control the country. >> "talk to al jazeera".rn. only on al jazeera america. >> announcer: this is al jazeera. ♪ hello and welcome to the news hour. i'm martine dennis in doha. the battle of saddam hussein's hometown. iraq's army says it is making gains against isil. israel's prime minister prepares to address the u.s. congress within the next hour. but barack obama calls it a distraction to a nuclear solution with iran. vowed from bidding farewell several e.u. members are stopped from attending the funeral of

boris nemtsov. and we'll see how the chinese government is joining the fight to end the ivory trade. ♪ but first, iraq's army says it has remained territory from the islamic state of iraq and the levant in the battle for tikrit. the battle was launched on monday. militias and tribal fight verse joined the campaign to drive isil out. isil has controlled tikrit since june last year. from baghdad, jane arraf reports. >> reporter: the attacks started with shelling. these mortars are aimed at paving the way for fighters to advance towards tikrit. the iraqi military along with shia militias have pushed back isil from small cities and

towns, but saddam hussein's hometown has special significance. >> translator: this is prepared for the isil rats. we will crush them all over tikrit. >> reporter: near tikrit is the site of the biggest single massacre by isil. gunmen killed more than one thousand unarmed military recruits. many militia members blame some of the neighboring sunni tribes for supporting isil. the prime minister has tried to reassure sunni leaders that their people won't be targeted by the militias but he told parliament those who did not support the government fight were supporting isil. >> translator: in this battle there shouldn't be anyone standing on the other side. this in this matter we should all be united. anyone claiming to take a neutral side it will mean they are standing with the other side. those who are killing our

people turning women in widows and orphaning our children. >> reporter: in this fight iran is playing a leading role. they are considered more effective than most iraqi army units. sources on the ground say iranian commander is helping coordinate the operation from the front lines. in the air it's only iraqi aircraft according to the military. the united states is helping in other ways but is not backing this major offensive with u.s. air strikes. about 2,000 sunni tribal fighters have joined the battle but a major question is how many more sunnis will join them. some military leaders see the battle for tikrit as a launching point. but as the battle moves further into sunni provinces there is deepening iranian involvement, and some fear the potential to

become bogged down in more sectarian conflict. with me is imran khan who has reported extensively from iraq. imran first of all describe some of the difficulties that this combination force is going to be facing. >> what they are doing at the moment is moving into the city of tikrit and in order to do that, they need to take a number of towns and villages along the way. but that's very much house to house and street to street fighting. isil booby trap buildings, put explosives inside they use snipers to try to push back the iraqi forces. that manages to slow down the iraqs considerably. so that's why this operation is likely to take at least four or five days to get to the outskirts of tikrit by about friday they'll be in control of

the territory outside. it really pushes the troops moral when they see themselves going into places that are booby traps, it is very, very difficult, especially when you have militia forces who aren't trained fighters they are volunteers. so it's a real kind of problem that we see iraqi forces face constantly. and the other someone the intensive fighting coming out of tikrit they know the city very very well, and they have charge of the ground there, so it is a tough fight for the iraqi forces. >> also as jane was pointing out in her report it is quite a leading role for iranian backed militias and at least one iranian general. >> that's right. he is the leader of the iranian revolutionary guard corps. he has been in iraq for a long time, in damascus for a very long, he has been leading the

fight against isil knows how the group work and is capable of dealing with those fighterers as far was training. they have had successes before in the south when shia militias have been involved. so he really knows what -- what makes these fighters think. more crucially he is able to take them into places where they perhaps wouldn't have gone before because of lack of training, so iran is taking a clear role in this. and the iranians are trefrp trefrp -- trumpeting this role. he has been seen in public. he is normally a very secretive figure. >> okay. thank you very much. the latest campaign against the islamic state of iraq and the levant following victories against the group last year

nadine barber describes the rise of the group. >> reporter: isil started making gains in syria in 2013 but 2014, it was declaring a caliphate. that same month the group captured iraq's second city mosul, backed by other sunni groups and tribal fighters. in august 2014 u.s.-lead air strikes helped break isil's siege at mown sinjar and in november with the help of coalition air strike pro-government forces recaptured beiji. more recently kurdish peshmerga fighters have been making advances around mosul. a coordinationed mission to retake mosul will probably begin in april or may. involving 25,000 iraqi troops. but they first need to recapture

