nightmare at the museum. isil fighters destroy centuries old statues in mosul in an attack against iraq's heritage. meanwhile the isil fighter responsible for killing hostages is identified as a british graduate from london. ♪ ♪ hello there, you are watching al jazerra live from doha. also coming up here in the program, the hong kong made abuse case, a woman is jailed to six years for mistreating her indonesian domestic helper. and how will the budget affect india's massive food aid program?

♪ ♪ united nations is condemning the destruction of iraq's ancient history by isil fighters. priceless statues some more than 2,000 years old have been smashed to pieces. the director of the mosul museum has confirmed this newly released video of men in sledge ham percent genuine. the u.n.'s cultural agency called for an emergency meeting over an attack on iraqi heritage. >> i think the destruction of artifacts as we are seeing in iraq today is reprehensibly. it is also in violation of the latest security council resolution we have just seen 2199. the director general of you necessary co has just asked the president of the security council to convene an urgent meet on the ground this matter so the security council can address the destruction of artifacts. as you know, when history is

destroyed, you also destroy the future i've country. you fuel sectarianism. you fuel even more violence, ranking the millennial culture of iraq. puts its future at risk. >> and isil fighters have seized control of a bridge that link twos cities, it connects the city in anbar province close to be a air base use booed i both the iraqi and u.s. military. early reports at least 20 iraqi soldiers were killed in the battle of the u.s. allies say the total is much lower. and an iraqi air strike is believed to have killed isil fighters and civilians. this video is said to show the attack. hospital staff say at least nine civilians many isil fighters were killed in the acta. isil commanders are among the injured. now, for many months videos show a maskedded man threaten to go behead westerners have shocked

the world. now that man has been identified as a kuwait-y born british sit sen from london. lawrence lee reports. >> reporter: by the time the reporters turned up at the family home in west on london they were gone. the police had already been around. reports had emerged that arison was a murderer. you can understand why they didn't want to be there. >> you have proudly donated 100 million to kill our women and children to destroy the home of the muslims 67 it's some weeks says the security services go ahead their voice recognition software had helped identify jihadi john, a slightly ridiculous name given that this this was a man involved in bedding cap taoufred aid workers and journalists. he became the narrater of the also of an organization that tore through eye wrapping and syria as much the world look

odds in disbelief. >> reporter: the question is already being raised as for what, if anything, the british secure tiff services knew of him, but neither they nor the police would comments. but this organization, which routinely hears complaints from muslims about britain did know him. he had told them that he had been repeatedly harassed by the security services who even blocked him from return to kuwait where he was born, the man who knew him describes him as a beautiful person, enraged as his treatment -- en beige rain the at his treatment by the british authorities. >> this is the problem that we have created here in the u.k. as environment in which the security agencies can act with impunity, can destroy the lives of young people. without any recourse to be able to challenge them in an effective way. >> reporter: to add to it all. cage linked him with michael the killer of the british soldier lee rigby as men who had been angered because of their experiences at the hands of british security.

they say they can't talk about specific case buzz their effort to his maintain safety in the u.k. are proportionate to the threats. whether or not the security services here did try to stop him from returning home to kuwait from london, they certainly seem to know who he was. the question, is how dangerous they thought he was because after all this appears to be a successful young man far removed from the stereo type of the isolated loser apparently at risk of radicalizing influences. >> someone well edge eighted as educated. looking at the profile of people going to syria, they are well educated socially mobile people. they are not coming from immaterial popper issued or deprived background. >> reporter: the media has made its mind of that this is mohamed. until he takes the hood off it won't be known for certain. his parents apparently don't believe it's him. but that's understandable.

lawrence lee, al jazerra in london. at least 197 people are now confirmed to have died in the afghanistan avalanche. more than a thousand soldiers are helping in the search and recovery operation. homes, schools and mosques were buried in the northeastern paragraph ins. nicole johnston has more from kabul. >> reporter: the police chief and the governor say that there are dozens of villages that they can simply not contact at the moment. these are isolated villages high up in the mountains much further down in to the city. there is estimates that some 200 families are unaccounted for at the moment. afghan security services have tried to reach the areas. heldhelicopters have been called in but unable to lands. 600 vehicles from afghan security forces have been enter into today.

