hello. you're watching "gmt" on "bbc world news." i'm lucy hockings. our top stories. standoff in hong kong. the territory's chief executive tells protesters they will not change china's mind on electoral reform. the demonstrators say they're not backing down. >> translator: i now appeal to the leaders to carry out the promise they made to the whole society. that is, call off the protests immediately. >> i am live in hong kong, where for a fifth night, yet again, thousands have turned out to demonstrate in the heart of hong kong's financial district.

after so many delays, afghanistan and the u.s. have just signed a deal that will allow u.s. troops to stay in the country next year. will this help repair ties between washington and kabul? and we catch up with our pop-up bureau in colorado, finding out why every vote matters in the upcoming midterm elections. also coming up, aaron is here looking at apple's tax arrangements with the irish government. >> the u.s. tech giant has had its european base there since 1980, but today the european commission says apple's sweetheart tax arrangement with ireland amounts to an illegal state aid. what does that mean? it could mean apple having to pay millions of dollars in back taxes. it's midday here in london. 7:00 a.m. in washington. and 7:00 p.m. in hong kong, where the chief executive is warning tens of thousands of

protesters that beijing does not intend to back down on its plan to vet candidates for the 2017 elections. look at these remarkable pictures we have just received into the bbc. they've been filmed by a drone, and what they show there, you can see just the incredible scale of the demonstrations. tens of thousands of people have showed up again. evening, of course, now in hong kong. but during the day, the crowds did dwindle a little bit. people going off to work and going home. they promised to return in the evening and that's what seems to have happened. these protesters are in three key areas in the heart of hong kong. some of the key roads have been blocked into the financial district. the protesters, as we've heard, they have just said they're not going to leave. they intend to stay. they've got a message for mr. leung, they want him to stand

down from his position. you can see the protesters there just settling in for the evening. many young people there, one of the key points being made by these protesters is there are people there from all walks of life joining him and intending to spend the night. let's take you straight to hong kong. we can join my colleague who is there for us. she is at one of the key protest sites. >> reporter: yes, lucy. it is just as you said. three minutes past 7:00 in the evening. as you can see behind me, thousands upon thousands of demonstrators have yet again taken to the heart of the financial district, where i am at the moment, to campaign for democracy for the hong kong people. it is a fifth night that they're doing this. as you can see there, they are actually swelling one of the main routes into the financial district that goes right along here underneath the bridge that i'm currently standing on, all the way through to the other

side to causeway bay as you were saying. it's fair to say on tuesday afternoon, numbers were a little bit slim on the ground. we saw it yesterday and over the weekend. but particularly in the last hour, we've noticed a significant change of a number of people, hundreds, in fact, joining the crowds that have been here. and there could be a key reason for that. tomorrow, wednesday, is national day across china. it's a public holiday. people are marking the birth of the people's republic of china. that very key event could have an impact on the numbers of people that are coming here in the hours to come. we'll see how that indeed does pan out. but in terms of today's developments and how the protesters are feeling, there is one key question here. whether or not they can sustain momentum. the bbc's ali moore has been finding out. >> reporter: these protests in central hong kong are actually exceptionally well-organized. all the way along this main

thorough fair that's usually full of buses and trucks and cars, there are supply stands, just dotted around, so people can access them. there's everything here that the protesters might need. there's towels, and indeed there's paper towel that's been soaked in water. and this is in case the tear gas and the pepper spray is used again. this is in preparation to help to relieve the impact of those gases and sprays. if you move along here, plenty of water, which is absolutely vital because it's so hot here in hong kong. also we've got lots of food. all of this donated by local people who want to support the protesters. >> translator: i saw on my friend's facebook about the event. and feeling responsible to hundreds of people. >> reporter: when you've got thousands of protesters in one place, you need a first aid station and there are a number

of them dotted around the protest site, including this one. it's staffed mainly by volunteers. deco is one of them. what sort of ailments are you treating here? >> we are preparing a medical service and first aid service. >> you have a number of medical supplies. where do they come? >> they are very good. they ask us to tell them what supplies we need and they come back hours later. >> reporter: no protest would be complete without tailor-made slogans and banners, and there's no shortage of them here. in different languages, they reflect what the protesters want, and in the case of this man, hong kong's chief executive c.y. leung, what they definitely don't want. ali moore, bbc news, hong kong. >> reporter: ali moore there, as we were seeing talking to demonstrators earlier on on

