back would be possible. of the border between the irish republic and northern ireland.onday, we could come to some more finalised agreements. some more finalised agreements. is likely not possible, but i think a lot of progress has been made. a lot of progress has been made. irish border, and how to prevent a border in the irish sea. border in the irish sea. ireland itself, between ireland and the province. the province. so that will be the main issue to be debated tonight. main issue to be debated tonight. negotiating team in the uk will come the final preparations. here on the bbc news channel. jargon—buster, your guide to plenty of key phrases. is your guide to plenty of key phrases and what they mean. now it's time for a look at the weather with darren bett. weather looks like it is continuing into the weekend. into the weekend. clear in most areas, the winds are quite light. quite light. across southern parts of england and east anglia. east anglia. to freezing, particularly in rural areas. areas. overnight will come and go throughout thursday. throughout thursday.

to an abrupt end yesterday, the sticking point was the border between northern ireland and the irish republictrols needed on the movement of goods into and out of the european union, the 300—mile dividing line is the key to the future of brexit. our ireland correspondent chris page has been finding out how two companies might be affected. northern ireland is on the brexit frontline. it's caught between the uk's only land border and the irish sea. the question is, if checks on goods don't take place at one of these locations, will be have to happen at the other? it's an issue that affects all sorts of items on supermarket shelves. take these baby snacks, for example. before they're sent to shops, they've already had a long journey to this warehouse. we bring in about 18 different products from about six different factories, mainly in mainland europe, western europe. in the european union? in the european union, yeah. and from here, what's the distribution network from this warehouse? yeah, from this warehouse we service the whole of northern ireland and the whole of the republic of ireland. th

to prevent the return of a hard border between northern ireland which is in the uk — and the irish republiche pressure on mrs may to find a way forward is now immense, as our political correspondent iain watson reports. the iain watson reports. last time the prime minister r her the last time the prime minister met her fellow european leaders in september, things didn't exactly go to plan. she was told the ideas for a new trading relationship after brexit wouldn't work on the president of the european council posted this photograph on instagram suggesting the british government couldn't have its cake and eat it, oi’ couldn't have its cake and eat it, or cherry pick the best bits of the european single market. so perhaps it is not surprising that expectations of progress of this month's summit are low. this is what the eu council president said yesterday. if i look beyond the source of hope for a deal for now, if the goodwill and determination on sides, however, for a breakthrough to ta ke sides, however, for a breakthrough to take place, besides goodwill we need new facts. before she even g

of the irish republic total imports from the whole of the world one point six percent come from northern hutton's so thought is people don't get that they level of trade not even reporting on earth there is no real border there the movement you see you've got you've got a currency border you've got a v a t. border you've got all that talk so the tax authorities in each side reporter of those or irish government figures by the way what i'm giving it but there are goods in transit that go up and down the road but the actual level of trade is modest and is primarily are good culture and we've had all this talk about a hard border let me tell you there isn't going to be a hard porter who is going to put it up and the problem that they are should public house is that there. fear is that brussels in the event of a no deal arrangement would say well you've got to put up an external border that's what the speculation is no government could stay in politically putting up a border they could they wouldn't last five minutes so there isn't going to be a border so if there is a new deal because dubli

and the irish republic. jordan has reopened its main border crossing with syria for the first time in three years the move restores a commercial lifeline to more towards syria claiming a route for exports to arab countries it comes after syrian government troops re took their side of the crossing in july. syria's foreign minister says more time is needed to save the hard won truce in the war torn italy has collapsed that's after jihadi groups in the stronghold failed to meet the deadline to leave provinces the last major rebel held area in the country millions of people are trapped between there and the turkish border the government and rebels have agreed to withdraw from a buffer zone on the edge of the disputed territory which includes the town of marek the truce where the truce is largely holding. first fell to rebels four years ago government forces fought to retake it this is what is left after repeated attacks and counterattacks with strikes barrel bombs tanks and heavy artillery. yet amid the devastat

both sides agree there should not be a hard border between northern ireland and the irish republic but they don't agree on how to get around it breaks it is top of the agenda for german chancellor angela merkel today as well before she headed to brussels for the summit she spoke to the german parliament here's some of what she said. i mean funding although we want to avoid hardened positions in negotiations with britain on this other issues we have to make clear the difference between being and e.u. member state department state and a partnership with. our it our political correspondent nina joins us for more on the story we heard the chancellor say they want to strong partnership but that it's not the same as membership what does she mean by that is what i'm going to the german government have said from the start since the referendum since britain decided to leave the european union that they do want to keep britain close as an ally as an important trading partner as a political partner but they have to figure out just how to do this if britain is no longer a member of the european un

