around the world, particularly among children -- a pope francis. pakistani leaders agreed to establish a military court for terrorism-related cases as part of a national plan of action following the deadly taliban school attack. and the u.s. rejects a claim from the islamic state group that it shot down a warplane flying with american-led coalition forces. it does not say because caused the crash but confirms the i.s. is now holding the jordanian pilot hostage. those are the headlines for you here on france 24. thank you for joining us.

first, pope francis's celebrity christmas today at the vatican with his traditional message to the world's 1.2 billion catholics. he used those words today to focus his attention on all of those weeping in the world this christmas, singling out refugees, hostages, and all this suffering and conflicts in the middle east, africa, and ukraine. >> jesus is the salvation for every person and for every people. i ask him, the savior of the world, to look upon our brothers and sisters in iraq and syria. for too long now, they have suffered the effects of ongoing conflict. together with those born to other ethnic and religious groups, they are suffering a brutal persecution.

collects>> let's go to the vatican to get more from our reporter. >> it was a very strong message a somber message for those around the world celebrating what is normally a joyful occasion, the birth of jesus christ. pope francis had a very strong message here condemning the violent conflicts we have seen in syria, iraq, and other trouble spots like ukraine and nigeria. but it was his particular plea his heartfelt plea, for children in the world that really touched a nerve today. he spoke about the many children suffering from persecution abuse, and war, those being massacred in the place where jesus was born himself, in bethlehem. a reference to middle east conflict between the palestinians and israelis. but he also had something to say about unborn children, saying

that his thoughts went out to children of the world who were deprived of life because of the egoism of our culture, a culture that did not know how to love life. very strong words from pope francis today. he looked very somber as he delivered those. >> reportedly, there were some tens of thousands of people out there today with you on st. peter's square. what was the atmosphere like today? >> it started off as a very vibrant, very joyful, very positive atmosphere. we had the bands playing the italian national anthem was played. with of this varies message, i saw people in tears. i think people were very moved by pope francis pyramid he pilgrims came here from around the world to see him, not only from italy to move by kendrys as far as mexico, taiwan, turkey, egypt. they traveled here to see the pope. i think they might have been a bit surprised by how somber and

how solemn he was today when he was at pains to remember those suffering, particularly in iraq and syria, sending that message home to people. this is not just a day of celebration, particularly for those who lost their homes and fled violent conflict in the middle east. >> thank you for that report from the vatican. meanwhile, in bethlehem as the pope mentioned, thousands of pilgrims flocked there to that biblical town to celebrate christmas in the traditional birthplace of jesus. crowds filled manger square and attended mass inside that what hamm's church of the nativity. that was even a attended by the palestinian president, mahmoud abbas. he said he hopes to put an end to extremism and terror in the region. in pakistan, leaders have agreed to establish military courts for terrorism-related cases. that is after a meeting to discuss a national land of

action following a deadly taliban school attack her the prime minister said all terrorism-related charges will be dealt now with the military court. let's get more from karachi. >> this declaration went on for 11 hours after the prime minister, in a televised address to the nation, said gasquet about a 20-point agenda. the first is the establishment of military courts. consequently, the agreement of all political parties in the country to make that constitutional amendment to have these military courts for two years. his military courts will be trying out hardened criminals and terrorists, especially, and would be giving out bd justice. this desk giving out speedy justice. these have been established twice the 4, 1997 and 1977. earlier on, they were tried with

a law and order situation in the country. the country was out of hand. at the same time, a lot of people, a lot of analysts are saying that the fact that they are not strengthening the judiciary themselves are policing themselves, handing over responsibility to the military, it is questionable because the military is setting up a battle system which will not bring long-term results. >> that report from karachi. the u.s. military is continuing to unite claims by the islamic state group that it shot down a jordanian warplane over i.s. -controlled territory. is that images have been released by jihadists of a man that appears to be the pilot of the plane, which jordan admits came down. the question seems to be just how the plane crashed. >> taken hostage by the islamic

state organization, this 26-year-old jordanian pilot's plane was lost in militant territory on wednesday morning. he was taking part in the international coalition's military operation against the islamic state positions in iraqiya and northern syria. that was announced on jordan's national television. >> the islamic state group does not hide its terrorist plans against jordan the group has conducted many criminal operations, including killing innocent people. those people include muslims and non-muslims alike in both syria and iraq. >> the jordanian government confirmed this, but they say the plane was not shot down but it did crash. the country's military says it holds the group and its supporters responsible for the safety of their pilots and his life. >> this is the time of solidarity. we will stand beside the family

of the pilot. we said right from the beginning that this is going to be a continuous and long war, and we think that we have a duty to defend our country and our region from this wave of terrorism. >> u.s. also states evidence suggests the jet was knocked down by islamic state militants. a general in charge of american troops in the region did acknowledge they have taken the pilot hostage. he condemned their actions and says the u.s. will support efforts to ensure his safe recovery. a longtime ally of the united states, jordan has been taking part in the airstrikes alongside other countries in the region that as saudi arabia, the united arab emirates, and bahrain. >> on a lighter note, let's give you a nice little christmas story out of hong kong. today, nearly $2 million in cash tumbled out of a security van. of course, that was much to the

