simonjacks is and strasbourg and brussels as well. simon jacks is in and strasbourg and brussels as well. simonjacks is in davos where the chinese leader has made a heartfelt case for globalisation. our middle east editor is in aleppo and we will play you the latest report from jeremy bowen on the destruction he has seen there. vladimir putin has made his first comments on unverified allegations that russia has compromising information on donald trump. the uk is going to leave the eu's single market. and you can argue that had become politically inevitable. many people supported brexit because of concerns about immigration. theresa may was never likely to ignore that. and the eu's most seniorfigures have consistently said no membership of the single market without freedom of movement. they were never likely to compromise. for all the talk of soft brexit it was hard to see what that meant in practical terms. none the less, this speech is a moment a huge significance. not just for its headline announcement — but other policy details too

a clear view from westminster, cold comfort to eu officials meeting in strasbourg's european parliamenturrealist state of affairs, that was the brief tweet from donald tusk, and when the sudden clarity was welcomed here, seven months after the brexit vote, the verdict from joseph muscutt, the maltese president, is that he will work to make sure that britain doesn't get a better eu trade deal than what is already available. this is not a happy event for us. we want afairdeal is not a happy event for us. we want a fair dealfor the is not a happy event for us. we want a fair deal for the united is not a happy event for us. we want a fair dealfor the united kingdom, but that deal necessarily needs to be inferior than membership. this should not come as a surprise to anyone. translation: over the last years, i have been sorry to see that solidarity was not always forthcoming. and i deplore the fact that for the first time in the history of europe, some countries have not applied the decisions taken in an area as sensitive as asylum, although significant progress has been made in other places

simonjacks is and strasbourg and brussels as well.sels as well. simonjacks is in davos where the chinese leader has made a heartfelt case for globalisation. 0ur

it was in strasbourg this week.ident of the european parliament, an important position, because he is the parliament's top dog, which brings considerable influence behind the scenes. here is our report. the moment when antonio tajani from the centre—right european people's party became the new man in charge. congratulating him, his predecessor martin schultz, the german socialist who's leaving after five years at the helm. even though his party's candidate, gianni patella, was defeated gianni pitella, was defeated in what was a bruising contest. as schulz exits stage left, the changing of the guard at the european parliament is completed. this election was really a battle between two italians, but it started off as a contest divided up between six candidates. after three rounds of voting, it was down to gianni pitella on the left and antonio tajani on the right. in the end, it was mr tajani who came out on top. tajani's election marks a clean sweep for the centre—right grouping in the eu. as well as the parliament,

damian grammaticas, bbc news, strasbourg. you are watching newsday on the bbc.ting a new twist on an old narrative. how one chinese company isn't stealing americanjobs, but creating them, in the us. also on the programme: something fishy. why one of the world's biggest markets is heading for a new home, and not everyone is happy about it. day one of operation desert storm to force the iraqis out of kuwait the people of saigon have just heard there is to be a see is via. the prediction of american servicemen was predictable. i'm going home! -- a ceasefire. demonstrators waiting for mike gatting and his rebel cricket team we re gatting and his rebel cricket team were attacked with teargas and set upon by police dogs. anti—apartheid campaigners say they will carry on the protests throughout the tour. they called him the butcher of lyon. clouds altmann is being held on a formal charge in bolivia but the german courts want to extradite him for crimes committed in france. there he was the gestapo chief clouds barbi. millions came to bathe as close as possible to this

damian grammaticas, bbc news, strasbourg.the interests of all parts of the uk and said the devolved administrations should be fully engaged in the process of brexit. but how was that viewed in glasgow, cardiff and belfast? let's start with our scotland editor sarah smith. well nicola sturgeon responded to theresa may's speech today by saying she thinks it has increased the chances that there may be a second referendum on scottish independence. he said the uk was heading for a ha rd he said the uk was heading for a hard brexit that could be cat catastrophic. last year nicola sturgeon presented the prime minister with a paper outlining how she believes scotland could stay in the single market. but they would need the consent of the uk government and nicola sturgeon said she doesn't believe theresa may is taking that seriously. so that is why she says although a majority in scotla nd why she says although a majority in scotland according to the opinion polls don't favour independence, nonetheless she thinks the prospect ofa none

our europe correspondent damian grammaticas is in strasbourg.leaders have had time to digests mrs may's speech and come up for a formal reaction. what did you make of their language? it is interesting, the comments by boris johnson, although some here see them as at best insensitive and at worst offensive, have not made a big impact because here the view is there are serious issues at stake and the important thing to be remembered is what they are saying is the uk needs to understand it is trying to achieve unprecedented things. theresa may wants a free—trade deal and an unprecedented amount of time within two years and for that she needs goodwill on behalf of the negotiating partners here. what's the maltese prime minister who will chair the eu countries said was that theresa may had made a political decision to prioritise stopping the free movement of people, and the uk leaving the single market would not achieve as good a deal outside. very clear on that. angela merkel clear, saying outside the eu, the uk could not cherry pick because from th

