leo varadkar has actually made a concession in the last couple of days.ccept a review mechanism for the backstop. now, deep breath, the backstop is there to avoid a hard border in the event there isn't a solution in the transition period. breathe again. you're doing a greatjob, mate. transition period. breathe again. you're doing a great job, mate. he says there will be a review mechanism for the backstop, but it can't be a unilateral review mechanism with the uk able to decide what it wants to end the backstop. yes, ok. what it wants to end the backstop. yes, 0k. crikey. that was brilliant, though, i understood what you said, i don't know about the viewers. dawn, he is right, they are trying to get the pressure on the european group, those brexiteers, they're trying to squeeze them and squeeze them to the point where it could be too late to get a deal if we don't sign up now, so you've got to sign up sign up now, so you've got to sign up now! completely, and this is what theresa may is saying, we are going to end up with no deal. hammond said an no—deal

they are taking a leaf from leo varadkar and eve ryo ne taking a leaf from leo varadkar and everyoneeeting lasted three hours. we understand they were given an outline of what the draft withdrawal agreement contains but we also think they were not given the agreement itself. we saw some boxes being brought out at the end of the meeting but they were not opened. we think they contained the report but it seems the ambassadors were not shown the report. we are seeing a 2—stage process. you and i have been in brussels many times since the referendum. we are always being told by european politicians, we want to know exactly what theresa may wants out of brexit and for the first time we actually know. we have an agreement she is backing but the eu is not going to respond until we hear from the cabinet meeting. it would only be if and when their prime minister emerges from the meeting and says, yes, my cabinet endorses this, then the european union will begin its official response. not only does that have to be ratified in this building here but also by the european parliament and a majorit

leo varadkar pointing out that the backstop is still in the withdrawal text and that is the legal bindingresident emmanuel macron is here having faced some very violent fuel protests in france yesterday he is here and this is what he's had to say on his way to the meeting. translation: the second priority is fisheries and the reciprocal access. our fishermen will be protected, we'll make it a priority with regard to the future relations and it will be clearly stated in today's final document. emmanuel macron. adam is with me now. what you make of what these people are saying? first of all everyone is reading from the same script, this isa reading from the same script, this is a sad day, we are not trying to beat the uk, and theresa may has done a good job debating and fighting for britain, the purpose is to draw the divorce talks to a conclusion and then provide a springboard for theresa may to go back, and sell her deal to the public and to an incredible ice sceptical british parliament. there is no backslapping. nobody wants the uk to leave, tell us what is going on in the room, they ha

ireland's prime minister, leo varadkar, has warned that britain's planned departure from the europeand the long—standing peace deal that ended decades of violence in northern ireland. negotiations between the eu and the uk have stalled over how to avoid the return of a hard border between northern ireland and the republic. for more on this, we're joined by the bbc‘s political correspondent, chris mason. is it isita is it a bit of an exaggerated statement to make, could a hard border really return northern ireland to violence? it has the potential to because the absence of it was a key part of the peace agreement in the late 90s, the good friday agreement, to insure there would be a border, yes, and a border thatis would be a border, yes, and a border that is visible because there are different currencies on each side but which ultimately can be crossed very easily. the very nature of brexit is about reinstituting borders and taking back control, to use the slogan of the leave campaign. both sides of the negotiation are committed to keeping the border open but the uk wants to get its o

let's look at these pictures of leo varadkar. let's listen to what he has to say.work, two years of negotiations. still regret the fact the uk is leaving the european union andi the uk is leaving the european union and i think the best course of action would be for the uk to stay in the european union and the single market and customs union but we respect their decision not to do that so we have spent two years trying to negotiate an agreement that protects our interests, our citizens and our economy and i believe we have that come on agreement which allows for an orderly withdrawal from the european union and protects the freedoms and rights of citizens come on agreement which provides a transition period during which we can negotiate a future relationship and if its not successful then a back kicking in which us there be no hard border between ireland and northern ireland and we will continue to have tariff free and caught a free trade which is important for our economy. work donein is important for our economy. work done in the past couple of years, a difficult

