nly on t.v. but also online, we have the main stories there if we go to that picture top right click on that and it will take us into a whole lot of stories there ever the us. aljazeera.com. >> the syrian government steps up air strikes over two of the country's largest cities the civilian toll from alleged chemical acing thats yemen's military says al quaida has now taken over an major airport. even as they claim rebels are on the run. >> i was scared to death and i didn't want to show it. >> and making amends for police torture the new steps being taken in chicago. ♪ ♪ this is al jazeera

america. discussions at the u.n. today over syria and allegations the government has been using chemical weapons on it's own people. a human rights watch report claims president bashar al asaad dropped barrel. bos during attacks last month the report says there were toxic chemicals inside. at least six people were killed and 200 others sickens. the government has stepped up it's air strikes on aleppo and the provinces. mohamed has the latest from beirut over 220,000 people killed. that is staggering number being provided by the syrian observatory for human rights that say that over 65,000 people killed since the fighting began were civilians and that over 11,000 of those killed were children. the syrian observatory also reporting the clashes have

been intensified especially in the province, of course, being the second provincial capitol to have been overtaken by rebels that happened at the end of march since then, there have been more air raids by the syrian regime, according to activists in that area. over the course of the past 36 hours we are told there are 120 air raids that dozens of barrel bombs have been dropped in that area, and that civilians are really really suffering. that it has gotten so much bloodier, it has gotten so bad that just tuesday human rights watch release add report, in which they accuse the regime of using chemical warfare, using chlorine there barrel bombs that were dropped over the past two weeks in march. >> and aid group says dozens are fears drowned off the coast of italy, they were reportedly trying to get from libya to europe it is the latest incident of people trying to make that dangerous

journey. the italian coat guard says it saved 10,000 people since february 00s more apparently drowned this week trying to make the crossing. al quaida has taken control of a major airport and an oil terminal in the country south, al quaida fighters were involved in intense clashing with forces, the soldiers reportedly fled the fighting. the peaces envoy has now resigned siting the kays from in the nation and many inside yemen are threing. near think 200 citizens have left heading to africa. these americans were among those who arrived on a overcrowded fishing boat, more than 730 people have now been killed and air attacks and street battles nearly 3,000 people have been injured. much of the fighting is taking place in the port city of adan jamal with more. >> on the offensive and

pushing forward. fighters loyal to yemen's president continue to make gains in the port city they manage to capture a tank used by houthis destroyed another and reportedly killed at least ten fighters on wednesday. the gained made by popular resistence committees have led to the surrender of 50 soldiers formerly loyal to the president, and ally of the houthis. opponents have also suffered losing three of their fighters were killed in a battle near the airport as they managed to force their enemies to retreat. video has also emerged of residential areas being targeted. bombs were destroyed. the saudi arabian led coalition, continues to pound the houthis and their allies from the air. among the targets allegedly used as a base, reduce to

rubble within seconds. although the coalition has limited attacks al jazeera has been told a ground offensive is being concerned. >> we find that we have a necessity to go to the next step of the phases. i think that will be one of the options. >> it appears that the houthis forces are on the back foot. the ousted president has sent an envoy with a proposal that would guarantee him a saw exit but the allies say he cannot be part of the political solution. >> the militias they are not part of the plan, the plan is the yemen now we are facing

the same distance. we are in the same boat. we should find the same end. >> even if a military victory appears eminent for the led coalition, the political conflict within the society remains. finding a solution to that will require consensus from all sides not victory by one. al jazeera. >> vladimir putin today answered questions from the public he held his annual question and answer session it lasted four hours. out of millions of questions the kremlin threw some softballs. but there were plenty of serious inquiries about the russian economy, and when you look at the numbers that isn't surprising. the i.m.f. now expects russia's economy to contract by 3.8% this year, thanks to the double whammy of sanctions and low oil prices.

