hello. i'm david eades with bbc world news. our top stories. the ancient site of numbimrud, an ancient jewel. battered but okay. harrison ford is recovering after crash landing his plane in los angeles. malaysia airlines flight mh-370 is still a complete mystery a full year after it disappeared.

we look at what's being called the most difficult search in history. crew have faced some truly horrendous conditions including two cyclones. at one point they tell me the waves were so high they were crashing over the top deck. also a daring rescue mission after 200 people are left dangling and freezing midair at the ski resort in italy. hello. thanks for joining us. iraqi officials say islamic state militants are trying to destroy the ancient assyrian city of nimrud with bulldozers and heavy vehicles. this city is one of the most important historic sites in the whole country. it dates right back to the 13th century bc. it lies on the river tigers near

mosul in the north of the country. our bbc correspondent made the point that this is sort of seen as an attempt to destroy not only iraq's heritage, but irreplaceable treasures of world civilization. the destruction comes about a week after so-called islamic state posted this video. you may remember it showing its militants destroying statues and other artifacts at mosul museum. the jihadi group calls these art tupacs non-islamic. well, also today, a provincial governor says iraqi forces are pushing on in their offensive against islamic state, and expect to reach the outskirts of tikrit soon. the iraqi army's bid to retake the city began earlier in the week. the advance, itself though has been slowed by roadside bombs and by boopy traps. tikrit is significant. this is the hometown of the former president, saddam hussein. but the bigger and probably tougher prize will be in the city of mosul, iraq's second city, a little bit further to

the north there, which is firmly under i.s. control. understandably, there's growing concern for the plight of the iraqi civilians, from tikrit. and the u.n. has sent convoys of relief for thousands of people who have been displaced from the city. lisa grande is a u.n. representative based in iraq. >> already, there are close to 30,000 people in the past several weeks that have fled out of tikrit seeking safe haven in areas mostly to the south, mostly near the town of samara. we know that if the fighting continues, there are likely to be tens of thousands of more people who are going to try to flee isil-controlled areas and get to safe haven. >> and what are you doing about that? is it about building up effectively another refugee camp, or how are you trying to help them? >> in the last several days the united nations agencies have dispatched a series of convoys, a convoy on tuesday went into

samara with water and sanitation. we got a convoy in yesterday with food supplies. on sunday we have another convoy going in with household kits. we sent in hygiene kits. and we're helping the government with the construction of two displaced camps. the government is contributing tents and the u.n. is contributing tents as well. these are camps that are in samara and we expect that thousands of families will be housed there. >> right. because that clearly is going to put huge pressure on samara itself isn't it? >> that's a very good point. and this is something that we're seeing all over iraq. already, there are more than 2 million people that have been displaced, and with the offensive in tikrit and the eventual offensive in mosul, we know that we can have hundreds of thousands of more people who are in trouble, who are displaced from their homes, fleeing the fighting and seeking safety dependent upon us and the government for safe haven and protection and for humanitarian aid.

>> that's lise grande talking to me from cairo. a short while ago i was speaking the to our middle east editor, and he said while destruction at the site of nimrud has not been analyzed or even confirmed yet, the signs are certainly worrying. >> these reports coming us this morning from the iraqi government, from tribal sources in the area of the nimrud site and so far, it's been impossible, of course to get any detailed assessment of whatever damage might have been done. it's an area that lies deep inside i.s. territory. having said that, all the signs are very bad, indeed. tribal sources are saying that the militants moved in with bulldozers, obviously intent on doing maximum damage to these very ancient walls, 3,000 years old. built 13 centuries before christ. >> it's extraordinary, isn't it in terms of what is there, is a treasure. we had the pictures earlier from the video which i.s. were putting out last week what they're prepared to do in mosul, in the museum there.

