we know from the eu as well as uk celsius, on fishing, a hugely contentious issue, the uk has agreed toa contentious issue, the uk has agreed to a longer phasing in of the arrangements although the eu has compromised and come down from their demands as well. and the eu will give up some of the fishing catch, perhaps around one quarter but not as much as some of the long—standing brexiteers would have wished. that said, borisjohnson brexiteers would have wished. that said, boris johnson has brexiteers would have wished. that said, borisjohnson has been calling some members of the european research group, some of the brexiteers in his own ranks, unlike nigel farage, who is outside of the party, and some of them seem on the basis of what have untold, they seem to be relatively pleased with what the prime minister has achieved but said also that they will get lawyers to look at the detail of this, and go over it with a fine tooth comb before deciding how to vote, but i should point out at this stage it is not expected that this deal will be thrown out by the british parliament, it is e

sol 65,000 that were sequenced in the uk. so i might say thank you. the uk, idon't uk. so i might say thank you. the uk, i don't know if you said that but is doing the biggest effort in the world at the moment in sequencing the virus. so possibly the variant was detected in the uk just because you sequence a lot more. other countries where it was present in september were the united states and australia which are second and third respectively in the rankings of most sequencing. this variant we noticed it because it's the first variant that rises in frequency that hits the binding domain between the spike protein, the viral protein that is on the surface and the human receptor. it hits directly the lock and key mechanism that allows the virus to enter the bronchial and lung cells. therefore it is the most important mechanism of the virus cycle. without it the virus couldn't even infect humans. that then we didn't raise any alarm because it was one of the many possible mutations. and we also noticed that it doesn't change the whole shape of spike. this protein. itjust cha

supermarkets in the uk can resume. supermarkets in the uk can resume. supermarkets in the uk say their current stocks are high despite the travel chaos, but there are concerns about the longer term effects on some supplies. 0ur political correspondent ian watson has more on the problem that are now piling up for the prime minister. the unfolding covert drama now feels a lot like a crisis. the escape routes from the virus will be blocked. the vaccine wasn't coming into the roll—on, role life. it comes via containers and container traffic isn't affected at all, so this isn't an issue with the vaccine at all, and it will never be fat an issue for medicines regardless, because we have contingencies in place. labour accused the government of overpromising and under delivering to work with ministers to get the virus under control. make no mistake. this is now a real emergency. i want to work in the national interest to help bus this dark and difficult days. we will work with the government to help businesses get through the winter months, and we will offer

what are the uk and the continent. what are the key things to look out for on day one, after the end of the transition? not long to go now. 13 hours. we've seen a steady stream of lorries arriving at the port this morning, potentially people trying to beat that deadline of 11pm uk time. because we talk about frictionless trade between the uk and the eu, but the warning is that, from tonight, there could be a little bit of friction. because lorries are used to arriving here and getting on ferries pretty quickly. but now, once this period comes into effect, the end of the transition period, lorries arriving here will already have to you have completed customs declarations. now, this may be a time—consuming affair. so, when the lorries arrive here they will have to show, via a bar code, that they have the right permissions to cross the channel. that will be important export declarations, also safety certificates. the idea is when the lorries come here, the bar codes they have will be scanned, the lorries will then get o

he revealed another variant has been detected in the uk. this new variant is highly concerning bigoted because it is yet more transmissible. all flights arriving in the uk from south africa are banned from this morning. anyone who has been in south africa or anyone who has been in close contact with anyone who has been an past format orfortnight, with anyone who has been an past format or fortnight, has with anyone who has been an past format orfortnight, has been with anyone who has been an past format or fortnight, has been asked to quarantine. in scotland, christmas bubbles will be allowed on christmas bubbles will be allowed on christmas day with a maximum of eight people from three households. in northern ireland, a six—week lockdown in northern ireland, a six—week lockd own starts in northern ireland, a six—week lockdown starts on boxing day. the first week will have stricter restrictions, though people can form a christmas bubble for one day between the 23rd on the 27th of december. wales is in a new national lockdown, after a

if the uk did the same that'd mean tariffs and border checks between the uk and the eu. and government ministers have acknowledged that could lead to price rises. in value, trade between the uk and the eu is worth six times that of australia—eu trade. the impact on the uk will be greater. and whether that happens or not — the fact that we don't know what's going to be happen in less than a month is creating uncertainty for uk businesses — as you'll hear in this clip. well, of course, businesses expected that in negotiation, we were likely to see a moment like this. for us, however, it is coming very late in the game. businesses across the uk do want to see a deal happen, they do want to see the two sides keep talking. but they are running out of time to implement whatever may be agreed or not agreed in brussels. and so we all wait. we know both sides would prefer a deal, but not at any cost. here's anand menon from uk in a changing europe. the stumbling blocks very much remain, ensuring that neither the uk and the eu could subsidise particular industries, the so—

