>> announcer: this is al jazeera. ♪ hello from doe ho, everyone. this is the news hour on al jazeera. car bombs in the syrian city of holmes leave at least 20 people dead. half of them are children. there are empty streets in the city ofco banny as isil righters move in. turkey is considering its options. and the message from the

protesters in hong kong to the chinese leaders. ♪ we'll start with the latest developments on the battle against the group calling it's a isil, the islamic state in iraq and the levant. all of these red points are points isil does control. it is crucial to cut off the group's supply lines and their ability to travel. kurdish forces have recaptured the area of bashir. have a look at the latest

pictures from the turkish side of the border. kobani is in the distance. kurder fighters say they are strengthening their forces and have lay booby traps if they try to leave the town. two targets were hit in northwestern iraq, a heavy weapons post and an armored vehicle. and then we have turkey as well, which is gearing up to get involved militarily. taking up their positions on the hills overlooking kobani. they are likely to approve operations in the coming days. so a lot going on. we're going to tie it in with bernard smith first of all on the turkey syrian border there.

let's talk about what has been happening and what you have seen in kobani in se the last few hours. >> well, kamal, that gunfire is still going on. we can hear it behind us sporadically. there has begun fire and mortar fire going on all day here. we came here about 9:00 this morning local time, and it has been pretty much like that all day, the most intense day of fighting that we think there has been here in the last few days. still as far as we understand from someone we were able to speak to who is still in kobani, the isil forces are still a couple of kilometers away from the southeast and west of kobani. the u.s. air strikes not confirmed by the u.s. but certainly by an activist in the town as we saw those air strikes come in. that has been an attempt to hold

back isil. but it doesn't seem to have stopped them attempting their advance, kamal. >> so we have forces on the ground, air strikes, and we could be adding in a turkish military presence. tell us what is expected? >> well, turkey's parliament votes tomorrow, thursday on two motions put by the go that will allow turkish military to be engaged with international forces in syria and in iraq. the motions will also have clauses that will allow foreign forces to use turkish military facilities. that particularly perhaps because there has been a lot of pressure on the turks from the u.s. military to allow them to use an air base to launch its air attacks on syrian and iraqi territory. we're not sure if we'll see the

turkish military take immediate steps, but what it does is it gives the turkish military that legal framework. turkey is still very nervous, kamal about taking an active role in this campaign, because it is worried about the potential risk of isil sleeper cells in turkey, retribution from them. it is worried about more refugees coming over, it is worried about arming the kurds, because it had its own fighting with the kurds in the past. >> that is bernard smith on the turkey syrian border. we thank you for that bernard. you have got the ongoing civil war in syria. the latest events 20 people have died half of them children in two car bombings in holmes. you see scenes of utter chaos and devastation following the

explosions. it was a predominantly alawite neighborhood. zana is following the developments from beirut. tell us what has happened there. double bombs it looks like. and then people hit in the second bomb. >> like you mentioned the target was a school. this is what we understand from the governor of holmes and the syrian observatory for human rights. tens of casualties, at least ten children among the dead. these were powerful explosions. we understand that a car bomb was remotely detonated at the gate of the school when children were leaving their classes. and then minutes later a suicide bomber detonated himself. so casualties in a government-controlled area. the government really boasted when it took control of holmes city in may. this is not the first attack of

its kind, but it has been a while since we have seen car bombings in holmes city. >> and barrel bombs in aleppo as well, i think six died there. what that highlights to me is while a lot of our focus tends to go on the fight against isil, this civil war goes on and on, and it's not part of the international communities efforts. >> no, the war continues. and civilians on both sides of the conflict are dying. the barrel bombs you mentioned we have seen, and many similar incidents over the last few weeks, dozens of civilians killed and the government stepping up its air campaign against rebel-controlled territories, and many syrians are asking why don't you target the regime as well? so yes, the word is focused on

isil, but this war continues, and in the absence of any political negotiation, there has been calls for a ceasefire and that hasn't happened. so this war is likely to continue. and many feel the coalition air strikes are only going to make the government stronger. >> thank you. we move to other news, protesters in hong kong are threatening to take over government buildings if the territory's leader doesn't resign by thursday. you can see live pictures there from the civic square about 9:00 in the evening there now. the rally coincides with china's national day holiday. beijing says they will not give in to the protesters demands either. >> reporter: like every national day, the chinese flag, along with the smaller hong kong flag arer is moanously hoisted.

