>> announcer: this is al jazeera. ♪ >> hello, welcome to the news hour. i'm in doha. these are the world's top news stories. clashes in the west bank israeli forces fired tier gas at palestinians protesting the cancellation of prisoner release. in afghanistan a journalist has been shot dead and another injured a day before the presidential elections.

peace keeping troops are forced out of the area after being accused of supporting rebels. and cancer patients struggle to get medical morphine to ease their pain. on saturday afghans go to the polls in historic presidential elections, but the polls are take place in an atmosphere of tension and fear. the taliban has promised to disrupt the elections, but this shouldn't deter people is what president hamid karzai has been saying. he says voter participation is the greatest response to those who believe in violence. friday two journalists working for the associated press were shot by an afghan policeman.

a 48 year old and her colleague were injured. it happened while they were traveling with election workers in the east. another concern is voter fraud observers will be working to prevent the wide-spread corruption reported in 2009. the measures include bar codes being delivered to at least 6.5 million polling centers. >> last-minute rush this week to register to vote in saturday's presidential election. these people are involved in a process that will end with the first democratic transfer of power in this country's 5,000 year old history. there is clearly still widespread enthusiasm to vote. these people have been queueing to register since before dawn. the pressure is to stop the widespread election previously.

>> really everything has been delivered according to time line. both in regard to brood legislative and other provisions but also the delivery of ballot papers, sensitive and nonsensetive material to the 7,000 odd -- 6,000 odd voting centers. >> reporter: in ka kul security has rarely been tighter. the taliban casts a long shadow over this election. the capitol has endured a series of attacks. and there are pockets of the country where there will be no voting because of the taliban threat. does the threat of an attack put you off. >> i'm enthusiastic about the candidate i want to vote for. so it doesn't put me off. you can't let the taliban

dictate. we want elections. we want somebody who will deal with the taliban, resolve that issue, and then you just have to come out and vote. >> reporter: turnout and a relatively corruption free vote are what will give this election legitimacy in the eyes of the afghans. we have a spokesperson for the afghanistan interior ministry. he joins us from kaboul thanks very much for speaking to us once again. how did this happen? how did a policeman end up killing a journalist. >> sorry, i could not get the question, could i get it again please? >> how did a police officer end up killing a journalist and wounding another. >> that was a very unfortunate

incidence. we are investigating. we are going to investigate this, but before any result of the investigation, we will not be able to really comment. but we're sure it is not a targeted killing, or has nothing to do with the taliban or their elements, but this could have been a mistaken identity or miscalculation and poor judgment on the field by one of the police officers. >> but journalists were traveling in a convoy of election workers. >> well, as i said we cannot really speculate at this moment in time. we will have to wait for the result of the investigation. the person is in the custody of the police. we will only be able to comment later on. >> now this is speculation that the police could have been infiltrated by hostile forces. are you investigating the possibility, though? >> we are going to investigate

anything related to this, but we checked -- he has been there for, you know, last 20 year and a half. he was a very good police officer. at the moment, we do not have anything that could suggest that he has done this or the many other reasons. but the only findings at the moment we have is that -- this could have been a mistaken identity or poor judgment in which resulted this incident, but we will have to wait for the investigation to -- to happen, and we have to wait for the results. >> now this violence coming just a day before the elections, a very historic poll, and there have been many attacks leading up to this election. what are you doing to try to ensure that the election even goes ahead? >> the election is one of the important events for us -- for

all of us. as tomorrow we are very close. the afghan security forces had enough time, or good opportunities to prepare for the election. we are prepared for the election. for the last two months there were many, many election rallies across the country. and police force were able to protect those rallies in which thousands of people, you know, participated, and that was a very strong sign of people's determination and for tomorrow in which thousands of the security her toss will be on the streets to show their strength for afghan people and give a level of confidence for afghan people to come out in big numbers and elect their future government. so there's a strong commitment, and a willingness awrong population. and we are ready for tomorrow and for the big day for the

election. >> i understand this is the biggest operation against the taliban, but people are very concerned. and will they go out to vote? >> we have not seen any concern among people, because when we look at this situation, thousands were queueing to get any voter registration card, so there was no sign of fear. taliban have been defeated, but they do not accept that. tomorrow millions of afghans come out and they will go for voting to elect the new government, so that will be a big no for the tool ban and those who are behind this problem. we have seen that determination, and that is why this gives more momentum to the afghan national police force to protect the post important event in afghanistan.

