washington. i am ray suarez. >> welcome toays america. and outrage after a national guard member posts this controversial picture online. ♪

it has been a bloody and violent 24 hours in ukraine, fighting between police and protesters killing at least 26 people. now foreign ministers are set to meet with government and opposition leaders in kiev. the protests began late last year, after the government rejected a trade deal with the european union. pola poland's prime minister says he will call on the european union to impose sanctions on the country. >> translator: i will speak to the leaders of the eu countries today to urge them to impose sanctions. sanctions that would strongly effect the authors of the ukrainian drama. canada has already closed its embassy in kiev, the u.s. is also callinger focalment.

jennifer glasse is in kiev. >> reporter: it is a very tense situation here in ukraine, independence square is just a few hundred yards that way, that was the scene of fierce clashes all day yesterday and overnight. some injured are just behind me here in st. michael's cathedral. they are there because they are fightened to go to regular hospitals because they are worried they will be turned over to the police. doctor are obliged to report them if they come into the hospitals here. in independence square we understand the police have started using water cannon again. half of the square has been burnt down. they are preparing for another assault on the square, but i think everybody would like to see this all calm down very

much. the president has declared thursday a day of mourning. both police and protesters killed in those very, very fierce clashes overnight. just here in the streets we have seen protesters chase the place away. the subways aren't working here at all as the government tries to slow the movement of people trying to keep reinforcements from getting into independence square. the people are going to work and the roads are operating around town. it is very, very uncertain here, very, very tense. i don't think anybody wanted to see this erupt the way that it did, the concern among the protesters here is what the military will do. that understand that perhaps as many as a thousand troops might be headed to kiev in the next day or so. the police and riot police were backed up also by thugs here

that beat up many of the protesters. so there is very much a sense of tenning here, a sense of not sure what will happen next, as everybody watches and waits to see what the protesters do, and who the politics make any difference at all. as jennifer mentioned hundreds of people were injured there, including an american who travelled there to take part in the protest. >> i just got clunked on the head, broke my arm in two places, finally i got -- fell on the ground, and the rule is, you can't hit a guy on the ground, you are not supposed to, it's against the rule of something or another, maybe even the united nations, and they just kept hitting me and hitting me. ukrainians here in the rust

keeping a close eye on the situation. >> reporter: we wanted to gauge the reaction of american ukrainians of what is happening in their homeland, so we have come to an area in manhattan where many ukrainians have lived for years. we're outside of a restaurant which has been in business for 60 years. with me now is a not only a ukrainian american, but also a former vietnam vet. how do you judge the reaction here in lower manhattan to what is going on back in your homeland? >> well, the people there are different types of people. there are the ukrainians who really know what is going on over there, and there's the public who just see what is being broadcast in the news. and the news pretty much just shows what is going on in kiev,

but there are things happening all over ukraine, where there is a peaceful attempt at taking over all of the government offices, and the state offices, which is happening all over. >> reporter: i think the police in the west of ukraine surrendered to the protesters today. >> it's not that they surrendered they really have decided they that they are with the people. >> what can ukrainian americans do for their family and friends back home? >> they are supporting them in many ways. they are going over there, for one, and supporting them. i have been over there. i was over there from new years to the middle of january when it was still peaceful, and they are doing everything they can. they are sending money, their

support, their love, and they are trying to do the -- everything they can here to enlighten the americans. and the american congress through different ways in order to tell them that ukrainians want to be free. they want to show the world that they are ukrainians. they want to be free to do -- to express their originality. they don't want to be russians. >> reporter: finally secretary of state john kerry tweeted a few hours ago that all of this is in the hands of the president. he can bring it to an end. do you think he will? he was freel leveled -- electe. do you think he will bring this to an end now? >> it would be good. i don't know if it will happen, but it would be good. >> all right now back to you in

the studio. a suspected high ranking member of al-qaeda facing a u.s. military court in guantanamo bay cuba today. he is charged with planning the deadly attack on the uss coal. natasha ghoneim nat reports. this is one of al-qaeda's most skilled leaders. he allegedly handled a branch of al-qaeda. al-nashiri is charged with planning the attack on the uss cole 13 years ago. >> it is infamous. >> reporter: in october 2000, a small boat pulled up alongside the navy destroyer and ripped a 40-foot hole in the uss cole. 17 sailors decided.

he is facing the death penalty. christina frohock reaches about guantanamo bay at the university of miami. she says the government's admission that he was water boarded for yours might ultimate save his life. >> the defense counsel has requested information about the treatment of mr. al-nashiri, because they want to introduce circumstances of torture to primari primarily stave off an execution. >> if the judge wants to exclude hearsay statements, the evidence is going to whittle down to very little. if the judge allows in those statements that will be very important to know for future cases.

