my there are more than one hundred fifty volunteers working for several walking buses teachers say it is working class attendance has improved the volunteers also act as security guards more than seven decades ago a country was split into. jenin and now at the time. of the mob they all it took was a pan a mob and a collapsing empire when the british had to draw in they pulled its servants who had never been to india before al-jazeera examines the violent birth of india and pakistan and asks what the future holds for the neighbors. of blood at this time. the president of the maldives declares a state of emergency has the country's political crisis deepens.

and this is a long way from london also coming up i thought. as they continue aid agencies say syrian refugees are at risk of being forcibly returned. supporters and critics of jacob zuma clashed as a.n.c. members meet to discuss the south african presidents face. and the only surviving suspect in the twenty fifteen paris attacks refuses to answer questions as he goes on trial for a shootout with belgium place. president al don't let ya mean has declared a fifteen day state of emergency as a political crisis that deepens parliament is under military control stopping opposition politicians from funneling pietschmann motions against senior government

figures and the president is continuing to defy a supreme court order to release political prisoners shola ballasts as the latest. opposition politicians film outside molly's criminal court waiting to hear the fate of the colleagues. and abdul listen and they were arrested and charged with bribery upon arriving in the country on sunday a judge dropped the charges and released them they are two of nearly twenty politicians affected by a supreme court ruling that has created a political crisis in the island nation. in celebration on thursday when they top court called for the retrial of nine opposition politicians including exiled former president mohammad machine and the judges reinstated twelve employees who had lost their seats for siding with the opposition but one day of celebration soon turned into four nights of protests when president abdullah you

mean refused to comply with the ruling was very. calm and was scheduled to reconvene after a recess on monday but the president say it would be closed indefinitely and imposed a state of emergency for fifteen days the mall devean parliament is now under military control they need to show. how this morning meeting was canceled at the last minute. writing security reasons unspecified security reasons for the cancellation. opposition politicians want to get inside parliament to file impeachment motions against four top officials in the president's administration for not freeing the colleagues or any effort. by the military. for. i don't know

a pardon and the supreme. police targeted the administrative head of the supreme court on sunday writing his house the court issued a statement rolling police didn't have enough evidence to arrest a judicial executive president in maine has asked the court to reconsider the arrest warrant ruling he said he's told the court his prosecuting attorney needs more legal direction before he can release any political prisoners the president says his people need to be patient critics have least faith i don't need. them. are. not really any of. the opposition thinks they can turn their domestic support into international pressure they want foreign intervention but the president and the supreme court are unified against it shallop fellas al-jazeera.

a least forty nine people have been killed as the government and russian airstrikes intensify in rebel controlled parts of the country. in a day province thirty people died and dozens were wounded russian jets targeted a hospital in the countryside the second in as many days to be hit on sunday one of our lives largest hospitals was badly damaged and there are reports that chlorine gas was used in an attack on the syrian city of seroquel over the weekend. and at least nineteen people were killed in as trying to be seized a single to near damascus where there have also been recent reports of chemical attacks there is growing international concern over acute food and i think shortages members of the in one thousand nations security council have been meeting in new york to discuss the alleged use of chemical weapons in syria the u.s.

ambassador to the u.n. nikki haley criticized russia for blocking a statement condemning the use of chemical weapons in syria she must go to adopt a security council stance let's get more on this with our diplomatic editor james bass who is at the u.n. james what is the outcome now of that meeting where the meetings come to an end and it has not really decided anything it was a meeting you were supposed not to see because it was supposed to be a close monthly meeting on syria chemical weapons the u.s. push for it to be open giving these latest allegations of the use of chemical weapons and so the russians reluctantly had to come to a meeting that was in the open where the u.s. ambassador nikki haley condemned russia remember that there was in the u.n. system in the o.p.c. w. the organization in the hague that deals with chemical weapons a body called the joint investigation mechanism to investigate the use of chemical

