>> welcome to al jazeera america. i'm stephanie sy. here are the stories we're following for you. >> so hungry they would eat anything from dog food and cattle feed and beans left on the ground. >> a new u.n. report on alleged human rights offenses by the north korea regime. an ethiopian pilot accused of hijacking a plane. and u.s. diplomats ordered to leave venezuela.

>> in a new report the united nations believes it has enough proof to hold the north korean regime responsible for unspeakable crimes against its own people. al jazeera's james bays has more on the allegations that pyongyang is facing. >> she weeps as she recalls the oppression her family faced before she escaped. public hearings held in force on three continents. many other witnesses asked for their identities to be withheld. there have been many investigations into human rights in north korea, but never one as comprehensive as this. getting a clear picture of what goes on in the secretive state where people cope with extreme depravation and starvation is very difficult. the international commission of inquiry finds there is massive oppression, torture, execution,

systemic rape, and abduct of foreigners many of these count as crimes against humanity, all a part of a planned system of political control. north korea's leader kim jong-un recently executed his uncle, once the second most powerful man in the country, and a number of relstive. kim age 31 took over for his late father just two years ago. but the chairman of the commission of inquiry has written a letter to him. in it he said his commission will recommend the u.n. refer the situation in the democrati c people's republic of korea, the country's official name, to the international criminal court to render all those and possibly yourself who may be responsible for crimes against humanity. >> no one will be able to say in the future if only we had known about north korea. as they said after the second warworld war, if only we had kn.

now every will know, and it will be available in our report, and it is a wake up signal to the world and hopefully to the leaders in north korea. >> the commission of inquiry may want to see senior figures in north korea face international justice, but it does not have the power to make that happen. >> this heard-hitting report will be presented to the you u.n. human rights council in a month's time and they will pass it to the u.n. general assembly, but neither of those bodies have the power to refer things to the international criminal court. only the security council can do that, and that's where north korea's long-term ally china has a veto. an international court case seems a distant prospect but this report backed with the weight of the u.n. perhaps brings it a little closer. james bays, al jazeera, at the united nations in geneva. >> the death toll from a roof collapse in south korea has risen to eighth.

it happened in the southern city 230 miles southeast of seoul. more than 500 students were at a welcoming party for freshmen when the building's roof cased in. 20 students from injured and dozens are reportedly trapped. secretary of state john kerry accused syrian president bashar al-assad of stalling peace talks. in a press conference in indonesia kerry called on russia to push syria to negotiate with opposition leaders. >> bashar al-assad has not engaged in the discussions along the promised and required standard that both russia spoke up for and the regime spoke up for, that they would come to geneva and except the geneva 1 communique as the basis of negotiations. >> kerry continues his trip through asia. next he'll fly to the united

arab emirates. a suspected high ranking al-qaeda leader was expected to face a court today on charge of the 2002 on the uss cole. charged with getting supplies and recruiting suicide-bombers for the attack. the judge has halted the proceedings because al nashiri may want to fire his attorney. the supreme leader of iran is not interested in talks tomorrow. the eythe ayatollah khomeini dot believe talks about go anywhere. iran said its nuclear program is entirely for civilian purposes. an ethiopian airlines co-pilot allegedly hijacks a plane today and flew it to gentlemen me have a where he wanted to seek asylum. the plane departed and carrying

202 people was headed to rome, but the pilot diverted it t. >> the fear was this was a full-scale armed hijacking. at this stage the passengers were unaware of the unfolding events. the plane touched down in geneva at 6:00 in the morning local time. the co-pilot said he sought asylum for fear of persecution in ethiopia. he waited for the pilot to go to the toilet before locking himself in the cockpit and taking control of the aircraft. after landing he gave himself up. >> at 6:10 the pilot came out with a rope of the cockpit. he then announced that he was the hijacker. >> all 202 passengers and crew

on board were unharmed. the co-pilot could be charged with hostage taking which carries a prison sentence up to 20 years according to prosecutors. tim friend, al jazeera. >> trapped south african miners are refusing to leave a pit now that they realize they would be arrested. officials say the mine near johannesburg is an illegal operation. rescue operations are stopped at the site. emergency services say the rescue will not restart unless the miners request it. so far 11 miners have been rescued from the shaft. it's unclear how many remain in the pit. protests across pakistan today in support of three al jazeera journalists held in egypt for 51 days. athe reports that journalists have organized demonstrations in 30 different cities. >> one of the biggest international protests being held in solidarity with al jazeera journalists being held in egypt.

