the uk isa the uk's biggest markets and the uk is a big market for the eung point where on day one we will both have the same laws and rules. so rather than having to bring two different systems closer together the task will be to manage the relationship once we are two separate legal systems. to do so and to realise his level of ambition, there are five things that must underline our relationship. first we need reciprocal commitments to ensure open competition. such commitments are part and parcel of any trade agreement. why would any country enter into a privileged economic partnership without any means of redress of the other party engaged in anti—competitive practices. but the level of integration with the uk and eu markets and our geographical proximity means that these reciprocal commitments will be particularly important in ensuring that uk business can compete fairly with eu markets and vice versa. they deep and copper offensive agreement with the eu will therefore need to include commitments reflecting the extent that the uk and eu economies are en

six years old and younger who are sharing their frustration with the people i'm speaking for today. but first, it's been a significant moment in the long saga of brexit: the uk and the eu have reached a deal over the almost two—year transition period, due to start in march 2019 when the uk formally leaves the eu. agreement is still needed over how britain's ports and borders will operate once the transition period ends. a university study has claimed that just two extra minutes of checks on vehicles could lead to 29—mile long tailbacks on roads around dover. but on the bbc‘s question time on thursday, the transport secretary chris grayling insisted that there would be no checks at the border. in the commons, the labour chair of the brexit committee believed this was a change of policy. he quoted mr grayling. we don't check lorries now and we're not going to be checking lorries

the key issue of the border between northern ireland and the republic, as our europe editor katya adler reports. in the quest to resolve relations after brexit, today was a big moment between the eu and ukstoric handshake to seal a deal, not a final brexit deal, but the long—awaited agreement on transition to ease the uk from leaving the eu to life on the outside. the eu and uk's chief brexit negotiators were visibly relieved. they'd been under big pressure from business on both sides of the channel. businesses need not delay investment decisions or rushed through contingency plans based on guesses about the future deal. instead, they now have certainty about the terms that will apply immediately after our withdrawal. certainty? not quite. an oft repeated phrase in these brexit negotiations is... nothing is agreed until everything is agreed. the transition deal is part and parcel of the uk's complex wider withdrawal agreement from the eu as these slides show. areas highlighted in green indicate where hard —fought agreement has been reached. but some of the most controversial issues remain unresolved. so, when it comes to the transition deal, what exactly has been agreed? it will be time

the weekend. good evening and welcome to the bbc news at six. the uk and the euconditionally agreed a part of the transition deal that should smooth the way towards brexit. both the eu negotiator michel barnier and the brexit secretary david davis have called the agreement — for the period from march next year to december 2020 — a decisive step. these are the pages of the transition deal — highlighted in green is what's been agreed. in yellow, close to agreement, in white, the parts still being negotiated. agreed so far... eu citizens arriving in the uk before december 2020 will have the same rights as those here now, as will uk citizens living in the eu. the uk will be able to negotiate trade deals during the transition period. but not yet agreed is the issue of the border with northern ireland. our europe editor katya adler has more. in the quest to resolve relations after brexit today was a big moment between the eu and uk. an historic handshake to seal a deal, not the final brexit deal but the long—awaited agreement on transition to ease the uk from leaving t

not the final brexit deal, but the long—awaited agreement on transition to ease the uk from leaving the eu to life on the outside. the eu andexit negotiators were visibly relieved. they had been under pressure from business on both sides of the channel. businesses need not delay investment decisions or rush through contingency plans based on guesses about the future deal. instead, they now have certainty about the terms that will apply after our withdrawal. certainty, not quite. an oft—repeated phrase in these brexit negotiaations is... nothing is agreed until everything is agreed. the transition deal is part and parcel of the uk's complex overall withdrawal agreement from the eu, as these slides show. areas highlighted in green indicate where hard—fought agreement has been reached but omissions are glaring. like ireland. there is still no agreed solution on how to avoid a hard border between northern ireland and the irish republic after brexit. the uk hopes an ambitious trade deal can solve the problem, butjust in case, ireland and the rest of the eu insist on a backstop agreement where northern ireland stays in the custom

option one is a customs partnership between the uk and the eu. at the border the and the eu. d mirror the eu's requirements for imports from the rest of the world, applying the same tariffs and same rules of origin as the eu for those goods arriving in the uk and intended for the eu. those goods arriving in the uk and intended forthe eu. by those goods arriving in the uk and intended for the eu. by following this approach would know that all goods entering the you by the uk pay the right eu duties, removing the need for customs processes at the uk/ eu border. importantly, we would put in place a mechanism so that the uk would also be able to apply its owi'i uk would also be able to apply its own tariffs and trade policy for goods intended for the uk market. as we have set out previously, this would require the means to ensure that both sides can trust the system and robust enforcement mechanism. option two would be a highly streamline customs arrangement where would jointly agreed to implement a range of would jointly agreed to implement a range of measures would jointly agree

