this is bbc news. the headlines at 5pm... the business secretary kwasi kwarteng defends the way the government has handled the energy crisis after suppliers said the price cap system was not fit for purpose. i was not fit for purpose. think it is a critical situatio clearly, i think it is a critical situation. clearly, i am speaking to industry is all the time. gas prices, which have quadrupled this year, are making an impact. and that is why i am speaking to people, listening, trying to work out a way forward. the irish foreign minister says the uk's new demands on the northern ireland protocol could cause �*a breakdown in relations�* with the european union.

one of the uk's top public health officials once of the threat of catching covid and flu at the same time this winter. it's a knockout britain's — tyson fury defeats the american deontay wilder in the 11th round in las vegas. scientists warn that the loss of biodiversity risks tipping the world into �*ecological meltdown�*. good afternoon and welcome to bbc news. the business secretary says rising gas prices have created a critical situation for many industries, but he�*s defended the government�*s handling of the energy crisis. kwasi kwarteng said he is continuing to hold talks with energy suppliers and the treasury about possible support. however, the treasury denies any talks have taken place.

our business correspondent katie prescott has the latest. catching up over sunday brunch. on the run up to winter, rising energy bills work by top talking point in this cafe. not least for the owner, as making coffee gets more expensive. i mainly worry that the prices won�*t change, because we have dealt with them in the current situation, the idea that in those places the same as ok will be normalised. the business secretary this morning would not commit to lower energy bills for companies like this one. i think it is a critical situation. i am speaking to industry all the time, and the gas prices, which have quadrupled this year, are making an impact, and that is why, as you say, i'm speaking to people, listening, trying to work out a way forward. those industries that use a lot of energy for manufacturing say the time for working out a way forward has long gone. so if the situation is critical,

which i certainly know it is, then why isn�*t government acting now, today, to address this problem for energy—intensive sectors such as the steel industry? because without that help, now, today, in the next week or so, then we are going to see a significant and permanent damage to the uk steel sector. here is just how dramatic price rises have been over the past year. while households are protected by the energy price cap, that was a set when the price was 65p. it is now almost four times that. companies would like to see something similar in place to protect them from the global markets spikes. to cushion businesses through this period, the business secretary says he has requested extra funds from the treasury, a statement the treasury denied. there's a certain amount of briefing going on behind the scenes where kwasi kwarteng is saying warm words, quite like this, got to get it past the treasury, the truth is we need to have a plan

and we need to get on with it. but also the truth is we should not be in a situation where we wait until there's a crisis and then react. here, though, it is not the political ping—pong that our political correspondent ione wells told me that energy intensive industries are finding the situation particularly challenging. everybody is dealing with this rising gas prices, but for energy intensive firms, things like steel, cement, ceramics, chemicals, use huge amounts of energy every day, these bills have hit them incredibly hard. they have been meeting with government, calling for some kind of intervention. the two things they are calling for — some kind of subsidies, temporarily, to get them through this period. or some kind of energy price cap, a bit like we have with household

consumers, meaning we cannot pay more than a certain amount. those of the two things that are being asked for. today, kwasi kwarteng didn�*t really say what if anything the government is going to do. he didn�*t give any more detail other than say he is in discussion with these industries to try to come up with some kind of solution. he also said he is in discussion with the treasury about the risk, but the treasury after that said, no he isn�*t. there has been a lot of back—and—forth about this today. there was newspaper reports today saying that the business secretary had requested billions from the treasury to try to help some of these firms. that is something the business secretary denies, but he says he is working with the chancellor to get through the situation. a treasury source told me that wasn�*t the case, it was mistaken, and the chancellor hasn�*t been involved in any talks. i think this reveals that the government itself doesn�*t yet have the answer. they don�*t yet have the pot of cash firms are calling for, and this is something

that is going to be an ongoing discussion, particularly with the spending review coming up later this month. meanwhile, pressure building on firms, some of whom who have had to halt production. also, labour today accusing these two departments of spending the morning fighting while the prime minister is on holiday. they want some kind of action, and the shadow chancellor has also said if the treasury is not in talks with the department of business about this, why aren�*t they? earlier i spoke to one of the industry representatives who was at friday�*s meeting with kwasi kwarteng. dave dalton is ceo of british glass and i asked him how this spike in energy prices is affecting the glass industry. we have a range of members and a range of different parts depending on the particular contracts when they were negotiated. but we certainly have some significant members

who are teetering on the edge. we have a particularly difficult situation that our furnaces cannot be switched off, so we don�*t have the option ofjust tampering things down, we�*re really in difficulties, and decisions, we are going to need a lot more information out of government before we know what to do. and what you want government to do in terms of help? you were at that meeting with kwasi kwarteng, what did you say? we just stressed the absolute severity and the urgency. i don�*t think we have the luxury of pondering over long—term plans, even though we put those forward. we have a number of companies that need pretty much immediate intervention to stabilise where there are, so it is a sort of two—fold process. we asked for better information and better policy, we talked to the idea of putting a position through to treasury,

