this is al jazeera america, live from new york city. i'm richelle carey, here are the top stories. >> this is not just a city problem, a new york problem, it's a powder keg problem police officials raise the alarm after two deadly attacks on law enforcement an attack on south korea, as the u.s. wages it's cyber attack on korea. soviet union refuses to cut its oil production despite the

deepest price cut in years. >> detail. present arms. an honour guard for two police officers killed yesterday in the line of duty. they were shot execution style in brooklyn new york, with the killer linking their murders to nation wide unrest in ferguson, missouri with michael brown, and new york with eric garner. john terrett joins us with more on this. this is a tragic story. the entire community on all sides are very upset. >> yes. that is what has happened. it seems to have brought the community here in new york city

together. i can tell you that new york's police commissioner said that the murders happened so fast that the officers probably never even knew what was hatching to them >> reporter: we are used to flowers and candles at christmas time, but not like this. >> they are not all bad. no one is bad. they are human being, they have families, children. >> it's wrong all around. this has got to stop. cell phone video shows the chaos in a brooklyn station 24 hours earlier. minutes earlier he shot two officers dead in a patrol car. the police commissioner said... >> they were simply assassinated. >> ismaaiyl brinsley's rampage happened in baltimore maryland, shooting a girlfriend and making violence threats via social media, making threats in the name of michael brown, and eric

garner in mississippi and staten island. baltimore police tried to worn new york, too late. wenjian liu had been on the force for seven years and married two months ago. rafael ramos was a policeman, married with two sons. there has been a steady stream of people, all colours and creeds leaving flowers and candles. >> reverend sharp tonne said linking death to michael brown's death is reprehensible. >> these police officers lost their life senselessly. >> the police could have been avoided seen turning their blacks on mayor bill de blasio. the head of protests in new york's by supporting protests, mayor bill de blasio opened the

door for killers like ismaaiyl brinsley. >> we tried to warn, it must not go on, it cannot be tolerated, that's what underhands starts, on the steps of city hall in the office of the mayor at the catholic cathedral of st. patrick's, the amp bishop of new york has been trying to calm things down by evoking the spirit of christmas. [ inaudible ] [ clapping ] >> reporter: and it's the sentiment here, pd the -- end the killing, end the harsh words, we have had enough. a coalition founded by one of the new york yankees said it would pick up the cost of one of officer rafael ramos's children.

>> unimaginable. in baltimore, where the gunman began his shooting spree, police officials are slamming president obama and city leaders, and crit site police tactics, claiming the new york killings demonstrate the climate created by protest. >> not since the 1960s, have police officers been so targeted. we are sitting on - this is not just a baltimore problem, or new york problem, it's a powder keg situation a week ago a baltimore police officer was shot whilst trying to arrest a spec. in florida, a police officer was killed in the line of duty. it happened 30 miles north-west of tampa. they are not disclosing a motive. the 17 year veteran called for help, was rushed to a hospital and that was where he died.

>> the suspect fled the seen but crashed now the latest on the sony hacking story. the fbi said north korea was behind the cyber attack, but it didn't stop them issues threats of new attacks they claim are more damaging. the release "the interview", was cancelled last year after threats on the theatres showing the movie. the fallout led to a lot of recrim nation. an attorney for sony saying the us government should have responded faster. >> this is a state-sponsored criminal attack on an american corporation and employees. if the n.s.a. had invaded people's privacy like this, people would have been outraged. north korea does it, coupling it with physical threats. people sort of sit back while sony fights the issue on his own

the united states has been considering its response to north korea, diplomats acting china to intervene. it may be north korea back on the list of terror states. in an interview the president denied the u.s. is at war with the country. >> i don't think it was an act of war, i think it was an act of cyber vandalism that was costly and expensive. we take it seriously and respond proportionally. >> the movie "the interview", was due to start on christmas day. the hacking exposed private data - email, scripts, customer and employee information c.i.a. agents will not be charged for snooping on computers by the secret intelligence committee investigating the use of torture. the "new york times" reports that five officers that carried out searches that angered

senator dianne fienstein will not be punished the fight against i.s.i.l. has been an intense battle for kurdish peshmerga in iraq. they say they are making gapes in the sin jar mountains where the yazidi were trapped when i.s.i.l. took control. we have more. >> reporter: the fight for mt sinjar and the surrounding area has been intense. for almost a week kurdish fighters paced steep resistance from i.s.i.l. fighters stealing control of sinjar town, at the foot of the mountains. it's where they have been committing atrocities. the president of the kurdistan region of government visited troops on the sinjar front line and addressed the displaced families. >> translation: thanks to god we have opened and controlled all the roads and broken the siege