promises over plans to avoid a hard irish border after brexit — while the irish prime minister, leo varadkarntains it will not happen. the most important thing for me is the objective and that is to give eve ryo ne the objective and that is to give everyone in northern ireland and ireland the assurance that a hard border will not develop between north and south no matter what else may happen in the years aired. —— ahead. the uk economy grew by 0.6% in the three months to september — thanks to the warm summer weather boosting spending. coming up on afternoon live all the sport. finally, some good news for the travelling fans as england beat sri lanka on day four of the first test — to end their 13—match winless run away from home. more at 230. and we have all the weather. good afternoon. rough weather for the rest of the day, heavy rain and strong winds in the west. details to come, plus i will be answering your questions, just before half two. also coming up — thousands of people have been ordered to leave their homes as wildfires rage across northern california. hello, everyone — this is af

then, according to the irish prime minister leo varadkar, there will be an emergency summit of eu leadersber. then, provided all goes smoothly, there will be a week of debate in the house of commons on the draft plan. and after that, a parliamentary vote probably in early december. a final word with our political editor, laura kuenssberg. i have just i havejust gone i have just gone through some of the diary items. how do you see these coming weeks? the next 24-hours there is a possibility of some cabinet resignations. there could be one, two, perhaps even three walking out. in the next 24—hours there is the possibility of an outpouring of angerfrom some the possibility of an outpouring of anger from some conservative backbenchers which could tip the conservative party into a leadership contest. impossible to say right now if that is definite. 0ne senior mps said he would be amazed if that hadn't happened by lunchtime tomorrow. there is also the very real possibility of this falling when it makes it to parliament. at that point, to quote the prime minister, it is this deal or no deal, or

this comes after leo varadkar, the irish prime minister, offered a compromise on the rwo over northernent take on the same story.. and says the taiseoch told mrs may he could not allow the uk to dictate the terms of any so called backstop. the i has mp‘s warning universal credit is imposing arbitrarily punitive penalties on people who breach rules according to the metro — revellers who laughed and jeered in a video that surfaced online as they burned a model of grenfell tower, are being investigated by police. the daily express leads with prince charles urging the world to halt plastic pollution and protect our planet for children like his daughter—in—law meghan‘s unborn baby. and according to the daily mail, grieving families will be hit with bills of up to £6,000 under a stealth death tax. and they also feature the spice girls — most of whom are getting together to tour again. posh was too posh that this reunion, by all accounts. we are going to start with the independent. big elections in the united states tomorrow. tom waits boaters‘ verdict, in the first major poll and —— trump aw

in an interview with the broadcaster rte, leo varadkar said brexit was also pulling britain and ireland uk's departure from the europoean union have stalled over how to avoid the return of a hard border between the republic and the north. the businessman arron banks has returned to the uk as he faces allegations that multi—million pound donations he made to groups backing brexit may have broken electoral law. mr banks denies any wrongdoing, insisting the money was his. but the national crime agency is investigating whether the donations came from "impermissible sources". manveen rana's report contains flash photography. arron banks was in bermuda when the news broke that he was facing a criminal investigation. as he landed at gatwick airport this morning, it seemed the holiday was definitely over. will you be showing us your accounts? us where the money comes from? the man behind one of the biggest political donations in british history is now being investigated by the national crime agency to determine the true source of his pro—brexit funding. arron banks supported the campaign throug

i think what was striking in this interview that leo varadkar gave to irish radio was that he could haveestions about relationships with a near neighbour which might be a bit tricky, and just be very diplomatic about it. instead he was the opposite. he was very candid. he said brexit undermines the good friday agreement and is fraying the relationship between the uk and ireland. anything that pulls the two communities apart in northern ireland, those who are loyal to the uk and those who are drawn towards the republic, undermines the good friday agreement. why do you think he did that, then, when tensions are still there in northern ireland, we have been experiencing peace for a long time, but why, potentially, trigger that again? with a statement like that? firstly, i think, that again? with a statement like that? firstly, ithink, because that is his honest view. and secondly because he is well aware ofjust how exposed island is to brexit, and in particular, to a no deal brexit. —— ireland. the situation when, next march, the uk leaves without a withdrawal agreement with the eu. he said

