pentagon deploys more troops on the ground. announcer: animals are the latests victims of the blockade of the gaza strif the gaza str . after half a century of hostility between the u.s. and cuba president obama is trying a different approach. he has become the first u.s. president to visit cuba in nearly 90 years. >> reporter: with this single step u.s. president obama is hoping to change the course of history. the first sitting american president in 88 years to set foot on cuban soil >> i'm glad that you had a chance to bring your feels here because i always like taking pictures with kids. that's the future that we hope for. young american children, young cuban children, by the time they're adults our hope is that they think it's natural that a u.s. president should be visiting cuba, they think it's natural that the two people's are working together. >> reporter: that wasn't the case here for more than five decades. his predecessors hoped to topple the government is economic strangulation, even assassination attempts. president obama hoping engagementment might work better, so he has made it possible for americans to do what he and his family did. become tourists. he has changed the rules so that some american businesses can operate here, running flights, moving cargo, selling communications equipment, but me can't lift the embargo without congress and his secretary tells al jazeera that won't happen unless cuba stakes some big steps-- take some big steps first >> you have to go through state run organizations. there is a dual citizen thip and challenge if you want to use dollars >> reporter: the cuban police arrested the ladies in white after their weekly protest just hours before the president arrived. >> translation: this isn't the moment for the u.s. government to come to cuba. cuba hasn't changed. nothing has changed about human rights. >> reporter: the president is under pressure back home to show that he is going to pressure the castro government over its human rights record. he will meet with dissidents and speak directly to the people. he is walking a fine line because he needs the cuban government to speed up the reforms, he knows he he needs he memorandum e men tum because if not the next president can pull the plug. they seem to be well aware of that here >> no-one knows what will happen, but we think cuba and u.s. will be open. >> reporter: the president hoping this visit will help ensure that eventually for these children seeing a u.s. president will be an event but not a moment like this when the history will remember the u.s. and its allies have stepped up air strikes against i.s.i.l. in iraq. amateur video posted online is showing the moment american war planes attacked months um. on sunday the u.s. military confirmed that it had carried out 16 air strikes on i.s.i.l. targets over the weekend. the pentagon has also said it will be deploying an attachment of marines on the ground in iraq to support coalition forces in the fight against i.s.i.l. our correspondent has more from washington dc >> reporter: the 26th marine expedition unit is a ground to air combat unit that will be supporting operations in iraq and the international coalition fight against i.s.i.l. we're told by pentagon officials that this unit is the same unit that suffered losses on friday when i.s.i.l. forces hurled rockets into the base killing one marine and injuring others, a deployment was planned but pushed up in response to that attack, and we're told this is a group that will continue to provide security for officials at this base. officials you may recall are supporting iraqis in the ground offences, in the fight against i.s.i.l. and providing advisory and support rules. of course, the u.s. has taken part in an air campaign against i.s.i.l. this is partly, it seems, in reaction to the attack that happened on friday the syrian opposition is calling on russia to put pressure on bashar al-assad government to take the geneva talks seriously. the government is refusing any serious discussion on the fate of bashar al-assad's presidency. >> translation: we are calling on russia to put pressure on the regime to approach these talks is seriously. we have noticed the regime ask still refusing any serious discussion on the fate of bashar al-assad's presidency. we consider that these elections are not legitimate. the regime asked us to postpone the second round for two weeks. we insisted on having them in due time james bays has more now. >> reporter: in the spotlight and under pressure at the geneva talk, the chief negotiator for the syrian government. while the opposition represented by committee of political figures, the bashar al-assad regime's interests are in the hands of one man, whose day job is syrian ambassador to the u.n. in new york. he is known for his loyalty to his bosses in damascus. he has shown he is prepared to defend his country's case, even when it is countered by clear facts to the contrary. for example, claiming that these images filmed earlier this year in madaya, a town besieged by his government, were fabricated >> the best way to tore people dough the-- tore people dough