nick beake takes a look at how we got to the deal. david cameron, the prime minister who had offered the referendum, resigned. the british people have made a very clear decision to take a different path. theresa may stepped up. brexit means brexit, and we are going to make a success of it. but it was not that simple. it was going to become a long and arduousjourney, with high drama here in brussels and back in the uk. and along the way, certain faces and phrases became very familiar. you cannot have your cake and eat it, too. cherry picking... the clock is now ticking. michelle barnier was appointed eu‘s chief negotiator for agreeing a divorce deal. his opposite numbers would come and go. david davies... dominic raab... devon barclay... david foster... it was all a sign of how brexit split the government, families, and the country as a whole. in 2017, theresa may lost her parliamentary majority. a year later, she was still trying to manoeuvre towards a deal. the eu was sometimes in step. but often not. there is no room whatsoever for

nick beake, bbc news, trier.ar—old woman on suspicion of holding her son captive at home for up to 30 years. local media said the man — now in his 40's — had been taken out of school when he was 12. his mother has denied charges of false imprisonment and grievous bodily harm. maddy savage has more from stockholm. details are still emerging, and police haven't officially released much information about the man's injuries. but they told me that he's so badly hurt that he remains in hospital some 48 hours after he was taken in on sunday here in sweden. they've confirmed that he is able to communicate, but there are reports in the swedish media here that he has almost no teeth and struggles to speak. other reports in the media speculate that this man may have been locked up for almost three decades but that has not been confirmed by police either. they are simply saying it was they believe a very long time and they hope to find out more as they continue their investigation. the swedish broadcaster svt, the public ser

nick beake, bbc news, trier.of holding her son captive at home for up to 30 years. local media said the man — now in his 40's — had been taken out of school when he was 12. his mother has denied charges of false imprisonment and grievous bodily harm. maddy savage has more from stockholm. details are still emerging, and police haven't officially released much information about the man's injuries. but they told me that he's so badly hurt that he remains in hospital some 48 hours after he was taken in on sunday here in sweden. they've confirmed that he is able to communicate, but there are reports in the swedish media here that he has almost no teeth and struggles to speak. other reports in the media speculate that this man may have been locked up for almost three decades but that has not been confirmed by police either. they are simply saying it was they believe a very long time and they hope to find out more as they continue their investigation. the swedish broadcaster svt, the public service television here, they

our correspondent nick beake in brussels. assessment of the mood within government and in downing street? i think that's right, in terms of room to manoeuvre it is hard to work out exactly where that might go. i think the mood in government is fairly pessimistic at the moment. it is seen as roughly 50-50 the moment. it is seen as roughly 50—50 as to whether a deal can be done, and there are increasingly people at westminster saying these talks going on in some senses is a good thing because it suggests both sides still think potentially there is room for compromise, but remember those three key sticking points we keep talking about have been the key sticking points for some time, so fisheries, how many european boats can fish fisheries, how many european boats canfish in fisheries, how many european boats can fish in european waters after brexit, competition, what rules are in place to try and regulate competition in the uk, whether they have two mirror rules in europe too and finally, governance, how any deal is actually imp

nick beake, bbc news, trier.pandemic is also a fight against disinformation on a massive scale. with a number of vaccines set to be delivered in the months ahead, experts say that misleading information could dissuade many from being vaccinated, while others are likely to be confused by the sheer amount of information being made available on social media and elsewhere. our global health correspondent tulip mazumdar has more details. ever since this pandemic started, we've all been faced with a barrage of information about covid—19. it can lead to confusion, distrust, and in some cases, protests against proven public health advice like wearing masks. now, with vaccines well on the way, there's a fresh push to separate fact from fiction. i spoke to trainee solicitor 0scar, who's taking part in vaccine trials at imperial college london, and production designer, nina. i would like to be vaccinated because i think it's one of the only ways out of this situation. i have quite mixed feelings. i'm not sure how much i tru

let's get the reaction from brussels and nick beake is there.tion has this been receiving where you are? there. what reaction has this been receiving where you are ?|j there. what reaction has this been receiving where you are? i was listening to what chris was saying, the eu side having to keep all of the eu side having to keep all of the 27 leaders happy. of course, theyin the 27 leaders happy. of course, they in turn have to keep their people happy, their voters in those 27 different countries, they need to say that a deal, if one is reached, it is something in the interest of these people. whether it is the people of france, spain, germany, italy, no matter what. throughout this process, the eu has been keen to present itself as a united front, the 27 members of the club, although they are different geographically and culturally and economically, they are standing firmly behind their chief negotiator, michel barnier. but over the past 48 hours also, we have seen some differences emerge and chris mentioned it there on fishing. the french are

