welcome to bbc news. our top stories: britain's prince andrew breaks his silence on the jeffrey epstein scandal in an exclusive bbc interview. he was questioned about staying at the home of the convicted sex offender. the financer was founded in his prison cell this year. evo morales, the deposed president of bolivia, says he might stand again if there is a re—run of last month's divisive election. if, his socialist party wants him to. us democrats have accused president trump of intimidating a witness after he launched a twitter attack on the previous ambassador to ukraine while she was testifying in the impeachment hearings.

more than 100 people have had to be rescued by emergency services as pa rt rescued by emergency services as part of the midlands were hit by more flooding and drivers were caught out by rapidly rising water. there are more than 100 flood warnings in place and parts of england under. 0ur midlands correspondent reports from evesham in was to show where the river even burst its banks. so would you like us to bring you out of the property, because of the water? you would like to be evacuated? rescue boats have been launched throughout the day in evesham, as water levels on the avon continue to rise. it's been quite a protracted incident for us. there's been a number of incidents across the county, and this is just one of many that our crews are dealing with currently. the river has reached its highest level since 2007, with only one road through evesham left open. this is one of the main routes through evesham, but half a mile is currently submerged beneath the floodwater. it's meant that many people haven't been able to get through to their appointments at the community hospital today, and it's had

to restrict its services. the hereford and worcester fire and rescue service have helped more than 100 people in the past 2a hours, including trevor, who had become trapped inside his own home. i couldn't get out on my own, you know, i tried that earlier on and it was too deep for me to wade through, even with waders on. no such problem for this evesham resident. but with water levels still rising in some places, a number of communities are on stand by. all this water is working its way through, it's taking a long time on the big rivers. it's likely it's not going to peak at tewkesbury and upton until saturday, possibly sunday. this evening the work continued, as fire officers is pumped water from the cellar of a restaurant

to keep the business open on what would be one of its busiest nights. water levels are dropping in this town, but emergency services are preparing for a busy couple of days in communities where rivers are continuing to rise. sian lloyd, bbc news, evesham. now on bbc news, our world. as australia struggles with climate change, nick lazaredes meets those blamed for the decline of the great barrier reef. australia's great barrier reef. australia's great barrier reef. australia's great barrier reef is lost a third of its coral. it is now in danger of collapse. australians are caught in the grip of a bitter culture war over climate change and its impact on the reef. i don't leave the lies they have been telling us about the great barrier reef. i don't believe in all that rubbish. there are elements out there in australia that

don't believe with does mike agree with climate change. they're not understanding or they don't want to understanding or they don't want to understand what the claimant is ashley doing. australia's farmers also stand accused of damaging the reef. now they're fighting back. sooner or later you got to decide there are governments you cannot work with and you walk out and burn the house down. this week's unprecedented bushfires in australia have fuelled a fierce debate over climate change. now, there's a battle raging over how to save a national icon. six, eight, across the channel. zero, same for me, same for the innerflight. the channel. zero, same for me, same for the inner flight. zero the channel. zero, same for me, same for the innerflight. zero for the

types, zeros again. as scientists flew over the northern stretches of the great barrier reef in 2017, they knew what to expect. remote sensors and satellite data had triggered alarms about warming ocean temperatures, but no—one anticipated the scale of the devastation. we got a very broad crest, just about everything is bleached. reef after reef, it was the same story. all of this. it was as scientists feared — a back—to—back bleaching. vast ex pa nses of a back—to—back bleaching. vast expanses of coral had been turned white. at the centre of the more than 2000 kilometre long reef on australia's north—eastern coast, townsville is not only a launchpad for tourists, but has become a giant

research harbour for the world's leading coral scientists and marine biologists. andy hoey is one of australia's top reef experts. seeing what i've seen in 20 years on the rear, that was something vibrant and colourful —— on the reef, but then after the back—to—back bleaching that look like a moonscape. so it is quite emotional to see it. the term has been coined, ecological grief, we are seeing this change in front of our eyes. and our children and future generations are going to have to deal with that. we've lost, conservatively, 30% of corals. dead corals don't make babies. in this we address it now, we aren't going to have a reef. for australians, the reef really matters. it's at the heart of their national identity,

and it brings in millions through tourism. but it is now officially in a very poor condition —— billions, and the question about what to do about it has unleashed a series of culture was about climate change and who is to blame for the reefs decline. —— culture wars. queensland is australia's sugar country. along the state's coastal fringes, adjacent to the barrier reef, vast cane fields adorn the land. at night, during the harvest season, burning cane fields light up the sky. a tradition passed down through the generations. but now the mostly family—owned sugar farms here stand

