this special edition of "america tonight". t". nothing less ♪ ♪ hello there and welcome to al jazeera i am laura kyle in doha. also on the program. >> move, move, move. >> okay, okay. >> desperate scenes off the coast of greece after a boat carrying more than 200 refugees sanction. more than 50 african leaders are attending a key summit in india. but there is controversy over

the presence of the sudanese president. and bursting with life, why flowers have begun to bloom in a desert is chile. ♪ ♪ we begin in vee able vienne world leaders are meet to go try to find a solution to syria. it's the first time all major international players in the convict will be in the same room. but there are serious divisions. on wednesday, iran said it would take part in the talks for the first time the country has agreed to be involved. so on the one side we have russia and iran backing president bashar al-assad's forces on the ground. they say damascus must be helped militarily before a political process can begin. now, on the other side, the u.s. and its regional allies, turkey and saudi arabia, supporting groups fight ago sad and insist

that go he must go. and every day the humanitarian situation gets worse. more than 250,000 people have been killed and over 10 million have been displaced by four years of war. roar lynn do jordan has more. >> reporter: elite iranian forces have been training, fighting and dieing alongside syria forces. teheran is trying to keep bashar al-assad in power. but now world leaders are about meet in vee an in search the end to a civil war. the u.s. has finally agreed iran should be at the table. >> the challenge that we face in syria today is nothing less than to chart a course out of hell. >> reporter: u.s. secretary of state john kerry has long accused iran of destabilizing syria. in light of the waves of syrian

families trying to escape civil war and aisles' take over the key northern territory, kerry says now is the time for all concerned to meet. >> tend of the day, nothing would do more to bolster the fight than a political transition that sidelines assad so that we can unite more of the country against extremism. >> reporter: and officials say the u.s.' decision to engage with teheran shouldn't be a surprise. >> the secretary is a pragmatist on this. he's looking at this from a very clear eye. and it's our expectation that people will come to this meeting with sear areas intenses about solving serious problems. >> reporter: but some observers believe iran's troop losses in syria could be forcing it finally to support talks. >> i think if iran is accepting the dialogue now to sit at the same table with the rest of the

international community to find a dialogue out of the syrian crisis by dialogue and politics i think that is because it doesn't want to lose anymore commanders. >> reporter: the russian foreign minister sergei lavrov will be in vienna. because of his country's financial and military support for assad. the u.s. officials say they are looking for serious intentions from lavrov as well. >> they are probably going it find in the very near future since they are not going to be able to volve this military they want to start to think about a political resolution. >> reporter: but there won't be any leaders of the syrian opposition attending the vienna meeting mainly because u.s. officials don't think they are unified. a sign the obama administration is willing to go only so far right now for peace in syria. rosalind jordan, al jazeera, washington. saudi arabia's foreign minister says the involvement of assad's allies in the talks will reveal whether or not they are really committed to peace. >> the view of our partners in

this was that we should test the intentions of the iranians and the russians about fair seriousness in arriving at a political solution in syria which we all prefer. 242 people have been rescued by the greek coast guard after their boat capsized off the islands of lesbos, at least three people have died but that figure is expected to rise. rescue teams are still searching for survivors. more than 500,000 refugees have ply grant have entered greece this year and lesbos is one of the main gateways. brennan has the latest. >> reporter: the fishing boats emerged from the darkness racing in to port with no times to lose, huddled on deck, wrap ed in tarpaulins and blankets and anything else the crew could find just a few of the survivors of yet another tragic sinking in the sea. they looked bewildered, unsure whether to smile or weep.

then the volunteers and medics sprang in to action. a young child was among the first to be passed ashore. apparently you think armed but shocked in to silence. but many were much, much worse. in the darkness the key side was transformed in to an emergency triage center strewn with foil blankets. volunteers tend to the many survivors who looked to be suffering severe hypothermia and shock. >> does he have in i wet clothes on? >> put him on the side. put him on the side. >> reporter: some appeared to be slipping away. despite the best efforts of specialist medics. >> i am checking for a pulse. >> wait, wait, wait. >> hands off. >> clear, move, move, move, move. >> okay, okay. >> reporter: a child wrapped in flank et cetera was hurriedly transport to hospital in the arms of a paramedic.

