the world's heritage at risk of destruction, isil fighters enter the ancient ruins of palmyra. ♪ hello. i sami seay dan. california declares a state of emergency as over 400,000 liters of oil spill into the sea.

♪ the monumental ruins of an ancient city at risk of destruction, isil fighters have entered palmyra in syria. ramadi, the capitol of iraq and palmyra in syria. carolyn malone reports. >> reporter: this appears to be the final stages of fighting for a city at the heart of syria. [ explosion ] >> reporter: isil fighters push syrian government forces out of palmyra. they are now in control of the city's infrastructure including the national hospital and security headquarters and of

course thousands of people. >> translator: there are about 140,000 people here, including some displaited from homs. people are afraid. there's no water. we can only use local wells, and there's no power most of the time. >> reporter: it is surrounded by gas field, and has a political prisoner prison. >> the human cost in terms of the refugees has been huge but the cultural loss has been incall cuable. >> reporter: it is 20,000 years old and has priceless artifacts. some were bundled up and taken out of the city but much of the sites remain at risk. >> we may have different beliefs and views, but we have to

protect these incredible [ inaudible ] of human history. and destroying heritage will not achieve anything. >> reporter: fighting has already damaged part of the site. the u.n. says it is being used as a syrian camp. video shows walls be bullet holes. so much of the past has been preserved in this ancient place, but it's future is uncertain. caroline malone. al jazeera. isil began its offensive on palmyra on tuesday last week. those remaining are now living under isil rule. the threat to the ancient ruins have captured headlines, but control of the city always gives

them access to the east and west. they now control five sees across syria and iraq. from baghdad, zana hoda reports. >> reporter: there is a new front line in anbar province. in the east of ramadi there is a fierce fight. isil has taken some towns in this district. forces loyal to the government are trying to present the armed group from getting closer to the main base a few kilometers away. the islamic state of iraq and the levant hasn't lost its momentum just days after seizing ramadi. there are those who believe that the armed group wants to drain the resources of its opponents. >> does isil want to settle or to be a [ inaudible ] group. this is the idea to be a moving combat, or let's say a moving group, is that you are always

threatening so many fronts especially when the defensive military forces are not equipped and not ready. >> shia militia commanders are moving some of their troops across the front lines across iraq to anbar. this is part of ongoing preparations for the counter offensive. these men are known as the popular mobilization force, and they will lead the fight in the sunni province. they were called in after the regular forces and anbar's local police were not able to hold off the isil assault. there is a shortage of government soldiers in anbar, and authorities are now asking for volunteers to join. the prime minister also says that they will speed up the training of the local police and arm and recruit sunni tribesmen. it's not the first time he makes

such a promise to integrate sunnis into the security forces. many are skeptical that this plan will work because there has been long-time opposition from shia politicians. on anbar's front lines. shia militia are seen fighting alongside the local police and soldiers. the government has been trying to show this fight is being waged by iraqis and is not a shia war against anbar sunnis. there is a need to create a non-sectarian army in iraq. attempts in the past have failed. but the country is at a dangerous cross roads, and they need to unite now more than ever. there are reports saudi shells have hit an international humanitarian office in yemen. air strikes are said to have hit the office in the northern town along the border with saudi arabia.

reuters is quoting a local official as saying five ethiopian refugees were killed in the strike. forces loyal to exiled president hadi say they have made significant gains. peace talks are due to start at the u.n. base in geneva next thursday. hashem ahelbarra reports from the saudi capitol, riyadh. >> reporter: government troops gain ground in this prosense. its borders sa'dah the power base of the houthis. if it falls into government hands, it will be the post significant loss for houthi rebels since they took over power in september. these are some of the vehicles ceased by tribesmen loyal to president hadi. fighting continues across the country. in the city of ta'izz, the houthis backed by soldiers loyal to the former president have

intensified their campaign to capture yemen's third largest city. >> translator: we are ordered by our allegiance norms and morals. >> reporter: the saudi-lead coalition has ramped up its air strikes against houthi positions in sa'dah and the capitol. these are some of the weapons air dropped to government troops in the southern province. as the fighting picks up international efforts are underway to bring together yemen's wars factions to start political talks in geneva. saudi arabia which backs president hadi said iran is not welcome at geneva. >> the last time i checked iran was not a member of the gcc, the legal arab state is not a permanent member of the security

council, therefore i don't see what this the point? why not invite brazil or others to the conference. there is no place for iran in the consultations in geneva. they have not been playing a constructive role, and as such cannot be rewarded by having a seat at the table. >> reporter: the growing political divide in yemen could undermine the chances for any deal in geneva. international aid agencies warn the ongoing crisis will affect millions across the country. yemen's key factions say they welcome the talks but remain divided over the agenda. the government wants hadi to be recognized as the legitimate leader. malaysia's prime minister has ordered the navy to search