accused by the queensland state government of damaging the reefs water quality with run—off from their land. this picture, taken by nasa earlier this year shows a plume of flood water and sediment washing out towards the reef. many farmers are furious that being blamed. it's bloody ridiculous! it'sjust are furious that being blamed. it's bloody ridiculous! it's just that — they are appealing to people who don't have a natural clue. and if people in the city are upset by me saying that, i'll say it again. you're judging saying that, i'll say it again. you'rejudging us when saying that, i'll say it again. you're judging us when you don't have a bloody clue. look at it. we're not allowed touch about. there you go, that's what it can look like. and, see, i can make a living on country like that. —— we are not allowed to touch it. council and

cane farmer martin bellow says queensland farmers should be recognised as the best guardian for the environment and shouldn't be demonised. we are sick of being treated like idiots. we are being told by people who might have academic qualifications and what to do, behind a desk. now, why would we not get annoyed 7 do, behind a desk. now, why would we not get annoyed? as a rugby league star in the 1980s and 90s, martin bella had an intimidating reputation asa bella had an intimidating reputation as a prop forward. now his help form as a prop forward. now his help form a rebel farmers organisation called greenshirts was that he is planning to fight the tough new laws

protecting the reef. in society we have to operate on a little bit of trust. you know, to me, yeah, we trust. you know, to me, yeah, we trust guys that live in cities to look after their city. can they not trust us to look after the country? look, digging down, what do we find there? grassroots. look at that. that's abused farmer soil. look at it. you'll be. and it's kind of funny. i say to people who criticise me, what native animals and plants you have in your backyard? four hours south of townsville, in the city of mackay, business is booming. mackay is australia's sugar capital, and a major gateway to the coal reserves of central queensland. many here think strict, new laws on land clearing, fertilisers and grazing are an attack on farming by southern bureaucrats. measure how much

nutrients goes in, and how much we actually polluted, and you will find that... i'll cover that for you. thank you for being out there. outfitting? go and have a look. -- outfitting. chemicals, pesticides are whatever i being thrown down south and over here. at today's meeting of the mackay cane grower don mccain —— cane grower‘s network, martin bella is promoting his rebel greenshirts movement. this legislation is a dog. and yet we compromised. and what i say is, if you go to the table, the table they all talk about, and you copped an absolute kicking from government, and you keep doing it, what is the onus on them to in any way

compromise? there is nothing. sooner 01’ compromise? there is nothing. sooner or later, you've got to decide there are governments you cannot work with, and you walk out, bang your gun on the table and burn the house down. what so what does much of what we do is encourage real people who wa nt to we do is encourage real people who want to have a real say in what they are doing, tojoin green shirts. martin bella martin bella —— martin bella is winning more farmers over to. just because there is damage to the reef, doesn't mean they have done it. and remember, i go back, there is no sediment and there is no chemicals. with growing anger at the strict new farming laws, martin's militant pets to defy the state government is gaining attention —— pitch. we need to make them worried we will turn the guns on them, that they actually start to play ball a little bit. you know, we have got to

stop being a quiet, sleeping group of people. if people are willing to step up, i'll go up the front for yous, but i won't do it for people who won't back it up. at this green shirts shed meeting, farmers are keen to discuss the quality of the science on the great barrier reef. next question, chaps. science on the great barrier reef. next question, chapslj science on the great barrier reef. next question, chaps. i assume the result of the enquiry will be looking at the science of the reef, how robust it is? the question i ask is who does the peer review? all right. forget peer review. peer review is vaster dies. as soon as you hear someone say the science is settled, they have no idea of science. not a clue. as soon as they say there is consensus, they do not have any idea whatsoever. they are not acting in the interests of science. they are acting in the interest of being found out. they have a vested interest. i've talked

enough stop so there's no more questions? (applause). on the website, i never even thought about that. with more recruits to martin bella's green shirts, the breakdown in trust between farmers and scientists over what is damaging the reef is getting worse. and it's been stoked by a rebel scientist. so, there are reefs along here... doctor peter reid is an expert on rivers and a man who was fired from his job for taking on the scientific consensus that the reef is in imminent danger. 2000 kilometres of coastline, every industry is affected by legislation on the great barrier reef. so this isa on the great barrier reef. so this is a huge issue, and it should be debated. and the science should be debated. and the science should be debated respectfully and it should be debated. having spent decades measuring water quality on the great

barrier reef, doctor reid claims the data used by scientists, linking the death of coral to agriculture, is deeply flawed. the drop of water that is he will be out in the pacific ocean in a couple of months and there is a flushing of water that purifies the great barrier reef and this water comes barrier reef and this water water that purifies the great barrier reef and this water comes in from the pacific ocean in eight hours but is from all of the rivers along the whole coast in the whole year and this keeps the water quality of the great barrier reef really phenomenally good. with polluted river sediment from farming declared as a major threat to the great barrier reef, i have travelled with doctor read to one of queensland's largest rivers. this is the burdekin river, the biggest on the burdekin river, the biggest on the coast, and it is dry at the moment but when it flows, exactly one of the biggest rivers on earth and some of the mother comes out of this goes over the inshore reefs and a very tiny amount, just

