>> announcer: this is al jazeera. ♪ hello, welcome to the news hour i'm jane dutton in doha. at least 12 are dead after al-shabab attacks a diplomatic convoy in somalia's capitol. heritage under threat. isil destroys two muslim shrines close to the syrian city of palmyra. pakistani government is criticized for an inadequate response to a heat wave. and a first for europe, a

dutch court orders the government to reduce carbon emissions, but will other countries follow? at least 12 people have been killed in a suicide attack targeting a uae diplomatic convoy in the somali capitol mogadishu. the armed group al-shabab has claimed responsibilities. officials say no uae diplomat was injured. >> reporter: witnesses say there was a large explosion, completely destroying a pickup truck carrying somali security forces. the truck was part of a convoy carrying diplomats from the united arab emirates. members of the armed group, al-shabab are claiming responsibility for the attack. >> the uae donates military

hardware and also pays some of the government star in mogadishu, so al-shabab calls them a legitimate target. >> reporter: the government is also getting support from the 22,000 african union force fighting al-shabab. it wants to overthrow the government and is behind many similar attacks. on sunday four al-shabab fighters were killed as they tried to designate a car bomb and shoot their way into a training center. al-shabab has lost territory to government forces since an offensive began last year. isil fighters have blown up two islamic shrines in syria after bulldozing and wrecking ancient monuments in iraq. it is feared there could be more destruction to come. zana hoda reports. >> reporter: this is what many fears would happen when fighters from islamic state of iraq and

the levant captured palmar palmar -- palmyra a few weeks ago. fighters blue up two ancient shrines they consider unislamic. the shrines are not from the roman era, unlike other 2,000 year old buildings in in -- palmyra. >> it's entirely possible the organization will destroy all of the historical recommend meants of palmyra. they started with the shrines that have islamic resonances, a shrine to a companion of the prophet muhammad. >> reporter: a few days ago activists reported that isil fighters placed explosives in palmyra's ruins. >> i think those photos were

part of the original set that were associated with the blowing up of the shrines, and i -- i have not yet seen any substantiated evidence any real photos that show mines being laid around the actual ruins themselves. >> reporter: isil has destroyed history both in syria and iraq. dozens of shrines, many belonging to the sect have been blown up. in march, isil used a bulldozer to destroy a 3,000 year old asyrian city in northern iraq after smashing artifacts in the museum. they are not just destroying monuments, precious antiques are also being sold. >> translator: isil is just like the syrian regime it is destroying history and syria's civilizations. this is especially true in the east and in palmyra, that isil stole many artifacts. >> reporter: isil fighters aren't the only one targeting

ancient sites in syria, the best known mosaic museum was hit by barrel bombs earlier this mrokts. walls once covered with mosaic panels are now rubble. the museum is in an ottoman come pound housing an historic mosque which was also hit. so many treasures are long gone. it is not clear what the international community can do to protect whatever remains. zana hoda al jazeera. let's bring in rami from the islam [ inaudible ] institute at the university of beirut. the destruction of these ancient precious monuments, is it anything more than just because they are considered unislamic? is there another message here? >> well yes. this is a process that has been going on for sometime with isis and they basically say they are

destroying these monuments and graves of poly-theists. they don't want people to revere or worship or look up to anybody but the prophet muhammad in their view, and they are sending the message that they are creating the perfect pristine islamic society as they understand it so they can attract true muslims to go live there. most muslims look at these people as criminals and extremists, but this is why they -- they do this. they don't want any other focal point of identity or allegiance whether it's nationalism, tribalism, sectarianism, only pure islam as they see it. >> and you wonder what it is that they want.

i mean they seem to be razing all of these important pieces. and yesterday another execution video. i mean what is their strategy here? who are they appealing to? >> i think it's become more and more clear in the last six, nine months, especially, what they are trying to do. they are trying to appeal to people who they believe will join them if they isis show that they are running a serious diligent pristine clear, islamic, pure society. and what they are doing with the way they kill people the way they destroy antiques the way they destroy other religious sites is to give a sense of order, and a sense of certainty to those people that are looking for those things. a lot of the people who follow

