theresa may continue on that basis. theresa may is in brussels. there is talk of a breakthrough. christian fraser is there for us now. we have seen arlene foster very unhappy at what is being discussed. and yet there they must be very happy there is a sign ofa they must be very happy there is a sign of a breakthrough? certainly, the optimism we have heard from the european side would suggest that they are satisfied with the wording in the document, but as you say, not to the satisfaction of the dup. some of this language sounds arcane, boring and technical, but actually it is fundamental to the success of this first phase of the success of this first phase of the negotiation. when you think back to last week, when the irish government said it had concerns about the border between north and south, they said there could be no diversions in regulation between the north and south. now we have moved

to effectively compromised language, saying that there could be alignments in the future. so if you are going to use a certain chemical ina are going to use a certain chemical in a food processing plant, for example, would that be acceptable to both governments, north and south. but that is not to the satisfaction of the dup, who are saying that if you have a situation where the customs arrangements are devolved to the north and the uk goes its separate way, then step—by—step, we become more land to the south and we cannot have a separate agreement for the north of ireland. so prominent politicians are saying they are not happy with the wording. that's a surprise, because we were just saying that surely they have been involved in the negotiation over the week, so at what point was the break in the language, and at what point where they not being consulted by the irish government about what

might be in the document today? christian, in terms of the timetable this afternoon, let's concentrate on what's happening in brussels. crucial talks for theresa may. then, after lunch, what are we expecting to happen? we are moving towards the european council meeting on the 14th. clearly, still a lot to do today. donald tusk, the european council president, will chair that meeting. the eu parliament delegation was here this morning, and nowjean—claude juncker and theresa may are together. he's looking for assurances and concrete proposals. he is quite positive in some of the language he is talking about, but he is painfully aware of how difficult it will be for her to sell this deal back home. he is our brussels correspondent, adam flemming. there's no such thing

as a free lunch. the prime minister is here to shake on a set of promises made by the uk, designed to get brexit talks off the past and on to the future. everybody understands that the decision to move on to trade talks is vital to everybody, of huge value to the 27 members and ourselves. it sounds like there has been some progress on the rights of eu nationals living in the uk after brexit and brits abroad. talks about how much money the uk owes seem to have been unblocked by a more detailed offer from the uk. but the big stumbling block is what to do about the irish border. the irish government does not want to wait for a future trade deal. they want written guarantees now. before the prime minister's arrival, members of the european parliament were ushered in for a preview because they will get a vote on the final deal. i'm optimistic it is possible, 50—50, to have something, but we have to be sure that on citizens' rights, everything is ok. is there a deal on the money?

it seems. it seems there is a deal on the money? you are happy with that? i'm cautiously optimistic but, of course, we have to see the final outcome. can mrs may fix all of this today? i think that is possible. with goodwill, i think we can have a good agreement today. one claimed the british had pledged that northern ireland would stick closely to the eu's rules on customs. it is a meeting again with reality. it is a recognition of reality and what they have created is a reality and we have to accept that and that reality is full of contradictions and they have to acknowledge that. now they acknowledge it. good. if you look at all this activity, you would think a final brexit deal was just around the corner. it isn't. this is all about the eu feeling that enough progress has been made in the first phase of brexit talks about divorce issues to trigger the start of the second phase which is all about trade, the transition deal and the future relationship. that decision won't

be made here today. it will be for eu leaders at a summit in ten days' time but be in no doubt, this is a big day in the history of brexit. let's speak to our chief political correspondent vicki young at westminster. vicki, let's talk about the dup reaction we have had so far. it's surprising, given that surely they we re surprising, given that surely they were involved in the negotiation over the weekend. i'm sure they were. we have to be cautious that we have seen the odd phrase that might be in this document or this press release, when it comes, and all of thatis release, when it comes, and all of that is coming from the eu and the dublin side of things. so we have to be careful at this point, because we haven't seen any final wording. i was at the earlier lobby briefing,

westminster journalists was at the earlier lobby briefing, westminsterjournalists briefed by the prime minister's spokesman, and when asked about this, he made it clear the uk is leaving the european union as a whole, as one. he made it very clear, saying that territorial and economic integrity of the united kingdom will be protected. so we are trying to square that with the leaks we are having from the european union side about the wording, talking about a continued regulatory alignment. those two don't seem to marry up at this point, and i think thatis marry up at this point, and i think that is why the uk government are still sounding a little bit cautious about today being that major breakthrough. we have to wait and see, and they will not want to be pushed into this. we have had a succession of meps coming out saying, it's all looking good. we haven't heard that so much from the

uk side at this point. they are being slightly more cautious. it's important to impress on people that what we are looking for today is a form of words. there's a lot of negotiation past this point. on the issue of ireland, if you are leaving the single market and the customs union, there has to be a border somewhere. absolutely. today is not about the final deal. the uk government keeps saying it, nothing is agreed until everything is agreed. and that matters, notjust because of the northern ireland— irish border. that 50 billion euros hasn't been cashed in. this is all about moving to the next stage, talking about a trade agreement. the british government made the point that issues such as the border issue could be resolved depending on what kind of trade deal we end up with

