>> every tuesday night. >> i lived that character. >> go one on one with america's movers and shakers. >> we will be able to see change. >> gripping. inspiring. entertaining. talk to al jazeera. only on al jazeera america. 27 killed after the syrian government uses improvised weapons in the rebel held city of douma you're watching al jazeera, live from our headquarters in doha. also coming up protests in hong kong as politicians debate how the city's next leaders should be elected. >> the only thing that really counts is have we stopped the boats. and the answer is a resounding yes the australian prime minister evads questions over a

scandal. despite evading questions. >> i'm at the electronic and gaming convention in los angeles, where virtual reality is big showcased item this year. so we begin in syria where government forces are accused of using improvised weapons against civilians, 27 million have been killed in an elephant rocket attack in douma on the outskirts of damascus. president bashar al-assad's regime has been condemned for using barrel bombs. just a warning some of the images could be disturbing much >> reporter: it's a desperate scramble to save a brother and is sister in the rubble in douma. this palace in damascus is 12km away.

this time bashar al-assad's forces used elephant rockets - named after the noise they make when launched. the improvised weapon is made by attaching rocket motors to larger bombs, increasing its destructive effect. the effects on people is clear in the local hospital, where scores of children are among the injured. across the world the u.s. secretary of state john kerry summed up what the international community thinks of such attacks. >> i think everybody's patients are wearing thin with respect to the extraordinary deprovity of the -- depravity of the weaponry and mechanisms for delivery which bashar al-assad used against his own people. >> reporter: the question is what can be done to stop attacks like this and from the continuing use of chemical weapons, dispute a u.n. deal to get rid of the stockpile

two years ago. >> members of the society is expect to give evidence on wednesday, showing that bashar al-assad is using chlorine on civilians. the u.s. ambassador to the united nations says the u.n. security council is considering another revolution to stop it. >> to make it clear to the world that because chlorine is a household product doesn't make it not a chemical weapon when put in a barrel bomb and dropped on civilians. >> reporter: at the same time ner meeting bashar al-assad pushing for a solution to end the conflict and urged bashar al-assad to stop hitting civilians. since 2011 human rights groups documented 230,000 deaths in syria. half are those not involved in the fighting. victims such as those in the attack on douma. this time there were shouts of joy as a girl was pulled alive from the rubble of a building blown up by the air force.

for this her brother could be heard calling for help as we mentioned syrian doctors will testify in front of the u.s. congress on wednesday, here is what a doctor told the media earlier on. >> poisonous gases, mostly chlorine you used regularly and systematically. the aim is not to kill because barrel bombs and war planes kill a larger number. rather the aim is to drive residents out of their neighbourhoods. the bashar al-assad forces are repeating and writing on the walls saying it's bashar al-assad or no one. bashar al-assad or we insin rate the country 20,000 refugees fled to turkey as kurdish forces captured the town. syrian forces control 400km of territory on the turkish syrian border. some rebels accused the kurds of forcing out arabs and turkman.

i.s.i.l. fighters killed five police men near the iraq oil refinery carrying out the all the west of baiji. as control continued, it changed hands several times. u.n. negotiators are urging talks. all sides are meeting in geneva but are negotiating through mediators. high on the agenda is a ceasefire. >> these are the houthis and allies of the deposed president ali abdullah saleh. they are in geneva for crucial talks aimed at stopping violence in yemen. the united nations has called on all the parties to agree on a 2-week humanitarian truce. the fighting on the ground is an issue. the biggest problem is the saudi-led air strikes. difference sides can agree on a ceasefire. we want the u.n. and

international community to put pressure on them to stop the air strikes. >> reporter: the houthis and forces loyal to ali abdullah saleh have the upper hand in some areas. >> reporter: yemen has been destroyed by all sorts of weapons, children and the elderly have been killed. this is why the war stopped and the blockade lifted. people are starving there's no medicine, fuel or food. the ongoing fighting is raising concerns of more instability. the u.s. is monitoring the false in geneva. it's concerned that al qaeda may take advantage of the ongoing political divisions to expand across the country. the u.n. has been working to bring u.n.'s warring factions to start political talks.

