>> this is al jazeera, in the 60 minutes syria cooperates with u.n. inspectors, handing over details of irchemical stock piles for the first time. in mexico, 50,000 people are stranded. >> reporter: hello, we have all the news from europe, storming

in arctic. and in germany, coalitions going neck and neck two days before election. and we have all your sports. the plan who runs european football gives his official backing to winter cup in qatar. >> united nations inspectors say the syrian government has handed over details of its chemical weapons stock pile. they say this is the first time they've seen any cooperation from damascus, and they're expecting to get more information in coming days. let'let's go to the united natis in new york. where does this put the diplomatic efforts. >> it appears that the syrian government is making good on its promise to disarm and dismantle it's chemical weapons program,

at least the first stage of this promise, while the international community has yet to live up to its end of the bargain. this is just a partial list, and more disclosures are expected in order to get every up to par and live up to these obligations. but it is seen widely as a positive first step. meanwhile, the organization for the prohibition of chemical weapons postpone a meeting that was supposed to take place this supplied which was supposed to approve the plan set out from russia and the united states, the framework of the dismantling of syria's program by 2010. so that has pushed back discussions here for the united nations on the resolution they need in order to make that happen to put that all in place. >> i imagine that might prove

further in the united states, and all the countries of the world, in many ways they hoped to have that out of the way by then. >> reporter: absolutely. there is still a sense of urgency among diplomats to get this done because they've been meeting to try to make that happen. but now that the meeting has been postponed. no new date has been set as of yet. it's unclear when this can happen. they need the opcw to give its approval under the framework set out between the united states and russia before they can move forward and vote on this resolution. also, too, there is this issue that the university council needs to scenario o agree on a . >> reporting as senior government officials would say this is a stalemate, but now a change intact on tha in tact on.

>> yes, the deputy employment for economic affairs is now changing his tune a bit. he's stressing that the government is most--is changing its tune. he said that he believes the assad government is trying to change, and the biggest threat to the country right now is foreign intervention, back pedaling away from those amounts that he made saying that neither side was strong enough to win the conflict, and predicting that assad would call for a cease-fire if and when the peace conference was held in the further.

>> the fighting trapped many syrians on the border. >> we have been waiting at the gate for three days to cross into syria. we see the syrian army, and so the crossing has been closed.

>> reporter: there's no telling yet when and how this stand off will end. in any event, the al-qaeda are not leaving the town. the release of all hostages, the return of all property, and the islamic state of iraq to pull back to the other side of azaz. but so far these conditions at best have been partially met. little on the ground has changed, and both sides have been reinforced by more fighters, and more weapons. the field hospital in azaz seized is still under their control. they wanted to capture some of the doctors there, despite their work treating opposition fighters were considered spies. what happened to the medical staff is still not known. the fighting here has paralyzed this vital border crosses.

if this territory is lost to an al-qaeda group, then they will become their next-door neighbor. >> 165 people are believed to be missing in mexico after being hit by two tropical storms. the city of acapulco short on food and aid. road traffic has been paralyzed and 50,000 tourists are still stranded. we're live in mexico city. this has been going on for what, seven, eight, nine days now. is there any real progress being made in getting help to these people, and to those who had to get out of the area all together? >> reporter: well, the biggest

progress being made today, friday, here in mexico city is that they just opened the major highway linking acapulco and mexico city, it's a four- to five-hour drive. and they expect 20 to 30,000 vehicles coming back from acapulco along the hig highway. there will be buses, people who didn't lose their cars in the flooding, mexican tourists will be high tailing it back to the city. other than this transportation break through you're still seeing chaos, and people weighing for flights have been waiting for days. and people waiting for food wit, barge versus bees have been bri.

