this is bbc news. the headlines... theresa may fights back, saying replacing her as conservative leader wouldn't make the brexit negotiations any easier , and warning of a crucial week ahead. the next seven days are going to be critical. they are about the future of this country. it's about people's jobs, it's about their livelihoods, it's about the future for their children and grandchildren. at a commemoration event in germany, the french president makes an impassioned plea for a stronger, united europe. the former wales rugby captain gareth thomas speaks out , gareth thomas speaks out, after suffering a homophobic attack in cardiff after suffering a homophobic attack in cardiff. president trump visits northern california, following the most devastating wildfires in the state's history. and england qualify for the nations league finals next summer, after beating croatia

2—1 at wembley. all the details in sportsday at 7—30. the prime minister has said the next seven days are "critical" for the country, as she prepares to go to brussels to discuss britain's future relationship with the eu. theresa may defended the agreement reached for the uk's withdrawalfrom the eu , saying it was "in the national interest". and she warned those seeking to have her removed — that a change of leadership would not make brexit any easier. here's our political correspondent, vicki young. it is a crucial seven days for the country and theresa may's future. she is sticking to her brexit plan, hoping to persuade mps that it is the right compromise, leaving the eu but protecting the economy. she will also head to brussels to personally lead last—minute negotiations.

this isn't about me. it is actually about what is right for the people of this country, about what is in the national interest. that is what drives me and that is what i am being driven to deliver, that is what i want to deliver for people. the draft withdrawal agreement is a legally binding document laying out how the uk leaves the eu. there's also a much shorter political declaration containing a broad outline of our future relationship with the eu. the focus this week will be on the future relationship and when we we re in the house of commons, a number of members of parliament were saying they wanted more detail on the future relationship. that is what we are working on this week. the labour leader says his party won't back the deal she is proposing. you go back to europe and say, "listen, our "parliament does not agree with this and does not accept it, the people of this country don't. there are jobs on both sides of the channel at risk here. we need an agreement, a serious, central agreement and i believe the labour options are the series

options are the serious ones that could achieve that. some cabinet ministers and dozens of tory mps aren't happy, either and the former brexit secretary says the deal is not right to the country. i do think we are being bullied, subject to what is pretty close to blackmail, frankly, for your viewers at home and i think there is a point at which it should have been done before where we just say, "i'm sorry, this is the united kingdom of great britain and northern ireland, we cannot accept those dictated terms". two things could destabilise the primaries do this week. —— the prime minister this week. brexiteer cabinet members want reassurance the uk will not be trapped in a customs arrangement against its will and if they don't get that clarification and resign, it is hard to see how theresa may can carry on. the second threat comes from conservative mps trying to force a vote of no—confidence her leadership. only this man knows how close they are to getting the 48

letters required to trigger that. the rules are very clear, that if the threshold were to be reached, would have to consult with the leader of the party. immediately? i think the whole thing is written with the intention it should be expeditious process. theresa may's message to her rebellious mps is that getting rid of her will not make eu negotiations any easier and won't change the parliamentary arithmetic. so let's take a look at the next steps in the brexit negotitations. theresa may says she hopes to meet jean claude juncker — president of the european commission — before the end of the week in brussels. we'll get details of the political declaration which sets out the framework for the future relationship between the eu and the uk. that meeting comes ahead of the emergency

eu summit taking place next sunday. back here and we're expecting a parliamentary vote on the brexit agreement to take place next month. joining me now to put a bit more details on to those key dates is our chief political correspondent vicki young. that is what is expected to take that is what is expected to take place, but how is that all going to happen? that is a very good question. it is important to explain the difference between the withdrawal agreement and this political declaration. the withdrawal agreement is about how we leave the european union, the divorce settlement if you like, the money we are going to pay, the rights of citizens and berdych people living abroad, and then you have the political decoration. —— the political decoration. we have seen the documents, it is over 550 pages long, very legal, it is all

