> good to have you. welcome to this newshour on al jazeera, with me david foster. coming up in the next 60 minutes - protesters shut down thousands of polling centres. we are live in bangkok. >> eight days of torture, beatings. >> friends of the ukrainian activist who says he was tortured want him to leave the country for treatment.

>> not guilty al jazeera camera found baher mohamed has been cleared of all charges. >> replacing hamid karzai - live in afghanistan where preparations are under way for a presidential election. >> a day that thai protesters never wanted is over. polls have closed. 49 million were eligible to cast their ballots. many were unable to do so. aint government protesters blocked roads, surrounding a ballot distribution center. four of bangkok's districts were shut down. thousands of polling stations were closed around the country. >> there were scuffles when anti-government protesters met at the station.

fighting occurred in some places there were demands that some pom center be reopened. >> in her north bangkok neighbourhood yingluck shinawatra arrived as the polls opened. setting an example that she hoped millions would follow on sunday. >> it's a duty to exercise the right to vote. doesn't matter who you vote for. we must support the election protest. >> in other parts of the capital anticipated troubles were brewing. >> this is one of the polling positions here in bangkok. the leader of the protesters vowed not to prevent voters were coming in. followers have stationed themselves outside the polling position. organizers opened the poll, but closed them at 9am, but they are worried about voter safety. >> that was not an isolated

case. more than 400 polling centers were closed. some were blocked. some never got the ballots, some had no workers. >> my right is to stand here and make sure there is reform, before voting. >> in the ding dang district two sides scared off. officials shut down voting. the anti-government protesters pulled back. a group of people denied their vote marched to the municipal building. >> i'm disappointed i can't vote. our country is a democracy. people cannot show that they support the election. >> they broke through the front gait and demanded they be allowed to vote. they'll have to wait until the elections are scheduled for the thais that could not vote. >> with no definite live results, there's little chance that the elections will stop.

nor will there be progress in mending the divide that paralyzed the government. let's join wayne hay. we'll get on to figures in a moment if we may, but remind our viewers why protesters who want a new government were refusing to take part in an election. >> well, they basically, david, believe that the government is corrupt. they believe that it is guilty of buying votes, and that is the only reason that this government led by the party and yingluck shinawatra is so popular. it has been popular for years. parties that are involved with thaksin shinawatra, outside in a coup, that is yingluck shinawatra's brother, have one all elections since 2001. those that have taken to the

streets of bangkok, trying to force the government out over the past three months believe that they are corrupt, there are five votes and they want the shinawatra family removed for good. >> 10,000 polling stations were unable to open. we are talking about 90% operating normally. will boycotting the vote have made any difference to those that want the shinawatra family out altogether. >> we are heading into an unknown area. those figures have come out from the election commission. 89-90% of the polling stations able to operate normally. it is also said that by elections will take place on february 23rd, and we will not know the election results until

then. we are in an unknown period. we are expecting something from the largest opposition party, the democrats, the party behind the protesters, to make a statement in the next few hours. it could be significant because of legal proceedings. there's a chance that somebody, the democrat party or opposition groups will lobby the courts to say in this election was unconstitutional, it should not have happened and it's important to remind people what the anti-government protests have put in place, is an unelected people's council to run the country for at least another year before we can have another election. it's unlikely they'll rest until they have achieved that goal. >> on a number of occasions in

the last decade. the army has become involved in thai politics, is there a sense that they are arrested in the period of political turmoil. >> not so far. over 2.5 years that the party led by yingluck shinawatra has been in power, there has been a careful balancing act between the government the thaksin shinawatra family. thaksin shinawatra is very much involved - some say running the government from his base in dubai. it seems like they are very powerful. these are the same soldiers, the top brass that forced thaksin shinawatra from office. the army has been careful to say that it is not taking sides and made it clear that since we saw bloodshed during the protests in