with the european union, which is why they felt it was important to move on before deciding all this. but i think what will happen — and you've done more of these summits than i have — we remember that when the final wording comes out, there is normally something in it for everyone, and i think that is what we will see. i think you are right. given they are painfully aware how difficult this will be to sell at home for theresa may, there is going to be some positive language in it somewhere, you would expect. the language in this document is crucial. just talk about the financial settlement. theresa may is saying to people back home, we are going to pay this money and we are going to pay this money and we are going to pay this money and we are going to get a future trade deal in return. but the european commission is saying, no, that's not how it works. this is a divorce settlement. you are paying here for commitments you made in the past. this is

separate from what will happen in the second phase of the negotiate. they are talking to two different audiences, and they will need to try to get some agreement this afternoon, something that will be a cce pta ble afternoon, something that will be acceptable to 27 eu leaders. this is on the front line for theresa may right now. on the home front, we have heard from the dup, and we have also heard from nicola sturgeon, first minister of scotland. she has tweeted — she has been pushing for this, as leader of the scottish government. theresa may has been facing many difficulties as she tries to reach those compromises with eu leaders in brussels. let's get more on what is

happening in terms of the irish border. let's go to our correspondent in belfast. not a huge surprise that the dup have taken against this. how angry are they? theresa may's very government depends on their support. last week, the dup stepped up their attacks on the dup stepped up their attacks on the irish government as the brexit negotiations picked up pace. one mp raise the possibility that, what ever deal was reached today, if there was a deal reached on some future commitment on the irish border that wasn't to the dup‘s liking, then the dup might even withdraw their support for the minority government at westminster. what the dup and arlene foster have said at stormont in the last few minutes, interesting that she was keen to emphasise at the start of her statement that this was speculation. i think the dup are

hedging their bets until they see what is in any final text that is agreed. but i did not see any softening of the dup‘s position on the border. arlene foster said that the border. arlene foster said that the dup would not accept any sort of diversions from the rest of the united kingdom, so it did feel a bit ofa united kingdom, so it did feel a bit of a shot across the british government's boughs, saying, our position is the same and we are not going to tolerate anything that will result in a barrier being put up between northern ireland, and england, scotland and wales. there are already differences between that border and what happens elsewhere in the uk. northern ireland is a devolved nation, and one of the points that sammy wilson, the dup

mp, made this lunchtime, was that if there is some kind of commitment in brussels today all over the next few days that northern ireland would continue along the seven regulatory path as the irish republic, then stormont would have a role. and he said, if stormont had to make certain other decisions, then the dup would not bring forward any legislation that would mean that northern ireland would be matching up northern ireland would be matching up more with the republic of ireland. so this is very complicated. theresa may is having to work under pressure from the irish government and also the dup. now nicola sturgeon and scotland are pointing out, what about us? so lots of implications. thank you. let's bring you our headlines. a worrying rise: the 700,000 more

children and pensioners in the uk who are living in poverty. allegations about the prime minister's former deputy, criticisms about the allegations being made public. ina public. in a moment, co—op stores sell food after best before dates in a cracked down on waste. in sport, a positive spell for england's bowlers mean they take four quick wickets at the start of australia's second innings. australian lead by 268 runs. hisjob is safe — the fa australian lead by 268 runs. his job is safe — the fa says gareth southgate will remain in charge of england for the next few tournaments, regardless of world cup

results. and england's hockey team draw with australia. nearly three—quarters ofi million children and pensioners in the uk have fallen into relative poverty over the past four years, according to a report from a social policy charity. the left—leaning joseph rowntree foundation says it's the first sustained rise affecting these age groups for two decades. the government says the number of people living in absolute poverty has fallen by more than half a million since 2010. our social affairs correspondent, michael buchanan, has the details. for flor singleton, this drop—in centre has many benefits. she can meet friends, have a laugh, grab a bite to eat and by being here, the 84—year—old does not have to spend money heating her own home. if you go out, you don't have to have your heating on, do you? trouble is, once it's dark in the evenings now, and cold, you have to put your heating

on, don't you? so you go on the bus just to keep warm? yeah. well, you know... laughter. yeah, it's lovely and warm on the bus! and then you sort of try and extend it as long as you can. even though you've got to nowhere to go? yeah. it's mad, isn't it? laughter. today's report said that successful efforts to tackle poverty over the past 20 years are in danger of unravelling. it says that since 2013, an extra 300,000 pensioners and an additional 400,000 children are now living in poverty. in total, 14 million people in the uk are in poverty. what our report is now showing is that we are at a significant turning point. two years of sustained increases in the number of children and pensioners in poverty is a real red flag to government that they really have to do something now. absolute poverty, not having enough

food or water to live on, as fallen by 500,000 since 2010. today's figures refer to relative poverty, having a lot less than most other people and many researchers believe that is going to get worse. experts say the number of people living in poverty is likely to rise markedly in the coming years, particularly among children. wages, they say, will not keep pace with prices. benefits will remain frozen and housing costs are likely to increase. thejoseph rowntree foundation say ending the freeze on benefits would make the biggest difference to reducing poverty. ministers say they are already spending tens of billions of pounds each year helping those in need. caught in the middle, the poor themselves. that fellow keeps hassling me from the water company, because i have not paid them. so i'm going to have to... dig into the funeral account.

