this is al jazeera. ♪ ♪ and this is the al jazeera news hour. i am david foster live from london of good to have your company. these are some of the stories we will be studying in detail. in the next six minutes. as leaders garth never geneva to find way to end sear ye's war, a series of bombs tear through damascus killing at least 50. europe's security agency says thousands of refugee children are missing after arriving in europe. they may have been targeted by criminal gangs. at least 65 died of a bomb attack in nigeria. the armed group boko haram is

being blamed. and we'll tell you why pressure is going to ban the hijab in senegal. and i am here with all the sport, including tennis world number one know jack djokovic has been crowned the australian champion for the sixth time. ♪ ♪ it has been more than a year in the making but even now as leaders gather in geneva for talks to try i understand the war in syria. there are still deep divisions over the country's future. syria's opposition threaten to leave the discussions unless its demands are met. and these include the supply of humanitarian aid to besieged towns such asthma die a where people are starving. syrian's ambassador says he's considering the humanitarian steps but accused the opposition of not being serious about the

negotiations. yet despite these disagreements the u.n.'s special envoy to syria says he's optimistic. our diplomatic editor james bays reports from geneva. >> reporter: arriving for his first meeting with the syrian opposition, trying to persuade them to finally join negotiations, the u.n. special envoy. what are you hoping to hear from the opposition? >> i will see them and then i will tell you. thank you. >> reporter: thank you, sir. while he was meeting a delegation of opposition representatives, their spokesman was telling reporters why it was important all the provisions of the security council resolution that set up the talks process be now implemented. >> it's important for us to see that food goes to our children who are starved to death. to see syrian families, syrian women are safe sitting in their homes, in their houses away from

the strikes of the russian. >> reporter: when mr. dee that stir a emerged he again gave few details other than saying he remained op i optimistic. are you optimistic? >> yes. >> reporter: good meeting. >> indeed. >> reporter: do you think you can deal with their concerns? >> we must deal with the concerns of the syrian people. thank you. >> reporter: are you going to deliver? >> we must first address them. thank you. >> reporter: meanwhile the syrian delegation that arrived on friday made its first statements to the media. the chief negotiator claimed the opposition were amateurs and not professionals and said he hadn't even been given a list of that i have delegation members. >> we haven't yet started the talks. we don't know yet who will be sitting with us on the other side. neither us nor the special envoy

are aware of the names of the opposition, the other delegation with whom we will have this dialogue. >> reporter: members of the opposition delegation have been having a meeting with the u.s. and european envoys. afterwards they met to discuss the situation again together, they are still split on whether to join these negotiations. >> james with me now live. we saw some of the mechanics of the opposition party there, james. but am i right in thinking that some heavy guns, if that's not too inappropriate a word, heavy guns in terms of the diplomacy have been arriving or at least say they are going to arrive to be on the opposition side? >> reporter: yes. and you are right in almost in your reference because mohamed, the chief negotiator, is one of those from the opposition side who has a military background and he is their chief

negotiator. they had kept him way from the talks from now in saudi arabia. but we understand he's on his way to geneva. the head of the whole delegation of the opposition, he is on his way to geneva. so i think it's important that these two key leading figures are on their way here. also news of other developments in the last couple of hours. we understand, and this has not been publicized by the u.n., note it appears an official meeting. that some of the opposition delegation had yet another meeting with the u.n. envoy stefan de mistura at an undisclosed location. the you were not confirming that meeting. and we understand the opposition delegation will for the first time be going to the u.n. headquarters on monday for a meeting there. another meeting with mr. de mistura. they still say that that meeting that will take place on monday, is another meeting to explain their concerns and clarify their

position and that they are not negotiating. but i can tell you, david, it's beginning to feel, given that mr. ma stew a wil dee that de me proximity talks are happening anyway. it's like regular meetings a bit of a fudge by the opposition. one opposition member telling us privately, that they feel they really must be delivered something soon because they can't keep this, we are not negotiating while they are having meetings, this situation going on for much longer. >> james, we'll leave it there, thank you. james bays in geneva. away from switzerland in sear i can't ya itself, there have been a number of explosions, at least 50 people were killed in the capital damascus, paul brennan has more on that. >> reporter: the triple blast ripped apart nearby vehicles, shattered adjacent buildings and killed scores of people not

