Transcripts For BBCNEWS BBC News 20171208

Well discuss with a minister and a panel of experts. Good evening and welcome to bbc news. Stage one is done, next stop the beginning of talks about the uks future relationship with the eu, including trade. After through the night negotiations, a deal was struck first thing this morning between the uk and the eu on key areas including the irish border and the divorce bill which downing street says will amount to between 55 39 billion. Now, the uk can at last move on to the next stage of talks. But the head of the European Council sounded a warning so much time has been devoted to the easier part of the negotiations, he said, now comes the hard part. Our Political Editor Laura Kuenssberg has more. While most of us slept, when hardly a soul was stirring, the residents of downing street were up. Late night calls. Then, at ii 07am, onto the plane. Theresa may, travelling. While Jean Claude Juncker was pacing, waiting, in so many ways, for the uk. And then, touchdown. Ready . Ready if you are. Taking their places for the moment, after three days of cajoling, compromise and criticism. Good morning it was a good morning for theresa may. A deal to pave the way to brexit round two, the jargon she had longed to hear. Sufficient progress has now been made on the strict terms of the divorce. This was a difficult negotiation for the european union, as well as for the united kingdom. After breakdown on monday, blocked by her allies at home, a huge weight off the governments stressed shoulders. I very much welcome the prospect of moving ahead to the next phase, to talk about trade and security, and to discuss the positive and ambitious future relationship. Are you going to be celebrating, mr barnier . No. Cracking open the champagne . Were still working, no. Still more work to do, 0k. No celebrations for either side. No champagne. For the negotiation, we have to bring water. Water. There have been many compromises, and more to come. The agreement implies it will cost between 55 59 billion to settle our accounts as we leave. There is no finalfigure, and it could be more, but paid over many years. Both sides say brits who live elsewhere in the eu, and european citizens who live here, will have their rights protected. And, crucially for tory backbenchers, the role of the European Court will be limited. There is a promise there will be no hard border in ireland between north and south, a vow their rules and regulations will be aligned if there is no big trade deal. And a time limited transition period as we leave. Were not making any comment, thank you. But what about the dup, who had so embarrassed the Prime Minister on monday . She needs their votes in parliament, and this week they squeezed some concessions. But in the early hours, theresa may made the decision to crack on, even though they werent quite sure. There are Still Matters we would have liked to have seen clarified. We ran out of time, essentially. We think that we needed to go back again and talk about those matters, but the Prime Minister has decided to go to brussels in relation to this text, and she says she has done that in the national interest. The leader of the opposition, speaking at the un today, was even less impressed. This could have been done some time ago. The referendum took place in 2016. Were now right at the end of 2017, this is the first time there has been any sign of any movement to go on to phase two. But tory relief washed over social media, the cabinet falling over themselves to praise their boss, and notable by their absence, most tory brexiteers. The ultimate arbiter, put that in your pipe and smoke it. The real criticism, from this man. Remember him . Amazing, isnt it . The british Prime Ministerflies through the middle of the night to meet unelected bureaucrats who pat her on the head, they say you have met our demands, made sufficient progress and can move to the next stage. The whole thing is a humiliation. As one of the brussels brokers was keen to point out, reaching the next deal to shake on will be harder still. Let us remember, the most difficult challenge is still ahead. We all know that breaking up is hard. But breaking up and building a new relation is much harder. But round here, there is no jubilation, more like thank goodness, because these negotiations are intertwined with the Prime Ministers fate. The talks stumble, so does she. The talks muddle through, and so does she. Had there not been this deal at dawn, there would have been serious rumblings about theresa mays future. With progress comes breathing space, but there is compromise, plenty of it. And with that comes winners and losers, and no real guarantees. Getting this far and keeping the peace has strained this street already. The tory divisions have not disappeared. But agreeing anything has been an achievement. For tonight at least, a little goodwill. Israel has carried out air strikes against targets in gaza, injuring ten people, after Palestinian Militants fired a rocket into israeli territory. Two palestinians have been killed in clashes with Israeli Security forces during a second day of protests in the west bank and gaza against Donald Trumps decision to recognisejerusalem as israels capital our middle east editorjeremy bowen reports from jerusalem. Palestinian protesters confronted Israeli Security forces on the roads leading into all the big towns on the west bank. Plenty of people had warned that us recognition ofjerusalem as israels capital would lead to bloodshed. It has. Casualties, dead, and many wounded, across gaza and the west bank. Thats the land palestinians want for a state, with a capital in east jerusalem. This is our land. Palestinian, all palestinian is our land. Mr trump, you are wrong. Most israelis are delighted President Trump has accepted their reality. He said, we are steadfast here, eternally here since ancient times. This city was given tojews 3000 years ago. We are the continuation and the us has recognised that. But