half of russia's government are funded by energy sales and the kremlin needs oil to fetch north of 100-dollar as barrel to meet the budget this year, and right now global benchmark is trading around $62 a barrel and that gap impacted every part of the russian budget and fearly every aspect of every day life for many. now russians are also grappling with an eye watering inflation rate that hit 16.9% last month the highest increase in more than a decade while food inflation was 23% year over year. russian spending power has been hammered thanks to the ruble losing halfly of it's value. while sanctions the kremlin slapped on e.u. products in retaliation for western sanctions, has sent food prices through the roof. now pattyn j pointed out that the ruble has been climbing out of that deep hole, hailing it as a sign of renewed confidence in the russian economy. still, the ruble is roughly 30% weaker than it was a year

ago, but if you think putin's popularity will suffer over the handling of the economy don't hold your breath a recent poll found 72% of russians have a favorable view of their president. 83% trust him and nearly half think he has restored russia's status as a great and respected world power. it has been one year since a ferry sank killing more than 300 people. the country held somber memorials today but the families refused to meet with the country's leaders. harry reports. >> a year since the so well sank and the president came to the port which was the center of the recovery effort to offer condolences and it seemed to grant one of their key den mas. >> i now believe that it is time for us to seriously prepare for the ship. we will quickly take necessary measures so we can salvage the ship as soon as possible.

>> and parents decided not to meet her. first the prime minister was denied access, and when the time came for a ceremony that was supposed to be the focal point, the families called it off. underlying the ink aer deep grief, that a year has done little to heal. >> i wish that someone could make a time machine so i could go back to 10:00 a.m. on april 6 entoo. then i could go and tell them to get out quickly, and they'd all be out in five or ten minutes. a year has passed but nothing has chained. >> the images burned into the collective memory of this country, a passenger ferry full of school children sinking off the southern coast, the mobile phone footage that came later hurt still more, those children shown obeying repeated constructions to stay put as

it overturns trapping them beneath the water. he and other crew members have been convicted. >> accusing the government of putting restrictions on a recently launched special investigation, and attempting to undermine the independent the. >> so the commemoration has been overshadowed by the acorin monny. the families say a memorial event would have been meaningless, while they fight on to find the truth about how they loved ones died. >> some in this country believe it is time to move on that the families should accept generous compensation and allow the nation to heal. but on this anniversary evening evidence of support for their fight thousands many of them students gathering to mark a day when other young people were failed by their elderred and so need leslie lost their lives.

al jazeera, seoul. >> clashes today in the west bank between palestinian protestors and israeli soldiers. some of the demonstrators hurled stoned outside a military prison. the soldiers responded with tear gas. which traditionally happening tomorrow, no injuries were reported on either side. today is holocaust memorial day in israel, and the nation paused to remember the millions who died. >> as uh yo can hear here, sirens whale for several minutes, across the country this morning it has been 70 years since libration of the nazi concentration camps. israel is also in the process of deporting thousands of asylum seekers back to africa, but those 50,000 people or more mostly from sudan want to stay even if they are in prisoned. >> when israel rounded up thousands of asylum seekers and put them here, it was

thought restrictions on their movements and access to jobs would force them to return home. but only some have left so the government recently offered an alternative, written notices given to some here say they will be deported to unnamed african countries thought to be uganda and rwanda. an army defector who received this notice, refuses to be deported to rwanda because he says it is unsafe. >> i know rwanda, there is no security and there is no strong government there and there is no u.n. protection. no one stays in rwanda. it is a transfer point for refugees who use brokers to go to safer places. >> israel's min industry says the deportations will encouraging infill traitors to leave the borders of the state of israel in an honorable way. and serve as an effective tool for fulfilling our obligations towards israeli citizens and resoaring the fabric of the life to the residents.

anyone who has received this letter has 30 days to leave israel, if they refuse to leave, they will face a hearing that will determine their ink definite imprisonment. the israeli effort thats say 1,500 asylum seekers have agreed to be deported but there are tens of thousandses of sudanese migrants who have requested asylum here. >> many believe their asylum applications weren't even reviewed. >> and they -- i have been waiting for the interview for the request. last time they call me and tell me to leave the country. without seeing my request. >> israeli human rights activists say the israeli government may be keeping details of the deals reached with african countries intentionally secret.

