e story tonight, and we go live... >> kidnapped, raped and sold as sex slaves. al jazeera hears disturbing testimony about i.s.i.l.'s abuse of young girls in iraq. i'm nick clark, you're watching al jazeera. also coming up the united states moves to remove cuba from its list of state sponsors of terrorism houthi rebels accuse the u.n. of supporting aggression as they are hit with an arms embargo hundreds of migrants appear

to have drowned in the mediterranean says the charity, save the children iraq has endured a day of carnage, 20 have been killed in a series of car bombings in and around the capital baghdad. five explosion, including a hospital where four were killed in a car park and a bakery. visiting the sick or buying bread can put your life at risk. west of kirkuk iraqi forces have been fighting to defend the country against an i.s.i.l. assault, the group controlling 40% of the area. iraq's prime minister has been in washington appealing for help in the fight against i.s.i.l. haider al-abadi was promised an extra 2 million in aide. >> in northern iraq hundreds of girls and women say they were raped and beaten while held by the group. some were freed others described

attacks in the middle of the night. kim vinnell reports from a refugee camp the hours can seem endless the the youngest hind ways to pass the time. there are children who no longer want to play. their innocence stolen in the most brutal way. 17-year-old charean doesn't want to be identified and we are not using her real name. in august last year i.s.i.l. fighters went to her home town forcing everyone to buses. shunted between schools, fighters came to choose the girls they wanted. her name was called eventually. >> translation: i said to my mother i want to kill myself. i was given the permission to go to the toilet. i wanted to do it then. my mother convinced me not to. >> reporter: separated from her mother she was taken and for

four months was kept as a sex slave. >> translation: i was so afraid all the time. i didn't know when he would rape me again. i believed in myself, knew that i would escape. using a cell phone, shaheen made it happen. hidden by a burka, she made it happen. she took a taxi and made to a friend or relative. her story is common. i.s.i.l. is targetting yazidi. many fear their people will never recover. >> this camp is vast. there are 15,000 people here. 2,500 families. all of them are yazidi from the sinjar area, all unsure what they'll find if they are able to return home. >> for now, family is front of mind. these two women were among the hundreds of yazidis released by i.s.i.l. last week. between them they have nine children, whose whereabouts are unknown. >> translation: they took my daughter.

she is 10 years old. it's been nine months since i saw her. i feel like i'm dying every day. i wish to see her. >> reporter: it's not clear why i.s.i.l. is releasing prisoners. only the elderly or young are freed. even those with nothing say those living here, it's one thing they need - to be reunited with their loved ones houthi rebels in yemen accused the united nations of supporting aggression after it voted to impose an armed embargo. russia wanted an arms embargo on all sides ab stained. air strikes killed 750 people. our diplomat, editor james bays has been following the developments from the u.n. in new york. >> reporter: the u.n. security council sending a tough message to the houthis - before them for a vote, a resolution calling on the group to withdraw from all the territory they have taken in

recent month, including sanaa. the resolution passed, but with one significant abstention by russia, it wanted a ceasefire. instead there'll be humanitarian pauses organised by the u.n., but in conjunction with the government of president abd-rabbu mansour hadi, which like most security council members, including the u.s., supported saudi arabia-led military operations. >> the houthis working in close cooperation with haider al-abadi, intensified the military campaign, bombed aden and extended the offensive to the south. the actions caused violence and instability threatening the security and welfare of the yemeni people and security. >> the council decided to extend sanctions and an arms embargo, and cover the three most important houthi leaders, including ali abdullah saleh, and his son abdullah.

