so he's likely to embrace pope francis on th on this trip becae francis is an extremely popular figure in mexico he's the first latin american pope and these words as uncomfortable at they might be for the president and other elites in mexico are coming from this extremely popular figure and the president can only benefit from aligning himself with the pope at this time. >> the pontiff has a busy week ahead in mexico including a jam-packed sunday. tomorrow morning the pope will travel and hold mass. in the afternoon back for mexico city where he will pay a visit to sick children at a pediatric hospital and end the day by meeting with cultural representatives in the national auditorium. >>> brazil has declared war on the mosquito spreading the zika virus, 10s of thousands of troops were out with leaflets. the president dilma rousseff is the virus will not compromise the olympic olympics. >> reporter: more than 2,000 personnel from the brazilian army, may have and i air force were deployed across the country. handing out leaflets warning of the dangers of still or stag that water which i

regardless of the fact that pope francis will bring up all these uncomfortable issues. he will travel on sunday to a sprawling gritty, violent suburb on the periphery of mexico city. and for many it's a microcosm of mexico and it's problems. it has femicide, it has extortion, kidnapping, even corrupt police gangs who target innocent citizens to shake them down, to kidnap them. but also shows the possibility of mexico, it's full of hundreds of thousands of working class mexicans many that commute in to the city. he will be highlighting these problems and problem bills and after that he goes to meet with inning doubling let leaders, another first to reach out no these communities even celebrating a mass in indigenous languages, for years the church held these people at arms length now he's try to embrace them. >>> afghan refugees crossing through europe and telling us here at al jazeera that they are having to zika sigh lum in italy because it's too hard to do so now in germany. germany so far send the most refugees of european countries but it's tightening up its border

this is nothing new and pope francis is set to visit a prison in the north of the country in six days at the tail end of his visit which begins on friday in mexico. one reason he is going to this prison is it has been greatly reformed but that prison is right on the border of the united states and was one of the most violent and corrupt in the country until it was taken under control by authorities. >> the latest from mexico city and adam thank you. staying in mexico a journalist there kidnapped earlier this week has been found dead. and she worked as a crime reporter for a local newspaper in vera cruz and armed men dragged her from her house on monday. her body was found on a highway a day later and a post mortem examination says she died of asphyxiation. tension when the koreas escalated when they ordered south koreans to leave the jointly run industrial park and ceased all the assets. it's called the south decisions to suspend operations there a quote declaration of war and harry faucet reports from seoul. >> reporter: on the southern side of the korean border the resent rocket lau

pope francis heads to one of the most dangerous cities in mexico and warns mexicans of the country's drug cartels which he calls dealers of death. >>> mayo stepping up its efforts to assist? the refugee crisis stemming from the war in syria and put an end to human trafficking. >>> and the effort to wipeout boko haram in africa may be a losing battle. how political corruption is working against the fight. ♪ ♪ >>> political leaders are preparing for a battle in washington. take on the task of choosing an successor to the late court discuss antonin scalia. the request he is when that person would be confirmed. justice scalia died of a heart attack at the age of 79. mike viqueira joins us live now from washington, d.c. good evening to you, mike, how soon will the president nominate someone you think? >> reporter: i think it's going to happen relatively quickly. one of his spokes people, eric schultz, traveling with the president in california, as he prepares for a summit with asian leaders later this week. has said it's unlikely to happen this week, a president has a lot on his plate

. >> pope francis wrapping up a 5-day trip. crowds in the country made him a lit angry. >> he was telling the people stop being selfish. the pope holding pass. hun drefth of thousands expected to attend. heidi zhou-castro has more. >> for seven years they have been divided. half the family members informant photo live across the border in mexico. maria and grassian live here, near the u.s. border. they have not seen their three adult children and three grandchildren since the couple decided to outstay their visa in 2008. becoming unauthorized immigrants. >> my life was full. i had everything. we had to leave. the two say they left mexico after receiving death threats from a gang. in the u.s. they live in a trailer, surviving a job washing dishes. we can hardly afford rent, electricity, food. seeing the doctor. the consolation - daily phone calls with their daughter. without paper, they can't make the 50 mile journey across the border to see her in person. we can. children grew up here on the outskirts. now they are helping to r

after recent meetings it seems that putin views of o or gin tin vinnie frances as -- argentinian francis as less critical of russia than many western leaders. the services are held in polish, armenian, spanish english and russian. the father going on the trip to cuba has high hopes. >> when leaders come together and they show they are willingness to speak, to talk to each other, to overcome hostility, maybe not hostility, but suspicion towards each other, something is changing. >> reporter: as historic as this meeting is, it's not really about history. in the end, it will be judged on whether the meeting can, in any way, help with the problems of today. and whether it can open a new chapter, a new era of greater cooperation between the roman catholic and the russian orthodox worlds. rory challands, al jazeera, moscow. >>> a standoff between armed men who had been occupying a wildlife refuge and police in oregon has ended. the last remaining four protesters have now left the national wildlife refuge. they had been there for nearly a month, forcing their -- voicing their anger over the gov