the uk, between northern ireland and the rest of the uk. michael gove said in parliament the eu had been pressing quite hard for tariffs, some of which would have been paid back, but nevertheless. mr gove says now the uk persuaded the eu not to do that. i'm pleased to say that under the agreement that we've reached, and northern ireland businesses selling to consumers or using goods in northern ireland will be free of all tariffs. whether that's nissan cars from sunderland or lamb. internal uk trade will be protected as we promised whether we have a free—trade agreement with the eu or not. under what's been agreed, there will be what's called a trusted trader scheme for companies to sign up to. that should mean 98% of goods going between great britain and northern ireland will be exempt from any import duty that would otherwise be due. it's complicated stuff. here's chris page in belfast with more of what's been agreed. one of the major issues had been concerns that new checks on food products arriving to the likes of here, belfast port,

now to the border between the uk and france. it reopened on wednesday, but the situation in the port of dover is still chaotic. rapid testing of the drivers is already under way, but because there are now at least 5000 lorries backed up, it's clearly going to take time to get things moving. here's the uk's transport secretary, grant shapps. it's an enormous operation. but once we've got the army deploying tests, this evening, as well as much larger number of people from the nhs test and trace system. we can handle the number of test today. the problem is not the number of tests per day, it's not the number of sailings per day. 10,000 is about the number of a busy day in kent. we can do that number of tests as well, it's the logistics of people following the instructions, make it sure it's clear in order we can get traffic rolling for some again, the more that people follow the clear instructions, the faster to get this resolved. it will take a matter of days rather than weeks or anything else. but there will be, i'm afraid, some

david henig is a former uk trade negotiator and the uk director of the european centre for international political economy. iain watson was saying that a no—deal exit would have cost gdp, but even this brexit, which in the old terms between soft and hard, looks like a hard brexit, has been forecast to cost the uk economically. that's right. there will be new barriers to trade between the uk and eu. the deal doesn't prevent those. we are expecting talks to continue into the new year. it will not be anything like a seamless trading relationship. but it is certainly going to be better than no deal, and it lays the framework down for further cooperation between the uk and eu, so it is significant the prime minister has decided to go for this deal. if you look at the whole framing of the last 4.5 years, we are ina framing of the last 4.5 years, we are in a very tight, close, relationship. the vote, ultimately, didn't hinge on fish. a lot of the other issues were about the idea of sovereignty, immigration. where do we stand now on those key issues that people perhaps thought they we re that

we saw ministers and secretaries of state and the uk saying how fantastic the uk was and that it was better than anyone else in the world. i was surprised to see doctor fauci responding to that getting involved in that kind of back and forth. as he said in the clip that you played earlier, in the programme saying when he was speaking to his uk counterparts, they were saying they got there first. it was unlike him to get involved in that, but yes, very gracious to come on the bbc and say look, i really didn't want to undermine confidence in the uk regulators at all. we just have a very different process. as always, really good to talk to you. thanks for bringing us up to date. pa nto panto season is upon us despite... in some areas, the show simply cannot go on. thousands of people have had their tickets suddenly cancelled because further social distancing measures have meant theatres can't get as many people. beverly is rehearsing her big number. julian goes through his 12 days of christmas. for their show pantomime. a place many producers feel like they are currently living in. one

but it is dependent upon the uk agreeing to reciprocate it, to allow symmetrical access to uk and eu hauliers, so they are pulling today to allow for a six—month bilateral agreement to allow trucks to move across the uk and eu to make sure we all get the goods that we need. you have talked about stockpiling. is it your view that consumers, in the event of a no deal, should prepare for prices to go up? that is a question about what happens to the rest of our economy and to some extent what position our government takes on tariffs coming from outside the eu. it is difficult to generalise or make predictions. to reassure people, logistics is a resilient sector as we have seen throughout this terrible pandemic we have been living through, and we would not advise or there to be any shortages on a personal level. but businesses are trained to get the goodsin businesses are trained to get the goods in before the 1st of january just in case there is no deal, at which point they would attract taxes. really good to talk to you. thank you. the mayor of london sadiq khan has warned that the ca

if you look at the numbers, uk wanted an 80% cut in the numbers, uk wanted an 80% cut in the eu offered 18 so it is much nearer the eu position on the length of the transition it's neither the uk position so a bit of give and take. it's what happens after the transition period that ten is interesting because then it reverts to annual negotiations on access to fishing waters and in theory at that point the uk can say we will shut out eu boats altogether, take back oui’ out eu boats altogether, take back our quarter, that is it, but there isa our quarter, that is it, but there is a presumption in the deal, it is written in that the 25% cut is going to continue for a while and the uk has to make a choice to change that. if it does so, then there is the opportunity again written to the deal, that for example, tariffs could be put on fish exports to the eu market are potentially on other things that we sell to the eu as well. so in fish we see what we see in the whole deal. yes, we have won in theory the sovereignty to go our own way but there will be a price to pay for it. boris johnson a

