and that made them more like us than i had thought before. talk to al jazeera only on al jazeera america ♪ hello, and welcome to the news hour. with all the news from our broadcast center, here in doha in london. an agreement on how to end the crisis in ukraine. we will have the latest on what has come out of talks between the u.s., and russia and geneva. families of the missing passengers hold on to hope, as rescue crews continue their search for survivors. the polls have now closed in algeria, presidential

elections but have the incumbent done enough to secure a fourth term. >> with more fluid from europe, including goodbye kiss, how a new work by britain's best known street artist vanishes hours after appearing on a door. hello, an agreement has been made. diplomates from the u.s., and ukraine also held talks in geneva, which have outlined the first talks needed to deescalate tensions. who have been following those talks for us. there is peter sharp who is live for us from the perspective out of russia, and we also have is jackie roland. in ukraine, we will talk to all of them in just a moment. first, let's talk a look at what has been agreed.

they have also promised an amnesty for all protestors who haven't committed crimes. >> must include constitutional reforms. >> our hope is is that we have opened the door so that both of the spinties that have an ability to make a difference, or all the entities will respond. russia clearly has an enormous ability to be able to impact that outcome, and the government of ukraine has an ability to affect it. so to the degree that both of them can take steps here that will help

to provide space for each of them to take further steps, that's what we are encouraging. we come from a position where all will live under civilized society. weapons will only be held by the authorities legitimate authorities. it has to be applied evenly across the region. >> so those were some of the statements that were made just a short while ago. going to cross over to nick first, who is joining us from geneva, was listening to the statements being made, nick, and ahead of those talks there wasn't much optimism for some sort of deal, but now that a deal has been made, has this comment as a surprise. >> who have been making comments in the run up to

it that their hopes weren't high. what is significant is the cooperation in europe, which was created the the cold war, to bring about detont during the conflict, it has a long tradition of observing elections of looking at tense situations. and trying to lower the temperature. so a lot of pressure who have already deployed. who has been left off the table, is crimea, not recognized by the ukrainian government, or by and large the international community, the united nations general assembly, voting 10-1 not to recognize what had faken place. john kerry, the u.s. secretary of state said look, we did what we could, that doesn't mean we are accepting the annexation, but we with settled the crisis at

hand, which is the corruption in the south and is the east, and is the rick of more violence, and is the need to move towards disarmerment. >> thank you for that june date from geneva, peter sharp is is now joining us from moscow to tell us whether the russians got what they wanted with this deal. i think they will be pleased with the bay the deal has played out. it is all about doing something about a government that they consider basically illegal, and the answer to that is two words constitutional reform. and apparently, the interim president has been working hard according to john kerry, on coming up with some transparent proposals for constitutional reform. this would be giving the areas of the eastern ukraine the populated by the russian speaking community far more

autonomy. they would be responsible for their own budgets the only thing they wouldn't be able so get involved with is foreign affairs. defense, and the judiciary, they would applaud that. there hasn't been any mention of the word not aligned. this is one of the ideas that lavrov has been floating. he would like to see ukraine declared a state which would take it outside the grasp of the e.u. no mention of that. there was -- perceived a vail -- or not so vailed threat, that those responsible for the arming of these armied groups and their uniforms their weapons and guiding them, they must be responsible for getting

them off the streets. and they didn't mention russia by name then, but he went on to say, and of course russia has huge sway in that area. and that wouldn't have gone down well. if these measures can are very transparent, don't come to fruition in the next week, i suppose. >> okay, peter, thank you, giving us the view, referring to the armed groups. let's toss over and speak to jackie roland, because jackie is on the ground. and one of the points in the disagreement are that armed groups must be demobilized and occupied buildings returned to the government, those that have taken up arms have occupied building how prepared are they to get behind this. >> well, the people occupying the regional headquarters here, and also occupying the city

hall, have said that they are not willing to leave their buildings until the proeuropean demonstrators in kiev vacate where they have been demonstrating since the end of last year. so clearly they want to see that this is not just an agreement which is going to result in them losing the games that they feel they have made. who have been walkingaround in uniforms and sometimes carrying weapons, and they have used these arguments to justify what they are doing here. i would say the other implication, really, for the results of the outcome of the talks in geneva is it will be seen by many in the authorities, including the regional authorities here, these are people,

official whose are appointed by the central government, may will see it as a vindication of the strategy that they have been following and that's been a strategy, not to intervene violently, not to make a point of recapturing these buildings. obviously action like that can result in casualties but their attitude has been very much to take a low key approach, and to give talks the opportunity to achieve results. so those authorities will very much see the outcome as the vindication the strategy they have been pursuing. >> all right, jackie, thank you. well, polls have now closed in algeria, that's where people have been voting in presidential elections. more than 23 million people are legible to vote, but turn out was low. 77-year-old was hoping to secure a fourth term as president.

