>> announcer: this is al jazeera. hello there. i'm felicity barr and you're watching the newshour live from london. coming up, the process of their relatives unhurt. i.s.i.l. in libya says it has killed 21 egyptian christians. police release more details about the gunman shot dead after the copenhagen attack but they are unclear about his motives. shooting practice during the ukraine ceasefire, but there has been real shelling around the town debaltseve

opponent of the coup in yemen meet and call for u.n. security council action. and 450 years of revelry - rio's annual carnival revisits its party roots hello. the islamic state of iraq and levant has released a video it says shows the killing of 21 egyptian christians held by the group in libya. the egyptian church confirmed the identity of those shown in the video. the relatives of the hostages held a sit in in cairo on friday calling on the egyptian president to do more to secure their release. the christian workers were taken in two separate attacks in the coastal town in december and january. the egyptian president called a meeting with the national

defense council, and seven days of mourning has been declared in egypt. >> the chair of contemporary studies at the school of economics - he joins me in the studio. why would i.s.i.l. target the egyptian coptic christians in libya. they were christians, i.s.i.s. reportedly selected the egyptian cop, they asked for egyptian christians and they basically kidnapped in two rounds 21. it's a sectarian massacre. to summarise what happens is that i.s.i.s. is trying to fuel sectarian hatred. this is nothing new. what is new about the behaviour is that i.s.i.s. now, or the so-called islamic state is proceed -- spreading. it's in a social epidemic.

it's our policy not to show excerpts or stills from the video. talking about i.s.i.l. had libya they control the city of - what is the aim in libya itself. why libya. >> this is important. libya is fracturing along regional tribal areas. all-out war. descending into all out war. if we have learnt a less on about the al qaeda based groups they are basically nourished in conflict zones. they are social parasites.

ironically in the video not shown, and i prays al jazeera for not showing the murderous bloody massacre. basically it's the egyptian church. being hostile to egyptians. one point to your viewers, poor shans live in -- egyptians live in poverty, anyone that goes to libya now - that tells a you great deal about the mind-set of i.s.i.s., all they are trying to do is fuel sectarian tensions and hate reds by killing yazidi kurd shia'as, and also sunnis.

they have massacred and butchered thousands of sunni butchers. final thought. how might egypt respond to this. we know that the relatives on friday protested and said egypt can do more to secure their release. no government has been able to do that. how might egypt respond to this. >> it's as important as a massacre itself. my reading is that a blood bath will have major consequences. i will not be surprised if egypt does not intervene militarily in libya. the egyptians have been concerned about the repatriations of libya descending into all-out chaos. it can provide the egyptians with the logic and rational to

intervene inside libya. regional powers have been sucked. we have gulf states intervening as a result of yemen fracturing. they also trigger a reason why conflicts trigger major conflicts. >> appreciate your analysis of the situation. danish police say the man responsible for attacks on a free speech meeting is a synagogue in copenhagen was a danish born 22-year-old with a background in criminal gangs. the gunman was shot dead early on sunday morning after he opened fire on them. from copenhagen nick spicer reports. >> police are vigilant after what has been described as the

biggest ever operation history. the prime minister thanked them saying it was time for the country to come together. >> we are not in a fight between islam and the west. it's not a battle between muslims, and non-muslims. it's a battle based on freedom of individuals. >> it all started here on saturday afternoon. a caricature who depicted the prophet muhammad as a dog, in 2005 was the main guest. the discussion ended when a gunman fired 40 bullets through a window. hours later, the attack continued at a synagogue, where the police say the same man opened fire killing a security guard and injuring two police officers it ended here 14 hours after it began with a shoot-out, killing a man police

wanted to question after the attacks. police say the man behind the attacks was a 22-year-old. they did not release his name. the denmark intelligence chief it said may have been motivated by the "charlie hebdo" killings in paris. it is known to us. it was a person known to intels sense. there is a denmark, a link that does not mean a network. people left flowers at the synagogue in the morning. leaders are shot and worried.