nick beake reports from brussels. have you made progress? good morning.ornings but there are three big problems to solve if there is to be a brexit trade deal. michel barnier gave what was described as a gloomy update on the state of the talks to the ambassadors of the 27 eu countries. they say they want an agreement but not one that gives the uk and unfair trading advantage. having heard from michel barnier this morning, really, the news is very downbeat, i would say he was very gloomy, and obviously very cautious about the ability to make progress today. at the moment, these negotiations seem stalled, and the barriers to progress are still very much in place. lord frost, the top british negotiator, is also finding the path ahead is not straightforward. still working very hard. though apparently not impossible, according to those in london. a deal can be done. there is opportunity to get a deal that works in the uk national interest but works for the eu. the one thing we have learned from negotiating with the european union is, these negotiations often g

but was nick beake in brussels. we will move their to france.ekend running, there've been violent demonstrations in paris. riot police used tear gas to disperse protesters who are opposed to a draft law protecting french officers from being filmed on duty. our reporterjohn johnson has more. this was the scene on the streets of paris on saturday as peaceful rallies over a controversial draft security law turned violent for a second consecutive weekend. officers fired tear gas and a pocket of demonstrators set cars and barricades on fire. shop windows were smashed by some hooded protesters and a bank was ransacked and torched. the protest started over a clause in a draft security law which aimed to restrict how people share images of on duty police, making it a criminal offence if there was an intent to harm their physical or psychological integrity. the government backed down in the face of pressure and said the controversial clause would be rewritten but protesters want the law to be scrapped completely. translation: france must distinguish itse

nick beake and leila nathoo.ould be barred from visiting many eu countries from january ist because travel rules associated with being part of the eu will have expired, and coronavirus restrictions may prevent entry to many regions. our business reporter simon browning is with me to explain more. yes, it could come as a bit of a shock this lunchtime that uk travellers could be barred from entering the eu when the transition period ends. when it ends we become a third—party nation in our relationship with the eu. there are currently severe coronavirus restrictions on travel about entering into the eu, and only essential travel is permitted. only eight countries are currently allowed to enter the eu for that essential basis because they have low coronavirus infection rate. dominic said this morning eu states would likely decide the rules to protect against infection. the uk has had travel corridors in place with lots of countries over the summer, with lots of countries over the summer, we with lots of countries ove

nick beake, bbc news, trier.opean parliament came after he was caught by belgian police at what media have described as a gay sex party in brussels last friday. yoseff sayer has issued a statement admitting that he was at the party, which was held despite a coronavirus lockdown. our central europe correspondent nick thorpe told us what the belgian media are saying. this is obviously extremely embarrassing forjozsef szajer. he's a key figure in the party, one of the founder members, a close friend of the prime minister victor orban, and he has been a member of the european parliament for 16 years. he was caught, according to belgian media reports, at a party. the media say it was a gay sex party, the prosecution in brussels simply said they were raiding the party which appeared to be breaking coronavirus lockdown restrictions. there are also reports in the bulgarian media that he was trying to run away from the party by climbing down a drain pipe, and he was caught by the police in the street, and the police also

nick beake, bbc news, trier. stay with us on bbc world news. a member of the european parliament after he was caught at a sex party held despite a coronavirus lockdown. it's quite clear that the worst victims of this disaster are the poor people living in the slums which have sprung up around the factory. i am feeling so helpless that the children are dying in front of me and i can't do anything. charles manson is the mystical leader of the hippie cult suspected of killing sharon tate and at least six other people in los angeles. at 11am this morning, just half a metre of rock separated britain from continental europe. it took the drills just a few moments to cut through the final obstacle. then philippe cozette, a minerfrom calais, was shaking hands and exchanging flags with robert fagg, his opposite number from dover. this is bbc news. the latest headlines: the us attorney general appointed by president trump says he's found no evidence of widespread fraud that would have changed the outcome of the presidential election. three of hong kong's

in a moment we'll speak to nick beake in brussels and chris page in belfast, but first to nick eardleyminster. hopes of some sort of meal deal, and the prime minister seems to be optimistic? yes, simon, both sides are still saying they want a deal. but don't underestimate how big those differences are. those two things you heard in the piece there. borisjohnson, who things you heard in the piece there. boris johnson, who is things you heard in the piece there. borisjohnson, who is adamant that brexit has to be about sovereignty, and eu leaders like angela merkel who are absolutely adamant that whatever happens in a trade deal, it can't undermine the single market and give the uk, as they see it, and unfair advantage. boris johnson will be going to those talks with ursula von der leyen this evening to try and see whether the politicians can do something that the trade negotiators couldn't, whether they can find some way through the current impasse, some way of moving the two sides slightly closer together, to get those talks back on track in the next few days. there won't be a deal to s