so it's hard to get everything that these people need, and it's been more than six days. it's really rough for them. >> adam, why has it been sod bad? in meteorological terms on the scale of enormity systems, these weren't that bad, yet the damage has been immense. >> reporter: no, exactly. these were tropical storms, they brought a lot of rain, but mexico, by many critics should have been better prepared. we have a long-term housing boom in mexico which has shoddily constructed houses built on these hills of acapulco. aside from the tourist city, it's a very poor city. when it rains, and it rains hards, it creates tributaries

looking for outlets and it created mud slides and it points to poor construction, perhaps corruption, perhaps easy access getting people housing who are clamoring for housing. but there is no long-term plan to build better-constructed houses along the coast lines where rushing waters come with heavy rains. >> thanks very much, indeed. live for us there in mexico city. while mexico mops up the philippines and taiwan are preparing for what could be the most powerful typhoon for them. it's a thousand kilometers wide and expected to hit land on saturday. pretty likely they say the course flash floods early next week. more than a thousand boats return to port along the coast, and coastal villages have been

preparing. we'll tell you why more and more people in india are relying on computers to get by. plus team new zealand put on hold. we have more on that. >> well, russia is threatening to bring criminal charge against greenpeace activists who shift its storm to the bering sea. >> the group was protesting against drilling in arctic wat waters. now russia accused greenpeace of, quote, aggressive and

provocative behavior. and then they seized the arctic sunrise. russia said it was being towed to the nearest port, a journey of three or four days. but the ship is actually heading in the opposite direction. >> the protesters' attempt to bored the arctic drilling platform on wednesday brought reaction from authorities. they used ropes to climb the shear sides but within minutes they were intercepted by coast guard officers in boats. and then more armed coast guards used a helicopter to storm the vessel. a total of 30 activists on board have been arrested. >> all should be released immediately. that's why greenpeace officers

all over the world doing solidarity activities, solidarity days appealing to russian embassies and officers to release our colleagues. >> reporter: the same platform was boarded by protesters back in august as part of an ongoing campaign to highlight environmental risks of exposed arctic. the staff here in the group's moscow office are providing legal and translation assistance and vital gps monitoring. after being told the vessel was being steered west, it shows the ship being taken east into russian territorial waters. it has gotten international publicity. they tried to deliver a letter to the russian consulate in sydney. >> it's clear and disappointing that the russian consulate has

declined to accept even a single letter asking for the release of our activists, and let our residents come back to australia and give back our ship. it's disappointing. >> reporter: so far there has been no comment from the russian foreign ministry of on going administration. and right now they can only watch the gps screens and wait. >> staying in russia, a media there say a russian court has upheld elections. the judge rejected the claims of vote falsification and demands for the recount.

now two peace officers go on trial for failing to help two teenagers in 2005. the pair chase them into a station where they were electrocuted. they were accused of not raising the alarm even though they knew that the youths were in danger. and a french court has fined a woman for accepting her son to school in a t-shirt that said i am a bomb, and it said jihad born on september 11th. the appeal court reversed tha te decision giving suspended jail sentences. german politicians are on the final stretch of campaigning ahead of sunday's elections, and the polls show a close race.

angela merkel coalition just 1% ahead of the leftest opposition. two other polls have them neck and neck, increasing the chances of a right-left ground coalition led by merkel. well giving merkel's conservatives, giving them 45% all together. well, with the election looking so close the race is on to win over the many germans who can't decide who to vote for, and there are many more who have decided not to vote at all. we find out why. >> reporter: with the election imminent, and millions of people still undecided, party candidates are chasing every vote they can get. for smaller parties like the free democrats who are

struggling to cross the 5% threshold for parliament it's a question of survival. >> many people are not worried about political germany. when i ask what are you going to eat on sunday in two weeks, you will tell me, just ask me in two weeks. >> reporter: many germans have turned their backs on politics all together, and they're increasingly vocal. with organized campaigns to encourage others not to vote. the plan, according to one prominent non-voter is to cripple the system by staying away from the polls and start all over again. >> for me going to vote does not mean that i'm participating. i do not believe in the power of the ballot box. i want to solve this problem differently. i want us to have a discussion about the fundamental nature of democracy. >> reporter: it seems an idealistic approach in a country where federal elections are expected to see turnout of 70%.

but in germany that's relatively low. >> if we only have a 70% turnout, so 30% of those eligible to vote do not vote, that will lead to discussion about whether democracy is threatened. >> reporter: in germany the main parties on the left and the right look increasingly similar where their policies overlap in the center. from here it can be difficult to tell them apart, which is why many have chosen not to vote at all. the danger, of course, comes when marginalized groups turn to fringe parties with extreme ideas, which may inpart explain the sudden support for a new anti-euro party ahead of these elections. >> reporter: parties lik, they a trend not to be ignored.

