al jazeera, baku. >> south korea reported three new cases of mers. the total number of cases climbed to 169. 25 people have died so far. it is the biggest outbreak since it was first discovered in saudi arabia three years ago. >> millions of people around the world are celebrating the first ever international yoga day. it was proposed by india's prime minister. camps have been set up for people to take part. >> it was a sea of people. nearly 40,000 bending, twisting and breathing their way to an attempt at a world record for the largest yoga demonstration at a single venue. they were joined by millions across the country and around the world as nearly all u.n. member countries are expected to host yoga day events. >> not only is it the beginning of a celebration, but a new era to train the human mind with peace, good will and to reach high goals. >> many perform yoga for health and healing benefits. she was in an accident that damaged her ability to walk or stand properly. >> my endurance increased. there was also clarity of mind. i feel it works ver

. >> reporter: i am in baku for the first european games.s the hype here in asker by jam balky clippingsed by controversy. >>> pakistan's government as ordered save the children to leave the country. they have sealed their offices in islambad. they have accused the organization of working against the interests of the country. the government has linked the chair toy a fake vaccination scheme used by the cia to track down osama bin laden. they have been working for 35 years and they: >> ca mile hider joinskamal hyder joins me now live. pakistan says this country is working against the country what do they mean? >> reporter: if you remember, as you mentioned the doctor who ran that fake immunization program was linked to the charity. he was recruited by the cia and after the operation against osama bin laden the foreign staff the charity was told to leave the country. since then the local staff of over a thousand people have been working the organization as we mentioned has been accused the by the government although they say that they were inv

al jazerra baku. >>> the u.k.' laws watchdog is to recommend a new bill on monitoring online threats. new legislation would bring the u.k. in line with other major powers which gives judges the power to approve electronic survive lens, jonah hull has more. >> reporter: the british government's independent reviewer of tear orism legislation, the barester david anderson is scathing of currents laws givenning the monitoring of private communication on his the phone, via satellite and on the internet. inning prongs i believe he says, offering inadequate protection to individuals intolerable. >> the law has been on the road if a long time. it's like an old car that's been patched up too many times it's scattered owl over the place there are 65 acts of government that govern this area, i think it should be reduced to one. >> reporter: mr. andersen's report was titled a question of trust. firefighters commission are commissioned by the government and it comes just as the government is planning new legislation here. among

our starting point is the olympics stadium in baku.e listening post" will young reports. >> reporter: the day before the plirs european games opened azerbaijan journalists gathered to hear an address from the head of the azerbaijan press council. the first european games are an important event. sharing such moments is not just an expression of our joy, but an essential patriotic mission. foreign media were not with the programme. according to the council, they launched a war against the country. when five international journalists, including one from the guardian complainted that they'd been refused accreditation, they were not too remorse fall. the refusal to admit certain journalists, they do not want to see critical reporting. they say you can come. but report how wonderful we are, how great is our food. how vepsed we are. but don't talk about the people in gaol. don't talk about corruption and the government's statement to create a criticism free zone failed. >> several newspapers started publishing identical articles about human r

the europeen games have just opened in baku. dozens of journalists and activists have been said to be jailed for voicing opinions against the government. >> many prominent critics of azerbaijan's government are locked inside. one of them, seen here on her way to jail six months ago is one of azerbaijan's most famous reporters. still embarrassing the president even as he hosts the inaugural european games colleagues abroad have continued her research into billions of dollars the first family allegedly owns in offshore accounts. her mother is proud of her daughter's achievements. >> she loves me very much, but she would not give up her fight to protect me. when i went and saw her in prison, she agreed. she said she would not give up her fight even if they threatened to kill me and i said i see know that. >> relations between azerbaijan and the west have become strained over the imprisonment of more than 80 journalists and civil rights lawyers. >> the authorities have resisted calls to free so-called prisoners of conscience as defi

. >> in baku where in aeshingszzerbajain could have great consequences for society. >>> welcome back. let's take you through the top stories on al jazeera now. ays journalist ahmed mansour has been detained at the request of egyptian authorities. al jazeera is calling for his immediate release. the south carolina church where nineteen african-americans were shot dead on wednesday has re-opened to worshippers. greek ministers have been discussing the debt deal ahead of a summit deal on monday. in other stories we are following, afghanistan's army has launched a counter offensive to retake a key district in the north from taliban fighters. the armed group took control of chadara outside of kunduz. 12 government soldiers died and 17 others were wounded. jennifer glassee has the latest from kabul afghan army and police on one side of the river, the talibantable on the other the talibantable controls the district a few kilometers from kundu city. it's the first time it's been able to sees an entire district. the army has sent reinforcement. this is the first year afghan forces are fighting

