good evening. the conservative mayor of the west midlands, andy street, has urged the prime minister not to give up on the line between birmingham and manchester. it comes amid speculation that rishi sunak is about to announce that stage of the operation will be relaxed. andy street said he must not give up on a but the prime minister is right to get a grip of the situation. party conferences are cauldrons of gossip and whispers, denials and announcements. the whole question of h52, whether it will be built in hsz, whether it will be built in full between birmingham and manchester, as well as the connection between the west midlands and london, has dominated over the last couple of days here for a simple reason. the government will not answer that very simple question. the speculation has swirled again today and tonight downing street say that no final decision has yet been made. and yet that intervention from the mayor of the west midlands once again sparking off the discussion. that is the first reason why the chancellor of the exchequer�*s speech today was overshadowed. there was a second reason, quite a bit of drama at lunchtime. monday morning in manchester, and a high—profile visitor. well, who should be turning up but the former prime minister? are you just here to cause trouble? this time last year, liz truss was in charge, and now she's back, activists queued around the building, up and down staircases. more than 100 couldn't get into the packed room, but some familiarfaces dead. liz truss's message was familiar too — cutting corporation tax, reducing energy bills and building more houses. let's be prepared to make conservative arguments again, even if it's unpopular, even if it's difficult. i want everybody in this room to unleash their inner conservative. finally, my friends, let's make britain grow again. thank you. a slogan borrowed and amended from donald trump. remember, conservative activists voted to make liz truss prime minister, and some are still angry tory mps brought her down. meeting some members at the moment... she didn't want to answer questions today, but she did pose for pictures, and even signed a copy of her mini budget, which prompted economic calamity and political disaster for her. what prompts all of this? the government and labour are increasingly similar, reckons the former leader of the brexit party. we are all here looking for big differences. there aren't really. what is being talked about today effectively was to reset the conservative party after they lose next year. maybe i should whisper this, but how much is this about a party contemplating defeat and thinking about what comes next? what was it queen victoria said? she said the possibility of defeat does not exist. the chancellor of the - exchequer, jeremy hunt. from the fringe to the main stage, jeremy hunt said he will put up the national living wage to at least £11 an hourfrom next april. that's a pay rise for two million workers. and the wages of the lowest paid, over £9,000 higher than they where in 2010, because if you work hard, the conservative government will always have your back. but, yet again today, the question that's been unanswered for nearly three weeks — will there be a new high—speed rail line between manchester and birmingham? plenty here think the prime minister is about to scrap it. number ten insists no final decision has been taken. people here have waited far too long for a functional railway, and we are not going to sell our own residence down the river and make them wait even longer. gripping this situation means re—examining it. it does not mean giving up and admitting defeat, you could say, or even, you could say, cancelling the future. have you considered resigning over the cancellation of the railway? we are not talking about that. the issue is we are working hard on finding the solution for the prime minister. over to you, prime minister, to say what you want to do. and you saw their duo of mayors, one labour, though mayor of greater manchester, one conservative, andy street, speaking to us round about half past five this afternoon. mr street pleading in public for the maintenance of the transport infrastructure around the west midlands that he has long called for forced to plead in public with the prime minister handful of floors above him in his prime ministerial suite in his hotel here in manchester, still refusing to answer that central question. as i say, the line from number ten tonight is that no final decision has yet been made and hence the airwaves are full of concern from the likes of andy burnham and mr street until that decision is formally announced. what we can hazard a very strong and educated guess at is that hs2 as originally planned between london and manchester eight going to be what rishi sunak was to see, but he still has not said that explicitly, nor what he wants to do instead. chris mason, our political editor, thank you. water companies in england and wales have announced they want to increase customers' bills to pay for upgrades and reduce sewer discharges. they say the increase would allow spending on infrastructure to almost double to £96 billion pounds. the average annual bill would go up by £81; in 2025 if the regulator, 0fwat, approves the plans, and it would mean £156 extra by 2030. but critics say water companies have failed to invest adequately since they were privatised more than 30 years ago. our environment correspondent, jonah fisher, reports. we will run out of water, not within the next 50 years but within the next five to ten if we do nothing. 