>> hungary deploys to prepare troops to stem the flow of rev tugays from serbirefugees from . hello, this is al jazeera live from doha. also ahead, there will be no hard landing, china's premier tries to reassure the world abouts health of his economy. protests as the government tries to solve the rubbish crisis that's brought thousands on to the streets. and we are in the city where gangsters control much of the water supply.

hungary's army is preparing to bolster its border with syria. it's also building a fence to keep the refugees out. human rights watch says that hungary has become a place of humiliation for refugees. we are joined on the border. these plans to send the military to the border are just that. they are just plans. the military is involved in military exercises. >> reporter: that's right. we haven't gotten too many details. we know this is an issue that lawmakers have been discussing that for at least a week now there have been plans under way to get soldiers to the border here, the area where we are on the border with serbia. when exactly they are going to

arrive enmass, we are not sure. but yesterday we were in the area where that fence is being built quite hurriedly. there were prisoners that were trying to get the construction completed and yet still so many refugees just crossing following the train tracks from serbia into hungary and so many of them afraid of what they will face in hungary. there was so much fear from many that we spoke with yesterday, some turned back, went back into serbia. i can tell you that here today on the border, conditions were already miserable. they have gotten even worse. now it is raining, it is very cold and even though many of the refugees behind us have tents and blankets and sweaters, they are freezing. they are trying to find out where they are going to end up next. let me go to a report where we spoke with many of these people facing such hardship and completely uncertain about what's going to happen in the

days to come. with hearts as heavy as their spirits are weary, they keep walking. for many, the borders hardly matter anymore. because it's their pain that can't be escaped. >> translator: my husband and i got to greece, a policeman there beat us. he hit my husband and me with a metal stick. i was three months pregnant, i lost my baby. >> reporter: for her every day is like torture. >> translator: i just can't forget what happened to me and my husband. i don't know why he would hit us, why he would beat us. [crying] we came to europe to feel secure. i want a home. i want to be able to take a

shower. i want to sleep. >> on hungary's border with serbia, it's fear and fatigue you encounter more than anything else. >> translator: she always asks me why we sleep in the cold. and i don't know what to say. but that i'm trying to make a better future for her, make things better for us than they were in syria. >> reporter: the dozens of refugees here are lined up waiting to get on to buses. they have been told that they will be taken to a refugee camp a few miles down the road. there is a lot of fear. they are just not sure what's going to happen with the next, if they are going to be processed here, if they are going to be asked to apply for asylum. what they want is to get to austria as quickly as possible.

>> reporter: he tries to make sense of this for his son. but he's far too young to comprehend what's going on. >> translator: my son keeps asking me why we going to germany, so that we can bring your mother and sister here from lebanon. he keeps saying i want my mother, i want my sister, it's very difficult. >> reporter: with few possessions and even fewer answers, the refugees can only wait and wonder. when the bus finally arrives, it's telling that spirits aren't lifted. and as it departs, it becomes clearer than ever that this influx seems nowhere near over. as i mentioned before, the weather here was already bad. it is getting far worse now. and while there are aid workers here, there are volunteers, there are medics. nobody at this hour knows when

those buses are going to get here that are going to transport these refugees to a camp or to the border with austria. still a lot of chaos, a lot of confusion. and these people want to get into austria and move ahead with their lives. >> thanks. the u.s. secretary of state says that a number of syrian refugees will be offered homes in the united states. more from ross jordan in washington. >> reporter: the obama administration has made much of the fact that had has spent $4 billion in humanitarian aid for syrians. now the pressure is growing on the administration on bringing actual refugees to the united states. this is what the secretary of state, john kerry, had to say after a closed door meeting about the refugee problem earlier on capitol hill. >> i believe that the president

made it clear, that wants the united states that has taken a role to do what we can. i just met with members this morning. we are committed to increasing the number of refugees that we take. and we are looking hard at the number that we can specifically manage with respect to the crisis in syria and europe. that's being vetted fully right now. i think at the appropriate time r we know what that number can be. >> however, there is growing criticism of the handling of the syrian refugee crisis even though the united states sits more than 10,000 kilometers away from syria. the secretary of state also noted that no decisions had been made yet but that there are active consultations under way on how the u.s. can best respond to the crisis. >> i just want to show you live pictures out of japan. dramatic live pictures, a rescue

under way as we speak. japan has been hit by very heavy rain after the second day following a tropical storm that passed through. hundreds of thousands of people have been told to leave their homes. there have been reports of landslides, flooding. one person is reporting missing. these pictures coming to us from josa city in japan. thousands of people are stranded. some on the roofs of their homes. heavy rain continues to drench eastern japan. the man is on the roof trying to rescue a person who has managed to climb through the roof of the house and is awaiting rescue. it looks like an elderly