but this is not like every other national day. tens of thousands of protesters have made the streets of hong kong their home. seeking the resignation of the chief executive and demanding the election reform process be reversed. student leader joshua wong and fellow protesters were prevented from getting into the flag-raising ceremony. >> we tried to turn our sign to show our disagreement to decide hong kong political reform system. >> reporter: but it wasn't just the protesters there. those who support the chinese central government's role here in hong kong were out in celebrate. >> they don't allow us to fly the flag. why? this is what they call democracy. >> reporter: and those who are looking for democracy, flooded the barricaded streets on

wednesday. big numbers since national day is a holiday. the founder of the occupy central movement that started all of this, has said this has grown beyond his imagination, but it has now taken on a life of its own. >> this is not organized by any person now. it's everyone is organizing. they are doing all of these things. >> yeah. hello. hello. >> reporter: we walked through the main protester area with benny ty. >> i just hope our leaders in beijing will be able to see how determined hong kong people are in wanting democracy, and how civilized in a way of showing their determination. but i think some still -- we can see some very concrete things happening in hong kong. and the hong kong people are organizing themselves, learning how to practice democracy. >> reporter: standing firm he went on to say the next move is

with the government here in hong kong and in beijing, which very well might be true, but the big question is, just what move will they make? as i said, ten past 9:00 in the evening in hong kong. and i guess no one is going anywhere right now is the short story? >> reporter: no, not at all, and the calls for the chief executive to step down has been growing louder and louder as the hours pass as has the calls for universal suffrage in hong kong. leaders say they are going to occupy government buildings if the chief executive officer does not step down by thursday. that's the deadline. we have all got our eye on it, and we will be watching out for what happens then. let me bring in a political analyst -- [ inaudible ] not

everyone supports the campaign. there are those who say that these protests, and the longer they go on, may actually hurt hong kong's ties with beijing. >> certainly so, but at the same time, we have no intention to confront the chinese authority. we accept china's sovereignty over the territory. all we ask for is for the chinese leaders to keep their promises and allow us to have a genuinely democratic electorate system to choose your chief executive who will be responsible to us, hong kong people, rather than just toeing the beijing line. >> it's not just a fight for democracy, is it, joseph? it's a fight for hong kong's culture and identity. >> exactly. we are here to say we don't want hong kong to just become any other big city in china. we want to maintain our

lifestyles, and the hong kong spirit. people realize that if you don't speak up today, you may not even have a chance to speak up later. >> reporter: but isn't it time to realize that hong kong is part of china? it is a city in china. >> we are part of china. we have no intention to contest this. >> reporter: so why the need to differentiate yourself from the rest of china? >> we want to enjoy our basic rights. we want to be proud hong kong people under chinese sovereignty. maintaining our spirit. this is a free city. we want to maintain the free spirit so that we have a -- recognize for us and to make a better contribution to china. >> reporter: the protest leaders have said they are going to start to occupy government buildings. if the deadline goes past and the protesters start to occupy these buildings, how long can

this protest go on? >> activities certainly cannot last indefinitely. they will subside a little bit, but we are planning wave after wave of peaceful, non-violent civil disobedience to demonstrate this is not a democratic government and it cannot govern effectively and efficiently. >> reporter: are you worried that this might split hong kong, those that are concerned that their businesses will be effected with beijing by these protests? >> the economy of hong kong thrives on a free spirit, which is the basis of our innovations. if we become just another big city in china, how can we compete with shanghai in the intermediate and long term? people realize this. above all else, we want to be

truly free, innovative hong kong people. >> it's always good to talk to you. thank you so much. joseph chen talking about hong kong and the need to fight for hong kong's culture, identity and democracy. >> thank you. thousands of people have been demonstrating in taiwan in a show of support for the rallies in hong kong. you see here the demonstrations in taipei, the capitol. they urge them to live up to its pledges or risk alienating the public there. still to come, we'll meet an ambulance driver in liberia. he has not been given enough protective gear himself. and we'll find out why this