0ur water infrastructure has been starved of investment for decades, and in east anglia, making sure it keeps flowing for everyone is a recurring headache. climate change is the biggest challenge we face as a company. big problems need huge, expensive solutions. try putting that plate down the back, yeah? this pipe transporting water from wet to dry areas will cost £500 million. will cost £500 billion. it's taking water from north lincolnshire, where we know we have more rain, down to norfolk, suffolk and essex, where we have a lot less. today, water companies have submitted to the regulator, 0fwat, their wish lists — what they want to spend between 2025 and 2030. and it's a huge number, nearly £100 billion. that's almost twice as much as in the previous five year period. and the cost of all that is ultimately going to fall on customers. it's estimated that by 2030, bills will rise on average by about £156. if approved by the regulator, the plans would see ten new reservoirs built, leaks from pipes reduced, and £11 billion spent to tackle raw sewage spills. it's got into a dreadful state. peter says this stream in king's lynn used to be crystal—clear, but he says the cost of cleaning it up shouldn't fall on bill payers. i'm not personally inclined to pay any more. they've had tens of billions of pounds of our money over the last 30 years since they were privatised, so i'd suggest that they start getting some money back from their australian pension funds and their other investors that they've paid out enormous dividends to before they start asking customers to pay more. do you accept that water companies have in the past got it wrong? that profit has been put ahead of stopping pollution? i think that water companies have got work to do on building trust with customers again. but hopefully, seeing schemes like this today shows that we have the environment and looking after our customers at the heart of what we do. a final decision on which projects go ahead and how much bills will rise will be taken late next year. jonah fisher, bbc news. thames valley police has confirmed it's investigating �*harassment and stalking' allegations made by a woman against the comedian and actor russell brand. the bbc has approached mr brand for a response to these allegations. it comes after the metropolitan police confirmed it had received a "number of allegations of sexual offences" after a joint investigation by the sunday times, the times and channel 4's dispatches, in which four women accused mr brand of sexual assaults and rape. russell brand has denied those claims. a murder investigation has been launched in yorkshire after a triple stabbing in halifax in the early hours of sunday morning. a 21—year—old died in hospital. west yorkshire police say a 19—year—old also died last night. three men, two aged 18 and one aged 19, have been arrested. junior doctors and consultants have walked out together in england in their longest—everjoint strike. nhs bosses have warned of extreme disruption in hosptials until thursday morning. the government say that this year's pay rise of 6% for consultants and just under 9% forjunior doctors was a "final and fair" deal, but their union, the british medical association, says it is not enough. our health correspondent sophie hutchinson is at guy's and st thomas' hospital in south london. well, in years gone by it would have been almost unimaginable forjunior and senior doctors to walk out of hospitals in protest, let alone together,and for a full three days. but that is where we are. it is the 28th day the nhs in england has seen doctors strike. their dispute is over pay. the government has said they have had a fair pay deal this year — a 6% rise for consultants and an almost 9% forjunior doctors but doctors want above—inflation pay rises. their strike, one of the biggest we have seen so far on the week of the tory party conference, is no doubt intended to send a strong message to ministers that they are not afraid to continue striking if they don't get the pay offer that they wish for. the impact on patients of course has been very clear. in the past ten months more than a million appointments have been cancelled in the nhs in england due to strikes by nhs staff. that figure will certainly only grow with this week's strike. nhs england is saying that routine care will grind to almost a whole. as this dispute escalates in england there is a real risk that it could also escalate in other parts of the united kingdom. in wales and in northern ireland doctors