i.s.i.l. fighters destroy iraqi history smashing ancient artefacts to pieces. hello, welcome to al jazeera. live from our headquarters in doha i'm elizabeth prarnan. he's known as jihadion reports claim to have unmasked the man appearing in beheading video. >> protests in hong kong as an abusive employer sented to six years yip

how cuban ballet dancers in the united states feel about restoring diplomatic relations. the united nations is condemning the construction of iraq's ancient history. priceless statues, thousands of years old have been smashed. the director of the museum confirmed that newly released video of men with lunch hammers are genuine. some of the pieces smashed were plaster copies. the united nations condemned the attack. >> the destruction of artefacts as we see in iraq today is reprehensible, and in violation of the latest security council resolution that we have just seen resolution 21:99. the director-general of u.n.e.s.c.o. asked the president of the security council to convene a meeting on this

matter so they can address the destruction of arty facts. as you know when history is destroyed, you destroy the future of a country, you fuel sectorism and violence. robbing the millennial culture of iraq puts its future at rick. 20 iraqi soldiers have been killed in a battle over a seized bridge. is it connect baghdadi to a province close to an air base used used by the iraqi and coalition base. people are being evacuated by baghdadi amidst fierce fighting. i.s.i.l. has taken a bridge

between baghdadi and haditha. it is in a province where tribes are trying to fight i.s.i.l. fighting has been fierce around abu bakr al-baghdadi -- around baghdadi. that base is home to u.s. military trainers and the coalition partners, and an attempted suicide bombing attack. according to security sources, i.s.i.l. retook the bridge on the euphrates river. after that they sent a military truck with suicide bombers to try to bomb a gate to the base. they didn't make it to the gate. they did make it to a checkpoint. that's where three suicide bombers detonated. several officers and soldiers were killed in the attack.

baghdadi is where families are under siege. the military opened a corridor to avoid the treacherous route to the capital, or vending them on an around about route by road. there's few families left and the situation is still dire. >> an iraqi air strike is said to have fuel fighters. it is believed to have sheen attack in western iraq. i.s.i.l. commanders are among the injured. for months now videos showing a masked man threatening to behead westerners in iraq and syria shocked the world. now he's been identified as a kuwaiti born british man from london. lawrence lee reports.

>> by the time the reporters turned up. they were long gone. police were around, and reports emerged that their son was a murderer easy to understand why they didn't want to be there. >> you have probably donated 100 million. it's weeks since the american security services said their recognition software helped them identify the man called jihadi john slightly ridiculous seeing he was involved in beheading captives aid workers and journalists, people who could not defend themselves and had not gone to fight. he was the narrator of an organization tearing through iraq and syria as much of the world looked on in disbelief. the question is raised as to what if anything, the british security services knew. neither they nor the police would comment. the organization which hears

complaints from muslims about their lives in britain knew him, he told him he had been harassed by the security services and they blocked him returning to kuwait. >> the man who knew him was described as a beautiful person. enraged at his treatment. this is the problem, creating an environment in which the security agencies can act with impugn itty destroying the live of people. to add to it. they linked each other as men angered because of their experiences at the hands of british security. they can't talk about specific cases. efforts to maintain safety in the u.k. are proportionate.

the question is how dangerous he was. this appears to be a successful young man removed from the stereotype of a loser at risk of radicalize people over all they are well educated socially mobile. not people that come from depov riched backgrounds. the people made its mind up and until he teaks the hood off it won't be known for certain. his parents don't believe it's him. >> al qaeda's alleged former head of public relations has been convicted of conspiracy by a court in new york.

he faces life in prison for involvement in the u.s. embassy bombings in 1998, which killed 224 people. prosecutors said the saudi arabia was one of osama bin laden's closest aids. >> a court in hong kong sentenced a woman for six years for abusing here maid. the victim welcomed the judgment insisting more reforms were necessary. the former employer was convicted of 18 charges ranging from assault to failure to pay wages. the trial highlighted the plight of domestic workers. let's go to our correspondent joining us live from outside the court in hong kong. the judge handing down the maximum assistance there. >> that's right, in passing sentence six years is pretty much the maximum she was able to give for the offenses. the judge, amanda woodcock

dismissed the defense claims that her obsessiveness about the cleanliness of her department which led to the way she was treated was because she was concerned about a skip alernaling. she said it wasn't an excuse and pointed to the physical evidence. evidence of virtual tart tour suffered as corroborating the claims much systemic abuse over a number of months. in passing sentence, she showed no emotion, her head was bowed. she wore dark classes as the translation was given to her by a translator. in what was a packed courtroom. also rites groups of course have been represented, and are still outside here. they are outside the courtroom here, and she, herself, is expected to be here to give her

rehabilitation to this decision. she was here for the original verdict. she's come back from indonesia for the sentence. in the past she said she may forgive mrs. law, the former employer. at the moment she wants to see the maximum handed down. >> with all the attention on the case, granted it is an extreme case, to what extent has it highlight treatment. >> it has. the ones following are the third of a million migrant workers, mostly in domestic work. what gives hope to a lot.

the judge said cases could be prevented by legislative protection. he wanted to hear that. that could be significant. the migrant groups called for a number of measures giving workers greater protection, and the same kind of rights they believe as other hong kong citizens believing if you are a migrant worker you are treated as a second class citizen. >> rob mcbride joining us from hong kong. more than 1,000 afghan soldiers are helping to search for avalanche survivors. 165 people have been killed. homes, schools and mosques have been buried. let's go to nicole johnson. joining us live. a rising death toll. how is the search and rescue operation going?

