a top commander of the most powerful syrian rebel group has been killed in this a military air strike. ♪ hello, i'm darren jordan in doha. also on the program, peace talks between south sudan's president and rebel government adjourn without a deal. it is going to be a long and painful process, i'm afraid. and why more and more south africans are going to be left in the dark. ♪

a senior come mab manageder of the al-nusra front has been killed in syria. he died in a government air strike in the city of idlib on thursday. he was a veteran al-qaeda leader. zana hoda reports from lebanon. >> reporter: this man was al-nusra front's second in command. his death comes at a critical time for the organization. there have been reports that syria's al-qaeda branch has been asked to put links with the organization, and become a purely syrian force so it can receive funds and weapons. this individual use was reportedly filmed in aleppo in december. it emerged after they announced his death. he was fighting for al-qaeda in afghanistan and iraq as well. and he was among the so-called hard liners.

>> they were the hard liner, extremist, proal-qaeda regular of al-nusra, with which is the local manifestation of al-qaeda supposedly that have been made against the offer to take a different course. al-nusra has been can requested via many channels and via many external forces regional and international that it has to decide. >> reporter: the syrian government claimed responsible for what is being described as painful and powerful hit. the state news agency said he and a number of other al-nusra leaders had been killed in an army operation in meeting in the rural area of idlib. a weakened al-nusra benefits the

syria government. but at the same time a weakened al-nusra could work against the government. its presence has been one of the reasons why the west hasn't provided much-needed weapons to the syrian opposition. if those weapons start to flow in, it could be a game changer. but al-nusra has already changed the face of the opposition. it has been responsible for weakening the so-called moderate camp. it declared war on the u.s.-backed movement. that was a message to the west at the time the u.s. is planning to train a force in syria. >> translator: we have to remember something important. the coalition public says it's war is against the islamic state of iraq and the levant, but the truth is al-qaeda is the biggest threat to the west. >> reporter: the u.s. lists al-nusra as a terrorist organization and is it under u.n. sanctions. the group is believed to have

more than 10,000 fighters in its ranks. there may be different mind sets among them but there is also an ideology that will be hard to defeat. fighters from isil have started destroying one of iraq's most important archaeological sites. the ancient city lies on the tie gres river, this is what it looked like before. there are no pictures yet of the destruction. isil released a video last week showing artifacts in mosul's few few -- museum being destroyed. the u.n. is hopeful a deal might be reached in the coming days in morocco. hashem ahelbarra reports. >> reporter: the united nations envoy to libya is hoping to sale a deal in the moroccan capitol

rabat. it has always reiterated that the factions have no choice but to talk. >> it will lead nowhere to go back to confrontation. they are aware of this. we are going to start discussing concrete options this moment. i am optimistic. the new government needs a secure environment to work. >> reporter: the international community lead by the u.s. told the feuding factions that it's time to turn the chapter of the civil war and chart a road map for power sharing. >> i think we're in the process of a political settlement. so you can't predict when that happens. we're talking about a process of dialogue and negotiation. >> reporter: the internationally recognized go of tobruk is

halting air strikes for three days. >> there is no other way but to pursue a productive national dialogue that could reach the stage of having total agreement on both parties for the stake of establishing or constituting the government national unity. >> reporter: if a deal is reached, the east and west of libya will form a government. disbanded militias reform the army and implement a ceasefire across the country. >> translator: the fact that we are not able to sit together and talk face-to-face complicates matters for us. >> reporter: libya has been disturbed by a civil war triggered by a power struggle pitting the government based in tobruk, against the general national council in tripoli. the fighting and rise of groups affiliated with the islamic

state of iraq and the levant raises concerns of instability. for international key players a fractioned libya could lead to proxy wars and pave the way for isil fighters to build a strong platform in north africa, and that's why europe is hoping to see a peace deal become a reality. the u.k.-based oil company, british petroleum has signed agreements worth $12 billion to develop major gas field in egypt. the project aims to produce 5 trillion cubic feet of gas. egypt plans to hold a major economic conference next week aimed at boosting foreign investment in the country. hundreds of anti-military coup demonstrators have held rallies across egypt calling for the release of all political prisoners, and the end of military rule in egypt. protesters chant egypt is not for sale.

