and we show you like no-one else can. this is our american story. this is america tonight. assassination plot. >> i am, of course, very pleased. my husband spoke on his death bed when he accused mr putin of his murder. >> a british investigation links vladimir putin to the murder of a former russian spy. a deadly attack. popular seaside hotel and a restaurant in somalia's capital

had hit by car bombs and then stormed by gunmen. refugee backlash. norway sends refugees back to russia >> i prefer to die with my mother and family rather than here. >> as more restrictions are announced on asylum seekers. >> translation: when the people killed here, i was one of the victims. >> an officer of the lra faces charge in the international criminal court good evening. this is jams america's international news hour. tonight we begin with the inquiry into the death of a former russian spy who defected

to the u.k. in 2000 and became an outspoken critic of the kremlin. six years later he became seriously ill, a victim of radio active poisoning. last year an inquiry into his death got underway largely as a result of his widow's persistence. a long report included it was likely done at the behest of the kremlin and it was probably approved by vladimir putin himself. >> reporter: the long awaited murder inquiry has led the investigations right to vet doors of the kremlin. the findings say vladimir putin probably approved of his murder because of a long personal feud. the inquiry chairman also implicated the head of the sfb, calling the killing a

state-sponsored assassination. >> that is a strong possibility that when he was poisoned, it was done under the direction of the fsb, the federal security of the russian federation. >> reporter: the report says these former russian agents poisoned him with radio active polonium 210 at this hotel. it also said this was the second murder event. the allegations were called nonsense. >> translation: everything that has been said by the british media referring to an open and public hearing is a lie. outrage yous lie and i can't find any other word to describe it. >> reporter: his wife and son say they're happy with the findings. they're urging sanctions be

imposed >> i'm calling immediately for the exclusion from the u.k. of all russian intelligence operators. i'm also calling for the imposition of targeted economic sanctions and travel bans against named individuals, including mr putin. >> reporter: russia's ambassador to the u.k., moscow says the findings are basis >> we consider the case and the way it was disposed of, provocation of the british authorities >> reporter: the british government says it will freeze the assets of those suspected of the killing. it was a murder straight out of a cold war spy novel. the former russian agent had defected to the west becoming a british citizen only to be hunted down and poisoned on british soil apparently by his former colleagues. the report suggests there was

personal antagonism between him and vladimir putin. he had made attacks on vladimir putin accusing him of paedophilia. >> reporter: it could influence what step the government takes next, but with vladimir putin's cooperation needed when it comes to defeating i.s.i.l. in syria, a full-blown dip la mattic row is the last-- lip low mattic ro rou is the last one needed as al jazeera's correspondent reports from moscow, he wasn't the last. >> reporter: foreign ministry is saying this is going to have some sort of impact on the bilateral relations between the u.k. and russia, an unnamed source was also speaking in the media earlier on in the day saying something very similar. the russians are basically warning the brits that this is

not going to go unanswered in some way. they haven't said specifically what that way is going to be, but as to whether there is going to be any kind of accommodation for what this inquiry has pointed to, ie, are the two men at the heart of this going to face any kind of prosecution, well, i can't see that there's any chance of that happening. for one thing, one is a member of the russian parliament, so he is essentially immune from prosecution and the russians have said there is going to be no extradition and there is going to be no internal prosecution of either of these two men i.s.i.l. set fire to an oil depot in northern libya today. it took place in a terminal where three million barrels of oil were set alight. they fired from a distance to set the danks on fire.

earlier this month a group attacked a nearby port destroying nearly four million barrels of oil. i.s.i.l. vowed more attacks are coming. the three americans who disappeared in iraq last friday are being held a gang seeking blackmail. that's according to iraq's defense minister. john kerry said they're working together to locate the man. he immediate with the prime minister in switzerland. the three are the first americans abducted in iraq since 2011. the al jazeera media network is calling for the immediate release of a man believed to have been kidnapped in yemen. he has been missing for two days. he had been covering the intense fighting in the city of thiaz. al-shabab fires are in a fire fight with somalia forces.

