field washington on al-jazeera. the all the cool. basketball legend kobe bryant is killed in a helicopter crash in california the los angeles lakers star was 41. fellow i maryam namazie in london you're watching al-jazeera also coming up on the program china want a deadly new virus is getting even more contagious as authorities around the world race to prevent a pandemic. and in defiance in iraq hundreds of protesters flood the streets the security forces ramp up their crackdown and the polls have just closed in italy local elections happening that the far right is hoping it will put them back into power nationally.

as our breaking news story the retired u.s. will star kobe bryant has been killed in a helicopter crash in california the city of calabasas has tweeted to confirm this news u.s. media is also reporting that his teenage daughter giana is among 4 other people who have died the 41 year old former los angeles lakers player was traveling in his private helicopter when it went down just outside los angeles. well rob reynolds joins us on the phone now from calabasas and of course we've been hearing continued reaction coming in from friends and relatives this news has come as a shock to everyone really and then now these media reports all of a kobe bryant's 13 year old daughter also being on that helicopter traveling alongside him though that hasn't been confirmed has it rob. actually my up to

say that if you look who is one of the yet top elected officials the most is. has. i would apologies for that we appear to have some problems i will try to reestablish we'll try very hard to reestablish rob reynolds he is following the story for us from california but of course we have been following for the past hour this tragic news that retired basketball star kobe bryant has died in a helicopter crash in calabasas california and really there has been this sense of shock and sadness even disbelief being expressed by people that knew him but also to many people all around the world of course he was an iconic figure someone whose reputation and character would be transcended this sporting world and transcended basketball but rob is back for us now and rob you of just. just a bit of an inconsistent connection with rob reynolds but of course that has been.

now this news reports in the u.s. media that his 13 year old daughter giana was also on the helicopter but of course we know that kobe bryant had 4 children he is survived by his wife and also has 3 on the door says the youngest child they had in june but there has been reaction coming in with new to this news that kobe bryant has died in this helicopter crash in calabasas california and rob reynolds i believe is back for us and what is the latest that you are hearing that because we have had confirmation from this news and of course a statement from the mayor of calabasas yes maria maria. to report. your elected her parents who. greeted. her birth 13

year old daughter was among the. all apologies for that rob brown reporting to us from calabasas california which of course is the site of this helicopter crash kobe bryant traveling there with his daughter but also we understand there were several other companions and. in terms of the circumstances of this crash we know that. because in the area who saw the helicopter flying quite low it was flying erratic glee and then it struck a hillside and that started a fire which as you can see firefighters are on the scene and they've been trying to extinguish but we know that the helicopter did crash in an isolated area so there are unlikely to be any casualties in terms of residents in the area but of course kobe bryant was an enormously popular figure with a global reputation and has been a great deal of shock and sadness expressed at the death of kobe bryant and 4

others in a helicopter crash in calabasas and rob reynolds saying that tragically it has been confirmed that is the old or so was accompanying him on that helicopter and actually just some reaction coming in here from president barack obama saying that he remembers kobe bryant as a legend on the court while sports presenter on the richardson is live for us in doha he's been following the story very closely and really that sentiment that from barack obama being echoed by many others over the past couple of hours. yeah that's right kobe bryant not just a basketball player he was someone who transcended his sport and transcended the boundaries of his own country. i was fortunate enough to interview him on a couple of occasions. arma very unfeeling about the 2012 olympics and on that occasion. he was very generous with his time and the rest of the players also

generous with their time very aware that on but occasion they weren't just playing in the n.b.a. in front of a north american audience it was a chance for them to take their sports. to new spectators new fans and when he started with the l.a. lakers arguably the n.b.a. wasn't a global sports well that can't be said now it's a leak that has players and fans coming from every continent every corner of the world and in a large part that is their parents influence on reading the tweets from joel embiid who was born in cameroon plays for the philadelphia $76.00 is saying that it was after the 2010 finals that he decided he wanted to become a professional basketball player and saw he perhaps had a chance to follow in kobe's footsteps and do what he did. barack obama as you mentioned a huge basketball fan tweeting out that he was a legend on the court and just getting started in what would have been just as