>> that's right, the death toll is rising and, in fact it's higher than the number you mentioned. 197 people have died in the snow storms and the avalanches over the last few days. the police chief and local officials think that that figure will rise higher. the reason for that is there are dozens and dozens of villages further, deeper into the valley that they cannot reach at the moment. they have no contact with them. they've had helicopter flights over the area and can see that many of the villages are covered, blanketed in snow. they are concerned about how many people are trapped and how many could have died. >> difficult situation. we'll have to leave it there because of the bad audio connection. thank you very much with an update.

nicole johnson live coming up on al jazeera, u.s. regulators approve new rules governing the internet. and jeremy mounts a public -- germany mounts a public campaign to curb a growing measles outbreak. here in ten years. >> nasa steps in to help protect the future of the planet. >> the tropics regulate our climate. >> "techknow" heads to costa rica to see how one rainforest is fighting back. >> wow! some of these are amazing. >> "techknow's" team of experts show you how the miracles of science... >> this is my selfie, what can you tell me about my future? >> can affect and surprise us. >> don't try this at home. >> "techknow" where technology meets humanity. monday, 5:30 eastern.

he's out there. there's a guy out there whose making a name for himself in a sport where your name and maybe a number are what define you. somewhere in that pack is a driver that can intimidate the intimidator. a guy that can take the king 7 and make it 8. heck. maybe even 9. make no mistake about it. they're out there. i guarantee it. welcome to the nascar xfinity series.

>> sunday, the parents of captured american reporter austin tice. >> austin went missing in syria. >> campaigning for his release and maintaining hope. >> austin tice is alive. >> find him and get him home. >> a special "talk to al jazeera". sunday, 5:30 eastern. only on al jazeera america. good to have you with us. i'm elizabeth puranam in doha these are the top storeys. i.s.i.l. fighters in iraq smashed statues that are thousands of years old. the director of the museum

confirmed newly released video of men with sledge hammers were genuine. some of the pieces smashed were plaster copies. the united nations condemns the destruction of iraq's ancient history. i.s.i.l. fighters are reported to have seized control of a bridge in anbar. 20 soldiers were killed in the battle. it connect the cities of haditha and baghdady. close to an air base used by both military. >> a court in hong kong sentences a woman to six years in prison for repeatedly abusing her indonesian house made. she was convicted of assault to failure to pay wages. india's parliament is expected to review a food subsidy programme. the prime minister wants to lower the number of beneficiaries from 67% of india's over 1 billion people to

40%. the government providing 18 billion in food subsidies, providing cheap ice and wheat. 40% is wasted. punjab is a food basket producing rice and other products that feed the scheme. we speak to a farmer. >> reporter: for as long as he can remember this man sold most of the wheat he grows to the indian government. he worries his son will not follow him into the family business, because pol sterns are talking about changing the state-run public distribution system saying if the public buys less it will roou yin him. >> translation: the form -- farming sector will be destroyed.

77% are associated with farming. if 77% are broken they'll be defaulters. how will the country operate. >> reporter: the government feeds hundreds of millions by buying food at a set price. food is a sensitive issue in india, and talk of changes to the scheme makes political allies nervous. >> we gave the government time. if they won't implement changes, and if they roll back the scheme it will be dangerous for them and the country. india's food aid programme is said to cost the state $20 billion a year much 70% of the population benefits the public distribution system is considered by some economists as a burden on the economy. faced with opposition from disgruntled farmers and political allies the government will have to act discretely as

it decides access. not everyone is waiting. some farmers are thinking creatively and are moving on. it's been 15 years sin that man invested in high tech farming practices. he earns hundreds of thousands by selling produce. he says farmers need to adapt. >> translation: our farmer is happy with the fixed rate and is increasing profits by increasing land holdings. he's innovating and finding ways. if he doesn't catch up to world standards, he'll be left behind. the prime minister says hoo will not destroy schemes like the public distribution system that support india's poor but to prepare for the future farmers may have to go through integration to be profitable jordan and israel signed a

deal to help save the shrinking dead see and combat water short 'ems kicking off the first phase fsz a project pumping water from the red sea to the dead see. it provide water to israel jordan and the palestinian territories, it comes a day offer negotiations and a letter of intent. protesters in greece threw petrol bombs at riot police at the syriza partiy since it formed a new government. they smashed shop windows. the unrest coming before german members wrote on whether to extend the financial life line. greece gets a 4-month ex-continuings to the bail out. in return for economic reform. >> now, the german government launched a campaign to tackle an outbreak of measles. politicians are worried that efforts to eradicate the disease

