>> announcer: this is al jazeera. ♪ hello, welcome to the news hour, i'm jane dutton in doha. syrian groups start arriving in switzerland ahead of friday's talks, but there are still divisions over the inclusion of a prominent faction. and painful wartime memories, as the japanese emperor visits the philippines for the first time since world war ii. brazil announces new measures to stop the spread of

the zika virus. and now growing numbers are struggling to survive on the streets of sweden. ♪ we are just two days away from the proposed talks on the syrian crisis, and there is confusion and disagreement on who should take part. it does seem the pyd will not be attending. turkey says the group is linked to what it calls terrorism. jam james bayes reports. >> reporter: political groups who are not on the list of opposition delegates drawn up in saudi arabia, are staying in this hotel in the resort town. some have received invites. others have not. this is the co-chairman of one of the largest kurdish groups,

the pyd, a group turkey says is a terrorist entity. he has not received an invitation. >> if really they want a peaceful syria, if they want a political solution for syria, and if they don't like maybe the same out come of geneva 2, all of the syrians should be included on the table, not by the influence of some other forces which outside they are looking -- their interest in syria or they have their plans for syria. >> reporter: others who have now got an invitation, say they are now considering whether to accept because their allies have been excluded. are you going to go to these talks that are supposed to start on friday? >> translator: we hope to be present in the geneva talks with a strong and balanced

delegation. these talks are very important us to and the syrian people. >> reporter: if the talks finally go ahead on friday, the controversy over invitations will have given them a difficult start, but that is nothing compared to what they have ahead. james bayes, al jazeera. recent gains by government fighters backed think russian air fire has changed the landscape of the territorial fight. zana hoda explains the current state of play, and talks about what is likely to happen next. >> reporter: the battlefield in syria is a crowded one, with hundreds of thousands of fighters representing various interests. an international coalition is conducting air strikes against isil positions.

all of this has changed the situation on the ground. the syrian government is in a stronger position, and many say it now has the upper hand. >> the russian intervention helped the assad regime very much to survive, because the regime was collapsed, fully collapsed, and also helped them to protect the area through latakia and [ inaudible ] that the [ inaudible ] which bashar al-assad [ inaudible ]. >> reporter: they have also turned their attention to what is known as the southern front. the army recaptured one of the most important towns there. it lies on the road between the capitol, and the dara. south syria is also one of the remaining rebel strong holds and one where the rebels are considered moderates by the

international community. further north, many of the rebel strong holds are under siege. this has forced fighters to abandon their position, or agree to truces. >> sometimes the free syrian army withdrew from the places, and the heavy shelling of the russian fighters, but it's easy to go back to that place. >> reporter: the army and its allies have made strategic and tactical gains, but the war is far from over, the battle for aleppo will be the tipping point. syria's commercial capitol has been a divided city for years, the go and the allies are fighting to encircle the opposition-held east, and to do that, they have been able to cut supply lines into the city. >> aleppo is important, as a city it's important, as a

location, it's important. important for the regime, important for the opposition, important for turkey, important for [ inaudible ]. >> reporter: the government says it is winning the war, and officials are making clear that they are in no mood to compromise. the opposition may be on the retreat, but it hasn't been defeated. no doubt the government has strengthened its position with the recent battlefield gains. the u.n. special representative for libya is insisting on a peaceful transfer of power in the country. since 2014 libya has had two competing parliaments one based in tripoli the other in the east. last month the warring sides formed a u.n.-brokered agreement to form a national government. the u.n. envoy warned that the political process is taking too

long and that could lead to further expansion of the islamic state group in the region. >> translator: the political process is slow. this isn't a problem for islamist groups. they keep expanding, particularly in the south, which is worrying, because niger and chad are there, and the terrorists are there too. so me much move quickly. security forces have been killed in ramadi, isil is believed to have carried out the attack at the headquarters of the iraqi army. falling oil prices and the rising cost of the war against isil is causing hardship in iraq. for government employees that means a salary cut. imran khan has their story. >> reporter: this person works for the local government in baghdad. she was happy to get a government job because it provides security and a steady

