Has been abducted. Will the Yemeni Government be overthrown in a coup . We will speak to journalists iona craig and Jeremy Scahill. Then to guatemala. In a major victory for human righ activists, a former Guatemalan Police chief has been found guilty for ordering the Spanish Embassy to be set on fire in 1980. 37 peasant activists and student organizers died in the fire. We will speak to Nobel Peace Prizewinner Rigoberta Menchu. Her father died in the massacre. We have been denied the truth for 35 years and today, the responsibility for mr. Garcia is clear and also that of all of the people that remained in the hearing, many of whom have already died, but also responsibility of the state. I think this is what makes us the most happy and due process makes us happy, too, because we have the patience to reach this moment and we are really excited. All that and more, coming up. Welcome to democracy now , democracynow. Org, the war and peace report. Im amy goodman. Islamic state militants have posted a new video threatening to execute two japanese hostages. The militants demanded japan pay a 200 million ransom without 72 within 72 hours, the same amount Prime Minister shinzo abe pledged to give saturday in nonmilitary aid for countries fighting isis. The hostages shown in the video are kenji goto, a freelance journalist, and haruna yukawa, the head of a private security firm. Prime minister abe demanded the hostages release but did not say if japan would pay the ransom. It is an unacceptable act to threaten us in exchange for human lives and i felt angry about it. I shortly urge them to immediately release the hostages about harming them. In germany, antiracist demonstrators have continued to outnumber members of an antiislam rallies. Authorities banned the farright pegida party from holding a march in dresden monday after an assassination threat against the groups leaders. Rallies went ahead in berlin munich and other cities, but thousands of counterprotesters vastly outnumbered them. In chechnya, meanwhile, hundreds of thousands of people took to the streets to condemn the depictions of the prophet mohammed in the french magazine Charlie Hebdo. The rally has been called the largest ever held in the north caucuses. Fox news has apologized for broadcasting false information about muslims in the wake of the paris attacks. Last weekend, selfdescribed terrorism expert Steve Emerson claimed on fox news that parts of europe, including the entire english city of birmingham, were totally muslim areas where nonmuslims dont go. Emerson was forced to apologize, but the claim about socalled nogo zones was repeated by other fox guests and anchors. On saturday, according to a cnn money tally, fox news took time out of four broadcasts to apologize. Julie banderas issued the broadest apology directed at the , people of england and france. A correction over the course of this last week we have made some regrettable errors on their regarding the Muslim Population in europe. Particularly with regard to england and france. This applies especially to discussions of socalled no go zones, area where nonmuslims allegedly are not allowed in and police supposedly long ago. To be clear, there was no formal designation of these zones and either country, and no credible information to support the assertion are specific areas in these countries that exclude individuals based solely on their religion. The fox apology came just hours after she interviewed a guest who falsely claimed that 69 of muslims in france support isis, a claim fox subsequently corrected. Meanwhile, Louisiana Republican governor bobby jindal has continued to claim the nogo zones exist. Jindal is considered a possible contender for the republican president ial nomination in 2016. He told cnn look, ive heard from folks here there are neighborhoods where women dont have comfortable going in without veils. And mullally, devastating floods have killed at least 176 people and displaced 200,000. Rescuers have rushed to bring aid to people cut off from food and supplies. The floods come as nasa climate scientists confirmed 2014 was the hottest year on record due to humancaused climate change. 2014, the year just ended was the warmest year on record going back to when the record started in the 1880s. 2014 was about one and 100 degrees warmer than the average one and one quarter degrees warmer. A Woman Working for the United Nations peacekeeping mission has been kidnapped by gunmen in the capital. The news comes one day after antibalaka militia members seized two aid workers. A new report finds the obama administrations accusation that north korea carried out the hack on Sony Pictures was based on evidence it gathered from its own hacking of north korea. The New York Times reports the National Security agency began penetrating north koreas networks in 2010 and planted malware to monitor activities. Meanwhile, a report in the german newsmagazine der spiegel, based on documents from nsa whistleblower Edward Snowden outlines how the United States is engaging in extensive preparations for an online guerilla war which threatens to transform the internet into a lawless zone in which superpowers and their secret services operate according to their own whims with very few ways to hold them accountable for their actions. The guardian meanwhile has published a new report based on snowden documents which show the nsas british counterpart, gchq, collected the emails of reporters as part of its bulk spying operations. Emails