planet. new horizons is the first spacecraft to visit pluto, and it's collection of moons. you can find the collection of our stories on our website, the address at the bottom of your screen there, aljazeera.com. ♪ an abface on the refugee crisis, croatia closes its borders, threatening to arrest tens of thousands of migrants trying to get in. one day after offering safe passage >> donald trump under front for not stepping in when a supporter called president obama a muslim. and the message from pope francis, his message of faith one day before he headed to cuba

and then on to the u.s. ♪ this is al jazeera america live from new york city. i'm stephanie sy. a push and pull of migrants after accepting thousands in recent days an overwhelming croatia is now bussing migrants back to the hungary border where authorities have been seen letting small groups pass back on to the hungarian side. this are live pictures from the border. the huge influx of refugees has jammed border crossings. now croatia has closed all but one of its border crossings as well. lawrence lee has more. >> reporter: what has become clear as today has gone on is this clarification again from the position of the croatian government who had said they would let everybody in as long

as they wanted to go out the other side. then they said they couldn't cope and might have to start closing the borders, but the prime minister said again today that they insist they don't want the razor wire solution that hungary opened, but they will let people through as long as they don't want to stay here. that is obviously better than the alternative. what happened today is the refugee route from serbia is still open. they are still coming in here by the hundred, and the croatian have laid on trains and buss to move them further north. so there is some movement, but the problem then arises what happens once they try to move further north. because the slovenias to the north seem to share the same idea as the hungarians and we have heard anybody arrested or captured is being taken back as well.

so even if the croatian government thinks it's okay to come in as long as they can get out, that's when it falls apart, because they can't get out, and there is yet another blockage looming. >> and that is where mohammed jamjoom joins us live from now. mohammed tell us what the situation is where you are. >> reporter: yeah, stephanie, we're on the croatia n side of croatia's border with slovenia. i have spoken to refugees from syria just a few moments ago, they said they came here by taxi, that they tried to get into slovenia and were turned away. as you can see behind me, this area is rather empty. the official border crossing is just down that road over there. it is not too crowded right now, but the border beyond that is rather porous, we have seen just

down that road, several taxis dropping refugees off. obviously they are going to try to cross. the question is going to be if they can't get through the official crossing, will they try to cross the field. it's literally an open field. you see one tree on each side, so are they going to try to cross by foot? that's the biggest question now. we are seeing enforced security measures on both sides. there is a helicopter hovering above on the slovenia side. they are trying to make sure people aren't coming into slovenia. it's a dire situation for the refugees. many thought they would be in slovenia already. that hasn't happened and they just don't know where they will be going next. >> earlier you were in the croatian capitol. my understanding is they were and have been taking in thousands of refugees. and is it now that they are

feeling overwhelmed and so they are sending them back to hungary? >> reporter: that's right. we have been in several spots here in croatia where refugees were being taken to. yesterday we were in a town very close to the border with hungary, there was a makeshift refugee camp set up. already by the time we got there, around a thousand people were there. these were folks predominantly from syria and iraq, some from afghanistan and other countries. they were taken there even though they thought they would be bussed to the border with slovenia they were very disappointed that they seem to be trapped now in croatia. there were trains that were full of refugees. they were coming in. they had been told they would be taken to the slovenian border. in that didn't happen. so a lot of disappointment at this hour, many at a holder facility and they just don't know what is going to happen

next, stephanie. >> mohammed jamjoom thank you. earlier, i spoke with steven wolf a member of the right-wing party in the u.k. he says countries closing their borders are within their rights to do so. >> we have to recognize this these are sovereign countries. these are countries that have their own people who elect their own politicians and what they are trying to do is abide by the law. >> but they are also e.u. countries -- they are also e.u. countries who are signatories to the shen shane again agreement, that means they can come in and at the first point of entry they can apply for asylum. >> that's the point. germany has the effectively thrown that away. that actually made a mockery of the shenger agreement.

and they are closing their borders with countries that are not members of the european union. so you are trying to say to people that they are not entitled to look and respect international law and their own sovereignty issues. germany has opened up a can of worms, and they now realize that when people said 800,000 would come, many are says there would be much more than that. >> he said it could help if the world would build a safe haven area in syria. the u.s. says it would take in 10,000 syrian refugees next year. erika pitzi has some information on the best ways to help. >> there are hundreds of refugees who are desperate -- >> they have travelled for weeks -- >> people are pleading to. >> the crisis has been desperate

for months but it was this devastating image that galvanized a global movement to help these people on a desperate journey to find a safer home. >> they were going for a better life. it shouldn't happen. >> the photo brought the crisis to light in a way that had not happened before. >> for the first time we woke up and we said these are children. we have to do something. we can't have children washing up on your our beaches. >> reporter: she is the ceo of unicef. the non-profit organization has been helping the relief effort since the syrian war began more than four years ago. when the photo of the child went viral, the organization said it saw a boost in donations by more than 600%. they brought in about a million dollars in donations, but that