borisjohnson wants the uk to be free of eu rules and regulations but the eu says the uk must agree to some common principles if it is going to get special access to the single market. there is no easy way to solve this conundrum. all the while, more warnings of what no deal would mean on the things we buy — clothes, cars, food, becoming more expensive because of new taxes on goods moving between the uk and eu and vice versa. those in business are increasingly nervous. businesses across the uk do want to see a deal happen, they do want to see the two sides keep talking, but they're running out of time to implement whatever may be agreed or not agreed in brussels, and that ticking clock, that worry, is at the back of many businesses' mine's today. with talk ofa businesses' mine's today. with talk of a final push, senior government minister michael gove has already arrived in brussels. 4.5 years after the referendum, what happens next will determine what brexit really looks like. and nick is in brussels for us now. one last push? that's right, simon, and of course, this being brexit, w

certainly the uk government. certainly the uk government will be happy that by and large they have protected sovereignty and got preferential access to the eu, but we think that in some of the small print the eu positions have won. both sides have had to compromise, that is the nature of a trade deal. what has been conceded on both sides? well, the uk had to sign up to what i think are going to be the most stringent level playing field, the fair competition rules, ever included in a trade agreement. we recall this was absolutely the eu's number one agreement. the uk, on the other hand, will regain control of oui’ other hand, will regain control of our fishing waters but only after a six year period where the eu takes a small cut. after six years we will have full control. the eu didn't wa nt have full control. the eu didn't want that, so those are two of the biggest headlines. what trade itself will not be frictionless, willit? so there be big changes. that's right. starting next friday, new year's day, we no l

they make up 80% of the uk economy, so they make up 80% of the uk economy, so important. when the clock strikes 11 tonight, uk firms lose the automatic right to sell services like insurance, bank accounts, it support, accounting, to people in organisations in the eu. similarly, european companies lose the automatic right to sell here in the uk. british businesses can still keep doing that but they need to make sure they comply with regulations in each country rather than following one set of rules applying to the whole of the eu. there will be more talks between the uk and eu, they have pledged to try to sort it out, but where does that leave fa ns to sort it out, but where does that leave fans coming back after the break leave fans coming back after the brea k after leave fans coming back after the break after new year? —— firms. let's speak to thierry drilhon, president of the franco british chambers of commerce helping businesses trade across the channel. what is the mood among the 2000 firms you work with? i would say that on one side when a member of the family i

the uk government moved quickly. transport secretary grant schapps tweeted "we're asking the public & particularly hauliers not to travel to kent ports or other routes to france. we expect significant disruption in the area." and he was right — this has been the situation in dover all monday — hundreds of lorries have been backed up. simonjones is there. it's not looking good. unprecedented scenes here at the port of dover. there is a sign behind me saying french border is closed and that tells the story. you have staff from the port and also we've had the police there at the entrance, basically stopping any lorry that can't go in from going in. for a lot of lorries, it means they simply can't go anywhere, because on an average day bubbly volley probably thousands were going. the only ones allowed a re thousands were going. the only ones allowed are those that have containers, which are still being allowed to go across the channel, but anyone with a lorry driver all passenger vehicle, it's a no—go. now, with bo

didn't want the uk to go, they missed the uk, they have seen it as a challenge to be managed, with the minimum possible disruption to the european union. union. their goal has been to defend the intends integrity of their single market and to maintain their political unity under the pressure of negotiation. so they feel they have achieved all of that, but ursula von der leyen, the president of the european commission, a remarkable linguist who speaks perfect english she quoted the beatles and shakespeare in saying goodbye to this phase of the british relationship and saying britain, of course, remains a trusted partner, an ally, a country with shared values and shared interests, so there is relief here, a sense that there is relief here, a sense that thejob has been done, that the process has been managed, but there is nojoy, no celebration, it has been seen as a bureaucratic task which has been successful ex cuted. it isa which has been successful ex cuted. it is a huge change, they acknowledge that, michel barnier said that in that news conference, we do though now have a trade deal,

the uk said no. where we are at the moment is, what are the enforcement measures, what are the enforcement measures, what are the enforcement measures, what are the things you do if you have to resolve a dispute? eu countries are saying we want the ability if you break the rules in one area we want the ability to hit back quite hard ina the ability to hit back quite hard in a different area. that needs to be agreed. that's about the governance of a deal, what kind of enforcement mechanisms there are to give both sides confidence this is a deal they can enter into an will be respected. those are the three key sticking points. there are others, aren't there? that's basically the free trade deal. it's a narrow area. there are lots of other things that would be involved in a deal. a really important one is policing and security which we haven't talked about much. we've had senior police officers in this country making it really clear that they value access to shared databases on things like fingerprints,

