today at 5, in a crucial week for the brexit talks, the prime minister spells out the remaining obstacles to a final deal. two days ahead of a crucial eu summit, theresa may says that disagreement over the future of the irish border, should not be allowed to lead to a no—deal brexit. we cannot let this disagreement derail the prospect of a good deal and leave us with a no deal outcome that nobody wants. as ministers continue their visits to european capitals, to canvass support for a deal, labour accuses the government of presiding over a mess. almost two and a half years after the referendum, 18 months since the triggering of article 50 and less than six months to go, what have we got to show for it? we'll have the latest on the prime minister's statement, and we'll be asking if agreement is more or less likely. the other main stories on bbc news at 5. the energy company cuadrilla starts fracking for natural gas in lancashire, protestors say

the process is still too dangerous. following the disappearance of a saudi journalist in turkey, the diplomatic pressure increases on the saudi leaders, to explain what's happened to him. the new scanning technique which experts say could transform the success of brain surgery. and, meghan and harry will become parents in the spring, the royal couple announce they're expecting their first child. it's 5 o'clock. two days ahead of a crucial eu summit, the prime minister has insisted that disagreement over the future of the irish border, should not be allowed to lead to a no—deal brexit. theresa may told mps a short while ago that a deal with the eu was achievable, that real progress had been made,

but that the eu's insistence on a fallback position, or backstop, where northern ireland would remain in the customs union and single market, remained a sticking point. talks faltered at the weekend, with the eu insisting on a second backstop arrangement, if the uk's version wasn't ready in time. our correspondent ben ando has the latest. with permission, i would like to update the house ahead of this week's european council. that in itself, was a little out of ordinary. normally we get a statement after the talks. there has been a great deal of inaccurate speculation. i want to set out the fa ct speculation. i want to set out the fact as they stand. the fact is that negotiations with the eu are on a knife edge, the main sticking point remains the land border in ireland.

and the so—called backstop to protect the good friday peace deal in the event of a no—deal brexit. first, the eu says that there is not time. even with the progress that we have made, the eu still requires a backstop have made, the eu still requires a ba cksto p to have made, the eu still requires a backstop to the backstop, as an insurance policy. they want this to be the northern ireland only solution that they had previously proposed. we have been clear that we cannot agree to anything that threatens the integrity of our united kingdom. prime minister said she was confident that a deal was within reach. i continue to believe that a negotiated deal is the best outcome for the uk and for the european union. i continue to believe that such a deal is achievable. in response, jeremy corbyn said that the public was losing confidence in the conservatives ability to deliver.

the choice for this parliament should never be her deal or no deal. if this government cannot get a good deal for this country, it has to make way for those who can't. iain duncan smith, who is pro—leave, asked how long the emergency backstop in ireland might be needed? how long does she think that this temporary arrangement would last and he would make the final decision as to when it ends? we set out in proposals that we would expect that to end by december 2021. i also say to end by december 2021. i also say to my right rubble friend, he asks me what i want to see what i think, i don't want to see the backstop having to be used at all. the democratic unionists who are up theresa may minority government made clear that they would not exceptional nyland being treated differently to the rest of the uk. which he confirmed that single market and customs union, the uk

leaving the eu together, with no pa rt leaving the eu together, with no part separate on the single market or customs union? yellow mac we will be leaving together. i am very clear that that should be no hard border. some mps say that if parliament is in disarray, another referendum is needed. if parliament can't get a grip on this, it is time to face up to the fact that brexit cannot be delivered, take it back to the people and have a people's vote. this talk of a people's vote, the people were given a vote. the people's vote happened in 2016 and they voted to leave. they did. but with just over five months remaining, the clock is starting to ta ke remaining, the clock is starting to take more and more likely. some intriguing question is branson ——

some intriguing questions and a nswe i’s. in a moment we'll get the latest from our correspndent adam fleming in brussels, but first to our chief political correspondent vicki young at westminster. what did you pick up to date that might follow us something about the kind of progress or lack of it being made this week? i thought it was interesting that her tone was conciliatory saying that you thought the eu and the uk were not as far apart as they have been. she said we are not far apart. a very different tone to the one after that summit in austria. i think the most striking thing is that there was barely an mp who got up to support their position and the direction she is going in. she looked very isolated. the problem is it is not one group of people who with her. we have a view of the u0 sceptics in her own party very concerned about the idea of being ina very concerned about the idea of