from the bbc, reuters the guardian, the New York Times, nbc, the Washington Post and the french newspaper le monde were saved and shared with staff on the agencys intranet as part of a test exercise. The agency also listed investigative journalists as a threat alongside terrorists or hackers. In switzerland, a whistleblower has been found guilty of violating Bank Secrecy Laws by giving information on offshore accounts to wikileaks. Rudolf elmer headed the Cayman Islands office of the Bank Julius Baer until his firing in 2002. In 2011, he publicly handed compact discs containing information on offshore account holders to wikileaks founder Julian Assange in a bid to reveal what he called the damaging impact of hiding money offshore. Elmers attorney has vowed to appeal the guilty verdict which comes with a suspended fine, but no prison time. An israeli airstrike has reportedly killed a top iranian general and six fighters with the group hezbollah. The dead include a hezbollah commander and the 26yearold son of a late military leader. The International Criminal court has opened a prelimary inquiry into possible war crimes committed by israel in the occupied territories. The inquiry comes as palestine is set to become a member of the icc on april 1. Emeric rogier of the icc Prosecutors Office said the examination would cover possible crimes by both sides. It is important to understand it is not an investigation. It is a process in the course of which the office will gather information on crimes committed in palestine since june of last year. We will assess this information and at the end of the process, we will decide whether to open an investigation or close the matter are possibly if you need further information. The u. S. State department opposed the inquiry, saying it is a tragic irony that israel, which has withstood thousands of terrorist rockets fired at its civilians and its neighborhoods, is now being scrutinzed by the icc. In argentina, a federal prosecutor who had accused argentinas president of helping to cover up irans role in the deadly 1994 bombing of a Jewish Community center has been found dead of a gunshot wound to the head. Alberto nismans death was discovered just hours before he was due to testify before lawmakers on his findings. Last week, nisman accused president Christina Fernandez de kirchner and other Top Argentine officials of plotting to conceal the role of iranian suspects in the attack in a bid to obtain iranian oil. Nisman had been under police guard after receiving death threats, but Authorities Say his death appears to be a suicide. The u. S. Supreme court has agreed to take up the issue of whether samesex couples in all 50 states have a constitutional right to marry. The decision comes three months after the court refused to hear appeals from states seeking to uphold Marriage Equality bans, triggering a Chain Reaction that increased the number of states allowing samesex marriage to 36. The court has agreed to hear appeals from couples in four states where bans remain in place. Attorney general eric holder has unveiled changes to the federal governments role in civil asset forfeiture, a practice where police seize property that belongs to people suspected of crimes, even if they are never convicted. The new rules prevent federal agencies from taking property seized by local and state police, with exceptions for items like guns and child pornography. In a statement, the aclu called the move a significant advancement to reform a practice that is a clear violation of due process that is often used to disproportionately target communities of color. In eastern montana, crews have been struggling to clean up an oil spill in the partially frozen yellowstone river. The Bridger Pipeline company has acknowledged 50,000 gallons of oil spilled from a burst pipeline. Residents have reported an oily taste in their Drinking Water and an oil sheen has been spotted nearly 60 miles downstream. A new study from oxfam finds the worlds 80 richest people own as much as the bottom half of the world combined. The group warns the richest 1 now own 48 of the worlds wealth, and are poised to own more than half by 2016. The reports release comes as global elites gather in davos, switzerland at the World Economic forum. Speaking in davos, oxfams max lawson urged World Governments to take action. The claim is that they should tax the rich, tax rich people and rich corporations progressively and fairly, rich individuals, particularly the richest individuals should pay a reasonable amount of tax the kind of level of tax or playing as recently as the 1990s. President obama is expected to propose plans for taxes on wealthy americans during his state of the Union Address tonight. New york city has agreed to pay 75,000 to an africanamerican man who said he was placed in a Police Chokehold in 2013. Kevin dennispalmer said he was approached by police while parallel parking outside his home. When he couldnt get out of the car quickly due to his large frame, police tried to pull him through a window, pepper sprayed him, slammed him to the ground , and placed him in a chokehold while he yelled, i cant breathe. The case closely mirrors that of eric garner, an africanamerican man killed in Staten Island when police placed him in a chokehold and and pinned him down. He said, i cant breathe 11 times. The new York City Council is considering a bill that would make Police Chokeholds a misdemeanor, but new york city mayor bill de blasio has said he