anchor: hello and welcome. i am rochelle ferguson. these are your top stories. an absolute deadline. the e.u. ramps up pressure on the u.k. brexit divorce settlement. we will bring you the latest from our correspondent, standing by in brussels. two senior of members of the catalan separatist movement allows six others to go free. faces a courtont

hearing in belgium. and in yemen, the violence rages on. the international red cross says at least 125 people have been killed, and over 200 others injured, with six days in the capital, sonata -- sanaa. but first, britain's prime minister, theresa may, is holding talks with european commission chief jean-claude juncker in brussels today, in an attempt to decide on a brexit divorce settlement. european council president donald tusk previously warned that today is the absolute deadline for progress in order to move forward with trade negotiations. the u.k. is scheduled to leave the block in march 2019, that negotiations have yet to reach a breakthrough. our reporterore,

is in brussels. how likely is it that they will reach a deal today? well, it is very hard to tell. it always is when deadlines like this are put on the table. there is very much a sense of nervousness in the air in brussels, among the press, among interest groups, and among members of the european parliament. jean-claude juncker and michelle garnier, the chief negotiator, -- thet with the tax -- task force. they said there was no deal yet, but a 50% chance of reaching a deal. the finance essentials have been agreed on. he said on citizens rights, still a bit of fine tuning to be done. he said when it came to the northern ireland issue, that was over to the government in dublin. all eyes on the ongoing talks that have been ongoing for the last couple of days between dublin, london, and brussels on the crucial irish border issue.

the deputy prime minister of ireland was speaking on public radio in ireland this morning, saying ireland's line was still clear. it wanted to move to phase two of the trade talks but would not do so unless they have written guarantees from the u.k. corporate that there would be no afterorder after brexit, march 2019. that the good friday agreement would remain intact, and access to peace funds and the common travel area , and that ongoing g talks on te bordrder issue could r resume dg those phase two of the talks. we are hearing in the last 30 minutes or so that the u.k. may have signed up to a certain clause in those conclusions, saying that there would not be any regulatory diversions -- divergence in ireland. the market spiked. the new k -- the u.k. o or perhs staying in the union.

d.u.p., thep -- the social conservatives in northern islands that are propping up the tories, , have to gigive the grn light. if the government in dublin do give their green light to the latest clause that has been enshrined by the u.k. government -- when confirmed, it could mean there could be progress in the talks. donald tusk, the do you president, said on friday, and never is acceptable to the irish government will be acceptable to the e.u. steering commission as well. rochelle: incredible difficult to tell what is going to come out of today's talks. what is likely to happen next in all of this? well, we will all have to wait and see how this lunch works out between theresa may, david davis, ali robbins, jean-claude juncker, and michelle garnier. the real deadline could be this

wednesday, when it you commission or sit around the table to give their stance on brexit talks. gete.u. heads of state together on the 14th or 15th. it will also be the european parliament that will have the final word. the european parliament has a high stake in the choreography of the brexit talks, and they will have the ability to veto any sort of deal. the european people's party is the biggest political party in the european parliament. was clear on twitter that the european parliament would not be budging on their red lines and move ahead toh to phase two unless they had guarantees from the u.k. side on all three sticking points, and the ongoing burning issue of the role of the european court of justice, plus brexit. rochelle: our reporter in brussels. thank you. spanish judge has upheld the

jailing of senior members of the catalan separatist team, but allowed six others to go free. those six must now paste -- post bail of 100,000 euros. two other activists have been held. the former leader of the catalonian government come -- government, carles puigdemont, faces hearings in elgin as spain attempts to extradite him to face charges. sarah morris reports them from madrid. judge of the supreme court has said that six former members of the catalan government can be released, providing they post 100,000 euros of bail. we think they will be able to raise that bail, because independent activists have been holding crowdfunding and raising money. but the judge has ruled that the former deputy president of catalonia must stay in jail, along with two other activists,

