depend on donations to keep feeding new york's hungry. announcer: this is al jazeera. hello, welcome to the newshour, live from doha. these are our main stories this hour. a russian president defends his economic policy and blames external factors for the decline of the ruble. >> i believe that central bank and the government are taking adequate measures in the current situation. thawing diplomacy - cuba and the united states agree to normalize relations after nearly

60 years of hostilities diplomatic manoeuvring at the u.n. - calling on israel to leave occupied palestinian land. lift off - india's biggest rocket. could this herald the start of a new era of space exploration. a russian president says external factors are responsible for the recent decline of the ruble. vladimir putin criticized the fall in the price of oil for destabilizing his currency. let's show you the scope in moscow where he holds the annual end of year press conference. this comes at a distant time when you take into account the economic situation that the country finds itself in. let's listen. >> it is not that different to the formula we employ with regard to europe.

regarding the coefficient it is different. this is different in the world. anyway, this contract has - is going to allow russia to concentrate great resources, and not just to create a gas pipeline. it will help us provide the russian people with gas, and allow us to link the western gas pipelines and the eastern pipelines and redistribute gas flows from one part of the country to the other when it is profitable, beneficial. had it been not for this, we would not have been able to provide gas to liberia, and the russian far east.

let alone a great site, this part of russia. regarding turkey, the turkish economy is growing, as the asia pacific region, it needs new energy resources, recreating the blue stream several years ago. now our turkish counterparts are asking whether we can increase supplies to the domestic market of turkey, why would we refuse them, we have all in place, we have the pricing farm u lease, we have a good understanding of their demands and requests. we know what they need. that's why we are going to do that. no now,... >> we have been listening to vladimir putin, and russia, subject to economic sanctions

subject to its involvement. this is the big issue in the speech right now. in the press conference. covering all areas of government. earlier in the week the russian central bank took action to prop out the currency by raising interest rates to 17%. >> our economy will overcome the current situation. how much time is needed for that? i believe two years in the worst scenario. after that the growth is imminent, because the foreign economic situation will change. the growth of the economy will need additional energy resources but for the time. which i have no doubts about, we'll be able to do a lot. >> a political analyst and columnist joins us now. thank you for speaking to us. is vladimir putin going to succeed in convincing the

russian people that he has the economic situation under control that, he can pull the country out of this current crisis. >> vladimir putin is popular. polls show that he is supported by a vast majority of russians, and he is saying that everything is more or less not so bad. he says that is the gist of his message, that this is a storm, but we are going to weather the storm. we'll survive, and russia may profit in the end - that this is the recession, maximum two years, maybe less. he's been very aggressively attacking the western powers for being behind a lot of russian woes. >> how long will the arguments fly for because... >> when you look at the situation now, the expectation is that we are going to see significant recession in russia

next year. businesses will suffer from a loss in arranges. shops in moscow put up their prices to keep up with a currency that is weakening and people are scrambling to by up product at the old rate. how much of a sense of fear and panic is there in the country right now? >> there's a lot of sense of fear and panic. the economic downturn has trickled down to the man in the street. people are trying to spend their rubles, they are panicking that their savings are being decimated by the foreign exchange rate. they are afraid that they'll lose their jobs, there'll be less income. the credit to buy something will not be able to service the credits. there's a lot of panic, people

don't under why we are rit so hard. many think it's because of crimea, vladimir putin is saying it's not, but that the west is bad. up to now, what vladimir putin is saying, he was saying what he was saying in previous weeks and months. there's nothing new. >> you mentioned crimea there. are we likely to see a conciliatory tone when it comes to foreign policy, perhaps a shift in position when it comes to the crisis in ukraine as a result of the economic pressure. >> well, see, right now, not. vladimir putin's rhetorics today, at this press conference has been very, very aggressive. he's talking about the west skinning the russian bear and head his skin and head in their power, and this is not because

of crimea, but because the west hate russia. it's aggressive not only for the west, but the russian public. vladimir putin wants to rally the nation around the flag. >> thank you very much. >> i believe it right now. yes. >> yes, good to get your analysis, appreciate your time. >> the other top story, the armed group boko haram killed 32 in nigeria, and kidnapped 32 others. as many as 100 women and children may have been taken. it happened in a remote village this week in other news a nigeria court found soldiers guilty of a number of charges including mutiny, assault and cowardice. they reported being outgunned by

