see you next year here at "listening post". >> this is al jazeera america live from new york city i'm richelle carey, here are the top stories - the frantic search for a missing passenger jet in south-east asia lost with 162 people on board. we look ahead to how afghanistan will cope out n.a.t.o. combat forces to support the fight against the taliban, and we look at one of the biggest stories of the year - the spread of the deadly ebola virus. and an explosive secret uncovered in a washington d.c.

neighbourhood. right now in south-east asia the search effort is resuming for yet another missing jetliner. airasia qz8501 took off from indonesia a little more than 24 hours ago. it encountered heavy weather about 40 minutes later. air traffic controllers were trying to divert it and that's when they lost contact. 162 people were on board the flight so far there has been no sign of them for the plane. veronica pedrosa as more. >> reporter: from the air and at sea an intense search for missing flight airasia qz8501. the airbus a320 was carrying 162 passengers and crew from the indonesian city of surabaya to singapore. 42 minutes after takeoff the aircraft lost communications with air traffic control.

>> i hope for a miracle, may god save them all. i should have been with them i cancelled two weeks ago as i had something to do. i have two friend on board with five family members. >> those with relatives on board have been demanding answers. >> the weather conditions were not good. we don't want to speculate. it may have been more. there was storm clouds and the pilot made a request to change the altitude. that is as far as we know. we don't want to speculate on the weather if it was a contributor. we don't know. let's find the aircraft and do the proper investigation. >> indonesia's disaster management area set up. offers of help from foreign countries poured in. there's little information. the plane lost contact. the area was cloudy.

airasia said the pilot requested to change course because of bad weather. this is where they were supposed to arrive. air transport authorities at changi airport say 47 next of kin approached them. they were provided with counsellors, and the indonesian embassy. singaporean authorities say they'll send two additional aircraft and a c130 they sent on sunday morning, as soon as that plane went missing. this is now become a massive international search operation. this is the first major incident for the low-cost carrier, whose parent company in malaysia has significance presence across south-east asia. it trails two other malaysian aviation tragedies this year - both involving the national carrier malaysia airlines. in march mh370 disappeared on a flight from kuala lumpur to beijing, with 239 people on board. that plane was never found.

then in july mh17 from amsterdam to kuala lumpur was shot down over ukraine, killing all 298 people on board. airasia has never lost a plane before we will have more coverage of the disappearance of airasia flight qz8501 in 30 minutes. we'll bring you updates as it domes. n.a.t.o. ended its mission in afghanistan. a training and support mission began on january 1st. jennifer glasse is in kabul with more on what comes next. >> reporter: an end of an era and the beginning of a new one in afghanistan. n.a.t.o.'s force completes its 13-year mission. a much smaller force will take its place on january 1st. the i.s.e.f. commander says they work together to prevent the

afghan community from extreme: they have created an atmosphere that fostered progress. >> to help the people with internet. cellphones, number of female in scols, people in schools. >> reporter: he cautioned there are significant challenges ahead. >> reporter: afghanistan has been the longest war for the united states and n.a.t.o. and though this ceremony works, the end of n.a.t.o.'s combat mission, the fighting is not over. >> it is in the hands of the afghan security forces. it's been the worst year ever. more than 4,600 soldiers and police have been killed, and thousand wounded. casualties are high, because the afghan troops don't have nato support that they are used to. >> we are limited. we have a lot of challenges and the biggest challenge is the air force. i.s.i.l. intelligence.

we have enough. >> the n.a.t.o. withdrawal has allowed al qaeda to re-establishtraining bases in the province. insurgency is not beaten on the battle fooled. an insurgency can only be overcome by reconciliation, and that is the process that has clearly been laid out as the path and the future. >> any reconciliation seems a long way off, in addition to the security concerns the country relies on foreign aid, and there's no cabinet, three months after the new president took office. n.a.t.o. said the mission is a success. but afghans are concerned the gains of the past 13 years could be reversed president obama remarked on the end saying:

earlier my colleague spoke with the former u.s. ambassador n.a.t.o. and asked if the united states involvement in afghanistan had been a successful mission. >> if you look at the metrics of anything you would look at in afghanistan is better today than it was during the course of the past 13 years, and certainly than it was in 2001. whether it's kids in school, heath care power, the economy, cellphone coverage anything it's better off. the issue is when you reduce the international security forces according to our own timetable because we want to get out. it leaves a great deal of uncertainty whether the gaines can be maintained. >> when you see the taliban are extending their power in the region when more have been killed this year than in previous years there are