journalists across the country and other stations have gathered in various parts of pakistan. they say the egyptian government should immediately release the al jazeera journalists being held. they also said that this is not just a day of protest. it will continue until these journalists are released. they urge the pakistani government to use diplomatic means to release al jazeera staff. >> reporting from pakistan. coming up next on al jazeera america. >> she said she got out she would do it again. >> an accused killer confesses to dozens of additional murders. authorities now investigating her story. >> we tell the children we're cooking dinner but actually we're just boiling leaves. eventually they fall asleep with an empty stomach. >> combine an epic drought with a poor harvest you have millions

struggling to find food on a daily basis.

al jazeera america. we open up your world. >> here on america tonight, an opportunity for all of america to be heard. >> our shows explore the issues that shape our lives. >> new questions are raised about the american intervention. >> from unexpected viewpoints to live changing innovations, dollars and cents to powerful storytelling. >> we are at a tipping point in america's history! >> al jazeera america. there's more to it.

>> welcome back to al jazeera america. i'm stephanie sy. the fbi has announced it's joining the investigation of a pennsylvania woman accused of killing a man with her husband. the welcome now says she's also responsible for dozens of other murders. as al jazeera's erica pitsy said it's the latest twist in the story of the alleged craigslist killers. >> the headlines suggest the accused craigslist killer said she lost count of the number of people she has killed at 22. >> she said she has done this before. >> i said what is the actual number? she said under 100. >> francis scarcella who interviewed her from jail.

she said she lured the suspect with cheap sex on craigslist. her husband strangled the man with a cord while she stabbed the man 20 times. >> she said that it was hard to hear. there were times that i was stuttered. >> she said the man deserved to die because he wanting to through with the online deal even though she said she lied and she was only 16 years old. >> she never hesitated once or that it was a rehearsal. >> she confessed to killing more people in alaska, texas, alaska, and north carolina all part of a satanic cult she joined when she was young. she said she only did this to people who did bad things and didn't deserve to be here any more. >> i said do you have any remorse whatsoever? she said none. >> reporter: so far none of barbara's claims have been

confirmed by police but she she could pin point the locations of the body on the map. the fbi is now working with local law enforcement to investigate. erica pitsy, al jazeera new york. >> heroin laced with a powerful prescription drug is being blamed for deaths across the northeast. it's said to be more powerful than morphine. more than 80 people have died in recent weeks. the similar outbreak killed hundreds of people in 2006. a small group of gun control advocates say they have been holding weekly visits. lisa stark has their story. >> reporter: it is all too familiarer and yet shockingly horrifying. newscasters reporting another

mass shooting, this time at a colorado movie theater. >> at least 15 people are dead, 50 others are injured. >> reporter: we decided it was time to do something. >> reporter: ensenseed by the gun violence they women dusted off their protest shoes. >> we had been out on the streets against the vietnam war, for civil rights, against a.i.d.s. discrimination, women's rights, and we decided we needed to do something. >> reporter: nearly every monday citizen the aurora colorado shootings in 2012 the women and a few women come out to support more restrictive gun legislation. >> what has brought you out here monday after monday after monday? >> i have two grandchildren. i want them to go to school without worrying about them being shot. i want my children to be able to walk to a movie or go to the mall without being worried about being shot. >> reporter: on this bitterly cold washington, d.c. monday only a few passersby stopped to take notice.

