♪ >> welcome to the news hour. we're in doha, the top stories on al jazeera. four of the aid workers are free after their owe deal bega ordea. and seven are dead in india. and south korea does an u-turn on its plans for nuclear energy. and why the latest four

wheel arrival is bringing opinions in indonesia. >> we begin this news hour with reports that four of the seven aid workers kidnapped in syria have been released. three others remain in captivity in a rebel-held area in northern syria. let's go live to neighboring lebanon in beirut. what do you know about this? >> reporter: not much, as as far as we know, and this is information that the international red cross committee is providing, they're still waiting for the fate of the three other international aid workers. they were taken at gunpoint on sunday in the province. they were taken in the town of a

rebel-controlled town, in a town that has a really strong presence of foreign fighters, al-qaeda-linked fighters. they were provided medical assistance to people there. but they left the city, and they were on their way to damascus when the incident happened. it highlights the growing insecurity in the hello-held north. the. of kidnappings of foreign aid workers as well as foreign journalists is on the ride. the government saying four of the national french journalists have been in captivity since june and they were taken to the city of aleppo. with growing insecurity, we still don't know the details of their release. >> we heard that they were

traveling with a convoy of the free syrian army. >> reporter: this is what we're getting from activists on the ground. activists are telling us that they had an he is supreme court. an he is supreme court of free syrian fighters. the mainstream rebels is what they're now being called. these rebels were later released by the gunmen, and these rebels told activists that those responsible for the kidnapping were al-qaeda fighters. this is one source. we were notable independently confirm this. i did ask if they were traveling with an he is supreme court, and they didn't confirm whether that was true. there has been a lot of rebel infighting in the north, and the tension between mainstream forces and alqaida linked groups. >> thank you. with the latest on the release of four icir aid workers from syria. three more are still in

captivity. meanwhile 39 people are confirmed dead after a car bomb ripped through the province, it is near rebel-held areas near turkey. >> reporter: they come here to escape the fighting and the the bombs, but a car bomb went through and burned some beyond recognition. the bomb went off in a busy area. the main town square. field hospitals respond to the survivers, many with serious it injuries. without enough beds, people were treated with limited medical women. women and children were among

the dead. the families waited outside to search the dead. idlib province lying on turkey's border it's a crucial route for smuggling. on sunday two bombs explode in the capital of damascus and appeared to target television building. >> u.s. secretary of state saying syria's president has lost all legitimacy to rule. john kerry has made the comments after a meeting in london. >> we believe that president assad has lost the legitimacy necessary to be able to be a

cohesive force that could bring people together. and that it is clear that in implementing geneva one, which is the only purpose for having the geneva conference now there has to be a transition government. there has to be a new governing entity in syria to permit the possibility of peace. ♪ >> in other world news, the death toll of the behind di di civil in india has risen to 111. it happened on monday as hundreds of pilgrims headed to the temple. panic came after some said the bridge was about to collapse. people have gathered outside of hospital in the area to take away the bodies of their

relatives. seven years ago 50 people were killed in a similar incident at the same location. >> reporter: in hospital about two hour drive from where the stampede took place. some of the injured have been brought here for treatment. a local medical officer we spoke to earlier are concerned there are more than 1 deaths that have occurred in this accident. at least 120 people are injured. now most of the deaths seem to be amongst women and she have suffered from chest injuries due to asphyxiation. we still don't know why the stampede occurred. 500,000 people had gathered a aa temple to celebrate a festival that is very important in the

hindu calendar. there were rumors that the bridge was going to collapse, and that may have caused panic among the crowd and caused the stampede. these are not the only unanswered question. india has a long and deadly history of stampedes during festivals. 30 died in the last festival. families of victims will ask why precautions were not taken to prevent this type of tragedy from occurring. >> returning to our top story and the release of four icir aid workers. three are still being held, and they were kidnapped in the province of idlib.

thank you very much for speaking to us, you're on the line from damascus. what more can you tell us about the release of your aid workers in syria today? >> reporter: well, we worked pretty much on clock. four unconfirmed, and we're trying to find out what happened. >> you say four of them were released. can you tell us more about the circumstances of their release? where they were taken, and where they were released. >> reporter: well, they were

taken to an unknown location. [ >> do you have details on who took them in the first place? three are still in ca captivity. have you been in contact with the people who have taken them and kidnapped them, basically. they are not discussing this type of information. >> what security measures are being taken to stay safe in