concerns that the afghan forces will be able to maintain security. when you see that opium production tripled since the u.s. toppled the taliban, can you talk about gains? >> you can. if you look at the way the society has developed and changed over the past 13, by any measure you would choose there has been gains in society and development. the problem is that i don't think those gains are sustainable and for reasons that you mentioned. taliban is determined, strong and will fight. they are filling their coffers with drug money. they, i think we'll find that the afghan security forces are not as capable without the international forces backing them, and the numbers left behind, it's better than nothing, and an attempt to avoid what happened in iraq with the complete withdrawal, but i'm concerned that it's not enough to help the afghans get through a difficult transition period. >> do you think it's possible to

find peace in afghanistan without actually sitting down with the insurgents without negotiating with the taliban? >> well i think that at some point you have to have a reconciliation in the country. you can't do that at a time when one of the parties, the taliban, is determined to use arms to overthrow the government and the constitution, re-establish power by force. if that's the goal with the taliban, which it clearly is clearly stated and executed that needs to be defeated first. >> that was former u.s. ambassador to n.a.t.o. kurt voelker talking with al jazeera. u.s.-led forces launched eight strikes in the town of kobane on sunday. smoke rose above the border town where kurdish fighters had been trying to drive away islamic state militants. they had been advancing with support from the kurdish fighters. they hit targets in iraq the towns of sinjar and mosul. with gains retaking towns and

heavy fighting in recent days. the army says it's clear that areas of fighters - the group has a large presence in the province. we have this report. >> reporter: these shia militia fighters are celebrating after taking over the iraqi towns. they are supporting the iraqi military's advance against fighters belonging to the islamic state of iraq and levant. dozens were killed and injured on both sides. the pro-government militia men are in control of both towns. >> translation: this is a town that used to be infested with snipers. we managed to retake it for the iraqi people. let all iraqis know we are ready to fight back. >> translation: this is in front of us praise to god we lib raid it. we are the victors. >> reporter: battles are continuing around the towns.

they are important because they are less than 100km from the northern i.s.i.l. stronghold the city of tikrit. the towns were controlled by i.s.i.l. and they launched attacks on the city. they are pushing i.s.i.l. out. security forces consider it a gain in a battle to retake other parts of the province. the u.s.-led coalition has carried out more than a dozen air strikes. the military launched the offensive backed by the militia, and under air cover provided by iraqi and international forces. fight continued their attacks. up north, the situation is tense, kurdish peshmerga forces advance into the mountains. fighting has intensified south-west of kirkuk. >> back in the area iraqi armed

forces managed to cut i.s.i.l. supply lines to the farm on the outskirts of the up to. they want to retake more areas north of samarra city. as the fighting continues, more become victims and more houses vacant. >> boko haram, which terrorized parts of nigeria is reaching across the border into niger. dominic kane filed this report. >> reporter: a small boat heads for a small village in niger, near the frontier of nigeria. people on board are anxious, because boko haram is active here. it's threat to destroy western education forced schools to close. in the one that is still open, the teachers are frightened. >> they kill teachers because they don't like the education they teach. it's hard to know what people they are. that's why i'm really scared. if the water was not here they would have taken us. until now, they have been stuck on the other side.

i really fear that they will come across at any time. >> reporter: only 20 students remain now from a register of more than 300. in the wider community, there is fear. >> we really are frightened of boko haram, because there are only a few hundred meters away from us. people are scared. we have the children at school someone might come to kill them. we don't agree with them but we are worried. >> the water is protecting the community from boko haram, it is helping the armed group to hide from the local army. the small islands, thick bush and reeds provide perfect camo flaj. some believe that boko haram is hiding hundreds of schoolgirls here. the population of bussel was more than 50,000. that promise explains why some

facilities are still open. the problem is most of the schools are close to the water. boko haram operatives are there. the school is relatively far from the water and we have the government close to us, that's why we are able to attend school and teach the students. this is the difference we have here. the threat from boko haram is growing, endangering the children like never before another police officer has been shot and killed in the line of duty. it happened yesterday in flagstaff arizona. investigator say officer tyler stuart was shot several times while responding to a domestic violence call. the gunman called itself. stuart was the 125th police officer to be killed in the line of duty this year. in a protest against police brutality, it is being held in the cities. about 125 people took part in a silent march through downtown st louis. the demonstration ended at the

