live from doha. ♪ >> announcer: this is al jazeera. ♪ hello welcome to another news hour from al jazeera from our headquarters in doha i'm adrian finighan coming up in the next 60 minutes, saudi arabia closes schools and cancels flights in a region bordering yemen because of the fightering there. new allocations of war crimes against civilians in syria, as talks get underway to try to stop the killing. protests continue in burundi, as the constitutional court there allows the president to run for a third term.

plus -- i am andrew thomas in brisbane on how the venom from spiders like these could lead to a whole new generation of pain relievers. ♪ shelling by houthi rebels in yemen has forced saudi arabia to close all schools in the southern border region. all flights to and from the region's airport have been suspended. meanwhile saudi's king has announced the establishment of a center to coordinate humanitarian aid in yemen. he spoke in the presence of the french president. >> translator: we were able to take courage initiatives. you have committed yourselves with the syrian opposition. you struggle against daesh, and you were able to develop the idea of an idea of coalition

forces. and today france supports your operation. because it ensures the security of yemen and you know you can count on france. >> more now from mohamed vall from riyadh. >> reporter: what we heard today from the beginning of the summit until now is saudi arabia wants to ensure its leadership in the region, also the gulf countries would like to be on board in that respect. they want to show the u.s. and france and any other allies in the west that they can lead and they can have weight just like iran has weight. and all of this is framed in the context of iran being the most important issue on the table in the next meeting between the gcc leaders, and u.s. president barack obama later this month. this summit is a preparatory meeting for that and even the meeting with the french president, francois hollande and the deals in qatar and saudi

arabia are all factors for the success of the meeting with barack obama. gulf countries would like to tell the americans they have reliable allies in the region and also in europe. and they want the u.s. tous be very clear about its support for the area. the united states has shown some -- has shown some readiness to be closer to iran. that has been a source of discomfort here in the region. particularly in saudi arabia and the gulf countries, and they want to make sure when they meet with barack obama later this month to have cards to play with to have weight there to have unity to play there in that meeting. >> france's president, the first western tleerd attend a gulf cooperation council meeting today. he praised the gulf states for trying to solve multiple crises in the region. one, of course yemen.

the fighting it appears has spilled over now. saudi arabia closing schools and stopping flights in a region close to the yemeni border. >> reporter: exactly there was a major attack today by the houthis on a city in southern saudi arabia near the border, and according to reports by the saudi authorities, a school has been targeted. also a hospital and several other civilian areas. up until now we have seen attacks on soldiers near the border but not on the city itself and those civilian targets is dangerous for the saudis because they have been betting on the possibility and the capability of the saudi army to protect the kingdom itself aside from the air strikes in yemen, and achieving the goals in yemen as well. now we see this development and saudi talking about security

zones inside yemen itself for humanitarian relief. so this is a task that is getting bigger and bigger even before they can set foot in yemen, they have to protect saudi arabia itself, and that's becoming a much more difficult task. the people east of yemen's capitol sana'a have been holding out against houthi fighters. gerald tan has more. >> reporter: these men have the aim to keep houthis out. this man is defending his home and it has come at a heavy price. >> translator: four of my sons were killed. one was injured. we will fight until the last day to protect our land and honor, and to protect our country. the houthis came to our land. many members of our tribes were killed. we fought them so hard and we

will fight them until the end. >> reporter: the houthis say they are advancing on the area to flush out al-qaeda-linked fighters. but people here deny there is any such presence. still the houthis and fighters aligned with the form president saleh, gives them more clout at a negotiating table. the men here say they are determined not to let their city fall. >> translator: i'm sending my message to the houthis, you will not ak pie any of our land. and to our courageous fighters we are here to defend the country and not be fooled like the houthis have been. >> reporter: intense battles have taken place here in recent weeks. a main oil export pipeline passes through here. >> translator: my sons were martyred in a matter of an hour

or two many others were martyred as well. they died defending their land honor and country. we were attacked. we had to defend our country. >> reporter: it has been a fight to the death, but for this man and his men, one to keep. a leading human right's group say that war crimes are being committed against civilians on a daily basis in syria's second largest city. amnesty international has condemned the reliance of of -- barrel bombs. it says they killed more than 3,000 last years alone. and they are accused of using imprecise weapons such as mortars. all of this as u.n.-backed talks begin in geneva. the u.n. envoy is hoping to meet

