hopes for a new era in u.s. cuba relations as be that as it may lands in-- obama lands in havana you're watching al jazeera live from london. thank you for joining us. also coming up on the program the american military deploys u.s. marines on the ground in iraq to help coalition forces fight i.s.i.l. turkey identifies the istanbul system suicide bomber as a suspected i.s.i.l. member and deobtains five other people. no let up, desperate refugees continue to brave the dangerous crossing from turkey to greece

despite new e.u. rules to send them back in the past 90 minutes or so obama has arrived in cuba beginning an historic visit to the country. with the visit the heat becomes the first sitting u.s. president to go to the island in almost 90 years. he is expected to meet his counterpart to discuss trade and reform. we've just seen pictures of the president and the first lady arriving. the weather is not great, but what they they been doing there in the 90 minutes or so that they've been there. >> reporter: indeed, the rain has not let up unfortunately. just a couple of minutes ago the president's motorcade went right past us. this is the water front drive, a

very important. on the way to old havana. theise historic city of the capital. he will be met there by the historian and he will get a tour which he is anxious to see. the weather is not cooperating though. he did go to the u.s. embassy and met with the staff there. he has a full schedule ahead of him. he was accompanied with a full plane but also a plane load of american ceos and businessmen as well as a bipartisan group of senators and members of the house of representatives. he is going to be meeting with the president castro. he will also be getting a wreath. what is anticipated is the speech he will make to the cuban

people in havana. he will be addressing the people live on the television. it will certainly be anticipated speech indeed what we've seen in the past month is the warming up of relations between the two speaking, i know he was going to be meeting castro. what welcome do you think? they will be welcoming him to him, but politically speaking the issues are far from resolved. >> reporter: absolutely. both sides have made it clear that neither one is going to give in on that point. president obama is likely to address these issues, on the fact that this is a one party communist state while castro has been saying ling up to this

visit that cuba will not bend or change its political system. to make that absolutely clear, as obama was flying here, a group of very visible cuban dissidents were arrested. some of them were members of an organization called the women in white whom the president is expected to meet with on tuesday after he finishes addresses the cuban people a very interesting couple of days ahead for the president and, of course, the people of cuba. thank you for that this visit cements a new era in relations to between washington and havana. more on the decades of turbulence that have preceded this historic visit. >> reporter: for more than 50 years this was the image many americans had of cuba. the country's leader, the face, the passionate voice of a revolution. he led the overthrow of a brutal

dictator that was backed by the u.s. relations between the two have a fresh face >> change is hard. in our own lives and in the lives of nations. change is even harder when we carry the heavy weight of history on our shoulders >> reporter: that safed history is marred by suspicion and animosity which took the world to the brink of a nuclear war. >> duck and cover under the table >> reporter: interest in the island goes back to the 19th century when americans intervened in the war from independence from spain. cubans now rule their land but only with the backing of the u.s. there was economic growth but there was poverty and simmering resentment. in 1959 the president and his followers fought their way into the capital. castro was the country's leader and under him they became one party state. the president travelled to the u.s. to be shunned by the

president who went golfing to avoid the meeting >> he said we're going to go to washington, but not do whatever other president of these banana republics do which is could you cowtow to cash washington. >> reporter: that's when the embargo began. that is when u.s. began to earnest to try and overthrow castro in overt around covert way. they ex-island cubans to the island of the day of pigs invasion which failed. the c.i.a. tried to kill him. in 1962 cuba became center of the cold war. the u.s. realized that missiles were placed on the island. >> it hsh be the policy of in nation to regard any nuclear miss illaunched from cue pa against any nation in the western hemisphere as an attack

by the soviet union on the u.s. requiring a full retaliation >> this was the most dangerous times of the cold war. >> reporter: the missiles were removed but u.s. and cuba were firm enemies. the countries remained in a stale mate until in. his brother took over and this handshake with obama signalled things could change. they did. now with this visit obama is hoping to solidify his approach. there is no indication that the cop degrees will lift embargos the american military says it is sending u.s. marines on