and junior consultants are being balloted for strike action. the nobel prize for medicine has been awarded to two of scientists who developed the technology that led to the mrna covid vaccines. dr katalin kariko from hungary and dr drew weissman from the united states will share the prize. the technology was experimental before the pandemic, but has now been used for millions ofjabs around the world. it's being hailed as a breakthrough that could save millions of lives. a new vaccine for malaria, developed by oxford university, has been recommended by the world health organization. the disease claims hundreds of thousands of lives a year — mostly children in africa. our medical editor, fergus walsh, is here with all the details. thank you, sophie. malaria has been causing untold human suffering for millennia. the malaria parasite is spread by mosquitoes. africa is worst affected, particularly these areas marked in red here, which account for 95% of the global burden of malaria. in 2021 there were an estimated 234 million cases and 593,000 deaths from malaria in africa. most of those were children under the age of five. the oxford vaccine, called r21, requires children to have four doses. trials have shown it is around 75% effective at preventing malaria. crucially, the world's biggest vaccine manufacturer, the serum institute in india, has agreed to produce 100 million doses a year of the oxford jab at two to four dollars a dose. this will be africa's second malaria vaccine. the first, rts—s, costs about twice as much. since 2019,1.7 millionjabs have been administered but it will take political will to ensure there are enough healthcare workers to vaccinate at scale. todayis today is a great day for health, a great day for health, and a great day for vaccines. as a malaria researcher, i used to dream of the day when we would have a safe and effective vaccine against malaria. now we have two. today's announcement follows a major trial involving nearly 5,000 children across four african countries, lasting several years. our correspondent anne soy witnessed some of the children getting booster doses in tanzania and has this report. a life—saving jab, giving protection against one of the biggest killers of african children — malaria. it has taken decades to find. three—year—old hajdra was one of hundreds of volunteers in the clinical trials. her mother, 39—year—old mosemi saif, had a compelling reason to enrol the youngest of her six children in the study. translation: i lost my nephew, he was only four when _ he died from malaria. that's why when i heard that there was a malaria vaccine trial i said i wanted to participate because it would help us. here in bagamoyo 600 children took part in the trial. experts are urging people to continue using the proven weapons of preventing infection, even with the discovery of a new vaccine. the results of the final phase of the research surpassed expectations. what we have shown in one year, after the three doses the efficacy is about 75%, again well above the goal set by the who malaria community, and this is really exciting. thejob is farfrom done. the vaccine now needs to be delivered to villages and towns across africa. for families like mosemi's, it will bring much needed relief from disease and keep her children alive. anne soy, bbc news, bagamoyo. the time is 6:18. our top story this evening: the conservative mayor for the west midlands accuses the government of cancelling the future if the h52 high—speed rail line between birmingham and manchester is not built. coming up: donald trump appears in court in a civil trial for financial fraud. coming up on sportsday in the next 15 minutes on bbc news... one defeat too far for michael beale at rangers. sacked after less than a year in charge. who is in the frame to take over at ibrox? the former chief executive of global fashion brand abercrombie & fitch and his british partner are facing allegations of exploitation from men recruited for sex events they hosted around the world. a bbc investigation found a highly organised operation running the events, with a middleman finding young adult men for mikejeffries and his partner matthew smith. eight men told the bbc they attended these events, some of whom alleged they were exploited or abused. mrjeffries and mr smith did not respond to requests for comment. rianna croxford has the story. in the early 20005, abercrombie and fitch became one of the hottest labels in the us and around the world. sexualised imagery and provocative billboards turned the teen retailer, which also owns the hollister brand, into a multibillion—dollar sensation. the man behind the vision was then—ceo mikejeffries. mike was tireless. he was very energetic and boisterous. he was an incredibly big personality. he would explode into a room. bbc panorama has uncovered a highly organised international operation recruiting young adult men for sex with mikejeffries over several years, when he was the ceo of the brand. this experience, i think it broke me, and it mentally messed me up. two men