this is al jazeera america with today's top stories. >> u.n. sanctions related to iran's nuclear program are lifted the u.n. declared iran has lived up to the agreement. hours earlier the surprise move american prisoners suddenly free from iranian prisoner. federal emergency. the federal steps into the

drinking water in mach began. l.a. returns the return of pro-football but at what cost. a look at who is really paying the bills for these mega projects it is a historic day for iran and america. the u.s. along with other world powers today lifted crippling sanctions against iran. international inspectors certified the republic was living up to its word in curbing its nuclear program. >> reporter: diplomacy takes time. there were delays right up to the end. when the announcement finally came, it was the international atomic energy agency that broke the news. >> 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. >> reporter: so implementation day is here. the iranian foreign minister and the e.u. foreign policy chief looked satisfied as they arrived to give their reactions. both sides can look forward to huge economic benefits from the lifting of sanctions. >> 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 dcpoa. >> reporter: secretary of state what is your reaction? >> reporter: this is the culmination of years of work of the secretary of state john kerry, a personal achievement

for him and he chose to make his statement separately from the other parties >> today marks the moment that the iran knew cheer agreement transitions from-- nuclear agreement transitions from a set of promises to paper to measurable action in progress. today as a result of the actions taken since last july, the united states, our friends and allies in the middle east, in the entire world, are safer because the threat of the nuclear weapon has been reduced. >> reporter: international inspectors have confirmed that iran has drastically reduced its uranium enrichment capacity and most the stocks have been shipped overseas. the heavy water reactor has been put out of action. it is a huge diplomatic achievement. iran has come in from the cold. >> thank you very much.

>> reporter: however it is not over. international monitors will continue to check compliance and if they spot any violation, the sanctions will snap back into place. so much is at stake that all sides will be working to ensure that this does not happen earlier today the white house said iran has severely curbed its enrichment program, so president obama signed orders lifting the sanctions on iran. this also means after years of isolation iran can once again join the global economy. billions could start flowing back into that country. gerald tan has more on the impact to iran's economy >> 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 government and private assets have contributed to sluggish, even negative, growth. that superannuation gel hold is finally being loosened >> the lifting of the sanctions will, first of all, have a very positive psychological impact and will xem a lot of the ininvestmentor-- investors who had either been barred or basically were in a waiting mode to start investing activities. >> reporter: the iranian government agreed to limit nuclear development in exchange for to a return to energy and financial markets. it will be able to access billions of dollars worth of frozen assets stuck in foreign banks. there are questions over how the 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 chainss of sanctions will be removed and the path will be more open for more interaction with the world. >> reporter: iran is hundred agree for change. xhek violation has caused the high inflation, lack of jobs. it is. progress isn't expected to be quit. >> interests to invest in iran as a major emerging economy is there, but the pace at which this investment can be absorbed, the negotiations that are needed, the operational processes that are needed to absorb these investments will be slower than many expect at this stage.

>> reporter: the implementation of the nuclear deal is being lauded by many as a positive step for the country to re-enter the global economy. iran military forces recently carried out two ballistic missile tests prompting talk in washington of a new round of sanctions other sanctions remain in place. american companies still cannot do business with iran, but the u.s. is allowing some exceptions by allowing companies to seek licences to sell commercial aircraft and spare parts to iran. also allowed imports into the states of carpets and other items. earlier i asked a researcher at princeton university about his reaction to the day's developments >> we have finally brought an end to the iranian nuclear file.

the world is safer because their nuclear infrastructure is to remain peaceful the international nuclear inspectors found basically that iran is living up to its side of the deal, but is it possible, based on the country's history and how they've done a pretty good job at hiding a lot of their activities for many years, do you think it's possible that the inspectors missed something? >> this deal puts into place basically closes every avenue iran has to a nuclear weapon. i assure you, to transport material, it is very difficult when you're under a 24/7 watch, of the i.a.e.a. and the watchdog commission and they have given permission for these authorities to be in the country to monitor. it will be very difficult for them to dodge a nuclear weapon the next phase of the deal

will be the topic of our sunday night look at the week ahead. we will dig deeper into what this means for iran. that's 8.30 eastern, 5.30 pacific. the u.s. in iran agreed this morning to swap prisoners and it led to the release of washington post reporter. our correspondent has more on that. >> reporter: on saturday iranian state television announced the news this man's family wanted to hear. after 18 months in prison the washington post reporter convicted of spying was now free. his employer is celebrating: the former u.s. marine, this man and a christian 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 also agreed to drop charges against 14 other iranians for sanctions violations and iran promises to help find the retired f.b.i. agent. what is notable about the prisoner swap, it comes as the i.a.e.a. confirmed iran has dismantled its nuclear weapons. >> while the negotiations were not directly related, and they were not, there is no question that the pace and the process 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 iranian foreign minister has made it possible to solve disputes between iran and the u.s.

