hajj tragedy, saudi arabia begins an investigation in to a stampede that killed more than 700 people during the muslim pilgrimage. ♪ ♪ hello, this is al jazeera live from doha. also ahead on the program, pope francis is in new york and will be addressing the u.n. general assembly later. china's president will be holding formal talks with president obama at the white house on the agenda combating climate change. plus we meet the parents of mexico's missing students who are demanding an international

probe in to their disappearance. >> saudi rape i can't has began an investigate. it's the worst disas her during the pilgrimage in morning two decades the crush happened the outskirts of the holy city of mecca. in an area called mina. as huge crowds of pilgrims were on the move. there was a suds rush of people heading towards the jamarat pillars which are surrounded by a five-story structure known as the jamarat bridge. omar al saleh reports from mina. >> reporter: a second tragedy within weeks. saudi authorities say a sudden surge among a huge crowd of april gyms led to a deadly stampede. hundreds died and many more were

injured. >> translator: we were coming back from the jamarat on and the way back i met my husband, the pilgrims began pushing each and pushed people to the ground. i have about to die. >> reporter: the pilgrims were making the way to take part in the stoning of the devil ritual which is part of the hajj pilgrimage. >> translator: after this painful incidents i asked the authorities to investigate the cause of it. and submit the result as soon as they can. the investigation isn't to affect the good job authorities are doing to keep people safe in the hajj. whatever the result of this, we ask the authorities to review the plans and all the arrangements for the hajj. >> reporter: there have been hundreds of deaths from stampedes in previous years, this is one of the deadliest in recent years, in 2006 the saudis built a multi-story complex to better handle the number of people taking part. more than 1.9 million pilgrims

are performing the hajj this season, everybody without this latest catastrophe and logistical nightmare for the saudi authorities. this tragedy has completely overshadowed the hajj this year. it put the saudis under the spotlight and raised serious questions about safety in general. but at the same time, it highlighted the lack of safety awareness among the pilgrims themselves. they have been known to go in the wrong directions and to gather in wrong places some of them sleepin sleeping and eatine open on crowded roads. >> translator: from what i can see, these are the apparent reasons for the accident. a rise in the number of people, overcrowding and an overlap of crowds add t adding to that witl certainty a rise in temperatures and the tiredness the pilgrims were facing due to the journey they h already traveled. >> reporter: another tragedy just days before the beginning of hajj, a construction fell on the ground of the mask killing

107 people two weeks arc it's part of an ambitious expansion design. hajj will always be a serious challenge for these sites around mecca and mina. >> omar joins us live from mean a24 hours on, omar, what's going on there at the moment? >> reporter: well, the process is ongoing. in terms of the ritual itself. it's very peaceful, very quiet. of course after the big tragedy, i spoke in the early hours this morning with a number of pilgrims and i asked them if they were worried or scared. they is, look, things happen in hajj and it's due to the large number of pil pilgrims, so the l grimes realize how crowded it is. they did tell me it was unfortunate. now in terms of the authorities i don't know if you can see the at the present time city we heap me, that's where somewhere there

the tragedy happened at an intersection between two narrow roads, we understand that that area is closed off and the clear up is still going from the second day. everybody is waiting for the investigation to come up, -- to end up probably it will take a few days see to see dang i believe investigations, it's clear the saudis are not happy about what happened. the king himself said that there needs to be a review for the hajj plans for the future to prevent such tragedies. >> this ritual, i know it didn't -- the tragedy didn't take place exactly where this happened. but i have been reading that there are pilgrims there who are somewhat these can't now because this continues in to saturday, doesn't it? do you get the sense that the pilgrims are somewhat put off or would recommend to families not attending hajj because of these safety issues? >> reporter: i am afraid i can't hear you very well, if you can

repeat your question, please. >> has this incident put pilgrims off attending hajj, do you think? >> reporter: no, i don't think so. because judging and from what i can see around me in both directions, the flow of people is quite big and they are ongoing. to do the ritual. for muslims being in -- performing the hajj is a privilege. not everyone can are or able to per the hajj. i don't think that incident, that tragedy will deter people. even before the hajj started a crane incidents killed one off seven people. that didn't put people off. even the hajj didn't, with yesterday's tragedy, more than 700 people died, that also didn't deter people off. but what it might have done is for people to be more careful perhaps or more organized and try to see if there is a crowd somewhere, they stop, take a breath, rest and go and perform the ritual at some other places,

probably it will force the pilgrims to raise their safety awareness a little bit further. >> okay, omar, thank you very much, speaking to us from mina. pope francis will address world leaders at the u.n. headquarters in new york in the coming hours, it will be his first address to the general assembly earlier on thursday the pontiff made another first as he addressed a joint meeting of the u.s. congress. kimberly halkett has the report. >> reporter: 10s of thousands greeted pope francis as he arrived on capitol hill for his historic address to a joint meeting of the u.s. congress. >> mr. speaker, the pope of the holy sea. [applause] >> reporter: inside the chamber, the pope immediately addressed one of the most polarizing issues confronting u.s. lawmakers. he urged members of congress to set aside their political differences and welcome illegal immigrants he says travel north in search of a better life.

