>> russia security chief calls for flights to be suspended until the catcher of last week's sinai crash is known. >> you're watching al jazeera live from doha. also ahead, a dam bursts in a mine in brazil, overrunning homes, dozens are feared dead. >> myanmar reaches a milestone in its transformation of a military rule to democracy. campaigning draws to a close ahead of sunday's historic election. >> saving money and the planet, the way plastic bottles are

being reused in south africa. >> russia's federal security chief has called for the suspension of all flights to and from egypt until the cause of saturday's plane crash is known. the egyptian government has deployed special forces to the sharm el-sheikh airport from where the flight took off. security officials say it's possible a bomb planted onboard by isil could have brought down the plane. >> thousands of british tourists are stranded outside sharm el-sheikh airport, egypt refusing extra flights to fly them home. easy jet said eight of its 10 flights have been suspended on that friday. egypt's civil aviation ministry would the airport can't handle the extra traffic. >> let's go live now to al jazeera's rory challands. tell us what the russian federal

security chief has been saying, calling for the suspension of flights to egypt. >> this is a significant development in the on going investigation into the crash of the metro jet plain in sinai. early on today, there was an emergency security meeting held in moscow. it was chaired by the president vladimir putin and out of that meeting, there was this new line, a new advisory if you will, from the head of the federal security era, the f.s.b. in terms of russian security matters, there aren't many people higher than this man. what he called for was for flights to egypt to be suspended. he considered it expedient to suspend flights until the true cause of the sinai air crash can be established. he said that there was the

utmost importance in being completely objective and looking at all the data. now remember that this is something that the u.k. has already done, and following this decision of the united kingdom to suspend flights to the sinai, the russian response to that was incredibly critical. there was a senator on thursday in russia who said that this was a political decision. it wasn't a decision that had any security bases, well, it's a discussion that the russians now seem to be on the very many of making themselves. i should stress that this has not been actually put into place yet. it is at the moment still just a recommendation, but a recommendation from a very important man. >> we are just hearing from a kremlin spokesman that president putin ordered the government to draft a mechanism to get russians home from egypt. clearly they're very concerned

about their nationals still in egypt. >> there we go, there seems to be something that the machinery is already rolling to put this into action. as you say, there will be thousands and thousands of russians still in sinai, still at sharm el-sheikh. it's an incredibly popular resort for russians. numbers are down on what they used to be, because of the decreasing purchasing power of russians abroad, but still, for russians who want to get a little bit of sun, as the temperature starts to drop in the homelands, which it is at the moment, it's getting cold, this is one of the few places where they still go, so there will be thousands of russian who are in sinai at the moment who will need to be brought back. >> breaking news now, the russians have now given instructions to suspend flights to and from egypt until the cause of last week's crash is

established. the russian president putin has bread to the recommendation by the russian federal security services chief that flights to and from egypt be suspended. rory challands in moscow, thank you. >> let's move on to other world news. mustard case is confirmed to have been used in syria. the opcw said it was used in august between isil and another rebel group. it's the first confirmation that the chemical weapon has been used. >> nato secretary general has told al jazeera he is prepared for any threat from russia, but also with welcomed moscowed role in finding a political solution in syria. sources are rolfed in a massive drill in southern europe. we have more from southern portugal. >> the weary match of those fleeing the fighting has convinced many nato members that

something must be done about the war in syria. the battlefield that become more complex with the arrival of russia, testing the borders of nato member turkey while supporting the assad government. >> we are concerned about russian military and also about the violations of turkish air space. >> what are you prepared to do about it? >> as a general message, nato is already ready to protect against any threat and that of course also is valid for turkey. >> nato has used its most extensive war games in years to demonstrate the alliances strength and willingness to protect one of its own. for nato, this is an exercise in deterrence, but russia isn't playing games anymore. it's engaged in syria and as the secretary general notes, building up the presence in the

