♪ >> announcer: this is al jazeera. ♪ hello, and welcome? you are watching the al jazeera hour with me. coming up in the next 60 minutes. the e.u. and turkey settle on a refugee deal under which all of those who arrive after sunday will be sent back. syria's top negotiator upsets the opposition, as he addresses the press at crisis talks in geneva. chaos in brazil, anti-government protesters return to the streets after the president fire walls her

predecessor with the top job inside the cabinet. and her young unemployed boys in niger risk falling into dangerous hands. >> and i'll have all of the sport. we'll have details of the champions league draw, plus new zealand make it two wins from two after the world 2020 with victory over rivals australia. ♪ kicking off this news hour with a story that has broken in the past hour or so. leaders of the czech republic and finland saying the e.u. has agreed to a deal with turkey. the deal with involve ankara taking in refugees in return for increased funding as well as some other benefits. neave barker following the discussions for us out of brussels. neave the details, what do we know?

>> reporter: well, peter details are slowly filtering out to us -- to the media here. the meetings of course continuing behind closed doors, but more confirmation as you mentioned that the e.u. 28 heads of state have endorsed this new deal between turkey and the e.u. what we wait for now is for the turkish prime minister to give his seal of approval, but we already gather that turkey has accepted this deal after three rounds of bilateral and tri-lateral talks over the course of the morning between the turkish prime minister and the presidents of the european union and commission. as we get a clearer picture of what this deal means, we already have an idea of when it is expected to come into force. in that we believe will happen at midnight on sunday. so only in two day's time. so that means that refugees,

migrants, asylum seekers who are arriving in greece, the islands or the mainland will find themselves subject to processing, and then in due course they will be sent back to turkey. there are some questions at the moment about the speed of all of this. of course sunday very close indeed. there have been concerns voiced over the last few days by e.u. leaders that if a deal was reached that it would mean that there will be a sudden surge of people desperately trying to make it to the european union. we may however, still see some significant movement of people in places like greece in the coming hours. there's news of what has happened here in brussels filters down to those people on the ground. >> is this however, neave, a lighter deal compared to what was originally on the table, what, ten days, two weeks ago? >> reporter: it is a slightly

watered down deal. however, the backbone still remains the same. the initial deal was drawn up back on march 7th, and over the last week or so the european council president has been rallying support around europe. over the last few days, we have seen some critical divisions among e.u. states over what details in this deal were acceptable or not acceptable, but over the course of thursday these issues were ironed out. and over the core of this deal, we see $6.7 billion being given to turkey in two tranches at some point over the coming year, we will also see an easing of visa restrictions for turkish nationals wanting to visit the schengen. that is providing that turkey meets a long list of requirements imposed on turkey in order for the e.u. to honor its promises.

there are now major questions about how this deal is likely to pan out physically, in terms of infrastructure on the ground. an awful lot of wrangling is expected over the coming mopths when it comes to the planning of projects, the setting up of processing centers, an awful lot needs to be covered in a very short period of time, but we wait for the final moments in the sealing of this deal in brussels. >> neave, thanks very much. now to geneva where the syrian opposition is warning that the government negotiating team is slowing progress. we'll have more on that in a moment from james bayes. first let's here what the governor's leader had to say. >> translator: the round of talks that we had with the social envoy was fruitful. during which we expect mined the documents. these documents includes the key elements which we call

principles. the adoption of these principles of items will open those for a serious dialogue when the syrians and the syrian leadership without any foreign intervention or preconditions. >> so james is the sense there one of optimism or pessimism? >> reporter: well, i think it's certainly a sense from the opposition side of frustration at what is going on in this process so far. there you heard the syrian ambassador speaking to the press one hour ago telling, i think that he took no questions at all, because i think right now, the syrian government feels under some considerable pressure. pressure on a number of issues, but the most substantial one is the main point of these talks. the idea of political transition. coming up with some sort of new government or governance to take syria towards free and fair elections. you heard the syrian ambassador, the chief negotiator referring

to fundamental principles, an 8-point plan that he presented earlier in the week to the united nations mediator. people who have seen that plan, i haven't seen it myself, but i have spoken to people who have read it, say there is very little new in it. it talks about fighting terrorism, closing the boarder with turkey, and all issues the government has been talking about for a very long time indeed. they are not talking about engaging about a transition in syria, which is what this process is about. that is frustrating the opposition side. the main opposition block, the high negotiations committee, they are telling us they are very, very unhappy with the way the government is negotiating here. they believe they are not negotiating in good faith, in fact they believe the ambassador doesn't have the remit to negotiate. he is just here to delay and try to destroy this process.

