attention is on brussels, where the irish prime minister leo varadkar will hold talks later with theu's brexit negotiator, michel barnier. he'll be pressing his case for no change to the irish border when britain leaves the european union — a day after uk prime minister theresa may defended her so—called chequers plan at her party conference. after brexit, the 499 kilometre border between the republic of ireland and northern ireland will effectively become the uk's land border with the eu. total cross—border trade in goods amounted to $3.5 billion in 2016. much of that is made up of food and agricultural products, which face some of the strictest eu rules. under mrs may's chequers plan, the uk would leave the eu's single market and customs union. but there would be, quote, "continued harmonisation" with eu rules on goods and agriculture. and that would mean no new physical infrastructure on the irish border and no new customs checks or controls. the eu's proposed backstop to avoid the return to a hard border in case talks fail would see northern ireland continue to follow eu rules, u

attention is on brussels, where the irish prime minister leo varadkar will hold talks later with the eu's brexit negotiator, michel barnier. he'll be pressing his case for no change to the irish border when britain leaves the european union — a day after uk prime minister theresa may defended her so—called chequers plan at her party conference.

leo varadkar, the irish taoiseach and donald tusk with that news conference.spies — who were planning a cyber attack on the chemical weapons body looking into the poisoning of the skripals. the chief executive of royal bank of scotland has warns that leaving the eu without a deal could tip the uk economy into recession. uk aid agencies launch an appeal for emergency funds to help the survivors of the earthquake and tsunami in indonesia. i‘m maryam moshiri in the business news. sales of new cars last month are more than 20% down on last year. meanwhile, nissan warns about the impact of a possible no—deal on brexit. 7000 people work at nissan‘s sunderland plant. the japanese firm is urging the uk and eu to work together and towards a balanced brexit. more on this in a moment. ubereats riders and a small number of workers from jd wetherspoon, mcdonald‘s and tgi fridays are striking over pay on thursday. walk—outs will be held in several uk cities, along with a rally in london. the industrial action is being taken in tandem with strikes by fast food workers on fou

also this week, ireland's prime minister leo varadkar said a deal could be done between the uk and eufortnight, and the president of the eu commission jean claude juncker is now also making positive noises. yasmin, let's start with your reading of the conservative conference. widely regarded as a very strong performance. it was. it was very clever. she kind of demolished the boris disturbance the night before. i think it was very clever, the dance. although i hear that abba have objected to their music being used for political purposes. but the show was good. a lot of what she said, you know, i think needs to be questioned. i mean, for her to say end of austerity, it is not going to end and you voted for this thing over and over and over again and now it's like mark steel, the comedian, wrote in the independent and i, it's like an arsonist who has been burning down barns, saying "i will stop one day" and we're applauding. there was a lot of spin and the immigration thing is the one that really gets to me. this was a woman who created the hostile environment, who made it. you mean beca

irish prime minister leo varadkar will hold talks later with the eu's brexit negotiator, michel barnieror no change to the irish border when britain leaves the european union — a day after uk prime minister theresa may defended her so—called chequers plan at her party conference. jeremy cook, chief economist of the payments company world first, joins me now. good to see you. this is a really interesting and very important meeting. leo varadkar has always, from the beginning, said we don't wa nt from the beginning, said we don't want things to change. but things are changing. it is a question of how and where. he has been one of the most important people in the brexit negotiations because of the border issue. and as much as we can talk about trade and sovereignty and taking back control, the thing that needs to be overcome most for us to get a deal by the end of the article 50 process is the relationship between northern ireland and ireland, a customs arrangement, don't call it a union, that is when brexiteers get annoyed, an arrangement with the rest of the eu and how long that last. a

people might be a bit confused by this comment from leo varadkar.re the divorce deal is done and agreed. the big stumbling block is still this back—up plan, known as a backstop in the jargon, for preventing a hard border between northern ireland and the republic of ireland if a future trade deal between the uk and the eu does not solve that problem. the eu has a version and they have been tweeting it and they are presenting it to the northern irish political parties and businesses today and next week —— they are tweeting it. the uk rejects that concept and they are coming forward with their own alternative plan for preventing the introduction of customs checks between northern ireland and ireland. we don't know when it'll come out. we had some clues about what it might contain and the uk is sounding pretty confident that it could solve the problem but leo varadkar yesterday it was notjust saying he was optimistic there would bea saying he was optimistic there would be a deal but also a bit pessimistic because he said some of the things he had heard