2010, that the army learnt that there were mistakes made in 2010, that the international community no longer accepts military coups, because after all thailand so so many, and we saw the general of the army casting a vote. of course, the government is very wary, we careful that it should not push too hard or upset the army which, as i say is a powerful political force. >> that's wayne hay in bangkok for us. >> doctors in ukraine say they hope the activists will get significantly better in the next few days. he's in hospital after being found badly beaten. fellow activists want him moved to a european country. >> we'll get on to politics in a

moment. the human interest story, as we journalists like to see it, what's the story there today? >> dmytro bulatov is recovering from hospital in kiev, two days after stumbling into a village on the outscirds of the capital in a bloodied state, with allegations of being kidnapped, tort future in horrific ways, including crews fixation. suspicion fell on the security services. one of the activists bodies was found in a similar location uds of kiev, not far from where dmytro bulatov says he was dumped by his abductors. the case drew attention and criticism from the united states and the european union.

we gather that dmytro bulatov hay go abroad for further treatment, possibly germany. they are willing to accept him. those closest to dmytro bulatov say he is doing better. this is what they have to say about his condition. >> translation: he's unconscious, and is coming off the medication. he has started to fight for himself. his situation worsened. we appeal to the european countries for him to be transferred there. >> one of the reasons dmytro bulatov was an unpopular figure. he led a convoy to the president's residence. it's possible there could be another such protest today. that's right. we gather that the automaidan group, housed in a government building taken over by protesters are holding a meeting

now, to work out what to do next. they have issued three arrest warrants for the leaders of the movement. one is for dmytro bulatov, who remains in hospital. another figure has fled abroad and the third is keeping a low profile. it's unclear whether automaidan will be able to galvanise the momentum they need to stage a convoy picket of leading figures in viktor yanukovych's government within the party of regent. saying that, the message for protesters on independence square is clear. they are encouraged to come along. we gather that we may hear from the leading opposition figures, fresh from the talks in munich, who will undoubtedly be here to

galvanise more momentum. for more demonstrations, to keep up efforts and keep the pressure on viktor yanukovych. >> thank you indeed. >> a court in cairo cleared al jazeera's cameraman mohammed badr of all charges. he was arrested, accused of taking parts in riots in ramsay square. 60 other defenders have been acquitted. the court has yet to order mohammed badr's release from gaol. it has been 36 days since egyptian authorities detained three al jazeera english journalists. mohamed fadel fahmy, mohammed badr, and peter greste have been held without charge since december the 29th, accused of spreading false news and having links to the muslim brotherhood. which egypt classified as a terrorist organizationment the government in cairo says their cases have been referred to the criminal court.

the al jazeera network has not been notified of charges. >> campaigning has started in afghanistan's presidential election which will be held in april. 11 candidates are competing to replace hamid karzai. two aids working for the presidential candidate and former prime minister abdullah abdullah had been shot dead. the election is seen as a test of weather afghanistan can make a transition. n.a.t.o. troops are seeking to leave the country after 13 years of war. >> the killing of the two aids working for abdullah abdullah, what are the details. >> what is known is they were leaving their campaign headquarters after a day of work in the early evening in harr at, a major city in the west of afghanistan.

it's considered to be one of the safest urban areas in afghanistan. it's believed they were gunned down by gunmen in a car who sped away. both of the aids died. it's worth pointing out these were aids to a doctor who is a contender in the elections and a contender when he competed with hamid karzai for the presidency in 2009. it's a worrying event on the eve of compaining, nonetheless campaigning got started today. up until today the 11 candidates have not been allowed to campaign. they are kicking off with posters across the city. they have large scale meetings starting the press and getting started on the agendas. the week running up has been the most important for them in terms of preparing for came pains. al jazeera has been looking at

some of the strategies of the campaign managers. >> these faces will be posted across the capital and behind. for those hoping to be the next president posters are crucial. in the past campaign images were produced abroad. the manager of this new printing business in kabul says times have changed. money is not wasted. candidates are happy. the 13 me who work here are also happy. for small businesses like this in kabul, the presidential elections are the busiest they've experienced. 71 candidates as a client means tens of thousands of business, keeping men like this employed. >> posters are one part of the battle. winning over tribal elders will

