>> announcer: this is al jazeera. hello, this is the newshour, live from london. coming up in the next 60 minutes - zika virus outbreak. the world health organisation declares it a public health emergency of international concern syrian peace talks officially start in geneva, with the opposition taking part in its first official session. a new era in myanmar politics. hundreds of politicians take their seats after decades of

military rule and the first reel test for those hoping to be candidates for president of the united states i'm in doha with all the sport, including pep guardiola named manager next season - all the action later in the programme the world health organisation has declared the outbreak of the zika virus a public health emergency of international concern. and the u.n.'s health agency warned the mosquito-born virus spreading across the americas at an alarming rate. the outbreak began in brazil. it's a condition where babies are born with abnormally small heads. it's suspected of being linked to the virus. health inspectors are advising women there and other countries

not to get pregnant. the virus spread across brazil and is found in 20 counties in the americas. >> i am now declaring that the recent cluster of microcephali and other neurological abnormalities reported in latin america, following a cluster of french polynesia in 2014 constitutes an international health emergency. as a cautionary measure, and because of the association, a coordinated international response is needed to improve surveillance the detection of infections and neurological complications. to intense the control of mosquito populations and to expedite the development of diagnostic defendants, and vaccines to protect people at risk

al jazeera's latin america editor lucia newman joins us from rio de janeiro. the w.h.o.'s declaration will come as little surprise to many people where you are, i imagine. tell us more about what the government has been doing to combat the zika virus. >> hello. i am sure they are applauded. any outside help will be welcomed. particularly here in brazil, which is the hardest hit country, a county going through an economic crisis, affecting the public health system itself. the government sent out the army or promise theed to -- promised to send out the army. the world health organisation mentioned - they are going from house to house. there's a decree allowing health workers to enter homes by force

with necessary, with the help of police, in case people don't want to open the doors, so they can inspect homes for civil water, the ideal breeding ground which carries zika and dengue fever, all of which are endemic or widespread through brazil and latin america. that's all they've been able to do so far. apart from a pregnant women, to use repellant long sleeves, and, if possible, not to bet pregnant at all for as long as possible. it's a very, very serious epidemic indeed. >> and there has been around 3,700 cases of microcephali, a condition where babies are born with abnormally small heads in brazil. how prepared are the medical authorities to respond to this

now? >> well, that's a very good question. the government said that they'll give a life-long kind of a pension to these babies, but only for people from low income areas. we spoke to specialists, epidemiologists and rehabilitation specialists, they say that the babies will need all kinds of therapy for as long as they live. some of the babies are stiff, cramped arms, legs, have scarring of the retina, they can't see properly. it's difficult and tragic. they are children born with smaller than normal heads and brains. you can imagine what that can mean. >> lucia newman, our latin american editor joining us thrive from renaling we -- joining us live from rio de janeiro now we speak to a professor of epidemiology from aber deem.

thank you for speaking to us. we know there's no vaccine or cure for zika virus, to avoid catching it, you have to make sure you are not bitten by a mosquito. how difficult will that be? >> well, it's quite difficult in brazil, because the mosquito that transmits the virus is common there. it's already - last year they had an enormous outbreak, more than an epidemic, of dengue, spread by the same mosquito. the mosquito is very common, one that lives in towns, that is urban. it likes to live close to people, in puddles of water, cans that are discarded. a lot of people in brazil, in the favelas have their own water tanks where mosquitos go to town and breed. these all have to be attended to. it's not just a question of sending in soldiers, making sure

that all the citizens, all the people in brazil pay attention to stopping the mosquito breeding in these places, as well as stopping yourself being bitten with mosquito repellant. i am sure sales have gone through the roof. it's very clever. it loves people as a source of good, and to live in what we leave behind, in our habitation. it will be difficult. it's the only thing that can be done immediately. the vaccine will take years to develop. there's no doubt about that. >> and the w.h.o. is calling for a coordinated response to this. what does that mean, in practice? >> well, i think it means that whatever assistance brazil requires, and the other countries in the tropical parts of south america, the virus is

