>> welcome to the news hour. the top stories, still divided on syria, france and russia publicly disagree over who to blame for last month's chemical attacks. >> the former navy reservist who killed 12 people in a mass shooting at a washington military base. >> rebels in the philippines.

>> the costa concordia is upright again. >> france and russia have publicly disagreed over who is responsible for last month's chemical attack in damascus. seeking a tough resolution at the u.n. secure council that carries the threat of force, there's a wrist between the approach of the two countries and russia is unwilling to countenance military action. >> we discussed in detail the situation especially rewarding syria. we don't have discrepancies with the end goal, which we'd like to see for the syrian people. to restore peace on the solvency and integrity of the country, insuring the rights of all the groups, the goal is shared by moscow and paris, though there are differences on how to achieve it. >> what we were not able to

achieve in geneva one we can get done in two. the best case would be for the assad government and opposition to meet up and work in the direction of a solution, and the sooner, the better, it's only then we can stop syrian tragedy. >> we've got our correspondents jacki roland in paris and fred in moscow. fred, still seeing key differences between france and russia over first the threat of military force in any security council resolution and secondly over who used those chemical weapons. >> yeah, the russians say that if you put this threat into the security council resolution, which has got to be decided on pretty soon, in the next few days, that that will just make it impossible to carry out the liquidation of chemical weapons in syria.

i don't know how that's going to be resolved, but one way or the other, probably within the next few days. the longer term problem is that they just completely disagree about who may have used the chemical weapons. everybody agrees since the u.n. report that they were used. the russians still insist the evidence is flimsy, that they have other evidence that suggests the rebels do have these types of ordinance that were used and that in any case, investigations proper, full investigations, not only of that august 21 event, but three previous ones haven't been carried out yet. >> jacki, we did see some agreement on the issue of geneva two, both saying the peace conference was a shared goal. it didn't seem they came any

closer on the other issues which divided them. >> well with, no. the two foreign ministers share the same line, saying they both have the same objective, it's just where they die verge is how to actually achieve those objectives. and the tactics to achieve the summon goal of achieving a political solution in syria, respecting the rights of different ethnic and minority groups in the country. the key issue is the question of what role, if any, the threat, be it threat of force, could be. we heard the point of view that the russians say any threat of force would be counter productive. the french and their british and american allies argue the exact

opposite, saying it's only because of the continued pressure, the and occasion of a credible threat of use of force up until now, which has enabled progress to be made, notably, the acknowledgment by the syrian authorities that they do possess chemical weapons and the agreement to enter into the framework and member of the organization for the prohibition of chemical weapons. the french are arguing our methods have produced results, we need to formalize in the text of a u.n. security council resolution the threat of consequences if the sirens don't comply and that's something the russians feel very strongly against. that's the limbo we are still in, the language, the fine tuning of the language until there can be attacks that possibly members of the security council could sign up to. >> jacki, thanks very much

indeed. fred wier in moscow. >> a civil war rages on in syria. we have more on the fight. >> rebel fighters advance in the western front in the battle. they still haven't been able to secure one of their prime target. this building was once a scientific research institute. it's now a de facto military base for president bashar al assad's army. the rebels have set up camp a few must not meters away and have the building in their sights. >> the scientific research center is the first point controlled by government forces entering from the west. we managed to completely liberate the west. our focus is now this building. the regime has armored tanks and soldiers inside as well as hezbollah and munitions. >> anything that moves inside the building is a target for rebel snipers. opposition fighters have also

launched explosives for days now. >> some of the fighters were able to infiltrate the base and kill 11 soldiers, including foreeye raines. >> a look around the area surrounding the base and the destruction is clear, another indication of just how devastating this war continues to be. aljazeera. >> in the united states, the f.b.i. identified the man they believe shot dead 12 people in washington, d.c. monday. police are investigating 34-year-old defense contractor aaron alexis, killed in a shootout with security at the washington navy yard. kimberly is live for us in washington, d.c. how is washington coming to terms with the terror of yesterday? >> well, they are beginning to

react slowly, coming back to life, if you will, the streets are now reopened. in fact, the people are around the neighboring businesses and homes are starting to walk around again. it's a bit of a -- it was anker resilence and now seems that people are starting to come out of their homes and look around and see exactly what happened. it's hard to believe that just 24 hours ago, this very street was filled with emergency vehicles. the navy yard has not yet reopened to full staff. thousands are staying at home, just essential personnel will be at the navy yard today. many families say they just want to spend time with they are loved ones and take advantage of some of the counseling that is being offered to them. >> of course the investigation is focusing on aaron alexis. what more do we know about him? >> well, a picture is emerging as someone with a very troubled past, someone with a history of

