welcome to al jazeera america. i'm del walters. these are the stories we're following for you. that meeting with the secretary of state and foreign minister lasted six hours, but failed to get russia to standing down in crimea. and obstacles getting aid into drought-stricken areas of pakistan. so far, dozens there have died. ♪ >> that last ditch diplomatic eh forth to end the crisis in

ukraine has apparently failed. secretary of state john kerry meeting with his russian counterpart, foreign minister sergei lavrov ended today. they talked a lot, but it now seems all eyes are on sunday. >> i think del all eyes are on sunday and we know where that is going to go. the referendum is going to take place, they are going to separate from ukraine and these talks were designed to try to head that off, and on that basis you would have to say they failed somewhat. because u.s. secretary of state john kerry was saying to the russians, step back from the referendum, and then we have something to talk about, but if you go forward you are going to face economic sanctions,

and -- but in the end what he got from lavrov was no promise at all. let's listen to what secretary of state kerry just said a few minutes ago. >> however, after much discussion the foreign minister made it clear that president putin is not prepared to make any decision regarding ukraine until after the referendum on sunday. >> so what you have there is a -- u.s. secretary of state saying that we believed that president putin is not going to take any decision on the american request not to recognize the referendum until after the vote has taken place. but sergei lavrov wassed a vant in his news conference, where he said we will recognize the will of the people of crimea, and that puts them on a collision course. >> as to the practical matters

that should be taken -- or could be taken by foreign partners of ukraine, we do not have common vision of the situation. the differences are there, but the dialogue was definitely constructive. >> no common vision of the situation, del. and that appears to be the situation with the united states, the european union, and russia on the issue of crimea. and we should note that u.s. secretary of state kerry acknowledged the buildup of russian forces along the border of ukraine and they want to see those troops go back to base, but they didn't see that as a promise either. >> dana lewis for us in london. thank you very much. and the president obama also

weighing in on the crisis in ukraine, leaving no doubt about where the u.s. stands. >> we continue to hope that there is a diplomatic solution to be found, but the united states and europe stand united, not only in its message about ukrainian sovereignty, but also that there will be consequences if that sovereignty continues to be violated. >> the situation on the ground in ukraine worsens. violence breaking out in eastern ukraine. jennifer glasse is is there. we heard secretary kerry raise concern about the safety of minorities. what is the mood there? >> the minorities are very worri

worried. the crimean tatars have already said they are going to boycott the vote. together they make up about 40% of the population. some of them have already left. there are check points on the borders and on many of the main roads here as well. a lot of the minorities here are worried. the ethnic russians are thrilled about the vote. they believe it corrects the vote made 60 years ago when the soviet union gave crimea away to ukraine. russia's grip here as been very, very clear. russian's intentions have been very, very clear. we have seen russian flags flying everywhere. they are blocking the ukrainian troops in the port behind me, and those forces clearly russian

forces in many cases. also we have seen russian politicians come here. and crimean politicians go to russia. and we have seen russian organizations crop up here in the last few weeks. >> we have seen clashes in eastern ukraine between prokiev and prorussian forces. is this a sign that once the vote is complete, it still won't solve anything. >> yeah, the referendum is just about crimea, but that is a real concern. those clashes pointed towards that violence and says it proves that kiev is not in charge of the situation in ukraine and that the russians reserve the right to protect the ethnic russian population there. that's really a red flag to the

new government in kiev worried that those tens of thousands of russian troops amassed on the border, that they might try to come in, and that's the big concern now. >> jennifer thank you very much. ukraine's parliament has voted to create a national guard to bolster the defenses. but russian foreign minister saying it shows that authorities are not in control of ukraine. paul beban has our report from kiev. >> reporter: they are proud and they are willing, but turning these protesters and volunteers into a coherent national guard is a daunting task. >> translator: today we have 500 people starting the training at the military base outside of kiev. the training won't take more than two weeks. >> translator: training for what? they don't exactly know or care.

