>> techknow - where technology meets humanity. >> announcer: this is al jazeera. welcome to this news hours. i'm here in doha. coming up in next 60 minutes, a surprise visit, in the first indian prime minister sets foot in pakistan for a decade. 14 people are killed in russian air strikes. we report from the haitian border with haitians have been

stranded since july. and there is still some life left in these rusting old georgian cable cars. ♪ welcome to the program. prime minister modi is in pakistan, the first visit by an indian leader in over ten years. this surprise visit comes after a long period of bad relations between the two countries. those relations have been strained over a series of cross border exchanges of fire by each side blames on the other. there were talks scheduled for august. those talks were canceled who said what to whom to get them from that point to what we're seeing today? >> reporter: well, you are absolutely right. the two sides were not talking to each other. however, after that, there was

intense pressure from friendly countries like the united states on india to come back to the negotiating table. and there was an ice breaker when both of the prime ministers met in paris on the sidelines of the climate conference. after that the national security advisors of the two countries met bangkok, there was progress there, and then the foreign minister came to visit pakistan. today's visit, however, was on the choice of the indian prime minister. he called mr. sharif from kabul saying he wanted to meet him to stop briefly. sharif then said come and have a cup of tea with he. and when he did arrive he was taken in a helicopter. before they arrived on the form,

mr. modi had brought gifts because sharif's granddaughter was getting married and it was also his birthday. but there is a lot of importance attached to this meeting, because it will go a long way in trying to at least bring the two back to the negotiating table. >> so relations very much thawing now. if we see real progress, where might we see it? >> reporter: well, the first progress would be on the willingness to talk on kashmir, that is one of the bones of contention for pakistan. for the indians it would be to see tangible progress into the probe on the mumbai incident in 2008. both sides will have to show some flexibilities. both sides also know they could be in a win-win situation if they are able to solve those

particular issues, or at least remove thor importance amongst themselves, sorry. so importantly, it shows that both sides are willing to talk, but the more important thing is the economic aspects of all of this. the indian were in [ inaudible ] talking about a gas pipeline. indian is looking at a pakistan as a conduit to central asia. so both sides exploring the possibilities if they are able to normalize relations. faiz jamil is in new delhi. >> reporter: this visit came as a complete surprise to everyone. it started as a tweet on the prime minister's twitter account, which involved into a helicopter ride, to one on one

talks. many modi supporters are calling this a political master stroke, just like he had after winning the election and inviting sharif here for the swearing-in ceremony. but others accuse the prime minister of show boating >> >> translator: you do not conduct diplomacy at the apex level in such a cavalier manner. >> reporter: all of this comes months after strained relations between the two countries. but modi is the only one who can at least try to push relations forward here. he is akin to indian's own only nixon can go to china. >> now as kamal was hinting at earlier, mr. modi was earlier in

afghanistan in the capitol where he held talks with the afghan president. he handed over four attack helicopters to the afghan military, and inaugurated a new parliament building, built by india, as a gesture of cooperation. afghan security officials have sent in reinforcements to helmand province. 20 people were killed overnight. the u.s. is helping afghan troops are air strikes. our correspondent is in the province close to where the fighting is happening. >> reporter: we are hearing from afghan security officers here in helmand. they are telling us reinforcement by road just reached the district, just less than 24 hours ago, afghan security officials -- afghan security officials deployed afghan official forces. we are hearing from residents

that heavy fighting is still going on. and afghan security official also telling us they have now the control of the police headquarters building, and the district headquarters building, but the fighting is in a very small area, about 2 to 3,000 square meters. so we are hearing that face-to-face fighting is going on there still. and we are getting complaints and phone calls from the residents, civilians who could not afford to leave the area during the fighting. they are complaining that heavy use of artillery and bombardment is -- they are the ones who are suffering, and there were a number of civilian casualty at least 20 confirmed by afghan officials that 20 civilians were killed in the past 24 hours. russian fighter jets have

carried out more raids in syria, at least 14 people have been kilned in the attacks. our correspondent has this report. >> translator: there have been russian air raids here on the border with turkey. the raids have targeted this hospital. this is not the first time this hospital has been hit. as you can see, the [ inaudible ] has been destroyed, and there are many injured inside the building. this is some of the damage. and nearby a petrol station was also targeted by the russian jets. as you can see the flames are still rising. according to witnesses the russian raids killed many people, and injured others near this round about. the civil defense teams are trying to put out this fire. the russian fighter jets are still above us. it wouldn't be a surprise if