meaningful a 2nd act kobe bryant's closely involved in coaching young kids giving them opportunities to perhaps not just excel on the basketball court but using basketball as a means to teach them important skills in life as well over also got a tweet from shaq hilo neal. did sort of fall out a little bit during their playing careers but they they teamed up her famous lee during that time it's the l.a. lakers in the early 2000 led that seeing to 3 state just 3 straight championships in the early 2000. o'neal saying i love you bro. there are no words to express the pain i'm going through this tragedy of losing my niece gigi my brother i love you and you will be missed and those are the sort of senseless we can expect to see coming in not just from basketball players from but from people in all walks of life you've been touched by the life and career of kobe bryant all right for now thank you very much andy richardson appreciate. for us on our

other top story this hour ports that 3 out of 5 rockets fired in baghdad's green zone directly hit the u.s. embassy iraq's security forces reported no casualties it comes to security forces did fight a gas and live bullets in when you clashes with protest as the crackdown began after influential shiite cleric other withdrew his support for the demonstrations on saturday. dozens of protesters were injured in baghdad and in the southern city of nasiriyah as police try to play a sit in camps protest as is seeking the removal of what they see as a corrupt ruling elite and an end to foreign interference will spoke to mark kimmitt a retired brigadier general in the u.s. army he said that this would be this is a very significant attack of course because of the targets and he does expect that there will be reaction from the u.s. if it's a large number of american citizens who were killed in there i think it's one level

of response a bit was a small number i think it's another level of response but it's clear that after the killing of sort of money in the response that i last saw it there were many were saying that deterrence had been reestablished with the iranians but if the iranians were backing a proxy the conducted this kind of attack on sovereign news as territory tomorrow mind it is clear that deterrence has not been reestablished with the united states would have to send a message perhaps even stronger the next time to make it very clear that the united states is prepared to take actions in response to these kind of attacks on sovereign u.s. tour tori's and american civilians. but of course it comes at a very tumultuous time in the country whether it is when i have been ongoing protests taking place not just in the capital baghdad but also in the south we have seen recent government measures to try and disperse the city in algiers areas am wrong con reports just now from baghdad where there has been take ass and live

bullets being fine this is clearly square in central but just over the you can see the tear gas being fired by anti-riot police into the crowds there are hundreds of people well they're doing is they're coming in from chris just beyond me and they're moving towards where they're gathering in the hundreds to make that point that will the iraqi security forces are trying to. clear everybody chromed this area push the grid square where they try to contain them while they try to do all of the roads on the bridges leading in to try and. back in to central baghdad but these were absolutely determined to make their point they say it's been months these protests began in october but there mon still haven't been there is no program there is a new prime minister and there's no new elections and they determine however as you can see it's

a very thick and heavy in. how long this will go on for is unknown is a bit of a kind of cats and mouse going on the protest is running very very wrong. and then they're beaten back by the iraqi security forces. joins us now he is on the phone from baghdad now what more do we know about these reports of rockets hitting the u.s. embassy in the green zone of samarra suppose the key question is whether we have news of any casualties. i'm sorry i'm so far no reports of casualties something which was some fun by the security media but they had been and he commented you had about casualties but in the last few minutes made the good of the souls of them for them to was there are bad but the rockets landed inside the u.s. embassy compound one of them had a cafeteria or dyna they have not given any further detail on power extensive

damage. that the rocket had which would make the 1st time a u.s. embassy building has been hit by these rockets as you being we've been reporting and with these rocket attacks have become old to point to the assassination month of fuss and sudden money and number 3 and mohammed and this is the 1st time that we have off actual damage to the u.s. embassy compound by the rocket attacks last sign when these rockets hit the book a shrine a nearby neighborhood. and by the security forces but more of them have stake in responsibility for any of these attacks but they have increased in piquancy. all right thank you very much from baghdad as i have enjoyed bring us all the latest on that attack 3 rockets landing inside the u.s. embassy compound in the green zone no reports of any casualties well now to our headline story

a deadly new virus that's killed dozens of people and for infected thousands fears it is getting more contagious health authorities around the world all racing to prevent a pandemic after the corona virus strain which originated in central china spread to other countries china's health ministry saying the virus can spread between people before symptoms show which can take up to 14 days at least 56 people have died in the chinese mainland world in 2000 others are infected but the mayor of 100 which is the epicenter of the outbreak says he expects and on the 1000 new patients in the city they've also been 50 cases reported in 10 other countries this and this is along with the territories of hong kong macau and taiwan the head of the world health organization is now heading to beijing to meet with chinese authorities that al-jazeera scott hyder reports to us now from the chinese capital. yet more measures to curb the spread of the corona virus outbreak everyone entering the