government and rebel representatives as well as regional players, including iran. >> we must redouble efforts in search of a political process. this view is shared by the wider international community. russia helpfully refocused the attention on the political track earlier this year. there was also a useful meeting in cairo. and last week the security council fully expressed to me that another attempt to politically try to resolve the conflict should be made even if even if odds of success are indeed low. the only way is to test the willingness of the parties to narrow the gap, and if they are ready to narrow the gap. >> more now from paul brennan in geneva. >> reporter: given the fanfare

that greeted the envoy at his news conference here in geneva on tuesday morning and the media presence he was actually rather modest in setting out the aims for the next four or five weeks. he described this not as geneva three, but as consultations. he described it as not a one-off meeting, but low-key consultations. and his same to try to find out what the situation currently is in syria. he described the talks as a stress test. a reality check was another phrase that he used. what he wants to try to find out is whether there is any room at all for compromise and negotiation in a meaningful sense. he is going to speak to at least least -- 40 different syrian groups and 20 regional and international stake holders. so he is casting his net as wide

as possible in the hope of finding some ground to base meaningful peace negotiations on. but the indications are not positive. he admits himself he is not optimistic nor pessimistic, but he said he had a duty to try. ? fact he said given the situation that there currently is in syria, there is no luxury not to try. protesters in guinea fought with security forces in the capitol. at least 20 people were injured. it followed opposition lead evers calling for nationwide protests over the timing of local elections. they want the local elections to be held before the presidential election scheduled for october. burundi's constitutional court has cleared the president, pierre nkurunziza to run for a controversial third term.

but 11 people have been killed and more than a hundred have been injured in protests against him running for a third term. al jazeera's malcolm webb reports from northern burundi. >> reporter: this man says he is terrified by what is written in these letters. he says they have been pushed under the doors of people in his neighborhood at night by members of the ruling party's youth wing. he belongs to burundi's ethnic tutsi minority and the letters, illustrated by coffins and graves say tutsi women, men, and children will be killed. >> they come at night chanting songing that threaten us. >> reporter: and it's because of these threats, he says that thousands of people mostly from rural areas have fled to rwanda and congo.

people living around here told us there was a family of seven living in this house, and they left about two months ago. they sold the iron sheets from the roof of their house to get money for the bus fair to take them to rwanda. you can see some clothing and possessions they left on the floor. we met the area leader outside of the ruling party's meeting place in a nearby town. he denied they sent the letters or making threats. >> translator: this is a lie. there are no names or signatures on the letters. the opposition may be writing those letters to make us look bad, because they fear our popularity. >> reporter: whoever wrote the threatening letters seems to want to create ethnic tension. but the protests and the political standoff are not along ethnic lines. the ruling party was once a

houthi group. it now includes a small number of tutsis. this man lead another of the largest houthi groups in the civil war. he says he is against the third term and says he and his supporter's lives are in danger. >> what kind of treatment am i enduring from him and his government? >> reporter: back in the countryside this man is a member of another opposition group. he has been hiding here in a friend's life and now he is leaving for rwanda in secret. he only packs a few possessions so he can pass unnoticed. many hope this ethnic hate speech won't catch on. malcolm webb al jazeera, northern burundi.

u.s. secretary of state john kerry has made an announced visit to somalia. he met a rage of leaders including the president. more from rosiland jordan in nairobi. >> reporter: it was the first visit ever by a u.s. secretary of state to somalia. john kerry's mission on tuesday was to communicate the obama administration's support for this fledgling democracy, just three years old as somalia gets pretty for parliamentary elections in 2016 the secretary of state wanted to show the administration's support and to encourage somalia to do more to try to improve its military capacity particularly as it is trying to get rid of al-shabab, even though they are working with members of countries that have pledged to use military force to try to degrade al-shabab, they also have to deal with the fact there is no

