flying in to support ukraine, as america's top diplomat arrives in theeast. >> the french president and german chancellor are due in kiev later today. i'm nick clark, you are watching al jazeera live from doha. also ahead attacks step up in syria's capital as a rebel group mobilizes the forces. a blow for greece's government. it tightens its screws. >> i'm jennifer glass on the

border. hundreds of families arrive because they are being forced to leave so the west is rallying around ukraine and . the situation grows worst. french chancellor the german chancellor will travel to kiev thursday. secretary of state john kerry is there to meet petro porashenko. they are expected to discuss whether washington will offer ukraine support, such assist weapons. ukraine and rebels are battling for strategic conditions in eastern ukraine. shelling conditions in donetsk and luhansk. the city of mariupol has also been hit by violence. fighting is at its most intensive, which is the major

transport hub between russia and ukraine, that's were charles stratford had this report from. >> reporter: a volley of rockets fired towards the front line. the separatists, a town under siege. this man tries to drive civilians to safety. >> you can hear shelling. at night it was intense, he says. "i have to go" says this man. "it's bad in there, very bad." he followed us along the mud roads. it was a hope of attempting a temporary truce for safe passage

failed. shelling intense. few people on the city. sounds like mortar targets that we cannot see. there have been repeated efforts to try to get some of the wounded out. some of these ceasefires have been ignored. they are going into the city to try to deliver aid to the people trapped here. >> they tell us that they are going to an area too dangerous to film. >> we are trying to deliver aid to people at risk. we could nod organise a temporary truce to come here. approximately 25,000 people used to live in debaltseve. after weeks of heavily fighting

it's not known how many are living here now. few remain. i walked aid to people every day, shouts this woman, as another shell explodes nearby. debaltseve is of strategic importance to both sides in the conflict. it's a major railroad. it's from territory that separatists control with russia. it's believed 8,000 troops have been deployed to try to defend them. as we left up to the soldiers questioned us before we drove on. this road was the only way in. it's a military controlled site.

while the fighting intensified, it is the only way out for many civilians who remain inside rory challands - who is in moscow. john kerry, in ukraine. then they are off to moscow. we'll show how this is becoming. >> yes, an explosion of diplomatic activity in the last few hours. as you say, john kerry in kiev. he is the main thrust of that negotiation is about whether the united states should be equipping the ukranian army with more serious weaponry that it currently is it is supplying it with nonlethal weapons, there was a thought that the u.s. should expand that to include lethal material. in a press commence an hour or so ago the french president

francis hollande announced he and merkel will fly to kiev and on to moscow. that has been confirmed by the kremlin. so this is definitely happening. what is it going to be about? >> francis hollande was saying there'll be a new peace initiative and it will be based on the territory of ukraine. beyond that we know little at the moment and no details have been released. it will be whether it will involve hard ball tactics from the european union, will it be a capitulation or concessions to the russians we know most involve a degree of both of these two things. >> right. vladimir putin will be watching this flurry of diplomatic movement. what will the russians make of it all? >> vladimir putin thinking that he's in a strong position at the

moment. clearly the offensive that ooes ukraine have been prosecuting since the beginning of 2015 in the west - it has made serious gains and the ukranian army looks to be on the flat foot. petro porashenko is in a poor position and may need to rethink their strategy quickly. longer term russia is under severe pressure economically and politically. there are numerous sanctions that have been in place for a number of months now. the oil price has been falling. it rallied a little in the last few days it's significantly down on last year. this is tough for the russians. who may think in the short term

they have a tactical advantage. in the long term it's not looking sure. >> rory challands, we've leave it there two syrians in nearby districts in the controlled areas. at least five people and another seven are injured, including children. it's a rocket and we have these reports from beirut. >> a significant attack. people we spoke to said they have been relatively safe. the occasional mortar is raining down but not on the scale that is warned by the leader at the outskirts. it would be retaliation for the

government in their areas. to widen this out, the fighting around the capital along the border with lebanon that, is having an impact on the syrian refugees seeking shelter along the boarder. >> they've been given 24 hours to leave, but say they have nowhere to go. >> they said tents have to be removed along the border. they gave us no reason. they told us a week. they came back and gave us a day. >> this is an area where refugees were before the war. the battle across the border is intensifying. told the fighting is around 10km away, behind the mountains. you can hear it from here.

this is why the lebanese army says the border area is not safe and all the people now have to leave. local officials support the decision. the army is suspicious from some of these people. so they are taking precautions. we are on the border with syria. there's a syrian army. this is causing a problem. they are also made to leave, carrying out any military operation. these people will be in the cross-hair. some showed up while we were here. they tell us they have enough international support, no aid, more than 1.5 million syrians now seeking shelter in lebanon. these people are distrait.

