you will find us on twitter @ajconsiderthis. ♪ >> hello, and welcome to the news hour. we're in doha with the top international stories. the number of child casualties rises in afghanistan in talks by the taliban. we travel to th with the u.n. >> we have all the news from europe, including protests outside of court as a spanish

princess faces questions over a corruption scandal. russia said it will hold off giving aid to the ukraine until it pays its debt. >> the first gold medals have been won at the winter olympics. highlights from sochi coming up later in this hour. >> the united nations has revealed new evidence of an escalation in taliban attacks in afghanistan. leaving thousands of casualties and dramatic increase in the number of children who have been killed or injured. it concludes that 2013 was one of the deadliest years of the conflict as the taliban tips up its use of roadside bombs. 2,959 civilians died last year. that's a rise of 7% from 2012.

at the same time more than 5500 people have been injured, and 561 child casualties. kandahar and helmaand provinces were the deadliest. >> reporter: civilians blown up, shot and battered between two warring sides. standing too close to a suicide-bomber last week. >> there was an explosion. it threw me and i was unconscious. after that i got up and was very dizzy. i fell down again and couldn't see. >> reporter: he is part of a

growing number of civilian casualties here. according to a report, 2013 saw an increase across the board of civilians being injured or killed compared to 2012. most of the casualties were caused by anti-government forces, says the the report. the taliban say they don't target civilians and reject the findings. once civilian casualties increase that includes children. children like this 11-year-old. in this ward even younger is this child here. we think she's two years old hit in the they had by a bullet. one of the youngest victims of afghanistan's war. 561 children were killed in the fighting last year. those in charge of this hospital in kabul say women and children are dying more because the war has changed. once a game between forces, as they leave the taliban is

confidently engaging afghan forces a and the intense battle grounds are flanked by villages, farms and schools. assassinations are also on the rise, says the u.n. targeted killing of civilians, this is anybody who is not directly participating in the hostilities is a very serious thing. it may amount to a war room under humanitarian law. >> reporter: but people here don't care who pulls the trigger or why. to them life is trying to survive the relentless march of this continuous war. >> jane joins us live from kabul. jane, you mentioned the withdraw of foreign forces. they have loss got an election coming up. this issue of civilian casualties must be a very hot one? >> reporter: absolutely. this is a crucial year here in the capitol in kabul, there is lots of political debate going on. in less than two months there

will be an election where president hamid karzai will hand over power. there are 11 candidates running for that now, and you would be hard press to find any of them who doesn't put peace at the top of their election agenda. he know across the country, the civilians in the provinces are the ones who suffer the most from this war want their leader to try to bring peace. president hamid karzai himself has caused oh something of a row having not signed the security agreement with the americans to allow them to stay in the country after this year. he said he won't sign it until they bring peace. so lots of discussion about peace here in the capitol, and it's clear why. people around the country are suffering intensively as a result of this war. whether or not all u.s. and foreign troops leave at the end of this year, what is clear is that the foreign forces that the

local force who is are having to take on the fight here are increasingly engaging with the taliban. so even if foreign forces do leave there is no guarantee for peace for the people across the country. >> absolutely, jane, thank you. from kabul, afghanistan. now a dangerous river crossing but thousands of people are willing to risk to escape fighting in south sudan. at least 200 people have died making the ferry journey across the river last month. people making the journey are often trying to find their way to the united nations camps, including the camp between bor and yirol. we have more, thousands are

hiding from the fighting, first of all, show us what it's like there. >> reporter: well, it is a huge area, and thousands and thousands of people, ask anyone who works here how many are there, one estimate puts at 170,000 here but many of the people tell us that just the estimate could be below that number. it could very well be above that figure. that is one of the challenges happening here. the other challenge this is not a camp in the sense you usually know it is an enclosed people inside the area. there are people scattered all over a vast area. typically you find families who set up shop under any tree they can find. and most of the people here came

across the river, bor is not far from here, about 25 kilometers from a birds' eye, and they took a boat, came across here, and we don't know how long they will stay. joining me, the u.n. humanitarian coordinator for south sudan, he'll tell us much more about this. toby, thank you for joining us. >> thank you. >> as we flew in we could see this vast area of people scattered everywhere. how can you carry out the humanitarian operations under such conditions? >> i think in some regards the place where we are, the setting in which we're finding ourselves as you described it very, very scattered. our work has to be focused. what we're gearing up here is the nuts and bottles of keeping people alive. it's water, food, medicine, shelter. the sun has been out and blistering heat today. it will be very cool tonight. our work is focused in this particular area.

