a very warm welcome from me to this program. it is 9:00 p.m. here in london. wherever you are watching this al jazeera news hour. and these are some of our top stories. the gunman attack a beach front restaurant, deaths are reported but numbers are still uncertain. >> a british inquiry finds russian sha's president probably approved the killing of alexandar. police officers killed in

tunisian as protests over mass unemployment spreads. >> with all the days sport including the latest from the australian open. the two time franked slam champion layton out, with an emotional goodbye after the last match of his career. >> the armed group had apparently storm add popular restaurant in the smalley capitol. one of the powerful explosions from suspected car bomb, and then that was followed by gunfire, the incident was at the beach view restaurant on the beach. fake a look at the latest pictures, not a lot to be seen. but you can hear the gunfire.

the gunfire continues, there was that explosion i reported and apparently there was a university graduate party going on at the restaurant at the time i mentioned the casualties. pretty soon we see rescue vehicles at the scene they don't know whether there are any deaths put we may find out in just a moment. we are joined on the phone by the smalley government spokesman. mr. alto, food to have you with us. tell us what you know about the situation down at the beach? >> .

>> the other thing like you said, there was a graduation dipper and also a wedding ceremony. that was happening at the place. most of the people are safe and sound. so far what we know is our special team, seeing if more people. three journalists who before attending those ceremonies. also, workers were also. our sources right now at this moment, are cleaning the place. >> i am sorry, it isn't a very good connection. i would like to clear up a couple of things did i understand you to say that

all the civilians had been rescued or have there been fatalities among those people? >> so far -- the situation we are getting -- by the minute. but so far, workers in the restaurant, the people that are attending the graduation party. and also the wedding would rescue and our special forces. they are cleaning up right now. >> so your assertion is that all of those people there, even though we have heard reports to the contrary, all of those people there who were not part of the attack, have survived along with members of your special

forces who as you put it are cleaning up. it was reported confirm this, that the leader of the attackers have been captured is that the case? >> i can't say right now, but the terrorist group, that attacked those innocent people, were killed and some of teemu themselves up and right now the situation is under control, and also we -- our sources our forces then we will have a huge report of what happened and what is going on at that moment. but right now, we can say. >> as i said, thank you it's

not a great line, but we will report your attention that those partygoers have escaped apparently unharmed but the attackers have at least three of them been killed. some of them deaf nateed were explosive belts and the situation is under control. our correspondent joins froes the kenyan capitol, nairobi, you have traveled to this area, to report on al-shabaab activities on a number of occasions what are you hearing from the people you know? >> i have just spoken, david, to a journalist who was there not too long ago at the scene, and he described horror, people it was very -- people very confused, people very afraid, terrorized, but then again, like you saw in the pictures he said it was very dark. pitch dark, very hard to put together exactly what is

going on. and david, they did ask the government spokesperson about this leader, who was captured, the national intelligence agency has been posting a series of tweets and they did indeed confirm that they have captures the man who was leading this attack and they are pursuing the other gang men as well. like you also mentioned there were graduates at that place. celebrating there was a wedding ceremony at well. the national intelligence agency say the bride and bridegroom have been rescued. we don't know the fate of other people in that place, and this is a place that is frequented like many people, somalia has very few recreational facilities and this is a beginning. so many people would be there enjoying and trying to relax after a hard week. but we are hearing that some of the gang men came in,

using boats at the start at the seaside that's when people started running to the exit, and that's when a vehicle that was parked there exploded, people are being told to keep away from vehicles that are packed within that vicinity, that whole area has been sealed off, and people are being evacuated but you can imagine, it is a very dire situation, very confused as well, a lot of confused people. >> thank you, that's kathryn say jury reported on events in somalia, live for us there in nairobi. the official inquiry into the former kgb at in london, has concluded that his murder was probably approved by the russian president vladimir putin. he died after drinking tea which had been laced with a rare iso top. the kremlin says the investigation may in it's word poison the relationship

