thank you thank you so much for your time. thank you >> announcer: this is al jazeera. ♪ welcome to the news hour i'm darren jordan from here in do hah. these are the top stories. the most powerful syrian rebel group leader has been killed in an air strike. india makes arrests after a mob drags a suspected rapist from prison and beats him to

death. and in turkey a teenager goes on trial for insulting the president. welcome to the program, a senior commander of the al-qaeda linked linked group was killed in syria. zana hoda reports from lebanon. >> reporter: this man was al-nusra front's second in command. his death comes at a critical time for the organization. there has been reports that they have been asked to cut links with the al-qaeda organize accusation and become a independent force so they can receive funds and weapons. this man didn't just operate in syria, he was fighting for

al-qaeda in afghanistan and iraq, and analysts say he was among the so-called hard liners. >> they were the hard liner, extremist segment of al-nusra which is the local manifest indication of al-qaeda supposedly that have been against the offer made to al-nusra in recent times to take a different course. al-nusra has been asked by many channels via many channels and by many external forces regional and international that it has to decide. >> reporter: the syrian government claimed responsibility for what is being described as painful and powerful hit. he and a number of other leaders had been killed in an army operation targeting meeting held in a rural area of idlib.

a weakened al-nusra benefits the syrian government. it has been perhaps the most powerful rival on the ground but a weakened alknew are could work against the government. its presence has been one of the reasons why the west hasn't provided the much needed weapons to the syrian opposition. if those weapons start to flow in it could be a game changer. al-nusra has been responsible for weakening the so-called moderate camp. al-nusra declared all out war on the u.s. backed movement which forced it to disband. >> translator: we have to remember something important. the coalition says it this against the islamic state of iraq and the levant, but the truth is al-qaeda is the biggest threat to the west.

the u.s. lists al-nusra as a terrorist organization and under u.n. sanctions. the group is believed to have more than 10,000 fighters in its ranks, there is an ideology that will be hard to defeat. fighters from isil has started destroying some of iraq's most important archeological sites. this is what it looked like before bulldozers were reportedly used to destroy the antiques. isil released a video last week showing artifacts they had destroyed. libyans are holding talks in morocco. the latest roukd of negotiations are focusing on way of forming a

national unity government and forming a ceasefire. >> reporter: the main issues here in the moroccan capitol, is getting both sides to agree on a national unity government appoint a prime minister and start to talk about security arrangement arrangements, mainly implementing a ceasefire across the country that would pave the way for the political process to continue confidence-building measures to have some sort of momentum in coming days. this is a very crucial moment for the rival factions in libya. they know if they have an agreement here in morocco, international support will follow. if there's no agreement, libya could face more uncertainty, violence and bloodshed.

british petroleum has signed an agreement forth $12 million to develop a gas field in egypt. it aims to produce 5 trillion cubic feet of gas. egypt plans to hold a major economic conference next week aimed at boosting foreign investment in the country. israeli police say a palestinian driver has been shot and wounded after his vehicle plowed into pedestrians in occupied west jerusalem. the incident happened outside of a police station on the border which divided east and west jerusalem. peace talks two south sudans warring parties have been sus peckeded indefinitely. the president and his rival have been seating in ethiopia. there are fears the civil war will worsen if no agreement is signed. more than 10,000 people have been killed and 1.5 million displaced since fighting began just over a year ago.

catherine soy reports from juba. >> reporter: this comes as no surprise. it came to this round of talks with very hard line positions, they reneged on a previous commitment to certain agreements. no movement has all. what happens next? well there have been threats of sanctions and talks of [ inaudible ] including the african union to the negotiation. but people still in displacement, the cost of living very high. many depend on humanitarian aid. the lifeline of this country has been drastically reduced and there's a genuine fear of what might happen going going forward. a mob in india has beaten a suspected rapist to death after dragging him out of prison. guards say they were overpowered

