i'm stephanie sy. the news continues next live from doha. ♪ this is al jazeera. ♪ welcome to the news hour. i'm i'm rochelle carey. cargo planes are unloaded in yemen. pakistan's parliament calls for a diplomatic solution in yemen, implying it will not play a military role. the leaders of u.s. and cuba are set to meet at the summit of

the americas. and one of the most iconic figures in cricket has died. we'll look back at his life later in the program. ♪ and we begin this news hour in yemen where the saudi-lead coalition continues to hargett houthi rebels for a 16th day. 13 houthi fighters were killed. defense ministry in sana'a was also hit. the u.n. security council is set to vote on a draft resolution which would impose an arms embargo on the houthis. and pakistan's parliament has called for a diplomatic solution. meanwhile activists have released a video on a resistance attack in the southern city of

aden the humanitarian situation is getting worse by the hour. international aid deliveries are finally arriving in yemen, but the distribution is difficult. erika pitzi has more. >> reporter: this is much-needed medical aid being unloaded at sana'a international airport. it is one of two planes that landed on friday. carrying enough medicine and surgical equipment to treat up to a thousand people. >> the first plane finally arrived after ten days and is now full of 16 tons of medical assistance, which is very needed now in yemen. we expect a second plane tomorrow, hopefully. >> reporter: late on thursday a medical team and supplies also arrived into aden by boat.

but probablily distributing the aid could prove difficult. the u.n. says roads have been cut off, and boats are being fre represented from leaving many ports. >> the situation in yemen is getting worse by the hour. conflict is now affecting 15 out of the 22 governance in the country. the situation in aden is extremely [ inaudible ] if not catastrophic. >> reporter: there are concerns now about the long-lasting humanitarian toll on the population. >> we expect in the coming weeks there to be an up surge in mall nutrition across the country. because it was already a country where [ inaudible ] population was under the poverty line. that's not going to get any better. revenues are going down cost of living is going up and

government services -- are weakened if not falling apart. >> reporter: and this attack on grain silos on thursday night near aden could worsen the malnutrition. it could have a major impact on bread supplies. forces loyal to the houthi rebels and the former president saw la, blame the saudi-lead coalition for the increase in death toll. and as the attacks continue conditions for the civilian population are likely to get worse. erika wood al jazeera. as we mentioned pakistan is stare steering clear of a military role. >> reporter: pakistan has said all along that it would take

parliament into confidence and that the people's venntives will then decide whether the saudi request for help and what way to respond to that. so after a debate they came to a conclusion that while there was no ro compromise on the defense and security of saudi arabia in the eventuality that [ inaudible ] or territorial integrity was violated that pakistan would go to any level. however, it was against military intervention in yemen saying this was a tribal war not a sectarian war, and what was needed was proactive measures to bring everything to a settlement, so the pakistanis saying they will standing shoulder-to-shoulder with the saudis if they were threatened. however, pakistan would remain neutral as far as the conflict inside yemen was concerned. at least 43 iraqi security

forces have been killed during fighting with isil in anbar provin. a new offensive will be launched soon. they are working to get sunni support before the offensive begins. charles -- charles stratford reports. >> reporter: but that struggling to defend the area against a push by isil. the fighting comes days after the military supported by thousands of shia militia took control of the city of tikrit. [ inaudible ] this is a sunni muslim from that city. despite the army saying it is safe for him to return he says he is too afraid to go home. >> translator: i can't go back to tikrit because of what we saw, the shia militia do. they entered the houses and after they a lotted them they

burned them and pretended isil did it. >> reporter: tikrit was a major victory for the government. and it is this group that some sunni residents accuse of burning homes, a lotting, and ransacking government buildings. mr. sunni muslims fled with their families to the northern kurdish region of iraq. >> translator: we are far from the actual scene we don't know exactly what is happening there, what we see on television that the shia militia has a negative impact. the family was not involved with any party, and we hesitate to go back. >> reporter: iraq's prime minister visited anbar to congratulate his troops. and he has ordered the arrest of anyone breaking the law in areas now under government control. the military says it will continue working with the shia militia. it wants to build on the victory in tikrit and push into other

