welcome back the jacobite coleman the brussels express is known for its penetrating insights into the politics of eastern europe have ever been even suggests the conversation by ex-pats caught the entrepreneur james wilson alex caught up with him in brussels and asked him to take a look quest on the future of scotland where britain goes brics it. well james wilson entrepreneur ex-parte scott in brussels but in particular. columnist you write the jacobite column for the brussels express and a well there were the very end of dealing call you know a great position to tell us what the people think is happening in the u.k. at this moment as regards brics well i think most people are very concerned at the what seems to be an anti immigrant spiral which is happening in the british public and they view the these news shots of the parliament in westminster with the piece booing each other like a pack of baboons and they're very bemused they see that the situation is chaotic many of them if they have been thinking about coming to study in the u.k. or to work in the u.k. having second thoughts s

columnist you write the jacobite column for the brussels express and a well there were the very end of dealing call you know a great position to tell us what the people think is happening in the u.k. at this moment as regards brics well i think most people are very concerned at the what seems to be an anti immigrant spiral which is happening in the british public and they view the these news shots of the parliament in westminster with the peace booing each other like a pack of baboons and they're very bemused they see that the situation is chaotic many of them if they have been thinking about coming to study in the u.k. or to work in the u.k. having second thoughts so it's that has been that is that meaningful that people who are perhaps going to visit or to study or of the world will say well we'll see how things are going to tell no absolutely and i'm speaking also from my own children here they're coming to the book the view that they should be looking for their future in europe rather than the u.k. for their careers and future studies and you yourself when you've been a long time r

and the express leads on the row in brussels after the eu described gibraltar as a british colony... goes out the papers. let's start off our chats. i went, goes out the papers. let's start off our chats. iwent, and goes out the papers. let's start off our chats. i went, and john, goes out the papers. let's start off our chats. iwent, and john, should we start off with brexit? let's get it out of the way. this is a story all on top of theresa may being in trouble and buses. the irish pm because the government is coming under pressure, compromise on the backstop. we saw a couple of cracks emerging in the eu unity that we see and one of which came from the prime minister who said we cannot have a no deal situation. it will be terrible for europe. we need to make sure we get a deal over the line. the irish government report for the no—deal brexit was interesting. in a case for a no deal or hardball, all ofa case for a no deal or hardball, all of a sudden, theresa may not only got support of her party behind her now, she has put the ball back in the eu courts. look at ireland, but they a

and the express leads on the row in brussels after the eu described gibraltar as a british colony.y are dealing with a backstop. this is a bit of a reversal of fortunes. it seems the eu, which up until quite recently has been quite unified, seems to be strange and the irish prime minister has been talk —— being called to brussels over some copper mines over the backstop with northern ireland which is a reversal of fortunes. what is interesting is the eu doesn't want to be seen to be undermining island but they want ireland to come up with a solution and ireland has been the poster boy of the eu. if that actually stacks up. it's been looking to the eu for support. again, it shows that ireland has stood for —— took firm for the last two years and they have to come up with something when they have been implacably opposed to any solution is the british have offered. why is the eu doing this? italy has gone into recession, germany went into contraction in the third quarter and we will see that contracts again and then it is officially in recession, europe is under pressure itself over a

brussels today. she met with him. as the express reports, she gave him hell.f a frosty reception. you can see from the photograph... the body language! theresa may has had so many dark days. applicable with a about her, she always manages to smile. kevin said it earlier, she is trying to look as miserable as possible. —— i have to say this about her. theresa may has said things that have offended people who are pro—eu and wa nt to offended people who are pro—eu and want to come and live here, citizens of nowhere and that sort of thing. again, we have a foreign leaders, foreign politicians interfering, as some people will see it, by making comments like that. it often backfires. i think the message he was trying to convey, i think, was a pretty that one. that the people who campaigned for leave and the referendum didn't have a plan of how to implement it, were they to win. and now the chickens have come home to roost. but the language he used, i think, was a bit ill—advised. i think it was designed to get a reaction and it worked. i think it is giving, it has g

france's finance minister expressing his disappointment in brussels brocking the merger, saying the decisionina's economic interests there are now a growing number of calls for the european commission to revisit its anti-trust policy to allow for more cross-border m&a, as china's state-owned crcc continues its expansion across europe john, back to you. >> thanks, seema now let's get to sue herrera for a news update. sue? >> hello, everybody. here's what's happening at this hour secretary of state mike pompeo welcoming the french foreign minister to the state department for a bilateral meeting. high on the agenda, continued support of the effort to defeat isis in syria and iraq >>> pope francis says he hopes his trip to the uae will help relations between islam and christianity he signed a major document during his trip with high-ranking islamic religious figures calling for peace and harmony between all faiths yesterday, the pope acknowledged the sexual abuse of nuns by priests and bishops. >>> here at home, fisher price is recalling 44,000 children's barbie dream campers the power wheels ca

