for watching. for the latest go to our website at aljazeera.com. one of saddam hussein's most loyal ministers tarik aziz dies in prison at the age of 79. hello there, i'm felicity barr and this is al jazeera live from london. an agreement to keep oil production at the same rate despite calls from the industry to push prices higher. greece's prime minister rejects international reform plans calling them absurd. but says a debt-repayment deal is closer than ever. and india bans the sale of

the hugely popular maggie noodles after dangerous levels of lead are detected in some samples. ♪ hello he was the international face of saddam hussein's iraq for more than 20 years. he has died at the age of 79 after suffering a heart attack in prison. he became foreign minister in 1973 and developed a prominent international profile. when saadam invaded kuwait in 1990 he was a stanch defender in the media of baghdad's position. he surrendered in 2003 and was sentenced to death in 2009, although the penalty was never carried out. >> reporter: for many he was the best-known face of saddam hussein's regime. traveling the globe, meeting

world leaders, he defended his boss's policies at every turn. he deflected blame. >> translator: according to the information i have it was the iranians who bombed the area with the chemical weapons, it wasn't iraq. >> reporter: he came to the party in the 1950s. by the time they came to power in iraq the former english teacher was already a prominent figure. he was named information minister. in the early 1980s, he became foreign minister tasked with strengthening diplomatic relations between baghdad and washington. >> reporter: but when saadam ordered the invasion of kuwait in 1990 he has to face the world and condemned arab leaders

for not standing up to the u.s. the u.s. responded to the invasion by declaring war on iraq. for iraq the results were devastated. aziz's loyally was never shaken. he continued to defend saddam's policies. but the loyalty couldn't keep saadam in power, and in 2003 under the guise of searching for weapons of mass destruction, the u.s. invaded. he was the ace of spade's in the u.s.'s famous deck of cards of the u.s.'s most wanted political leaders. in 2003 he turned himself in. he was eventually sentenced to

death for the persecution of religion parties. >> let's get more now from james bayes live at the u.n. headquarters in new york. you have met him and interviewed him. what was he like to deal with? >> i think among the saadam cronies that we used to try to interview in baghdad, and i spent some time in the run up to both gulf wars in baghdad, he was the one that the journalists were most interested to speak to. because he was such a well-known figure on the international stage. saddam hussein did not like to leave iraq. his only real major visit was one to paris many years ago. so instead with iraq very much in the spotlight for so many years, aziz was the man who venned iraq in on the international stage.

he was the man who came here to the united nations and went to the arab league and there was a great interaction because there were those sanctions against iraq. there was the oil for food program. there were those weapons inspectors for so long inside iraq, and aziz's job was to try to rehabilitate the saadam regime after the war of 1991. and at one point i think it looked like that was working, until president george bush went to power, and everything changed. >> it is interesting, isn't it because he was well-known on the international stage, certainly well-known to western journalists because he could speak english, but he was more than just the -- face of saddam hussein's iraq wasn't he? >> he certainly knew saadam for a long time. and if you knew saadam we used

to see him in his army fatigues and he clearly was close to saadam, and his job was to explain saadam's policies. he has known him since the 1950s. he started off as a journalist in one of the mouthpiece newspapers. became the information minister the foreign minister eventually the deputy prime minister and his role was simply the spokesman for the regime. he explained their policies. i'm not sure he had a particularly important role in deciding on those policies. >> james bayes thank you. ♪ the group of nations which produces more than a third of the world's oil exports has decided to keep production to 30

million barrels a day. opec members have faced increased rivalries from other supplies and from the shale gas industry. prices have fallen significantly, and thousands of jobs have been last. from the opec talks in vienna mohammed john june reports. >> reporter: in vienna volatility was absent and everything went exactly as expected. >> we have decided to continue the 30 million barrels a day. >> reporter: defending the organizations commit to stick with output leveled decided upon last year the secretary general sounded a confident tone. >> the action we talk in november it was for the benefit of the rich and the poor of our member countries. >> reporter: that stance may seem unified but analysts say it is being driven primarily by the

wealthiest members, countries such as saudi arabia the united arab emirates and qatar. in the past they have made no secret of irritation at output levels now venezuela's minister stayed silent. >> i don't think opec is really interested at this time in accommodating the poorer members. they just want to maintain their market share. >> reporter: the price of crude is at 62 to $63. countries like angola ecuador, and nigeria would like to see a price of at least $75. then iran's oil minister insists they will get their oil back on to the market when and if sanctions are lifted. >> we know this market. we have been in this market more than 100 years, and we will

return to the market and sell our crude oil. >> reporter: but other members of the cartel would rather wait and see what happens with the nuclear negotiations. >> exports have been up so absolutely iran is ready, we still don't know what the decision will be in june whether to lift the sanctions or not. >> reporter: experts say opec is doing all it can to deflect any doubt it is as strong as ever. as for u.s. shale, what opec once tried to drown out of the market they are now accepting. members realize it isn't going away but frac-ing is a new reality, they'll have to live with. the u.n. security council is calling for the ceasefire in eastern ukraine to be fully respected. it follows the worst bout of fighting since the deal was

brokered in february. the emergency meet was called by lithuania. kristen saloomey has been following the events at the u.n. >> reporter: the security council held this meeting amid growing concerns that the violence in the ukraine could spiral out of control, as there are reports of tanks moves from separatists-controlled areas towards a strategic town. and also a report from the european president on thursday that russian troops some 9,000 of them were massing on the european border. the council heard an update from the osce which is the european monitoring group for the area in the conflict and he said that this latest activity does not necessarily a escalation of violence, but perhaps a shuffling of equipment and personnel, but he is concerned.

