given that nothing is happening whatsoever, and these are all the rage. i hadn't heard about that. half not a day has passed that i haven't thought about my decision to hold that boat and the consequences of doing so. you and me both, dave. anyway, given that you may have just heard one or two things about this book, he has even been on this morning, hasn't he? lets this week

make brexitcast the only political programme that is not going to talk about it. welcome to brexitcast. no—one has a (bleep) clue what brexit is. brexit is... we are particularly reliant on the dover calais crossing. the doubters, the doomsters, they are going to get it wrong again. brussels, which i can only describe as a dog's breakfast. it is only us to make here this week. katya on her lonesome in brussels. i could sing it, but i won't talk about it again. adam on a greek island. can you bring me back

some spanakopita, please? greek island. can you bring me back some spanakopita, please ?|j greek island. can you bring me back some spanakopita, please? iwould love to say i am doing a piece of investigative journalism, but dino, the person who sits in the truth behind laura, pushing the buttons, is getting married and it is his stag do tonight. this might be the last time we ever see you or hear you, adam. so before we waved goodbye, paint is a brief picture. how many have you had to drink? hardly any, because they have been preparing myself for this brief appearance on brexitcast. with a little bit of distance from brussels and london, observing the brexit process, i am so confused. will there be a deal? won't there? are there be a deal? won't there? are there papers being tabled by the uk, aren't there? was borisjohnson humiliated in luxembourg or not? has juncker shown a bit of willingness to get a deal or not? i am so

confused because it seems like all of those things might be true and not true at the same time. that's because, adam, we live in the new universe of alternative truths. you could argue all of the above. last night it looked like, just before i got on the plane at 3am this morning ona got on the plane at 3am this morning on a very early flight, it looked like the french president and the finnish prime minister had set a new deadline saying if there is nothing by the end of it is all over. and literally four hours later there we re literally four hours later there were some written proposals on the table. so that massive drama had just sort of died out after about four hours. that's what i mean. so where do we start? we have to talk about, as you say, your little adventure, both of your adventures to luxembourg, adam, and all things mr bettel, and then where on earth are we with all the talks and stuff

being put forward and all of that? mrjuncker meeting boris johnson being put forward and all of that? mrjuncker meeting borisjohnson at the beginning of the week, and has been talking on the telly today, and then all the business down the road in the courts. and can we turn to page a7, tab 73? in the courts. and can we turn to page 47, tab 73? chris, calm down. not yet, not yet. a little bit later. i was thinking of you, adam, because i was wondering if you have been watching the supreme court this week. maybe you have downloaded some of it to watch. actually, if you run out of things to talk about at dino's stag do, you can talk about the supreme court. but they had binders much bigger than your binders, but in fancy language they are called bundle so it is not even that clear. so first off, earlier in the week, me and adam were both in luxembourg. there was podium gate, which of you e—mailed me very directly and very correctly to say it should have been lexan gate, because it was technically a lectern and not a podium

because it was technically a lectern and nota podium —— because it was technically a lectern and not a podium —— lectern. anyway, so and not a podium —— lectern. anyway, so it was a sillyjournalistic nickname. but as we chatted about at the beginning of the week, and if you didn't listen to the podcast, there was a real moment, bettel and borisjohnson had there was a real moment, bettel and boris johnson had had there was a real moment, bettel and borisjohnson had had talks, protesters screaming at the gates. borisjohnson protesters screaming at the gates. boris johnson chose protesters screaming at the gates. borisjohnson chose not protesters screaming at the gates. boris johnson chose not to protesters screaming at the gates. borisjohnson chose not to take part in the press conference, and xavier bettel took part anyway, even gesturing to the empty lectern, not podium, alongside him. and i think it is fairto podium, alongside him. and i think it is fair to say this fact a lot of people off. but you caught up with him this week, didn't you? yes, so you left luxembourg and i came to luxembourg to speak exclusively to mr patel and say to him, what were you thinking when you did that —— mr bettel. when you decided to hold a press conference gesturing at an empty lectern, where boris johnson should have been standing and where the union flag was. and it wasn't just a press conference where he

