, but the opposition decided not to take up this offer, because the fear was it would take out the steam of this

opposition movement. so by the americans indicating they have preferences, this could help force president yanukovych to step down. >> thanks so much. well now the opening ceremony of the most expensive olympic games in history is just over an hour away. russia has spent more than $50 billion to stage the winter games in sochi. many have arrived in the resort town on russia's black seacoast. most details of the opening ceremony have been kept a closely-held secret, but organizers are hoping it can at least briefly distract the world from talking about risks and human rights concerns. paul describe the atmosphere there. >> reporter: well, night has fallen, and it has taken seven

years to get here, but as you can hear the preparations are well underway. in little over an hour at 14 minutes past 8:00, 2014, the opening ceremonies will get underway. and temporarily at least, questions will go to one side while people enjoy the pageantry of the opening ceremony. after 65,000 kilometers the journey of the olympic flame is nearly complete. and the torch relay is drawing ever closer to the olympic stadium. the excitement as been noticeably growing. staging the games is a national honor for russian, and listening to the people, the word being used over and over again is pride. >> translator: i'm very glad. >> translator: this flame will unite your country. russia will become stronger, more united and more happy.

>> translator: we have had lots of inconvenience, but now we're really proud to see the olympic torch. >> reporter: you can see the excitement that comes with the torch passing through the streets of sochi, but after the olympics have passed, what then? >> the ioc president expressed his hopes for a successful olympics. >> it's exciting and i'm really longing for the second when the olympic flame shines over the olympic stadium, and i'm sure so do the athletes. i'm sure it will be an exciting show. >> reporter: these games have permanently altered this coastal resort and not always for the better. this man used to fish in this stream when he was a boy, and now the water is polluted. >> translator: the athletes and officials are celebrating today,

but the problems for sochi are still here, and after the olympics it's the citizens of sochi that have to cope with those problems, issues with economy, ecology, and social issues. >> reporter: the crowd of some 40,000 people flocking to the ceremony have been given little idea of what to expect. >> translator: the group tattoo is one of the few russian pop groups that is known worldwide. but the majority music is classic. >> reporter: the previous olympics have been judged by their success, and the legacy of the sochi games remains a huge question mark. it will be spectacular, it will

be a two and a half hour show, fireworks, music, other than that, the details remains a closely guarded secret. but you can't get away from the controversy attached to these games. and in st. petersburg, four gay right's complainers were arrested after unfurling a banner quoting from the olympic charter against discrimination. the ioc president spoke about being opposed to any form of discrimination here in sochi, we have had four gay rights protesters arrested for protesting just that. temporarily at least we will have a magnificent show here in sochi this evening. >> yes, still a sense of anticipation there. paul thanks very much. i'll be back with more from europe a little bit later on, including -- >> reporter: outside the court [ inaudible ] where the king of spain's youngest daughter will be appearing here on saturday to

answer questions about her aledged involvement in one of the country's most controversial corruption scandals. >> also on the news hour -- >> reporter: i'm rob reynolds in san francisco, with a report on california's drought and the political fallout. ♪ >> but first australia's prime minister defending his go's controversial policy on turning back migrants. the indonesian government isn't happy. >> reporter: the footage obtained by al jazeera is impossible to a verify, but appears to show a vessel towing asylum seekers away from its

shores. at least 35 people claim to have been put on the orange lifeboat by australian forces. they say that set off from need indonesia's coast. but were intercepted before they could make landfall. >> they forced us in the gorge boat and closed the door, locked the door, escorted it into indonesian water. >> reporter: they claim two people were taken to christmas island after two people collapsed. that is something that australian authorities refuse to comment on. they have imposed a media blackout on anything it describes as operations against people smugglers at sea. they say the government has no

response to the issues raised. when asked about the latest incitied dent, the prime minister also refused to comment, saying only that his navy secretive operations are working to stop the boats. >> i'm pleased to note that today is the 50th day without an illegal boat arriving in australia. i think you have to go back to 2008 before you had a period like that. the 50th day without an illegal boat. so these policies are working. >> reporter: but how they are being implemented is something that angers indonesians. >> translator: this turn-back boats policy is an unsympathetic movement by the government. we have expressed our objections and disapproval of this policy. we all need to work together.

