this is bbc news. the headlines at 2pm... saudi arabia admits journalist jamal khashoggi was killed in the consulate in istanbul. the uk says it's those responsible must be held to account. they have been a great ally in the middle east. we need them as a counterbalance to iran. and so it's not the simplest solution. thousands of protestors are marching through london demanding another referendum on the uk's membership of the european union. two men have been charged with murdering father—of—two ian tomlin, who was beaten to death outside his home in south—west london. also coming up this hour... bepi—colombo blasts off! two satellites developed in europe and japan are on their way to the planet mercury. it's hoped that together they can resolve the puzzles of the mysterious planet closest to the sun. the fourth edition of the invictus games open in sydney, and will see 500 competitors from 18 nations taking part.

and in half an hour the bbc‘s laura bicker interviews south korean president moonjae—in, and talks about the struggle for peace with the north. hello. good afternoon. after two weeks of denials, saudi arabia has admitted for the first time that the journalist, jamal khashoggi died inside its consulate in istanbul. state television reported that he died in a fight. turkey claims he was tortured and killed by a team sent from the saudi capital, riyadh. the foreign office here says it's considering the saudi explanation and what britain's next steps might be. martin patience

reports from istanbul. this was the last time that jamal khashoggi was seen alive, entering the saudi consulate. on saudi state tv, riyadh finally admitted, after more than two weeks, that he'd been killed. translation: the discussions that took place between him and the individuals that met with him during his presence in the saudi consulate in istanbul led to an argument and fistfight with jamal khashoggi, which led to his death. us president donald trump said he found the explanation credible. saudi arabia's been a great ally, but what happened is unacceptable. we are going to see they've arrested, just for the people at the table, a large number of people having to do with the event that took place in turkey in the consulate, the saudi consulate, and, er...

it's a big first step. it's only a first step, but it's a big first step. you consider it credible, the explanation? i do, i do. but even members of his own party simply don't believe it. senator lindsay graham tweeted: many believe that this killing could only have happened with the permission of this man, the saudi crown prince, mohammed bin salman. and critics will see the saudi explanation as an attempt to shield them from any blame. there is now no dispute that jamal khashoggi died after going into the saudi consulate behind me, but how he was killed and who is ultimately responsible still hasn't been answered. when the turkish police release their report, we may well see things very different from the saudis. martin patience, bbc news, istanbul.

i'm joined now by marco vicenzino, director of the global strategy project. he's a global affairs analyst. good afternoon. what do you make of what the saudis are now saying about what the saudis are now saying about what happens? this is the single disc diplomatic rightists that saudi arabia has faced since 911 when saudi citizens attacked the us. the difference here is it seems to be emanating from the top of the saudi monarchy and they have been in crisis defence mode in the last few weeks but they seem now to have settled on a strategy of acknowledging the death of khashoggi but taking away blame from the crown prince. the question is how compelling is this and who are you

trying to sell it to? if you're trying to sell it to? if you're trying to sell it to the trump administration, the american public 01’ administration, the american public or other allies, each one is different. the trump administration has already emphasised the importance of the alliance with saudi arabia and has invested a lot of resources into the relationships with the crown prince with regards to iran, israel and the conflict against isis, with american arms are mounting up to $4 million some would say. if you look at the american public, the american public is highly polarised. we are approaching a mid—term election and those that support the president will take the president's line and those who do not will be saying that we should not will be saying that we should not support corrupt dictatorships around the world. a further issue is what more turkey might say. the turkish strategy up till now has been to leak gradually to the

turkish press which is largely affiliated with the government and then into the foreign press which places pressure on the american president but also on congress to ta ke president but also on congress to take action against saudi arabia. right now until this point the president has made clear that if there is a possibility, credible explanation, once again it goes to that narrative. from the turkish point of view there is still talk of this audio or video evidence which people are yet to see but they insist... it depends whether it exists or not. we need to see that. it is part of that slow gradual leaking process and they're waiting for the coming days and when they deem it to be the appropriate time they will of the audio which will further mount pressure on the trump administration and put pressure on congress. congress has already activated an axe meaning that the president has 120 days to provide