anger management issues. we know that he had had several altercation with the law involving firearms, but that he had also been treated for mental health issues. he had been seeking treatment at what's known as the veteran's administration for sleep disorders, paranoia, as well as problems with managing severe anger. >> friends of 34-year-old aaron alexis describe him as a quiet person, and an admirer of world cultures. he became a member of this fort worth buddhist temple in 2010, where he meditated and ran errands. >> he was very quiet, and very helpful for the temple. the tex is where he met this man, describes alexis as his best friend. he owns this thai restaurant just down the street from the temple. alexis was a deliver man here. >> it's unbelievable. all these people know aaron. this is my customers that know

aaron for a long time. he is a nice person. >> he says alexis lived with him for three years. that was after alexis had been kicked out of his own amount for having shot a bullet into the unit above him. alexis told police at the time it was an accident. he was never charged. his friend said alexis carried a gun with him at all times, even while at work. >> he tried to get something from to want, you know and the shirt lift up, i can see his gun. i told him all the time, please, you have to keep the gun in the car or leave the gun in the house, don't bring it here. >> other friends say he had an obsession with violent video gales. he left his friend's house five months ago when a new job with a military contractor took him to japan. michael says alexis returned home upset, complaining the contractor wasn't paying him. >> he really felt like they

should have paid him when they took him to tokyo. it was, you know, he loved to be able to travel, but when he came back, he talked about how they didn't give the money that he said. >> you richard said that was one of the last conversations he had with alexis. it wasn't until monday morning that he saw the news, and he's been in disbelief since. >> heidi zhou-castro, aljazeera, fort worth texas. >> the chief of police taken hostage by separatist fighters in the southern city has been released. he tried to negotiate with leaders from the national liberation front. >> reunited with their loved ones after nine days of uncertainty, more than 100 hostages have been rescued by the military. three soldiers were killed in the operation, which came after

fighting. >> we were caught up in the middle of the fighting, the military was at the front, while they were hiding behind us. they used us as human shields. >> fighters have been holding 200 people hostage. >> with the release of the hostages, many hope this may mean that the crisis will soon be over. >> aljazeera has spoken by phone to the commander who is heading the siege. >> we can't just throw away what we fought for for more than 40 years. we have no choice but to go back to the struggle. even if we're all finished here, the problem will not be involved, because they still won't give us recognition, but there are knows who will replace us. there wasn't be an end to this

within only death can stop us. >> the fighters are dough handing the agreement of a peace pact the group signed with the philippine government, opposing government peace talks with another separatist group. >> no one needs to die. they can fight what they believe in through other means, legal means, not like this. >> but the fighters say they have reached the point of no surrender. aljazeera, southern philippines. >> still to come here on this news hour, mexico underwater. the country faces the worst flooding in 40 years. plus. >> i'll be reporting on this group of young men. >> coming up in sports, the world's most expensive fooler prepares for his champion's league debut.

>> engineers pulled the costa concordia upright in a 19 hour operations. we report from the island. >> it took all of the day and most of the night, but after a tense 19 hours, the costa concordia was back upright, though still lying low in the water. the cruise ship was wrestled off the rocks, now resting on a specially built underwater platform, exposing the full extent of the damage for the first time. the residents of the island gave the engineers a hero's welcome. they have lived in the shadow of the wreck for over 20 months. >> i was overjoyed. it's unbelievable the amount of work that has been employed in such an extraordinary operation. >> i'm happy they pulled it upright. i'll be happier once they move it out of here. >> this phase is over, but the

search for the two victims never found begins. divers will be able to explore parts of the ship previously impassable and then the 1,500 cabins will be searched and the passengers belongings or what's 11 of them recovered. >> so far, the operation has cost $800 million, a figure that will grow. crews say insurance won't cover the costs. >> the next step is the refloating of the ship. it will take sometime, because now we have brought the vessel in the upright position, and what we have to do is to put the numbers on the side and then eventually, we will refloat the vessel with the help. >> this fleeting city will sit for at least another eight months, a reminder of the human