this is presumably part of an orchestrated, systemic approach. should we expect more of this? >> well certainly you see i.s. which has controlled mosul in this region since the summer of last year. now, very publicly turning its attention to the treasures of the area. and we just don't know quite why it's taken them this long to begin this sort of process. we do know that they have been destroying libraries and so on attacking the heritage of the region, the pre-islamic heritage of the region. >> if it's pre-islamic, it's got to go? >> well in those scenes that you showed a moment ago, the appalling smashing of statues in the museum of mosul, that came with a voice-over a commentary if you like an explanation, for want of a better word from a figure orchestrating this. and he put it very simply. he said that these were false

idols. and in his view the prophet muhammad would have wanted muslims today to destroy these artifacts. >> our middle east editor alan johnston talking to me a little while ago. syrian state military are reporting that the top commander of syrian arm, the al nusra front, has been killed. he died in a syrian air strike which was targeting a meeting of al nusra leaders. the group itself has acknowledged the death of its commander. that was something they put up on social media. al nusra front is one of the most powerful groups fighting to overthrow the syrian president, bashar al assad. the american actor harrison ford is being treated at a hospital in los angeles after his vintage plane crash landed on a golf course. the 72-year-old is a very keen aviator. he was flying the plane himself when he reported engine trouble, just after he'd taken off from santa monica airport. he's reported to have clipped a tree or two, as well as he tried to land the plane.

>> reporter: at first, it looked bad. harrison ford being helped by paramedics, after being lifted out of the small vintage plane. but it had been the perfect emergency landing, clipping a few treetops before standing gcoming to a standstill on the eighth hole. >> he's going to land on the golf course. >> patient was in moderate condition, alert and conscious and breathing and was transported to a local hospital. >> reporter: air accident investigators have already arrived on the scene, and will be trying to establish what went wrong. he'd just taken off from the nearby santa monica airport, when he started to have trouble with the 80-year-old plane's single engine. he calmly told air traffic control he was in trouble and wanted to circle back around. >> 178, engine failure. immediate return. >> ryan 178, run a21, clear to

run. >> i have to go to 3. >> clear to land. >> the person in the plane, and then they put him on the ground. so when i see they're moving that was good. he's alive. >> reporter: his son, ben ford tweeted an update. at the hospital he said dad is okay battered but okay. he is every bit the man you would think he is. he is an incredibly strong man. harrison ford has been flying for years and has already had a few scrapes along the way. well, what a dramatic landing. just meters away from houses and from trees. hans solo and indian jones would be proud of a landing like that and we can say that now that we know that harrison ford is okay. the question is at 72 is he now doing his own stunts and how is he going to top this in the

new "star wars" film. let's catch up on the business news. jamie as the details for us. a lot of attention, understandably, on the jobs figures -- >> that's right. it's the first friday of the month. we always have these jobless figures out, and it really is a key figure showing us the state of the u.s. economy. more evidence, really, of the world's biggest economy recovering strongly at least, that's what thought we're going to get. official unemployment figures for february likely to show another bump a month. further falls in unemployment. there are cues that the u.s. federal reserve will be looking for, as it guys when to start raising interest rates. so have a look at the numbers we're expecting. u.s. firms are thought to have created 240,000 new jobs for last month. it would mean the u.s. market would have its best year for two decades. it would also be enough to bring the jobless rate it's thought, down again to 5.6. those tallying between the two figures is not exact, but that's what they reckon it will end up. it seems close to normal levels

for a healthy economy. the other thing that the fed and global market will be watching for is wage growths. a figure that sometimes gets ignored, but it is important, because january have you a big jump in average hourly wages and if that is inflationary, if it was deemed to be inflationary could be more evidence that america is ready for higher interest rates. the other big business story on friday is also in the united states. really, it's a question of whether wall street's banking giants are strong enough to withstand another financial crisis. and according to the federal reserve, the answer is yes. all 31 of america's biggest banks have passed the so-called stress test by the federal reserve, which stimulates a surge in companies defaulting on their debts. but it's just the first phase of the test and there's going to be more that we'll explain in world business report. and there is one other story, though, i ought to bring you, which we've had in the last half hour or so. the german parliament has voted through legislation that's going

to force businesses to appoint more women to boardroom positions. it will initially affect 100 of the country's largest companies from 2016. they're going to have to ensure women make up at least 30% of their supervisory boards of the big companies. that's all for business. we'll have more in about an hour's time. particularly on that subject. it's a really interesting one, whether it's worked in terms of bringing women up to the top -- >> i'm still struck by the fact that one can make such a difference in a word. jamie, thank you so much. now, a prisoner from the kremlin has been released in jail. he served 15 days for unlawfully distributing leaflets on the moscow metro, ahead of the march that took place on the first of march, in fact. this is the latest in a series of court cases against navalny. in december he and his brother were found guilty of fraud, in a

