>> relief for the people of sanaa, the first medical aid planes land since saudi airstrikes began 16 days ago. >> you're watching al jazeera live from london. also coming up up the cuban and u.s. presidents are in panamaing meeting for the first time since relations thawed. an india is spending billions of

dollars on french fighter jets. >> hello, we begin in yemen where a saudi-led coalition is continuing airstrikes against houthi rebels 16 days after the first bombings. the hope for powerful support from outside has been dashed after pakistan's parliament voted against the operation. aid is starting to trickle in, planes carrying medical aid landed in the country for the first time since airstrikes began. >> this is much-needed medical aid beingen loaded at sanaa international airport carrying enough medicine and medical equipment to treat up to a thousand people. >> the first plane we have been waiting to arrive finally

arrived. it is full of medical assistance, which is needed now in yemen. >> late on thursday another plane arrived in the port city of aden by boat. properly distributing the aid could prove difficult. the u.n. said that wrote are being cut off boats are being prevented from leaving many ports. >> i would like to share with you again that the intense situation in yemen is getting worse by the hour. conflict is affecting 15 out of the 22 governs 22 governors. >> the question now is the

willing-lasting humanitarian toll. >> we. >> it was already a country where main live under the poverty line. that's not going to get period. people's revenues are going down. cost of live something going up, and government services are weakened if not falling apart. >> and this attack on grain silo on thursday night could worsen the malnutrition. there were usual stores for wheat. forces loyal to the blame the saudi-led coalition for the suffering. but whoever is to blame yemen was already one of the most impoverished nations before the fighting began and conditions

are likely to get worse. >> pakistan has voted against joining the coalition. saudi arabia had asked for long-standing ally for ships and help with the campaign. >> the operation is still continuing in supporting the resistencer tans on the ground. it's stopping the militias on the ground and this command building seen here contains some houthi leadership and was targeted yesterday in s sanaa. >> successful have broken out between cubans both for and against government in summit in

panama. cube unpresident raul castro is set to share the same stage as president obama as the countries try to put behind them 50 years of distrust. that will happen when the summit kicks off a little later on friday. live now our diplomatic editor james base who follows those those events. it looks like the historic meeting is going to happen. >> yes, there is going to be historic meeting taking place. what we're going to see in the next hour is all the leaders gathering here for the former formal opening of this event. but then on saturday we now understand and this is something that the white house had kept pretty close to their chest because they said that they thought maybe there had been an encounter. there is going to be more than an encounter. there is going to be a formal sit down of bilateral meeting between the cuban president and the u.s. president a very

historic event. they have met before, at nelson mandela's memorial service in 2013, but this is going to be a proper meeting with they're going to talk about issues of substance and it is coming after that announcement back in december to start the process of normalizing relations. it will be a very important meeting. >> a very important meeting not only for u.s. and cuba but latin america as a whole because the relationship twice the two countries does affect other nations in the area. >> absolutely it does and it's already important. this summit has been going for 21 years. this is the first time all the countries of the americas are here that's because cuba is attending the and the process has started.

cuba has the designation of state sponsor only four countries have that designation. that could be lifted this summer. two important things that happened in that meeting that meeting and the change of the designation changing the relationship here. >> james in panama city, thank you. those high level talks take place in panama for those who live in cuba life continues pretty much as normal, but there is a cautious optimism. we have reports from the capital of havana of what they think this thaw brings in time. >> time moves slow center cuba shielded from the rest of the world, and a centralized government that only allowed change when it thought the time was right. but now change is the main topic of conversation here in havana raising hopes and expectations plus some fears.

>> that's the way to build trust which is one of the most important things that over the last 50 years has been lost. >> if washington and havana are talking, everyone has opinions. nowadays they're not afraid to express them. >> the most important thing is to lift the blockade. that's fundamental. that's what caused our people the most damage. >> the united states must establish relations with cuba to reach an agreement. they must respect one another. >> what i would like to see is better human rights. justice and a free speech. >> we'll wait and see what happens.