tuesday afternoon. a lot of focus today, particularly within the last two hours, has been on the chief executive of hong kong, c.y. leung, who has answered direct calls from activists here calling for him to step down. he spoke within the last hour, remaining defiant, and calling, of course, reiterating that call for the demonstrators to disperse and go home. this is what he had to say. >> translator: the leaders of the occupy central movement have repeatedly stated that if the protests go extensively out of control, then they will call off the protests. i know appeal to the leaders to carry out the promise they made to the whole society. that is, call off the protests immediately. the decision made by the central committee of the chinese national parliament means that they won't be intimidated by anyone when they implement the law. any more illegal acts would not force the committee to change

its position made on the 31st of august, which is based on the basic law. >> reporter: c.y. leung there speaking in the last hour and a half. a short way away from where we are in the financial district. remaining defiant. reiterating what he has done for the last few days. go home, leave this area. the protest will amount to nothing. but as we can see, tens of thousands right there behind me. and i just have a little walk in the crowds, and it is a little bit like a festival atmosphere. they've come prepared. they've got food. they've got drink. they're peaceful. and you know what? they say they don't want to go anywhere. they've got nothing to lose. one of those people is joining me now, edwin lee. you wanted to be called a pro-democracy supporter. you didn't want me to call you a protester. why? >> i think the term protester has too much of a negative connotation. i think when people think of that, they think of, like, rioters, they think of people burning things, breaking things. but as you can see here,

everyone is very peaceful. i think we've been called the world's most politest protesters. so there's a popular slogan going around on the internet saying in a city where there's 50,000-plus protesters, where would you see no smashed windows, people picking up their own rubbish. >> but there are people saying that might be all well and good, but that polite attitude is going to get you absolutely nowhere in swaying change here in the political protests that you are calling for. i mean, why are you here for another day? >> well, we're here because a, we haven't really made a dent in what we wanted yet. i mean, c.y. leung already came out and said that he won't budge. the chinese government almost certainly won't listen. so i think for now, it's a matter of people showing solidarity to each other. we can see that people are very -- i mean, we have a running joke where we say that we haven't seen people so nice to each other ever. and under such dramatic circumstances. so i'm here because i want

universal suffrage, too. and to show solidarity to the people here who also want it. >> reporter: but there is a serious point, edwin, that's being raised saying yeah, the organization is taking place. you're better coordinated on sunday. but now there's not really anyone telling these people what to do. there's no coordinated effort on the part of the demonstrators. so what's the point? >> i mean, you're probably right. there's much less coordination. but honestly, there's nothing much to do. i mean, to sit down and to stand by -- sit down, sorry, to show a force. it's now a waiting game. when you mentioned that tomorrow is our national day. i think tomorrow will be quite a make or break, i think. it's quite symbolic a day for all of us i think, considering what we're trying to attain. >> are you going to stay here all night? >> yeah, i will be. >> reporter: the whole night you're sleeping out? >> if i can find a suitable spot, sure i will.

>> reporter: appreciate your time. stay safe. edwin lee that has been campaigning here, under no particular umbrella, with his friends coming here since sunday. and i don't know if you heard a bit of noise in the skies. thunder is beckoning. there's about a 40% chance of rain tonight here in hong kong. it's probably about 26 degrees celsius. it's pretty warm. and if the warm does fall, that also sl have an impact on the numbers here. we'll keep you posted. stay with us. beijing has been quick to warn the international community, including britain, against supporting the demonstrations. but some say britain should be involved in the country's political affairs. you may remember in 1997, the territory of hong kong was handed from british rule back to china. it was done so with the agreement that it would be one country two systems, which would

guarantee hong kong's way of life for 50 years. so is the uk under an obligation to ensure hong kong's democracy? on the line now is the chairman of the uk parliament foreign affairs select committee. he is leading an inquiry into hong kong democracy development. thank you for joining us here on "gmt." >> my pleasure. >> what commitments did britain make under the handover deal? >> the joint declaration provides that undertakings are given by both sides. so first of all, britain is perfectly entitled to take a close interest in what is going on in hong kong at present and whether or not those undertakings have been given. the commitment was that we would dish mean, when margaret thatcher sat down with the president of china, these undertakings were given in good faith and belief that they would be complied with. and what my committee is doing is actually looking at whether or not those undertakings have

