welcome to bbc news — i'm tim willcox. our top stories: fleeing the draft. the russians leaving the country to avoid being sent to fight in ukraine. translation: when i refused to take the call-up papers, - an official said, "suit yourself, but you'll be sent "to prison for ten years". back in ukrainian hands, but still under russian attack. a special report from the city of kupiansk. police in iceland arrest four people allegedly involved in preparations for the first ever terrorist attack on the island. unrest continues to spread across iran after the death of a woman detained by the �*morality police'. her father says, they lied about how she died.

translation: i asked why they did not transfer her i to the hospital and they said the ambulance's key was lost for 20 minutes and they could not find it. can you believe this? welcome to our viewers on pbs in america and around the globe. many russian citizens are trying to flee their country to escape the military mobilisation announced by vladimir putin. tickets for direct flights between russia and serbia have sold out, and there are long queues on other border crossings. president putin's order to mobilise 300,000 russian reservists to fight in ukraine led to protests on wednesday, at which more than a thousand people were reportedly arrested.

0ur russia editor steve rosenberg reports from moscow. called up by the kremlin, they set off for ukraine. russian reservists now part of vladimir putin's war. there were scenes like these across russia. a sense of shock at the first mobilisation here since world war ii, and apprehension at what lies ahead. child cries. "daddy," cries a child, as another group departs. but there was anger, too, outside a recruitment office. the protester says, world war ii was a real war, but this one is just politics. protesting in russia can be dangerous. mikhail was detained at an anti—mobilisation protest in moscow. he says that down at the station, police tried to give him call—up papers.

translation: when i refused to take the call-up papers, - an official said, "suit yourself, but you'll be sent "to prison for ten years". she said it was against the law to refuse the draft. the public�*s being told the motherland is in danger. the message from the russian authorities to the russian people is we had to call up the reservists. the west is trying to destroy us. nato is waging a war against us. this is a fight for russia's future. but some russians have now concluded that for them there is no future here. at russia's border with georgia, the queue of cars was unusually long as some russian men of fighting age tried to leave the country. i heard some speeches... viktor has decided to leave russia because of the call—up. �*viktor�* is not his real name — he's asked us to hide his identity. there is a choice —

for example, you go and you kill innocent people, or you go to jail. i decided i don't want to make this choice. i'm better to live my life somehow, i don't know, from abroad. up until now, many russians have tried to block out what's happening in ukraine and get on with their lives. the call—up of hundreds of thousands of reservists has changed that. reality is starting to hit home. steve rosenberg, bbc news, moscow. that's the picture in russia — meanwhile, russia's conduct in ukraine has been strongly condemned at a special meeting of the un security council. the american secretary of state, antony blinken said president putin had shown contempt for international law and the world must not let him get away with it. his comments came as the ukrainian military continues to make gains

in the east of the country. 0ur senior international corrspondent 0rla guerin reports now from the newly liberated city of kupyansk. this is kupiansk. ukraine calls it �*liberated territory'. during our visit with an army escort, it does not sound that way. explosions in distance. every few minutes, more shelling. and it is soon very clear that war is not far away. explosions. come on, come on, come on. explosions. we have just had to run and take cover in a building. there has been what sounded like heavy incoming fire. it's pretty clear that the russians are continuing to target kupiansk, even though they have been pushed out.

dangerous. understood. they want us away from the glass. a few minutes ago, we heard there is a russian helicopter doing some shelling and it was nearby us, so we need to go to save your life and going from there. is this happening a lot in kupiansk? a lot of attacks? yes, yes. every day, kupiansk under russian shelling and russian artillery. quickly, quickly. now, ukrainian forces are back, looking for signs of life. they are few and far between. the russians brought destruction here, but some do not have a bad word to say about their former occupiers. "they treated people normally," 0leksandr tells me. "there was no torture,

nothing like that. "for us, it was no different with them all without them. "they were here. "but it feels like they were not. "they came and then they left." explosions. he says most here stand with ukraine. either way, they are now caught in the middle... explosions. ..with shelling back and forth. i ask leliah how she copes. "i do nothing," she says. "i stay home and pray that nothing hits the house." explosions. ukraine's victory in this city is messy and incomplete. there are untold stories of suffering here. and some believe sooner

