this is bbc news. the headlines: the south korean president has declared a national period of mourning after at least 151 people were killed in a crush, in the capital, seoul, during halloween celebrations. emergency services say most of the deaths occurred in one narrow alley in itaewon, a popular entertainment district. russia says it's suspending its participation in an agreement, brokered by the united nations, that allows grain exports from ukraine. moscow claims it's taken the decision after a drone attack on russian ships in occupied crimea. a un spokesperson said they hoped discussions would continue. british opposition parties are urging the government to look into claims that the former prime minister liz truss her phone hacked while she was foreign secretary. media reports allege the hack was discovered during the conservative leadership campaign. the government has refused to comment.

now on bbc news, jiyar gol looks at the protests in iran triggered by the death in custody of a 22—year—old woman, and how they've challenge to iran's shia clerical establishment in years. chanting. the death of a young kurdish woman in iran has sparked unprecedented protest across the country. security forces have crackdown but, weeks on, there is no sign of the protesters backing down. some of the biggest demonstration so far talk place 40 demonstration so far talk place a0 days after mahsa amini died. the bbc cannot operate freely in iran so we rely on people sending us videos from inside the country. this time, iran's

tick—tock generation are at the forefront of this challenge to the islamic regime. it is the latest in a long struggle for women's rights in iran. so why this time has a slogan for this purchase, women, life, freedom, spread across the country and the world? in early september, mahsa amini, a 22—year—old woman and her brother, travelled from a kurdish city in western iran to visit the capital city, tehran for the first time. but their journey takes an ominous turn.

as soon as they get out of the metro station, mahsa amini she faces the morality police, a police that enforces the strict dress code on women in public. her clothes are deemed revealing. she is detained and taken to a police station in tehran. an hour later, she complains about something to a female police officer. this cctv shows the moment she collapses in the police station. by the time she was transferred to a hospital, she is brain—dead and falls into a coma.

three days later, mahsa was pronounced dead. the news of her death outrage of many across the country. the security forces disperses a crowd gathered in front of the hospital. the police chief of tehran theirs that mahsa fell into a coma because of a heart condition. the morality police usually wear body cameras but they say they did not on that day. the policeman had cctv cameras, no recordings have been made available. the father of mahsa says that eyewitnesses have told him the morality police beat mahsa up in the van.

despite threats and intimidation by security forces, the father of mahsa refuses to remain silent and an interview with bbc persia he says the government account is totally false. the islamic republic has strict rules on what women wear in public. the morality police have been enforcing those rules forfour have been enforcing those rules for four decades. have been enforcing those rules forfour decades. their for four decades. their confrontations with forfour decades. their confrontations with younger women on many occasions have led to verbal abuse and physical violence. led to verbal abuse and physicalviolence. (screaming)

anger against this strict islamic rules imposed on women was expressed at mahsa's funeral. we saw that in the cemetery women are throwing their scarves and it was as if, for the first time, the entire

society was receiving women, showing this act, and it has taken a long time for women to achieve that. they have gone beyond their fear to beyond theirfear to communicate beyond their fear to communicate with the society and i think that was a turning point in the feminist movement in iran. ~ ., ., in iran. women, life, freedom, the words _ in iran. women, life, freedom, the words chanted _ in iran. women, life, freedom, the words chanted by _ in iran. women, life, freedom, | the words chanted by protesters at mahsa's funerals struck a chord in every corner of iran and before long protest spread like wildfire across the country. like wildfire across the country-— like wildfire across the count . , ~' like wildfire across the count . ., country. they killed mahsa for a little bit _ country. they killed mahsa for a little bit of _ country. they killed mahsa for a little bit of hair, _ country. they killed mahsa for a little bit of hair, just - country. they killed mahsa for a little bit of hair, just a - a little bit of hair, just a bit of hair was visible and look what is going on now in iran, we are removing the hijab completely. because mahsa is not a death in iran, she is

becoming a symbol of resistance against the dictatorship. compulsory hijab and strict rules on women were imposed under islamic revolution a0 years ago and now even high school girls are going to challenge, removing headscarves and changing death to the dictator in front of schools, something unprecedented and unimaginablejust a few something unprecedented and unimaginable just a few weeks ago. —— chanting death to the dictator.

but there is no sign that the islamic leadership is thinking of compromise. in his first response to the protests, iran's supreme leader ali khamenei blamed foreign governments.