that there will be no physical border between northern ireland which is part of britain and the irish republic and what we've seen is that we've so place to be she's in withdrawal agreements there are still there is still the question of the northern irish backstop but i believe everybody around the table wants to get a deal done by working intensively and closely become a sheep that you could leave a deal physically for now is the time to make it happen. are there is to resume a she spoke fifteen minutes after the summit this evening other european leaders did not speak on the european side leaders say that there is willingness to strike a deal with britain but there is they say a long way to go. brix you must be all dirty for everyone and fall for the shoes including. a lot of out. so we need you need much time much more time and we continue to work even next weeks for. a million patient divine booted soon to close the time when we want good relations with the u.k. we would have liked the exit deal to be ready it's only ninety percent done and there's work ahead of us but i'm approaching it

complicated this is, it is notjust about trade, it is about the history of northern ireland and the irish republicght, and the conflict here is that from the uk and especially the democratic unionist party, the eu is saying effectively northern ireland has, to a very large extent, stay within the eu for customs and regulatory purposes. and regarding the talks today between michel barnier and leo varadkar, they are pretty much on the same page. the question is will the same page. the question is will the uk change its position? that's writes, michel barnier will be explaining to leo varadkar his latest proposal, which is as he said the de— dramatised the issue by moving some of the checks that the eu want away from the irish sea, away from this new border between great britain and northern ireland, but still legally it is pretty much the same. there will be a border on the same. there will be a border on the irish sea and the democratic unionist is to not want that, so the ball is really in the uk's court. the uk is trying to come up with a counterproposal that it would like to bring forward in the

is still a loggerheads on how exactly they can prevent a hard border between the irish republic and northern ireland with the clock counting down to the date set for break that no one is yet sure how that can be done. is. brussels bureau chief. i asked him how extending the post transition period that will help solve the irish border issue. very good question because of course they're not directly linked they are indirectly linked because if you have more time to actually negotiate the future trade relations that's what it's all about let's say for example of free trade agreement then maybe that's the think you have to reset may according to the nature of that agreement the whole problem of the hard border between northern ireland and ireland might just go away but no illusions will really only go away if the u.k. are part of a customs union for example or even of the single market in the european union and that is something that the u.k. has more or less ruled out because they don't want to accept to a baby e.u. rule in this case that is something the banks it's years have said so really th

front here with the irish republic free of border checks come much how rough a week is this going to be with the break that summit come wednesday. it's going to be a rough week because the expectancies are being up of course by these statements by the u.k. prime minister and their spokesman says that she has talked or will talk to today to the president her friends through all of germany to the dutch prime minister and it seems that there's a lot of diplomacy going on ahead of this meeting as she still says no deal is better than a bad deal and the business world frankly doesn't like what it sees i mean people in the market or in the business world are having a hard time anyways figuring out who is saying what with what intention and for individuals in the visible freedoms of the e.u. they're still out there making any sort of deal with the e.u. without freedom of access but people almost an impossibility it's hard to figure out the president of ford europe today spoke out joining the ranks of business leaders very critical of the current drive in the u.k. seeing a breakfast with no

sticking point to held to a board of physical border between northern ireland and britain and the irish republic belgium has elected a black mayor for the first time ever and he's the father of international footballer vincent kompany pierre company arrived as a refugee to belgium from year back in one nine hundred seventy five he became active in local politics in a brothel suburb over a decade ago archaeologist in iceland have made an unusual discovery they've unearth and amulets known as thor's hammer carved in the shape of the weapon carried by the viking god of thunder it's believed this is the first discovery of a thor's hammer amulet made from stone. lilies twelve people have died in flash floods in southwestern france streams became raging torrents as the equivalent of several months of rain fell in just a few hours. when it happened it happened fast several months worth of rain falling in just a few hours ava night here in southwest france turns rivers to raging destruction. it started at two am raining raining raining. we heard rushing water i turned on the light and it didn't work it