be less visible but essential. this campaign manager says it depends on location. >> if we go to the rural areas people do not watch tv. in the same area there's a local radio station and that has an effect. if a farmer is bys yoi on the farm. he is listening to it, eight hours a day. >> the counter government in achg was ranked in the top three most corrupt. winning the voters will be tough. >> they haven't asked ordinary people, they are thinking of their own benefits. if they win it will be a luxury. the taliban will tact win with anything to do. in the coming months the

candidates will try to persuade them that they can change that. >> that's a round up of the campaigns, they'll go on for two months before voters go to the polls on 5 april. a major concern will be security. i'm joined by sediki the spokesperson for the interior ministry. may i ask. security will be an issue, with the killings last night. do we know who is responsible, and what violence it is that you'll counteract in the coming months. security for us is important. yesterday's attack was sad. that's why the police is trying to find out what happened. and who was behind the attack. this was unfortunate, because the movements of the key staff and the location whereabouts was in the coordinated with the

police. again we are going into this, looking into this seriously, and we will find out the motives and who were behind the attack. the security forces in afghanistan have been fighting the taliban for years. these elections are a different security matter. is this the biggest when for them that they have faced yet. >> the security is one of the issues for the elections. we do know that enemies, the taliban are trying to disrupt the security of the election. but this time we are well prepared. we have very good experience of the past elections, we are making numbers and we are much, much better this time. that's why among the security forces we do not consider that a main challenge or a main issue. of course, we are trying our best. we have enough time to do some preparations, in terms of the place. of our forces across the country. it's a big country.

for us we are very serious on monitoring the movements of the enemies, and making sure that we can not allow them to attack on the different stages of the elections. today is the first day of the campaigning. security is very good. there is no major issue and we are looking forward to next week and coming weeks to make sure we prevent any attack by the taliban on the campaign. this is the object. >> plenty of security objectives in the coming months and attempts to make sure these are some of the safest for afghanistan. >> coming up on this newshour, a volcanic eruption in indonesia, a day after thousands of villages return to the slopes. a food staple that is hard to

get. we'll tell you why there's a shortage of maize in malawi. >> here they are celebrating an historical achievement by the team. >> syrian forces carried out airraids on the city of aleppo, killing more than 100 people in one day. that's according to activists who say helicopters have been dropping barrels packed with explosives on the biggest city and have been doing so since saturday. the bombing is appearing to target rebel haired areas. the country's president - their troops have been bombing rebel shareholdings. it will show the aftermath of an air raid. opposition fighters say they are gaining ground in other towns

and cities. >> by the grace and support of god we gain control of 10km under international highway. from the towns, our aim is to cast the regime's line of supplies. one of a number of military operations we are carrying out, significant villages have been liberated by the islamic movement. villages have been freed and liberated. a strategic highway is under control. they will leave for damascus. >> a front said it was behind a suicide attack in northern lebanon. in hamal it was the syrian border. the second time the heds stronghold was hit. they've been sent to fight bashar al-assad's troop in

syria. >> a car bomb hits the lebanese town near the border with syria. because of the explosion, a swift-eyed bomber blue himself up. it happens near the petrol station, a school. it is a predominantly shy item town. >> it's a route used by hezbollah to send its fighters to aid bashar al-assad, a member of syria's alawite minority. in his battle with rebels. >> this is affecting citizens. the lebanese citizens are affected by hezbollah and syria. they have an effect on syria. that's why we are asking for peace of march, to have hezbollah withdraw from the syrian fire. >> al qaeda-affiliated groups -

