hello and welcome. police in brazil say they have arrested more than 100 people federal police said this was one of the biggest operations in the world. more arrests could come. up to 60 people have been killed in two separate suicide attacks on mosques in afghanistan. in the first, the attacker entered a shia mosque in the capital, kabul, and began shooting, then set off explosives. the islamic state group says it carried out the kabul attack. elsewhere, another suicide bomber targeted a mosque in ghor province. the bbc‘s south asia regional editor anbarasan ethirajan has been following the story. the massive suicide attack triggered a medical emergency in kabul. it was a race against time to save those caught up in the blast. a routine friday evening prayer at this mosque ended in a nightmare. the worshippers included women and children. after slipping through tight security, one man managed to walk right in the middle

of the prayer hall. translation: people were praying when the attacker entered the mosque and detonated his explosives. many of the wounded tried to flee, fearing further attacks. in a matter of seconds, a number of families were torn apart. around the same time, there was another suicide attack, this time in the central ghor province. a pro—government official and several other worshippers were killed in the attack on a sunni mosque. the islamic state group and the taliban have previously targeted shia sites in afghanistan. it has been a terrible week for many afghans. more than 130 people, most of them soldiers, were killed in co—ordinated attacks by the taliban. many afghans hoped president trump's

new afghan strategy would improve security. but, for now, they are desperately hoping for a respite from the spiralling violence. anbarasan ethirajan, bbc news. let's take a look at some of the other stories making the news: at least 53 members of the egyptian security forces are reported to have been killed in a clash with islamist militants in the western desert. the interior ministry said the militants had fired on the troops as they raided their hideout in the bahariya 0asis. a number of suspected militants from a group called hasm were also killed. the us has called on the iraqi government to limit the deployment of troops in the north of the country, to prevent unnecessary clashes with kurdish forces. on friday, iraqi troops engaged in a three—hour battle with kurdish peshmerga forces to take control of the last remaining district of the oil—rich kirkuk province. the world health organisation has appointed president robert mugabe of zimbabwe as a goodwill ambassador to help tackle non—communicable diseases. critics say that, during

president mugabe's 37—year rule, health services in zimbabwe have sharply deteriorated. forensic experts investigating the death of the left—wing chilean poet pablo neruda have said that he didn't die of prostate cancer, as previously thought, and could have been poisoned. they will now carry out tests on a toxin found in his remains. pablo neruda, a nobel laureate, died less than two weeks after the military coup led by general augusto pinochet in 1973. and finally, a letter written on the titanic, the day before it struck an iceberg and sank, is expected to fetch over $100,000 when it goes up for auction on saturday. it was penned by an american passenger to his mother, as he headed home with his wife. it is just one of a number of items being auctioned. recent artefacts that have gone for huge prices include a deckchair, and a violin for over $1 million. stay with us here on bbc news.

still to come: more than 400,000 problem gamblers in the uk, butjust one residential rehab centre. we have a special report on the work it is doing. eu leaders meeting in brussels have agreed to start preparing for trade talks with the uk. but, as expected, they have said they cannot begin formal discussions on post—brexit trade relations, because not enough progress has been made on other issues. theresa may says she remains ambitious and positive about securing a partnership with the eu. from brussels, here is our political editor laura kuenssberg. her report contains flashing images. final press conference. tick tock, tick tock. european leaders took 90 seconds today to decide that brexit talks haven't gone far enough to move on. time is pressing.