al jazeera america-controlled areas in anbar province. but as the fighting intensifies, winning the trust of people like this will be difficult. indian prime minister has arrived in paris for the first leg of a three-nation tour. modi will then travel to germany and canada to discuss defense, nuclear and infrastructure development. talks in france are expected to focus on a nuclear power project and a fighter aircraft deal that has been stalled for more than three years now. phil lavelle has the details. >> reporter: modi is more than just a special guest here. he is a man france wants -- no needs, in fact to keep on their side. india is one of the world's fastest growing economies. it is a friend to france. they are allies in everything. but there are some things they

struggle to agree on. case in point, money. how much does a fighter jet really cost or a bunch of them? even between friends. france won a contract worth up to $23 billion to supply 126 combat jets to the indian air force in 2012 but the deal hit a snag when neither side could agree on pricing. there has been a resurgence in foreign purchasing of the jets in recent years after a number of failed bids. egypt ordered 24 aircraft at a $5.5 billion arms deal back in february. it was a major boost for the program, which had failed to secure a single overseas buyer since it went into service in 2001. france has already shown the world what these jets can do. most cently using them to fight isil. it needs these deals to keep competition at bay. >> we have a strong competitor

in the west and those competitors could be [ inaudible ] and then the french aerospace industry could collapse so it would make some big countries in the west having the monopoly of aircraft and weapons. >> reporter: this largely has to do with national identity. france did not go in with much of the rest of europe on its fighter plane project. it chose to go it alone. but now it is the newer friends it really needs to keep on its side if this objective national prize is to really succeed in the long term. pakistani court has freed on bail the man accused of plotting a 2008 assault on india's financial capital mumbai. zaki ur rehman lakhvi is one of seven men facing the trial over

the attacks that killed 166 people. bail was granted in december but he is now been allowed to leave police custody. india has called it disappointing. our correspondent reports. >> reporter: he is a hated man in india, but when he shows up for court in pakistan his supporters follow. india believes zaki ur rehman lakhvi planned the mumbai siege. his trial has dragged on for years, infuriating india. >> translator: we are very disappointed by what pakistan has done with lakhvi. india wants to influence relations with pakistan and [ inaudible ] should be maintained. but the recent development is very unfortunate. >> reporter: sixth -- six years on there the siege, it continues

to haunt mumbai. they killed dozens of people. nine of the ten attackers was subsequently killed. india believes it was lakhvi and his armed group that trained the gunmen. but according to his lawyer there's not enough evidence which is why he is now on bail. much of the case is based on the confession of the one attacker who survived. india executed him two years ago. the attack is a sensitive issue between the neighbors who historically have had a difficult relationship. a handshake between the two prime ministers last year, was a positive moment but the release of lakhvi on bail would prove to be a setback. coming up on the program an uphill battle for a candidate running for the presidency of sudan. and in sport someone gets a

little too close to the action at the chinese grand. robin will be here with the details. ♪ thursday was the final day of campaigning for candidates running in sudan's presidential and parliamently election. the president who has been in power for more than two decades is widely expected to win, but there are 11 other candidates also running for president. natasha ghoneim has more from the capitol on their campaign efforts. >> reporter: this man is running for president of sudan. but he independent candidate hasn't spent one day campaigning. he tried to stage a strike with thor presidential candidates at the national election commission. his goal was to highlight concerns about the elections not being free or fair. but he was the only candidate who showed up.

>> translator: i agree with people who say that the elections are rigged but i ran anyway for two reasons. to promote my plan offering practical solutions, and to throw attention to the potential of fraud. >> reporter: these three candidates did spend the final day of campaigning giving speeches. one promised if elected, he would ensure the u.s. sanctions against sudan would be lifted within a few months. there are ten men and one woman running against president bashir. but drive around the capitol, and the only campaign signs you see are of bashir. we asked this group of men at this tea stand if they could name a single candidate other than the president. no one did. only one of them was registered and none of them said they were planning to vote. most of the major opposition parties are boycotting the elections. they say with the government in

