♪ hello there, i am laura kyle you are watching al jazeera. also ahead. we'll be reporting from one of the world's most polluted cities. beijing issues its highest level smog alert. other news, israel suspends contact with e.u. officials involved in palestinian peace efforts. and the pope preaches a message of reconciliation in the central african republic.

♪ ♪ the world leaders are gathering in paris for the u.n. climate conference known as cop 21 of the it's the start of two weeks of intense negotiations all aimed at forging a deal to immaterial lit global warming to two degrees celsius above preindustrial levels. 147 heads of state and government are attending the opening day of the talks. in total, 25,000 official delegates are hoping to secure a legally binding accord for every country to cut their emissions levels. this needs to all come in to effect from the year 2020 when the current commitment from the key oat owe protocol run out. let's take you live now to al jazeera's adrian brown he is in the chinese capital. what everyone is talking about there in paris is the picture

behind you. all of that smog. all of thabo lunges shows us just why this paris conference is so important. >> reporter: it's very fitting. this is the picture in bay jinx, seeing is believing. at the moment the air quality in this city is 15 times worse than the standards set by the world health organization. we have an app on our phones here which is provided by the u.s. consolate, it gives us the reading of the air quality in the city. a short time ago it was 568, that's hazardous. anything over 100 is dangerous. so that shows you how grim the situation is here today. people are being told not to go outdoors. all outdoor activities for school kids have been stopped. the government has said it will be closing down temporarily some big polluting factories. but as is always the case in china, it's a question of

enforcement. they also say they will be trying to stop big polluting lawyelawyerloris from going on . this happens as world leaders gather in paris. just a few minutes ago [ technical difficulties ] most of the city. more so now because the air quality in this industrial city has just been ranked the worst in china. which makes it among the worst in the world. the first months of this year it had just 16 days when the air quality was considered good by the country's watchdog. >> translator: the air was very good before. when i was a kid the sky was very blue. but now the smog is very serio

serious. >> translator: in the old days the winter was very cold. but also you could see the sun. >> reporter: and the sun was struggling to shine on the day we visited. government leaders have this year declared a war on pollution and have already made some painful decisions here. >> translator: the central government shut this factory to curb poe lunges because we produced a lot of waste water and emissions now we have to find a new location for the factory. >> reporter: more than 3,000 men and women lost their jobs when the government ordered this plant to close back in may. it had been one of the region's biggest producers of policiest ter but it was, say the authorities, also one of the biggest polluters. poe lungepoe lunges in this cita sensitive issue.

but there are signs that they are trying to clean up their act. home for the world's largest make are of solar panels, they are now all feature of the streets. >> translator: we have made a great contribution to the cone my. we have 20,000 employees and have created many opportunities for local people. >> reporter: the technology is not totally clean, though. because solar manufacturing still needs large amounts of coal-fired power from the grid to run these machines. >> translator: we still need electricity to make our products, electricity is still generateed from a traditional energy like coal. but we are a responsible enterprise, who properly handle the wastewater and emissions. >> reporter: a start has been made here for china's transition to -- but china's transition to a green economy is likely to be a long one. >> we can see that china taking action, it's investing heavily

in renewables, but is it enough to stop the world temperatures from rising above this crucial degrees celsius figure? >> reporter: well, you would have to say in many respects the jury is out on that. china is stressing in pair that's it is investing big-time in renewable energy. some 150 billion u.s. dollars have been invested in things like wind and solar technology, but it's got a long way to go, a start has been made in what's happening in china's most polluted city. i spoke to someone from the world wildlife fun a few days ago and she was candid saying it will take 20 to 30 years for china get the sort of all quality that we would consider to be acceptable. china has said it expects and hopes for its greenhouse gases to peak by 2030. but that means another 10 to 15

years more of emissions. so, you know, whatever is agreed at this conference in paris, it'it's not going to bring an an early solution the pollution we are experiencing today. >> adrian brown, thank you very much for joining us there from beijing. we'll of course be discussing plenty about climate change throughout the day as cop 21 gets underway in paris. well, u.s. president barack obama is also in paris for the climate change summit. he paid tribute to the victims of the pair ace at soon after arriving. he was joined by french president francois hollande outside the bataclan concert hall where 89 people were killed. isil is executing seven syrians a day on average, that's according to a new report. the syrian observatory human rights says more than 3,500 prisoners were killed since the