the boko haram group, and complained about not having enough ammunition or food. what is the rehabilitation in the country it the sentencing of these soldiers? >> well, the reaction is that of outrage by many. they feel that, first of all, the authorities here have not down their homework. they have not equipped the nigerian army properly, where there has been attacks and killings by the armed group. we spoke to a lawyer for the condemned soldiers who said they'll appeal the judged. well, the passing of the judgment yesterday is not the final thing. the sentence has to be approved by a higher military authority before the soldiers will be executed. >> what do we know about the

capability of the soldiers. we know they are dealing with boko haram, which has heavy weaponry at its disposal. nigerian soldiers complained about being out gunned. what resources do they have as they continue to recapture territory from boko haram. the military comment saying the weapons they have are archaic and not able to deal with the boko haram fighters in the north-east. this is not the first time we hear this from the military, the officers, the fighters or men sent to the ball the field. they complain that they are underarmed. they don't have enough bullets for boko haram, who carry large arms and ammunition and move around. there are human rights groups,

administrators in the area that warned the federal government of nigeria that boko haram fighters are more equipped and motivated than the nigeria army, so the government to equip the army to fight to the finish. we have seen improvements in the north-east, where vigilantes combined forces to by boko haram. we chased them out of towns and villag villages, and they'll push south to see that they have liberated some of these areas. as we speak several areas remain under boko haram control in of the north-east of nigeria. >> thank you. it could be the start of a new era of political dayton. relations between united states and cuba have been frosty for nearly 60 years. both countries agreed to normalize relations.

there has been a prisoner second. three spies returned to havana, they were released in change for three cuban accused of spying in the u.s. >> reporter: in many ways cuba appears a country stuck in time, a long ago era, in large part due to the u.s. embargo, for 50 years, u.s. froze froze their economy, planned an invasion and there were talk of assassinating fidel castro. now president obama said he's change changing the policy towards cuba. >> it does not serve the american people or cuba to push cuba to collapse. even if if worked - and it hasn't for 50 years - we know countries are more likely to enjoy lasting transformation if the people are not exposed to

chaos. >> these are the pictures of alan gross, back on american soil. >> freedom is not free. >> reporter: the u.s. doesn't want to send a precedent. three cubans convicted of espionage have been sent home, and cuban who spied for the americans have been released. they say he served almost 20 years in prison. it's not just a prisoner swap. president obama is visiting economic policy as well. >> the u.s. hopes to address the bans. american banks will be able to operate on the island and u.s. companies can address exports. president obama cannot get rid of the embargo, highlighted by the kouban president. >> translation: this doesn't mean the major issues are resolved.

the economic embargo must cease. >> reporter: the embargo is unlikely to be lifted. many in congress were quick to express outrage. >> it's a reward that the totalitarian regime do not deserve. >> i believe the announcement perpetuates decades of repress. >> there may not be much that congress can do. for the first time in half a century, he's sawing that it's time for a change in cuba. well for nearly 60 years the united states eyed the small island off the south-eastern coast with a sense of suspicion, and at times open hostility, things went downhill after 1959 when an armed revolt led by fidel castro established cuba as a socialist state. cuba nationalized businesses in 1950, and the u.s. imposed an

economic embargo. the u.s. tried to overthrow fidel castro at the bay of pigs invasion. the cold war in 1962 brought the world to a brink, sparked by the deployment of soviet nuclear missiles to cuba. there was an easing of tensions in 2009 when president obama came to power, lifting some restrictions on travel. >> miami florida is home to a number of cubans in the united states. reaction has been swift and divisive. younger cuban americans born on u.s. soil welcomed the news. among the older generation, there's a feeling of betrayal. andy gallagher reports. >> in little little havana, ne change brought reaction. many here fought for years to isolate the cuban government and

talks with leaders they see as oppressive is viewed as nothing short of a betrayal. >> we are disappointed in president obama. their politics is non-association with terrorism. >> reporter: ever since fidel castro came to power in 1959 generations of cubans sought a better life in the u.s. thousands risking their lives to make the dangerous crossing and view the change in policy with scorn. >> the white house conceded erg, and gained little. they gained no commitment on the part of the cuban regime to freedom of press or speech, or elections. >> for the cuban american community in miami, this shift in policies caught everyone by

surprise, and rehabilitation is along demographic lines. older cuban americans are angry, amongst the younger generation, this is news that will be welcome. >> staff at the roots of hope office who campaign to empower young cubans welcome the news and say they'll continue to fight for betters relations. >> this is a step in support of that. it is a representative of all that is there. it is a step in that direction. we have a long way to go. >> in havana, crowds took to the streets in celebration, many hope the u.s. embargo in place for decades will be dismantled. >> let's see if the embargo can be lifted, to our quality of life can improve, so we can get more food and things were other countries. >> reporter: the cuban-american group here played roll in shaping policy.

