exists. the news continues next live from doha. have a great day. >> announcer: this is al jazeera. ♪ hello and welcome to the news hour. here is what is coming up in the next 60 minutes. a u.k. judge rules the death of a former russian spy was probably approved by the kremlin. turkey blasts russia's role in the syrian war, saying it is not fighting isil but targeting moderate fighters instead. and malaysia looks at banning electronic or

e-cigarettes. ♪ hello, the murder of a former russian spy was probably carried out on orders from president vladimir putin. that is the verdict of the british inquiry into the death of the man. the u.k. government reacted saying it will freeze the assets of the two russians accused of that murder. neave barker has more. >> reporter: the long awaited murder inquiry has lead investigators right to the doors of the kremlin. the finding say vladimir putin probably approved of the murder because of a long personal feud. the chairman also implicated the head of russian security service, calling the killing a space-sponsored assassination. >> there is a stronging probability that when he

poisoned the man, he did so under the direction of the fsb, the federal security service of the russian federation. the report reiterates the earlier belief that these former russian agents poisoned alexander with radioactive pew loan um 210 at this london hotel. and the report also say it was the second murder attempt. in moscow here is how the russian foreign ministry responded. >> translator: there was only one aim, and it was clear from the very beginning to demonize russia, its representatives, and leadership. this investigation has not been transparent. >> reporter: alexander's wife

and son say they are happy with the findings. >> i am calling immediately for the exclusion from the u.k. of all russian intelligence operatives. i'll also calling for sanctions and travel bans against named individu individuals including mr. putin. >> reporter: the british government now says it will freeze the assets of those suspected of the killing. >> the conclusion that the russian state was probably involved in the murder is deeply disturbing. >> reporter: it was a murder straight out of a cold war spy novel. the former agent had defected to the west, becoming a british citizen, only to be hurted down and poisoned on british soil. the new report says there was

personal antagonism. he had made repeated personal attacks on putin, even accusing him of pedophilia. with putins cooperation needed when it comes to defeating isil in syria, a full-blown diplomatic row is the last thing the government wants. >> so we're go to rory challands in moscow in just a moment, but first let's cross back to neave barker joining us from london to tell us whether the u.k. is trying to limit any sort of fallout from the results of this finding. >> reporter: well as you heard in my report, ter -- teresa may made it clear this was pretty unsettling. the immediate response is to freeze the assets of the key

suspects, but of course, as we heard there from his wife, there is a real drive from the families's point of view to impose much more punitive measures on russia. she has suggested targeting economic sanctions, and at the very most that is perhaps what the british government could possibly do, at the very least they could call for the extradition of the two, but in the past when the british police have called for their extradition, the russian government has clamped down and refused to hand over the two men. of course we can't ignore the fact that this all comes at a very difficult time for the british government when it desperately needs vladimir putin's cooperation in fighting isil in the middle east. >> all right. crossing over to rory challands who will give us the reaction from moscow.

rory, the official reaction, as well as the reaction from one of the accused who neave was just talking to us about. >> reporter: yeah, he -- if you pass all of the different responses to this inquiry that have come out today in russia, the one common denominator is the view that this inquiry has been politicized by the british authorities; that essentially they are prosecuting some sort of andy russian agenda. in that is what andre lugavoy said. he said that it's again showing russia's -- sorry, london's anti-russian position, and the unwillingness to determine the true cause of his death. he says that he actually poisoned himself. he goes on to say it looks to me like london's pathetic attempt to use this skeleton in the

closet to satisfy its political ambitions. a similar response from the russian foreign ministry came out as well, which basically said it would have a look in detail this inquiry report and some up with its own analysis, but they said they never really expected the british inquiry to suddenly become impartial. they accuse it of being flawed and biased all along. of course the russians have said that this is going to have an impact on bilateral relations between the u.k. and russian, but as to whether this will result in a prosecution, as to whether the two suspects will be extradited to the u.k. or face any kind of prosecution inside russia it's a, that, according to the russians is completely