let's get the view from brussels now with our correspondent nick beake. deal, largely to avoid new tariffs or taxes on goods moving between the two sides coming in onjanuary one, meaning some things like clothes, foods, cars would be more expensive for everyone. but there is a feeling here that ursula von der leyen in this phone call has less room for manoeuvre, she has to keep on board 27 leaders of the eu countries and she cannot be seen to undermine their project. boris johnson she cannot be seen to undermine their project. borisjohnson on the other hand will be able to see if there is an outline of a deal there that he believes to be taking back control, or certainly whether he can sell it to the british people as such. we know there are considerable differences between the two sides. i can tell you they started talking about an hour ago and the very latest i've heard is the conversation continues. this is not a quick saturday afternoon chat. this is really crucial stuff. there isa this is really crucial stuff. there is a feeling here it could be done,

nick buechner thank you very much. —— nick beake. 0ur medical editor, fergus walsh, is here.d at which this has been achieved. this marks the beginning of the pandemic being in sight, that is months and months away. but science has found the answer, it has found the exit strategy. if you had asked me back in april whether we would have a vaccine by december approved, i would have said, pretty unlikely. so it is extraordinary. this is the first so—called r and a vaccine to be approved, it is a very clever vaccine, it is entirely synthetic, it uses a tiny fragment of genetic material from the spike protein to stimulate an immune response and get cells to produce this tiny protein found in the virus. and it is an 85% effective after two doses. across all age groups. we don't know how long that protection lasts. and we don't know whether it also stops people passing on the virus. but it is extraordinarily good news, really a great day for science and humanity. fergus, thank you very much indeed. on such a big news day, we've got two editors on this story — for social—distancing r

iain watson, thank you, and nick beake. so, why are the talks deadlocked? are struggling. for the uk, any deal must involve being free of eu rules. this is not a trade deal, so, this hasn't ceased to be this has ceased to be a trade deal right now, the discussion is about sovereignty. for the eu, both sides must follow the same rules. translation: we must have a level playing field, not only for today but for the future. but is the eu treating the uk differently? certainly there is a perception among brexit supporters that it is not being fair. listen to borisjohnson. i don't believe, mr speaker, that those are terms that any prime minister of this country should accept. or there is the conservative mp daniel kawczynski, who accuses the eu of acting in a highly irresponsible and wholly unreasonable way. but has the eu demanded more from the uk? in short, it has. the eu wants the uk to agree to shared rules on government subsidies, on workers' rights, on environmental and food standards, and it wants the uk to remain in sync in the future, too. well, the uk

in a moment will we will talk to our political correspondent, iain watson but first to nick beake inmorning to you. eu sources saying they have not made any new 11th hour demands but you know, we are sorted beyond the 11th hour, really, and i'm slightly reluctant to talk about her deadlines because there's been a lot of flexibility in this process but how important is it that a deal is done if it is going to be, before next thursday when eu leaders are due to meet? it is really important and i think to stress the point you were making, eu sources here have taken exception to the noise coming out of downing street that the eu has been slapping new demands on the table at the 11th hour and the suggestion being that the eu is destabilising talks at this crucial moment. they say their demands had been there all along and haven't actually moved and one eu source used the word, these are theatrics from the british side. and i think we will see the pr campaign on both sides really being ratcheted up on both sides really being ratcheted up in the coming hours and potentially days, because of

nick beake in brussels.e odds of no deal are shortening quite rapidly, nobody really knows, but we are in a situation where we have a clash of principles, political philosophies, and it is very hard to see how those can be fudged significantly to get agreement on this contentious point. because the uk is wedded to the sovereignty issue and areas around the ecj and other issues on the other side for the eu, is that your point? it is not so much the ecj, but what the european union are saying, if you want access to our market without paying terrace, you have to sign up to set standards. boris johnson's retort have to sign up to set standards. borisjohnson's retort is the whole point of brexit is not to sign up to your standards, so we won't be bound by your rules, and that is the circle it is proving difficult to square. and when we have a former australian prime minister talking about be careful what you wish for, talking about the difficulties that australia had of forming its own free—trade agreement with t

