>> talk to al jazeera only on al jazeera america >> >> announcer: this is al jazeera. >> hello, welcome to the newshour at al jazeera's headquarters in doha. our top stories - families show their anger over the south korea ferry sinking. new tapes reveal confusion and chaos as the ship went down. >> hungry and desperate - the u.n. says a palestine refugee camp in syria has run out of

food. >> hello, from london all the news from europe, including - ukraine and russia blame each other for a gun battle leaving at least three dead. >> home soil - journalists held hostage in syria get the presidential treatment in france. >> it may be known for beaches, bic eenies and football, brazil's government is helping people with low income enjoy artistic and cultural events. >> new tapes reveal the confusion in the south korean rescue. families upset with the way the rescue has been handled have been involved in angry confrontations with police. 244 are missing.

over 80 dead. >> op a day when -- on a day when christians celebrate resurrection, this was the service on the shores of jimmedo -- jindo. >> salvation army accused the cann teen to pray for the dead. they are being brought ashore in greater numbers than the previous days. divers are able to pull bodies out of the wreck. >>translation: the guiding routes to enter into the ferry have been established. we'll have 563 divers on the search operation. >> the descriptions of each body is put up with marker pen on whiteboard. in is how families are having an agonising bereavement confirmed. >> as the first bodies are recovered, there's a level of acceptance among the parents that their children are dead. among many, there is anger at

the authorities. dozens of parents confronted flis at the bridge -- police at the bridge near the mainland. they said they wanted to take their concerns to the president in seoul. "where do i find the body? let us get her out and take her somewhere warm", this man said of his wife who is missing. al jazeera obtained this video. relatives stopping the prime minister's car from crossing the bridge. the coast guard released unheard audio of fraught exchanges between the ferry and port authorities before rescue boats arrived.

[ singing ] >> as night fell, there was another service, in a tent next to a sports haul, a temporary home for the relatives. >> a bishop, from a town near seoul, delivered the message of eternal life, seeking to comfort parents whose children's lives have been cut so short. >> audio tapes have been released of a conversation twine the jindo rescue services and the crew on the ferry. here is more of that exchange.

>> here is harry fawcett with the latest from jindo in south korea. >> well, this previously unreleased audio of the exchanges between the jindo port authorities and some members of the crew on the bridge of the ship are interesting. they are very fraught exchanges between the two groups of people. it seems in the moment before the crew got off the ship the exchanges finish at 9:37, starting at 0906 on the morning of the accident. the port authorities sell them "we can't tell you when to evacuate we don't know the situation." the crew were reluctant to evacuate the passengers, because there's no rescue ships asking how soon are they coming, adding to what the captain said in court a couple of days ago, when he was facing maritime law and

negligence, apologising to the parents and the nation but said he was wary of simply telling people to jump off the boat in cold fast of this flowing waters, unsure of their fate, unable to see rescue craft at the time. as well as that. we have seen more bodies brought ashore. the operation to dive the wreck appears to be gathering pace, they appear to be getting greater access. for the first time the until of people brought out is climbing rapidly. people at the sports hall, waiting for confirmation, some of them are at least getting confirmation, but they are grim. great grief is already here and it's only going to get worse in the next few days. >> russia and ukraine are playing the blame game over who is behind a deadly shooting in the east of the country. let's get more of that from the

news center in london. >> three were killed in the violence in eastern ukraine, shattering a fragile eefrt truce. russia condemned the attack. ukraine said its forces were not involved. the shooting happened near slovyansk. shortly we'll hear from hoda abdel-hamid, in donetsk. first jacky rowland reports. >> local people call it the easter massacre. what took place at this makeshift checkpoint in the early hours of sunday is unclear. villages say unknown attackers drove up and opened fire an activists manning the barricade. >> they came in jeeps, lit up the barricade and started shooting. my neighbour got a bullet between the eyes. others came to help us. if they hadn't come, the attackers would have slaughtered

everyone like chickens. the interior ministry said three pro-rush job activists were -- pro-russian activists were killed. the attackers took the dead and wounded with them. there are a lot of unanswered questions here. for a start, where did the two cars come from. if there was a shoot-out between the men at the checkpoint and the vehicles, how come there are bullet holes in the back of the second car, and how did the two vehicles end up burnt out. forensic experts are trying to answer some questions, but with the cars torched the evidence is limited. they found shell cases, bullets and dried blood. whatever the truth, it plays into the hands of those that do not want a negotiate solution to the crisis in ukraine. rebel leaders declared a curfew and called on moscow to send in

