this is bbc america, and now, live from london, "bbc world news." >> hello, i'm geeta guru-murthy with "bbc world news." our top stories. the battle for kobane, kurdish fighters hold back an advance by islamic state near the syrian border with turkey. after a week of protests, the number of pro-democracy protests on the streets of hong kong falls sharply. it's round two for brazil's president after dilma rousseff failed to secure enough votes to be re-elected outright. a british man accused of arranging the murder of his wife whilst on honeymoon goes on trial in south africa.

hello. a fierce battle is taking place around a syrian town near the border with turkey. kurdish fighters backed by u.s.-led air strikes are trying to hold back an advance by islamic state militants near kobane. the town has been besieged for weeks, forcing tens of thousands of kurds to flee the area. while these are the pictures live from the turkish-syrian border, there is some movement of turkish tanks lined up. let's speak to the bbc persian service. just tell us what is the latest picture first of all with control of kobane and where the

i.s. militants are. >> we can see kobane, looking to kobane right now. in my left, there is pounding. they are pushing back. just a few minutes ago, i talked to one of the soldiers in tanks, ask whether there is any reas reason -- to kobane for attacks. he said that right now --

[ inaudible ] some houses there. no action right now. >> okay, thanks very much indeed. sorry about the quality on that line, it is quite difficult to make out that, but hopefully you got some sort of gist there. mark lowen, our correspondent, is in instan bustanbul for us. can you tell us about why it is so strategically important? >> well, it is very important because it stands very close to the turkish border. it is just on the other side of the border fence, so if islamic state was to take that town, they would be at the border of a vital nato member, a country which has the second-largest army in the alliance. and also, it is a block to

islamic state's control of that part of northern syria. so that is why the fighting is so fierce around that town. i was down there for about ten days and saw much of what your correspondent there was talking about. the shelling continues of the town. we understand that islamic state are one or two kilometers away, trying to control the town from a hill to the south of it. but kurdish fighters are holding out. we have heard reports that a kurdish female fighter blew herself up last night next to islamic state positions and having to try to push them back. meanwhile, the u.s.-led air strikes try to push back i.s. fighters from a town that are not really succeeding, partly because i.s. are still vastly greater -- still have vastly greater weapons than the kurdish fighters there. >> so why are the turkish military not crossing the border to defend this town given parliament sanctioned military action last week?

>> it's a complicated issue for turkey. turkey gave parliamentary approval last thursday to, in theory, taking part in the coalition. but turkey fears retaliation along its long and porous border. it does not particularly want to help the kurds on the other side of the border. bear in mind, the long-standing hostility between the turkish government and the kurds in turkey who fought a civil war until recently. so turkey is weighing up its options, but there is a lot of pressure on turkey to get involved. the leader of the kurds here in turkey who's in prison saying that if kobane falls to islamic state, that would be the end of the peace process between the turks and the kurds. meanwhile, speculation continues here as to why 46 turkish citizens were released from being held hostage by islamic state in iraq since last you know. they were released about two and a half weeks ago.

a report today in a british newspaper saying that they were released as part of a prisoner exchange with islamic state in which up to 180 jihadis, foreign jihadis who were planning to fight with islamic state were released to the group. and we understand -- the report saying that ten of those 180 were e.u. citizens, two of them brits. the bbc has spoken to the foreign office in britain which says the reports of a prisoner exchange are credible. we are trying to get a confirmation from the turkish government, but bear in mind, it's the eid muslim holiday and we're not yet getting a response from the turkish government, but there were reports of an exchange and that is what cleared the way for the hostages to be released and the parliamentary vote to take place last week. >> mark, thanks very much for that update. speak to you soon. later in the program, we will report on the plight of iraqi christians. thousands are refugees after their homes were captured by the

so-called islamic state fighters. the number of pro-democracy activists on the streets of hong kong has fallen sharply, but student leaders have told the bbc it's a tactical retreat while they arrange talks with government officials. schools have reopened, as life in some parts of the territory returns to normal after more than a week of demonstrations. small groups of protesters are still defiant and demanding the right to elect candidates for election in 2017. babita sharma has more. >> reporter: i'm just outside one of the main government buildings in hong kong. the barricades have been completely move. there is no sign that the demonstrators are stopping the hundreds of government employees that are coming into this building here this morning. if anything, it is the media that have gathered there that are restricting their access into that building. but the protesters remain defiant. they're low in numbers this morning, but they say they're going to stay despite that government ultimatum for them to