these planes continue that aerial raids that started two days ago. the russian air strikes have increased since a russian jet was shot down by turkey in november. qatar's foreign minister has been meeting his russian counterpart in moscow, with syria top of the agenda. sergei lavrov held a press conference with his qatari counter part. >> translator: we discussed in detail what is necessary to be done, to implement the agreements on the syrian settlement, that was reached on the framework of the international support group in syria, and the u.n. security council. we agree with russian party that the worsening of this crisis has benefited the interests of neither party.

we are aware that the delays in the solution of this crisis is harmful to all of the parties, and first of all to the syrian people. a syrian academic and writer and associate analyst at the doha institute here in qatar. he says the most important issue is the future of bashar al-assad. >> once again it shows that the two sides are still having big differences. because we know that the russians, as sergei lavrov hazem fa sized many times, that there are differences on the future of president bashar al-assad. there are also differences on who is -- in defining who is the terrorist in syria. because the russians want to include all of the armed groups that are fighting bashar al-assad, put them all in one bracket and call them terrorists, and they should not

be allowed, actually to be part of the syrian opposition delegation. and be part of the peace talking in geneva. i think these are the two main issues, i think. isil fighters are expected to be given safe passage out of the refugee crisis in damascus. a deal negotiated with president bashar al-assad's government. the u.n. is backing the move which makes it possible to bring aid to thousands trapped in the fighting. the camp has been blockaded by syrian government forces since 2012. in iraq, a spokesman for the council of anbar province says recapturing the city of ramadi will not happen quickly.

the military says it is making progress, but has been slowed by ied's left behind. they came to take mosul after ramadi. it was seized by isil in may of last year. our correspondent has more from the capitol baghdad. >> reporter: fighting in ramadi is still going on for almost a week. iraqi security forces who succeeded on crossing the river to the southeast of ramadi a few days ago, they are still trying to reach the center of ramadi, but according to sources from the center of ramadi says that fighting is very tough, and iraqi forces are facing a huge resistance by the fighters of isil. a spokesman of the provisional council of anbar said that taking back ramadi make take longer than said before. some iraqi commentators said a

new days ago, that it will take no more than 72 hours to retake the whole city center. an iraqi military commander said it may take a longer time, because of the huge resistance made by the fighters of isil. a military commander said, iraqi helicopters they are doing every day more than 15 raids on ramadi, and he said these raids are targeting the -- the site and the fighters of isil in ramadi. everybody now is talking about what is the distance between the current presence of iraqi forces from the center of ramadi is not a matter of one kilometer. but this does not mean the mission is about to be finished. some military commanders said the progress are doing in the

matter of tens of meters, and this means that fighting in ramadi may take longer time. military analysts are expecting that that scenario of tikrit may be repeated again in ramadi. they tried to concur tikrit, and at that time everybody expected the battle would take a very long time, but suddenly the fighters of isil, they it draw -- withdrew from the city. some believe this might be repeated again in ramadi, and this because of the big difference between the two powers of isil and iraqi security forces. fighting in ta'izz has killed at least 14 rebels. at least 4 civilians are reported to have been killed

during the shelling of residential areas. a houthi rebel siege of the city has prevented supplies from getting in. >> reporter: there are no safe havens left in ta'izz. this mosque now bares the scars of combat. the houthis are locked in a bitter struggle with pro-government forces for control of the city. fierce battles are taking place on several fronths. pro-government forces are trying to fend off houthi fighters from entering. and there are reports they may come from nearby towns. for now a blockade is effecting this normally bustling hospital. doctors say they have run out of essential supplies.

