announcer: this is al jazeera. hello, welcome to the newshour, i'm martine dennis in doha. coming up in the programme - world health officials warn more people will be infected with the m.e.r.s. virus. in south korea 14 have died so far a second massive data breach in the u.s. hackers target intelligence as military personnel back to iraq - former u.s. soldiers who volunteered to join the fight against i.s.i.l.

plus a man who wants the first head transplant and a surgeon who mace -- says he can do it. first, we start with news from pakistan. reports of air strikes in north waziristan. the pakistani military says 20 fighters have been killed near the afghan border. it's part of an operation launched last june against the taliban and other armed groups in the area. kamal hyder join us on the line, outside islamabad the capital. tell us more about the provision. >> well, as you mentioned, these were air strikes, and the air strikes have continued over the past few months but this particular air strike transpired

after intelligent support. after the military last june which is almost 11 months ago, most of the population of north waziristan was forced out. and many of the fighters who were involved in attacks across pakistan also into other areas, tribal areas, village, across the border into afghanistan. but these pockets along the border and difficult terrain and the military using their cars to target the hideouts. >> the military seemed to be certain as to the number of fighters killed in the operation. do we know anything about civilian casualties in this? >> most of the civilians, as i mentioned, almost a million people, fled the military provision. they, too, have gone. it's difficult to confirm the

exact numbers of casualties, because the figures are coming from the military. however, the civilian population leaving the area suggested they know what they are targetting kamal hyder, thank you. our correspondent talking to us from outside the pakistan capital, islamabad now to across the boarder in afghanistan, and the taliban attacked a police compound. 20 officers were killed in a gun battle in helmand province, 10 fighters were killed. afghan security forces are suffering record casualties. more than 5,000 reported to have been killed this year. the world health organisation warns of more people infected with middle eastern respiratory syndrome or m.e.r.s. since the outbreak in south korea, 138 cases have been confirmed, and at least 14

people have died. richard thom set reports. >> reporter: at this market in seoul, they have brought out the big guns in the fight against m.e.r.s. the government repeatedly called for calm. as fear of contamination spreads few are listening. shopkeepers say many customers are simply staying away. >> translation: sales have dropped by 40 to 50%. not many are walking around. kids are hiding at home. >> the numbers of people have gone down significantly. i hope the m.e.r.s. situation is solved soon, so that our business improves again. >> reporter: on friday the south korean president visited the heart of the m.e.r.s. operation, along with a team from the world health organisation which later gave this warning... >> the outbreak has been large and is complex. more cases should be anticipated. because of this the government

should remain vigilant and should continue to intensify disease surveillance and prevention measures until the outbreak is over. >> more schools have been shut as a precaution. close to 3,000 have now closed their doors. earlier the health ministry said the outbreak was coming under control with four new cases reported on friday. with the announcement of fourth generation infection, an ambulance driver, is a worry. and with the governments warning citizens travelling to south korea, seoul is bracing for economic fallout. earlier this week the central bank cut the key interest rate to an unprecedented 1.5%. for now though, the priority remains, containing the spread. the next few days could be crucial in determining whether the worst is over we'll go live to talk to world health organisation's

spokesperson alison clements hunt. how worried are you by this fourth generation infection. >> in fact the case that you are referring to it's still a case retting to a patient relating to health care. it doesn't really break the pattern of what we are talking about. we are not talking about a case that spreads, related to health care facility, a health care pick-up. >> you're concerned the south korean health authorities are doing the right thing in containing the virus. >> the south korean health authorities are taking on all the recommendations that the w.h.o. recommended. and we are cautiously optimistic that we are seeing a decrease in new rates of infection. we have to remain vigilant and

are encouraging the authorities to continue to strengthen infection. >> there must be a lot of pressure on you, the w.h.o. given the criticism that you have endured during the ebola outbreak at its height and, in fact, the apology that you, as an organization had to issue for not acting quickly enough. >> we are really pleased at the korean authorities, that they have asked us to come in and help out. this is a virus, and we need to share what knowledge and experience years we had to find the best way to respond to it. we have responded since the beginning, we are looking for health and support. >> are you confident that you have called it right. you have identified the nature and severity of this outbreak of m.e.r.s.