michael buchanan, bbc news. the metropolitan police commissioner, cressida dick, has criticised two former senior officers for disclosing information about an investigation into the first secretary of state, damian green. bob quick and neil lewis claimed that pornography was found on a computer seized from the mp‘s parliamentary office nine years ago. mr green denies watching or downloading pornography on the machine. our home affairs correspondent danny shaw has more details. she can't be seen in any way to condone former officers doing unofficial breaches about confidential information —— confidential information —— confidential information —— confidential information they have received. there was an interview with the bbc giving further details about allegations pornography was on damian green's work computers, and

cressida dick said it was possible that both men could be prosecuted, that both men could be prosecuted, that the final decision would be with the crown prosecution service. this is a case from nine years ago. all police officers know very well that they have a duty of confidentiality, a duty to protect personal information. that duty, in my view, clearly endures after you leave the service and so it is my view that what they have done, based on my understanding of what they are saying, what they have done is wrong and i condemn it. would you consider buying food that is past its best before date? the east of england co—op is to become the first major retailer to stock items beyond their best before date on their shelves. 125 stores in east

anglia will sell dried foods and tinned products forjust anglia will sell dried foods and tinned products for just 10p, following a three—month trial in 1a of its stores. this supermarket where they are busting the best before dates. in 125 east of england co—ops will tell items beyond their dates forjust10p each, saying waste not, want not. we tried giving it away. nobody wants you to give them anything. they expect to pay for it. customers are suspicious when it is free but when you charge them 10p, people feel there is a transaction taking place and they pay something. we thought the product would last quite a while in the special display bins we have set up, but it lasted a couple of hours. nothing lasts more than a day now and it will probably just sell through and the customers are really pleased about it. the aim is to do more to cut the quantity of food that is chucked out. the uk throws away over 7 million tonnes of it every year, and around £30 billion worth is edible. east of england co—op thinks it can save 50,000 items a year. this is what you are likely to see an supermarket food. if it is perishable, there will be a use by label.

here it is the 10th of december, and after which it is not safe to eat. but if it is dried food, tinned, pasta, then it is a best before date, which means that it might not be at its best, but it is safe to eat. the director of the anti—food sainsbury donated this is a really good step at the moment. let's see how the co—op's customers respond, and see what implications this has for a wider roll—out. implications this has for a wider roll-out. so at the moment, the thampi food past its best before date is only available for co—op

customers in the east of england. but if the trial is successful, it could be made available elsewhere. i am joined by dr gillian hopkinson, senior lecturer in marketing in the food sector at lancaster university. is this a good idea? i think it will go down well. retailers are tackling food waste in a number of ways, but this idea is that the best before date is not so very relevant, and is to do with quality rather than safety. it will remove some waste from that particular chain of stores, but it will also educate consumers. and will remove that confusion between the best before label and the use by label. they are very different, aren't they? very. the best before date is just about quality, and is quite an arbitrary date. use by is definitely for consumer safety and needs to be

looked at carefully. would you like to get rid of the whole best before date? i don't think so. it's been talked about, to an extent, but i think it is still one of those things where by having a date on a product gives consumer confidence, gives them trust in the food system, and lets them know that it hasn't been sitting around for ages before it has been sold to them. it has some value to consumers, but limited lease so. how much waste will this avoid if it went nationwide?” lease so. how much waste will this avoid if it went nationwide? i think they are saying, the kubot, that they are saying, the kubot, that they would save about two tonnes, so if we times that, they might be on perhaps 1% market share, so multiply that, it is 2000 tonnes. is it? my maths isn't too good!|j

that, it is 2000 tonnes. is it? my maths isn't too good! i wish i could help you out but mine is probably worse. would it make a difference? it could make a big difference, but you would have to add onto that the idea that if consumers are understanding not just the idea that if consumers are understanding notjust the stuff they have bought there that the stuff they have at home that is after the best before date, that doesn't have to be thrown out either, so it will have a broader impac. thank you very much for that. thank yous. it wasn't perhaps... -- it —— it wasn't perhaps the most romantic of proposal settings, but an australian mp used the australian houses of parliament as a forum to propose to his long—term partner. his partner was in the public gallery when he got something of a

surprise. for most people, a 20—hour debate on legislative amendments probably sounds like a bit of a turn—off. but for australian mp tim wilson, it provided the perfect opportunity for a little romance. this debate has been the soundtrack to our relationship. as his 13—minute speech reached its conclusion, he knew his chance had come. his voice started to falter as he turned to the public gallery. so there's only one thing left to do. ryan patrick bolger, will you marry me? applause chuck that in the memoirs on the hansard. i should let hansard note to record that was a yes, a resounding yes. congratulations. last month, a public vote in favour was celebrated with gusto after 62% of people supported the change. australia may have said i do, but there is still plenty