a similar scene plays out hundreds of kilometers to the south in the city of aden, most apartments here can no longer function, but the ward for kidney patients was spared from the bombs. something this man is thankful for. >> translator: when the war started it was impossible to go to the hospital. >> reporter: with aden now back under government control, the race is on to rebuild this hospital, and resume much-needed services. >> translator: a lot of people come to the hospital. some injured military fighters from ta'izz also receive treatment here. we work with what we have. >> reporter: it has been more than a year since the houthis took over the capitol, sana'a. and nearly nine months since the saudi-lead coalition lunched its campaign. it is straining basic medical

services to the point of collapse. much more still to come here on the news hour for you, including this one. a long walk to a new life, challenges facing refugees. i'm reporting from the central african republic, where at christmas not everyone is happy about the penning elections. and one of the most powerful men in world football faces charges of corruption, details coming up in sport. ♪ almost 3,000 people have arrived in haiti's makeshift camps since july, they are still stranded there, they were forced to leave the dominican republic after the government began a crackdown on what they called illegal migrants. some were born in the dominican republic, but they can't prove it.

adam raney is lye for us in southern haiti near the board we are the dominican republic. adam am i right in thinking here most of these younger people are second-generation haitian because there has been this chris-cross across the border now for a long time. >> reporter: indeed, if not second, third, or fourth. there has been a long cross-border living and movement situation in the dominican republic. you have many people who still live in the dominican republic who have haitian roots. and we're meeting young people here when you speak to them. i speak to them in spanish, they have a dominican accent, they start to struggle when they try to speak to their parents in creole. it shows they are culturally domini and they really feel isolated here, and not just because there is little to eat and drink in this camp, but because they don't even have

family here. one older woman said she doesn't know how long she has lived in the dominican republic. she said she might have a brother somewhere in this country, but doesn't know how to fine -- find them. meanwhile she left behind a husband and a son, but she is quite old. she has no money. she says she is stuck here between two countries that don't seem to care about her. no one seems to want to help her get back to the dominican republic. >> why is the dominican republic doing this now? the custom and practice was you could cross the border, and people now that legally they should get the right paperwork, but few felt the need to actually do that. >> reporter: what you have here are two countries that have never been close, when the

dominican republic celebrates independence day, it celebrates independence from haiti. there is also racial issues. dominicans although they are white, mixed-race, and a mix of european and native american, there are also black dominicans, they don't feel black. there is a lot of racial tension. they look down on haitians. it's a real tricky issue. so every few years there is this movement to target haitians, despite the fact that the dominican republic has a bombing economy, and in many ways that was built on the backs of haitian labor. when you are across the border in the dominican republic you hear awful things coming from some people. they are threatening to kill them in they don't leave. there is not a welcoming sense of community, because for

decades if not centuries there has been an antagonism between the borders. they do not feel like they are neighborhoods or even allies. >> thanks, adam. harsh winter weather in europe has not stopped the flow of refugees. they keep arriving by sea, hoping to get to the heart of the continent. 800,000 so far have entered the e.u. from greece. several balkan countries have built border fences to block the passage of refugees, turning greece into a bottleneck. many are heading north and want to settle eventually in germany. our correspondent reports now on the border between greece and macedonia. >> reporter: tired but determined to carry on. heading into the unknown to start a new life. the border here has been tightened with new restrictions,

only iraqis, syrians, and afghans are allowed in. macedonia is next, but reaching northern europe is not easy. many have escaped wars, rape, and the islamic state of iraq and the levant. this is a town that until recently was under isil's control in northern iraq. >> translator: it was cleared from isil, but everyone there wants to establish their own authority. we decided either we live in peace or die together trying. >> reporter: the journey remains long and hard, the next goal is to cross through macedonia, serbia, and beyond. the flow of refugees is constant, so far over 2,000 people have crossed. and on wednesday over 3,400 people went through. the u.n. refugee agency said some were subjected to ill treatment and push backs by the macedonian border police.

aid groups are doing what they can to help >> we have a camp with medical services. we have shelter which is covered and heated. >> reporter: some greek charities are also helping. >> if we do not give food to the people who need it, we are nothing. >> reporter: about 20 minutes drive from the border this gas station became a waiting point. families rest and wait to be allowed to continue their journey. some of them have arrived the night before. some greek and american protestant groups have decided it is time to preach. handing out leaflets and copies of the bible. dozens of people have their stories to tell. this is a pharmacist from syria. he says the treatment he has got

here is rough. >> translator: we slept on the bus, no toilets no food. i want to live in dignity and have a better life for my children. >> reporter: for many year, the risk is worth it. there is hope for a better and safer future despite the hurdles along the way. dozens of people have been killed by an explosion at this gas plant in nigeria. it happened at the intercore oil and gas site. it is thought a truck carrying butane gas exploded. voting in the central african republic has been delayed today for a fifth time. the election has been scheduled to sunday, and it has now been postponed to december 30th. tania page has more. >> reporter: they simply aren't ready, there is still a mountain of election material waiting to be taken by helicopter out to

