our guests. the conversation continues right now on twitter. until next time, waj and i will see you online. ♪ good evening, everyone, welcome to al jazeera america. i'm john siegenthaler in new york. [ gunfire ] >> blood ji thursday in ukraine. more violence in the streets, and more depth as protests continue. global outrage. the u.s. and european union look for ways to end the ukrainian uprising. not guilty, the plea in court from three al jazeera journalists. colorado's marijuana industry

and why many pay their tax bill in cash. plus solving crime with new technology. the science tracking down app suspect. ♪ it was an especially deadly day in ukraine. sniper attacks and more fighting between police and protesters, an ugly seen as you look live at the capitol of kiev. the ukrainian ambassador called it a sad day for his country. what we know now is this. it's the worst violence seen in the protests. 39 people were killed in kiev today. that brings the total to 67 people who have been killed since tuesday. world leaders have condemned the violence. the european union imposed new sanctions on european officials.

nick schifrin is live in kiev tonight. tell us what you are seeing right now. >> reporter: john, what we saw this morning was chaos and carnage, and right now that has been replaced bier calm. it is 3:00 am behind me, and still these protesters are going strong. they were singing the national anthem just a few moments ago. now they are trying to rally their troops to maintain their excitement. you see people licking their wounds, people really digging in. i saw scenes of people feeding each other, lining up for barbecues, sleeping, of course really getting a sense they are digging in, grateful for at least a few hours of peace. a few blocks from here we saw protesters surround a busful of

police. we are told that they have let those police go. the protesters allowing a tunnel of police to walk out of that area. but john, there is a real sense that today was so bloody that bridg bridges have now been crossed. >> and nick european officials have decided on sanctions and they have been meeting with ukraine's president. are they getting anywhere on that front? >> i think the sanctions will take effect. eu officials telling us there are travel bans as well as the freezing of all eu assets of people deemed responsible for the violence. but there is a real sense that are these officials who are responsible for the police here, are they going to listen?

there is no indication that they have listened to any eu, u.s., or un pressure. the polish foreign minister has suggested via twitter saying that presidentian -- yanukovych may be considering early elections. but they have not confirmed that. >> and we heard that vice president biden talk with president yanukovych earlier today. do we know if anything came from that? >> reporter: well, john, two nights ago, vice president biden was on the phone with president yanukovych as the police were firing into protesters. biden was unable to convince him to stop. so yes, again, he is putting

pressure on yanukovych and he is simply not responding. one analyst said we have a government that doesn't want to talk, and protesters who aren't being controlled. there is aer coof radicals inside the protesters who are very willing to make this a violent clash and there are police and snipers who are more than willing to take aim at fellow ukrainians, and so there is a sense that while there is calm right now, there's a real sense that the divisions here are becoming much more wide and the violence will increase. >> nick thank you. i spoke with the you ukrainian ambassador to the un and asked about his reaction? >> i was shocked today hearing that the victims appeared despite the fact that today is a national mourning day killed in

all of the atrocities. i have my family, friends, colleagues there, and that's why i'm expressing my sympathy to the families of those who were killed. >> the swedish foreign minister has said that the president has blood on his happens. does the ukrainian government have blood on their hands today? >> that's not for me to judge. what is important is those in power today, they should understand they have the responsibility to demonstrate responsibility. any government in the world is responsible for everything, so -- >> but this is going on in the ukraine -- the ukrainian president is apparently negotiating. doesn't he hold some responsibility for this?

>> if he is still negotiating, it means he is open for negotiation and this is important. it means that we still have -- have the room for a peaceful settlement. >> have you seen the video of the snipers on the ground pulling the trigger, firing bullets into crowds of protesters? have you seen that? >> no, i have not scene. but from the previous violence we had before, so when the protesters were killed 16 of them, and 10 policemen, saw the snipers, they were shooting, but nobody until now identified who were snipers who killed the police people and -- and the protesters, this is what should be immediately identified who they are, because different rumors appear in the internet explaining who they are, but, well, i can't command the