>> let us treat all those with the same passion and compaction with which we want to be treated. >> reporter: pope francis also urged particularly conservative politician to his use their legislative might and take up what he called courageous effort to come up with strategies to protect nature and combat climate change. >> i have no doubt that the united states and this congress have an important role to play. >> reporter: but everybody though most conservatives align with calls from the roman catholic pope to defend life and oppose abortion, many republican lawmakers question the science supporting argument of global warming. and despite poll numbers showing most americans believe pope francis should play a role in world affairs, fewer optimistic ideological differences can be overcome. 29% say the pope's speech will

make congress more likely to pass legislation to fight climate change, only 14% more likely to pass abortion restrictions, four tea 13% incrg immigration. >> even the pope can't make miracles in congress. especially on issues like climb at change. still pope francis tried as he delivered his message not just to lawmakers but thousands gathered outside the capital. arguing the responsible use of the world's natural resources isn't just an environmental issu but a moral one. >> thank you, thank you very much. and god bless america. [applause] >> reporter: kimberly halkett, al jazeera, capitol hill. china is expected to announce plans to limit greenhouse gases and force industries to buy pollution credits. brett jinping will be there

friday. on thursday mr. obama posted president xi for a private dinner, cyber security and disputes in the south china sea are likely to be discussed by the two leaders, patty culhane reports. >> reporter: the white house is talking tough on the eve of press xi's state visit raising the possibility of the u.s. military going near disputed island in the south china sea. the national security adviser sent this message. >> the united states of america will sail, fly, and operate anywhere that international law permits. >> reporter: president obama had this warning about cyber attacks on u.s. companies. >> that we consider an act of aggression that has to stop. and you know, we are preparing a number of measures that will indicate to the chinese that

this is not just a matter of us being mildly upset. >> reporter: the administration has floated the idea that they will sank chinese companies and people for hacking in to u.s. companies. some analysts believe that would be a dangerous move. >> are we going to do that against russian companies? pretty soon will we be sanking companies all around the world or just pick on china? this isn't well thought three. >> reporter: the u.s. has been singling out china for a while charging five military officers last year and accusing china of stealing the personnel files of millions of federal workers. without offering any proof. >> you have to kind of salute the chinese for what they did. you know, if we have the opportunity to do that, i don't think we hesitate for a minute. >> just cobb clear are you identifying china as the perpetrator behind the opium attack? >> well, i mean, that's the leading suspect.

>> reporter: china denies the allegations and points out because of the edward snowden leaks we now know that the u.s. has been doing its own fair share of spying, collecting phone record, searching encrypted e-mails creating backdoors with tech company and siphoning up communication that his travels through under sea cables. the obama admin strags says there is a difference between spying for economic advantage versus national security. it's in the area of national security that the two leaders hope to makeshift, he they are k to go ban sib air tracks on critical infrastructure during peace time the white house hoping that can be a first step in what has often a rocky relationship between two major powers. well, more on china coming up. we'll be looking at how china is following up on president jean gixi.and vehicle wagon scandal.

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and force industries to buy pollution credits.

president xi will be unveiling his climate strategy later on friday during a summit meeting with u.s. president barack obama. pope francis will address world leaders at the u.n. headquarters at the u.n. on friday. he was greeted by thousands as he arrived at st. patrick's cathedral in manhattan. now, 15 years ago in the year 2000 the united nations general assembly set out ambitious goals for helping those most in need. with the aim of irradicating poverty. the millennium development goals also work towards ending gender inequality as well as improving health and education, 15 years on, world leaders are gathering again in new york. to discuss whether their aims have been fulfilled. our diplomatic h editor james bs take a look. >> reporter: it was back in 2000 that the former u.n. second general kofi annan announced plans for ambitious goals to mark the start of the new