the provinces. but once it gets there, that isn't the end stop. there is about 4,000 polling stations around the country, it is going to be loaded into four by four vehicles because the roads are so bad here, and in many instances taken in smaller packages out to motorcycles and taken to the polling stations. we are told that a lot of the staff haven't been trained properly. and after the elections finish, once the ballot boxes have been finished, there has been problems of getting the ballot boxes back. we have seen it all year that these elections have been rushed. they are going ahead, we understand, many people say they are essential and necessary to get this country back on track and out of the transition period to an elected government.

>> reporter: boxes of ballot paper destined to the provinces. but time has run out, so for the fifth time, the vote has been delayed, and in the hangar it's clear why, tons of material are still sitting here. it's a rib job. >> very big job, and we cannot sleep until we have it done. >> reporter: each flight that leaves brings a country devastat by violence closer to a fresh start. muslim armed groups and christian vigilantes have been fighting since the mostly muslim seleka group was driven from power in 2013. these check points are meant to keep the muslim community safe. those who dare to leave the zone

risk their lives. some feel elections have been rushed and excluded some people. >> translator: this election has been badly prepared. there hasn't been enough time, the international community has pushed us towards these elections. we have said they should happen, but they must be good elections, so we don't have people contesting the result afterwards. >> reporter: one of the leading candidates has won the backing of the ousted president's party. he says the exiled former leader should be allowed to come back, and now is as good as time as any for the election. >> translator: central african republic will never be ready, because there is no state left. [ inaudible ] organize this election, to allow the next government to recreate the state. ♪ >> reporter: it's a fraught time for central africans who have witnessed more coups than elections. no one thinks the vote will be

perfect, but it's the best that can be hoped for right now. >> reporter: the situation here remains volatile and unpredictable. there have been ongoing clashes in the last couple of years between the mostly muslim seleka groups, and mostly christian vigilantly groups. a man was killed here in the capitol, and that sparked a resurgence of tit-for-tat violence, and about a hundred people were killed in those peeks. around the time that pope francis was here, there was an increase in security, largely due to the peace-keeping force. and we have seen a return on to the streets of the central african army, and people have responded positively to them.

in that has meant a slightly calmer voting coming in. there is about 470,000 people living in idp camps, internally displaced, so that tells you how unsafe hundreds of thousands of people still feel, we're not going to see a change in those numbers until after the election, once we, and the people living in those camps see how those armed groups respond to the election result. still to come here on al jazeera, housing the homeless, what is being done to help people move off of the streets in washington, d.c. >> translator: a day of mercy in which god our father has wielded great tenderness to the entire world. >> pope francis calls for reconciliation. and we'll have all of the

top sports stories in about 15 minutes. the desert. >> the borderland marathon. >> no one's prepared for this journey. >> experience al jazeera america's critically acclaimed, original series from the beginning. >> experiencing it has changed me completely. >> follow the journey as six americans face the immigration debate up close and personal. >> it's heartbreaking. >> i'm the enemy. >> i'm really pissed off. >> all of these people shouldn't be dead. >> it's insane.

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♪ welcome if you are just joining us, you are watching the al jazeera news hour. top stories so far. prime minister modi is in pakistan, the first visit in the country in over ten years. it comes after a long period of strained relations. russian air strikes have killed at least 14 people in syria. in iraq, a spokesman for the council of anbar province saying recapturing the main city of ramadi back from isil will not happen quickly. the progress has been slowed down by explosive devices left behind. let's return now to the main news. prime minister modi and his surprise visit to pakistan. we're joined by a retired

pakistani army general. welcome to al jazeera. what in your estimation is really driving this slight warming in relations? >> well, i think pakistan and especially prime sharif and also to an extent the military leadership here is convinced that it is important to have better relations with india, and to improve the climate so they can focus more on the internal and domestic challenges both in the field of the economy, and also in the field of terrorism and fighting extremism in pakistan. so i think this was the motivation as far as pakistan was concerned, and as far as india was concerned, prime minister modi took a stance, which was a very tough stance, and he was of the view that probably he would try to build pressure on pakistan, but that didn't work. and also the domestic situation in india like his failure to be