>> the president, denies charges and the trial has been already postponed due to his health. a than grenade has exploded in northern kosovo. it comes after an officer was shot in kosovo north, the first casualty since the bloc took over security in 2008. investigators in romania have dug up skeletons of five political prisoners who appear to have been dug in a mass grave. romania had half million political prisoners under the communist regime. a fifth of them died in detention. >> it was an extermination camp. very dangerous to human life. no clean water to drink and

there was almost no food. people died from disentear and hard punishment. they beat us constantly. the shocking report of exploitation of children over the internet. >> we're at one of the world famous university for a movie premiere. find out who, what, why, and where later in the program. >> you'll heard our correspondent in mexico saying the road between the mexico city and acapulco is now open. wellwe're on that road right now. david mercer, one of the first to make the journey, i would expect they're anxious to get supplies down there as quickly

as possible in. that's right. we're on the sun highway, as it's called, and well, it doesn't look that dramatic necessarily right now, but about five, ten minutes ago there were a few waves of cars that passed through on their way from acapulco going north towards mexico city. so these would be some of the up to 60,000 tourists stranded in acapulco for nearly a week now. what happened here was a tunnel collapsed and the roads have been shut down. this is a major artery, a majority link for those down on holiday in acapulco. we've seen lots of buses traveling down towards acapulco. we've seen big trucks carrying relief goods. the idead with the buses, they can pick up people and bring them back to mexico where they can get to wherever their homes might be. up until now they've been having to fly people out which has been

a difficult operation, and they've been able to take thousands of people out that way, but it's also a lot of people who haven't been able to get on those flights. and it's led to a lot of tension, and even led to confrontation inia acapulco a couple of days ago. >> yes, it's a major tourist destination. how difficult is it going to be for the tourist industry in that area to recover? >> reporter: well, from what we saw when we were there a few days ago, although the area has been pretty devastated in a lot of places, tourism infrastructure is still there. the hardest hit was not necessarily in the hea red zonee hotel zone. it was a surreal situation a few days ago. on the outskirts of some of the areas there were people who lost their houses completely.

houses that have been wiped out, flooded, wiped out by landslides. there were people eating, drinking in the hotel. this is certainly going to be a huge relief for the government to move this many people out. >> thanks very much, indeed. india center banks raised interest rates. and some staples such as onions rates have risen in the last year. >> reporter: cooking for the maximums. this sikh temple prepare lunch for many. it's provided three for those who come. but with the cost of grains and vegetables at a three-year high, this service has never been more important.

>> people can't survive because of the food situation. it doesn't make any difference to our politicians how expensive food has become. i feel bad watching all this on television. when i come here i feel better because food is available 24 hours a day. >> reporter: about 20,000 people eat here every day. many are from poor or middle class backgrounds and are the hardest hit on food prices which rows to 18% in august. the price of onion, a staple in the diet here, have increased by almost 250% in the last year. the government says it's part of a predictable economic cycle. >> sometimes it goes up. sometimes it comes down. if you say it is in the economy, and in the case here.

>> reporter: analysts say while late planting of crops and heavy summer rains have disrupted food supply, the pain problem is hoarding by private traders. they say there is plenty government can do but it has failed to control prices. >> it's the complete entity of the government towards its own people that it could make such a statement. it can control the future commodity market which leads to speculation in these prices. >> reporter: but for now there is little people can do. the election is less than a year away in india, and all over the world people are most concerned of their daily need. the government will have to do something about the food if they want supporters.

al jazeera, new delhi. >> coming up if you stay with us. the u.s. government, the hit of president obama's healthcare plan. we'll tell you how japanese scientists are hoping to make sushi in a test tube. and the love affair with the singapore race circuit. all a bit of a muddle, but we'll get it right.

