Called across the country. Into monday, we have largely dry conditions, sparkling winter sunshine. Some wintry showers for exposed coasts. But it will be a cold day. 3 six degrees at best. It will essentially stayed chilly as we go on through the rest of the week. The latest headlines from bbc news. At least 35 people have been killed in a gun attack on a crowded nightclub in istanbul. Another a0 have been wounded. Up to 600 people are thought to have been inside the reina club when the shooting happened. The citys governor has called it a terrorist attack. The United NationsSecurity Council has unanimously welcomed efforts by russia and turkey to stop fighting in syria and says it supports the start of a political process. Peace negotiations are due to begin next month in kazakhstan which have the backing of russia, iran and turkey. Now on bbc news, its time to look forward to 2017 with dateline london. Hello, and welcome to dateline londons look ahead to 2017. What a joyful year its going to be. Britain will move calmly towards brexit, the European Union will solve all its problems with migration, unemployment and insolvent banks, donald trump will begin a glorious four years as president , The Middle East will finally be at peace, and we can all dream. Back in the real world, lets hear what our expert panel think. Im joined by Stryker Mcguire of bloomberg markets, Abdel Bari Atwan who is a writer and broadcaster on arab affairs, Agnes Poirier of marianne, and Steve Richards who is a british political commentator. Britain first, to coin a phrase, and we can all predict that article 50 will indeed be invoked by march, beginning the formal process of leaving the European Union. But where will brexit, and indeed the eu, be by the end of 2017 . With political change in france and italy, and possibly in germany too. What do we think is going to happen . I think 2017 will be much more difficult than this artificial period weve been living through prior to the triggering of article 50. All kinds of things have been read into what has happened since the referendum. The uk economy has been better than expected. We havent triggered this thing yet. And so far, the focus has been on the british position. What is theresa mays plan . Again, completely artificial. In 2017, we are going to get real, because we will hear the European Union position as well. And when that becomes clear, i think the dynamic of the internal politics of the conservative party, the position of other mps in the house of commons, scotland, will become 100 times more complicated than the position at the end of 2016. So i think brexit in 2017 is going to become very, very difficult for theresa may in particular, and the government as a whole. Thats something to look forward to. Can i make a prediction about 2017, which i rarely do, which is that brexit will be top of the news agenda in britain, and all across europe it wont be. It will be one of the things, but the French Election will be top of the agenda. Of course. The german election in germany, the italian banks disaster. It might come a close second, i think, after all the elections taking place in germany, italy and france. But i agree with steve, i think 2016 might have been the honeymoon for brexit. Really . Yes. Hell will break loose in 2017, just because its going to become real from the end of march, when the famous article 50 is triggered. Because, so far, weve been discussing brexit, but just discussing it to say theres nothing to discuss. Predictions in 2016, except 2017 is the real thing. However, im not sure that the shock of reality will do much for the tories, or for theresa may, the british prime minister. Would you agree that the core of this is notjust what Political Uncertainty there may be in britain about scotland, and how you deal with that . But the Political Uncertainty in europe is vast, and that the eu itself, never mind brexit, the eu in a years time could be a very different beast . Well, no, thats for sure. 0n the other hand, the devil is in the detail. If you start looking, which i have done, i urge everyone to look into the details of trade deals. Its the stuff of nightmare. Can we wait til after christmas . Laughter we can. Its the stuff of nightmares. This is what Civil Servants will do throughout europe and britain, pulling their hair. Because the eu has to approve every single change of quarter that britain is going to do. It looks to me very possible that in two years time, britain will have no trade deal or agreement with the eu, and they will be somewhere in the wilderness. Some people think thats actually certain, because you cant negotiate a trade deal with the eu when you are a member of the eu, so you have to be out of it, and it will take two years to get out. You can start negotiating a sort of road map, or you can start talks behind closed doors. Everythings possible in diplomacy, i suppose. Where do you think we are going to be on brexit in a years time, or throughout this next year . Ijust think its going to get worse. We are, as steve says, we are in this strange period of complacency, even smugness, on the part of brexiteers, who justifiably point out that many of the remainers economic arguments or predictions before june 23rd didnt come to pass. Which is true, but dont let that deceive you, it will kick in. We are in this weird period now. You even hear it anecdotally, people saying, this is going to be a good christmas but then well have to start tightening our belts. And we are going to get inflation, growth is going to slow. Is it going to go into recession at some point, who knows . Bari . I believe 2017 will be the year of the preparation the divorce, and i believe it will be a very painful divorce between europe and the uk. Thats how i see it. For both sides . Yes. The lawyers will come, and it will be very, argument and counterargument. It wouldnt be an easy landing for theresa may. It will be a very, very hard time ahead. The people