>> the vennes are worrying suggesting that the military track has not been abandoned in favor of the political one. these events underline the need to break the cycle of violence now, before further escalation takes place. we urgently call on all sides to return to the negotiation table. >> reporter: now the security council didn't take any action on the situation in ukraine, it was really a chance for everyone to make statements. the russians blamed ukraine for escalating the situation an attempt to get the e.u. to increase sanctions on russia. and the europeans and americans pointed the fingers right back at russia saying that russia was provoking the separatists to take this action. one diplomat told al jazeera they felt it was important to have this meeting to keep the pressure on russia. >> in syria, u.s.-lead coalition

sources have launched more air strikes in aleppo. meanwhile seven people have been killed in violence between opposition groups and hezbollah fighters on the syrian border with lebanon. al-nusra says they have killed and wounded more than a dozen fighters. the greek prime minister says his government is close to reaching a deal with its creditors. he told greece's parliament that an agreement with the e.u. and imf was needed. greece has postponed paying back hundreds of millions of dollars it owes until the end of the month. the government came to power in january of this year on an anti austerity platform. john psaropoulos joins us live from athens. what more did the greek prime minister have to say to article? >> well i think that

mr. tsipras did tried to maintain the hope as you have outlined that we are now closer than ever to an agreement despite the set back of the last few days but he said we couldn't have signed an agreement up until now. because if you had been faced with the sort of counterproposals that we have been faced with would anyone in the chamber have signed it? it was a challenge to the opposition which the former prime minister handily took up and turned it around on mr. tsipras and said and the deal you think you have now on the table, is anyone in your party willing to sign it and vote for it? and that is a good question for the prime minister. in that exchange i think you have exactly the dilemma of greek politics left or right, which is whether any kind of deal is palatable to the greek people and what price will they

pay? mr. tsipras warned the government of going further down the path should talks this month fail and greece find ourselves without a program on july 1st. he says confrontation with europe goes well beyond the issue of the euro. you will still be dealing with a hostile european union for years afterwards. he said that the country cannot afford that election now. it isn't the conservatives who are afraid of it. it's the country that cannot afford it. and this i'm afraid has now become such a political football here in greece that it may be part of any possible future greek accident that it is the political factionalism here that can no longer be overcome. the parties that have signed on to various austerity measures feeling defensive, against what

truly seems to be the only patriotic faction. we still don't know where this tough negotiation will lead and what sort of document will eventually be brought forward to this parliament in order to be voted up or down. >> john thank you. as the u.s. experiences its biggest-ever hack of government data we're going to explore who may be responsible. plus -- i have come to a small coastal town in venezuela, to meet the family of a man who changed the course of history. ♪

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>> "inside story" takes you beyond the headlines, beyond the quick cuts, beyond the sound bites. we're giving you a deeper dive into the stories that are making our world what it is. >> ray suarez hosts "inside story". only on al jazeera america.

hello again, a reminder of the top stories here on al jazeera. the former iraqi foreign minister tariq aziz has died in prison from a heart attack. opec has decided to keep oil production at 30 million barrels a day. prices again dropped slightly after the announcement. and the greek prime minister says his government is closer than ever to reaching a deal with his creditors. athens has postponed paying back hundreds of millions of dollars it owes until the end of the month. india's food safety regulators have banned the sale of maggie noodles.

they say dangerous levels of lead have been detected in some samples. but the global head of maggie noodles insists the food is safe to eat. >> reporter: for more than 30 years this man and his family have been selling maggie noodles to university students here. but their business has dropped by 50% sin ins dea's food regulator found samples of maggie noodles were unsafe to eat. >> we have dropped the name maggie from our menu board. and substituted maggie noodles with other noodle brands. we will not use maggie at our shop until the government says the brand is adhering to food safety standards. >> reporter: nestle''s global ceo has stepped in. he says the noodles are safe to

eat. nestle' india has stopped telling the noodles nationwide. >> considering that it was the effects of lead on children and the fact that this is -- you know, high levels of lead in children is already a problem in india, i think they should have shown more concern and acts far more quickly. >> reporter: for decades millions of indians have eaten products made globally. other brands have also faced scrutiny. this case has once again raised questions about india's food-processing safety standards, and whether regulations are stringent enough. while governments and regulatory bodies are focusing on nestle' india, experts warn this is part