damian grammaticas reports from the european parliament in strasbourg.e juncker and his eu commissioners today were listening to theresa may, keen to hear her vision for brexit. the response from the european parliament's chief negotiator — it doesn't add up. it creates also an illusion that you can go out of the single market, that you can go out of the customs union and that you can cherry—pick and have still a number of advantages. the eu today was busy with its own affairs, electing a new president of the european parliament. many here are sceptical the uk can get all it wants in a special trade and customs deal. we will all love to have a europe a la carte! cherry picking as they call it, eh? it is a ridiculous idea, but this is serious, we have a lot of countries here, a lot of people and we have to take care of everybody and this is not, you know, a europe a la carte. outside, an italian school group on an eu tour. quitting the single market and shunning its freedom of movement will — some here believe — be a painful process for the uk. something

he joins us live via a webcam from strasbourg:. thank you for being with us.tish prime minister said today. at least it is clarification. we now know she's not going for membership within the internal market, she's not going forfull within the internal market, she's not going for full membership of the customs union. so it looks more like it isa customs union. so it looks more like it is a type of free trade arrangement. such as we have done with canada. and we have got to find a way to have a constructive and positive negotiation. are you optimistic about his possible?” think i am optimistic. we are all grown up think i am optimistic. we are all grown up people. and we should have less damage than needed and i think it is very important that we also see how the transitional period can be. that the brexit agreement has to be. that the brexit agreement has to be finalised within two years. but trade arrangement is need four or five years. and we need arrangements between brexit and until the new arrangements are in place, a transitional period which does not do

our europe correspondent damian grammaticas is in strasbourg., the comments by borisjohnson, although some here see them as at best insensitive and at worst offensive, have not made a big impact because here the view is there are serious issues at stake and the important thing to be remembered is what they are saying is the uk needs to understand it is trying to achieve unprecedented things. theresa may wants a free—trade deal and an unprecedented amount of time within two years and for that she needs goodwill on behalf of the negotiating partners here. what the maltese prime minister who will chair the eu countries said was that theresa may had made a political decision to prioritise stopping the free movement of people, and the uk leaving the single market would not achieve as good a deal outside. very clear on that. angela merkel clear, saying outside the eu, the uk could not cherry pick because from the eu perspective, any deal would not offer benefits that would make any other country want also to follow the same path outside the eu and fro

we will also hear from davos and strasbourg.irst freight train to travel directly to the uk from china has arrived here in london. the chinese government is calling it the new silk route. andy moore has more on this story. the train began itsjourney at a giant container depot in china. 34 carriages were loaded with goods, such as clothes, bags and other household items. china has been operating trains to 14 european capitals from this depot for many years. now, london has been added to the list. depot for many years. now, london has been added to the list. because of different rail gauges along the way, the containers have to be offloaded and reloaded several times, but china sees this as a new version of the silk route. in all, the train, carrying £4 million worth of goods, passes through eight countries on its journey of more than 7,500 miles. the uk is china's seventh—biggest trading market, so the boost to chinese enterprise is clear, but it is also hoped the train will make the journey back to china laden with british goods

we are told in strasbourg that many commissioners were watching the speech a short while ago so i think we will see how the european union acts the —— reacts but we will find out more. so what's the reaction from business leaders, many of whom are in switzerland for the annual world economic forum? our business editor, simonjack, is there. what has been the reaction so far? we got a very clear message, no ifs, no buts, no single market and as norman was saying, most companies had conceded, it is and what they wa nted had conceded, it is and what they wanted but they have accepted that reality as being incompatible with ambitions to control migration. interested to hear more detail on the transitional period, what happens two years from triggering article 50. she said we won't have some never—ending standstill agreement, where we keep negotiating, we want the deal struck within two years with some implementation phases so everyone can get used to the idea. businesses are worried that getting the deal in principle in two years is unrealistic and what we might do is fall off a cliff into t

damian grammaticas has been assessing the reaction among members of the european parliament in strasbourgtjean—claude juncker, and his eu commissioners were today listening to theresa may, keen to hear her vision for brexit. the response from the european parliament's chief negotiator — it doesn't add up. it creates also an illusion that you can go out of the single market, that you can go out of the customs union and that you can cherry—pick and have still a number of advantages. and, yeah, i think that will not happen. the eu today was busy with its own affairs, electing a new president of the european parliament. many here are sceptical the uk can get all it wants in a special trade and customs deal. we will all love to have a europe a la carte! cherry picking as they call it, eh? it is a ridiculous idea, but this is serious, we have a lot of countries here, a lot of people and we have to take care of everybody and this is not, you know, a europe a la carte. 0utside, an italian school group on an eu tour. quitting the single market and shunning its freedom of movement will — some here