out of the question. >> rory thank you for that update from moscow. the i-- international criminal court has held a hearing. judges have to decide whether the there is enough evidence for this man to stand trial. the atrocities took place in northern uganda. malcolm webb was there. >> reporter: dozens of people have gathered here at the primary school because of the mosser can that happened here in 2004, which dominic is being charged with ordering. people have gathered under this tent and they are watching proceedings on a tv as well as inside one of the classrooms inside. one of the limiting factors though, is the proceedings are broadcast in english, and most of the people here don't speak english. they don't speak the local

language, so they are not understanding fully what is going on, until they get snip t snippets of translation at the end. but they say this community really suffered because of his action. this woman's 8-year-old grand son was shot dead as she ran for her life. at the time it was a crowded camp for displaced people. rebel fighters attacked. >> translator: she says a bullet entered one of her cheeks and blew off the other side of her jaw. she has had to eat by sucking her food ever since. >> reporter: he and his soldiers killed the people here, and i was one of the victims. i want him to be given a death sentence. if he ever comes back, he will kill us all. >> reporter: he had been an nra commander since the 1990s. he was brought to the nation

criminal court a year ago. the rebellion by the nra started nearly three decades before. many say it was in response to atrocities committed by government forces. but the rebels turned against the people they claimed to represent abducting tens of thousands of children forcing them to become fighters, porters, and sex slaves. the government forced the population into camps. thousands died of disease. at the time this whole area was full of [ inaudible ] and survivors say the rebels came from this direction, setting them on fire, abducting some, and killing others. there's a memorial here, and the icc prosecutor says dominic ordered the attack. we met one of his wives and children. his family says he lived here until he was 14, and shouldn't stand trial because he was abducted by the nra on his way

home from school. his wife also say she was abducted by the nra, age just nine and then married to him. >> translator: the two people i want to see before the icc are the nra leader, and also the president of uganda because he failed to protect us. my parents and dominic's parents were killed. >> reporter: for many here, justice has been slow. >> victims keep asking why only the nra is being prosecuted, and why not the government in the challenge with the icc, they cannot prosecute crimes retrospectively, so they only look at crimes that occurred after 2002, and that is where the challenge has been in prosecuting other actors. but there is interest in the pending trial because of what happened here. the court is now going to decide if there is enough evidence for the trial to go ahead.

meanwhile uganda is trying to cope with a growing refugee crisis. many have described how gunmen attacked their villages, sometimes raping women. angry young people in tunisia who are demanding jobs are calling for more protests. they are accusing government of turning their back on a region hit by poverty and unemployment. hashem ahelbarra has the latest. >> reporter: the measures taken by the government were decision miss -- dismissed by people here, who say they want genuine reforms implemented not quick fixes like the government saying they will offer 5,000 job opportunities for the people here. tension is mounting, and it

seems that this anti-government movement is building up across the country. we have seen some rallies in support for the people in tunisia, and also in guffsa. people have said they took to the streets in 2010 hoping for democracy and better life. they have seen some sense of democratic reforms, but their living conditions have not changed. this is why they are taking to the streets, and they say th they -- that they will continue their fight until their demands are met. an al jazeera journalist has gone missing. al jazeera is calling for his immediate release. still to come on the news hour, turkey works to integrate syrian refugees into its work force offering work permits. plus andy murray races through his match against a

world-record holder action from the australian open. that's coming up a little later. ♪ first military commanders in pakistan say they have sufficient leads to identify the gunmen who attacked a university. wednesday's attack killed 21, including two professors. the pakistan taliban says it is not behind the attack, and has condemned the splinter group which has camed responsibility kamal hider sent this update. >> reporter: if you ask the isn't its of this country whether they feel safe or not, and they will tell you a big know. the people are vulnerable, the educational institutions are vulnerable, and despite all claims from the government that they have been able to enforce

strict water-tight security, you can see the evidence that the attacker has been able to pick out these soft targets. >> every day being a parent i am concerned about my own kids, and i'm always looking towards my phone when there will be a call, god forbid, bad news from the school. >> translator: in pakistan if the education institutions are not secure, then are where should we go in there is no security, despite the government announcing the national action plan to eliminate all of these terrorists. but still no one feels safe. >> reporter: it is virtually impossible to be able to give security to the level that required. it also emanates from the pact that the fighters are now finding a sanctuary across the border in afghanistan from where they can operate with impunity. they have logistic call and economic support, and they also

have local support within this province and across the country. pakistan's intelligence agencies and the military spokesman is saying that they had credible information they were able to monitor the telephone calls of these attackers, and they were [ inaudible ] to afghanistan. human rights groups are condemning the killing of staff at a popular tv station in afghanistan as an attack on freedom of speech. the acting defense minister visited some of the injured. seven people were killed when the bus taking the employees home was hit. moscow's air strikes should only be targets isil fighters and not other groups opposing the government this man says. >> we are supporting moderate opposition forces in syria.

