this is the briefing — i'm victoria fritz. our top story: departure day — in 18 hours time after more than four decades in europe britain will formally bid goodbye. lam i am jenny hill i amjenny hill in brussels where we will be engaging the mood in hearing from some of the key players in the brexit process. negotiations will be tough but we wa nt negotiations will be tough but we want to be the closest hands and the best partners we can think. with more than 200 deaths in china and cases in 18 other countries coronavirus has been declared a global health emergency. also in business —

net benefits. will brexit land uk fishermen a bigger share of the catch or leave them adrift? a warm welcome to the programme — let there be light! briefing you on all you need to know in global news, business and sport. and you can be part of the conversation. it's my last day in the office. tell us what you think about the stories we're covering — just use the hashtag #bbcthebriefing. the uk will formally leave the european union

at 2300 gmt this evening — 47 years afterjoining. the country will continue to follow eu rules and pay into its budget under a transition agreement due to run until the end of the year. helen catt has more. we've had brexit dates set before but as the union flags flying in central london, and especially minted 50p coins now in circulation suggest, today really is the day that the uk will leave the eu after 47 yea rs. will leave the eu after 47 years. whether you love brexit, loaded or somewhere in between, it's a significant moment. make no mistake, it's a massive day and as of 11 o'clock year, 12 o'clock in brussels, we don't get to stop brexit, it's done. we are not a member state. we

cannot rejoin without going through a very complicated process and at the end of the year, if transition ends then, real practical effects will begin. in brussels, british meps have already packed up, theirjob will no longer exist. but we are unlikely to notice much change overnight. the uk will keep following eu rules until the end of december as the government negotiates a new trade deal with europe. negotiations are likely to begin almost immediately and the government wants them done by the end of the year. a day to the eu has signed up to as well. talking about security and defence and the movement of people in the centrepiece will definitely this big trade deal so definitely this big trade deal so it's a massive undertaking and it's also very different from a normal trade deal because usually we are trying to build bridges and try to come together but in this case, we are diverging to some

degree. from tonight, the uk will also be free to negotiate its own deals with other countries and parliament will $0011 countries and parliament will soon start the process of deciding on what should go in the new laws that will be drawn up the new laws that will be drawn up to replace eu ones. mps will be busy, though. they will need to pass a lot of legislation in time for next january. helen katt, bbc news, westminster. so how did we get here? the process began 3.5 years ago, when leave won the eu referendum with 52% of the vote. in march 2017 new prime minister theresa may triggered article 50, the formal process of leaving the eu. brexit day was set for 29th march 2019. but in early 2019 mps rejected mrs may's brexit deal. the deadline was pushed back to october. in may, theresa may resigned as prime minister and boris johnson took her place.

he agreed a new deal with brussels in october, but it wasn't until he won the general election that a new brexit date could be set, for today — the 31st of january 2020. live now to brussels and our correspondent, jenny hill. what is the mood in brussels today? it's going to be a sombre day as the union jack it's going to be a sombre day as the unionjack is lowered and britain finally leaves. with the exception of the meps from the british brexit party, they will not be much in the way of celebration here in brussels or indeed eu member state capital and that's of course, first of all, no—one

wa nted course, first of all, no—one wanted this to happen although there is i think, it's fair to say, a degree of relief, after a painful process, brexit is finally happening. the eu is losing an important political and economic partner and that is not seen here is cause for celebration. i think secondly, all lies here are on what happens next. everyone in european capitals knows that once brexit is out and goes into this negotiation phase, written in the eu are expected to thrash out their future relationship, effectively in less tha n relationship, effectively in less than 11 months. getting this deal done by the end of the year. they don't plan to extend that period. that's really raising eyebrows here in the eu. such a deal can be done in detail in such a short space of time. parties in berlin,

paris, brussels not so much, rather a time of sombre reflection whether because the member states starting to think about what they are going to look like without written. looking to the furure, president of the european commission, ursula von der leyen, said ratification of the withdrawal deal was "only a first step" towards a new partnership between the eu and the uk. she's been speaking to our europe editor katya adler. is it isita is it a sad moment for the eu? it isa is it a sad moment for the eu? it is a very emotional day and first i want to pay tribute to all these british citizens in the european union almost half a century almost, contributed to the european union and made it stronger and it is the story of old friends and new beginnings now and therefore

