>> announcer: this is al jazeera. ♪ hello from doha, everyone. this is the news hour on al jazeera. the u.n.'s hopes for a continued truce continue to today. uganda's opposition leader accuses police of stirring up violence ahead of elections he says won't be fair. a series of county wived

attacks nationwide has left these minors more vulnerable than ever. and in afghanistan the artist turning relics of war into works of art. ♪ we'll start with the latest diplomatic efforts to find some sort of pause in syria's violence. aid deliveries were among the issues discussed when the u.n. special envoy met syria's foreign minister in damascus earlier. he is there trying to salvage the plan for a temporary truce. it is supposed to happen this week. >> we are being particularly talking about the issue about humanitarian unhinders access to

all besieged areas, not only by the government but also by the opposition and by isil. >> reporter: elsewhere in syria, though, the situation is worsening, at least 50 sillians including children were killed in bombings on monday. five medical facilities and two skills were targeted. russia is denying its air force is to blame. more now with zana hoda, our correspondent near the turkey syrian border. can you tell us more about what has happened on that northern corridor as they call it? >> reporter: yes, the northern corridor close to the turkish border. the opposition has been losing ground, but it hasn't been losing ground to the government, but to another alliance, the kurdish armed group, the ypg.

what we understand is that negotiations are underway for rebels to withdrawal and surrender in the town of mara. and what we also understand is that the ypg and their allies are determined to push further north to the town of azaz. it has long served as a transition hub, a rebel, supply group, so the opposition coming under a lot of pressure from the ypg and itself allies, the government as well. syrian government war planes are dropping leaflets in aleppo, selling them to surrender, to withdraw. even inside the city, the city is divided. the opposition controls the east. they are giving them four hours, they say you have four hours to

surrender and withdrawal, you have one route open, use it as leave. >> i'm going to be talking to james bayes in a moment. but as a precursor to that, can you tell me about the syrian government's position as far as talks go. there is this idea of syrian-lead talks, where does that place the government? >> well, the government has repeatedly said this, we believe in syria-lead talks, the syrian people will decide the future of their country, dismissing, really, the international efforts to forge peace. the u.n.-lead talks, they are dismissing the opposition. they have never considered them as legitimate partners, and we also heard the syrian government make it clear how he sees the solution to the syrian crisis, by forging local reconciliation

agreements, but for the opposition, this is not making peace, and this is not bringing about reconciliation, basically what the government does is from a position of strength because these areas are under siege, these people inside starve, they immediate medical equipment, so civilians surrender and give up. so it makes it very clear that they don't believe in a ceasefire, they consider everyone who carries an arm a terrorist. and it simply doesn't want to make any compromises. >> thank you, zana. as i said james bayes is in the studio with us, here. our diplomatic editor. has there been any further news. >> a second meeting started an hour ago between the u.n. spebl -- special envoy. but good news it seems out of the first meeting, three

different u.n. sources telling me it sounds like he is giving approval to allow humanitarian aid into besieged areas. they did caution me, though, they have been here before. and just getting the word from the minister isn't enough, you need to take that signed paper and go through repeated convoys in order to bring in the aid. but looking somewhat positive with regard to one piece of this, which is the humanitarian assistance, which was part of this munich deal. that was supposed to have started by the weekend. so it has slip quite a bit, but looking possible it could come through. and the other side of the munich deal was called the cessation after hostilities, which was supposed to come in place in seven days. well the clock is ticking. we're now five days after the munich agreement, and you have seen from what zana is reporting on the ground, it is not looking particularly good, and of course

the russian bombardment is continuing, and russia doesn't think it is governed by the cessation of hostilities. interesting comment coming from the u.k. from their ambassador. he said russia must consider whether it is a supporter or a spoiler of the process. >> i hate to be pessimistic, but we're now five days into the seven-day effort. >> no, but if they get the humanitarian aid in, will that be enough for both sides to go back to geneva, which is supposed to be a six-month process to eventually come up with an interim syrian government that then takes the country to free and fair elections. it is quite a lot to do considering what you have had in the last five years. >> exactly.