but meanwhile, especially syrian regime and russian airplanes are attacking moderate opposition, rather than daesh. this is a big challenge, first there is an international commitment against daesh. >> let's go to james bayes to tell us what to make about these comments and also the timing of all of this, james? >> reporter: we know the tensions that exist between russia and turkey on both sides. we know if you were to speak to a russian representative, there would be a great deal of criticism towards turkey, and some of that is because of the downing of that russian jet at the end of last year. they certainly have different views on the syrian peace process, and there are behind the scenes all sorts of last-minute wrangles on the

composition of the delegation, which is going to the syrian peace talks if they take place. the actual date for those is the 25th of january. now many players saying it is likely they will have to be postponed by hours, maybe days, couple of days, but i can tell you certainly from everyone i'm speaking to here at the u.n. security council, although there are big differences de -- behind the scenes, there is consensus the talks must happen soon. even though they have differences about the opposition delegation and exactly how the talks will play out, they know really this is the only thing that is taking place. there is no plan b. some critics of the international community will tell you they are almost using

the geneva talks as a fig leaf. whenever problems arise, they will say we're working towards talks in geneva, and that's really all they have. and that's why i think it's more likely than not that the talks will go ahead. >> but the fate of these talks really still hangs in the balance, as you are telling us. if these talks don't go ahead, what happens then? >> well, i think in the end the pressure from the international community and the u.s. who want the talks to happen just have difference of opinion on the opposition. so i think the talks will go ahead, although there may be some delays. and certainly the u.s. secretary of state is going to the key location in coming days. john kerry is traveling to riyadh. and riyadh is the place where they produced the list of opposition delegates, a list that russia says that includes too many islamists, and not

enough secular politicians or kurds. if the talks don't happen, then really, we are where we have been throughout nearly five years of war in syria. the only game in town is the continuous war, and that just means more syrians suffering. that is why i think it's more likely than not that some sort of talks however unsatisfactory behind the scenes some believe the talks are more likely than not to take place. >> okay. james thank you for that update. the refugee crisis in europe is in focus on day two of the world economic forum in switzerland. the german president has hinted at a shift in germany's open-door policy. he told an audience that limiting refugee numbers may be necessary. and other leaders pressed for more concrete action to solve the crisis. >> we need comprehensive and

decisive solution. what we're going to do, otherwise we'll face terrible political and economic and all of the other problems in europe. >> when european leaders kamal press for more concrete action, what exactly are they talking about here? >> reporter: well, as the -- prime said get, they are talking about getting their act together in the next four to six weeks, this means organizing the schengen zone, and the structures they need to have in place to deal with the refugees. they know they are going to come. and that means trying to deal with it. so that's the political side of things we get here, and you mentioned the germans here, we have spoken to the swedish prime

minister and the dutch prime minister. that is one side of the coin, the other side of the coin are the many ngo groups that are here, trying to make sure the refugee situation stays on the radar. i have spoken to three groups today, save the children, oxfam, and the third name has just escape -- oh it was amnesty international that's what it was. but we're going to hear from [ inaudible ] i spoke to her about how she is trying to keep this on the agenda here. >> syria since the crisis started six years ago, has 4 million people who have fled the country, 6.5 million or so internally displaced people, and 13 million people who need humanitarian assistance. the 4 million who have been -- who have run away from syria have no prospects of return right now. they are in neighboring

countries most of them, which are under pressure from the millions of refugees. lebanon alone has 1.5 million refugees from syria in a total population of 4.5, you can see how much stress that is. we need the international community to respond. the international community must support the neighboring countries, lebanon, jordan, with aid and development financing, so that the refugees there can be food, health, education, the rights that they deserve. >> reporter: and i guess the likes of her and her contemporari contemporaries, they must get sick of saying this. because the war has been going on for so long, the refugee crisis, and the internally displaced people, it has been going on for such a long time. >> all right.