indian boxer was so upset that she refused to wear her medal at the asian games. ♪ let's look at ukraine, where witnesses say they have found six more bodies on a street not far from a school that was hit by shells. at least four other people were killed in the playground in donetsk. no children appear to have been hurt. donetsk has seen heavy fighting between ukrainian forces and pro-russian separatists. two suicide bombings in afghanistan have killed at least seven soldiers. this is just a day after the government signed a deal with the united states to allow its forces to remain in afghanistan. dominic kane has the latest. >> reporter: this is the aftermath of one of the explosions. it happened in the western part of kaboul. a bus loaded with afghan

soldiered was targeted in brood daylight. >> translator: a suicide tacker on a bicycle detonated the explosi explosives. we managed to take the wounded to the hospital by motorbike. >> reporter: a second suicide bomber targeted a bus in the northeast of the city. a spokesman for the taliban said they carried out both bombings. on monday the new prime minister took office calling for the taliban to join peace talks with his government. then on tuesday his officials signed a security deal with the u.s., allowing a small con tinning gent of its forces to remain in the country beyond the end of this year. [ applause ] >> our pledge will provide the foundation for afghanistan to continue its impressive

developments, and build on the achievements of the past. our agreement will also contribute to stability in afghanistan and throughout the region. >> reporter: people in kaboul gave that a cautious welcome. >> translator: i'm happy about the agreement if it is done in accordance with the conditions set in. only then can bring peace to our country. >> translator: with the issues that afghanistan is dealing with, and the problems the people are facing, signing an agreement between afghanistan and america is a need. >> reporter: how clear that need is can be seen on the streets of the afghan capitol. dominic kane, al jazeera. a hue thinkthy -- houthi politician has said they will withdraw from the capitol once a new government is formed. >> ten days after the houthi takeover, we see them expanding their presence, tightening their grip on the city, setting up

more check points, and we see some of the high officials in the government are refusing to go to work. the houthis are giving statements talking about eventual pullout when a new government is appointed. but they tell us that the peace deal has not set a date for their withdraw, there is a number of steps that have to be taken including a new prime minister and a new government and including a mechanism whereby this is going to be implemented, including having the united nations as a partner. and that means that the withdraw is going to take a long time. state prosecutors in britain has dropped charges against a former guantanamo bay detainee.

he is expected to be released from jail later on wednesday. the u.s. has confirmed its first case of ebola diagnosed in the country. the man travelled to the u.s. from liberia on september 19th. he is now critically ill in a texas hospital. they fear his family in the u.s. could have also contracted the disease. meanwhile the u.s. military is sending equipment to build clinics in liberia. two mobile labs will be up and running this week. more than half of the infections have occurred in liberia. more now from gerald tan. >> reporter: this man starts his day with a stop at the health ministry. employed by an ambulance service, he transported ebola patients to hospitals, but he needs his personal protective equipment. >> i have about 15 cases now. they are still calling me to get more lifting of cases. but i don't have the equipment

to pick up the first patient. >> reporter: he is supposed to receive new gear from the government every two weeks, but supplies are depleted. liberia has been hardest hit by the ebola outbreak. its health care system is straining to cope with a number of patients. >> there are not enough care facilities in place. unicef is working with the governments of liberia and sierra leone, to set up interim care facilities in liberia, and for sierra leone to aim to work with survivors of ebola who may be able to treat and care for children who are at the risk of being infected. >> reporter: in neighboring sierra leone, schools have remained shut since the new academic year to prevent the spread of the disease. the education ministry is now planning to broadcast lessons over the radio. >> you do with what you have at your disposal, and it will also

strengthen your education system, it is better than the children sitting at home without being taught. >> reporter: the world health organization estimates ebola has infected more than 6.5 thousand people across west africa. more than half have survived, but the different hurdles facing the workers like this man, make the fight even more difficult. thousands of supporters of the former haitian president rallied in the capitol. he is facing corruption charges. andy gallagher has our report. >> reporter: for many haitians, this man remains a potent symbol of democracy, and his supporters took to the streets in the thousands. there has been rumors that the 61 year old was facing charges of corruption. >> translator: we take to the

streets today to express our solidarity to the president. there is an illegal war rent against the ex-president. we come today to let him know he is not alone. >> reporter: he is a former priest who become the first democratic leader in 1990, but his presidency only lasted a few months before he was forced to go into exile because of a coup. he hasn't been seen in public since returning to haiti three years ago. his apparent house arrest is a deliberate attempt to keep a popular leader from running elections. the allegations of money laundering, corruption and drug trafficking are serious and will need to be investigated, but supporters say they will continue to show their support. andy gallagher, al jazeera. searchers have found the