there are are over a thousand troops in trying to clear the way. there is only one road in which is a big part of the problem. afghan security serve forces are also hampered by the fact that they don't have all the necessary equipment they need or the expertise. afghanistan's president will be visiting the area at the moment. the government is under a lot of pressure to try and do something to try and help the situation. and get surprise to people who desperately need it. this is an area that a lot of the political elite in kabul come from and that's putting extra pressure on the government. sincere i can't's civil war began almost four years ago, at least 12 million people have been displaced. many have sought refuge abroad of but according to u.n. estimates the majority have been internally displaced. more than 7.6 million. al jazerra's diplomatic editor james bays has the latest from the united nations. >> reporter: almost exactly a year ago there was a rare moment of unity in the security council

on the situation in syria. they voted unanimously urging greater human humanitarian access since then it's become much worse one year ago the death toll quoted by the u.n. is 100,000, now it's over 250,000 a year ago there were 2.4 million refugees. through 3.8 million, 2 million under the age of the 18. they risk becoming a lost generation and inside syria the security council was told the international community is failing to help those living under siege. >> over 2 million people in a help a have been effected by willful denial of water and electricity by parties to the conflict this month. of the 212,000 people who are besieged, in conditions that did deteriorate every day only 304

were reached with food in january. >> reporter: the security council was told the barrel bomb attacks are intensifying and increasingly access to aid is being used as a weapon of war. it was a sobering meeting and at the end of her speech, the u.s. ambassador samantha powers said if this doesn't motivate us, nothing will. a man described by prosecutors of one of al qaeda's early leaders 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 kenya and tan is no a in 1998 which willed 324 people. prosecutors say the saudi arabian with on was one of osama bin laden's closist aids. a court in hong kong has sentenced a woman to prison for six years for abusing her indonesian made. the women welcomes the judgment

but insists more reforms are necessary. her former employer was recently convicted of 18 charges ranging from assault to failure to pay wages, the high-profile trial has given light to the problems. >> reporter: in delivering the sentence of six years in prison, the nearly the maximum that was able to be given in this case, the judge amanda woodcock dismissed her claims by her defense attorneys that she was a good wife and mother and that her obsessiveness with the cleanliness of her apartment which seemingly led to the way she treated her made was because of a skin allergy being suffered by her son the judge said there was enough physical proof to substantiate the claims of months of abuse virtual slavery at the hands of her. law had been found guilty in a previous hearing of 18 of 20 counts relating not only to the

made, but also to another made. during the sentencing, mrs. law kept her head bowed showing no obvious reaction in what was a packed courtroom. this is a case that has gained international attention many media were inside the court and also rights advocate and the made herself. she had been there for the original judge. had come back to hong song for the sentencing and came out of the court to give her reaction to this case, she has said in the past that she might at some point be able to forgive mrs. law, but in the meantime wanted to see the maximum sentence passed on to her the judge also said that case could have been avoided and further caseses like this could possibly be avoided if domestic workers had greater legislative protection in hong kong. the made has become a focal point for not only campaigners in support of her but also the rights of migrant workers here, some third of a million migrant

workers mainly in domestic service cleaning the apartments of hong kong people and mainly from indonesia and the philippines whom rights groups say are almost treated at second class citizens. you are with al jazerra still to come here on program we'll be telling you how the crisis in libya is hitting the tunisian economy. and we hear from cuban-americanbullet dancers on what they thing of communists cozying up.

>> 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. ♪ ♪ welcome back.

the top stories. isil fighters in iraq have smashed priceless statues which are thousands of years old. the director of mosul museum has confirmed that newly released video of men with sledge hammers is general within. the united nations condemn the attack on the iraqi heritage. syria's warring puts the country's youth at risk of becoming a lost generation the highlights made during a u.n. council meeting highlighting the urgency of the refugees crisis. at least 197 people are now confirmed to have died in an avalanche in afghanistan. more than a thousand soldiers are helping in the search and recovery operation. tunisian police have arrested 13 people on terrorism charges, the interior ministry says the suspects were involved in the killing of four policemen in the are algeria border. four women were among those detained an estimated 100 people have been arrested in the last

three days as part of the government's anti-terror initiative. violence in libya is affecting businesses across the border in true year a. border towns where people depend on the flow of traffic have been worst affected the movement has dwindled since authorities close the crossings. >> reporter: not many customers come to his shop she is days, he says business has been slowed down. ever since the tunisian government imposed an export tax of about 15-dollars for each foreigner leaving the country with goods through land borders. >> translator: so the libyans don't come anymore. i used to have 50 to 60 clients per day. now there are none. my income did decreased. our situation got worse with the chaos in lib kwr5678 the world bank says cross border illegal trade is costing tunisia more than $600 million per year and as a consequence the government decided to clamp down. the official border crossing is