we are in baku where parents can terminate a pregnancy based on the sex of their unborn child. >> sheas been abandoned by her husband and his family. she didn't want to give her real name. her only crime is that the child she said expecting is a girl. >> they said we will kick you out on the street if you don't have an abortion but i said i don't care, i'm keeping the baby. >> her case is extreme but not unique. many choose abortion simply because they are having a girl. azerbaijan has one of the highest selective abortion rates in the world. according to the government in 2014, the ratio of girls to boys born was 100 to 115. >> there are lots of reasons why in azerbaijan selective abortion is quite common. this region culturally is quite male dominated. families are getting smaller which means fewer boys and as for prenatal technology to identify gender becomes more widely accessible, demand for selective abortion grows. >> lawmakers are doing what they can to tackle the problem. >> all women have the right to have an abortion, but to protect against sex selection we wanted to ban ab

thousands of athletes streamed out to the olympic stadium newly opened in baku. lots of music lots of pyrotechnics. topped by lady gaga. notable absence of major european union leaders who have taken a critical stance against the authorities for their human rights records. eu have been calling on the area governments to release a number of political prisoners. many of them in jail with long jail sentences are awaiting trial. all really for having criticized the azari government. the azari government says they are not political prisoners but an attempt by the west or the western media to criticize azerbai evergreenanaijan. >> that is robin forester walker reporting. >>> we'll tell you how martial arts are used just to keep kids alive. plus the promise of nigeria's he tech industry, why the field is not living up to its potential to boost the economy. >> after six weeks of fighting >> you must make you're voice be heard... >> struggling >> it's very scary... >> dreaming >> we're actually working on that as we speak... >> where are they now? >> nothing was given too

al jazeera baku. >> the u.k. has pulled spies from overseas operations after russia and china cracked secret files in the possession of whistle blower edward snowden. he is currently in russia where he was granted asylum in 2013. we are joined from there now. why did they pull these spice? what do we know now? >> well, jane, we have to be cautious. this story has been published in the sunday times and on sunday, we've contacted the home office, the interior ministry here in britain as well as the office of foreign minister david cameron. they have not been commenting on this report, however there are other outlets that have confirmation. they have unnamed sources in the intelligence service to corroborate what the sunday times is saying. the sunday times is reporting that as you're mentioning, edward snowden ended up in russia given political asylum. the paper is reporting this russia and china have now managed to access some of those 1.7 million classified files that edward snowden downloaded before fleeing from

the european fames is in baku and the authorities have refused entry to three foreign reporters to cover the games. the foreign ministry blamed foreign journalists for the story in gaza. the foreign press core is not amused. >> the center of gaza. people are trying to live quietly. there's no terrorists. >> cartoon versions of hamas fighters were in the background. israel was accusing the media to turn a blind eye to attacks >> maybe it's life under hamas rule. >> the attempt was lost on the foreign association in tel aviv which added a statement: according to the international media center baste on west bank. many were covered in that war >>> a few weeks back we looked at the media in cuba. we talked about the anatomy of a propaganda machine, and looked at the role in 1959 that brought castro castro. looking at it from the american side. the propaganda is a 2-way stream. the radio station was bought and paid for by washington. targetting audiences in cuba. providing a state media banner. amidst the thaw taking place, they have their own question. the broadcaster trying to justify existe

. >> i'm in baku where in azerbaijan pressure on women to have sons could have great consequences for society. >> in sport rossberg ups the stakes in the race for the driver's championship. >> having a's army launched a counter offensive to retake a key district in the north from taliban fighters. the armed group doing control justice outside the provincial capital. 12 soldiers died in the attack, others were wounded. we have the latest from kabul. >> afghan army and police on one side of the river the taliban on the other. the taliban controls the district a few kilometers from kundu city. it's the first time it's seized an entire district. the army has sent reinforcements. this is the first year afghan forces are fighting on their own without nato support and they're struggling. >> we don't have air support. owe within have ground troops, we only have m sins and if you fire three bullet, the gun jams. whatever we have, we will fight the taliban to the last drop of blood. >> the fighting threatens the city now home to thousands who fled from nearby villages when the tab ban started f

. >>> calls to boycott a big sporting event in baku known as the european games because of azerbaijan's human rights record record. dozens of protesters jailed for criticizing the government there. >> reporter: ton other side of the european games many prominent critics ever arizona azerbaijan's government still embarrassing president as he hosts the inaugural games. >> registers between azerbaijan and the west have become strained over the imprisonment of over 80 journalists. one opposition activist who was spearheading the protests, was given asyl lum here, he was here to attend opening ceremony of the european games. the authorities have resisted calls to free so-called prisoners of conscience as divined by the be group amnesty international. >> there are no political prisoners in azerbaijan. there are people in prison for criminal offenses. there are judicial courts that take decisions on these cases and no sovereign state can interfere with the decision of the courts and change it. >>> azerbaijan is still a valuable energy partner and the youeu seems unwilling or unable to change t

