we'll see you next time online. ♪ >> welcome to international stories. >> this is a very modest beginning, but it is a beginning, on which we can build. >> the first round of syrian talks end with out a breakthrough. >> i'm in london with the stories we're covering in europe. a protester in the ukraine tells

of torture, and plus, criminal connections. police warn that london gangs are expanding across the uk. >> and economics versus environment. permission is granted to build the first port in the australian great barrier reef. in the first round of talks to try to end the war in syria has ended without significant break through. a second round of talks on february 10th. and the syrian government has yet to confirm whether it will attend. we have the report from geneva. >> reporter: after sharing eight days of as many as hostile talks, the veteran negotiator admitted there had been very little progress. no concrete agreement on any of the aspects of the political future of syria, or humanitarian

deal to help the desperate plight of the country. what would you say about what has been achieved or not achieved? >> we haven't made any progress. as far as i know, there was immense hope when this started. and i understand that already people are starting to feel disappointed. what i can tell them is that things have gone so far down that they're not going to get better overnight. >> representatives from 40 countries are at the talks. it took months to get them to come here. in a room just beyond this point, they sat around the same table. before these talks, the opposition didn't have high hopes of progress, but they now

say they think it's worth coming back for a second round. >> every second we spend here, even knowing that sometimes we're moving little or moving nowhere, but to this point in our next round, then that probably will help us a bit in finding the political authority that will help the world to bring peace and tranquility in syria. >> the government representative, questioning whether they were syrians, and syrian's prime minister said the decision on whether his selligation will come back in ten day's time will be made in damascus. >> whether you take part in the second round, you have the most high level delegation here. yourself and all of the people flanking you. and what is left to decide by president assad?

>> . >> the government, he will first -- about what's happening this week. and accordingly, he will discuss with us the government also minor the next round of the talks can on member 10th, and the assad government is not committed to being here. but it's worth remembering that the process is strongly backed by the u.s. and russia, and the rushans have a great deal of control over the assad government, which they have protected diplomatically. >> all eyes now turn to damascus, and president assad's decision on whether to return to the negotiating table.

in geneva, assessing what to expect the coming day. >> reporter: no progress, no breakthroughs, but this is not the end. the second round of negotiations is scheduled for february 10th. both sides sticking to their position. the government saying that the transitional body should be before peace can be restored in syria, because this is the mechanism forward. and they say that the units from the army could cooperate from elements from the syrian army which don't have blood on their hands, but for the government, this is not the priority. they said they didn't come to geneva to hand over the keys to damascus. but what the government did was try to discredit the mc as much as possible, saying that it doesn't represent the syrian people, and there should be other parties involved in the negotiations. they're going to push for this. but it doesn't seem to be a

condition for them attending the second round. over the next few days, undoubtedly e. we're going to see a lot of meetings like the porforeign minister in moscow. so trying to make sure that the second round can be. and it's going to be long and it's going to be difficult. >> and at least 50 shells have been fired from syria across the border into lebanon, killing one person. the security officials say that the shells have been fired by syrian tanks. they said that it was in response to the rebel firing on a syrian village which killed five people city. >> officials have been killed in two separate attacks in yemen. launching an attack on soldiers.

earlier, gunmen targeted eight police patrols. an arrest warrant has been issued against a ukrainian opposition leader who claims that he was tortured. the latest now from a center in london, and joan a. ove jonah, . >> he emerged from a wilderness outside of kiev, badly beaten. it's the latest in the string of brutality against the security forces in ukraine. and he's live in kiev. good to see you. and we know that in the last hour or so, there has been an effort, a rather clumsy effort, by the sound of things, to have this man arrested in his hospital room. what more do we know about that situation? >> reporter: you're absolutely right, things are moving rapidly since the ministry of interior

issued their initial arrest warrant for de dmitri, from his hospital bed where he was recovering from surgery. he was described by his doctor as being in critical condition. but the police face large groups of opposition protesters, including opposition leader, who repelled him to make the arrest. they are making sure that they arrest him when they can, but protesters are trying to make sure that doesn't happen. this is 24 hours after he stumbled bloody, with one eye, into the outskirts of kiev, claiming that he had been abducted and tortured for eight days. here's what he had to say about his ordeal. >> i was crucified.

