this is bbc news. i'm julian worricker. the headlines at 9pm. a big step on the road brexit, as agreement is reached on the uk's transition period, but a warning there's still work to be done. businesses need not delay investment decisions or rush through contingency plans based on guesses about the future deal, instead they now have certainty about the terms that will apply immediately after our withdrawal. translation: a decisive step remains a step. we're not at the end of the road, there is a lot of work still to be done. also tonight... the met police say the investigation in to the poisoning of a former russian double agent in salisbury could take months. close to the town forensic teams examine another car in a bid to find where the nerve agent was administered. itv presenter ant mcpartlin is to step down from his tv commitments after being arrested on suspicion of drink—driving. uber suspends its self driving car

programme after a woman is hit and killed by one of their cars in the us. rises in share prices for bookmakers as a report recommends lowering the maximum stake for betting terminals, but at a higher amount than campaigners had hoped for. the uk and the eu have conditionally agreed to a transition deal that should smooth the way towards brexit. both the eu negotiator michel barnier and the brexit secretary david davis have called the agreement — for the period from march next year to december 2020 — ‘a decisive step‘. these are the pages of the transition and

overall withdrawal deal — highlighted in green is what's been agreed , in yellow close to agreement , in white the parts still being negotiated. agreed so far: eu citizens arriving in the uk before december 2020 will have the same rights as those here now, as will uk citizens living in the eu. the uk will be able to negotiate trade deals during the transition period. but not yet agreed is the issue of the border with northern ireland. our europe editor katya adler has more. in the quest to resolve relations after brexit, today was a big moment between the eu and uk. an historic handshake to seal a deal. not the final brexit deal, but the long—awaited agreement on transition to ease the uk from leaving the eu to life on the outside. the eu and uk's chief brexit negotiators were visibly relieved. they had been under pressure from business on both sides of the channel. businesses need not delay

investment decisions or rush through contingency plans based on guesses about the future deal. instead, they now have certainty about the terms that will apply after our withdrawal. certainty, not quite. an oft—repeated phrase in these brexit negotiaations is... nothing is agreed until everything is agreed. the transition deal is part and parcel of the uk's complex overall withdrawal agreement from the eu, as these slides show. areas highlighted in green indicate where hard—fought agreement has been reached but omissions are glaring. like ireland. there is still no agreed solution on how to avoid a hard border between northern ireland and the irish republic after brexit. the uk hopes an ambitious trade deal can solve the problem, butjust in case, ireland and the rest of the eu insist on a backstop agreement where northern ireland stays in the customs union and parts of the single market. what ireland has asked for is we would have an insurance if mechanisms so i and others can say to people in northern ireland and ireland, we will not have any border infrastructure

on this island again. if if if what was agreed today under the transition deal? it will be time limited. the uk will continue to pay into the eu budget, maintaining full access to the single market and customs union. it will have to follow all eu rules, but will no longer be a decision maker, though it may voice concerns. the uk can sign new trade deals, but cannot implement them until after the transition period. but brexit decision—makers were upbeat today. good news today? as you see, spring has sprung

with a thaw spreading to these often frosty negotiations. progress on transition today was hailed as a big step forward, but it is not all good news for the government. it is clear now there will not be a final trade deal between the eu and uk at the end of these brexit talks. the transition will be used to hammer out more details and to get this far, the uk has had to make some pretty big concessions. like fishing. far from taking back control after brexit as promised by the government, eu quotas will continue during the transition period, allowing eu countries to fish in uk waters. the transition period isn't totally in the bag yet. it is expected to be waved through by eu leaders at a summit at the end of the week. katya adler, bbc news, brussels. our europe correspondent damien grammaticas says