being in a customs arrangement. they wa nted being in a customs arrangement. they wanted to know if there will be a definite end to that. it date of some kind. she could not get that guarantee. shejust some kind. she could not get that guarantee. she just talked about her expectation that it would end by december 2021. that will not be good enough for some of them. then of course you have the dup who are propping up their government. he showcases head when he heard the a nswer showcases head when he heard the answer “— showcases head when he heard the answer —— he shook his head when he heard her answer. then, on the other side of that you have people like justine greening saying that we need to have a second referendum. she is looking pretty isolated, many people wondering how on earth she can get some kind of deal through parliament, if it ever happens. i think there is a big problem here. if you are sitting in brussels watching this, and you are thinking, hang ona watching this, and you are thinking, hang on a minute, can't even deliver this if we get to the point of a deal, if you are trying to look for

a positive for theresa may and having threats of cabinet ministers resigning is never a good thing, but she may be able to go back to the eu and say i have given as much as i can't, you will have two move otherwise we are heading towards a no deal scenario. maybe, just maybe, that will focus people's minds. no deal scenario. maybe, just maybe, that will focus people's mindslj would that will focus people's minds.” would like to go to adam now. what are they thinking in brussels when they see these exchanges and what are they thinking about the position that the prime ministers and what you consider summit on wednesday? despite the drama that we have been covering. here in brussels people are quite calm. this is not being described as a breakdown. the word i have heard is a pause. a pause to give the prime minister space to get herself together. having to watch the report about what was going on

in parliament today, i do wonder whether they are underestimating just how tricky the british domestic political situation is. some of the points in theresa may's statement, ipod to an official of the record, some of the key bits that this official was saying, the legal basis, article 50 four the brexit talks, they said would not allow the eu to agree a permanent uk wide customs arrangement. but, it would legally allowed the uk to negotiate a temporary customs union. they pointed out there were practical problems with that. for example, how do deal with the eu's trade deals with other countries and how do they interact with the uk during that temporary period. then they talked about the process that could cut the uk out of the backstop. 0ur

about the process that could cut the uk out of the backstop. our friendly official said, what is the point of coming up the if you haven't agreed what will, after it. in other words, if nothing else works, northern ireland might still have two stay in the customs union. 0ur official was pretty optimistic and said theresa may sounded upbeat in the commons and that gave them hope. in an ideal world, the talks will start again on thursday. what will they achieve, do you think? this is where the news is not quite as exciting as you might expect. the decision the eu leaders will take on wednesday night is, believe it or not, whether to have another meeting. they will schedule another meeting. they will schedule an extra brexit summit for the middle of november. the idea was that lords of progress would have been made this week for them to say,

yes, let's have the next month spent oi'i yes, let's have the next month spent on the political declaration on the future relationship and the two will be wrapped together in one package and signed off in november. there has not been the progress that has been axed expected. the talk now is that that summit in mid—november may become a brexit nor deal contingency planning meeting rather than a big celebratory moment. i will be frank with you, i do not know what will happen on wednesday. that is absolutely fair. vicki, what is the prime minister going into weapons they planning on doing, what are the goals that they have on wednesday. is it really to say, we are just still negotiating she want to come out with something to show for that? ellie i think it depends if you think she has any more to offer. listening to that, i don't see how

she has. people have talked about her being cornered, because she has set down the certain red lines. where else can she go when the parliamentary arithmetic is as it is? she had the dup they're threatening to bring down the whole government and she has eu sceptics in her run cabinet. i don't think that when she has that meeting, any of them will decide to walk. the only thing we can say about the arithmetic here in the house of commons is that there are hundreds of mps you absolutely do not want in ordeal scenario. they are pretty confident that there is a parliamentary method of stopping that happening. then we distort the where we are at that point. i think of it gets to that point that she comes back with a deal and you can get through here, all bets are off. as for the thought that there might

bea as for the thought that there might be a majority for her own plan, it doesn't seem that that is the case at the moment. it is hard to see what their strategy will be. and later in the hour — i'll be joined by former conservative minister — nick boles — who has called on the prime minister to abandon the chequers agreement. kensington palace has announced that the duchess of sussex is expecting a baby. in a statement, the palace said meghan was expecting her first child in the spring, and that she and prince harry were ‘delighted to share the happy news with the public‘. the announcement was made shortly after the duke and duchess of sussex arrived in australia, on theirfirst royal tour as a married couple.

our royal correspondent nicholas witchell has the latest. sydney, this morning. the arrival of the duke and duchess of sussex at the start of their 16 day visit to australia, new zealand, fiji and tonga. news of the pregnancy hadn't been announced, so were those two ring binders a subconscious effort to conceal their news for a little longer? and then there was the choice of a long coat for the wedding on friday. was she trying to hide something or was it a sensible choice on a windy day? whatever the truth, shortly after 8:30am london time, kensington palace issued a short statement saying the duke and duchess of sussex were expecting a baby which is due next spring. five months after their wedding at st george ‘s chape windsor a child which will be