gentleman waiting to be winched to safety. we'll bring you more on that rescue. we'll keep our eye on what's going on there. and we'll bring you more on the heavy rain, the flooding, it's affecting parts of japan a little later here on al jazeera. u.s. secretary of state john kerry expressed concern over reports of russian military activity in syria. kerry warned if the reports are true, it could lead to greater violence. pictures released by syrian activists show russian fighters backing syrian forces. there are reports that more russian military equipment arrived in the country. the secretary general says he's also concerned. >> i'm concerned about the reports about the increased russian military presence in

syria. that will not contribute to solve the conflict. i think it's important to support all efforts to find a political solution. we support the effort by the u.n. china's premier says that the country will achieve its growth target. but the process will be painful. speaking at the world economic forum, he conceded that the target of 7% growth will be hard to achieve. more from al jazeera's adriane brown in beijing. >> the chinese premier appeared a nervous man. among those in the audience, the c.e.o.s from around the world trying to understand the strange gyrations in china's economy right now. the speech was significant because it was the first time he has addressed the problems in china's economy since the country's stock market began

falling back in june. of course, in august, the government made the decision to devalue the chinese currency and since then it's fallen by more than 4% against the u.s. dollar. the premier sent out a message of reassurance. he said china's economy was a sound bet. there would be ups and downs, but that was to be expected. he gave a guarantee of promise, a pledge that china will achieve economic growth of 7% this year. but he also hinted that it was going to be difficult to do that. the premier was suggesting that china's government is in this for the long haul and said have faith in us. we are still a country that has an economic growth rate. now, on the day that the premier was speaking, new figures came out to show that the rate is at 2%. it's the same as the interest rate. that means there is a lot of

cheap money sloshing around the system and there is a reason for that, the chinese government wants people to spend more, it wants to shift its economy away from one based on manufacturing to one based on consumption. in other words, he wants chinese people to buy more stuff, ideally chinese made stuff. analysts say this is a high risk strategy, but it's one the rest of the world hopes will work. >> plenty more still to come. we'll take you to singapore where the election is shaping up to be the most hotly contested. and we are in venice where the film festival is trying to avoid that sinking feeling by riding a wave of cinematic change. we'll be right back.

>> we're here to fully get into the nuances of everything that's going on, not just in this country, but around the world. getting the news from the people who are affected. >> people need to demand reform... >> ali velshi

on target >> hello again. the top stories, hungary's army is preparing to bolster security to stop refugees from crossing it. it's building a fence to keep the refugees out. china's premier has been trying to reassure the world about the health of his economy. he said that china would hit its target of 7% growth, but it would be difficult. in japan one person is missing, tens of thousands are stranded or displaced as a second day of rain triggered floods and landslides. military helicopters have been rescuing people from their homes.

politicians have agreeded on a plan to resolve the rubbish crisis. protesters were back on the streets in beirut angry over the government's failure to provide services. quickly involved other issues, including political corruption. >> reporter: thousands of antigovernment protesters have taken to the streets of downtown beirut. they were gathered just behind me there where they were protesting not only about the rubbish crisis and failure of the government to provide basic services, but also because they are fed up with a political system. i'm going to ask some young people here why they protest. if you can tell me, why did you come out to the streets today? >> well, because, first of all, i'm here with my friends who are

my classmates. we want basic rights, water, electricity, clean streets and we do not want our children to live in a country based on sectarianism. >> are you confident things will change? >> it's going to take a long time. but in the end, hopefully. it's turning outs to be a big revolution. the more it grows, hopefully we'll do this. >> although there hasn't been tangible results of these protests, people are still optimistic and they are getting more frustrated. and that's why the protesters have come here outside the ministry of environment because after all, it was the rubbish crisis that triggered off this latest protestings. they need to see some results. they need to see the government listening to them. that would come in the form of

the resignation of the minister of environment. these protests continue to gain momentum. despite no tangible results coming about w that hasn't dampened their morale. people are getting more persistent. the frustration is driving more people on to the streets of beirut. the people of singapore vote in a general election. they have been in power for 50 years. this vote is expected to wish the most keenly contested in the state's history. >> reporter: at 95, he's had to wait much of his life to vote in elections. as a veteran of world war ii, he flew against the japanese. he has witnessed the founding and development of singapore, but unlike many of his generation, he says he welcomes

the change. >> people thinking, should move on. they should have competition. they have contests. >> but it will be the younger voters who will have the most impact in this poll. this election will see the highest proportion of young people voting, many of them for the first time. a younger generation born well after independence who don't necessarily have the same loyalty to the ruling party as their parents. and with very different priorities. for many, moving out of the family home into their own apartment is the biggest concern. >> i think everyone is concerned about housing and how they are going to be able to afford a house and move out. >> jill and her boyfriend both work, but they live at home with their families. at least now concerns like housing and other election

