this is al jazeera. ♪ hello and welcome. you are watching the news hour live from doha. today syrian refugees suffer through a brutal winter, while the political opposition searches for common ground ahead of talks with the government. at least 34 refugees drowned off the coast of greece. the chinese government intervenes to prop up its

struggling stock market. ♪ the syrian opposition has made a list of demands ahead of u.n. brokered peace talks due later this month. they say they want to see confidence-building steps from the syrian government, including an immediate end to the bombardment of opposition-held areas. >> reporter: the civil war in syria is almost five year's old and it's estimated a quarter of a million syrians have been killed. under-backed talks to restore the peace are due to start later this month. but syrian opposition leaders want confidence building measures from the government before the talks begin. they want syrian government forces to stop bombarding opposition held towns and cities. they are calling for political prisoners to be released and they want humanitarian aid delivered to those in desperate

need. >> you can't really enter negotiations while seem are being slaughtered en masse. this would be a sign by the regime to tell the opposition it is serious about negotiations. >> reporter: the various groups who make up the syrian opposition are fighting on the front lines against the syrian government and its alleys. last month opposition leaders met for three days to try to unify the opposition before scheduled talks with syrian government leaders. >> the reed a conference last month shows it is possible for independence, for faction leaders, rebel leaders, as well as the political coalitions to come together and form a platform. but how can they go to the table when the situation on the ground is so divorced from the reality of the -- sorry the unreality of

what could take place in geneva. >> reporter: even if the syrian opposition can find common ground, talks to try tend to the war will be difficult. they are demanding that bashar al-assad leave before the new government comes to power. while there is a sense of urgency among many parties, the reality is all of them may not be ready to end the war. it has been another day of miserable winter weather for syrian refugees in camps across the middle east. a snow storm has hit camps in syria. the u.n. has warned that people are lacking basic supplies and energy to cope with the situation. refugees in turkey and lebanon are only a little better off. the two countries are hosting

million of syrian refugees and many camps are ill equipped. the bodies of 34 refugees have been found at two locations on the aegean coast with turkey. it's a starting point for many migrants and refugees trying to reach the greek island of lesvos. here is jonah hull. >> reporter: it's the first week of a new year, the warm summer long gone, and the refugees journey is getting harder. off of the turkish coast a rubber dingy has capsized its passengers thrown to their fate. more than 20 would never arrive. their bodies washing back ashore on to the beaches of turkey. >> translator: we came an hour ago. we heard a boat sank and hit the rocks. i think these people died when they were trying to swim from the rocks. we came here to help.

>> reporter: but there wasn't much to be done. the turkish coast guard dispatched three boats and a helicopter to search for survivors. eight people were rescued, including one man who emerged from the freezing waters on his own. it's estimated a million refugees and migrants entered greece through its outlying islands in 2015, traveling on to central and northern europe as part of the biggest humanitarian crisis on the continent in two decades. >> my grantss -- migrants and refugees continue to come through the winter. and obviously the fatalities are continuing as well. >> reporter: this is where most are heading the greek island of

lesvos. but despite efforts to improve conditions here, international volunteers say the refugees welcome can be a harsh one. >> women, young children, they are not safe at night, as are the men that come with the women and children, because they are stealing, there is raping, there is theft, there is -- there are knives here. there are guns here. those things happen here. >> reporter: so the fate of even those who survived the sea crossing is uncertain. many will eventually find safe harbor in european countries like germany, but here on the greek shore their ordeal has just begun. jonah hull al jazeera. kuwait has recalled its ambassador to iran in support of its neighborhood saudi arabia. earlier saudi arabia and bahrain cut diplomatic ties with tehran.

the gulf states say the diplomatic moves are in protest against an attack on a saudi embassy in tehran. tensions rose after the kingdom executed a shia cleric. the iranian president has accused saudi arabia of covering up what it is calling a crime by severing diplomatic relations. saudi arabia saying the process that should end in peace in syria can still move forward but with saudi growling at iran and vice versa how can that possibly happen? >> as you say the saudi ambassador when he came to speak to reporters i asked him that question. and he said the process should continue and we entirely back them. the second part of his answer, though, was he didn't think iran was completely committed to

