>> hello, i'm maryam nemazee. >> there putt-to go in to syria. not out of strength but out of weakness. >> president obama speaks about the war in syria and criticizing russia's growing involvement in the conflict. mounting pressure on fifa president sepp blatter as three major sponsors call for

him to step down. u.s. police release images of the suspect in thursday's college shooting in which nine students were shot dead. colombian police kill one of the country's most powerful drug traffickers. >> we'll have all the sport news including the rugby world cup, a victory over georgia. >> the u.s. president has spoke out about th russia's growing involvement in syria's war. he also attacked russia and the need to prop up the ruthless and

brutal dictator. and further his commitment to reach out to moderate opposition forces. obama said that russia's attack on the opposition would hint at a political transition and in effect any chance at peace. >> it is true that the united states, russia, and the entire world have a common interest in destroying isil. but what was very clear and regardless of what mr. putin said is that he does not distinguish between isil and a moderate sunni opposition that wants to see mr. assad go. from their perspective they're all terrorists. that's a recipe for disaster. >> more on this developing story. let's speak with tom ackerman. it would appear that program,

tell us more on what he had to say about the nature of russia's involvement in syria. >> well, he was--he went out of his way not to be apologetical apologetically, he went on to say that mr. putin's actions have been successful only in so far that it has boosted his poll ratings inside russia. he restated the joint statement by the u.s. u.k. turkey, saudi arabia and other allies in the coalition, who said that in fact, putin contradicting the contentions of the russian defense ministry, that they had only attacked one isil installation and otherwise were bombing groups more moderate groups that were more in the

camp of the coalition. he also was in a sense in a defensive posture, however, against domestic concerns about where the american policy is going. republican senators have criticized him and asked him that he should clarify the u.s. strategy. they're calling on secretary of state kerry next week to come up to capitol hill to explain just where u. policy is going. one senator said is training and equipment of these moderate oppositions are still in folks. and mr. obama conceded there were failures in that effort to mount moderate opposition fighting force. again, is the american position still that assad must go? those are questions that the republicans are pointing out, and even from his own camp

hillary clinton on the campaign trail yesterday in the first publi public acknowledgment that she has opposed some aspects of the obama strategy on syria said for the first time that she had advocated for creation of american no, no fly zones over syria and humanitarian corridors, and the white house response today was according to the president spokesman saying that is not actively being considered. you can see that the president is being hit on all sides, really, and yet he's saying that he's taking offensive or the counter offensive saying that in this respect, and in the respect and reaction to the latest russian actions in syria as he said, it's a recipe for disaster. >> tom ackerman in washington, d.c. thanks very much. meanwhile, syria's top diplomat has told world leaders that

airstrikes against the islamic state in iraq and the levant are useless until they're coordinated with government forces. addressing the u.s. assembly saying that only russia impacted isil. they're also bombing the armed group but without bashar al-assad's assad's position. >> it has only led to the spread and outbreak of airstrikes are useless unless they're conducted in cooperation with the syrian army. the only forces that are co contact. >> every year he sends the dependable figure of his deputy prime minister and foreign

minister, and told the general assembly that he fully supports the russian airstrikes in syria because they're properly coordinated with his military. a military that he says remains strong. >> i say syria will continue to fight terrorism despite all the sacrifices and high prices paid, which-- >> a very different view comes from the syrian national coalition. it's president in an interview in a talk with the al jazeera program told me that he believes bashar al-assad's regime was on the verge of collapse when the russians intervened. >> russians came to help bashar al-assad and to pro long his

lifeline. >> so do you think if russia had not started these airstrikes and moved some of its forces to that base in latakia that assad was on the verge of collapse? >> that's right. he was about collapsing. >> in his speech deputy prime minister said that his government would be prepared potentially to go back to the negotiating table. he said that his government had cooperated fully in the previous peace talks in geneva last year although most observers believe those talks broke down because the syrian delegation were unprepared to does political transition in syria. >> let's look now in a bit more detail of what is going on in syria. in particular the bombing raids. according to monitoring groups, they killed 12 fighters. then they began to target other

opposition groups. moscows' military intervention will only makes matters worse. the presidents of russia and france have met to discuss their military operations as they try to overcome differences as to whether bashar al-assad should stay in power. >> the defense ministry said that they have destroyed command control centers along with arms done. >> if the russian airstrikes are determined after thorough reconnaissance of whether the targets belong to terrorist structures. >> but on the ground the stories tell a different story, they have attacked civilians instead of armed groups, and the campaign is to launch a ground counter offensive to recapture lost territory.

