young people in afghanistan, air strikes putting them in hospital. how an old technology is staying relevant in a rapidly changing world. top story this hour, the syrian president bashar al-assad has vowed to defeat the rebels and retake control of the entire country. his comments were made public less than a day from announcing a meeting for syrian ceasefire. >> we have any believed in political negotiations since the beginning of this crisis. however if we negotiate it doesn't mean we stop fighting terrorism. the two are inevitable in syria. first through negotiations and second through fighting terrorism. >> zeina khodr is on the border with syria. >> clearly, the syrian president speaking from a position of strength. last july he was an embattled leader. he made an admission that the army is suffering from a lack of manpower and what he also said was the army is forced to he concentrate on the crucial territories, core territories, damascus, political seat of power and alawite, territory, and his aim is now to recapture the whole of syria even though it will take a time. the government was suffering losses on the ground, lost idlib to the opposition, but ever since russia intervened, the balance of power shifted in the favor of the government an they're still continuing those advances on the ground and right now the opposition is on the retreat. they are defending territory. and they feel that you know these efforts to try to bring a cessation of hostilities is just aimed at giving the syrian government and its backer russia enough time to take even more land and to weaken the opposition even further. >> the u.s. has hit back at those comments from bashar al-assad. this is what the state department spokesman had to say. >> look i mean he's deluded if he thinks that there's a military solution to the conflict in syria. we've seen this wax and wane over now five years. but all we're looking at, if the syrian regime continues the fighting, is more bloodshed. more hardship. and frankly, a greater hardening of positions on either side. >> pope francis has landed in mexico at the start of a five day visit. the pontiff was welcomed by huge crowds in mexico city. mexico has the second biggest catholic population after brazil. he has a busy schedule where he will celebrate mass in the mexican capital. adam rainey has the story. >> reporter: after he landed here he's coming from those talks that he held in cuba with the head of the russian orthodox church. he'll start by getting a key to the city of mexico city. the heart of the capital, talks with president enrique pena nieto. then on the more controversial part of his trip. a sprawling gritty and violent suburb on the edge of mexico city. the decision to travel to other parts of the country racked by violence, is showing that pope francis hopes to bring light to areas racked by violence, ruling large parts of the country without fear of o retribution fm the government. he'll meet at chappas, and finally wrap up his trip when he visits the northern border of mexico and holds a mass there on the border with people from texas and people from mexico attending that mass, and he'll say a prayer for so many migrants who have died on their way north. >> before he came to mexico the pope and the head of the russian catholic church met. healing a schism that occurred over a thousand years ago. natasha guinane has the story. >> pope francis and russian orthodox patriarch healed an almost thousand year breach in the faith. >> we spoke that we would work together. >> havana provided another symbolic 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 kiro, i'll go wherever you want, just call me. cuban president raul castro helicopter orchestrate the meeting and the leaders' schedules converged already having official visits in latin america. they spoke for three hours inside a meeting room at the international airport in havana. the men reemerged said they are reuniting, and the international community must help bring an end in the violence what they call terrorism in iraq and syria and help the refugees. >> translator: on the world of christians the world over. >> authorities say it was a shrewd approach from russian president vladimir putin. this was an attempt by russia to bolster its profile in the west. the historic meeting certainly raised the profile of cuba. fest a triumphant president castro told reporters cuba will continue to support peace, then, in his efforts to help end latin america's longest war, that colombia is next. sally van treva says this trip is designed to inspire catholicism across america. >> the gestures of religious people can practically animate people and that's what a religious institution can do. and of course there's all kinds of christians and other people on the ground trying to do things animated by their faith. it is a way to do energy, belonged to christianity and other faith religions as well. any time you have communication between global leaders who have real communities, actual communities, practical people who look to those leaders for insight and wisdom as the russian people do and as the catholics from the other parts of the world do, i think that can only lead to good. we saw it with pope john xxiii and pope paul r vi and we see it again. >> efforts to put the left wing government under pressure. neave barker from athens. >> angry crowd tries to storm the ministry of agriculture. plumes of tear gas fill the air while protesters take pot shots at office windows. many of these farmers have traveled from the island of crete to join a day of demonstrations that began with violence. from across the country, farmers querngfarmersconverged on athenn thousands. this group came in convoy. protesters from across the country, now they're taking their anger to the people. >> this country is people, these laws are not going to help people, they're going to destroy them. not only farmers. most of the society. >> on syntagmas square close to parliament, protesters have pitched tents. they say they'll be here for days. >> we have come here with determination and decisiveness. we won't leave until we have justice. >> last week, greece signed an agreement with international monetary fund. greek government says the reforms are not a matter of choice, they're a matter of necessity. but the reforms will mean tax hikes and sharp increases in pension contributions. ing make their small agricultural businesses no longer viable. tractors that have been stopped on the edges of the city were loud into the square. greeks have experienced volatile taxes and elections. neave barker, al jazeera, athens. >> the international criminal court case against kenya's deputy president, william rousseau, is facing crimes against humanity. five witness he have asked for their testimony to be withdrawn. island of bahrain, police and protesters fought running battles in a mainly shia district, in 2012 wrai bahrain quashed mass protests. quashed mass protest. still to come. orphans caught up in the fighting in eastern ukraine. even though there's supposed to be a ceasefire. interwelcome back, top stories from al jazeera. the syrian president bashar al-assad has vowed to beat back rebels and retake the entire country. these comments made after international powers agreed to meet in munich. pope and paid rark