viruss by their nature they have to be vigilant. we see, we know from previous outbreaks with m.e.r.s. that this is mirroring. it's mirroring previous outbreaks. we know the measures put into place can stop the outbreaks. >> are you in a position to tell us how much more cases you would expect to occur. your colleague in seoul points to the fact that there will be more. >> yes. in order for the prevention measures to have a difficult impact, it will take time. this was a new virus for the country. the first virus moved around. it's complex, as the doctor said, it's a complex outbreak. however, we are confident that yes, there'll be some more cases until these controlled measures are completely having their

impact, but ultimately this will bring an end to the outbreak. >> okay. thank you very much indeed. thank you for talking to us. alison clement hunt, thank you very much, indeed. now, shots have been fired at the police headquarters in the u.s. city of dallas in texas. a shoot-out began when a number of suspects pulled up to the building in an armoured fan and started firing. a suspect fled the scene. a bag of explosives was found nearby prompting the area to get evacuated. this is a situation we are getting more news on, we'll bring you details on it when they come to us. a u.s. investigator say there has been a second breach of sensitive data related to government employees. last week it was revealed that the data of 4 million people could have been compromised. in both cases washington said

chinese hackers could be involved. john terrett reports. 24 hours after the biggest federal employees union warned in a letter to the obama administration that last year's hack of fedaral employees was wider than led on comes confirmation that may have been a deeper breach. white house spokesman josh ernst saying there was a separate intrusion, affecting a different part of office of personnel management systems and data. >> at this stage i don't have details about the ongoing investigation. >> reporter: a senior administrator tells al jazeera a newly revealed hack may have targeted forms government workers fill out to qualify for security clearances, information about mental illness, drug and alcohol use, arrests and bankruptcies. the apparent breach and the one revealed earlier could add up to 14 million federal record compromised. on thursday, they wrote to the -- the biggest american trade

union, the american federation of employees wrote to the administration accusing them of hiding behind the criminal investigation as a reason not to give out too many details. ernst is adamant protecting government systems is a big task given the size of the databases involved. >> protecting the computer networks of the federal government is a daunting challenge and it does require the federal government to be nimble, something difficult when you talk about an organisation this large. >> in thursday's letter union boss wrote: he backed his accusation up with specifics saying social security numbers, birthdates, personal and pay history, life insurance and pension information has been stolen. the row spread to capitol hill,

with terse changes between majority leader mitch mcconnell, and minority leader harry reid in the senate over who is to blame for the hack. reid saying for the first time it may have been the chinese. german investigators closed their inquiry into the alleged tapping of german chancellor angela merkel's mobile phone. the n.s.a. was accused of tapping her phone data. german prosecutors have been unable to find evidence that would stand up in court. u.s. transferred six yemeni detainees from guantanamo to yemen. so mar president obama transferred more than half the detainees in guantanamo bay, and campaigned for the presidency on a promise to shut down the facility. but there are 116 people held there. the u.s. send military advisors

to iraq, but ruled out deploying combat forces. there are, however a few former u.s. soldiers believing that they should be on the ground fighting the islamic state of iraq and levant. zeina khodr spoke to some of them this southern kirkuk. >> reporter: they once fought in iraq. years later they are back. this time they are here on their own. these men used to be in the u.s. military. a few months ago they came to the north as volunteers, to help the iraq kurds fight the islamic state of iraq and levant, and brought their experience with them. >> so you can guarantee that this field is laden with i.e.d.s, they utilize ghosts a lot, what we call ghosts hidden snipers, they could be out here in the trees, in the bushes or crawling up to us now. >> reporter: they are a small unit but the kurds welcome any

help they can get. that's what the former soldiers say they want to do. >> i just thought it was the right thing to do. i saw a lot of atrocities via the news the slave trade. i found a group helping to facilitate the travel of westerners called frame. it's disbanded, but pretty much is a group i utilised to get here. >> reporter: since arriving they have come face to face with their new enemy and experienced a deadly force. >> they have a lot of volunteers a lot are prior military service. they understand flanking, basic military tactics. >> reporter: the men have military experience but don't have the weapons to match i.s.i.l. the arms they carry are good for urban warfare, not a battlefield like this where it is open to rain. >> this is good for 200 meters.