error of its captain and now of the incredible achievement of the engineers. aljazeera. >> two severe forms killed at least 40 in mexico. more rain is expected in a region that's just seen the worst flooding in decades. we report. dozens of lives lost, thousands of homes damaged or completely destroyed. this is the aftermath of the worst storm season mexico has seen in decades. a state of emergency is in place as heavy rains are still hampering rescue work. >> we are waiting for boats to take us across. we've been waiting since last night and there is no sign of help from the authorities. >> these are manual and ingrid, storms hiking mexico i'm you willtainsly from two ends. ingrid brought rainfall and landslides to the northern coast

while manuel flooded much of the pacific coasts. bridges were dali damaged. major roads have been blocked and air traffic disrupted. >> provoked by two simultaneous meteorological events one on the pacific and the other atlantic ocean, there have been three states not affected. state authorities say they are providing food and she willer as best as they can. for more than three dozen people, man made defenses were no match for the extreme weather phenomenon. >> a family grieves their loved ones, dozens are still missing, warnings of flash flood and landslides are in place. the government fears the death toll may rise.

>> more than 600 people are still missing after flash floods in the u.s. state of colorado. in some areas, the clean up that begun with people coming back to homes buried in layers of mud. we report. >> relentless and powerful, the water flowed down, paying no heed to the fragile works of man kind. of mankind, roads, houses, possessions, lives. the water moved, and hayden court was just in its way. jennifer moved into her new house only six weeks ago. down in her baseman, there's a thick layer of mud and a foul river smell. irreplaceable tokens lay ruined in the muck. [ crying ] >> that's all gone.

yeah, it's just gone. >> she has no flood insurance, but even with all the damage, she sees redemption. >> i'm safe, you know, allison, my sister, is safe, my dog's safe and the people in this neighborhood are safe, which what's really important is not this stuff. >> up and down hayden court, wrecked cars, huge chunks of asphalt and toppled lampposts testify to the power of thursday's flood. people are taking stock, and figuring out what to do next. emergency workers cleared debris. roland robinson helped his parents scoop muck from their garage. nina larson, with an injured leg, was at home with her 13-year-old son and one of his friends when the water started swirling up fast. she saw her car swept away. >> it was a time span of probably two to three minutes from when the water hit the bottom of the tires on our car,

went all the way up. we watched it go all the way over and take it down the road. >> larson and two boys were trapped for eight hours before rescuers came in a boat. in the meantime, her husband, jeff, swam across flooded fields, battling the heavy current to get to his family. >> you lose all thought of yourself. you just have to get to your family. that's it. >> emergency workers say they'll have the power back on in a day or two, but the repair work and the clean up will take a lot longer than that. none of the families who live here on hayden court will ever forget the day the waters rose. >> let's get the weather now. how is it looking for colorado over the next days no. >> it is now looking somewhat

dryer and brighter. you can see from those pictures that the sun has at long last come out. you can see denver, colorado on the picture here. little bits and pieces of clouds around, there was clouds in the background of the report from colorado. the process is now making its way further east. we say weather heading up toward the midwest as we go on, not just the remainder of today, but into wednesday. denver, generally fine and dry. a bit of clouds across parts of new mexico. that will nudge towards texas, a drought going on here. the rain pushing do texas, that could well be good news. we have got a few showers coming into that east he were side of colorado as we go on through thursday, hopefully not affecting those worst affected areas we have seen there. wet weather continues to drive up towards the lakes, brighter, cooler weather coming in behind

at aren't 20 degrees celsius. pleasant sunshine coming in here and further we have, coming further south, we have been hearing about mexico and the storm problems we have had here. quite a bit of clouds still very much in place across southern mexico will remain the case through the next day or two. quite a few showers there into east he were parts of mexico, pushling up with showers across parts of texas as we go on through wednesday and thursday. that wet weather staying in place. we may well see the flooding conditions continue through parts of mexico, through parts of central america. elsewhere across the caribbean, it's sunshine and showers. >> we're getting reports of heavy fighting in egypt's north sinai region. the military has been carrying out an operation against armed rebels for several weeks now. witnesses say there are patchy helicopters flying over the

area, and the military has said its targeting rebels weapons stores. >> to zimbabwe where the opposition has prevented the opening of parliament. the july elections are claimed to be rigged. we have more from the capitol. >> the opening of parliament in zimbabwe is always a big occasion and colorful. you've got the horses that come in when he arrives in his vintage rolls royce. you've got the presidential guards, the 211 salute, people sing the anthem. people curious have come to hear the occasion and hear what he has to say. in his speech, he is promising to fix the lives of all in