seventh in line to the throne, is on its way. it is the fulfilment of a wish by them both to start a family. harry is known to have a strong rapport with children. meghan also. modern, wonderful parents. prince harry always brings it to life if there are children there. maybe in another life he was a natural blue peter presenter. briefly then for everyone, something to agree with. it is wonderful news, very happy for them. and for harry and meghan, they face a hectic 16 days on tour with a mass of baby gives no doubt and the prospect of parenthood. and in the next hour, we'll be speaking tojulie montagu, an american who married into british aristocracy, to discuss the excitement americans are feeling now the royal family will have american blood for the first time. the energy firm, cuadrilla, has started fracking

for shale gas in lancashire. the work involves pumping liquid underground at high pressure to fracture rocks and release natural gas. it's the first time the controversial process has been tried, since it was linked to two small earthquakes near blackpool seven years ago. our correspondent richard lister has the latest. this drilling rig in rural lancashire is now the front line for fracking in the uk. after years of debate, delays and demonstrations, work at the cuadrilla plans has restarted but the protesters haven't stopped. they blocked the road next to the site this morning, the atmosphere was subdued. those here believe fracking is a danger to those living nearby and for the wider environment. i feel quite angry that they are forcing this on us. there is no social license, we want them to go away. we don't need it. it is harmful to the climate,

harmful to health and the land. it is pointless. fracking involves drilling vertically and then horizontally before pumping water, sand and chemicals at high pressure into shale rock, which has gas trapped inside it. when the rock fractures, the gas is released and brought to the surface. it is a technique perfected in the united states and now accounts for two thirds of us gas production. energy prices have fallen as a result, but is more reliance on fossil fuels in any one's long—term interest? the growth in renewables been welcomed but confined to the electricity sector and we still use pretty much gas for all of our heating. so if people want to heat their homes and cook their food, we will need it for many decades to come. cuadrilla says fracking could create thousands of jobs, not just here but in sites around the country and it insists the environmental

risk, particularly from earthquakes, is extremely small. police cut two protesters free from the tyres they had cemented themselves into outside the site today. this battle against fracking isn't over. our correspondent danny savage is at the site in lancashire. bring us up to date on the kind of activity that has been there today and what people are saying? the protests have been going on throughout the day. the do not seem to be deterred that fracking has gotten up to way again here. you can see the fracking tower in the distance behind me. the company said they stopped this afternoon at about quarter past four. any gas extracted will be tested and it will be seen if it is commercially viable and

then cuadrilla will have to get licenses to continue. you can say a line of police here. you can see protesters sitting across the main gateway. they show no sign of moving at the minute. it is interesting that government ministers have declared this as green gb week. we had an announcement this morning that britain was making tentative enquiries about reducing our carbon levels. yet here we see another step forward in extracting and other fossil fuel. the company here say that there is a huge demand for natural gas. there is a huge demand for it. they concede a business case for it. they concede a business case for this going forward. the protests say this is contradictory. how can we be going for a fossil fuel when we be going for a fossil fuel when we are trying to go towards curbing

oui’ we are trying to go towards curbing our carbon emissions in the decades to come. it is an interesting one. there are other potential fracking sites that could be gone for in yea rs sites that could be gone for in years to come. i would expect some big protests there too if they go forward. violent rainstorms in south—west france have left at least 13 people dead, as flash floods swamped a number of towns and villages. the flooding left a trail of overturned cars, damaged roads and collapsed homes around the city of carcassonne. officials say the equivalent of three months‘ rainfall fell in just a few hours. more now on the brexit negotiations, and a short while ago theresa may told the commons that disagreement over the future of the irish border, should not be allowed to lead to a no—deal brexit. she‘s called for "cool, calm heads" ahead of this week‘s crucial eu summit.

the conservative mp nick boles voted to remain in the eu, then launched the ‘better brexit‘ campaign last month, in response to theresa may‘s plan for withdrawal. he is at westminster. what did you make of the statement today on the fact that the prime minister did seem slightly isolated in terms of the lack of support from her run bench is? i think that is right. i think there is a huge amount of personal support for the prime minister. we all know that she has a very difficultjob. there was not a huge amount of sympathy for the argument is that she was making. the position that she has gotten herself into roots back to last december when she conceived this idea of the irish backstop. there are two objections to it. there is

one to the idea that we might go into a temporary customs union that might not have a clear end date and we couldn‘t leave unilaterally and the second objection is the suggestion that northern ireland would remain in the single market for good, even if the rest of the united kingdom left for good. those two different problems, she didn‘t really managed to persuade people that she had a solution to. the problem now than is that even if she comes to some kind of agreement this week, though it isn‘t likely, or next month, but that deal if it is in this kind of broad shape that you just outlined, it is unlikely to be supported by the house of commons. the government would say that once a deal has been reached and has been signed up to buy 27 governments of europe and the only alternative is