these are good after four, if you have a nice one. >> reporter: the volunteers operate in southern kirkuk. this sector is controlled by the patriotic unit of kurdistan. one of the two kurdish parties in northern iraq. the volunteers are not welcome on other front lines much the iraqi government doesn't want foreign groups on the ground. this doesn't concern the men. for these volunteers they say it's not a job, a duty. they say the islamic state of iraq and levant is a danger to the world, not just iraq. the u.s. has been bombing i.s.i.l. from the skies, and has ruled out deploying combat forces as part of a strategy to defeat the group. the americans on the ground don't represent the government, but say their presence is a message that troops are needed if the war is to be won the body of tariq aziz

arrived in jordan before his funeral. there were reports the remains of the former iraqi deputy prime minister and foreign minister had been snatched at baghdad airport. iraq's aviation authority says missing documents caused the delay. many members of azis's family live in jordan. saddam hussein's former right hand man who had a heart attack at the age of 79 was facing possible prosecution for his role in the brutal dictator's regime allegations of human right abuses to be investigated. tamil families say they still don't know what happened to their families. their story coming up calls for a night time curfew in aceh to be lifted against women

and a nazi symbol appears on a pitch during a game - the football world in trouble again indonesia says australia would have stooped to a new low if allegations that it paid people smugglers to turn back are found to be true. >> it was revealed that they were told to turn back in return for $5,000 each they received. this is part of an investigation they are being investigated for people smuggling. the australian prime minister tony abbott, neither confirmed for denied the report. when asked he said beats have -- boats have been stopped by hook or by crook.

but refused to say if the allegations are true. meanwhile thousands make the dangerous journey, as andrew thomas reports. >> reporter: the islands in off thailand's west coast are exquisite. this is no joy flight. the captain is flying a team over the andaman sea looking for boats of trafficked migrants. in mid may, thailand was criticized for pushing back rohingya boats. helicopters dropped them food, but would not let them land on shore. under international pressure, thailand promised in future a better response, air patrols started and the thai navy based a large ship off shore ready to recover any immigrants. >> when boats were found you in the andaman sea there was thousands floating out there. thailand's navy has been sending two helicopters and two planes on patrol of every day since, and so far have not found any

other vessels. at least not ones with migrants visible on deck. this is though, a busy sea. every fishing boat has to be checked near impossible given each care craft flies for two hours each day. that, though, the captain insists, is enough. >> if there are the migrants out there, that the rumours suggest, and if they come through thai waters, we'll find them. so far we have not seen anyone. >> reporter: this is a woman's shelter, last november this woman was tricked to leaving her children in myanmar and getting on a boat. with a promise of work. in fact, she says she was kidnapped. after five weeks at sea, she was held for a ransom she couldn't pay in a jungle camp on the thai malaysian border. some died. she managed to escape.

my experiences in myanmar, my journey on the boat and at the jungle camp was horrific. i feel like a free person. >> june marks the start of a stormy season here. that may be why the thai government thinks fewer boats are taking to the sea. but it says systems are in place if boats come again. for desperate humans, it has a humane response. sunday we'll continue our special "desperate journeys" coverage out of asia. scott heidler will report from northern thailand where he found rohingya people crossing into the country from myanmar. sunday on al jazeera. women in indonesia are protesting against a partial curfew imposed in banda aceh. women who work in certain industries must go home by 11:00pm. the provincial government wants

to protect women from harassment. from banda aceh, we have this report. >> sharia police are on patrol in aceh, the only province in indonesia that adopted islamic law. women are reprimanded for being outdoors after 9:00pm, unaccompanied by family members or husbands. unmarried couples are given a last warning for kissing in a park. these patrols are a common sight since islamic law, was introduced in 2001 violators can be punished. punished by caning in public like these unmarried couples recently caught. for the major of banda aceh, existing regulations it not far enough. she issued a ban on women working or visiting night spots after 11:00pm. >> translation: after 11:00pm places of entertainment are quite dangerous.

