>> announcer: this is al jazeera. hello, welcome to the newshour. coming up in the next 60 minutes - pulled from the rubble. a tiny survivor of a growing offensive in syria, which is threatening talks to end the conflict doozens of houthi rebels killed in air strikes in yemen as pro-government forces fight to retake the province. japan warns north korea over

a planned space rocket launch in a country seen as a stable democracy - why some zambians are worried about their freedom let's begin the newshour with syria, and russia is insisting that it will not stop its bombing campaign. it's supporting a major government offensive in aleppo, blamed for undermining talks in geneva, to end the fill war. activists say at least 45 civilians were killed on tuesday, forcing the heaviest bombardment in the area since the war began five years ago. emergency workers are searching for survivors, and amid the disruption, this child was trapped in rubble for hours, prooupd killed.

-- presumed killed. rescue workers found him in time. let's have a look at the map. the advance began on sunday, and it's taken a string of villages, including these. the regime is trying to link up with territory it controls. and the aim is to cut off rebels inside aleppo city, the largest city in syria. we'll be live in geneva with the diplomatic editor james bays and zeina khodr on the turkish syrian border. let's go to zeina khodr. how is this battle shapele up, what is the situation that we are learn from inside aleppo? >> well, we have been speak toing rebel commanders on the ground, and they described the situation as extremely difficult. they are calling for reinforce: on the foreign backers to send

evidence. they are on a lot of pressure. taking town after town, and russian air power which is key. they are describing the bombardment as unprecedented. they are describing the assault as intense. the rebels in a difficult position. the immediate objective of the campaign is to reach loyalist towns. that way they are able to cut aleppo countryside from opposition controlled areas from inside aleppo city. there's a second phase to the operation. there are loyalist fighters, and they have arms, so the army is expecting to use them to take more territory in this strategic corner of syria. some in the opposition and even in the government camp is calling this is the mother of all battles. this is not just about winning

syria's largest city, but about winning the north. it's about defeating what is left of the moderate opposition, the so-called free syrian army. the aleppo countryside is the remaining strong hold. >> how key is the battle to the survival of the opposition of bashar al-assad? >> it's key, sami. i spoke to an ssa commander, he explained it clearly, the only border crossing they use is in the aleppo province. there is a border crossing in the hands of the opposition. it was controlled by groups like al-nusra. they are fighting to control this life line, a life line that brings in food and the ammunition that they need. here is what they told me, that they are facing pressure, not just the government and its allies on the ground and russian

air power, there's i.s.i.l. on the eastern countryside of aleppo. i.s.i.l. is there putting on pressure, and there's a strong hold of the y.p.g., the kurdish force, and he told me we are facing three enemies, three enemies, and the y.p.g. can push east, and the regime pushes north, and they just cut off the border. this is about the f.s.a. survival. but i can tell you after talking to a lot of people in the opposition, they are not optimistic that they can win the battle. >> zeina khodr, thank you for that update. let's continue the discussion with james bays. you're covering, of course, the political talks, as we heard from zena, some factors of the opposition fighting for survival. how are they doing on the negotiating table? >> well, in terms of negotiations, it's at a complete stand still.

and that is because the opposition side are debating among themselves what to do at this stage. we had a meeting on tuesday with the government side. the opposition would not come to the united nations because of the escalation that has taken place in recent hours around aleppo. they are now deciding how to bomb them, whether to take part in further talks that the opposition blocked. you heard from zeina khodr how important militarily it is. it puts the opposition in a difficult situation. if they continue talks, they are undermined. because of that military operation. if they leave the talks, the military situation does not get better. they face a difficult decision on what to do in the coming hours, the talks stalling, as we speak. >> this is sounding a bit like deja vu, talks over syria in trouble again. what does the u.n. do now, james? >> well, i suspect the only

thing they can do is try to put pressure on the russians. the russian foreign minister sergey lavrov has been speaking in oman and they said they'll continue the bombardment of what he calls terrorists, but actually it's the very groups here, presented in geneva. the fighting groups. there'll need to be pressure on the russians from some of the other sponsors of the talks. if there is going to be any progress. the opposition came here reluctantly, and they were not happy city at the talks, and they wanted to see positive developments on the ground. look at what happened instead. the opposite of that, a major escalation on the ground. they say the opposition members - there's no way that this just happened. this was very, very carefully planned, a major operation like

