nuclear program. they'll last for three days. iran drew a hard line saying it will not bow to pressure your to get rid of its facilities. those are the headlines. "america tonight" is next. i'm thomas drayton in new york. you can get the latest news at aljazeera.com. >> on "america tonight" - world on fire. anger and activism explode in two increasingly important nations. ukraine - where a violent crackdown on protesters leads to bloodshed and death. >> and venezuela, where the opposition leader turns himself in, leaving supporters. >> the mighty residents of minnesota great north wood and a

mystery dwindling their numbers. >> if we continue at this trajectory we'll be out of moose in 2025. >> return to the ring. the return of one champion, how her fighting spirit is winning over new fans. >> good evening, thanks for being was, i'm joie chen. we start tonight in ukraine. police stormed opposition camps, the result is this - flames, fireworks, guns, grenade. the blood yesterday since the

protest began. the demonstrators took over independence square after the president rejected a deal with the yooup -- european union in favour of closer ties with russia. >> protesters threw rocks and firebombs as riot police moved in to disperse the crowd. police fired back with fire grenades. we spoke with chris miller, editing "the key post", and fruited all day and might about the violence. i asked about the injuries he is seeing. >> i watched a young man. i believe he was a teenager, no more than 21 or 22, get shot in the eye. i am sure he will lose the eye. he was bleeding profusely.

medics took him to an ambulance where he was rushed away from the scope. >> you were seeing other injuries there. you said people have suffered a lot of cuts, bleeding. >> just this evening i watched one man lose his hand after he didn't release some type of explosive in time. and just recently another journalist of ours, said that a riot police officer lost a hand after a grenade exploded before he could get it away. those people are limping away with leg injuries. they have gashes or cuts to the head or shrapnel from police grenades. many, many people on the square are injured. right now it's likely that you'd see more people injured than not

injured. is there any indication that the protesters are trying to move out of the square or that it will spread. >> in kiev, no, they are hunkering in the square. they want to defend independence square. this is the home base. they have lost their headquarters. police are in possession of that. police have taken position on the rooftops of the building, and police are firing into the crowd. the protests have spread out west, in the western part of the country. predominantly in pro western and pro-european bases. they are also storming government offices and buildings, including police headquarters. in the east we haven't seen much action. there are protests in western regions of the country.

>> is there any resolution or is something taking place to stop the violence? >> opposition leaders are sitting down with the president, viktor yanukovych, according to our sources, but it's unclear what is discussed. obviously the protesters laid out the demands. they are asking that the president resign. it puts power in the hands of the parliament. it's unlikely that either of those will happen. viktor yanukovych has not backed down in the last three months. >> chris miller from "the key post", thank you for being was. we'll keep a sharp eye on

developments in kiev. we are watching another capital where government force and protesters clashed. tens of thousands of venezuelans marched the streets of in a country that is oil rich and suffers a wealth of economic problems and a growing sense of division. >> a dynamic opposition leader or, as the government sees him, an instigator of unlawful protests. leopoldo lopez stood at the center of the protests, or he did, until today, when he turned himself in to police. a harvard-educated activist from the upper clashes insists he is not guilty of inciting violence. >> translation: we are tired of

crime, censorship and people getting killed every day. >> the fury spread rapidly, in a country where traditional outlets are tilted towards the government. venezuela, led by nicolas maduro, the hand-picked successor to the late and popular hugo chavez has been plagued by allegations of corruption, growing crime and rising inflation. nicolas maduro urged supporters into the secrets and accused the united states of backing rebel groups. blaming them for recruiting students to the anti-government protests. >> we have seen that the vepz government detracts from its actions blaming the u.s. or other members for the international events. >> this time it appears the opposition will not be distracted. protesters flood the streets and

place pressure on nicolas maduro's government. there's a lot of division. we have to be strong or step into the boxing ripping. >> to help us understand what is behind the unrest, we join with a professor of history and politics. and author of "we created chavez - a people's history of the venezuela revolution", we appreciate you being with us. we mentioned leopoldo lopez's education and wealth versus nicolas maduro. is this a matter of class difference, is that what the division is here? >> it's not just about class difference, but it's a part of it. leopoldo lopez hails from the upper crust of the upper crust. he's descended from the first president of venezuela. these are the people that are accustomed to running the country, to being in power and