and the irish republic. kensington palace says prince harry and his wife the duchess of sussex are expecting their first baby in spring you know when it came as her american arrived in sydney at the start of a sixteen day trip to australia and the pacific region. now germany's governing coalition is facing an uncertain future today after anger them back calls allies in bavaria suffered a huge defeat in b. general elections on sunday leaders of germany's three coalition parties are meeting to find a way forward after voters delivered what's being described as a resulting slap to the government a short while ago chancellor merkel said it was clear government has work to do. in the grand coalition has not succeeded in doing what you list tried to do so far and the lesson that i have learned from yesterday's elections is that as the german chancellor behind the coalition need to do more to ensure that we regained people's trust and that we deliver on our promises and i will do that as best i can. still more from

both sides agree there should not be a hard border between northern ireland and the irish republic but they don't agree on how to get around it germany's chancellor angela merkel told parliament in berlin there was still a chance for an accord with britain to leave the e.u. but she was preparing for the possibility of a no deal breaker. it was one year ago that the so-called islamic state was driven out of rock up itself declared capital in northern syria rock and i was under the control of kurdish forces but the battle lasted for months and saw thousands killed local militias fought on the ground while u.s. planes bombarded i.a.'s from the air the city is now free of militants but it lies in ruins our reporters just for karim and visited iraq are on an embedded trip with the u.s. army they looked at how the city and its people are recovering. abdullah is happy to see us in his classroom it's a place of safety where he can finally learn and play with other children. it's the years since he lost his hand he and his friends found a fridge which had a booby trapped inside. there we were p

open in particular the need to avoid a hard border between the you case northern ireland and the irish republic. kensington palace as prince harry and his wife the duchess of sussex are expecting their first baby in the spring the announcement comes as harry and meghan arrived in sydney at the start of a sixteen day trip to australia and the pacific region. is fighting in many parts of syria eases the country's neighbors have begun easing border restrictions israel says it will allow u.n. forces to cross over from the disputed golan heights and jordan on monday reopened its main crossing to civilians for the first time in three years syrian government troops retract their side of the checkpoint in july the move restores a commercial lifeline to syria clearing a route for its exports to arab countries but this man was among the first to cross the line you know no i'm serious a fool to hold of syria and say syria is beautiful and the land of the sea of syria of say. let's bring in correspondent bora she's following events in syria for us from beirut is that man that we just heard right is syria n

both sides agree there should not be a hard border between northern ireland and the irish republic but they don't agree on how to get around it germany's chancellor angela merkel told parliament in berlin there was still a chance for an accord with britain but she was a preparing for the possibility of a no deal bragg's it. all right let's bring india is brussels bureau chief max huffman for more on the story merkel and the european council president on altos have both warned and no deal breaks it is looking ever more likely given that information what can we actually expect from tonight's summit. the german chancellor also insisted that they were preparing for a no deal scenario it's interesting though how the perspectives change if you talk to the british colleagues here at the summit in brussels they see more the positive side that are going to go said that a deal was still possible so what i think we'll see here today is first of all the huge reinforcing some of the hard lines they drew earlier throughout the year and actually last year already the main one being the integrity of t

reinstate physical checks that could hamper trade and travel between northern ireland and the irish republic but they can't agree how a key part of the negotiation is a so-called backstop a fallback plan should the u.k. leave the e.u. without a deal but there's no agreement on that either. let's bring in now some analysis of is all standing by with the latest from brussels barbara i mean theresa may really under intense pressure here to solve the irish border issue what are the chances that she will deliver one today. not very good actually sara because what can she do what we hear from british source news is that she will appeal again to the other heads of state and government to her colleagues here in brussels to sort of wait on the irish issue now they can't and as we have seen and know for months and months written and or doesn't want to because theresa may still be completely boxed in from all sides between the northern irish do you prefer the party that secures her majority in parliament and the heartbreak to tears and the soft brakes the tears and the remainders the people who don't w

s northern ireland and the irish republic. kensington palace says prince harry and his wife the duchess of sussex are expecting their first baby in the spring the announcement comes as harry and megan arrived in sydney at the start of a sixteen day trip to australia and the pacific region. now a deal to end the fighting in northern syria comes into effect today but it's already under strain with a key rebel group denouncing the agreement and vowing to keep fighting but in some places the deal is holding like in the town of marek. first fell to rebels four years ago government forces fought to retake it this is what is left after repeated attacks and counterattacks with strikes barrel bombs tanks and heavy artillery. yet amid the devastation there are signs of life. people coming back and trying to rebuild their lives and their homes this was muhammad ali's house. we're shocked by what we found destroyed houses no infrastructure no services electricity or water in the streets the schools the hospitals there's nothing in the cit