israeli police say a palestinian driver has shot after he plowed his vehicle into a group of people. peace talk betweens south sudan's warring parties have been suspended indefinitely. the president and his rival have been meeting in ethiopia. there are fears the civil war will worsen if no agreement is reached. more than 10,000 people have been killed and 1.5 million displayed since fighting began just over a year ago. catherine soy reports. >> reporter: this comes as no surprise. it came to this line of talks with very hard lined positions. they reneged on a previous commitment of a road map to a transitional government. the president and his oppoen

meant to have been holding direct talks since tuesday, but no movement at all. what happens next? well, there have been threats of sanctions, and also talks of [ inaudible ] including the african union to the negotiations. but people are still in displacement, the cost of living very high. the production of the lifeline of this country, has been greatly reduced. an opposition leader has been shot head in turkey. he was killed by an unknown assailant in istanbul. he lead the organization group 24. he was one of the most outspoken president of his country's president. a 16-year-old has gone on trial for allegedly insulting the turkish president. we spoke to the lecturer of

international law in at university in istanbul. he says there has been a rise in these kinds of prosecutions. >> it is quite significant when you consider the general framework. this is not a [ inaudible ] case frankly. there has been a dramatic increase in the number of cases that are bought on similar grounds, on the grounds of the so-called [ inaudible ] or on the grounds of insulting the president. the initial six months of erdogan, you can see the change. over the seven year term of the previous president, there were only five or six similar cases. but in the last six months only according to statistics we have determine that there are more than 45 cases involving more than 80 people that were brought on the grounds that they

allegedly insulted the president. and moreover the thing that is all the more tragic is that no person although they may be tried on such grounds, no person should be detained on these grounds under turkish law. neither the prosecutors nor the judges respect the text of the law. and this month -- over last couple of weeks or so more than 60% [ inaudible ] in turkish jails because of these allegations. >> much more still to come here on al jazeera. a russian dissident is released from jail after serving a 15-day sentence. plus -- in india a mob drags a suspected rapist from prison and beats him to death. more on that. stay with us. ♪

humanity >> hands up! >> don't shoot! >> hands up! >> don't shoot! >> what do we want? justice! >> when do we want it? >> now! >> they are running towards base... >>...explosions going off we're not quite sure... >> fault lines al jazeera america's award winning, investigative series...

♪ welcome back. a quick reminder of the top stories here on al jazeera. in syria, a senior heard of the al-nusra front has been killed. he died in a government air strike in the city of idlib on thursday. peace talks between south sudan's warring parties have been suspended indefinitely. the president and the rebel leader failed to reach an agreement while meeting in ethiopia. a 16 year old in turkey has gone on trial for allegedly insulting the turkish president. the case was adjourned until

april 3rdrd. russian dissident has been released after 15 days in prison. he was arrested for promoting a rally where opposition leader boris nemtsov was to speak. >> translator: i know you will have lots of questions. i have already expressed my opinion on this and i won't add anything more for now. but i would like to say that our activity will not change in anyway. we will not lessen our efforts or change anything. and in this sense, the act of terror that took place will not achieve its aims. i'm sure it will not frighten anyone. it has not frightened me or my comrades. >> rory challands has more from moscow. >> reporter: aleksei that valueny is very dismissive of the idea that boris nemtsov was murdered as a result of the

general atmosphere of hatred in russia. he says that is nonsense that boris nemtsov was murdered by a government intelligence agency or a pro-government group specifically on the orders of the political leadership of the country, and deliberately names vladimir putin as being a possible origin of that order. so where next for the opposition in many might consider their safety is in danger. he has always been a more prominent member of the opposition than nemtsov and therefore maybe he is a more obvious target. and another opposition leader was warned at the funeral that she might be next. but the report that anymore -- nemtsov was working on