happening a day before pope francis is set to visit for the first time. adam raney reports. >> reporter: the fire and riot began after midnight thursday. dozens were killed before authorities took back control. it is the largest prison in the northern state, and it's known for being overcrowded. rescue workers evacuated victims, some with burns. the government spoke to the press. >> we ruled out that there were gaol breaks or escape attempts. a security perimeter was set up around the prisons. >> family members gathered outside the prison. several hours after authorities took control, family members were waiting for answers. >> i don't know. help us. the woman director, with all due report, come out and confront us. give us the names, that is it. where is she. >> in recent years. deadly riots are common. pope francis is set to rise, he's planning to visit a prison in the northern borders, that used to be controlled by joint drug cartels. >> president obama last met with israeli prime minister binyamin netanyahu three months ago. when the two leaders went

hope francis will sit down with the head of the russian orthodox church. they are expected to address the rifts between the western and eastern branches of christianity, and the persecution of christians in the middle east. after cuba brought the heads to mexico, to talk about the drug violence. >> reporter: the faithful pray for salvation, not just the spiritual kind, but to see mexico saved from the violence consuming so much of the country. pope francis wants to help them to chive that. >> translator: fight every day against corruption, against war, against division, against organized crime, against human smuggling. >> reporter: for tens of millions of people here there is excitement. for mexico's political leaders, though, there is discomfort, and pope francis is expected to point out some of their failings. >> translator: the term fear doesn't exist for the government. there's a great expectation that the pontiff's words will have an effect on mexico society and all three levels of government. >> reporter: the pope comes to mexico, which is in some pa

pope francis' more conservative predecessors preferred heart lands when they visit mexico. in choosing chapas, he's taking a different line. >> he is using his visit to show indigenous languages can be used in mass. it may help slow down the russia of followers to other relike thissens, like evangelical christianity and even islam. the state now has the lowest percentage of catholics in mexico. this brief visit has at least encouraged the faithful and those suffering in this poverty stricken state. >>> on the short list for a supreme vacancy. >> the names under consideration for the highest court in the land and what might happen if the senate says no. ♪ >> a serious moment on music's biggest night. >>> this is a critical moment. if the republicans in the senate act as though they have no responsibility to work with the president to fill that vacant position because they want to wait to see how the election comes out, the people of this country should send a very clear message, that is not the way our constitution works. you have a duty, we expect you to fulfill it. >> de

pope francis has arrived in war easjuarez. the latest stop on his trip through mexico. for years the city has been one of the most dangerous places on earth. and synonymous with mexico's drug war. adam raney has the story. >> this is how father munoz tries to lift the spirits of kids in this poor neighborhood. the daily workouts keep them off the streets. >> i think that we have a lot of work to do. neither the church, me included, or the government is doing enough for them. >> there is still much to be done. for the police the first step was taking back control of the city by one measure they have. in 2010 more than 3,000 people were killed in juarez. last year just over 300 were killed. the lowest number in a decade. in fact, it's now safer than some american cities. the police chief say the key to this happening is improved police and improved tactics. >> the visit from his holiness is important because it shows the world that this place has changed. >> by ending his trip here in juarez, pope francis is able to come right up to the u.s. border and be critical of immi

. >>> and blessing the curse and pope francis travels to one of mexico's poorest and dangerous cities. ♪ >> the closest i got was sitting in my truck, gun in hand. >> who will save america's heroes? >> i wish he'd been able to talk to somebody. >> "faultlines". >> what do we want? >> al jazeera america's hard-hitting... >> today the will be arrested. >> ground-breaking... >> they're firing canisters of gas at us. >> emmy award-winning, investigative series. a former israeli prime minister has now become the first israeli leader to go to prison and starting his 19 month sentence for bribery charges related back to the time he was mayor of jerusalem and says he is innocent and they will say he will serve a sentence in prison in a special wing as a quote protected person. a stern warning for a foreign policy in seer syria. >> john mccain told the diplomates not to trust moscow and said putin used the conflict to his own advantage. >> mr. putin is not interested in being our partner and wants to shore up the assad regime and russia as a major power in the middle east and wants to exacer

pope francis is set to arrive in mexico on friday. he is planning to visit a prison on the northern border city, that used to be controlled by drug cartels. adam rainey, al jazeera, mexico city. >> hundreds of people staged protests in crete. >> sophisticated missile defense system. the negotiations coming amid an ugly dispute with north korea over nuclear tests. industrial complex that was run jointly with pyongyang, all of this after the north deported all south korean workers from that same complex. al jazeera's harry fawcett has more from seoul. >> as of midnight south korea cut off the electricity supply to the security complex. north korea says it is turning that industrial complex that very important joint venture between north and south korea into a military zone also cutting off the military and civilian hot lines. the defense ministry in he south korea says the north may wish to turn the zone into a military base. they have so far not observed any an northern movements within the area. there is also evidence of some economic

tomorrow pope francis travels to central mexico >>> the berlin film festival is an international affair. going on with entries to include a documentary about migrants grossing the mediterranean. and a saudi economy. and two iranian films are getting a lot of buzz. [ ♪ ] >> reporter: they are young and behind bars, and forgotten by society. the teenage girls getting this international premiere at the berlin film festival committed serious crimes. >> and the director says it's tragic that many would prefer to stay inside the correctional facilities than go back to their families. >> if you show their pain, their dreams, what they think, we can try to solve our problems. and our children. and they think we can live in a better world. another iranian production is fictional. and based in reality. it is the name of a street and a group carrying out kidnappings. it exposes them to social justices. the golden bear went to "taxi", an iranian film. this time there were four films. it's a sign of an industry growing in stature and diversity. this critic in berlin's top prize in 2011. a turning

