this is bbc news, i'm ben brown. the headlines at midday. one of the most senior brexiteers in the cabinet, liam fox, dismisses talk of another referendum, saying it would not heal divisions in the country. let me tell you that if there is another referendum, which i don't think there will be, people like me will be immediately demanding it is best—of—three. celebrations in poland as negotiators finalise a deal on how to implement the paris climate accord by 2020. a five—year—old boy becomes the third victim of the nottinghamshire house fire which killed a mother and her eight—year—old daughter yesterday. bad weather is blamed for contributing to a big fall in the number of shoppers on uk high streets yesterday. and 11.7 million viewers tune in to watch the strictly finale. documentary maker stacey dooley

and dance partner kevin clifton triumphed in the 16th series and took the coveted glitterball trophy. theresa may has attacked former prime minister tony blair after he backed calls for another referendum on brexit. it's being seen as an unusually angry response from the prime minister. we can get the latest now and we can

hear from liam fox we can get the latest now and we can hearfrom liam fox been talking about this on the andrew marr show. there are more and more people in westminster and wider political circles now saying it could be the only way to end the impasse. tony blair is one of many people advocating that position. theresa may clearly is extremely unhappy with the idea that this is gathering some sort of head of steam, saying that it would undermine the democratic system, because it didn't follow the decision that was taken last time. but there are also reports this morning that some of her team have been discussing with some pro second referendum mps what it might look like. they have firmly denied that this morning, it seems to be that that conversation was more about what those mps wanted to get the deal through rather than anything else. but this morning on the andrew marr show, the international trade secretary liam fox was asked

about that prospect. supposing we had another referendum, supposing the remain side won it by 52 to 48 but there was a lower turnout, which is possible, and then people like me will immediately be demanding it is best—of—three, where does that end up? then we have got the constitutional issue, how do we tell nicola sturgeon and the snp that they can't have another referendum on independence cause they didn't like the result? so, liam fox clearly not a fan of the idea of another referendum. the problem that he and other government ministers have is that there are many conservatives now who think that it might be the only way out of the current deadlock in parliament. and plenty on the labour benches, too, who think it is a good idea, we've been hearing from the labour party as well today? yes, it's notjust the conservative party that has got some division on the idea of a second referendum. there are many in the labour party

who want that to become their position, who are pushing jeremy corbyn to try to get him into that place, it's something he's reluctant to do. there are others in the labour party arguing, very similar to the prime minister, that it would undermine the democratic system if the 2016 result was ignored. there will be more of those calls in the coming days for labour to put a no confidence vote down, which might lead to them adopting a second referendum position. the labour frontbencher andrew gwynne was also asked on the andrew marr show what labour would do if there was another referendum... labour party policy is that all things should be on the table and that we will be pushing for labour deal, a labour deal that protects workers' rights, a labour deal that protects our consumer protections and our environment, one that has that frictionless trade that the prime minister promised... i am sorry tojump in again

but i think we have got a very clear answer there, which is that in a second referendum, from your point of view, labour would advocate leaving the eu, but with a labour position? we have said we respect the referendum result of 2016, we want the opportunity to put our values into practice ahead of a general election. what happens next, do you think, nick? we know the commons vote will not be untiljanuary, the prime minister went to brussels this week and didn't really get what she wanted in terms of new assurances, she says she's going to keep talking to the eu but where are we now in the whole brexit process? i remember having this exact conversation last sunday morning when we thought the meaningful vote was coming up! so let's make no predictions, but... 0h, go on! there have been some suggestions from labour that they will try and force some sort of vote

on it this week, perhaps not a no confidence vote, but andrew gwynne in that interview was also hinting there might be something else they can do. we've heard a number of people saying this morning that they want that meaningful vote brought forward, so, this week. the government is totally resistant to that prospect at the moment. the government is not going to do that. i think over the next few days we will hear a lot more about the arguments we are hearing this morning. but what i wouldn't expect by the time we all sit down on christmas day is that we will have a clear idea of where this is going. this is going to drag on into the new year, perhaps well into january, some are even talking about it going into february. so, we'll be having this conversation for a while yet. looking forward to it already! negotiators at the un climate conference in poland have finally agreed a deal on measues to tackle climate change.