isis, they do so for many many different reasons, but one of the reasons that is common to a lot of their followers, whether from abroad, but mostly from the region, is people go to them because they want to live in a society where there is rules, order, certainty, clarity about how you live what you do and what you don't do. things they are missing in their ordinary lives. so these extreme represents whether killing people or destroying things are designed to reinforce that message, that if you want islam, this is the best islam you are going to find since the days of the prophet muhammad. >> interesting. thank you. army forces loyal to yemen's exiled president hadi have seized a border crossing into saudi arabia from houthi rebels. fighting is also continuing in

other parts of yemen as our correspondent reports. >> reporter: this marketplace is getting busy. yemenese are able to leave their homes. the town in southern yemen was under siege by houthi fighters and allies of the deposed president saleh. but the enemy is persistent and still powerful. they are targeting many places. >> translator: it's strange that they take care of the prayer times, and that indicates that they are near. >> reporter: they are recruiting hundreds more volunteers who are preparing for a long battle. the houthis and their allies are keen to regain the town. in the center of aden houthi

fighters and forces loyal to saleh shelled this area. the government says the fighting is going according to plan. >> translator: the saudi-lead coalition provide only aerial support, and we thank them for their efforts and successes they have achieved. the operation is still ongoing on the ground by the popular resistance and armed forces. they are coordinating their operations exactly as it is planned for them. >> reporter: back in value la the humanitarian situation is tough. it could be a while before life returns to normal both there and across yemen. france has summoned the united states ambassador after wikileaks said the u.s. national security agency spied on the last three french presidents. the president has chaired an emergency security meeting and warned he won't tolerate anything which endangers french security. in a statement the french

defense council said these are unacceptable facts that have resulted in exchanges between the united states and france particularly in late 2013 when the first revelations occurred and also during the state visit of the president of the republic of the united states in february 2014. neave barker is live in paris for us. i think understandably the french are a little bit irritated by this neave. >> reporter: i think irritated would be an understatement outraged at the kind of tones coming from the french foreign ministry this afternoon. a sign of how seriously they were taking it was shown by how swiftly they called the emergency meeting earlier on in the day. what is happening now, really is a process of fact finding to really verify how legitimate these claims are. we know the u.s. envoy to france

has been summoned to the foreign ministry that meeting is expected to take place sometime soon. and the defense council's conclusion for the meeting in the morning was to make sure that a senior intelligence officer headed over to washington pretty soon to find out exactly what has been going on. but all of this comes at a very awkward time for france for two key reasons. firstly because back in late 2013 and early 2014, the french president specifically asked barack obama not to spy on france. this was at a time in which revelations had been made by edward snowden, the whistleblower, the ex-nsa worker claiming that the german chancellor's phone had been tapped. and also this is awkward, purely because france was about to bring into law a new surveillance piece of

legislation, a very brood piece of legislation of the -- it was devised off of the back of the attacks that happened here in paris earlier on in the year to counter the threat of home grown violence but what these latest revelations essentially show is there are gaps in france's own capabilities when it comes to surveillance. it may be all goose and well dealing with the threat of home grown attackers who may want to threaten the lives of french citizens, but what happens when a so-called ally a friendly naigs -- nation like the itself decided to use espionage against the government. >> neave, thank you. i'm catherine soi in western kenya, where scientists and researchers are focusing on

communities like this one to help reduce malaria. and climbing into the form la 1 hot seat we'll tell you about a potential takeover of motor racing's most watched sport. ♪ greece's prime minister is back in brussels for another round of talks with the international creditors. he needs to secure a debt deal by the end of this month to avoid a default. they are discussing a proposal which is submitted on monday. greece needs its lenders to unfreeze $8.1 billion in bailout money so it can repay its debt. let's go to lawrence in brussels. lawrence we know that tsipras

has already had to make concessions, right? >> reporter: yes absolutely. and it's pretty difficult to be frank to escape the conclusion right now that greece's creditors are trying as hard as they can to effectively break the will completely of the greek government. what is supposed to be happening, tsipras is meeting the creditors here right now, then they are supposed to come up with something they can take to the euro zone's finance ministers who are coming here tonight. but it's not turning out like that at all. the greek proposals were pretty concessionary they would say in the first place, big tax rises for pensioners increasing the retirement age, more taxes for small businesses and things like this, to try to get to that level -- that 8 billion figure that you were talking about. well, it now turns out the creditors have turned around and