our correspondent nick beake is in brussels. time running out, what are the chancing of a deal? ben, i asked lord frost if he thought compromise was in the air. i asked him whether borisjohnson had was in the air. i asked him whether boris johnson had given was in the air. i asked him whether borisjohnson had given him treasure room for manoeuvre in the talk, uner is pricingly he wasn't willing to spill the beans but those are the sort of things they will try to suss out as the talks resume and the british will be trying to work out if the eu are going to give ground. of course, publicly, both side are saying it is the other which is preventing a breakthrough, being too entrenched, not willing to recognise the position of the other size side, there will have to be compromise on both sides, interestingly, eu diplomats are remaining tight—lipped, they are trying to put ona tight—lipped, they are trying to put on a united front. that is because last week we ceo saudi vision, france said if an agreement is reached but not a good deal

nick beake, bbc news, brussels. our political correspondent jessica parker is here.l some details to be ironed out on things like financial services. conversation is going to keep going on on those. in terms of what we will notice in a few minutes' time when we look up and say what actually change, one of the main things that kicks in is this impact on trade, some more checks at the border. yes, they've avoided tariffs and quotas, but there will be extra paperwork. i think the expectation is that certainly, overnight and into tomorrow, you're not going to see loads of trucks arriving at dover crossing into calais, partly because people are aware of others tax. —— those checks. you're going to get less traffic it on new year's day. we look forward to january the 4th to see the impact in terms of those border checks. the interesting thing in the last few weeks because of coronavirus, with the irony it was a decision by the french to shut the border, we saw the long queues that those who had criticised said we we re that those who had criticised said we were going to be

let's go to nick beake in brussels now.aphors abound, but when it gets to the nitty—gritty of these two litres meeting —— leaders meeting later on today, is it about setting out the parameters for any possible compromise or might even get that far? good morning, annita, yes, what we are being told here i think mirrors what nick was hearing from london. eu officials in brussels think that if this dinner goes really, really well, it will allow the talks between the chief negotiators to have a new sense of life, really, because we know they have been going round and round in circles and they have not been able to make any progress on the really key issues. yesterday, of course, there was some cause for hope because this deal was reached, an eu- uk because this deal was reached, an eu— uk accord was reached, agreement was found, specifically relating to northern ireland and trading and customs arrangements, it was all to do with the divorce deal that was agreed last year. it's not necessarily the case that that success necessar

thank you, neck -- nick beake in brussels.stay home after a new outbreak of coronavirus ended a two—week run of no local cases. australian officials are trying to trace the source of the infection, afterfinding dozens of cases across the city's northern beaches region. the new cluster has sparked national concern and cast uncertainty over many australians' plans for a relatively normal christmas. phil mercer is in sydney for us. hello, how are the authorities getting on in trying to find out the source of this latest outbreak, and how difficult will it be to contain age? there have been four key pillars to australia's coronavirus strategy, mass testing, sophisticated contact tracing, strict lockdown turned the closure of international borders to foreign travellers. it is a sophisticated contact tracing that is now in full swing in sydney as the authorities raised to try to find a source of 28 infections in the northern beaches district of the city. 28 infections might not seem a large number compared to other countries, for ex

let's cross now to brussels and nick beake. any word there is to end this meeting might happen?morrow. we do believe it won't be on thursday because on thursday, you have got the meeting of the 27 eu leaders. i think there is a concern here that borisjohnson leaders. i think there is a concern here that boris johnson will be leaders. i think there is a concern here that borisjohnson will be seen to gate—crash that meeting and the indications, as we were hearing, that probably will not be the case. possibly wednesday? it is after this meeting in brussels, that might be friday afternoon or saturday, but it is very much tvc. the fact it is happening at all, some people are feeling maybe it is a good thing because they have made no progress whatsoever in the past 48 hours. both sides agree on that. does it need a political intervention, as people have been predicting for weeks now, get in the same room, borisjohnson and weeks now, get in the same room, boris johnson and ursula von der leyen from the european commission, to thrash out a deal. others are saying, we feel this is for th

our correspondent nick beake in brussels says it's still not clear whether the two sides will be ableut a deal in the end. i was talking to one eu diplomat this evening who suggested that this actually can be viewed as a whole pa rt actually can be viewed as a whole part and parcel of the inevitable choreography you get before a deal is sealed. in other words, you throw ina bit is sealed. in other words, you throw in a bit of drama, a dollop of intrigue and lo and behold a deal is done. but the majority view here in brussels this evening as they are concerned. very few people believe they will be a trade deal and that is not just because they will be a trade deal and that is notjust because it is haggling over the price of fish, that is of course very important topic in these negotiations, fish is something we have heard a lot about. but it goes to the heart of competition rules that underpins the single market, it is sacred in the eyes of people in the city and i don't want to give the city and i don't want to give the uk an unfair advantage in the future. i think the key, really, th