sort of blandly answered questions about the meeting that they had had, which he told me was actually very friendly. he went on a rant about frustrations with the brexit process. now, i mean, in content, what he said was nothing that he hasn't said before, concern about the safety of eu citizens, frustration amongst eu leaders that they feel they are always painted as they feel they are always painted as the villain in the brexit process whereas they never wanted brexit in the first place, and they say they have tried to read a compromise deal and understand all of the prime minister 's they have had to deal with in the uk since the story began, and so on, and so on. but as you say, it was that choice to stand there where the two prime minister should have been standing. now, he said he never intended to humiliate, and he never intended to put a trap for borisjohnson. and he never intended to put a trap for boris johnson. can i raise a sceptical journalistic eyebrow at that? the extraordinary thing about that? the extraordinary thing about that was it was off the scale

undiplomatic, i cannot imagine a british prime in any context of either party or any party, whoever was turning up here, given that you have invited them, then doing that. let's see how he explained it, because i know you asked him that. let's hear how he explained it. we have this situation where i thought he should go, and we should speak to the people and tell them to have respect, two prime ministerjohnson, and this was really my goal. when i see that people say that i wanted to blame, i wanted to humiliate, i have to say this is really not what we wanted. well, it may not be what he wanted, but the thing is, ijust said to him, he has been an eu leader around the table for six years. this is a very experienced politician, and i said to him, you must have known how that would come across. and to be fair, it's not just eyebrows that shot through the

roof in parts of the united kingdom, although there are many people who said well done mr bettel for saying how we feel, and frankly the emotions that he expressed, the frustration he felt, is nothing new in the eu. i hear it all the time in off the record briefings with eu diplomats and politicians. but it was that decision to go out there, and that has been criticised, behind closed doors, not in front of lecterns, in eu circles as well. so even though he expressed a commonly held frustration, the way he did it did not go down well in many areas of the eu. i've got to ask you about my favourite bit of telly, nerdy telly, but it was my favourite bit of telly this week. mischa patel turning estate agent. perhaps you need a pad in luxembourg. i am going to do need a pad in luxembourg. i am going todoa need a pad in luxembourg. i am going to do a thing that estate agents don't necessarily do, and show you

how small it is, not how expensive comic extensive it is. i am not sure how long we will have you with us before you are off to the ouzo, but the explanation they gave us on monday, it already feels like 100 yea rs monday, it already feels like 100 years ago, they didn't have a big enough room for the journalists. and i have been in those rooms a few times, i have seen the giant artworks patel has. and it is smaller than my living room, the tiny flat, which you are welcome to all, around along with journalists from the international press. if it was any other country other than tony luxembourg, you would think maybe this is planned. but it wouldn't happen with angela merkel, because guess what. she's got a massive room for massive press conferences with hundreds of journalists. i do think this is one of those ones where, can i say this word? top up, not conspiracy. of those ones where, can i say this word? top up, not conspiracylj of those ones where, can i say this word? top up, not conspiracy. i am

with you, misjudged, not undiplomatic. —— cockup, not conspiracy. and it has not had much impact on the process. it is good sport. i found myself looking at during the night, the size of luxembourg, the size of dorset and about the population of glasgow. luxembourg, the size of dorset and about the population of glasgowm is the population of leeds, isn't it? i am sure we will be corrected. this is the key thing, isn't it? i have been off work for a couple of days and like adam you have a little bit of detachment. and i find days and like adam you have a little bit of detachment. and ifind myself thinking, well, hang on a minute. and i simplify to make the point. 0ne and i simplify to make the point. one side is saying we are suggesting all sorts of stuff, and the other side says we haven't seen anything. and you think hang on a minute, how can they both be right? what is going on? this is how the uk sees it, andl going on? this is how the uk sees it, and i have been talking to people in government this week. saying there is a list diplomatic floundering and frippery going on.