who actually initiated or supported brexit disappeared. We dont see them any more talking or arguing. So, i think britain will face huge difficulties to get any sort of privileges from europe in the coming two years. I think free trade, Which Britain is looking for, the deal they are hoping for to compensate for the losses of brexit, i think it will be extremely difficult for them. Europe are looking for a quick exit of the uk from the eu. Isnt the counterargument to you Gloom Mongers that at some Point Reality will indeed set in, and youve got to make it work . Britain isnt going to be towed out into the atlantic, europe isnt going to go away, well still want to trade with each other, so somehow weve got to reach a deal. Yeah. And there is another argument which is that the crisis will not be in the uk, but will be in the rest of the European Union. With the Security Threat which became a huge issue again at the end of 2016, the elections in other countries which means that theresa may. Theres no point for example theresa may negotiating with president hollande, we know he will not be there. The italian banks. So it could be that there is a sort of wider Identity Crisis for the European Union, which overrides britain, which will be seen as ahead of the times in getting out of an imploding institution. I think that is unlikely in the sense that in the uk we are always predicting that the European Union in one form or another is about to implode. The euro cant survive, so far it has, and so on. So i think its unlikely, but its possible that the big crisis of 2017 is within the European Union, and Britain Isjust getting on with it on the sidelines, which is a safer place to be. I think its more likely that the negotiations will be a dominant theme, certainly in britain, and its going to be tough. Yeah, and can we add to shift the focus to britain, i think domestically in britain, i see the Brexit Inquisition worsening. Because, ive seen it in britain, brexit has separated families. Children and parents and grandparents. Its the first time ive seen this, and ive been in britain for 20 years. Also, there is this whose side are you on . If you dont share my brexit conviction you are therefore against me. Thats what i call Brexit Inquisition, and i think its going to get worse. Its not going to be very good for the british people. Thats what happened in scotland as well. A referendum that was meant to solve and resolve an issue, divided families, friends, and didnt resolve it. At new years parties you had to be very careful what you said to your friends and relatives lets move on. Donald trump inherits the presidency of the United States, and also a nation in which more voters voted against him thanfor him. A nation divided geographically, politically, culturally between red and blue states. Can he pull america together in 2017 . Will he surprise us by using his Entry Level Position in politics to, as he puts it, make America Great again . This is the year, 2017, when the slogans have to become reality, or not, presumably. Well, the answer to all those questions is probably no. But, having said that, you cant make anything great ina year. When did america cease being great, is one of the questions i had throughout 2016. How long is this programme . lets stick to 2017. You cant unite a country in a year, either. What probably will happen, which is going to appall people who are appalled by trump, is that for a short period of time, hes going to pour a lot of money into the country. Its going to be at a huge cost later on, but hes going to cut taxes, and hes going to pour 1 trillion at least into infrastructure. Which needs it. Of course it needs it. We see this in other countries as well. So there could be this sort of bubble, and that is going to, again, that will not heal the divisions, however. The people on the other side will say, yes, but what is going to happen in the future . It will be a tricky time. People outside of the United States are really waiting for him to fail. And they are appalled by what is going on. Somebody was telling me yesterday, it looks like kazakhstan, where you have the president installing his relatives, and his daughter moving into where the first lady used to be, and so on. Billionaires on the cabinet, where theres never been a billionaire. I thought that was quite striking that theres never been a billionaire on a us cabinet. Not that that means anything, but its interesting. How do you think 2017 could shape up . There are those who think both houses of congress are republican, theres a chance to make a difference on the supreme court, and youve got a republican president. Youve got two years, because thats the next mid term elections. Two years to prove that republicans running everything can do so to make America Great again, whatever that means. Well, great again, i mean, great again is one thing. I agree with you that there might be a temporary economic relief, just because hes going to inject so much money. Now, great again . I think 2016 showed that we all look up to america in some way. Weve done that for 200 years, probably. And, this was the end of something great. So for trump, i dont think trump will make America Great again. I think great to some people implies the role of a superpower. Greatness if anything, the United States is turning inwards. Look at enemies who have been made already. Hes not even in office. China, for example. Absolutely. Just china how is 2017 being seen in The Middle East in reference to donald trump, what difference will he make . I have a cynical feeling that donald trump could create another sheikdom in the United States, to be honest. Because if you look at his cabinet, it is either generals or ex generals, and billionaires or businessmen. Typical middle eastern formula. Laughter is that a good thing, bari . We need just the headgear, thats all seriously. He has headgear already different headgear the problem is, we are extremely confused