in fact the opposition says they want a higher level delegation to negotiate, because they don't believe the delegation under the ambassador is of a high enough level and has been given the power to actually discuss the issues that are supposed to be on the table. >> interesting, because in within the ebb and flow of the come and go of those talks, there was one report, just in the past 90 minutes saying that stephane de mistura was going to try to get them to have face-to-face discussions. but just reading the mood music for us, that would seem to be a complete non-starter again. >> it certainly something that he has proposed to both sides as part of the agenda going forward. remember, he is planning to have three rounds of these negotiations. he issued a note to all of the participants at the start of the talks saying initially there would be these proximity talks, speaking to one side, taking

notes from one side, documents, papers, whatever they wanted to produce, and then getting the same from the other side, and then doing flip flop between the two, and trying to build some sort of common ground, but certainly in the paper, he submitted to both sides, he said at a later stage he hoped to have direct negotiations. >> james thank you very much. the political crisis in brazil deepening by the hour it seems. no fewer than 20 injunctions have been filed to try to block lula da silva from being appointed to the cabinet. many see it as an attempt to protect him from prosecution in a case centered on allegations

of corruption. while rousseff is trying to hold on to the support of millions of poorer brazilians who benefited from lula's time in power. he bumps millions into social programs, adding to the country's financial voes. the budget deficit has ballooned to more than $150 billion, that's equivalent to about 10.5% of the gdp, which is expected to shrink by 3.5% last year, after a similar drop last year. in that marks any worst downtown in a century. and the currency lost a third of its value against the u.s. dollar last year, and has barely managed to regain any ground since. let's get a live update from margo ortegas. 20 injections and yet lula, and dilma, they seem safe in their ivory tower, because ultimately

if this goes to the supreme court, that is legally what happens in that country. >> reporter: yes, indeed. and they are hoping that the supreme court will be a little less biased. they feel many of these judges that have been filing these injections are pretty much standing against them, and just determined to bring them down. they feel this is a personal persecution against them, and that these justices are being unfair. in that is something that the former president has said. he issued a statement earlier today saying he is very disappointed at the way the justices have been handling this particular development here. bottom line is, public opinion right now in brazil, very divided, both sides very heated, emotions are running very high. anti-government protesters have been out in the streets for several days now. lula supports are also coming out. and what police are hoping to avoid is a clash between the two sides. >> that might be a problem,

because if dilma rousseff manages to withstand the barrage of protests she is now facing, we have seen the pictures, how do they handle that if mr. lula's supporters -- because so many of them were taken out of poverty as a direct result of his fiscal policies? >> reporter: exactly. and many of them are actually seeing this as a long-standing class division playing out in the political arena and also in the streets. many are seeing it as the rich versus the poor. the rich, of course, having the money to basically buy themselves power, be it through the justice system or by controlling the media. and yes, there have been accusations that local media is being controlled by the middle classes, and they are pushing out a message that is very anti-government. again, president rousseff saying that it is to help the economy.

if he can do it once he can help her do it again. and she is basically saying that she is okay with all of these protests against her, because it is a sign that the democracy in brazil is a very healthy one. >> margo, thanks very much. turkish media reports say an armored police vehicle has been hit by a bomb in the southeast. one special force police officer was killed on the boarder with syria. hours earlier bomb squads managed to disable 150 kilos of explosives in a car in another town in the southeast. 14 men being held for a bomb attack in turkey have appeared in court. 37 people were killed when a car bomb struck a busy part of ankara on sunday. the kurdish stan freedom hawks claimed responsibility for the blast. north korea has ignored the

latest warnings and punish s from the u.n. by firing two blis tick missiles off of its coast. the radar is said to have picked up the launch. it's the latest development on the korean peninsula after the north threatened presumptive nuclear strikes against seoul and washington. rob mcbride now from hong kong. >> reporter: the reaction has been as swift as the missile's launch, especially from north korea's neighbors. south korea condemned it as another provocative act. >> translator: north korea should focus on improving the north korean's people's quality of life. >> reporter: as with a similar launch last week, the missiles were fired into the sea. unlike last week, these are thought to have been medium-ranged missiles with at least one reaching 800