>> there is a calm and sombre presence at the synagogue where people have come to pay their respects. many can't believe what has happened. >> we spend our night in the streets here. it happened after we got here. it was personal for us. it's really sad. >> muslim leaders condemned the attacks. there'll be a ceremony to help people move on if and however they can a ceasefire between government forces and pro-russian separatists appears to be largely holding in parts of ukraine. there has been continuous shelling reported in the town of debaltseve. we have more from eastern

ukraine. >> separatist fighters guard their positions close to the front lines. the fighting has been intense here in recent weeks. the situation may be calmer in other areas. since the ceasefire was called but the shelling continues not far from here. it is one of the closers towns to debaltseve. we are hearing incoming and outgoing shelling. that's despite a call for a truce. the separatists won't let us film the firing positions. >> five minutes after the ceasefire began, the ukranian army fired today us. some people live there. especially older people. i'm not sure how many died. we informed them in advance, if they fired first, we'll respond, that's why we are firing. >> the fighters say the heavily fought over town is not included

in the sees higher deal. the military say separatists started the shelling after the truce began. >> behind the lines, these men are not fighting for the first time in weeks. they use the opportunity to train. many of the volunteers have never used weapons like this until recently. they tell us to crouch down behind the makeshift glass wall before they throw their grenades. the tanks aim a target in a didn't field. there's a deep distrust of the ukranian army here. >> we are training because it's a ceasefire, not a truce. there has been many ceasefires before. we don't believe in them any more ukrainians have brokered them many times.

>> most civilians have been evacuated or left towns close to debaltseve. the fighting in this area is not over yet the united nations security council is to hold an emergency session in the next hour. it's likely to call for houthi militia to call for government institutions and release the president from house arrest. jamal reports. >> there are many cities that remain out of their reach. among them is aden in the south. where a number of political figures met on sunday, to discuss ways to unify efforts.

members of the government are forced to resign together with parliamentarians and governors including a 16-point plan including setting up a body to govern political affairs and security which is not under the houthi's control. welcoming calls by the council to the u.n. to allow for military intervention against the coup leaders. and changing yemen's capital to the southern port city of aden until the houthis withdraw militias. there are those that welcome the initiative. supporters of the herat movement stage protests against that.

we confirm we will make decisions transferring the capital to aden until we end the coup. they met on sunday to look at defending the province from a houthi veins. yemenis are opposed to the coup but the success depend on how much support it receives from the international community, that's why the type of resolution is so important because many say the struggle for power in yemen is not just an internal one yemen, of course is at the

crossroads of africa asia and the middle east the modern republic of yemen was formed in 1990. when western leading north yemen and communist south yemen were moved. there are renewed tensions with the sunnis in the south. and al-q'aida and arabian peninsula, based in yemen, have been capitalizing on all the unrest. >> i'm joined by a journalist. she has written and reported extensively on the country and has been following recent events. thank you for coming into the studio. what is likely to be the security council meeting on yemen, due to take place in an hour. they are due to take place on a resolution some of which has been leaked. and i have seen in the last hour. that is basically denouncing the houthis unilateral decision to dissolve the parliament it's

demanding that they withdraw from sanaa. and other areas where they have taken control, but open empty threat saying that the u.n. will take further action if this resolution is not acted upon which all groups involved. realistically, it's also calling for the re-instatement of the d.c. c deal and going back to the u.n. sponsored event. the demand for the houthis to withdraw is unlikely to happen. the houthis signed a deal in september saying they would withdraw from sanaa, that didn't happen and they advance, and continue to do so after the last few weeks when they took over complete control in sanaa. >> the gulf corporation council which met demanded that the security council take action and said if the houthis didn't withdraw it was prepared to take action. realistically, what could the g.c.c. do? >> not a huge amount.

the saudis fought the houthis before and got a bloody knows. back in 2009-2010 that spilled over and it didn't end well for them. i think the pressure on the houthis is going to come internally in yemen. the economy is on the brink of collapse when that goes the houthis would be left with the responsibility of that. that is when the pressure comes, and they run the risk of expanding too far and going behind their limits. and they are going and fighting along the old north-south border close to aiden. they've been fighting as close as 30 miles from the golf of aden it has to get to a point where houthis don't go further. they have a limited amount of resources and men. >> and support. we have seen there's massive tension across yemen. the houthis themselves - they don't want to have the ultimate head of power, if you like.