the transition deal comes as businesses prepare for the uk to leave the eu. both sides hailed this as a significant moment today, and it is significant because businesses, particularly in the uk, but on both sides, have been saying that they needed to know a year before the uk quit the eu what is going to happen after it leaves, and that year countdown starts in just nine days' time. so the uk was i think looking for this agreement, what it has got is a broad principled outline agreement saying there will be a transition, two years, when the uk will be outside the eu but can continue to benefit from the customs union, the single market, the free flow of goods and people back and forward, but it has had to agree to most of the eu's conditions to get that. so it will be outside, it will fall all of the eu's into the eu's budget, allow eu citizens to move into the uk, the uk, the uk will not have full control overfishing rights, the eu will continue to decide those. so in many areas the uk has had to come from ice. on the one key issue that is outstanding, so in many areas the uk has had to come from us. on the one key issue

that is outstanding, the really big issue at the heart of this, the issue of how to avoid a border between north and southern ireland, the eu has insisted and the uk has agreed today that in the withdrawal agreement will be the eu's third option that northern ireland, part of the uk, remains still under the eu's rules, regulations, custom zone as well, the customs union, if a better solution can't be found. the uk still does not view that as the preferred option, that still has to be sorted out in the negotiations the conditional but at the heart of the agreement, the whole agreement conditional upon getting the sorted before the end of the year, before brexit happens and this agreement has to be in place. fishing opportunities will continue

to be negotiated by the european union during a two—year period under the plans outlined in today's draft agreement and that has been heavily criticised the scottish fishermen‘s federation saying it falls far short ofan federation saying it falls far short of an acceptable deal. chris mason has been gauging reaction at westminster. absolutely, as you probably know it is the biggest constituency for fishing, about 45% of white fish in the uk is landed in my constituency across two ports. fishermen across—the—board are across two ports. fishermen across—the—boa rd are quite disappointed with what has come out today. i think we always knew there would be some leeway in the implementation period, but we were looking at a nine—month period between the march brexit date and the end of the calendar dear —— calendar year in december and that has been extended by another 12

months which has been an acceptable. i suppose in a brexit campaign the whole idea of taking back control, something essential to that, iconic, is the idea of fishing and fishing rights being if you like reimported back to the uk. i guess for that reason emotionally as well as in your constituency, economically, it is why this assembled in. your constituency, economically, it is why this assembled inli your constituency, economically, it is why this assembled in. i don't think i have spoken to a single mp in any party who does not understand that what ever you believe about brexit that fishing is the one area where we were supposed to benefit, and we need to benefit now, we need to benefit as soon as the. there is no new process to be commended, nothing that actually requires an implementation period because the processes for negotiating already exist, the only difference would be asked to control, taking our seat at the table. bluntly, then, has your government sold your constituency down the river? i am hearing that

from my constituents and the fishing organisations themselves. myjob is to make sure that ultimately does not happen. and we'll find out how this story — and many others — are covered in tomorrow's front pages at 10:40 this evening in the papers — our guests joining me tonight are polly mackenzie, director of demos and kevin schofield, editor of politics home. international chemical weapons experts have arrived in salisbury to examine the nerve agent used to poison the former russian spy, sergei skripal, and his daughter. it comes as eu foreign ministers — meeting in brussels — have expressed "unqualified solidarity" with britain, a move strongly criticised by the russian foreign ministry this evening. here, the met police has said it is highly likely the investigation could take many months. here's our diplomatic correspondent james landale. the focus of the investigation shifted ten miles north of salisbury, to the village of durrington. here, officers examined and then removed a car that was used to pick up yulia skripal from the airport the day before she and her father, sergei, were attacked

with nerve agent. nearby, at the military research complex of porton down, inspectors from the global chemical weapons watchdog the opcw were due to start analysing the nerve agent that british experts believe came from russia, a process that officials say could take some weeks. in brussels, the foreign secretary was talking to nato and european allies, trying to maintain the diplomatic pressure on russia — looking notjust for statements of support, but tangible, joined—up action. there are things we can and must do together, tackling disinformation from russia, and the uk has been helping to fund that at an eu level. tackling cyber together. sharing intelligence about what russia is up to. and for now, at least, allies standing shoulder to shoulder. all 29 nato allies stand united. we stand in solidarity with the united kingdom.