gate way to the arch. they refused to let the marches in. they shut the monument down. [ chanting ] a larger much louder protest took place in los angeles on saturday. several thousand took to the streets to demand justice for michael brown. organizers of the millions march rally are planning another one. the spokesperson for the ferguson police department is on unpaid leave after calling a memorial to michael brown trash. friday morning someone drove a car over a collection of candles and flowers that marked the spot where the back teenager was kill. officer timothy bowl said no crime was reported in connection, referring to it as a pile of trash. when we come back... >> the health systems are weak. ..the toll and terror of

ebola during 2014. also, the simple cell phone app saving the lives of pregnant women and their babies. you are watching al jazeera. 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 two: case closed

a european ship is bringing supplies to an area bringing medical supplies and off-road vehicles and 800 tonnes of grape. it will make a -- grain, it will make seconds in sierra leone and liberia, it comes from the e.u. and member states. with the support of partners from u.n.i.c.e.f. and world food program. it took months. the the hospitals scrambled to protect the public. robert ray looks back at the spread of the virus in 2014. >> reporter: described as dreadful and m.e.r.s.less

ebola. a deadly disease with no cure that infected almost 20,000 people and killed nearly 8,000. >> this morning i'm declaring the current outbreak of ebola disease a public health emergency of international concern. >> reporter: in march of 2014 west africans in sierra leone, guinea, and liberia were put on high alert. >> protect yourself. listen to the workers. the message is real. go out and tell the message wherever you are. >> reporter: researchers believe the origin of this outbreak came from an infected fruit back which some in west africa consume. according to the world health organisation there is no specific treatment or vaccine, and fatality rates can be up to

90%. >> it varies from patient to patient. it disrupts the patient's immune system. as well as causing so much inflammation that the immune system breaks down. >> the world response was slow. as frustration grew calls for funding and medical staff increased. >> ebola is a disif disease to catch -- difficult disease to catch. >> president obama called the epidemic a global threat. >> it's challenging the health systems, they are week. because the outbreak is increasing. the quicker we surge in a response, the quicker we blunt the number of cases and the risk to other parts of the world, including the u.s. decreases. >> reporter: in early august 2nd american aid workers stricken with the virus were flown from west africa to the hospital. one of only four hospitals in

america, with a specialised quarantine unit. >> we had approximately 72 hours when we were notified that the patient would come to us and the patient's arrival at the hospital. both were covered and in the coming months two more aid workers were treated at emery. down the road at the hospital at the centers for disease control and prevention. the emergency area was on high alert. >> there are reports of citizens not going into hospital because they think it's unsafe. some feel they were lied to. how do you guys change that? >> so one of the real challenges is the health communication and health education component. whether it's a village elder or leader, someone that can deliver the message in a form that people will believe and accept it and act on recommendations. >> 42-year-old liberian thomas

eric duncan arrived in the united states to visit family and friends in dallas. he told officials at the airport that he had not had close contact with an ebola-infected perp. that was not true. five days after arriving in the u.s. duncan had a high fever and went to a dallas emergency room. he was released and given a prescription but not tested for ebola. two days later he returned to the hospital and tested positive, becoming the first perp to be diagnosed with ebola in the us. days later the hospital came under scrutiny. the city of dallas was an high alert, and two nurses that treat the liberian national was infected but the c.d.c. cautioned against the reaction. they realised the risk of ebola, because of the structure for full infection.

the c.b.c. tried to couple of public two dallas nurses recovered. hospitals began ebola training so no other health care workers would become infected. >> it's difficult, is it? >> you have to have a certain amount of balance and dexterity and patients. there's no rushing. there's no time or place to bring this up is there? >> no we are operating under the no errors mentality. >> with the number of cases going up in west africa aid workers were pleading for international support, infrastructure and continued education to stop the spread in sierra leone guinea and liberia. >> i think the greater risk is west africa spiralling out of control. that will pose the greatest risk to the world. >> the u.s. military send 3,000 service me to west africa who are building ebola wards and

facilities in heavily affected areas. the panic in the u.s. subsided and the medical community is learning. >> without modern science and teams like you had where would this disease be now, how far spread could it be? >> it's a great question it's difficult to speculate. the outbreaks happened and have grown. they have been stopped by nature over time. we think that there's something unique about the outbreak on where it occurred and the situation in which it occurred and that the health care systems and the ability to provide care had a significant impact and will hopefully continue to impact the outbreak when it's brought to a close. >> reporter: last week the c.d.c. called for an intensified effort on the ground saying more international help and aid is needed. the world health organization

