determined israeli prime minister and angered white house. benjamin netanyahu is in washington to tell lawmakers why there should be no deal with iran over the nuclear program. new video emerges of the murder as thousands march in moscow to pay tribute to the prominent kremlin critic. fears over russian fuel a narrow victory for pro-western parties in estonia's parliamentary elections. those are the top stories this hour. also coming up, the battle of

the smart watches is on. the world's electronic giants rush to unveil their models ahead of apple. we will have details. there is more excitement in outer space. that is in our "pressure via." -- "press review." first, it is a visit the white house hoped would not happen. benjamin netanyahu was in washington where he scheduled to address the u.s. congress. he was angered the obama administration and democratic lawmakers by accepting a republican invitation to speak on capitol hill. as a result, the leaders will not meet. the israeli premier says he is on a historic quest persuade lawmakers not to back a possible

iranian nuclear deal. >> benjamin netanyahu comes to washington from one of the most politically contentious visits in decades. israeli prime minister was invited to address congress by the speaker of the house, john boehner. netanyahu sees himself on emission of the utmost importance. >> i am departing for washington on an historic mission. i feel i'm representing all the citizens of israel, even those who do not agree with me. as representative of the entire jewish people, i feel deep and sincere concern for the safety of all citizens of israel and the state of the country and our people. >> this is not gone down well in all quarters. a number of prominent jewish americans have taken netanyahu to task for claiming to speak for all jews. neither was the white house consulted over the invitation to

netanyahu who has regularly cast with the obama administration over iran. there will be no meeting between the leaders. some democrats have said they will boycott the speech. john kerry attempted to smooth anxiety. >> i talked to the prime minister yesterday. we don't want to see this turned into a political football. obviously, it was odd if not unique that we learned of it from the speaker and the administration was not included in the process. but the administration is not seeking to politicize this. >> the prime minister has faced criticism in israel accused of using the trip to campaign for elections to take place march 17. his main rival says netanyahu has endangered the sacrosanct take of the u.s.-israel relationship. >> john kerry has defended

israel in geneva previously live images of kerry speaking at the council. he accused the council of focusing disproportionately on allegations of abuse by israel. kerry is in the city for the latest round of nuclear negotiations. earlier, he met with his russian counterpart. the pair discussed iranian negotiations as well as the ongoing conflict in syria as well as in ukraine. the meeting came less than a week after kerr accused moscowy of lying about its involvement in the ukrainian conflict. united nations now says more than 6000 people have died in the less than a year. christine joins us from kiev.

the united nations says the death toll in the ukrainian conflict has passed 6000 in less than a year for the violence continues despite a cease-fire agreement. >> the u.n. is saying that 6000 number, it could be much higher than that. that is only what they could keep track of. much of the violence in the report was due to the violence in january and february around the donetsk airport when the rebels took control of it as well as the important strategic town were fighting continued past the cease-fire. some of that number is what we know about. there does continue to be violence after the cease-fire. ukraine says today there were men killed in question wounded in the past quantities. -- asked four days -- the past four days.

while there is an increase in fighting, there is also violence and other concerning signs. >> will this cease-fire deal hold? >> one of the major questions is whether both sides will withdraw weapons, heavy weapons. that was a key part of the deal. a rebel official has reportedly said they have taken away all their weapons heavy weapons from the frontline. however come ukraine's of that is not true -- however, ukraine said that is not true. they are taking them away during the day and bringing them back by night. there has been a withdrawal to some extent but they are not getting the access they need to confirm this. the u.n. has said the rebels are using the cease-fire to regroup and there's a significant amount of weapons coming from rush into ukraine. they are particularly concerned

about it possible offensive on the city of 500,000 in the south. that would allow the rebels to connect reminding russia to the peninsula of crimea. it would be considered to be especially bloody and dangerous for civilians. >> thank you for the update. besides secretary of state john kerry, russia's sergei lavrov has also announced the human rights council in geneva. he spoke of the killing of the opposition leader calling it a heinous crime which will be fully investigated. on sunday, thousands took to the streets of moscow to pay tribute to the kremlin critic. the 55-year-old was gunned down friday night walking home unabridged just outside the kremlin. we have a report on new video footage that allegedly shows the shooting. >> a russian state owned t.v.

channel broadcasts footage it claims shows the moment he was shot dead. inside the circle, the opposition politician and his companion can be seen crossing a moscow bridge. a minute later, i gunman fires at least four fatal shots. one passerby says he saw what happened next. >> i saw him from the ground and i saw a man leaving. he got in the car that looked like it was waiting for him. >> the video appears to show a person running towards and climbing into a getaway car which drives away. the grainy footage don't on a closed-circuit television camera -- the grainy footage filmed on a closed-circuit television camera is the only footage made public. he was killed and not far from the kremlin. if security cameras may have caught the attack. investigators claim to have found the white getaway card.