what if the houthis don't comply, could it lead the saudi-led coalition to a ground operation? >> the entire population is the noncompliance the houthis, if they don't comply they face more of the same. >> reporter: the resolution says that of the same.humanitarian pauses should be organised by the u.n. secretary-general in conjunction with president abd-rabbu mansour hadi. ban ki-moon wants face to face talks, saying ultimately there's no solution to the crisis in yemen united states is to remove cuba from a list of state sponsors of terrorism. a key step towards mobilizing relations between the two country. it comes days after a meeting. >> we have this report the u.s. and cuba have been

at loggerheads for more than half a century. half a century. historic heisting handshake between president obama and raul castro given suspense by the announcement that the u.s. will remove cuba from a list of state sponsored terror. >> i think it was good. it was timely that it happened. raul and obama united for the sake of people in cuba. >> it's the most important step between normalization of relations between the two countries. they were serviced in 1959 after the cuban revolution, and the caribbean island was added to the list 23 years later. the u.s. accusing havana of aiding armed rebels and harbouring fugitives. cuba welcomed the decision

a step closer to mending >> translation: this implies development. it's great that it happened. >> reporter: it's not a done deal. obama must bet approve from congress. the republican presidential hopeful, marco rubio, who has cuban heritage condemned the move. >> the decision by the white house is terrible. not surprising. cuba is a state sponsor of terrorism, it's also the country that harbored fugitives and killed a police officers and the count ri that helped north korea evade weapons sanctions. they should have remained on the list of the state-sponsored terrorism. this white house is no longer serious about calling terrorist by its proper name. >> reporter: being blacklisted by the u.s. it an emotive thing. >> many things will be

eliminated, like the blockade, which is what we need. it is a start. >> reporter: the lifting of the embargo is years away. cuba and the u.s. agree to disagree on many issues the latest move puts them a step closer to leaving the cold war behind at least 400 migrants are feared to have drowned after their boat capsized in the mediterranean on sunday, according to the charity save the children charity, which spoke to witnesses. the italian coast guard said it rescued 144 people. nine bodies have been recovered. it was not able to confirm further casualties. earlier we spoke to save the children's carlotta bellin. >> >> according to the stories, they depart from libya, there was more than 550 on the boat that capsized.

so they were rescued. only 145 people made it to italy. instead, all the others are believed, of course, to be dead. they also said that unfortunately in the group there were mainly young people and probably adolescence, like minors as the weather improves, and spring turns to summer, more are making the dangerous crossing. hundreds died in the crossing. a coast guard said it rescued more than 7,000 people in the past four days alone. many migrants are escaping conflicts in syria, eritrea. humanitarian organizations want bigger rescue operations and the e.u. is expected to unveil a new strategy. >> many that make it to europe live in grim conditions. calais is home to hundreds hoping to cross the english

channel into the u.k. phil lavelle has this. >> reporter: from before dawn they are out looking hoping to find a lorry to sneak on to, bound for britain. first light brings the first attempt of the day. some get through, most fail and return to camp, but they'll be back tomorrow. it's not much, it's home, at least for now. . >> it's horrible. >> reporter: escanda will not show his face, but shows us the tent in a slum on the edge of calais. the dream - smuggle himself to the u.k. he tried five times this week. to achieve it he has to contend with the nightmare that is this camp. there's no option. >> in my life, it's the first time i faced this problem, like africa and being in the jungle. it's life of jungle.

what we are eating it's not a normal human being. we cook here, everything. dash everything going, our dishes. we don't have enough water to wash the body. i have washed my body after a week. >> reporter: this was the jungle as the migrants that used to camp here called it. it is deserted, called out by the authorities, directing all inhabitants to this patch of land, bringing them together in one place, though not under one roof. only the luckier ones have those. call the new jungle. same people, same goal, same problems. this camp is flanked by a busy motorway, sitting underneath a chemical plant. for those that live here - if you describe it as that - there are no basic amenities - no toilets or running water. the nearest tap these people have access to is about a kilometre away.

what they do have is the knowledge that they'll be left relatively alone by the authorities. they've been told to come here specifically to stay. this is, to all intents and purposes, a state-sanctioned slum. >> down the road a day center provides food. they seek help. they seek help in the chateau of a world war ii bunker. the irony, it was war at home that brought many to this place. makeshift mosques and deliveries of bread bring a sense of community to a group of people with the same aim - to cross the channel whatever it takes. >> we have a new stream of refugees, 20-30 new people every day. sometimes 20 go to england every day, sometimes less, times more. this winter there were a few that managed to make it into the u.k. >> for each ferry that leaves calais laden with cargo, it's

impossible to say how many stowaways are on board. many deliberately disappear once they get to the other side. the short crossing represents a life, a dream realised, a nightmare left behind. they have nothing to lose trying still to come, china's economy damages the job prospects of graduates. sewing the seeds of discontent. we report from a remote region in sudan, where they feel the government has abandoned them.

