a unity government is formed for libya, but questions remain on whether it can actually govern. we follow the progress of refugees in the balkans. plus -- >> scientists say humans could become extinct just like the

dinosaurs if a potential asteroid were to hit earth, so they are planning a major operation that could save us all. hello, thank you for joining us. a new u.n. report has revealed the full scale of violence perpetrated in iraq, disstriebing it as staggering. based on first-hand evidence from victims, the u.n. says at least 18,000 civilians have lost their lives in the conflict between 2014 and october of 2015. at least 3.2 million have been displaced in the past two years. an estimated 3.5 thousand civilians are being held as slaves by isil, most of them from the yazidis minority community. let's get more now from mohammed jamjoom in baghdad, and mohamed,

you have reported ex-tentensive from iraq for a long time. do the fining reflect the sort of things that you have seen or been hearing about? >> reporter: absolutely. the sad reality on the ground here in iraq is practically everybody that we come across, whether they are government officials or aid workers or the internally displaced or refugees from neighboring countries all agree the situation is dire; that it is a vast humanitarian crisis that this country is experiencing, and they believe it is only going to get worse. i'll give you an example to reflect what was said in that u.n. report. in the last couple of weeks we were in erbil, and we met with many yazidis internally displaced persons. they had come there after isil took over sinjar. now sinjar has been cleared of isil fighters for about three months now, and still, the yazidis idp's cannot return.

there's two reasons. one because there is no infrastructure to speak of in sinjar now, and there could be booby traps left behind. but also because mosul is still overtaken by isil fighters and nobody knows when the iraqi government is going to be able to start trying to retake mosul. and in anbar province, for example, there are several parts of anbar which sunni familiar list had left trying to escape, and they are afraid to go back, because they are afraid of being targeted by shiite militias. and in another province there is a city that experienced a lot of reprisal attacks in the past week. there are sunni families that have left and come to other places. they are telling us they are afraid to go back because they are afraid of sectarian violence. you look at these numbers, they are absolutely staggering to

behold. 3.2 million people internally displaced in iraq, a million of that number, children. so it's a very, very dire situation. it's getting more dire now because there are so few resources and items of aid that can be given to these folks. they are in camps littered throughout the country, and with winter coming now, it's only getting worse, so sectarian violence, concurrent conflicts going on, it's a crisis that seems to spiral more and more out of control, and the aid workers that we speak with say it's as if the international community has forgotten about iraq, forgotten about the crises here, and because of that they worry it is not going to get better any time soon. >> mohammed jamjoom thank you. let's go to libya now, where rival political factions have announced the makeup of a new

unity government. the two sides signed a under-backed deal in morocco last month. under the agreement, a presidential council was formed. it has named a government of 32 ministers. hashem ahelbarra has more from tunis. >> reporter: the announcement of the national unity government in libya is seen as a significant step forward because we're talking about a country that has been struggling to put an end to the political impasse. there have been marathon talks in morocco which resulted in the formation of the presidential council, the highest authority which is going to lead libya during the transitional period, and now there is a national unity government. this is a government which is going to take over, it will have to convince the different factions to join the army. it will have to take on isil which has expanded in a coastal

area, a major concern for europe because they are worried isil could use that area as a platform to launch attacks against europe. but we're talking about a libya that has been divided since 2011 and this national unity government needs to reach out to different factions in libya to convince them to work in a spirit of consensus, but we're seeing signs in the east, also in tripoli and elsewhere, of discontent over this national unity government. it has been rejected by tripoli and some power factions in miss rada', and the parliament in tobruk is divided over this government. so it's going to be a mammoth task for this government as it aims to bring peace and stability to libya. ♪

china's economic growth has dropped to a 25-year low. the world's second largest economy group just 6.9% last year. the economic slowdown has international markets jittery because of the potential impact on trade -- partners. florence looi reports. >> reporter: for years china has relied on low manufacturing costs to make goods sold worldwide. more than 20 years of record-breaking growth has propelled china from communism to consumerism. now the chinese economy is stalling, and the slowdown is hurting many other economies worldwide. commodity exporters are now also struggling. analysts say a slowdown is inevitable, given how much the chinese economy has grown in recent years.

they say high-speed growth is unsustainable, and a reset is needed. >> translator: china is transferring from old to new, traditional industries are big in size, while these emerging industries smaller. so even though they are growing fast, emerging industries cannot make up for additional industries slowdown. >> reporter: slower growth is expected to be the new normal for china. analysts are predicting the economy to cool further this year, and even government measures such as increasing spending and cutting interest rates aren't expected to help much. chinese government leaders are encouraging everyone to spend more, hoping to shift the economy from export dependent to a more sustainable model. some encouraging data emerged on tuesday, retail spending even though lower than expected, still grew by double digits, and

the automotive industry is expected to grow. >> translator: auto sales growth is lower than gdp growth, but the industry as a whole is doing all right. car prices are higher with better cars coming on to the market. >> reporter: the government is already slowly changing to a market-driven economy. that will take time. for now china and the countries that demand for exports will have to put up with slower chinese growth. despite the slowdown in china, the latest out look from the international monetary fund says global economic growth is expected to glow slightly this year. advanced economies will see what the imf calls a continued, modest, and uneven recovery, and