other survivors were able to walk. the small greek island of lesbos has been receiving five, six, 7,000 refugees and migrants almost every day this summer, this is not the first sinking tragedy here. the residents are deeply affected by it. >> translator: babies drowning. i am sick seven years old and i can't hold back my tears. of course it is a big state that must help. since we are small and unable to do so, then they must do it. the people drowning are our own blood. yes, we are sorry about what else can we do. shame. >> reporter: more boats arrive with more sufficient voirers. these in apparently better condition. like seem sinking this is year, the true total of fatalities from this latest tragedy may never be known. paul brennan, al jazeera. >> slovenia says it will now put

the fence to his control the flow of refugees and migrants across its board, hundreds of people continue to arrive and the country is continuing to cope with the -- struggle to cope with the numbers. they have asked for e.u. assistance, german police arrived at the board ore wednesday. am nells at this it's national has accruesed australia's government of criminal acts by paying people smugglers to turn around. andrew thomas reports. >> reporter: did australia's government pay peoplallers this money for a -- people smugglers this money for criminal activity? that is what amnesty international says when in may the australian military intercepted a boat off australia's north coast. there, says amnesty, having interview the crew and passengers. $32,000 was handed over by australian officials who demanded the passengers be taken back to i want near i can't, the australians provided two boats,

fuel and a map for the journey. >> it is really shocking that, you know, democratic country like australia, that this kind of thing can be happening in the name of the australian public. >> reporter: am nets at this says this mobile phone footage was shot on world the boat. it reports to back up what al jazeera was told by the boat's captain in june. >> translator: i told the australian man we needed money so we could return to our wives and children he said okay, we'll help you. >> reporter: amnesty says what australian officials did amounts to a people smuggling crime under the united nations convention that his australia has signed. but individual countries prosecute people under such laws and australia's government won't go after its own. on thursday, it reacted angrily to the whole report calling it a slur and disgrace. >> our australian officials operate in accordance with domestic australian law and in accordance to our national

obligations. >> what is your reaction to the report. >> i reject it. >> reporter: politicians do not explicitly deny payments at sea took place. amnesty international is calling for a public inquire any to what australian officials do at sea to stop boats of refugees. but it's unlikely to get one. secrecy about tactics is part of the government's strategy. the overwhelming aim of australia's government is to deter refugees from taking boats for australia. >> the asylum seekers, they bring the problem attached with the asylum seekers, according to them. and australia is a very wealthy society. comfortable, safe and so on. many people probably do not want to share the burden attached to this problem. >> reporter: the tactics are tough. they may be criminal. but the boats have stopped coming for australia's government, the ends justify the means. andrew thomas, al jazeera,

sydney. tanzania's opposition presidential candidate has called for a vote recount of sunday's general election. former prime minister accused the electoral commission of falsifying figures to favor the ruling party. it was the country's closest fought election in more than five decades. the final results are expected later on thursday. meanwhile, election results from a semi autonomous island have been scrapped. the opposition's civic united front is claiming it won the poll. the election commission chief says the vote was not free and fair. catherine soi joins you live. very uncertain situation there in san is a bar, how that likely to impact the national count? absolutely very uncertain times here. we spoke to the chair american of the national election coalition he said whatever

happens in zanzibar does not affect the national. san izanzibar is semi autonomouo they get to elect their own president, they have their own constitution and their own electoral laws and commission as well. the lan is san is zanzibar he l commission. their board conducts and is in charge of the state vote and the national electoral vote. national election to recall commission is in charge of the national vote and these are, like i said conducted separately. so the chairperson says real this process will go on. it is going on in this polling center. so far the ruling candidate is leading. 219 constituencies of 264 con stitch withiconstituencies.

results have been announced with 49 to go. john paul ii has about 6..2 millions votes against. edward has about 4.2 million votes, laura. >> okay, catherine soi, thanks very much. very tense day in tanzania. keep us updated. thanks, catherine. do stay with us here, coming up on al jazeera,. ♪ every five years in china, man they make a any development plan >> sell it a jinx. a cartoon pitch today promote china's economic vision. and there are calls to help the developing work as tuberculosis joins hiv aids as the world@'s deadliest infectious diseases.

>> these people have decided that today they will be arrested. >> i know that i'm being surveilled. >> people are not getting the care that they need. >> this is a crime against humanity. >> hands up... >> don't shoot. >> hands up... >> don't shoot. >> what do we want? >> justice. >> when do we want it? >> now. >> explosions going on... we're not quite sure - >> is that an i.e.d.?

♪ ♪ hello again, reminder of the top story this is hour here on al jazeera. world leaders are meeting in vienna to try to find a solution to the war in syria. all international players in the conflict will be in the same room. a boat carrying refugees has sunk off the greek island of lesbos, three people have been killed two, 42 others have been rescued. and san i at that is at that is.

