's baghdad this is al jazeera. welcome to the news hour life from al jazeera's new center in doha. these are the main stories this hour. u.n. weapons inspectors leave damascus after examining the sites of suspected chemical weapons attacks. vladimir putin sdmandz to see evidence that chemical weapons were sgloid. >> as for the position of our american colleagues and friends who say they have evidence, let them present it to the u.n. inspectors and the u.n. security

counsel. >> in india, rape trial, convicted of the fatal gang-rape of the woman who sponsored nationwide uproar. a new technique that let's you see and feel the grand masters. russia's president has criticized the u.s. threat of strikes against syria. vladimir putin says the allegation is utter nonsense. he said using military force against it would be unacceptable and violate international law. >> common sense speaks for itself. the syrian government forces are advancing. in some region options, they have circled the rebels. giving a card to those who call for intervention is utterly nonsense.

it does not fit any logic. i am convinced it is just a provocation by those who want to pull other countries into the syrian conflict, who want to gain support from powerful international players. first of all, the united states. >> all 13 united nation's weapons inspectors left syria and drove to beirut. they are due to report to ba ban kee moon who said he is undecided but barack obama said he is considering a limited and narrow response to the alleged chemical weapons use. >> joining us now from mosanar crossing, there must be great concern now about the regional fallout from any u.s. attack. >> reporter: well, definitely. just look behind me. this is the make border crossing between lebanon and syria. it's busy since the hours of the morning. we have seen syrians leave their

country seeking shelter here in lebanon. we have been talking to them. they are concerned. most of the people we have spoken to live in regime-controlled territories and believe that the possibility of western military strikes against the regime is real, and there are concerns, and we are hearing also from people from the syrian capital that the army, they are taking precautionary measures in the sense that they have evacuated governments and military buildings. the army is now scattered and civilian neighborhoods including to activists, the government has moved the army and their families into schools, schools which used to be used by the displaced people and we are getting reports from opposition activists, that the army, they are moving detainees into military barracks. it's hard to confirm this to get independent confirmation, but there is no doubt the syrian

authorities are preparing for any eventuality. >> what's the prospect of other companies, lebanon, iran, being drawn into this if the u.s. does attack syria? reporter: well, if the survival of the regime is in question, most observers and analysts believe that the syrian president bashar al-assad can rely on his allies in the region, iran. iran has made it clear that it retaliate against israel if the united states doesn't stay out of the conflict in syria. here in lebanon, you have the hezbollah. they haven't said what they would do but they are already fighting alongside the syrian regime. so there is the possibility of, even though obama says that this is going to be limited, this is not going to be an open-ended con conflict, there is a possibility that this could, you know, turn into a regional war. but more importantly, it seems

that the government is trying to tighten its grip around the capital. we understand that fierce clashes are underway as we speak around the capitol, damascus, they are engaging with rebels in the suburbs. it seems the government doesn't want the rebels to exploit any situation at this time. zeina is at the border. let's cross over to the other side. joining us live from antakia, in turkey, there is a lot at stake here for turkey. it shows, doesn't it when you look at the recent statements from turkey's prime minister. >> reporter: yes, sam. the remarks made by the prime minister pretty much sums it all: they want a wider military intervention against a day or 2 hit-and-run, something perhaps similar to the nato campaign

against kosovo. what's at stake for turkey, turkey is not the critical situation on the one hand. it wants a wider, tougher military intervention. it wants the president of syria and his regime. on the other hand, it fears repercussions because syria might retaliate and syria has been, for the last two and a half years, we have seen what is already spilling into turkey. i think there will be a political cost if turkey is deeply involved, perhaps, in that conflict. the opposition in this country has accused the prime minister of it poorly managing the crisis and dragging turkey into a quagmire. >> will turkey be joining any military action against syria, then? reporter: well, when you listen to the remarks made by the foreign minister where he did make it clear that if the u.n.