complete control of the voting process and the media, the elections will be a sham. bashir appeared before a crowd of supporters at this stadium. now in his 26th year in power, the 71 year old has shown no signs of giving up office. bashir told the crowd, we're going to draft a newest lammic constitution. society will be better with sharia law. as for mohammed come election day, he won't be voting. he hasn't registered to vote he says. natasha ghoneim, al jazeera. turn to our top story now, the war in yemen. let's go live to al jazeera's correspondent who is in saudi arabia's province a few kilometers away from the boarder with yemen. can you tell us what is

happening there at the border? >> reporter: we are at a point now that is 150 meters above sea level in one of the mountains south of the saudi kingdom. just behind me there is where the yemeni border starts and as you can see those buildings and houses are in the yemeni side of the border specifically in the province of sada. we have been talking to the locals that live in the houses and villages and they did say that the border situation is very normal and natural, but they did mention the artillery and war planes are mostly active at the late hours of the night. we also talked to some of the officials at the borders guard, and they did mention that most of their activity has been going on -- or focusing on monitoring the smuggling activity from the

yemen side to the saudi side and we spoke to a group of smugglers that had been captured and they did say that most of them were from countries such [ inaudible ] looking for -- that came through yemen to saudi arabia looking for job opportunities and a better living in saudi arabia. >> all right. an update from the saudi yemeni border. thank you very much. the leaders of the u.s. and cuba are set to come face-to-face following the highest meeting of the leaders in 50 years. obama has signaled he could remove cuba from the u.s. list of state sponsors of terrorism. let's begin with lucia in panama city. lucia, they have spoken by phone. we're just hours away now from

president obama's raul castro finally meeting. what are the expectations? what should they realistically be? >> reporter: realistically, we're expecting them to at least shake hands and be in the same room. and that is actually extremely significant. it was 53 years ago that cuba was expelled from the so-called family of nations of the hemisphere the 35 nations that make up north, south, and central america. cuba has been not allowed to take part in these gatherings. but as the latin america nations have stopped taking their orders directly from washington this became a strain in the relations. the fact that cuba is back here means this is the first time

united states and cuba can speak to each other. >> the rift between the u.s. and venezuela perhaps seems to be widening. might that overshadow the historic meeting between castro and barack obama? >> it may not overshadow it but it certainly will complete with it. there is a lot of diplomacy behind the scenes trying to bring the united states and venezuela closer together. trying to convince the venezuela president to drop his demand for a clause in the final declaration of panama which he wants all countries to sign condemning the united states for having imposed unilateral sanctions on some members of the regime. in that is still happening at this hour. the president has indicated he wants to come here and have give relations with the united states. the united states has also

softened its position by saying that venezuela is not in fact a threat 20 u.s. national security as president obama had said just a short while ago, so things may be warming up between those countries too. >> okay. lucia newman. now let's cross over to daniel in the capitol of cuba. daniel what are the expectations from cubans when it comes to this meeting between president obama and raul castro? >> well i think the cubans are probably following this event closer than they have followed any major international event for sometime. they are looking for the political break through, that's obviously very, very important. and talking to people here on the streets in the last couple of days what they are hoping to see is u.s. investment eventually. they want to see their economy built up. they want to see u.s. investment here. they want to see their lives improve in all sorts of ways

but especially economically. so they are paying a great deal of tension to what is happening over there in panama and i think it's fair to say that right across cuban society, there are really great hopes and expectations. time often seems to move slower in cuba shielded from the rest of the world by the half century long u.s. embargo. but now change is the main topic of conversation here in havana raising hopes and expectations plus some fears. >> there are technical negotiations that are very important to both nations. and that's the way to building blocks to build trust. which is one of the most important things that has been lost. >> reporter: with washington and havana talking, everyone has opinions and nowadays they are

not afraid to express them. >> translator: the most blockade. that's fundamental. that's what caused our people the most damage. >> translator: the united states must establish relations with cuba to reach an agreement. they must respect one another. >> translator: what i would like to see is better human rights more social justice and freedom of speech. >> translator: after 50 years of hostility, we will wait and see what happens. >> reporter: with the united states so close, and the cuban exile community to vocal, cubans feel like they know their neighbors, but after this weekend, they are going to get to know them a whole lot better. now it's only a matter of time until this building behind me becomes the official u.s.

