>> a crane collapses at mecca's grand mosque, killing more than 100 people hello, this is al jazeera, live from doha. i'm adrian finighan. also coming up... >> my friend die, my teacher die. that's not very good. that's very bad forced to leave their homes, we meet the young children seeking refuge in europe we'll tell you why the future stars of the screen are on hunger strike.

and an upset at the us open. serena williams's hopes shattered by an unsided italian, roberta vinci -- unseeded italian roberta vincini at least 107 died after a construction crane collapse p appsed on to a ground -- collapsed on to a grand mosque in mecca. millions were gathering for the handling, the annual -- hajj, the annual pilgrimage. gerald tan reports. >> reporter: the moment the crane collapsed, captured on amateur video, a clip posted online provides the idea of the chaos that followed. the construction crane toppling through the roof of the grand mosque in the holy city of mecca, killing scores of people,

injuring many more. >> nobody had a clue what happened. it compared the situation, it felt like a bomb blast. you don't know what happens. in the night it was like a thunderstorm. >> reporter: for several hours scenes from inside the grand mosque showed emergency crews rushing to help victims and to clear the site of debris. >> translation: the incident happened at 5:23 p.m., due to the severe rain and wind speed as high as 83km. it caused the train to collapse, death and injuries. the crane collapsed on the upper side of the area. >> this is the build up to the busiest time of year for islam's sacred mosque. the annual hajj starts later this month when millions of pilgrims make the journey to the birth place of mohammed.

>> i'd like to convoy our concerns to all the families involved. we hope god accepts the people in paradise and hope for a speedy recovery of the injured. >> reporter: the grand mosque is a virtual construction site. cranes surround the mosque with a billion dollar construction under way. mecca each year creates security and logistical problems, resulting in tragedy. the saudi arabia goes to lengths to ensure the safety of visitors, friday's accident will force a renewal of measures surrounding construction to islam's holiest site. >> reporter: thousands are expected to march through london on saturday hoping to convince politicians that britain should welcome more refugees. these are live pictures of

refugees waiting on the border area between crease and macedonia. european nations came up with the united plan to deal with the influx. many refugees arriving are hoping to continue the journey, especially on to germany. we have two correspondents covering this story this hour. jamal is at a refugee camp in lebanon's beqaa valley. many syrians call the camp home. first, let's join hoda abdel-hamid at the border between greece and macedonia. many are waiting behind you at that crossing. many of them children. some of them unaccompanied miners. >> well, there are a lot of children among the refugees, i'd say the vast majority are travelling with parents, elder brothers, uncles or sisters. today the situation at this time seems a little calmer, in the

spents that there are less refugees, that is not an indication that the flow is stopping in any shape or form. it's because it takes a long time to move the refugees from islands in to the mainland, and then usually when they reach it. they try to get a rest. and they have money sent from home. they make their way and continue their journey, there's a lot of children among the refugees. >> reporter: when boats land on greece's shores, children are crammed in the middle. some are a few months old. for the others, it's an experience that will mark them as much as the war. >> we were really frightened on the boat. i thought we were going to

drown. we were so scared the life guards would take us back to turkey. i was so scared to sleep on the streets of lesbos. what could i do. there was nothing to say. i had the sleeping bag. >> marta fled idlib. after his brother was killed by a barrel bomb. along the road he met another, and they became like brothers, giving courage to each others as they continued their troubles. >> there's no age limit to be a refugee. entire families are on the move. walking on roads, sleeping where they can. there's little space for youngsters to be children these days. >> parents say it's for their sake that they beg their way through europe. but often it's the kids and their resilience that gives them the courage to continue.

these parents decided to leave after the school was bombed by the taliban. >> i see with my eyes that my friend died. my teacher died. it's not very good. it's very bad. after the bomb, we don't have a school. because the school go to air. and i stay in home, don't go out because my father said if you go, maybe you kill. we have difficult life and travel. i quiwish - i want better life without kill or stress. i want simple life. >> reporter: the children have their own uncertainties and challenges ahead. this boy doesn't know when he'll see his parents again. he hopes as soon as he gets his paperwork done, and is aware that the road ahead is more

difficult. that some in europe don't want him or his friend. please open the borders so we can continue. we are not scary, we are not here to hurt you. we left because we risked dying from barrel bombs, even while sleeping in our bed. we are coming to europe to protect ourselves a little. >> reporter: worries of an adult, felt by a child. >> well, apart from the physical challenges of a long trip, it's an emotional roller-coaster for the refugees. you see behind me none of them have any kind of luggage. at the most a backpack. what we do have are smartphones and they follow the news. what is going on in brussels, what boarder will close or open.

