>> announcer: this is al jazeera. hello, welcome to the news hour. i'm live in doha. our top stories. syria's army announces a major assault to take back territory from rebel groups boosted by russia's military intervention. also this hour, world football body fifa presses ahead for bans for sepp blatter and two other top fris frishl -- officials. and tensions increase

between israel and palestinians. and while huge areas of coral reef are under threat from climate change, and an ocean dweller. ♪ from the syria battlefield to the corridors of power at nato, russia's military intervention is already having consequences. a day after russia warships launched cruise missiles, the syrian army has launched what it called a big attack to take care territory. the head of nato called russia's action troubling. he said they have finalized plans for a 40,000 strong rapid reaction force to deal with potential threats. more on that in just a moment but first for the battle for syria, zana hoda has this report. >> reporter: the syrian army is on the offensive.

reinforcements have been sent to the front line in the northern countryside. it is a coordinated assault involving both the syrian and russian armies. russian yet jets are providing air cover. this is the first major combined air and ground assault since russia began its aerial campaign in syria more than a week ago. >> translator: today the syrian arab armed forces began a wide-ranging attack with the aim of eliminating the terrorist groups and liberating the areas and towns that have sku skufr -- suffers. >> reporter: on the ground, the opposition is fighting back. some groups like this u.s.-backed force is using american-made anti-tank missiles to hold off any advance.

another rebel brigade showed its fighters running from the battleground with a tank captured from the syrian army. >> translator: we have reached an agreement with all of the groups to set up joint positions and all groups are ready to follow our orders. >> reporter: different opposition groups operate in the countryside, they may share the goal of toppling the government, but they don't share the same ideology, for now, though, they have put their differences aside, in what they are calling a battle against russian occupation. tens of thousands are now living in makeshift shelters across the opposition-controlled north. the countryside is important territory. it lies between three provinces. it is also the entry point to the government's main strong hold in the west. before russia's intervention the opposition was advancing to that area.

russia military intervention as strengthened the syrian government's position, both politically and mir tailly. but this coordinated ground offensive, will be the first test of whether it can reverse recent losses and eventually lead to political concessions. zana hoda, al jazeera, beirut. russia's government has been giving its latest briefing about military action in syria. rory challands joins us live from moscow. rory, what are they saying? >> reporter: well, major general updated the media on exactly what the russian air force had been doing overnight. not quite the same grandiose techniques we saw on wednesday when russia struck with cruise missiles lunched from ships in the caspian sea. the brief we had today was talking about eight aircrafts, flying 22 combat raids between them. he was talking about 27 sites

struck inside syria, 8 in the homs province, and 11 in hama, and raqqa provinces. that doesn't quite make up the full 27, so maybe there were others we aren't informed of. in homs he described them as striking militants. it was only the 11 sites that he gave as isil targets. of course russia has been criticized by the west for going after other groups inside syria, and not just isil, so it's interesting to note that there. of course the context for all of this is that russia is providing air power -- air backup for this large ground offensive being launched by the syrian government forces backed up as well by iranian and hezbollah forces on the ground. neave barker in moscow, thank you very much for that.

mien while, nato has said it is ready to defend all of its member states from threat including turkey which has been drown into the conflict. russia jets flying missions over syria violated turkish air space this week. >> i call on russia to play a constructive role in the fight against isil. but russia actions and the support to the regime are not helpful. the recent violations of turkish air space are unacceptable. nato will continue to follow the developments closely, and we stand in strong solidarity with turkey. a political solution to the crisis in syria is more needed than ever. and nato supports the efforts by the u.n. and others to try to

find a political negotiated solution to the crisis. >> and neave barker is live in brussels for us. neave? >> reporter: well, a lot of the rhetoric here in nato headquarters throughout the day has been about finding a coordinated response to russian air strikes in syria, air strikes that have very much caught many western powers off guard. the feeling here is that it's vital for the alliance to close ranks, so send a clear signal to russia that they will not be able to continue to accept russian activities within syria, activities that they feel will only prolong the war, rather than bringing it to a close, something the russians believe counter to. we'll put more on the ongoing situation and the deteriorating relationships between russia and syria -- russia and nato rather,

