obama taking more questions, and putting castro on the spot to get him to answer that second question where he talked about health care as a right. clearly implying that those things do not happen in the united states we'll bring in the ambassador into this conversation, a chev of mission, from 1999 to 2000. her resume is impressive. that is the highlight i'll give you. what is your take away from what you just heard? it was fascinating. >> it was really fascinating. up know what my immediate takeaway was? obama, president obama and raul castro agree on one thing, it's not going to be easy. president obama said okay, it's going to be a process. raul castro gave the example of a swimmer that took four times

and finally succeeded and i thought that this was really wo workable that both of them put on the line. we have done our best today, but this is a process that has to go forward. the thing that i found the most interesting about president castro was the fact that he talked about guantanamo and the embargo, because thighs are always the things that they want to mention, they didn't mention the wet foot, white foot policy, so wondered if something happened behind the scene, they didn't want to raise the issue. one of the best things, of course, is that they both gave

their views on human rights, and they did it in a debate, in a discussion. president obama made a great point - with other countries we don't have embargoes and policies against them when we don't like their democracies or dictatorship or human rights, but we talk to them about it. and, therefore, we should go ahead with our opening because the old policy didn't work, and talk about the issues as we go forward. then it was going to be a powerful era if, in fact. we did not see improvement in cuba. >> ambassador, let me ask you this. what did you make of raul castro's response when the reporter from cnn, american of cuban dissent, specifically asked about human prisoners, and

raul castro literally said what prisoners, give me a list. he said that repeatedly. i don't think it's necessarily a prize, but it has to be disheartening to critics that said the relations should not be normalized particularly if cuba is on the issue. >> we have to know that raul castro, of course, has political prisoners, and it's a powerful irritant. it's interesting that he sees them not as political prisoners. he sees them, one assumes, since he says there's no political prisoners as dissidents who are maybe traitors, if you want the word, or violating the laws of cuba, preventing cuba from on its education, social issues. that must be why he's saying there's no political prisoners,

because he sees them as not political prisoners. we see them as political prisoners, because they have courageously dissented against a one party state. against a lack of freedom of speech, the freedom of assembly, and president obama rightly said these are areas that cuba needs to improve. but raul wants us to look at whim quality and other matters. an interesting debate. one that is sure to continue. >> if i can get you to stand by for a moment, ambassador, i'll bring in our senior washington correspondent mike viqueira back into the conversation. he is there in havana. how what happened over the last hour play out politically back home in the united states? >> well, i think that's a great

question, and there's something in there for someone. for the most part it will add fuel to the fire, to the critics of president obama. when you have raul castro, the president of cuba lecturing the united states on human rights. without commenting on whether they have a point. the opponents of the castro regime, or what president barack obama is doing here, they'll have a field day with that. regardless of discussions that raul castro gave. there's not a right in the united states, free public education, the right to health care, the right to equal pay for women making the same amount as men, these things will incense critics of the castro regime and, in particularly, of course, in response to the question from cuban american jim acosta to raul castro, and raul castro

saying there's no political prisoners within the united states. it will make things more difficult. having said that, i think the wall is already rolling. regardless of the comments, again. it was the u.s. on the cuban side. the last we heard, they could not come to an agreement as to whether they'd be allowed to ask questions. there was agreement there. now, president obama talking about human rights, in comments aimed at cuba, gave this defense on focussing. >> i think it is something that matters. i've met with something subject to arbitration, and that is something i have to speak out. i hear from this directly, i

know what it means for them. >> we have seen president barack obama on trips to malaysia and elsewhere have meetings with civil society, and he has a meeting tomorrow with cuban dissidents. and we heard president obama say many times over and he repeated it that the future of cuba will be decided by cubans, and not anyone else. that is aimed at the castro regime, raul castro, who insisted that they are not going to with stand or tolerate meddling in internal cuban affairs. >> mike, thank you. i'll bring someone else into the conversation. christopher basis, is a travel journalist and author of a book. both the presidents wrapped up the press conference, and president obama will be getting in a cartoon, the beast as they

saw it. christopher just got back to miami. you travelled extensively in cuba, having said that, what was your reaction that we'd saw and heard. this is fascinating. i don't think we are expected a press conference like that with intense questioning. for my part, given that i'm interested in travel itself, it was interesting that president obama referenced the fact in this last week he essentially lifted restrictions on individuals being able to travel and go under the people to people licence, and that is the intent of that and that is the argument. they become ambassadors, not the least through meaning able to support private enterprise,