group took control last year. they were accused of offenses like homosexuality. many were beheaded, stoned or burned alive. israel has suspended talks with the u.n. telling with peace talks with the palestinians, what implications does that carry? >> reporter: well, i think we have to look at the details. what the foreign ministry said in their statement, they issued it last night. was that they suspended relations with european union institutions and their representatives when it comes to the peace talks with the palestinians. but direct contact between countries, for example, france, germany, the united kingdom continue. so it's a message. they are angry over the labeling of settlement products, illegal settlement products. but i don't think it has much

teeth. because, "a," what peace talks? there is absolutely nothing on the table even close that. and direct contact continues between countries. so it's a message to say that israel is not happy by this move. however, as the statement said, that they are being reassessed the relationships with the institution and once they make a decision that they will move forward. so i think it's a message of discontent but it doesn't really have any real implications in terms of relations between israel and the main players at the moment. >> okay. also an issue of note there in that region today, a verdict we are expectinging in a case where a 16-year-old palestinian boy last year was kidnapped and burned alive. tell us monther about at that. >> reporter: that's right, we are just outside the jerusalem district court mere in east jerusalem. we are picturing that verdict any minute now. it is significant because it had huge implications yesterday, sorry, last year july 2nd, a 16-year-old was kidnapped and beaten and then burned to death.

three people are on trial. a 30-year-old man seen as the ring leader and two minors. they admitted to it at the time. they said however it was a retaliation for the killing, the murder, kidnapping of three israeli settlers teenagers in the occupied west bank and this was a spiral that we saw escalate situation on the grou ground. to the gas war we saw last year. we spoke to the lawyer and he expects there to be a guilty verdict especially when it comes to the ring leader. the minors say they were not involved in the murder only had do with the kidnapping. that's supposed to come out at any moment, i think important here is the notion of accountability. when it comes to the vents that have ignited on the ground. we had the settlers burning a moment in the occupied west bank killing an 18 month old baby, subsequently both of his parents died of their wounds. and people very angry still on the street because there has

been no accountability too fast who carried that out. so what will come out here today, i thinking watched very closely on the street there will be significant, if there is accountability especially if the ring leader is found guilty. he will face life in prison. >> okay, thank you. and we'll bring that verdict when we get it. stepstefanie dekker live in jerusalem, thank you very much. pope frap si francis has bra mess i remember peace, asking both christians and muslim to his lay down their weapons. car line malone has this report. >> reporter: a tight schedule but security was only as tight as the roman catholic leader would allow. pope francis made pint of getting up close and personal with people in the country torn by conflict and poverty. >> at first we thought it was all all deem and finally became reality. all central africans are very happen by his a rifle. >> reporter: he's visited some of the youngest and sickest in the children's hospital.

but he focused on discouraging a conflict that's displaced many 10s of thousands of people and forced them in to think ca thes. >> translator: my wish for you and for all central african is his peace, a great peace a mountains, live in peace. >> reporter: muslim and christian militias fighting each other. more than 100 people have been killed in the last few months. >> translator: to all of those who macon just use of weapons of the world, lay down these instruments of death. arm yourselves instead with righteousness. >> reporter: pope francis is taking a risk. he's in c.a.r. despite security warnings from the friend who have have 900 troops stationed there. 500 local soldiers have been deployed as well as more than 3,000 u.n. peace keepers to watch over him. >> we need his message to facilitate the work of -- to

bring people together. to rebuild a kind of hope and also to call the attention of the world. >> reporter: thousands of muslims are stuck in the p.k. five neighborhood surrounded by armed christian groups. the pope plans to visit them too later on monday. a final push for peace tends of an african tour. caroline malone, al jazeera. still to come here on the program. more on those clam eight talks in paris. we are in manila, one of the world's most vulnerable cities. plus. >> reporter: i am andy gallagher in central florida, a city now considered as a superb of puerto rico of the thousands of families moving here each month. we'll tell you how their voices are changing the political landscape. the only way to get better is to challenge yourself,