many don't want him to return to pair. >> the algerian elections most likely winner as he comes to zag his ballot at a polling station in the custom. the president is 77 years old. and after serving three terms in office since 1999, he is seeking a fourth one. his supporters say he is fine, wise his opponents say he is terminally ill. a senior leader of the movement, with an irony with the backing of the army. but that hasn't changed. for the first time a serious rival is gaining support among some members of the military and the party. >> former prime minister popular some years ago

when he designed of justice minister of what he considered corrupt processes. in saw him them as a potential reformer. some are concerned he may be only a continuation of the current system. >> the problem that adds to other big problems in nigeria. >> algeria is one of the biggest producers of oil and natural gas in africa. but decades of civil war, hurt the economy growth and social welfare. poverty, corruption, and lack of freedom still threatens the ability. algeria has so far

alluded. but his opponents say he has clinged to power for too long, they believe he is to old and ill to govern. he is a professor of conflict resolution at the john hopkins international. he is joining us from washington as i just said, good to have you with us. how would you evaluate the support that he has at this point? >> pretty universal. from the general point of view, but pretty bad in terms of a really an election turn out, and electoral support. the people like him, they see him as a dead man, and there is no real opposition. the opposition candidates come from his own party, and they are more of the same without the same pizazz and scries ma that he used to have, before

he had his disease. the turn out is bad. it is about two-thirds of the turn out before, and in previous elections and it is a poor show. >> are you saying that he is going to win this election hands down? ive, i would put lots of money on that. >> what about the support he has on his inner circle right now. >> well, his inner circle are his own picked inner circle. his security chief, his newly appointed to replace the old security chief. he has taken the military circle under his control, but outside of that, there are splits within the military, and certainly splits within

the established political groups. ole garrya is run by the junta. an anonymous group within the army. in close cooperation, they need him, they have needed him. >> so why is it they would support him at this point, when he has had a stroke, he hasn't appeared in public, he mobile be able to complete another term. >> he is a sure ally for them, particularly in this present condition. and the rest is unknown. so who they can put in whom they can put in of the same reliability in their terms is quite uncertain. >> how much do opposition carry right now. >> none. >> all right.

well, that's quite brief. so are you saying that people in am jeer yeah are basically choosing the status quo over change? is that what they would prefer? >> i am saying that politics is in suspense in algeria. they are choosing the status quo, although as we have seen from the figures the 25% turn out, algeria itself is not choosing. algeria is sitting back, in expectation of something else happening. >> what is the expectation? of what happened. >> as i was going to say, the current thought is that he would stay on for a little while and then resign. in favor of a named successor. and that would soften the transition. contrary to some expectations he is not eternal. >> all right. thank you for joining us on al jazeera.

much more on the election on our website. we take a look at the power struggles that have shaped the modern history, it's at aljazeera.com, you can just click on the middle east section and find it all there. still to come, mexico government steps up it's campaign to prevent blindness in it's poorest communities, plus. >> where hundreds of villages are lying here empty, waiting for perspective buyers to snatch them up. >> spanish giant real madrid celebrates the latest success, coming up later in sports.

>> these protestors have decided that today they will be that today they will be these protestors have decided that today they will be arrested. >> sneeze people have chase add president from power, they have torn down a state. >> what clear is the people don't just need protection, they need assistance.

>> al jazeera's investigative unit has tonight's exclusive report... >> from coast to coast... >> people selling fresh water for fracking... >> stories that have impact... >> we lost lives... >> that make a difference... >> senator, we were hoping we could ask you some questions about your legal problems... >> that open your world... >> it can be very dangerous... >> i hear gunshots... >> the bullet came right there through the window... >> it absolutely is a crisis... >> real reporting... >> this...is what we do... >> america tonight, only on al jazeera america. his company has committed a great sin. rescue crews are, whoing around the clock to find nearly 300 passenger whose are still missing after that accident.