long-term military tradition, so kerry wanted to underscore the u.s.'s willingness to help somalia develop its military capacity. and kerry wanted to deliver the message that rule of law and freedom of expression are important in any democracy, and he made it a buoyant of meeting with people who were very much instrumental to make sure that somalia has a healthy cultural environment, not just a state security environment. still to come here on the news hour a humanitarian organization releases a damaging report on israel's war in gaza. i'll explain why tunisia is no longer a departure point for migrants wanting to each europe. but it is playing a role in rescue efforts in the mediterranean sea. and thousands of protesters take to the streets to ask the

president to end the crisis in football. ♪ police in nepal say that nearly 200 people died in an avalanche that followed last week's earthquake outside of the capitol. 120 people including nepalese nationals and foreign trekkers are still missing. all hope of anyone being alive in one district has gone. andrew simmons has flown there with an army team. here is his report. >> reporter: it's a valley that leads to what was one of the most popular places in nepal. few would want to go there now. what you see below, used to be a large bustling village. trekkers from all over the world traveled here. local people made a good living out of their presence now

there's nothing left. one earthquake followed by an avalanche destroyed everything. it came crashing down the countryside completely annihilating this village. no one survived. for the recovery workers working day after day in this hard to imagine what they are going through. a spanish search team has arrived to help. so far they have only found body parts. nepal's special forces have been leading the operation here. >> there were about 180 locals here and more than 100, 150 foreign tourists. we found about 42 local bodies. ten from outside of the area and ten foreign -- foreign tourist's bodies. >> reporter: lined up in the gloom only seven bodies are waiting for identification.

nepalese and foreigners against them. they are trying to trace missing people but an normal task lies ahead, finding and identifying all of the bodies. a large number of people living here had sent their children to boarding school leaving many orphans. >> they lost their family their property, everything so it's really a shock for them. it's difficult to survive. >> reporter: the only positive here is this building still standing backed up against the mountainside. two elderly people and three children survived. they have now left leaving only the bodies and searchers behind. andrew simmons, nepal. the israeli army has told al jazeera that it investigates all credible complaints regarding the conduct of its soldiers during the war in garza last year. in that follows a report

accusing soldiers of indiscriminate fire. erika wood reports. >> reporter: in just 50 days israel's war killed more than 2,000 people in the occupied gaza strip. it's aim was to cripple hamas. but most of the victims were civilians, and more than 500 were children. on the israeli side 66 civilians and more soldiers died. damage that will likely take decades to rebuild. the group breaking the sigh loans has collected the anonymous testimony of 60 israeli troops who fought in the war. what they said paints a dark picture of israel's actions and its apparent disregard for civilian lives. >> translator: we shot at cars ambulances doing things i was

raised not to do. not to kill the innocent or shoot at an ambulance. it was like the wild west. and it was all approved by the commanders. our first rule is not to kill without reason and here i was formally told kill anything in your proximity. >> reporter: another soldier described how decisions were made about what they should target. >> translator: i remember that many times the tent commander could decide based on his personal opinion alone what target we should hit. he would give his gunner almost full autonomy and say i trust you, fire when needed. >> reporter: the group that gathered the testimonies said it wanted to tell the real story of the war. >> what we're trying to do is enlighten the public to understand what the moral price of occupation and how our wars look like. so the public would manage to understand what the real story

beyond the lies that that hear from the government. >> reporter: the palestinians have asked the international criminal court to look into the crimes. but israel accuses hamas of committing its own war crimes. the israeli army says it does its best to avoid civilian casualties. but the u.n. says seven out of every ten of those killed during the war were civilians. hundreds of rescued migrant vsz been arriving at the sicilian port. nearly 7,000 people have been rescued from the mediterranean sea over the past few days. the number of migrants risking their lives to reach european shores continues to rise in spite of the dangers. hundreds of migrants also have been pulled from the sea by tunisian fishermen.