of a bigger crisis. >> it's about soil water, and air, they come from the exhaust, batteries, lead comes from batteries, there could be mercury, there could be so many things. >> reporter: already a ban on one of india's most popular foods is hurting appetites and business. that's a worrying sign for this man who's bread and butter business is maggie noodles. it has been called the biggest-ever hack of u.s. government data. 4 million past and present federal employees were hit last month by a cyber attack. the u.s. says it's china. >> reporter: we flow this does extend with every agency within inside the executive branch. it hasn't expanded to congress or the judicial but at the same

time we do know there may be a connection with another breach that occurred for two very large healthcare companies in the united states who report around a similar time they too suffered a major breach of security losing or exposing personnel as well as exposing medical data so it is really former and current employees to check financial reports and credit reports just to see if they have been effected. >> reporter: at least ten people have been injured in on explosion in southeastern turkey. the blast happened at an opposition rally just days before the turkish parliamently election. the government has denied earlier reports that the blast was caused by an electrical fault. turks will head to the polls on sunday. it is a vote that has been dominated by a slowing economy

and rising unemployment. the ruling party insist the economy has been ins main success, but not all voters are convinced. >> reporter: the produce is fresh and abundant at this market, each with its price tag. the cost of living is on everybody's mind in the run up to poling day. >> translator: we can't make ends meet. i have two children on a menning of around $500 u.s. a month. >> translator: we are happy with our income at least prices aren't increasing every day. >> reporter: since the party came to power turkey has enjoyed strong growth development and renewed prosperity for many. major infrastructure projects became their hallmark. big construction projects multiplied and the economy grow. massive infrastructure plans lured foreign investors.

turkey's gross domestic product reached $822 billion in 2013. annual income per person has tripled since 2002 to almost $11,000. but new indicators are raising concerns. it is the first time in many years that annual growth rates have fallen and unemployment figures have risen. and the main opposition parties are trying to seize the opportunity. statistics from the turkish government and international bodies say last year's growth rate was just over 3% while inflation was around 9. unemployment levels rose to 11% and the national currency the lira lost more than 13% of its value against the dollar. turkey relies too much on construction, low borrowing rates and debt say some. >> in 2010 and 2011 we had

very high growth rate but it was the money that flew into the economy, cheap credit and everything and we have 9% in average growth rate for two years, but it brought a -- a huge deficit of 10%, which was definitely not sustainable. >> reporter: government leaders are promising sustained growth. they are also vowing to cut personal debt and boost annual income to $25,000 in coming years. more than 55 million people are eligible to vote on sunday and when they will be free to decide and make their own calculations. europe's human rights court has ruled that french doctors can withdraw life support from a man left in a coma following a road accident. nadine barber has more details.

rven even years ago a road accident left this man in a vegetable state. ever since he has been fed intravenously in this hospital. he is now 38 years old, and at the stern of a legal struggle that split his family. his wife seen here with her lawyers, and six of his eight siblings say he would not have wanted to be kept alive artificially. his mother insists he shows signs of progress and should be moved to another hospital. on friday the courts decides they can take him off life support. >> there would not be a violation of article 2 if the decision were to be implemented. >> reporter: that's a reference to the highest court which last year rejected an appeal by his parents and ruled in favor of ending his life support. friday's ruling which can't be appealed makes clear such an

action would be in line with the european convention on human rights. in theory it means doctors can go ahead and allow him to die, and although euthanasia is still banned this could set a precedent across the continent. saturday marked the 71st anniversary of the normandy landings of d-day, but they may never have happened if it wasn't for a determined spaniard with a knock of lying and spying. >> reporter: it's hard to imagine that this unassuming balding man was a spy with a code name garbo. but he was a double agent and the man credited by some with single handedly fooling the nazis and bringing world war ii

to an end. he retired in this small coastal town with no one, not even his children knowing his secret seems to be in character, that his life was built on such a [ inaudible ] light doesn't. >> translator: he was the best dad in the world. not only were lies banned but you also couldn't kalinin a liar. >> reporter: it took years for him to gain the german's trust but eventually he became one of their agents. he filed a series of bogus reports for years. he even fabricated an elaborate network of fictitious subagents. he convinced the gnawed -- --

-- nazis that the landing at norman di would be further up the shore. >> i think of him as kind of a romantic a dreamer. you think of 27 different personalities that we invented living in other places in england, and canada and india, and places like that and then having complete biography, it's like a victorian novel. >> reporter: one day a british author tracked him down in 1984. >> my first call was saying that i was calling on behalf of buckingham palace and if he was the double agent code name garbo, would he like to come to london. >> reporter: it's hard to assess the full extent of his legacy.

for some he's an undisputed hero for others he is the greatest double agent in history. more details on most of our stories can be found on our website, aljazeera.com. hacked u.s. officials blame china for a major breech of government data. china responds. strong u.s. jobs growth. today's report about may's unemployment numbers indicate the u.s. economy is gaining steam. and the end of anner are, tariq aziz has died. he was the