hezbollah strongholds have come under four car bomb attacks sips the beginning of the year, killing and injuring dozens. the time in between each bombing is shrinking. hezbollah will not stop assisting assad's government in syria, despite attacks on the arse, and the fighters it's losing in the war next door. >> they'll continue to be in syria. this is taking place right now. it has to do with the region. it doesn't stop at the border. this is a regional war that is taking place, and it's going to be more of the is it same. >> the lebanese army and police have taken measures by setting up checkpoints across lebanon in an attempt to curb attacks. it seems these measures are not

enough to stop them. >> in a sign that syria's war has spilt over into lebanon. strongholds have been targeted four times. lebanon is vulnerable to sectarian violence and the future looking bleak. >> there has been big protests in spain against plans to restrict access to abortion. opposition to a draft law has been growing steadily. it's a bill allowing abortions in the case of rape or if the mother's health is at risk. alexi o'-brian reports. fighting for the right to choose. it's the biggest demonstration so far against plans to tighten abortion laws. >> i'm 60 years old. it does not affect me. my children or grandchildren need it to change. politicians cannot interfere in our private lives. under a draft bill a woman will

only be able to terminate in certain circumstances - cases of rape or if her life is in danger and even then they'd need permission from two separate doctors. >> translation: this law leaves women. the government can't force me to give birth. >> the protesters delivered a petition to parliament, calling on the government to back down. the controversial bill was introduced by the ruling conservative people's party. the prime minister is said to have given in to right wing members, pressure from the catholic church. the party says it's first of allfuling an election promise. it caused division among the parties ranks, with critics saying it's out of step. it is not normal to step back to

40 years ago. europe, where we have been an example of freedom and civil rights are calling for our attention and asking us "what are you doing?" the issue is gaining attentions. rallies held in sol darity and london. we have to support the spanish in this. we have to. we fought hard during the '70s for the right to having abortion, giving rights to the reaction ris. it's out of the question. >> prime minister said he could be open to modifying the proposal. this will that's done the purple pride of protest will continue. >> in the german city of fraj further a 39 storey building has been brought down by a series of controlled explosions. 116 metres it is. the frankfurt gerter university is or was the tallest building in europe. it's the tallest it's been.

generations of students regarded the building as a symbol of freedom. >> i'm going to let you in on a secret. i asked everton if the weather was going to be good. he says yes. i look at the screen and it says floods in europe. you are never happier unless there's hale stones the size of golf balls about to pelt down on people. >> that's a little harsh. i'll try to cheer you up. >> it's not great at the moment. there's cloud into europe. flooding around italy, and the ball cans. there's cloud coming across the mediterranean. that's been pushing up moist air into the cold air, there's a fair amount of snow around serbia. over 1,000 motor visits stranded and in places the snow built up

to 5 metres wide. i'm hopeful the weather will improve. we have seen nasty weather on the other side to the north-west of spain, livly winds and big waves as a result of that to the north-east. stormy conditions here as well. we'll see brisk winds pushing in as we go on through the next couple of days. not today bad back in the u.k. eight or nine degrees. the cloud and the rain, that will continue to tumble in. still pretty wet. back over to eastern parts, colleagues in kiev have been struggling with the temperatures. it warms up to the heights of minus 2. >> that's the good news. >> everton one day. give us somewhere wonderful. >> i'll try. >> we'll see who manages it.

we have this coming up on the program. >> el salvador where voters are getting ready to go to the polls, it looks like a tight race. there's one issue on voters minds. what to do about the crime. >> environmental warnings as the wetlands of uganda dry up. >> in sport it is a golfer, phil mickelson who gets into the super bowl spirit at the phoenix center.

>> hello again. i'm david foster, this is al jazeera, live from doha. time to run through the top stories. polls have closed in the general election. it's been mostly peaceful so far, but many people are angry at being prevented from casting ballots. anti-government protesters threw polls around the stations. thousands had to be closed. most in bangkok and the south. >> doctors in ukraine hope that dmytro bulatov will ge better in the next -- get better in the next two or three days. fellow activists want him moved to another european country for treatment. a court in cairo killed al jazeera's mohammed badr of all charges. he was arrested in august and accused of taking part in riots in ramsay square. he has not yet been released.