not in argentina yet. all the countries will have to have big programs of mosquito control to keep the virus at bay. that's the big thing that the w ho can help with -- that the w.h.o. can help with. there's a lot of experience. brazil eradicated it, but it came back. will it come into the united states? i think it will. it lives in florida, texas and places. it's not just a brazil problem, it's a south america problem where there's the right temperature. what the w.h.o. is going is raising the awareness of it. it's a good things, because it means everyone will get together, cooperate and money will flow to the places where money is required. >> in terms of response to the virus now, do you think it will be the catalyst for serious

investment in health and san takes. you were talk -- sanitation. you were talking about certain towns in brazil having their own water systems, it's difficult to keep track of what is going on, you have more of a - the government is not as active or proactive as it should be. it's a bit more decentralized. will we see changes and investment in health care and sanitation in order to combat the virus. >> i would sincerely hope so. without it the virus will continue to go on the rampage, and the other virus that we heard about. the danke and others - it killed nearly 900 people in brazil. that is not a trivial thing itself. it doesn't cause the problems, and one of the other problems that came to light when zika took off in french polynesia was

a disease calling paralysis. we don't just have the baby problems, but we have other problems, it may not show itself for a while. zika is in the frame for both of these things. one thing mentioned was surveillance, finding out what happened. that has to be done really, really quickly to find out what the scale of problem is, and if there's anything to be done about it. i don't think anyone nose any obvious -- anyone knows any obvious solution to the medical problem. prevention is the key, and all the effort that the w.h.o. is putting in will stimulate everyone to pull together and really try and keep the virus from getting worse. at the best. dampening down the population. >> it will require a great deal of innovation and work.

>> thank you very much. good to get your analysis. >> thank you. >> the u.n. special envoy for syria says peace talks are under way. the comments were made after a meeting with the main opposition group, the high negotiating committee, and called for a ceasefire on the ground in syria. they understood opposition concerns about the humanitarian situation and bombing campaign. james bays is in geneva. >> after the first meeting of the syrian opposition delegation here at the u.n. headquarters in geneva, the u.n. special envoy stefan de mistura felt that this marked the formal start of the syria peace talks process. an opposition spokesman said they want to see concrete developments on the ground. >> we came here to discuss with the special envoy the resolution

2254, you know, lifting the siege, and stopping the crimes done by russian air strikes in syria, and i believe we removed, in fact, very positive maisages from the special envoy, and tomorrow he will have a meeting with the regime side, and we'll wait for a reply from him. >> mr de mistura also used this to send a message to the regional and international countries that have been setting up the process. he said it was time for an immediate ceasefire. >> there was a message in the vienna meetings, that when the geneva walks will start they

should be at the beginning of a serial discussion about ceasefire. that is not something i can discuss, it is something to be discussed at the level of the i.s. g, and those countries involved in take that. the discussions are starting, but meanwhile the challenge is now let's also have those that have the capacity of discussing this at the different level, time to discuss about ceasefire. >> the u.n. special envoy said he would have further talks with the syrian government and the opposition on tuesday. he'll talk about humanitarian access to besieged areas, and asked the syrian opposition for a list of women and children held in gaols by the bashar al-assad regime. if he was given that list, he'd give it to the government side and ask for their release. >> let's get more on this.

joining us live in the studio is a senior research associate at the university of london's school of oriental and african studies. let me pick up where we left off in geneva. does it look like the olympics, and we speak about it being monolithic. does it look like they'll get the reassurances that they want. the overall humanitarian situation. >> what the opposition is getting at at the moment, rhetorical situation. unless this is met with actions on part of the regime, then all the promises don't mean much. the opposition is entering the talks in good faith. hoping that the promises stefan

de mistura is talking about will deliver. there's no guarantee it will follow through. >> how long will the opposition wait to see concrete measures. this round of talks that will break down, or might they respond positively for what they are asking for. >> at the moment the regime does not look to respond positively. while it said it would negotiate areas of syria. it has continued to bombard different areas of syria. not long ago we saw bombardment in the suburbs of damascus. the behaviour on the ground does not indicate that the regime is going to end attacks on civilians any time soon. this gives the opposition many reasons to be doubtful about how much patience they should have. >> we see while this process is unfolding in geneva, russia,