between the two countries. the long awaited murder invitation query has led investigators radioit to the very doors of the kremlin. the damming finding say the president vladimir putin probably personally sanctioned alexandar's murder, because of a long personal feud. >> all rise. >> the head of russia security service nick lie has also been implicated. what was described as a state sponsored assassination. >> the fsb operation, to kill him was probably approved by head of the f.s.b., and also by president putin. >> the report says these former russian agents andre and demeetry poisoned him with radio active 210 at this

london hotel. it also says this was their second murder attempt. he called the allegation nonsenses. >> everything that's being said by the british media referring to an open and public hearing is a lie. outrageous lie, and i can't find any other word to describe it. >> alexandar's wife and son say they are happy with the finings. i am calling immediately, for the exclusion from the u.k. of all russian intelligence operatives, i am also calling for the position of targeting economic sangs and bans against named individuals including mr. putin. >> summoned to the foreign office, the ambassador to the u.k., moscow says the findings are base less we

consider the case, and the way it was disposed, of provocation of the british authorities. >> the british government now says lit freeze the assets of those suspected of the killing. it was a murder straight out of a cold war spy novel the former agent had defected to the west, only to be hunted down and poisons on british soil, apparently by his former colleagues. the new report suggests there was personal antagonism, dating back to the 1990's. he had made repeated attacks on putin, accusing him of pedophilia the public inquiry has no legal basis alone. but with putin's cooperation needed when it comes to defeating isil in syria, the full blown row is the last thing that the government wants. al jazeera, london. >> well, the british prime

minister says the u.k. will now toughen it's stance against russia. >> what happened was absolutely appalling. and this report confirms what we have always believed and what the last government believed at the time of this dreadful murder, which is that it was state sponsored action, and that's why the last government took the action of expelling russians of issuing arrest warrants and refusing to cooperate with russian intelligent agencies and those measures continue. we must now read the report in it entirety, but this shocking event, was reacted to years ago and we will toughening the action again today. >> let's bring in michael bin i don't know, journalist who was based in moscow. in the studio, david cameron

says. >> not really, no, it is more symbolic kind of expression, and perhaps refused some people, and make it more difficult for russian officials but the fact is he needs to cooperate with the russians especially in the middle east, where the russians are playing a crucial role, and a diplomatic is the last thing they need now. >> i would also think that commercially he doesn't want to upset them too much, because they are so business interest there and russians spending money here? >> absolutely. yes. the rubble has fallen so sharply, as a result of the sanctions that the west has imposed after ukrainian intervention, but there's still numbers coming and a large number of people with money in britain, and certainly a breaking commercial relations would be difficult. it is still a key center for investors so i think a lot of this will be more symbolic

than actual. >> a couple of years ago, a lot in the world depends on british russia relations with historical partners that was in an article that you pulled together. so where did it all go so very wrong? >> well, it was at the official level, what is surprising is that the cultural level, and the people to people level, that still seems to be going pretty well. think we have had bad relations with russia, for the past eight or nine years ever since this assassination occurred and yet only a year ago, the british museum was lending priceless greek treasure to st. petters burg which shows that not everything is frozen. put at political levels things are difficult, it is obviously the afterle effect, the refusal to cooperate, the up cyst tepees they won't extradite the people accused of the blame. >> it is also i imagine because there are so many

people in london very rich russians that have an ax to grind against vladimir putin. >> particularly when people were alive, the were living in london, and very active their opposition to putin, he does feel that a lot of people are hiding their money here. that they are disdents or not just disdents but people who are deeply opposed to putin and everything he stands for, so he doesn't have a very friendly view of london as a big center for exiles. >> two more questions one is that if this is to be believed and it's been pretty thorough long inquiry, is this the sort of thing you would expect to see mr. putin and his add lies using against others and also what does it take to repair relationships. other parts of the west with russia. >> i don't know that putin would be so blatant in using the same kind of poisoning technique, or indeed his ats