for migrants. most are rohingya refugees pleading violence in myanmar. step vaessen has more. >> reporter: they all thought they were going to die. doctors who have examined these asylum seekers say their condition is very very bad. most of them are dehydrated malnourished and have skin diseases. >> translator: we thought we had died already, and we meet god all mighty soon. we had lost all hope of survival. >> reporter: indonesia and malaysia have agreed to accept 7,000 migrants, most still at sea, but the reality on the

sground the navy says they are not actively rescuing people stranded on the roads until they get an official order from jakarta. looking at the condition of those that just arrived one day ago, it's clear that there is no time to lose. europe is also under pressure to find a solution to the growing number of migranting coming from africa. a group of migrants who was made up of palestinians and syrians who cheered as the ship docked. more than 10,000 have been saved from the mediterranean in recent weeks. amnesty international says qatar has not done enough to improve work conditions for the

workers helping the country prepare for the 2022 world cup. amnesty says there has been noed a advantages. there are a number of abuses. in many cases there are people who are not being paid for months at a time. they don't have enough money to buy food or water, and they have to rely on charity. people who are also living in poor accommodation that doesn't comply with the rules on accommodation for workers, and also people who are being forced to work eventually because their employer is threatening them with withholding their passports and refusing to let them leave the country, and what we have seen is that -- the changes that have happened is the electronic payment system has been announced. it hasn't been introduced yet. there's a six-month period from

february. so by the end of the summer he should see how that is work in practice. the other change that has happened is the number of inspect ors has increased to 294 inspectors i believe. but these are small changes. and they don't address the core of the issue which is that employers have very big power over workers. >> cat tar has issued a statement rejecting the report it says it has increased the number of inspectors and is building new accomodation for more than a quarter of a million workers. much more still to come here on al jazeera. show of force, we'll show you the new front line in mexico's war against drug cartels. and nato increases the rhetoric over the russian threat to the baltic states. ♪

♪ welcome back. you are watching the al jazeera news hour. a reminder now of our top stories. the ancient syrian city of palmyra has been captured by islamic state of iraq and the levant. the syrian army withdrew as isil fighters closed in. malaysia is the first country to announce it will search for ally sum seekers rather than wait for them to come ashore. amnesty international says

qatar has not done enough to improve conditions for migrant workers despite promises of reform. qatar says it has increased the number of inspectors and is building accomodations for more than a quarter of a million migrant workers. california has declared a state of emergency after a pipeline leaked oil. 14 kilometers of coastline has been affected. our correspondent reports. >> reporter: this is what the california coast looks like after nearly 400,000 liters of oil spewed from a pipeline. the governor has declared a state of emergency, and the health department is urging people to stay away from the oil and its fume. >> we currently estimate a portion of that or near 500 barrels, which is approximately 21,000 gallons of that 105,000

gallons may have migrated to the water. >> reporter: environmentalists are warning that the leak threat ens wildlife. >> we have response crews combing the beaches looking for affected wildlife. >> reporter: over 100 cleanup crew and nine vessels are trying to contain the spread. >> we are actively on the beaching removing oil from the sand. that's the easiest thing we can get to on the beach area. and we have plans, obviously to continue the cleanup of the rocky areas, the pebbles and the outcrops. >> reporter: there was a major oil spill on the santa barbara coast in 1959 and it is credited with giving rise to the american environmental movement. locals and volunteers are also joining to clean the beaches. >> terrible. this is some of the most

pristine coastline we have in the county and to see it covered in crude oil is terrible. it's really sad. a few pelicans started washing up, a few seals as well. >> reporter: the pipeline carries nearly 1200 barrels an hour sfr a processing facility to a distribution hub hundreds of kilometers away. the company that runs the pipeline says it is sorry for what happened. >> we apologize for the damage that was done to the wildlife and to the environment, and we're very sorry for the disruption and in -- in -- inconvenience it has caused. >> reporter: an investigation is underway to determine what went wrong, but the ecosystem is already paying the highest price. a team of scientists say there is a difficult link between the massive bp oil spill in 2010 and the record number of

dolphin deaths along the gulf of mexico. large numbers of dead bottlenose dolphins suffered from lung and [ inaudible ] lesions caused from swimming in the contaminated seas. on tuesday los angeles voted to raise the minimum wage by more than 50% by the end of the decade. kristen saloomey has more. >> reporter: for low-wage workers outside of mcdonald's headquarters in illinois 15 is the magic number. a rallying cry being heard coast-to-coast it's the hourly wage they say they need to feed their families. rebecca makes $9 an hour at a fast-food restaurant in new york. >> it's very difficult because a 40 hour week only pays two thirds of my rent.

that doesn't include the late fees or court fees if i should happen to wind up in rent court. >> reporter: the fight started with fast-food workers here in new york and has spread to other industries and other cities around the country. earlier this month, new york's governor convened a special boobed to consider an increase, a move strongly supported by new york city mayor, bill dee blahs you. >> reporter: business groups are fighting back with ads like this one. a point debated among economists. but with rallies like this one, there is growing pressure from labor groups around the country, not to settle for an increase of anything less than $15 per hour. >> three years ago the president was calling for a $9 minimum wage last month he called for raising it to $12 an hour.