the golden dome behind him is part of the third holiest place in the world for muslims. And a few hundred yards away, several thousand palestinians were going home after the noon prayer. The reality of this city is that many palestinians live here. Life can be hard for them. Salehs home has been demolished twice this year by the israeli authorities. They give palestinians very few building permits, while constructing thousands of homes for the jews. I born in this land, and my father and my grandfather. And i will die in this place. I will not leave it, not for israel, not forjews, and not for the united states. Palestinian areas of jerusalem were quieter after friday prayers than many expected. Whenever a crowd formed, mostly of onlookers rather than protesters, the police broke it up. Mr trumps declaration is a big challenge for the Palestinian National movement. It will turn into a big defeat for it as well if the palestinians arent able to organise a coherent challenge to whats happened, and to build on all the International Criticism there has been. Israel feels on the up. Its been given american president ial recognition in this city, without mention of occupation and without, so far, a single concession in return. Jeremy bowen, bbc news, jerusalem. At least 14 United Nations peacekeepers have been killed and more than 50 injured in an attack on their base in the democratic republic of congo. The un said the peacekeepers were from tanzania. Five congolese soldiers were also killed. The attack took place in north kivu province in the east of the country, where several rival militia groups are fighting for control. A state of emergency has been declared in california where wildfires have been raging for five days destroying hundreds of homes. Over 5,000 firefighters have been battling the blazes which stretch from los angeles up to Santa Barbara county. Snow beautiful isnt it . But snow and wintry weather have caused disruption across many parts of the uk with power cuts, School Closures and icy conditions on the roads. The met office says snow showers have been affecting parts of scotland, Northern Ireland and Northern England and its warning of more snow and ice to come this weekend. Judith moritz reports. Shropshire saw snow from early on, the roads treacherous before morning rush hour. Sledges were an option for some but few commuters went anywhere quickly. It was the same story on the isle of man, the whole island succumbed to the snow. Flights were delayed, medical appointments cancelled and all of its schools were closed. In wales there have been problems on the roads. This view of the a5 was filmed by the passenger in one car. This bus in denbighshire struggled to get up the hill, and eventually gave up, even if its name had seemed apt for the freezing weather conditions. With lessons cancelled, many children in wales are having a long weekend. This school in flintshire took an early decision to close this morning. 0thers sent pupils home during the course of the day. In total, nearly 200 schools across wales shut because of the snow. In scotland, schools were closed in 0rkney, shetland, aberdeenshire and the highlands. Hundreds of homes were without power. In Northern Ireland, this School Stayed open but there was travel disruption elsewhere. And there is more to come across the uk, with heavy skies promising further snow this weekend. Newsday is coming up at midnight now on bbc news its time for newsnight with kirsty wark. Getting to this point has required give and take on both sides. The deal weve struck will guarantee the rights of more than 3 million eu citizens living in the uk and of a million uk citizens living in the eu. After some tough conversations, weve now agreed a settlement that is fair to the british taxpayer. It means that in future well be able to invest more in our priorities at home. In Northern Ireland, we will guarantee there will be no hard border and we will uphold the belfast agreement. And in doing so, we will continue to observe the constitutional and economic integrity of the united kingdom. Theresa pulls it off in the early hours of this morning, the Prime Minister made a dash to brussels and sealed a deal on phase one. But was there a lot more give than take . And has she just parked the Northern Ireland problem in the long stay car park . We ask one keen brexiteer. Weve opened up the negotiations to talk about that future partnership deal, and the win win of that deal on trade and Security Cooperation and all those other things is within sight. So i think it vindicates the Prime Ministers approach. I listened to michael gove and Boris Johnson today, and thought, were we on the same side . i simply couldnt believe it. I will say this to you i think within the next 48 hours, you will hear a lot more conservative voices who perhaps kept quiet this morning saying, actually, theyre not happy with whats happened today. But does the hard work start here . The battle lines have been drawn for phase two, then. The eus demand for a level playing field, and the trend towards a softer brexit anyway, will leave many brexiteers asking, what was the point of this . Well be discussing with our panel whether this is all just, as david davis says, constructive ambiguity, and does it bode ill or well for thrashing out a trade deal . Good evening. If the government wanted to inject some drama and excitement into the brexit story, which some might argue was badly needed, then they certainly managed it with theresa may making a pre dawn flight from raf northolt across the channel this morning with the latest version of the uks position. It would only have been bettered if shed actually piloted the plane herself. But as to the actual substance . A deal on eu citizens rights, a divorce settlement of 35 40 billion euros, a date for the end of the jurisdiction of the European Court ofjustice, and a bit of finagling over Northern Ireland but the actual promise there would not be a hard border between Northern Ireland