>> this man asks where am i supposed to go. do they want me to go to the moon. where am i supposed to take her. is there no justice. the man has not seen his family in four years. they can't go back. a family's story, hundreds of thousands left alone with no money, dignity rescuers in taiwan scouring a river from those missing from the plane crash. the main part has been lifted up from the water. the plane went down killing 31 of the 58. we have more from the crash site. slowly the wreck of transair flight 235 is hauled out of the

water. they are not looking for survivors, but many are still missing. the twisted and tangle to the plane who recovered from fast-moving waters. industrial cranes were brought in to lift the fuselage out of the water. two hours in freezing conditions. military personnel are involved. routine flights from taipei were brought. they showed the plane as it dived, clipped the highway, hit is taxi and then plunged. progress to retrieve the parts of the plane and victims is slow. the military built is pontoon, and is helping to bring wreckage to the surface. divers thwarted in their search

efforts. >> translation: parts of the plane's wings are under water. the counter is very fast today. >> teams of divers have been scouring the as far as and bed of the river. they have been working around the clock in teams of up to six. diving in the icy waters searching for clues and wreckage. on thursday they found part of wing a vital peace of the puzzle. also. the chilling words in the cockpit were released to the public. >> while the search continues for those missing, investigation can begin. they were recovered from the crash site. as were most of the wreckage they may hold clues as to what caused the flight to crash there's more to come on the programme, including...

[ clapping ] ..he's back home. al jazeera journal. >> peter greste appeals for the release of his colleagues still gaoled in egypt. >> i'm phil lavelle in berlin where this year's phil festival is getting under way. find out what the organizers here did or didn't do to upset north korea. that's coming up later. >> hard sell an america tonight investigation only on al jazeera america

welcome back a quick reminder

of the top stories. u.s. secretary of state john kerry is in ukraine to speak about the violence in the east of the country. the me they are to discussion help to ukraine, such as providing weapons. shelling hit damascus killing five, injuring dozens. syrian observatory for human rights said it game from army of islam rescue groups are still looking for those injured in the trans-asian plane crash. the plane went down after takeoff on wednesday with 58 people on board. >> greece's new finance minister is meeting its german counterpart to discuss bailout plans. he is in berlin. wednesday, they visited the european central bank to try to

gain for its government new anti-government support. it will no longer allow greek banks to use the collateral for loans. jonah hull has more. >> greece is looking for support and running out of places to find it in europe at the greek february minister. they would meet with the german opposite number looking for a plan to restructure the enormous debt burden the billions accumulated. they need a means as a way back to economic growth. they are likely to find it not effective. germany has been involved in the

bailout association, and will not be black mailed to help finance greece by a threat to throw all of that away. he is likely it is thought, to insist this greece continue to adhere to terms. as a minimum condition for german assistance. of course he does that knowing that he has broad public support in germany. 68 are against any debt release for greece. >> the iraqi prime minister haider al-abadi has ordered a baghdad curfew that has been in place for more than a decade. as jane arraf points people expect to move around on saturday. >> for the first time in more than 10 years, before the midnight curfew this is a city

where people like to stay out lapt. for the past 10 years, they haven't been able to. they affected restaurants, stops, the tenure of daily life here. it's not the only changes. the prime minister announced that there'll be a crackdown in some neighbourhoods. and also on vehicles allowed in official convoys. that's a big deal because in the streets you see ministers, members of parliament with more than a dozen security vehicles snarling traffic, intimidating pedestrians, and running through traffic lights. and it will stop. there can be now only three vehicleses in an official convoy, and there'll be a limit to midraping heavy weapons in some of the neighbourhoods. it's an attempt to crack down. it has taken in an increasing role. primarily shia militias.

they are unconnected with security forces and done things like the police when they have been stopped. it's an attempt to make life bearable in baghdad. it will lift the curfew and other cities are expected to follow suit. >> refugees in pakistan are forced to leave the country in record numbers. expulsions increased since attacks on a school in peshawar. as gepp far glass reports, those with proper documentation are forced to across the boarder with nowhere to go. >> the border crossing between afghanistan and pakistan is busy. it's busier that unusual. 24,000 afghans returned from pakistan. the international organization said it came whack back in the

middle of last year. about a month ago pakistani police raided this man's home. they kept his older son for 10 days, basically keeping him hostage. >> the pakistani police houses. >> he has never been to afghan. he is registered with the united nations and entitled to stay until the end of 2015. they say that didn't matter. the pressure on afghan started after a taliban attack in december. on any public school. 145 people most children were killed. two afghans were reported. after that he started forcing the afghans out. >> the families arrive with what he can carry. most go for years, if they live here at all. when they get here. they have to start over.