>> let's get more on the top story, the elections in thailand. let's bring in a professor of political science at the university in bangkok, joining me from the thai capital. good to have you with us. help us with the constitution. if so many people are not allowed to vote, something happens and the elections may not be valid. >> the issue will be challenged in court. there are other ramifications that happen. they must complete the elections mandated by the constitution. they'll reschedule some of the election stations to be reopened. we have to see what the court will say on this process. >> nothing settled in the near

term at all? >> not yet. far from it. at least i think in legal terms there'll be many more legal battles ahead from today on. on top of that, of course, in political terms there'll be more complications from the legitimacy of the newly elected government. we don't know when the newly elected government will come. the limited power, due to complications of the election, it will keep limited power from the - to the upcoming government here in thailand. >> do you assess this as having been a clever move by the opposition to boycott the vote and try to prevent others from casting their votes? >> it seems like they have done

a lot of damages to the legitimacy of the current government. that is a big issue here now, on how much legitimacy this government can have with our free, their open election on one hand. on the other hand the counter government is thinking they are moving away from a care taking position and getting closer to consolidating its powers. they can wait for by-elections or court cases. the government is thinking that they are able to conduct on election today and, of course, when you look around today is less than - it's better than expected. big confrontations, in a country is limited to a few areas only. about 10% of police stations are

notable today. >> thank you so much good to have you with us. >> 14 have been killed in the latest eruption of this volcano in indonesia. clouds of gas were released. the government says that many of those who died were inside the danger zone at the time. >> now to malawi. a country where the stable food maize is now having to be rationed because of a poor harvest and bad weather. many blamed corruption for the shortfall, including the theft of funds, which were used to subsidise maize, and fertiliser. >> people queue to put food on the table. each family only allowed to by 10 kilograms at a time.

all will have to come back and stand in line after a few days. >> drought followed by floods is a reason for the shortage. many believe that corruption contributed to it as much as climate, and that food is stolen from the mouths. >> naturally they punish people, because innocent people suffer. >> subsidies for fertiliser and seed account for half of the bank accounted. they are among the funds by donors that are missing. like james, a local pastor whose income relies on an excess crop. >> this year i did not get

fertiliser. i didn't get fertiliser. the maize was planted at the same time when the rains came late in december. that part of the cob was fertilised. this part of the crop was not. the farmer said he had a fraction of the fertiliser needed. >> it is a man made problem. it is a personal problem that crept into the system. it has lived. if it's not a subsis tense farmer, who is getting the fertiliser. this is the nation's bread basket the the fields of malawi government. while climate has an impact on the size of the harvest, the corruption revealed in the capital may determine how much bread is on the table. >> sunday marks the anniversary of a convention signed in 1971

to protect the world's wetlands, a vital part of the environment much uganda is a signatory. a combination of obstruction, pollution and obstruction is speeding up the demise. >> people say kampala was built on seven hills. now it covers more that 20. between the hills were wetlands. they can be seen on the outskirts. they host fragile ecosystems and act as natural filters training rainwater into nearby lake victoria. it's the world's second-largest lake. as the city grows remaining wetlands are disappearing fast. they have been protected by laws since 1995. he says it's not in force. >> if you look at the policies

for wetland protection, they are the best. the wide raping of people are devastating the wet lands, ranging from capital investors. rains here are heavy. it's arnold's job to stop the building. he says someone built a fuel station, ignored court orders to stop and authorities demolished it. >> in some instances you find people doing so. sometimes government knows, there's corruption. but failure to follow, that you have given prnts. corruption is a part. >> it's one of many challenges. there's so much concrete.

pollution is a problem. this channel is the main drain running through the center. >> a few kilometres downstream the same channel runs into the middle of a wetland. it continues into a lake. the water smells of sewerage. it's black in colour and opaque. environmentalists say that this pollution is destroying the wetlands eco system. authorities are marking the edge of the wetland. new constructions keep coming up. >> city officials say they'll claim what wetlands they can, but they'll have to move fast. malcolm webb. al jazeera. >> back in mexico, taking only

drugs gangs. the goal united some immigrants forced to leave the united states. >> a rare defeat for barcelona in the spanish league. we'll have that in a few minutes.