many of them are students from the same school. the bodies of several students arrived at this hospital, you are looking at right there. at least 20 deaths have been confirmed. harry has the latest on the rescue operation. >> new video has been released showing the inside of the ferries began to tilt. clearly instructing passengers to stay put, it is more dangerous if you move. >> crew, however, appear to have acted differently, reportedly some of the first off the ship, the captain is on the coast guard questioning investigators also wanting to know why the ferry deviated from a rout, reportedly making a sudden turn just before it got into trouble. bad weather, strong swirling tides just 20-centimeters visibility

for divers for all the action around the ferry, searching for survivors is proving all but impossible. the president pay add visit to the site, expressing her own concern at the slow progress, vowing every effort on behalf of the families. later she meant some of them where they have been gathering. >> the audio was only becoming more grueling. we are just repeating what they are saying on the news, they say there have been too few dives that time is running out for their children. fueled by unverified reports of text messages and textbook posts coming from inside the ferry.

>> we think 60 to 70 people are still alive. they keep passing it on to somebody else. later police say they check the photo counts of the missing and concluded that the text messages have been faked. they promised to track down those who are responsible. what they want, of course, is what authorities haven't been able to provide them. >> some details have emerged in the investigation. questioning the captain, reportedly one of the first off the ship. investigators want to know why they want to stay onboard as water rushes in. and why one of the

lifeboats have been deployed. >> . >> south korea. >> here is al jazeera. with more on the challenges faced by refugees. >> well, it's been a day of frustration for the search teams and dispair for those with loved one whose are still missing. the search team tried seven times today to -- this is we have had very. >> divers to do what they hope to do, so despite their strenuous efforts, it's the middle of the anger and the growing frustration of the families that more should be done to find their loved ones.

475 passengers onboard. >> search and rescue operation. >> the last chances of

people finding them, alive there are pockets within the sucken which enable people to remain there, and it is really a matter of hope, the hours and rescuers will continue to look for survivors although the temperatures are plus ten degrees and it is -- that's a challenge. we have to understand she also was -- the cause and they are extended longitudinally, to quite an ebb tent. extent. ex-term impact or maybe an internal explosion. very definitely cause a quick listing because the water spreads very fast over long -- although they are compartmentlized but relatively they are

quite easy for flooding to happen. >> nigeria's minister of planning has confirmed the military has rescued the majority of the school girls who were abducted earlier this week. it happened in the north eastern state, but the principle of the school where the girls were taken from still have no idea where the girls are. >> he told al jazeera most of the school girls have been rescued. >> 129 were abducted. but 121 were rescued by the military, and the security press, and they are operating in that area. eight are stilt missing. but the government is doing everything possible to make sure that the girls are rescued and also being brought back. this was brought by the governor of the state, and we are working with the state.

>> at least nine people have been killed in a car bomb exploitation in the iraqi capitol. it happened in the neighborhood located outside the fort fied green zone, at least seven others have is been wounded. iraq has seen a spike in violence, in which dozens of people have been killed. the syrian government has set april 21st, the date for presidential hopefuls to submit their candidacy. elections are likely to be held in june. meanwhile, this destruction is set to be the result of a garage of barrel bombs. activists say the government is playing out a campaign to target opposition parts of the city. and bombs are also being dropped in aleppo, that's according to the opposition who are accusing. >> on the serious report. >> they have a devastated effect, for the past four monos the rebel held area east of aleppo city.

almost on a daily basis. many that didn't want to live that way fled. this used to be one of the busiest in aleppo city. like many areas controlled by the opposition is almost desserted. those who stay behind struggle to stay alive. you can not envy our situation, and the reason is coming from the sky. people can no longer feel safe and cannot protect themselves. >> the barrel bombs are

not precise weapons so they hit indiscriminately, they are also cheap to make. >> activists say more than 1,000 people have -- the largest city is again side. it is asked the united states to take what is called an appropriate response but so far the use of barrel bombs has on drawn condemnation. to show the world how serious the situation is. our people are dying and by the regime. until now, no one in this wants to solve the missionen p but we think we can make them listen to us.

>> between the people and the rebels. al jazeera. t. >> al jazeera demanding the immediate release of the journalist imprisoned in egypt. they are falsely accused of providing a platform to the brotherhood. they have now been behind bars for 110 days. their case has been adjourns until later this month. the fourth aljazeera journalist has been held without trial since last august, and he has been on hunger strike for the last 87 days. al jazeera rejects all the accusations. for some news out of europe. >> thank you very much. and the former italian

prime minister sylvia says he is glad he has been ordered to help out in a home for the elderly. and disabled people. invaded me to dedicate part of my time to help people in need. i must say i am pleased about this, because i have always helped those that needed support. the union has called a further round of strikes of failing to negotiate after a wave of stoppages last year. runs have talked out after pay talks broke down. but amazon says it regards warehouse staff as logistics worker whose are paid less.