>> a west bank man has been killed after he tried to stab a soldier. it's the latest incidents in five vehicles of violence the united nation is warning the violence in the occupied territorieses coulterritories ca catastrophe. young people have told their own forces not to interfere request their protests. >> reporter: it's will be almost daily event. but in this game of cat and mouse the rules have changed. he says in areas like this under palestinian authority control, the security forces are keeping the low profile. >> translator: now that the violence has increased and we have many martyrs who were killed and killed people. therthere is no way for our secy force to his stop us f they try, the first things that people would do is turn their revolt against the palestinian

authority rather than against israel. >> reporter: in recent years, scenes like this palestinian authority security forces confronting protesters and stopping them from marching towards israeli checkpoints, have angers many people. but in the last few weeks, rather than being present in large numbers, the p.a. men in uniform have kept their distance. al jazeera tried to get an official to comment on the tactic. but nobody was available. the palestinian security forces are still around. the protesters have told us people are still being monitored and sometimes arrested by the p.a. it's just that with talk of a new inning if i tad a they don't want to be seen to be antagonizing a young generation of a activists. but there is another twist in the cycle of protests, university students are using social media to organize alternative demonstratio demonse the flags of the various palestinian factions are noticeably absent. >> they are not listening to the political leadership or parties

they are taking the initial tiff and they are trying to change the whole framework of the struggle against occupation. >> reporter: nobody knows when and how the latest up surge in violence will end. but in the meantime there is so much frustration among the young protesters that by and large they are being left to their own devices. al jazeera, in the occupied west bank. the u.s. economy took center stage as republican presidential candidates met for their third debate at times the exchange grew ill tempered as alan fisher reports from boulder, colorado. >> reporter: it was a night when frustrations boiled to the surface. >> folks, we have to wake up. we cannot elect somebody that doesn't know how to do the job. you have to pick somebody who has experience, somebody that has the know how, the discipline. >> reporter: this is a tight battle where campaigns haven't gone as planned and some saw the way ahead by attacking others. >> marco, when you signed up for this, this was a six-year term. and you should be showing up to work. i moon, literally the senate,

what is it like a french workweek you get like three days where you have to show up? >> someone has convinced you that attack me will help you. here is the bottom line my campaign will be about the future of america. it's not going to be a attack anyone else on the stage i will continue to have tremendous admiral tryings and respect for governor bush. >> reporter: but there was anger at the way the debate was you can conducted and that brought the biggest cheers of the night. >> this is not a cage match. and you look at the questions donald trump are you a comic bookville am ben car soon can you do math. john kasich will you insult two people over here. marco rubio, why don't you resign, jeb bush why have your numbers fall edge. how about talking about the substantive issues people care about? [cheering and applause] >> reporter: and for all the demands for greater substance this debate will be remember today that flash of anger it was the significant moment. this was a night when jeb bush once again struggled to him pose himself where donald trump was more subdued than ever, where christy, cruz and rubio made

impact. the debates were over the campaigners come out in the hall and try to butt a gloss a their candidates performance. but with audience of millions attracted there is very little that could be said in here that changes what happenedded in there. it's a way of judging what messages work, what policies need to be developed and who did well enough to to stay in the race, alan fisher al jazeera, at the republican presidential race in boulder, colorado. let's return now to the occupied west bank joined now by our cropped end there in business lobethlos angeles that. to tell us more about the palestinian killed by israeli force who his shot him. >> reporter: well, laura there are disputed narratives has there have been in a number of killings of palestinians notably in the tent city in hebron in the south part of occupied west bank. we are in bethlehem but on the way to had h hebron which has sn

clashes no several weeks now prompted by the you be surge in violence and a number of incidents where where the israeli army and police has said that a palestinian has tried to attack an israel and i shot dead and people on the ground disputing that there was, in fact, a threat or an attack. so the latest incident that we are hearing about is that a palestinian man, he a young palestinian man has been shot dead by the israeli military any hebron. the israeli police seeing that the man walked up to a soldier, the military post and stabbed the soldier in the head. and a border policeman nearby shot the palestinian who has now died. but local radio aired an inter dude have an eyewitness who said the palestinian man had, in fact, thrown a rock that hit an israeli settler in hebron in the face. and was then shot.