but they have managed to prevent people from leaving its shores for europe. >> reporter: they try to reach europe by boat now they are back where they started. in africa. these people are among almost 500 rescued by tunisians since march. the u.n. is helping those from syria, eritrea or somalia, for people being sheltered are west africans. and registered as migrants. that makes it difficult to slam asylum. >> our country is no good. people from ghana have no work. that's what it is. we need help. >> reporter: tunisia is no longer an escape group for migrants that's because itsdz borders are securer, and coast

guard vessels patrol the waters but they are worried that lawlessness and fighting in libya will send more people out to sea. these fishermen are concerned too. they often end up rescuing boats in trouble. >> translator: each trip costs $5,000 but we have to stop our fishing and return to shore with lost souls. >> reporter: the european union wants to tackle the problem of migration at source mainly in africa. it plans to target the smuggling rings south of here in the -- sahara desert. they are trying to help register and process people. this is one of the few organization helping. it says europe can't outsource its problem. >> translator: it can work but there are limits. there is high unemployment here and most of these people are not happy to be here.

they want to be in europe. >> reporter: many here walked through the desert to reach libya. or some there is their second or even third failed attempt at crossing. this is why they keep trying. >> there's big difference in africa and in europe. i will watching on the telly, i be watching [ inaudible ] when you get to europe everything will be okay with you. >> reporter: they now have a choice so home with nothing, or return to libya, risking their lives again to reach a new continent. people in the united kingdom are voting in a general election in two day's time as expected domestic issues have been center stage in the complain. but britain's foreign policy has largely been out of the picture.

>> reporter: the foreign and commonwealth office in london is having some work done on it. the civil servant's work goes on hold while the politicians try to get themselves elected. there is no real surprise that foreign policy hasn't played much of a role during this election campaign. as usually, it's mostly been about the economy. but there is a question about the extent to which the two main parties continue to have a strategic vision for the u.k.'s place in the world, and the extent to which the rest of the world values u.k.'s opinion on many of these things. both labor and the conservative parties have ended up opposing a iranian-backed government in.com mass i cans while supporting an

iran iranian-backed government in baghdad. the conservatives wouldn't offer us a single politician to inter view. the labor party had this to say about its own record. >> many people talk fondly of the role that britain played in a seriesover international crises uner will tony blair and gordon brown. some mention the iraq war as a positive role. >> reporter: other policies confuse voters too, if isil is such a threat where is the u.k. shrinking its army? and spending $150 billion on more nuclear weapons? >> i'm sure an smp contingent large enough to influence thinking could help free so many people in the labor party

from the recent flirtation frankly with a tony blair new labor center right approach. >> reporter: so if you are say the palestinian ambassador to the u.k. and you know politicians want recognition of citizenings, you wonder why it doesn't work. >> there is no synchronization between the input, out put analysis. so this we cannot understand it and that's why we have become so reticent in accepting the western democracy, because it's so outlandish. it's full of con -- contradictions. >> reporter: the u.k. increasingly looking to richer countries to make investments. the question is how impressive

it still looks. still to come on the program, in one of the worst places in the world to grow up the u.n. secures a better future for children caught in conflict. we meet people in south africa determined to protect migrant workers. and dives head first into troubled waters. o will tell you why this politician took a swim at brazil's most problematic olympic venue.

>> al jazeera america international news. >> people here are worried that this already serious situation may escalate. >> shining a light on the untold stories. >> believe in yourself and you might get there. >> making the connections to the bigger picture. >> shouldn't you have been tougher? >> feeling the real impact. >> separatists took control a few days ago. >> get closer to every story. >> how easy is it for a fighter to get in? >> get the international news you need to know. al jazeera america. >> compass with sheila macvicar >> compass will challenge the way you look at the world >> a different look at foreign affairs >> talking about big subjects >> first hand... >> telling human stories >> giving you a real look at the world today.

desperate, hungry and risking it all... >> these people wanna get as far away as they can >> the migrant crisis sweeping europe, are governments turning their backs on those that need help the most? >> compass with sheila macvicar only on al jazeera america ♪ hello again you are with the news hour from al jazeera. adrian finighan here in doha. saudi arabia has been forced to close all schools in the border region with yemen. u.n. backed talks on negotiations to end the conflict in syria are underway in geneva. the u.n. envoy is to meet with

representatives over the course of the next few weeks. and dozens of israeli soldiers who fought in gaza last year have been given frank testimonies about the tactics used during the 50-day complain. it describes a policy of indiscriminate fire that lead to the deaths of innocent sieve yals. in riyadh the saad di king announced the establishment of a center to humanitarian aid. >> translator: after the operation achieved its goals, we hope the new operation, renewal of hope can [ inaudible ] parties to engage in dialogue. this will be only achieved through the imimmediate implication of revolution number