paycheck, or she thought. the plummeting price in oil has caused a restructuring of the state's finances. that means a 25% pay cut for her. >> translator: there is a big fear amongst the employees. most of the employees are totally dependent on these salaries. if they are being cut, then we won't survive. so the government is forcing people to seek other options, maybe even terrorism. >> reporter: government leadsers say has soon as oil prices rise, the salaries will be returned. around 95% of iraq's revenues comes from oil. any cut in pensions, any cut in payrolls means that there is a direct impact in places like

this, iraq's market and the ability for iraqis to be able to feed themselves and to look after themselves. this man says shoppers aren't buying as much. >> translator: people used to buy extra. now they don't. people are trying to save as much money as they can, in case times get even tougher. >> reporter: economists say that fear is well founded. >> translator: state employees have the right now to be afraid about their salaries. the government's actions in such regard is mounting fear and pressure on civil servants. it coincides with the fast-pacing international economic developments that overshadow's iraq's economic situation. these fears will continue. >> reporter: even the most oppositic of assessments suggest iraqis face more tough times ahead. when the cost of the war against isil is factored in, those

challenges are multiplied for the government. however, it's iraqis with jobs who are especially suffering, living one paycheck to the next. in the united states, five people including the leader of an armed group occupying government property have been arrested. shots were fired during the arrest in the state of oregon. at least one person was killed and another injured. local reports suggests the fbi is sending reinforcements to the wildlife refuge as some people are still occupying. the group has been at the site since the 2nd of january. the takeover began in support of two farmers ordered to go to jail for setting fire to government land. the occupation later became about landownership, they accused the government of illegally seizing land from farmers in the area over the decades and demanded that it

returned to local control. still to come on the news hour, denmark passes a controversial bill to seize refugees assets and valuables. armed and dangerous, we find out what is driving crime in the world's most violent city. ♪ >> win or lose, it's not about me or any of the [ inaudible ]. it is about the story, the image of fifa. >> reporter: we hear from one of the candidates for fifa on what it will take to make football's governing body credible again. ♪ the french justice minister has resigned. she expressed concerns over controversial government proposals to strip french citizenship from people convicted of terrorism. the plan would apply to those

with duel nationality. it was proposed after the paris attacks in november that killed 130 people. >> translator: i'm leaving the government because of major policy disagreement. i chose to be loyal to myself, to my xhiements, to my struggles, to my relationship with others. the terrorist threat is serious, and we have given ourselves the means to fight it. we know how to fight it, and we have shown that we are determined to fight it. >> i'm joined by the director of the european center for advanced international studies. why do you think she felt she had to go? >> well, she was the last of the true blue socialists in a relatively moderate cabinet. and she was in constant clash with hollande and others. so i think now what is happening

is that they have a more coherent cabinet, government, and they are gearing up for the elections. the trend is moving towards more conservative policies. >> do you think she has the ear of the french people? i mean does she resinate what they are thinking? >> well, yes, she's with the true blue socialists, because she is going to join now the hard liners in the party, some of whom have already left the cabinet. as far as the vast influence in the population, i would doubt it, because she is on the margin of the socialist party, which itself is not very popular at this time. hollande is trying to create an independent base for himself

with the help of others, including the reformist minister of the economy. >> what kind of impact will have conversation, this debate have on security and divisions within the country? >> well, actually, her position, which was against the policy of deporting the so-called binationals, a term that is not used in the law, but the implication is very clear. it appeals to the right and to the extreme right, and it's opposed by the civic-minded french people of left and right, so it somehow divisive factor within the french society. >> all right. thank you very much for your time. denmark has passed

controversial legislation allowing the confiscation of valuables from refugees. the new law will allow police to seize assets worth more than $1,500 from asylum seekers. >> reporter: the mood was subdued. the three-hour debate was polite. but the result has shocked many in denmark. by 81-27 votes, danish politicians says police can seize valuables worth more than $1,500 from refugees. those behind the bill are determined that it is fair. >> translator: the argument that denmark doesn't do its bit, we absolutely do our bit when it comes to refugees in europe. when we standing here today, it is because we wish to take a smaller share. >> reporter: denmark took in a record 20,000 refugees last year, and it's not the only