clear the streets by this morning, monday morning. they're exhausted, tired, but no plans to leave any time soon. >> babita sharma there. julianna liewe julianna lieu -- >> they say the ball is in the government court. the two sides met last night briefly to try to hammer out a framework for the future possible talks. they also want a commitment from the government that they will implement or execute whatever it is that they decide at the end. a political settlement, political agreement, promises from the hong kong government to talk to beijing, perhaps to get the chinese government to change

their minds to what they've already announced at the end of august. the students say that they're hoping to meet either later today or tomorrow at the very latest. they say if the talks don't happen by tomorrow, the government may indeed not have been sincere in wanting to speak. >> juliana lui there. brazil's presidential race will go to a second round after the incumbent dilma rousseff fell short of outright victory. 142 million people were eligible to vote and turnout was around 80%. voting is mandatory in brazil for those between 18 and 70, so dilma rousseff failed to get enough votes to avoid a second round runoff getting 41% of the poll. the pro-business candidate got 34%, guaranteeing his place in the runoff. but the environmentalist marina

silva obtained only 21% of the vote and has now been eliminated. roy davis reports. >> reporter: celebrating victory, but dilma rousseff fell short of the 50% she needed to stay in power for another four years. she may dismiss her rivals as ghosts from the past, but this election is far from over. brazilians take their civic duty seriously. this was only the seventh time people here have voted in a democratic election since the end of military rule. for the last 12 years, they've been given by the leftist party. it's also been accused of driving the economy towards recession. did you think it's the economy, violence? what are the main issues? >> the main issues are economic right now. i think the security issue is always an issue in brazil, but the economic issue right now,

it's what's moving the election. >> i guess corruption. we are talking about -- actually, forget about that. just corruption. >> reporter: and this is who many brazilians have turned to, nevez, who came within ten percentage points of beating dilma in the first round. but for every winner, a loser. a month ago, marina silva was favorite to become brazil's next president. but without a big party structure, that support fell away. brazilians are already looking to who marina will back in the second round as possible king maker. >> marina, it surpasses the number of votes that dilma obtained in the first round. so clearly the majority of the society is in favor of the change. >> brazilians are now winding

down after what's been a very intense and at times surprising election campaign. and of course, they'll have to go through it all again in three weeks time to find out who will be the next leader of the world's seventh largest economy. bbc news, rio de janeiro. the underwater search for the missing malaysia airlines flight mh370 has resumed in the southern indian ocean seven months after it disappeared. a ship equipped with sonar technology has arrived in a remote stretch of ocean where the plane is thought to have ended its flight. typhoon phanfone has landed in japan. at least one person has died and three others are missing. thousands of households have lost power and japan's two largest airlines have suspended many flights.

the world's longest reigning monarch underwent surgery to remove his gallbladder. he took the throne in 1986 and has stepped in repeatedly to unify the country. tens of thousands of villages have fled their homes in kashmir, as indian and pakistani troops bombarded each other with gunfire and mortar shells. the two sides exchanged fire over the border. at least nine people, including three children, were killed. each country accuses the other of firing first. and police in indian controlled kashmir have fired tear gas at protesters who are angry over the response of last month's devastating floods. the government has failed to provide proper relief to tens of thousands of flood victims. at least 100,000 homes were destroyed in early september. a curfew has been imposed in the

central business district to stop further protests. stay with us on "bbc world news." much more to come. have you ever felt the need to zone out at work? we tell you how one woman's tragedy inspired her to design a hat that can help you do just that. to always build something better, airplanes that fly cleaner and farther on less fuel. that redefine comfort and connect the world like never before. after all, you can't turn dreams into airplanes unless your passion for innovation is nonstop. ♪

this is "bbc world news." i'm geeta guru-murthy with the latest headlines. the battle continues for the syrian town of kobane. kurdish fighters try to hold back an advance by islamic state militants. following a week of protests, there's a sharp fall in the number of pro-democracy campaigners on the streets of hong kong. now, a british businessman accused of masterminding the murder of his wife during their honeymoon in south africa has pleaded not guilty at the start of his trial in capetown. he denies plotting to kill his wife annie in november 2010.