millennium. millennium development goals consisted of eight main target to help the poorest and most needy people on earth. the mdgs would run for five an years, as you can see that time is now up. so was it a success? it's a mixed picture. for example one target was to half the majority of people living on less than a dollar day day that was met in 2010. to reduce by three quarter the maternal mortality ratio, not one single region of the world has met that goal to bring down the number of women who die in childbirth. because there is so much more to do. there will soon be a whole new set of more complex and more ambitious goals, officially her call the sustainable development goals, that's a mouthful and publically they will be branded the global goals, world leaders will launch them in new york this weekend. but with so many other pressing issues for them to discuss including conflicts in the middle east and the refugees

crisis in europe, do they risk being overshadowed. ban ki-moon says no. >> i think i'll go with. [ inaudible ] if you invest if them we will put syria you want off business and its was, we will put the migration issue out of the business. people will remain in their countries if we talk about migration it will be about planned migration and not forced. i think that we are the panacea for many of the issues that we see today. you have the 17 goals, you have the answer to resolving many of the crisis that will come in front of heads of state in the general assembly this year. >> now, one of the biggest issues facing mankind won't be completely covered by the new goals. they include a commit to him tackle chime at change but it remains a highly controversial issue and all the details need to be worked out at another special summit meeting in paris in november. in china official figures show poverty levels of falling

fast but for some of the 200 million people still living on a dollar 25 cents way, that may not be fast enough. adrian brown has the report. >> reporter: china has pulled more people out of poverty than anywhere else. but she and her husband are not sure if they are among them. they swapped rural life for the city three years ago. it didn't work out. >> translator: we are afraid of spending money. people give us food, flower and rice, sometimes leftover bread. i can't afford to buy food. sometimes restaurant give me leftover food. >> reporter: the mound of junk outside their home is a daily reminder of their failed recycling business. they used all of their savings to buy scrap metal but falling prices have left them bankrupt. they each get a pension of $10 a month which means they are surviving on less than a dollar a day. well, this is where the family live and sleep. it's a room measuring no more

than 10 square meters. in the corner is the television set, they say they no longer watch it because they are trying to reduce their energy costs. yet in spite of these grim living conditions, she says she skill considers herself to be a lot better off than she was as a girl growing up in the countryside. >> translator: our life is much better than when i was young. 100 times better. in the past, people will starve to death. now we don't have money, but at least people give us food. 67 in june, the president promised to irradicate both urban and rural poverty within five years, 10 years ahead of the u.n.'s global target. he made the pledge weeks after four children were found dead in this house in a poor countryside area. state media said they killed themselves after being abandoned by their parents. they, like millions of other poor mothers and fathers had gone to the cities to look for

work. the tragedy was a reminder of just how difficult it will be for china to reach its ambitious goal, says the united nations official in in charge of combating poverty here. >> so if we can care more about the income distribution and the more balanced development between rural and urban areas, i am sure that this common fa can be fewer in the future. >> reporter: they have not heard about the new york summit where world leaders are discussing how to end global poverty. but they hope it succeeds. adrian brown, al jazeera, bay jinx. the south korean citizen and u.s. resident detained in north korea for five months has made an appearance before the media. he read a prepared speech full of praise for north korea and his government. he's a 21-year-old student at new york university. and in april he admitted to

entering north korea illegally. it's unclear if pyongyang wants to prosecute him. japan as sports minister has resigned after planning for tokyo's 2020 olympics. plans for the main stadium were scrapped in july after the estimated cost ballooned to over $2 billion, that's twice the original figure. he says prime minister abe has asked him to stay in office until a cabinet reshuffle that's expected soon. planned for a new stadium built as cheaply as possible have now been approved. the mexican president says he will appoint a new special prosecutor to search for the country's disappeared. but en year owe peña neito did not commit to an internationally led probe as demanded by families of 43 missing students who met him on thursday. john hulman has more. >> reporter: it's been a year since police abducted the sons of these mexicans.

and handed them over to a gang. 43 young men all student teachers were taken in a night that horrified mexico. their parents are still looking for them. their search has taken them across mexico to south america and the united states. many have given up their jobs like clemente rodriguez. >> translator: i can't get to sleep. going round in my mind is where is my son. i am always thinking about him. i have always said he's alive. and as a parents that's how i feel in my heart. >> reporter: the students' kidnapping has i g ignited mass protest and ube fights mexicans in grief and anger after years of bloodshed. more than 25,000 people have gone missing in mexico but it's this case and the mothers and fathers and you can see behind me that have really shaken the country and help bring international attention to the rest of the disappeared here. as the anniversary of the

tragedy looms the parents bust in to meet president enrique peña neito for the second time. his spokesman said he promise today create a new special prosecutors for the thousands of missing. >> translator: the president closed the meeting by saying we are on the same side and working towards the same aim to find out what happen today your children and punish those responsible. >> reporter: these parents have heard the same before from an administration criticized for its incomplete and deeply flawed investigation in to this case and many others. >> translator: we already knew how the government would respond that it isn't so easy to go back but they have to accept their mistakes and if they can't resolve this problem they need to leave it to the experts. >> reporter: they continue a two-day hunger protest before a march planned to mark the anniversary of the tragedy this saturday. but for all the mass events, clemente's wish is a simple one.