country to make them pay for living expenses. switzerland takes valuables worth more than $985. parts of germany have a similar policy. they say it has more to do with deterring refugees from crossing the border. >> translator: denmark was known as a small humanitarian country always at the forefront and found diplomatic solutions. today we're known for a inhumane strict policy. >> reporter: the united nations is concerned. >> the decision to give danish police the authority to search and confiscate valuables from asylum seekers, sends damaging messages in our view. it runs the risk of fuelling sentiments of fear. >> reporter: the politicians say it is in line with welfare laws

for danes themselves. refugees will be allowed to keep items of sentimental valuable like wedding and engagement ringing, but they might have to hand over watches, computers, and mobile phones. sometimes their only link to family and friends they may have left behind. rob matheson, al jazeera. the new u.n. report says both sides in the war in yemen are violating international laws aimed at protecting civilians. 60% of civilian casualties in yemen are from air strikes. only one party is attacking by air, the arab coalition supporting the hadi government. houthis are also accused of killing systems sometimes systematically. it was five years ago when

protesters took to the streets of yemen's capitol sana'a, but the events that followed have resulted in a poorer and more fractured country. >> reporter: they came in the thousands. echoing the call for the president to step down. inspired by revolutions in tunisia and egypt, protesters continued the demand for months. president saleh ruled yemen for many years. it took more than a year, but he finally stepped down, he flew to saudi arabia, his long-time ally, but his family members maintained many key positions. the new president faced bitter political divisions, his government struggled to bring security and address the sectarian tensions.

in addition to al-qaeda's threat in the southeast, the new government had to contend with houthi rebels in the north. emboldened by the political infighting they took control of the capitol sana'a. they demanded an end to corruption and inflation, but eventually forced out the elected government. in the meantime, saleh returned to yemen and formed an alliance with the houthis. hadi reconvened the government in saudi arabia. that's where an international coalition was formed to counter the houthis. that was ten months ago, and now nearly 6,000 people have been killed. the u.n. estimates 80% of yemen's population requires humanitarian assistance. that's more than 21 million people. much of the infrastructure, including the international airport in the capitol has been reduced to rubble.

a blockade has also caused a shortage of food and medicine. now it has come down to a battle for survival. italy and iran have signed billions of dollars worth of business deals as part of the iranian's first visit to europe since sanctions against his country were lifted. he aims to rebuild ties with the west after years of economic sanctions. jacky rowland has more from rome. >> reporter: the iranian leader spoke for almost an hour and covered a very wide range of topics, including freedom of speech which he said couldn't be used as a pretext for insulting people's religious sensibilities. he spoke about trade. he said the recent sanctions had lead to a loss -- lose-lose

situation. he also invoked the possibility in the future of u.s. companies also taking advantage of new business opportunities in iran, but he said the key to that lay in washington. the longest and most strong statements, though, that he made were on the subject of saudi arabia. he was very critical in particular about the recent beheading of a number of people, including the prominent shiite cleric. he said this had been completely unjustified and that people in iran had been very angry and with reason nch he also went on to list a number of allegations and complaints against saudi arabia. he accused the saudis of meddling in the internal affairs of a number of countries, including syria, and lebanon, in

particular yemen. he accused the saudi military of being responsible for the deaths of many civilians there, and talked about the mismanagement of the hajj pilgrimage, which had lead to the death of if hundreds, possibly thousands of incidents. but despite these complaints and angry allegations, he said in principle he was interested in de-escalating tensions with saudi arabia, and trying to improve relations between the two countries. japan's emperor has received a red-carpet welcome in the philippines. many filipinos have painful memories of the invasion and

occupation by japanese troops. not everyone is happy about the emperor's visit. >> reporter: trying to make peace with the past. welcomed warmly by the philippine president. a reaffirmation of the strife made by the two nations. the period under the emperors father was one of the darkest in philippine history. since then japan has become one of the largest aid donors and investors. they are deeping military ties now too. they have started conducting joint military exercises. there will also be an exchange of information and a transfer of military hardware from jap man to the philippines. also in the works, an agreement allowing the return of japanese