either of those peace efforts. let me remind you where we are with those two peace initiatives, which the u.n. had hoped would get a new year in 2016. we had talks on yemen that took place in geneva at the end of last year. they were hoping those talks would start again in the coming days in the new year, but there is a problem there, there was a truce in place from late december. that truce now, really doesn't ebbs -- exist, and the saudi-backed military coalition says it is resuming normal operations. the u.n. again saying it wants that truce back in place so talks can carry on. and then on syria, you have the plan for peace talks with a date set, 25th of january, to set all sides around the table. we have these efforts going on with various envoys from the

united nations over the last five years, a war that has killed over 300,000 people. what was going to be different this time? well, they wanted to get all of the international community and all of the regional players around the table to back these peace efforts. they managed that in the meetings in vienna, and all of the regional players were around the table, and it's going to be much more complicated now with these tensions and the u.n. envoy is in the region, and i think his task is trying to keep this on track. >> the syrian opposition today saying, look, we have a list of demands that must be met, those demands were [ inaudible ] large through that u.n. agreement. is there a sense where you are

at the u.n., however, that this resolution that's now turned into being these demands that everyone knew would happen can exist in isolation and be acted on even if some of those demands are not met? >> well, i think this is the problem, when they came up with that resolution, it took a lot of negotiation even to get the two sponsors of this process, the u.s. and russia to agree, really carefully chosen language and words that both can sign off on in order to get that resolution passed by the u.n. security council. now as you say, you have got the much more difficult task of bringing in the actual actors in syria, a range of different fighting groups, other opposition groups, and the syrian government. i think it's going to be quite hard to make that deadline at the start of talks that the u.n. has set, because it's very ambitious, as i said, 25th of january, just three weeks away.

>> james thank you. venezuela preparing to swear in a new assembly for the first time in 16 years it will be dominated by the opposition in a deeply divided country like venezuela, rival marches are expected, and mp's as they are being sworn in. virginia lopez is live for us in caracas. the potential for trouble here is pretty big? >> reporter: well, we're at the -- the meeting point for the opposition supporters, and the mood here is actually quite jubilant. we have been speaking to people who are saying this could be the beginning of the end to which what they has been 17 years of incredible oppression. but they are calling for people to go out and support their respective groups. the president on monday said that the inauguration of the new assembly must be peaceful, but he also went on to say that -- that this was a swearing

in of a bourgeois parliament. so again, these rival marches have been known to clash in the past. it's still quite early to know whether this will happen on this occasion. certainly here the mood is quite jubilant. >> in effect, virginia, are we talking about the president being a political busted flush? has his day come and gone, but he has yet to accept it? >> reporter: certainly there is a sense that his popularity has -- is not the same as his predecessor, the late hugo chavez, and that -- this was an overwhelming victory for the opposition, so there is a sense that he could be facing a referendum, that is certainly something the new congress has said they will try to push

forward. the fight that no economic measures seem to be taken in the near future, seems to also signal that this political gridlock could exacerbate social tensions that exist. >> virginia, thank you very much. turning our attention now to china where the central bank is spending billions of dollars to try to stop a major selloff of shares in the chinese stock market. investors will continue to sell their shares after trade was halted on monday following a 7% fall in the value of the stock exchange. adrian brown from beijing. >> reporter: tuesday was another bad day for chinese stocks, but it wasn't as bad as it has been on monday when they closed down

around 7%, and hong kong almost 3%. the reason for the continuing jitters in the market, i think, is probably this, on friday restrictions over the selling of shares are due to end. these restrictions were imposed during the market turbulence in the summer, but if the restrictions are eased it would mean a lot of stocks coming down. because of that the chinese regulatory commission said they would take action to stop big shareholders from selling their shares in blue chip companies. some of these people want to sell their a shares because they have no faith in the companies at the moment. but the government wants to protect those small investors. we have seen plenty of evidence again on tuesday of government intervention in the market. they have been buying up shares in blue chip companies, but the

day to watch this week will be friday. one of five missing book sellers in hong kong has reportedly written a letter saying he is now in china. they say they will continue investigating the other cases. the publishers have disappeared in recent months, the company specialized in books critical of chinese communist leaders. coming up, we'll be live in the u.s. discussing barack obama's latest efforts to curve gun violence. plus the disaster unfolding for home owners in a low-lying part of senegal. and we'll hear from real madrid's new manager. ♪ this morning in the western

u.s. state of oregon, where the occupation of a wildlife preserve is now in day four. they say thigh are fed up of the medical government's control of the land they have been ranching for years. allen schauffler spent some time with the protesters. >> reporter: a spokesman told us specifically not to expect a lot of guns, and any questions about how many protesters are here were left unanswered during our 45-minute tour of the national wildlife refuge property that this group walked into and took over. how is it going? >> it's an emotional roller coaster. but it's going great. there's no bloodshed. this is not a violent or hostile situation. >> reporter: there are 15 or so buildings here, dozens of idol government trucks, swamp boats, and heavy equipment. the spokesman told us this is one of the sleeping areas.