>> you're watching the al jazeera news hour, and these are the top stories. international inspectors say the syrian government has handed over details of its chemical weapons arsenal. and we expect to get more information in coming days. mexico up to 165 people are believe to be dead after being hit by two tropical storm

storms. greenpeace said that russia has stolen one of its ships in the arctic as activists tried to climb on an offshore drilling tank. egypt's interim prime minister said it would clea. here the story. here is our correspondent that we're not naming for security reasons. protests against the takeover haven't stopped. on friday one of the demonstrations called for close to the presidential palace. in other parts of egypt similar

marches took place. a very different scene in cair cairo's nasr city district. here leaders attended the funeral of the high ranking police officer shot dead on thursday in a large-scale operation. >> the police are the heroes and martyrs of egypt who protect us. they protect egyptian, muslims, christians. make the police the protection of the egyptian people. >> reporter: the prime minister warns that the security would not be jeopardize. anti-coup protesters insist on their outrage of the interim government but that government is choosing not to listen to them. >> israeli soldiers have

confronted european diplomats trying to deliver aid to the west bank. many were recently made homeless after the israeli army demolished their homes. they forced a french diplomat to the ground. >> they came to us with their bulldozers and demolished everything, scattered us all, even four and five yearly children. no human being could act like this. they destroyed everything and left nothing at all. >> the u.s. government is not going to go bust. at least not yet. to take us through all the shenanigans. you need to put this in context of what it might mean for government programs, but what is happening now? >> reporter: well, shenanigans, let me put in perspective. this is the sixth time since

about two years ago that the house control the republican-controlled house and president obama have had a fight over both budgeting and borrowing. in the next month they're going to tight over both. at the end of this month the post needs to be funded. the republicans say they will not do that unless the president's healthcare dies. now known as obamacare. they passed a bill, but it kills obamacare. the president said it's not going to pass the senate that is controlled democrats, but the republicans are declaring victory. >> our message to the united states senate is real simple. the american people don't want the government shut down and they don't want obamacare. the house has listened to the american people. now it's time for the united states senate to listen to them as well.

[applause] >> so basically what's going to happen is this goes over to the senate. the senate will strip the provision out a clean bill. and then the question do the republicans blink. they say they're not going to. >> if the republicans as you put it blink and then pass the bill without the cuts to obamacare, then the government is in a position--what position financially? what has to happen? >> well, if both sides agree and the president signs a law that continues to fund the government, then they go a couple of weeks, and then the government said they'll attach a lot of conditions to the debt bill. if they can't come to an agreement, let's remember the last five times they've done this, they have gone up to the deadline and come to an agreement, usually kicking the can down the road, so they say. let's say they can't do this by the 30th, a lot of call this the

shut down. but it really isn't. non-essential federal workers basically stay home. in the past when they've come back to work they've been paid for that time off because they've had partial government shutdowns in the past. the poor and elderly who get their get checks from the government, they'll still get their chuc checks, but it will a little slower. we're looking at serious consequences in the coming months if the republicans and democrats can't sit down and talk: and it's important to note that the house speaker and the president, they aren't talking right now. >> not a great state of affairs. thank you very much, indeed. the polls are closed in swaysy swaziland. many say there is no democracy

in this king. reports now from manzini. >> she checks to see if her name is on the voter's role. in the booth she votes in the swaziland election. when she leaves ink is put on her finger so she can't vote twice. she hopes brings change. >> people elect to bring parliament, they hear what we need, food, water, jobs, better schools for our children. >> reporter: pro-democracy gropes are participating, but as opposition groups are boycotting the election they say it's illegitimate and there is no democracy here. recently arrested and out on bail. he's accused of organizing a protest against the king who has

just taken a 15th wife. >> our basic needs and basic services, and for them to continue. >> reporter: the kingdom of swaziland has over one million citizens. 76% of people here live under the poverty line. many live with h.i.v. and a.i.d.s. many in swazilan swaziland love, but they're also frustrated and they hope the national assembly will do a lot more to to improve their lives. >> many people feel nothing will change here because ultimately the king, africa's absolutely

last monda monarch keeps contro. >> children under eight are forced to perform sex acts live on webcams. >> reporter: david, thank you. the child exploitation and online protection center here in the u.k. says that hundreds of children are targeted on chat sites of social networks by people pretending to be children. they can ask the child to send them naked pictures and then threaten to share the pictures with friends and family if they don't send more. many are asked to perform sexual acts or to cut themselves. 184 were in the u.k. and led 7 children to commit suicide and seven tried to kill themselves or seriously harm themselves.

andy bak baker is the deputy chf executive. >> get names, friends names, parents names, and they make out that the friendship is already there. but we see the escalation to hi, to do you want to share naked images of each other and then it gets worse and worse. the power and control of these offenders, that's what we've got to tackle. parents, talk to your children. they shouldn't be taboo subjects. if a man was to knock on your door at 10:00 p.m. at night and say, can i speak to your 11-year-old child. no, you would do something about it. but your child could be talking oh a man who says he's a

