this is bbc news, the headlines: the chinese government is now saying at least 170 people are confirmed dead from the coronavirus outbreak. there are more than 7,000 confirmed cases. the world health organization will meet later on thursday to decide whether to declare a global health emergency. special flights have not yet been cleared to leave wuhan. the white house has warned president trump's former national security advisor that his new book cannot be published unless classified information is deleted. john bolton's lawyer insists nothing in it should be considered classified. comments in the book, it's reported, directly contradict the president's defence in his impeachment trial. the european parliament has ratified the brexit transition agreement, the final hurdle before the united kingdom leaves the european union

on friday after 47 years. negotiations now begin on a final agreement, which the british government hopes to conclude before the end of the year. now on bbc news, stephen sackur is in luxembourg for a special edition of hardtalk. welcome to hardtalk, i'm stephen sackur. britain is about to make history by leaving the european union. it's a historic fork in the road, for the uk and maybe europe too. many on both sides didn't think it would come to this, even after the brexit referendum of 2016, but it has. my guest is jean—claude juncker. he was the president

of the european commission through the brexit drama. what will brexit mean for britain and the european project? jean—claude juncker, welcome to hardtalk. yeah, hi, my pleasure. what will your emotions be, you think, on that moment brexit formally happens? january the 31st, midnight in europe. what will you be feeling? i'm sad since the 23rd ofjune, 2016, so there's no reason not to be sad when it comes to where it has

to come. i don't think that's a good decision taken by the british people but it has to be respected. the british economy will suffer for this and the european economy also, but not in the same way. but i'm sad. it's an historic decision. it's an historic decision. it is an historic decision... a historic decision, it is against history. we can discuss that idea but it is certainly an historic decision, because never before has a nation great, left the european club, and it happened on your watch. do you feel a sense of failure? yes and no. i don't think the explanation for the british no has to be found in europe because what we did, the mandate was more 01’ europe because what we did, the mandate was more or less swimming in the direction of basic british requests: less bureaucracy and so on and so forth. i made one

major mistake on the request of david cameron, i didn't intervene in the referendum in britain, because he thought it would be counter—productive. he told me the commission is even more unpopular in britain than elsewhere in europe, which is quite a performance, i have to say. i did abstain from commanding the different elements of the british... here we sit on the eve of wexit, a brexit which, in the end, was a deal done by boris johnson brexit which, in the end, was a deal done by borisjohnson with you and with the eu leadership. what is your personal take on boris johnson? with the eu leadership. what is your personal take on borisjohnson? did you find him easy to work with? he isa you find him easy to work with? he is a tough guy, but i like him as a person. he's very open, very frank. there was no theatre around the positions he has taken, both in his negotiations with the commission 01’ his negotiations with the commission or in his talks with european council. i can't blame

boris johnson. did you find him easier to deal with than cameron and may? there's irony in that you strike a deal with him that was essentially opening the gateway to a hard brexit, but it sounds like you found him easier to negotiate with than cameron or may? with cameron, we made a good, allowing britain to stay. with theresa may, we try to find the terms of a deal allowing britain to leave and allowing the europeans to keep safe their main interests. with borisjohnson, we were approaching the end of a process, so we had to not make concessions but to take on board as many british ideas as possible, as we did with his two predecessors. but he was a fair negotiator. i didn't like him during the referendum campaign, but i liked him asa the referendum campaign, but i liked him as a minister. you accused him of telling lies, as did many europeans.

you know that it is true. must have made it difficult to walk into a room where the man you negotiated with was being accused by you of being a liar? i said he was using some lies, i didn't say that he isa using some lies, i didn't say that he is a 100% liar. that is not his case. but having in mind all of the criticism which was launched on me from the british side, including ministers and sometimes prime ministers, this was an appropriate answer. but i like him as a person, i cannot lie. what do you think boris johnson's strategy? i cannot lie. what do you think borisjohnson's strategy? he has a choice, he can until the end of 2020 seek to formalise a close economic relationship, trading relationship, with the european union, or he can have a more distant, disengaged relationship and work very hard to strike new trade agreements with the united states and other major

trading partners far beyond europe. what is your sense of what his strategy is? i don't know if i have discovered all the elements and dimensions of the prime minister's strategy. we will have 11 months now to conclude new relations and we will see in the course of these negotiations where he is willing to move to. do you think he knows? i think that from time to time, he knows that at certain junctures he has to give in. he has to give in? you think whatever noises he makes about not accepting eu regulations, not accepting eu regulations, not accepting close alignment and this so—called level playing field, you