the new generation will welcome change and what it may mean for their families in cuba. >> jordan submitted a draft resolution to the united nations security council, calling on israel to withdraw from occupied palestinian lands. al jazeera's diplomatic editor has the details from u.n. headquarters in new york. >> reporter: a series of diplomatic meetings after weeks of speculation about a palestinian draft resolution, would it be submitted formally to the u.n. security council. >> we have a draft and will be happy to give it to you after it is adopted by the arab group, and asking our brothers from jordan to take it to the security council. >> moments later, as the jordanian representatives arrived for the meeting of arab ambassadors, she said that it was news to her. >> reporter: did he tell you that?

>> no, i have to see him. jordan is keen, holding the arab seat. the 15 members of the council are the only countries that can impose a resolution. jordan's ambassador made it clear she didn't want to submit a resolution without consensus. in the end they poured over the wording, adding a year of negotiation to the 2-year deadline to the end of israeli occupation that palestine proposed. at a second meeting jordan agreed to submit the resolution, what is known as putting the resolution in blue. but the palestinian ambassador says that does not mean a vote will take place yet. >> it will be submitted in blue. >> you are not pushing it to a vote now? >> we are willing to work with those who want to work with us in the security council, in a positive and constructive way for things - meaningful things

that we can look at them, you know, in a positive open mind and heart. >> the palestinians said they would submit a resolution to the u.n. security council, and they have. in many ways that does not change much in u.n. in new york. the draft text has a time line for the creation, something that the u.s. is likely to oppose. the negotiations continue. jails base, al jazeera, of the united nations. >> the palestinian leadership is meeting to discuss the manoeuvres. imtiaz tyab reports from ramallah, where few palestinians have faith in the resolution. >> for more than 25 years this woman has been in the jewellery business. a popular item sold is silver pend ants, shaped by hands into the shape of palestine. most palestinians give up hope that any state of theirs will

look like this. they still want israel to withdraw from territory seized in the palestinian war. so, too, does mahmoud abbas, asking the security council to set a time line for the israeli government to return to the lines. this man is not convinced it will happen. >> translation: israel wants palestine to be in little bits and pieces. i can't make a map. i can't make a pendant small enough for what the israelis want for us. >> reporter: the plan by mahmoud abbas angered the israeli government. prime minister binyamin netanyahu condemned the proposal, which is partly why mahmoud abbas wants a timeline at the security council. >> translation: this step will not be worthwhile, especially with a suspected u.s. veto. if a watered down resolution is past, nothing will change on the ground. >> palestinian leaders have been trying to secure a settlement

with israel for more than 20 years. they believe the best way to establish the state is through a binding agreement that is recognised internationally, but it is unlikely that the latest resolution about pass the u.n. security council, and may be impossible. >> now, sony pictures has cancelled the release of its upcoming film the interview after threats from packers believed to have ties to north korea. pyongyang denies involvement. the film is a comedy depicting the assassination of north korea's leader. we have this report. >> it was billed as a controversial comedy centered on the leader. no one is laughing. the september 25th release has been called off by sony pictures, the studio that made the tim.

it was prompted after a hacking group, guardians of peace, threatened violence directed at the premier of the film at this theatre. it is a highly controversial comedy, with the main plot to kill kim jong un. it's the talk of late night tv in america. >> the guys play tv journalist recruited by the c.i.a. to assassinate kim jong un, i assume by smoking pot at him. apparently - sour pus over there doesn't have a great sense of humour when it comes to his assassination. >> reporter: in north korea they called the film an act of terror and intolerable. sony pictures is in the worst crisis in its history, after internal files and emails were hacked by the same group in recent weeks that made headlines in the gossip pages, before

moving to the threat of violence. despite halting the film's release, sony put out a statement saying it stood by the movie and the right to free expression by the film-makers. it could have wide ramifications to the movie making industry. >> studios - the result of what has happened to sony will make them take a second, third or fourth look at projects to defect if there's anything that is it potentially controversial or sensitive to parties that would have the ability to do something. >> what started as a minor hacking incident has grown larger than anyone could imagine. sony is running to the exit offer a movie comedy on something that is a real-life drama. >> reporter: well andre lankov is a professor of media studies,