here's our correspondent nick beake with the latest from brussels.lomat this evening who was suggesting that this actually can be viewed as all part and parcel of the inevitable choreography you get just before a deal is sealed. in other words, you throw in a bit of drama, there's a dollop of intrigue and lo and behold, it all comes together nicely and a deal is done. however, the majority view here in brussels this evening as that they are concerned. and you get very few people are willing to say "yes, i believe there is going to be a trade deal" and that is because it's notjust haggling over the price of fish — that is, of course, a very important topic in these negotiations, fish is something we have heard a lot about — but for the eu, it goes to the heart of competition rules that underpins their single market. it is sacred in the eyes of people in this city and they don't want to give the uk an unfair advantage in the future. i think the key, really, is is the eu able to say if there is a deal that "yes, we have got what we wanted, we haven't gi

let's get the view from brussels now with our correspondent nick beake.chances of a deal there? this evening, one diplomat was suggesting this was all part and parcel of the inevitable choreography you get before a deal is sealed, that's to say you throw ina dose is sealed, that's to say you throw in a dose of drama here, a dollop of intrigue there and it all comes together very nicely indeed. but i got to tell you more people here in brussels tonight do not share that confidence. very few people say with certainty that yes, there will be a deal and that is because this isn't just haggling over the price of fish although clearly this is an important topic in the talks, this goes to the heart of those competition rules that underpin the eu single market. and the eu are adamant they will not be giving the uk unfair advantage adamant they will not be giving the uk unfairadvantage in adamant they will not be giving the uk unfair advantage in trade in the future. as chris was saying, boris johnson says the problem is the eu is not willing to wake up and smell

here's our correspondent nick beake with the latest from brussels.s, i think what we saw sort of mirrored the brexit choreography, the story of 2020, both sides saying, "do you know what? we have still got these key disagreements on these really important issues but we will give it another go." and so tomorrow, lord frost on the uk side and michel barnier on the eu side, they will be meeting again. officially it is to assess whether there is any hope in pursuing the talks any further, whether a deal can be reached. but i can give you some private reaction from an eu source here in brussels, because we have not got anything publicly because they are trying to keep a united front. someone telling me that this is all part of the choreography. a bit more time and drama are needed before they can reach a deal. we will see if that is right or not. and, nick, you were saying there the eu trying to maintain a united front, which they have done very well through much of the last few years. but tell us more about some of the key national interests here that wi

our europe correspondent nick beake is in brussels — he explained the priorities for the uk and the euver the past 48 hours or so, we have seen a reflection of the fact that this is a club of 27 different members. sometimes there is an uneasy relationship between those members with different priorities. notably france. a minister yesterday said that if a trade deal is agreed, if they manage to bridge all the gaps that chris was talking about, thenif gaps that chris was talking about, then if the french do not like it, they will veto it. they will not have any qualms about that. that is an indication of the difficulties involved in this. it is notjust a case of the negotiators being able to do what the british are doing, just make an agreement on behalf of one people, one set of voters. it is much more difficult than that. that is why we got a sense during the week that some countries thought maybe michel barnier, the eu's chief negotiator, was prepared to give it a bit too much to the british and they got a bit nervous. given what we have seen over the past few days and today, what sen

our correspondent nick beake is in brussels. what do we know about its distribution?peration, hugely important, and it seems it is getting under way. we believe the first batches of the pfizer vaccine will be taken through the eurotunnel today, from calais in northern france, emerging in folkestone in kent. they are packing it up in the pfizer battery. we were there yesterday and saw the lorries. although pfizer and biontech behind these vaccine wanted to shout about what they have created, as you can imagine, they are much less keen to give a running commentary about the travel movements about what is extremely precious cargo. it does seem good news it is on the way. another thing, some in brussels and european capitals have been raising their eyebrows at the way british ministers have been welcoming the news britain is the first to approve the vaccine. in particular gavin williamson saying today the british medical regulators were the best, better than the americans, belgians, french, and he said that is because we are a much better country than every single one of

our europe correspondent nick beake is in brussels. of view, if you like, from cave at the european union is made up of so many countries, all of whom have to agree on this deal. that makes things that little bit more tricky? absolutely. the eu have done a good job over the past few years of presenting a united front. you could argue it has been easy bearing in mind the disarray in british politics, the trials and tribulations of theresa may, the conservative party and all the rest of it. over the past 48 hours, we have seen a reflection of the fact this is a club of 27 different members and sometimes there is an uneasy relationship between those members with different priorities. notably france, a minister yesterday, said if a trade deal is agreed and they managed to bridge the gaps that chris was talking about there, then if the french don't like it, they will veto it, they won't have any qualms about that. that is an indication of the difficulties involved in this. it is not just a difficulties involved in this. it is notjust a case