leo varadkar, the taoiseach, was quite conciliatory today. going down, most are people think britain is having a collective bout of madness driven by english nationalism. he's given up explaining logically and rationally why its interests are set of by being in one of the biggest markets in the world. it's moved beyond that when you hear the likes of boris johnson and jacob rees—mogg, whose solution for the border is island should rejoin the united kingdom. that's the point when people put up their hands in despair. the arshid foreign minister and deputy foreign minister —— deputy prime minister said in luxembourg today that britain needs to honour the commitment that it entered into with britain last december and in march when the dup rejected it. leo varadkar said when he spoke to theresa may on sunday, the accept this and he believes britain recognises the potential catastrophe that would face it economically if it crashed out of the eu with no deal. island really wants northern ireland, and or northern ireland and the rest of the uk, to r

interesting quote in the press conference yesterday from leo varadkar, this is not a yesterday from leoot want to ever be used, doesn't matter, still has to be that legally enforcea ble still has to be that legally enforceable language. the word i heard last night was, flood, you can do lots of things to camouflage it and put options roundabout and use linguistic treaty drafting trips to minimise its effect, but it still fundamentally has to be there. and as an equal problem, a bigger problem, theresa may says she is convinced the irish border problem can be resolved in the terms of the future relationship. well, if you are future relationship. well, if you a re really future relationship. well, if you are really going to keep the border as open as it is now, the only way you can really do that unless somebody comes up with a cunning plan no one has invented is to stay in the single market and the customs union. it is back to where we started. the united kingdom has to make a big choice between market access and sovereignty, and that basic dilemma is not really changed since the referen

our top story: the irish prime minister leo varadkar is in brussels today for talks with the eu's brexits case for no change to the irish border. if like us here in the uk the working day is just getting going you might think it was too early in the day to start thinking about dessert. no. our next guest probably doesn't think so. jeremie vaislic is the co—founder of maitre choux, the only choux pastry specialist patissierie in the world. he set up the company in london in 2015, with the aim of turning the eclair into an art form. such is his passion for posh pastries, he put his money where his mouth is, and raised about $3 million to help get the company off the ground. and it all started after a chance meal at a fancy london restaurant. tell us how this started. tell us how this startedlj tell us how this started. i started my career in finance which was com pletely my career in finance which was completely different. i had always loved pastry as a kid and after a chance encounter in a restaurant with my now partner and pastry chef we started thinking about creating a brand that was p

the irish prime minister, leo varadkar, has said that a brexit deal could be reached in the next fortnighttest plans for avoiding a hard border between ireland and northern ireland as soon as possible. the taoiseach was talking after meeting eu leaders in brussels. our europe editor katya adler is there. two weeks, how realistic does that seem to? well, how did we get from you and i discussing painful brexit negotiations to facing make or break in two weeks? basically, in two weeks' time, eu leaders meet again for another one of their summits, and at that some of the prime minister has another opportunity to talk to eu leaders over dinner about brexit. they will be listening carefully. they want to see if there isa carefully. they want to see if there is a change in tone from last time, that kind of my way or the highway attitude. if they sense and openness to further negotiations, they say they will call a special brexit summit in november. the fact the irish prime ministers was in brussels today is significant because the irish border issue remains the biggest stumbling block in the way

the irish prime minister, leo varadkar, has suggested that a deal between the uk and the eu could bertnight. speaking in brussels, he said there is a ‘good' opportunity for an agreement, though he urged the government to confirm plans to avoid a hard border between northern ireland and the republic as soon as possible. four of northern ireland's pro—remain parties have been meeting the eu's chief negotiator, michel barnier, this morning, as pressure grows to reach a solution to the irish border problem before the eu summit later this month. our reporter, adam fleming, is in brussels. jane, last night, diplomats from eu member states had a meeting with the eu commission, who run the talks, and the message from this building was that there is light at the end of the tunnel. lots of the outstanding issues are very close to being closed, apart from one, which is still a big sticking point: how to agree a back—up plan for avoiding the reintroduction of checks between northern ireland and ireland. the problem is now the subject of a frantic bout of diplomatic activity. a broken leg didn't