and the uk is not alone. earlier, eu foreign ministers gathered to discuss the attack and issued a joint statement expressing unqualified solidarity with the uk, saying they took its assessment that russia was to blame extremely seriously. what is absolutely clear is that solidarity with the united kingdom and our extreme concern about what has happened, that is really unacceptable. but in moscow, the defiance continued. as president putin began his fourth term of office, his spokesman said the uk must prove russia's role in the poisoning of mr skripal or apologise. as for russia's diplomats in london, well, some of these officials and their families will be heading home tomorrow — 23 in all, with a similar number of british diplomats leaving moscow shortly. tomorrow, the national security council will meet to decide britain's next steps and there is a live debate within government — should they retaliate and escalate, or simply do nothing? should they kick more russian diplomats out of the embassy here or should they find new ways of penalising russia ? the question is, what further diplomatic price is the government prepared to pay? james langdale, bbc news. you, the information commissioner ‘s

office has confirmed it will be seeking a warrant tomorrow to search the london offices of the data firm cambridge analytica. it comes amid reports that the company inappropriately obtained user data and facebook suspended its work with the organisation. both companies deny any wrongdoing. our technology correspondent zoe kleinman is here. bring us up to date on this latest development. this story has been running all day. what we have now heard is that cambridge analytica is under huge scrutiny about its practices in the past. there has been an explosive report we have seen been an explosive report we have seen to that, suggesting that it was prepared to discredit politicians online commuting of a birthing from fa ke online commuting of a birthing from fake news to making somebody look like they were in a compromising position. it is important to say the firm completely denies all of these accusations, says it has been misrepresented and it is a campaign

by the media against it. but the fa ct by the media against it. but the fact is that it got hold of an awful lot of data in a non—transparent way, and then used that date it is claimed to try and influence the presidential election in 2016. and facebook have been drawn into this toa facebook have been drawn into this to a degree. right, somebody developed an app you could use on facebook, like a game, wade could find out what kind of personality you had an lots of people took part in this, great fun. what they didn't realise was that everything person that signed up for it was giving all of their data and all of their friends dated to the creator of the app. the creator of this app sold that data, it is claimed, onto cambridge analytica. the fact is it wasn't transparent, you thought you we re wasn't transparent, you thought you were taking a cruise commuted neuer data and that of your friends was being sold on to a marketing firm and then used allegedly to support donald trump on his election campaign. now i have donald trump on his election campaign. nowl have this information commissioner ‘s development, and that warrant will be used. yes, facebook has also said

it has hired an independent audit tea m it has hired an independent audit team to conduct an audit on its behalf to find out exactly what cambridge analytica has because it is not clear whether or not this data was ever deleted properly. think very much indeed. time for the sport now, with a full round—up from the bbc‘s sports sunday, james pearce. great britain's winter paralympians pearce. great britain's winter pa ralympians have arrived pearce. great britain's winter paralympians have arrived have after hitting their medals target of seven, leading the way gold medallist menna fitzpatrick and her guide, jennifer kehoe. 0ur sports correspondent andy swiss was at heathrow to greet them. cheering they left as hopefuls, they have returned as history makers. jen kehoe, menna fitzpatrick plus extra language. for medals, including the best they saved till last. fitzpatrick, who has less than 5% vision, following her guide to gold in the slalom, now britain's most

decorated winter pa ralympians, in the slalom, now britain's most decorated winter paralympians, they told me it is barely sinking in. decorated winter paralympians, they told me it is barely sinking inm means everything to me. i have a lwa ys means everything to me. i have always had a dream since i was little to come away with a medal at the paralympic games and 2018 was a lwa ys the paralympic games and 2018 was always that goal from ever since i first started. so i am immensely proud to have done it. hopefully we will inspire others to go out there and do the same and get out and try something and you never know where it will lead. this is a simulation of what fitzpatrick sees when she is skiing. following her guide's bright orange beard at up to 70 mph. her pa rents orange beard at up to 70 mph. her parents who first took her skiing when she was five, how things have changed. she used to follow me down the slope wearing a bright orange coat. she described it as following an orange blob down the slope. she used to shout at me to wait for her and now i am having to shout at her to wait on me. we are as proud as punch, aren't we, dave, we haven't