>> sir, thank you very much for speaking to us. u.s. secretary of state john kerry says the united states is reevaluating its role in the middle east peace process. he also said there is a limit on the time that the united states will commit towarding trying to reach an agreement. palestinians were protesting in the west bank, for the failed release of prisoners. they were met with tear gas, and grenades -- sound grenades from israeli forces. stephanie decker has this

update. >> reporter: israeli forces are trying to prevent this protest from happening. the organizers hoped thousands would show up. there are around 150 to 150 people on the gloungd, and they were planning to pray. and the israelis tried to fire tear gas to try to stop it. this is a tactic that israeli force use often. they also use rubber-coated steal bullets to clamp down to make sure it doesn't grow; that it doesn't go on, and the palestinians will tell you this was a symbolic protest against these non-release of these prisoners. draft law which is awaiting the signature of egypt's interim president could significantly broaden the definition of terrorism in egypt. it would give police and

prosecutors more prower to deal with suspects. the new bill has been sent to the interim president for approval. and the egyptian justice minister says the new powers are necessary. >> reporter: these amendments give authorities power to confirm these crimes, and deal with them. >> and there have -- antti cue protests. demonstrators said they want legitimatesy returned to the government and called for morsi to be returned to office. protesters marched in the streets to protest the presidential bid of al-sisi.

al jazeera is demanding the release of its journalists who have been held in prison. a fourth journalist has been detained without trial since august. al jazeera rejects all charges. coming up in this news hour, exiled and exploited we meet a group of syrian women to find out how they are coping with domestic abuse. we get to grips with starting up a new business in ukraine. you need lots of patience with bureaucracy, and be willing to pay bribes. >> and michael schumaker showing signs of improvement. details coming up in sport.

♪ the united nations is accusing soldiers from chad of killing at least 30 civilians and injuring 300 others in an unprovoked attack. now chad is withdrawing its 850 peace keepers. and they have been accused of supporting rebels. may welsh has more from chad's capital. >> reporter: the 6,000 peace keeping troops on the groukd now in central afghan republic, have been unable to stop the killing. so losing more troops is not what is needed now. losing 850 troops is not a good thing. and in addition to that the european union and united nations have been having

difficulty finding funds, and gathering interest to get those funds to have enough peace-keeping troops on the ground. so losing any troops on the ground is not what is needed right now. that's what people feel here in chad. chad is feeling very upset about the fact that they have been accused of these things, which they deny that they have been supporting seleka, and they really feel they are doing this as a protest. >> maly has became the latest country to report ebola outbreak. across the border in guinea, the scare has lead to foreign mining companies shutting down operations and pulling out some of their star. the highly contagious virus is a

near death sentence as no pure -- 90% of people who contract it die. in neighboring maly 3 suspected victims are being treated in hospital. two confirmed deaths in liberia, and sierra leon has identified possible cases. we have a spokesperson for the world health organization. warning of an unprecedented outbreak. how worried should people be? >> well, ebola is always worrying, and we can play with the numbers -- and i think the numbers that you have cited

aren't quite correct, but that's not a matter, because not all of the cases are concerned, but for those affected by ebola, it's a very serious disease, so far this outbreak in guinea the people are dying from it. and as you rightly said there is no vaccine or med sip -- medicine, so you have to try to support the patient as much as possible. the reports on the ground have undertaken a lot of different actions centered around improving care in hospitals, improving infection control in hospitals, and tracing and supporting contacts of suspected and confirmed cases. that's what you do in an ebola

outbreak as and as result of intensive work by by the red cross and the governments of liberia and guinea and others, we are -- we have traced approximately 400 attacks both in liberia and guinea, and we have a very good idea of the course of the disease, that's what you do to control the disease. it is not controlled yet. we have to be very vigilant. it is a very scary disease for those who have it. for those who don't have it, it is not a danger if you don't touch anyone. so we need to separate out general dangers and for those who might already have come in contact with confirmed or suspected cases. if you do not touch anyone who is systematic, you cannot get the disease.