the rights after brexit of the uses and is in the uk and uk citizens europe. on the terms of a 21 month transition period after brexit, when the uk will continue to abide by all eurnments and businesses more time to get ready for a new relationship in the future. there is still a lot to do in the next five months, both sides have missed my return to a hard border in ireland —— have promised no return. there's no full agreement yet on the role of the european court ofjustice after brexit. elsewhere, spain, for example, is insisting it must be consulted on the future status of gibraltar. as for a treat deal between the uk and the eu, talks haven't begun. —— a trade deal. the uka wants the most ambitious free—trade agreement in history —— the uk. fishing is another challenge, the aim is to reach broad political agreement by october but detailed trade negotiations will have to continue long after the uk has left. it's brexit contract? there are two warning signs. nothing is agreed until everything is agreed. failure to reach agreement on one issue could bring the withdrawal deal crashing down. secondly it's far from clear whether the government has got a majority in

the divorce bill. the government says the uk will pay the eu up to £39 billion to cover things like outstanding bills and citizens here in the uk and uk citizens elsewhere in europe. and crucially, on the terms of a 21—month transition period after brexit when the uk will continue to abide by all eu rules and regulations. the transition will give governments and businesses more time to get ready for a new relationship in the future. but there's still an awful lot to do in the next 12 months. both sides have promised no return to a hard border in ireland. there are intensive talks on how to guarantee that once the uk leaves the single market and the customs union. there is also no full agreement yet on the role of the european court ofjustice after brexit. while elsewhere, spain, for example, is insisting that it must be consulted on the future status of gibraltar. as for a new trade deal between the uk and the eu, talks on that haven't yet begun. the eu says the uk's red lines limit what can be achieved. but the uk still wants the most ambitious free—trade agreement in history. customs is one obvious cha

continued access to the single market, customs union, all the participation in that, which means businesses and people can plan ahead, which is what the business community in the uk and euhat is a significant thing. but when you look at the detail to do that, what the uk government has done is agree to largely the timetable, the conditions that the eu side had asked for, so we have got more detail today about the financial settle m e nt detail today about the financial settlement are being agreed, about the citizens‘ rights being guaranteed all the way through this transition period. the transition is the duration the eu had asked for, 21 months, not longer. lots of issues like that. but at the heart of it, the conditional bit. this issue over the border in ireland which is yet to be nailed down. what we have got today is an agreement following on in december that that backstop option that the eu has envisaged all along will be translated into legal text in the agreement and will be the case is a better alternative is found. but translating that and getting it through the final deal can still be a huge hurdle. on that very point, to remind people, how problematic politi

the two sides today, 75% of the withdrawal document is now in green, meaning "agreed in principle". that applies to the financial settlement — the divorce payment — and the rights of 4m citizens in the uk and the eu brexit. also in green, the terms of the transition. it will last until dec 2020. during that time london will abide by eu rules but will lose any say in the decision making process. but the uk has got one concession. it will be able to sign trade deals with other countries during the transition; although they'll only come into effect after the transition. the uk won't have any say in eu rules during the transition but the two sides agreed a good faith clause, under which the uk will be consulted a range of issues. let's cross to brussels and our europe correspondent damian grammaticus. so lots of green, damian, but 25% of this document is in white, not agreed, and they represent some of the most difficult obstacles to overcome. yes, because the important thing to remember is that this is a conditional agreement and you were saying at the beginning businesses are welcoming certainty. there is a big question mark at the heart of that, so it's not really certain. and that is because of t

and the irish republic. this issue could bring the whole brexit deal, including transition, tumbling down. the uk hopes an ambitious euoblem. bu; 9.453? ig5§5274£5£%3¢5;é 7,7 ~ in the customs union and parts of the single market. ireland's deputy prime minister was in brussels today to press his case. what ireland has always asked for was that we would essentially have an insurance mechanism, so that i and others can say to people in northern ireland and in ireland, that, "look, we are not to have any border infrastructure on this island again." so, a lot done, but more to do for the eu's brexit chief. good news today? as you see, spring has sprung with the thaw spreading even to these often frosty brexit negotiations. progress on transition today was hailed in there as a big step forward, but it's not all good news for the government. it's clear now, there won't be a final trade deal between the eu and the uk at the end of these brexit talks. the transition will be used to hammer out more details. and to get this far, the uk has had to make some pretty big concessions. like fishing. far from taking back control after

the united kingdom and seizing one of brexit‘s greatest opportunities. well the announcement was made as the prime minister visited a charity in birmingham. theresa may says the transition deal struck shows the uk and the eue message people can take from this is prior to december people questioned whether we would get a deal, we did, what this shows is with goodwill on both sides, working hard, we can get an arrangement for the future in the interests of the uk and eu. it will be good for all parts the uk. plenty more on the events in brussels throughout the afternoon. a man has been charged with attempted murder after a car was driven at a crowd of people in at a nightclub in kent. 21—year—old mohammed abdul will appear in court today following the incident at blake's nightclub in gravesend on saturday evening. at least 13 people were injured in the collision. police are not treating the incident as terror—related. two men have been injured in an explosion in austin, texas. it follows a series of parcel bombings in the city which have killed two people this month and injured two others. police say the latest blast may have been triggered by a trip wire. andrew plant reports. a neighbourhood in texas, sun

on the eu and the uk, yeah. until now. national interests in trade talks will surely strain that unity, to what the uk hopes will be its advantage. katya adler, bbc news, warsaw. football, and england have taken on italy in a friendly at wembley tonight ahead of this summer's world cup. our sports correspondent, natalie pirks, was watching. the first home game of the year for england was the last chance to impress before russia. italy failed to qualify for their first world cup in 60 years. right from the off, it was hard to see why. immobile, immobile long enough forjohn stones to clear. it took more than 20 minutes for england to string any meaningful passes together. but when they did, some quick feet from sterling and some wonderful quick thinking from lingard reaped rewards. the goal was good. var wasn't on england's side in the second—half. why replays showed that tarkowski had stepped on his foot.

