more than 300 worshippers in saudi arabia have been killed following a stampede whilst performing hajj rituals. still to come - two explosions in a mosque in sanaa kill 25 people. angela merkel calls the e.u. plan to deal with the e.u. crisis a first step. and columbia announces a break through of the talks with f.a.r.c. rebels after five

decades of conflicts well we begin with breaking news from saudi arabia. it's been reported 310 people have been killed following a crush whilst observing hajj. hundreds of others have been injured. let's cross straight to omar salah joining us from mecca. what is the latest? >> saudi authorities, and the civil self-defence authorities are sending more ambulances. i saw about five ambulances arriving to the area behind me, and i heard two helicopters, and i saw two helicopters hovering, i don't know if you see the building behind me. it's the devil complix. it's a 4 story building.

there's a statement from the civil defense saying that the incident around 9am. an unexpected rise of a number of pilgrims heading towards the complex a started and a crush happened. people fell, everyone jumped and fell on everyone else. and that made about 310 people killed in that tragic incident. we still have no details of what the saudi authorities say they will investigate how it happened, but i have to say that the process is continuing with no incidents after that tragic death of that number of people. >> omar, are people aware of what had happened. has it changed the atmosphere of the hajj festival or the hajj celebrations. >> yes, it's the hajj ritual.

it's the hajj season. i'm not sure why. we were not allowed to be complex. journalists were told to stay at the building. i couldn't speak to the pilgrims. judging from watching live pictures and from the vantage point, i see a smooth process taking place. i explain to you what mina is, it's east of mecca, between 15-18km. it's a massive tent city. more than 160,000 dents, but it's full of pilgrims, it's a huge number. it controlled the flow of a number much pilgrims. >> the incidents appears to happen every few years, and the numbers in terms of deaths is astounding, very, very sad. what sort of safety measures are

in place. at the mina site, for example. >> well, yes, that building behind me was played, and the large complex watt the fact of avoiding the sam peat. i have to be frank. the process is smooth. i think because narrow roads and the tent city, and you have some - perhaps uneducated pilgrim staying at the location. they are hindering the movement. through my prison, during the hajj, i saw it with my own eyes. they sit in the middle of the road. they eat, or a child or an old

man is taking a nap in the middle of the road. saudi authorities are trying to tell them to leave, push them to somewhere safe. you have to understand that we have - talking about 1.9 million pilgrims at the hajj. not all of them are aware of safety measures. saudis are trying to do their best. this is another helicopter trying to make a landing. i can't really focus too much on that. saudis are trying their best. there are some important steps to be taken to consider to try and avoid tragic incidents in the future. >> okay. speaking to us just outside of mecca. thank you very much. >> 310 people have been killed following a crush during the hajj pilgrimage. the annual muslim pilgrimage to mecca and medina have been plagued by so many disasters. back in 2006, 364 pilgrims were

killed in a stampede during the stoning of a ritual in mina. earlier 244 were killed, again in mina during the same ritual. in 1998180 people were trampled to death in mina. four years earlier, 270 pilgrims died in 1994. the worst incident took place in 1990 when more than 1,400 died in a stampede, in a tunnel that lead to the holy site in mecca. next, twin blasts at a mosque in yemen's capital, sanaa, killed 25 people. the attack happened during prayers, marking the muslim holiday of eid. victoria gatenby has the report. >> reporter: the attack was timed to cause massive

destruction. it was was packed with people celebrating the eid holiday. investigators are still trying to work out without happening, but here is what we know so far. the first explosion was quickly followed by a second. some witnesses say they were caused by a single suicide bomber who detonated an explosive device, and as people ran for the exit, blew himself up. others say there were two attackers, the first detonating explosives inside the mosque, the second blowing up when guards tried to stop him entering. either way, there was panic and confusion. >> translation: i saw about nine dead people, they are only the ones i saw with my own eyes, and the ones i helped to carry out with my own hands. i'm shocked by this, i have never seen anything like it. >> reporter: the mosque belongs to the power base of islam,