three men have already been jailed for their part in her murder. let's talk now to our correspondent who is in capetown. milton, tell us what's happened today. we've heard quite a lot of evidence outlined already, haven't we? >> reporter: very much so, geeta. today we heard through a statement by mr. dewani that he considered himself to be bisexual, and he said that in his attempt to cure himself of this, annie, his wife, was supportive of his hormonal treatment. we also have the counts that were read to him. he had five counts. he's facing five counts, which were read to him, which include murder, kidnapping, robbery, and defeating the ends of justice. but things have moved along since then. we've heard the first state witness, a pathologist, dr. jeanette fester.

she's been explaining what she thought was the cause of death for annie. she said it was a single gunshot wound to the neck, and she said the gun was fired at close range, between ten and 25 centimeters from her neck. so that's what we've been hearing in court today. and mr. dewani, through his statement, has explained what happened on the night and how he withdrew money, how he changed a thousand pounds to try and prepare for this private surprise helicopter ride to watch the sunrise over capetown. >> milton, we have to leave it there. back to you soon for more. thanks very much for now. a catholic church leader in iraq has said that western air strikes haven't done enough to protect the country's christians. the archbishop of erbil says more force needs to be used to keep christians safe. tens of thousands fled their

villages and towns near mosul in early august. from erbil in northern iraq, quentin somerville. >> reporter: the peace and quiet of st. joseph's cathedral in erbil is no more. the chapel gardens have become a crowded sanctuary for iraqi christians. most arrived here with only the clothes on their backs. when the islamic state overran their towns and villages. this was in june. catholic church bells ringing out in defiance of i.s. in nearby mosul. a congregation refusing to flee. >> we will fight and we will stay here. we are not leaving actually. >> reporter: three months on, we find it again, and discover that like every other christian, she

did flee. you fled in the middle of the night? >> yes. >> reporter: and she has little expectation of returning home soon. >> first we need them to -- our lands to be under control, the government or the peshmerga or anything. and then we need protection actually from the surrounding, because they are the people who attacked us, who betrayed us. >> reporter: a kurdish soldier looks down on i.s.-controlled territory. from mosul outwards through sunni muslim villages, the islamic state spread. christians have live mid this part of iraq for centuries, but as the islamic state swept across this plain, their abandoned their towns and villages and now none are left. the church says it will only be safe for them to return when mosul has been liberated and the islamic state defeated. the archbishop of erbil says air strikes so far have done nothing to help iraq's christians.

>> it's strange for a catholic bishop to say that please, we need more of wars, but it's self-defense really. i could see that my people are really dying, dying in a way that is terrifying, it's painful. we have to defend ourselves. >> reporter: even if the islamic state is forced back, christian and sunni neighbors won't easily trust each other again. there's little faith left here. quentin somerville, bbc news in northern iraq. we're going to go back to brazil now. aaron? >> we are indeed. all about the economy. that election about the economy. thanks, geeta. hello there. certainly as you've been hearing, dilma rousseff won the most votes in sunday's election, but she will need to take part in that runoff at the end of the

month. after growing more than 4% a year during a commodities fuel boom last decade, brazil's economy has averaged less than 2% growth under rousseff, and there are many on wall street that have made no secret of their desire for more market-friendly policies. we're going to go live to our business reporter in brazil on "gmt" coming up in just over an hour's time. also this one. greece has released earlier today its draft budget for 2015 and after many very bleak years, it would seem that the country's economy is kind of turning a coroner. because the plan outlines the greece hopes to exit. its $240 million euro bailout package a year ahead of scheduled. it expects to report a budget surplus. when have we heard that? a budget surplus of 2.9% of its gdp next year, that would be just shy of the 3% target set by

its international lenders, which is the eu and the imf bailout. big problems for disney, in particular euro disney. the theme park complex on the outskirts of paris has agreed to a $1.25 billion debt restructuring deal backed by its biggest shareholder walt disney. walt disney actually owns 40% of the parisian theme park. as part of the deal, euro disney will offer new shares to current shareholders at a discount on the current price. the news certainly sent shares lower. they were down this morning. today, monday, down some 14%. and that is it with the business. more on "gmt" in just over an hour's time. and you can tweet me @bbcaaron. that's it with the business. >> if disney doesn't alleviate your stress, how about this? a helmet designed by one japanese designer.