for now the chances and the houthis meet face to face are unlikely. they remained largely divided over the future of yemen. the united nations has been trying for years to reconcile differences. the hope now is to start a new process based on a ceasefire, as a first step followed by a houthi pull-out and a power-sharing deal. that may take years. security has been stepped up in hong kong as legislators are debating a pond that could allow voters to elect their top leader. candidates will have to be approved by china first. this led to protests last year with activists on major streets. in march 2012. it became the third chief executive elected by a panel. unhappy at having no say over

who runs the city tens of thousands of protesters took to the streets last july. in august beijing said it would allow elections, but only candidates it approved would be on the ballots. it led to protesters. demonstrators held out for three months before riot police oved in. adrian brown has this story. >> reporter: it is hot, humid and behind me are some of the rival groups. these are the people that support china's proposal to extend democracy. in essence, china agreed that hong kong could choose the chief executive in 2017, by universal suffer rig, as long as there's two or three candidates and they are vetted by a special committee. the pro-democracy camp says it amounts to faith and democracy, which is why they'll vote against it.

at the moment the government sees two third of regulators to support the resolution. at the moment it is unlikely. the scene here is a reminder of how polarized hong kong remains. remember it's nine months since thousands of student demonstrators were occupying not just this area but hong kong the center of hong kong himself. the question now is could it happen again south korea reported one new death and ate cases of m.e.r.s. the middle eastern respiratory syndrome. that brings the total number of cases to 162. 20 people have died so far. world health organisation called the epidemic a wake-up call. and warns of vigilance. the u.n. health agency called it an emergency. it is the worst outbreak outside the middle east. the greek prime minister alexis tsipras accused creditors

of trying to huge ill late his government. in return the european union president says greece is trying to mislead its voters. shares fell as both struggle to find a solution. alexis tsipras says he's pushing for a deal that will keep greece in the eurozone. >> the time has come to talk seriously, not just about greek future but the eurozone. will it insist on leave the public and people to its own. >> a united nations panel is recommending a sweeping overhaul of u.n. peace-keeping missions. the panel conducted the first major review of peace-keeping operations in a decade. peace-keeping forces faced chronic challenges. the leadership was taking too long to deploy and not enough forces. it calls on the u.n. to address

sexual exploitation and abuse by peacekeepers. diplomatic editor james baste has more. >> no one doubts the system of u.n. peacekeeping is creaking. a record number of 25,000 peacekeepers, and the panel concludes that there are chronic challenges. one of those is getting the peacekeepers deployed fast enough. it takes between six and nine months before the security council authorises a mission before it's up and running. the panel wants it reduced between eight and 12 weeks. the panel has been chaired. it also addressed allegations of sexual abuse by u.n. peacekeepers. >> the news rocks and undermines the most important power the u.n. progresses. it's unquestionable. the actions of a few undermine the moral and stigmatize all

others. it will take firm leadership and an effort to overcome this dark chapter. the pan >> reporter: the panel is urging more transparency and sexual abuse. a special fund should be set up by the u.n. to compensate victims. here is what is coming up on the programme, and why the sweeping sand dunes have turned into a crossing for people smugglers. nepal reopens heritage sites, trying to lure tourists back after a devastating earthquake. >> farm workers striking in mexico... >> all that tension is about what's happening right now. >> unlivable wages... >> you can work very hard and you will remain poor. >> what's the cost of harvesting america's food?