body of two tourists who died in an avalanche in chile. the force was so severe it actually pushed them over the border into argentina. and rescuers in japan have found a dozen more bodies after a volcanic eruption. it continues to spew gas and ash hampering recovery efforts. in japan we can add another natural disaster in a typhoon, steph can tell us about that one. >> reporter: first of all let me show you the satellite picture. you can see the very distinctive swirl here. there is really nothing else that this could be other than a tropical stoerl. storm. at the moment the sustained

winds are around 150 miles an hour. that would be classed as a category 1 hurricane, so the lowest level, but still capable of giving very destructive weather. this system is still strengthening, and as it runs north ward it is expected to become a category 4. that is a significant storm. it edges its way then towards japan, and is working its way over slightly cooler waters, and that would allow the storm to ease a little bit. so when it gets to near tokyo, it does look look it would be significant weaker. the sustained winds should be around 160 kilometers per hour. and that would be just about a category 2 hurricane. but everything hinges on whether or not this storm makes landfall. if it goes to the south that will give significant rain, but if it edges a little bit further

north, then that will give us a problem with very strong wind damage as well. where once there was gunshot there is now construction, somali's capitol is now in a construction boom. as mohammed reports, even street cafes are coming back to mogadishu. >> reporter: this is mogadishu's international airport. it is now a behive of activity. there is no letup in the number of somalians coming back home. to deal with the growing number of passengers, new terminals have been constructed next to the old and crumbling ones. this is somali's aviation minister. >> translator: we are always striving to improve services to international standards.

we will take the airport operational 24 hours a day. >> reporter: this is part of a can do attitude that is currently gripping somali. this buss ling city center is in ruins. yet there seems to be a new resolve to shed the image of destruction and across the city life has slowly been restored. as those return, so too has construction. mogadishu's skyline is ever changing. demand for properties and accommodation far exceed supply. racing rental prices in some areas of the city. this boom and the need for reconstruction is also attracting somali professionals. this civil engineer returned to somali last year, and started his own construction firm. >> i thought my experience was needed.

so that's why i decided to come back and help my country, and help the people create jobs and other needs in the country. >> reporter: mogadishus sandy beaches are full of people again. the returning somali's are also trying to revive the city's once vibrant night life. >> translator: i came back from london. i'm encouraged by progress. it's almost 10:00 pm, and we are still out enjoying ourselves. this was unheard of just a little while ago. >> reporter: for a long time, they have provided their country a life, some are back with the hope that private investments in their country will help draw their people away from lawless pursuits. still plenty more ahead on

this news hour. france unveils spending cuts in his budget. could magnetic levitation usher in a new generation of high-speed trains? and in sport the kansas city royals celebrated a win 29 years in the making. ♪

♪ you are on the news hour here on al jazeera, and these are the top stories. turkey's president says he is committed to fighting isil.

he is facing greater pressure to play a bigger role in the u.s.-led coalition. inside syria, two car bombs have gone off in holmes. at least 20 people killed. half of them children. the first bomb exploded in front of a school. protesters in hong kong have threatened to take over government buildings if the territory's leader doesn't resign by thursday. tens of thousands of activists have packed hong kong's city center. we look at the view from china now, and the president has promised to safeguard hong kong's interests. this is the first time he has spoken about the issue since the protests began. >> reporter: the forbidden city, the heard of imperial beijing. on a day of patriotic pride, these people know what is allowed and what isn't. so no displays of support for the hong kong students here.

the only show of solidarity was for the communist party who's rule began here 65 years ago. >> translator: i hope stability and peace will remain in our country. the more stable the better. we don't want to see china divided. >> translator: as a chinese citizen, i'm very proud of the development we have achieved in the past 65 years. china is a great country. >> reporter: but this anniversary is being overshadowed by events in hong kong, creating the biggest challenge for the president since he assumed power almost two years ago. during a speech on tuesday night we made no direct reference to the protests, but pledged that china would protect hong kong's interests. >> translator: we'll implement the guidelines of one country, two systems, and one law, and safeguard the long term

stability of hong kong. >> reporter: it is the president who will now have to resolve what is happening in hong kong. either he gives the protesters part of all of what they want, or a decision is made to use force to end the unrest. china says the protests are illegal and creating social instability. but internet censorship means many chinese will be unaware of what is happening there. october 1st is the most important date in china's political calendar, and security was specialsly tied near the square that is a place of a reminder of another student-lead protest that threatened the party. france says it needs more time to bring its debts back to within limits laid out by the european union. it has released its budget for 2016. let's go to paris now and talk about this.