peacekeepers. this may be the wreckage of the political deal reached in geneva a few days ago. >> that curfew declared by pro-russian leaders means no one is allowed outside between midnight and six in the morning local time. >> the self-appointed mayor is appealing to moscow for backup. >> translation: i want to ask the russian deposit and president putin personally to send us help. if you can't send peacekeepers, send food, weapons, everything you can. our people are ready to stand until the end to protecture land from the fishist invasion. brash fascist invasion. hoda abdel-hamid has more. >> they pointed the finger at the right sector, a group playing a key role in kiev, leading to the using of viktor

yanukovych. this mayor said that a referendum will be hold on may 11th. authorities agreed and principle over a referendum. but it should be held on the same day as the presidential elections, which are on may 25th. a lot of pro-russian supporters didn't trust it, thinking that the elections would be rigged. that mayor is new, it's the first time we hear from him. until a few days ago the mayor was a woman and defoundsed the appearance -- denounced the appearance of men in military fatigue. she said at the time they were russians or getting orders from moscow. she has since disappeared. we haven't heard of the others. whether they agree or not.

on the western ukraine border. cries to amex are getting louder. it happened at the collapse of the soviet union. they oak at whether it could become the next crimea -- look at whether it could become the next crimea. >> the celebration of easter in a capital of a state the world does not recognise. >> they call it a country of some half a million souls in a thin sliver of territory on ukraine's western border, urging putin to recognise them as an independent state much the kremlin has been hearing the prayers of russian speaking breath ren here. >> translation: this is nothing else but an exercise in democracy if we let these people do what they want.

>> in the capital, the symbols of the old soviet union have pride of place. the end of the cold war led to a civil war as the region broke away from moldova to protect language and links with russia. more than 1,000 were killed on the eastern banks of the river. it was quelled when moscow ordered troops to intervene. the kremlin soldiers are peacekeepers until day. many politicians would like them to stay as defenders of a sovereign republic. >> to some extent, there is a jealousy in our situation. >> sandwiched between a casino and a shop selling memorabilia, the embassies in ossetia. two breakaway regions of georgia, unrecognized by the world and hosting russian

troops. >> the american ceremony visited moldova made clear his views of the russian strat gi. >> russia is a gas station masquerading as a country and i apologise for that because actually it's a mafia-run gas station. >> opened by the 13th century, taken by ut ottomans, and captured by the russians in the 18th century. >> for eight centuries it guarded the trade routes to the east. now it's set to become a battle ground between a russia and expanding europe. >> set between the east and the west. history had a habit of repeating itself on the banks of this river. >> i'll have more from europe for you later.

now, back to adrian. >> thank you. still to come on the newshour - tens of thousands of christians mark easter in the holy city of jerusalem. some say they are not welcome. >> plus, how boston is preparing for its annual marathon, a year after the bomb attack there. >> in sport - we'll find out if liverpool can move a step closer to the english premier league. all the results in around 35 minutes. >> i want to make you aware of breaking news. malaysia airlines plane with 166 people on board has made an emergency landing in kuala lumpur. the flight was heading for bangalore. it had to turn back mh192 circled after its landing gear failed.

more on that incident as and when we get it. >> the u.n. is warning that residents of a besieged district of damascus are in danger of starving to death. a refugee camp south of capital has 18,000 inhabitants. there has been no food delivered for more than a week. aid has run out. some people are resorting to eating leaves, and animal feed. the u.n. relief agencies says it needs to deliver 700 food parcels per day to the camp. it's managed only to get in 100 package per day since the start of the year. in recent weeks conditions worsened. no food has been sent there in the past 10 address, as the government demands that rebel groups inside the camp surrender. >> chris is a spokesman for the u.n. relief agency saying there's food waiting to be delivered, but aid agencies need