>> the international community will be israel for example may be giving weapons to africa in exchange for unwanted refugees. i think the israeli would also be outraged if they learned that israel is giving millions and hundreds of millions of dollars of their money money that they pay in taxes to get a few hundreds of people out of israel. >> these men say they rather be jailed than deported to an unknown destiny. coming up, the price of abuse at the city of chicago pay millions to people tortured by police. plus. a look at the condition of the gulf of mexico five years after the b.p. oil spill, two new reports pay very different pictures. oo

>> doug hughes told friends he would fly the small 80, to deliver letters of protest to congress. hope land security confirms the secret service spokes with the postal worker nearly two years ago. the copter literally flew under the radar. victims call it a chance to start making things right. the shake to city council considering a plan that would compensate more than 100 men who were tortured by police over the span of two decades. victims say police formed them to confess to crimes they didn't commit, using beatings, suffocation, and electric shocks. >> they plameed russian roulette on me with a shotgun. >> darrel cannon a suspect in a murder case says police officers shoved a barrel of a shotgun into his mouth. >> he managed to get the shotgun barrel in, and then the other detective told him go ahead blow his head off and they pulled the trigger. >> the first time they pulled the ill trigger what did you

think. >> i wasn't. ives scared to death. and i didn't want to show it. my mind was such that it felt like my head was being blown off when i heard that click. and then they took the shotgun barrel back out of my mouth they put me in the backseat of a detective car and they had my feet outside of the detective car. i was still handcuffed they pulled my pants and shorts down and they started to shock me with electric cattle prod. >> cannon says police officers used illegal methods to force a false confession. he spent 24 years in prison for a crime he said he didn't commit. lawyers say can monois one of 120 mostly black men who endured torture at the hand of chicago police. they say the abuse came under the direction of former chicago police commander josh bird. >> budger was eventually fired and convicted in federal court of lying about the to be churr, he was sentenced to

4 1/2 years in prison. this week the city finally accuseddening nod the victims. for dozens of torture victims of the scandal. negotiating the agreement with the city, she says it is significant. >> this is the first time any city in the united states of america has ever acknowledged racist police practices and provided reparations. and to be clear we are talking about reparations for black people, in this instance. that is a huge landmark. >> to own up and be accountability tor what happened here, and to help the victims will offer a sense of closure. >> the deal still needs to

pass. offer free city college tuition, to victims and their families recounseling, and a formal joy issues be i the city. one thing the city could not take back is burgess a $300,000 pension, he continues to collect it after being released from prison late last year. >> even with that conviction, he was able to keep his pension. so at this point, we really have no other recourse. >> it is something darrel cannon says he would like to fight, and while he says no reparation can begin to address the pain, the city acknowledgement is a start. >> it is a partial victory and it sends a message throughout the united states that at some point in time, you can bear enough pressure on government without a physical riot ever osomething of this nature here, and make change.

the greek debt is one of the big topics on the agenda in washington. the group is also questioning whether the federal reserve in this country should really raise interest rates. the i.m.f. report cautions the move could not only send u.s. markets into shock but could spark widespread volatility in global economies. rates could go up later this year. she explains why the global economy has faced what she says is a now immediate yearic reality when it comes to growth. >> immediate yolkser that sort of growth, but moderate, growth but uneven. growth but no jobs. >> and my fear is that this new idea could become reality. i don't think if it is if policy makers make the right decisions and that's

