this is al jazeera. hello. welcome to the al jazeera news hour live from our headquarters in doha. coming up in the next 60 minutes. >> sanctions related to iran's nuclear program are lifted iran returns to the global mainstream as the u.s. and the e.u. end sanctions after nuclear deal compliance. it comes on the day as five american detainees are freed by

iranian. 23 people killed and up 150 hostages freed after a hotel in burkina faso attacked by fighters. the first female president in taiwan. the nuclear program for iran is over. the u.s. and e.u. have lifted sanctions on iran after the nuclear atomic agency confirms the deal has been agreed with. the announcement was made in vienna. >> today almost exactly six months after finalisation of the historic deal the international atomic national agency has

verified that iran has implemented its nuclear-related commitment. as iran has fulfilled its commitments, today multi lateral and national economic and financial sanctions related to iran's nuclear program are lifted in accordance with the gcpoa. the e.u. and the e3 plus countries consisting in people's republic of china, the republic of france, the federal republic of germany, russian federation, united kingdom of great britain an and ireland and united states of america and iran will also cooperate in the field of peaceful uses of nuclear energy in the framework of the gcpoa. u.n. sanctions related no iran's nuclear program are lifted. >> to get to this point, ladies

and gentlemen, iran has undertaken significant steps that many, and i do mean many, people doubted whatever would come to pass. that should be recognised even though the full measure of this achievement can only be realized by assuring continued full compliance in the coming years. in return for the steps that iran has taken, the united states and the e.u. will immediately lift nuclear-related sanctions expanding the horizon of opportunity for the iranian people and i have even tonight before coming over here signed a number of documents over those sanctions that the state department has jurisdiction over in order to effect that lifting. in the words of the agreement itself today, january 16 2016,

we have reached implementation day the i.a.e.a. director's general says an historic day. >> the relations between iran and the i.a.e.a. now enter a new phase. it is an important day for the international community. i congratulate all those who helped make it a reality especially the group of countries known as the e3 e.u. plus 3, iran and the i.a.e.a. board going jacky rowland with implementation of the deal. certainly a historic day that has been very long in the making. what happened at the conference

and what happens next? >> reporter: we've just heard some of the comments that were made by . ultimately in both cases really giving an idea of the dimension, the importance of this agreement in terms of an achievement that has been years in the making and in the words of officials, will make the world a safer place. also gen kerry giving an idea of the achievement in-- john kerry-- 2% of the amount of enrichd uranium compared to what it had previously been in iran was still in the country. the rest had been shipped overseas just to give an idea of the extent to which already international inspectors have been able to confirm the

implementation of the deal, but clearly still a lot of work ahead because the deal has to continue to be implemented in the months and years ahead thank you jacky. that's jacky rowland in vienna. going to our correspondent in washington dc. how is the deal being viewed in the u.s. where it has had its fair share of opponents. >> reporter: it has. one of the main criticisms from the republicans is that the president should not have been negotiating this deal while americans were still imprisoned in iran. now that that has been lifted we're hearing even more criticism. it is not only coming from the republicans but secretary of state and hillary clinton. she has criticized the obama administration for swapping prisoner and saying iran should not have been rewarded for p

putting our citizens unjustly in jail. we believe only one of the americans, one student, has left iranian airspace. the four prisoners were told the swiss are gathering them up and they're going to put them on a plane but they're not on plain yet. it seems until they're clear that the president will come out and try and herald the move, obviously from fear of embarrassment if the plan fell through. what's going to happen with the seven iranian americans and the one iranian, they're not going to be out until the americans are free and on their way home thank you for that. now that tie tehran has full--

tehran fulfilled implementation day. >> reporter: implementation day is the most important milestone in a long complicated process. let's look at how we got here. iran built its first reactor in the 1960s it after the u.s. shared nuclear technology with the country then governed by the shah of iran. concern grew in 2002 when opposition groups claimed iran was secretly trying to build a nuclear weapon. after years of negotiations a new effort led by john kerry and on the iranian side resulted in an interim deal in november 2013 and then last summer in vienna a final agreement. it is that agreement that finally comes into force today. the international nuclear agency, the i.a.e.a., has confirmed that iran has started