embassy. but there's still a lot of work to be done. firstly, fizzle castro and his brother raul have made a virtue of surviving in the face of adversity. >> i think raul castro has emphasized that he wants a civilized relationship with the united states. and he has accepted that the united states has some legitimate interest that shouldn't be challenged. >> reporter: more than 50 years of animosity and the resentment that that breeds will not be eliminated overnight, but there is a tangible expectation these days on the streets of cuba. i think what the people here feel must happen is that cuba must be removed from this list

of states that sponsor terrorism. it has been on the list since 199 -- since 1982 sorry. and fidel castro and raul after him, since the early '90s that cuba is no longer involved in supporting any of these armed rebel groups around the world. they simply couldn't afford it during the 1990s. so they feel that is an unjustice. before any movement can happen with building up the friendship they are hoping for with the united states. back to you rochelle. >> daniel reporting live from havana cuba. thank you. huge oil reserves have been found under the united kingdom's second largest airport. it is expected to be worth billions of dollars, but only between 3 and 15% is likely to be accessible. paul brennan has more. >> reporter: the rolling countryside of england's

southern counties is about as far away as you can get from a typical image of an oil field. but there is a bonanza of black gold. >> it's like a big sponge 1,500 feet thick, with vast amounts of oil in it. with three big limestones that you can effectively suck the oil out of the sponge. >> reporter: the latest announcement focuses on the area under horse hill one, a well just two miles north of london's airport. the oil company claims by drilling deeper than previous wells, it has found new data indicating the possibility of massive oil reserves as much as 100 billion barrels might be down there. it's important to look at what the company is actually saying

in its statement, and the statement is peppered with caveats. it talks about producing more accurate estimates, and there needs to be ongoing analysis it even says possible potential resources. but nobody really knows exactly how much oil is actually here. that didn't stop their share price of rocketing on thursday up more than 400% at one point. but just a year ago, independent scientists estimated there were just 4.4 billion barrels of oil in the business sin, and there is considerable scepticism about whether predictions of 100 billion barrels are realist lick and achievable. >> you have to demonstrate that that oil in the ground can actually get to the surface, and >> reporter: meanwhile environment groups and local residents are horrified at the

prospect of a frenzy of oil prospecting. >> this is going to go on 24 hours a day. >> reporter: the enthusiasm over its own data is understandable and if accurate it would represent one of the most significant discoveries of recent decades. but talk of a bonanza of black gold at this point remains speculation. still ahead, the powerful gun lobby in the u.s. gets set to flex its political muscle. i'm reporting on what could be the legacy of the world's worst nuclear disaster. and the cricket world mourns the loss of one of the sport's most iconic voices. ♪

>> al jazeera america international news. shining a light on the untold stories. >> believe in yourself and you'll get there. >> making the connections to the bigger picture. >> shouldn't you have been tougher? >> get the international news you need to know. al jazeera america. ♪ welcome back. you are watching al jazeera. let's take a look at our top

stories right now. barack obama and cuba's raul castro have spoken on the phone ahead of the summit of the americas in panama city. the two leaders are set to come face-to-face following the highest level of talks between their countries in 50 years. pakistan's parliament has called for a diplomatic solution in yemen, but did not provide any direct clarity on whether it would actual live 2k3wi6 military support to ally saudi arabia. international aid agencies have managed to deliver over 30 tens of medical supplies to yemen. joining us live from the jordanian capitol is the deputy representative of unicef in yemen. we're about to be entering the

third week of war in yemen. the supplies are just getting there. and that's only the first part of the challenge. now you have to distribute it. so how is that process going? >> reporter: well we -- we're -- we're very pleased that we have got the health and nutrition supplies into the country. now as you say, the challenge is to distribute them. there are parts of the country where our teams are able to get out and about which are relatively safe. there are also windows of opportunity, and we have been able to get our teams out to distribute supplies. that as said we would call on all parties to halt hostilities immediately so we can better do our job and reach yemen's children. >> have there been any relief workers that have been harmed or threatened? >> so far, three humanitarian workers have been killed and this is of course a gross

rights violation, and endangers our capacity to deliver the much-needed assistance to children throughout the country. >> how much more do you need? this took as i said almost three weeks for these supplies to even begin to arrive. do you think the process will pick up now? >> well most organizations and -- and certainly unicef have a lot of supplies in the country already. the priorities that we have identified are water, safe water, and sanitation and -- and keeping the health system going. so we -- we'll be continuing to bring in supplies to keep the supply chain moving, but we -- we're confident that given the situation right now, we can continue to meet the most basic needs. having said that there are