addressing today's risk, and also addressing tomorrow's potential. which we have as you know, downgraded a bit. i think the risk is to be complacent when they say mediocre can do better, we need to do better together. >> you can watch more of the interview with christene tonight on real money that's at 10:30:00 p.m. eastern time. 7:30 pacific right here on al jazeera america. nearly five years after the deep water horizon oil rig exploded in the gulf of mexico local communities are still feeling the impact. as jonathon martin report as lot of questions remain about what went wrong, and what's being done to clean up. >> the blow out on b.p.'s oil rig in 2010 sent more than 3 million barrels of crude gushing into the gulf of mexico. leaving thousands of miles of oiled shoreline and wild life suffering. five years later there's a widening debate and two conflicting reports about the

recovery of the gulf's ecosystem, are the shorelines largely recovered or is there still a significant threat. >> if there's still oil out here still clean up. >> b.p. says the gulf is rebounding but the national wild life federation says the oil is still impacting dolphins, sea turtling and other species. but who has it right? we went toen a independent source to get answers. a member of the national group officially tasked with determining the long term damage caused by the spill. to help sort out just where the gulf stands five years after the deep water horizon rig explosion. you can watch the full report tonight. straight ahead on al jazeera the drought in california has led to tighter restrictions on water usage so why do some communities have much more water than others?

a big jolt of caffeine will soon be on it's way to the international space station. it is expected to reach the i.s.s. tomorrow. one of the things onboard is called the i.s.s. eggs press so machine.

espresso machine. it's biggest challenge is designing how to prevent the drink from the actually floating away. oh my. some say new water restrictions are unfair, last week stay officials asked communities to use more water per person to cut back at a higher rate. but residents said those towns say the rules don't take into account pack ever toes like the local climate or if they had been saving extra water in case of an emergency. and while almost all of california is parched, there is one county near san francisco that has waitedder to spare. a look at the drought's uneven impact on communities rich and poor. the ravages of the drought. a state of emergency. but north of san francisco in marin county, it is water water everywhere. and every drop to drink.

>> our reservoirs are about 94% capacity right now, which is about average for this time of the year. >> it is one of the richest counties in the state and the country. and the story of have and have notes. they don't need to worry about. they have streams that are running where as we are sitting hoar, with what little we have being called hey think before you flush. >> the drought has not had a uniform impact across the state, instead some 400 water districts produce 400 different scenarios. we are not part of the central valley project. we are a very unique system here ha has a local supply, where most of the water comes from. >> so as you can see with the situation here, good water management is key and can have an impact on the worst drought the state has seen in a

century. >> in the early part of the 20th century. >> . >> just 100 miles away, the situation couldn't look any different. retired farmer worries how his peers are responding to the drought. digging deeper wells and sucking ground water dry. pushing the state to build more buying water from the other districts. >> when my grand parents came hoar part of their annual food budget was to pitch fox salmon out of this creek and can them. when do you think a salmon will come up this creek now? >> for him the creek that once ran along his field shows the folly of the region's water policy. already the envy of the region, few places in california enjoy water security like the lucky residents in marin. the water district affluent customer base has provided wit a steady budget for sound waterstradt joy, but the district says that as wealthy as people here are, they have

acted responsibly conserving water long before the declaration of a drought. initially, marin must still contribute to the new goal to cut water use by a overall 25%. >> yeah, we do feel lucky but it is part luck and part vision that someone looked forward to saying what if, i think a lot of it is geographic, but we are still part of the whole state so any problem the state has we are a part of. but only a part of that solution. while marin doesn't compete to pie extra hour, it doesn't sell any either, there are no pipelines to carry it to where it is needed. so with water to spare in this corner of the state a small paradise thrives. melissa chen, al jazeera. marin county california.

take a look at this scene. this is al jazeera. good to have you with us. live from london. this is what we have coming up. the man trying to win the fighting in yemen, there is a way both sides can reach a peace deal. >> the government steps up air raids on aleppo, activists say killed 220,000 people. more migrants reach it's new reports 41 others have drowned