plus the former interior minister. basically, the judge concludes that he hadd to waive the rights of those people to be freed with the right of the community to be violent --ny risk of of action. he basically returned to the run up to the october 1 referendum, when a constitutional court in spain ruled it was illegal and sent -- other courts sent police to look for the ballot boxes, and tens of thousands of protesters surrounded buildings as they tried to get in and out. to weigh said he had the risk that that could be repeated. rochelle: this is coming on the same day carles puigdemont is set to facace a corset -- a cout hearing in belgium. sarah: that is right. the spanish high court judge has

called for carles puigdemont to toextradited back to spain face charges of sedition, rebellion, and embezzling public money. carles puigdemont and other members of the catalan government that fled to belgium have t told a court in belgium that they y feel that ththeir charges are politically they would,d, and that not face faiair justice in spai. the defense lawyer is likely to try to resist that extradition process. even if the belgian court rules it should go ahead and they should be sent back to spain, there will be an appeals process, so it could take weeks longer before carles puigdemont faces justice in spain. redelle: the international core -- red cross says at least 125 people have been killed and 200 injured in six days of clashes in the human capital. fightersresidents say

have blown up the home of ex-president abdulla sala, with with this with his whereabouts unknown. after a three-year alliance collapsed -- our reporter is in sanaa. reporter: these are who see -- houthi security forces controlling highways in yemen's capital. it may look peaceful, but these men are part of a bloody turf for emerging between one-time allies. rebels and houthi those loyal to yemen's former president together for three years. they'reaturday, alliance collapsed when ex-president and the abdulla's allah announced he was offering an olive branch to the saudi-led coalition bombing his country. >> we will turn a new page withh the coalition and stop feuding with them in a positive way.

whwh has happepened to yemen is more than enough.. i am calling on the armed forces and the police to not take orders from the houthis in any circumstances. reporter: several hours after he denounced the houthis, roadblocks andnd fresh checkpois cropped up in central sanaa. despite being abandoned by a powerful ally, the hououthis insist they are taking ground. >> on sunday, several places forcesled by salah's were overtaken. many people surrendered to the security forces and handed over their weapons. there are still clashes in many neighborhoods, including our own , outside his house. fear ar: residents streetet or is coming. dozens o of people were killllen the city on sundaday, and civilians were barricading themselves in their homes to avoid shelling.

with airstrikes from the saudi coalition continuing unabated for now, this latest split risks opening a new front in yemen's war, one that will leave ordinary yemenis once more in the crossfire. malta's prime minister, joseph muscat, says eight people have been arrested in connection with the killing of the journalist daphne caruana galizia. drawnrders have widespread condemnation. investigators have 48 hours to question the suspects to decide whether to seek charges. the three officials with a french cement company have been placed under investigation for their alleged role in indirectly funding islamic extremist groups in syria. initial official said on friday the men were handed the luminary charges of financing a terrorist enterprise and endangering others. to funneling money

to syrian armed organizations in 2014, to guarantee safe passage for employees and supply its plants. lafargerter is at headquarters. what are the reactions to these preliminary charges? we actually talked to the lawyer of one of the three executives who were charged for indirectly financing terrorism in syria. the one who was in charge of security at the time for lafarge -- he told his lawyer he denied any wrongdoing, and said he would appeal the judge's decision, and he was calling for a new audience in the coming months. he told his lawyer that he was painedndeed that lafarge to keep its factory in northern syria running, that he said he was opposed to that idea through

a series of him else to his colleagues, and his colleagues did not take his opinion into account. he also told his lawyer that he did not know how much money lafarge forked out. we did try and talk to the press officers at lafarge, right behind me. they said they would not give any reaction to the latest development. but according to a local french media, lafarge could have paid up to 100,000 dollars every month in order to keep the factory running, meaning lafarge is accused allegedly of paying groups like the islamic state employees tow its go to work every day. the farge is not only accused of financing terrorism. it is also accused of endangering the lives of its syrian employees, and it is accused of using fake contracts to buy fuel from groups like the

