>> good morning and welcome to al jazeera america. i'm morgan radford live from new york. [♪ singing ] >> the ukrainian parliament celebrates after voting to remove viktor yanukovych from office. this as a new round of protest begins in venezuela. >> plus the pope's pick, pope francis chooses a dozen new cardinals from new countries.

in ukraine the conflict is coming to a head. this after yesterday's deal couldn't stop the unrest. parliament has now voted to dismiss viktor yanukovych who fled from the capitol today. he's calling this all a coup. we have reports of political rifle tymenshenko has been released from prison. we go live to independent square in kiev. let's talk more about former prime ministertymoshenko. >> well, actually parliament passed a law to release her immediately. the parliament passed that resolution today.

they may be waiting for a court case, trying to do things mostly by the book today. they play need--they may need a court decision to make that decision. she's actually in a hospital and we know her daughter was headed out there as well. people believe her release is imminent but it's in the official yet. that's been all day, lots of back and forth. we think something happening and then it's not happening. rumors that yanukovych was going to resign and then on television he says he's not resigning and he's not stepping down. and so the two sides still very far apart at this pre-darius time at ukraine. >> even though the two sides are far apart, jennifer, given the big picture what is the government trying to achieve by letting her out now? do you think this is her way of

saying look, this is really toppling. you say the president's house is empty. is this really coming to an end? >> you know, it's part of the concession that were part of yesterday's deal. the president used to have a lock on the parliament. he does not any more. more thamany of his deputies han defected. tymenshenko is one leader that many believe they can rally behind. they have called for her release, her unconditional release, this is one of the concessions to tray to calm things down. whether or not it will be enough is unclear. as things have escalated here, one thing becomes more and more apparent. they want president yanukovych

to go as soon as possible. one of the things that parliament did in the same resolution that dismissed the president, they said new presidential elections should be held on may 25th. >> jennifer glass reporting live from kiev. thank you for being with us again this morning. for more we turn to nick schifrin who joins us by phone just outside of kiev. nick, tell what's you're hearing this morning. do you know where yanukovych is right now? >> i personally don't know, and certainly thousands of people who surround me on this compound don't know. but the scenes going back and forth as jennifer has described, here its liberation. they feel this is the tipping point. people who have been defending independent square took a 45 minute ride out here, and they opened the gates. this is a sprawling compound of

luxury, of wooden houses, fantastic car collection, heli-pads, and clearly someone who had access to or himself having a lot of wealth. this used to be a public space but now it's private. and opponents of the president say he actually privatized it in order to give some of the profits from this house to his son's companies. and you really get a sense as you walk around here that they are declaring victory. i saw a couple of people who i have been speaking to on the front lines in independent square, they walked around the houses. they were smiling and relaxed for the first time in months. they said this is what we've been fighting for. we know it's not completely done, but certainly they feel that because they were able to walk through the president's house that clearly this is a new day for ukraine. >> you mentioned that this is a new day, and some are declaring victory. but just yesterday viktor

yanukovych made a claim in an interview that aired today saying that this is all a coup. do we know when this statement watts recorded? >> reporter: we're not quite sure when the statement was recorded, whether yet or today. the point in that interview clearly that's not resigning. but the fact on the ground state otherwise. one of the most secure places in the entire country. you cannot be or hear a single police officer within miles. this area is completely controlled by what we could call the opposition. it is not really the opposition. it's just people who have been fighting against the president in midon square and who have now taken over his compound. playing golf on his golf course, and really what's interesting to me, there is no looting here. no anger. it felt like a parade or some kind of sunday in the park.

i talked to many families who brought their kids hearsay that what happened in the last few months will mean that their country is better off for their future. there are garbage bags so there is no trash thrown around. they feel that this is theirs now. they've had a little level of victory. it's not official, and it's not clear what is happening in cave, but out here there is a sense that all these people have succeeded in what they've been trying to do in the last few months. >> they're calling it victory outside of kiev. the russian government is weighing in on the situation in ukraine and is throwing it's support behind the country's embattled president. they said, quote, it's stop misleading the international

public opinion and sto pretendig that the maida represents the interests of the ukrainian nation. presidenrandall pinkston taa look at russia's role in ukraine political crisis. >> reporter: from the beginning russia has been at the heart of the protest in ukraine. in the end those who wanted close ties to europe took to the streets after president yanukovych rejected aid from the european union in favor of a package from russia. >> it did not offer the ukrainians the freedom to move

across europe and find jobs. it did not offer any security for the industry, any security for a.g. and what is more important the e.u. was offering at measly $800 million or euros where russia came up with a much better proposal of $15 billion-plus. >> author of a book about u.s.-russia relations. she said putin's offer of aid is part of a bigger strategy to create a territory with russia in charge. >> putin's other major pre-occupation is to make sure that the european union, u.s. n.a.t.o. all of these structures do nat make any more inroads into the post soviet space.