been -- are being complied with, and if they're not, my job is to say to the british government, what are you doing about it? and what are you doing about the commitments that have been given? but when you ask the question, well, what is the commitment, i mean, the british government is in a fairly weak position here. they have no levers to pull if china doesn't fulfill its undertakings. >> so do you believe that china's reforms on the election of the chief executive are actually flouting the agreement that china made with the uk? >> well, i know lots of people are arguing that. the whole point of my inquiry is actually to see whether or not we agree with them. so if i was to answer your question with a straight yes or no, that would be to prejudge the outcome of the inquiry. and i think it's quite important here that a proper evidence-based inquiry, which is what we are carrying out, actually doesn't reach knee-jerk

reactions here. actually very carefully assesses the situation. and then makes a judgment and that's what we hope to do in the next few months. >> so what do you say to beijing who is saying this inquiry is interfering with china's internal affairs? political reforms, internal affairs, and britain should butt out? >> well, i don't agree with them. the committee has made it quite clear that we intend to continue with our inquiry. i mean, china could only say that if there was no joint declaration with undertakings given by both sides. but to say that britain has no role in this is quite ridiculous, frankly. >> thank you very much for joining us. these are the live pictures we are still getting in from hong kong. the crowds are greing, although there is bad weather forecast this evening.owing, although there is bad weather forecast this evening. we'll be keeping across all events here on "bbc world news" and on the website as well. we've got a live page, just

updating you with all the latest tweets, news from our correspondents as well, and any latest information, go straight on to that live page. become.com/news. do stay with us here on "bbc world news." still to come, we're taking a look ahead to the u.s. midterm elections in the key battleground state of colorado. . but systems policed by hp's cyber security team are constantly monitored for threats. outside and in. that's why hp reports and helps neutralize more intrusions than anyone... in the world. if hp security solutions can help keep the world's largest organizations safe, they can keep yours safe, too. make it matter. you drop 40 grand on a new set of wheels, then... wham! a minivan t-bones you. guess what: your insurance company will only give you 37-thousand to replace it. "depreciation" they claim.

"how can my car depreciate before it's first oil change?" you ask. maybe the better question is, why do you have that insurance company? with liberty mutual new car replacement, we'll replace the full value of your car. see car insurance in a whole new light. liberty mutual insurance. ♪ ♪ bring the delicious taste of hershey's chocolate to anything - everything. with hershey's spreads, the possibilities are delicious.

a new afghan government has just signed important security deals with the u.s. that will allow foreign troops to remain in the country beyond 2014. former president hamid karzai had for months refused to sign the agreements. just over 50,000 nato troops are thought to be currently serving in afghanistan. the majority of those troops are from the united states. this bilateral security agreement allows 9,800 u.s.

troops to stay in the country to construct counterterror operations and to support and train afghan forces. these u.s. forces are expected to pull out almost completely by the end of 2016. a under a separate nato agreement, several nations will contribute to a further force of about 3,000 troops. let's take you to kabul and join the bbc's david loyn for us. david, is there widespread public support in afghanistan for the u.s. troops to stay? >> reporter: almost everybody in afghanistan other than president karzai wanted -- and you could say the taliban wanted a new security deal with the u.s. and with nato. all of his army chiefs did. all of his ministers that i spoke to did. and certainly the new president and the new chief executive abdullah abdullah. dr. ashraf ghani, the new president, sworn in on monday in this new government alongside

abdullah abdullah. their very first official act was to oversee the signing of this document between the u.s. and their new national security adviser, and then the nato deal that followed it. and both of these deals signed very quickly in the presidential palace today. now, these deals allow american forces to remain in afghanistan after the end of this year, supported by a small force of nato troops to continue to train and advise and assist afghan forces not to carry out combat operations. and in his speech welcoming this deal, what was really interesting about president ghani's statement was not that this is seen as some sort of continuing suppression. this is some sort of imperial relationship. but a completely new relationship with the u.s. and this is more than just a symbol. it's real substance. he says that today afghanistan has regained its sovereignty as a power and that american and other forces remain here on

afghan terms from the end of this year. >> david, thanks for that from kabul. with me here in the studio is steven carter, the gn campaign leader at global witness. thank you for being with us. the main focus of these troops were training and supporting the afghan army. what kind of shape is the afghan army in? >> well, that's a very good question. we've seen that they have taken some quite serious losses recently. and there has been a certain amount of territory lost to the taliban. however, the real test is yet to come. it's if forces are withdrawn, if there is a reduction particularly in western air power, that's when they'll be really tested, and no one really knows quite how they'll come out of that. >> afghans must be tired of war, but the you think this delay that we've seen politically in forming the new government has strengthened the taliban?