i'm joined by brooks -- [ audio difficulty ] >> apologies for that, we have lost our connection with neave barker who was reporting from brussels where the nato defense ministers have been meeting to discuss among other things russian's intervention in syria. sepp blatter has been suspended for 90 days as part of an ongoing corruption investigation at football's governoring body. the suspect has also been suspended. both men deny any wrongdoing, with blatter insisting he will prove he didn't engage in any misconduct. >> let's go fifa. >> reporter: but not for now with sepp blatter in charge. theetics committee he set up has suspended him for 90 days. but he could return to his desk

before the vote to choose his success was chosen. his lawyers provided this statement: in may, swiss police arrested 7 top fifa officials in zurich on various corruption charges. fifa it was revealed was also being investigated by united states police. blatter did go on to win a presidential election, but days later said he would be resigning his post and a new vote was set for february. last month swiss police said the 79 year old was now the subject of a criminal investigation, accused of making what is described as a disloyal $2 million payment to think head of european football. while both men deny any wrongdoing, plat tinny has also been suspended for 90 days, seriously undermining his stated

ambition to succeed blatter: his immediate prospects, though, appear bleak. >> the ethics committee that just was suspended him has to check his credential, so you didn't see any way that he could go forward, and you have to think that uefa is already thinking about who will be their next president. >> reporter: blatter may yet be able to hand over power on something like his own terms, but this is hardly the end game he had been hoping for. coming up on the al jazeera news hour, yemen on the brink of a humanitarian crisis. hospitals are overwhelmed with war victims.

plus volkswagen's pollution scandal, police raid the german offices. and manny pacquiao gives a hint on who his next opponent will be. ♪ first tension is high across israel and the palestinian territories after a series of stabbing in tel-aviv police shot an attacker after he stabbed four people with a screwdriver. there have been similar attacks in jerusalem and the occupied west bank. mike hannah reports. >> reporter: in each case police were quickly on the scene, but they are unable to predict when or where next of these random attacks will take place. the first in this latest series of attacks were in or around the old city, but in the past two days they have occurred in separate israel towns on the

outskirts of tel-aviv, and police say dealing with these uncoordinated and random attacks poses a major challenge. >> translator: we are talking about loan wolf attacks, about random, unplanned and hard to expect attacks. these are very complicated and a lot of skill and capability is needed to handle it. >> reporter: here visiting one of the israeli wounded the israeli prime minister has called on the public not to panic, and expressed his fullest support for the police. >> translator: the goal of terrorists is to plant fear, and the first step to fight this is to show personal and national strength. we'll get over this wave of terror with steadfastness, responsibility and unity. >> the palestinian president has this reaction to the latest stabbing. >> translator: we don't attack anyone and we want them to stop attacking us. we want them not to enter al aqsa. we support those protecting the

al aqsa mosque. we tell the israeli government, stay away from our holy places, the islamic and christian holy places. we want peace and our hands will remain extended for peace, regardless of what is happening to us. >> reporter: demonstrations in occupied east jerusalem are continuing the lifting on restrictions on access to the old city is doing little to ease tension. >> there is a lot of anger in our community. the palestinians are very angry about what the israelis are doing at al aqsa. ♪ >> reporter: and contributing to what is a general mood of anger and frustration are demonstrators on the israeli right. many gathering outside of the prime minister's home to demand he takes stronger action, and some threatening to start taking action themselves. mike hannah, al jazeera, west

jerusalem. as you heard it's becoming increasingly difficult to get people on both sides to listen for calls for calm. hoda abdel hamid has this report from ramallah. >> reporter: their frustration is boiling over, and they event their anger at the occupying forces. young palestinians, many in their teens throw rocks sometimes petrol bombs. israel east retaliation goes from tear gas to bullets. the crowd also has israeli infiltrators, much as these four masked men who are among students proat the timing on wednesday. one of them was even carrying a flag of hamas. all of sawed inthey true pistols and opened fire with the backing of israeli soldiers. one of the protesters was critically wounded, others seized. it's a risk that this young man is willing to take. he won't tell us his name for his own security, but says he is

an engineering student. >> translator: both studies and the struggle are important, but these days this is more important to take part in the clashes, even if it leads to a third intifada. >> reporter: there are several check points like this one, where clashes erupt nearly on a daily basis. this is creating anxiety among many young people here who wonder how long will these tensions last and if they can evolve into something bigger. this man took part in the sec inta fa da 15 years ago. now he spends most of his day watching from afar. >> translator: i don't join anymore. because it is useless. but inside me, i support them. when i was younger i was feisty, now i know i might get wounded or killed. but that's it. the youth are upset about what is happening at the al aqsa

mosque compound. for those on the front line protests are essential. >> reporter: for those on the front line, agitations and protests are essential. this is an organizer of student protests even though she says it's not yet time for a full-scale uprising. >> translator: our generation has more energy than the older ones. they are tired or disillusioned, but we have to believe what was taken by force can only be returned by force. but i don't support a third intifada, because if we don't have a plan, we'll get nothing out of it, just another catastrophe. >> reporter: many of the protesters were born after the oslo according were signed in 1994. recently, president abbas warned he could withdraw from the agreement. many palestinians feel it is long gone. and now back to mike hannah in yeses -- jerusalem.

