of the biosecure bubble at all, it was a practice area, and they used that without permission. england are saying, we did try and clear that, but the practice pitches we were given weren't fit for purpose and we had no choice. so there is a bit of a blame game going on here. south africa are desperate to try and prove they are not to blame for this series collapsing, they need these other countries to go there on tour. they will already lose about $4 million as a result of this tour going down the pan at the simply cannot afford for other countries not to come. so what impact has all of this had on cricket in south africa, and particularly the games‘ finances? earlier on, i wasjoined by espn cricinfo south africa correspondent firdose moonda. it will be a huge financial hit for cricket south africa. we're talking

a £1.5 million, so £500,000 per, and even though these matches have been postponed, in theory, it's really difficult to see when they would put them in. and glenn have got a very busy 2021. south africa is similar. 0bviously, concerns known around england coming back, so i think realistically, we are not going to see these matches played, probably within the next four year cycle. of course, they are world cup super league points that need to be sorted out, so maybe not try and squeeze them in somehow, whether that will be on mutual ground, or something that may be discussed, but notjust financial damage done to cricket south africa here, but reputational damage is well, this is the first time hosting an international cricket team in a bio secure bubble, and you know, they've definitely been concerns. it's difficult to say where the blame lies, and perhaps there will be some leniency in terms of the global pandemic, but something like holding back hosting a serious —— series, we are in the western cape, we've had a 40% increase in cases, this is a tourist

hotspot, people from other parts of the country are coming here. maybe there could have been a rethink and also things like having the team going off to play golf about an hour away from the hotel. you know, i understand that recreational concerns need to be brought in, i know it's difficult spinning time in a bubble, but exactly how you manage all of that given that 0bama means you shouldn't really be leaving probably needs to be re—looked at. and when you think about re—looking at that's you know that sri lanka are due to be there for a very lucrative boxing day match, and then you look at australia, due to tour in early 2021. does that put those two tours now endowed? absolute. sri lanka cricket will be meeting imminently to discuss their options. 0ne meeting imminently to discuss their options. one thing trent dilley naturally collects up afterr in a position where they need to play, and south are due to play a reciprocal tournament entry like around june orjuly of next year. so they wouldn't want to create any kind of bad blood. they are also staying in a different place, so the

matches are going to take place where there is a slightly less risk, may be, that said, people will go home from their holidays on the coast up to, so we don't know what the situation will be like in january. they are also staying at a slightly different venue. talking about the country club which has a lot of recreational facilities on site, so they want to be leaving, australia is one where they really need to think about, because south africa will possibly be in the middle of a second wave and we don't have a vaccine coming until about mid-2020 have a vaccine coming until about mid—2020 when we hear from of africa. australia we know have a handle on the pandemic, so much so that they've got spectators on the grounds now. if anybody is going to be concerned about travelling, it may be then, and they are in a bubble against india now to go from back to back to back bubbles is difficult. so i think cricket south africa will be very concerned as to how the summer is going to play out. 0ne how the summer is going to play out. one other cricketing line. tom curran is in that england squad and was due tojoin up with the sydney sixers for the big bash later this week in australia.

but after spending the best part of six months playing in the tighest of restrictions with england and also the indian premier league, he has opted to return home to be with his family. the sixers say... "the varying conditions we are asking our players to play "cricket in worldwide is taking its toll and we understand "tom's need for a break." let's take a quick look at some other sport making the news today. newcastle united's training ground is still closed after a covid outbreak at the club. their game at aston villa last friday was postponed because of a significant increase in the number of cases. it's not yet known whether saturday's game at home to west brom will go ahead, although newcastle are hopeful that players can return to training tomorrow. leaving sports news there for the moment and head right back to bbc news channel in just a moment, but just ring you right up to date, you can stay right across all the latest sport news at the bbc sport website. that is where we have all the latest news on that world cup draw for