what is happening behind closed doors? so the uk has been discussing for several weeks all sorts of ideas with various member states and people in the eu commission. what has been described to me as a menu of options that is full of starters, appetisers, main courses, puddings, that they think the eu could pick from to say this is the broad basis of something which is worth talking about. and they have been trying by releasing some of these non— papers, we will ask you for an explanation ina we will ask you for an explanation in a second of the technical definition of a non— paper, just to try and get the process going. there is quite a lot of exasperation, is exasperation fair? some elements of the government machine in the uk are a exasperated that they have been trying to have these conversations. i have seen david frost, the eu negotiator, his red binder on the plane with my own eyes. they have been talking about things, and they feel that what needs to happen, what

they hope to be on the way, is a kind of big political show of from leo varadkar, or from angela merkel, or from macron, to say all right, we're actually going to talk properly now. and it is a political choice to try, and i think there has been frustration on the uk site, but they have been blameless, but there isa they have been blameless, but there is a frustration that up until now they have sort of been hanging their head against a brick wall. the senses some of the bricks have become a bit loose. and what has been really surprising on brexitcast over the last couple of years is how often when we have been having these conversations, the interpretation when it is seen and read in london of the same thing can be interpreted very differently where you are. laura was talking about the david frost red binder is that you can see on the plane, and yet sometimes the language coming out of brussels has sounded like what red binders? are not any. so i think there is a show

and the theatre and then there is stuff happening behind the scenes. and frankly it is notjust on the eu side saying we have seen nothing at all. it is a bit like a toddler who is hiding behind its own hands and saying you can't see me. you know, there has been... with chocolate all overtheir there has been... with chocolate all over their face. so there has been an exchange of views, so it is not fair, really, when the eu says we have seen nothing, there has been some false briefing on the side suggesting that borisjohnson had no idea how to solve the checks problem in ireland. all sorts of messy stuff on this side, as there has been false briefing on the uk's side. from the eu perspective as well. i think, you know, if there is so much noise going on which is contradicted by either side, does this mean we will never get a deal? and i would argue not necessarily, because what do you do before you are about to compromise? you make a lot of noise. you stand strong, you flex your

muscles, because if you are going to get a deal between the eu and the uk under boris johnson, there get a deal between the eu and the uk under borisjohnson, there is going to have to be compromise on either side, probably both sides. so they have to flex their muscles before they do it. and a really senior figure in the government this week said as ever it is about finding a win for everyone, so everyone who has been up on their high horse is going to have to find a way of climbing down from the saddle. but i still think it is less likely that there is a deal than likely, but there is a deal than likely, but there is a feeling now that there is maybe going to be a push to try. adam, i know you have to go to the taverna and you have to take the mick out of dino, of course i don't approve of any kind of stag do pranks. you are the only person in the world who can give us a really clear definition of a non— paper.m does sound even worse than the dog ate my homework as a kind of, what? come of it. what is it technically? ella mackay managed to feel very smug today because everyone was saying non— paper, what is this word

we have to grapple with? it is old school in brussels. non— paper is when you are in a negotiation or discussion and you want to put some ideas on a table but you don't want to commit to it as your negotiating position. you can publish a non— paper. so it is a bit like a green paper, actually, in westminster, just to make the jargon even worse. and i have to say, though, the non— papers that the uk put forward sound like they are non— new compared to what they have already been saying verbally. then we get onto a note verbal. promise me you will talk about other things. the non- paper. the great news is there is a debriefing for diplomat on friday on brussels —— diplomats. not long to go and the commission will brief out and

whether they are impressed or not impressed. we don't have long to wait... 5 before you get your hands on those papers of non— paper. wait... 5 before you get your hands on those papers of non- paper. we have to say good night to you. we could say good evening. you could use any of the above. goodbye, adam. enjoyed your discussion about the supreme court, goodbye. nobody has ever said this to me before. brexit is full of firsts. can i slip a thought in, when you use the word exasperation on the uk side of the