zimbabwe. the presidential guard of honor, it's a specific occasion. a lot of people look forward to it. the main concern is how much is this all going to cost. this is the biggest parliament in the countries history. the officials say there are just too many of them. they won't fit in the chamber. most people in zimbabwe want jobs, better health care, better education for their children and to be able to buy food for their families. the president, the cabinet, the leadership in the country say they will do more to help struggling citizens. >> in the war crimes trial, witness's identity was concealed, she told the court how her family home had been burned down. more than 1,000 people were killed in the violence after elections in late 2007 in kenya. >> international donors promised

$1.8 billion in reconstruction aid for somalia. the boosts was announced when the president methadone nors in brussels. the europeanin is committing more than $800 million to that aid package. >> now, the rwanda patriotic front is on course for a landslide victories in he election. they have won 76% have the vote with three quarters of the ballots now counted. our east africa correspondent has been watching the vote from the capitol. >> rwandans understand security. this is the third parliamentary election since the genocide. although that was almost 20 years ago, its legacy still lies at the heart of politics here.

that's why the party that's controlled the government since the blood-letting ended is almost certainly to win an overwhelming majority. a relaxed president cavity his vote. >> i don't think there is ever an easy win, but a win is a win, so i just hope for a win. >> it is such a dominant force that other parties complain there is almost no space for opposition. this man thinks it's more sinister. his party's leader is in prison. he says the other parties are in

bed. >> they face political opposition, but they are not really political opposition parties. they are working with them. >> this election seems to be trouble-free with no incidents of violence or attempts to interfere with the call either in the ballot boxes or during the campaign. the count is relatively simple, voters simply choose between party lists, not individual candidates. are, a feature designed to destroy struggles for power. >> there are 26 seats reserved for women, two for the youth and one for the disabled to be decided in separate elections. we won't know the final makeup of parliament until of the end of the week. >> the r.p.f. will win the

election. they took 78% of the vote the last time around. there is nothing to suggest the support has eroded. >> still to come here on the news hour: >> we're all professionals, we all know the score. >> a new grand theft auto hits the market, bigger and better than ever. it could rake in a billion dollars. >> american zack johnson takes a step closer to a $10 million jackpot. we have all the details coming up in sports after the break. ç]

>> we have the headlines. france and russia are still divided over what to do next in syria. the french minister said evidence in a u.n. report proves syrian governments involvement in the chemical attack. it is called a provocative act by rebels by russia. >> separatist fighters in the philippines have been released. >> the f.b.i. says a suspected gunman who shot and killed 12 in washington was a defense subcontractor. aaron alexis killed five police during a shooting free at the washington navy yard on monday. >> syria accused turkey of escalating tensions on their

border. that's after turkey shot down a syrian helicopter when it apparently entered turkish air space. for more, we are near the turkish syrian border. tell us the turk issue thinking on this. why did turkey react in this way? >> well, you could describe it, i think truly as a perfect storm. it's an intriguing location where this happened. it wasn't a dense population center on either side, but it was a clear border violation or at least according to the map provided by the turk issue military, it was. the sirens around disputing that. the turkish made it clear when one of its planes went into syrian air space and it was fired upon that they would

respond. the tensions are much higher because of the planned then stayed american air strikes. the turkish military said the fighter jets that ended up shooting down that requireian military helicopter were in the air patrolling when the violation happened. you've got a little dispute about the details. the sirens say that the helicopter was on a mistaken trip across the border, that it was heading home and it was an act of aggression by the turks. the turks say the helicopter had been throwing barrel bombs blow it at some point. there is some argument about how far the helicopter actually fell on the syrian side, as in perhaps however the engagement went on into the syrian air space once it happened, but there you are, the turks clearly feeling they needed to draw a line, defend their territory, and that's what they've done.

