palestinian youths in a compound in jerusalem. this is al jazeera live from doha. also on the program, thousands across europe march in support of refugees calling on governments to do more to help them. six months after cyclone pam, we'll take a look at the efforts to rebuild vanuatu.

and awards at the venice film festival. we'll tell you who won the top prizes. israeli police fought with palestinians in jerusalem. police say they entered the court yard to arrest young palestinian stone throwers and tear gas was fired. the confrontation comes hours before the start of the jewish new year. >> reporter: in the early morning hours in the mosque compound clashes erupted between palestinian youths who were throwing stones, israeli police said at them. there were clashes that went on for a good amount of time. now we are hearing that the compound has been cleared, there is still some clashes going on throughout the old city. now, this is something that was anticipated from both sides.

russia shana beginning at sun set. we are hearing that there are jewish activists waiting to go into the compound and that stoked already tense situation within that compound. right now the police say that they have controlled the situation. we are hearing there is still some small minor clashes going on throughout the old city. right now we know that the compound itself has been cleared from those who are involved in this. but obviously, it's a tense time and this new year holiday goes on for two more days. continueses will be tight and security will be tight as well. >> the compound is inside the old city. it's the third holiest site in islam. israel captured the site in 1967 and annexted it in a move that

isn't recognized internationally. we are live from jerusalem. what can you tell us about this police operation earlier today? >> this morning at approximately 6:30 there was specific signs and intelligence that we received there were going to be disturbances from within the mosque by palestinians that were armed and that had, i'm referring to a local explosive devices as well as stones and rocks that were going to be thrown as visitors during the opening hours at 8:00 visiting hours. it was necessary for the israeli police to prevent any major incident from taking place. and police officers entered the area. and shot the front doors of the mosque preventing those riots from overflowing on to the

temple area. police units took control of the situation within 20 to 25 minutes, only using stun grenades, nonlethal weapons to make sure the situation was calm. towards 8:00 in the morning, the regular visiting hours took place with both tourists as well as jewish people visiting the temple mount before the new festivals which are beginning. >> the allegation is that the people who were throwing the stones or preparing to throw the stones and had homemade explosives had been there all through the night. is that the intelligence you got? >> that's what we understood. and, therefore, police operations were necessary. we have to make sure that we stay one step ahead to prevent a major situation taking place, not just in jerusalem, but all over the country.

there are different units including border units. whenever there isen indication especially leading up to the festivals, so police operations take place. and later on during the day police officers will be making arrest of those suspects who threw stones and fired fireworks. >> so this was a public safety issue as far as the police were concerned. as always, in instances such as this, such a sensitive site, there are allegations of heavy handedness by the police. some even saying that the police didn't just shut the doors, they went inside further than they needed to. how do you respond to those allegations? >> well, you can see for yourself in the footage that fireworks were firedded from within side the mosque which is considered to be one of the holy sites, were fired from inside at

our police officers outside. they shut the front doors without entering inside whatsoever. but the police units do patrol the temple area to make sure it's safe. because it's so close to the western wall, it's necessary for officers to immediately intervene. the heightened security is a standard security measure which is due to the fact that we have the jewish festivals inside jerusalem and thousands of people will be visiting the old city and different areas to celebrate. >> thank you. tens of thousands of people across europe have rallied in support of refugees in syria and other countries. in the spanish capital, people marched to the foreign ministry carrying signs saying open the

borders and peace. protesters are critical of the refugee policy. one of the biggest marchs was in london. >> reporter: it's a simple, heart-felt message, that refugees are welcome in britain. the mood was fesstive, by coming out in large numbers, they can shame their government into taking in more refugees and in particular syrians fleeing conflict. germany and sweden are taking more than their fair share. we should be taking in the same number of refugees. i put myself in their position. i would want people to treat me well if i had to flee london. >> it took one hour for the

crowd to march past opposition. the british government says it gives far more in foreign aid than this other country in europe. the thousands of people are saying that that is not enough, and that britain should be doing more. but an impressive turnout doesn't mean this crowd is representative of britain as a whole. many british people feel this country has taken in too many immigrants in recent years. prime minister david cameron will want to be in step with public opinion on the refugee crisis. for all the passion on the streets, he may feel he's done enough to placate his critics. >> there have been anti-immigration marchs. this was the seen in poland's capital where thousands gathered to protest against accepting more refugees. the rally was organized by two

far right groups opposed to the plans to take in more people. it's not just syrian whose are desperate to the leave. iraqis are also fleeing fighting. they are traveling to turkey and rely on smugglers. but not everyone survives that journey. >> reporter: they mourn their children, nine-year-old and 11-year-old. the family left iraq for turkey. smugglers promised they would get them to greece. in a rubber dingy boat meant to hold five people, they pack in 10. this was the same boat that the three-year-old who washed up on the turkish coast was on. the image of his body lying on the beach shocked many around the world.

