jazeera. ♪ welcome to the news hour at doha and these are the world's top stories. >> we have agreed we would meet in the same room. >> reporter: face-to-face but no heart to heart, the syrian government and opposition are in the same room but won't speak to each other. egypt's police are the target as bombs go off on the anniversary

of no bark removal from office. they accuse the police of brutal problems and people being arrested in their hospital beds. and millions on the move, china sees the biggest mass migration on the planet as new year festivities approach. ♪ it's been a long time coming, the syrian government and the opposition now sitting in the same room in geneva, that meeting is happening right now. but the two sides are still refusing to speak directly to each other. instead, they are speaking from a go between, the u.n. arran league brahimi and we have the latest in geneva and the two sides might be sitting in the same room but there is still a lot of hurdles to get over and you have been speaking to some

of the delegates before the meeting even started. what have they been telling you? >> like you mentioned that meeting started and now it's over. it was a brief session, the sunday special brahimi addressed the delegates and said there is a need to find common ground and the dell egypts are sitting in the same room and we understand the session two will take place this afternoon but there has been a bump and we understand he was supposed to be the head of the syrian opposition and did not show up. in protest the syrian government, the foreign minister ahead of the delegation refused to enter the room so the syrian government delegation was headed by the syrian, u.n. and bashir jeffrey and goes to show you how difficult this process is going to be and both sides not trusting each other and like you asked me earlier what did the

delegates say? we met a number of government officials speaking to the press this morning and they made it clear that a transitional government is only formed when there is no state. for them syria is still a state and there are institutions, there is an army and so in their words what they are going to discuss is the terminology of geneva one communication and make their stance clear and to remind the viewers they call for a transitional body with full executive borders to be reached by mutual consent. >> reporter: if the syria government is not going to accept the proposal of a transitional body, where does that leave the future of these talks, what can be achieved then? >> well, they are playing with terminology. see for them there is a government and syria is a sovereign nation and the president has the possibility of running for reelection later this year. for them he will complete his

constitutional term for the syrian opposition, no, they want to see bashir assad leave par and not just him but the security officials and the regime and the security apparatus and want them to love power and conflicting agendas but undoubtedly it's the international community who wants this process to succeed, almost forcing both sides to sit in geneva and start talking because there is a lot at stake. there is no other alternative on the table apart from the war continuing. so what people are hoping is that at least for the time being there could be confidence-building measures with two people who see each other as enemies and blaming and calling each other terrorists and blaming each other for the violence and in the words of the foreign minister himself this morning he said this is not a meeting from saturday to the following saturday and come out with agreements, no, it's a

complicated process and one in which foreign powers are also involved in. >> thanks very much for that and we are in geneva there. now to egypt and there have been two explosions in the capitol. the interior inindustry says a device went off to a police institute in the eastern part of cairo and a second bomb in the east of the city, saturday is the third anniversary of the up rising removing mubarak from office. and police were targeted in four explosions and six people were killed and 80 injured and the biggest blast was outside of cairo's main headquarters and we will talk to the assistant professor in doha and joins us in the stutd yo and the bombings yesterday and today and it's clear those opponents of the golf can strike where they want despite the tight security.

>> we have seen a rise in this since the military took over power last july and this plays into the war on terrorism that was created at the beginning of time and power to clamp down on all kinds of opposition and peaceful and nonviolent and militant kind. and the search to under mine the notion comes stability and settling of all the different instabilitys that have existed over the last three years and that somehow this is a push forward for some kind of resolution to all of the instability that came out of the original revolution and that is under minded on a constant basis due to attacks and due to the continuation of the protests. >> an important date in the whole revolutionary history of egypt. looks like we are going to see progovernment protests as well as antigovernment protests and the potential for classes is high today despite the tight

restrictions that the government put on meetings. >> certainly the military government has tried as much as possible to clamp down and issued a protest law which really has not been followed at least by the citizens themselves and egypt who continue to protest and it's interesting after the government issues a law banning them they are calling supporters together in large numbers and we see a certain element of inconsistency in the government and des prags that it is trying as much as possible to impose its new political realities on the population of egypt. having said that we will see i think a continuation of the kinds of protests that have marked the last 7 months from the brotherhood and all elements of egypt's political opposition that exists and continue to be unhappy with the fact the military doesn't inspire any confidence that it is falling in this sort of spirit of the original demands of the