they stormed a restaurant killing at least three people. our correspondent has more on the attack including a look at the group's deadly history. >> reporter: you can't see the beach view restaurant because it is dark, but you can hear the gunfire. a wedding ceremony and a graduation dinner was underway when a car packed with explosive $ran into the restaurant. a spokesman for the government says special forces have been sent in to help. >> so far what we know right now is civilians and also workers of the restaurant, the people that were attending the graduation party and also the wedding were rescued. >> reporter: al-shabab which operates in somalia and neighboring countries has claimed responsibility. last friday fighters from the

group attacked an african union military base in south west somalia. al-shabab says 100 kenyan soldiers were killed although that hasn't been confirmed. in april last year al-shabab fighters killed 147 people in an attack on a university in kenya. in september 2013 fighters from the group stormed the west gate shopping mall in nyrobi killing 67 people. somalia has been devastated by decades of civil unrest. four years ago the country's government pushed al-shabab out of major cities with the help of african union soldiers, but attacks like this show that the government and its supporters still have much more work to do new signs of difficulty are emerging in the planned syrian peace talks. secretary kerry says government and rebel negotiators will not meet face-to-face in monday's talks. the u.n.'s envoy will travel

back and forth between rooms making offers. the u.s. and russia support opposing sides in syrian's civil war. norweigian police say they have temporarily defortations of refugees across a remote area into russia. the decision came after three asylum seekers took refuge in a church in less than 24 hours after 13 men were dedeported. it is illegal to cross that border on foot. many refugees got into norway by riding bicycles through snow at temperatures below freezing. norway recently changed the rules of deportation of people deemed migrants and not refugees. >> reporter: how do you feel about being in russia? do you feel safe? >> the people here are not feeling safe u.n. officials say russia should not be considered safe for refugees.

they say large cracks in russia's system put refugees at risk of freezing to death. denmark's parliament is debating a proposal to move refugees into tent camps outside major camps and cities. in recent weeks laws were tightened with proposals to have refugees pay for their stay with anywhere valuables and to postpone family reunification for three years. starting today slovenia will not allow refugees to enter the country unless they are seeking asylum in always tree acor germany. slovenia implemented a similar rule to one already in place in voesh croatia and others. turkey is going to start issuing work permits to syrian refugees. the idea is to discourage them

from travelling further into europe, but it is also addressing another big problem for ankara. nearly two million syrians are living in turkey and they are struggling to afford basic essentials. >> reporter: it's a family business in a city where textiles are one of the main exports. five vacancies have been filled. only turks could apply, but that could soon change when syrian refugees get work permission. plans one in ten of the workforce here could be syrian. the idea is to improve cooperation with syrians such as these casual workers in a fast food café. it has been run by this man. he was lucky enough to have a turkish sponsor to register the business. he is making enough to provide

for his family. the vast majority of syrians in turkey is appalling. work permits could make him feel like he does. >> translation: i am against the idea of going to europe because i'm waiting to go back to my own country. if we don't go back to rebuild it, who will? >> reporter: he is in a better position than most. in this part of the city nearly everyone is syrian and nearly everyone is desperate to improve on an extremely basic way of living. right now many syrians are reliant on casual work to get by. estimates put the figure at around 400,000 doing menial work for around $200 a month. that is less than half the national minimum wage in turkey. >> reporter: opinion is divide as to whether work permits can change things. >> translation: there won't be problems mixing with turkish workers, but it is important

that syrians who claim to have skills and qualifications have the documents. otherwise they won't get jobs. >> translation: we would like everybody to work and look after their family, but we are worried about employers who have the tendency to hire cheap syrian labor rather than the local workforce which could mean more turkish workers end up unemployed. >> reporter: this is a city like others in turkey where manufacturing industry has strong exports. many are happy about the plan and that it could mean they don't take the dangerous adjourn across the sea coming up a closer look at the poisoning of former russian spy. his final days and what a new report of what his death will mean for russian and the u.k. a day after protesters stormed

parliament, thousands held a peaceful rally in the moldovan capital.

back to tonight's story. the investigation into the death of a russian spy, alexander litvinenko, was once a dedicated officer who turned dissident who

became one of vladimir putin's critics. >> reporter: alexander litvinenko became ill on the night of the 6th anniversary of the rival in england. he died in a london hospital 22 days later. on his death bed the critic of vladimir putin accused the russian leader of ordering his death. he was a russian soldier turned spy when he joined the kgb in 1998 and rose to the colonel position. his ultimate boss was vladimir putin, but he became disillusiond with the organization over corruption and their differences got him fired. he wrote a book called blowing up russia, the secret plot. he said they were behind the bombings of moscow and two other cities in 1999.