this man doesn't know what that life will look like or where he'll settle. he doesn't each have the fare to get to the nearest city. i don't have anything. wherever goed puts me in my country, i will survive. >> afghan officials say they know they are vulnerable. the government has the resources to develop them. >> this is not aid at the border. all we can do is register them and give them a form. only about 10% of afghans who crossed can get help here. the u.n. center where they were educated, or vaccinated. the u.n. gives money to start over. it is between 280 and 200 per person. many do not know how it will last them saying it's poor compensation for lives they were

forced to leave behind. >> the al jazeera journalist peter greste spoke about his relief retaking to his family after spending 400 days in an egyptian prison. speaking to the press he thanked all the work for the freedom. >> it was after midnight in brisbane when peter greste landed on australian soil. 45 minutes later he emerged to cheers. he was, he said ecstatic. >> my family, but, of course this is tempered and i'll say i'm as tempted by a real worry for my colleagues. if it's right for me to be free it's right for all of us.

>> peter had his first night in australia in well over a year a free man. thursday surrounded by his family peter talked about support and knowledge to free him and his colleagues to get him through. >> almost invariably my mind would go to the beach, to the coast, to the sea in some form. me and andrew mike and my sisters we all went sailing in the whitsundays in 2013, and i always went back to those days. >> in cairo, it was fellow prisoners who helped. i want to pay credit to my colleagues. we knew people had up days and down days and we were very

careful listening to one another, talking to one another, at the same time giving space when he needed it. we have all grown close as a result of this process, as a result of this experience. >> reporter: the same deportation law that saw peter freed is an option for mohamed fadel fahmy. who renounced his egyptian citizenship as part of an effort to have him deported for canada. that part is not available for producer baher mohamed. he is expected to remain behind bars until a retrial. the judgment court that ordered it is yet to make public it. the father of three missed the birth of his son in august. his wife can't understand why he shouldn't be freed too. >> translation: i don't know why he's in prison. i don't know. his colleagues have been

released. the thu law was only made. for him being an egyptian is the price he had to pay. is he in gaol for being an egyptian. >> in brisbane they are ones peter greste hopes will be repeated elsewhere soon. >> peter greste is back once he has completed a long list to media interviews and will celebrate with his family. he's very much with his colleague. with two al jazeera journalists behind bars the film festival is getting worldwide attention. for berlin getting under way, attracting the anger of north korea was not part of the plan and all because of a mistake on pyongyang's part. phil lavelle finds all they love a drama at the berlin film festival as this

year gets under way, they have been at the center. sony nose how that feels. hacked and humiliated. allegedly by people and all because of this. the movie "the interview," mocking north korea's leader. and the fallout moving from hollywood to here. this is why. "the interview" goes on germ release here in berlin on thursday. north korea and the berlin film festival were conaccused and were not happy, describing the showing as terrorism. there was some damaged limitation from this man, the boss here. he had to race to the korean embassy and say it's nothing to do with the berlinale, it's a coincidence that it's opening on the same day. pyongyang pulled back albeit

privately. >> aside from that drama, there's more to see on screen over the next week and a half. the golden bear is a big price they are competing for. with everything from chamber maids to cinderella on show. they are back until 2013. he upset his government and is banned from making films. he is in with a shout to the top prize. as he watches from home. >> it was stopped. that is what he was doing. he is expressing himself. he needs to make them and will never stop. the film was a great way of promoting his worth to the world. >> over the next 10 years the movie world will watch. crowds will freeze trying to watch. and north korea will keep an eye to make sure the crowds look at

this. and not this. >> from that to this. al jazeera's new look website. all the news that we have been covering there. lots of opinion and comment. aljazeera.com is the address. aljazeera.com. more than 30 million people are insured one way or the other under the affordable care act. but for house republicans coming this far down the road, doesn't mean the massive health care law is safely established or that the fight is over. for the 56th time the republican controlled house of representatives votes to repeal obama care. >> the reality is we are a company founded on the principle of government with consent of