>> greek voters go to the polls again to decide which party will lead them through the economic struggle. hello, welcome to al jazeera, i'm laura kyle in doha. also ahead - thousands of refugees are left in limbo as e.u. countries argue over who will grant them entry. >> saudi-led coalition intensify attacks on aleppo and prepares to take sanaa

and a big upset in world cup history. japan takes on 2-time winner south africa it's been just nine months since the left wing syriza party swept to victory in greece on a platform to fight austerity measures. and now they fight for power. the snap vote called after syriza lost its parliamentary majority in august. popularity of its leader alexis tsipras plummeted after agreeing to a bailout deal with e.u. lenders, it promised tough reforms that syriza promised to oppose. alexis tsipras signed the bailout deal after a referendum in which 60% of voters rejected the proposed austerity measures. we are joined live. hoda abdel-hamid, we have not seen a huge amount of enthu yax

for the vote. you can understand when either way greeks will be hit with more austerity. >> well, definitely they are going to get hit with more austerity, the whole point of the next government. and that is why alexis tsipras tried to call for this snap elections. he wants to get a mann day if he wins to push forward with the austerity measures, something like 60 builds that need to be voted in parliament before the end of the year. difficult moments ahead. obviously what kind of measures should be taken, what should be accepted has been at the heart of the debate. as you said, there's a lock of enthusiasm. i was inside the school, the polling station, and we went from classroom to classroom and the number of voters is low.

could be sunday morning it's good whether, and they'd come later. i spoke to election workers, and they said that it is quite low, less than 10% of voters in this school cast the ballot. that's probably because greeks are now tired, and disillusioned. >> absolutely, and the economy has one main issue facing the voters. the other is the refugee crisis, any government will have to deal with that. >> well that is a big issue now in this country. i have to say over the past few months, weeks, i heard a lot of complaints by greeks, especially on the islands in, that the greek authorities were not taking care of the crisis at all, and they tried to ignore it as much as possible during the campaign, one man pointed to the fact that the only group, party, who talks about the refugee crisis was the golden dawn party, the far right party of

this country, he was saying that he's afraid of the fact that the other main candidates was ignoring it, and was in the view of greeks messy, would lead to the rise of golden dawn, many show them as winners of the vote, even those with a large margin, the contenders, they'll have to tackle the industry. greeks are looking at the tents built, the borders closed for the refugees. there's a trickle that came back to the country. there's a worry with all the borders closed it will have come back to the board of entry. greece is on the front line hoda in greece. on the issue of refugees arriving, the greek coast guard is searching for 26 people

missing off the coast of lesbos island after the boat they were travelling in sank. 20 have been rescued. a total of 46 were on board when the vessel capsized many refugees that make it across the mediterranean move to other countries to try to get into the european union. for days, thousands have been stuck between hungary, croatia and slovenia. some are sleeping outside. most relying on vol fears for food and water. lawrence lee has more from the croatia-slovenia border. >> here at the border between croatia and slovenia, the strategy of people dumping continues, it's a miserable night more many that didn't have a tent. providing shelter was too complicated for the croatian government. and the lack of logistical support from the croatian side led to a number of miserable

stories. an iraqi man had to wave good buy to his wife and children. they are in slovenia, he is stuck. new people are arriving and coming past him because there's nobody here in authority to organise a queueing system. he doesn't know when he'll get across or how. a group of syrian men said they'd be charged 500 euros, $600. a taxi 26 minutes down the road. a guy would drop it at the board. they walked all night in the rain. so the lack of organization is leading to the miserable conditions for the refugees to compel things. croatia is not really able any more to drop a refugee at the hungarian boarder. the hungarians said they won't operate. the big wave from croatian e, taking them to the austrian

border. that is likely in coming days to go down. they'll bring more and more putting women and children in buses, taking them into camps there. the biggest measure of chaos for the refugees, that many of them tell you, they have no idea which country they are in. >> saudi-led air strikes pounded yemen's capital in a heavy bombardment since the military campaign began. they are looking for a major push. they held this city for a year. hashem ahelbarra reported extensively, joining us in the studio. the air strikes, we have seen them intensify, there's a lot of speculation this is the head of coalition boots on the ground in the yemeni capital. is it likely. >> it is. a year ago we were there. it was the end of an era, the beginning of a new one. the coalition was trying to

reverse that. and recapture sanaa to undermine the houthis, and it's a new era where the ally is back in power as the recognised government. this is a situation why if you look at the map, you see the saudi-led coalition is massing thousands of troops in the eastern parts of the capital. particularly as they are pushing south. they would like to possess stifling embargo on sanaa, so that the houthis would have an option to surrender or move off. >> it's a different battle to the one that we saw in the south, where they managed to retake aiden quickly. >> sanaa is not going to move easily. >> at all. because of the mountains. you have mountains everywhere. if you are to set fighter troops and tanks to retake sanaa, they'd have to suffer casualties