the turkish foreign minister called this a punishment operation and said that no one would dare do something like this again, so a great deal of grandstanding going on over this. >> just how much tension is there at the border? >> the bored's getting worse every month. we've just had in the last couple of hours news of yet another car bomb on the road leading to, but not actually on the syrian side of the crossing. now, this is possibly the most dangerous crossing between turkey and syria. we've seen a car bomb that killed turks and syrians back in february. we saw a syrian air strike on the crossing targeting a refugee convoy back in april of this year. this latest car bomb so far back from the turkish crossing that you could just see the smoke on the horizon is on the road back inside to syria. we know of one fatality so far, many were expecting more is

indicative of a worsening security situation across the line. this is what the turks are worried about and partly what's behind their strong response in this event. the turks are very worried that they're going to be left alone to handle a deteriorating civil war right on their largest southern border, completely alone. the european powers, the western powers have pulled back. anyway toe is present, but not in the great force. the patriot missiles won't stop everything the occurrens could lob across and turkey is very concerned. we're hearing that from their voices, that they are being left dealing with this essentially single handed. there's back up, but it's not there with him. >> thank you for that. >> a senior member of an opposition party is sentenced to death. he had originally been given a

life sentence for war crimes, but that sentence was rejected following massive protests calling for him to be hanged. >> when he was given a life sentence for his part in bangladesh's war of independence, that should have been the end of the matter, but it was not how thousands saw it. many claim the sentence did not reflect the severity of his crimes. murder, rape, and torture, so they took to the streets demanding he be hanged. in response, the parliament amended the law to allow the prosecution to appeal the verdict. those who had called for the death penalty welcomed tuesdays decision. >> i am very happy from my heart and soul, justice done. >> while his lawyers say the ruling is unconstitutional. >> you don't need to be a lawyer to understand that if parliament changes the legal position to ensure that a person is sentenced to death, that something is wrong. >> the government claims

3 million people were killed during the nine month war of independence in 1971, but other sources put the figure as less. all six men convicted are members of the army, the third largest political party in bangladesh and key ally of the main opposition blank la deb national party. critics claim the war crimes trials are politically motivated and human rights group accuse the court of lacking impartiality. more than 100 deaths since january, now that the death sentence is pronounced, more protests are likely to follow. >> in mallabor be is that, the trial of people accused of waging war against the state.

>> monday 50th anniversary situation included a reminder of a recent threat to the state, and a tribute to how malaysia's armed forces have dealt with an around invasion. in february, 200 people armed with guns arrived in motor boats from the philippines and took over a tiny fishing village, asserting a centuries old claim that it belonged not to malasia. it took three weeks to get them out. twenty policeman, malasia soldiers were president fight. their defense will be that they were simply filipinos who found

themselves in the wrong place at the wrong time. >> in trying to get people tried for their offenses, maybe there was a little bit of overzealousness on the part of the armed forces. i'm not saying they went out to pick up people, but perhaps the people they wanted to pick up were no longer around. it was really left to pick up whoever was available. >> such is the complexity of the case and the amount of evidence that needs to be prepared. the judge postponed the proceedings. the full trial of the 30 accused won't begin until early next year. it will get little attention when it does. the charges include waging war against the king, an attack on a malaliciaen state and that carries the death penalty.

>> the sale of 6% of lloyd raised some $5 billion. it's a first step to recover taxpayers money and return banks back to the private sector. >> the dutch government still struggling to balance its books, the deficit set to increase next year. >> it's fresh, innovative and unique. the attributes of this new, healthy fast food grocery store are exactly those many experts say the dutch government would do well to follow to boost the economy. instead, there's likely to be cuts and tax increases that many fear will stifle recovery. >> of course, it will be very, very nice if the government would support entrepreneur ship. >> and start yous. >> it helps the economy and for us specifically, it will help us. >> there's a lot of limitations and restrictions in order that

get that loan and fortunately, we didn't have that problem, but we know from other people that they have a harder team getting the necessary finance to start their business. >> the netherlands, outspoken advocates of fiscal pay as a cure or its own ills has found itself in unwelcome company, as the economic recovery left it among a handful still in recession. >> no one is suggesting that the netherlands will need anything like a bailout. of course its fiscal figures generally are much better than it's southern euro zone partners, but it's currently economic difficulties do make it more difficult to preach financial wreckty attitude to o. >> part of austerity was our

signal that we can't flaunt the 3% deficit rule, because we don't want the others to do it as well. i think it would have been helpful had we all been more lenient and taken a little bit more time before reducing the budgets. >> outside the capital's business school, students are pessimistic. >> in a couple of years, when i finish my study, i think that it will be hard for me. >> i don't think they have to cut back even more, because i think a lot of people suffer from those cutbacks. >> it seems that the recipe for the country's economic success still has to be cooked up. aljazeera, amsterdam. >> now, grand theft auto five is out. it's the latest installment for the video gaming industry's most profitable and controversial series. it puts the industry in direct competition with movie block busters.

