marathon all-night talks raise hopes of a peace deal in ukraine. ♪ ♪ good to have you with us, i am david foster, you are watching al jazerra also in the next 30 minutes. >> our coalition is on the offensive. isil is on the defensive. and isil is going to lose. >> u.s. president seeking congressional back to go step up military operations against isil. it's jail time for the former airline executive who forced a jet to divert because she didn't like the way she was served her nuts.

the retrial of two al jazerra journalists accused of colluding with the muslim brotherhood is at the time setoguchi to begin in cairo. 411 days in jail for them now. ♪ ♪ ukraine's president petro poroshenko has told the afb news exactly at that russian conditions at the minute evening peace talks are unend table. diplomatic sources say the leaders are close to saning a peace deal to stop the fighting ukraine. leaders from russia, france, and germany have been trying to get the deal done with hundreds of people killed between the government troops and pro-russian separatists. rory challands on the phone with the latest from minute he can. despite what poroshenko is saying we understand that they are back in the negotiating room rory.

>> reporter: this is turning out to be an incredible difficult negotiation. it's been going on for well over 12 their hours now. [ inaudible ] various stations in hopings and he can peck take that some sort of deal imminent each team and hopes have been dashed. and. [ inaudible ] >> rory, we'll have to leave it there, i am afraid the quality of the phone line not good enough. thank you anyway. >> let's hear from pavel our defense analyst and columnist who believes ideal is on the cusp but that poroshenko must stand firm when dealing with vladimir putin. >> i believe it's more jockeying for position. i believe that some kind of deals is imminent because right now to kind of continue the fighting would mean to introduce more russian troops, regular

troops and if he introduced them without air support, there is going to be heavy losses. i believe both sides right now are going to be kind of saying that we want to break the deal. maybe there even is going to be some fighting. but this is a kind of middle eastern situation when a ceasefire is inevitable. and the fighting is just to find another formula of the ceasefire. and politically it's also very important for poroshenko to show that he's ready to stands up to putin. president obama's request to formally authorize military force against isil could well face opposition in congress. republicans say they wilin sift on changes to the plan. the contentious issue of whether ground troops should be sent in to action likely to be one of the sticking points from. washingtonwashington dwashington d.c. alan fisher.

>> reporter: more than 2,000 bombing raids carried out this. announcement by the president changes nothing on the ground. those attacks will continue. >> we are disrupting their command and control and supply lines, making it harder for them to move. we are destroying their fighting positions, their thanks, their vehicles their barracks, their training camps and the oil and gas facilities and infra infrastructure that fund their operation. >> reporter: what this will do is set new perimeters giving fresh legal approval to the lethal operations. obama has been working under legislation approved in 2002 address of the invasion of iraq. some say that was a stretch legally. there is no geographic restrictions in the permission being sought. america will strike isil whenever it appears but there is a time scale in three years the law will lapse or have to be renewed. there is a window for ground troops, barack obama says this gives america flexibility.

>> if we had actual intelligence about a gathering of isil leaders and our partners didn't have the capacity to get them, i would be prepared to order our special forces to take action because i will not allow these terrorists to have a safe haven. >> reporter: that interpretation of the law might be different at another time and under another president. barack obama says he wants congress to act quickly on this but some committees are already saying they want to hold hearings call senior members of the administration to give evidence. it could be several weeks before some version of this resolution is passed. there are voices of decent some even from barack obama's own party. republicans have welcomed the president trying to do something, but say there is still work to be done. >> i am not sure that's a strategy that's been outlined, will accomplish the mission the president want to accomplish. >> reporter: president obama will get the authorization he requires but the situation is constantly changing. the longer the debate before any vote could significantly change the wording. and therefore the mission.

alan fisher, al jazerra, at the white house. >> italy is the latest western power to close its em bass any yemen. on wednesday the u.k. and france all shut their diplomatic missions. houthi rebels have reportedly seized u.s. embassy vehicles in the capital sanaa a day after that embassy was closed. the houthis took over the government in a coup last week. jamal the u.n. envoy to yemen has warned the country is on the brink of civil war. u.n. brokered talks aimed at ending the crisis are continuing. there has been candle lit individual ills for three muslim students shot dead in the united states their murder has been charged with their murders there is a dispute over whether the killings are a hate game. andy gallagher has more from north carolina. >> reporter: as church bells range out thousands gathered to remember the lives of three young and gifted students. the campus at the university of north carolina chapel hill has