>> to spain now where the economic crisis has led to the abandonment of many homes in rural areas as their owners left to seek work in the cities. inevitably the misfortune of some has created opportunities for others. son is yeah reports now from the province, northwestern spain. >> in a world where real estate markets are booming, there are high demans for higher properties, from london, to hong kong and beyond. setting back hundreds of thousands or even millions of dollars. in remoter areas there are also opportunities. in northwest spain, there is a wealth of a different kind of property for sale. a largely rural region with a history of economic hardship and mass migration, and agent it is an area that provides a treasure drove of places to sell. such as this hamlet, a private road leading to several building it

boasts it's own work, now diffused and even has fresh water supply, all for the price of some $500,000. a fantasy for some, but a bargain for those with a cash to spare. >> there's a lot of demand for these properties. especially from foreigners. people come here because it is cheap and it doesn't get very cold. >> there are more than 1,000 hamlet whose have been lying empty for years. they are pretty remote, and cut off from any major town or city, but it is because of this that it is attracting a certain kind of buyer, one that is looking for a property that has a lot of privacy, and also perhaps someone who is looking to get away from the stresses and strains of modern life. >> a rural hide away was something that englishman had his heart set on. the $60,000 he snapped up the hamlet. he has spent almost the

same amount of money refurbishing it, a labor of love that has taken him months to do, and will most likely take another couple of months to finish, but he believes it is worthwhile. >> look around, why here. unspoiled, nice weather. we could never ever have afforded to live in a place similar to this in the u.k. and that's real reason behind it. >> it may be a long way from being lord of the manor, but as an estate agent will say, it has potential. for those who left these places along time ago, it is one way ton't calize on their farmlands a heritage left behind for newcomers with more money to breathe life into them once more. al jazeera, in the province, spain. >> a dispute has erupted over the latest work by britain's best known street artist, identity is a secret, but his works can sell for six figure sums.

or increase the value of the properties that they have been spray painted on to. his newest piece appeared overnight on a door in the western city of bristol. earlier this week, since then it's changed hands twice, as harry smith explained. >> it seemed like a gift from on high, just too good to be true. a valuable artwork left by the best known street artist, and his hometown of bristol, and just yards from a youth club struggling to pay it's bills and threatened with closure. so is the clubs leader decided to remove it from it's wooden panel and take it in for safekeeping. >> this is one of those risks do or i don't i, i did, and hey, i was buzzing all the way in, thinking you know what i have just done, i have lifted a banksy, at my age, what am i doing, but i have done it, and hey, so there you go. i mean -- it's for the benefit of the kids of this club, and this community, i think that's what this is all about.

they had hoped to sell the original. >> the unknown millionaires work -- and all i am suggested is at the end of the day it was put there for a reason, i think generally think that banksy has seen that we have a fight and we have needs and he has done something about it. >> but the city council, which owns the wall says it belongs to them. and the artwork is is now been removed from the cluck, it will go on display at a local art gallery, and a box will sit sit next to it. and a local library in a small town, is also hoping to boost it's porches through the work of a famous artist. in this case, it is a 1964 picasso called head of a man which has gone on show for the first time, the piece was given by the artist to a come

unifist official, he in turn donated it to the library in 1988, but it's existence was kept secret throughout the wars and for almost 20 years after that. >> and with that in doha. >> and the issue, prisoner release has been a sticking point for the palestinians. >> thousands rallied to call for the immediate release of praiseners in jails. these protests happen every year. around 4,800 palestinians

are in jails that's according to rights group. 183 of the prisoners are minors. >> a leading environmentalist has been shot and seriously wounded in the democratic republic of congo. in miami who is a prince from belgium, has been director of the national park for the last six years. >> national park africa's oldest and a sanctuary for some of the closest relatives. the film being shown in new york, chronicles the struggles that ranges face trying to protect the grounds and those who call it home. the job almost cost him his life, he was ambushed by three gunman, while driving through the park.