>> well, i think that it has certainly strengthened the insurgency in that it has shown the distance that there is yet to go to establish a political structure in afghanistan that has -- and that's the real question. because if we look at the underlying drivers of this conflict, then the political aspect is extremely important, as is the government's aspect. and we have to say that there was a process which gave a result in the end, and i think we should all be grateful for that. but it did also highlight the weakness of the system. >> president ghani talked yesterday in his inauguration speech about tackling so many things. he also did reach out to the taliban and said we would like a deal. is that likely? >> well, i think when the taliban have responded by launching several attacks on the day of the inauguration. they're very clear that they're going to fight to establish an

islamic state and any government with or without the presence of american forces is beginning to be seen as a tool of the united states. however, i think it is right that he reached out to taliban. i think there is going to be an opportunity to try and restart the process. >> stephen carter, thank you very much. all this month, a bbc pop-up team has been reporting from across the u.s. state of colorado, bringing stories from underreported parts of america to our global audience. colorado was one of the key battlegrounds in the u.s. midterm elections, which will take place five weeks from now, and if it changes hands, the democrats could lose control of the senate. women and voters from ethnic minorities are going to be crucial to the results. >> reporter: which way it goes is all in the hands of colorado's voters. strong wills to be won over. but the politicians are on uncertain grund. both parties struggling to get

ahead. their fate hangs on the female vote. women's issues have dominated the campaign ads so far, but there's a difference between what these women want and what politicians think they want. >> as a woman who's about to graduate college, i would say is first of all, safety, so regarding sexual assault. second of all, not only fair wages, but fair opportunities to get a job. i feel like i am disadvantaged because of my gender. as i'm about to enter the working world. >> anything to do with the environment. fracking. energy issues. abortion. >> reporter: and are the politicians addressing those issues? >> i don't think so. >> there are still very few women in leadership positions, in congress, in the senate, in our elected offices, and that's not being addressed at all. >> so how is it we're still debating a woman's access to abortion or birth control? >> reporter: democrat mark udall is defending his senate seat. both sides are spending millions

on campaign ads. >> what's the difference between me and mark udall on contraception? i believe the pill ought to be available over the counter. >> reporter: cory gardner is the republican challenger. polls put them neck and neck. a third of voters here in denver and across colorado aren't registered to be either democrat or republican, so there is a lot to be fought over. if politicians want to win not just the midterms but the next presidential election, they absolutely need the support. not just of women, but also of young people and latino voters. >> hello, guys. excuse me, how old are you? >> reporter: this nonpartisan group is trying to persuade more latinos to vote. the economy matters most to this man and the way it impacts mexican-americans. >> latinos are just like everyone else. they care about the economy. they care about education. but specifically, immigration will be the number one issue. >> reporter: the republican

party lost the latino vote last election by a huge margin. cory gardner needs the support of core voters and more liberal leaning voters. most people at this event were kind of old and white. what are you doing to get women, to get the latino vote, to get young people? >> well, we're everywhere. this afternoon we'll be at an asian candidate forum. we'll be at a black candidate forum. we'll be all over the state at college campuses. we will be in every nook and cranny of this state. >> reporter: change is coming to colorado. every autumn that comes and goes, the population becomes a little more latino. it's a transformation that will change politics and politicians here and across america. bbc news, colorado. let's return to our top story now. those ongoing protests in hong kong. tens of thousands of people in the main financial district and more are arriving. just to bring you these incredible drone pictures we have again that just show the scale of the demonstrations in

hong kong. the chief executive has told protesters they must call off their protests. i have to say these are pictures that are probably not being shown in mainland china at the moment. china stepping up its efforts to censor the discussion. they have suspended instagram. stay with us. 3rd and 3. 58 seconds on the clock, what am i thinking about? foreign markets. asian debt that recognizes the shift in the global economy. you know, the kind that capitalizes on diversity across the credit spectrum

and gets exposure to frontier and emerging markets. if you convert 4-quarter p/e of the s&p 500, its yield is doing a lot better... if you've had to become your own investment expert, maybe it's time for bny mellon, a different kind of wealth manager ...and black swans are unpredictable. ♪ ♪ the power of kraft mac & cheese can make a man do questionable things. ♪ [ cellphone chimes ] mom: russell! [ exhales deeply ] [ male announcer ] gooey, creamy, delicious kraft macaroni & cheese. you know you love it.