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have among the cultures, quite obsessed about how to escape reality for myself. i'm always thinking about him, why this happened. initially my idea was from my brother. because he's really shy. they start to sing really loud. the game i made with the helmets are for workers to have a competition together. office worker can release their negative energy, and let go of their stress. after my father's death, i had a really hard time for a while.

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hello, i'm geeta guru-murthy with "bbc world news." our top stories. the battle for kobane, kurdish fighters hold back an advance by islamic state near the syrian border with turkey. following a week of protests, the number of pro-democracy activists on the streets of hong kong falls. in her bid to retain office, the brazilian president dilma rousseff is to face a second round runoff. and a british man accused of arranging the murder of his wife whilst on honeymoon is on trial in south africa.

hello. a fierce battle is taking place around a syrian town near the border with turkey. kurdish fighters backed by u.s.-led air strikes are trying to hold back an advance by islamic state militants at kobane. the town has been besieged for three weeks now, forcing tens of thousands of kurds to flee the area. let's have a look at some of the live shots coming into us now from the turkish-syrian border. there's some movement of turkish tanks lined up, and we have seen smoke coming from some of the buildings in the last few minutes in kobane on the syrian side. the bbc's mark lowen is in istanbul. he told me more about the situation there and the strategic importance of kobane. >> reporter: well, it is very important because it stands very

close to the turkish border. it is just on the other side of the border fence. so if islamic state were to take that town, they would be at the border of a vital nato member, a country which has the second-largest army in the alliance. and also, it is a block to islamic state's control of that part of northern syria. so that is why the fighting is so fierce around that town. i was down there for about ten days and saw much of what your correspondent there was talking about. the shelling continues of the town. we understand that islamic state are one or two kilometers away, trying to control the town from a hill to the south of it. but kurdish fighters are holding out. we have heard reports that a kurdish female fighter blew herself up last night next to islamic state positions in an attempt to try to push them back. meanwhile, the u.s.-led air strikes try to push back i.s. fighters from the town that are not really succeeding, partly

because i.s. are still vastly greater, vastly greater array of weapons than the kurdish fighters there. >> so why are the turkish military not crossing the border to defend this town given parliament sanctioned military action last week? >> it's a complicated issue for turkey. turkey gave parliamentary approval last thursday to in theory taking part in the coalition, but turkey fears retaliation along its long and porous border. it does not particularly want to help the kurds on the other side of the border. bear in mind, the long-standing hostility between the turkish government and the kurds in turkey who fought a civil war until recently. so turkey is weigh up its option, but there is a lot of pressure on turkey to get involved. the leader of the kurds here in turkey, who is prison, saying if kobane falls to islamic state, that would be the end of the peace process between the turks

and the kurds. meanwhile, speculation continues here as to why 46 turkish citizens were released from being held hostage by islamic state in iraq since last you know. they were released about two and a half weeks ago. a report today in a british newspaper saying they were released as part of a prisoner exchange with islamic state, in which up to 180 jihadis, were released to the group. and we understand -- the report saying that ten of those were eu citizens, two of them brits. the bbc has spoken to the foreign office in britain, which says that the reports of a prisoner exchange are credible. we are trying to get a confirmation from the turkish government, but bear in mind, it's the eid muslim holiday here, and government offices are closed and we're not yet getting a response from the turkish government. but there were reports of a prisoner exchange and perhaps that is what cleared the way for