>> in el salvador they have been choosing a new president. it's been a campaign dominated by the issue of gang violence. the socialist and conservative candidates are offering different solutions. as reported from san sal have

aedor, there may be no easy fix. >> in el salvador the missing are being unearths. crime is a daily occurrence. it's the rate at which bodies are being discovered that is cause for alarms. these labs have not been this busy in year. >> forensic scientists discovered 31 bodies in 21 different sites, in one neighbourhood controlled by one gang. two years ago a truce was declared. despite that the list of missing salvadorians gross. >> this is a politically sensitive issue. investigations have been stopped. the attorney-general's office says it's a matter of resources being diverted. >> we feel frustrated because we are scientists that solve crimes, and for reasons that have nothing to do with sign

ticks work we had to stop. we are disgusted that this is for statistical reasons, where the aim is to show fewer deaths and fewer missing. >> the truce between the rivals has been credited with the murder rates. there has been accusations of cal col use between gang members. >> they talk about us. they say things about a truce, but it's a lie. listen to the president. he's lies. he's making things up. >> there are people trying to make a distance. this is a priest who works with the youth. who are in danger are of joining gangs or doing drugs. >> i want children and people to

have dreams. there are no dreams. i wish to live, but all they want is to drive. to live or to skill. >> efforts are not unnoticed. he's been told he's a marked man. his father is leaving, a sign of how powerful. >> we've been reporting on vigilante groups spreading across mexican states. they are taking on drug gangs. they are imdrants to the united states finding a common purpose. they sent us this report. >> this man wraps about writes in his town, about the knights templar, how their fight, however dangerous will never be in feign. after living in the united

states for the past 20 years he returned but found himself in the middle of a war. instead of fleeing he and his brother fought back. >> it's our town, place, home. what will we do. why will we leave. henna si's mother fears every time her sons call to go op patrol. it may be the last time they see them. >> i give them my blessing and say take them. bring them back home. don't let them be captured, because the knights templar will not just kill them, they are cowards and will torture them. >> henna si and his father and brother are part of a 20-strong movement. >> for years heavily armed cartel members controlled towns,

extorting, kidnapping and killing. >> there was a successful business. then the knights came along and demanded 10,000 a month, and protection money. and everything changed. >> now their sawmill looks like this. after years of building up the business piece by piece, they were forced to abandon it. it's hard for his brother to look at how things used to be. >> there was a lot of work. we was doing good. there was more than 15 people working, giving jobs to people that need it. >> this past week vigilante groups agreed to a government plan to incorporate them into a rurp defense force. riccardo and henna si were happy they no longer had to stand alone. hoping that it was the beginning of a war that had gone on for

too long. >> there's a lot of partying going on in brazil. carnival season kicked off. >> hundreds of people enjoying themselves at the unofficial part of the season. what is three or four weeks. that didn't stop them celebrating on the streets. nothing will. >> libya are the toast of african football. making history by winning the nation's championship in south africa. and did it with the domestic league, having been suspended for the past two years. even before the start of the final, libya was confident the team would play ghana, rapped second in -- ranked second in

africa. >> it's a hard time for us. we win 2-1 for libya. >> a nerve-wracking shoot-out and libya are crowned champions. >> the footballers have done it. the first title in international football. it must be said garpa's plans have been humble. >> i'm a graceful lose are. back home, this is ghana. there's nothing we can do. that is football the the national team achievement - the players inspired happiness in the midst of turmoil. >> it's hold and it's good. it's time to make the situation change. libyan people need it in this

difficult time in libya. >> libya will remember 1 february 2014, the day the footballers concurred a strong team. >> john barasso suffered their first defeated. anchez but barca ahead. valentia scored to go 2-1 up. despite an equalizing penalty, a 59 strike. they secured a 3-2 victory. it end a run of 29 successive win, giving atletico a chance when they take on socio dad. >> a big club failing to come out on top is manchester united. they slumped to a 2-1 loss.