[ woman ] thanks. the dealership reviews on cars.com made it easy, but... [ man ] we thought it might be a little more tense. you miss the drama? yeah. [ technician ] ask him whatever you want. okay. ♪ do you think my sister's prettier than me? ♪ [ laughs ] [ male announcer ] research, price, find. only cars.com helps you get the right car without all the drama. duke's family only feeds him iams, for a love that can endure any fashion trend, ou with two times the meat than other leading brands. it helps keep him strong from tiara to toenail. just one of many iams formulas to keep love strong.

i'm lucy hockings. in this half-hour, the world has lost half its wildlife population in the past 40 years. and humans are blamed for much of the decline. there's the key finding of a new report out today. we'll be speaking to one of the report's researchers from london zoo. a search for bodies at a japanese volcano is suspended as scientists say there's a risk of another eruption. plus on the program, aaron is looking at the boom in panic rooms. >> lucy, forget about your indoor swimming pools and cinema

rooms. today, these things seem to be a must-have. armored, plated hideaways in your house to escape dangerous situations. and believe it or not, it's not just the super rich buying panic rooms, but yes, ordinary households right here in britain's suburbs. a new study has warned wildlife populations around the world have dropped by more than half in just 40 years. according to the new living planet index, populations of mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians, and fish have declined by an average of 52%. in ghana alone, the lion population in one reserve fell by 90%. while populations of fresh water species have fallen by a staggering 76% in the last four decades. the index tracked more than

10,000 species from 1970 to 2010. the report blames human activity for the alarming drop in numbers with habitats destroyed more quickly than they can be replaced. they're alarming figures, the report was produced with the london zoological society. robert freeman is here with me now, conservationist with the society. is it worse than you imagined it would be? >> very much so. this is a report that we produce biannually every two years. it's much worse than we previously thought. >> which species are the most affected? >> the lions have been quite badly affected over the last 40 years. but forest elephants have seen about a 60% decline in the last ten years. tigers over the last 100 years have seen about 90% decline. >> fresh water species as well. >> frog species, about three species in puerto rico that seemed to have gone extinct.

>> is this our fault? >> we see the habitat degradation, which are likely due to human impacts. other factors that seem to cause these declines are things like exploitation by human industry and an increasing amount of climate change. >> the figures are staggering, but the warnings have been there for years. are you getting the accepsense no one's listening? >> i think it would be great if this were taken as a wake-up call to say listen, if we've lost about 50% of the animals in the wild, this is the point where we should stop this. we should try to get to a point where we stop these declines. >> so you don't feel it's irreversible? >> no, i don't think this is inevitable. but we're going to have to do it

together. it's going to have to be an industry, a business, a government that's going to bring us together to reduce our impacts. >> there are, of course, different ecological footprints, as you've mentioned. i mean, who are the worst offenders? >> there are some places like brazil who have increased the standard of living without increasing the footprint. >> is there a model we should be looking at, a country that's doing the right thing? >> i don't know if there's one particular model, but i think if we can bring together the whole of our civilization to look at how we can approach these things, to decrease our footprints on various industries, maybe we can make this change together. >> are there any examples -- >> red kites have gone from the edge of extinction to over 2,000 breeding pairs in the last few

decades. >> thank you very much for joining us. robin freeman there. let's take you to japan now. rescue teams have had to stop work to recover the bodies of hikers who died when a volcano erupted on saturday. they are worried about another eruption. more than 30 people are presumed to have died in the eruption. it happened without warning, suffocating them with ash and pelting them with reports. >> reporter: mount ontake is still active and deadly, spewing out yet more toxic fumes. increasingly strong tremors are raising fears that pressure inside the volcano is building up again and another eruption may be imminent. hundreds of rescuers were about to resume their search for the missing, but they've been grounded. it's just too dangerous. >> translator: unfortunately, we've had to suspend the