>> the airstrikes could effect the opposition but not that much. the syrian government has been hitting the north for month. now there is information of a possible land operation being prepared. >> looking at the map the airstrikes over the past three days have concentrated on front line areas that surround president assad's heartland. one of the last government strongholds in idlib province is not only close to latakia but a hup to send government reinforcement to aleppo province. further east, sahal al ghab has ban battleground. and it is the last government stung hold between government of

damascus and the rest the country. it is not clear that the airstrikes will be able to change the balance of power on the ground if it is not accompanied by a ground operation. but there are those who believe that they are quietly supporting russia's actions. >> they do not want to end the war, and the situation is more implicated. the west is colluding with russia. >> it could give the government an advantage, and they believe that is the objective. to use military force for diplomatic gains whereby president assad could negotiate a political settlement from a position of strength.

president obama has been discussing the crisis in ukrai ukraine. they were showned in paris by the leaders of ukraine. they would killed 8,000 people and displaced others last year. >> since the minsk agreement, we were able to make further progress and avoid more victims in what has been a particularly heavy and dramatic conflict. >> neave barker has been following the talks in wearies and has the latest. >> this is the latest they decided to focus on the peace process and the minsk accords.

these accords were signed in belarus earlier in the year. now all sides are willing to put these minsk agreement into practice. they include the withdraw of heavy weaponry focusing on reestablishing the border between russia and ukraine, and also elections in eastern ukraine under straightest control. reconciliation, though, is still very much a long way down the road. >> in our other top stories, fifa president sepp blatter said that he will not stand down despite calls between three major sponsors for him to quit. coca-cola and vees have visa

has demanded that he step down immediately. we speak with one of sepp blatter's fiercest critics. thank you for meeting with us. >> what does this mean formatter. >> really, if he truly loves the game like i claims to love the game, he needs to go, and he needs to go now. >> following suit in calling for blatter to quit. we have visa, mcdonald's and coca-cola and i think budweiser has joined them. >> within minutes we've seen the four big u.s. sponsors have made the call. the big question is what is that going to do? they're so entrenched within fifa, that it might an little

difficult. >> for now there does not seem to be very much of an impact. >> it's quite remarkable. we're talking about a criminal investigation that has been open for a shady deal that he did with jack warner where he sold the rights for the world cups for roughly 5% of their true value. a profit realized for jack warner of $15 million to $20 million. and subsequently the realization of a deal between blatter and michel platini timed perfectly when michel platini removed himself from the fifa presiden presidency. >> we've had coca-cola, visa,

m mcdonald's and budweiser. >> there is also kia hyundai and gas prom. russia's gas company. >> how can the sponsors, given blatter's to stay put, how can sponsors now use their leverage to bring about change. to bring about reform and push for a new leader? >> there is only one step. that is to threaten to withdraw their sponsorship completely. we're really talking about mega threats here. this has never happened before in any sports federation. >> do you think they'll take those steps? >> they may try. >> how long do you think they will give them? >> who knows. >> thank you for your thoughts.

>> well, there is much more still ahead for you on this al jazeera news hour. no break through. the u.n. fails to come up with a peace plan for libya. we'll bring you the latest. taliban fighters are battling for the army still in control of a crucial city in the north of the country. and in sport we hear from pakistan's captain whether he's ready to walk away from cricket. >> now the united nations ban ki-moon has called for the action to reduce gun violence. nine students from shot dead on a college campus in the state of oregon. u.s. media has identified the

shooter as greg mercer. what do we know about developments on the campus? >> well, certainly the police are keeping the whole area locked down. they're trying to piece together a timeline of what happened, when the gunman appeared, and what perhaps motivated him. that's why they're going through the social media profile and looking at things that he posted on the dating site where he described himself as a conservative republican. on other sites he said he had admiration of the nazi party, the i ra in northern ireland an ireland as well. all these things they're trying to find out exactly why he did what he did just over 24 hours ago. they found weapons on the site and a hate-filled note.