those hostages to be released and finally for that parliamentary vote to take place last week. >> mark lowen on that in istanbul. let's go to hong kong, because the number of pro-democracy protesters has fallen sharply. but student leaders have told the bbc it's a tactical retreat. schools have reopened, as life in some parts of the territory returns to normal. after more than a week of demonstrations, small groups of protesters still are defiant. they're demanding a right to nominate candidates for election in 2017. babita sharma has more. >> reporter: i'm just outside one of the main government buildings in hong kong. the barricades have been completely moved. there is no sign that the demonstrators are stopping the hundreds of government employees that are coming into this building here this morning. if anything, it is the media that have gather there had that are restricting their access into that building. but the protesters remain defiant. they're low in numbers this morning, but they say they're

going to stay despite that government ultimatum for them to clear the streets by this morning, monday morning. they're exhausted. they're tired. no plans to leave any time soon. >> juliana lui has been speaking to protesters to find out their next move. >> reporter: they are waiting to hear back from the hong kong government. the two sides met last night briefly to try to hammer out a framework for the future possible talks. they couldn't come to an agreement. the students are insisting that the talks take place over several rounds, not just once. they also want a commitment from the government that they will implement or execute whatever it is they decide to use this as an opportunity to press for a political settlement, political agreement, promises from the hong kong government to talk to

beijing, perhaps to get the chinese goth to change their minds to alter what they've announced at the end of august. students are hoping to meet either later today or tomorrow at the very latest. they say if the talks don't happen by tomorrow, that the government may indeed not have been sincere in wanting to speak. >> juliana lui there. brazil's presidential race will go to a second round after the incumbent dilma rousseff fell short of an outright victory in yesterday's election. more than 142 million people can vote and turnout was around 80%. voting is mandatory in brazil for those aged between 18 and 70. the brazilian president dilma rousseff didn't get enough votes to avoid a runoff. she got 41% of the vote. neves got 34% of the vote, which gives him a place in the runoff. but the environmentalist marina

silva, who was expected to make it through, managed to secure only 21% of the vote. she has now been eliminated. >> reporter: celebrating victory, but dilma rousseff fell somewhere short of the 50% she needed to stay in power for another four years. she may dismiss her rivals as ghosts from the past, but this election is far from over. brazilians take their civic duty seriously. this was only the seventh time people here have voted in a democratic election since the end of military rule. the last 12 years, they've been given by the leftist record party. it has a strong record on generous welfare policies but has also been accused of driving the chi towareconomy towards vi. do you think it's the economy? violence? >> security issue is always an issue in brazil, but the

economic issue right now, it's moving the elections. >> i guess corruption. we are talking about the -- no, actually, forget about that. just corruption. >> reporter: and this is who many brazilians have turned to, neves, the business-friendly former state governor who came within ten percentage points of beating dilma in the first round. but for every winner, a loser. a month ago, marina silva was favorite to become brazil's next president. but attacked for policy inconsistencies and without a big party structure, that support fell away. brazilians are already looking to who marina will back in the second round as potential king maker. >> to sum up, in marina, it surpasses the number of votes that dilma obtained in the first round, so clearly the majority of the society is in favor of

the change. >> reporter: brazilians are winding down after what's been an intense and at times surprising election campaign, and of course they'll have to go through it all again in three weeks time to find out who will be the next leader of the world's seventh largest economy. bbc news, rio de janeiro. stay with us, there's much more to come. shunned because of ebola. the sad truth behind the virus, which has left some children without anyone or anywhere to go. ced 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.

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this is "bbc world news." i'm geeta guru-murthy with the latest headlines. the battle continues for the syrian town of kobane. kurdish fighters try to hold back an advance by islamic state militants. after a week of protests, there's a sharp fall in the number of pro-democracy campaigners on the streets of

hong kong. a british businessman accused of masterminding the murder of his wife during their honeymoon in south africa has pleaded not guilty at the start of his trial in capetown. mr. dewani denies plotting to kill his wife annie in november 2010. three men have already been jailed for their part in her murder. the bbc is at the trial with this update. >> reporter: today we heard through a statement by mr. dewani that he said he considered himself to be bisexual and he said that in his attempt to cure himself of this, annie, his wife, was supportive of his hormonal treatment. we also have the counts that were read to him. he had five counts, he's facing five counts, which were read to him, which include murder, kidnapping, robbery, and defeating the ends of justice.