100,000 displaced yemenese and they will need specific care. we'll be trying to reach them wherever they are. >> 100,000 people. where are these people going? >> they are going -- they are scattered throughout the country. there are certain camps where we are able to reach the yemen's most vulnerable children easily let's say. and there are a lot of displaced people who are taking refuge with their extended family. so it is a challenge to reach them. but so far our approach is to augment the existing social services as much as they continue. and provide specific assistance in the north, south, and in the west. >> all right. jeremy hopkins, thank you for

your time. in afghanistan civilians have been killed in two separate attacks. in the eastern city of jalalabad, four are dead and 11 others injured following a suicide attack on a convoy. and a roadside bomb has kill 12d people. the biggest gun lobby in the u.s. is gathering for its annual meeting in the state of tennessee. more than 70,000 people including most republican presidential hopefuls are expected to attend the convention. they have successfully blocked most gun-control proposals. tom akerman is live for us in nashville. tom, this is a place where a lot of politicians, are gathering, can you tell us who is there, but also who isn't there? because that is significant as well. >> reporter: right. well the nra has invited nine of

the perspective republican candidates so far only ted cruz has officially announced, but we expect marco rubio to also make an announcement. he'll be giving one of these 10-minute stump speeches to the gather gathered -- they will be speaking to a crowd here of people who are basically here to look at the nine acres of guns and gear that are being assembled here in the exhibit hall but also to hear these speeches, and the republican candidates are basically here to outdo each other in the kinds -- in the kind of rhetoric and commitment to the anti-gun -- or pro-gun legislation that they are dealing with. now the -- the candidates who are not here are rand paul and chris christie. and both of them officially have been -- not invited, supposedly

because of scheduling conflicts or not able to accommodate them all, but in fact rand paul's problem is he may be too extreme for the nra. he has had long-standing ties with a competing association, the national association for gun owners who consider the nra -- not purest enough too much kowtowing to the washington establishment. on the other hand governor -- new jersey governor chris christie he has been tainted with the label of not being sufficiently hard line on gun rights in -- in the state of new jersey. he has said that they have a handgun problem, and in the past he has supported some kinds of restrictions on assault rifles. so you see that these people are simply not the kind of material that the nra wants, but there is

certainly a wide enough field of candidates who will be presenting their credentials here as to why they should be the preferred nominee for the republican title come a year from now. >> all right. tom akerman reporting live from her from nashville, tennessee. thank you. video shows the moments before a white police officer in the u.s. opened fire and killed an unarmed black motorist during a traffic stop. investigators have released video from a dash cam are of the officer's patrol car. >> reporter: here on a peaceful plot of green just over the bridge from downtown charleston south carolina george knight thinks he knows the answer to a question that has been asked many times this week. would a police officer now be in custody, accused of murdering an unarmed black man, had there not been cell phone video of the incident? >> on the video you have what

the truth is. >> reporter: his cousin was shot several times by police. his body fell here. dashboard video of the incident isn't clear, but the police's account was believed by investigators. it's a similar explanation offered by police officer michael slager now charged with the murder of walter scott last weekend. but in darrell's case there was a key difference. >> no one took a video that night. >> reporter: dashboard footage has now been released. it appears to show that at no point does scott pose any sort of danger to the police officer who had stopped him, or anyone else the legal requirement for the use of deadly force, but without the cell phone video of scott being shot as he ran away

questions have been raised as to whether it could have been used to support the original police narrative that scott was the guilty party. another why at the city hall there were demands for an independent civilian police review board to be formed. >> we are going to have to police -- police the police. we will have to have an outside independent agency to -- to investigate the police department. >> reporter: but that was how it was decided that the police officers that shot darrell could resume their duties. nigh-- nigerians will head to the polls on saturday to choose state governors. our correspondent reports from the northern city. >> reporter: one of the most