troops. the possibility of japanese soldiers back in the philippines is horrifying for many, especially these women. they were kept as sex slaves during world war ii. 70 years on, and they are still waiting for justice. this woman was 14 when she was taken from home and made a sex slave by the japanese imperial army. >> translator: what happened to us will happen again to a new generation of women. that's why we strongly oppose the return of any soldiers. >> reporter: many are concerned over the government's moves to deepen security ties with large allies like the united states and japan. >> we view it with great apprehension, because we appear to be going back to a situation of colonization. this jeopardizes our aspirations. >> reporter: peace is this

emperor's message. he is here to also honor the war dead. but on the streets outside the presidential palace some wonder why he can't do more to help restore the honor of those who survived the war. lots more still to come on the program. we meet one syrian making a splash in aleppo, by reopening a much loved institution. and in sport, britain's biggest name in tennis is set to share the lime light. the latest from the australian open coming up.

>> a critical first step on the road to the white house. >> you have to find common ground. >> i'm doing what's right for you.

>> that's the kind of debate that we need to have. >> stay with al jazeera america for... >> it's going to be about getting people out to the caucus, which is not an easy thing to do. >> comprehensive coverage that's... >> the focus will be on south carolina tonight. ♪ hello again, you are watching the news hour. reminder of the top stories. some opposition politicians have begun arriving in switzerland, ahead of friday's proposed talks on the syrian crisis, but there is still disagreement over who should take part. the pyd will not be attending, but could be invited to future talks. in the united states five people including the leader of an armed group occupying

government property has been arrests. shots were fired and one person was killed during the arrest. japan's emperor is on a four-day visit to the philippines. the first since troops occupied the country during the second world war. 200 troops in brazil have been mobilized to help track down the mosquito that spreads the zika virus. rob reynolds has more. >> reporter: there's a somber mood at rios drone. everything is drenched with insecticide. in two weeks it will be packed with thousands of people celebrating brazil's carnival. and it with the location of the

2016 olympic games. >> translator: any crowded place is considered a strategic place to combat the mosquitos. we have a different treatment over the entire area of those places. the dome is also a strategic point especially this season. >> reporter: brazilian laboratories have been trying to confirm if there is a link between the virus and birth defects in hundreds of babies. now the u.s. says it too is beginning research to find a possible vaccine. president obama has been briefed on how the virus could spread and the possible impact. cases of zika virus have been reported in two states. here in california so far there has been only one confirmed case of zika virus infection in a teenage girl who traveled to el

salvador late last year, she fortunately made a full recovery. but in brazil some say warnings about zika and ways to avoid contracting it aren't getting through. >> translator: when i arrived here. i did not see anything about it. here in the city i have not seen or heard about it. >> reporter: 25 countries now have the zika virus, and scientists estimate that more than 60% of the u.s. population live in areas where the virus might spread during warm months. rob reynolds, al jazeera. latin america leaders are meeting in ecuador on wednesday for an economic summit. high on the agenda will be how best to tackle the zika virus. it has spread rapidly through the region infecting thousands of people. for more let's go to lucia newman who is in santiago, how

well equipped is the region to tackle this, lucia. >> reporter: hello, jane. unfortunately not very well at wul. especially depending on which country we're talking about. it spreads most quickly in tropical and subtropical countries. which also means the poorest countries. but also the country of brazil who are suffering from an economic depression right now. in brazil more than a quarter of a million soldiers have been sent out to try to eradicate the breeding grounds of the mosquito that is the carrier of this virus, that will decrease the epidemic, but not get rid of it. so now women are being asked to not get pregnant. and that is not an option for thousands in this region who are

already pregnant and are terrified that they may be carrying a child that will be born with deformities. >> do we know why it is having such an impact there, considering that it originated in africa. >> reporter: i spoke to an epidemiologist in brazil in an area that has been hardest hit. she says in africa, this virus has been around for decades. it's endemic, and therefore, people don't have such a negative reaction to it. but this is brand new in our part of the world, in the americas, so that is why the impact of it is much stronger. in fact some of these babies that have been born with microcephaly are also suffering with severe scarring of the retina. and the consequences in areas