no deal that actually fewer tory mps will rebel and the dup will not be as hardline as they are threatening. but i can‘t tell you that i see much evidence for that. i see a lot of may colleagues who are very unhappy. the dup is very unhappy that certain rules will apply to them but not to the rest of the united kingdom and labour mps. look like they are in any mood to bail out a bad deal by a conservative prime minister.m any mood to bail out a bad deal by a conservative prime minister. if you we re conservative prime minister. if you were advising, you have outlined what the prime minister‘s opposition is, what would be her political route out of this which would save face for her but work for you? there isa face for her but work for you? there is a solution which would command a majority of the house because

adeptly comes close to being the position of the opposition parties and that is that we leave the eu and for the interim, instead of the transition that she has negotiated, that we go to a position like norway‘s. we are inside a temporary customs union. what that would mean is that we would be in the single market and in a customs union is that none of the border issues would arise. we would be out of lots of things that people objected to who voted to leave the eu. we would be out of the european court of justice. we would be out of the common agricultural policy. crucially, from that position we could negotiate that long—term relationship that we will not get to start negotiating properly until after we have left. that has always

been the eu‘s position. they will not discuss it in detail until we have actually left. in the eee a we would be able to have that position and the truth is that there are probably 200 conservative mps who would support that, labour, even maybe the snp might support it, it just seems to me that what the prime minister needs to find a way to do is to admit that the approach that she has been following has not been successful. she has all good faith and attempting it but it not succeed. she will not secure a majority at the house of commons. moved to a position that does take us moved to a position that does take us out of the eu, delivers the

result of the referendum and get a clear majority in parliament. what happens if she doesn‘t do that? clear majority in parliament. what happens if she doesn't do that?” think ultimately parliament will find a way to have its say and impose its will. it will be much better if this was done as a volu nta ry better if this was done as a voluntary act by the sitting prime minister, but ultimately if she brought back a deal and it was rejected by parliament, there is a process that has been agreed and set out in legislation whereby the government then has to come back and say what it is going to do next and at that point i would hope to be able to persuade her and her collea g u es able to persuade her and her colleagues that this is the right plan b. f, ultimately, she won‘t even do wish them, then parliament will need to look at whether it needs a new government to take us forward. that would be very messy uncomplicated and not something that i think that anyone, certainly in the conservative party, would like to see. is fairly stark message

about the process ahead. a report into the bullying and harassment of house of commons staff has said a ‘seismic shift‘ is needed, to solve problems which the parliamentary authorities have ‘tolerated and concealed‘. the report by dame laura cox qc warns that a new complaints procedure will not come close to addressing the issue. it follows a bbc newsnight report , on a series of allegations including a claim that commons speaker john bercow bullied his former private secretary, something he strongly denies. we can speak to our correspondent johnathan blake who is in our westminster newsroom for us. what does the report say that, for you, might lead to some change? the report is very clear, change needs to happen and needs to happen quickly. just to give you a couple of the choice quotes in the summary of the choice quotes in the summary

of the choice quotes in the summary of the report, which sum up the state of the culture of bullying and harassment that exists in the house of commons. dame laura cox says it isa of commons. dame laura cox says it is a stark reminder of how bad things used to be. there is a culture of deference, subservient in which harassment has been allowed to thrive. she is very clear that officials at the top of the hierarchy need to consider their position. she says it will be very difficult for them as things stand to, as she puts it, press the reset button and bring the changes that are needed. she says it is time for those that are in the speaker‘s offers to ask themselves whether they can command the confidence in they can command the confidence in the house of commons to create the changes that are necessary. she says that in yukon planes and grievances procedure will not come close to

create the kind of change that is necessary. we have had a response from the speaker‘s offers, which says that it is a serious report which requires a serious response. president trump is sending his secretary of state, mike pompeo, to saudi arabia, after holding discussions with king salman on the fate of the missing journalist , of the missing journalist, officials in turkey, investigating the disappearance , will search saudi arabia‘s consulate in istanbul later today. turkey believe he was murdered in the consulate by saudi agents nearly two weeks ago, claims which have strongly been denied. diplomatic pressure continues to grow on the saudis, to give a fuller explanation into what happened. speaking to reporters after a phone call with king salman, president trump said the saudi leader had firmly denied knowing what had happened to mr khashoggi.