perhaps sharing american values, that is the intent stated by obama for individuals travelling to cuba. president obama indicated that 50 years of the obama has not helped to sponsoring human rights, if we define it as freedom of people, and making taking this other tact to similarity that, and i believe it's the wisest course. >> considering the interaction you have with so many cuban americans, how do you think they perceived what they saw? i realized it breaks down into two groups, the older cuban minister with a specific point of view and the younger. >> it's important to understand that there's no homogeneous group in the american body. i returned from cuba after leading a tour, a cuban american

participating. a led a motorcycle, a cuban american participating. we have many americans willing to go to cuba, desirous of connect of course, it's important to say they lifted all restrictions, there's more interaction between them. the younger cubans view the relationship between the states and cuba differently than many among the older groups. they want reproachment, as to cubans, the fast majority welcomes the openings that obama is making. >> okay, chris. ambassador, are you with us. >> i am curious, considering the experience you have in cuba, what do you think fidel castro's action or question would be of and just happened?

thank you for the question. i as thinking fidel. he brought up venezuela, he didn't need to bring up venezuela, but he did. he talked about mutual respect, which is always an important issue for cuba, he didn't call it the embargo, he called it the blockade. in no way was raul willing to be condescending. he was very, very typical in that this has to be an equal relationship. and this is very, very hard for the united states. and it's particularly hard for conservatives and for conservative cuban americans, and as you mentioned, it is

going to help some conservatives say to obama - well, he was criticizing the united states, he was doing this or that. this is very typical. if you criticize cuba, they are going to criticize you right back. probably fidel is breaking out champagne for raul's little visitation and response let me get some more thoughts on that. mike viqueira. more thoughts on the fact that raul castro is insisting on this being an equal relationship and having said such, if president barack obama criticizes cuba, raul castro felt justified in criticizing the u.s. as well - and he did. >> well, you know, and risen, the united states over the courts of the last 54 years,

frankly speaking, has given the u.s. government plenty of ambition to use against them, from the bay of pigs and the embargo, a major sore point not only with the castro regime but the cuban people. the translation may have been off, but raul castro said he would resist two faced approach to human rights, which is a relative strong statement of condemnation directed at the united states, insisting that changing within cuba is a sovereign matter and not subject to meddling to outside powers, and accepting and respecting our differences and not placing them at the center of the relationship with something that castro urged. it is a question. embargo which president obama declared is going to end. the only problem is he doesn't know when, unlikely to happen. raul castro referring to the embargo in his remarks. >> we recognised the position of

president obama and his administration against the blockade. and his afeels to congress to have more. the most recent measures adopted by his administration are positive. but insufficient. >> president castro going in to say a long and complex past lies ahead. that may have been an understatement after the press conference. >> i know we are about out of time. tell us what is next on the president's agenda? >> right now he goes to the summit. he has a lot of companies, from telecommunications, the hospitality industry down the line, eager to sit down with the government. the green shoots in the economy over the course of the last

few hours. president obama bringing in the business community, bringing in pressure to lift that embargo. >> that's why we love mike viqueira, he'll get the information out to the last minute. mike viqueira live in havana for us. right now, thank you to both of our guests for joining us, it was a pleasure to have you both. christopher baker and ambassador huddleston. we'll have more on the historical visit, keep it here on al jazeera america

a reminder of the top stories on al jazeera. at a joint conference in havana president obama hailed a new day in the two country's relations, but he says differences remain, especially when it comes to human rights the international criminal court found the vice president guilty of war crimes committed in central african republic more

than a decade ago and russia asked for an urgent meeting in the u.s. for how to control the temporary ceasefire in syria belgium prosecutors are looking for a man alleged to be an accomplice to the paris attack suspect salah abdeslam, captured on friday. authorities believe that najim travelled to syria in 2013, before using false documents to go to hungary with salah abdeslam last year. we have this update. >> the belgium prosecutor's office is looking for the public's hep in identifying a possible associate in the last surviving suspect in the paris attacks. according to the prosecutor's office, they have identified an individual, a 24-year-old man, najim, who used a false name and documents. according to the prosecutor's

office, this individual travelled to syria in 2013 before making his way back through europe. according to investigators, he may have travelled also from hungary with salah abdeslam, even being stopped at the austrian boarder by boarder guards before being allowed to carry on to western europe. he has been identified because of d.n.a. evidence gathered at two properties in and around the belgium capital, along with d.n.a. evidence, found in the use in the paris attacks. it's down to belgium investigators. a new round of u.n. brokered talks could be held by the end of this month. the negotiations could lead to a ceasefire. announcements were made after the u.n. envoy was met last

week. past attempts to trike a deal failed -- strike a deal failed because of growing divisions in the country. this is a pivotal moment for the country. if you will, nothing can be achieved by settlement. what began with dilutions and end with settlement and facts on the ground. we are approaching the facts on the ground. this is the beginning of a defining moment. not the defining moment itself. i believe we need or require some time before lasting piece is achieved. >> they are continuing to make a dangerous journey, despite a deal aimed at stopping the influx into europe. under a new agreement greece will deport refugees back to turkey in exchange for financial aid and relaxed visa