turning back to the uk, the uk government has warned that the harsh new restrictions in london and across the southeast of england could be in place for months boris johnson imposed tier 4 measures sunday morning closing all nonessential shops and cushicur curbing travel in and out of the area he limited visits between households outside tier 4 areas only to christmas day. let's look at how the sterling market is reacting it's trading on the back foot as many uk assets are the pound is in focus not just because of the economic restrictions but the ongoing brexit negotiations to contend with pound is 1.8% weaker on the session. worth bearing in mind, the support level for the pound is around 132.25. there's a lot to contend with on the health side and the economic side of thing. turning back to the health side, the professor of immunology at imperial college, danny nny al said the easing of restrictions around christmas was a disaster waiting to happen. >> i think many of us felt the christmas easing of restrictions, we were watching a car crash before implosion even before the new permuta

on top of all this you have the uk rules, which basically say the uk rules, which basically say the entire, almost the rest of the world is a no—go area. we warn about all but essential travel to the vast majority of european countries so your travel insurance will be invalid and then you have to quarantine when you get back, whether it is 14 days in scotland and northern ireland, ten days in wales and five days in the uk if you ta ke wales and five days in the uk if you take a test. i am sure you can a nswer take a test. i am sure you can answer questions to get through the rules and regulations. you mentioned the canary rules and regulations. you mentioned the ca nary islands, rules and regulations. you mentioned the canary islands, a popular holiday destination over christmas and the new year. but there may be some changes to the testing rules? yes, it is tricky for a lot of people. the canaries is one of very few places british people can go to without needing to quarantine when they come back. however, the spanish government last month said, everyone who comes in needs a two test. i

the uk wants much of that back. so, it's about the uk share of fishing quotas, notjust where you can fish but how much you can catch. there is also the timeline for measures coming into full force. the eu wants a status quo period of up to ten years. the uk says it should be much shorter. the other main area of disagreement is the level playing field, rules on fair competition for billions of pounds of business now and in the future. the two sides are trying to agree a common baseline on workers' rights and the environmental regulations that companies have to follow. if you cut regulations it can be cheaper to make stuff and the eu is worried the uk could do that in future. then, state aid or government subsidies for business. the uk is determined to assert its sovereignty and is refusing to follow eu rules. but the eu says it has to protect companies within its single market. so, the third main area of disagreement, how to enforce a deal and resolve any disputes. the eu is demanding the right to retaliate if the uk

we pinpointed this in the uk. we know, as you said commit toa the uk. we know, as you said commit to a circular in the uk for a while, do you understand why other countries are stopping travel from the uk? because for the fence or cleaning for a while surely it's now gone international as well. is very possible and i gather that their suggestion that there have been cases reported in other countries in europe, and you believe italy has reported a case of this variant. i would suspect that probably because international travel has been continued i'll be at a lower level, that we probably will start to see cases emerging in other countries in europe in the coming days. it's one of these problems with covid that when we know cases are reported these individuals probably infected up these individuals probably infected up to two weeks ago, so given that we are now seeing quite a significant number of cases with variant will have been circulated for some time. it's very possible that it for some time. it's very possible thatitis for some time. it's very possi

the uk vaccine regulator says , the covid—19 vaccine the uk medicine regulator says, the covid—19 vaccine will "definitely" be ready to go into care homes in the next two weeks. a large—scale vaccine roll—out begins today in russia, using the country's sputnikjab. the makers say it's up to 95% effective, but it's still undergoing trials. and coming up — in a week that's seen the collapse of uk household names including topshop and debenhams, what's next hello and welcome if you're watching in the uk or around the world — and stay with us for the latest news and analysis from here and across the globe. britain's prime minister boris johnson and european commission president ursula von der leyen will seek to break the deadlock over a post—brexit trade deal. negotiators for the two sides called in the two leaders after saying "significa nt divergences" remained following a week of intensive talks. most of the deal has been completed but key sticking points remain. these include fishing rights, the rules governing state subsidies to business and how the agreement is policed. time is

is there a potential risk of shortages in supermarkets in the uk are in the uk —— in the uk or in the eu? we have been speaking to supermarkets and they are very keen to point out that their traditional english christmas dinner is safe. all of those things are seasonal, and in the uk those things are the christmas dinner because they can be grown in the uk. turkey and potatoes and carrots and parsnips they have enough of that. you know as well as ido enough of that. you know as well as i do but supermarkets are so slick at getting their production and supply operations sorted. they learnt a lot of lessons in march at the outbreak of this pandemic. we also know they are very good at organising what they need in the stores when they need it, so on the right shelves at the right time. the problem here emerges when people start buying a little bit more than maybe they were before, because that messes up their plans. also, there is the suggestion that perishable items could start to be in short supply if this problem at the poker isa supply if this problem at the poker is a much longer. th