of detail to be worked out. in parliament, the focus has been on religious freedom and the right of some people to opt out of working at a same—sex wedding, but the prime minister is still confident the bill will pass soon. few issues have divided australian politics in recent years as much as introducing same—sex marriage. today at least the debate managed to bring one couple closer together. hywel griffith, bbc news. more reaction to that talk of a potential deal between the eu and the british government, with the irish border an issue. arlene foster of the dup has said they are vehemently opposed to it. nicola

sturgeon has said that perhaps if it works for ireland, it could happen for scotland. this has huge implications if chorizo may admits that it implications if chorizo may admits thatitis implications if chorizo may admits that it is possible for part of the uk to remain within the single market and customs union after brexit. huge difficulties as theresa may tries to push forward those talks in brussels towards a possible deal in brussels, which could open the way for a possible deal over trade. those in opposition to any deal on an irish border lining up back home. we will keep an eye on those. let's catch up with the weather. look at that. it was a super moon. it was. what is a super moon? it is

where the full moon coincides with the point in the moon's orbit around the point in the moon's orbit around the earth where it is closer to us, so the earth where it is closer to us, so the moon looks bigger and brighter. for some of us, particularly in the east, it was eastern areas that had the best chance of seeing it. it was the first super moon we've had for quite some months, but there will be two more in january. some months, but there will be two more injanuary. a beautiful shot this morning. that's quite an image! it is. we were talking in the office about this. we think this is the moon, but it could be the son. we are not entirely sure. i'm not sure ican are not entirely sure. i'm not sure i can trust you with the weather forecast now! it's going to get colder. that's what i'm going to tell you for sure. whether the moon oi’ tell you for sure. whether the moon or the tell you for sure. whether the moon orthe sun, we tell you for sure. whether the moon or the sun, we saw clear skies in

places this morning. a quiet start to the week, but as simon has already said, some wet and windy weather midweek, and then it does turn much, much colder, and some of us turn much, much colder, and some of us will see some snow. on your satellite picture, you can see clear skies in eastern areas to start the day. further west, more skies in eastern areas to start the day. furtherwest, more cloud skies in eastern areas to start the day. further west, more cloud has been rolling in, producing the odd spot of rain for most of us. temperatures not doing badly, about seasonal temperatures not doing badly, about seasonal average. temperatures not doing badly, about seasonal average. tonight, all remains quiet. if you want to catch a glimpse of the moon tonight, slightly less super, there will be some clear spells. generally cloudy and the odd fog patch. it turns breezy further north. if skies clear for any length of time, you could dip low enough for a touch of frost. tomorrow, another quiet day,

predominantly cloudy. some brightness at times in the east. wind is picking up in western areas, eight to 10 degrees. more dramatic on wednesday. the winds start to pick up and gales in some western areas. a south—westerly wind pumping mild air in. that frontal system is associated with this, a deep area of low pressure, and this is the big driver of our weather as we head through the middle and the end of the week. a spell of wind and rain, and then the floodgates open to some very, very cold air racing down from the arctic on a strong wind. thursday starts fairly mild, especially in the south—east, and then things will brighten up. some wintry showers start to get going as

some colder air pushes in on the wind. most of us will be stuck in single digit by the end of thursday. friday, pretty wintry. some sunshine, but a strong to gale force north—westerly wind. some showers, which may be snow showers for most, particularly in the west and north. on the thermometer, three to 6 degrees, but the strength of the wind makes it feel sub—zero. a quiet start to the week, but something more dramatic on the way. this is bbc news — our latest headlines. downing street sources say they are still cautious as to whether a deal will be done in the first phase of brexit negotiations. with the issue of the irish border being key, the dup's of the irish border being key, the dup‘s arlene foster says her party would not accept northern ireland operating different laws to the rest of the uk. we will not accept any form of regulatory diverges which separates northern ireland, economically or

politically from the rest of the uk. one in five people in the uk now lives in poverty, according to a report by thejoseph rowntree foundation. the charity says the number of children and pensioners living in households with low incomes is increasing. the metropolitan police commissioner, cressida dick, has criticised former police officers who've spoken about allegations that legal pornography was found on a computer belonging to the cabinet minister, damien green, nine years ago. co—op stores in the east of england sell food after ‘best before' dates — in a crackdown on food waste. lets get all of the sport now... catherine, better news from australia if you are and england cricket fan? it was a horrible start this morning but was there a faint glimmer of hope? a shame that the end of play came when it did. the

england bowlers had got themselves ona england bowlers had got themselves on a roll. let's bring you up to date with the action as it played out... day three of the second ashes test started horribly for england but finished rather better. england lost a succession of quick wickets this morning and there were some moments of brilliance from australia — moeen ali was caught and bowled by nathan lyon. and mitchell starc removed jonny bairstow in the same way, reacting incredibly quickly here. england all out and over 200 runs behind the aussies. but they made the best possible start with the ball. james anderson striking early to remove cameron bancroft. the tourists took four wickets in a busy night session, including the valuable one of captain steve smith. australia finishing the day 53 forfour, their lead 268. we have pushed australia back tonight, that is good to see. we can ta ke tonight, that is good to see. we can take some positives from that. obviously we are behind in the game but at the same time it is really good, the fact that we fought back and showed good character to get