>> part of al jazeera america's >> special month long evironmental focus fragile plan

again the top stories - houthi rebels supported aggression. russia wanted an arms embargo for all sides. air strikes led by saudi arabia killed 736 people in almost three weeks. united states is removing cuba from a state sponsors of terrorism. it is an enormous step to normalize relations between the counties happening days after a meeting between president obama and his cuban counterpart raul castro. 400 migrants are feared have drowned after their boat overturned. according to save the children. the italian coast guard can only confirm nine deaths. >> the national bureau of

statistics said china's economy has grown i 6%. the down tern is making it hard for college graduates trying to find a job. >> a job recruitment fair in beijing, many scanning the list of jobs are students. many finding after fewer years of university they don't have the knifications employers are looking for. >> my major is communications. my fellow classmates few of them, have jobs fitting communications. most have to get jobs in other industries for my major, there's not enough jobs in the market. >> liu is looking for a job paying around $1200 in the month. the job recruiter entrying them says it's unrealistic. >> they don't realise they have low practical skills they are

fresh without much experience. the student you interview will probably get half of what they pect. >> reporter: experts say they lack scales like critical language basic communications that business is looking for. the government is worried about the impact of slowing unemployed. namely the prospect of slowing economy. which is why a plan to create 10 million jobs. one solution is to encourage students to learn a trade. this vocational commenting has more than 10,000 students trained in kills. >> mechanical jobs have a good prospect. that's why my parents want me to come here, thinking i'll have a better opportunity to find a job. >> china's government wants to increase the numbers of students

in vocational education by 10 million over five years, by convincing young people that they have a better chance of securing a job if they do the effects of china's economic slowdown will be widely felt. here is andrew thomas reporting from australia. >> reporter: shopping streets in australia may look busy but nir not as busy as a couple of years ago. there is a squeeze going on. a lot of that has to do with a slowdown in china, because china is australia biggest export customer. the demand for australian goods is going down particularly iron ore. the price has collapsed by more than half over the last year, putting a strain on australia government's finances. down there 25 billion over four years. it is money australia government has to find by either putting up taxes or reducing spending which puts less money in pockets

as rices in shops are going up because the falling australian dollar means imports are more expensive. >> pictures from a port in south korea, where families of a ferry sinking a year ago are attending a memorial. you can see they are being addressed now by an official. the accident plunged the nation into months of intense mourning blamed on the shipped illegal redesign and overloading. relatives continue to stage protests and call for an independent inquiry into the singing. now at a memorial service, which is ongoing at the port close to where the ferry sank. [ ♪♪ ] to nigeria, where a candle lit vigil has been healed in the capital to mark a year since 200 schoolgirls were kidnapped by boko haram.

boko haram. >> reporter: a roll call of the missing girls was read out in the gathering in abuja. the schoolgirls were abducted in the north-east. ynonne ndedge reports from abuja >> reporter: peter's sister is one of 219 girls missing a year after being taken. the mass abduction caused global protests against the failure of the government of president goodluck jonathan to find the girls and deal with the group. >> i've been so sad >> i feel so sad, so depressed. i'm sorry for them, and the think the government failed them. and that i failed them. i see so many things. we have not done enough. >> hundreds of schoolgirls marched through abuja marking the anniversary. >> the girls brought the march to the ministry of education to