would be. because they thought it was untraceable, welt, it is not. so assassinates political disdents oversees is perhaps as last resort, and it doesn't happen very often. as for repairing relations that is difficult. they have a fairly pragmatic relationship, they can work together in business and culture, they are carrying on with normal relations, political relations things like syria, we have to work together, otherwise there's no hope for the middle east. >> thank you. thank you, michael appreciate you coming in. >> you are watching the news hour here on al jazeera, we will be finding out in a few minutes what the u.n. special envoy has been telling us about the war there, and the migrant crisis, plus a new law which could allow authorities to confiscate money from refugees asylum

seekers. we have the sport and we have rory mcilroy, head to head, but it is a new name who steals the show. one policeman was killed started by a man that took his own life after being refused a public sector job. the government announce add series of measures which it hoped will get rid of some of the tension, where it starte started. >> the feeling of desperation is real. this protestor is threatening to commit suicide. his colleagues save him at the last minute.

tension is mounting and the crowd is losing patience. but one of the leaders of the protest movement. he graduated from the university eight years ago he has been looking for work ever since. >> united against discrimination, and marginalization. we have suffered for decades. we don't feel like we belong to this country, government officials they don't care about us. >> there's a budget, and providing electricity to the city, knock has been done, i come from the poorest place, to denounce corruption. >> the crowd converging near a police station. moments later, they start hurling stones at policeman who were asked by their commanders to show self-restraint.

they will not fire tear gas unless the situation gets worse. >> our protests spread across the country, government leaders may have little option but to try to contain discontent, before the situation degenerates even further. al jazeera. >> at least ten people have died more nan a dozen have been hurt, in a bomb explosion in egypt. seven police among those who died. it was during a security raid. egypt news agency reports that the bodies of five attackers were under to inside the building. al jazeera news team has upon missing in the yemen city as events in that city, which is undersiege, correspondent and crew members were last seen on monday evening. it is thought they could have been kidnapped, if so al jazeera is calling for the

immediate release of our colleagues. the situation in syria, isil, and the refugee crisis are among issues that dominated world economic forum. u.n. special envoy is there, and he has told al jazeera that the refugee crisis in europe, has been a wake up call for everyone. this is just days before different sides are due to meet nadine have to try to find somewhere to enter it all. >> we are now, i believe, getting to a point where everybody is feeling that there is time for doing it. there are many new elements which we didn't have before. one, we have now suddenly a feeling of the refugee crisis touching every can't in europe and beyond, secondly, everybody in the world is realizing that all this apart from the suffering in many syria, is producing a

monster, and three this regional attention implications so everybody feels that we have a meeting it is time to talk about this. of course, it will be uphill, will it be difficult, it would be walk outs walk ins that's why we have to accompany with concrete examples for you syrian people vaccinations are coming and less bombs. >> so perhapses in a sort of backward way, have the migrant crisis in europe helped the situation? people in europe see all these people coming to their door, and then they find out why they are coming to their door. >> there is no doubt that the migrant crisis has been a wake up call for everyone. in the europe now it is heads of state. prime ministers are concerned about it because they have been producing their own internal politics.

they have has always been concerned about the humanitarian side, now it is becoming a political issue. the russian intervention has been a game changer too. it's been an exhilaration to one thing to address the issue, even by the russians because i am sure they are realizing that this operation that cannot last too long as they have been saying themselves, you can see how many factors. >> let's talk politics then, twenty-fifth of january, is supposed to be the day the talks will happen, and it is up to you to tend the invites out, have you done that? >> no, because this time i had promised to myself and to the secretary general, when i do so i need to feel comfortable that it will not be another geneva 2. freed by everyone, agreed by the security council unanimously. about the new constitution and new elections in 18 months. and we have a timetable, 18

months. >> that was stefan, the u.n. representatives on syria. measurements have been strongly criticized and people will vote on tuesday on the plan changed. amnesty international called on parliament to reject the reforms calling the measures cruel -- excuse me, and regressive. let's get more on what happens about it in copenhagen, the deputy director of amnesty for europe, and central asia, i have already spelled out that you don't like it, do you think in some ways it is workable? do you think they will pass this? >> for now it is looking like