and obviously as part of the energy intensive user industry group, we had a collective view of what those measures might look like, but i tried to stress more urgently where specific members of my industry are at the moment, and asked for the ability to have an audience one—to—one to try to thrash through those and what�*s needed in the immediate term to see those companies through. are you saying you want the government effectively to bail out some of these companies with cash support? it may come to that. it is difficult to say, but i think we have to have the dialogue. we certainly need measures put in place to stem the ridiculous growth in costs in the immediate term. we cannot even plug numbers into models to know what to do, to make decisions on what to do with furnaces and fuel and things, so we have no strategy until there is some measure of control over what is going on. some of the companies you represent could go to the wall,

others will lay people off, i suppose, and also putting up prices. certainly putting up prices. i think some companies are staring down the ability to survive, absolutely. ultimately, that cascades onto jobs and an impact on the consumer. did you or other people in your industry see this coming, because in a sense, a lot of it is because of covid and a sudden burst of demand after it, from places like china, for energy? did you see this coming or was it a complete surprise? not a complete surprise, but the scale is a complete surprise. obviously, energy policy is something that is permanently in debate and we are part of that dialogue, we have been fighting for a long time to have a lot more focus on making that suitable for purpose and able to fit our future needs. it is taken a summer like we have had with the accusations

that the wind didn�*t blow and the sun didn�*t shine... we have seen those problems start to manifest in reality. the scale, i don�*t think anyone guessed. at the prices have not peaked yet. this could get worse. prices could go a lot higher. we don�*t have a crystal ball. no one knows that. fundamentally, some of my members have seen pre—issue prices rise from 40p to 50p per therm to prices to negotiate a new hedge contract of over £4. that is a tenfold increase, and that is just impossible to meet on businesses that have an inherent cost of maybe 25 or 30% embedded in fuel. the irish foreign minister simon coveney says the uk�*s demands on the northern ireland protocol could cause "a breakdown in relations" with the eu. it comes after the brexit minister,

lord frost, repeated that the uk wants the european court ofjustice removed from oversight of the deal. the protocol was agreed as part of the brexit negotiations to ensure there�*s no need for checks along the land border between northern ireland and the republic of ireland. and the irish foreign minister�*s comments were supported by another senior minister in dublin, speaking to rte earlier today. i think there is a line beyond which the european union cannot go. we have an agreement here that has been signed up to by the uk government and by the eu, and i think there is space within the parameters of how you operate the protocol, and i think that is where the focus should be. it is absolutely legitimate for the people of northern ireland to want to have seamless trade with great britain, and we believe that that can be accommodated within the parameters of the protocol as part of the overall brexit agreement. but let's see what the eu come forward with later this week. there will need to be intensive negotiations here to resolve this, but it is a product of the type

of brexit that was chosen by the uk government. i�*ve been speaking to our correspondent in belfast, john campbell. the context for all this is that on wednesday of next week of the eu is bringing forward some new proposals to ease the operation of the protocol, to make it much easier to get goods from great britain into northern ireland. but ahead of that, on tuesday, lord frost is due to make a speech in portugal where he will say, those sort of practical changes won�*t be enough, there also needs to be changes to the oversight or governance of the deal, and specifically he wants the role of the european court ofjustice to be removed or at least substantially watered down. the ec] was in the deal agreed in 2019, but lord frost is essentially said, there was a unique set

of circumstances there, and we were effectively bounced into that, and we i want attitudes and we want a system of independent arbitration. simon coveney is saying this as a new red line, which the eu is not going to be able to accommodate, and the uk will know that, so it raises a question about whether that uk actually wants a deal or whether it is set worsening relationships. lord frost hit back on twitter, said there has been known sincejuly that the uk was looking for these changes, the issue is that people were not paying enough attention to that. but he did say he was willing to negotiate on whatever the eu comes up with next week. one of the uk�*s top public health officials is warning of the threat posed by catching covid and flu at the same time this winter. the head of the uk health security agency, jenny harries, said that would double a person�*s chances of dying and that everyone eligible should book a flu jab now. she spoke to the bbc�*s andrew marr earlier. this is probably the first season where we will have significant amounts of covid circulating

as well as flu. people�*s behaviours have changed, we are mixing more, winter weather is coming along, everyone�*s in enclosed spaces. and we do know from the small amount of data we have had previously that people are at more significant risk of death and serious illness if they are co—infected with flu and with covid, and that does not seem to be, from our studies, a fact which many of the public understand. at this point in the pandemic, it is one of the most difficult times to predict what will come. we have different levels of vaccination, we have a little bit of immunity waning in older individuals, which is why we are now starting to put in a covid booster vaccine. we have slightly different effectiveness in different vaccinations that have been provided, and we�*re settled down to a slightly uncertain period, and i think one of the important things as well here is just to remind people that this winter, with the flu, we are actually very

focused on nhs capacity as well, so it is both covid, it�*s flu, and the ability of the nhs to cope including with its routine caseloads, where people are now coming with their longer—term conditions for treatment as well. the latest uk coronavirus data has been released in the last hour. another 34,574 people have tested positive for covid—i9. the deaths of 38 people have been confirmed — that�*s of people who tested positive in the last 28 days. it brings the number of people who�*ve died since the start of the pandemic to 137,735. the headlines on bbc news... the business secretary kwasi kwarteng defends the way the government has handled the energy crisis after suppliers said the price cap system was not