he gave interviews like this one and made repeated personal attacks against putin, even accusing him of paedophilia. >> you're dealing here with the murderous dictatorship which is basically anti-western and it took years to get his message through. >> reporter: tea laze with poison served to him in a london hotel is what led to his death. it came weeks after his friend, a russian journalist, was shot and killed outside her apartment. they had collaborated on investigating the russian government. his son stayed at his bedside as he suffered organ failure. >> last time i saw him, me said to take care of my mother.

i didn't really get a chance to have any proper goodbyes because we thought he would recover >> reporter: after his death the wife caught for an inquiry. >> i believe it has been uncovered. >> reporter: those responsible for his death will likely never face justice the investigation into alexander litvinenko's death has cast a shadow over relations. a look at some past incidents. >> reporter: is this the man who approved alexander litvinenko's murder? that is the headline allegation of sir robert owens inquiry. putin, he says, probably gave the order. russia has poured scorn on the report. its ministry of foreign affairs also hinted the u.k. itself has something to hide. >> translation: more than once

we have said we're interested in an objective investigation into the death of alexander litvinenko and the death of many other russian citizens. sometimes under strange circumstances in great britain an. >> reporter: but russia is no stranger to political killings. a late winter's night in 2015 and a body lies still in moscow. it is a former deputy prime minister and vocal critic of vladimir putin. a chilling signal his opposition colleagues concluded sent by those guard iing him. he had been shot metres from the kremlin's wall. another died after an alleged beating in a russian prison. he had exposed a 230 million dollar tax refound fraud only for the authorities to turn the tables and jail him for the very same crime. the same year alexander litvinenko was killed, 2006,

journalist was gunned down in her moscow apartment building. she had reported for years on the country's war and showing the deaths. journal >>s, lawyers, activists, opposition leaders all murdered in one way or another. russia may be a modern capitalist state, but according to some there are aspects of its authorityarian oppressive past this it still dcings-- clings to. >> translation: the continuation of the criminal rule of the kgb and one of the instruments is the political murder. >> reporter: so did it approve

alexander litvinenko's death >> i don't think there is no evidence, other than circumstance a.m. and interpretive and there is a body of opinion in britain that everything is - which is all putin is responsible. there is very little even indirect evidence of that. >> reporter: regardless, criticizing the kremlin can be as dangerous in the 21st century as it was in the 20th our guest, peter. the russians are heaping scorn on the investigation. we just heard that analyst say that there's no evidence to link vladimir putin to all this, but is it likely that a high-profile murder operation like this one would not have been sanctioned

at the highest levels of the kremlin? >> well, considering the very substance that was used in order to rid this video - gentleman, it was designed to send a message to all the disdents, whether inside or outside of russia, and it was directed from the very top of the leadership. >> reporter: there is definitely no doubt that alexander litvinenko had become a very serious thorn in vladimir putin's side >> he was. he was a low ranking functionary in the kgb, but when he went into exile in london, he befriended one of the chief nemesis of putin. he went very public. he wrote two books. he accused the kgb of

masterminding bombings in moscow in 1999 and at the time he was cooperating with british and spanish intelligence agents regarding the russian government's ties with organized crime while the report says he had probably ordered the murder, it was certain of a number of things, including that he was killed by the poison at the london hotel and it was convinced that russian agents were behind it because they ended up finding the substance everywhere one of these guys went in london. >> yes sir robert owen said that the evidence is likely circumstantial. the circumstantial evidence presented is overwhelming not only will these two russians probably not face justice, there is little likelihood that they will,

because one is a member of the douma r and he got a medal of honor. do you think anybody will be hell accountable? >> i think we will have to wait for the history and for the perpetrators to be brought to act what do you think this means between relations between russia and u.k.? russian spokes people have come out and said that this would poison the relationship. >> i think the harsh language will have a problem with the diplomatic relationship, but there's no love lost between them. david cam son said this was a state-sponsored murder. he then continued to say that russian is very important for any future operations in syria,

an important player, and i think that these findings are very, very important, but the importance lies chiefly in its symbolism and i think it is for the future to decide could it be important for drawing attention to more higher profile cases where vladimir putin has also been accused of buying behind them-- being behind them? >> i think more attention to those cases and many more remain to be discovered. we will have to wait for the end of his era on find out thank you. always a pleasure to have you with us a third day of violence. an army commander accused of war crimes, including forced canibalism faces the court.

