this is bbc news. the headlines at 8. the eu says it won't renegotiate britain's brexit deal, despite the vote at westminster for changes to the so called irish border ‘backstop.’ the withdrawal agreement remains the best and only deal possible. the opinion said so in november. we said so in december. back at westminster, the labour leaderjeremy corbyn, has held talks with theresa may on brexit, and says there'd been a constructive "exchange of views." serious exploratory issues and i set out the labour case for a comprehensive customs union with the european union in order to protect jobs in this country. two seat cushions have washed up on the french coast,

possibly from the plane that disappeared over the channel, carrying the footballer, emiliano sala. and a big freeze hits the us, with arctic conditions sending temperatures down as low as minus 30 celsius. good evening and welcome to bbc news. european leaders have reacted with a flat "no" to the idea of reopening negotations over the controversial irish backstop — despite last night's vote in parliament. the prime minister, however, has said there are several possible alternatives to the backstop and she intends to go back to brussels for talks. the president of the european commission, jean claude juncker, said he would listen to what she had to say but insisted the irish backstop was part and parcel of the brexit deal and would not be changed. in today's main developments: the eu's chief—brexit negotiator, michel barnier, told meps in brussels that the backstop was completely non—negotiable — and is ‘part and parcel‘ of the brexit

deal. tonight, the prime minister spoke on the phone to donald tusk — the president of the european council — the call was described by officials as "open and frank". back at westminster, theresa may and jeremy corbyn met for the first time to discuss brexit — sources say there was a "useful exchange of views" and the pair agreed to meet again soon. let's get more on the day's events from our political editor laura kuenssberg. a different kind of meeting in his diary. the labour leader off to see his biggest rival. the prime minister leaving, not to wrangle conservatives but to talk to him. will the eu make any changes? tea and biscuits served behind closed doors in her private office in parliament, but after an hour of talks, did the prime minister and the labour leader find any common ground? serious, exploratory on the issues and i set out the labour case for a comprehensive customs union with the european union

in order to protectjobs in this country and trade. the cabinet's already promised to redraft the arrangements for northern ireland. ministers will consider if the backstop, that insurance policy against a hard border, could have a time limit or if the uk could leave when it likes. the backstop will have to change at the prime minister will negotiate with her european partners to get the very best deal for britain. or that technology could be found to manage the border instead. but even though she won the vote last night... questions to the prime minister. the problem? the prime minister well knows is that the eu has said no to all that before. the majority in this house voted to maintain the commitment to no hard border between northern ireland and ireland, to leave the european union with a deal, and to set out to the european union what it will take, to ensure that this house can support a deal. that is a change to the backstop. that means there is, at least, for now, different mood

here. tory backbenchers more used to tearing each other apart over brexit, for once, backing her. if she can get brussels to budge. tell the european union there is a majority in this house for that deal, and i would ask my colleagues to give the prime minister space. they're not going to crumble, tomorrow, we're going to have to hold our nerve and we can be successful. remember, the prime minister only narrowly got this place on side, last night. because she made a promise that she would get part of her brexit deal changed. but wanting something to happen and making it happen are very different things. and as far as the eu's top brass are concerned, at least in public, all 28 countries shook hands on the agreement, including the so—called backstop, so a deal is a deal, for now. the withdrawal agreement remains the best and only deal possible. the european union said so in november. we said so in

december. the withdrawal agreement will not be renegotiated. there is no hiding their irritation. is that the way you can solve a problem of a magnitude? is that the way to do that? is that the way you do that? there is, every day changing your opinion! listening to that, it's hard to imagine there is any move to give the prime minister what she wants fast. but if there is to be a deal, one side or the other, in the end, will have to give. in a moment we'll get the latest from wetminster and alex forsyth, but first to damian grammaticas in brussels. a p pa re ntly apparently there is an open and frank funk call this evening, that is what it says here which basically means it was bad temper

at. that is right. diplomatic code when people say diplomatic and frank they mean at least a robust exchange of views, and direct, we know donald tusk can be very direct and we know that he a p pa re ntly be very direct and we know that he apparently we had been told said that you could not keep tossing what the uk wanted as a solution —— not that european union cannot keep guessing. it'll be up to buk to come forward with new ideas and ones that secure a majority in parliament, so thatis secure a majority in parliament, so that is what he delivered as a message and it was delivered as well at the rate in the european parliament today. —— asthma in the european parliament today. they said they do not know what they united kingdom once, at negotiate a deal with delicate and has now got parliament to tell her to come back and change it so he said he is really ready to discuss or look at alternatives. they do not know what those are. ok, thank

you for that. nancy alex at westminster. the suggestion is there a bad tempered talks between contest tusk and three for native evening, but there is there a firm belief, certainly among many conservative mps that that european union well at some point crack. a perspective from westminster and from inside number ten is different to that that we are hearing from muscles at the moment and the reason is best. number ten believes parliament proved with his belt last night that there is something it can rally behind. number ten thinks it's offered parity to the situation and is effectively parliament saying if you make changes to the backstop and we will get behind that prime gas prime minister deal and that is a three from that he is able to reopen conversation with baffles because from her perspective there is now a clear position —— theresa may. watching watching her from that eu and bethel if they do not believe there is about clarity because there