or later, the russians will be back. 0rla guerin, bbc news, kupiansk. evelyn farkas is executive director of the mccain institute and a former pentagon official responsible for russia. she's in washington. can we start with the reservists called up, the draft and people trying to flee the country. some reports are saying that people are getting knocks on the door at four in the morning, no choice they have to report by 3pm, or whatever. but what is so interesting is the location, geographically, for where these calls are being made. what do you read into that? i calls are being made. what do you read into that?— you read into that? i think this mobilisation - you read into that? i think this mobilisation is - you read into that? i think this mobilisation is more i you read into that? i thinkl this mobilisation is more of you read into that? i think i this mobilisation is more of a public relations and terror... alliance a stunt, but move as opposed to a real military move at this point because i am

unclear how quickly they can actually mobilise 300,000 people who are supposedly or reserve of and equip them because we do not know if the russians have the equipment, and then make sure they are trained and they can be sent to the front and not come median that make immediate cannon fodder. so i think the call—up is, in part, a test to see how the russian public react. clearly they are not reacting well to it that the demonstrations are not as large as they might be otherwise so perhaps this is a way for the russian government to gradually try to acclamation the russian people to the idea of a total war with ukraine. 50 people to the idea of a total war with ukraine.— people to the idea of a total war with ukraine. so even if it is 'ust a war with ukraine. so even if it isiust a test. _ war with ukraine. so even if it isjust a test, many _ war with ukraine. so even if it isjust a test, many of- war with ukraine. so even if it isjust a test, many of the - is just a test, many of the people are being called are in the far east of russia almost on the border with china, but in terms of the protest from the people on the ground, who is more dangerous for president putin, them all the ultranationalist�*s pro— war ultra nationalist�*s pro— war above ultranationalist�*s pro— war above him?

ultranationalist's pro- war above him?— ultranationalist's pro- war above him? , ., above him? good question. in regard to _ above him? good question. in regard to the _ above him? good question. in regard to the part _ above him? good question. in regard to the part of- above him? good question. in regard to the part of your - regard to the part of your question about the geography, all along putin has been targeting people in the eastern parts of russia, chechnya, douglas dunn, ethnic minorities. he has isolated or insulated, rather, the citizens of moscow and saint petersburg from the war. a couple of months ago somewhere i read that 11 casualties total between petersburg and moscow. so he is deliberately picking the parts of the country that he is targeting depressed people into service one way or another. in regard to which is more dangerous to him, that is a good question. certainly the nationalists have always been putting pressure on him but they clearly put enough pressure on him that he decided he had to make this reservist call—up and he also had to declare he was going to annex the territories they had seized since february 2a plus the ones prior to that so then putin

added onto that his nuclear sabre rattling. a clear statement aimed at national side of the statement and, of course, the caller had the opposite effect when it comes to the russian people, as we have seen. it remains to be seen whether the kremlin can manage it. clearly they decided to take the risk because they had to do something about the nationalists and the people living in donetsk and lance who were panicking about whether the russian government would stick with them. find the russian government would stick with them.— stick with them. and yet the risoner stick with them. and yet the prisoner swap, _ stick with them. and yet the | prisoner swap, extraordinary stick with them. and yet the i prisoner swap, extraordinary in terms of who the russians have given back to ukraine. albeit by a turkey in some places. the leader of the azov brigade and the people who held out in mariupol, that will not please the nationalists. we mariupol, that will not please the nationalists.— the nationalists. we have re orts the nationalists. we have reports of _ the nationalists. we have reports of them - the nationalists. we have reports of them being i the nationalists. we have i reports of them being upset. it was done with nationalist leadership agreeing to the swap because they wanted their people back as well and also

they are loyal to president putin. so the political leadership there, they say that they supported this because president putin clearly wanted victor back and he is an individual who is a ukrainian programme into the extreme politician, was somebody who, i believe ukrainian intelligence has indicated is not western, the russians were holding as a potential replacement for the government, for president zelensky. so he was important to putin because he is a veteran spy and you do not leave your spies behind. it is shocking, frankly, or surprising, i would say that this swap included so many individuals, first of all the number and then you said, from the azov brigade and others we may not have expected the russians to swap. several foreigners as well who had been captured in the donetsk area.