what is the israeli government doing to try to bring back calm? >> reporter: the israeli government has not yet reimposed restrictions on access to the old city and the al aqsa mosque compound in particular. there has been stringent restrictions in place which was one of the flash points of this current round of conflict that we're seeing. so app pair represently a means -- an attempt to ease the situation on the ground, but what we are seeing at the moment in the course of the day, the series of stabbings throughout various parts of israel and the occupied west bank also what we are seeing within occupied east jerusalem, is very strong resistance. the red crescent says that at least seven protesters have been shot by israeli forces in the camp. so whatever the israeli government is doing, clearly not having any real impact on the

ground as yet. tensions still running high. the conflict over the al aqsa mosque compound, radiating outwards throughout occupied west bank as well as within israel itself. >> mike thank you very much for that. the saudi-lead coalition in yemen is being accused of bombing another wedding. witnesses say at least 13 people were killed and 30 others injured in this attack on a rebel-held town. this is the second such attack in recent weeks. riyadh denied a bombing in september, where more than 130 were killed. meanwhile houthi rebels have confirmed their commitment to austin underpeace plan. they have written to the u.n. secretary general saying they are ready to end fighting and withdrawal from captured territory. the rebels agreed to the plan in geneva last month. the yemeni government insist the

houthis must withdraw first before any dialogue can take place. the war has pushed the country to the brink of a humanitarian catastrophe, the health sector has been one of the hardest hit. hospitals are barely coping. hashem ahelbarra reports. >> reporter: she was told that it was too late, that her daughter didn't survive her injuries. he hear her say may god avenge those who killed my daughter. the woman blames the hospital for poor medical care. health facilities across yemen are overwhelmed with a growing number of victims from the conflict. many have been killed or injured in the military campaign that has entered its seventh month. >> translator: my father was injured in air strikes targeting our people. my father was coming down the

stairways when the house was targeted. he suffers a head injury. >> reporter: thousands of people are stranded or have fled from their homes. in the capitol sana'a, where coalition forces lead by saudi arabia have intensified their air strikes, people are struggling. international aid agencies say yemen is critically short of food, fuel, and medicine. >> translator: there is no authority that controls the prices of fuel, cooking oil and flour. each bakery imposes its own prices and we pay the price. bred has become very expensive. >> reporter: many hope the conflict will end soon, but the country's warring factions reject dialogue, and as the conflict drags on, millions face a difficult future. hashem ahelbarra, al jazeera. the united nations says a deal to form a unity government in libya is getting closer.

the u.n. special representative has been tasked with bringing together libya's rival government. he says talks to reach a final a agreement are nearing a conclusion. the prosecutor for the international criminal court plans to investigate alleged abuses in the 2008 conflict between russia and georgia. it would be the first icc inquiry outside of africa. fighting began in the province. russia moves troops into georgia and its air force struck targets. hundreds of people were killed in five days of fighting. kosovo's parliament has been disrupted after an opposition mp set off a smoke bomb. mp's blew whistles as the leader of the self determination party activated devices around the chamber. they were been locked in a standoff over a e.u.-brokered

deal to improve relations with serbia. now rwanda's highest court has thrown out a legal challenge to construction tuksal changes that could allow the president to run for a thir term. the opposition green party mounted the challenge after parliament strapped term limits. the president is serving his second term in office. he is not officially declared whether he will seek to extend his power. german police have raided auto giant volkswagen's headquarters and oversights as part of an investigation into massive pollution cheating scandal. they say it will take a year before the affected vehicles be can fixed. volkswagen admitted it fitted 11 million vehicles worldwide with devices capable of cheating