rumors. >> i don't know who they are. i'm looking at the pictures just like you are, but they look like authorities to me. >> well, but it is not proved -- it is not proved, a lot of people there have thesement camouflage uniforms and that's why the -- the investigation should be very correct. >> so you are blaming the protesters equally as well as the police; is that what you are saying? >> no, i'm not blaming, but what i'm addressing to all of the sides involved to demonstrate patience, wisdom, and to stop -- stop any violence and -- and usage of -- of arms. >> and you believe that leadership is coming from president yanukovych? >> it should come from every side. >> would it help if president yanukovych stepped down? >> well, if it was a part of

the -- of the compromise, if it's a part of a deal, it -- but it is, again, it should be a complex -- complex solution, so it means that not only the political solution, who will lead the country, but how to lead the country. the constitution reforms are badly needed as well. >> as i speak to you today, i take it that this is a very difficult day for you and ukraine. can you tell me your feelings? this >> true, yes. i am shocked. all the morning i spent -- i spent in telephone calls to -- to my mother, to my sister, to my friends, to my university partners who are with their students on the streets. so it's very shocking. >> that's the ukrainian ambassador to the united nations. ukraine's relationship with

russia is a big factor in this uprising. richelle carey is here with more. >> the history is over shadowing its present, the question is what role will it play in its future. >> reporter: 46 million ukrainians are now struggling with a choice, should they lane toward russia or toward the west. russian and ukraine trace the root as nation all the way back to the 19th century. after the break up of the soviet union, ukraine struggled to find a national denthty. the country sought more economic ties with the european union, but it was a move russia did not support. f after all these neighborhoods had their own economic ties. ukrainian pipelines transport natural gas from russia to european markets. in turn, russia sells natural

gas to ukraine at reduced rates, but late last year, all signs pointed to ukraine brokering a trade deal with the eu. but russia was offering a $15 billion loan and continued discount on natural gas. at the 11th hour, president yanukovych sided with russian president and pulled out of signing with the eu. critics accused the kremlin of arm twisting. the result? months of street protests, and some of the worst violence ukraine has seen since the end of the soviet era. president putin has sent a formal russian mediator. and our coverage continues. >> kimberly martin is a processor of political science.

welcome. >> thank you. >> what do you make of russia's influence on this? and can they bring this to an end or not? >> so far russia's influence has not been a positive factor. vladimir putin and the prime minister both said they wanted yanukovych to end the situation, and that they were not going to give the 2 recently promised to ukraine to somebody who acted as quote a doormat, unquote. we also have an indication from the russian foreign ministry earlier today, they offered to second whatever help was needed to solve the situation. so it's very nice that they are sending the person to be a mediator, our understanding it's not somebody who has a great deal of political power in russia, and there are fears that perhaps this is just an effort to deflect western attention and

make the west believe that russia is playing a positive role. >> in the eastern part of ukraine, does it appear that there is still a great deal of support for the president? >> i think it's really hard to tell at this point. so much has been changing today. many members, high ranking of the president's party have been deserting him. there are rumors of private chartered planes trying to fly out to leave the country. we do know that the support for russia and russia oriented administration remains very high in certain places, like heavily russian speaking, russian ethnic part of ukraine, and right now we're in a messy situation. >> it was interesting to listen to the ambassador from ukraine who didn't turn down the possibility that the president would actually step down. >> yes. >> if the president were to step down, what would happen after

that? >> it is very interesting because the ukrainian foreign ministry's facebook page said they called for ukraine to join europe, and sign the european agreement. there are three candidates who would potentially be able to step to the top. we have kill shaningco who is still in prison at this point, and a power vacuum isn't necessarily a good thing -- >> couldn't there be more violence? >> there certainly could. there are very strong all tra nationalists. they have weapons that have been taken from police stations, and so i think the whole situation is very uncertain. and one very important thing to keep in mind is that the police

in ukraine ce straight out of the soviet system with soviet training, so there's not really any particular hope on the horizon even if there is a change at the top. >> some really good information. kimberly martin thanks again. we're following this story for you throughout the evening. now to the weather. severe storming sweeping through the midwest right now. already more than ten tornados reported in illinois. kevin corriveau is here with the latest. >> that's right, john. the storm -- you can see the last 12 hours of its history, is really beginning to organize. look at the line. it has moved through parts of illinois, which is good. so what we're really concerned about is what is happening towards parts of indianapolis. also over here towards nashville. within the next hour that line will also push through. and gulf port as well as over to