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to the headlines on al jazeera. in syria, 27 people have been killed in rocket attacks in the city of douma. president bashar al-assad's regime has been condemned for using barrel bombs and chemical weapons. candidates in hong kong have to be approved by budget all sides in the yemen conflict called upon to attend to a 2-week truce. there's negotiations in geneva. al jazeera has given access to bank notes allegedly handed by australian officials to indonesian people smugglers. the australian government refuses to confirm for deny

whether payments were made. andrew thomas reports. >> reporter: the money shot. on the indonesian island of roti, al jazeera was given access to the bank notes at the center of a major diplomatic dispute. this cash was given at sea by australian officials to people smugglers, to make sure they returned their human cargo to indonesia, and this is the captain of the asylum seekers boat. >> i told the australian man we needed money to return to our wives and children. he said okay, we'll help you. as captain i got $6,000, the crew $5,000 each. >> reporter: the captain, held by indonesian police claims his boat was escorted by two australian vessel over a 2-week period. passengers and crews were

transferred to fishing boats that the australians provided and once paid, sent in the direction of india. according to our law, this is illegal. this will let the community decide what the punishment will be. in australia the prime minister was dodging questions. . >> the only thing that counts is have we stopped the boats. the answer is a resounding yes. >> the prime minister insisted officials asking legally, despite experts saying paying smugglers to take people anywhere is against international and domestic law. there were questions for the main opposition party. did people smugglers get paid by australia while they were in public. not at sea the leaders, but stone walled about whether payments were made to smugglers on land. >> you know it doesn't matter what political party the politician is from, when it

comes to security matters, we don't comment. >> reporter: australians paying smugglers could have happened for years. opinions are mixed. >> if there's nothing to hide on it. they should be answering to the question. >> stop the boat coming. it's a good state for the government. >> true. . >> to pay the smugglers. >> most australians are pleased that boats of asylum seekers were stopped coming to the country, most are uncomfortable with the secrecy by which it is achieved. there are questions of how long this has been going on more than 400 migrants have been bought to the sure in agusta. on tuesday talks in luxembourg

aiming at resetting asylum seekers failed to reach an agreement. 1800 migrants died in the mediterranean, trying to get to europe talks in europe are focussed on groups risky crossings from the sahara need attention much the bodies of 18 migrants were found in niger desert. the group was stranded in a sand storm and died after supplies ran out. >> reporter: from this staging point a perilous journey begins for migrants from west africa. this is close to the border near niger and libya. this person knows that moving forward means risking his life. >> the road we have to admit, is risky, is not tarmaced. it's the sahara the truck is a 4 by four. it takes more than 30 people 27

like that. it is dangerous. if you are not seated in a good position, you risk falling, and you risk being killed. >> it used to be a tourist destination, notorious four human trafficking. people are charged $500 to cross the sahara. hundreds die every year. until people make it to the boats, their stories of thursday hunger and accidents are rarely hurt. two years ago the bodies of 92 were found in the desert. they were abandoned by the smugglers and died of thursday. 60% of migrants that made it to italy are said to have travelled through niger. many that travelled, from niger they enter libya and continue across to the mediterranean. many don't make it.

>> translation: the migrants die on the way. the traffickers don't quay. in libya, there's a lot of problems. there's no more state, it's every man for himself. >> human rights groups reported abuse at the hands of smugglers. >> translation: some have been abused in libya or algeria. some have fractures due to treatment they received in the host country. the government can't regulate people coming in from the west african nations. knowing all the dangers, many continue to leave everything and risk it all in search of a better life. >> one of the largest rebel groups in the philippines started to hand over weapons, it's part of a peace deal signed. from manila we have this report. >> reporter: voluntarily laying down weapons, that's what the

mora islamic liberation front wants people to see, after 40 years at war, the muslim rebel group is serious about peace, signing a peace deal with the government last year president aquino . >> this act a like saying brother, we no longer need to defend ourselves. >> the ml i.s. sincerity and commitment to peace were called into question this year when the rebel fighters were seen involved in the killing of dozens of police commandos. it was called a mistaken encounter. the incident breached a ceasefire, bringing on a public