beijing subway system is checked for symptoms and subway cars are disinfected every hour still concerned about infection somehow doubt anyway have a try i am really afraid that the virus might infect me or my family members i'm supposed to go back to work in a few days and my son will go back to school soon whether from or maybe i need to go to work or i have no other choice if i do need to work i will definitely stay at home keep wearing the mosque and keep washing their hands this is one of several long distance bus stations here in the capital beijing they're all closed now that's because the government is concerned because the bus system is less regulated than high speed rail in the airlines so they're concerned that they can't track people or where they travelled from but it's not just in the capital other cities have become. to restrict long distance transportation shandong province will suspend all inner city and into provincial buses some neighborhoods on the outskirts of beijing are sealed off because of suspected corona virus infection all wildlife trade is now banned across china the krona virus was traced to

a seafood market in will one that was illegally selling wildlife young farmer we have taken preventive control measures in groupon as our top priority and we have set up a frontline working group to guide the local authorities in relevant efforts we have closed relevant markets in speedy manners to tighten control of illegal breeding transportation trading and consumption of wildlife or wild animals while the central government has elevated the control over the virus to the highest level there's a growing call for the local government to be replaced because of the way it handled the outbreak and overcrowding hospitals there continue to plea for more supplies and staff scott either al-jazeera beijing meanwhile in hong kong protesters have set fire to a building that was meant to be a virus quarantine center the crowds angry at the government's handling of the outbreak attack the complex where authorities had planned to house patients and medical staff at the place site is near the border with mainland china there are now 6 confirmed cases of the current virus in hong kong and the territories saying

that it's banning the entry of people from the chinese region of who by all those who have traveled there in the past 14 days but the restriction doesn't apply to hong kong residents adrian brown has this update now from the city. the number of suspected cases has now gone up by 77 taking it to more than 380 suspected cases and the number of confirmed cases have risen from 5 to 6 also another confirmed case in macau taking the total there to 3 the hospital 30 also say they are readying another quarantine center turning a former holiday camp into a quarantine center and we've also heard from a microbiologist who was talking yesterday he says that he believes there are number of undetected cases in hong kong now some experts are now warning of the incubation period for this virus could be up to 14 days so it's possible that

somebody who was in 2 weeks ago is now in hong kong and could have the virus now in response to the spreading virus the hong kong authorities have announced that a number of big tourist attractions in hong kong are going to close for the forseeable future that includes the ocean park theme park and also the big disney theme park that attracts hundreds of thousands of tourists every year just a few days of course disney announced that they will be shutting their theme park in shanghai also for the forseeable future it all has echoes of course of the sars epidemic from 20022003 in which 800 people died so 17 years on what lessons have been learned. more now on our top story los angeles lakers legend bryant dying in a helicopter crash he was 41 years old we can speak in tongues and a former n.b.a.

writer at sports illustrated magazine joins us live now from boston and so as you've been saying he was a 5 time n.b.a. champion 2 time olympic gold medalist but really he was so much more than this how would you describe bryant. you know what when michael jordan left the n.b.a. years ago kobe bryant was seen as a success or he was the guy he was going to fill in for college for michael jordan replace him as the greatest player ever he came very close to doing that he won 5 championships one of the leading scorers of all time or really what he did. he represent the force of will when he played he was a ruthless claire a bottom line winner. and the biggest personality in los angeles one of the biggest personalities in the world of sport. he entered the n.b.a. straight out of high school i think that was in 1996 wasn't it i'm not sure if you ever had a chance to meet him but what can you tell us about his his personality his characteristics

what was he like as a person. actually i lived in europe for 6 years with the old international herald tribune when i moved back to the united states to work for sports illustrated my 1st assignment was to do a cover story with kobe bryants he learned it was 19 years old he'd been the n.b.a. for a year and a house just about and so he picked me up at the hotel and santa monica california and we drove to an outdoor restaurant and spent 4 hours talking he was telling me all about his hopes and dreams back then. i remember he was not the star back then the he's known for today a woman came up to us midway through the conversations excuse me are you somebody and said yeah i play for the lakers and he said what's your name and that's where he was back and he turned himself really again by force of will and by not being the nicest guy all the time by being very hard on this teammates and holding them