able to get the majority and [ inaudible ] and also delhi were also significant landmarks. so i think he decided to sort of change his policy and be more flexible. i must give full marks to prime minister modi in the sense that he has been very flexible in his policies and has seen that whatever works for india, that is good. and the prime minister has been very consistent and in a very statesman like attitude towards india, and i think it is now going to work, because it is not going to be like what it was before, because both of the leaders are wanting to institutionallize their relationship, and as you see there were major events and they don't want to be too open also, and also do not want to make

something more public, and they do not want the expectations of people on both sides to be very high. >> okay. there are so many big dog whistle issues between these two countries. if this relationship is to move in a positive direction, what has to happen so they can go beyond cups of tea and handshakes? >> first of all i think there has been to be stability on the line of control, and that i think is possible, because it all depends on the climate, and on the -- sort of policies that the two countries want to pursue, and i think as they want to move forward the line of control will remain stable. so that's a very big achievement, and followed with that, is of course, you know, the major issues which they say will be discussed in the comprehensive dialogue, which

includes kashmir, and other issues, and water issues, and iss issues of terrorism. so if all of these issues are to be discussed, then there will be progress. but one does not expect that the hard issues will be settled, but the very fact that if both of the leaders are genuine, which it seems so, and they realize it is in the best interest of their countries to move forward and leave behind a bitter legacy, then only things will move. and those signs seem to have appeared, because the focus of both leaders is to improve conditions in both countries, and both leaders are very conscious of trying to double up their countries at a fast rate economically, and also have

peace, and pakistan has many challenges within the country, and it also wants to focus domestically rather than be involved with india. >> many thanks. rescue teams are searching for people after storms battered the southern part of the u.s. cities in the u.s. are launching an initiative to help people who are sleeping rough to get off of the streets. washington's government is trying to offer permanent housing. >> reporter: a campsite for the homeless in the heart of america's capitol, shortly before washington authorities tore it down, calling it unsafe, a health hazard, as well as against the law. but some didn't want to leave. >> well, a tent allows you temporary shelter. >> reporter: washington is one

of a few u.s. cities where local laws require housing for all of the homeless in need. for this woman this is now home after years of living in emergency shelters and short-term housing. >> the cabinets were already here, but i fixed the kitchen up. >> reporter: she and her 8-year-old daughter share the apartment. she has a full-time job and is glad she is required to pay at least one third. >> it's a place i can call my own, and something that i'm paying for, so it is giving me, you know, the opportunity to be responsibility. >> reporter: within the next five years, washington's local government has vowed to make homelessness rare, brief, and non-recurring. the most serious problem is providing affordable housing.

>> if they wind up in hospitals, mental health facilities, substance use treatment centers, jail, prison, all of those costs tend to go down once people are housed. >> reporter: they back up their housing program with healthcare, and legal assistance. >> sometimes just having resources and -- and people there to -- to -- to help you, and pull you along the way, and you know someone is there willing to help you. it does push people to want to do better. >> reporter: she says her hope is to move on in a couple of years and own a home of her own. well, another kind of housing crisis in the u.s. forcing thousands of people out to take to the roads. for some mobile living comes with a lack of security and few legal rights, but others are

embracing it as a choice. our correspondent now discovers in arizona. >> in the winter, van dwellers congregate here, seeking warmth often after months of seasonal work. bob wells known as the guru of van dwelling. >> my website was inundated with people who were losing their jobs, homes, apartments, and literally no choice but move into their apartment and into their vans. >> reporter: these aren't luxury recreational vehicles, but as the name suggests, vans. >> i hear from a lot of people who have just retired on social security, especially woman. their social security is five, 6, 7, 8 hundred a month, and in the u.s. you can't live on that.