immediate vicinity. the attackers' main target appears to be a bus which was carrying shia militia man. the district in southern damascus is a site of pilgrimage and home to syria's holiest site, a shrine. militia men and syrian army joels operate roadblocks around the shrine. lebanese brooks and other iraqi and a iranian militias have a strong present there and many visit the shrine before heading to the frontline. >> translator: i say mercy for the martyrs and a quick recovery for the injured. i would like to say that these messages that are drenched in blood will not stop us but make us more resistent and determined. >> reporter: syrian state news agency quoting an interior ministry source said a car bomb had first been detonated near a public transport garage and then two suicide bombers blew themselves up nearby as people were being restless tuesday. the explosions happened just as delegates began convening in

geneva for the first u.n.-mediated talks in two years. it showed a link between opposition and terrorism. isil which follows the sunni branch of islam has claimed responsibility for the bombing. paul brennan, al jazeera. >> so let us talk about that and other matters with a middle east analyst and column i was from the gulf news from beirut via skype as you can see. if you happened to be a member of the shia community in syria, there could hardly be a more sensitive target, am i right, than where this bomb went off today? >> you are right. but this is not the first time that this vicinity of the shrine has been targeted. about a year ago, a similar bombing occurred, although the casualty list is very high today. a year ago there were about a dozen or so killed. today the numbers are very high. it's a very sensitive area. and the chief reason why these

bowl arc the lebanese party has decided to intervene militarily in syrian civil war five years ago. >> what do you make of nine to goes and froings in geneva away from scenes such as this, the arrival of certain members of the opposition. the toughing out of chests by people who claim to be affronted. can you tell whether they are getting anywhere or not? >> it's too soon to determine whether or not these negotiations or so-called negotiations are going to accomplish anything. for the time being they are discussing procedural issues. individual that his will participate potentially in these nondiscussions discussions. these are not technically negotiations, you understand, since the u.n. envoy is going to meet separately with the syrian government officials, and the opposition officials, and essentially act as go between

between the two sides, we are not even there yet. at this point, certain individuals, whether it's mohamed, an islamist party [ inaudible ] and you are going to have someone like [ inaudible ] who is also going to participate in these negotiations. these are hardened military officers that have served on the battlefield and they will come to the table with a set of demands. so they are negotiating essentially who will negotiate. who will participate. who is going to be part of the discussion. eights a long way off before we see any concrete results. >> but in terms of the very fact that it's happening, are you encouraged? >> well, of course. when people obviously talk, we are encouraged. as human beings the first objective is to get some kind of a ceasefire, but i am discouraged in the sense that expectations are very high all

of a sudden assuming that these kinds of discussions will take place very quickly, mr. de mistura has given himself six months for the process to go forward. it might be too short a period of time, but what is always encouraged when instead of killing each other at least people try to resolve their disputes, although i am frayed that i have to be a lot more patient, so will everybody else. >> somehow the killing has to stop. even if it is temporarily. i am sure we all grow that. so what are the possibilities of a ceasefire? >> if the will is there to actually put down some of these opposition folks, isil and others, al-nusra and others, the real extremists who are on the battlefield, remember that these people have been pounded from the air by coalition forces, by russian forces, et cetera, and they are still fighting. but if the will is there to actually pull back a little bit,

which means that the government of syria will also have to do its share, which it is not willing to do at this point, then the chances for a ceasefire are high. but if the government of syria insists that it is going to go after terrorists an terrorists y every last one of tell. then i think the chances are not that good. >> so what do you think, do you think that perhaps getting together trying to settle their differences so that they can take on those extreme groups to which you referred, such as isil, and that if which when they do that, the differences will remain and will be so big still that they haven't reached any kind of long-term deal? >> the purpose of this civil war, presumably, is to introduce a new system of government for syria. there is a fundamental issue here. the uprising has become a civil war. and the purpose is very clear that a majority of syrians that

are putting up with the fight or essentially leaving the country no longer want this regime. how that process is going to occur is what the civil war is all about. this is not a picnic. people are actually trying to figure out what kind of regime they are going to submit to. and that is easier said than done. building nations take very, very, very long time. and a very -- and at very, very high prices. >> once again we thank you for your analysis, for your thoughts on the situation. that is joseph talking to us from beirut. >> thank you. now, the number of syrian refugees stranded at the border of jordan and waiting to go in to that country is now about 20,000. authorities say the bottleneck is due to the strict vetting process think in recent months jordan has only allowed several dozen refugee to his enter every day. speaking in geneva, syria's u.n.

