. >> repelling size backed by coalition air, pushing back the group from the town of al bag daddy. hello. i am martin dennis. welcome to "al jazeera america" in doha in the program: libya's rival government gets closer to a deal to end the violence as isil-linked fighters carry out another attack. >> dozens of brazilian politicians accused of taking bribes in exchange for oil contracts. how a weakening russian economy means dining out is

dying out in moscow. . >> for five months of fighting iraqi forces are still trying to repel isil forces from the town of al l bagdadi. it's close to a u.s. military base where iraqi soldiers are being trained. jane araf is in baghdad and joins frus there now. jane give us an idea then of how far iraqi forces have managed to push back isil. >> reporter: well, in the town of baghdadi, about 16 kilometers from the huge air base where the u.s. iraqi forces and other coalition partners are stationed, the iraqi military says that just a few days ago, it managed to take back pretty much all of the town of

baghdadi. >> word "all" is disputed by others on the ground including the head of the baghdad mun is passty the am bar governor's office and the had theh head of the security he says it's not that clear-cut. there are pockets of fighting there. according to residents, some trapped by fighting the city has not been entirely cleared. it's a small city but key because it's close to the base and, also because it's on the way to the syrian border. now, what the iraqi military has been trying to do is to retake not just the town of baghdadi but the brings across the euphrates river of that isil had. those have been taken back. >> news of these gains come as the u.s. commander martin dempsey is in town certainly in baghdad. >> reporter: absolutely. there is a lot to discuss here we have to remember that the main offensive going on right now isn't actually in western

anbar where there is consistent fighting across that province in many places. it's in tikrit. tikrit is where more than 30,000 militia members, iraqi soldiers, are trying to cities lodge is ill from that city. one of the first that the group took after they took mosul last june. they are still not within the city limits. they are still not in tickit. there has been fighting around the edges. troops have made progress clearing towns and villages along the way. >> progress has been made without u.s. help. it's the iranians who are leading the fight there, particularly with the mali have been as they are controlling and that could be one of the thins that general dempsey will be discussing with iraqi officials here martin? >> jane arraf, thank you very much indeed. >> now the u.n. special envoy to libya has warned all parties against carrying out attacks while sensitive neckgotiations are taking place in morocco. it's reported the two rival

governments appear to be making progress. >> libyan rivals factions are closer to clenching a deal. they have agreed in principal on implementing a cease-fire pulling out malitias from the cities and forming a national unity government the two librations need to travel to libya to consult with their governments. if things go well they will return to the moroccan capital for a final deal ceremony. >> there are signs of a deal. we have now moved to a new phase. with the u.n., we are starting to talk about guarantees that once there is a deal we will have a government that has a clear mandate. we will submit a draft to the united nations on a comp prehencei deal that all of the guarantees in the form of government as soon as possible. >> a deal was almost unthinkable a few days ago. the bitterly divided government

of east and west libya don't cross each other. the government is the recognized by the international government while the tripoli-based government is considered a legitimate one by the country's constitutional court. it is this man, the united nations envoy who has been trying hard to convince libya's warring faxes to give diplomacy acha chance. >> it makes no sense to go back to fighting and confrontation. this will lead nowhere. they are aware of this. now, we are going to start discussing concrete proposals this morning. i am optimistic about the security arrangements, which is a key element. the new government needs a secure environment to work. >> at the start of the talks, the government of tobrook announced it's halting airstrikes for three days, a gesture of good will. their representatives say there

is no other way but to be very productive national dialogue that could reach the stage of having total agreement on both parties for the sake of establishing or constituting the government's national unity. >> libya has been beset by a power struggle. the infighting and the rise of groups affiliated with the islamic state in the iraq and levan raised concerns of its stability that threatens to de destabilize the whole region. despite all of the optimism about signs of progress there remains the trust deficit that the warring factions don't seem to have overcome that the point through our talks here