the power base of houthi fighters that control the capital. saudi-led coalition air strikes targeted houthi rebels and fighters loyal to president ali abdullah saleh. the houthis continued to remain in control of large parts of yemen. . >> when they look at previous attacks like this they are claim by the islamic branch much yemen. the series is condemnedled. if you are looking at recent history, it bears the signs of similar attacks that the yemeni branch of the islamic state group took responsibility for . the u.n. is urging all sides to negotiate a peace deal. that may not be easy, the government of the president say that houthis must disband, and the rebels insist they are yemen's authority. at the mosque. houthi files sealed off the

area where the explosions happened, as the battle to control yemenis, many are dying german chancellor angela merkel says the european agreement to relocate 120,000 refugees is not enough to control the crisis. talks on wednesday showed the block had recognized the problem and will work to find a solution. the e.u. members agreed to give over a billion. and decided to deploy more resources it beef up controls. >> translation: what we need is the effective repatriation of those people not entitled to protection in the european union. it includes the support of important countries in origin and transit. the containment of the crime of human trafficking and the fight against the cause of people's escape. >> talks to stop a dispute that

has gone on for decades. between the columbian government and f.a.r.c. rebels. a peace deal will be in place in coming months. lucia newman has the report. >> reporter: an image speaks louder than 1,000 words, and this image. columbian president shaking hands with the leader of the f.a.r.c. rebels is one that sceptical columbians could not have dreamed of. >> translation: on 26 march 2016. and to the very latest, exact li six months from now, we'll see goodbye to the war. after almost three years of negotiations here in havana, columbia's government reached a deal with rebel negotiators to guarantee punishment for perpetrators of human rights violations and war crimes, including members of the f.a.r.c.

>> those that refuse to recognise their responsibility in these crimes will be sentenced to a maximum of 20 years in prison. >> it is up to us now to multiply efforts to reach consensus on a bilateral ceasefire, and transform into a legal political movement. >> the agreement removes the last major stumbling block to a comprehensive peace deal to end nearly 60 years of war, displacing more than 6 million columbians, and killing 220,000 others. cuban president who hosted the peace talks was jubilant. >> we advanced further than before. there are enormous difficulties to overcome, we have the certainty that they will be overcome. the announcement coming three days after the peace protest was directed in havana. saying we have no right to fail

yet again in the road to peace and reconciliation. >> the pope's stern words were directed at rebel leaders. also, powerful groups from the extreme political left and right. including sectors of the columbian community. and in an historical area like columbia, the pope francis blessing is seen as an antidote to efforts to derail the protest. if the accord is signed within the year, it will not be enough. the final agreement must we approved by the columbian people, before the f.a.r.c. lay the weapons, and peace and justice can begin stay tuned. coming up, living on rubbish. we meet the people that scavenge in order to survive.

india marks a milestone as the mission to mars celebrates its

first birthday. deaf are

welcome back, a reminder of the top stories, 310 people have been killed in a crush while observing hajj outside mecca. 4,000 members of the saudi arabia rescue services are at the scene. 450 others have been injured. >> in yemen, two blasts killed 25 people at a mosque run by shia houthis in the capital

sanaa. the attack happening during prayers marking the muslim holiday. at least 30 people were injured. talks to end the longest running conflict in the latin america history led to a major broke through. the columbian government agreed to form a truth mission. >> al jazeera journal lift mohammed badr and mohamed fadel fahmy have been freed from an egyptian gaol. pardoned by egyptian president abdul fatah al-sisi, along with 98 others. other al jazeera journalists sentenced in absentia were not pardoned. al jazeera continues to demand their assistances be over-terned. john terrett had for . >> reporter: it's been a long time coming, but al jazeera producer mohammed badr, freelance producer mohamed fadel fahmy are free at last. >> this nightmare is over. the nightmare is over. we can live like normal people