. >> reporter: i am in baku for

. >> reporter: i am here for the first european games in baku. it's

al jazerra baku. >>> and don't forget that you can keep up to date with all of the days news and developments plus all our sport on our website, the address there as ever aljazerra.com. deal. plus, turning garbage into cold. today's tech is tomorrow's trash. that means big profits for many tech companies >>> a global trade deal with a completely boring name, but huge economic implications. the trans-pacific partnership. t.p.p. it pushed president obama into the arms of house republic leaders, putting the president at odds with allies, ranging from members of the black caucus to labour leaders, environmentalists. let me explain why the deal has not ignited drama. the trans-pacific partnership would remove trade barriers and tariffs around the pacific rim, potentially taking a third of the world's trade, and 40% of all global economic activity. many of the exact details of deal are unknown because it's being negotiated in secret. critics don't like that one bit, but some parts have been leaked. we know, friendships, that t.p.p. would create the biggest free trade zone that the world has scene.

away from the european games on the other side of baku is the detention center. many prominent critics are locked inside. this is one of them. seen here on the way to gaol. it's a famous investigative reporter. still embarrassing the president as he hosts the games, colleagues continue to research into billions that the first family owns in assets and offshore accounts. her mother is proud of her daughter's achievements. >> translation: she loves me very much. she would not give up her fight to protect me. when i was in the prison, she agreed. she said she would not give up the fight even if they threaten to kill me. >> i know that. >> reporter: relations are strained over the imprisonment of more than 80 journalist, human rights journalists. one that was spearing arrest was given refuge, but now is free, escorted by the swiss foreign minister, here to attend the opening ceremony of the european games. the authorities resisted calls to free prisoners of conscience, as defined by the campain group amnesty international. >> reporter: will azerbaijan release the pol

those may be the challenges facing the next general rag robin forestier walker baku. >> still ahead, afghan forces launch a counteroffensive to retake a key district from the panel taliban. in deserted towns wherein hundreds of thousandsv of homes have been abandoned because of poor government planning. >> "inside story" takes you beyond the headlines, beyond the quick cuts, beyond the sound bites. we're giving you a deeper dive into the stories that are making our world what it is. >> ray suarez hosts "inside story". only on al jazeera america. >>> well back here withays. an update of thethe top stories this hour. ahmed man sour has been detained in berlin at the request of the egyptian authorities. al jazeera is calling for his immediate release. south carolina church where nine african-americans were shot dead on wednesday has re-opened to worshippers. greek ministers have left a meeting where they discussed a possible debt deal on monday. other stores we are following, afghanistan's army has launched a counteroffensive to retake a key district from the taliban fighters. earlier,

. >> austria have won a silver in swimming in the european games in baku, coming days after one of the team was critically injured after being run over by a bus at the venue. the team coming second in the duet's competition. their teammate remains in an induced coma with spinal injuries. >> it is difficult because we are all together, and we work every day eight hours. we are every day all like family like we are together every day and this, if someone happens, big happiness or something else, it's for us, for everyone, and that was difficult. >> that's all the sport for now. more a little bit later. >> see you later. thanks very much, do stay with us here on al jazeera. we'll be talking to our correspondent in south africa. we'll have that and much more. >> precepting the court ruling own on an international arrest warrant. >> hello there. you're watching al jazeera. also coming up the worst refugee crisis. >>> u.n. general secretary ban ki-moon speak about yemen after talks get under way

we cooperated and worked together back to the '90s on the things like the baku tbilisi jehan pipeline and many other things. today's panelists include dr. anthony cordesman who is the burke chair in strategy at csis. dr. cordesman is, as you all know, is an expert on u.s. security energy and middle east policies and the author of 50 books. he's also a consultant to both the state department and the defense department during the afghan and iraq wars and has worked extensively in saudi arabia and throughout the gulf. i mentioned ambassador richard downey is the vice president here at the council and the director of the rafiq hariri center for the middle east. and prior to joining the council frank was a long-time career foreign service officer has been the ambassador to turkey, egypt, philippines. three times. so obviously a very distinguished career. finally dr. jean-francois seznec, who is teaching at the mcdonagh school of business at georgetown. also at johns hopkins at the sise school at johns hopkins. dr. seznec is an expert on energy-based industries in the gulf. he has over 25 y