calls putin and war, an investigation into russian's involvement in the conflict in ukraine, and the opposition march, which became nemtsov's memorial march that march is being rescheduled for april. but to make any significant headway, the opposition is going to have to overcome the prevailing mood in russia at the moment, which is one of fairly strident conservative nationalism, and that is going to be very difficult indeed. the ceasefire in eastern ukraine between government troops and separatists has taken hold in many areas, but on friday there was a car bombing in the city of kharkiv. the police are calling it an act of terror and are calling it an attempt to destabilize the country. simon mcgregor-wood has more. >> reporter: the car exploded as it passed through a

neighborhood. it belonged to a leading member of the opposition. the local police say they think the explosion was caused by a magnetic mine. just the latest act of what the ukrainian authorities are calling terrorism. they have accused russian-backed groups of trying to open a new front to destabilize parts of ukraine they want to control. [ explosion ] >> reporter: on the 22nd of february, a bomb exploded in the same city. four people were killed including a police officer. but it's not only in kharkiv. this police video shows a car packed with explosives in the city of mariupol, the ukrainian authorities detect the hand of russia russia. >> translator: we have testimony saying who trained them. and we know the exact people they made contact with in russia. it was representatives of the

russian security services. financial support came from the russian side. weapons and explosives were provided. >> reporter: kharkiv has a significant russian population although it is controlled by a pro-kiev administration, over 700 pro-russian suspects have been arrested here in recent months. this latest attack shows the problem has not gone away. >> translator: we adapt, we learn for the fate of israel and the united states awaits us those countries which live under continuous threat from terrorism. and there threat will continue while vladimir putin remains the president of russia. >> reporter: the fighting may have decreased as a result of the recent ceasefire, but a less conventional clandestine war may now be starting. france's interior minister is in police custody.

claude gion is being questioned. jacky rowland has more from paris. >> reporter: well, the questioning that has been going on since the early hours of friday morning, surrounds a sum of approximately $700,000 which appeared in claude's bank account back in march 2008. now the police want to know what was this money? where does it come from? it was a payment from overseas. the explanation provided is that this was payment for two paintings, which he said he sold to a malaysian art collector. but there are some questions, some doubts over this version of the story, partly because the paintings themselves which are from little known artist from the 17th century are believed to be worth only a fraction of what

they were sold for. and also if you are selling valuable paintings, you normally have to have a special export license from the ministry of culture. so there are some question marks. big question marks over the explanation given by claude which is why police are digging a bit further to see whether this mystery $700,000 could be money that came from the regime of the former leader of libya, to finance as has been alleged, the 2007 election of sarkozy. a mob in india has beaten a suspected rapist to death after dragging him out of prison. guards say they were overpowered by thousands of people. the 35-year-old man was accused of raping a 24-year-old woman last month. it is believed he may have been an inlegal immigrant from bangladesh. our correspondent has the latest from new delhi.

>> reporter: local media are suggesting that what started as a peaceful protest against the alleged rape of a local woman late last month took on unexpected turn with the mob, approximately 1,000 people turning to the prison where the alleged rapist was being held. they stormed the prison. took the prisoner out, beat him and paraded him to the center of town. he died of his injuries at that point. they suggest while there's no connection between the events and the documentary that relates to a rape of a medical student in new delhi and what happened here. but the events have unfolded at a time when there is a resurgent debate about rape in india, and calls for greater action on the part of governments to do more