our europe correspondent nick beake is in brussels. would people they think it is theatrics?e word given to me last night when it was suggested from sources in london that it was the eu destabilising the talks by inserting extra demands at the 11th hour. they say here they have been sticking to what we have been arguing all along. the noise is getting deafening and we are hearing conflicting reports. on the one hand, some suggesting a deal is imminent. as iain watson was suggesting, voices in london saying there is quite a bit of distance on there is quite a bit of distance on the key issues between the two sides. we know that michel barnier are staying in london. there was a suggestion he would be returning to brussels today to update the ambassadors. that is now not happening. izzy in london because that's the best place to seal a deal and he thinks one is within his grasp? or is actually the whole thing close to falling apart? or maybe is it somewhere in between? it's very hard to tell. i would stress what iain watson is talking about, the way the french minister, very clo

let's get more on those talks from our correspondent in brussels nick beake.ks under way once again here at the european commission headquarters. lord frost, the uk chief negotiator, is back in brussels, just after he had got off his train earlier today, i asked whether he thought compromise was in the air. i asked him whether boris johnson had baby given him more scope to find an agreement with the european union. unsurprisingly, he wasn't willing to spill the beans, but those are the sort of things the eu side will be trying to ascertain as the talks get under way — in the british give a little bit more? and of course, the uk side will be looking at the eu and thinking are there some areas where they can compromise further? in public, both sides are saying that the problem is that the other is not listening to their key demands, not listening to their key demands, not listening to the core positions. we know in this sort of trade talk, both sides will have to compromise in some way if there is going to be an agreement. interestingly, in terms of eu diplomats

nick beake is in brussels. is up the prime minister here says it is up to the eu to come to the table with something. how is that going down where you are? well, you get the feeling that now more than ever, neither side wants to weaken their negotiating position so we are getting more tough talk. we heard michel barnier say this is the moment of truth, the fine a few hours. he can see a narrow pathway toa hours. he can see a narrow pathway to a deal but he also reminded eve ryo ne to a deal but he also reminded everyone that the unity and strength of the european union is more important than any future relationship with the uk. he talked about fishing once again and some people might think it is very odd that it seems to have all come down to this but we have known all along that this is a very politically sensitive and significant topic, even though fishing makes up a very small part of both the uk and eu economies. michel barnier says he wa nts economies. michel barnier says he wants long—term security for th

in a moment will talk to our europe correspondent nick beake in brussels. ster — and just to be clear this is separate from talks on a trade deal. this is a big deal. it is. the deal but not the big one. this is the withdrawal agreement that was all agreed earlier this year. this is of particular parts of it that we are contentious about how you avoid a ha rd contentious about how you avoid a hard border between northern ireland and ireland by having some checks on products which go from great britain and the mainland to northern ireland. that has happened. that is significant because it means the withdrawal process is complete and there is no agreement on what can happen. it is also significant because the uk will drop out of the really controversial brexit legislation which would have allowed it to break international law by basically ignoring parts of the withdrawal agreement if ministers in london want to do it. what this is not as an agreement on trade. the big talks that are going on, or have been going on between the uk and eu over the last few months

nick beake, thank you very much, in brussels.at the government was planning to ramp up this testing in schools in london and essex and kent. in london we are hearing that an additional 44,000 home test kits will be made available for school staff including teachers to test before returning to school in january. an additional 15 mobile testing units will be deployed in or near schools for staff, students and families to be tested. the government says this will provide approximate lease 75,000 additional tests over and above existing test sites in london. and the london boroughs receiving this additional testing are a parking in dagenham, hackney and the city, haven, newham, redbridge, tower hamlets and waltham forest. then, in essex, an additional ten mobile testing units will be deployed tomorrow and over the weekend. the essex burros receiving additional testing are southend, basildon, ca nvey receiving additional testing are southend, basildon, canvey island, harlow, brentwood, southend, i have already mentioned, i think there

nick beake, our brussels correspondent, joins us now. morning, nick.the bars and restaurants are still shot in brussels because of covid. so this is a dinner at a private residence of the head of the european commission. her flight residence of the head of the european commission. herflight is next to her office, so she doesn't have much of a commute. let's be honest, both leaders will have had more enjoyable dinners in their time because they have got some tricky stuff to chew over this evening. they are trying to find a compromise whether chief negotiators have failed to do over the months and months of talking they have been doing. and we heard about some of theissues doing. and we heard about some of the issues they need to try and resolve, including fishing and competition rights. how both sides deal with each other in the future. worth stressing that despite the pessimism, which seems to be growing, both sides say they do want a deal because they can get the best interest. it is whether they will budge at this point. these deals are all about com