from cook town university and joins us via skype. can anything be done? >> it's a project for computer experts and specialists. i'm not such a specialist. it's likely that the north koreans are it. they have hacked many - there has been many cases when they hacked south korean media, banks, and south korean private mobile phones. highly likely it was north koreans. what can be done? well, suppose it is difficult to prove that it was done by the north koreans, and if it's the ace, what is next. american lawyers can do nothing about it. it's not going. >> you raise the question about what could come number of. how does the cyber attack

compare with those we have seen in the past. in terms of sophistication. could we see more attacks within north korea's capability. definitely it is been their capability. it is serious, they are known for their attempts to penetrate the computer systems in south korea, to get into the computers of people they are interested in, including eyes and colleagues, in this record they are not different to u.s. intelligence. the only question is north korea is a poor country and people don't expect them to have such soffist sayings.

-- sayings (sofist situation. sophistication. this is a game. how north koreans do their business. in south korea, say two years ago, some major studies - seen newspapers, north koreans did. they basically said that they know where the headquarters of the newspaper is, and is going to avenge the publication, blah, blah, blah. essentially they did not state that they were going to essentially attack the hours. of course, nothing happened. and south koreans are used to such incidents which happen every few years, it's always basically because it cannot be got through. people in south korea don't pay attention. obviously sony - they are not used to such a reaction. they are overreacting. to make things clear, i believe

it was a bad idea to shoot the movie. how people say in the united states, each say an iranian shoots a movie about the assassination about president obama, a comedy. i expect most americans are going to be outraged. however, however, it was a mistake. however it was a mistake to do what they are doing. >> it was good to get your analysis, appreciate it. professor of media studies from cook town university in seoul the u.n. is making a renewed bid to assist with the unprecedented crisis caused by the conflict in syria. more than 200,000 died in the conflict. half the population has been displaced. there's close to 7 million registered refugees. many are in the bacar valley in lebanon. from where zeina khodr joins us.

you've spent time and speak to refugees. what do they tell you about their life in the camps and what they need most? >> they need help. any form of assistance. food, water, just to survive. these people do not have jobs. they have lost their livelihoods. they scope from the war and some have been here for years. they can't survive without handouts. the united nations is providing help. it's not enough. it's not only food and health care, it's education. we are at an informal school set up by the united nation, there's around 50 scattered around lebanon. each enrolling 350 children. that's a mere 15,000 syrian children going to school. there are approximately half a million children of school age in this country. so the needs are great, and it's enormous. at the same time lebanon, as a country, cannot provide help.

it has been appealing for international assistance. it's infrastructure has been strained. 1.19 million syrians are registered here. there is more than that. a lot of them have not registered. a lot have been taking the jobs of lebanese, this is not just the problem of syrian refugees, but lebanese are affected, with the lebanese prime minister asking for 2 million, and 1 million are lebanese this, is not just effecting the refugees, but the citizens of this country. >> zeina khodr there now the weather with everton fox. and we have more on the blizzards in japan. >> that's right. it's poor. i'm pleased to say things will improve over the next couple of days, looking at the satellite, a fair bit of cloud. the worst of continues moving to the open waters of the north-west pacific. clearer skies from behind. heavy snow.

seeing over 60 centimetres of snow over the last couple of days, over a 24 hour period. snow on top of know, causing major problems. high pressure in behind. that acts as a lid on the atmosphere quietening things down. it will settle things down. there's wind and snow in the forecast. here is the next batch of wintry weather, making its way in. it's improving here and now. see how tightly packed the isobars are, it's indicative of a strong wind. certain told cover the next 24-36 hours or so. clear skies, crutch sunshine, tokyo temperature of around 8 degrees celsius in the sunshine. do make the most of it. as we go into saturday. we have the next area of unsettled area, snow on the northern edge, rain on the southern edge, and notice the rain making its way further

eastward, and could cause flooding. >> still to come on the newshour. india launched its heaviest and powerful rocket. the latest on that story, and an outbreak of mumps sweeping through the n.h.l. more on that story too. back in a minute. pass

welcome back, you are watching the al jazeera newshour. let's take you through the top stories. russian president vladimir putin