and politics within the uk. that sort of thing does not just politics within the uk. that sort of thing does notjust disappear. the fa ct we thing does notjust disappear. the fact we have a deal to get through to the next bit, that is a big moment for now. yes, we had ursula von der leyen talking about sovereignty, the issue that has dominated so much here in the uk and they spoke about what they thought sovereignty meant. boris johnson a p pa re ntly sovereignty meant. boris johnson apparently just approaching the microphones in number ten, so let's put the picture up and stand up and hear from the put the picture up and stand up and hearfrom the prime put the picture up and stand up and hear from the prime minister. they voted to take back control of their money, quarters, and leave the european union. earlier this year, we fulfilled the promise and left on january the 31st with that oven ready deal. since that time, we have been getting on with our agenda, enacting a points—based immigration system that you

, and other parts of the uk moving into tier4 in the uk, i and other parts of the uk moving into tier 4 in the uk, i think it is necessary that we have to consider the fact that countries across the world a re the fact that countries across the world are going to continue to keep these borders closed. we have had them all say, every country is different, but it is everything from a couple of days up to two weeks with countries like turkey and i think what we will see more happening as once they do reopen those borders, anybody who wants to enter intoa those borders, anybody who wants to enter into a country coming from the uk to another country have to have a negative pcr test that has been taken up to 72 hours before they will be allowed into that country and that seems to be the way in most countries are going now. yes, silly testing would then need to be up to that particular speed as well for —— so the testing. i want to thank both of you. professor, you will have its way to some of the fears people have when they hear this talk of the variant of covid—19 or coronavirus that

supermarkets in the uk can resume. supermarkets in the uk can resume. supermarkets in the uk say their current stocks are high despite the travel chaos, but there are concerns about

reddish laws will be made solely by the british parliament interpreted by uk judges sitting in uk courts, and the jurisdiction of the european court ofjustice will come to an end. lets speak to steve, the deputy leader of the alliance party in northern ireland. firstly, your reaction to what we have learned today of the deal. well, there is a certain tinge of sadness, there is no such good —— there is no such thing as a sensible brexit. all moves inside brexit are an act against the devolved governments. apart from both uk and ireland to be part of the european union. we will see on the back of this a whole range of opportunities and benefits that people have taken advantage forfour and benefits that people have taken advantage for four generations now being lost, but against that, we know about the implications of a no—deal brexit will be catastrophic for our economy and would make the implementation of the northern ireland protocol including the checks in the irish sea more difficult. so the removal of tariffs arkham significant. there will be checks and make major differences th

in the uk, the uk has sparked a scramble among international travellers wanting to get back home before the borders close. coming for christmas, the most important thing is being with family. so i think ijustjumped the gun and went in. that was the idea. paid about £250 for a flight last night, but i was last night, but i was meant to come on wednesday. the lockdown already meant that this will be a quiet christmas. travel bans mean that an even more people will be spending it at home. damien mcguinness, bbc news, berlin. italy's health ministry has said a person arriving in rome from the uk in recent days has tested positive with the new, more infectious, covid strain. the patient and their partner arrived at rome's fiumicino airport a few days ago and the couple are in isolation together with other family members and close contacts. the italian health ministry says all established procedures are being followed. so what's the immediate impact of the travel bans imposed on the uk just days before the end of the brexit transition period, the 31st of december? here's our transport corres

in the uk, the uk has sparked a scramble among international in the uk, the move has sparked a scramble among international travellers wanting to get back home before the borders close. coming for christmas, the most important thing is being with family. so i think ijustjumped the gun and went in. that was the idea. i paid about £250 for a flight last night, but i was meant to come on wednesday. the lockdown already meant that this will be a quiet christmas. travel bans mean that an even more people will be even more people will be spending it at home. damien mcguinness, bbc news, berlin. the latest developments have sparked bans on travel from the uk into several countries, including france, which is barring arrivals by air, sea, rail or road, including freight. germany, italy, the netherlands and ireland are also restricting travel. here's our transport correspondent caroline davies. this weekend has already seen queues of lorries waiting at dover. today's news that france has banned all forms of transport from the uk for 48 hours from midnight, including goods being transported as f

uk to get the vaccine. i'm pretty excited, actually. anything that‘s going to hopefully prevent me from catching covid again has to be a good thing. and you‘re very confident about this vaccine, are you? yeah, looking at the stats they have tested it on over 44,000 people, which seems like good numbers to me, that works for the risk assessment i have made, and i think that anything that this vaccination throws at me cannot be anywhere near as bad as having had covid and long covid, so for me that‘s good enough. covid and long covid, so for me that's good enough. you qualify for one of the first vaccines because you are a health worker? yeah, i am agp you are a health worker? yeah, i am a gp and in scotland they have prioritised health care workers so the lines opened on thursday, i believe, and so currently we are the first tranche of people being vaccinated at the major hospital sites around edinburgh. just whereabouts will you go and get the vaccine? i'm going to go to the local psychiatric hospital