this area with however many people it is, this area is but one of the tragedy that has been developing in south sudan. you know, down in juba we've got situations with tiny spaces where we've got 25,000 people packed in, and it's very difficult to contain the disease outbreaks that have been threatening everybody there. so in some ways, yes, it causes enormous logistic challenges, but it gives a little bit of fight of other threats across the country. >> another thing that you notice when you drive around here there is a majority of women and very young children. you were talking about disease about outbreaks. the sum is blistering, the conditions are not ideal. how will you make sure that you'll contain outbreak. >> well, we'll be doing

campaigns against measles, against cholera just as we are in other settings to make sure people aren't exposed to those sorts of diseases. there is an overwhelming majority of women and children here where the men, well, there are men here but there are other men looking after poverty. these people, they fled for their lives from the city of bor, 25 kilometers behind us, and you know, they're looking after property there. they're also looking after any cattle that they may have left. obviously that was not something that they can take with them as they forged the river nile, and so what you see here is people who are in desperate need. we'll do everything that we can, but they are in desperate need of protecting their livelihood. if the cessation of hostility doesn't stick, what i'm afraid of when the rain starts people

won't have livestock and they won't have areas where they can plant for up coming harvest. we won't be talking about 3.7 people in south sudan who are in desperate need of relief today, the numbers will go to staggering and unprecedented proportions. >> you're talking about cessation of hostility. the situation unstable, and when you speak to people here they say they are worried, and they don't have much to go back to. how difficult does it make your job. it must make it very difficult to bring food for the rainy season. >> i just met with a group of community leaders who say they lost everything and they almost lost hope. the challenge is there, and we're worried about putting music in the stomachs of their children. that's gone for now because they haven't got their livestock with them, but they're worried about

food rations, water, and now they're worried about the school year, which they have now lost. the types of situations that we're facing throughout the country are immense, and i think it's those community leaders told me, please, please, please, word, caworld, can you put presn those negotiating, you bring peace and help it to stake and have reconciliation. at the end of the day we wanting to home. we want to get on with our lives. as humanitarian coordinator working here, we'll do whatever we can to get people the best available aid. >> and the challenge is convincing people who have lost everything, who may be setting up shop here and slowly getting their normal lives, and then to go back home, and we promise it will be safe. i spoke to one man who said, i

get no indication that things will get better. >> i think there need to be clear signals of what is happening with the peace talks. that's beyond the role that i play. i mean, communities will be in touch with each other, and we often do just that, and we have open minds when it might be possible to go home. no matter how bad it is today, it can get worse. we'll try to prevent that from happening, of course, but what people really want no matter how bad it is today is to go home. >> well, let's see what happens with politics. thank you very much. >> thank you very much. >> reporter: so it is a very difficult situation not only for the people, but for those who are trying to help them. not only in this camp but across south sudan. they're following closely what is happening with the peace talks, but they're following closely with what is happening with their own lives, when they'll eat next and when they'll be able to go back home.