black sea. >> the possibility looms of a catastrophic confrontation, but it is possible they could become partners, working together to end the war in syria? >> important now is that there is renewed effort to try to find a political solution to the crisis to the war in syria. russia's part of these talks. i welcome that, because all the countries which are involved in one way or another have to sit down and find a political, peaceful settlement. >> that prospect made all the more difficult by a nato russia rivalry nearing cold war levels. jonah hull, al jazeera off the coast of portugal. >> the united nations says cholera spread from iraq to syria and could develop into a regional epidemic. it's partly because of ref jeers

living in unbearable conditions in camp. some have decided to leave and seek better conditions elsewhere. we have a report from tripoli in lebanon. >> many ships of bound for turkey, but for many passengers, turkey is not their final destination. the northern port of tripoli has become a way out for syrians. syrians don't need visas to go into turkey. they arrange visas to lebanon and it is up to them what they do next. >> we get the tickets and from there, they can find their way to the greek islands and eventually to other european countries. >> ahmed is one of them. he tells us he is looking for a future which he no longer has at home. he has family who already found their way to europe.

>> my brother has been in germany for six months. i am not going, because the sea is too dangerous. europe is not going anywhere. if i don't go now, i will go later. >> many passengers on this bus are new arrivals from syria. they enter on new transit visas because of new restrictions imposed by the lebanese government. >> a number of passengers travel to turkey from here. since the beginning of this year, 100,000 people left, 90% of them were syrian and 90% of them didn't return. >> that is why it is hards to goodbye. these women are from the government controlled city of homs. some are getting ready to board the ship. while they don't openly talk about their intentions, their relatives do. >> my sister came from homs and she is going to turkey. if there is a possibility, she will join her son, who is

already in austria. >> there are many syrians in lebanon who would like to do that but cannot. they don't have the paperwork. >> i want a future for my child, but without residency in lebanon, i can't leave the country. >> many like this man from raqqa didn't want to appear on camera. his fear is not being able to see his family for years to come. these people have one way tickets, but their destination is only the first step in a journey to find a new life. al jazeera, tripoli, northern lebanon. >> at least one person has been killed in southeastern brazil after a dam burst, flooding a mine and nearby homes. the government says 15 are missing but the miner's union say 45 are unaccounted for. people have been told to move to higher ground. we have this report. >> rescuers in brazil have been

struggling to dig out survivors after a dam holding waste water from an iron ore mine burst. dozens are missing, a thick mud stretched over two kilometers. 600 people live in the village and most are miners. >> i heard something like an earthquake. it seemed like a steam roller was passing by me. everything was shaking. when i looked down, the ground was cracked. >> firefighters say the number of missing may rise and it's unlikely to find survivors under the toxic mixture. most roads are blocked. >> i have relatives from the affected areas who called to say they are well but a few others we still don't have any understood about them. >> some homes have been swept away or filled to the roof with mud. electricity lines were also

brought down by the strong current. the company are noting the site is frying to figure out what happened. >> at the moment, we've not confirmed the cause and extent of what happened or the number of victims. our focus at this critical moment is to preserve people's well being and the environment. >> the site is by demarco. it looks like it will need all the help it can get. al jazeera. >> myanmar reached another important milestone in its transformation from military dictatorship to deposition exhibit. campaigning is drawing to a close in the country's historic election. there are concerns that the electoral pros is marginalizing ethnic minorities.

>> he was hoping to run again this year, but has been disqualified on the base his parents weren't citizens when he was born. he rejects those claims and says the real reason is religion. a group of buddhist nationalists, the association for the protection of race and religion are known for their anti-muslim rhetoric and have thrown their support behind the ruling military party. >> we just say we need to protect our religion and our people. we don't say we kill other people, those criticisms around really fair. >> what critics describe as hate speeches have gone unpunished. the government has been accused of giving into pressure from them in other ways. earlier this year, it backtracked on a proposal that would have allowed temporary

identity card holders to vote after protests from nationalists. the move mostly affects hundreds of thousands of rohingya, a muslim minority who mainly live in western rapine state. they voted in the last election, but not this time, as they aren't recognized at citizens and suffer severe discrimination. >> growing international concern has led to some ambassadors and u.n. representatives including the secretary general himself to speak out, saying the use of a political agenda based mainly on the protection of a race, religion is dangerous especially in a country as diverse as myanmar. >> the damage may have been done. neither of the two largest parties, the ruling solidarity and development party nor the opposition national league for democracy is fielding any muslim candidates. he is worried about the future and asked who will speak up for his community.