agreed a deal on measures to tackle climate change. nearly 200 countries overcame political divisions, nearly 200 countries overcame political divisions to set out how they should implement the promises they've made in the paris agreement of three years ago to cut greenhouse gas emissions and minimise global warming. here's our science editor, david shukman. this is what it's all about. gases released into the air that heat the planet. and after some long, difficult arguments, the world has inched towards a deal for how to reduce them, to try to avoid the risks of dangerous levels of warming in future. the talks at katowice in poland saw delegates from nearly 200 countries haggling over rules on how to tackle climate change — a slow process, but eventually a deal was done. it will move us one major step towards realising the paris agreement, an ambition that will ensure our children and their children...

look back at our legacy and recognise that their parents and grandparents took the right decisions. he was urged to take a bow. but there are questions about what has actually been achieved. the big challenge is that many countries, including poland, rely on highly polluting fuels like coal. thousands ofjobs depend on it. some campaigners say a few governments dragged their feet. but others are pleased to have got this far. we've seen countries come together, they've responded to the science, they haven't done enough but they have agreed some rules and they have set themselves a job to go home and do more and work out what they're going to do, engaging with their citizens and businesses and investors, to say, how can we take more climate action? the hope is for a transition to cleaner forms of energy, like solar power.

the deal in poland may encourage that. the world is responding to the threat of global warming, but not nearly with the speed that scientists scientists say is needed. david shukman, bbc news. 0ur correspondent matt mcgrath was at the conference in poland — he gave us his assessment of the talks. negotiators went down to the wire, really, on trying to get the operational rulebook for the paris agreement agreed amongst all the countries. there were some big last—minute arguments about carbon markets, one country in particular, brazil, picked a big fight about that but eventually compromise language was found, much to the relief of many of the people in here. the text was agreed and accepted by all parties. a key element of this rule book is the idea of transparency, that all countries will be operating with one set of rules in the future, the way that they report and measure their carbon should be on the same set of documents for every country, that is a key element in building trust amongst countries, so that everybody knows what everybody else is doing and they can see it as well.

that's a key element. the other element is the idea that every country should increase their ambitions to cut carbon by 2020. that might not be as tough as many would want here, and some people are critical that the deal is a bit too soft, but i think the practical negotiators here feel, at least we've got a deal and it is an important step forward for the paris climate agreement. a five—year—old boy has become the third member of the same family the die in a house fire in nottinghamshire. the child had been among five rescued from the properly in collingham, near newark, but police have since said he later died in hospital. an eight—year—old girl and a 33—year—old woman also died in yesterday's fire, whilst a 34—year—old man remains in a serious condition in hospital. drivers in scotland are being advised to take extra care after a number of crashes on the m71; in dumfries and galloway. it's thought freezing rain may have

covered parts of the motorway. meanwhile, storm deirdre has brought flooding and left thousands of homes and businesses without electricity in parts of ireland. the met office says the worst of the weather has now passed, but warned of continuing icy conditions. bad weather and an increasing trend to buy things online are being blamed for shoppers staying away from the high street on what is usually the busiest weekend before christmas. retail experts say footfall across the uk yesterday was down almost 10% compared with the same time last year. it comes after a november which was described by some businesses as "unbelievably bad", as joe miller reports. it's been a year of profit warnings, branch closures and big brands going under. britain's retailers have had a torrid 2018. we've seen consumer confidence dropped, we've seen costs increase and in general i think people are very nervous about spending. i don't imagine this is going to let up any time soon.