by thousands of people. the 35-year-old man was accused of raping a 24-year-old woman last month. it is believed he may have been an illegal immigrant from bangladesh. our correspondent joins us live from new delhi. what more can you tell us about what happened? >> reporter: yes, well absolutely, what we're hearing is a peaceful protest by members of the student union about the alleged rape took an unexpected turn. you mentioned the turn of events there. there is a curfew now in place in the state and federal government leaders have called for an investigation into this and they have also suspended senior police officials who they say should have perhaps done more to prevent this incident from getting out of hand the way it did. tense situation at the moment but certainly this will be watched closely given the kind of sensitivities you see in that

part of india as well in case of migrant workers from various parts of the country and region. >> rape and sexual violence are once again in the headlines in india, because of a correct documentary about rape. is there any connection between that and this incident? >> reporter: at this moment we're not hearing reports of any directions, nor are we seeing visible signs ourselves. it would be fair to say these incidents are probably gaining more attention and air time given the backdrop of incidents in recent days. those who support more discussion and debate about issues of rape and sexual violence in india say it has reenergized a very important debate and conversation that needs to be had and perhaps will inspire more action on the part of the government. but many people are saying that taking issues into your own hands on the part of mobs or individuals is certainly not

going to be encouraged. >> all right. thank you for that. lots more still to come here in the news hour a russian dis russian -- disdinned is released from prison. and in sport a week after being cut at the honda classic, rory mcelroy struggles again. richard will have all of the details a little bit later in the program. ♪ now the russian disadent has been released after 15 days in prison. nemtsov was murdered last week

on the eve of a protest. he has accused of government of ordering the killing. >> translator: i know you will have lots of questions. i have already expressed my opinion on this and i won't add anything more for now. but our activity will not change in anyway. we will not lessen our eh fors or change anything and in this sense the act of terror that took place will not achieve its aims. i'm sure it will not fighten anyone. it has not frightened me or my comrades. >> rory challands has more. >> reporter: aleksei is very dismissive of the idea that nemtsov was murdered by anyone

but the government. and the deliberately names vladimir putin as being a possible origin of that order. so what next for the opposition? well, many of them might consider their safety is in danger. you could argue that he has always -- or has been for some time a more prominent member of the opposition than nemtsov and therefore he is a more obvious target. another opposition figure was warned at boris nemtsov's funeral that she might be next. but the report that nemtsov was working on calls putin and war an investigation into the russian military's involvement in the conflict in ukraine that will still be published and the opposition march which was going to take place last weekend, which became nemtsov's memorial march, that opposition march is being rescheduled for april. but to make any kind of

significant headway, the opposition is going to have to overcome the prevailing mood in russia at the moment which is one of fairly strident conservative nationalism, and that's going to be very difficult indeed. the ceasefire in eastern ukraine between government troops and separatists has taken hold in many areas despite continued shelling near donetsk and other flash points. but on friday there was a car bomb that the police are calling an act of terror. simon mcgregor-wood has more. >> reporter: the car exploded as it passed through a suburb of kharkiv, it belonged to the leader of a pro-ukrainian militia. he was injured so too was his wife and brother, all are said to be in stable condition. the local police say they think the explosion was caused by a magnetic mine. just the latest act of what local authorities are calling

terrorism. they are accusing russian-backed groups of trying to open a new front to destable parts of ukraine they want to control. on the 22nd of february a bomb exploded in the same city. four people were killed including a police officer. but it's not only in kharkiv. this police video shows a car packed with explosives in the city of mariupol. the ukrainian authorities detect the hand of russia. >> translator: we have confession testimony saying who recruited them and where they were trained. we know the exact people they made contact with in russia. it was representatives of the russian security services. financial support came from the russian side. weapons and explosives were provided. >> reporter: kharkiv has a significant russian population although it is controlled by a

pro-kiev government. this latest attack shows the problem has not gone away. >> translator: we adapt, we learn. but the fate of israel and the united states awaits us. those countries who live under continuous threat. and this threat will continue while vladimir putin remains the president of russia. >> reporter: the tension may have decreased as the result of the recent ceasefire, but a more clandestine war may beginning. claude dion is being questioned about a possible illegal funds of sarkozy's presidential campaign. let's get more from jacky rowland. what more can you tell us about the detention of claude gion.