president putin's godfather to his child or something so there is a family connection there as well. �* , ., well. as i tweeted, i want somebody _ well. as i tweeted, iwant somebody to _ well. as i tweeted, iwant somebody to count i well. as i tweeted, iwant somebody to count up i well. as i tweeted, i want| somebody to count up how well. as i tweeted, i want - somebody to count up how many godchildren vladimir putin has because i think it is a way of showing loyalty.— because i think it is a way of showing loyalty. good to speak to ou. showing loyalty. good to speak to you- thank— showing loyalty. good to speak to you. thank you _ showing loyalty. good to speak to you. thank you very - showing loyalty. good to speak to you. thank you very much i to you. thank you very much here on bbc. police in iceland say they've arrested four people in connection with what they believe to have been preparations for the first ever terrorist attack on the island. 0fficers said the motives of the four people were as yet unknown. emily brown reports. iceland, considered to be one of the most peaceful places in the world. a country where violence is rare, until now. in an unprecedented operation, four men have been arrested after investigation into an alleged trailer is a lot. up to 50 police officers took part in this huge operation. it's all

here automatic weapons as well as thousands of rounds of ammunition seized. it is said to be the first time an investigation of this type has been launched in iceland, which has a population ofjust 375,000. local media reports officers were exploring potential links to nordic far right groups and that the police with a central target. translation: we police with a central target. translation:— police with a central target. translation: ~ ., . translation: we have conducted iar: er translation: we have conducted larger operations _ translation: we have conducted larger operations but _ translation: we have conducted larger operations but not _ translation: we have conducted larger operations but not like i larger operations but not like this one and this is a factor. of course we have looked at the of course we have looked at the fact that various things have been happening in europe, including the nature of terrorist acts.- terrorist acts. the four icelanders _ terrorist acts. the four icelanders who - terrorist acts. the four icelanders who were . terrorist acts. the four i icelanders who were arrested terrorist acts. the four - icelanders who were arrested in a suburb of reykjavik are said to be in their 20s. two have been remanded in custody. it is still unclear what their motive was and police say more people could be brought in for questioning. for now, investigations continue into the biggest operation of its type this small nation has

seen. emily brown, bbc news. stay with us on bbc news — still to come: hollywood facelift — we'll tell you why this iconic sign is getting a fresh lick of paint. benjohnson, the fastest man on earth, is flying home to canada in disgrace. all the athletes should be clean, going into the games. i'm just happy that justice is served. it is a simple fact that, i this morning, these people were in their homes. tonight, those homes have been burnt down by serbian _ soldiers and police. all the taliban positions along here have been strengthened, presumably in case the americans invade. it's no use having a secret service which cannot preserve its own secrets against the world,

and so the british government has no option but to continue this action, even after any adverse judgment in australia. concorde have crossed the atlantic faster than any this is bbc news, the latest headlines: the russians fleeing their country to avoid president putin's partial mobilisation of military in connection with what they believe to have been protests in iran have now spread to more than 80 cities and towns on the sixth day of unrest triggered by the death of a young woman after she was arrested by the country's morality police. 23 people are reported to have been killed so far, but according to our

correspondent that figure could be higher. rana rahimpour has this report. women across iran are setting their hijabs on fire. they are tired of being beaten up by the morality police for not observing strict islamic dress code. cheering and applause. their anger was sparked by the death of this woman, mahsa amini. she wasjust 22. she was arrested by the morality police in tehran earlier this month. they said she wasn't wearing the mandatory hijab properly. they say she died of a heart condition, but eyewitnesses say she was beaten up in the police van. her father told me she was a healthy young woman with no medical condition. translation: i still cannot believe she's dead. - i don't want to believe she's not alive. iranian state media are saying she had health conditions before, but that's a lie.

the medical report was full of lies. the government has cut the internet in much of the country, so it's hard to get accurate information at the moment. but last time they did this, three years ago, they killed hundreds of people. with thousands of people protesting across the country, there are fears that far more might be killed this time. cheering and applause. protests are quickly spreading across the country and they are no longer just about clothing — it's about regime change. now, men, next to women, are standing together, chanting "death to the dictator". but for iran, change comes slowly. the iranian president, who is at the un, insists that hijab is a personal choice. but even in new york, he demanded that the world—renowned broadcaster christiane amanpour wears a headscarffor an interview. this was refused.