>> reporter: he adds many soon embrace the independence and freedom of van dwelling. like debra, a brain injury meant she has to retire earlier than expected. >> making up and seeing everything i known and knowing everything is very comforting for me. >> reporter: adam was in advertising. with the 2008 crash, many of his clients disappeared. his retirement savings depleted. >> here is the career going this way, and i'm going this way, and i'm like i don't know what is going to happen here. >> reporter: he sold his house and now travels sleeping in his van. >> i don't worry about a lot of things i used to worry about. the only concern now is some day, i'll get too old to do this. >> reporter: and then what? >> then i'll be moving in with family members. >> reporter: at a nearby church, former biker turned preacher,

michael estimates about a third of those accepting free mails are retirees living in their vanses. >> i don't know of that many that would want to go back to a house. almost every one of them will tell you, they don't want to die alone. >> reporter: but that's not a concern of bob wells. >> my security is a 357 magnum. and i'm just going to end my life. if i can'tive the quality of life that i choose, then i'm going to end my life. >> reporter: it's a model of old age that combines necessity and choice. and one that has become startingly relatable. ed that of the roman catholic church has delivered his christmas sermon. he appealed to palestinians and israelis to try to find a peaceful settlement, and also asked his congregation to pray

for the people of syria, and the hundreds of thousands who have been forced from their homes. still to come, low tech in a high-tech world, we can explain why you can still end a telegram in china. the two biggest teams in the nba face each other, and lebron james and the cleveland cavaliers take on the golden state warriors.

a telegram revolutionized

the way the world communicated at one time. it has long been obsolete in many country, but not quite yet in china. rob mcbride has the report. >> reporter: this woman is about to do something very few of her generation will ever do, send a telegram to her parents. the city was one of the first linked to the telegraph system and will likely be along the last to hold on to it. >> translator: it's nostalgic from my parents. they are from a time when people used to write letters. so this will be like a souvenir for them to keep. >> reporter: the telegram begins its journey first by fax, sent to another office where it will then be transmitted. this is low tech in a high-tech world. the telegrams are sent over a

network that uses machinery that is about as sophisticated as it will ever become. a museum of the telegraph charts the beginnings, including the code books that gave the thousands of chinese characters individual numbers so they could be transmitted. a service that peaked at 44 million telegrams per year in 1988, has been in steep decline ever since. >> translator: traditionally, people would still use telegrams for congratulations or for condolences, but even those uses are now dropping off. >> reporter: hardly surprising in a country that now has hundreds of millions of users signed up to one of the many messaging apps available on their smartphones. she and her parents included. the message to say the telegram is on its way, has gone in a couple of moments. the telegram itself will take a

week. with such a relatively long wait, it will probably take more than nostalgia to save the chinese telegram. >> here we go. time for sports news. >> thank you very much. we are going to start with the nba, on friday, lebron james and the cleveland cavaliers will try to ruin christmas for the golden state warriors. lebron james boasted he is still the best player in the world. despite curry's average being 31 points her game. golden state have lost just once this season. they are unbeaten at home. their 27-1 record the best in the league. former fifa vice president has been jailed by a judge in his native uruguay, pending his

trial in the fifa corruption scandal. he is one of seven top fifa officials that were arrested in zurich back in may. the u.s. also want to extradite him on charges of accepting bribes worth millions of dollars from sports marketing firms. the 83 year old was taken straight to a court where he was charged with fraud and money laundering. the judge denied his request to be placed under house arrest, but had him taken into custody. >> translator: the defense asked that their client be put under house arrest. the judge understood this was not the right time for that to occur. now severe long-term weather forecast has the teams on edge as they prepare for the annual

sydney to hobart yacht race. teams have been carrying out final preparations ahead of the race. whilst the forecast of strong winds has brought back memories of 1998 when six sailors were killed during the event, the teams are bracing for what is ahead. >> it is going to be all about doing a good job the first night and making sure we're still in the race the next morning. it's all about that first 24 hours and doing a good job, but just normal pressure, and, you know, it's exciting, so we're looking forward it to. sri lanka's captain was sent home from new zealand last month when a doping test came through. they say he inadvertently used a

banned substance when applying cream to an insect bite. what is traditionally one of the biggest days in the aussie calendar, the boxing day test. our correspondent has more. >> reporter: on boxing day most years there are crowds between 70 and 100,000 people filling these seats. but organizers fear they will be lucky to reach 50,000. >> i'm always upbeat, i think we are just one good performance from turning things around. everybody knows what we are up against. i can remember walking on the field for the first time when we got here in melbourne, and it was a really nice feeling. >> reporter: despite the recent retirement of mitchell johnson, they still believe they have the