. >> reporter: hundreds of thousands of people came out to celebrate mass with pope francis on sunday in this community on the edge of mexico city many sleeping here and coming out in freezing temperatures they didn't case because they wanted to share with him his message of peace and love. he spoke of creating a mexico of community. a mexico where they don't do not have to leave or one that they don't have to fear being destroyed by dealers of death his words in reference to drug gangs and cartels. this resonates with the people that we have been speaking to who come from some of these violent communities. >> translator: i hope the pope through god's words can guide the mexican government. especially in my home state of veracruz, which is totally corrupt and violent. >> translator: whether we are neighbors, friends or relatives, violence affects us all. we are picturing the pope to bring hope to up mexicans with his message. >> reporter: by celebrating mass here in this violent community on the edge of mexico city, pope francis is standing in solidarity people feel with them because

baghdad. >> pope francis has arrived in juarez, the latest stop on to mexico. the city has been one of the most dangerous cities on earth synonymous with the city's drug war. >> he's using this visit as a way to try to look at what he might call the discarded of society. highways long been a supporter of prisoners not because he supports violence. but because divine mercy shows that the way we treat prisoners is perhaps an indication of the society that we are. he gave a homily, a speech at that prison here in juarez saying that people need to be rehabilitated, and many are just truly locked up rather than rehabilitating them, and he said its important to treat every human being with mercy. now beyond the reach out for these prisoners. he's here because of the symbolism right here on the northern border with the united states. it shows migration about the america's. he has been very critical of the way rich countries have or have not received migrants whether that be in europe or the united states. >> adam raney reporting here. he's already been in power 30 yea

on wednesday, pope francis will visit the border between el paso, and swarez. it was recently dubbed the murder capitol of the world. family members will come together on both sides to receive the pope's blessing. up next, u.s. travelers are one step closer to hopping on a flight to havana, and in hawaii, a state of emergency over mosquitoes the governors plan to prevent zika. >> our american story is written everyday. it's not always pretty, but it's real... and we show you like no-one else can. this is our american story. this is america tonight. human error was to blame for last week's deadly train crash. causing them to collide into each other. 11 people died, dozens more were injured. officials say the 39-year-old will be charged with involuntary manslaughter and could face up to five years in prison. commercial flights between the u.s. and cuba are one step closer to reality. officials signed an aviation packet. the deal restores scheduled service between the two countries. they will offer up to 110 flights per day most of them to lav vanna. live in washi

so why is pope francis admonis admonishing priests to fight injustice. aren't priests complicit in the violence where the drug cartels reign? >> well, julie, there are definitely isolated places where some priests in some communities and leaders in these organizations have been seen donations for their churches parishes. >> he considers that they have basically resigned themselves to that there is no way to really challenge this power of criminal organization which can basically thrive because of the corrupt state. he's drawing a line there. don't be resigned. preach to your flock. get involved and he held up as an example the bishop of morelia, who he promoted to cardinal, and he's holding up these courageous priests in some of these very violent areas as examples to follow. when he said that the priesthood or the church is resigned, it seems to be more a dig at the power structure of the church than some of these priests who are actually on the front line in a country that has one of the highest murder rates of priest priests in a world. >> you're righ

it shows the world that this place has changed. >> by ending his trip here, pope francis is able to come up to the u.s. border and be critical of immigration policy in the united states. thousands of migrants died crossing the desert from mexico to the u.s., and will end the trip by saying a prayer for migrants. >> the pain of loss is seen and felt. a wave of abductions and killings of women marked the city for two decades. >> this man's daughter was a victim, kidnapped and force said into the sex trade. she was found dead in a masked grave. >> every day when my daughter and son go to school. i'm waiting to pick them up and find them there. it is still not a safe place. less if you are a womanar a girl. >> memories of the darkest days are fading for some. they are embracing a new suarez. >> five years ago the city was lonely. now it's crowded in the places sounds of the city where there's hope a violent past remains that. >> china is the world's number one car market. the increase in motorists has led to a rise in road rage attacks. a campaign to change that has begun in the nearby city.