weapons and to decide who was guilty over its use that found on several occasions the assad government was responsible for using chemical weapons but russia then decided not to renew the mandate of that body that would come up with accountability so for now we have the security council meeting discussing chemical weapons unable to take any action a tall something the u.s. ambassador focused on in her comments to the council. so far russia has delayed the adoption of the statement a simple condemnation of syrian children being suffocated by chlorine gas i hope russia take the appropriate step to adopt this text but if we can't even take the first step of a stab us in accountability for chemical weapons use we have to seriously ask ourselves why we are here again she really wasn't mincing our words what was the

russian response very strong response from vasoline the benzema who is the russian ambassador in response he said this was an artificially heated up issue he accused the u.s. the u.k. and france of exaggerating their claims he accused the us represent sort of the u.k. representative the acting ambassador of the u. u.k. of salon dot one he addressed the security council so no agreement no consensus a tall on this issue which i think only underlines on this occasion the importance of the u.n. security council and undermines the international consensus on chemical weapons because there's been a conventional chemical weapons for some years many have seen it as one of the most important developments of recent years and yet this convention to outlaw all

countries to outlaw the most hideous weapons or some of the most hideous weapons ever in invented is being undermined by their sporadic use in syria many thanks joe space that being at the latest on that security council meeting. international aid agencies are warning that hundreds of thousands of displaced syrians are at risk of being forced to return to their homes despite ongoing violence and joint report by six leading agency says neighboring countries as well as european and u.s. governments are putting pressure on refugees to go back they know how to has more from london lebanon's bekaa valley. is the sheriff says some of his family members were killed in the war in neighboring syria he has also lost contact with others who have been displaced lebanon has been his home for six years he is from the opposition held province of idlib and for him going back is not an option. we want to save zone to return to otherwise where do they want us to go back to do they

want us to die if we go back will be able to there's nowhere safe there's only death. it live is a deescalation zone there is supposed to be a ceasefire here instead civilians are being killed in almost daily airstrikes by syrian and russian planes humanitarian agencies say the violence in some parts of syria means it's still not safe for refugees to return they are warning governments in europe the united states and the region not to force them back we the humanitarian organizations that are on the ground in syria and in the neighboring countries we call this report dangerous grounds for the simple reason that these women children and men have to be informed of the conditions and we have to assure that it is gone and tourie when they go back and then we have to assist and protect the return. the u.n.

doesn't have exact numbers but the figures available show some seventy thousand refugees returned on their own from neighboring countries last year but aid agencies say for every returning there were three more uli displaced because of the violence since mid december more than two hundred thousand people had to leave their homes because of fighting in the southern edges of province. government forces control the main cities they've recaptured a lot of territory from the opposition has been pushed out of many areas and there are local cease fire agreements in place but the picture is misleading there are many areas where fighting continues it's not just safety there is widespread destruction there are few civilian facilities left of hospitals have been hit mass returns can't be sustainable if these people can't find jobs and if there is no health care or schools. there are no proper living conditions imagine if i need to take my children to a doctor there are no health centers there is no life there i'm afraid of the day

when they kick us out of here lebanon's government says there will be no forced returns and any returns will be coordinated with the united nations but refugees here are still worried so are aid agencies that is why they are warning no one should be forced back to syria without a plan that takes into account their safety and well being. because of valley lebannon there are reports u.s. forces have begun to withdraw all that troops from iraq and iraqi government spokesman says the move began after victory declared i still last year iraq says some soldiers will stay for just tickle and training purposes u.s. changes have assisted in the battle against eisel since twenty fourteen a white house correspondent kimberly halkett has more from washington d.c. . well the pentagon has not yet officially confirmed that this drawdown that is taking place of u.s. troops inside iraq it certainly is not denying it either we know that there were

roughly five thousand u.s. soldiers that were supporting particularly in the effort to defeat eisel but of course donald trump in his state of the union address has has claimed that there is largely a victory that has occurred in terms of reducing the territory controlled by eisel in both iraq and syria but at the same time there is concern about what is happening in afghanistan and the string of deadly attacks that have taken place there as a result you see this repositioning of u.s. forces and resources to afghanistan from iraq now this is something that has been taking place quietly for some time certainly we have seen signals in terms of the announcement of policy by the united states albeit rather subtly not only have we had the surprise visit of the vice president mike pence to air force base a couple of months ago where in fact he said he was concerned about the uptick in