they wanted to be behind the power, but not the people who are responsible in some ways is that not correct. what negotiations are going on at the moment to resolve all of that. >> that's right. they were aghast when the president stepped down and the government stepped down because then they were left holding the baby. it was not a situation they wanted to find themselves in. the u.n. special envoy has been involved has been about trying to negotiate how the pow power is displaced and worked out in a parliamentary system. you'll have a presidential council which the houthis talked about, who that is going to involve, and the 551 members that are declared. that's all up for negotiation and ensure that the houthis will not be left in charge in the state that it is now, and the element of collapse. >> great to get your thoughts. thanks so much. >> still to come on this

newshour - confronting i.s.i.l. we have an exclusive report. as a new assault is prepared on the group's strong hold. the company's from europe doing well across the atlantic. why are some american business leaders getting worried about the state of the euro. and in sport. kohli smashes india to victory in pakistan. action coming up a little later there have been gains on islamic state of iraq and levant but there are reports of civilians being killed. we have been given access to a province as it prepares on an sult in tikrit -- assault in

tikrit. imran khan reports. >> reporter: 35km behind the valley is tikrit and surrounding areas, mainly under the control of islamic state of iraq and levant. this is the front line marked by the river. it's the base one of many fighting in the area. the mission to keep the area devoid of fighters. some have been accused of revenge attacks. in the areas taken against i.s.i.l., an allegation that this commander denies. >> i'm a still engineer i answered the call from the grand ayatollah ali his tanny. i'm a witness for everything that has taken place here, and i tan tell you that hasn't happened. >> reporter: for now, the militia wait and wonder what

they face. tikrit has been a strong hold of anti-government sunni rebels. i.s.i.l. say they control the town. in actual fact it's the army who are really in control. they are a group of saddam hussein loyalists, and he was born in that town. they don't necessarily share the same goals as i.s.i.l. but they want regime change here in iraq and sunni. when i.s.i.l. and rebels besieged the area in mid-june it was this town amerli that became the vocal point of fighting. it took three months to break the siege, and evidence of how tough a fight it was is everywhere. >> the siege lasted around 90 days i.s.i.l. made two offensive. the last one was the fiercest. they attacked a wholly shrine in the town. it was a tough battle. i.s.i.l. was reequipped. we fought until the last bullet and we succeeded.

these militia fighters mound firing exercises na i.s.i.l. territory. we are confident that they'll prevail, and they don't need international help. despite that i.s.i.l. still hold huge territories and are pushing back. the free syrian army says it is being ignored by the international community, which it believes is concentrating on combatting fighters. at a meeting in istanbul members of the syrian opposition called for greater unity. dominik kane reports. >> this is douma, the area has been bombed by syrian government forces. in the kay scrorks people tried to -- chaos, people tried to rescue the wounded. before the war, more than 100,000 have lived here.

more than 300 million left since 2011. some have gone to camps in durky. durky. -- turkey. >> translation: if they gave me all the money in the world, i would be sad. i came here now, they gave me all the things i can't feel happy about it. while the daily violence continues in syria. members of the opposition have been meeting in istanbul. for years president bashar al-assad's opponents struggled to form a lasting coalition to fight forces. a kaychaos in the past was behind the coalition, we believe we can have more positive relations with all countries. leaders of the free syrian army say their situation is challenging. we are not part of any plans by

the international coalition. we aspire to have coordination and cooperation. their influence with the community declined as the threat of capitol hill has grown. now some countries seem more interested in fighting the armed group than ending syria's civil war the court in jordan gaoled the deputy head of the muslim brotherhood for criticizing the united arab emirates. one of the highest profile figures to be gaoled in decades. he was arrested in november after criticising the u.a.e.'s decision to brand the brotherhood a terrorist group. it's the opposition party and substantial grass root support of the newsagency is reporting the killing of a policeman. gunmen are said to have opened fire on a traffic patrol. three people are believed to

have been hurt. six were wounded when two suicide car bombs exploded in the sinai peninsula. the blast happened near a police station. >> it's just over a week until the retrial of two al jazeera journalists in egypt. mohamed fadel fahmy and baher mohamed were released on bail last week after 411 days in gaol. the previous conviction was thrown out. they are charged with colluding with the banned muslim brotherhood. al jazeera is calling on the court to dismiss the case and release them unconditionally. >> the italian coast guard is trying to rescue around 1,000 migrants in the see between north africa and europe. 130 people have been plucked from two rubber boats off the island of lampedusa. 280 migrants arrived in sicily from a separate rescue they were part of a group of around 700 people. at least 300 people are thought to have died.