the security forces were sent out onto the streets in force. but opposition to compulsory hijab in iran is not new. many women have been fighting it since the early days of the islamic revolution, in 1979. women, both religious and secular participated in protest to remove the law but for many of them the celebration was short lived. the leader of the

revolution, approved islamic rule for women and many women not wearing the valet were attacked. less tha n less than a month after the revolution, the first protest against compulsory hijab took place in tehran.

his determined to see islamic state at all cost. if his determined to see islamic state at all cost.— state at all cost. if they cannot persuade - state at all cost. if they cannot persuade the . state at all cost. if they - cannot persuade the women in other— cannot persuade the women in other sectors who oppose extremist beliefs... other sectors who oppose extremist beliefs. . .- extremist beliefs... strict islamic rules _ extremist beliefs... strict islamic rules imposed - extremist beliefs... strict islamic rules imposed on | extremist beliefs... strict - islamic rules imposed on women became one of the main pillars of the regime.— of the regime. how could you understand — of the regime. how could you understand it _ of the regime. how could you understand it is _ of the regime. how could you understand it is a _ of the regime. how could you understand it is a islamic - understand it is a islamic country? through us, through women because they make us where the ideology on our body. basically the hijab is not a choice for us. basically the hi'ab is not a choice for us._ choice for us. but iranian women _ choice for us. but iranian women have _ choice for us. but iranian women have kept- choice for us. but iranian i women have kept fighting. choice for us. but iranian -

women have kept fighting. this woman is an iranian women's rights activists. now she lives in exile, in the hague, in the netherlands. in 2006, her in a group of women in iran started a campaign called i million signatures, the campaign sought to change discriminatory laws against women. most of the women behind the campaign were arrested or exiled, but any generation of activists went online. with the

development of the internet in iran, communicating with young iran, communicating with young iran in women became easier. an iranian activist exiled in the us used social media to promote her campaigns against compulsory hijab. compulsory hi'ab. this is a hair compulsory hijab. this is a hair revolution! _ compulsory hijab. this is a hair revolution! white - hair revolution! white wednesdays - hair revolution! white wednesdays and - hair revolution! white i wednesdays and others hair revolution! white - wednesdays and others are hair revolution! white _ wednesdays and others are some of her campaigns against compulsory hijab.- of her campaigns against compulsory hijab. compulsory hi'ab. eight years auo, compulsory hi'ab. eight years aao, and compulsory hijab. eight years ago, and launched _ compulsory hijab. eight years ago, and launched a - compulsory hijab. eight years | ago, and launched a campaign against hijab compulsory. i picked a colour, white, i picked a colour, white, i picked a colour, white, i picked a day, wednesday, because i wanted people to identify each other in public. people took to the streets

practising civil disobedience while wearing a white symbol in public. 0ne one of the women from the white wednesdays campaigner was this person. in an act of defiance against forced herjob, she against forced her job, she filled against forced herjob, she filled herself without hijab on the streets of tehran. this act was a crime in the eyes of the islamic republic of iran yasmin was arrested in 2019 and sentenced to five years in prison. the founder of the campaign wasn't immune, evenin the campaign wasn't immune, even in the us. she has been in the crosshairs of the rear security forces. in 2021 the fbi world of plot to kidnap her new york. but the renee young

government has denied it was involved. if government has denied it was involved. ., , ., �* involved. if it was not the fbi sto -|n~ involved. if it was not the fbi stepping the _ involved. if it was not the fbi stopping the kidnapping - involved. if it was not the fbi j stopping the kidnapping plot, involved. if it was not the fbi. stopping the kidnapping plot, i would have been in a run now, executed. the fbi actually rested a man with a loaded gun in front of my house in brooklyn. maybe they are scared of my hair, i don't know, i don't know why they are scared of me. ~ ., , of me. like her, during latest protests. _ of me. like her, during latest protests, many _ of me. like her, during latest protests, many influential - protests, many influential iranians figures have used social media to break through state media censorship. from footballers to actors, from scholars to singers. they have expressed their support. in this clip, this songwriter uses the wording from people's tweets to compose a son about why the islamic republic should no longer exist.