implementing the measures and accepted the safeguards that ensures that its nuclear program can only be used for civilian use. international e.u. and u.s. sanctions will be lifted now. if there is any evidence of violations, the sanctions, snap back into place. >> snap back is the process where all the sanctions have been put on hold as a result of the deal come back immediately. in the terms of the deal there is a dispute process that could last as long as around 60 days. once that process has been completed any country that is part of agreement could decide to reimpose the sanctions on its own. that means iran would be back in the same situation that it was at before day. >> reporter: there's no doubt this is a key debate, and it remains a highly controversial

issue james is joining us live from u.n. headquarters. we will get to the challenges in just a moment, but what has been the international reaction to the deal? >> reporter: we have some more reaction and one of the most reactions, of course, comes from the president of iran. now, everyone had thought that, perhaps, this was all going to happen a little bit earlier in the day. iran time. he was due to give a television address. that will take place in a few hours time on sunday. he tweeted: i thank god for this blessing and bow to the greatness of the patient nation iran. congratulations on a glorious victory. ban ki-moons say it is a great effort for the parties to fulfil

their commitments. at the u.n. they have received the documentation. this is the formal documentation from the i.a.e.a. this documentation was sent to the security council in the shape of the spanish ambassador. he was chairman of the sanctions committee. he read it and made sure that it complied with the deal done last summer and the resolution passed, and that meant sanctions were automatically lifted. it is interesting to tell you that the spanish ambassador is no longer sanctions of that committee because under the nuclear deal that committee itself disappears. he is now the facilitator for iran matters a lot at stake here with this deal. what are the stumbling blocks? >> reporter: i think there are those who will object to this deal certainly here in the u.s. because we are in an election cycle, an election year, and we know there are many on capitol

hill in the republican party opposed to this. we know those in the region, israel, many of the gulf countries are uneasy about this. i don't think there's anything they can do to stop this. there is one last point, i think, that is still unresolved, which is potentially a problem for the administration, and that's about something that everyone had hoped from the p5 plus 1 side would have been in the side and the concession they couldn't get from iran which was to include iran's ballistic missiles program. iran said no way are they part of our nuclear program although, of course, missiles can be used to deliver nuclear weapons. there were nuclear tests at the end of last year and many are saying that there should be sanctions to punish iran on that. the understanding is that the obama administration was thinking of imposing those sanctions in december and then were told by the iranian side that that would get in the way

of this prisoner swap which none of us knew about and has been announced in the last few hours. that's still a remaining difficulty, i think, particularly for the administration in washington how to handle that now thank you for that, james. going to a former white house official. always good to have you with us on al jazeera. we're hearing from our correspondent there about the president's reaction to the deal. just how big a deal is this for iran, for the iranian president? >> it's enormously significant for iran. it is one of the most significant if not the most significant developments. what they have achieved is

putting iran on the world stage on equal footing with the world super power, the u.s., and the other major powers, the security council and germany. this is really unprecedented for almost any power around the world, especially for a country like the islamic republic of iran that has been in opposition to the u.s. for more than 30 years. just to be treated on equal footing in an atmosphere of mutual respect has been something that the islamic republic of iran has pushed for, for many years, and has finally achieved. the other piece is that they will benefit enormously. across the board this is an enormous achievement for them big benefits to iran. what about everyone involved in the deal? what does it do for the u.s. secretary of state john kerry who really drove this deal. >> he is one of the hardest working officials, diplomats, i

have ever seen. he is just one of the hardest working, determined officials i have ever seen. one can only speculate as to why he is working so hard, but if you recall in terms of our recent history here in the u.s., secretary kerry ran for the presidency in 2004 and was in a sense humiliatingly defeated by president bush. this is a tremendous come back for secretary kerry. instead of being remembered as a person who lost to george w bush in the middle of a very unpopular war in iraq, now he will be remembered, rightfully so, as having produced this historic agreement, almost akin to what president nixon and kissinger achieved with china. he deserves all the credit and respect anyone could give him thank you for that.