amid the gloom, one man is styling himself as the saviour of the high street. mike ashley's sports direct, which rescued house of fraser, says it wants to lend a hand to a wounded competitor, debenhams. we put this offer in to invest another £40 million and it is kind of the electric shock to wake them up to what is probably the last chance saloon. mike ashley has suggested debenhams has zero chance of survival without his cash, but the chain has rebuffed his proposal, and some suspect the billionaire, who is already debenhams' largest shareholder, wants to get his hands on its assets if it collapses, a claim sports direct denies. for now, debenhams and other struggling chains mightjust be able to afford to keep mike ashley at bay, but neither they nor mike ashley's retail empire can afford a disappointing christmas. joe miller, bbc news. police are to test live facial recognition technology on the streets of central london

this week. privacy campaigners have expressed concern at the use of the system. but officers say the public will be invited to take part, at locations such as piccadilly circus and leicester square, rather than being scanned without their consent. children with special educational needs in england are to get a funding boost of more than £350 million. the announcement by the department for education comes after more than 30,000 people backed a petition earlier this year calling for more support for those with complex needs. around 15% of all students in england are considered to be special needs pupils. chester zoo has launched a £50,000 fundraising campaign after fire destroyed much of the vast roof covering its monsoon forest area yesterday. the area was quickly evacuated, but some animals are still missing. the zoo has reopened today. adam woods reports. the uk's largest zoo enclosure engulfed in flames.

woman: oh, my god. oh, my god. inside, hundreds of rare and exotic creatures. firefighters were quick to arrive as the zoo was evacuated, staff went back into move animals to safety. what could you see? just loads of smoke over the new part of the zoo and it was really cloudy and there seemed to be a lot of panic, fire engines, police, even ambulance. 15 fire crews battled strong wind and rain to bring the flames under control. one person had to be treated for the effects of smoke inhalation. no other injuries have been reported. all mammals living inside the enclosure, including endangered orangutans, gibbons and crocodiles, have been accounted for, but many tropical birds remain missing. an investigation into what caused the fire is now under way, with parts of the zoo expected to reopen later today. adam woods, bbc news.

the headlines on bbc news... one of the most senior brexiteers in the cabinet, liam fox, dismisses talk of another referendum, saying it would not heal divisions in the country. after two weeks of negotiations, delegates at the un climate conference in poland reach agreement on how to enforce promised cuts to carbon emissions. a five—year—old boy becomes the third victim of the nottinghamshire house fire which killed a mother and her eight—year—old daughter yesterday. sport now, and a full round—up from the bbc sport centre. room ship permission football, liverpool—man united, looking forward to that one? yeah, didn't sir alex ferguson used to call it el clasico of english football? it's one of the biggest rivalries in english football.

manchester united travel to anfield to face liverpool later. united go into this match in 6th and 16 points behind their bitter rivals, whilejurgen klopp‘s side are looking to go back to the top of the table. we never thought before a game only because we have a few good results in the past at home or whatever that it will be easy, the next game. that's not the mode you can win football games. we have to be angry on sunday, and we will be. we fight for our points. it's not that there is anything, you don't solve problems for others, we have our own problems, our own targets, and we go for them. that's all. we know that we are going to play against the leader. we are going to play against a team on a high, and even with the problems we have, and we have doubts about everything because we don't know which players are available, but we're going to arrive, we are going to have a team capable of going there and fight for the victory. in the earlier kick offs today, two london clubs are heading to the south coast with brighton

hosting chelsea and arsenal travelling to southampton. tottenham and england midfielder eric dier has had his appendix removed. he's expected to return to training in the new year. yesterday spurs beat burnley1—0 to keep up the pressure on liverpool and manchester city at the top of the table. celtic and rangers are both hoping to finish the day at the top of the scottish premier league. kilmarnock went a point clear of celtic with their win over dundee yesterday, but the scottish champions have three games in hand, starting away at hibernian this lunchtime. should they lose though, a win for rangers over hamilton would see them go top. edinburgh are hoping to do the double over newcastle falcons today and boost their chances of finishing top of their group and guarantee a place in the champions cup quarterfinals. in the same pool, fourth placed toulon travel to montpellier. and in the earlier kick off, leicester tigers host group leaders racing 92 who remain unbeaten in this year's competition. katie taylor produced a dominat display in new york to beat eva wahlstrom and successfully