to his standards his high standards. i would say even much more so than michael's were numbered and so there were 2 sides to him as he got older and he became more gracious easier to deal with when the public. and really it's just a drug philosophy and for for not just sports fans but for anyone that's gotten a sense of pop culture in america he was a household name and everyone knew who he stands what he stood for. a lot of people can't believe what's happened then they're struggling to express really how they're feeling element when you have something like this that comes as a complete shock something a people are not expecting so it is going to have an impact how do you think he'll be remembered as. well he'll be remembered 1st of all for the championship see one but i really and he will also be remembered for his partnership with shaquille

o'neal the big center for the los angeles lakers and then the divorce they had as teammates because neither one was happy sharing with each other they were both so hard headed then i think that's really how he's going to be defined now people are going to remember him as a guy that would do anything to achieve the goals he had for himself and. when he came into the n.b.a. he was not one of the high draft picks and people thought he should have gone to college instead of coming into the n.b.a. as a teenager and he just made it a point to prove everyone wrong every step of the way. a career and it's a life that's really been cut short he had a lot more to to do a lot more to prove he was very active in this business. after playing basketball and i just think that it's really hard to put the words right now and i think i think they say well he's a life cut short because he was only 41 years old and yes he was retired from basketball but there is that feeling that he had so many more years ahead of him

and perhaps so much more to achieve yeah and you know what he's been doing in part . he was doing a series of t.v. specials looking at the players of today and i think even help the camp for players to come together and learn from him and he was really trying to be a tutor for players who had the same aspirations as him if you didn't have the same aspirations as him even how much time for you but if you were really trying to get something done if you want to be a great player if he's. a champion as he has been i think he was there for you he wanted to be that kind of a leader and a role model for the rest of the league. well thank you very much for sharing your thoughts with us we do appreciate it in thompson former n.b.a. writer at sports illustrated magazine thank you now some political developments israel has officially allowed its citizens to visit saudi arabia for the 1st time

if they are on a religious or business trip but travelers would still need to seek saudi arabia's permission to enter currently the government in riyadh doesn't allow israeli possible holders to visit the kingdom unless it's for pilgrimage in ousmane comes just days before u.s. president donald trump says he'll release his much touted mideast peace plan or the israeli prime minister benjamin netanyahu is heading to the white house for that he says he hopes to make history when the plan is unveiled and. we are in the midst of a very dramatic diplomatic given but the comics who still ahead of us are going to washington to meet my friend the president of the north the states donald trump who will present his do of the century an opportunity to choose this comes once in history and cannot be missed in southeast brazil at least $53.00 people have been killed 19 others are missing after 2 days of heavy rain caused widespread flooding thousands have been forced from their homes because of landslides and buildings collapsing and the city of belo horizonte forecast has recorded 172 millimeters of

rain over a 24 hour period this the highest rainfall in over a century now to italy polls are closed in 2 italian regions which could signal a return of the far right to the national stage away to the wealthy northern india among your region for opposition to meto sell vinnie's far right league party is uncertain but it could be politically significant and then in the on the developed calabria region in the south he is also hoping to expand his foothold so for more on this let's go to sunny gago who is in a long a force exit polls are just coming out now sonia one of the indications. well mary it would appear that the center left candidate for the immediate a minute region is just ahead in the exit polls by about 4 points with the party candidate trailing behind with some 47 percent of the of the vote there

the biggest loser you could say of this campaign is 5 star the 5 star movement who are part of that national coalition government only 5 percent of the votes count accounted for at this moment and meanwhile in calabria the southern region it seems like it has it will be a comfortable win for the league party that no surprise considering that neither leader was the senator until last year for the region itself and has been campaigning there as well but it's also interesting to note that with all the. importance being put on sort of right the region of immediate a minute here he paid lip service paid lip service to that but he tended to focus his campaign a more nationwide issues which perhaps could account for the reason why perhaps it hasn't gone as much of the vote as it could have done however these are just very

early moments that could of course change because these exit polls are not 100 percent accurate and we'll know as the night goes on mary. all right thanks very much from. relatives of those missing dead in mexico are rallying to call on the government to act to stop the rise in violence a caravan for peace originating in the city of clear has now arrived in mexico city after 4 days of travel total of more than $35000.00 people were murdered in the country last year when all the $60000.00 vanished since 2006 majority of these crimes are believed to be linked to the current trunks. well now to mali at least $22.00 soldiers have been killed in an attack on an army barracks where 5 others were injured in the incident in the town of sokoto near the border with martain year it's unclear who is behind the attack that has been