now the events led to people saying will this change america's gun laws not will this change america's gun laws. barack obama speaking in the last hour at the white house said that this is the time to take action, and he is going to mention it as often as he can and as vehemently as he can. >> this will not change until the politics changes and the behavior of elected officials changes. and so the main thing i'm going to do is i'm going to talk about this. on a regular basis. and i will politicize it because our inaction is a political decision that we are making. so the president is certainly frustrated. there is a grim familiarity to what is happening in oregon that i'm sure will resonate with people all over the country.

what are the key obstacles to change? >> many of the republicans don't want to change because they're scared of change. they will not alter the constitution in any shape or form. he made the point after the sandy hook shooting where 20 school children were killed, he could not get the support, he count get a vote on the floor of congress because the republicans blocked them during that. remember, more than 90% of the american people agree with the idea of background checks.

the president said if you don't listen to the american people you should get out of the way. we spoke to a survivor just a couple of hours ago, and we asked her do you think there should be changes in the gun laws. she said no. >> write remarkable. what about reaction elsewhere in the community. this was a tight knit sort of town. how are the people coping in the shooting? >> barack obama said this is routine and mentioned a few places this has happened before. but this is not routine here. they've never coped with anything like this. certainly the grief that they now have to deal with the anger and of course the questions. so many events such as the local football game here on a friday night, it would have been a big draw. well, that's been canceled. in the town all flags are flying at half-staff. people are talking to each other quietly, hugging each other and trying to make sense for what

has happened. for many what happened here just over 24 hours ago when a gunman walked into a community college and shot nine innocent people, well, they can't make sense of that. >> allen fisher, thank you very much. now high level talks at the u.n. have failed to come up with a peace plan for libya. the war-torn government has not agreed to a peace deal that was drawn up by the u.n. the u.s. and other mep states. they wanted to discuss the agreement in morocco. while the ambassador said that the deal has to go back to tibrouk for approval. secretary of state john kerry said that he hoped that an agreement could be reached soon. >> there is no time to waste. libya has already suffered they deserve better and the path is

open to achieve better. but each matter has to live up to the responsibility of this criminal moment, that means reaching the agreement on the names of new leaders, not tomorrow, not next week but now even while libyan delegates are here in new york. this can happen. and we hope that the process can be completed within a very small number of days. >> kristen saloomey has been following developments from the united nations in new york. >> the united nations envoy had described this as a moment of truth. the last deadline for two rival governments in libya to come together and agree on the peace deal that is on the table. despite intense international pressure that has not happened. the congress tells al jazeera that they're planning to go back and negotiate more. they say they have sticking points with this agreement, including a desire to see and sharia law they need to ratify

the deal although the representative tells me that he believes they're prepared to do that. the fear moving forward is that they will continue giving space for more presence from isil and other militias to destabilize not only libya but the entire region. >> the taliban said that it's fighters are retaining areas. the taliban said it has now busched the army back. the claim has been denied by the afghanistan government. the u.s. airstrikes are assisting in their attempts to drive the taliban from these strategic city. the taliban said that it shot down a plane thursday night killing 11. we're in afghanistan. about 130 kilometers from

kunduz, where the fighting is taking place. >> they're hearing the heavy fighting going on right now. afghan security forces confirming to us that they have received their reinforcement from kabul. tonight, they're going to launch their biggest attack on kunduz. but they're still under control of taliban. now the taliban in the north of the country. just arrests ago taliban got control of the district. afghan government confirmed that, too. in the past few days, that they're capturing from the afghan government, the residents of the kunduz province are now leaving. we talked to some, and they told

us that it's impossible to survive in kunduz city any more. it's not just the heavy bombardment and artillery, but the shortage of food, water, and lack of electricity. that's why all the residents are leaving the province. >> people have taken to the streets of the iraqi capital of baghdad in anger against the government. they say it's flailing to implement much-needed reform. we have more. >> once again protesters have come out on the streets of baghdad and have gone in to the square but it's not in the kind of numbers that we saw when the protest movement began seven weeks ago. the protesters have lost faith in it comes to ending corruption and introducing reform.