they will pass it. they say nit the proposal, they want to make denmark as unattractive as possible. what is really important to say is that besides the taking of assets of money, above a certain level, this law includes a lot of far reaching important changes that is going to infect thousands of people, especially war refugees deeply. so it is indeed very worries and a concern for us. this is what i was thinking they are trying to send out a message rather than claw back any money in reality. because these people don't have any in the first place. >> as i said, the money is one part, frankly i am more concerned about the long lasting changes, so for example they are asking for a change in family reunification laws. forting war refugees to wait three years before they can even apply for family

reunification, so syrian dad who made the dangerous crossing and in the end ended up making it to denmark h have to wait for three years at least before he can bring his wife and kids over. those things are harmful, and indeed concretely powerful, not just a message for refugees. >> why do you think denmark is doing this? i know you have said what they are hoping to achieve, but why this sentiment? >> well, it is part of a overall picture we are seeing in europe, and again why this is damaging not in and of itself, it is this rhetoric that we are going to each and every one of us, draw up the drawbridge, and try to stick our heads in the sand and avoided as much as we can of this global crisis. if anything has shown us that this doesn't work, it has been last year, the mound of deaths the numbers still rising and the difference between chaos and order, in a sense. every single country building fences or passing these kind

of regressive laws as we are seeing now, all that leads not to reduction in number, but simply an increase in suffering. >> one of the things that people are getting perhaps a little tired of, is the massive numbers of the people coming in, and some of the crimes that have been reported. obviously by just a very small selection of those who have come here, but perhaps you can understand why the tide is shifting perhaps or not? >> well, frankly, the numbers are still very low, and certainly relative to for example sweden, as well as of course germany, the numbers are not that significant, that impossible to handle so some of this is more sentiment, more fear mongering of certain groups in society, than a realistic sense of the government is that this is really not handleable. i mean the government is very clear. they are saying we want to --

even undermine the refugee convention. denmark used to be a common of this, now they are going against that very fundamental principle, so i think there is more to this than just being sick of the situation. because in reality, denmark is not bearing the brunt of this responsibility in europe. >> we thank you indeed for that. giving the point about amnesty international. >> we will be reporting in just a moment on the dangerous mosquito born virus which is spreading rapidly through latin american. this football player, barcelona player has accepted a one year prison term for tax evasion, stay with us if you can find out who and why.

>> water is a human right! >> flint in a state of emergency. >> this can cause death... all kinds of health effects. >> we're already having trouble, but now what little i have has to completely go towards water. >> only on al jazeera america. these are the top stories. at least three people have reported to have died oen a popular seaside restaurant in the capitol of somalia.

has concluded that the russian president, vladimir putin probably approved his murder. at least one policeman has been killed as mass unemployment spills into a third day and spread to several cities. our top story, you just heard it there was about the gun attack, joining us live in the studio is security analyst olivier. i was told by officials maybe many the last eight months that they thought they had al-shabaab beaten, so what is happening? >> unfortunately, security services even in the west seem to understate the groups such as al-shabaab. they have been very good at planning operations even outside somalia.

also don't forget west gate in kenya. >> but it is still a regional organization, it is not exported as al quaida violence, or am i wrong in there? >> they will go after other countries in the horn, but they are not like islamic state, but it is still i think the most relevant franchise in the world, and they showed that again today. >> why haven't they beaten them? because as i said, senior official that said listen, we have control, all of the urban centers they have a little bit of land here. until you get the human intelligence, you get the

accomplicesy on the ground, under wraps. what we have seen tonight, was an attack on the hotel, on the restaurant, that we have seen now twice. any government cannot really cover that. so i think security services have to tell people that the threat is not over yet, because then we are embolding those groups by saying they are dead, and then they come back. >> they used to get a lot of their money, and they are what eight to 10,000 they used to get a lot of that from pie rassey, now that has been squashed to some extent so where now days do they get their funds? >> there's still some racket tiering but there's also fund raising in other countries in africa, so and nose operations do not cost a lot of money. i reckon, so what they need

