the brexit negotiations are on hold for the summer holiday — but that's not stopped the new irish prime minister expressing his anxieties about the future. leo varadker made an outspoken speech in belfast this week, and called for "unique solutions" to preserve the relationship between the uk and the european union after britain leaves. brian, you'rejust back from dublin — how worried is the administration? a distinct change of tone from kenny's time. leo varadker has decided to distance himself from the uk. kenny had, since the referendum, said to the other eu members we are

very close to britain and we can help britain through this. now, leo varadker is saying, in fact, britain better get on with it. they have to come up with solutions for the border. in politics, as everyone around this table knows, words are important. what does a seamless border mean? if you cannot trade the way you used to? if, for example, the customs union is not there any more? clearly worried about trade? it is crucial. this is not new. the way which the irish governmentmy concerns are expressed is far harsher. michael? there is two things. the border. the economic border. seems to be gone. and the

more abstract, metaphysical border dividing the island since independence and the source of the troubles. it is important again. but there is another border. irish goods usually come by ferry into the islands of britain and go across into the continent. if that changes, how will irish goods get to the continent? a much longer at sea voyage unless they can arrange some sort of customs thing you land at holyhead and exit at dover. the land bridge, shipping goods to france, go ona bridge, shipping goods to france, go on a ferry to france. but it is a

much longerjourney, as you say. the problem they have will be the land bridge. if britain is no longer in the customs union, you cannot build a car park big enough to do the paperwork. ireland's food industry is first in the firing line and has been since the referendum, the devaluation in sterling. difficult to grow and produce in euros and sell in sterling in british supermarkets without taking a hit. about 18%, the hit, so far. supermarkets without taking a hit. about 1896, the hit, so far. david, is he speaking because it is obvious and no more negotiations for a few weeks, i will have my say? expressing real frustration? everyone i think is incredibly frustrated with britain. it is quite obvious that the european negotiators are frustrated. there

always was a problem after the brexit vote, the degree to which, not only britain could actually create a deal which gave the things it but it wanted, which were, some of which, incompatible. within a structure that suited other people as well. why should european countries trust a british government, a british prime minister, to deliver on europe given the politics in britain given that almost no conservative i minister is ina almost no conservative i minister is in a position to deliver on europe. if it was not for the splits in the conservative party, we would not have had the referendum, brexit, and mucking around getting nowhere. the government will say, we have this mandate and will continue to negotiate because we have two? we are not where we are... a threat

from saying, if we get to the october summit and we do not seek and progress, and citizens' rights, and progress, and citizens' rights, and the financial settlement, if there has not been enough progress oi'i there has not been enough progress on ireland by then, we cannot move onto the next page until there is. that is the threat britain faces. the fact is, despite what philip hammond says, brexit will affect every department of life. it will be a major headache, affecting everything from trade, security and agricultural and fishery policies. ireland does not think it will be a smooth experience. nor do the rest of us. dare i say, one of the most perhaps predictable developments brexit is the record number of british people applying for irish passports. hundreds of thousands of applications are being made in the

uk and across europe, and the rest of the world. i wouldn't be surprised if there aren't quite a few brexit pro people among the applicants! we have no way of knowing that. where is george osborne's? the primary motivation of many osborne's? the primary motivation of ma ny levers osborne's? the primary motivation of many levers and the question is emerging with such force proves that having your cake and eating it isn't really very credible as an option. crucially, the irish republic and ulster relationship has been stable recently but the troubles could go up recently but the troubles could go up again. the dup is now closest to the government... trade, one of's key concerns. a last note on the

peace process, the power—sharing government? the british and irish government? the british and irish government are guarantors of the good friday agreement. they compensated structure that took a long time to negotiate and i do not think the british government is paying enough attention to the north— south structures that are in place. that is the political part, but the economic part is the trade across that order. you cannot have the technological, technical solution to it. they say, for example, you can pay your customs duties on the same way as the tall by having a bar code in the windscreen of the truck. ask anyone in ireland what happens if you put a very small, on top of a very tall pole on the board of the republic and northern ireland. the