security counsel failed, then turkey would join the coalition of countries to strike turkey, to strike syria. however, we -- he didn't mention or neither of the military officials mentioned any possible role for turkey to take in such a military intervention. they did -- they did mention, however, turkey's commitment to be part of that coalition. we think if turkey would join them, perhaps it could use one -- it has a strong air force. it has a navy and it has a powerful army. turkey is one of the strongest militaries in the middle east. they have done so. they have joined other internationally-led and nato-led organizations. >> omar, thanks for the update. the russian president has spoken outs against potential military action. vladimir putin says proof of

chem weapons needs to be provided. >> as for the position of our american colleagues and friends who state that government forces have used weapons of mass destruction, in this case, used chemical weapons and say that they have evidence, let them presents it to the u.n. inspectors and the u.n. security counsel. >> al jazeera peter shaw is live for us in moscow. clear putin is not convinced of some of the information the u.s. has been sharing. >> that's right. it's strange, really, the russian president has said nothing about the growing threat of military intervention in syria. the last time he spoke about -- about the syrian issue was with president obama at the g8 summit in northern ireland three months ago. and, of course, the roadmap to change absolutely completely since then and i think the russian president realizes this is very possibly the last chance he has to speak his mind before

pos ible hostilities commence. and he spoke directly to the american president, president obama when he said: think twice before committing forces into intervention in syria. and he said, mr. obama, president obama, i am speaking to you as a nobel peace prize laureate and asked him to consider how many lives would cost, possible intervention in syria. >> peter, of course, what is the russian reaction likely to be if we take -- if the u.s. does actually go ahead with this strike as is expected? reporter: well, it's certainly not going to be surprise. i think the russians are aware it's going to happen. a member of the doma yesterday was talking about this timetable. he firmly believed as do many in russia that the strike will come sooner rather than later, well before the g20 summit which the starts on thursday next week.

but i think basically what the russians are saying, that this -- if there is an attack by the united states, it's got nothing to do with president assad and his use -- alleged use of chemical weapons. it has more to do with degrading the syrian military and securing victory for the rebels. >> all right, peter sharp, there, thanks for an update from moscow. let's continue talking about this, though and join our diplomatic editor in new york. as you heard, james, russia calling on the u.s. to provide its proof to the u.n. security council. any movement amongst diplomats there today? >> no. of course, it's saturday. it's not a normal day of u.n. work. but i need to remind you, any member of the security council, any of the 15 members could call a meeting if they want it. some are saying they are watching carefully in case

russia does decide to call a meeting of fellow members of the security council. no sign of that. for now, the only event here at the united nations it angela cain, the head of disarmament affairs. she was there with the weapons inspectors and negotiated with the syrian authorities to let them investigate this most recent incident on the 21st of august. well, she has left separately from the inspectors. they are taking all of their samples to europe for analysis. she is coming here and is now here in new york where she is about to brief banke moon. we are not expecting anything particularly new from that briefing but i suspect there are some questions that she and the u.n. in general will be asked, particularly by the russians and the syrians about the investigators and why they have left now because they were supposed to investigate three more incidents. we have been told by the u.n. they will be back to do that. but there are certainly questions from some quarters about why they didn't continue the investigations right now

because the syrians in the past have been very tough to negotiate with for the u.n. and they only gave the inspectors some 10 days to carry out their work. well, the latest we are hearing from the syrian government is that they want the inspectors to stay and they are welcome to investigate everything. it's interesting how the syrian position has changed as the threat of war has become more imminent. >> all right, good stuff there, james banes live from the united nations. more to come here on the al jazeera news hour. we will report from the democratic republic of congo outside a key city. afterno a australia's city p a week before a general election. later in sports, former champion who wound back the clock for a sharp victory at the u.s. open.

>> a teenager has been found guilty of gang-rape and murder of a woman in india last december. the 18-year-old who was a minor at the time is the first person to be convicted for the incident, which led to wide-spread uperror throughout india. the fast track court was told he was the most brutal of the six people accused in the tack. looking at this sententions, what sort of reaction is it stoking across the country? >> well, it is stoking a lot of reaction. in fact, we have been out on the streets talking about this, hearing what people have to say and some of the stuff that's really coming forward in the discussions we are having is, a lot of people thinking this sentence was just simply not strong enough, that it doesn't send a positive message about the consequences of doing such -- of committing such a crime and deterring others from going down the same path. on the other hand, activists and

