at least 47 people are recordedly killed in russian air strikes-- reportedly killed in russian air strikes. hello there. also ahead, traps slow progress for iraqi troops trying to clear the last pockets of i.s.i.l. fighters in ramadi. digging out the clean up begins in the eastern parts of the u.s. after a major blizzard sweets through. plus. >> reporter: okay google, how much tax are you going to pay

here in the u.k.? google agrees to pay almost 3200 million dollars-- $200 million tax in the u.k. but officials say it's not enough we begin in syria where at least 47 people have been killed in strikes apparently carried out by russian planes. a city was hit where at least 100 people have been killed across the province in the past two days. >> reporter: they gather to search for bodies, to cyst through their belongings and what is left of their homes. villagers say air strikes on saturday killed friends and relatives, ordinary civilians. this man called on god to help

his people. rights groups say russian jets are responsible for the strikes and that this is not the first time. dozens of civilians are reported to have died in days of bombing. russia launched its military operation in syria in september. since then planes have flown an estimated 5700 missions. rights groups say more than a thousand civilians have last their lives in that time. moscow continues to insist that its campaign is directed at i.s.i.l. and other armed groups. it's also rejected claims that aircraft have hit civilians saying instead that used to drop aid to those in besieged areas. >> translation: i think that today there is not a single army in the world that talks about its military operation so thoroughly as the russians have in syria.

i would like to stress its an operation against international terrorism in this region. >> reporter: i.s.i.l. controls most of the area. it has kept the remaining pockets of government areas there under siege for the past year. this week it is on the push to capture those areas. the russians say their intensified aerial bombardments are to push that fight by i.s.i.l. people say it has been at their expense syrian state media is reporting that pro-government forces have recaptured more area in the lak province. an alliance of syrian rebel groups has begun an offensive to recapture territory from i.s.i.l. supported by u.s. air power. the rebels are attacking the

countryside. meanwhile in direct talks with the syrian regime and the opposition have been planned for monday. john kerry says he is confident the talks will happen despite divisions. he has been meeting the king of saudi arabia in the capital of riyadh. the u.s. and allies are trying to create a list of groups that will join the negotiations. >> reporter: these talks were always due to start on monday. i think it is pretty certain that's not going to happen. the best we can get, i think, on monday is a news conference with the u.n. envoy. the fact that he could there confirm that he has finally sent out the invitations. the controversial thing behind the scenes is who will make up the opposition. john kerry has been in riyadh meeting his saudi counterpart. saudi arabia was drawing up the list of opposition, but moscow had had problems with that list. we understand mr kerry has also been speaking by telephone to

his russian counterpart. it will then be up to the opposition to decide whether to attend on the basis of the list that has been agreed by the international community. i know they will come under a great deal of pressure because i think they will be told that if the syrian government is there and you're not there, it will look like the opposition is the one that doesn't want peace. so i think it's more likely than not that some sort of talks will take place later in the week. i'm told initially those will be so-called proximity talks. the opposition in one room and the syrian government in the other with the u.n. envoy shuffling between the two. i'm told initially they will be looking at possible ceasefires in syria and trying to aleave yaut the humanitarian-- alleviate the humanitarian situation in areas under siege yemeni journalists have been protesting and dedemanding the release of al jazeera's

journalist. they were last seen on monday. al jazeera is demanding their immediate release. forces loyal to the government are claiming gains against houthi fighters in the southern region of shabwa. they've taken control of gas and oil fields after launching an attack on rebels in the area. in taiz 27 rebels have been reported killed in heavy fighting. coalition forces have been targeting houthi positions east of the city. at least 20 policemen have been killed by two i.s.i.l. car bombs in a village west of the city of ramadi. the suicide attacks hit the headquarters of federal police. 72 soldiers were killed in three separate suicide attacks in ramadi. >> reporter: iraqi soldiers on the road to what they hope is the last remaining i.s.i.l. stronghold in ramadi. i.s.i.l. fighters have so far managed to slow the iraqi forces and for the last 72 hours have