>> very interesting there from the u.n. camp in south sudan, thank you. now spain's princess christina has arrived to face questions over alleged illegal spending. for more on this let's go over to london. >> reporter: yes, princess christina was met with protest as she headed into court. she's being questioned on allegations of tax evasion. the case will determine whether the couple illegally used company funds to pay for luxury items. we can go outside the courthouse in mallorca. tell us more about reaction to all this. >> reporter: well, indeed, the reaction to this has been one of

anger, outrage even, and certainly that one was certainly picked up by the protesters here who came deliberately. the public protesters who came to make their opinions known. this is really something that is an historic event although not in the way that the world family would like. but it's also a type of tactic to show that the royal family is not afraid to go down the way of normal people when it comes to fessing up to these source of accusations. but it really has left a very bad taste in people's mouths. >> reporter: no royal fanfare for the duchess as she approached the court in saturday morning arriving no mallorca from bars loan in a, princess christina calm, almost cheerful as she greets the press on her way inside. inside the building there was

little sympathy for her plight. demonstrators gathered outside. this is one scandal that has fueled anti-monarchy. >> we need as citizens need to take some responsibility because corruption is the failure of society to deal with this. >> reporter: this is the attempt to question the duchess of her finances. she's suspected of tax fraud and money laundering with a company she owns with her husband. investigators have uncovered a series of personal expenses that were billed to the company. they include refurbishment for their mansion in barcelona. the involvement of prison christina in one of the most high profile corruption scandals in the country e even the royal

household has tried to maintain a distance between the activities of the duchess and the rest of the royal family. no doubt the damage has been done and it will take an enormous amount of effort to try to reverse that. >> the public doesn't tolerate corruption, stealing funds or tax fraud. all of this has been reflected on the duke. this is why this case has left the public disinchanted with the royal family. >> reporter: the case highlights not even royal figures are immune from scandal in spain, and it shows how it effect people. it has even increased disillusionment with the country's establishment. and for the princess in recess.

she did answer all the questions, although some said that there was quite a few answers where she could not recall or was not aware of activities taking place. tactics that would be used to distance herself from the allegations that her husband is being investigated for. >> thank you very much. now russia's government says a $15 billion loan for ukraine will be put on hold until the country pays back its debt. it follows a meeting between both countries leaders in sochi on friday. meanwhile there are heated scenes in kiev after pro government supporters voice their anger at anti-government demonstrators. protests against the government erupted back in november when president viktor yanukovych rejected a trade deal with the e.u. favoring close ties with russia instead. we are in kiev, and russia

withholding that aid, $15 billion at a time when the ukrainian economy is really desperately in need of some stability? >> reporter: absolutely, it's in a real desperate strait at the moment. here it is, about $50 or so, fluctuating wildly in value over the last few weeks. last week it plummeted to its lowest in four years. it's having a knock-on effect on cost of things. petrol prices have start to go "g" up and the fear is other goods and services will become more expensive also. the russians will start offering again $15 billion financial lifeline providing, though, that ukraine are able to pay back a $3 billion loan for gas. it's unclear whether kiev is considering its political state is able to do that right now.

but other financial aid has come from the united states and e.u. they say they're prepared to offer an availability financial package to help the country, but only providing that lawmakers bring about an end to this ongoing stand off. the fear there is that this could really start some sort of bidding war between east and west over influence over ukraine's future. >> all right, thanks. well, our team in kiev has been speaking with protesters since the demonstrations began. here's one person's story. >> my name is victor. i'm from political party people's movement of ukraine. i am here from november.

in this huge, this is our head quarter. >> where do you sleep? >> yes, yes, here our people are sleeping. >> is it comfortable? >> state in kiev, we feel our army, and our people are here all day. ukraine is historical and is part of europe. we will be with europe. we hope the parliament will make the decision which we want. >> if they do not take the decision that you want?

>> no, no, we'll stay here until victory. >> we'll have more later this hour, including back from the brink. how people say from suicide offer others hope in sweden. >> also on the program. laying down their arms and learning to be young again. we catch up with the former child soldier from the democratic republic of congo. and we'll hear more about a-ro a-rod's yearlong ban and we'll have all the details average clean up in bosnia has begun after alleged political corruption spread to buildings across the country. protests began and spread.