this number plate was registered in the north could caucus. authorities have not given clear indication of who they believe was behind his murder. he had received several death threats. the 55-year-old was critical of russian fighters in ukraine cause for resentment among hard-line nationalists. the kremlin says it will pay the equivalent of 45,000 euros to anyone with information on the murder while the u.s. secretary of state john kerry has urged russia to carry out a "transparent, real investigation." >> estonia's prime minister has declared victory in elections. his reform party came out on top with 20% of the vote. that is three seats less than before, but the results are seen as a blow to the party which has links to vladimir putin. here are details. >> a victory for estonia's ruling center-right reform party, clinching a win in

national elections on sunday. the pro nato party won 30 seats in parliament, five more than their rival. it was an election dominated by economic issues. the prime minister had 35 as the e.u.'s in this leader is considered to consider the conservative policies. >> we believe estonia has been enjoying a lot of success economically and we need to take that forward. we have been open to our allies and want to continue that path. >> also a key electoral issue regional security concerns following russia's intervention in ukraine. the baltic nation and former soviet state share not just a border with russia, 1/4 of its citizens are ethnic russians. adding to growing concern, a number of airspace violations by russia's since the annexing of

crimea and really recent military activity on the border. >> brush is concerned for estonia always. we have to think about our defense. i think it is good we are in nato and have their support. >> without a majority of seats the prime minister is expected to form a new coalition one that he said will not include his pro-moscow opposition. >> the argentine president gave a defiant address to congress sunday in which she defended her record. the president has come under attack after the suspicious death of a state prosecutor. he had accused her of using her influence to protect iran's role in a 1994 terrorist bombing. oliver ferry has the details. >> under fire from all quarters, she defended her record. she has been accused by the late

prosecutor of covering up in one's role -- iran's role in the 1994 bombing of a jewish centric. the judge dismissed his accusations last week, encouraging the president to renew her defiance. >> let no one be confused. the attack was not against jews as alleged the other day. it was not an attack against israel or the state of israel. there was an attack against the republic of argentina and the argentine people. >> he was found dead of a gunshot wound at his home in january, the day before he was to address congress. the president said he had been willfully misled and manipulated by fake intelligence officers. but she says now she bears no grudge. >> it is a shame and an embarrassment.

the one who accuses me of a cover-up, the one who addressed me when he invoked executive power thanking me for what we did, what we said, because i went to the security council. >> outside parliament, tens of thousands of the president's supporters gathered accusing her opponents of trying to overthrow the government. the president's turn is set to finish on october 10. controversy whipped up looks set to ensure her a rocky last few months in office. >> syrian rebels have rejected a cease-fire deal. they say they will not accept the planet is not included resident aside -- president assad leaving power. in iraq, the prime minister has announced the launch of a

military operation to retake tikrit from the islamic state organization. this monday, 30,000 troops and militia backed by aircraft pounded jihadist positions. while making the announcement, he urged his forces to do all they can to spare civilian lives. >> today, god willing, we start an important military campaign to liberate the civilians of the province and other areas from islamic state militants. i call upon you and all other commanders to deal with citizens well. our goal is to liberate them from the oppression and terrorism. we must protect citizens and the property. >> your joining us in the

"france 24" newsroom. let's get detailed on the determined israeli prime minister and angered white house. benjamin netanyahu is in washington to tell lawmakers weather should be no deal with iran over its nuclear program. new footage emerges of the murder is thousands march in moscow to pay tribute to the prominent kremlin critic. fears over russia fuel a narrow victory for pro-western -- the pro-western party in estonia's parliamentary election. those are the top stories this hour. it is time for a business update. you are starting with unemployment figures in europe. >> jobless rate across the european union fell slightly in january. good news according to new figures from the european statistics agency. across the e.u., it fell to 9.8%. in the eurozone, it is at the lowest level since april 2012 at

11.2%. that is welcome news for eurozone countries. the group remained in deflation in february, the third month of falling prices. greece and spain still have the highest rate of unemployment in the european union. youth unemployment in those countries is over 50%. france saw a slight increase in its rate of unemployment while germany remains near the bottom with just 4.7% people out of work. if we talk about greece's situation coming down, he hinted of the weekend he wants to reschedule payments due to the european central bank this summer. this coming just after the form of extension to greece's bailout officially signed on friday. we are seeing the phone feathers among the european partners. he was telling the financial

times that greece needs to start a reforms immediately if it wants to be helped out of its cash crisis. a warning from the german minister too. let's take a listen. >> we have made clear agreements on the groundwork. on friday, the german parliament ratified these agreements. i supported them. but not all members found it so easy. if we are told at the same time they did not mean everything they say that is not a considerate way to behave. >> let's look at what is happening on the markets. it is a flat picture across the european markets at this lunchtime. investors looking ahead to the meeting of the european central bank later this week. the bank starts its 60 billion euros a day bond buying program this month, an effort to boost the eurozone economy. not much optimism on the european markets today.

