>> we don't know what happened to our family. >> making an emotional appeal for the world to help his people. >> hello i'm martin dennis. you're with al jazeera live from dough he has. also to come on the program talks over iran's nuclear program resume in switzerland. the clock is ticking to reach a framework deal. >> houthi rebels in yemen released the prime minister and several cabinet ministers from house arrest. >> could it be bye-bye to bibi,

the last full day of campaigning in israel's election. >> more than 90% of buildings in the island nation have been destroyed, the president calling on the world to help his people. aid agencies say flights have confirmed their worst fierce of widespread destruction. here's our correspondent now andrew thomas whose managed to reach vanu you atu. >> the president of atu described the cyclone as a monster that will take many years to recover from. he believes half his countries population has been affected. there isn't information from the southern islands yet the ones believed to be most badly hit.

90% of buildings have been damaged, whether it's a tree through the roof like this one or totally destroyed. what was it like during the storm? >> it's really beyond description, but it really was very, very strong. there was a lot of flooding, and there was a lot of rain and the winds so strong that you can't see anything, anything at all. >> did you stay you here during it? >> yes we stayed and the corner came off of the house but luckily didn't go through the house. >> big big repair job in front of you. >> we will probably need six months to seven months to repair some of the houses, but i think it will take one or two years before port vila will really come to a full recovery. >> thank you very much. this is the worst cyclone to hit enmore than a generation. the president thinks that climate change contributed to this disaster, but he's very keen now to get on with the job of getting back to his country.

he was at a summit on disaster preparedness. >> rescue workers haven't managed to get in to the worst affected areas. >> now you that the wind has died down, this woman returns to what is left of her home. she like many others just north of port vila will now be force the to find a melter or set up camp with others. they are lucky to be alive. >> you just don't know whether you'll face another day because you're sitting and hearing the noise outside the wind and the whistle of the wind, it's just very frightening. you don't know what to do. >> the force of cyclone pam can be seen across the capitol. the more traditional bamboo huts stood no chance. >> when we come down here, we

look down here like we are sorry about everything. some of us were crying about the homes. >> it's thought 90% of buildings on the main island are either damaged or destroyed but it's the outlying islands to the south where ate workers expect to find the worst damage. >> wither literally cut off from them so as we start to learn what is happening on those islands, i think we're going to be in for a huge job ahead of us. >> much-needed emergency supplies are being sent to venuatu. it could take days to get to the badly hit island. >> i term it it's a monster it's a monster that has pit the population of venuatu.

>> the countries main hospital under resourced to begin with has been damage r. damaged. >> with he badly need help. we need to accommodate the in flux of patients coming. >> an in flux that only can begin when help arrives on the islands that need it most. >> there's really important negotiations underway in switzerland on iran's nuclear program, our diplomatic editor james bays is there in lausanne. there's a series of meetings on many different levels taking place in switser are land today. >> absolutely. that's an indication that we are at a crunch point. they are closer than they've ever been before. those were the words of the british foreign secretary this morning, but he said that they're still are significant

gaps that need to be dealt with between the international community and iran. talks going on in the hotel behind me, between the u.s. secretary of state john kerry and the iranian foreign minister talks also going to be taking place between the political directors of the international community the so-called p5 plus one and iran. those go on all week here in lausanne. in brussels, european foreign ministers are meeting. they are an important part of the p5 plus one and the foreign minister will be leaving from iran to brief them in brussels in the coming hours. remember that the deadline for a framework deal is supposed to be at the end of this month. that's why such intensive diplomacy. also an important iranian holiday now rules the iranian new year, so really not that many more days left in this

month to go. >> you can almost feel the frantic pace at which these meetings are taking place. we have to look at, don't we, the main obstacles or the main hurdles, if you like. obviously sequencing will be one of them. also implementation and verification, these are the key issues that they're going to have to work out aren't they? >> yeah, if you come up with a deal here, a big if still, then how do you check that ran's fixed that deal, because so many types before, iran's been accused of misleading the international community so the whole issue of verification, the international atomic agency will be the body for that. how will that verification happen how long would iran be subject to this sort of system. some of saying maybe 10 years and after that sunset clause would allow iran to be treated like any other nation in the