said it isn't enough. you have got to do more. and that has lead to this incredibly acrimonious-sounding meeting. and this is very difficult to figure out what the sprooim going to do. because if he caves in he runs the risk of v losing his government at home. but if he says no you are not prepared to restructure the debt i'm walking out, then greece risks leaving the euro zone completely. so it's basically a pretty impossible choice. and remember as well this is to try to find about a third of what greece is supposed to pay back for the whole of this year. >> i wonder how this is playing out in greece. thanks for that lawrence. let's speak to john psaropoulos in athens. how is tsipras being viewed at home now? >> reporter: well he has high personal approval ratings. the opinion polls have given him more than 60% across greek

society. of course within that there are differences. his supporters and he does have true believers among them think he is the only prime minister during the last six years of the greek crisis who has really given creditors a run for their money. he is the only one who has made them seriously worry that they may ditch the whole arrangement. his opponents say they don't believe he understands europe, and they don't always trust that he even intends to negotiate in fate. they fear he is a trojan force for the far left-wing of his ruling party who believe sovereignty is far more important that memberership of

the euro. on the whole, though i have to say, the second group, may not be taking into account all of the efforts mr. tsipras is making in order to come closer to his creditors positions in the last few days. >> and if he were to make more concessions, how is this going to play out there? because life is pretty tough for people at the moment, right? >> reporter: absolutely the greek depression is cumulative. the people who fall out of work in 2010 don't necessarily get back to work in 2013. the numbers of people who have been chronically unemployed have been rising. the nominal figure right now is 1.2 million people. that's 25% of the working copulation -- population and the working population has also shrunk, because more and more people have taken retirement as

soon as they could. people are very warn down psychologically as well as materially. they really are tired of this process of back and forth with creditors. they are longing for self determination, sovereignty, they do not want to leave the european union on the whole, but that are extremely frustrated. the british government is considering ways to strengthen its border with france. the channel tunnel between the two countries was closed on tuesday when striking ferry workers set fire to the train tracks. migrants then tried to take advantage by jumping on to trucks waiting to cross the tunnel. hungary's government is now saying it will grant asylum to migrants but needs a grace period to deal with the thousands rife thering the country. earlier they said they wouldn't accept any migrants and

announces a plan to build a 4-meter fence to keep them out. jonah hull reports. >> reporter: they could be tears of pain relief or exhaustion. for more days than many can count they have traveled crossing borders by any means fleeing civil war in syria for the safety of the european union. this is the welcome they get. >> yes, you are a refugee. i see. yes. yes. >> reporter: another group arrested, this time from pakistan. they just walked from serbia into hungary, the latest leg of a shattering journey from islamabad. >> where do you want to go to? >> italia or germany. >> reporter: why? >> working. >> reporter: in good weather hundreds a day might cross over into the pretty boarder town. the dense forest provides good

cover here and most escape the local rangers who follow their tracks through the woods. the hungarian government plans to build a four-meter high fence to sale this 157-kilometer stretch of border something the mayor describes as a new iron curtain, and necessary solution to stop the influx of what he says are mainly muslim asylum seekers. trp we are talking about a totally different culture. we're talking about the muslim culture a world that will collide with our european christian civilization. >> reporter: the rangers are the mayor's men, few in number but answerable to him with 34ris powers and weapons. >> translator: i'm not happy about the iron curtain, because i will see it from my farmhouse. i feel like i'm in jail but it is necessary, because what i'm worried about is this migration will push hungary into conflict

and terrorism. >> reporter: this man from cameroon lost his sister and two daughters in the chase. i tried to explain that we believe they were captured a little earlier, and he'll be reunited with them soon. so they have made into it the european union, only just into the european union, this group of men from syria, women, and children are also in the police van. they are also in the hands of the hungarian police and they will be handed over to the immigration authorities who will decide whether to grant them asylum or not. most will be housed in an open refugee camp able to come and go which means most will resume their journey westwards soon to become another country's problem. members of the gay and lesbian community in new york city are celebrating after the city grakted an iconic gay bar

landmark status. the stone wall is considered the birthplace of the gay rights movement. patrons fought back against a police raid on the bar. days of protests followed. the protests are commemorated with annual gay pride prayeds in hundreds of cities across the u.s. >> it's such a big win for the entire community. not just here but globally. having it recognized by the city of new york affords it history and importance and it is noing to preserve it for generations to co to make sure that the building can't been altered, and people will understand just how takt the event of 1969 were here in this historic place. >> it's pretty neat. we travelled from canada to be here on a day that's pretty historic. it will be something we'll be able to hang on to and remember.