as we mentioned earlier the deal coincides with the release of five iranian americans including a journalist, in a prisoner swap. they were freed in exchange for five people convicted of sanctions. more on what it means and the future of relations. >> reporter: on saturday iranian state television announced the news this journalist's family wanted to hear. the reporter convicted of spying was now free. his employer is celebrating: >> reporter: the journalist and u.s. marine and the minister as

well as two other dual nationals were released in a deal that also frees seven iranians convicted of breaking u.s. laws. the u.s. has agreed to drop charges against 14 other iranians for sanction violations. while iran promises help to find the retired f bichlt agent robt ert levinson. this comes as the i.a.e.a. iran has dismantled its nuclear weapons program. secretary of state john kerry. >> two tracts of negotiations were not directly related, and they were not, there is no question that the pace and the progress of the humanitarian talks accelerated in light of the relationships forged and the diplomatic channels unlocked over the course of the nuclear talks >> reporter: analysts have suggested that the personal relationship between secretary of state john kerry and the

foreign minister has made it possible to solve disputes between iran and the u.s. what happens when both men leave their posts? >> that relationship is one that predated the nuclear talks. it is one that may have enabled the nau clear talks to move forward-- that nuclear talks to be moved forward. we can't have a situation where we go back to the way it used to be simply because they're not at the department. >> reporter: a moment of twin diplomatic accomplishment with no guarantee of more to follow we have much more ahead on the al jazeera news hour. the u.n. children's agency demands unrestricted access to children in syria who are dying from starvation. in sports, the win in south

africa. details in sport. to burkina faso where security forces have rescued at least 150 people who were taken hostage in the capital. at least 28 people were killed including many foreigners. it began late on friday night when al-qaeda-linked fighters stormed the building and a nearby café. >> reporter: the splendid hotel where gunfire ran out throughout the night as explosions were heard from inside. masked gunmen stormed the upscale hotel popular with foreigners and diplomats. they also attacked a café across the street. >> translation: it was horrible because everyone was panicking. people were lying on the ground and there was blood everywhere. they were shooting people at point blank range. the noise of the explosion was

really loud. i think these people are wicked. >> reporter: french troops were called in to help security forces retake the hotel. they rescued dozens of people. many were shot and are receiving treatment at hospital. >> translation: we did our best to try and get out. they shot me in the arm and i have an open fracture. they destroyed my vehicle as well. >> reporter: al-qaeda's regional affiliate says it is behind this assault. the group has attacked similar targets in west africa in the past. the most recent was in a hotel in mali's capital last november. this is the first attack of its kind in burkina faso, ouagadougou. the president was elected two months ago as the first new leader in decades. how he deals with this crisis is being seen as his first big test in office. >> translation: we would like to salute the response of the security forces, all the

doctors, red cross, who have participated in this situation and to salute the military cooperation that we have received from the french and the americans. therefore, it is important that we can share information with our neighboring countries and share military means to fight against the scourge. >> reporter: the challenge for him now will be to come up with a long-term plan to tackle those armed groups a correspondent sent this update from ouagadougou. >> reporter: people are still in the state of shock. when we arrived we saw a lot of foreigners flocking to the airport. some were sleeping on the ground even though their flights were still delayed. there was that sense of shock and they don't feel safe inside the city. there have been some announcements from different countries. neighboring mali has condemned the attack. the west african body of west

african countries has also condemned the attack taiwan has elected its first female president after tsai ing-wen claimed a convincing victory. her opposition has conceded defeat. the economy and taiwan's relations with china were the main issues of the election. >> reporter: history was made in taiwan on saturday night. the first woman president was elected by a landslide. tsai ing-wen was narrowly defeated four years ago but on this night the woman who likens herself to german chancellor merkel stood victorious. >> translation: i will aredo the wrong of the previous government so that we form a firm foundation for taiwan's development. we have told the international community that the spirit of democracy is part of the lives of the taiwan people >> reporter: on the other side a

completely different scene. eric qu concedes defeat and resigns. >> translation: sorry everyone. i let you down. we have been defeated. the k.m.t. lost the election. we didn't do well and failed our supporters' expectations >> reporter: some supporters are unsure of what comes next. >> translation: this is a big impact for our country. we feel taiwan is stepping into an unknown situation. we don't know what will happen in the future >> reporter: ushering in a new chapter, the opposition becomes the ruling party, representing a shift in power that this country has never seen. >> reporter: the future of taiwan will be better. young people will now have a better future and the next generation will be much better >> reporter: in her victory speech tsai ing-wen thanked her