ambassador said most refugees who have fled so did so for economic reasons and not because of his government. europe's law enforcement agency is estimating that thousands of unaccompanied refugee children have gone miss after arriving on the can't next. europe's police agency says the figures are for children who disappeared from the system after they had registered on their arrival. the head of the agency says 10,000 refugee children have gone missing in the last two years. last year 26,000 children arrived in europe without members of their family. and they say criminal games are now targeting refugees for trafficing in to sex work and is slavery. some of the children unaccounted for may already have been reunited with their families. there is that possibility. although it's estimated that 5,000 children disappeared in italy. swedish authorities estimate a thousand children there are now

unaccounted for. international organization for migration says the numbers are not surprising but it is a relief that authorities are now paying attention. >> the fact that euro poll puts the thought behind this report, this suggestion, is important. i think there are terrible things happening to migrants as they cross in to europe and at least a 30 of those are young children. some of them accompanied. some of them not. so it's about time, frankly, that we are getting more attention to the issue. >> some of the other stories we'll be looking in to in just a moment here on the news hour. a palestinian policeman dies after opening fire on israelii security forces in the occupied west bank. the zika virus spreads further across latin america. now the government of el salvador warns women not to get pregnant. and in sport, the former australian cricket captain michael clark has a change of heart just five months after

quitting the sport. ♪ ♪ now you may remember on this program just three days ago i was talking to the saudi ambassador to the united nations about claim that his government's campaign in yemen had led to thousands of civilian deaths. he defended the accuracy of the coalition's airstrikes claim that go houthi fighters were responsible for these indiscriminate attacks. >> i think the targeting by the coalition forces is very precise. it is very precise because of two reasons, number one, we have intelligence on the ground that can provide us with coordinates of the targets. and we have pretty accurate precision aircraft and weaponry that helps minimize casual is as and collateral damage and makes sure that we are targeting the military targets. >> just three days ago that was.

the position has changed somewhat. the saudi-led coalition saying it will now investigate the deaths of civilians killed in air strikes. it says it regrets civilian deaths and will appoint a committee to look at improving targeting. and it adds that american and british military experts will give advise on how to further avoid civilian casualties. destroying refugee camps, wettings, medical facilities, schools, mosques and markets. northern nigeria now. at least 86 people have been killed in an attack there in the northeast of the country. the attack was on saturday night. five-kilometers from the [ inaudible ] nigeria i can't's military blames boko haram and witnesses say suicide bombers targeted a crowd. fighters shooting at residents and setting houses on fire.

>> reporter: security sources tell al jazeera that the attackers passed through the village before reaching where most of the attack took place, they set homes on fire and in the process burned a lot of women and children. as people were running for safety, they deployed three female suicide bombers who detonated their devices and what is that caused most of the damage. the military is confirming, yes, it happens and that they came in two cars and on motorcycles. the military in the region is saying that they have boko haram on the back foot. yes, they have recaptured a lot of territory for boko haram what they say remains is the mopping up operations in areas where boko haram are suspected spock hiding. about you what we are dealing with now, what the region is now dealing with, is a group that is so, so deep in to the use of this kind of warfare in targeting its victims, we have

not seen large scale operations against military or military establishments in the region over the last for months, but we have seen how boko haram has resorted to the use of suicide female bombers to target soft targets like markets and other places of warship. now that is one of the most difficult things the authorities in the region will have to deal with. a palestinian police officer has been killed after opening fire on an israeli checkpoint. he wounded three israelis during the attack in the occupied west bank near the illegal settlement there. palestinian officials say the man had worked as a body guard for a palestinian prosecutor. stefanie dekker is in west jerusalem and sent us this. >> reporter: this is the second time that a palestinian authority security officer opens fire on israeli soldiers. when if comes to the latest wave in violence. now, let me just read what was paste odd his facebook page just before he carried out this attack. he said unfortunately i don't see anything worth living for as

long as the occupation will remain. and is muzzling our breath, killing our brothers and sisters, so this is a huge concern for israel and the palestinian authority because, of course, there is extremely close security coordination when it comes to israel and the palestinian security services. so this is something he can extremely difficult to deal with and understand. even at the time of the last -- the first one which was december 3rd. a lot of reports in the media here in israel how concerned the government was that this could happen again. so we have seen it happen again. we have to say it is an individual action, however, it does highlight the extreme frustration certainly if you look at the words that he posted on his facebook page. the impact of israel's occupation is having not just on ordinary palestinians but also those who are supposedly there to help israel try and contain situations and keep the security and peace in the west bank which is of course also i think a cause of a lot of frustration for ordinary palestinians.

