now the government intervenes. tackling the underground trade in super powerful painkillers that have claimed more than 100 lives in the last two years. fentanyl‘s a killer, and the drug dealers are playing russian roulette with our lives. they give our children drugs, and our children, my child, died from it. and 100 years after some women won the right to vote in britain — we look back at their extraordinary struggle for equality. and later on we will have sportsday on the bbc news channel with the latest reports, results interviews and features from the bbc sports centre. good evening and welcome to the bbc news at six. the prime minister has been warned that her decision to leave the eu's customs union, which allows goods to move between eu countries without tariffs — will cause ‘unavoidable‘ barriers to trade. and the european union's chief brexit negotiator, michel barnier, who was in downing street for talks today, said the time had come for britain to make a choice on what it wants for its future. but the brexit secretary david davis said being outside the customs union would allow the united kingdom to strike new trade deals with the rest of the world. here's our political editor laura kuenssberg. ina in a hurry. notjust to catch the 1056 from brussels to london. we have not a minute to lose, because we wa nt have not a minute to lose, because we want to achieve a deal. but the eu's chief negotiator wants to press on. it is time for bargaining he says as the next round of brexit talks loom. the first priority for him and his host david davis is to agree what happens straight after brexit. do you know what the british government wants? in the to years or so government wants? in the to years or so time frame not much will change but the real posturing is about the longer term. theresa may popped in for a longer term. theresa may popped in fora drink longer term. theresa may popped in for a drink after reminding her party that she wants out of the single market free trade area and the current customs union. but she knows, along with these to, there might be mishaps along the way. our negotiating team is starting straightaway, tomorrow certainly on an intensive period of negotiation and we can get that agreement. yet while this might sound elegant in a french accent it is still a warning. without the customs union, outside the single market, barriers to trade and goods and services are unavoidable. time has come to a choice. in other words, foreign secretary and others, make your mind up. the eu's has consistently said we can't keep the best bits of the eu without losing somewhere. but that has always been rejected by brexiteers. what my side wants, what most of the country wants is a good deal. the way to get a good deal is to be very clear that we are leaving, we are leaving the single market, leaving the customs union. the fear of others in the tory party and the government is that the eurosceptics are too close to no 10. this week the prime minister hopes to get the cabinet to find a compromise. what is more important, sticking close to the eu or making the most of freedom outside? we've heard a lot of, we are not going to do this, we are not going to do that. what are we going to do? that is what we're waiting to hear, that is what the 27 countries the uk's negotiating with waiting to hear. in the meantime this uncertainty is really, really bad for business. no 10 has to make bargains within its party as well as with the eu outside. today's talks were about the eu in the uk plug—in backing before the next charge round of negotiations really gets going but arguably for there to be meaningful progress any time soon the uk ministers have to speed up their decisions about their overall approach. none of the questions are easy but after months of squabbling time to discuss becomes time to decide. laura kuenssberg, bbc news, westminster. so what will be the impact of leaving the customs union? and how will trade between the uk and the europena union be affected? 0ur economics editor, kamal ahmed is here. thank you sophie. first thing. trade really matters to the uk — we export 28% of everything we make. our biggest customer is the eu. 43% of all uk exports go there. and to help that trade we are a member of what is called the customs union. that means that goods and services can circulate freely throughout the eu with no import taxes and few border checks. uk farms ukfarms are uk farms are able to integrate themselves into supply chain networks so farms can have their manufacturing networks extend across countries. the second main benefit is that large multinational companies who have located the investment and jobs in the uk in the first place, to take advantage of not just the uk first place, to take advantage of notjust the uk market but also the european market, the third benefit is that as a part of the large eu trading block the uk could extract concessions in negotiating with other countries like china that they might not have got if they were operating individually. the government has made it clear it wa nts to government has made it clear it wants to leave the customs union so we are less constrained by eu trade rules but as michel barnier made clear today that means taxes and border checks are likely for our exports to the eu, like food and cars. and that is a barrier to trade. and we could respond by applying our own taxes to imports from the eu, which could increase prices. the prime minister insists she wants a good trade