case that they say was politically motivated. sarah ransford has been following the case in moscow. >> he was imprisoned when he was handing off prisons on the metro on the same day boris nemtsov was handing out leaflets for the rally they were planning together. of course, the day before or a couple of days before that rally, mr. nemtsov was then killed, shot dead in the center of moscow. alexei navalny had been sent to a police detention center for 15 days because handing out those leaflets was considered a political act, an unsanctioned political act. therefore, he was serving 15 days the. he had said at the time that he believed that was simply to keep him away from that opposition rally. now, when he emerged, he came out to make a brief statement. he talked about the murder of boris nemtsov. he said that that wouldn't stop his political activity. he called it an act of terror

but said it hadn't achieved its aim and he would go on with his political activity. of course, he is now the most prominent, the most vocal, strident critic of the kremlin, of president putin, and the most popular one there is here in russia today. >> and of course very much still in the spotlight, isn't he in terms of that profile that he has. >> yeah that's right. and i think it's interesting, because alexei navalny is from a new generation of opposition figures here. boris nemtsov was very much a man particularly of the 1990s, that's when he burst on to the political scene as a young politician. he was boris nemtsov's man in those days. alexei navalny has emerged in these new russia of president putin, and he emerged very much from the world of blogging from the internet. he built up a huge following with his anti-corruption campaigns online. and that's how he came into the spotlight. and he's now a very prominent figure, within opposition groups here, in russia and for those

who support the opposition here in this country. so he is an important figure one to watch, and as i say, he's one that the authorities are obviously very wary of. 15 days in detention, but the first time he got into trouble with the law, he's been detained, was under house arrest for a long time to do with another criminal case against him, there is another one still pending. certainly, the authorities have their eye on him and this is just the latest of many criminal and administrative cases against him. to israel now, where officials say five people have been injured after a car was driven into a group of pedestrians in jerusalem, near the line between the east and west parts of the city. according to police spokesperson the driver was a local palestinian man who then got out of the car and tried to stab people with a knife. he was shot and seriously wounded by police officers from a nearby base. this attack took place at the same spot as two similar incidents last october and november, in which several

people died. you're watching bbc world news. thanks for being with us. still to come we'll be stepping aboard the ladyies coach. the women-only carriage on the delhi merit. >>they're not here. they can't just get up and walk away >>alright, only 13 more hours to go. you're gonna have to hold it! this year, make every amazing, despicable wizarding second of your vacation count by staying where the adventure never ends. ♪ come with me now ♪ two theme parks. spectacular resort hotels. more epic than ever. don't just vacation... ♪ whoa, go with me now ♪ ... vacation like you mean it. universal orlando resort. go big with epic vacation packages starting at just $139 per night including park admission. ♪ ♪ ♪ hershey's spreads. bring the delicious taste of hershey's chocolate

to anything - everything. with hershey's spreads, the possibilities are delicious. you can call me shallow... but, i have a wandering eye. i mean, come on. national gives me the control to choose any car in the aisle i want. i could choose you... or i could choose her if i like her more. and i do. oh, the silent treatment.

real mature. so you wanna get out of here? go national. go like a pro. you're watching bbc world news. i'm david eades. these are the latest headlines. the ancient city of nimrud is one of iraq's most important historic sites. it's being bulldozed by islamic state militants, because they find it offensive. the hollywood star harrison ford has been taken to a hospital after a plane crashed near los angeles. the 72-year-old suffered multiple cuts to his head. a year ago this weekend that the malaysian airlines flight mh-370 disappeared soon after takeoff from kuala lumpur with 239 people onboard. its fate remains one of the

world's great aviation mysteries. the underwater search goes on. it's focused on a remote area of the southern indian ocean and from there john donnison sent this report. >> reporter: teammates. this is the international team leading arguably the most difficult search operation in history. it's the last time the crew will see land for seven weeks. and where they're heading is about as bleak and remote as you can get. this is one of four ships that has been hunting for mh-370 for almost a year. just to arrive at the search area, it takes six days. they're focusing on a priority zone of 60,000 square kilometers. but the underwater search equipment can only operate at walking pace. so imagine walking around an