welcome back to al jazeera. coming up in this half hour of international news. the venezuelan government and the family of jailed official. the story is making headlines across the u.s. a former police officer in oklahoma city will spend the rest of his life behind bars.

he was sentences to 263 years in prison today. a jury convicted him last month of 18 counts of rape and sexual assault. he targeted women while on duty. many people are bracing for one of the biggest snow storms. people are flocking to stores to buy food, shovels and other supplies. several governors and mayors have announced state of emergencies. forecasters say some areas could see much as 30 inches of snow. a former marine returned home. he was arrested in 2011 while visiting relatives and jailed for apparently spying protesters took to the streets of tunisia for a third day of angry demonstrations over

unemployment. one police officer was reportedly killed which may have been sparked by a man who killed himself after being refused a public sector job. tunisia's government has announced a series of measures to diffuse the tension. >> reporter: the feeling of desperation here is real. this protester is attempting to commit suicide. his colleagues save him at the last minute. tension is mounting and the crowd is losing patience. but this is one of the leaders of the protest movement. he graduated from the university eight years ago. he has been looking for work >> translation: there is

discrimination and marginalisation. we have suffered for decades. we don't feel like we belong to this country because government officials don't care about us >> translation: there is a budget for building roads and hospitals and providing electricity for the city. nothing has been done. >> reporter: the crowd converges near here. moments later they start hurling stone at police who were asked by their commanders to show restraint. they will not fire tear gas unless the situation gets worse. aspro tests spread across the country, government leaders may have little option but to try and contain discontent before the situation degenerates even further a day after storming parliament anti-government protesters in moldova today have

a peaceful demonstration. thousands blocked a main road in the capital. tensions flared after the secret midnight swearing in of a new government that many believe won't do anything to end political corruption. a serb leader has been convicted of war crimes in 1999. heavy security was in place before he appeared in court today after announcing his conviction for the murder and torture of civilians, a panel of e.u. judges in kosovo sentenced him to nine years in prison. he has maintained his innocence and has filed an appeal. he says the charges against him are politically motivated. another could face war charges before the criminal international court in hague. he is the first to appear in court accused of 70 charges

including war crimes and crimes against humanitarian. the allegations are shocking. >> reporter: the witnesses tell of how he instructed his personal escorts to administer dreadful beatings and how he forced recent abductees to participate in the bloody killings of innocent people. or even on at least one occasion to kill, cook and eat civilians who had been abducted in attacks the current hearing in the hague will determine if there is enough evidence against him to try him. for many of his alleged victims they say his guilt is not in question. a report from the site of one of the lra's attacks in northern uganda. >> reporter: this woman's eight year old grandson was shot dead as she ran for her life. that was in may 2004 right here.

it was a crowded place for displaced people. rebel fighters attacked. she says a bullet entered one of her cheek action and blew off the other side of her jaw. she seats by sucking her food-- eats. >> translation: i was one of the victims. i want him to be given a death sentence. if he ever comes back, he will kill us all. >> reporter: he had been an lra commander since the 1990s. he was brought to the international criminal court a year ago. the rebellion by the lra started nearly three decades before. many in northern uganda say it was in response to aatrocities by the government. the rebels abducted many. the government forced the population into camps.

thousands died of disease. she was in a camp when the lra attacked. at the time this whole area was full of huts and survivors say the rebels came from this direction setting them on fire, abducting some people and killing others. there is a memorial here to those who died. an hour's drive away we met one of his wives and their children. his family said he lived here until he was 14 and shouldn't stands trial because he was abducted by the lra on the way home from school. his wife says she was also abducted at age 9 and then married him >> translation: the two people i want to see on trial are the leader because he created the group and also the governor of uganda because they didn't protect us. >> reporter: justice has been slow if not absent.