the city of tikrit because of its strategic location. we shouldn't forget previous attempts to take tikrit have failed, and at the very least there is likely to be strong resistance there. forces rival to libya's air force have been carrying out tit-for-tat air strikes. a jet struck the oil point and the airport, though it is said to only be minor damages. forces from the u.n. hit back targeting the only working airport in the capitol tripoli. tripoli's forces are battling on a third front as well against isil affiliated fighters. now it's all ahead of the u.n. brokered peace talks due to begin in morocco later in the

week. our correspondent has more from tripoli. >> reporter: the air strike that targeted this -- the airport in tripoli did not leave any casualties it was a small hit near the runway according to the security forces. but as for the other air strike the general national congress and national salvation government here in tripoli have not announced it just yet, have not confirmed their responsibility for air riding the locations or positions at the oil port but what we know for sure is that forces belonging to libyan dawn operation which is part of the general national congress assignment is now engaging in fights close to sirte particularly to the western side of sirte close to the oil field,

fighting with armed groups affiliating with what are so-called the islamic state of iraq and the levant, but with -- back to -- back to the air strikes that targeted the airport today this is not the first time and authorities say that it is thought to be an aircraft that belongs to a renegade general in an attempt to block or to hinder the way on -- on -- on finishing or implementing the united nations brokered dialogue between rival libyans. >> we have speak to a political scientist with the international defense policy center at the rand corporation. we joins us lye now from washington, d.c. with these air strikes it seems the conflict is being ratcheted up. >> yeah, i couldn't agree more. i think this is yet more escalation in what was already a

pretty dire situation in libya. over the course of the last half year, we have seen the situation in libya go from being insecure to all-out civil war. these air strikes, this tit-for-tat as you correctly described it is certainly not going to help the situation. it is not going to help with the negotiations taking place in geneva, and it is not going to help them get a hold of the rising terrorist problem. >> does anything surprise you about the tripoli based an administration the ability for them to launch strikes by the air, despite an arms embargo? >> well i think it's true that this is a new development, and that's why it's an escalation. so far the air strikes we have seen have been launched by the libyan national army. so it's certainly an important escalation in that sense. it's interesting to consider where they might have gotten the capability to do this.

but people have been saying for a long time that the arms embargo is not enough. one needs to reinforcement by regional partners who have the ability to help out in the region itself. >> do you think, then that we're witnessing those classic tactics of the hours leading up to negotiations that each side is trying to strengthen its hand because what we have seen seems to have been attacks mainly on oil facilities and airports? >> well i think there -- it's possible -- i mean that -- that thought occurred to me. although exactly what they would be seeking to gain before the negotiations right now from these strikes is unclear, unless they are just trying to squeeze in some kind of attack before that start. they are not taking territory that they could use as a negotiating card so it's plausible, but i don't necessarily think that that's what is going on. i think we're just seeing continued escalation of the

violence. >> and can i ask you about the appointment of the general as head of the army for the tobruk-based parliament, what does that tell us then about the relative strength of the government in the east of the country? >> um well on the surface, at least it certainly does suggest that the government in the east the tobruk government may be consolidating to some degree and if that's the case i think that's probably a good sign at least, again, on the surface. but i think we have to wait and see how long this lasts and find out more about what is actually behind it before we can make any kind of definitive judgment. >> all right. chris christopher thank you very much indeed. we have more to come this hour including the clock, which is ticking on the talks taking

place on the nuclear negotiations. and we'll have the latest on the wildfires averaging the bills above cape town. and we'll have more in sport. ♪ the israeli prime minister benjamin netenyahu is preparing to address the u.s. congress in less than an hour from now. netenyahu is expected to try to persuade politicians to block a possible nuclear deal with iran. now the u.s. president, barack obama has called this upcoming speech a distraction to current talks between u.s. and iranian officials that are taking place in switzerland. we'll be live in washington, d.c., but first her is our

report. >> reporter: the last time israeli prime minister benjamin netenyahu addressed a joint meeting of the u.s. congress he was warmly welcomed. >> israeli has no better friend than america. and america has no better friend than israel. [ cheers and applause ] >> reporter: but that friendship is being tested. officials at the white house are angry netenyahu accepted an invitation from opposition republican leaders to make the speech without first notifying them as is the norm. and so close to israeli's march 17th general election. political analysts say the address, aimed at warning against the potential deal with iran over iz nuclear program is less for u.s. lawmakers but for israeli voters. >> according to -- to some the main issue on israeli's minds at the moment is the socioeconomic issues, and benjamin netenyahu is seen by some to be weak on those issues. so any opportunity to turn the