what country will put up a fence. that is why they move, move, move as quick as they can. they are afraid at some point they could be left stranded they don't want to be hoda abdel-hamid on the border between greece and macedonia. most of the syrians escaping the war register as refugees in countries bordering syria. those are struggling to cope. turkey has the largest number. hosting some 2 million refugees, more than a million in lebanon. crammed in camps near the border. jordan, iraq and egypt have refugees in the hundreds of thousands. let's go to our cronn at a refugee -- correspondent at a refugee camp. i saw you high-fiving new friends, jamal. many of the refugees this that camp are kids. >> indeed. and actually it's funny, because

the only thing that brings a smile to the people is when they do see strangers come to try and here about conditions. they are oblivious to the situation. some are smiling, but you don't need to look far. the ragged clothes or the fact that many don't have foot ware. you look at the conditions they are living in, and it's and breath-taking. this is the sewage system, open dugout. shallow pathway, and that's what the water and waste goes through. you can imagine the diseases that can spread and what effect that has. these are essentially the houses. this is it what people live in. they are made from these plastic cloths, and you can have up to

10 people staying in here at any one point. that is making live desperate. if you are a father with four or five children and are living with the family for two or three years, they say why shouldn't they risk their life. there's no light at the end of the tunnel. they have been here, they call this home. but there's no schools, distress. it's a desperate situations. things like the united nations and others are trying to help. they are falling short. you are talking on people living on less than a dollar a day, nothing in terms of what they really need. unless something is done for the people. misery will continue, and more people will risk their lives and going to sea in the hope that

maybe they'll find something a little better. >> thank you. jamal at a refugee camp in lebanon stds bekaa valley we'll come back to the refugee crisis later in the programme japan's prime minister shinzo abe has been visiting areas of the country hit by severe floods. the water is receding. many have been left homeless. more than 100,000 have been affected by the floods and landslides. at least four people have been killed. 20 others are still missing. >> wayne hay sent this update from joso, one of the hardest hit by the flooding. >> reporter: japan is used to tropical storms and typhoons. this was the 18th typhoon to sweep across the country this year. it was something completely different. >> more rain fell in a 24-48 period than normally falls in the month of september. it was too much for the rivers

to cope with. in particular the river that burst its banks at 1 o'clock in the afternoon on thursday. sending a wall of water into the si, and taking everything with it. the good news is the weather cleared. the water is receding in many areas, a lot of people are leaving evacuation centers so they can go back to their homes and begin a clean-up operation. the death toll could rise, several are missing, and a large rescue and recovery operation is under way. >> still to come - a convincing win. it was not a complete walkover for singapore's ruling party at the general election. we'll tell you why. police in the united states test the latest equipment as debate continues os to whether they are -- as to whether they are too heavy-handed.

hello, the top stories on al jazeera. 107 died after a construction crane collapse said on the grand mosque in mecca. 230 were injured, the holy city gearing up for the hajj, bigoing later this month. flood water in japan is receding. many are homeless, at least four were killed. more than 20 others are still missing. more than 100,000 have been affected by the flooding. >> european nations are trying to come up with a plan to deal

with refugees. thousands will march through central london, hoping to convince politicians that britains should take in more refugees. britain's prime minister pledged to take 20,000 syrians from camps neighbouring syria. the u.k. is rejecting a push to resettle people who are already in europe. barnaby phillips reports children who arrived in england without their parents, fleeing war. more than 700 in the care of kemp county council in the south-east of england. they have run out of foster parents and is planning new reception. locals say there's a legal and moral obligation to help. >> these are not economic migrants, but young war refugees that witnessed atrocities that hopefully you and i will not witness. i spoke to a young man whose mother and father were murdered in front of them. he ran, leaving them with the

gunman, and didn't stop until he felt safe, in the u.k. >> reporter: many people in britain feel compassionate to the refugees fleeing war. the discussion about the crisis in this country is entangled with a wider debate about immigration as a whole. the conservative government won the election, reducing the numbers of immigrants coming to britain, helping to explain the reluctance to take more refugees. this man came to this country from cyprus. he belongs to migration watch, wanting to reduce migration to britain. the country is less equipped than germany to take in large numbers of refugees. >> germany, first of all, has a population that is decreasing. it's a bigger country. our population is increasing at a greater rate than the germans.

you are not comparing like with like, frankly. >> the advance guard of 5,000 children were to find... >> reporter: in the past britain has been a safe haven for people fleeing persecution. >> most of the asians started. >> reporter: or the asians expelled in uganda. they held british passports. the numbers were smaller than the number of syrians on the move. many believe this country can take in many more refugees than it has committed to. britain spends more than foreign aid for syrian aid on syrian refugees in the camps in the middle east than any other country. the government will be reluctant to make more consuggestses -- concessions saturday, we have extended coverage of the refugee crisis.