emissions tests. and alan what has the head of volkswagen america been telling lawmakers there? >> reporter: well, he was giving evidence in front of house of representatives committee. he was essential i will slated by everyone on the panel for the way that volkswagen handled this. they told him it was a breach of integrity. that volkswagen's reputation was in tatters. that it was all a question of honesty. a lot of people very angry. it was a test by west virginia university that uncovered the problem with volkswagen not just here in the u.s. but across the world. then it was time for the executives themselves to stand up and give evidence. and first of all he apologized for what volkswagen had done. >> these events are deeply troubling. i did not think something like

this was possible. we have broken the trust of everyone. we at volkswagen take full responsibility for our actions and are working with all of the relevant authorities in a cooperative way. >> any idea when they'll get on top of this crisis? >> reporter: i think the lawmakers realize everything has been coordinated from headquarters, which as you said there was a raid there in the last few hours. here in the united states, michael horn has said this is going to be a long process. recalls that happened over recent years with toyota and general motors, it's a long, slow process. in the newer models, he says this is going to take somewhere in the region of one to two years to fix, with the older models, he said simply changing

the software isn't going to work, they are going to have to replace the gas tanks. this is particularly frustrating for those who thought thigh would buy a car and keep their gas mileage down. this will be an expensive and a long fix for volkswagen. >> thank you very much for that. still ahead, e.u. ministers discuss ways of getting tough on people fleeing to europe who don't qualify as refugees. and indonesia faces heat from its neighbors. and in sport, liverpool have a new manager, farah will be here with the story very shortly. do stay with us. we're back after the break. ♪

>> that's what i want to hear. >> give me all you've got. >> now. >> bootcamp... >> stop your whinin'. >> for bad kids. >> if they get a little dirty, so what. >> we have shackles, we have a spit bag. >> they're still having nightmares. >> if you can't straighten out your kids... >> they're mine. >> this is the true definition of tough love. ♪ welcome back. you are watching al jazeera, live from doha, a reminder of our top stories. syria's armed forces chief of staff says the military has launched a big attack to take back towns and villages.

the offensive is being backed by russian air strikes. the chief says russia's action is a troubling escalation. world football's governing body fifa has provisionally suspended his president, vice president, and two other executives for 90 days. they are investigating the three over corruption allegations. and tension is high across israel and the palestinian territories after a series of stabbings. police shot an attacker after he stabbed four people with a screwdriver. more now on our top story and nato's response to russia's military offensive in syria. joining us is a professor of political science at the university university of chicago. thank you for being with us on al jazeera. before we talk about what nato can or cannot do, first of all

there has been several hundred u.s. air strikes against isil in both iraq and syria. and they failed to achieve what -- you know, the u.s.-lead coalition wants and that is drive out isil. do you think the russians can succeed where the americans have failed so far. >> the russians will have more limited success, especially in syrian than the americans have, the reason is not because russian air power is more technically effective. air power works best in concert with a cohesive ground ally. assad is the most cohesive ground force in syria at the moment. so when russia uses air power in combination with the ground units, this is going to create limited successes. number 1 it is going to help consolidate assad's positions. he is unlikely to fall any time

in the next month or two. number 2, there is a good chance that he will actually gain some ground, not a lot. he is not going to roll over syria all the way to the iraq boarder, but he may gain several dozen miles of buffer space. >> so russia's advantage you are saying is that they have a force, the syrian force on the ground that is backing this air power. so are the americans then backing the wrong players in syria? and if that is the case who would be a stronger ally. >> the best ground ally for the united states are the kurds. and in fact, over the last year, the americans have been backing the kurds in syria, also in iraq, but in syria, and the kurds have taken ground in northern syria, creating quite a lot of space that isis doesn't control and of course assad does not control. we have in addition been trying

to build up what we call the free syrians. these are the syrians in the western part of the country who are not committed to isis and are opposing assad. i think this simply going nowhere, and i think that we should over the next year focus our efforts on pouring resources into the kurdish area, so that we could incrementally expand control, including with sunnis, but in the several dozen miles south of where the kurds currently control area. this will take time, months, but it would also be a place where the refugees could go, other than europe. >> sure. interesting. what about nato's role in all of this, robert. we heard them say nato is prepared to defend its allies. will nato get involved in this conflict eventually?