they will start talks about talks. yet, until the uk says it is prepared to pay, no bigger deal. i am ambitious and positive, for britain's future and for these negotiations, but i know we still have some way to go. both sides have approached these talks with professionalism and a constructive spirit, and we should recognise what has been achieved to date. do you deny that you've made clear to your eu counterparts that you are willing to pay many more billions than you've already indicated, to settle our accounts as we leave? what i've made clear to my eu counterparts, in relation to financial contribution, is what i set out in my florence speech, which is that i have said that nobody need be concerned for the current budget plan, that they would have to either pay in more or receive less as a result of the uk leaving, and that we will honour the commitments that we have made during our membership. now, there has to be detailed work on those commitments, as david davis has said. we're going through them line

by line, and we'll continue to go through them line by line, and the british taxpayer wouldn't expect its government to do anything else. among the schmoozing, there are whispers she has said privately she is prepared to stump up billions more. number ten says there hasn't yet been the final word on the cash. and, while things seem friendlier, eu leaders are clear theresa may has to spell out how much she is prepared to pay before moving on to the main talks on trade and transition. and that means there is no deal yet on citizens‘ rights or northern ireland. there is an expectation they could shake on phase one by christmas. but, until she budges, it is 27 against one. lonely arguments to make. the reports of the deadlock between the eu and the uk have been exaggerated. and, while progress is not sufficient, it doesn't mean there is no progress at all. "there's nothing to say

about brexit," says mrjuncker. cue a sigh of relief from the uk. but here is the man who has to try to make it work here. mr barnier, what... i'm sorry, but i don't want to answer your question now. from the look on michel barnier‘s face, he knows it is not going to be easy. angela merkel said, "we hope we can move on in december, but it depends on the uk paying more". the french verdict even more gloomy. "today, we are not even halfway there". did he mean we would have to pay at least double the £20 billion? that is not yet clear. this was far from a brussels bust—up, though. number ten is encouraged the negotiations are at least moving. theresa may does not go home empty—handed. she can claim progress, of a sort. but this fraught process has gone a couple of inches, and it is a journey of many, many miles. those 27 will decide their next

moves without britain even in the room, while at home, the prime minister must calculate how much she can compromise to conclude the whole deal, against the clock, before we are out for good. laura kuenssberg, bbc news, brussels. early opinion polls suggest australia is leaning towards a yes vote on introducing same—sex marriage. the postal survey is volu nta ry marriage. the postal survey is voluntary and non—binding. these pictures are of a rally taking place in sydney. it is being described as one last push to urge people to vote and vote in favour by the organisers of this rally. the ballot closes on seven november. of course, the postal vote for australians living abroad, overseas, has already closed. but just over two

abroad, overseas, has already closed. butjust over two weeks left for australians to cast their vote. early indications are, early opinion polls, suggest that there is a majority leaning towards voting in favour of introducing same—sex marriage, but of course there are still a couple of weeks left, the rally taking place in sydney, which you can see now, but also rally is being held elsewhere, including brisbane, melbourne, darwin, perth and canberra. the world of politics has managed to give us this process. parliament could pass this straightaway, but obviously, the world of politics has not seen a clear way through. the proposed way through is a non—binding postal vote. no other country has done it this way, but we have to find our runway.

the reaction has been incredible. in the first few weeks, we are already up at 75% for the turnout, and that's a huge response from the people. australians understand how important this issue is. they understand this is their moment to tell politicians to get on with thejob. tiernan, there were concerns when there was talk of a compulsory vote being discussed, that it might bring out some rather aggressive, nasty campaigning. have you seen that in this particular type of vote, or not? yeah, i think there has been a little bit of that. i think any campaign's going to throw up some of that. and it's especially hard on an issue like this, because this is a vote on real people. and they have to go through this journey, listening to the radio, turning the television, engaging with social media. people feel they can say just about anything, in the context

of a debate like this. i think the vast majority of what has happened has been incredibly positive, incredibly dignified and respectful. this is a campaign about conversations at kitchen tables and in workplaces, and in towns across the country. but there is no doubt, at the edge, you have people who say deeply hurtful things. and sometimes, because it is a campaign, that gets amplified. so it has been hard, but i think the dignity of people in general has shone through in this campaign. and i think that is hopefully going to be reflected in a strong yes vote in two weeks' time. oxford and cambridge universities are still struggling to offer places to students from less—privileged backgrounds. new figures show that the parents of most students given 0xbridge places have professional or managerialjobs. the data was obtained by the labour mp david lammy, who has accused oxford and cambridge