which is a participant in the talks, bombing another area there. how much of a complicated factor could that be? >> russia has been bombing other rebel groups on the ground. all the rebel groups that are represented are bombarded by russia on the ground. it shows that again, although russia says it is on board with the negotiation, it is not behaving in a way that indicates confidence in what russia has been saying. russia signed a referendum saying no more sieges, no more attacks on civilians, allowing humanitarian aid and access. and mentioned things that are killing civilians. the situation does not look

promising at the moment. >> it's continuing to be a difficult and tragic situation. you have russia at the table, influential figures from opposition groups at the table in geneva. if it's managed in the correct way, could it be an ongoing forum for the different parties to come together, to perhaps get to a resolution, or even mitigate, you know, the suffering of people in syria? >> well, of course, because the situation is so complex and because russia and the regime is so entrencheded, we expect the political process to result in change. >> this is the only way forward. it is clear no one can win the conflict militarily. it's in the hands of russia as a major power with influence over the regime. if they want to push it forward,

they can. ultimately they have to recognise that it's in their interest to succeed. >> thank you very much. >> thank you more to come on the al jazeera newshour. security summit - france and belgium join forces to share anti-terrorism intelligence. plus... ..why plilts in south korea are taking off in big -- pilots in south korea are taking off in big numbers to work for other airlines. in sport. barcelona's president appears in court over the transfer of one of their biggest stars. at least 20 people have been killed and others injured which a suicide bomber outside a police building in the afghan capital, kabul. the afghan taliban claimed responsibility for the attack, coming days before a third round of talks, laying the ground work

for negotiations between the government and fighters. >> jennifer glasse was the latest from kabul. >> the bomber chose the busy moments after lunchtime to strike. he blew himself up outside the headquarters of the civil order police. >> translation: it was a suicide bomber that detonated outside the base. i saw three or four wounded people after the explosion. i do not know more. >> reporter: dozens were wounded and killed. security raced to the scene and sealed off the area, a main tloro fair in -- tloro fair in kabul. many. victims are treated at the emergency hospital. doctors say there were super wounds and grave ones. family members gather outside, waiting for news. >> translation: i was in the area when suddenly an explosion happened, and some 20 people

received injuries and were laying on the ground. the type of explosion was unclear. >> an n.a.t.o. spokesman said the attack: on saturday, officials from afghanistan, pakistan, china and the united states are scheduled to meet in islamabad to revive the peace talks. it's unclear whether the attacks will end the process altogether, or to give the taliban a better bargaining position if and when they come to the peace table. it's shaping up to be the most wide open race for the most powerful job in half a century. later on monday voters in the u.s. state of iowa will vote who they think should be the candidate in the presidential election. voters will vote in a series of

meetings, known as caucuses. iowa's vote is of significance. it's the first to take place in an election year. for major parties, it is wide open. the front runner was hillary clinton, but the far left candidate bernie sanders has closed the gap. the republican process has been dominated by billionaire donald trump. rival candidates struggled for attention. donald trump has been speaking from iowa. >> we'll bring them back from china, japan, mexico - who is doing a number. i love mexico and the people. but the leaders are too smart, too cunning. they are doing on unbelievable job. i wish our leaders could do the same job to other countries. again, we don't win, we never have victory, we will change that we have two correspondents

in iowa, john hendren, but first to kimberley halkett. >> the candidates have been campaigning and continue to do so right until the start of the caucus. ted cruz and marco rubio are the opponents that are running a bit behind him from the democrat side. hillary clinton has been out shaking hands. one thing that we noticed is some of the numbers that have been coming in terms of how much money hillary clinton has been spending. according to her own numbers, she spent $74 million last year, in contrast to her main rival bernie sanders, who in the last four months raised $53 million. many of his donations are about $27 each. he's attracting the grassroots. what did they end up with?

the same results. shows how hard hillary clinton has had to work. over the weekend, her campaign reached out to 125,000 iowan households. bernie sanders did 75,000. at the end of the day, this is critical for hillary clinton, she's looking back to 2008 when again it was sort of presumed that she'd be the inevitable nominee only to lose to pam a. she's looking hard to see that that doesn't happen. we have to look at the results and what they mean. it's an important matter. giving an indication of how americans people, and you need to finish in the top third if you want to win the presidency. >> thank you kimberley halkett. now to john hendren in a cafe. we know for both parties, it's a race that is uncertain.