mobile we'll see tornadic activity. the red are tornado watches in effect right now. within those are tornado warnings, and most are to the east of that line. and that will continue all night long. we have people without power in parts of illinois because of the winds and attorneys. we also have flooding happening in if parts of ohio. we're also dealing with the winter part of this storm in iowa, wisconsin, this is a true blizzard. visibility is down to about 9 on the highways. this storm is going to go through, i'll tell you more about what is going to happen on the eastern seaboard later in the show. >> kevin thank you. >> coming up, not guilty, our al jazeera colleagues enter a plea in egypt. also an exclusive look from the battlefields in afghanistan. the view from the taliban.

plus a criminal investigation in a coal ash spill in north carolina. federal prosecutors are trying to find out.

our three al jazeera colleagues detained in egypt were in a courtroom today in cairo. they pleaded not guilty to charges. they are accused of joining or aiding and abetting a terrorist organization. al jazeera says the charges are false and is demanding the immediate release of its staff. >> cameras were barred inside the courtroom where the trial of the al jazeera journalists was convened. mohammed fahmy, baher mohamed, and peter greste have denied all of the government's charges. they are accused of belonging to a terrorist organization, and thre threaten egypt's national

security. >> translator: we demanded their release and the chance to interrogate prosecution witnesses. >> reporter: the three are among 20 defendants. al jazeera management expressed satisfaction that the trial was upway. >> we're very pleased we are in court. we believe we will get a fair trial, and we believe we can defending ourselves. >> reporter: family members of the journalists said the charges had no merit. >> translator: from my point of view this trial is politicized. my son and his coworkers are good patriots and work professionally. >> he has been prepared for today, but he is also prepared for an outcome that perhaps -- that we don't want. >> reporter: two of the journalists shouted that they have been subject to, quote, psychologically unbearable conditions since their arrest. they said they got only one hour of exercise a day, and had no

access to reading material. the cases raise protests from journalists around the world who warn that egypt has become one of the most oppressive countries for independent reporting. >> i think by not registering as forcibly as possible that this is not acceptable, people think it's a perfectly fine way to proceed, and not only egypt, but other governments are following suit. >> reporter: the judge said prosecution witnesses will be heard and the evidence considered at the next hearing scheduled for early next month. we have a human rights activist and coordinator of the committee to protect journalists, welcome. >> thank you. >> were you surprised by the court proceeding today? >> unfortunately not. i'm egyptian, and i'm seeing this happen [ inaudible ] i myself was in a trial that went on for 18 months. very similar to what we saw said

with al jazeera and the trial two years ago. >> what is the point of the delay, first of all? the >> the system is allowing the judge full control on how the proceeding of the case will take place, and the judge usually takes into consideration other cases that he has on his plate, and we know right now there are thousands of people who have been rounded up, many of them are also being held without charges, and without any evidence, so the fact of any matter there are a lot of injustice in egypt, but also there is no rule of law. so it all depends on what the judge wants to do on this case. >> there has been a lot of pressure that is mounting on egypt, al jazeera, the committee to protect journalists, your organization, some of the biggest journalist organizations

in the world, as well as some of the best known journalists have spoken out in support of these three journalists. how does that pressure play out in egypt? >> i think it's important. the egyptian government yes, have some fractions who do not care about international opinion or international news organizations, i'm pretty comfortable somebody like general al-sisi who is poised to run for presidency next month will not want the international public opinion having this case on his head when he is running for office, and eventually might be leading the country over the presidential election. i would think he would want to have a smooth transition to being a president, and having

this case and others, people behind bars is not going to help, it's not going to have the international community give him any legitimatesy. >> we got a little bit of information today in the courtroom from some of t the -- journalists about the conditions they are being held in. is this typical of on youralists when they are detained? >> from day one we have voiced concern of how differently they were treated. we have seen a lot of horrible deterioration in human rights overall. we have seen, however, a little bit more over reaction of the government in this case. those specific journalists were kept in confinement, denied

