>> advocates of urban farming hope that their success will help inspire more cities to join the movement. . >> had is al jazeera america -- this is al jazeera america live from new york city, i'm richelle carey, and here are the top stories. >> this is not just a baltimore or new york city problem. it's a powder keg -- police officials raise attacks. washington considers how to retaliate. the u.a.e. is urging oil producers not to raise production, but saudi arabia says no. and columbia's rebel group f.a.r.c. starts what it calls a

unilateral and inquit ceasefire tributes are pouring in for two police officers killed in the line of duty yesterday. police officials giving a warning that police tactics may be leading to retribution. n.y.p.d. officers rafael ramos and wenjian liu yesterday were shot dead, execution style as they sat in their patrol card. their killer, ismaaiyl brinsley, linked the killing to nationwide unrest over the police-involved deaths in michael brown of eric garner in staten island and michael brown in ferguson, missouri. families of the two men condemned the killing. activists joined the condemnation. it has brought little

consequences to police officers who have endured criticism from officials. john has more. >> new york's police commissioner says that the murder happened on saturday afternoon, so quickly that the officers involved probably never knew what was happening to them. >> 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. >> reporter: cell phone video shows the chaos in a brooklyn subway station 24 hours earlier as 24-year-old ismaaiyl brinsley killed himself. . minutes earlier he shot two fers dead in their patrol car. the police commissioner bill bratton said they were... >> simply assassinated. ismaaiyl brinsley shot a former girlfriend and used social media

to make viability threats, hashtaging his words to the deaths of unarmed african-americans michael brown in ferguson, missouri, and eric garner in new york city's staten island, in confrontation with police. maryland police tried to warn new york too late. their fax arriving as police were killed. wenjian liu had been on the force for seven years, and married two months ago. rafael ramos two years a policeman was married with two sons. >> i hope and pray that we can reflect on the tragic loss of lives that have occurred so we can move forward and find an amicable pass to a peaceful co-existence. >> there has been a stream of people, all colours and cedes living flowers and candles at the site, opposite where the police died. >> at a news conference in harlem, the mother of eric garner said linking her son's death on staten island to

saturday's murder is rep re helpsible. >> the two police officers lost their lives senselessly. the police think it could have been avoided. seen here turning their backs on mayor deplacio, saying in supporting the protests, he opened the door. >> we tried to warn, it kept go on, it department be tolerated. that is when underhand starts on the steps of city hall in the office of the mayor at the catholic cathedral the archbishop of new york has been trying to calm things down by evoking the spirit of christmas. >> you love that very much. . >> it's the sentiment here too,

end the killing, end the harsh words, it's christmas, we've had enough. we saw a show of support for the police from new york sports teams, a foundation co-founded by the late opener of the new york yankees, george stein brokener, saying it will pick up the cost of education for rafael ramos's children. and the new york giant head coach wore a black stripe and a peace sign. and the new york jets center wearing an n.y.p.d. cap during warm-ups to express solidarity with the officers. >> they are still trying to piece together the timeline of the killer, more information to come. thank you in baltimore, where the gunnun began his -- gunman began his shooting spree. many have been criticized for criticizing police tactics, claiming it caused the climate created by protests.

>> not sips unrest in the -- since unrest in the 1960s have police officers been so targeted. this is a powder keg nationwide. >> a week ago a baltimore city police officer was shot whilst trying to arrest a suspect. he is recovering. in florida a police officer was killed in the line of duty this morning. police say it happened in tar pin springs, 30 miles north-west of tampa, they are not disclosing a motive, but the 17-year officer called for help at about 2 o'clock in the morning. he was rushed to a hospital where he died. police ache was responding to a noise -- police say he was responding to a noise complaint. he previously worked for n.y.p.d. police in boston are on alert. and the police commissioner says there's a lot of anger and rhetoric against officers. they are deployed in pairs for increased safety now the latest on the sony hacking story.

