tonight at 10 — a deal before the brexit deadline on 31st october now looks extremely unlikely. a warm welcome for the president of the european parliament today, but no progress is made. now, borisjohnson is preparing for crunch talks with his irish counterpart later this week. i think it's going to be very difficult to secure an agreement by next week, quite frankly. we very much want there to be a deal, and i will certainly work until the very last moment to secure that, but not at any cost.

has this long process entered a new phase, the brexit blame game, in case it all goes wrong? we'll have all the latest from brussels and westminster. also tonight... the parents of this 10—year—old boy, who died after contracting hiv from contaminated blood products almost 30 years ago, tell the public inquiry of their heartbreak. the impact of knife crime on its victims — more than 20,000 were injured last year alone, and for many, the trauma continues. a housing estate in norwich made up of almost 100 ultra low—energy homes wins the prestigious stirling prize for the best building in britain. and coming up on sportsday on bbc news... england's women are gifted a much—needed win. they scrape past portugal 1—0 in a friendly.

good evening. leaving the eu with a deal by the end of october is now looking extremely unlikely, according to downing street, and talks are close to breaking down. the claim follows what was described as a challenging phone call between boris johnson and angela merkel this morning in which the german chancellor apparently said a deal was unlikely unless northern ireland remained in the customs union. there was an angry response from brussels, as the eu's top official, donald tusk, warned borisjohnson not to become engaged in what he called a "stupid blame game". the prime minister is now due to meet the irish premier leo varadkar later in the week for crunch talks. 0ur political editor laura kuenssberg reports. hugs and smiles outside the door. the prime minister greets the president of the european parliament. is a still possible. . . ?

another one of the continental politicians he has to convince. but is there a point to all this now? of course, claims boris johnson. is there a point to all this now? of course, claims borisjohnson. after 45 minutes of talks, though, the awkward truth? there has been no progress to getting a deal of the conclusion from the european official. so... there are two alternatives now, and extension, or leaving without a deal, he says. still, publicly, ministers are hurrying to try. of course there will be bumps in the road in the path to a deal but i am confident the fairand path to a deal but i am confident the fair and reasonable offer that we have put forward will elicit in oui’ we have put forward will elicit in our european friends progress in the days ahead to level but early this morning, before the cabinet arrived... the prime minister spoke to angela merkel for half—an—hour. 0n numerous sources told me her conclusion and there is, a deal this

month was almost impossible. have we reached the end of the road for getting a deal...? reached the end of the road for getting a deal. . . ? unless the eu got northern ireland to stay in the customs union, and that has always been ruled out by this administration. with customary formality, germany would not confirm the contents of the call. but with no change in position, the chances ofa no change in position, the chances of a deal now seemed almost gone. then the eu's top officialjumped into the hostilities, accusing boris johnson of getting into a "stupid blame game". what is at stake is the future of europe and the uk, as well as the security and interests of our people, wrote donald tusk. forget that he said, she said, in a way it isa simple that he said, she said, in a way it is a simple stand—off. borisjohnson wa nts a is a simple stand—off. borisjohnson wants a different deal with the eu, which would mean different customs and systems on either side of the irish border. but the eu believes thatis irish border. but the eu believes that is not realistic without

serious disruption, so, saying no. and that means it is extremely unlikely and agreement can be reached in time for the uk to leave the eu with a deal at the end of this month. tonight, the taoiseach told irish tv he and borisjohnson agreed they would keep trying for a deal, but... i think it is agreed they would keep trying for a deal, but... ithink it is going agreed they would keep trying for a deal, but... i think it is going to be very difficult to secure an agreement by next week, quite frankly. essentially, what the united kingdom has done is repudiated the deal which we negotiated in good faith with the prime minister mae's government over two years and have put half of that back on the table and are saying thatis back on the table and are saying that is a concession, and of course it isn't. and it's not truly over until it's really over. the uk's negotiator, david frost, swept into brussels today for more talks. why are you here, mr frost, have the talks almost collapsed ? are you here, mr frost, have the talks almost collapsed? despite the scepticism that it could ever really happen. the government put proposals on the table that were never going to work. they were designed to fail.