in an interview with the broadcaster rte, leo varadkar said brexit was also pulling britain and irelandtalled over how to avoid the return of a hard border between the republic of ireland and northern ireland. more than 70 business people have written to the sunday times demanding another referendum on brexit. the letter has been coordinated by the people's vote campaign, which is pressing for the public to be given a say on whether to accept the terms of the uk's departure from the european union. 0ur political correspondent, chris mason is with me. you have seen this letter? is appearing in the sunday times tomorrow and so i am familiar with this. a kind of letter that we have been seeing for the best for the last three years. from both sides writing to paper is setting out their arguments and the chief executive of waterstone. the chief executive of waterstone. the chief executive of waterstone. the chief executive of sainsbury and richard reid. the founder of last—minute .com. the essence of their argument is they say the idea behind brexit was that there would be fresh in this trad

the irish prime minister, leo varadkar, has warned that britain's planned departure from the europeantanding peace deal that ended the conflict in northern ireland. brexit negotiations have stalled over how to avoid the return of a hard border between northern ireland and the republic. tens of thousands of islanders in new caledonia in the french pacific have been voting on whether their territory should remain an integral part of france or become independent. the vote was promised in 1988, after a violent campaign by separatists. the result is being closely watched in french polynesia, a vast pacific territory larger than western europe, as well as by indigenous people in nearby australia. our correspondent phil mercer is following events from sydney. he explained what the referendum means for islanders. it is. they are being asked one of the most fundamental questions they are ever likely to hear. do they want to stay part of france, or do they want to go it alone as a nearly, freshly minted independent country? this is a nation that was colonised by france in the 1850s. there has b

in an interview with the broadcaster rte, leo varadkar said brexit was also pulling britain and irelandtions have stalled over how to avoid the return of a hard border between the republic of ireland and northern ireland. the uk government has tonight reitterated that it won't agree to anything which risks a hard border or threatens the good friday agreement. a reminder we'll take a look at what tomorrow's front pages are saying. at 10:30 and 11:30pm this evening in the papers. our guests joining me tonight are ruth lea, economic adviser to the arbuthnot banking group, and the playwright and columnist at the new european, bonnie greer. just days before crucial midterm elections, president trump is continuing to criss—cross the united states visiting crucial states for the republicans. on tuesday, millions of americans will cast their ballots in contests for seats in both chambers of congress, alongside dozens of state governor battles. the democrats are cautiously optimistic of their chances of wining control of the house of representatives, which would have a big impact on the course o

the irish prime minister, leo varadkar, said his government has "no hidden agenda" when it came to brexitpeaking during his ‘fine gael‘ party leader's speech, said the only red line had ever been to protect the good friday agreement. he said the country will do all that it can to build a new relationship with its nearest neighbour. we have negotiated a deal that defends the rights of freedoms of ireland democrat irish citizens, north and south. so let us now seal the deal and get on to the next phase. applause. let's get onto the next phase, which is managing transition period and negotiating a new deep and close relationship with the uk. we have... applause. as you all know, we have no hidden agenda. 0ur as you all know, we have no hidden agenda. our only red line has been to protect the good friday agreement and all that it means. peace in britain and ireland, power—sharing in northern ireland, and ever closer cooperation between north and south. and above all, no hard border. the irish prime minister speaking a short time ago. in the last few minutes, president trump has arrived in cal

promises over plans to avoid a hard irish border after brexit — while the irish prime minister, leo varadkar is to give everyone in northern ireland and ireland the assurance that a hard border will not develop between north

in dublin, ireland's taoiseach leo varadkar will hold a meeting of his cabinet to discuss the draft agreementer cabinet at number 10, hoping to seek their support on it. and later in brussels, ambassadors for the eu 27 will discuss their preparedness for a no deal brexit. of course, we'll be keeping you updated about the latest developments through the day here on bbc world news. thank you so much. yes, we certainly will keep you right up to date. now it's time to get all the latest from the bbc sports centre. hello there, i'm tulsen tollett. coming up in your wednesday sport briefing... world number one novak djokovic heads out in his second match of the nitto atp tour finals in london. bangladesh and sri lanka are both looking for their first wins of the icc women's world t20. later on wednesday, world number one novak djokovic plays his second match in the nitto atp tourfinals in london. the serb takes on the bright new thing in the men's game, alexander zverev. both players won their opening matches in this year's tournament, while john isner will play croatian marin cilic in the other ga