opponents and her voters. she thanked the main ally u.s. she was saying she wanted to work close with china. >> translation: we will make sure that there will be mechanisms to communicate with china. i will follow taiwan's best interests and make sure the cross-strait relationship will carry on as it has before. >> reporter: within hours of winning, the new president walking the democrat indicate balance that will be the core of her job over the next four years. pushing forward with her position on independence while maintaining good relations with taiwan's huge neighbor across the strait. a neighbor who still views the island as its own territory activists say i.s.i.l. fighters have killed dozens of people in an attack.

some of the dead are syrian soldiers and pro-government fighters. they control only a few pockets of the area and a military airport nearby. the u.n. is demanding unrestricted access to help starving children in syria. aid workers have reached the besieged town of madaya. u.n. secretary has warned that starvation is being used as a weapon of war. you may find some images in this report distressing. >> reporter: these syrians are demonstrating to keep the world's attention on the suffering of civilians struggling under blockade. in recent weeks these images of severe hunger and starvation in madaya forced the world to remember syria. they posted and circulated on social media. there was no way of verifying them because the town was besieged by government forces.

the scale of the suffering only became clear when u.n. aid workers were finally able to reach the town. this boy can hardly muster the strength to say i'm tired of this condition. get me out. he is among the hundreds starving but some reports of people forced to eat leaves and stray animals. after weeks of negotiations aid convoys reached tens of thousands people rocked by force. >> it is actually the first time where we were able to reach two areas controlled by two different sides of the conflict and what we found there is that a large degree, a large number of the children that we screened has severe malnutrition. one boy that we met died in the hands of our doctor.

there are 14 others around syria where parties to the conflict have been besieged. >> reporter: aid is being looted by terrorist groups >> there is no short of humanitarian assistance in madaya >> reporter: they say they blocked towns but they haven't commented on the suffering of civilians. at this camp in 2014 desperately hungry civilians struggled to survive. it also besieged homs where people were allowed to leave behind destroyed areas. the groups are committing atrocities. bang key moon said the use of food as a weapon is war crimes. many syrians say they've heard it all in the last five years for those involved in the

conflict and those failing to mediate a solution. the use of food as a weapon is becoming more frequent as warring sides seem to controlling land rather than protecting the syrian people coming up in the news hour, thousands gather in the german city to show support for an open-door policy on refugees. a legal change that could help get life-saving drugs into the hands of cancer patients in south africa. south africa. rwanda supporters give their fans something to shout about on the biggest day of the country's sporting history. ting history.

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follow @ajam on twitter. and like aljazeera america on facebook for more stories, more access, more conversations. so you don't just stay on top of the news, go deeper and get more perspectives on every issue. al jazeera america. >> our american story is written everyday. it's not always pretty, but it's real... and we show you like no-one else can. this is our american story. this is america tonight. these are our top stories. international sanctions against iran have been lifted after the international atomic energy agency confirmed the agreement

had been complied with. a journalist released. security forces have rescued at least 150 people were were taken hostage in burkina faso. an attack killed at least 29 people including many foreigners. the lifting of economic sanctions against iran. gerald tan reports on what the financial future may hold. >> reporter: years of international sanctions on iran have choked the economy. an international ban on doing business with iranian banks, the import of iranian oil and the freezing of iranian government and private assets have contributed to sluggish, even negative growth. that strangle hold is finally being loosened >> the lifting of the sanctions

many have psychological impact, it will compel investors who had been barred or basically were in a waiting mood to start investing activities. >> reporter: the iranian government agreed to limit nuclear development in an exchange to return to markets. it will be able to access billions of the dollars worth of frozen assets stuck in foreign banks. there are questions over how iranian government leaders will channel this windfall. the president has said he wants to attract foreign investment, expand the oil and natural gas sectors. the deal could not be better timed with parliamentary elections scheduled next month. >> translation: i tell the great iranian nation that god willing the sanctions will be lifted in january and the government will fulfil one of its election promises.