defended his economic policy blaming external factors for the decline of the ruble, saying it could take two years for the country's economy to get back on track. nigeria sentenced 50 soldiers to death for refusing to fight boko haram. they were charged with mutiny for refusing to recapture three towns held by the group. the president of the united states and cuba announced they'd restore diplomatic relations, but ending the country's economic embargo requires the approval of a reductant u.s. congress. >> in pakistan investigators arrived at a military-run school in peshawar where 141 people, mostly children, were killed in a taliban attacks on tuesday. many of the survivors are recovering in a military hospital nearby. kamal hyder visited some of the wounded. >> reporter: this boy is lucky to be alive. he was one of the people in the auditorium at the time of the

bloody attack, perpetrated by at least six armed men. most of the boys we talked too said they did not look like humans, but animals. the boys are saying that one day the people will be able to succeed in their fight against extremism. they are recovering from their wounds. but the trauma they have suffered will take longer. the combined military hospital, being the closest and the fact that this was a military school meant that the boys had to be brought as soon as possible from that horror. now they are recovering. these are the lucky ones. however, there are many more who are still in the intensive care unit of the hospital. we cannot show you those images, because they are too disturbing. >> india successfully launched its biggest ever rocket, including unmanned capsule into

space. the rocket launched on thursday, and is designed to carry heavier communication satellites into higher orbit. in september, russia and the european union successfully sent probes into orbit of mars. >> reporter: india's latest rocket launch had two very important functions - firstly, it was carrying an unmanned crew capsule. what scientists were looking to determine was whether they could take the capsule into space and bring it home. it's part of the aim, to send their own astronauts into space. they say they'll be aiming to do that. the other function was to show the capability of sending heavy satellites into space. it was the heaviest, and weigh's over 630 tonnes.

what this allows india to do is tell foreign countries that they can bring their heavy communication satellites to india, and have them launch it. india has launched 67 satellites into suppose. many of them from foreign countries, this is a lucrative business and are able to expand the service and attract business through the programme 1023 rebel fighters escaped their rebatteriation to the democratic republic of congo. the fighters took refuge in neighbouring roou what happeneda and uganda a year ago, fearing they could be prosecuted by the congolese government. many ended up at a government camp. they were due to be sent back under the terms of a peace deal. now, some who escaped rebatteriation arrived at a rev

any camp seeking asylum. we have this report. >> reporter: m23 rebels in limbo. the fighters who arrived at this refugee camp are afraid to return to their homes in the democratic republic of congo. they accuse the congolese government of not living up to the terms of the peace deal forged a year ago, which they say grants them amnesty. they are refusing to go back until assurances are made that they will not be prosecuted. >> we would like the international community to remember nairobi is between m23 and the government. we don't say that we don't want to work in our country. we can go, even tomorrow. before going back to our country. we want our needs to be met. >> m23 was the most prominent group before being propelled by

u.s. forces back in the congolese army. m23 soldiers managed to take hold of the capital of goma, before it withdrew. it is in this region that the congolese government said atrocities were submitted, and it about prosecute those responsible for war crimes. this woman fled and resides at the camps in uganda. we are not naming her. she said she and her family were the victims of attack. her brother-in-law was killed and she badly beaten. >> my fear for m23 started when they came into my home, beat me up and hurt me so badly that they had to put a metal bar in my cheek. how can i see them again and be happy. >> one could say that m23 was made out of a peace deal. the group takes its name from the march 23rd accord.

many later defected citing poor work continues, accusing the government of failing to implement the terms of the deal. with many m23 rebels refusing to go back, it seems history may be repeating itself. iraqi kurdish forces launched a major offensive to recapture areas from i.s.i.l. fighters, one area is the sinjar mountain. it was home to thousands of the minority yazidi community, forced to flee when i.s.i.l. took over large parts of their area. sue turton has returned from sinjar and is now in erbil, where were she joins us live. why is the push by the peshmerga so important for northern iraq? >> i think it's two reasons. one is because very much they are trying to cut off i.s.i.l. fighters getting to the city of mosul and the main military base

of the fighters, to the west of i.s.i.l. the sinjar mountains, they are hoping to stop the fighters. we returned from in. the yazidi trying very, very hard to fight back. i.s.i.l. fighters - trying to take back the land they've been living on for centuries. >> we head to the top of the mountains with the man in charge. this is their fight, their lant. he's brought weapons and ammunition, it's far from enough to hold back the fighters, launching attacks daily. to get to his own village, he passed towns and villages, homes that the volunteer force are determined to take back. >> translation: we feel we need to take ve venge because of what they have down to our people. we want to fight and defeat

