>> announcer: this is al jazeera. ♪ >> hello and welcome to any news hour. i'm here with a special program featuring the latest over the alleged chemical weapons attack in syria. we didn't do it, and we're ready to defend ourselves. but the work of the chemical when pons inspectors is delayed

for a day. also coming up on the program, a prolonged visit to pakistan. there's signs of new talk with the taliban. and why india is turning a deaf ear to the noise pollution on its streets. ♪ hello, western powers are moving towards military intervention in syria, and it now seems some kind of faction could happen within days. the syrian foreign minister says it is ready to defend itself. he has also declared they had nothing to do with the alleged chemical weapons attack. here is the latest.

>> reporter: syria's response to the threat of military intervention is one of defiance. the international community needs to find another reason. >> translator: we are all hearing the drums of war around us. if they launch a war in syria, i think the pretext of chemical weapons is frail and fragile. i totally deny that we used chemical weapons. i challenge those to lay out before the eyes of the public opinion. >> reporter: he says intervention would only benefit al qaeda and israel. >> translator: if a military strike were launched it would only serve iran's business.

>> reporter: the alleged chemical attack last year has shocked the world. western leaders have accused the syrian government of using chemical weapons. now the uk, the us, france and other countries are talking about military action away from the un security council, but russia has warned against any military intervening in syria. saying such steps could have catastrophic consequences. but now western countries are closer than ever in getting involved militarily in syria's two and a half year long war. the syrian government says it

has two options either to surrender or fight to the end. zana is joining us from beirut. following the attack on the un convoy, their visit will be postponed until wednesday to improve the preparedness and safety of the team. >> yes, we did hear the foreign minister say the work of the inspectors will resume tomorrow, and he did blame rebel groups for not providing any assurances. rubble groups denied this of course. we heard the prime minister say that we deny our troops used chemical weapons. he said they are using this as a pretext really to launch an attack against syria. they seemed resigned to the

fact -- or the possibility really is real that a strike will be care rid out against the regime, but at the same time it seems that to a certain extent the syrian officials feel confident they are not going to face an all-out war, but punitive, limited air strikes for the west to punish them for what they believe is their use of chemical weapons. and we heard him stress time and time again that any strike will serve the al qaeda troops on the ground. the opposition is still fractured on political and military lines, and there seems to be a reality, and that is the powerful groups, the groups that hold sway on the ground are armed groups aligned with al qaeda. >> all of this talk of a

possible military strike is coming before there is any concrete evidence on exactly who juiced the aledged chemical weapons in syria. how worried are the people in lebanon about the escalation of this? >> of course people are worried. we have heard a lot of statements made by the allies of the syrian government, russia, iran, and they have been saying that any strike would have repercussions. now whether or not it's allies will carry out any retaliation, we don't know. israel actually struck a few military targets in syria over the past few months and the syrian government didn't real late, but when their allies see the survival of the regime is at steak, what are they going to do.

hezbollah armed group could retail late against israel. so yes, there is fear and there is also the possibility that lebanon is going to see a massive influx of refugees escaping from do mass cuss, and this is going to put more pressure on this country, which is trying to cope with all of the refugees. so yes, people are worried here especially if -- this is not just limited air strikes and we see the possibility of a regional war. >> all right. zana thank you very much. another close ally of syria, iran has also warned against military intervention saying it would not have legal backing, and would only engulf the region in further conflict. >> translator: we hope the american and european leaders

who seek attacks have enough wisdom, to not do this. >> the stand off over syria is deepening. we have mike in london, and we have the uk's reaction to possible intervention. first to the united nation and our diplomatic editor, james bays is there. james reports that western pow verse told this syrian opposition to expect a strike within days. what are you hearing? >> well, that's what some members of the opposition say they have been told, and that is certainly what diplomats here are expecting. we know no final decision has been made by president obama, but just the talk i think leads

people to leave that something is likely to happen soon. it would be hard now to step back. diplomats saying that they believe that it is likely that something will happen sooner rather than later. there is a flurry of diplomatic activity here, and suspect many more meetings will be taking place. the security counsel is not meeting on syria right now, and i expect the obama administration doesn't want a meeting, because it knows that russia and china would block any action. what is going on is meetings between the missions here and meetings in the national capitols, trying to persuade other countries to join a coalition to support action. at the same time you can be sure that the russians will be trying to persuade countries that such action would be illegal. >> all right. james thank you very much.