violence pointing the finger at pockets for assisting that something pakistan denies but as well we've seen since donald trump has taken office the doubling of u.s. troops inside afghanistan as they continue to assist with the effort to defeat not only the taliban but also eisel and of course the string of deadly attacks not just the attack on the luxury hotel but also a military academy and even the bombing of a hospital has certainly put this in the forefront of the united states that feels that this is where the resources need to be now as opposed to in iraq. still to come on al-jazeera. i found funny and jay whiny it's strange after his gjelten for bing south korea's former president is unexpectedly suspended guard. on the polls farmworkers a mainstay of economy but often exploited and abused and now the un wants their rights protected.

how it was all a cold then are disappearing from this part of the world it's really sitting further north and east and part of europe have to wait for the wind to sing back down through the caucuses now is trying to do that was tension eight degrees it clearly hasn't succeeded it's still modest on that is real cold sitting up here otherwise the sun is i twenty two degrees in beirut on tuesday about eighteen aleppo sally throughout tookie to get to the far west as well so a quiet spell of weather nicely for a time it's been snowing recently in the mountains in this problem on otherwise nothing else goes on in the pot the world in iraq b.-a the breezes stopped blowing down the gulf has walked off a bit in qatar for example and still warmer in western society again as you might

expect some pretty heavy rains reforming recently in zimbabwe from the state a satellite picture using most has now gone west and is falling in zambia northern botswana and beyond no shows showing in south africa but some in madagascar there will be some daytime showers showing up every now and again in south africa otherwise it is quite quiet thirty in the but if you are in lusaka all up in northern mali guscott expect the rain.

thank you. welcome back remind all the top stories here on al-jazeera the president of the maldives asked to clarify a state of emergency as the country's political crisis deepens. at least forty nine people have been killed in syria as government and russian air strikes intensify in rebel controlled parts of the country. and there are reports that u.s. forces are she gradually withdraw from iraq and iraq a government spokesman says the move began after it declared victory over myself

last year. the only surviving suspect from the paris attacks and twenty fifteen has gone on trial in belgium is charged with attempted murder for trying to kill police during a shootout in brussels nearly two years ago. refused to rise when the session began and told the court to my silence does not make me a criminal he was arrested four days before bomb attacks killed thirty two people in brussels the tasha butler sent this update from the court in brussels. told the judge that he would not stand up that he was too tired he also said he would not respond to any questions he said silence remained his defense and that muslims are often tried and judged without pity that there was no presumption of innocence well this was the first time that solid disarm has been seen since his arrest back in march twenty sixth and he is being tried role in

a police shootout which happened just a few days before that arrest there is of course the highest security surrounding this trial at the time that he was caught he was of course europe's most wanted man so each day he is being brought from a prison in northern france a school by elite police officers both belgian and and french across the border to brussels and each day. he returns that nothing we are told is being left to chance . in a surprise court ruling the vice chairman of samsung electronics has been released from jail jay wylie was convicted last year on a number of corruption charges and sentenced to five years in prison natasha going to reports from seoul south koreans have been watching his case very closely jay wiley was smiling as he walked out of a sore courtroom out of jail and back to his life as vice chairman of samsung electronics after

a year in prison an appeals court freed him and dismissed most of the corruption charges against him. i think if you're rich you can get out. for economic reasons overall i think it was a good decision. lisa as he's used his time in jail to reflect. again i feel very sorry to everyone for not showing my best side and it has been a really precious time for year reflecting on myself. the first thing he did after being released was visit his father in hospital he's been incapacitated for three years prosecutors say it was least strategy to succeed his father as chairman of samsung electronics that got him in trouble. he's one character of many in south korea's largest corruption scandal in recent memory. it led to millions of koreans protesting and the impeachment of president park geun hey last year prosecutors say