so an incredibly complicated nuanced situation, but one that is a concern to both israel and the palestinian authority. stefanie dekker reporting there. now to central america where more than 6,000 people in el salvador are thought to have the zika virus. it's a disease which could be linked to a rise of microcephaly a condition which causes babies to be born with abnormally small heads and brains. the government there is taking the controversial measure of advising women not to get pregnant. john hulman reports from san salvador. >> reporter: soon to be mothers in a hospital in el salvador, all worrying about the same thing, the zika virus. it's suppressing fast here, transmitted by mosquitoes. scientists think that if the mother is infected, it could cause brain damage to the inning born child. the link is yet to be proved. but el salvador's government has already taken the extraordinary

step of warning women not to get pregnant for at least the next year. that's too late for her, she was suffering from the fever and rash that come with zika. eight months in to the pregnancy, the risk to her baby is lower. but she still is six with worry. >> translator: i wouldn't have got pregnant, i would really have waited for the outbreak to have finished. >> reporter: the vice minister of health says this is just the tip of the iceberg. authorities only recently detected the virus here. but they are already getting ready for the brain-damaged children they think could be born in around seven months time. >> translator: we start today discuss this to look at what special resources the system needs to give support to these children. looking at other country who his have had the problem to strengthen our ins tunes. >> reporter: the emphasis is on prevention. but while contraception is widely used, one option women in this extremely catholic country don't have is terminating their

pregnancy. even if the fetus is brain damaged. congressman for the capital city believes el salvador's no tolerance abortion laws need to be discussed in light of the zika threat. >> translator: it's a debate we should take more seriously without the subjectivity that religious myths and the church can generate in our country. to open up the defense of life not just the babies, but the mothers, the family and the damage that could be generated in society. >> reporter: for now, the government is con step trading on the root cause, the mows at t mosquitoes carrying the virus, authorities are fumigating houses and public spaced all over the capital. there are already more than 6,000 suspected cases. zika virus in el salvador. the biggest worry is not for now but what the future may bring. john hulman, al jazeera, san salvador. >> john is with us live now in san salvador, in the capital el

salvador to be precise. we saw the woman in your story there, very, very worried woman. any news on the baby? >> reporter: i just got off the phone from her and she has given birth to a healthy son. so that is excellent news. she is obviously still exhausted and still suffering from the symptoms of what doctors believe is zika. but she as we said in that report, was eight months pregnant when she possibly got zika. so it's the women that are four months and less pregnant that are really at greater risk. so we still have to see how this will play out across the country over the next for months. >> what did we say in the beginning, john, 6,000 people in that country thought to have got it. but, mine, this is just a tiny proportion of those who think will get zika. >> reporter: that's right, david, we were speak to this

vice minister for health and he said that if this polls the pattern which he expects it to, from another epidemic that el salvador has experienced in the past. at the height of this there could be up to 17,000 people being affected weekly. we have since talked to other experts in infection who have that said it could be even more than that. we sort of probably are looking at justify the beginning of this for el salvador. >> john, is there any way once a woman becomes pregnant if she gets it, the virus in the early stage of her pregnancy, is there anyway of telling before the baby is born whether it's suffering from microcephaly or not? >> reporter: well, doctors here are still trying to sort of work that out. when we talk to the vice minister of health, that was one of the things that we asked him because if el salvador, they have zero tolerance on abortion, they class it as homicide. and so one of the questions that we asked of him was that if a woman find out that she is

carrying a fetus with micro severely, this terrible condition, what is going for happen then if el salvador was thinking about possibly changing the laws and, of course, he said that that is not on the table for the moment. other people in the same party, like the congressman that we talked to in the report, said that that debate has to be reopened in el salvador, obviously we have to remember that the link hasn't been proved between the zika virus and microcephaly. this condition in which the baby's head is abnormally small. but if that does start to happen in el salvador and babies do start to be born in great numbers with that, then that no-tolerance a boring law will did hdefinitely come very much r the spotlight here. >> john hulman, we thank you. african leaders have decided against sending 5,000 peace keeping soldiers for burundi unless they get the go ahead that country's government.