kamal thank you. iran's constitutional watchdog has disqualified most moderate and [ inaudible ] candidates from running in next month's parliamentary elections. analysts say it reflects fears that the nuclear deal will give a boost to president rouhani. 285 seats are up for grabs. overseeing the group is the guardian council. it has rejected candidates from all political factions, but moderates and reformist candidates are hurting the most. only 30 of around 3,000 who have applied have the green light to run. rouhani says the decision is illegal, and it's for the government to decide who stands. >> translator: parliament is a house of the people, not of a particular faction, a house of

the people. religious minorities number in 20 or 30,000 are represented in parliament, but what about 7 to 10 million supporters. >> reporter: the research coordinator at qatar says it's part of a long-returning fight in iran between the different factions. >> support is going to change the composition or the idealogical composition in the next month. the thing that happened in 2012 and 2008. the point is that even though now parliament is [ inaudible ] by the conservative, this given effect, the implementation of the nuclear deal. this shows even though the government decided to sign a nuclear deal, and it was supported inside iran there is still struggle for power inside iran. the moderates are fighting for

more of a kwau -- quota of power. iraq is opec's second-largest oil producer. it says with support in an emergency meeting if the group could agree with curving output in coordination with non-opec producers. saudi arabia voted to keep production at the same levels. still ahead on the news hour, pregnant women, treated in chairs in hospitals, as the wealth crisis worsens in brazil. and malaysia looks at bamming e-cigarettes. and we'll have the details in sport a little later. ♪

♪ top stories on the al jazeera news hour. a british judge says russian president vladimir putin

probably ordered the killing of a russian man. the first of five former commanders from a rebel army from uganda has appeared before the international criminal court. judges will now decide whether there is enough evidence for him to stand trial for war crimes. a large number of syrian refugees have made their way to turkey where they are struggling to adjust to their new lives, but how are cities there dealing with the influx of people? andrew simmons explains. >> reporter: it looks like a normal scene, kids in a concert, but behind the innocents in their faces, there is a tragic reality, every one of these children has lost their father.

either missing or dead. and they are from an orphanage, more than 130 of them, all ages, some of them very young. most of them go to turkish schools, some go to a nursery, and this is really an example of success for syrian refugees in that they are being looked after. they are doing well, in school, many of them, but it has to be said, that the vast majority of syrian refugees in turkey are not getting help. they are basically on their own, making their own way. and they are very reliant on various promises that could come out of the euro deal where 3 billion euro, e.u., that is, would also include the promises of work permits. we went out to take a look at the prospects. it's a family business in a city where textiles with one of the

main exports. five vacancies have just been filled, only turks could apply, but that could soon change when syrian refugees get work permits. one in ten of the work force here could be syrian. the idea is to improve integration with syrians, such as the workers in a fast-food cafe. it has been run by this man from northeastern syria. he was lucky enough to have a turkish sponsor to register the business, so he borrowed the money and set himself up. now he is making enough to give his family a basic lifestyle. he believes work permits feel like he does. >> translator: i am against the idea of going to europe, because i'm waiting to go back to my own country. if we don't go back to rebuild it, who will? >> reporter: but he is in a better position than most, in

this part of town, nearly everyone is syrian, and nearly everyone is desperate to improve on an extremely basic way of living. right now many syrians are reliant on casual work to get by, estimates put the figure at around 400,000 doing meanal work for around $200 a month. in that is less than half the national minimum wage in turkey. opinion is divided about whether work permits can radically change things. >> translator: there won't be problems mixing with turkish workers, but it's important that syrians who claim to have skills and qualifications have the documents, otherwise they won't get jobs. >> translator: we would like everybody, turks and syrians to work and look after their families, but we are worried about employers who have a tendency to higher cheap syrian