kilometers. that brought a strong response from japan because parts of its territory could be reached by a medium-ranged rocket. >> translator: we have strongly protested to north korea. the government will continue to work in close cooperation with international community and respond firmly. >> reporter: this latest launch further tests the patience of neighboring china. >> translator: as for the ballistic missiles fired by north korea, there are explicit requirements in the resolution imposed by the united nations security council. meanwhile we hope each side keeps calm and refrains from taking any actions that may create fore tensions. >> reporter: in china there is growing alarm at the instability on the korean peninsula, and the growing frustration that they

continue to conduct these tests. kim ki-jong confirmed his country's determination to continue missile launches, and soon conduct a nuclear war head test. those threats followed more launches earlier this year, both moves prompting increased u.n. and u.s. sanctions. if the international community was wondering if those sanctions were deterring north korea, this launch seems to be the answer. let's get you across to the latest coming to us out of brussels. the german chancellor angela merkel discussing with the colleagues about the deal that has been struck with turkey. in effect turkey has got pretty much what it wants. that is the top line on the story. the e.u. wants a system put in

place where they basically count refugees into europe, and then count them back out of europe because of the situation going on that we have been reporting on extensively here on the news hour that terrible refugee situation taking place in areas such as on the greek macedonian border, particularly bad situation for these refugee as the balkan route has well and truly been closed. we'll get more on that for you as soon as we can. lots more still to come as well as all of our top stories on the news hour. >> translator: when the border opens, it will be like one tribe and one family. >> reporter: and hopes for greater security and economic prosperity for the people in south sudan. ♪ and in sports news are

farah, find out who world and european champions barcelona will meet in the quarter finals in the champions league. in that is in the sports news in about half an hour. ♪ four men from djibouti who spent eight years in jail in eritrea have now been released. they say they hope the release will help other disputes. an indian court has dropped charges against an iranian crew who were detained last year after their boat strayed into indian waters. they failed to find a link between the crew members and any armed organization or drug mafia. the captain has been charged for taking a foreign vessel into indian waters.

thousands of people gathered in the iraqi capitol in a planned sit-in protest against the government. the shiite cleric lead the protest. the iraqi cabinet has called the demonstrations illegal. the supporters cut through barbed wire to enter the fortified green zone which is home to the political elite. more than a dozen u.s. troops have been disciplined for an air strike on a hospital last year. but there have been no criminal charges. >> reporter: it was one of the worst attacks on a civilian facility by the u.s. in afghanistan. more than 12 u.s. military personnel have been disciplined because of the air attack from a plane like this. but no criminal charges have been brought.

according to ap, it may impede their future promotion process. >> translator: this is a war crime, because it is [ inaudible ] in the violation of international human rights, and it's against international humanity law. not only was it a civilian area, it was also hospital. >> reporter: 42 people were killed and dozens injured when the u.s. ac 130 destroyed the hospital. it was run by doctors without borders, which says hospital coordinates had been given to nato forces. the pentagon promised a full and transparent investigation, but resisted callses for an independent inquiry. human rights watch says there is evidence to suggest there is a strong basis for determining criminal liability exists in this case, and they called on the u.s. to launch a mechanism to investigate this, but they also said the u.s.'s internal investigation smacks of self preservation. the hospital was destroyed

during which 211 shells were fired. there was no evidence the taliban was using the facility. the americans apologized and said it was a mistake. today the hospital is still in ruins. >> we also seek guarantees, security guarantees from all of the -- the parties of the conflict today, the u.s., nato, the afghan government, as well as the taliban to make sure that such event would not be reproduced. >> reporter: the people are still without an important life-saving hospital, and families are still without a convincing answer, why? two people have died from ebola in guinea three months after the country was declared free of the virus. on wednesday the world health organization said the region was in effect managing the virus, but there will be flairups they say. the outbreak began in december of 2013 and spread to other

parts of west africa. some opposition parties in niger say they won't recognize the results of sunday's runoff elections. they asked their supporters to boycott the presidential vote. the parties say they are reflecting the frustration of many who are unemployed and losing hope. some are making -- take matters into their own hands. >> reporter: in niger young people are out in the streets and markets. some work, some beg, others just roam aimlessly. >> translator: the main problem confronting us are unemployment and the unfair school system. >> reporter: niger has the highest [ inaudible ] rate in the world. more than half of the population is under 13. three-quarters are under 25. the state is unable to provide education and jobs, but in line with a long-standing tradition here, this boy and his friends