2216. >> joining us now is [ inaudible ] thank you for being with us sir. what do you make of this promise by king salmon to set up a center to coordinate humanitarian aide in yemen? >> the situation in yemen is becoming severe and the security situation is giving rise to violence across the country. there are conflictings with more than 200,000 people have been displaced. there is a need for humanitarian

coordination. there is a need for assistance in yemen as soon as possible. there is a shortage of health potable water, food in particular, and fuel which lead to the limited movement of trucks to provide aid. the numerous cuts in electric power. so yemen is in need of stabilization and security and peace agreement as soon as possible. >> the king says he is confident that all parties in yemen can be brought to the negotiating table with the help of the united nations. that's reason for optimism isn't it? >> we look for any values that will bring peace to yemen. our foremost concern actually are the security of the yemenese and the refugees and others who are in that country. we have issued a statement

calling international advisory from geneva calling on all countries to each their borders open to allow yemenese who are fleeing the violence to enter their country. we also issued an advisory warning against sending yemen ese forcibly back to yemen, because situations are not conducive in yemen either for yemenese at this point. >> all right. as far as the u.n.'s work in yemen is concerned, your department i'm talking about now, what are the difficulties that you are facing? we're hearing that the red cross and the infrastructure in yemen is making it incredibly hard not only to get aid into the country, but to get it to the people who need it most.

>> i think the most priorities and the challenges now for us my agency are basically the generalized violence the insecurity the movement of people trying to flee. the infrastructure which is destroyed, the ability to land in yemen, and also by sea or by -- by air for that matter and movement from one place to another. so the situation is really dire and there is a need for multiple humanitarian pauses or ceasefires as it were to allow humanitarian assistance to reach those who need it. yemen already was suffering from food shortages, and many of the population especially the young, under ten and under five are suffering from issues that are related -- health issues that are associated with malnutrition, so anything that can help deliver aid are very much welcome.

>> all right. good to talk to you. so many thanks indeed. egypt's military says that a security forces base in northern sinai has become under attack. it believes that fighters allied to isil may be behind the attack. there has been fighting in the sinai region for months now, and living conditions have worsened. >> reporter: this is what many billings in the egyptian towns look like. witnesses say buildings including schools were bombarded by the military on the border. the egyptian security forces have been storming areas and evacuating houses before destroying them. they want to expand the so-called buffer zone in the gaza strip. buddies buddies -- butdespite this

killings continue. in military videos like this one, the egyptian army says it has gained much ground in the sinai peninsula, and insists that many parts of the peninsula are now free of fighters who align themselves to isil. but many say the egyptian army targets those it calls terrorists. that means that basic commodities like fuel are in short supply. for months no trucks have been allowed inside. >> translator: of course there is no gasoline and even as it comes, the lines are as you see. you either stand at the gas station all day to refuel your car, or you are parked. in the black market they fill half of the gas tanks with water. we don't know what to do.

>> translator: i have been in line for eight hours, and behind me there is a line that will take another eight hours, but the curfew will beat them. >> reporter: last month egypt extends hits curfew in sinai. a lack of supply means they have to ration each driver's fuel to 20 liters. >> translator: for a while we have been suffering from a shortage of petroleum in all its forms. there is a issue of security conditions in the region as well. >> reporter: the army says it is gradually increasing its presence in areas where the violence has killed hundreds of soldiers and policemen. armed groups in the central african republic have agreed to release all child soldiers and young people working with their

forces. the deal was signed during a week long national reconciliation forum. between 6 and 10,000 children are expected to be freed. migrant workers in south africa have been the target of xenophobic attacks in recent weeks. but there have also been examples of locals protecting the migrants. >> reporter: this man said he escaped political violence in burundi and came to south africa in 2006. he was the victim of attacks lately and his restaurant was redestroyed. >> in my country if there is peace, i have to go back to my country to die where they are going to bury me nicely not to bend me. >> reporter: his wife died giving birth to their sixth child. he says he applied for political ally um here in 2006 but has