agrees. president obama and congress are supplying over 5 billion in funding to fight constable ebola worldwide. vaccines are being tested in several trials. even though the epidemic is slowing, it's still too early to call it under control. >> and join us for a special look back at the other major stories of the year. our week ahead segment examines the political fight over president obama care. that is tonight 14 years ago the u.n. started an ambitious programme called the millennium development goal reducing maternal mortality. south africa has been slow to reach the goal. a new mobile phone app may mark a turning point by helping women get updates on their pregnancy via text message. we have this report. >> reporter: waiting in line at

the clinic when you are eight months pregnant is something many women dread. this woman uses the time to learn something new. information that potentially is life saving. using her mobile phone, she sends an s.m.s. to a designated number. in seconds she connects to an application called mum connect. it's a free government service where she can ask questions and receive valuable information on what to do at any stage of her pregnancy. >> it's like having a clinic next to you. it's great. many women can't go for check-ups because there's no transportation they are not doing well. there's no clinic in the area. if i'm worried about complications, i send an sm s. >> south africa made progress reducing deaths of women. many are dying. the department of health calls it a radical approach to try to save lives. >> to women living in remote

areas, especially those who are far from the clinic they feel that they have got a resource where they can just access information using a mobile technology just to talk to - talk through the phone. they access information which tells them what to do and when to go to the clinic if there's anyone in science, regarding pregnancy. women register to use mum collect. it's a national project aiming to register 1 million pregnant women, and this is the nerve center, where some of the data is received processed and sent back to mobile phone users. >> this is a bas oaka in every -- baz oaka in every woman's hand. it's empowering women with the information they need to have a healthy pregnancy and baby.

soon to be mum winnie needs to knife risks to her and her baby - whenever and wherever she needs it coming up next - the latest on the search for the missing airasia flight in indonesia, and we look at the safety of air travel economic sanctions are strengthening ties between russia and china.

welcome back to al jazeera america. here are the top staries. -- stories. as the sun rises, the search continues for airasia qz8501. >> there's no sign of the plane or any of the 162 people on board. n.a.t.o. ended a mission in afghanistan, 13 years after troops entered the country, officials held the ceremony to mark the end of the war. a training and support mission will begin on january 1st.

u.s.-led forces launched air strikes in the town of kobane on sunday. smoke above the border town of kobane, where the kurdish fighters have been trying to drive away islamic state militants another airliner has gone missing over the java sea. not much warning, and the search for qz8501 is getting under way. >> a great deal of waiting at the surabaya airport. we are looking into the next couple of hours when the authorities in jakarta will make the decision on where and how to relaunch the search and rescue operations in the coming hours. what has happened at the airport overnight, a crisis center has been set up for the family members. the vast majority on the a320 aircraft are here. family members and friends have been coming here seeking information. there's a crisis center inside

flight term tall 22. the flight was not big enough. they had to set up plastic chairs and a sent to house them. the information they are getting is scant in the hours since the aircraft went missing. they are hoping with a full day of light on monday they'll get the answers, but it will probably be more anxious waiting because the weather system that causes aircraft to deviate. pilots requested deviation is in the area. there's concern about where and how the rescue vessels on the sea as well as those in the air - how much search and rescue they'll do on monday. that will be decided in the coming hours. family members will want answers. that will come when we get daylight and they can get out on the sea. there'll be more anxious waiting because they'll be guarded with the information right now, no physical evidence of what happened.

>> incidents like these are rare, and statistically a safe mode of transportation. jacob ward explains, the air traffic control system in the u.s. is falling behind the times and in need of an overhaul. >> as your plane pushing back and is ready for takeoff it enters a sprawling and complex system. it's safe with 0.2 actions but the national air space is inefficient. >> it's a manual process, starting at the gate with a ramp controller. he or she will hand it off to a tower controller and will be handed off to another controller in the departure or arrival area and yet again be handed off to another en route controller and likely many en route controllers. >> since no central system coordinates the people the f.a.a. is working on one that will. the new system is the next generation air transportation