kimberly is joining us now from washington. kimberly, james there just talking about action. the u.s. military -- these are according to reports -- is ready to act on syria immediately if asked. what type of action are we talking about here? how ready are there? >> there has been positioning going on for a number of days. are four destroyers that are positioned into the eastern mediterranean as well as u.s. war planes who are able to strike syrian targets. as you point out, and as chuck hagel pointed out, whenever president obama gives the call. but he is continuing to consult with his war planners and the international community, and continuing to strategize on how best to make the plan. we know it will be limited in duration in size and scope. one of the reasons for this is not only is there the desire to

disable assad's air power in some way, but also a desire by the american people not to draw soldiers into an all-out conflict, so this is something that is -- well, trying to, as secretary of state put on monday send a message to syria that the international norm cannot be violated without consequences, but it has to satisfy the american people that the u.s. soldiers are not being drawn into a long conflict that does not have the support of the american people. so this is something that the president is still trying to make a delicate balance, and that is once that we're told he is continuing to consult with, but we will told that he will lay out his argument to the american people before any strikes are fired. >> thank you, kimberly. well, all the way in the middle east and in cairo, in fact is

where the arab league is meeting. and mike is here that tell us about that meeting. >> there are divisions within the 22-member league. we understand while the bulk of members are blaming syria for this chemical attack, the syrian government, there are a number of the members who say there must be an international investigation before retaliation can be delivered. the question of whether or not to support military intervention it is believed has not even come up within the meeting so far. >> all right. mike thank you very much. and fred weir is joining us now out of moscow. fred, russia speaking out strongly against any possible military intervention or strike? >> yes, well the russians have

got themselves in a bit of a corner, because they are not the former soviet union, they cannot, you know, offer syria credible threats of counter force. they -- they can re -- and they have said very clearly that they will do nothing actively to prevent or to try to block western military action in syria. so what is left to them is to stand by and make their arguments there rather passionate appeals to world public opinion pointing out that without an enabling resolution from the security council, any military intervention would be illegal under international law. they have argued that any -- any application of western military force in that very, very delicate multi-sided civil war that you kind of have in syria

will probably just spread, you know, this combustible mix around the region further. they have done a lot of analyzing recent history, the past decade of american interventions. well, even since kosovo in 1999, pointing out what messes every one of those has produced. but this is all that they really can do. they -- they -- they have -- they have made it clear that there wouldn't be any substantial russian action. and they aren't the ones who canceled the bilateral meeting that is scheduled for tomorrow to talk about syria and -- and the geneva process. >> yeah, why was that meeting canceled? >> well, the united states said it is because they are engaged in consultive actions ariel castro the alleged chemical

attack in damascus last week, but it's clearly a message that diplomatic efforts are off the front burner for now, at least. i think it's clearly a sign also to the russians that the united states is -- is probably displeased with the stance that they are taking. >> all right. fred thanks very much for that. that's fred weir giving us the point of view from moscow in russia. the united states, uk, france, germany, and turkey have all called for intervention in syria. the most likely could be hitting air bases, weapons arsenals, command and radar or communication centers. and there's also the option of a no-fly zone, stopping chemical attacks and otherwise from the wear. there is the risk of releasing