revolution and systemic changes in 2011. >> reporter: you have a government and past the roadmap to democracy as it calls it and must put the international community in a very difficult position because they see this and the instability and want some kind of process which brings egypt back towards stability, where are they sitting on all of this? >> i think we have seen mixed signals, on one hand we seen the u.s. administration and other european governments who have obviously expressed a number of concerns of things for instance like the idea there could be 9 #% vote in favor of a constitution when there is not much of a consensus among egypt's political forces and no one can eggs press opposition and people arrested and detained saying they wanted to vote no to the constitution. at the same time we are not seeing a shift in policies that u.s. aid continues to flow to the military government and not seeing active measures to try to

center or in any way restrict the actions of this government to try to condemn the actions and we have seen military aid and it's used to be oppressing the population of egypt and it's something that really has to be called into question especially on the part of the government. >> reporter: thank you for that. well, those attacks come on the anniversary of the uprising that toppled mubarak in 2011 and mike hanna looks back at the events. >> another referendum on another constitution, egyptians going to the polls this month for the democratic process that has been over shadowed by political division and violence and three years since the popular revolution that brought down mubarak but peace is still to be realized. and people voted in what was

regarded as egypt's first truly democratic election and bringing to power what had been an out lawed organization, the muslim brotherhood and the dominance cemented a few months later when mohamed morsi was elected by the people. >> no institution, no authority, none can be above this will, the will of you, your will, you are the source of the powers, the nation is the source of the power. >> reporter: and a display of egypt unity as secular movements came together to seed the government and it was in parliament that it was an illusion and the largely secular opposition insist enthat the muslim brotherhood was pressing its own agenda in a new constitution it proposed and once again rival groups took to the streets as it intensified in

the wake of decisions by mohamed morsi, that as many critics said were intended to cement the power of the organization at the expense of the people and violence of military went from the sidelines and dissolving the government and arrested mohamed morsi and most of the organization's leaders insisting it was taken in consultation with political forces. >> translator: the will of the egyptian people alone is what governs us. we respect it. we protect it with all of the activity. fairness, honor and without disease. >> reporter: sentiments echoed by the interim president, the military put in power. >> translator: the train of justice and reconciliation will have the egyptians regardless of their background. we have invited all institutions of the state to work together to achieve peace for all egyptians.

>> reporter: and protests were forcibly crushed. the muslim brother rood declared a banned organization again and highlighting this extraordinary sequence of events, two past presidents facing legal proceedings at the same time. the interim government says real democracy can be realized in a secure government and the maintenance of security given that is a reason for what critics contend are undemocratic actions ranging from a band on unlicensed demonstrations to the arbitrary detention of journalists. the measures apparently backed by some of egypt's citizens, just under 20 million of them voteed in favor of the constitution and they interrupt it and the box is not a sole means of securing in the future and no guaranty the military will again return to the barock

and i'm mike hanna. >> reporter: we cannot report because our producers have been detained and peter greste out for 28 days and accused of lies and joining a terrorist group and al jazeera says it's totally unfounded. two journalists from the sister channels are held and a reporter and a camera man and detained for over five months now. the president of ukraine has offered to reshuffle his cabinet and amend an antiprotest law in a series of law to protesters but many are saying nothing short of his resignation will suffice and kiev has been the focus of much of the unrest. to the west in the city of ivano nearly 2000 people have occupied the regional administration

building and crowds gathered in most western ukraine. protesters barricaded themselves in the governor's office and west ukraine major city laviv thousands have surrounded the main government building. protesters say police are harassing them and using brutal tactics and we went to see what was happening in one hospital in kiev. >> a police raid on an emergency ward in the outskirts of kiev and they show no mercy and they are wheeled out under arrest. one of the walking wounded said to an officer and he was beaten by the riot police and then he is led away. the doctors are asked how often this is happening. they say no comment. we had up to one of the wards where police are standing guard. >> can we talk to the patients

that are in here? >> no, you can't they say, we are waiting to arrest them. >> what are they under arrest for? >> no answer. according to witnesses dozens of people have been taken from hospital in this way over the last five days. and he was one of them. he brought his friend to hospital for treatment when a gang of men turned up. >> and people came to the room where he was. the doctor looked at him, at his eyes and they hit me and maybe they hit him as well. so they took my legs, arms and brought me there. >> they were police? >> they were not police and didn't do anything, just talking to each other like take this, take that.