>> well the questions that has been going on since the early hours of friday morning, surrounded a sum of approximately $700,000 which appeared in claude's bank account back in march 2008. now the police want to know what was this money? where did it come from? it was a payment from overseas. now the explanation provided by claude is that this was payment for two paintings, which he said he sold to a malaysian art collector. but the paintings themselves which are from some little-known artist are believed to be worth only a fraction of what they were allegedly sold for, and also because if you are selling valuable paintings, you have to have a special export license from the ministry of culture. so there are some big question

marks over the explanation, given by claude which is why police are digging a bit further to see whether or not this mystery $700,000 could have actually come from the regime of gaudify to finance the campaign of nicklas sarco sy. >> what effect is that likely to have on his election in 2017. >> well he has been trying to stage something of a political comeback. of course he lost the 2012 election to the current president, but a few months ago, mr. sarkozy seemed to his his political fortunes on the rise again, when he was reelected leader of the opposition right-wing party. he hasn't made such of a secret of his ambition to return to the palace as president of france but in recent months a lot of

questions asked about this -- these allegations of foreign campaign funding, and various other allegations over impropriety, or corruption allegations over which mr. sarkozy himself has been questioned. all of this has started to cast a big cloud over his hopes for a political comeback and it looks now as though there are other politicians on the right who could be more likely than mr. sarkozy to be eventually chosen to stand as the right-wing contender in those elections in 2017. >> jacky thank you. opposition leader has been shot dead in turkey. he was killed by an unknown assailant in istanbul. he was one of the most outspoken critics of his country's president. staying in turkey and a 16-year-old has gone on trial for allegedly insulting the

country's president. he could face up to four years in prison if convicted. the case was adjourned until next month. for more let's speak to a lecturer of international law at the university in istanbul. what is your reaction first of all to the arrest of this 16 year old? who apparently criticized the president? how significant is this? >> it is quite significant when you consider the general framework in which it has taken flight. there has been a dramatic increase in the number of cases that are brought on similar grounds. that is to say on the grounds of the so-called [ inaudible ] in turkey or on the grounds of insulting the president. compared to previous term and the initial six months of [ inaudible ] we can see the dramatic change. over the seven-year term of [ inaudible ] the previous president, there were only five or six similar cases. but over the last six months

only according to studies, we can determine that there are more than 45 cases, involving more than 80 people that were brought against people on the ground that they insulted or allegedly insulted the president. and moreover all the more tragic is that no person although they may be tried on such grounds, no person should be detained on these grounds under turkish law. however, neither the [ inaudible ] or the judges respect this. and more than six people spent almost [ inaudible ] in turkish jails because of these alleged allegation allegations. >> so the law has been there all along, but the president is using it much more aggressively than his predecessor.

why is erdogan cracking down on decent? >> i think it in the very first place relates to erdogan's character. he is turning all intolerance towards the opposition. another very important reason is that over the last year over 2014, the president's governing party took very important steps to clamp down on the impartiality of an independent of the judiciary system. and since august 2004 since erdogan was elected, they have moved [ inaudible ] from one place to another, and lost -- in july 2014 erdogan's government changed all judges who were entitled to decide decision on detention of people.

that is to say that those who are detaining those people right now, the judges who make decisions on detention are those who are directed by the government. >> it is quite ironic. just a final thought, that some observers point out that erdogan himself was recently charged and fined in court for insulting the work of an artist calling it a monstrosity. >> that's an interesting case. thank you for bringing this up. but the important point that we should underline is the case you mentioned is a civil case. it's not a criminal case. we know [ inaudible ] a number of prosecutors and judges that he can enlist. therefore, they use the ones that they have in their pocket for the criminal system. for the civil court system we still do have independent judges, and the compensation that you mentioned was taken by

one of those judges and she was a female judge. they tend to be more courage oust than the others. >> doctor thank you for talking to al jazeera. student leaders in myanmar are accusing the government of trying to curve academic freedoms. now protests have turned violent. our correspondent reports. >> reporter: student protesters say this was a heavy-handed crackdown on a peaceful protest. police say they came under attack after they told demonstrators to disburse. >> translator: security men in plain clothes were doing this to a girl in downtown. what were they trying to show? does this brutality belong in this day and age? >> reporter: demonstrators are angry at the government for pushing an education bill they feel would stifle academic freedom. these demonstrations have gone on for months.