he was shot twice in the torse sew, he is recovering and in good spirits. we have no idea who would want to harm emanuel or their motive. because he is a very loved figure. >> it covers 7,800 square kilometers, that's roughly three times the size of tokyo. the world's largest city. the park spans over mountains it's sheer size and features making it difficult to protect. >> the mountain gorilla is perhaps the most famous and vulnerable inhabitant. a quarter of the global population lives here, just 200 of them, and they are the target of

poachers. armed groups illegally lock trees for the business, and beneath the soil, there's oil. the british company has rights here, and has long faced opposition and other environmentalists. it has issue add statement condemning the attack, saying he does not con condone violence of any kind, and makes it clear that any suggestion linking to this crime is completely unfounded. in the last ten years more than 140 rangers have been killed, a testament to the dangers of defending this land and just how much is at stake. >> well, china's version of twitter has been valued at around $3.6 billion after going public on thursday. the figure is lower than

expected. since launching in 2009, it has attracted nearly 600 million users and the shared have jumped 11% since that i.p.o. joining me from new york, so was that valuation fair, seth? >> i think it was lower than they were expecting. i think they were initially shooting in the seven to $8 billion range, but the i.p.o. process didn't go quite as smoothly as hoped. >> why did they have to settle for that lower price range? lower range of the ipo? >> sure. i think it is a combination of factors. the i.p.o. market is not quite as strong as it was. kind of declining a bit.

iny a number of investors have been disappointed as of late. and marchly when you compare to twitter, they have about 143 million active users and twitter had 241 million. so it's significantly smaller, on top of all of that, we saw the filing there's a number of warnings in there about chinese censorship, and is the government at large. i think for investors perhapses that was a little bit of a red flag. >> well, it is seen as china's version of twitter, you mentioned the numbers there, that's clearly a big difference, but what is else is different between them. >> sure. this is a micro blogging site, that is focused for now, in china perhaps as larger ambitions than that, twitter is not certainly their more global than that, both services employ the 140 character limit, but the difference is that for

wabo it is 140 chinese characters is twice as much space. iny one of the big assets is by mobile, one of the risks is that it might be passes by the mobile messages services that is out there. we can probably think of it in terms of what's app. >> and seth, let me ask you about -- just a short while ago you were talking about investors jitters so what does that mean for the oh tech companies frying to raise money in the u.s.? i think it joins seven others trying to do that. what does this mean for the alley ba bo i.p. coming up. >> i think the one good thing is while it priced at the low end of the range, and opened even lower.

i think that kind of surge, that they are willing to put aside these concerns, that bodes well for alley ba ba and the other i.p.o.s. alley ba ba is the key for china and in general, people think it will be bigger as facebook's i.p.o., and there is an argument tab made that alibab is a blessing and a curse. it has a big stake, and thought that investors invest in alibaba when it comes out, i don't think much will derail it. but if the i.p.o. smart continues than j.p..com, we will see how they fair. >> all right, thank you very much for joining us from new york. now, coming up on the al jazeera news hour, on the trail how a dose of movie magic has helped give new life to a new york neighborhood. and in sport, rafael nadal marks a milestone. j.

states where -- theexican government has now stepped up it's treatment of the inkfection, which can cause blindness. rachel has more. >> reaching out to a community which for years has been neglected. his team paid done marascas and his wife a visit. >> the 86-year-old farmer is recovering from another eye surgery, which prevented him from

going blind. he suffered from infectious eye disease caused by bacteria. >> done marco first developed symptoms when he was a child, and remembered having problems seeing the chalk board when he was at school. >> this were 2340 doctors so i tried to find medicinal plants to heal my eyes. >> this is clean water, may only got access to it 12 years ago. lack of clean wattser one of the principle reasons why people contract tacoma. these communities some of the poorest in mexico, are the most vulnerable to the disease. poor hygiene and a lack of medicine are the main reasons it is still indemocratic here. but ten years ago the state government tasked health workers to target

the disease. they set up clinics and lived in the communities. gained the trust of the people, wasn't easy. because we represent the government that was limiting. but little by little we gain their trust, and people started opening their doors. >> if caught early enough to stop blindness. but there are new cases. augustine and his sister were diagnosed last year. educating the next generation remain as priority, and to truly eradicate it, some doctors say the government must change it's thinking too. >> the government gives them a place to sleep, but they are not immoving nutrition, or providing jobs or increasing the status of women.