>> translator: i had a dream that was so real in which my son was chatting with me. we were happy, then i woke up and that's how it's been for a year. but however long it takes i am going to keep on until we find him. >> reporter: the determination and desperation of a father who can't rest until he knows what happened to his son. john hulman, al jazeera, mexico city. brazilian president dilma rousseff is negotiating with the opposition and members of her own party on way to his salvage their struggle economy. the currency has them he had getz again the dollar and investor con fins is the eight lowest. >> reporter: i am in the sao paulo stock he can change in the economic heart of brazil but all eyes are looking 800 or so kilometers noter west to see what president dill nauru seven will do next, will she impose the necessary measures to get

the economy back on track. can she? this stock exchange has been overtaken by the big flfort region by mexico. the brazilian county is now at its lowest level against the u.s. dollar since it was introduced in 1994. investor confidence is at all all-time low. >> translator: the government needs to left investors know there is a political environment of understanding and debate. and that all of the measures they are discussing will in the end be approved. >> reporter: the president wants to make massive cuts to public spending. closing 10 of her 39 ministries. but by doing that she risks alienating the very people who elected her less than a year ago and nobody wants to see taxes go up. it's these people, the ordinary shoppers with the price of bread and aways i can items rocketing who have the most to fear. >> translator: i need to get bread for my children but it's

been a while since i bought any for myself. >> reporter: gone is the bouyant optimism ojust a few years ago when brazil was the economic powerhouse in the region, winning bids to hold the football world company and the olympic games. now neighboring countries fear that they too might be dragged down. meanwhile, the government embroiled in a massive corruption scandal seems as though it can do nothing right. now scandal-hit german car giant volkswagen is expected to name its new chief executive during the coming hours. it's facing investigation worldwide after admit that go it installed software that falsified emission test results, results,. >> reporter: as the folks having unemission scandal in the u.s. reverberates across europe, a strakka announcement in berlin. >> translator: we have been informed that also in europe vehicles with 1.6 and two-liter diesel engines are affected by these manipulation we will

continue to work closely with volkswagen about which vehicles are affected. >> reporter: volkswagen is facing huge lawsuits both in america and in europe where diesel vehicles are far more popular. vw has admitted 11 million of its diesel cars contain soft their gets around emissions controls, it's not clear how many are in europe or whether other manufacturers may have cheated as women but britain, france and, germany are starting their owner investigation while official million dollars brussels wants others to follow suit. >> we need to have the full picture of whether and how many vehicles were fitted with these devices which is banned by even you feel law the. >> reporter: campaigners in europe say the tests done in laboratory conditions at this center on the edge of london they have been testing for years for things like nitrogen okay side emissions and putting cars through road tests and heavy traffic. and their results have raised suspicions.

>> we started testing for fuel economy and found there was a 17% gap between the manufacturer's figures and what we were seeing in real world conditions and over the last few years that's grown to 2 24%, similarly we have seen the same issues with air pollution and say the results are far higher in the real world than in the laboratory. >> reporter: the european commission is calling for the official testing regime to be a better reflection of real driving conditions. that's something that they already have at this center but across the continent it will mean new legislation and it's not clear how long that will take. what is clear is the damage that's been done to consumer confidence not just in vw but all in the wider diesel industry as governments put pressure car makers to come clean about emissions testing the clamor for credible data is getting louder and louder, al jazeera london. for the first time in a decade a $15 million painting by pablo picasso will be put on display in paris.

the masterpiece known as the hairdresser was stolen 14 years ago. the painting was intercepted by u.s. customs official in a consignment from belgium last year. plenty more, of course, on the website. the address aljazeera.com. >> this week on talk to al jazeera, katrina adams, she sits atop u.s. tennis as chairman of the board, ceo, and president of the united states tennis association. >> it's been 133 years since we were founded, so it is an honor to be the first... i don't think i have to fight for it, uh...i was just being me. >> adams' climb to the top took a decade, and now the first african american and former professional player to lead the national governing body, is busy setting the agenda for h