defend her ibf and wba world lightweight titles. meanwhile, canelo alvarez is now world champion in three weight divisions. that's after he beat liverpool's rocky fielding at madison square gardens earlier this morning. fielding was knocked down four times before the fight was stopped in the third round. translation: the plan we had was to hurt the body. i think he committed an error by beginning to exchange with me. that is what i worked on, to hit the body hard, and thank god everything went well. i never shied away from the challenge. the phone call i got was canelo wanted to fight, madison square garden. it's been a great week, met up with some great people. i dare to be great, i live the dream, but i will come again, iwill come back. it looks like england's

hockey players will have to settle for fourth again at the world cup in india. they're playing australia in the bronze medal match, and they're being totally outclassed. it's 6-1. eight minutes left to go in that one. later today, belgium, who beat england in the semifinal, go on to play the netherlands for gold. olympic bronze medallist bianca walkden successfully defended her title at the taekwondo world grand slam. the two—time world champion says she'll spend her prize money on buying another pizzeria. while lauren williams, who also won gold in her weight division earlier, will pay off her parents' mortgage. that's all the sport for now. i'll have more in the next hour. for some time, police have been warning of the growth of large urban gangs who use violence and extortion to trap vulnerable teenagers into helping them deal drugs in rural areas. now dorset police has become one of the first forces in the country to create a specialist unit to tackle the growth of so called

county lines drug dealing. sam everett reports. they carry big machete knives, knives out of my cupboard. they would be lying around the flat, all over the place. john was a victim of a county lines drugs gang. they use their mobile phones to phone you, try to force their way into your place offering you money or drugs. so what is county lines? it is an operation run by gangs in large urban areas. they set up phone lines to take orders for drugs, then they coerce runners to take the drugs across counties are using the drugs across counties using teenagers to avoid detection. in smaller towns, local dealers take over a vulnerable person's home, often by force, and bring the runners to get. the drugs can then be sold and distributed

from a secure location. it is difficult when you are caught up in that sort of thing to say no — you want them out. but they just stick around. please go, kind of thing. they are ruthless, ruthless people. i let my family down, myself down. yeah, i am worried they will come back. john is now off drugs and received help to get rid of the gang, but there's hundreds of other county lines still in operation. the lady who is the tenant there is now deceased, but the property is possibly being taken over by class a drug users. this flat in weymouth was found littered with needles and heroin. located nearby was this, a knife under the side of the bed. teenagers from a london drugs gang were found

inside, they were detained and investigated further. the woman living there was a vulnerable drug user. as suspected, the gang had taken over the home after her mum had died. those persons that are living at those properties, sometimes they are vulnerable through class a misuse themselves, other times it could be through mental health, it could be through poor health, physical disabilities. andy is part of one of the first specialist unit units set up to tackle county lines, using tactics to combat this highly organised form of crime. dedicated officers are stationed in towns where it becomes a problem. they carry out intelligence surveillance on drug gangs and thwart their efforts. that also identify vulnerable people in danger of being targeted and offer them support. even after that person has lost everything, it might be that they have their children taken away, they have lost their house, the drug gangs will continue to exploit them. the national crime agency estimate

there are at least 1,500 other lines operating across england and wales. a serious problem new task forces want to end. sam everett, bbc news. we have got a full weather forecast coming up in a couple of minutes, some bad conditions across the country. 11.7 million people watched the final of strictly come dancing on bbc one last night. the documentary presenter, stacey dooley, won the series with her professional partner, kevin clifton, who'd been a losing finalist on four previous occasions. our arts correspondent david sillito has all the details. it's the final! the strictly final, four couples, three dances and from the very beginning, it was ashley roberts, the former pussycat doll who set the standard.