has not been any specified detail about what alternate arrangements to that backstop may be. but we'll see over the quest that backstop may be. but we'll see over the guest at the next few days if they continued round of telephone diplomacy from teresa may trying to have conversations with her turned her counterparts whether they are open and frank are bad tempers who knows but trying to see whether there may be some scope 15 —— same time continuing the approach whereby she is having conversations with mp including jam equipment to select content that can be built and crucially 1028 left and said. she is still trying to find a way out. the real pressure in all of the time. she had imposed upon her thumb a few weeks back bring something bumpy for pilate except mine is running short to find a way through this very difficult situation —— so time is running short. two seat cushions that have washed up on a beach in france are likely to have come from the missing plane that was taking the footballer, emiliano sala, to cardiff — that's according to air accident investigators. if confirmed, it will be the first debris to be found

since the aircraft disappeared from radar over guernsey in the english channel nine days ago. 0ur correspondent jon donnison reports. could this french beach hold the clues to the missing plane carrying emiliano sala and his pilot, david ibbotson? these unverified photos, taken by a woman who was taking a walk, are thought to show one of two seat cushions, which investigators believe came from the aircraft. the small plane disappeared nine days ago, en route from nantes to cardiff. radar contact was lost near the island of alderney. the cushions were found washed up near surtainville in normandy — around 35 miles east of guernsey. earlier this week, emiliano sala's family, who've hired a private search company, arrived in the channel islands from argentina and took a flight over the area where their son disappeared. at last night's cardiff match at arsenal, there were more tributes, but more than a week after emiliano sala and his pilot disappeared, investigators believe there is virtually no chance

they're still alive. jon donnison, bbc news. people across large areas of the united states have been warned of a "once—in—a—generation" blast of arctic air due to hit much of the country over the next few days. it's caused by a spinning pool of cold air known as the polar vortex — and it could bring temperatures as low as minus 50 degrees celsius. it's thought at least 55 million people will experience sub—zero temperatures, and it's affecting the midwest region as well as the usually milder southern states of alabama and mississippi. richard galpin reports. chicago early this morning. a beautiful sight, but today it is as cold as the arctic. the big freeze here and across the midwest, the worst in a generation. more than ten states have been hit by this extreme weather, and on the roads, it is proving to be lethal. cars are

in the other pick—ups. there's people hurt. for those caught out in the punishing cold there are many other dangers. frostbite setting in within ten minutes. if you don't need to be outside at this time, don't go outside. the temperatures today are not to be ta ken lightly, these are actually a public health risk. in some areas, people who have ventured out had been told by the authorities not to take deep breaths and to minimise talking. breathing in extremely cold air can cause medical problems. and all this the result of the polar vortex, a blast of cold air which has arrived over a large area of the united states. essentially, arctic air has broken away from the very far north and drifted far south into the midwest with temperatures down to —30 degrees at night.

on top of that there is a wind, the wind chills are down to —50 which is incredibly dangerous. frostbite in minutes. while some children were still going to school yesterday, in chicago, 360,000 students have now been told to stay at home. and to keep the trains running railway staff have been setting fire to the tracks to stop metal contracting. experts believe this extreme weather could affect the area for weeks, with big swings in temperature. forecasters are predicting by the weekend it could be 10 degrees here in chicago, and this, the experts say is consistent with climate change. andy potter is a teacher from minnesota in the mid west, who's had the day off school because it's —40 degrees celsius. thank you

forjoining us. it is good to see you. i cannot begin to imagine what —40 feels like. you have sunday but it like. -- shown me. i have a bucket of water and i will show you the fact that what happens when hot weather hits the cold air but it is pretty brutal out there. off you go. let's do it. i had my assistant, my daughter to help me out. l. l, right. 0k. l, right. ok. so as soon as the water goes out, it hits the cold air and turns to steam. if is actually ice. or it is probably the snow. can you hear me, and he could yell yes, ican hearyou.

you hear me, and he could yell yes, i can hearyou. i you hear me, and he could yell yes, i can hear you. ifinished the latter hit the ice it turns into ice? i think it turns to vapour, basically. right. you're going to show me what happens with a bottle of water as well, though on dan. 0h, my word. that being if i am slightly concerned about you because you look at if you just have your gym clothes on and some old sweatshirt. get in the warmth. i am getting worried. it is very, very cold out there. is this anything you have experienced before in your life could out now, nothing like that. i grew up in 0regon nothing like that. i grew up in oregon and lived in minnesota for about 11 years and if the cold and has been since i had been here and i think for a lot of people in the event i think it's better than a na 11: event i think it's better than a narc “— event i think it's better than a narc —— impacted by. event i think it's better than a

narc -- impacted by. i backed, and a p pa re ntly narc -- impacted by. i backed, and apparently it is all because of that letter that you would normally have swelling around antarctica is heading your way like as. —— swelling around antarctica is heading your way like as. -- lucky ask. how long will you be off from school click yellow we were out yesterday, today and tomorrow morning. i think it is supposed to be —25 when we get up, felt tempted i will probably have a little bit at a delay, but no school closure. we can't take it. you can't handle it. it is good to see that you're keeping your chain up anyway. thank you to you and your little assistant for selling just how horrible it is out there and how cold it is —— thank you for showing ask. thank you for having me. my word, it is chilly. the headlines on bbc news: the head of the european commission, says a renegotiation of theresa may's brexit deal, will not happen, despite a mandate from the commons, for changes to provisions on the so called irish backstop. meanwhile the labour leader,