where people have not been exposed before is still being studies. >> i know women are being told not to get pregnant, but many of them don't have that kind of control. >> reporter: absolutely. there is a very high incidents of sexual abuse. girls are very, very often raped when they are almost children themselves. so the idea of not getting pregnant is often not their choice. in other countries there's no abortion that's legal and available, so it is a very, very, very tough challenge for women right now. >> and frightening. lucia, thank you. thousands of people in south africa have taken to the streets of johannesberg to protest against high rates of unemployment. the march is being lead by the main opposition party. the party says close to 2 million south africans are out

of work. protesters also want the president to step down due to what they call bad governance. getting reports of a suicide attack on a market in northeast nigeria. it has killed at least ten people. it was reportedly carried out by two female suicide bombers near a market that had just been reopened. it happened in the area where more than 200 girls were captured by boko haram in 2014. venezuela capitol has been named the most dangerous city on earth again. it has more than 4,000 murders last year. >> reporter: these men have jobs, but all of them also rob and kill to fund their way of life. in venezuela crime ballooned during the last decade, despite an oil boom that reportedly

decreased income inequality and unemployment. >> translator: i have my job, but if the opportunity arises, i steal. >> reporter: according to security experts impunity is partly to blame, but so is the prevalence of weapons. >> translator: we have a very violent society with a lot of weapons circulating in the hands of people who shouldn't have access to them. >> reporter: some say prisons often serve more like a breeding ground for criminals than a place of reform. images like these, showing prisoners firing their war-grade weapons to bid farewell to their leader. criminals could only have access of weapons of this type with internal complicity. the minister of defense has yet to issue a response, but people in the streets all seem to know. >> translator: it's the mafia. i can't tell you, because it's

the people high up. >> reporter: according to a local ngo, the country with the highest prove earn reserves of oil is also the country with the highest murder rate and highest inflation. al jazeera's formerly lawn fed arbitration proceedings against egypt at an international settlement body. the network says it follows a long-run campaign by the egyptian government against al jazeera. >> translator: this was the image that egypt's government didn't want the world to see, despite restrictions on media and freedom of speech, al jazeera managed to broadcast to millions of homes around the world the historic moment when hundreds of thousands of egyptians took to the streets calling for freedom in early 2011. as a result ever since, al jazeera has been systematically and deliberately targeted by

egyptian authorities. gangs supporting the regime drove around with banners threatening to cut people's tongues off if they spoke to al jazeera. in 2012 an al jazeera crew were attacked by police as they reported from outside of a hospital where deposed president mubarak was receiving treatment. then during the president of mohammed morsi, one of the network's studios was fire bombed as security forces looked on. then in july of the same year, just hours after egypt's military carried out a coup ousting the country's first democratically elected president, security forces stormed al jazeera's offices during a live broadcast. forcing the chan toll go off here. by the end of the year, five journalists were behind bars.

they were all in jail for no other crime than working as journalists for the qatari-based yet -- network. added to that, since the january revolution, the network satellite signals have constantly been jammed. an investigation tracked the source of the jamming equipment to military installations across cairo. all of this lead to al jazeera filing a case at the international center for settlement of investment dispute in 2014. the body tasked with settling international business disputes. 18 months have gone by, yet the egyptian government has refused to communicate positively with

al jazeera. the network claim is based on the 1999 qatar, egypt investigate treaty: al jazeera say a conservative estimate of the losses it has incurred due to egypt's flaunting of deal is $150 million. the network is hoping to be reimbursed and more importantly, it will help protect journalists and their freedoms. >> an international lawyer says this lawsuit is important for the rights of journalists around the world. >> most parts of the al jazeera claim focused on the breach of

the journalists rights, freedom of expression, and the protection of journalists where the egyptian authorities have broken or breached every international agreement to which they are a party in addition to the violation of customary international law and other con versions. the highest number of conversions for the egyptian authorities have broken is in this instance. so it is not true to suggest that al jazeera went to arbitration because it sought [ inaudible ]. this is correct, because without that agreement or without having investments there, we wouldn't have the forum to voter to this arbitration. because this is about the protection of investments. therefore the lawyers have used the claim in order to highlight the breaches against journalism, against freedom of information, and also against the u.n.