this, is why they are trying to undermine the capabilities of the houthis. this is a powerful man, with the backing of the guard, and has ballistic missiles. they'd like to take out the military capability before giving the go ahead for the troops drive to the capital. >> as the former president of yemen, how much support does he have on the ground. and the rebels. >> he's very powerful. his entour age, when i met with him. the prime minister will be back, he says. he has the backing of top military commanders, tribesman, this is someone that ran the country for 33 years. he has loyalties, his legacy is there. >> hashem ahelbarra, thank you for joining us here well, syrian rebels trained

by the u.s. to fight i.s.i.l. entered aleppo from the turkish border. activists say 70 fire-fighters crossed a convoy of cars from the united states. this comes a week after the u.s. admitted that five of its trained rebels were fighting in syria. washington's programme to develop a moderate force to fight i.s.i.l. has been fraught with problems. dozens of fighters have been kidnapped or killed in attacks since july. still ahead - music with a message. performance, sierra leone comes up with creative ways to educate people about ebola. cuba's complicated relationship with catholicism comes under the spotlight as pope francis touches down in havana. >> farm workers striking in mexico... >> all that tension is about what's happening right now. >> unlivable wages... >> you can work very hard and you will remain poor.

>> what's the cost of harvesting america's food? >> do you see how it will be hard to get by on their salary? >> yeah >> fault lines, al jazeera america's hard hitting... >> today they will be arrested... >> ground breaking... they're firing canisters of gas at us... emmy award winning investigative series... fault lines invisible hands only on al jazeera america

>> 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. hello again. good to have you with us, top stories on al jazeera. greeks are voting to elect a new government. in a snap election a poll was called after the left wing syriza lost the parliamentary majority in august. hundreds of refugees spent the night sleeping outside on the croatia-slovenia border. they've been moving for days between hungary, croatia and slavenia, the three countries not agreeing on how to handle the influx of refugees. and the saudi-led air strike pounded aleppo, and are preparing for a push to take sanaa from the houthi rebels who held the city for a year

pope francis called improving relations between the u.s. and cuba an example for the rest of the world, making the comments after touching down in cuba for a 4-day visit. it's the first in a trip to take him to the united states. he's helping to restore diplomatic relations between u.s. and cuba. >> translation: i call on political figures to continue along this path and develop all that its potential as part of the role they are supposed to pay in favour of peace, the wellbeing of the people, the americas, as an example of reconciliation for the rest of the world. >> pope francis will meat raul castro and his ailing brother. lucia newman has more on the complicated relationship. >> reporter: they say once a believer always a believer.

raul castro shocked compatriots in may, visiting the vatican. saying he was considerably impressed he was considering going back to praying. was he joking? >> translation: all he knows is what he believes inside. >> reporter: raul and brother fidel castro were brought up as catholics, educated by jesuits, the same order as pope francis. no sooner did their revolution triumph, but they expelled foreign priests and nuns, closed down catholic schools and declared religion the opiate of the people. proclaiming the state and people atheists. this woman remembers how 40 years ago she was afraid to baptise her daughter. >> my husband could have given up his job. a lot has changed. >> surrounded by a housing

complex, three churches authorised by the government will be built next to the half-finished parish house. it's one of several gestures to the vatican. >> i think cuba wants to be seen as part of the world and in the world the catholic church has an influence. >> the pope, for his part will want to reap the benefits. normalizing you as human ties. that means extracting concessions as leaders. to allow the catholic church to have greater influence. for example, something as simple as regular access to mass media. >> if we had a few hours a week in a radio station, that would be wonderful. >> reporter: the catholic church is clearly on a short leash in

socialist cuba, but whether out of faith or enlightened self-interest. the communist protect is eager to embrace the pope, who, like himself, condemns the ills of modern capitalism more than 20 people are in the running for the u.s. presidency, and there's speculation that vice president joe biden is inching closer to joining the race. >> reporter: we will soon know if joe biden believes the third time will be the charm in his quest. he's waiting a while to decide, facing the heart-breaking lose of sis son, it didn't look like he would run. until the public scandal began to surround the front runner, former secretary of state hillary clinton. deleting tens of thousands of emails sent and received whilst in office.

she was using a private server, that is being vetted. polls show the majority of people don't trust her, and are not excited about her campaign. that gives biden an opening. he's seen as the opposite. trust worthy and honest. in large parts because of moments like this, when the president signed health insurance legislation. he is prone to public gaffes, and is blunt. he is a politician that knows how to welcome a room. . >> you are beautiful. well done. his history is one many can relate to. he was born to working class parents and unlike clinton, 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 organisationally 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, the white house says he might weigh in, but 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 political decision he made. >> reporter: biden has been a >> 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. thousands of people have marched in cities across venezuela to protest against the gaoling of opposition leader leopoldo lopez. he was sentenced to nearly 14 years in prison for inciting violence in anti-government demonstrations. virginia lopes reports. >> reporter: chanting freedom. thousands of venezuelans gathered to protest against the decision to gaol a vocal critic. opposition leader leopoldo lopez has been sentenced to almost 14 years, convicted of inciting violence. the sentence is politically motivated, say his supporters. few in the crowd are surprised by the judge's decision. >> translation: surprise me, no. with this regime anything is possible. the truth is the trial has been