how would turn out affect the caucuses today? >> turn out could make all the difference on both sides of this caucus today. on the republican side, donald trump is leading by a few points in recent polls. it's a dead heat between bernie sanders and hillary clinton. what pollsters believe - they are based on likely voters. what happens if a candidate gets people excited like president barack obama did. unlikely pollsters come in and the polls go out the window. if a large number show up at the caucuses, it's good news for trump and others, both having those following them. not among the set. if bernie sanders wins in newhampshire, a neighbouring state to vermont.

that would give him a head starred. he'd get donors and support for volunteers. to throw amongy brersh in all of that, there is a blizzard. that may be enough to keep some away from the poll. we'll watch to see if turn out is high or low. >> we'll be watching the turn out. hendren in iowa hundreds of politicians have been sworn into parliament in myanmar. heralding a new era. >> aung san suy kyi won elections ending more than 50 years of military rule. the military has significant influence. >> reporter: members of parliament from the myanmar national league for democracy or ald take power. it's a power shared. after half a century in control,

the military retain a firm hold. they get a quarter of all seats, keech control of military and can block change. analysts say that will make it difficult for the n.l.d. to govern. >> i think as far as the military is sitting in the parliament. the government cannot govern effectively. >> the military themselves were not saying too much. >> is it going to be a good government. a workable government? hello? during the years of military rule, n.l.d. supporter was constantly in and out of detention. will take effort. >> translation: it is a very sensitive time. negotiations need to take place to build up trust. >> this is a country in need of

effective government. >> referred to as democracy on a leash, there's no doubting whose hand is on it. the hope is that the military feel comfortable enough that they don't exercise their powers. >> the list of priorities for the m.p.s is long. getting all ethnic groups to sign up to a ceasefire after years of conflict. ending the marginalization and persecution of the minority rohingya. then there's the economy, after years of stagnation. there are signs of recovery. >> this person used to have a roadside stall, selling fuel from bottles. now he has a filling station. >> you at least have a car or motorbike. now, nearly every house has one motorbike. >> and among all the other priorities of the new parliament, the business of a new president. n.l.d. leader aung san suy kyi is blocked by a constitutional

clause that would need to be changed with agreement from the military. in this new atmosphere of change, even that seems possible still to come from the al jazeera newshour. germany prepares to celebrate carnivale, despite being under heightened security a scam that defrauded investors of $7.6 billion in china and in sport we here from novak djokovic about his quest to become the greatest tennis player of all time. time.

>> grammy award-winning jazz singer cassandra wilson. >> everyone comes into the world with their unique voice. the question is, do you know how to develop it? >> her life, legacy and song-writing secrets. >> tapping into a spirituality inside of the music is very important. >> i lived that character. >> go one-on-one with america's movers and shakers. >> we will be able to see change. welcome back, you're watching the al jazeera newshour. let's take you through the top stories, the world health organisation declared the outbreak of the zika virus a public health emergency of international concern. the u.n. envoy to syria say talks aimed at ending the civil war is starting.

the main opposition group was behind the negotiating committee in geneva in a few hours time voting will be under way in iowa as the republican and democratic parties choose their candidate for the 2016 presidential election. with all the stories we are following, france and belgium agree to work more closely in tackling security threats after the french attacks. there has been a call for a watch list of suspects. there are doubts that it will address the underlying problems playing into the hands of islamic state of iraq and levant the prime ministers of belgium and france arrived at the summit looking for shared solutions. the paris attack exposed laps in policing and intelligence, loopholes both want to close. >> translation: we can never go backwards. times have changed. this is why we are acting

together. that's why intelligence has to be methodically crosschecked. >> translation: we need to close the gaps, and should systematically change information. >> reporter: all but two of the known men were from belgium or france. a hunt is on the way. one escaped because he had not been identified as a suspect. both countries want databases of suspects extending across the continent. security experts say the plans do not go far enough in tackling the root causes of violence. >> we can note solve the situation, first of all, it will not prevent attacks. it could push some people to - for the process of fraternisation, to act. >> for weeks the brussels district of mohl 'em beck was