>> still ahead, almost a miracle, a tiny baby can be a big step forward for medical science. >> in kenya, peter greste returns for the first time since he was freed from prison.

>> welcome back, our top stories on al jazeera, russia's president has ordered the suspension of all russian flights to and from egypt. vladimir putin asked the government to find ways to get

russians home from the country. russian's head of security said the suspension will stay until the cause of saturday's plane crash in the sinai is known. >> meanwhile, thousands of british tourists are strapped in sharm el-sheikh after egypt refuses extra flights to fly them home, saying the restrictions are due to limited airport capacity. dozens are feared dead after a dam bursts at an iron ore mine in brazil. homes in a town were engulfed by a massive mudslide. >> in pakistan, the death toll from a factory collapse hasries to know 35, one of the countries worst skill accidents. dozens are still missing in the rubble. the believe was poorly built. a government investigation is underway. al jazeera has more from lahore. >> the rescue and relief effort is now gathering momentum. it is because that have that more bodies have been retrieved.

some are buried under the rubble. they are exposed but now the job is to remove the rubble around them. the owner of the factory has reportedly recovered, his dead body buried under the rubble. the important thing is that as this relief and rescue operation goes on, time is of the essence. there are still signs of life and report that is somebody made a call from under the rubble. the important thing will be to try and reach them. the important thing, also is the fact that this is a very slow process, because entire concrete and steel slabs have to be push out and then lifted by crane, so it is going to take several days before this building is cleared. it will be a miracle if they are able to save those people who may still be alive under the rubble. france is to reimpose border checks ahead of a major summit

on climate change next month, aimed at pro preventing terrorist attacks. the control for the summit will start at the end of november. countries inside the free travel zone can reinstate border checks under special circumstances. >> venezuela's president maduro is set for one of his biggest tests when voters go to the polls to elect a new parliament. he has vowed to uphold the horriblist legacy of his predecessor hugo chavez. more and more people are becoming disillusioned by their leaders. >> he remains a fan of the late hugo chavez. the legacy of the charismatic leader lives on. two years after chavez's death, cracks in his socialism is start to go show. >> some food subsidies, for me

as a small entrepreneur mean that i end up competing with a government who is basically giving away food. >> in the streets of downtown caracas, trial voting machines and sample ballots prepare people for the parliamentary elections one month away, a key vote in which analysts believe these cracks within the ruling party could become more evident. how deep this runs is hard to tell. several high ranking figures, including two former ministers denounced considerable corruption, including the disappearance of more than $20 billion from government accounts. all these government structures through which oil revenues can be siphoned off is where the gangster lifestyle became entrenched. it is gangster life, because they rob the whole nation and it was done in very violent,

menacing way. we have over 500 popular leaders who were murdered in these 10 years of the story. >> to date, no investigation has been conducted. a crippled economy has led to chronic food shortages and soaring crime rates had ad to growing disillusionment with the government. these votes don't necessarily translate. for supporters of the government, talk of cracks within the ranks is premature andes spite all these problems, they believe that they will be worse off under opposition rule. >> i think we're seeing a pros of self criticism, but i don't know if that will lead to fissures. if the opposition wins and sweeps the majority of the seats, you will probably see serious cracks. >> in venezuelan politics, one

month is a long time. in the streets of caracas, the growing sense for many is that anything can happen from here to the elections. al jazeera, caracas. >> al jazeera correspondent peter greste returned to kenya for the first time since freed from jail in egypt. peter along with his two colleagues mohamed fahmy and baher mohammed were wrongfully convict of supporting the banned muslim brotherhood in egypt. we have this report from nairobi. >> after nearly two years away, most spent in prison, peter greste has returned to the city where he lives, kenya's capital, nairobi. to many journalists at this news conference, they were old friends. it was december, 2013 when peter along with mohamed fahmy and baher mohammed were arrested in egypt. they were wrongfully convicted of aiding the bobbed muslim brotherhood and sentenced to years in jail.