delight of people on the street. let's get more on what happened with our reporter in hong kong. tell us -- >> well, yeah, it is a funny story. the van was transporting more than $500 million in cash almost 50 million euros. but only three boxes fell off spreading by 5 million euros on the road which had intense traffic. it was no surprise that when drivers realized what was flying around was actually money, so some bank notes were found by themselves, but most were in large stacks. they were brand-new banknotes just out of the bank of china. some people were clearly better

than others. two people, in particular, managed to take $1 million and $2 million each. they have now returned it because, according to the update 27 people handed over the cash, so the police recovered about one-third of the money that flew away. they reminded everyone shortly after the incident that if people use this money, they may commit an offense, a very serious crime here. you could get 10 years in jail. it is probably why it is very rare that anything gets stolen here. it is not quite -- [indiscernible] >> thank you for that. a very surprising christmas story out of hong kong. speaking of christmas, sony pictures and film-clippers a christmas gift, releasing the movie "the interview" online

ahead of the limited theatrical release today. of course, that is a bit of a slap in the face for north korea. in that movie, the two actors are asked to assassinate north korean leader kim jong in. news of the plot of the film triggered cyberattacks and terrorist threats on sony pictures, reportedly from north korea. that created a real-life drama rivaling the one on screen. let's get explanation. >> hello, north korea. >> just days ago, it seemed the controversial film about a plot to kill the leader of north korea would gather dust and watched. but on wednesday, in and about-face, entertainment giant sony released the interview after all online ahead of the cinema release on thursday. >> if it is any indication, the phone has been ringing off the hook this morning with people wanting to buy tickets. we expect to be sold out before the end of the day.

next the movie features to show america talkshow hosts sent to assassinate kim jong-un, and it outraged north korea which called the film an act of war. hackers released sensitive information about sony executives. after the cyber attack deemed the worst-ever and that a u.s. company and threats of violence to cinema goers, sony pulled the plug. many criticized the decision as giving in to terrorism. so wednesday's about-face is being hailed as a triumph eons the box office. >> frankly, i do not anticipate being the target of any sort of untoward activity. even if i was concerned about it, there is a much greater risk him and that is the risk to all of us that what we say and what we consume could be curtailed based on the threats of others. >> hundreds of american cinemas previously cowered by the

specter of being hacked have now offered to show the film. the ceo of sony's that he was proud to have stood up to those who intended to suppress free speech. president barack obama called the original decision to cancel the release a mistake, and he welcomed the new decision. >> president obama gave his first brief comments on the release of the film here and took time out from his vacation golf game in hawaii to comment. >> hello, everybody. i am glad it is being released. merry christmas, everybody. >> welcome to this edition of inside the americans. the united states may have restored ties with cuba, but relations with north korea are at an all-time low. take a look back at the history of hostility each when washington and pyongyang. plus adjusting to a new life in

uruguay, our reporters meet the six men released from the guantánamo bay prison. and mexico's national shame artists and activists unite to keep the memory of 43 missing students alive. we began with the ramping up of tensions between the united states and north korea here it it began with a cyber attack against sony, which initially chose to pull a seth rogen comedy about the assassination of kim jong-un. president barack obama vowed to tell you, and days later, the communist state suffered a massive internet outage. coincidence? let's get the story. >> the cyber attacks targeting sony pictures began end of november when threats suddenly appeared on computer screens of employees. the group called the guardians of peace claimed responsibility and released data notably

involving hollywood celebrities. the hackers warned sony pictures that they would leak more sensitive information if the new film "the interview" was ever released. the comedy blockbuster starring seth rogen tells the story of two journalists hired by the cia to kill the north korean leader. according to the fbi pyongyang was involved in the hacking. an unprecedented act of cyber warfare with barack obama saying it cannot go unpunished. >> we will respond proportionally, and we will respond in a place and time and manner that we choose. >> a few days at a, north korea suffered a 10-hour-long internet shutdown. china, a lie pyongyang, has repeatedly defended its neighbor and warned against drawing hasty conclusions. >> we hope the relevant parties can keep restraint. china's position on cyber security is clear. china is opposed to all forms of cyber attack and cyber

terrorism. >> relations between washington and pyongyang have been tense since the end of the korean war in the 1950's spirit when barack obama entered office, he tried to break a two-deking long standoff over pyongyang''s nuclear program. in a 2009 inaugural speech, the u.s. president spent -- sent a message to regimes. >> to those who claim power through corruption and defeat in the same and sing of dissent, know that you are on the wrong side of history and we will extend a hand if you are willing to unclench your fist. >> a few months later, the world witnessed north korea do a multistage rocket launch on a nuclear test. other incidents further strained relations. in 2010, pyongyang was accused of sinking a south korean navy ship, and the two korea's have

been regularly exchanging fire over the years. a strong ally of soeuel, north korea may be put back on the list of terror states. others on a list already includes syria, iran, and see down -- sudan. >> moving to renew ties between the u.s. and cuba, tourists may have found the havana time work charming, but people who live there are hoping the future will bring international investment in the island's crumbling infrastructure. some things and not changed in cuba for decades. >> visiting cuba is like traveling back in time. many things in the capital of havana date back before the 1962 u.s. of argo. for tourists going into a shop is in itself an experience, a bit like entering a museum. one exhibit was this salon -- one example was this hairdressing salon. >> look, this is an antique. this too.