14-year-old girl. a pilot scheme is being planned with how prisoners would react to the ban. if successful, it could be ruled out across all prisons within a year. accomplish police have arrested eight people ove over e cybertheft of barclays. the gang is accused of taking the money in april. now one of the most famous scientists in the world. professor stephen hawkins is the star of his own movie. he's releasing a documentary showing how he copes day-to-day with extreme physical disabili disability. >> reporter: think of came bring, think art, think science, think history, but movie premieres?

think again. yet this is no ordinary film. this is no ordinary man. >> there is nothing like the discovering that no one knew before. >> reporter: the subject is professor stephen hawking, one of if the most famous scientists of his generation. and this is his story. his words, his idea, his life. full uncensored reality t.v. >> i have lived two-thirded of my life with the threat of death hanging over me. >> i think he felt now is the time to do it in his own words and talk as candidly as he can, revealing as he can what has affected him and what has made him who he is, really. >> reporter: stephen hawk something adored, loved, not just here at the university of came bridge, but in many parts of the world. of course it's his research and

theories that has made him a household name. but for many people who are not academic, it's the fact that he has achieved so much while suffering so much. that means he's no longer a scientist. by his own admission he is also a celebrity. this is, offer all, a man who took center stage during opening of the 2012 paraolympics. >> welcome professor stephen hawking. >> reporter: he has been on chat shows, the simpsons, and even "star trek" for a man obsessed with space honors do not get much better. >> you're bluffing. >> wrong again, albert. >> i think my celebrity has a lot to do with my condition. the wheelchair makes me instantly recognizable. i fit a stereotype of a disabled genius although i'm not a genius like einstein. >> reporter: when stephen hawking was diagnosed he was given three years to live. that was 50 years ago.

his book "a brief history of time" became one of science' best-ever sellers. and the movie gives the world a glimpse in his history, his time. >> the king of spain will undergo his third hip operation in less than two years. the 75-year-old broke his right hip in april while on an elephant hunting safari in southern africa. at no time has he considered abdicated. that's the news for a moment here in europe. it's back to david in doha. >> we'll take a look at how chelsea are getting ready to get over the week champions league, and why a winter cup in qatar is looking ever more likely.

>> a news just here in al jazeera from northern nigeria where the government says 143 people were killed by fighters this week. outside of the town of b rono state. they gunned down local motorists at random. and the nigerian government called emergency.

the committee awarded tokyo the 2020 games. tokyo's governor said the prime minister's remarks are expression of political will rather than the actual situation. >> when prime minister abe made his appeal, he said the situation was under control. but at the moment it's not entirely under control. the important thing was he was demonstrating his will to get it done, and that it would be under control in the future. >> more than five years after the collapse of the u.s. housing market many families are still losing their homes to bank foreclosures. one california town has come up a bold plan to stop all of that. [ protesters ] >> reporter: a small city david confronts a financial goliath. along with several of her constituents the mayor of

richmond, california, a town beset by housing foreclosures went to wells fargo, one of the nation's biggest banks, demanding a meeting with the ceo. they were turned away, but richmond mayor gail mclaughlin has a bold plan to stop foreclosures, a plan that has big banks worried. richmond is a down on its luck working class city of 100,000 people with an unemployment rate of nearly 12%. there were more than 900 foreclosures here last year and half of the mortgages here are underwater. meaning, the homeowner owes the bank more than the property is worth. >> what we're doing is offering to purchase underwater mortgages from the banks, who owe them, at fair market value, and refinance them for our homeowners if we

don't get cooperation from the servicers and trustees we have the option of acquiring them by eminent domain. >> reporter: eminent domain is a legal move that allows local governments to seize properties usually things for building roads and airports. until now no one has thought of using it to stop foreclosures. >> when the city of richmond approached the banks with its plan to prevent more foreclosures by buying up properties that were underwater, the banks responded by threatening to take richmond to court. >> they have done the outrageous hostile act of suing the city of richmond. >> you got their attention. >> i think so, yes. >> reporter: on thursday a federal judge threw out the bank's lawsuit saying it addressed future event that hadn't yet occurred. richmond homeowner juan and his family bought his house in 2010

for $290,000 with an adjustable rate mortgage. now he owes. >> $450,000. and the house is worth $185,000. >> reporter: sandoval is resigned to losing his home, but the city's program could throw him a lifeline. >> for me that is the only hope. there is no other hope. >> reporter: a last desperate hope for families struggling to keep a place called home. rob reynolds, al jazeera, richmond, california. >> time for the sports here. >> reporter: thank you so much. one of football's uninfluence i, qatar is ready to host winter events, but uefa now believes a switch would be preferable.