this. by the syrian government. russia was part of the planning for this at this time. russia is supposed to be a sponsor of the process. the other sponsors, the u.s. are the ones to watch the coming hours. there was a meeting on thursday, about the dire humanitarian situation in london. a lot of world leaders gathering there. the pressure needs to come from the meeting in london. >> thank you for that, james bays i.s.i.l. claimed responsibility for two separate talks in ramadi and iraq. it follows a car bomb attack only monday, killing dozens of soldiers. the iraqi army claims it controls 95% of the iraqi large province. we are joined from the iraqi capital of baghdad with the latest. what do you make of the latest

news on the attacks. what can you tell us? >> well, what i can tell you is it's alarming for the iraqi security forces about the attack in the north of rarm ardy -- amadi. the army claimed they were in control of the north of the city. the iraqi army lies in the center of the city. there are police forces and counterterrorism forces. where the shelling comes in and killed four iraqi soldiers is on the outskirts of the villages. it's proving to be a problem. whilst all of this was happening, the iraqi army came under fire. in the east of the ramadi, that is the last pocket of i.s.i.l. fighters. it's taken them four attempts to get this far, it's the fourth offensive they mounted. they seem to be finding it difficult to get into the east

of that city, and clearing it of i.s.i.l. fighters. the coalition told us they think there's only about 300 fighters within the neighbourhood. but they are proving to be difficult. >> what has been the impact of a series of i.s.i.l. attacks since monday, is the conclusion that this is a serious slowdown, if not set back to the offensive to retake ramadi. >> this was supposed to be the showcase offensive against i.s.i.l. in ramadi. ramadi was one of the largest cities in anbar province, and supposed to be the jewel in the crown of the iraqi security forces rather than the popular mobilization forces. it was supposed to be a show case for the iraqi army to say we can take the fight to i.s.i.l., it's the fourth offensive against the eastern neighbourhood. they are finding it difficult.

leaving ramadi aside, they are facing a lot of problems. what we are hearing is there are 5,000 families trapped within that city. there's a siege around it. i.s.i.l. are able to back themselves up sufg the eastern corridor. it's not just the last remaining area. to the iraqi security forces under pressure, this was supposed to be a battle plan, and supposed to be a decisive victory, it hasn't played out like that. >> thank you for that update to yemen, 40 houthi fighters have been killed in sanaa province, happening north-east of the capital. in the maintained an range.

six popular fighters have been killed in the rebel base. the ongoing saudi-led air strikes and the shelling resulted in the destruction of buildings and artefacts. both have been accused of disregard for heritage. it was said that houthi shelling destroyed the national museum. >> translation: i stand here inside the national museum in the city of tiaz. the museum has been under heavy shelling by the houthi fighters, under forces of the president ali abdullah saleh. you can see the fire is in every corner in the building. everything was burnt down. the manu scripts. here in my hand, and it melted because of the fire. he was the leader of the family and the last monarch in yemen. this historical treasure melted

because of the raging fire. in is yemen's heritage, burnt to the ground. various belongings of the ruling family this governed yemen and everything turned into ashes. this is the hill where the forces shelled the museum from, until now, they keep bombing the area. nothing is left. only pages of old koran transcript well, there's more to come on the al jazeera newshour - including hopes fade for lasting peace between the philippines rebels. we'll tell you why more on the controversial ruling on australia refugee policy, and in sport, the transfer of jackson martinez. the financial power of chinese

football. japan has put its military on alert to shoot down a rocket as it threatens japanese territory, the north koreans insist that the rockets will carry a satellite. harry fawcett reports. >> reporter: when north korea last launched a long-range rocket, it placed a satellite in or orbit. the the purpose is clearly military says japanese minister. >>. translation: this is a ballistic missile test. the testing is a violation of important security decisions. north korea's announcement confirmed speculation based on satellite images of the launch site. the first stage will fall to the

west of south korea. discarded parts crash south before the second stage crashes into the sea. >> the flight path notwithstanding, japan says it will shoot down the rocket if any part threatens soil. south korea held a meeting demanding north korea rethink its plan. >> we warn that the north will play the price. it's a threat to peace not only on the korean peninsula, but around the world. >> previous announcements from north korea provoked rhetorics. it pressed ahead with its plans. south koreans are familiar with the event. >> translation: they cannot deal with it by themselves. they do not care. i have great concerns. if they launch, they launch.