never witnessed scenes like this before. but the loss of 23-year-old man his wife and her 19-year-old sister has shocked this community. they lived in this apartment close to campus, they were only married a few weeks ago and on tuesday the couple and the teenage sister were shot and killed. >> we ask that you celebrate the memories of our family members. we are still in a state of shock. and will never be able to make sense of this horrendous tragedy. we appreciate your concerns and the outpouring of love and support. >> reporter: a neighbor, 46-year-old craig stephen hicks has now been charged with three count of first degree murder. police believe a long-running argument over parking may be why hicks allegedly shot and killed the three students. but their families say it was an act of hatred based on chair children's religion. >> it was a hate crime from a neighbor. our children spoke about they

were uncomfortable with -- he came to their apartment more than once, continued sending threatening, and and despiting and talking about them. >> i'm a student at unc and i need your help. >> reporter: all three students were academically successful and heavily involved in charity work. their deaths have sparked wide debate on social media with many calling for their killer to be charged with a hate crime. but on campus those of all faithed were determined to show unity. >> it's incredible to be surrounded by so many people who obviously care and want to do something, to take a stand to. >> we wanted to show up and show that we cared and wanted to stand together as a community. i am from chapel hill so this really hit home. >> reporter: whatever happens in the investigation is now out of most people's hands but what the community has done is show

incredible solidarity and come together to mark, mourn and remember the loss of three young lives, andy gallagher, al jazerra, chapel hill, north carolina. a retrial is expected to begin in egypt for two al jazerra journalists. mohamed fahmy and bahar mohamed have spent 411 days in jail accused of colluding with the outlawed muslim brotherhood. something that al jazerra refutes. victoria gatenby reports. >> reporter: al jazerra english's cairo bureau chief mohamed fahmy and producer bahar mohamed were arrested december 29, 2013 a long with correspondent peter crester. initially their detention was thought to be temporary. but within daisy i didn't want's top prosecutor announced they were being held on terror aiding charges alleged they were aiding the outlawed muslim brotherhood. the journalist and al jazerra network rejected the charges.

so did the global media community. protesters around the world demonstrated in solidarity with the three men. when the trial finally began in february the three pleaded not guilty. the proceedings were ridiculed by legal experts around the world. evidence presented by the prosecution included footage from a different channel. music found on the journalists' laptops and some of peter's work in africa. on june 23rd. verdict guilty mom ham he had and peter sentenced to seven years, bahar order today spend a decade behind bars, six other colleagues from al jazerra were sentenced in ab then zen that to 10 years in prison, criticism of the verdict came from the corridors of power around the world. >> the he issue of the arsenal journalists in egypt we are been clear publically and prove privately that they should be release the. >> reporter: egyptian's court of cassation found the original trial failed to prove that they had a link to the plus lidge

brotherhood or that a terrorist act had even occurred. the court ordered a recipients trial. the three men had been in jail for more than a year. meanwhile a new decree by president abdel fattah el-sisi offered new hope for two of the men. greste an australian and fahmy ca canadian egyptian were eligible to apply for did he pour participation aircraft path to freedom not available for egyptian bahar mohamed. diplomatic efforts continued along the slow-moving legal process and on february 1st. peter greste was freed on his 400th day in detention met lie respite lee heaved family in brisbane his unconnal release was tinged with sadness and frustration. >> amides the all ofamidst the relief i they feel a sense of worry. if it's right for me to be free, it's right for all of them to be free. >> reporter: peter's release raised expectation that fahmy's freedom was imminent but as the days dragged on it became clear

he too would stands along sigh bahar in court. their future, once again, in the hands of they gins jew derrek air, victoria gatenby, al jazerra. >> al jazerra can't report from cairo so covering thursday's trial for us is cnn correspondent ian lee. >> reporter: what we are hearing now for over the past two days is the rational for the appeal, the judge releasing his very condemning damning appraisal of the last year's trial saying that the initial trial failed to provide evidence that the journal assists belonged to the muslim brotherhood or were helping the muslim brotherhood. also said it failed to investigate whether the confessions were done under duress. it also has said that they wondered why they were tried in a terrorism court since their charges, alleged crimes were nonviolent. there has been a lot of optimism from the family after this

appraisal by the appeals judge but they are still cautious because they know that it could still take another year or so if this trial goes forward. coming up, do stay with us, we had this story she didn't like the way an airline steward served her some nuts, we have the latest from the courtroom. and taking you on a dive on a coral rae. whyreceive.why is it under threat? you can't miss... >> we got be here to tell the story. >> the final journey borderland

