this is bbc news. i'm gavin grey. our top stories: thousands take to the streets of barcelona as the catalan leader carles puigdemont makes a passionate appealfor the defence of catalonia's rights. we do what we do because we believe in a democratic and peaceful europe. millions of people across japan are voting in a snap general election. we'll have the very latest live from tokyo. after growing international criticism, the world health organization is set to rethink a decision to make zimbabwe's president a goodwill ambassador. storm brian batters parts of britain, bringing high seas and violent winds of more than 120km/h. hello and welcome to bbc news, i'm gavin grey.

hundreds of thousands of people have taken to the streets of barcelona to protest against spain's plans to sack the regional government and hold fresh elections. the spanish prime minister said he'd been left with no choice but to restore the rule of law. carles puigdemont, catalan‘s leader, compared the actions of madrid to the fascist regime of general franco. tom burridge reports from barcelona. angrier than ever before, catalans who want independence digesting madrid's unprecedented move to temporarily scrap their devolved government. theyjust want to crush us down, and we've got dignity. we've got our dignity. we've fought for it for years. we couldn't speak catalan only, like, 40, 50 years ago. are we going to go back to that? i want to see the army here. we're going to see it at this rate.

i don't want that. i'm young and i don't have that much knowledge but i have enough knowledge to know that that isn't normal and it shouldn't be happening in our country. we are a developed country. this isjust outrageous. i'm speechless. the leader of catalonia's devolved government in the crowd. tonight, he called it the biggest attack on catalonia's autonomy since the dictatorship of franco. translation: this is the worst attack on the institutions and people of catalonia since the dictatorship of franco. earlier, spanish ministers approved what is known here as ‘the nuclear option.‘ in a few days, catalan autonomy will be suspended, the regional government sacked, all of its responsibilities run from madrid. prime minister rajoy said catalan leaders will not be allowed to destroy the whole way in which spain is governed. translation: we apply article 155 because no government of any democratic country can accept disregard for the law.

catalonia is divided on the issue of independence and some here, like carlos, accept that the spanish government had no option. he says it is 50% madrid's fault, and 50% catalonia's government for causing this crisis — a crisis which seems to be getting worse. they won't give up, even as european governments insist this is an internal issue for madrid. the key test will come when madrid tries to physically take control of the catalan authorities. will the catalan police and other local officials follow the spanish government's orders, or disobey? chanting in catalan. a new country won't appear through words, even as they will it to happen. they know, too, that bearing down on them is the all—powerful spanish state. the spanish government

and the catalan devolved government have been nudging each other for weeks, willing the other side to make the big move. madrid's done exactly that today. now, its plan needs to be approved by the spanish senate. that could take days. in the meantime, the catalan leader could try and convene the regional parliament here to make a more emphatic unilateral declaration of independence. now, in practice, that might not mean very much. you can'tjust create a state overnight. so i think the most interesting thing will be how the spanish intervention here in catalonia plays out on the ground. catalan officials say their bosses will keep going to work until they are physically prevented from doing so. now, the spanish government argues that it won't actually be suspending catalan autonomy because the institutions themselves will remain. but the fact is it will be taking control, reluctantly. the spanish government is under huge pressure from public opinion across this country. but neither the prime minister, no—one else in this region or across spain knows where this is heading next. millions of japanese

people are voting after prime minister shinzo abe called for a snap general election to renew his mandate. mr abe's liberal democratic party is expected to emerge as the biggest party. a short time ago, i spoke to our correspondent rupert wingfield—hayes in tokyo. he explained what was behind this snap election. yes, i have to say that mr abe and his right—wing supporters in the liberal democratic party are the only people who think that mr abe needs a fresh mandate. it is more than a year to go on the current mandate that he got three years ago, on the last general election, and he enjoys two thirds majorities with his coalition partners in both houses of the japanese parliament. so there was absolutely no need to call this election now. however, mr abe saw that his poll ratings were rising during the summer, in large part off his tough language and tough stance in the ongoing sort of missile crisis, nuclear crisis with north korea,

and so he has decided to go for it now and get another four years. and it looks like at the moment, gavin, that it is a bet, it is a risk, that is going to pay off. it looks like mr abe is heading for another majority. and would you say that is because he has played a shrewd political game and been a good politician, or because of a lack of any good characters in opposition? yes, very good question. i think it is, in part, both. people are going with the candidate and the government that they know and they feel safe with. japan's economy is growing — slowly, but growing. there is almost full employment here. so this is a vote for stability, in one way. it is also what one commentator called a vote for tina — there is no alternative. japan's opposition is in disarray. there was a new challenger to mr abe earlier in the month when the very popular governor of tokyo, yuriko koike, came out and said she was going to form