police say one man on board the vessels had injuries consistent with gunshot wound. 218,000 migrants crossed the mediterranean sea last year. >> croatia's first woman president has been sworn in following a surprise election victory. >> the nationalist beat the liberal incumbent in a run off vote in jan. there has been widespread discontent over the economic situation. as well as weathering a 6-year recession. croatia's unemployment rate currently stands at 20%. thousands of people rallied in athens to show support for the new greek government. this was the scope outside parliament a little earlier. people are bagging the rejection of e.u. demand for conditioned economic reform. the leftist leadership left to cancel key terms of the 270 bail

out programme. well the euro's continuing problems are causing concern in the major financial centers across europe and causing worry in the united states which is traditionally felt insulated from europe's turmoil. alan fisher reports. this is german class immersing elementary students in georgia in the language possibly laying the foundation for a future career and this in a country where spanish is the fastest growing language. >> if you look at the economy and you are up. germany is the largest economy, basically carrying the e.u. it's important. >> reporter: europe has a growing interest in the american markets, not just in retail but manufacturing services and finance. in atlanta there are more than 270 companies with german links employing thousands. that means a problem there can become a problem here.

south-eastern states are a hub from european investment. porsche, b.m.w. are big players. we need supply companies. logistics and support. >> we surveyed german companies in the u.s. they have a positive out look and a lot of companies plan on increasing their strategic focus on the u.s. market. there are strong demands on the customer base or proximity to customers. a week euro means it's more expensive for businesses to be set up in the u.s. as economies struggle. the investment may dry up. >> suddenly it will be easier for european firms to produce. they are paying electricity costs in a currency that is cheaper, compared to the u.s. and other currencies. >> euro also makes exports expensive. southern states offer big

incentives to companies to set up. companies come because of the need to be on the market. they need to be here because they want to be seen as having a commitment to the market, the region. suppliers need to come was they follow the large manufacturers. the current relationships, and the shifts are short-term blips. >> interstate 85 lings many states with a number of german companies. as known as the auto-baan. a word learnt early in a language that might be useful in years to come. still ahead - on this newshour we'll meet the sri lankan tamil leaving in exile in india. the government wants them to return home. can they really be persuaded? plus... >> i'm tania paige reporting from south africa where a unique after school programme is trying to meet the education needs of some of johannesburg's inner city children.

>> we'll take a look at kazzic stan's dream of -- kazzic stan's dream of hosting the 2022 olympics. and the rest of sport later.

hello again. a reminder of the top stories on al jazeera. islamic state of iraq and levant have released a video showing the beheading of 21 egyptian christians held by the group in libya. the families staged a protest calling on cairo to do nor get them released a ceasefire between russian pro-separatist forces and ukraine appears to be holding in eastern you crepe. a man responsible for two danish attacks was a 22-year-old with a background of criminal gangs. let's stay with the story. it's not the first time swedish artist lars vilks has received death threats, he has received numerous since depicting prophet muhammad with a dog's body in

2007. in september of that year a $100,000 bounty was placed on his head by the leader of al qaeda in iraq. a plot to kill many was planned. and he was assaulted during a free speech lecture in sweden. another plot to kill victims was uncovered and three men were arrested in 2011. he was placed on a most wanted list by al qaeda in the arabian peninsula. i'm joined by an english-language newspaper based in copenhagen. thank you for being on the programme. i know many of your media colleagues in denmark named the suspect shot dead by police. we are not naming him. what more do we know about the gunman? >> well we know he was born in denmark and lived his life here. prior to a few weeks ago, he'd

been released from gaol for gang-related violence but he's - the police have no - police do not have connection in terms of gang terrorism related actions. >> there has been a lot of discussion in denmark about the balance between freedom. of speech and provocation, because of the newspaper that published those cartoons of the prophet muhammad. is the debate surfacing, in light of what has happened. >> yes, t in a way. we saw it come up again in relation to "charlie hebdo" attacks. and when we heard the attacks, most people were - they strengthen their resolve in saying they would not back down in the face of terrorism.