burundi's president has previously warned that he would consider any such deployment to be an invasion. catherine soi has the latest from where the african union has been holding a summit. >> reporter: the decision by african union leaders to cancel plans to deploy troops to burundi was the biggest news to come out of the a.u. summit. leaders gathered here in ethiopia decided to push for a political solution. >> translator: the heads of state expressed satisfaction that mediation efforts by the president of uganda who will continue with this dialogue which we want to be an inclusive dialogue. >> reporter: this followed days of discussion on what to do about the violence in burundi. that has killed more than 400 people. it was triggered by the president's decision to seek and win a controversial third term. previous attempts at such political dialogue have not been successful. burundi's foreign affairs minister says his government is committed but will not negotiate

with those it calls criminals and coup plotters. >> if the a.u. does not conduct coups how then do you ask a member state which has agreed upon -- agreed to those instruments to move away from those instruments and start looking to the coup makers. >> reporter: a high-level a.u. delegation will be sent to burundi to work out details for the talks and try to persuade the authorities to accept the deployment of troops. but some are critical of a.u.'s failure to deploy peace keepers to burundi. >> a lot hinges on the leaders, 54 leaders, a lot of them have issues around their own leadership in power. and they would not want to see any decision that puts them in a bind as well. >> reporter: apart from burundi, the african heads of state demanded that south sudan leaders who failed to immediate a deadline to form a transitional government to do so as soon as possible. africa's newest nation has been in conflict for almost three

years over a dispute that began between the president and his former vice president. leaders also made a resolution to increase support for african union troops in somalia, and to deal with the increasing threat of attacks with better strategy. so the end of another african union is done, the theme this year is human rights, a focus on women's rights, some leaders here have often been accused of violating that are people' rights. so the question is whether there will be enough political will to advance that theme and start making changes. catherine soi, al jazeera. do stay with us on the news hour, this is coming up in a moment. people in the u.s. state of iowa are getting ready to vote in the first caucus of election year and we will tell you why they have picked such an unusual way of choosing the person they want in the white house. and chelsea's march to the fa cup last 16 is rocked by major announcement from their

captain.

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the top stories. up special envoy severe i can't says he is optimistic the talks in geneva aimed at ending the war in syria will succeed. that is despite mechanics of the opposition delegation saying they they will leave if their demands are not met. meanwhile, isil, which isn't represented at the talks, says it was behind a triple bomb attack in the syrian capital which killed at least 50. and at least 86 people have been killed in an attack in northeast nigeria i can't remember the country's military is blaming boko haram. more on the top story the diplomatic effort to bring entry to the war in syria. as many as 400,000 people it's estimated are trapped by the fighting and they are in need of emergency assistants, many have died trying to escape to a better life in europe. zeina khodr now reports to hopes for the talks in geneva. >> reporter: this is the reality in syria.

the government backed by russian air power is on the offensive. their focuses on the suburbs southwest of the capital damascus. they are tightening the siege after opposition rebels rejected an ultimatum to withdraw from the area. the strategy is to isolate it from the nearby rebel area which is also under a government blockade. >> translator: when the regime can't enter the area their strategy is to blockade and starve the people and the fighters in to submission, he be while geneva is happening they are tightening sieges like these and the air strikes are increasing. >> reporter: many syrians opposed to the government are supporting the saudi-based high negotiating committee's decision not to engage in talks with the government. the committee wants goodwill gestures, including an end to the bombardments and blockades as well as the release of detainees before it agrees to

negotiations. >> translator: we are against the meeting in geneva the regime is not serious about the talk. while it is present in geneva it is also bombarding us. people inside opposition-held territories are also concerned about what they see is a shift in u.s. policy. they believe washington is cooperating with the government's main backer, russia. the two powers are behind the u.n. peace plan that could see syrian president bashar al-assad stay in office at least during the transition period. >> translator: at the beginning the u.s. publically stood against a sad. they kept making false promises to the opposition. and now their true position is out in the open. the u.s. is not against assad. they accept him to the nobling table. the u.s. no longer hides the fact that they consider him the leader. >> reporter: assad's future has always been an optical on the road to peace. many in the opposition believe russia's intervention has changed the military and political balance in favor of president is sad. recent battlefield gains has made the regime stronger. and that is why the opposition

believes it has little to gain by negotiating. it is one of the reasons why it is pushing for concessions before agreeing to talks. diplomacy has seen only failures in this conflict which has become an international and regional war by proximate and i many people feel their voices are irrelevant. >> syrian's should be the ones did see side their fate unfortunately big powers intervened and are imposing their decisions. >> reporter: for now there is a road map, but the warring sides are nowhere close to even discussing a solution. zeina hoarder, al jazeera, southern turkey. the you u.s. says it needs an extra $861 million to help iraq respond to a growing humanitarian crisis. it's estimated 3.3 million iraqis have been displayed by fighting between the iraqi armed forces anforces and isil. that is in the last two years. imran kahn reports from baghdad. >> reporter: with the fall in