but they do know where they are here. >> translator: we are going to get ready to defending ourselves says this man. >> reporter: ukraine says it needs at least 10,000 more people for a fully staffed national guard. and as you can see there is no shortage of volunteers. this is the government's recruitment video, but two weeks of train willing not produce this level of proficiency. instead they will probably be deployed guarding strategic installation. civil defense volunteers stand guard, most of these people fought against the riot police, and intriguingly some believe the role of the national guard should be more than just [ inaudible ] duty. some think it should prevent future governments from becoming too powerful. >> i think it would be like the third -- there is a nation, a government, and national guard

will be them. >> reporter: but the national security chief appear unconcerned. >> translator: we have a gap in our laws which doesn't allow us to properly defend critical infrastructure sites, and there is no single existing unit which can do this job. the new powers of the national guard won't be extreme. they are just powers we need urgently. >> reporter: with crimea in crisis the urgency cannot be understood stated. should the russians enter eastern ukraine, these recruits will be no match for them. one of the groups caught in the middle are the tatars. they are worried about they

future after the referendum. this sunday morning 10:00 al jazeera explores their story. one week after the missing malaysian plane, al jazeera has learned that the plane may have deliberately been second off course. >> reporter: the search is expanding westward. a u.s. navy p-3 oh ryian searched there today but turned up nothing. >> our best asset is the p-3 orion. and poseidon.

they can cover 10, 12,000 square miles in one flight. >> reporter: also in the area the navy destroyer. based on the evidence so far it seems likely that whatever happened to this jumbo jet was a deliberate act. two different communication systems on the jet went dark app pair rengly at different times. first the system that seconds back information on engine performance then the transponder which tells controllers the location and altitude of the plane. was this a hijacking or a rogue pilot? >> there are four or five possibilities which we are exploring. it could have been done intentionally. it could be done under duress, or because of an explosion. >> reporter: but it does appear the plane may have stayed in the

air for sometime after communication was lost. sources say satellites continued to pick up automatic signals from systems that monitor the engines. based on those signals and possible siting of the plane, the jet is believed to have turned far off course and headed west towards the indian ocean, a huge expanse of water to search for this one plane and the 239 people on board. as the search for that missing plane continues the wait now taking its toll on the families of the missing families. >> reporter: the lack of information is too distressing. [ sobbing ] >> reporter: seven days and still no clear direction of where the search for the missing malaysian airline flight is

heading. the atmosphere is tense as relatives meet officials from the airplane in beijing, but they don't find the answers they are looking for. >> translator: we have been stuck here too long. i just want accurate information as soon as possible. >> reporter: families have been put up at a hotel while they wait for a news. volunteer caregivers have been aligned to help them cope. >> there is still hope that airplane will be find and the family is safe. few of the family they think the chances are low. they are prepared to accept what happened. >> reporter: across the country, though, some still haven't given up hope, placing their faith in higher powers. >> we just perform [ inaudible ]

for the take of muslim the safety of the [ inaudible ] so with the grace of allah we all pray that the airlines and all of the crew and passengers will be found safe and in good health. >> reporter: so day seven of the search ends like previous days, with insufficient leads. coming up on al jazeera america, a major drought in pakistan leaves 100 people dead and now the government is stepping in to try to help. and tea pickers are some of the poorest people in sri lanka, and protesters say something has to be done.

a drought in southern pakistan has killed at least 100 people. the pakistan president now promising $10 million in emergency relief.

but the situation remains grim. >> reporter: this is all this family have left. the few cows and buffalo they owned are now dead. he is left with little choice but to leave the area like hundreds before him. >> translator: we have nothing. our children are hungry and suffering from sickness. we need to go where there is at least some food and water. >> reporter: many of those who left their homes in the small villages have come here. it is the largest city in the region and where most of the aid is being distributed. >> translator: i don't know why we have had to come all the way to the city to get aid. help should have come to our villages. >> reporter: the situation here is complicated, the region is mostly desert like, its people

are poor, and their villages have been neglected for years. disease and the lack of food are also common, but in recent months nearly a hundred people including children have reportedly died from illnesses believed to be the result of malnutrition. it has prompted outcry. >> i think the media overblew the whole situation, the story, saying that there's a drought, and there -- there are fears that many dozens of children are going to die because of hunger, that's where i think prime minister thought he could cash in on it politically, because he is desperate to have a base where the party was routed in the recent elections. >> reporter: but people who live here say there are more important things than politics. all they want is for the government to take seriously the

long-standing poverty issues in their area. on wall street at this hour stocks having a hard time holding on to any gains. the tensions in ukraine keeping investors off balance. the dow is about right now. the obama administration is expected to propose new rules to regulate for-profit colleges. they would require those colleges to do a better job preparing students for work or risk losing their federal student aids. many who work in india's tea industry complain they are not being treated fairly. they are investigating human rights violations in the company