is nowhere near the response other crises got initially. after the disastrous earthquake in haiti, they received more than $50 million. >> this is a progressive crisis, and people don't always understand what that is. so i have been out there screaming at the top of my lungs, look what is happening. >> reporter: some are listening. members of the islamic cultural center of new york donates truckloads of clothes, food, and shoes. but it is not cost effective to ship donations. the best way americans can help is to go green. >> that funding comes in quite quickly, and therefore, we can readily get it out to our colleagues on the ground. >> reporter: without more money they agree the future is grim, particularly for the children. >> they are going to freeze to death in the winter, because they left home in the summer, they have no shoes, hats, mitt

ins or winter coats. there isn't clone water, there isn't sanitation. those are all deliverable goods if we get the financial wherewithal to deliver them. >> reporter: the estimated need is another half a billion dollars. erika pitzi, al jazeera. join us for an al jazeera america special report this sunday. i'll be hosting desperate journeys a global crisis. on capitol hill today the republican-lead house is take up two different measures targeting planned parenthood, conservatives are threatening to let the government shut down to prevent funding for the health group. undercover video appeared to show planned parenthood officials any associating the sale of tissue from aborted

fetuses. the defense is presenting its case in the case of bo bergdahl. they are trying to determine if he should be court-martialed for abandoning his post. they said he planned for weeks to abandon his post in 2009. donald trump is under fire from critics on both sides of the aisle this morning. at a rally he failed to interrupt a man who stated that president obama is a muslim. >> we're going to have some fun now, because instead of making a speech, i want to take questions. >> reporter: one of the questions now making headlines. >> okay. this man. i like this man. >> one problem in this country is called muslims. we know our current president is one. you know he is not even an american -- >> this is the first question.

>> reporter: trump tried to deflect the question by chuckling, but the unidentified man continued. >> we have training camps growing where they want to kill us. >> uh-huh. >> that's my question, when can we get rid of them. >> a lot of people are saying that and saying that bad things are happening out there. we're going to be looking at that and other things. >> reporter: he responded with an answer, though, somewhat vague. democratic hopeful, hillary clinton quickly criticized trump for not stepping in. she wrote on twitter: republican arizona senator john mccain encountered a similar incident during his 2008 campaign for president. but handled it a different way. >> i can't trust obama. i have read about him, and he's not -- he's an arab.

he is not -- [ laughter ] >> no ma'am. no ma'am. he's -- he's a decent family man, citizen that i just happen to have disagreements with on -- on fundamental issues, and that's what this campaign is all about. he's not. thank you. >> reporter: the question also brings back memories of 2011 when trump questioned president obama's citizenship. he demanded that he release his birth certificate to prove he was born in the united states. president obama eventually did, but trump continued to dispute its authenticity. a high school football player is facing charges for hitting an opponent on the head with a helmet. now his mother is speaking out, defending her son and calling it an accident. ♪

>> as the global refugee crisis intensifies... >> they have travelled for weeks, sometimes months. >> and the e.u. struggles to cope... >> we don't know, they stop us here. >> what's being done while lives hang in the balance? >> we need help now. defense secretary, ash carter says he has had talks with his russian counterpart over the war in syria. syria's foreign minister denies claims that russian troops are in the country. a spokesman for vladimir putin also denies the claims, but says they would consider it if asked. a childhood friend of suspected charleston church shooter dylann roof is expected to be arraigned today. he housed roof in the days

leading up to the shooting at the church. nine people were killed. officials say he had tried to hide roof's gun just days before. prosecutors in new jersey are considering whether to bring criminal charges against a high school football player. he hit another player in the head with a helmet. >> reporter: the mother of the player says her son was provoked and that's not all this mom is saying about this latest incident of on the field, but outside of the rules high school football violence. she also maintains her son didn't mean to swing that helmet at all. this video of the player striking the unprotected head of an opposing player has now been viewed more than a half a million times. his mother said the player not

only targeted her son with his head during the game, but also called him the n word. >> he said it was an accident. and he said his hand got stuck in the helmet. >> now police have turned their files over to the prosecutor's office. he was kicked off of the team and suspended ten days from school. >> i feel the consequences for the incident are ve very -- appropriate. >> reporter: those the refugee penalized the player for his action, he wasn't booted from the game. the player went to the hospital afterwards and needed ten stitches. >> fritz said one it was an accident, and he humbly apologized. he didn't do it purposefully. he said he apologized and at some point he would do that publicly. >> he apologized to the student,