smart watches are the focus as the mobile world congress gets underway in barcelona. and with biggest electronics firms are rushing to get the latest models on the market before the apple watch launches next month. it is expected to be shot in the arm for the wearables industry. will 2015 be the year of the smart watch question mark that depends on if smart linked watches can seduce consumers. following in the footsteps of motorola, the chinese giant spectra classic design when they launched their timepiece on sunday. did you check e-mail, text, and heart rate. the company says it is an scratching will, made of stainless steel, a major boost for this fan. >> the one thing i know for sure is this is not going to scratch. if i get the stainless steel version, i am sold. >> the brand to beat is not rolex, but apple.

analysts say they could unleash a smart watch frenzy. california-based company launched their smart watch in september. it is expected to hit stores in april. c.e.o. tim cook boasted this weekend the apple watch will replace your car keys. whether consumers want or need a watch that links to their phones remains to be seen, but the desire for one has been proven on the internet. the tech company have all hit a fundraising record with its e-watch. it is already raised nearly $12 million thanks to nearly 50,000 backers. >> we've seen samsung make a strike to regain lost ground to apple in the smartphone market launching two news models with super fast charging and access to a new payment program. he was struggling to maintain its position after

apple some record sales of the iphone 6 and iphone 6 plus. it has acknowledged apple is the company to beat. >> there are two big phone brands. it is all about those two brands in the market. we do compare ourselves. we think they are very different brands. they bring different solutions to the market. in the end, that is great because consumers get a real choice. we have very different offerings, so consumers can choose what they prefer. >> thank you for that business update. it is time for "press review." we are going to start with impressive images we saw out of moscow yesterday where thousands took to the streets to pay tribute to the slain russian opposition leader. >> absolutely. as you can imagine, it has gotten attention across the

world on several front pages. here is the front page of the "wall street journal" today talking about how russians rally for the slain activist. "the independent" also has photos taken from the demonstration yesterday in moscow. according to the front page, it says the protest when all the way to the gates of the kremlin. that is on the front page of "the independent." in france, we are getting a lot of focus on the front page of the christian paper. it says the streets have paid respect to the assassinated opponent. the editorial pays tribute to him today. they are saying we don't know who killed him, but we do know why he was killed. he was killed because he incarnated the idea of another russia, a democratic and open russia. you can see the title.

that is a reference to the viral hashtag, this cry for support in the wake of the charlie hebdo attack in paris. >> we don't know who was behind his killing. there is a lot of speculation in the present request that is but look at the editorial of "moscow times," a russian paper written in english. it says do not be fooled by conspiracy theories prove this was a cap deleted political act of violence. the article points out some have clean -- lender vladimir putin personally or his regime in general for creating a violent atmosphere in russia a finger-pointing where trigger-happy elements of society believe they can eliminate an enemy of the state patriotism. that is what the editorial in "moscow times" says. "the guardian" is focusing on this.

the british paper talks about murder in the shadow of the kremlin. they are talking about vladimir putin, he has a sense of impunity dangerous to all of us. the editorial focuses on the fact he was killed right under the domes of the criminal, a part of moscow which -- of the kremlin, part of moscow overrun with security cameras. the paper dresses this particular detail. begin see the -- you can see the walls of the kremlin. there are several security cameras. instead of cameras, they are guns. the left-leaning paper in france is also critical of the russian president today. you can see him holding a smoking gun a funeral wreath, and shedding what seems like a crocodile tear. it says he is saying they killed him to destabilize me, so quite a critical cartoon.

>> in france, papers are focusing on upcoming local elections. >> these are local elections scheduled for march 22. lots of focus on one party in particular that is expected to do quite well. that is the far right national front party. take a look at the front pages. once again, the national front is favored to win the election. the national front has been doing well in recent local elections. it has carried out a voting intention pull and points out the party is going to come out first with 33% of the vote, six points ahead of the conservative party, 14 points ahead of the socialist party. according to this, it seems a lot of french people want to punish the socialist government.

one quite worrying about this poll is 1/3 the french voters -- french people are not aware the elections will take place. >> perhaps a political shakeup is in the works. >> the paper talks about the april 21 everywhere. what is it and why is it it a a bad thing? that refers to april 21 2002, when the leader of the national front beat the socialist candidate in the second round of the presidential election. it was quite a while ago but it was a major earthquake in french politics. "liberation" says this is what will see in the next election. local elections will be april 21. >> we have a quick word about outer space. >> last year, there was a lot of excitement around the rosetta mission to the comet. now there's more excitement in space. you can read about it in "the guardian."

this is a nasa spacecraft about to enter the orbit of a dwarf planet located on the far side of mars. "the guardian" says the mission was launched in 2007 and is seeking answers about the birth of our solar system. i am excited to find out what they find out. >> indeed. thank you for walking us through the day's press. for more stori ♪

ularly foolhardy experiment-- one which would transform their lives, and ours as well. one of them-- a pharmacist-- had created some intriguing crystals, which he carefully measured out. he was keen to see what effects they would have on his body. he dissolved them in alcohol and then diluted it with water. since the crystals had recently been made and only previously tested on dogs they had very little idea of what was going to happen.