ican i can only tell you that his denial, to me, and one relatively fast phone call, his denial to me could not have been stronger that he had no knowledge and it sounded like he and also the crown prince had no knowledge. well, in the past few hours, an inspection team has entered the consulate general building in istanbul. thejoint turkish—saudi diplomatic team are expected to search the building this evening alongside turkish police. last week, turkey accepted a saudi proposal to form a joint working group to investigate mr khashoggi‘s disappearance. our correspondent barbara plett—usher is in washington. given what the president had to say, what is your sense of the diplomatic

pressure that is building on the saudis? i think the diplomatic pressure has been building considerably. we know over the past week there had been from legs in congress, i have been speaking to a number of lawmakers that they are angry at this incident. they do find it credible that the saudis might have killed him and they have been warning that there would be a response. they want an investigation and sanctions if someone is bound to be responsible. they are threatening to hold up military weapons sales. that has been coming from congress, but the administration has been much more cautious. mr trump has a close relationship with the kingdom, he has been coupled throughout the week to express concern but not express criticism. that changed at the weekend when he sounded more serious and said they would be severe consequences if the saudis were responsible for this. shortly afterwards the saudi responded and said, if there are any punishment taken against us, we will retaliate

with our economic muscle, and of course they have the ability to affect oil prices. that was the first real sign of tension between the president and the kingdom, then you had the call with the king, and mrtrump sending his you had the call with the king, and mr trump sending his secretary of state for a face—to—face poll, so i think the sense of crisis is building. thank you very much for the latest. time for a look at the weather. here‘s susan powell. is some of us stuck with skies like this, the story for england and wells, scotland and northern ireland have more sunshine. if your day has been wet and grey, spare a thought in the south of france than the re m na nts of in the south of france than the remnants of the horrid capable torrential rain and caused catastrophic flooding. bars, this is the weather front that we are talking about and has been clouding

things up across england and wales, and other low waiting to come in from the atlantic. the weather front sta rts from the atlantic. the weather front starts to peter out acid bombs north overnight, pushing quite a lot of thick cloud, but into the hills of england and wales, patches of mist and fog across eastern england, look at first thing, it is better if you‘re heading onto the roads. our next lowest at the push in and other northern england and western scotland, wet weather joined northern england and western scotland, wet weatherjoined a large time period, brighter later, but for scotla nd time period, brighter later, but for scotland after a baby started and they think should become a little quieter, the afternoon. temperatures behind these and of rain in the low teens, to get up to 23 in the sunny south—east. this is bbc news.

the headlines: theresa may has told mps she believes a deal with the eu is achievable and that‘s it‘s time for "cool, calm heads" to prevail the duchess of sussex is expecting her first child in spring next year. kensington palace said she and prince harry were "delighted" to share their news. sit—down protests in lancashire, as fracking for shale gas begins again for the first time in seven years. time for a look at the sport now. the fa level of the behaviour of

some fans unacceptable after they classed with spanish police overnight. clashes in the street the fa urged the fans to respect the police. they will work with the uk football policing unit to identify those involved. they will sanction any england supporters travel club memberfound any england supporters travel club member found to be any england supporters travel club memberfound to be responsible for disorder. this comes after trouble in amsterdam a friendly against the netherlands back in march, about a dozen banning orders were issued. after defeat to spain, angola store last week in croatia, england are still looking for their first win in the nation ‘s lee, a different story for spain who have won all three of their matches. could be a busy night for the england keeper. top opponent, and the one we have been prepared for. it is a great

challenge for us as a team to build on and these are the games we want to be playing and had tried to get the win against. we have prepared well and hopefully we will show the fa ns well and hopefully we will show the fans what we‘re of. well and hopefully we will show the fans what we're of. one of the home nation involved this evening, northern ireland away in bosnia. and ramsey will be missing for wales in tomorrow‘s game against the republic of ireland. he has been allowed to withdraw from the club because his wife is expecting. danieljames has been called up from the under 21. existence already without gareth bell who misses the‘s defeat to spain and has returned to real madrid for treatment. more problems for the england head coach eddie jones, another head broke his left arm playing for saracens against glasgow at the weekend. you can see him at the back of the scrum holding

his arm. he will have an operation tomorrow that will rule him out until around christmas, his brother is also picking up a calf strain in the match. eddie jones is also picking up a calf strain in the match. eddiejones made the test squad later week. england are preparing for the third one in a rain affected series against the like are the first match a wash—out. 1-0 like are the first match a wash—out. 1—0 defeat to play, looking forward to opening up the bowling again.” don‘t always see it as the leader of the attack, some guys have good days and some guys have bad days, i‘ve have the occasional bad day, southern has two step up. i certainly like that the idea of bowling the top overs in this format. you get good rewards. it can be tough sometimes, but the rewards are there if you do it well had a securejob are there if you do it well had a secure job plans well. afghanistan player has joined an elite club of cricketers, becoming only the third