what happens when both men leave their post? >> that relationship between them is one that predated the nuclear talks. it is one that may have enanaled the talks to actually move forward-- enabled the talks to actually move forward. it has to be institutionalised somehow because we can't have it go back to the way it used to be because kerry is no longer there. >> reporter: with no guarantee of more to follow one person who knows very well what those prisoners went through is one of our correspondents who joins on the set now. so you've been in this position. you have been there for the home coming. you know what that is like. what is going through those prisoners' mind right now? >> i imagine they were surprised

being told that they will be freed. it's not something that they will tell you you're going to be freed in three months. they told me on the day there was no warning or indication that things were changing? it was truly out of the blue for you? >> for me it was. i had an appellate trial. i was sentenced to eight years. they told me after the appellate trial. i understand that many for the families, and i spoke to one who was jailed in iran for four and a half years and released today, they didn't know about his release either until they heard about it today like the rest of the world. we all found out at the same time >> exactly transitionings back to life in the u.s., what was that like? >> i was very happy to be back. i love iran and the people there. i lived there for six years, but i was glad to be back in that

after going through this i felt safer here, like i wasn't going to be monitored. i still sometimes feared that maybe they had followed me because while i was in prison i was wanders that if i spoke about certain things they could find me. one said, we can make it look like you died in a car than accident while you're reporting in afghanistan. so you keep those things in your mind. it was nightmares for me, a lot of political prisoners have post-traumatic stress disorder, some handle it better than others, but it takes some time and i think what helped me was being with my loved ones, feeling safe and finding purpose in what i was doing. >> reporter: can you give us an idea of what they faced in that prison, especially since some of these men were there for years >> i wasn't aware of the fourth

that was mentioned, but oftentimes in solitary confinement for days, weeks, maybe months, you feel very aalone, especially in that period you wonder if you're going to lose your sanity because people need other people to speak to, otherwise you're just alone with your thoughts. you get a lot of time to pray, even if you had never prayed much before, and you feel alone and very helpless. during interrogations you might get pressured into saying things that you wouldn't otherwise do. you also get isolation, manipulation, making you state false confessions

we're glad you're back with us. also welcomed news for the other americans. big news today. thank you for sharing your story with us. >> thank you a hostage situation in a hotel in burkina faso ended early this morning. at least 29 people were killed, including many foreigners in an attack by al-qaeda in the country's capital. more than 1 # 25 hostages were inside that hotel and they described scenes of more today. >> reporter: the splendid hotel in the burkina faso capital where gunfire rang out throughout the night. masked gunmen stormed the hotel popular with foreigners and diplomats on friday evening. they set cars on fire and 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. it was traumatising. i think these people are really wicked. >> reporter: french troops were called in to help security forces retake the hotel. they've 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 affiliate says it's behind this assault. the armed group has had similar targets in africa in the past. the most recent was in november in mali. this is the first aattack of this kind in burkina faso ouagadougou. the president was elected as the first if you leader in decades. how he is dealing with this

crisis is being seen as his first test. >> translation: we would like to salute the response of the doctors and everyone involved in this. 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 the u.s. senate will consider a bill to increase the screening requirements for syrian and iraqi refugees who wish to enter this country. the proposal raised through the hou house. the measure will face a stiffer fight in the senate. the department of homeland security began conducting raids targeting illegal migrants this month. it is the first large-scale effort to deport families who have made it to the u.s. it has led advocates to step up

the fight for immigration reform. >> reporter: at a quickly organized meeting immigrants turned up to learn their rights. fear was spreading along with the word that federal officials had been conducting deportation raids across the country, forcing appeared voluntary indicates for the undocumented to react >> the office has been nonstop, social media nonstop. the fear has grown. >> reporter: this woman doesn't want to show her face. she and her three children watched her husband get arrested by immigration officials last summer as he left home for work. he is still in detention. news of the raid has them worried that she will be next >> translation: i have told the kids to stay calm, that everything will be okay, but now they're afraid. they're afraid to open the door if someone shows up >> reporter: according to the obama administration the raids are aimed at the wave of people

