one of the blasts was a car bomb which targets a convoy of politicians heading towards the presidential palace member of parliament was among those killed the grape. says it was behind the attack on a moment to syria where rebels have launched a counterattack against pro-government forces in the northwest of the country fighting has been intensifying in the region since last month when the u.s. says it's concerned that chemical weapons have now be news reports. in northwestern syria these rebels are advancing on pro-government positions in the town of comfort in the buddha this operations under way as government jets attack opposition strongholds according to the syrian observatory for human rights dozens of fighters have been killed on both sides this is part of an escalation in fighting since the russian backed syrian offensive in it began last month. and as the violence has intensified so has the humanitarian crisis syrian forces seized

control of cut from the buddha in northern how my province in early may that area is largely controlled by the have you to show that armed opposition groups formally affiliated with al qaida in syria. now hundreds of thousands of people living there are caught in the crossfire dozens of aid groups are calling for an immediate end to the conflict saying conditions have reached a crisis point in my out of the norm people say the towns marketplace was crowded when it was attacked by air raids. on the russian and regime planes struck the area of the mosque it's a crowded place in the middle of the cornish street i let them the shops are destroyed the flesh of the injured people is on the floor people are collecting their belongings the strike hit an hour before the morning ramadan meal. but according to the u.s. it may not just be conventional weapons that are now in use in syria the state department says pro-government forces may have carried out a chlorine gas attack on sunday in the region security experts say that would be very disturbing if proven true quite frankly they have

a negative track record in that area so i wouldn't be surprised at all if they are and really this falls to russia to rein in because russia is their teacher and russia signed the agreement with united states half dozen years ago for syria to get rid of its chemical weapons it will guarantee that and i mean again we're seeing this issue and it's really something that needs to be punished seriously. crosses all red lines. the state department says it will respond quickly and appropriately if it finds evidence of a chemical attack a statement that comes just a day after more than $400.00 u.s. lawmakers urged the trumpet ministration not to pull u.s. troops out of syria. and just all right still ahead on the price remembering the life and legacy of the kenyan or any of uncle why naina rights and gay rights activists. the age of 14. or find out about the small

german football team on the brink of big things. business updates brought to you by qatar airways going places together.

business updates brought to you by qatar where we're going places to get our. thanks. at the age of 48 looks back at his life and career. he was one of africa's most renowned young authors binyavanga wainaina won multiple awards for his writing including the caine prize for african writing for 2002 discovering home but most

will probably remember him from a scathing satirical essay he wrote called how to write about africa challenging popular stereotypes about reporting on the continent when you write about africa he said always use the word africa or darkness or safari in your title never have a picture of a well adjusted african unless that african has won the nobel prize remember any work you submit in which people look filthy and miserable will be referred to as the real africa do not feel queasy about this you're trying to help them get aid from the west a significant amount of effort to cover coverage probably the vast majority of coverage or in africa by the way asked reinforces the preexisting idea that this story has to stop. kenya is experiencing economic growth after the devastation of the rest of the continent except from stop so that they existed in narrative must to be the pendant and collapsed place and then oh maybe there's

a good news story if you're lucky. a forceful advocate in changing how africa is seen and understood white and i became one of the 1st prominent figures in kenya to announce he was gay after a series of anti-gay laws were passed to neighboring uganda and nigeria i see that my coming out of the need of injury. you know moment to die an intervention that was like if i have to be a come to be here i don't want my brother then seized as to be dying and being beaten in nigeria and then i'm kind of quiet and making loud music the it's very weird people would give i've a feeling for them i just felt that that intervention was necessary when in a suffered a stroke in 2015 of the next year he announced he was hiv positive he'll be remembered for humanizing the other and. one of the best writers of his generation if you didn't try to create his own defense dream that people can follow in order to report or write about africa he created our own narrative and demanded the pleas

for it the mainstream by view king the existing narratives it was a very courageous thing of the him to do and designs inspired many of us in many different fields to sort of bring up the african perspective than to call the one i wrote in media in conservation in the new case on legal drug does media practice and reporting etc binyavanga wainaina died in nairobi after a short illness he was 48 years old for a time now for the sport with some. thank you very much felicity as you've been hearing from felicity award football's governing body fifa has decided not to expand the 2022 world cup in qatar to 48 teams the gulf nations have been preparing 8 stadium to stage a $3280.00 team term until which will now go ahead as planned fifa president jan infants you know have been looking into expanding the tournament and staging games

