>> >> g7 leaders ready to announce broader sanctions against russia over its actions in eastern ukraine. . hello, i'm martin dennis, you are with al jazeera. we are live in doha. also to come - more than 180 people have died in floods in afghanistan after three days of heavy rain. carnage in baghdad. bombers kill at least 37 people at an election rally.

plus... >> i'm kath turner in new york. gun control is a divisive issue and the national rifle association influenced the debate and politicians. now a grassroots organization is taking on the powerful gun group. first - seven of the world's richest countries are ready to impose a new round of sanctions against russia. leaders are punishing moscow for its position, believing that russia made no effort to implement a deal to diffuse what's happening in the east. saying that russian fighter jets crossed into ukrainian air space several times. groups of armed pro-russian activists occupy public buildings in a dozen eastern towns and cities.

>> the u.s. is among the g7, and and is preparing to impose fresh sanctions against moscow as early as monday. patty culhane reports from washington d.c. rfferents the obama administration says it's working the phones, behind the scenes, saying they are pushing officials to get on board. they are sending the message through the press that they are on the same page and sanctions could come as soon as monday. they are talking about as many as 15 individuals, and the u.s. talking about sanctioning entities. at the same time the u.s. military, through the pentagon, is saying that they believe russian aircraft is violating airspace several times through the last 24 hours. they are not providing specifics or proof. all of this is sending a message to russia that it is preparing to act. they have until monday to change their behaviour. >> inside ukraine a group of

international monitors have been seized by a group of pro-moscow activists. barnaby phillips reports. . >> reporter: the town of slovyansk, the center of a diplomatic incident. a team of observers detained by the pro-russian gunmen in control. slovyansk's self-proclaimed mayor says the foreign observers are accompanied by a ukraine man man suspected of being a spy. >> i have heard that somebody was there from the military headquarters which does not look good. if people come as observers from the european union and bring a spy with them. it doesn't look good. this is an example of double standards. >> to the south, skies above the town of kramatorsk. a helicopter exploded after being shot in the fuel tank as it was taking off. the pilot survived. over the border in sworn russia

military exercises continued. the size and scope of the exercises alarmed the ukrainian government and many governments in the west. russia said that if the lives of ethnic russian ukraines are threatened it will take action. at a volunteer camp they are learning new and lethal skills. there are 100 ukrainian men here, most not prepared to show their faces in the current uncertainty. they are preparing for a russian invasion. >> reporter: ask the men are no match for the -- of course the men are no match for the russian army in terms of training or equip. the existence of the camp suggests one thing, if the russians were to invade. they would encounter some resistance, unlike crimea. >> translation: we have gathered to save ukraine cas a united

country, to stop the traitors and insurgents. we want to save our family and cities. if not ask, who else will do this. >> they are learning battlefield first aid, a skill they hope not to use. in eastern ukraine, no one is taking anything for granted. well, we hope to steak to our correspondent barnaby phillips in just a little while, who is in donetsk. in the meantime we'll look at the day's other news. and the u.s. president has offered his condolences to the victims of last week's ferry disaster in south korea. president obama made the comments whilst addressing american troops stationed in the country. south korea was the second stop on obama's week-long tour of asia, and is on route to malaysia. >> harry fawcett has more from

the south korean capital, seoul. >> well, this was the first joint visit by u.s. and south korean leader to the combined forces command in seoul, pretty much the headquarters of the military alints between u.s. and -- alliance between u.s. and south korean forces and where the conflict will be directed from as far as the southern side is concerned. it's no coincidence because a key agreement that president obama reached with president park geun-hye was to reconsider the timing of the handover of what's known as operational control in the event of a conflict on the korean peninsula, which is due to transition to the south korean forces by the end of 2015. south korea wants to delay that, seen as an indication of the level of the security situation on the peninsula, as north korea pursues nuclear weapons. president obama spoke about that in his speech to u.s. forces here, saying that anybody can brandish a missile.