imposed on sinjar mountain. we have liberated the whole area. liberation of sinjar town was not part of our perhaps, but we have managed to take control of a large area of it. we will not leave any member of the terrorist on any area where we can reach. brave peshmerga are ready to teach a lesson to anyone. >> reporter: peshmerga fighters are supported in their efforts to take sinjar. jets belonging to the u.s.-led coalition are carrying out air strikes against i.s.i.l. positions in and around the town. i.s.i.l. fighters captured the town of sinjar in early august, forcing thousands from the minority to escape to the mountains, they've been scrapped there since. they opened a corridor to the mountain, but sustained casualties, they are treating the wounded at the base on top

of the mountain. the peshmerga troops and allies are forced to travel in a convoy of vehicles with bright colours, it avoid pinpoint by coalition aircraft that report from erbil another rescue in the mediterranean has the italian coast guard saving 200 syrians. the boat was just about to sink. that dangerous journey is one of many undertaken by syrians desperate to find safety since the start of syria's war. zeina khodr reports. >> reporter: this man is again preparing to start a new life. this is a refugee from syria moving from lebanon with the family. her husband has a heart problem and cannot work. it puts them in the most vulnerable category of refugees. according to the united nations, eligible for resettlement in europe. living in lebanon has not been easy, it is a country overwhelmed by the burden of

refugees and the country caught up in the conflict next door. >> there are no jobs. in lebanon we are paying the price because of political differences. we are targeted when supporters and opponents. syrian government here it is a feeling shared by many, who wait for hours at a u.n. office in beirut to apply for asylum. many have spent savings, and can't find jobs. it's not just economic hardsh s hardships, the syrian government has powerful allies. we'll take you to the new york police department. they are holding a press conference in the aftermath of the killing of the two police officers, let line. >> the timeline of yesterday's event. 5:30 in the morning he enters his girlfriend's apartment in maryland with a key he's not supposed to have. they have known each other for about a year and have since broken up. she is confronted by an ex-girlfriend, and an argument

ensues. that ex-girlfriend calls her mother on her phone and the mother over hearse part of the argument. the phone is hung up. at 5:50 calls come in to 911 of a single shot fired at that location. police arrive. the ex-girlfriend identify ismaaiyl brinsley as the shooter. he takes her phone as well. you see the picture of the gentleman that we have, that we were able to recover from georgia. at about 6:05 in the morning, he calls the mother on her phone, the girlfriend's mother on the phone and said he shot her by accident and hopes she lives. he then, at 6:35 hours, baltimore county police department monitors his movements and have him tracked northbound i-95. during this time he calls his ex-girlfriend's mother several times, and makes certain statements that we are able to

find out where he's going. at about 10:50 hours in the morning, he arrives in new york city. he took a beat bus to the west side. we have no video now, but are seeking it as well, or anybody that could see the male would help us out, we would love to hear about if, to the tip's line. at 12:07 hours he discards the phone that he takes in the barclay's center. we retrieve it during a canvas over the location. that's something we are investigating. at 1. :30 in the after noon, baltimore reaches out to nypd. they fax a copy of event and we go through the notification process. contemporaneous to that he commits the homicide of two officers, all right. it should be noted that we are

working still with the baltimore county police department. they've been excellent partners in this investigation. we started to do background on mr ismaaiyl brinsley. we spoke to both his parents and two sisters and an ex girlfriend. we were told by family members he never expressed radicalization, it's a muslim family. his mother said he had a troubled childhood and often was violent. mother expressed fear of him and said she hasn't seen him in a month. he attempted suicide in the past and attempted to hang himself a year ago. we are tracking his movements for the past week in new york and will continue to do so. he goes back and forth to new york. we don't have a residence for him. the residence listed in georgia is his sister - he has not been there for two years and is estranged from here and both of

his sisters. what you see here, 9mm, a pp 92 model purchased at a pawn shop in georgia, it's not recorded as stolen. it was purchased by a male with the identity of, in '96, it was not him, he was nine. we are working with the a.t.f. to find him and find out where it could have fallen into his hands. now, presently, shooting, we have identified 10 eyewitnesss and 35 ear witnesses. to the suicide of mr ismaaiyl brinsley in the train station, we have 10 eyewitnesss and one ear witness. we recovered five videos at the scene, two pre, two post and one in the subway, none of which depict the incident, the double homicide. we have found on a video two males who spoke with the