i want to challenge the assertion that financial services cannot be part of a free—trade agreement, to set out why it is in the interest of both the uk and the eua zero—sum game where any loss of market share in london is automatically a game to another eu capital. i want to describe what the future financial services component ofa future financial services component of a comprehensive trade partnership agreement could look like —— automatically a gain. the uk financial services hub is an engine that powers the real economy, not just in the uk, but right across europe. because, the fact is that the uk financial services hub is not just a british asset but a european asset too, supporting businesses, save rs asset too, supporting businesses, savers and citizens across the european union. serving the whole of our continent and the world beyond. and not just serving our continent and the world beyond. and notjust serving europe but powered by the talent of hundreds of thousands of europeans who work in it. it is an asset unparalleled in its history, scale, complexity, agility, and connectivity to the economies of europe and the world. a global pub

classic russian strategy of trying to conceal the needle of truth in a haystack of lies and obfuscation. hopes rise for an agreement between the eu and the uke brexit transition period. the brexit secretary david davis and the eu's chief negotiator michel barnier are due to give a press conference later this hour — we'll bring you that live. drivers have been stuck in cars overnight and hundreds of schools are closed in south—west england and wales, as heavy snow continues to cause disruption. the television presenter ant mcpartlin has been arrested on suspicion of drink—driving in west london. he has been released. and lowering the stakes — the gambling commission recommends bringing the maximum stake for fixed—odds betting terminals down to £30. good morning. it's monday 19th march. welcome to bbc newsroom live. international chemical weapons experts have arrived in salisbury to begin verifying the type of nerve agent used to poison sergei skripal, and his daughter yulia. earlier, the foreign secretary, borisjohnson briefed eu ministers in brussels about the attack. he said claims by russia that it was not involved in the nerve agent atta

through because the eu has been saying that thatis because the eu has been saying that that is only going to happen if there is a final agreement between there is a final agreement between the uk and question of whether there will be a hard border after brexit between ireland and northern ireland or not. it seems so far that after theresa may rejected the first proposal that the eu made, that there is quite a — it is a difficult situation. it will be interesting to see, given that michel barnier seems confident he can geta michel barnier seems confident he can get a transitional agreement. we will watch this space. this is important for so many companies. there will be some sort of status quo beyond march next year. 0k, let's ta ke quo beyond march next year. 0k, let's take a look. this is an interesting story from the online version of fox news, looking at donald trump seeking the death penalty for some drug traffickers in a plan to fight the opioid crisis. this is a huge crisis in the united states. he has a ready made a big speech about his policy on this. it is quite interesting. some people are reading the story surrounding his ideas and thinking of rodrigo duterte in the phi

there‘s also broad agreement on the rights after brexit of eu citizens year in the uk and uk citizens elsewhere in europe, and crucially on then. there‘s also no full agreement yet on the role of the european court ofjustice after brexit. elsewhere, spain, for example, is insisting that it must be consulted on the future status of gibraltar. as for a new trade deal between the uk and the eu, talks on that haven‘t yet begun. the eu says the uk‘s red lines limit what can be achieved, but the uk still wants the most ambitious free trade agreement in history. customs is one challenge, fishing another. to reach a broad political agreement by october. a detailed trade negotiation will have to continue long after the uk has left. so is brexit on track? well, there are two big warning signs. firstly, nothing is agreed until everything is agreed. in other words, failure to reach agreement on one issue could bring the withdrawal deal crashing down. and secondly, it‘s far from clear whether the government has a majority in the house of commons to win approval for the brexit it wa nts. there‘s just one year left, but there still a long w

there is also broad agreement on the rights after brexit of eu citizens here in the uk and uk citizens elsewhere in europe. and crucially, on the the transition will give governments and businesses more time to get ready for a new relationship in the future. but there's still an awful lot to do in the next 12 months. both sides have promised no return to a hard border in ireland. there are intensive talks on how to guarantee that once the uk leaves the single market and the customs union. there is also no full agreement yet on the role of the european court ofjustice after brexit. while elsewhere, spain, for example, is insisting that it must be consulted on the future status of gibraltar. as for a new trade deal between the uk and the eu, talks on that haven't yet begun. the eu says the uk's red lines limit what can be achieved. but the uk still wants the most ambitious free—trade agreement in history. customs is one obvious challenge. the future of fishing, another. the aim is to reach a broad political agreement by october. but detailed trade negotiations will have to continue long after the uk has left. so, is brexit on tra