it is not only northern ireland, only 50% of irish beef exports from the irish republic go into the unitedthey do not want a border in the irish sea, either. why would our country, the unaided kingdom, want a customs border right down the middle of the country. that is not what people voted for when they voted for brexit. do youjust people voted for when they voted for brexit. do you just want the deal to colla pse brexit. do you just want the deal to collapse as it is at the moment? absolutely not. we want a fair trade deal, we don't want a hard border, i'ioi’ deal, we don't want a hard border, nor do we want an ordeal. we recognise that there are issues pertaining to the belfast good friday agreement that need to be upheld. we want to maintain our corporation with the irish republic, but we also want to ensure that we benefit from the uk leaving the european union, any new trade deals that the uk enters into. what brussels are proposing at the moment would exclude northern ireland from those new trade arrangements. that means we will not benefit from brexit in the same way, as i believe,

sure there will be no physical border between northern ireland which is part of britain, and the irish republicrexit once his history. -- once brexitit is history. >> what we have seen is that we have solved most of the issues in the withdrawal agreement. there is still a question of the northern irish backstop, but everyone on the table wants to get a deal and by working intensely and closely, we can achieve that deal. i believe a deal is achievable and now is the time to make it happen. brent: on the european side, the leaders said there is a willingness to strike a deal with britain but there is a long way to go. >> brexit must be for everyone and all the issues, including the island of ireland. we need much more time. we cannot do the work -- >> we want good relations with the u.k. we would like the exit deal to be ready. it is only 90% done and there is work ahead of us. i am approaching it in the spirit of doing everything to reach a deal. that would be better for everyone. brent: that was the german chancellor speaking. let's take the story to brussels. our correspondent max hofmann is c

with the remaining sticking point — the issue of the border between northern ireland and the irish republicmay says neither plan would be put in place indefinitely but would allow time for a solution to be found. the labour leader has accused mrs may of kicking the can down the road and says it's time for her to allow labour to take over. here's our political editor laura kuenssberg. whistles and motorbikes can't clear the way. the prime minister and entourage can't just speed past fundamental obstacles. after a roadblock in brussels, chatter about theresa may's future is serious talk. why is there such a fuss now? these are crucial days in the brexit talks, more and more mps are unhappy about the compromise the prime minister is making, and more and more of them are losing faith she is the right person to do thejob. but at this stage, theresa may has little choice but to dig in. the brexit talks are not about my interests, they are about the national interest, and the interest of the whole of the united kingdom. serving our national interest will demand that we hold our nerve through these

to an abrupt end yesterday, the sticking point was the border between northern ireland and the irish republicine is the key to the future of brexit. our ireland correspondent chris page has been finding out how two companies might be affected. northern ireland is on the brexit frontline. it‘s caught between the uk‘s only land border and the irish sea. the question is, if checks on goods don‘t take place at one of these locations, will be have to happen at the other? it‘s an issue that affects all sorts of items on supermarket shelves. take these baby snacks, for example. before they‘re sent to shops, they‘ve already had a long journey to this warehouse. we bring in about 18 different products from about six different factories, mainly in mainland europe, western europe. in the european union? in the european union, yeah. and from here, what‘s the distribution network from this warehouse? yeah, from this warehouse we service the whole of northern ireland and the whole of the republic of ireland. the firm, which trades across ireland, britain and beyond, says new checkpoints would hit business.

is still at loggerheads on how exactly that can prevent a hard border between the irish republic and northern ireland with the clock counting down to the date set for break that no one's yet sure how things can be done. and i'm sure at the big table tonight by john werth he is one of europe's leading brics it bloggers and commentators and full disclosure here he's also running for a seat at the european parliament is going to be a politician that anyway john it's good to see you have you back you're on the show you know we started the program looking at the state of bread with the glass half full and even with a bit of compassion you're not here to offer more water or more heart org no i'm not because i'm not very optimistic in light of what happened at the summit there's no progress towards a price a deal really there were some nice words from john close to include little to ask of the sub to noon so it didn't break down in the same way as it done in salzburg a few weeks ago so at least the mood music was positive but there's no progress on the key issue of the northern other border