tell us more about how the financial situation is being described in france. >> reporter: well the finance minister was very clear when he said that, yes, the public debt is a huge burden on the economy here. it sits now at about 95% of the gross national product. so that needs to come back down very quickly. but he also said that the -- the economic growth is very weak. the inflation is also very weak, and that he must stick to the reality on the ground, so as much as he would like to reduce the public debt, the reality is it will be much slower than expected and probably take two more years, so pushing that to 2019. >> okay. and then the spending cuts in the budget as well, hoda? >> well, spending cuts, he says that that will continue steadily over the next few years, the aim

again by 2019 to have that cut reaching $50 billion. he said that that will be mainly on the government. he said that he was aware that the burden now for small and medium businesses was too much to ask more austerity measures from the public would be too much. and he sort of called on the e.u. to have also -- to sort of have also what i would say a reality check on the situation here in france. we know that some e.u. members are lead by germany would like to see france imposing more austerity measures in the country, something compared to the measures that were imposed on southern european countries, but the government here at the moment at least seems to be saying that that is not possible. >> okay. thank you. kenya's economy has grown by 25% because it has changed the

way its size is calculated. the government has revised its national income, making it a middle income country. it has grown to $55.2 billion now. it is the fourth largest economy in sub saharan africa. but the newfound status won't do much to change the lives of every day kenyans. >> reporter: kenya is one of several countries to rebase its economy in recent years. sectors like banking, ict, and telecommunication has grown. oil has also been discovered in the north obtaining a middle income status raises a country's profile to attract investors and to borrow more money. >> kenyans will be just as poor, or just as wealthy as they were a year ago. all that the new gdp estimates

tell us is that the economy is a lot more than we had thought. it tells us nothing about how that wealth is distributed. >> reporter: in 2008 the government launched an ambitious program called vision 2030 that was to transform kenya to a thriving middle income country by 2030. the government has invested heavily on infrastructure across the country, but corruption and misuse of funds have slowed down progress in my parts. >> this will not [ inaudible ] manner. we need also to build issues of unfair distribution of income. >> reporter: grace hopes that any progress she has been hearing about reaches her soon. she lives in a single house with her children and grandchildren, and barely makes enough money to

get buy. this is where she does her daily shopping. the slum has its own vie -- vibrant economy. everything sold in small amounts. she will be able to make supper for our nine grandchildren. >> translator: it's not enough, but what can we do. i just make the meat what is there. it will not satisfy them, but at least it will hold them off for now. >> reporter: so until the benefits trickle down, the bigger economy means nothing to her and millions of other kenyans living on $2 a day. a widening gap between the rich and the poor, and the huge income disparities, many are not optimistic. the nigerian president says the army is winning the war against boko haram fighters. he made those comments on

independence day. last week he said more than 130 boko haram fighters had surrendered. >> we have determination. as commander and chief, our country will do what it takes to enable them to keep on to night terror. but boko haram has yet to release the schoolgirls kidnapped in april. closing arguments are being heard in the trial of the former bosnian serb leader. prosecutors want him to give life in prison. he has been on trial at the hague for five years now. al jazeera continues to

demand the release of our three journalists imprisoned in egypt. they have now been detained for 277 days. falsely accused of aiding the outlawed muslim brotherhood. they are appealing against their convictions. india's prime minister is on his way home after a five-day trip to the united states. he was at andrews air force base, and was greeted with cheers. he met president obama, and the pair agreed to expand cooperation on maritime security. india is also looking to strengthen ties with countries close to home like afghanistan. it has played a key role in helping to rebuild afghanistan's civil infrastructure. >> reporter: it was a checkup with a local doctor in kaboul