agenda towards security issues defense issues could play in netenyahu's favor. >> reporter: whatever the case opinion across israel is also divided over the speech. while many support his address to the u.s. congress others fear it could cause a lasting rift with washington. >> i think it's a terrible mistake. and i think he has already done tremendous damage, un un -- unprecedented damage. >> in my opinion the security of israel is paramount, and i believe it's important for the country to be lead by a government that stands up for our security for now and in the future. >> reporter: netenyahu's relationship with the white house has been difficult, the president has refused to meet him during his visit, and dozens of lawmakers from the democratic party have said they will not attend his address, including the vice president. the dispute between the obama

administration and prime minister netenyahu is unprecedented, but most political analysts agree that it's unlikely to effect the long-term relationship between the two countries. israel and the united states have deep ties and many say that it will take much more than a questionably timed speech to undo them. all right. let's go live now to washington, d.c. and our correspondent there, kimberly hall cut. >> reporter: in the 16 years that i have been covering washington this is not something i have seen. and there has been on capitol hill for decades a consensus on capitol hill. and now having 53 members of congress boycotting the speech is really unprecedented. this is a speech that has really

divided not just members of congress but also jewish americans, and even the american public as a whole. the consensus seems to be that there really is an irritation with the fact that the democrat president, barack obama's efforts to negotiate a nuclear deal with iran many see this as being undermined by the invitation by the republican house speaker john boehner, when he extended this invitation without the knowledge of the white house. there also too in sort of the wider american public is a real irritation over the fact that a foreign heard has been invited to make the case in an argument and many see this as dictating american foreign policy towards iran. >> and i'm getting democrats among them of course, joe biden who will be noticeable with his absence, feel the presence of

benjamin netenyahu is forcing them to decide between -- between their support for israel which as you said is a traditional factor really and -- and their royally to their party and their president. >> indeed. you see this really being divided along partisan lines. what we're seeing is that we expect benjamin netenyahu to make the case that this is really the last chance to try to avert an agreement that is being negotiated as we speak. secretary secretary kerry is negotiating with the iranian foreign minister on these very details. details we expect benjamin netenyahu to reveal he says -- or he has intimated that he has new information that congress is not aware of. but we have policy differences here, because we -- we know that the case is being made by the obama administration as recently

as president obama in interviews on monday evening, saying the diplomatic option is what will bring israel the security it is looking for. we know that there are details that the president says he's fearful are going to be selective when they are revealed in the speech and he feels this will really hamper efforts to bring about the peace that israel is looking for in terms of this agreement. we know from some of the leaks that the white house is looking for an agreement that could extend between ten and 15 years to freeze nuclear activities in iran it would look for a reduction in centrifuges and also come with strict inspections, but there are real policy differences. we're going to hear from prime minister benjamin netenyahu in about 45 minutes time where he will take the case. we question is will people buy his argument. >> thank you very much. our seen yal -- senior political analyst is with me here in the

studio. it is interesting that benjamin netenyahu is choosing to wade into this controversial foreign policy issue in the united states. he could be shooting himself in the foot couldn't he? >> or the other way around. he has always been a street smart opportunist who will use his speech in congress in order to improve his chances at home who will prove to be the leader who stays above the fray and defend the survival of the state, going to the lion's den if you will and carry that mantra of israeli security. >> he is known as the leader who most people trust with the security of the state, but he is less strong when it comes to matters of the economy for instance. >> that's right. and israel is divided in all sorts of ways and there's a new political map within the country

and so on and so forth. so he thinks his chances could be diminishes because of the attention of the united states so he is coming to washington to go on the offense if and say i carry this and that gives him chance to do two things. he doesn't have to talk about israel's nuclear power. he doesn't have to talk about palestine and the peace process, and he doesn't have to talk about the war in gaza but what he will talk about is how the best way to scare the heck out of the americans by saying iran is a very, very dangerous enemy, not only with nuclear power but even without nuclear power, because it is a state sponsor of terror. >> but what about the fact his presence in the united states addressing congress is highlighting that very shaky relationship that he personally has overseen in recent years with the united states israelis