a rise in violence in the region and at least one person has been killed and many others injured in a bomb blast in northern syria a truck packed with explosives blew up in the city of aleppo turkish backed syrian rebels opposed to president bashar assad control as as which lies near the turkish border that the no claims of responsibility and turkey's president has accused the international community of failing the people of libya made these remarks during a news conference in algeria where he held talks the president adamant she to do and turkey is set to deploy more troops to support the un backed government in tripoli european and regional leaders meanwhile are trying to broker a more permanent ceasefire after a peace conference held in palin last week but officials from libya's 2 rival governments are saying fighting has broken out this time near the western city of misrata forces loyal to advance on the town of rain just $120.00 cong which is east of the city and there are clashes on the outskirts of strata is home to groups who oppose after us are taking control of the city is an important part of the

government's defense of the capital of course have to nor she is offensive to seize tripoli in april last year in gambia police have used take ass and rubber bullets to disperse thousands of protesters that calling for president adama barrow to step down and barack came to power he had promised to step down after 3 years but now he says he wants to stay on to complete a 5 year presidential term because hank reports. it ended before it started after multiple requests to protest against president. ject and the government gave demonstrators a short 3 hour window for what was supposed to be a peaceful protest but minutes before it began police fired tear gas into the grounds. well we voted for president but what if he was for coming in on top our we were not going we are not going to accept that this is what or do and we will not relent we are not 100 troops or we were not some told to by one. of duplicity this

is a funny. thing because. if. thousands fled some were beaten many were left injured others kill was ok. if you're going to let me holding somebody i'd never know unless the injured were taken to hospital because military deployed the security forces organizers of the large into the local journalists were arrested al-jazeera was not granted a critic taishan to cover this demonstration. personally this is a democratic in all government and we are committed to ensuring that those democratic moderates. protesters accused of breaking intellectual promise he made to the people of gambia who brought him to power in 2017 shortly after being sworn in barrow told al-jazeera at the time he would only lead the country to its transition to democracy organizing elections in which he would not take part but 3 years into his presidency he says he will instead complete his mandate until 2021.

for protesters it seems barrow is tightening his grip on power just like his predecessor jumping in so everybody the fight to protect democracy in the gambia is not over it's just the beginning because hawk al jazeera. the top story this hour retired u.s. basketball star kobe bryant has been killed in a helicopter crash in california city of calabasas has tweeted to confirm the news saying 4 others have also died 41 year old former los angeles lakers player was traveling in his private helicopter when it went down just outside los angeles al-jazeera sports presenter andy richardson says he played a big part in the team's success. when he started with the l.a. lakers all completely the n.b.a. wasn't global sports well that can't be said now it's a leak that has players and fans coming from every continent every corner of the

world and in a large part that is the bronx influence. there are reports that 3 out of 5 rockets fired in baghdad's green zone directly hit the u.s. embassy iraq's security forces have reported no casualties but it comes after security forces fired tear gas and life bullets in need clashes with protesters this crackdown began after influential shiite cleric in the total saager withdrew his support for the demonstrations on saturday dozens of protesters were injured in baghdad and in the southern city of nasiriyah as police try to play it sit in camps . in are all the headlines a deadly new virus that's killed dozens of people and infected thousands is getting more contagious of authorities around the world all racing to prevent a pandemic after the corona virus strain which originated in central china spread to other countries france has now become the latest country to announce its evacuating its citizens from the city of one hon the at the center of the outbreak

the city's mayor says 1000 new patients are expected to viruses in q beijing period where a person is contagious without symptoms has been raised to 14 days and then just was story from gambia police have used tear gas and rubber bullets to disperse thousands of protesters there who are calling for president to step down and barack aim to power he had promised to step down after 3 years but now he wants to stay on to complete his 5 year presidential term prompting demonstrations on the streets witnesses the program coming up next that's it for myself and the team here in london but more news from doha after witness. a unique perspective on nigeria we have so much more we just don't snore of 2 moneys this morning though we have. through the eyes of the sun liberated african photography the pollution in the tire in join us monday and still being us what we just did. it 3 years on how has life

changed. rewind ga 30 on al-jazeera. will be the month of.