>> this is what innovation looks like. >> can affect and surprise us. >> i feel like we're making an impact. >> awesome! >> techknow - where technology meets humanity. >> this is al jazeera america. i'm erica pitzi, here are the top stories. pope francis is in cuba for his first visit to the united nations. plus the struggle to feed thousands of refugees in camps across europe. some living off less than $2 a day. john kerry wants vladimir putin

to turn on a friend. the secretary of state asking russia to help push the syrian president out of office. also, the growing intrigue surrounding the political future of joe biden. will he challenge hillary clinton for the democratic nomination for president. we begin with the arrival of pope francis in america, for the 10 day trip to cuba and the united states, it's an historic first visit to him, to both countries, the pontiff is greeted by the president, at the airport. it was a windy day, but gusts that blew off his papal skullcap did not distract the pope from seizing his first opportunity to urge leader of cuba and the u.s. to use his historic visit as an

example to the world. >> translation: i urge political leaders to preserve on this path and reach outline potentialityies as a proof of high service, which they are called on to carry out on the peace of their people, of all america, and as an example of reconciliation for the entire world. pope francis openly criticized the social it and atheist underpinning of the revolution, president raul castro welcomed the pope. david ariosto is live in havana, with more on the politics expected to play out in public and behind closed doors. good evening. welcome to you, david. >> evening, yes, pope francis arriving in havana, the first time the pope visited cuba, and his meeting with rusneaul castr he'll travel to the united states after the trip, but in

cuba, it's a sort of a legacy already for the new pope. pope francis obviously one of the crucial factors in negotiating and doing back door challenges between president obama and raul castro. he comes here to spread the faith, and address some of the systematic issues that cuba had with the church. it was declared an aithiest state in years past. the approachment took place in the last two decades. while there has been a lot of leg building, there's a sense that pope francis has to address some issues, but clearly there are roadblocks ahead. >> reporter: when pope francis delivers mass in havana on sunday he'll do it in front of the image of a massive iron mural, thought to be an atheist, hangs in revolution parlour, it was he and raul castro that

turned against the church in 1959, driving out priests, declaring cuba an atheist state. this 70-year-old is old enough to remember >> translation: in the first years of the revolution, there was a lot of antagonism between religion and the politics of the state. >> that changed, shifting after pope francis made a visit to the island. today a different picture of cuba and religious leaders emerged. even if the issues raised are taboo. >> the catholic shurn is a major player. the archbishop is one of a few men that seems to have the ear of raul castro. this, behind me, is where a group of residents used to meet every sunday before marching in protest of the castro

government. in years past the vatican helped to negotiate the release of political prisoners in cuba. now, dirs dents, like the ladies in white, criticise the catholic church for not advocating enough on their behalf. >> a week before the papal mass, cuban police detained 50 dissidents. religious leaders, a cuban priest and secretary of the episcopal conference, say the visit will not ignore the plight of prisoners. >> the them of poverty, immigrants and prisoners. it's this moment, during the summit of the americas in april, for which pran cities may be -- pope francis may be most remembered, even though he didn't attend. a deal between cuba and the united states was, in part,

brokered by the vatican, and its work behind the scene. >> the vatican's involvement in the policy change was crucial. the support of the vatican and pope francis was something crucial to both sides. the respect for this pope, because he's a latin american, and his importance in cuba and throughout the hemisphere is respected. >> reporter: on sunday, for the first time in over two decades. this plaza will fill with those waiting to see the pontiff, the question whether a 4-day visit will lead to more long-lasting changes on the island. >> now it's safe to say that cuba has come a long way since the days it drove out priests from the country. there's a long way to go. cuba has no catholic schools, radio is not allowed. in a meeting with the pope in