decided to act. driven by unemployment, poverty and government neglect, the youths organize themselves in small communities with the straets as their headquarters, their aim to improve their plight and that of their communities. these groups are locally called fattah, a word that means open space. >> translator: by meeting here we exchange ideas on how to solve our problems. otherwise we wait until a person who has money comes and pace us to do work for them. >> translator: sometimes they even create schools or health centers. >> reporter: they give young people a sense of responsibility and purpose, as they tell us. they tend to become more independent. most are influenced by politics, becoming more active during elections, helping candidates spread their message and getting paid for it. they have different names, this

one is called business center. it is not clear what business is being done here, though, except politicses, perhaps. >> translator: all of us here, we have our own political party. >> reporter: teenagers are at risk if a fattah becomes a criminal organization. >> translator: some fatah elements when they have financing problems they are forced to steal, and we witnessed it. we have seen police arrest an entire fattah sometimes. >> reporter: a more dangerous scenario is when they are influenced by extremist groups, such as boko haram. that is a real concern for the government and police here. they know they have to either offer a better future to these young people, or face undesirable consequences. mohamed vall, al jazeera. it has been a year since the about on the bardo museum in the tunisian capitol.

tunisia's prime minister and other officials, including the french foreign minister attending a ceremony to remember the victims. >> reporter: this man says he is no hero, but his quick reaction helped save lives. he helped lead a group of tourists to safety through a back exit. >> i was inside the museum in one room. and there is a real labyrinth in the museum, and shooting was outside the building, so i was trying to call the driver to be informed about what has happened outside? few minutes later on, the shooting became inside the museum, so i told my people, let's escape. let's run. >> reporter: the attack was unprecedented. the two men responsible were tunisians who had received weapon's training in libya.

a few months later it happened again. this time a gunman killed 38 tourists in a coastal town. and less than two weeks ago, dozens of fighters targeted security forces in a southern town close to tunisia's border with libya. >> reporter: the go to carried out the bardo attack got through these gates without being searched since then armed security at the museum and other historic sites. he promises tourists will be kept safe. >> reporter: but many tour operators have already canceled bookings for the rest of the year. tourism used to generate $2 billion a year, but it makes half of that. this woman says the attacks in tunisia are different than those

in paris last year, but she also admits the industry must adapt. >> there are tremendous opportunities that are underestimated, i think, which have not been the focus for investment and job creation. >> reporter: this commemorates the victims of the bardo attack. it has been a traumatic year, but people have shown resilience and defiance, they say their biggest enemy is fear, and they won't let it change their way of life. plenty more ground still to cover for you here on the al jazeera news hour, including this one, how the u.k. government has been called into court over the poor state of britain's air. i'm in havana where president obama's pending historic visit is raising unprecedented hopes, but also come certains about the future

in communist cuba. and in sport find out who couldn't handle the wet conditions at the formula 1 australia grand prix practice sessions. it wasn't the duck. ♪

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hello again, you are watching the al jazeera news hour. top stories. the e.u. has emerged -- their members have emerged after finalizing that deal with turkey in slowing the influx of refugees and migrants. as of sunday refugees who arrive on the e.u. shores will be sent back to turkey. representatives of the syrian government have been accused of stalling talks. no fewer than 20 court injections have been filed to try to block the controversial movement by the brazilian president to give her predecessor a cabinet post. nationwide anti-government

protests followed that move. now even as news comes through about the deal in brussels. more refugees are arriving in greece. another 700 came through the port in athens where an estimated 5,000 are already sleeping rough in the passenger terminals and the docks. many of the new arrivals boarded government-chartered buses to be taken to shelters elsewhere. >> madrid's city hall has lowered his flag to half mast in protest to the treatment of refugees. okay. let's get more on that deal between the e.u. and turkey. we're going to talk to the director of the migration policy institute europe. do you think this deal will actually work? >> well, i mean i think the fact they have made an agreement in brussels is in and of itself an

achievement. but the real work starts now. both in terms of -- of whether greece and the e.u. is capable of putting in place a fast system that is capable of assessing arrivals and their eligibility for protection, and on the flip side whether turkey can be encouraged, and demand turkey to offer protection to nationalities beyond syria, if it can receive temporary protection. and get it into practice. i think some of these challenges will still have to be played out. and once a deal is agreed in brussels, leaders have often forgotten it by the time they have returned to their capitols. >> this new system is supposed to start as soon as sunday, does the e.u. have the tools in the box to make that time scale achievable?