pope francis visits a mexican state rive with drug -- rife with drug trafficking and gang violence. >> freezing production. >> we don't want significant gyrations in prices. >> four of the biggest energy giants reach an agreement to put the brakes on plunging oil crisis. one country could ruin the deal and launch into orbit. how an advanced observes satellite will track everything from mass migration to climate change. >> good evening, i'm antonio mora. this is al jazeera america's international newshour. tonight we begin with new developments in the syrian civil war. russia is denying accusations that it committed a war crime after air strikes on hospitals and schools killed 50 people. footage released by activists show who appears to be banned cluster bombs dropped from russian jets striking rebel controlled areas. turkey and saudi arabia are among the nations calling for ground troops in syria, as the russian-backed forces advantages to the border. washington has said no to that request. meanwhile the syrian government has given the u.n. the approval to send aid to the country. jam

. >>> and today pope francis is on the u.s.-mexican border. the conference call. the ultimate arena for business. hour after hour of diving deep, touching base, and putting ducks in rows. the only problem with conference calls: eventually they have to end. unless you have the comcast business voice mobile app. it lets you switch seamlessly from your desk phone to your mobile with no interruptions. i've never felt so alive. make your business phone mobile with voice mobility. comcast business. built for business. >> these people have decided that today they will be arrested. >> i know that i'm being surveilled. >> people are not getting the care that they need. >> this is a crime against humanity. >> hands up... >> don't shoot. >> hands up... >> don't shoot. >> what do we want? >> justice. >> when do we want it? >> now. >> explosions going on... we're not quite sure - >> is that an i.e.d.? ♪ >>> there is a new survey out that finds flint residents paying the highest rates anywhere in the country, despite the lead contamination in the water there. flint residents

. >>> pope francis is headed to juarez mexico, a town right across the border from empass sow. he is wrapping up his six day visit and leaving mexico city now. thousands came out to see him there and in juarez, hundreds of thousands of catholics have gathered, including many americans who are crossing the border for the day. those are live pictures of the pope's plane which will soon head to juarez where heidi zhou castro is now. tell us exactly where you are and what the atmosphere is like there. >> this is a staging area for people looking forward to the mass later this evening. it's still nine hours away, but already buss filling with people from juarez and all over mexico, even from the united states, who will in nine hours here from the pope. he is the first latin america pope and the first pope to visit this border region, which is hugely significant for the people who call this place home. the pope's message of resisting drug cartel violence, telling the clergy and youth of mexico to resist has really resounded here in juarez which was until recently the most dangerous c

pope francis said avoiding pregnancy is not legal. but certain matters could be taken. pope francis and donald trump engaged in a war of words over trump's idea of building a wall along the u.s. border with mexico. trump took it personally. >> this man is not christian if he says things like that. in this i give the benefit of the doubt. >> and i'm a very good christian, because the bible said something to the effect that may be donald trump is not christian, pope said. and he is questioning my faith. i'm surprised. but i am a christian. i'm proud of it >>> trump described the pope's remarks as disgraceful >>> pastor mike burns joins me from south carolina. good to have you on the programme. i'm curious, given all that has happened - it's a pleasure - i need to hear you out on this. given all that happened with trump since you were here, with other clergy members and saying that black lives matters. that a chontor was roughed up in the aftermath of an event. called to ban muslims, as you know... ..tell me why you support donald trump. >> i think... >> it's worse in the.

pope francis is angered that he's pulled into a crowd in his visit in mexico. >>> and apple won't tell investigators how to unlock the iphone of a mass killer. and robin is standing by with an update including messy magic. anshowing why he's a five-time world player of the year. >> this is al jazeera america live from new york. >> at 7:00 - "news roundup". tony harris gives you a fast-paced recap of the day's events. >> this is the first line of defense. >> we have an exclusive story tonight. >> then at 8:00 - john seigenthaler brings you the top stories from across america. >> the question is, will these dams hold? >> and at 9:00 - >> i'm ali velshi, on target tonight... >> ali velshi on target. digging deeper into the issues that matter. >> i'm trying to get a sense for what iranians are feeling. >> welcome back. you're watching the news hour. let's take you through our breaking news story. a large explosion in the turkish capital of ankara. 18 people have now been killed. so that number has been revised. the city's governor saying it appears to be caused by a car bomb attack. 45 peo

pope francis has visited a children's hospital in mexico. he stopped by the hospital in mexico city to pete the young patients. he was accompanied by the first lady. earlier on sunday he held mass in front of millions of people in a poor suburb of the capital. >> reporter: hundreds of thousands of people came out here to share mass. many slept here and camping out. they didn't care because they wanted to share with him. he spoke of a mexico where they don't have to fear being exploited and where they don't have to fear being destroyed by dealers of death, words his of course in reference to drug gangs and violent cartels. this really resonates with the people we've been speaking to who comes from in of these violent communities. >> translation: i hope the pope through god's words can guide the mexican government, especially in my home state which is totally corrupt and violent. >> translation: whether we are neighbors, friends or relatives, violence affects us all. we're expecting the pope to bring hope to all mexicans with his message. >> r

francis in the vatican. and then over the summer in july, the cuban flag being raised in washington over what is now the cuban embassy. in that flag being raised for the first time in 54 years. the united states reciprocating in august. president obama despite the criticism that there has been very little progress on human rights since this a announcement, president obama believes he is going to keep the momentum going here; that the openings that he has announced just the other day, more direct flights being announced between the united states and cuba, the united states easing that restriction, he believes that his presence there will continue what he believes a march towards openness in cuba that bebeen when he normalized diplomatic relations. >> mike, why now? what about the timing? and how does this play into the presidential race? >> reporter: first of all the logistics, you never know exactly what goes into something like this. the president has long planned trip to south america. he will be bringing