they don't improve the living conditions. >> as for dan marcus, he can't thank his team enough. knowing he won't go behind, despite rekundra coma, he can continue to tend land he has worked for decades. rachel avenn, al jazeera, in the highlands of mexico. >> time for a sports update. >> thank you very much. we will start with with the latest tennis news, and rafael nadal is through to the last eight of the monty car low masters. the world number one, took on italian in the stormed the first set, taking it 6-1. a little more fight in the second. but he still lost it 6-3, as nadal rounded out a straight set victory, the win makes nadal only the 11th player in history to notch up 300 tour level play court wins. once more, he is going for his 9th title in the principality. >> here we are after a

long career, and is chance after this. a good number, and today with victory against andreas. >> nadal is his friend and fellow countryman, the 6th seed booked his play. at the expense 6-4, 6-2 the score. >> celebrated his 29th birthday, coming from the a set down to the 5-7, 6-3, 6-love. hing looed to be control with a few silly mistakes let him down. the win sets the frenchman up for a quarter final clash with roger federer. well, real madrid fans welcome back their cup winning team to the spanish capitol, thousands of supporters lined the street, in the early hours of friday -- thursday morning as the 2014 champion showed off

their newest piece of silverware, on an open top. thes the 19th win, the bitter rivals in a thrilling final, as richard nickelson now reports. >> the stakes couldn't be higher. spains to biggest sides. battling it out over the del ray. and real without their injured falllessman, that drew first blood. latching on to the three pass to make it 1-nil. they could have gone 2-up after the break, only for ben to miss the chance. real would probably ruin that as he struck back, defender the unlikely hero. with the game locked at 1-all with just five minutes left, exit time looks certain. but then this happened. the word's most expensive to make it 2-1. suddenly put a smile on renailed do's face.

final score 2-1 to real. all i could say is i would like to congratulate my footballers. it was fantastic. also to barcelona fans too, i think there was an amazing game, and a great spectacle in the stands. >> this is real's 19th copper, but they won't party too long, richard nickelson, al jazeera. >> manchester of regaining their title took a blow after they were held to a blow. city did get off to a great start, they have given them the lead as early as the second minute. that seems to sprint into life. and then just two minutes ago, fumbled and shot to

make the final score southerland two. >> michael is two shots off the pace, two shots behind, the last on the open back in 1997. now the last few hours, it's been announced that vietnam has pulled out of hosting the 2019 asian games siting financial concerns. the vietnamese capitol won the right to host the 18th back in 2012. officials said hosting asia's biggest multisport event could have cost as much as $150 million would have acquired the instruction of new stadiums and an athletes village in and around the capitol. but experts claim the real cost could have been

higher, closer to $300 million. two regular season came to an end on wednesday, ahead of the playoffs and the trail blazers will head into the post season on a high. with blake griffin survivors spented and chris paul rested full advantage to steal a fifth straight win. with with their stand out coming off the bench, 23-points and 10 rebounds as they ran out 110 to 104. well, despite that loss, the clips secured the western conferences third seed. get the rockets oklahoma city will take on memphis. and is the show down against dallas. take on a plant while they have the bobcats to look forward to. be a 61-point display, they fake on brooklyn and they face washington the playoffs they start on

saturday. with a win, they beat the dallas stars 4-3, anderson made 32 saves in his debut, and they had a goal and an assist is down two of the best of seven series. california on friday. the metropolitan division championships the penguins came from behind to beat the columbus blue jackets 4-3. that's your sport for now. >> thank you. film makers are in new york for the tri-becca film festival. the events become a global platform for unknown directors. when the film festival began it's mission was to help monohat tan recover

from the attacks of 9/11. in the days that followed the collapse, the nearby neighborhood was badly hit, and residents were simply scared away, others had health concerns a year later the film festival was established by key figures like robert dinner row. now he is bustling new construction mark as rebirth of a once struggling neighborhood. >> there were more than 6,000 entries this year, whittled down to just a hand full from across the

globe. through to china and ireland, it's the mix of undiscovered talent that makes this unique. people from all over the world are submitting films and having them sub is mitted. some of these may not come out, they may not get a distributor. but they are seen at the festival and it is extremely valuable. this year that number is expected to grow. there is an audience keep to discover the next big thing. >> the international films and for smaller american film as well, that we have an opportunity to identify those people have an opportunity to identify their voice in a unique way. >> lower manhattan now brisles with energy and renewal. thanks in part to the magic of the silver screen. al jazeera, new york. here with al jazeera, much more news, coming up in just a moment, so do

stay with us.