i don't feel it's a threat. pushing for a distringent sanction from this time around. there has been plenty of public pressure for ignoring the cause for constraint. if beijing is concerned. picking the day that a senior chinese official touches down let's go to beijing. and victor gow, the director of the china national association of international studies, affiliated with china's military of foreign affairs. good to have you with us. while we are on air. i'd like to read this to you as well as our viewers. russian foreign ministers expressed concern over north korea's planned satellite launch. given your connections and understanding of authorities in

china, how much concern is there that the region may be slipping into confrontation now japan warns it will shoot down north korean rockets? >> well, the announced launch of the satellite is a cause of concern for all countries in this part of the world. commina has been consistent -- china has been consistent in its position of fighting with the nuclear weapons, and repeatedly expressed its position and made it known to d.p.r.k. and other countries in this part of the world, to support the united nations security council resolution in calling for a halt for all these provocative acts on the part of t p.r. k, and hopefully will call been d.p.r.k. to continue with a launch of the satellite. the korean peninsula does not

need cause for greater instability and threat. and i would say that the complete denuclearization on the korean peninsula should be the ultimate call, and countries like china and the united states should do their pest to get on to the same page and take concerted acts together to make sure d.p.r.k. discontinue with the provocation. >> we have reports that perhaps a new rocket is about to be launched. reports of new texts, all of this while china has an envoy in pyongyang. what sort of a deal do you think he'll try to put together? i think the situation with nuclear weapons is complicated, and there's a tendency to defeat the rule, and that country may

be good at playing against the united states or playing the united states against cleana. ultimately -- china, ultimately, depends on whether major countries, china and the united states, gets on to the same beige and takes joint efforts in dealing with the threat of nuclearization. it constitutes not only a threat, but in this whole region as a whole, in this connection i loo like to point out that this is unfortunate that from the chinese perspective while we see washington doing all it can to ask china to cooperate fully are it won the d.p.r.k.'s nuclear wep programme, the -- weapon program, the united states is keeping up discretion. other countries, to which the

united states is not a claimant, and the contradictory actions are not helpful at all. they hep to finally and firmly get on to the same page to deal with the threat of d.p.r.k. weapons program. >> china could do more to pressure the north koreans if it wanted to, given the huge economic and political influence it has with pyongyang. >> definitely. china will do its best and exercise its leadership role in this connection. on the other hand. china doing everything itself, china has proposed and initiated and sponsored the six party talks. it is not working at present,

doesn't mean that it's not necessary to resume and restore the 6-party network. on the other happened, the united states adopted policies confusing to the chinese people. >> thank you so much, victor gow when abbing weano -- aquino became president of the philippines he said he would give power to the muslim minority. now plans stalled in parliament. >> reporter: this was the beginning of the end for the basic law, the basis for greater muslim autonomy of the philippines. 44 police commandos killed in a clash with rebel fighters. it was the largest casualty of

troops in recent years. both sides violating a ceasefire. >> i find difficulty understanding how the peace process would be saved. >> there was much between the peacekeepers and mliff when it was signed after years of negotiations and fighting. the killing of the 44 police commandos ended a fragile trust in the two sides, and exposed deep-seated prejudices within the majorify and minority. >> the cultural provisions combined and the bill stalled was debated, diluted and dismissed. >> many filipinos say it expresses the erosion. the popular leader was

criticized for mishandling the police operation. >> a lot of people in congress work on the basis of incentives that benefits them. we all know that. if we are trying to restore the system, congress will catch up with achieving national unity and national reconciliation in the country. >> reporter: the term ends in june. and there are fears should the autonomy not be fulfilled. >> if there's a splintering or fragmenting of the groups, they shift their alliance to the more radical groups, it's anyone's guess what will come next. >> it will be six months before a new government can start the process on autonomy. until then, negotiators on both