powerful governors in nigeria. he presides over millions of people and controls huge resources, but most importantly, he and his colleagues across the country, have enormous influence on state and national decisions. ignoring them has cost the current ruling party a lot in last month's elections. >> it was very critical and very important. it was playing a very important role in making some checks and balances in the national [ inaudible ]. and to allow five governors to be in the party together with so many other senior officials in the government that was a huge mistake. >> reporter: and that set the tone for the crushing defeat of the ruling party. now attention has shifted to the election of governors, and the

succession battle is hot and close in many areas. so much is at stake. here in the largest state in the north, whoever gets elected on saturday will have political influence over 12 million people, but huge resources and revenues. and that's why candidates are fighting for every vote. governors who constitute one of the most influential political block have always had a high level. >> they are very very powerful. by controlling the grass root and local governments and later [ inaudible ] governments, they -- they become more like emperor emperors. what needs to be done is for the state house assembly to stand on their feet and to refuse to be

used by the state government to reduce the powers as well as reduce the moneys that were supposed to go to local government. >> reporter: but for now, nigeria's powerful governors will continue to influence the way government is run at the local and regional level, and the president and the lawmakers will have to tolerate them until the political structure has changed, or the constitution is amended. the funerals of some of the 147 people killed by al-shabab at a university in kenya have begun. mourners gathered for the buryial of a 22-year-old student. some people are still waiting to receive the remains of their loved ones. a leading researcher of ukraine has told al jazeera that

babies with heart defects related to the cher -- -- chernobyl nuclear disaster will die. >> reporter: this baby is only 3.5 months old and clinging on to life. his heart has been stopped. a machine takes over. >> without this surgery baby wouldn't have survived. >> reporter: this doctor leads what has become known as the chernobyl heart team. he says most if not all of his cases relate to the 1986 nuclear accident. >> this baby was so big, and so strange defect and not usual with a very high probability can be related to chernobyl disaster. >> reporter: after all of this

intense intricate surgery, the tiny heart is beating again, and there's now every chance this baby will survive. half an hour later and the mood is positive. >> blood pressure of baby 96 over 52. we have a good heart rate normal [ inaudible ] so we're happy. >> reporter: within an hour the surgeon who carried out the operation, leads her patient to intensive care. the doctor earns less than a taxi driver in ukraine's ung funded poorly equipped health service. she reassures the baby's mother. you can touch him she says. everything is okay. touch him. he'll feel you. >> translator: a very big thanks to those who did the operation. they have golden hands. >> reporter: they may have golden hands, but most of the funding for training and equipment has come from

overseas a charity in eyreland has been at the forefront of the effort. foreign surgeons are also flown in for more complex operations. but the doctor says that help may not be enough now. ukraine's government is making more budget cuts. >> we may start to lose kids just simply you know, we'll not -- we'll not be able to provide surgeries. life-saving surgeries. >> reporter: as this baby waits in line for the next operation, the reality is that unless there's more funding, the life-saving work here will be reduced or might even come to an end. andrew simmonds al jazeera, ukraine. the u.s. defense secretary ash carter and his south korean counterpart they are united in on their views of north korea being a continuous provocation.

north korea fired two missiles just before carter's arrival. but the u.s. confirmed it doesn't appear to be carrying out a fourth nuclear test. the recycling industry supports millions in india. those who dig through garbage to make a living are known as rag pickers. but it is encouraging a vicious cycle of addiction and poverty. >> reporter: there are no words that adequately describe the filth this man works in. for 25 years he has dug through this wasteland. he can earn up to $5 a day, collecting plastic, but he needs to be drunk or high to do so. >> translator: we have to use substance to work here and then we become addicted to them. when it gets hot and the sun hits the garbage the smell is

overpowering. >> reporter: they tolerated these conditions in the hope of unearthing a better opportunity. after years of picking through garage he set up his own recycling business. he says this tin shed is his determination to live a better life. >> translator: my life has improved 90% since i left the dumping ground. i worked very hard there. up to 18 hours a day. i made sure i even saved something from the little i earned. so i have progressed a lot. >> reporter: hundreds of thousands of people live and work where mumbai dumps its garbage, as this mountain of waste has grown, so too has the number of people who rely on it to make a living. this is a place activists say is unfit for humans to live near, let alone work in. rummaging for garage is a job

few choose to do but it's a way to make money. and because of the stigma attached most people who do it remain trapped in poverty. groups say the best way to change the community's fortunates is to invest in its young people. >> translator: we are working to ensure that the children don't follow in their parent's footsteps. >> reporter: with the little he has, he is trying to build a better and safer life for his family. his children are his best chance of leaving the dumping ground that has sustained and scarred him. and this he says, is a chance worth fighting for. coming up all of the sport, including why this belly dancer has caused controversy in a meeting of africa's football chief. robin has more shortly.