child rights activists are suggesting, in fact, this is the law and this is the parameters that the judges had to work with. so, mixed reactions, but generally, a lot of people with a lot of things to say. >> now, the family of the victim are talking about the possibility of an appeal. what good would that do when the court has already given the person convicted the maximum possible sentence? >> yeah, absolutely. as you mentioned, the family mentioned it wants to take its case to courts, to higher courts across india. the issue is here that as you have mentioned, the highest of maximum sentence possible has already been delivered. in terms of an appeal process, they can't get a higher sentence than what has already been delivered by the courts. on the other hand, we should mention that if, in fact, the accused or the person that's been found guilty today were to appeal the sentence, they could be acquitted or, in fact, the sentence could be lowered. if, in fact, they were to go

down the appeals process. so different views on both sides of this case. >> all right. let's not forget, there are other people facing charges in connection with that same incident. what stage is their trial at? >> yes, that's correct. there were four other men of adult age who are being tried in connection with this case. their cases are moving through the courts. we are expecting some kind of update on their cases and where things stand in september. but given the lengthy delays we have seen thus far, we have to leave that open to updates at the moment, and we will keep you posted. >> thanks so much, nidhi dutt there. as the verdict in that case was made public, news emerged of another alleged gang-rape in the city of noida. a woman says she was attacked, beaten and robbed while out walking on saturday. two police officers have been

arrested in connection with the incident. . the u.n. top human rights official says sri lanka is heading in a direction. to assess the human rights situation. she says she is increasingly concerned about military involvement in the tammel-dominated north. >> i have received access to documentation from the government and how they are investigating matters. but i do see that they have to do far more to investigate past and current conflicts, disappearance and killings. it has to be comprehensionives. >> rebels in congo have withdrawn from the city of gom a. they have been fighting government forces and u.n. troops there. there are claims that neighboring rawanda is helping the rebels. al jazeera' malcolm webb was

with the advancing soldiers when they took over in 23 positions. >> reporter: these congolese soldiers are having a good day. their enemy, the n23 rebels, have withdrawn from their positions outside the city of goma. this man says, congo belongs to us. we will fight m23 until they are defeated. these men say they will send the rebels to neighboring rawanda. they believe they are backed by rawanda, although rawanda denies it. the follows heavy fighting over the last nine days. the u.n. has been fighting alongside the government. these troops are moving forwards toward the new frontline north of the city of goma. the ones we have spoken to are in a jubilant mood with u.n. support. they say they have had a victory over the m23 rebels. >> reporter: congo says the

rebels suffered heavy losses now they ha they are moving forward about 10 kilometers. toward the new frontline, they fire a tank. but there is no rebels here they are firing as a show of might. they show us combat fatigues they say are from the rawandan army. they say they have consistent evidence rawandan 2r507z have fought alongside the rebels. rawanda denies it. nearby, this hilltop was a rebel stronghold. this telecom mast was destroyed in the shelling. the bottom of the hill, there is the body of a man shot dead. his arms are tied. he looks like a prisoner. he was executed. both sides say the other is responsible. m23 claim it pulled back to make way for independence observers, but everything here suggests there was a lot of heavy

fighting. >> we cannot stop fighting because they are fighting us, too. we also have to retaliate. they need to lay down their weapons and surrender. only thing then will we stop fighting. >> reporter: congo soldiers continue their ad vance. the rebels are somewhere ahead. these men have made some gains. but their fight might not be over yet. >> reporter: malcolm webb sent us this latest update from goma reporter>> the situation is tension. the rebels have pulled back. the congolese say they have suffered heavy losses. with military support from the u.n. who provided ground troops, the rebels are calling for peace talks. they say if the congolese government doesn't come to the table they will fight to the last man. the government says they want to continue to fight and defeat the rebels. however, that would probably only be possible if the u.n.

continues military support and that depends upon how far the u.n. is willing to take the man data. south africa dismissed that man d mandela has been in hospital since early june with a recurring lung infection. >> incorrect media reports that former president nelson mandela has been discharged from hospital. he is still in hospital in pretoria and remains in a critical but stable condition. at times, his condition becomes unstable, but he responds to medical interventions. >> gold minors are threatening to go on strike after talks after pay broke down. the main union rejected companies' offer to raise wages by around 6%. minors want a 60% increase. protesters have gathered in cape town on friday calling for women's rights and gender

equality. nearly 1,000 led by the women's lead by the south san francisco national congress. they are calling for more action to be taken against domestic violence and high female unemployment. when sudan and south sudan separated, many found themselves on the wrong side of the border. many were allowed to return to their respective countries. as reports from northern bahaleral. thousands still have no official status. >> reporter: in this south su n sudanese village, people are dancing to celebrate the success of their farms. they are sharing their land with people who have had to flee their homes and no longer have farms or cattle of their own there are territories along the border between sudan and south sudan which are in dispute. mile 14 is one of them. in april, around 10,000 people living there left when sudan's armed forces bombed them.