>> i think it is very important that nato declare that it still has sovereignty -- will help maintain sovereignty over nato countries. and i think the number 1 issue is air space. i think it's air space over turkey. i'm not saying that nato go to a shooting war. let me be clear about that. but what i do think is that there should be all manner of complaining and we should make it absolutely clear that what russia is doing is violating norms of sovereignty that it has heretofore upheld in many of the nato countries, and this is simply out of sync with international norms and being a member of the international community, making russia's isolation still worse. >> robert thanks for your perspective. professor of political science at the university of chicago, thank you for your time.

europe's refugee crisis has been discussed by e.u. ministers in luxemburg. more than 600,000 refugees have arrived in europe this year, as people flee conflict in syria, iraq, and elsewhere. sonia joins us live from luxemburg where interior ministers are meeting to discuss plans to return migrants who have refused asylum. what is the council suggesting to deal with this crisis? >> reporter: well, essentially it's a two-fold method that they are suggesting. first and foremost they were eager to announce that what they wanted, really, was to make sure that refugees with legitimate reasons for seeking asylum, would still continue to be welcome in europe, but -- and this is what luxemburg's foreign

minister said, that there has to be some kind of system to be able to allow them to come in. and that means sifting through and identifying those people who have come on those dangerous journeys and yet are not fleeing any particular kind of conflict or war, but more economic migrants. so they say, well, really, this is what we're going to do. it's very important that we relocate the refugees. they are announcing relocations of eritreans from italy to sweden, but this month they also will be having ten flights from the e.u. going to return or deport other nationals who have come here as economic migrants, they say. in that also together with the release of some $600 million worth of funds in order to help countries with the influx of

syrian refugees and humanitarian assistance. >> what about coordinating with the countries of origin, because if they are going to send people back to their countries, they'll need to coordinate with those countries, won't they? >> exactly. and they would like to take an approach of encouragement. they were very reluctant to state if they would actually adopt any sort of punishment or sanctions against any countries who refused to take back economic migrants. they seem to want to con seen trait on having -- doing favors and -- you know, in the sense, having a balancing act, saying look, this is doing us a favor, and we'll be doing you a favor, if you take back these nationals that have come here illegally. and very much a kind of carrot and stick sort of model. they really do not want to cause any abrasiveness, that's what

they are saying, and that they really are trying to resolve this in as pragmatic and also with minimal conflict, really with those other nations. >> okay. thank you very much, sonia. barack obama has apologized for a u.s. air strike on a hospital in afghanistan run by the aid group doctors without borders. 22 people died in the attack. doctors without borders is calling for an independent investigation. the u.s. has been assisting the afghan government in its offensive to clear the taliban from the city of kunduz. the fighting is now into its second week. our correspondent is on the front line and sent this update. >> reporter: this is the main jail of kunduz city where ten days ago, over 600 prisoners escaped from after the big taliban attack on kunduz city. now this is on the outskirts of

kunduz city. this road leads to the center of kunduz city. we just came back from there. heavy fighting is still going on. both sides are struggling to get control of the city. afghanistan security forces saying that the reason that they have failed to get full control of the city is because taliban is hiding in a residential area, and they are afraid if they fight the taliban there, it might cause heavy civilian casualties. and now the residents are telling us enough is enough. they are running out of food, running out of water. no electricity, and any movement is almost impossible inside this city for them. >> translator: people have been destroyed. the government has to provide us with security. we can't survive anymore like this. >> translator: we used to work daily and make enough to survive. now there is no work. we don't have anything to eat.

and nobody cares about us. >> reporter: they are asking both sides for a ceasefire, so they can get out of their areas, and go to some safe area. indonesia is seeking international help to put out fires that have sent a choking haze across southeast asia. after spending weeks insisting it could deal with it alone, the president now says they are expecting international assistance. haze from fires has been drifting across singapore and malaysia for weeks. this satellite image taken in slate september shows plumes of smoke billowing across southeast asia. nasa detected unusual warm temperatures associated with fires. >> reporter: borneo's forest,

considered a major supplier of the planet's oxygen are on fire, emitting dangerous greenhouse gases instead. the fires are nearly impossible to stop. they are causing a haze of smoke that has spread far beyond indonesia's borders, and causing tens of thousands of indonesians to fall ill. the government has sent in the military, but experts say it's all too little too late. it was known month ago that indonesia would be hit by drought due to the el nino weather pattern. >> i think the government has all of the regulations, and the intention to stop this from happening, but it's about enforcement. again, most of the work that will be meaningful, should have been done before the fires happened, before the el niño year happened. >> reporter: to protect one of the last remaining rain forests, this conservative company has