what shows true strength is to open the political system to democracy. little question that the words are being taken heed of in pyongyang, at a time when there's various indication that is the nooe jans are preparing -- north koreans are preparing for a fourth nuclear test. president obama is on his way to malaysia, they are reeling with the disaster of the missing flight mh370. the officials characterise them as an emerging partner, unlike a strong ally they described south korea as. he will speak to civil society leaders, and his national security leader will be speaking to ibrahim. they have been concerned about civil restrictions. more than 180 people have been killed in floods in afghanistan, caused by three days of heavy rain. thousands have been displaced.

survivors are in need of drinking water and medical needs. . >> reporter: flash floods turned people's lives upside down in remote parts of north and west afghanistan. thousands of homes were hit across four provinces. >> translation: as a result of the heavy rain and floods, our people suffered from lots of destruction. people are beginning to pick up the pieces after the floods. they say that they urgently need help. >> translation: our shops and houses have been destroyed because of the floods. so far we have not received aid from the government. >> the afghan military rescued people from the worst-affected provinces. the regional police chief said they found many bodies and

expect to find more. >> people took the dead bodies to the hospital. they were happened to their families. around seven villages in the area were destroyed by flooding. >> it's the start of spring. usually a wet season, not to the extent seen here in recent days. the disaster relief committee says more that 5,000 people have been displaced and medicine and drinking water are running out. . >> now, the islamic state of iraq and levant claimed responsibility for a series of explosions that killed at least 37 in baghdad. the bombings happened at an election rally. the party was announcing its candidate for parliamentary elections. the group is fighting against the government in syria. >> security is going to be a

major issue when iraqis go to the polls for the elections on wednesday. many are wondering if security forces are up to the challenge of safeguarding the capital. not just for the vote, but for the long term. we have this report from baghdad. >> this is baghdad operations command. as the nation suggests they are responsible for baghdad's security. cameras are rarely allowed into this, a reserve center controlling the movements of troops on the ground. as the election is closer. the government understands that it faces security challenges. the enemy is recalls trying to demoralize us by spreading sectarian hatred by preventing iraqis exercising a democratic right to vote. we believe the stalks are high. we feel we have a concrete plan to guarantee security. checkpoints such as this dot the city.

you can find them every few kilometres. they are a visible sign of the security plan. soldiers understand the threats. >> we are the spear head of the open war on terrorism in general. we might terrorism on behalf of the reason, especially in iraq and baghdad. the war continues with al qaeda linked groups and we are confident in our plans to secure the city. >> his confidence is not shared by many. >> there are attacks across iraq every day. the damage is clear to see. along with frustrations. . >> reporter: according to the united nations over 2,700 have died as a result of violence like these. that grim statistic will likely have an impact on people as they visit the polling booths come april. more to come, including free at last.

will the release of four south sudan politicians bring an end to the conflict. and... ..we take a look at the life and legacy of william shakespeare, as the year of his birth is celebrated.

hello again. a reminder of the top stories - g7 leaders say they'll move swiftly to impose broader sanctions against russia. moscow has been accused of violating ukrainian air space as

troops hold drills along the border. inside ukraine, a group of international monitors has been seized by pro-russian activists. >> the u.s. president barack obama is due to arrive in malaysia in the next few hours, in the next stage of his asia tour. he left south korea after a two-day visit, where he met the president and addressed the american troops stationed there. in afghanistan - more than 180 people have been killed due to flooding caused by three days of heavy rain. people in many remote areas say they have received no help from the government. thousands of people have been displaced. all right, let's go back to the top story, the developing ukraine crisis. we can talk to barnaby phillips, in donetsk, the regional capital, isn't it, for eastern ukraine? can we start by finding out the latest of the

group of o.s.c.e. monitors that have been kidnapped. >> only that they are still being held, marr teen, and this is causing consternation in various european countries - primarily germany, who, in theory, are in charge of the delegation. there are four germans, a czech, a pol, a dane and a swede. as you heard earlier in my report, the self-proclaimed mayor of slovyansk, a town under the control of separatist gunmen say they were accompanied by a man called a spy. we know that the separatists in slovyansk in recent days have taken a number of hostages... (technical difficulties) . >> we seem to have lost barnaby phillips. we've had a few technical