brexit stance, it is shared on this site. something about jean-claude juncker. , he has been back on the television tonight. jean-claude juncker has said to one of our collea g u es juncker has said to one of our colleagues in the westminster lobby, so colleagues in the westminster lobby, so ridge, of sky news, he says he thinks they will be a deal and he is not that fussed about keeping the backstop as it is as long as it can be replaced with a workable alternative. i paraphrase. ithink although other senior figures in the eu have said this thing before, at this moment, with this timing, with what we were talking about, with the deep—freeze are starting to thaw a bit, deep—freeze are starting to thaw a hit, it deep—freeze are starting to thaw a bit, it is deep—freeze are starting to thaw a hit, it is interesting and it is certainly warmer language and after his first meeting with horace johnson on monday. they have had a phone call and they will be over interpreted, as ever, but there seems to be a bit of that mood music

being cheerier. —— borisjohnson. also leo varadkar also said on the record, he is the linchpin and he said the rhetoric has been tempered, the mood music is good. there is still a big gap there but everyone wa nts to still a big gap there but everyone wants to get this done. cartier, the timing is crucial but how different is this? katya. not really. the differences, on the eu side, they see borisjohnson cornered in all of directions and that what makes them think -- directions and that what makes them think —— that is what makes them think —— that is what makes them think this is not a man that can get away with pursuing no deal accept any more. he has to truly pursue a deal because that is the best hope. just make no—deal brexit. —— no—deal

brexit. he is not attached to the backstop. it is inside the withdrawal agreement. there is nothing new inside the withdrawal agreement. it says that the backstop is the third option. in the absence ofa is the third option. in the absence of a trade deal between the two sides that would make alternative arrangements or a backstop necessary, these other kinds of conditions that you have. it is in the withdrawal agreement that you can replace the backstop with something else. this is not a new andl something else. this is not a new and i think this is the eu gameplaying by saying, look, we are open but they have said this all along. as soon as borisjohnson said bend the backstop. they said bring it on. you have to come to us with workable legally operative example. lam ranting now, i know. that is

why the papers don't do it for the eu. the mood music is... everyone is looking for a way forward. leo varadkar talking to the dup. politically, he cannot get away with weakening the backstop in any way but what he can say is working with the dup because he says he totally understands the unionists in northern ireland and he wants to work with them and so on. there is movement. what might change this is the verdict of the supreme court. if you haven't been following the case, if you have had better things to do than watch the supreme court rundle is, than watch the supreme court rundle ‘s, what is happening is the scottish —— scottish court decided that boris johnson scottish —— scottish court decided that borisjohnson acted against the law and misled the queen in order to outline his domestic programme and everybody suspected it was because he wanted to close down debate on

brexit that according to london, they said it is none of our business. supreme court has had this week argument after argument after argument on both sides and they have to come up with verdict, probably early next week. it could not be more contentious. and yet you have the courts intervening and being conscious that what they are doing is so political potentially. let's listen to what was the most dramatic clip of the week which was by one of the advocates, the scottish advocate, aidan o'neill, who was the advocate who won the case in the session in edinburgh, making this very highly charged accusation about how borisjohnson very highly charged accusation about how boris johnson had very highly charged accusation about how borisjohnson had behaved in his final flourish to the justices. we have got here the mother of parliaments being shut down by the father of lies. rather than allowing lies to triumph, listen to the

angels of your better nature. imagine. it is like there is a jury here being the 11 most seniorjudges in the land but in terms of what happens... we're going to find out they say at the beginning of next week but the interesting thing, let's be honest, for a lot of us normally in the business covering politics... 5 its bad normally in the business covering politics... sits bad enough. watching the footage from the court. the supreme court has been around for about ten years but seeing cameras in a courtroom is still quite something. try to unpick it and it. the new box set. it is the range of things that the court could come back and say and the consequence of that in terms of

whether parliament finds itself reconvened and also crucially where it leave politically the prime minister. whether you can prorogue parliament a second time. genuinely, just by coincidence, i have a ready reckoner in my notes, based on a conversation on the different things that might happen. 0ption conversation on the different things that might happen. option a, the court may conclude it is non— judiciable. but it seems like the line of questioning it is unlikely they will go there. stupid to speculate about supreme court justices but everyone is doing it so why shouldn't we? from the line of questioning, it looks unlikely they would go there because are they setting a precedent that some prime minister in the future would like to shut down parliament for ten years and the court said on the record and