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>> al jazeera's investigative unit has tonight's exclusive report. >> stories that have impact. that make a difference. that open your world. >> this is what we do. >> america tonight. tuesday through friday. 10:00 eastern. only on al jazeera america. these are the top stories this hour. the ukrainian president petro

poroshenko has reportedly called russian conditions at the men of course peace talks unacceptable. diplomatic sources say they are close to signing a piece deal to stop the fighting in eastern ukraine. president obama's authority on authorize fighting against isil could face opposition in congress, a number of republicans say they wilin sift on changes particularly about the possible use of ground troops. a retrial expected to begin soon in see i didn't want for two al jazerra journalists, they have spent 411 days now behind bars accused of colluding with the outlawed muslim brotherhoods. in south korea a former airline executive has been found guilty of an air rage incidents over macadamia nuts. let's go harry fawcett joining us live now from seoul. we see her there harry on the screen heather cho. her father was chairman of the

airline, reminds us of what happened. >> reporter: well, she is one of the highest status people in south korea a member of a family a third generation member her fall is over something as trivia triv trivial as a bag of nuts. the judge said she trampled human being self regard. all taking place december 5th at jfk airport port in new york when she was served the nuts on a bag instead of on a plate. she abused the flight attendant had both the flight attendant and senior flight attendant on his knees in front of her. he testified that she treated them as futile slaves and she turned the plane back to the gate and had the chief flight attendant ejected from the flight. here the court decided that she knew that the flight path was already in force and she had therefore broken save areas

safety law by ordering the plane back to the gate and also that she had interfered in the pilot's execution of his duty. two other people also convicted a korean air executive for interfering with the government's investigation. and a transport ministry official who took part in that investigation, heather cho somebody who exemplified really the entitlement and impunity that many people feel about the very senior members of south korean saturday now starting a one-year prison term. >> harry, thank you. professor at foreign studs is joining us on skype from seoul s this as harry suggested a case that's particularly about the class structure of south korean society? >> well, i wouldn't call it, you know typical kind of class true here five decades ago korea was a classless society as i result the korean war and

japanese occupation. and so we started from ground zero from the same starting point, for the past five, six decades the big companies, big businesses rising up and they have produced these controlling families. so this is kind of a new class not exactly social. [ inaudible ] a new elite class. [ inaudible ] there has been resentment about their practices. >> and so will many people in south korea be delighted to see somebody brought down by something such as this from such a high position? >> delighted i am not sure. but i am sure the this particular executive's critics feel vicinity indicated. there was some worry that she would get a suspended sentence, but now she has a one-year prison term sentence. and i have to check the law but i think shake peel and she can go for a next rounds of trial here. but, you know, the judges

handing her down a one year prison sentence that's pretty heavy and in the eyes of the critics i am sure there is. [ inaudible ] >> we are just look at pictures that show her there looking very shame faced surrounded by hundreds of members of the media. this has brought i would imagine a great deal of discase upon disgrace upon her and her family, that is not? >> no question about it. for the past two months or maybe longer time they have having heavy criticism. so the suffering that she that is to bear, i am sure she has no idea whether when she actually did this back in the beginning of december. that the process the pain she was going through i am sure has been tremendous. and her father, who is the owner of korean air he has to face this kind of public disgrace at the same time as well. it must be a great, you know, suffering for the entire family.

>> well, it shines a spotlight on a great many different things. professor, thank you very much indeed. >> thank you. an italian court has convicted the captain of the costa concordia cruise liner of manslaughter. he has been sentence today 16 years in prison. 32 passengers and crew died when the vessel was steered too close to the italian islands three years ago. cloud i can't reports from where the trial was held. >> reporter: it's a verdict more than 4,000 cruise line passengers and crew have been waiting for since 2012. on wednesday night the captain was sentenced to 16 years in prison for his role in the ship wreck of the cast concordia. the worst maritime disaster in italian waters since the seconds world war. he was given a 5-year sentence for causing a maritime disaster

after he sailed the cruise line never to rocks off the tuscan islands and 10 gears multiple count of manslaughter after 32 passengers and crew died in the eye on the ichaotic evacuation that follow and sentenced a year for a dan ban dunning passengers, and banned for five years of helming commercial vessels. she says they has been waiting for this day for three years. >> six months for each death. and the family that -- of the dead people, it's it's not six months or 17 years for them, it's forever. >> reporter: he was not in court to hear the verdict. but he did plead his innocence one final time on wednesday morning. >> translator: in the end i am forced to share a very intimate and painful moment that i shared with the survivors in my home