been battling to hold their positions. they have used suicide car bombings against the iraqi suicide forces. heavy shelling and air strikes cannot be used effectively here as the iraqi say civilians are trapped inside the neighborhood. most have escaped to places outside of the city. children here mimic what they've seen while others just wait >> translation: we asked the security forces to quickly remove iuds from central ramadi. we want to get rid of i.s.i.l. signs in the city and we want to return to our homes. >> reporter: some say that the conditions here are so dire that they just want to leave. others are just fed up. getting back home will be a long and difficult process. iraqi police say they need to mount patrols and reopen police stations before people come back. what will they come back to? devastated infrastructure and this is before anybody has really talked about

reconstruction thousands of people in the u.s. are digging themselves out with snow shovels after a mammoth blizzard brought much of the east coast to an icy stand still. the clean up has begun. streets are being cleared in new york and washington dc ahead of monday morning commute. our correspondent is on the streets of new york. the worst may be over, but it's still looking pretty empty there. >> reporter: it is. it is a little after 9am here local time. a very good morning to you, at least from here anyway, from a very cold new york city. we're in the heart of mid town manhattan, 33 and 7th avenue. very little activity. some people are starting to come out again to get a sense of what this storm has left here in new york city. i can testimony you there was a travel ban all night here in new

york city. it's very rare to have that happen. no travelling whatsoever. that was lifted about two hours ago. buses are starting to go back on the streets here. the subway which some of the subway stations had been closed for over 15 hours here, the subway stations that were not underground, those are starting to reopen again. things starting to return to normal here, but there's a lot of digging out from the snow. as you can tell a lot is piled up here all over the city. the big question is airports. over 10,000 flights were cancelled up and do you know the east coast. primarily in washington dc, but the three big airports here, thousands of flights cancelled. the mayor of new york says most likely today, sunday, many flights if not all will remain cancelled in new york. so there's going to be a long fallout effect from this huge

storm. i can tell you neighboring new jersey hit very hard as well. there is coastal flooding over there. self-people died. we're told by the governor that in three hours or so the buses and trains will be operating again in new jersey. it has been surreal here in new york city. it is very rare that you have a shut down such as this of all public transportation, literally affected millions of people trying to get into the city, but, of course, monday, the big workday, tomorrow, that's what they're trying to get ready for, get things prepared for the millions of people trying to get into the city back to work thank you for that. do stay with us here on al jazeera. still to come countdown to demolition. we meet these hong kong residents whose homes are days away from being flattened. plus we're at the sa sundance

film festival to look at the creepy appeal of horror films.

here is a reminder of the top stories. at least 47 people have been killed in air strikes in syria believed to have been carried out by russian planes. a village in the eastern province was attacked. traps and suicide bombings are slowing the army in ramadi.

the clean up has begun in eastern parts of the u.s. after a major blizzard swept through. at least 19 people have been killed in weather-related incidents. egyptian president has addressed the nation ahead of the five-year anniversary of mass protests that led to the overthrow of the former president. the government is doing all it can to get the country back on its feet. >> translation: we're moving ahead on all fronts, domestic and international, launching an executing development and productivity projects to meet the needs of youth and their demand for a dignified life. we are developing public facilities and establish security and order monday's anniversary is being marked as a national holiday throughout the country but not everyone is in the mood for celebrating.