now, is that kind of attention that we are giving them today of attacking targets that are facts. local, reach people, but also going abroad. and that's what is going to put them on the map again. >> and libya, in terms of the overall objective, would they want to despainize what little government there labbed to be to the extent that the people turn against that government, or what? >> right. most of the links before, al quaida, yes, these groups would want to hold the territory, because as we have seen with the case of the islamic state, when you rule it then you get taxes and money from the people, and then much tougher to get rid of. but in this case, they are already very strong without having a major piece of land

if you will, so that's troubling. >> thank you. >> thank you very much. >> now another of ore breaking stories the report into kenya of alexandar russia has denied involvement, but it's not the first time that they have been linked to the death of it's critics. so is this the man that approved his murder? that's the headline allegation putin he says probably gave the go ahead. russia has poured con also to the u.k. itself has something to hide. more than once we have said that we are interested into the death of many other russian citizens. sometimes under strange circumstances in great

britain. but russia is no strange tore political killings, a late winter's night and the body lied still on a bridge in central moscow. sent by those guiding putin's authority. he has been shot just meters from the kremlin's walls. in 2009, a lawyer called sergei died after an alleged beating in a russian prison. he had expose add $230 million tax refund fraud, only for the authority to turn the tables and jail him for the very same crime. the same year he was killed journalists was gunned down in her moscow apartment building she reported the years on the blooddy wars often highlights the ha human rights abuses there.

they all sited against the political elite. >> russia may be a modern state, but according to some there are aspects of the repressive past, that it still clings to. >> it tells us that russia is for the same power during 70 years of soviet rule, that they symbolize the deputy putin, is the continuation of the kremlin rule in the kgb, and one of the instruments is the political murder. >> so did putin approve the death? this analyst is unconvinced. >> i think it is rather here nor there, it is circumstantial, and interpret retive, and yes there is a strong body of opinion in

britain, including, but everything is which goes wrong putin is responsible. there is very little even indirect evidence of that. >> regardless, criticizing the kremlin can be as dangerous in the twenty-first century, as it was in the 20th. al jazeera, moscow. >> we are heading to the united states now, thursday today if you happen to be at this side of the dateline, is bringing in a controversy visa program, or rather it is losing the right of some people to have visas. what is the story here, who is going to get hit? >> well, it is called the visa waiver program, and it's been in effect for more than 25 years and basically it makes it very easy for people primarily from the e.u., as well as from australia,

chile, new zealand and a few other countries makes it really easy to come the the united states, for short term business, or tourism purposes. it is something that the travel industry very much likes because potential travelers save a lot of tyne and money to basically just come to the united states, with 72 hours notice, to the u.s. government that they are coming. well, that is changing as of this past monday. and a british reporter found out when she basically got to the airport in london and was turned away by u.s. security officials because she is a dual citizen of iran, and this effects people who are dual citizens of iran, iraq, syria, and sudan, they now have to go to a u.s. embassy or consolate and apply for a visa. that means they can't decide to go to the united states at the last second, this can

tame time. because they will now have to give their fingerprint, pay money, go through background checks and it isn't clear yet how long that process can take. also, anyone from these 38 countries that belong to the visa waiver program, who have been to one of these four countries, since march 2011, not also have to go and actually apply for visas they just can't come to the u.s. at the last second. the reason why the u.s. government has passed this law, in the past couple of months is because they have reacted to what happened in paris on november 13th, it was a horrible attack there, and they said that they don't want to make it possible for potential members to come to the united states by using a passport from one of the countries that's participating in this program. >> the family of an australian company kidnapped

