the news has become this thing where you talk to experts about people, and al jazeera has really tried to talk to people, about their stories. we are not meant to be your first choice for entertainment. we are ment to be your first choice for the news. . >> welcome to al jazeera america. i'm john henry smith. here are the stories we're following for you. the u.s. makes a deal for sergeant bow bergdahl's release. there has been an i am bar go between the united states and cuba for years, but more and more the united states is working with the cuban market. >> this kid with mental health issues has three firearms and 400 runs is unreasonable. >> earlier i spoke with richard martinez, whose son died in the santa barbara shootings last

week. >> we have breaking. the american soldiers held captive in afghanistan for the past five years has been freed. sergeant bo bergdahl is coming back to the united states. we're live in the united states. randall, remind us about sergeant boberg doll's case. >> well, he was captured when he was a private back in june o of 2009. a month later the taliban released a video and it was confirmed that it was mr. bergdahl. he was held captive. we're not sure if it was afghanistan, pakistan, but between the two countries, but

the taliban have held him. they have released several videos, it turns out not only in 2009, but they used them as a propaganda tool through the years in 2010 and in 2011 in his initial videos. he only gave his place of birth, which is idaho. his deployment to afghanistan, and the fact that he was captured in all of those videos is asked for the release of taliban detainees. bergdahl also talked about the fact that he didn't think that the u.s. needed to be in the war. of course, he was a prisoner of war, and obviously he was being subjected to coercion for any of the statements he was making. but it was always believed as analysts aj green pointed out

that he would be used as an prisoner exchange. >> let's talk about that quid pro quo. this deal involves releasing five detainees from guantanamo. >> reporter: it will suggest that the u.s. is willing to make a deal in exchange for the return of our people in military. there have in the past been other deals. dating back decades. the thought is with respect to the military personnel and afghanistan, as far as we know sergeant bergdahl was the only person in captivity. so getting his release obviously is a huge, tremendous kind of victory for the obama administration, for the u.s. department of defense, and obviously for sergeant bergdahl and his family.

it should be pointed out that he was promoted while in captivity. he was a private assigned to the 501st regiment fourth brigade 25th infantry division in alaska, and subsequently promoted to sergeant. >> thank you so much. now joining us on the phone is al jazeera's security contributor jj green. in their statement the white house thanks the premiere of qatar for acting as mediary. >> it brings into middle eastern affairs who is looking for

something of a new order of things, moving forward, recognizing that there are organizations like the taliban and al-qaida who influence politics. this organization has dumped a lot of money in building up it's reputation around the world as a very thoughtful, practical, and a very skilled country with leaders who are able to engage in this kind of intermediary activity for countries that really don't have that kind of reputation or that kind of presence in the region. so qatar is one of the countries, one of those places in the future where you can expect to hear more from them as it relates to trying to some degree look at the situation like al-qaeda and the taliban have caused. so u.s. is fortunate to have qatar on its side, helping it out at this point. >> jj, randall pinkston just

said this is quite a victory for the obama administration. can you add any light to that? to what degree do you think the obama administration is truly truly really excited about this development? >> they've had a lot of trouble. a lot of people have talked about the fact that the u.s. has been in afghanistan for 13 years, and the taliban is just waiting for the u.s. to leave. certainly the president's political opponents are talking about the fact that the u.s. have not won this war. that it has not done anything in this war. the administration would argue against that saying that it has taken away the safe haven for al-qaeda an. being able to get sgt.berg dol

sgt.berg doll back. they've had a lot of trouble going forward with afghanistan. the reluctance of hamid karzai to sign an agreement, they were looking for some good news, and this is it. >> contributor to al jazeera america. thank you so much for your time. just to recap, sgt. bowe bergdahl, almost five years he would in afghanistan, he is coming home after an agreement worked out between the united states and the premiere of

qatar. the state department said that an u.s. citizen carried out a suicide-bombing in syria in the province of idlib. they identified the driver as a florida native. his photo appears in an online video purporting to show the bombing. it's believed to be the first time that an american has carried out this type of attack in syria. territorial claims are destabilizing the region of china. a china general said if you make chinese the enemy china will become the enemy of the u.s. >> using blunt language in dealing with china and what he sees possible destablation of

the region when china is dealing with these territorial disputes. he thinks what they're doing is something that can impact the international community. >> china has said the south sea territory the sea of peace, friendship and cooperation. that's what it should be, but over the recent months it has taken unilateral action in aeditinin inserting it's claims on the south seas. >> he talked about thailand and the united states concern over the military coup and what it could mean to the population of thailand. >> we respond when nations retreat from democracy as in thailand. we urge the royal thai forces to release those who have been detained in restrictions on free expression, and move immediately to restore power through free