it's an emotional day but i'm looking forward to the next stage. is it also somehow a failure of the eu, the fact that the uk couldn't be persuaded to stay? it is the decision of the british people, the majority of the british people and this has to be respected and something happened during these 3.5 years in the brexit. the european union that was positive because we got the clear impression that it's way better for us to be together. the unity was strengthened of the european union, the knowledge that we could tackle the global challenges together way better than each of us on its own so as we have seen also, as brexit doesn't solve any of the global challenges, either gets better to work together. so you don't see it in any way as a failure that the eu could be different,

should now be different. it is, my experience, that in the member states, you need politicians and a strong group who is advocating for the european union because the european union because the european union, it's us so it was a half a century, the british people or the french or the spanish, or others, so you need really to want the european union, and advocate for it and the second point is i think we have to be very clear about what the benefit of the european union is because we know that sometimes in the member states, you take the benefits for granted and whenever something is to blame, you blame the european union and we should never, ever forget the european union, it's us. now, you've often spoken about the importance of the relationship with the united kingdom. because its membership

goes back for decades, because geographically the eu is so close to the uk, can the uk expect special treatment when it comes to negotiating future relations, trade, security? the negotiations of course will be tough but we want to be the closest friends and the best partners you can think of because as you've said, we share a history, we share a lot of common experience. we share the same geography and therefore a lot of common destiny so negotiations will be fair but of course each side will fight for their interests and it is very clear that there are some fields where we have a strong common interest. for example, the fight against climate change. all of us know that we can do it together or for example, security, all work together as close as possible. the crucial part is the single market and there is a clear trade—off. the close of the uk

wa nts to trade—off. the close of the uk wants to be to the single market, the more they have to respect the rules of the single market. if they do not want to respect the rules and the standards of the single market, the more distant of course they will be so this is the room where we have to negotiate. and there'll be special programme on bbc news. "leaving the eu" with katty kay and christian fraser in london and ros atkins in brussels, from 1900 gmt until 0030 on friday 31 january. the coronavirus outbreak — which started in the city of wuhan in china — has been classified as a global health emergency by the world health organisation. more than 9,000 people have been infected in the country and 213 have died. let's go live to hong kong and speak to the bbc‘s mariko 0i. why did it take so long

for the who to declare coronavirus a global health emergency? i think that's a lot of questions that critics of the who have been asking, why they didn't declare it sooner, whether there is any question to declare it as such because there is a significant impact on chinese economy. and they have finally declared it is a global emergency while the death toll continues to rise in the virus continues to spread. it's no surprise that people are concerned. the long queue behind me, you can't actually see the end of the queue. these are the people waiting to find facemasks. there is a bit of irony here that only a few months ago, people won't allowed to wear facemasks.

wearing them to protect themselves from this virus. just explain really the situation on the ground here. how concerned situation on the ground here. how concerned are situation on the ground here. how concerned are people? we conceal the facemasks here. it could not be a different scenario. from just the rights we saw over the course of the summer. indeed, it's partly because people are concerned around the world but especially hong kong because memories of the sars outbreak i still rush. backin the sars outbreak i still rush. back in 2003, a small city of 7 million lost really 300 lives and that's why there has been a lot of russia from especially medical professionals on the government to do more to close all the borders with mainland china. let's brief you on some of the other stories making the news. authorities in the australian capital territory have declared a state of emergency as massive bushfires rage south

of canberra. it is the worst fire threat to the territory in nearly two decades. residents in suburbs of canberra have been urged to "remain alert" for potential evacuations. as president trump's impeachment trial continues in washington, four republican senators have become the focus of attention to see if they will vote to call witnesses. the democrats need all four to back their call for witness testimony to win the vote, which is expected to take place on friday. amnesty international has criticised the greek government over its plan to build a floating barrier in the sea to stop migrant boats from reaching land. the rights group said the proposal would make it more dangerous for those desperately seeking safety.