in The Middle East. Who is this man . What is he going to do . He signalled to the left and turned to the right. We dont know actually what his intention is. He said he wants to make America Great, but he is, if you look at him, he is supporting or following Vladimir Putins policies on The Middle East and other parts of the world. So where is that independent american president here . This is whats worrying me. The other thing is, i believe this mans Foreign Policy in particular could be based on business deals, not political deals. He will look at things from the eyes of a businessman, a billionaire, not from the eyes of ordinary people. This is extremely dangerous. About the rift in the United States, i believe this rift will widen, i dont believe it will shrink, next year or the year after. I think we are dealing with absolutely new phenomena in international politics. I am worried, i am worried because i cannot predict. Ok, The Middle East is the most unpredictable area in the world, but also, now, america is an unpredictable quantity. What is he going to do with china, to phone the taiwanese president and talk to him, even before he took office . This is a sign of war. This is warmongering, to be honest. Is his policy like that . I dont know. Its interesting how tentative everybody is about this, we cant be certain about anything in 2017, but we are all very tentative about what a Trump Presidency might mean. All the american commentators are very tentative too. Yeah, but i think what is interesting is the only policy he mentioned when he made his Brief Victory Statement the following day after he was elected, was this focus on capital spending. It was the one Policy Element he included in the speech. This is fascinating on lots of levels. 0ne, if its true, if he does it, he will be much more keynesian than the former Shadow Chancellor here, now britains best known dancer, ed balls. In property, he knows about debt financing, doesnt he . Thats been his track record. So that will be fascinating. The other thing is, you mention this is an all republican ticket in washington, but a lot of the republicans in washington are small state, small government republicans. Here is a President Planning to spend big. Although i think there could be tensions within the republican elite so called, at a point of their total dominance. I think the other areas are completely uncertain, this is just very interesting. As you say, they certainly need that investment, as the uk does. He intends, it seems, to do it. Whether he will or not is an interesting question. Its a funny kind of conservatism, isnt it . Its not conservatism as anyone would understand it. Progressive economists have for years been saying we need stimulus, we need stimulus, we need stimulus. Now, people like paul krugman are saying, well, yes, trump is talking about stimulus, but its the wrong kind. That its not going to translate into stimulus, because tax breaks to really, really wealthy people, that doesnt mean theyre going to spend more, it means theyre going to save more, which doesnt help. But you know, Marine Le Pens economic policies is exactly like trumps. Its about big infrastructure investment. Its keynesian, but its also national socialist. But thats why many working people in france will vote for Marine Le Pen, and its also why people like Marine Le Pen, donald trump and others, ukip in this country, have broken the mould of politics. Of course, because the left has stopped doing it. So, somebodys taking the flag of keynesian policies. Its a strange combination. When trump was elected, some people said, hes going to be muzzled by wise advisers. Dream on. This is not going to happen. Lets come to a wise adviser. Laughter in 2017, bari, The Middle East we touched on, but specifically, weve seen the fall of aleppo in 2016. In 2017, is the war in syria going to be over, do you think . Well, i think it wouldnt be over. There will be a new baton of war. Definitely assad is there to stay. The talk about removing him from power is eroding completely now. Turkey, which is a major player in The Middle East, now is actually drifting towards russia. And also towards assad in the later stages. They realised that they were wrong in the last six years, fighting, or concentrating on toppling assad, and it didnt work. So, i can see some sort of formula coming this year, 2017. Yesterday, there was a meeting between the three Foreign Ministers of turkey, russia and iran. They are working on some sort of formula. This formula is to create a new momentum for negotiations between the Syrian Regime and the opposition. So, we can see some sort of stability here. But the problem is, Islamic State, that major danger, is still there. The war against mosul, to remove them out completely from mosul, did not succeed yet. There are huge casualties. There is also raqqa, which is still in syria, and there are plans to evacuate to root out Islamic State from it. Until now, there are no concrete plans to attack them, simply because they proved to be a very, very hard nut to crack. Weve got a few minutes left, maybe time for some predictions. British domestic politics. Will there be a general election in 2017 . Prediction there wont be a general election, theresa may hasnt got a cause to justify a general election, because parliament will vote to trigger article 50. So, she said there wont be, and what she says tends to be pretty close to what she does, so there wont be a general election. And it will be a year dominated, as ever, by europe, and its impact on the internal politics both of the governing conservative party, and indeed the confused opposition labour party. Her difficulty is shes not ever going to please everybody. There are those who dont want brexit to happen, there are some who want brexit to happen tomorrow, and to be a particular type of brexit. Whatever deal she comes up with, she cant keep everybody happy, its just not possible. Its going to be very