>> okay. and by touching, that including shaking hands, kissing the liberian health minister saying to stop having sex because the virus is spread by bodily fluids. should people stay away from the funerals from those who have died by though virus. >> traditionally in africa, one washes and prepares a dead body for burial. and that's one of the most difficult things to do is to change cultural practices. so this is often how an outbreak is amplified in the beginning is that someone who has died of the disease -- and people don't know that they have died of ebola, the body is prepared in the normal fashion and unfortunately all of a sudden there are 8, 10, 15, friends and family members who get infected and all of a sudden we have an ebola

outbreak. that is probably what happened here to some extent. this started in the east, southeast guinea, so again, to stop that kind of transmission, one does have to stop normal cultural practices. we have seen this in the past both with ebola and other diseases such as the pandemic, and in this case we're very fortunate because ebola is not airborne and you cannot contract it unless the other person is systematic, or you have sex with the person. and if you go about your normal business and take a bit of precaution, you cannot get infected. >> all right. thanks very much for speaking to us. now the organization overseeing the destruction of syrias chemical weapons says damass

can still meet an april 27th deadline. shipments have been halted for two weeks because of the worsening security situation. this follows news that the assad government is ready to resume operations. hundreds of thousands of syrians have sought refuge in neighboring jordan. women are struggling to survive. >> reporter: these are among the most vulnerable syrian women in jordan. these women faced violence and abuse in syria and also in session siel. this is why they need a space to share their experiences and be heard. this woman says this session is her only out let. she said she became depressed here and her marriage family are

suffering. >> translator: i'm no longer able to communicate with my son or husband. i have stopped talking with my son. if i have discussions with my husband we fight. >> reporter: they are providing support to thousands of distressed syrian women. we can't ask them what violence they were subjected to, but we are told many suffer violent and sexual abuse in the home. >> women here are subject to exploitation, that means that women have no choice and that they have to have sex to get money to rent the apartment to buy food and diapers for their children. >> reporter: less than 3% of the beneficiaries have reported rape. up to 40% of the women who come

here are victims of domestic violence. a lot of the women also come here to regain confidence, and rebuild their social skills especially with other women. meeting other refugees helps reduce stress, making new friends and feeling productive instead of house bound is also comforting, and taking a literacy class can boost their low self-esteem. this woman has just returned home from her fifth counseling session. she started the session when violence with her husband got out of hand. >> translator: i feel better when i return from the sessions. event and say everything that i feel in my heart. i realize if i bottle my feelings up, i have a horrible day. >> reporter: but it's only matter of time before she remembers the death of her only son in syria, and feels sad

again. we're going to go back to one of our top stories, the clashes in the occupied west bank. this after israel canceled a planned prisoner release -- a planned release of palestinian prisoners. stephanie decker is live for us from the west bank. steph some people very upset that this prisoner release was canceled. other protests are still continuing. >> they are. there are a small group of people, there is a small group of israeli soldiers on the bottom, and then up on the hill is where there is probably around 40, 50, 60 people left, and there has been sporadic tear gas going up that hill. this has been going on since this morning, really, there was around 100 here this morning. there is still a couple as i

said. it's not massive, but the standingoff is ongoing. they are giving a message that they are not happy about what is going on here. because the prison behind me is the place where these prisoners would be taken, processed here, and then released. so it does show you people are not happy about the way things are happening here. this is the usual israeli tactics. they will come down hard using tear gas and rubber coated steel bullets. >> these protests coming after israel canceled the planned prisoner release. and this followed the palestinians trying to gain recognition at the united nations. what now? >> i think it's difficult to say. we're hearing the official line that it is not over, especially

from the americans, but they are reassessing this role -- [ gunfire ] >> there is some tear gas going on. i think both israel and the palestinians are not agreeing on anything at the home. so i think secretary of state john kerry was being optimistic when he gave the nine-month time line to achieve something. nothing has been achieved or addressed when it comes to the possible two-state resolution. all of these issues. they are just talking about talks now trying to find a framework to extend the talks. it's incredibly difficult, so we'll have to see what the u.s. does and the will of the palestinians and israelis to continue this. >> stephanie thank you so much. now flash flooding in the

salomon islands has killed at least 16 people and displaced thousands. is the worst of the weather over with? >> i think the worst is over with, but there are still showers in the for cast. you can see the position of the heaviest rain across the western side of the salomon eye lands. for the capitol there are over 300 millimeters of rain. you can see the same area of cloud and rain over similar part of the region here. so it has been raining for days and really heavy downfall coming through. hence the heavy flooding. the main system is easing further south, but we have quite a legacy of showers going on. we are expecting it to organize itself further actually as it

makes its way to australia. we go from saturday into sunday. by the middle part of the week that could bring some very heavy rain. not too bad here as you can see for saturday, and this is a tropical depression, and it may well lead to flooding here in the middle part of this coming week. still ahead in this news hour, waiting for justice. malaysian police asked to explain the death of hundreds of people in custody. plus a five-story apartment building collapses in china, and -- i'm lee wellings in the unusual part of england the tour de france is starting this year.

i'll explain where it is and why it is starting here.