we took video of people prepping food but were not allowed into the kitchen. we were allowed to roam on our own, and saw no signs of damage or vandalism. >> we want to be polite and neighborly. we want to be citizens and respectful of one another. >> reporter: where do you see this ending? >> i believe it shall spread from here. this grievance that they are dealing with here, is widespread throughout the west. this is not going away. >> reporter: we saw nobody carrying a weapon, but again, didn't see every room. we asked duane if people here were armed. >> there is probably a weapon in every pickup truck within a hundred miles of here. everybody says they are armed, but every rancher i know has a weapon, you know?

i had a cougar on my porch last week. there you go. >> reporter: ammon bundy held a press conference to outline the grievances, in an area where ranching and conservation have collided since the refuge was formed in 1908. he was asked what it will take to end this protest peacefully. >> i wouldn't say words would do it. i would say action would. and that would be for the federal government to remove its unconstitutional presence here in the county. >> i want to talk directly to the people at the wildlife refuge. you said you were here to help the citizens. that ended when a peaceful protest game an armed occupation. the hammonds have turned themselves in. it's time for you to leave our community, go home to your families, and end this

peacefully. >> reporter: so far lots of talks, but no serious action. as the protests that started saturday continues. >> okay. let's take you live to the heart of the story, another of our course tracking events there, gabriel elizondo. gabe has it been quiet overnight? >> reporter: it has been, but the siege still continues here. we're right outside that national wildlife refuge right by the main entrance. you might see over my shoulder a couple of trucks. those are owned by the militia members or armed anti-government protesters. they have been blocking the main entrance all night, and they say they will continue to. overmy right shoulder is the watchtower. normally that is occupied by park officials watching over

wildlife. now it's occupied by the protesters. what you don't see, is you don't see any police presence here whatsoever. the main town of burns is about 50 kilometers down that road there, you see behind me. no police anywhere, no fbi agents, either. the fbi has control of this investigation now, but that is by design, because federal authorities are worried if they were to encircle this area that it could inflame tensions here, and that's certainly what they don't want, especially after incidents like waco, texas, and nearby idaho where similar sieges like this ended in bloodshed when federal authorities tried to go in and get the situation under control. so where this goes from here, we simply don't know yet, but we can tell you that these protesters say they are not going anywhere. they say this is a big -- bigger

issue that goes beyond here in this part of eastern oregon. they say it's an issue -- larger, standing debate regarding ownership and management of u.s. public lands, and you see that here more than anywhere. this part of oregon, three-fourths of all of the land is owned by the government, federal government, and you have ranchers that have been here for generations, and they come head-to-head with each other. the ranchers say they want this land for themselves. they say they can manage it better, and that's why these protesters are here. >> gabe, thanks very much. u.s. president, barack obama, is set to issue an executive order aimed at making it harder to buy a gun in america. he wants more background checks to try to reduce the number of shootings. they will be required to do more research on smart gun

technology. and request more funding for 200 federal agents. tom akerman now reports. >> reporter: dozens of american deaths each day from gunshots. now the president has his attorney general readying its options for narrowing access to firearms. >> this is not going to solve every violent crime in this country. it's not going to keep every gun out of the hands of a criminal. it will potentially save lives in this country. >> reporter: congress has refused to close loopholes in the law which allow unlicensed weapons dealers to sell weapons without background checks. so president obama says he will invoke his executive authority. >> a lot of the work that has gone on has been to ensure that we would have confidence in the legal basis of these actions.