the transition. that transition will end on the last day of 2020, slightly earlier than the uk had hoped. the uk will still be bound by eu fishing rules until then, though the uk will be consulted. andgreement from last december on northern ireland if no overall deal is reached. downing street points out that there are wins: the uk will be free to negotiate and sign trade deals around the world during the transition. a special committee will make sure that both sides act in good faith during that period, and theresa may can say that the uk will gain full control of its borders, money and courts at the end of 2020. translation: we're able, this morning, to agree, and after all those days and nights of hard work, on a large part of what will make up an international agreement for the ordered withdrawal of the united kingdom. and there is a lot of work still to be done on important subjects, including ireland and northern ireland. our teams have worked hard and at pace to secure the terms of a time limited implementation period that gives the certainty demanded by businesses and citizens across the european union and united kingdom. but the 13—strong contingent of scottish tory mps are

and he defended that by saying that angela merkel of germany had done the same thing. and yet at the same time, via bilateral conversations going on one—on—one between the uk and members of the euther countries that they would see the expulsion of russian diplomats as well as those in the uk have expelled from london. they can point to how that can work after brexit regardless of our membership of the eu. we can‘t talk about russia without talking about jeremy corbyn‘s response to this. from the general election, the labour party seemed to be marching together in one step in moving forward. his response to the russian crisis seems to have completely reopened all the divisions in his party. it felt like the kind of prying open of the paint can of labour disagreement within the parliamentary party. for months on end we were reporting many mps were uncomfortable with him before the election. that was shut by the general election because he proves so many people wrong. and he was allowed to get on with the job. his repeated reaction to the government positive response to the salisbury attack irritated to a huge degree a lot of labour mps. because they bluntly felt that it conveyed

the statement put out by his attorney. >> back on the tariff announcement, is the president concerned about the impact that this may have on america's allies like canada, the uk and the eu? ms. sanders: the president's biggest concern is making sure that we're doing everything we can to protect american workers and that was what his announcement on his intentions next week are specifically geared towards. this isn't something that he shied away from or something that he hasn't spoken about regularly and often or something that he's going to stop talking about at any point soon. >> is the president concerned about any retaliation? ms. sanders: not that i'm aware of. >> i wanted to ask you about a comment and get your reaction, republican senator been sassy put out a statement in regards to these tariffs. he said the president is proposing the massive tax increase on american families , protectionism is weak, and not strong, and he concluded by writing, you'd expect a policy this bad from a leftist administration and not a supposedly republican one. do you have a comment on that? ms. sanders: i don't know that the president will or should ever apologize for protecting ame

and pensions. there is also broad agreement on the rights after brexit of eu citizens here in the uk and uk citizensen the uk will continue to abide by all eu rules and regulations. the transition will give governments and businesses more time to get ready for a new relationship in the future. but there's still an awful lot to do in the next 12 months. both sides have promised no return to a hard border in ireland. there are intensive talks on how to guarantee that once the uk leaves the single market and the customs union. there is also no full agreement yet on the role of the european court ofjustice after brexit. while elsewhere, spain, for example, is insisting that it must be consulted on the future status of gibraltar. as for a new trade deal between the uk and the eu, talks on that haven't yet begun. the eu says the uk's red lines limit what can be achieved. but the uk still wants the most ambitious free—trade agreement in history. customs is one obvious challenge. the future of fishing another. the aim is to reach a broad political agreement by october. but detailed trade negotiations will h

and uk citizens here in the uk and uk citizens in europe and crucially on the terms of a 21 months transition period up to brexit when the uk will continue to abide by all euive governments and businesses more time to get ready for a new relationship in the future. but there is still an awful lot to do in there is still an awful lot to do in the next 12 months. both sides are promised no return to hide border in ireland. the intensive talks on how to guarantee that once the uk leads the single market in the customs unions. also no full agreement yet on the role of the european court of justice up to brexit. elsewhere, spain, for example, is insisting it must be consulted on the future status of gibraltar. as for a new trade deal between the uk and eu, talks have not begun. the eu says the uk's redlines limit what can be achieved by the uk still wants the most ambitious free—trade agreement in history. customs is one obvious challenge. the future of fishing another. the aim is to reach a broad political agreement by october with detailed trade negotiations continuing long after the uk has left. so is brexit on track? well, there are two big warning signs. f

the entire process. and for us, what is important at this stage is that we can move on to discussing what the future framework will look like, what that arrangement between the uk and the eu monday, intensive negotiations and discussions between the uk and the eu will begin on actually taking that text, all of those issues, and translating that into something that is workable. the criticism has been that if you —— at the start of this process, the future relationship would be a lot further on with the board issue because the two are deeply entwined. it was agreed i think very early issue that there would be three key issues that would have to be resolved in phase one, that was busy financial settlements, citizens' rights and the irish border issue and for us but italy, we felt that if it got to the stage where we could not come to an arrangement, free trade arrangement or close arrangement and avoided border, we had the backstop position. but what is important to point out, this has a lwa ys is important to point out, this has always been our position that this is the backstop, it is solution c, not a is the backstop, it is solution c, nota b, is the backstop, it is solut