it is also from the soviet era. that clock, on the other hand, was made during capitalism in the 1950's. >> by capitalism, he means the years before the 1959 cuban revolution. now, times seems to have stopped on the island with u.s. cars from another era still in full use. >> this car was made in 1951. it is at plymouth. it still works. actually, it has never worked better. >> this taxi driver did have to recently change the engine. >> it is a korean motor rather new, probably seven or eight years old. >> it is impossible to import cars from the u.s. due to the embargo. while bringing them over from europe and asia proves too costly, cubans are hoping for the embargo to be abolished soon. it would mean extra products on the shelves at shops. >> the americans are going to be

able to provide us with food we do not have. here in cuba, we still have a rationing system. we share the little we have. that is how we survive. >> few things go to waste it on the street, these men earn a small living by fixing lighters, disposable lighters. >> i need to change the stone on this one for its ally open it up and take the old stone out and put a new one instead. we fix lighters. we do not throw them away like in other countries. >> with an average salary of $20 a month, many cubans find the situation untenable and wish for swift change. 40,000 of them leave their island every year to live abroad. >> they spent years in the notorious guantanamo bay prison, but they're cleared of all charges, and the six men are freed to start new lives in uruguay. four syrians, a tunisian and

palestinian must now adapt to live in a country with a tiny muslim community. the president promised to help them settle in. our correspondents are finding out how they are getting on. >> preparing tea and lunch, as are some of the basic tasks they will have to re-familiarize themselves with after over 12 years in guantánamo. they're starting a new life and a country they know nothing about. >> it is something nice. they are smiling. there is joy. >> these six men are in uruguay. >> [indiscernible] >> they have already spoken to their families on the phone, but they are still struggling with the internet. >> it has been 18 years since i last used a computer.

five years in afghanistan and 13 in guantánamo. >> guantanamo, there the word is said, still, discussing the past remains impossible for now. >> it is over. it is over. i am not interested anymore. >> the memories are too painful, especially for abu who is too weak to leave his room. he was force-fed after a hunger strike engaged in over two years ago. >> he was strapped in a torture chair, stepped at the wrist neck, head, angles, and a two is forced up their nose, down the esophagus, and into the stomach -- a tube is forced on them. it is clear that this is torture. >> the president of uruguay was a prisoner at the bottom of a

well for over two years during the military dictatorship. he decided to make his country a land of asylum. >> not a trivial issue for me. it is a matter of basic civil -- principle. it is admitted that these guys were scapegoats. they were kidnapped and held illegally. the united states is so powerful, so who would dare to fight or question them? >> the families of the recently freed man are in various refugee camps across the middle east. they will soon be allowed to join their loved ones in uruguay. it is up to each of the guantanamo six to decide with the future lies. >> finally, for mexicans exhausted by years of drug-related violence, it was the straw that broke the camels back. the abduction and apparent murder of 43 students by corrupt police and gang members sparked angry protests across the country.

artist are not exempt from the outrage. painters, musicians, and actors all want a record of their disgust, as well. let's get the report. >> the number 43 has been visible all around mexico for nearly three months. these faces, the students from the teacher-training college who disappeared after being abducted by the police. ♪ >> since then, their memory is sung, painted, and told. >> we said that it could have happened to any one of us. it has profoundly affected us, because we are also student spirit we are very worried about the situation in our country and of the fact that we must keep quiet because we are afraid. >> there was an idea to sew a portrait of one of the students and post it online.

>> it happened october 20 6, 1 month after the removal of the students. that same evening, there were already -- we never expected such a strong reaction. >> today over 400 graphic designers and amateurs have gone to her blog. the portraits were printed all over the country. >> in the end we became a sort of image bank for the protests. nobody had expected that. >> the 43 students are no longer just numbers. they are becoming familiar faces , which thousands of mexicans identify with. >> the disappearance of 43 students, teacher educators who wish to teach the poorest regions of the country, is the breaking point after years of atrocities allowed and perpetrated by the mexican state. >> a collective of nearly 500 filmmakers signed a manifesto demanding justice.

>> [speaking foreign language] >> this mobilization is a first for the mexican seventh arts. their films are being shown at the largest art-house theater in the country. >> this was the final straw. we have tolerated this situation for a very long time. >> the protest spread to centers that traditionally do not involve themselves socially. merchants, small owners, the middle class has cried out together. >> the case of the 43 students has profoundly shaken the mexican society, a society that was said to be accustomed and passive to violence, which now bears a clear message. ♪ >> that is it for this edition of inside the americas. thanks for watchçñ?ó@@@