the issue i am taking to brussels i have been speaking to eu leaders about and that is the concern expressed in this house of ensuring we don't find ourselves in the backstop indefinitely. there are a number of ways to identify a number of occasions. i reference the work on alternative arrangements. there was also the option of a end date or exit mechanism. and to ensure we address the concerns raised by the house. that is what i'm discussing with the european commission and will discuss with european union leaders. >> you might be confusing the european union to understand what the prime minister is turning up for. mister speaker, she had three groups working on three proposals, first to remove the backstop, secondly to make the backstop timing and give the uk the right to act unilaterally. which of these is the prime minister negotiating for today? >> the right honorable gentlemen points out as i said in my opening response to his question, he could have listened to that answer but i'm happy to repeat it. there are a number of ways it is possible to address the issue raised by this house a

brussels to make its departure painless and workable, but it was a uk decision. all of those are frustrations which i definitely felt in eu circles, not always expressed publicly ——efinitely felt. but at the end of the day eu leaders want to find a brexit deal because if they don't it will be costly for them economically and politically and so those inflammatory comments from donald tusk aside, the intended eu message for theresa may ahead of the visit tomorrow is, the door is open, we are listening, but there's already negotiated deal on the table negotiated deal on the table negotiated with you, and if you want changes it is up to you theresa may, not us, the eu, the exchanges which are palatable to the eu and the majority of mps in the uk. —— to get changes which are palatable. for now, thanks. when the debate becomes more shrill and the tension spill into the open, i think there is a deal in the offing, but maybe i am naive. i'm not altogether convinced that this is not good news for the prime minister because so far her game plan has been to crank up the pressure and to present this deal to her own party and say, it is this deal or no deal. the more the eu p

stand on the issue that i'm taking to brussels is the one i've been speaking to your leaders about over the last few days and that is the concern that was expressed in this house of ensuring that we could not find ourselves in the current backstop indefinitely what matters and all of this is legally binding changes that ensure that we address the concern that has been raised by this house that is what i will be discussing with the european commission and will continue discuss with them and european union leaders if she wants to get a deal through she could get it through by making it conditional on the second referendum to confirm it you know what will happen now the talk about that i'm joined here at the big table by john worth a political blogger and am always too closely followed writes that he's been doing that now for more than two years is a familiar face here on the w. john it's good to see you again the independent group so we've got a new political party with thirty seven days until i guess you can say better late than never correct i agree with that they've been rumors of this with some months already but they finally taking the leap it

expressed in commons votes two weeks ago. then, you may remember, mps asked the prime minister to go back to brussels and negotiate a better solutionlternative arrangements" for the northern ireland border. they also voted against leaving with no deal — an option favoured by some brexiteers and one the government has kept open. as the debate got under way before lunchtime, a former brexit secretary highlighted his concern. given the — this debate in the dispute about the meaning of the government's motion today, can he be clear with the house, in the event the european union does not agree to a deal, we still will be leaving on the 29th of march? well, i'm very happy to give my right honourable friend and predecessor in this role that assurance. did that mean the government planned to ignore last month's commons vote against a no deal brexit? he's set out why he is observing what the house has said in terms of alternative arrangements, why is he not also setting out what he is observed in terms of the government ruling out no deal? the short answer to that is actually the house has said two different things. it has passed legislati

brussels i h. i haven't heard from anyone who disagrees with tourists sentiment or even blames him for what he said because he is expressing a sentiment that felt very keenly here there's a frustration. that the people that are getting in the way of this withdrawal deal that boris johnsons u. k. former foreign secretary. this type of wing of the conservative party that they're not offering any alternative ideas and and they never did even when they were campaigning for brexit -- during the referendum campaign in twenty sixteen so there's a lotot of frustration boiling over here and i'm sure it made for someme very y awkward meetings today -- we'll see if the next round of meetings can go any smoother but of course we're really running out of time here -- and it's hard to see at this point how brags that can ally happenn by march twenty ninthth but to resume again when she was leaving brussels here today. insisted she will deliver brexit on time we'll see. yeah fifty days ago i i'm se we will that be speaking again day thank you very much today defeating their brussels. now a sadistic mind full of hate and particularly full

brussels. theresa may has been seeking changes to the northern ireland backstop, which aims to prevent the return of checks on the border. mrs may also expressed at the departure of three mps from the her party who joined eight former labour mps in a news independent group in parliament. here's one of the mps, anna soubry. brexit is a catalyst, i think. and actually brexit has shown that all the main parties are broken. there's much work to be done in our country about the future, about the causes of brexit, and also feeling the great divides that have come out of it. we'll hearfrom our europe editor, katya adler in just a moment, with more on those talks in brussels. but first, here's our deputy political editor john pienaar at westminster. it's been a dramatic moment of a kind we won't quickly forget. you couldn't ask for a clear demonstration of the way brexit has torn at the fabric of the big parties from within, just as it's torn at trust between the public and politicians. we can't at this moment call this an historic turning point. we've seen splits in the past, notjust the big labour splits of the 1980s, but other examples. what we are