system, or next gen. n.a.s.a. has been commissioned to build tracking software. it will replace the radar based ground control with g.p.s. a technology capable of tracking planes. right now the system relies on humans to hand the planes to one another. these are limitations of the human mind. they can't plan far enough ahead. >> in the united states the most technologically sophisticated society, we use strips of paper to note the planes we are in. n.a.s.a. will replace it with a software based system that can issue recommendations to the ramp operations that decide when you leave the gate. they have to integrate that with what the air traffic control tower is doing, you have to add in the en route process and the arrival process, and you are looking at a complicated system to upraid. two important costs are the fuel

they are burning as they fly the aircraft and the money and time they are paying the crew to operate the aircraft. >> most planes have several pieces of necessary equipment, such as a.d.s. b, the g.p.s. system allowing next gen to do away with radar. we don't have the coordinating software. if next gen comes together by 2020 it will be impossible to lose track of a commercial flight in the united states jacob ward reporting. a complicated rescue operation is under way to reach passengers and crews stranded aboard a ferry. the vessel was on its way from greece to italy when fighting broke out. albanian officials launched tugboats to toe the ship to its closest port. 123 have been rescued out of 500 passengers and crew. darkness, rain and rough seas are making the operation difficult. the fire started on the lowest car day.

terrified passengers had to go up to the higher decks to escape the planes adding that the smoke and heat were intense. flooding in south-east asia where 200 people are displaced. in sri lanka 24 people have been killed eight others missing. hardest hit is the south-east of the island where dozens were killed. 118,000 have been forced to leave their home. five people have been killed as the flood levels rose to 6 or 8. there's fears that stranded communities could be forced to cope without food or medicine. they've been criticized for not declaring a state of emergency. >> tensions between russia and the european union appears to push moscow to closer economic

ties. >> the first restaurant set up in russia is getting a renovation. these days the chinese business woman commands an empire of seven eateries and several construction projects. now russia and china have good relations. in the last six months many people wanted to invest money in russia but they are being cautious. they are studying the market. there are many opportunities, and it's profitable to invest. this is one of the more successful members of a chinese community, that decided that it was a mace where money could be made. they haven't had to come far, just across the river is the chinese city of hay-hay. the mighty waterway formed a long stretch across the boarder. apart from a hiatus during the

soviet period the two nationalities have been mingling, trading and competing. as you might expect relations between the two huge land empires have not always been cordial. in 1900s, during the boxer rebellion, chinese forces shelled the area. in retaliation, the russians forced some 4,000 chinese residents into the river to drop. long-held fears an invasion for the moment seem nor myth than reality. the two cities are part of a special zone allowing temporary visa free travel. crossing the border for business is as easy as taking a hovercraft across the ice. as well as chinese, there are russians making a life in hay hay. >> translation: if you look at the every day staff renting an

apartment is cheaper. food costs less too. if you want opportunities, there's more here than in russia. china is fast-growing it dan give you anything you want. you need to know what you wished for. >> russia's geopolitically cosy alliance with china is the most recent phase of an old complex relationship. sometimes friends, sometimes rivals always looking for fresh opportunities, typical neighbours. the president of belarus fired his prime minister and other top cabinet officials. it's the biggest government reshuffle since 2010, hinged on a deteriorating economy. the president told his cabinet the economy poses a danger. the belarus economy is run along soviet union lines and is likely to suffer as a result of a currency crisis in russia, which is a main trading partner and

ally. poles from the presidential election shows candidates. croatia has one of the weakest economies in the european union with 20% unemployment and a 6-year recession. next on al jazeera america - for decades a deadly secret buried in the backyard of a washington d.c. neighbourhood. we'll take you to south america where more women are going into science than anywhere else in the world. 6-year recession.

spring valley is a typical g washington d.c. neighbourhood - original bridge perfectly manicured gardens. what lurks behind is a past kept secret by the original owner and the army corp of engineers. lisa stark has the story. >> reporter: inside this gate the hunt is on for the remnants of deadly chemical weapons. >> we are standing right about here. >> reporter: standing in d.c.'s spring valley neighbourhood filled with homes, ambassador's residents and american university. back in 1917 part of the campus and farmland was leased by the army. 660 acres. here the military developed and

tested poison gas for world war i trench warfare. >> that history was forgotten until it was unearthed on the street. it was in 1993. they were building homes, and workers dug up what looked like rusted bombs. that was just the beginning. we found four disposal pits a major surface disposal area and we have found, you know pieces of munitions around the site. >> reporter: it turns out when the war ended the army closed up shot and simply buried all its materials. the clean-up led by the army corp of engineers has been under way for two decades, costing hundreds of millions of dollars. tom smith is a long-time resident representing the neighbourhood on a city advisory. >> there has been a lot of foot dragging because of the aggressive efforts of the community, that we are where we are today. >> reporter: today the work is