james bayes thank you for that. now uganda's main opposition leader has again said those elections will be neither free nor fair, but he thinks he can still win even though he was detained and released twice on monday. as we is mounting his fourth challenge against the president who has been in power for 30 years. >> this is one of thousands of unemployed ugandas who have joined a peace volunteer force in the run up to the elections. the political opposition say it's a militia of the ruling posey. here sarah, her real identity hidden, says she supported the opposition, she says when she joined, received training, and was issued the uniform t-shirt, she had to keep quiet about it. >> translator: some crime preventers have to pretend their

are supportering of the ruling party, but in fact they support the opposition, and since they have to follow orders, it's as if they work for the nrn. >> reporter: police say the recruits are taught patriotism and martial arts, but some opposition politicians say it is part of the ruling party's plan to keep itself in power by force if it has to. the president is seeking to extend his rule by another five-year term. >> those opposition groups they are [ inaudible ] they don't know what to do, and then they just go and -- they can [ inaudible ] they don't want strength. they want weakness. these crime preventers are the strength for the country. >> reporter: the campaigns have been largely peaceful.

the opposition have a lot of supporters here in the capitol, and many people are worried that a disputed election result could lead to violence between protesters and police. there were demonstrations in 2011, that prompted a brutal crackdown by security forces, and the authorities have been very strict with anyone trying to organize protests ever since. this man says the government has been responsible for abuses in successive elections, something it denies. >> the question of hararesment peoples to be a practice perpetrated by the security agencies, normally against the opposition, and that's really we really must fight. >> reporter: the president is expected to win. and while many here in the city

are advocating for change, others just hope the election will pass without more violence. now four u.s. journalists who were arrested in bahrain have been released and are on their way home. bahrain officials allowed them to leave the country after the apparent intervention of the u.s. embassy. they are accused of submitting false papers and taking part in an lawful gathering. live to the united nations headquarters in new york. there we are. the security council about to be briefed on the situation in yemen. so much of the emphasis on syria these days, but the conflict in yemen goes on. steven o'brien is going to

address the united nations. >> translator: i now give the floor to mr. steven o'brien. >> thank you, mr. president, the conflict in yemen continues to kill and maim civilians, casing immeasurable suffering, while destroying livelihoods, homes, communities and essential civilian infrastructure. much of this is the result of indiscriminate bombing and shelling by the parties. since march 2015, more than 35,000 casualties, including over 6,000 deaths have been reported by health facilities across the country. the united nations has confirmed that at least 2,997 of those killed and 5,659 of those injured are civilians. conservative estimates suggest that well over 700 children have

been killed and over 1,000 more injured. there are reports that as many as 720 children have been forcibly recruited by the parties. the conflict is exacting a terrible humanitarian toll. some 2.7 million people have had to flee their homes. at least 7.6 million people are severally food insecure. some 2 million acutely malnourished children and pregnant or lactating women need urgent treatment. chronic drug shortages, unpaid salaries, and conflict-related destruction, means that around 14 million yemenis do not have sufficient access to healthcare services. since march last year, nearly 600 health facilities closed due to damage, shortages of critical supplies, or lack of health

workers. nearly 220 of these facilities used to provide treatment for acute malnutrition. in january alone, at least three health facilities were damaged. one hospital, and two facilities in the district of sana'a. more than 1.8 million children have been out of school since mid-march, 2015, bringing the total number of children out of school to more than 3.4 million, when combined with precrisis figures. over 1,170 schools are now unfit for use due to conflict-related damage, presence of displaced people or occupation by armed groups. water infrastructure, serving at least 900,000 people has been either damaged or destroyed by air strikes, artillery, and rockets. for instance, last week, the water reservoir, serving 40,000

people, was completely destroyed reportedly by an air strike in the capitol sana'a city. mr. president, the u.n. agencies and their ngo partners are delivering assistance under extraordinarily difficult and dangerous circumstances across the country. for example, on sunday, just this last sunday gone, a saudi-lead coalition air strike, hit a building 200 meters away from the diplomatic transit facility, accommodating u.n. and diplomatic personnel. during january, the humanitarian community provided regular monthly food rations to approximately 2.6 million people. direct water deliveries to over 234,000, and supplied fuel to water pumping stations for more than 3 million people. health facilities reached over