the prime minister leo varadkar called it an historic result, and a resounding endorsement for the 77ing oxford, milton keynes and cambridge, in a scheme that has the backing of the transport secretary, chris grayling. our environment analyst, roger harrabin, reports. in oxford and cambridge, pedestrians and cyclists reign supreme. the absence of cars helps both places attract some of the top brains in the world, but the government‘s infrastructure advisers say that to stay competitive, these cities need many more new homes and better connections with each other. the government is now planning a great arc of high—tech development encompassing milton keynes and northampton, as well as the two great university cities. a major road will be built from east to west. environmentalists say that will just generate more traffic, but the government is in favour. it is government policy to have this scheme. we see the development of that corridor for economic and housing reasons as essential. we think that you can‘t have proper development in that area without improved transport and that‘s why t

european council president donald tusk and irish prime minister leo varadkar the u.k. is due to leave the e.u. in march and negotiations over a deal stalled once again over the weekend. so what we've seen is that we've solved most of the issues in which strong agreements there are still very strong the question is the northern irish backstop but i believe everybody around the table wants to get a deal done by working intensively and closely we can achieve i believe a deal physically now is the time to make it happen. to her as falling events for us in brussels or the e.u. leaders have now finished their meal without to resume a how do they respond to what she had to say. well i mean there were a number of ways in which they might have responded to her this perhaps isn't the worst but it certainly piles of pressure on the u.k. what essentially they did was they said look they planned summit meeting that we had in place that emergency brigs that summit in november is not going to happen simply not enough progress has taken place so far in the talks to have any expectatio

and they listen to statements like the one from you prime minister, the leader of your party, leo varadkarsaid, "ourjob as an irish government is to look out for the interests of the entire island of ireland," he said, "we are the party of europe and we are the united ireland party," and it sounds to some conservative and unionist politicians as though you have an agenda in your party and indeed your country, which is to see what's in brexit as a prelude to irish unification. but brexit has nothing to do with all of that. the reason why ireland and my taoiseach leader has a role to play in relation to the north of ireland is because of the good friday agreement. i mean, all governments have a role to play in this, because northern ireland is a unique entity. we have fired violence that i mentioned through my own childhood. we have had piece for 20 years. we have tried to build bridges between communities that, in a way, were very divided. and, sadly, because of brexit those divisions are beginning again. it very clear, just on the united ireland, that can only happen with the will of the p

the irish prime minister, leo varadkar, has suggested that a deal between the uk and the eu could be he said there is a good opportunity for an agreement — though he urged the government to confirm plans to avoid a hard border between northern ireland and the republic as soon as possible. four of northern ireland's pro—remain parties have been meeting the eu's chief negotiator, michel barnier, this morning, as pressure grows to reach a solution to the irish border problem before the eu summit later this month. our reporter, adam fleming, is in brussels. afternoon. ambassadors from the eu member states have just had a meeting where they have had an update on the very latest on the brexit negotiations because even though the tory party conference has been happening, there have been informal talks between officials here in brussels this week. the mood music is very good, it would like there was progress on all the outstanding areas of the brexit treaty which was about 15—20% left but there is still one massive sticking point and it is this back—up plan, this insurance policy for prevent

next march head of the summit ireland's prime minister leo varadkar explain what his government wants. ireland's position you know is as it always has been ever since the referendum happened we want there to be able to all agreements so the u.k. can leave the euro an orderly fashion we want there to be a transition period so that business and citizens can prepare for any changes that may take place we want there to be the protection of citizens' rights all across europe wants there to be a financial settlement and we also need a legally binding guarantee that there will not be a hard border between northern ireland or the republic of ireland. british prime minister theresa may address. said afterwards she offered no ideas to break the current deadlock without a deal insisting on a so-called backstop to keep the irish border open but there's no agreement yet at the u.k. on that china hall reports from brussels. the hopes of doing a break deal with this summit long gone british prime minister to resign may's positive tone on a rival weren't of impressed many here in brussels so what we'

the irish prime minister, leo varadkar, has said that a brexit deal could be reached in the next fortnightble. speaking in brussels after meeting eu officials, the taoiseach said while he doesn't fully understand what a canada style trade deal means, a backstop proposal on the irish border is essential. i don't want canada plus plus plus means, it is just i don't want canada plus plus plus means, it isjust a concept i don't want canada plus plus plus means, it is just a concept at the state. but what i do know is that we need a backstop, we need protocol in ireland and northern ireland as part ofan ireland and northern ireland as part of an agreement, that is essential. because if we do negotiate a canada plus plus plus minus whatever... it will take the transition period to negotiate that agreement. and there isa negotiate that agreement. and there is a possibility that an agreement of that nature, which would be unique, will take more than a transition period to do. and that is exactly why we need to have a legally binding backstop, to give us the assurance that if it takes longer than a