hired villagers who traditionally practice slash and burn techniques, now they guard the trees. >> translator: every time we plant trees they ghefrt a chance to grow and be productive, because they are always destroyed by fire. that's why i have decided to help stop the fire. >> reporter: it's not only borneo's farmers who burn to clear land. plantation owners do too. nearly 200 companies are suspected of causing fires, so far only one has lost its license. a palm oil company next to the rain forest the villagers are trying to protect is under investigation. >> reporter: this section is closing in, most of the haze is coming from fires in this pete land, and although this land seems to be now under control, deep down the fire can rage on for many months and flair up

every minute. the president has instructed canals should be dug to keep the land wet to stop the fires, but experts warn that actually drains water and increases the fire risk. >> reporter: the government admits more should have been done to prevent this disaster. >> translator: from the start of the year, the president has already warned to prevent the fires. his orders were very clear. the fact is the fires did happen. meaning our preventative measures have to be improved. >> reporter: indonesian government leaders have yet to involve the communities considered crucial to solve the crisis. they hope to stop the fires by the end of the month. a prediction, many say is far too optimistic. still ahead . . . ♪ sentinels of the shore rescuing

canada's lighthouses in an age of modern technology, and turning heads, we meet the first female duel to complete in australia's annual motor race in nearly 20 years. ♪

♪ welcome back. distress signals are being sent out in canada about lighthouses. they have warned ship's captains for decades, but gps and other technology means many are

redundant. daniel lack reports. >> reporter: sentals of the shore, canada's lighthouses have stood for centuries, but modern technology and a cost-conscious government mean many could disappear if local communities don't start maintaining them. that's what is happening today at the bores headlight house on nova scotia's neck. >> as far as the lighthouse itself, they are not going to touch it. if it fell down, it fell down. that's just the way it is. >> reporter: in 2008, ottawa declared nearly 500 lighthouses as unnecessary to navigation. local communities have taken over some, 75 now have heritage status, but preservists, still worry the country is losing touch with its past. >> we don't have the castles

that europe has or the great wall of china, but we do have our lighthouses and they are who we are. >> my dad moved us out on to the island in 1964. i was nine months old. >> reporter: once lighthouse keepers lived with their families in places like this outside of halifax. kelly grow up there, and served as keeper herself in the final months before the light was automated in 1988. >> i considered being a light keeper a privilege. if they hadn't have closed it down, i think i would have pursued that as a career. i would have been very content to raise my family out there. >> reporter: even today in the age of electronic communications and global positioning systems, not all lighthouses are heritage buildings. this is a working canadian coast guard light station, and it presides over one of the most

treacherous stretches of water. with computerized coastal navigation now more like air traffic control, catastrophic wrecks are thankfully rare these days. >> you have container ships, cruz ships, fishing vessels, and while they depend to an extent on their electronic navigation, there's a lot of captains will tell you that they still want to see that light flashing. >> reporter: and in a few places they will continue to see them so long as local communities keep doing what used to be the federal government's job. daniel lak, al jazeera. time to catch up on sports here is farah. sepp blatter has been suspended by fifa. fifa's ethics committee has banned its veteran president for

90 days after being investigated for corruption activities two others were also banned. another of his potential suck sosz ors has been banned for six years. former vice president also fined for breaking rules during the 2022 world cup bid campaign. for more on this story we're joined by andrew, a correspondent for inside world football and live for us from london. andrew is this the end of blatter's career? or would he come back in january? >> well, there's a chance, farah. i mean it does look as if it's probably the end of the road. i mean, i imagine his lawyers are looking for every possibility now to try and keep him in charge at least until february the 26th when he is due to step down anyway.

a 90-day suspension takes us through january, and the ethics committee have the opposition of extending that. there is the fifa appeal's committee, the court of arbitration for sport, but they take time. and it will be interesting to see now what happens not only to sepp blatter, but also to the two others. one thing is for sure, there is now a massive power vacuum at fifa. this is a very dark day for football and fifa. a day you could say blatter's critics were hoping for, and a day his supporters were dreading. >> who's names will be on the ballot in january when the elections are held. >> this is rapidly developing into a farcical election. you have platini who was very much the favor before he was suspended today. the deadline for nominations is october 26th.

so it's pretty clear that platinti will not be able to put his name forward. and we are not left with very many options. the one obvious candidate is probably now the favor, is prince ali of jordan who lott to sepp blatter in may. but he doesn't any longer, or didn't until platini was just ruled out today have uefa's support, and doesn't have the support either of his own asian confederation. so it is going to be very difficult to ascertain, to predict what happens on february 26th. my assumption, and it would be a fluid assumption, is that there will be other candidates who still come forward. one of them might be the south

african businessman and human rights icon. he still hasn't made up his mind. but of course those outside fifa, and outside of football who think somebody should come from outside the whole organization, whole mechanism, would support, i think his canadature. >> thank you so much for your time. [ inaudible ] has agreed to a three-year deal to take over as liverpool manager. the 48 year old stepped down, and takes over for brendan rogers who was fired. manny pacquiao says he is working to have his next fight in qatar or dubai for the first time. he hasn't fought since losing to floyd mayweather in may. the pakman named britain's boxer first on his list.