appropriate answers to the congress and that could trigger sanctions against saudi arabia. in saudi arabia we are told there has been arrests and there have been to quite senior sackings. what does that say to you? that is part of the strategy. once again it is part of the strategy if you are trying to shift away blame directly, once again acknowledging. from allies such as egypt and the uae... if you're trying to shift blame away you're trying to shift blame away you need individuals who directly responsible or what sceptics would call scapegoats. it depends what perspective you approach it from. what of the wider international reaction? what will we expect to hear from other western allies of saudi arabia do you think? you have to break this down into the west, western public opinion, you have to

break it down to the region and look at other part of the world. great powers like china and india, it is no real concern for them. if anything they are probably supportive of saudi arabia and saying that external powers should not interfere with domestic affairs. in russia and other human rights cases in china, for example. for them it is business as usual. in the region itself it depends. saudi's adversaries in the region will use this as fuel against the corruption and hypocrisy of the regime. its allies will see it as a courageous move. outside the united states in the west, in europe, they face similar dilemmas because they want to uphold human rights in terms of rhetorically saying that we are western liberal marquesses but at

the same time they have economic interest in saudi arabia. —— western liberal democracies. there is national interest and national principle. the national interest is economic interest, the sale of its products to saudi arabia and the principles are the support from human right. and the congress seems to be supporting that in this broader dilemma. they very much for coming in. two men have appeared in court charged with the murder of a father in battersea in south london on wednesday. ian tomlin, who was 46, died from a head injury caused by blunt force trauma. michael swan, aged 45, and gary beech, aged 48, both appeared at wimbledon magistrates‘ court this morning. at least 60 people have been killed — and more than 200 have been injured in northern india. the accident happened when a commuter train ploughed into them near the city of amritsar. the victims were standing on the railway tracks

watching a hindu festival, and it's believed people didn't hear the train approaching. a man's appeared at newcastle crown court charged with making false claims of child sexual abuse and murder against establishment figures. prosecutors say the defendant, who is not being named for legal reasons and is known publically as "nick", falsely told police he was abused as a child in the 1970s and 1980s by senior people in public life. they say he also falsely claimed he witnessed the murders of three young boys. a march is taking place in london this afternoon calling for another referendum on brexit. the event, organised by the campaign group the people's vote, involves a march and then a rally in parliament square. tens of thousands of people are attending. this is the scene right now— as crowd gather along whitehall. that is one side of parliament

square. as crowds come into parliament square that is the road leading from trafalgar square. as people come down towards parliament square. huge crowds. it gives you a slightly different view of whitehall as people wind their way down that street in the bright london sunshine towards parliament square where that rally is due to be held in the coming hours or so. our political correspondent chris mason is in parliament square —— where the march is heading . the central thrust of their campaign is to call for a people's votes, a second referendum, say on any deal that the government comes up with. with the option of taking that deal

01’ with the option of taking that deal or rejecting it and potentially staying in the european union. they acknowledge that exact question would have to be decided by parliament at some stage but they wa nt to parliament at some stage but they want to make a noise here in front of parliament that the people should get another save. what is the chance of that happening? because the government is absolutely and com pletely government is absolutely and completely opposed to it. they recognise that, these demonstrators, but they hope at the time of huge political flux that anything is possible and they will make as much noise as they can to make that argument. chris mason in london. meanwhile, speaking at the save brexit rally and vice chairmain of ‘leave means leave' — nigel farage — said the general consensus across the country is that people want to ‘just get on with it..' nobody talks about hard brexit or soft brexit. there is one thing we voted for and we voted to become an