the-- important peed owe-- torpedo the talks, is demonizing the syrian government, defaming the people, bringing us again to the security council as a guilty government to defend ourselves. >> reporter: many observers believe that both sides are in geneva, it is he who is doing his best to torpedo these talks. it is a role he has played before. last time he argued constantly about the order of the agenda items. the u.n. mediator made it clear which side rejected it >> unfortunately, the government have refused, which raises the suspicion of the opposition. >> reporter: as ever, back then the ambassador used his favorite tactic, stern defiance. >> reporter: why do you not accept his order for the discussions? he is the chairman? why don't you accept his chairmanship? >> hold your horses. we said that we can not move from one item 1 from 2 to 4 without considering this item. >> reporter: two years on observers believe he is trying to use exactly the same play book. one western diplomat told me he should be called ambassador filibuster. this time his efforts could be thwarted. staffan de mistura has shown he is not prepared to accept endless delay and with the start of the russian military pull-out, ambassador must know he is no longer guaranteed unwavering support from moscow a football match between two of turkey's biggest teams has been cancelled over security concerns. it had been scheduled for sunday meaning, but it was called off after the office of the governor said it had received intelligence about a potential threat. myanmar's first civilian president in more than 50 years has addressed parliament for the first time. parliament voted in htin kyaw last year. he is a close ally of aung san suu kyi. going to live wayne may who is in bangkok in neighboring thailand. what can you tell us about the first new president of myanmar? >> reporter: yes. this is another historic day, i suppose, as this country transitions towards being a fully-flejd democracy. htin kyaw addressing the parliament for the first time. the main reason he is doing this today, it seems to be to justify the ministries that the national league for democracy party, his party, submitted last week. so he is justifying that, that the big change that the n.l.d. has made already is reducing the number of ministries from 36 down to 21, and htin kyaw has said in parliament just in the last few minutes that that will save the taxpayer pill i don't knows of dollars-- millions of dollars over the next five years, during the course of this government's tenure. very little was known about this man before he was elected by the mps to become the next president. he is very close, as you say, to the party leader aung san suu kyi, even acting as her driver at times since she was released from her latest spell of house arrest. they've neen each other from their school days. he is a man everybody is expecting him to be a proxy president because aung san suu kyi has said very loudly and clearly that sympathy will be the one in charge. she will be above the role of president she is able to hold that position. how much influence does she have over parliament? >> reporter: he is the president, so he will have influence over how the country moves forward from here, but it's clear he is also going to be taking a lot of direction from aung san suu kyi. so it will be very interesting to see how that plays out. there is still a feeling here from within the n.l.d. that they want aung san suu kyi to be the president still, some time in the next wum of years. if that is to become a reality, they need someone who is in place now in the form of htin kyaw who is very loyal, someone who may be prepared to stand aside if the n.l.d. can persuade the military to set aside that section of the constitution that prevents her from becoming the president. that is why they stress that htin kyaw is very loyal to aung san suu kyi. we don't know what sort of role she is going to play yet, whether or not she is going to take a formal title, being a minister of foreign affairs, for example, maybe even prime minister. there is some speculation now that she won't have a formal title or formal role at all other than being, i guess, an adviser to the president, someone who is going to be calling the shots but from the background thank you for that update. climate change dominates the discussion ahead of the philippines presidential election. that's coming up after the break. also why few people in senegal turned out to vote on whether to reduce the president's terms in office. office. welcome back. a reminder of the top stories on al jazeera. obama has arrived in cuba, the first sitting u.s. president to visit in nearly 90 years. he is due to meet the cuban president on monday. the u.s. and its allies have sit several i.s.i.l. targets in iraq. the pentagon said it will be deploying marines to help forces in the fight against i.s.i.l. the syrian opposition wants russia to take the al-assad serious. it has been hailed as a new chapter in u.s.