last week has been asking for their safe release. they were taken on the same day at the government attack as hotel killing more than 30 people. the elliots are medics who built and charity hospital where he is the only surgeon. reports now, and that is where the couple were adopted. >> the clinic the last time before you pass into mali, they have built the clinic the only medical facility in the town. and in the absence of the only section of the hospital, the shipment here has overstopped. they have worked as a medical assistant to the surgeon for 21 years. >> there is little we can do in his absence, we have asked

all patients admitted to surgery to go home, we are only attending to those that the doctor had already operated on. >> and his worst fears. >> both of them are above 80 years old, they are too old, i am afraid they won't survive the conditions that the captors might homed them under. >> it is from here that he and his wife came from their home, for most of the past 44 years. no reason has been given for the abduction, and no one knows where they have been kept. armed group are known for kidnapping of ransom of a way of raising funds for the activities. >> the people of dubai are now continuing for the couples release, they have set up a facebook page to talk about the impact they have had on their town. >> by god i don't know why anyone would hurt dr. elliot and his wife, he is one of

us, he speaks our language and meets with us, he is a kind man who has dedicated his life to serving others. >> news of the couples kidnapping came on the day, an attack on a market hotel in the capitol. killed at least 30 people. it is unclear if the elderly couple is related to the al quaida attack. the rate of the group is believed to be holding them. >> it is unlikely they will get a treatment they need. al jazeera. >> the libyan national army has quit after calling army chief delusional.

brigadier general accuses general of embezzling army funds and says he is tried to hold on to power. by promoting his family into senior positions. they used army money to set up personal militias his operations accuse of kidnapping. the now former libyan national army spokesman spoke with al jazeera. >> i disassociate myself from his irrational actions. here i say it with all bitterness that yes, i used to believe in him, and that i used to look at him with respect and essteam, but no more. may god curse him for all of his wrongdoings against the

libyan people. >> a dangerous mosquito born virus is rapidly spreading through latin american, and it is confusing health authorities forcing governments to implement health, for women, who are pregnant. the zika virus. it was first detected last year in brazil, and at that time, to avoided any kind of contact with mosquitoes and women are now being told to postpone getting pregnant in columbia, where there are more than 13,000 confirmed cases. live yeah has confirmed the first case in santa cruz. and 14 countries and territories in the caribbean and latin america have been effected. the u.s. centers for disease control want warned pregnant women against traveling with the virus is spreading. >> out of the total cases we

have already confirmed 224 cases that show typical abnormalities. what are these typical abnormalities? they are those that strongly suggest infection by the zika virus during pregnancy. >> the monetary fund is forecasting zero economic growth for latin america. the regions largest nations were already in recession. reports now on how the plummeted price of commodities is having a big impact. >> 28-year-old worked for a home alarm company. a far cry from the career in mining that he studied for. after work, he checks to see if there are any job openings to no avail. >> i made an important investment, studying for what was supposed to be a booming industry, but as things stand now, i don't see any future here any more. >> morales is a victim of the

plummeting price of chile's number one export, copper, which this week fell further below the red line of $2 a pound. but chili is far from alone. the sharp drop in prices leads all experts to forecast zero economic growth for latin america this year. china's reduced appetite for minerals is one of the reasons. >> but nothing is hurting south america's economy as much as the continuing drop in the price of oil. from columbian venezuela and ecuador to bolivia, argentina and brazil, the impact is enormous, and it is forcing governments to drastically reduce their spending. >> the u.n. economic council on latin america and the caribbean cautions against slashing social spending in a region which is already the most unequal in the world. >> and where increased instability can lead to

serious political unrest. >> you have to do intelligence fiscal adjustments. trying to protect the public investment, and trying to protect social expenses. not only because we think public investment will solve the problem by itself, but public investment is a key element to crowding private investment. >> but while the entire region with the exception of central america is suffering from what economists call negative external shock, chili's economy minister does see a silver lining. >> it is generating in our economy, and the need to make our economy less depend on copper. that the resipry case of our economy. >> the problem is that millions of latin americans already impacted by the crisis don't have the luxury to wait for a long term remedy. al jazeera, santiago. >> we are going to turn our

attention to sport in a few minutes. >> on sidney, the beach, where oceans swimming is an institution, and i will be explaining why sharks are keeping the number of swimmers down.