not currently. i think the deal is supposed to apply from sunday, which means anyone who arrives after the 20th of march would potentially be -- dealt with under this deal, but the actual returns and resettlement processes will take time. greece has asked for 4,000 extra offices to deal with this. but they may have grandized that number. but it will take time, i think for the number of offices to be in place and for the systems to be in place. it took upwards of eight months to get the hot spot system in place. and these are islands with limited infrastructure, so it will take time, and i think at the current time, given the situation in turkey, it's really only a small proportion of those who arrive who will be sent back

out contravening international and european law. so it's a work in progress. >> however, how easy it is for the e.u. for the multi-agencies to get the word out there. we are told part of the problem is the people simply don't understand because they haven't been told that the balkan route is closed. if those people are exiting in a vacuum, how do get the information to them to say there is a new system in play now and the rules have changed? >> well, for those people on the greek macedonian border, this system doesn't apply to them. what they would have recourse to is a relocation system. but i think it's an important point to make. a lot of this deal is about messaging, sending the message that the turkish greek route is

closed and smugglers may now be looking for alternative routes, but really sending a message that we would prefer you not to take these dangerous journeys, so please don't. but for those already in greece, they have already taken that journey, so i'm not sure how this message will effect them. >> many thanks. let's focus in on syria itself where the main syrian kurdish group declared a federal region yesterday in three areas it controls in the north of the country. these areas, well, they are along the 800-kilometer-long boarder between turkey and syria. the announce was immediately rejected by both the syrian government and the main opposition. the concept of federalism, chimes with what the u.s. has said might be possible further down the line, but that would be a decision for the people of syria. the u.s. hinting as well that some sort of partition could be

possible as a, quote, plan b, if all sides agree. let's talk to max abrams. he has researched many civil wars. joining us from boston. max this comes down to a loose center with lots of autonomy, i guess. that's to boil it down to the most simplistic. would it work? >> well, this is really a big question. i think on the surface, it's very easy to be in favor of this sort of federation or partition. when you look at syria, it looks a lot like humpty dumpty, the country has been destroyed. can anyone imagine a scenario where it might be put back together again in can you imagine the rebels or government reaching a consensus on a single

leader for the country? it seems almost impossible. and furthermore, i think the plight of the kurds for many people is very sympathetic. so people might be in favor of a kurdish state, especially because the kurds in the form of the ypg have been so helpful against the islamic state, and now they deserve their own autonomous region. but there are counter arguments too for partition. first of all many partitions in the world simply haven't worked. the history of dividing the middle east up into separate states based on rough borders, really hasn't worked very well. and this has been true all over the world. the partition in vietnam, for example, didn't work. i just got back from a trip with india, that partition with pakistan still a hot zone.

when you look at north and south korea that is certainly not a peaceful border. and when you allow partition, it incentivizes other groups to begin to declare independences. >> but just to interrupt you just for a second. pardon me. partition in smaller areas does work. places like cyprus, and bosnia, and some would even say the northern ireland. if it's in smaller areas it does work. but does it work in those smaller areas, because they are surrounded by countries, other regions that are in effect stable and at peace with each other? >> sure i'm glad you raised those points. i didn't mean to suggest that partition categorically fails. it can work in some cases. i'm not sure, though, that the

key variable is the size of the partition, or the size of the territory. i think it has more to do with the motives of the people in those territories. i think that partition works when the -- when the international actors are defensive in their orientation. when they simply want to separate from other, you know, international entities. if they are opposed to the status quo, however, and they want to continue to get land as is the case in syria, then i think the likelihood of partitioning working is a lot lower. for example, the syrian government has said it is not okay with just having land, you know, in the greater damascus region, and the rebels have said they are not content with, you know, a syrian government there that doesn't reflect their views. so i'm afraid that partition won't work, because the parties that are being partitioned are not defensive minded. they want to acquire more territory and overturn the