independent country, not locked into a customs union which is what mrs may and the labour party wants. that isa may and the labour party wants. that is a betrayal of what we voted for. evidence suggests that about a third of those that voted remain now say, "we are democrats and we think the government should simply get on with it." that is our message. get on with it and fulfil the promises. we voted to leave and it needs to happen. the general mode across the country is just get on with it and thatis country is just get on with it and that is what the majority of people are saying. we will push hard. we wa nt are saying. we will push hard. we want ourmps to are saying. we will push hard. we want our mps to understand that if they do the trade brexit there will bea they do the trade brexit there will be a electoral consequences to pay. nigel farage there in harrowgate. polls have opened in afghanistan's long delayed parliamentary elections, with over 2,500 candidates and nearly 9 million registered voters taking part. however, the build up has been marred by violence

and the taliban has ordered afghans to boycott the vote. in the last half hour, at least ten people have been killed in a suicide bombing in kabul. nearly a third of all polling stations remain closed because of security concerns. our chief international correspondent lyse doucet sent us this update from kabul. it's voting day in afghanistan. security is exceptionally tight right across kabul. look at the lines, early morning, the lines are also exceptionally long. on the men's side of this polling station, they are queueing up to cast their ballots. i have some doubt about this parliament, election, because they didn't manage their time properly. we have been here two and a half hours, queueing. we are not afraid because we are muslims. we are afghan. we want to select a good person for a better future for us and also for our families. are you optimistic there will be a better parliament in afghanistan? maybe. you're not sure? maybe. this is what you hear

time and time again. they say they are not afraid, we are going to cast ballots. it is clear that the taliban threat are going to keep some people away from these polling stations and a third of the polling stations across this country are shut, either because they are in areas controlled by the taliban or they are just not safe enough for people to vote. look at the scene at this polling centre. it is absolutely packed on the women's side. this is not the sound and face of a people cowed by taliban threat. it is truly an act of bravery in afghanistan to cast a ballot but look how many people as here very early in the morning. this is the new system being used in afghanistan, introduced only weeks before election day. it's a biometric device which allows the polling agent to record the fingerprints, the photograph and the identity card of every voter.

it's a new effort to try to detect fraud. because it was introduced so late, we're not quite sure it will work the way it should. but it is said to have a psychological effect. there is the old way, the finger dipped in indelible ink. look at this ballot, have you ever seen a ballot like this. it's like newspaper. 16 pages. more than 800 candidates. let me see. wow! too many choices to make and too many centres aren't as peaceful as this but voting goes on. the voters of afghanistan with lyse

doucet. the headlines on bbc news... saudi arabia admits journalist jamal khashoggi was killed in the consulate in istanbul — the uk says it's those responsible must be held to account thousands of protestors are marching through london demanding another referendum on the uk's membership of the european union. two men have been charged with murdering father—of—two ian tomlin, who was beaten to death outside his home in south—west london. two spacecraft have been launched on a mission to mercury by europe and japan. it's a joint project to reach the planet which is the closest to the sun — a journey that will take seven years. our science correspondent jonathan amos has more. the beginning of a very long journey. bepicolombo is setting out on a 9 billion kilometre trek to the inner solar system. this is europe and japan's first mission to the planet mercury, and it will be hugely challenging. where the joint probes are headed, so close to the sun, it's as hot as a pizza oven.

novel technologies must protect the spacecraft from the hellish conditions. scientists hope they'll make a raft of new discoveries. mercury is an oddball. it has an oversized iron core that no one has yet explained, and surface materials that shouldn't be there in so hot an environment. our current theories of solar system formation, including the earth and the other planets, can't explain mercury. it's an anomaly. so we need to go to mercury and find out more information about the planet so we can really understand how our solar system formed. british teams are heavily involved. they've built instrumentation and spacecraft components. the sun's immense gravity will pull hard on bepicolombo. this means the probes must be careful not to go too fast and overshoot mercury. an arrival date has been set for 2025. jonathan amos, bbc news. rail passengers in the north of england are facing another weekend of disruption due to a long—running dispute over