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♪ ♪ held going, top stories here on al jazeera. 147 world leaders are gathering in paris for the u.n. climate conference known as cop 21. it's the start of two weeks of intense negotiations aimed at forging a deal limit global warming to two degrees sis cels. israel has suspended contact with european union representatives involved in peace efforts with the palestinians. israeli prime minister benjamin netanyahu is unhappy about labeling new guidelines saying product made in land illegally occupied by israel must be

clearly marked. and monitors say isil has executed more than 3,500 people since it took control in syria last year. they were accused offices such as homosexuality. and many were beheaded, stoned or burned alive. more now on our top story. manila is one city on the frontline of climate change. accord to this u.n. science panel, it's amongst the coastal cities that will suffer the most as temperatures rise. manila is a high-risk tropical and subtropical region. it can expect more typhoons, storms, droughts and other extreme weather conditions. all of this will affect crops and therefore food prices as well as water and electricity surprise. let's talk now for mar duh gay ortigas in the philippines capital. it's a ming outlook for manila. what impact have we already been seeing there in the philippines from climate change. >> reporter: well, this is it,

over the last 20 years the philippines have suffered the most sever weather events anywhere the in world. the strongest t storm to make te philippines devastated the central islands, affecting ore 10 million were affected by. that. more than 6,000 people killed and until now, it's been two years that region of the country is still struggling to come back. but more than that, the philippines already in the path of typhoons being it's actually seeing stronger and stronger storms and they are becomeing more and more unpredict tal. they used to expect 20 a year between the periods of may no november. now it comes any time of the year and it's affecting areas that don't normally see typhoons. so these communities more vulnerable because they have never suffered from them before so they need help in learning how to deal with them and

becoming more resilient to such severe weather. the philippine president over in the next two days will make statement there. the philippines at the moment chairs the grouping of he more vulnerable countries. the 20 country that his have come together to basically ask the more developed countries to really, not just cut down on greenhouse emissions but help countries like the philippines in becoming more resilient to the effects of climate change they need more funding and more assistance. >> what message is the philippines presentation to go paris? how, for example, is the philippines going to try to reduce its levels of emissions? >> reporter: the philippines have promised they will cut down their own emissions by 70% by 2030. the president says by look flag to recycle being, renew another

energy. it's one country that banned incineration of waste more than 15 years ago, that in many ways environmental assists are saying was definitely a landmark moment in terms of trying to battle climate change, but more than that, the country has also now set aside some $20 million to help communities in terms of projects that will help them be more resilient to the affects of climb at change, to help farmers, to help those that are in agriculture, but that is not nearly enough. so the president will be taking the message that the more developed countries, those that are emitting more harmful energy, really need to help communities like the philippines which are also not just more vulnerable but definitely poorer than these countries. >> okay, marga, many thanks for bringing us the situation there from manila, the philippines capital. a number of people leaving puerto rico for the u.s. mainland has reached the highest level in 40 years. the island's economic crisis is the main reason behind the population exodus.

many of those leaving are resettling in florida. and as andy gallagher explains the influx could change the political landscape there. >> reporter: for years she has been referred to as little puerto rico and the bakery has long been it's most popular taste of the home. but there is nothing small about this region's puerto rican community. central florida is home to around 400,000 migrants from the island. and it's growing at a pace not seen in decades. this family arrived weeks ago driven by puerto rico by a deepening financial crisis. >> the unemployment is high there. here is better. you have more opportunities. i cake here july 3rd. the fourth i had an interview and i started working on the 7th now it's better. >> reporter: one of the fiction things carol did when she moved was to register to vote. puerto ricans are u.s. citizens

by birth. with the number of families arriving it's significant. >> it's the highest concentration of puerto rican as in the i.-4 core dan. >> reporter: they are keenly avoid of the growing voice that this community has, and voters are asking searching questions. >> a lot of them are paying very close attention to where the candidates stand on helping puerto rico in order to into are the that canada. >> reporter: this part of central florida has always been considered pivotal in any general elect but this latest wave of migration could make it even more important. when puerto ricans vote they tend to do so in high numbers. but many have no political affiliation,ing their votes even more vital. that's something that the recognize can chairman is acutely aware of. historically hispanics tend to vote for the democratic party, but he sees a unique opportuni

opportunity. >> if we can win the corridor, that could be a plus plus if elections in florida or the line what we do here in this county could decide who we have as the next president. >> reporter: florida is now poised to become the state with the largest number of puerto ricans in the u.s. and it's thought the exodus from the islands will continue for sometime to come. but with a growing number of new arrivals comes growing political influence. something that ma may help those left behind. andy gallagher, al jazeera, florida. now, unmanned drones could soon be delivering your shopping. the online retailer amazon has unveiled a prototype that can deliver small parcels it, can flying for up 224-kilometers. u.s. aviation officials are due to finalize rules allowing commercial drone use for the next 12 months. for over 20 years south africa's government has given free housing to more than 12 million people. but it's facing a backlog of