islamic state group, because at hadtime, the jihadists taken over strategic oil reserves in the country, meaning lafarge allegedly violated on a you embargo on syrian oil. rochelle: according to an article in the french daily thee figaro -- "la figaro," company has admitted it should have stopped operations in more-torn syria earlier. reporter: absolutely. that interview was published after those three executives were charged on friday. the head said they should have pulled out earlier, that it was a mistake. but it is important to note he was not in the job at the time. he took over as chairman of lafarge in 2016. he said he was extremely shocked when he had -- when he heard about the scandal. he said they should have pulled out earlier, and he said that a committee had been created to

punish those employees who have violated internal rules. he did say it was up to the french justice system to do its job and shed life -- shed light on what happened. rochelle: a reporter at the headquarters of lafarge. thank you. it is 1:30 here in the french capital. a quick reminder of the top story we are following. an absolute deadline. the e.u. ramps up the pressure on the u.k. is prime minister theresa may held talks in brussels on a brexit divorce settlement. the spanish judge upholds the jailing of the former catalan vice president and two activists. yemen, the violence raging on. the international red crososs ss atat least 120 five people have been killed, and over 200 others injured, in six days of clashes in the capital, sanaa. time now for our business news. hello to you, delano.

we're starting with a blockbuster takeover in the united states. delano: cbs has made a $69 billion bid for insurance company at not. it will position the operator to become a one-stop shop for health care needs in the united states. started adding clinics to its stores so customers could get physicals or flu shots. aetna at the -- buying could generate a new influx of clients for cvs. the deal still needs approval from regulators in the united states. next, put a first century fox has resumed talks with disney. this is the company controlled by rupert murdoch, which decides whether to strike its empire. the sale would involve the fox movie studio and cable channels, starll as the broadcasters

in india and sky in the u.k.. there would be a decision on any sale by the end of this year. eurozone finance ministers will be picking the next euro group president later this afternoon. after an election defeat in the netherlands this year. finance ministers from latvia, luxembourg, slovakia, and portugal are buying for the job. 19 euros group ministers will take part in the vote, but the winning candidate must secure 10 votes to win. portugal's finance minister thinks he should get the job. mario: the future of the country is embroidered with in future of the european union. it is within this spirit that i embrace this challenge. theugal's experience in recent past shows how it is possible in europe to acachieve budget consolilidation and ininclusive growth.

delano: let's get a check on the markets. in new york, we are seeing a positive start to the week across the board. frankfurt and the text in paris are both trading up over 1%. the footsie in london is up half a percent in this hour. next, venezuela said it would create a new crypto currency. the country with the world's largest known oil reserves has been battling with food and medicine shortages, asas well as skyhigh inflation. the new currency will be backed by oil and gas reserves as well as old and diamond holdings. >> venezuela will create a crypto currency, the petetrol currency -- the petro. toto advance in momonetary sovereignty, to overcome the financial blockade. this will allow w us to move towardrds new f forms o of

internrnatioll financing foror e economic and social developments of the countntry. and it will be done with the crypto currency issue backed byy reserveses of venezuela riches f gold, oil, gas, and diamonds. delano: nicholas maduro speaking there. air services to bali have been resumed after flights were disrupted over the weekend. asked from a volcano has turned into a plume of smoke. tens of thousands of tourists were left stranded when the airport was shut for nearly three days last week. now officials are not too worried about the volcano's impact on tourism. reporter: empty beaches and restaurants. it is a rare sight in bali, one of the world's most popular tourist destinations. its largest mountain erected plumesast week, sending

of ash and steam across the island. the many options -- the erru stranded,t tourists and fears of a l larger, moree dangerous irirruption caused my to cancell plans. >> we sometimes even have 400 people a day. but today, we had just one customer. bali, known for beaches and temples, attracted close to 5 million visitors last year, but visits have fallen drastically since september, when volcanic tremors increased. according to indonesia's tourism minister, bali's businesses could lose six under $65 million if the mountain does not calm. despite the current difficulties, many remain optimistic. bali has overcome threats to its tourist industry before. ableism is -- it is