jeremy corbyn, has met the prime minister for brexit talks, described as a ‘useful exchange of views'. two cushions that have washed up on the french coast, are thought to belong to the plane carrying the premier league footballer, emiliano sala, which went missing over the channel. sport now, and for a full round up, from the bbc sport centre. that evening to you. bad news because i would start by bringing you up—to—date with all the latest from two nights premier league action. i did know that with liverpool having the opportunity to extend their lead of a manchester city to seven points and again against plastic taking off at eight o'clock. it has taken friday or on to make minute and two seconds to give the report of the basque belly. her brittle and have fun because as well. liverpool lead. elsewhere...

...0ne well. liverpool lead. elsewhere... 0ne game in the scottish premiership tonight, the leaders at celtic open up a six six—point lead of arrangers in kilmarnock still goeth in their game at home in rangers are 2—0 up in their game in the scottish cup. staying in scotland, near landing has left his position as head coach by mutual consent. the cloud say he has not been sacked or resigned after being suspended friday following an exchange of several cloud employees. ina exchange of several cloud employees. in a statement in the fabian investigation was to allow for an internal review, but there'll be no further disciplinary process. if assistant has also left the cloud. just over 2a hours to go until the january transfer window closes and arsenal had sent —— find denis suarez online at the end of the season. suarez online at the end of the season. they have the option to make the new permit for £18 million in the new permit for £18 million in the summer. a former manchester city player will link a button. click it

and then had dropped opening batsman keithjennings for their and then had dropped opening batsman keith jennings for their second half against the left bass with india. he has struggled for form recently only managing 201017 and 1a in the first test in barbados. bentley comes into this button explains, yet it changed the stereotype of each and through it -- still the stereotype of each and through it —— still her pride included in the 12 man squad with the second test starting tomorrow. the mac coming into this game after last week's performance it is very easy to panic and think we need to have a people the team and that is not the case. i think the i'd like extremely hard. we're in a position where we are 1—0 down in the series and be like to do something about that. i feel it is a great opportunity for delta, and chilly and show what he can do. there will be a new face for wales in the six nations. her insight at scrum half of gareth davis and partnered by his kind of

put his team—mate back, only three changes made for the team which beat south africa in november as wales who finished second in the six nations last year and aim to build on their nine bytes —— nine match winning streak. we feel he is a play at the future. he knows he has a few things to work on but he can't lovely pictures in the end. a little bit of the x factor about him as well. he has some real strength and depth at the moment in terms of gareth and that means he can bear. —— in terms of the things that he can do. we are still looking for improvement in that position as well. the first british skiers when both parent and world titles. they took gold today in the remains bound health for the visually impaired hearing in the broad parents being changed —— championships in italy adding to their gold medals at the 0lympic adding to their gold medals at the olympic games in pyongyang last year. the

tributes have been paid to sala and his former cloud. —— his former cloud. the press not think he will pass his printing for bed. all of the team will have his name on the back of their sharp and you can see, almost 20 minutes and it is still bullets but a lovely touch there. that is all of this but from 110w. “— there. that is all of this but from now. —— it is still goldleaf. let's get more on the reaction from europe, to theresa may's plan to try to get changes to the irish backstop in her brexit deal, after last night's vote in the commons. we will speak to an mep a member at the basic steering committeejoining us from brussels. thank you for being with us. it is good to see you again. we know donald tusk and jean—claude yunker had made it clear

that the policy at the european union as it stands is that there will be no renegotiation of three from a's brexit deal. do you believe thatis from a's brexit deal. do you believe that is the best maple rate bonds teresa may? we do not know any british proposal for that. teresa may? we do not know any british proposalfor that. three for may and her government had agreed to let me have on the table. she is not able to bring a majority. he did know not —— we do not know for what she can have a majority. every constructive solution was voted down and they sent her back with the same message as they did already three times. what is the biggest position? i think before they talk to brussels they should talk to each other.m is clear that the british position is. the british parliament does not believe that the provisions related to the backstop work as far as the british people are concerned. first of all, this was the british proposalfor of all, this was the british proposal for this type of customs

union. we had at their proposals. secondly, you have a coalition at brexiteers and remainders who will destroy brexiteers and remainders who will d estroy a ny brexiteers and remainders who will destroy any possibility of a constructed agreement so as long as thatis constructed agreement so as long as that is not solved and in three yea rs that is not solved and in three years the leader of the opposition in the government would not talk to each other, cannot reach their own proposal and showed that's what it isa proposal and showed that's what it is a constructive, positive solution and then we can talk about that.“ the choice is between a no—deal brexit and other possible mind that the deal, not only to the british economy but to the european union economy but to the european union economy as well, if the choice is between a no—deal brexit and renegotiating the backstop, do you believe brussels will go for a no—deal brexit? believe brussels will go for a no-deal brexit? the integrity of the internal market is more important than any type of brexit. we will not destroy the integrity of the internal market, that is perfectly known since two or three years in the uk, and you can

use every check. we will sent to ireland, and the promises —— stick to ireland, the agreements must be accepted and perhaps there be other proposals for the backstop and we had to make very sure that we are already in a transition period when the withdrawal agreement is ready, because in to have been four years trying to negotiate a defect agreements. if you want to go further but are open for that. here you have to move in a certain way. it will not destroy the european union in order to ablate a hard brexit. you believe it seems that as positions stand today, by the time we reached much of this year and the uk release the european union it will be on a no deal