operations due to volcanic activities. it's very unfortunate and frustrating. we're well prepared, but we're no match against the power of nature, and that's a reality i've had to face. >> reporter: this is the moment of saturday's eruption. some unsuspecting walkers watched in horror as tons of ash and stone shot into the sky. as it began to rain down on them, they fled. but they weren't fast enough. the poisonous cloud caught up with them. this group was very lucky to survive. others did not escape. they succumbed to the fumes or were hit by falling rocks. there were more walkers on the mountain whose fate is still not known. the uncertainty is agonizing, but there's nothing the rescue teams can do but watch the volcano and wait. >> my colleague rupert

winfield-hayes has been speaking to a survivor of that eruption. what an incredible experience it must have been. absolutely terrifying. we're going to bring you that interview later today here on "bbc world news," so do stay with us for that. time now to get on to business, though. aaron is with us now. is ireland about to get into trouble, aaron? >> could. a lot of people in europe watching this very closely. let me explain. good to see you, lucy. thanks very much. ireland could get raked over the coals in europe for the tax deal it's been offering to attract international companies like apple. now, the deal says that the european commission amounts to offering apple unfair state aid. the report out today, it is part of a broader eu investigation. and the commission has been examining whether these countries have unfairly favored multi-national companies, including, yes, apple. but fiat, amazon, and starbucks. so this in-depth inquiry into ireland has found that the

country's benign tax regime means multi-nationals are, in fact, receiving a form of unfair state aid. apple could end up having to pay millions of dollars in back taxes. apple says it's received no selective treatment from irish officials over the years. and apple says it's subject to the same tax laws as the countless other companies who do business in ireland. let's get more. let's go straight over to our economics correspondent andrew walker, who joins me. great to have you with us as always. break this down a little further. in some reports, i've been hearing this goes back to steve jobs who did a deal with ireland many, many years ago. >> back in the early 1990s, subsequent deals done more recently, 2007. deals which the european commission says in its preliminary review do amount to a state aid because they gave what the commission regards as a selective and favorable tax

treatment to apple over the money that it was making in ireland. the commission also takes the view that it can't see any reason for supposing that this deal was "compatible" with the european internal market. if that is the case, it would amount to an illegal state aid. it's not a definitive view, though. the investigation continues. >> correct me if i'm wrong. it's being watched very closely around europe. in fact, i think one german politician wrote today, 74 billion profit and no taxes paid. he says the eu, this must be severely punished. i'm just wondering about the wider ramifications, not just for apple, but for other perhaps firms that use ireland as a base. >> for one thirng i think ng, in safely say that no one is going to be punished. what typically happens is the company receiving it has to repay it. so starbucks or in this particular case apple would be

out of pocket to some extent, and ireland would actually be in the money, money that it wasn't particularly banking on getting, one has to say. but yeah, sure, there is the potential for this to have implications. the three countries that have been very much at the focus of the commission investigation are ireland, luxembourg, you mentioned the fiat case where there's already also been a letter published today, and the netherlands, where starbucks is one of the companies in the fray. so yes, we will ultimately see significant amounts of money being repaid by companies. and if that happens, and i emphasize if that happens, they would want to rethink i suppose just exactly how they organize, how they structure their businesses around europe. >> yeah, it's quite a complicated case. we know whether it's millions or billions, apple may have to pay. apple's got very deep pockets. i'm sure it will be okay. andrew, good stuff.

thank you very much. let me just touch on some other stories making headlines all around the world. a u.s. judge has ruled that argentina is contempt of court for refusing to pay an order to repay the debt it owes to two u.s. hedge funds. now, the news just adds another twist to this dispute between argentina and the fund who bought the country's debt at a discounted rate when it defaulted back in 2001. and creditors, they continue to argue that the country must repay its outstanding debt. the argentinean president has other ideas. how about this one? the united states will soon be the world's biggest producer of liquid petroleum, overtaking saudi arabia. u.s. production of oil and related liquids was neck and neck with saudi arabia in june and august, but with oil production in the u.s. continuing to boom, its output is set to exceed saudi arabia this month or next. that would be the first time the u.s. has exceeded saudis since