♪ hello there, welcome back. i'm here in doha. let's run through the headlines very quickly. a journalist has been shot dead and another injured by policemen in afghanistan days before the presidential election. the president has called for voters to deify the taliban and ensure that the election goes ahead smoothing. chad has been accused of its

trooping siding with the rebels. israeli forces have fired tear gas and sound again neighborhoods outside of a prison in the occupied west bank. israel has missed a deadline to release a fourth and final group of prisoners in an interim deal set to expire at the end of the month. a turkish court has ruled that a ban on youtube is a violation of human rights. the government blocked access last week, when aledged audio reportings were posted of government officials discussing syria's war. the u.s. government has defended its creation of a social media network similar to twitter in cuba. it denies the communication networker is a move to undermine

the communist government. >> reporter: it's no secret that young cubans crave access to social media enjoyed by those in the rest of the world. a new report claims usaid wanted to exploit that by setting up a service similar to twitter. it was done through a complicated system of front companies, set up abroad to hide it from the cuban authorities. nothing sinister says washington. >> again, this was -- this was an effort -- one of a variety of efforts that the united states engages in as part of its development mission to promote the flow of free information. >> reporter: the idea was to build up a strong customer base using non-cointreau

-- non-contra ver shall material. cuban users were unaware the scheme was funded by the u.s. evented in havana in the absence of diplomatic relations. the cubans would say there is nothing new in the effort to undermine the government. any pressure on the u.s. presence here has suddenly grown dramatically. cuban slang for the noise a humming bird makes was set up after an employee leaked customer records. >> it is just one more example of what has been going on for 50 years. the u.s. -- is so obsessed with cuba, it cannot stop trying to overthrow it, and trying to bring what it calls democracy.

>> reporter: usaid found it difficult to find partners as the service grew. its funding of the scheme, paying millions to the various authorities it was allegedly trying to understood mine became unsustainable and in 2012 it disappeared. but the political damage will linger for a while longer. international learneds are preparing to pump billions of dollars into ukraine to stabilize the economy, but many worry about where the money could end up. >> reporter: planning to set up a business in ukraine? well, here is a step by step guide. first get to grips with the mountain of permits you'll need to have issued and renewed each year, and then be prepared to

sweat as you pay plenty of money to smooth the way. this is the experience of one entrepreneur who told me it's the norm. he preferred not be identified. >> translator: yes, i have paid bribes. sometimes i have to pay so-called facilitation fees. >> reporter: in 2013, the corruption watchdog described ukraine as the most corrupt country in europe. we see what that means when the former leader's assesses were laid bare. apart from the extravagance of this police, the private zoo, the golf course, the solid gold loaf of bread, further paperwork revealed a top-town system of

corruption unlike anything that ukraine has seen before. these corrupt practices date back decades, so endemic in every day life that it could take more than a revolution and a new government to correct it. >> translator: obviously it was a shock for all of ukraine, and a very good lesson about how not to conduct your life. and i think it's also a good lesson for all people in power, that if they lead their lives like yanukovych did, they will end up the way he did. >> translator: the amounts that you have to pay for various ridiculous documents constitute a large part of your expenses. sometimes you have to pay so much, that a business is not profitable at all. >> reporter: some people do make lots of money, but generally at the expense of others.

libya's government refuses to discuss talks with armed groups who have taken over oil plants. andrew simmons reports. >> reporter: this man lead a raid to steal the morning glory tanker, along with a cargo of crude oil worth up to 50 -- $30 million. he and two other gunmen captured the ship and then survived the raid of u.s. navy sales. now the tanker thieves have been freed. >> translator: they have risked their lives to stand up for [ inaudible ]. and this is a very historic moment. >> reporter: that is the eastern

region of libya, and he is the heard of a rebel movement. since the summer, it's militia has been in control of all of the regions oil termals, they have cost billions in lost revenue. now the government believes they are close to a peace deal, and the release of the man who stole the oil tankers has been described as a goodwill gesture. this man is outraged. he is standing in for the defense minister, who is filling in for the prime minister. he was sacked and had to leave the country after failing to get the tanker back. >> translator: the quick release of these people will result in a very big void between the revolutionaries and the