toxic gases if they attacked those areas. the u.s. has an air force base in jordan as well as one in eastern turkey. and they have a number of destroyers in the sea. and they have air force jets and that is all in cyprus. there are also us bases in saudi and quatar. you heard me talking there about a lot of the options that could be the target of this possible missile strike, but what do you think the aim of any strike would be? is the it to punish assad, weaken assad, change the war fair on the ground? what is behind it? >> i think the first message is to russia, that they are not the

only country running the show in syria. it's a red card in the face of russia, saying, look, in the game, we are running the show. the second message is to the regime, that all of what has happened in the last two years, and the lack of international will to solve the problem, we are starting a new chapter, and this phase, the united states and its allies, they will be in charge of what is going to happen after that. regardless what is the target, regardless, you know, what -- how -- how many days or hours this operation will last, this will break in the eyes of a binding solution to the crisis. this will be an attempt to show not only syria, but also iran and hezbollah that the united states is still an important player in

international politics. >> what if russia steps up its support for the government, and iran as well as hezbollah, is the united states prepared for such an action? >> according to the information available, russia has made its position clear, russia said that we will not be engaged in any kind of force. so this is very clear message that they will not support the regime if anything happens in a few days. iran -- iran -- look, iran has also it's a -- it's own headache. it has its issue with the nuclear issue, and engage between the united states and iran, so i'm not sure that iran will be interested to be in any way engaging on this conflict. of course there will be condemnation and a lot of rejection to any kind of attack. there will be a lot of support in the media.

hezbollah can play on a small operation scale. i'm not sure they would be able -- there will be a lot of calculations of what would be the reaction to hezbollah. but hezbollah has a problem with the internal parts of lebanon, he is also losing a lot of support in the region. so he will basically be without any support. and they will be more cautious to have any kind of action -- >> a lot of players involved in this conflict. according to the reuters news agency, western pow verse advised the syrian operation to prepare for -- geneva talks if this could happen. if you do whatever they aim to do with this possible military strike, what is the alternative

in syria. >> unfortunately this will not end according to the syrian people's own will. the international community is engaged in this crisis, and if this attack happens, it will be starting of a new phase. geneva too will be a step if the opposition, you know, decided to go to that con -- meeting. because still, they are -- they -- they have not formed their opinion on [ inaudible ]. again, this is a political message. this is using military to pass this message to russia to -- to syria. i'm not sure this will -- of course it will not be ending the regime. it will not be ending, you know, the killing in syria. it will be sort of a tough message to the regime to be more careful in next steps.

of course, there is -- i mean, we know that there's a lot of criticism that the security council is not engaged. of course that is normal. >> right. >> but, again, using chemical weapons is not acceptable as well. so the whole thing is actually in a mess. so we can't speak about international law with the absence of international law in syria as well. >> right. and there are questions about the legalally of a possible strike -- >> absolutely. >> thank you for speaking to us in doha. let's cross over to roary challenges. there are a lot of strong statements being made out of london today and the uk prime minister rory. >> yes, we had an announcement from the british prime minister.

the british parliament is going to be recalled on thursday. he made this announcement in a tweet, i suppose a sign of the times. we're still awaiting a flesh and blood announcement. but basically what the british prime minister did after he returned early from his holiday was go to the speaker of the house of parliament and asked him to have parliaments reconvened. they will be presented with a government motion here. they are going to have a vote of whatever it is that the government puts before them. now cameron is obviously gambling that he can convince britain's parliament that we can green light any action that the government takes on

syria -- sure the syrian regime that used chemical weapons, and it would like to be a part of any international action that hits syria with whatever, air strikes or whatever. it does want to get parliamentary approval for that, though. >> all right. rory thank you. on the ground in syria, the fighting rages on. opposition rebels say they have taken control of a town from government troops. the fighters seized large amounts of ammunition left by the forces. they have also reportedly blocked all of the regimes supply routes to that town. in the last week alone, 40,000