the bosnia economy has been struggling for years. the official figures for authorities the national unemployment rate at 12%. putting in contest the european unemployment rate is also 12%. although it's thought this figure is inaccurate putting it at 40%. 57% for people between ages 18 and 59 are without a job. >> buildings damaged, cars destroyed and debris on the thee streets o. putting out smoldering fires after protesters stormed the presidency and another federal

building setting them ablaze. medical personnel say 200 people were injured in clashes throughout the country. >> what happened in the last few days is a result of the criminal policy of the ruling elite who have been controlling this country for the past 20 years. they must be removed from power immediately for bosnia to move forward. other words the situation will only worsen. >> the violence started on tuesday where workers voiced their anger over factory closings. but the discontent quickly spread across the country over high unemployment and corruption. the protests are the worse unrest the nation has seen since the end of the 1995 war. a brutal ethnic conflict which

left 100,000 people dead. although elections are due in october, protesters are demanding the government resign. they say it has not been able to tackle the nation's problems including widespread unemployment. >> we're live from there, tim, we've got a number of nights of violence there across the country. what is the prospect that we'll have another troubled night tonight? >> reporter: well, i think it's a very real prospect, and it's certainly an uneasy calm here. the frustration and anger with the ruling class here in bosnia appears to be almost unanimous, and it erupted into this great ground swell of demonstration and violence eventually in cities across the country.

now it is not along ethnic lines. it seems to be across the whole population. and of course it was sparked by these events, the industrial heartland of bosnia where many workers were laid off, factories were suddenly closed. that was the spark that ignited these demonstrations. here behind me in central sarajevo is one of the local government buildings where fire has ripped through several floors of the building, and it looks as though some valuable archives have been lost along with other valuable documents. the people here that i've been speaking to say they want most now is the action from the politicians. they've been accused of ineptitude. they've been accused of lack of action, even corruption. and what the public say it's now time for them to get their act

together and start to get the economy moving again and do something about this huge level of unemployment, which is causing or appears to be the main cause of this frustration. >> very volatile situation, thank you very much for joining us in sarajevo. student clashes, they claim some university staff has been publishing go bus research to bolster their credentials. >> severe weather in the u.k. the prime minister finish southwest england as they brace themselves for severe weather.

we have more on crickets new order. we'll have more on that story. >> ground breaking... >> we have to get out of here. >> truth seeking... al jazeera america's breakthrough instigative documentary series. over a year after the bengazi attacks, chaos in the streets... unspeakable horrors... >> this is a crime against humanity >> is libya unraveling? >> there's coffin after coffin being carried into the cemetery. >> fault lines libya: state of insecurity

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>> hello, top stories here on al jazeera. the united nations say the number of civilians killed in afghanistan has risen by 14% in the past year. women and children are increasingly bearing the brunt of the violence as the forces prepare to withdraw. the humanitarian crisis in south sudan could get much wor worse. if people don't return home to get ready for the planting season there could be a famine in the coming months. spain's princess christina has been charged with tax fraud and money laundering. the crimes of murder, rape and child soldiers.

known as the terminator avoided capture for many years. he was transferred to the hague last year after losing a power struggle with his leadership in the rebellion in eastern congo. it's not the only religion in congo where armed groups are fighting for control of gold, diamonds and mineral riches, children are being forced to fight. along the local militias that recruit children, th 600 homes e been destroyed as rebels raze villages. one remote area of the province known by locals as the triangle

of death. they have met former child soldiers who have returned there. >> a few months ago these girls were child soldiers. they lived in the bush with rebels who want independence, a province in congo. the 15-year-old said they were finally rescued when some of the rebels surrendered to the congresthecongolese army. the congressga lease army fighting rebels in some province, here they get psychological help and learn a trade. some were forced to join the armed groups when their villages were looted and burned. >> some were forced in marriage,

some with babies and were raped. some were only 13 years old. >> the boys stay in a different part. they also can't be reintegrated back into the communities because of growing insecurity. others may never go home. some of these children have seen terrible things and committed atrocities. the communities don't want them back. but finding a home for them was difficult. >> reporter: taking in three child soldiers even though she has children of her own, but it has not been easy. >> they were afraid. i told them you are not in the bush any more. no one will hurt you. they sometimes become violent. i teach them violence is not good. >> reporter: recruitment of child soldiers is a war crime now being prosecuted by the international criminal court in the hague. jailed for using child soldiers