the coaches, his teammates the referees. what else can he do? >> reporter: this is just the latest incident of bad behavior this year. this st. anthony's high school player shoved an official he disagreed with, earning an immediate ejection. while it is rare for high school football players to get arrested for on the field actions, it has happened. john henry smith. thank you. as earlier as today, the obama administration is expected to loosen a travel and commerce embargo on cuba. it could allow u.s. companies to open offices there. and make it easier for americans

this visit the island nation. pope francis heads to cuba tomorrow. last night he sent an unprecedented television message of hope to the people. >> translator: jesus loves you very much. he wants you. he will always carry you in his heart. >> reporter: cuba's government has been hostile to the catholic church in the past. the catholic leader will spend four days traveling through cuba before heading to the united states. one of the biggest events will be his outdoor mass in havana. pope francis is an avid soccer fan and that's goods new for immigrants in new york. as roxana saberi reports, they are about to share their love of the game with the pope himself. >> reporter: soccer is helping these teenagers remember where they came from, what they loved,

but also why they left. >> translator: i used to play in my country every day just like i'm playing with these guys today. it hurt me to have to leave my country, but i had to come because it was too dangerous. >> reporter: this soccer team in the bronx fled central america without parents. he grew up in honduras. he says he left because he feared for his life and wanted to join his mother in the u.s. >> translator: you can't be caught alone on the street there. if you run into any issues you could get killed, kidnapped or forced into a gang. if you refuse, they will kill you. >> if you get sent back to honduras, would you try to come to america the same way you did before. >> translator: i would try even if i had to do it illegally. >> reporter: where are waiting for immigration hearings to see if they can stay in the u.s.

11 of them now have their chance to share their stories with another soccer fan, pope francis. we'll meet them next friday. tonight we'll tell you what these teenagers want to tell the pope and how they hope he can helping them. roxana saberi, al jazeera, new york. al jazeera america will have a special coverage of pope francis's visit to cuba this weekend and next week we'll be with the pope throughout his visit to the united states. women in uniform served their country with honor, but are they fit to serve on the front lines. the report that questions their readiness.

the pentagon is wrapping up its review of whether women should be allowed to serve on the front lines of combat. the military civilian leadership is trying to remove all barriers by january 1st, but as jamie mcintyre reports the marine corps is pushing back. >> reporter: just last month its seemed two intrepid female soldiers who aced the army ranger training, gave women a fair shot. but the u.s. marine corps says not so fast. it argues it is not just how quickly an individual marine can clear a wall or carry a 95-pound

howitzer around, it's how the whole squad performs as a team. earlier this year, at 29 palms, california, the marine corps conducted an experiment. it was a blowout. the mens teams were faster, stronger, more lethal than the co-ed teams, scoring higher on 69% of all measured tasks. according to a summary, men outsht shot women with a hit rate of 44% to 28%, men were faster at combat maneuvers including clearing walls and evacuating casualties. and women suffered twice the rate of musculoskeletal injuries. now the debate is raging over what it all means, and whether the $36 million experience was designed as advertised or aimed more at finding a rationale to

keep them out. >> it looks like a way to keep women out, so support an argument saying that women rant good enough. >> reporter: this was a cobra attack helicopter pilot for ten years in the u.s. marines. i spoke to her by skype from her home in denver where she has been tracking the issue, and she says the study doesn't take into account many other variables. >> for example, prior training is a big mart of the data that is missing. when you look at the training men and women receive prior to coming, it's very, very different. men have the -- especially those men that were already in combat armed jobs before starting this has physical and tactical training that none of the women had. >> the top marine says the study will be just one factor as he decided whether to recommend keeping women out of units. but on social media, many marines have already decided

that putting women in units will sacrifice effectiveness for political correctness. a non-commissioned officer who help set up the experiment wrote on his facebook page: he argued the experiment was fair, the women were the best available and that marines are open-minded. in a faceback post that was later removed he argued: the angry backlash has been fuelled in part by public statements from navy secretary, the civilian in charge of both the navy and the marine corps. he has said he will ask that all

jobs be opened to women. and suggested the study was flawed. >> it started out with a large component of the men thinking this is not a good idea, and women will never be able to do this. when you start out with that mind set, you are almost presupposing the outcome. >> reporter: critics point to the fact that to get in to the experiment women and men had to demonstrate only a minimal level of physical fitness, suggesting that raising the physical requirements for everyone might even the playing field. retired army colonel says it's like fitting an all-star team against a farm team. she accuses the marine corps of deliberately undertaking a subversive course of action that fundamentally challenges the secretary of defense. thanks for watching. i'm stephanie sy. the news continues next live

from doha. have a great morning. ♪ >> announcer: this is al jazeera. hello, welcome to the news hour, i'm jane dutton in doha. russia and the usa say they are ready for direct talks about the military situation in syria. croatia struggles to cope with the refugee crisis, and outrages its neighbor in the process. lawmakers prepare to vote on whether japanese soldiers can take part in combat operations overseas for the first time in 70