in neighboring countries an expanded event it would have meant more sports at 2022 for each continental confident they'll have to wait until the 2026 edition for the increase the world cup is the canada united states mexico will definitely be a 48 team tournament well ghana based football writer gary l. smith joins us and now gary how will feet 1st decision be felt in africa. well african countries have historically honestly not done well in their world cup too much hostility is given them and it's been the stick that has been used to the us if i should put it that way for a long time reducing the country's means makes it even more difficult for african countries to progress today lots of stages of the competition and it's i see a massive disappointment will this decision affect support for janeen for tina across different continental confederation. where all this it's all about the

politics isn't it the other side yes and no yes because this was one of the promises he made to the different configurations and it appeared that he delivered it but now that it's not in his statements you know we have to look for other carrots to be able to give to the considerations a sweetness to be able to get votes for him next time he think they came to 32 teams will cup will be a relief for qatar yes i think so honestly i thought that the increase was going to be a logistical nightmare trying to do is just about fine considering you know ringback that they had problems having hosts what i meant in temperatures that many people around the world would have to apply my ties to i think that if you suggest foreign and i still think cuts i will organize a blast of a tournament anyway gayle smith thank you very much for that thank you for. that.

off 2 years of struggle burning for a rebel team f.c. union now on the 1st of all for promotion to germany's top make the bronze league for the 1st time the team are set to face stood guard to end a 2 legged playoff here's all burning a reporter came. as they go through their training routine the players of f. say when your have got one thing on their minds the chance to play in germany's blunders league or next season but to get there they must 1st beat far i've got a team with a bigger budget that's used to life in the big league something new on is definitely not. when you have a new challenge you have to adapt to it up here and there is a difference in quality between our league and the bone disease but i can tell you we all want to get there club officials hope these might be among their biggest assets fans considered among the most fervent and most loyal in germany whose support during the years of communist domination during the cold war was

a focal point for those who opposed totalitarianism evolve going marty's played in goals for during the seventy's and eighty's he told me what it was like back then. as far as the issue in it was great for us on the personal level i do it was also hard because we had so many obstacles placed in our way we were the small team that no one wanted to look at and who they wanted to get rid of but in the end we are still here. teams from the old east germany have struggled to succeed since reunification indeed 15 years ago. finances were so poor that fans donated blood to raise funds to keep the club afloat. one of germany's leading football writers told me how significant efforts in winning promotion would be not just for the club but also the blunders league i'm it's the most interesting and the special . the only club which is which is still successful from that in some

parts and soul and on the other hand it's it's it has very interesting supporters they built the stadium by the supporters are together with the supporters for generations the stands have been packed with fans all loyal to their club through thick and thin with the hope that they might one day see their team play in the big league we'll find out if that wish will come true on monday night dominic kane al-jazeera berlin the cricket world cup begins in just 8 days and one of the tournament favorites india have a arrived in england ahead of the event there at corliss team are ranked 2nd in the world behind the host nation the 2 time champion is that will play it warm up games against the new zealand and bangladesh before getting their well cup campaign underway against south africa on june the 5th. any d.m. can beat any team on a given day you know if you look at 20142000 not only 19 now but gap

is much closer much between games you know you have you see what i've done is done was in 2014 see what they're not what bangladesh was what they are now you know so it's a strong. the st louis blues are heading to the stanley cup finals for the 1st time in 5 decades the blues beating the san jose sharks up $51.00 in game 6 of the western conference final that was winning a 3 consecutive games to vasa to the franchise this 1st stanley cup series since 970 to boost the boston bruins back then and they'll face the same opponents this year. once we go on though in january and february you know where we knew we had a good hockey team. you know we get the playoffs anything can happen that's got to get here and we did. credit to our players they battled. they believe they're going to make the point we made it and that's what it's for for mail and you about to felicity. some of thanks so much for sauces about it for me for our money as our

team here in london please like a far away that i'm going to be back in a moment with much more of the day's news for you in the meantime thanks for watching. a policy imposed decades ago pregnant woman part that she put selectively goods and have only boards changing demographics across asia with far reaching consequences creating a poor socially disadvantaged young man so you have the system where people at