i have holes in my hands. a part of my ear was cut off. they cut my face. there was not a spot in my body that had not been beaten. i couldn't tell where they were. but the accent was russian. i will tell you more later. i cannot see well because i've been in darkness for so long. >> they tried to arrest this man, but president yanokovych just signed amnesty for the freedom of protesters. is this a sign that things are happening around president yanokovych? >> it's a bitter irony. only a few hours ago yanokovych signed this all-important amnesty agreement that would essentially pave the way for hundreds of opposition protesters to be released within 15 days, providing of course that the opposition protesters leave this square and leave the buildings that they have occupied for many weeks now.

according to the protesters here, that's not going to happen any time soon. they believe that the logical conclusion of all of these protests, not only here in kiev, but nationwide, is for yanokovych to step down. he's facing pressure from within, and pressure from without. united nations criticizing yanokovych for his heavy tactics in facing down the opposition, and the pressure is continuing to rise on a daily basis. >> thanks, nate. the crisis in ukraine and syria's almost three year conflict are expected to to the agenda at the munich security conference in germany. more than 350 high-ranking officials from 70 countries are set to take part in the forum. among them. john kerry. this week, u.s. spy chiefs said

that 7,000 foreigners are fighting with rebels in syria. many of them from european countries. intelligence agencies are warned that some are being trained to return and conduct attacks at home. the international study for the study of radicalization estimates that western europeans make up part of the fighting population in syria. many come from france, and 360 come from britain. the report goes to say that almost 300 travel to syria from belgium. 240 fighters come from germany. and just over 150 have left the netherlands. i spoke with open ar in amsterdam. and i asked what threat these foreign fighters may impose if and when they return home. >> i think it's safe to say that

almost all returnees will be potential terrorists at home. but for sure, we learned at our conference of the add callization network -- radicalization network that some of these returnees do have intentions to exercise extremism after returning. >> so what has been done about it? what's being done about looking at the ways, for instance, that these people are recruited in their hometowns and suburbs to go to syria, and what's being done to monitor their move wants when they come back? >> well, much is being done, but perhaps what can be done even more is preparing first line practitioners to recognize these returnees, and radicals before they travel. i mean, this issue has been discussed by many policy makers,

and intelligence, but the people that have to deal with the target group in the classroom in the neighborhoods like youth workers or health practitioners, they haven't been involved enough yet. so we are keen to train them. to recognize signals, and to refer radicals because i believe that when you look at the foreign, so-called foreign fighters, i mean the term is also strange perhaps, because there are no foreigners, they are u.s. citizens, but the local practitioners in specific cities, they are best placed to do this job, and to detect radicals, and to gain their trust, and to help them deploy their engagement in ways. >> more to come from europe in a little while, including the new study on vodka, and why it's blamed for putting russian men

into an early grave. >> and the report from the scene of another church attack in northern algeria. and sports, one of the sport's most critical coaches is being forced to stand down from his job. >> he says that the threats to remove him are damaging the peace talks. both sides agreed to easy fire last week. thousands of displaced people are without food or shelter. pistol. >> and dozens of people are still recovering from hospital after an attack on a catholic church in nigeria. on sunday, rebels took over the church and of hostages in a five hour siege. more than 60 people were killed. and no one has claimed

responsibility. traveling to the village in northern nigeria where the attack took place. >> this is all that's left of the church that was attacked. and what we know is that the attackers came through that door. some of them in motorcycles, and they began to attack the parishioners sixth on both sides of the church. as you see, the violence was so intense that the roof has caved in. many of the parishioners escaped through the windows, but as you see, they're barricaded because of fears of security in the area. some of the parishioners went to the back of the church. and as you see, there's a window there, and we understand that some people did manage to escape and fled into the bush. many met their death right here in the church. those two did survive and managed to get out alive are being treated in hospital. in egypt, demonstrators have taken to the streets once again