recent months, raul castro essentially said that he was so impressed by pope francis he would consider turning back to the church if he continues his way. it gives you a sense of where the two leaders are, and where cuba is as we move forward with the relationship with the church, and the relationship that pope francis helped to broker with the united states, that liberalized the economy. >> how do cubans feel about the visit? >> when you talk to cubans, they see everything tied to the pope not only in religious terms but change. in 1998 there was a degree of restrictions on religious freedom. when pope benedict came there was movement by the cardinal in the months prior which released political prisoners, and loosening, liberalizing in

agricultural sectors. the historical a president is with papal visits there's a degree of reform that precedes it or happens after. many cubans with family in new jersey and south california, with the economic ties, benefitting from the relationship. see it as a closer relationship with the united states, in terms of the family members that they have had for so many years. >> david ariosto reporting from havana. thank you pope francis is not one to back away from controversy, his comments on divorce, abortion and evolution shook up teachings of the catholic church. here is jonathan betz with more. >> reporter: it's one of the world's oldest faiths. with the leader pushing boundaries from gays to

abortions. pope francis declared the year the upcoming year a year of mercy, where priests can forgive women who terminated pregnancies, writing: and had met women scarred by the decision. abortion is a sin according to roman catholic teaching subject to the automatic excommunication, the church's harshest penalty. divorce is also considered a thin. nevertheless the pope is considering welcoming divorceas back to the church. >> to all effects the people are not excommunicated, and must not be treated as such. they belong to the church. >> there was a moment he was asked about gay priests. his words heard around the world. >> translation: if someone is gay and seeks god, who am i to judge. >> reporter: shocking for many catholics and viewed as an indication of a softer stance to

the traditional opposition to sexuality. the pope weighed in on climate change, hoping to spur changes around the world. in a 180 page letter, he appeared to criticise capitalism, writing: >> reporter: on other topics, the pope, who has a degree in chemistry, worked to bridge the gap between fact and faith. "toed is not a magician, evolution in nature is not inconsistent with the notion of creation. evolution requires the creation of that involved. >> there was a topic some wish he would be more forceful on, sexual abuse in the church. survivors want the pope to stop

defending law south against greece. pope francis removed guilty clergy members, and members were questioned last year. >> what we saw during the hearing was defensive obstruction. we saw denial, disrespect for the survivors in the room. and, really, the holy seer was also acted offended that was questioned about sexual violence. >> supporters say pope francis has shown himself to be responsive on many issues. a shepherd, they say, preaching a softer more inclusive message. >> ambassador is the former u.s. ambassador to the holy seer, and joins us from chicago. thank you for joining us. >> thank you. >> to let's focus on this

historic trip to cuba here. third visit by a pope in cuba, in 20 years. what message do you think pope francis is hoping to send by going to the island nation. >> he sent a clear message, repeating in cuba a central message, which is the proclamation. he used the image of the island to the south, to the north, east and west, and then, of course, cast that to advance his praise for the restoration of u.s.-cuban diplomatic relations, and cited cuba's hero of independence on a powerful quote, denying barriers, and being in contrawith others. he's landed on the island, trying to open up the venues

with the church and cuban society. he said "let us hope that the church continues to have the space, means and liberty to carry out the mission", and with respect to society, cuban society, you know, the pope said "let us hope we can continue down the path of liberty, the pass of peace, then the pass of reconciliation, and clearly these are the themes he'll continue to, you know, speak about on the island. >> we saw the pope shake fantastic with raul castro, and he may meet with fidel castro. some felt he alluded to dissidents that he'd want to embrace those that for various reasons he can not meet. do you think he'll address that issue with the castro brothers

behind closed doors. >> when i heard that, i thought about that. distressing himself to the scooubans in the islands in and all over the world. -- cubans in the islands in and all over the world and sent greetings to everyone that for whatever reason he was unable to reach. i have no doubt the pope has a clear message to do with the preferential offer for the poor, those that suffer, those that marginalise. within that context, there's no doubt that he - he has an ability to be able to shape that message according to the particularity of the country or each of the people that he visits. there's no doubt the issue of greater potential of democracy, greater freedoms will come up in individual confidence, often times in backdoor diplomacy. >> the pope spoke about it being