focused on what may have been ground zero. it's a driveway area to the property and this was the garage. the home on this property was demolished by the corp. after the site was linked to this 1918 photo, inscribed on the back: >> we have positive confirmation that there is mustard and suicide contamination in the soils. >> that is mustard gas, along with an arsenic based blistering agent. brenda barber is the project manager for the clean-up. >> if we koirnt debris it's -- encounter debris it's like an archeological dig. they use small brushes and they dig through the soil. >> it's done under a giant pressurised tent three storeys tall to help contain what is

found here. a break in the wood demand a look. we are told it is safe nothing is disturbed. before the dig teams come in... >> this is the suit. >> -- they cover themselves head to toe. inside the tent they are hooked up to oxygen for safety. when they unearth something an explosives team takes over. with safety measure neighbours worry about their own health some convinced the environment makes them sick. two studies found community health is good. tom smith says the studies should not stop there. >> other health conditions are of concern, including blood disorders, kidney diseases. they warrant further attention. >> reporter: was there further attention paid? >> no there's never been a comprehensive follow up study. >> it's been insisted that the

neighbourhood is safe. at the counter dig it's taking every precaution. air from the tent is going through a filtration system and if there's an accidental discharge... ..an alarm warns nearby residents to shelter in place. so far there has been no such emergency. the army estimates it has two years of work left to go. >> we can't guarantee that we are going to find everything. there'll be an ongoing engagement between the army and this community for a long time. >> what is your biggest concern right now? >> that the army will leave earlier than it should because of the limits of financial resources. the core says when it leaves it will be because the job is done. residents can only hope so

tesla is offering upgrades to the roadster model saying it will go a long way. once it is complete the car will go 400 miles on a single charge. the latest technology and improved wheel bearings are some of the changes, no word on how much it costs, but to buy a roadster is costs about $100,000. a growing number of women are attending college, but only 30% is going into science. one exception is latin america. fields of science and technology, achieving gender balance is not easy. in latin america, women are making tremendous trades. >> translation: nowadays 46% of scientists in latin america are women. this is a relatively high rate the highest in the world. >> reporter: bolivia has the highest concentration, making up 63% of the country's scientists.

in argentina, paraguay and uruguay, they make up 50%. that is higher than in the u.s. where women account for under a quarter of science workers. the science without borders programme is funding studies at home and abroad for more than 100,000 high school students. the physics professor says cultural stereotypes get in the way. it's important to get the message out to younger girls. >> when you think of a scientist, the image tends to be of men. women must not feel intimidate for being women or whatever discrimination comes their way. it is unjust and should not hold anyone back. >> argentinian's scientist won the award for women in science, for her research in clean energy. 60% of her team are women, planning to use her success to campaign for more women

scientists in leadership roles. >> i feel a great responsibility to try to promote things i am passionate about, and encourage people interegsespecially women to work in areas of technology. while the growth of women scientists are significant, it's not enough. the next step is creating executive level opportunities for women. >> reporter: researchers warn that the number of birds in north america could plummet over the next 50 years because of climate change. there's another threat taking a toll on birds - glass windows. tom ackerman reports that there may be a solution to that problem. >> just after dawn naturalist luke degroot is out catching birds, trapping them in mesh nets dozens at a time. they are identified banded and soon thereafter released. here in the woods of pennsylvania, the birds needn't

fear a worse killer. every year by one estimate 300 million to a billion die in north america by crashing into windows. >> the majority of the birds are migrating song bird that once they migrated and come out of the sky, have to find food frequently near the glass windows. the birds come to us using the flight tunnel. the american bird conserve city is used to lessen the threat. it's testing out new methods. >> with fly birds down this way to the end of the tunnel and record which way they go they tend to go towards the clear pane or towards the pane with the treatment on it. some are ultra-violet so they reflect the light and have a pattern on it. >> the bigger the new building the more reflected panes. this glass-enclosed sports stadium lies along one of the

biggest migration fly waves on the continent. local activists are fighting to change the design and reduce the threat. and the city of san francisco adopted standards. modest adjustments to homes predict many birds too. this these are some of the simplest and effective ways. window strips or hanging cords. there's no need to have transparent glass. you could have a very narrow horizontal strip which is an effective way of stopping birds. giving them a better prospect of survival. one year after three al jazeera journalists were imprisoned, a look at how that event and others affected the way the world gets it news. that is next.