would veto it. And protesters across the country held more than 50 actions monday to honor Martin Luther king by reclaiming his radical legacy and condemning Police Killings of unarmed african americans. Marches and acts of civil disobedience under the banner of reclaim mlk were held from oakland to chicago to st. Louis to new york and denver, colorado where an estimated 30,000 people were in the streets. In a statement, the group ferguson action said we resist efforts to reduce a long history marred with the blood of countless members of our community into Iconic Images of men in suits behind pulpits. This mlk weekend we will walk in the legacy of dr. King and the movement that raised him. And those are some of the headlines, this is democracy now , democracynow. Org, the war and peace report, im amy goodman. And i am caring that day. We begin in yemen, where the capital sanaa is seeing its worst violence in months. Intense clashes between Government Forces and shia Houthi Rebels have sowed chaos and raised the threat of a coup. The latest round of fighting broke out this weekend when the houthis kidnapped the chief of staff to president abdu hadi. The houthis are protesting the text of new draft constitution that would divide yemen into six federal regions. Talks for the charter began under a peace deal reached in september, after houthis mobilized large protests and captured most of sanaa by force. They were supposed to withdraw in the months since but have only expanded their hold. Now the country faces political collapse. On monday, new gun battles erupted as houthi fighters surrounded the Prime Ministers residence and the president ial palace. The attack came despite a second ceasefire between the two sides. The capital appears calm for now but uncertainty prevails. The houthis rise has further upended yemens fragile political order. As the government fights the houthis, it also wages a u. S. Backed offensive against alqaeda in the Arabian Peninsula, aqap. Despite the longrunning u. S. Drone war, the alqaeda insurgency has only grown deadlier each year. The houthis themselves have also fought alqaeda at the same time as they now take on the Yemeni Government. The houthis appear to have major backing from longtime president ali abdullah saleh, ousted in a Popular Uprising in 2011. The latest unrest also comes days after al qaeda in yemen took responsibility for the Charlie Hebdo massacre in paris. For more we are joined by two guests. Iona craig is a journalist who was based in sanaa, yemen for four years as the yemen correspondent for the times of london. She was awarded the Martha Gellhorn prize for journalism in 2014. The government has cracked down on local and foreign journalists and at one point last year iona craig was the countrys last accredited foreign reporter. She is joining us from london. We are also joined by Jeremy Scahill, cofounder of the theintercept. Org. Just days after the Charlie Hebdo massacre, jeremy broke the story that alqaeda in the Arabian Peninsula, aqap, had taken credit. He cited a confidential alqaeda source in yemen. Days later, aqap put out an official statement confirming it took responsibility. We welcome you both to democracy now iona craig, tell us what is happening right now in yemen and who the houthi militants are. What is happening now, it is really political posturing on behalf of of the houthis. They have kidnapped the president ial aides, the chief of staff in order to get that leverage. In the fighting we saw in the last 20 four hours is also part of that. The negotiations at the moment are going on for the release of the chief of staff in exchange for changing the draft constitution. The issue with the houthis they were formed as a movement in 2004 and then fought the government and six wars between 20042010. But they then became part of the arab spring. They put down their weapons, join the protest joined the siddons, particularly in sanaa and became part of the peaceful movement. The transition that followed that was backed by the International Community can actually instigated by the u. S. In the first place did not go their way. When the National Dialogue was concluded in january last year and the decision was made about federalism and to divide the country to six regions the houthis were not happy. That is when they started taking territory. There were pushing from their stronghold, if you like, in sanaa to the north, up by the saudi border, and started pushing south toward sanaa. This was also an opportunity for saleh to join in because the houthismain enemy is on the brotherhood who gained a lot of power after the arab spring and a lot of political power. That a joint enemy. So between the support of saleh and the houthis, they were able to take background and eventually got to sanaa in september and in the space of four days of fighting, the military minister of interior ordered troops to stand down and they took control of the city. When you say the houthis are engaging in political posturing, deeming theyre not trying to carry out a coup despite all this fighting in the capital . I think it is really hard to determine whether that is the case or not. In september they have the opportunity to do that. They could have kicked the president out of that time, but they didnt, which makes me think they probably wont do that now. It depends on how far they are pushed. If they dont get their way with the constitution, they may do that, but i think the houthis has stopped short of t