secure access. >> this is the zero hour as far as food supply is concerned. a food parcel lasts 10 days, it's over 10 days, we are down to zero and people are facing a serious threat of hunger. there's a complicated situation on the ground. don't forget, it is an unarmed humanitarian agency, one which, certainly among other groups in this work in this conflict, we have had 12 members of staff, 12 colleagues killed trying to deliver aid. it's a dangerous situation. we are ready, we have food in the warehouse in damascus. we can take it in. we need security, substantial access, we need secure access, and we need it now. people are going hungry with every passing minute. it's back to the security council. we need to see action. if they want to get rid of chemical weapons, they passed a

resolution, they are being eliminated because hundreds faced the threat. thousands, possibly tens of thousands are pacing threats because of the lack of food. we need the down act. it's logical that they should act and they must live up to the founding fathers of the united nations, that this sort of thing would not happen, succeeding generations would be saved from the scourge of war. that is what the people need. >> elsewhere in syria activists in homs say that supplies are running out there, and are calling on aid agencies to evacuate areas. we have this report. >> children caught up in the syrian conflict. according to activists, these toddlers were injured in the latest bombing campaign by government forces in homs. >> they say the shelling has

been relentless, prompting mosques to play prayers on loud speakers for hours. state media reports the military made gains. rebel fighters are firing rockets into the city. >> in old homs city the brave government forces are defeating the terrorists. they have tried to hit the area with mortars. fighters say they are holding their ground and wouldn't target their own strong holds. many left nearby neighbourhoods and residents are facing a shorting of supplies. activists have appealed to aid agencies to help dozens get out of the area. >> a u.n. deal allowed some to collapse. special envoy lakhdar brahimi says the city is becoming a theatre of death and destruction. activists warn that rebel strong holds across the country are

under akak. >> in a -- attack. >> in aleppo syrians have hit villages with rockets. this man lost etch in his family -- everyone in his family and he cries to god. he says "my whole family was in the flat, the whole family was up in the flat." people are moving out from towns. most buildings and shops here have been destroyed. >> translation: every time it's stricken. people have left. nothing is left. 10 died in one moment. you can feel the disaster if you are here. >> despite u.n. resolutions there's little or no aid getting through to civilians. every passing day adds to the miss ry of those caught upin the conflict. >> syria's president bashar al-assad paid an eastern sunday visit to a town which his forces

recaptured from rebels. a rare appearance outside damascus comes as the government and allies say that the leader is secure in his position. you may remember that al qaeda-led rebels seized malula in december. 12 nups were taken -- nuns were taken hostage and released in march in a prisoner exchange deal. >> to iraq. four have been killed in the capital baghdad after a suicide bomber blew himself up. police say that three other gunmen got into the building and took hostages. they were killed by iraqi special forces. 15 were wounded in the attack. >> a military provision in anbar against fighters linked to al qaeda is threatening to disrupt the general election. as imran khan reports many people in fallujah are questioning whether the vote set for april 30th will take place. >> the bombed-out buildings in

the center of fallujah indicate how ferocious the military operation has been here. the iraqi army took positions on the outskirts of the city, and attacks with artillery shells and heavy weaponry. it's an operation that the military says is designed to root out fighters, who belong to the islamic state of iraq and levant. the occupation began in january and showed no sign of stopping. parliamentary elections are scheduled. but unlike in the rest of iraq. there's no election earring here. the streets are empty. there's no posters or campaigning. >> how can we cast our votes when they are shelling us. our houses have been destroyed. our children can't go to school. >> no electricity, no water. we can't sleep at mite. how can we vote.

>> fallujah is a sunni city, many condemning the actions as illegal. >> the government, for its part, says it's fighting a war on terror. the raigs ran on. tribes are divided in their loyalties. some support the fighters. others support the government's operation. parts of fallujah have been overrun by armed men, and that is the focus of the operation. >> anbar counts for around 17% of the vote. they will be setting up polling stations in safer areas, allowing the residents to vote. they have not received voter carts and have not been able to campaign. any results from anbar province will be flawed. >> al jazeera continues to demand the release of journalists imprisoned in egypt.