sides are doing what they can to ensure that the peace is intact these developments are the latest in an ongoing conflict killing 150,000 people. fighting erupted in the 1950s rebel group. persecution towards the south. fighting continues for the region, it's not until 2014 that many failed attempts that the government signed a peace deal. the implementation appears to have been stalled under the current president's term. we go to our guest involved in the peace process. and he now joins us from

bangkok. let's start with the fact that the president's term is ending in june. congress is entering a 3-month break. is this the end of the road effectively, for the autonomy bill. >> it is definitely the end of the road for the legislative process on the bill. yes,ed in. there was an agreement that was signed in 2014. both houses of congress, the house of representatives and the senate said they do not have time to finish it before the end of the president's term when they step down. >> what does that mean for the peace agreements signed with the milf. what does it mean for the peace process then? >> well, it certainly puts a strain on the peace process. the time line in the agreement signed in 2014 assumed that the

major pieces would be in place before president aquino steps down. both sides have said, both the government and the milf said that the comprehensive agreement to still be enforced but the time line would need to be adjusted. that said. there's the possibility that the incoming administration will take a different view on how to move forward. >> are we concerned in an uptick in armed attacks and a return to struggle in some of the groups. >> the moral islamic liberation front has been very assiduous in trying to make sure its forces stay on side. there are other armed groups who will take this opportunity to fish in troubled waters. there has been a couple of

bombing incidents down there that seemed linked to the end of the legislative process. >> you mentioned that things are going to have to wait to see what happens when, you know, after perhaps the new administration comes to power. is it likely that any follow up - any president after the counter one is likely -- current one is likely to follow in his footsteps and pursue this sort of a deal again. >> it's likely that any of the dehli candidates will have less interest. president aquino was interested in making this happen. there's incentives for any incoming administration to make the peace deal work. including the need to stop the diversion of resources into armed confligs in the south. for instance, if the philippines want a minimal incredible

defense in the brent seabrook, they'll need to divert resources. >> good to get your thoughts and analysis whether to extend the state of emergency, the measure was introduced after attacks in november. the state of emergency gives more hours to police. it's due to expire later this month. neave barker is live in paris. where is the cabinet heading on this one? >> well, there has been weeks of speculation, as to whether the government extends the state of emergency. that is what they intend to do. the prime minister has been speaking extensively. we were at the press conference in brussels, in which they said they would extend the state of

emergency. and it's good to remind france that the nation is at war. the state of emergency over the last 2.5 months has given extra power to the authorities, to shut down red sites, glorifying acts of violence and ban public demonstration, on top of that. the government wants to make changes to the constitution to bring in states of emergency in the future. there's a controversial proposal that may be voted upon later in the week. it could see dual nationals stripped of presidentship if they are convicted on acts of terrorism. the government needs to get tough on any possible threat and

signs of home grown violence. >> how strong is public support for these special powers? >> here in the french capital paris, the opinions are divided. a poll suggested 65% of the population behind the state of emergency. there were demonstrations in paris, thousands took to the streets, many from civil liberties groups and trade unions worried that continuation of the laws would mean they wouldn't be able to protest, and freedom of speech would be undermined by continuation of the state of emergency. there has been concerns about the effectiveness of the emergency measures. in december amnesty disagrees am published a report suggesting out of thousands of raids carried out. four investigations related to matters connected with so-called

terrorist, had been carried out. questions there about whether or not security measures are getting to the heart of the problem. >> neave barker there. thanks for that. >> an egyptian appeals court overturned a mass death sentence given to 149 people. they are among thousands convicted in trials in europe. they were accused of killing 13 police men, during anti-government protests in 2013. most believed to be supporters of the banned muslim brotherhood. >> let's get weather with steph. tricky weather in the u.s. >> tricky is one word for it, yes. very violent weather across the u.s. and canada. let's not forget our canadian cousins. we saw a huge whether. we see destructive weather. a lot of snow, freezing rain and the odd tornado.