prince harry has lost a complaint against the mail on sunday's use of photographs of african wildlife from his instagram account. the duke of sussex accused the british newspaper of misleading readers by suggesting he'd deliberatly neglected to reveal that the animals had been tranquilized and tethered. the press watchdog said the article wasn't misleading. the stay with us on bbc news. taking on the old guard. who will face novak djokovic in the australian open men's final? the shuttle challenger exploded soon after lift—off. there were seven astronauts on board, one of them a woman schoolteacher. all of them are believed to have been killed. by the evening, tahrir square, the heart of official cairo, was in the hands of the demonstrators. they were using the

word "revolution". the earthquake singled out buildings and brought them down in seconds. tonight, the search for any survivors has an increasing desperation about it as the hours passed. the new government is firmly in control of the entire republic of uganda. survivors of the auschwitz concentration camp have been commemorating the 40th anniversary of their liberation. they toured the huts, gas chambers and crematoria, and relived their horrifying experiences. you're watching the briefing. 0ur headlines: with more than 200 deaths in china and cases in 18 other countries, coronavirus has been declared a global health emergency.

britain is just hours away from formally leaving the eu. borisjohnson will later describe brexit as a moment of national renewal. there are more than a million uk citizens living in eu countries. the exit deal reached with the eu has secured some, but not all of the rights they've enjoyed. 300 thousand uk passport—holders live in spain alone. 0ur europe correspondent, damian grammaticas, has found many britons there are anxious about the changes brexit will bring. it's january and basking under blue skies, british residents of the cost costa blanca. this is the lifestyle they came for, but well brexit now change things? at the moment, this is

valid... david, who is retired, is worried about his access to healthcare. are we going to continue to have access to free healthcare, being paid for obviously by the nhs, or am i having to go private? i'm worried about the pension, will it be linked if i may spanish resident? both david and eileen should be fine. 100,000 retirees live in spain. the issueis retirees live in spain. the issue is whether pensions registered as residents can stay and get up radio pensions. for others, though, things are less clear. after the end of this year, tourists may face limits on any stay in the eu, perhaps a maximum of 90 days. it's part of what's still to be decided. the british citizens who face their greatest uncertainties are those who are studying, working, making lives around here. here in spain there are 200,000 of them.

younger, mobile, many worried brexit will restrict their opportunities. hello! hi, isabel, how are you? isabel and her mother, camilla, who lives in madrid, will both lose the ability to move freely for work 01’ ability to move freely for work or study to other eu countries, so the two are now taking spanish citizenship. what breaks my heart is the situation of young people, it's notjust my situation of young people, it's not just my children, situation of young people, it's notjust my children, there's another 12,000 british children who have been born in spain and have british citizenship, and that's a lot of people to forget. to get a spanish passport, you have to live here for ten yea rs. have to live here for ten years. many haven't, like matt. he came to teach english, now has a corgi puppy, a full—time job and a wife, lexi, whose american. free movement, matt believes, enriched his life and gave him chances others in the uk will now not enjoy. if the

uk will now not enjoy. if the uk government is not going to allow eu citizens to move to the uk's easily or limit the amount of time they can live there, the same thing will happen to brits, or something very similar. so matt, for one, won't be celebrating this day, believing brexit will prove a loss, not a liberation. damian grammaticas, bbc news, madrid. the uk is now a very different country from the one thatjoined the eu in 1973. our special correspondent, allan little, reports on how almost half a century in europe's embrace has changed the nation, which is now seeking a new role in the world. when i have to choose between europe and the wide open seas, said winston churchill, i will always choose the wide open seas. britain is looking to the wide open seas again to redefine its place in the world. archive: from the men of the clyde came our greatest ships. there is a folk memory of the commercial and industrial greatness that those seas once

bestowed, of the river clyde as a superhighway of global trade. raw materials shipped from the empire came in, manufactured goods went out to the empire in return. but the empire was dying, its trade dwindling, so britain turned its face to europe. there is not much traffic on the clyde these days. the long transition from the age of empire to the age of europe changed the shape and character of the country. apartment blocks and retail parks now stand where shipyards and docks once dominated. a service and consumer economy rose to replace industrial giants that fell into dereliction with bewildering speed. when britain turned away from the wide open seas to embrace a european future, places like this, the great empire—facing trading and industrial powerhouses of the country, were already in decline, and that process now accelerated.

the centre of gravity and the british economy began to migrate south and east. the manufacturing that thrives in the european age is nimbler, lighter, precision—engineered. the modern british car industry has been shaped by its european context. it is adapted to a europe without borders. it has chains of supply and demand that cross multiple national frontiers. that is its economic habitat. it, like the rest of the economy, will have to adapt now to whatever new trading habitat emerges this year. but this is perhaps the most graphic symbol of britain's transformation in the age of europe. the warehouses of the london docklands in 1972, abandoned by global trade, had fallen into ruin. what rose in their place would reshape the character of the british economy.