oil prices iraq is facing a real shortfall in the fund for this humanitarian crisis. what the u.n. has said they want to raise $861 million. now, the iraqi government says they need 1.56. and they have about 43% of that and are relying on the u.n. to be able to raise the rest of it. however, what the u.n. have said that "america tonight" that they don't have the money they need to ask international donor to his give them that money. there has been some real concern from the u.n. and iraqi government that the international community simply doesn't have the money. take a look at what's going on in europe, for example. you have the refugee crisis there, a lot of european countries now saying that it we need that money to help people back home. also we have a funding shortfall not just in iraq, but in syria as well. and a lot of the u.n. programs simply aren't being funded. although the u.n. have said we need this nearly $900 million to help iraq out with it's "the stream" crisis, it's that money isn't there yet that money needs to be raised. and also we haven't seen the

fall of fallujah yet which will spark in the crisis in anbar province also iraq's second largest city of mosul is still under occupation by rice ill, well see a liberation that have city or at least an operation against that city? time this year accords to go iraqi sources that will spark in the humanitarian crean crisis and the u.n. will have to are assess. on monday the u.s. state of iowa will become the first in the country to hold a contest where each party nominates its presidential candidate. in iowa it's known as a caucus for months presidential hopefuls have spent millions of dollars trying to get the iowa vote ores their side. it has a population of less than 3 million, tiny really, some people are asking why iowa matters at all. let's explain that with kimberly halkett who is in des moines in iowa.

>> reporter: it's in homes like this that the united states will hold its first official votes in its presidential nominating contest. so where is this caucus going to be held? where are the people going to be? >> right here here in the living room. >> reporter: this is where is caucus is? >> yes, right here. >> reporter: caucus means to gather. in iowa's caucus you don't see polling booth or machines they immediate by political parties, homes, community centers and churches. state of just 3 million people became prominent in u.s. election cycle through historical accident. >> in 1972 there were a series of changes in how each of our political parties would elect their nominee to be president of the united states. and iowa happened to go first that year. so iowa has been first ever since. >> we'll be passing out slips of paper for you to vote 0678 the republican caucus in iowa is simple. supporters vote by secret ballot toss ed in a hat or basket. the candidate with the most votes wins delegates to go onto

national convention where his nominees for both parties are officially elected. the democratic caucus is a little more complicated. supporter garth third center of the room and break off in to groups behind the candidate they support. and that's where things get a little intention. >> so on one faction will come in and visit writ or a representative coming in and visiting with another faction and trying to swing people to their side. >> he's more commit to the party itself. >> reporter: the debate between caucus goers can be heated. [speaking at the same time] >> reporter: still the results serve an important purpose. >> the iowa caucus is special because it's the first litmus test of what americans are feeling about the people that want to be their commander-in-chief. >> reporter: but the process has one big challenge. >> because everybody has to be in one place at one time, it means that if the weather is bad, it makes it harder for people to come out and get to

their caucus locations. and, of course, it's iowa, it's cold, there is a good chance of snow. >> reporter: so despite months of candidates courting iowa voters the results of the iowa caucus could come down to the weather. and whether supporters s show up on a cold winter night. kimberly halkett, al jazeera, des moines, iowa. >> so who is involved in this. as demographickin demographics . change, latino voters although they are small but an influential minor at this in the state. kimberly halkett caught up earlier with a congressman from arizona. >> reporter: one of the fastest growing demographics in the u.s. state of iowa is the latino vote. it currently makes up about 3% of the population. but it is the fastest growing demographic. to talk to me a little bit about the influence in the iowa caucus i am joined by congressman raul,

who is a congressman from arizona. you know, much has been made about the latino vote. because of ethnicity all los las in the united states mist think and vote the same way. is that true? >> no, it's not true. you know, the latino community is not homogenous. latino political thought is not a monolith where everybody falls under the same. it's as diverse is the community itself. but there is some themes that resonate very well in the latino community. it's the few never community. >> let's talk about some of those themes. what are some of the key issue that his latinos are most interested in elevating in to the discussion and putting in to the mind of the political candidates. >> sanity and rational thought around immigration reform. as opposed to what we are hearing. really doing something about that in the most pressing domestic issue in america is immigration reform and we haven't dealt with it. and they are looking for some

boldness. and the other issue is i think is the issue of economic fairness and opportunity. >> let's talk about boldness. currently there are more than 10 million who are living in the shadows, where this is offense how it is referred. what kind of boldness are we looking for? terms -- >> we are look at immigration reform, looking for an executive, a president of the united states that uses the influence of the power that have office to make lives better. to push to use the bully bull pit to rally around sane and logical immigration reform in this country to. quit this deportation policy that separates families instead of keeping them toll. >> what about economic fairness the issue of minimum wage is that important? >> the i can you have income equality is huge. the issue you of unemployment is huge. and the issue of affordability of health and college and training for the latino community is huge. it's a young community. average age is 24 years old. everything is in front of that community and yet we see the doors being blocked.