the chains of sanction will be removed and there will be more interaction with the world >> reporter: iran is hungry for change. economic isolation has caused a weak currency, high inflation and lack of jobs. iran is a market of 80 million potential customers for foreign companies but progress isn't expected to be quick. >> interests to invest in iran as a major emerge be economy is there, but-- emerging common is there. the negotiations that are needed to absorb these investments will be slower than many expect at this stage. >> reporter: the implementation of the nuclear deal has been lauded by many as a positive step for iran reintegrating into the global economy. iranian military forces recently carried out two ballistic missile tests prompting talks in

washington of a new round of sanctions a boat load of refugees have been rescued. volunteers from a mall tease-based aid group picked up about 40 people who were attempting the crossing. aovrnlg more than a thousand people are arriving every day in greece despite cold winter weather and high seas. thousands of people have been gathering on the streets of a german city to demonstrate in support of the government's policy on admitting refugees. the rally has been organized by charities and trade unions, but it comes in the. >> reporter: saturday morning and thousands of people were on the streets. drawn here by the chance to show their support for the coalition govpt's asylum policies. recent polls have suggested a growing number of germans think

they should no longer be welcoming. that sentiment was not here method >> translation: we're here to show a support for the country. this is a long and difficult path but we're on right one. >> reporter: for these people the issues were clear. >> translation: violence like what happened on new year's eve cannot be blapd on the rest gees. this is unfortunately a part of humanitarian and we-- humanity and we need to stand against eit every day, not simply violence against women but violence in general. >> we want to make sure that everyone knows that they are safe here and that they're welcome here >> reporter: the organisers of this demonstration have called for around 10,000 people to come out onto the streets here today. the police say in the event perhaps around three and a half thousand poo-- people here today.

that was in stark contrast to these scenes last weekend when supporters attending an anti asylum rally threw rocks and other objects at police, who were forced to use water cannon to restore order. then more violence on monday at another far right rally in the eastern city. it was partly to protest against such violence that brought these people here on saturday. also to show their solidarity with the many refugees now in germany. this state is one of three which will elect a new parliament in march providing the first big test of how german voters really view their government asylum policy. 12 people have been arrested in connection with the i.s.i.l. attack in indonesia's capital. the gunmen were supposedly to attack other decision.

several people including gunmen were killed in the main business district of jakarta. women in brazil are being told to postpone pregnancys as a virus causing birth defects is present. >> reporter: the car doors of this public hospital in north-eastern brazil are full of distraught mothers holding babies with one thing in common, they were born with noticeably smaller than normal heads. it is a condition that severely limits a child's intellect and physical development and in which less than four months has reached epidemic proportions in brazil. researchers say they believe the cause is a virus spread by the same mosquito that carries

dengue fever. >> translation: i was shocked when i found out. she is my first baby and this illness was unheard of until now. >> reporter: doctors believe this is also causing severe scarring of the retina in up to 40% of the new born babies. >> in december we had about one thousand cases, suspect cases. now we've heard last week it has been three thousand reports. >> reporter: that's just in the state where a state of emergency has been declared and where the army has been called out to combat disease-carrying mosquitoes. they thrive in rainy season and breed in even the smallest amount of still clean water. but despite all these efforts, the virus is spreading, not just through brasz ilbut throughout-- brazil but throughout america.

experts predict that within three months it will have reached texas. there is no cure virus, terrifying pregnant women like this woman. >> translation: i asked the doctor if what i heard was true. since then i've been taking special precaution like using insect repellant. >> reporter: but for three and a half month old david precautions are too late. his sister dotes on him while his mother worries about how she will take care of a child who will be seriously handicapped. >> translation: my main concern now is to go back to work. the day care centers refuse to take him because they say it's too much responsibility. >> reporter: a tragic problem that mass prompted health officials to warn women to refrain from getting pregnant. while they struggle to deal with an epidemic that appears to be just beginning

activists in south africa want the government to speed up legislation to give poor people access to affordable generic drugs. a report from our correspondent on the struggle to get medicine they need. >> reporter: this woman has breast cancer. she says doctors at a public hospital close by cannot help her. >> they tell me they don't have medication. they will just give me pan dal, brufen and sometimes they just put me on oxygen. >> reporter: according to the cancer association of south africa, more than 100,000 people are diagnosed with cancer every yir. this is the nearest hospital in the area. it doesn't have an onological department. patients have to go to johannesburg to get the drugs but not every hospital has them.