kiddo, issued a global appeal facing persecution in the middle east. riot police in athens, week of demonstrations have been putting greece under pressure with its contractors. haiti's parliament is due to vote for an interim president. former president, michel martelly, left without an election for his replacement. >> a have you du ritual lails hs the start. those who march are members of the opposition and come here because they want to make sure their voices are heard. most of them say democracy in haiti is at risk. >> translator: we are protesting to get a new president and new prime minister. alt sectors mutts be represented. former president michel martelly wants to put whomever he wants back into power and we don't want that. >> last weekend, michel martelly left, amid intense protests and opposition allegations of electoral fraud. >> these people are going from one neighborhood to another one gathering support. they're carrying pictures of former president jean bertrand arristide. interim president, guide haiti into free and fair election. on saturday, parliament will vote and elect an interim president. jean philippe catel says,. >> translator: parliament is trying too get haiti auto of these crisis. an economic one, a social one and now a political one. >> reporter: this is haiti's worst protest in more than a decade. many say former president michel martelly and the international community are to blame. >> for years, the international community was approving anything martelly did. handing the country over to the rimrich. this is a problem when 78% of the country lives in poverty. >> they want to make sure that whomever leaves haiti, it is someone that will truly represent them. teresa vo, al jazeera, france. >> south sudan president riek machar as announced the former vice president, salva kiir. >> 30 other people were wounded in the attack on a u.n. base in the town of kital. the urn general has condemned the attack. violations of the ceasefire took place on a nearly daily basis. charldcharles stratford reports. >> they all now live with their adopted parents in the village of zavonka in the gray zone betweebetween prorussian vafts. >> we try not to show the girls that we are afraid. >> reporter: an agreement signed last february in the be belarus meeting. heavy weapons are supposed to be withdrawn as part of the minsk deal but both sides accuse the other of violating that nearly every take. the army tell us that the russians are first, drink here. they say the spraforts as alone outposts. 78-year-old was mooferred to safety four time, had he has come down under fire every day. >> my children were born here, my grandchildren are born here. rg's gone, how will they do, they won't find me. i won't move until there is paste. >> the conflict hasn't fished. i believe the ukrainian military has to decide to stay and to bring an end to this conflict. >> reporter: at a niche checkpoint, these men are fiercely patriotic and want the ent to mosque. >> whether we are united nationsed we will die feet you're enemy and the evil must co-invite. muskovite. >> they wish only the fight will end. charles stratford, good night. >> young children andth fants are at risk, from kabul cs, raz asaya has the story. >> strapped to a breathing tube. inside an intensive care unit, eight month old sara, next to her two more infants with in effected lungs. doctors say this repeats itself year after year. infants likely poisoned by toxic lents a city where you're smarp mrp's wet april but walk outside and all you see is a slowt of dust and smog. for years, tabl which is government last been dloouded, for those who burn their recycling. malidlejar says poison out particles in the air and drb eun to rarnd 300 people efforts year. >> he area wean learn, it is not a problem. >> deputy director of the national environmental protection agencies, insists that the government enhance evere handles the recover. >> there are places the the government can do now. it is revolt inexpensive, why haven't they started this now? >> in the history of afghanistan this is the first time we are investing in waste management. initial that won't help satisfy afer. reza saya, al jazeera, canal. >> it's calling the graying of, falling birth rate and boat things the world is shrinking. less national output and less money from the government. scott heidler from bangkok. >> reporter: it's not unusual for a thai mother feed to earn ploirn every day, but not to serve her chin every month. >> i don't want to concern my children, i have to earn money myself to make a living. >> notice's situation is becoming more concerning in taiwan. 40th% of the 10 million thais over the twiesht age of 60 are still working. but it's not just the aging population here in thailand that's putting a drain on the economic future. a drastic reduction in the fertility rate is also playing a major role. there is an average of 1.5 children in each household now, four less than the family from back in 1970. as a result, in just 20 years thailand's workforce will be 11% smaller, the fastest contraction in southeast asia. >> the employees, the older person or to extend retirement age, or to promote employment of older working population, is the necessary condition for healthy economy. >> adding difficulty for those looking to retire the thai pension system is extremely fragmented. to reduce elderly care in the future the health system needs to be reworked. but for him, it's too late. to continue as long as his body allows. >> i have to keep going while my eyes fail me, i will have to go along. >> scott heidler, al jazeera, bangkok. >> digital technology is around the world but saturday is world radio day, an opportunity to take look at how it's impacted the world of millions of people. here is tarek ba baz bai bazley. >> according to the u.n, making it the world's most accessible forms of technology. >> radio is a platform that allows people to interact, despite different educational levels. so somebody may be illiterate, but could sometimes participate in radio. it is not same, if the same person wants to participate in radio. >> radio has remained popular especially in areas where mobile networks are patchy or absent. make it an essential part of disaster and emergency response. >> very local, very community-driven so people feel they can really relate to presenters and the conversations on the radio and increasingly we're seeing radio become a two way mechanism. as people start to engage using their phones maybe dialing into talk shows, texting in their opinions. so it's actually a very participatory mechanism for people to have their voices heard. >> mobile has changed the consumption of millions but many come with built in radio chips. in countries like zambia for example, a third of the people listen to the radio on their mobile hand set every week. the fact that radio is free and widely accessible means it's likely to remain popular for years to come. >> do check out the website, aljazeera.com, you can talk to me on twitter, i'm pat w 1 or text any member of the team. >> thanks for joining us on "america tonight." i'm joie chen. our nation's big defense budget is bound to come up in the course of any presidential contest. but this election year, the most expensive weapon system ever in the pentagon's arsenal could