>> hundreds of people between slovenia and croatia, as countries struggle to deal with the refugee crisis. >> from al jazeera's headquarters in doha. also ahead - japan's parliament passes controversial security laws. allowing its soldiers to fight overseas restore the country's leader or face sanctions. the african union issues a deadline to coup leaders in

burkina faso. >> i'm in havana, cuba, on the eve of pope francis's first visit. coming up, why politics and religion will mix let's start you off with europe's growing refugee crisis. countries in the south-east of the continent are struggling to deal with the influx of people. they will continue to send people to croatia, hundreds are broken on the border. we understand, lawrence, these people are tired, they have travelled and according to some reports been pepper sprayed. what condition are they in right now? >> yes, a large group were pepper sprayed. not here, but a few kilometers

north. they claimed that they had been attacked by them. as they were trying to get through. that was an echo of what the hungarians did. in terms of what happened overnight. it put a lot of people in a bus and dumped them here at the border. there are hundreds, some sleeping in the open. volunteers turned up, fed them soup because a lot of them were shivering with the cold. tried to get them blankets. and they were closed. right at the border cars go across, and there's a fence. there are many, many up against the fence. they are holding it up saying "why won't you let us go

across?" i'm told at another border crossing. the slavenian authorities, they have started to get bans on the sides. putting them through the fence. taking them to a camp up the road. when that happens, the crowd roars, saying why can't you hep us, how can slovenia not have known this would happen, or croatia, what you can see happening is one country passing the problem to another. >> so is the plan coming together for these people. where is diplomacy heading. >> that's the question. there is no man. what we have seen is a policy - for all the disagreements

between each other. the serbians bunt them up to croatia and dump them there. the croatians take them to the hungarian border and dump them there are, and the hungarians dump them at the austrian border. that's no plan, but patting the problem on. it's splitting the refugees out into lots of different groups in lots of different countries. if the germans turned around and said "we'd take more." what the germans want is for some of the countries to shoulder their own responsibilities under the un convention. rather than the border inside the european union. >> thanks for the update. >> japan's parliament pass the new laws marking a shift in the

military policy. it means the soldiers will be allowed to fight overseas for the first time since world war ii. the bills have been met in porms and public. the japanese prime minister says it's necessary. >> this bill is necessary to protect people's life and peace, and protect war. i understand that we have managed to install a legal foundation, for children, children in the future jeernation, and for peace. rob mcbride has more from tokyo. given what is at stake, there has been wide-ranging reactions. shinzo abe insists that the troops will only be used in the pursuit of pews.

staying through to its pacifist constitution. they vowed to tnt the fight. now they are in law, it will take a changed government to take the laws back. the next elections don't take place. a number of academics and lawyers promised to fight in the courts. the response is predict ability. the united states will welcome this. of course, in this part of the world the strongest reaction will be china, they will see this as returning to an aggressive stance. those people that support the changes believe that they have to take a more independent role when it comes to the use of the defense forces. in response to a build up of the

military of china itself. >> the african union defended the burkina faso, threatening and posing sanctions if the government is not restarted. soldiers stormed into a cabinet meeting, arresting the prime minister. we have this report. >> reporter: doctors in burkina faso's capital have been treating dozens of people injured in protests since the coup. >> they've come to see the sick, identify all those that are injured in this horrible situation. we have seen bullet wounds, people with crush industries, we have been taking details and getting phone numbers. >> gunmen loyal to coup leaders opened fire. they were shooting a lot. opened fire, and came into the courtyard. the coup was led by numbers of the guard, loyal to the

ex-president. cam poora was ousted in an uprising after attempting to prolong his 27th year rule. >> we'll resist to the end. giving the special 72 hours to quit. the transitional government has been preparing for elections next month. the coup leaders are calling the vote unfair because politicians have been barred from running. they say the vote will take place, but at a later time. >> we don't intend to extend our power or stay, or do more than what needs to be done, unlike what some people think. >> the united nations condemned the coup, and the african union is giving the leaders until tuesday to restore the government or face travel bans. air strikes carried out by the

syrian fighter jets killed 53 people. the syrian observatory for human rights says the area targeted and controlled by opposition forces. the group says 15 children are among the dead, and says the bombardment is in response to shelling the government areas in the west of aleppo. >> u.s. and russian defence ministers held talks for the first time in more than a year to discuss the conflict in syria. the hour-long phone conversation focused on how the sides could avoid military on the ground. we have more from washington d.c. >> reporter: the u.s. defense secretary ash carter spoke with a russian counterpart. the topic is syria, and whether the russians are planning to do a military operation in the country. the u.s. has been very concerned if that is to be the case, it