>> reporter: five cities have proposed a minimum wage above the federal one. most correctly los angeles, the second largest city in the country, whereby some estimates more than half of the population currently makes less than 15 an hour. >> it's called game changing. game changing. we have a presidential election in this country, and these candidates are going to have to tell us how we lift people up and we have to hold them accountable to a real living wage in this country. >> 15 and nothing less. >> reporter: for this fast-food cook it's not just a political issue, it's a moral one. >> you can barely survive on 15. you don't want to depend on government assistance. the observer mission to

ukraine says both sides in the conflict have violated the ceasefire several times. the organization for security and cooperation in europe has always warned about the spread of violence in eastern ukraine. the head says both russia and ukraine have failed to withdraw their heavy weapons to from the region. they signed a peace deal in minsk in february. there is a request by the bald tick states to protect against a possible russian invasion. the move would protect them from not having soviet bases in the countries. russian military jets routinely fly over the baltic sea, and that has already lead to increased tension with moscow.

lawrence lee reports. >> reporter: it's a drill, but the intention is real enough. the pilots have 15 minutes from the alarms sounding to take to the skies. they will scramble for real 150 times last year to shadow russian aircraft over the baltic. the current lead nation in this nato mission is norway backed up by the italians. this is all about reassuring the tiny baltic states that they won't let the russians do to them what they did to ukraine. >> we show them our presence by being up there and -- and show them that we're nearby and we're on alert. we are airborne within 15 minutes, and basically show of force, and show them that we are here. >> reporter: lithuania looks at east, but the government is

bringing back the draft to build the army. they have been warning about a ground invasion as well as an air war. as well as having russia to the east is the russian enclave of kalenigrad to the west. so as well as calling on nato to defend its skies, this country, and latvia has now formally asked a standing nato army of 3,000. that's a real test of nato's stated commitment to protecting these countries. >> we are asking to be together with us. if there are [ inaudible ] process will continue on the ground, the same as we can have the air mission, it will be good. >> reporter: of course the

russians say this is hysterical scare mongering. we asked for but were refused an interview with their ambassador. one of their diplomats said some people say we have all hand in everything. in propaganda terms that's not match for nato's open-door policy for journalists. nato admits there has never been a single significant incident of a russian war plane deliberately breaching the air space of any of the baltic states, yet for all of that these pilots practice this stuff over and over again, just in case they say, they ever have to do it for real. privately some nato officials say it looks to spend so much effort on an air or ground war that is extremely unlikely. but they prefer not to take any chances. lawrence lee, al jazeera,

lithuania. in peru police have fired tear gas to evict hundreds of squatters who illegally occupied a 2,000 year old cemetery near the capitol. several people including three officers were injured this police arrested at least 15 people. mexico has opened up a new front in its war against war gangs. 10,000 people have been sent to dismantle the new-generation cartel. adam raney reports. >> reporter: a show of force, 10,000 federal soldiers and security forces have been sent to the western state of jalisco. the latest in an on going eight-year drug war. it follows the wave of spectacular attacks. the downing of a helicopter, and the killing of 15 police

officers last month. despite talk that the cartel is a new threat this missing person investigator says it has been behind hundreds of disappearances across the straight. >> translator: there is an organized structure directly tied to the disappearances. it is gaining attention now, because of the violence. but this is not new. this is just the tip of the iceberg. >> reporter: this is who the government is up against. the new generation cartel. a heavily armed paramilitary criminal group. they make millions running drugs, extorting businesses, and kidnapping. they enforce their own justice, build their own weapons and increasingly use against the government. the state security chief admitted he had no idea if they had hundreds of gunmen or thousands, still he was sure of

victory. >> translator: i'm confident our actions will allow us to catch these criminals and take them into custody. >> reporter: the capitol is mexico's second largest city. it has long been known as a home for cartel dealers. many believe they had an understanding with authorities as long as things remained calm. in the wake of all of the recent violence, though there are raids here nearly every day. this is an operation by the army and federal police, and what we're seeing here is an increased coordination of efforts between various security forces as they try to take back control of the state. there's even more attention on the issue with elections less than a month away. the whole state is being closely watched. >> translator: this is the result of security strategy that is corrupt to the bone. corruption is behind the security failure.

>> reporter: complicit politicians are part of the problem is clear, less clear if that will change soon. and before you go let's just remind you where you can go if you want to each updated with the news around the clock. aljazeera.com. you can see our front page there with all of the news. crews race to protect california's coastline after an oil compels the -- governor to declare a state of emergency. and isil takes control of an ancient strategic town in syria, and now the u.s. is willing to send iraq more weapons to stop the group's advance. ♪