qualifying that has been made. you can find all of the details they are, but from us on sports day, we will see you as soon as we are back to bbc news channel now. good evening to you from downing street. this is where we have been watching and waiting for any sign of the results of a phone call between borisjohnson results of a phone call between boris johnson and the results of a phone call between borisjohnson and the president of the european commission, ursula von der leyen. we know that they spoke for over an hour and der leyen. we know that they spoke for overan hourand a der leyen. we know that they spoke for over an hour and a half and then we heard that there was a pause in their phone call, some reports said that the phone call then resumed. it's a little unclear quite what happens, but we have had a statement released after that phone call to discuss this, i'm joined by our political correspondent, nick lee. nick, you have the statement there, what does it say? that might be on the fact that boris johnson and ursula von der leyen have again discussed the issues, they've taken

stock, the conditions for finalising an agreement crucially are not they are due to the significant remaining differences. the one that we've been discussing all they which is fisheries, competition rules, whether the uk would have to mirror the european union and how you enforce the european union and how you e nfo rce a ny the european union and how you enforce any deal. but, it does so like we are heading for a short down later this week, because both sides have asked their chief negotiator, so have asked their chief negotiator, so michel barnierfrom have asked their chief negotiator, so michel barnier from the european union, lord frost for the uk to prepare what they are calling an overview of the remaining differences to be discussed at a physical meeting in brussels in the coming days. so it sounds like boris johnson after that call at some point is going to be heading to brussels for the moment at which he will discuss the issues with ursula v011 will discuss the issues with ursula von der leyen or whether there's any way that they can be overcome. we we re way that they can be overcome. we were discussing earlier as well that these trade talks have been going on for months. we know that they've been taking place in london and in

brussels, they matter, but ultimately, whether to sign on the dotted line is a political decision, and it sounds like we are now gearing up towards talks later this week where that political decision has to be made. the member, there was that european council meeting on thursday as well, so there will be a lot of european leaders in brussels, a lot to discuss, but high on that agenda is going to be brexit. it's on—site borisjohnson will be making that trip in the coming days as well. how long can this timetable keeping extended and extended? it's excellent question. so often, we have stood here and said this is the crunch moment commits a crucial week, it's not completely clear what the final deadline is, i think thursday is a big day because there are some on the european side who are some on the european side who are very adamant that they wanted to see something on the table on thursday, something that they could discuss european leaders and see whether it met their demands. we know that there are some european

leaders who have different opinions on leaders who have different opinions o n exa ctly leaders who have different opinions on exactly how this should go over the next few weeks, but the ultimate deadline is the 31st of december. that's when the transition period ends, that's when the rules are definitely going to change. there are many in the uk government as well who think that ultimately, if there isn't going to be a deal, if these differences between the two sites are insurmountable, you need to tell businesses, you need to allow people to prepare for that situation to come in and that's in just underfour weeks' situation to come in and that's in just under four weeks' time. we were watching a little earlier in the commons, the cabinet office minister, penny morden is talking about their desire to do a deal, but not at the price of uk sovereignty. how would you assess the mood on the conservative benches at the moment about where the government is on this? they believe he shouldn't blank. at sovereignty issue is absolutely key for them. when we talk about this

idea of the level playing field, which is all about whether the uk should have to abide by brussels rules or follow brussel‘s rules. europe wanted because they want to make sure that when the uk is outcome even though it has access to the single markets, they can have vastly different rules that allow it to may be undercut european people, and there i would say to you that the whole point of brexit is so that we can have our the whole point of brexit is so that we can have oui’ own the whole point of brexit is so that we can have our own rules, you can do things different. so i think that's why that's become such a crunch issue, that those brexit yea rs crunch issue, that those brexit years on the tory benches where in the commons today saying to ministers, we are behind you on this. at sovereignty issue for us is absolutely crucial, urging boris johnson not to give away ground on that. i suppose that's one of the things that the prime minister is going to have to weigh up over the next few days before he goes to brussels for those crunch talks with ursula von der leyen. is he prepared to compromise on any of the things that haven't been sorted out yet? is he prepared to tell some of his