>> denmark, of course as is scandinavia is a toll rant society, and has been. is there a fear that that may -- tolerant society, and has been. is there a sense that they may give in to the attacks, not move on in the face of terror. >> most of the people they talk to on the streets - it doesn't seem like they have changed their opinion towards their very - very tolerant attitude towards freedom of speech. there has been people that have suggested that maybe they'll take a second thought about whether or not saying something that is maybe hurting someone else's feelings whether they take effect before they express themselves. people may think twice about whether or not they express themselves in a way others don't like appreciate you joining us live from copenhagen thank you

for your time. carnival kicked off with a call eyedo scope of colour -- cal eyedo scope of rio de janeiro. 3 million are expected to celebrate, coinciding with the city's 450th birthday. we are joined live from rio de janeiro. plenty to celebrate there, lucia. >> absolutely i'm coming to you inside the samba drone. this is the first of the two days where brazil's most important samba schools come to parade. there's a nasty storm looming, it's starting to rain it has not deterred the first of what will be expected to be 90,000 people who will fill the bleachers that you see behind me. the carnival is the most

important event for brazilians. they wait for it with extraordinary anticipation particularly this year because it's the year when this city is celebrating an important anniversary. >> reporter: it's a view that took portuguese explorer's breath away from the moment they set eyes on rio de janeiro. a lot has changed since the tropical seaside city was founded 450 years ago. in the 1920s copenhagen locked like this. today it is arguably one of the world's most cosmopolitan beaches and with bunchry hotels and visitors. coinciding with carnival rio de janeiro has begun celebrating the 450th birthday of what is dubbed the marvellous city. >> our 450th year represents a moment of profound reflection about our history, city the chance to revisit our culture

and genuine traditions. >> although the first carnival dates back to the 1700s, by the early 20th century, samba and lavish parties were the rage. a far cry from today's enormous outdoor parades that bring up to 2 million people on to the streets. >> the 450th anniversary of rio de janeiro is the theme of carnival a time people don't go work just party and forget their troubles. after 4.5 centuries the city has not only grown in size but also in problems. >> rio was plagued by drug gangs, high murder rates, overcrowding. all this as it prepares to host the olympic games next year. local officials believe the games will help to transform the city.

>> barcelona is a city that has undergone change. >> reporter: it is a renewal of a majestic but run down port area. improvements are causing major traffic congestion and other inconscenes, a sacrifice many welcome. >> reporter: everything that helps to lift rio's image is to be applauded. we have a bad image for years, but it is improve. with authority's expecting a million visitors in the next four day, rio earned his reputation as a city of major events. as it celebrates a birthdays. the challenge is to overcome complex obstacles, without losing its unique flavour.

>> thinking about the olympics that the dome will be used but now the only thing people want to see are the parades in an hour and a half and go on to the wee hours of the mark. >> back to you. >> enjoy the fun, lucia newman live in rio de janeiro women's rights activists in turkey have been protesting about the murder of a young woman killed after trying to resist an allege attempt to rape her. the burnt body of the 20-year-old was found on friday. two days after she went missing. three people have been arrested. the case has become a rallying call for activists who want to stop violence against women. hundreds of killed each year by their husbands. >> translation: an innocent young woman was brutally murdered, i extend smathies and con -- sympathies and

condolences. i condemn those that attacked her and hope that justice will be done and they'll be a heavy price paid for this. >> the sri lankan president touched down in the indian capital on sunday the first foreign visit since taking office. he is in india to strengthen ties with the south asian giants. relations between the two nations soured under the previous government. the indian prime minister narendra modi is expected to visit sri lanka in early march well facing growing international pressure to speed up pose reconciliations at home. it is expected to be brought up thousands of sri lankan refugees living in india after fleeing the 25-year civil war. many are skeptical about the new government's plans to help them return. >> life is not easy. this man says it's better than what it would be in sri lanka.