with me now is our brussels correspondent, nick beake. good morning.ght about sunday with the two sides saying a firm decision will be made on whether a deal can be reached. from the brussels perspective, what does it mean in practice? interesting that even though it did not go very well last night, the dinner, the two sides have agreed sunday will be the cut—off point. ursula von der leyen, commission president, tweeting we need a decision by sunday. insofar as that is clear, we now deadlines have come and gone for brexit, but this seems to give clarity to what we are talking about. that means they have talks today, potentially friday, saturday and sunday, chief negotiator is getting around the table once again trying to get a breakthrough, break the deadlock, but they have been unable to do that for months. what will change? what is actually going to... some people say, keep doing the same thing and expect a different outcome, what is the point of continuing? european leaders are in town, it is not a meeting about brussels, it is supposed to be about

let's go to our brussels correspondent, nick beake.s morning saying yes i'm confident a deal is going to be done, because of the reasons jonathan deal is going to be done, because of the reasonsjonathan was outlining. both sides are quite far apart on theirfundamental both sides are quite far apart on their fundamental positions, what they really believe in. you've got they really believe in. you've got the eu saying, if the uk is going to be able to trade with us in future, and not pay any taxes or tariffs on goods moving between the two sites, so there is no extra cost on trainers or food so there is no extra cost on trainers orfood or so there is no extra cost on trainers or food or clothes or cars, they need to be signing up to the rules of our club. yes brexit has happened, the uk has gone, but we can't be giving the uk an unfair advantage in the future. boris johnson is saying the eu doesn't get it that the uk is now a sovereign nation. that is the concern. it is not just a nation. that is the concern. it is notjust a case of rea

nick beake is in brussels. since we last spoke, some interesting lines emerging, an eu source tellingews agency that a trade deal is imminent, expected by the end of the weekend barring a last—minute breakdown in talks. we know that is only one source, we don't want to get carried away, you are reporting eu chief negotiator michel barnier, staying in london today so what should we make of that? let's be honest. i think facts, should we make of that? let's be honest. ithink facts, no should we make of that? let's be honest. i think facts, no facts are in short supply but the noise around the climax of this deal, potentially falling apart is getting louder and louder but if we try and make our way through some of the noise, a view things we can say for certain, i have been told michel barnier is not going back to brussels today, there was a suggestion last night he would return and brief the ambassadors of the 27 eu countries. that is not now happening and i am told people should not read into that too much one way or the other but clearly, if we are on the verge ofa but clearly, if we

our europe correspondent, nick beake, is in brussels. chel barnier saying a deal is still possible, and i suppose that's it, isn't it? if they are still talking, deal is still possible. good morning. it was interesting because michel barnier was on his way into one of the building sewer in brussels to brief ambassadors from the 27 eu countries. and i havejust been talking to somebody who is familiar with what he told them. i think he went a little bit further than he was willing to say for the cameras. because i'm told michel barnier told ambassadors they could be a brexit deal in the coming days if an agreement is found on fishing rights. he also is said to have reported that the two sides are far apart on that key issue. but if there is a pathway then everything else will fall into place. now this could be significant because we know after the deadline yesterday came and passed, the two sides have said they will keep going. maybe there is more room. we haven't got a new latest deadline. potentially both sides have got a bit of time to m

here's nick beake in brussels. help of a furry blue brexit mascot. and it turned up at rotterdam port today. anna holligan was there. so rotterdam is europe's largest seaport, with links to felixstowe and right across the uk. and this is the brexit mascot. he's making an appearance here today to focus minds really and highlight the fact that this will have consequences for firms doing business across the channel. he's been making an appearance in lots of the dutch government's brexit material, lying against production lines, in front of computer screens, and it's really because they want to show that things have to be done in advance so that the trucks can keep on moving through. from the 1st ofjanuary, there will be changes here. inevitably, and so they are asking people to register in advance, to fill in the forms on the internal port database. those that fail to do that will be diverted. they've built 700 extra parking spots in a buffer zone. the traffic that have completed their customs forms will be allowed to