you know as tetley. >> reporter: this man and his wife have been working on this tea estate for about a decade. >> translator: we were told if you don't take shares your work will be stopped. the laborers were rounded up and forced to give their thumbprints. we were scared that's why we gave in. >> reporter: his family lives in a home without electricity and a roof that has been leaking for the past eight years. >> translator: our house is in bad shape, i can't even take an $80 loan. how did they decide to take $130 from us? they forced us. >> reporter: we tried speaking

to other employees but were asked to stop filming by men on motor cycles. they said dividends have been paid yearly, though they were called something else on bank statements. al jazeera later meat -- met several tea workers who said they still live in poor condition, they had no idea they received dividends and different company officials gave them different answers. tea plantations rely on a large number of workers to stay profitable. giving the workers shares is a being touted as a way to improve their lives. many workers believe now that they are share holders they have lost the right to complain about

conditions. >> translator: after giving $130, the workers still have many problems. they don't have proper homes, water to drink or hospital facility. what they need to get they are not getting. >> reporter: when contacted, the tea company stated that . . . but workers we spoke to say they are too worried to complain, and feel powerless to improve their lives or their future. fez jameel, al jazeera, india. coming up on al jazeera america, those horse-drawn carriages are a big part of new york city, but there's an even bigger controversy over

what should be done with them.

welcome back to al jazeera america. i'm dell. these are your headlines at this hour. those last-ditch efforts to end the crisis in ukraine through diplomacy have failed. john kerry meeting with sergei lavrov in london. lavrov saying putin won't make

any decisions before sunday's vote in crimea. violence breaking out in eastern ukraine, one person is dead and 20 others injured. all of this ahead of the referendum in crimea. and u.s. ships are heading to the indian ocean to search for the malaysian flight. a battle over animal rights could end at a new york city hall and a mainstay. the major vowing to make those horse-dra horse-drawn carriages history. >> officer! we just got married. >> reporter: it's a an iconic new york scene played out again and again. >> very corny. >> nope. >> reporter: manhattan's horse-drawn carriages attract tourists by the thousand each

year. this man has driven his fair share of them. >> he is responsible for putting food on the table for my kids, and responsible for feeding the other horse i have as well. so we all earn our keep. >> reporter: there are 68 licensed carriages in new york city and more than 160 active drivers, but because they are individually owned drivers say it is impossible to know how much revenue the industry generates. malone says he makes between 50 and $80,000 a year. >> we are a blue collar industry, hardworking men and women, we provide for our families, meet all of our bills. there's nobody here taking trips around the world. >> reporter: animal rights group have supported the mayor's ban.

although new york's new mayor is a liberal, this isn't a partisan issue it was one of the few things deblauz sew and his opponent agreed on. >> this is the year 2014, there are 8 million rez -- residents here. putting an animal in the middle of it is wrong. >> bottom line is, people come to see the horse. that's the star. that's the celebrity. you can't pet a fender. >> reporter: horses that may soon be another part of new york history.

i'm dave warren more cold air coming down around the great lakes so the ice will stay around tomorrow. back to this area of low-pressure bringing more cold air in. warm air will try to push up from the north that could make it as far as pennsylvania, ohio, illinois, right up to about chicago. that will be the boundary between this warm and cold air. you can see the temperatures climbing a bit. nice and warm for one day because look at what happens to these temperatures from saturday to sunday. we do not see the warm up, you have cold air coming in right around this contrast of warm and cold air. that's western tennessee and western kentucky. the warm air will try to work its way north, but high-pressure

keeping the cold air in place. this is a problem because the warm air does make it north but it's above the surface. so now you are getting snowmelting. st. patrick's day, we'll watch how this works together to determine how large this freezing precipitation area is. the storm intensifies off of the coast. more warm air comes in with the cold air in place. the storm shifts a little bit and this could move up towards the cities along i-95. so watch this closely. >> dave thank you very much. we leave you on this friday afternoon with hope. that is the name of this iconic ima image. cities across the world are

replicating the image. the campaign with syria says they hope to ensure that this is the last anniversary of that bloody civil. thank you for watching al jazeera. i'm dell in new york. "techno"is next. >> i'm phil torres, welcome to a special episode of "techknow." we wanted to share a story with you of innovation that brings out the spirit of welcome. >> hello, i'm cara santa maria, and i'm here to talk about innovations that change lines. we explore the intersection between hardware and humanity and we do it in a unique way.