difficult for her. I had some sympathy for her, because she has inherited an impossible position, whereby exactly that. And its notjust that she cant deliver for the remainers or the brexiteers, but there are different forms of brexit amongst the brexiteers. By definition she cant please all of them. So its going to be very difficult. Because in the uk, europe is such an emotive issue, mps are feeling neurotic and highly charged, a lot of the brexit mps fear this dream theyve had will be somehow stolen from them during 2017 or beyond. And equally, there are remainers who are so convinced this is heading towards a cliff edge, they wonder why she wont stop it. And somehow shes got to deal with this, and it will be very difficult. And in france, how about Francois Fillon becoming President Of The Republic . Its a guess. Probably, yes. But the important thing here is not Francois Fillon, but that Marine Le Pen is not going to become president. This is a prediction and a hope. Or perhaps a hope first and a prediction, because we know we cant make predictions any more and its also, i think, the end of the french left, a bit like what happens in the uk. I predict, whoever it is, the french left candidate will clock less than 10 on the first round. I think they are in the wilderness for the next generation. Thats true pretty much across western europe, is it not to the centre left . It is, yes. Prediction . Now, i dont know where youre going to go with this laughter im just going to cough and pass it back itll be an interesting year. What we learned this year is to expect the worst, and hope for the best. Next year its going to be the same thing all over again. In the United States, people are going tojust be amazed, i think, over and over again by whats happening in washington. Outside of the United States, people are going to be looking at whats going on, and they are going to be astounded overand overagain. Its going to be unpredictable, as you said, bari. That unpredictability is where we are these days. Maybe one thing one can predict is that america has thrived, despite rather than because of anybody in the white house for 200 years. In other words, there is a genius within the american people, 300 million of them, to get things done. Fairenough . Well. Its not irrelevant, whos running the country, im not suggesting that. Of course. And, at some point, whatever people feel is wrong now, may well be righted in part down the road. I think we are looking well beyond 2017 for that to happen. Its not going to fall apart in 2017. California is not going to secede no, although there is a movement to do so laughter we will watch that movement. Prediction, bari . Gavin, i cannot give you an optimistic prediction when it comes to The Middle East, unfortunately. It is a very, very hard year. I believe the bloodshed could continue. Now russia has the upper hand in that part of the world, western influence is shrinking. I believe, personally, that Islamic State, isis, will go underground. Unfortunately it is like a wounded tiger, now. They are hitting here, hitting there. They could actually try to prove they are still Alive And Kicking by carrying out a lot of terrorist attacks, probably in The Middle East itself, but also in europe. It is a very, very frightening year, when it comes to The Middle East. The problem is it will flow to the sides of The Middle East. It is difficult to tell. But at least in syria there is some progress, here. It could be we see less bloodshed in syria in 2017. But, as i said, Islamic State is a monster, a huge monster. They managed for the last two or three years to recruit a lot of people. We can see what happened in germany, they declared responsibility for the attack on the christmas market, and also they declared responsibility for other atrocities. It seems, unfortunately, we will see a lot of Terrorist Acts somewhere in europe, but also in The Middle East. It is sad to say that, but this is what we can see, 0k, what i can see in my crystal ball. 0k. Well, in that case, i think we will leave 2016 behind and hope for a better 2017. Thats it for dateline londons look ahead to 2017. You can contact the programme on twitter gavinesler, and you can argue with our guests, if thats the way you want to go. We are back next week at the same time, please make a date with dateline london. Goodbye, and happy new year. Hello and happy new year. Rain sinking south has made it a soggy start to 2017. The weather continues to journey southwards and eastwards as we go through the estate. 0n the back edge, we may start to develop sleet and wet snow over high ground and that is because of very cold and digging infrom and that is because of very cold and digging in from the north. Certainly wintry showers here and there. Temperatures in aberdeen five degrees and still nine in london. Through the night and into the early hours of monday, we finally pushed the Weather Front a way so it will dry up. Still wintry showers into northern and eastern coasts, blown in on northern and eastern coasts, blown inona northern and eastern coasts, blown in on a strong wind and it will be at this stage cold across the country. Into monday, we will see largely dry conditions, sparkling winter sunshine, some wintry showers are exposed coastal areas will be a feeling day. 3 six degrees at best. It will essentially stay chilly as we go on through the rest of the week. Welcome to bbc news, broadcasting to viewers in north america and around the globe. My name is gavin grey. Our top stories Massacre In Turkey at least 35 people are killed in a gun attack at a packed nightclub in istanbul. A0 others are wounded. The citys governor described it as terrorism, calling it a brutal and merciless attack on innocent people celebrating new year. The un Security Council unanimously votes to support russia and turkeys latest efforts to end violence in syria. London rings in the new year in style with a huge fireworks display on the river thames