who cross the south-west border into the united states illegally in 2014 and 15. many after fleeing violence in central america >> we are seeking to deport felons, not break apart families. >> reporter: the administration says it's rounding up people who have already been processed by immigration court and found illegible to stay. the president took executive action to shield many. the obama administration has long faced criticism from the republican party for being too easy on illegal immigration. now the president is getting it from democrats as well who call him the deporter in chief. here the democratic mayor has announced that the city will no longer cooperate with federal enforcement immigration officials. the mayor says the raids are counterproductive because they make the undocumented afraid to report crimes >> we are not safe in any city when the people who live there, whether they're documented or

not, are fearful of the police >> reporter: immigration advocates are now lobbying members of congress and presidential candidates who have also criticized the raids >> i think the democratic party has lost faith from the lati no further questions o community when they're going after women and children and they're saying that they're for imgrapgs. it doesn't make any sense sense. >> reporter: advocates kobt to call for immigration reform and worn the undocumented not to answer the door president obama signed an emergency declaration today over the water crisis in flint, michigan. federal aid will be provided to give people access to safe and clean drinking water. the city switched its water source from detroit to flint river almost two years ago. it was acknowledged that the water in flint is contaminated with led. the mosquito-borne virus zika

has been reported now in the u.s. health officials say a baby born with brain damage in hawaii is the first case. neither the baby nor the moertdz are contagious. this week the cdc issued a travel alert warning pregnant travelling to 14 countries and territories. more from our correspondent. >> reporter: the corridors of this public hospital in north-eastern brazil are filled with dedistraught mothers holding babies with one thing in common. they were born with smaller than normal heads. it is a condition that limits the child's physical and intellectual development. it has reached epidemic proportions in brazil. researchers say they believe the cause is a virus new to brazil called zika spread by the same

mosquito that carries dengue fever. >> translation: i was shocked when i found out. she is my first baby and this virus wasn't heard of in brazil until now. doctors here believe the virus has affected and caused severe scarring in the retina of the babies. >> in december we had about one thousand suspect cases. now we've just heard last week it has been three thousand reports. >> reporter: that's just in a state where a state of emergency has been declared and the army has been called out to combat disease-carrying mosquitoes. they thrive in the rainy season and breed in a small amount of still water. despite all these efforts, the zika virus is spreading, not just through brazil but

throughout south and central america. disease krom experts predict that within three months zika will have reached texas. there is no cure for the virus, terrifying pregnant woman 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: for three and a half month old david precautions are too late. 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, but the day care centers refuse to take him because his condition is too much responsibility. >> reporter: health officials have warned brazilian women to

refrain from getting pregnant while they struggle with an a health especially democrat in particular was a year ago church goers were killed. still ahead the citizens send a message to the candidates. first, in l.a. over the return of professional football. tonight we take a deeper look at who really pays for what is supposed to be privately-financeed projects. >> we haven't got it yet... >> it's all or nothing... >> i've told walgreen's i quit... >> hard earned pride... hard earned respect... hard earned future... a real look at the american dream hard earned only on al jazeera america

this week the st louis rams announce they will move to l.a. into a brand new stadium. we will look at the economic ties between professional teams and the cities where they play. l.a. hasn't had a football team for nearly two decades, but it may not just get the rams. the chargers or the raiders may also join them. it will cost an estimated 2.7 billion dollars to bring them back. officially taxpayers are not on the hook for that money, but as john henry smith explains, deals like this often are not what they seem. >> reporter: celebration in l.a. earlier this week following the announcement that the rams are heading back to the city of angels, decades after the team left for missouri.