lee paid or promised to pay forty million dollars to approve a merger of two samsung units he considered that important to a succession. of many people who got angry about these political economic ties and you know the political power of the president to use it to a personal event. and the economy powar always homes and used to kind the opportunity to take the personal at the event or at the cost of. many hoped please conviction last year would usher in a new era of accountability for big corporations and politicians now some are wondering if once again it simply business as usual. to come is a. decision by the lower court and the epic court are so different i'm not sure

what is good or bad but yeah i'm suspicious about how the decision can be so different lea's lawyers say they'll launch an appeal to dismiss the remaining charges against their client now people are looking at the developments in lease case and wondering how it will impact former president ha she's in jail and in the midst of a corruption trial of her own a verdict is expected in the coming months this washington ayman al jazeera sole. rival faction. south africa's ruling party have clashed during demonstrations outside the party's headquarters and to harness book it came ahead of an urgent a.n.c. meeting to discuss the future of president jacob zuma after talks failed to secure his departure he's been under pressure to resign since or am opposed to replace him as leader of the party for me to milan has more from johannesburg. the african national congress is continuing to grapple with what it calls

a transitional period after still remark was i was named president of the party while jacob zuma remains president of south africa and that's amid intensifying calls for zuma to step down this of course relates back to allegations of corruption and his relationship with a prominent family in south africa who are accused of influencing president zuma as well as a government policy and appointments now that still remark was a is president of the a.n.c. would appear that zuma has position has weakened to some extent and they are calls from within the party and also from outside for the president to step down now unconfirmed reports indicate that zuma has said he won't resign that he's done nothing wrong and that he will indeed make the state of the nation address later this week opposition parties have requested the speaker of parliament to perspire own the address and if they don't have an answer any time soon they say they will

approach the courts to have this address perspired until after a motion of no confidence in parliament scheduled for the twenty second of february zuma appears to be facing increased pressure to step down to leave office but he appears to be standing firm that's despite what appears to be an increasing rift within the net and within the ruling party. a prominent american investigator into the illegal ivory and griner trade has been stabbed to death at his home in the kenyan capital seventy five year old as month grounding martin had spent decades investigating the illegal practice which the two species with extinction his work spanned asia and africa he also served as the u.n. special envoy on rhino conservation. and two of the three kenyan television stations shut down by the government six days ago for trying to broadcast

a mock inauguration of opposition leader raul or a dingo on our back on air earlier police in nairobi fired tear gas at protests against the government's decision to forcibly halt live coverage of a swearing in the t.v. stations and t.v. and katie and news have both now resumed broadcasting although citizen television is off the air. american olympic gymnastics doctor larry nasa has been sentenced to forty to one hundred twenty five years in prison in a third sentence related to a series of child molestation cases in michigan he'd already been sentenced to more than two hundred years in prison after he pleaded guilty to sexually abusing girls while working as a doctor for the usa gymnastics national team is also being convicted on child pornography charges john hendren has been following the story from chicago. usa gymnastics dr larry nasser was sentenced again this time to forty two one hundred

and twenty five years that is a third sentence he has received the first one was sixty years the second one was up to one hundred seventy five so we now faces up to three hundred and sixty years in prison the judge in this case said one of the reasons for that was she wanted to make sure that there was no possibility that he could ever walk outside of a prison again had he been sentenced to life he might have gotten good behavior there might have been some kind of parole that is not likely to happen in this case yes or spoke to the victims this is the second time at least that he has done so he said the words of every one of their parents have impacted me to my innermost core he acknowledged that that pales in comparison to what his victims feel and he said it is impossible to convey how sorry he is after that short statement he was sentence and that was likely not to appear outside of prison that happened after and perhaps an unprecedented number of victim impact statements the judges in the

cases said there were over two hundred fifty six women who would accuse nassar. by media and the philippines are paid to chauffeur the chinese development of some of the disputed spratly islands in the south china sea as released by the philippine inquirer a show beijing has built naval docks runways wind turbines and several multi-story buildings china has previously said the construction is intended to him prefer peace on the maritime security the un special rapporteur on the human rights of migrants has called on the pole to punish agents since this abuse the rights of workers traveling abroad to work more than a thousand men leave the pole every day in search of the money they sent home is vital to the economy but many are being exploited in face abuse violence and corruption sabina shuster reports from katmandu. that cuts what is international