their deaths went unnoticed. their mother describes the moment she lost her children. >> translator: the boat capsized on my head and my children's heads as well. they were wearing their life jackets. the sea waves were huge and the boat was on top of their heads. i was along side them under water. i sensed my daughter's hand touching me. i was not wearing a life jacket, i kept drowning and going under. i didn't see them. the coast guard came to us after an hour. i don't know. maybe more an hour. we started looking for them but we could not find them. the next morning the tide rolled the bodies to shore. >> they live in a well to do neighborhood of baghdad. they could afford to pay smugglers to get them to greece. however, the vast majority of people live in camps like these.

they can't afford to pay the kind of money the smugglers are asking for. but if they could, they would leave. this camp houses those who fled from violence. this family left there a year ago, they have been living like this ever since. they say they are losing hope. >> translator: i have family in turkey. i'm too embarrassed to ask them for money. if i had money, i would leave iraq today. there ising to the for me. violence at home, hardship in this camp. >> the family never reached greece, they are now back in baghdad. some 6,000 iraqis have fled this year. that figure marks only the ones that have registered. many more refused to go the official route. some risk their lives and put them in the hands of smugglers with often tragic results.

the u.n. special envoy to syria is due to submit his peace plan during a meeting in the egyptian capital of cairo. we spent the past year meeting different sides involved in the conflict. he says there is a general agreement that a political solution is the only way forward. his predecessor resigned in may last year after peace talks broke down in geneva. al jazeera has obtained a leaked draft. negotiations would start without a formal pause in the fighting, but all sides have to agree not to use barrel bombs or chemical weapons. the government would then be given a partial role which would allow the president to continue with some of his functions. he also recommends a longer transitional phase leading up to

a general election under u.n. supervision. an interim government body would run the government in the meantime. they are also expected to submit a resolution on yemen. they won't negotiate with houthi rebels. the government is backed by saudi led forces who continue to bomb areas of the country including the capital. this latest strike reportedly hit a residential area where three people died and four homes were destroyed. more than 2,000 have been killed since the coalition began its air strike campaign against the houthis in march this year. the coalition denies targeting civilian areas. >> translator: i would like to reiterate, since the beginning

of the operation in yemen, we had a list of clear objectives. we never carried out attacks in the cities. our coalition pilots are using high technologies to avoid harming in civilians. still to come, refusing to be silenced. we'll tell you about the opposition parties in russia that are fighting to be heard in regional elections. philadelphia brings out paint brushes and its creative side ahead of the visit by the pope.

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>> hello again. the top stories on al jazeera. israeli police have fought the palestinians. they arrested young palestinians throwing stones. tens of thousands of people have rallied in european and austrian cities demanding their governments do more to help refugees. it showed solidarity for those fleeing from war-torn countries like syria. the special envoy to syria is due to submit a peace plan. he spent the last year meeting different sides involved in the conflict. he says there is general consensus that a political solution is the only way forward. a car bomb killed two kur tisch police officers. five police were also injured in

the blast. security fourses blamed kurdish pkk fighters for the bomb. it's launched an operation to find the fighters who fled, to fight the fighters who fled to northern iraq. regional elections are under way across russia. the government barred all opposition candidates from the poll. they face physical and political intimidation. we have janed one of the few opposition candidates on that campaign trail. >> it's almost a clandestine affair. a handful of elderly people gathered to meet the young opposition candidate. they have six of these meetings every day. a body guard stands close. the level of intimidation has changed the face of election campaigns in putin's authoritarian russia.