>> absolutely the greatest plan that ever been in shorts is how to put the show on >> reporter: they're getting a new 1.86 billion dollar stadium. it will be built with privately financed money. that may be true on the surface, but digging deeper costs fallback on the taxpayers. they're going to get tax breaks that could reach one hundred million dollars, including millions in reimbursements for road work and other projects. tax apair money used in these projects are coming under scrutiny. 57% of all construction costs is being used of tax payer money. in the rams case, st louis tried to keep the team. 150 million dollars was pledged

to replace the 21-year-old dome. the proposal for the stadium just wasn't good enough. >> i under the emotional side, i have a responsibility also to take care of the organization and a responsibility to my 31 other partners to have a first-class facility. >> reporter: the viking new the coast is slated to is 1.1 billion dollars with state and local taxpayers shoulderering more than half of that. this new stadium will bring an economic boost to the city but common middle of thes who have - specialists say the benefits do not jout way the costs. when it comes to building a new stadium for the vikings, that cost dates back to 1999. back then governor had a meeting

with then vikings owner. it was said if he wanted a new stadium, he could raise ticket prices to help pay for it >> my wife, the first lady, she doesn't give a rat's arse about viking football. there is a lot of other people that couldn't care less about it. you're telling me you can't charge the fans but you can go to these people and reach in their wallet and make them pay so you get a new stadium? >> reporter: the vikings will finally get their new stadium a decade later after threatening to move to l.a. joining us now to take a deeper look is david williams, president of taxpayers protection alliance, and robert boland director of sports administration, a sports attorney as well. thank you for being with us tonight. >> thank you. >> thank you

david, let me start with you. the big question, is this a waste of money for taxpayers to fund these large stadiums? >> absolutely a waste of taxpayer money. we did a study and looked at all the n.f.l. stadiums since 1995 that received taxpayer sub-sydney disease and found that it didn't-- subsidies. politicians say we have to do this because it's going to create jobs and economic benefits, but really at the end of the day it doesn't. therein lies the whole problem that these areas are not getting richer but getting poorer because they have to foot the bill. 88% of the stadium, 600 million dollars of taxpayer money was used to build that stadium. a lot of people don't go to games, yet they have to fund the

stadium. a stadium is not a critical government need. funding roads, transportation projects, public safety, those are critical assets that need to be funded not stadiums where teams play a lot of players saying tax payers are paying for these. what do you make of this? >> there is certainly a number of really bad events in terms of stadiums not fitting cities and not really advancing the public interest. on the other hand david brought up the stadium which is one of the most used hubs, hosting many events, even a super bowl. it has created a revitalization of down town around the state capital. i think it's a very mixed bag. i think the one thing that we

have to look at is where a stadium can serve as a springboard or a magnet for other development in the private sector that will have more tax dollars in the city. stadiums are very neutral in that even in the best case scenario and they're quite expensive, but they are hubs around which people can build and when they're right sideed and the conditions are right can be done very well. we have reasons to be optimistic about l.a. i think that is a good examples. it is one of the cases that we're getting better as a sports economy at understanding where we have benefit and where not a lot of studies have said time and time again that these stadiums are not all they claim to be, that the economic impact study showing all extra money coming noop cities are at times exaggerated. i want to read something from a

study saying that estimates of the income that will be spent in the region are often over stated, the weight of economic evidence shows that taxpayers spend a lot of money and ultimately don't get much back because the overall impression that they give is there are a lot of hidden costs that the taxpayers must endure to build and keep these stadiums running for years >> i don't dispute that there are a litany of bad study examples and as a person working in this space, the numbers or the studies divide into propose opponent studies which are inflated and opponent studies which are understated in the same way. the truth tends to lie somewhere in the middle. if a city can get a benefit from where they build the stadium and surround it with the right kind of development and event, it does serve as a springboard or catalyst for other benefits into

the city. indi is an example and another will be. it's all a question of the deal not absolutely being opposed or absolutely being in favor david, it's worth pointing out that a lot of these deals are approved by voters, by taxpayers. they support the idea of using tax paid money because in many cases it boosts property taxes in the area and is there not something no civic pride to vague major team in your city? it puts your city in the big leagues. >> that's the problem. people get so focused on the shiny object that they don't realise the cost i'm saying they do in that they are approving them >> i think they do get , but

they put the cost aside. let's address the city for a second. you said it is an example of the success story. it absolutely is not because poverty has gone up in the city and medium household incomes have gone down since 1995. you can't say it's a booming area because it is not. they use about 75 million dollars of taxpayer moneys. >> the stadium has been one of the greatest benefits and what we can't assess, and this is the problem with the opponent numbers in the circumstance, that i'm a moderator on this. i am completely in the middle on the right deal, but you can't say that the world is flat looking at this and saying it suffered through one of the great economic downturns,