of perpetuating a social apartheid. the figures also show a huge geographical divide. almost half of the 0xbridge offers went to students in london and the south—east of england, while just 3% of offers from 0xbridge went to students in wales. the universities both say they are trying to improve access. here is our education editor bra nwen jeffreys. centuries of scholarship, one of the top universities in the world. but how easy is it to get into 0xford from a comprehensive in inner—city manchester? even from a good school, it can feel like an impossible leap. i see quite a few people in my year who could have very well applied. it's just — i think it's a confidence thing. most people don't feel like it's for them. i can understand why someone might think it's a little posh. but really, as long as you are an able student, who wants to work hard, i'm sure you will fit right in. almost one in five kids here gets free school meals. that is two or three times higher

than the wealthy south—east. i think it's quite a deep—rooted issue. a lot of it also comes down to confidence, and perception of what these universities are like. so what we try to do is ensure that students visit them, access the various summer programmes. the universities say they are trying hard, spending millions on their efforts, and some schools just aren't delivering top grades. but, still, better off kids get most places here. these two universities exert a remarkable influence over national life. they have produced most of our prime ministers, as well as many cabinet members, senior judges, and influential voices in the media. so, if you are asking yourself why you should care, it is because the people who study here end up running the country. when i got the offer, i was so happy. 0xford demands a or a—star grades.

but an experiment is underway. v got three b grades at her dudley sixth form. the university spent a year getting her up to scratch. so the standard of teaching here was completely different to what i'd experienced in my previous education. as a young black woman from zimbabwe, living in dudley, i did not think i would fit into a space like this. i thought it'd be for people who are rich. but, so far, it is just ten students at one college. so does this mean dropping standards for some state pupils? it's definitely not about dumbing down 0xford. it's about getting students who have the academic potential but have not yet reached that potential at school. and, with a year of teaching on the foundation year, they will have reached the level where they can perform well at undergraduate. cambridge and oxford are part of an academic elite, but many argue that is still reserved for the privileged few. branwen jeffreys, bbc news.

brazilian police arrest more than 100 people in the biggest operation ever against paedophiles in latin america. suicide attacks on two mosques in afghanistan have killed nearly 60 worshippers. a police inquiry has been launched into rbs and the way one of its departments treated the bank's small business customers. police scotland are taking evidence which may lead to a formal investigation. the bbc has seen some of the methods used to extract revenues from customers instead of helping them. here's our business correspondent, joe lynam. you can still see our company name up on the notice board and it's been there for the last 6.5 years since we were put into grg. andrew quoi ran a plumbing business for 25 years in bristol with a turnover of £5 million. you can see by this e—mail here... but in 2011, within the space of a month and without any warning, his company was forced out

of business with the loss of a0 jobs after it was placed into a part of rbs, known as grg. now, i didn't know what grg was. i didn't even know what those initials stood for, but we were told at the time "they're going to help you." it was the complete opposite. it was a complete and utter total abattoir. they destroy you and they slaughter businesses. walk us through what happened after you went into administration. it did make you feel like the best thing to do would be to end it all, because there was the possibility you could make a claim, your family could make a claim on your life insurance, and your family would be safe. those thoughts went went through my mind. andrew brought rbs to court in bristol. he lost, and he says he can not afford to appeal. the bank, which may yet seize his home, said thejudge dismissed the claim in 2016 and found mr quoi liable to meet the compa ny‘s outstanding liabilities to the bank, up to the level of their personal guarantees. but new documentation, leaked to the bbc, which was widely circulated to one division of grg,

shows that staff would be rewarded for behaving a certain way. entitled just hit budget, customers faced especially high interest rates or handing over part of their own company to the bank. it went on, under the heading, rope, "sometimes you need to let customers hang themselves. no deal, no way. missed opportunities will mean missed bonuses." this is a scandal of incalculable proportions. it raises the question as to whether criminal offences have been committed and there needs to be an urgent inquiry into this. it's a sort of blueprint for abuse of business customers in the most shocking way. and things could be getting even trickier for rbs — the bbc has learned an inquiry is under way by police in scotland into rbs and its grg division, and how it treated its small businesses customers. no charges are being brought yet but the bbc understands that the inquiry is nearing fruition.