to protect against the military backed government. these are the pictures east to west, south of cairo, vowing to keep up pressure on the government. meanwhile, the united nations have condemned a clamp down on the freedom in europe. the agency said that authorities have systematically touted aljazeera's staff, remaining behind bars. >> an award-winning correspondent, peter's work has spanned the globe, but after being in egypt for two weeks, he found himself behind bars. arrested with him, two other journalists, all three accused of spreading false news and links to the muslim brotherhood, which egypt classified as a terrorist organization. the government in cairo said the cases have been referred to the criminal court for the prosecutor general. however, the aljazeera network,

it's lawyers and journalists have not been notified of any formalchise. the human rights agency said that the freedom in egypt is at risk. >> it not only places a sharp focus on aljazeera's taff, five of whom are actually in custody at the moment since the fall of the previous government last july, but it has led to increased fears among the media in general, both national and international, which is detrimental to freedom of expression and opinion. >> reporter: two other journalists have aljazeera network have been detained for six months ago. a writ has been issued for 12 people who have worked for aljazeera or have done so in the past. however, aljazeera has not received an official notice from egypt's authorities. the foreign minister said that she'll continue to push his case. she spoke to her egyptian counterparts directly.

>> he did give us an assurance that as far as he was concerned, the case would be dealt with expeditiously and fairly, and®ister our concerns in areas. >> which areas? >> the charges, and also matters regarding his welfare. >> he said that it welcomes foreign media and in a statement, he said restrictions are strictly prohibited by law and not it consistent with the principles of democracy that egypt seeks to build, it said that a person who is a criminal suspect or a person in prison, pending a criminal case, and this is not in itself a punishable offense, and it constitutes a form of participation committing the same crime. aljazeera rejects allegations

against all journalists, andigue eagerly awaits their release. a plan to dump mud on australia's great barrier reef has been approved. the reef stretches on the east coast, and the dumping permit creates the way for a major expansion at the port. the mud will be dumped around 25 kilometers offshore. andrew thomas has more. >> reporter: already a united nations agency is considering whether to describe the great bare reef as in danger. danger. 300 cubic meters of mud and sand will be dumped at sea within the great barrier reef marine park. the coal industry wants the port

deepened so big ships can transport more material. they said that 30 years of dreming elsewhere have had no impact on the reef but experts agree, they said that they disease fish and kill sea grass and harm hurt he turtles. they say the runoff from land and flooding for fish. whistle blowers say that leaking spoils from dredging operations are at least in part to blame. and the ports designed to protect the reef will be different. 47 environmental conditions will be imposed and spoils won't be dumped on th the does not contan coral reefs or sea grass beds. >> authorities say that that is not enough. it blocks off light, killing life. >> we will see 9 condition of

the reef only get worse, the 5 million tons of dumping is only the first of a number of proposals to expand ports, and allow more dredging and touching across reefer waters. >> the more allowed, the more fish suffer. it's supposed to be an independent watchdog, looking after the interests of the reef. and critics say that it's a government agency, and the government has made it clear, it's priorities are economic. and it wants to put the priorities of australia's coal industry above that of australia's greatest natural resource. four out of five india's small cars have failed their first ever crash tests. the first, the nano, they insist that the cars are safe.

more now from new delhi. >> these cars are from india, and a study has found that only the volkswagen polo prides serious protection in an accident. india is in an emergele car making hub. it provide for democrat consumption as well as expert. some of the cars rolling off of the production lines aren't road worthy. >> they have brought in all of these new auto brands, and they can sell them, because the indian people asking for ratings. >> in 2013, these five small cars accounted for approximately 20% of all car sales in india. crashes 64 kilometers an hour,

only two cars, the volkswagen and the polo were structural. they were found to be structurally unstable, increasing the risk of life-threatening injuries to passengers in a serious accident. the volkswagen polo was the only car fitted with two airbags as standard. purchasing vehicles that don't meet basic global safety standards, but small cars, and the features they have is only part of india's wider problem. despite the changes these patients face, they're lucky to have made it to this rehabilitation center. every year, there are more than 130,000 road fatalities in india, and countless injuries. india needs safer cars and a more responsive medical system