businesses were lost in a variety of ways. how much did that stadium complex help stabilize rather than have the city deplete. >> it didn't stabilize it. it has gotten worse over the years. of course the mayor is going to say in his defense. >> how many other american cities in the middle of america have gotten worse in that same period of time? you're saying it's the stadium and you're not looking at a variety of other effects let me just jump in here. the argument is that the stadiums don't just host sporting events. they revitallise the towns and brings tourists >> absolutely >> no. it doesn't. you have the same people coming down town that live in antecedent report. they will go to the restaurant,

theater or sporting event. they're spending their money but at a different venue. in baltimore that is a great example. they have the highest rate of people coming out of time at about 30%. they've estimated that about three million dollars a year is the benefit to baltimore. that's an extreme example where a lot of people do come from out of town. look at st louis. they're going to have to pay 12 million dollars a year until 2022 to pay off their municipal bonds. that will be a drag on their economy after they've left. we're looking at the numbers and we're seeing that $7 billion in subsidies and it is not helping the economies of these areas how do you respond to that? what exactly is saint lewis losing aside from a little bit

of prestige? >> i don't think it is losing that it could have held on to. what they are losing, though, a draw to the city for an nca final force. events that bring exclusively visitors. local sport franchises and their games are almost all local endeavours and david points out the idea that some of that is substitution and money spent that would have been spent in the restaurants or in the entertainment complexes or movie theatres. the world isn't flat and money does come in for other major events. the idea that saint lewis is a psychic blow-by-blow. they are one of the great baseball cities in the world and the stadium with its mixed use development and housing going

on, it remains an anchor for the summer months. not all stadiums are bad and not all are good, but painting them as a drag or a deleterious effect on the economy is wrong >> i never said it was a drag on the economy. all i was saying is that taxpayers shouldn't pay for it. these are serving the billionaire owners. build the stadiums where you want to but don't use public funds. use private money. it's a simple statement for us it doesn't seem to be unreasonable for a lot of people. do you think the n.f.l. could build these without taxpayers help? >> yes. certainly there are. perhaps two of the most successful stadiums in the country are the atnt park in san francisco.

some money comes in for infrastructure, and then the other things that owners and cities do for economic development for a lot of business sectors, they do a situation where because councils can borrow at a lower rate, the city or the council will borrow. the team will pay it back. there is an imbalance out there. there are situations where mayors and governors and elected officials sometimes are held over the barrel because the bargaining power isn't even and the teams have more knowledge and more capability, but i do agree good deals that look for the good of the economy can be very, very helpful a very spirited debate. thank you both for joining us tonight for a different look >> >> thank you >> thank you still ahead tonight, donald trump waeighs in on the deal.

also seven months after a gunman killed nine black church goers in south carolina, the town becomes the epicenter for the race for the white house.

we are just 16 days away from the start of the iowa caucuses. the country's first female secretary of state is there spending two days stumping for hillary clinton. the secretary tweeted this photo of some young clinton supporters. when asked how donald trump rise in popularity affects the u.s. aabroad she says:

former president bill clinton was also in iowa campaigning for his wife >> look, it's a dangerous world out there, but if you want to know who can rebuild the economy, deal with the social issues, stop the president's progress from being repealed and keep the country safe, this is not a close question the campaign says it hopes names bike bill clinton, chelsea can help her win a tight race with bernie sanders. florida senator marco rubio used the campaign trail to criticise the obama administration prisoner swap with iran. speaking to a crowd of 300 people in iowa he says he believes governments like iran take americans hostage so they can get concessions from the government. he many schedule the iran deal on his first day of president. chris christie also jumped on that bandwagon on >> they were taken illegally by

an rogue regime and this is the problem with this president. he gets no respect around the world. no respect. if we had a president who was respected around the world, we wouldn't have these folks taken in the first place christie goes on to queues the president of releasing "terrorists at guantanamo bay back into the terrorist business". then there was donald trump's take on iran >> i have been mentioning this so much and i guarantee you, the u.s. has been putting so much pressure, please give us our prisoners back later on in south carolina donald trump took credit for the prisoner swap saying "i have i do not know pitting them hard and i might have had something to do with it". the republican front runner was also booed when he criticized ted cruz >> he didn't report his bank loans, from gold man zachs from

citibank and then he acts like robin hood donald trump was engineered by supporters after accusing the senator of being corrupt. others spoke at the same tea party event. on sunday night democratic presidential candidates will face off in a debate in south carolina. a mass shooting there shocked the nation and raised questions about race, guns and mental health. al jazeera's correspondent returned there where we found people have a message for the candidates. >> reporter: it was just seven months ago. >> shortly after i had left this intruder, this terrorist, this b bigot, this racist entered.