—— basis. uk release the european union it will be on a no deal -- basis. it could happen, and therefore i think the british government and parliament should show us where the majority is a positive, constructive proposal, not going back to negotiate. about it in your garden to come up with a proposal. what does a no—deal brexit mean for you in germany? brexit was always negative, but much more negative in any case for the united kingdom. you see that companies believe the united kingdom, including airbus and other companies. car companies will do so. 7% of the european union trade because to the united kingdom, but 44% at british trade because of the european union and the 27. brexit lot is only a disaster, but we never give up brexit lot is only a disaster, but we never give up our brexit lot is only a disaster, but we never give up our structure, our interest and the integrity and our internal market. are you convinced

both statistics content —— concerning trade about the possible effects on the economy will be what eventually shapes this withdrawal bill and shapes this bill? and eventually leads to the uk backing down, you believe? you have to know that britain have to look at his interest and not just at europe's and not just at interest and not just at europe's and notjust at europe's interest. here they have to check the situation as it is. we do not like brexit, i had fed it in parliament today, but we will not destroy the european union in order to ablate a ha rd european union in order to ablate a hard brexit. that must be very clear to the united kingdom —— ablate a high brexit. he was put together and go forward as 27 and we are ready for a go forward as 27 and we are ready forafair go forward as 27 and we are ready for a fair deal, but not at the cost of destroying ourselves. what about the possibility of a three—minute on the possibility of a three—minute on the backstop? because we know the european union does not want to implement it anyway. what about a

three minute? if you make fire insurance you can have a time limit before it that thunderstorm comes, thatis before it that thunderstorm comes, that is not a way. right now believe that is not a way. right now believe that no what about technology being used at the border to keep it open between you and south? what about that? that is one of the proposal being fed —— put forward by the british. technology is not approved, it is not ready, if there is not a way to do that. 80% of ireland trade goes through dublin and continued that for other grades, that is not a new line of the irish sea and national border, that is all

propaganda. if britain comes back with a proposal he might find a way but come back with a proposal that might have a majority. as far as you are concerned it seems to be the only way for it is the backstop as it is now or being from number at the customs union. now, the proposal just explained that control of how it is not... the customs union with your proposal, not our proposal. we had not proposed to have a customs union. it is your proposal. come up with a medicine which is easier. we had made such proposals and therefore i believe and i repeat again, and a coalition of high brexiteers who did not want to have any agreement with the european union and remainders who do not want to have any agreement because they help in the last moment to get a referendum. so long as this expands, it stops every

compromise —— so long as they stand. there is no majority in the house of commons and here it must be proved that there is. and at the brexit steering committee thank you very much. thank you and all of the best for you. more snow is expected across large parts of the uk tonight — on what could be the coldest night of the winter so far — manchester and liverpool airports were closed for a while this morning because of snow and ice — and hundreds of schools shut their doors across the north west of england. schools in scotland and wales were also affected. 0ur correspondent judith moritz reports waking up to a white out around 6:00 this morning, drivers were onlyjust getting over the m62, roads across the northwest became increasingly difficult. in many places, the rush hour slowed down to a near halt. there was more disruption at the airports, at manchester, both runways were closed. passengers venting

their frustrations. we've been here now on the runway for almost five hours at manchester. still no signs of movement, or if we're going to get going today. it's not a good situation. tractors were used to clear the snow, and by mid—morning, one of the runways had reopened, but there have been diversions and delays. with the roads so treacherous, there was little work for school crossing patrols, more than 200 schools closed in north west england. pupils told to stay home, and their parents to make childcare plans. i'm trying tojuggle being a mum, and working today, so yeah, it's quite hard. you weren't supposed to be off today, you've had to take the day? i had to take that day off, yeah, so yeah, i'm going to work tonight when the kids have gone to bed. that's when i'm going to make up my time. the uk's population of snowmen increased today, as children took advantage of the time at home. and this weather presenter had a bus men's holiday. the bbc forecaster simon king, not wanting to miss

the fun. from the air, lancashire looked incredibly beautiful, but there are many in the region hoping that the conditions return back to normal as soon as possible. well, ben rich from the bbc weather centre is here. we'll talk more about the weather here shortly, but first of all to the united states where they're experiencing temperatures of minus a0 degrees celsius. they are calling it a once in a generation event, and it makes what we have here and coming up look minuscule in comparison. what has been going on, no great surprise i suppose, a plains of really cold air that has been pushing all the way down from the arctic. you may remember us talking ago about something called sudden stratospheric warning where a blob of cold air high in the stratosphere spilt out of the stratospheric southwards and what seems to have happen is the air lower down in the atmosphere had been dragged along