>> it's really incredible that this is happening now. but there's still a bit of a ways to go you know. we're just glad we can be here to witness this today. >> it could be one of the world's biggest free trade deals is one step closer to reality. it looks like the u.s. senate will give its backing to the negotiations between the u.s. and 11 other countries. patricia sabga reports. >> reporter: on the floor of the u.s. senate tuesday, there was a lot of debate about what kind of day it was. >> i think it's a sad day today. >> this is a very important day. >> it is not a great day. >> reporter: the president is happy. he is one critical step towards a top priority getting the trans-pacific partnership done. it's a free trade deal between the u.s. and 11 other countries. negotiators wanted something from the u.s. congress first a

promise that lawmakers wouldn't be able to change the deal just vote yes or no. with this vote it's all but certain the president will have that ability soon. >> their worry was this if the united states president makes a deal with you, can he in fact back that deal up or will it be subject to amendments and changes from the congress which you didn't negotiate? so in order to have a president who can keep his word on his negotiations, you have to have fast track authority. >> reporter: labor unions lobbies hard to go against the president. >> this is supported by wall street by the pharmaceutical industry, who want to charge people in poor countries higher prices for the medicine they desperately need. >> reporter: but the white house insists the u.s. has to have a larger economic role in asia. >> this will help america right

the rules of the road and ensure that our new global economy will be constructed to allow more hard-working americans, to compete and win. >> reporter: they acknowledge some americans will lose their jobs to globalization, but they say it will be worth it in the long run. the president is much more likely to have a chance to try to prove that now. patty culhane, al jazeera, washington. when we come back an update on the heat wave in pakistan that has taken hundreds of lives. and we meet women held hostage by philippine armed groups who still fear for their lives years after being set free. and rivalries at the region's biggest football tournament. all of that coming up. ♪

>> bold... >> he took two m-16's, and he crawled... >> brave... >> ...do what you gotta do... >> then betrayed... >> why do you think you didn't get the medal of honor? >> a lifetime without the honor they deserved... >> some say that it was discrimination... >> revealing the long painful fight, to recognize some of america's bravest... >> he say.. be cool...be cool... >> ...proudest moment in my life.. >> honor delayed a soledad o'brien special report only on al jazeera america ♪ hello again, the top stories on al jazeera. at least 12 people have been killed in a suicide attack on a

united arab emirates diplomatic convoy in mogadishu. al-shabab has claimed responsibility. isil fighters in syria vo destroyed to islamic shrines in palmyra. the french president has warned he won't tolerate anything which endangers french security. he was reacting to a wikileaks report that the u.s. national security agency spied on the past three french presidents. opposition politicians are accusing the pakistani government of failing to respond to a severe heat wave crisis. more than 700 people have now died. doctors fear the total will continue to climb as many elderly pash engineers are rushed to hospital. gerald tan has the latest. >> reporter: they sleep on the streets to stay cool.

they frequent power cuts mean they can't use fans or air conditioners. >> translator: our houses are small, power supply cables get damaged frequently and no one has taken care of the situation. people are falling sick and being rushed to hospitals. >> reporter: hospitals are overwhelmed. the searing heat has stretched medical services in pakistan's commercial hub to their limit and morgues are filled to capacity the army and para paramilitarypara paramilitary rangers have set up emergency camps across the city to help treat people. >> translator: when we heard the name of the pakistan army we rushed here because we were sure that the treatment and care will be better than anywhere else. >> reporter: health workers are urging everyone particularly the elderly to drink enough water. but many muslims are observing the annual ramadan fast forgoing food and water from sun up to

sundown. >> translator: they have given a fantastic statement saying it is not his mandate. it is part of the pakistani confederation, and no part of the country is exempt. >> reporter: and there's frustration on the streets, people in one karachi neighborhood angry at yet another power cut. >> let's speak from akmed eddie. tell us what it is that you are finding -- the sort of situation that people are in at the moment. >> reporter: hello? >> yeah hi it's jane here can you hear me in the doha studio. >> yeah. yes. yes. >> i'm trying to find out what the situation is. i know you are actively involved in helping people with the heat.