perpetrator prior to the event. he - he begins the conversation with them, they start speaking, he asked them three things - their gang afillation, to follow him on instagram, and said "watch what i'm going do." he walks northbound on tomp kins, back the two officers, circles around, back across the street and comes up behind the officers, that's where we are. we are speaking to those individuals at the precinct. we don't believe they had anything to do with anything, but we'll tap that down further. >> do we have questions about the investigation? the chief will answer them. >> reporter: [inaudible] >> no, that's at the lab to check that. that will take time, usually a couple of days. sir. >> reporter: [inaudible] do you know what he was doing here [ inaudible ] >> yes, we have two incidents on new york 61s by family members

for minor incidents and harassment of that nature. he was born in brooklyn, high school in new jersey. because he had problems, he was back and forth to gormia with relatives down there >> reporter: is there an indication that he went to protests in new york or any other place. ? >> that's under review. we are looking to see where he was in a week. we believe he was in new york and apparently takes the bus line to and from the south. we have no - nothing on that yet. it's to be determined. >> reporter: [ inaudible ] >> four shots were fired at the officers. all he rounds and the gun - 15 load. four at the scope. we have shell casings there and another on the subway flat form, and a shell casing in batt more where he shot his girlfriend. >> reporter: [inaudible] take the bus or did he drive up. >> say the last part again.

>> reporter: did he take the bus from maryland, or drive. >> no, he took the bolt bus from maryland. that's preliminary, where we feel he was, we are trying to figure out which bus he took. we'll go further from there. we have him on a video at 42nd feet near 8th avenue getting on the n train. >> reporter: [inaudible] michael brown and social media, was it around the time the event happened or sooner [ inaudible ] >> we are still peeling this thing back. now we are in october and november on that, i think. as we go forward, we'll go back further and further. >> reporter: does he have a mother in brooklyn, is that the connection to here? >> he does. you are listening to the new york chief of detectives, robert boyce basically laying out the timeline that they have for ismaaiyl brinsley, 28 years old, the man they say shot two police officers, rafael ramos, and

wenjian liu. they are trying to go back as far as they can to talk about the timeline. they started with 5. : 30 in the morning yesterday when he entered his girlfriend's apartment ta he was not supposed to had. he shot her, ended on a bolt bus to new york, and shot and killed two police officers, firing four rounds. as the chief of detective says, they are basically peeling this back. they have multiple witnesses, at least 10 ear and sound witnesses. he said the shooting itself was not caught on tape. they made contact with ismaaiyl brinsley's family. his mother described him as having been violent, having a difficult childhood. she has not seen him in a month. he's estranged from his sisters. they can't pinpoint where he lives, he seems to go between georgia, new york, until police

figured out what led to the shooting of two n.y.p.d. shootings. keep it on y al jazeera america we'll be back. >> al jazeera america presents lockerbie part one: the pan am bomber

former heavy weight champion mohammed alley has been hospitalized. the 72-year-old has a mild case of pneumonia. a spokesman said he is recovering and expects to be discharge the the ebola outbreak is affecting the african military mission. sierra leone is withdrawing troops from somalia. soldiers are due to be replaced, but it's been blocked because of

concerns of ebola, one of 800 tested positive. ban ki-moon, secretary-general, is having a first-hand look. >> reporter: less than two weeks ago this nurse was too afraid of ebola to come to work. the wards of hospital was a mess. ebola patients lay next to patients who didn't have the disease. five nurses die. >> when your colleague dice, you become afraid, you see. you think when you come, you become effective. so we died to come and work again. since then fighting with ebola, we decided again that if we come, others will suffer. >> some of the nurses gained the courage to come back after

intensive training by the red cross. they learnt about and received gear. >> the joint effort by local and international organizations is helping to save lives. >> we have to fight back, fight against ebola. this is unprecedented disease. which the united nations and international has helping. that is why everything is being mobilized. >> reporter: mali is a place where there has been success stopping the spread of ebola. it was declared free of the disease in january. mali was not hit as badly as liberia or guinea. nurses in sierra leone are back at work, and wearing protective suits. ebola is still spreading in this district, and health workers say