102,000 people. around 36,000 children were screened for acute malnutrition, and mall nur traditioned children under five years were admitted to feeding programs. other relief items were provided to over 420,700 people. i'm extremely concerned about the restricted humanitarian space we face, to respond to the staggering needs of yemeni men, women, and children. in addition to an already dangerous environment. parties to conflict, are contributing to the reduction of humanitarian access. the al-houthis and allies groups remain inconsistent in allowing access and movement of humanitarian goods and personnel. over the past week, while some u.n. agencies were given approvals, several others were denied for joint missions to

ibb, ta'izz, and others. while humanitarian deliveries are ongoing where al-qaeda is present, international humanitarian movement to these areas is extremely challenging and dangerous. this includes locations in [ inaudible ] gov nate, but also in aden where severe insecurity prevails. humanitarian assistance reached the ta'izz city enclave following a high-level mission, lead by the humanitarian coordinator on the 22nd of january. it faces severe access by al-houthis and is home to over 2,000 people. delivers included food for around 18,000 people, non-food items for approximately 1250 people. over the weekend, additional

assistance has reached the enclave, including food for a further 18,000 people, cancer treatment drugs, surgical items intervenous fluids and anesthetic supplies as well as hiv anti-retro viral treatments. al-houthi access, and reaffirms to the special envoy in his last visit to yemen. humanitarian deliveries often require long and protracted negotiations with parties on the ground however. efforts are ongoing to establish a monetary mechanism that will enable predictable access, as opposed to ad hoc one, time deliveries. access to northern governates also continue to be challenging, in particular to communities

along the border with saudi arabia where conflict is intense. humanitarian agencies and partners are committed to implement an operation plan to deliver food, health, and sanitation supplies to some 350,000 people in [ inaudible ] governate. recent communication, received from the kingdom of saudi arabia, regarding the safety of humanitarian workers in al-houthi-controlled areas, has impacted the humanitarian community's planning causing delays. this follows the denial of entry to the kingdom of saudi arabia on the 17th of january of the regional humanitarian coordinator. on the 11st of february, a charter vessel, carrying humanitarian supplies for u.n.

officers in aden, and traveling with a scheduled and approved stop in a yemen port was diverted by coalition forces to the saudi arabia port. mr. president, the parties to the conflict have a duty of care in the conduct of military operations to product all civilians. the parties should also refrain from using explosive weapons in populated areas. these kill large numbers of civilians, destroy homes, severely hindering critical services over the immediate and longer term, and leaving behind explosive remanents of war. i remind all parties of their obligations under international humanitarian law to facilitate access to all parts of yemen.

we'll continue to deliver assistance across yemen according to need using the de-confliction method in riyadh, including those to and from sub national offices in ibb, adan and elsewhere. mr. president humanitarian assistance must be complemented by efforts to revive the economy and flow of much-needed commercial goods. given the heavy dependance of yemen on imported food and fuel, it will be critical to ensure inspections in line with security council resolution 2216, that they do not adversely impact the flow of commercial shipping into yemen of basic items that yemeni civilians rely on to survive. i am pleased to report that the united nations verification and inspection mechanism, has now

been formally launched. the mechanism must now contribute towards continued improvement of imports into yemeni ports outside of the control of the government of yemen. the secretary general has formal i will requested the government of yemen and the saudi-lead coalition to appoint representatives to sit on the steering committee. all united nations member states have been informed. the mechanism will operate for an initial six outs of djibouti, and move to yemen or sana'a when allowed. so mr. president, in two day's time the 2016 yemen humanitarian response plan will be launched

in geneva. this plan asks for $1.8 billion to address the most critical and prioritized needs across all governates in the country, including food assistance for nearly 9 million people, water and sanitation support for 7.4 million people, urgent health support for 10.6 million people, and emergency interventions to mitigate growing malnutrition rates. i cannot understate the importance of donor support. nearly one year into the conflict, it is now more important than ever, that with address the human catastrophe unfolding in yemen. i again, underscore the urgent need for this council and the international community more broadly to impress on the

obligations to facilitate unconditional and sustained access to all parts of yemen. i also reiterate the urgent request that this council press the parties to resume peace talks and agree to a ceasefire. mr. president the yemeni people are suffering. they do need you to act now. thank you. >> so some pretty extraordinary numbers coming out there from the humanitarian chief, steven o'brien as he addresses the sdwr in new york, talking about the situation in yemen, warning of famine in places like ta'izz, and as i said going to some quite extraordinary numbers about what has been going on and exactly who is suffering. i want to discuss that the former minister of youth and sports in yemen. fortunate to have him with us in studio.