adele dutt was one of them. >> they claim our area to be their place, the kia river, and that's why they attacked us. we don't the power to fight with them. so we, as civilians ran, and we brought our children to where it's safe. >> since then, adele hasn't had much assistance because she is not officially classified as a refugee because south sudan claims the land she came from, the government says she has technically remained in the same country. because the status of mile 14 isn't determined and sudan also claims it, international ngos can't classify her as an internally enlist displaced person either. thousands of ref eugenia ease get aid but because this population doesn't have an official status, they are not getting the same services. many of the people came with absolutely nothing and they simply don't have the means to sustain themselves and at the moment, there isn't a safety net for them either.

>> reporter: according to aid agencies, it isn't possible to offer this community the same assistance as a traditional refugee position. >> it would mean their legal status is a prior ity to us. we do not wish to discuss the determination of legal advice. we are providing them assistance as persons who need assistance and not determining their legal status. >> reporter: food is scarce in this community and health problems are expected. but as things stand, this displaced population won't be entitled to full humanitarian support because of a political stalemate. anna kavel, northern al jazeera. weather news now with steph >> thanks. yes, we are going to start off with a look at what's going on the states, particularly what's been going on in the southwest. because you can see a few clouds

there. they don't look too impressive but they have been giving us impressive rainfall totals. here is whatever we are seeing in the southern parts of california. you can see how wet it has been. >> that's because the ground is baked hard by the sun. it just can't absorb any moisture. really, very, very wet there. there will be a few more showers as we head through the next few days. but really, for many of us in the central part of the u.s., the problem has been with the extreme heat over the past few days. now, unfortunately, as we head through the next 24 hours or so, we will see the heat gradually retreat down towards the south. >> that's definitely good news. but we are also going to see more unsettled weather. one area of rain working its way steadily toward the east and edging its way toward the eastern parts of canada. this is a region we have already seen flooding in recent days. here is the satellite picture over the past 12 hours, see the clouds that has been marching united states way across us. th that has given heavy downpours,

120 millimeters in some parts of new finland, has been incredibly wet. we have road closures and there is more rain to come. that rain will be heavy as we head toward sunday. >> on monday, it should be breaking up. >> let's hope so. rising unemployment is taking center stage ahead of the australian general election. the prime minister wants to halt the decline. alandru thomas reports the economic would es felt in the streets. >> he worked at this textile factory for 16 years. on saturday, it closed for good. >> we knew it was coming. it was just a case of when. a lot of people are worried because they can't support their families. >> until recently, australia's economy was the envy of the world. money was pouring in from china, the primary buyer of australia's natural resources.

>> that's where the australian boom has been. now china is easing off the accelerator. no surprise australia slowed down a bit. >> iron and ore prices are down. high commodity prices led to a high australian dollar. that made exports hard to sell and imports cheap. textiles made in australia couldn't compete. ford announced the closed you're of two factories noor melbourne. the australian dollar is down. cun employment is creeping up. there is concern, too, but australia's property prices is a bubble that may burst. interest rates have been cut but there are signs it's not working. >> a party. place to come >> vince juliano owns half of what he did as a builder before construction projects started buying up. >> chasing work where you might

get a couple of days here and there. it's hard and i have known people in the business for over 30 years. and they are just going backwards. >> in australia's election campaign, the state of the economy has been center stage. >> there is speculation they could be on the verge of al troubled time. do you see that as a danger >> i believe we can navigate the shoals which lie ahead and there is no economy better equipped to do that. >> the government is the accused of wasting a boon that's wasting away. >> on the face, it's strong, but it is looking more shaky than it was a few months ago and more trumm troubled times may lie ahead. next week's election could be a good one to lose. andrew thomas, al jazeera, s sidney. >> an earthquake struck southwest china, the magnitude