north korea says new attacks are possible. the federal bureau of investigation says north korea was behind the hack which north korean officials denied. the release of "the interview" was cancelled in the wake of threats against theatres that were planning to show the movie. the u.s. government was involved in the making of the film. the fall out from the cyber attack led to recriminations. an attorney for sony said the u.s. government should have responded faster. >> this is a state sponsored criminal attack if the n.s.a. in vaded people's privacy like this people would have been outraged. he sits back while sony fights on his own. >> meanwhile the united states has been considering its response. diplomats asked china to

intervene, and may but north korea back on the list of terror states. the president denied in an interview this morning that the u.s. is at war with that country. >> i don't think it's an act of war, it was an act of the cyber vandalism. we take it seriously and will respond. >> the movie is scheduled to open on christmas day. it could be released at a later date or through another model. the hacking attack exposed an enormous amount of company's data, including email, script, customer and employee information. >> c.i.a. agents will not be charged for snooping. investigating the c.i.a.'s use of torture. the new york times reports the five officers that carried out computer searches that angered committee chair dianne fienstein will not be punished. it was claimed they interfered with its having.

the fight for i.s.i.l. has been intense in iraq. the commanders say they are making gains in the sinjar mountains where the minority was trapped when i.s.i.l. took control. >> reporter: the fight in the surrounding area has been intense. for a week kurdish peshmerga fighters faced resistance from i.s.i.l. fighters stealing control of sinjar town at the foot of the mount australians. it's where i.s.i.l. committed some of the worst atrocities against the university of washington. the kurdish of the kurdistan government visited troops on the frontline. he addressed the displaced families. >> translation: thanks to god we opened and controlled all the roads and broke the siege imposed on sinjar mountain. we liberated the whole area.

liberation. town was not part of our plans. we have managed to take control of a large area of it. we will not leave any member of the terrorist on any area that we can reach. peshmerga are ready to teach a lesson to anyone ready to attack our people. >> peshmerga fighters are supported in the effort to take sinjar by ethnic fighters. 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 towns of sinjar and zumar in august. prompting tens of thousands from the minority to escape to the mountain. they have been trapped since. peshmerga fighters opened a corridor to the mountain this week, but sustained heavy casualties, they are treating the wounded at a base on top of the mountain. peshmerga troops and allies are forced to travel in a convoy of

vehicles with bright colours, to avoid being bombed by coalition aircraft. >> al jazeera's correspondent reporting a deadly exchange of violence in yemen, happening near the capital when militia men killed four body guards. the group retaliated by ambushing a convoy of four vehicles. another rescue in the mediterranean as 200 syrians were saved in a floundering boat, as the boat was about to sink. that dangerous journey is one of many undertaken by syrians, desperate to find safety since the start of war. zeina khodr reports. >> this woman is yet again preparing to start a new life. he is a refugee from syria who moved from lebanon with her family. her husband has a heart problem and cannot work. it puts the family in the most vulnerable category of refugees. according to the united nation,

eligible for resettlement in europe. living in lebanon is not easy, it's overwhelmed by the burden of refugees and a country caught up in the conflict next door. >> there are no jobs. in lebanon we are paying the price because of political differences are targeted when there are tensions between supporters and opponents of the syrian government here. >> reporter: it is a feeling shared by many refugees who wait for hours just to apply for asylum. many tell you that they have spent their savings, and can't find jobs. it's not just economic hardships, the syrian government has powerful allies here. >> it's difficult. people are scared. in europe we were treated as human beings. all the reports about our countries accepting refugees is not true. >> people have lost hope. there's more than a million refugees.