>> reporter: the top republican in congress, paul ryan, says obama's plans reach a dangerous level of executive overreach. >> mr. president because they reject your ideas repeatedly, and now you are going to try to impose them anyway? >> reporter: the national rifle association, the group which opposes any new gun controls says the obama administration is violating the rights of honest gun owners, while ignoring the roots of the violence. >> untold secret in washington is he has all of the laws he needs to stop the bloodshed now. take violent criminals off of the street. prosecute them under the current federal gun laws and make sure they don't get to their next crime scene. that's the way to save lives. >> reporter: meanwhile federal

authorities in the state of oregon are weighing what actions to take against a group of armed protesters who have taken over a public building in a remote wildlife refuge. they refuj to recognize washington's authority over the land. obama will follow up his executive orders later this week with a national broadcast devoted to gun violence. in his last year as president, demonstrating his determination to curb an epidemic of gunfire expected to claim more american lives than traffic accidents. tom akerman, al jazeera, washington. lou is a required new york police officer who joins us from new york. what can barack obama realistically achieve by doing what he wants to do? >> well, i think the -- the president's intent is on the right track. i mean we clearly have to close

this acquisition of indiscriminate possession of firearms through the gun shows. his intention is correct. but the question is this, is it really going to translate to a reduction in crime and gun violence? and i'm not completely convinced of that. the fact of the matter is we have been greatly remiss with enforcement, number one of the laws already existing on the books, and i support that by the fact that chicago for example has no provision for you to acquire firearms in its city, yet, it's the homicide capitol of the country. i don't think giving them more gun laws is going to impact their crime rate. enforcement will, number one. number two when we start to address this propensity towards violent crime in the united states, we have to also address the issue of a lack of mechanism to address mental

health. >> okay. we'll come on to mental health in just a second. you mentioned chicago there. very specifically it's not easy to buy a gun in chicago city, but surely it is easy to buy a gun in the vicinity of chicago city, on top of which there is a big problem of gang crime there, and on top of which, those gangs make their own guns, and then they are in the system. they are out there for people to buy. >> that's correct. but what you are lending this to is enforcement. you have to represent the fact. and that fact simply stated is those weapons are not legally acquired. they are stolen. there is a pipeline from the southern united states up into many cities, including chicago, new york, philadelphia, boston. any number of cities. so these weapons are not guns that are legally acquired. we have a real issue with

enforcement. and the truth of this, further is we only have approximately 2,000 atf agents to cover the entire country. so we don't have enough manpower to address this as well. in a country of about 330 million, there are roughly 800,000 law enforcement agents. that represents about a quarter of a percent in proportion to the population. so we're a little behind the curve on this issue. i wish i could tell you that closing that loophole that the gun show is going to fix all of these problems is the answer, but i can't. but it certainly is a step in the right direction. and the last thing i would like to say is we're so polarized on this issue that there seems to be a lack of ability of people to abandon their platforms to come to the middle to problem solve and intelligently fix this

problem, which we need to do. i support the second amendment, vehemently, but i do not think we should be allowed to indiscriminately acquire firearms in this country. >> is it as simple as hiring more staff more police, more people that work with the individual agencies to cut back on the crime level, vis-a-vis moving those guns from the south to the north, and is there anything that barack obama could do that would get the approval of congress that would maintain that second amendment, whilst getting guns off of the streets? >> i'm going to answer those in segment for you. the -- the first problem is this. the political environment has to exist for law enforcement to go out and effectively execute their responsibilities. i'll cite major julie annie's administration when the police commission was in place in

new york. the political environment existed to be proactive and they supported the police. that does not exist today. so i do want to say this to you now. if we add more law enforce agents to the equation, which i have identified as being necessary, unless you give them the support and the go-ahead to be proactive in getting these guns off of the street, we're not going to go anywhere. so this is a very layered problem. i would like to address that second point that you brought up, and i want to speak to that as well. >> can i finish by asking you a question that i do ask of regular interviewees here on the al jazeera news hour, explain why is it, sir, when something bad a happens in the united states, when there's a mass shooting, which he fbi categorizes as more than four people losing their lives in one event, why does the sale of guns go up? and what does that say about the

white male psyche? well i don't know if you can just lend it to the male psyche, but what it is really telling you is that the american public does not feel safe and they do not have enough trust in our community and political system and law enforcement system to keep them safe. that's what that consistently supports. but i want to speak to this issue of mass shootings, four if you start to break down these mass shootings, they are normally crime-related, gun-related, gang-related, it's not that people are going out and indiscriminately killing people like we are seeing on college campuses, or movie theaters, or shopping malls. they are spinning the statistic and using it to put up an argument. you know what i find interesting in this country?