status quo. >> max many thanks. it hasn't been opened long, but sudan's government is tlenting to suggest the border with its southern neighborhood. people living along the border hope the tensions will pass allowing them to restart much-needed trade. natasha ghoneim reports from sudan's white nile state. >> reporter: just a row of rocks and tires serves as a roadblock here along the boarder between sudan and south sudan. people walk back and forth to buy coal or take a sick child to the hospital. there appears to be a welcoming feeling, a reminder that until 2011, the two countries were one. >> translator: our brothers from south sudan and here in sudan are completely integrated. we have common tribes and friendships. >> reporter: since south sudan's

seceded from sudan, the border has effectively been closed. the border area became a one-way humanitarian corridor when the war began. last year, the two sides battling in south sudan reached a truce, then in january, the sudanese president began a push to normalize relations with their neighbor to south, first step to reopen the boarder. right now only people can cross. trade will follow. >> translator: when the boarder opens, it will be like one tribe and one family movement between the two countries will be easier for everyone. >> reporter: this port has been dormant for about five years. boats are docked and only a small crew remains to maintain them. before south sudan became the world's newest country, boats transported cargo to the south.

employees are anxious for trade to begin so the company can rehire hundreds of coworkers who lost their jobs. >> translator: now we are just sitting without doing anything. it's like being a sick man. traveling allowed us to communicate with the south sudan ease. >> reporter: the opening of the border brings the hope of greater security and an economic boost for sudan. it's believed sudan could export millions of dollars in goods each year to south sudan. natasha ghoneim, al jazeera, white nile state, sudan. russia marking the second anniversary of the annexation of crimea. the president is on a visit to the peninsula. crimea was part of ukraine before a referendum saw its people reportedly voting to join russia. barack obama is just about to become the first sitting u.s.

president to visit cuba in nearly 90 years on monday. the trip is seen as a another major step on the path towards normalization between the u.s. and cuba. but what do cubans actually think the trip will cause? >> reporter: they are old enough to have known capitalism and socialism, but they concede they never thought they would live long enough to see an american president come to cuba. >> translator: i never imagined this would happen. and i'm 85 years old. >> reporter: as havana paves the way for president obama's arrival, many cubans are raising their expectations. >> translator: it means change. something that might give cubans more opportunities. i might even sell one of my paintings to obama. >> reporter: this five-time grammy award-winning cuban pianist expects the visit to

contribute to a more normal bilateral relation. in 2002 he was denied a visa to the united states to pick up a latin grammy. >> translator: it would have been better if the this had happened sooner, but as they say it is never too late for good things. >> reporter: but what most ordinary cubans and the government want most is to see a significant economic impact from the new relationship, which is why obama's decision to further loosen restrictions on trade and travel to cuba is widely seen as a significant pre-visit gift. >> translator: the process has to be seblgs rated, because no one knows who will be in the white house next. we still have two or three months for obama to exhaust all of the possibilities of breaking down economic barriers are cuba. in that would really have an impact. >> reporter: but some stanch communists fear too much of an impact. >> reporter: all of this hardware is a reminder of the

cold war, yet there are those who believe cuba is still under threat, but this time from an american economic invasion, which they expect ultimately aims to change this country's political system, and president obama's visit here is seen as the trojan horse in that respect. >> reporter: activists are divided between those who say obama is capitulating to the communist government, and those who believe opening up to havana is a crucial first step for change. >> it means people-to-people contact. cubans having a more open society, and the idea -- there is the flow of ideas, and i think it's important. >> reporter: expecting obama's visit to change anything radically is unrealistic, but for many cubans, the very fact that he is coming is the biggest change of all. lucia newman, al jazeera,

havana. it is almost time for the international sports wings, including liverpool's manager will return to his former club. and farah will tell us who has drawn who in the europa league quarter finals. do stay with us. ♪

♪ welcome back. the british government being taken to court accused of failing to reduce air pollution. the suit has been filed by an environmental organization in the high courts. barnaby phillips from london. >> reporter: they are protesting because britain has some of the highest levels of no2 in europe.

