a suspected russian air strikes in syria kills at least 47 people. hello. you're watching al jazeera live from our headquarters in doha. also ahead snowd in, a winter storm spreads through the u.s. east coast bringing cities to a stands still. political limbo in haiti after a presidential run-off election is postponed indefinitely. >> reporter: okay google. how much tax are you actually going to pay here in the u.k.? google agrees to pay almost $200 million of tax in the u.k.

but critics say it's not enough. we begin it syria where at least 47 people have been killed in air raids believed to have been carried out by russian airplanes. a bus station was hit. it says the jets appeared to be targeting areas controlled by the islamic state in iraq and the levant, i.s.i.l. andrew simmons reports for us. >> reporter: we're hearing that at least 47 civilians have been killed after air raids reported to have been russian bombers that have hit the area. most of the province is held by i.s.i.l. and this province borders iraq. they have been on the offensive

for the past week and they've been clashing with regime forces and the russian air force has been going to great lengths to try and track el the i.s.i.l. fighters on the ground-- tackle. it is reported that up to 80 civilians have been killed since friday. this comes from the sohr, the syrian monitoring organization in england. they have been involved in this war and it is a contentious matter to get the peace talks held because the opposition ground backed by saudi, they need to stop the strikes are to be stopped

as andrew mentioned, world powers are scheduled to discuss the conflict on geneva on monday. they haven't agreed on which which syrian groups of attend. john kerry said he is confident the talks will go ahead. he met with the president in riyadh. >> one of the things that we did today which i think is really important is we set up a clarity for how to proceed forward in the initial steps of the negotiations on syria. we are confident that with good initiative in the next day or so those talks can get going and that the u.n. representative, special envoy, will be convening people in an appropriate manner for the proximity talks. >> the work that we're doing is

all designed to bring about peace, security and stability in the region. much of that work involves pushing back iran's aggressive actions in the region in yemen the united nations is seeking unlimited access to tiez where supplies of basic necessitates are dwindling. the area has had the most intensive fighting. our correspondent has the latest. >> reporter: the u.n. says 200,000 civilians in taiz are living in a virtual state of siege. houthi rebels are blocking roads into the city. they're also stopping the injured to leave to get medical treatment elsewhere. >> translation: i was hit by a shell. i have been in hospital three months. i desperately need medical attention abroad. i lost my legs and there is no medical treatment for me here. >> reporter: the city's hospitals are struggling to cope with demand.

more than 90% have closed and those open are short of medicine, electricity and supplies. around 5,000 people need treatment which they can't provide and they say the patients will have lifestyle issues unless they get care. >> translation: many are urgently needing care but they haven't been able to travel and we haven't medication to alleviate their claim. >> reporter: more than 6,000 people died in yemen since the conflict began. half of those are civilians. with sieges in the area, the government is calling on those to have peace talks. aid should be allowed in >> a lot of the people need diesel, just the basic necessitates to live, but on top-- necessities to live.

a lot of children are being recruited into militias to join the war. >> reporter: this bakery is breaking wood to cook the bred. >> translation: there is a shortage of diesel. it is expensive on the black market. to spare additional costs, we've returned to using wood. >> reporter: after ten months of fighting, yemenis want the war to end and fears that until it does their situation will continue to deteriorate in afghanistan the taliban says it will resume peace talks with the afghan government only if it's removed from a u.n.-backed balance list. the u.s., china and pakistan urged negotiations to resume last week. eastern u.s. cities, including new york and washington dc are at a standstill after a

blizzard. travel has been disrupted, flights have been cancelled or delayed and people have been urged to stay home. a state of emergency has been declared in new york and other states. >> reporter: the fast-moving blanket of snow has kept outdoor activity to a minimum. winds as high as 90 companies an hour persuade-- km/h persuaded motorists to stay off the roads. those who did venture out found more than they had bargained for. in kentucky thousands were stranded on the road. the red cross set up a shelter for those without heat >> if you're running into the ditch we will probably be in the ditch trying to get you. >> reporter: washington dc's metro train service was shut down for only the third time in its history. further north the storm caused major flooding on the atlantic

coast >> there was significant water on the streets and ice floating up the streets, it had got over the wall that was supposed to protect them from any storm >> reporter: after the snow forecast from new york city was raised to 76 centimeters, officials ordered a rare travel ban >> all vehicles that are not emergency vehicles or authorised vehicles that are involved in direct urgent service to people need to be off the streets. the nypd will begin enforcing the travel ban at 2.30 today. that will remain in effect until further notice. >> reporter: about 150,000 households were without electricity in north and south carolina. the outages were expected to worsen as ice builds up on power lines. in washington the weather turned streets bare of traffic into a snow boarder's delight. at the national zoo, a giant

pandas couldn't get enough of the snow. since friday 15% of all commercial flights, 7500 of them, have been cancelled. beginning sunday the airlines will have to start coping with a huge backlog of passengers people in south korea are also feeling the freeze. a cold weather warning for seoul for the first time in five years. it has fallen to minus 18 celsius in the capital. the united nations and governments around the world are urging haiti feuding leaders to fix the unrest. there have been protests since accusations in the first round of the vote in october. a report from the capital. >> reporter: it was the threat of widespread violence that led to haiti's election being called off. this is a nation in limbo.