>> reporter: if i were the defense attorneys i would be looking at how the prosecution conducts itself, and what themes the prosecution hits. if i were the prosecutor, i would be watching what sorts of evidence are excluded, and what sorts of evidence are admitted because those are open questions, and al-nashiri's trial is probably going to answer some of those questions. >> reporter: the hope is once this trial and others start, the american public will get a far better understanding of what happened during these attacks. six world powers and iran beginning a second day of talks in vienna today. they are trying to negotiate a comprehensive solution to iran's nuclear program. the talks could in time produce

a settlement. senior iranian firms said they were pretty for long and complicated negotiations, but it would not dismantle its nuclear facilities. the president is scheduled to land in mexico in about an hour, we'll meet with the mexican president and canadian prime minister at the summit. mike viqueira has the story. >> reporter: there are big issues and big questions president obama will face from his counterparts at the all-day north american summit on wednesday. they call it the three amigo summit, but when president obama meets his fellow leaders he'll have explaining to do. domestic american politics has him hamstrung, unable to follow through on big ticket items. the keystone pipeline in limbo.

the project would bring oil to mushing's gulf coast. the administration won't say when the president will decide. ultimately mr. obama must choose between environmentalists and a close ally. >> this is an enormous benefit to the united states. >> reporter: canadian prime minister stephen harper. >> this summit is interesting at an interesting time where progress on a lot of the other things we want to do with canada is building, and awaiting the keystone decision. >> reporter: on trade the president is being undercut by those usually most supportive. the wants another big trade pact. but democratic leaders have openly declared they their opposition refusing to give any deal a streamline path. organized labor is also wary. >> what happens is these companies outsource production

to low-wage locations, for example, mexico, and that puts downward pressure on wages here in the united states. they are able to threaten workers in the u.s. if they don't cut wages or organize labor unions they will move plants to mexico. >> reporter: roughly half of the 12 million undocumented immigrants in the united states are from mexico. after signs that a deal might be at hand, republican leaders have shut the door for the year. that is a disappointment for mexico and its leader. >> immigration i think to the mexicans is a bit of a litmus test for how serious the united states is about the economic agenda and commitment to the relationship between the two countries. >> reporter: and there are two other issues that are likely to be near the top of the agenda, climate change and the security

situation within mexico. in paris secretary of state john kerry set to meet with palestinian president. the two leaders will discuss the stalled negotiations between the palestinians and israelis. kerry hopes that both parties will agree to a framework for peace talked. the us-brokered talks have made little in the way of progress since resumed in july. it has now been 53 days since or three colleagued have been held in cairo. today a protest outside of the egyptian embassy in london demanding their be deleased. phil ittner was there. >> reporter: baher mohamed, mohammed fahmy, and peter greste are now into their second monk of incarceration without being charged. the ruling military backed government accuses them of supporting a terrorist

organization. al jazeera maintains the journalists were just doing their job. they are just a few of the many [ technical difficulties ] >> union for journalists in part to present a petition at the egyptian embassy, calling for the release of all journalists held. the union head stating this repression of all journalists in the country undermines press freedom in egypt and calls into question the government's

attitude to basic human rights. this is by no means the first rally. the push is global. whether it is in east africa, where peter greste is based or his families pleas to the australian press, or campaigns in canada, where mohammed fahmy is a duel citizen. >> i think it's critical that the journalists in in egypt see that journalists outside of egypt all over the world are standing together, because one of the reasons the countries detain journalists is to basically scare other journalists from trying to do their job. >> reporter: the question is whether or not calls for freedom of the press falls on deaf ears. coming up next on al jazeera america, unsafe levels of arsenic from duke energy, as coal ash continues to pour into the north carolina river.