restrictions for turkish citizens travelling in europe. greek authorities are taking some refugees to the mainland to house in temporary refugee camps. >> joining us live from ankara is the president of the research center on asylum and migration, and a former spokesman for the u.n.h.c.r. in turkey, thank you for being with us on the programme. many officials said this is a monumental task facing turkey, greece and monitors going to both countries to see if the deal is implemented. what do you see as the key problem in relation to this deal. >> actually the key problem is integration for so many refugees in turkey. turny doesn't have integration possibility.

doesn't recognise them on refugees. the status in relation to human rights. the country of origin. so the only option, the only light at the end of the tunnel is europe. this is why they are going to europe, for its journey. so the main problem is to empower the schemes in turkey, which needs more efforts, more experience, more money but more legal changes. >> the european union promised more financial aid to turkey to deal with the in flux of refugees to turkey.

is it going to be enough. is it going to be spent in the right way. however, there's one thing more important - status. in order to make our future, we need not much money, but we need to know what is our rights. what are entitlements, so i have to see the future. what would happen to me next week, next month. so turkey remain a problem, and doesn't recognise non-european as refugees. the status is not that of turkey. so far the only option is

settlement. syrians are different, according to turkish law. and turkey, as people under the temporary professional regime. they are seen as temporary. they don't have a future in the country. they lost belief in syria. they are forced to choose one option, to take the risk here, the journey to europe. so with this deal, it's been turkey. there'll be an impact, definitely. spiritual victories in the incidents in the acknowledge yag sea and less people will be able

to go. some will try other things, but financially the numbers, if both sides implement properly, the numbers will be increased, but what will happen to those who will be returned, and who will be chosen by the camps and to go to europe to regular ways, what are going to be the criteria to choose the people. so they are points that are not clear yet. >> thank you for your time. thank you. >> it's my pleasure. >> british engineers unveiled one of the biggest air crafts. it looks like an airship, but looks more like a plane and helicopter. and could be used for surveillance and delivering aid. >> it is the world's tallest and longest aircraft. dwarfing everything else in

site. the airliner doesn't need a proper run way to take off. this vessel appears to carry cargo and people. inside the cockpit the controls are a mixture of airship and plane, both of which david burns is used to piloting. >> it's a pleasant rate. the ages at the back are some 70 minutes behind the cabin. and up the front - you can't hear them again. if you fly with turbulence, it's a gentle motion. >> the dimensions show why it will be easy to spot in the skies. at 92 meters long, 42 meters wide, it's larger than the biggest aircraft flying, the air bus a380. that's 70 meters long. both are smaller than the

ill-faith hinneden burg airships built by germany in the 1930s. back then, and when this hammer was at the center of the industry, the balloons refilled with flam payable hydrogen, now it's helium, making it safer and easier to manoeuvre. >> when it's air bound it will use a third as much fuel as a regular aircraft and has the potential to stay up in the air for weeks on end. the aircraft was commissioned for industry to carry out surveillance work in afghanistan. the project was abandoned, and the designers brought it back to britain, surveillance work may not be its only use. it can land on water, it can land on ice, snow, grass and deserts, and it means it can go anywhere, and take heavy loads and people from point to point.

it can start with the health and disasters. test flights will start later this year. the engineering team is hoping the sky will be the limit core at reefs host some of the biologically diverse ecosystems. the barrier reef is losing its colour, a phenomenon known as coral bleaching. >> reporter: australia great barrier reef is in trouble. once a kaleidoscope of colour, it is starting to die, turning white and grey, a phenomenon known as coral briefing. the latest pictures show the extent of the problem. during times of normal environment inclinations, last year was the hottest on record.

the trend is likely to continue. the heat stress destructs the special relationship. and now it helps them grow and reproduce. the australian government declared the highest level of alert. protecting the great barrier reef is no easy task. the u.n.e.s.c.o. site is 2,000 years old. it is more difficult to ignore, in the water the distress signals are getting louder finally 10 years ago today. a software developer sent a message that changed the way millions around the world communicate. it was the first ever tweet, and it's helped twitter to become a social media giant with 320 million people now using twitter every month. that is about 500 million tweets

every day. and a reminder you can tweet us at al jazeera english. you'll find more on many stories on aljazeera.com. aljazeera.com. for the latest breaking news and international sport. >> i'm sylvia rowley in the south of england where support for small scale sustainable fishing is catching on. >> and i'm russell beard in bangkok to meat a team innovative urban farmers turning air polution into protein.