fit for purpose. the irish foreign minister says the uk�*s new demands on the northern ireland protocol could cause "a breakdown in relations" with the european union. one of the uk�*s top public health officials has one of the threat of catching coronavirus and flu at the same time this winter. the elections were brought forward by six months, in response to mass anti government protests during which hundreds of people were killed. iraqi leaders say this vote is an opportunity for reform. bbc arabic�*s murad shishani, who�*s in the iraqi city of mosul, explained the background to today�*s election. the protests back in 2019, actually, were... they presented a sort of package of demands, as they told me. this package included an early election, but the government, the authorities, have metjust only this one condition. they asked for fighting corruption,

they asked for disarming the militias, they asked for political reform, more engagement for you. therefore, as the government did not meet all these demands from the protesters, the boycotting campaigns have been becoming more stronger day after day here in iraq. and this is what we have noticed, for instance, in a city like mosul, which has been liberated four years ago from the so—called islamic state, but their devastated situation is still there, so people were reluctant to go to the polling stations today. so people are asking for a new iraq. that�*s notjust iraq divided by sectarian. iraq not controlled by the certain, let�*s say, for instance, like shia political parties in all the years since the toppling or overthrowing of the saddam hussein regime. they ask for more share in the power. all these political demands

are present in this election. a new study from the natural history museum has found that the uk only has around half of its biodiversity left, making it one of the most nature—depleted places in the world. researchers said there was little room for nature in a country where so much of the land is built on or used forfarming. helen briggs reports. the air we breathe, the water we drink, the food we eat. all rely on biodiversity, the variety of all plant and animal life on earth. but biodiversity is dwindling fast, because of us, with an estimated one million species at risk of extinction. the uk�*s no exception. it has just 53% of its biodiversity left, well below the global average of 75%, according to a new study from the natural history museum.

researchers say there�*s little room for nature in a country where so much of the land has long been built upon or used for intensive agriculture. and they warned the world�*s lost so much natural biodiversity we risk an ecological meltdown, a future in which we can�*t rely on nature to provide the energy, food and timber we need. biodiversity is more than something that is beautiful to look at and that we love. it is also what provides us with so many of our basic needs. it�*s the foundation of our society. we have seen recently how disruptive it can be when supply chains breakdown. nature is at the base of our supply chains. the team from the natural history museum hope their data will help global leaders meeting for the un biodiversity conference next week. during a week of virtual talks hosted by china,

negotiators will thrash out plans for protecting nature over the next ten years. none of the targets for the previous decade were met, and scientists say this is our last best chance for a sustainable future. helen briggs, bbc news. a short time ago i spoke to professor andy purvis from natural history museum, who you saw in that in that report. he says it�*s notjust the role of people to do more but governments should step in... i think there are rules for governments. a lot of financial institutions have called on governments to regulate, to safeguard nature, to remove subsidies from nature depleting activities and instead redirect efforts towards things that are nature positive. we cannot really blame businesses were behaving in such ways as to make a profit. the

difficulty at the moment is that if your business of�*s actions degrade nature, then nobody has to pay for that damage, itjust gets done. and it impoverishes nature and everybody, basically. it means it�*s our system is less resilient. so putting businesses all on a level playing field, but levelling up that playing field, but levelling up that playing field, but levelling up that playing field so that it safeguards nature, that is definitely the role of governments. the man regarded as the father of pakistan�*s nuclear programme, abdul qadeer khan, has died at the age of 85. the atomic scientist was hailed by many pakistanis as a national hero for making his country the first islamic nuclear power in 1998, but widely condemned elsewhere. from islamabad, secunder kermani looks back at his life. in pakistan, draq khan is considered a national hero.

has worked to help the country develop its own nuclear weapons, keeping pace with rival india. paying tribute to the scientist to date, prime minister imran khan described as a national icon. a state funeral at the largest mosque in islamabad is being held today. translation: a great man, loyalto pakistan has died, . and the prime minister instructed that he will be buried with all official respect and honour. but in 2004, abdul qadeer khan was placed under house arrest after confessing to sharing nuclear technology with north korea, iran, and libya. he was pardoned, but also retracted his confession, and many suspect other senior pakistani figures must have known about his alleged activities. the controversy is largely glossed over in pakistan, and a0 khan has always remained a hugely popularfigure. secunder kermani,

bbc news, islamabad. during the second world war, thousands of men and women from the caribbean came to serve in the royal air force, training at raf hunmanby in yorkshire. many returned after the war to settle in britain. but there�*s no public memorial to reflect their contribution. campaigners who�*d like to create one have been told it wouldn�*t be "inclusive". abi jaiyeola reports. the efforts of the brave men and women who served in the royal air force during the second world war are well known. but there�*s some parts of the story that are perhaps less familiar. glenn parsons wants to highlight the contribution of thousands who came from the caribbean to train with the raf here in filey. the nazi peril was only 26 miles away across the english channel, and the americans, it was still 18 months before they came into the war. so the call went out, it went out to the small isles of the caribbean, and farmers, fishermen, women,

answered that call and came here. and i feel very strongly, as do many other people in the black community, that that sacrifice to help this country has never properly been reflected. two of glenn�*s uncles travelled from jamaica and were trained at raf hunmanby. after the war, they returned to settle in the uk and raise their families. they were both young men at the time, my uncles gilmore westcar and edwin samuels both came here from jamaica. they were both very young men, perhaps in search of adventure. they answered the call and were proud to do so. they helped as ground staff up here, and they wanted to give service to the motherland. the caribbean contribution to the war effort formed part of an exhibition in 2019, which celebrated the community�*s history. it was hosted by leeds�* jamaica society, and today they�*re backing glen�*s campaign.