>> cubans feel like they know their neighbors but if this rekindleed friendship prospers they're going to get to know them a whole lot better. >> they've been enemies for so long but now it's just a matter of time before this well-guarded section behind me becomes the official american embassy. and these seas will become a link between two neighbors but there is still a lot more work to be done. firstly fidel castro and his brother raul has survived adversity. >> he wants a civilized relationship with the united states. he wants people to learn the art of living together with those of differences. >> more than 50 years of

animosity and he resentment that that breeds will not be gone overnight. >> a pakistani court has freed a man on bail one of seven men facing trial over the attacks that killed 166 people. >> he is a hated man in india but when he shows up for court in mac pakistan his supporters follow. india believes he planned the mumbai siege. his trial has dragged on for years, infuriating india. >> we're very disappointed with what pakistan has done with hat

hatkvi. >> six years on from the siege it continues to haunt mumbai. a group of men arrived by boat. over the course of 60 hours they attack luxury hotels, a jewish center and a railway railway station. they killed dozens of people. india believes it was laktvi and his gunmen, but the court said there is not enough evidence, which is why he is now on bail. much is based on the one attacker who survives. india executed him two years ago. a handshake between the two prime ministers last year is thought to be a defining positive moment. but the decision to release him

on vail could prove to be a set back. al jazeera. >> the resident fellow at the institute, and he told me what could be behind the release. >> what they have done is to distinguish between the so-called good terrorists and bad terrorists. when you look a the good terrorist there is no one better from a military perspective than this man for the simple reason that they concentrate their fire power. their attacks are outside of pakistan's borders. they send to attack indians but not the pakistani. they are the favorited terrorist group, and they're used to project pakistani power outside of its boards. >> still to come, awning for

victory. why they have the annual conventions in their sight. >> plus the cricket world mourns the loss of one of its most iconic voices.

>> hello again, a reminder of the top stories here on al jazeera. planes carrying medical aid has landed in yemen since the saudi-led coalition began

airstrikes 16 days ago. scuffles have broken outed a the side line events in a panama. president raul castro is set to share the same stage as president obama on friday. a pakistan court has angered i can't by free on bail the man accused of planning the mumbai attacks and wenting trial. he's one of seven suspected of the attacks. saudi arabia is concerned that the violence could spill over the board it shares with yemen. >> we're standing here 1500 meters above sea level in

one of the province of the saudi arabia where the yemeni and saudi border meet. you can see the houses and buildings behind me are actually buildings and houses in the yemeni tribe of the borders and of course the province is where the houthi rebels are most strongest, the tapcal where they're originally come from. it is also a place where a lot of illegal smuggling had been going through lately. we talked with some of the guards at the border they did mention that they've been catching a lot of smuggleers trying to smuggle in weapons and drugs into saudi arabia. we've been talking with the

villages here, and they did mention that most of the situation in the border is very normal but they did mention that the artillery and warplane activities is mostly active in late hours of the night. >> after years of negotiations france and india have finally struck a deal over the sell of dozens of fighter jets, but it's fewer than they had hoped to sell. >> narendra modi is more than a special guest here. he is a man that france wants no needs to keep on its side. it india is a friend to france. it has just grayed to bite 36 fighter planes but a disappointment for as much considering that france wants them to take 12,037 but they will keep talking about more. >> keeping in mind the critical operational necessity of fighter jets in india i've spoken to the president about buying as soon

as possible after appropriate negotiations between the two governments. 36 fighter jets in ready to fly continue. there are some things that they struggle to agree on. case in point: money. how much does a fighter jet really cost or a bunch of them. even between friends. france won a contract worst up to $23 billion to supply 126 combat jets to the indian air force in 2012. but the deal hits a snag when neither side could agree on pricing. egypt reached a $5.5 billion,.

france has already shown the world what these jets can do. most recently using them to fight isil. it needs these deals to keep competition at bay. >> we have strong competitors in the west. then the french aerospace industry could make contributions to the west having . >> this largely has to do with national identity. remember france did not go in with much of the rest of europe on its fighter jet airplane project. it chose to go it alone. now it's the newer friends that it needs to keep on side. if this objecttive national

pride is really to succeed in the long term. al jazeera paris. >> bangladesh plans to hang mohammed rizaman on saturday. he was found guilty of overseeing a massacre in the war of indians independence in 1971. the biggest gun lobby in the usa is gathering for a conference in tennessee. >> as america becomes more and more urban the share of households that owns guns has steadily declined but the sheer number of guns in private hands keeps growing. so does the power of the national rifle association which claims a membership of more than three million. >> to save our great american freedom they will stand and we will fight. >> when a young gunman murdered 20 school children and six

adults in connecticut two years ago, gun control activists hoped that it would spur tightening recommendation. despite pledges to act, it's been more than a year since president barack obama has initiated any gun control measures. >> i will tell you trying to get something through congress has proven to go very difficult. it's heartbreaking. >> the nra said that obama's secret agenda is to disarm the american public. >> they have an initiative that would make it illegal for individuals all over the world to own firearms. that's what they're passing that's what this administration is supposing. >> last year gun control activists spent millions to elect candidate favoring tighter background checks and new limits on high power rifle and ammunition sales. >> my daughter was murdered with a gun by a man with a criminal record.