area 40 times the size of london and then imagine doing that in waters up to 5 kilometers deep. >> it's a very small target in a very large area. although a plane looks large when you see it on the ground when you look at the size of the area we're covering it is quite small. >> reporter: the team are using what's known as a tow fish. it's dropped into the water on a cable up to 10 kilometers long. it uses sound waves or sonar to scan the ocean floor. if the tow fish detects anything of interest they can send down this $10 million automated submarine, which is equipped with a camera and sensors that can pick up traces of oil or fuel in the water. the crew are left with huge quantities of data to analyze. and all the while, trying to stay safe. during this search the crew have faced some truly horrendous

conditions including two cyclones. at one point, they tell me the waves were so high they were crashing over the top deck. it has been an incredibly long and difficult job. they genuinely believe that if the plane is down there, they will eventually find it. but what they don't know is whether they're looking in the right place. and for the crew there's no point in being negative. >> they concluded that this is the best place to search for it so that's what we're out here for, is to see. and you have to believe you're going to find something, you know? will we find it? i hope so. i don't know. >> reporter: as the team prepare to head out into the wilderness again, nobody, at least publicly, is talking about giving up by after a year of looking and millions of dollars spent, the world's greatest ever aviation mystery remains unsolved. john donnison bbc news, in perth.

well south korean police say they are seeking charges, including attempted murder against the man who slashed the u.s. ambassador to seoul. he appeared in court for a legal procedure on friday morning. now, during this attack he'd called for the reunification of the two koreas but outside, he told reporters he was not controlled by pyongyang. as for the ambassador mark lippert, he's recovering in the hospital. he needed 80 stitches to his face and to his hand after he was attacked with the knife. it's called the ladies coach. the carriage on the delhi metro that has traditionally been reserved for women only. and ahead of this weekend's international women's day, our reporter has bought a ticket to listen into the gossip of the city's modern-day female commuters. >> i take the delhi metro every day on my way to work.

and i don't have to think about what coach i'm going to get into. the first coach is reserved for ladies only. and it's always my first choice. it's actually a women's only club that sometimes doubles up as a powder room. ladies inside the coach have a great level of ease and they talk like no one is listening. and i can't help but overhear their conversations. ladies here talk about everything from their boyfriends to their in-laws to their studies to their careers. >> the girl is nice. she wear ss jeans. she was so upset, she canceled the class. >> my dad hides money from us in different places around the house. i recently found a bundle of cash under his mattress. i paid off all our debts with it. and when he asked us about money, we just acted like we didn't know. >> happy new year! may the burdens on your family

shift to your neighbor's house. >> go to hell. i'm not going to make that presentation again. >> for me it's like a little window into the life of these women. in the last few years, i've seen more and more young and working women on board. they feel much more empowered now, it seems, and they're not scared of speaking their minds anymore, not at least on the ladies coach. well 200 tourists have had a rather dramatic rescue from a stranded cable car at a ski resort in northern italy. the skierssuspended in midair, freezing weather, of course, and very high winds, for several hours. eventually mountain rescue teams were lowered by helicopter to get them all to safety. >> reporter: it's every tourist's nightmare. traveling by cable car down a

mountainside by a hard day's skiing when suddenly and without warning everything stops. 200 tourists were left cold and exposed, dangling in high winds of up to 130 kilometers an hour. a tree had fallen over in the winds, cutting the power supply and bringing their cable cars to a complete standstill. >> we were really lucky. we just got out. the cabin was already closed and ready to go but a staff member noticed the tree and stopped everything. they must build a monument to this gentleman, because if the car had hit the tree we would have had a tragedy. >> reporter: sometimes there's nothing else for it but to call in a rescue helicopter. their crews skillfully managing to winch down the rescue teams on to the cable cars and then forced open the cabins before attaching a rope to each stranded holiday maker and dropping them slowly to the ground. fortunately, the operation was a success and there were no