an event filling us with hope because it's an example of reconciliation for the world. he played a role. is pope francis the most politically active pope on the world stage? >> there's no religion that is apolitical. i think that clearly the pope is seeking - in his central message, is seeking the dignity of all human persons, and the dignity of persons to seek that has political impalestinian occasions. shortly, when he speaks about the economy that kills, surely when he speaks about the earth that is impoverished and needs to be taken care of, when he speaks about the poor and marginalization, that as implications, whether this cuba and the united states, those themes of migration, the poor, economy and the earth will be interpreted politically. that is part of the message of

trying to hold to the integral ecology, the defense of life in different days. >> ambassador, thank you for joining us after three days in cuba, pope francis will travel to washington d.c. on tuesday to begin the u.s. leg of his trip. on wednesday they'll visit the white house, hold a mass to canonize a spanish-born monk. thursday he'll make history as the first pope ever to address a joint session of congress. on friday in new york city he'll address the u.n. secretary general assembly, lead a procession through central park, lead a mass, and saturday it's on to california for the central purpose of his trip, the world meeting of families, where he'll hold a mass a week from tomorrow. across eastern europe the wave of refugees are saucing countries to trade.

croatia says it will send refugees across the border. austria expects 10,000 to arrive. italy's coast guard rescued 4,000 off the coast. many escaping the syrian war or leaving their positions in jordan, lebanon and turkey. we have a report from a jordanian camp. >> reporter: this couple and their baby used to survive because of the world food program. it was $1 and a half a day, but it was enough for the family to get by. that small amount is not enough to survive on. now they have no choice. it is illegal to work, but they take it in terms of working and looking after the baby. >> reporter: we don't know how much worse the situation can

get. >> reporter: the world food program says it is seriously underfunded and has to make life and death decisions about who to feed and who to cut off. >> reporter: this man and his family of 11 are in the same position. he works illegally. >> i would face all risks to return to syria. i'm humiliated and enslaved. my boss makes me work 13 hours a day. the wsp said food and security levels are sky-rocketing. 70% live under the line. after losing the food assistance, refugees say they lost faith in the international community. those that work for a humanitarian agency are frustrated because they are no longer able to maintain services and are worried that desparation

will push some refugees to go back to syria or risk the journey to europe. for many refugees, it is a fateful decision they must take in the coming weeks. >> people are telling us they lost hope for the future. many are considering returning to war in syria, and those people in the worst situation have told us that they will risk their lives to reach europe. >> syrian refugees fled their country. to escape the war and because they had no food. in jordan, the authorities struggled to cope, reeling on the u.s. and n.g.o.s. now the resources are drying up, along with any hope this sunday, a special report with stephanie sy, desperate journeys, a global crisis airs 9:00pm eastern. >> president ben barba to be force the out of office.

the united states calls on iran to reason with bashar al-assad to step down. premed students prove they are paying attention when they save the lives of a professor. stay with

secretary of state john kerry said in london that syrian president bashar al-assad is at the heart of the syrian rev ge -- refugee crisis.

he and british's foreign secretary agree that syria cannot be part of the future. both men want negotiations to a political solution and believe russia should help to brink bashar al-assad to the table. it comes days after russia's involvement in syria is stepped up. roxanna saberi is here with more. this is concerning u.s. officials. >> it is. according to secretary kerry, there's more than 60 countries involved, carrying out air strikes against i.s.i.l. the u.s. welcomes the commitment to join the fight against i.s.i.l., as the build up of heavy equipment is raising concerns that the u.s. and russia could accidentally engage. >> clearly the presence of aircraft with air combat