5.9 quake hit near the city of dakon. aftershocks blockedtrodes across the region. an amonia leak has killed 15 people in beijing. 26 others have taken ill. 8 are in critical condition right now. fire fighters have sealed off the scene. the cause of the accident is still under investigation. well, still to come on the program, what next for syria and what will be the regional impact of any possible u.s. strike on the country? we will discuss that issue. plus, van goh goes high-tech. 19th century mast pieces in a 21st style. and football's sudden death battle for the season's first piece of european silverware. all of the details later in sports. but should you be made aware if

you are consuming them. that's next on "consider this." ]

welcome back. russia's president says the accusation that bashar al-assad's government used chemical weapons. putin said using military force against it would be unacceptable and violate international law. an 14 u.n. chemical weapons experts have arrived back in lebanon from syria. they are due to report straight back to banke moon. a teenager in india has been found guilty in the gang-rape of a woman in new dehli last december. it sparked nationwide protests.

more or syria now. has sent this report from the leban lebanon/syrian border. what to expect next. >> they took their mission seriously. now, the evidence is taken to laboratories. the analysis will determine what was responsible for the deaths. the u.s. has asked to give it time before resorting to military action. it's something some syrians are asking for as well. >> my message to the west is to give peace a chance. syrians are to live together. it was a beautiful country. the only way now is to hold dialogue. let the warring sides talk and reach a compromise. >> the conflict in syria has affected the lives of so many and what might come next could cause even more suffering. that is why of syrians are fleeing to lebanon, in anticipation of western strikes against the regime and many know

those strikes won't necessarily end the war. >> the outcome of all of this is that they are killing each other. brothers are killing brothers. isn't this a shame. many of these cars have damascus license plates. the feeling is that the stronghold will be hit. >> u.n. authorities say they are ready to retaliate against any attack. they didn't say how. but it seems they have already repositioned their artillery and moved their men from their barracks. opposition activists are saying the army and their families have been moved in to schools where the internally displaced used to live. other reports say detainees have been moved in to military barracks. >> an ongoing government defensive in the damascus suburb is seen as an army effort not to lose control. it will guards the airport and other loyalist positions including the presidential

palace. >> that's why some in the opposition believe the army wants to keep rebels as far away as possible so they can't exploit the impact u.s. strikes could have if, indeed, they do happen. but those strikes could weaken the defenses and the regime center of power. zeena huda in lebanon. >> more on the situation now, rama huli joins us from the institute for public policy and international affairs at the american university of beirut. good to have you with us 689 first of all, what sort of scale of military, range of target did, do you think we might see hit by the u.s.? >> well, the u.s. says this is going to be limited, punitive, and aiming at stopping the syrian regime from carrying out any other chemical attacks. so presumably, they are going to hit military targets that would degrade the ability of the syrian army and the armed forces

and the air force to carry out such attacks, artillery sites, possibly some of the air force sites. what's not clear is if the salt is aimed to help the rebels gain a military advantage. this is really a critical strategic issue, and we just don't know what the united states is going to do, and we will just have to wait and see until the attack takes place. >> that takes us straight to my next point, which is how much coordination, if any, has there been between the u.s. and some of the opposition groups precisely for that point, for the opposition to benefit from any strikes? >> well, again, nobody has spoken about this. the problem that the united states has is that it doesn't talk to many people on the opposition because they are islamists and they are people nat united states doesn't like and doesn't want to strengthen. >> i mean there is the syrian national coalition? isn't there? >> right. >> that's the other half of

national coalition, free syrian army and there, also, they are united to a certain extent. they are scattered over the country. many of them are working from outside the country. so one of the big problems for the opposition groups, the rebels, has been the lack of unity among all of -- all of these groups. and this is a problem that is now very difficult to resolve at this stage of the uprising. i think that the united states and the turks and jordanians and others are working hard to try to get some minimum unity among the opposition groups, politi l politically and military airily because a strike against syria is going to be a moment when the rebel groups can actually exploit that and, if there is fear among the government forces and you have more people deserting the government because of the nature of the attacks, and if a government proves to be vulnerable and weak, you may have a lot of people leaving the armed forces. this is something that the opposition could exploit. it really depends a lot on where

the strikes hit and the nature of the targets hit and how long this goes on. >> does this strike have the potential to change the position on the battlefield >> absolutely it can change the situation on the battlefield if the position is taken to do that. obama has bent over backwards, and so has kerry, to say that this is a slap on the wrist or a shot on the bo with w /* -- gow, a pin pretty quick designed to punish, not designed to change the regime and this is kind of bizarre because the united states for the last year and a half has said this regime has to go. part of the problem here is the political confusion and lack of clarity in the united states government about precisely how to respond to the situation in syria and to all of the arab upri