it would be good to have a memorial that, you know, we could visit. and we could say, yes, that is in recognition of our men, and some women, as well. we need to pass that history on to our young people. the memorial gardens in filey pay tribute to those who served in both world wars. this is where glenn would like to see something to commemorate the caribbean contingent who trained close by. he presented his case to filey town council, but they say a specific memorial wouldn�*t be inclusive. what we have been told is that while they will agree to a plaque, it can only say the allies, and recognise the allies. and of course it is important to recognise the contributions that were made by other countries. but "the allies" doesn�*t really reflect this particular group of people from the caribbean, because of course they came here not as conscripts, they came here as volunteers. filey town council says it will

consider this again in november. campaigners hope it will finally agree to honour the memory of those who answered a call to protect the motherland in her hour of need. after realising during lockdown how important it was to feel pampered, reverend darren middleton is adding hairdressing to his long list of talents. jane douglas went to meet him. he�*s been a ballet dancer, a commando trained padre, performed on the stage. now that he�*s a vicar, the reverend darren middleton wants to learn about hairdressing. it was a friend of ours who was cutting your hair at the time, and colouring your hair, wasn�*t it? um, she said, "you�*d be a fabulous hair stylist", so she said, "here, hold my scissors" and she went, "you�*re a natural!" so that was it. darren�*s cutting his wife�*s hair. it�*s an act of faith. do you trust him? she stammers.

if it all goes wrong, these hands do miracles, what can i say? laughter. but, can he cut it? �*cause i�*ve just started training in hair, this is one of the basic cuts that we learn. so, ann�*s got really thick hair so we�*re trying to put some layers in there and get a bit of �*movement�*, a bit of �*texture�* and so yeah, that�*s what we�*re doing, and we�*re gonna probably put a bit of zhoosh at the front — we like a bit of zhoosh—zhoosh—zhoosh, so ann�*s going to get some zhoosh, but a long graduation. darren is amazing, he's taken on board all the skills that we teach with hairdressing. he seems to be like a natural at it — anything i throw at him he sort of takes on board and runs with it. show him something and he just grasps it and goes with it, really. very, very keen to progress. darren is on a mission. what we want to do is give this experience of, you know, cutting hair, that hair salon experience, to people

who just can�*t afford it. you know, for whatever reason, the disadvantaged or what have you. people who just need a good pampering, people who just need a bit of love, a bit of care. you know, those who are suffering with anxiety and maybe depression. so it gives them this bespoke kind of experience that says this is all about you because you�*re, your worth, you�*re worthy and you�*ve got value and we love you. darren keeps busy. he looks after the congregations of four churches. and here we are, this is one of several places that darren performs his dayjob, requiring a slightly different set of skills. it�*s not the norm, it�*s something different, but given my track record of being a dancer, and a commando trained padre in the british army, i don�*t think they are surprised that i�*m taking on a new challenge. have you got anybody already volunteering to have their haircut? many people. so the church administrator from woodford methodist church is my next victi...i mean, my next client, erm, next week. she�*s having another

long graduation haircut, just like my wife this morning. this is the transformation he did on his wife�*s hair. in a three years�* time, he�*ll be qualified. jane douglas, bbc news, plymouth. time for a look at the weather forecast. plenty more sunshine for many to end the day. even the weather front across the south is tending to clear away. a lot of dry weather for the week ahead, cooler than last week, but probably far more cloud than today. we do have a scattering of hefty showers and brisk winds in the north, near gale force across the northern isles. they much fresher day for many, we are hanging onto the board to cosmic warmth in the far south. the board to cosmic warmth in the farsouth. it the board to cosmic warmth in the far south. it will be notably cooler southern parts, just a cool night with temperatures in single figures,

except the far north—west perhaps. that is really the difference as we move into monday. for many, just the odd pocket of mist and fog. not a big problem, but something to look out for this time of year. for scotland, it looks cloudy, but some patchy rain event, particularly heavy and northern and western areas. a cold day, around average for all. hello, this is bbc news. the headlines. the business secretary kwasi kwarteng defends the way the government has handled the energy crisis after suppliers said the price cap system was not fit for purpose. i think it is a critical situation clearly, you know, i am speaking to industry, as you have said, all the time, and high gas prices, they have quadrupled this year. they are making an impact and that is why, as you say, i am speaking to people, listening and trying to work out a way forward.

the irish foreign minister says the uk�*s new demands on the northern ireland protocol could cause "a breakdown in relations" with the european union. one of the uk�*s top public health officials has warned of the threat posed by catching coronavirus and flew at the same time this winter. —— and the flue. half of bereaved parents found no support in the workplace, and only 7% said there�*s a pregnancy loss policy at work. that�*s according to new research from the baby and pregnancy charity, tommy�*s. david mackey had to combine paternity and bereavement leave when his new—born son died, and on returning to work a month later, he found that managers and colleagues wanted to support him but didn�*t know how. i spoke to him earlier as he explained what it was like when he returned to work. it was such a blur, being off.