think he's going to back down?” think he's going to back down?|j think in the deals we have concluded with britain, it's made perfectly clear that britain has, as it's agreed to, to respect a certain number of rules of the internal market. they agreed not to change dramatically the environmental and social terms we have inside the european union. for the rest, in other domains, he's totally free, but he knows in orderfor other domains, he's totally free, but he knows in order for it to work, independent of the rhetoric employed by these and those, britain was seen as a major employed by these and those, britain was seen as a major player inside the european union. as i know from so the european union. as i know from so many conversations i have had with non—european leaders, they know britain brexit will not have the

same influence in europe and elsewhere than before. to be clear, you're saying britain is going to be significantly weaker after brexit, are you? i think both the european union and britain will be significantly weaker after brexit, but britain is a great big nation. the europeans, the continentals, will look to britain. history has not been forgotten. i wa nt history has not been forgotten. i want this relation with britain to be as close as possible when it comes to defence, when it comes to security, when it comes to the fight against terrorism. you are one of the most experienced politicians and negotiators in europe, so it seems to me there are already signs the eu is determined to use whatever leverage it can to dominate the coming economic and trade negotiations. for example, we've already got a clear linkage for european leaders, including emmanuel macron and leo

varadkar, between fishing and continued full european access to british fishing waters and, for example, opening up or keeping access for british financial services inside the european union. their calling it the fish for finance deal. many in britain regard that as a form of eu blackmail. the blackmailworks britain regard that as a form of eu blackmail. the blackmail works in two senses and two directions. i think it's up to the negotiators to work out what can be done in favour of britain and what can be kept alive as far as european rules and certain things are concerned. we will have negotiations, these will be very tough negotiations, but we knew this before. so don't be surprised that these negotiations will be tough. but when emmanuel macron says, "if there is not continued

european access to british fishing, there's no chance of a comprehensive trade deal," are we to take him seriously? yes, because there is a huge concern in the french ports and other regions in europe, so this is the point... but the vast majority of eu nations are not even fishing states. yeah, but this doesn't take away the importance of fishing for france, for belgium, the netherlands, for denmark and for others. it seems there's a danger in talking tough this way, the eu is misreading the politics in the uk because the whole point of brexit is to take back control. if you listen to some of the british fishermen's leaders, as i've been doing in recent days, they are saying what they see from the eu is a cynical attempt to continue deeply

unfair fishing practices which have disadvantaged british fishermen which they will no longer tolerate. yeah, but this was part of all the treaties and negotiations we had over the decades we've written. the fact the european union wants to stick to these arrangements is not a surprise. it comes as a surprise to some british, as we were surprised by the fa ct british, as we were surprised by the fact that some in britain in the government department were claiming britain should have free access to the financial services in europe. why? why? if you are not part of the customs union, if you are not part of the internal market, why do you claim that the city of london should have the same rights as other financial centres in europe? so we have to bring the temperature down in order... it doesn't seem to me this is bringing the temperature down at all, it seems to me over the next 11 months, the temperature is probably going to rise and rise dramatically. and in the end, borisjohnson has said, "if we do not get a deal done

by december the 31st, 2020, then we're just by december the 31st, 2020, then we'rejust going to by december the 31st, 2020, then we're just going to end the negotiation" and one can only assume that means in terms of a trade deal, there will be no trade deal, it will go to those good old wto standards. is europe prepared to contemplate that? i was never in favour of going back to wto, that's an old machine, the wto. it was invented before the internet was invented. so i don't think the simple wto rules are sufficient to organise the relations between britain and the european countries. in fairness, countries. infairness, mr countries. in fairness, mrjunker, successor as the president of the commission, ursula von der leyen, she says it's going to be very difficult, highly unlikely, that a deal will be done by the end of 2020. so what's going to happen? knowing the technical difficulties with facing, i think she's right. it's not for

sure we will be able, both the british and the european union, to conclude a full—fledged deal before the end of the deal and boris johnson full—fledged deal before the end of the deal and borisjohnson has the choice from now untiljune to either ask for a longer period or to try to assist in his wish to conclude a deal before the end of the year. if it is possible, it is fine, but if it is possible, it is fine, but if it is possible, it is fine, but if it is not possible, we are left with unclear rules that people don't understand then it would be better to prolong. spent he has written into law that there will be no extension. do you think he's bluffing ? there will be no extension. do you think he's bluffing?” there will be no extension. do you think he's bluffing? i don't think so think he's bluffing? i don't think so but if unilaterally are writing into law that this must be done from that, what is that? a negotiation position, blackmail, what is that? you think his determination to end this process by december 2020 is a form of back