these hostile areas? >> i didn't hear. >> you i was asking about the security measures. do they take measures to stay safe in these hostile areas of syria? >> yes, we don't venture out, reaching out to the various groups. and so those are are some of the measures, and they cannot venture out. >> one question if i can, is this incident going to affect

the icrc's operations going forward? are you considering, perhaps, considering scaling back? >> not for the moment. >> thank you for taking the time to talk to us. that's the head of icrc there in damascus. organizing a million man march. these are pictures from giza, the anti-could you alliances

opposing the muslim brotherhood leader mo mohammed morsi. >> police in russia have arrested 3,000 migrants in moscow. the police detained 380 people after violence during the demonstration. now italy and malta have called for an emergency meeting to discuss migrants arriving by sea. this is after dozens of people died on friday after their boat cacapsized. they said countries have a duty to open their borders to those seeking shelter. >> i think this should open the eyes of all countries and all

international organizations of those suffering as they're running away from syria, and i think these people are just looking for shelter and for secured places. we are so frustrated that some countries stop these people at the borders and prevent them from entering. this again is international law. >> hundreds of thousands of homes have been destroyed by cyclone phailin. at least 17 people have been killed. there are reports of large tracks of farmland that has been razeed. >> reporter: he has been growing rice in these fields for 20 years. it provide income for his family. but because of cyclone phailin he has little to look forward to

this half of season. >> this is my land. i used to farm it. but now look, it's flooded with water. i can't even see my crop. >> reporter: the government's disaster preparation saved many lives but no amount of planning could have saved the agriculture sector from widespread damage. people hearsay their livelihood will bear the front of cyclophailin's fury. in 1999 a super cyclone demolish this village. but has been left standing. but many believe this is a blessing but an burde as the government will see it survived when it comes to receiving aid. >> we don't have water to drink. our candles are gone. we sit in darkness. i can't find medicine for my

parents. >> the storm was heavy. i released my cattle into the field, but my family and i stayed home. we are now waiting for help. >> reporter: sigcyclone phailin tore through some of the most fertile agriculture areas. 500,000 of hectare farmlands have been affected. the local authorities are aware of the challenges that they face. >> this is really a big challenge for us as property have been lost to the cyclone. [♪ singing ] >> reporter: during this time of year hundreds of millions of indians pray to the hindu goddess for strength and courage, blessings people in this area need in abundance as

try to get back on their feet. >> the latest update next. plus. [ protesters ] >> protests in malaysian as the court rules the word allah can only be used by muslims. and the detroit tigers, did victory slip through their fingers? we have details later in sports. >> let's get to the weather now. >> meteorologist: well, over parts of vietnam the skies are very gray and we're seeing heavy rain at the moment. take a look at the satellite picture. you can see there is a huge area of clouds and embedded within this are our storm.

now it's called nari and its tracking its way to the west. it's very close at the moment but it's moving painfully slowly. it's moving at 13 kilometers per hour. that's slow. it means we have a prolonged period of heavy rain and the winds will increase over time. it will make landfall and rain will continue through tuesday. it's wednesday when the storm will track away to the west. for the next 36 hours or so will be incredibly wet. we've got another storm with us as well. that's a little bit further towards the east. this is gradually tracking its way towards japan. i don't think it's going to make landfall in honshu but it will get so close that it will cause

quite a few problems here by wednesday. >> thank you very much, stef. in m malaysia the court decided that only muslims can use the word allah. we have more. >> reporter: they turned out to support the government. promising to protest peacefully if the decision did not go their way. but in the end the court of appeal in an unanimous ruling that the catholic newspaper of the herald should not be allowed to use the word "allah." in their newspapers. it was not integral to the christian faith and practice. >> allah is a term in the middle east and in indonesia it is a term that is used by both

christians and muslims. so you cannot say that all of a sudden it is not an integral part. mmalay language is a language of many barrowed words. allah is a borrowed word. >> backing the government's argument saying that the ban was necessary to preserve national security and public order. a lower court ruling in 2010 allowing the herald to use the word allah brought attacks to churches. this is a decision that could

have wider implications. some groups suggest that it could be applied to other publications. >> that the word of allah cannot be used by anybody else. >> reporter: church leaders say they will continue to use the word allah just as they have done for years despite the ruling. this decision is unlikely to be the end of the matter. the catholic publicationist plans to appeal and even then it has to convince the federal court that it would be the best interest to have this case heard. >> iran said it's nuclear program will not be put on hold. iran's chief negotiator said there is hope of some agreement but warns the process will be complex.