. >> in an historic meeting pope francis and the russian orthodox patriarch have called on the international christia community to stop persecution. it was the first meeting in 1,000 years. >> i'm grateful for the humility of his holiness, his good wishes for unity. we've emerged with several different initialties which we believe are feasible if this come to pass. >> it was a conference full of content which provide us an opportunity to understand and feel out each other's positions. on the result it's of the conversation, enable me to state that both countries can cooperate and defend christians around the world and with full responsibility work together to prevent war so human life is respected throughout the world. >> let's speak to miguel delatore from the university of colorado. he joins us live via skype. thanks for being with us on the program. this meeting, has it really been forced on these two churches because of their joint dire is to raise awareness that christians are under attack in the middle east? >> oh, absolutely. one of the major driving force in finally bringing these tw

. >> pope francis has been celebrating mass at the basilica of the virgin of guadelupe in mexico city. earlier the pontiff urged mexican leaders to provide true justice to the victims of drug violence. adam raney has more from mexico city. >> pope francis finished off his official day with a five-day trip to mexico with a mass and prayed alone for some time in front of the image of this virgin martha appeared according to catholic tradition to a poor indigenous peasant in the 1500s. he said it was the most important thing for him to do on this trip. the most important thing is to pray in front of this symbol of mexico. he had strong words for a group of bishops at the cathedral in mexico city. he said they must do more to help mexico's poor, the people caught up in the ongoing drug war where violence and corruption reigns and these people need the support of the church, and mexico will not be able to truly cleanse itself without the church taking some sort of leadership in it, and church leaders need to be concerned less with the wealthy and powerful being much more concerned with the

after two recent meetings it seems putin views the francis as less critical of russia's policies than many western leaders. moscow's main catholic church serves as a varied congregation. services are held in many dialects. the father has high hopes. >> translation: when leaders come together and they show their willingness to speak, to talk to each other, to overcome hostility, but suspicion towards each other, something is changing. >> reporter: as historic as this meeting is, it's not really about history. in the end it will be judged on whether the meeting can in any way help with the problems of today >>> the 66 annual berlin film festival is underway. this year tickets to some screenings are being given to refugees and the migration crisis is the major theme there. more from the german capital. >> reporter: she is many people's choice for the world's best actress. she is here to watch movies not to star them as the head of the berlin jury. the opening night was actually a showcase for a film that isn't being judged. hail caesar latest from the cohen brothers. it is a good feeling

. >>> pope francis is heading for cuba right now on his way to a historic meeting with the leader of the russian order cox church. total sides have been split for nearly a millennia. both men hope to rebuild ties. ♪ >> the sights and sounds of a russian orthodox service, in the great schism of 1054, political and theological differences split christianity into what are now the eastern orthodox and roman catholic worlds. although other patriarchs have met since, they never have. >> the main topic is going to be defending christians in the middle east who are being destroyed. there have been loud voices from the catholic church and orthodox world especially the russians calling for people to pay attention. unfortunately, these voices haven't been heard. >> for some of russias faithful, the meeting is a welcome if rather abstract event. >> i think any negotiations are good. maybe they are going to discuss some issues or solve some problems. >> we hope this meeting will be useful for people, for the world, for everything. peace is the most important thing. >> though president putin tin

. >>> pope francis visited a children's hospital in mexico city. the pontiff gave a polio vaccine shot to one child during his visit. he was accompanied by mexico's first lady. earlier, pope francis held mass in front of millions of people in a notoriously violent and poor suburb off of the capitol. >>> several movie makers from iran are trying to show the world what life is like back home, showcasing their work at the berlin film festival. ♪ >> they're young and behind bars, and forgotten by society. the teenage girls in the documentary starless dreams have committed serious crimes. the director said it's tragic that many would prefer to stay inside the correctional facilities than go back to their families. >> if you show their pain, their dreams, what they think, we can try to solve our problem with us and our children and i think we can live in better world. >> another iranian production showing in berlin is fictional but based in reality. a street gang in tehran carries out kidnappings. by exflooring their reason for turning to crime, it exp