have become to depend upon the 100% support of the united states, and perhaps they are questioning that now? >> that's right. and that's why he is going to go out of his way. and the obama administration officials have gone out of their way to say, look there is a personal issue between netenyahu and obama, we have disagreement on iran and other issues but the bilateral agreements remain strong. to some degree they are institutionalized, israel and the united states beyond obama will continue to be strong so the issue today is not how strong are the [ inaudible ] it's whether president obama can decouple the mind set between israeli and the united states. >> thank you. >> thank you. meanwhile those nuclear talks are take place in switzerland, and they appear to be making progress. the iranian foreign minister

says negotiations are moving. and secretary of state john kerry says both sides are working away productively. they are trying to reach a framework by march 31st. the deadline set by world powers. a former spanish member of the european parliament joins us now from brussels. what is your view what is your perspective of those talks taking place on the shores of lake geneva? >> well my understanding is that the regime beyond negotiations has been always trying just to buy time. there is no real intention to confirm any real agreement. since the very beginning there has been secrecy, deception, cheating, and the recent discovery of this nuclear site

in zone 3 that has been kept secret for ten years, even during the negotiations proves that the iranian regime is not reliable interlock tore. but are several conditions. one is to allow snap inspections. the second is to comply absolutely with all of the resolutions of the united nations security council. the third is the total freezing absolutely and total freezing of the nuclear program, and -- and the fourth is immediate, immediate inspection of these recently revealed secret installation in zone 3. >> okay. i'm sorry, i'm going to have to

stop you there. i'm going to have to stop you there, because we have real audio difficulty sadly. we're going to try to get back to you on a clearer line. that was the former spanish member of the european parliament and a nuclear expert and as i say we will try to get back to him on a clearer line. but still to come we have syria forces who are battling to regain territory in the south, and we'll look at how hezbollah is helping them out. and we'll look at the action ahead of the formula season season opener. only on al jazeera america

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facebook for more stories, more access, more conversations. so you don't just stay on top of the news, go deeper and get more perspectives on every issue. al jazeera america. >> tonight. did the police fail misty upham? >> if somebody did something to my girl, i need to know that. >> was is a case of discrimination? >> we had no help from the police. >> a family pleads for answers. "stolen sisters", an "america tonight" special report. tonight, 10:00 eastern. only on al jazeera america. ♪ hello again. let's have a look at the headlines here on al jazeera. iraq's army says it has recaptured territory from islamic state of iraq and the levant in the battle for tikrit. the campaign to retake the city was launched on monday and involves shia militias and sunni tribal fighters. the israeli prime minister, benjamin netenyahu is preparing to address the u.s. congress in about half an hour from now.

he is expected to try to persuade politicians to block a possible nuclear deal with iran. forces from libya's rival governments have carried out tit for at thetait air strikes. but there was only minor damage in both the attacks. thousands of russians have attended the funeral of the murder opposition politician boris nemtsov. but several e.u. politicians and russia's opposition leader were barred from attending. that was in response to visa bans the e.u. has imposed on 151 people including several russians over the fighting in eastern ukraine. nemtsov was shot dead on a bridge near the kremlin on friday night. putin called the murder vial and has vowed to find the

killers. rory challands has more from moscow. >> reporter: thousands and thousands of people turned out on tuesday to pay their last respects to the slain opposition leader boris nemtsov. at an earlier memorial service on tuesday, queues stretched for, by some estimates at least a kilometer long from the center all the way up to the nearest metro stop. they brought candles and flowers to leave at the open coffin. the coffin had to end up leaving before everyone could compass. so as it was being driven away, they through their flowers at the funeral coordinators as they left. of course there were dignitaries there as well. all 28 e.u. member countries sent representatives. a couple of notable exceptions the polish senate leader was barred from entry to russia

apparently because that person is on the russian sanction list and aleksei the opposition leader here in russia who is serving a 15-day jail sentence had applied to be let out so he could at ten the funeral and that was turned down. they are looking at the investigative team like they are looking at cc footage, and seizing various bits of evidence. but no arrests or concrete leads that we are hearing from. and the people on the opposition side friends and associates of boris nemtsov don't sound particularly confident that this investigation is going to come up with anything that would fit with their idea of justice. ukraine has hiked its interest rate to 30%. the battle in the east has lead the country to run out of cash. the currency has plunged more