now it's very difficult to estimate the kind of number. some say it's around 10,000. but it's not around the number. it's frustrating. for those who are backing the protest movement, for those who have come out in support of this movement. however, everybody who ha has come out in the protest say that they will force reform. >> still to come for you on the al jazeera news hour. >> i'm reporting from northern malaysia, where we talk to separatist fighters from southern thailand about their hopes for a peaceful return home. >> i'm catherine soi.

i'll be telling you about the government's grand plan to modernize the city by 2004. by2. that means that all this has to go. >> we'll have all your sport. we'll take a step closer to a fourth title this year we have more coming up later on.

beyond the quick cuts, beyond the soundbites. we're giving you a deeper dive into the stories that are making our world what it is.

>> welcome back. you're watching the al jazeera news hour. let's take you to our top stories. the u.s. has spoken out about the war in syria, calling for russia to help resolve the crisis. he thanked russia for carrying out airstrikes in araqqa. >> now in other stories nine people are dead and 600 missing in guatemala where a mudslide

has engulfed a village near the capital. rescue workers are frantically digging to find hubble on the outskirts. david mercer joins us now, and david, this mudslide has engulfed an entire village. hundreds are missing. what do we know about the rescue efforts. >> they're continuing. the slide came down last night at 9:00 p.m. local time. that's around 16 or 17 hours ago. the rescue efforts have been ongoing since then. now the rain has let up a little bit and the mudslide was brought on by a solid week of rain, not torrential rain but consistent rain. it's been enough to saturate all of the soil around this area.

so the rescue efforts are continuing right now. there isn't rain in the area, which is certainly good news for people who are there right now trying to help out. but it's still a risky area to be conducting this rescue operation because of the risk of further slides. they're going to be further curbs to prevent any further deaths or injuries. >> can you tell us any more about the location, the area where this mudslide has taken place, what it was like, and if it was densely populated. >> well, as you said, this is an area on the outskirts of guatemala city. it has 2 million residents. certainly not in the center of the city. but it's not a rural area

either. so it's reasonbly densely populated, and this hillside came down on top of all of these houses. so the other thing to point out, i think which is important to say is that guatemala is undergoing a crisis, a health crisis right now, and the hospitals are completely under equipped to deal with event this magnitude. there have been individual setting up donation boxes trying to provide assistance, food, blankets, etc. for the survivors who have lost their homes so they can have some sort of shelter. and they'll have some supplies. a real day of morning here in guantanamo while this rescue effort continues. >> all right, thank you very much. bringing us all the latest from a village on the outskirts of

guatemala city. moving on now colombian police have killed one of the country's most powerful drug traffickers. he'he is he's been followed by the colombian military for month, and he was on the u.s. treasury kingpin list. the same as el chapo. several of megateo's men were killed in the heavy fighting with police. >> this was in 2012 when the colombian military was able to carry out the killing of th the leader of the biggest here in

colombia. this is are a notoriously lawless region near the border of venezuela where a lot of coca are grown. he was known as being ruthless drug kingpin, very cruel against his enemies. attacking police stations and planting landmines. they were after him for months, and he miraculously escaped another operation back in august when he was also energid. he was known for his obsession, gold, weapon, and young underage women, which he would brand with tattoos of his face on their arms and legs. this is a major victory for the colombian government and the military, and also sends a message to any eventual farc leader who ma may be

considering continuation of drug trafficking when peace deals are reached. >> presiden in tunisia the state of emergency has been lifted. police saying israeli couple was killed when a palestinian gunman only fired on their car. four children who were also inside it were unharmed. the shooting comes as tension between the israelis and palestinians continue over the al aqsa mosque compound in jerusalem. at least ten people have been killed in a series of explosions in nigeria's northeast. 39 others were injured when suicide-bombers blew themselves up in the city of m my dugry.

two weeks ago others were killed in a set of explosions. maidugari. >> the fighters surrendered because of the increasing pressure being aplayed on them. now, we have seen over the past two months boko haram's capability too attack but there have been some isolated cases and isolated villages in the northeast of the country. for example, a few days ago this has not been confirmed, that boko haram, suspected boko haram fighters attacked villagers.