authorities say it is the first time they have taken action despite the fact that activists did not get the proper permissions. student activists want to march to the largest city. >> translator: we are protesting because we want reform of the education system which has been neglected for something like 60 years by the government. we have written letters to the parliament, we have had a lot of meetings and submitted a lot of demands, but they don't care much so we have to have this march. >> reporter: they are calling themselves the 88 generation. myanmar's military suppressed the protest then. but a lot has changed in what was then known as burma. a semicivilian government is in charge after 49 years of military rule. >> translator: the government is still watching us and no decision has come from them yet. i think they want to cut us off.

we think they are trying to separate us from outside communication. >> reporter: even after the arrest and skirmishes protesters say they will continue their protest until their demands are met. the man accused of attacking the u.s. ambassador to south korea has made his first appearance in court. the 55 year old, was wheeled into court on friday. he is likely to be charged be attempted murder. the ambassador needed 80 stitches after his face was slashed at a forum about korean communication on thursday. chinese and japanese diplomats will hold a meeting to address strained relations and an ongoing dispute over islands in the sea. nepal's only international

airport remains closed after a jet cost control when it was landing. the plane was damaged but no one on board was hurt. they are using special equipment brought in from india to remove the plane. still to come we go back to school where nearly 300 schoolgirls were kidnapped by boko haram last year. it's going to be a long and painful process, i'm afraid. >> why more and more south africans will be left in the sdashg. and we'll find out why the chinese marshall art of woo shoe plans to conquer the world. stay with us.

sentences and beat them. >> they had been trafficking on behalf of the united states government. >> the cia admitted it. >> "freeway - crack in the system". only on al jazeera america.

>> 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 ♪ welcome back. a quick reminder of the headlines here on al jazeera. in syrian a senior commander of the al-nusra front has been killed. he died in a government air strike in the city of idlib on thursday. peace talks between south

sudan's warring parties have been suspended indefinitely. they failed to reach an agreement while meeting in ethiopia. a 16 year old in turkey has gone on trial for allegedly insulting the country's president. he could face up to four years in prison if convicted. the case is adjourned until april 3rdrd. in southern yemen the president has put local militias in charge of all government institutions in aden. they are also responsible for security at his palace. our correspondent mohamed vall has been to meet some of those protecting the president's interest. >> reporter: these are the men in charge of law and order in southern yemen. they have been patrolling the city for months. but now they have replaced all regular security personnel. >> translator: i think the popular committees have become a

key factor of security and stability. they were able to defeat terrorists more efficiently than entire countries and goes. >> reporter: when the president ordered they guard all public institutions now. >> translator: we welcome the committees among us because they are very useful. we had a lot of weaknesses, and they helped us tremendously. especially in matters of crime and weapons. >> reporter: the popular committees were formed in 2012 by the president. they have said to have shown efficiency and had success, and that's why the president relies on them now for his own protection a to keep security in aden. >> translator: we saw the aggression that has gone on. we can't let the same thing happen in aden.

>> reporter: but regarding security in the north, the commanders appear divided. >> translator: we limit ourselves to the south. we welcome president hadi. but we're not ready to go with him to the north to fight the houthis. >> reporter: some say it isn't their fight. >> translator: we will mobilize our forces for war once we have a legal [ inaudible ] and military order, as well as an agreement between all tribes and provinces. >> reporter: right now there is no plan to make a military move on the houthis in sana'a. and people here say they are concerned that the presence of political players from the capitol may turn the south into a playground for instability. al-qaeda still operates here and only the committees are here to protect the south. nigeria's president says the army is closer to finding the

schoolgirls abducted by boko haram. as our correspondent reports schools are being rebuilt. >> reporter: on a mission to secure schools, a nigerian government delegation has been cleared of boko haram fighters but still trying to come with the abduction of its schoolgirls last year and this is how. a project supported by international donors. the idea is simple go into areas that have been freed from boko haram control, and build new safe schools. it's a new part of the strategy against a group with a name that basically means western education is sinful. all of the places like this have new schools. students in places where boko haram is still in control, are being relegated so they can attend school too.