met. >> u.s. secretary of state john kerrvy due to meet his french counter part in paris in a few hours from now to try to end the conflict in eastern ukraine. earlier, russia's ambassador to the u.n. criticized the united states over a possible plan to train ukrainian troops. it was part of a heated debate with the ukrainian ambassador under the implementation of the three-week old cease-fire between the army and pro-russia separatits. >> pro-russian armed groups continue their attacks against checkpoints of the ukrainian army as well as civilian residents. since the ceasefire militants

have undertaken over 750 attacks. >> according to data we have these days some 300 military personnel from the united states have arrived and they will train ukrainian soldiers in the use of foreign equipment. everyone knows wherever american military appear expect bad things to happen. >> the con flu i can't in eastern ukraine has had a devastating impact on the lives of many ordinary people. it's being especially hard for those who suffer from syria's illness -- serious illness. fighting has cut off stocks to vital medicine and patients say they can't afford the righting cost of treatment. john hendron reports from the rebel stronghold, dondon. >> as the war in eastern ukraine began, so did olga bliznet's cancer. she was diagnosed for a second time, this time along with hepatitis c but she no longer gets her ukrainian welfare payments or prescrib drug payments for the cancer drugs she needs.

even if she could find it here. >> i don't have money to buy them. in 2009 and 2010, the medicine was provided by the hospital which cured me. in 2014, they no long he were had the drug. >> reporter: so what happens if you don't get the medicine? >> well i don't know. if you don't treat serious diseases people dye. >> reporter: she's hardly alone. drugs are hard to find and expensive, with high inflation, unemployment and no functioning banking system. this man relies on donations for his heart medicine. >> there is no place i can get it. the pharmacy is closed. i have to buy less and the prices are high. >> the international aid group doctors without borders, tries to fill in the gaps making regular stops in rural towns, their waiting rooms crowded with the under served but it's not nearly enough. >> medicine is not available because the pharmacies are not

here. people cannot buy and, also if they buy, it's expensive. they have to go far away. and another reason is there is no doctor. . >> near the front lines, many people no longer have any place near them to go for medical care. this hospital has been shelled repeatedly. when it finally shut down, its staff was moved to another medical center. then that happen, too, was shelled. many are left to survive on shear optimistmoptimism. >> well, i think so. he who seeks will find. you have to knock on every door. >> with ukraine's kiev government no longer delivering social benefits and separatist -- in separatist territory and the separatist government too poor to offer them, there are few doors left to knock on. john hendren, al jazeera, dondon eastern ukraine. >> brazil's supreme court has approved an investigation into some of the country's top politicians.

they are accused of taking bribes in exchange for lucrative oil courts from the state-run oil company, petrobras. the investigation will include the heads of both chambers of parliament, key allies of the president. victoria gatenby reports. >> this list of names was released by brazil's supreme court. among the 54 people accused of taking bribes, there are former president and the speakers of both chambers of congress and all but one are from president del marusa's coalition. it's alleged they paid officials to get lucrative contracts with the state-owned oil firm. president russef chaired the board for seven years which much of the corruption is believed to have been taken place. she has been cleared of any involvement in the scheme. speaking before the list of names was released she said her focus is on fixing brazil's

struggling economy. >> we are now entering a new phase in confronting the crisis in which a number of different measures will be needed a new trajectory so that we can grow. >> but the scandal has shaken the brazilian political establishment and undermined support for rousseff who was narrowly re-elected last year and is struggling to stave off a recession. >> politicians the president are under an enormous public pressure pressure from public opinion to take this certainseriously. this is an enormous corruption scandal involving the largest company in brazil petrobras that happens to be a state company. >> the petrobras scandal has been developing for months. some are calling for law makers to be held accountable even before the investigation is completed. >> you wouldn't necessarily have to wait for the end of the investigation or for the servicing process. there was evidence against

thatme of parliament t would go to the ethics board and to the floor for an open by the chamber of deputies. >> under brazilian law, elected politicians can only be tried by the supreme court, which must now decide with the help of prosecutors whether there is enough proof to put them on trial. victoria gatenby, al jazeera. >> we have a lot more to come here at al jazeera, including: >> i am nicole johnston in afghanistan's national museum in kabul. coming up, we will find out why conservationists are struggle to go save the country's cultural heritage. >> demanding answers on the first anniversary rye of the world's biggest aviation mystery.