to overcome. after a terrorist attack, it did not take us long to recover, a terrifyingt was attack, and the impact can last a long time. reporter: the mountain west erected in 1963, killing more than 1000 people. delano: that is it for the business news. rochelle: thank you for the round up of the business headlines. time now for the press review. we look through what is making headlines around the world. all-important brexit discussions today. analyst: theresa may is embarking on a last chance brexit --. she is hoping to clutch an offer on the so-called divorce deal in the e.u., and there is a lot of hope and optimism that they will

finally be able to wrangle something out of the e.u. british radio to that jeremy corbyn is working to reverse the brexit vote. he has been vocal in his opposition before, but "the guardian" notes he has never been so explicit in his determination to stop brexit, like he was this weekend. rochelle: hundreds of aircraft in the south korean capital, part of joint air drills with the u.s. nothing these girls are new, but this is the biggest combined air force exercise, according to the washington post. the five-day drills aimed to strengthen wartime capabilities, and the timing comes just a week after north korea's -- it fired ever.st powerful weapon pyongyang has reacted furiously, saying it will push the korean

peninsula to the brink of nuclear war. lindsey graham called on american military families to leave south korea yesterday, due to what he sees as the growing threat of conflict. it seems to be something the korean papers are also worried about. times calls for citizens to be more prepared in case of an attack. is government will take -- worried about creating chaos or confusion. it begins with citizens knowing simple things like, where should they shelter and what should they do, should there ever be a nuclear attack. rochelle: donald trump's impending decision on whether to recognize jerusalem as israel's capital? analyst: jared kushner, trump's son-in-law, says the u.s. president has not yet made a decision on either calling jerusalem the capital of israel

or, as has been reported in the past, possibly moving the u.s. embassy there. either way, that decision will be highly contentious. in has provoked a lot of reaction in the arab world. in any case, if he does make this decision, it would also up and years of u.s. policy. back in 1995, bill clinton signed into law a statement that the u.s. must relocate its embassy from tel aviv to jerusalem, unless the president waves that requirement every six months. all caps six months are up. successive presidents in the past have always signed the waiver. is causinghis tensions in the arab world. reporter: palestinian leader mahmoud abbas has warned it will jeopardize u.s. peace efforts in the middle east. we had the jordanian king penned an article in a local paper expressing his discontent. "the times of israel" reports

the arab league has saidid the decision to recognize jerusalem as a capital would boost fanaticism and violence. it has also provoked an article from a middle east negotiator who has written in the u.s. press that such a move is a dangerous gambit, not least of all because it would add another layer of complication to the peace process. rochelle: speaking of trump, a new book has lifted the lid on the life of trump during the campaign. it does not pay a rosy picture. this is written by former aides and recounts a separate the months long campaign. donald trump demanded that his pants be steam pressed while he was wearing them. "the telegraph" reports he had a temper so brutal that someone like it -- likened it to "having your face ripped off." he also

has a penchant for junk food. there were four major food groups -- mcdonald's, kentucky fried chicken, pizza, and diet coke. to apparently plate elton john music at deafening volumes. finally, let's end with the plight of an opossum in a florida liquor store. opossum this little snuck into a liquor store and got stuck in a bottle of bourbon. the little marsupial got drunk, not surprisingly, according to mashable. the store owner found her beside the empty bottle, put two and two together, and called wildlife experts, who found her disoriented and excessively salivating. as one twitter user mentioned, it has been an exhausting year in politics that took its toll on the animal kingdom. politics driving the animal kingdom to drink as well. for your information, the opossum is doing well. she is in recovery and will not

even have a hangover after the alcohol-fueled binge. ,ochelle: recovery but not aa hopefully. thank you for the round up of papers. if you would like to see more, head to our website

[bells chimingng] narrator: on one day every year, health workers in the philippines take a littltle time out. it's an opportunity to let their hair down, to mark their achievements. [bells chiming] [speaking native language] narrator: but not everyone is taking part. there's one disease that gives no respite. woman: it's a major public health concern. yeah, it's one of the most common cause of hospitalizations in the country. a lot of children are suffering.