ack shegrherrdr— the man who killed appears in court in georgia. shepherd, who's facing extradition back to britain, said his biggest regret is the speedboat ride that ended the life of charlotte brown. we'll have the latest from our correspondent at the court in tblisi. also this lunchtime... the chancellor says some european leaders may be ready to help the uk over the brexit deal by reviewing their red lines on the irish backstop. roger stone — a former adviser to president trump — is charged with witness tampering. venezuela's political crisis — the un warns of catastropic consequences. and could the welsh coast be a haven for one of the world's rarest species of sharks? and coming up in the sport later

in the hour on bbc news: novak djokovic reaches the australian open final. he's chasing a record seventh title there, but will face rafa nadal. good afternoon and welcome to the bbc news at one. jack shepherd — the british man facing extradition after killing a woman in a speedboat crash — has appeared in court in georgia. shepherd turned himself into police there after months on the run, having been convicted at the old bailey of charlotte brown's manslaughter. he told the court he's been suicidally depressed about her death. he'll now be held injail in for at least three months while extradition

proceedings continue. richard galpin reports. the court room in the georgian capital was packed, as jack shepherd was brought in for this, the first hearing in his extradition case, after handing himself in to the authorities in tbilisi earlier this week. the court quickly decided he should be held in prison during the legal process. shepherd having already fled from the authorities in britain. when he spoke, he told the court not a single day passed without him thinking about the death of charlotte brown in the speed boat crash, and the impact of that on her family. charlotte was 2a when she was killed. she was on a first date with shepherd, who took her on his speedboat on a trip on the thames. he let her steer the boat, which is thought to have hit debris in the water and overturned. in the trial in britain injuly,

after shepherd had fled to georgia, he was found guilty of manslaughter. friends, has been unfair. people are looking at him, probably quite unfairly, i think, with the whole running away thing, perhaps. when they're calling him a coward. you could call him a coward, however perhaps he really felt that there was more that could be said for him. i think that a lot of these comments have been very disparaging. back at the court in georgia, the key question is whether shepherd's lawyers will contest britain's request for him to be extradited. we haven't made any specific decision about extradition. but we have some kind of fear that he might have problems in the uk prison, because he received once we studied the documents and the evidence that exists in this

case and no other dangers, we will make a final decision about it. case and no other dangers, we will make a final decision about itm the decision is to try to stop shepherd being extradited, the legal battle here could continue for months. richard galpin, bbc news. our correspondent rayhan dimitrie is at the courthouse in tbilisi. as we heard, he has not yet decided whether to fight extradition. what is likely to happen next? jack shepherd was sent to the prison in the outskirts of tbilisi. has lawyers have said they are awaiting the documents related to this case and after studying this closely, they will decide on the strategy, what to do next. but they reckon that it might take several weeks. they sounded quite confident that nothing will change in the next few

months. one of the lawyers also said that the british authorities want to extradite the process, but the lawyers have a different kind of plan. they want to study the documents. earlier today at the court hearing, jack shepherd was brought in handcuffed, he sat behind that glass box and was waiting to get the translation of the hearing from his interpreter. this is the latest from the court now. thank you very much indeed, rayhan demytrie from the bbc. —— from bbc. —— from tblisi. the chancellor philip hammond has suggested the eu may consider reviewing its position on the backstop, which aims to prevent a return to physical checks on the irish border. mr hammond said he'd heard from european politicians that they wanted to help break the brexit deadlock, although he said they would not compromise on the "fundamental principle" of the backstop itself.

the chancellor has also warned a no deal brexit would cause ‘very deal brexit would cause "very significant disruption" for the uk in the short term. our political correspondent alex forsyth reports. as the global elite gather in davos, one subject is bound to come up, brexit of course. today the chancellor made his views clear on what it would mean if the uk leaves the eu without a deal. there will be very significant destruction in the short term and very significant threat to our economy in the medium to long term. philip hammond said getting a deal was the only option and suggest that while the eu's ruled out any wholesale renegotiation of theresa may troubled plan, on the sidelines, some are suggesting they might help at the uk when it comes to the tricky issue of the irish border. at the uk when it comes to the tricky issue of the irish borderlj do not think the european union will change its fundamental position around the backstop, but what i hear

from european politicians and commentators that i have talked to hearin commentators that i have talked to hear in davos is that there is a process going on off thinking very ha rd process going on off thinking very hard about where the european union has withdrawn its red lines, whether they really need to be in the place that they have been drawn. the backstop is the plan to stop checks on the irish border no matter what. and while there are some hints of possible movement, many in the eu are publicly saying on this crucial issue we are not that willing to budge. i am afraid we have nothing together. an agreement is in agreement and the responsibility of the brexit is clearly on the shoulders of the british government, not on the shoulders of the governments of the eu member states. it is up to the british government to find the right way out. so, it is over the parliament. next week mps will get the chance to shape what comes next. some are trying to prevent the uk leading the saudi deal. others suggest changes to the