>> reporter: his body was found days later in a forest and showed signs of torture, he had frozen to death. but he thinks they were taken by malitia and the police are allowing to terrorist the protesters. the opposition leaders have started to reach out to the police, calling them to leave their posts and join protesters and certainly in at least two areas outside of the capitol they heeded the call and begun to resign. and this is the west of the country, each of these police officers have just resigned. the crowd shouts glory as they leave the building. the head of the police department said on friday that all the peace were now with the people. >> translator: the people must move to the people. i'm glad it turned out this way. the people push them to make this decision and so they took sides. if only they could do the same here in kiev. >> reporter: there is no sign of that happening, with reports mounting and beatings and arrest

and of brutality at their hands, the riot police, and an easy truce may be holding but the battle lines are still drawn. al jazeera, kiev. >> reporter: an ex fighter is in kiev and hearing that the government buildings are being ceased and the latest is the energy ministry, what are you hearing? >> well, the second government ministry has been occupied by protesters in two days. it is now the energy, the ministry responsible for coal and energy that has been taken over by the demonstrators on friday and it was the ministry of agriculture. but it is at this while 6 out of 7 regional governments have been occupied by protesters, a sign of a weakening grip, the central government here which is not just losing ground but losing people, a good part of the

presidential press service has resigned on that as well as a handful of members and viktor yanukovy yanukovych's region party and three police attacked by protesters and believed and taken hostage inside the city hall building if that is confirmed, the interior ministry certainly thinks it's something that has happened and a chance that inferior ministry troops my storm city hall. >> nick, is there any sign of a deal on the table or a compromise? >> well, what the president viktor yanukovych is offering is a cabinet reshuffle next week on tuesday as well as the pardon ending or amnesty of some protesters except those who committed serious crimes as he said. the prime minister called the swiss president to mediate and

it's interesting no european leader is being trusted to mediate because this is a geo struggle and apart from the ukraine struggle between the european union and russia and switzerland called to mediate and coming from the vice president vivian reddening saying few crane doesn't take the steps needed it may be on the brink of civil war and back to the studio. >> and nick spicer in kiev there. still to come here on the program, as revenge attacks continue in central african republic people look back with nastalgia on the country's national hero and asia grand slam winner aims for the second title and we will have details later on. ♪

at least 12 people have been killed in china's western region of singang and they shot six people after they were hijacked with explosives on friday and other six people killed in explosions and home to ethnic people and the communities are discriminated against by china majority people. hundreds of millions of people in china are on the move, they are traveling across the country to make it home for the lunar new year and for most the journey is the only chance they get to see their families and craig followed one couple to the province as they joined the biggest migration. >> reporter: she prefers to live in her home village but the past decade she has worked as a cleaner seven days a week and earning $600 a month.

>> translator: it's easier to make money and spends it in your hometown. >> reporter: part of the lunar migration and hundreds of thousands of migrants and students and families go to the village from the economic zone and 3.6 billion trips will be taken in the next 40 days making the spring holiday the biggest migration of people on the planet. from beijing sometimes it's 39, sometimes even more than 40 hours. and to my hometown is another three hours by bus. >> reporter: the need for rail travel is high. 280 million tickets will be sold, but it's only a fraction of demand. the most passengers on the train is standing room only. >> it's 3:00 in the morning. it's bitterly cold and the bathrooms have just stopped working. but that's the reality for 1800 passengers on this train and as

you can see for most there is very few places for them to sleep. in fact, the $25 u.s. dollars you get standing room only. >> reporter: they spend billions modernizing the rail network and added 100,000 kilometers of track and it's impressive but not enough trains to cope with the holiday crush. the overlaying train stops almost every hour dropping off and picking up new passengers. by the time it arrives the carriages are as full as when they left 32 hours earlier and tang and lee are exhausted but the trep is far from over. >> translator: i still feel very tired and to be honest you couldn't take a good rest on the train, it's very, very noisy. >> reporter: 800 buses are deployed and they have two to catch. and this is a small county by