refugees have arrived in northern iraq. we're joined now from a camp. imran, refugees really bearing the brunt of this crisis. what have you seen? >> let me just tell you in the last couple of hours i have been speaking to a number of my aid agency contacts, and they are very worried about the developments coming out of the u.s. and britain. if there is an air strike on syria, it's likely to result in another refugee crisis, more refugees coming across the border. and what the united nations have said is they simply don't have the money to deal with the global crisis, and if there are more refugees, they are going to come to this camp here. that is actually a shopping

parade there. there are more permanent buildings there. you can probably see the water cooler right at the top. the more permanent this camp gets, the more angry and frustrated people are becoming. imagine if this was your home, not for one month or even six, but for over 18 months. and then imagine sharing it with 60,000 others. it's no wonder that the syrians living here are losing hope they will ever return home. as syria's drags on, the initial relief felt by these refugees escaping the conflict have disappeared. have been a few riots, and the anger is easy to find. as soon as we start filming we're surrounding by people wanting to tell us how they feel. >> translator: we are syrian people aren't used to live like this. we would rather go back to syria, but we can't because of

our children. they might be killed and raped in syria. this camp i'm in is all the fault of assad, the militias, they are all to blame. >> reporter: that anger has lead some authorities to take measures. aid agencies have also noticed and tried to manage it the best they can. >> to deal with these long-term displacement issues, we try to provide the refugees with a sense of community as they manage their own life. we promote this kind of management. >> reporter: as part of the long-term process, many refugees have taken up manual labor jobs. it allows them to buy groceries and other goods. so this place has the feel of a permanent town, but the more permanent it becomes, the more

issues arise. this camp has a very different atmosphere than the ones that have just been set up. there, there is still a sense of relief that they managed to escape war. here there is a sense of anger, and the longer they live like this, that anger is only going to get worse. and with any other solution still to be achieved, time stands still for the refugees, who try to make due as best they can. there you go. that is the conditions for the refugees living here. but more fears that u.s. intervention will lead to more refugees. the un as i said before is facing a funding crisis. this camp is one of the better run, so there are really fears that any refugee crisis could

tip over the balance, especially in a camp like this. it could lead to more anger that could spill over to violence. >> thank you very much, imran. >> let's get a check on the weather now. >> the weather across south america has been a bit unusual. you can see the cloud that snakes it's a way down towards the southeast. here are some pictures out of the southern parts of brazil from rio grand to basal. 7,000 people here have been forced to evacuate their homes. towards the west we have had a different problem. it hasn't been rain. in the west this is where we have seen a fair amount of snow, and these pictures are from the desert, but this is the snowiest

weather we have seen for decades, and it has blocked some roads in some parts as well. for more information on that story, you can always check out our website, aljazeera.com/weather, but if you want to know how cold it has been, on monday night it got down to minus 2. during the day as you might expect we will get a bit better, but the temperature really do yo-yo at this time of year. in august so far our maximum has been 36 degrees on the 22nd of the month, and then just two days later our maximum was just 9. and temperatures have stayed really quite low since then. the temperatures will recover as we head through the next few days. for wednesday we'll be back to 19 degrees as a maximum, and by the time we get to thursday, this time our temperatures will be at 23, 73 fahrenheit.

further south, 22 in bane necessary arres. >> steph, thank you. still ahead on al jazeera -- [ shouting. ] >> columbia's president starts talking to striking farmers. and how losing to serena williams in the u.s. open can make a player need a hug. that's later in sports. ♪

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you are with the al jazeera news hour. syria's form minister has denied government forces care rid out the suspected gas attacks last week, and said syria will defend itself against any international intervention. western powers have told syria's opposition to expect an strike within days. and the second site visit of a un investigator's team in syria has been delayed by a day. the team is trying to determine if chemical weapons were used in an attack last week. a senior member of the muslim brotherhood in egypt has accused the government of using the threat of terrorism to crush all opposition. al jazeera has obtained an exclusive message from a man currently in hiding because he is facing an arrest war rent.