a new party to run against him. but that has fizzled very rapidly and it looks like her party, which is called hope, is not going to do that well. and so really, mr abe, he benefits from not having any real opponents. and of course, if he does win, he is on track to become the longest—serving political leader injapan‘s post—war history — quite an achievement. it is a remarkable achievement, and this is mr abe's second go at being prime minister. he had a disastrous prime ministership back in the early 2000s, then came back to power in 2012, and has seen this extraordinary five years, and it could now be as long as nine years as prime minister. that would put him well ahead of anybody else. and it will also, he says, give him a mandate, as you said earlier, to change japan's constitution. and that is really the big takeaway from this election. if he wins, and wins big, he has said he is going to reform

the constitution and to get rid of that article, article 9, which commits japan to pacifism. let's take a look at some of the other stories making the news. —— human rights groups have condemned the world health organization's decision to make robert mugabe a goodwill ambassador. britain and the united states have also made public their disappointment at zimbabwe's president being offered the ceremonial role. our africa correspondent andrew harding reports. 93 years old and in frail health, president robert mugabe is an unexpected choice to be the new goodwill ambassador for the world health organization. and it is notjust a question of stamina. the president's defenders insist he has earned this new honour. and yet, during his 37 years in power, mr mugabe has overseen the collapse of zimbabwe's currency and economy and of its once—impressive health system. zimbabweans who have fled abroad are outraged by today's news.

it angers me, because i've seen millions of zimbabweans die. incurable diseases, which — some things which could be cured, but because of the health facilities that have collapsed, it has really been their death row. zimbabwe's falling apart. there's nothing absolutely that is alright. even if i fall sick today in zimbabwe, where will i getjust the consultation fee? critics point to a long history of human rights abuses in zimbabwe, too. on that note, today the british government called mr mugabe's appointment: perhaps the mostjarring irony is the fact that, for years, mr mugabe has spent taxpayers' money travelling abroad for his own healthcare. we know that every — every other month, president mugabe, even for eye cataracts,

president mugabe goes to singapore, president mugabe goes to the far east. he doesn't even trust his own public health system. and tonight, news that the backlash may be working — the who announcing a rethink. mr mugabe's goodwill ambassadorship may prove to be short—lived. andrew harding, bbc news, johannesburg. a billionaire businessman in the czech republic has scored a convincing victory in elections to the lower house of parliament. andrej babis, the country's second richest man, emerged with 30% of the vote — not enough to govern alone but far ahead of his rivals. a far—right islamophobic party also made strong gains while liberal, pro—european parties faltered. rob cameron has more from prague. this is what success looks like for a man who has already tasted so much of it. his business empire controls much of czech agriculture,

chemicals and the media. now, he has set his sights much higher. after almost four years at the finance ministry, the slovak—born business tycoon is on the brink of becoming prime minister. translation: i've already congratulated all the chairmen who got into parliament, and we hope that they will be willing to deal with us. i think it will be good to have a stable government for our country, which will fight for our interests. it was a result few had predicted. andrej babis's prospects had dimmed in recent months, after a string of scandals — two separate criminal investigations into claims he fraudulently obtained eu funds for a luxury resort. he said all of that was a campaign against him, a political witch—hunt by an establishment terrified of his pledge to clean up corruption. "trust me," he said, and the voters believed him. populist, mildly eurosceptic,

and hostile to immigration despite his non—czech origins, he has left the established centre—left and centre—right parties in tatters. instead, a host of new protest parties, including the far—right spd. they want to ban islam in the czech republic, and also hold a referendum on leaving the european union. they are unlikely to get one, but attitudes are hardening here to the eu and to migrants, and andrej babis has tapped into them. all five living former presidents in the united states have teamed up at a benefit concert in texas for victims of recent hurricanes. jimmy carter, george bush senior, george w bush, bill clinton and barack obama all appeared together on stage