them. >> this is 2km from the i.s.i.l. front line, home to one of the yazidis sacred temple. a truck had driven up to the edge of the village, packed with explosives. >> translation: they drove a big truck with other fighters providing covering fire. we fought well. they didn't get into the village. i fired an rpg, and it was on target. >> his commander said he had left the mountain to meet the kurdish president who promised more weapons. the push was imminent. >> translation: i came back from meeting the president. he gave his word that he'd get them as soon as possible. i am sure if we got the weapons, he'd drive i.s.i.l. out of the whole area. not today, we are under attack with five mortars falling within 30 meters of his home.

the push on i.s.i.l. positions surrounding the mountain cannot come soon enough. we are advised to leave, but with i.s.i.l. on three sides, we have no choice but to climb up the mountain, a 5km uphill hike. >> we are walking up the mountain. there's too much hassle. i can see plumes of smoke, aiming at the church we were filming at. >> kurdish forces are pushing i.s.i.l. to the east and north of the mountains. villages meheld to take, before they can help the yazidi take back their land. >> peshawar fighters and the iraqi army have been planning their push. they want it to happen before winter draws in. they know low cloud and heavy fog will be stopped.

it's a precursor for the push on mosul. there's planning going on with various leaders of the sunni groups, representative of the city, and the kurdistan government in you're bill, trying to come up with a plan. they start the push on mosul, if the push is successful. >> that will be crucial. >> sue turton in erbil. >> yemen's new government survived a vote of confidence. the mood is regarded as a victory for the president and his allies. it restores credibility in his ability to negotiate with the southern separatists and the houthis who control large areas in the north and central parts of the country al jazeera continues to demand the release of three journalists who have been in prison of 355 days. peter greste, mohamed fadel fahmy and baher mohamed were gaoled on false charges of helping the outlawed muslim brotherhood.

they are appealing their sentences. see if the amateurs can reach the final of the club world cup.

would welcome back. columbia's f.a.r.c. rebels declared they'd lay down their weapons as long as the military doesn't attack. this is a most sweeping statement. it's cost 220,000 lives. columbia's government vowed it continue the operations until a final deal is reached.

from 2012, havana has been hosting talks to end the 50 year long conflict. the two sides reached agreements on land reform and political future for the rebels to be put in place if a peace deal is reached. the government suspended talks. negotiations resumed after he was released. >> translation: we have resolved to declare uni lateral ceasefire and put an end to hostilities for a period of time, transforming to an armize tas. it onliened if we are attacked by the military. >> time for sport. >> the lawyer employed by f.i.f.a. to investigate allegations of corruption resigned from his possession. michael garcia cited a lack of leadership. garcia says he lost confidence in the independence of his et ceteraedics committee.

in his resignation statement he said no independent government committee investigator or panel can change the culture of this organization. now, a reminder as to how f.i.f.a. and garcia arrived at this impasse. the u.s. attorney was £in 2012 to investigate allegations of corruption, surrounding the bidding process for the 2018 world cup in russia, and the 2022 world cup in qatar. he finished his 430 page report in september. he ruled a summary of the findings - in november, the 42 page document, clearing russia and qatar of wrongdoing. within 24 hours, garcia declared his intention to complain to the f.i.f.a. appeals committee, saying it was incomplete.

f.i.f.a. rejected that appeal on tuesday. >> so talk on that we are joined by our correspondent. what can you make of the resignation. it's not a surprise, it's almost inevitable the gap between garcia and the ethics committee. he wants to protect his reputation, he was part of the process, even though he's an independent investigator. he doesn't want anything to do with what happened in the last few weeks. judge ek ert of the ethics committee, garcia completely disapproves of that and f.i.f.a.'s tactics as he feels, of distancing himself from them, and garcia wants to move on. the timing was interesting. it came on the eve of f.i.f.a.'s

commif committee meeting taking place in morocco, where they'll need to vote whether to make the report fully transparent. that's what he said he wants. it appears he doesn't have confidence to make the vote. if they do, too much damage has been done. >> what can we expect from the executive meeting by f.i.f.a. >> remember, this is not an emergency meeting to discuss the situation with the world cup bidding process of 2018 or 2022. this is a scheduled meeting. there's other evidence to get through. there was a friday, day two of the meeting when they were going to take the vote and see what the audit and compliance committee feels about the situation, whether he feels that the full garcia report can be published. it's most likely to be on friday. what is the situation here. if they say yes, it's not