and whilst i had a combination of paternity leave, bereavement leave and some holiday, then it was time for me to return to work and everyone was very supportive. they really wanted to be and they wanted to help in any way they could but they did not necessarily have the training they needed to give me the support because i had fundamentally come back a different person. i was a father but i was harbouring this grief where i had failed, ifailed my son and it meant that was impacting on other bits of my work. it wasn�*t just that i was back and then that was my road to recovery. in fact, that was just the start and because people see you and think, you are back, you must be ok now, whereby, i actually had to deal with things like planning the funeral. you had the actual due date, then going around to the next year of harry�*s birthday and the date of the anniversary of

his death. so all of those things were really there. i had some initial support up front from people and they were doing the best they could but it was actually, the support i needed was for my mental health, not necessarily to phase me back into work. i think you have described it as a bit like having ptsd, you know, post—traumatic stress? absolutely, it really hit me probably about 18 months later. at that point, i had to accept that i wasn�*t going to... that i was someone different and that was fine but i then had to take the guilt and really learn certain coping mechanisms to be able to take me forward into recovery. and i have done that. i�*m out of that dark place but actually, i think having specialist help and specialist treatment there, people who have identified that from me, because it is very easy to say you are ok when you are not inside. as i said in the introduction, the baby charity

tommy�*s has found that only about half of bereaved parents are saying nobody at work acknowledged their loss. so what really do you think needs to change? is it the amount of time that you can have away from work after a bereavement? is it the attitude? is it policy on sort of how to deal with the relieved parents? what sort of changes would you like to see? for me, it is a combination, actually. it is really... it starts with trying to break the taboo around baby loss and people being comfortable to create an open culture to talk. and i think this happens to one in four parents, to one in four pregnancies, it is a very common fact, and it is one i never knew until it happened to us. i think raising the awareness is massively important but then also giving the resources to train people, like you have mental health first aiders, to really be able to have specialist people that can

support people through this and the transition back into the workplace. i don�*t think it is through lack of people not wanting to do the right thing. i think it is that people have got to realise how common this is and become aware and put some real changes and policies in place to support their staff. i think people are often almost scared or frightened when they come across somebody else who is in grief for whatever reason. really, the reaction of people should have been to talk to you about it and to see how you are feeling. absolutely, and a lot of people... a lot of people did talk to me, but it was always, i�*m s o r w , i�*m s o r w it wasn�*t, kind of, how can we help you? how are you? how are you feeling? how can we give you the support and the environment to enable you to transition back in? and how do you thing they could have helped you, actually? what could they have done

to make your situation better? i think it would have been to put me down as more of an occupational health reason, as i said, treated it as it was a mental health issue and i needed that support, so ensuring that i had contact with specialists, you know, people that are trying to you know, people that are trained to do that and help me work it through. i think that that is the main difference, really, for me, it is giving... it is taking it seriously and giving the training, and having those resources to help people. beijing has criticised a speech from taiwan�*s president, saying it incited confrontation and distorted facts. in an address on taiwan�*s national day, president tsai ing—wen said the island would continue to bolster its defences so that no—one could force it to accept the path beijing has laid down. tension between the two has heightened in recent weeks. mark lobel reports.

taiwan�*s national day celebrations, a visual show of defiance after rising tensions with china, which views the island as a breakaway province. taiwan disagrees, with a pledge to defend its sovereignty and democracy. taiwan�*s president, tsai ing—wen, said she was hoping for an easing of relations and would not act rashly, but insisted taiwanese people would not bow to pressure. tensions have been rising after around a record 150 chinese warplanes made incursions into taiwan�*s air defence zone, includingjets, bombers and spy planes, injust four days. on saturday, china marked the 110th

anniversary of a 1911 revolution which saw the last chinese imperial dynasty toppled. china�*s president said reunification with taiwan should be achieved, adding chinese people had a glorious tradition of opposing separatism. translation: national reunification by peaceful means best serves - the interests of the chinese nation as a whole, which includes our compatriots in taiwan. the taiwan question is an internal matter for china. there should be no outside interference. far from an internal matter, this dispute has once again spilled out onto the global stage. beijing seems to think that right now is the moment where it needs to rattle its sabre and threaten taiwan even more. the united states, japan and the united kingdom of course recently completed some naval exercises with four aircraft carriers in waters approximate to taiwan and i think some

carriers in waters proximate to taiwan and i think some of what china is doing is trying to show that it too has a capacity to threaten taiwan. two competing visions between the inevitability of unification and taiwan�*s vision that it will not be forced down a path it does not want to take. mark lobel, bbc news. ina in a moment, a round—up of the latest national and international news with michelle hussain. english apples are said to be redder and tastier than ever this year thanks to ideal weather conditions over the past 12 months. however many could be left rotting in the fields because of a shortage of fruit pickers, according to growers. our reporterjosie hannett has the story. nothing beats a crisp, juicy apple and this year, due to the english weather, apparently they taste better than ever. but it�*s not been plain sailing for farmers. a pandemic, a shortage of hgv drivers and brexit have been causing disruption.