for the national anthem. the ex—presidents have led an appeal that has so far raised more than $30 million from 80,000 donors. president trump did not attend the concert, but praised his predecessors in a video message. stay with us on bbc news. still to come: the new generation of russian tattoo enthusiasts bringing back the body art of the underworld. a historic moment that many of his victims have waited for for decades. the former dictator in the dock, older, slimmer and, as he sat down, obedient enough. dawn, and as the sun breaks through the piercing chill of night on the plain outside korem, it lights up a biblicalfamine, now in the 20th century. the depressing conclusion —

in argentina today, it is actually cheaper to paper your walls with money. we've had controversies in the past with great britain, but as good friends, we have always found a good and lasting solution. concorde bows out in style after almost three decades in service. an aircraft that has enthralled its many admirers for so long, taxis home one last time. this is bbc news. the latest headlines: in a passionate appeal for the defence of catalonia's rights, carles puigdemont says he will not accept madrid's plan to curb the region's powers. millions of japanese people are voting in a snap general election called by the prime minister

more than a year earlier than needed. president trump has indicated that he's planning to allow the release of secret files about the assassination of president john f kennedy, in 1963. the white house says the documents will be published by the national archives as scheduled next week, unless the security services provide compelling reasons not to. the bbc‘s laura bicker has the latest from washington. they were locked away 25 years ago, by law, to try to quell conspiracy theories surrounding the assassination of president kennedy. it didn't work, because a recent gallup poll showed that around 30% of americans believe that the man accused of assassinating john f kennedy did not act alone. he of course was shot and killed before he had his day in court. now, the files that historians really want to pore over surround oswald's visit to mexico city just a few weeks before the assassination.

it is there he met with cuban and soviet spies, and it's alleged he announced his intention to kill the president, although that has not been made a fact as yet. now, when it comes to these documents, they will be released on thursday, unless president trump says otherwise, and his tweets suggest that he will, unless a strong national security argument is made. so decades of secrecy might be about to come to an end. at least 15 army cadets have been killed in an attack on a military academy in afghanistan. a suicide bomber drove a car full of explosives into a bus outside the training centre, in kabul. it's the latest in a number of bomb attacks across the country this week. anbarasan ethirajan has this report. the minibus carrying the army cadets was leaving the military academy in kabul when it was targeted. police are investigating how a suicide bomber managed to reach the high—security compound.

it was the second suicide attack in the afghan capital in less than 2a hours. 56 people were killed when a suicide bomber set off explosives at a packed shia mosque last night. the victims were buried in this cemetery outside kabul. those who died in the suicide attack have been remembered during funeral prayers. families have lost fathers, mothers, sons and daughters in the devastating attack. there was tight security outside the burial place, as funerals were also targeted in the past. shia mosques in afghanistan have been repeatedly attacked. translation: the government has to provide security for its citizens, in any situation. the incident that took place was very tragic, and we strongly condemn it. a routine friday evening prayer at this mosque ended in a nightmare.

the blood—soa ked carpets and broken windows show the level of devastation. the streets of kabul are tense today, and many residents say they are worried about the worsening security situation. many are angry that even a place of worship is not safe anymore. anbarasan ethirajan, bbc news parts of britain have been battered by storm brian with violent winds and high seas. gusts of more than 120 kilometres an hour were recorded in some places. strong wind warnings and flood alerts are still in place across much of wales, the south of england and the midlands. briohny williams reports. storm brian unleashes its worst as waves crash against the coast of wales. the ferocity of nature showing its hand.

just taken the whole side of the officers out. buildings damaged and roads flooded. the picture in the south—west of england is similar — beaches empty. advice from the environment agency has been to stay away from the coastline. but walkers in the north—west of england couldn't resist watching the awesome scenes storm brian has supplied. fantastic. power of nature, isn't it? i tried to go for a nice coastal walk this morning, or today, but i think i will put that on hold. the disruption hasn't been as widespread as predicted, and storm brian is expected to ease over the coming hours. only then will the true impact be revealed. briohny williams, bbc news. the german paralympian

angelika trabert has won 2a medals in more than 25 years, six of them at five different paralympic games. many able—bodied riders are surprised at her ability to steer a horse just with tiny aids and whips. when she's not riding horses she works as an anaesthetist in frankfurt or in guinea, where she travels with an ngo to provide urgent medical care. ifi if i sit on ifisit ona if i sit on a hearse, and if the horse really understands me, i am just three, and i am free, free (i walk with artificial legs. there is nothing wrong with me. i was born with a disability, i was