the irish prime minister, leo varadkar, has said the best outcome for all concerned would be if the ukn, the draft agreement was the next best thing. i've always thought that the best outcome for ireland and for europe and indeed the united kingdom would be for the uk to stay in the european union, the customs union and the single market. but we respect the decision of the british people and the uk parliament not to do that, and what we have agreed today is the next best outcome. it protects the peace, affirms the rights and freedoms of european, irish and british citizens, ensures there will be no hard border and also insulates our economy from major disruptions in trade, thus protecting jobs and people's standard of living. south american football officials were forced to postpone one of the biggest matches in argentina's history last night, after a bus carrying one of the teams was attacked by rival fans. the game, equivalent to the final of the champions league, was between two teams from buenos aries — boca juniors and river plate. lebo diseko reports. running battles on the stree

resolved, although clearly there's lots of discussions going on, we know to reason a spoke to leo varadkarht. in terms of the parliamentary timetable and the european union timetable, for any potentially brexit deal. as long as it feels like it's only the clock that's moving and all of this, but i think deadlines of the end of november or the middle of december, it's very difficult, even david davis said this was always going to go to the wire. in terms of the parliamentary timetable here, people still see evenif timetable here, people still see even if it ran up to christmas you could still get something through in january. it's got to be done before march. i think these timetables are very difficult. the closer you get to the end of the year, the more people's minds focused and remember that ultimately both sides do not wa nt to that ultimately both sides do not want to be in a new deal situation, neither side wants that, they want to get a deal. they will try as hard as they can to do so and it seems this idea of some kind of mechanism, some kind of arbitration panel, some kind of commi

the irish prime minister leo varadkar has dismissed the idea of a temporary "backstop" solution — whichreturn to a hard border. 0ur political editor laura kuenssberg is at westminster, theresa may is going to brief the cabinet tomorrow on the latest developments on trying to secure a brexit deal, no let up in the pressure. absolutely not. the uk and the eu are at our absolutely vital stage here, frantically working away, officials and ministers, to try to get the divorce deal done by the end of this month. it's still possible but there's not that much sense of flexibility in the air and remember what is at stake here is how we leave the european union. not the longer term relationship which will define things for years and years to come. the sticking point as ever is the so—called backstop. they guarantee that the uk will give to the eu and to ireland that there will be no kind of going back to the ha rd will be no kind of going back to the hard border of the past between northern ireland and the south and they have given that promise and it has to be somehow turned into a legal guarant

here is compounded by the remorseless ticking clock at the moment, and the irish prime minister, leo varadkarsummit, where both sides hope to do the deal, are receding every day. he doesn't think it's going to happen this month, and i don't think the cabinet meeting will happen tomorrow for the pressure on both sides is increasing, but these are clearly critical days for the government and the course of brexit. marks & spencer has reported falling clothing and food sales, and warned that it sees little improvement in the coming months. the retailer added it was "continuing to review" its store closure plans, which would see 100 shops shut by 2022. m&s did still make a profit despite the drop in sales, with 32 million people visiting their stores a year. our business correspondent emma simpson reports. she's the new face. but that's the same old story at m&s with yet another drop in sales. holly willoughby has been drafted in to broaden its appeal. her must—haves have been selling fast, but this retailer is still not getting it quite right. this is the second time i've been looking for a parti

we have heard from most of the european leaders including the irish prime minister, leo varadkar, whofor all concern would best outcome for all concern would be if the uk remained in the eu but given that was not going to happen, he said the draft agreement was the next best thing. i have always thought the best outcome for ireland, for europe and the uk would be for the uk to stay in the european union, the customs union and single market but we respect the decision of the british people and the uk parliament not to do that. what we have agreed today is the next best outcome. it protects the piece, it affirms the rights and freedoms of european, irish and british citizens, ensures there will be no hard border and also insulates our economy from major disruptions and trade, thus protecting jobs and people is the standard of living. the one thing that shines through from all of the comments from the european leaders, in their view there is no plan b. they know there is talk in the uk of reopening the withdrawal agreement and renegotiating if the vote goes down butjean—claude juncker, r