we have at least 10,000 people that are killed by firearms every year. but we lose over 400,000 every year to smoking-related illnesses. we lose people on the highways. the vast majority of the fatalities on the highways, there's a drunk driver involved. we are fixated and focused and polarized on the issue of gun control, which i ook knowledge we need it. but if we start passing these gun laws and closing loopholes, which i support, it is necessarily going to translate to reduction of crime or violent incidents. that is just simply not the case. >> the clock has beaten us here on the news hour, but many thanks. appreciate your time. still to come in the midst of the bombing and chaos, an art

exhibition opens in the yemeni capitol, sana'a. plus we'll take you to the world's biggest consumer tech show where everything is going digital. and in sports news, a thousand reasons why this indian schoolboy has just made cricketing history. ♪

♪ welcome back. you are watching the news hour here on al jazeera. a reminder of the main news today. the syrian opposition has given a list of demands ahead of u.n.-backed peace talks later this month. venezuela is swearing in a new national assembly for the first time in 16 years, that will be dominated by the opposition. kuwait has recalled its ambassador to iran in alliance with saudi arabia. there are reports that bahrain

has stopped all flights to and from iran. iron has unveiled a new underground missile depot. a video of the facility was broadcast on state tv. it shows iran's precision-guided ballistic missile which was tested in october. the u.s. say it would be capable of carrying a nuclear payload. and violates the security council resolution. a palestinian has been shot dead by israeli forces. he allegedly stabbed a soldier in occupied west bank. the soldier has been taken to hospital for treatment for his injuries. at least 145 palestinians and 21 israelis have been killed in an up serge of violence since the beginning of october. >> reporter: a palestinian man has been shot dead by israeli military forces after he

allegedly tried to stab an israeli soldier. that soldier has been taken to hospital with light injuries. it -- the incident took place near a junction in the occupied west bank. it's near the israeli settlement. this is an area which has been a flash point in recent months. in fact since october of this year, there really has been a wave of violence involving palestinians and israelis. at last count more than 20 israelis have been killed and well over 140 palestinians have been killed in this latest unrest. now depending on who you talk to, the reasons behind this up serge in violence, if you will, is of course different. the israelis say that the reason we're seeing this violence is because of palestinian incitement. they say palestinian leaders and

indeed social media is really fuelling this kind of violence that we have been seeing, and has really inflamed the palestinian street, but if you speak to again those palestinian leaders or young palestinians they say that is nonsense. they say this current unrest is tied to the fact that palestinians have lived under occupation for now nearly 50 years, and that they see no hope. let's get more on the ongoing diplomatic crisis between iran and saudi arabia. the rivals may be on opposite sides of proxy wars, but physically they are very close. the gulf is key for much of the world's oil trade. this is the biggest potential flash point. it's the only sea passage from the persian gulf to the ocean. john is an economist and former

advisor to the saudi government and joins us live from riyadh. is there any obvious first step that either side here is prepared to take to take the heat out of this? >> well, at this point, i think that both sides have to talk sense, and they need to keep in mind that this should not be escalated, but having said that, there are certain red points that cannot be crossed and red lines, and that's an issue for the iranians and the saudis to take notice of. >> the oil price is almost at a completely historic low. it is down to under $40 a barrel. how will these tensions immediate into the oil price if at all? and obviously saudi arabia can sustain that, because they have got a bucket of money socked away, we found that out here on the news hour last week, but can iran sustain that kind of damage

as well? >> for sure for iran, but also for saudi arabia, oil at 36, 35 is not good news. as you said quite correctly, saudi arabia still has a lot of reserves, more than $600 billion. iran also has to understand that market forces do determine prices, but also iran doesn't help, at least in the eyes of saudi arabia, when a they announce they are going to be flooding the market by a million barrels in -- whenever sanctions are lifted. so that pushes prices down, and sentiment is downward for oil. >> does have an impact on the rest of us? >> it does have an impact on all of the oil-producing countries. everybody is hurting, some less, some more. nigeria, venezuela, even russia is hurting. a lot of countries are concerned