>> reporter: this is the second lifeboat found in indonesia in recent days. the more boat poszen gers second back, the more relations are strained. now it's indonesians wanting to stop australia's boats. a car bomb and shooting have killed six people in northern iraq. the explosion killed four people and wounded 28 others on a commercial street. the town is 210 kilometers north of bagdad. and gunmen shot dead two members of a minority in a drive-by shooting. in egypt at least four policemen have been injured in explosions in the giza neighborhood. it is not clear whether the devices were planted or thrown.

al jazeera has held a conference to demand release of three of our staff. they have been accused to fabricating news and having links to a terrorist organization. al jazeera denies all claims. patricia sabga reports. >> reporter: john grayson is now comfortable in the media spotlight. he was arrested in egypt last year, and held for 50 days. his imprisonment became a cause for politicians and celebrities alike. >> they were impressed by robert de niro, so that was sort of cool. stephen harper has so far stayed

silent on the release of mahmoud ahmadinejad. the editor of the leading newspaper believes he knows what is behind the different treatment. >> unfortunately i think it has been dismissed as a case that is not involving a full canadian, which we've editorialized against. he has full rights as a canadian to counselor support. >> reporter: he was speaking at this press conference to bring attention to their imprisonment, and the har. conditions two were living in. >> reporter: baher mohamed and my fellow canadian have had to cope with particularly appalling conditions. they have been held in cells with no access to light, little food for water, cells infested with insect, and being forced to sleep on the floors with no pillows or blankets.

>> reporter: most canadians don't really know about this story, which is why the network hosts these kinds of events, hoping the people will pressure their government to say something, and hoping the average person will weigh in with this simple sign. these pictures are spreading on social media. sending a powerful message from the mostly powerless. they are not politicians or celebrities, but their message is clear, free the journalist, free speech. more than 20,000 supporters of hamas and islamic jihad are protesting against peace negotiations between palestine and israel. the head criticized what we called the kerry project, referring to u.s. secretary of state john kerry who is mediating the talks. and called on the president to

stop all negotiations. meanwhile conflict has broken out inside a come pound in occupied east jerusalem on friday. the palestinians through stones at the police who were firing stun guns and tear gas. one man was wounded and treated inside the mosque. california is in the midst of a record-breaking drought. it is the most important agricultural state in the u.s. it is leading to political wrangling. rob reynolds reports. >> reporter: california relies on an intricate web of irrigation systems, but the system isn't built to withstand

prolonged drought. >> california should be very worried now. >> reporter: this shows part of a complex network of water resources. >> it is really at its breaking point. we can't continue with the status kwoe today. we will have economic disasters. >> reporter: the state has already declared a water emergency. city folks are being told to conserve. just 5 centimeters of rain have fallen here in san francisco, that means the city is going for it driest year on record. >> the tough part right now is we got to a point where demand is hardened. and that means the easy ways of conservation or the low-hanging

fruit, if you will, those aren't there anymore. >> reporter: many farmers are angry and regulations that allocate water for streams and wetlands. in washington california's republican congressman convinced the house of representatives to pass a bill that would divert more water from rivers to farms. jerry brown called that an unwelcome and divisive intrusion. the bill is likely to die in the u.s. senate. in this election year, the political fight over water is heating up, in a state where scarcity has become the new normal. it's the same situation over in portland with a dry 2013 and little snow in year. alan fisher has more. >> reporter: you wouldn't think that oregon has a water supply problem looking at this, but it

does. the state is facing a severe brought around 70% of the state. rainfall wasn't as much as people were hoping or expected. and although there are a few flurries around here at the moment, there hasn't been a lot of snow in the winter of course water in oregon is incredibly important as it is in many places, but it's important for agriculture here. for fisheries, tourism, and it even helps keep the wildfires down to a manageable level in the summer. they may have to introduce emergency drought measures. this early in the year, that would be incredibly unusual. but they are still hoping there will be a wet spring. all they can do for the moment is hope that things get better.

in thailand come voters will go back to the polls this month. polls stations were forced to close? several areas including nine provinces in the south. >> reporter: in many aspects the deep south of thailand has been left behind by the rest of the country. a lack of investment fuels resentment. many farmers have joined anti-government protests angry about a lack of financial support and would rather have the opposition in power. >> translator: they have the ability to make deals in foreign markets and push the price higher. therefore the farmers will have a better life. >> reporter: a state of emergency exists in the three southern-most provinces, leaving the army in charge.