european foreign policy chief has expressed urgency in preventing the collapse of the two state solution for israel and palestine guarini made the comments in brussels at a gathering of foreign ministers from the e.u. and their meeting comes ahead of a high level summit in egypt in two weeks time. senate and prosecutors say they're preparing to extradite one of india's most wanted fugitives ravi pujari was arrested in the country's capital jakarta last month after spending more than fifteen years on the run he's wanted for murder kidnapping and blackmail nicholas hike has a story from the car. it's in this upscale neighborhood of the capital the car that a man described by the indian press as a dawn of the underworld pajaro was found in arrested just a few weeks ago he's been living here in hiding for a number of years he owns a strings of businesses a real estate agency a restaurant and a barber shop where he was arrested by the senegalese security forces just weeks ago through a tip off of the indian intelligence services that have been looking for him for the last fifteen years now he owns this restaurant the maharajah very popular among the ex-p

at cardiff expressed surprise that the demand was made as efforts to recover and identify a body were continuing. jon donnison, bbc news. let's get more now on theresa may's trip to brusselst withdrawal agreement, negotiated over the past two years. legally binding changes. we are joined from athens by esteban gonzalez pons, an mep who sits on the committee on constitutional affairs (os) backin back in 2017, you said that they come in the uk, is wrong if it thinks that europeans prefer good a fight to a good agreement. do you think it is still possible at this stage, with the brexit date so close, to get a good agreement? yes, there is no other option. i mean, we will have to work at the very, very last minute, but a hard brexit is not acceptable. i think it is not a cce pta ble not acceptable. i think it is not acceptable for the uk, but it is also not acceptable for the european union. we have been through many yea rs union. we have been through many years very, very, very close friends and we will still be brothers after brexit. no deal brexit is not a cce pta ble brexit. no deal brexit is not acceptable in any case. brexit. no deal brexit is not acceptable in any case

express. it gives details of those comments by the uk's chief negotiator, olly robbins, which were overheard by a journalist in brusselsngland has swapped "fear for hope", by saying brexit could kickstart a golden era of trade. it also has picture of the duchess of sussex, after her friend george clooney claimed she was being chased by the press. the times says the head of mi6 is expected to stay in post beyond his retirement date, to guide the intelligence service through brexit. it also has this wonderful picture of the legendary goalkeeper gordon banks, following his death at 81. and the daily mirror also leads on gordon banks — "the hero who could fly" is the headline. what have you got? i have been struck by the picture of the ocado warehouse. they had a huge fire at one of their facilities in andover. 300 firefighters called to tackle the blaze. you can see her, the remains are like a giant automated facility which is a modern hi—tech pa rt facility which is a modern hi—tech part of the business. this fire is obviously responsible for destroying all that. the company saw their shares go up yesterday after rumours

the issue i'm taking to brussels is the one i've been speaking to eu leaders about over the last few days. and thatis about over the last few days. and that is the concern expressedwork of alternative arrangements and there is also the option of an end date or a unilateral exit mechanism, legal work, and what matters in all of this is legally binding changes that ensure we address the concern addressed by this house. that is what i will discuss with the european commission and will continue to discuss with them and european union leaders. sounds like it might be confusing for the european union to understand what the prime minister is turning up with. she has had three groups of backbenchers working on three proposals. firstly, to remove the backstop, secondly, to make the backstop, secondly, to make the backstop time—limited and thirdly to give the uk the right to exit unilaterally. so which of these proposals is the prime minister negotiating for today? one, two or three? the right honourable gentleman points out that as i have said in my opening response to his question, and he could have listened to that answer, but i'm happy to repeat it. there are a number

expressed about the backstop having no end to it. nobody could be sure when it would come out of the backstop arrangement. the dup says she should stand strong in brusselslock following reports that a teenager had been attacked in battersea. a 19—year—old and a 27—year—old man were arrested after handing themselves in at a central london hospital. both men are now being questioned. council tenants in england, scotland and northern ireland owe local authorities more than £300 million in rent arrears, new figures show. that's risen by a quarter injust four years, and debt charities believe changes to the benefits system are to blame. the government says no one single factor is causing rent arrears to rise. it's been confirmed the oscars ceremony will take place later this month without a host for the first time in 30 years. the comedian kevin hart stepped down in december, after apologising for homophobic comments he'd made a decade earlier. the network that hosts the ceremony, said it would instead have various celebrities presenting the trophies. 11 minutes past eight. it's wednesday morning and we will turn toa wednesday morning and we will turn to a s

to get any counter impression out there in brusselsthere is certainly a desire in brussels, expressedd find way through this. barnier said today in a newspaper interview that he is prepared to look at ways that form of words can be given to reassure the uk. but, what there is not is a formal negotiation going on. mr barnier is still saying that he is not seen these proposals from the uk side that could work, perhaps this afternoon he might, and still reiterating to that there is no renegotiation of the deal on the table. the irish backstop, the withdrawal treaty. what they can be as clarifications to the political declaration that accompanies it, talk about the future relationship and mr barnier in particular is offering this idea of a closer relationship, the sort of thing jeremy corbyn is talking about, that could be written in to try and smooth the path in future but that is not acceptable of course to peter lilley as you were hearing. this afternoon, all eyes will be on what happens when the attorney general comes out and if he feels that he has enough to be able to say, come back