i am here for a particular candidate, bernie, because his message on fairness is resonating very strongly with the latino community. >> what about the republican side. there has been much made about the trump evening. how are latinos responding to some of the anti-immigrant rhetoric? >> i think they'll respond by turning out to vote. i think they'll respond in huge numbers at the polls in the general recollection and also through the primaries. the republicans including cruz and rubio, who happen to be hispanic, they are whistling past the graveyard. they can't to use the issue you of immigration put being racial over tones in all their rhetoric, particularly trump and in doing so are effectively alienating and he play. this is vote from future generations. congressman, we really you appreciate you talking to al jazeera. >> thank you very much. >> as you mention this is a very fast growing demographic in iowa. it's expected roughly 200,000 will come out to caucus in iowa. and the projections and the hope is that at least 10,000 of those

caucus goers will be his panic, making them 5% of the block. that is the projection and if so would certainly have an impact on the u.s. political landscape and it's changing demographic. it has been a long time coming, but it is finally here. the start of the campaign proper in the u.s. now, in senegal, there is a growing market for muslim women who wear a veil. but as attacks increase across the ring there is more pressure to ban the hijab. we are more from the senegal ease capital dakar. >> reporter: designing clothes for the muslim women. for a fashion designer it's a business opportunity that simply can't be ignored. after working for carl logger felt in paris she started her own brand in dakar. she's adapting her design to his the latest trends. customers no longer want short skirts and sleeveless tops, but ask for longer dresses and even

the full veil. >> translator: well, whether old are or young, feel more respected wearing the veil. especially in conservative societies. it's a sign of confidence and trustworthiness. >> reporter: she and other designers like her are showing their collections at the muslim conference in dakar. an opportunity to showcase the diversity in fashion from muslim women. it's called [ inaudible ] fashion, but some of the outfits could soon be banned den gal's president says full face veils pose a security threat. they are already illegal in cameroon, niger and chad where dozens of people have been killed by suicide attackers who detonated bombs concealed under their robes. but organizers of this events say they are promoting fashion, not violence. >> i think it's a debate that is stigmatizing the wrong people. i don't have to follow the

global trend. actually, it's saying in a way, let's create an alternative trends. let's create this new islamic clothing trend. let's show people that i can be fashionable. that i can be open minded, that i can be smart, that i can be entrepreneurial. that i can dare without having to show my body if i don't want to. and i think that's what we are trying to -- the message we are trying to get across. >> reporter: the fashion is a growing market. that year alone it was estimated to be worth $230 billion globally. it's not just local shops making clothes like this. big brands like dolce gabbana. even tommy hilfiger are making clothes for muslim women. they too see an opportunity in this fashion. so despite the security threats, and debates surrounding the fail, others here believe that the demand for clothing like this is only going to grow.

nicholas hawk, al jazeera, dak dakar. i am going give you a look ahead to a couple of things that we have coming up. we have the sport of course. and the bat weathers their forces golf's world number one to put his singapore open rally on hold. and -- >> as far as body art goes, i think i might be stick to go pedestrian cures. >> it's not for everybody, we will tell you, though, why body art is booming in venezuela.

♪ ♪ off to venezuela where they are having one of south america's biggest tattoo and body art shows. we sent al jazeera's virginia lopez down to check out some rather unusual designs. >> reporter: it's a convention that attacks people who love both tattoos and body piercings. 400 artists and enthusiasts from around the world are in the venezuelan capital caracas. they are here to show off some of their best work. and in some cases, well, you decides. >> translator: i attract a lot of attention. people point at me or stair. especially kids. but i don't feel like eye freak. it's art. >> reporter: more than 450,000 people are expected to attend the four-day event. the largest of its kind in the region. for event organizer emilio

gonzales, the size of the convention, especially in a city that suffers from shortages of anything from mill to be syringes and is also considered the most dangerous in the world is a clear sign that tattooing is here to stay. >> translator: in venezuela tattoointattooing arrived 30 yeo it's know a fat it's part of the culture. although the country is going through a difficult patch it doesn't mean the culture stops. >> reporter: tattooing has been practiced throughout the world for both sacred and esthetic reasons. for many here it is the permanent and the pain of having an image engrave odd their bodies that makes tattooing so specia special. >> reporter: as far as body art goes, i think i might be stick to go pedicures. for others the commercial acceptance in mainstream culture have stripped this ancient art of its true innocence.