have agreed to tell me their accounts on camera. they attended separate events hosted by mikejeffries in 2010 and 2011. both men say they were recruited and auditioned by a middle man, james jacobson, known to the men asjim. david says mrjacobson led him to believe he was pursuing a modelling opportunity. i was made to believe, look, this is where everybody gets their start. this is where you want to get your start. it was like he was selling fame. and the price was compliance. david says compliance meant engaging in a sexual act with mrjacobson. seven more men i've spoken to say they also met with jim. the men say mrjacobson was part of a well oiled machine which included recruiters, drivers and other staff. mrjacobson told the bbc any encounters were fully consensual, not coercive. he said he had no recollection of making promises of modelling opportunities, and that everyone whom he came into contact with who attended these events went in with their eyes wide open. this is the route the men would have taken when they were on their way to the hamptons, when they were going to go and meet with mikejeffries. once through the audition, the men would then go to an event hosted by mrjeffries and his british partner, matthew smith. some were held at their home here in the exclusive new york coastal community the hamptons. barrett said he was introduced to mrjacobson by an older model who he felt indebted to, and knew there would be some kind of sexual activity. david said he was not expecting sex to take place at the hamptons. i was taken, chaperoned over to the main house, to the doors that entered into the bedroom where everything was happening. and then...told to disrobe. barrett said he engaged in an intimate act with another man. david says mrjeffries had sex with him. so i didn't feel safe to, like, say no or, i don't feel comfortable with this. i don't really know what would have happened. i didn't feel like i had any choice. both men say they felt leaving didn't seem to be an option because mrjeffries' private staff were supervising the event, including in the bedroom. they also say they were asked to sign nondisclosure agreements beforehand, and were not given any copies to take away. it did feel like they were trying to scare us. that's what it felt like. it felt like intimidation. both men were paid around $2500 after the event they attended. still hoping it may lead to modelling work, david went to further events with mrjeffries and mr smith, both in the us and around the world. two us lawyers who reviewed evidence uncovered by the bbc said prosecutors should investigate whether the allegations could amount to sex trafficking. the bbc has made repeated attempts to contact mrjeffries and mr smith. they have not responded. abercrombie and fitch told us it is appalled and disgusted by the allegations about their former ceo's behaviour. it said a new executive leadership team has transformed the company's brand and culture, adding, the company has zero tolerance for abuse, harassment or discrimination ofany kind. rianna croxford, bbc news. if you've been affected by any of the issues raised in this report, you can find more details of support online at at bbc.co.uk/actionline. you can watch panorama's the abercrombie guys: the dark side of cool at 9pm on bbc one and now on bbc iplayer. and listen to the podcast series — world of secrets: season 1, the abercrombie guys, on bbc sounds. the boss of thejohn lewis partnership, dame sharon white, is to step down next year, afterfive years, making her the shortest—serving chair in the organisation's100—year history. the business, which includes the department stores and waitrose supermarkets, reported a loss of more than £200 million last year, forcing it to scrap the annual staff bonus. the price of a first—class stamp has risen for the third time in 18 months. it will now cost £1.25, an increase of 15 pence. second—class stamps will remain at 75p. royal mail has blamed increasing cost pressures and the tough economic environment for the latest price rise. donald trump has appeared in court in new york at the start of a civil fraud trial which could have serious consequences for his business interests. the former president denounced the trial as a scam and a sham as he arrived at court. new york's attorney general is suing mr trump and two of his sons after a judge ruled that they vastly inflated the value of their properties and other assets. our correspondent gary o'donoghue reports now from new york. donald trump, in court yet again. the question this time around is, is he as rich as he says he is? it's a scam, it's a sham. just so you know, my financial statements are phenomenal. he's being sued by the new york attorney general, who says he spent a decade over inflating the value of his properties in order to secure loans, insurance and lower—interest rates. he's after $250 million in fines and damages. no matter how powerful you are, no matter how much money you think you may have, no one is above the law. and it is my responsibility, and