still open but there is much less traffic. not only because of the increase in fees, but also because of the lack of security on the roads inside libya. now, a few months ago the government had declared this whole bodder area a military zone the army has been deployed to stop any weapons or fighters from getting in to the country but it's having an impact on people's income. southern tunisia is mainly oil smuggling from libya since the security has been beefed up. this illegal trade has come to a stop. now there is little to do for most of the people here. >> translator: nothing will change whether one talks or not. it was daily trade. they call it smuggling. it was just enough to feed us, nothing more, now there is nothing. >> reporter: the situation has hit young people, particularly hard in an area where economic development is close to none. some say it's so dire it is pushing some of the youth to look in to the wrong direction. >> translator: the youth in this

country are under pressure to find a solution. they have lost all hope. so they deciding to and maybe die. >> reporter: it's a worry that haunts him his two sons of 28 and 30 years old are unemployed. he says they are at breaking point. >> translator: they could steal, they could look the other way and join isil. they have nothing to lose. of course some will go for sure. the government is doing nothing for them. my sons are disgusted. there is so much danger for the youth now. >> reporter: people here say the area is safe for now. and no one has joined the ranks of isil, so far. but they wonder how much worse things will get as the crisis in libya continues to deteriorate. al jazerra along tunisia's border with libya. now, the indian government has released its annual economic survey and says growth will be more than 8% this year. the survey is the government's chance to publish its thoughts on one of asia's largest

economies. and it comes a day before india's annual budget is presented. let's go live to new delhi. one of the things people think the budget might be affecting is the food aid subsidy program. that has been quite controversial, hasn't it? >> reporter: it is. as you have mentioned a highly controversial program. one that some economists over the yards since it's been running have described as burdensome wasteful and inefficient and a stick point like in the trade world organization india procuring and storing food for this program nearly ground the world trade organization negotiate to a halt last year bench you we should say in terms of the economic survey, it -- the finance minister has announced that last year the cost of this grows by 20% now it's how the government assesses this or perhaps redefines the scheme to perhaps pull back toss costs is what farmers will be watching. we have been speak to some of

them and this is what they have to say about a scheme that many of he them rely on for a livelihood. for as long as he can recognize he has sold most of the wheat he grows to the indian government. but he now worries his son won't follow him in to the family business because politicians are talking about changing the state-run public distribution system. he says if the government decides to buy less grain, it will ruin him. >> the entire farming sector will be destroyed. we are an agricultural economy 70% of people are here are associated with farming. if 70% are broke edge, we become defaulters. how will the country operate? >> reporter: the government feeds hundreds of millions of people by buying food at a set price from farmers like him. food is a sensitive issue in india and in states like punish jam jab talks of changes to the

scheme makes even political allies nervous. >> we have given the government tight and the majority in parliament if the changes come and if they roll back the food subside i scheme it will be dangerous for them and the country. >> reporter: i want i can't's food aid program is said to cost the state nearly $20 billion a year. and while 70% of the population benefits from it. the public distribution system is considered by some economists as a huge burden on the economy. the government will have to act discreetly as it decides its future cost of action, some farmers are thinking reindicate i feel and moving on. he moved on a long time action. it's been 15 years since he decided to invest in high-tech farming methods today he earns hundreds of thousands of dollars every year by selling high quality produce he says farmers

need to adapt if they want to survive. >> translator: a farmer is happy with the fixed rate he's getting and his increasing profits by increasing his land holding but he's not finding ways to survive nay tough market if he doesn't catch up to world standards he will be left behind. >> reporter: prime minister says he will not completely withdraw schemes like the public distribution system that support india's poor. but to prepare for the future farmfarmers here may have to grow through innovation to remain prop table. in states like these, they consider their futures and what may happen to the scheme it lies on the first national budget to be presented by the finance minister on saturday, tomorrow. one of the my highly anticipated budgets in india in years being compared to the lands mark budget in 1991 where india opened up and made some very tough reforms reforms and changes.