if it wants to bring this number down. >> there are times what i've received patients who have been to three different hospitals before they come to this rehabilitation facility and precious time is lost in this time >> reporter: that's something that he knows all too well. he was injured in a road accident more than two years ago and now he's still recovering. exercises to strengthen his right arm is a daily task. >> reporter: the accident changed my life. i lost my job, i'm right-handed but i can't use my right hand anymore. and even doing simple things is difficult. >> reporter: insia is already the world's largest for passenger cars, and the country's auto manufacturers need to make sure their safety standard don't stall. aljazeera, new delhi. >> we contacted the manufacturers whose cars were tested and this was their response.

safety is our mayor. importance to tatta motors. all of our vehicles meet safety regulations, and volkswagen says that we're happy that the volkswagen polo has received a four star safety rating. it is our commitment to building better and safer cars. est. >> the islami party in pakistan are protesting the death sentence given to a leader in bangladesh. dozens rallied in karachi in support of the main party. he was sentenced to death on thursday for arms smuggling, and he's also facing separate charges of war crimes, dating back more than 40 years. >> political leaders sentenced to death, and strikes, and described as a farce, bangladesh's chaos is having a

disastrous effect on parts of the economy, including tourism. >> reporter: it's peak season at the longest beach in the world, but no one is here. it has been badly affected as the country's largest tourist destination. he wonders why he spent so much money on the beach chairs, there's no one around to rent them. >> interpreter: i rent these chairs by the hour, and there are usually thousands of people here, and now there are not 100. >> reporter: high-rise hotels have been built around town, but over a year ago, political activists started rising, and blocked all roads. many of these hotel guests were trapped and weren't able to leave for days. since then, tourists have been staying away. >> we have 296 rooms, out of

which 240 rooms for the guests. and we used to sell all the rooms, but nowadays, it has dropped to 10 to 15%. >> reporter: until recently, [ unintelligible ] and now there's no one here. though it's romantic, it's silent and lack of crowds are unnerving. they married recently, they came here for a quiet vacation, but didn't think it would be this quiet. >> interpreter: it's not what we're used to, it's not good. the beach is too crowded, but this is very bizarre. >> reporter: it has died down in the past few days, but the threat remains, and the business is poor. it seems that he needs to hold out a little longer before his beach chair investment pays off. aljazeera, bangladesh.

>> and still to come on this news hour. colorado reports soaring marijuana sales since the state legalized the drug last month. and in sports, we'll be speaking to olympic champion, and his high altitude base in kenya.

>> welcome back, a reminder of the main stories on aljazeera. ukrainian police have issued an arrest warrant for a prominent activist. it comes after dmitry bulatov was found alive. and he says that he was kidnapped and tortured by men. and president yanokovych has signed into law an amnesty bill protesters will be freed if they leave the buildings they are occupying. >> this is a beginning on which we can build. >> and the first round of talks in syria has ended without

significant development. a second round is in switzerland february 10th city. >> and australia's great barrier reef watchdog has given the go ahead for millions of cubic feet of mud to be dumped on the world's biggest coal port. it's the final day at the office for the american central bank. ben bernanke has signed his last check after eight years as chairman of the federal reserve. and janet yellen takes over. a look at how bernanke will be remembered >> reporter: the final few hours in charge of the central bank. ben bernanke was pointed as the chairman of the federal reserve, and he had no idea that a global meltdown was coming. an expert on the great depression, he was one of the key players trying to stop another from developing.

>> he knew what not to do. he didn't exactly know what to do, but he could eliminate things that he knew to be disastrous in the past. he was the perfect man for the job, and we were very lucky. >> reporter: with the economy in trouble, he poured money into the system, and provided congress with enough money to stop a collapse. with modest economic growth, it looked as though he knew the way out. >> i think its clear that in retrospect, the severity of the financial crisis and other problems, including the dysfunction in the housing market have been more severe and persistent than we initially believed. >> reporter: interest rates were pushing down, and he was printing money to buy bond and u.s. treasury notes, which helped the housing market and stocks and the broader economy, not by a lot, but enough.