uprisings, in fact, all over the region. and this is one reason why people all across the region, the saudis, iranians, everybody defies the united states and if the united states says we are going to sanction you or threaten you or attack you, they take a line from george bush and say, well, bring it on. and this is a real problem for the u.s. so, now, the u.s. is saying, well, look, this is partly designed to restore credibility and that's not a very good reason to launch, you know, an armed attack. so -- >> let me -- let me get a final brief question in: how will the rest of the region be impacted if the u.s. strike goes ahead? >> the rest of the region will certainly see an enhancement of the poliarization that's alread there, e ideal logical, dependig upon the strike where it hits and what targets, there will probably be greater flows of refugees which will exacerbate

the situation in lebanon and jordan. it may or may not strengthen the opposition and it may strengthen the secularist groups. there will be many different reactions and the likelihood is that most people around the region original, not everybody, but most people, will raise the question again of: why does the united states use military action unilaterally to enforce international norms but doesn't do anything about international norms, say, that apply to the israeli settlements and an exations. the selective application of military force to enforce international norms by the united states will generate greater and greater political criticisms. but many people in the region will also support what the united states is doing because they don't like regimes like the syrian regime. there will be an exacerbation intensefication of the polarization that already exists. >> thank you so much, ram

rami chourdy there. water can options have decembersed hundreds of people rallying across the country. activists have called for mast protests against the lack of basic services. security forces have reported a number of journalists and closed several main roads in the capital, baghdad. at least six people have been killed in a suicide bomb attack in afghanistan. 20 others were wounded. the explosion happened near a police checkpoint and a bank in the southern city of kandahar. >> riots in sao paolo against corruption. a bank and television station were attacked and looted. demonstrators have been marking national mobilization and fight day. half of mention conchs feel drug-related violence has increased since the president took office last december. the worst affected area is the

western state of michocan. not just drug gangs are defying security forces. >> mechanic can soldiers, increasing site. in some places, it's the v vigilantes who have the upper hand, strip the official police of their weapons. many say they had no choice but to take up arms in the face of corrupt authorities and powerful drug cartels. >> this is our glorious mexican army that sets free prisoners and criminals. they have stained their uniform which used to command respect. >> across the state, it's unclear who is in charge: the army, the police, or the powerful knights templar. >> dr. hussein maleli says it's ordinary people who have to step in. he got fed up with the killings,

rapes and extortion. he and others decided to get guns. on this day, like many others, the doctor skipped his shift at the hospital to take men and supplies to the front line of this war against the knights temp lar. >> when are we going to give up our arms? when the government or we finish with these criminals. that day, we will put away our guns. my clinic and my fellow soldiers because we are shopkeepers, businessmen, farmers and ranchers. >> the men who lead these vigilantes say they are all that stand between hospital people and the cartel. >> the state will never take control. >> that's impositionible. we could take control of things but the state will never do it. they don't have the capacity. >> cartel leaders and even some government authorities say the vigilantes are for other criminal gangs. people say it's safer with the community police. now, no one has the power to stop them.

>> we came to city hall and found several signs written against the mayor saying he is a member of a drug cartel. hanging above the door is a wanted sign against him saying he is a member of the knights templar. towns people ran him out of town several months ago. he hasn't been seen here since. >> outside city hall, the town's police were on duty. they don't patrol because there is no money for fuel and the mayor had been disarmed before he fled. the town sits in the hard of the hot land once better known for farming and rugged mountains and dangerous cartels. after years of blood shed people are calling for peace. with authority absent, they say it's up to them to achieve it. all right. let's take you to the u.s. now where emergency crews, we are told, are continuing their battle with a massive wildfire inniosios national park --

yosemiti national park in california. it has devastated more than 800 square kilometers just in the past two weeks. cooler temperatures and higher humidity are helping fire fighters bring part of that fire, at least, under control. but diminished number of tourists effected local businesses in the most popular areas of the park are still open. let's hope they get a complete handle on that situation soon. still to come on the al jazeera ne newshour, all of the sport coming for you, including a pittsburgh pirate player hits an important century. we will be here with the sports team to give you all of the details and that story as well as others in the world of sports. >> that's all coming up for you, up next. ç]

