this is bbc world news, the headlines. the authorities in hong kong have threatened to suspend voting in sunday's local elections in case of serious disruptions at polling stations. us vice president mike pence has made an unnanounced visit to iraq — to try to reassure kurdish leaders of america's continued support. he told kurds they still share "strong bonds" with the us — despite the recent offensive by turkey in syria. thousands of people have marched in paris and nearly 70 cities across france to condemn violence against women. a woman dies at the hand of her partner or ex—partner roughly every three days in france. a number of arrests have been following a mass fight involving over 100 people at the biggest cinema complex in the west midlands.

police say some of their officers were assaulted outside starcity in birmingham. at ten o'clock kate silverton will be here with a full round up of the days news.now on bbc news — russia faces a deadly epidemic of domestic violence. for years it has been hidden from view, but now a new generation of women are fighting back. lucy ash meets the families whose extraordinary stories have sparked a national debate and the politicians who are campaigning for changes in the law it contains discussion of domestic violence which some viewers may find upsetting. russia can be a dangerous place for web then. it has a deadly culture of domestic violence. —— mike dangerous

place for women. across the country hundreds of women are killed every year by partners and relatives. but now, some russian women are fighting back with a new wave of activism.

this year russian society was rocked bya this year russian society was rocked by a big court case. three sisters accused of murdering their father in july 2018 were found to have been physically and sexually abused by him for years. christina, angelina and maria confessed to attacking their sleeping father with a hunting knife and a hammer. they face up to 20 years in prison. his body was found on a third floor landing of this blog where he lived with his daughters. —— apartment

block. after a public outcry, the sisters have been released from prison and are leading relatively normal lives, with some restrictions while awaiting trial. i cannot speak to the sisters by the cases being investigated but i can't talk their mother. —— while the case is being investigated. she was herself a victim of constant abuse from her husband for many years. at first she tried going to the police, but that only made matters worse. eventually, he kicked her out.

this high—profile case has shone a powerful light on the scourge of domestic violence. hundreds of thousands have signed a petition calling for the release of the sisters. activists at weekly packets blame the russian legal system for turning a blind eye and forcing the teenagers to defend themselves. russia's most famous opposition punk band pussy riot performed at a concert fundraiser for the sisters.

this is a theatre performance that tells the story of the sisters. but the actors also tell the audience about their own experiences. domestic abuse is still relatively

to boo here. many believe the state shouldn't poke its nose into private family business. but this case sparked a kind of russia me to movement. today women battling the culture of domestic abuse have finally started to gain a voice. anna has opened a walk—in health centre in moscow called no to violence where women can get legal and psychological support. the centre is also raising awareness through slick social media campaigns, including this one, where famous russian men say it is uncool to hit women.

0ne one of the main problem is domestic violence still exists is there are generations, this connection of generations, this connection of generations and of course if a young boy or a generations and of course if a young boy ora girlgrows generations and of course if a young boy or a girl grows up in a family where they see it day by day, for them it is just a where they see it day by day, for them it isjust a normal thing. they cannot understand why it is not ok and for us, the main thing is not only to protect or prevent but to explain that this is not ok. i can

say that there is a big difference since that 2015 when i started this work. now it is much easier, now it is more obvious for people that this problem exists and now it is much more obvious that it is not about women, it is about human rights and of course a few years ago, we had de—criminalisation of domestic violence, as people call it. anna rivina is referring to a controversial law passed in 2017 which scrapped prison sentences for first time the teams which did not require hospital treatment were classed as administrative offences, not crimes. some say this has led to an upsurge in violence. 0ne not crimes. some say this has led to an upsurge in violence. one of the biggest problems in tackling domestic violence is the lack of

reliable statistics. police registered more than 13,000 assaults against wives by husbands last year. but that figure only includes married women and the true figure is likely to be much higher. 26—year—old margarito, a mother of two was initially a victim of so—called minor harm. her husband had hit her and threatened her with a knife, but when she went the police she said —— they said the investigation would take 20 days and then they drop the case. one month later, her husband took her into the woods and chopped off her hands. the doctors were able to save one of them but not the other. a crowdfunding campaign paid for a prosthetic hand and margarita is resolved to stay strong for her

children. margarito has just published a book about her recovery and she is now able to look after her children on her own in her apartment and is keen to go back to work. like the other case, margarita ‘s story has become a media sensation. it has focused attention the toxic

masculinity weak laws and official indifference which endanger millions of russian women. russia doesn't have a national domestic violence law but inside the parliament one woman is working hard to introduce one. she is the deputy

head of the parliamentary committee for women and children. she was one of the very few mps to take a strong sta nce of the very few mps to take a strong stance against the decriminalisation law in 2017. that takes some guts, because she is affiliated with a political party loyal to president vladimir putin that passed the law.

in russia, tackling domestic abuse has never been a priority for

lawmakers. but this recent debate in the parliament is a sign that the government is beginning to take the problem more seriously. here, 0ksana pushkina is campaigning to introduce restraining orders to keep violent partners away from victims. she says the recent increase in russian domestic violence cases in the european court of human rights have embarrassed the government. but 0 ksa na embarrassed the government. but 0ksa na pushkina embarrassed the government. but 0ksana pushkina is facing a lot of opposition and her critics jump to some odd conclusions.