the logistics behind trying to get a certain amount of tonnage out every day and that�*s what we have to get to, we have to get this certain tonnage every day, you�*re asking people to do more hours, you�*re asking people to work weekends, you know, and you�*re looking for the biggest, boldest fruit to go into those orchards because the volumes will go up with that. today, at fourayes farm, 17 workers are picking apples. it should be 35—40. sam, what�*s it like doing thisjob? amazing. why do you love it? being outside, the people, it'sjust, it's nice. it's only my third day but it's really good. i i like being outside a lot. i live next to the yard so it's really handy. l although the bramleys taste better this year, the crop here is smaller so it means the farm with fewer staff are able to cope, but they still have to pick 1,000 tons of apples over the 90—acre farm

in just four weeks. some bodies worry about the impact low staffing levels could have the industry. could have on the industry. i�*m hearing about shortages of between 15% and up to 40% short of the labour needed to pick the crop. those numbers are potentially catastrophic because it means — this is a fruit that ripens quite quickly and if we can�*t pick it quickly, it will overripen and become unsaleable. apple picking season will be finished here by the end of next week. bramleys ready for the factory and commercial customers. meanwhile, in just days to come, we�*ll start seeing british apples back on our supermarket shelves. josie hannett, bbc news, sittingbourne.

the government is accused of failing to act on high energy costs affecting manufacturers. steel makers say their industry could be permanently damaged. as other businesses call for help, the government acknowledges the problem. i think it�*s a critical situation. i�*m speaking to

industry all the time. but high gas prices are making an impact. we�*ll be looking at the tough period ahead for industry and households. also on the programme: a warning on catching covid and flu at the same time, and how that could double the risk of death. how our green and pleasant land is threatened as we take space away from nature. and: tyson fury floors deontay wilder to retain his world heavyweight title. good afternoon. the business secretary says rising gas prices have created a critical situation for many industries —

and that he is looking at whether existing government support is sufficient. steel makers are among those warning that they may have to stop production because of the cost of energy. kwasi kwarteng said he was working with the chancellor on possible support, but the treasury said no talks have taken place. here�*s our business correspondent katie prescott. cooking up a classic sunday brunch for hungry punters, but plating up in this leeds cafe is getting more expensive. as energy bills rise, they can�*t just turn expensive. as energy bills rise, they can�*tjust turn off expensive. as energy bills rise, they can�*t just turn off the expensive. as energy bills rise, they can�*tjust turn off the coffee machine. i they can't 'ust turn off the coffee machine. . , they can't 'ust turn off the coffee machine. ., , ., , ., machine. i mainly worry that in the lona term machine. i mainly worry that in the long term the _ machine. i mainly worry that in the long term the prices _ machine. i mainly worry that in the long term the prices won't - machine. i mainly worry that in the long term the prices won't change | long term the prices won�*t change and there will be that this idea that because we dealt with the current situation, it will be normalised to keep those prices the same. we might have to change our prices in the future if prices don�*t go down, which could have a knock—on effect on the people who don�*t feel like they can come in. the effect on the people who don't feel like they can come in. the business secretary this _ like they can come in. the business secretary this money _ like they can come in. the business secretary this money would - like they can come in. the business secretary this money would not -

secretary this money would not commit to extra support for energy bills for company like this one. i think it is a critical situation. i'm — think it is a critical situation. i'm speaking to industry, as you said, _ i'm speaking to industry, as you said. all— i'm speaking to industry, as you said, all the time, i'm speaking to industry, as you said, allthe time, and high gas prices, — said, allthe time, and high gas prices, they quadrupled this year, are making — prices, they quadrupled this year, are making an impact, and that is why i_ are making an impact, and that is why i am. — are making an impact, and that is why i am. as_ are making an impact, and that is why i am, as you say, speaking to people _ why i am, as you say, speaking to pe0ple and — why i am, as you say, speaking to people and listening and trying to work out — people and listening and trying to work out a — people and listening and trying to work out a way forward.— work out a way forward. those industries _ work out a way forward. those industries that _ work out a way forward. those industries that use _ work out a way forward. those industries that use a _ work out a way forward. those industries that use a lot - work out a way forward. those industries that use a lot of- work out a way forward. those . industries that use a lot of energy for manufacturing so the time for working out a way forward has long gone. if working out a way forward has long one. working out a way forward has long ione, , ., ., working out a way forward has long one. , ., ., ,. gone. if the situation is critical which i certainly _ gone. if the situation is critical which i certainly know - gone. if the situation is critical which i certainly know it - gone. if the situation is critical which i certainly know it is, - gone. if the situation is critical i which i certainly know it is, then why isn�*t government acting now, today, to address this problem for energy intensive sectors such as the steel industry, because without that help now, today, in the next week, we are going to see a significant, permanent damage to the sector. here is how dramatic — permanent damage to the sector. here is how dramatic price spikes have been over the past year. households are protected by the energy cap, which kicks in at 65p, but prices