bear with me a moment while we go through this. 21.2 million people need aid. now correct me if i'm wrong but yemen's population is about 25 million or so. >> yes. >> that's an absolutely extraordinary number of people. >> absolutely. it is estimated at around 80% of the population are now in need and just by the number of people in need, it is classified as the largest humanitarian crisis in the world right now. >> and yet it doesn't get the prominence, does it? syria -- >> no. >> -- syria is seen as the big thing because of the refugee situation which has gone to europe, yemen remains down here, doesn't it? >> it remains known as the forgotten crisis, unfortunately. the amount of suffering is unbelievable. and the response has not been up to the level required. >> why? >> that is the question, but i think it's multiple issues.

there are multiple oth other -- crisis the world is dealing with. there isn't enough media attention, and there seems to be a general disengagement of the international powers on pushing for a solution to what is happening. >> steven o'brien towards the end was saying, look, security council you need to act. >> right. >> and he also talked about things like steering committees. it's recall good on paper, but it's a slow-moving thing, isn't it? >> absolutely. it took over ten months for this verification method to be put in place, just to ensure the goods coming in can flow. so if it took ten months to just have it in place, we can imagine how long it is going to take to make it operational. and the other thing is, this is the first humanitarian briefing

that the u.n. security council gets, a stand-alone humanitarian briefing, other than the other two briefings that were political. >> $1.8 billion is what steven o'brien was looking for. he says this response plan is going to be launched in geneva in a couple of days. how do you expect that will go? again, countries, will i'm sure want to donate, but you can get that donor fatigue. i wonder how much people will be willing to give. that's an awful thing to hear when what we hear is happening. >> i think that's what we faced in the 2015 humanitarian response, which was not fully funded. it is never going to be enough, and this 1.8 billion is not going to be, even if funded fully is not going to be enough for the yemeni people in need. what we really need is to put a

sustainable solution in place. we need to put the economy back and put the free flow of goods, and everything in terms of returning to normalcy. and that's the only solution that is going to bring some impact on the daily lives of yemenis. >> thank you. do appreciate you coming in. >> thank you. now energy giant saudi arabia and russia have tentatively agreed to keep oil production steady to help stabilize prices. they made the announcement alongside their counterparts. but the deal is far from concrete. >> reporter: cheap petrol may be welcomed by consumers, but with a 70% drop in the price of crude since 2015, oil-producing countries are feeling the pain. so some countries say they want to freeze but not cut production. >> it is the beginning of a

process which we will assess in the next few months, and decide whether we need other steps to stabilize and improve the market. this is very important. we don't want significant gyrations in prices. >> reporter: but at the end of the table is venezuela, and russia. although the saudi oil minister dismissed concerns about the effects on his country's economy. >> i have read a lot in the press, and it is rubbish, and the reason it is, because saudi arabia has access to many sources of income, and we are working at a very fast pace to

diversify the economy and increase the sources of income. >> reporter: so your economy can survive at the current prize of oil? >> no problem. >> reporter: analysts say producers have been reluctant to cut out put for fear of losing their share. but saudi arabia, qatar, venezuela, and russia will only freeze oil production if other mayor producers agree to do the same, and that could be fr frik -- tricky. the iranians have just started increasing out put after sanctions were lifted in january. the italian navy says it has picked up 360 different refugees in different operations. they came up on three small lifeboats off of the coast of libya. the rescues are the latest of those hoping to find better

living conditions in europe. the italian navy has also used aerial units since march of last year. and we have got the situation in europe of more than 10,000 unaccompanied child refugees. who have disappeared in recent months. more children seek asylum in sweden than any other country in the world. many arrive alone as unaccompanied mine yours. social workers say many of those actually choose to go missing, because they are fearful. those who choose who remain in the system you have the attacks against refugees and migrants, which have left many fearful. mohammed jamjoom has gained exclusive access to a center for unaccompanied minors. >> reporter: this may look like

simple childhood fun, but for hussein, neither laughter, nor levity come easy anymore. reminded constantly as he is of that awful journey. >> translator: i was scared. but i was so tired of the life that i had. i didn't think about the risks. >> reporter: originally from afghanistan, hussein, who's identity we're hiding, set out for iran at the age of 14. he paid smugglers what he could. by 15 he made it to sweden, where we spent months in a transit camp before finally being placed here at the city's lighthouse center. there are 14 unaccompanied refugees children residing here. the past several months has seen an increase in anti-immigration sentiments in sweden and with that, a string of arson attacks targeting shelters just like