about how we come out of the european union, and the political declaration will not be a legal documents, it is much more aspirational, it is about what happens after the transitional period, what will our future relationship look like with the european union, and it is not as detailed, i think that is what concerns about odds of conservative mps, that they will be agreeing for the uk to hand over £39 billion worth of money to the european union with no clear idea of where we are going and what the future relationship will look like. the prime minister was saying that this week the focus will be on the political declaration and putting more substance into it, which i think she thinks will... lots of stumbling blocks, though, ahead, that could derail the whole thing.” think the most pressing one, probably, is this cabinet ministers to did not leave, so we have a group

of 35 of them who are still unhappy and one clarification, particularly about this issue of the backstop, they are concerned that the uk will be stuck in a customs arrangements with the union —— european union, and it can only be done in agreement with the european union, and they see that as the uk being forced to ta ke see that as the uk being forced to take laws and not have any say in them. if they do not get any clarification this week, they might resign. i think it would be difficult for the prime minister to carry on if all of the brexit ministers were to leave the cabinets, and the other thing is his push from some of her ministers to get rid of her as leader of the party. they have to get 48 letters sentin party. they have to get 48 letters sent in and at the moment there are 25 publicly who have declared to say they have done that, so it looks a ways off that there may be some people who have not gone public with it. you then get a no—confidence vote which could happen quickly, but

then the prime minister would need 152 mp5 to then the prime minister would need 152 mps to back her for her to stay in thatjob. i think most people think she could win. but it could happen, she could have dozens of mps voting against her and that could damage your credibility so much that she is unable to go speculating very quickly, if we do not get to that submits with an agreement, with signatures, the two possibilities, of course, are no deal, is there the chance that you could stop the clock and renegotiate? how likely is it that the european union would want to renegotiate? the prime minister first has to get to that vote in the comments. if she gets to that point, the arithmetic is not looking that at the moment, but i think she is looking at the alternatives, mps will sing behind it as the only option that they can really live with. —— will stand behind it. that is crucial, what mps think that actually is, and the prime minister

says it is her deal or no deal, meaning leaving without any of those things in the face in march, but there is no majority in the house of commons for that. there would be lots of mps have tried lots of things to stop that from happening. it is not easy to do but if a vast majority do not want that to happen it is difficult for a government to push ahead. at that point there could be more resignations from the upper wing of the party, so some will say that no deal is the other option, others will say a second referendum, and at the moment, the numbers are not there in the house of commons, but it could all shift and others are talking about a different arrangement whereby we mightjoin the different arrangement whereby we might join the european different arrangement whereby we mightjoin the european economic area but leave the european union. no majority for that at the house of commons at the moment. i think this is helping the prime minister, the fa ct is helping the prime minister, the fact that the alternatives to what she is putting forward do not have a majority in the house of commons,

really, so i think it is helping her. labour's alternative seems to say, go back and persuade negotiations at the last moment. there are not many people who think thatis there are not many people who think that is a very realistic opportunity, so it's also one comes up opportunity, so it's also one comes up with a realistic alternative, i think she feels she has the best option and that is what she is putting on the table. thank you. nathalie tocci is a senior advisor to the eu foreign policy chief and joins me now from rome. thank you for speaking to us here on bbc news. obviously, a lot of these problems are on the domestic front, but ultimately, the european union are watching very closely. how is it playing out across europe?m are watching very closely. how is it playing out across europe? it is putting outs... watching with great concern watching what is happening in the united kingdom. as far as the european union is concerned this is a d raft european union is concerned this is a draft agreement on the basis of what the uk's of —— negotiation was

initially, and it is a document that allows for the two key conditions, for the european union to be upheld. i'm the one hand, the unity of the 27 member states and on the other hand the integrity of the single market. the european union has been over the last couple of years doing to negotiate pretty much anything, as hard or as soft as the uk wanted, upon the condition that those two criteria would be met, so obviously this is a draft which allows for those criteria to be met, and iac absolutely no appetite in terms of negotiating something fundamentally different. added onto this is the pressure of time. very clearly, we would not have much time to negotiate something significantly different. it would be fair to say