>> we will not allow uranium enrichment to be suspended even for one day. but the extent and level of enrichment is negotiable. shipping the material abroad is our red line. >> the ieaa has met with japanese government officials to assess the cleanup at the fukushima power plant. in july it was revealed the plant had been leaking radioactive water in the ocean. the government has admitted it needs international assistance and expertise. south korea government has done an u. tur u-turn to ex-pand nuclear energy. >> reporter: south koreans faith in the nuclear industry was

ebbing when the power plant erupted in may. they found the plant had fake securitsafety certificates. >> because of all the safety issues, the people's concerned would have to be factored in the policy. >> new reactors will be built as old ones wear out but the production of new will be suspended. >> they would keep the balance the way it is potentially lowering the nuclear proportion. they're giving consideration of strong public opinion against nuclear power.

>> reporter: the number of south koreans who felt the industry was safe halved after the disaster, according to one poll. but they've seen support continue to wane since. while the proportion of energy will rise. >> still, it's not--to interpret that as increase of the nuclear safety. >> reporter: the answers they say lie in more use of renewable energy and better management of runaway demand. rates to designed to help manufacturing means that they use double the energy of other nations al jazeera seoul. >> now to afghanistan where a

teenage girl has won a landmark decision when she accused men forcing her no prostitution. >> teenager wanted justice. she's one of thousands of a began girls sold into marriage who end up in abusive families. only she wanted to punish them. her case ended up in afghanistan supreme court with the help of american lawyer kimberly motley. >> it basically said that mother in law and father in law should be arrested. >> her hair was burned off and her finger nails pulled out.

motley found her and worked closely with her. the torturers were sentenced to ten years and jailed until a court freed them in july. she reappealed and won. >> the brother and brother-in-law are still possible prosecuted. she wants her marriage annulled and wants compensation. that means going back to court. >> that's difficult for this shy girl who two years ago was illiterate. she does not like the limelight and frets about court appearance. >> she's the only female in afghanistan ever that has ever appealed the case and has told the court she wants people to be punished independently. that's important. >> reporter: she doesn't seem to care about being a pioneer. even at a la time of law protecg

women here is a threat. to find abused women and girls you don't have to look far to see a national problem. >> paris will boost its troop numbers. crisis got worse when they bozize was removed from power. an africaen force was drafted in to protect the capital, and french soldiers are protecting the weak transition of government. and further instability by closingly using the rr as a b base. >> at the beginning was something more political and more usual to know that this

country is unstable 20 years ago now, and maybe more. and but now the political crisis has become little by little interethnic and interreligious conflict because of the lack of security, lack of leadership, and lack of states. and so this new style of conflict between communities produce human rights violation for the last months more people have been killed, and it's urgent now. >> ahead, unhappy holidays in gaza. and also ahead. >> reporter: when one of brazil's special forces are trying to establish a permanent

police presence. i'll have all the details coming up. >> and violence flares. we have more in sports.

>> welcome back. you're watching the news hour on al jazeera. a reminder of our main stories. sevefour of seven aid workers kidnapped have been released.

three remain in captivity. an attack in the rebel held province near the turkish border. many more were injured when the bomb exploded in the main square. and the death toll from a stampede of a festival in india has rains to i 111. all right, let's get more now on developments after the deaths of dozens of migrants after their boat capsized between malta and the italian island of lampedusa. thank you very much, ambassador, for being on al jazeera. there are a lot of palestinians on this boat and many survivors saying they were shot at and causing this vessel to sink. are you aware of this? can you confirm that the

migrants were shot at? >> first, thank you for having me. yes, i have been asked in a meeting of those on the ship, and all of them collectively agree this is what happened, to the extent that people were following them and another boat was shooting at them. to the extent that some of the passengers on the ship wer held children out to show that they have children on this little unseaworthy very well, which was really not meant to transfer this number of people. they were shot at. they don't know by who, but they

were shot at, and their boat began to take onward. according to the people, the boat toppled in less than ten seconds. there was no warning whatsoever, and so this ship went down in seconds. >> do you know, you said you don't know who shot at the refugees. there have been some suggestions this might have been libya militia who shot at them. do you know more about this suggestion and why they were shot at? >> well, we really don't know. and that information is murky and not clear right now. but everybody agrees, everybody told me that they had been shot at. they don't know by who. it wasn't for sure. i've been told that it wasn't

carrying a libyan flag, it was carrying something else. but it was something else and they don't know. it could have been people who wanted something else. but they had been followed for a few hours. according to the people that i have met they have been followed to international waters. i need to corroborate this information. yes, and everybody saying that this is the reason that this vessel has been taking on water, and the reason for it was shots were fired and some people were--three people who were injured from the shots that were fired. >> mr. ambassador, some 17 palestinian refugees side of this ship recognize. what is going to happen, and how are they being held?