more resources are needed. stop the ebola outbreak in west africa - aid workers affiliated with u.n.i.c.e.f. are helping to educate. people weren't happy to see them. they don't allow outsiders, but once introduced the workers explained how proper hygiene can stop the proceed of the outbreak. >> in africa, the battle is against aids. half the patients live in the south. scientists are testing a vaccine shown to reduce the rate of new infections by 30%. in the final part of our series "h.i.v. in south africa", tania paige reports from cape town. >> reporter: in woman is not a scientist, but is at the cutting edge of h.i.v. research. she volunteered to take a

vaccine that could save lives much the trial is run from the desmond tutu research center, in an hear with the highest prevalence of h.i.v. in the world. >> so war all the blood tests came back negative for h.i.v. she is helping because two of her uncles died of aids. >> she's making sure no one dies in the home. it's better for those two. so i want to make sure that the people i'm left with at home learn more about h.i.v. and maybe in three years time there will be nothing left, like people dying of aids. >> the second phase of the trial starts in january. within two years 7,000 people could be taking it. >> this is the pharmacy where everything tested at the research center is kept. the vaccine, drugs. h.i.v. preventive products here

or at different temperatures in one of the figures. >> it's another advance taking a difference. instead of taking several pills, some h.i.v. people are on a single dose ain viral. the doctor says it's easier for people to stick to. this is the first one they are talking about licensing for widespread use by 2022. in terms of a game changer. the current intervention is mortgage. while we find a vaccine. >> for me to be part of a team, it would be the best thing that could happen do me in my life. >> reporter: they feel the same. >> i feel cold, i can't wait to finish the study, i can do another. >> reporter: she'll be back in a fortnight for another bloodtest. with every negative result south

africa takes a step closer. ahead, kooub zlerns expressed displeasure on the catholic church's role on the shift of relations between the united states and cuba. we show you how a street gang is helping the community in new zealand. you're watching al jazeera america

welcome back to al jazeera, i'm richelle carey, here is a look at your top stories. police officials have deep concerns over recent attacks on police officers. two new york city police officers were killed execution style yesterday. the suspect linked the crime to unrest over police involved deaths of eric garner and michael brown. a police officer was shot in baltimore and another in florida. president obama said that the u.s. is not at war with north korea. the government is considering putting the totalitarian regime on a list of the countries

sponsoring terrorism. the f.b.i. accused north korea of a cyber attack on sony marco rubio explained his position on "meet the press" in relation to cuba. >> i want people in cuba to have what the people in bahamas have, in jamaica have, and democratic republic of congo have, which is freedom. i don't think this furthers the goal. it makes it harder to achieve. you private hard currency for a repressive regime to fund the repress of the cuban people they are unhappy with the catholic church for brokering the deal. we have this report. [ bell tolls ] >> people asking for hope, praying for a miracle. that some say has come. as a person of faith, i'm super

happy. i went to the shrine in cuba to pray for a miracle. it's a miracle from god. much of the credit for the reopening of diplomatic relations between the u.s. and cuba went to pope francis. he sent 18 months facilitating talks in secret meeting with president obama and cuban president. culminating in a prisoner swap. but the vatican has been pushing for a thaw between the two countries for decades, starting with pope john paul ii. when the first wave of cuban immigrants arrived in the 1960s, they put their money together, and built a shrine to the patrones of cuba, a beacon welcoming thousands of americans each year. many here say they support the vatican's direct role in the shift in policy, despite fears it could have pit faith against

politics. >> many here in miami have suffered so much. so very much during this 50 years. >> the father runs a catholic radio station in miami, and said while many commissioners remain hopeful, they have not forgotten the political pain of the past. >> they are weary of beak taken advantage of, you know, because so many - they have been received by empty promises coming from cuba. >> the policies are an opportunity to test the truth. >> translation: i think it's an opportunity to see what happens. it's already been so many years with the same restrictions. >> translation: i think it's good from the community, that's what i want. one day freedom will come. >> reporter: a freedom that can reunite thousands of families.