access to a lawyer, after a lot of pressure from the international community and also from their colleagues, they were allowed to stay together instead of being in solitary confinement, which is some progress. we're hoping that will lead to them to be allowed bail possibly at a later point for the charges to be dropped. >> we appreciate the support of your committee, and thank you for coming to speak with us tonight. now to north carolina where a federal investigation is underway into a huge coal ash spill. state officials say the water is safe. others aren't so sure. robert ray has the report. >> reporter: these are the muddy banks of the dan river, to be specific eden, north carolina. this green foam is meant to

catch up the contaminates of the coal ash that spilled into the river. duke electric is to blame for this. a leaky pipe underneath a coal ash pond released what they said two weeks ago to be 82,000 tons of coal ash. that figure has now been downgraded. but much of the coal ash is scattered around the river at the bottom in various spots all the way 70 miles downstream. on tuesday a second pipe leaked, spewing arsenic-laced ground water into the river. 90% of that is clean, and they did not know the pipe was faulty at the time, officials say. officials also say do not eat the fish. much of the coal ash is at the bottom of the river and on the banks. if we go down a foot or so,

bring it up, you can see clearly we have sentiment, leaves -- we'll let this out, but you can see the dark coal here in the mud mixed together. just this week federal prosecutors demanded documents and orders 20 state environmental employees to testify. coal ash is currently not deemed hazardous, and coal ash is a biproduct used to make things like center blocks, drywall and assault. many environmental groups have for years said there should be more stringent regulations on coal ash because the long-term hazards and effects on the water system or people are simply not known. there is much more to come on this broadcast, including the violence in the ukraine and the uprising just ahead.

european leaders are moving forward with sanctions on some ukrainian leaders despite objections from russia. plus tax day for pot sellers profitting from green rush in colorado. and the campaign urging customers to skip fast-food chains paying workers low wages.

welcome back to al jazeera america. i'm john siegenthaler in new york, there is a lot going on this half hour, including inside the taliban, exclusive access to an attack in afghanistan, it's a story you will not see anywhere else. plus clutch dna technology, how new science helped solve a 19-year-old cold case. and it's tax day for colorado pot sellers. first richelle is here with the latest on ukraine. >> thank you, john.

there were more than three dozen people killed in the last 24 hours, and hundreds more injured in the worst day of bloodshed in the ukraine. some of the victims were gunneded down by what appeared to be government snipers. 67 people have died in the fighting since tuesday, and police officers are among the victims, but opposition forces say the death toll is actually much higher. this comes a day after the government and opposition leaders said they agreed to a truce. world leaders have condemned the violence. and both sides say there needs to be a long-term solution. >> would it help if the president stepped down? >> well, if it was a part of the -- of the compromise -- if it's a part of a deal, it -- but it is, again, it should be a complex -- complex solution, so it means that not only the

political solution who will lead the country, but how to lead the country. the constitutional reforms are badly needed as well. >> diplomatic channels are being worked as well. vice president biden spoke to the ukrainian president earlier today. >> and there is another part to this story as well, eu foreign ministers held an emergency meeting in brussels, announcing that the block will impose sanctions on ukraine. phil ittner has that story. >> reporter: foreign ministers and top dignitaries arrived in brussels to agree on a response to the violence in ukraine. in the end the decision aims to impose a blockage on weaponry or items that could be used against the protesters, but also to join the u.s. in travel restrek shuns

asset freezes and other sanctions against officials. >> the responsibility to stop this violence rests squarely with those in power, and we urge them to do so as quickly as possible. >> russia disagrees, though. sergey lavrov said sanctions are nothing more than blackmail and a double standard. the russian position that the eu sparked this crisis by forcing ukrainians to decide between east and west. >> translator: as for the individual sanctions by the u.s. or european union, which they try to operate at the moment, from our point of view and based on international law they are illegitimate and unrepated. >> putin announced he would be sending a mediator to ukraine for talks. and shuttle diplomacy is being

conducted between president yanukovych and world leaders. but the sanctions the ministers agreed upon thursday won't be in place for days, and adding to the pressure is the realization that in ukraine things could get worse and fast. >> damon wilson is the executive vice president of the atlantic council, he served as a senior director for european affairs at the national security council as well. he is in washington tonight. welcome, damon. >> pleased to be here. >> let's talk about the vice president. can the u.s. do anymore than it is doing right now? >> vice president biden has been