chinese standards of 860,000 people and from here they negotiate the fare for a cab ride to the village, and 30 minutes there and the siblings and lees parents gather outside the family courtroom. and the sacrifice they made reunites four generations of family and it's a sacrifice made by hundreds of millions across the country every spring holiday for chinese new year. >> reporter: the afghan president karzai will not sign a deal with the united states until there is a been gin peace process with the taliban and warns afghanistan would not sign anything under pressure. >> translator: this relationship which benefits them cannot come at the cost of the lives of the people of afghanistan and cannot come at the cost of the lives of the

women and children of afghanistan. and signing the agreement we want peace and security for the people of afghanistan and without that it's better they leave and afghanistan determines its own future. >> reporter: for more on this let's go to jane ferguson in kabul and this has long been a bone of contention between the u.s. and afghanistan. this is not going to help, is it? >> it's certainly not a good sign in terms of whether or not this is going to be signed. it has long been a bone of contention and both sides involved in extremely frauth negotiations over this. american forces mandate runs out at the end of the year and what the agreement is about, will they be able to stay and can afghan security forces manage without them. there is a lot at stake for afghans in terms of finances and u.s. and allies are picking up the tab essentially in terms of paying security forces here so there is a lot at stake but it

seems as though negotiations are still at a stalemate. >> reporter: what happens if the pact is not signed and the u.s. do completely pull out because it has not worked well for iraq which is currently seeing a sectarian battle? >> that's correct and, in fact, that is a decent comparison because iraq, their foreign minister actually visited here last year and spoke with karzai, encouraging him to sign it. of course iran is a very different country with an ethnic war as you see. here there is an insurge of fighting and there is concern that security forces could really be in trouble in terms of fighting the taliban without some foreign forces here, not necessarily to fight but the forces are really meant to stay to be sort of help train and really be mentors for the afghan forces and if it's not signed

every single last one is meant to leave even if it is signed it's really meant to leave a smaller consistency of u.s. forces around 10,000 or a few thousand more than that and if it's not signed it could effect the economy here and what people are worried about and comes with a lot of aid, not just the aid money that would help pay salaries of the police and military here but aid money attached to development and aid money attached to ordinary budgets of the government and this government is extremely dependent on foreign aid and a lot at stake. whenever we hear such defy enwords coming from the president lots of people will be watching in washington d.c. >> reporter: and jane in kabul. a mortar attack on a village

killed six northeast of baghdad and police say the attackers may have been trying to hit a nearby police station, near the capitol of baghdad destroyed a soldier's house and family and they often target security forces. time for the weather with richard and starting with the flooding in argentina, richard. >> quite nasty across the country, that is right and we had several fatalities of what has been torrential rain and you see the clouds across argentina and you see moving further to the north. it's tied in with a weather system and cold front which has been a particularly active feature over the last couple of days. now certainly we had significant rainfall for buenis ares and here we are looking at 270 millimeters in a space of four

days and this is active because of the cold air behind it. over the last week the average maximum temperature has been 31-32 degrees. but on friday we saw temperature drop right back to maximum of just 23. the rainfall extended further up to the north there in the northern parts of the country and this is where we had the worst of the flooding across argue nina but the problem is extended further north go bolivia where we had significant rainfall here, extensive flooding and usual problem of course with mud slides and looks like we will see further heavy rain across the region and much of bolivia and peur we will see further flooding in the coming days. >> thanks very much. still to come here on al jazeera a show down for just a show, questions raised about a mexican police crack down on drug gains. in sport the world's bravest gather off the coast of

california which is known as the superbowl of surfing, details coming up, later in the program. ♪

♪ hello and welcome back, i have a reminder of the top stories on al jazeera, the syrian government and the opposition are now sitting or have been sitting in the same room in geneva but the two sides still refuse to speak directly to each other and instead they are speaking between a go-between the arab league and brahimi. he will reshuffle the cabinet

and amend a law and yanukovych made the offer and protesters in kiev have been burning barricades on a road leading to the parliament building. two new explosions in the egyptian capitol and interior ministry said one went off by a police institute in cairo, the second bomb followed in the eastern part of the city. well, let's stay with, egypt and trying to convince people that his country was this good shape but it means getting investors' confidence back and a tough job. last year the pound grew steadily weaker and had rising inflation and higher prices. as the cost of living rose the people out of work grew and 13% of people were officially unemployed by the end of the year. well young people are the

hardest hit, 40% of 20-24-year-olds are jobless and we have the president of the institute and the attacks on the economies and politics and joins us from cairo on skype. angus good to have you with us, the figure 40% of 20-24-year-olds out of a job and that is a staggeringly high amount among the young in egypt. >> it is high but i have to say you can put it in context with the other parts of the mediterranean with spain and greece and portugal where unemployment in the young is 40-60% and the highest level in greece and a high number and interesting the other night i met the minister of housing in egypt who irate very highly and it's clear the cabinet is aware of the problems which egypt faces and the fact the economy must grow faster still.