deal with the eu. she calls and frictionless trade. and for businesses like this steel firm in northern ireland, having no border checks really matters. if anyone can remember back to the days when we did have to stop at the border and we did have customs clea ra nce at the border and we did have customs clearance processes, very very disruptive. customs clearance processes, very very disruptive. not constructive or helpful to businesses or trading between the countries. the british government says it wants to throw its trade arms wide and do free trade deals with countries like america and china, prevented at present because we are a member of the customs union. the problem is how quickly can we do those deals, and will they replace the close trading relationship we presently have with our most important export customer. thank you. a 33—year—old man accused of hacking into us government computers has won a high court challenge against his extradition to the united states. lauri love, who has asperger‘s syndrome, is alleged to have carried out a series of cyber attacks on targets including the fbi. mr love was facing a 99—year jail sentence in the us but he could still be prosecuted in the uk, as daniela relph reports. for four years, the threat of extradition to the united states had hung over him. lauri love described it as "gnawing away at his soul". today that threat was lifted. the reason i've gone through this ordeal is notjust to save myself from being kidnapped and locked up for 99 years in a country i've never visited, but it is to set a precedent whereby this will not happen to other people in the future. the appeal courtjudges ruled that lauri love was vulnerable, that extradition to america could lead to severe depression, and make him a suicide risk. and crucially, for his well—being, he needed to be close to his parents, here in britain. the relief for lauri love, his family, and supporters is obvious, of course. they believe that this decision isjust and humane. in a spate of online attacks in 2012 and 2013, lauri love is alleged to have hacked into the computers and systems of several us government agencies. they include the fbi, the department of defense, the federal reserve, america's central bank, and the space agency nasa. lauri love was traced via a romanian e—mail address and a paypal account. he's been interviewed here by britain's national crime agency but, as yet, has not been charged. today's judgment did not rule out a prosecution here in the uk, something his family and his supporters are prepared for. how do you feel about the prospect of a trial here in the uk and a possible jail term? i do trust a trial in the uk. in the us, the chances of me ever getting a trial are quite slim just because people are forced to plead guilty to avoid huge charges, huge sentences that they might face if they take a trial. in the uk, we don't strong—arm people into facilitating their own prosecutions. this case has been a strain on the entire love family, especially lauri's father, who is a prison chaplain. there is a consensus of agreement about the things that really matter, about decency, about justice, about fairness. i've always believed to be born in these islands is to win the lottery of life and that what makes britain great makes it great britain, is not our power or our might, but the fact that it is a great place to live. the united states now has two weeks to lodge a request for an appeal hearing at the uk supreme court. the crown prosecution service will also decide whether to bring charges. but, despite the remaining uncertainty, this was a day to celebrate for lauri love. he now wants to focus on his electrical engineering degree and is planning to pursue a career in cyber security. daniela relph, bbc news, at the court of appeal. the only surviving suspect in the terror attacks in paris in 2015 is refusing to answers questions in court, where he's on trial over the gunfight that led to his arrest. 0n the first day of his trial in brussels, salah abdeslam said that his silence didn't make him a criminal, and that muslims were "judged mercilessly". the transport secretary chris grayling has announced that the company stagecoach, which operates rail services on the east coast main line, has suffered significant losses and that he's ending its contract. let's get more on this developing story from our business editor, simon jack. what's happened, and what does this mean for passengers? stagecoach owns 90% of the franchise which runs the east coast main line, virgin owns the rest, they already ivirgin owns tgg £52; tigg glgggg said when they 7 , ivirgin owns tgg £52; tigg glgggg said when g bid = said ash“. the? his fefééifi which 555i 5h5h 5h5¥r 515 455555555 which is the i557 they said we got our sums wrong, we é— they said we got our sums wrong, we want out enlu they said we got our sums wrong, we i they said we got our sums wrong, we m out % they were going to want out only. they were going to let the magic 2020. this evening the transport secretary says it is much worse than we thought, this franchise will be passed within months so he needs to do something. the to options are renationalise the line, which is very much on the table, users, or allow line, which is very much on the table, users, orallow stagecoach virgin to operate short—term not—for—profit service until something can be decided. stagecoach could bid for franchise something can be decided. stagecoach could bid forfranchise in could bid for franchise