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hello. i'm david eades with bbc world news. iraq's ancient city of nimrud with its irreplaceable treasures of civilization is bulldozed by islamic state militants who call it un-islamic. the misadventures of indian jones as actor harrison ford crash lands his vintage plane and is taken to hospital. malaysia airlines flight mh-370 still a complete mystery, a year after it disappeared. we speak to the relatives of the missing, who are struggling to move on. for me it's just about

waking up and getting through the day. and i think i've sort of pushed a lot of people out of my life pushed a lot of things out of my life. i mostly just want to be alone or left alone. i don't find any joy in any sort of outing anymore. also 7 1/2 years away from home, what can nasa's probe learn from the largest object in the asteroid belt? hello and thanks for joining us. iraqi officials say islamic state militants are trying to destroy the ancient assyrian city of nimrud with bulldozers and heavy vehicles. well, the city is one of the most important historic sites in the whole country. it dates right back to the 13th century bc lying on the river

tigris in mosul. this is seen as an attempt not just to destroy iraq's heritage but irreplaceable treasures of world civilization. and this destruction comes about a week after so-called islamic state posted this video, we're just coming up to it in a moment. this is the scene from nimrud. this is the video from the museum in mosul, of militants destroying statues and indeed other artifacts there with the jihadi group calling these objects non-islamic and deserving of destruction. also today, a provincial governor says iraqi forces are putting their offensive against islamic state group and expect to reach the outskirts of the militant-held city of tikrit soon. the iraqi army's offensive began earlier in the week but the advance has nonetheless been slowed somewhat by roadside bombs and booby traps. tikrit, itself is significant. it's the hometown of former president saddam hussein.

the bigger and even tougher prize will be the city of mosul, iraq's second city a little bit further to the north. it is firmly under i.s. control. there is also inevitably growing concern for the plight of iraqi civilians in tikrit. the u.n. has sent convoys of relief for thousands of people who have been displaced from the besieged city. lise grande is a u.n. representative in iraq. she's been telling me about the situation. >> already, there are close to 30,000 people in the past several weeks that have fled out of tikrit seeking safe haven in areas mostly to the south, mostly near the town of samara. we know if the fighting continues, there are likely to be tens of thousands of more people who are going to try to flee isil-controlled areas and get to safe haven. >> and what are you doing about that? is it about building up effectively, another refugee camp or how are you trying to help them? >> reporter: in the last several days, the united nations'

agencies have dispatched a series of convoys, a convoy on tuesday went into samara with water and sanitation. we got a convoy in yesterday with food supplies. on sunday we have another convoy going in with household kits. we sent in hygiene kits. and we're helping the government with the construction of two displaced camps. the government is contributing tents and the u.n. is contributing tents as well. these are camps that are in samara, and we expect that thousands of families will be housed there. >> right, because that clearly is going to put huge pressure on samara itself isn't it? >> that's a very good point. and this is something that we're seeing all over iraq. already, there are more than 2 million people that have been displaced. and with the offensive in tikrit and the eventual offensive in mosul, we know that we could have hundreds of thousands of more people who are in trouble, who are displaced from their homes, fleeing the fighting and seeking safety and dependent upon us and the government for safe haven and protection and for humanitarian aid.

>> so that's the focus around tikrit. let's have a look at nimrud as well. with me is the bbc arabic's multi-media editor mohammad. thanks for joining us. i mean we're not in there, we haven't got people in there. how much do we know about nimrud, the state of play there, and where's the information coming from? >> the story about the destruction of nimrud the ancient site, is coming to us from two sources. the iraqi officials have been saying that this is happening since yesterday. and, tribal sources in the area have been telling various news agencies that -- confirming, also, and describing what is happening, saying that started yet to be mid-day and they've looteded some of the artifacts before they spotted the destruction of the site. >> we're told a lot about it and how important it is. what sort of things are we losing here? >> well it's one of the most important historical sites in iraq.

what is left there now is some statues, some ancient walls, some ancient castles. luckily, a lot of the artifacts there have been moved to other museums in baghdad and elsewhere, but there are still -- it's still a very important historical site. >> and just give us again, if you can, the rationale for islamic state's attitude. because it's not just here. we know it's elsewhere, and presumably it will keep spreading. >> absolutely. there are three aspects to this. the firsts a% is adherence to the kind of ultra-fanatical ideology that the islamic state group is adopting has resent anything that is pre-islamic or from a different culture, and we've seen this happening in iraq and syria, in other countries, in mali where they destroyed timbuktu's ancient

relic. and they use it as a sort of psychologic warfare. they want to present themselves as being strong and in charge and show the iraqi central government is helpless and unable to stop them. they use it as a sort of recruitment tool and a sort of way of breaking what they see as their enemies. and the third thing, which is also important, is that they have -- there is enough evidence to point that they have been losing ancient artifacts and selling them as a money-making scheme. >> a great funding resource. mohammad, thanks very much indeed, for that explanation. now, syrian state media are also reporting that the top military commander of al qaeda's syrian army the nusra front, has been killed. he died in a syrian air strike targeting a meeting of al nusra leaders in the province of islib. they have acknowledged the death of their commander, putting something out on social media. the al nusra front seen as one of the most powerful groups,