and instead of reacting and changing their proposals, they are now collapsing the talks and engaging in a reckless blame game. parliament packed up for a week tonight, suspended again before the government puts its plans for the country government puts its plans for the cou ntry forward government puts its plans for the country forward in a queen's speech next monday. hard to tell tonight what the plans for brexit will look like by then. laura kuenssberg, bbc news, westminster. preparations are continuing for a no deal brexit, and today the cabinet minister in charge of that, michael gove, said that even with every possible preparation in place, risks and challenges for businesses still remain. today, the think—tank the institure for fiscal studies issued a stark warning about the impact of a no—deal brexit on the economy, predicting that national debt would rise to levels not seen since the 1960s. this could lead to future governments imposing more spending cuts, raising taxes, or both. 0ur economics editor, faisal islam, reports. as the brexit deal looks

increasingly log—jammed, the planning for and consequences of a no—deal brexit, and its immediate impact on trade up and down the country matter more than ever. the government has not updated its numbers, but the likes of the institute for fiscal studies has. the ifs predicts that the public finances will be heavily impacted by a no—deal brexit, that the annual level of borrowing, the deficit, would double over two years, approaching £100 billion. and that the total stock, our national debt, that that would reach the highest level it's been at in over half a century. i think if we have no—deal, the economy would grow very little, if at all, over the next two or three years, borrowing would rise towards 90, £100 billion a year, which is a very significant increase on where we are. if that happened, i think we'd have to have another period of tax increases or spending cuts to get it

back under control. so, why is that? the expert economists behind this report say that no—deal will impact our trade with europe and lead to a smaller economy, compared with brexit being reversed, for example, a gap of over 4%. it could be mostly eliminated, if there was still a deal. here is an example of why. exporting fish to markets in the european union would require far more red tape, customs, and vets health checks, confirmed in the government's published latest no—deal preparation documents. the minister in charge, praising the efforts of business. of course, risks remain, and challenges for some businesses cannot be entirely mitigated. even with every possible preparation in place. but the uk economy is in a much better position to meet those risks and challenges, thanks to the efforts of these sectors and companies and my right honourable friend the chancellor. that's not what many farmers are saying, after the government

decided to prioritise cheaper consumer prices, with products such as imported eggs. it didn't offer protection for the domestic poultry industry, when it confirmed plans for post no—deal taxes on trade or tariffs. of concern for a government preparing for an election, the farming lobby said they felt betrayed. well, ultimately, history shows you what it means. you know, if you import cheap raw ingredients that are produced to lower standards, we just downsize our production, we export our production abroad, and we take in cheap imports. in many cases, that would be illegal for our farmers to produce through here. the latest numbers show that the economy, in general, is becoming less productive, after a slump in business investment that many blame on the prospect of no—deal and prolonged political uncertainty. as the tide goes out on negotiations, british businesses are still left searching for answers. faisal islam, bbc news. let's get the latest from our political editor, laura kuenssberg,

and katya adler in brussels. katya, from the eu perspective have we reached a dead end? well, sophie, no and yes. very little isn't straightforward when it comes to this brexit process. if we ta ke comes to this brexit process. if we take that important step back, eu leaders still want a deal and they believe that borisjohnson still wa nts a believe that borisjohnson still wants a deal, although they're not convinced just how high up his list of priorities getting a deal with the eu comes, compared, for example, to winning a general election. but in the meantime they say they are still open for talks, including this week. they haven't entirely ruled out the possible at the of finding a deal by the end of this month. but realistically speaking, boris johnson's proposals on how to replace the irish backstop are problematic for the eu, not completely, not the whole offer, but when it comes to customers. boris johnson insists northern ireland must stay in the united kingdom's customs territory after brexit, but that leaves the eu with two choices,

either have customs infrastructure on the island of ireland, and dublin says that is a no—no, or the eu doesn't control its own customs border, it says that is impossible. what about food safety, it says, in the single market? but this isn't the single market? but this isn't the end of the road for the eu because they are looking more long—term. they think a new brexit extension is the most likely outcome here, giving more time for talks, but no—one here is a starry eyed that i talked to about the idea of more time. of course you still need to find an accord between eu and the uk which is acceptable to the european parliament as well as the uk parliament, and of course no—one knows exactly what that accord will not lie, neither now or in two or three months' time. so, laura, it is clearly hanging in the balance and if these talks don't work, what then? it is hard to tell, as ever, whether the extraordinary twists and turns of today have been a firework which briefly light up the sky and people freeze in horror and say what