. >>> donald trump is softening his stance on pope francis one day afraiding angry words for the pope. >> i have respect for the pope but i would say i think he was very much interpreted. >> reporter: now that was at last night's town hall in south carolina and folks saying that trump earlier wasn't a christian over his immigration stance but the catholic leader dodged a question on whether he thinks americans shouldn't vote for trump and patricia has more. >> reporter: criticism of the highest order, traveling home from mexico where he called for compassion for immigrants fleeing poverty and war and pope francis took aim at republican presidential hopeful donald trump over the candidate's plan to build a wall to keep illegal immigrants out of the united states. >> translator: this man is not a christian if that is what he says. >> reporter: not known for turning the other cheek trump pulled no punches with the pontiff. >> for a religious leader to question a person's faith is disgraceful. if and when the vatican is attacked by i.s.i.s., which is every one knows is i.s.i.s.'s ultimate

jonah hull >>> still to come on this al jazeera news hour, pope francis has been doing some straight talking during his visit to mexico. bangladeshi's government sets up a train iing company to help refugees. mickelson comes close to end the the draught in his clear. >>> welcome back to al jazeera. these are our top stories. turkey has renewed its shelling of kurdish positions in northern syria despite calls from the u.s. to stop them. these are the latest pictures from the air base. ankara wants kurdish y.p.g. fighters to withdraw from the area near its border with syria. the death of the conservative supreme court justice scalia has over shadowed a debate between republican presidential hopefuls. he died at the age 79. there is bickering over who should replace him already. more than 11,000 civilians have been killed or injured in afghanistan in 2015. most deaths were caused by groups opposed to the government including the taliban. it pass been more than two days where humanitarian assistance was pledged to syrians trapped in besieged areas. the aid is ready to go but yet to be de

comes just one day before pope francis is set to arrive on his first visit to mexico as pontiff and we report from mexico city. >> reporter: witnesses say the fire and riot began just after midnight on thursday. dozens of prisoners were killed before authorities took back control of the prison. the fire lasted for several hours according to witnesses. and it's the largest prison in northern state and it's known for being over crowded. rescue workers evacuated victims, some apparently with burns. on thursday morning the governor of the state spoke to the press. >> we have ruled out there were jail breaks, escape attempt or use of firearms and the security perimeter set up around the prison as well as the rest of the prisons in the states. >> reporter: family members gathered outside the prison and started to try to break their way in. several hours after authorities took control family members were still waiting for answers. >> translator: i don't know please help us, the woman director with all due respect come out and confront us, give us the names, please, the names. that's it. where

pope francis has used his first visit to mexico to challenge the threat posed by the drug trade. al-shabab says it was behind an explosion that punched a hole in an airliner last week. it was retribution for what it calls crimes in the west against muslims in somalia. the suicide bomber was sucked out of the plane. all 74 passengers were unharmed. more of this story on aviation security and i'm joined by a senior lecturer in aviation studies. in the past six months it appears that we've had two incidences where someone has been able to get a bomb on board an airline. shall we be concerned about aviation safety at the moment? >> i think we should be, yes. we've seen two aircraft that have had terrorist get access to the aircraft in one way or another. it's interesting because obviously security was beefed up after 9/11 and richard reed, the shoe bomber, but what this has shown is something different. in the past the terrorist organizations have tried to get past airport screening and try to put something on the aircraft. these two incidents, what they've demonstrated is they're tr

after two resent meetings it seems putin views francis as less critical of russia's policies than many western leaders. moscow's main catholic church serves as a varied congregation and held in polish, armanian, spanish and russian and the father going on the trip to cuba has high hopes. >> when the leaders come together and they show their willingness to speak, to talk to each other, to overcome hostility, maybe not hostility but suspicion towards each other something is changing. >> reporter: as historic as this meeting is, it's not really about history. in the end it will be judged on whether the meeting can in any way help with the problems of today. al jazeera. >>> if you want to find out more what the pope is up to on his travels you can log on to our website as well as look at the lead story there, it's on the russian prime minister warning of ward war if troops are sent in. that is on our website, al jazeera.com. >> i'm ali velshi "on target - the troubling truth about taxes in america. rich people really do play by a whole different set of rules. soaking the riches, back in st

is >> pope francis is in mexico championing the rights of families divided by the border. he encouraged priests in dangerous areas to fan out and fight violent crime. and he's expected to address 5.6 million undocumented immigrants living in the united states. heidi jo castro is joining us from juarez, and how significant is the location where the pope will speak? >> the pope will be here, right on the u.s.-mexican border, and in fact, he will send this on the juarez side, and he will bless the texas side, which is just over the border fence. you can see it's less than a stone's throw away from where i'm standing, and in fact, they will be seated in front of the train. the pope's presence at the bored senior significant. his message is one of inclusion and unity, and it's a deeply meaningful message to wanted families separated by this border. for seven years, the monteses have been a family divided. [ speaking spanish ] half of the family members this photo live across the border in juarez, mexico, and they live here near the u.s. border city of las cruses, new mexico, th

. >>> pope francis has become the first leader of the catholic church to enter mexico's national people. thousands were on the street to watch the home make the journey. we see him out and about with other senior clerics. the trip is viewed as highly symbolingic even though heads of state are usually greeted inside, the pope is expected to highlight the migrants in the country and drugs in what many consider tmany--and now posing for what many would consider the family photograph. let's go to our correspondent in mexico city. >> if you see me, can you talk to me? >> certainly can, adam. very nice of you to wave. we were talking about the pope. we're live right now. >> we'll hear from the pope. >> experience teaches us that each time we seek the path of privilege for few to the detriment to all, sooner other later society becomes th the fertile soil for drug traffickers. >> adam raney still with us. we'll take a break and give you an idea of what is coming up. >> i'm catherine soi in nairobi. this looks like money. but it's not. i'll be telling you how people in this community are using