there are many problems. we have adopted islamic law, we need to implement it. if women work later than 11:00pm, it's not effective. by that time women should be able to rest. >> this person works as a cashier in a cafe, can't afford to rest at night. like many other women in banda aceh, she needs to do night shift to earn money to support her family and parents. >> i'm trying to make a living. i have a decent job. i think the government should look at what we women are doing, what work we do. >> despite the risk of being caught by sharia police, she is in no position to give up night shift according to the new regulations her employer can lose his licence if islamic law was introduced 20 years ago. since then, the main people are women who punished for wearing a wrong clothes.

now they can't work at night and are reprimanded if they stay out late. advocators for women's rights will ask the government will implement a fair version of islamic law. they say because the regulation has been issued in the name of religion, only a few women dare openly to protest. >> translation: this regulation has to be withdrawn. the national government should be firm about this. it's against the constitution. don't let it happen, it can be implemented in other parts of the country. all in the name of islamic law. which is a wrong interpretation. >> government ministers in jakarta want to review the regulations in aceh. while aceh has regional autonomy, laws and regulations issued by the province can't contradict the country's constitution. >> translation: i will

coordinate this with the head of women in parliament in aceh to review. it is discriminative. many work at night. they need to review this. i'll discuss it with the home minister because it's not the only regulation. in aceh violating gender equality. >> reporter: nearly midnight in banda aceh. while not all women are obeying the mayor's regulation, most cafes are filled with men only. many are hoping that the government in jakarta will reverse the mayor's decision, and allow them to work and move around at night as they used to. >> let's go to johannesburg, and the african union peace and security council is meeting, talking about the crisis in burundi and south sudan. and will talk about the continental free trade area, which is a trade agreement that they are hoping to finalise. we can go live to the northern suburbs of johannesburg.

and join our correspondent who is there for us. >> well negotiations around that continental free trade agreement are expected to begin at the african union summit on monday, and they are looking at incorporating countries and economies from across the continent to allow for increased growth and development and integration. to discuss this further, we are joined by the african union trade commissioner. welcome to al jazeera. now, looking at this you have 54 countries across the country wanting to be incorporated into the trade's commission. you have unequal economies. how do you think you get them on board? >> the benefit of what it will bring to the consinent. whether addressing the challenge

of youth unemployment, the issue of migration, a movement of talent from one country to another. the potentiality of attracting big investment to deal with the infrastructure project. therefore it will not be easy. they are different. we have source-rich countries. we understand the issues and the benefit of the contain anticipatal areas early, and will move ahead with the area. >> you are pushing for a freed trade pact to be discussed in the coming weeks. one of the issues that has come up is of agriculture. much of the states in agriculture depend on the sector. lowering their barriers how do you imagine of getting them on board in terms of possibility of job losses. >> in my view there'll be no job losses. yes, it's true we have

potentialities in agriculture, when we have a pre paid zone, it will encourage transformation and that will diversify the economy, and we talk about trading as opposed to trade in commodities. we think it will help to diversify the economy. as opposed to commodities. >> 2017 is an ambitious launch state. do you think it is feasible. >> it's feasible. our head of state and government are determined to move forward. we have a solid solid background. a basis for that. we have an eac composed of 26 countries, launching on 12 june. very a strong basis, which is 15 countries, they have free movement of people, a common identity. i think that it's feasible for

us. we do understand the potential untily of this. we understand that this is challenging, but we will prevail. >> thank you for your time. we are speaking to the trade commissioner at the african union, looking at negotiations in the coming week around the continental free trade agreement. >> thank you very much. that report from johannesburg robbie is here with me. it's raining in amman, i understand. >> yes the remains of the cyclone, which was well forecast. started to come in last wednesday. the first sites were the waves lapping gapes the sea walls. now, it came in did well, well worn, the authorities say get your candles in just prepare for it. it doesn't look like a storm. it falls apart completely and a streak of cloud now. 53mm of rain from recorded doesn't sound much.