the stations have been set ablaze across the country. many fearing haiti is heading towards a crisis that threatens to destabilize an already fragile nation. you think it will be a big trouble? >> yes. but we will fight it. >> reporter: in man was running for president. he is part of a group of former candidates known as the g8 who have been calling for change amongst accusation sz of fraud and irregularities. he is happy the poll has been postponed. he said the country has serious challenges ahead >> i have a good feeling. we make a big step in the right direction. it is not the end. we have a long way to go because this fight is more complicated than people think >> reporter: leadership struggles aside, the people of haiti are growing increasingly impatient with the election process. this man told us he is rapidly

losing hope for haiti. he tells most live in inhumane conditions, an opinion widely held here on the streets. other observers don't see an easy way out of the impasse. the persist has to be out of office by the finger of february. that gives those in power little time to act >> >> translation: we have less than two weeks until february 7. there is no way to have another election before then. so it will be up to the parliament and the political parties to agree on a transitional government. >> reporter: elections have never been an easy thing here, but for the past decade this country has enjoyed relate political stability, but all that has unravelled in the past few months. perhaps the most important thinking for the future of this country is that the-- thing for the future of in country is that

the president has legitimacy. the country is still trying to recover from an devastating either quake. this nation's 50 million people may ultimately pay the price stay with us here on al jazeera. still ahead handing in arms. how nigeria is banking on an amnesty as it tries to deal with violent crime. then to the sun dance fest to look at horror films. films. i to look at horror films. v to look at horror films. a to look at horror films. l to look at horror films. dance festival to look at horror films.

welcome back. you're watching al jazeera live from doha. a reminder of the top stories. at least 47 people have been killed in suspected russian air strikes in syria. fighter jets hit a village in an eastern city. eastern u.s. sites clues new york and washington dc are at a standstill after a major blizzard. at least 19 people have been killed. a state of emergency has been declared in new york and in several other states. the u.n. and governments around the world are urging haiti's leaders to find a peace solution in the protests. a situation in moldova is seeing tens of thousands people on sunday. they're calling for election to

replace the current prime minister >> reporter: things have gone from bad to worse here. joblessness, a weakening currency, fuel and food prices on the rides. nobody has anything good to say about the situation. >> translation: come to the village and see how much we may for pasta and sugar >> reporter: nobody we spoke to has anything positive to say about their politicians >> translation: i pray to god for help. i don't trust anyone any more. i've lost all faith >> reporter: the people are disillusioned and that's in part because this country has been suffering from political paralysis. there have been four prime men stirs in the past 12 months and since october no government until this week. on wednesday angry crowds stormed parliament incensed by the appointment of a new prime minister. he standing on the right is a close ally of the man doing the

talking, the country's most powerful businessman turned politician. the opposition want immediate elections. they accuse the businessman of stealing hundreds of millions of dollars from the country's banks. >> translation: since independence we have suffered and suffered and suffered and now we're on the verge of having in the country a criminal dictatorship. we have to be ready to oppose that at any cost >> reporter: the new government has the backing of brussels and washington and says there will be no new elections. >> translation: we believe that early elections are not the solution for the country now. we're in a difficult financial situation and we have to find urgent solutions. >> reporter: camped in the city center for months now are a hard core of protesters from across

the political spectrum. they're hoping that tens of thousands of ordinary people are ready to join them regardless of their geopolitical persuasion protesters from nepal's minority has rejected the constitution. demonstrators have blocked one of the main border crossings with india causing shortages of fuel and other supplies. they say constitutional amendments pated by governments don't go far enough. parties are calling for more representation in the government. francois hollande is visiting india for three days. he thinks france can play a bigger role in the economic growth. >> reporter: this café in the city has french food.

the response amongst the public has enabled the owner to open dozens ka other chains. making a challenge worth it for him >> in india we have quite a number of infrastructure problems. we have to take care of such basic questions like water supply, electricity supply, supply of ingredients, and also of training our staff who need particular attention. >> reporter: he will be meeting the french president francois hollande during his visit to tell him about the opportunities for france in india >> reporter: french culture has been in india for centuries. cafés like this one show the modern side of forensic culture. the president will extend that influence and make france a

larger player in india's growing economy. france is assisting india with its infrastructure programs which are worth billions of dollars. the country's smart city program is meant to change the city into clean places to live and work. it is something the french companies are help with. >> our relationship is long-term, built on trust, and the investment figures is not for everybody that french companies aren't making huge investments >> reporter: there have been stumbling blocks, including the stalled sale of fighters jets. this analyst says government policy has been favorable towards france. >> it was france and germany in the western block which really came out in support of india and

along with u.s. in imposing sanctions on india. the relations is very good. the >> reporter: the relationship that is set to develop stronger ties between india and france in security, economy and culture critics have accused the british government of doing a sweetheart deal with google after google agreed to pay 185 million dollars in back taxes. it is nowhere where near what it is really owed >> reporter: how much tax with you actually going to pay here in the u.k.? >> reporter: that is something google with answer in a heart beat. 130 million pounds. that is $185 million, money many people feel is long over due. the question is, okay, google, is it enough? >> reporter: google thinks so.