>> there is khan, marcase, of course floyd mayweather. and garcia. >> reporter: would you like a rematch against mayweather. >> yeah, i would love to have a rematch with him if he want to. >> here in qatar. >> of course. yeah. there are going to be a lot of people who are going to watch this fight. >> you said it is your focus now, your political career, does that mean your next fight will be your last? >> in my mind right now, i just focus the next fight, and focus to my politics. >> reporter: so there could be another fight after whatever is the next fight? >> maybe there's another fight or not. i'm okay. in major league baseball the chicago cubs are celebrating their first post-season win in 12 years. the beat the pirates 4-0.

there were two holmes, while the pitcher struck out 11 in a complete game shutout. the subs have not won the world series since 1908. the longest drought in north american sports. australia are getting revved up for this weekend, and so are an all-female team. andrew thomas reports. >> reporter: in a sport dominated by men, the novelty of female drivers brings attention. the supercar race is an endurance event, two drivers share 161 lapse of a track a little over 6 kilometers long. they are the first female pair to complete in 17 years. but both professional drivers, the ladies are used to standing

out. >> it just starts from the beginning. when we look at go-carting, there are hundreds of boys and maybe five girls go-carting. >> reporter: it costs hundreds of thousands of dollars to compete in this race, ability and possibility of winning attracts sponsors but so does novelty. men often suggest she gets more support than them, because she can wear a skirt and look pretty. in general, though, men are supportive. one in particular, racing against them will gracey's boyfriend. your own hopes for this weekend to beat your girlfriend or win the race? >> equally important i think. >> reporter: the supercar racing is still fairly niche national, formula 1 is the pinnacle of motor sport. >> i hope there's more females in general racing in the hopes

someone can get to formula 1 to prove to everyone we can do it. >> reporter: for now they are just the stars of this race. this is all part of the razzmatazz that goes with the big race, but it's in the driving seat that these women earn respect. there's much more sport on our website. for all of the latest check out aljazeera.com/sport. we have got blogs and video clips from our correspondent around the world. and that's all your sport for now. more later. farah, thank you. scientists are warning that huge areas of coral reef could be wiped out this year, because the oceans are getting hotter. researcher believe a warm patch known as the blob may be partly to blame. not much is known about what caused it, but it covers a wide area off of the coast of north america. but the blob isn't the only

culprit climate change has lead to record high temperatures in parts of the oceans. 12,000 square kilometers are in danger of being wiped out this year. that's 5% of the global total. coral reefs are nurseries for many species of fish. a researcher says with the pace of global warming it may already be too late to protect the coral reefs. >> coral bleaching at this magnitude is very bad for b biodiversity. it's one of the first real events of climate change that we can put our finger on. it's bad for tourism and local communities who depend for the reefs, and the reefs produce oxygen for us. they are pointing around guam

but also around australia, and around in the caribbean around florida. the barrier reef from miami down to dryer to togas will also be affected. it might already be too late. after a bleaching event, it can take corals five to ten years to recover, and water quality is a big issue. at the rate of climate change that we're seeing now, it might not be enough time for corals to naturally protect themselves and to -- to adapt to this -- these climate events that we're having. and with that, we end this news hour from doha on al jazeera. for me and the whole time, thank you very much for watching. we're live from our london news center next with my colleague

lauren taylor. i hope you do stay with us. thanks for watching. >> we're offering something on our menu that no-one else is offering. >> every saturday night. >> i lived that character.

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the cent violations of turkish air space are unacceptable. nato denounces russia's actions in syria, and vows to defend its allies. ♪ >> this is al jazeera live from london. stabbing attacks in jerusalem and tel-aviv heighten tensions across israel and the occupied palestinian territories. i'm jonah hull on the croatia hungary border, or a narrow gap in a razor