doesn't want to get in the way of the russians, and vice versa, leading to a larger conflict in the country, dealing with four years of civil war and the rise of i.s.i.l., it's not clear whether there'll be more military to military contact. but it's worth pointing out they have been suspended due to the incursion since 2014 and 2013. that's, the obama is very much interested in trying to find a way to both deal with the problem of i.s.i.l. and trying to end the civil war and remove the president out of power, to that end several administration officials said on friday that they are willing and interested to listen to what the russians had to say, about ways of achieving the goals, nothing will happen soon, with the un-general assembly coming into

session in the next couple of of weeks, there'll be many discussions about the future of syria, its people and the problem with i.s.i.l. >> a former u.s. ambassador to syria says there's areas the u.s. and russia could cooperate on. >> neither russia nor the united states wants a radical islamist regime installed in the action, with all the massacres and minorities and ethnic cleansing. in that sense, they are polar opposites. and i think the russian moves came as a surprise. it's not clear what the russians intend. right now they send in jets. combat helicopters, transport, along with tanks and artillery along the coast, an area that is a strong hold in the regime.

from early on, at the top of the government. president obama called for the ouster. the united states government has no means to get rid of bashar al-assad, and i'm not sure they would if yes could. the fall of bashar al-assad could lead to a collapse of the jihadists. >> still ahead - practicing for the pope. why they an a political purpose, and controversy on the campaign trail. the u.s. president hopeful is criticized for comments he didn't challenge. >> saints and sinners. friends in holy places. >> this murder links the mafia and the church. >> tracking the mob from the dark shadows to the gates of the vatican. >> there's even a mobster who's managed to take the place of the priest. >> what happens when the church stands up to the mob?

as the pope visits the u.s., we take a closer look at the pope and the mafia.

>> 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.

welcome back, let's recap the headlines. hundreds of refugees are stranded at croatia's border with slough ebbia -- slovenia. they say they've been sending them there because they can't cope with the crisis, and has been sending them to the boarder with hungary controversial new laws in japan, marking a shift in their military policy. japan's soldiers will be allowed to fight overseas for the first time since world war ii. the african union suspended burkina faso and threatened to impose sanctions if coup leaders do not restore the interim government. soldiers from the presidential guard stormed into a cabinet pleating and arrested the

president and prime minister the world food program has been forced to suspend food aid for hundreds of thousands of syrian refugees. the organization says it's running out of money, living in neighbouring countries like jordan, they may have to go hungry. >> reporter: this couple and their baby survived because of the united nations world food program. it was only $1.5 that they made. now that small amount, as of this month, it's illegal for the refugees. they take turns. between them they earn enough. >> we have no more fears for the future. we are living through the worst fears. we don't know how many worse the ways can get.

>> the programme is underfunded, and they have to make decisions on who to feed. this man work illegally on the nearby farm. >> i would says all risks to return to syria, i'm being humiliated and enslaved. my boss makes me work 14 hours a day for $14 the wsp says food and security levels is sky rocketing. 70% live under the poverty line. refugees say they have lost faith in the international community. those that work for humanitarian agencies say they are frustrated. they are no longer able to maintain services and are worried that desperation will push some refugees to go to syria or risk the journey to europe. >> for many, it's a fateful

decision. >> people have lost hope in the region. many are thinking of returning to war in syria. those people told us they'll risk their life. >> syrian refugees will escape their country to escape et war. authorities struggled to cope. relying on the n.g.o.s, those resources are drying up, along with hope. >> egypt's president abdul fatah al-sisi has sworn in a new government that includes 16 new ministers. oil minister has been tasked with forming a cabinet within the next week. the previous cabinet resigned after each was arrested over corruption allegations. members of the democratic republic of congo's ruling party say the president has no plans to hold on to power after the

term ends. joseph kabila kicked out seven politicians after he planned to delay the elections next year. >> reporter: members of the ruling coalition say there's no crisis. the democratic republic of congo. seven senior politicians were sacked for demanding the president leave office. more are esigning. followers say that doesn't mean their leader is losing support. >> even if it becomes 1,000, if will not change anything. if they think by jumping out of the boat it will sink, they are wrong. we have a good, strong person. the country will be all right with joseph kabila. >> sacked officials will try to form their own party. they are intimidated when challenging president kabila.

government officials say it's not true. they insist they should leave the coalition. officials say the president will respect the constitution. if the delays, because the government says it had no money. the opposition doesn't want that. >> he has to go by force. if the poem don't send him out. as i told you again, whelm give the roadmap, the timetable. what we'll do every month, every day, what we'll do to send mr kabila out. the time is gone. >> logistically, it could reach the elections on time. people hope there won't be violence. the opposition is planning mass protests across the country kenya's government ordered the closure of all schools because of a teacher strike.