almost 6,000 people have been killed since 2004. traditionally most people in southern thailand have supported the largest opposition party, democrats. but there is some support for the government, because it is paid compensation for incidents like this. more than 80 people were killed ten years ago, when police and soldiers piled protesters in to the backs of trucks, suffocating them. the government at the time is back in power. and for some people like this woman who's son was killed, their actions now are enough to win her support. >> translator: this government give us a lot of support. they give us compensation and help in other areas as well. like assisting with student education fees. >> reporter: many parts of the south are now bracing for

elections and the prospect of further disruptions. this mediator works with separatists and community groups. he didn't want to be identified. he says they are fighting for independence, not against democracy, and any further complications with the voting could cause more violence. >> translator: in my opinion it might cause more problems because we have been living in a democracy, and we want to see the system go ahead. >> reporter: a lot of people from the south have traveled north to the capitol to join a protest movement trying to remove the government. many of those left behind in the movement, want change too as long as it brings opportunity and peace. still to come on the al jazeera news hour -- >> if we lost scotland, if the uk changed, we would rip the rug from our own reputation.

♪ david cameron wants the uk to stay together. we'll get reaction from northern ireland plus . . . riots in bosnia over government corruption and overpaid politicians. and coming up in this sport, we'll hear from the boxing legend out to prove he still does have a future in the ring. ♪ >> fault lines hard hitting... ground breaking... truth seeking... al jazeera america's breakthrough investigative documentary series. >> this is where colombia's war continues... >> decades of violence... familes driven from their land... >> we have to get out of here... >> now the people are fighting back. >> they don't wanna show what's really going on >> fault lines columbia: the fight for land

hello again, the top stories on al jazeera. the first group of civilians trapped in a syrian city have now been evacuated. the area has been under a tight army -- a tight army blockade for more than 600 days. angela merkel says remarks made by a u.s. official are unacceptable. victoria nuland was caught

making disparaging remarks during a telephone call. the u.s. has apologized. and the sochi games have begin. now more news out of europe. >> thanks. we're focusing on violent anti-government protests spreading in bosnia. police have clashed with demonstrators in saroff ho who has been trying to enter the presidential building. this is a local government building in a city that was set on fire. so i'm joined now by al jazeera correspondent and this is the worst civil unrest bosnia has seen in years, as we see the protesting getting worse. tell us what has been happening where all of this began.

>> reporter: well, a very chaotic situation here in bosnia and in many cities of the country, especially here in tusla. protesters have been protesting for a couple of days already. say they are no economic perspective and have huge problems with the living here and the corruption and the jobless rate. 100,000 people are jobless. that is why they are angry. they started protests on wednesday, but today during the day a couple of thousands of them gathered here in front of the local government center. at least those were peaceful protests, but after half an hour, the police forces just withdrew and a matter of seconds dozens of angry protesters just

entered the building, and a minute after we could see thick smoke coming out of the windows of the government. firefighters are fighting with the fire trying to extinguish this. they are still trying to extinguish fire. but you are probably wondering where are all of those protesters? in the last hour or so they just left the plateau in front of the local government and went to the court and building of the municipality. they will try to state their demands there. they are asking for local governments to step down. they are asking for federal government to step down. they are asking a whole new system in the country -- a similar situation is also in the capitol of sar awoe.

>> thanks for the update. seven months from now, scotland will be voting on a referendum for independence from the uk. david cameron made a heart-felt plea to the scottish people. >> sometimes we can forget just how big reputation is. that the world over, the letters uk, stand for yunique, ingenius we come as a brand and a powerful brand. separating scotland out of that brand will be like separating the waters of the river tweed, and the ocean. if the uk changed we would rip the rug from our ownation.

we matter more in the world if we stay together. >> nowhere in the uk is the fear of scotland breaking off as in northern ireland. many there have scottish heritage and feel by the scott's nationalist's cause. >> reporter: the storms battering the uk have barely dented the spirits of these people. they have been out here protesting their right to defend the united kingdom. marching, they say, in defense of the union, of england, whales, scotland, and north ireland. >> nude to me is a born-again jack coby. scotland is part of the united

kingdom always has been and always will be. >> they are traitors. we don't need them. >> reporter: who will [ inaudible ] orange slash? the implied answer is nobody. but scottish independence would. these people regard themselves absolutely as british patriots, and the idea that their scottish brother would even consider breaking away from the union is unconscionable. all of the hundreds of years of history, are being called into question. suddenly the united kingdom is looking, well, a bit dis-united. at this museum in belfast they are exhibiting [ inaudible ] loyalists from scotland and northern ireland united against the calamity of the breakup of the union, yet a century later,