earlier this year and priest of the russian orthodox church told the radio station that women are more submissive and generally less intelligent than men. he said that smart women were rare. those are the words of a man who heads the commission on the protection of women, children and families. and it is attitudes like these that help to explain why tackling domestic violence is still not very high up on the agenda in this country. that same archpriest has also stated that even the term domestic violence is linked to radical western feminism and is incompatible with russian family values. anton is a family

lawyer, twice divorced himself he specialises in defending the interests of men in family break—up and he believes the status quo is in favour of women. he also has his own show on youtube with overtly misogynist views and he is outraged by the idea of restraining orders. so you think it is the woman that should leave the family home in the case of domestic violence?

but all too often the police do not ta ke but all too often the police do not take the necessary action to protect the victims of domestic abuse. bbc. anna ‘s 29—year—old daughter was brutally murdered by very apartment. he stabbed her 57 times and then left for work. in the morning, there are seven—year—old

son nikita went into his mother ‘s bedroom and found her body.

this although the former police captain was convicted of murder, he has not been stripped of his pa rental has not been stripped of his parental rights. anna and her grandson can only hope for a change

in the russian legal system. the appalling cases in this film might have been prevented if only the right measures had been in place. russia desperately needs a domestic violence law, but those who are fighting for change have many tough battles ahead.

hello there. friday night was the first time it has been entirely frost free across the uk since bonfire night and over the past few days and nights we will keep on this milder picture but it comes with a lot of cloud and there will be some rain at times as well. on sunday we are in between weather systems so it should be a lot drier in the next area of low pressure, a big one is coming and slowly from the atlantic and will arrive in the south west by the end of the day. still some rain to clear away from the north—east of scotland, a few showers around the irish sea coastal areas but on the whole a dry day, a lot of cloud, not much sunshine, dull and whole a dry day, a lot of cloud, not much sunshine, dulland misty morning for some, temperatures similarto morning for some, temperatures similar to what we have been seen on saturday. then we have got this rain, strengthening whence arriving into the far south west of england and wales during sunday evening and that area of low pressure starts to ta ke that area of low pressure starts to take charge, the jet stream is

further south than we would expect at this time of year and that is picking up the areas of low pressure and pushing the men from the south west and this is the picture on monday and while there will be some rain in northern ireland and later in scotland most of it will affect england and wales whether whence will be stronger as well. mild again, nota will be stronger as well. mild again, not a great deal of sunshine, perhaps the best of that in the far north of scotland where temperatures are not quite as high. that weather system are not quite as high. that weather syste m m oves are not quite as high. that weather system moves to make it the u nsettled system moves to make it the unsettled weather into tuesday and the next weather system coming in from the atlantic contain some tropical air from from the atlantic contain some tropical airfrom former from the atlantic contain some tropical air from former tropical storm sebastien andy bring some uncertainty regarding the strength of the wind in the south west but we are likely to find it turning wetter across the south west of england and in the midlands towards the south—east. this area are turning wetter through the day and elsewhere something a bit drier and cloudier, something a bit drier and cloudier, some sunshine at times and showers and temperatures in double figures. mild again. into tuesday night and into wednesday, we are dominated by this large area of low pressure and

that means some showers and longer spells of rain, perhaps the heaviest rain towards the south—east of england and also in the north—east of scotland. different wind flows, more of a south to south—westerly wind in england, but a colour north—easterly beginning to arrive across scotland and that is because of the position of the area of low pressure and that low is going to slowly wander towards the low countries into europe leaving our shores behind and we are getting this idea of a north easterly airflow been established on thursday and that will bring some showery bursts of rain particularly for the east of the uk and further west it might be drierand east of the uk and further west it might be drier and brighter maybe even some sunshine but it is getting colder from the north of those temperatures in glasgow back to 8 degrees and you can say is we head towards the end of the week how that colder air pressure is down across the uk bringing the risk of frost for northern areas in particular and we are still in the wrong side of the jet stream and it continues to fade areas of low pressure towards

the south west for a while and then another one coming all the way down from iceland which will dry colder air with it from iceland which will dry colder airwith itand from iceland which will dry colder air with it and it keeps the u nsettled air with it and it keeps the unsettled theme going and picks up some stronger winds and we are in the colder air towards the end of the colder air towards the end of the month as we head towards december and we started the milder aircoming infrom december and we started the milder air coming in from the atlantic but thatis air coming in from the atlantic but that is some way off on the theme for the outlook as it will be colder but the risk of frost mainly in the north, some showers and longer spells of rain and perhaps even a little bit of snow over the tops of the scottish mountains.

jeremy corbyn defends his decision to adopt a neutral stance in a future brexit referendum. mr corbyn's position was questioned by his opponents. but the labour leader says it's the sensible way forward. i think being an honest broker and listening to everyone is actually a sign of strength and a sign of maturity. our country has to come together.