so far the u.s. resettled 7,000 people, it is a small percentage of the number of those that need assistance. >> in terms of the rose it can be lengthy. what we have to do interview and determine who the people are. we work to improve the processing. >> it couldn't have come sooner for his family. moving to denmark means the children can return to school. it is a hard decision to leave the region. >> translation: we have a choice - we do hungry and live that security, or we'll be safe and able to eat. >> reporter: they don't have a third choice, even know what they prefer is to have the option of returning home to syria. votes are being counted in the tunisian election since the 2011 uprising. we have this report from

tunisia. >> reporter: starting early in the morning tunisians lined up at the polls waiting for their turp it make history. people freely choosing their president. on the ballot paper were two names - a former minister under the deposed dictator, beji caid essebsi, and moncef marzouki, the interim president who took charge following the 2011 revolution. he built his campaign around his political experience spanning decades. those years in office were not without controversy. as a top security chief he oversaw crackdowns and the suppression of dissent. those that voted say he's the only one capable of moving tunisia forward, even though he's 88 years old. >> i voted for beji caid essebsi, because he has a lot of experience. we have a lot of faith in him, that he will fix our country. >> tunisia is the only country

which came close to being a success story of the arab spring. there has been little violence and political disagreements have been resolved democratically, it's this that supporters say they want to safeguard. the former human rights activist turned secular politician built himself as a unifying figure, galvanising support across the spectrum. >> reporter: the reason i voted for moncef marzouki is i want to ensure that no single party has all the power. >> translation: the reason i voted for moncef marzouki is to have a real political power share in the country. >> reporter: sunday is the third time tunisians went to the ballot box in less than two months. some say it created a sense of fatigue, resulting in a large percentage of people not voting this time around. >> with the polls closed in tunisia people are waiting to find out who will be entrusted

with the young democracy. regardless, tunisians will hope that the new found freedoms will not be short lived. >> reporter: romania's new president took office with a vow to produce closer ties to the west. he was sworn in before parliament and surprised many by winning a run-off election. he vows to crack down on corruption and increase trade with u.s. and germany. >> hundreds rallied adays taliban. people wore clothing saying no more terrorism now. during the march demonstrators stopped to pray for the victim. on tuesday, 148 people were culled by a suicide bomber at an army of run school. a russian aid convoy arrived in eastern ukraine. they carry food, medical

constructions and christmas trees and gifts for schools and hospitals. local volunteers unloaded the convoy. nine have been sent to the region or the last view months. >> in kiev, ukraine's president met with belarus's president. petro porashenko braced bell ae rush for recognising their independence. and promised help with economic insurgency and hardships. position were present. condemning the friendship between the ukraine government and europe's last dictator. russia says it will not kaf to pressure following sanctions. moscow calls the restrictions punishment. earlier morgan radford sat down with the associate professor of relations at the new school and asked if she thought sanctions against russia made sense. >> sanctions are not necessary

because the russian ruble is low. oil prices are low. russia is feeling the pinch. vladimir putin has to explain himself pretty much every week to the russians, it's a good time for diplomacy. we can understand that in the urks canada or elsewhere, the process takes time. it is good that the ideal with the sanctions or the possibility are in place. i don't think they should be in force. >> how much longer can vladimir putin hold out. his approval rating is high. that's given the control of the state media. if he has to explain himself over and over, how much longer can it continue. >> they love vladimir putin just because he has control. the russian ideal is he's a strong leader. he wants to make russia great, and russians traditionally are easy, making easy sacrifices. the individual comforts to the

great national interest. and so that's what vladimir putin is betting on. >> i'm not sure that this same around this can last for a long time. if the situation deteriorates it will be pretty much finished. >> if the situation deteriorates, what is the best that kiev can hope for? >> i think kiev should speak to the russians more than they have done. they have done a good job navigating the impossible international crisis. i think russia is weakened and would be willing to negotiate. there's another side of it, because when russia - maybe it will come springing. that is a possibility. we have not gotten there yet. maybe a bit of a conversation with vladimir putin, a bit of give and take would be a good idea for the west, the united states and ukraine as well.