when this boy and his mother found out she has liver cancer. they traveled to india, because he said there was nothing that doctors in afghanistan could do. >> reporter: in the last ten years the government has not done anything for our people. they don't make any hospital like this. they just waste money. >> reporter: afghans with serious illnesses come here and to other hospitals in india. it's part of an agreement to share medical expertise and facilities. there are usually seven to ten afghan patients at anytime one time at this hospital, their treatment, sometimes free of charge is part of goodwill between the governments. india's interest in building relations also extends to training afghan doctors. this is one of several afghan doctors training at the hospital. he says the training and mentorship is something he can't even conceive of getting in afghanistan. here he has learned important

practical skills such as patient management, and the benefits of new technology, something sorely lacking back home. >> if i go to a facility in afghanistan, i probably do a lot of things for my people, and i find it very useful, so i hope i help them. >> that sentiment is shared with other afghan doctors training here. >> there is a lot of difference between their facilities and the facilities in india, so for this purpose, they have india, and they have a very good relationship, friendship. >> reporter: this analyst says india wants stability in afghanistan or else problems there will spread throughout the sub continent. >> it is part of the larger aim that, you know, the bonds of sharing, they have enough capacity to take care of their own requirements. >> reporter: whatever the

intention, afghan doctors here hope their training in india and eventually better facilities in afghanistan will mean their people can one day get the treatment they need in their own country. faiz jamil, al jazeera, new delhi. plenty more ahead on the news hour. ♪

♪ a new report has ranked bangladesh among the worst countries in the world to be

old. and that's a problem given estimated by 2050 more than a quarter of the population will be over 60. >> reporter: for this man retirement should have come a long time ago. he is 70 years old, and still he sweats it out every day. his son can't support him, and after a lifetime of manual labor, he doesn't even have a real roof over his head. instead he sleeps in the garage. >> translator: it's really difficult to do this work, but what can i do? i have got to feed myself. >> reporter: bangladesh is getting hold, the number of people above 50 is rising faster than the number of children born. income and security is a major problem for the elderly. this is one of several boatmen at this peer who have over 60 years old. earning a living through physical exertion.

he carries passenger across the river for ten to 12 hours a day. by 2050 almost a quarter of the citizens will be over 60. it will be one of the most dramatic population shifts in asia, and bring a host of new problems to a country accustomed to focusing on child and health issues. >> very few, only a handful [ inaudible ]. they are facing different type of physical and emotional problems. we cannot address them properly. >> reporter: the government is only now starting to recognize the magnitude of the changes ahead. >> translator: one thing we can do is declare them as senior citizens, and give them stickers that can help them get discounts on buses, medical discounts,

things like that. >> reporter: it doesn't help that many of the problems facing the elderly are stigmatized. >> translator: i gave an interview before, and people saw it, and they started calling me up, and saying oh, know, you live in a shelter. so you see what it is like. but people always see it as a shameful thing. >> reporter: he says he didn't do enough to prepare for old age when he had the time. the question now is whether the aging society will be able to do enough while it still can. jo and i were just reminiscing about the asia games which were eight years ago here? >> yeah, i can't believe it has been that long. >> what has been happening now? >> we are going to begin with the asian games, and two of indian boxers. mary chan has clenched a first gold medal.

it is the first asian games gold for her. it is perhaps all the more rewarding for the mother of three. she has been boxing for 14 years. >> i sacrifice because i left my kids and i left my family, and i'm always focused in many my training, and because of all of my country's support now becoming again after -- three kids again, becoming an asian [ inaudible ], thank you so much. >> another indian boxer has refused to accept her bronze medal. she lost a lightweight semifinal on points to south korea. her and her team lodged a protest against the decision, and the emotional boxer walked over to park on the podium, and hung her bronze medal on her

opponent's neck instead. and all three top finishers were disqualified. saudi arabia's was disqualified for destruction, while [ inaudible ] penalized for breaking lane regulations. to football now, and ghani striker has claimed he was racially abused during the asian champions league match semifinal loss. he was sent off for a danger tackle. he claims that during the res t resulting melee he was subject to a racial slur. he eventually had to be dragged from the pitch. his team are expected to lodge a former complaint. but the first leg saw their saudi opponents progress 4-2.