that time is on the side of the european union, in that the uk, effectively, is running out of it, but at the same time, the european union do not want to push too hard against the uk. indeed. they do not wa nt to against the uk. indeed. they do not want to push too hard and it is not in the interest of either the your opinion or the uk to end up in a no deal scenario, but the timing is an acute one, to the extent that not only do we have the end of march as a deadline, but even if we were to extend that period, the problem is we have the european parliament elections in may, and is the united kingdom going to participate or not in those elections? presumably there will be a brexit so they will not, so even will be a brexit so they will not, so even if we were to give the figure she is and more time, i am not frankly speaking that i am sure that we would end up with a fundamentally different results, because it seems to me that what has remained is an internal

contradiction within the united kingdom itself, where essentially everything that could make sense politically, from a brexit point of view, simply doesn't make sense economically and as far as the unity of the united kingdom is concerned, so of the united kingdom is concerned, so in of the united kingdom is concerned, soina of the united kingdom is concerned, so in a sense the european union is an observer to this process and, as isaid, has an observer to this process and, as i said, has always been over the last couple of years simply very firm on those two criteria, single market integrity and unity of the member states. with those criteria met, anything goes. we could hear from the president of the european council, and also the european parliament saying that they put the interest of the 27, they have been protected, however, dominic raab

saying that the european union has believed the prime minister.|j saying that the european union has believed the prime minister. i think what has been very clear to that 27, perhaps less so to the united kingdom, inevitably, in a negotiation when you have 27 against one, no matter how powerful, how strong, that one might be, and it was a heavy member states, within the union, but very clearly, the negotiating power of the two site has been an extremely unbalanced one in favour of the 27. this has been very clear to most europeans from the outset. perhaps it was not so clear to the united kingdom and has become progressively clearer as the negotiations proceed. is that bullying? it is not bullying, it is simply, and any negotiation, ultimately it is the bargaining power of the sides, and this has been an initiation in which the european union has had far more cards in its hand than the uk has.

what did the uk loses or has a change of leadership? what then, from the point of view of the european union? it really does depend on how this all plays out. very clearly within the european union, no—one wanted to see and no—one wants to see the united kingdom leaving the european union. but of course this has been a decision taken by the uk. if political conditions in the united kingdom were to change significantly, then, i guess, but this is just significantly, then, i guess, but this isjust a guess, that more would be given, a significant amount of time would be given, for the political, if you like, dynamic to u nfold political, if you like, dynamic to unfold within the uk. at the moment, this is not what we see happening. it seems to be still, the conditions do not seem to be right for that kind of complete change of heart in the united kingdom, so as i said, at the united kingdom, so as i said, at the moment, the european union is simply sitting back and observing

this, feeling there is not that much it can actually do. thank you very much. we arejust it can actually do. thank you very much. we are just learning that the european commission has also posed at the end of 2022 be the cut off date for the extension of any transition. that person, once britain leaves the european union next year. that detail is coming into us there, a proposal. we will discuss that further in the next hour, possibly with our correspondent. and we'll find out how this story, and many others, are covered in tomorrow's front pages at 10:30 and 11:30 this evening in the papers. our guestsjoining me tonight are peter conradi, who's the europe editor for the sunday times, and the businessjournalist, john crowley. the headlines on bbc news... the prime minister fights the prime ministerfights back, saying were picking her as

conservative leader would not make the brexit negotiations any easier and warning of a crucial week ahead. gareth thomas, former wales rugby captain, speaks out after severing a homophobic —— suffering a homophobic attack in cardiff. de chavez visiting california after —— donald trump is is in california after some of the worst ire in the state's history. the —— worst fires in the state's history. the former captain of welsh rugby and the lions, gareth thomas, has been the victim of a homophobic hate crime in cardiff city centre. the 44—year—old, who came out as gay in 2009, appeared bruised in a video he posted on social media, where he thanked the police for their help. nicola smith reports. with 100 with100 caps, gareth thomas is one