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>> on techknow >> we should not be having earthquakes in texas >> the true cost of energy hits home... >> my yard is gone... >> are we destroying our way of life? >> contaminated water from the fracking activities come here >> they stick it to the core of the earth >> but this cutting edge technology could be the answer >> the future of fracking is about the water >> protecting the planet saving lives... >> how do you convince a big oil company to use this? techknow only on al jazeera america

it's been a full year since al jazeera journalists were detained in gipt. peter greste, mohamed fadel fahmy and baher mohamed from given a 7 year sentence and badr an extra three. al jazeera relates the charges and demands they be released. as reported, the sentence to imprison is seen as an attack on press freedom. >> reporter: there are things an objective journalist takes personally. unjust prisonment of colleagues in egypt is a case in point. some argue that they are casualties in seismic change but no rational analysis discounts the fact they state in gaol for doing their jobs. these me are the first to acknowledge that they are among thousands around the globe who have fallen victim in an undeclared war to silence the messengers. >> as peter so ello quelently put it from his prison cell we

no longer report from the front line nowadays we are the front line. >> reporter: nowhere has it been more bloody than in syria, where at least 10 journalists were killed doing their jobs. the recent victim was al jazeera correspondent. as many as nine reporters were killed in iraq. [ gunfire ] >> at least 7 dead in ukraine, where a new conflict erupted. heightening the dangers is the knowledge that it's not just a case of damaging bullets. journalists have to be where others are not. in reporting what had become a routine bomb disposal programme during the war in gaza two lost their lives, along with the expert attempting to make safe an unexploded israeli bomb. there's no comfort for children whose father went to work and did not come back. [ explosion ] rmping >> reporter: in many zones of

conflict governments are involved gofs that appear to regard journalists as collateral damage in the pursuit of political ends. and the thousands of reporters who have been imprisoned around the world - they are testament to the fact that in many places suppression of the media is a matter of law, not mere chaps. -- chance. we have been troubled by some of the laws passed around the world, that seem to restrict the ability of journalists to pursue stories or write stories. >> yet there is regression and even those nations that guarantee and take pride in media freedoms not only is the whistleblower hunted but those that report on his or her words. >> i shall resign the presidency effective at noon tomorrow. whereas four decades ago journalists were regarded as

heroes for bringing down a corrupt president, they are now in prison for refusing to reveal their sources. over the past year the rise of non-nation actors unelected groups that will use any means to secure an ideological or religious end and where they become chips to barter or be disposed of. the power of those seeking to shine light on event is undiminished. luke somers images of yemeni people glitter even after he has gone. in these photographs is a basic truth, no matter how brutal the nature of change. there'll always be those brave and honest enough to record it on monday al jazeera america presents an hour-long special difficult oated to our colleagues incarceration and the larger issue of freedom of the

press. joining us tomorrow now, before we leave you tonight, we wanted to take a moment to tell you about a remarkable woman the world lost last week. alexis mckenney was a talented make-up artist that worked here at al jazeera america and n.b.c. and worked for abc news fox news and other networks. she was killed in a car crash early christmas eve morning. alexis leaves behind her remarkable husbands ray, 4-year-old sophia and 16-year-old south koreana, her family was her world. she worked two jobs to send her daughter to one of the best schools, and not a day goes by when she didn't have a story about little miss sophia. because of alexis and feel in the blank with something great that happened. she helped find a job or smile, even if she was having a bad

day. one friend said she made you feel beautiful from the inside. two days before she passed away. alexis texted me a comfortable message she had lost her mother and i shared that my mother was grieving the loss of my grandmother. this is what alexis wrote. "rochelle, a big hug to your mum. we are blessed we had exceptional love of a mother in our lives." alexis was that exceptional wom yes we were pleased to have. we are better people for having known her. god bless and peace to ray, cena and sophia and all her family and friends.

>> on a special edition of "america tonight," we hit the high notes. she's changing the sound of classical music. >> you're not supposed to clap, you're not supposed to cough. there's so many things that you're not supposed to do i always found that very off-putting. >> "america tonight's" adam may with baltimore's maestra. a new generation of artist to try out a new beat. also tonight, in the city of love. ♪ ♪ ♪