the role of guards on trains. northern rail says it will operate around 30% of services, and there won't be many trains running after 6pm. members of the rmt union are planning further strikes for the next three saturdays — and there'll be a five days of action next tuesday on south western railway. prince harry and meghan have attended the opening of the invictus games, for injured service personnel, at sydney opera house. the start of the ceremony, the latest stage of the couple's australian tour, was delayed by thunderstorms. our royal correspondent jonny dymond has more. the duke and duchess of sussex. in the shadow of sydney opera house, with the eyes of australia on him, the duke of sussex came to open the games that he'd created. 500 competitors from 18 different nations have come to this, the largest games yet. the duke spoke of a new generation

of warriors, an invictus generation, their struggle for too long unrecognised. and he told the competitors here that they are an example to all. when all of you compete over the next week, remember that you do so not just for yourselves, not just for your families, not just for your nations. you are competing with different flags on your chests, but you are competing together for one invictus generation. tonight in sydney, a triumphant celebration of life and perseverance. a week of fierce competition and even greater inspiration begins. jonny dymond, bbc news, sydney. and as the athletes prepare for the invictus games down—under, an australian team has just become world champions in the uk. timbersports involves competitors sawing and chopping wood, at speed, using axes and saws.

there are six disciplines, including the underhand chop, the stock saw, the standing block chop and the hot saw. great britain were knocked out by the eventual winners in the last 16. the event has been taking place in liverpool and it's the first time the championships have been held in the uk. the individual world champion will be crowned later today. you learnt a lots in the last 30 seconds. you may think starting a farming business without land, an agricultural background or much money is almost impossible. that didn't stop a couple from cumbria who have spent the last five years tending a herd of 100 beef cattle with the help of investment from their community. david and bekka corrie—close now have a tenancy at a national trust farm and only use methods that are low impact, sustainable and nature friendly.

john maguire went to meet them. on a bright, sunny autumn‘s day, cumbria looks at its very best. and it's this landscape, the soil, the plants, and the animals, where david and bekka corrie—close have chosen to live and to farm. finally getting this was installed so we have water in every field. finally getting this water installed so we have water in every field. it will make a massive difference to the farm. they are not from a farming family and neither went to agricultural college. this is their dream. not a fairytale one though. and they are determined to make it a reality. so our family initially, when we decided that we were going to live off grid in a yurt and start buying animals and start farming, they thought we were absolutely nuts, didn't they? well, they were supportive, but they probably thought it would last five minutes. but it didn't last five minutes. and we are incredibly stubborn, determined people.

after five years learning the ropes, they have taken on a national trust tenancy. both parties are adamant that land end farm must be nature friendly. we want to make sure that there is a viable business for them, but it is about making sure there is space for nature and allowing that to thrive. and the wider function as well, making sure the soil is protected, air quality, water, making sure it holds back water, all of those things are important to us, as well as — you can see it is gorgeous here. so making sure it is open for people to enjoy as well. with the national trust we know we have got that understanding from a landlord, a landlord on the same page, which will give us the flexibility to try things, fail at things, and to succeed. they call their business the horned beef company. that cattle will stay out all year round and will keep their horns, which often removed to protect the animals from injury if they are kept in sheds in winter. they've raised £20,000

by a recruiting local investors. it is called community supported agriculture. today they are delivering a box of meat as part of a return on investment. when we started investing they were grazing nature reserves, areas rich in biodiversity. so we supported that. and the low food miles. it fitted our needs. the food miles are ridiculous. the farm is there, the slaughterhouse's there, and the consumer is here. it is all within a mile and a half. the couple understand the pressure on farmers and the agriculture sector. and believe they have found a way to strike that delicate balance, making the land pay without it costing the earth. john maguire, bbc news, cumbria. almost a million people across the uk have taken part in beat the street — a free challenge which rewards competitors for exploring their town or city on foot or bicycle. the idea's to get people more active, and is currently