drive global growth. the imf forecasts are generalized a slowdown in china and other emerging market economies. >> events in a stressed economy can spill over to others. a downside risk is that china's economy could encounter rough patches where growth slows more than expected, directly affecting trade partners, and disturbing foreign exchange and other asset markets worldwide. we have maintained our 2016 and 2017 growth assessments for china, in light of the robust developments of its service and new economy sectors as well as fiscal policy action. but the picture could change farther down the road. continued strong growth in china is dependant on its authority's prompt decisive action toed a dress remaining imbalances in the economy, and the legacies of

past imbalances. commodity prices connected to the chinese slowdown are affecting countries around the world. zambia relies heavily on copper, but many countries are struggling. >> reporter: this wasn't the dream home that these children's parents pictured a few years ago. this woman and her husband thought life couldn't get any better when the bank agreed to lend them enough money to buy this land, but then she lost her job. she was one of 5,000 people laid off by the mining company. >> we were thinking when we get these loans we'll try to do one or two issues to like settle ourselves and live a comfortable life, but to our surprise it all came like a bang. >> reporter: not only does she not have enough money to complete the house, she is worried that unless she finds a

job soon, she will fine it difficult to put food on the table for her children. >> all they know is mommy should bring food on the table, daddy should bring food on the table. >> reporter: despite her hardship she considers herself lucky, there are those like this 34-year-old father of three who also had to provide for his two sisters and his wife's family. he too lost his job in november. he told me he had to pull his daughter out of school because he can't afford the fees. copper is one of the main sources of foreign currency in zambia, any decline in the price of the commodity has age pact on the economy. that's why the government is grateful that some companies such as this one are trying their best not to cut jobs.

>> our strategy was we're going to beat this by pushing volume as opposed to closing down. and that's the approach we have taken, and it has worked quite well. >> reporter: one of the ways the mining companies are trying to survive is suspending operation in underground mines and instead increasing production in open-pit mines which are cheaper to operate. while work here continues for now, the global drop in the price of copper has meant that other companies have been forced to shut down. there was a time when mines like these were buzzing with activity. it's why this part of zambia became known as the copper belt, but the industry is going through one of the toughest periods in recent history. but that's a problem for the politicians and economists to

solve. in the meantime, for families like these, the question they need an answer to is how are they going to feed their children. still lots more to come here on al jazeera, including a u.s. city appeals to washington for help over its contaminated water crisis. and oscar race dispute, high-profile hollywood stars speak out as all of the nominees are white. ♪

♪ welcome back.

here is a reminder of the top store is on al jazeera. the u.n. estimates isil is largely responsible for the deaths of 18,000 civilians? iraq between the start of 2014 and october 2015. libya's rival political factions have announced a makeup of a new unity government after signing a u.n.-backed deal in morocco last month. and china's economy growth has dropped to a 25-year low with concerns it could contract further this year. winter has slowed the flow of migrants and refugees to europe, but it certainly hasn't stopped it. greece reported a hundred thousand new arrivals in december alone. further north thousands of refugees are making their way across the bakkens and they are now caught in freezing temperatures. barnaby phillips reports. >> reporter: many people thought they would stop coming once winter arrived, but they haven't. a steady flow of refugees make

their way across the border from macedonia, into southern serbia. snow and ice has not stopped them. some say they have suffered tragedies along the way. >> i have lost my father and also my young sister in the mediterranean sea. >> reporter: in southern serbia, the police register the arrivals. there are some 1,500 people in this camp. it is funded by the e.u. but aid groups say european governments are most concerned with deterring people from coming. >> unilateral actions from different european states and european union member states to suddenly close borders have pushed people towards more dangerous routes, into the hands of smugglers again. that's something we are seeing today. and stranding people behind borders without any assistance.

>> reporter: invariably they say they want to go to nermny, and they are in a hurry because they fear more borders will soon be closed to them. europe's leaders must know if people are still coming under these desperate conditions, it's likely this year will be every bit as momentous for the continent as the one that just passed. the u.s. supreme court has agreed to hear president barack obama bid to revive his plan to protect more than 4 million illegal immigrants from deportation and allow them to work legally in the u.s. the dispute will be heard in court in the next few months. obama's 2014 executive action was stopped by lower courts after texas and 25 other republican-governed states sued to stop it. ten people have been killed and least 20 injured in a suicide bomb blast in pakistan.

taliban fighters are suspected of carrying out the attack near the afghan border. witnesses say the explosives were attached to a motorbike. afghanistan is the biggest suppli supplier of her win to users around the world. large numbers of afghans need help to try to kick their habit, as our correspondent reports. >> reporter: it was the biggest u.s. military camp in kabul, now it is the largest treatment center for drug addicts in afghanistan. most of these men are homeless. they receive three meals a day, new training suits, and a haircut. around 600 men are now living here. each has his story of misery. >> translator: i have been using drugs for 22 years. i'm tired of this dark life. i want to start a new one.