the center of intense police activity, many of the paris attackers had links. >> mohl 'em beck is rarely in the news for anything good. it's labelled by the belgium press as an incubator, something that angered locals, and contributes to the rift in this area and the rest of the country. >> at the cafe, locals are eager for a fresh start. >> we are all brothers, you know. and sisters. >> poverty and unemployment are on the rise. better security alone will not solve the area's deeper social problems. the paris attacks sent shock waves across europe. many welcome greater security. young people continue to be attracted to groups, the threat of further attacks will remain israeli troops shot dead an 18-year-old man in the occupied

west bank after an alleged stabbing. it came after another man was killed after wounding soldiers outside the state of ramallah 85 have been killed in suspected boko haram attacks in north-eastern nigeria. gunmen opened fire on civilians and set fire to homes in delora, which is 12km from the capital. >> he has a fearsome reputation as a putin loyalalist willing to use brute force to prove that allegiance. now the prime minister of chechnya has written a scathing attack, leading to an almost death sentence. >> reporter: this video has a written warning.

kasiona goes to strasburg for money for the russian opposition who hasn't understood, will understand. unsurprisingly the two men see rams dam's post as a direct death threat. >> well, i have no doubt and others are of the same position, that this is open and public incitement to murder. there's no other way to interpret it. we will both file a request to the investigative committee of russian investigation for a criminal investigation. >> the video is not a one off. kadirof was pictured with a snarling dog, waiting to sink its teeth into russian opposition leaders and independent journalist. chechnya's people wrote that they should be treated as enemies of the people, locked up

in psychiatric hospitals. a politician that rejected this was intimidated into recording a grovelling apology. almost a year ago a leading light of the politicians was shot dead meters from the wall. the dangers faced are real and proven. it didn't take long following kadirov's murder. one of the chief suspects served in one of kadirov's battalion, and the chechen leader prayed him as an analyst. >> this says they can say and do things others couldn't dream of. >> he's trying to find some support from vladimir putin.

that can confirm and maybe this is the only way to keep peace in chechnya for vladimir putin. >> reporter: in 2000 the kadirov family was elevated by vladimir putin to help quell nearly a decade of separatist fighting. those that hope the kremlin may be tiring of the warlord were disappointed. vladimir putin praised cadd ear ov as within effective worker. the u.k. approved a scientists request to edit human genetic code. controversial technique was pioneered to show how it was developed. al jazeera said phil lavelle has more. >> this is what the story is all about. the human embryo, and whether

scientists can and should genetically modify these. it's an ethical minefield. the argument is about to get louder in the u.k. permission has been granted. here is why. this organization here in london asked the regulatory body for position to do it. the human fertilisation authority has said yes. the scientists needed that licence to go ahead and perform what is called genome editing, to help establish causes behind miz carriages and other issues to do with the fertilization of eggs. >> it's important to understand causes of fertility, for example, why the embryo doesn't emplant into the uterus and womb. it's important that research goes ahead. >> reporter: what will happen is embryos will be donated by couples with a surplus.

there's a list of rules that go along with it. first of all, they'll be used for limited research. on top of that, no implanting into women to bring about a pregnancy. they'd have a strict 14 day maximum life period. despite that, there was concern about what could follow in the future. >> the editing of d.n.a. in a human embryo is highly controversial, it's opposed by most research scientists around the world. and banned in over 40 countries. britain is risking becoming a rogue state in the whole endeavour. people are opposed to it because it's dangerous because of the unpredictable effect on the human genome. it's unnecessary. >> now, all of this follows a similar procedure in china, which happened last year, there a team of scientists became the first in the world to announce they had successfully altered

d.n.a. now the procedure will begin in the u.k., and soon. once granted and ethics approval had been given, the process can begin almost immediately. germany is preparing to celebrate carnivale. it comes with security after mass assaults in cologne on new year's eve. dominique kane reports. >> reporter: in a few days, cologne city center will be awash with colour and costumes. now it's a hive of activity as final preparations are made for carnival week. many are expected to take to the streets across western germany. in bomb, authorities printed leaflets in arabic, in the hope it will explain carnival to the refugees and migrants. behind all of this is the fear of a repetition of what happened in cologne on new year's eve. when more than 1,000 women were