but first, let's talk to our europe correspondent damian grammaticas, who's in strasbourg.ose people are still die jesting damian, i suppose people are still diejesting the damian, i suppose people are still die jesting the speech, but any themes emerging? —— digesting. die jesting the speech, but any themes emerging? -- digesting. there isa themes emerging? -- digesting. there is a feeling that there is a little more clarity, but the european parliament's chief more clarity, but the european pa rliament‘s chief negotiator said that in his view theresa may was selling an illusion, because this idea that you could read the single market, leave the customs union and then still enjoy privileged access, he said that was an illusion. also, another senior mep said to me that theresa may was overselling the benefits of what could be achieved with trade deals with distant countries, and underestimating the difficulties that there will be for british companies, british businesses, giving trade with the eu. he said they may find it very difficult in the future if there are things lik

forum in davos, but first let's talk to our europe correspondent damian grammaticas, who is in strasbourgou make of the responses today? i think two things, theresa may's plan depends on achieving a far—reaching trade deal with the eu. their voices in the uk who say we are already in the free market, we have free trade, that should be easy. eu leaders have said consistently that this will be a very, very difficult negotiation because, they say, theresa may has prioritised a political decision to prevent the freedom of movement of people and so leave the single market. outside it, they say, access will be much more limited. they say it is not punishing the uk, it is the consequence of decisions taken by the uk. few here think the time frame of two yea rs few here think the time frame of two years is few here think the time frame of two yea rs is really few here think the time frame of two years is really achievable. the reason for that, i think, is they say there is the expert negotiation to agree first, then the question of the future trade deal. the maltese prime minister said eu leaders

batter if you'd had a camera in strasbourg, in one single room, and told by some of our colleagues therethe tv there, and waiting for information.” huddled round the tv there, and waiting for information. i was sent a text by senior official who said this goes much further than we expected. we didn't think there would be a definitive on the single market and acting very clear. there area market and acting very clear. there are a few takeaways for european leaders including that she has made clear repeatedly to that speech that she was to maintain good relations with the eu, but there is a warning shot that before negotiators have started, no deal is worse... a bad deal would be worse than no deal. she talked about punitive action. these would damage your interests. perhaps some who are still bitter about brexit have to keep aside for that. the other thing that is worth mentioning is that there is good to bea mentioning is that there is good to be a new trade deal, but i listen to some of the voices from the european commission and elsewhere, that can only start after two years, after bri

we're expecting him to give his reaction to theresa may's speech in the european parliament in strasbourgur correspondent in brussels, gavin lee. a little more sense of that reaction there. for the fast a la so, little reaction. # first hour. across the eu, a rare unanimity. merkel said there would be no negotiation. perhaps surprisingly news, particularly to some people in the european commission, they said they didn't expect to save it in would be leaving the single market. we start to see the german foreign minister saying, finally after seven months, the fog has quit. at least now the burning exits team can get into position. they can work out how to negotiate. and the french team have said they are ready, given this information. and you spoke about donald tusk, the president of the european council, says it is a sad reality. ultimately, he believes it gives enough information now. he is ready for article 50 being triggered. and the former swedish prime minister saying it is a backward step. peter lilley is a conservative mp and former cabinet minister and with me is conservative mp a

a clear view from westminster, cold comfort to eu officials meeting in strasbourg's european parliamentay. "a sad, surrealist state of affairs," that was the brief tweet from donald tusk, and while the sudden clarity was welcomed here, seven months after the brexit vote, the verdict from joseph muscutt, the maltese president, is that he will work to make sure that britain doesn't get a better eu trade deal than what is already available. this is not a happy event for us. we want a fair deal for the united kingdom, but that deal necessarily needs to be inferior than membership. this should not come as a surprise to anyone. translation: over the last years, i have been sorry everyone is taking part in a kind of internal market. we will see this in the next coming events. there was reason for optimism elsewhere. hungary's foreign minister called for the widest possible trade deal, warning of the risk of making europe less competitive if forcing britain to make quick trade deals elsewhere. the clarity of theresa may's message has brought more questions, and the scepticism across europe abou

he joins us from strasbourg. what is your reaction to that?scotland should have a say in article 50.” am delighted there will be legislation, we can get our teeth into the government in terms of the house of commons and forced in the 50 amendments we already have prepared, the government to give the sort of detail on the article 50 with drawl they have refused to do so far. can i correct you, the supreme court didn't say they shouldn't be an lcm, they said it wasn't mandatory. they said it didn't have to be won. that indicates the convention is hardly worth the paper it is written on, even though it is entrenched in legislation. it means the government are politically bound to honour the commitment the prime minister gave when she took office, that she was looking for an agreed position across the united kingdom and one of her amendments we will table is the force that matter in the joint ministerial committee to seek agreement with the devolved administrations before she goes forward with invoking article 50. so, are you saying that the snp's