>> reporter: while the cold war is over, there is a new version of battle for influence between the east and the west. >> the russians see this as a classic geopolitical struggle with the united states. they have all said we don't view it like that, which is true, neither do the europeans. but in fact, we are in a situation where you have the u.s. and it's allies on one side. russia on the other. >> reporter: a more pressing concern for russia is whether the movement for democracy in ukraine could inspire russian activists to take to the streets. russia has seen protest movements in the past and the government has always prevailed but moscow now worries about ukraine setting a precedent. >> if the ukrainian people are successful i in becoming more

democratic, if it happens in the ukraine, why not russia. >> reporter: they're taking a step that could have consequences for the entire region. ran tall pinkston, al jazeera, washington. >> supporters of venezuela government prepare for dual rallies in caracas today. eight people have died during protests earlier this month and now the government is blamed for food shortage and rampant crime. president nick ha nicholas nicá. >> morsecy has rejected the hearings in egypt's back government silent muslim brotherhood party since he was overthrown last july. today marks the 56th day of

detention for our al jazeera colleagues. their next court appearance is march 5th. al jazeera continues to reject the charges and demanding immediate release of all of our staff. medal of honor. the white house will recognize 24 army veterans mostly hispanic and jewish, who served during world war ii, the korean war and vietnam. they have been passed over in the past due to prejudice, instead they got the nation's second highest award. but now they're receiving the medal of honor which is the country's highest honor you although only three of them are still living. >> how are you doing today? >> just fine. >> james is on a mission to keep veterans off phoenix streets. >> we'll have meals on wheels

come back. >> he's known as a navigator here guiding the homeless to permanent housing. >> he had food. he had money. he gets benefits. >> roberson is a crucial part of an effort to house all veterans who have spent more than a year on the streets. the city counted 220 when the project launched a few years ago. now that number is at zero. >> the housing first model allowed us to meet the veterans where they are. if they're using or have mental health or medical issues, we allow them to still get housed. >> the federal government and cities all work as partners. federal vouchers cover the rent. federal non-profit groups provide the furniture. and making sure veterans get all the services they need. >> they've been taught to battle. they've been taught to survive in uncomfortable situations.

so when you try to change their mindset and behavior and provide them housing or get them off the streets, that is a barrier itself. >> reporter: roberson knows from experience. he battled drug and alcohol addiction after eight years in the navy. he helped shift a navigate the world then. >> what i do now is navigate men through the system. >> reporter: veterans like billy, a technician in the army and an addict who became homeless after his wife died. >> i was starving to death. all i wanted to do was get another drink. i would shake in the morning if i didn't get a drink. i didn't think there was any hope for me at all. and i accepted it. >> a visit from rober son changed that. >> i knew he was no he was goino die. i knocked every day on the door to make sure he's okay. >> he has been sober for nine months. like 95% of veterans in the program he managed to stay off the streets. >> saved my life.

otherwise i would be out on the street just still dying. >> now he says he has a reason to live. >> well, have a good day. >> al jazeera, phoenix. >> a majestic ceremony in rome, pope francis elevates his first very class of bishops into the college of cardinals. that story ahead on al jazeera america.

>> start with one issue

education... gun control... the gap between rich and poor... job creation... climate change... tax policy... the economy... iran... healthcare... ad guests on all sides of the debate. >> this is a right we should all have... >> it's just the way it is... >> there's something seriously wrong... >> there's been acrimony... >> the conservative ideal... >> it's an urgent need... and a host willing to ask the tough questions >> how do you explain it to yourself? and you'll get... the inside story ray suarez hosts inside story weekdays at 5 eastern only on al jazeera america >> the u.s. security council voted unanimously to permit access for humanitarian aid diplomats questioned whether russia and china would support it since the two countries have sided with the syrian government throughout the crisis, but in the end they did.

italy has sworn in the youngest prime minister ever. 39-year-old matteo renzi said he's ready t. at the vatican pope francis elevated his first class of bishops into the college of cardinals. this new princes of the church come from several african and latin american countries. >> reporter: the new cardinals were the personal choice of pope francis with half coming from outside europe and none from the united states. many were from developing nations but francis has made it clear he wants to shift the balance of power away from the

vatican. but the presence of pope benedict xvi was a real surprise. it's been one of the most important weeks for pope francis and for the catholic church as a whole. faced with opposition, pope francis has been leading a debate on whether the church's teachings on abortion, contraception, divorce, homosexuality needs some rethinking. last year a worldwide poll was held on what world thinks on the church's stand on family and morals. it shows that most reject them as outdated and unrealistic. >> the pope is paving the way for change little by little because it can't happen automatically. with the vatican you have to poll a certain process. >> homosexuality, civil unions, i'm strongly christian but i do believe this pope can open doors

that in the past were always kept shut. >> this week's meeting came before another important meeting on family issues but the pope's attempt to modernize the church is an uphill battle. >> catholics who divorce and remarry even gay couples adopting children are becoming the norm in the western world. so the church can't just ignore them. >> the 19 new cardinals will be among those called to make life-changing decisions for millions of catholics around the world asking for pope francis to break with tradition and move to modern times. >> that was al jazeera america's claudio reporting from vatican city. a meeting between president obama and dalai lama went forward on friday despite protest from the chinese government. the government there accused the

u.s. from meta meddling, but the meeting went forward. pandas on a trip of a lifetime. the celebrities are headed for belgium and a red carpet welcome. they're landing in the middle of a political spat between the dutch and the french speaking regions. talk about sticker shock. coming up, car lovers at the dallas show discover what a $2 million price tag can buy. that's coming up on al jazeera america. i must begin my journey,

which will cause me to miss the end of the game.