mohamed fadel fahmy, baher mohamed, and peter greste are accused of providing a platform to the outlawed muslim brotherhood. they have been behind bars for 113 days. the case has been adjourned until tuesday. al jazeera rejects all the accusations against its staff. abdullah al-shami, meanwhile, the fourth al jazeera journalist in detention has been held without trial since last august. he's been on hunger strike for the past 90 days. abdullah al-shami has sent a letter from prison describing his feels as he enters his 250th day in gaol. he writes: >> the u.n.'s peace envoy

accused israeli police of preventing him from reaching a ritual in jerusalem. the delay was unacceptable and the rights of relage jous freedoms have been called on to be respected. >> thousands of christians converged at the church of the holy seppica for the holy fire ritual. fire appears from jesus's tomb to show he has not forgotten his followers. many say christians have been blocked from taking par. >> christian pilgrims marking easter in the holy city. the calendar for east and west aligned, adding to the crowd. among the pilgrims from christian palestinians, a group dwindling in size, but increasingly upset. this group from jerusalem of various denominations filed a

complaint with the israeli high court. demanding better treatment from israeli police, and free access to the holy site. >> israel claims to observe and being the only democracy in the middle east. the only place where christians are thriving. we don't feel that in jerusalem. over the past few years, it's been progressively getting worse. >> it's systematic discrimination. this video uses evidence and shows police preventing palestine dignitaries and diplomats entering the old city, despite having prior approval. >> at the same time the jewish worshippers are allowed freedom of access. what is happening? why capt the christians and -- can the christians and muslims not get to the holy places and the jews can? >> it's as sirp as that. >> the court ordered police to

give the jews better access. >> reporter: on any given days thousands flock. as pilgrims from over the region and world try to make it to jurisdiction on religious days. >> because of this police say they have to have restriction for the safety of all pilgrims. >> the police do not discriminate between foreigners. we are talking about numbers. the police agreed to look after the safety of people. whether it's locals. >> thousands have been deployed, some say more needs to be done. >> you cannot practice your religion freely. like now, i want to go. mum wants to come, gram wants to -- grandmother wants to come to the church, it's hard to get in. >> petitioners say they face restrictions daily, simply for being palestine. >> it's not easy r- why?

>> it's not easy. >> a convoy carrying human carian raid arrive -- humanitarian aid arrived in gaza as part of 26 miles of smiles. the convoy was allowed to cross into gaza strip. 25 foreign act visits participated and met with leaders, the biggest convoy to cross through the border since the military coup last july. >> more to come in this newshour as the civil war continues in sued. we'll -- south sudan. we'll show you the oil town reduced to rubble. >> the croatian family whose easter tradition is drawing in hundreds of tourists. in sport, wawrinka and roger federer go head to head at an all-swiss final at the monte

carlio masters.

>> good to have you with us for the newshour from al jazeera.

new tapes revealed the confusion and indecision of the rescue operation of the south korean ferry disaster. 58 are confirmed dead. 244 are missing. the vessel capsized near jindo island. >> pro-russian rebels declared a curfew in slovyansk, following a gun battle at a makeshift checkpoint. the interior ministry says three were killed in the shooting. the u.n. warns that residents in a district of damascus ran out of food. aid has not been delivered for 10 days. some people are resorting to eating leaves and animal feed. >> rebels in south sudan say they are gaining ground in a fight for government troops after capturing an oil town. officials returned to a city deserted by the rebels.

>> they found it destroyed beyond repair. you may find some images disturbing. >> this is what any visitor to mela call can see, the aftermath of a series of battles between soldiers and rebels. it's left some people in shock. >>translation: the city lives in horror, the people are scared. you can't feel safe, each in your own house. >> the capital of south sudan's state used to have 140,000 people who lived there. it's now a ghost town. most of the buildings are burnt to the ground. weeks after the latest fighting the streets are strewn with bodies. in front of a church this gapes into the void amid the silence. earlier this near malay call changed hands. in february the rebels retook it and were accused of ransacking the city.