this is a big moment in the pandemic for the uk. the latest government figures on coronavirus show there were 27,052 cases in the latest 24—hour period — the average number of new infections reported per day in the last week is now 24,752. 534 deaths were recorded in the last 2a hours, that‘s of people who died within 28 days of a positive covid—19 test. on average in the past week, there were a36 deaths per day, bringing the total number of deaths across the uk, to 67,075. nicola sturgeon has announced tighter festive restrictions for scotland, reducing a five—day window for mixing with other households indoors to just christmas day itself. let‘s hear what scotland‘s first minister had to say earlier. in order to reduce the risk of more of this strain being imported into scotland, we intend to maintain a strict travel ban between scotland and the rest of the uk. unfortunately, and i am genuinely sorry about this, that ban will remain in place right throughout the festive period. we simply cannot risk more of this new

for the latest news from the uk and across the globe. britain's prime minister boris johnson and european commission president ursuala van der leyen will seek to break the deadlock over a post—brexit trade deal. negotiators for the two sides called in the two leaders after saying "significa nt divergences" remained following a week of intensive talks. most of the deal has been completed but key sticking points remain.these include fishing rights, the rules governing state subsidies for business and how the agreement is policed. time is running out to get a deal through before the uk leaves eu trading rules on december 31st. here's the eu chief negotiator michel barnier speaking this morning on his way back to brussels. good morning, monsieur barnier. hello, how are you? what will you be saying to president von der leyen? good morning. we keep calm, as always, and if there is still a way, we will see, huh? thank you. au revoir. is all hope of a deal lost, mr barnier? if there is still a way we will see, huh? au revoir. thank you. safe t

we begin here in the uk. the uk prime minister borisjohnson has chaired a meeting to look at the uk's contingency plans, in the event that a deal can't be reached in post—brexit trade talks. trade negotiations with the eu — which are currently stuck in stalemate — are expected to end tomorrow. the sunday deadline was set by mrjohnson and european commission president ursula von der leyen after the pair met in brussels during the week, after months of talks failed to achieve an agreement. mrjohnson said the eu needed to make a "big change" over the main sticking points on fishing rights and business competition rules. while mrs von der leyen said no deal was the most probable end to "difficult" talks. the ministry of defence has also confirmed that four royal navy ships are on standby to protect british fishing waters if no agreement is in place when the transition period ends on the 31st of december. here's our political correspondent, jonathan blake. in downing street yesterday, the prime minister chai

the european commission is negotiating on their behalf against the uk or set me with the uk. lots of different priorities of different countries. at the core that is the idea of britain signing up or saying it will honour competition rules which underpin the whole european project, the single market. if you talk to people in every capital in the eu can enable say we are not simply going to give up our position, we are not going to give the british and unfair trading advantage in the future just to make the brexit problem go away. that is the brexit problem go away. that is the difficulty. you have the idea of sovereignty on behalf of boris johnson, the fact the uk is independent. he says the eu is not willing to recognise this fact. come on, you have to sign up to these principles trying to resolve the very different perspectives at this point is tricky. the time to do it is, we are at that point, aren't we? thank you very much indeed. another busy day in brussels. president trump has again falsely insisted that he won the us presidential election. he was speaking at a rally

simonjones reports address the uk's growing isolation. simon jones reports from address the uk's growing isolation. simonjones reports from dover. an unprecedented closure of the french borderfelt in dover, banning lorry drivers and passengers from crossing to france from anywhere in the uk for 48 hours with fears about the new strain of coronavirus. some british hauliers abandoned their crossings. i'm lucky enough, i've made it back to the yard and i only live 20 minutes away so i will be able to get home for christmas but a lot of these people sitting on the m20 will not get home for christmas. this is a hugely busy time for the port of dover in the run—up to christmas, normally 10,000 lorries would pass through here each day. some drivers are turning up trying to get in but are being sent away. for foreign lorry drivers and there was no immediate option to go home and this is set to be the reality of the next two days for them, stuck in operation stack were part of the m20 becomes a giant lorry park. that french national road haulage

into uk and back again. they have also announced that one of their contingency plans for the next year, basically, fishing rights continue as now, and that is the eu's contingency plan for fishing. so, ithink the eu's contingency plan for fishing. so, i think what we are seeing is the uk government laying down a marker, that might be the eu contingency plan for fishing but it is setting up the uk contingency plan forfishing. is setting up the uk contingency plan for fishing. 0h, is setting up the uk contingency plan for fishing. oh, dear, accidents have a habit of happening, don't they? thank you very much for being with us this afternoon. i have a feeling we will beat talking again and too distant future. always around, though i have got to do my christmas cards. we could have tossed a few to david frost his way on his behalf, if he is not doing something else this afternoon. thank you. let's take a look at some of the latest news on coronavirus. community testing programmes are to be rolled out in 67 counc