this rain fall is focussed in certain places. as a result you get flooding. it's a rescue effort necessary. even because only 53mm. that was not the wettest play by a long way. more rescue effort here. muscat didn't get a lot but the i would further south got a lot of it. that is a fast amount of rain torents running down the wadies which is normally dry. it gives you a flooded outlook, which you could do without. it is raining, not everywhere. but along the coast, and for the next two days raining probably along the coast. >> thank you. more to come on the newshour including black or white. a civil rights activist accused

of lying about her facial identity. we report from the site of an ill-fated invasion as cuba prepares for a highly anticipated tourism boom. and find out how one australian bowler wrote him into the history books. raul has the details in sport.

hello again you are with al jazeera. a reminder of the top stories on this newshour. pakistan's army says 20 fighters

have been killed by air strikes in north waziristan as part of an offensive against the taliban, launched last year the world health organisation is warning of more people being infected by middle eastern respiratory syndrome or m.e.r.s. since the outbreak in south korea began last month, 138 cases have been confirmed, and at least 14 people died. u.s. investigators say there has been a second breach of sensitive data relating to government employees. the office of personnel management was again the targets. nearly 14 million federal records may have been compromised okay. let's talk more now about our top story, the war in pakistan's north waziristan. the army claiming 20 fighters have been killed by recent air strikes. we can talk to a retired general, joining us from islamabad. thank you for talking to us. tell us about this particular

operation, and the military claiming that they've been successful in killing 20 fighters. >> yes, they have been claiming and these are accurate claims in most cases. i think most of the northern area waziristan has been cleared. there is about 10-15 perps in the area which remains under the partial control of the militants. there is some other militants which reside there. pakistan has been trying to sustain and clear the area. the toughest area is the one they are operating at the moment. when they get accurate intelligence reports, they use the air strikes and are particularly about that. they know if in the lives are lost, it will have serious

repercussions. at the same time they would like to sort of succeed in ground operations. this is in order to soften the area, and this is a valley which is the toughest nut to crack at the moment. they have been successful, and we hope in a month or two they'd be able to completely clear that area and it also depends on how, on the ordinary side of the border, the situation, if that is under the control of one government and the force, that would be helpful. that is not the case as of now. >> can i ask you of the renewed commitment by the pakistan military and intelligence agencies to not tolerate any presence of armed groups within pakistan territory, pause, of course, in the path pakistan has been accused of allowing the operations of some groups, and not others.

is there now consensus in that they will route out the armed groups. >> that is a good question. there has been doubts in the past. pakistan has been categorical that it will not tolerate other groups especially the ones that are amicable to afghanistan. the taliban and other networks. at the statement i would say honestly that it is not as harsh towards them. i think it tried to push them out, rather than launch a military provision, because it feels that these groups will continue to have a sway in the areas which is the pakistani border and not engage militarily, and get into a

conflict where the own operations against the taliban, pakistan, which is indigenous will be affected. at the same time there has been an equal tate ichange as far as pakistan's position is concerned. and that is so you know it's with the civilian government and the new military leadership which is committed to improving its relations with afghanistan, and the basis of that is that we will treat your enemy as our enemy. >> okay. thank you very much. interesting to talk to you. thank you. >> thanks. >> now to sri lanka, which has paid a heavy price for his 26 year war. figures on the casualties vary but the u.n. says 40,000 lost their life. of this half were civilians, the figure is disputed as the final four months of the war was particularly bloody. estimates of civilian casualties range from 6,500 to 20,000.