welcome back to turmoil in the middle east has raised fears of an oil price shock around the world. so far, that hasn't happened. well, it's partly because the world's biggest oil consumer, the u.s., has increased output from its own wells. part of our series on america's energy boom, tom acorman reports from san antonio, texas. >> the oil producing current trees decided today use -- >> in the 1973 war, an oil em bargo was clapped on the west. >> that's when americans first

learn what it's like to cope with long queues for filling stations. and america set the goal of making energy self-sufficient. >> by the end of this decade, americans will not have to rely on any source of energy beyond our own. >> 4 decades later, the u.s. still depends upon imports. president obama says the surge of domestic crude production with more fuel-efficient vehicles is putting energy independence into site. >> we are poised to control our energy future. we produce more oil at home than we have in 15 years. >> despite stricter sanctions against iranian crude and recent supply disruptions in libya, iraq and nigeria, american consumers are hardly feeling them reflected in what they pay to fill their tanks. >> gasoline prices this summer are virtually at the same area they were one year ago. that largely reflects the

steadiness in crude oil prices globally. >> thanks to the dramatic rise in u.s. oil output, the international energy forecasts that 2014 will see the biggest worldwide supply increase in 20 years. that will mean cheaper average crude prices on the world market. and further weaken the opec kuntz trees' power to flinfluen prices. >> the demand on opec oil is less than what it would have been had there not been the reversal of the u.s. oil production. >> that extra cushion has made it easier to tighten the boycott screws on iran but some experts warn against being complacent. they say oil takes up nearly the same share of the u.s. economy today than it did 30 years ago. >> the market, in some ways is still as vulnerable to prices and that's impossible for policy makers to understand that we are still one event on the other side of the world from throwing the entire u.s. economy off of

the tracks and back into recession. >> the potential for another oil shock gives advocates of renewable energy one more agent for the urgent development of solar, wind and other alternatives. tom ackerman, al jazeera, san antonio, texas. >> all right. now, if you like surprises and you like sports news, you will like this, catching up on thespots stuff. >> big names a safe progression at the u.s. open. leighton huet produced the biggest shock as he knocked out 16 to 1, pontro. alise reports reporter>> 5 citizen in the sweetest of victories, hewism tt. >> it's a hell of a lot of fun. i will tell you that. i cherish every match i get out here. this is why i still play, to have moments like this. >> two former u.s. open

champions, adele partro had eight years on the australian, turning back the clock, 6th seed and advanced the third round. >> he is a great champion, great fighter and for the second round, it round, it's a difficult player. >> andy murray dropped a set for the first time in his title defense then recovered to be argentina's lee nard 0. and he will be in the final 32 on sunday. >> obviously, i want to keep improving as the tournament goes on. it's not -- you know, you want to play your best at the beginning. i hope i can get better. >> top seed had two set points in the opener against benjamin becker, the 2011 champion rediscovered his form to win the next two, 6-2, 6-2 >> it was a struggle.

different conditions on the first match. i knew that he is a dangerous player. he served -- serves well. >> serena williams' quest to be the oldest female u.s. open winner continues. she crushed shordova in straight sets and set up a date with one season with only three women to beat her this year. manchester city has bounced back from their shock loss to cardiff in the english premier league, they defeated hull city a short time ago. the goals came from nagrado and a stunning free kick. fo crystal palace holds sunderlands. the munich, for the final defeat beating chelsea to win the uaeaf super cup. they made this year's match all the more interesting.

down ten men leading 2-1, chelsea looked to have sealed the victory, but that was until martinez made it 2-all and forced them out due to penalties. both sides have perfect records until chelsea's kaku stepped up for a spot kick but missed. 5-4. >> my opinion, the best team lost. but sometimes it happens in football. not always the best thing, the best team wins, not always the team that deserves more win again. so, is it acceptable? >> i am unhappy. not just one, two, all of them. so, it win, chelsea, to win, chelsea tmourinho is always, always, always so difficult. for that reason, we are so happy. >> a long wait for the transfer