the brexit in the uk. philip hammond will tell european leaders it's in the "mutual interest" of the uk and the eu to includeancellor is due to make the argument in a speech later today. our economics editor kamal ahmed has details. tell us what he is going to say. this is the latest stage in that brexit battle. it is over an important part of the trade negotiations that are coming up — financial services. for britain, they're incredibly important. not just for the two million jobs that are connected to financial services across the uk, but because britain has a trade surplus with the eu on financial services of about £20 billion a year. so very valuable to britain. philip hammond is saying it is also valuable to the eu — london is also valuable to the eu — london isa is also valuable to the eu — london is a huge global market, where lots of european governments and businesses raise a lot of money. and he is going to say that it is important for both sides that there isa deep important for both sides that there is a deep and special agreement between britain and the eu once we have left the single market. wh

this is an entity for the purposes of law, and the uk is signed up to the integrity of the single market and to have alignment and a frictionless border, and there was concern in the eue technology, and it is difficult to see how this is going to move forward without some very specific proposals in this speech today. they think the eu is becoming increasingly intra nsigent orders arejust seen becoming increasingly intra nsigent orders are just seen that way from their tough language and you think they would be prepared to see deal? the fact the remains that there is no precedent for what the uk wants, and the eu has a variety of partnerships out there, although these are not something that the uk was to sign up to so that puts the eu ina was to sign up to so that puts the eu in a difficult position as they are to satisfy the uk's needs in the absence of detail. good to get your thoughts. we'll focus on a speech in a couple of hours' time. here's our briefing on some of the key events happening later. we begin in new york for the opening of the "david bowie is" exhibition. then later president donald trump's former campaign manager paul manafort will appear in a us co

the culprits. and they are being showcased at the giants club summit, which aims to stop poaching by 2020. they are also talking about the illegal ivory trade in britain and the rest of europe. the uk and the euque ivory. we have seen china has banned their trade. hong kong is saying they are doing a similarthing. kong is saying they are doing a similar thing. the african leaders meeting here are hoping the eu and the uk could do likewise and could stop this trade in antique ivory. the uk could do likewise and could stop this trade in antique ivorym might send a strong message to try to reduce the demand for ivory. alastair leithead, bbc news, in botswa na. mps from egypt are travelling to the uk today to monitor investigations into the death of an egyptian student in nottingham. 18—year—old mariam moustafa died on wednesday, three weeks after being attacked by a group of women outside a shopping centre. police say they are keeping an "open mind" about whether the assault was a hate crime. fashion retailer, topman, are coming under pressure to withdraw a shirt that some people believe refers to the hillsborough disaster. the red shirt with a large number 96 is being seen by some liverpool fan

the train one station before. he was arrested 2a hours later. the european council has said the stated position of the uk government on brexit will ‘limit the depth of a future partnership‘ with the eu — ande warning is included in the council‘s draft guidelines for the next phase of brexit talks — in which it offers the prospect of a limited free—trade deal. the chancellor philip hammond is making the case for financial services to be included in any such agreement. donald tusk, president of the european council, had this to say on future trade relations. our agreement will not make trade between the uk and the eu frictionless or smoother. it will make it more complicated and costly for all of us. this is the essence of brexit. a pick and mix approach for a non member state is out of the question. we are not going to sacrifice these principles, it‘s simply not in our interest. the chancellor philip hammond, speaking earlier, said that excluding london‘s role as a global financial centre from the overall trade deal would be unfair and self—defeating for the european union. the pm was clear on friday that we‘ve decided to leave the eu and we accept that there will be consequences. we do no

the uk — protests are planned against his country's role in the war in yemen. in the business news... chancellor philip hammond will tell eu leaders it's in the "mutual interest" of the uk andtrade agreement. he's due to speak later today. earlier eu council president donald tusk repeated warnings about "cherry—picking". almost 1000 jobs are to go at new look after the high street retailer announced its company voluntary arrangement or cva. under the reorganisation, 60 stores will close, which is expected to result in 980 job losses. but the company says it will try to redeploy staff. investment bank goldman sachs has put more than a dozen staff on notice to move to frankfurt within weeks. that's according to sources who say the us bank has decided it can't wait any longer for clarity on how brexit will affect its business. uk house prices grew at their slowest rate in five years last month. growth slumped to just 1.8% in the year to february, according to halifax, the country's largest lender. that's the slowest rate of increase since march 2013. the average price of a home fell by about £2,000 between november and february, while the firm said it expects price growth to r

the evening, but goodbye for now. let's return to our top story now. the eu and the uk have reached a transitional deal on brexit. e agreement means the eu will have an influence over fishing rights until the end of 2020. fishermen had expected the uk to leave the common fisheries policy in march next year. the conservative mp for banff & buchan, david duguid, has said his constituents and the fishing communities are disappointed and is threatening to vote down a final brexit deal. he's been speaking to our political correspondent, chris mason. absolutely, this is the biggest constituency for fishing absolutely, this is the biggest constituency forfishing in banff absolutely, this is the biggest constituency for fishing in banff & buchan, and my constituents across the board are disappointed with what has come out today. i think we a lwa ys has come out today. i think we always knew there would be some kind of leeway in the implementation period but we were looking at a nine—month period between the march brexit date and the end of the calendar year and that has been extended by another 12 months which we are find