than 60% in the past year. ukraine is now hoping to receive more than $40 billion from western powers including the international monetary fund. isil killed an joer danian pilot last month, and since then jordan has become more active in trying to crush the group. the government has also cracked down on sympathizers at home. our correspondent reports. jordanians reacted with outrage to the killing of their pilot. it marked a drastic shift in public opinion. and it seemed any opposition to the government's participation in the u.s.-lead coalition against isil has evaporated overnight. support for the government is still high and a opinion poll suggest 88% of jordanians back

the government. >> translator: people should be extra vigilant because isil may enter jordan. >> reporter: jordan responded with an air campaign against isil. the army said this was just the beginning, but without major foreign military aid it's difficult to say how far it will go to degrade isil. >> we said as part of the coalition, we'll be look going ways to help iraqi military to help the kurdish peshmerga, to help the syrian population fight terrorism that is occupying its villages and cities and we continue to have this discussion. >> reporter: isil's threats to the kingdom haven't stopped. the armed group published a video threatening retaliation, the speaker called on his tribe to stand by isil.

security sources estimate that more than 2,000 jordanians have fought in syria, and there are jihad sympathizers inside the country. the government has intensified its crackdown on these groups arresting 90 people in the last month. inattorney yal security is now jordan's top challenge. this analyst says jordanians joined armed groups because the government made it easy for them to do so. >> translator: this is the strategy of all of the countries worldwide. when they want to rid themselves of their own annoying jihadists those countries make their lives impossible within. >> reporter: security has been heightened everywhere. jordan's biggest challenge now, fighting isil abroad and containing its supporters at home. the syrian government air

strikes have killed at least four people in the countryside. the attack reportedly happened in the town of idtar. and syrian forces supported by iran and hezbollah are fighting to regain territory from trebles near the golan heights. it's crucial as it would give the allies a new front line with israel. >> reporter: the government is on the offensive in the southern corner of syria. it wants to reverse rebel gains over recent months but the regime is backed by iranian fighters and the shia armed group, hezbollah. the southern province is a short drive to the government's seat of power in damascus. it is also close to the rebel supply lines from jordan. and the neighboring province borders hezbollah controlled

territory in lebanon as well as the israeli occupied goland heights mchl military analysts say it is no coincidence that the group has invested manpower to push into these regions. >> translator: hezbollah is extending its front line with israel. the south lebanon front is approximately 70 kilometers. if they are extend this to goland heights it comes a 150 kilometer front. this puts pressure on israel. >> reporter: the deployment has helped keep the syrian government in power, the group has always made enemies across the world. hezbollah does not shy away from saying it has a greater military presence near the border. and the secretary general hinted that they are now one front against israel. he said the group would no longer comply with the so-called rules of engage with israel.

it followed an israeli attack on a hezbollah front in january. it was seen as a manage that israel would not tolerate hezbollah on its border. hezbollah retaliated by targeting a convoy. >> exchange of operations has raised the stakes to a degree. from an israeli perspective, they fear as hezbollah and iran gain more and more power, they increasingly see that regime control of areas bordering the occupied golan is tantamount to hezbollah control. >> reporter: some argue that the group cannot afford a major escalation with israel. it is already on the front line of the regional conflict but if it captures this area it will

push the rebels away from its strong hold. a suicide car bombing in afghanistan has killed at least 14 people. a joint army and police patrol was targeted in the district in hell hellmanned province. this week afghanistan's army launched a cam bane against the taliban. egypt's administrative court has issued a ruling that halts parliament election process. it follows a decision that found an election law that found voting districts unconstitutional. and a leaked recording suggests that egypt's military sought to use one of the country's biggest-ever

construction projects to gain political advantage. it was when al-sisi was defense minister. the joint project with the army aimed to build a million homes for young people with low incomes on land provided by the military. sisi is heard saying he will collect a fee for electricity, although it is not clear if he is talking about himself personally or the army. there has been an explosion at a sports facility in yemen. the blast happened in the south. there are no reports of any casualties so far. it's not yet clear how many people may have been killed or injured, but of course we're keeping an eye across the situation there. meanwhile the president has suggested that is saudi arabia the capitol is the venue for talks with houthi rebels. the u.n. arranged negotiations