my duty and myjob to enforce it. donald trump is accused of overstating the value of his mar—a—lago club in florida by 25 times. he exaggerated the size of his penthouse apartment in trump tower by 200%. overall, he may have claimed to be $2 billion richer than he really is. before the trial began, the judge had already found donald trump and his two sons liable for fraudulently inflating the value of their properties. so these proceedings are to determine just how big the fines will be. this is a civil case, so they won't go to jail, but they could end up a lot poorer. this is one of donald trump's prized possessions, a0 wall st, at the heart of new york's financial district. when he bought it, he said it was the greatest property deal in history. if he loses this case, he could have it taken away from him, and with that, a whole chunk of his self—proclaimed reputation as a property genius. gary o'donoghue, bbc news, new york. the former manchester city and england striker francis lee has died at the age of 79. mr lee scored 148 goals in over 300 appearances during an eight—year spell at city. he will be remembered as one of manchester city boss mike all—time greats. —— manchester city's all—time greats. for hundreds of years oysters were in plentiful supply around the uk's coast. and they were cheap, so cheap that in the 1800s oysters were known as the poor man's food sold on many street corners. but overfishing and pollution meant that by the 1900s they'd been all but wiped out, turning them into an expensive delicacy. for hundreds of years oysters were in plentiful supply around the uk's coast. but overfishing and pollution meant that by the 1900s they'd been all but wiped out, turning them into an expensive delicacy. now thosuands are being released onto a man—made reef off the north—east coast of england to try to boost their numbers. fiona trott reports. to the north sea... off the coast of sunderland, a final batch of oysters, 10,000 oysters, are thrown into the water. their aim, to reverse centuries of disease and exploitation. so, native oysters once used to be a common sight around the uk coastlines. we've actually seen a 95% decline in need of oysters from our uk sees. and with that loss, you also lose the ecosystem service benefits that oysters provide. so our project is geared towards restoring oysters and also restoring the benefit that they can have to our oceans. over the past week, they have been building a reef the size of a football pitch. day after day, 750 tonnes of stones and shells have been brought out to sea. a new home for the oysters to cling onto. oysters are clever things. they can filter around 200 litres of dirty water a day. suck up the pollutants and then deposit them in on the sea bed. that's exactly what10,000 bees are doing right now out at sea. and around 100 local volunteers have helped make it happen. why are you doing this? personally, it feels like i — why are you doing this? personally, it feels like i am _ why are you doing this? personally, it feels like i am helping. _ these are challenging times for our seas, but the hope is this, if the project here is successful, it's not only the native oysters that will benefit, it is other species, like cod and crab, which are a lifeline for the local economy too. fiona trott, bbc news, sunderland. time for a look at the weather. here's helen willetts. it's been a warm september, we know that. the figures are in, and it has beenjoint that. the figures are in, and it has been joint record—breaking. that. the figures are in, and it has beenjoint record—breaking. this is the one i think is most significant — the warmest by day since 1895, and that was because of the heatwave we had earlier in the month. october started on the same note, one of the warmest october days for about five years yesterday, but that heat and humidity has triggered all these thunderstorms we have at the moment, as well as the heavy rain for the north. fairly nasty conditions if you are travelling, with the thunderstorms, torrential downpours, spray and standing water. it should clear away leaving a much fresher night. we hang on to humidity in southern and eastern areas. most of the shower should have cleared by the shower should have cleared by the morning, as will the frontal cloud. it is misty and market over the hills. a brighter and fresher day for all tomorrow, notably in the south. sunny spells, scattered showers, a brisk breeze, so the showers, a brisk breeze, so the showers will whisk through. most prevalent in northern and western areas, but the temperatures are several degrees down temporarily. high pressure is starting to build later tomorrow and into wednesday in the south, but these weather fronts are still coming the north and west, scotland and northern ireland, so there are weather warnings out for rain later in the week because we will see several pulses on these weather systems running on, but not further south, looking mostly dry and fine, 185 and 19s on wednesday, still warming with the rain further north. later in