but the same refusal in iran is costing lives. rana rahimpour, bbc news. for more on this, let's speak to assal rad, executive director of the national iranian american council. she joins us live from los angeles. these protesters into this seventh day now spreading from north to south, how big a threat is this to the regime? in terms of a threat, what we have seen as a pattern unfortunately is that these protests are subdued using violence, using deadly force. in november of 2019 which was the last time, the pre—covid time which is important to point out because covid played a role in multiple protest movements around the world coming to a close because things were shut down and people into quarantine but in 2019 when we saw protest in iran, we saw internet shutdowns, deadly force being

used and at least hundreds of people, amnesty international puts the number 324, there are numbers that contest that going up numbers that contest that going up to 1500 people, so you have the use of deadly force, the use of shutting down the internet, subduing these protests and so if that is precedent, then it doesn't necessarily pose a challenge in terms of the rule of those that are in power in the short term but of course long—term what it shows and what these repeated protests have shown is that iranians will not be silenced and subdued in the long—term and subdued in the long—term and they will continue to fight for their rights.— for their rights. how big a presence _ for their rights. how big a presence is _ for their rights. how big a presence is the _ for their rights. how big a presence is the morality l for their rights. how big a i presence is the morality police on the streets of all towns and cities surrounding around and do they work hand—in—hand with the revolutionary guard, which is usually used to suppress these sort of events? the morality _ these sort of events? the morality police _ these sort of events? the morality police have i these sort of events? tue: morality police have been around for decades. they tried

to enforce certain rules, especially rules related to women's attire but different administrations, different presidential administrations will have different levels of enforcement, so one of the concerns with the new administration is that they are increasing the crackdown on dissent across the spectrum of a running and society, we saw that with arrests of artists and filmmakers like the one just a few months ago so the increased restrictions and enforcement of new draconian rules on mandatory and compulsory hijab is another layer of the expanded restrictions we are seeing under this administration giving a green light to the morality police to act with more force.— morality police to act with more force. but this and the demonstrations _ more force. but this and the demonstrations now - more force. but this and the i demonstrations now combined with the economic problems the country is going through also an ailing spiritual leader,

just looking at the combination of all of these factors now, a change is coming or the regime is blindsided by events now? tt is blindsided by events now? tt is understandable to create parallels between now and things that we saw in 2019 and 2009, going back all the way to the revolution, of course but the revolution, of course but the circumstances are not quite the circumstances are not quite the same and so i am hesitant to make predictions. what we can say is there's definitely many factors playing into pressure is on the iranian state and those pressures, how they deal with those pressure as what we have to see unfold. external pressures that create economic issues within the country are another factor to include in that but what we know as a fact is that this government will use whatever force is necessary to maintain its own survival and does not

regard the life of its citizens but what we have also seen on the flipside from the irani inside, from the uranium people is that they will continue to resist. ., ~ is that they will continue to resist. ., ,, , ., ., resist. ok, thank you for coming _ resist. ok, thank you for coming on _ resist. ok, thank you for coming on the _ resist. ok, thank you for i coming on the programme. the israeli prime minister yair lapid has called for a two—state solution to the palestinian—israeli conflict. in a speech at the un general assembly, mr lapid said that an agreement with the palestinians based on two states for two peoples was the right thing for israel's security, its economy and the future of its children. despite all the obstacles still today, large majority of israelis support the vision of the two state solution. i am one of them. we have only one condition. that the future palestinian state will be a peaceful one. it's one of the most iconic symbols in the world —

and soon it will celebrate its centenary. the hollywood sign has been a hallmark of glamour and glitz since the early 1920s and the trust that looks after it is making sure it looks its best before its big birthday — as the bbc�*s tim allman explains. in this city, of all cities, the occasional facelift is practically mandatory. they repaint the hollywood sign every ten years or so but this time it's a little bit different copy a very special day is on the horizon, the signed's centenary and that requires some very special effort. ., , ., �* requires some very special effort. ., �* ., , effort. people don't realise that when _ effort. people don't realise that when you _ effort. people don't realise that when you are - effort. people don't realise that when you are standing effort. people don't realise i that when you are standing at the same, it's letters are 45 feet high, the length of each letter but they are also about 10- letter but they are also about 10— for ten feet off the ground. not all the letters but on average. so some of these guys are up 50 to 60 feet up in the air. ~ , ,