>> you wouldn't have a gun in your home? >> nope. >> why not? >> because the statistics i've seen show that it's more likely to hurt someone i care about than someone who might want to hurt me. >> reporter: in fact, a gun at home increases the likelihood of homicide by three, accidental deaths by four, and suicide by three to five times compared to homes without a gun. then there are the high profile shootings. since they began their protests six were gunned down in a sikh temple in wisconsin. 20 children and six adults skilled at sandy hook elementary, and near the white house, 12 dead at a navy yard. the president spokes forcefully about gun laws but little changed. the group blames congress and the power of the nra, which did not return our calls for comment. it has been more than 60 mondays since the aurora, colorado, shooting that prompted this protest, and the demonstrators say they'll keep coming back as long as it takes.

>> do you feel that being out here really makes a difference? >> it makes a difference to me. >> reporter: and so after two hours in the cold it is time to put away the signs, but not their resolve. they'll be back next monday, and the monday after that. lisa stark, al jazeera, washington. >> one of the biggest bitcoin exchanges said customers should be able to resume withdraws soon. they froze transactions because of a software glitch. they have now found a solution to the problem. the recent concern about bitcoin has sent prices plummeting. the nationwide average of gas price has jumped. hawai'i has the most expensive, $4 a gallon.

gasoline costs are being driven higher for rising crud refinement and shut down of refineries for maintenance. last week britain's finance minister warned scotland could not keep the british pound as it's currency if it split with great britain. they will vote in september. a famine is looming in south africa in the sahill region. food shortages have affected 20 million people. we go to a village in senegal to see how they're coping with the drought. >> villages in wale wale live on less, but this is all they have left to eat.

>> i'm worried for my people. we've had such little rain this year. our harvest is really bad. now we have to be careful with what we eat. >> adults eat one meal a day. for children this is lunch. crushed dried beans have little nutritional value but it fills the stomach. if they're lucky they might get dinner, too. >> we tell the children we're cooking dinner but actually we're just boiling leaves. eventually they fall asleep with an empty stomach. we have to lie to them to keep our reserves going. >> children are starting to show signs of malnutrition. hunger is not new to this region. nor is the billions of dollars of aid money spent to help them. the united nations said the number of people facing foot shortages in the sahil have doubled to 20 million people. >> there is a tremendous number of human hunger, and it's not

valuable to point fingers but what is value for the future is we have a plan. >> the u.n. is appealing for $2 million to figh start projeco fight food shortages in the region. >> this is not a famine, for the senegalese government, this is not a crisis situation yet. >> this sent by authorities is the lifeline of this area. some travel two hours to let two liters of water, but there isn't enough for everyone. with six months to go for the next rainfall the worst is yet to come. al jazeera, wale wale. >> nicholas mondero is expelling three american diplomats accus accusing them of spying of trying to topple his government,

a claim washington denies. this comes as the country enters it's sixth day of protest. >> in light of this aggression, this act of aggression, this fascist groups that have supported and financed, i will give evidence and proof of this, but from u.s. government institutions we have received broad support and solidarity for from the international community, more than 20 countries have taken a position in favor of democracy, statement and peace for the venezuelan people. >> al jazeera's rachel lavine has more on this story. she join us from the city of caracas, can you give context to the foreign minister's very strong comments there? >> reporter: well, i think its easy for american viewers to dismiss what they have to say as

a paranoid fantasy that the u.s. government would be involved or try to finance groups that would overthrow the government. but actually there has been a history of the u.s. being involved in venezuela. wikileaks documents proved that there have been--that they have been in contact with the u.s. government trying to contact with the people who want to disturb or upset the venezuelan government. but in this case we're still waiting for proof of that. we know that the rhetoric has been turned up. they have been given 48 hours for the diplomats to leave and meanwhile the opposition is keeping up their fight and saying they're vowing to take to the streets for the next coming days until they see a change in government. >> all right, rachel levin with the latest. thank you. coming up next on al jazeera america looking back on 50 years of work with the "mad" magazine con doorist who was just inducted into the illustrators hall of fame.

and the nuclear bunker that could be yours for the right price.