active on this. you are right. the problem is he doesn't have a counterpart who is reliable. the united states does have leverage. the united states moved first before the european union on the issue of imposing these targeted sanctions. sanctions designed with those around president yanukovych question whether they want to be caught with blood on their hands. >> some people have suggested a compromise might include that the president actually steps down. do you see that happening? >> in his eyes that's not been a compromise. he has been resolved to stay in office, but the problem is, i don't see how he can remain. he has lost the legitimacy. he has lost the support of his people. there are regions of ukraine

that will no longer respect his leadership. i think any deal will have to lead to early elections in ukraine. >> do you think that's what the u.s. is trying to work out in the coming days or not? >> i don't know the americans are trying to dictate a particular outcome. we have european union officials on the ground, the americans are in close touch working with them. to try i think to forge a technical unity go that could form a majority in the parliament, this is based on constitutional legal terms. a deal to help them through the economic situation, and i would imagine pressure on the president to lane towards early presidential elections. >> do sanctions put pressure on the rich and powerful or the citizens of ukraine? >> these are smart sanctions. they are targeted. they won't cause hardship on the average ukrainian.

these are targeted sanctions against those that give the orders to use force that are part of the decision-making process or that play a sup poring role. so whether you are in government at the interior, or a business standing behind the government jshlgs these individuals have to think very seriously, the ability to travel outside of ukraine will be cut off, and the ability to access their financial assets which is a big deal for these power brokers. many of their assets are in europe. >> damon, let me show you this video. i don't know if you have the video of the snipers that we saw today. we heard from the un ambassador to ukraine today, who essentially -- who essentially said he wasn't sure whether those snipers were actually police or government officials. is there any doubt in your mind? >> there's no doubt.

with all due respect to the ambassador, the ukrainians themselves put out a statement saying they were using live ammunitions. there is no doubt that the government forces have been involved in executing individuals and targeting individuals on the streets of key -- kiev. the government has crossed the line. >> damon wilson in washington. thanks for your incite. >> my pleasure being with you. >> ukrainian skier withdraw from the olympics today to protest the deaths in her homeland. she said she will not ski in tomorrow's race. she says she cannot continue competing in the sochi games while people are dieing in her country. >> after day before yesterday

when i heard the information when i not sleeping the whole night, i have not slept -- like i cannot do this. it's crazy when the president just kills the citizens of country and when it's olympic games, when it's peace on all the world, and we have almost war, it's -- i cannot. it's crazy. >> she said she would like to join the protesters, but so far has been unable to book a flight home. a new warning tonight of a stronger taliban in afghanistan once u.s. and nato troops have left the country. keeping afghanistan stable will cost billions of dollars more than estimated two years ago. al jazeera america has been given exclusive access to one taliban attack on the afghan national army. and richelle is back with that

story. >> this footage was filmed in october while a journalist followed a group of self proclaimed taliban fighters. what he found offers a rare incite into the war in afghanistan from the other side. it's just after dawn at an afghan army base 40 minutes from kabul, and the taliban are about to attack. [ explosion ] >> the taliban has little military training. they fight on instinct. [ explosion ] >> the ana fight back. al jazeera gained exclusive access to this group of self proclaimed taliban fighters in october. in this latest operation, suicide bombers are sent forward. the plan say the fighters is to blow open the gates and allow the other fighters to stream in. but things are not going to

plan. the fighting tins for more than 90 minutes. to the camera, the taliban claim they are more successful than the evidence suggests. once the taliban get word the afghan national army has called in backup in the form of tanks, the commander orders his men back, including the suicide bombers. when they see fighter jets, they don't seem too worrieded. they even stop to pick up fruit on the way back. the reporter is worried and takes cover. >> i just saw two fighter jets in the air flying very low, possibly targeting us. i'm scared as hell. >> reporter: the plane, unable its seems to get a definite target, move on, and so do the taliban, back into the town blending in with the local population.