>> it can do damage to the broader economy. >> reporter: there are still issues for the fed. it's running 1% below what is healthy. liabilities have grown to $4 trillion. >> we're not out of the woods yet. people think we are, but we're not out of the woods yet. if you go between the appalachians and the rocky mountains in the great heartland of the country, you will still people who are still, by a large majority, very concerned about their future. >> reporter: for it to be truly successful for years to come, and he hands over to janet yellen, convinced that he did what he could to avoid a disaster that he didn't see coming. aljazeera, washington. >> the central banking and economics reporter from the wall street journal. and he joins us from washington d.c. and thank you for joining us on the show. ben bernanke's leadership witnessed one of the world's

most volatile periods, and what is bernanke's performance? >> reporter: i think the assessment is submit in two. he took a lot of flack for not seeing the crisis coming, because remember while he was pointed fed chairman in 2006, he was on the board in the early 2000s, but also chair of bush's economic council of advisers in the 2004-2005 period. so he had a role, and he was certainly among the many economists who didn't see the crisis coming. he gets high marks from fellow economists for his aggressive response in terms of the stim stimulus that he delivered to the economy once he saw the crisis. so the legacy is mixed and the

story is not finished because his policies are in place, but it behooves his successor, janet yellen, to tell the tail of how these will end. >> we'll get to janet yellen in a moment, but while he was able to steer the u.s. away from devastation, the wall street journal said that five years after the recovery, it's frustratingly weak. and is this because of his policies or due to circumstances beyond his control some. >> well, they're both camps. i think that it's a fair assessment to say that the fed's aggressive policies helped the economy a great deal. particularly during the crisis period, there's some art as to how much the latest round of stimulus help spur the recovery. but when you look at the depth

of the recession, we now from a u.s. economy growing at about 3% on an annualized basis in the last two quarters, which has surprised most economists. and job growth, which we saw in debs, has been averaging $2,000 a month, which is significant. the unemployment rate has fallen sharply now, and some of that is for bad reasons, it's for people dropping out of the labor force and being discouraged by the market. and one of the elements that you have to keep in mind, the fed was facing particularly in the last year an usually tight fiscal policy. if you look at past recoveries, generally the government is helping the recovery, and not you cutting back on spending, so the fed was really pushing the accelerator while congress was hitting the brakes. >> pedro, i want to talk about janet yellen, talking about the

championship. and what challenges does she face? tell us how her leadership will be different than bernanke. >> every fed transition in recent years has pledged some continuity because they don't want to spook the markets, thinking that the policy is going to take a very different direction. but her leadership style will likely be different. i think one the things that she'll have to grapple with is ben bernanke has, to his credit, made fed policy a lot more transparent than it used to be. he holds press conferences and goes before congress all the time. and gives more interviews that be greenspan did. but one of the things that he has encouraged to his credit is voicing views. but that sometimes leads to a views where people are arguing

inside of fed policy, and yellen will have to corral the rest of the committee to towing the line with her so there's less volatility in the markets. >> pedro costa reporting from the wall street journal. and let's go back to jonah in london with more news out of europe. >> thanks. thousands of people are expected to protest in spain this weekend against plains to restrict abortion access. the draft law would only allow terminations in extraordinary circumstances, such as rape. >> reporter: she's a 30-year-old single mother of one child, living in spain. she recently found out that she was pregnant. her reaction [ speaking spanish ] >> interpreter: when i discovered i was pregnant, i knew what i wanted or didn't want. >> reporter: she spoke to us after she had the procedure to

terminate the pregnancy, something that she was able to do under spanish law, but that's a threat. >> interpreter: it's not right that the government makes these decisions for us. we're not talking about a car, it affects your entire life. >> reporter: they fear it would be a backward step for women. >> abortions are going down, and we'll have the same cases of abortions. what changes if it's legal, is if you have safe abortions or not. >> reporter: if the law is passed, only women who are raped or whose lives are in danger with the pregnancy would qualify for termination, and even then they would need permission from two separate doctors. the justice minister is arguing