is going on whether there has been some kind of diplomatic explosion which wipes out the idea that there will be any progress in the coming weeks. as catty was saying it is not impossible that there could be some kind of resolution, but on the current path, it does look vanishingly unlikely, and that means therefore, in all likelihood, we are looking at a situation where the prime minister is forced to ask the eu fora prime minister is forced to ask the eu for a delay, for an extension, but for a delay and an extension that he does not want. we know that parliament will try everything to block him taking us out of the european union without a deal. they've changed the law to try to make it impossible for him to do so. but we also know, and it has always been completely clear with this administration, that number one on the prime minister's list is trying to get us out of the european union at the end of this month. whatever the wisdom of the promise that he made in his leadership campaign, thatis made in his leadership campaign, that is the vow that he wants to try to keep above all else. so, if this all fails, we can expect in the

immediate aftermath of the european summit, a legaland immediate aftermath of the european summit, a legal and political screaming match that goes on for a numberof screaming match that goes on for a number of days, before either boris johnson is forced to get that delay, and then we probably move very quickly into a general election, or, somehow, by hook or by crook, he achieves what looks very, very difficult, but what he still wants to do, to take us out of the eu at the end of this month. but at the moment, it looks like, in anyway, we are heading for a period which may well be even more turbulence than what we've lived through in recent weeks. laura, katya, thank you. the parents of a ten—year—old boy who died after contracting hiv through infected blood products were given a standing ovation at the public inquiry after describing the family's ordeal. lee turton died in 1992. his mother told the year—long inquiry she believes the government knew the blood products being used were infected, as did the pharmaceutical companies, but that they did nothing.

around 3,000 people died and at least 30,000 were infected with contaminated blood products in what has been called the biggest treatment disaster in nhs history. 0ur health editor, hugh pym, has been speaking to lee's parents. good morning, son, merry christmas to you. are you all right? i've got a stomach ache. huh? i've got a stomach ache. it was lee's final christmas. he was ten and only had weeks to live. he'd been infected with hiv because of his treatment by the nhs. i can't get to sleep. he was just four when his parents were told he'd contracted hiv after being treated for his haemophilia with contaminated blood products. he never had a childhood, he couldn't do the things other children did, that was all taken away from him. he used to say how frightened he was.

and what can you say? you know, there's a little boy of eight, nine, telling you he's so frightened and you can't take that away. they said they were shunned by other parents. 0ne teacher even refused to have him in the class. they were harassed by the media and felt they had to move. today, denise told the inquiry about lee's final days. they actually told us he had between two and ten days to live. sorry. so they said that... they said he had an infection on the brain. so we insisted that he went home that day, because that's what he wanted to do. he kept asking to go home. we got him home, with a nurse and he lived for another eight days at home.

in that time, he sort of... demanded that he wanted to go down and see the beach for the last time, so we managed to carry him down to the beach. i think the hardest thing is not knowing the truth about what happened and knowing that it's all been covered up. like other affected families, they hope the inquiry will finally get to that truth. hugh pym, bbc news. you can find out more about the contaminated blood scandal, and the inquiry, on the bbc news website, bbc.co.uk/news. turkey has stepped up its military presence on its border with syria tonight, saying they are ready to advance, after the united states began pulling troops out of the area. the north—east of syria is controlled by the kurdish—led sdf forces, who played a leading role in the fight against the islamic state group.

turkey says it wants to establish a "safe zone" in that kurdish territory to send back some of the millions of refugees from syria's civil war. the kurds, whom the turkish government considers terrorists, say the move could fuel a new conflict. they also say it casts doubt on what will happen to thousands of is prisoners. 0ur international correspondent 0rla guerin is on the border in akcakale. well, tonight we have seen a military build—up here at the border. two convoys arrived at a base nearby in the space of about an hour. a source close to turkish intelligence has told the bbc that the offensive will begin in the morning. now, that is unconfirmed, but kurdish forces believe it is imminent. we have had reports that they are appealing for civilians to act as human shields and that they are pitching tents near the border

for those human shields. a noisy reception for turkish forces on the move. ambulances and armored personnel carriers close to the syrian border. we filmed this convoy tonight, heading to a military base. the first evidence, perhaps, of the build up to a turkish invasion of syria. and earlier, being bussed to the border, syrian rebel fighters backed by turkey. they could be extra manpower for the planned offensive, which is causing havoc internationally, even before it begins. in washington, president trump has been meeting his top brass, and trying some damage control. he has denied abandoning kurdish forces, america's key allies in syria. but after their epic battles against is, they now feel mighty alone. and what now for that battle?