that's because drugs are expensive and state-run hospitals have no or limited supplies. >> now, how many women and men out there that died meanwhile they could have got medication and they couldn't and it was the only drug that could have prolonged their life so that they may raise their children for gopd's sake. >> reporter: countries like india and argentina use the safeguards outlined in international law to limit the number of drug patents that are granted. south africa has yet to do that. >> the patents are mainly being granted to international drug companies who want to protect their patents in this country. it means that south african-based companies, which are mainly generic companies, can't come to the market on those drugs for a longer period of time because they're waiting for those patents to end. >> reporter: the government has a drug policy that could make drugs easily available and affordable. the department of trade and industry says cabinet is working on fixing the patent laws.

>> there are some other issues which would not benefit the pharmaceutical companies, although they would benefit the generic industry and vice versa. so i think a lot more intention has to be given to this draft policy, especially the wording, so that there is no incoherent understanding that comes from it >> reporter: cancer patients hope an agreement can be reached quickly. they need affordable drugs that could save or prolong their lives still to come keeping with tradition, we're in argentina for the rodeo show where riders are being put to the test. this man proves once again why he is the king of the dakar rally. details of that in sport. sport.

it's called start-up india, a program to encourage young entrepreneurs to build new businesses. the ni the. >> reporter: this histore has me than a dozen locations in and around india's too largest cities. as with any new venture it wasn't easy. it is especially difficult in india where slow bureaucracy can

stop new ventures before they start >> in a new start up the resources you have are limited. you want those resources to be used in productive work as opposed to an atmosphere of bureaucratic flavour. they say they've been waiting a long time for this. tax incentives and less bureaucracy are the main issues to be addressed. simply encouraging and promoting start ups in india may be enough to give the sector a boost. entrepreneurs like this man say people's mindsets about start-ups are changing, adding it's a different environment now than it was when he set up his first business 12 years ago. >> the biggest difference i've

seen is people are accepting it more, not just from the point where i started out, so even on the suppliers and no-one would take me seriously, but now not just then but customers also expect a lot from start-ups where they didn't understand them. >> reporter: analysts say promoting start-ups over low scale businesses will be important because india will need an estimate 140 million new jobs in the next decade >> we all know the public sector won't do that, and the large private sector won't, so this has got to be filmed by start-ups over the next 10 years >> reporter: back at the shop this man hopes the newspaper program will make it easier for his business to grow. for the government it hopes these small companies many encourage investment and drive growth it's time for the sports news now. >> reporter: thank you very much. we are going to start with cricket.

england are celebrating a first test series win in south africa in 11 years. their seven wicket win in the test match giving them a two nil series lead with one match to play. day three began with south africa bowling england out for 323 in their first innings. england with a ten run lead and the match in the balance. that was until stuart broad came up with his trademark match winning style. last august he took eight for 15 to help australia. this time 6 for 17. the english needed 74 for victim which they achieved-- victory. the teams will now head to the fourth and final test. >> some of the best bowling. obviously the conditions suited them really well and they made

full use of that. they asked a lot of questions throughout the innings. they didn't ask as many in the first innings and i think that's where we missed the trick. >> reporter: to american football. the n.f.l. are underway. these are effectively quarter finals. in the first game of the evening, the reigning champions new england pay tree on thes -- pay tree on thes. 21 six. later on an affair with the green bay packers, one of the oldest and most successful teams. they fay the cardinals who are ranked two in the lead. their star receiver is saying this might be the best chance of winning a first ever super bowl.