capacity and air - surface to air missiles raises questions, which is precisely why secretary carter talked with mr defense of russia yesterday u.s. defense secretary ash carter and his russian counterpart greed to look for ways for the forces to avoid mistakenly attacking each other in syria. in the next hour we'll have more about russia's military build up around the world and what it means tore the u.s. and al -- for the u.s. and allies in n.a.t.o. >> that is a topic for tonight's deeper look. join richelle carey coming up later syrian rebels made gains in the north-east with their advance on key villages in idlib province, dozens of posterior-government fighters were killed, gerald tan has more. >> reporter: in the rebel held syrian province of idlib the

fight is on for two villages under government control. the fatah army launched assaults on two towns, hoping to break the line of defense. rebels fired a barrage of mortar shells, unable to take over checkpoints. the national defense committee say the attacks were repelled. for the first time. they had been targeted. people here are shia, and supporters of bashar al-assad. the government tried to negotiate for their transfer to safe areas in exchange for rebels trapped in the town. talks repeatedly broke down. there are new reports from idlib that rebels have shot dead dozens of forces captured from

an air base this month. elsewhere in syria. fighter jets launched air strikes on the divided city of aleppo. it was aimed at areas under control. the british base monitoring group, syrian observatory for human rights say those killed the latest campaign were civilians. many of them children. >> look at this. there are bodies scattered everywhere. many neighbourhoods have been reduced to rubble. a scene repeated across the country. according to the u.n., 4.5 years of war killed a quarter of a million people. 11 million more have been driven from the homes the future of hillary clinton's run for the white house could be dramatically impacted by vice president joe biden. up next - will he or won't he run for president.

plus donald trump under fire for not calling out a supporter that said president obama is muslim. trump calls out his critics when we come back. also national elections in greece. the big issue at the polls - the lingering debt crisis and whether the ruling party could be in jeopardy. stay with us.

welcome back to al jazeera america, here is a look at the top stories, pope francis arrived in the americas, his 10-day trip to cuba and the united states - his first visit as important if to cuba, and the first ever visit to the united states. wednesday he'll make history as the first pope ever to address a joint session of congress. secretary of state john kerry is in london, saying that his syrian president bashar al-assad is at the heart of the syrian refugee crisis. he and foreign secretary phillip hammond agreed bashar al-assad cannot be part of the syrian future food is scarce in camps set up in syrian camps. they have to make decisions about who gets food and who does not.

>> in greece, millions of voters head to the polls again on sunday to elect a new parliament. when the left-wing party won the last election in january, it promised an end to years of austerity. we have this report from athens. >> reporter: does he still have the magic. alexis tsipras is young, charismatic. he's been a bruising year, tweeted by greece's creditors, humiliated by brussels and berlin. he says don't let the old parties in, the old regime that created the debt crisis in the first place. he may have lost to europe, but high went down fighting. alexis tsipras came to power, promising to end austerity and in the eurozone. he failed to end austerity. this election is about whether greeks are prepared to give him

a second chance. >> this is the feeling you get to talking to people is disappointment. it's the same story, 30 years from now. >> i met the young people that supported him when it won in january. they say they'll vote again. >> the other politicians are already corrupt. souza, not yet so much, i guess. so i have some hopes. antonis says he'll vote for another party. >> unemployment will be the same. the corruption will be the same, and the choices are many. disappointment, disallusionment, words that sum up the mood, according to this analyst. >> the spark of hope existed in the last election, eight months back. this has gone now. the spark was part of cyprus. this has gone.

it's a negativity, it's difficult to predict the result. >> this man is poised to take advantage if syriza is not the largest party. the leader of the central right. some warning his down to earth style, but his party is part of the discredited political establishment. >> many greeks want to get away from politics. at a cycling festival, they are enjoying the last warm evenings before what could be a harsh winter. somehow the new government will have to spark the hope joining us is a professor of sociology at the new york city college of technology, thank you for joining us tonight. >> the latest polls show that the race is closer than anyone expected. does that surprise you in.

