>> israel suspends $127 million of tax revenue in re retaliation of palestine's bid for international criminal court. you're watching al jazeera live from doha. also coming up. indonesia said airasia's plane should not have been in the air the day it crashed. accused of being a 9/11 mastermind al-liby dies

before his trial. >> israel has decided to withhold around $127 million of tax revenue from the palestinian authority. now this comes after the palestinians officially applied to join the international criminal court. palestinians rely on this money to run its government and pay civil workers salary. it could effect aid to palestinian authorities. we'll bring you more on that later. let's move on to other top stories. the arab airasia crash indonesiaen officials say that airasia was not permitted to fly on that route on that day. recovery crews found four large pieces of wreckage in the java

sea. the weather was a factor in that incident. only 30 bodies have been recovered so far. 162 people were on on the flight that took off from indonesia and a third of its way on its destination to singapore. >> crucial developments in the sea south of borneo in the search for the airasia plane that crashed last supplied, four big chunks of the plane have been detected on the bottom of the on or about in the location where earlier bodies were found. it seems to be a significant part of the plane and the challenge is now to find the blacks box on the bottom of the ocean, and for more divers and sophisticated equipment will go down to the bottom of the on or about. they'll try to find the blacks box so we'll know what will be the reason of the fatal crash last week. but before we know the real

reason of the crash the minister of transportation has already made some very bold statements about the airasia flight, which was apparently flying without a proper license. airasia has license to fly four times a week during weekdays but not on sundays. it's confirmed that actually they've been flying every sunday, and the minister made bold statements in an interview earlier with al jazeera. >> if any airlines does the same thing, we will cancel their license. if everybody doing it we will cancel everything. >> meaning all flights from indonesia. >> if they break the rules, we will cancel. >> many questions still have to be answered. this comes at a time when also

the whole airline entry in indonesia is under a lot of pressure again for their very poor safety records. that is something that the minister has told us in the interview he wants to improve very quickly and very significantly with very bold measures. he said they need to change the whole culture the whole culture of safety consciousness in the airline entry in indonesia. >> returning to our top story israel freezing funds taxes that it collects on behalf of the palestinian authority for retaliation of palestine's bid for membership to the international criminal court. from ramallah, i suppose it did not come as much of a surprise to you? >> no, not at all. because this is their practice.

zoo they will hold these funds and people will not be able to play the schools hospitals medical supplies, so it effects the whole nation. this shows that this is when it comes to exercising political punishment they're hoping that 4 million palestinians, starving them because they want to act with impunity. they want to act with impunity. they want to kill. destroy gaza. destroy our way of life this will be the hope that the

international community will stand shoulder to shoulder with us and if they want to defeat terrorism, they must fight the swamp of injustice in this region. >> you were saying that the move by the israeli government came as no surprise to you. indeed, we could argue that this is really one of the factors that caused mammock acompass to hold back, if you like. he has been wanting to take the struggle to the international arena. we're seeing concrete steps in that direction. we we're expecting a financial backlash from the united states. so in some ways this is something that you are expecting. you knew this was going to

happen. >> and if we go to the security council now that best way for us. the only option is to have these criminal acts held accountable. >> are you also worried about financial backlash from the u.s. the the second largest after europe. are you worried about steps that could be taken by them to cut aid and the potential instability this could cause in the west bank possibly as well?

>> we appreciate your time. thank you. >> now to our other top stories. 20 coptic christians have been kidnapped according to their priest. masked gunmen attacked them entering their residents and separating them from muslims. the christians had been working in libya to support their families in egypt it has become a haven in libya for armed groups since the over flow of muammar qaddafi. meanwhile, 17 people were killed at check points. the security in libya has worsen as several armed groups and two rifle government battle for control of the country.

now, an al-qaeda suspect accused of being behind the bombings and tanzania in 1998 died in the u.s. al dib-liby died just days before he was to go to trial. take us through the figure of anas al-liby. how big of a figure was he in al-qaeda? >> it's not clear that he was a top operative in al-qaeda. he was indicted along with 20 other people. he carried out surveillance and did scouting type activities.

he did plead not guilty before he died so we won't know what his defense might have been. but it's interesting that of the 21 people indicted of those two bombings in 1998, 20 are dead. the majority were killed on the battlefield by u.s. troops. there are six people in prison serving life sentences in the united states, and only three including al-qaeda's top person are still at large.