>> associate professor of international relations at the news school. saudi arabia's oil minister said the country will not cut oil production despite the industry's biggest price drop. it's forecast as a result of rising supplies from the u.s. the minister urged the producers not to raise their production in an effort to steady the price of oil next year. the geopolitics mr be the focus in the week ahead. join us for that. we look at the future of oil production and gas prices. in egypt, the trial of 26 men accused of debauchery is drawing international condemn nation. they are being prosecuted for homosexual activity at a public bathhouse in cairo. egyptian law does not ban homosexuality, police have arrested gay me for debauchery. it's been 358 days since three

journalists were detained. they are accused of having ties to the muslim brotherhood. al jazeera relates the charms and demands the journalists release coming up, inside the push to normalize relations between cuba and the u.s., and how the vatican helped to broker the deal. and the latest on mohammed ali as he fights pneumonia. >> someone is telling lies. >> that looks nothing like him. al-megrahi's guilt >> the most definitive look at this shocking crime >> the major difficulty for the prosecution that there was no evidence >> al jazeera america presents lockerbie part one: the pan am bomber

former heavy wait champion mohammed ali has been hospitalized with a mild case of pneumonia. he is recovering and expects to be discharge the soon president obama says he's optimistic that a policy shift could influence and says the

administration is looking to remove cuba from the terrorist. president obama says that the 50 year policy of ises lating kooubee has not worked. it sparked serious opposition from cuban americans. that is for senator mark marco rubio who explained his position on "meet the press." >> i want people in cuba to have what people in the bahamas have, what people in jamaica has - which is freedom of elections. i don't think the policy put it sense that goal, that makes it harder to achieve. because you are now going to provide hard currencies for a regime. they are unhappy with the catholic church's involvement in brokering the deal. morgan radford reports. [ bells toll ] >> reporter: people asking for hope and praying for a miracle, a miracle that some say has

already come. >> translation: as a person of faith i'm super happy, i went to the shrine in cuba to pray for a country. it's a miracle from god. >> much of the credit for the reopening of diplomatic relations has gone to pope francis. he spend 18 months facilitating talks and secret meetings with president obama and cuban president, culminating in a prisoner swap and ease of restrictions. the vatican has been pushing for a thaw between the two countries for decades, tarting with pope john paul i oo.. when the first waive arrived in mainly, they put their money together and built a shrine to the patroness of cuba, a beacon for exiles each year. >> many here say that they support the vatican's direct role in the shift in policy,

despite fears that it could have pipped faith against politics. >> many here have suffered so much, so very much during the 50 years. a catholic radio satisfaction is run, saying that while many. parishioners are hopeful about the call for piece, they have not forgotten the political pain for personal past. >> they are weary of being taken advantage of because so many - they have been - they have been received so many times by promises coming from cuba. >> the policies are an opportunity to test the truth. >> i think it's an opportunity to see what happens. it's been so many years with the same restrictions. i think it's good for the community. that is what i want from my cuba. one day freedom will come. >> a freedom reuniting thousands of families.

our catholic face moves us to healing, reconciliation, forgiveness. >> which is why the people of faith say now is the time to have just that. coming up, marking the first day of winter memorials across the country to honour those that die homeless. inside that epidemic next.

>> devastating climates... >> if we don't get rain we'll be in dire straits... >> scientists fighting back... >> we've created groundhog day here... >> hi-tech led farming...

>> we always get perfect plants everyday... >> feeding the world... >> this opens up whole new possibilities... >> tech know's team of experts show you how the miracles of science... >> this is my selfie, what can you tell me about my future? >> can effect and surprise us... >> don't try this at home... >> tech know, where technology meets humanity only on al jazeera america welcome back to al jazeera america. here is a look at your top stories. police officials say they have deep concerns over recent attacks on police officers. two new york city officers were killed execution style. the suspect linked it unrest over police involved deaths. eric garner and michael brown. one officer was shot in baltimore last week, another killed in florida. president obama said that the u.s. may add north korea to its list of states that sponsor terrorism after the fbi accused the company of master minding an