and on trade the best would be a free trade agreement. he explained what that meant like this. our agreement will not make trade between the uk and the euctionless. it will make it more complicated and costly for all of us. this is the essence of brexit. a pick and mix approach for a nonmember state is out of the question. we are not going to sacrifice these principles. that is simply not in our interest. to brexit watchers, lots of this will not come as a surprise because it is the sort of thing the eu has been saying for weeks and weeks when they have looked at what the british want but i thought it was interesting when i spoke to donald tusk at news conference, when i asked him, does this come anything close to what the prime minister asked for in her mansion house speech on friday? he gave an incredibly long pause, which suggests he knows that it isn't. i think what will probably be shopping for some people is seeing it written down in text form saying, this is what is going to happen, and reading the warning circulating in the document by the eu today that this will have serious economic consequences for britain. but if you read th

upholding the integrity of the single market and the preservation of the eu, which we will achieve by remaining united. so this was a positive eu summit for theresa may. the first time in years that the uk'sationship with the eu was not downing street's primary concern. and eu leaders showed that they can set aside their regrets over brexit and engage with the uk. but in just over a year's time, the uk won't — formally, at least — be at the table for a discussion as momentous as the one that spilled into the early hours of this morning on russia. of course, the uk will not be in the same position as it was before. it's better to sit at a table of an international organisation and be able to influence the decision—making process. but once again, i deeply regret that the british are leaving the european union but i have to accept reality. and if you leave the eu, you can cooperate closely with the eu. but it's a pity that you can no longer sit at the table during these decision—making processes. but even if the uk had already left the european union, this country, this great nation, would have received the same wave of solidarity from france, germany and others, because we understand this a

the divorce bill. the government says the uk will pay the eu up to £39 billion to cover things like outstanding bills andn the uk and uk citizens elsewhere in europe. and crucially, on the terms of a 21—month transition period after brexit, when the uk will continue to abide by all eu rules and regulations. the transition will give governments and businesses more time to get ready for a new relationship in the future. but there's still an awful lot to do in the next 12 months. both sides have promised no return to a hard border in ireland. there are intensive talks on how to guarantee that once the uk leaves the single market and the customs union. there's also no full agreement yet on the role of the european court of justice after brexit. elsewhere, spain, for example, is insisting it must be consulted on the future status of gibraltar. as for a new trade deal between the uk and the eu, talks on that haven't yet begun. the eu says the uk's red lines limit what can be achieved, but the uk still wants the most ambitious free—trade agreement in history. customs is one obvious challenge. the future of fish

and economic partnership. i believe this is in the best interests of both the uk and the eu. erships, though, mrs may must now find a solution that keeps the irish border open — the key to the future. i was talking to one of our editors at the bbc, an old hand at the summits. he has attended about 30. he said, i can't remember the last time britain got so much out of a single summit. they got three things, an agreement on tariffs from all of the leaders, the tariffs america is try to push, an agreement on brexit and the statement on russia. brexit was perhaps the biggest highlight. european union leaders have approved the guidelines for negotiations on future relations with britain after brexit. they backed a transition period until december 2020, and they also set out the possibility of a free trade agreement, with no tariffs on goods and partnerships on security and defence. theresa may said that she believed there was now a spirit of cooperation and opportunity, though the french president, emmanuel macron, speaking at the press conference earlier, alongside the german chan

and worries about the big world. so, it says that the uk is leaving the eu institutions but is not leaving europe. ct itself and that the uk should help in that. that definitely means after brexit as well. how well aligned on brexit is cabinet now vs say six months ago? the cabinet is singing from the same hymn sheet but no one believes that they believe the same thing on brexit. two examples, philip hammond the chancellor has always been a skip to —— sceptic about brexit and he has argued to stay inside the customs union and single market until that idea was swept off the table. michael gove and boris johnson would not break their hearts if they left without a deal. it's a big difference in thinking that they are all able to come together under the banner, slogan, let's get the best deal that we possibly can. how that plays out depends on the coming negotiations and it goes through parliament with all the pitfalls and minefields that it involves. mark from the netherlands asks there is so much uncertainty about what will happen to the ex—pats that work and live in europe. will i have to give up my

and i believe this is in the best interest of the uk and eu. that moscow was responsible for the poisoning. british diplomats in russia have started leaving the embassy in moscow ahead of tomorrow's deadline. 23 diplomats and their families have tomorrow's deadline. 23 diplomats and theirfamilies have been given a week to leave in response to britain's decision to expel the same number of russian diplomats following the nerve agent attack in salisbury. nearly 40% of all cancers diagnosed in the uk could be avoided if people adopted a healthier lifestyle, according to a new study. cancer research uk says 135,000 cases every year are preventable. the charity is also warning that obesity could eventually overtake smoking as the biggest cause of the disease. that is a summary of the latest news. after england were wiped out in the first day of their test against new zealand, more of a wash—out. kane williamson completed a record 18th test century for his country. gareth southgate says england should get their house in order before accusing other cou