batsmen to hit six sixes in an over ina batsmen to hit six sixes in an over in a 2020 match. it happened in the country‘s premier league, knocking every ball over the boundary and 37 runs. it was a white as well, he raced to his 50 off 12 balls. equally be reckoned by the fastest 620 equally be reckoned by the fastest g20 half—century. a monster head as we can see. hejoins g20 half—century. a monster head as we can see. he joins the likes of garfield sobers, herschel gibbs to achieve the feat in all forms of the game. you can see how happy the commentators were as well. u nfortu nately commentators were as well. unfortunately it was all in vain as they lost the match, but still a great display of hating. that is all from us for the moment. when last—minute negotiations for a brexit deal between the uk and the eu came to an abrupt end yesterday, the sticking point was the border between northern ireland and the irish republic. with neither side wanting a hard

border but controls needed on the movement of goods into and out of the european union, the 300—mile dividing line is the key to the future of brexit. our ireland correspondent chris page has been finding out how two companies might be affected. northern ireland is on the brexit frontline. it‘s caught between the uk‘s only land border and the irish sea. the question is, if checks on goods don‘t take place at one of these locations, will be have to happen at the other? it‘s an issue that affects all sorts of items on supermarket shelves. take these baby snacks, for example. before they‘re sent to shops, they‘ve already had a long journey to this warehouse. we bring in about 18 different products from about six different factories, mainly in mainland europe, western europe. in the european union?

in the european union, yeah. and from here, what‘s the distribution network from this warehouse? yeah, from this warehouse we service the whole of northern ireland and the whole of the republic of ireland. the firm, which trades across ireland, britain and beyond, says new checkpoints would hit business. delays at borders for ourselves could mean that we don't deliver on time to our customers, so there could be time delays. that would result in our product maybe not being in the supermarket, and ultimately if someone is in the supermarket wanting to buy a baby snack and our product isn't on the shelf, they will move to a competitor product. james and shauna are a husband—and—wife team here based in county tyrone just a few miles from the land border. they cross it often. three or four times every month we'll be down doing store vists, checking on stock in the stores and down meeting customers. there's no visible presence on the border, which was totally different to what i remember years ago. there was a very, very, very visual border here. no—one involved in the brexit talks wants a visual border to return,

but there isn‘t agreement on how to avoid it. the fallback position proposed by the eu is that northern ireland would basically continue to follow european trading rules, but that would raise the prospect of checks between here and the rest of the uk. businesses are concerned by that possibility too. dale farm is a dairy firm with more than 1,000 workers. it sends most of its products across the irish sea. the whole process from the farm to the kitchen table needs to be speedy. one can‘t go to the cows and say we‘re going to take a break here for a few weeks and not take milk, so there‘s a constant flow of milk coming at us, so it‘s essential we have frictionless trade from our operations into our markets. if there were what people have describe as light—touch checks, perhaps away from ports somewhere in the supply chain, is that something you could work with if you had to? we‘d want to understand the detail behind that. however, there is the concept of motorised economic operators,

almost akin to a trustatrader, which means there‘s basically checks on our supply chain but it‘s not at port, and that‘s a concept we would be willing to facilitate. companies in this part of the uk don‘t want any barriers to trading with england, scotland and wales or with the irish republic. cracking that conundrum will be vitalfor a brexit deal. chris page, bbc news, belfast. in the last few minutes —— the leader of sinn fein mary lou mcdonald —— who will be meeting the prime minister later this evening — gave her views. ido i do believe that there is a deal to be made. but the deal can only be made if the british government gets real. video can only be made of the british government throw off the shackles british government throw off the s ha ckles of british government throw off the shackles of the dup, who seem to live in an alternative reality. a

deal can house that heather is a proper, enforceable backstop that protects irish interests. those are the bottom lines. let me also say this to those of the unionist persuasion who perhaps might wish for a hard brexit in the misguided belief that that somehow resolves theissue belief that that somehow resolves the issue of the border in highland. if there is a crash, there is a hard brexit, then there will be an immediate demand for a referendum on irish unity. one of the biggest challenges of brain surgery is working out how much of a tumour can be removed from a patient without damaging their speech, movement or other brain functions. now scientists at the university of cambridge are developing a ground—breaking device that will map a patient‘s brain and act like a sat nav for surgeons, showing them what each part of the brain does. our science correspondent richard westcott has this report

on the new technology, and a warning — it includes images of the surgery taking place. a few months ago, totally out the blue, ben rush had a seizure in bed. i‘m going to dim the lights for this one now. they found a large tumour — clearly visible on this scan. incredibly, it may have been growing for a decade without him knowing and he‘s only 29. a few months later, surgeon thomas santarius is removing it. while ben is still awake. ok, take a break a little bit. we were even allowed to talk to him. hi, richard. i know these are very strange circumstances. it is richard, i've got it right. i'm still working. you have been doing amazingly well and you‘ve still kept your sense of humour. yeah, yeah. i try to. using an electric current, thomas can switch sections of the brain off. listen to this. can you count for me again? one, two, three, four. the fact that ben stops counting