. >>> pope francis has wrapped up his visit to mexico with a mass in a city mer near the border wh america. the murder rate there has fallen the city is still considered one of the most deadliest places notorious for its drug violence the pontiff prayed for those who died trying to cross the border in the u.s., adam raney is there. >> reporter: pope francis has departed mexico after a five-day whirlwind tour of this country from the southern border to the northern border here. he says mass here at the u.s. boarder praying for my grass, a group of people he has often offered support. he's very critical of policy in the united states and some countries of europe of policies restricting or making it harder for migrants who are fleeing poverty and violence, he said a prayer mirra long the rio grande as the river is known in the united states or the rio paragraph dough this border river just about 100 meters from where i am standing he said a prayer in honor of the migrants who have died making their way north in to the united states. thousands have died in recent years as the united states has

pope francis has been addressing thousands of people during a mass in mexico. a sunday service is in a suburb near the capital city which is known as a particularly violent district. on saturday, the pontiff told secular and religious leaders alike they had to stand up to drug trafficking gangs. adam rainey joins me from there in mexico, and how has the mass been going? what have we been hearing from the pope, adam? >> we heard a pretty strong not so veiled message just moments ago in the mass, he warned of mexicans to resist the devil and temptation for wealth and corruption. >> was part of this ongoing message he is delivering trying to tell higher ups in the church, trying to tell his flock here in mexico which numbers in the tennessee millions and tell politicians that they must rid themselves of corruption and rid themselves of this playing of criminal violence of this ongoing drug war. so, the mass is we will underway at this clear that the message two days running now is resist temptation to easy money, resist temptation to a life of crime. and perhaps a

with hugs and kisses, pope francis and russian began to heal the 1,000-year-old wound. >> translator: we spoke as brothers and peace is made by working together. >> reporter: the patriarchs and the pope is side by side on the runway in havana provided an image to this historic day. the meeting was years in the making dating back to the 1990s, pope francis says in 2014 he told patriarch i will go wherever you want, just call me. cuban president castro helped orchestrate the meeting and the leaders' schedules converged with both having official visits in latin america and spoke three hours in a meeting room at the international airport in havana. the men emerged saying they are uniting to help what they called the extermination of christians in the middle east and north africa. they say the international community most help bring an end to the violence and what they called terrorism in iraq and syria and help the refugees. >> translator: defend the right of christians until the war is over. >> reporter: the two sides framed the meeting as a reconciliation but critics say it was an shrew

. >> reporter: pope francis and his stinging review with donald trump's views on immigration. ♪ military experts and diplomates from russia, the u.s. and several other countries are discussing how a ceasefire might be implemented in syria. the meeting in geneva following last week's agreement in munich and they reacted to comments from president bashar al-assad and they will continue fighting until all rebels are defeated and kremlin warning that a difficult situation could arise in assad doesn't follow russia in accepting diplomacy, the u.n. is planning aid drops of humanitarian supplies to the syrian city which is besieged by i.s.i.l. fighters, 200,000 people are in desperate need of food and medicine and daniel lack has more. >> reporter: convoys of badly needed food and medicine began rolling into five besieged towns in syria this week, aid trucks were allowed into government and rebel controlled areas and officials say there will be deliveries by road to others soon and ground access is not possible and under government control but surrounded by i.s.i.l. fighters and u.n. says the o

. >>> pope francis just left italy for a five day visit to mexico where he is to meet victims of drug violence. the pope wants to bring them messages of peace and solidarity and estimated that 81% of the mexican population is catholic. the second largest community in the world after brazil. after mexico francis heads to cuba for a meeting of its kind in a thousand years and we explain. ♪ the sights and sounds of a russian orthodox service in the great of 1054 political and theological differences split christianity in the eastern orthodox and roman catholic worlds and some have met the pope since the patriarch never has. >> translator: the main topic on the agenda is going to be defending christians in the middle east who have been destroyed with loud voices from the catholic church and the orthodox world especially the russians calling for people to pay attention. unfortunately these voices haven't been heard. >> reporter: for some of russia's faithful the meeting is a welcome if rather abstract event. >> translator: i think any negotiations are good. maybe they are going to discus

s last stand and they will be dealt with soon >>> pope francis had tough words for mexico's political and leaders warning them that they must stand up to drug trafficking gangs. >> reporter: it is a poor suburb on the edge of in mexico city. it represents the problems and promise of mexico and, perhaps e that's why pope francis is coming here to say mass. hundreds of thousands of people commute to the capital every day. they work hard and scrimp to save. they're hell back by corruption and gangs. this man moved here 25 years ago. land was cheap and he wanted to be his own boss. he succeeded and after being beaten and kidnapped by police, he is afraid they will target him again. >> translation: we're they're prison prisoners. if a patrol pulls you over you don't know if it is a legitimate stop or they're going to hurt you. >> translation: victims groups are hoping to meet the pope and tell him about the violence and corruption that is endemic here. >> translation: the government is absent. reality is cruel here. i don't want my country to have this image of this, but we international a