that it's just as much about the rule of law. he's arguing constitutional, and while the changes may appease the right wing, but the people's party are voicing their opposition to it. activists have been vocally campaigning for the law to go ahead. >> we'll do as much as we can, demonstrating and rallying and be reglets to the prime minister and being in the media and social networks, understanding that the prime minister understands that there's a majority who voted for him. >> reporter: spain is a secular country, the roman catholic church casts a shadow. it's a strong presence in the country. but most are against the current law. the majority of the parliament

has condemned the move. and supporting the woman's right to choose, this is not be been easy issue to convince the country otherwise. >> the ex-boyfriend of amanda knox has been detained by the police on the border of austria. they have been reconvicted of murdering merideth kercher in 2007. kercher's family is hoping that the verdict will help bring them closure. >> you can't ever really get it a point where you can stop to remember merideth because the case, traveling over to italy and everything associated with it. but the verdict has been upheld. and again this time. so we hope that obviously coming into the trial, we are nearer to

the truth so we can remember who she was. >> roman police are warning that gangs are increasingly expanding their criminal activities in the uk. gangs in the capital are spreading their wings to sell drugs and cause violation everywhere. raids targeted one south london gangs. there were 12 raids in london and eight in bedford, just outside of the capital. and further raids in essex, east of the capital and scotland. 29 people were arrested. russia is famous for its vodka, but a new warning has emerged for men who drink too much of it. the drinking habits of 50,000 adult men as part of the investigations into the country's high rates of

premature death. >> reporter: vodka has been part of the social fabric of russian life for 36 years, but for a growing section here, the party has gone on too long. at a wedding, the couple toast their wedding with vodka. a drink that will follow them through their lives. divorce rates are soaring. and vodka is the cause of extraordinarily high of early death of russian men. dying before 55 due to heavy drinking, and to put that in perspective, the rate in britain is only 7%. >> there are so many alcoholics here. so many. first of all, vodka is so cheap. it only costs a dollar a bottle. >> russian people drink a lot because they want to forget

about their everyday problems with politics. the problems with jobs, and problems with family. and it seems to me that when we drink, they forget about all of their problems. >> reporter: it's not just the vodka on its open, but it's the whole lifestyle of persistently heavy drinkers that bring up all of the other factors that claim so many lives. violence, suicide, alcohol poisoning, accident beings, especially traffic accidents, and russia's affair with alcohol comes at such a cost. they asked 50,000 people how much they drank and followed them for a decade. >> drinking a lot of vodka or other hard liquor is binge drinking, and it's precisely this type of consumption which is the main cause of death.

>> reporter: the president showed that he was with russia, and anti-drinking campaigns on state television, consumption of spirits has fallen by one-third. but however, in a country where average life expectancy for men is only 64, vodka takes the lives of one quarter of all men before they even reach 55, and that could just prove sobering. aljazeera, moss key. >moss co.>> that's all of the m europe and back to you. >> from vodka to marijuana. shop owners selling marijuana say they can't keep up with the demand in colorado. it became the first u.s. state to legalize sales. but the trucking remains legal and causing problems for

colorado's newest industry. >> reporter: after a month of legal marijuana sales, the results of colorado's green rush are in. long lines, short supplies and an unhealthy dose of chaos. >> i'm looking for... >> reporter: only two dozen retail dispensary operations so far. the business has grown faster than the budding stocks in their grow houses. >> we have a constant flow of customers coming in. 15-20 patients, and now we're seeing about 100 to 150 people a day. >> reporter: some sellers have run out of stock, but with 100 more dispensaries set to open last month, the problem is not supply, but a system that has not caught up with the drug, still illegal under u.s. federal law.

the banks are afraid of running afoul of the federal law, and as soon as they discover who they're dealing with, they shut the accounts down. but they do take credit. >> we're in our 6th or 7th bank account and it's dangerous, but we have a tight system to hold that cash on different premises of our operations, but it doesn't stop someone who is desperate to put a gun to my head or kidnap my wife or family. >> reporter: the green rush is fueled with new industry, but trimmers marijuana tent workers. the critic, citing health problems, are working on a new law to get pot off of the menu. >> they're targeting kids. we have marijuana soda and cupcakes, and it targets kids.