brexit year tory mps that he cannot have everything they want, or, ultimately, is he prepared to walk away from these negotiations on the 1st of january and have world trade authorisation rules, what we've been referring to for months now as no—deal with the potential economic impact of doug neck that could have. nick, i think it's worth reminding people what the main sticking points tween the two sites are, because we have been having these trade negotiations for months now. they started in march. here we are at the very end of them, and yet, there are three main points that are really proving to be incredibly difficult. just run through them for a. the important backdrop to all of this is the vast majority of things are sorted. those talks that have been going on, it does appear that the vast majority of things have been solved. three things out stand, fisheries, because this is symbolic. notjust for the

fisheries, because this is symbolic. not just for the uk, fisheries, because this is symbolic. notjust for the uk, but fisheries, because this is symbolic. not just for the uk, but for fisheries, because this is symbolic. notjust for the uk, but for many european countries. it's a big discussion about how many european boats should be allowed into uk waters after the 1st of january. results of the issue of what we call the level playing field, which basically means should the uk european rules, changes in standards after it leaves. as we say, the reason european union really wants thatis reason european union really wants that is because it wants to make sure that uk cannot undercut it and get a competitive advantage, but it still has access to the european market. people in downing street would tell you that the whole reason for brexit is because they wanted to have more control, they wanted more sovereignty, so that's absolutely crucial there. a third thing is how all of this is in forest. governance issue. whether it's left to the european court of justice, issue. whether it's left to the european court ofjustice, whether there is an independent system, and how each side would potentially act if the other was to go against some of the rules there. those are the three things that haven't been solved. and the truth is, the reason they've not been solved is because

they've not been solved is because they are the hardest things to get over the line. the big question now is whether there is a political will and a political way of compromising on them, and if borisjohnson and ursula von der leyen meet in brussels later this week, they can figure out something that the negotiators haven't been able to. while we are speaking, as he would expect, laura kuenssberg has been tweeting about what's been going on. she's tweeted some information on the call from the commission president, ursula von der leyen, as viewers can see, with borisjohnson, took stock of the negotiations, the conditions are —— for an agreement are not there due to remaining differences on the critical issues. ursula von der leyen goes on, we asked our chief negotiators to prepare an overview of the remaining differences to be discussed in person in the coming days. ijust

wa nt to ta ke person in the coming days. ijust want to take you back to nick. i think it's worth reflecting at this point, nick, how very difficult this whole process has been, that some people will recall the prime minister talking about an oven ready deal, but the fact that it would be a fairly hazy and amicable negotiation, it hasn't proved to be that's, has its? no, it's not. the government would argue that when they talked about an oven ready deal at the election this time last year, we we re at the election this time last year, we were just at the election this time last year, we werejust coming at the election this time last year, we were just coming towards the general election campaign, ministers would say, look, they were talking about the withdrawal agreement, but how that actually gets you out, but these trade talks have not been hazy. there are 95% that might be sorted, but the key issue, the ha rd est sorted, but the key issue, the hardest issues are still to be resolved. however, there are another couple of things worth pointing out genworth for membrane over the next few days when we see some of the

debate and the briefings and theatrics of trade negotiations. 0ften, theatrics of trade negotiations. often, they go down to the wire. 0ften, there's a last—minute surge where it takes that political will to get things over the line, today, we have the government giving a bit ofan we have the government giving a bit of an olive branch to brussels with the chief saying it's prepared to make changes to the internal market bill, that's controversial brexit legislation would've breached international law by allowing the uk to undercut the withdrawal agreement, the government has come up agreement, the government has come up today and said, look, if we can reach an agreement on how trade goes on between great britain and northern ireland and the republic of ireland, we are prepared to take those bets out of the legislation. so in some ways, i suppose you could say that was an olive branch today and it's possible that if the political will is there over the next few days, things could fall into place. but tonight, that's not guaranteed. and the next few days really are going to be, as i've said before, they really are going to be crucial to figuring out what swing to happen. nick, thank you very much indeed. we will be talking much more, i'm sure in the coming days.

that's said from downing street this evening. coming up here on bbc news is ross atkins with 0utside source. i'm ross atkins, what do 0utside source. uk prime minister and... have put out a joint statement saying... borisjohnson will now go to brussels for face—to—face talks later in the week after today's phone call failed to make progress. 30 million people are being told to stay at home. and we will talk about bob dylan. he's no stranger to being accused of selling out, but this has

nothing to