these are storm reports that we have seen from the severe thunder storms, we have seen tornados, those are the little red dots and strong and damaging winds. now, the tornadoes are where we see some of the most destructive weather. this was filmed in alabama, and it's covering a large area and is giving a large footprint, it's ripping up homes and frees and powerlines. as we head through the next few days, we'll see more destructive weather, thanks to more severe thunder storms. in the north, that area of cloud has been giving us a different type of weather, namely a lot of wintery weather. there's heavy snow from california all the way up to the east of canada. some is deep. the worst in colorado, where we see over a meter in some places. this system is edging eastwards, some in the eastern parts of canada. there'll be a problem not only with know, but freezing rain,

that is one of the most dangerous types of weather that there is. >> thank you for that. still to come on al jazeera - the u.s. reports the first case of zika virus, potentially transmitted sexually as brazil and other nations battle the mosquito born disease. heading to the polls, a crucial vote for jobs and the economy. >> leicester city conditions a fairytale run. details coming up with joe in sport.

you're watching the al

jazeera newshour, let's rer cap the headlines. russia insists it will not stop its bombing campaigns. it's supporting an offensive in aleppo that killed 45 civilians. in yemen. 40 houthi fighters have been killed. happening north-east of sanaa, where pro-government fighters are trying to take back control from the rebels. >> japan put the military on alert to shoot down a north korean rocket if it threatens japanese territory. the north koreans insist the rocket is a satellite and the high court in australia has ruled the government's offshore detention policy for asylum seekers are lawful. dozens of babies could be deported to the civic islands in.

we have this report the case was brought forward by the lawyers of a pregnant bangladesh asylum seeker transferred from nir u to australia, to get treatment for pregnancy complications. her baby was born in australia. now she and her one-year-old face being deported to nauru. in a majority decision, the court said it was nost unlawful to be held on a prison camp in nauru, and the tale they have is valid. lawyers for the women say it's bitterly disappointed. >> the stroke of a pen is all that it takes, the prime minister or the immigration prime minister to do the decent thing and let the families say. the prime minister insists it's not just a moral issue, but a security one well. >> we'll consider the judgment

and implications carefully. what i can say is this. ourcm of deterrence is robust. and has been reinforced. >> u.n.i.c.e.f. says it's disappointed with the ruling and sided with calls for the government to intervene. >> this is an important moment for the australian government to show that it wants to take a reasoned response to what happened, that the high court decision aside, the immigration minister has discretion and is empowered to make decisions for these families. >> a previous test case. it was likewise rejected by the same court in 2014. according to the government. by the end of 2015.

1,459 asylum seekers will be offshored. 37 infants, 91 children and 150 adults in australia could be added to that fm if the minister chooses to support them a rare case of the zika virus being potentially sexually transmitted has been reported. the person infected is from dallas texas, brazil's prime minister declared a health emergency as they struggle to control the outbreak. >> let's take a closer look at this development. sexual transmission is rare, the way you catch it is through the bite of a mosquito. it seems likely that the individual caught zika from a partner. health officials urge men to use

condoms after travelling to areas that have the zika virus and to avoid unprotected sex for six months. we are joined live. good to have you with us. if it was concerned, a case of sexual transmission of the disease. this would be a development. it seems that way. that would be the first perception, we have to remember that this is a virus spreading primarily through the bites of the mosquito. that is the roots of the violence, to get from person to western. a consequence of someone being in question. it seems they may be able to pass on the virus through the sexual transition route. this is not a major route for

transmission, it's a rare occurrence, and at the moment, the advice that you described where individuals encouraged, males encouraged to use condoms, to protect their partners. >> there has been a lot reported, a lot of concerns about the impact on babies. one has been confirmed in terms of linking defects of the virus and the other hazards to this virus beyond reasonable doubt babies. the link between microcephali, where a baby is born from an underdeveloped brain, the link has not been proven. it's one. things that they are keen to do to try to show for definite that