>> there are things that i know. the president of fifa would talk about in the executive committee meeting. i don't know anything more. the european national organization say in principle they aren't against playing in the winter. that's on principle. that's it. we haven't said anything that we fully agree. we say that we agree on principle, but it's complicated and harder to talk. i think the ball is now to the fifa president. >> reporter: it's revealed that 52 countries have proposed 59 cities for the 2020. wimbley stadium is one of the areas ever candidate. they hosted last season's champion's league final.

the loss against barca last week. they'll have a chance to bounce back. >> i don't like the way chelsea was playing in the last couple of years. the club doesn't like, we want a chance. we have the players to change. we want to play a different style. the past is history. even my past. >> the spanish premiere are about to kick off on saturday. the big boys are back. the leaders barcelona aim to go continue their start of the season. the champions prepare for that match.

>> we don't want to change anything. we want to continue the matter that made this team so big, and made them win so many titles. >> reporter: after a year of being sacked as coach, flamingo throwing away a 2-4 lead, which means they're down to 14th and two points clear o. they're looking for their fourth new coach of the season. champions leaders quickest in second practice for the singapore grand prix who leads the standings by 53 points. his teammate was second quickest. now team usa has kept you it's

hope of keeping the place alive. only need one more race to take back the oldest trophy in international sport. captain would gain the advantage, hold on to the lead and take the win in the second race. baseball news, the 3-1 win against the orioles. the two-run home gave the red sox the lead in the second inning. they held on that lead and reach the playoffs for the first time since 2009. john lackey playing for boston and could clinch the american league east on friday. the texas rangers have tied with the tampa bay rays in the

race for the two american league wildcard spots. they have ten games of the regular season left. there are more sport stories on our website. www.aljazeera.com/spor/sport. that's your sport. back to you. >> robin. thank you very much. we'll tell you about the pacific blue fin tuna. it's in danger of disappearing. japan said it is now taking steps to try to save the fledgling fudge. we have more on that. >> reporter: tokyo fish market does a brisk trade in the morning. blue fin is auctioned off.

in 15 minutes it's over. it's packed and loaded, destined to end up in a restaurant like this one. a typical sushi bar in japan where the food is freshly prepared in front of its customers. >> it is not because i'm japanese. it comes to me naturally as i've been eating it since i was born. >> reporter: this fish explains why the japanese consume close to 80% blue fin tuna, sashimi. the consumption of tuna has increased as japanese cuisine comes more popular worldwide. the blue fin population has become decimated, dually i in pt because of overchildrenning, and because it takes longer to

reproduce. a scientist who is working on a method that he hopes will help the pacific blue fin. he's trying to breed tuna using mackerel. harvest cells from tuna and then implant them into mackre hatchlings. when they are grown they will hatch tuna. but this technology will not be available for several years. >> in order to seek a full recovery of their population we should have a ten-year closed season. in reality that's difficult to impose because there are so many parties concerned like fishermen,s processers and traders. >> reporter: not to mention sushi and sashimi eaters everywhere. already some restaurant ban atlantic blue fin from their menu. people at restaurant hope they don't have to resort to that to save the blue fin.

>> i'll be back with another news hour two hours from now. but from me and the rest of the team. thanks for watching. morning

>> hello and tomorrowal jazeera. i'm a tony harris. here are the stories we're following. the house has approved a spending bill that will keep the government open until december 15th. but it would defund a part of president obama's healthcare law. the measure is not expected to go anywhere in the senate where democrats are in control. hurricane manuel is no more, and it had a devastating impact on mexico's specific coast. machine wmanuel and hurricane ie blamed for over 100 deaths and hundreds are still missing.