hundreds died. the last fewable, left of the weeks later in march, the rebels abandoned the city, leaving behind ruins, a few people have returned. >> security is seriously absent. you can work and be active where there is security. without it you can't be supportive and helpful to fellow citizens. you can't live properly. >> the government of mela call visited to see if the city can bebrought back to life. >> they started in the town. we were bringing in some of our people who come and help us to clean dead bodies. >> malay call is one of several cities and towns that have been destroyed. south sudan is the youngest country in the world. but the political and ethnic violence means it's already being threatened with becoming a failed state. >> sudan's president omar

al-basheer has been talking about the crisis in south. here is what -- south sudan, here is what he had to say. >> translation: they separated the south in order to destroy the north. this is the reason, and nothing else but the reason. go and see what is happening in the south. now they say they have committed a mistakes. they didn't lisp to us, they -- listen to us. they say they regret it. we don't. they say "let's you night, we say they are an independent country. in order for another country to join us, we have to know the sued niece people through a -- sudanese people. >> let's go live to boston, via skype to talk to a senior advisor to the enough project and advisor at the kennedy school of government. >> what, sir, do you make of president al-basheer's comments there. >> he's talking about the international community that, in his view, separated the south

from the mother of country sedan. i think it is delusional to think it is simply because of the problems in the south, that an independent country is going to come back and be part of sudan again. he is talking to his constituency inside because sudan is facing a lot of problems today on top of the list of these problems is the economic situation, and a lot of people blaming the government for separating the south. so he's trying to say that it wasn't our mistake. they were under pressure to give the south away. we did. that is why we are suffering from what looks like the giving away of the south. >> is south sudan becoming a failed state? >> yes, south sudan and sudan itself are now in their way to become failed estates, and this

had been going on for quite a while, and if the cta was - or the agreement that was between the s.p.l.m. in the south and the government of sudan was anything, it was an attempt to keep this country functioning. however, it led to the separation of the south. if you had a failing state and you divided into two, what do you get, two failing states. >> was it a make for the south to breakaway and what needs to happen to fete both failing states on to its feet, to stablilize the situation. >> it could be a mistake. don't forget desperation for people from the south treated as second class citizens in the sudan, to have their own independent estate. so it is hard to say it was a

speak, it wasn't the best solution. the best solution was to keep the country together. if it was impossible the separation was inevitable. i think what needs to be done now is looking at issues between the north and the south. we have issues of the porous border. the length of 200km, and issues of the hoil produced in the -- oil produced in the south and transported to the north. they have to look at the viability of the states dependent on each other and look at the issues. >> otherwise they are doomed to fail. >> runners from across the world have been arriving in boston ahead of a famous marathon on monday. it's a year since two bombs exploded close to the finish line, killing three, injuring

hundreds, bringing a change to the way the marathon has been organised, as aaron fisher reports. >> memorials from the boston marathon are not hard to find. some dramatic, some simply. images from a year ago are seared into the memory. two bombs ripped through the crowd. hundreds injured. it's an attempt to banish the shadow. on monday there'll be around 4,000 police officers on duty along the marathon route, twice as many as last year. 500 will be under cover. there'll be thousands of volunteers dealing with crowd management. this will be a different boston marathon. there'll be more surveillance cameras and people watching for something unusual. >> the standard has been

changed. there's no doubt security around large events were seen more - we are seeing more officers, more cam res, control and communication. i expected that will last for some period of time. the bombers losted days. it's alleged two bombers did it. others will go on trial for its life. experts were responsible in the days after. >> you start with the way the ept is going to work, how it will operate and what it will look like. then you add security, the security in a way that doesn't disrupt the event as you wanted it to be. >> there'll be around 36,000 runners this year. more than normal. many more wanted to be here for this. right there on the ground. right $. >> katherine was the first woman to run the marathon and covered the event for local media for

four decades, saying what happened here changed events around the world. >> there's more security. it's annoying. you go to the start. you need a clear plastic bag and throw the clothes away. we run to be free and fearless, and if that's what it takes, that's what we are going to do. stereo boston will never be the same again, changing in a few moments. when the runners crossed the finish line, it won't just mark the end of the race, but the end of what has been a difficult year. >> four french journalists held hostage in syria for a year arrived home. for more, let's go to london. >> french president francis hollande met the man at an air base outside paris. they were found handcuffed and blindtolded on the border with syria on saturday. we have more from paris. >> [ clapping ]