airport this is what happens every day sixteen hundred people mostly young men leave the policy work and gulf countries in malaysia with an unemployment rate hovering around forty percent many of the parties say they have no choice but to leave the country and many fall into the traps of unscrupulous middlemen but at the time i went to qatar to work in the food and beverage industry he failed a medical test in nepal but the local agents told him that they would fix it the cost of his trip including flights and bribes added up to twenty five hundred dollars but when he reached qatar he had to do the tests again it should read after they did the tests they sent me back i ended up with no job and debts but other lurches the middle been paid off in a party officials including airport authorities the commerce department of foreign employment received more than two thousand complaints from neighbors during the last fiscal year these include everything from nonpayment of salaries for all its illegal ways actions exorbitant fees and there is

a code and sexual abuses by foreign employment agency and middleman and according to government figures seven hundred fifty five the bodies die while working abroad . each worker has to deposit fifty dollars to the governments for an employment before they leave but even employment agencies say that the money has not been spent on those who need it whereas. with this process recruitment agencies have deposited more than fifty million dollars in the bond we can do so much for the workers but the government is not using this bond properly but government officials say it is up to the ministry of labor to decide who gets compensated and. we can use the funds for compensating workers who've gone through legal channels with the recruiting agencies registered with us we can't hold many other workers even if we wanted to the ministry of labor has to make the right policy and decide on how to use that money. the poles foreign workers said back six billion dollars this

past year alone which amounts to almost a third of the country's g.d.p. experts say the government has to have better regulations of the sector to ensure that the laborers are safe instead many have accused politicians and bureaucrats with close ties to the destry of collusion with agents and middlemen to defraud workers swedish russia al-jazeera government do. russia's capital moscow is buried under record snow falls after more than a month's worth of snow came down in just two days flights have been delayed surrounding areas have experienced power cuts and one person was killed by a falling power line the army has been called in to help clear the snow covered streets moscow's mayor has closed schools a highly unusual occurrence in a city used to bad weather.

get you up to speed on the top stories on al-jazeera a fifteen day state of emergency has been declared in the maltese by the president of the you mean parliament is under military control stopping opposition politicians from filing impeachment motions against senior government figures the president is defying calls from the supreme court to release nine political prisoners including the country's former president. at least forty nine people have been killed in syria as government and russian airstrikes intensify in rebel controlled parts of the country in italy province thirty people died and dozens were wounded russian jets hit a hospital in the countryside the second in as many days to be hits. members of the united nations security council in new york have been discussing a series of reports of chlorine gas attacks carried out by the syrian government the us ambassador to the u.n. nikki haley criticize russia for blocking a statement condemning the use of chemical weapons in syria so far russia has

delayed the adoption of the statement a simple condemnation of syrian children being suffocated by chlorine gas i hope russia takes the appropriate step to adopt this text showing the council is unified in condemning chemical weapons attacks. bill slam the only surviving suspect from the paris attacks in twenty fifteen is on trial in belgium he's charged with attempted murder for trying to kill police during a shootout in brussels nearly two years ago refused to stand for the cotton refused to answer questions about his actions accuse the court of being biased against muslims and said he would defend himself by staying silent in a surprise court ruling the heir to samsung has been released from jail in south korea was convicted last year on a number of corruption charges and sentenced to five years in prison prosecutors accuse him of paying bribes to the then president park geun hye and rebel factions

of south africa's ruling party have clashed during demonstrations outside the party's headquarters in johannesburg came ahead of an urgent a.n.c. meeting to discuss the future of president jacob zuma those are the headlines stay with us have zero on al-jazeera as inside story is coming next. deportation or indefinite detention that's the choice facing nearly forty thousand african refugees in israel prime minister benjamin netanyahu calls them infiltrators is a section even legal this is inside story.