>> reporter: tribute cames in after a white man were easy access to a gun walked into this church, sat for a while and opened fire. the reverend is the pastor who wants candidates to learn from what happened here. certainly after the shooting, so your voice carries a lot of weight. you have two huge national events taking place in your city, democratic, republican presidential debates, what do you want too hear during those? >> first of all, i would hope that we would bring our civility back into the public square, but having said that, it is without question we cannot avoid not addressing the issue of gun violence. secondly, i think there's a need for jobs. i think there's a need to talk

about the poor. >> reporter: when we talk about the poor, how significant is that? oftentimes people say there are not many poor people and they don't vote. in your life how many poor people do you come across? . on a daily basis. you can drive through the area which has something called the tent city. there are folk who are living under bridges. some people don't see the poor because they don't want to >> reporter: people here in south carolina are being forceed to see a lot this year as politicians made bombed moves to change the status quo. it is seen as a national movement of dramatically change demographic and political activism. many lower income people are being pushed out of here to a black part of the area. you grew up here

>> yeah. this is lifetime home for me. >> reporter: he is a newspaper reporter who has spent much of his career writing about the lives of south carolina african americans. this area has one of the highest rates in the nation. >> we're seeing a murder at least one a month, sometimes two/three a month. >> reporter: they're overwhelmingly low income and likely to be victims of violence. he says because of president obama's victory, african-americans may be more likely to vote during this election. >> so when i ask what do i want to see from our presidential candidates, i want to hear them talk about things like universal health care, you know >> reporter: has that impacted you in your life?

>> sure >> reporter: how so? >> i don't have health care. >> reporter: you don't have health care? >> i'm a professional, but i don't have health care. i can't afford it >> reporter: hundreds of thousands of voters are like him. south carolina's primary will be the first presidential primary where a significant number of voters are expected to be blac . they don't wear western style hats or have those thick texas accents, but these argentinians are authentic cow boys.

in argentina a class of cow boys are part of the century's old tradition. our correspondent visited an event to witness a sport where some say man and horse become one. >> reporter: this is happening in the province in the north of the country. this is man's first time as a rider. he is 18 years old and works as a mason. he says that if he can stay on a 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 but win prizes that help us financially. >> reporter: they're all around argentina. they're part of the tradition, the cattle herders that roamed the countryside 200 years ago.

most of those who participate in these events have second jobs in the country's farming industry. people compare this event to a world cup because they say every rider in the country dreams about being here. the horses are chosen carefully. they have to have a special spirit and probably will never be at the timed. -- tammed. animal rights group worry about the treatment of the horses. this man says they're wrong. >> translation: a horse is ridden for about eight seconds 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 events like this one. >> reporter: it has gone from being a traditional event to a local sport. he wants it toing recognised as one-- to be recognised as one of the argentina's national sports >> translation: we are pushing for a law that makes in this an

official sport. it becoming more and more professional. riders train for the event. >> reporter: a dangerous sport that endangers dozens of riders every year. he says 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 highs and my family. >> reporter: a passion for horses, respect for the tradition and the extra financial in scentivincentive. a powerful makes-- mix that makes it an essential sport finally informant, two of the win-- tonight, $1.6 billion power ball draw. they say they will take their

528.8 million dollar share as an immediate cash payment. they will pay off their children's university loans but will return to their jobs. that's what they say now. we will see. the two other winning tickets have not yet come forward. probably still trying to figure out what they're going to do with all their money there. that does it for us on this saturday night. thank you for joining us. stay here and we're going to toss it to our friends in doha with more news. have a goodnight.

sanctions related to iran's nuclear program are lifted a knew era for global relations with iran as sanctions endnew era for global relations with iran as sanctions e end. this is al jazeera live from our headquarters in doha. also on the program iran frees washington post reporter and four other americans. china brands taiwan's hopes for independence as hallucinations. special forces free hostages from aki