every level will be get being given money money to agree to start as a ship or money to get other people to agree to start safe houses their examines the politics of population control. it's a daunting climb to one of the holiest sites in bhutan tiger's nest ball astri seems to defy gravity every few cities is expected to complete the pilgrimage to ensure peace and happiness when it became a democracy in 2008 b. town put happiness at the center of all political policy inspiring the un to pass a resolution urging other nations to follow putin's example but how do you measure it many brits anees happiness as well when should it if it is quantifiable but by simply turning its pursuit into policy bhutan has done what no other country has. in 2012 al-jazeera traveled to iraq people here are definitely scared to speak on

camera they're saying that if they talk to us they think they'll be arrested down the line to take the pulse of a country ravaged under us occupation some of these graves are completely destroyed it's one of the most holy and sacred sites in all of iraq turned into a battleground between them and the army and the americans rewind returns to iraq after the americans on al-jazeera. areas of indonesia's capital in lockdown as protesters continue to vent their anger over the presidential election result. there again i've listed bar and this is al jazeera live from london also coming up . media reports that the pentagon is considering sending $5000.00 extra u.s.

troops to the middle east amid heightened tensions with iran. u.s. president all loses a bid to block the release of his banking records to democratic lawmakers. while football's governing body announces the cata 2022 world cup will not be expanded to $48.00 teams. hello hundreds of protesters have been arrested in the indonesian capital in a 2nd night of demonstrations against last month's election result but also jakarta have been no locked out after a 6 people died in riots on tuesday president joko widodo who's been re-elected for a 2nd term says he won't tolerate threats to indonesia's security force the reports from jakarta. day 2 of protests in jakarta and

a pattern emerges as night fell the situation 10 volatile protesters threw fireworks and other objects at police who after holding back initially fired tear gas and chased the down police say they've arrested more than 250 people that are because after questioning of the suspects admitted that they were told to riot and that it was planned we are still look. and for the person who gave the instruction in the money. it was a different picture earlier on wednesday morning where the crowd was small and peaceful these are supporters of problem. who ran against president joker we don't know in last month's presidential election and the previous one what it was but last i mean they cheated ours and 2014 we don't want to happen again enough is enough one never had so little but not getting justice through the courts is impossible with the government we have so we come here we don't care about our safety we are prepared to give our lives as protests spread to at least 2 other

cities president joker widodo has called for calm but also issued a warning so. it will work together with anyone to advance this country but i will not tolerate any one of these rights to security democratic processes in the unity of our beloved nation and got any. has refused to accept the election outcome and has urged his supporters to demonstrate against it. i urge everyone the police the military and all relevant parties to restrain themselves and avoid violence as they express their aspirations the test started the day out shortly after president broke all the time the delivered his victory speech was likely to continue until the day which is when we expect from both of them to the last the presidential election to play to the constitutional court the challenging the election outcome the indonesian capital remains on edge with parts of it under

lockdown $50000.00 police and military personnel have been put on duty as protesters showed no sign of giving in florence al jazeera jakarta. the reuters news agency is reporting that the pentagon is considering sending 5000 extra u.s. troops to the middle east amid heightened tensions with iran let's go live to washington d.c. and speak to al-jazeera is mike hanna what more do you know mike. all right this is quoting 2 pentagon officials as saying that the national security council will be briefed in the course of thursday with the recommendation that $5000.00 extra troops be sent to the middle east region now the officials according to reuters clarified that mode decision has been taken as yet this will be a matter for discussion it's important to note though that the acting secretary of

defense and the secretary of state both briefed congress in the course of tuesday no mention was made about for the deployments though both men insisted that the terrence was an important factor in terms of dealing with what they perceive as the iranian crisis the fact that a aircraft carrier fleet was sent into the region few weeks ago its regular air being brought up a pace in the light of the ongoing iran crisis the fact that they are seeing to terence as an important factor in dealing with this on a crisis clearly the possibility now arising of more land troops being put into the region but the unnamed officials are also quoted by reuters as saying that it is not just a matter of moving in extra soldiers there are also the possibility of moving in extra aircraft extra missile batteries so certainly what will be discussed if this