and followed suit. you can see those bitterly cold conditions have spread down across the us and if that well below average down to the gulf coast, but across the midwest think thatis coast, but across the midwest think that is where they have been feeling the real brunt of this. the temperature in chicago at the moment at about —25 degrees in the middle of the day, middle of the afternoon for them. if it does not get above 9024 that will be a new record date client hi, sell extraordinary temperatures —— if it does not get above —24. frozen members and canals, i think people have been advised not to breathe too deeply because it is the bitterness of the cold, frostbite will set in within no time at all. —38 the temperature there, the overnight low last night believe it or not and you're out on the windshield and it has been feeling more like —40, —50 degrees. i suppose the question is what is going to happen next. i'll show

you some city forecast. this is the jallet of us weather because look at chicago, —25 this afternoon and by the time we get into the weekend by fending up to 11 celsius above freezing, it is crazy. these are the kinds of back in north america, such a big continent, are influenced, ocean influences, the pacific and atla ntic ocean influences, the pacific and atlantic sell things canceling dramatically and very quickly and compared with —25 cell 11 degrees above freezing but feel tropical for them side by megabytes. what about them side by megabytes. what about the forecast for here? although i have to say they may be some trouble ahead even for us here clive we will take a look at the forecast here at home, and yeah, we've got some relatively cold air in place here, nothing like the bitter chill that's affecting north america, you can see that cold air in places. a swell of wind is an area of low pressure sighting into

the picture, and you probably don't need me to tell you called play weather, plus wet weather equal snow. we will see snow over the next 24 to 48 hours. so, the potential for snow, but not only that, ice and fog, a combination that could well give travel problems during tomorrow, and on into friday. for the time being, its pretty quiet out there, lots of dry weather and some clear styles, some winter showers across northern western scotland, a few into other western fringes, but the main thing tonight is the temperature is, they are going to plummet. no, that's not a mistake, —15 degrees looks likely across a good part of highland scotland. so, we start off tomorrow morning very cold, frosty, icy conditions, and also some freezing fog patches as well through southern scotla nd fog patches as well through southern scotland and down into the midlands particularly. going through today, lots of dry weather spells and sunshine, notice behind me here, a frontal system starts to slide into the southwestern, initially some rain, but you can see here, some potential for that to turn into snow. especially over the

high ground and into south wales as well. temperatures 2—6d, as we go into tomorrow evening, watch the way this rain, yes, but also sleet, and increasingly snow, spreads its way northwards across south and east wales, into the midlands, the london area could well see some snowfall, perhaps into east anglia we could see a little bit of snow as well. how much snow will he get? by the time we get friday morning, these are the kinds of amounts you can expect. quite widely1—4 cm in these areas, but a little bit more i think the most snow likely across the southeastern parts of wales, 10— 15 cm. that's going on, quite a few wintry showers pushing across northeast and then, still snow showers across northern scotland, and it's going to be another cold night. not as cold, but still quite chilly, especially across the northern half of the uk. so lying snow and ice could cause problems for some during friday morning, that first area snowfall tends to fizzle away, but to have a look down to the

south coast, we could well see another area of rain, sleet, snow, just pivoting its way in, that could get a fresh covering of snow and places, some wintry showers as well to the northwest and northeast, another cold healing day. as we had to the weekend though, things will slowly start to quiet down, and into next weekend, it does look like it's turning a little bit milder. meantime, snow, ice, fog could travel —— because travel problems. stay tuned for more in the forecast. hello this is bbc news with clive myrie. the headlines. the head of the european commission, says a renegotiation of theresa may's brexit deal, will not happen, despite a mandate from the commons, for changes to provisions on the so called irish ‘backstop.’ the withdrawal agreement remains the best and only deal possible. the european union said so in november, we said so in december. meanwhile the labour leader, jeremy corbyn, has met

the prime minister for brexit talks, and described the meeting as a ‘useful exchange of views‘. they‘ve had two and a half years to negotiate this. they‘ve delayed debate after debate, decision after decision. two cushions that have washed up on the french coast, are thought to belong to the plane carrying the premier league footballer, emiliano sala, which went missing over the channel. and an arctic freeze has brought severely cold temperatures to parts of the u,s falling to minus 30 celsius. the growing number of children and young people with special needs,has led to councils overspending on their budgets, by hundreds of millions. let‘s get more now on today‘s brexit developments. mps have called on the prime minister to seek legally binding amendments to the irish backstop. but, the eu says the backstop is non—negotiable. so, clearly a difficult road ahead for the prime minister. what are her options and how long has she got left

to try to sort it all out? 0ur deputy political editorjohn pienaar has been trying to find out. theresa may‘s won a little more time. her hopes of a last ditch brexit breakthrough haven‘t died yet. her problems though, are still piled high. her directions from mps, the ones she wanted, aren‘t taking the plan she agreed to for managing the irish border, the so—called backstop plan, that she insisted, until yesterday, was the best she could get. and getting the eu to abandon demands they‘re still standing by. welljudge for yourself, just now it looks almost like mrs may‘s mission impossible here, and in talks with eu leaders. in europe, obstacles where ever she turns. first, is there any way around the now famous irish backstop? that would keep the uk under eu customs rules, and northern ireland closer to avoid stops and checks on the eu‘s irish border. that‘s if there‘s no final trade deal ready after any brexit transition time.