>> translator: i believe tattooing is something very miss testal. i spent along time studying so i can advice what symbol best represents what you are looking for. >> reporter: according to i vents organizers, an hour at some of these tattoo parlors can cost you $400. that is more than 20 times the monthly wage in venezuela. some might argue it's not that much for something that you will be wearing for the rest of your life. or that in a city like caracas, is one of the few things that can't be stolen. virginia lopez, al jazeera, caracas. okay. sport now with fa farah. david, thank you so much. world number one novak djokovic beat andy murder any straight sets to win the australian open. the the second man after the roy emerson to win six titles in melbourne. >> reporter: it's now six of the best for novak jo djokovic with ther is bwiththe serbian takinge

i again. he ranks amongst the greatest players of all time. certainly andy murray would testify to that to. the pair were born just a week a part each other. but the gap between them as players seems to be getting bigger by the year. the first set came and went in 30 minutes. djokovic taking it six games to one. such was the level of djokovic's play even when murray looked to be getting the upper hand in rails. the world number one always had an answer. the seconds set was much less one sided. but it still went the way of the serbian, 7-5. once against the third set what no walk over for djokovic, but as he has done so often against murray, he found an extra level when needed. he needed a tiebreak to win it, but win it he did, 7 points to 3, for a 3 sets to love victory.

61, 7-5. they have safe si7-6. for his 11th grand slam title. he has some way to go before reaching roger federer's 17 grand slams. next is 14 pete samaras and rafah nadal. joke very much is in fifth place with 11 titles. >> we should cherish every moment that we get to experience now because these are the tournaments that we value and want to play well on. and no doubt that i am playing the best tennis move my life in the last 15 months. >> reporter: next up for djokovic is the one major title he hasn't won the french open. if he can't win there this year, the dream of winning all four grand slams in one season could be a real possibility. al jazeera. chelsea captain john teri says he will leave the english premiere league champions at the end of the season. the club told the 35-year-old

they would not be renewing his contract. he's been with chelsea for 21 years and was made captain in 2004. >> reporter: terry led the blues to four premier league titles as well as the 2012 champions league title. the 70 half has endured tough times he was stripped of his england captaincy and fine today racial abuse in 2012. terry is part of the chelsea team that beat m. k dons earlier in the fa cup fourth round, oscar with a hat trick to put them up 3-1 at halftime. eden hazard scoring from the spot. try otraore wrapping up another. they'll face man city in the next round. >> we have to take in consideration that we play against a team we all respect from the lower league but we can be happy with the performance. i think in the first 20 minutes

we showed the ambition to try to finish it off rather early, we did. >> former australia cricket captain michael clark has announced he will come out of retirement just five months after quitting the sport. the 34-year-old who resigned after last summer's ashes will play from sydney gray team western suburbs next month. >> being away from the game, spending nearly five months away from cricket, i have missed that competitive side of the game. you know, i tried to replace it i guess in parts with sailing in the harbor which again riley enjoyed and gave knee that feeling back. i think it's just time away from the game. you know, my father still playing crickettal i think it's in my blood. i love the game of cricket. >> all a could have done with michael clark earlier. india secured a final ball victory over them in a t20 internation. with a 3-0 series whitewash they are ranked number one in the world with the t20 world cup

coming up in march. play has been suspended at the singapore open putting world number one jordan spieth's world tour on hold. round 4 is says to resume on monday, spieth and south korean song young will turn to complete their battle for the title after being interrupted at a crucial moment. song young was leading on the 16th green facing a 12-foot putt to save par. meanwhile spieth was on the 18 green and 4 under par for the day with a chance to level. and that's all your sport for now it's now back to you, david. >> oh, dear, one of those moments, farah when i expected you to be talking for a great deal longer. it's that sort of little bit at the end of the program where we don't really know quite what to do. but good luck to michael clark. let's hope he doesn't come up against england any time soon. the news hour team thanks for you watching. ill he be back in a couple of minutes with more news.

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>> as leaders gather in geneva to try to find an end to syria's war, a series of bombs tear through damascus, killing at least 50 people. you're watching al jazeera i'm david foster, also coming up in this programme, europe's security agency says thousands of refugee children are missing after having arrived in europe, and they may have been targeted by criminal gangs. an attack in nigeria. the armed group boko haram is being blamed d