their trial was widely seen as a sham. mohamed fahmy and baher mohammed were pardoned this year. >> as long as you have a purpose for what you're suffering, you can put up with extraordinarily difficult times. for me, the purpose was press freedom. >> this commitment around the world, often speaking for press freedom delayed his return to nairobi. >> some people here played a key role in his release. in february of last year, members of the foreign correspondents' association started the free aj staff campaign. they marched to the egyptian embassy and that campaign spread all around the world. >> the march in kenya was followed by protests by dozens of news outlets in different continents and politicians from australia, america and other countries spoke out, too.

>> i think it went further than any of us could have ever imagined or expected, and i know just talking to peter now, he felt that it had had a role and an impact. >> peter says he plans to use the attention to continue fighting for press freedom and to write a book about it. his charges in egypt still haven't been dropped, so the campaign continues. after being detained so far away, it's good to be home. al jazeera, kenya. >> doctors are describing it as almost a miracle. a 1-year-old girl has been cured of cancer using a pioneering genetic therapy. she was the first person in the world to receive the experimental treatment, which has only ever been used in mice. she had what was thought to be terminal aggressive leukemia cancer affecting the blood and bone marrow only five months ago. doctors say it could be a huge step forward in treating the disease. >> matt kaiser is head of

research at blood wise, a charity funding research on blood cancers. he said it's a very exciting development. >> the treatment is used on one girl who fortunately looks have had a very good response to it, which is great news for her and her family. it's early days, because it is just one patient, and we would need further clinical testing on more patients, and it's certainly exciting in these early days. the concept is to take cells from an immune system which are designed to hunt and kill foreign objects, but to take them and train them to use genetic engineer and to give the properties, allow them to seek out and counter cells and leave healthy cells alone, so the idea is to take these immune cells

and give them the ability to recognize proteins that are expressed on the surface of leukemia cells so they can hunt them out and kill them, which is a very different approach to designing drugs which are usually very small molecules and can have wide effects on cancer and healthy cells. >> now so south africa, where a new way of building schools is helping to ease the shortage of classrooms and save the environment. recycled plastic breaks are replacing the cement ones. we have this report. >> soon, these children at primary school won't be having their school meals cooked and served outside. it may not look like it, but the kitchen being built behind them is made from recycled plastic bricks. there is a shortage of classrooms and school buildings in some of the poorest

communities. plastic bottles are not bio degradable and end up in landfills, but the bottles are remolded into brick like shapes and sold total public as water bottles for less than 50%. builders are put i go in the steel metal frame and plastering the walls. those behind the project say it's a way to save the environment and uplift local communities. >> they get those battles back, once we get them back, they become a brick. we take those and do structures like these you see behind me. >> another school will have its own structure. the bricks are simple to stack. >> here's how you interlock these plastic bricks, like this.

it takes 15,000 of these to build the instruct r. and this is going to become a kitchen. it took them ruffle three hours. >> this 1,000 square meter youth center open ins january. officials at the bottle to build schools initiative say depending on the finishing used, it's 40% cheaper to build with plastic than conventional clay or cement bricks. >> there are lots of people benefiting, and if you are skeptical, contact me and i can show you directly. >> google was worried about the bricks accidentally catching fire. more than 20 school buildings and youth facilities have been built using recycled plastic bottles in south africa so far. it's hope the low cost and

building will be used across the african continent. al jazeera, pretoria. >> you can keep up to date with all the news on our website, the latest on all of our top stories, the address, aljazeera.com. >> crushing expectations, be a surprising jobs report showing hiring in october soared and it could lead to rising some rates. >> tighter security, there may be more checks on u.s. bound flights amid fears that a bomb brought down the russian airliner. climate change coverup, one of the world's largest oil companies accused of lying to its investors and the public trying to protect its empire.