mps want mrs may to agree an alternative, but brussels says, there isn‘t one. back home of course, brexiters and the dup say checks could happen away from the border, trade could be tracked with new systems, new technology, getting around the backstop might just might unlock ideal. but brussels says the technology doesn‘t exist. and even if the eu gave ground, and there‘s no sign of that, reopening the brexit divorce deal could open up new problems. spain could renew its claims on gibraltar. france might veto any new deal. the eu is clear, it would shift position if mrs may went for a brexit closer to europe. staying under eu customs rules say, but that‘s not a true brexit according to mrs may, and anyway, just imagine that reaction of brexiters back at westminster. mrs may will be back in the commons in around a fortnight, and it could be tough. if she can‘t win concessions from the eu, brexiters

are still threatening to vote down her deal. 0ther critics on all sides could well try again to take control of brexit. force her to delay brexit day on march the 29th, and next time unhappy ministers might resign and join the rebellion, as things stand, mrs may will be back in the commons, reporting a deal if she somehow, against all odds, gets one next month. and if no deal is agreed, she will report back to mps. a day ahead of a big debate and crucial vote the next day, valentine‘s day. but don‘t expect much affection in between rival factions, rival parties, or for that matter towards mrs may. if britain seems closer to the outcome that many fear, a no deal brexit. john pienaar there. so all eyes are on the irish border, and how to solve the issue of the backstop. ireland will be one of eu states most affected after brexit, given that it shares a land border with the uk, and relies heavily on its trading relationship with britain.

0ur ireland correspondent emma vardy‘s been to dublin to see how people and businesses are preparing. at ireland‘s biggest port, they‘re not hanging around to see what kind of brexit we‘ll end up with. work is already under way, to be ready for a potential no deal. so, we‘ve set about providing and building the infrastructure for that. by the 29th of march, this year, we will have spent 30 million euros on dublin port and there will be changes to supply chains, which would shift goods from one trade route to another trade route. we can‘t be in any way definitive on what that might look like. other than that, it would be much less efficient. at the moment, goods coming from britain into dublin port can leave almost immediately. but now, new inspection posts are being built and hundreds of extra customs officers are being recruited. the process for british goods arriving here could change. but this is a glimpse

of the post—brexit future, because after we leave the eu, the lorries will come off the ferries and drive into this newly—constructed area for the additional customs and regulatory checks to take place. after last night‘s vote, the irish government issued its starkest economic warning yet, saying brexit could cost ireland 50,000 jobs and a 4% cut in gdp. we‘ve looked at the opportunities to stockpile some ingredients and to stockpile some finished products, both here and in the uk. in the case of ingredients, there are limits to what we can do. a no deal exit, at the end of march, would be a disasterfor this business and it will be a disaster, for the entire irish food industry. this brexit road show is helping businesses prepare, but while the irish backstop, the plan to avoid a hard border, stands in the way of a deal, the future‘s unclear for everyone. you know, we've been doing a lot of preparation,

but we still don't know what we're doing the preparation for. "get rid of the backstop", comes the message from westminster‘s brexiteers. but ireland‘s holding firm. i'm very sorry for theresa may, but it seems to me that the unity of the conservative party has become more important than anything else. do you think ireland should agree to an alternative now, on the backstop? no, i don‘t, because i think that the principles are kind of clear and i don‘t see why it‘s the job of the irish to sort of cave in. still, pressure on ireland grows, as the british government asks for a lifeline, that it argues keeps everyone afloat. emma vardy, bbc news, dublin. let‘s get some more thoughts from europe and speak to bojan pancevski, germany correspondent for the wall streetjournal, based in berlin thank you forjoining us, do you

detect any late or hope from where you are in germany, that perhaps the european union might be willing to have another look at the withdrawal agreement, given that the british parliament has given a clear mandate to theresa may to try to get brussels to relook this. while i think there is a caricature in british public opinion that germanyjust remote in british public opinion that germany just remote controls in british public opinion that germanyjust remote controls the european union, so it‘s important to say that that‘s not true. it‘s certainly not at this late stage of mess angela michael‘s rule, she‘s not as powerful and influential as she used to be, so i think it‘s an illusion to expect that she can unilaterally alter the entire process. what i do detect however, his concern for the economic impact ofa his concern for the economic impact of a no—deal brexit, i don‘t think that that‘s something anyone wants, certainly not the countries that have very intense trade with the

united kingdom, and germany obviously is a champion exporter, so they are affected already, they slashed their growth forecast for this year by half today. they cited that brexit as one of the key reasons for that happening. so i think is definitely concerned, there‘s definitely readiness to kind of think creatively, together with the rest of the european union members, but how would that, i don‘t think they will open the withdrawal agreement, maybe there is some hope for charismatic changes, and obviously, ireland is a key country in this. i don‘t think the irish, you know, ithink in this. i don‘t think the irish, you know, i think it‘s absolutely true that people stand united behind ireland, so any solution would have to be endorsed by the irish government, or even, it would be from them. writes, does that mean then, that you believe that we are