victims of sexual and physical assault. to prevent this the police stepped up their presence and given a stern message to anyone with criminal intentions. >> we will act consequently against anything that may arm the peaceful co-existence of our people. whether it's drunks, thieves, rob e and sexual predators. in -- robbers and sexual predato predators. >> thursday is the day women's parade takes place. party goers dress up in fantasticy dress and go down the street. some are wary. >> translation: you do think about it more than normal. i'm trying to go to event with tickets, were not just anyone can get in. i'm not a fan of short costumes anyway. i think it's rubbish. it should be about celebrating and having fun, not trying to

pick someone up. >> events in cologne sparked a change in public opinion towards refugees and asylum seekers. where once many germans welcomed refugees with open arms. now a majority are worried their country cannot cope. >> there's a since of a lack of control of those allowed to be in the country and who is moving where. that is something felt by the political elite as a threat. >> the government responded to public fears by promising tougher rules for asylum seekers who commit crimes and are giving safe country access to three states from where please believe the attackers came from, being people from those countries will no longer be able to claim refugee status. those are for the future. at the moment all says are on cologne, where organizers hope there'll be no repeat of what

happened on new year's eve. chinese police arrested 21 people connected to an investment scheme that allegedly defrauded investors of 7.6 billion. executives from china's peer to peer money country accused of teeling from 900 thus -- stealing from 900,000 people. they concealed the evidence by burying the accounts books. >> this is one of the largest financial scams in china, the company ran an online financing platform, connecting borrowers with lenders, but going through an institution such as a bank. it's known as peer o peer lending. it lured customers by offering high returns. in 1.5 years it persuaded

900,000 investors to part with 7.6 billion. this is according to a state media report. now, chinese internet financing has grown popular in china in the last few years as consumers discovered how easy it is to not only borrow money, but to make money using mobile phones and the laptop. it's estimated there's 2000 online lenders. chinese officials appeared to crack down on the industry. it's difficult to regulate and supervise the fast-growing internet-based financing activities. south korea's pilots are taking flight. with many leaving the airliner for better pay in china and elsewhere. as harry faucet reports from seoul, those left will go on strike. >> the korean flight center is

busy, training new pilots. inside the cockpit of a replica 747. this crew practices a landing. it's a prestigious job. so why are many leaving the country? >> this is the captain. evacuation. >> reporter: the first reason is that korean airline system cannot promise hope for the pilots, and there's a huge gap in salary compared to neighbouring countries, especially china. >> reporter: last year 122 left, more than 7 times than the year before. a third went to china for double or triple the pay. trade leaders demand a 37% pay rise. corie yn air said pilots earn 116,000 a year. >> an increase of 1.9% this year. the gap is too big for us to

deal with. right now the numbers being asked for is unacceptable. >> reporter: union leaders say the flood of departures is creating a safety issue. the portion of pilots recruited overseas is doing up. korean air said concerns about safety is unfounded. they have the ability to train up new pilots and have experienced ones fill the gap. the other is geographical. the small size means pilots on domestic routes, while flying the same number of hours are in command of individual flights. >> in that case, the labour intensity could be doubled up for the more frequent flight pilot. so when we are investigating the

government, they don't count that frequency effect. >> whether it's more money, less tres, both are operating a one way ticket. many bound for china coming up in sport in a few minutes... >> i'm lee we'llages at -- wellings at wembley stadium. the question is can this man become f.i.f.a. president.

welcome back, time for sport

with robin. >> thank you. another english premier league side revealed this pep guardiola agreed to take over as their manager. the 25-year-old watched his current team bayern munich win. on 30th june he'll take over at etihad after signing a 3-year contract. manchester city will be the third team he's managed. manchester city confirmed that manuel pellegrini will stay on to the end of the season. but in a statement explained the reason for making the announcement monday. they said: manuel pellegrini is supportive of the decision to make the communication is focussed on achieving his targets through the season ahead. manuel pellegrini confirmed the arrangements. >> i know the speculation.