>> i'm sure that there are indigenous afghan fighters fighting with the taliban, and i'm sure they are getting significant external support. >> reporter: it's clear the taliban were happy to provide access to show they have an the upper hand in an area they say they control. [ gunfire ] er >> reporter: what al jazeera witnessed was strong resistance from the afghan army. but what happens when u.s. and nato troops lead may change the dynamic on the ground. we'll have more on this story at the top of the hour, and fault lines will have the full exclusive report coming up in a two-part series next month. >> it is tax day for marijuana

business owners in colorado. many are paying in cash because it's still a federal crime for banks to handle drug money. the justice department said last week prosecuting banks will not be a priority, but the banks are still reluctant. >> reporter: when you pay your taxes, do you hire combat veterans to keep thiefs from stealing your money? you do if you own a marijuana dispensary. >> everybody has been shot at it, everybody has had to deal with the enemy in one way or another. >> reporter: this is the muscle for nervous pot store owners. they are hired to transfer tens of thousands of dollars in marijuana revenue every day. >> reporter: if you look on the left there are the guys in the dark windows looking out as well. >> reporter: february 20th is the first day that pot taxes are due. in many cases hundreds of

thousands of dollars are being paid in cash, because federal laws won't allow them to have bank accounts. al berke is big al, he is a former special ops marine. dispensaries started to turning to him for protection when armored car companies found the job too risky. >> reporter: these places need your help? >> oh, they do. >> reporter: in just a few weeks light shade labs will be joining denver's 48 pot retail shops. >> it's like growing tomatoes except the crop is much more profitable. >> reporter: these plants are worth thousands of dollars. >> you are always being reported no matter what you do or say. the second thing we have is

panic buttons, and standard depreciation procedures, where we can shut the entire december pencery down like that. >> reporter: the denver mayor is nervous too, despite the fact that the mile high city is going to reap millions, he sees the cash as a safety problem for the city employees. >> i'm always concerned when large amounts of cash come into the city. we have had $50,000 walked into city buildings by some of these owners. >> reporter: dan left light shade loaded down with thousands in cash. just one day's take from one of colorado's over400 pot shops. in seattle it's being called boycott mcpoverty. a demonstration demanding a hike in the minimum wage. fast-food workers and supporters rallied outside fast-food stores

asking people not to buy food. our alan is live in seattle with more on this. alan? >> reporter: good evening, john. this is what is left. these 20 people or so of the city wide protest action organized by union labor here. minimum wage here is $9.32 an hour, but these folks are pushing for a big, big raise. the fight to raise the minimum wage by more than 40% in seattle heats up again. with what organizers call a day long mcpoverty boycott. >> it has been pretty easy to find people and get people excited to stand up and make a stand. >> reporter: jason harvey works at the burger king where he is picketing and says the extra

money would make a big difference. >> i would immediately be able to get off of food stamps, i wouldn't have to go to the food banks, and i would have a little bit of discretionary income to maybe go to a movie or maybe be able to save up to get my teeth fixed. >> reporter: we see protesters at three restaurants, with food workers telling us it has been business as usual. the biggest rally is downtown where a city council is one of the speakers. is this >> it is absolutely critical that we have public action like this that fire people up. >> reporter: the recently elected socialist ran on a $15 minimum wage platform. >> the $15 an hour struggle is about capturing all of the anger and frustration and people are saying, you know what, we have got to do something. >> reporter: protesters only the only ones making statements. paul made a point of buying his

lunch at burger king. >> these are not career jobs. it's not meant to be a koor career -- >> and the politicians the only reason why they would want this, so they can get a vote from the people that don't care about politics, but $15 an hour sounds have very good. >> reporter: the folks at this mcdonald's tell us things have been a little slow today, the other restaurants said business as usual, and the mcdonald's at the downtown rally was very busy this noon hour. john? >> so you have the fast-food industry being targeted but there is a broader push in seattle for $15 an hour, right? >> yeah, that's the benchmark. the major has already said by executive order said that will be the lowest amount the city workers can work. and that could cost the city 1

to $2 million. and two different officials are looking into the minimum. >> alan thanks again. up next on al jazeera america, how a high-tech vacuum can help solve cold cases. ♪

as we continue to watch the severe weather develop, we have already seen over a half dozen tornados in this illinois develop already. and that is going to continue into the evening time frame. but up to the north we are looking at winter conditions there. not very far from where we're seeing the severe weather. a lot of snow being dropped in iowa, minnesota, and wisconsin. tomorrow that weather will shift to the east. here in new york what we think is going to happen, we'll have a frontal boundary go through in the evening time, but in the

morning it is going to be the fog right before the front comes through, and that is going to make the visibilities go down and cause delays at the airport. for new york you are going to see, really temperatures warming up just slightly as we go towards saturday and coming back down as we go towards tuesday with another cold breakout of arctic air on the north. minneapolis your high only 6 degrees, dropping to 5, chicago you are only going to get to about 25 degrees, in new york, we'll drop down on tuesday, high of 36. your news is coming up after this.