government. i think when it is of this magnitude it won't be solved peacefully. the military solution is our only option now. >> reporter: three years later, what is the military option. the army is dwarfed in size and power by the militias. and political instability are increasing. some are prepared to make bigger concessions to get the oil flowing again. but will there be a lasting solution? the answer is likely to be no. south korea says it has recovered the bodiesover two north korean sailers. a cargo ship sank off of the coast of south korea on friday. three people have been rescued and the search for the remaining 11 continues. an underwater search for the

missing may -- malaysian airlin airliner continues. >> reporter: time is running out. >> on best advice the locate for beacon will last about a month before it ceases indications. so we're getting close to the time when it might expire. >> reporter: the signals only last around 30 days, and flight 370 went missing 27 days ago. finding it in the time left will be tough. despite an international search using 14 planes and 9 ships so far no trace of the missing passenger jet has been found. >> we have nothing concrete here. you cannot grieve for someone

unless you have something concrete. >> reporter: they have been looking in this remote section of the indian ocean off of the coast of perth. while plains continue to search, a establish submarine will soon arrive to help. and two ships towing pin ger located will start traveling. it is hoped they will pick up the signals. finding the data recorders is crucial in determining exactly what happened to flight 370. they record the conversations and hold data about what went on. without that information investigators may never find out what went wrong. a human rights watcher is asking the malaysian police to explain the deaths of hundreds of people in custody.

it accuses them of blocking investigations and torture and excessive use of force. accusations the go denies. >> where is the justice? we need the justice. >> reporter: a man was beaten to death here 15 months ago. his mother and uncle are still struggling to come to terms with the loss. not one officer has been called to account. she rarely talks about her son's murder, and has thought about killing herself. >> translator: i don't know why my son was killed. i'm still waiting for an answer. the police killed him. i can't accept my son is dead. i cannot eat. i cannot sleep. >> reporter: this man is waiting for answers too. two years ago, his brother was gunned down by a group of

plain-clothed police. they said he was a gang member who was armed with a machete. the rising number of deaths in custody as a result of police shoots in malaysia, has alarmed human rights activists. they cataloged almost 400 shooting deaths since 2000. the group says police officers who are responsible for abuses are almost never prosecuted. >> you do have a police force that is out of control. it is a indictment of a police culture of cover up, of impunity that needs to be dealt with by the highest groups in malaysia. >> reporter: they say they need to end cover ups and secrecy.

al jazeera asked the police to comment on the report findings, but we have received no response. human rights workers say part of the problem in malaysia is the close relationship between police and the government that has been in power for over 50 years, and the accusation is while the police are there to maintain law and order, they are also acting to maintain things the way the government wants them maintained. two people have been killed in a fire at an orphanage in india. around 150 mentally and terminally ill patients have been moved to another home. staying in india where millions of cancer patients can't easily get morphine to relieve pain. and the issue is the basis in parliament. al jazeera takes a look at how making the drug more available

could affect patients' lives. >> reporter: terminally ill and with little time left. he now spends 24 hours a day by his wife. he was a butcher. but was then diagnosed by cancer. he is now on morphine to ease the pain. >> translator: i am okay now. i am comfortable. earlier it was very painful. but now it's much better. >> reporter: qualified nurses like this and counselors, reach out to the poorest in society who have little access to expense if health care. hospitals are the first port of call for those in serious condition. a change in the law will now make morphine more readily available for those with cancer. access to the drug to make the lives of terminally ill patients

available, will now be more easily dispersed. while caring for the ill and injured, such a change in the law makes the work of doctors easier. >> if they are not able to produce the demands that we have for the country, until now it has been the [ inaudible ] which has been producing it, so there is going to be the possibility of an increase in prices, but large volumes may be able to decrease the prices too. we don't know where that is going to head. >> reporter: india only has the capacity to produce 250 milligrams annually. >> i feel with the simplification of licensing procedures, we're going to find much easier to access morphine and have it available where people need it most, whether it's villages, or hospitals. until now it has been in

metropolitan centers and out of the reach of most people. >> reporter: while this man benefits from access to morphine now, thousands others tonight. the government says it plans to change that soon. and now he can cope with the pain and have a relatively decent quality of life for the little time he has left with his family. seven people have been rescued after a five-story residential building in china collapsed. one person died in hospital. this young was pulled out after being trapped after a large beam. the building collapsed early on friday. still ahead, bringing the old city back to life. the indonesian government plans to restore their dutch district. and just ahead in sport. the man on the verge of

equalling a scoring legend held by michael jordan.