at least a third of scotts [ inaudible ]. >> people moving forward. we then saw a movement sometimes within a very few years across the atlantic. so i think there is almost a [ inaudible ] extreme high there is a discussion of independence. >> reporter: over times it seems more and more scotts have lost the sense of what makes this place tick. a feeling of the power of the union. >> by securing a referendum for scotland, alexander has done more politically, peacefully, lawfully, in a very short period of time than the ira tried to achieve in over 30 years of bombing, shooting, and terrorism. >> reporter: if scotland splits off from the union, would it

alter the defining identity of these people? one of spains most controversial court cases is preparing to hear from the daughter of the king. she will be appealing at a trial investigating the aledged embezzlement of funds by her husband. >> reporter: an intensified media presence outside of the court, one day ahead of the highly anticipated appearance of the princess. the preparations for this high profile and highly sensitive event are underway. it was nearly two years ago when the duke turned up to this court, accused of embezzling funds. these were dark days for spain's royal family.

now it's his wife who will answer to allegations of tax fraud and embezzlement in a company they ran together. forfeiting our right to appeal, she'll appear here with her lawyers. she will be directly in front of the judge, as well as a portrait of her own father, the king of spain. it's the first time that a member of the royal family will testify as a subject in criminal proceedings. there will be another 40 people in this room at this historic event. more than 100 officers will be present, half of those have had to be drafted in from the main lan at a cost to the taxpayer. the royal household has attempted to isolate this case from the rest of the family, but

the aledged involvement of the duke and dutchess has tarnished spain's monarchy. the case has also highlighted the level of corruption here in spain. that members of the royal family was involved has only increased the distaste in the country. you are up to date on all of the news from europe. back to doreen. a report on u.s. unemployment figures for january has just been released and this is what it shows; that 113,000 jobs were added in january, and that's well below earlier

estimates of 185,000. the private sector accounted for all add -- decisions. >> reporter: as in most advanced economies consumer spending in the u.s. accounts for most of the jobs, so there's grown for concern in the weak forecasts of big retailers. but looking past the bad weather that's kept buyers close to home there is a long-term trend in evidence. 94% of consumers questioned said even if the economy improves they plan to keep spending at current levels. >> i don't expect to start spending a lot any time soon. >> my shopping has changed greatly. >> reporter: one factor beside

those attitudes of course the number of americans who's paycheck has stopped growing or may not have one at all. since world war ii a steadily growing share of american men has been neither working nor looking for work. in december nearly one in every six of those men were jobless. some economists see this as the new frugality. >> they don't believe in keeping up with the jones they believe in do it yourself. more than 2 million people will quit their jobs, cut their hours or stop looking for work. >> when you see changes it will be that person who maybe didn't want to work those hours, they still have the option to.

they still can, but in that case maybe they'll decide they don't need to anymore, and that in their case might be a better choice and a better option. >> reporter: an option that for better or worse promises a radical reassessment of working in america. riot police in brazil have used batons and tear gas to disperse protesters angry about a train ride. the 10% tax hikes take effect this weekend. brazil has been trying to contain a series of nationwide protests over corruption in the run-up to the world cup this year. still to come on the news hour -- half a century ago, the beatles rocked the us. we go back in time with one of

the fab four. and coming up in sports, the hockey team looking to end more than 30 years of olympic disappointment.

hello again. south korea is urging the north not to cancel planned unions of war-divided families. the president says her northern neighbors should not break the hearts of those involved.

>> translator: i'm glad that north korea accepted our proposal, but a day after we reached an agreement, they said they may reconsider it, because of joint drills with the u.s. north korea should not break the hearts of the separated families once again. it may seem like they have recently launched a peace offensive, butte estes -- especially in times like these we should not give up. until north korea becomes a responsible member of society, we should not lower our guards even for a moment. if north korea provokes, we must firmly punish them. >> the annual military exercises are scheduled to begin at the end of this month. american troops and their equipment are coming ashore at

the port. our correspondent harry is there. >> reporter: the u.s. has more boots on the ground and more tracks as well. tanks and ormors vehicles are joining the regiment that just arrived from texas. >> this total numbers it is small. but it is a front line combat unit. so increasing a yuan like mine of transporters could not increase the capability, but this ads a lot of fire power. >> reporter: this bolstering of u.s. forces acts as a demonstration that south korea is getting value for the $850 million a year it pays the u.s. military, and as an added reminder to north korea. just days before they started