don't like to be displaced. when chavez was elected the traditional political class was displaced by a new class coming largely interest below, from popular movement, the urban poor, and these are the people given a new voice. what has manifest is very much a struggle between classes. it's never been that. the protests, not reducible lean towards the upper classes. >> the millions of supporters that voted for the chavez block are largely from the poor segment of society. >> you note nicolas maduro's streghtds. the majority. it is. that's something that needs to be recognised. part of what happens with the rhetoric through twitter and the opposition. the idea that venezuela is trying to get rid of nicolas

maduro. what it does is repeats the historical silencing. those that voted for nicolas maduro, and those that would vote for nicolas maduro today. at the same time the segment of the population - they are not necessarily about what is going on in the government. it's building popular organizations. while the distraction is going on in the capital, a lot of people are building a new society. >> we have a few seconds left, but i want to get to relations with the u.s., and indications that the feeling is that the united states is behind this. is that the case? what about that relationship, particularly given venezuela's participation as an oil-rich nation. >> if you look at the united states budget, there's money in the billions earmarked for the potential despite that there has

been anti-democratic behaviour. this opposition doesn't need of support of the u.s. pulling the strings to make strategic decisions and tactical miscalculations. >> drex ter university's professor. thank you for being with us here. >> thanks for having me. >> when we return - a mystery in minnesota great north woods. where have the moose gone. >> if we continue in this trajectory we'll be out of moose in 2025. >> following these majestic creatures and following what or who is responsible.

>> across north america turns out that moose populations are in steep decline. in some cases biologist say they are literally dropping dead and they are not sure why that is. "america tonight"'s adam may travelled to the heart of moose groupie in minnesota, where scientists with the state of natural resources use a high tech method to save the iconic mina societian ma'am am. >> it's a race against time to save the noth in northern minnesota. the population moving from endangered to near extinction in this part of the country. >> if we continue on this

trajectory we'll be out of moose in 2025. >> biologists michelle carstensen and her team are scrambling to find out why the mammoth mammals are dying at an alarming rate. this one, travelling with her calve is being coraled into a state research project led by michelle carstensen, the study the largest of its kind in the world. >> first, the moose is darted with a tranquilliser from the air. then a team of researchers get up close to take medical samples. >> behind me right now what the research team is doing is taking blood sample from the cow. they have tape hair samples and are measuring the animal for the research. >> the moose is then outfitted with a gps collar that tracks

her movements. if the animal stops moving the research team gets an alert. >> this is set up to have a motion-sensitive trigger for mortality. as long as it moves, it's in live mode. if it's motionless for 6 hour period it goes into morbidity and it sends the material to our data phone. the aim is to get to the animal within 24 hours of death. >> our aim is to get the carcass out to a laboratory within 24 hours. >> the animals can die anywhere, they have high levels of body fat that the bodies decompose quickly. receiving an exact location and getting their fast is key. this year the team collared more

than two dozen moose in the north-east erp part of the state. trying to find them is difficult, even in the best of conditions. >> trent brown is known as a gunner. he leaps out of the snow, collaring moose. >> how curious are you as to what is happening with the moose. >> very curious. it's important to figure out what is going along. we are doing a small part. we help out trying to catch them. it's the biologist from miles per hour trying to answer questions. >> the $2 million state-funded project is in its second year. >> minnesota department of natural resources is surveying the moose every year. the numbers in the nearby section wept from 8,000 -- went from 8,000 to around 3,000, in

under 10 years. last year biologists found a moose mortality rate of 20%. wolves are having an impact. we have a healthy wolf population in minnesota, but on the house-represented side. we are seeing liver fluke mortality, brain worm, and, you know, we see winter ticks, but also unknowns. >> we are talking about more than half-a-dozen things that could be contributing to this, that you haven't been able to nail down a cause. >> no, and we are trying. it will take time. and our challenge is do we have enough time before there aren't moose left in minnesota, to answer the questions.