ourselves back in the game. i thought we bowled really well tonight, as a unit. and we've put pressure back on australia. chris woa kes understandably optimistic that there is a long way still to get back. still 268 runs behind. studio: and off the pitch, better news for alex hales? yes, he may now be considered for england selection. confirmation that he is no longer a suspect in relation to an incident in bristol in september. hales and ben stokes were supsended after the incident and hales has now been told he is only a witness and will face no criminal charges — he could be available for england's odis and t20s after christmas. in other sports news... england manager gareth southgate has been told his job is safe, even if his side loses every game at next year's world cup in russia. we hope they don't! southgate signed a four—year deal 12 months ago and the fa say he'll be in charge for the "next few tournaments". they say they have a long—term plan

and they're already seeing results, with world cup successes for the under—17 and under—20 sides. england's men fought their way back into their hockey world league final match against australia. australia were 2—1 up going into the final quarter — but phil roper produced the equaliser for england with just a few minutes left on the clock. they're second in their group now — behind germany — with the quarter finals taking place on wednesday and thursday. british gymnastics have confirmed that coach eddie van hoof — who was the technical director for the men's team at the rio olympics — has been suspended following allegations of misconduct. he won british gymnastics' coach of the year award last year — following the achievements of the team, who won a record seven medals at the rio games. an independent investigation is under way. two former champions are playing for a place in the last 16 at snooker‘s uk championship in york. 2011 winnerjudd trump is playing former world champion graeme dott — it's currently 2—2 in their best—of—11 match. these pictures coming live from

york. while two time champion mark williams is up against another welshman, ryan day. 2-1 2—1 against ryan day, williams is leading. you can watch the action live on bbc two and the red button. but why would you want to win afternoon live is on? and crystal palace have confirmed they plan to increase the capacity of selhurst park from 26 thousand to 3a thousand - it'll park from 26 thousand to 3a thousand — it'll cost somewhere between 75 and a hundred million pounds. more details on that story and the sneaker in the next hour. studio: here on afternoon live! thank you. downing street sources say they are still cautious as to whether a deal will be done today on how to avoid a hard border in northern ireland after brexit. reports from elsewhere in europe appear more upbeat — suggesting both sides will announce progress in the next few hours. in the past half hour the dup leader arlene foster told reporters she would not accept what she called "any form of regulatory divergence", which would separate northern ireland from the rest of the uk.

please be aware, this clip contains flash photography. well, we know that there has been quite a lot of speculation this morning, and from the european union exit talks, and in particular the republic of ireland and united kingdom border. we wanted to make a statement regarding our position. we have been very clear that northern ireland must leave the eu on the same terms as the rest of the united kingdom and we will not accept any form of regulatory diverges, which separates northern ireland economically or politically from the rest of the uk. and, the economic and constitutional integrity of the united kingdom must not be compromised in any way. and, her majesty's government understands the position, the prime minister told

the house of commons that there would be no border in the irish sea and the prime minister has been clear that the uk is leaving the eu asa clear that the uk is leaving the eu as a whole, and the territorial and economic integrity of the uk will be protected. we want to see a sensible brexit, where common travel area is our continued and where we meet financial obligations, where we have a strict time—limited implementation period, and where the contribution of eu migrants to our economy is recognised. in a practical manner. the republic of ireland government, for their part, came to be guarantors of the belfast agreement that they are clearly seeking to unilaterally change that belfast agreement without our input or our consent, and of course we will not stand for that. thank you very much for that. staying with this, we were expecting to go over to dublin to hear from

lee over at kerr, who was scheduled to make a life statement on this —— leo varadkar. we understand from laura kuenssberg, our political editor, that theresa may's lunch where she is discussing this with double to scare and john corrjunco, that this is still going on —— i am seeing on reuters news agency that they are copying what i have told you —— with michel barnier. those talks have been delayed. as soon as we know what is happening, we will ta ke we know what is happening, we will take you to dublin for that and we will be rejoining christian fraser in brussels shortly as well. but, moving on... a foreign aid project for civilian police in syria has been suspended by the government, after an investigation by the bbc‘s panorama programme found that some of the money had been diverted to extremists.