having, or getting a little bit closer to possibly e—mail deal brexit? the people i talked to and the senior level here and in brussels, some of them think that we are approaching a default option of actually postponing article 15, because i think that rather than have this kind of cataclysmic scenario, the british government could in fact postpone the implementation of article 50, that would require, you know, obviously a lot of work back in westminster, but it is doable, it‘s possible, it would cause a bit of a travesty, because britain will have to pull european elections, and send mps back to brussels, but it will have to be done i think. all right, ok. we will leave it there. thanks for talking to us. get to talk to you. the number of children and young people entitled to special needs assistance in england is growing fast, not only do they need support but they need help for longer. and it means that councils are having to spend far more

than they planned to to try to help them. according to figures obtained by the bbc, councils in england have already overspent their budgets by more than 324 million pounds since last april. 0ur education editor branwen jeffreys has been to dorset, one of the areas struggling. i‘ll check for hens... six—year—old malachi hasn‘t been in school since last september. his dad, alexander, has had to take unpaid time off work. malachi faces extra challenges, including epilepsy and autism, but as yet, no special school place has been found, even though a care plan sets out legally what this little boy needs. malachi struggles every single day of his life because he‘s not getting the provisions and the support that he needs, so i think the impact is immeasurable. i think he feels rejected because he can‘t understand why he can‘t go to school like every other child. they‘re not the only family in this desperate situation.

dorset is one of many councils that seriously struggle with demand. overspent on special needs. this is one way they‘re trying to manage costs. some are old and some of are new. some are sad... charlie is in a new special ‘pod‘ added to a mainstream primary school. it gives him a balance that allows him to cope. it‘s quite exciting. i‘m quite happy. i normally like going into other classes, but i do like being here in the pod. a sensory room is one way they help children with autism, better for charlie, but the council has a problem now. costs are rising faster than its budget for high needs education, an overspend getting bigger every year. so, why is there such pressure on special needs budgets across england? well, it‘s partly because children who get a care plan at this age could still have the legal right to support until the age of 25. in dorset, this conservative councillor says they are running out of options. it is a multi—million pound

problem. up until now, it really has been a case of drawing on reserves and measures to offset it and reorganising budgets in order to be able to cope with it, but there is a breaking point and dorset is not alone as an authority in recognising that day of reckoning will be coming very, very soon. what groom are we going to be giving him today, 0scar? we are going to give him a full groom. at 17, 0scar‘s now an apprentice, doing work he loves with horses. thanks to help from school. support his mum told me he still needs as 0scar becomes an adult. and to work. it would be incredibly sad to support a young person until they‘re 16 and then say, "that‘s it!", because life goes on beyond 16 and i think some of the most critical period is 16 and beyond. in my career, my education doesn't stop, i still have to do all sorts of written exams, even if it's just stuff to help with starting a business or whatever you want to do, i think it's so important

because i need that support much of england faces the same challenge as dorset. the government says it‘s listening — £250 million extra over two years. none of that will stop the costs from rising. branwen jeffreys, bbc news. a man who tried to smash a car window with a "zombie knife" has been jailed after appealjudges overturned his "lenient" sentence. joshua gardner, who was filmed using the weapon in a croydon street, originaally received a two—year suspended sentence, which the attorney general referred to the court of appeal. he has now beenjailed for three and a half years. three teenagers have been arrested after a 17—year—old boy was stabbed to death in a street attack in north london. the suspects are aged between 16 and 18. it‘s the fifth fatal stabbing in the capital this year. venezuela‘s president nicolas maduro has dismissed calls for new presidential elections. mass protests against maduro are taking place in venezuela, called by opposition leader juan guaido, who declared himself interim president

last week. the us and more than 20 other nations are backing guaido. you are watching bbc news, our top stories this evening. the head of the european commission, says a renegotiation of theresa may‘s brexit deal, will not happen, despite a mandate from the commons, for changes to provisions on the so called irish ‘backstop.‘ meanwhile the labour leader, jeremy corbyn, has met the prime minister for brexit talks, described as a ‘useful exchange of views‘. two cushions that have washed up on the french coast, are thought to belong to the plane carrying the premier league footballer, emiliano sala, which went missing over the channel. an update on the market numbers for you, here‘s how london‘s a bit of cheer, up 1.58%, that backs down slightly. 15 minutes or so

before closing on wall street, the dow and nasdaq are both up. friends, the us sitcom that finished almost 15 years ago, is still the favourite tv programme for young people in the uk. the show was first broadcast in 1994, meaning many of the young people still watching it weren‘t even born when it was released. but it‘s still available to watch on tv channel comedy central and on netflix, with many younger viewers preferring to watch it on their mobile. s0, what makes the show so appealing to younger audiences? we can speak to lucia keskin she‘s a youtuber known as chi with a c, and a self—confessed friends super fan. she made a spoof version of the entire first episode of the show, including the opening titles, where she played all the characters. it‘s had nearly a million views on youtube. hello tia, thanks very much indeed for joining hello tia, thanks very much indeed forjoining us. first of all, what‘s the attraction of friends?