hello again. welcome back to al jazeera. these are our top stories: after five months of fighting, iraqi troops are trying to repel is ill forces from the town of al baghdadi close to a u.s. military base where soldiers are being trained. two rival governments getting closer to a deal in morocco. brazil's supreme court has given the go-ahead to investigate dozens of politicians accused of taking bribes in exchange for lucrative contracts from the state-run oil company,

been killed >> all victims of this attack. and the special thoughts to those of our colleagues because one of the victims was a execute officer at the european union delegation in bamaco. this shows very clearly, we have to stay focused on all of the threats and challenges we have around us starting from the situation, also in mali and we will have a discussion on africa at the next world affairs council in brucels on the 16th

of march. >> 32 witch doctors have been arrested in tanzania on part of the crackdown of the killing of alb i & o. four were convicted for the murder of an alb i & o woman in 2008. they believe the body parts of alb i & o s have special powers. >> the south african government is to offer volume you know terri testing for hiv at all high schools. a survey carried out last year suggested an overwhelming 76% of teenagers supported the idea. erica woods reports t south africa children learn about the dangers of hiv at an early age. it's crucial in a country where more than 6 million people are living with the virus out of a total population of 51 million. in terms of numbers, it's the world's worst affidavit nation. as a mom to a 12-year-old boy,

bosli wants him to be well informed. >> i think it's very important that our children are educated. they know what hiv is. they know of the dangers. they know how to look after themselves as well. >> but bo says getting sex education from his mom is a bit uncomfortable. >> i think i would be absent from school because it's kind of weird to hear your mom talk about it. >> less options about hiv is only part of the picture. teenagers wants to be testified to see if they already have the virus? they have to go to a clinic. this public health researcher says the teenagers she has talked to says that's not an option they are comfortable with. >> they are going to test in facilities they say they go there your mom, the lady next door sees you gauze there is so

much stigma attached to h.i.v. testing. >> more than three-quarters of teenagers she has surveyed said they would rather be tested in school. the ministry of education has taken a cautious approach to testing. it says caregivers and counselors must be part of the process. >> to make sure this is available for young people, to make sure that psychosocial fallouts can be managed. >> the ministry of education says it plans to introduce h.i.v. testing in all of south africa's secondary schools within the next five years. it will be voluntary, and parents can be present for the test. and that's how bo says he would prefer it. >> getting tested at school without her being there would be carry. >> researchers say the teenagers say this is a far better informed generation than any

that have come before them and by arming them with more knowledge and more somewayness, these young people present the best possible solution to stopping the spread of hiv. erica woods, al jazeera, south africa. egyptian media says a police officer has been killed by a roadside bomb in mahala north of cairo. police are investigating of a suspicious package: at least 20 others were injured. >> now with the destruction of museum pieces in the iraqi city of mosul and the looting of syrian an tickquities by is ill, the world's attention has refocused on protecting cultural history. a report from the national museum in kabul, something afghanistan has struggled with for years. >> it takes a light touch to apparently remove centuries of dust. this is part of a world painting from bivi a.

n province once hope to the giant buddhist statues. >> after living through 30 years of war, but he says his passion for preserving cultural art facts has never waiverivered. >> we moved the pieces to the king's house, entering the civil war, the staff couldn't get to the museum. the third tragedy was after 2001. everyone knows what happened then. >> what happened was, the taliban blew up ancient statues of buddha, the largest over 50 meters high. >> the taliban controls large parts of the countryside. the threat to afghanistan's cultural history hasn't gone away. in fact, the museum is so concerned that it doesn't allow cameras into the storerooms. it doesn't want the taliban finding out what pieces it has in the from the buddhist period. the museum has over 40,000

pieces to catalogue. it's taken almost five years to get 90% of it done. it's mohammed raz's job to photograph them all. >> the artifacts, the storeroom doesn't have a humid fire. we need more sophisticated equipment and help. >> these men are painstaking lee restoring islamic wooden carvings wiping away the grime from intricate engravings. it's skilled work. the conservationists are missing basic carpentry tools and a device to hold the panels in place. right now, what they may need more than anything is some electricity. anything ol' johnston kabul. >> officials being held in malaysia on the eve of sunday's first anniversary of the disappear answer of mh 370. the malaysia's airways jet