this could produce fiscal problems for them for at least the next two to three years. >> is that the time line for how long the saudis are prepared to in effect maintain its stance whilst ironically it is not lost on the rest of us, that they are saying the peace process that they are trying to drive in those meetings before christmas, middle of december, they are trying to maintain the diplomatic push to achieve some form of settlement in syria? >> absolutely. i mean saudi arabia can sustain this for quite sometime, and the issue here is that at least for riyadh, the iranians have to understand that saudi arabia is going to combat a lot of the negativity that we see in the region, either directly or through the proxy wars. yemen, syria, and other places. at the same time it has to be the case that both iranians and

others have to come to the negotiating table, whether it is on yemen or other countries like syria. >> very briefly, sir, if you were still a senior advisor to the saudi monarchy. if you had known they were going to execute more than 40 people, knowing then what you know now, would you have whispered in their ear and say don't do this? do something else. if you execute them the tinderbox element of that will be huge? >> i think that the issue here is that these people were found guilty and they were executed based on the rules and regulations in saudi arabia. so i would say that to the world that medaling in the affairs of saudi arabia is one issue, and certain red lines cannot be crossed and whatever is necessary to maintain safety and

security for saudi arabia is important. >> thank you so much for your time, sir. senior officials in southern yemen have survived a rocket-propelled gun attack in aden. government forces recently recaptured aden from houthi rebels. in sana'a, saudi-lead coalition have intensified attacks after weeking of calm. there were no reports of any casualties. in the middle of the bombing and chaos, an art exhibition has opened. the first of its kind. >> reporter: at first balance, this could be an art gallery in london or new york, but this is sana'a, the capitol of war-torn yemen. through the vibrant colors and brush strokes, you can see the

fighting, turmoil and loss. >> translator: it reflects the fear people feel across yemen. those who have been trying to get away from the death and constant destruction. >> reporter: the conflict has plagued yemen since september 2014 when houthi fighters backed by troops loyal to former president saleh, and supported by iran, launched a rebellion and took control of sana'a. they were up against president hadi, which has had the backing of saudi arabia air strikes since march. since then 6,000 people have been killed. nearly half of them civilians. the exhibition is the first of its kind since the bombing campaign began. >> translator: much of the art reflects the shelling and bombardment of yemen over these months.

women and children have been the main victims. >> reporter: u.n.-brokered talks to end the fighting have suffered a setback. the saudi-lead coalition announced it was pulling out of the ceasefire that began in september. people are still determined to express themselves and the turmoil they see. still to come here on the news hour for you. find out what is next for bayern munich manager. as sport is coming up.

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rising sea levels causing low-lying islands off of the coast of senegal to disappear. homes and livelihoods are also sinking fast. >> reporter: a suitcase, pots and pans, all belongings that were once safe inside this person's home before it was destroyed by rising water. it has become a daily ritual, finding out what the tide will swallow, and what she can save before it rises again. standing in what was her living room, the memories are confronting. her children once played in a cot here. and this is what remains of the kitchen where her mother shared her recipes. >> translator: i'm scared that more of our lyes will disappear. washed away in this water that won't stop rising. >> reporter: it is a slow and

quiet disaster unfolding in the low-lying delta. barely one meter above sea level islands like this are being submerged. the water has destroyed paddy fields. someone gave it a name, climate change. since then, government officials, international aid agencies and environmentalists have come to the island to look for solutions. the government built a small wall along the edge of the island, but it wasn't high or strong enough. the united nations spending millions of dollars replanting mangroves here and in other low-lying deltas across the world, but the newly planted trees are no match for the tide. most here aren't aware of the global efforts to find a solution climate change. those who do, say it's too late.

the islands are disappearing, and people are leaving the land. most of the men have moved to the capitol or further afield to europe to find work. according to the red cross there are more climate refugees than political refugees in the world. the united nations estimates their number will raise to 50 million people by 2020, among them this and other women from the island. they are already on the move, searching for a better place to live. nicklas hawk, al jazeera. here we go. sometime for sports news. >> thanks peter. [ inaudible ] says winning an 11th champions league title for real madrid is his immediate need as a new manager. he has been talking about the very different challenge of taking on his very first major

coaching roles. >> reporter: one of football's greatest ever players becoming the coach of one of the biggest clubs in the world. taking charge of training at real madrid. >> translator: we have the best club in the world. the best fans in the world, and i am going to try for this team to win something at the end of the season. the only thing i can say to you, is i will do everything possible, all of my best with every player, and i think things will work out well. >> reporter: his reign at real came to an end after just seven months in charge. he replaced carlos, who had been popular with the players, and lead the club to a record 10th european cup in 2014. despite the availability of the former coach, real have opted to promote him to his role with the b team. >> translator: today we have made a difficult decision,