occasionally, reaches the great barrier reef itself. is this threatening the great barrier reef, this river system? in my view, not. dr ridd also takes issue with the belief of an overwhelming number of scientists that the greatest threat to the reef is from climate change and warming seas. i disagree that there is a huge rush. the problems of climate change are going to hit the reef, if they are going to, in 100 years. there is billions of dollars being spent on the size of the reef and i think that a lot of the reef and i think that a lot of the threats to it are negligible, almost infinite is more, in fact. although most scientists reject dr ridd's assertions that the science is wrong, the australian government found his views credible, launching a senate enquiry into the quality of scientific data on the great barrier reef. with their research under a

cloud of suspicion, reef scientists are appalled at the direction australia is moving. everyone is entitled to their own opinion but shouldn't the government be putting a hell of a lot of money into an enquiry and delaying any policy based on that? probably not. it is pretty disappointing, you know, there is a lot of evidence up another climate change is the biggest threat to the reef yet the policies that we are seen coming down on some of the agenda is being pushed by politicians is conflicted with that. the single biggest commodity which has an impact on the fate of the great barrier reef is coal. the vast majority of scientists believe carbon emissions are driving a rise in sea temperatures which is damaging the coral. in central queensland, a huge

new mine is being built which has become a key flashpoint in the culture war over australia's changing climate. this is the main road that leads to the coal port. this is a super important action at this time. currently under construction, the giant adani mine is project to provide coal exports to india for at least 60 years. and it isa to india for at least 60 years. and it is a plan that has outraged many here and driven a wedge international politics. australia has become a global pariah in the last couple of decades. we have gone from the front of the class in being leaders in protecting the environment to the back of the class. the government simply is bringing in laws to make that legal. bob brown is australia's best known environmental champion. a former leader of the australian greens, who saved tasmania's rainforests from

destruction, now he is heading into the battle to save the great barrier reef. the heating ocean means the great barrier reef is faced with temperatures it cannot live through. by temperatures it cannot live through. by the end of this century, with global warming, it is going to be like cartage, a heap of white pillars leaning against each other but no sign of life. i would really like to welcome the brunt of the stage. tonight, bob brown is promoting a documentary about the struggle to stop the adani mine. we're going to get as much publicity as we can. laughter. applause. in the lead up to australia's federal election earlier this year, bob brown led a protest convoy from tasmania 2000 kilometres north into the heart of the galilee basin. 5000 here today to say stop adani! save

the planet! that is what we want! galilee! galilee! but bob brown's convoy touched a raw nerve in queensland, another clash in the climate war. bob is not welcome in north queensland. all of these greens, they are not welcome. i'm at the showgrounds and our convoy has been interrupted by a angry mob the showgrounds and our convoy has been interrupted by a angry mob and the cops are there. of course everybody has a right to be here so the local miners and coal workers are also here. protesting against us. are also here. protesting against us. go home! the resulting fuel raw ofa us. go home! the resulting fuel raw of a bob brown's vocal opposition to the adani mine made coal essential election issue. galvanising queensland voters and handing the conservative coalition government,

led by scott morrison, a clear victory at the polls. how good is australia? cheering and applause. scott morrison has made no secret of his support for the coal industry. mr speaker, this is coal. don't be afraid. don't be scared. the treasurer knows the rules. it is coal! it was dug up the men and women who work and live in your electorates of those who sit opposite. a new breed of radical activism is on the march. now, he is spoiling for a fight with climate protesters, saying jobs for ordinary australians come first. and delivering a thinly veiled threat. let me assure you, this is not something my government intends to allow to go unchecked. these indulgent and selfish practices that threaten the livelihoods of fellow

australians. this week's unprecedented bushfires in new south wales and queensland have fuelled the culture war about climate change and how australia should react. while australia's climate was rage, the future of the great barrier reef remains uncertain. in economic terms, the industry with the most to lose tourism. with a 6 billion us dollar a year market and 64 million jobs —— 64,000 jobs, but here, a different story is emerging. that 350 different species of corals come back to plate corals, stagnant calls which grow like a staghorn. wayne corals which look like the human brain. and stone coral which look like a stone. although the reef has