but things have moved along since then. we've heard the first state witness, a pathologist, dr. jeanette fester. she's been explaining what she thought was the cause of death for annie. she said it was a single gunshot wound to the neck and she said the gun was fired at close range between 10 and 25 centimeters from her neck. so that's what we've been hearing in court today, and mr. dewani through his statement has explained what happened on the night and how he withdrew money, how he changed a thousand pounds to try and prepare for this private surprise helicopter ride to watch the sunrise over capetown. a catholic church leader in iraq has said that western air strikes haven't done enough to protect the country's christians. the archbishop of erbil says

more force needs to be used to keep christians safe. tens of thousands fled in august as islamic state militants advance through the area. from erbil in northern iraq, quentin somerville reports. >> reporter: the peace and quiet of st. joseph's cathedral in erbil is no more. the chapel gardens have become a crowded sanctuary for iraqi christians. most arrived here with only the clothes on their backs. when the islamic state overran their towns and villages. this was in june. catholic church bells ringing out in defiance of i.s. in nearby mosul. a congregation refusing to flee. >> this is our land. we will fight for this land and we will stay here. we are not leaving actually. >> reporter: but three months on, we find her again and discover that like every other

christian, she did flee. you fled in the middle of the night? >> yes. >> reporter: and she has little expectation of returning home soon. >> first, we need them to -- our lands to be under control. government or the peshmerga or anything. and then we need protection, actually, from the surrounding, because they are the people who attacked us, who betrayed us. >> reporter: a kurdish soldier looks down on i.s.-controlled territory. from mosul outwards through sunni muslim villages, the islamic state spread. christians have lived in this part of iraq for centuries, but as the islamic state swept across this town, they abandoned their towns and villages and none have left. the church says it will only be safe for them to return when mosul has been liberated. the archbishop of erbil says air strikes so far have done nothing

to help iraq's christians. >> it's strange for a catholic bishop to say that, please, we need more of wars, but it's self-defense really. i could see that my people are really dying, dying in a way that is terrifying, it's painful, and we have to defend ourselves. >> reporter: even if the islamic state is forced back, christian and sunni neighbors won't easily trust each other again. there's little faith left here. quentin somerville, bbc news in northern iraq. the united states' top public health agency has warned that the experimental ebola drug zmapp is not going to be available any time soon. the first ebola patient diagnosed in the u.s. is still fighting for his life. thomas duncan, who caught the virus in liberia, is being

treated in an isolation ward at a hospital in dallas. nora westbrook reports. >> reporter: unconscious and heavily sedated, thomas duncan is on a ventilator unable to breathe on his own. mr. duncan caught the ebola voi rus in his native liberia. he is being treated here at a hospital in dallas. >> we understand that his situation has taken a turn for the worse. we know that ebola is a very serious disease. and we're hoping for his recovery. >> reporter: his family remain under close watch, but they are symptom-free. they are among 50 people who require daily monitoring for 21 days. mr. duncan won't be treated with the experimental drug zmapp. it's viewed by many experts as the most promising drug for treating people infected with ebola, but doses have run out and it won't be available until next year. more than 3,400 people have been killed by the ebola virus, with

guinea, sierra leone, and liberia the hardest hit countries. more than 7,400 people have been infected worldwide, but the real figure could be much higher, as cases are being underreported. the u.n. says the virus has orphaned 4,000 children and this number may double in the coming weeks. this is jojo. he was quarantined in hospital for three weeks. when he was released, he had no one and nowhere to go. he's one of many orphans here at this humanitarian center in sierra leone. not only have these children lost their loved ones, some have been shunned. >> some of their friends withdraw from them. and the family members as well. >> reporter: the w.h.o. says the outbreak can and will be brought under control. but the effects of this silent killer will be felt for years to come. laura westbrook, bbc news.