where coal and steel and empire trade had once defined british enterprise, finance emerged as the country's economic colossus. how much of this dizzying expansion does the city of london owe to european markets, and what new barriers to those markets will now rise? i have talked a lot about trade. it is also about values, about how a country carries itself in the world, the friendships it seeks beyond its shores. in this, too, britain has chosen to steer a new course, still undefined. tennis now, and there's just one match of interest today, as it's the second men's semi—final. let's speak to the bbc‘s let's speak to the bbc'sjohn watson in melbourne. remind us of who is throughout this

stage. we know that we've got the lineup for the women's final, that is to come tomorrow, severe caning against garbine muguruza. a bit of a surprise considering how many top seeds fell at the early stages —— sofia kenin against garbine muguruza. two names we wouldn't have expected at melbourne park but muguruza and ken it is, two surprise packages but you would expect muguruza with the experience would go in as favourite. we saw novak djokovic beat roger federer yesterday, comfortable in the end, perhaps the result we expected when you consider the dominance djokovic has had over 30 of late, certainly in the grand slams, and djokovic hoping to win a record eighth australian open in melbourne. who he will face later? two rising stars, zverev and thiem. zverev of germany, criticised in recent years for failing to

produce his best performances at the grand slam, the first time he's played in a grandslam semi—final, but dominic thiem, a bit more experience in the latter stages of grand slams, he has reached two french open finals, lost to rafa nadal on both occasions but beat him in the quarters here. perhaps the tides are turning and we will see one of these make the final ofa see one of these make the final of a grandslam for the first time but it will be able test against mrakovcic. who is going to offer the sterner test? dominic thiem with the experience, he seems to have improved his all—round game —— against djokovic. we've talked about the dominance of the big three, so great to a couple of rising stars, and one of them will hopefully offer a real test to djokovic in the final on sunday. thanks, john. hope he stays cool, it is meant to be hotter than a0 degrees in melbourne today. don't forget you can be part

of the conversation, tell us what you think about the stories we're covering. a momentous day, britain leaving the eu after a7 years. stay with us, plenty more to come. hello there. thursday was a very windy day across the north of the uk, into parts of scotland. low pressure nearby on friday, this weather front bringing a band of rain south—east across the country and quite a few isobars in the direction of the wind is key to the feel of the weather through friday coming up from the azores on a south—westerly, you will see the orange and yellow is pretty much right across—the—board. rather cloudy to start the day for many, that weather front, band of rain, will spread south

and east across england and wales through the day becoming confined to the south—east. behind it, skies will tend to brighten up with sunny spells but we will see blustery showers or the north and west of scotland, some heavy and merging to bring long spells of rain. blustery across—the—board, these are mean wind speeds, we could see a0 or 50 mean wind speeds, we could see a0 or50 mph mean wind speeds, we could see a0 or 50 mph in exposure, but it's the feel of the weather that you will notice, temperatures around the mid—teens for many and we could see highs around 15 across the east. stays blustery through friday night, further showers or longest pulse of rain across the north—west of the country with one or two showers further south —— longer spells. largely fine and dry for most of england and wales on saturday. with the milder air and the breeze, those temperatures are not falling much, below six or seven. double figure values in the south. 0n the weekend, we've still got low pressure nearby and this front will affect northern areas and this front will affect southern britain with outbreaks of rain. generally drier in the middle

of them. spells of rain spreading across south wales and southern england through the day and in the north, the weather front will sink south with outbreaks in scotland and northern ireland and maybe northern england, and we could see colder air moving down from the north late in the day. 8—9 here, but england and wales will have another mild one with 10-13. not will have another mild one with 10—13. not as warm as friday. 0n 10—13. not as warm as friday. on sunday, a band of rain will spread north, reaching southern scotland, northern england, northern ireland, perhaps no over high ground and chilly across the north. some brightness in the north but further south, sunshine, a few showers and fairly mild.

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this is the business briefing. i'm victoria fritz. a $1.7 trillion gamble. britain's economic future at stake as it reshuffles trade ties with europe — and the rest of the world plus, net benefits. will brexit land uk fishermen a bigger share of the catch — or leave them adrift? and on the markets: wall street stages a late comeback, bucking a sharp sell—off in global equities, while china's currency weakens as fresh concerns over