and to find permanent solutions to these crimes and cases that don't seem to be going away. since the fall of the taliban in afghanistan, women have made great strides in trying to end sexism. but as jennifer glasse reports, women are still fighting for their rights. >> translator: this woman has been attacked twice because of her prominent role in local politics, but she says she won't quit. she's the deputy head of the provincial council in a conservative province. >> translator: i'm a woman. i'm a legitimate representative of the people. people voted for me. i'm trying by best to solve people's problems. >> reporter: one of her constituents accuses a member of parliament of stealing land from her. mistreatment like this is common

for those without powerful supporters. she travels with a bodyguard after the taliban killed her husband and injured her children. she said the local government blamed her for the attack and refused to reimburse her. in last year's election that chose carsy's successful, women cast more than a third of the vote. she says that sent a message. >> the message was we're a partner. the message was we are citizens who are responsible and we are citizens who believe in democracy. >> reporter: the new president promised there would be four women ministers in his cabinet, but so far there are none. the three he nominated were rejected. discrimination is still all too

common for many afghan women, and they want to ensure that progress isn't reversed. so i they are petitioning the new government to ensure that women have a place on direct councils. they want 25% of seats to be reserved for women in the next collections. >> we believe being a woman from the very grassroots level and given the opportunity to engage in political discussions and making sure that they are being in other women's voices is very important. >> reporter: a law that guaranteed women 25% of parliamentary seats was revoked last year. it was reinstated but with a 20% quota. but afghan women argue they rep sent more than 50% of the population, and deserve a place in politics. fifa president has asked iran to end its ban on women watching football games. he has described the situation as intolerable. he says he spoke to the iranian president in november 2013 but

nothing has happened. thousands of female iranian fans were able to watch their national team play in the asian cup earlier this year in australia. the man accused of attacking the u.s. ambassador to south korea has made his first appearance in court. the 55 year old was wheeled into court on friday. he is likely to be charged with attempted murder. police are investigating the attack. the ambassador needed 80 stitches after his face was slashed at a forum about korean unification on thursday. chinese and japanese diplomats will hold their first talks in four years later in tokyo this month. both china and japan claim ownership of uninhabited islands in the china sea.

nepal's only international airport remains closed after a turkish airlines jet lost control as it lands. airport crews are using special equipment brought in from india to remove the plane. . in south africa, households and businesses alike are suffering from constant power cuts. and as erika woods reports, there are concerning about the effect on the economy. >> reporter: new power stations are being built, but it will be sometime before they are on line. the state-owned energy company has warned people and businesses will have to endure ongoing power outages. >> we are working on restoring the ability of the power system

but it's going to be a long and painful process, i'm afraid. >> reporter: south africa's chamber of commerce says any eruption to the supply is not good. >> we're concerned about the impact this will have on international investment. and it needs to be at a reasonable cost and that will not be a tipping force for a decision not to invest. >> reporter: that reasonable cost is set to rise in april by 13%. the company has justified the hike by saying it still has some of the world's cheapstin'gy. but for owners of energy hungry energies, that cheap power is only useful if it's switched on. the company says it has given big business fair warning and asked them to cut down on their electricity needs or generate their own. companies like bmw has taken

this advice and cut energy consumption by 28% at its local manufacturing plant. and a company that turns coal into oil has done even more. >> we have installed enough equipment to generate up to 70% of our own power requirements in the form of various equipments from fuel stations to gas-fired turbines to gas-fired power plants. >> reporter: but asking industry to provide its own electricity is potentially damaging to south africa's reputation as one of africa's most stable and economically advanced. >> many of our partners are working together with us to find a lasting solution to this issue. >> reporter: it's kind of a bit late, isn't it? >> it is a bit late. >> reporter: south africa's growth slumps to just 1.5% last year. it's too early to tell whether this will have massive impact on

international investment but a power shortage could make companies think twice about coming here. >> you can keep up to date with all of the news on our website. there it is on your screen the address, aljazeera.com. that's aljazeera.com. ♪ >> hi, i'm lisa fletcher andy are in the stream. ajunct professors fight for a living wage. how their working conditions could impact the quality of higher education.