♪ welcome back. the historic heart of indonesia's capitol has been left to decay for years. the dutch colonial district is now being restored. >> reporter: this is where the city began. the dutch established the capitol over 350 years ago. but over the years it has fallen on hard times.

run down and neglected. while some buildings a are beyo repair, this archeologist says it is not too late to save owes. >> translator: for a long time there was no result, but now the government is serious, and i have new hope that all of my dreams and the dreams of everyone who wants this town restored will come true. >> reporter: the local government has started a restoration project. it is spending over $12 million to help owners restore their homes and businesses. most of the buildings here are privately owned. >> translator: there is a team that will see whether the building is good enough to be renovated and then the government will give the owner incentives like tax breaks and will work together to maintain them. >> reporter: this man has had a

shop here for over 30 years, and he says with the help they will be able to renovate their home. >> there are a few examples in singapore where they re-venn nate the whole house, and now it looks very good. >> reporter: there's a real sense of history here. the dutch government managed its vast trading empire from these old colonial buildings, and from here, spices, cloth, tea, and coffee were loaded on to ships and send around the world. this old harbor is also going to be restored. and when it is all done, it is hoped indonesias and visitors would be able to imagine what it was like all of those years ago. american tv presenter david letterman has announced that he

will retire next year. he has interviewed many of america's biggest names. >> you want to meet lady gaga? >> yeah. >> tonight? >> i have got stuff to do later? >> excuse me -- is she back there -- hi -- that has got to be she right there. lady gaga, ladies and gentlemen. >> his guests have included the u.s. president, barack obama, and oprah when free. his show is the longest running in u.s. history. it first aired in 1982. now to sports. thank you very much. michael schumakers manager says the formula one legend is showing signsover recovering from his skiing accident. the 45-year-old is now showing, quote, moments of consciousness and awakeness. he suffered serious head injuries after hitting his head

on a rock while skiing in the french alps. the doctors began the process of waking him up from a medically induced coma in late jan. south africa are taking on india right now. south africa are attempting to qualify for their first final. they are 90 for 2 after 12 overs. the winner will face sri lanka on saturday. phil mickelson shook off injuries concern. the three time masters champion has pulled out of last week's texas ohm with an abdominal strain. he is three strokes behind the two leaders. the first [ inaudible ] of

the women's season is underway in california. michelle with her unusual putting stance sunk an eagle on the opening hole. in a tie for second behind china who leads at six under. her round included seven birdies. >> last year the first day i shot six over here, and i think that's a very big improvement, and i do think that i played really well today, and had a great time with amy and just hope that i can have three more good days. kevin durant could held a record held by michael jordan when the oklahoma okay thunder face the houston rockets on saturday. he has scored a minimum of 25 points in 38 consecutive games. jordan's is the longest streak in the past 50 years.

his streak ended with this loss. all eyes will be on northern england this summer when the tour de france gets underway. it has become a tradition for the race to start outside of the [ inaudible ]. opening stage will see the race 190 kilometers [ inaudible ] for stage two the cycles will start in york, stage three will start in cambridge and finish in london. for there the race will continue on for 18 more stages before its traditional finish in paris. lee wellings has more. >> reporter: in the english county of yorkshire a big event calls for bunting, small flags that line the streets. but it's not an english event

they are preparing for, it's the tour de france. >> why not yorkshire? there is this north-south divide people assume that everything goes on down south. but this is a great county. >> reporter: yorkshire is the biggest county in england. the organizers say they have fallen in love with the scenery and expect those watching in july to appreciate it too. >> translator: i think the landscape is magnificent. it's hilly. it looks beautiful. it's going to be a great tour. >> reporter: for all of its appeal on the eye, the route had to offer something challenging. this is in the north yorkshire area. it is the landscape this part of yorkshire has to offer that means many people are regarding

the first two stages as the most difficult start to the tour de france in history. the boost to tourism and business will be significant. from city centers to homes like this one. howard house is where the race willing start. >> i think there has been an almost universally positive response to this. >> reporter: not a culture clash, then, but two cultures in tandem. and a legacy already. it has been announced that an elite race will take part in yorkshire annually starting next year. there is more on the website including the positive news on michael schumaker. you can check out aljazeera.com/sport. that's it for me. >> lovely. thank you very much. we are going to leave you with the work of the german

photographer who was killed on friday in afghanistan. ♪

and analysis. >> why did you decide to go... >> it's extremly important for the western audience to know why these people keep on fighting... ...it's so seldom you get that access to the other side. >> faultlines: on the front lines with the taliban then an america tonight: special edition only on al jazeera america