his 17-year-old daughter was killed by security forces earlier this month. >> translator: if the protesters had any type of weapons why didn't they use them to defend themselves? if the muslim brotherhood has militia as weapons, why didn't they use them to defending their leader? how can general sisi claim that they are terrorists, how can he claim we are terrorists yet throughout the years he was head of military intelligence, he never classified us as a terrorist group. the prime minister has said protests are not the way to heal conflicts within the country. >> translator: we also do not believe that taking to the streets is a democratic way for

resolving political differ renss mobilizing people will lead to security and mayhem. polls have opened in local elections across jordan. people are voting for those who will be responsible for developing some of jordan's poorest towns and cities. >> reporter: for six years, their home has been a makeshift shelter made of blankets and cardboard in one of jordan's poorest areas. she has no money to build a home. municipal elections are taking place on tuesday, but she is boycotting the polls because she sees no benefit in casting her vote. >> translator: so many have told us we'll build homes for you in return for your votes, but after

they won did they nothing. >> reporter: this woman told me she is voting to elect her mayor as matter of duty without expectations that conditions will improve. municipal elections are being held under growing unemployment and poverty and rising tribal tensions. here every tribe wants its own candidate to win, so tribal allegiances have proven to be more important than electoral programs and promises made to the poor. this is within of three women in this village who holds a university degree. people who live here say their village is neglected because previous mayors only developed services and infrastructure in their own villages. >> translator: we wish mayors

would treat all people alike. >> reporter: the last municipal election was held six years ago, but the rising influence in tribes has made polls less fair. >> translator: the projects of the municipalities to help the vulnerable get jobs, we have areas that are suffering. we want to help these areas and others that need improvement. there's no strong or weak citizen to me. all are the same. >> reporter: poor jordanians have generally grown to accept their situation. they say they are afraid to face a backlash from the government. heavy casualties are being reported in the democratic republic of congo.

m23 fighters attacked in the east, and the most serious violence in months is a newly deployed un force with a mandate to fight. two red cross workers are missing after they were kidnapped in darfur. there has been increasing violence across -- for fighting between arab tribes and the rebels and government. a government spokesman said the bodies of five aid workers and one government employee were found. he said they were kidnapped on sunday by the taliban and killed after negotiations failed. six other civilians were also found dead in an eastern province. while the president of

afghanistan has extended his visit to pakistan. leaders have been discussing possible peace talks. he wants the government to arrange a meeting with the taliban and the afghan peace council. our correspondent has more. >> the president has extended his stay in pakistan because of the encouraging signs as far as progress is concerned. the afghans warned the pakistanis to use their influence. there was some talk that the more dollties were being discussed behind closed doors, with the condition that the second in command of the taliban movement may be transferred to

saudi arabia. there was also progress as far as economic ties between the two countries were concerned. pakistan was promising to improve on the roadways by including the building of a motorway, and building a project on the way to kunar which was also an area of friction. however, the important thing was that if afghanistan was going to a political as well as military transition for the first time in over two decades, the national army was taking over security operations, and by april, afghanistan will have a new president. so a lot will depend on the future makeup of the afghan government and the willingness of pakistan to be on board as far as those talks are

concerned. a plan to provide cheap grain to those in need has been passed by india's parliament. they intend to sell wheat and rice to 60% of its population. india is home to a quarter of the world's hungry. the country's finance minister says the government can afford the measure. >> i have already said that 4.8% of gdp, an absolute number that was indicated in the budget is a red line. the red line will not be breached. we have done our sums. we think we have provided enough money for the cost of the food security program for the remainder of the current fiscal. the columbian president has agreed to negotiate with farmers who want government subsidies and cheaper fool. they have lead a nationwide