what is the situation? >> the situation is better from the last three days. today we have received our figures. we have about 50 people dead today. >> today? >> yes, it's pretty much better from the last three days. >> this really is a manmade problem, extreme poverty, small houses with these electricity cuts as well which is not helping the heat. >> hello? >> i think we should leave this. apologies for that but you are struggling to hear me. thanks for your time anyway akmed eddie. a dutch court has established a legal press sent. it ordered the government to cut carbon missions by the year 2020. >> reporter: the court's verdict essentially declare the dutch

government's climate targets illegal. it was great news for supporters of the case. >> it's now obvious that at least the judges in the netherlands feel that liability law has a role to play in addressing the climate problem. >> reporter: the landmark ruling says the dutch government must protect its people from the effects of climate change and it's current plans simply don't go far enough. it said:

the case was brought by the agenda foundation acting on behalf of 900 citizens. they want their government to limit global temperature rise to 2 degrees above preindustrial levels. in this low-lying country, concerned about rising sea levels. >> we are the first in the world to do this. we are being looked at everywhere, all of the countries doing negotiations are watching so this will really be helpful for everything. >> reporter: the case could set an important legal precedent with similar ones being prepared in other european countries, and the e.u. targeting cuts of 40% by 2030. the dutch government has not yet commented and does have the right to appeal the decision. bob ward is from the research institute on climate change and the environment. he says the ball is now in the dutch government's court.

>> the 886 citizens and agenda brought this action on the basis of human rights and argued that dutch citizens are threatened by the impacts of climate change and the dutch government has a duty to protect its citizens and it clearly wasn't doing enough. the government argues that because action needs to be carried out around the world that it didn't need to be anymore ambitious, but that argument hasn't really worked and as i mentioned the dutch were planning on being less ambitious than the average of the e.u. so the message is very clear that the government has to do more. and the court pointed out that this is not going to cost the dutch government very much more. so measures such as increasing energy efficiency will pay for themselves, so it political will

rather than anything else holding back the dutch government at the moment. malaria is endemic in many parts of the world. now scientists are turning to new technology to fight the disease. catherine soi reports from one of kenya's most affected regions. >> reporter: it's strange not to find people suffering from malaria in this part of the country. it has one of the highest malaria prevalence rates. scientists are studying the mosquito. >> we have people living at the community level, like 100% coverage, but use is up 50%, which means people are not using mosquito nets. >> reporter: these people are here to install a solar-powered

mosquito trap. it's one of 4,200 that will have been installed in the last three years. the pilot project is called solma, a first globally. it has strands of nylon laced with a human scent that will trap mosquitos, the mosquitos eventually die of hunger and dehydration. >> we are seeing mosquitos being resistant to insecticide, so we're using this system to prevail existing technology to the mechanisms. this person is more excited about the new light in her house after a lifetime of using kerosine lamps. the light is a bonus to entice people to allow researchers to carry out their studies. >> translator: i'm facing health problems like other old people.

if there are ways to protect my health then i'm glad. i don't have much engive and all of my ten children have died. >> reporter: these fishermen have just returned from a night of fishing. that's the time when chances of contracting malaria are highest. the focus is now shifting to outdoor control of malaria, many people get infected after being bitten by mosquitos while away from their homes, out fishing or going about their other daily business. the moss quito is constantly mutating and is eventually able to resist insecticide and medicine. so they have to be a step ahead. they say they are slowly winning the war, but there's still a long way to go. the fighting in the southern philippines has affected generations of filipinos. more than 150,000 have been killed on one island.

as our correspondent reports, many women caught up in the fighting are afraid of being kidnapped by rival clans. >> reporter: this woman's world is one torn apart by shame. in 2013, she was abducted along with other female members of their family. they were taken at gunpoint and held hostage by their captors for almost a week. the details of their capture too painful to share. >> translator: where do we go for our situation in the military? the police? we fear for our lives because we are kidnap victims. we are women in the middle of the war. this is part of our culture. >> reporter: it was a dispute between warring clans here a century's-old practice. this is an island in the

southern-most part of the philippines, long held back by war and poverty. family family squabbling can escalate into armed conflict and can last for generations. women and children are at the heart of it. abduction of women is one of this war's biggest shame. women are either used as a bargaining chip forced into marriages, or used as payment for dowries. very few women come forward and file cases against their abductors here. the process in the courts are slow, and women find themselves even more polarized. their on direction considered taboo and difficult to discuss openly. instead families choose violence as a means to solve disputes. blood money is often exchanged, and women are left to cope with the trauma on their own. >> i think we really need to make institutions to work in