and fair elections. >> he went on to underline the united states' pivot and rebalance to asia as it draws down forces in afghanistan and he underlined the military shifting of forces, 60% of u.s. air force and navy will operate out of this region in just six years. underlining just how important the administration sees this region. >> thanks to you, scott. police have arrested a third suspect in the gang rape and murder of two teenage cousins post found hanging from a tree in northern india. six men including two police officers have been arrested. the fired two another officers for ignoring the report from t one of the fathers of one of the victims. human rights activists say rape

is not taken seriously by officials. russia said international monitors should remain in ukraine. fighting between kiev and separatists in the east continue today. the organization for security and cooperation in europe said they lost contact with a group of five monitors on thursday. rebels have been holding another team since monday. in russia three days of heavy rain have damaged roads and bridges in the south. 700 people have been evacuated and meteorologists say more rain is expected. coming up, an embargo has keep the u.s. and cuban companies from doing business. but now more and more u.s. companies are dealing in the cuban marketplace. >> marking an historic convenient by taking a step back in time.

an american singing trio gets set to perform on normandy beach to mark 70 years since d-day.

>> every saturday join us for exclusive, revealing, and surprising talks with the most interesting people of our time. rosie perez >> i had to fight back, or else my ass was gonna get kicked... >> a tough childhood... >> there was a crying, there was a lot of laughter... >> finding her voice >> i was not a ham, i was ham & cheese... >> and turning it around... >> you don't have to let your

circumstance dictate who you are as a person >> talk to al jazeera only on al jazeera america >> breaking on al jazeera america. an u.s. soldier held captive in afghanistan since 2009 is now free. minutes ago the white house announced that sgt. bowe bergdahl is coming back to the united states in exchange for his release. in exchange of five guantanamo detainees into the custody of qatar government. the police in california may have missed a chance to prevent last week's mass murder in isla vista, california. police interviewed he will rot roger in april but they never checked the state's firearm database and didn't know that he had purchased three pistols. i spoke with the father of one

of the victims. >> you don't need three guns. you don't need 400 rounds, you don't need a rifle in the city. it serves no purpose. we don't let people keep newel nuclear bombs in their basements. why? because it's not reasonable. i have no problem with gun own whose have a need for the weapon and choose the appropriate weapon for the purpose. i don't have a problem with that. but this kid with mental health issues. 3 firearms and 400 rounds is unreasonable and everybody knows it. >> the sheriff office said that the deputy's didn't check the gun database because at the time there was nothing that indicated that eliott roger posed a threat to anybody or anyone else. the head of the chamber of congress urged for economic

reform. many believe that americans are completely shut out of cuba, but that's not completely the case. [♪ music ] >> reporter: for many americans this is the picture of cuba. a rhythm-infused culture known for its classic cars and cigars, mixed with a communistic government. the message to most americans has been clear. cuba is forbidden. and yet to those who think the islands markets are completely off limits to u.s. business think again. >> there is a lot of intersection between the u.s. and cuba. since 2000 for 15 years nearly the u.s. has been free to sell agricultural commodities to cuba, and has. less in recent years but the

trade does go on. >> reporter: last year u.s. exports to cuba total $350 million making the u.s. the island's largest source of imported food. >> cargill is probably it's largest exporter, soybeans, corn, primarily. another exporter is tyson's chicken. >> last year the u.s. sold $144 million in frozen chicken in states like iowa, illinois and nebraska have sold corn, soy, and beef to the island. >> it's time to begin a new chapter in u.s.-cuban relations. >> the 12 person team includes executives from cargill and amway. but that trade right now is an one-way street. cuba is not allowed to export to

u.s. u.s. law prohibits foreign flagships from docking into the united states for six months after steaming through cuban ports. that means the ship has to find an alternate route that avoids the u.s. for half a year perhaps going to europe before returning to u.s. port. that makes trade with cuba far more expensive. all these restrictions add cost. they add uncertainty and create risks. an estimated 1.1 billion lost because of trade restrictions. that has many lobbying for trade. >> the 70s anniversary of d-day. many will travel to normandy, france, will be there to mark the celebration. a trio from denver will be there

for the celebrations ♪ amy ♪ christie ♪ marly [♪ singing ] >> could you say these women were born in the wrong generation. ♪ over there ♪ over there ♪ send the word ♪ send the word ♪ over there their journe music is a journey back in time when men were at war, women were in factories, and the andrew sisters cheered on soldiers in uniform. >> back then the andrews sisters swing sounds dominated the dance halls. they entertained battle we're troops in europe and here at home. revelry three will be revived in another mandy. >> we have not had a musical genre that has tied the country