>> to lay now foundations soon to build new schools. we're just finding ways to strengthen the school surroundings for our children particularly in the three [ inaudible ] national initiative was started in [ inaudible ]. what i mean by that we're looking at software and hardware. >> reporter: bolstered by the resent successes over boko haram, the nigerian government is confident that schools will reopen soon. >> we have [ inaudible ] boko haram. before the arrival of this weapon it was a defensive depreciation -- operation, but now we're on the offensive. >> reporter: almost 11 months after 276 skunth -- students were taken from boko haram from

this school 209 of them have yet to come home. the kidnapping still hangs over this area. this woman's daughter is still held by boko haram. >> translator: i really don't know what to say. i don't know what is happening to her. she was taken when she was recuperating from a surgical operation. i just want my baby back. in south africa there are fears that power cuts could threaten the economy. the state electricity company has been struggling to provide a steady supply. and analysts are concerned about the impact on big business. >> reporter: south africa's power stations are old and can no longer cope with demand.

new ones are being built, but it will be some time before they are on line. the state-owned energy company has warned people they will have to endure regular power outages. >> we have given them our word that we are working on restoring the ability of the power system but it is going to be a long and painful process, i'm afraid. >> reporter: the chamber of commerce says any interruption to energy supply is not good for foreign investments. >> we're very concerned about the impact this could have on international investment. you need a secure supply of energy at a reasonable cost and that certainly might be a tipping force for a decision not to invest. >> reporter: that reasonable cost is set to rise in april by 13%. they have justified the hike by saying it still has some of the world's cheapest energy. but for energy hungry energies

like mines and factories, that cheap power is only useful if it is switched on. it says it has given business fair warning, and asked them to cut down on needs or generate their own. companies like bmw has cut energy consumption by 28% at its local manufacturing plants. and a company that turns coal into oil has done even more. >> we have installed enough equipment to generate up to 70% of our own power requirements in the form of various equipment from steam stations to gas-powered turbine, so gas-fired power plants. >> reporter: but it is potentially damaging to south africa's reputation of one of africa's most stable and economically advanced. >> many of our partners are working together to find a

lasting solution to this issue. >> reporter: it is kind of a bit late, though, isn't it. >> it is a bit late i recognize that. >> reporter: south africa is already lagging well behind growth compared to other countries on the -- continent. well [ inaudible ] is a political analyst focusing on african governments and developments. she says early warnings about a reduction in energy capacity were ignored. >> this dates back as far as the late 1990s. in the decade between 1997 and about 2007 there was a survey done by one of the non-government affiliated unions, which showed that south africa was decreasing supply to sectors such as mining and industry, but of course there was an increased supply to those

households that have previously not had electricity under apartheid, but are now joining the power grid. but south africa is also increasing its sales of electricity outside of its borders. we provide on firm contracts to other countries in the neighborhood, and we also provide electricity on so-called non-firm contracts to our neighbors in zambia and zimbabwe. and yes south africas are saying why are we selling off of our electricity capacity? it's going to have a huge.com noefkt on the economy. international analysts such as the hsbc downgraded their growth forecast for south africa in january this year and the south african reserve bank has already done so twice this year. last month from 2.4%, down to 2.2. and this month in the budget

speech last week down to 2%. and it also brought the economic forecast for next year down as well. which tells you a lot about what the actual growth rate is likely to be in this country. now since the fall of the taliban in afghanistan, women have made great strides in trying to end sexism there are some 3 million women in schools now, they are allowed to own businesses and there are female representatives in parliament, but women are still fighting for their rights. >> reporter: this woman has been attacked twice because of her prominent role in local politics but she says she won't quit. she is the head of the provincial council in a conservative province where women's rights are often ignored. >> translator: i'm a woman. i'm a legitimate representative of the people. people voted for me. i'm trying my best to solve problems like education, health and reconstruction. >> reporter: one of the members