there's a half hour programme as well. beginning at 12 hours g.m.t. today. 8am eastern, and 2:00 p.m. central european time here on al jazeera at least 20 people have been killed by a gas cylinder explosion. the plast tore through a restaurant in the district, 75 people were wounded. students at one of india's top film institutes were taking drastic measures, demanding the removal of the new chairman. they are on hunger strike protesting a series of questionable appointments. we have this explanation. >> reporter: the entrance makes it clear there hasn't been a normal day at the film and television institute of india for a while. inside we see why. the students began a hunger strike on thursday. adding to a 3-month long protest by all students against the

appointment of an actor whom the students say is ub qualified to -- unqualified to be chairman. organizers say it's part of a string of questionable appointments. >> basically incap ability as an artist, it makes us feel that freedom much expression will be hampered. and we'll be asked to major certain propaganda. and a decent against any decisions of the government. insecurity is massive. earlier, some of the students were arrested. after a consultation with the institute's director. now the crowds have thinned. most stayed in the hospital, waiting for word that the strike is having effect. the government says students are unreasonable and this was the only candidate willing to take the job. the minister said on thursday,

unfortunately the students have taken a hard line stance, and we are ready to resolve all issues and have had multiple talks with them. meanwhile they'll continue their protest. the fact that the protest has been going for three months, it demonstrates their determination to force the chairman out. so some of their supporters worry that this is an issue that goes behind this institution. the government doesn't official have to consult anyone to make appoints to the top educational united nations. >> the students and supporters say in the past. jobs have gone to people with well-established experiences and careers. unless it's questioned and constantly debated, that's the only way to make a dialogue going on. one can't really keep these appointments, make the appoints

with a casual approach. >> the strike is likely hurting the education of the students and hurting their careers. they believe it's a worthwhile sacrifice with their school and standard of excellence. >> singapore's ruling people's action party is celebrating a win in the general election. the party has been independent. the election was not a walk over, as rob mcbride reports. >> reporter: victory and relief among p a.p. supporters after facing the uncertainty of a public-wide fight against multiple parties. benefitting from an election called at the 50th anniversary, the ruling people's action party of singapore sees it as a solid endorsement to take it forward. >> i always had confidence in the p a.p. >> for sure.

we go for 100. we'll do a better job. mark by words. for the leader, the prime minister this was a personal victory. the first election without influence of li quan yu, his father and the founder of sing for who died this year. he -- singapore, who died this year. he reversed gains. >> it's a good result for p a.p. and an excellent result tore singapore. >> reporter: as opposition rallied. hopes came in. still believing they are changing singapore into a multiparty system. >> they look around here. it's a better place to stay. that is what we want. >> i hope the government will put more effort to take care of us. this is what i want. >> reporter: there is the wider change that many believe is under way here.

not noted for open political exchange. people have been gripped by election fever during the campaign, insisting that debate does not equal disunity, the opposition party says singapore is better for it. despite a growing number of new political parties, it's the familiar flag of the ruling one na is it, after the election, flying higher than the rest police officers from across the united states will hold their biggest training exercise in california this weekend. they'll simulate emergency scenarios and test the latest equipment. after a year of debate about whether officers are too militarized, we went along to see if their tactics are changing. >> they'll put you down for six hours. >> reporter: even though the focus of urban shield is

tactical emergencies, hostage situation and attacks, some of the weaponry for sale could be used for other purposes. >> most of the rye the and problems -- riots and problems is one guy in the group causing the problem. >> reporter: a street protest is efficient for some police officers to bring out their hardware. there was little controversy about the use of such equipment. >> we provide safety for injured people. >> there's an offensive capability. >> there's no guns on it. it has a turret. we could, if we needed, open it up, and fire and provide safety. >> the organizers, it is a complex issue. the point that they are bringing is does it insight people. >> it does. >> there's a recognition that you are inciting the situation. it's bad, right? >> not necessarily. what is causing it - what came first, the chicken or the egg.

>> police fatalities are lower than 20 years ago. according to "the washington post," the number of people killed is higher than any year prior to '76. there's three months to go. those protesting against urban shield feel the message is not getting through. >> a lot of people are murdered by police because of emergency situations. they are quick to respond. that's how we end up dead. >> reporter: that was not the view inside the conference. on closer inspection there was awareness of the debate under way outside. an all-italian women's final will be the highlight at the us open later on saturday after world number one serena williams suffered a shock defeat. the men's decider will be more

predictable, as elise holman reports. 85 minutes, three dropped games and josh into his fourth grand slam final of the year. the top seed orchestrated the most one-sided men's semifinal in new york, in the open era. defending champion marin cilic dispatched and now an all-star show down awaits. roger federer beat stanislaw wawrinka in straight sets to reach the first final at flushing meadows since 2009. despite going three years without a grand slam title. roger federer has not lost a set at the tournament and the dropped serve twice. >> i hope the crowd will be happy to see me in the finals. it's been six years, i haven't been in the finals. sounds like a big deal. he's always going to form on a

high level. rarely does he drop the level. he makes you play your best. >> reporter: it's the final officials will be happy to have after serena williams' shock knockout. the completion of a calendar grand slam was considered a mere formality for the world number one, but italian roberta vincini spoiled the party. >> i don't want to talk about how disappointing it is for me. if you have any other questions, i'm open for that. >> reporter: how well did she play today? >> i thought she played the best tennis of her career. she's 33, and she's going for it. it's good for her to go forward and play so well and i guess it's inspiring. >> reporter: for the first time an italian woman will feature in a grand slam final. roberta vincini facing flavia

pennetta, who saw off simona halep there's more real news from al jazeera and sport. along with analysis, comment and plenty of video along with links to some of our programs. you'll find it all at aljazeera.com.