-cuba relations, but obama's trip to the island has divided americans. >> reporter: inside the miami stupid yoes-- studios here, they have a mission, seven days a week they transmit to the people of cuba and say theirs is a message of resistance. for 10 years they've been reporting on cuba's opposition movement and for many here their step is in a wrong direction >> he is befriending him. the party should be the voice of castro. the only saen is towards cuba is to use the international leverage he has to call for free elections in the island >> reporter: it is a sentiment echoed by many in the so-called exiled community. for those who came here many years ago, any move towards normalization isn't well received >> every time castro takes the microphone, he says they're not going to change this. >> reporter: this woman arrived as a teenager and has spent her adult life fighting for change on the island. like many of her generation, she thinks obama's visit sends the wrong message >> we are going to go there at a moment when there is more repression, when our visit will serve to empower those empowered. >> reporter: among the older cuban-americans there are deep scepticism for the normalization process. they say it began over a year ago and they are not seeing the concessions that they would like to see for the people. this man is sympathetic to how many older cuban-americans feel, but he is also ready to embrace a new approach >> folks of my generation tend to be a little bit more curious about what changes in policy could yelled. it is very-- could yield. it is very different though. i don't have the same view as my grandparents >> reporter: they want better things for the island, but it is how that is done that causes the most friction > > > colombia's has released a fighter. the eln will start peace talks. the president has repeatedly said formal negotiations with the armed rebel group will not take place until the soldier and another civil i can't be have been freed. greece says it needs more time before it can start returning refugees to turkey. hundreds of security specialists are said to be arriving in greece. the refugees continue to arrive. >> reporter: this was supposed to have stopped, but the boats keep coming in. europe's refugee crisis is far from over. the latest arrivals are refugees from syria. they're still making the dangerous journey across the aegean sea to reach asylum. shores are still hopeful people won't be turned back >> translation: i don't think they will reject us because we're coming from a destroyed city. you're asking for asylum on humanitarian grounds. not only is there war in our country, but the situation in turkey is banned for us. >> reporter: these people want to make their way to mainland europe in search of a better life. others to be reunited for the family members who made the journey before them >> translation: the situation is bad in aleppo. we had four years of war. i don't want to be sent back to turkey because my father and two sisters are in germany and i miss them. >> reporter: tighter restrictions imposed by some european countries and the closure of the balkan route means these people will be stuck here. greece is no longer a transit country and there are new rules in place. >> reporter: according to the new fwroo agreement between e.u. and turkey, these new arrivals could be sent back to turkey. they will be given the chance to apply for asylum, but there are no guarantees it will be accepted. >> reporter: human rights groups have criticized the deal to see 70,000 resettled from turkey. they feel the majority of those who arrive, qualify as refugees and require protection. >> it is 10 or 11 kilometers from greece to turkey. so this port now, they told me we're six hours inside the water, we lost, and the smuggler go back to turkey. i don't think they will be a need to go back to turkey. >> reporter: this six year old and her brother are not aware of the rules and her restrictions. all they know is that they managed to escape war and they're hopeful that their lives will become better. >> reporter: sympathy tells us she was scared while-- sympathy stels us-- she says she was scared to cross the sea but she knows why they are had to do it. it was bad because of the bombardment. the agreement to send back refugees started on sunday. these people say they won't accept any move to take a step back australia's prime minister is threatening to take the country to an early election. he said if the government's labor reform bills are blocked next month, he will be moving the budget forward and force an election for july 2. as part of the majority in the lower house, the key aspects of the agenda have been stalled in the senate. presidential candidates in the philippines have held their second televised debate. our correspondent reports. >> reporter: the philippine election campaign has arrived on the island here. it is halfway through the election campaign and opinion polls suggests the race continues to be close. those lucky enough to get tickets for the second televised debate arrived early. as four of the five presidential candidates arrived we spoke to one. >> it does not hit the newspapers, the headlines, the prime time every day, but it affects our people the