ijust the attraction of friends? i just love that, it‘s always benign, and i‘ve watched it since i was little, really. it‘sjust so funny. you say it so funny, who is your favourite character? phoebe. phoebe is very funny actually, it‘s been a long time since i‘ve seen it i have to say. you‘ve recreated an episode, let‘s have a look at it. # so no one told you life was gonna be this way # # you‘rejobs a joke, you‘re broke, your love life‘s doa # # it‘s like you‘re always stuck in second gear # # when it hasn‘t been your day, your week, your month # # or even your year, but i‘ll be there for you # i think he needed more gusto in the vocals to be honest. give it a bit more rally. how long have you been watching it than? well, i‘ve been watching it since i was a baby. then i mainly

started watching it probably when i was like 12, properly. i‘ve always grown up knowing what it was. ok, what about your friends, knowing what it was. ok, what about yourfriends, are knowing what it was. ok, what about your friends, are they into it? knowing what it was. ok, what about yourfriends, are they into it? your friends, are they into it, at they pa rt friends, are they into it, at they part of this movement that seems to suggest that lots of young people wa nt suggest that lots of young people want this programme? element eve ryo ne want this programme? element everyone i know really watches that to be honest, it‘s not one of those things that you say have you watch this? ijust this? i just know that this? ijust know that my this? i just know that my friends always watched friends. right, and so you say it‘s because it‘s funny, it‘s interesting, doesn‘t tell you anything about america? do you get anything about america? do you get anything deeper than the jokes and the laughs from it? or is that all that‘s needed? i guess itjust makes america a laugh. laughing all right, 0k, we believe that there. thank you so much for that, and i‘m really glad you are enjoying friends, thank you forjoining us. good to see a goodbye.

youtube, goodbye. 0k, ok, it's ok, it‘s time to move on from that. churchill called that his strongest link, pilots from the airfield shot down almost 1500 loop welfare aircraft, and when the museum has opened its stress to the public to tell the story of the raf aircrews who are based there. our correspondent has more. if an air battle can have a front line, the skies over biggin hill was it. in 1940, raf pilots held that line against the germans, including the late geoffrey welham. i always felt that if i could see my antagonist, i could out fire him in a spitfire, and that was the big thing. see him, out fly him, fight him. biggin hill‘s new museum now tells these stories for the first time. like elspeth henderson, who hid under a table during one

attack. the bomb bounced off the table itself before exploding. the blast shattered the glass and the windows and the plotting table before setting the building on fire. 0r geoffrey greensmith, who met a wounded german pilot after he was shot down. he had photographs of his two children. one was the same age as me. that upset me. yeah, it still does. but biggin hill wasn‘tjust a place about aircraft and bombs. through these letters, it also became the location for romance and love. lillian simpson and keith 0gilvy stayed sweethearts by writing, even when he became a german prisoner of war. we don‘t talking in the language of victor and villain, we are sharing people‘s real human experiences and, hopefully, inspiring our visitors by showcasing the very best of human spirit.

biggin hill stood for defiance — an airfield and its people who saved britain. duncan kennedy, bbc news. apple boss, tim cook, has hinted it could lower iphone prices in some places in an attempt to boost falling sales. revenue from the iphone, responsible for most of the firm‘s profits, fell 15 percent in its latest financial quarter. they were already britain‘s most successful winter pa ralympians now menna fitzpatrick and her guide jen kehoe have become the first british skiers to win both paralympic and world titles. the pair won gold in the women‘s downhill for visually impaired skiers at the world para—skiing championships in italy, adding to their gold medals last year in the slalom event at pyeongchang. now it‘s time for a look at the weather with ben rich. good evening.

there is a lot going on with our weather over the next couple of days. a combination of snow, ice, and indeed freezing fog, which could well cause some travel problems during tomorrow and on into friday. so tune into your bbc local radio station for details where you are. during tonight, things for many of us are pretty quiet. still some snow showers feeding in across northern and northwestern parts of scotland. a few for other western fringes, the breeze strengthening in the far southwest later on. for most of us, a very cold night, all the way down to —15 degrees across some rural spots in scotland. now, we go into tomorrow, it could be some freezing fog to contend with, most especially across parts of northern england, down into the midlands. a lot of dry sunny weather, but we bring this band of rain into the southwest. that starting to turn to snow, especially over high ground, but even to lower levels through the west country, into south wales. temperatures around 2—5d, and as we go through tomorrow evening, we‘re going to bring some of that rain and increasingly sleet and snow northwards into the midlands and wales, a fair covering of snow in places. hello, i‘m ros atkins, this is 0utside source. the day after the night

before. lifted by a vote in parliament, today theresa may‘s hopes for a new brexit deal hit the wall in brussels. the withdrawal agreement remains the best and only deal possible. despite outright opposition from brussels and european capitals, theresa may has staked everything on securing changes to the exit deal. we‘ll bring you all the day‘s developments in europe and in wesminster, with under two months to go now, until britain‘s exit date. more protests today in venezuela by people who want a change of leader but there‘s no sign the current president is backing down. keep sending in your brexit questions — alex forsyth is in the hot seat tonight to answer them.