>> photographers live in the heart of moose company. he barely sees moose any more. back 10 years ago, you see 10 or 12 of them. you see them move, and another group of four. >> you don't see that any more. >> i saw one single one the other night, and a few night i'll see a cow and a calf, but that's where i notice it. you don't see the amounts like that. that's the easiest way for me to know it's different to 10 years ago. >> hagemann spends hours hiking into the woods looking for the elusive youth. >> my eyes look different. i learn what the spot may look like >> you can get close to them before they are spooked. >> i watch their ears. you wash their hairs, sometimes

i've been within 20 feet or 100 feet, standing next to the truck. i had a way out so neither of us would get hurt. i've had them come close. a calf was sitting on the road was more curious and was within a lane of me, 15-20 feet away. >> he sells his photographs op line and is hopeful the research will save the moose he's grown to love. >> they are part of what feels woild. >> it draws me and a lot of people to the area that the wolves. that is is woild out there. >> the monarch of the forest is igop. >> they moffat their own pace. they are too rushed. you should take a lesson from the moose, chill out. is it a bad thing?

>> here the animal's imaging adorns everything - from t-shirts to coffee cups. there's moose everywhere as you drive around the north woods. usually you think about the magical, and folks that have encounters, talk about it in years to come. know that moose are there, hoping it see one and having that anticipation. it's something all wants. >> for scientists there are reminders that the moose in the north woods are in danger. >> how is moose behaving, how is it different? >> its head was tilted to the left. it was walking in circles, we walked to the animal, within 10 feet, 5 feet. it didn't try to get away. it walked in circles, we went out with a team on the ground

and youth faced the animal and will try to get it to the lab in men's. steph green is a member of chippewa, a native american tribe. >> moose is a subsis tense, and they are interests in what is causing the moose population decline. >> green is working with the state, using the same gps collars on tribal land and sharing data. he has been studying moose for years. he thing what is happening can be linked to global warming. you think humans are to blame? >> i think it is changing climate. what is affecting them is parasite from deer.

winter ticks, they are high when we have early snow melt, indicative of warming climate. >> michelle carstensen says she needs to collect more information before saying anything for certain. it is entirely possible. having warming winters. in winter moose have a winter coat on. it's thick and dense. that's what they evolved to have a coat like that. all of us having a warmer winter, they can't dissipate the heat. the team is outfitting moose. the mits record the body temperature. one thing biologist agree on is the moose population decline could mean more trouble. most concerning is the fact that we see declines in other

species. >> moose is a keystone species, and we know an animal like this. if there's climate change-related impacts. it would be shown up first. >> moose populations across north america declining, all eyes on minnesota's state of the art research. hoping to solve the moose mystery before it's too late. >> add america tonight miles per hour released an area population survey, it's estimated there are more than 4,000 moose in the state. it is higher than last year, long-term trend points downwards. that's what worries the biologists. the department of natural resource hopes the collar process will help track and mitigate the decline.

>> next time - northern californians face something they have never seen before. >> wow. it's sobering. you can - from here you can walk across the river, and you shouldn't be able to do that. you can't do that in the summer time. it's scary. >> california's drought emergency. how communities face the challenge. it's wednesday on "america tonight." after the break - a preyer for piece and perhaps probation, why an elderly mum's mission brought her inside one of the nation's top weapons facilities. i must begin my journey,

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>> now a snapshot of stories making headlines on "america tonight." an apology in 140 characters. following an investigation into accusations that he bullied other miami dolphindolphins, ri incognito tweeted an apology. he was one of three accused of harassing martin. >> the university of mississippi. the statue of the first black student to enrol was discovered with a noose around its neck and a confederate flag masking its faith. mississippi execution may be on standby after a pharmacy agreed not to provide a lethal drug needed. michael taylor's attorneys sued

the provider of the drug saying it could cause inhumane pain. it's unclear whether it will delay his execution. >> it was judgment in knoxville tennessee. megan rice, an 84-year-old nun, sentenced to it 24 months behind cars for breaking into and defacing a nuclear facility. two peace activists were also gaoled. ♪ we will stand with you ♪. >> the sister act getting her in trouble. sister megan rice and two peace activists used bolt cutters to cut through wire fences at the