>> reporter: well, first of all, the palestinian government, i really want to extend gratefulness of how quickly the maltese government has reacted. people told me that if it wasn't for them many people would have died. those that came in don't have documents, and even those documents fell in the sea or they did not have it in the first place. we're trying to find a solution. malta was not their destination. malta was just in the way. it was between the island of

lampedusa. we've had meetings with the police commissioner and liberation officers, and trying to find a way to get identification from malta if they want to stay here or go somewhere else. but i'm trying to extend visas to go to another country. these immigrants believe they will be considered refugees and they'll be able to settle down. i'll trying to take care of th this. >> thank you for taking the time

to speak to us. palestinian ambassador to malta. a move part of an international deal reached to dismanedismantle assad regime. >> reporter: syria is giving up it's chemical weapons but in turn the regime may have bought time to stay in power at least until the disarmament process is completed in the middle of next year. that's around the time that the next presidential election is expected. >> such symbol among the armed

forces, militia, the organizations of state, if you will, he is the one pivot that all of these circle around. >> reporter: the war is no long arrest conflict between two sides. rebel groups have no command. al-qaeda is present, and assad is not just rely on the military. he also depends on a de centralized apparatus. >> i don't think the americans warned against the apparatus. i think they wanted to preserve the government. i think he will be allowed to complete his term. >> now russia and the u.s. want to revise the negotiation in switzerland, and that is stalled

over what should happen with assad. >> reporter: discussions won't be about the regime handing over power. the goal would be to establish a transitional governing body that would involved members of the opposition and the regime. it would reach an agreement of power sharing, that's something that the opposition and regional backers don't want. >> in january assad made clear a settlement would involve a cease-fire and national dialogue to decide on a new constitution and cabinet. months later the regime is just as defiant, saying holding over the power is not up for discussion. assad may have won this political battle in a war that has still not been won. al jazeera beirut. music

>> now many muslims are in mecca this monday as part of their hajj pilgrimage as they seek new purpose in life. we're in mecca and here's this report. >> reporter: this is the mount of mercy. it has for centuries been the focal point where pilgrims spend the day in prayer and contemplation. for muslims this is a reminder of the dave of judge when they believe they'll stand on a plane similar to this one for judgment. are everywhere here you'll see people invoking god and seeking forgiveness. habib came here from the u.s.

he converted to islam two years ago. all pilgrims here wear a simple white and all markers of social status disappear. >> a friend of mine had been learning about muslim was not herself a muslim but started teaching me things that she had learned, and i started with that and my heart continued to open more and more. >> reporter: habib hopes once he gets back home he will try to convince his family and friends that he made the right choice. >> my family has concerns, and they also recognize that i have a deep connection with the one god. people have no idea what islam

is. >> originally from texas, habib now lives in california. he said his biggest challenge is to change misconceptions in america about islam. >> it's unfortunate that the media in the states has portrayed islam the way it has because there is no connection between terrorism and islam. >> reporter: many like habib continue their prayers in a spot where many say the prophet muhammad delivered his last sermon. he hopes to visit more countries and explore islam. >> testing athletes before the

london threats. we have more next. on august 20th,

>> argentina's president has been taken to hospital for brain surgery. he has been said to be recovering well after the removal of a blood clot five days ago. she'll need to rest for a month. police in brazil have arrested 196 people and seized weapons in a raid on the largest slum in ryeio de janeiro.

we have reports from rio. >> an unusual war salute, meaning skull, these men are the elite forces in rio de janeiro. their emblem of cull empaled by a knife. it's no wonder why they're feared by the population. >> we have raised the brazilian flag in the slum. we wanted to remind everyone that this is brazilian territory. >> it's like conquering an unclaimed land but it's 700 slums. armed to the teeth they hunt for drug deal whose are control the area. >> reporter: they say it will take a few patrolings like this to secure the slums. they want a permanent police presence but say the area is not

read yet because drug traffickers are still hiding here. once the special forces battle drug dealers, they set up a station in the slums. a turf battle strategy to keep the city safe. 36 of the 40 slums the government is targeting has been retaken. >> there was an invisible flow of crime in these communities, but after they're passfied we'll see that crime is crushed. >> reporter: the slums were police are deployed are manically those around the football stadium. the venue for the world cup and the olympics, and the drug dealers were not chased out. >> they're always around there just hiding. everyone has them.