unfair. >> leopoldo lopez, a former major of a well to do municipality who never hid his presidential aspirations was a leader of a campaign. last year's protest against nicolas maduro, leaving 43 dead. his trial, held behind closed doors drew along with his sentence international condemnation. >> we kale for the release of those imprisoned and we'll underscore the freedom of human rights. it bears little resemblance to saturday's small rally. >> today we take to the streets again. we can only hope more venezuelans become aware that we need to be in the streets to fight for our rights. leopoldo lopez represents the more radical faction within a divided opposition, and now his

freedom would depend on them rallying behind his cause. his sentence comes less than three months ahead of a vote that early polls suggest the opposition could win. if the opposition wins. disease's parliamentary election. it could bring forth a freeze. to say no would need to be approved by an opposition accused of not acting independently on interim government is to be reinstated in burkina faso following a military coup this week. it will be led by the president, following a meeting between the regional leaders and the coup leaders in the capital sierra leone has more than 1,500 people placed under quarantine to stop the spread of the ebola virus. the country began a 42 day countdown to being ebola free. two recent deaths caused a setback.

we have this report. >> reporter: with the beat of a drum, the local performers make their way into this village. they are hugely entertaining and come with a strong message. if you are sick or know someone that is, call for help. it can stop the spread of ebola. 4,000 died from ebola. he joined these performers. >> i do this for my people. the people in this country. i'm not going to sit and do nothing. i'm here to educate my people. >> other messages, such as avoiding body contact are part of the act. the virus is spread through direct contact with bodily fluids of an infected person. >> 30 people have been trained to perform in villages across the district, and it seems to be making an impact. >> the northern district was a

hot spot for ebola earlier this year, with 1500 cases to date. that is one of the highest number of cases in the country. there has not been one in over a month. u.n.i.c.e.f. initiates the concept of performances, initiating stress in communities that witness said so much death. . >> bringing the people together, seeing the message in the form of a performance, i mean, they laugh. that is part of trauma healing. >> healing that is helping people that live here. she lost 18 of her family members to the virus. i believe the message is getting through to people. i hope it will continue. >> especially as more cases not -- are likely to surface since the death on the weekend. >> you have to be creative on keeping the mind on-ebola. to let them have a high risk. >> it's clear the country will have a long way to go.

at least there's a creative way to keep the messages loud and clear the united arab emirates declared three days of mourning after the son of a prime minister died in a heart attack. he was buried on saturday after a procession in dubai. he was 33 years old. the egyptian army is flooding tunnels that connect the sinai pence with gaza, they are used to smuggle basic goods, food and clothes, people and weapons. we have this report. >> watching powerlessly from gaza as egypt wires the gap between them. the egyptian military is building fish farms in an expanding buffer zone. it is hoped that it puts an end to an underground network of

cross-boarder tunnels. egyptians began to flood the tunnels on friday. it's the last thing 73-year-old needs. she has lost two homes in the long history of conflict. with her husband and daughter ill, she can't lose another one. >> translation: i am very much scared. i listened to shooting day and night. now i live in fear of flooding. you can have any time. i'm tense and squared. we can't sleep like other people. >> reporter: the tunnels were used over the last eight years to smuggle good and people into a blockaded gaza. the government made millions in taxes and operations. hamas is believed to have allowed fighters and weapons to pass through here. a trade the neighbours want stopped. >> this is salt water that was pumped into a tunnel from the

egyptian side. there are 1200 tunnels in this area, and this is one of them behind me. the people that live in rafa feel that flooding could destabilize the ground and cause landslides and fear that it would contaminate the water source. >> there's little drinking full court for the people here. they struggle to get food, petrol and have to live with the blackouts. they now have to live for the ops too. >> translation: we hope the city of rafa reflects our brothership, that we were surprised that instead the egyptians are pumping water along the border, making the siege more difficult. >> reporter: people in the border town long for the day when there won't be the need for underground life lines. many lost hope. this woman sits outside her

house for hours, and late into the night. under alert so her family will not be swept away. she says she feels helpless, and more alone now, there has been perhaps the biggest upset in the rugby world cup 28 year history. japan shocked 2-time winners south africa in an overtime victory. >> reporter: celebrations from players, coaches and the fans. it was a david and goliath encounter with south africa expected to win easily. francois with the first tribe. they were intimidated by the world's team, and muscled up against the bigger south african forward pack. the captain pulled him into the game after they trailed 10-6.

japan trailed in the 7 half, and every time they got close, straws helping them to a 27 lead. just as the 2-time champions relaxed with victory in site. they got japan back into it. with time added on, all the japanese have to do is pick a penalty. unbelievably they went for victory. they crossed wide to clinch the second ever victory in the tournament. >> we stuck at it. kept on picking the penalty goals, the odd try, and the courage at the end to go for the try. we could have taken three and taken a draw, which would have been good result. it was a fantastic result. >> the 34-32 win was the biggest result history that could have a significant impact on the game

at home, as the country prepares news and programs you may have missed are found at the website. there it is on the screen, aljazeera.com. >> wildlife poaching is big business... worth more than 17 billion dollars a year and growing. the slaughter is being fueled by demand from asia... ...where rhino horn is a status symbol and believed to even cure cancer.