fighting to overthrow bashar al assad. the american actor harrison ford is being treated in hospital in los angeles after his vintage plane crash landed on a golf course. the 72-year-old is a keen aviator. he was flying the plane itself he was on his own, when he reported engine trouble shortly after taking off from santa monica airport. he's reported to have clipped a tree or two. >> reporter: this is where harrison ford made this dramatic emergency landing. you can see how close it is to the golf course and just how well he has landed it. there are trees, either side and the aircraft you know its wings are slightly bent the nose is slightly crunched. air investigators are down here as well. obviously, the police here at the moment as well sealing off the scene. but really quite a remarkable landing. he was then taken out from here the emergency services here were

incredibly quick in getting that spine board on him and getting him to the hospital. and from what we understand he's making a good recovery. obviously, a lot of media have come down here but this really makes the point of just how close this aircraft was to this area by the side of the golf course. you can see all the trees here and then where the news crews have lined up this is the main road. and across the road look that's how close the houses are to here. you can just about make it out in the dark. it's not ideal, but you get the impression of how close this aircraft was. just over that direction, where you're coming back is where santa monica airport is. as far as we understand it he took off, had engine trouble, and then circled to come back in to land again, and the eyewitness who was actually on the golf course when this happened said that she didn't hear an engine so it may have been that he was gliding in and trying to land but, you know, this is an 80-year-old aircraft. it's very fragile, but look at the way he's landed it there.

just on that slope, the perfect landing. i think really very lucky, but also perhaps, a very skillful pilot. a man who's flown this plane many times before and other aircraft as well. he's in the hospital but we're told he's doing well. >> alastair lisi there. a prominent critic of the kremlin has been released from jail in russia. alexei navalny was serving just 15 days for unlawfully distributing leaflets on the moscow metro. this is the latest in a series of court cases against him. in december, he and his brother were found guilty of fraud in a case that they say were politically motivated. here he is as he's come out from the gates of the prison and this is what he had to say. >> translator: thank you to all of those who are supporting me. i know that you will have lots of questions concerning recent tragic events. i have already expressed my opinion on this and i won't add anything more on this at the

current time. but i would like to say that our activity will not change in any way. we will not lessen our efforts, we will not change anything, and in this sense, the act of terror that took place will not achieve its aims. i am sure that it will not frighten anyone. it has not frightened me and it has not frightened my comrades. thank you very much. >> officials in israel say five people have been injured after a car was driven into a group of pedestrians in jerusalem, close to the line where the east and western parts of the city meet or divide whichever way you look at it. according to a police spokesman, the driver who was a local palestinian man then got out of the car and tried to stab people with a knife. he was shot seriously wounded by police officers from a nearby base. the attack took place at the precise location of two similar incidents last october and november, in which several

people died. snow has caused the cancellation of thousands of flights in the u.s. this winter but the weather has gone one step further now with a delta airlines flight skidding off the runway at new york's laguardia airport, with six people being injured. certainly wasn't the only transport disruption though. here's louise leer with all the details. louise? >> it's been pretty miserable, hasn't it really? but new york wasn't the only one that was in the deep freeze. the treacherous conditions stretch from texas in the south all the way to new england. but let's first take a look at that that plane. well, a flight from atlanta to new york had a dramatic ending as it slid off the runway and came dangerously close to crashing into nearby flushing bay. fortunately, there were only minor injuries. passengers had to climb down over the wing and traipse their way through the snow before being bused back to the terminal building. investigators are looking into what caused the plane to leave the runway and the snow also caused chaos on the roads, as

drivers struggled in the extreme wintry conditions. in pennsylvania a police officer lost control of his car and smashed into a veterinarian clinic. although the officer had to be cut from the car, he was uninjured. virginia state police were kept busy receiving 1,500 weather-related cars in the space of just four hours yesterday afternoon. the police in the state attended just short of 500 car crashes, as well. and over 200 abandoned vehicles. now, over in alabama, treacherously icy weather kept schools, government offices and businesses closed while there were multiple pileups on the interstate 459, also blamed on the weather. so it really has been a record-breaking weren't. quite literally. in boston they broke the record for the snowiest three-month winter period from december to february. but in the u.s. they often take their records from the beginning of the snow season so that's the first fall of snow which was late november. and there was a strong