>> our catholic faith moves us to healing, reconciliation, forgiveness. >> which is why the freedom of faith is the time to have just that earlier today morgan talked about father luke sweeney of the cathedral seminary house of new york and talked about the church's involvement in the agreement. >> pope francis's personality, and his vision. church is one that is not going to take a passive role in geopolitics. you know, the church will get involved to bring people together. and believes the diplomatic core is meant to make small steps to bring hearts and people together, in order to bring peace. >> what about the personal history, he's the first latin american. he was born in argentina and lived under a dictatorship. did that play a role in his part in this? >> he has credibility on both sides.

he knows the view of so many in latin american, vis-a-vis the united states. that gives him credibility with cuba. what gives him credibility with the united states is he knows what it's like to live under repress and suffering. >> from the human rights perspective, what change will this bring about for the people of cuba? >> it's a gamble, but one worth taking, a step worth taking. the holy father believes and shares the sentiment in cuba that the little person is being tread upon, bearing the brount of the tension between the united states and cuba over all these years, and what needs to happen is that outreach to that community. yes, great strides are needed when it comes to humanitarian, but we see small baby steps, and that's a sign for hopefully hope. >> of course, that was father luke sweeney talking with al jazeera's morgan radford.

>> saudi arabia's oil minister said the country will not cut oil production despite a big price drop. the world is forecast to need less oil as a result of rising supplies from the u.s. the u.a.e. oil prime minister urged producers not to raise production in an effort to study the price of oil. the geopolitics of oil will be the focus. join us at 8:30 eastern, 5:30 pacific as we look at the future production of oil and gas. >> the trial of 26 men accused of debauchery drew international condemnation. egyptian law does not ban homosexuality, police arrested gay men for debauchery in the past. it's been 358 days since three al jazeera journalists were detained in egypt. peter greste, mohamed fadel fahmy and baher mohamed were sentenced in june to seven years in toura prison.

baher mohamed a 10 years sentence. they were accused of having ties to muslim brotherhood. al jazeera relates the charges and demand they be released. >> votes have been counted since the 2006 uprise. this report from tunis. >> reporter: starting early in the mornings, tunisians lined up at the polls waiting to make history. for the first time in their lives, people choosing their president. on the battle paper were two names, beji caid essebsi, a former minister under the deposed dictator, zine el-abidine ben ali. and moncef marzouki, who took charge since the revolution. the years he had in office were not without controversy. as a security chief, beji caid essebsi oversaw crackdowns and sup regs of dissent. those that vote for them say he's the only one capable of moving tunisia forward, even

though he's 88. >> translation: i i don't think for beji caid essebsi, because he has a lot of experience, and we have faith in him that he'll fix our country. >> tunisia is the only country that is close to being a success story. there has been little violence and all political disagreements have been resolved democratically. this, supporters of moncef marzouki want to safeguard. the former human rights advocate has billed himself as a unifying figure. galvanising support across the political spectrum. >> translation: the reason i voted for moncef marzouki is i wanted to ensure that no single party as all the power. >> the reason i voted for moncef marzouki is to have a power share in the country. >> reporter: sunday is the third time tunisians have gone to the ballot box in less than two months.

some say it created a sense of fatigue among the electorate, resulting in a large percentage of people not voting it time around. with the polls closed in tunisia people are waiting to typed out who will be entrusted with this young democracy. regardless of their political inclinations tunisians will hope their new-found freedoms will not be short lived the idea of a street gang usually brings to mind a number of things like violence and drugs. the new zealand street gang is changing the stereotype. instead of fighting in the streets, they fight to feed hungry schoolkids. wayne hay has more. >> it's the first thing in the morning. gang members are busy at work. >> very nice. >> every morning members of the tribal gang meet at this suburban home to make 500

sandwiches to deliver to schools around the province. the idea came from the leader, who remembers what it was like to go without. >> if the kids grow up hungry, they don't have a good start in life. you want what someone else has, and animosity is born. >> reporter: the programme is well received judging by the thank you letters on the wall. by nine in the morning jamie pink hits the road, saluted by his members, who are now known as the sandwich gang. he stops at 25 schools, handdelivering the lunches that will be given to children who go to school with nothing. >> new zealand's economy is doing better than most. at the same time there's a growing feeling that the gap between rich and poor is getting wider. there's also greater discussion around the issue hungry children and poverty in germ. -- in general. the government and the private sector introduced a programme supplying breakfast, but will

not support a programme to provide lunches. >> it should be the parents responsibility, we shouldn't resile from that. parents have a responsibility to make sure their children go to school having had breakfast and something for lunch. >> jamie's operation is growing all the time. despite the fact they are made by a gang, the sandwiches are welcome. >> we look at it as a group of people committed to ensuring their children are given every opportunity to learn. >> most of the food comes from donation, but the gang runs several farms supplying meat and generating money to pay for ingredients. >> they are looking good. you are going a good job. >> jammy says critics who say it's used to recruit members, they are wrontheyre wrong. >> when you see the kids with a full tummy, that's enough for us. >> reporter: he says they want to do good and give children hoe and many members never had.