of the most recognisable favourites faces in rugby. he came out in 2009 and he has been a campaigner ever since, trying to tackle homophobia in the sport. last year he made a documentary about the problem in football and has recently been involved in a bid to change the law, to make homophobic chanting at the bar match is illegal. now he has taken to social media. —— chanting at football matches. last night and was the victim in my home city of a hate crime for my sexuality. i wa nted hate crime for my sexuality. i wanted to be positive because i wa nted wanted to be positive because i wanted to be positive because i wanted to say thank you to the police who were involved and were very helpful and allowed me to do restorative justice with the people who did this because they thought they could learn more that way than any other way and also to the people of cardiff who supported me and helped me, because there are a lot of people out there who want to hurt us, but unfortunately for them, there are a lot more who want to help us heal, so this, i hope, will

bea help us heal, so this, i hope, will be a positive message. one of his co—presenters sent her love, along with an actress. the former wales goalkeeper told him to keep being a role model. tonight, police have confirmed that a 16—year—old male admitted assault after an incident in cardiff city centre. they say that the teenager was apologetic. after a request by gareth thomas to use restorative justice, after a request by gareth thomas to use restorativejustice, which police say encourages young people to be accountable for the consequences of their actions. emergency workers in california are still struggling to contain the wildfires that have devastated large areas of the state. at least 76 people are now known to have died, thousands of homes have been destroyed and the authorities say more than 1200 people remain unaccounted for. dave lee reports from california. from here, you can see the scale of this devastating blaze.

and this is a glimpse of what it was like to be right in the very heart of it. this firefighter was tackling the blaze in southern california where three people are known to have died. in the north of the state, it is a far grimmer picture, where 76 people are now confirmed dead. many hundreds more are still unaccounted for. local officials have admitted their data may be wrong. since last night, an additional five remains were recovered, bringing the total up to 76 human remains. in the town of paradise, some 12,000 structures were destroyed. most of them houses, leaving many wondering where they will go next. this school has now become an emergency shelter and this grandmother doesn't yet know the fate of her home. i have my frustrations. we don't know what is going on about school and what to do about school for the kids. medical services are down in paradise. what is going to happen?

there's not a lot of information. president trump arrived in northern california on saturday. he was greeted by california's governor and governor—elect, two men who have publicly and strongly disagreed with the president over what they consider to be the cause of these raging fires. president trump has blamed bad forest management but experts say it is a combination of factors, including climate change. as well as the many lives lost, many thousands more lives will be forever changed. even though paradise will be rebuilt, it is clear this town will never be the same. dave lee, bbc news, northern california. in president trump has said it's premature to conclude that in to conclude that saudia arabia's crown prince, mohmmed bin salman, ordered the murder of the journalist, jamal khashoggi. he was killed last month at the saudi consulate in istanbul. mr trump said he'd been "fully briefed" on an audio recording of the murder, provided by the turkish authorities. but he told fox news that he had not listened to it himself... we have the tape.

i don't want to hear the tape, no reason for me to hear the tape. why don't you want to? but i've been fully briefed. why don't you want to hear it, sir? because it's a suffering tape. it's a terrible tape. i've been fully briefed on it. there's no reason for me to hear it. in fact, i said to the people, "should i?" they said, "you really shouldn't, there's no reason". i know exactly, i know everything that went on in the tape without having to hear it. and what happened? it was very violent, very vicious and terrible. the french president, emmanuel macron, has made an impassioned appealfor a stronger europe, in an address to the german parliament. he was speaking at a ceremony to commemorate those who died in the two world wars. from berlin, jenny hill reports. germany remembers its war dead. no glorious tribute to the fallen,

just the persistent echo of horrors past and a responsibility to the future. translation: europe, and within it, the franco—german pairing, have the obligation not to let the world slip into chaos and to guide it on the road to peace. that is why europe must be stronger. that is why it must be more sovereign, because it will not be able to play its role if it becomes the plaything of the powers. it is why mr macron is here today. germany supports his vision for post—brexit europe, a joint army, a shared budget, and what the french leader wants now is details, a plan. this is, for germany, a solemn day. rarely does it take on such political significance. emmanuel macron stopped short of naming names, warning instead against "the powers" which attack liberal democracy and set nation against nation.