britain is one of six countries which have been funding the free syrian police. it was set up to bring law and order to parts of the country controlled by opposition forces. the foreign office says it's looking into the allegations. jane corbin reports. britain is one of six countries that funds the free syrian police, set up to bring security to opposition—held areas. for eight months in 2016, british aid money meant to pay salaries for the police was handed over by them to an extremist group, nour al—din al—zenki. zenki used to get a percentage from the salaries of the free police members. it was just about taking a percentage in return for the services and to create a sort of equilibrium between the police and the fighters. the police we fund also provide support for zenki's barbaric justice system, which stands accused of torture and summary killings. the company which runs the aid project, adam smith international

or asi, told us the government was aware of cash going to zenki and as! has strict guidelines in place to ensure detainees are being treated fairly and humanely. panorama also discovered that in 2014, officers from the british funded police were present at the stoning of two women in northern syria. someone who worked for as! in syria agreed to speak to me about it, although he didn't want to be identified. asi said the stoning was only five weeks after the company took over the project and the men were not formally officers and have since been removed permanently. the free syrian police also cooperate with the so—called justice system of al—nusra, the syrian branch of al-anda. so how did a british aid project ever get involved with extremist courts?

people being sentenced to death for homosexuality. clearly that is completely and utterly unacceptable by any standard. the idea that british taxpayers' money was associated with that would of course be wholly abhorrent. the foreign office has suspended funding while it investigates but says the work in syria is important to protect our national interest and it robustly monitors all aid programmes. jane corbyn, bbc news. and you can watch the full programme — panorama: jihadis you pay for — tonight at 7.30, on bbc one. let's go back to brussels, reports

ofa let's go back to brussels, reports of a deal on irish issues in the brexit negotiation issues, christian fraser is there, clearly theresa may is close to something that back home she faces huge problems? it's a problem for her as much as the irish government. the european commission is aware of that as well. jean—claude juncker was saying that he wanted concrete assurances and personal commitments from the prime minister but he is very conscious that she then has to take this document back and sell it to bank benches as well. they have to have something as well —— backbenchers. we were talking about the reaction of the dup leader, arlene foster. let's go over to our guest now. your reaction to what arlene foster is saying, there cannot be a special status for northern ireland?” saying, there cannot be a special status for northern ireland? i would hope that arlene foster and everyone

reads the detail of this text, it's not only one line that there is more detail in it. it is significant that the parties are coming to a place where we can say sufficient progress is made before christmas, that is what we are aiming for, it seems more likely we are going in that direction. in my view, the dup and arlene foster, they have constituents who want the situation where the island of ireland remains as it is in terms of relationships and the peace process, they agree on all of these things andi they agree on all of these things and i would have thought that now she is in a pivotal position in influencing the uk government that this wording is developed into the next phase of negotiations and delivers for, if you like, the island of ireland but also those she island of ireland but also those she is concerned about. i hope she looks at the detail. she needs to read it, at the detail. she needs to read it, at the detail. she needs to read it, at the moment we are all speculating, we don't know the language but her concern is step—by—step, if you devolve customs regulations to stormont,

step—by—step northern ireland moves slowly away from mainland united kingdom and becomes part of ireland and she cannot sell that to her constituents? let's be clear, people really need to stop this. the only way that can happen is by consent. it is written in the good friday agreement and that agreement existed before brexit was ever a word. it is there and all parties had to agree and ensure it is implemented in full. the concerns around a divergence could be addressed when we moved to transition into the next phase. i've always said the best way to maintain things as they are today on the island of ireland is for the uk to stay in the customs union and single market. i've never said, some may use the language, that northern ireland shirt. if arlene foster and the dup are concerned about a special arrangement for the north of ireland, they should encourage the british government and the uk to stay in the customs union and single market when we get to talk about

trade. we may get some very flowery language today that suits both sides and smooths out tensions on both sides. when people say, at the end of the day, look, if you are pulling out the single market and the customs union, there must be a border somewhere?” customs union, there must be a border somewhere? i don't think it is flowery language, it's a sensitive and political issue, both sides know that any know we have two respect and international peace agreement. this is beyond flowery language. what we do have, i believe, in this document is an acknowledgement by the uk that there will be no hard border and then some language about how that is avoided and, further steps if there is a situation where there might be a diverges further down the line. because, if it were the case that we talk about a special relationship just for northern ireland, we know that there would be a political response. let's stop the talk about flowery language and appease. this

is protecting and building peace and prosperity on the island of ireland against the background of brooks and conscious that there are different communities of northern ireland who ta ke communities of northern ireland who take a different view dac —— background brexit. we could get a good arrangement for the uk and the eu and ireland included. we have had 17 years of good relations with ireland and the uk since the good friday agreement, are you concerned by some of the language you've heard from the uk? iain duncan smith saying the only reason the irish are behaving this way is because there isa behaving this way is because there is a presidential election around the corner. it's a ceremonial role but then they say, it is sinn fein and fine gael, you are from opposite sides, there seems to be an ignorance of the history and politics in ireland? in heated moments i think the best thing to do is to stay calm. don't react to the language, i hear the

is to stay calm. don't react to the language, i hearthe language... is to stay calm. don't react to the language, i hear the language... are you surprised? no, it does not surprise me. these are sensitive moment and there is a lot of risk, there is a lot of adrenaline in the uk following the decision to leave the uk but what is much more important is over time there's a realisation of what means and in particular around the island of ireland issues which means six months ago, people did not appreciate it. we could live without that language, it does not have relationships, but we have gone through worse. if we have to hear things we would rather not hear, soviet, i can deal with it politically but as long as i can go to my constituents and say we did good work because we avoided in the document any talks of a hard border, we are going to build the relationships on the good friday agreement and we are going to make sure that there is no divergence. if we can deliver on that, then we can ta ke we can deliver on that, then we can take all of the insults that come. and if we get a document today and the language is acceptable to the

