i'm zain asher. >> how early. good to have you here. i'm errol barnett. our top stories this hour, an american president and castro announcing their country also work together. an historic moment drawing praise and criticism. >> it's high time for a change. 00 years is long enough. >> the white house has conceded everything. and gained little. >> now, the story we're following closely, sony gives in. hackers force the movie studio to make an unprecedented decision about a film release. >>> also coming up, vladimir putin preparing to address the nation, russia we'll take you live to moscow for a look at the big issue, of course, the economy top of the agenda but we'll see what he has to explain if anything here coming up in a few hours. >>> now, the u.s. and cuba have been at odds for more than half a century but today you really do get the sense there's new hope that the countries could be mending their broken relationship. >> since 1961, the u.s. has had no diplomatic mission with cuba but started with this. this is the beginning, this was the beginning,

i'm zain asher. >> we come back the next hour with the biggest stories in the next hour.ith us. we did it. we did it! ♪ it is official, we gave the people what they wanted. the nation's strongest lte signal. this is a big deal! soak it in! just let it wash over you like a warm bath. ♪you better pledge ♪ your allegiance♪ ♪you're not the only one ♪listen up forefathers ♪i'm not your son ♪you better help the children ♪let them have some fun ♪some fun ♪some fun. >> hello, everyone. it's 1:00 in the morning here in atlanta. i'm zain asher. >> we want to welcome our viewers in the united states and all around the world. our top stories this hour, an american and a cuban president announcing their countries will work together. an historic moment that's drawing praise and criticism. >> 50 years is long enough. >> the white house has conceded everything and gained little. >> sony gives in. hackers foring the movie studio to make an unprecedented decision about a film release.

i'm zain asher. >> we want to welcome our viewers in the united states and all around the world. our top stories this hour, an american and a cuban president announcing their countries will work together. an historic moment that's drawing praise and criticism. >> 50 years is long enough. >> the white house has conceded everything and gained little. >> sony gives in. hackers foring the movie studio to make an unprecedented decision about a film release. today there is new hope that cuba and the united states might just begin mending a prone relationship. >> it all began with the release of an aid worker, alan gross. a officially he was released often humanitarian grounds but it was part of a bigger prisoner exchange between the u.s. and cuba. >> to me, cubanos, or at least most of them, are incredibly kind, generous and talented. it mains me to see them treated so unjustly as a consequence of two governments mutually belligerent policies. >> the deal had been in the works for months but it wasn't finalized until tuesday when barack obama spoke on the phone with cuba president dife

zain asher joins me.t from that hack of sony pictures and speak live to an expert on north korea about what the country has to gain from this cyberattack and she actually believes this could benefit north korea. stay with us on cnn. i have a cold with terrible chest congestion. i better take something. theraflu severe cold doesn't treat chest congestion. really? new alka-seltzer plus day powder rushes relief to your worst cold symptoms plus chest congestion. [breath of relief] oh, what a relief it is. and cialis for daily useor you. helps you be ready anytime the moment is right. cialis is also the only daily ed tablet approved to treat symptoms of bph, like needing to go frequently. tell your doctor about all your medical conditions and medicines, and ask if your heart is healthy enough for sex. do not take cialis if you take nitrates for chest pain, as it may cause an unsafe drop in blood pressure. do not drink alcohol in excess. side effects may include headache, upset stomach, delayed backache or musc

. >> i'm zain asher. let's get straight to our top stori stori stories. u.s.y group of cyber warriors suspected of acting on behalf of north korea. >> the pentagon's budget is ten times more. $575 billion and you are trying to say we are pursue an gre policy? >> the defiant president, vladimir putin awe

. >> i'm zain asher. let's get straight to our top stori stori stories. u.s. law makers blaming the sony attack on pyongyang. the shadowy group of cyber warriors suspected of acting on behalf of north korea. >> the pentagon's budget is ten times more. $575 billion and you are trying to say we are pursue an gre policy? >> the defiant president, vladimir putin answer tackles questions amid economic crisis and tough sanctions. >> also, getting excited over the prospects of tourism to cuba finally, but hurdles still remain. >> plus lawmakers losing it. what was behind this outrageous outburst. but first, let' begin with the sony hack. so many apgles and pieces to this story. investigators are building evidence now that north korea is, in fact, behind the cyberattack on sony to the point the u.s. government could publicly blame north korea sometime in the coming day. >> and officials now tell cnn hackers stole credentials of assistant administrator, that is how they got access to sony's computers. so they have ruled out the fact that it may have been an inside job.

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i'm zain asher. >> and i'm errol barnett. thanks for joining pus .the top stories right now, the cia director admits some agents went rogue in their use of torture tactics on detainee, but he still stood by the program. reaction ahead from his former counterpart and the u.n. official who wants to see cia officials in handcuffs. >> yeah. plus u.s. lawmakers manage to paz a $1 trillion spending bill just in time to avoid a government shutdown we'll skr a look at what's inside. >> and coming up later, a dire warning about so-called super bugs. why researchers are saying drug resistant bacteria can kill more people than cancer and cost the global economy a fortune. >> we want to start now with a story we've been following all week. the cia director admitting his mick takes but defending his agency in an unusual news conference on thursday. >> yeah, john brennan never used the word torture when discussing the harsh interrogation tactics used on detainees, but his comments on the program's effect iness are now similar to the white