means it‘s a part affecting speech, so thomas won‘t remove it. we'll start now. but it‘s not the awake part that makes this operation special. a1, b2, c3. yaara erez isn‘t a doctor, she‘s a neuroscientist. this test is hard enough when you‘re not in the middle of surgery, you try doing it. by forcing ben‘s brain to multitask, scientists are creating a much more detailed map of its functions for a new device that will eventually help surgeons decide what to take out and what to leave behind. that is interesting. away from theatre, thomas tries a prototype of the device. it will eventually be used during surgery, helping them navigate what each part of the brain does, so they can fit your treatment to your work. in one patient has a physicaljob

and what they mostly want is to be able to move and work, we can tailor the test for that. if another patient has mostly office work and they plan big project, then we can tailor the test and treatment for that. a few weeks on, and ben‘s doing really well. i think you only get one life, so you have to make the most of what you you have, don‘t you, and i think if you sit around and worry about something like this, then you‘re only taking away from the joy that you could potentially be having. he and wife lucy know the tumour will eventually return, but by then the new device could be transforming brain surgery, for young patients who have incurable cancer but still have lots of life left to live. richard westcott bbc news cambridge. viewers in the east of england can see more on that in inside out tonight at 7:30 on bbc one — and you can watch it on the bbc iplayer. the headlines on bbc news:

in a crucial week for the brexit talks, the prime minister spells out the remaining obstacles to a final deal. the energy company cuadrilla starts fracking for natural gas in lancashire — protestors say the process is still too dangerous. and meghan and harry will become parents in the spring — the royal couple announce they‘re expecting their first child. an update on the market numbers for you — here‘s how london‘s and frankfurt ended the day. both making games. and in the the united states, this is how the dow and the nasdaq are getting on. let‘s get a little more now on the news that kensington palace has announced that the duchess of sussex is pregnant. in a statement, it said meghan was expecting her first child in spring next year and that she and prince harry were "delighted to share the happy

news with the public". they were and are still young when the news was announced today. —— they were in australia. julie montagu is with me — she grew up in a small town in illinois in the us and became viscountess hinchingbrooke in 2004 when she married the future earl of sandwich. what does this mean, this news? for me, being the american, we finally have a slice of the pie in the royal family. i have spoken to friends and family. i have spoken to friends and family and everybody is just so excited. we have been wanting to be pa rt excited. we have been wanting to be part of this royal family for a long time, and we have got it. william and harry have really favourites of the americans, and now we have got

an american, have american and have english royal coming into... coming quite soon. we have been fascinated by the royal family had quite soon. we have been fascinated by the royalfamily had in particular with princess diana, as she has graced many covers of our magazines, more than anyone else, and we have had this fascination with william and harry and now, with an american marrying harry, and now having a baby, we have almost like pa rt having a baby, we have almost like part of us has part of princess diana, now we have a part of prince harry and we have our own special meghan markle. i am fascinated by the way you might help us understand the way you might help us understand the impact this couple has made. we talked a lot about the impact that william and cake made back in 2011 with the royal wedding, and clearly he is the air to the throne, a different dimension. harry had meghan different couple, and represent a different image. what kind of impact have they made in the

states ? kind of impact have they made in the states? they have made a huge impact because they do have a lots more leeway than william and kate. we see them being very affectionate, which isa them being very affectionate, which is a very american thing to do. we like to hug, meghan likes to hug, you see them their affectionate but also happy to be together, and to be this power couple. they have said from day one they want to be a team, and they are real team, but they‘re also just themselves, always joking around, laughing, and they do have a lot more leeway had high lots more relaxed when we see them as a couple. the american influence, as people perceive it, you touched on several things there, we discussed it on the day of the wedding because it on the day of the wedding because it was one of the main elements in terms somehow be discerned the american impact but if i bring up the subject of names, do you think thatis the subject of names, do you think that is an error in which meghan will want to be able to say something about heritage? yes, it is

something about heritage? yes, it is something i did, and the difference is in america you have a middle name, nvidia marry into an aristocracy and usually have several, and putting her stamp on one of those names so that their child knows that that child is half american, she will get in no doubt in my mind that will represent her american upbringing. guys like this isa american upbringing. guys like this is a tough question, but what kinds of names would you have in mind that would be a good illustration of it? green i‘m not asking you to guess, but the kind of name that could represent something quite powerful. meghan in particular is very close to her mother, so if she has a girl you might see her mother‘s name somewhere in that mix, or it simply might be someone that meghan has as a hero orfinds inspirational. we will wait to find out but it will be