and i believe this is in the best interest of the uk and the eu. may must now find a solution that keeps the irish border open. the key to the future. damian grammaticas bbc news, wessels. christian, interesting to hearfrom emmanuel macron. he said basically the attack in the uk was an attack on european sovereignty. this was the language mrs may was seeking when she wanted backing on the russian situation. i think she will be well satisfied with the response he got because it's been a test of whether uk stands after the thorny issues of brexit, could it rally the eu around issues of security and defence and the resounding answer is yes, she can. they had a trilateral meeting with the french and german leaders last night and she presented them with intelligence there were perhaps not aware of. shortly after that came this statement which the three of them had put together, saying, we are extremely concerned, it is very likely it is russia, we don't see any other plausible explanation. that's the attitude the other leaders have taken. in terms of wh

the brexit saga speaking out. it started with journey corbyn's announcement that the party supports a new comprehensive customs union between the uk and the eu the government's trade secretary, liam fox, hit back stating any form of customs union with the eu after brexit would be a sellout for the uk. then came the draft brexit withdrawal agreement which proposes a common regulatory area on the island of ireland as a backstop option if no other solution is found. michel barnier claimed he was not trying to provoke anyone in an attempt to break the impasse, donald tusk told theresa may she needed to come up with "a better idea to prevent a hard border in ireland. joining us now for this discussion is cybil cash and sam lowe from the center for european reform. speaking of headlines, you've been making some as well in regards to the irish border. tell us around today and what theresa may will say around these five key tests what points do you think she needs to hit >> above all else the question is who governs britain that's the decision that was taken in the referendum. that is the decision that's been endorsed by the house of commons, the el

and the salisbury poisoning was another big moment. yeah. it shows the eu, how much they want to stay close to the uk after brexit. egotiations aside, this is a very clear message about what the eu's intent is. you know, it wasn't just out of solidarity with the uk, of course. the eu 27 are very worried in a wider way about russia. salisbury, though, felt very close to home for them. and as we know, they want to make sure that there is a close security deal with the uk after brexit despite all talk of cherry picking and so on. joey, joey, joey! quick! all: cherry picking! or as i like to say, as it is pronounced by some abroad, "sherry picking. " a key moment for me was speaking to — um, the secret squirrel contacts, we like to talk about, and he said to me, i am actually not to speak to you on this evening, katya, because don't want the brexit negotiations to happen through you or your colleague, laura, and that was really interesting, i mean, that was interesting. because the two sides wern't talking. they were not communicating. they didn't want to communicate through us, if you like. and that is fascinating. ye

and the republic every week. but after brexit, these roads will be the new frontier between the uk and eu. n is outside the single market and the customs union. we are committed, the irish government is committed, all the parties in northern ireland, to making sure there is no hard border. the prime minister's plans would mean 80% of companies would face no new customs checks and with new technology, she believes a hard border can be avoided. but the irish government has its doubts. i am not sure that the european union will be able to support a situation whereby 80% of companies that trade north and south and south north will actually protect the integrity of the eu single market. to sort out this most trickiest of brexit conundrums, multiple sides need to be won over and the prime minister has already made clear, she will not accept the fallback position in brussels. one that would see northern ireland stick to the rules and regulations of the eu. mrs may believes her latest thinking is a step forward. it sets out some ways, particularly on the issue of customs across—the—board, in which

the giants club summit, which aims to protect half of africa's elephants and their habitat by 2020. but there's another target. the legal trade of antique ivory in britain and the rest of europe. the uk and the eud around the world. now, we have seen china has banned their trade in ivory. hong kong is saying it's doing a similarthing. the african leaders meeting here with their governments are hoping the eu and the uk could do likewise and could stop this trade in antique ivory. it won't stop the poachers targeting these animals for their tusks across africa, but it will send a strong message to try and reduce the demand for ivory. alastair leithead, bbc news, in botswana. will travers is president of the international wildlife charity, born free, he joins me via webcam from horsham in sussex. thank you. can you explain the difficulty in identifying when ivory is antique or not? that is the nub of the problem, isn't it? it is. this is a piece of ivory, this is ivory capsicum carved in the shape ofa ivory capsicum carved in the shape of a pepper and this was taken to seven dealers in the united kingdom, all of him who said they would be willing to sell it because in their opinion it was pre—carv

and wary. the eu's chief brexit negotiator, michel barnier, took to twitter to thank the prime minister for her clarity and say that confirmation that the ukket and the customs union meant that it was heading for a free—trade agreement with the eu. privately, eu diplomats have praised the prime minister's more realistic tone, they said, admitting that both sides can't have exactly what they want. but they said they couldn't find much new in her speech and they lamented the absence of a workable solution, they said, to the irish problem. manfred weber, he's very close to angela merkel and a leader here in the european parliament, he said that the uk was still burying its head in the sand. tonight we've got working groups from all the 27 eu member states who are poring over detail of the prime minister's speech. one diplomat said to me today he hoped that he would find coded messages to the eu in theresa may's speech that would then become much clearer once they sit down again at the negotiating table. he said something similar happened with her last brexit speech back in autumn. katya adler reporting. that has turned to the us. —— let us tu