the ground in iraq to fight against i.s.i.l. the deployment has been brought forward in response to a deadly attack on a coalition base in which one marine was killed. the troops from the unit will mainly aid the coalition and forces fighting the armed group. our correspondent has more on this from washington dc. >> reporter: the 26 marine unit is a combination ground-air combat unit that will be supporting operations in iraq in the international coalition fight against i.s.i.l. we're told by pentagon officials that this unit is the same unit that suffered losses on friday when i.s.i.l. forces hurled rockets into the base killing one marine and ininjuring others. a deployment was planned but pushed up in response to that attack and we're told this is a

group that will continue to provide security for officials at this base, officials are supporting iraqis in the ground offences in the fight against i.s.i.l. and providing advisory and support roles. of course, the u.s. taking part in an air campaign against i.s.i.l. again this is partly, it seems, in reaction to the attack that happened on friday meanwhile the iraqi army is trying to retake the city which is north-west of baghdad. it was lost to i.s.i.l. nearly 18 months ago in what was considered one of the most vicious massacres since the group's expansion. as the iraqi security forces have partnered with sunni tribal forces, they have been able to push back fighters. they killed more than 20 sunni tribes men execution style t at least 24 iraqi soldiers have been killed by i.s.i.l. in two operate attacks in iraq.

syrian government forces say they've retaken control of a mountain near a town in thermonuclear bombs. it had previously been held by i.s.i.l. in eastern hydrogen bombs i.s.i.l. seized five checkpoints near an oil field. turkey's interior minister has said that the suicide attacker responsible for saturday's blast was a member of i.s.i.l. for other-- four other people were killed and dozens wounded wh. >> reporter: a somber mood hangs over here. this is the heart of the commercial lifeline. a place where locals and tourists hang out. after a suicide bombing earlier on saturday, the avenue is overshadowed by fear. people here hold a vigil for the victims. >> translation: we came here right after the incident and

left red carnations to share our pain. >> reporter: security camera footage captured the moment the blast went off around noon. witnesses say hundreds of people ran for cover when a loud explosion was heard. a day later the security forces are still searching for clues. the forensic police are still trying to collect more evidence from the explosion site here behind me and also there are some signs and banners saying we stand united and we won't give in to terrorism. the general sense among people here is one of concern. >> reporter: this woman says anyone could be a suspect. >> translation: istanbul has millions of people living here and many more visit from abroad. now anything can happen and everyone could be a suspect.

>> reporter: reports say dna tests are being done to investigate a possible suspect link to i.s.i.l. >> terror once again showed its ugly and heinous face targeting civilians. we should act together in our fight against terrorism without buts. >> reporter: there have been a centring of bomb attacks in turkey over the past few months. just last week a blast in the capital killed 37 people. kurdish separates linked to the armed group p.k.k. claimed responsibility. the government insists the country is safe. it will have to convince not only its citizens but the millions of tourists who contribute to its economy a football match between two of turkey's biggest teams has just been postponed, or two hours before kick off because of security fears.

it had been scheduled for sunday evening. the office of istanbul's governor said serious intelligence was obtained about a potential threat. still ahead on the proposal we will visit congo which went to the polls on sunday to examine why elections there are so important. also we will tell you why a futurise particular-- futuristic film in hong kong is racing present-day concerns in beijing.

a reminder of the top stories here on al jazeera. obama has touched down in cuba

becoming the first u.s. president to visit of the country in nearly 90 years. he is expected to meet the president a little later. u.s. marines are being deployed to aid coalition troops and the iraqi forces in their fight against i.s.i.l. turkish officials say an i.s.i.l. fighter was behind saturday's bombing in istanbul which killed four people. greece has begun the process of sending refugees back on the island of lesbos back to turkey. it is part of a deal struck between the european union and turkey. as the operation begins to remove some people, more are arriving. >> reporter: they keep coming in. europe's refugee crisis is far from over.