rbs says it's recently been made aware that police are reviewing a complaint. it says it is not privy to any details but that it will cooperate with any request for information. the banking regulator, the fca, has received a detailed report by investigators into the matter, which it refuses to publish in full, but it has told the bbc that it will publish a full summary soon. andrew quoi says he will not rest until the truth is revealed about how he, and many others, were treated. all your hopes, all your aspirations, everything you built up over a lifetime, a lifetime's work, was gone. the government says it doesn't comment on leaked documents. joe lynam, bbc news. there are now thought to be more than 400,000 people across the uk who have a serious problem with gambling. but there's only one residential rehabilitation centre dedicated to helping severe addicts. the gordon moody association is a charity based outside

birmingham which offers residents a 12—week programme. 0ur midlands correspondent sima kotecha is the firstjournalist to be allowed inside. i've had people say to me, like, "why don't you just stop it?" you try and be in a gambler‘s mind just for a day and then you'll know what it's like. it's ain't as easy as that. from the outside, it looks like an ordinary row of houses. inside are some of the country's most severe gamblers, desperate for help and a cure. it is notjust about gambling, it is about how it has infected your whole life. based in the west midlands, it provides more than just advice and therapy fer men, it's britain's only residential centre for gambling addicts and we've been given exclusive access. i believe that gambling is almost a symptom of what's going on underneath. sort of a maladaptive coping response, if you like. so what we do is we find out where that came from and we help people to find new coping strategies that enable them to deal

with their day—to—day life differently, without the need to gamble. the programme costs around £10,000 per person. most of it's paid for by the responsible gambling trust, a charity which is tasked with funding treatment services. paul has lost hundreds of thousands of pounds because of his addiction. at his lowest point, he wanted to take his own life. ijust wanted to be run over, or... i didn't know it was going to happen. you just feel, like, useless. i was taking more of my prescription, antidepressants and sleeping tablets. just felt like low—down scum, you know what i mean? didn't think i was worth being around. the growth of mobile and online gambling, along with an increase in fixed odds betting terminals, such as slot machines and roulette tables, has made staking money easier than ever before. i got made redundant and i spent

the redundancy money in literally about three days. if you don't mind me asking, how much money did you get? that was about £110,000. and you spent in three days online? yeah. residents tell us being an addict is a lonely existence. there's no outward signs. you're not drunk. you've not got needle marks up yourarm oranything. you're just gambling and externally, people think you're perfectly normal. how do we know this place works? the centre argues the coping strategies they learn here facilitate long—term change. not everyone leaves cured, though. ian, a former resident, says advertising is one of the problems. you can put on the television and most adverts these days, after a certain amount of time, are based around gambling. it seems to be two mates together walking down the road. it seemed like a really cool thing to do. when you are actually addicted

to it, when you are hooked on it, it is actually far from that. it's not like that at all. staff say support is always available. they've made the biggest step by picking up the phone or completing an application form online. they've done that, and not us. so we will then take the next step and help them, because they're asking us for that help. those who come here say they're simply grateful to have a space where they can be true to themselves and to their addiction. i don't completely blame anybody. they never said you've got to come in here. i went in there willingly. it's just a mug's game. an animal welfare charity has released footage of illegal loggers cutting down a tree with a sloth clinging to its branches. it's to try to stop people posting animal selfies. campaigners believe the growing trend for tourists taking photos alongside wildlife means more and more animals are being snatched from their natural habitat. briohny williams reports. terrified and clinging onto the top