world. as you say sanctions also important, because it took many, many years to get this high level sanctions in place here against iran. they've got u.s. sanctions e.u. sanctions and sanctions that had to be passed by the u.n. security council great deal getting them in place. iran would like them the lifted straight away. the u.n. community wants to keep sanctions around so if iran breached the deal, then they would be able to reimpose them. there's a difference on that, as well. >> within the last 24 hours or so there's been a line coming out of saudi arabia, princal fisel saying if a deal with iran is struck, saudi arabia would seek the same right as would other nations and other regional ramifications of a deal with iran there being felt and considered as much as it

certainly is in saudi arabia. >> everyone is aware that the saudis are very nervous about this deal, very nervous about iran getting the right to enrich for iran says a peaceful nuclear program, but the saudis obviously worried about a nuclear weapon. the saudis are saying they might want nuclear technology, as well. a week ago there was a memorandum of understanding between the saudis and south korea about developing nuclear technology, so they are looking into the options already. other gulf countries worried about things too and the only country in the region that actually has nuclear weapons they never admit it, but we know they do, israel, of course their very deeply worried too. >> live in lausanne in switzerland, james bays covering those important talks for us. >> turkey cyd sides john kerry's

suggestion that in order to end the war in syria that negotiations with bashar al assad has to take place. he made these comments when he was egypt at the end of the economic summit there. the turkish foreign minister told turkish state media that all of syria's current problems have been caused by the assad regime. >> to yemen now and houthi rebels released the prime minister as well as several cabinet members from house arrest. the prime, who had been held for two months said he was released as a gesture of good will. >> editor in chief of the yemen post told us how the houthis are now under increasing pressure. >> the prime minister and foreign ministers were both neighbors planned to have lunch today in protest of being under

house arrest. these lunches are ordinary, because they want the houthis to know that they have no authority to stop them from moving or stop their guests from interesting the houses. today, we were supposed to be there with a high delegation a understand that is why the houthis today felt that it was enough and the longer they stayed under house arrest, the more anger of the people rose. also yesterday the party announced that they are represented and the dialogue is a minister who is also under house arrest. the houthis had no choice but you to release the ministers and assure negotiations continue and that was an obstacle in front of the negotiations. >> the prime minister himself is putting this down to a gesture of good will, but the country does need that, doesn't it, because there's been a series of different protests in all different cities around the country in protest of what they see as a houthi takeover. >> the prime minister is fed up

and that's why he just left sanna. just a half hour after he was freed, he left the capitol. it shows how angry he was and how much tension he was under. i expect the same from automatic ministers who were under house arrest. they were not even allowed to move anywhere close to outside their house but right now the houthis right now are under massive pressure and that is why they needed to snow some good will. you have saudi pressure, the president in the south the islam party and the coalition that they created two days ago and the houthis are staying and doing nothing but causing more people to pay them, so they needed good will just to improve their reputation and show he they can reach a deal. yesterday, the houthi leader announced that he's also undergoing negotiations with with saudi arabia, though indirect, over the last couple of days. >> still to come on the program

we report on the struggle to deliver thousands of tons of food before the rainy season starts in south sudan. >> the world's largest arms importer needs even more military hardware.

>> tomorrow on "the stream". >> the annual south by southwest festival has been a breeding ground for some of the biggest tech innovations in the world. we'll take you there, giving you a glimpse into the future. >> "the stream". tomorrow, 1:30 eastern. only on al jazeera america. >> hello again, let's have a look at the top stories here at al jazeera. venuatu's president is calling for international help at rescue workers struggle to hit communities hit by friday's