given up waiting for an answer. he has brought his family to this camp and has little interest in the government's offer to reintegrate into society. >> the government says there is a peace now and we agree with them. we went back in the community. they told us it will not happen anymore. but it happened again, twice. >> reporter: we have come to an area where he and his family used toly. the vast majority of foreigners have fled the rexenophobic attacks. we found this person close by. she came to south africa five years ago and she says she can't afford the ticket back home. >> i feel pain in my life and i can't forget. that's why i am here today. [ inaudible ] to go ma lal

which. that's why we're still here. but if i [ inaudible ]. the government is hopeful of regaining the trust of foreigners here. >> he reintegration program involving working with leaders, faith leaders, and other non-government organizations to reintegrate people. >> we have taken a decision that will be treat [ inaudible ] man anywhere a human right's culture, all asylum seekers and refugee seekers coming to our country. >> reporter: for this man, his family and many like them it's time to look for a new life elsewhere. >> still to come would manny pacquiao now be in trouble from what he concealed from boxing authorities. jo will have the details for us

in sports. ♪

>> protestors are gathering... >> there's an air of tension right now... >> the crowd chanting for democracy... >> this is another significant development... >> we have an exclusive story tonight, and we go live...

♪ the founder of facebook says that a project which aims to bring internet services to the developing world will be open to all. but internet.org has been criticized by activists in india on the grounds that it runs against the idea of net neutrality. net neutrality says all users should be treated equally. critics say that the services on the platform are getting unfair advantage over come pet fors fors -- competitors, facebook says it will open up the service

to all users, provided they encourage the use of paid services on the internet. >> do we connect that fisherman in india now? the expectant mother in ghana, and the student in columbia? do we keep pushing to connect their loved ones and their whole communities too? or do we shut them out and tell them they have to wait until they can afford to pay for it themselves. >> we now have the reaction from the indian capitol. >> reporter: activists campaigning against what they describe as the carving up the internet in india haven't responded well to facebook's latest announcement. many say it doesn't address their initial concerns which is that giants like facebook can team with up providers to determine which people can access for free and which have to pay for it.

it's simple why this is such a big issue, hundreds of millions of people are online and millions more are logging on every month because technologies like smartphones are becoming cheaper and more affordable for people across the board. but activists are worried that platforms like facebook along with telecom companies can develop a two-tier system. they are also worried that this could stifle innovation particularly the development of mobile phone apps by individuals or lessen-known smaller players. now the government and the telecom regulator are looking into the issue, but they'll have to take into account the need of consumers, the potential opportunity that platforms provide, and the commercial interests of telecom companies as well as companies like facebook. a new report is due out later

this month, could go some ways to provide clues as to how they plan to do this. >> time now for sport. >> thank you. we're hours away from kickoff in the first uefa semifinal. real madrid plays juventus. carey brown reports. >> reporter: real madrid may be the favorites, but momentum is very much on juventus' side. they are on course for the treble. carlos is in the form of his life. 28 goals this season. christiano is also coming back after not scoring in three matches as he scored his 29th hat trick for real madrid over the weekend. they are saying their key priority is to keep a clean

sheet, expected to start with the back four here tonight. football fans in indonesia have gathered outside of the presidential palace. they want the president to intervene in the standoff that has brought all football in the country to a halt. thousands marched on tuesday calling for the reinstatement of the football association, which has been suspended weeks ago by the ministry of sport. >> translator: we have come to protest at the palace because football in indonesia is dying. we are supportive of the football club. we are asking the president to use his conscience so our football will not die. >> translator: we all know football agency in indonesia are all working for big businessmen. what happens is that matches are being bought. this really worries supporters. they don't want this to happen but this is the reality. i also don't think that canceling the whole competition

is the right solution. football in indonesia is no stranger to controversy, it has faced problems with corruption security at games, and the deaths of two foreign players who couldn't afford health care because they hadn't been paid. this latest crisis is the response when the government tried to stop two clubs from playing in the top league. the season ground to a halt after two games when police refused match permits. fifa warned the indonesian government to back down but they suspended the fa anyway and now all domestic football has been canceled for the season. it has lead to thousands of football fans marching in protest, and could cause fifa to block indonesia's national team from playing.