attack. the president added that it was cyber vandalism, not an act of war. the country will not cut oil production despite the biggest price drop. the u.a.e. has urged all world producers not to raise production in an effort to steady the price of oil next year. >> on any given night 6,000 people in new york have no place to sleep but the streets. hundreds die of exposure. activists in washington d.c. and across the country home to memorialize the nights. >> reporter: how many nights did you spend in the park? >> countless >> reporter: for six years, this is where 29-year-old reggie plak used to sleep. when represent as expensive he lost his home and wound up here. >> it was as if my life was in

danger. i thought it would never happen. next thing you know, man, i'm living in boiler rooms, sleeping in parks. >> fortunately he's sleeping better. three weeks ago he qualified for subsidised housing. he worries about those left behind. in washes textures dipped below freezing. across the united states more than 2,000 people died. most from exposure to extreme temperatures. that's why the homeless advocates staged a memorial, to remember those that lived and died on the streets. >> it has not always been this way. in fact, homelessness is a problem of cash-strapped state, local and federal governments. shrinking governments meant there's less money for the addicted, aged and mentally ill and those that couldn't catch a break. >> the u.s. homeless population is down from the hype in 1980s,

and '90s, but not enough. a lack of services is what is costing lives. doctors say hypothermia can kick in when the temperatures fall to 10 degrees celcius, and city shelters will not open for the homeless unless it's minus 3 degrees. in maddison wisconsin, it's minus wisconsin it's minus 6 and baltimore maryland, mines 10 or colder before emergency shelters give the homeless refuge. this advocate says homelessness exists because of misplaced priority. local government are likely to fund projects that will bring revenue. >> the one thing that the mayor or city commissioner can do is to make it a priority. i found it interesting that people are excited about a soccer stadium or a baseball stadium. must have the same enthusiasm or commitment for housing. >> remmie agreed and said

affordable housing is critical for ending homelessness in the united states, or saving lives. >> it is inhumane for people to have to live on the streets. it's inhumane for them to have to die there, not to have support. >> he says each the most challenged homeless perp is not looking for -- person is not looking for a happened out, just a hand up -- hand out, just a hand up a uni lateral ceasefire by an african troop is holding. f.a.r.c. began a ceasefire. the government rejected its turns and has not laid down its weapons. the day before f.a.r.c. rebels killed five sold engineers during an ambush. joining us to discuss the situation, a cofounder of the institute for international peace at rikers university. we appreciate your time. why now? >> well, first of all there are

festivities. f.a.r.c. - this is not the first time they declare a unilateral ceasefire, and they do it around christmas time. the novelty is this time they declare it in unlimited way. they didn't put a final date when the ceasefire will be lifted. they do it for too many reasons. >> what do they want? >> they want to give a signal to the country that we are committed to the peace talks and peace. and secondly, it's a way to respond to the communities, to the civil society, especially the ones lying and is living in f.a.r.c. controlled areas. that we are going to lift the pressure, military pressure that has been harming the community as well. >> who has the upper hand, f.a.r.c. or the government? >> i think, actually, that the f.a.r.c., because it's putting armed forces in check. somehow, they will have to

respond. they probably will not declare a ceasefire bilaterally, but they'll have to keep in mind f.a.r.c. is negotiating with the government, and pressuring further military. it may have a negative effect on the table. it's a strategic move as well, to put the ball in the corner of the government. >> let's broaden it out. diplomatic events - will that have an effect on this? >> it has a positive effect. it shows where true diplomacy and dialogue - it's a complicated and intractable relationship like the one that was - and still exists between the u.s. and cuba. that sends a positive signal to the negotiating team and the country. true negotiation, you can resolve problems.