on the latest state of the brexit talks, after a phone call today with her irish counterpart, leo varadkard by its commitments, specifically on avoiding a hard border between northern ireland and the republic, even if there is no brexit trade agreement. 0ur political editor laura kuenssberg gave us the latest from downing street. at the reception in westminster tonight, theresa may joked at the reception in westminster tonight, theresa mayjoked about brexit as the b word, and while it is not a swear word it is an enormous challenge on every front, another reminderfrom enormous challenge on every front, another reminder from the irish leader today that he and the rest of the eu will not accept that so—called backstop, the insurance policy to guarantee a return to a high border in northern ireland, whatever happens. if it has some kind of time—limit or shelf life on it, and also not if the uk could suddenly tear it up when they feel like it. the problem is that is exactly what some of the ministers who will gather he would theresa may tomorrow morning want. they fear that, if the uk signs up

involved for a long time, this can be done with goodwill, this could be working, and it was until leo varadkarg with british officials. this isa meeting with british officials. this is a rather unseemly blame game with the irish republic that helps nobody, we need to cooperate with ireland going forward, they have obligations on being the external frontier of the eu. we must never be complacent about the importance of the good friday agreement at the peaceit the good friday agreement at the peace it has brought to ireland, and that involves legal obligations not to create a hard border. the belfast agreement said nothing about borders, hardly anything about the eu... because it was predicated on us eu... because it was predicated on us being in the eu. desperate complacency by the brexiteers about ireland. let me ask you about the vote, ifs graham brady gets the a8 letters he needs and there is vote next week, let's say, and it is hypothetical, that she wins, but 100 vote against because it will be a referendum on her deal, can she go one? she has made it clear that she will, and i am certain

taoiseach leo varadkar has told prime minister theresa may that ireland will consider a "review mechanismlan. he spoke with the prime minister earlier today to discuss how to avoid a hard border between northern ireland and the republic. asa as a government, we are working very ha rd to as a government, we are working very hard to get an agreement, ideally by the end of the year, but one thing we can't countenance is any idea that there would be a three—month limit on the backstop. a backstop with a three—month limit, an expiry date of that nature, is not worth the paper it is written on, and what the paper it is written on, and what the uk government has signed up to isa the uk government has signed up to is a legally operative backstop that will apply at least until we have a new agreement to supersede it, and i think it is reasonable for us to expect a country like the united kingdom and a government like the uk government to stand by its commitments. ? inaudible question to be honest it has been a problem all along, the united kingdom in many ways is a divided kingdom, the blast it 50

in an interview with the broadcaster rte, leo varadkar said brexit was also pulling britain and irelandborder between the republic of ireland and northern ireland. the radio presenter paul gambaccini has received a payout from the crown prosecution service, over the way it handled unfounded historical sex abuse allegations against him. he was arrested in 2013 after claims he sexually assaulted two teenage boys in the early 1980s. he's always denied the allegations, calling them "completely fictitious," and spent a year on bail before the case was dropped. here's frankie mccamley. arriving at the bbc studios in central london this morning to host his radio 2 show pick of the pops, paul gambaccini had nothing to say. the veteran broadcaster, known as the professor of pop, has been paid an undisclosed sum by the crown prosecution service over unfounded allegations of historic sex offences. in a statement, a cps spokesperson said... "we have reached an agreement without admission of liability". the 69—year—old, in an interview with the daily mail, talked about how his life had been turned u

the irish prime minister leo varadkar has dismissed the idea of a temporary backstop solution — whicha kuenssberg is at westminster, and explained what a sensitive point the negotiations have reached. the uk and the eu are at an absolutely vital stage here, frantically working away, officials and ministers, to try and get the divorce deal done, by the end of this month. it is still possible, but there is not that much sense of flexibility in the air, and remember what is at stake here is how we leave the european union, not the longer term relationship that will define things the years to come. the sticking point as ever is the so—called axe top, the guarantee that the uk will give to the eu, anti—islands, and that there will be no kind of going back to the hard border of the past between northern ireland and the south, and they have given that promise, and it has to be somehow turned into a legal guarantee that will last and last. what the two sides have agreed, broadly, is that unless there is some kind of big trade deal that can make is not a problem, there will be a way with the u