of parliament accuses [ inaudible ] of stealing land for her. she explains treatment like this is common with those without powerful supports. she travels with a bodyguard after the taliban attacked her husband and injured her children. she said that's why afghanistan needs more women politicians. like this woman, who served as health minister for five years under president hamid karzai. in the last election women cast more than a third of the votes. >> the message was we're a partner. the message was we are citizens who are responsible and believe with democracy. >> reporter: the new president promised there would be four women ministers in his cabinet,

but so far there are none. the three he nominated were rejected. discrimination is still common for afghan women, despite the progress they have made. they are petitioning the new government to ensure women have a place on direct councils they want 25% of council seats to be reserved for women in the next elections. >> we believe bringing woman from the very grassroots level and given the opportunity to engage in political discussions, and making sure they are hearing other women's voices is very important. >> reporter: a law that guaranteed women 25% of parliamentary seats was revoked last year, it was reinstated but with a 20% quota. time for another short break. when we come back we're going to mexico where the war on drugs is

slowly helping businesses get back to work in some areas. and richard will have all of the details in sport after the break. more on that. stay with us.

♪ welcome back. now a week ago, the mexican drug lord gomez, also known as la tuta was arrested by security forces. he ran the cartel which terrorized the western state with a campaign of kidnapping and extorsion. but his arrest has revived hope

that life might now return to normal. >> reporter: lines of big business in the state southwest mexico, not just for producers, but also the knight templar cartel who spent years offering them and other local businesses a simple choice pay up or face death, but no more. >> translator: the extorsion was systematic, you had to pay the cartel as if it was a tax. but now that's gone. >> reporter: the capture of the knight templar leader was the combination of a year-long operation in which federal forces flooded the state. >> translator: today we find a [ inaudible ] which is reactivating its economy. taking back public places and increasing tourism. a place for investment once

again. >> reporter: them that to this man. his brother was stabbed to death on the sidewalk three days ago. >> translator: honestly the interior minister is lying, because crime hasn't gone down. the police aren't controlling the situation, they just ride around. that's all they do. >> reporter: federal forces and citizen vigilantly group have seriously weakened the cartel but it has left behind an army of now unemployed criminals. people say the criminals still freely roam the streets. 400 people were dilled between december and january this year. that's hardly a sign of a state fully under government control. legitimate jobs are needed to offer a way out to those who still earn their living through crime says a local priest. >> they contaminated our

society. there are people who the knights templar have trained who are now infected. the government has to invest in the economy so these young criminals have other countries. >> reporter: as the government celebrates the end of gomez's rule this family mourns another lost life. it is clear for them and hundreds of other families here true peace has yet to arrive. john holeman, al jazeera. all right time for the sport now. richard is here. >> thanks a lot, darren. india have become the second team to advance to the quarter finals of the cricket world cup. they produced a nervous 4-wicket win over the west indians. >> reporter: india has won their previous four games, but when you are facing chris gails, anything is possible.

after a typically attacking start those, gail went to 21 as his side plummeted from 85 to 7. but captain jason holder produced 57 at number 9 to help the windies salvage a total of 182. but they certainly made life hard for themselves. they fell to 4 for 78 but the cool-headed player came to india's rescue. he is unbeaten 45 sent them to a 4 wicket victory. india are now guaranteed to top pool b, while the windy's fate rests on their final two games. fifa president has asked iran to end its ban on women watching football matches. he described the situation as

intolerable. he spoke to the iranian president back in november 2013 but nothing has happened since. thousands of female iranian fans were able to watch their national team play in the asian cup earlier this year in australia. the english football association has called upon fans to report sexist abuse at games. it comes after two recent incidents involving chelsea and an assistant referee. 25 incidents of sexist abuse have been reported to the anti-discrimination group and the equality group women in football. joining me is the professional players engagement director. there are about 23 more reported this season does this mean there is more sexist abuse or

are people just reporting it more? >> i think more people are having more confident to report. that's what has happened. there are these incidents that people have been frightened to report. we have a report and application that gives people the power and anonymity to be able to report. so more people are reporting, hence you are going to have more incidents highlighted. >> what do you feel needs to be the main priorities for women's football? >> i actually think the main priority is highlighting and promoting the players. you very rarely see the players speaking for example on football programs. i think the more people realize the -- that women footballers know the sport, understand the game, and people get to recognize who they are, just like their male counterparts.