>> does that mean you are optimistic or is that going too far. >> i'm increasingly optimistic. >> even a uni lateral ceasefire comes after a series of demonstrations where f.a.r.c. is increasing the piece process. if you look, armed attacks with the factor are cut by half compared to 2013. and a few days ago they announced the ooupy latter at cease -- unilateral ceasefire, they met about victims where more than it 100 dued. i think the ceasefire is with respect a trend that the f.a.r.c. is showing. 2014 end on a good note. we hope 2015 is a year when a piece agreement can be announced. >> cofounder of the newt for peace. thank you very much. >> thank you for having me. >> absolutely. >> the ebola outbreak is

affecting the african mission in east africa. troops have been part of the fight against the al-shabaab rebels. they were due to be replaced but the fooupion block -- african union blocked the rotation because of concerns for ebola. one of the 800 tested positive for the virus. ban ki-moon, secretary-general looks at the effort to stop the proceed of ebola in west africa. >> reporter: less than two weeks ago this nurse was too afraid of ebola to come to work. the wards of the government hop in the konno district were a mess. ebola patients lay next to patients that didn't have the disease. five nurses died. >> when your colleague dice, you are afraid. when you took it on, you think you become effective. we decided not to come.

>> prices - ebola, we decided against it. if we don't come patient will suffer. >> some of the nurses gained the courage to come back after an intensive week of training by the red cross. they learned about and received protective gear. the united nations secretary-general has been visited ebola-effected countries in west africa. and said the jointest by local and international organizations is helping to save lives. >> we have to fight back. fight against everything. this is unprecedented decision. which the united nations and international has to level the programs. that is why the world is emobilized. mali is a place where there has been success in stopping the spread of ebola. the country may have been

declared free of the disease in january. mali has not been hit as badly as liberia or guinea. in sierra leone nurses are at work in the hospital, wearing protective suits. ebola is spreading. more resources are needed. >> in an effort to stop the ebola outbreak aide workers are educating people about the spread of the disease. in guinea villagers were not happy to see them at first. usually they do not allow outsiders into the community, once introduced the workers explained how proper hygiene could stop the proceed. half the world's patients for aids live in nine nations in the southern part of africa. scientists are testing a vaccine

that reduces new patients by 30%. tania page reports from cape town. >> reporter: this woman is not a scientist but is at the cutting edge of h.i.v. research. the trial is run from the it's mummed tutu h.i.v. research center, a scientific hub dedicated to fighting the violence in a country with the highest prevalence of h.i.v. in the world. all her blood tests so far came back negative to h.i.v. it cuts the risk of infections by 30%. she is helping, because two of her uncles died of aids. >> i'm making sure no one dies. it's better. i want to make sure that the people learn about h.i.v., and maybe in three years time, for our generation, there'll be nothing left, 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 a pharmacy where everything tested is kept. vaccines, drugs, h.i.v. preventive product here or at different temperatures in a trim. >> it's a scientific advance that is making a difference in people's lives. instead of taking several pills, some h.i.v. positive people are on a single dose anti-retro viral. because it's simpler, the doctor says it's easier for people to stick to. he she has seen vaccines come and go. this is the first one they are talking about for widespread use. current interventions are a mortgage. for me to be part of a team that is protective would be the best

thing that could happen to me. >> reporter: this woman feels the same. >> i feel good, i can't wait to finish the study. i can do another. she'll be back in a fortnight for another blood test. with every negative result, south africa is a step closer to finding an h.i.v. vaccine so they are looking to get people's attentions and they succeeded. they regret the way they did it. accuses green peace of damaging a 1,000-year-old historic site. >> reporter: it's one of peru's famous monuments, giant images scratched into the desert more than 1,000 years ago. when activists used the lines for a publicity substantiate, an action meant to draw attention to climate change backfired. on friday an angry crowd hurled insults at green piece's executive director as he arrived at a peruvian courthouse to