possibility that they may even break this record. as we take a look at our graphics and see if they did. well just to put it in perspective, i am 5'6" all of 66 inches and this is just how much snow that they had. in order to break the record they needed to beat 107.6 inches of snow. let's see if they did it. they didn't. it was a photo finish but at the moment they haven't broken the record. now, there is still the potential for more snow showers to come so they might still do it but this was the storm clearing its way. you can see how it just brushed to the south of boston. but at the moment high pressure dominating. it's still pretty cold not as cold as it has been and actually this little system moving through the great lakes could produce a few more snow showers, maybe towards boston as well. so we'll keep a close eye on that one. but as i say, as we move towards the weekend and into next week certainly, things will improve. it will get nice temperatures from texas going from 4 degrees

up into the double digits. so i expect as we move into the weekend, things will look a little more promising. temperatures in new york will start to climb up to highs of 6 degrees on sunday but there is the potential for some significant rain to push in to parts of texas later on. >> i bet they're sick of it louise. >> i am as well. >> yeah, quite. thanks very much. do stay with us here on bbc world news. we have a lot more still to bring you, including the ukrainian helicopter pilot imprisoned in moscow. she says she's a prisoner of war. to russia, he's an accessory to murder. ♪ [ piano background music begins ] ♪ when i was on wall street i felt trapped in that i was investing in a health care industry that i didn't believe in. for years i really struggled with this idea that people were making money off my illness and i wanted to do something different and so i finally made that change. [thunder and rain] [thunder and rain] [thunder and rain]

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you're watching bbc world news with me david eades. the latest headlines. islamic at a time militants are attempting to bull doez the ancient city of nimrud one of the iraq's most historic world

sites because they say the place is un-islamic. hollywood star harrison ford has been hospitalized after a plane crashed near los angeles. the 72-year-old suffered cuts to his head but remained conscious. it was a year ago this weekend that the malaysian airliner, mh-370 disappeared soon after takeoff from kuala lumpur. despite finding no sign of the aircraft malaysia's government officially declared the disappearance an accident. it believes all 239 people onboard were killed. many families are not willing to accept this. the bbc's jennifer pac has been speaking to some of those relatives. >> reporter: her picture used to hang on this wall. now, only the nail is left. his father took down the photo after flight mh-370 disappeared. he says his son was on the plane to beijing for a work trip. he tells me it's painful to be

reminded of his son. >> translator: it's been very difficult. when i am on my motor bike i will look up and wonder where he is. we think about him. we can't forget him. >> reporter: he says his son is a good and caring son. he still talks as if his son, seen here with his wife were alive. that won't change until there is evidence to prove otherwise. other families are also struggling. grace says her mother was on board mh-370 to see her father in beijing. she says her mother is warm patient, and devoted to the family. >> she's barely 5 feet high but she had a huge personality. >> reporter: like many families

she tells me she's frustrated with the way malaysian officials have been handling the plane's disappearance. >> so, for example, the investigation, they sayn't closed, but they don't give us any information. >> reporter: grace may seem composed, but she tells me she's very depressed. >> for me it's about just waking up and getting through the day. and i think i've sort of pushed a lot of people out of my life pushed a lot of things out of my life. i mostly want to be alone or left alone. i don't find any joy in any social outing anymore. >> reporter: he also has to make changes. he no longer has a son to support him in and his wife so he has to go back to work as a part-time security guard. he prays every day to the hindu god for his son to return home safely. jennifer pac bbc news malaysia. south korean police say

they're seeking charges which will include attempted murder against the man who slashed the u.s. ambassador to seoul. he appeared in court for a legal procedure on friday morning. during the attack itself, he'd called for the reunification of the two koreas but outside, he told reporters he was not controlled by pyongyang. as for the ambassador himself, he's recovering in hospital. he needed 80 stitches to his face and hand after being attacked with a knife. a group of both republican and democrat members of the u.s. congress has written to president obama, urging him to supply the ukrainian military with weapons. they criticized the european union broke its cease-fire in eastern ukraine, saying it had only consolidated russian and rebel gains. thousands of people have been forced from their homes during the course of the fighting. the eu foreign policy chief says a lasting peace will be the only solution. >> all the efforts we are doing,