well, i think there was a lot of disappointment among maithripala sirisena supporters. maithripala sirisena, a few months ago, it was elected on an anti-austerity platform, and forced as negotiations that agreed to austerity measures. i think this is the reason why the race was tightened. it seems that syriza may have a slight advantage, edge over the conservatives. the former prime minister, who the polls are showing, has a light edge, and greek pundits are saying that he could prevail, even though popularity has been plunging. what do you think of that? >> it's true - it's unlikely, the support, even if his party comes in first in the election, he's unlikely to have the majority in the parliament. he'll have to form a coalition.

and possibly with parties that he had been denouncing as being part of the all-corrupt political system. that could add a complication. but, yes, i think he has sort of - he has - in the last few months it has taken a toll on him. the syriza party would split, when the left wing formed another party that is running on the austerity line. >> interesting. he could become the prime minister again. even though the entire platform was based on anti-austerity, then to sign the bailout deal. i mean, is it possible that the greek people can forgive him after all. >> yes, he is popular. he is a young politician. people, i think - the older political elite have been discredited.

they are the ones who brought the country to the present state. he is considered by - alexis tsipras is considered as a strong asset. and he has tried to, you know, turn this vote into a referendum of himself, and asking people for a second chance to govern, because he's arguing that from the first few months, he didn't have a chance to implement reforms in the political system, dealing with tax evasion and corruption, and says now that the negotiation is over, he can still, you know, help to bring about needs, the reforms that need to be made. that is his argument. >> let's talk about the refugee crisis, which is one of the biggest stories in the world. we know the e.u. was holding an emergency meeting on wednesday, when they figure out which

countries are taking in refugees, how could this impact greece's elections? >> this is a massive crisis, which is what the government is saying, when it deals with criticisms from the opposition. the syriza government is not prepared to deal with the situation. so the immigration issue has become an issue of the campaign, and since the economic issues in a way that the positions of the main parties have become indistinguishable by now, they are looking for ways to different themselves from each other. the immigration issues has become a way of differentiating the leftist liberal syriza party so that they can show to the supporters that they are different from right wing, and then the conservatives are

trying to -- with the ant anti-immigrant filings that have been capitalized on by the far right. >> politicizing the refugee crisis. thank you for joining us. >> thank you on the campaign trial in america this weekend, most republican candidates are focussing on iowa. scott walker, michael gram, ted cruz, mike huckabee, rick santorum and others attended the same debate. walker hit the same convention as carley fiorina. as for the democrats, there was an appearance on "the colbert show show". >> movie reel: you are a liberal

and socialist, and people call you a liberal and a socialist. why will you not accept those two terms as the insults they are meant to be. [ laughs ] >> i prefer the term, actually, to be a progressive. >> donald trump hit back today at his critics. he's been under fire for failing to rebuke remarks by a man at a town meeting saying that president obama is a muslim. the front runner tweeted: line palestine randall pinkston has more about the town hall eftenlt event. >> we'll have fun, instead of making a speech i want to take questions. >> reporter: donald trump was taking questions from on audience. one was this. >> this man, i like this guy.

>> the problem in this country, it's called muslims. we know the current president is one. you know he's not even an american. >> we need the first question. >> trump tried to deflect the question by chuckling. the unidentified man continued. >> we have training camps where 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. a lot of people are saying that, a lot of people are saying bad things are happening there. we'll look at that and other things. >> reporter: trump did not interrupt the man, but responded with an answer, though somewhat vague. democratic hopeful hillary clinton criticized trump for not stepping in. >> as you may know, i squibbingly put out a -- quickly put out a tweet expressing disappointment with that kind