for germany, his country's old wartime foe, it is a rhetoric which is both poignant and powerful. jenny hill, bbc news, nine migrants from iran have been found clambering over rocks, near folkestone in kent — after crossing from france in a small boat. 57 migrants have been discovered in the area over the past week having crossed the channel. there are warnings that it's only a matter of time before somebody dies. simonjones reports. coastguard and border force officials bring its motor back to shore. the migrants once again risking their lives crossing the busiest shipping lane in the world to get to britain. the people on board the boat called the police just before seven o'clock this morning saying they were in difficulty but they didn't know exactly where they were. a huge search was launched but around 45 minutes later,

the migrants were discovered clambering up the rocks here towards the shore. the fact is that, you know, the desperate people clinging to rocks in folkestone are desperate and they are vulnerable to international criminal gangs who will tell them anything to take their money off them. on tuesday, 17 migrants sailed into dover on a fishing boat, the one with the green hull, stolen from bologna. the next day, three separate boats carrying a total of 24 migrants were found. several more people were discovered on friday. it's thought some may be making a last attempt to get across before winter arrives. i think it's got to be controlled. it's got to be planned, whoever‘s send them across and all. and the timing, to me, is this about brexit? is it that they think we're going to shut the door? and it's a big rush now to get into the country and all? the home office says it has stepped up patrols along the coast, but the reality is that did nothing to deter the nine people from iran

who arrived here this morning. they have now been handed over to immigration officials. they are unlikely to be the last. a criminal investigation is under way, but experts are warning that it's only a matter of time before someone loses their life. the government's confirmed plans for students in england to be offered the option of "accelerated" two—year degree courses. it's proposing that universities would be able to charge higherfees for shorter, more intensive courses. they'll cost about 20% less in total than a traditional three year course. but the higher annual fee of £11,000 would have to be approved by parliament. richard lister reports. many of these sixth formers will now have started university, most on three—year courses. but the two—year option now given government backing will be a cheaper alternative. courses currently cost on average about £9,000 per year. under the new system, you would pay higher annual

fees of £11,000 but forjust two years, a saving of around £5,500 overall. these are students in london are all on three—year courses. what would they think studying for just two years? i do like the idea because obviously, you have a lot of spare time when you often feel a bit lost, how do you feel the time? i like the idea, definitely. people should get the choice of whether they want to rush through their degree and get into work or take more time to explore their opportunities. i think as a matter of fact, the three years really give you a chance to explore different things. you have time and especially if you do history of philosophy, you have a lot of hours that are free. this is your chance to explore so many different dimensions of yourself in the world around you. the plan requires legislation and it is not clear when that might go forward but ministers think it should. the government believes two—year courses will make universities more accessible, in

particular for mature students and those with families. it believes that within ten years, up to 5% of all undergraduates could be doing two—year courses. but british universities have centuries of tradition behind them and one lecturers union has warned that two—year courses could undermine their international reputation. time for a look at the weather. if you have enjoyed the sunshine this weekend he will not be surprised to find out there are cloudy skies on the way. temperatures dipped away this evening under clear skies, cloud increasing from the east over night, stopping the drop in temperature across eastern areas. there will be frustrated in some places. cloud and showers on the eastern side of the uk tomorrow from a eastern scotland to eastern england. some sunny spells,

especially to the west, but most places will seek more clout compared with the weekend, and still some decent sunshine and the far northwest of scotland. there is a stronger easterly wind, so two things going on, one, the overtures coming down a little bit so more of us coming down a little bit so more of us will be in single figures, and it will feel colder than this as well in the wind. hello this is bbc news. the headlines: theresa may fights back, saying

replacing her would not make the brexit negotiations easier, and warning of a crucial week ahead. the next seven days are going to be critical. they are about the future of this country. it's about people's jobs, it's about their livelihoods, it's about the future for their children and grandchildren. at a commemoration event in germany, the french president makes an impassioned plea for a stronger, united europe. the former wales rugby captain gareth thomas speaks out after suffering a homophobic attack in cardiff. president trump visits northern california following the most devastating wildfires in the state's history. now on bbc news, it's time for sportsday.