they worry about uk competition. they hope to bind the uk and a kind of common rule book like on government subsidies. the uk want to be competitive, doesn't is on a tight hands and wants to hold onto as much sovereignty as possible. this is a deal still possible, yes, but is it definite, no. 0ne deal still possible, yes, but is it definite, no. one thing is definite and that neither side will sign up toa and that neither side will sign up to a deal unless they believe they can sell it back home as a victory. the us president—electjoe biden has called for urgent bipartisan agreement in congress to help people who have lost theirjobs as a result of the coronavirus pandemic. 2.3 million more people have become long—term unemployed over the past three months. in a passionate speech, mr biden said americans need help now, especially as many covid emergency measures are set to expire at the end of the year. the folks are there aren't looking for a hand—out, they just the folks are there aren't looking for a hand—o

it is a strong hand for the uk, fishing. lots of european boats come into british waters, fish in our seas and plenty of british fishermen think that is unfair. but on the eu side, they don't want to lose everything they have had for the last generation. the uk side won something to show for brexit as far as fishing is concerned. can an arrangement be arrived at or a compromise be arrived at without both sides say it has been a sell out? it is a sticking point. governance, if any deal is done, how it is managed to make sure both sides stick to it. on this business ofa sides stick to it. on this business of a level playing field, one of these glorious bits of brexit gibberish, really. sufficient gibberish, really. sufficient gibberish that michel barnier on a previous trip went to a playing field in london to stand between the goalposts to talk about level playing field. this is about competition and it really matters. the uk leaving the european union is about being governed by its own laws rather than eu laws. the eu is kee

the future of the uk is bound to be a talking point, the cohesiveness and unity of the uk. damien, thank you. and now took coronavirus and the huge impact that is having. another 6 million people in the uk will be facing tougher restrictions from boxing day, as a large chunk of the south and east of england moves to tier 4 restrictions. the health secretary, matt hancock said it was because the current tier 3 wasn't enough to contain a faster—spreading variant of the virus. councillor keith glazier is the leader of east sussex council. how are you affected by the changes? parts of east sussex since last saturday, from boxing day on, the rest of the whole of east sussex and most of the south coast goes into tier 4. at this time, it really is asa tier 4. at this time, it really is as a result of the breathing rate of infection over the recent weeks. many of you will know, we were one of the lowest counties in the country and something has changed and all ofa country and something has changed and all of a sudden, this virus is getting out of control. it's important we all ge

because, if you think of the uk and the eu being like this in terms of standards, the uk says, "we're not going to do this but if you do this, for example, lower the average working week, we are not prepared to move or be threatened with tariffs if we don't do the same thing". to them, that is not only unacceptable, it's almost humiliating. that is not sovereignty. other people would say this idea of sovereignty is an illusion. even in the world trade organization, if you don't play by the rules, you get tariffs. witness the ding—dong between airbus and boeing. when a government does whatever it wants, there are sanctions applied. former chancellor, george osborne, wrote in the evening standard newspaper, the remain argument, you end up taking the rules of the eu without having any say in how they are set. for pragmatic reasons, if you want to trade with the eu, you have got to have a level of alignment. if you play on someone's pitch, you need to know which rules you are playing by. the argument rests on which rules we're playing by, what happens if we disagree and who monitors it.

i think that is exactly what most of us in the uk thought. that is that the fda's way of doing things, they are doing it as quickly as is right for them and the uk process has been able in these special circumstances to move more rapidly. not because of brexit, not because we're out of the eu, but simply because of the particular circumstances that we face now. and i think that this pandemic has amplified so many things, both good and bad. professor evans giving his reaction. the furore over dr fauci's comments comes as the first doses of the newly—approved pfizer vaccine have arrived in the uk. they've been taken to a secret location from where they'll be distributed to hospitals across the country over the next few days. the first phase of the roll—out programme is expected to begin on tuesday. the total number of britons who have died with the virus has now passed 60,000. here's our health editor, hugh pym. he was the soulmate to my grandmother, he was my best friend. he put a smile on anyone's faces he met and he brought sunshine on t

i think it is very clear what the uk is talking about. let us see what we can achieve, but in the meantime, get ready, with confidence forjanuary the 1st, trade on wto terms of we have to do. if you listened just to ursula von der leyen and her statement to you would think that no deal was slightly less likely, is that a fair reading, she was a bit more optimistic? look, if she is optimistic, then that is great! because, you know, as far as ican see, great! because, you know, as far as i can see, there are some serious and very difficult issues that currently separate the uk from the eu and the best thing to do now for everybody is to follow up all the work that has been done over the last four and a half years, a colossal amount of preparation at our ports, everywhere across the uk, get ready to trade on wto terms, there is a clarity and simplicity in that approach that has its own advantages. it is not where we want to get to, but if we have to end up with that solution, the uk is more than prepared. the bottom line is, you will not say