the economy also suffered. a 1998 study calculates that the conflict wiped 1.5% off g.d.p. many economists believe this to be higher, putting the total cost at around $200 billion. sri lanka's new president has promised to investigate allegations of war crimes and human rights abuses during his campaign and made the pledge. and as reported five months later, families of those who died and who remain missing say they are waiting for answers. this woman lost two sons during the war. a third is missing. he is in a photograph taken at a military center for tamil tiger fighters. she is yet to find him. >> translation: i lost my reason

to live in the last stages of the war when my youngest son went missing. i'm just a shell. looking for my son is keeping me alive. >> reporter: she told al jazeera that speaking out landed her in prison for a year, and she's now trying to set up home again, and get her 13-year-old daughter out of an orphanage. she lost three grown children. her son-in-law was a member of the tamil tigers. she says he handed himself in to the military at the end of the war with her daughter and two grandchildren. they have not been seen since. >> translation: this government must tell us where they are. they surrendered to the military. i think they are being held somewhere, and we must be told the details. >> reporter: six years on, the need to know has not faded. some were abducted. others went missing during the chaos of fighting. and up to three busloads of

tiger fighters are reported to have surrendered to the army at the end of the war. knowing what happened to their loved ones, whether they are alive or dead is vital for people here. experts say it's a central part of the healing process. >> reporter: the professor worked among the war survivors for more than 20 years, finding out the truth is important. >> we need to look at the event that is disturbing them. until we can have a public hearing process, i think it is vital. the united nations enforced involuntary disappearances a due to visit the country in early august. a new government in colombo, one showing itself to be more sensitive to the needs of the tamil people sparked hope. the truth of what happened during the final stages of the

conflict will be known let talk to a researcher at the center of policy alternatives in the sri lankan capital colombo. thank you for talking to us. five, six months in how is the president doing with regard to a promise to work out the problems between the senna lease majority and the tamil minority and other groups. well the president came in with a reform agenda area and a 100 day plan. we have gone beyond a 100 day plan, and are left with some of the promises made at election time. what we saw is some changes like the amendment to the constitution. there's so much more that needs to be done such as releasing detainees, releasing more land. there was land released in

march, but there is many more areas still occupied. so there's much more that is needed from the government. >> sorry to jump in. there seems to be two stages to this. one stage seems to be dealing with the final months particularly of the civil war, which, as our reporter point out in her report needs to be dealt with before sri lanka can move forward. secondly you have the larger questions of the marginalization of the tammize, the tam ill population in sri lanka. is he going about it in a methodical way? >> well, there's actually nothing we have seen in terms of looking at the past violations. the government the president himself promised a credible domestic process a mechanism that needs to look at what happened during the war, not just the last statement, but looking at the decades of fighting.

what the president said a few weeks ago is that mechanism would be in place in june. we are yet to see what this is. but we hope that this process of truth, justice, accountability will happen soon. but happening soon in ha consultative manner that sri lankans should be part of the process. it shouldn't be a process that the government introduces to keep critics happy. >> also a misty upham team is coming in. that has a positive development, hasn't it. >> yes. one of changes with the government is its engagement with the international community as well as with the united nations. since the government came in we had various coming in to sri lanka, looking at human rights and past violations. the works group is supposed to come early august and hopefully this happens, because i think

it's an important issue to address disappearances. there is a present commission looking at missing persons, which received 21,000 complaints and shows the scale of the problem. what we say is there has to be an independent investigation, yet to commence in sri lanka. >> okay for now, thank you very much indeed for talking to us here at al jazeera. we look forward to talking to you again. a few months down the line so we can check progress in sri lanka. thank you now to mexico where the supreme court ruled it's unconstitutional for mexican states to bar same-sex marriages. gay marriage is illegal in some parts of the city. under the rule ag gay couples in other regions will have to apply to courts individually to have marriages recognised. a woman that worked in a prison the u.s. appeared in

court, charged with helping two convicted killers escape in new york state. 51-year-old sewing structure joyce mitchell pleaded not guilty. the convicts used power tools to get out of a high security prison last weekend. the prison employee has been accused of smuggling contraband into the facility and faces charges that good lead to a 7-year gaol term. >> a prominent still rights activist has been accused of lying about her identity. she claims to be african-american, her own family says he's right. rob reynolds reports. >> a prominent activist has been >> rachel is the 37-year-old leader of the spokane washington