suits bombers would target soft areas, and we've seen little or no military or rather guided confrontation in terms of open warfare. however, we've seen how over the last few months civilians have been taking a lot of hit from these suicide bombs that have been going on in the northeast of nigeria. >> the leader of burkina faso has turned himself in. he sought refugee at the vatican embassy after a stand off between the army and his supporters, who refused to disarm. >> now children in niger are increasingly forced into marriage. it's a practice that is proving near impossible for the government to stop.

we have reports now. >> a traditional wedding in the city of agadez. a taureg stronghold. the women are known for their stunning beauty. but behind the celebrations and joy lie days of abuse. poor and uneducated, most of these women have been forced to marry while still children. many are promised to rich nigerians. married an nigerian, but she could not get used to life in nigeria. she returned home poor, single mother of a daughter. >> the reason why i got married was to financially help my poor father and improve our living continues, but the marriage collapsed. i have a daughter that i need to raise and care for.

>> child marriages are common practice in this part of the world. parents can't resist th the big do youries, but child brides often suffer mistreatment. there is abuse and stigma when they return home divorced and humiliated. >> niger has the highest rate of child marriage in the world. 25% of girls marry before the age of 15, and 75% before the age of 18. unicef has sought help in the local communities. child marriage has a negative impact on society. we're educating girls to put an end to the practice. >> but ending the practice in niger, one of the world he is for aest countries, has a long way to go. this woman has deified her family who wanted her to marry a wealthy man.

many others cannot especially in the face of overwhelming poverty. al jazeera. >> an ambitious blueprint has been put forward to revitalize the capital of rwanda, but it is feed that the developments will be too expensive for the current residents to continue living there. catherine soi has a look. >> if all goes well, this is what it will look like in 2040. it's a master plan with a price. it will cost billions of dollars. half of the land is unusable. so every available space will be needed to make the vision a reality. >> it has to be utilized efficiently so that we be able to accommodate people living now.

>> in the short time house something a priority. in the population of 1.2 million people is expected to triple b by 2040. all these houses are expected to come down, and what people are worried about here is how much they will be compensated, and whether or not they'll be able to afford these news houses. >> an acre of land just at the age of the city center. these houses are handed out. >> this is currently the gated

community with a town center. the primary goal was to teach people or to share with people how it is ideal to live as a community. yes it is premium housing and maybe not everyone will be able to acquire this property. but we are now looking into our phase two, which will then target low- to middle income. >> the price is $180,000. many rwandaens cannot afford this. there will be cheaper houses, but they're creating affordable homes is one of the greatest challenges. >> two people have been shot dead outside of a police station in sudden any australia. the attack open fired as two people left the headquarters on friday afternoon. one of the people killed work

for the police. officers shot and killed the gunmen and are now trying to identify him. >> the thai army has been criticized forever it's heavy-handed approach for its conflict in the south. muslim groups have been fighting for greater autonomy. now the thai military is trying a new approach to bring them home. we have reports. >> this is the latest army tactic to try to win a long running war against separatist fight necessary thailand. the house of a suspected bomb maker, they arrive with clothing and medicine for his wife in the hope she can convince him to come home. the trust building exercise is trying to improve the army's reputation. thailand's three southern-most

provinces have been under marshal law. the outgoing soldier in charge of this area acknowledged that their methods had to change. >> the understanding of non-violence has to start with government offices first. all officers have to understand their roles responsibilities and scope of power. >> many are skeptical. they had been providing food and support to one of the armed groups fighting for independence when he came under scrutiny by the security forces. he and his family has been in the malaysian jungle for 14 years. they still don't trust the army. >> i'm sure there are those who have trouble sleeping at night. we live here, and it's better,

we're free of being arrested. most of the groups leaders also listen in this area of malaysia where their largely left alone to run their operations. >> among those hiding in malaysia this active member of the hard line group believed to be responsible for most of the attacks, which have killed thousands in thailand. he's listened to what the thai army has to say but doesn't think much will change. >> the peace efforts from the government aren't bad. but when the talking is finished there is no progress. we still have no converse in them. >> and official peace talks have resumed. until they see tangible change many will choose to stay away. al jazeera, malaysia. >> well, more to come for you.

>> we're on mexico's south pacific coast where hundreds of thousands arrive each year. but the majority of the eggs are being stolen. >> it is a tactic that is very, very, very boring. >> we'll tell what you what anger arres arsene wenger.