they're like ghosts. >> reporter: while many say the drug traffickers are on the run or hiding the police claim they are behind bars. >> but this woman who did not want to reveal her identify said crime has increased. >> they would offer some kind of protection for the population. >> reporter: the schoolteacher had her place robbed. they said the police did not react. but back in the day she could tell the drug dealers to find the perpetrator. >> time to catch up on all the sports. >> reporter: thank you very much. the world's anti-doping agency is launching an audit of jamai jamaica's drug testing agency. the probe will look into

allegations made by the former head of jamaican doping agency who claimed that athletes went from january to july with little or no testing before going to the games. the world's iais, who said that bolt was tested 12 times last year. detroit tigers win one game all. they were sweep into a 2-0 series lead. that's before ortiz smashed a grand slammer. they completed the turn around in the ninth and getting on the rbi single to seal the 6-5 win.

>> i just try not too much. i try to put a good swing on the ball. my idea is not just to hit a grand slam. those guys, they've been doing an outstanding job of hitting the spot. if i tell you that i was thinking about hitting a grand slam, i'm lying right now. >> taking a big step towards world cup competition. the african champions came from behind. in the other match it remained goalless between tunisia and cameroon. more concerns for organizers

at the world cup. during halftime a match fans in a clash with police, the incident was brought under control for the second half and match continue. >> establishing their three-point cushion at the top. after a brief stoppage play resumed. victor lopez going in for the one goal lead to the delight of that fan. no foul is given and it ended 1-0.

ahead in the 12th minute, but as the seconds ticked away to the final whistle, there was a huge deflection for a 1-1 draw. on to the nhl and the anaheim ducks beat the senators 4-1. bobby ryan spent the first four years of his career with the ducks and they celebrate their time in the league before the game. getting a goal in the first when they saw the second before the win. florida panthers who came to the league in '93 with the ducks. the kings won 3-0. they were up by one whe when thy

went in for the third to make the win. brazilians tasting success on home court, defeating the american pair to claim the men's title. they took the first set 23-21 despite the americans taking the second set, 21-19. and they held to win th to seale match two sets to one. the u.s. had more luck in the women's final. the germans took the first set, but the americans rallied taking the next two to seal the title. south africa's cricket chief

when the national team begin their first test of the two-match series. the new rule went into affect in international games. it helped south africa to reach 245-8 on day one. now here's a lesson in never giving up. jimmy walker has won his first pga tour title on his 188th attempt. he took advantage and snatched the lead. he finished up on 17-under par in his first pga tour win in eight seasons. it is his first trip to the masters. an nfl player whose two-year-old son was killed two days ago returned to the field.

adrien peterson returned to his team as they lost to the panthers. his son died friday of head injuries after abuse at the hands of his mother's boyfriend. >> i never thought about not playing. it's all about going out there and praying that i have the strength to get through and help my team. that's my focus. >> that's it for now. >> thank you very much, indeed. more than 3,000 cars are sold in indonesia every day. a country that faces petrol shortages. the critics say a ca that this r will only add to congested roles. >> reporter: this is the symbol of economic growth. traffic jams in major cities. more than 30,000 cars are sold

every day. and there is demand for more. in the middle of the economic downtown the government announced this car that they say is cheaper and environmentally friendly. those who could never afford a car before, an for those who tae their family around the city by motor bike. >> everyone has a right to buy a car. we cannot exclude people but we do have to regulate when and where to use our car. >> reporter: the new car which according to the government should lower gas usage was protested by the governor and presidential hopeful. >> this already interruption that we have a problem.

when the government approved this. >> objecting of the whole controversial. if these cars and others cars continue, they will face gasoline shortages in the next several years. >> indonesia will become the world's largest importer of gasoline by 2011 despite the government's decision to lower consumption, it is leading to soaring energy costs. >> my concerns is more of

opportunity to make a reform long term and continuing to be growing at the low income and moving up to a higher income. >> reporter: one of the main concerns is the lack of roads and facilities. but the government said it is working on it. >> unfortunately, they don't believe that if you produce the vehicle you don't have to increase infrastructure. it has to be both. >> reporter: the aimore than 180 have been ordered. al jazeera jakarta. >> we have more coming up shortly on al jazeera and we'll have the latest on the icrc aid

workers. stay with us.

>> this is al jazeera coming to you live. i'm del walters with your top stories. it's only a few days before u.s. government defaults on its debt. not raising the debt ceiling could lead to another global recession. there are new details in that stampede in india. at least 111 people were killed on supplied caught in the chaos as thousands of hindu pilgrims were leaving from a religious festival there. 17