chapter of the n.a.a.c.p. an african-american civil rights organization. she's been thrust into the spotlight by her parents, who told reporters that their daughter is not ethnically african-american. >> she knows it's false. she told herself, as well as others, this erroneous identity of hers, enough that by now she may believe it's the truth. television "talking heads" pounced on the case. social media lit up. but many scholars that studied race and identity had a different reaction. >> so what. i mean, seriously, unless this woman has done something that is harmful and detrimental to her family and her community, from what i read about her, she is doing extraordinary things. by the way the n.a.a.c.p. was founded and run by whites and blacks. >> exactly why and when she presented herself as black is not known. she attended the historically black howard university on a

scholarship, was married to an african-american man and teaches afrikaana studies at a local college. she listed herself as black on a job application. >> united states has a perverse relationship with race, it is so, so fraught. one of the things that this entire event does is expose how ludicrous the social phenomenon has been. it's had harmful effects, incredibly detrimental effects to our society. we make fun of it. we make light of it. and here is someone who exposes how situational, how contextual the notion of race can be and voluntary identity can be. >> reporter: the n.a.a.c.p. issued a state support aring her saying we report her privacy in

this matter. one's racial identity is not a qualifying criteria for n.a.a.c.p. leadership latest reports from washington say an announcement is expected next month to reopen the u.s. embassy in cuba. the thaw in diplomatic relations follows more than 50 years of cold war and the in famous bay of pigs invasion. as nick clark reports, repaired relations could many a second invasion. >> reporter: there are beaches like this across the caribbean, here nothing looks unusual. this is an infamous stretch of coast. it is a bay of pigs emblazoned on cuban identity. >> in april 1961 mercenaries landed here aiming to reverse

castro's ruling. it was a failure. it bolstered fidel castro's position and set the scope for the cuban missile crisis. it's a victory marked across the island. signs of the intense animosity lit a cuba. this one says the first defeat of yankee imperialists. you have to wonder how this new relationship will develop. at the museum tourists looked back on one invasion while the ireland braces for another. they reckon 2 million u.s. tourists will descend on the island as soon as the door is open. for those in the business, an immense opportunity arrives. >> the u.s.a. will be the first trading partner of cuba in the next 10 years when things get better. >> imagine not only a flood of

american tourists, but american investment in the tourist infrastructure, for example. we don't call them imperialists any more. it will be good not only for me but the cuban economy. but it's a big challenge for cuban operators, turist operators, we have to be ready. >> already, numbers of men tourists are pick -- american tourists are picking up. >> money rules, eventually i think it will be american. i don't think there's any way you can stop it if the government joins. >> reporter: things moved slowly in the 54 years since the bay of pigs incident. now, suddenly cuba has to work out how to defend its identity and embracing the benefits brought by a modern day american invasion. >> time for the sport.

>> croatian's football federation has to apologise after a swas sticker pattern supported on the pitch. the design was visible during the first half of the game a game played behind closed doors following another racial incident. ground staff tried to fix the incident. the match finished one apiece. >> translation: what we know so far is some chemical was used, which had been plied on the pitch between 24 and 48 hours prior to the game. so that it would be visible during the max. the timing was perfect. we tried to fix this during the half-time break. we tried to notify u.e.f.a. it was an act of sabotage and felony which we condemn and call on the police to find the felon. this is a disgrace for football and the country

that 1-1 result means italy is second in group 8. two points behind croatia. iceland leap frocked the czech republic. netherlands won, but are five behind iceland. whales lead group b. beating belgium 1-0 thanks to a first-half goal from margot bailet. bailet. -- gareth bale. >> once we got the goal it gave us something to hold on to. we weren't pretty. we defended. we were not going to say belgium, you can do what you like you are a great team we'll say we are going to ask you questions and a goalless draw was booed. brazil came closest to scoring. but hit the post. bolivians hadn't won a much in

18 years. world cup finalists begin their campaign later on saturday. they tick on paraguay. martina led paraguay to the semifinals. he has the enviable task. sergio gonzalez or tevez. >> the chosen number nine must have the same qualities. all had several skills to start. the good thing is one will play and will be 50%. any of the other two will be the other 50%. looks like i'm taking this decision as a joke. i'm not, it's hard, fair but one will be left out. >> defending champions in that group. they play jamaica. they are without luis suarez for the tournament, due to a ban for biting.