but the problems which have, which egypt faces are many decades in the making and take time to fix. >> probably going to face this year is food shortages and fears that egypt is going to suffer a shortage of wheat, how do high food prices play into the unrest? >> there is not going to be, as far as i'm aware i have not heard about a shortage of wheat. >> reporter: i said they won't have enough money to buy wheat to fulfill demand, so someone is saying there could be a wheat shortage. >> well, there is no wheat shortage, there is going to be a global wheat shortage and we could get by because we have the wheat in the world and the issue is does the golf have, what you are trying to imply is if the government has the cash to pay for wheat and the foreign exchange is around $17 billion

and the income or the growth in for the reserves comes from sources and revenues and tourism and increase from foreign investment or from states. and they have not faced problems to get help to pay for food purchases particularly. but since you raise the issue of food, food price inflation is high and has been high for 20 years as long as i covered egypt. what you have to do is egypt has to increase food production and cut waste. >> reporter: if we look at what exactly can the government do to stimulate the economy? because you said before that the egyptian is aware of this and what policies should it be looking at? >> started in the program of stimulus which is great and i think it could go further and we recommend that the government

cut tax rates by a few percent and stimulate a change of sentiment of much of what happens in 2004 where the corporate tax rates were cut in half and it changed and the investment grew and in two years the economy grew 6% or 7% within three years. we would think there needs to be a change of dynamic but it's helping a little but seeing signs of improvement in the company across a variety of sectors and a growth of wheat in cairo and food has been growing between 20-40%. one feature which people forget about egypt and it's a very vital feature is the lack of indebtedness, household indebtedness and corporate indebtedness is an enormous strength and when you have this

environment any form of stimulus has a much greater impact overall in the economy. we see something and it's beginning to change in the last few months positively and not come through foreign investors just yet on the whole and some investment coming in and oil and gas and wheat investment but not yet in broader sectors. domestically there is some positive changes taking place. they should be more creative in their economic program. >> good to speak with you and thank you indeed for that and angus live from cairo there. back to syria, the opposition and government are having mediated talks in geneva, the conflict has been rage for three years and effecting syria and lebanon and hosting a million refugees by some counts and this in a country with a population of four million and attacks and

a northern city of tripoli and those who back the rebels and we are live in tripoli and the reason they have been effected by the syrian war is it has a large population. >> tripoli has always been a tender box and a potentially explosive area in lebanon where clashes and armed conflicts have broken out over decades, and so sectarian tension has always been high here because as you mentioned there is a large population of sunni alike in tripoli but risen and increased because of the conflict next door in syria between opponents and supporters of the government of bashir al-assad and clashes

are happening in a sunni area and adjacent to an alwhy neighborhood and separated by a street called syria street and that is where most of the deadly fighting has happened and everywhere in tripoli witnessed the fighting and where we are the street and back in late august there was a double car bombing here that targeted two mosques and killed 50 people and a lot of lives have been lost here and to make matters even worse because of the large influx of refugees the syrian refugees who have come here mainly sunnis living and staying in a cabanna and what i mentioned have also been participating in the fighting. >> and now the lebanese army struggles to keep peace in tripoli what do people think about the talks going on in geneva, do they think there can be any hopes of a political solution? >> well, the lebanese residents

of tripoli are of course skeptical of talks in geneva because they know this has always been a tender box and witnessed sectarian violence for many years and i know the army has been here since last december and it's a security plan for six months to try to restore calm in the area and the lebanese army has been given full authority to arrest fighters here but the people here blame the glove and want a solution from the lebanese government and this area suffers from a loss of poverty and most of the fighters are poor people who are funded by strong and powerful political leaders and figures who give them arms and people here don't have jobs so they blame the government for their own government for not solving this problem and being able to control this very dangerous sectarian situation in tripoli and these are people who need jobs.