in his rebel army, singing and dancing help these children deal with trauma of war. they change the words to "we're going to live a new positive life" former child soldiers are not violent. they're victims of a conflict ignored by the international community. a conflict of the power and wealth that lies beneath. >> it's now 4 days since the authorities detained three of our journalists, they have been held since december 29th. they're accused of spreading false news and having links to the muslim brotherhood. which has been classified as a terrorist organization. al jazeera rejects all the

charges. protests in the martyr square. >> they say that we are with you in the freedom of journalism and the freedom of speech. egypt for us is a role hold to look up to for diversity democracy, especially after the revolution. with what has happened in egypt was really hard to cover because people there are different. it is not our job to define. our job is to cover all the opinions on the ground. their place is not in prison. their place is on the ground to cover the voices of all people. we want many voices in egypt. not only one voice. >> at least 38 people have decide in bolivia after

torrential rainfalls. including illness to spread especially amongst children. >> it's been declared a national emergency four regions are almost completely underwater in the west and south of bolivia. some people have died trying to escape the waters. many more in remote communities have been cut off. now they need food and drinking water. >> it's urgently needed food and water for the entire community, and we need our animals to be moved to higher grounds. >> reporter: 40,000 people have been affected. thousands of hectars of crops have been destroyed. the government is requesting those who have been affected to move to safer ground. >> there is a hospital boat in place that will provide medical services. it will assist in giving food and will help if people want to go back to trinidad.

>> reporter: the government is distributing 170 tons of aid. the army has been deployed to reach the area's hardest you hit. they can only get there by helicopter. >> we are on our way to santa maria together. it's about a 35 hour journey. there we will distribute the aid of rice, sugar, noodle and flour to all the communities. >> the rain has been heavy and relentless, ominously forecasters say they will continue. maria sánchez, al jazeera. >> flooding has been happening in the southwest of england. people have been told to leave their homes. more on this let's cross back to mariam in london. >> reporter: laura, villages have been cut off by flooding. many farms are underwater after weeks of bad weather and now forecasters are warning there is more to come. british prime minister is visiting the region. his government is being

criticized for not doing enough to prepare for the bad weather. we have more were somerset. >> reporter: i'm here in the southwest of england. lots of blue sky now, more bad weather is forecast overnight, and in particular heavy rain. that's a problem here because water levels are already a concern. just down the road in the village of motherland 180 homes have been evacuated. one woman in particular she has lived here all of her life. she's angry, she has accused officials of mismanagement. you can see the pumping hyped me. she said in the past that would have begun this october to get the water off the lowlands. but now this is too little too late. down the coast it's the winds that are a problem. forecasted at 60 mph, that's going to bring pretty high waves as well. you've got to remember this has

been a bad couple of months in the u.k. weather-wise. we've had the worst last couple months combine. >> sweden has one of the world's highest suicide rates. but a new campaign appears to be changing that. in the first of our series we have reports from stockholm. >> reporter: the psychiatric hospital, he tells his story of coming close to suicide. >> i went out in the garden and found a rope, and i was standing there with a rope in my hands. the warm, fantastic rope. >> reporter: after a month in the mental hospital and five rounds of electric shock therapy, he serves as an attitude ambassador.

the 350 ambassadors aimed to make swedes aware of mental health issues among friends, neighbors and colleagues. >> is there some reason for me to think that, hum, well, maybe he's depressed. maybe i should ask him. maybe i should tell him i know where to go. >> suicide prevention campaigners continue to update their tools like this new first aid kit that has a questionnaire on mental health, and a phone number where to call if you need help. this is all about raising awareness and breaking taboos on mental illness. the number of suicides have dropped steadily in all age groups except young people, they have remained flat. volunteers at the suicide hotline in stockholm are trying to offer hope to the hopeless. this 19-year-old student found help here. >> i was very upset. i actually was trying to find a