the second round of theout in

australian open the 34-year-old had decided this would be his last tournament before he retires. australian won 30 tour titles but lost this match 6-2, 6-4, 6-4. the former u.s. open champion is still in the doubles draw. >> in an hour and a half, amarri has been beaten finalist four times in melbourne.

and inform player on the women's tour, raced her way into the third round, the spanish number three seed beat kristen of belgium, last year's finalist clenched a 6-4, 6-2 win. the coach has been banned from two italian cup matches for highly offensive comments. it happened in tuesday's qualify italian match. the coach claims he used homophobic language but he has not been found guilty of that. he has also been fined 22,000 euros. barcelona defender has accepted a one year prison sentence for tax evasion as part of a plea bargain.

the 31-year-old pleaded guilty last year to defrauding the spanish tax authorities out of more than $1.5 million, he is agreed to pay $870,000 in the fines, the jail sentences shorter than two years are not usually enforced in spain. and there's been two-quarter finals in the spanish del ray on thursday. they continue to struggle they drew 1-nil at home, against valencia, and the other match severe beat 2-nil. >> on the first day of the abu dhabi golf champion. leads the way he has a one shot lead after firing a 64 indy opening round. world number three roy recorded a six under 66

putting him two shots off the lead. he is in joint third place with brandon, and jordan spieth who is playing with mcilroy is tied in 7th. it was great, we were working off the screen there, we wish we could play this group all the time. we obviously all watch each other, whether we are in tournaments or not, exceptive within the group, but friendly competitive. >> competitive ocean swimming is a sport almost unique to australia, and january is is the peek of the season is. but this year a series of shark attacks along the east coast have had some questioning whether they should get into the water, though are -- andrew thomas explains why. >> it is 6:00 oven a friday morning and sidney's beach is

already busy. among those exercises is ezekiel richie. since coming here from france three years ago, richie has become a regular ocean swimmer. >> i swim every saturday, with a group question have tried to have a couple of swims during the week. >> in australia, more than 80% of people live within 50-kilometers of the coast, the ocean, the beach, and pools that statle the two are part of the national psyche. between november and april, over the australian summer, there are ocean swimming races every weekend, well over 100 in total. competitors wear timing devices and there are commentators to introduce the races. >> today these conditions -- not easy out there, a high tide, and nice little rolling wave, the conditions may play a part in the results. >> most races are between half a kilometer and three-kilometers long. with serious athletes, and

occasional enthusiasts all throwing themselves in. courses are marked with buoys. they look for any swimmers in trouble. and use waves to their advantage on the way back in. >> the first after a long christmas break, it was good to be pack in the water. >> the beginning hang on to your goggles and hope for the best. >> the wave zone, with all the waves break, it was just hard getting out of there, and my energy was gone from that. >> until last year, the number of races and participants was growing. this year, though, that has changed. >> these races are tough, but hundreds of people so them every weekend, but the number in each is down and there aren't quite as many races as there has been in previous years. >> a fear of these is why. in late 2015, there was a spate of shark attacks a swim

north of sidney was canceled because of the risk of an attack. none of that puts off ron white, he has been swimming since he was a boy, and at 74, he is not going to stop. >> hundreds of people swim here every day. actually a backyard. >> some people welcome the increasing number of sharks,ner a sign of a healthy ecosystem in ever cleaner water, and clean wattser something every swimmer loves. andrew thomas, al jazeera. sidney. >> that's all your sport for me. you did forget to mention that it is the fourth test match tomorrow? england and south africa, but we will keep quiet for now. aljazeera.com for all the world news, i will be back in a couple of minutes.

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british inquiry finds russian sha's president probably approved the killing of alexandar. protests over mass unemployment spreads. and cracking down on slackers itals