1991. there you go. you know when you think of your typical upmark house, you imagine a swimming pool or a basement cocktail bar. i think it's called a man cave. but there's a new hidden feature for the super rich and it is a panic room. you can retreat to if there are dangerous intruders like kids or your wife. joking. they can cost anywhere between $70,000 and $7 million to install. some security firms say demand for them has trebled over the past three years. but as jeremy howe reports, it's not only the super rich who are buying these, but also ordinary households right here in britain's suburbs. >> reporter: in the honorable woman, a political drama shown on the bbc in britain this summer, the israeli businesswoman nessa stein passes

by the immaculate bedroom of her london home, opens the secret panel, and goes to bed in an austere cubby hole. it's her panic room. and this is what a panic room looks like in the cold light of day. this is a small one, priced at about $70,000. it's being built for the panic room company, who are due to install it in a house in london's exclusive mayfair district. >> we've seen it increase from -- definitely, the russian market, eastern european market. a lot of wealthy individuals from those areas are coming to london. giving protection to the family while the main client is away. also protects for particular burglary. >> reporter: but panic rooms are not the reserve of the super rich in london. they're also finding their way into britain's suburbs.

this is the master bedroom of a semi-detached property about 20 miles north of london. and this room is also the house's panic room. the walls are steel-lined, capable of withstanding attacks from sledgehammers or automatic rifles. the door is steel-framed. but it's also been disguised with wood panelling on the outside, because the secret of a good panic room is to keep it a secret. the company which fitted that panic room is shield security doors. three years ago, they were building 30 panic rooms a year. now they're building over 100. with a particular rise within the middle market. >> you think how many valuables you have in your house. if you're going to go away on holiday, you going to leave that stuff around your house, or do you perhaps think you know what, i'll put it in my panic room and i'll feel a lot safer.

>> the panic room industry was born in britain because of the security fears of foreign multi-millionaires. but now the notion is filtering through to the rest of british society and driving the market even further. jeremy howell, bbc news. >> what do you think of that? follow me on twitter. i was thinking, there's no loo. what happens if you don't have a toilet in one? the intruders stand outside the door. it's like who gives first? i kind of want one, though. i like it. do stay with us here on "bbc world news." still to come, the very ugly side of sport. it's difficult to watch these pictures, but they highlight the very real dangers of games like rugby. we take a look at what's being done to protect players. ♪

♪ [ male announcer ] give extra. get extra.

i'm lucy hockings. the top stories this hour. pro-democracy protesters maintain their presence on the streets of hong kong, despite the insistence that china will not bow to their demands. afghanistan and the united states have signed a deal which will allow thousands of u.s. troops to stay in the country next year. now, no matter who you are or what you follow in sport, it can be a pretty emotional experience. some might even say a spiritual one. but are all religious displace on the pitch equal? that's the debate that's raging online at the moment after an incident during an nfl game on monday. that's the american national football league, by the way. during a clash between the kansas city chiefs and the new england patriots, hussein abdullah scored a touchdown and then knelt in muslim prayer. he was then apparently penalized. and his penalty sparked twitter

into action, where it was noted that plenty of christian players mark their scores with a mark of tribute to their higher power. here are some examples of what we've seen online today. on the right, we can see abdullah after that touchdown, with well-known christian player tim tebow, with the line guess which touchdown celebration got a penalty and which did not? here we can see abdullah again on the right and brandon marshall raising his hands to the heavens. people asking why he wasn't also penalized. finally, this one here. you can see abdullah and tebow both. those seem to be the two players that have been significangled o. let's talk to mark carlson, the uk's foremost braeoadcaster on e nfl. this is a twitter storm. >> that's exactly what it is. i hope by this morning in new york this will be taken care of and put away. because we call the nfl the no fun league. they have these severe penalties

in place for celebrating when you score. and one of the penalties if for going to the ground, as they call it. you can't go on the ground when you celebrate. the prayer is an exception that's not in the rules, but it's never enforced. the referees understand, they allow people to play. and what happened with hussein was he slid along the ground on his knees, and then into the prayer position. i suspect the referee had flown the flag before he actually started praying. >> so this is crucial. it was not about the prayer. >> probably not. i can't say for certain. i wasn't there. but if they had realized -- and the referee may never have realized that he was praying at all. if they realized it was praying, i'm sure what they're going to do is say they hadn't realized. he wouldn't be fined, which is usually the case, and the flag was thrown in mistake. and that will probably clear it up. >> and hussein abdullah himself has been rather gracious. he says it's the slide. >> he and his brother, who also played in the nfl, took the 2012 year off and went on their