>> i think the obama administration when they wanted to shut down guantanamo bay, he was not able to do so because of political opposition within the public party and his own democratic party. he has been trying to shut down the facility in guantanamo bay by transferring the remaining detainees there. but the administration has taken the view that the prosecution of terrorism suspects is best done in the regular court system in the united states rather than in the newly created tribunal system that is--that rules as it were in the case of guantanamo. so although they have not been entirely successful in removing all the guantanamo inmates or in stopping the tribunals all together they have managed to successfully prosecute a number of al-qaeda operatives,

including several involved in the east africa bombings from back in 1998. it's a sign, really, of how much this continue conflict between the united states and alqaida how much al-qaeda has been ground down and degraded over the years. >> rob reynolds in washington, d.c. thank you. moving to syria now where three opposition groups in the south of the country have announced a merger for what they call the first army. the opposition has been weakened by infighting and that. >> announcing the merger of three rebel groups based in the south. they feel they will have more success from regime forces. opposition groups emerged in the

past with limited success. in 2013 search groups united in a cause of the islamic front. in the northern city of aleppo they joined forces with other rebel group. but fighters say that integration was limited and aleppo remains a city besieged by regime forces. infighting has weakened groups radios syria. syrian tv say president bashar al-assad visited this neighborhood recently. the rebels say that's untrue because they control the area. >> we dismissed the false report perpetrated by the regime lying media regime that bashar al-assad has been in this area. that's the parliament square and the hospital. >> near the lebanese border

al nusra front has attacked the area. they have the backing of hezbollah, a lebanese shia organization. syria's war is not a simple one of opposition versus government. there are many groups and many allegiances. what is clear that whatever side syrians are on the fighting and the chaos show no sign of ending. al jazeera. >> still ahead for you this half hour. >> dealing with an incredibly dangerous fire. >> areas at risk in australia where bush fires are out of control. >> and what a journey the russian railway line that nearly went extinct are a few years ago finds that life really does begin at 40.

>> it's a chilling and draconian sentence... it simply cannot stand. >> its disgraceful... the only crime they really committed is journalism... >> they are truth seekers... >> all they really wanna do is find out what's happening, so they can tell people... >> governments around the world all united to condemn this... >> as you can see, it's still a very much volatile situation... >> the government is prepared to carry out mass array... >> if you want free press in the new democracy let the journalists live. >> the stream, >> your digital community >> you pick the hot topics

and express your thoughts the stream it's your chance to join the conversation only on al jazeera america >> welcome back. we'll update you on our top stories. israel is holding $127 million of tax revenue from the palestinian authorities in retaliation for their bid for the international criminal court. and indonesia authorities are threatening to re revoke airasia's license after plane crash. al-qaeda suspect anas al-liby died from cancer just

days before he was to stand trial in the u.s. he is suspected of being the mart mastermind of attacks in 1998. 208 people died in those attacks. a new and cold blooded tactic of human traffickers. >> they have spent many days at sea some of it in fear that they might be shipwrecked. coming off the vessel designed to carry cattle, not people, must have been an enormous relief and exhausted they must have been. italian medics were ready for them with a level of sympathy for refugees that many european politicians now lack. >> we need to create humanitarian corridors that is

free from greedy human traffickers that feed on desperate people. >> it was the second such incident in four days. after another vessel with nearly 1,000 on board had to be rescued close to the italian coast before it, too became wrecked. the commander of the coast guard said that he believes that the crew disabled the ship before abandoning it with the knowledge that the italian navy would come to rescue. this is their assumption that is the traffickers new.

>> we worry there will be new cases. >> herding refugees around in a boat designed for cattle might sound unbelieve by cynical but it's also lucrative for the traffickers, because it affords them the opportunity to move people by the hundreds into europe at a time in the winter when small boats and dingies simply wouldn't be able to cope with the waves. that is now a huge problem for europe's border agencies. >> they're all safe for new, but there is a huge new challenge for the italian navy and the european border force. 170,000 people reached europe last year. 2015 has begun the predictions with great numbers. al jazeera southern italy. >> bush fires are burning out of

control in australia. homes have been destroyed many more at risk in the state of south australia. emergency crews in victoria and tasmania are battling fires there. nicole johnson has the latest. >> it's summer in australia. that means bush fire season. accepting temperatures soars to over 40 degrees celsius. it's a lethal combination searing heat, strong winds and strong dry grass. >> the sound of the roar over the hills almost like a jet engine of an april. it's getting louder and louder. >> thousand was people have fled from their homes. and there are fears that dozens have been lost in the fires. at least five homes have burned to the ground so far. >> we have lost properties.