strike power to make it tough for the batsman. this will be the west indy's first boxing day test since 2000, and many are picking a repeat of that result when they lost by 352 runs inside four days on the way to a series whitewash. also on saturday, the world number 1 test team, south africa, host england in the first match of their series. the tourists will be trying to win their first series in south africa since 2004, but they will start it without their opening boller james anderson, he is out injured. as for the home side, they were beaten 3-1 in their first series. no doubt pleased to be back playing in more familiar surroundings. >> i think both teams have had some challenges in the previous

series, but being at home is always great for us, and part of being a good record being at home. and -- so i would think that we -- you know, we're in a good space, and the first day of the first game will be extremely important for us to set the tone for the rest of the series. >> i think it's a great place to watch cricket, and that makes it a great place to play. any team staying in auckland are going to be dangerous, and we have huge respect for them as a team, but also like the lessons from the ashes, we're not playing the men, we're not playing the name, we're playing a batsman and a ball. 31-year-old field goal in over time by sebastian, saw the raiders beat the chargers 23-20 in the nfl. giving the raiders a win in what

could be their final-ever game in oakland, after a proposed move to los angeles. meanwhile the number of children taking up american football could fall dramatically if the nfl don't take the issue of player safety more seriously, so says the director of the new movie "concussion." the film stars will smith who plays a forensic pathologist. the director says the concussion crisis is having a dramatic impact at the grasses roots level with numbers for the children's football league down on previous years. he claims parents are stopping their kids from playing due to concerns over head injuries. >> pop warner football, which is the league where small children

join, is down 35%. that means those kids are not playing football, they are playing baseball, they are wrestling, running, playing will cross, so if you extrapolate that upwards those kids will not show up in the nfl. that number is just going to get bigger. that just tells me there is a seismic change coming for the sport. >> that movie coming out in the united states today, but i don't suppose anyone is watching anything other than [ inaudible ]. but there you go. >> cynic. talk to you later. a mining town in northern georgia posting one of the oldest aerial tramways anywhere in the world. the system is still used to ferry commuters and minors in and out of the city center. our correspondent put his faith in this aging technology and he lives to tell the tail. >> reporter: this is the daily

commute here. in what are little more than rusting boxes suspended from steal ropes. it's not for the faint hearted. >> translator: i would be delighted to go with you. but i'm afraid. >> reporter: for those who live above the city, it's the obvious choice. >> translator: you just need two minutes to come here by cable car, but the bus takes an hour at least. >> reporter: marina has been operating cable cars for the past 17 years. >> translator: it's the fastest and most comfortable transport. >> reporter: manganese was discovered in the hills, in the 19th century. the cable system was installed in the 1950s to ferry workers to and from the mines. 11 lines still operate and rides

are still free for everyone. the cable car system is the public transport for this city, and this one was built in 1952, and has been running since then 24/7. this man keeps them rolling with a lot of oil. >> translator: i think the machinery will out live me because he is metal and it will work longer. >> reporter: they are promised a new network of cable cars, until then it will continue to depend on soviet engineering, engineering that outlived the soviet union. that's it for me for now. we're back at the usual time tomorrow. do stay with us. london is next, of course, with a full half hour of al jazeera world news. i will see you very, very soon.

bye-bye for now. ♪

>> i've been asked to keep my voice down cause we are so close to the isil position >> who is in charge, and are they going to be held to accout? >> but know we're following the research team into the fire >> they're learning how to practice democracy... >> ...just seen tear gas being thrown... >> ...glad sombody care about us man... >> several human workers were kidnapped... >> this is what's left of the hospital >> is a crime that's under reported... >> what do you think... >> we're making history right now... >> al jazeera america >> this is it. >> oscar winner alex gibney's "edge of eighteen" marathon. >> if i said that i'm perfectly fine, i would be lying. >> i feel so utterly alone. >> in this envelope is my life. >> if you don't go to college, you gonna be stuck here... i don't wanna be stuck here. >> catch the whole ground-breaking series, "edge of eighteen" marathon.

a christmas surprise, modi becomes the first indian prime minister to set foot in pakistan for more than a decade. ♪ i'm lauren taylor this is al jazeera live from london. al jazeera gets a firsthand look at a maternity hospital hit by russian air strikes. the latest from haiti's border with the dominican republic, where haitian refugees have been stranded since july. and it's not a ride for the faint