>> victims in northern uganda keep asking why the lra is being prosecuted and not the government? they cannot prosecutor crimes retrospectively, so they only look at crimes that occurred after 2002. that is where the challenge has been in prosecuting other actors. >> reporter: there is interest in the trial because of what happened here. the court is now due to decide if there's enough evidence for the trial to go ahead joining us from the hague is a journalist and author of three non-fix books on africa. you were at the icc today. the charges are horrific. even an accusation that he forced hostages to kill and eat others. would you describe the reaction in the courtroom?

>> i think people were very relieved to see this starting. you have to think that this man has been in detention for a year now, having given himself up to the authorities in central african republic back in january. there has been a lot of preparation. i think there was a sense of finally we're getting into the nitty-gritty of the case one part of the case is troubling, not just because of the atrocities committed by the lra but also because he was a victim himself. he was kidnapped. that i assume will be part of the defense, that he was brain washed and didn't have the free will needed to commit these atrocities? >> yes. i think the case is going to boil down to this issue. his defense say he was nine and a half years old when he was abducted by the lra fighters.

the prosecution was saying today that he was 14. there is a difference between those two figures, even though in both cases he was a child. the case is going to boil down to the question of whether or not he was in control of his own actions, he knew what he was doing. the prosecution is saying even if you have been subjected to that kind of environment at a very young age, you're still responsible for your actions and they will make a point that even child abusers are responsible for their actions, but they've often been abused in their own childhoods and drug dealers come from broken homes one of the few people-- she is one of the few people that has been brought to trial. there are serious questions about its relevance and whether

it has been a huge waste of money. >> yes. there is a big question mark about that. the african union has become extremely critical of the icc and they regard it as a racist organization because they point out, heads of state have pointed out that every person that has been a black african. the defenders will say this is a court of last resort. it is offering justice to countries that don't have their own judicial systems, and the africans fall into that category, and let us not forget that the vast majority of cases have been self-referred. uganda asked the icc to come in 10 years ago. they only managed to bring this case because finally, one of the five lra leaders, gave himself

into authorities this time last year. it's not imposing itself on african countries. they have asked it in. sometimes for political reasons they get second thoughts about that when he turned himself in, he was going to turn himself into american special forces after he split with gee soef koney. they're believed to be responsible for two million people being displaced, a thun thousand deaths, tens of thousands of kids to be child soldiers and tens of thousands girls in sexual slavery. >> they are no longer active in northern uganda. the places are now being hit by the lra and outside, they're also active in sudan and in democratic republic of congo.

this is a movement that had been round eld up into areas, and the laws of uganda was paralysed by what was going on. now they're on the fringes, they're operating on the borders, they're moving around. they're clearly a much defeated force a disturbing case. thank you very much for that >> it's a pleasure in venezuela a state broadcast is trying to discredit abuse complaints lodged by the family of jailed opposition leader. the government released a new audio recording that captures he and his wife planning a bogus media claim.

her mother says she was unforced to undress in front of her young grandchildren. the authorities deny it and have released video showing nothing happened. brazilian president visited a region hard hit by the zika virus. nearly 4,000 cases have been reported in the past year. the virus has spread. some cases in the u.s. of people who had been in the area. it might be causing another health crisis, temporarily paralysing patients. after global financial market bounced back thursday and lowering oil price.

oil price jumped to $29 a barrel. a one day bounce isn't enough to reverse downward trends. >> reporter: a wild ride on the market as in previous days since the oil talk dominated the trading floor. it surged above $30 above a barr barrel. the problem is the world is awash with oil. china, a key commodity consumer is going through a slowdown and needs far less oil than anticipated. add to that the lack-lustre recovery at home. then there's saudi arabia. riyadh is playing a game of double jeopardy. first up they want to damage the chances of a new high tech u.s.

oil producers. second, many believe the saudis want to damage iran's chances of turning a fast buck once their oil starts flowing again. >> they're saying we are not going to sheet market share to other areas. so they've opened this as a way to try and not only control market share but to prevent some of their rivals in the gulf from selling more oil. >> reporter: they can afford to keep it up for a couple of years, but it's not true for other countries which is keen to have a meeting of the cartel in an effort to cut production and boost prices. meanwhile, it is that time again when the biggest names in u.s. business tell us how well they did. the earning season could play a big part in driving oil prices and stock prices in the short-term, long-term it's still anybody's guess

a fashion show with an eco friendly message. how designers in hong kong are turning all discarded fabric. also a sport of oceans. a threat that al-qaeda poses in west africa.