the air. when it first went up in 1923, the _ the air. when it first went up in 1923, the sign _ the air. when it first went up in 1923, the sign said - in 1923, the sign said hollywoodland. it was an advertisement for a nearby property development. eventually lost or letters but gained a place as the symbol of the city associated with movie stars and sex appeal. painting a journal must sign is no easy task but no—one here is complaining. t task but no-one here is complaining.— task but no-one here is com-clainin. ., , ., , complaining. i told my family, i'm pretty _ complaining. i told my family, i'm pretty sure _ complaining. i told my family, i'm pretty sure i'm _ complaining. i told my family, i'm pretty sure i'm going i complaining. i told my family, i'm pretty sure i'm going to i complaining. i told my family, | i'm pretty sure i'm going to be on tv and i'm pretty excited and speechless honestly. that they gave me this opportunity to work in this crazy hollywood sign, it's amazing.— sign, it's amazing. this particular— sign, it's amazing. this particular hollywood i sign, it's amazing. this particular hollywood makeover is expected to last until the middle of november, just in time for the birthday celebrations next year. and just so you know, apparently the w-2 just so you know, apparently the w—2 is the hardest letter to paint. —— apparently the w

is the hardest letter to paint. of course those guys haven't seen the bridge in scotland. more on those stories on the website, from me and the team, see you soon. hello there, we had a real mixture of weather around on thursday. it was pleasantly warm across south—eastern areas. temperatures in hampshire and cambridgeshire reached 21 celsius, 70 fahrenheit. temperatures are going to be dropping over the next few days. it looks like it's going to turn particularly cold at night—time. we have the cooler air moving down from the north—west, it follows this band of cloud here that brought a lot of rain into cumbria. that rain is now sliding its way down towards the south—east and east anglia where we start the day with some rain. elsewhere, further north, clearer skies means it's going to be a much colder start here, particularly in eastern

scotland and north east england where we will start with some sunshine. it looks like it's going to be quite a cloudy day across east anglia and the south—east, some rain from time to time. it should cheer up in the midlands and much of england and wales away from the south—east will be dry with some sunshine, scattering of showers come in on the north—westerly breeze to scotland and northern ireland. and temperatures may struggle to around 15 to 16 degrees. still sitting at 18 or 19 though with that cloudy damp weather towards the south east on that weather front there, which is only very slowly moving away. around this area of high pressure, we're going to drawn down that northerly breeze bringing in that cooler air and may be bringing in a scattering of showers this time on saturday for central and eastern parts of england. further west likely to be drier and it should be a dry day with some decent amount of sunshine for scotland and northern ireland. still the threat of a little rain in the far south—east of england but should be moving away and typical temperatures will be around 16 degrees or so on saturday afternoon. saturday night though could be quite cold around this area of high pressure. we've got that chilly air, never really establishes itself because this is going to be quite a feature of the weather as we head through the latter part of the weekend

and into the start of next week. a lot of dry weather to come on sunday but with that approaching deep low in scotland and northern ireland, the winds will be picking up and in the northwest we'll see some outbreaks of rain, sunny spells elsewhere, mind you. still on the cool side after quite a cold start, the temperatures around 15 or 16 degrees. i showed you that deep area of low pressure on the weather front that's going to be sliding southwards overnight and on monday it'll bring a spell of rain. but following on from that, we'll find the winds turning to distinctly a chilly direction and a much stronger northerly wind will drop the temperatures early next week.

this is bbc news, the headlines: queues have sprung up along russia's border as men attempt to leave the country to avoid a military call—up for the war in ukraine. president putin announced a partial military mobilisation on wednesday. 300,000 russian reservists have been called up. protests have led to more than a thousand people reportedly arrested. police in iceland say they've arrested four people in connection with what they believe to have been preparations for the first ever terrorist attack on the island. 0fficers said semi—automatic weapons and thousands of rounds of ammunition had been seized. reports from iran suggest more than 30 people have been killed in clashes with security forces, during protests

about the death of a woman in custody.