>> reporter: the army is on the streets. there is a stepped up security presence ahead of the fifth anniversary of egypt's revolution. the authorities say they will not allow protests. more activists have been jailed. thousands of homes have been searched. officials say the crackdown has been carried out in the name of security. human rights groups say it is part of a campaign to silence the opposition >> five years after the uprising, hope is given way to total depression. they're afraid of another uprising. the arrest of activists that we have seen in the last days and weeks is warning shots. >> reporter: it has been years since protests against the president who kept an iron grip in the country in decades. this was the move when he announced he was stepping down. the years that followed brought little change. soon this space that happened in

the epicentre of revolt was no longer a place where people came together and celebrated. the square became as place with where opposing sides of the divide raised their grievanceances. at first the chants called for the downfall of the president. eventually power was transferred to civilian authorities. elections were held. the muslim brotherhood candidate became the first elected head of state. it didn't take long for protesters to return to the streets. his opponent said he was pursuing an agenda and strengthening his group on power. calls for him to step down. protests intensified and so did the violence. the military stepped in. it dissolved the government and

arrested muslim brotherhood leaders. interim president was installed. the military coup didn't bring about peace. those who defended what they believed was a genuine lack of government were video lently-- violently express ed. the supporters say the president saved the nation. his opponents accuse of authoritarian rule. >> you have forces who have tried to hijack the revolution. you have major idea logical issues in society. you have an islamist divide. >> reporter: hundreds have been killed. thousands, including journalists have been locked up. mubarak security state is back tunisian prime minister says

the security situation there is under control after a week of protests. it has pledged a greater opportunity for jobs. the protests were triggered by the death of a young man who was electrocuted after climbing a transmission pole. >> reporter: this is how this man starts his day. he collects milk from nearby farms and urges his workers to hurry up. after a relentless job hunt, he who graduated with a masters degree in management, abandoned hopes of working for a

government-owned company. he recently received funding and training in entrepreneurship from an international aid agency. with just about enough to start his business, he has become a cheese maker. >> translation: this is a deem come true. i was born in a family of farmers. this area is the top producer of milk in tunisia. one day i said to myself with milk i can start making cheese and if it works i will expand. >> reporter: his family is around to support him. this is the launch day. as soon as work is finished, he joins those who helped him start his business. these are activists from the nearby city of beja. they were active during the 2010 pro-democracy uprising. now they say they want to help build a new tunisia. >> translation: our goal is to be able to lead the country in the future. we have democracy, but we want

to see young tunisians in the hirer jobs. >> reporter: they're all active in the local young leaders council. ngos that are growing fast in tunisia and whose influence is spreading. >> translation: we are training young people to start their own businesses so that we develop poor areas instead of waiting for the government to help us we chose action. we are not going to sfend the rest of our lives waiting for promise. >> reporter: a long way lies ahead for these young activists. but they remain determined to offer hope to those frustrated over the lack of opportunities in tunisia. tunisians expect tough years ahead amid declining state revenues and widening budget deficits. a frustrating reality five years after so many risked their lives under the former regime

thousands of people have been protesting in the moldovan capital gathering in front of public buildings. they're demanding elections after the appointment of a prime minister who they claim is taking orders from business tycoons. they're calling for people to decide on the country's future. critics have accused the british government of doing a sweetheart deal with google after the internet giant agreed to pay 185 million dollars in back taxes. opposition politicians and activists say it's nowhere near what is really owed. >> reporter: okay, google. how much tax are you actually going to pay here in the u.k.? >> reporter: well, that's something google can answer in a heart beat. it is going to shell out 130 million pounds. that is 185 million dollars, money many people feel is long

over due. the question is. >> reporter: okay, google, is it enough? >> reporter: google thinks so. it has reached an agreement with the tax man after a long open audit. that is to cover a decade of underpayments. the company is going to pay more in the future saying it will change the way it calculates its taxes based on revenue from u.k.-based advertisers which reflects the size and scope of its u.k. business, which leads to the question. >> reporter: okay, google, how big exactly is that business? >> reporter: the turn over was 642 million pounds in the u.k. in 2013. that is nearer to 915 million if we're talking dollars. then the revenue of 5.6 billion in the u.s. that year and 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.