>> back on french soil after 10 months in captivity. back into the welcoming arms of family and colleagues, and a french president francis hollande. and foreign minister laurent fabius. >> it's a day of great joy for france, because france is proud to have compatriots. because of this they could work for freedom of the frees, and france is proud to have them free today. >> from christiano francois an experienced reporter, a sense of relief. >> translation: it's a great joy and an immense relief to be out in the open air. i'm saying it again. we haven't seep the sky for a long time. breathing fresh air, walked freely. it was a long time. we never lost hope. it was 10 months in which they were moved around, kept under

ground and mistreated by captors. they werersed near the turkish border on saturday. foreign minister laurent fabius denied ransom was paid but did admit to delicate negotiations. it's not clear which group kidnapped them, but the finger has been pointed at the islamic state of iraq and levant, an al qaeda branch with a track record of hostage taking and appearance in morne and eastern provinces of syria. journalists paid a heavy price in syria's car, 60 have decide. dozens kidnapped. times for an change of money -- exchange of munry or prisoners. >> reporter: france takes pride in securing the release of pripers. for a president beset by political woes. this latest release provided a rare moment of good news.

r-. rescue teams have been working around the clock after flood water inundated parts of serbia, it's been caused by heavy rainfall and melting snow. many were evacuated in the south and west of the country while some refused to leave their homes. the waters have began to subside. thousands of homes are without power. pope francis used his eastern message to call for an end to conflicts around the world. in front of thousands of supporters in st. peter's square he pleaded for the international community to pray for peace in ukraine, syria and central african republic. easter sunday is the most important day in the christian calendar, celebrating the resurrection of jesus. a croatian family has a different tradition. for years the family celebrated in zagreb by turning their property into an extravaganza,

using lamps and easter eggs of different shapes and sizes. it's a greying tourist a -- growing tourist attraction. that's a good thing because yes spend $14,000 a year on electricity. that's it from london, back to adrian. >> thanks. just ahead - reaping rewards from rushish. is scheme encouraging nigerians not to waste. and formula 1 - details ahead.

. hello again. tonnes of waste piles up on nigeria's city every day. the people of lagos are reaping rewards for recycling. in the third part of our "wasteful world" series, we have a report on recycling for points for prizes. >> reporter: for more than a year and a half this woman put aside recyclable waste. it's collected by recyclers, a company providing incentives for people in working class name ours for recycling. this woman earnt a fan, school supplies. that's not the only benefit. >> the roads are clean. there's no gashage in the streets, no more water or mosquitos. children are no longer seek.

>> the bicycles have been going door to door. clients accumulate points. the reward system was created by software engineers. >> we have big dreams. think about the people you see living in slums, surrounded by their west coast. -- waste. we want to provide them a way to get back their communities. >> with 20 million packed into lagos. the largest city produces 10,000 tonnes of waste. while there's strict rules, waste piles up in opening sours. >> reporter: the recycling facility processed more than 200 tonnes of garbage from thousands of homes in lagos. it is sold to recycling factories. >> it has gone no manufacturing fibres from manufacturers and

pillows. >> one melts cans and exports it to india. recyclers has expense, it is yet to generate a profit, but the government has had a helping hand. >> we need to scale it up. to make sure it's a success. >> from one retik ler in mid 2012 there are now 16. the award winning promote is looking into partnerships to expand to other cities. they may face challenges, but appear to win people one plastic bottle at a time. >>. meanwhile a father and son team in gaza found a use for waste. they have constructed a small plant, melts small plastic into fuel used for electricity generators, vehicles and

machinery, hoping it will release the impact of the crisis in gaza. they are looking to scrulent a larger facility. >> time for the news hour. >> thank you. now, all that stands between liverpool and the title. in 24 years after beating norwich. the scoring started for the visitors after 4 minutes. they doubled their lead a short-time later, with the reds 2-0 up by half-time. they came back in the second half with two gold. another strike ensure add 3-2 victory from liverpool. they are five ahead of second-place chelsea. >> the victory and congratulations to the players, because that is usment you can finish no more than third. guaranteed champion's league football. away at the beginning of the

season i think everyone felt it was a struggle. it shows the magnitude of the effort they put in. >> a hold on fourth spot. aaron ramsay opening the scoring for the gunners. lucas added a double for the 3-0 victory. everton kept themselves in the race for the champion's league spot. goals helped them to a 2-0 victory over manchester united. that result keeps everton a point behind arsenal. liverpool, as you heard has a 5-point lead over chelsea. manchester city hosts west brom on monday. >> barcelona kicks off in the next few minutes, after suffering three losses in three