he fled from his country more than 20 years ago, and came t the southern indian state. the bakery is modest. for a survivor like him, he says money is not everything. >> here i have peace and a little freedom. i don't have basic rights like indian citizens. home in sri lanka, things are worse. i don't want to go back to that. >> it's a different story for this man. he was a year old when he came here with his parents. he's educated but struggles with the lack of opportunity in india. for silver star sri lanka represents a new start. >> if the governments of both countries help me give me land and help me to build an hour, i'll go home to sri lanka. >> silver star and tens of thousands live in more than 100 open camps spread across the region. >> they can stay but don't enjoy

the same rights as indian citizens. for most people deciding whether to stay or go is the easy part. the biggest challenge is getting the right documentation. leading a good life regardless of where they choose to call home. >> going back is a complicated process, especially for those whose children were born in india. >> the birth certificates and citizen certificates are essential documents. prepared possess is hampered. -- preparedness is hampered. if you are not prepared you put it off. the earlier people go back. the earlier they end the agony of living as a refugee. the agony began with the war, and for 30 years eroded trust between sri lankans, senegalese and affected politics in india.

>> our communities are concerned on family tamils. to get political gain from the tamil community, so they want to show that we are supporting them. >> for tamil refugees trying to shape their lives, the future is still far from clear. more and more children in south africa are attending private schools, a reflection of problems in the state system. they are not all from high income families. some of johannesburg's poorer inner city children are benefitting from an innovative afterschool programme. tania page reports. >> reporter: rain pelts children during one of the johannesburg's summer storms. it will not keep them away from their afterschool programme. the city can be dangerous. security is tight. this is a safe space for

learning. it's called the street light school. the focus is on a more wholistic creative education. >> when a child is growing up she has to have more options. she doesn't have to be like only - she has to be informative. >> reporter: parents will be charged a small fee, making it a low-fee private school. like others this person moved to the city for work. more people mean more strain on resources. there's not enough space in the public school classrooms for all the children. private schools are filling the gap and urban spaces. this building was a shoe factory before being converted into housing for low income families. 150 live her, and the children attend the programme.

they are developing their own characters for a story. the woman behind it says the government curriculum has narrowed. one education right shoot says private schools are not the answer to education issues. >> private education took a load off the public education system. >> at that way it's good at saving money. generally, ideally, it will support everyone and was functioning so well that no one had to seek private education. >> the day end with a song and the certainty that for as long as demand outweighs supply the only way for some parents to ensure the children get an education is by taking a different approach still to come - all the sport, including barcelona, inspired by messy magic as

they -- messi magic as they keep the pressure on league leaders real madrid. robin will have the details.

pass hello again. all the sport with robin. >> felicity thank you. south africa's cricketers made it a record-breaking day at the world cup. over a billion across the world towns in to watch sunday's action with india getting the title defense off to a winning start against pakistan. richard wind up the action.

>> the adelaide oval played host to a rivalry. pakistan won the toss and batted. the opener scored 73, putting on a century partner have been with virat kohli. as did sure ash rainer getting 74. a total of 107, a 27nd one-day tonne. kahn managed to take five wickets. it didn't stop india from hosting 3000 for seven. the chase started badly. eunice kahn fell in the fourth over. losing three wickets in the space of nine balls, leaving them at 103 for 5. alhack tried to provide resistance scoring 76. pakistan bowled all out for 224

with three overs to spare. india's 76-run victory meaning they have won 76 of their past games. >> this was a fantastic game as far as the bowling, batting and fielding. this can ba benchmark in the -- can be a benching mark. we'll be act replicate the performances it was a record-breaking day in hamilton. david miller with a record of nine sixes in an unbeaten image of 138 in zimbabwe. he and jp domi put on the highest ever one-day stand of 256. germany got an unbeaten century. the proetias scored 339 for 4. zimbabwe couldn't reach the big total. falling 62 runs short in the pool b match football now, and lionel