the irish prime minister, leo varadkar, has told theresa may he won't accept any brexit deal that gives paper it's written on". the cabinet meets tomorrow to discuss preparations to leave the eu — both with and without a deal. let's go live to brussels to speak to our reporter, adam fleming. what is the significance of what mr varadkar has been saying today? what is the significance of what mr varadkar has been saying today7m has made this complicated process and backs doctor is uk wide or an extension of the transition period become quite clear what the key issues are, and there are two of them. number one, is it the uk wide backstop and is there still written into the brexit treaty the legally binding withdrawal agreement is an option whereby northern ireland would be treated differently from the rest of the uk? and issue number two, this backstop, whicheverform it takes, is the exit mechanism, the clause written into it whereby both sides will decide it is no longer needed, is that acceptable to the british government and the members of parliament and the rest of the cabinet in the u

that is still a date being speculated about, but that was given rocket boosters by leo varadkar speakingotential brexit summit. it is worth remembering that is why that is so much drama now because the uk's preferred timetable as you get the whole package and withdrawal agreement and speculation about the future relationship signed off by all leaders including theresa may by the end of november saw you can have a vote in parliament in early december. that is why this seems like such a dramatic period, to hit that target. thank you. talk to hit that target. thank you. talk to you later on. joining me now is stephen kelly, chief executive of manufacturing northern ireland. just give me a sense of what you wa nt to just give me a sense of what you want to hear them the next hours next of days. do you want the detail of what the prime minister has getting backing to or is it you just wa nt to getting backing to or is it you just want to get across that finishing line and then get on with things? the reality of business is we are all individually interested in the politics of this. exactly th

leo varadkar, the irish prime minister, and the taoiseach, saying that when we talk about a backstoptoms union and single market if trade negotiations fail, and the dup has accused mrs major of breaking the promise that she would never sign up to a brexit deal that trees northern ireland defra peter g reste of deal that trees northern ireland defra peter greste of the uk —— mrs may. the former attorney general dominic grieve has been speaking to our northern ireland political correspondent gareth gordon on this issue of avoiding an irish border post—brexit. issue of avoiding an irish border post-brexit. i don't think the prime minister is wedded to a bordered on the irish sea, but i think the prime minister is unable to give reassurance to the dup that such a thing could not happen. if we leave the eu, initially, the prime minister's plan is we are going to stay in a customs union structure of some form, which means that actually the entirety of the united kingdom will be in conformity with most eu rules. now, should wherever, time when a government in the uk wants to diverged from w

then according to the irish prime minister, leo varadkar, there will be an emergency summit of eu leadersbe a week of debate in the house of commons and a parliamentary vote in december. anand menon, director of the independent research group ‘uk in a changing europe', joins me now. a very good morning to you. what has changed between yesterday and today is people like you and all of us have access to those 585 pages. have you had a look as mac i have had a look, i have skimmed the document. it is as people have expected. we have some into get our teeth into. sequence of events this morning is theresa may will come to the of commons. politically, what are the difficult areas around this? there are two opposing sets of difficulties. 0n the brexit side there are lots of things the european research group will not like. let's go through each of these. looks and smells like a customs union, explained that. in the document they talk about the joint customs territory. theresa may has long promised we will be leaving the customs union, at first blush what is in this document looks an awful lot l

meanwhile the irish prime minister, leo varadkar, has been taking questions from leaders of the oppositionse people who negotiated the good friday agreement and those with the treaties understand that. you can still achieve your objectives in doing so. in a moment, we will speak to jessica parker at westminster. first to adam fleming in brussels. i don‘t think i‘m missing anything, at the moment, nothing has changed? no, and we can see that from the performance of michel barnier at eight press conference with the slova k eight press conference with the slovak by minister in blatter slava —— in bratislava. it is what we have heard from michel barnier before, if there is no backstop, there is no withdrawal agreement and there is no transition agreement. the clock is ticking, how many times has he said that? he says, don‘t believe everything you read, we aren‘t yet there on the last part of the negotiations, especially about ireland. he said again that the eu is prepared to rewrite bits of its backstop is prepared to rewrite bits of its ba cksto p to is prepared to rewrite bits of its backsto