especially for me, which ends his contract as coach of our first team. he is a great professional and a magnificent person, and i would like to thank him for his work and dedication over these months as real madrid coach. >> reporter: as a player he guided france to victory in the world cup and championships in 20,000. and was famously send off for a head butt. at real the former world player of the year was part of the team that won the champions league in 2002, and he will be expected to achieve similar success in his first major role as management. >> translator: this is your stadium and club. you have our full trust and support. real madrid supporters stand by your side. >> reporter: he is the 11th coach in 12 years. the length of the frenchman's

contract has not been announced, but it will begin at home on saturday. richard par, al jazeera. real will be hoping he follows the career path of pep who was promoted from within barcelona's ranks with huge success. he spaniard saying he has had several offers, but has yet to sign any deal. >> translator: i think i'm young enough at 44. i need a new challenge. i have talked many times with the president of bayern munich on that subject, and i'm very happy and grateful, because i know the club wanted to keep me here. sepp blatter's former right-hand man at fifa faces the prospects of a lengthy ban from all activity at fifa.

fifa's ethnics committee has recommended a nine-year ban, and $100,000 fine for misuse of expenses. two of miami heat's star names stepped up for their team in an overtime win against the indiana pacers. chris bosh scoring a season-high 31 points, but the heat still have to overcome an 18-point deficit. it sent the game into overtime, and lead to a 103-100 win. two more of the world's top women's tennis players have been hit with injuries. the latest casualties both pulling out of the international. there are less than two week's to go until the season's first grand slam, the australian open.

cricketers chris gail has been fined to $10,000 following comments he made to a female reporter. this was the exchange. >> i want to come on an interview with you as well. that's the reason i'm here. [ inaudible ] hopefully we can have a drink after. don't blush baby. >> reporter: cricket australia bosses equated them as workplace harassment. he is free to carry on playing but has offered an apology. >> it wasn't anything meant to be disrespectful or offending to mel. and if she felt that way, i'm really sorry for that. it wasn't meant to harm any particular person. south africa has lead from the front on day four of their

match. south africa declared just a couple of runs behind england's huge first innings total there. plenty of runs being scored in cape town. but this 15-year-old scored more than a thousand runs in a single inning during this game in mumbai. he is the first-ever player to hit four figures, and ended up 1,009 knocked out. that's all of your sport for now. >> the moral of a story, don't invite someone on a date on tv. >> definitely not. wearable technology and digital sensors in just about everything on display in the annual tech show in las vegas. >> reporter: the world's biggest consumer technology showcase is getting underway with 150,000

attendees. among the top trends, the expansion of digital technology and sensors into more and more areas of every day life. >> we still live almost completely in an analog world. we're surrounded by digital devices, but we haven't started to integrate those into our daily lives. and i think that's one of the big steps that we'll see take place. >> reporter: experts say the trend towards including technology into everything from doorbells to dishwashers will effect millions of peoples jobs, lifestyles and family time. >> it is going to be a major change on how we live our lives. technology is going to be everywhere. it's going to effect our lives. >> reporter: there could be a down side to such ubiquitous technology. >> once everything is connected, all of your life is digital,

well, somebody can hack into your system somehow and learn where you are, what you are doing, and in a way cyber stock you. >> reporter: another trend, wearable technology, a $5 billion business, and wearable tech is now moving well beyond telling you how your workout went. >> i think you'll see not just products focused on fitness as we have seen in the past, but you'll see that more holistic approach to wearables. wearable clothing. smart clothing is an area where we'll see growth here. >> reporter: the first consumer electronic's show was held back in 1967. since then technology has changed almost beyond recognition. who can say what the next 49 years will bring. rob reynolds, al jazeera, las vegas. much more news on the website for you, aljazeera.com. lauren is here at the top of the hour. i'm back at the usual time

tomorrow. see you then. ♪

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protests in venezuela as the opposition prepares to take control of congress. ♪ i'm lauren taylor, this is al jazeera, live from london. also coming up. >> it will potentially save lives in this country. >> barack obama takes aim at gun sellers not currently required to carry out background checks. at least 21 refugees die as two boats sink in different locations off of the coast of turkey. and we look at the