cyclone. he said the pacific island nation will take years to recover from the storm which has left thousands homeless. >> important negotiations resumed in switzerland to try to reach a deal on iran's nuclear program. >> yemen's houthi rebels released the prime minister and several cabinet members from house arrest. the prime minister who had been held for two months in sanna said he was set free as a gesture of good will. >> the last full day of campaigning in israel's election with less than 24 hours before the polls open. the outcome is looking too close to call. an alliance of israeli political parties are running together. we have a report. >> a better israel for its palestinian citizens, that's the message in this election advertisement for the joint

list an alliance of political parties. it's the first time the parties divided among islamist, socialist and nationalistic lines have run together. the ticket is expected to win a record 13 or more seats in israel's 120 seat partly, potentially making history by becoming the third largest faction after the march 17 vote. >> one of the joint lists best known politicians is also the most hated by many israelis. she is an outspoken critic of the government and campaigned against what she says is widespread and systematic systematic discrimination. >> this is an indication of power and is political attempt to empower our friends.

>> palestinians make up 20% of israel's population of 8 million, but many of those voters believe the political alliances predicted success in the poll will be the first step toward greater equality. >> the joint list has the potential to dramatically change israel's political map and improve the lives of israeli palestinians, but the parties have little in common, and those divisions are already starting to show. >> the internal disputes, including whether to share votes with leftist israeli jewish parties have been overshadowed by what led to the union in the first place when lieberman the right wing foreign minister helped pass the so-called governorrability law which sets the minimum 3.25% vote threshold for parties to enter parliament, it was seen as an attempt to disenfranchise palestinian parties. since then, his rhetoric has

become more heated, including advocating for the beheading of those who are "disloyal to israel." it's comments like that which has not only led to the creation of the joint list, butty it is expected to do so well on election day. >> we should thank lieberman whose racist views made this happen. thanks to his racism, we have reached unity a dream our people have been waiting for for a long time. we now hope this unity continues. >> a hope shared by other palestinian voters as they prepare to make history at the polls. al jazeera nazareth in northern israel. >> venezuelans have been marching in support of a new law that gives the president emergency powers to rule by decree. the president maduro said it will help combat that's of u.s. aggression. president obama imposed new sanctions on venezuela because of what he called a threat to u.s. national security. >> aid agencies in south sudan

are racing to get tense of thousands of tons of food supplies to people in desperate need before the rainy season begins next month. bad roads and a volatile security situation are making that a difficult task, as catherine so i now reports. >> a rush to beat south sudan's rainy season, most supplies must be delivered to warehouses in i can't is that are hard to reach because of bad roads and poor security. rebels and militia who allied themselves to both sides in the civil war that started a little over a year ago still control large areas. these food reactions are being repackaged for air drops in places that cannot be accessed by road and mainly controlled by rebels. >> we're in a situation where 2.5 million are facing acute hunger and with no peace deal, and the peak hunger season

coming, we can only see that number swelling. >> in many parts of the oil-rich but drabbled state food is transported by boat, using the river nile. it's faster and less dangerous. >> we are now heading to a center that is hosting about 7,000 displaced people. it's difficult to reach by road, but the needs there are many. >> this food was supposed to be there by february, but you because of logistics and government bureaucracy only getting here now. they are being given 15 days of reactions to last them a month. >> when the crisis happened, we couldn't harvest. the displaced people who came were more than us, so we had to feed them. >> grandchildren walked last february when their village was overrun by rebels. >> sometimes we he get food. sometimes, it's delayed but we have to eat because we don't

work. >> countries have pledged hundred was millions of dollars to assist people here, but money to quickly help move all the aid to where it's supposed to be is needed now. catherine so i, al jazeera south sudan. >> india has emerged as the world's largest arms importer according to a new report. within the last decade, the country has been replacing its stockpile but as the defense system gross it may need to buy even more weapons as we now explain. >> india's military is on a shopping spree. the past decade has seep the country rise to become the number one arms importer. since independence, india relied heavily on the soviet union and later russia for armaments because they were given a line of credit. >> it's what we need at the