an historic image with his feet planned in mexico, pope francis issued his message across the border, into the immigrant community of the american side of the rio grande. >> the plight was the centre piece of the map. >> translation: in this place i want to implore divine mercy, i want to give the gift of tears, the gift of conversion. >> reporter: he is at the center of a human trafficking trade, a midway point for hundreds of thousands of migrants. the pope acknowledged the suffering endured on the journeys, the hundreds of miles travelled over deserts and mountains. >> translation: enslaved, kidnapped, extorted. >> reporter: it was a huge message. a lot of us come, we want to the cross over. it brings us a good life. we do it at the risk of our own safety. france arrived for compassion, and compared the plight of latin american migrants to that of refugees around the world. calling it a humanitarian crisis and tragedy. >> reporter: we don't want statistics, we want to measure by names, by stories. >> reporter: on the american side the pope's message was filtered through a simulcast

pope francis celebrates mass in the country's poorest estate. berlin film festival, iranian moirs showing how life is like amovies showing how life is lik. >> and michel platini shows injustice. >> hello there, a warm welcome to this hour of news. we begin of course in syria. where the civil war appears to be entering a potentially more dangerous phase. a wave of air strikes on schools and hospitals has left at least 50 civilians dead. the strikes hit four hospitals, two in azaz, on the turkish border an of and two in the idlib problem province, blamed russia. doctors without borders says a hogs it supports was, quote, deliberately hit by air strikes in idlib province. these strikes come despite an agreement last week by russia and other world powers to a pause in hostilities. that deal has been further weakened in comments made by president assad in the last hour. he said a truce doesn't mean each side had to stop using weapons. more on that statement in just a moment but first this report from zeina khodr on the syria turkish border. >> report

pope francis receives a warm women come in

large crowds lining the roads to get to see pope francis. plus, my conversation with the brother of ted kazinski and how he became the unibomber. >> pope francis completed his visit to mexico tonight with a politically charged visit to the border. the pope prayed, laid flowers at the border in honor of those who died trying cross it. howheidi zhou-castro is in mexio tonight. heidi. >> the pope issued his blessing across the international boundary through the border fence and to the community in the united states which he turns was one family with the brothers and sisters here in juarez, mexico. the pope matched that symbolism, that image equally strong with his words, directed at the migrants who made a perilous journey to reach the united states. >> translator: a step, a path, loaded with terrible injustices. victims of slavery of kidnapping and extortion. many of our brothers and sisters are the products of human trafficking. >> reporter: and the pope called for compassion for the hundreds of thousands of central americans who have made th

. >> to keep out illegal immigrants, pope francis says he is not a christian. >> for a religious leader for someone to question his faith, is disgraceful. >> but he said, his bravado and brashness seems to increase his appeal to voters. >> he doesn't have anybody backing him so he can do what donald trump wants to do and he is going to do what we want him to do. >> this is a candidate who has defied expectations, surprising long time political watchers. >> he's able to say these things and convince people because he has a track record in another area. you look at trump towers, you look at the golf courses, you look at the millions or billions he is allegedly worth. this guy has got to have something on the ball. >> is trump unstoppable? he has told crowds here, if we win in south carolina, we feel week can run the table. polls suggest trump may not do so well but with a crowded field he has better odds. >> if trump continues to alast delegation while the others divide them up he could build an insurmountable delegate lead or a situation where we go into a brokered convention and crazy c

now pope francis is going to be visiting a prison that was once just as corrupt. a prison in the city will be one of the final places he visits as he wraps up his trip to mexico on wednesday. >> some of the top journalists have joined a march to the supreme court in protest, that the recent arrests of a student leader. where slogans against india were allegedly shouted. his case has gained worldwide attention, taking to the streets in a snow of support. still to come, europe launches an observation satellite to help monitor sea ice, marine pollution and wild fires. plus coming up in sport, the brazilian striker known for evaded offenders is now accused of evading the packman. the satellite is able propredict global phenomenas. it will collect data on the temperature and size of the world's oceans. our technology editor has the details. >> it has taken three years to develop. it is one of the most advanced earth observation satellites ever made. orbiting 814-kilometers above the planet, the instruments can measure the temperature, color, and height of the surface.

the government has controversial calls barring a harsh review from pope francis. the upon if made his -- pontiff made his remarks. watch. . >> for a religious leader to question a person's christianity is disgraceful. i'm proud to be a christian, and will not allow christianity to be attacked and weakened. unlike what is happening now with our current president. . >> trump is one of the polarizing candidates. he has struck a popular hoard. >>> experts thing the numbers are ridiculous. by taking on the high cost of prescription drugs in the campaign. trump may be on to something. complz per cent per cent i want to ask you about the pope. it took about 10 seconds for an advisor to tweet out the vatican is surrounded. does donald trump win that. . >> everyone loves the new pope and is voting for him to be commander of chief. donald trump reinforces. he is willing to be a commander of chief, not the pope or the pastor in chief. he want to keep americans safe and do what has to be done, make the hard decisions that americans are wanting to be made, to fix the immigrati