everyone knows who they are. women's football has to be shown on tv far more often, and if you do that you open it up to a wider audience. people may not like it at first, and then they will start asking questions, but because they don't see enough then people don't take as much interest. >> paul, do you think that will change more with the women's world cup coming up later this year? >> i would like to think so. i mean it is coming up in canada in june isn't it? and i gathered that there are more teams involved. yes, i hope there is highlight. i hope people get the opportunity to realize and really enjoy the -- the technique and the skill of -- of the women playing in these games because it's on par with the men's. men are physically stronger there's no disputing that so the game is a little bit more dynamic. the women's game is more about intelligence and technique and skill, and it's there.

and it's important that we highlight that. and the more we show these games, and have women who are in the game comment taiting and as pundits, the more people will be able to recognize who these characters are. get them out there. get them profiled. get them highlighted and people will understand more and respect women's football more. >> to thank you very much for your time. world number 1 novak djokovic beat world number 158, 6-3, 6-2, 6-4. it's the best of five world group first round. he had helped serbia to win the cup back in '2010. for the first time in nearly three years or 50 of the world's top golfers are competing another the same tournament.

and it's jv holmes that leads after the first day. he tamed the famous blue monster course in florida by cutting a ten unper par 62. rory mcelroy is again off of the pace 11 strokes behind after carding a one over 73. and that comes just a week after he was cut at the honda classic. nba now and the eastern conference's number 2 side chicago bulls beat the oklahoma city thunder 108-105 despite 45 points from russell westbrook. and the trail blazers hammered their opponent. 94-75 was the final score, portland's faith straight win. in the nhl, reigning stanley

cup champions the l.a. kings beat the montreal canadiens 4-3. it was a better night for the calvary flames. they beat the boston bruins. loui eriksson leveled for boston to send the game into overtime. the winning goal 4-3 to the flames. the arizona coyotes have ended their 10-game losing streak. and it ruz chris higgins who missed for the canucks in the shootout to give arizona a 3-2 win. the chinese marshall art of wushu will try again to become an olympic sport. the sport missed out on inclusion for the 2020 tokyo games. he says the sport needs to

expand its reach and will feature at this year's all-africa games in congo. that's all of the sport for now. back to you darren. >> richard thank indeed. trust in politicians is at an all-time low after corruption scandals. now one neighborhood group is trying to restore confidence in the system. from outside of the capitol madrid, here is sonia diego. >> reporter: it may be a sleepy commuter town outside of madrid but in its own small way it has been quietly revolutionizing politics in spain. some 23,000 people live here and it has taken grassroots politics to a new level. a group of residents set up when the council decides to take matters into their own hands and formed a local party. their priorities were to make local politics responsible and

get rid of the debt. they won beating a 24-year old here. once in power they began to make necessary repairs. reduced their own wages, trimmed down expenses and got rid of their debt. all of this while most of them still held on to their own day jobs. >> we don't have an ideology. we don't have a political model. it's just like our own management. we just think that we have to manage the city as if it were a home. the same thing you do. you first do repair the -- the pipes before buying a new tv set. >> reporter: it almost seems an extraordinary feet that at a time when spain is bitterly divided between left-wing and right-wing politics that there emerges an alternative. the neighbors of this town have managed to ruffle the feathers of the main stream political parties, but it has even had newcomers on the scene taking

note. spain has a huge problem with trust in its elected officials. the latest national polls say 96% of stan -- spaniards have no trust in their politicians. regional politics has played a heavy part. 676 local councils have been found to be misusing public funds. and it goes across political parties. more and more voters are looking for ways to ring in the changes this election year. what the neighbors of the town have shown is that it can be possible even without the support of main stream political parties. all right. i'll be back at the top of the hour with another full bulletin of news. stay with al jazeera. thanks for watching.

bye for now. ♪

a top commander of the most powerful syrian rebel group has been killed in this a military air strike. ♪ hello, i'm darren jordan in doha. also on the program, peace talks between south sudan's president and rebel government adjourn without a deal. it is going to be a long and painful process, i'm afraid. and why more and more south africans are going to be left in the dark. ♪