strike that has turned violent in the past eight days. >> reporter: day eight of the strike by columbian farmers started like this. with riots, police firing tear gas to clear blockades and protesters throwing rocks and sticks. the president flew to the region at the center of the protests. he met the leaders of the farmers and agreed to start negotiations. >> translator: i gave instructions to accept the farmer's proposal for negotiations between the representatives at the region and the government ministers. they'll start discussing the issues. >> reporter: both sides also agreed to stop the violence, the farmers say the strikes will continue until at least some of their needs are met. >> translator: i ask all of the

formers who are protesting to keep calm as we head towards negotiations. we'll discuss the cost of agricultural supplies. >> reporter: the protesters want government subsidies to help a pay for fertilizers and fuel. they are complaining they can't sell their products because free trade agreements have flooded the market with cheaper imports. rallies run late into the night. however rural in nature, the strike has begun to spread to urban centers. here tens of thousands of people have took to the streets with pots and pans to support the farmers. many people hope that the negotiations will end the many roadblocks and disruptions, but workers in other sectors are threatening to start protesting in the coming days, the

discontent that has been growing over the last few months will require more than a presidential trip to be resolved. you are watching the al jazeera news hour. not quite space travel for the masses, but can this new tourist spacecraft woo wealthy chinese to take a vacation in space? and we'll talk about sports after the break.

♪ india's capitol has more cars than [ inaudible ] all combined. and 1200 more are add each day. but many say the government is not doing enough to fix the problem. >> reporter: more than 7 million cars jostle for position on the streets of new delhi. the slightest delay and -- drivers honk constantly and without restraint. the problem is so bad, one group is resorting to gorilla tactics to change habits. these volunteers brave traffic, lecture drivers, and send them off with sample message. this man began the campaign five years ago. >> we cannot live peacefully.

children cannot study in school. the patients cannot rest in hospital. the noise pollution has injected in our system like a confer. we have forgotten the definition of honking which is only for an emergency. >> reporter: like many traffic regulations here they are seldom enforced. noise pollution is so persistent experts are warning it is having serious health consequences. this professor has spent three years napping new delhi's noise pollution. studies have already linked noise pollution to heart disease, and this doctor has

sound another noise problem. >> [ inaudible ] as we grow old, these are hitting much earlier than expected in new delhi. i'm 62 years, where in most western countries it is 75 or after 75 years. >> reporter: yet louder horns are more popular. wow. it hurts the ears and no surprise at 118 decibels it's as powerful as a thunder cap. >> translator: people come in to replace their car's prefitted horns with these loud horns. here people won't move out of your way at any cost, you have to use a louder horn. >> some people use very abusive language. some very dirty faces.

but i don't care. my aim is to help my nation and prove that we are also civilized people. >> reporter: and they are determined to change things one driver and one vehicle at a time. and joe is here, and she will tell us all about the sports news. >> thank you very much. [ inaudible ] the player failed to turn up to train on tuesday and [ inaudible ] considering -- in the meantime real maintained their start with a win. >> reporter: they weren't up for a repeat performance this time around. [ cheers and applause ] >> reporter: ronaldo springing the off-side tap, and tapping in for a 1-0 lead. the goalkeeper was once again on

the bench, but his replacement didn't have a lot to do as madrid controlled position. but a goal was called back, too hasty in taking the free kick. things threatened to turn nasty for grenada after the break, but madrid struggled to return their many chances. and grenada made a play for a penalty. the replay suggesting they may have been unlucky. real madrid holding on for a 1-0 win. on to the english premier league. arsenal will be -- excuse me that l be in the champion's league, looking to qualify. the gunners lead 3-0 from the

first leg in istanbul. should they qualify it will be arsenal's 16th consecutive season in the club competition. arsenal's match is one of five second-leg ties taking place later. a doping scandal surrounding several sports teams in australia has claimed its first victim. the aussie team has been thrown out of the season's finals, and fined a record $1.8 million over their controversial supplement program. the bomber's coach has also been suspended for 12 months. this comes after the anti-doping authority completed an investigation into the use of