the irish republic, part of the eu. to create a softborder, a nonhard border has alwayseen one of the key issues and one which appeared too hard to achieve at this moment. this is may with the customs union during the transition period with the eu. the eu with northern ireland potentially to be in that. that is something that will not pass with her backers in the northern irish assembly, incipally, the deck,u. at the moment it appears to be a sticking point for brexit. what does it mean for the torturous negotiations of brexit in only time will isstill. s steve sedgwick in west minister. >>> christina hooper join us now. good to see you again, that you know for joining. let's start withar saudi ia. clearly oil market is something people think about. a lot of analysts have gotten ahead of themselves thinking if there are u.s. sanctions against saudi arabia, maybe we could have anotheril embargo, and sharply higher oil prices. that. start with is that possible do you think? >> that's certainly a possibility. we heard from

exit polls in the irish republic suggest that at least two thirds of the electorate have voted in favourbabies in england taken into care at birth has more than doubled in the last decade, according to research by the nuffield family justice 0bservatory. the government says the decision to remove a child at birth is made to protect them, but the study‘s author says both mothers and their children are being failed. fiona lamdin has been to meet a woman who was separated from herfive children. the children are the first thing i think about when i wake up, the last thing i think about before i go to bed. abby, not her real name, has had all five children removed from her. her story, like many in her position, is a complicated one. but it wasn't always this way. three years ago, she was a busy mum. the school run, back, play school, back, scouts, back, horse riding, back, piano, back. i loved having to run around after them. but in a short space of time, abby suffered with post—natal depression, a marriage breakdown and business collapse. struggling with poor mental health, she started to dr

exit polls in the irish republic suggest that at least two thirds of the electorate have voted in favourh constitution. mexico has offered temporary work permits to migrants who register for asylum, as a big caravan of central american migrants makes its way through the country toward the us. however, to qualify for the permits migrants must remain in mexico's southern chiapas and 0axaca states. this is to prevent them going to the us—mexico border where president trump has warned that about 800 troops could be deployed to stop them. the leader of the caravan has insisted mexico's offer will not stop their progress to america. will grant is with the migrants in the southern mexican state of chiapas and filed this report. in each of the little towns that the caravan reaches, the migrants set up their camp in the main square. next to the municipal offices and by the church. here, in response, the local authorities and the local community turn out to offer what support they can. that is normally in the form of water, food, medical attention, donated clothing, and legal support for those thi

that there will be no physical border between northern ireland which is part of britain and the irish republic once breaks it is history of what we've seen is that we've so place to be she's in withdrawal and grievance there are still there is still a question of the northern irish faxed off but i believe everybody around the table wants to get a deal and by working intensively and closely we can achieve that deal i believe a deal is achievable now is the time to make it happen. on the european side the leaders said that there is a willingness to strike a deal with britain but that there is a long way to go. brics it must be altered for everyone and for for the issues including and i don't have out. so we need much time much more time and we continue to work even next weeks for. a million patient divine due to be sealed with a time in we want good relations with the u.k. we would have liked the exit deal to be ready it's only ninety percent done and there's work ahead of us but i'm approaching it in the spirit of doing everything to reach a deal that would be better for everyone to see the sta

the sticking point how to avoid a physical border between northern ireland in britain and the irish republic even german chancellor angela merkel she is losing hope of a break. we cannot let this disagreement director and the prospects of a good deal and leave us with a no deal outcome that no one wants i continue to believe that a negotiated deal is the best outcome for the u.k. and for the european union i continue to believe that such a deal is achievable to avoid of course we want the u.k. to have an orderly exit from the e.u. but know if there's any price. highs if we don't sources that this week we need to carry on negotiating but the pressure is on the exit supposed to happen on march thirty first twenty nineteen. but will britain be out of the e.u. by the time the u.k.'s latest royal baby is born kensington palace says that prince harry and his wife the duchess of sussex are expecting their first baby in the spring boy or girl it could be britain's first voyage baby since the one nine hundred seventy s. you won't be born in new citizen but if your royal doesn't really matter. that's

open in particular the need to avoid a hard border between britain's northern ireland and the irish republic. it let's get more on this now from london with our correspondent big big it why did yesterday's talks end up without any agreement. well really it seems that the problem is here at home for two reasons may she needed to promise different things to different factions of her own party and different factions here at home she has probably the most one of the most difficult jobs in the world she needed to promise friction this trade with the e.u. to business is to prove europeans and their own party and yet that there is a strong minority within our party you want to be out of the you for whom the e.u. is a they were cracked. and they want to get out as quickly as they can and cut the ties also as clearly as they can so the reason may is trying to develop the most of the damage and it seems like she she thought she had found a compromise with brussels where there wasn't the where there was not a lot of damage but then again she you had to have doubts whether this could be. this same compr