together as it did during this time. >> before each of their shows the women painstakingly primp making sure they have every detail of the andrew sisters down pat. >> it used to take me an hour, now i have it down to 44 minutes. >> do you ever worry that what you do up on stage may be considered just a little geeky? >> well, yeah, i mean, i go out in my pin curls, and you would not believe the look. >> for revelry three, you would not believe the looks. >> it's not just about the look. it's about the letters. >> i hope you think of me as often as i think of. >> you each performance includes letters from gis to their loved ones. some are all too real. >> my great uncle died in battle of the bulge. we have all his letters and pictures and things he sent home. i pulled one of his lines out of his letters for one of them that i read. >> and that connection only adds to the bond that these women say

they feel for their audience when they take the stage. >> we're very honored to be able to represent the united states and allied forces, and it is overwhimming. i think wate waterproof mascara will have to be the order. >> they wil order. >> the voices of revelry three will be replaced by the battle sounds at normandy. >> coming up on al jazeera america, you heard of robo caught. but what about robo beast. whbees. why scientists are working on this project. branches

the performance review. that corporate trial by fire when every slacker gets his due. and yet, there's someone around the office who hasn't had a performance review in a while. someone whose poor performance is slowing down the entire organization. i'm looking at you phone company dsl. check your speed. see how fast your internet can be. switch now and add voice and tv for $34.90. comcast business built for business. could mean less waiting for things like security backups and file downloads you'd take that test, right? well, what are you waiting for?

you could literally be done with the test by now. now you could have done it twice. this is awkward. check your speed. see how fast your internet can be. switch now and add voice and tv for $34.90. comcast business built for business. >> welcome book al jazeera america. i'mdown henry smith. here are today's headlines. the u.s. soldier who has been held in afghanistan for five years now has been freed. sgt. bowe bergdahl will be

released in exchange for five guantanamo detainees to the qatar government. the defense secretary said that territorial claims are destabilizing the south china seas. quota chinese general said, quote, if you take china as an enemy, the chinese will become an enemy to the u.s. the honeybees pollinate the crops we eat every day. al jazeera has more on how scientists want to use robots to pollinate crops, and why some activists are against that idea. >> activists sang the praises of

this insect. hon bees pollinate one-third of the world's crops but since 2007 honeybees in the united states have been dying off in record numbers in what is known as colony collapse disorder. according to the u.s. department of agriculture more than 30% of u.s. honeybees have died in the last five years alone. while the population decline has been going on for some time, 42% more bees died last year than the previous year. >> reporter: scientists here have been developing the robotic bee, but activists want science to focus on preserving real bees. >> honeybee lovers every where are about to rise against misguided science. >> harvard science pollination are two decades away. scientists point to the use of pesticides as a likely culprit.

>> a lot of research seems to be pointing to these neo- neo- neo-nicotineoids. >> we're standing outside of the monsanto corporation. they are the developers the pesticide that is devastating our hives and our bees. >> for the church of the honeybees. honehoneybee alleluia. >> reporter: harvard's lead scientist is a former defense agency fellow and received funding for the research. it's provided entirely by the

national science foundation. >> this particular research, oh, we could use it for bees. we could use it for, i think, surveillance or military. >> reporter: but at least one firm is interested. defense contractor systems sent a $38 million agreement with the military to develop robotic insects for spying. it's a worrying thought. >> you're creating a robot to replace a magical animal that is dying, and the people who are causing the death of that animal are going to receive the intelligence that you're developing in your laboratory. >> when the choir vowed to speak out one song at a time. al jazeera, cambridge, massachusetts. >> good saturday to you. another soggy day with storms

that has flared up on the gulf coast. all of that moisture lifts northward. we've been dealing with rain in minnesota. this area is expecting another two to three inches of rainfall, and that will lead to flash flooding in some instances. notice a little bit of that yellow showing up. that indicates the pockets of heavier rainfall that we're going to be dealing with. rain on and off as we go through the next 48 hours. the rain will be heavy at times. and even traveling through this area. it could get a little bit tricky. keep that in mind along with the threat of severe weather. we'll watch out for the possibility of large hail and damaging winds. tornadoes not too likely but we can't rule out a quick spin off from some of those storms. we'll look for an isolated tornado there.

we're watching new orleans flash flooding a good possibility because these areas are already very saturated. it's been raining all morning long, travel is going to be a sloppy go, and then take a look at florida, beachgoers with all that rain moving in, so we have a lot of rain and storms flaring up in florida. that's not the only place getting wet, we'll come across to colorado where we don't need it, and we'll watch for the tropics tomorrow when the atlantic hurricane season begins. >> to recap the top story, the american soldier captured by the afghanistan taliban t.v. years ago has been freed. in exchange for his release the u.s. will release five guantanamo detainees into the custody of the qatar government.

welcome home, sgt. bergdahl. for more information on today's news head to www.aljazeera.com. i'm amanda purr row. >> i'm in the jordan valley looking at how simple principles are bringing the desert to life. >> i'm in new york, where they'rpr