mail? no, because you several times during our conversation i saying the european union is blackmailing here and black mailing there and it goes back to your meditation. blackmail is a word your meditation. blackmail is a word you would use about thisjohnson determination to... i am using this word because you were saying that the european union and the british, you are saying the british, to think the european union is blackmailing them. so... well, it comes back to what the eu wants as well. and what is in the eu's interest. the european union is not leaving britain. written is leaving the european union. but the eu has choices to make to about how much ha rd ball choices to make to about how much hardball it's going to play. at me quote to the director of the think—tank in london, uk in a changing europe. look, let's all get real. a continued economic partnership with the uk

is self—evidently positive and in the interest of the eu so is the eu really going to be inflexible over the 11 months that follow other things like fishing rights?” the 11 months that follow other things like fishing rights? i think what you are quoting is right, it's in our interest to have normal fair relations with britain. during the campaignfor relations with britain. during the campaign for the elections of the european parliament back in 2014, one of my main programme points was to say, we want the fair deal with it in. everything i did was to try to conclude that there deal with britain. i was never inspired by punishing britain. including in the parliament debates, i was for it, day after day, that the unit, that the european union wants to punish bittern, that's not the case. we wa nt bittern, that's not the case. we want have good relations. but it's a political failure that so many people believe you did want to punish bittern. i fully accept that

you are reflecting the british sentiment but you have to have a look into the european continental feelings as well. we don't have a heart of stone, we have dealings and convictions as well. they are as important as the british. and you mean by that, what, britain hurt your feelings? because sometimes, very often i have to say, i found your feelings? because sometimes, very often i have to say, ifound in the british press, in the parliamentary debates, in the academics sometimes a description of the european union which did not correspond to the reality. the european union and the commission, they are not monsters. we are always trying to accommodate britain as they were during so many decades. let's now think about where this leaves both written and the eu in the medium to long—term.

i think it's clear that the european union is indeed trouble, trouble that goes far beyond brexit. would you agree with that? yes, because that's a lwa ys with that? yes, because that's always the case. my first appearance in brussels goes back to december 1982. since then, the european union is set to be in crisis. the european union was always in crisis. the greek former finance minister said brexit is just greek former finance minister said brexit isjust a greek former finance minister said brexit is just a symptom of the wider disintegration of the european union. but it's not a sign of integration, it's a sign of disclosure. for years i had to negotiate on the end of a beautiful history. i want to brussels as president of the commission to be constructive but what i had to do when it comes to exit was to prepare the end of something that is not

very exciting but it's clearly not a sign of integration, it's exactly the opposite. but his point is it's just the beginning of challenges which could lead to further disintegration. first of all, let's look at the failure, and this is a failure of france and germany, the most important member states arguably of the european union, to have a coherent position on the future political, fiscal integration of the union. will there be ever deeper closer union or not?|j of the union. will there be ever deeper closer union or not? i never understood. i was signing the maastricht treaty. it appears for the very first time, this expression, the ever closer union. i understood it as a commitment, not in technical terms but in philosophical. in political terms. asi philosophical. in political terms. as i said before, not in favour of the european union becoming

a state... if i may the european union becoming a state... ifi may say the european union becoming a state... if i may say so, you once said you were very worried about what you call the loss of, quote, the collect of european libido. you clearly wa nted the collect of european libido. you clearly wanted more europe.|j the collect of european libido. you clearly wanted more europe. i wanted more action, yes. but you are not going to get it, and that's my point and this may be that watershed moment and beyond the watershed is an eu that is slowly drifts and falls apart. i don't think that the european union is on the way to fall apart. what i've noted after brexit was this determination of so many europeans to stand together. the approval of the european union is such that increasingly... mr juncker, you can quote me all the polls you like. look at the reality of the politicians. dot. i'm not a fan of opinion polls. look at the

politicians in poland, in hungary, mr0rban, for example, politicians in poland, in hungary, mr 0rban, for example, who says i am ina mr 0rban, for example, who says i am in a liberal democrat and i will not allow brussels to dictate what i do. this is the reality, these other successful politicians. it depends on the point of view. what i don't understand your explanation on the ones i must give, it's not seen that the european union has changed, we have less regulations than before. we are taking less initiatives, intelligent and stupid ones, then we re intelligent and stupid ones, then were taken ever before. is it the truth that the people rubbing their hands at brexit and what they see as the weakness of the eu today people like donald trump, people like vladimir putin, those running rival powers to see the world in competitive terms and to lighten the fa ct competitive terms and to lighten the fact that the