communities. one way of course is of course as we said educating them really informing them about their lives, and how to avail [ inaudible ] so they can promote and protect their rights. >> reporter: there are organizations helping to assist women caught in armed conflict. they are willing to provide counseling. women must not be seen as a commodity, and educating men is just as important too. but change may not happen any time soon and until then women are bound to suffer silently. in part two of our series of special reports on the southern philippines, we'll look at the growing threat of armed groups as they recruit children to become fighters. that's this thursday on al jazeera. the price of afghan lamb skins affecting the country's pelt industry. exports are down by as much as

80%. nicole johnston reports from northern afghanistan. >> reporter: under the harsh midday sun this man is trying to feed his sheep without much success. >> translator: we don't have grazing land. this sheep is very thin. there's no grass. we don't have water. they drink at a garbage tip and get sick. >> reporter: these are highly regarded for their meat wool and lamb skin which has tight soft curls. when times are tough and farmers can't afford to raise the lambs, they kill the newborns for their pelts. from the farm it is sold in the market to these export traders. a lot of bargaining goes on to try to secure a deal as well as checking the quality of the skins to see if they meet export standard. this man has brought some skins

to sell but he can't get the price he wants. neither can this man. he walked out in disgust. farmers say insecurity across the north has made grain prices more expensive, and prevents them from taking sheep to the mountains to graze. exporters have problems too. >> translator: our business has almost collapse. only 10% has been sold this year. a skin we bought for $40 is later sold for only 10. it is a crisis. >> reporter: thousands of people are employed washing, drying, and sorting the pelts. last year over half a million were sold. it sounds like a lot, but not when you consider that 30 years ago, afghanistan was selling over 1.5 million a year. regardless, the country's largest exporter is optimistic.

>> translator: people who like fashion will buy it at any price. we made a loss but we still pay the farmers a good price for their skins. >> reporter: many farmers, it seems, don't agree, so the pelts pile up in finland, and afghan traders talk about the good old days hoping someone discovers a major new market for them. the question however, is where? nicole johnston al jazeera. jo will be here with all of the sport in a moment including a potential takeover of formula 1. plus we'll show you what made this baseball fan a very skilled hands on dad. ♪

>> "techknow", where technology meets humanity.

monday, 6:30 eastern. only on al jazeera america. now it's a sport that seems to be one of any most glamorous in the world, and now formula 1 could be on the verge of a takeover. bernie eckelston owns a 5.5% share. the owner of miami dolphins, and qatar investors are trying to take over a majority share. the deal is reportedly worth 7 to $8 billion, and may see the

sport expanding in the u.s. and china markets. it's the most annual watched sports series with 425 million viewers last year but recently tv audiences and attendances at races in its european heartland have declined. we're joined by a professor of sport business and marketing and joins us now. what the u.s. and qatar investors stand to gain from an investment like this. >> one of the things that bernie has done very well is to generate television revenues. i think one of the opportunities for them though is that bernie really hasn't developed other revenue streams. in social media there's a great deal of potential to build revenues. in addition to that targeting young fans and building engagement. the demographic tends to be a particular type of age group,

and isn't necessarily appealing to younger people, so there's some potential there too. >> reporter: why would someone like cvc threatening to sell its share? is there still money to be made out of farmer la 1? >> there are some big changes. i think trying to manage the shift to new markets like qatar, the middle east and so forth. formula 1 has this exclusive image, which means it isn't accessible to people. so by trying to make it accessible, you undermine that image. so it's a tricky sport to manage. >> why do you think qatar in particular is interested in farmer la-- formula 1? >> i think it's likely we'll see a race in the future.

as you rightly pointed out, they have invested already in [ inaudible ]. so this is a growing portfolio. but qatar already has a presence in sports. and people in qatar love cars and motorsports >> is there also an exit strategy for bernie. >> there is no obvious heir apparent, so this is an opportunity for him to cash in his chips and walk away and it has been threatening for sometime now. i think the other issue too is there has been some question about the governance of formula one. so the fact that bernie is set to walk away may well hail a new era. >> all right. professor simon thank you very much for joining us.