stopped smiling all week. and the pairare stopped smiling all week. and the pair are already targeting the next games but for now they say they will celebrate with a cup of tea. and congratulations to both of them. rugby union and the bath and england back anthony watson will miss the rest of the season with anna cal injury. he was withdrawn after 3a minutes of england full—back six nations defeat to ireland on saturday. he is expected to be out for around six months which will rule him out of the tour to south africa in june. rule him out of the tour to south africa injune. wales had named justin tipuric in their seven squad for the upcoming commonwealth games. the back row played in all five of wales's six nations matches, scoring against italy. he isjoining the squad for the files —— for wales scrum—half rhys webb is coast. wales scrum—half rhys webb is out for the rest of the season. the 29—year—old may well have played his last match for club and country as he leaves ospreys to join toulon in the summer. world rugby are

investigating belgium's world cup qualifying win over spain in brussels. the match referee was romanian and spain's defeat meant that romania took the automatic qualifying spot with spain now having to face the play—offs to reach next year's tournament in japan. the spanish players were furious with the referee. a number of decisions he made. they confronted him in the end and our world rug by confronted him in the end and our world rugby say they are in contact with rugby europe to understand the context of events. the former premier league winner and current bbc pundit chris sutton has said he does not expect luke shaw to be at manchester united next season. the defender was criticised by manager jose mourinho for his performance during the weekend's fa cup win over brighton. i think it is part and parcel of professional sport. i think players take personal responsible at the as well but there does seem to be something in this mourinho luke shaw thing where we are not party to what goes on in there, but it does seem that mourinho has an agenda against luke

shaw. but if you have an agenda, don't play him, you could have played ashley young, he brought them on at half—time, a trophy which united you feel have the wind, play your strong esteem. that is all of the sport. we will be back with you in sportsday at half past ten. james, thank you very much indeed. the government has been told it needs to limit the amount of money that can be spent on fixed odds betting machines. they have been described as the crack cocaine of gambling with people being able to put up £200 a time. the gambling commission is advising the maximum sta ke commission is advising the maximum stake should be £30. campaigners and opposition mps have called for the limit to be no more than £2. danny savage has more. it has been suggested the maximum

that should be £30 or as low as £2 was took terry wyatt lost a quarter ofa was took terry wyatt lost a quarter of a million on them. he was addicted to playing the games on a digital screen. £5 became tender game 20. next thing i didn't realise how much i was putting in, and strangely because you are putting the money and quickly, it is not like you are dealing in cash face—to—face over the table, or in a private card game or somewhere, it is just private card game or somewhere, it isjust a private card game or somewhere, it is just a number on a screen and that also makes it easier for you to lose control. these three bookmakers in sheffield all have the machines, and around them are signs warning people not to gamble more than they can afford. now nobody coming out of these shops today wanted to talk to us on camera, these shops today wanted to talk to us on camera, but they all believe that limiting the amount of money you could bet would not necessarily solve the issues of so—called problem gambling. justin clarke lectures on gambling awareness. today he was talking to academics at

the university of hertfordshire. he isa the university of hertfordshire. he is a former gambling addict and is concerned that betting shop punters willjust go elsewhere. it might drive people to go online betting which potentially is more dangerous and hidden. so i also think that a reduction from £100 down to £30 will make a difference. a maximum bet of £30 is being suggested for non—slot machines like these ones you can play roulette on, but where has that figure come from? the evidence we looked at showed you need to come down to lose £30 to have significant impact upon the harms and risk of harm is people face. what was clear though was that there was no individual figure though was that there was no individualfigure that though was that there was no individual figure that acted as a magic bullet, which is why we are suggesting £30 or less. bookmakers say the machines account for half the revenue taken in their shops, and they say if maximum bets are limited, the odds of finding one of these on the high street will be slashed. the taxi hailing service uber has announced it is suspending tests of its driverless cars