the backstop option set out in the report. it remains my firm belief that we will find the best solutions for northern ireland as part of the overall future relationship between the uk and the eus on withdrawal, the implementation period and future relationship. i am implementation period and future relationship. lam pleased implementation period and future relationship. i am pleased that the joint agreement last week directly applies to gibraltar, and we will continue to engage closely with the government of gibraltar and european partners to resolve the particular challenges our withdrawal poses for gibraltar and spain. challenges our withdrawal poses for gibraltarand spain. mr challenges our withdrawal poses for gibraltar and spain. mr speaker, following my speeches in europe and that the mansion house, setting up the future security and economic partnerships we want to develop, the council also agreed negotiations on the future of the relationship, which must be now our focus. while there are clear differences between initial positions, the guidelines are a useful starting point for the negotiations that will now get under way. i welcome the council restating the eu determ

the rhetoric has declined in the last couple of weeks. there's some what of a stand-off going on between the uk and the eu how do you see this playing out? >> i think the december deal was an illogical fudge there was a position saying you could have no hard border with ireland. you could also have the uk diverging from the use of customs regime and regulatory regime and no new trade barriers between northern ireland and the rest of the uk so what the legal draft said yesterday is an attack on that fudge. the reason why that's making markets react in the way they have, the continuation of that fudge was important to the stability of the uk government and to the chances of getting a deal on -- a final deal. >> the irony, of course, is that many people did believe in the fudge in december when that was announced. what do you think the government's options are from here >> none of them are good you have maybe four ptions one of them, it would be to sort of accept the eu's position that northern ireland has to align with the republic. you have this common regulatory area that was rejected by theresa may yesterday in strong terms, also by her

the evidence of the polls is that people want a vote on the deal. in other words, people don't trust ministers and members of parliament to make the decision about what the final arrangement between the uk and the eus a demand from the public for that vote on the deal, and that is in our view, the liberal democrat view, the democratic route to provide people with another option, and that is the option to stay in the european union. tom brake, liberal democrat brexit spokesperson from westminster. police say former russian spy sergei skripal and his daughter were probably poisioned at their home after high levels of a nerve agent were found at theirfront door. the pair were found collapsed on a bench in salisbury on march the fourth, and remain in a critical condition. police say inquiries will focus on their home address but the risk to locals is low. the head of the labour party's internal disputes panel has stepped down after it emerged she'd opposed the suspension of a local election candidate accused of holocaust denial. christine shawcroft sent an email calling for the reinstatement of alan bull, who was due to stand for peterborough council in may. in a statement she apologised and said she

the continent after? that is the next fight on the table, the next details to work out. time is of the essence, the eu's most powerful voice said. if the uk wants to leave the customs union and means a free trade agreement, germany's angela merkel said. agreeing a buffer zone between leaving the eu and cutting off all ties was never in doubt today. but theresa may's argument also swayed eu leaders to turn up the pressure on russia. the union even pulling back its own ambassador here to brussels. perhaps, after months of difficulties, britain's stock here is on the up. it's notjust the eu ambassador leaving moscow. other european countries say they will send russian diplomats back there, in coordinated moves next week. but leaders here have been willing to walk the walk alongside britain. matching theresa may's stance. in contrast to an awkward pause yesterday. the european union agrees with the uk government assessment that it is highly likely that the russian federation is responsible for this attack and that there is no other plausible explanation. despite the tough brexit negotiations, the european union has demonstrated unanimous and unequivocal unity with the uk in the

unless they cut a new deal, everything flying between the uk and the eu won't be able to fly next march, at which time thefective break will occur, and there won't be an aviation agreement between the eu and uk. that could be very serious it needs to get fixed. so this whole notion of looking at trade as a bad thing rather than a good thing is a major mistake. >> so gordon, can you walk us through how you see the impacts, specifically to the airlines i mean, for instance, in recent days, boeing has been -- has shown some weakness in the markets on this notion that, you know, it could have to pay more, et cetera, for their input costs. that could certainly impact the airlines then there's this notion that if trade is more curtailed, there could be less demand for flights. how do you sort of break the impact down? >> i think, melissa, those are all good facts the extent of what that occurs just depends on how acrimonious things become. i suspect boeing will continue its dominance in the field, but the eu and airbus itself are already undergoing some change so it's hard to tell you how many ways this is goin

and put into peril and agreement to the eu very much once, notjust peril and agreement to the eu very much once, not just the peril and agreement to the eu very much once, notjust the ukf the 26 to come bearing down on it. we've had a lot of political heat around the irish border question. yet up until now the gibraltar question, yes, different, hasn't really forced itself to the front of the discussion. it doesn't have the emotion behind it, either. with a lot of brexit, its economic arguments. when it comes to fishing, if peoples livelihoods are... i am not belittling that, but i need when it comes to the irish border situation people remember the troubles. it's about peace, it's about violence, that is what catapults the irish issue into such a status. no question about that. and it's a serious point. no politician in ireland, the uk, anywhere around the eu wants in any way either to the or to be seen to be the politician that might tip the balance towards going back to a much more dangerous and unhappy time. we will get another question. now it is time for you to do the legwork, chris. why is elliott? you have matching tops. hug a hoodie, that'll such a long time