>> thank you. to the fifa women's world cup now, where defending champions japan are through to the last leg of the tournament. they scored late in the second half to put japan 2-0 up over the netherlands. then a goal back for the dutch in the 3-minutes added time. the netherlands missed a chance to qualify for next year's rio olympics, but can still make it through to the european playoffs. germany will go up against france followed by china, facing the usa. well the first of the quarter finals kick off in chilly later on wednesday. the hosts will face uruguay. but for more than 200 years, the region has been plagued by conflicts and territorial disputes.

>> reporter: ten teams from south america, plus invited guests mexico and jamaica, have been battling for the footballing fiesta for both fans and players. ecuador and peru fought three wars over disputed territory. bolivia and peru have taken chile to international tribunals. and argentina and chile also have unresolved issues. >> translator: it's south america. there have always been rivals between us. but that's on paper. they'll talk about peru and chile, but i have lots of peruvian friends. >> reporter: this is a legend of chilean football. the stadium is named after him, spreading the word about the joys of the beautiful game. >> translator: we have always got that 90 minutes in which we can forget everything. we only want to know what is

happening on the pitch. that's why people go. >> reporter: football here is steeped in history and nostalgia, exemplified by this man and his knowledge of the game gained from chile's biggest collection of football sticker albums. 250 and growing. >> translator: before we had internet, people would ask me about the teams. who won championships, which clubs did players play for. they would always ask me and i knew how it was, thanks to the albums. >> reporter: the shadow hanging over the tournament has been the fifa corruption scandal. but football has withstood previous scandals. could this be their year? this fans certainly think so. all sorts of differences and conflicts in the region put to one side for now. the only conflicts that count are those on the pitch. fans from 11 other countries are

in chile to support their teams. but glorifying their national characteristics, and celebrating their regional solidarity. in the face of the many problems to be tackled off of the pitch, perhaps some of the answers lie here. fathers are becoming much more hands on these days. and here is a dad who is definitely a multi-tasker. a chicago cubs fan was bottle feeding his baby when he took an amazing one-handed catch out of the hands of the dodger's player. he says he was just trying to protect his son. the baby was so focused on the bottle, he didn't even loosen his grip on his meal. there's more sport on our website, check out aljazeera.com/sport, we have

blogs and videos from our correspondent around the world. >> thanks jo. the japanese government is trying to encourage more women to return to work after they have had a baby. the policy dubbed woman-omic is aimed at boosting the economy. as rob mcbride reports. >> reporter: running a nail salon from her living room. she is lucky enough to have found a work life solution. she can earn a living while raising her son. her customers many of them working mothers as well could also bring along their children. >> translator: i wanted to work. and i also wanted to raise my children. so running my salon from my home was the best way. >> reporter: other working mothers are looking for their own solutions. on sunday and afternoon, women who left work to have children attend a catch-up course trying

to return to the same positions in the companies they left. >> translator: japan has the worst income disparity between men and women of any of the developed countries, and women who leave to have children are the worst off. >> reporter: faced with an aging population bringing more women into the work force is seen as an obvious way of reviving the economy. in doing so the government is trying to overturn a culture of discrimination. >> it is wonderful that no one is going to ask you why are you working? you know it used to be a japanese children that women supposed to be stay at home and taking care of kids. that has changed. that the situation and facilities and conditions not catching up that's the problem. >> reporter: the policy of so-called women-omics sounds good in theory but it is

hampered by a lack of child care centers across the country. this man is a pioneer in the field of child care. his non-profit organization now has 13 day care centers in tokyo, and he has become an advisor to the government as it looks for ways to provide more. >> translator: he is the first prime minister actually to do something about working conditions for women. many have spoken about it before, but he is actually taking practical action. >> reporter: working mothers are waiting to see if that action will finally translate into a real change in their position in today's japan. rob mcbride al jazeera, tokyo. >> thank you very much for watching this news hour. the next bulletin will be coming to you from london felicity

barr. good-bye for now. ♪

at least 12 people are killed by a suicide bomber who targeted a diplomatic convoy in somali's capitol. ♪ hello there, i'm felicity barr and that is al jazeera live from london. also coming up. history lost isil destroys two muslim shrines in the ancient syrian city of palmyra. the french president phones barack obama about revelations that the u.s. spied on three french leaders. plus -- i'm nicole