negotiations for brexit get back under way at the end of august, and we measured the summit in october. there were major international developments in two areas this week, venezuela and north korea. let's start with venezuela, and the controversial new assembly — packed with allies of the unpopular president nicolas maduro — held its inaugural session this week, amid widespread international criticism of its legitimacy. the election that brought it in was marred by violence and allegations of fraud. david, how should the rest of the world be treating maduro? it is difficult for the rest of the world to respond. what do you do? the sanctions against nicolas maduro and the leading people in his party. and the reading figures of the

governments, the people who are most significantly responsible for what is going on and to the descent of venezuela into dictatorship, towards dictatorship. you can sanction them personally but it will not alter what they do. the problem is they are now so what they do. the problem is they are now so completely invested in the process of taking venezuela away from any form of democracy, the place is in such a mess, were they to lose power they would almost certainly be indicted, go to prison. u nless certainly be indicted, go to prison. unless someone certainly be indicted, go to prison. unless someone can certainly be indicted, go to prison. unless someone can offer nicolas maduro and his friends a lovely refuge somewhere with lots of money ona refuge somewhere with lots of money on a sun—kissed island, it is difficult to see what is the inducements are you can create. i think what the outside world has to do is to give assistance to those people trying to help the venezuelan people, human rights organisations and so on to try and mitigate the

worst effects of what is going on. if the outside world in some way can offer its services as some form of negotiating body to help with the peaceful transition, that is what it has to do. there is no scope for any significant intervention in the affairs of venezuela. that will not make things better. i don't think anyone will do it. i think that, from what i know of the country, what is interesting to follow is that, for all of the demonstration, you have not had the disintegration. people retreating into the hills, and and forming an insurgency to try and and forming an insurgency to try and overthrew the government. the people resisting nicolas maduro's moves towards dictatorship are using the right to assembly and is being shut down as they protest. it is a

very strange and folding. there was a time in latin america when there we re a time in latin america when there were a a time in latin america when there we re a lot a time in latin america when there were a lot of left—wing authoritarian regimes. right—wing authoritarian regimes. right—wing authoritarian regimes, people went to the hills. that is not happening i'iow. to the hills. that is not happening now. colombia is adjacent. they have come to an arrangement with the government and reaching a post—conflict situation. as in northern ireland. in venezuela, trapped in some early 1970s time warp. there is not much the outside world can do, as david said, the traditional allies of the regime, cuba is going to transition. there was a cuba is going to transition. there wasaa cuba is going to transition. there was a a decade ago when chavez was still in power. having economic problems and cuba sent over doctors and aid. i do feel there are many steps to go but it is an internal

process. i feel for my contacts in venezuela, reporting from there, kind of stuck in that terrible situation of 80—90% inflation. whatever they have accumulated in their lives is worthless and they are stuck. it is terrible. a long way to run? what strikes me is the way to run? what strikes me is the way people in britain take a particular interest in venezuela because jeremy corbyn particular interest in venezuela becausejeremy corbyn made vague noises about the country and suggesting she was a supporter of maduro. he is pretty quiet at the moment, colburn, because he is undoubtedly as baffled by the real situation as we all are. it is clear that venezuela has been administered in an appalling manner, for decades, and policies have failed. the state could descend into civil war and outright disaster. it is wrong to

look at a hugely complicated sociopolitical situation to the trump prism meaning the evans are a contest between old right—wingers and jeremy corbyn— style left. a propaganda war, in terms of cold war creatures. they have always been problems in south american societies. the real problems are not necessarily caused by governments, but a few families and cartels who amass all the wealth. this creates problems in south american society, the public. it takes more sophisticated solutions than having a left— right political argument. seeing the whole thing in isolation this is the classic donald trump view of the world, presenting things as if they were completely new, is

if this has not happened before. he does it with immigration, terrorism, and it is a farfrom does it with immigration, terrorism, and it is a far from impressive approach to the whole issue. and it is a far from impressive approach to the whole issuem and it is a far from impressive approach to the whole issue. it is quite hard to move away from donald trump. secondly lets turn to north korea and its continual testing of ballistic missiles. at the time of our conversation, we await a un security council vote, later on saturday, on a resolution to strengthen sanctions against the country. the resolution is drafted by the us. michael, we've seen rex tillerson on a trip to south east asia, what do you make of the us approach to this? from what we know of life in north