>> reporter: you can't be fired for using cigarettes or alcohol on the clock, but some have been fired for using legal medical marijuana. as colorado's business comes out of the shadows to the light of day, america's industrialists only hope that they can move with them. aljazeera, denver. >> and still to come, here with all of the sports, as number one looks to end his european title drought.

>> from next season's copa del rey, the final match. the players and coaching staff refused to take part in the second match on thursday. they claim they haven't been paid in months, and the president stand up or down. the club shareholders were removed on friday. back-to-back allegations. they were previously one of the country's best performing clubs. and the flower has paid the price for england's disastrous cricket game in australia. sitting down with the england

and wales cricket board. having one three series and he was humiliated 5-0. flowers stepped down as coach over the internationals in 2012, but england are still struggling in australia. australia won the second 2020 international, but on friday, claimed the three match series 2-0. the northern irishman shot a 2 under par, 70. and he's trying to end a 14-month european title drought. tiger woods could only manage a 1 over par. and he's 6 strokes off the pace. nations in the northern

hemisphere are preparing for the six nash championship berth on saturday. england will be in paris to take on france. and the coach has named jack on the wings, and luther has been named outside center. champions will take on their opening match also on saturday. the national team has had unprecedented success in recent years, but it has not stopped the decline. >> these welsh rugby players have become the first to win the six nation championship three consecutive times. but while the national team is reviving past glories for a nation that lives and breaths the sport, the communities are in decline. it's a community in wales whose population is just under 40,000,

suffering under th the decline n steel. but the rugby club, their heroes, taking on south africa and australia. but a strong club system was replaced by a regional rugby system that some people didn't want. they were hit so hard that peter jefferies kept them alive. >> i see it as a town has heavily dependent and relying on it for the future. i think that the role of the rugby club gives a community spirit. >> reporter: a few decades ago, they were put in front of healthy crowds and making a huge impact. they were still heroes across

this town. >> it's the way we choose to live. where my family lives. and i have absolutely no reason to go anywhere else. it's in your blood. my whole family was involved with the rugby club. when they created the regions, they threw out 100 years of history out the window. >> he was a good player, despite the system, such as lee, the gold kirk kicker. >> the grassroots level isn't going well and producing players. >> reporter: the two major welsh football clubs, about it's a six nation's game at the millennium stadium or pride in their local club. lee wells, aljazeera, wales.

>> best-known for winning two goals at the london olympics, but now he's settingize sights on the high altitude training camp in western kennia >> reporter: the london marathon in april will be a hard one. he trains hard. the marathon will be fast. and he wants the gold. >> it's going to be four or five kenyan guys, who will have the experience. but for me, it's about respecting the guys and making my country proud. >> he wants to be the first british man to go to the capital. his competition is stiff. he's going to be competing with some of the greatest marathon runners in the world.

and this london marathon is undoubtedly going to be one of the toughest challenges of his career. he'll be running against the olympic champion, the course record holder, and world record holder, wilson. he has been training here, and he's not taking the new entrant casually. >>ence to be commit -- he has to be committed enough. >> reporter: arguably the most eagerly awaited. and he hopes that the home advantage will give him the edge that he needs to win. aljazeera, western kenya. >> we'll have more later on. and we'll see you. >> thanks very much. stay with us here on aljazeera. we have another full-hour of news at the top of the hour.

you can always keep up with us on aljazeera.com.

>> welcome to aljazeera, and i'm del walters, these are the stories we're following for you. >> we have to do more to restore the opportunities for every american. >> president obama with big business for the long-terms unemployed. one of the few christians left. refusing to leave those devastated by syria's civil war. and plus a russian tradition that could be killing off it's men.