competitions and another defeat all but ends their title hopes. >> and staying in contention against grn ardo. the home side - an embarrassing own goal. a further three added to bin 4-0 a few minutes ago. >> stanislaw wawrinka claims his first masters tennis title, beating roger federer in the monte carlo final. he lost the first set of the all-swiss affair, but bounced back 7-2, 6-2, securing his second-ever win for roger federer. it's a brilliant year for the australian open champion, yet to also agame against top 10 opposition since 2014. >> it's amazing, something special. the win earlier, after winning the grand slam, it was important for me. especially today, to play against roger.

an honour to play against him in the final, in the first time in a final and beat him in something was special, because it's tough. and i'm really happy with my week today. >> lewis hamilton posted three consecutive race victories for the first time in his formula 1 career. his dominance continued at the chinese grand prix. >> reporter: it's a perfect seen for mercedes. three races in and nico rosberg, and lewis hamilton, have won all three. at the start of this race in shanghai it was no different. 2008 world champion hamilton on poll, off to a great start. a lead he kept for the race, never caught, to clinch his third victory this china. his third consecutive victory this season. >> honestly, i can't belief how amazing the car is, and how hard everyone worked. the results are a true showing

of all the hard work. >> championship leader and mercedes team-mate nico rosberg said it was a disastrous weekend for him. despite battling from a poor start to finish. the germans lead is cut to four points. raening champion sebastien vettel's season is still to reach the heights of last season. so much so he was told to let his team-mate daniel ricky ardo through, and he finished fifth. >> fernando alonzo claimed a third for his first podium finish and is third on 41 in the stand inns, 34 behind lewis hamilton. the britain celebrates his win, putting him level with nicky lauder and jim clark. >> first round of the n.b.a. play-offs continue on sunday, eight teams contest game 1 in the best of 7.

the top ranked five - the san antonio spurs are training with the mavericks. >> on saturday the warriors opened their play-offs with a 4-point victory over the l.a. clippers. they scored 22 points and david lee added 20 more for the worors, played in l.a. on tuesday. >> in kofl westwood ended a 2-year title drought by winning the malaysian open. the englishman started with a one-shot lead. carding 3-under-68, giving him a 7-stroke victory. it was a big winning marningins and marked his 40th career victory. >> that's it more me. brazil - best known for beaches, bikinis, music and

football. the country wants to draw attention to artistic and cultural areas. it's to help low income brazilians enjoy them. rob reynolds explains >> reporter: anyone that has seen dancers in el salvador moving to rhythm or strolling amid the splendor will realise that brazil is a county with a deep and vibrant heritage. >> people are wanting culture. there are things you can't see anywhere. we want to go beyond it. we want to show ourselves. >> under a government program, low income brazilian workers can get recharge uble cards like this.

employers provide most of the funding and get a tax break in return. the cards can buy anything cultural. books, plays and more. >> giselle used her card to buy a set of opera c.d.s. >> i love it. i appreciate it a lot. it's a nice opportunity to have more access or stuff like that. >> some brazilians think the government's plan is poorly conceived and wonder what kind of culture people will buy with the culture cards. according to surveys, the average brazilian reads four books a year. 85% say the favourite leisure activity is watching tv. critics fear people will spend the culture credit on trashy romance, sexy videos or worse. >> they would say, "how come they would be able to buy this

kind of magazines - pornography?", are you going to let them buy pornography. i said "why not? people start reading." >> professional soprano says brazil must spend more on art education. >> people need to include education from the beginning. summer in brazil will never die. people have a conscious of how precious that is. we need to do the same for literature, heritage, history. >> more than 350,000 people use culture cards and the government hopes millions will sign up in the fewer, the better to enjoy the vast rches of the country -- riches of the country. >> the top stories strait ahead. that's -- straight ahead.

that's it for the newshour. thanks for watching. bye for now. r- and >>

>> craig notman is leaving his home and his job in british mining to join the gold rush in the mongolian wilderness. he'll be working in some of the most dangerous mines on earth. >> it really is awful, it's really bad. that's really bad. >> he'll experience a traditional nomadic lifestyle under threat. >> as a coal miner, we don't get to milk many yaks.