the big lift from dirty dancing was flawless. ten! the score, perfect tens. and those 40s kept coming. this athletic show dance on a raised and revolving platform. i personally as a dancer feel that you've stretched yourself beyond limits, you've learned techniques you are not familiar with ever before, you have brought to the show a life, a style, and i truly am grateful to you. of course, craig did try to find a fault... i have a small problem with your right toe, darling, but then i decided to get over myself. ten!

not a point was dropped all night. but matching those scores dance after dance was faye tozer. this hollywood glitz in high heels on a very high top hat... at the end of this routine to fever, it was perfect tens across the board. what an end of a journey. wow. wow, this is really high. but when it comes to a journey from being a non—dancer to doing this... ..youtuberjoe sugg was more than holding his own, ending with a charleston. you are the biggest surprise of this series. from a marathon night of dances tonight, you have just got stronger

and stronger and it's an extraordinary amount of work that you have put in and it has paid off, you are a star on this dancefloor. for tvjournalist stacey dooley, it began with a foxtrot. and then an explosive show dance. everything was thrown at it. the crowd loved it! bruno tried to describe it as her greatest hits. your greatest hits. but craig... i wasn't that keen on the dance. it was the lowest score of the night. and even at the end of a paso doble described as having power and passion, she was in fourth place. but this isn't up to the judges! all that matters is what the public thinks, and they saw it rather differently.

stacey and kevin! and even more emotional was her professional dance partner kevin clifton. after five finals, his first strictly victory. so there it is, the winner of this year's glitterball trophy, stacey dooley. david sillito, bbc news. now it's time for a look at the weather, with helen willetts. this was a picture taken this morning of the sunrise, barely a cloud around. what a difference a day makes after yesterday's unusual freezing rain which did cause quite a few problems, particularly for northern england and parts of southern scotland. now we followed that with some snow as well and we still had some snow this morning, but this line of cloud is the weather front that's the problem. we have got more rain coming in but actually as it is all coming

in off the atlantic, it is a milder direction. so, we are losing the wintry weather. storm deirdre is taking away the strongest of the winds. it's been blowing a severe gale again this morning across the northern isles but that is clearing out of the way. this afternoon is looking much calmer here and brighter skies are prevailing. but we do have more showers to come, this afternoon than we have seen this morning across the south—west, southern england into wales. north—west england, probably southern scotland as well and a scattering elsewhere across scotland also, many places will escape and stay dry and temperatures are much higher, particularly across scotland and northern england. now, through the evening and overnight that rain continues eastwards, clears out the way then we have a quieter spell of weather. and then a window of drier and clear weather which means a colder night. these are towns and cities so just about escaping a frost but in the countryside it will be cold enough for some ice to form and a little bit of mist and fog with the lighter winds, and the reason for that is because monday gives us a ridge of high pressure. so, a fairly decent start to our working week. if you do have some christmas shopping still to do, i don't think the weather is going to be particularly nasty.

but if you are heading out and about, just that fog first thing and that does take a time to clear. later in the day, the winds will strengthen for northern ireland, western scotland, ushering in some patchy rain but for the most part, during daylight it is dry and bright. temperatures, as today, up on what they been, so relatively mild feeling, i think, for most of us. in fact, milder still on tuesday because this area of low pressure is driving in and pulling up southerly winds ahead of this rain but it does look a miserable day on tuesday with gales, and severe gale—force winds up through the irish sea, affecting much of scotland. heavy rain pushing its way eastwards as well. after the rain that we had yesterday, we have more to come later today but also tuesday looks particularly wet as that becomes slow—moving, that weather front. but look at those nines and tens. and later in the week, yes, not quite as wet but it is quite mild and unsettled. as ever, we will keep you updated and there is more on the website. bye— bye. hello this is bbc news with ben brown. the headlines: the international trade secretary, liam fox says if it's not possible to find a way to operate the irish backstop that's acceptable to the uk and the eu,

"parliament will have to decide on the alternatives".