after an accident. a woman was hit by a car and killed as she crossed a street in the town of tempe in arizona. it is the first known fatality from a self—driving vehicle. right, so the tempe police department say the instant happened 10pm sunday evening, local time as you mentioned is thought to be the first totality associated with autonomous travelling software. there were some incidents associated with tesla, using semi—autonomous software but what uber users is completely different. the ceo has said he is sending his thoughts and prayers to the victims, and that the company is investigating what led to the incident. us regulators are sending investigators from the safety board to try to figure out what led to the car crash. we are still trying to wait for some developer and is about what possibly could have led to this. the itv presenter, ant mcpartlin, is

stepping down from his television commitments following his arrest for suspected drink—driving in south—west london. his publicist said he'd decided to seek further treatment for addiction problems. this weekend's episode of ant and dec‘s saturday night takeaway won't be shown and itv said it was reviewing options for the rest of the series. if lizo mzimba has more. moments after the mini he was driving was involved in a collision with two other cars, ant mcpartlin at the scene of the crash. when police arrived, he was taken away under arrest, after failing a breath test. a number of people were treated for minor injuries and a child passenger in one car taken to hospitalfor a precautionary checkup. the evening before, ant mcpartlin had presented itv‘s saturday night takeaway. he returned to tv last year, after going into rehab to treat an addiction to alcohol and painkillers.

this afternoon, the broadcaster said... from britain's got talent through to i'm a celebrity, so much of itv‘s output is built on ant mcpartlin, as well as his co—host, declan donnelly. they will be trying to work out what all this will mean for the long—term future of one of its biggest stars. itv said they hoped the presenter would get the help he needs. police say inquiries into the collision are continuing. if president trump has said he wants to bring in tougher penalties for drug traffickers , including the death penalty , to tackle what he called the scourge of drug addiction in america. speaking in new hampshire,

he said opioid dealers killed thousands of people but spentjust a short time injail. we can have all the blue riband committees we want, but if we don't get tough on the drug dealers, we are wasting our time. just remember that. we are wasting our time. and that toughness includes the death penalty. time for a look at the weather with matt taylor. won it is a equus tomorrow, the start of spring astronomically speaking and after a long weekend of heavy snowfall there were signs of spring out there. this is the scene in york, the crocuses appearing from underneath that covering of snow thanif underneath that covering of snow than if we stick with a forecast trend for york, temperatures on the rise for the rest of this week as winds come from an easterly direction to more westerly one. more clout across england and wales overnight, temperatures will be up

and down a bit, clearer skies in scotla nd and down a bit, clearer skies in scotland and northern ireland and it is here where temperatures will drop further. glasgow down to —6 some parts of northern ireland —7 minus eight. close to a frost with occasional cloud breaks across england and wales but there are signs of a change in wind direction because high pressure that has been to the north of us is drifting south and that will allow winds of the atlantic. not for england and wales to begin with, still that cold and fairly brisk wind coming from the north—east but temperatures up on what we have seen, varying amounts of cloud. just taken off for the odd spot of light rain and sleet but most will stay dry. cloud increases into the north—west later but temperatures way up from what we have seen recently, back to where they should be at around nine or 10 degrees in one or two spots. 0ver the coming days as high pressure continues to drift down to the south—west, the atlantic air, milder air, will gradually flooding. that process starts in earnest on

wednesday, a brighter day across england and wales with some sunny spells here, westerly winds and northern ireland, scotland, more clout on wednesday, occasional rain or drizzle in the west, what shall further north but temperatures climbing, part of aberdeenshire maybe 12 degrees. if you spot across england and wales getting closer to double figures and that process continues wednesday into thursday as the high pressure pushes away even further southwards. at the same time atla ntic further southwards. at the same time atlantic weather fronts will be gathering towards the west. so cloud thickening up here, eventually seeing some rain into western ireland, the far west of scotland, most will have a dry day on thursday, increasing amounts of cloud, the best of the cloud breaks will be across eastern counties and we could hit 13 degrees across parts of aberdeenshire, 12 or 13 possible across parts of the south—east. spring will be with us. welcome to our viewers on public television here in the us,