report is accurate is a build up to a degree of troops within the region and certainly a build up of u.s. resources in the region at a time of mounting tension with iran all right mike a motion to my keep. well meanwhile the u.s. president has accused top democrats of tearing the country appalled by pursuing investigations into his affairs told trump has refused to comply with congress following the release of report into russian interference in the 2016 election and he's now being accused of a cover up a white house correspondent committee how could reports from washington d.c. . it was supposed to be a bipartisan meeting with democrats about fixing america's roads bridges and airport but when democrats arrived for the white house meeting on wednesday u.s. president donald trump abruptly ended it just. took a pass it was planned when we got in the room the curtains were closed why trump is

upset democrats are accusing him of blocking multiple attempts to investigate him we believe that the president united states is engaged in a cover up and cover up trump later called reporters to the rose garden to debunk that argument i don't do cover ups on capitol hill for the past few days there have been growing calls by democrats and at least one republican to begin impeachment proceedings against trump in an attempt to remove him from office yes it was very hard i would say. some lawmakers believe the president obstructed justice during the investigation into allegations his 2016 campaign worked with the russian government there has been no collusion and april report by the u.s. justice department clear trump of any collusion use them again as a legal obligation to be here still just this week trump stopped his former counsel don mcgann from testifying to congress about that investigation and on wednesday

new york lawmakers voted to release trump state tax returns to congress trump is also fighting democratic attempts to get his business records from deutsche bank what they've done is abuse this is investigation number 4 the same thing probably 5. and it really started i think pretty much from the time we came down the escalator in trump donald trump argues his democratic opponents have been resisting his presidency since before it even started and continue to back efforts to impeach him but democrats are divided on whether it's even wise to launch impeachment hearings knowing it could take down trump or help him win support for his reelection kimberly helped at al jazeera the white house or trump administration wants to increase tariffs on chinese imports by another $300000000000.00 the u.s.

treasury secretary steve michonne says the duties could be imposed within a month and the government is studying the possible impact on consumers earlier this month president trying to raise tariffs on $200000000000.00 worth of chinese imports from 10 to 25 percent beijing then retaliated by increasing tasks on $60000000000.00 worth of u.s. gets meanwhile the british based chip designer a r m is suspending business for the chinese tech giant huawei staff have been told to pause contracts in any pending in gage's to comply with a u.s. trade ban imposed last week the decision could threaten war weighs ability to create its own smartphone chips a.r.m. designs chips for most mobile devices around the world while football governing body pfieffer has announced the cast of 2022 world cup will not be expanded to 48 teams usually $32.00 teams participate in the tournament but in 2017 feet voted

unanimously in favor of expanding the competition last year the 5th president gianni infantino said that expansion could begin in 2022 but those plants have now been scrapped earlier i spoke to david cohen sports writer for the guardian he believes casso will welcome fetus decision to scrap the expansion. cats aren't spent tens of billions of dollars on infrastructure and on building 7 new stadiums for thirds to team will cut that they've been planning since they won the vote in 2010 and as you say certainly a very late stage and there's this idea of expanding the whole thing to 48 and having it in neighboring countries 3 of whom are in very severe hostilities with cuts on actually blockading the country saudi arabia the u.a.e. in bahrain and the other potential countries oman and kuwait didn't have the facilities necessary so it seemed

a very far fetched idea and we didn't see any enthusiasm for in qatar now imagine that the organizers of the work in qatar will be very pleased to say that the idea has been scrapped. the leader of britain's house of commons has resigned from the government over its handling of bracks it led some says she no longer believes prime minister tories amazed approach approach will deliver an exit from the e.u. that her resignation is the latest in a long list of ministers who deserted the government over brock's it treason may is still urging m.p.'s to buy a withdrawal bill nor in calls to step down and a whole has more now from westminster. to resume a is a prime minister under siege it's not just the opposition who want to see her go to court to resign it is her own party her own m.p.'s her own cabinet indeed one of them one of those cabinet ministers has resigned and relayed to the leader of the house of commons saying you no longer believe that

a reserve base approach can deliver on the brakes of referendum in the primary target of may he's not going to resign tonight as a wave of rubles suggested she might she will we're told be in her constituency on thursday as britain votes in the parliamentary elections and then on friday we're told to be meeting brady influential chairman of the $122.00 committee that's the conservative party committee of backbench m.p.'s it sort he will lay out for her just how little support she has just how perilous her position has become a prime minister now with both cabinet and her own m.p.'s gunning against her cabinet members wanting her to pull the vote all together into her deal a 4th vote for the 1st week of june there are happy about concessions she's made but they say went beyond any agr.