it's stokes first win over the red devils since 1984. >> i thought we were the better team. they have a goal. we get back in is. we thought we'd wield the team more likely. i thought in the day we had done enough to certainly making is out of it. we are lucky to get the first. >> peyton manning claimed the mvp award. he'll lead the denver broncos against the seattle sea hawks on sunday. >> the day before the super bowl was played it was walk-through day, the broncos and the seahawks had walk-throughs to get used to the unique facets of that facility. they were not rigorous workouts.

there was a lot of picture taking on the field between families and friends and players. not all of them will cut themselves off from friends and family. the broncos are taking the step of switching hotels on saturday to sequester themselves further. on another note the weather continues to cooperate. of course much has been made about this being the first cold-winter city, if forecast for sunday are correct, it won't be the coldest super bowl ever played. fans more than likely won't have to sit through a weather arma gettan. speaking of fans, seattle's famous 12th man spent the day out in force. i was in and can report that they outnumber broncos fans. if you are not aware the fans are known as the 12th man for being loud and boisterous.

they hope sunday to yell loud enough. peyton manning won the air portion of the fed ex air and ground player of the year award. super bowl 48 is hours away. >> now the super bowl generates millions every year. some u.s. law makers say the national football league is not paying its fair share in taxes. >> super bowl celebrations are under way in new york, this year's host city. with ghits and glamour many fans are surprised to learn that the football league is a nonprofit organization under the u.s. tax code. >> i did not know that. it's hard to believe. >> considering how much i pay for tickets, i would think they are making a profit. >> the n.f.l. runs the most

profitable sports league, making $9 billion a year much it's classified as a trade association. the head office pays no taxes. >> everyone at headquarterses was too busy to speak to us, including n.f.l. commissioner, who makes $30 million. a spokesperson told al jazeera the league office does not make money. the $9 billion is earnt by the 32 n.f.l. teams. >> and the teams pay tax on their revenues, including ticket sales, jerseys and the food and drink sold at games. >> there's a huge amount of economic growth. >> sports economists victor matheson says the tax free status benefits the teams. >> the primary goal is not to make football better or more popular. they are trying to make money. >> the tax-free dollars can be

used to finance stadium construction. while the super bowl will be held at the only stadium in the country built with private money, the team pays no property tax. >> it's a terrible deal. the local mayor says the benefits have yet to materialize. >> it's almost as if the n.f.l. wants to take all this money. and they don't want anyone else to make money. matheson agrees. >> if you look in terms of dollars and cents, there's no credible evidence that professional sport brings economic benefits to the cities. football brings a lot of innocentliment to the fans. they may not release, how much they are paying. >> world number four golfer, phil mickelson - the 5-time

champion has thrown the balls into the crowd. bubba watson is the sole leader, going into the final round on sunday, 15-under. >> miami heats baunsed back. they beat the new york nix. lebron james had 30 points, eight rebounds and seven assists leading the heat, ending the nix 4-game winning streak. they take on the six nations. the opening against france. england fought back, leading 24-19 with four minutes renanning. gael ficker scored. the try was converted to give them a 26-24 victory. >> they are bidding to become the first side.

scott williams were the try scorers as they beat italy 23-15 in cardiff. back to you. >> thank you. we'll leave you with a car rally with a difference in india. the competitors are visually impaired and they use a route map in braille to guide the drivers. 60 cars took part. raising money. india is estimated to have 8 million blind people. >> i'm happy to be part of this car rally. when-i did i was shocked and told we have to guide the drivers. that's it from all of us, for

me, up next more news.

>> election day in thailand turned violent as people are rocked from polling stations across the country. air strikes on aleppo as serious forces drop barrel bombs, days after trying to bring peace to the war torn