way to commit suicide, but i realized that even if i'm not needed that night, that i will be probably be needed tomorrow. >> reporter: sweden is leading the way in suicide prevention. proving that a coordinated, well-funded program can save lives. people intent on killing themselves can be stopped. al jazeera, stockholm. >> that's all the news from europe. now back to laura. >> thank you very much. now food, medicine, and other critical supplies are reportedly starting to arrive in syrian city of homs. on friday more than 80 people were taken safely out of the city as part 6 of the u.n.-brokered cease-fire. trucks were halted in the mortar shoaling, but aid is now getting

through. an international campaign to boycott israel is gaining momentum in europe, and some israelis say they're already seeing a slump in their businesses. the campaign began eight years ago to protest the occupation of israel in palestinian land. we have reports from the west bank. >> reporter: producing some of israel's freshest and most valuable export. many of these peppers won't make it into the european salads they were planted for. these crops grow in the jordan river valley, land up ad in 1967. >> for me non-violence resistence. >> reporter: so far the impact

has been small. but u.s.-led peace talks left some fee fearing the movement wl accelerate. in britain stores like marks and spencers have already stopped selling produce from settlements. and farmers in the valley say they're feeling the pinch. there was a 50% drop in shipment last year at a loss of $30 million. >> we want to go back to where we were. >> the lush land is considered the breadbasket, and they're hoping the boycott from the settlement here will help them reclaim the occupied land.

all israeli-owned businesses are targeted by the boycott. this factory employs 50 palestinians and 40 israelis. and companies like his should be rewarded, not punished. >> we're building the peace from the bottom. it's happening here. don't destroy this hope. >> reporter: he said industrial parks are not settlements. even if the land were given back to the palestinians he would want to continue working here. >> if the peace were found, and i should remove this because of peace, i would remove the factory. but if i can have the option to stay here in the palestinian side, i will stay in the palestinian side. >> reporter: but so for a the applications and diplomats have been unable to find the right package to deliver that peace. al jazeera, in the occupied west bank. >> still to come on the al jazeera news hour, thousands

from cairo. and the first gold medals have been landed at the winter olympics, we'll hear all the highlights from sochi.

take a new look at news. >> welcome. i'm morgan radford live from new york city. the u.s. has clinched it's very first gold medal on the slope. russian president vladimir putin is hoping to put the country's best face forward between now and february 23rd. the opening ceremonies just last night and millions watched around the world.

we take a look at whether russia's image investment will actually pay off. >> reporter: sochi 2014 exploded into life on friday. fireworks over the stadium kicking off the action inside. a little girl floated across a wintery russian landscape before five brilliant snowflakes morphed into the olympic rings. one seemingly failed to open. there were notable absences. no david cameron to remain the brits or merkel for the germans. still this was a dramatic and often breathtaking show. but vladimir putin can't control everything. while the opening ceremony was under way in sochi, a different theater was being acted out in moscow's red square. gay rights protesters tried to sing the russian anthem with the

rainbow flag. ten were arrested. but in the city hosting this event excitement not defiance is the main emotion. >> i'm very glad, very emotional. there are so many people here. >> this flame will unite our country. russia will become stronger, more united, more happy. >> reporter: sochi may have all this shiny expensive new infrastructure, and the games have generated a feel-good factor for many people here. but after the olympics leave sochi, what then? these games have permanently altered this coastal resort, and not always for the better. this stream used to have fish in it. now it's polluted by the new apartment blocks up the hill. the athletes and the officials at the olympic park are celebrating stay but the problems of sochi are still here and citizens of sochi will have

to deal with those problems. all those problems appeared because of the olympics. >> reporter: the pageantry as ad the sport will take over the next few weeks but the olympics have been judged by their legacy, and the legacy of the sochi games remain a huge question mark. al jazeera, sochi. >> so apparently athletic ability is not enough to win a gold medal in sochi. we have more on the technology that is behind the game. >> reporter: becoming an olympic athlete takes year of training, the blood, sweat and tears and dedication, but does an athlete need more than that to win it all? now that the olympic games in sochi are under way we'll see how technology is playing a role in giving the ultimate prize, the gold medal. we have the inside scoop on the latest technology, and preparation of the winter games the u.s. team worked with engineers, scientists to develop