they need an improvement in their economic situation in order to let go of this fighting and of carrying arms. 76% of the people who live here are living under the poverty line and they are among the poorest people in lebanon and they require a solution from their own government here in lebanon to try to improve the situation and the living conditions here so the political and sectarian tension could actually dwindle over time. >> reporter: thanks very much for that and we are in tripoli in northern lebanon there. now former government minister hacked to death in central african republic and killed by a crowd with machetes getting out of a taxi in bangui and african

peace keepers have not been able to stop the killings. other parts of bangui and christians and muslims exchanged fire and they intervened as they moved to the mostly muslim neighborhood. central african republic suffered political instability since the independence from france in 1960 but mr. phillips say people look back to a late national hero and wonder what would happen if he had lived longer. >> reporter: a memorial to the father of the nation, in the small village where he was born, and boganda killed in a plane crash in 1959 on the eve of independence and mourned by his people ever since. he was the catholic priest who campaigned from freedom from the french. and could have been a giant of liberation and equal to congo or

cruna if not for his premature death. in the village the deputy mayor remembers him and wonders where things went wrong for this country. >> translator: if he can see what is happening here now, the desolation and criminal would hurt him. people are hiding in the bush and it doesn't make sense because we don't like violence. the capitol of bangui pays homage and towers above other leaders like the dictator bacasa. ♪ the flag he designed in the 1950s is still the national flag today. we will never really know what sort of president he might have

been but we do know those who came after him failed in different ways and this has helped protect his ora, it's the myth if you like of what might have been for the central african republic. a historian goes to the national museum and it's locked up and what we see through the windows it has been looted. and if there are lessons we can learn from the past, we won't find them here. >> translator: we still ask why did he die prematurely? this question preoccupies africans and we regret he is dead. if only he had lived ten more years, we would not be in this situation today. >> reporter: in the village the deputy mayor wants me to see his private papers or what is left of them. the muslim celica malitia burned them and doesn't know why. history destroyed. the press in ruins and the

ghosts of the past cannot rescue the central republic, the people need new heros, mr. phillips in the central african republic. >> reporter: a crack down on mexico's drug gangs over the past few months and they have been arrested, the operation in the western state seems to have flushed out gang members but they are reappearing in other states and david has more from mexico city. >> it's called operation shield and it's the latest step in mexico's fight against the drug cartel, thousands of police deployed to strategic locations. their mission to stop the so-called cock roach effect where government crack down in one place sends criminals going to other places. operations like this are taking in six states throughout mexico and here in mexico city alone more than a thousand police officers are involved in check stops like this behind me and

people are asking questions about whether this is not just a big show for the media. while people say they sand the government has to do something, it doesn't mean they have to like it. >> translator: i'm a civil engineer and look they are treating me like a delinquent. they launched an offensive against the cartel and street battles rage and they sent police to quell the violence but there were signs that they may be picking up and moving to neighboring states and they pointed to two burned out stores nearby as proof. the head of the mexico city program is determined to keep this sort of violence out of the capitol. >> translator: we know we have a big responsibility. we have important instruct --

infrastructu infrastructure. >> reporter: investing in intelligence and trying to stop every radical that comes to mexico city is just impossible. i think, yeah, it's a way to make people feel safer. i don't blame the mexico city government for that. >> reporter: in mexico city and the six states bordering, operation shield will continue for the foreseeable future but what is less certain is whether this strategy will succeed in keeping the 9th templar at bay, david in mexico city. >> reporter: still to come here on the program. >> a brand new western

international cricket in doha and the first time to becoming an international tourist destination. ♪

♪ welcome back and let's get the sport. >> thank you and china's number one tennis player has won the second grand slam title and she won the final of the australian open and move to third in the rankings and 2011 won the first

set on a tie break that took over an hour and the second set leaning it was 7-6-6-0 and andrew thomas is live and it's third time lucky for lena and how is the atmosphere for chinese fans? >> two different sets but the first was competitive and excited and tense audience watching the match. what was interesting in the arena was how the arena was divided up. so the seats nearest the court if you like have been sold many weeks ago to people who didn't know who would be in the final but the furthest from the court have been sold today or the last couple of days when the finalists went home and they have a big chinese community and bought the seats in big numbers and when she won the seats