and outrage over this controversial photo posted online. and as we go to break we leave you with some very dramatic images from ukraine. and a warning some of these could be a little difficult to watch. ♪

welcome back to al jazeera america. i'm del walters. the owner of a shuttered power mranth in north carolina have now been ordered to plug a second leak. the wastewater contains arsenic levels considered to be 14 times higher than what is considered to be safe. prosecutors are investigating the first leak which leaked into the same river. a national guardsman has been suspended after posting controversial photos onsocial media. thomas drayton reports on the image that is outraging so many >> reporter: this photo has been described as distasteful and showing a lack of respect. it has cost the woman who took the snapshot her job for now.

the soldier has been suspended after posting this picture of soldiers smiling and striking poses. it is posting on harrison's instagram account went viral. >> it is fathomable to me that people who are picked to be in this highly sensitive area would be that insensitive. >> this second photo tears right into their most sacred duties. a suggestion the guard says that the family of a fallen service member would receive an unprofessionally presented american flag during the funeral

because of the cold weather. wisconsin's national guard is investigating the matter, including learning the identity of the ore soldiers and issued this statement . . . the fallout over the pictures has lead to threats against harrison by way of phone calls and social media. the guard says it has taken steps to ensure her safety, but removed her from the duty she required a special recommendation to perform. thomas drayton, al jazeera. checking wall street, the dow unable to hold on to early gains. the blue chips down right now.

the nasdaq's eight-day winning streak also in jeopardy. this is after the imf issued aern waing about countries ending stimulus programs too soon. chairman tom chewheeler say he will once restrictions on providing online content. the commerce department reporting on new home construction saying it sunk 16% last month. the bad weather being blamed although economists say the downward trend may indicate the housing market is growing weaker. the mortgage banking associate say applications for home loans fell last week. the average 30-year fixed rate

mortgage rose to 4.5% that is the first increase this year. still ahead, an overanxious octopus giving drivers a thrill of a lifetime. that story and a recap of our headlines when al jazeera america returns. ♪

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♪ welcome back to al jazeera america. i'm del walters. here are your headlines at this hour. it has been a bloody and violent 24 hours in ukraine, fighting between police and protesters now leaving 26 people dead. the white house and other world leaders now calling for the government to pull back and hold talks with the opposition. president obama is on his way to mexico for the north american leader summit. he is scheduled to land to meet with mexican president and canadian prime minister to discuss several major economic issues. a suspected high-ranking

member of al-qaeda, facing court in guantanamo bay cuba today, abd al rahim al nashiri is charged with planning the deadly attack on the uss cole back in the year 2000. if convicted he faces the death penalty i'm dave warren looking at ice now across the northeast. at it will l warmer, just a touch, so it's really not falling as snow but a large mix area. we could be seeing ice with sleet. freezing ice advisory, really due north and west of 95 in pennsylvania and new york. winter weather advisories expected. this area will be gone here in the next few hours. temperaturing down below freezing, and we could see east or light snow accumulate for a brief period of time. not much here on the radar plus

the clouds. but look at the advisories and warnings issues. this is for tomorrow. big storm developing over chicago. winter storm warnings in chick to the south and east by tomorrow afternoon it's much warmer. however, heavy rain expected severe storms possible. where you get heavy rain you should see flooding. here is the western side, we're getting the cold air coming in behind it, but blizzard warnings and heavy snow expected. and this is where it is thursday afternoon. by friday it pushes east and brings with it some of the rain. the front is all rain with temperatures well above freezing, but by friday morning into western pennsylvania, and could see some ice here in new england, certainly that

rain-snow line pushed well north. a line of severe storms most likely moving through friday late morning and early afternoon, and behind it it dries out but just gets cold. another shot of arctic air coming down and pushing to the east. we're not quite done with winter yet. >> some interesting sculptures are popping up with all of the snow like this one. one man in minnesota carving the sculpture. and two sub bah drivers getting the thrill of a lifetime. at first they thought the giant sea creature was a rock. they quickly learned it wasn't

the case when it began to fight for their camera. the drivers said the octopus didn't pose a threat. thanks for watching al jazeera america. i'm del walters in new york. appropriately "the stream" is next. >> outside door enthusistics flock to utah to explore the national parks and for the people that call the state home, poor air quality has many asking if the state of the people are are jeopardy. >> as always, producer is here