labor, rather than the local work force. >> reporter: but this is a city like others in turkey where manufacturing industries have strong exports and many economists are positive about the plan, saying providing there is a firm commitment to bring syrians into the work force, it could mean they don't take the perilous journey across the sea. for now, charities like this one are doing their best to look after those in need. these children well looked after, stand out. they are getting a good education, and they have hopes for a future, even though so many of them don't even have citizenship. things are just as tough for nearly 400,000 syrians who have fled to neighboring lebanon. the country's existing infrastructure is crumbling under the pressure of the rising number of refugees. to make matters worse there are

not enough funds to provide for them. >> reporter: this is a 15-year-old refugees, she works in the fields earning just $10 a week. >> translator: i was in school in syria, and now i have to work. we don't know what happened to my father in syria. >> reporter: there are many syrians working in lebanon, mainly in agriculture and construction. >> translator: before the crisis in syria, there were lebanese and syrians working here, but after the crisis started, the number of syrians increased and they work for less. this put pressure on the lebanese. >> reporter: there are 800,000 lebanese living in the country's poorest region. there have always been some seasonal syrian workers here. >> translator: we have here a large syrian population, which puts huge pressure on the area,

and it is already an air dwla is neglected. we have to put up with them. >> reporter: the lebanese host communities now share their limited space. many of the syrian refugee camps are set up on land such as this one. but there is pressure on the infrastructure. syrians don't and often can't afford to pay taxes or contribute to the cost of running the region. >> translator: lebanese are known to be generous. we want to help. but it's only up to a point. as you see here, people are trying to cover their own cost to solve his own problems. >> reporter: there is support from the international community through the u.n. new development projects may provide a lasting solution. until then they are having to balance the pressures of having

a large and sometimes desperate work force of syrians on their doorstep. the family of an australian couple kidnapped last week are asking for their return. the elliotts were medics who ran a charity hospital. they had built and operated a 120-bed medical center. mohamed reports from where the couple was abducted. >> reporter: the clinic where dr. kennel lot and his wife joslin treated patients. it's in one of the poorest corners of burkina faso. the elliotts were in their 80s, built the clinic. the only medical facility in the town. the only [ inaudible ] of the

hospital. treatment here has almost stopped. this man has worked as a medical assistance for 21 years. >> translator: there is little we can do in his absence. we have asked all patients admitted for surgery to go home. we're only attending to those the doctor had already operated on. >> reporter: and he speaks of his worst fears. >> translator: both of them are above 80 years old. they are too old. i'm afraid they won't survive the desert and the conditions their cap -- captors might hold them under. >> reporter: no reason has been given for the abduction and no one knows where they are being kept. armed groups here are known for kidnapping for ransom as a way to raise funds. >> reporter: the people here are

campaigning for the couple's release. they have set up a facebook page to describe the impact they have had on their town. >> translator: by god i don't know why everyone would hurt them. he is one of us. he speaks our language and eats with us. he is a kind man who has dedicated his life to serving others. >> reporter: news of the kidnapping came on the day an attack on an hotel and popular cafe in the capitol killed at least 30 people. it is unclear if the elderly couple's abduction is related to the al-qaeda attack. the group is believed to be holding them. the group that is allied to al-qaeda operates in mali, but operators in other countries to impose islamic law. in the absence of the man they call the elder and his wife, it's unlikely they will get the treatment they need.

a second patient in less than a week has fallen ill from the ebola virus in sierra leone. the 38-year-old female victim is related to another person who died last week. government leaders declared sierra leone free from the virus three months ago. the epidemic has killed more a thousand people in the last few years. there is a mosquito virus that is getting people sick. critically ill patients are now being turned away because of a lack of beds and equipment. >> reporter: alexander has been pacing up and down for four hours since arriving at this maternity clinic. still bleeding have an apparent

miscarriage. >> translator: we are human beings, not dogs. >> reporter: she is not alone, the entrance and waiting room to the clinic are full of women in labor who have yet to be admitted. >> translator: i'm here with my daughter, and they say there is no space available. i'm terrified. can you see her there. she is suffering to give birth. what can we do? we have to go from one hospital to another by bus. >> reporter: we're told upstairs women in labor are undergoing examinations in chairs because there is not enough beds and equipment or doctors to hope with demand. >> reporter: this orthopedic wing looks like it is a war zone. many forced to wait for a week for emergency surgery. all over this northeastern state, public hospital and clinics are collapsing due to lack of funds. this is the result of years of