perform-enhancing drugs. joining us now to shed some light on the ban is francis leach. francis these supplements were not only prohibited but potential harmful to the players. the decision to give them to them seems to be at the highest level. are the players the real victims here? >> they are and they aren't, because they have to be asking what am i taking and what are the consequences of that. while they believe they were being lead properly by the football club, the idea of strict liability also applies to professional footballers in australia. so there are mixed feelings, about that, yes. they trusted their club doctor and coaches, but in the end the responsibility still lies with them. >> of course this is part of a wider investigation into

australia's anti-doping investigation. what wider punishment with we see in the future? i'm thinking of the [ inaudible ] sharks. >> yes. they were originally reluctant to cooperate with the an any doping investigation. the [ inaudible ] investigation into the actual supplements program, and the issues of infractions against individual players is ongoing. and individual players haven't been given infraction notices and bans that you would see with olympic athletes. that has yet to happen. this has been about the ethics of the behavior of the club, and it's coaches. we have yet to see noticed handed out to individual athletes, yet that still may

happen. >> all right. francis thank you very much for joining us here. tennis now. serena williams opened the defense of her u.s. open title with a run-away victory. it left the italian who's ranked 54th at the moment seeking a friendly shoulder to cry on as she exited in the first round. the last time the french open champion, made no mistakes on the courts on monday. the second seeded spaniard. [ cheers and applause ] new york yankees star alex rodriguez who continues to play, hit his 650th home run but it wasn't enough to see off the

blew jays. a-rod launched the ball out of the park to level the scores, but it was downhill from there, with adam lind getting an rbi double as the blew jays romped home to a 5-2 win. team usa is being investigated over a cheating scandal. they admitted that cat ma rans used were illegally altered. now a five-man jury is look going whether individual team members engaged in gross misconduct. if shows they could be banned from sailing in the biggest team event, and could have to forfeit one or more of the races against team new zealand. that's sports for now. >> thank you very much. a space rocket launch in japan hasn't gone quite as planned. it was canceled 19 seconds

before blastoff. they said the rocket appeared not to be aimed directly. it makes it cheaper and more efficient to put satellites in space. let's stay at space. the vacation lasts only 19 minutes. craig has more in hong kong. >> reporter: space the final holiday frontier. the place of many childhood dreams may now be in reach. two corporations are expected to begin scheduled flights outside the earth's atmosphere within 12 months. packages are expected to start at around $100,000. >> our aim is to make space affordable to everyone. so we would like to also get people that -- who may have dreams when they are young to want to go to space, they will

be also our clients. we have parents who buy ticket for their children and give them as a present when they are 18, and there are some retired people. >> reporter: they have signed up 250 customers globally, about half that of virgin, but has opened a company in asia in hoping to attract china's wealthy. >> in asia we expect to sell 50 to 80 tickets for first year, but after that, we are sure it will be triple from the figure we're talking about. >> reporter: from the space port in the us they offer the ultimate experience. they co-pilot the space vehicle for an adventure that lasts just six minutes. but it's enough for a self-described adventure travel junky. >> this is something that has

been for years, and i like to be a part of the -- you know, like this new generation, new travel. i like to be the pioneer. >> reporter: this is a replica of the vehicle that will take customers into space. it is a reusable sub orbital launch vehicle. it's engines can be switched on and off, and reused up to 5,000 times making it a much safer and environmentally friendly spacecraft. it's first 100 customers are being described as space pioneers. once up and running, it says it will operate four flights a day. craig geeson, al jazeera, hong kong. all of the news you need to know coming up right here on al

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welcome to al jazeera, i'm del walters, these are your headlines at that hour. reuters news agency is saying the syrian opposition has been told by western powers to expect a military strike in syria within days. international diplomacy is moving fast, but un investigators have delayed their investigation due to concern of safety. the rim field fire in california is now 20% contained according to authorities. firefighters have spent the last 10 days fighting that blaze and it