are failing. from berlin nick spicer reports. >> a public service announcement earn couraging people to get themselves and children vaccinated. not everyone is listening. this woman ignored her doctor's advice and her two kids suffered the disease, suffering high temperatures and skip rashes. she said what they went through is better than the side affects of vaccination, which thee claims includes baddal urgeies. >> no one could convenience me that it could afford protection. it's not clear how the immune system works. i'm certain i do not want to vaccinate by children. >> there has been a spike in cases, 570. this school was shut down for a day at the beginning of the week when one student fell ill with measles others were asked to

stay home because they were not vaccinated. a day later a baby died in hospital. bad news especially for a government it hoped to eradicate measles. >> it's something the government thinks it's worth working towards, even if it means making it mandatory with the law. >> my personal view as a doctor is if i take a strong position on scenes and reject modern day science, that's fine. it is not so fine if it concerns the children who may take away diseases from which they'll never recover. >> the government want to reach parts of the public that may demonstrate scr got the message. argentina's president has been given welcome news. there's not enough evidence to

investigate allegations against cristina fernandez de kirchner, offer the cover up of a pom attack. prosecution lawyers may appeal the judge's ruling it's causing controversy after the death of a prosecutor who alleged the president had something to hide. latin america editor lucia newman reports from buenos aires. >> this is a significant ruling and good news for president cristina fernandez de kirchner had the president moved forward she may have faced impeachment and prison had she been found guilty of charges she denied. the timing has not been better. she's due to give the last speech to the nation on sunday before stepping down and rather than being on the defensive she'll be victorious. she's not over yet. the prosecution can appeal and in the same week that judges and

prosecutors accuse the government of politicizing the judiciary and pressuring the system. there may likely be charges founded or not that she pressured the judge and may have have a hand in the ruling. >> internet activists declare victory over cable companies after a major ruling in the u.s. the agency has voted to impose the toughest rules yet on broadband internet providers. >> reporter: the u.s. federal communications commission decided to treat the internet like a utility, and there'll be no fast line. >> with a shout out to 4 million americans, who took their time to share with us their views. today history is being made by a majority of this commission. we vote for a fast fair and

open internet. and with that i will call for the yeas and nays. all in fave say hiwot ayalew. -- aye. opposed. no. the ayes have it. >> f.c.c. chairman wheeler originally wanted to do away with net neutrality it attracted millions of comments and outcry. the question was whether to allow providers to charm a premium for a faster for reliable internet. the rest of us would have a slower connection. thing about to this way. speed makes or breaks the companies that deliver content through the web. when you see that a site is loading and loading, you click away. faster sites have the advantage. the idea is that we should travel the same roads on the internet, whether you are net fix or an upstart, you use the same digital highway. that makes the internet a

revolutionary tool. everywhere reaches everyone else at the same speed. for years, providers like comcast, time warner atnt and verizon argued they should charge more for a faster form creating a separate lane meaning those that couldn't afford it will share a slower crowded digital highway. that segregation would kill the free and open internet. now the f.c.c. will regulate the service the same way as phone service or highways. it will prevent broadband providers blocking or limiting content a truck driver strike in brazil distributed food supplies for the past fine days. basic goods are not reaching supermarkets. dressers are blocking roads in nine -- drivers are blocking roads in nine states

firefighters in argentina are battling a while fire that has been raging for four days. large areas have been destroyed. tourists have been left stranded by floods in peru emergency workers building a pulley system to rescue tourists in the misteric ruins. -- historic roou jup. ins -- roou jinls. a march in mexico marks the anniversary of the disappearance of 43 students. investigators say the student teachers were abducted by corrupt police officers and handed to a drug gang and murdered. the mayor and his wife have been implicated talks for cubans on normalizing relations. talks of bringing hope of ending 50 years of hurt and lifting of

the crippling trade embargo. andy gallagher has the story. this is the brandon city ballet in central florida, a small dance company with big ambitions. the artistic director wants to bring ballet to the masses. he defected from cuba 10 years ago, and is keen to nurter the talents of others. dancers like ricardo who has been here for for months. the 23-year-old coming to the u.s. most of the family is on the island. like many he's nervous talking about u.s. relations. he tells us he hopes that changes are positive for both countries, he especially wants challenge for cuba its people and his family. like ricardo, annie made the difficult decision to defect to

the u.s. he, too, left friends and family behind to pursue a dancing career she has a goal in mind for the future. >> my hope and dream is that my family joins me in the united states. if the situation were to get better in cuba. i realise it's a personal decision, and i would understand if they didn't want to leave the country. they are home to three dancers coming to the u.s. for a better life. like those before them. they are realistic about the face of change. >> it will take time fro both countries in my humble opinion to get to a good relationship and, you know something that can be good for the people. >> all three of the dancers that made the difficult journey to this company are watching the normalization process carefully, but with caution. all three of the young people

have bright futures. tempered by expectations of what might happen in the months ahead. on"america tonight", the 50th anniversary of "the sound of music." meet the family that inspired the hit film. >> the movie, obviously thrust your family into the limelight. what parallels between the movie and your family are real? >> the main theme of the film is accurate. and pick out a few