y-12 security complex. the target - a half billion storage bunker holding the nation's supply of bomb-grade uranium. they spent more than two hours in the restricted area, long enough to spluch blood on the wall. affidavits the facility insisted there was never any danger. they can be detonated or used to assemble a bomb. a highly publicised imprisonment of a nun was an embarrassment. some praised the activists for exposing weakness, they were ordered to pay $53,000 in fines, they asked for leniency saying their mission was to bring tapes to the facility. >> if a nun can break into a

nuclear facility, what does it tell us about security. how significant is it that an elderly 84-year-old nun and two companions can clip their way in and spend two hours inside. >> it was about half an hour before they were stopped. >> five minutes. >> it's incredible. 2 minutes, i mean, if it had been a terrorist it would have been a cake walk to have a dettonation. they were outside the building, and the building has 300 metric tonnes of highly enriched uranium. the one thing terrorists want more than a war head is highly enriched uranium. you take 20 pounds and drop on another piece and you get an explosion the size of hiroshima. >> the comment was they weren't

in a position to detonate anything. >> they were outside a building whose walls are a foot and a half thick. they could have taken a shape charge and blown doors off, blown a huge hole in the middle of the wall, and as you noticed, the guards couldn't see him. and here is a new beautifully designed building. we said all along that you don't have good site from these things, from these towers. >> you say, "we said." >> pogo. very critical of the design of the building. >> in terms of government - when your project looked at it you were clear the security measures were a problem. is it physical security. there has been looking at cyber security. is there a general lack of

security. >> cyber security - i think that the labs are more of a problem, the production facilities >> what has been done. what is the government done as a result of what happened here? >> okay, the most incredible thing is when megan and her cohorts, you know -- >> the nun involved in the case. >> there's a nun involved in the case, as soon as that was obvious, they did a big investigation. they fired a bump of contractors and other people that should have been fired for sure, and they went - they had teams that went from site to site to site, and trying to figure out what the situation was, and found horrendous problems, you know, so it - you know -- >> are you confident there's greater security as a result of

all that. >> yes. slightly, for the near term. i think they have problems. see, the interesting thing about this is that you - you can't test for surprise. that is the advantage that the terrorist has. it's only one where a surprise happened. and all of a sudden they weren't prepared for that. the guys in the tower couldn't see what was going on below them. >> why did so much time pass, why were the three people able to stay inside long enough to spray paint graffiti? >> a lot had to do with a number of the cameras and sensors were turned off, because they were getting sick of them with the - with squirless and rabbits

running against the fence, so they disarmed them. >> thank you for being with us and talking to us about that. peter stockton, senior investigator on the project government oversight. pogo. >> after the break, a return to occupy new york. one young protestor, and why police accrued her of a serious assault, though she had evidence she was victimized. >> later in the program - there's more to it. her fists of fury, and how she's fared since our viewers first met her.

>> 2.5 years since a small group of protesters gathered in new york with the goal of occupying wall street. their campaign turning into a movement for equality. the message was overshadowed. stephanie mcmillan, one of thousands forcefully removed. she said she was beaten and bruised and she is the one facing trial. lori jane glihah reports. >> a group of police officers swept into a park breaking up a 6 month anniversary of occupy

wall street. a then 23-year-old cecile mcmillan was in the park. in the chaos, she felt a hand grip her right breast and she instinctively threw up her elbow. mcmillan says she suffered a seizure after being detained by police. officers carried her body and stood around her convulsing body. it took 15-20 minutes before an ambulance took mcmillan away. in the youtube videos, you can hear the confusion and con certa -- concern. >> where are the medics? >> these are photos her friends shared. further help to piece together the altercation. the dark mark above her eye and the print on her chest are black