>> the time is now. we have to capitalise on opportunities that we have earned to this point. we have to make sure that we come out there and play to the best of our ability. >> reporter: french driver has won his 12th dakar really. he won this event in both categories. came third in saturday's final stage, the 699 kilometer route. it meant he finished just over three minutes ahead of last year's winner in the overall standings. it is the driver's first dakar victory since 1990. his team mate came first. to football now. chelsea came from behind to win on saturday.

everytonne had what they thought was a late winner but upset in the 98th minute to salvage a three three draw. they remain 14th. some movement at the top of the table. leicester were held to a draw by aston villa. >> when we are able to score the first goal, we know that we are going to have more space and our team normally used to play against eight or nine players behind the ball. we always score goal, so, of course, with space we are more dangerous. >> reporter: to spain, real madrid on sunday, the coach has hit out against his club's transfer ban but expects the matter to be resolved soon. once the current transfer window closes, real will be barred.

they have been punished for breaching rules on signing non-spanish under 18 players. they are set to appeal >> translation: the most important thing is what is revealed is right. some things are very hard to accept and these things are a bit absurd. i think next week everything will be solved. i am calm >> reporter: in rwanda the hosts have kicked off the nations championship of victory over the ivory coast. it is the biggest sporting event held in the country. it is hoped that will change perceptions about rwanda to the rest of the world. >> reporter: there is no doubt this was the biggest sporting day in rwanda's history. the country has hosted age group football events before but never before a tournament of this profile. it was opened here five hours before kick off to make sure

fans could get in on time. borders were opened up to make sure people got to see games live. there was a clear awareness that this event was about much more than just sports but in their eyes internationally rwanda is still negatively associated with the events of the genocide of 199 had. everyone here is hoping-- 1994. everyone is hoping that they can show the world that the country has moved on, it's safe and is capable of hosting international standard sporting events. >> for us the modern assumption, mopped earn football, it is about our future. >> we are proud to be here because it is the first time to take this chance to have this and all people are happy to be

here. >> at this major competition eight lot of investors are going to come to enjoy this game, but as well to see the opportunities which are in this country. >> reporter: not only was the stadium full, every restaurant and bar with a television was also packed to capacity. the fans got the chance to see their team win one nil against the ivory coast in a tournament that is seeking to distance instance from the cup of nations. it is a reminder of the intrinsic value of african football, that there are powerful leagues within its borders and football here is about much more than being a staging post for players on the wait to bigger and better things afraud. rwanda is hoping by successfully staging the tournament they can show one day in the future they could be given the spount of

hosting the flagship football event the africa cup of nations thank you for that. a bloody tradition in argentina's rural areas is thriving. the rodeo. >> reporter: this one is happening in the province in the north. this is this man's first time as a rider. he is 18 years old and works as a mason. if he can stay on the horse for eight seconds, he will have a chance of winning the prize. >> translation: i started when i was very young. we do it not only because of tradition because also because we can win prizes that helps us financially. >> reporter: these are part of the tradition of the cattle hearders that roamed the country

2000 years ago. most have second jobs here in the country's farming industry. people compare this event to a world cup because they say that every rider in the country dreams about being here. the horses are also chosen and they have to have a special spirit and they will never be at the timed. horses are crucial in events like this one. animal rights group worry about the treatment of the horses, but this man says they are wrong. >> translation: a horse is ridden for about eight second in an event like this one. they're used for an average of two minutes a month. they have to be strong and beautiful to be used in event like this one. >> reporter: they have gone from being a traditional event to a local sport. this man wants it to be recognised as one of the country's national sports. >> translation: we are pushing for a law that makes this an official sport.

it is becoming more and more professional. riders train, go to the gym and prepare all year for the big events. >> reporter: a dangerous sport that injures dozens of riders every year, but this man says he is not afraid. he is 28 years old and has been doing this for over a decade. >> translation: i've seen my family cry for me many times, but this is what i love and what has helped me have my family. passion for horses, respect for the tradition and the extra financial incentive. a powerful mix that make this an essential event of the countryside that does it for the al jazeera news hour but i'm back in just a few minutes with another full news bulletin. thank you very much for watching. watching.

a prisoner swap announced between the u.s. and iran. washing post reporter is amongst those released. details of a travel alert. all that ahead. >> coming up tonight, we'll have the latest... >> does the government give you refugee status? >> they've marched to the border. >> thousands have taken to the streets here in protest. >> this is where gangs bury their members. >> they're tracking climate change.

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this is al jazeera america live from new york city. here are today's top stories. a major milestone in the iran nuclear deal crippling economic sanctions of the country has been lifted. u.s. and iran announce a prisoner swap among the americans coming home washington post reporter. obama signs an emergency declaration f