eu looks weaker today. i have a long—standing relationship with vladimir putin and a good relationship with donald trump. i know that in their countries, they don't like the idea that the european union is as an important player as they are which european union for the time being is not, but they don't want europeans to become as adverse as they are, and other europeans, maybe apart from a british friends, they want to be equal players. they want to be players. you don't think britain alone will be a player? britain alone will be a player? britain alone will be a player? britain alone will be a player, i never thought that britain will disappear from the international landscape. britain is an old nation with so many traditions, with so many noble virtues that britain will not disappear but

these virtues, these advantages britain was presenting again and again to the world can be more developed inside the european union than outside. and we will see. it's interesting you give me that thought because i want to end with this thought, that it is possible, who knows, but it is possible to imagine ten, 20, 30 years away, the british people in the british government may take a different view of your. they might possibly consider wanting to rejoin. do you believe europe will be ready to listen? is it a possibility for the future, do you think?|j listen? is it a possibility for the future, do you think? i don't know if this is a policy this possibility. when britainjoined, britain was in favour of the european union, otherwise it wouldn't have joined. now they have taken the opposite decision. it could be in 20 or 30 years from now they would reconsider their point of view. who knows how the international world will develop in the next coming decades

but if at somejuncture, it the next coming decades but if at some juncture, it presents the next coming decades but if at somejuncture, it presents itself the next coming decades but if at some juncture, it presents itself at the door of the european union, it would be the one who would keep this door closed. it's popularfor britain and europe expect better for the european union and britain to have britain with us and beside us. you put it that way but to be frank, mrjuncker, written might seek to rejoin the european union and as you say, the door would be open. do you think it's possible within your lifetime? you are still in your mid— 60s, you are not an old man. is it possible in your lifetime? it depends on my lifetime. but it would be great, it would reflect whatever i thought on the relations between britain and the european union, britain and the european union, britain one day was to rejoin the european union but it's not up to me

to the british people. they are... i don't like being lectured. maybe they feel they've had enough lectures from you. no, but maybe that europeans have the impression that europeans have the impression that we did listen to off too often to britain but i don't think we listened to off into britain but i know in a majority of countries, britain has not improved its popularity after brexit. jean-claude juncker, thank you very much indeed. thank you. or being on hardtalk. thank you. or being on hardtalk. thank you.

hello there. we started off this week with a wintry flavour, cold for all of us. but wednesday brought a day of contrast. it was a glorious afternoon across much of england and wales with some sunshine coming through, as you can see in bedford, and a little milder with it. different story, though, further north as we saw some heavy, persistent rain. some areas of scotland seeing over a couple of inches in a 24—hour period. now that weather front continues to drift its way steadily north. we've got a weaker area of low pressure pushing its way in from the south—west. but one unifying factor as we move into thursday and friday is a south—westerly flow will drive mild air right across the country. so wednesday morning we saw temperatures hovering around the freezing mark. but thursday morning, and it really looks as though it will be a different story. we're going to start of mild, 7—8 degrees widely across the country. so, yes, it's a mild start, but it's a rather cloudy, grey, drab one, unfortunately. there'll be some rain, some of it heavy and persistent, moving its way up through western scotland to the north.

and then behind it we've got quite a lot of cloud, thick enough for the odd spot or two drizzle, light patchy rain, misty, murky weather conditions, maybe some dense fog lingering in the far south—west. lighter winds to the south, but always strongest the further north and west with that rain. but look at this. those temperatures widely double digits. 10—14 degrees our afternoon highs. as we move out of thursday into friday, unfortunately, yet again, there's another frontal system that's going to push in from the west and that's going to bring more wet weather with it. now, the heaviest of the rain is likely to be through western what areas for a time on wednesday. and as it pushes its way steadily eastwards it'll weaken, fragment to showers into the afternoon. but we're likely to see more persistent rain just clinging on to the north—west of the great glen. however, the wind direction's still a south—westerly, still mild for all, 8—14

the high. now, as we move out of friday for the start of the weekend, unfortunately it looks as though we're stuck in repeat. low pressure never too far away, but weather fronts crossing the uk, they ease away, a brief respite before the next weather front which is in. so it does look likely that it's going to stay pretty u nsettled. so this is our city forecast for both saturday and sunday. it's going to be a case showers or longer spells of rain, but it's still on the mild side for this time of year, with temperatures widely into double figures. take care.

this is the briefing. i'm sally bundock. our top stories: china says more than 170 people have now died from coronavirus, with over 7,000 confirmed cases of infection. president trump accuses his former national security advisor of ‘betrayal‘ and the white house warns him not to publish his book. it's the day before brexit — and we discover a rush of brits buying property in france before the deadline.

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