backstop mightjust deal. others suggest changes to the backstop might just bring deal. others suggest changes to the backstop mightjust bring them on board with the prime minister's deal, but only if it was releasing the skin. the only thing we would contemplate death the entire backstop was removed from the treaty, it would have to be taken out lock, stock and barrow. i do not know whether the eu would be prepared to do that. but if they are not, then we are not going to support it. mps cannot change the brexit steel themselves, but number ten hopes that if enough get behind one idea such as making significant changes to the backstop, then theresa may can go to the eu and say, give me this, and i can get an agreement through parliament. the problem is that it is not clear what possible compromise would be a cce pta ble possible compromise would be acceptable here and in brussels. last night, attending sandringham women's institute, the queen spoke of the need to find common ground and respect different points of view. she did not mention politics oi’ view. she did not mention politics or brexit, but her words are being

seen or brexit, but her words are being seen as a message to or brexit, but her words are being seen as a message to those engaged in this debate, because even when there seems a tiny step forward, real agreement remain skiers and there is still no clarity about exactly where things are headed. alex forsyth, bbc news. in a moment, we'll speak to adam fleming in brussels, but first to the world economic forum in davos, and our business editor simonjack. simon, what is the significance, really, of what the chancellor has said in davos? he walked into a relentless barrage of anxiety and criticism from companies here, bombardier, ford, a brass yesterday said it was a disgrace that they we re said it was a disgrace that they were still in the dark. —— airbus. he is trying to understand and sympathise with the frustrations and get to a compromise. he is saying to ignore the politics of this, the economics will be easy, but they

have to land somewhere in the middle. the question is, why not extend the time frame, he has said thatis extend the time frame, he has said that is not very helpful. one thing getting people to the wicket is the urgency of the clock ticking down. what about a second referendum he has been asked? he has said that is not good off because parliament is not good off because parliament is not taking its responsibility. he is saying, stick with us, there is still in negotiation going on. that is something that bruno le maire, you have the nappies, he was speaking to us as well, said is not true. he is in a very difficult position. he is saying, stick with us, we know this is difficult, his predecessor george or sponsored during this process is partnered to playing russian roulette with the uk economy. there is no get insight, and this from the business leaders, from speaking to them here, i do not get the sense there is that breakthrough any time soon. thank you for that. let's speak to our correspondent in brussels, adam fleming. what's the latest mood music on brexit where you are? no, there really is not and i would

often will boom philip hammond has been speaking to because those in brussels are not saying what is being said over there, because the people who are teen video, who have written it, are sticking with the deal and the backstop which is in need of austerity. room for changes, potentially any political declaration which get is that the future relationship between the uk and eu any to come. the eu has said that the uk changes its mind in a big way as to the future relationship that it wants it could make changes the political declaration. but that is based on a free—trade agreement, a pretty distant relationship. really, the only direction is to a more closely aligned relationship to that of norway or a more pember —— permanent membership of the customs union, not something that the backbenchers of theresa may's party are looking for.

theresa may's party are looking for. the eu's planning for no deal, they have published draft legislation that would be a bear bones deal to allow planes to fly and uk hauliers to drive in the eu. a group of countries want that legislation to be brought in doubt somewhat, which could be seen as being more generous to the uk. it is not being settled yet but the eu has a dilemma, they wa nt to yet but the eu has a dilemma, they want to mitigate the effects of a no deal which could be damaging to the eu, too, but they do not want to suggest the is a rosy alternative to the deal that is on the table. that is the dilemma we are - to you, adam grapple with. thank you, adam fleming in brussels. well, whisky is a leading british whiskey, one of the uk's most popular exports, made here in scotland,

but sold all over the world. but whilst the whiskey might be unmistakably scottish, what they need to make it is not. so they're stockpiling supplies to make sure production can continue after brexit. we are stockpiling casks from america and spain. america is obviously not in the union, the european union, but it could be affected by logistical issues, coming into the country. we are also stockpiling corks from portugal. we ordered 12,000 the other day, just to see us through a bit. we are only allowed to get 9,000, because we're not the only people stockpiling. but as well as securing what it imports, the industry wants certainty over what it exports. whisky is an industry worth around £5 billion and it accounts for about a fifth of all the food and drink that the uk sells overseas. but exports to europe accounts for just 30%. the rest is sold to lucrative growing markets in asia and the united states. shifting sales there might be easier for larger firms, but the smaller, local distilleries like this, that is more difficult. we hope that we will be able

to export, as i say, as efficiently as we have done previously to europe. we have dealt with many changes to the rules in the period of't'rme with the best will in the world, there'sjust no way we can be ready for the 29th of march. they first started making whisky here in 1836. beating elite wharffimsfixhflufit 1-71.-.