>> translator: he should realize all the possible methods used against our campaign. bandits and criminals have attacked us. >> reporter: proof of that, three hours earlier party organizer was struck down with a blow from behind at a morning rally. he's still waiting for an ambulance. >> translator: there were no emergency services, the police won't do anything. >> reporter: this is taking place amid the worst economic crisis since putin came to power. >> because of the difficult economic situation, no improvement, no economic improvement in sight, of course, the kremlin is concerned. >> reporter: under existing election laws parties have to gather signatures to prove they can attract 3% of the

electorate. they have managed to disbar all opposition parties. under these conditions, it's little wonder that the pro-putin factions are feeling optimistic about the outcome of today's vote. the party telling us these are free and fair elections. the opposition would differ. there is almost overwhelming sense of service among the pro ken lynn candidates that borders on complacencies. why bother, regional acting governors have already been validated and endorsed by president putin in an election like this. that's more than enough to security victory on the day. >> we knew this would not be a walk in the park.

thewe expected the challenge and doing everything we can to get people's support and win. >> reporter: fir >> reporter: he was diagnosed with a brain injury. >> in the u.s. a wildfire forced nearly 2,000 people to leave their homes. the blaze began in lake county north of san francisco. it stretches more than 160-hectares. four firefighters suffered burns trying to extinguish the flames. california hasn't had rain in months. six months ago a category five cyclone destroyed parts of vanuatu. we take a look at the rebuilding

effort. >> in a couple of days pam will be six months old. she was named after march's storm, baby pam doesn't know any different. for everyone else, the impact of cyclone pam is still obvious. but vanuatu is well under way. many houses have been put back up. schools have been repaired. temporary classrooms are established. and in remote communities, there have been celebration songs. getting to this point wasn't easy. vanuatu is a sparsely populated archipelago. >> we had planes that arrived that by regulation can't land on grass. 90% of our airports are grass. that made it difficult to say okay, we have got this stuff, we want to deliver it, but we can't. >> on the island of tongo, it

took two weeks. food and water are no longer necessary. there used to be fences, the pigs could be farmed. that was the second biggest earner. but the cyclone brought the fences down and pigs are running wild. elsewhere, trucks driving across the plain of a volcano brings supplies of seeds and tools. it means less rain. >> the timing couldn't be worst. it's plan planting season. >> people have been encouraged to plant vegetables near their homes. it's affordable building materials that are needed the

most. six months, his family lives in a temporary one-room shack. >> the problem is money, i have not enough money to build another house. >> individuals donated $10 million in march. but the emergency grants are about to run out. there is plenty of recovery work to do. the next cyclone season is two months away. in india tens of thousands of people are taking a holy bath in the river. the pilgrims, the annual bathing ritual is seen as a way to cleanse themselves of sin and come closer to god. 100 million people are expected to attend this year. the golden lion award has been handed to the venezuela

film. we look at the winners and the themes that dominated this year's festival. a surprise win for a first time venezuela director. a film depicting a different world. they will catapult him into a different league and give him a huge voice. >> having some problems, but we are positive, we are an amazing nation and we are going to start talking to each other more and we'll go through, i'm sure about it. >> it's graceful and subtle. because it's in spanish, this

award will give it much needed international exposure. >> it's a very controlled film. i can see why they went for this incredibly assured film. it's also quite mysterious and difficult for people to embrace. that's one of the reasons i'm glad it got this award. >> reporter: the price for best director went to argentina. it's based on a true story. about a famous kidnapping family and 1980s reign of terror. but the biggest applause is for abraham who won best young actor playing a nine-year-old child soldier. it was his first role, but he

betrayed a child forced to kill for an african warlord. contracting with the glamour of the red carpet, the films this year engage with issues that people are very concerned about right now. the screen exploded with images of war, conflict and vast migration bringing hundredings of thousands of refugees to the shores of europe. so it should. film is a universal language. where it can, it should show on the spotlight of suffering. a mural of pope francis is being commissioned. it's part of a unique public arts program that's been attracting visitors for 20 years. >> it may look like a lonely job, but for david mcshane,

making murals is about community. he's putting the finishing touches on this piece, celebrating the philadelphia baseball team. like every work commissioned by the city, its creation involved hundreds of people from the design phase to its execution. >> if i were a final artist, i might have a show that's up for maybe a month. it would be limited. whereas on a wall, it's limi limitless. >> the city has become known for its murals. the subjects vary widely. from black history to suicide. unlike most public art, philadelphia's murals can be found all over the city, in poor neighborhood and parking lots. the idea is that art is for

everyone. the murals are painted on cloth squares. a process the public is invited to take part in. about two-thirds of this one will be completed ahead of his visit. those who come to see him in september will be invited to help with the rest. >> basically, when people come, they will be producing the murals. the time when this is here, they can say hey, i paint that. >> jane golden started the program in the '90s as a way to stop graffiti. but it's become so much more. thanks to its work with the prison inmates, school children and mentally ill. >> the issues that philadelphia faces are issues that cities around the world are grappling with. when it comes to societies' problems, it's often the role of innovation and creativity that's going to make a difference. >> transforming public spaces. in doing so, transforming lives.

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