>> watch the official trailer for grand theft auto five and you might think you're watching the trailer for a hollywood blockbuster film. you'd be wrong. >> back in the game? >> i guess. >> if you think video games look and feel more and more like big budget films, you'd be right. >> the lines are blurred between what a movie looks like and video game looks like. it's high-def, c.g.i., very life like in the representation of people and things in these games and they're starting to rival movies as far as the look and feel. it's quite amazing. >> it's not just the look and feel of the video games, it's the money. grand theft auto four released in 2008 cost a reported $100 million to produce. fast forward five years, the budget for grand theft auto five, roughly $265 million, making it not only the most expensive video game ever made, but one that has a bigger budget than nearly all hollywood film. >> video games today can cost a

>> the rewards are huge. in 2012, video game sales made more money than the box office. with domestic earnings well over $14 billion, compared to the $11 billion brought in by the movie studios, yet the release of a new video game doesn't generate anywhere near the same level of buzz that a major motion picture does. >> because the industry has such faithful fans, gaming expert says gamers can afford to take a different marketing approach. >> rock star, on the other hand, generally take a less is more approach where press is concerned, and so the release of just a single rock star trailer or even just a few screen shots from a game almost becomes an event. it's a huge deal, because they keep the audience really hungry. >> and with the price point of $60 or more for each game, the industry is on the fast track to break even more records, as it continues to try and keep hollywood in the rear-view mirror. jennifer london, aljazeera, hollywood, california.

>> david court is with us from london, a p.c. advisor technology review website. does it live up to the hype? >> i think so, yeah. i mean, it has been going since 1997 and always delivered. it's got a massive following. it's the first game launched in four years, so, it's hard to say, but i think five has got people cueing around the blocks. >> people seem to be very, very excited about this particular game and people are talking about the amount of money that's been spent to make it, that the amazing computer graphics there, it's like this sector of the entertainment industry is taking over from the movie blockbuster. >> yeah, that's right. i mean, i think i read this

morning that it cost 117 million pounds to make, and they are expects sales of $1 billion. they've are obviously doing something right here. i think it's a game that offers more freedom and realism than other games. you've got a fan base that are very loyal. >> is it controversial there? like all the grand theft auto games, the whole game is based on stealing cars, prostitution, swearing, violence. is there a morality issue here. >> i think it is, like i said, it's based on all those things, but t.v. an film cover those things, as well. i don't see the problem. because it comes with it. my friends play the games and none of them have robbed banks or stole cars. i don't see an issue with it. >> is this the way video games are going, they're getting bigger and noisier and more

complex, more realistic? >> i think so. the interesting thing is that this is the end of the current cycle, play station and x box, there is a new x box is place coming out in november, so this is a good game right now. the real next step comes next year, possibly the next grand theft auto game the next couple of years. >> there's going to be another one, excellent. i look forward you to speaking with you about that, as well. thank you for joining us from london. >> thank you. >> still to come here on the news hour, we'll be taking you to meet the bikers of baghdad. >> in sports, the rugby player who pulled a prank on the wish prime minister. we'll have all the details on that. ç]

>> welcome back. when you live in baghdad where bombs go off almost every day, not always easy to relax, but we met one group of young men who's hobby provides an escape. >> like many youth the world over, showing off comes naturally. this loosely affiliated group of young men call themselves the baghdad knights. an empty stretch of road is a rare thing and they take advantage to let off steam and perform tricks.

their leader calls himself amar jacki chan. the weekend is about the bike and finding something to do. >> we set up the club, because there is nothing else to do. the government doesn't provide us with places to go. this provides us a chance to get together and enjoy our bikes. >> some of the bikes can reach high speeds and all the tricks are self taught. it's not just a risky business safety wise, but legally as well. >> using the road like this is technically illegal and the authorities harass the baghdad knights by law, which means they often have to change locations. >> despite what the group calls harassments, they'll never give up their bikes. >> this runs in my blood. it's been a hobby since i was a child. no matter what the police do to us, i will never quit.