it has reached an agreement after a long audit. that is to cover a decade of under payments. it will pay more in the future saying it will change the way it calculates its taxes. how big exactly is that business? >> reporter: the firm's turn over was 642 million pounds in the u.k. in 2013. that is nearer to 950 million if we're talking dollars. look at the figures filed in the u.s. where google had revenues of 5.6 billion that year. 6.5 billion a year later in 2014. quite a discrepancy. that's revenue and revenue isn't taxable profit. there are costs to bear in mind. it shows google earns a lot in britain that doesn't go through its british accounts. it is all pretty confusing and

complex, but it is all perfectly legal. this was the boss of google u.k. appearing in front of parliament back in 2013 to it. these are the words. >> how do you think they feel every time they switch on to google and they remember, and it reminds them of your rather devious, if i may say so, calculated and in my view unethical behaviour? >> i think if order people listen to that statement they would rightly be concerned but i think that is not a fair preparation of how we operate. >> reporter: why pay now google? >> they say that they see the way the world is changing and they want to be seen as being paying their fair share, but at the same time they're under pressure that has been an audit and governments want to get more tax out of companies like google. >> reporter: so the tax man gets its cash, google solves its pr

problem and everybody is happy, right? wrong. this is already causing anger defense opposition here in u.k. who say they should pay more and that they're paying a small amount. other countries may demand much more. for google at least this is an issue that is not going away soon the nigerian state is let owners of guns to hands them in without fines. >> reporter: hundreds of illegally owned rifles, ingredient aids and home-made bombs surrendered to police. their owners won't be charged of any offence in the continuing arms amnesty aimed at cutting

crime. fighting started here. on and off tensions over landownership have played the state for years. many have acquired weapons to defend themselves. hundreds have been killed. the husband and son of this woman were shot and killed in separate attacks. >> translation: when high husband was murdered i was in the bedroom. i heard boom boom twice and i was scared. the shots continued for a while. when it went quiet i went out screaming >> reporter: she says the amnesty has improved security. self-confessed criminal has handed over 84 rifles. >> translation: violence escalated because people were attacking communities. my community. so i was protecting my people. now i am protecting all people. >> reporter: many victims are worried that criminals are not

being punished and will re-offend. >> reporter: they say the government needs to do more than the amnesty program. they need help dealing with the impact of crime >> to me, i think the best is to take it to court, jail them. >> reporter: state government leaders defend the amnesty. >> the security council gave us the money for the amnesty. we are working together. we are finding out we can make life more meaningful and better for our people. >> reporter: the state government says the amnesty has reduced crime in the area by 80%. training and programs will be provided to anyone who is given given a pardon.

victims say they should be getting help to rebuild their lives the sundance film festival is often associated with the off beat quirky side of cinema, but there's another darky and scarier side. from park city utah rob reynolds reports. >> reporter: midnight here is the beginning of horror. >> we want to be here first. >> reporter: these people lined up late at night to see the film the greasy strangler. >> it's a mixture of sweetness and tenderness and some sort of quiet sort of deoperatived weirdness. >> reporter: film maker is back with a murder movie.

>> they play this game called 31. it is a fight to the death against this seemingly stream of home side kal maniacs. -- homicidal. >> reporter: this is a mother going mad in the iran-iraq war. she is convinced there's an evil spirit in her apartment. >> reporter: every culture across the world have their own myth. from dawn of men, people were always fascinated over the stories that sort of, like, terrified them >> reporter: horror movies are at old as the film itself. an array of monsters have become stars of the genre. besides frightening generations of movie goers. the horror genre is a monday maker.

-- money maker. >> horrors, the fans are dedicated, they rush out opening weekend >> reporter: the blair witch project went on to become the highest grossing independent film of all time. there's nothing like the guilty pleasure of sitting in a darkened theater and getting scared out of your wits. coming >> translation: coming out everything from mass shootings to police brew brutality, these these fuel the imaginations of writers. >> reporter: midnight after midnight the sundance horror features creep on with film makers hoping their audiences will reward their work with the best reaction of all, a

blood-curdling scream there's plenty more on this and other stories on our website which is aljazeera.com h is aljazeera.com >> i'm russell beard in barbados meeting the islanders who are buiding a green ecomomy.