the latest arrivals. they're still making the dangerous journey across the sea to reach the islands. the european union was hoping that a recent agreement with turkey would discourage asylum seekers with people who managed to reach europe shores they're still hopeful they won't be returned. >> translation: we're coming from a destroyed city. we're asking on humanitarian grounds. >> reporter: these people want to make their way to main loaned europe in search of a better life. others want to be reunited with their phenomenon members who made the journey before them. >> translation: the situation is very bad in aleppo. we endured four years of bombardment and rocket attacks. i don't want to be sent back because my father and two sisters are in germany and i miss them. >> reporter: tighter restrictions imposed by some

countries and the closure of the balkan route means these people will be stuck here. greece is no longer a transit country and there are new rules in place. >> reporter: according to the new agreement between the european union and turkey, these new arrivals could be sent back to turkey. they will be given a chance to apply for asylum but there are no guarantees it will be accepted. >> reporter: human rights groups have criticized a deal that would resolve the e.u. resettling 70,000 refugees from turkey. they feel that the majority kwo arrive qualify as refugees and require protection. >> it is 10 or 11 kilometers from greece to turkey. so this port now, they told me we six hours inside the water, we lost, okay, and the smuggler go back to turkey so i don't think they will be agreed to back to turkey.

>> reporter: this six year old and her brother are not aware of the rules and restrictions. all they know is that they managed to escape war and are hopeful that their lives will be better. she tells us that he was scared while crossing the sea. but she also knows why her family had to do it. the situation in aleppo is very bad because of the bombardment, she says. the agreement to send back new rivals on the island entered into force on sunday. the e.u. has promised greece assistance to deal with all the asylum cases, but that may not be the hard part. these people say that they won't accept a move to take a step back two refugees have died while trying to reach the greek island of lesbos. they were found dead on avr over crowded boat that had arrived from turkey. they performed cpr on the two men but failed to revive them.

12 boats had already arrived near the island's airport by early sunday morning. jordan says it is going to set up surveillance cameras at the al-aqsa mosque compound in the coming days. installing the cameras will help document violations against the holly site. the al-aqsa mosque has been the focus of violence between israelis and palestinians over the past few months. police have fired tear gas at 200 opposition supporters at a polling station in the congo as the country voted in presidential elections. long time leader is looking to extend his rule over the central african oil producer. opposition parties say they won't accept the result even if he wins. >> reporter: sunday's election in the congo began with a few problems. some of these people can't find

their names on the voterss' roll. the police tried to calm them down. eventually voting starts. it seems people in the capital are determined to have their say. there were other problems. this man says his name appears twice on the voters role with different dates of birth, but the same address. >> translation: the names of the dead people are on the voters' roll and my name appears twice. what is going on. >> reporter: the president held a referendum last year to change the constitution so he could stay in power. he has led the oil rich nation for 31st past 36 years. >> i think the process is going well. throughout the country there are no reports of problems. everyone is working fully. the process is democratic, it will move the country forward. >> reporter: the government has ordered all of the block to cut communications on sunday and monday. people across the country can't

access the internet, make phone calls oon send s mses. they are not also allowed to drive and have to walk to polling stations. the party is worried about fraud. >> they know very well the functioning of the politics in our country. i think that they are not going to accept the result which is not correct. >> reporter: on the whole, voting was relatively peaceful. the african union sent observers, but the union said the election is not transparent. this is an opposition stronghold and people are lining up to vote. opposition leaders say they want the selection to go into a second round. they say if that happens, they could unite behind the one candidate. the electoral commission says it will announce results in a few days. the opposition leaders say if

the president wins, they won't accept it pls have closed in senegal where people have been voting in a referendum to scale back presidential powers. a yes result would see the president's term reduce from seven to five years from 2019. the turn out has record rormentdly been low and critics say that the proposals are too little too late. people have also been voting in zchlt anzibar following last year's policy. the electoral commission annulled the election. malcolm webb reports now. >> reporter: hundreds of people queued to vote at this polling station in october. this time hardly any came. that's because opposition leaders had called for a boycott of the elections rerun and they have many supporters here on the island of pemba.