there's growing concern internationally about what an offensive across this border might do to the global fight against islamic state. small wonder, there are thousands of is fighters being held in kurdish—run detention centers. the kurds have said if the turks attack, they'll have to focus on that fight. so defeated is fighters like these may have fewer guards, raising fears some could escape. president trump says if turkey invades, they are ankara's problem. and there may be less security at kurdish camps, holding huge numbers of is supporters and family members. but at the border today, a little gathering of turks who back the offensive, who believe kurdish forces are a security threat.

an invasion appeals to president erdogan‘s base. he has been losing support, and critics say, a war is a great distraction. tonight, more movement by turkish allies, rebel fighters from the free syrian army. they say they'll rain fire on kurdish forces. a powerful nato army now appears to be on the road to battle, and there are real concerns about the possible cost for hundreds of thousands of innocent syrian civilians. 0rla guerin, bbc news, at the turkish—syria border. 13 men have been arrested as part of an international investigation into what's believed to be the uk's biggest ever drug smuggling operation. the national crime agency says 50 tons of heroin, cocaine and cannabis said to be worth billions of pounds was imported from the netherlands in lorry loads of vegetables and fruitjuice, before being moved around the uk over an 18—month period. more than 20,000 people in england

and wales were injured by knives or sharp instruments last year and survived, some of the many victims of knife crime who have to live with the trauma of being attacked. 0ne trauma specialist has told the bbc that thousands every year are struggling to come to terms with what happened. clive myrie has been speaking to one young man who was stabbed, and his piece contains distressing scenes of violence from the start. edmonton, north london. a youth on a moped joins two other men, attacking with knives in broad daylight. a young man, pinned to the floor. 0i, what the... oi! the shouts of onlookers have no effect. they slash and cut with impunity, as normal life goes on all around. as the attackers escape, one of the weapons, clearly visible. 0nlookers then try to help.

an ambulance eventually arrived and took the victim to hospital. he survives. you need to get that leg up. just lay down. this was a warning. they'd have killed him if they felt like it. the attack, an everyday reality in many of our cities. where did society go wrong? a different street, a different victim. these guys, they came up to us and they said, "where you guys from?" and ijust froze, everything froze, i didn't know what to say. gaddi mulla was in the wrong place at the wrong time. attacked on his way home from football practice. he's 15. i don't even remember them stabbing me here and stuff. and that's where he got me here. i was bleeding, i was bleeding and then i saw loads of blood pouring out and i was just holding it tight, squeezing it. this is gaddi recovering in hospital, two days after the attack — a grateful family by his side.

"let him be alive, god, please let him be alive." i was praying for him to be alive with all my energy, all my... those were my feelings as a mum. so they are saying the best thing to do is to move out of the area. deprivation and a sense of hopelessness can lead some to join gangs, deal drugs, fight turf wars. but there's never any excuse for the savagery of a knife attack and the ease which some are willing to grab a blade. gaddi was attacked simply because he wandered into the wrong area. he's now left hospital and he's back at school, but bad memories persist. i can't sleep well at night, because sometimes i'm still up because i'm, like, paranoid. it's just like, i think about it and i don't want to sleep. so, you know, it's one of those things. so, today, he's meeting a caseworker from the st giles trust,

a charity that helps victims of violent crime adjust to lives transformed. i just get frustrated sometimes. of course. and i'lljust be angry. like, "why me?" stuff like that. there was one, i came in on a tuesday and there were 11 new admissions. the st giles trust now has an office inside the royal london hospital, where gaddi was treated. it means trauma experts can help stabbing survivors straight after surgery. hundreds in this hospital every year, thousands around the country, who are stabbed and survive — but traumatised. 0ne consultant surgeon says they need compassion and understanding, not suspicion. we live in a society that judges these people based on their demographics and their injury. nothing else. we pay no attention to their circumstances or their back stories, to what these lads are going back to.