created legal precedent, nothing to do with us. 0ption number two comes in where they might say actually it isa in where they might say actually it is a legal concern... but then there are avenues. so in theory it is a concern but they are not convinced that this government and this prime minister hasn't done anything terribly wrong. they don't believe something has been proven. so it wouldn't have any practical effect. then you get into the realms of yes, it is our business and the government did do something very wrong and we are ordering them to recall parliament which then gets really complicated because if you are going to have the queen ‘s speech earlier, there is not enough time to get the golden carriage ordered the queen to come down whitehall and all the security arrangements to be put in place. and then the final properly politically nuclear option is that the court says yes it is our business and the prime minister is a liar. and then i think we would be into house for a

resignation, that would be a massive political intervention. people are relu cta nt to political intervention. people are reluctant to get into politics from the courts. it would be a constitutional crisis. talking about a pot constitutional crisis. talking about apot— constitutional crisis. talking about a pot — may possibly political —— dahsa possibly politicised cream. queen. we always run out of things to say. going to start reading page one. what do we have to do next week? borisjohnson is what do we have to do next week? boris johnson is going what do we have to do next week? borisjohnson is going to new york for the un general assembly and that he will see leo varadkar, emmanuel macron. we don't have time to go

into it. and the lib dems. macron. we don't have time to go into it. and the lib demslj macron. we don't have time to go into it. and the lib dems. i amjust picking out a random sentence. goodbye. talk to you next week! adios. hello there. temperatures are set to climb over the next couple of days. friday morning will start off with some fog patches in places but that should tend to lift and clear fairly quickly and then we'll see a lot of sunshine and some real warmth as well. high pressure is centred just about here. you can see the winds rotating around it in a clockwise direction.

the high pressure keeping the rain—bearing cloud at bay for the time being out in the atlantic. one or two fog patches across southern scotland. northern england could be the odd dense patch of fog, some potentially for northern ireland as well but as we go through the day, any fog will lift and we will see patches of cloud drifting northwards but a lot of sunshine across most parts of the uk and temperatures widely between 19 and 22 degrees. but with the south or south—easterly winds blowing across the uk, the favoured spot for high temperatures will actually be the north of scotland, particularly when you get some shelter to the north of high ground. could well see 23 or 2a degrees. now, as we go through friday night, it's going to stay dry. there will be long, clear spells overhead. we'll see more of a breeze at this stage so i don't think there'll be too many problems with mist and fog and it's not going to be quite as chilly as some nights we've had recently. some spots holding up in double digits. 1a degrees there for plymouth,

for example, dropping down to 9 in glasgow and newcastle. but for saturday, we have this feed of air coming up from the south or the south—east. pretty warm wind direction, fairly humid as well. high pressure holding onto the first half of the weekend but notice these frontal systems out in the atlantic. these will eventually make their move and turn things quite a lot more unsettled. saturday then, the most reliably dry day for many parts of the uk. a lot of fine weather, lots of sunshine too but notice the odd thunderstorm late in the day through the south—west of england, parts of wales, maybe northern ireland as well. temperatures, though, 21 degrees in glasgow. the south—east of england could get to 25, maybe 26 degrees. through saturday night, though, there's the increasing chance we could see thundery downpours drifting across western areas ahead of this frontal system. it is a cold front. it could be moving erratically northeastwards as we move to sunday. some uncertainty about where it will come to rest with its outbreaks of rain for the afternoon but ahead of it, another warm day, 23 or 2a degrees but behind that cold front, the air turns colder.

it will feel much cooler and much fresher and that leads us into a cooler, fresher week generally for all of us next week and there will be some wind and rain at times. it is going to feel quite autumnal.

this is bbc news. welcome if you're watching here in the uk, on pbs in america, or around the globe. i'm mike embley. our top stories: we're live in sydney, where students havejoined office workers in a one—day strike. trudeau under pressure. the canadian prime minister apologises again as more images emerge of him in blackface makeup. it is crunch time in tokyo. japan is hours away from becoming the first asian nation to host the rugby world cup. the surgery that doesn't involve surgeons. the surgery that doesn't involve surgeons. the nurse in ethiopia who is saving lives without the usual