the x1 entertainment operating system lets your watch live tv anywhere. can i watch it in butterfly valley? sure. can i watch it in glimmering lake? yep. here, too. what about the dark castle? you call that defense?! come on! [ female announcer ] watch live tv anywhere. the x1 entertainment operating system, only from xfinity. >> good morning and welcome to al jazeera america. i'm morgan radford live from new york city. and here are today's headlines. ukraine's president is refusing to resign saying he's the victim

of a coup. his comments came a day after he left kiev but a short time ago the ukraine parliament voted to dismiss him average government rally has been occurring in caracas. president nicholas maduro wants to meet with united states after kicking out american diplomats. many new cardinals are from south america and latin america. and the first cardinal from haiti. >> top of the morning to you all. it is a beautiful morning in the northeast. and it's going to feel quite comfortable. we had a cold front push through and that cold front did bring gusting winds and a couple of

tornadoes across portions of the southeast yesterday but as i said today looking a lot more comfortable. high pressure is building in and we'll see a lot of sunshine cross the northeast today. there is a pan of know pushing across new york and pennsylvania. you may see a couple of snowshowers but nothing to accumulate. it's very comfortable across the area. you can see that light snow band pushing further east. high pressure in control and temperatures are going to be above where they should be at this time of year. it will be in the 50s. nice and comfortable. however we need to be careful out there because with all of that sunshine we're seeing a lot of snow across the area melt, and we're looking at black ice conditions forming. there were a couple of bad accidents this morning. one in massachusetts, actually claimed one life there. so we need to be careful because the ground temperature is a lot colder so black ice is forming in the overnight hours. we need to watch out for that again tonight.

temperatures are above what they should be at this time for new york city. 47 dress and nice and comfortable. don't worry winter is coming back and it will be felt later on next week. you can see the drop in temperatures between sunday and monday. it will reach a high of 38 on monday with a chance of snow. i'm sick of the snow. i have a little puppy at home and he's sick of the snow as well. you can see this guy out for a walk. 's tired of it. we do have snow on the way. we have a system along the northwest and it will bring 12 inches of snow across the cascades into washington out there today and into tomorrow. we want you to be careful. the snow light around the washington area. back to you, morgan. >> thank you. jaws are dropping at the auto show in dallas where an italian super car is on display. the top speed is 200 mph. and the top price is under

$2 million. we show you exactly what you get for your money. >> reporter: more than a car, it's a work of art, and this man is one of five dealers in the united states who gets to sell it. >> everything that you see is the best of the best. they take attention to every little screw, every little bolt, every nut is polished. >> reporter: it costs $1.8 million. >> that's like four of my houses--it's hard to comprehend that much money. >> reporter: people stopping by the car show tend to stop in their tracks when they get here. >> wow, what is this? >> that is insane. >> i think someone is going to take me for a drive? that will be cool. >> reporter: with 730-horsepower it can get from 0 to 60 in

2-point seconds and top out at 200 mph. >> it's like a toy. who buys this kind of thing? >> where do you drive it? do you take that to the grocery store? i don't know. >> reporter: the one and only texas area dealer said he expects to sell two to four of these a year. they take 9 to 12 months to build. and each car is made to order one at a time. >> it will go through the factory in italy. it's good to see hands on and see what they like and what they can do for you that maybe you haven't thought of that idea. >> reporter: he said there are people who plan to buy this car, but never drive it. he drove this one to the auto show. >> what is it like at a stop light? >> attention grabbing. everybody has got their iphones out taking pictures of you. >> the attention to detail is unbelief.

even the car key is a replica of the car itself. check this out. there's not a lot of storage but there are small compartments matching with leather interior. >> it was incredible. it's like a piece of jewelry. it's like sitting in a rolex. >> perhaps for $1.8 million the car should include a rolex. it doesn't. mark snyder, al jazeera, dallas. >> now what if you had paid $2 million for your car and this happened? the driver of this car had just pulled into her long new york driveway when it opened up, swallowing the entire thing. she said she was in a bit of shock when it took the ten-foot plunge, but luckily police were able to pull her to safety. al jazeera confirmed that ukrainian application julia

tymenshenko has been released from prison. for now i'm morgan radford. for more you can always go to www.aljazeera.com. we leave you with a live look of the ukraine. >> hello and welcome i'm phil torres here to talk about invocations that can change lives. the intersection of hardware and humanity and we're doing it in a unique way. marita davidson is a biologist specializing inning innings innd evolution. kosta grammatis is an engineer