being played in poole, weymouth, torbay, southwark and swindon. mike bushell has been to find out more. suddenly one day they appeared — nearly 200 grey boxes on lamp posts around swindon. ping. from a distance they might look like new parking meters, but when approached they make funny noises. fanfare. they're not parking meters or anything of the sort. no, these are part of the beat the street game. 175 boxes have been put around swindon, just like this, and other towns and cities around the uk, so we can get out there and explore more our urban environment. and tap our cards on here, make it light up, and score points. and onto the next one. these little boxes have helped this family settle into their new home in swindon. they now go exploring after work and school,

making friends with the place and people. ping. we are new here, but we don't have feelings like that. it encourages us to spend more family time together. i wasn't really encouraged by it, like, i thought it was boring, but once beat the street came i'm very competitive so i wanted to win. voiceover: your town is transforming into a giant, fun, free game... it's the brainchild of a doctor in berkshire who wanted to find a way to persuade his patients to be more active. and help from sport england, the national lottery and local councils means the game is free to play. check your place on the leaderboard. you can win prizes. and help your team lead the way. many people, when they hear the word fitness or physical activity they think, i have tojoin a gym, i have tojoin a running club. and beat the street is meant to kind of bypass the barriers and show people that actually getting physically active is really simple and really fun at the same time. in swindon, this family are among the 30,000 who have been

out finding the boxes, using the maps and swipe cards they got through the door. he loves it — it's something he can do. he can be a part of something that is completely mainstream. it brings the whole community together, you know? that's what i've seen. if you're not sure where a box is you can call a friend and be like, "have you seen this one on this road?" and it's like, "yeah, yeah, literally whereabouts are you? " and they will guide you that way. dumfries, one of the first towns to play the game, saw the number cycling go up by 19% and walking by 25% in the six weeks it was in town. back in swindon, it has brought new members to the running club. pop out for a 30 minute walk into town, and two and a half hours later i came home. still looking for boxes? yeah. there's always the next box to find. it's notjust families and, say, running groups involved — there are now 68 schools around swindon, primary schools, playing the beat the street game. and they score ten points for their team, their school, if they can swipe the boxes with one of these tags. we've got to find the boxes first, though, haven't we? but it's notjust phones or apps, it's now the old—fashioned maps that they use as well

to try to find them. so if we are there, what do you reckon, around this corner? oh, you know, don't you? you've been looking. glad i've got you by my side. right, let's go and find it and swipe for those points. ping. it makes a funny sound. like what? ding! when you find a box you get happy and then you just feel really proud. probably done over a mile already, haven't we, i think. we've still got another box to find, if you want to get those points. do you want to get those points? a bit further? up for it? some boxes will score you a whopping 30 points — you just never know. and with the game soon coming to 59 more towns and cities, there is still a long way to go. mike bushell, bbc news, in swindon. a fireworks display in kent is being postponed so as not to disturb a beluga whale in the river thames. the whale, nicknamed benny, was first spotted in the river near gravesend on the 25th of september and shows no signs of wanting to leave.

the fireworks were due to be set off from a barge in the thames on november the 2nd, but gravesham borough council says that benny's safety while he's in the gravesend area "must take priority". now it's time for a look at the weather. we can cross the newsroom to chris fawkes. i was bracing myself for an early quy i was bracing myself for an early guy fawkes gag but it is not to be. as far as the weather goes we have some sunny as far as the weather goes we have some sunny spells in england and wales but further north and west there is a lot of showers are still. it will be quite damp and times there for the rest of the afternoon. the cloud has been breaking up because england and wales. and in the north east of scotland temperatures averaged 19 celsius, the sunshine boosted by an affect

pushing those temperatures ever higher. i wouldn't be surprised if we saw 20 in the next hour or so before it calls. in the rest of the uk you can see the sunshine it will stay quite cloudy in the rest of england, not much sunshine in northern ireland and western scotla nd northern ireland and western scotland will continue to see the showers. temperatures are 14 to 17 degrees under cloudy skies, not