a police chief has criticized the stadium which held world cup games there last year saying it wasn't made to handle brazilian football fans. police used stun grenades and tear gas inside the stadium, as fans fought on the pitch. the 63,000-seat stadium was rebuilt for last year's world cup, but police say it is too easy for fans to invade the pitch. no serious injuries were reported. brazil's preparations for next year's olympic games have also faced heavy criticisms with particular concerns over rio's polluted waterways. it has prompted the environment minister to take an unusual step. the went to a fully clothed swim. he was aiming to ease concerns about the water quality. around 70% of the city's raw

sewage flushes into the bay, and city officials admitted that it won't will fully clean for the games. the nearby rowing venue is also facing pollution concerns. the l.a. clippers are one up over the houston rockets in the nba western conference playoffs winning 117-101. over in the east the chicago bulls beat cleveland in their first semifinal game. derrick rose was in top form as the bulls formed to a 27-15 lead after the end of the first quarter. but kyrie irving pulled them back level. lebron james added 19 points and 15 rebounds. chicago pulled away in the final quarter for a 99-92 victory. game two is scheduled for wednesday. stephane curry has been named the nba's most valuable

player. he received 100 first-place votes out of a possible 130. he paid tribute to his father in his acceptance speech. >> thank you so much. and pops you are the example of what a true professional is on and off the court. you -- i remember a lot of your career and to be able to follow in your footsteps -- it -- it means a lot to me. the washington capitals have taken the upper hand against the new york new york rangers. they lead 2-1 in the best of seven series. game 4 coming up later on wednesday. tennis now, fourth seed survived a scare in the second

round of the madrid open. he was first set against cocoa vandeweghe but struggled against the american in the second but progressed to the second round. the fallout from the fight of the century continues. manny pacquiao could face disciplinary actions for failing to tell officials about a shoulder injury. the nevada athletic commission say they will investigate why pacquiao ticked no to an injury box in a pre-fight questionnaire. it as emerged that the filipino fought with a torn must until his shoulder for which he will undersurgery for later this week. there's more on the injury problems on our website. check out aljazeera.com/sport.

and that's the sport for you adrian. >> take a look at what is behind us. when certain spiders bite they cause excruciating pain. but their venom may be the answer to new pain relief medicine. >> reporter: spieders scientists in australia think venomous species could hold the key to developing a new generation of pain-relieving drugs. tarantulas are being milked. >> we put them to sleep a little bit first by making them cold and exposing them to carbon dioxide, that makes them a little bit sleepy. >> it's delicate work for tiny amounts of liquid. a single spider can be milked

every two weeks for about five years. in that time the total venom collected is about 3 milliliters or half a teaspoon full. but that's all that is needed because spider venom is exceptionally potent. >> i cannot think of in addition as chemically complex in nature than spider venom. >> reporter: within the chemicals are some that effect the nerve system blocking the channels that deliver pain signals to the brain, working out exactly which molecules do it could revolutionize pain relief for people. mandy nielson has suffered pain for years. doctors say it is simply chronic pain. hundreds of millions suffer from similar. they can't take anesthetics or drugs like morphine because long term the body develops a tolerance to them.

and the side effects can be debilitating. that leaves people in pain without a prospect of getting better. >> to think that you are going to live with that forever, it's not surprising that people can become quite suicidal. suicide thoughts are not unusual, so to have some hope there that things may be better that can just be enough for people to keep going forward, i suppose. >> reporter: the spider research is in its early stages. but scientists have narrowed down a few molecules. isolate exactly which molecules do the job, and bioscience may be able to replicate them artificially. these spidermen could be superheroes. and that's where we end this news hour. stay with us on al jazeera,

felicity barr here with more on today's stop stories.

saudi arabia closes schools and can sells flights in a region bordering yemen because of the fighting. ♪ hello, there. this is al jazeera live from london. also coming up. new allegations of war crimes against civilians in syria, as talks get underway to try to stop the killing. new protests in burundi where the constitutional court have cleared the president to run for a third