most. >> reporter: the first-time voters are clear about the issues that matter to them >> we don't want another thing to happen and will not be prepared >> it is the poverty we're facing. >> reporter: the typhoon hit the area in 2013 killing thousands of people and displacing many more. climate change and clean energy are important issues for voters here. >> translation: it is important to begin a transition towards clean energy because we're one of the countries most affected by global warming. >> reporter: while the mayor criticized the industrialized pressure that they put on developing nations. >> translation: if they want the philippines to phase out coal, they should pay us or supply us with hydro or solar fuel. that's expensive. >> reporter: they had light moments the banter. the typhoon was still the dominant issue. >> translation: planning ahead is vital. we need to elect a leader. >> reporter: many who came to watch the debate said it was a good mix of policy and personality. climate change and its related issuess were high on the policy, policy and law reform are to be discussed in a final debate next month. all the candidates have less than six weeks to persuade 54 million eligible voters that they're the right person for the job before they go to the polls in may mourners have paid their respects to the victims of saturday's fatal plane crash in southern russia. people pay attribute to the 62 passengers and crew on the flydubai flight. it missed the runway while trying to land during bad weather. meanwhile, investigators continue to work through the wreckage. the two flight recorders have been sent to moscow for further examination. the chief executive said they're well on the way to finding out what happened. >>way now have our own specialist team, both on the ground and in dubai. you must not drawn into speculations. we would ask that the investigating authorities are given the time, space, the need to report definitely on the case of what happened in the accident a defeat in the country's presidential election. the president is stepping down after two five-year interprets. people in scenario gallon have voted in a controversial refer ten dumb. turn out was-- referendum. turn out was low for cutting the term from seven years to five. our correspondent has been following the referendum. >> reporter: we're outside one of the voting stations. the counting is continuing and some of the results are coming out, we won't have an fish tally until-- official tally until monday morning. this has been a peaceful election, but with a low turn out. only 10 to 15% of the electorate came out to vote by sunday mid dae. the reinbeing, perhaps, that people were confused. this wasn't just about the reduction of the presidential term from seven to five years. there were 15 other clauses giving power to the assembly, to the opposition, local government, so people here were confused on what they were voting "yes" or "no" about. what's for sure, this is the first time that a head of state is actually calming for a refer en-- calling for a referendum, telling he he wanted to reduce it. this is a has toric day zoos are struggling to keep their animals in the gaza strip because of restrictions on food and water. >> reporter: this tie anger is about to be fed for the-- tiger is about to be fed for the first time in four days. any longer without food and he could die. he is one of the few animals to remain alive here. >> translation: in the beginning it was a successful one because many children and families visited our soo and the income was good. during the israel war, we couldn't reach it to take care of it. most of our animals died from hunger and lack of medical care. >> reporter: 200 animals have died in the last two years. restrictions on power and water are getting worse so they struggle to look after themselves let alone animals. this display is an attempt to preserve some of the dead animals, a kind of educational exhibit. there are other zoos. the owner in one wants the tiger. >> translation: we contacted the zoo to buy the tiger. that place can't look after him us. we can provide more care and more food to him. otherwise he will die. >> reporter: few people can afford to pay for tickets. there are occasionally school trips, but the keepers found the only visits at the moment. so even if the animals are moved away, they would still be in zoos with limited resources. some groups visit the soo. >> in general, we must have a good slaugs for these animals-- solution for these animals and make a place, a safety place for these animals in gaza strip if we can. if we do not have this, the animals must live in gaza to another place out of gaza strip. >> reporter: the zoo keeper say they want what is best for the animals. until then, these animals may have to wait days until he gets on the male a quick reminder for all the latest news and analysis, including more details on president obama's visit to cuba. you can go to the website. your address is on your screen. aljazeera.com >> it's been more than a year since america admitted to torturing people. we're trying to interview one of them. omar