erupted and at least 50 or 60 chinese flags waving and excited part of the match, the second set dominated as well 6-love, a very excited atmosphere particularly in the upper sections. >> reporter: andrew we know that she is the first female player to win back in 2011 but the australian open in particular has a very different taste for lena. >> that's right and they say asia-pacific's grand slam and lena is the first non-australian player to win the grand slam or closest to home grand slam and won the french open and i was in beijing when she won and it's a growing sport in china and the first grand slam and not the first and second of course but this is in her region and her part of the world and very significant for chinese sport

and chinese tennis. >> reporter: outside of melvin park and thank you very much for that. football and have made light work against league that won in the city and to half goals putting arsenal and 4-0 and in to the last 16. and they resumed where they left off as german football made the return after winter break and the men beating them and 2-0 to extend their record unbeaten run to 42 matches and it took 7 minutes for the european champions to take the lead with a goal, the second one is via penalty. and they have the spot kick and have a 10-point lead at the top of the table. in the nba memphis grizzlys held

off a challenge from the houston rockets and courtney was the top storer for memphis with 19 points and rockets had the final shot and chance to win but patrick missed a 3-point attempt and held on 88-87 victory. yankees and dodgers are two of the most famous fields and both being transformed this week into international hockey league destinations and new york rangers will play and begin in sunny southern california as the kings take on the aneheim ducks and cutter is turning its attention to correct it and they hosted a series and hoping top-level men cricket is not too far behind and robin reports

from doha. >> reporter: cricket is alive as they build on the asia and arab games and 2022 world cup and he plans to make a splash in the world of cricket. and between pakistan, south african a women cricket is what organizers hope is just a start. 12,500 seats with the international stadium with the hope of increasing the popularity of the game and attracting more cricket to be sure but ambitions do not stop there. >> like the olympics and pushing me now to bring in others and make more tournaments. >> it was the world cup here, what is your big dream for correct it? >> cricket world cup. >> reporter: and the immediate

goal is to showcase men's international matches and confident this will soon be a reality. a large south asian fan base is already if place. and we talk about the prospect. >> i am very happy. >> we are really happy to support the people isn't it's really nice. >> reporter: and katar wants to be a second home for pakistan's team and they play their matches at eau due to security measures. >> and south africa and we want other teams to come out here and play with us. >> reporter: katar does lead at least one more stadium before it is recognized as an international venue for the game and at the event they believe it's only a matter of time. >> it has been amazing and didn't know what to expect coming to katar, conditions but

it has been amazing. >> reporter: organizers will hope the country's men's team will be one day as well. robin with al jazeera and doha. >> reporter: they have one-shot lead after the second round of the farmer's insurance open at torre pines and 20-year-old is playing partner tiger woods and did not make a birdie on any of the par fives for the second straight day and woods finished 71, 9 shots behind the leader and 63 for the day, giving him a one stroke ahead over the leader sing. south africa grant baker won the mavericks big wave contest off the coast of california and there was a call to hold the event 48 hours in advance once they were sure the waves were set to be one of the biggest in the world and we report from there. >> they say it's the mt. everest

for surfers and hawaii may be obvious for surfers but in california in the middle of with inwinter that has the biggest and lethal waves and go down 40 foot walls of water as high as stories of building and show up on earthquake sensors in the san francisco bay area. we caught up with some competitors before dawn as they headed out. >> we are taking a huge risk with our lives but the guys that do this really enjoy it and out there a lot and feel comfortable. >> you never know who rises up when everything is hitting the stand and that is what is special about big wave surfing and it's part of your dna if you love it or not. >> reporter: at sunrise with little ceremony, the best of the best pushed off to face the sound and the fury, the waves

are off shore and sometimes as much as two miles out in the open sea discovered only in 1975. during the competition is beach is actually closed to spectators for safety. fans party and watch the contest here on shore. the closest they can get to maverick. >> it's absolutely amazing. it's incredible. they say the olympics of surfing, it's so true. >> reporter: incredible for those who watch but also for participants. the surfers come to mavericks not to ride the wave but to survive it. melissa chan with al jazeera and half moon bay in california. >> and we will have all the action from the australian open where she has won her second grand slam. that is it from the both of us and the news hour team in doha. for me, good-bye for now and thanks for watching. ♪ checkee

>> tense standoff as growing unrest in the ukraine. the president makes concession, but the opposition says it's too little, too la. >> syria's government meets face to face with the opposition. >> egypt in turmoil - another wave of bombing to care. as egypt marks the third anniversary of the arab