>> welcome back. mexico's pacific coast beaches are prime nesting sites for hundreds of thousands of sea

turtles, but their eggs are prized locally and poachers rely on a lack of policing. >> they arrived one by one. it's only by a sliver of moonlight. a million endangered turtles climb on the beaches of southwest m each year, one of only two beaches to stage this nes massive invasion during nesting season. they dig to protect against the dangerous of the night. like these men known as horsem horsemen, they scour in, even as the mothers lay them. it's illegal, but they're from poor and isolated communities say they have little choice. >> i'm here because i need this work. we all have families.

we don't have education or papers to get regular job. >> over 70% of the eggs were recently taken, and the number has halved in the last 50 years. >> their eggs are really up against it. apart from human predators they're at risk from animals and birds. that means less than 1% of them will make it to adulthood. >> they sell the eggs for ten times or more than what they pay for them. in the market where they've been part of the cuisine for centuries. the navy used to guard these beaches year round, but was pulled off to battle mexico's cartels only returning when massive numbers of turtles arrived. now the government is stepping up protection efforts again.

>> we've just signed agreements with the navy, federal police and the army to support us. and we're also using drones to protect the turtle. >> the government also offers occasional work programs to give poachers other options. while full time jobs are scarce and eggs seemingly plentiful, it's hard to resist temptation.

>> we have the match against australia in pool a. the hosts lost last weekend and another loss against the wallabies mean that they'll go out in the group stage. they do have a recent record. >> hopefully, this goes on, and it does get bigger for us. but right now this week we've got to put everything into what we're doing, and like i said, we have done, and i think we've done it in the right way. >> i think--i think we can do it. they are highly anticipated test matches. we've had a great rivalry over the years that i've certainly be part of, the test matches have always been high tensity and

high quality. i'm sure it will no different tomorrow night. five one dayers and a four-match test series will follow. pakistan says he's considering retiring the 41-year-old took over as captain in 2010 and has led fourth in the rankings. >> every person has a goal in their life. people always remember your final performances. i'll try my best to work hard and perform well. i already said that i would not

take a decision about retirement. how to make this decision but i've not taken the final decisions. i'm obviously thinking about this, but i still have not decided. >> tennis now, ferrer has reached the semifinals of the malaysian open. the spaniard has never lost in all of their previous five encounters. he'll play benjamin becker in the final four. >> there is a possibility of an all spanish final with lopez threw the last four. the pa spaniard won in three sets. now he's looking for his first title this year. >> and venus williams has booked her place in the open in china. the unseated american came back from the set to win, venus'

77th career win. football has missed the chancing to top of la liga. they could only draw at home. the result does move them into two seconds. barcelona plays sevilla on saturday, and a win will move them two points ahead of villarreal. arsene wenger has reacted angrily to media asking about his play selection. >> don't always come back with the same story. i think you lack creativity in the press, and you follow something that is very, very boring. i don't go around this. if you have any interesting question for sunday's game. but apart from that, let's not come back always to the same

story. >> the new york yankees have secured a wildcard spot returning to major league postseason for the first time in two years. they're taking on the boston red sox on thursday. carlos beltrán got things going in the second inning. refsnyder giving the yankees the 4-1 lead. but victory was not confirmed until they struck out boston's josh routledge. and that's all your sport for now. it's now back to maryam nemazee. >> just a quick line coming in, there have been two bomb blasts o on the outskirts of nigeria. we'll track that store for you with more coming up at the top of the hour. we'll see you shortly.

>> every saturday 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. no topic off limits. >> 'cause i'm like, "dad, there are hookers in this house". >> exclusive conversations you won't find anywhere else. >> these are very vivid, human stories. >> if you have an agenda with people, you sometimes don't see the truth. >> "talk to al jazeera". saturday, 6:00 eastern. only on al jazeera america.

>> putin had to go into syria not out of strength but out of weakness. >> the u.s. president speaks out about the war in syria, criticizing moscow's growing involvement in the conflict. it comes as syria's government thanks russia for bombing isil and encouraging it to coordinate with its forces. hello, you're watching al jazeera. live from london. also coming up. four major sponsors call for him to step down.