>> badge to al jazeera america. i'm stephanie sy. here are today's headlines. a suspected high ranking al-qaeda leader was scheduled to face a military court on charges stem from the 2000 attack on the uss cole. he's charged with getting supplies and recruiting suicide-bombers for the attack. the judge has halted the proceedings since he may want to fire his attorney. an ethiopian airlines co-pilot allegedly hijacked a plane and flew it to geneva where he wanted to seek asylum. the flight was headed to rome. no one on board was injured. >> i'm meteorologist dave warren. we're talking about more snow in the u.s. and also snow on the other side of the pacific from

japan. this is record-breaking snowfall close to three feet. it really disrupted travel and transportation, people are digging out but that is record snowfall that we're talking about now. we're also talking about more snow, not like that, but a few inches falling here across the northern plains. this is moving through chicago and pushing east, temperatures are down below the freezing mark but close to freezing there in st. louis, getting rain falling into that cold air, it's not only seeing that snow but the mix here. some freezing rain advisories and sleet coming down where it's just a little warmer. that warm air is above that cold air. the break, but only a quick break. there is more snow coming into ohio, cleveland, 22, and here are winter weather advisories, and snow in the midwest which is pushing east. we'll see a little more snow

across the mid atlanta and northeast nothing like the amounts we've seen in the past storm over eastern canada now. here is this snow here across the great lakes, and that will continue to push east. the timing of this looks like it will be affecting the rush hour tomorrow morning. here comes that mix across ohio, cold air with washington, baltimore, philadelphia, that's at 4:00 in the morning. it will continue to come down but tapering off by afternoon and evening. weather advisories in effect, and slippery roads tomorrow morning. >> thank you. mad magazine cartoonist al jaffey has been inducted to the cartoonist hall of fame. >> i had one talent that got me out of trouble in mean places

both in lithuania, savannah and in new york, which was my ability to draw funny cartoons. >> that ability to take humorous ideas and turn them into clever illustrations led to a long and illustrious career in comics, but the 60-year body of work he has crafted for mad magazine with a twinkle in his eye admits is his best stuff. >> "mad" started out as a naughty little troublemaker who is going to make fun of everything. everything was fair game. >> reporter: that's the way it was in the beginning and still is. most recently featuring president obama spoof as a spy boss on the cover of "mad's" privacy issue. what started targeted to kids evolved into political satire

poking fun at pop culture. now 92 years young al jaffey is still a regular contributor. on this day he's working on his trademark feature, the "mad" fold-in. >> the other day when i was making changes for the fifth or sixth time, all i could think is that it's the fold-in from hell. i mean, i don't know why i'm having so much trouble with it. >> that perfectionist zeal has produced amazing results. those fold-ins have appeared in every issue of "mad" since 1964. that's a lot of cartoons. cartoons piled up inside jaffey's time capsule of a studio. >> here i'm going into the jaffey inner sanctum where i have collected a lot of junk that i can't get anyone to take. >> junk, hardly. coveted, you bet. a willing and wanting taker approached him at a comic book

convention. columbia librarian and comic book jumpingy karen green. >> "mad" had this very strong cultural resonance for me, both connected with my childhood and connected with my own kind of cultural heritage, and to meet al jaffey, it's like meeting god. >> and now much of al's work from his personal archives, some published, and some that hasn't seen the light of day is being acquired by columbia university. >> i got almost everything in my career came out of new york city. and i think that i should give something back to new york city. >> fitting that mr. jaffey, a new york institution, would leave his legacy in the city where it all began. del walters, al jazeera, new york. >> a secret of an underground

bunker is going on sale in the u.k. it was meant to protect local water shorts in the event of a newell attack. it includes blast-proof doors and a lot more. it's expected to sell for $80,000. thank you for watching al jazeera. i'm stephanie sy. we'll break down the trans trans-pacific tonight. ♪ our digital producer wajahat ali is here bringing in all of your live feedback. this trade agreement while like