pilgrimage to mecca, took their mother and their other brother because they wanted to do this while that are were still healthy, they said. and his brother has been very outspoken in terms of the league's responsibility for player safety on the pitch. when hussein came back, the general manager of the team that signed him, kansas city, said sometimes there are things more important in football. i like the fact that he's followed his spirit and did what he thought was important. >> the nfl has to deal with this one quite quickly because things have not been good. >> exactly. this is a chance not only to make a point for the nfl. we made a mistake, we're going to clear it up. but in a wider sense, to take a sort of lead in america in terms of recognizing islam and recognizing moslem prayer and pointing out that people like hussein abdullah are americans, they're not a threat to america. islam is not necessarily a throat america. >> another of the challenges facing the nfl at the moment is

how dangerous the sport is. it's obviously an ongoing debate for a long time. we're about to talk about rugby and the dangers of rugby. what are they doing about protecting players in the nfl? >> they're taking steps bit by bit. they've started a program to help other players. one of the things with the year off that hussein took is he had had four concussions in the space of a year, and therefore that year off probably did him a lot of good in terms of his brain recovering. the main thing right now is people are trying to monitor, they're trying to stop head collisions. the helmet in nfl football is less a protection than it is a weapon, and the problem with concussion, obviously, is simply the brain going around lick tket in the head. this applies to rugby just as much. >> i'm sure you know there are no helmets in rugby. i'm from new zealand. a big concern in new zealand. australia. south africa as well. all the countries that play rugby. but there's been a particular concern here in great britain

because the family of a teenager in northern ireland says young players should be taught the signs of potentially life-threatening injuries. this is because their 14-year-old son actually collapsed at a rugby game and then he died. chris buckler has more for us. >> reporter: contact is part of competition in rugby. and some injuries are inevitable. but protecting players is a priority for schools. belfast has a long history of playing the sport, and in recent years, concussion has become one of their biggest concerns. all the pupils at belfast are warned of the dangers of concussion. and rugby organizations across the british isles have been aware of programs since the death of a teenager at another school in northern ireland just a few years ago. an inquest finds that ben robinson died from what is known as second impact syndrome. that's when a blow causes

swelling to the brain before it's recovered from another injury. ben, having been involved in several heavy tackles and he collapsed at the end of the game. >> that day in the second half, you see ben, you realize he's out because when he falls to the ground, it's your natural reaction to put his hands in front of him. he plows into the ground. and he was checked. allowed to play on. and with about a minute to go, ben collapsed. he was on life support for two days, and finally it was turned off. >> reporter: ben robinson's parents want the issue of concussion taught as curriculum. it's a concern for both professionals. look at this tackle. the football association is one of the latest organizations to warn players about the dangers. here at the university, they're

researching the impact of injuries on schoolboy rugby players. >> there is a need to develop much more stringent injury monitoring, and only that can inform us of the tree levels of risks that are associated. >> reporter: the dangers go beyond concussion. people have broken their necks and backs playing this sport. players know they can't always avoid injury, but sporting organizations insist they are trying to tackle the risks. chris buckler, bbc news, belfast. >> you can really see the concerns there around games like rugby. let's return you now to our top story. going to take you straight to hong kong. these are the live pictures we're getting. now tens of thousands of protesters there are continuing to demonstrate. what we're hearing is that more and more people are flooding into the financial district in hong kong, blocking off some of the main arteries into the city. the chief executive of the

territory c.y. leung has said they must call off this demonstration. he said it would do no good, and that china will not drop its rules to vet candidates in the next leadership election. but we've been hearing from protesters that they intend to stay the night. m plan the vacat. off the beaten path: he said trust me: he implored alas, she is beginning to seriously wonder why she ever doubted the booking genius planet earth's number one accomodation site booking.com booking.yeah!

she can't control herself around chocolate. she'll devour you. really? yeah, uh, thanks for introducing us. anything for a friend. ooh, strong grip! ow! ♪

ooh, strong grip! ow! virtually all your important legal matters in just minutes. now it's quicker and easier for you to start your business, protect your family, and launch your dreams. at legalzoom.com we put the law on your side.

fithen a little family fun...... with breakfast for 4 and wifi. join us for the family fun package. doubletree by hilton. where the little things mean everything. applebee's let the fans put thefamous 2 for $20 menu.the why did i put the bourbon street chicken and shrimp on applebee's 2 for $20 menu? because it's the most beautiful thing i've ever seen. hi. oh, happy birthday. applebee's. where fans know best.

[ chinese music playining ] you want to buy shukina? i dunno. or peshwami. most beautiful peshwami in all of shan shen. um, no, thanks.