messi's 300th spanish league appearance was one to remember. the argentine taking them back within a single point. messi scored a hat-trick in the 5-0 thrashing. they reclaimed fourth in spain, with a 1-0 win. atletico madrid lost ground. 2-0 the final score in that game. in england. arsenal are into the f.a. cup quarterfinals. they beat middlesbrough. the competition continued on sunday. league 1 side - you may remember they disposed of chelsea, sweeping aside another club. bradford into the last eight for the first time since 1976. six nations, rugby news and wales notched up a win. the home side off to a promising

start with a tie by stuart hogg. ill discipline proved costly for scotland as they allowed whales back no the contest. three penalties tried to lead at half-time. visitors maintained the momentum to win the match 26-23. it's whales eighth straight win over scotland. the president of the international olympic committee says russia is eradicating dope in sport. it's visiting kazakhstan and made the comment after scandals in the ranks of russian athletics. the world anti-doping agency is investigating, but there are fears there won't be enough transparency around the finding. russian authorities both in sport and government will do their best. they'll be very open to timize

they were investigation, and then to draw the necessary conclusions in this fight for the protection kazakhstan's largest city helps it to compete in beijing to host the winter games in 2022. the i.s. c in the area looking at the facilities. 2014 drew criticism for costing an excess of $50 million. robert forrester walker reports from the commercial capital of almaty >> reporter: diane wants to be an olympic champion. every jump brings her closer to her dream. even the hard landings. the 18-year-old is not giving up. she's hoping to compete here in her home city almaty in 2022. people will say hey, somewhere

in asia is a country called kazakhstan. maybe i have a chance to take part. i think i'm in with a good chance. this city almaty is also in with a chance bosting a lot of pre -- boasting a lot of pre-existing infrastructure, close to the city and the cost a mere $5 billion, organizers estimate a fraction of the games. the only competition is beijing, which has ample resources, unlike here, it lacks snow. these are the games that no one wanted. all the european cities withdrew the bid. the games were going to be too expensive and was unpopular with the public. there's no danger of it happening here rich in oil with a managed democracy. that means any criticism can be carefully managed. >> there are laws that ban

unsanctioned protests. so these environmentalists chose an inconspicuous riverbed to make their point. if you squipt. that's the -- squint that's the face of a mountain snow leopard, it's endangered by this resort which if almaty held the bid, would host the media. the games will not be financially profitable and destroy the potential for development of eco tourism. organizers insist almaty's games would be green. >> it will destroy the nature. we need to upgrade, and just to add the olympic requirements to fulfil olympic requirement facilities, and to build new housing. that's it. for us it's a big showcase of the country, and for the city. >> that's a view shared by diane, and kazakhstanies. winning the bit will give her

and her country a big lift. slovenia's peter pref et set a new ski jumping record. the 22-year-old led and became the first man to break the 250 meter barrier with the second jump. the previous record held by norway's everton, pref et leads the standings for that performance. >> he looks like he's flying. thank you. a reminder of course you can find out more about sport and news on the website. usual address to click on to is aljazeera.com. that's it from me felicity barr and the news team. we'll be back with more in a

few minutes time. thanks for watching. bye-bye. >> al jazeera america presents borderland's dramatic conclusion >> no one's prepared for this journey. >> our teams experience the heart breaking desperation >> we're all following stories of people that have died in the desert. >> and the importance... >> experiencing it, has changed me completely... >> of the lives that were lost in the desert >> this is the most dangerous part of your trip... >> an emotional finale you can't miss... >> we got be here to tell the story. >> the final journey borderland only on al jazeera america

>> tomorrow on techknow. what if there was a miracle >> grace's stem cells are in this box >> that could save the life of your child >> we're gonna to do whatever we can >> would you give it a try? >> cell therapy is going to be the next big advance in medicine >> tech know, every monday go where science meets humanity.

>> this is some of the best driving i've every done, even though i can't see. >> tech know. >> we're here in the vortex. >> tomorrow, 5:30 eastern. only on al jazeera america. iraqi forces are gaining ground on i.s.i.l. but not without help from america. and with iraq going broke ag the oil business goes bust, how much more blood and treasure can the u.s. provide. i talk to a man who had his own boots on the ground in iraq and personally trained its army, and one of the most influential women attempting to shape the future of this region at war. >> we will hopefully beyond the military come up with a narrative, a world