and go home, enjoy life and that is it. >> reporter: a pardon by abdul fatah al-sisi, marking the end of a long ordeal that began upon arrest in 2030. alongs with correspondent peter greste. al jazeera media says according to human rights watch, egypt arrested, charged and sentenced at least 41,000 people between july 2013 and july 2014, extending treatment to international tv journalists shocked the world. a report from the committee to protect journalists in june said egypt has the highest number of journalists behind bars since they began keeping record. in june, a cairo court sentenced the al jazeera team toll seven to 10 years in prison. last january, the court of cassation threw out their convictions, and ordered a retrial. in february, after a year in gaol, egypt allowed peter greste

to be deported to his native australian. mohamed fadel fahmy and mohammed badr were released later that month. they were unable to leave egypt. they said with lives on hold they were serving a kind of sentence. their plight inspiring a global campaign of support from grassroots to heads of government. >> the issue of the al jazeera journalists in egypt, we have been clear publicly and privately that they should be released. >> reporter: last month a court returned mohamed fadel fahmy and mohammed badr to prison. a retrial supposed to give them and greste a second opportunity to clear their names. justice was denied. >> the arrest and detention damaged egypt's reputation abroad. president abdul fatah al-sisi's pardon allowed him to close the case without threatening the independence. of egypt's independence. there was former staff convicted.

one of those, former correspondent sue turton, is yet to be pardoned. >> we are not going to stop the free aj staff campaign until we are all cleared at least of this conviction in the eyes of the law. we need to fly in and out of countries that have extradition treaties with egypt, or agreements, without the fear agreements, without the fear that we may be arrested. put on a plane and sent to egypt. >> in a statement the company said they may not be behind bars, but the families and careers are affected: for now, everyone at al jazeera is happy to see closure. >> mohamed fadel fahmy has been pardoned. >> of one chapter at least in the saga. [ cheering and applause ] germany's transport minister revealed volkswagen rigged emissions tests in the united states and europe.

the u.s. justice department has launched a criminal probe after volkswagen admitted visiting 11 million diesel cars with devices designed to cheat test results. the scandal cost the german car maker billions in share price in europe. and 18 million in fines in the united states pope francis is due to address the u.s. congress. the head of the church is on the first papal visit to the u.s. on wednesday he spoke at the white house, calling for a tolerant and inclusive society. the pope called for action on climate change. well, the united nations will mark its 70th anniversary, world leaders gathering for the congress in new york. there's questions about the ability to prevent conflict in the world - a main aim when it

was founded. >> reporter: here we enter one of the best name rooms in the world. a cavernous chamber, assembly haul, where leading figures have at some point gathered. here, all the 193 nations are represented. the u.n. had just 51 members when the organization was founded in '95. in the development of this organization rests the only two alternative to war. you hear the term the world stage used. every september it is literally here much it was on this stage that leaders from the east and west were spoken. sometimes wars have been diverted. governments and regimes game, and then fell, and were replaced by the new order. >> over 70 years, the scope of work done by the u.n. has grown, and so has the size of this

often bureaucratic organization. ever the period of existence, the u.n. spent a staggering three-quarters of a billion. it's struggled to solve current crisis, a war in syria that cost more than 250,000 lives. the rise of i.s.i.l., and the refugee crisis that spread to europe. many of the main criticisms concerns the way it's done. does it need forceful leadership, the man that serves as secretary-general, and in 707 years, it's a man that follows a cautious path making sure he doesn't upset powerful nations. in many ways, the system is bias, from the u.n. security council, the most important body, only five nations have seats with veto power.