testify. >> people are so angry. as you can see here, the people say justice, we want justice. >> peru has accused green piece of causing irreparable damage to the world heritage sites after activists went into the desert to place their signs. around 20 activists are accused of leaving footprints and overturning stones, the stunt koib siding with a climate change conference that took place in lima earlier this month. >> reporter: i am saddened that this happened in the middle of the conference. as a country we are proud to be the host catholic church. this fills us with shame, because it should never are happened. >> back at the courthouse, green piece's director apologised for the actions. >> there was no justification to have put our foot on that sacred place at all. i have indicated that i'm

willing to provide whatever assistance that the thoords need. they responded to that. neither the assurances that they had nom of the plan failed to quell the anger. experts say someone in the group must have had intimate knowledge of the site. >> this was preplanned in someone's office. they said let's go in to get attention. why the humming bird, because it's known worldwide and is the main icon of our country. they didn't take the proper precautions. >> reporter: greenpeace says it will assist with an independent investigation and work to protect the n.a.s.c.a.r. lines. but for many peruvians the damage to the archeological site and to green piece's reputation has been done

next on al jazeera america - the dangers of harvesting the seeds for christmas trees. >> three. two. 1 and we'll follow the brave alas cans as they take the pluping for a good cause.

>> sunday night. >> 140 world leaders will take the podium. >> get the full story. >> there is real disunity in the security council. >> about issues that impact your world. >> infectious diseases are a major threat to health. >> "the week ahead". sunday 8:30 eastern. only on al jazeera america. tis the season to take the plunge, which is what these brave alaskans did. more than 1,000 did, including joirpt lisa mack cows ki. it raised $350,000 for alaska's special olympics. ever wonder where christmas trees come from. many grow from seeds originating in the caucuses where men risk their lives for the seeds.

>> reporter: above this canopy is a hidden bounty. harvesting it can be dangerous work. climbers earn their wages at the tips of florida misunderstand mines, some 60 meters high. the cones contain fine quality frees for christmas tree growers. for a reason sky high, it's a seasonal bonanza, supplying a 1.5 billion industry in europe. a kilo's words of these cones is about on average $0.70. it's possible to collect several hundred a day as a team. that's why it's lucrative. there's a black market and many georgians are prepared to take the risk to climb the trees without the right equipment. >> this man fell to his death,

gathering copes without a harness or a licence. tragedy happens, he said. unscrupulous buyers ignore safely and tried illicitly. police departments help to control blocks in the forest where people pick the cones. this is a vast area, impossible to control it totally. the existing black market is harmful for the budget. companies that operate on the black market avoid paying taxes. >> reporter: companies operating legally could do more to support russia's economy. 90% of an estimated 45 million trees sold in europe are grown from georgian seeds. >> it is branded, but we have to take care of it. we have to know what russia needs. and help and support and participate in development. you can't just name money here in this wonderful after, pay

almost nothing. i don't think it's fair. >> this is the only country with a social programme supporting a health clinic and two local schools, and pays above average prices for the cones. but it gathers only a fraction. local harvest. so if you are celebrating christmas this year. you might want to think about where your tree came from, and whether you paid a fair price for it remarkable pictures. rebecca stevenson is here now with your forecast. >> hey, we saw a big story that happened a little after 5:00 pm eastern, with the national football league game between the tampa bay buccaneers and the green bay packers.

we had the tampa bay buccaneers lose, but a line of lightening strikes at the storms ended up hitting a stadium parking lot and six people were taken to the hospital. the storms still going, lightening strikes with the storms. we have a storm starting to lose steam slowly for the west. and the pacific north-west, oregon has a lot of christmas tree production too because of the fantastic forestry set up. the forestry got a tonne of rain, and when i talk about a tonne of rain, i mean in the way of 8-10 numbers of rain in the mountains. the atmospheric river, the pull of moisture focussed at the west coast. you look at the satellite. notice how the moisture is falling apart. it's weaker, not a solid ban stretching across the pacific. we are seeing things taper down, and looking at the rain totals. the coast got up to 8 inches in many spots.