disappeared with 239 people on board. it's the only way tohose still misstion many have gathered to pray sing and show support for family and friends lost on mh 370. an interim report on the search and recovery operations has yet to be presented by the government to a public that is demanding answers. >> as a primarythe prime minister mentioned at one stage during the last 12 months in an open press conference that the plane had been taken over yet that's the beginning of this year we see a statement from the department of civil aviation saying it was an accident, yet we have no evidence of where the plane is the black box recorder, or any wreckage. how can such statements be made? >> i think at the bottom we must you the acfederal governmentment of the definition of accident. >> that's important because under ito requirements a plane

take off from an airport and couldn't reach a destination, after the search period p we have to announce the plane gone. >> such words do not sit well with those who have loved ones on mh-370. sarah batch is waiting to hear from her partner phillip wood, ag passenger bound from china. >> as far as we can see from what has happened throughout the situation, there is abject corruption and incompetence at the highest levels. and i am very clear to separate that in from the average malaysian or average malaysian airlines employee. i think that they are victims in this and have done their best. >> she is not the only one looking for answers. this malaysia airline pilot whose identity we hid for security reasons reflected the feelings of many working in the aviation industry. >> we are asking: what happened? what actually happened why

malaysian area line? that is the question everyone is asking. >> all of the people here can do is show their support, both young and old light candles, say prayers and sing. ♪ hope can that the light they hold will guide mh-370 back home to malaysia. >> okay. we have some news just coming in from nigh year gentleman there has been a suspected boko haram suicide attack. at least 10 people, we are told have been killed. some reports even suggest there were two explosions. the incidents took place at a market in the city of maiduguri in borno

president obama. a reasonable doubt standard and if there is a uncertainty about what happened, then you can't just charge him anyway just because what happened was tragic. that was the decision that was made and i have complete confidence and stand fully behind the decision that was made by the justice department on that issue. >> in the 25 years since communism collapsed, urban russians have developed a taste for dining out. moscow now wid some 11,000 eating establishments, but problems in the wider economy are really taking their

tomorrow. it's feared a quarter of those restaurants could close this year. rory challands reports from the russian capitol. >> reporter: mamina pasta makes a fine pizza and good pasta, too, for that matter. for 11 years, it has been serving moskovites but the doors are closing, the person storm of economic factors have taken their toll like the inflation caused by a weakened rubal and russia's ban on fresh produce from the eu. >> this is italian cuisine. after the em barbargo, everything became expensive. the rains, since the first of january, they have raised it two and a half times. >> for svetlana, it's a crushingly sad moment. this was a family restaurant. >> can you imagine what this means for our staff? some have gone from waitress to managers. we are closing with tears in our

eyes eyes. >> reporter: it's not just mamina pasta. these are tough times for lots of movening 0 restaurants. a number of industry experts are predicting that a quarter of all of the capitol of eaterics will shut their doors in 2015. but restaurant owners like svetlana are seeing russia's worsening economic situation, diners' eating habits are changing. more people seem to be sharing food rather than ordering their own. and ordering water rather than alcohol. in short spending less. >> but the situation isn't as bad as all of that. say some in the business. yes, times are tough, but tough times result in better business models. >> the market has to renew itself anywhere. business men should look for new market models. if something doesn't work you have to find another way. it's very sad some people lose their businesses because they

can't fulfill their obvious gags, pay their salaries or rent. >> not much consolation for svetlana. if she can find a smaller place with cheaper rent she will reopen but if not, it's finito for mama past amount of. al jazeera. >> hello i'm ray suarez. mcdonald's, cash registers ringing, is a company that americans hate love and hate to love. changing what farmers ro grow and away we eat. now the company's announced it won't buy chickens raised using human antibiotics. mickey d's, changing what people eat and how they eat it. in recycling and nutrition in