2 million homes forcing many to live in informal settlements with little or no services, we have more. >> reporter: this is one of hundreds of informal settlements dotting south a calf's landscape. these tin shacks on are the only housing options for many who can't afford better here in the western cape. about you this land belongs to the south african national roads agency which plans to build a rode through it. >> that piece of land was open, there was no security looking after it. when the people went to occupy the land, the city were supposed to have sent law enforcement or supposed to send security. >> reporter: last year over 800 people were evicted from the property. and house ed in a local community. cities authorities have temporarily returned about half of them to their homes. providing them with water and some sanitation.

but those who are not provided for moved back here illegally. stretching already limited resources. there are 14 informal settlements just lick this one in this area alone, residents say there is a desperate need for housing. and as long as they have nowhere to go, this is where they will stay. despite facing eviction. he and his family have been living here for almost two years. the city of cape town says he will be relocate today a new site this month. >> i feel like it's just promises. since they promised that they are going to put -- they are going to electrify these places, these shacks, they don't did that. the only promise that they kept. he they put the toilets, which is -- is less than that what they promised to put it. >> reporter: rapider ban-ization means houses for the poor are not being built fast enough accord to this housing development agency an estimated 1.6 million households in south

africa live in informal settlements. >> after 20 years of investing in two to 3 million houses around the country, which is an amazing achievement. they have realized that model of building one house after a time is just not sustainable. and the other constraint is the fact that the private sector has not yet figured out a model for picking that demands up. >> reporter: the government hat promise today build 1.5 million new homes in the next four years. for him, his dream is a simple one. >> what we need is decent houses, water and sanitation, that's all we need. >> reporter: but he's just one of millions of south africans waiting for their dream to come true. al jazeera, in the western cape. now, india is trying to convert massive amounts of gold held privately in temples and people's homes in to new funding for its economy. they began issuing gold-backed bonds today which seem to be selling well. but the indian public doesn't seem to be buying in to some of

the government's other gold schemes. faiz jamil reports. >> reporter: gold is big business in india. it's used no daily life. and on special occasions. as security and a sign of prosperity. now the government wants some of that wealth to be put in to the financial system. it has created several new mechanisms such as depositing gold in exchange for interest. but people here will need some persuade to go hand over in most precious of me metals even those that think the a good idea. >> translator: it sounds good. most people don't know about it. we'll only put our gold in if we believe our family will benefit from the scheme. >> reporter: gold holds a special significance in indian culture it's far from being a mere commodity. >> translator: here they want to be able to touch and feel gold in their hands and be able to see it. it's not just gold it's the

[ inaudible ] people take special care of their gold. and there is a traditional of mothers passing their gold onto their daughters. >> reporter: that's why they believe that some of the new gold programs haven't caught. on getting indians to part with their gold hasn't been others ears i. less than 500 grams in gold deposits have been collected so far with the other gold programs at best having had a luke warm reception. the government is still pushing its plan to convert the country's private gold well in this to money for the economy because of the potential benefits. i understand than temple templed homes host honest mated 20,000 metric tons of gold worth about $800 billion. analysts believe even a fraction of that, if put in to the financial system would make india one of the world's top economies and could fund roads and buildings, but those in the gold sector say the government program sunday working. >> translator: the regular bank deposits rate is between seven and 8%. but the government's gold kept

depp right is just 2.5%. that's too low. if it was higher, maybe the scheme would be successful. the government also wants people to convert 22-carat ornaments in to 24 carrots so the labor charges are being born by the customer. it seems the government has not made these calculations before launching the scheme. this is why it's not working. >> reporter: also any gold being deposited would first have to be melted down and processed at the owner's expense. that along with widespread ignorance about the gold programs means most people aren't able to weigh the benefits for themselves or the country. faiz jamil. already, india. a memorial has been held for the man many see as the world's first wrigley superstar, new zealander jonah lomu. his former teammates honored whim are him with a traditional haka. thousands of people gathered in

auckland stadium for the service he died november 18 age 40. he was the star of the 1995 wrigley world cup because of his combinations of size, speed, and power. much more news on our website there it is on your screens, aljazeera.com. tonight free speech is the bed rock of a free society, but are there limits and would enforcing those limits threaten our freedom. should school kids be trained to fight back against gunman and my final thought on how saudi arabia is misterying a major opportunity to separate stiffly from i.s.i.l. i'm ali velshi. this is third rail. after i.s.i.l. struck paris on november 13, it called the city