the ultimate technology. did the u.s. have to do that? >> they do. the olympics has become an arms race. teams of scientists working with engineers to make their technology the best. the winter games are so rel relt on equipment. >> you don't get much practice when you're in the middle of a jump. what they can do is go inside of a wind tunnel where they can stand and practice their form and see which parts of their form are creating the most drag and adjust their bodies. the u.s. found a wind tunnel in utah, and they retrofitted it and practiced in it. they put ski bindings in the middle of the floor, and they can press all they want and take what they learned to the ski

jumps. >> they are very chill but also very competitive. this year the u.s. members are wearing a device that tracks their g-force and velocity. what is this device? >> snowboarders strap it to the boots when they're doing training runs at the half pipe. it will measure their g-forces and body angle in the middle of a track. it will help them to figure out how to adjust their form and give them the palm speed. that's what it's all about. it's all about that. >> very true. >> tune in to al jazeera for an extended report on the sochi technology. more on that later edge and

everyone's favorite canine competition gets under way later today right here in new york city. but this year's westminster dog show will welcome more than spectators. for the first time in a century america's underdog, which is the mutt, will be allowed to compe compete. roxana berry has more. >> good girl. >> reporter: stacey never thought her mutt would be able to compete in the best dog event. here for the first time mixed breeds like hers is being welcomed to the westminster dog show. considered one of the world's snootiest competitions, and mutt free since 1884, traditionally this is what you see at westminster. a scottish deer hound, a being, but meet the terrier poodle mix. and then there is jimmy and

edward, both mysteries even to their owners. on saturday they'll compete against pew breads i pure breadw competition, agility. >> we know what a great spectator event it will. >> reporter: and more than 200 dogs competing on the agility court in westminster. only 15 of them will be mixed breeds like her. but she is still banned from competing in the show's main competition. >> best in show. that's still limited to purebreds, bred t to preserve te best of the best. groups like pita says that long time emphasis on pure breads fuelpurebreds thatfuel puppy mi.

>> we courage responsible breeding. >> reporter: since rescued from a shelter eight years ago they're already winners. >> just to be able to go and go with a mixed breed for the first year ever is great. >> reporter: if panda wins on saturday she'll have won something for muts everywhere: respect. roxana, al jazeera new jersey. >> in england archaeologists have found footprints believed to be 8,000 years old. they'll explain what this discovery means for human evolution. >> scientist who is have authored this paper today are reporting the discovery of footprint made by some of the earliest inhabitants in europe,

in particular great britain. they are 800,000 perhaps over 900,000 years old. they represent a small number of different individuals. some infer to have been young based on the size of the footprints. together of this a series of footprints that help us discern about how early europeans moved around the landscape. we can tell from their height and weight, these are some of the earliest in europe. footprints outside of africa are rare up until now. this sheds light on what early populations might have been like. we have the ability to take the actual individuals who were walking on the landscape hundreds of thousands of years

ago. one step closer because we don't have to rely only on their fossil or archeological or tool remains. but instead we can see where the feet hit the ground, so to speak, and to learn something about their body weight. the size of their strides. how fast they might have moved through various types of behavior like foraging, moving from place to place. apparently the footprints include young and old individuals and perhaps something about social structure of these early europeans. each of these prints need to be studied in great detail, and compared to the footprints found in other places at other times. in order to make sense of them in the scheme of human emotion. >> you're watching al jazeera america. we have more news at the top of the hour. i'm morgan radford, and for more

news you can always head over to www.aljazeera.com.

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real reporting that brings you the world. giving you a real global perspective like no other can. real reporting from around the world. this is what we do. al jazeera america. >> welcome back to al jazeera america. i'm morgan radford. here are the stories we're following for you right now. protests turned violent in bosnia. right here in the united states demonstrators express their anger over the toxic chemical skill in west virginia. and a princess makes history in court, and not the royal kind.