on the ground, in kiev with our delegation, with the support we are getting to the implementation of the minsk agreement is the way to go forward. what ukraine needs now is not only the full respect of its integrity, but it's also peace. and we have to work altogether on these two dimensions. >> now excuse me one high-profile flashpoint between russia and ukraine is the detention in moscow of the ukrainian military pilot. well she's now broken off her hunger strike after 83 days in prison as she awaits trial for involvement in the death of two russian journalists as they cover the conflict in eastern ukraine. but kiev accuses russia of abducting her and demands her release, along with all other prisoners of war. sarah rainsford has this report from moscow. >> reporter: she calls glory to ukraine as she's led into court. still defiant after months

behind bars. kiev calls this woman a prisoner of war. russia has charged her as an accessory to murder. she had been on hunger strike since december a protest that took a visible toll. she just called it off, amid concerns for her health saying she needs strength to fight to prove her innocence. i asked if she has hope that she'll be freed. hopes are the last thing to die, she told me. >> translator: i want to return home and do my duty to start working at last, in ukraine and for ukraine and not waste my time in russian prison. >> reporter: this is the deadly mortar strike she's accused of coordinating in ukraine's war against pro-russian rebels. a russian camera man filmed the attack as he took cover. his correspondent and sound man were killed just meters away.

this was the team's last report that day. nadia is accused of giving their location to ukraine's military. in russia the journalists' families were awarded state honors on their behalf the order of courage. dasher just tells us her dad was brave for going there, and very kind, she says. but this case has become highly politicized. there are increasing international calls now for the kremlin to release nadia, and out rage after her capture in ukraine, she says she was smuggled here across the border, in a blindfold. and supporterers argue the only solution to her case now will be for president putin to intervene directly. but so far there's been no sign of that. >> reporter: her defense team had warned she wouldn't survive until a trial. she'd been moved from her cell here to a prison hospital. and yet the lawyers say mobile

phone records from ukraine cereal prove her innocence. >> we can see that nadia has absolutely alibi. that she was along ago captured for the time when journalists were killed. >> reporter: president putin has said this woman's fate will be decided by the courts but at home in ukraine, nadia has become a powerful symbol of resistance to russia as she files to go on fighting for her freedom. sarah rainsford, bbc news moscow. my moment now, in fact the nasa spacecraft will enter the orbit of sirries. >> it's big. almost 600 miles across. and it's very nearly spherical. but even at this scale, it doesn't quite make it into the solar system's premiere league. and it's what's known as a dwarf

planet. ceres has the honor of being the first such object to be met by a nasa satellite this year. both objects are rocky, but contain a lot of ice as well. and it's the ice that may well lie behind the mysterious observation of two bright spots seen on ceres by the approaching spacecraft. scientists speculate that ceres might have been hit by something, exposing its deeper layers and some highly reflective material. the pictures that dawn takes of ceres should establish the facts very rapidly in the coming weeks. jonathan amos bbc news. >> >>. from germany, a chance to see possibly the most modest pop singer in action. this is the scene as they voted this guy, the winner of the competition to represent their country in the annual euro vision contest. he was ordinary so far, but then things went a little bit

offscript, because rather than celebrating, he told the presenter he wasn't really in the right shape to accept it. he was just a little singer he said. he said the second place performer, ann sophia there she is was a much better position to do it. she's accepted. it means germany's official entry is now called black coat. you can call me shallow... but, i have a wandering eye. i mean, come on. national gives me the control to choose any car in the aisle i want. i could choose you... or i could choose her if i like her

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some people with shingles will have long term nerve pain which can last for a few months to a few years. don't wait until you or someone you love develops shingles. talk to your doctor or pharmacist about your risk. hello and welcome to "gmt" on bbc world news. i'm stephen sackur. our top stories. islamic state militants wage war on 3,000 years of history, looting and destroying the ancient iraqi city of nimrud one of the world's great archaeological treasures. the jewel of the ancient assyrian empire has been bulldozed to bits. iraq's government calls it cultural barbarism. mayday from a movie star as harrison ford's plane loses power. >> 178, engine failure. immediate return. >> reporter: the indian jones