and we want them to be better, to be normal, to be fixed. and we're scared, and "they deserve what happens to them." and, more importantly, we're going to tolerate it. and that can't be allowed to stand. you are lucky you are still here with us. and don't forget the strain on families, too. moving away from this part of london, will that give you peace of mind? probably it will give a little bit of peace of mind... but there's a tension. i'm completely against it, to be honest, because i have football and i have school. it's not like they targeted me, dad. i know, i know. it's about me being safe, it's.... how do you know they didn't target you? i'm not involved in anything. why would they attack an innocent person, mum? why? the dilemma of a loving family. let's take a look at some of today's other news. the foreign secretary, dominc raab, has met with the us ambassador urging him to reconsider

the diplomatic immunity given to a driver after she left the uk despite being a suspect in a fatal crash. anne sacoolas is wanted by police over the death of teenage motorcyclist harry dunn in northamptonshire on 27 august. she flew to the us shortly after the fatal crash. the london assembley says downing street has complied with an order to hand over details of borisjohnson‘s contacts withjennifer arcuri. the prime minister is facing questions about his friendship with the us businesswoman when he was london mayor. he has denied claims of failing to declare a conflict of interest the england and wales cricket board has issued a statement dismissing allegations of a physical altercation between the cricketer ben stokes and his wife clare. photographs have emerged of stokes appearing to grab his wife around the face at an awards ceremony last week. the ecb said it had spoken to the couple and "clarified the innocent context" behind the pictures. clare stokes tweeted the story was "unbelievable" and "nonsense".

neil black is to stand down as performance director at uk athletics, after us anti—doping regulators banned mo farah's former coach alberto salazar for doping violations. mr black employed alberto salazar as a consultant in 2013, describing him as a genius. a housing estate in norwich which is made up of almost 100 ultra—low—energy homes has won the stirling prize, the award for britain's building of the year. sustainability and recyling was at the heart of all of the nominations, which included an opera house, a home made out of cork and the redevelopment of london bridge station. david silito is at the ceremony for us. david? there was a huge cheer when the winner was announced this evening. notjust because council housing had won, it was the first time council housing had even been shortlisted. and while it may not be the most dramatic or spectacular of

winners we have had, there was a feeling in the room that this could send a message, perhaps be inspiration or even a model for the future that could affect the lives of many other people. and the winner is goldsmith street. annalie riches, david mikhail, winners of the stirling prize for goldsmith street, a development of council houses. so, this is it? and for resident chloe smith and her partner louis... very nice! they are more than proud of their new home. my little girl absolutely loves the garden. and the back is a key feature. a safe, enclosed communal play space. i'd never have thought this would have been a council property. ijust wanted my little girl to have a garden, and some freedom, like little kids do. and i can't see me moving from here, not for a long time. but for the architects, it's been a long haul. 11 years, trying to prove that houses can be as efficient as flats. and the buildings it was competing against — an opera house, hidden inside an old stable building,

and a completely recyclable house made entirely of cork. but what clinched it was goldsmith‘s mix of the environmental and the social. so, who made the decision, going for yours? it came down to the vote of a local resident. so, what, essentially one resident had the casting vote? she had the casting vote. she felt she preferred our scheme because it was bringing back streets to norwich. what truly makes them special is the insulation. you're not even allowed a letterbox in case it leaks out heat. have you turned the heating on? twice, i think. twice in a year? since we've been here, yes. we've both said since we moved in we're here for the long run, i think. it's brilliant. goldsmith street — warm, sociable, traditional. and perhaps now a model for others to follow. david sillitoe, bbc news. that's it. now on bbc one, time for the news where you are. have a very good night.

hello and welcome to sportsday. i'm austin halewood. coming up on the programme. it was scrappy, and it wasn't pretty, but england's women get a much—needed victory over portugal. breaking records again. simone biles leads usa to gold in stuttgart to become the most decorated female in world gymnastics history. and murray bows out in shanghai, but he's set to make his singles return to grand slam tennis next year!