they hope the courts will force the government to produce a new plan to clean up britain's air. >> something like 40,000 people are dying each year in the u.k. because of air quality. we want the government to deliver clean air so that people aren't dying and aren't being made seriously ill. >> reporter: london's air looks cleaner that many cities, but nitrogen dioxide is an invisible killer. this woman is a worried mother. her family has a history of asthma. >> the government's own statistics show that in london pollution levels will not come down to acceptable levels until 2025. that's ten years away. my eldest son will be 18, my

middle will be 16, and my younger will be 12, so the damage to their lungs will be done. >> reporter: i cycle through london every day. i wanted to know how much damage this journey might have been doing to my lungs. we have been measuring air pollution along my daily commute, using this machine, and it has just told us that the amount of nitrogen dioxide is almost five times the safe level according to e.u. regulations. obviously this is not entirely scientific, ideally we would look at an average over weeks or months, but it does suggest that the air i'm breathing in central london is not air. the government wouldn't speak to us, but in a statement said it has plans to improve air quality throughout the u.k., and says it is committed to further action

to reduce pollution. in the meantime environmentalists are gathering more data however they can. on a hill overlooking london, pigeons are being fitted with pollution measurers. >> we have trained pigeons for centuries for messages over the battlefield, what better way to monitor the pollution than with pigeons. >> reporter: the skies about everyone agrees needs to be much cleaner, for the sake of our birds, and all of us. time for sport. here is farah. >> reporter: thank you so much. barcelona will face athletico madrid in the quarter finals. the third team from spain still

in the competition, real madrid will face wolfberg, and bayern munich will face van feca. and manchester city will place paris st. germane in their first appearance in the last eight. the draw for the quarter finals of the europia league has also taken place. new zealand have made it two wins out of two at the world 2020 after beating india on tuesday. they have now defeated rivals australia on friday by eight runs. 142-8. they had top scoring with 39

runs. new zealand managed to slow them down, mitchell mcfarland took 3 wickets. australia ending on 134-9. afghan are playing their first match of the tourn and taking on england in mumbai. scoring 229-4. they lost their opening match to the west indians. lewis hamilton was fastest in practice ahead of the season opening race, the australian grand prix. not everyone fared so well in the wet conditions. hamilton's teammate finished sixth fastest in the first session, and crashed out of the second. world number 3, jason day has a

one-shot lead after the opening round of the arnold palmer invitation in orlando. the australian has yet to win an event this season. justin rose is in contention. an eagle helped him card a 468. graham mcdowell was one under and was pretty pleased with this birdie. he is doing better than fellow irishman, roar ri mcelroy. [ inaudible ] claimed gold in the men's pole vault in portland, oregon. he won with a championship record of 6.02 meters. he also won events back in 2012.

the six nation's rugby championship reaches its climax on saturday, and as england beat france they will complete a prestigious grand slam by winning all five games. but english schools are facing opposition from doctors who say tackling is too dangerous for children. lee wellings reports. >> reporter: under their new coach, the england rugby team is already making a mark. success in the tournament could inspire a new generation of players, but should children be playing such a physical sport full of collisions? not according to 70 doctors and academics who say it is too dangerous. >> there is compelling evidence that has been gathered over decades in many different countries, there are many studies which show that the rates and risks of injury in school rugby are high, and that most of the injuries occur

during collision, and these injuries are severe. >> reporter: the concerns are being raised as the english rugby football union launch a seven-year scheme to introduce rugby to school children. but the campaigning doctors want contact removed from school rugby, and for the sport not to be call pulsery. teachers do need reassurance, but the dangers are being overplayed. >> they have an impression of rugby being a very violent sport, but we have broken down those barriers. we have only had two serious injuries -- or not even serious, just little bumps to the head. >> reporter: south african schools allow tackling, as does australia. england's senior players feel the sport should be protected

too. >> all i know is that the benefits rugby has brought me -- i have played contact from a young age, and it has taught me so much to be the person i am today, not just the rugby player, but outside as well, some of my friends outside who no longer play, we still have an attachment from playing the sport. >> reporter: safety is not at the forefront of the minds at these players, at this level it's not about the taking part, it's about the winning. ever bigger, stronger, fitter, they will be trying to prove that on saturday. lee wellings, al jazeera. and that's all of your sport for now. peter back to you. farah thanks very much. that's it for me and the team here in doha. barbara sarah and our colleagues in london take it over now with more coverage of all of the day's top news stories. we will see you very, very soon.

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european union leaders approve a deal with turkey, aimed at halting the flow of refugees and migrants to europe. ♪ hello there, i'm barbara sarah. you are watching al jazeera live from london. thank you for joining us. also coming up on the program. clearing the streets, brazilian police move thousands of protesters angry over a controversial appointment. north korea is accused of firing more ballistic missiles in