mismanagement and accumulated debt on municipal and state levels, compounded by the worst economic crisis in brazil in decades, and it's a crisis that is impacting not only the public health sector here, but in many of the largest states, including rio de janeiro. a public health emergency has been declared in rio. and an epidemic of a dangerous new mosquito born virus have prompted authorities to declare a public health emergency. >> translator: there are doctors, but the state doesn't hire them. there's a deficit of rooms and resources. people need to protest to demand their rights. >> reporter: but given its own need to slash spending in the midst of a deep economic recession, the federal government argues it can only provide limited emergency funding to the states to alleviate the crisis. back at the maternity ward, this

woman can take no more. while others in less pain do their best to comfort her. clearly shaken themselves as they yell for a doctor, who doesn't arrive. lucia newman, al jazeera, brazil. al jazeera has been following a group of cuban migrants from central america on their way to the u.s. they are among nearly 8,000 cubans who were stuck in costa rica, after nicaragua closed its border. adam raney reports. >> reporter: crossing from mexico into the united states. a brief celebration. then back on the road. from the state of texas, the u.s. highway stretches before them. each has their own destination. one here in texas. the others at different points

in florida. soon, a check point. cubans, unlike other migrants are immediately granted political asylum, so no hold up, no worries. they have got 36 more hours to go, a lot of time to take in new sites, especially since they have traveled so it will until their lives. >> translator: all of this is really new to me. i'm surprised by everything. the roads, the cold weather, the shops, everything. they are all new to me. >> reporter: a cuban who came before them introduces them to all that is on offer, even at u.s. gas stations. their first purchase, lottery tickets. a new land, a new culture, new things to buy. in the country less than a day, they are already dreaming big. >> translator: we are in a transition after waiting for so long, and now we are in the place we want to be. happy and crazy to finally get where we are going. >> reporter: a trip they thought would last just a day goes on

and on, finally florida, it seems endless. we just pulled into miami and daisy's long trip is about to come to aengd. she has traveled for the past 2.5 months, more than a half dozen countries, and finally is about to be reunited with her husband. a long time coming, an encounter all the more emotional, because she had to leave her son behind. >> translator: my batteries were almost drained waiting for the moment to come, and she is here now. >> reporter: the long wait is finally over for this couple. thousands of other cubans, though, in central america are still waiting their turn. adam raney, al jazeera, miami. still to come, all of the sports news. ♪ >> i'm andrew thomas, outside of

sydney's cricket ground. i'll be explaining why a new tournament for women marks an important moment in the professionallization of the women's game. ♪

♪ smoking an e-cigarette in malaysia may soon be outlawed because of concerns of health risks and religious leaders. >> reporter: it's marketed as a healthier way to give up the

habit. but they are creating a health controversy across malaysia. many are asking whether it's a safer way to smoke or not, and what are the long-term health implications? this man opened his vape store five months ago, and business is booming. while selling flavored liquid nicotine is not illegal, he is concerned about the future. >> from what i observe [ inaudible ] they get scared because of -- they don't know what will happen in the future. will it be banned or not? so some of them start to sell it -- the product below market price. >> reporter: the liquid is cheaper to buy, and according to customers it lasts longer when the small tanks are refilled. >> i'll definitely stop smoking and keep on vaping. >> reporter: vaping is not safe

according to several states across malaysia who have banned the sale. some states have yet to make their decision and are conducting forums to discuss these concerns. this is a closed-door session. the media have not been invited. it allows all of the parties to have a free and frank discussion. the states here and the government itself are expected to make their final decisions very soon. others continue to voice their concern. a group of other 40 consisting mainly of medical institutions have written to the government pushing for ban or tougher regulations. >> you need the scientific data over a period of time, but that needs to translate to actually convincing policy makers that something needs to be done, and that will take a long time, and that is a process that is evolving, it's dynamic, and

there's no fixed time scale to that. >> reporter: the vaping industry in malaysia is worth $125 million, the second largest after the usa. the government says it will decide soon whether to regulate the industry or extinguish it all together. now it's time for sports. >> thank you so much. tennis world number 2, andy murray raced through his second round match at the australian open, he was up against the man who holds the world record for the fastest serve. in that didn't seem to bother murray at all. it took just 29 minutes to get through the first set. and went on to win the match. murray who has been a finalist four times before now advances to the third round. >> he didn't really start serving well for how well he can