this. now extra precautions must be taken, even the location of these centers are no longer made public. >> aid workers tell us it is not just the threat of violence the kids have to worry about. >> they are without legal guardians, also trafficking, pedophiles. we have some reports of it. >> reporter: at a time when thousands of unaccompanied refugees minors have reportedly gone missing in europe, it's getting harder and harder to ensure these children stay safe. >> we cannot have that provision of them, what they do in their spare time, because it's an open camp. >> reporter: like the other children living here, hussein chose sweden, because the country's migration agency aids in bringing over families of children under 18 who are granted asylum. but he lost contact with his parents and siblings over a year ago. and while he has applied for

asylum, he still doesn't know if it will be granted. >> translator: i'm afraid of what will happen to me if they send me back to afghanistan. one of my brothers was killed and another was kidnapped. >> reporter: it has been a real challenge keeping the darkness at bay. >> when you are in conflict, as a refugees, you don't have the time to process everything. but when you come here, to these camps, then you have -- your own room. you are alone in the room, and you think about everything. >> reporter: in hussein's room, the atmosphere seems as bleak are as his outlook. >> translator: i can't sleep well. i have nightmares. i go to see a psychologist for these problems, but i still think about all of the traveling i did just to get to sweden. >> reporter: now even at this shelter, hussein's desperation only grows deeper as he wondering when and if this

harrowing pilgrimage will finally come to an end. bitter news that is just reaching us. the former united nations secretary general has died. a member of the egyptian parliament, served as the sixth secretary general of the united nations between 1992 and '96. he overah the u.n. during several world crises. that's the former head of the united nations, who has died. france's national assembly will vote on whether to extend the state of emergency for an additional three months. the order was put in place after isil claimed attacks that killed 130 people in paris. the law which will be extended for an additional three months allows for additional armed guards, the right for police to search homes without a warrant. we'll get more on this now with

our correspondent who is live in paris. david? >> reporter: kamal, yes, the deputy is meeting now. there's no doubt about what the result will be at the national assembly behind me. it is going to be an overwhelming majority in favor of extending the state of emergency. many human rights organizations are saying this sunday mining and eroding basic human rights, freedoms in france. i have a human rights activist with me to discuss the impact of that. and perhaps you could join me now. you are a representative or spokesman for the collective against islamaphobia in france. could you tell me what effects these measures are having and the extension will have in france.

>> the government is targeting muslim citizens and making them pay for its failures to prevent attacks. only 5 lead to an inquiry on terrorism. in the meantime our organization is dealing with 300 cases of abuses, 57 house arrests are being challenges, and amnesty international, human rights watch, and every human rights organization is saying the government is not cracking down on terrorist us, it is targeting muslims and making them pay for what -- happened on november 13th. >> but many people are for extending the state of emergency. there is a great fear about their secure iity. they back what the national assembly is going to do today. what do you say to them. >> our fear is legitimate. the government is not protecting us.

but [ inaudible ] muslim minority only to make the rest of the population feel safer. the problem is that you are creating more alienation, and people are saying you are just finishing the job of these terrorists who want to have the people of france will polarized. the government is not doing anything to question the security services. what we ask the government to do is to protect all citizens, and not take muslims as scapegoats here. >> you are in touch with many of the young muslim members of the community here in paris. what are their thoughts about what is happening to their lives at the moment? >> it's a feeling of brutal treatment. we have one person who wants to commit suicide after being put under house arrest. and a woman miscarried after a brutal raid. another person had a stroke, and the muslims are treated as the

enemy within. when is the government going to unite this country to face the threat of terrorism. >> thank you very much. so kamal very clear opinion there, that there is in fact almost a recruit of the young people in the muslim community here, caused by the measures taken by the national assembly and the executive, so a worrying development, and for another three months we'll see those powers extended. over to you kamal. >> david thank you for that. from weather forecasting to fighting forest fires we increasingly rely on satellite data to know what is happening down here on earth. that's why a new launch on tuesday has scientists excited. tarek bazley has the details. >> reporter: it has taken eight years to development at a lost of $340 million, it is one of

the most advanced earth observation satellites ever made. it's instruments can measure the temperature, color and height of the sea surface, and detect the thickness of sea ice with remarkab remarkable precision. >> we are able to measure the sea surface temperature, accurate to .2 degrees celsius, which is quite something. you try to measure that in the bathtub with that kind of accuracy. >> reporter: the data it collects will be freely available for anyone to use almost immediately. it will help scientists monitor changes in sea temperature, and can be used to track forest fires, the migration of ships and even the migration of people across borders. >> all over the world it can