>> reporter: when i compare my previous life with the current one i feel inhuman. >> reporter: many praise the treatment center, but some complain about the quality of food and lack of proper medical services. outside the addicts get fresh air every day and the chance to exercise. keeping fit and busy is important. they are not allowed to leave. visitors come twice a week. the government plans to host more than 10,000 patients every year. government leaders have yet to approve a budget of approximately $4 million a year. this is one step on a long road. doctors here say the program starts with the 45 day detoxification and rehabilitation process. >> they will do the physical activity, and we will teach them carrier. for example, they will learn carpentry, and painting.

six months is a long period of time. so after that we reach them their career, of course the government have decide forked -- to send them to other ministries for jobs. >> reporter: last year afghanistan produced 3,300 tons of opium. illegal drugs in afghanistan are cheap and available. back at the rehab in kabul, these men remain vulnerable. the number of drug addicts in afghanistan is quite alarming, it is said there are about 2.4 million adult drug users, and the other problem is, there are only 123 treatment centers across the country. ♪ >> reporter: in this center a moment of joy for the addicts temporarily forgetting their battle which they could win or lose. the mayor of the u.s. city

struggling to deal with contaminated water supplies is flying to washington to appeal for help. a federal emergency has been declared in flint, michigan. supplied with poisoned with lead when the local government tried to save money by taking water from a local river. the national guard has been called in to hand out drinking water and water testing kits. >> reporter: every single day thousands of cases of bottled water are going out to the dent -- residents in the city of flint. just this morning we saw another convoy of trucking leave on their mission. part of the goal here is to get every single household in flint at least one clean water filter, so that at least one spigot in each household is doling out

clean water, but nobody knows when the pipes will be cleaned enough to allow the water systems to start operating normally. a lot of people, of course, blame michigan's governor. tonight he is delivering his state of the state address, where we expect him to apologize again for this water mess. but that is not satisfying the critics. some are even asking that he be criminally charged with all of this. spike lee and jada pinkett smith are leading a boycott for the oscars. all nominees for the second year in a row are white. >> reporter: it's the annual aweirds season when stars of the silver screen walk the red carpets in hopes of going home with a trophy.

but this year's build up is tinged with controversy. spike lee is calling for a boycott of what he describes as a lilly white oscar ceremony. no black actor has received a nomination. jada pinkett smith says it's time to boycott the awards. >> begging for recognition diminishes dignity. >> reporter: that message appears to be gaining traction. on social media the hashtag oscars so white has been quickly resurrected. here is every actor nominated this year in four major film awards. there are 35 in total. take a closer look, just two of them are black. will smith for his performance

in concussion, and idris alba, for supporting role in beasts of no nation. both of these faces disappear when it comes to the oscars. the academy awards has an all-white roster of acting nominees for the second year in a row. while some argue that black actors simply didn't play prominent roles on screen this year, others say the problem goes deeper. >> the motion picture industry like so many other institutions is slow to change. not a very diverse institution. >> reporter: oscar nominees are determined by the roughly 6,000 members of the cadsmy. the academy has issued a statement saying:

that diversity is long time coming, some in the industry comment that it's easier for a black person to become president of the united states than head of hollywood studio. the founder of one of the world's best-known bands has died. ♪ welcome to the hotel california ♪ >> glenn fry helped compos many of the hits of the eagles, including hotel california that you just heard. he passed away age 67 after suffering complications from pneumonia and other illnesses. scientists in the u.s. and europe are working on a plan to save planet earth from asteroid collisions. it's a one of kind mission that will attempt to push the objects

off coarse. >> reporter: february 2013, an asteroid cuts the sky -- [ explosion ] >> reporter: -- terrifies local residents, and reminds the rest of us that eventually one with our name on it could be coming our way. with that in mind, these two scientists from nasa and the european space agency are putting their considerable brains together. their humble mission, to save the planet from a potentially catastrophic direct hit that could wipe us out. scientists call it the asteroid impact and deflection assessment, and has its sites on not one but two asteroids, a larger one and a smaller asteroid moon. neither is expected to hit earth, but they will be used as target practice nonetheless. they aim to crash into the moon

and push it in another direction. >> an asteroid is almost the size of a mountain, and we hit it with a spacecraft, we only make a tiny change in the velocity, but over time, that's the difference between hitting the earth and not hitting the earth. a separate european spacecraft will collect the data, building the no how to replicate the mission when it is needed for real. currently scientists don't see any such asteroids headed our way for another couple centuries. so what is the rush to knock it off path? >> we want to have the capability to do this as soon as possible, because we know these things are out there, but to find all of the things that are potential threats is a very big goal, but now this particular mission is to go the next step, which is something very, very important which is what are you going to do about it if

something actually has your name on it. >> reporter: for now the project is still in the theoretical stages. gabriel elizondo, al jazeera, new york. ♪ global markets eke out of marginal gains despite more dismal economic news coming out of china. the fate of nearly 5 million illegal immigrants now in the hands of the supreme court. michigan's governor preparing for his state of the state address amidst calls that he step down over the flint water crisis. >> i will not be at the academy awards, and i won't be watching. >> reporter: and the big names sitting out