he bought the gun at a gun show without a background check no questions asked. >> but that effort largely failed. >> and since pro gun rights republicans have taken control of both houses of congress, the nra's influence has become stronger. now the organization is shifting it's detension to the battles at the state and local levels where gun control proponent are trying to get public opinion on their side. now kansas will allow anyone with no criminal record to openly carry a gun with no permanent or training. the n ra argue that legitimate begun owners should not have to sacrifice their constitutional rights because of criminals. >> nobody goes to jail for possession of those guns. >> a recent gallop gallup poll shows 63% of americans surveyed

said having a gun in the house makes it a safer place. tom ackerman al jazeera. >> ten police officers in california have been suspended after a video appears showing them beating a suspect who had been surrendered. he had been beaten for more than a minute after being subdued by tase. the local sheriff said that the officers' actions from excessive and has suspended them. it's almost 30 years since the chernobyl nuclear accident. babies affected to die if funding cuts continue. andrew simmons reports. >> this baby is only three and a half months old and clinging to life. his heart has been stopped.

a machine takes over. >> the doctor leads what's become a chernobyl heart team. he said most if not all of his cases were link to the chernobyl accident. >> this is not usual. the high probability could be relateed to the chernobyl accident. >> after all this intense intricate surgery the tiny heart is beating again and now has every chance this baby will survive. >> half our later the mod is positive. >> we have a good heart rate. so we're happy. >> within an hour the surgeon who carried out the operation leads her patient to intensive care. the doctor earns less than a

taxi driver in ukraine's underfunded, poorly equipped health service. she reassures the baby's mother. >> you can touch him she says. everything is okay. touch him. he'll feel you. >> a verythey have golden hands. >> they may have golden hands but most of the funding for training and equipment has come from overseas. a charity in ireland has been at the forefront of the effort. foreign surgeons are also flown in for more complex operations. but the doctor said that that help may not be enough now. ukraine's government it making more budget cuts. >> we will not be able to provide surgeries life-saving

surgeries. >> as this baby waits in line for the next operation the reality is that unless there is more funding the life saving work here will be reduced or might even come to an end. andrew simmons. al jazeera ukraine. >> tributes have been wade to legend benaud, who has died at the age of 84, a successful captain of australia he was best known as a commentator. >> to australians he was the sound of summer, the voice of cricket. >> his commentaries accompanies hundreds of matches. the one constant whether australians won, lost or drew. >> in his day richie benaud

mostly won. he played 63 times for his country and took 200 test wickets and scored 2,000 runs. as captain he never lost a serious. >> a total of 242 not very good that. >> it was after he retired from playing the game after hanging up his green cap that benaud went from sports star to legend as the king of cricket commentateors. >> cricket matches can be slow. there are long gaps in action. benaud was the master. his voice was measured, mellow and calm. >> most important though, it quickly became familiar. benaud behind the may crow phone was for a long time essential to

the game. >> richie benaud has been the voice of cricket. there would be very few australians who had not passed a summer in the company of richie benaud. he was the accompanyiment of australian summer. his voice was even more present than the suburbs and towns. >> days in the hot sun took their toll. benaud's long illness with skin cancer. when he went public he implored that young players wear cream and a ball cap. but it was an accident that ended his career. >> richie benaud will be remembered as a great cricketer and a great commentator.

>> when the players come out to field for that 45 minutes it was a very nice and memorable moment. >> andrew thomas, sydney. >> and you can find more on all our stories on our website. here's is the address to click on to, www.aljazeera.com. >> the united states is in the midst of the worst drug addiction epidemic in its history. but it's not a crisis of illegal drugs. it's one of prescription painkillers - oxycodone, hydrocodone, and other legal narcotics, all related to opium. collectively they are called opioids. >> these are the opioid painkillers. and prescriptions for drugs like these have more than quadrupled over the last 15 years - to the extent that the us now consumes more than 80