been decimated in the far north, in the south, it is thriving. one, two, three! go! lady elliot island on the southernmost fringes of the great barrier reef is known for its manta rays and turtles. and tourists flock here to experience the flourishing underwater haven. fish everywhere. did anyone see a turtle? nice! awesome! this is extremely healthy. peter gache is a pilot and entrepreneur who has transformed the island from a barren guano patch to one of the best preserved ecosystems one of the best preserved ecosystems on the reef built on sustainable tourism. they give us powerful free from the every single day. fully supported by solar power and a desalination plant, peter recycles the island's waste into soil. which

nourishes newly planted native trees. when i first came here, there was no soil here at all and now look at it. this is amazing. home to more than 100,000 nesting birds, like the whitecapped noddy. this is the best time to be out here because when the tide is low to get more light into the water and it is the light that shows you the colour. as australians continue to fight over the effects of the changing climate, 80 kilometres away on the mainland, peter believes will is there for a brighterfuture. peter believes will is there for a brighter future. i think australia is australians. australia is not one prime minister or one politician. australia is 25 million people and isa australia is 25 million people and is a collect, we care, and they have got the same challenges as everybody, they have to go home and feed theirfamily everybody, they have to go home and feed their family and everybody, they have to go home and feed theirfamily and go everybody, they have to go home and feed their family and go to work, we have all got the day—to—day challenges that we face. i think there is two worlds up there. there is the perfect world and there is the real world. here,

is the perfect world and there is the realworld. here, at least for now, the great barrier reef continues to thrive and enthrall. a marvel of nature from which we have so much to learn. and although the predictions are grim, the story of this remarkable ecological wonder is not over yet. i'm very optimistic for the future. i'm optimistic for the great barrier reef. i know it is not going to come without pain but i also know there is nothing like a bit of a fun challenge and we are up for the challenge. we humans, we aussies are up for this challenge of making a difference and living displacement better than what we found it, i know! displacement better than what we found it, i know i have made a big difference here with my family and my amazing team, how we have left lady elliot better so we as a collective in australia can leave the great barrier better and leave australia better. the challenge is a huge one. to save an australian treasure at a time when australian

politics has never been more diverted microphone divided. —— divided. hello. there is a bit more rain in the forecast for this weekend, but hopefully not as much as we had through the week or indeed, as much as we've had through the autumn so far. it looks like some places may well break records. so far this autumn, sheffield have recorded over 400 millimetres of rain, just shy of the previous autumn record. provisional figures suggest that nottingham, with 348 millimetres of rain, mayjust have beaten the previous autumn record rainfall. there is more of autumn to come of course and some showery rain in the forecast for this weekend, but also some spells of sunshine. it's quite a complex weather pattern. low pressure over the near continent, a frontal system pushing in from the west, the two staging something of a pincer movement, bringing areas of cloud and patchy

rain in towards our shores. now, in between there's a zone of clear skies for scotland and northern ireland, that's where we are starting the day with a frost. and some fog patches across northern scotland, some of which will be quite stubborn through the day ahead. generally, i think we will see a bit more cloud spreading into scotland and northern ireland as the day wears on. eastern and southern scotland seeing some splashes of rain and those grey and damp conditions extend across northern england, down into parts of the midlands. the odd sharp shower for south—west of wales down into cornwall, but for the south—east of england, well, here a decent chance of seeing some dry weather and even a little bit of sunshine. another chilly day, but not quite such a windy one as we've been used to lately. now through saturday night into sunday, still these areas of cloud and showery rain around, it will turn a bit cloudier for a good part of scotland and northern ireland. where you do keep clear skies, and some places will, it will turn into a bit of a chilly night. so on sunday, really we're just chasing these areas of cloud and showery rain around the map. it looks like two parts

of northern england, wales, the south—west, people will see cloud and some showers at times. to the south—east of that, a fighting chance of seeing at least some dry weather. and for northern ireland and scotland, it should turn increasingly bright through the day. it's still chilly, single digit temperatures for most of us. now, into the start of the new working week, this little ridge of high pressure is going to try to work its way across the british isles. and that should give a drier and brighter day on monday. this is the day where we do get to dry out. there will be a few showers brought into north sea coastal areas on a brisk, northerly wind, but otherwise it's fine. there is some sunshine. it stays pretty chilly, 6—10 degrees at best. but as we head deeper into the week, it does turn more unsettled again. we will see further outbreaks of rain, heaviest in the west. it will be windy, but it will turn a bit milder.

death of coral to agriculture, is deeply flawed.

welcome to bbc news. i'm james reynolds. our top stories: britain's prince andrew breaks his silence on the jeffrey epstein scandal in an exclusive bbc interview. he was questioned about staying at the home of the convicted sex offender. buckingham palace denies all allegations of inappropriate behaviour. evo morales, the deposed president of bolivia, says he might stand again if there's a re—run of last month's divisive election. the former american ambassador to ukraine tells the impeachment enquiry president trump as manipulated by corrupt foreign

interests. and — five alleged spies let go.