i'm not doing nothing behind me. i know this. i don't think it's good to have rumour or speculation. i prefer to finish today. that's what i told the press. and i spoke two weeks ago, that i would do it. >> guardiola is an impressive cv. his top level job was in barcelona in 2008. in four years he won 14 trophies, including three spanish league titles, the copa del ray. he left in 2012 and was away for a year. before returning in 2013, the trophies rolled in, including back to back bundislega and the german cup and the f.i.f.a. world cup. guardiola's former club is making headlines for different reasons. neymar, a player, will appear in court on tuesday to answer questions about his 2013

transfer. on monday the counter barca president, and the man he succeeded gave evidence at the spanish high court in madrid. they are being investigated for not paying enough tax on the transfer, having claimed it was worth $74 million. on investigations revealed it was more like 90. neymar will be questioned along side his father, who is also his agent. >> f.i.f.a. dehli candidate has told al jazeera he has the blessing of michel platini to take the top boss. lee wellings has been speaking to him. >> reporter: his boss, michel platini, was banned from football. step forward gi varny, and friends, camelo and jose

mourinho. at london's stadium. the governing body released a manifesto to become president of f.i.f.a. is he heir to the throne? >> he's a serious contender. >> police tell people, our viewers around the globe, why should you be f.i.f.a. president. >> how many hours do i have? >> you have one minute maximum. >> i will be faster than that. i'm the right man for this job of f.i.f.a. president because i'm the man that can bring football back to f.i.f.a. >> he is one of five candidates confirmed to be standing. the favourite is asian football boss of brier. london it the epicentre. if you want to get a message out, this is the place to be. it will help if you have a few famous friends with you. >> nfantino has been everywhere,

making friends and trying to influence voters in africa, asia, oceania, the caribbean. there has been pledges of support, and for most, if not all agents. >> as i listen to his manifesto, i wondered via live tweeting whether he has the support he needs in asia and africa. >> i'm confident. i came out publicly in support. >> not in asia and africa. >> not yet in asia or africa. this follows certainly. for anything else, by the way, nobody came out publicly for anyone else. >> this is entirely comfortable. michel platini's standing still standing. >> for the moment he's banned from football-related activities. >> you have his blessing. >> of course, i have a great relationship over the years. >> he's enjoyed the spotlight or the secret pallet. will it make him a permanent

fixture. in top finals, when you get to here, the end of the road to wembley, you have achieved your goal. in the f.i.f.a. presidential election, there's plenty of work for the candidates over the next few weeks. novak djokovic says he wants to become the greatest tennis player ever, and his record-equalling sixth title at the australian open put him on his way to achieve that. the world number one showing off his trophy in melbourne. a day after meeting andy murray in the final. novak djokovic will turn his attention to securing a main french open crown, the only title that continues to allude him. >> being 28 and at the peak of my abilities, i feel like i can achieve much more. how far i can go, i don't know. it's an individual sport, so a lot can happen, and everything depends on you.

i hope that i'm able to still respect and live this kind of lifestyle to help me to reach this point of my career and my life. i have a great support of my family and team of people. if it stays that way, i don't think anything is unreachable. >> reporter: the women's australian open winner anningel eke kiesha has -- angelique kerber has arrived home, the first german since stephy graph to win. she left the important piece of luggage in melbourne. >> the trophy will be sent home. it weighs pore than 10 kilos, it's heavy. i carried it everywhere after the final. they promised to send it to my home singapore - 12 players

return to a course earlier for the deciding few holes. jordan spieth among them, a double major winner staying in an extra day to make one shot to finish the final round, sinking a birdie puck on the 18th hole. coming in son yun han. the world number 4 spent the night putting in his hotel room, drew in over par and it was the first professional victory for the 24-year-old. that is your sport. back to the rest of the newshour team in london. >> you can find more on everything we are covering on the website. all the latest news and sport there. aljazeera.com is the address. that's it for the newshour. i'll be back with a full bulletin of news after a short break. we'll be live in iowa, stay with us.

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zika virus out break, the world health organisation declares it a public health emergency of international syrian peace talks hello, you are watching al jazeera, live from london. also coming up - syrian peace talks officially start in geneva, with the opposition taking part in its first official session. a first test for the big-named candidates hoping to be president of the united states. live in iowa. and a new era in myanmar politics. hundreds of politicians take their seats afte