security council resolution on the protection of journalists. malaysia's anti-corruption industry plans to appeal the charges against the prime minister. more than $680 million were transferred to his private account in 2013, but the attorney general says it was a personal donation from the saudi royal family and most of it was returned, however, $60 million remain unaccounted for. u.s. secretary of state john kerry is urging china to take more of a standing against north korea. kerry described north korea's nuclear program as a major challenge to global security, and kim ki-jong's actions as reckless and dangerous. >> whether or not he achieved the explosion of hydrogen weapon is not what makes the difference. it's that he is trying.

that he wants to do that. and made the attempt against all of the international sanctions and resolutions that have been passed by the global community to prohibit that behavior. sweden, one of the richest countries in the world is seeing an increase in the number of beggars from eastern europe. the practice is legal in the country, but the arrival of the beggars has prompted fierce public debate. barnaby phillips reports from stockholm. >> reporter: it's not what you would expect to see in wealthy sweden. beggars on many street corners in the capitol stockholm and in the south. they are roma, lured to sweden by the strong economy. roma beggars are often accused of belonging to criminal gangs, but gina says she is begging to

send money back to her children in romania where she couldn't find work. >> i can do nothing else. i just lay down, i don't look in the eyes of people. i feel very, very ashamed. very, very ashamed. >> reporter: the swedish government already struggling with an influx of refugees from syria and elsewhere, has created a task force to look at the problem of roma beggars. >> we won't ban begging, but if you come to sweden you must find yourself a legal way of living. you cannot suddenly make a settlement in parks and private property. swedish law must be upheld. >> reporter: in an illegal camp on the outskirts of town, gina and her friends have been told

they will be cleared by the police. protesters gathered. some support the roma, others want them to leave. the eviction takes place in the middle of the night, and the political forces opposed to the roma beggars are gathering strength. these are sweden's parliament buildings. i have come here to meet a member of the parliament who's party is trying to make begging illegal. they are the sweden democrats. anti-immigrant, growing in popularity. >> illegal settlements are growing across the country. so it's when we have reached that scale of begging, and when have this kind of begging where other citizens come to sweden, that has created a lot of problems. >> reporter: the romas stage a sit-in outside of the townhall. but this is also broken up. the government supplies buses to

take romas back to romania. gina decides to stay, but many do take up the offer, although some say they intend to return to sweden. we can move beggars on, but as long as there's poverty and discrimination, they will always come back. barnaby phillips, al jazeera, sweden. and you can see the first of that two-part series of people in power that's begging for life later on thursday. schools in pakistan's province have been forced to close for five days due to cold weather. more than 22 million children will have to stay home. a large number of children has caught the flu and pneumonia. power supplies in the

occupied west bank were hit. farmers retrieved animals which had drowned. coming up in sport, tennis authorities launch an internal review after allegations of match fixing in the sport. that's coming up with jo. ♪

♪ hello, again. let's get the sports news. jane, one of the five men standing in next month's fifa presidential election, says it is time for the job to go to a candidate from asia or africa. he is an outsider in the race,

and says he is open to the idea of forming an alliance with one of his rivals. >> win or lose, it's not me or any of the four. it is about restoring the image of fifa. it's about making sure that the credibility, the integrity comes back, and that we win back confidence. >> reporter: the front runners appear to be the head of asia football, general secretary of uefa. do you envision alliances being formed? and if so, who with? >> it is a given in many elections that people do form alliances. and i'll be open with you. i have been approached by people who want to talk about taking up positions. it's quite healthy.

it's quite natural. it is democratic. it is my wish, but it depends on the vote that the next president should come from asia or africa with the help of europe. europe has had more than 100 years of [ inaudible ]. the spoils have hurt asia and africa. >> reporter: the confederation of african football is the largest association in world football, do you believe it's underrepresented at fifa. >> africa is seen as being unrepresented it's a travesty of justice that africa with 54 countries has hosted the world cup once, and under severe pressure. >> reporter: is this president going to be capable of fixing fifa? >> we should not believe that by

the mere act of pronouncing 100-and so many votes -- [ inaudible ] because you have got to make sure that you work with everybody towards enhancing and rebuilding fifa to make it a great organization again. so it is going to take -- it's a long, long road. italian police have seized assets belonging to footballer agents and club executives as they investigate tax evasion in the top two leagues. police in naples raided properties on tuesday seizing cash and property from 58 people involved in the professional game. amongst those names a former araga argenti argenti argentinen's coach.