of garrett bale from tottenham, to madrid, back in action on sunday. in the league, lavante switched a late win. the three minutes into injury time when the visitors raced a pitch to net a winner, a 2-1 victory. with another late goal in the game between almaria promoted to alche. the youth signing richmond abote. to queue the final score. phil mikelson shares the lead with brian davis after the opening round of the deutsche bank in boston. this year's champion is 8 under par after a first round 63. tiger woods was also in action having recovered from a recent back injury. he's 5 off pace on 3 under after

carting a 6 -- after carding a 68. >> it was all right. i didn't quite hit it as good as i wanted to today. but the golf course was gettable. i shot a decent number. >> former n.f.l. player aaron hernandez made a brief appearance in a massachusetts court on friday. he was indicted on a murder charge last week in the killing of 27-year-old oden lloyd, a semi professional football player. he is to be arraigned in superior court next friday. he had previously pleaded not guilty to murder and weapons charges. major league baseball, the p pie rates beat the cardinals. garrett jones hit his 100th homer to power the pie rates to a 5-nothing win over st. louis. the victory news, the pie rates, the cardinals on top of the national league central division. adrienne gonzalez hit a pair of homers to defeat the padres 9-2. the dodgers have a 10 and a half

game lead over the arizona diamond backs in the national league west division. a new zealand pair have set a new mark in their dominance of rowing. they claimed the men's world championships in south korea, their 16th consecutive victory. a new world record, their 4th consecutive gold medal in the event at the world championships. that's all of your sport for now. back to you. >> thanks so much. fans of vincent van gogh can get closer to his work than before t state of t state-of-the-art is re pp plea indicating his works in 3d. here is a look and a feel. >> look but don't touch, the golden gallery room, tennessee of millions of dollars worth of art in that frame alone. no wonder this oil masterpiece is well-protected from oily

fingers. this one, though, sport the difference? it's very difficult to do so. almost impossible. the one on the right is a relief-o, a 3-d rep pre can a where every stroke has been replicated. 19th century art, 20th sent treaty tree style. >> it takes three months, it gives a little bit of a hint of how difficult it is. you can only do it if you have access to the real painting. so the real painting needs to be scanned, which is, of course, also, you have to do that with -- really handle with care. >> the relievos is in very different markets. those people who want to physically experience the art. this painting is 124 years old. you cannot touch it. but you can touch this, the idea is that these will appeal to those who want to feel the art, those who are visually impaired, students who really want to touch a masterpiece. and then you've got the people who want to own the affirmative.

an original like this is worth somewhere in the region of $50 million. and it's not even for sale. the relievos are not cheap. if you want one of these or one of these, you will need to find around $30,000. for those who can evert it, it is probably the nearest they will get to owning a general article. >> great for them but great for art in general. it's the critics that need convincing. >> it devalues the originals because, why, if you could see a great reproduction anywhere in the world for a lot less money maybe, why would you still go to a museum to see the original? >> despite the similarities, there is one major difference here. >> this is not actual oil. this is not paint. >> no. it's -- it's a kind of really special -- it is a kind of inc. >> which makes it pricey for what you are getting but also incredibly unique. only a small number of relievos are being produced.

most will have to settle for a significantly smaller, cheaper print instead. amsterdam. let's remind you of our main story now, russia's president is criticizing the u.s. threat of strikes against syria. vladimir putin says the accusation bashar al-assad's government used chemical weapons is utter nonsense. he says using military force against it would be unacceptable and violate international law. but all 13 u.n. and weapons inspectors have now left syria. they drove from damascus to beirut in neighboring lebanon and the u.s. president says he is still undecided on action against asad's regime but barack obama says he is considering a limited and narrow response to the alleged chemicalcal weapons use. well, that brings us to the end of this hour of news. we will be back with news in just a couple of minutes. just stay with us here on

al jazeera. [ music ] same champs as english and arabic channels. disorder in a mexico court. why this judge lost his cool.

why some critics say the school is setting the kids up for failure.

saudi arabia for that. ♪ welcome to al jazeera. i am richelle carry. the world is waiting and watching to see what kind of action the u.s. will take against syria. the u.s. navy has a 5th destroyed deployed. conference calls are planned this afternoon. meanwhile, protests are expected to take place in washington and other cities. syria's president, bashar al-assad said his country will defend itself in the face of any aggression. footage of military weapons and shouldersl soldiers performing drills of patriotic music. assad's regime blamed the august 21st chemical attackn