problems connecting to him. we have the gist, of the group of o.s.c.e. monitors, missing, abducted in slovyansk, in the eastern part of ukraine. more on that as soon as we get it. in the meantime other news. the palestine leadership is meeting to discuss peace talks after israel said it was pulling out. the decision followed a unity deal between fatah and hamas. the palestine prime minister quit his job, and that makes way for the formation of a new unity government. under the agreement elections could be held as early as 2015. now, the u.s. president barack obama says leaders on both sides of the israeli-palestine conflict lack the will to make the compromise necessary for talks. he said it may be time to put the peace process on hold. rosalind jordan reports from washington. . >> reporter: u.s. president obama conceded it may be time for what he called a pause in

mid east peace talks. >> what we haven't seen is the political will to make tough decisions. that has been true on both sides. do i expect they will walk through the door next week, next month or even in the course of the next six months? no. >> the latest round of u.s.-sponsored talks was in trouble. israel was building settlement and refusing to release a group of political prisoners as promised. the palestinians were not embracing a u.s. framework to organise the negotiating agenda. when fatah signed a deal with hamas on wednesday, israel pulled out of the talks with the u.s.'s understanding. on the grounds that hamas is considered a terrorist group. washington's view, the palestinians broke a key promise. >> what we said consistently - let me just repeat - is there are certain principles that have long been our policy and the

policy of the quartet that a unity government would need to abide by. >> a former negotiator for the palestinians say that's wrong, plo is involved in negotiations, not the palestine government. so it shouldn't matter that hamas and fatah are forming a unity government. >> no one is asking them to sit down and recognise hamas or do anything with regard to hamas. this is the reconciliation agreement - it doesn't allow for hamas members or any members of any faction to serve as ministers. >> the obama administration says it is committed to helping the israelis and palestinians reach a 2-state settlement. it may give officials in the u.s. a chance to think about what they ought to try next. at least four people have been killed and 13 injured during an overnight gun battle

in the capital of the central african republic. angry residents in bangui carried the dead body of a victim to the prime minister's office, in protest at the violence. religious violence escalated between muslims and christians since the start of the year. four senior politicians accused of a coup plot that sparked south sudan's civil war have been freed. their release, aimed at easing the country's civil war, was a key demand of the rebel fighters. we have this report from the south sudan capital juba. . >> reporter: finally free. after four months of detention, the ghanan men and three other high ranking members have been released midway through a trial for treason. it was a jubilant scene outside the court. family and supporters gathered to celebrate their release. the happiness of being set free was clear. the tone when speaking to the

media was defiant. >> translation: the government has no case against us. they have no reasoning agaibs us. all -- against us. all of it was false accusations. the government's decision to withdraw the charges is a retreat from justice. >> 11 alleged coup plotters were released in december, seven released in january. the president decided to release the detainees because of pressure from the international community, homing that they wouldn't do what the previous seven people had done, which is go and form a separate negotiating entity which may slow down the peace talks. he went on to say continuing to hold them served no purpose in the process. >> these are the prices for peace. the four that were released yesterday and the seven released

before - even if you were to hang them, that will not compensate the thousands of people that have been lost. this one is better. >> three people remain accused of treason. the former vice president and leader of the rebels riek machar, and two allies. in syria rebels say they have blown up a building that once belonged to government forces. this is a video uploaded on social media websites, showing the moment the building exploded in the town. malayea. it is a mainly rebel-held area to the east of the capital damascus. al jazeera can't verify the

authenticity of the footage. now, two female protesters have been killed during an anti-coup demonstration in egypt. they were shot when protesters clashed with security forces. demonstrations have been intensifying across the country ahead of next month's presidential elections. al jazeera is continuing to call for the release of three journalists held in egypt. their trial has been adjourned until may the 3rd. they have been in gaol for 119 days. peter greste, mohamed fadel fahmy, and baher mohamed are falsely accused of providing a platform for the outlawed muslim brotherhood. now declared a terrorist organization. abdullah al-shami, a fourth al jazeera journalist has been held without trial since last august and has been on hunger strike for 96 days. al jazeera rejects all charges and continues to demand the