affordable price and we're willing to give it. >> military analyst say india imports arms because it has no choice. >> we do not have defense base in the country. india's arms imports hasriesen steadily over the years. some believe as the military responsibilities grow, the country needs to buy more weapons. >> it isn't enough. the challenges to india's national security are growing by the day. we have unresolved territorial disputes with china and pakistan and we are not in my view spending enough on defense to be able to cope with the growing challenges. >> india has recently become closer to the u.s. and may soon be able to procure american arms

that have long been embargoed. under the prime minister, the countries intention may well be to become a destination for arms manufacturers and buyers, as well. >> india intends to spend $120 billion over the next five years to fill critical deficiencies and upgrade elite military equipment. the long term plan is to domestically produce most of its military hardware. since that could take years india is in the short term expected to remain one of the largest arms importers in the world. new delhi. >> south core koreans are taking part in a drill. not many people are showing much interest at all. [ sirens ] >> when the sirens blare everyone knows the drill. that seems to be the problem. they know it so well, relatively few people respond.

around seoul city hall, emergency response teams go through responses turning the subway into a shelter. in the nearby district, people start to listen to the civil defense marshals, then leave the shelter for the shops. >> they're not stopping, they keep coming. >> two years ago when north-south tensions reached near fever pitch the atmosphere was different. even some south koreans who have come to live with the on going threat of war seemed concerned. today, the mood is verging on the apathetic. >> on the heavily fortified border between north and south korea, all is quiet ahead of today's drill. this tourism village a few kilometers away is well within north korea's artillery range. people here had to be reminded a drill was taking place. >> when they hear the siren people think oh, that must be a

drill, but i never give much thought to it. >> it doesn't matter if the siren is going, there is still many tourists. it's not an issue for us. >> back in seoul this drill finished with many not knowing there had been one at all. >> generally i mean they know what to do. they are supposed to, you know, have that kind of education from whatever school they have, but i mean knowing what to do and doing that is two different things. >> everyone here is hoping it is never put to the test. rob mcbride, al jazeera seoul. >> the authorities in the philippines captured the leader of the muslim rebel group. he is linked to bombings and a beheading. he's also accused of protecting two suspected fighters wanted by the u.s. he heads the group justice for islamic movement. he was arrested on sunday along with five of his men.

>> police in malaysia arrested the eldest daughter of the jailed opposition leader ibrahim, being investigated. her people's justice party said the arrest is ridiculous and outrageous, because they have immunity over comments made in parliament. >> buyers in china account for a quarter of all global sales of art and antiquities. they are eager to showcase they'rer pieces at hong kong's art week. little artists have been overshadowed by big international names. we have a report on a new art fair that's trying to change all that. >> for a couple of million dollars, this two-meter bronze pumpkin is yours. art takes all forms here from a golden bridge to a sack of colorful cake, along with well

known iconic pieces like this one from pop artist andy warhol. more than $3 billion is expected to change hands at this art fair. critics say the glitzy event has little for local artists. >> hong kong people are just not so outgoing, and they don't really love to go to events or meet like new clients or meet people. they're a bit shy. for us, a lot of these artists with he approach them. >> that's what the new art fair set out to do under big white tents by the harbor. 20% of the artists are local. >> you don't need a pile of money to buy a piece of art here. it's build as the more affordable and edgy art fair featuring lesser known talents. >> vivians work will be seen by thousands and top collectors.

>> i talked to my friend and asked do you think my work is good enough? i am really embarrassed. >> collarful statues behind a rhino and two story paint ins by mainland artists. vivian's creation exploring news and information proved to be popular. >> i saw a simplistic but you to the point message. i'm very drawn to more minimalist colorful work, which brings about a feeling of joy and happiness. >> by the last day of the art fair almost all of vivian's pieces have sold, showing that the international art scene that plenty of room for local artists and there's demand for it. al jazeera, hong kong. >> the russian president vladimir putin has been seen in public for the first time in

roundabout 10 days. the whole of russia apparently had been speculating as to the health of the president because he hasn't been seen in public for a while. then these pictures have been released putin meeting kurdistan's president at the constantine palace. [ ♪♪ ] hello, i'm richard gizbert, and you are at "the listening post," here are some media stories. india - the government blocks the trance mission