jamaica and mexico have been invited to play at the copa before playing at their own tournament, the c.o.n.c.a.c.a.f. world cup. there has been a score line switzerland beating ecuador 10-1. fabian got the fastest hat-trick for the swiss, taking 5 minutes to get three goals in vancouver. ramona bachmann netted a treble. ecuador team cotton the score sheet three times, despite a first-ever goal. she put would into her own net. >> japan are the first team through to the knockout staples, topping group c after recording a second win in a row. beating cameroon. >> united states top of group d. despite being held to a goalless draw. one fan didn't appear to be too excited ahead of that game in

the group between australia and nigeria. she'd see two goals, in a 2-0 victory for australia. and they move up to second in the table cricket and australia taking control of the second test against the windies. stein smith reaching 199 on day 2. helping to reach a first-innings total. smith has 500 in his smart text matches, crumbling in response. nathan lyn made history taking three wickets, making him become the most prolific test off spinner with 144 victims. tennis rafael nadal through to the mercedes cup, beating bombitch to get there -- bombitch, who -- bernard tom itch. nadal beat him in three sets and takes on gael monfils in the

last four brooks leads at the halfway stage at the classic in memphis. the american is 9-under bar. phil mickel son six shots adrift. looking to win the us open having been a runner-up there six times. bubba watson is not playing, and has been preparing for the u.s. open in his own way. look at this putt. the americans showing fine form on the greens ahead of a second major of the year. watson with two masters titles to his name. if he puts like this next week you can add a u.s. open to the list. amazing stuff. >> thank you very much. >> an italian surgeon plans to perform the first human head transplant in two years time and has his first volunteer. >> reporter: valerie suffers a terminal muscle wasting disease.

he want to save his life and make medical history by being the first person to undergo a head transplant. >> i think i will get rid of the limits which i have today. and i will be more independent. and this will much improve my life life. >> reporter: this surgeon wants to transplant his head on to another body in two years, and came to a medical conference in annapolis in maryland to ask for american scientists for help turning it into practice. >> i made the announcement when i was sure i could do it. the chances of this working are 90%. of course there is a marginal risk, i cannot deny that. >> the patient and the donor's body would be cooled to extend

the time cells could survive. the tissues around the neck would be lined together the the spinal cord would be severed. the recipient's head moved to each body and the spinal cord fused. the blood vessels would be stitched together. the patient kept in a coma. the proposal by some has been called a hoax. >> several professors criticizes the doctor's work. there was criticism for the first heart transplant as well. now it's commonplace. >> reporter: he says he may struggle to get ethical approval to carry out the operation in the west. implications are enormous, the same are the challenges. the same can be said of past operations pushing the bounds of science. >> now if you want more on that

story, or indeed the rest of the news you can go to the aljazeera.com website. >> 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... >> i've been asked to keep my voice down cause we are so close to the isil position >> who is in charge, and are they going to be held to accout? >> but know we're following the research team into the fire >> they're learning how to practice democracy... >> ...just seen tear gas being thrown... >> ...glad sombody care about us man... >> several human workers were kidnapped... >> this is what's left of the hospital >> is a crime that's under reported... >> what do you think... >> we're making history right now... >> al jazeera america >> best selling author james patterson >> i don't work for a living it's play for me >> his rise to fame and fortune... >> the was a lot of luck involved. >> engaging a younger audience. >> a lot of kids don't think reading books is cool... >> and why novels are a key to

success. >> education is the future of the economy. >> every tuesday night. >> i lived that character. >> go one on one with america's movers and shakers. >> we will be able to see change. >> gripping. inspiring. entertaining. talk to al jazeera. only on al jazeera america. world health officials warn more people will be infected with the m.e.r.s. virus in south korea. 14 have died so far. hello, you are with al jazeera live from doha. pakistan launches air strikes from north waziristan. a second major data brief in the u.s. a breach targetting military personnel and government