track different biolevels in the sea. and we'll monitor agriculture, water resources, and also the sea surface temperature. >> reporter: described as europe's eyes in the sky, it is the third of seven planned observation and security satellites. it is hoped their data will help us better understand the challenges and threats of our changing planet. the trial of two suspects accused of last year's deadly bombing at a bangkok shrine has begun. they are facing ten charges including conspiracy to explode bombs and premeditated murder. the explosion killed 20 people, and injured more than 120. and it is military courts handling this case. the united states and cuba are all set to sign another agreement, bringing them closer together.

this will allow commercial flights for the first time in more than 50 years. the question is, can the island nation handle an influx of tourists. natasha ghoneim went to havana to find out. >> reporter: like most cubans, richard can't afford to travel, but he says he is still seeing the world with each tourist he meets. he gives horse-drawn carriage rides on the streets of old havana, with the expected wave of americans and more foreign investment arriving, he says this cuba in a time capsule won't wash away. >> translator: there is nobody like the cubans, not a mcdonald's or kentucky fried chicken is going to change cubans. that's a lie. >> reporter: tourism is one of the eye lank's primary sources of income. last year, the number of visitors rose from 3 to

3.5 million. airports, hotels and the infrastructure are in desperate need of renovation and expansion. >> frankly speaking, we suffer for so many years. we'll struggle for so many years, because you do not change that reality in few years. >> they are moving in this kind of -- >> reporter: jesus is capitalizing on the moment. for almost 20 years he and his family have rented rooms in their home to tourists. he is hoping the government will loosen restrictions and allow people to own more than one house. >> i think it's the best moment to open. one of the things we have a lot of freedom of operation now. >> reporter: the people we spoke with say they are confident the government will devise a

strategy to development the country without overshadowing what makes it distinctive. >> hello, excuse me, sir. >> reporter: whether it's next year, or the next ten years, he says tourists are guaranteed to experience the cubano spirit. natasha ghoneim, al jazeera, havana, cuba. in mexico, it appears inmates at a prison where a riot claimed at least 49 lives last week, were actually living a pretty luxurious life. they found cells decked out with big beds, air conditioners, televisions, paintings, one even had an aquarium. pope francis is in mexico where he will be holding a mass with the priests and seminary students at a nearby stadium. there he is. just saw him on the road a little bit earlier, and now out

of the pope mobile, and being driven through the crowd. pope francis has already made his way through some of the most poor places in mexico, including where they have the fewest number of catholic followers. john holman has that report. >> reporter: pope francis's visit to the south mexican state was all about the indigenous community. they make up most of the population in mexico's poor estate. and the pope denounced hundreds of years of exploitation. >> translator: on many occasions in a systematic and organized way, your people have been m misunderstood and excluded from society. >> reporter: few expect his visit alone to change things, but for manuel, one of the

survivors of a massacre in which paramilitaries killed 45 people, including six of his family, the fact that pope francis has come means something. >> translator: i feel like this is the real pope in favor of the indigenous communities, the marginalized and survivors, particularly because i lost six of my family in the massacre. i'm very happy that he came. >> reporter: mexico's government may feel differently. it has long been a problem area for them, especially famous for an army of farmers who rose up against authorities in 1994 and are still active. pope francis is more conservative predecessors preferred to visit more prosperous heartlands when coming to mexico, and in choosing areas like this, he is taking a different line. francis has used his visit to

decree that indigenous languages can now be used in mass. it may help slow down the rush of followers here to other religions. the state now has the lowest percentage of catholics in mexico. this brief visit has at least encouraged the faithful, and those struggling in this poverty-stricken state. sports news coming up on the news hour. we'll hear about the former top player who is looking in top form at the dubai tennis championships. details in a moment. ♪

fighting has left afghanistan littered with decaying relics of war. now one artist are turning those machines of death into her canvas. in afghanistan's former battlefields, now graveyards for tanks, rusted carcasses of war machines are getting flowery makeovers. she is the makeover artist. the 28-year-old iranian came to afghanistan on a visit last year, liked the people, and decided to stay. when you told your family, i'm going to afghanistan, what did they say? >> you are crazy. >> reporter: when starting an art magazine didn't pan out, she