>> police have declared the fire is a major emergency. this gives them the power to force people from their homes. >> we're dealing with an incredibly dangerous fire. your life is at risk. >> it's hard work for firefighters, so far six have been injured. officials are calling on other states to help, but they have their own problems. in the neighboring state of victoria, bush fires have also threaten the homes in the coastal area of the peninsula and in farming areas in the west. >> we just quickly went back for a couple of things. they said, look, we can't save anyone's house. they said, look, i think yours and your neighbor's are going to be part of them. >> a wall of flames and smoke is turning the scrub black. and for some, bringing back memories of the state's greatest bush fire disaster 35 years ago. 75 people were killed and it became known as ash wednesday.

everyone is hoping these fires won't end up raffling that one. but australia has a long summer ahead of it, and fires have become a dangerous part of it. nicole johnston, al jazeera. >> police in india have arrested five men in the leamed kidnapping and gang rape of a japanese tourist. three of the men have been taken into judicial custody. the victim was held for more than a month and repeatedly raped. >> fresh sanctions on north korea's targeting pyongyang's defense industry. sanctions for the attack on sony picture, but north korea denyies any involvement. >> reporter: the film study has released it's new comedy about

two functional journalists inlisted to kill north korea's leader kim jong-un. >> the cia would love it if you two could take him out. >> hmm? >> take him out. >> take him out. >> what, for drinks? >> sony pictures initially called off the release after if faced you unprecedented cyberattacks and threats against theaters screening the film, a move criticized by president obama. he insisted the sanctions are not against north koreans saying the order is not targeted at the people of north korea but rather the government of north korea and it's activities that threaten united states and others. the white house said it will wage cyber warfare. >> we'll respond proportionally

and in a place time and manner that we choose. >> north korea has denied any involvement in cyberattacks, but two companies involved in its weapons program are being sanctions. one is a korean mining corporation and trading corporation. north korea is blaming the u.s. for its internet outage which interrupted a mall amount of people from surfing the web. north korea is already under tough u.s. sanctions for its nuclear program but it's not clear what impact, if any these two one also have on its struggling economy. al jazeera. >> lawyers for jailed al jazeera journalists mohamed fahmy, bader mohammed, and peter greste have filed requests that they be deported from egypt. they have been in prison for more than a year. they were wrongly convicted of

broadcasting false news and helping the outlawed muslim brotherhood, which al jazeera denies. the court ordered a retrial that could begin in a month. al jazeera continues to demand their immediate release. >> saudi arabia's king has been in hospital in riyadh since wednesday. gunmen in nigeria expected to be from boko haram have kidnapped 40 boys from bore know state. dozens of fighters stormed through a village on new year's eve close to the boko haram town of gwoza. residents say that gunmen gathered outside of their home and preached to them. the u.n. said that the ebola outbreak in west africa could be over by the end of this year. so far more than 8,000 people have died. the u.n. missed it's december

target to stop the spread of the virus. now you've heard of the transsiberian railway, but russia's main line is celebrating 40 years. built in the 1970's by young communists the railway is getting new lease on life transporting mineral resources through siberia. >> reporter: thousand kilometers of hardened steel it slices from the pacific coast to the heart of siberia passing seven mountain ranges and crossing 11 alpine rivers on its route. this is the late soviet era project that is currently enjoying a second life. >> changes are very visible and

they are good changes in terms of freight traffic. there is more work. >> freight is what it was built for, but this level of activity is a fairly recent boom. in the early 1990s it was judged uneconomical. many mines had been built for service and never properly exploited, it looked like in the chaos of post soviet russia it would die a sorry death. after a six-hour shift coal miners surface into the minus 40-degree dusk. deep underground the next shift is already working. these days extraction companies are exploiting mineral deposits as fast as they can. >> we have huge reserves of coal that we need to get to consumers consumers. without it, we cannot deliver anything. we are connected to to it to get

to foreign customers china korea, japan. >> the colossal effort in the construction tens of thousands of volunteers, enthusiastic young communists answered the call to grab a pickaxe and head east. they are pleased that their efforts were not wasted. >> they say here there are 12 months of winter and the rest is summer. there were many difficulties mosquitoes, cold and frost. they say that birds would freeze in midair. for us veterans it's nice to see that it's not a road to nowhere but a road to development of the country. >> whether it fully materialized

as russia's economy worsens the future will reveal. for now though, this train keeps rolling. al jazeera, in russia's far east. >> for all the lates on the stories we're covering, www.aljazeera.com is waiting. our dimgit al producer is bringing in your comments fr