nick beake is in brussels.s this is the responsible thing to do to give people an idea of what may happen on january the ist if there is no trade deal reached, but in truth, they resisted calls to publish this sort of detail. for the past few weeks or so, behind the scenes, you've had lots of ambassadors, diplomats, saying that they want to see this sort of certainty. and i've been told that, actually, michel barnier has told them, behind closed doors, to trust him — that, really, they should wait longer before they put in the public domain this sort of information. why is that? well, i think there is a sense here that, through putting this out for everyone to see, it could maybe weaken their position, the fact that the british may look at it and think, "hang about, that doesn't look too bad. we can deal with that." and would that maybe guide the uk towards a path towards no—deal? it's very hard to tell. 0ne one thing we should be clear on. after 31 december, many things will change regardless of whether or not

nick beake in brussels.challenge over the government's decision to give the go—ahead for a third runway. the court has publised a verdict which means that the airport's expansion is not illegal. the decision was announced in the last hour. the court unanimously concludes that the appeal should be allowed. the airport's national policy statement is lawful. the declaration made by the court of appeal stating that it is unlawful will be set aside. let's talk to our environment analyst, roger harrabin. describe what has happened today and what the significance of this decision is? it is a bit tortuous, but you have to go back to the airport's national policy statement which sets out the framework for planning decisions about airports. that said the expansion would be allowed and also said that at the time, it was basing itsjudgments on uk climate targets which were set at the time. environmentalists challenged that, because they said that at the same time, there had been more stringent targets in play. they won

our europe correspondent nick beake is in brussels.s mason talking about a crucial few hours, so what can we expect from the briefing? good morning. i think it is an important moment because if you think about it, this time last week, people were saying that there was quite a good chance of getting a deal sewn up quite soon. that was the particular message from london and then it went a bit wrong, after the last meeting of these ambassadors. these other people who have the hotline to the capitals. so to paris, berlin. last time they did not like the idea that may be the eu was seen to be giving too much ground to the british. it is crucial when michel barnier today, the french negotiator during these talks on behalf of the 27 countries, update them on what has been captaining. we know they were talking for ten or 11 hours last night. as we heard in the report there. some suggestions on this sticky issue of efficient, they were getting very near to cracking that, getting very near to cracking that, getting a deal —— on the sticky issue

parts of the withdrawal agreement, and could have resulted in a breach 0ur europe correspondent nick beaked music in terms of the wider trade deal that is still really on a knife edge. good evening. it certainly is an obviously because this is brexit, there are so many twists and turns. hour by hour, we get highs and lows. earlier in the afternoon when this was announced, this was welcomed by a lot of people, particularly the irish government, saying this was a good thing that gave momentum to the wider trade talks. the fact that agreement had been reached on the divorce deal, but we heard earlier today that michel barnier told european many ministers from the 27 member states that his assessment was the mood was moving towards their being no trade deal for december 31st. clearly, people their being no trade deal for december31st. clearly, people are hoping to get a deal. things are moving in the wrong direction, so that was really a reality check that even though agreement had been reached between the eu and the uk on the divorce deal and it was welcomed by everyone here, that the uk was

and here's nick beake in brussels with more on that.mat earlier on today, and he said, yeah, it's great news that the uk has got this vaccine approved first of all, and i wish the uk well. but he said someone should tell gavin williamson that, actually, it was developed in germany by scientists of turkish background. it will be distributed with pfizer, of course, an american giant pharmaceutical company, and it will be manufactured in belgium and taken through france before it gets to the uk. so i think he was making that point, and i think that's been shared by some other members of the european club today. mr williamson's words aren't representative of everyone in the uk, far from it — here's the uk's top scientific advisor yesterday praising the international effort. and what a momentous journey, you know, international effort it has been every bite to scientists who originally lived in turkey. development by a german biotech company, involvement of a massive us pharmaceutical giant, and then involvement of our own uk mhra to bring h

nick beake is in brussels. nick, how are we going to learn of any progress? tell you, there are lots of briefings on both sides today, in the absence of an official commentary, you do get lots of behind the scenes assessments of what is going on behind closed doors in the trade talks. notjust the trade negotiators who are talking today, we've had a lot of comings and goings, the day started with michel barnier, the eu chief negotiator, briefing the ambassadors of the 27 eu countries, and i'm told that his assessment, really, was quite downbeat. he scotched the suggestion that progress had been made last night, particularly on fish. and i think that was echoed by the irish foreign minister, who told us the irish foreign minister, who told us that mr barnier was pretty downbeat. i was actually told that in terms of his mood, he was said to describe himself as realistic, neither being optimistic nor pessimistic. but clearly, there are on these big three issues we've been talking about, a lot of work to be done if they are going to bridge the 93p- done if they ar