and the tennis body is looking into claims of match-fixing. >> reporter: allegations of match fixing in tennis have dogged this sport since the beginning of the year's first grand slam. before quarter final matches, authorities were forced on to a front foot. >> we had to act quickly. this is an easy target for people to have a go with recent allegations of other governing bodies. we want to be as open and transparent as possible. >> reporter: a media investigation accused the tennis integrity unit of failing to follow up on suspicious results. then two days ago, an agency suspended betting on a mixed doubles game at the australian open, after a large sum of money was placed on the losing pair. >> it is vital that we repair this damage, and that we do so quickly, which is why today

we're announcing an independent review that will exam all aspects of tennis's anti-corruption program, including the integrity unit's work. >> reporter: the second seed who has never lifted the australian open, was a winner over david ferrar. >> these last few days have been tough, and maybe haven't played my best tennis, but managed to get through. but today i felt like at the end of the match, i was playing some -- some good stuff. >> reporter: britain will also have a woman in a grand slam semifinal for the first time since 1983. this unseeded was a 6-4, 6-1 winner of her chinese opponent.

>> i felt i did quite a good job at removing any -- any sort of occasion from the match. i really just took it as a tennis match and i was competing against a really good opponent, and i just wanted to make sure i was executing to the best of my ability. >> reporter: her next opponent will be the 7 seed with a spot in the australian open final at stake. she beat her opponent in straight sets. so we're in for an exciting few days coming up in melbourne the semifinals will see a huge showdown, let's take a look at the men's draw. djokovic will take on federer. in that is the third straight grand slam that these two have met. twice djokovic had won. in the ore semifinal, andy murray plays his opponent.

let's take a look at the women. serena williams faces her opponent. it's pretty much a given she be take the trophy, especially when you consider serena's opponent has lost every time they have played in the past. moving on to the nba, the oklahoma city thunder sent the nicks to their third straight defeat. the thunder went on to win 128-122 in overtime. it is the second time this season that durant has crossed the 40-point mark. and that's all of the sport now. >> thank you, jo.

going to public bathhouse has long been part of life in the syrian city of aleppo. a businessman is trying to revive the century's old tradition despite the fighting all around. gerald tan has the story. ♪ >> reporter: at the public bath in aleppo, this man recalls happier times. he sings the tunes for century's past to welcome new customers and returning familiar faces. >> translator: this was my profession before the revolution. i was in the bathhouse during the revolution, and i will also die here in the bathhouse. aleppo is the place where my heart and soul want to be. this bathhouse as well as my home was bombarded. if someone was to die it should be at home for in a bathhouse. >> reporter: before the war he operated four bathhouses. he shut them all down, as aleppo turned into the battleground it is today. he has now decided to reopen one

in an area controlled by the opposition. he says it's his way of carrying on, despite the daily bombardment. threatened with death, he is trying to live. others share the sentiment. >> translator: i swear we are happy. we haven't seen such a bathhouse in liberated areas for the past five years. this is a heritage of aleppo, and to have hot water in such a crisis is something great. ♪ >> reporter: festivities mark the social ceremony for a man on the eve of his wedding. such gathering at public baths have also been a feature of life in aleppo that all but disappears when the war began. the citizens hope they can stay alive to enjoy it. for me jane dutton, and the

rest of the team, thanks for watching. ♪

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syrian fractions arrive in switzerland ahead of talks scheduled for friday, but serious divisions over who should take part threaten the whole process. ♪ hello there, i'm barbara sarah. coming up on the program, after a fatal shootout, the fbi sends reinforcements to confront members of an armed militia holed up in a wildlife park in washington. and the japanese emperor visits the philippines for the first time since world war ii.