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 rejects that, and this does go beyond other trade deals that the eu has struck with canada and with japan. but the eu has itsjustification. one mep puts it this way. it would be economic suicide for the european union to basically undermine, not one of its pillars, but one of its foundations, the single market. the point being, if a trade deal is done but the uk has different rules, potentia

liz truss said it is a sign the uk is re—emerging as a sign the uk is re—emerging as a fully independent nation and a fully independent nation and a majorforce in global trade stop the press release that went on to say the fda will provide opportunities for companies on both sides with certainty and clarity in trading arrangements. in essence, it is really no difference to the eu — singapore trade agreement already in place. singapore cou nts already in place. singapore counts britain as its third largest trading partner for goods, and second—largest for services, and its top investment destination in europe. total bilateral trade between those two countries came in at about $13.9 million does million in 2019. so things ina does million in 2019. so things in a whole slew of sectors including electronics, motor vehicles, parts for pharmaceutical products, medical devices, it's a very long list! some 84% of exports entering britain will continue to be duty—free while the fda is in place, so it won't be tariff free for you, from dumplings and some of those spicy, crispy anchovies, but

these are the latest headlines in the uk and around the world. a bill to implement the brexit deal has passed through parliament and takes effect at 11 o'clock gmt tonight, when the uk will stop following eu rules. millions more people in england wake up to the strictest level of restrictions — tier 4 — meaning they will have to mark the new year at home. the pandemic is also casting its shadow over new year's eve celebrations in europe — france is mobilising 100,000 police officers to enforce anti—coronavirus measures. some secondary school pupils in england face a delayed return to school, with mandatory remote learning for pupils who aren't in years 11 or 13. it comes ahead of a government roll—out of mass testing. on monday of next week, all secondary schools are going to be getting a drop of tests, all the equipment they of tests, all the equipment need, all the ppe they formula 1 world champion, lewis hamilton receives a knighthood in the queen's new year's honours, alongside members of the public recognised for their efforts this

this means that we release them, and then they are shipped to the uk. will be coming to the uk. the chief executive of nhs providers chris hopson, explained some of the logistical difficulties in distributing the virus —— distributing the vaccine. the problem here is that it needs to be transported, as sean was saying, at —70. think of a large pizza box, that's the way we are describing it. that's got to be stored in a fridge at —70. to be frank, the only way you can really do that at the moment is to store them in the hospital hubs. you can only move them four times, and you have to ensure that the two doses are administered three weeks apart, so it's quite complex. so what we're going to be doing is, hospitals at the moment are talking to care home providers to say, how can we get your staff to come into those hospital hubs so we can inject them. we are identifying in hospitals how many over 80s do we have either currently receiving treatment inside a hospital. all people who are coming in for outpatient appointments. meanwhile the supply chain needed to distribute the

but the uk has accused the eu of making last—minute demands. we want the eu to recognise that the uk is a sovereign and independent nation, and it is on the basis of that that a deal will be done. it is tricky but we are working hard. david frost and his team are working incredibly hard on this — in good faith — so let's see where we get to. hopes of a deal had been rising. the two chief negotiators from both sides have been inside this building all week, and talks have been more intense than at any other time this year. yesterday, though, the uk side said the prospect of an agreement was receding. crucially, though, no one is walking away. the sandwich deliveries and late—night takeaways keep coming, but the uk says talks are in a difficult phase. one big sticking point is state aid. for example, if the uk government wants to give financial help to tech firms, will it need permission from the eu? would there be a punishment if it went ahead anyway? this is all about businesses on one side not having an unfair over their competitors — t

but whatever terms the uk ended up with... i have absolutely no doubt that, from january the first, this country is going to prosper mightily, mr speaker. the labour leader, sir keir starmer, was taking part via video link, self—isolating after a staff member tested positive for covid—19. he is absolutely stuck, this is the truth of it. he's absolutely stuck and dithering between the deal he knows that we need, and the compromise he knows his back benchers won't let him do. mr speaker, i genuinely hope this is the usual prime minister's bluster and, that like one of his newspaper columns, a deal arrives at the last minute. i think it's a bit much of the leader of the opposition to criticise the government for the failure to come up with a policy on brexit, when he can't even — and a bit much for him to attack those consequences of coming out on australian terms — when he can't even say whether he would vote for that deal, yes or no. mr speaker, the prime minister asked me how i'll vote on a deal that he hasn't even sec