born with short legs and on my hand i have three fingers. my love is with horses. you can do incredible things with this animal because it doesn't understand you and it is a matter of your connection with that horse and then it you can be as good as others or even better than people without a handicap. when they play your national anthem, it is something else. if it is for you. it isa something else. if it is for you. it is a very special, special moment in your life stop i started writing when i was five or six years old. i started on a pony and i think my pa rents started on a pony and i think my parents did think that maybe hope that i would be over it when i turned 12 all 13. i did fall off the horse quite a lot but i know one timei horse quite a lot but i know one time i fell off the horse three times a day and i still got on the

horse and continued. myjob is with the opportunity that i can actually the opportunity that i can actually the independent, independent with my horses and for my horses.. my my motto is its ability not disability that counts. there are plenty of abilities. you can find plenty of abilities. you can find plenty of abilities. you can find plenty of ways to do the things that you enjoy and that is what counts. the gulag prison system of the soviet union produced a tattoo culture with dark, political and religious themes. badges of pride for the hardest in society, they became commonplace throughout the criminal fraternity. now a new generation of young tattoo enthusiasts in moscow are bringing back the body art of the underworld. plenty more analysis of all top

stories on our website. hello there. storm brian has been bringing some strong winds across the united kingdom over the last 2a hours. the centre of brian crossed northern england during saturday night and headed out into the north sea, where it was going to be weakening through the course of the day today. rain or showers, though, showing up on the radar picture. and we did have some strong winds around the coastline of wales and south—west england, yesterday. the forecast was for gusts up to 70 mph, which wasn't far off the mark. inland, the forecasts were gusts to around a0 mph or 50 mph. and again, we had those kind of values across many inland areas. it was a kind of typical autumnal, windy day, wasn't it? now, those strong winds are still with us for the early risers, for the first part of the morning.

outbreaks of rain across western scotland, north—west england, the north—west midlands, north wales. and the gusts were around a0 mph to 50 mph. irish sea coasts and up over the tops of the pennines, maybe one or two stronger gusts. temperatures 9—11 degrees first thing. so there is brian, working to the north sea, where it's going to continue to weaken and die during sunday. nevertheless, we'll get this area of rain extending from north—west england across the midlands for a time, and heading into east anglia and south—east england, before clearing out of the way. what follows through sunday afternoon will be a mixture of sunshine and showers. the majority of the showers across western areas of the uk, dry weather across the east. north—westerly winds, though, bringing cooler and fresher air, so temperatures a bit down on those of yesterday, highs between 11 and 1a degrees. now, through sunday night, we'll see the next weather system approach, bringing rain to northern ireland, wales, south—west england. there'll be some low cloud around, some mist and hill fog patches developing. and the temperatures will be rising towards the south—west. 12 degrees or so as a low down towards south—west england.

cooler conditions for a time across rural parts of scotland and north—east england. now, for monday, this strip of rain, this weather front, will continue to push its way in. so a lot of cloud, outbreaks of rain for many of us, heavy for a time for northern scotland. but then brighter skies work into northern ireland and scotland as we go through monday afternoon. it turns a bit milder, temperatures up to 17 degrees across some areas on monday afternoon, and that's a sign of things to come. on tuesday, we've got a trailing weather front across southern counties of england, bringing a lot of cloud, and the potential of some outbreaks of rain, as well. cloudy for many of us, but the best of the sunshine, really, for eastern scotland and parts of north—east england. notice the temperatures continue to rise. for many of us, between 14—18 degrees celsius — a sign of things to come, because as we head to thursday, mild weather for this time of year. we could see highs reach 22 degrees. not bad for the middle of summer, pretty unusual for this late in october. that's your weather. this is bbc news. the headlines: catalonia's leader has made a passionate appeal for the defence

of the region's rights in the face of what he called a coup by the spanish state. carles puigdemont compared the actions of madrid to those of spain's fascist dictator general franco. thousands took to the streets to protest against the government. the new head of the world health organization says he's rethinking his decision to appoint zimbabwe president robert mugabe as a goodwill ambassador for the global health agency. it follows international criticism of mr mugabe's human rights record and zimba bwe's health infrastructure. millions of japanese people are voting in a snap general election. the prime minister shinzo abe called the poll more than a year earlier than needed. if he wins, mr abe has proposed changes to the constitution, including scrapping the article that declares japan a pacifist country. that's it from me. the breakfast team is here at 6am. now, the week in westminster.