irish government, presumably it would therefore be acceptable to the eu parliament where you are and to the other 27 when they come to brussels on the 14th of december?“ it is acceptable to the irish government and looking likely, then it is acceptable to the eu. that was the message to the president of the european council, donald tusk. me and my colleagues have a meeting about the resolution next week and we will be giving our view as to sufficient progress. if what we hear is accurate, then we will have three issues, and not just is accurate, then we will have three issues, and notjust one and i hope the resolution next week will firmly endorse what the council commission andi endorse what the council commission and i hope we can move forward but it will be hotly debated and dissected, even the divorce settle m e nt dissected, even the divorce settlement on individual‘s rights. we are in a better place than yesterday which is good news. i think we can be in a very good place next week if our european parliament can endorse this agreement and the

irish government can come out and say this. i would ask all sides to reflect carefully before they respond in detail, as we are in unprecedented circumstances. we've had a relationship between the uk andi had a relationship between the uk and i which is excellent and will remain so as we are determined to make that happen but we had the concerns about brexit and the island of ireland and the possible return of ireland and the possible return ofa of ireland and the possible return of a hard border. of ireland and the possible return ofa hard border. i'm of ireland and the possible return of a hard border. i'm convinced the language in this document will avoid that, it is crucial that it is written down and a commitment is made. then, there is language as to how it will be avoided and that is where the discussion will be. on the second stage of negotiations, when we get to that, you will be one of britain's closest allies. absolutely, we have always been good allies in negotiations and in terms of trade, we need a good relationship with the uk and the uk once a very good trading

relationship with the eu. we can agree that there is a lot of work to be done, as there was in the first phase, to get to a trade agreement. this is, perhaps, the easy part. i think the other would be more lengthy as we need to talk what an implementation period would mean. and as we look to a trading relationship, how can we negotiate a good trading agreement with the uk? ina good trading agreement with the uk? in a short space of time. that might be difficult, not to mention wto issues, nobody is talking about those. that can be incredibly complex. there is a lot of work done at this stage, even though it is freezing cold here, i am warm about how these discussions are going, better than i was earlier and i hope it will continue. what is important is all negotiations are tough, people say things and stances are taken but people say things and stances are ta ken but if people say things and stances are taken but if we can get to christmas and say to citizens look, we have agreed the first phase here, that's an excellent christmas present to deliver for the people on the island of ireland, europe and the uk because a lot of people from the uk contact me and say look, we are

moderates in this, we want a good relationship with europe, help us get there. let's hope there is christmas spirit and cheer in spite of the cold! no bah humbug! thank you very much for persevering with the cold! we are waiting to hear from the irish taoiseach, leo varadkar, and see what is in that document. when we get it, we will bring it to you, simon. studio: thank you. to continue the reaction to this, the dup have spoken to mark devenport, our political editor, and sources suggested to him that the uk government will not agree to either no regulatory divergences the aftermath of brexit or indicating continued regulatory alignment, it may sound as though there is little difference between the two sentences but there is a huge difference. what mark says, if this is the case, it places a huge? oh further progress that those in ireland believe has

been achieved in brexit talks today. optimism a fewer hours ago would, on the surface, looks like it is unravelling slightly. nicola sturgeon, sadiq khan and the dup all expressing serious concerns over proposals, we do not know yet whether they have been signed off but we are relaxed walker cup waiting —— but we are waiting for the results of that lunch. jean—claude juncker has not the results of that lunch. jean—claudejuncker has not yet made a statement but when he does, we will bring that to you. in a moment, all of the business news but first, the headlines here this afternoon... a huge day in the history of brexit inching towards an agreement which will pave the way to phase two. nearly three quarters of a million pensioners and children in the uk have fallen into relative poverty over the past four years, says a charity. allegations about the prime minister's deputy damian charity. allegations about the prime minister‘s deputy damian green— charity. allegations about the prime minister's deputy damian green— the head of the metropolitan police criticises two former officers for

making the claims public. thank you. here's your business headlines on afternoon live... the london mayor sadiq khan says that he wants a special brexit deal if northern ireland gets one. tweeting earlier committee said that there are huge ramifications for london if theresa may has conceded that it's possible for part of the uk to remain within the single market and customs union after brexit. london is overwhelmingly voted to remain in the eu and a similar deal he would protect tens of thousands of jobs. similar deal he would protect tens of thousands ofjobs. —— and a similar deal here would protect. toys ‘r' us will close at least 26 stores in the uk, starting in spring next year. the move puts 800 jobs at risk. it says stores will remain open and trade as usual during the christmas and new year period but wants to focus on smaller " i ntera ctive stores" and online shopping. the co—op is to become the first major retailer to sell food beyond its best before date. 100 and 25 shops in east anglia will sell dried and tinned products at a flat rate,