straight forward. they need to be careful. careful issues of confidentiality. as usual, people say there is the latest f.i.f.a. cover up. >> live from london, thank you for that. >> argentina play real madrid in the final. world cup saturday. the certains -- souts americans made a date by beating aucted city. they -- auckland city. they needed extra time. they opened the scoring, setting up a chaps before finishing. auckland came back. spanish right back. equalizing in the second part. the came went into extra time. it was moromarto who clinched a 2-1 win. >> some great goals in the match deciding fifth place between western sydney wanderers and ef

city. goals that put the african champions 2-1 up. the follow from the australian team even better. with a free kick in the 88th minute. this is how it finished. the game was decided on penalties, and city won the shoot-out 5-4. >> dorts misunderstand survey in the bottom after a 2-2 league. they were given an 8-minute lead. poor goal keeping from a free kick allowed kevin to equalize at the end of the first half. 14 minutes from time. dortmund broke and smashed in for the team that qualified for the last 16 of the champion's league. making it 2-2 with five minutes to the end. 11 points behind bayern munich.

>> in third place, a team that gave the bottom club a 4-1 thrashing. it was 2-0 before half-time. the strugglers pulled one back. their opposition were too strong. >> liverpool play chelsea, and it's sheffield united in the semifinals of the english league cup. following wins for liverpool and spurr. they were beaten 3-1. tottenham took out newcastle 4-0. liverpool hosting chelsea. tottenham meet third tier sheffield united. the ties in jp with the final -- january with the final alt whelmly. -- final at wembley. >> australian fought back in the text. josh hazelwood roaring 5/68.

india out for 408. australia are 221/4. standing captain steve smith is 65 not out the n.h.l. sent a message to all their 30 teams to remind them how to prevent the spread of mumps. 15 players in the league have the disease, and more are tested. games are still going ahead as planned for the time being, including one in minnesota seaing them lose out. boston back in front. the wild level again. lowy eriksson won it for the bruins in overtime. the second victory in eight games. >> the atlanta hawks are flying now. they recorded their 11th win in 12, destroying the cavaliers. david black apologised to the

fans for a poor, poor performance. the 3 pointers put the hawks ahead by four before half time. lebron james scoring 21. with his team down 20 at the start of the fourth, didn't play in the final 12th minute. 127 to 98. that is all sport for me. i'll happened you back to miriam thank you. qatar is celebrating its national day with pomp and ceremony. in addition to a display of military asset. the government is trying to promote its culture heritage. >> reporter: experiencing all things traditional - from camel rides, sheep herding to brewing tea on a traditional bedouin campfire. this is a celebration of local hospitality and times gone by.

>> it's our history. they did it for us. this is an annual event. it's grown each year. the meaning translates as the way of the messenger, passing on knowledge from the past. >> our identity is qatari. can you imagine how precious this identity is on a day like national day. it reflects the identity and values in our community. >> this is not just for fun. it's about teaching the younger generation of qatari where culture has come from. >> the way horses are decorated and trained is a reflection of qatari culture. >> this is in our blood.

we have to keep the traditional way. >> their long relationship with arabian horses is not just a source of cultural health, a horse like this can sell for $2 million-$3.5 million, making them arguably the most expensive horses in the world. out of a total of 2 million people, natives are 12% of the population. >> translation: we need to tell the new generation about the jobs and professions of their grandparents, they need to know how difficult life was. >> reporter: since the discovery of oil and gas, qataris have been catapulted from a life of poverty to relative luxury stay with us here on al jazeera. david foster will be with you at the top of the hour in a few minutes time with a full

bulletin of news. >> television icon norman lear >> we hoped we were delivering real characters... >> creator of "all in the family" "the jeffersons" and "good times" talks race, comedy and american culture today... >> you're taking me to a place in this interview, i haven't been before... >> i told you this would be your best interview >> ...and it is... it's the current one... >> every monday, join us for exclusive... revealing... and surprising talks with the most interesting people of our time... talk to al jazeera, only on al jazeera america

>> cuba could be opening for business for america. i'm breaking down the policy change between the two nations in a half century. i'll tell what you it does and does not do for american businesses and what it means for generations to come. i'm ali velshi. this is a special edition of "real money."