immediate release of its staff. the u.s. assistant secretary for human rights and democracy said president obama brought up the release of al jazeera's journalists with the egyptian government several times. >> we have publicly called for their release. we have called for their release at the highest levels with the egyptian government. i can assure you we will continue to do so publicly and continue to do so at every level as we talk to the egyptian government. this is a matter of great importance not just to me as the assistant secretary of human rights. but my boss john kerry, and his boss president obama, because i have heard them speak about it not justernally, but -- just eternally, because i know they have and will continue to raise it. >> four whaling ships left their port to begin an annual spring

hunt. it's a first expedition since it was ordered to suspend the antarctic whaling programme. former mayor of new york city michael bloomberg is using $50 million of his own money to campaign for stricter gun laws, launching a group called every town. it is facing opposition from n.r.a., beginning its conference on friday. >> a couple more students run out of the skill... . >> reporter: it's an all-too familiar story, a gunman opens fire, innocent people killed. there are calls for gun laws, gun owners and lobbyists push back. a new group is trying to break the cycle. every town has been given a $50 million donation by michael bloomberg. >> we are the only civilized

country with this problem >> is silence what america needs. >> every town's strategy is to bypass politicians and focus on members. it hopes to win going state to state and u.s. congress will fall into line. it's targetting women and mothers. >> for a long time the gun lobby did a good job of making a local minority afraid that guns will be taken away. as mothers we are afraid our children will be taken away. being the caretaker of america's children, i think, will win the day. >> the murder of 20 children in connecticut shocked the worldful toby lanzer shot dead -- adam lanser shot dead 20, including his mother. polls suggest that background checks are supported. the u.s. senate rejected legislation that would have done that. many believe one organization is to blame.

the national rifle association claims it has more than 5 million members. it has money. the n.r.a. spent $3 million on lobbying the federal government. the president declared it will fight any and all gun reform. richard felderman is a director of the n.r.a. and former gun lobbyist. >> the people of this country want to be in control of the country and not let the government dictate what the people shall and shall not do. >> the n.r.a. and every town are counting on members to turn out. 10 address old, every up to must make up plenty of ground to make an impact. >> now, anticipation is building at the vatican as it prepares to canonize two popes. final tups are being put in place for the ceremony for pope john paul ii and pope john the

23rd. around a million pilgrims are expected to attend the ceremony, along with dozens of world leaders. the search is on for the remain's of spain's foremost novelist. he wrote a novel 400 years ago and buried in a church. his remains were lost during reconstruction. scientists will sur vey the area with ground penetrating radar. >> he's one of the world's most renown playwrights. william shakespeare continues to inspire. celebrations are taking place in the ukraine to mark the occasion. emma haywood travelled to where it began. >> reporter: shakespeare wrote all the world is a stage. no truer words can be said hen it comes to his work. 450 years after his bier, this version of -- birth, this

version of "hamlet" will tour every country - a global icon. >> his plays are about everything. like anything. in this play alone, it's domestic drama. it's a political drama, a philosophical drama. >> shakespeare's birthday is being celebrated in the english town in which he was born. stratford upon avon is proud of its favourite song. . >> reporter: this is where it began, the bard's birth place. tourists flock here to emerge themselves in all things shakespeare. >> his story and stories started here. his works transcended cultures and borders. with shakespeare's plays performed around the world from inside prisons to the great wall of china, and translated in scores of languages. >> he creates a landscape that

is not connected to any one specific place. so i think anybody from around the world can find something of themselves in his writing. >> and nowhere do they feel that connection more than in stratford, where the wind and the rain only adds to the drama. >> after a dozen john kerry visits to israel, the palestinian peace talks look like they've unraveled even leaving president obama suggesting it might be time for a pause. it's the inside story. hello, i'm ray suarez. this week the