as daybreak quickly approaches in ukraine, the search for the end of violence carries on. authorities say the death toll could rise, the latest violence began when demonstrators tossed fire bombs at police and the police fired back.

it was a murder mystery unsolved for 19 years, but new technology may help crack the case. dr. crystal dillworth has more on one cold case that may finally be solved. >> reporter: we begin about an hour southeast of salt lake city. along the banks of the provo river. the sheriff knows the river well, but not all of his memories are good ones. it was a december morning in 1995, when he was called to the scene of a murder. the body of a 17-year-old had been found badly beaten and very few clues. it was a real life who dun it? and soon after that, the case went cold. for more than 15 years, the case was cold. but finally, thanks to new

technology, sheriff bonner caught his break. >> i heard about touch dna. one of my detectives wanted to know if we would submit only evidence we had. >> touch dna when you touch someone with force dna is shedded. crystal with killed with a rock. at the time they didn't have the technology to recover dna touch analysis. but now a break through. >> if this were to be used as a murder weapon, the suspect is going to leave touch dna, skin cells and sweat and that kind of thing on the surface of this rock. if you can't see it with the naked eye, those are the perfect samples for this system. the suspects name is joseph

michael simpson. >> phil torres joins us now. how reliable is this kind of touch dna? >> touch dna is just as reliable as dna as you could get out of something like a drop of blood, but it's able to detect really trace amounts of it, and still find the unique fingerprint of dna. >> has it been used in the courtroom? >> as far as we know this is the first case where it will be the primary piece of evidence used to potentially convict someone. >> the system that investigators is using is changing everything. how far back can they go to solve a crime? >> the real limit to this is the dna itself. dna naturally degrades over time. so if you go back 100 years, it

will be hard to find enough complete dna. in this case it was used 19 years in the past, but i think we'll start to see it used further and further. >> so the idea here that the crime scene investigators are able to use smaller bits of dna to solve cases? >> the dna is the same thing. it will be the same sized bits. the difference is where the dna comes from. normally you need something like a drop of blood, but from this you can get it from 10 to 15 skin cells. you lose about 400,000 skin cells every day. so if you brush up on something they will be able to detect you. >> thank you phil. for more of these stories you can watch phil and the rest of the "techknow" team on sunday.

coming up, the growing inequaltive gap in the country. plus family reunion, tears of joy after being separated since the early 1950s. those stories and a lot more. 11:00 eastern, 8 pacific time. and tonight we take an image out of ukraine that caught our attention. it's an image of an anti government protester who is holding a crucifix while praying in independence square in kiev. the headlines are coming up. ♪ >> al jazeera's investigative unit has tonight's exclusive report. >> stories that have impact... that make a difference... that open your world... >> this is what we do... >> america tonight

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welcome to al jazeera america. i'm rich rich. here are tonight's top stories. dozens killed in kiev today as violence in ukraine surges. some of the victims were hit by sniper fire. secretary of state john kerry

says the international community will hold to account those responsible for what has occurred. and european union foreign ministers had an emergency meeting to work on a specific response. they announce addition that aims to impose a blockage on weapons or items that can be used against protesters. the sanctions will not be in place for days. the trial of three al jazeera journalists in cairo has been adjourned until march 5th. they have been in prison for 54 days. powerful fast-moving storms are whipping through the midwest tonight. several tornados are already touched down in illinois. thunderstorm launches and warnings have been posted in a large part of the south. those are the headlines. i'm rich rich. "america tonight" with joie chen is up next.

remember you can always get the latest news online on our website, aljazeera.com. thank for your time. do keep it here. ♪ on "america tonight," a short ceasefire, ukraine erupts again with more bloodshed after the so-called truce. why the fight is spreading and what is at steak? also tonight a star athlete and popular celebrity, accused of drugging and raping women in five states. would normer new orleans saints player have lead a double life? and onhe