korea, you could buy a 100,000 sanctions on it and the regime and its close accolades will survive and the people will continue in their lives. i think that, i the people will continue in their lives. ithink that, i hate the people will continue in their lives. i think that, i hate to go back to donald trump...|j lives. i think that, i hate to go back to donald trump... i spoke too soon! one of the things about north korea, we are paying attention because they claim to have developed intercontinental ballistic missiles that could deliver a weapon of mass destruction, to the continental united states, delivering it. they have tried it. they have not tested it that far. that is why everyone is paying attention. we are obsessed with donald trump and he has created his own reality, but another reality covers the whole planet. when it comes to north korea, i think china and russia and the governments that

really will be the crucial ones. as we have seen, learned one thing from the six months of donald trump, he blasters. makes big talk and speeches in front of his supporters but, in the end, much of his programme never comes into being. with foreign policy, that is a danger because someone somewhere will make a risk adulation and the united states will respond. in the case of north korea, a few weeks ago, china reinforced its border along the river. this is a sign of who, really, we should be looking at is to control the situation. we will be curious to see what happens with this un security council resolution, just to read it now that's un security council recommendations mean anything in the long run, anyway. president trump is

ill—equipped, to do with north korea, as he is with venezuela. no future in sanctions in north korea any more than venezuela because it has not worked in the part. it will hurt ordinary people more than anything else. there is, i suppose, comfort to be drawn from tillerson's remarks, he said, we are not your enemy but we are threatened by what you are doing. the roots, as michael says, to some sort of resolution is through beijing, not the way that donald trump is talking to beijing. the administration has said that, thatis the administration has said that, that is the route, as it sees it? the whole point about north korea, it does not think in line with the west. a pariah state with a significant arsenal. for that

reason, it needs to be taken seriously because it is unpredictable. always the temptation for the incumbent president, trump, to tackle niggling situation. it is usually israel and palestine, but north korea is not far off. he has increased military action, negotiations, as options. or doing nothing at all. leaving it for his successor to worry about. i would hope that donald trump is not encouraged to escalate the situation. i was talking to a former un ambassador hu said sanctions will do nothing, it must be about talking, diplomacy is the only route? the central problem is the only government who can affect things in north korea and china is more worried about the possibility of the demise of the regime and its

replacement by a pro—western regime thanit replacement by a pro—western regime than it is worried, at the moment, about the level of sabre rattling from the kim jong—un government. i'm sure both sides of worry. in china, talking about what happens if he overstepped the mark. why is that remains their basic adulation, you have to assume that the only way you can do with this is by having the chinese talk the north koreans down and having the chinese aware, themselves believing there could be a point in which their own graduation were changed. that is what, in the end, it is all about. you cannot innovate the place was you could form a large parts of it, but as we have been reminded of time and again, the capacity of the north koreans to hit the south korean

capital, populated areas close to the border, so rapid and great the chances you can completely knock it out before that can happen are slim. if that graduation changes, maybe the other academicians will change. that is conventional artillery. not just ballistic missiles. a horrendously fraught situation. prince philip officially retired this week — at the age of 96. he was the guest of honour at a special buckingham palace ceremony hosted by the royal marines. as the prince left they played "for he's a jolly good fellow". many people are now working well beyond the old retirement age, so is the duke setting the new norm for all of us? david. have you been writing about working longer? all of us will have to do it. i'm not sure if we are wanted on

television at the age of 96. that is one of the reasons i like to go swimming in florida, they are fatter than me. if anyone adopts this idea ofa than me. if anyone adopts this idea of a television channel for ioo—year—olds. good on you, we say, patronising 90—year—olds. it is nice, obviously. it is good to think, especially as you enter, what? the early autumn? the thing is, this is an important subject because we keep hearing, as you said, we have to work longer. will

someone said, we have to work longer. will someone tell employers we have to work longer? there is nothing like the death that comes across a newsroom the minute someone hits 50. that is our business. across the world, people in implement. philip worked in the family firm. you can worked in the family firm. you can work as long as your children are willing to let you. most people are in salaried employment. we are all having to work longer. employers better learn they have to keep us on longer. if they fire enough of us, as we have seen in the us and we will see in the uk life expectancy begins to go back to the old days. people are dying sooner in certain demographics in america because they have been laid off and cannot find other employment. it is not that perfect. someone should tell the boysin

perfect. someone should tell the boys in silicon valley, the smart 28—year—old. stop inventing robust to put us out of work! david, you we re to put us out of work! david, you were alluding to the fact there was a piece on the bbc today, a 93—year—old retiring from a supermarket. reg chamakh buttress. —— reg buttress. supermarket. reg chamakh buttress. -- reg buttress. the key to staying in work is self—employment. the ultimate self employment is to be working in the family firm like prince philip has been doing. years ago, the queen mother reached 80 and