reinstate physical checks that could hamper trade and travel between northern ireland and the irish republic but they can't agree how a key part of the negotiation is a so-called backstop a fallback plan should the u.k. leave the e.u. without a deal but there's no agreement on that either. and you see in the u.k. he's gregg's it minister dominique rob was somewhere in there on his way to the commission that was sunday we all thought a deal was close at hand the excitement was palpable. but then the chief negotiator tweeted this despite intense efforts some key issues are still open. so we all went back to bed because we had heard that one before. yes the biggest issues too is the. border between northern island which is part of the u.k. and the republic of ireland which belongs to the. focus do we need more time to find this global agreement and reach the decisive step forward that we need to finalize the negotiations for an orderly bragg's negotiations sort of look like we'll have to do for you. the same old same old i know but bear with me. everybody wants to avoid the hard border after al

been placed upon them to force them ever closer to the irish republic and eventually united ireland that they're being shipped out of the united kingdom of treason. goes down the road that she has tentatively proposed and certainly hinted at to nigel dodds in a statement last monday so if you're thinking about this dual alliance developing between the scottish conservatives and the democratic unionist party would it be fair to say that the scottish conserves and the do you have in common that they will never never never except economic profound because the fear of the political consequences to the union yes constitutional politics from everything else for both of those parties that the u.p.a. talks about northern ireland's position in the united kingdom being threatened on an almost daily basis davidson say she never wants to hear anything more about an independence referendum but she daily talks about constitutional politics and has tried to mobilize the anti independence vote behind her party thinking about the developments or lack of them from a fein perspective that the second larges

with the remaining sticking point — the issue of the border between northern ireland and the irish republicuk and northern ireland in the eu customs union, for a limited period, while a solution is found. jeremy corbyn accused mrs may of kicking the can down the road, and said it's time for her to allow labour to take over. here's our political editor, laura kuenssberg. whistles and motorbikes can't clear the way. the prime minister and entourage can't just speed past fundamental obstacles. after a road block in brussels, chatter about theresa may's future is serious talk. why is there such a fuss now? well, these are crucial days in the brexit talks. more and more mps are unhappy about the compromise the prime minister is making, and more and more of them are losing faith she's the right person to do the job. but at this stage, theresa may has little choice but to dig in. the brexit talks are not about my interests, they are about the national interest, and the interest of the whole of the united kingdom. serving our national interest will demand that we hold our nerve through these last s

open in particular the need to avoid a hard border between britain's northern ireland and the irish republic. and we'll have more news on what some businesses are doing to prepare for the disruption of a new deal brags that that's coming up later in the show. well more than three million people have fled venezuela as that country's economic and political crisis deepens most had for colombia and brazil but thousands of also applied for political asylum in europe especially in spain but as the years pablo foley ileus reports from the dread they're facing a long and difficult process in spain. this is a meeting he spent his wailing and seeking asylum in spain earlier this year and mido fled his home country and arrived in madrid. he told us his story. but it was. political past a commission for munching for protesting for being in complete opposition to what's happening at the moment i was threatened harassed and ropes. i left because i got sick and also because of the political issues i tried to stay in my home in my country with my people. call me. i mean arrived in spain on a tourist visa an

expressed their concern about a so—called backstop option to avoid a hard border between the irish republicthern ireland if arrangements for a trade deal are not ready in time. meanwhile, the chancellor has said there has been a positive change in the pace of the brexit negotiations and that better economic outcomes are now possible. our political correspondent jonathan blake reports. judein jude in the cabinet will agree the compromise on brexit today? cabinet ministers were called into number ten yesterday for an update on the brexit negotiations. a briefing from the prime minister and her advisers could, might be needed at this critical stage. one hour later, senior ministers had their say, raising concerns about how long the uk could keep ties with the eu, a key sticking point in negotiations, which, according to one member of the government released, are picking up the government released, are picking up pace. there is a real sense now of engagement from both sides, shared enterprise in trying to solve a problem rather than posturing towards each other, so a really important step chang