prime minister agree with me and many people in northern ireland that the remarks of taoiseach leo varadkars on the border and implying that is somehow what would happen if there was a hard border, the eu doesn't want a hard border but would put one up. we want but not and neither will the republic of ireland. who will put hard border 7 ireland. who will put hard border e ireland. who will put hard border up? we are committed to no hard border and we have made it clear that, in any circumstances, including a no deal, we would be doing all that we could ensure there was no hard border. we would look to work with ireland and the eu to ensure there was no hard border, but there has been no commitment in relation to that. given how close we are toa relation to that. given how close we are to a deal, if time were to run out, rather than have a general election or a second referendum, has the prime minister considered the use of applying to extend article 50, even if for a limited period, so she could kick the ball over the line? can i say to my honourable friend that, actually, we have said righ

irish premier leo varadkar has said there is an opportunity to clinch a brexit deal in the next fortnight border backstop "well in advance" of the eu summit on 17th october. but he suggested a uk—wide customs arrangement could not form part of that backstop. ealier, mr varadkar met with european council president donald tusk, where he thanked the eu for its "ongoing solidarity" with ireland. kim kardashian west‘s bodyguard is being sued for $6.1 million by the celebrity‘s insurer after she was robbed in paris two years ago. the five robbers, dressed as police officers, put a gun to kardashian west‘s head before tying her up and locking her in a bathroom in october 2016. insurer aig paid for the cost of the stolen jewellery, but claims pascal duvier and his company protect security "negligently" protected the star‘s private apartment. in recent years, numerous police forces across the united states have been accused of abusing their power. while on the flip side — those who serve have often been targeted for simply wearing the badge. but a disturbing trend rarerly talked about is the large

the irish prime minister, leo varadkar, says a brexit deal could be reached in as little as two weeks plan to avoid a hard border between the republic of ireland and northern ireland. his comments come ahead of a meeting between the eu's chief brexit negotiator, michel barnier, and four of northern ireland's political parties later today. the environment agency says it's launched a criminal investigation to establish how tonnes of medical waste, including body parts, have built up at disposal sites across england. it emerged yesterday that a contractor had been failing to dispose of the hospital waste within the regulatory time—frames. the company blamed a shortage of incinerators. the department of health said there's no risk to patients or the public. russia has hit back at claims it was involved in a series of cyber attacks, saying the accusations are part of an anti—russian campaign by the west. yesterday the uk, the us and the netherlands said kremlin intelligence agents have targeted political organisations in the uk, including the foreign office and the porton down defence rese

the irish prime minister, leo varadkar, has suggested that a deal between the uk and the eu could beegotiator, michel barnier, this morning, as pressure grows to reach a solution to the irish border problem before the eu summit later this month. our reporter, adam fleming, is in brussels. a broken leg didn't stop the leader of sinn fein in northern ireland joining the dash to solve the irish border issue, with three other parties opposed to brexit making their case to the eu's chief negotiator. we want to protect the special relationship which we have, north—south and east—west. we need to see the protection of citizens' rights , we need to stay in the customs union and single market, so we'll be seeking assurances in terms of the eu stance which they have held to this point, but as we reach the end stage of the negotiation, it's important that they stay firm. michel barnier is sticking with his plan that northern ireland could stay in the eu's customs arrangements and parts of the single market, but he is tweaking it. it's still opposed by the uk, though, and the government's drawin

speaking in dublin, before a meeting with irish taioseach leo varadkar this evening, she said that the right across the whole of the united kingdom. we've heard comments for example from ruth davidson over the weekend, where she said it was vitally important that the whole of the uk left on the same terms, so for me, that's the red line and that's what we're here to talk about today. the michel barnier proposal has been described as offering northern ireland the best of both worlds, is that something confident about? it is not the best of both worlds, of course, and that is what the problem is. of course it would create barriers between us and great britain, of course, great britain is our largest market by far and we can't have barriers economically and of course constitutionally, we very much believe in keeping the union alive in that fashion is well. arlene foster speaking in the last few minutes. that's pretty much it from your afternoon live team for today. coming up next, it's the bbc news at five o'clock. but first a look at the weather forecast. a reasonably fine and to the day