broke down when some parties protested against what they called aggression by houthis in sana'a. let's go-to-live to our correspondent in yemen. can betalk about the explosion at this sports facility. do we know anything more about that as to how many casualties there may be? >> no just as you said martine, we don't have many details, but we understand that particularly [ inaudible ] has been a theater of many clashes and many explosions and many instances of fighting between the houthis on the one hand and the -- of that area. the houthis advanced and occupied it a couple of weeks ago, and it is situated right in the middle of the sunni tribes of central yemen, so that's an area where they are now facing

tough instances of resistance by the tribes. earlier today reports from there spoke about killing a -- ten houthi fighters in an attack in the early morning against them by the tribes. so it is a very hot spot in yemen right now. it is situated very close to the boarder, and is surrounded by sunni tribes that are opposed to the houthis. >> so there's quite a violent backdrop then to the proposal that any talks that take place between the various factions now take place in saudi arabia. >> reporter: well, that's a demand by president hadi. he made it clear that he wants the talks to be moved to the capitol of saudi arabia because it is the seat of the headquarters of the gulf cooperation council. the gcc has been supervising the road map in the talks that lead

yemen into the transition of democracy after the downfall of the regime. however, the houthis will not accept this offer, because they don't have much trust in saudi arabia, and they think now they have the upper hand in everything. they are in talks in sana'a. the u.n. considered that a major break through. also we understand that they have resumed the talks this evening, and they are talking about where to move the talks. there is a huge difference between all of the parties about this hadi wanted it first to be transferred to aden. the houthis rejected that. now he has directed the talks be moved to saudi arabia. the houthis want the talks to remain in sana'a. the u.n. has tasked the special envoy in yemen to find a place in which all of the parties can

agree. but he hasn't announced an alternative as of yet. >> all right. african leaders and european officials are meeting in brussels to talk about the ebola crisis. they are expected to look beyond the immediate challenge of achieving [ inaudible ] against the virus. it's more than a year since the world's worst outbreak of the disease, and despite the fact that its spread is slowing, specialists agree far more needs to be done to wipe the virus out. >> reporter: leaders and delegates from around the world are facing one of the biggest challenges ever. since december 2013 there have been almost 24,000 cases of ebola, and more than 9,500 people have died. cases are levelling off in west africa with no new cases of ebola in nigeria or senegal

sense september last year and no confirmed new cases in liberia in the past week but there is still no proven treatments or vaccines. three ex-peer mental vaccines are being tested but it's not clear how effective they will be or what dosage is needed to protect people. and depending on the results, the w.h.o.orld health organization says it will decide in august whether to roll out a large program. until then the focus is raising awareness. the fear is the rainy season in april and may will make it difficult for health teams to travel to the worth-affected mare mare -- areas. >> sierra leone will now receive a cash boost of $80 million to help in the outbreak. it's part of a package approved

for the country. $187 million will be allocated to support the country's struggling economy. firefighters in south africa are bringing in reinforcements to battle a blaze in the hills across cape town. they are struggling to contain the wildfires. thousands of acres of rare plants have been destroyed as well as at least five homes. so far no reports of any fatalities. we can talk now to the spokeswoman for the disaster risk management center in cape town. she joins us on the line from there. tell us how the battle is going. >> yes, we are trying to contain the fire in three areas [ inaudible ] and also to cut fires in the [ inaudible ] in the valley. it's very hot here. we're experiencing temperatures

up to 42 degrees. we came [ inaudible ] aerial support here from helicopters because of the extreme heat and also the smoke. >> on -- obviously you have wildfires every year but this year they seem extremely bad. obviously that is because of the high temperatures are there other factors to blame? >> yes, this is a very dry period. during the 2015 fire this has been a period that in cape town we have lost five homes. we have had to evacuate areas, and now we're still trying to contain the fire. >> charlotte powell talking to us live from cape town. thank you very much. we have got a lot more to come here on al jazeera, including in

sport, we hear from afghanistan's cricketers as they prepare to take on host australiaia australia at the cricket world cup.

♪ tuesday marks world wildlife day and the world is calling on the world to crack down on the network of trade. adrian brown has more from beijing. >> reporter: their tusks sewn off by poachers these rescued elephants now perform for

tourists, it is billed as a cultural show and takes place four times a day. britain's prince william is expected to be one of the spectators on wednesday. china's government insists this is more than a tourist distraction. it says it is slowly rebuilding the elephant population and convicted poachers now face the death penalty. environmentalists are confident that china is now getting the message about conservation. >> it's really important for china to change their behavior. and they have taken some steps to doing that. >> reporter: one of those steps was announced days before prince william began his visit when the government imposed a ban on imported ivory products for a year. >> we can save our wild rhinos.