serve, until maybe middle of the second set and then, you know, made -- made it tougher there, but yeah, i return -- returned good, and passed and lobbed well, so that's what i needed to do today to get the win. >> reporter: the last singles match before heading into retirement endeded with a straight set loss to his opponent. the spaniard proved too strong. the former u.s. open and wimbleton champion is still in the doubles draw. >> it's strange, yeah, out on the court, obviously, you have got so many things going through your head, and you are trying to soak it up as much as possible out there one last time, and, you know, that unbelievable atmosphere out there, a couple of the roars during the match tonight is as loud as i have ever played in front of. the four seed was given

quite a workout before beating his opponent. the swiss took two hours to complete the match. and the player on the women's tour eased her way into the third round, the spanish number 3 seed was a little bothered by her belgian opponent. the finalist now moves into the third round. >> it's a great win. i knower canner c kristen, i ha played against her before. and i'm pretty happy about my performance. [ inaudible ] could be on course to meet this bella russia

in the next round. rory mcelroy and jordan spieth have been up staged on day one by an amateur. he has a 1-shot lead after firing a 64 in the opening round. world number 3 reported a 6 under 66. he is in joint third place. and jordan spieth is currently tied in 7th. the world number 1 who won in hawaii a couple of weeks ago shot a 68. >> it was great. we were saying walking off of the last green there, that we could play this group all the time. and it's very rare to get it, so we're soaking it in. it's fun feeding off of each other we obviously all watch each other whether we're playing in tournaments or not.

barcelona defender has accepted a one-year prison sentence for tax evasion as part of a plea bargain. he pleaded guilty to defrauding the spanish tax authorities out of $1.5 million. he has agreed to pay $870,000 in fines. jail sentences shorter than two years are not usually enforced in spain. australia's hopes of reaching the football tournament at the olympic are over. following a draw with jordan. the uae, however, is still in contention. they came from behind to beat vietnam, 3-2. the result means a top group d ahead of jordan. the top three teams progress to the olympics. now being an international

krither can be a financially lucrative career, but traditionally only if you are man. for the first time, however, a professional women's league is now being played in australia. andrew thomas reports from sydney. >> reporter: in global terms, cricket is a fairly niche sport. it's played professionally in few countries, and traditionally only by men, but this january, in australia, a competition of 2020, the fast-paced short game is features women. >> we get a chunk of money, obviously also this is very good for us. >> people are always looking for content, and now women's cricket is starting to provide that content, so i think you will start to see a lot more women's

cricket on the telecast. >> reporter: that includes parts of this tournament. the crowd at this match on a damp weekday afternoon may have been small, but the weekend games are attracting reasonable numbers. some of the games have been averaging over 300,000, which is phenomenal. that's about three or four times more than the a league in australia. so absolutely brilliant. >> reporter: on saturday there was a steady stream of spectators. >> why are you here? >> it's fun. >> reporter: and to see the women play and to support women? >> yes, because women -- >> are just as good as men. >> yes. >> reporter: one sign of how far women's cricket have come is our camera wasn't allowed inside the ground. this is as far as we can go. we're not allowed to film inside, because the rights to show the action have been bought

by an australian tv channel. that shows how seriously this is being taken. in fact, the australian broadcaster is paying more than $10 million to broadcast the men and women's tournaments. but ratings for the women's games have been better than expected. those playing, of course, have always taken it seriously. this tournament has a punishing skwel of matches, and the women train hard on the few days they haven't got a match. it is a timetable rather like the men's. exactly how the women want it. well that's it for me, but sana'a will be with you a bit later. but for now back to you dareen. >> thank you very much for that. well, for farah, and myself, and the whole team, thanks for watching the news hour.

we hand you over to felicity barr in london for more news in just a moment.

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alexander's widow, urging britain to impose sanctions on russia, after an investigation that concludes that vladimir putin probably ordered the former spy's murder. hello there, i'm felicity barr, and this is al jazeera live from london. also coming up, a child soldier turned uganda rebel commander appears before the international criminal court. and a police officer is k l killed in tunisia. and