exercises and in the midst of complex negotiations between north and south korea over the reunions of families separated by the korean war. a south korean group crossed the border to check on the negotiations. the event was agreed in principle just this week, but already north korea has put it in doubt. it warned on thursday that the forthcoming u.s. south korean exercises must be canceled, adding dialogue and acts of war could not go hand in hand. last year the operations coincided with the largest break down in year. seoul has come up with a new strategy, they plan to rehearse that strategy in the coming

week's exercises. andy richardson is here with all of the sports news. and the countdown as started for the olympic ceremonies. >> yes, the opening ceremony of the $50 billion sochi games will start in just a few moment's time. plenty of officials, diplomats, and athletes all now in russia's black seacoast. organizers will be opening it can at least briefly distract from the world talking about security risks and human rights concerns. >> we are standing against any form of discrimination whatsoever. sexual orientation or any other reason, and our responsibility is to have the olympic charter being applied in the olympic games, and for the olympic

participants, and in this respect we have all of the assurances from the russian authorities. >> our reporter is live with us in sochi. after seven years of planning, the opening ceremony now just a few moments away. are the facilities ready to go for 5 athletes and spectators. >> we have heard some hilarious comments by the media who arrived and their motel rooms were not ready and other things, but the venues are ready. the proof of the pudding, of course, we'll see in a few minute's time. but don't forget the qualifying stages have already begun, and fears there would be no snow on

the slopes have proved unfounded. no problems with snow at all. the first medals will be won and of course lost on saturday. they are going straight into the program. and the world anti-doping agency as well has described the infrastructure as pretty satisfactory. they are going to make sure it is as drug free as it can be. the athletes and organizers, yes, it is ready, some of the media, though, might disagree. >> reporter: we'll keep our eyes out for the three-legged dogs thank you for that. the united states, canada, and norway are the countries most likely to dominate the games, the home country, of course, also has high hopes. this is the 31 year olds fourth olympics.

one big not in sochi is u.s. skier lindsey vonn. she has been struggling with a really serious knee injury and has pulled out of the games a few weeks ago. >> we definitely miss lindsey she is a big presence on our team, and we definitely feel that she is not here. but i think also it leaves a lot of opportunity for everyone else. >> reporter: and u.s. secretary of state john kerry was on the ice for a puck drop between the washington capitols and winnipeg jets. now the president of football's world governing body will be at that opening ceremony in his capacity as a member of the ioc, and it looks like he wants to stay on in his main job as well. the 77 year old has said he is

ready to stand for a fifth term as president in 2015 if the member associations give him their backing. mani pacquiao is promoting his match with the american bradley. he lost the welterweight champion on a hugely controversial points decision when the pair first met in 2012. that's your sport for now. >> thank you. it was a british invasion like no other, but ringo star, the drummer of the beatles remembers it like yesterday. he talks to michael shure about the iconic band's first trip across the atlantic. >> even 50 years on, we all know someone who knows exactly where they were when it happened. not when tragedy hit with the death of john kennedy, but when the beatles landed at jfk

airport. ringo star could feel how badly america needed the beatles. >> new york was jumping, and we were jumping that we had landed in new york; that we were in america. it was nothing far out than that, because all of the music we loved -- we were in our 20s anyway, we were all lads. it was incredible. i felt even on the [ technical difficulties ] >> he saw us coming from sweden, and he booked us, and we had no records here, but when we got here, it was up. ♪ oh, yeah, i tell you something ♪

>> what the country saw was one of the most memorable tv appearances in history, and from the ed sullivan show it was on to dc. >> the first live gig was in dc. i think it was a boxing ring. ♪ >> and i had to jump off and do it myself, get it going. because i'm playing here, and the band was going around here. [ laughter ] >> so i could just see them doing that now. >> yeah. >> oh, i'll fix it. >> 50 years later ringo says it's the songs that are the heart of the beatles, not the hype. >> for me it's the music, not the haircuts, the beatle boots. the music is still out there, and it's still great. >> michael shure, al jazeera, los angeles. ringo star remembering beatle mania in the united states 50 years on. stay with us. we have more news coming your way in just a couple of minutes.

♪ 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.

>> welcome to aljazeera america. i'm del walters. these are the numbers we're following for you. new numbers, unemployment dips, but concerns about a slowing economy. >> i'm obviously not going to comment on private diplomatic conversations. >> the four letter flap after a very candid conversation about negotiations in the ukraine, and now she holds her tongue. and sochi opens with