there is a length. there are certain parts of the pregnancy, where there's a greater risk. it's important that we understand what the risks are when they are at their highest. then, of course, the more general things that we want to understand is essentially what has driven the outbreak. how did the virus manage to travel - originated in asia, went through the islands in, on to the america's and the caribbean. it's important to understand how the process hoped. there is a risk that the virus would be transmitted to other places, where the mosquito species relies on it for their transmission. on that point. the travel, the journey of this virus. now the w.h.o. is warning that

it could spread to asia and africa. how much precaution has been put in place to control how the virus is moving? >> it's a difficult thing to control. a virus that spreads on insects. we live on a massive amount of trade. the mosquito was introduced through the americans, through the used tire trade. there was pools of water. they contained the mosquito lava, and shipped from asia all the way to the united states. people travel. if someone is affected. they could turn up to where the

'80s mosquito is prevalent. all parts of the globe that have the instinct, the potential for the virus, africa and asia had the fire us, for thousands of years. we are likely to see the outbreaks. the risk for transmission or export of the current virus is to other places in the world. >> thank you so much. >> the irish will be heading to the polls at general election on february 26th, will be a crucial vote in a country five short years ago soughts international bailout. ireland has the european union's fastest growing economy. not everyone is benefitting. jonah hull travelled to dublin to find out how farr reaching it is. >> reporter: frankly the office dog lies a holiday in the

european headquarters in home sharing business air b&b. holiday travel is a big theme. you can hold meetings in new york or maraquesh. there's a hope hour pub to wind down in. >> the economy was the next wave of innovation and growth for all economies. and the fact that ireland attracted the digital internet of things, new age, new internet companies is key to establishing ireland and our economies as a center for growth. >> the offices of google, amazon, facebook and twitter are cool. all situated in dublin thanks to low carpet tax rates helping the economy grow at three times the average. the digital economy will employ 150,000 people by 2020.

if you are one of those feeling the love in offices like this, the economy is smiling brightly but there are more for whom it isn't. >> i found out through social media on facebook that my job was gone. >> john and suzie spent more than half a century, between them working at an iconic department store. it went bust and closed last year, a late casualty of the depression. >> reporter: having loft your your job, what are your chances of finding another? >> you have to be well educated. propers hours and contracts. you never know. i'm hope. -- hopeful. >> no doubt there's a revival in place. however, the working class - it hasn't trickled down. for many, the scars of austerity

and recession are fresh. john believes the new economy, not unlike the old one is built on corporate greed, with the workers struggling for a food hold zambia is seen as one of africa's stable democracies, some worry freedoms are being eroded and point to constitutional amendments introduced by the president. they are a big talking point as the country prepares for elections. we have this story. >> reporter: he's zambia's richest man and wants to be the powerful. hh, as supporters call him, tells me he wants to become president to save his country and democracy. hoe contested elections after the former president decide. he lost by the smallest of margin, less than 2% of the vote. >> no doubt elections were

manipulated, the 20 january elections. there was elements of manipulation in the counting of votes, the tally of votes and the announcements. >> despite gaining independence in 1954, freedom to form parties was secured 25 years ago, as zambia took final steps towards becoming a democracy. democracy is believed to be under threat. >> there's a law called here, public order. it's abused by the ruling party, restrict ghts the opposition from movement, from assembly, from the freedom of conscious. >> unlike some of its neighbours, zambia enjoys a free press. opposition alike as well as publication goes to print. although there's opposition forces, journalists like this

that when it comes to democracy, there's nothing to worry about. >> there's a meeting on the left that is critical of the government. they have a media in the middle. those who are independent. in my view, i don't think there's an obstruction to media freedom in this country. >> in response to public demands. they signed a series of amendments, including a provision of electoral law. for any candidate to exceed 50% of the votes. opponents describe it as a p.r. stunt. the small constitution is the way forward, which we are seeing a new democratic country. >> i don't think it fits all the people. >> zambia is permitted to be one

of the most demographic countries. as a race towards the dehli polls. regardless of who wins, those will enrich and protect that democracy now, myanmar's parliamentary upper house convened for the first time, installing a new government after 50 years of military rule. aung san suy kyi's national league for democracy won a land slide in the elections, the lower house met on monday and parliament will choose the new upper house speaker. it's an historic moment for the n.l.d., which was suppressed by the military for years. >> three pakistan airline employees have been killed and several injured during a second day of protests in karachi. it was in retaliation. all flights, domestic and