>> getting decent bikes and equipment into iraq is difficult and expensive. every penny spent on these bikes give the crew a sense of identity in this post war. these men are old enough to remember the worst of the war. bikes give them a chance to think about something other than violence and security and offers them a reason to look forward to the weekend. aljazeera, baghdad. >> it's time for sports now. >> many of europe's top football clubs will be in action tuesday as the group stages of the championship gets underway. the world's most expensive footballer is expected to make his european debut for real madrid. we report. >> stepping up in europe is the big challenge that awaits. it's two years, he hopes to

deliver again as they begin a quest for a 10th title. >> i think the premier league is the most important competition in the world. it's excited, because it's my first game with real madrid. >> they start their defense in motte ski, the german champions are understated, but they've been criticized for playing lethargic football that lacks emotion. >> i notice that matesa is like me. he can share his opinions after the match. >> he takes cardinal for the first time. the former liverpool defender is

in his first season at manager. >> i've been in the league 12-15 years now. i've always wanted to get to the champions league. i've done everything i possibly can to try and make that happen. >> man city captain could make his return from injury. >> there are eight matches played on tuesday. >> dominated by german club, do you think it's going to happen again this season? >> it's going to be very difficult for them.

they are an extremely strong team that started well in the league again. i think the group's ok with c.s.k. moscow in the group, also manchester city, playing tonight in the czech republic. i think they are in quite a situation with the group, but to go all the way, six of eight teams playing this night, no team has successful i defended the championship. it's going to be very difficult for them. manchester will have to be better this season. they've not gone through the group stages before. there is a lot of money going to that club. this is the year they have to perform. for manchester united with david in charge now, their group looks well, starting off, expecting to come through their group. it will be interesting to see how another rich club, of course, very, very ambitious, will they have an even better championship season in the

league. >> let's talk about real madrid. we have a former chelsea player in this game. >> well, it's intriguing, isn't it, that you're talking the group, but while real madrid goes into this champion lead as the third best time behind barcelona and yet have the two most expensive signings in football history. we are expecting bale to play. watch them play, and watch them as a defender, those two coming out. it's going to be very difficult coming at them on the break. bale made such a big impact, that's what led to this megamoney signing. it will be absolutely fascinating to see how he does in european football starting with this game. >> thank you very much for that. >> liverpool back to the top of

the english premiere league. four goals put them ahead after just two minutes against his former club. he then gave the ball away for both of liverpool's goals. he netted his fourth of the season and set up by shelby to buy liverpool a fourth straight win. >> so this is how the table is looking with liverpool a point clear of arsenal. next up is a home game against south hampton while sunday sees the first of the season. >> and you says football federation will pursue compensation from fifa if the world cup is switched to winter months. it lost out to qatar bidding in the event.

more than $40 million was spent on the sale bid. no compensation will be offered if the event is moved. the matter will be debated at an executive committee meeting in zurich next month. >> tennis player has indicated that he will appeal a nine month doping ban. the world number 24 tested positive to a ban stimulant in april. he claims that he was unaware that he consumed the substance while taking a glucose tablet. the punishment has been back dated to may, so the former word number nine will return to action in february. >> american zack johnson hit a bogey free round to win the championship. the 2007 masters champion finished on 16 under par to win by two strokes. this is the pen ultimate event of the fedex cup, 30 players advancing to the tour

championship in atlanta. >> the depth and parity on the tour in the world, in the sport, is second to none. i mean, it's just extremely difficult, because everybody is playing at a high level and there are so many incentives to work and get better. >> a prank was played on british prime minister david cameron. he made a bunny ears gesture behind the leader's head posing for a people photo during a visit to downing street. it's not the first time he has been in trouble. he was find for jumping from a ferry during the 2011 word cup. >> very mature. >> i love it. i love it. that's it from us. i'll be back straight after the break with more. see you in just a little bit.

on inside story, we bring together unexpected voices closest to the story, invite hard-hitting debate and desenting views and always explore issues relevant to you. my name is jonathan betz. i'm from dallas, texas, and i'm an anchor for al jazeera america. >>my name is ranjani chakraborty, i'm from houston, texas. >>i'm kim bondy. >>nicole deford. >>and i'm from new orleans. >>san francisco, california. when i was a little kid, i just really loved the news. >>news was always important

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♪ theme >> welcome to aljazeera. i'm del walters. we are bringing you live special coverage from washington, d.c. flags there and around the country are at half staff in honor of the 12 victims killed yesterday at the washington navy yard. also today, defense secretary chuck hagel will be laying a wreath in honor of those who lost their lives. randall, what is the mood there today? >> we've seen the navy yard staff entering, most stayed home. they have been told not to speak to the press