demand fresh government action to find the missing girls. each of them is holding a placard with the names of missing girls, a number and a hashtag never to be forgotten. some are as young as 7 and 8 years old. >> the minister of education was not available to meet them. it's been nine months since the previous government said it knew where the girls were. they were last seen in the boko haram video. >> the country will not give up until we find the citizens, no one will be resting. >> reporter: it's hoped with the new government of president-elect muhammadu buhari coming in on may 29th, the girls may be found. >> i feel it will make a bit of difference. not expecting much. >> the new government is not making promises. at least four people have been killed in fighting between immigrants and locals in the

center of south africa's coastal city of durbin they are blamed for high unemployment rates, around 25%. shops were looted and burnt. raising concerns about the police's ability to stem the violence children returned to school in sierra leone, after staying at home for nine months because of the ebola outbreak. while they've been off, u.n.i.c.e.f. helped with the training of 9,000 teachers in ebola prevention and safety guideline. 24,000 hand washing stations were installed in schools sudan is entering the third and final day of voting in presidential and parliamentary elections, some farmers are boycotting the boll. we travelled to find out why. >> it's the end of the season in al jazeera. it was a harvest despite the

failure here, in a large irrigation project. >> everything is destroyed. >> reporter: this man is one of the more than 100,000 farmers leasing about 2 million acres of land from the government. he and other farmers we spoke with are boycotting the elections because they are angry. the farmer's alliance accuses the government of breaking its promise to give loops, and failing to maintain irrigation canals. >> translation: that's no support from the government. it's all talk no action. >> reporter: the government is trying to push out farmers, whose families worked the land for generations and bring in companies with ties to the government. >> it's a peaceful project bringing people together working together.

the government doesn't like that it want to divide people. >> the government disputes the allegations, saying it's been taking steps to ensure formers maximise land to increase crop production. >> by providing the necessary loans, good irrigation and guidance to farmers, we are increasing the production of crops on the land. >> farmers are preparing for another growing seen. beyond living from harvest to hear about vest they are fighting with the government for survival in brazil protesters clashed with police over a building planned as a hotel for the 2016 olympics. squatters pelted riot police with bottles when they tried to evict them. the building was set on fire. mean in rio are angry with government spending on olympic projects and wants affordable

housing. >> mexico's government is trying to reform the police force and root out corruption local officers say they are overworked and underpaid. john hullman reports now. >> keeping order in one of mexico's violent towns will be a tough task for any police for. here officers are under paid, under-equipped and have to by their own bullets, said this policeman, who didn't feel safe to show his face or leave the police car. >> >> reporter: if we had better equipment and bullets paid for we'd do jobs better. >> reporter: the mexican government views the police as corrupt and inexceptent. officers say it's the case but are struggling with little government support. almost all the police we talked to on the streets are too afraid

to go on comra. they told us they work shifts of 24 hour, and barely earn enough to get by. this ex-policeman wasn't given medical insurance or a bulletproof vest, while working in an area riddled with crime. >> we arrested carriacers. i finished my shift at 7am. by 3:00p.m. they were free and at my door threatening me. >> reporter: corruption and low pay can push officers into taking bribes. >> translation: with these salaries police don't go to work they go to steal. instead of taking care of the civilians, they are seeing how they can get money out of you. >> conditions for some have improved. local forces continue to be badly paid and undertrained. rather than improving their

conditions several state governments recently created new small elite forces backed by cinematic skill campaigns. >> it's easier to show a 2,000-strong police force covering the state. than actually having 10,000 police officers actually local - local police officers improve their capability. >> without sufficient training or government support, police across mexico will struggle to convince a public that they are fit to defend them. the legendry soul singer percy sledge died at the age of 74. ♪ when a man loves a woman ...♪ he died this his home in louisiana, after a battle with liver cancer.

first known for the song "when a man loves a woman" he was inducted into the hall of fame. his heart-wrenching soul struck a chord with music fans around the world. default and desperation in california, where thousands have gone without water for sinks, tubs, toilets. >> what will we do without water? i still don't know what to do a battle for breathing room in the bronx. how activists are targetting trucks to fight pollution. and an environmental mystery that could wipe out bees and