to reduce food waste. facebook is opening its new british headquarters and it says it will eventually hire 800 more people to work there, which will bring the number of facebook staff in the uk to 2,300. the office will be facebook‘s biggest engineering hub outside the us, and opens during its tenth year in the uk. did you have a part—timejob did you have a part—time job when you left school? i had every part—time job you left school? i had every part—timejob under the you left school? i had every part—time job under the sun! you left school? i had every part—timejob under the sun! in supermarkets, cafes... fewer children are doing it these days, it seems? we have doing some research... i should say young people! children is the wrong word... welcome the young people, the research we've done in the business unit has borne out that the number of schoolchildren, generally, those doing part—timejobs, their

number has fallen by a fifth over the last five years and it looks like if you are over 16 it is fairly easy to get a job but under 16, it becomes more difficult for the employer as they had to apply for a special licence from the council and under a free minute in —— freedom of information request from the business unit, the number of councils who can license underage workers, the number given out has decreased between 20% between 2012-16. decreased between 20% between 2012—16. less under 16 is working by the look of it but we have found one who has been lucky enough to find a saturday job. it's quite hard to get a job at this age. some people don't want to because they would rather have a saturday to themselves. sometimes it can be hard but i have my weekdays after school free, as well as my sundays but if i ever felt that not having a job would —— that having a job would inhibit my schoolwork, i would stop. i wouldn't call him a child,

agriculture! is the biggest —— and ona agriculture! is the biggest —— and on a totally different topic, you have news of the huge corporate ta keover have news of the huge corporate takeover in the health sector? potentially the biggest of the year looking increasingly likely to happen in the us pharmaceuticals industry. the retail chain cvs health says its buying the country's third biggest health insurer aetna ina deal third biggest health insurer aetna in a deal valued at $77bn. if it goes ahead, there is the potential for them to reshape the american health care industry? remember, in the us, there is stilla health care industry? remember, in the us, there is still a private health care system so individuals had to pay more of their health care. aetna is the third largest health care provider in the us. cvs isa health care provider in the us. cvs is a really big drugstore in the united states, and so combining the two, what they want to do is be able to create a one—stop shop for everyone when it comes to health ca re everyone when it comes to health care in the united states. so, that means walking in, you can get your

drugs, see the doctor, absolutely everything can be done in one fell sweep. thanks very much, samira hussain. and a look at the markets? traders are holding their breath as we look at these talks between theresa may and the eu. but it has risen up from a two month low on wednesday. thank you. more from alice later, a look at the weather now. good afternoon, the week has got off to a pretty quiet start. it is sunny for some, cloudy for others, and as we head on through tonight's very little will change. large areas of cloud reducing the odd spot of rain in the west, developing across northern scotland where it will turn increasingly windy and for most of us, temperatures holding several degrees above freezing. any holes in the cloud could allow things to turn chilly and some fog patches. that

should clear tomorrow, then a quieter day. some brightness across the south, east wales, eastern scotland, and persistent rain in the north of scotland. temperatures are not bad at all for this time of year. on wednesday, the winds pick up, significantly. gales developed in parts of the west, rain in western areas too and a mild day wherever you are. heavy rain on wednesday and into thursday, that will clear and at the end of the week it looks dramatically colder with some wintry showers... hello, you're watching afternoon live. i'm simon mccoy.

today at 3pm: a huge day in the history of brexit — inching towards an agreement which will pave the way for phase two and those trade talks. the key to agreement — the status of the irish border — the dup demand there's no different treatment for northern ireland to secure a deal. northern ireland must leave the european union on the same terms as the rest of the united kingdom. a worrying rise — the 700,000 more children and pensioners in the uk who are living in poverty. coming up on afternoon live, all the sport, katherine. a horrible start to the day with the bat for england's cricketers. a brighterfinish with bat for england's cricketers. a brighter finish with the ball and the faintest glimmer of hope in this second test. i will have the details in halfan second test. i will have the details in half an hour. ben rich has all the weather. whatever side you're on in the brexit negotiations, there's agreement on at least one thing — today marks a crunch moment in britain's departure from the eu. there's agreement, too,

on the one issue that's holding back a possible breakthrough — which would pave the way for crucial trade talks to get under way before christmas. e . . e77 issue is the g issue is the northern e7 issue is the northern ireland border? yes, it is the thorniest of issues at the moment and downing street saying i is form of language l; suits all some form of language that suits all sides today, but still work to be done. the prime minister has been withjean—claude done. the prime minister has been with jean—claude juncker over the last hour. the lunch might be overrunning a little. she is expected to go into a meeting with the european council president, donald tusk and they have been talking about what sort of language will be suitable, not only to the uk government, but also the uk's partners, the dup. arlene foster said the prime minister had assured her that the uk would leave the european union as a whole and that the ter toral and economic integrity of the united kingdom would be protected. so she has been talking

about a leak of the draft or language in the draft that has been lea ked language in the draft that has been leaked and some of it is not to her