[ inaudible ] will next play western sydney wanderers. shannon coal with a goal that sealed victory in the 64th minute. [ inaudible ] coach has insisted he is to blame for his club's 3-2 defeat in the champions league. he said he handled the pressure better than his team in the match. he opened the scoring 10 minutes in. messi equalized ten minutes later. after the break they took advantage of barcelona's poor defending, making it 3-1. they did pull one back for the visitors, but it wasn't enough, as they slipped their first defeat of the season. >> translator: we did everything we could. we tried to attack and defend, but we lost.

it is never enjoyable, but it happens. >> translator: there is a simple reason for this, we are facing a rival that is equal to us. unfortunately for us, they can deal with the pressure. these are the kinds of difficulties you can find in a high-level game. >> we won with our main three players, so the players are brought -- they are big players here. also here we have a lot of big players. bayern munich won 1-0 to russia. securing their second group e win. the game was played behind closed doors after uefa punished the russian fans for their behavior last season. >> translator: we knew it wasn't

going to be easy for us. they had ten defenders. nevertheless, we have missed two counterattacks and regarding the game, champions league is always tough, and we're satisfied. >> i think that the -- that the point may be playing at home is never good to just have one point at home, but also we play against a very strong team that is a very good moment. we didn't play well, especially the first half, maybe last 25 minutes. we started very well, and after that we started losing. >> [ inaudible ] is through to

the final. he beat his canadian opponent 6-3, 7-5, and extends his perfect run at the china open to 21 straight victories. over in tokyo, this player has reached the second round of the open. playing to a sellout crowd of 10,000. winning 6-3, 6-4, in 85 minutes to win the tournament for the second time. to baseball now and the kansas royals have beaten the oakland athletics in the american league wild-card game to clench a spot in the divisional series. though a's took a 7-3 lead, when brandon moss hit the second home run of the game, but kansas fought back to put the game in to extra innings. where they achieved a final 9-8

win in the 12th. they'll now face the l.a. angels in the divisional series. the national football league says kansas chief's player should not have been penalized for bowing down in prayer after scoring a touchdown. he was handed a 15-yard penalty after scoring this touchdown of the thrashing of the new england patriots on monday. the league's rules prohibits players from celebrating on the ground. but a spokesperson says players who go down to the ground in prayer should not be flagged. there is more on our website, check out aljazeera.com/sport. there is also details there on how to get in touch with our team using twitter. that's all the sport for now, kamal. >> thank you for that.

50 years ago today that japan first introduced the world to the bullet train. it helped transport japan to the top tier of global economies. >> reporter: when the first bullet train entered service, it signatured the departure of the old and arrival of new. it was launched less than 20 years after japan's defeat in world war ii. this is the first train that rolled out of tokyo station in 1964. it was more than just the start of a new rail service. it was an event that would have far-reaching socioeconomic effects. today's bullet trains have evolved into even sleeker machines, and travel times have been further reduced. >> translator: they connect the three metropolitan areas. many customers travel for business and pleasure. i think we're playing an

integral role for the japanese economy as the tourism industry. >> reporter: but some still long for slower days. this seaside city has always been popular with domestic tourists who come to see performances. that didn't change with the introduction of high-speed rail, but the type of tourism did. >> translator: there are good and bad things from tokyo to here only take 30 to 40 minutes. but visitors used to stay overnight, and now they are going home instead. >> reporter: things may be about to get a whole lot quicker thanks to a magnetic levitation train that has reached a top speed of 581 kilometers per hour. construction of the first line may begin before the end of the year. it also has opponents who say even though japan rail is a

private company, government money will be needed for the project, and japan can't afford it. >> translator: japan's major development projects have almost always cost at least two to four times more than the original budget. if there isn't enough money, how are they going to afford it? it's possible that tax money may be used. >> reporter: given the state of the economy and the aging community, there is increasing pessimism about the future of rail in japan. wayne haye, al jazeera, tokyo. wonderful stuff. coming up to 10:00 in the evening in hong kong. here is a live shot. they call it, one of the phrases being used, the umbrella revolution. you are back to local programming now. the rest of the world is stuck with me, i'm afraid.

back with another bulletin of news in just a few minute's time. ♪ >> i'm ali velshi, the news has become this thing where you talk to experts about people, and al jazeera has really tried to talk to people, about their stories. we are not meant to be your first choice for entertainment. we are ment to be your first choice for the news.

the first ebola diagnosis in the u.s., and the man sick has been walking around for a week. the most intense day of bombing and attacks in syria. welcome to "consider this." those stories and much more straight ahead. an individual has been diagnosed with ebola in the united states. >> the man traveled to liberia was considered healthy when he returned to the u.s. >> as long as the outbreak