we found a group just down the road. >> translation: we don't recognise the voting. we don't recognise it. even if they declare the results, we do not accept them. >> reporter: this polling station in a nearby town is busier. more people are coming to vote. party supporters are saying they are voting today and it is in urban areas where they have benefited more from government infrastructure and jobs that the ruling party has its support base. >> reporter: the president voted in the capital. the opposition says his ruling c.c.m. party has already rigged the rae run. the party officials and the electoral commission deny it. the c.c.m. party has dominated the politics since independence from british rule in the 1960s. his father led the country to

independence. >> c.c.m. is the only party that i believe can hold this country together. historically it has been proved that any other party that comes to power cannot control this. >> reporter: the opposition leaders say the c.c.m. parties controlling it by intimidation and not through the ballot box. >> you've got fracture on two legss >> reporter: the leading opposition party known as cuf has documented dozens of cases from the last year of its members being shot, beaten or stabbed with screwdrivers. cutf says police and military are responsible, allegations the c.c.m. party denies >> c.c.m. has prepared already the message of grabbing this election. to make sure c.c.m. wins. this is dangerous to our people. c.c.m. is using government, security, police, army. >> reporter: cuf officials

showed us this party offs that they say was ransacked by armed men. many opposition supporters are angry, but the government is not taking any chances. police and soldiers have been deployed across the islands during the polls. the opposition boycott means c.c.m. is a win but many won't accept the result the braz immian president dilma rousseff has filed a criminal contemporaneity against the senator who accused her of knowing about a major corruption scandal. former senate leader, who is from her own party, says the president knew about an embezzlement scheme at petrobras. she said dilma rousseff used some money to fund her presidential campaign. hundreds of mourners have been paying their respects to the victims of saturday's plane

crash in southern russian. grieving relatives laid flowers for their loved ones and passengers and crew who died. they say it could take weeks to determine the actual cause of the crash. a bus carrying foreign students has crashed in north-east yern spain killing 13 people. rescue workers have been removed the wreckage from the crash site halfway between valencia and barcelona. the driver hit a railing before the bush crashed into the wrong side of the driveway and hit a car. a controversial film predicting a grim future for hong kong and its chinese rule has been nominated for the best picture in the city's upcoming awards. it has been selling out despite moves to limit its release. >> reporter: the film is called

10 years. it is a feature-length package of five short films by different directors that predicts what life will be like in hong kong in 2025. it is a bleak picture of a city firmly in the grip of chinese communist party control. that's in spite of the so-called one country two systems form of government that is supposed to guarantee hong kong a high level of autonomy. >> the truth is two system is not work. i believe freedom of speech. >> reporter: production started before the umbrella movement street occupations of 2014 demanding greater political freedom. those real-life events became woven into parts of the film helping connect with a hong kong audience. >> some of the moments during the umbrella movement that the hong kong people we could never imagine, so i think the tone and

the mood become a little bit pessimistic. >> reporter: events since then seem to confirm that pessimism. the street violence that at at chinese new year which many believe was fuelled by discontented youth. the case of the hong kong book sellers who produced works critical of china's leaders, detained and paraded on mainland television. the early screenings of the film have sold out in hong kong. made on a budget of less than $100,000, it has taken nearly a million at the box offices. some cinemas are afraid of showing it. >> even with that smashing record, suddenly the cinema will tell the film makers that, no, we're going going to show the film. >> reporter: there is now speculation the upcoming hong king film award won't be shown in mainland china because of the movie's nomination for best

picture. combine that with the apparent reluctance of some cinemas to show it, and the film makers can be excused for thinking their totalitarian prediction is starting to come true much more on the website, aljazeera.com firefighters in the u.s. are more liabilities to die by suicide than by fighting fires. in 2015 alone more than 80 firefighters killed themselves. but the numbers could be higher because most fire departments to not track suicides. it is a subject that's rarely talked about in the fire service. >> the average person can't