our global view segment. canada's herald says the country needs to take action in the coalition against i.s.i.l. or at it risks being boxed out of the larger international powers. the new prime minister promised in his campaign to refocus canada's role in i.s.i.l., but the lack of action or direction could turn it into a bit player on the international scene. pakistan's news says china is the main culprit in the blood bath in financial markets. other factors are at play. it se says the role of the country in the market sets up a chain reaction. britain's the guardian on the other hand says that the hiccup in china's economy is not to blame for the rough economic start to 2016 around the world.

the real culprit according to the paper is that we recovered from the previous because the world didn't cause anything that caused the crash. much has been driven by injections of government cash. the college board has temporarily cancelled exams in china over cheating concerns. the testing firms says the students may have accessed the sat that was going to be administered this weekend. make-up exams will be rescheduled. they won't reveal how it was accessed in advance citing security concerns. fashion week is going strong and yuck designers have been competing. the eco sheek award in the industry is notoriously

wasteful. >> reporter: in a world where strange is often good, it is one of the stranger fashion shows. it seems to make absolute sense. elections from ten young designers all using resick eld cheats. sheets. >> i saw a lot after they cut and sew and that's how i'm thinking that maybe i can use them. >> reporter: making yesterday's fashions fashionable again has never been more important. >> reporter: one year in vogue, the next season out of it. the fashion industry is made for waste on an industrial scale, not just in the styles dumped but in the huge amounts of chemicals and water used in their production. aiming to change that, this ngo takes ten designers from around the world on the need to

discover the possibility of repsychables. on this trip, handling discarded on clothes. >> a lot are good quality. some of them are virtually new. >> reporter: back at the fashion week exhibition the winners of the award now have their own labels. >> i see that we educate these designers, i see their creativity and the impact on the mind of the established industry because they are saying you can upcycle, reconstruct and recycle waste. >> reporter: soon the class of 2016 will be joining them hoping to make environmentally friendly become the fashion competitors swimming, ocean swimmers, in january is at its peak. this year a shark sightings.

>> reporter: it is 6 o'clock on a friday evening and sydney's bondi beach is already busy. among those exercising is this man. since coming to australia from france three years ago, he has become a regular ocean swimmer. >> i swim every saturday all year long. i always swim mere. >> reporter: in australia more than 80% of the people live within 50 kilometers of the coast. the ocean, the beach and pools that straddle the two are part of the national psyche. over the australian summer there are ocean swimming races every weekend, well over a hundred in total. competitors wear timing devices and there are commentatores who introduce the races. >> this is a rough water race.

it's not easy out there. >> reporter: most races are between half a kilometer and three kilometers long with serious athletes and people enthusiasm - enthusiasts. patrol boats look for any people in trouble. the best now how to go the way out and come back in >> after a long christmas break it is good to be back in the water. >> i hope for the best. >> the wave zone where all the waives break, it was hard getting out there. >> reporter: until last year the number of races and participants was growing. this year though that has changed. these races are tough but hundreds of people come every weekend but the number in each

is down. there are not quite as many races as in previous years. a fear of these is why. in late 2015 there were a spate of shark attacks along australia's east coast. a swim north of sydney swimmer was killed. none of that puts off this man who has been swimming as a boy. at 74 he is not going to stop >> they're one-off things. a hundred people swim here every day backwards and father. you don't see them. they're there. i mean, that's their backyard. >> reporter: some people welcome the number of sharks. they're a sign of the healthy ecosystem in ever-cleaner water, and clean water is something every swimmer loves members of abba have

reunited. they had a string of pop hits. they have ruled out any kind of musical reunion. that's it for the international news hour. in the next hour, supply and demand, where is it all coming from. we look at the source of the oil glut when i'm back with more news in two minutes. [ ♪ ]

good evening, i'm antonio mora, this is al jazeera america. >> talking about a potentially paralyzing storm. >> in for a blizzard. the steps political leaders along the east coast are taking to prevent disaster. and already dangerous for travel. also... >> we stopped the syria rapist with a badge. >> an oklahoma police officer is sentenced to 263 years in prison, the message from a victim and a police department trying to regain the community's trust russian president vladimir putin is linked to the murder of a kgb agent, the personal connection between the two and the evidence british authorities have. and a