exciting. bodies of reading on the way she has fit in so far, because her style has been commented on a lot and a lot of people have applauded the fact that she has bought a bigger sense of informality. what have you made of it? it is great, she is sticking to most of the royal rules as far as dressing goes, she occasionally wears her pantyhose and sometimes she doesn‘t, somehow she will go sleeveless and some flashy cover setup, but she has her own person, she wants to reflect well for the royalfamily she wants to reflect well for the royal family but she does not want to leave behind what he grew up with. it would not surprise me if she still supports... will sport a pairof she still supports... will sport a pair of fitted jeans now and again. there will be more of this coming in the next few months, that will be here had back home for you as well. the american market will be flying over here and it will be nuts over

their as well. the tiny faroe islands are pushing to be allowed to compete as an independent nation at the olympics. their athletes take part in eight international sports, including football, as the faroes — but in the olympics they‘re forced to compete under the flag of denmark. now they want that to change, as our sports correspondent, alex capstick is in faroe islands for us. this is the capital of the fair isle is, far away from everywhere. 900 kilometres, 700 miles to the danish coastline. people here have their own way of life, their own culture, language, they have their own government which rules on everything apart from a few elements of foreign policy. that is why they want this olympic recognition. they are being refused and people here, especially have think it is unfair. they are determined to fulfil their olympic dream. stunning scenery in a land miles from anywhere,

and with isolation comes a strong sense of national identity, but the faroe islands is facing an uphill struggle for sporting independence. football already offers these faroese fans a chance to express their patriotism through sport, as the national team is recognised by fifa. the players want the same for everyone. we‘re actually playing for the other sports as well, because they never get that feeling like we do, because we‘re representing our country, you can represent the flag. signhild joensson is 17—years—old and is on track to achieve the olympic qualifying standard for tokyo 2020, but under the current rules her only route to the games is by applying for a place in the danish team. it feels like it‘s not fair, because i‘m a swimmer like everyone else around the world, and i also have worked for that goalfor a long time. it feels like that‘s the only thing that‘s holding me back to reach my biggest dream, that is the olympics, and under the faroese flag.

the faroe islands is unique in many ways, not least its dramatic landscape, but also its remote location in the north atlantic, and the people here are fiercely independent. but as far as the ioc is concerned, it‘s still a region in the kingdom of denmark, and although it might be self—governing governing, that is not enough for a place in the olympics. in response, the ioc gave us a statement, referring to their rules and regulations which says all countries must be recognised by the international community. the prime minister told me it doesn‘t make sense. i can‘t understand it. i don‘t think it‘s logic. as i told you, we are a self governing country, and we do hold membership in a lot of international organisations, so it‘s a broken dream for a lot of our young people if they cannot compete at the olympic games. the faroes are investing heavily in sport, but without olympic medals for this athlete, it is wrong that

this country continues to be barred from the olympics. malcolm cowie in this one, this is the world championships in malta.” this one, this is the world championships in malta. i am showing this to you because on the back it says, in pursuit of equality. and now we are fighting the other way around. we are fighting for the ones who are able—bodied. the faroes are investing heavily in sport, but without olympic medals to aim for, the fear is future generations won‘t reach the heights of their full potential. those running the campaign are under no illusion that this will be easy, but they are convinced they have a strong case, and the danes are not

against them. the danish elliptic association and danish government are giving their support to what they are trying to achieve. they know it is not going to happen overnight, but they are not going to let this issue go away. time for a look at the weather. here‘s susan powell with the forecast. lots of cloud and they england and wales, some pretty damp scenes as well. this is norfolk earlier. if you did have a grey and wet day, spare a thought for those further south because the remains of the hurricane slammed into spain and portugal and activate sitting across the south of france causing catastrophic flooding. alaba that had much smaller in comparison. edible produce a bit more rain through the rest of today, the midlands and northern ireland, to the cell skies were clear and with a little bit of residual dampness we

will get mist and fog vesting on tuesday. murky across the hills where we have the remnants of the front first thing on tuesday, best of the early brightness probably for scotla nd of the early brightness probably for scotland and northern ireland, but quite short lives because they weather front pushed into quite short lives because they weatherfront pushed into northern ireland and then into western scotland, strong winds to the bar north—west. temperatures to the north—west. temperatures to the north about 1k as a top ten return should just about cover it, in the south—east with some sunshine, could get really warm once again, up to 23 celsius. the prime minister calls for cool, calm heads as brexit talks reach a critical point. theresa may heads to the commons to tell mps a deal is still achievable despite warnings that negotiations have hit a "real problem" over the irish border. we have been clear that we cannot agree to anything that threatens the integrity of our united kingdom. this really is beginning to feel like groundhog day.

another "nothing has changed" moment from the shambles of a government. we‘ll have the latest from westminster — with the prime minister under pressure from all sides. also tonight... the secret‘s out — the duke and duchess of sussex confirm they‘re expecting their first child, as they arrive in australia for a 16—day tour.