90,i ago, the queen mother reached 80 and 90, i remember my poor mother saying, well, she looks great but i would look that good if i had not washed a cup in my life!|j would look that good if i had not washed a cup in my life! i do agree. i don't think the royal family can set the norm for anything because they are abnormal people. quite literally an extraordinary group of people living in utter luxury in return for some pleasant social activity. some quite boring, on some occasions! i don't think you would do the job. this is hardly heavy lifting. certainly not real work.|j think the queen did a good job in 2011 in ireland. much appreciated in ireland. a lot of people change their view of the british royal family because of that.|j their view of the british royal family because of that. i think the

queen has been a munificent public servant with the younger royals can ta ke servant with the younger royals can take an example from her. they have quit their military careers already and seem to be far more interested in endless holidays. i think you will find he has stopped his career asa will find he has stopped his career as a rescue helicopter pilots because he is going to do full—time royal duties. this is hardly heavy lifting, especially in the context of how hard people work nowadays. people go very early in the morning, 12 hours a day is the norm. shorter holidays. especially in the west, countries including britain. certainly in america, one of the ha rd est certainly in america, one of the hardest working countries i have lived in. michael, employers, given that we need to keep earning, will have to find jobs for us all?

someone will have to find a job for a lot of people if people are working. raising the pension age to 68, 70 by the working. raising the pension age to 68,70 by the time people whojust entered the workforce are finished. higher still then. people have to realise, they have to change, to be serious, three words — work, jobs, employment. it is employment we do not have. work, everyone can find... win the robust takeover, will the older robots be put out of work by the younger robots? slung out by the new, shiny robots? untilthey invent fibroblast to replace us, hopefully we will all be back for the next few weeks at least. enjoy your summer

holidays. that's all we have time for this week. do join us again next week same time same place. thanks for watching and goodbye. overall, the unsettled theme continues. we have seen a few showers today. the rainbow captured by one of our reviewers. some pretty good spells of sunshine. here is lovely sunshine in merseyside earlier on. the mixture of sunny spells, showers which could turn heavy, a few rumbles of thunder to come. with a north—westerly breeze,

not particularly warm. showers drifting their way eastwards from wales into the midlands, east anglia, the south east. some of those heavy with rumbles of thunder, some hail. sunny spells and scattered showers. showers could be heavy, dry and bright interludes possibly, temperatures 16—18 celcius. disappointing. showers to the north—west of england. bright spells across wales, but a few showers in the south of wales and into the south—west of england. largely dry. pretty decent spells of sunshine here in the afternoon. sunny spells and scattered showers through the midlands, east anglia and the southeastern corner. every chance of rain at the london stadium in the afternoon. tending to fade away into the evening. this temporary ridge of high pressure settling things down for the most part. northern ireland, thicker cloud weaving in with outbreaks of rain with this weather system. ahead of all that, clear skies.

turning chilly, particularly in rural parts, in northern england. temperatures at the bottom end of single figures. a chilly and bright start for northern and eastern areas. cloud increasing but fine and dry with light winds. northern ireland starts off wet, rain moving through, getting to scotland, north—west of england, wales into the afternoon. ahead of that, the midlands, eastern england, fine and dry. low 20s, not such a bad afternoon. 16 in glasgow. and belfast. the community shield gets the football season underway. pretty decent day for it, patchy cloud with good spells of sunshine. next week, remaining and rain or showers and on the breezy side. this is bbc news. i'm jane hill.

the headlines at midday: he is a one—man world superpower, it is gold for farah! mo farah wins his tenth straight athletics gold medal as he storms his way to the 10,000 metre title. he has that aura of invincibility. i'm not sure the others believe they can beat him. it's day two of the championships and katarina johnson—thompson kicks off her bid for a gold medal. ten of thousands of passengers face three weeks of disruption