that should not be allowed. seeing that i did not wants to it happen. okay that's all. that's enough. >> reporter: the judges were not moved by his tears. but his lawyer says the sentence was not all negative. >> translator: the sentence was too harsh for an unintentional fellly. but at least they didn't arrest him as the prosecution had asked. >> reporter: while many of the passengers affected by concordia ship wreck naval justice is finally being done, they may be disappointed in learn that this captain will not spends a day in prison until an appeal court upholds the sentence. but until then, they will have to wait many more months. al jazerra. at least three oil workers have been killed and six injured in an explosion at an offshore oil and natural gas platform in brazil. it was at a state operated off-loading ship. it is not clear what caused the blast. the place produces 2,000-barrels

a day. students in venezuela are taking to the streets to voice their concern about soaring crime and food shortages. it's a year since anti--government protests results in the deaths of 43. but some say little has changed as david mercer reports. >> reporter: february 12th was always a day for students in venezuela to commemorate what's called the day of youthful rebellion. but last year an occasion that had served to demand change became a tragedy when three men were killed. marking the beginning of the country's worst political violence in a decade. despite the risk of violence again this year, some students remain defiant and plan on hitting the streets. pedro contreras a student leader is inviting classmates for a march and a mass for those who died in 2014. his tone might seem conciliatory but he's still calling for political change.

>> translator: students will persevere and remain in the streets protesting. we believe change is imminent. and we are convinced that we will achieve it soon. >> reporter: but last year's clash has left a bitter taste and many students feel the need for a different approach. one that calls for nonviolence. even so, not everyone will be joining the protests. a once unified front is showing cracks. >> translator: i am afraid of being killed during a march or being under age and thrown in to a cell. the brutality of police towards students and everyone students against students is still there. >> translator: we saw that the marchingmarching got us nowhere. a think not saying that we remain quiet i am saying we need wake up and find an alternative to street frost. >> reporter: also feeling some of the students' fear is a recent decree that allows for

police to use legitsal force at their own discretion during protesters. opposition students have organized different events hoping to rekindle last year's protest movement. if they succeed in getting people out of the streets again despite internal divisions and government intimidation, the meaning of february 12th might be changed forever. david mercer, al jazerra. australia's foreign minister julia wish is up asking for clemency for a pair of convicts on death row in i indonesia. the two australians were sentenced to death in 2006 as ring leaders of a group smuggling drugs. >> the australian government will continue to seek clemency for andrew chan and miron. we urge the indonesian government to show the same mercy to andrew and and miron that it seeks for its citizens in the same situation a broad.

madam speaker colleagues, we must not give up hope and we will continue with our efforts to save the lives of australian citizens. leading marine scientists are warning this year could mark a mass bleaching of coral worldwide devastating reefs and marine life. steve chow went to i want neesha where one of the world's most important coral reefs is actually facing destruction. >> reporter: for decades this incredible under water landscape has been the focus of study for martin. a marine scientist asks conservationer he's work to go protect this diverse region. it's home to 75% of the world's coral species. 3,000 different kind of fish. and a host of other unique marine life. >> the coral is the home for fish. [ inaudible ] for in addition. feeding ground for fish, coral reef is like shelter in the

desert. >> reporter: but climate change is warming the oceans, causes mass cases of coral bleaching and die off around the globe. he feels this year's el nino, however small will further warm the waters and take reefs another step closer to extinction. >> if it disappears, then fish will also disappear from that area. >> reporter: there are other threats to the coral. angelique a dive resort operator had been battling an iron ore mine that shed up shop. protests last year by villageerses turned violent with rocks being thrown. the mine is protected by local officials. authorities we are told have been very aggressive of keeping divers away from their operation, what we are going to is dive in here and swim over as close as we can get under water. the visibility is so poor, it's all we can do to stay together. and when we find a reef, it's covered in layers of thick silt. even the visible patches are

choke. after only a few minutes we surface. how is was the coral here before? >> it was beautiful. healthy. lots of colors, lots of fish, now it's nothing. >> reporter: but not all is lost. the research has found that climate change isn't having an big an impact on coral here, that's because the vie tangle's reef is closer to deeper colder water, to protect them from human we deinstructions community teams guard the reefs. >> i am convinced that if we do something, if we protect this coral reef. the coral reef will be still resources of the people, still access people still can eat for tomorrow. and in the future. >> reporter: and with the way currents carry coral throughout the oceans, he believes preserving this under water

paradise could save reefs worldwide. steve chow, al jazerra in the coral triangle. steve chow reporting. go to our website for more on that and the rest of the day's news aljazerra.com. life? it's a topic a lot of shows won't touch but we're going there in depth. first, we're speaking to a man spending years on death row, for what? nothing. >> i was a young black kid who life didn't mean anything to the system. >> then i'll talk to ken fineberg, he's in charge of the highest compensation case cases, including the gm recall and the boston bombing.