but it shows google earns a lot in britain that doesn't go through its british accounts. this was the boss of google u.k. appearing in front of parliament back in 2013 to defend it. listen to the words directed at it. >> how do you think they feel every time they switch on to google and they remember, and just it reminds them of your rather devious, if i may say so, calculated, and, in my view, unethical behaviour >> i think if ordinary people listen to that statement they would rightly be concerned but i think that statement is not a fair representation of how we operate. >> reporter: okay google, why pay now? >> 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, there has been an

audit and governments want to get more tax out of companies like google. >> reporter: so the tax man gets his cash, google solves its pr problem and everybody that is happy, right? wrong. this is causing anger against opposition politicians here saying it is a small amount appeared they should be paying more. in other countries authorities are fighting for their share. this is not an issue going away soon the hong kong government is going ahead with a demolition of the city's last urban walled village despite protests from the villagers. some home have already been knocked down but one group of residents is refusing to leave, demanding that the 600 year old site be protected. >> reporter: it is not often you see a low rise structure in the heart of hong kong. this village is home to around

100 people, some who have been here all their life. >> reporter: my father built this house all by himself, so this house is now 50 to 60 years old. he was born here and it is one of 15 households he still calls home. his days are numbered because of government plans to demolish this site at the end of the month. >> reporter: if the government was about the people, it wouldn't force us to give up our homes before we are resettled. >> reporter: the village was originally difficulty by indigenous people in the 16th century, with the walls acting as defense against local pirates. three-quarters of the homes have already been demolished. >> hong kong is undergoing huge shortage of housing, and we can, as we know, the new development

will provide two tall apartment buildings for the market. it will make good use of the la land. >> reporter: while it is the history of this village that these residents are proud of, they're also concerned about where they go to from here. the government has offered some compensation but not everyone is convinced it will secure them a homeless where >> for this small amount of money you cannot do anything. if you do the rent a flat, it is very expensive. >> reporter: as well as residence, there are small businesses including this man's. he has been running this sfor for 40 years. >> translation: the compensation the government offers is not enough renovating a new premises let alone starting a new business. i will not be able to work any

more. >> reporter: the government's message is clear. if necessity don't leave by the end of the month, they face criminal charges and hefty fines finally the sundance film festival is one that is often associated with the off beat rather quirkier side of cinema. it has a darker and scarier side to this annual showcase of independent film. from park city in utah rob reynolds reports. >> reporter: midnight is when the horror begins at sundance, horror move ease that is. >> this could be a cult classic and we want to be here first. >> reporter: these people lined up late at night to see director gym haskins film the greasy strangler. >> it is a mixture of sweetness, tenderness and some sort of quite depraved weirdness.

>> reporter: another, 31 about carnival workers kidnapped >> they're taken to a location where it is a fight to the death against this endless stream of maniacs. >> reporter: this is under the shadow, a film about a young mother slowing going mad in the iran/iraq war. she thinks there's an evil spirit in per apartment >> every culture across the world has their own version of the horror myth. from the dawn of men people are fascinated about stories that terrify them. >> reporter: these movies are as old as film itself. an assortment of monsters have become stars of the genre.

besides frightening generations of movie goers, it is a real money maker. >> they're always a guaranteed profit because they just - the fans are dedicated. >> reporter: the blair witch project which premiered in sundance in 1999 went on to become the high yeft grossing independent film of all time. for many serious fans there is nothing quite like the guilty pleasure of sitting in a darkened theater and getting squared out of their wits. they reflect under currents in society >> coming out of the last two years, what we have seen in the news, mass shootings, police brutality these feed the imagination of film makers. >> reporter: midnight after midnight the horror features

creep on with film makers hope their audiences will reward their work with the best reaction of all, a blood-curdling scream plenty more to be found there on our website. all the top stories at aljazeera.com genetic modification, incredible science in the lab usually means this. it can be controversial, it can also be extremely beneficial. >> just like that, i'm genetically modified the mosquitos that carry two deadly diseases, malaria and dengue fever.