started her campaign. >> i enjoy that kind of recycling things. >> reporter: it tooks months for her to get permission from the afghan army to paint this tank. with the help of soldiers sent along to escort her, she revived the once rust-covered surface into a glossy gold hunk of steel. >> the environment doesn't have that much color, and i wanted to just use very bright colors. >> reporter: this is what an abandoned army personnel carrier looked like before she found it, and after. in another neighborhood, before, after. neta insists that her work is neither political nor anti-war, her only motivation is to have fun and get people to think. >> i just wanted to make some questions in people's minds. >> reporter: but perhaps the

biggest impact has been the fact that she has taken grim reminders of violence in war, and turned them into colorful attractions where afghans, especially children can come and just have a little fun. [ laughter ] [ cheers ] >> reporter: it became beautiful. we love it say these afghan kids who play football on a nearby field. she says she would like to stay and paint more relics. farah is here to talk sport. uefa champions league knockout stages begin on tuesday. chelsea will be without their captain john terry for their

trip to france despite training with the team on monday, the 35-year-old injured a hamstring during the 5-1 win over newcastle on saturday. >> as your leader, but i'm not the type of coach or manager who will start morning and morning and morning, we have to go on, and the players who will replace him, i have full confidence in them. psg will be without their defender who has been suspended by the club after a video emerged online when he made homophobic comments about his coach and insulted some of his teammates. the 24-year-old has apologized. >> translator: to think that two years ago i really fought with the management to bring this boy to paris, and given from what i saw yesterday, this is the thanks i get. and i think it's pathetic. >> reporter: a round of 16 tie

to kickoff on tuesday. andre returns home to portugal having not played in over two months, due to the russian winter break. >> i think our players will be fresh towards the end of the season, and this is what i was saying before, mainly because we have had this top. but we will only take the benefit when the other teams are completely fatigued from a long season. they go into this match having lost on friday to rivals in the portuguese league. it ended an 11-game winning streak in all competitions. last season they lost to them both home and away in the champions league group stages. >> translator: we don't know if it will be an advantage or

disadvantage. they might be more fresh but can also have a lack of rhythm. the coach says politics will not come in to play as the turkish side hosts moscow in the europa league. relations between the two countries have been tense since turkey shot down a russian jet on the border in november. >> translator: it didn't even cross my mind. football is football. politics is politics. these are completely different matters. we will play soccer, 11 footballers will be on the pitch for each team. i don't believe that any of the players think about politics. i'm a complete stranger to politics. my job is football, my passion is football, therefore i don't think about the angle of this

game. a federal court in brazil have frozen assets of a brazilian player. he has been playing with his team ahead of their game on wednesday. a yacht, jet, and several properties have been frozen. he is accused of tax evasion between 2011 and 2013. the head of kenya athletics will step down for 21 days, pending on investigation into bribery allegations. he is accused of asking two athletes who failed drug tests for 24,000 dollar each to refuse their four-year bans. he denies the allegations and has asked for an investigation into the claims. raphael nadal says he is not afraid of the zika virus. he is in brazil ahead of the open this week.

nadal has qualified for this year's olympic games, having missed london with an injury. he says he is confident organizers are doing all they can to control the spread of the virus. >> i am doing the things that the people told me, and i am not scared at all. yes, i am going out at night. and no, i am not scared, but i know there is a risk, but i feel happy being here again, and i am not worried about this. if happens, then [ inaudible ]. and [ inaudible ] is through to the second round of the dubai tennis championships. the former top-ranked player won 6-1, 6-6 in the final round. he now faces top seed and defending champion. the florida panthers beat

the pittsburgh penguins. it was still tied at the end of overtime, so the game went to a shootout. this player scored the game winner to defeat the penguins, 2-1. and the anaheim ducks have won all three matches this season. the ducks have now won eight of their last ten games. and that's all of your sport for you. kamal back to you for now. >> farah thank you so much. this hour breaking news, the former united nations secretary general has died at the age of 93. he was the secretary general between the years of 1992 and 1996. plenty more news here on al jazeera coming up with barbara sarah and the rest of the team

in london. ♪

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the u.n. syria envoy pushing the government to allow aid into besieged areas. ♪ hello there, i'm barbara sarah, you are watching al jazeera live from london. also coming up uganda's main opposition leader warning that thursday's elections will not be free or fair. as the band caught up in the theater attack, prepare to play again, french politicians debate whether to extend the state of