when we return, raising awareness of life on the streets. when activists want you to know about the struggle of the homeless. also - the dangerous business of harvesting the seed for christmas trees. you are watching al jazeera america.

they were looking to get attention, they succeeded, but may regret how they did it. greenpeace has been accused of damaging a 1,000-year-old site. >> reporter: they are one of peru's famous monuments, images scratched into the desert more than 1,000 years ago. when activists used the u.n.e.s.c.o. lines, an action meant to draw attention to climate change, it backfired. on friday an angry crowd hurled instalments at green piece's director as he arrived at a peruvian courthouse to testify. >> the people are angry. you can see the people are

saying justice, we want justice for the national alliance. peru accused greenpeace of causing damage after activists went into the desert to place the sign. around 20 activists are accused of leaving foot prints and overturning stones in the ecologically sensitive area. it coincided with a conference that took place in peru's capital lima this month. >> i am saddened that this happened in the middle of the conference of a country we are proceed to be the host country of. this is an event that fells us with shame, it should never are happened. >> reporter: at the courthouse greenpeace's director apologised for the group's actions. >> there was no justification to ever put our foot on that sacred place at all. i indicated that i'm willing to provide whatever assistance that authorities need and i'll be willing to come back.

they have responded positively to that. which i'm grateful. >> neither assurances, among them that the leadership had no knowledge of plan failed to quell anger. experts say someone in the group must have had intimate knowledge of the site. >> translation: this was preplanned in someone's office, saying "let's go in to get attention", why the humm i'ming bird. it's world -- humming bird, it's known worldwide. they have not gone to damage it but to attract attention, but did not take the proper precautions. greenpeace will assist with an independent investigation and work to protect the n.a.s.c.a.r. lines. for many the peruvians, the damage to the site and green peace's repuation has been done on any given night more than

600,000 people in the united states have no place to sleep except on the street. hundreds die each year because of exposure. activists in washington d.c. decided to commemorate the lives, an act they hope will promote political change. >> reporter: how many nights did you spend in the park? >> countless. >> reporter: for six years this is where this 29-year-old reggie black used to sleep. when rent was too expensive he lost his home and wound up here. >> it was as much my life was in danger. i thought that it would never happen. man, you know, i'm living in boiler rooms, sleeping in parks. >> reporter: fortunately he's sleeping better, qualifying for subsidised housing. he worries about the friends he left behind. in washington temperatures dipped well blow freezing. all across the united states this year more than 2,000 people

died. most from exposure to extreme temperatures. that's why the homeless advocates staged a silent memorial to remember those that lived and died on the streets. it has not always been the way. homelessness is a problem of cash-strapped local and federal governments, shrinking budgets meant there is less money for the addicted, aged, mentally ill and those that couldn't catch a break. the u.s. homeless population is down from the 1980s, but not enough. a chronic lack of services is costing lives. doctors say hypothermia can kick in when the temperatures fall to 10 degrees. city emergency centers in pittsburgh will not open for the homeless unless it's minus 3. in maddison wisconsin it's minus 6 and baltimore maryland, minus 10 or colder before emergency

shelters give the homeless refuge. >> this advocate says homelessness persists because of misplaced priorities, local governments are likely to fund projects they expect will bring revenues. the one thing that every mayor or city does is to make it a priority. it's interesting that people get exited about a soccer stadium or baseball stadium, must have the same enthusiasm and commitment. >> reggie agreed and says affordable housing is critical for ending homelessness in the united states. saving lives. >> it's inhumane for people to have to live on the streets. inhumane for them to die there. inhumane for them not to have support. even the most challenged is not looking for a handout. just a hand up the lava flow on the big

island on hawaii is on the move. it's making its way to a shopping center in the small town of behoa. it's been under threat since june, when the volcano began to spew lava. several buildings have been destroyed yes, just over an hour away and we officially hail in winter. it's the winter stohl sis at 6:04 eastern, and with the tilt of the earth and how it rotates, this is the point that we are the furthest away in the northern hemisphere. if you don't like winter there's a grain of good news. daylight is a little longer each day from in point going forward. what would winter be without a storm. we have one. it's been pushing into the north-west. you see this - it's like a garden hose turned on, funnelling the moisture into the north-west.