70 years after it was set i'm after world war ii, the victors hold all the cards. over 20 years ago at the time of the genocide. they served on the security council as deputy ambassador. now it's back on the council and here is the ambassador. without reform, the security council will become less effective. >> there are two sorts of problems, countries not on the council don't see it as relevant to solve their problems. there's a problem that permanent members who do not use the council as a vehicle for solving problems, so much as a vehicle to approve solutions that work out in another context. that is a problem. the council is not living up to its faction, it is not used for the purpose it was designed. >> russian ambassador doesn't just clash with his u.s. counterpart samantha power on syria. the atmosphere has been soured by the situation in ukraine.

most observers believe reform of the council and the organization is needed but unlikely to happen any time soon. >> the u.n. has so many problems and imperfections, but 70 years on, it remains the only place where the countries of the world come together to talk about things. without it there'll be far less global dialogue the parents of 43 mexican students that went missing in the state of guerrero are on hunger strike. fasting for 43 hours. they are demanding an independent and thorough investigation. at south african civil rights group says the health of thousands of people is at risk from badly managed landfill sites. it surveyed 56 rubbish dumps around the country, finding 50 are not complying with legal

minimum requirements. tania page has the story from pretoria. >> reporter: another load, another chance at a few dollars. they are looking for something to recycle or wear themselves. regardless of the season, there's little cheer here. >> maybe it's close to six years i have been coming here because i scavenge here just to get money. >> reporter: he shouldn't be here. according to the law only workers employed by the municipality wearing protective clothing are allowed on land fills. this man says he has no shows. >> we need money. seriously, we need it. >> reporter: there's at least 100 here working on the landfill site. what they do is illegal. they say they have to do it, or they'll go hungry. >> civil right group says 60 out of 56 land fills failed to meet minimum safety and health environments.

others include water pooling, people selling food and living here. and uncovered evidence of illegally dumped medical waste d animal carcasses. >> they should be held responsible for the people. every person has the right to an environmental that is not harmful to health and safety. >> the government welcomes and performs investigations. the sample site is too small. there are several hundred sites, across south africa, and it says it's trying to enforce the law. >> we are then obliged to work with them. we have to work. we have to exhaust all avenues. what it can't do is help people. he sleeps amid the rubbish.

and dreams of better things. >> find maybe a good job and good money so i can have a good family. to be someone else. >> in south africa, sometimes it doesn't matter what the law says. they do what they have to survive. it's a year since india's space probe arrived into mars' orbit. the mission cost $74 million, and as our science editor explains, the red planet is the focus of more scientific research than ever before. >> reporter: extraordinary images of the red planet, not from n.a.s.a. and the european pace agency, but india's mars orbiter mission. the space probe has been in orbit for a year. it stud yid the atmosphere and top og rafry. the mission had ban followed in india by the students.

they are big space enthusiasts and gathered to mark the equinox and talk about the mars commission. >> i wanted to be an astronaut. >> they achieve greater heights. >> to have technology that we can do it, in the first go. if you look at the attempts to go for the mask. 50% of the times there's a failure. none much these lead to mars. the mission is achieved on an extraordinary small budget. this is over a tenth of the cost. they arrived two days before the indian mission, and research into the planet's atmosphere. >> it is not na expensive. and the advantage is that it has produced technology, trained

people. >> currently there are five active spacecrafts in orbit around mars. the oldest, the mars oddesy has been there. they have two active rovers, both encountering soft sandy conditions. the third was lost after it was stuck in sand in 2009. now researchers at the space agency are developing technology they hope will prevent it happening to the next generation. >> what we do essentially is moving it back and forth on their arms, legs, so that they are - at certain times they are unloaded and freely roll and translate it and possession forward. in this way you manage to get out of entrapment. >> it's all vital technology needed, if and for when a manned

mission arrives on mars. until then, the counter fleet of spacecraft carries out vital scientific research. >> and a reminder that you can keep up to date with all the news on the website. the address aljazeera.com. >> crowds fill the national mall in washington as the pope prepares to speak to congress. >> not everyone is happy with the pope's visit, controversy swirls among republican lawmakers critical of his views. >> a stampede kills more than 400 muslim pilgrims during the haming, the worst tragedy there in nine years.