further inland, the cascade mountains had 3-7 inches, overlaying the colour, and you can see down the valley. where we have up to 2-3 inches of rain fall measured. it was a soggy day with flood watches and warnings. winds are blasting though the area into the west, and we are seeing wind advisories continuing overnight tonight. >> we'll keep an eye on it. thank you the central asian nation of kazakhstan has enough coal to power it for centuries. it lacks the infrastructure to get it from the mines to the marketplace. al jazeera's correspondent reports now on a man trying to change that. >> reporter: meet a geologist for the former soviet union. his job was to look for gold. he had to work in secret and said it was look being a kgb

agents. his work brought him to the outer edges and what he found was better than gold. coal provide stability. buried under mountains it is not easy to get to. the potential is too big to ignore. the biggest problem, there's no roads. so he built one. these are the black mountains of southern kurdistan. and it's no mystery how they got their name. this is one of the biggest operations in the area. and produces thousands of tonnes of coal a year, with the potential for millions more. it's still a fraction of how much coal the country has. >> in the country we mined 1 million tonnes. it was 5 million each year. >> as you can see. it can be miserable work getting

the goal out of the ground. once you have it, you can harness its power almost immediately. this is the stove that runs the house. it's tough work. then when the rain is too much, it's time to come in for a cup of tea. this is not the usual mining operation. it's profitable for investors. it's good for them. everywhere here is from local benefits. they live and work toot. >> i worked here for a year. everything is perfect. i just missed ice cream and i send a man to bring it to me from the town. >> the cloud passes and it's time to get back to work. >> with more investment the model built here could be used at a national level. >> translation: our country and neighbours need a big amount of goal. for example, coal is used by

uzbekistan and others. we have a lot of participation. if we develop coal mining it will develop industry, give jobs, improve life of local people. >> this coal pit is a reflection of life work. the mountains are sacred, connecting man to nature and god. what is inside has the participation to dramatically improve the country's economy. coming up, how vinyl spun its way back from near extinction.

for decades vinyl records were the only way to buy music. many held on to their record players and the form at is making a comeback. once upon a time before these, before these, before these, there were these. the snap, crackle and pop of the record was the sound track to many a life, and it is making

what is, for sum, a welcome return. vinyl record sales passed the 1 million mark last month. retailers say if you take into account the christmas period, it will be 1.2 million. the first time we hit seven digits, the year we heard about the spice girls. what happened to them. it is nothing compared to vine ills heyday 1981. that year 1.1 billion record were sold. >> if you look at the charts and see what records performed well. you'll see that it's not the established artists, david bowies and the led zep lips, but there's -- leyed zepp lines, but there's a generation of artists bringing in fans exploring it for the first time. >> it is an acquired taste. you need bulky hardly portable equipment. the enthusiasts never tire of

it. >> it became small scale, but it was still there, and when that happens, outh often that then at some point is trendy again. it starts to see, again, more into the mainstream because people are looking for what is happening, maybe in the sort of underground or ipp depend or what -- independent or what maybe younger people are doing. >> for some vig borders on art. case in point, this studio in london using 1950s equipment to weres classics the old -- press classics the old-fashioned way. business has gone through the roof with orders costing in some cases thousands of dollars. >> food is a good analogy. the vinyl consumer is the perp enjoying good -- person enjoying good wine over good food. a certain lifestyle. the digital consumer is more the fast food animal. >> vinyl in 2014 has more

competition than the vinyl of the '80s, for the real audio files, nothing comes close. this return is quit literally music to their ears. thank you for your time. i'm richelle carey, keep it here, see you back here in an hour. ing ♪ ♪ on "america tonight," the weekend edition, forcing change. cleveland cops under fire. years of stunning allegations, misconduct and excessive use of force. >> i threw my arms up, i am sitting in my truck with my arms up like this. >> an in-depth look at cleveland police and what led the justice to step in. >> how does it even come to this. how does a department get tote state where the d.o.j. has to release a report