♪

♪ welcome back. it is time for sport now with robin. >> hello. it was universally respected across the world of cricket. richie benoit has died in sydney at the age of 84. >> reporter: to australians, he was the sound of summer the voice of cricket. [ cheers ] >> isn't that one of the most brilliant things you have seen?

>> those two are going to find out if they are still there. yep, he has just checked. [ laughter ] >> reporter: his commentary accompanied hundreds of matches, the one constant whether australia teams, won, lost or drew. in his day, richie benoit mostly won, he played 63 times for his country, took more than 200 test wickets, and scored more than 2,000 runs. as captain, he never lost a series. >> a run in for 5. >> the first inning's total, not very good. >> but it was after he retired from playing the game after hanging up his green hat that benoit went from sports star to legend as the king of cricket commentators. >> i think it was a disgraceful performance. >> reporter: cricket matches can be slow there are long gaps in

the action to fill. benoit was the master. his voice was mellow measured and calm. >> it has been a privilege to go into everyone's living room throughout that time. >> reporter: most important, though it quickly became familiar he was for a long time essential to the game. >> we won't miss a ball of cricket. >> richie benoit has been the voice of cricket. there would be very few australians who have not passed a summer in the company of richie benoit. >> i don't think he will be able to be replaced. i have always seen mr. benoit as the godfather of australian quicket. >> when he went public implored young players to wear cream and a cap after getting skin cancer.

but it was a car crash that would end his career. he will be remembered as a great cricketer, and an even greater commentator. >> when the australians came out to the field for that 45 minutes, it was a very nice and very -- memorable moment. cricket bosses are already trying to fight off a potential headache. they are warning players of an intolerance to match fixing. [ inaudible ] banned for life back in 2013. this latest warning follows an incident last month when a player was offered money to influence a game this season. >> whenever anybody approaches they can immediately let the concerned office know.

and action will immediately be taken. there will be zero tolerance as far as the integrity of the game is concerned. >> round two of the masters underway now. the american came in 10 under after six holes. this is the latest scorecard for you. bubba watson will start his round in the next hour. tiger woods on the course right now as well. a man has been arrested after running on to the track during practice for the chinese formula 1 grand prix. the man tried to enter the ferrari garage before being apprehended by police. lewis hamilton dominated both practice sessions on friday.

this man was unscathed after spinning his car at the end of the long back straight. the nba's western con for instance leaders have notched up another win. steven scoring 45 points. broke his own nba record for three-pointers in a season. the victory over the portland trail blazers. the red wings are headed to the nfl playoffs despite losing to the montreal canadiens. giving montreal a 4-3 win, but detroit earned a point from the game which was good enough to win a place in the post season. and interesting details are starting to emerge from cairo. we are hearing a belly dancer shook up the meeting. egyptian officials unimpressed.

they walked out during a cameo. she says she honored egypt and presented a respectable performance. but the egyptians said they were shocked at why the display was needed at such an important gathering. entertainment isn't so unusual at these meetings. >> you expect two three minute dance from a well-known group. it might have been a bit odd considering the [ inaudible ] but by no means was it unusual. she doesn't know what the fuss is about, because [ inaudible ] as well. i suppose it has something to do with the shaking of the hips. >> shaking the hips. okay. we'll leave it there. [ laughter ] >> no shaking of the hips. stay with us here on al jazeera. another full bulletin of news is straight ahead.

thanks for your time. keep it here. [ laughter ] ♪

the first medical aid flights land in yemen since saad saudi-lead air strikes began 16 days ago. goo to have you with us here on al jazeera. i'm david foster also coming up pakistan frees on bail the suspected master find of the mumbai attacks, infuriating india. a late night phone call sets the stage for the cuba and cuba and u.s.