international have beenancedly. let's catch up with the news. a new transferred record. >> we'll get to that in a moment. we'll start with football. they've been punished for filming the opponent's challenge. the final has been fined 160,000. it shouldn't concern the club. it comes as they signed jackson martinez for a record fee. it's the biggest in the history of the super league. they were at atletico for seven months, scoring twice in 15 appearances. they signed add 4-year deal. >> it's been a busy window. martine ez moved, it's not only the largest in the history of

super league, it breaks the transfer record. he moved from chelsea for a reported 36 million, seven days ago. another move saw ivory coast forward make the switch from roma to china fortune fc. bricking the total in the january window to 216 million. and that is the most by any league in the world, including the english premier league. jamie vardy said he never scored a final goal as the side continued a tail. they kept up a push. as they smashed a volley from 25 yards out. giving his side a league. the 25le-year-old agreed a deal.

jamie vardy struck again tonne 72 minutes, wrapping up a 2-0 victory. three points ahead of manchester city. liverpool down to eighth. >> unbelievable what jamie vardy did. he watch the bull arriving, watch the opponent and the keeper. he looked at the keeper out of the goal. unbelievable. amazing, fantastic. it's nice to be in the stadium where jamie vardy was the ball of the month. either way you are not the manager of the other team. sith it made the difference tonight. >> lester continue to lead the way. tot nom move up to third. arsenal play out a goalless score. manchester united recorded a

comfortable win, they were 1-0 winners. it was the first for manuel pellegrini, since it was ruled that pep guardiola would be taking over from him in season. >> no, i don't thing about that. i'm trying to have a good season, that's why it was so important. the win brings the point away. it's involving the competition. neymar maintains he and his father are incident. the striker was in court for more than an hour and a half with his father. the court is investigating barcelona, and top officials accused of tax fraud. a complaint made by brazilian

group. claiming it was entitled to a larger cut of the deal. >> as you know they testified for people under investigation. corruption and contract fraud. the question posed by the private prosecution, by us, the dsi group has not been answered. >> james harden recorded a double, double as they defeated miami heat. the portland trailblazers recorded a fifth consecutive win, beating the mississauga -- milwaukee bucks. the victory was their ninth in 11 games. there's four days to go until the super bowl. much has been made about the rivalry between cam newton and

payton manning. at 39 years old he's a veteran. he tipped newton to be the face of n.f.l. the two stars will go into the game with a lot of mutual report. >> there's a lot of things that payton has done, is doing, that i wish i could mimic. i can't do it like payton. i'll try to translate, or what i saw him do. i tried to apply to my own friday, it will be six months until the olympic games gets under way in rio de janeiro. instead of celebrating the count down, organizers are having to address the issue of the spread of the zika virus, they say the mosquitos at the park a different to the ones that

spread zika. the build up has been overshadowed with problems to severe water pollution and budget cuts. >> the rio state health secretary has historic call data showing that the mosquito drops in a big number and the thread is minimal at the times of the days. we don't see zika virus as a risk. we see this as a minimal rick. >> that's the sport for now. more sport later thank you so much for that. well, stay with us here, that brings us almost to the end of the newshour. we have another full bulletin of news in a couple of minutes, and there's our website. you can see the front page there with the lead story, the situation in aleppo, with the syrian army trying to encircle

opposition stronghold in parts of the city as hopes of that ceasefire that opposition and representatives of the government are suppose the to work out in geneva. the hopes appear to be fading. let's take you through some of the other pages while we have a second, can we. well, we have other stories. you can see them all there. the situation with japan and north korea. we'll bring you more news in a couple of minutes. see you soon. you soon.

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as efforts are made to salvage syria talks in geneva, the killings continue in the battle for aleppo i'm here in doha with the world news. dozens of houthis rebels killed in an air strike in yemen as pro-government forces fight to retake sanaa province japan puts armed forces on alert after