outcry. many felt it would derail the peace. both the government and the mif are eager to move forward. 145 fighters will begin the transition to civilian life receiving cash aid from the government and health cards. >> what should be done here is to have everybody's help so that our aspiration and the objective of the piece process will be attained these fighters and officials say these are the initial stages towards disarmament and lasting peace. >> why is it symbolic? it's a significant show that the mlif is a partner, and that really they are serious in walking the talk. as hopeful as both want to seem congress is yet to ratify the law that will see an autonomous

region. president aquino wants it done before his term ends next year. until recently few paid attention to the muslim minority problem. they are paying attention now. mistrust is high. public opinion is divided. one thing that everyone agrees on is peace an a third goal. agreeing on a shared solution the earthquake in nepal damaged 700 temples and other u.n.e.s.c.o. heritage monuments. 33 of them are in the square in kathmandu, has just reopened. we have is this report. >> back to business. that's what the government is saying as the country opens up heritage sites damaged by the earthquake. more than 700 monuments were damaged by the quake. 33 of them from here in

kathmandu square. on tuesday, among the dignitaries, the square was declared officially. >> translation: we welcome tourists. we have to show our sites to them. >> reporter: since the earthquake tourism in nepal has dom a stand still. large sections have been deemed unsafe. the government says tourists should visit the site not only to see the monument but to learn about the disasters. tourists have to pay around $7 to see the ruins. an expected $is it 117 million will be needed to rebuild the heritage sites of nepal. >> we have those that are excited. we have to put on the helmets. cautiously. we have to see that.

it's a u.n.e.s.c.o. site. >> conservationists and u.n.e.s.c.o. says the government decision might be premature. u.n.e.s.c.o. issued a statement, asking the public to be extra careful. artefacts are being salvaged from sites, open to the public raising dangers from theft. the director-general of department of archeology - we asked if they were under pressure from the community. >> little bit of pressure. not much. it's our duty also. 1 million - more than 1 million in the tourism industry and 2-3% g.d.p. is from the tourism. if it will not come how do they survive. 14 of the districts have been affected by the quake. over all tourism has dramatically decreased. the government hopes that

opening the heritage sites would be a symbolic gesture to bring tourists back to nepal. u.s. real estate mogul donald trump is the latest candidate seeking the republican nomination for president of the u.s. he made the announcement to a group of supporters at trump tower in new york. he considered how he plans to deal with major issues. >> i will build a great, great wall on our southern border and i will have mexico pay for that wall. mark my words. nobody would be tougher on i.s.i.s. than donald trump. nobody. thousands of gamers are in los angeles for the e 3 entertainment expo, the biggest show in the world for the latest in video gaming virtual reality and game technology. rob reynolds is there.

>> reporter: the biggest video gaming and electronic show on earth is off and running - to the delight of thousands of fanatical gamers. e 3 showcases hardware and software in a vast and popular electronic entertainment industry. >> when you get to an e 3 where call of duty halo. gears of war. tomb radar. these are the big blockbusters. when you get all of those rolling out at one time that makes an e 3 special, exciting for the audience. the biggest splash in the gaming pond was made by sony the japanese giant bringing out new versions of games for the playstation platform including shenmu 3 and final fantasy 7. gamers could barely contain themselves when they were teased

with "the last guardian", featuring a boy protagonist engaged in escapes. along with his bird-cat-griffin a mix and match creature. this has been a coming out party for virtual reality devices. these have been talked about. some of the biggest names for technology have devices. >> facebook as oculas sony has morphious and microsoft has hollow land. what hollow lands does for microsoft is project a virtual world on to the world you see around you. you could be staring at the coffee table and a virt uble world will move things around on it. exciting for gamers and luke rat ifor the big corporations that dominate industry raking in 93

billion a year. bigger than the movie and businesses combined. more on that story and the day's other top stories on our website. it's all at aljazeera.com. it's not a bird or a plane, but a small unmanned vehicle. part toy, part tool, it seems drones are everywhere. as their applications grow, so do the regulations surrounding them. where can these things fly? where can't they? how high? how fast? business people and hobbyists are squaring off against regulators worried about terror