of a 100—foot tree as illegal loggers cut it down. this undercover footage was captured in the amazon, in peru, and highlights the horrible method used to steal wild animals from their home. the sloth is forced into a bag and dragged of and sold —— the sloth is forced into a bag and dragged off to be sold at market, just so tourists can take photos with it. the social media photo—sharing programme instagram has seen nearly a 300% increase in wildlife selfies since 2014 from around the world, and says it wants the craze to stop. world animal protection says many animals are kept in filthy, cramped conditions and treated extremely badly, all for tourist entertainment. to tackle the issue,

the charity is asking for those who want a photo with an animal to make it cruelty free by keeping a safe distance from the creature, making sure it is free to roam in its natural habitat. to stop this... ..from happening. let's ta ke let's take it back to the rally happening in sydney, being described as one last push to encourage people to vote in a postal survey on whether to legalise same—sex marriage. the vote closes in just over two weeks from now. it is volu nta ry over two weeks from now. it is voluntary and non—binding but the prime minister says if a majority of australians support gay marriage, parliament will debate it. there we re parliament will debate it. there were rally is happening elsewhere

around australia including brisbane, melbourne and canberra. —— there are rallies. the weather now with chris fawkes. hi there. today's weather is brought to you courtesy of storm brian. let's take a look at brian then. over the last 24 hours, it has rapidly developed as low the strongest winds have been out to sea and as the storm crosses the british isles, it will gradually weaken. a slow process, and the winds will remain pretty strong and gusty throughout saturday. we have a band of rain for the early risers. still lingering across north—east scotland. there or thereabouts towards the eastern coast of england. following that, plenty of showers out west and it is in this showery air mass that we will have fairly strong gusts of wind working in. given its a blowy start the day, it will be mild — 10—13 degrees for early risers. some of the strongest winds through saturday morning will be targeting the coast of south—west england and wales. gusts of 50—60 mph, maybe a few isolated gusts of up to 70 mph.

0ne concern is that those strong winds bring in large waves could coincide with high tides, so we could see some localised surface water flooding impacts. inland gusts more typically up to 50 mph. that will blow lots of leaves off the trees. maybe one or two smaller tree branches coming down. the winds picking up later in the afternoon and towards the evening time across north wales and north—west england as we see a lengthier spell of rain here. again, the winds could reach up to 60 mph, perhaps a touch stronger in some of the most exposed areas. but for the most part on saturday, brian will bring fairly typical windy weather for an autumn day. heading through the nighttime, the low pressure works out into the north sea and we'll see showers or even lengthy spells of rain working particularly into north—west england overnight. still quite a blowy night. 9—10 degrees, something like that. for sunday, as brian works out into the north sea, over the coming days it will die. so that's the life of brian and looking on the bright side of life on sunday, there will be fewer showers, the winds turning lighter but coming in from a north—westerly direction, so it's a cooler direction.

temperature—wise, between 10—14 degrees. but, with fewer showers, you have a better chance of dodging the downpours and having drier spells of weather. the north—westerly winds are shortly. by monday, most winds back to the south—west with the exception of the far north of scotland. south—westerly winds dragging in mild air. temperatures up to 16—17 degrees. that mild theme stays with us for the week ahead. the best of any sunny spells in north—eastern areas initially. that's your weather. this is bbc news — the headlines: police in brazil say they've detained more than 100 people in the biggest operation ever against paedophiles in latin america. the justice department say the suspects were arrested in 24 states and the capital, brasilia, after being accessed through the dark web. afghan officials say nearly 60 people have been killed in two separate suicide attacks on mosques. in the first, the bomber entered a shia mosque in kabul and set off explosives; in the second a suicide bomber targeted a mosque in ghor province. so—called islamic state has claimed responsibility. the us has called on the baghdad government to limit the deployment of iraqi troops in the north of the country to prevent

unnecessary clashes with kurdish forces. iraqi federal troops have been engaged in a battle with kurdish peshmerga forces over the last remaining district of kirkuk province. let's have a look at the front pages of this morning's newspapers: the i leads with the brexit summit in brussels —