>> reporter: he has recruited some of the biggest names in sport for his campaign. such advertisements are now common place on chinese tv. this is playing a role too. this was one of the world's largest and had been destined for the mainland. while china is the world's largest importer of smuggled elephant ivory, the government insists it is doing what it can to -- rad indicate the trade. conservationists want to ban the illegal trade. but for now it remains a step too far for china. adrian brown, al jazeera. time for all of the sports news now. here is jo. >> thank you. the two time champion will miss

the opening race of the season in australia. he crashed into a wall during testing in spain last week. his team say he won't compete in melbourne to avoid the chance of having another con kun cushion. he is expected to return to racing for the malaysian grand prix at the end of march. south africa's cricket world cup campaign remains on track. sarah coates reports. >> reporter: high on confidence after winning their previous matches. they were both looking to move further up the table. south africa's start wasn't ideal. quinton gone in the third over. but that would be island's only joy for a while. as they smashed a ton, then his highest one-day score of 159.

[ inaudible ] also stood up notching a century. as south africa's batsman put his team in a commanding position. island's top order went shapely. and after some resistance from their middle and lower order, the irish were dismissed for 210, a 201-run win for south africa. they will next play pakistan in auckland. competition host australia are preparing to face afghanistan on wednesday, afghanistan are brimming with confidence after their first world cup win against scotland last week. although they know it will be a tough match. australia come into the match

having lost to new zealand, they sit fourth in the pool. but could finish second if they beat their opponents in their final games. >> i believe in confidence, and i believe we have been playing really good one-day cricket. i think the boys did a fantastic job in the try-series. and our boys are full of confidence. if you are confident then you walk out and have the freedom to enjoy the brand of cricket you play. >> australia is the best team best stride for me in the competition, because they are on conditions, so they are hosting the world cup. they have a good team. they have a good fast baller. our strength is our bowlers. our bowlers will enjoy bowling on this wicket. so we'll try our best to do well in that match.

the asia champion's league group stages continue on wednesday and thursday. korean leaders were taking on their opponent in china. scoring twice in seven minutes in the second half. lee jay sung's volley was worthy of a replay. shandel also had a man sent off for a deliberate handball. and then the final goal in stoppage time. japanese side have recorded their first win to share the lead at the top of group e. they trashed vietnam [ inaudible ]. >> the host had the chance to take an early lead when they

were awarded a penalty. richard doe sent the goalkeeper the wrong way 2-0 the final score. the classical violinist will attempt to overturn her ban inskiing. she was punished by the international ski federation for manipulating our qualifying results. she finished 67 in the giant slalom at the game. the former rookie of the year scored 26 points for the californian side. paul said to andre jordan as the clippers took a 17-12 lead. they then had a chance to tie the score, but missed a 3-point attempt with 10 seconds to go. los angeles won 110-105. it's their third straight

victory. jared haines nfl ambitions are on track. the 27-year-old has signed a contract for with the 49ers. has five months to prove he has what it takes to play in the league. it gives them a spot on their 90-man roster with a chance to move into the regular ranks when the season starts. that's all of the sport for now martine. >> thank you very much indeed jo. let's have a look at these images coming from one of south america's most active volcanos. this is in southern chile. it has erupted around 3:00 am local time. lava and heavy smoke has been blown into the air. the emergency office ordered evacuations of nearby communities. lots more to come here at al jazeera. don't go away. ♪

>> these people have decided that today they will be arrested >> i know that i'm being surveilled >> people are not getting the care that they need >> this is a crime against humanity >> hands up! >> don't shoot! >> hands up! >> don't shoot! >> what do we want? justice! >> when do we want it? >> now! >> they are running towards base... >>...explosions going off we're not quite sure... >> fault lines al jazeera america's award winning, investigative series... on al jazeera america

hello, i'm del walters in new york. it is one of the hottest tickets in town if that town happened to be washington, d.c. benjamin netenyahu set to address both houses of congress. we want to take you live now to capitol hill where he will be the guest of the 114th joint meeting of congress but a number of democrats say they are swiping the speech. house speaker john binder invited the prime minister without informing the white house which is a violation of protocol. mike viqueira is life outside that gathering at the russell