in other news today, the underwater search for the missing malaysia airlines flight mh370 has started again in the southern indian ocean, seven months after it disappeared. a ship equipped with specialized sonar technology has arrived in a remote stretch of ocean where the plane is thought to have ended its flight. 239 people were onboard the plane from kuala lumpur. typhoon phanfone brought heavy rain to japan before moving on to the capital tokyo. at least one person has died and three others are missing. thousands of households have lost power and japan's two largest airlines have suspended many flights. the world's longest reigning monarch has had surgery to remove his gallbladder. doctors say the 86-year-old's procedure went well. thais hold the king in great affection. he has stepped in repeatedly

over the years to unify the country. it's been two decades since the end of white minority rule in south africa. but the end of apartheid and the emergence of a rainbow nation hasn't gone down well with everyone. some africanas feel they've been given a raw deal, so they set up their own whites only town. around a thousand people live there. our reporter paid it a visit. >> reporter: this is a small south african town where only white people live. the south african constitution allows for cultural groups. there are only about a thousand africana groups here, mostly working on farms and in construction. but the town is slowly growing. this couple have just made the move from johannesburg with their two young children.

>> the quietness and the peace, that's what i've expected and that's what i get here. yeah, that's how i feel. and i think because in the city, you just become a number. but in a small community like this, somebody will -- just sneeze, the whole town knows. but if you sneeze in the city, nobody cares. >> reporter: as i walk around town, i struggle to tell whether i'm welcomed here. there's no other black face in sight, except mine. all i get are a few stares and occasional hand waves from passing motorists. for many people, it's even surprising that a town like this exists. a place where only white people live. and what's interesting is that more and more people are moving in, and to find out why, i'm going to meet the grandson of this man, a man considered the

architect of apartheid. >> the formation became a real political program. black economic empowerment. it made africanas think about alternatives. >> so why do you feel the need to accept out a separate oriana in modern day south africa? >> we could just lose ourselves as a cultural community unless we take certain steps, we may rightfully fear that we could lose our very existence. >> reporter: right now, oriana is a quaint, harmless cultural oddity. an experiment. but it is hoped that in time they will not be just a thousand, or a million, or even two million africanas living here in racial segregation. the creators of the rainbow nation may have other ideas,

though. bbc news, oriana, south africa. the nobel prize in medicine has been jointly won by three neuroscientists. john o'keefe is based here in london and his co-winners are a husband and wife. the prize committee said the work helped explain how our brains help create a map of the space surrounding us, helping us to navigate our way through a complex environment. if you're a film buff, then the chances are that you're a fan of one of the most influential cinematographers of mexico's golden age of cinema, whose work has just gone on display at the mexican cultural institute in washington. he died in 1997, but his son has been talking to us about his father's work and legacy. >> he wanted to make the mexican

landscape more visually important. and he started experimenting with different filters to darken the sky so that the clouds would pop up, and that was more or less a signature of what's called figueroa skies. my name is gabrielle figueroa flores and i'm the son of the cinematographer. i inherited his estate and i've been restore and promoting his work ever since. gabrielle figaro was one of the best cinematographers in the '40s and '50s. he worked with john huston, john ford. he was a pioneer of the golden era of mexican cinema in black and white. this epic and romantic stories were told in a very dramatic

way. i saw him work many times, and his style of lighting was very particular. he would put main lights first, and then start breaking out the light and put a lot of shadows in the scene. so in that sense, he was lighting with shadows. figueroa and other people in the industry in mexico created the image of a country that is fiction, but the society still recognizes themselves in those films as mexicans. so the mexican essence is there in those films. and i think it's a classic work, because it's a work that doesn't pass, it's always present. it's always recognized as

something valuable, historically, aesthetically. and i think that's his legacy. >> gabriel figueroa remembered by his son. we're back tomorrow. do join us then. see you soon. with a little something extra. mmm deliciousness. cookies or almonds. yumminess. hershey's is mine, yours, our chocolate.

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hello. you're watching "gmt" on "bbc world news." i'm lucy hockings. our top stories, the battle for a crucial town on the border with syria and turkey appears to be intensifying. these are live pictures of kobane, which islamic state militants are trying to seize. our correspondents there say a ferocious gun battle has engulfed the eastern edge of the town. we're going to take you live to the border for the very latest. did turkey secure the release last month of dozens of its hostages from islamic state by handing back militant fighters in exchange? one week on,