... president obama eventually did,

trump continued to dispute its authenticity at a rally in new hampshire, hillary clinton responded to donald trump's comments. >> don't be distracted by the front runner, trying to bully and buy his way into the presidency. his latest outrage, the way he handled the question about president obama was shocking, but not surprising. he's been trafficking in prejudice and paranoia throughout the campaign there are more than 20 people running to be the next u.s. president, but $could be more -- there could be more. many are wondering if vice president biden will throw his hat into the ring. patty culhane looks at how he could shake up the race. >> reporter: we'll soon know if joe biden believes third time could be the charm as president of the united states. he's waited a while, after the loss of his son in may. it didn't look like he would

run, until the scandal began to surround the front runner hillary clinton. using and deleting tens of thousands of emails sent and received in office. in an unusual move, she used a private server that is now being investigated. polls show the majority of people not only don't trust her, but are not excited about her campaign. that gives biden an opening. he is seen as the opposite. trust worthy and honest, in large part because of owners like this, when the president signed his signature health insures legislation -- insurance legislation. he is prone to public gaffes, and is blunt. he is a politician that knows how to welcome a room. his history is one many can relate to. he was born to working class parents and is not worth

millions. there are analysts that believe he will not be able to overtake clinton in the primary. >> i have a difficult time imagining anyone that got in now will be prepared to win. if anything. those who get in now would be kind of throwing hail mary passes, hoping that, you know, hillary clinton stumbles further a big factor could be who u.s. president obama endorses, he might weigh in. they won't say whom he prefers, but they volunteer the vote. >> the president described selecting vice president biden as his running mate, as the smartest decision he made. >> reporter: biden has been a public vp, in charge of economic stimulus, taking point with congress on budget issues, and was the lead on u.s. involvement. that issue could hurt him. along with what he did in the senate.

pushing for prison sentences, now a popular stance. at 72 years old, he would be the oldest president elected. one of the factors he'll have to consider, along with this - the dying wish of his son. who reportedly told him that he wanted him to try again. to run for president of the united states. >> coming up, predicting the path of a hurricane could save thousands of lives and millions this property. >> we'll learn lessons here that are worth more. >> researchers used the largest hurricane simulator in the world to learn the secrets behind the powerful storms. >> movie reel: what's up doc. >> reporter: he was known as the man of 1,000 voices and now his son opens up about his career.

new research conducted by the department of veterans affairs in boston university made add to the concern about brain disease in football. 87 brains showed signs of c.t.e. c.t.e. has been linked to repeated concussions and can

lead to memory loss, depression and depressive dementia monday is a turning point in the ebola crisis. travellers will no longer be screened for the disease. testing began last october when there were fears of the epidemic reaching the shores. the world health organisation says the disease is no longer spreading in liberia, people arriving from guinea and sir, will need to be screened. >> a denial from the suspect in the arizona freeway shootings. 21-year-old lesley alan merritt told a judge police have the wrong guy. merritt was arrested at a wal-mart. he's been linked to four of 11 recent shootings along interstate 10. merritt claims the weapon used has been in a pawn shop the entire time. richelle carey is here with a look at what is coming up in the next hour thank you.

pope francis is receiving a warm welcome in havana. his first trip to cuba as pontiff. he is scheduled to make several appearances before heading to the united states on tuesday. we'll have the latest on his trip then, russia's military build up and increasing presence in syria, we'll look at the panel of experts. she was malawi's first female president. she talks about sexism and other issues faced. they are some of the stories ahead more than 1,000 homes have been destroyed by a pair of queensland fires raging in northern california. fire-fighters added more than 250 homes to the tally, and said several thousands structures remain in harm's way. both fires are contained and some forced to evacuate are return. the fires killed five, and charred almost 150,000 ache erts -- acres. >> frrd, tropical storm ida

formed in the east atlantic. it's not expected to form a path, but forecasting the path of the storm is not easy. researchers in florida hope a state of the art simulator can change that. >> reporter: at the university of miami scientists have been studying hurricanes for decades. it's no stranger to deadly storms. now researchers have a tool in their arsenal that can change things. this vast tank is it the largest wind-water hurricane simulator. within minutes it generates power of winds and raging waves. researchers say it's the ability to study the interaction between the sea and the storm that make it potentially revolutionary. >> we'll learn things that are elite. we pushed the technology. we have taken it above what existed previously.