and blue evidence that a police officer assaulted her. >> her skirt was way above - they are over here. i ran to get one of the mediation. >> the n.y.p.d. did not charge an officer with assault. instead cecile mcmillan faces charges of assault with a 7-year prison term. two years later, her trial is set to begin. >> of 8,000 occupy wall street arrests, a quarter took place in new york city. according to a joint report from n.y.u. and the fordham school of law, aggressive overpolicing was widespread in the police response to occupy wall street. from the battons and pepper spray to the denial of medical care, the arrests were illegal, and most led to charges being dropped. >> we did nothing. >> mcmillan's lawyer says the

policeman she elbowed left the mark on her right breast and the arrest was an example of overly aggressive policing. the case's outcome will be a verdict on her behaviour and how the new york city police department handled a mass protest that turned into mayhem. >> we did retch out to the new york city public information office for more information and comment. we have not received a response from then. joining us is the attorney that took on hundreds of cases and is representing sesly mcmillan. we need hundreds of cases. were there similarities to ms mcmillan's case? >> not to cecile's. most of the cases the arrests

were for minor offenses, few felony arrests. we had about 3,000 arrests, and 90% of them were dismissed. that is a pretty sad statement on policing of protests when 90% of rests wind up with no court action. >> what does that tell you if nine out of 10 cases were dismissed? >> it tells me that they were overpoliced, that people were arrested without people to stand up in court. cecile's case is different. the reason it's different is there's video tape showing setilla elbowing the -- cecile hitting him and leaving a bruise. the video doesn't show the reason it went up in the air

assist as they exited the pash -- the park. this is the 6 month anniversary, cecile was not there. she was there for another reason. as she's exiting the park and a police officer told her "you have to get out of the park", this is about midnight. she's grabbed from behind on her right breast. she reacts like any woman would, training, not training, a reaction that says whoah what are you doing. >> how does that become a felony charge is what i'm not getting? >> the claim was made after cecile was arrested, that this police officer who got hit in the face was escorting another person out of the park and somehow cecile purply came over and interfered with that arrest by whacking the guy in the eye.

that's what the claim was made when she was arrested. that was the claim made when she was brought before a judge 40 hours after she was taken into custody. >> there was another felony case. >> there was one other phelany case from the 3,000 arrests that stuck. it was the case of a young man on a weapon found at a nap sack. no one was injured. it was a crime. it was the only other felony prosecuted. cecile's is the second felony, and the only one going to trial. >> a quick thought here. what does this tell us as we look on the occupied protest andway is the future. that policing is going to be done with a heavy hand like this. >> i hope not. there's a lopping tradition in

america of the first amendment protecting people's right to express themselves, people's right to speak out. that is an area where police activity should be curtailed. it's not something we should encourage, it makes america different and something that the constitution says every person has the right to stand up and speak without the police shutting them down. >> thank you very much. appreciate you joining us. >> ahead and our fine thoughts - round 2, tough teenager packing a mean punch. get in her corner where there's more to it. that's next.

>> finally tonight we applaud the fierce efforts of a young tough teenager as we celebrate her story. "america tonight" has won a gracey award from the alliance

for women in media foundation for outstanding hard-news feature. this is why - our story from the outskirts of calcutta describing the journey of a young girl to the competitive boxing ring. anger is her fuel, defying a commonplace image of commonplace abused women. as we get into her corner, there's more to it.

>> following up the producer tells us that she wants to attend a boxing academy, but doesn't have the money to pay for transportation and lodging. because she lacks proper training she has not had an opportunity to fight for competitively.

her determination is unwavering and she'll continue to find a way to pull her family out of poverty. we say she's already a champion. that's it for us on "america tonight." if you want to comment on any story, log on to the website aljazeera.com/americatonight. you'll meet the team, talk to us about what you'd like to see, or join the conversation at twitter or facebook. goodnight. we'll have more "america tonight" tomorrow.

>> announcer: this is al jazeera. [ ♪ music ] >> hello there, welcome to this newshour. i have the latest news from al jazeera's headquarters no doha. >> like a war zone - central kiev laid to waste. at least 25 die in street battles in the past 24 hours. >> in beirut another suicide bombing kills five and injures 80. >> guinea fights a losing battle against cocaine