iranian security forces arrested him immediately. but it was too late. his song had already gone viral. singers in iran and around the world covered his song. # for all mankind and our country... singing in persian. it was only the son: singing in persian. it was only the song that — singing in persian. it was only the song that crossed _ singing in persian. it was only the song that crossed borders. i the song that crossed borders. the slogan of the protest, women, life, freedom, also went around the world. in solidarity with the protesters, many international celebrities cut their hair. an act symbolic in

a run of morning and a loss. iranian communities in the diaspora have been moved to protest. many have rallied in support in cities around the world. tens of thousands of iranians have travelled from all over europe to be here in berlin. it is the largest protest ever by the iranian austra, people from all walks of life and a different ethnicities united as never before to support the protest inside your own. repeatedly shouting this slogan: woman, life, freedom. so how did the slogan began? the life, freedom. so how did the slogan began?— life, freedom. so how did the slogan began? the motto was first used by _

slogan began? the motto was first used by the _ slogan began? the motto was first used by the kurdish - slogan began? the motto was l first used by the kurdish women resisting the state of tokyo towards the 1980s and later used by resistance of kurdish women against iss. the motto itself is very generative, it is supposed to empower people. for the last a0 years, iranian kurdish women have fought against the male dominated society. and played a significant role in activities opposing the estimate republic. their motto and especially with the kurdish context from which it rose, it is not thinking about women's freedom as a mere legal issue or matter of mandatory hijab all those kind of things. it's actually addressing all the patriarchal foundations of our society.

this time, the slogan has been picked up especially by iran's tiktok generation, generation born long after the and educated in the islamic republic's system. this young woman is typical of the way her generation are speaking out.

this is a 16—year—old girl. at first glance she looks like any western girl. well connected to social media and posting videos on youtube. but she lived near tehran. serena died during the protests. amnesty international says the security forces beat her head with sticks. the authorities say she committed suicide. since the protests began, more than 200 people have been killed. at least 20

of them have been teenagers. another of the victims was this person. she was 16. here, she is singing for herfriends. she was 16. here, she is singing for her friends. after the death of mahsa, she joined a protest near her home in tehran. the last message she sent to herfriends tehran. the last message she sent to her friends was i am running, i am sent to her friends was i am running, iam being sent to her friends was i am running, i am being chased sent to her friends was i am running, iam being chased by security forces. then she disappeared. ten days later, her mother found disappeared. ten days later, her motherfound her disappeared. ten days later, her mother found her body in a morgue. herfamily planned to bury her in their hometown in western iran. the funeralfell on her 17th birthday. her mother gathered with thousands of people in the cemetery for her burial. but her body never arrived.

as news filtered through, mourners and the cemetery were enraged and started changing death to the dictator. security forces responded with tear gas, batons and shots. her aunt and uncle were taken into custody for publicising her death. the authorities insisted that she was not killed in the protests, and the cause of her death was falling from a height. to prove this, her grieving aunt was filmed explaining how she fell from a building. it was shown on state tv. state tv has a history of broadcasting forced

confessions of political prisoners, gained under pressure and torture. bbc persian obtained video showing a young girl burning her headscarf in the exact location from where she last called herfriend. herfamily called her friend. her family confirmed called herfriend. herfamily confirmed the girl in the video was her. despite threats and intimidation, a mother, in a video, refuted the authorities' account of her death. the death of young people like

her fuelled anger against the regime. but the islamic republic leaders have vowed to deal with protesters decisively.- deal with protesters decisivel. ., . decisively. mahsa's tragic death is becoming - decisively. mahsa's tragic death is becoming a - decisively. mahsa's tragic i death is becoming a turning point for iranian women at a tipping point for the islamic republic. women are tired of being second—class citizens. they want to have dignity and freedom, and now, this is a revolution. it is being led by iranian women alongside men, supporting them.

this motto and what it was promising is the right path towards the future if, copyright if we are actually to move towards a democratic future. so regardless of whether or not these round of protests are gonna reach an immediate result, at least have opened the right door this time. the islamic republic of iran has faced a number of serious protests in the past a0 years.

this time, it feels different. but there is no clarity at on the outcome. hello. saturday was a super mild day across many parts of the uk and really quite warm in the south—east. in the kew gardens, temperatures reached 22.9 degrees celsius to be exact — really quite exceptional for this time in october — and the reason for it is this warm air that's been coming in from the south for quite some time now. of course, it's going to be mild out there through the early hours, temperatures between ten and ia degrees celsius. clear spells but also, a few showers and actually, right from the word go, blustery winds and showers for many western parts of the uk and there could be some downpours, particularly across the northern half of the country during the course of sunday. further south, i think,

fewer showers and predominantly spells of sunshine but not quite as warm — 17 in the south, more like 15 on the north. and you can see the showers continuing there into sunday evening. a quick look at the weather for monday, for halloween. it's going to be mild, predominantly bright weather, rain later in the west.