thanks very much for that indeed. our our correspondent in new delhi. my year i can't's president has made a surprise visit to town recaptured by the army from boko haram. his first stop he inspected weapons his joels took back from the fighters, from there he went to a key town ceased by boko haram in january, last week the army managed to push the armed group out of the town bordering chad. to the u.s. now where what's been billed as the largest gathering of conservatives in america is under way. for four days the conservative political action committee will hear from some of the biggest names in the republican party. the group has been criticize today appealing too just a narrow group of voters. alan fish irrelevant reports. >> reporter: they are the committed the it's one of the most important republican gather

goes of the year, heading in to a presidential election. >> the men and women gathered here today will play a critical role. >> reporter: it's eye required stop in anyone looking to win the nomination. >> c pack is a very important voice to republicans it may not be a majority of republicans but it is a very substantial segment of the republican party. and it is the most passionate segment of the republican party. so it's important to appeal to c pack to burnish your republican carve seven tich credentials. >> reporter: for the republican presidential hopefuls this meeting won't mean you secure the nomination but can mean that you can lose it, a poor speech, the failure to connect with the audience here, while that can derail a campaign before it really gets under way. a significant issue here is who -- as significant as who is here is who isn't. this is a predevelop naturally white middle class gathering even a game republican group was turned away. for a feater that needs to connect to african americans

hispanics and even well, it leaves them a lot of work to do. to attract new voters. >> they were saying that they are going to go, you know, with the values and you know, letting people know what their message is and their conservative fiscal message and social message as well. >> reporter: jeb bush will be one of the biggest names here, he doesn't always appeal to the conservative wing of the party the reaction to him could be significant. but the events tends to throw up a surprise, a minor character who delivers a performance which wins over the crowd create something momentum. for one conservative operative the people who leave the hall will be taking the message out to the country selling the person they like the best. >> we are a big party, we have a lot of opinions, but these are clearly the conservatives, these are the people who will be out there knock on the ground doors supporting candidates and everybody is here to make their best impression on them. >> reporter: therethere is a poll at the end of the conference, winning meaning little when it

comes to the presidential nomination but it's better than losing. >> thank you. >> reporter: republicans have lost the last two presidential elections. and they don't want that to become a habit. alan fisher, al jazerra, at the c pack conference in maryland. a truck drivers strike in brazil has disrupted food flies surprise for the past nine days, drivers are blocking roads in nine states to demands a cut in diesel fuel prices. brazil's government has offered to he can it extends a year of free financing for vehicles. a group of tourists in peru have been rescued after flooding caused a foot bridge to collapse. emergency workers built a temporary pully system to restless cute group. it's part of an alternative route used to reach the famous site. in mexico, a mass rally has been held to mark the five month anniversary of the disappearance of 43 students.

there is some scuffles between protesters and riot police towards the end of the pay test in mexico city. mexico's attorney general says investigators are certainly the students were killed and incinerated after police handed them over to a gang. many family members of the missing students are skeptical of the government's version of events. 10 people have been killed and nine others injured after wild elephants went on a rampage in india's eastern area. people say the elephants seemed to have been in search of food. they sauce ka*used severe damage to homes in in process, a team of rangers have been sent to lead the mammals back in the to forest. dip watts matt from the u.s. and cuba meet for a second sometime on friday as they move towards normalizing relations. they said they would they would reestablish embassies in both countries. for cuban americans the talks are bringing hope but many are

skeptical. andy gallagher talked to three cuban ballet dancers who did he if he could to the u.s. to see how they view the talks. ♪ ♪ >> reporter: this is the brandon city ballet in central florida a small dance company with big ambitions. its artistic director wants to bring ballet to the masses he defected from cuba more than 10 years ago and he's keen to nurture the talents of others who have been through similar experiences, dancers like ricardo who has only been here for four months the 23-year-old came to the u.s. alone most of his family is still on the island. and like many in his swaying he's nervous talking about u.s.-cuba relations. he tells us he hopes that any changes are positive for both countries. but he especially wants change for cuba its people and his family. like ricardo annie made the

difficult decision to defect to the u.s., she too left her friends and family behind to pursue a dancing career. but she has a clear goal in mind for the future. >> translator: my ultimate hope and dream is that my family joins me here in the us, even if the situation were to get better any cuba. but i realize it's a personal decision and i would understand if they didn't want to leave their country. >> reporter: in all the ballet is home to three cuban dancers who recently defected they came to the u.s. for a better life but those those that came before they are they are realistic about the pace of change. >> it will take time for both countries in my humble 19 to get a good relationship and something that can be really good for the cuban people. >> reporter: all three of these cuban dancers that made the long and difficult journey to this small company are watching the normalization process carefully. but with caution. but all three of this these young

people now have bright futures tempers by expectations of what might happen in the months ahead. andy gallagher, al jazerra brandon, florida. and a reminder that you can keep up-to-date with all of the news on our website. aljazerra.com. 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 inaccuracies and correct them