more than 280,000 educators have been striking since august. demanding a pay rise. the government says it doesn't have money he's known for not holding back when it comes to expressing his opinion. republican front runner donald trump is facing criticism. kimberley halkett explains. >> reporter: as donald trump was making a public appearance with potential voters, a man in the audience stood up to ask a question and started a controversy. >> problem in this country, it's called muslims. we know our current president is one, he's not even an american. anyway, we have training camps ruined where they want to kill us. that's my question. when can we get rid of them. >> we'll look at a lot of different things. people are saying that, a lot of people are saying bad things are

happening there. we'll look at that and other things. >> reporter: the incident coming at a sensitive time. anti-muslim slogans were painted on a mosque in kentucky, and a muslim student that brought a home-made clock to school was arrested, accused of making a bomb. despite a republican speaking out against trump, the white house press secretary is criticizing the party for not rebuging the candidate. there has been too many leaders successfully use that strategy in a cynical way. >> in a statement. trump defended his actions saying the media missed the point. saying: still, critics argue the incident is in contrast to 2008, when another republican, john

mccain was running for president and president obama was criticized and stopped short by john mccain. >> i have read about him. he's not - he's been here - he's not - no, ma'am. he's a decent family man, citizen, that i just happened to have disagreements with. he stood up to the party's base when people expressed feverish imaginings. it's risky to do. those sentiments exist in the conservative base of the republican party, and it takes courage to stand up to it. >> reporter: which is something trump's opponents seized on, that he did not. >> u.s. president oma and his cuban counterpart spoke by phone ahead of the pope's visit to cuba. they have agreed on new

regulations easing restrictions on companies doing business in cuba. simplifying business. pope francis helped to broker talks between the two countries, the head of the roman catholic church is due to arrive. lucia newman has been taking a look at preparations in havana. >> reporter: at havana's plaz of the revolution, the celesterial sound. reversing for the mass on sunday, under the gaze of revolutionary icons, or the separations for the event. it's predicted that it would be marvellous. the pope would leave here very pleased. this is the third visit in 17 years by a pope to cuba. a large amount considering the small number of catholics in this country. but cuba's size is not in

proportion to the political presence in latin america. and regional politics is something in which the argentine born pope wants to play a role. pope francis would take place in peace talks and meet with f.a.r.c. rebel leaders. it's one of the most significant contributions to the peace process since the talks began. this also has a clear political purpose in this context. >> reporter: pope francis facilitated secret talks, leading to the historical ties between united states and cuba. and the expectation is that when he continues on to the united states from cuba, he will again weigh in. >> his visit will help to convince the americans to lift the embargo against cuba. from here the pope will talk to

the president of the united states. will the pope delve into politics, and the thorny issue of human rights. >> watching france's message to the cuban people, a leader of the ladies in right. it was uncertain. we want and think he should speak out against the violence, marginalized by the regime. we will continue. even if he says nothing we want to hear. >> for more than a few centuries, the vatican linked politics, how they will play cards in cuba is something everyone is waiting to see after years of delays and debates, the hole has a new constitution, it was a key command of maoist, ending the

240-year-old monarchy. it's explained how it affects women's rights. >> reporter: this woman worked as a maid in the middle east for nine years, to educate her second. things fell apart last year. an experience to horrible it's difficult to talk about. she says she was raped by a gang of men in kuwait after fleeing from an abusive employer. >> there were four of them. i don't know who the father of this child is. she came back to nepal after giving birth to her younger son. little did she know that by choosing to have him in kuwait she'd make him stateless. that's because after an age-old process, nepal passed a constitution on wednesday. under the constitution, a nepalese father can't get citizenship. they have to prove the father is

nepali. they can get citizenship for a child. if they cannot identify the father of her child. for children like you, there's an extra requirement. they have to have been born in the pass. it's just youth is not eligible. >> activists have been calling the members to ensure that women are treated equally. the new constitution affect marriages. foreign men can never be a sit gen of nepal, which agents the citizenship of its children. farce women who marry nepali men can be citizens immediately. every country has a right to create citizenship rules. >> this system in principle and practice is not the same in every country you want to see. it depends on politics in

different countries. there should be no question at all how the nepali people help the provision. there's no universal principle. many activists hope the constitution will be amended in favour of gender economy. they are making birth registrations of babies with single mothers possible, so they are not stateless. >> the first step is to make sure local government provides recommendations for citizen. and the third important thing is that they decide to initiate the case. that this is untrue in the whole ministry. the citizens for the children. nepal is one of 27 countries including kuwait. restricting rights to pass on

citizenship to children. >> and if you want to keep i'm to date with all the stories we've been telling you about, head over to the website. you can see the front page all for you at aljazeera.com. >> i'm ali velshi. "on target" tonight. your donations don't always go where you think they do. we're on the money, to expose a system where almost anything goes and even the candidates themselves can't control it. there are still 14 months to go before americans vote for their next president in november of 2016. but the television air waves in some key states are already so inundated with campaign