>> it took a year for engineers to build the tank. researchers were not sure what results it would yield. the ability to mimic the hurricane and stormy waters seems to take off. i can feel the entire tank moving and shaking below my feet. what makes the simulator unique, is it can recreate storms so accurately, giving scientists a greater understanding in the ultimate goal of saving lives. forecasting and tracking hurricanes improved over the last 20 years. predicting the intensity is difficult. it's hoped the facility and the team will improve on vital forecasting in years to come. >> it's kind much your scientific dream come true in a way. you are able to see the things that you want to see, but you can't go out in the field and do

it. >> it's hoped that studies will improve building safety and lead to a greater understanding of coastal erosion. but it's the ability of the study from a laboratory that could make a difference up next - mel blanc was the voice of some of the most iconic cartoon characters history. [ singing ] we'll hear from his son, giving us insight into the actor known as the man of 1,000 voices plus, there's a professor alive because a few premed students did their homework. the story next. stay with us.

a professor at duke university is alive and well thanks to quick thinking pre-med students. he was slumped over in a chair in a classroom in cardiac repeat. the four students never performed c.p.r. side of classes but were able to revive him. >> a couple of students came running up. we're an emt, come with us. you can't allow the nurse to get in the way you are doing. the nerves are the adrenalin kicking in. you have an extra kick of energy. >> that felt good, still feels good. i would love to be a doctor some day and feel that good all the time the professor is expected to recovering, sending an email to the students thanking them for their efforts mel blank was known as the man of 1,000 voices. his famous, bugs bunny, has a birthday this year.

we speak to his son about his remarkable legacy. >> high, i'm noel blanc and my daddy mel was bugs bunyip. >> movie reel: i dare you to step over the line. >> along with 1500 characters. porky and daffy. tweety. sylvester. and the tasmanian devil. and the roadrunner. the kocoyote, but my dad came u with the forces by going to the place the voices came from. if he wanted to do porky pig, he went to the pig farm, wallowing around with the pigs and heard them grunt. he thought it would be a top like this.

it was so prominent. he gets the best of you. he uses his brain. >> duck season. what a season. >> he doesn't use physical strength, he uses his brain to get the best of you and comes out on top. bugs was a ground-breaking animation peace, it came out before we got into world war ii, and became the person or the rabbit or the cartoon that the yanks got behind. >> in 1961 my dad had a terrible outo mobile accident. he was in a coma and remained for 20 days. we tried to get him out of the coma by using persons coming in saying hi, how are you. nothing happened. bugs bunny, can you hear me, and mel came out with "what's up doc", "porky can you hear me",

"i sure can", and the rest of the characters. mel was fine after that. >> i think my dad believed bugs bunny and the rest of the loany toons gangs would live forever. everyone loved him. every generation loved him. they thought he'd live eternally. >> in a career spanning six days, he worked on over 3,000 cartoons. it's a lot of cartoons. i'm erica pitzi in new york. the news continues next with richelle carey. >> this is al jazeera america, i'm richelle carey with a look at the top stories. >> the pope arrives for his first visit as pontiff to the island nation talks about how to handle the influx of war refugees in europe. syrian president bashar al-assad is not part of the solution.

russia's military build up, and the roll that it's playing in world conflict. it's the deeper look. >> you see things going wrong, you must protect it. there's no way to cover up. >> reporter: the former president of maluy, joyce banda tells al jazeera the challenges she faced leading her country good evening, i'm richelle carey, we begin with pope francis's arrival in the americas for a 10 day trip to cuba for the u.s. he was greeted at the airport by the cuban president who thanked the pope for helping mend diplomatic fences with the united states. and called on both countries to use their relationship for a greater good. david ariosto is live in havana, with more on how it's hoped the