issues, they can share with other voters, thanks to social media. another big influence in this election. >> i don't know, man. it's a scary choice for everyone. but i think change is good. people in singapore need some change. and they need to step out of this bubble that they have. >> i think certainly we are looking at a very different political landscape, the people, the actors. >> reporter: this election may not produce a huge change, but the way they are conducted is changing forever. >> more border crossings between venezuela and colombia have been closed. one of them is one of the largest trade hubs. it was closed on tuesday. a standoff began three weeks ago. venezuela started deporting

colombians. they are living there without the correct legal status. we are near the crossing and sent this report. >> reporter: this was the last major border crossing still open between venezuela and colombia. that has changed on tuesday when the venezuela president ordered the closure of this crossing between the popular state in venezuela and here in column bee y behind me you can see many trying to go back to their country. they have been waiting for hours to do so. now for days there haven't been many deportations. but colombians continue to move back to their country of origin essentially saying that they fear reprisal in venezuela because the government is blaming them for the chronic shortages in the country. the new closer seems to have closed the door on the possibility at least for now of a meeting between president

santos and on wednesday the colombian president had some of the hardest words yet against the venezuela government. >> translator: the revolution is destroying itself, not because of colombia. >> reporter: the solution that ends the economic consequences will continue to be harsh who are used to moving freely through these borders. gunmen have shot dead a technician working for private tv network. it belongs to geo-tv. two other people were injured. for years armed gangs have controlled part of the water supply. the water mafia have stolen millions of dollars worth of

water and sold it on the black market. but the police are finally cracking down on them. >> reporter: on the outskirts of the city is an illegal water station. the owners have tapped into underground pipeline owned by the state. all day trucks fill up with stolen water and sell it across karachi. >> we sell containers for $4. and then they resell it to the people for $25. >> reporter: water mafia thrives on the fridges of the city. armed gangs control this neighborhood. >> so what's here? this is one of the illegal water pumping stations. what's so shocking about it is the water comes from a sewage well. it's piped through here, powered by a couple motors and sold as

drinking water to the people of karachi. karate only has enough water to meet 50% of its needs. the water board estimateds around 30% is wasted or stolen. this is a powerful business worth millions of dollars. water barrens with 30 to 40 tankers earn around $16,000 a day. but the water board is tracking down. over 200 pumping stations have been raided. >> this illegal money is supporting other terrorist activities. they will survive in an area, this area is infected with these terrorists, with these gangs. >> over 70% of the stolen water is sold to industrialists. five years ago this fabric dyeing plant was closed because there wasn't enough water.

now the owner buys from the black market just to keep his clothing business own. >> they are holding us from our neck. physically. this is because a few people are involved in this and who are the caretakers and who are the people who are making money, good money out of that from these people. of course the mafia, cannot operate such a big operation like this. >> the latest of this underwater world are still operating and the cost of illegal water in karachi has now doubled. somewhere someone is still making a lot of money. scientists have found evidence that proteins linked to alzheimer's disease could be passed on during surgery. british researchers found that

proteins which can develop into alzheimer's can be passed on through contaminated surgical instruments. the risk is largely theoretical. they are calling for more studies. earlier we described how scientists came to make the discovery. >> what the paper shows is that in a small number of people who were injected with essentially brain extracts that contained human growth hormone, this was for people of short stature, 4% of those people, they developed a disease, in the u.k. we know it as mad cow disease. 4% have developed that disease. if you look in a number of these

people that came to autopsy and looked inside their brain, they contained in four to six of the brains out of eight that they contained the deposits that are characteristic of alzheimer's disease. we know that many people have deposits, but not all of them go on to develop alzheimer's disease. >> now, the venice film festival is the oldest. the traditional model of studio funding is now being turned on its head. on-line sights are offering other ways to watch movies. >> reporter: like the ancient city itself, the venice film festival has had a sinking feeling that cinema is dieing. this year they are riding the wave of change, welcoming films

from netflix. this is a tale of a child soldier. it's a strong contender for a prize. the other, a documentary charting change in ukraine. when released, the films will screen in cinemas and on-line. but the move into the film business is controversial. some have refused to show the films. >> when i'm on a train and i see young people we two sets of head phones and watching a movie, i think they are missing something that's important, what the cinema experience is that we have had since 1895.

>> here they realize the way people watch films is changing. just as video on demand is tearing up the old models of distribution, crowd funding is revolutionizing the way films are financed. this was part paid for by fans. >> we want to make it without the interference of the typical big studio process. >> the films producer says this provides possibilities. >> we asked for 200,000 and we wound up with 406. which was, yeah, it was a miracle for us. we chose it this way because we have a specific addition. it's our job to protect these guys, protect their stories and eye ideas. >> audiences choose when and where they see movies and even

dictate if they get made at all. >> visit us at our redesigned website. you will find video link to our best programs, analysis and comment. it's www.aljazeera.com. >> i'm ali velshi. "on target" tonight, the great wall of trump. fact checkin checking the billis plan for the border with mex. mexico. >> generation debt collectively, americans now owe as much as $1 trillion in student loans. for a growing number of americans that debt load is holding them dow