are now almost four times that. companies would like to see something similar in place in order to protect them from the worst of global price spikes. but will it happen? to cushion businesses through this period, the business secretary says he has asked for help from the treasury, a statement the treasury denies. labour says the government needs to act. businesses are tremendously _ government needs to act. businesses are tremendously worried, _ government needs to act. businesses are tremendously worried, as - government needs to act. businesses are tremendously worried, as our- are tremendously worried, as our families. everything is getting more expensive, fuel, energy costs, their weekly shop, and while all that is going on, we have a government that is in chaos, isn�*t getting a grip on what is needed and is not taking action to protect businesses and support families at this time. here it is not the _ support families at this time. here it is not the political— support families at this time. here it is not the political ping—pong that matters, rather what the cost of energy might do to the price of a cup of tea. katie prescott, bbc news. and jonathan blake is our political correspondent. it is clear what businesses want. will they get some kind of measure? certainly not yet, mishal. no sooner

did the secretary say that he was talking to the treasury, they fired off a statement saying he was mistaken. a treasury source has told us that the chancellor and business secretary i work together but not engaged in specific talks about support for industry, and on but they say kwasi kwarteng misspoke. the business departments i�*d say we should make our own minds up and point to the fact that the two worked together closely all the time. the upshot of all this is if there is going to be support for business, it is the treasury that will have to find the money for it, and the chancellor doesn�*t want to give the impression that he is ready to write out a cheque. and the timing is crucial because in a couple of weeks rishi sunak will set out the spending review which sets government department budgets for the next year or so, and there isn�*t a lot of money to spare. labour said the government is acting farcically, accusing departments of infighting while the prime minister is on

holiday, and tonight they are no closer to getting any help. jonathan, thank you. with the nhs winter flu jab campaign under way, there�*s a warning about the risk of catching both flu and covid at the same time. early evidence suggests you are twice as likely to die if you become infected with both viruses. those eligible for a flu jab are being encouraged to get it as soon as possible. here�*s our health correspondent anna collinson. viruses are released into the air when people infected with flu or covid—19 breathe out, speak, sing or sneeze... as this latest nhs campaign video warns, this winter will bring with it other dangers, not just covid. after very little of the flu virus circulating last year, it�*s feared no immunity could result in tens of thousands of deaths in the coming months. then there is the threat of catching covid and flu at the same time. research shows those infected with both viruses are twice as likely to die, compared to covid alone. this is probably the first season

where we will have significant amounts of covid circulating as well as flu. we do know, from the small amount of data that we�*ve had previously, that people are at more significant risk of death and of serious illness if they are co—infected with flu and covid, and that doesn�*t seem to be, from our studies, a fact which many of the public understand. where are we now? england was the first nation in europe to fully unlock injuly. other countries have followed but have taken a more cautious approach. after a summer of increased human contact, infections have increased. as this graph shows, the uk has one of the highest covid rates in europe, well above that of france or germany. but if you look at the daily covid deaths, while the uk is still higher, a real concern for health leaders, the gap between the countries shrinks. this is an example of the power of the vaccination programme, providing vital protection to those most at risk.

how will we cope this winter? the government hopes vaccines will protect us this winter, with more than 2 million booster jabs administered in england alone. to protect schoolchildren where infections are highest, covid vaccines are being rolled out to over 12s, while the nasalflu jab is available to under 16s. issues obtaining consent have caused delays, potentially to the end of november. concerned about health risks and disruption to education, experts say other measures should be brought in. we know that ventilation is highly effective if you put an air filter in classrooms that can reduce by about 30 times the amount of virus particles circulating. we know that masks work. in many other countries, children from the age of six have to wear masks when they are in schools. the nhs has much less capacity compared to other countries, so it�*s feared even a small surge in demand could cause real problems. but so much is still

unknown, with this stage of the pandemic described as one of the most difficult times to predict what will come next. anna collinson, bbc news. the government�*s latest coronavirus figures show there were 34,574 new infections, recorded in the latest in the latest 24—hour period. that means on average there were 37,255 new cases reported per day in the last week. as of thursday, there were 6,763 people in hospital with coronavirus across the uk. 38 deaths were recorded, that�*s of people who died within 28 days of a positive covid—19 test, 112 deaths were announced on average every day, in the past week. 85.5% of the population aged 12 or over have had their first dose of a vaccine, and 78.5% have been double jabbed. divisions between the eu and the uk on the northern ireland protocol look to come to a head again this

week. the government wants to make significant changes, and the eu will put its own proposal forward. jessica park is in brussels. what is the latest on each side wants now? there has been a steady drumbeat building up to this week, because backin building up to this week, because back injuly the uk set out its proposal to make significant changes to the northern ireland protocol, the protocol designed to prevent checks on the border between northern ireland and the republic of ireland. the eu is going to bring forward its response to that this week, and it is expected to offer up some compromises, so reduced checks on goods between great britain and northern ireland and the continued imports of chilled meat, hence some of the headlines you might have seen about sausages. the eu isn�*t expected to budge on the issue of how the protocol is policed. the uk wants to remove the oversight role of the european court ofjustice, the eu�*s top court, and the uk�*s brexit minister, lord frost, is set

to make that case in a speech on tuesday. it is a timely intervention, because we expect to see the eu proposal go forward next week. the dividing lines are becoming clear. thank you. uk is one of the most nature depleted places on the planet according to a new biodiversity study from the natural history museum, which looked at plant and animal life around the world and place the uk well below global average. researchers said there was little room for nature in a country where so much of the land is built on or used forfarming. olivia richwold reports. just outside the busy city of york is this bog, created by a retreating glacier 15,000 years ago. it�*s brimming with biodiversity. that�*s the name for all living things and how they fit together. but the uk is one of the most nature depleted countries in the world. a new report says thatjust 53% of our biodiversity is left —