it will move interior. you can see this. this goes over the next two days, and by the time we get into the middle of the week it will move across the country, everything from flood concerns and all the colours, high winds, winter weather, great for the ski resorts doing a lot of business, but not great if you travel over the mountain passes. as the system moves, in is into sunday, you see it edging towards the northern plains, we have a frontal boundary in the south-east, kicking up rain for the next couple of days. by the time we get to the travel day, christmas eve, people trying to get home for the holidays, everything from rain in the east, snow and high winds slows things down. back to you ever wandered where christmas trees come from? many are grown from sees originating in the caucuses,

where climbers risk their lives to pick for combs. we have more. >> above the forest canopy lies a hidden bounty. harvesting it can dangerous work. climbers earn their wages at the tips of pipes, some 60 meters high. the copes contain fine quality seeds for christmas tree growers. for a region sky high in unemployment, it's a seasonal bonanza, supplying a 1.5 billion industry in europe. a kilo's worth of cones is about, on average, $0.70. together, it's possible to collect several hundred kilos a day as a team. that's why it's lucrative. there's a lack market, and many

georgians are prepared to take the risk to climb the trees even without the right equipment. this man fell to his death 20 years ago gathering cones without a harness or a licence. his brother is now the local mayor. he says tragedies happen, unscrupulous buyers ignoring safety. >> translation: police departments help us to control blocks in the forest. this is a vast area and impossible to control it totally. the existing black market is harmful for the budget. companies who operate on the black market avoid paying taxes. companies operating legally could do more to support russia's economy. 90% of an estimated 45 million florida misunderstand trees are grown -- nordmand trees are

taken from here. >> we need to know what is needed, and help and store participating development. you can't just make money here in this wonderful area, pay almost nothing and disappear. i don't think it's fair. >> this is the only country with a social programme supporting a health clinic and two local schools. it also pays above average prices for the cones. but it gathers only a fraction of the local harvest. if you are celebrating christmas, you might want to think about where your tree came from, and whether you paid a fair price for it. coming up next on al jazeera america - music lovers putting a

spin on an old technology.

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only on al jazeera america for decades vinyl records was the only way to buy music. by the late 1980s, it faded fast, replaced by compact discs. people hung on to the record players, and it's been making a comeback. as phil lavelle reports, the new spin on old-fashioned vinyl is surging in popularity. >> reporter: once upon a time before these, before these, before these - there were these. the snap, crackle and pop of a record was the sound track for many. it is making a welcome return for some. vinyl record sales passed the 1 million mark last month. retailers say if you take into account the busy christmas period, it will be 1.2 million by the end of the year.

it's the first time we hit seven digits since 1996, the year we heard about the spice girls. what happened to them. it is nothing compared to vinyl's heyday 1981, 1.1 billion records were sold. >> if you look at the charts and see what records are doing well, it's not the established artist, david bowie, leyed zeppelins, but there's a new way, ed sheeran, tampas, royal blood and the arctic monkeys bringing in a new generation of music fans. >> of course, it is an acquired taste. you need bulky hardly portable equipment. the enthusiasts never tire of it. >> it became more scale. it was still there. when it happens, often that then at some point is trendy again. it starts to see more into the main stream.

people are looking at what is happening. at the under ground or independent, what younger people were doing. >> for some, vinyl borders on art. case in point this studio in london. it uses original 1950s equipment. >> it presses classics the old-fashioned way. business has gone through the roof. >> with records costing in some cases thousands of dollars. >> food is a good analogy, the vinyl consumer is the person that enjoy maybe a good wine, food, life some time. the digital consumer is more the fast food sort of animal. >> reporter: vinyl in 2014 has more competition than the vinyl of the '80s - downloads, c.d.s and so op. for the real audio files nothing comes close. this return is literally music to their ears. thank you for watching al

jazeera america. i'm richelle carey. "real money" is next, and be sure to check out the website for updates from around the world. that is aljazeera.com. thanks for your ^ below that is aljazeera.com. thanks for your time. open for business with america - cuba. we are breaking down dramatic change between the two nations in over half a century. we look at what it does and does not do for american businesses. quitting america - why some are giving up their citizenship to save on their taxes. the institutional investors buying up forelarges after the housing collapse could look to close in soon. i look at what it could do to your me