so two different narratives. that's a theme that's really emerging day after day, laura. >> okay. thank you very much for bringing us the latest on what you are hearing there in the occupied west bank we'll be returning to you when you have more information. african leaders from 54 countries have begun gathering in new delhi for india's largest ever africa forum summit. the meeting is about efforts to boost trade and investment. india and its economic rival china are the world's fastest growing economies to keep up the pace india needs the natural resource that his africa has in abundance and needs their lucrative market to sale when what it makes, trade between india and africa has doubled from $35 billion in 2008 to more than 70 billion so far this year. nidhi dutt has more from new delhi. >> reporter: this africa summit in new delhi is all about the kind of things that india wants

from resource-rich nations across the african continent and the kind of things that africans emerging economies need from an asian economic powerhouse lie india. on the one hand there are nations like nigeria, sudan that have the resources, energy resources like oil that india needs to continue along a path of high economic growth. on the other hand, india has expertise and human resources that emerging nations desperately need. things like healthcare, technology, india has been building these expertise for many, many years, however, india is approaching the african continent in a different way compared to its competitor china. while china has focused on public works, big infra truck touche projects like ports and roads, india is looking to play a more capacity-building rolal a more institutions-building role. focus its attention on the em calling sector, on providing pharmaceutical that his african nations need as healthcare sectors open up across the

continent. essentially this is a mutually beneficial relationship. it's one that india is keen to grow particularly given the global economic climate and one that many african nations are also looking to encourage. the german chancellor has arrived in china. hoping to boost business there. angela merkel is one of several leaders if i recalling up trade with china. including the new chief executive of scandal-hit car maker of volkswagen, vehicles make up roughly a third of the exports to china. china is about to reveal eights latest five-year economic plan that as rob mcbride reports the government using new ways to try to make it more relevant in to today's china. ♪ every five years in china, man, they make a new government are development plan ♪ >> reporter: a novel cartoon attempt by china's state-run news agency to sell the five-year plan.

the message is it may be focused on major economic policies but the plan affects everyone. for most people, this week's meeting of the chinese communist party to set out its economic plan for the next five years will have gone unnoticed. what they will see in the coming years is its impact. the strict one-child policy may be further relaxed. allowing couples like this to have a second. but making sure their first son henry gets a good education, in addition to paying down the mortgage take priority. >> if we have eye second child, i most need a big house. you know the price in way jinx, what kind of level it has. >> reporter: moving china towards a higher income society is likely to be a main goal of this five-year plan. at the same time, bringing out of poverty millions more people especially migrant workers.

mass migration from the countryside in to china's booming cities have helped fuel the country's growth but it has come with a host of social problems from left behind children to migrant workers who don't have access to services and social welfare. the problems will become more pressing as millions more farmers want to leave the land and join them. like many, he is hoping the new rules will give migrants greater rights. he came to beijing 10 years ago and has made a living in one of the migrant communities that have sprung up around the capital. but his two children need to be educated back in their native human province because they can't go to school here. >> translator: it's too difficult to bring my children back and forth. if business gets worse here, i will just move back to my hometown. >> reporter: the characters may be cut outs, but as they proclaim in the cartoon, the impact of this five-year plan

will be real enough. rob mcbride, al jazeera, beijing. suspended fifa president sepp blatter said the 2018 world cup notice not be taken away from russia. the 79-year-old also claim that his an unofficial agreement within fifa in 2010 decided russia would host that world cup and that the united states would take the 2022 event. blatter claims uefa president platini played a key role in shifting support way from the u.s. and towards qatar. now, one of the world's driest places is bursting with life. a chilean desert has been transformed after a rare spell of rain. rob matheson reports. >> reporter: a carpet of color spread over an arid land. chile's desert has sprung to life. the most spectacular growth seen in nearly two decades.

>> translator: we have not had such a large flowering in the past 18 years. in 2010 we had a large flowering, but already this year has passed all the previous ones. >> reporter: this life comes from tragedy. torrential storms devastated chile's northern ring none august, it caused mudslides and rivers were so swollen they burst their banks. 28 people died. but the rains have watered the seeds of more than 200 different exotic planned lying dormant for years, they, in torqu in turn as attracted bird, inning second, lizards and rodents. for some locals like roman cortez it's an unforgettable experience. >> translator: for us it was a miracle balls i had never seen what the grass looked like until now. >> reporter: and it's fascinating tourists. >> it's so unusual. it's surreal. i am having breakfast with the

flowers 67 the flowers will eventually dais the intense dry heat soaks up the remaining groundwater. until then, chile's desert is bursting with life. rob matheson, al jazeera. get much more on our website aljazeera.com. >> this week on talk to al jazeera - the first prosecutor of the international criminal court luis moreno-ocampo. >> massive atrocitiies are not commited by evil persons. they are committed by people who say "they are protecting their own communities". >> under his direction, the first permanent international legal body sought justice for some of the most serious atrocities of this century. the icc presented charges against world leaders and others for crimes against humanity. >> we are breaking the cycle of