that is compared to a global average of 75%. that matters because biodiversity affects the air we breathe, the water we drink and the food we eat. biodiversity is more than something that is beautiful to look at and we love. it is also what provides us with so many other basic needs. it is the foundation of our society. we have seen recently how disruptive it can be when supply chains break down. nature is at the base of our supply chains. the uk�*s lack of biodiversity is linked to the industrial revolution. intensive farming also plays its part. so what more can be done to protect special places like this? last year, the secretary of state turned down a plan to build 500 homes next door to this nature reserve. it is an extraordinary place, it holds between five and 10%

of all the species in britain, and yet if we don�*t do anything at all we will lose more species than we already have from a place like this. if we get it right, if we allow the wider countryside to become nature which again, this is the place from which the surrounding land will be colonised, and that is true of all the other nature reserves across the country. tomorrow a week—long un biodiversity conference will begin virtually, hosted by china. negotiators will thrash out plans for protecting nature over the next ten years. a decade ago, 20 targets were set, but none of them were met. scientists say this is our best chance for a sustainable future. olivia richwald, bbc news, near york. the conservationist and tv presenter, chris packham, says a suspected arson attack outside his home won�*t stop him from campaigning against hunting and animal cruelty. he said two masked men set fire to a vehicle at the gate of his home in the new forest on friday morning —

causing extensive damage. i will, of course, just carry on because i have no choice. i cannot and will not let your intimidation sway me from my course. and that�*s why i don�*t really understand why you would do it. chris packham there. with all the sport now, here�*s sarah mulkerrins at the bbc sport centre. thanks mishal. good evening. tyson fury says he�*s the greatest heavyweight boxer of his era, after retaining the wbc title in las vegas. up against american deontay wilder in their third encounter, fury twice hit the floor, before winning with an 11th round knockout. ade adedoyin has this report from last vegas. tyson fury remains the king of the ring. the self—styled gypsy king conquering his fierce rival deontay wilder in a gruelling seesaw battle which would go down in folklore. he entered the arena dressed as a roman

centurion, perhaps fittingly for what became a gladiatorial clash. tyson fury was sent sprawling twice in quick succession, and that set the tone for the fight. looked out on his feet for much of it, but fearsome punching power keeping him in contention. but it was furey who closed the show, punch perfect with decisive blows in the 11th round. there were some shaky moments, but i never lost faith and i continued on and persevered, and i got that single punch knockout. as soon as i landed it, ijumped on the ropes, i knew he wasn�*t getting back up from that. knew he wasn't getting back up from that. ., . ~' knew he wasn't getting back up from that. ., ., ,, ., , ., that. you talked about shaky moments- — that. you talked about shaky moments. how— that. you talked about shaky moments. how did - that. you talked about shaky moments. how did you - that. you talked about shaky moments. how did you get l that. you talked about shaky . moments. how did you get back that. you talked about shaky - moments. how did you get back up in the fourth round?— the fourth round? determination, god's will and _ the fourth round? determination, god's will and god's _ the fourth round? determination, god's will and god's plan. - the fourth round? determination, god's will and god's plan. this . the fourth round? determination, | god's will and god's plan. this will no god's will and god's plan. this will to down god's will and god's plan. this will go down as — god's will and god's plan. this will go down as one — god's will and god's plan. this will go down as one of _ god's will and god's plan. this will go down as one of the _ god's will and god's plan. this will go down as one of the great - god's will and god's plan. this will go down as one of the great bouts| god's will and god's plan. this will i go down as one of the great bouts of heavyweight boxing history, and this brings an end to a great rivalry

between tyson fury and deontay wilder, and it also brings the hope of tyson fury winning all the major belts in the heavyweight division. after months of speculation and negotiation, england have named their strongest possible cricket squad for the ashes series this winter. a 17—man party will be lead by captainjoe root, after fears the strict covid protocols in australia would put some players off. joe wilson reports. the conversations between the cricketing nations continue, but as it stands, joe root will lead a full—strength england squad to australia to try to win back the ashes. every player picked is fully committed, we�*re told. did many players take a lot of persuading to get this stage? obviously a lot of negotiations went on, but i think thing we did see was a lot of class from our captain and a lot of class from our captain and a lot of empathy and a lot of real good leadership skills to get the players to this point, and i think what it has done is he has galvanised his position as a leader. players like jos

galvanised his position as a leader. players likejos buttler was in the squad that travel arrangements — travel arrangements to family were vital. stuart broad is selected as he recovers from injury. ben stokes is not named. england will wait for him to be ready to play again. never mind the challenges of covid, think of the cricket. australia won 4—0 last time down under. this winter england will at least travel with the best players available, unless of course things change. joe wilson, bbc news. in formula 1, lewis hamilton lost his lead in the drivers�* championship after a fifth place finish at the turkish grand prix. he had to start the race from 11th following a penalty. valterri bottas won the race, while max verstappen finished second to lead the standings by six points with six races to go. there�*s more on the bbc sport website including women�*s rugby league grand final. but from me, goodnight.

thank you very much. that�*s it, i�*ll be back with the late news at ten.