in the future. he said there was no legal basis to exclude them. for passengers and the real servers that shouldn't affect them which is why he's taking action now but this will no doubt re—inflame the intense debate, after the collapse of carillion as well, over how much private sector companies should be allowed to bid for critical public services like this. simon jack, thank you. the time is coming up to quarter past six. 0ur thank you. the time is coming up to quarter past six. our top story. brussels ones but are not leaving the customs union will lead to trade barriers. and still to come... the white supremacist convicted of planning to carry out an act of terrorism at a gay pride event in cumbria. coming up on sportsday refereejohn moss is backed after he awarded a controversial penalty in the game between liverpool and spurs but admits he was misguided and consulting a fourth official. fentanyl — it's an extremely strong painkiller thousands of times more powerful than morphine. doctors prescribe it for cancer patients. but dozens of people have died in britain in the last couple of years after taking it to get a high. today, a 25—year—old drug dealer from newport was sentenced to eight years in prison for exporting and selling fenta nyl on the dark web. since december 2016, 113 people have died in the uk after overdosing on the drug. it's used worldwide but almost 10% of global sales take place here. 0ur correspondent, jeremy cooke, has been taking a look at where the drug is coming from and who's being affected by it. his report contains some flashing images. it looks like chemical warfare. but this is a police raid on a drug dealer who was selling fentanyl over the internet from his home. kyle enos has now been sentenced to eight years in prison, serious time for a serious drug which has taken lives up and down the country. robert was 6 foot 5 by two inches wide. hi, guys! he was the kindest, gentlest person in the world. full of life, full of promise, but when 18—year—old robert fraser went to buy cannabis, the dealer gave him something new, something different, something deadly. i got a phone call from my ex—husband to say he'd just walked in and found robert dead in bed. and i just remember thinking, he hasn't said that. he can't have said that. it's not true. robert knew nothing about fenta nyl, a synthetic opioid drug which users snort, swallow or inject. it's related to heroin but can be thousands of times more powerful. fentanyl‘s a killer. and the drug dealers are playing russian roulette with our lives. they give our children drugs and my child died from it. dealing with fentanyl is a game changer, for the police and emergency services and in this government—licensed lab. it can be absorbed by the skin, so we just don't want any risk. they've been trained to be super careful. because just a few grains of fenta nyl can kill. so its powerful and cheap, and for dealers, that means big profits. they've seen it all here. heroin, cocaine, crystal meth. but nothing like this. fentanyl‘s just a different category of drug altogether. and the potential harm that they can cause is just way above anything we've had in the past. but where is fentanyl coming from? the bbc is undercover in china on the trail of the suppliers and so a meeting with the laboratory boss and his translator. let's talk business. so ikg of fe nta nyl. .. china has banned production of some types of fentanyl but labs can work around the law by making small changes in the fentanyl molecule. and they are happy to ship the drug anywhere in the world. 2000... within minutes we are being offered a deal. the bbc bought no drugs but what is clear is that fentanyl is on sale to anyone with the money to buy it. this one is very powerful. very strong. yes, very strong. can you send this to england? yes, yes, england. from china to britain, uk drug dealers get wholesale deliveries, then break them down to sell on the internet. really, it looks much like any other online marketplace. jamie bartlett is an author who writes about the so—called dark net, a hidden, unregulated corner of the internet. but you have cannabis, ecstasy, opioids, psychedelic steroids and so on. 408 different offerings of fenta nyl on this website alone. yeah. fentanyl is a highly dangerous substance. and ca rfenta nyl, an elephant tranquilliser, is still moderately. it makes all of these products which were never within which especially of young people far more easy to get than ever before. in this area alone over the past year at least six deaths have been linked to the drug. kenny was lucky not to be the seventh. ended up using what i thought was heroin. and turns out it wasn't. what was it? it was fentanyl or ca rfenta nyl, not sure. kenny has a history of drug abuse and overdo overdosed on fentanyl. luckily he was in the moses project drop—in centre with the antidote nearby. i overdosed, that's as much as i can remember. injected it and overdosed. i was dead. seeing red, it was like blood was covering my eyes. the spike of deaths across north—east england put fentanyl firmly on the radar of the national crime agency. they know the drug is taking thousands of lives in america and are determined to stop it here. the nca has prioritised the threat from fentanyl and its analogues back in april last year, and it's still priority today. so we have a number of officers working solely on that threat. michelle knows the cost of fentanyl. how it took robert's life. what it does to families. people sitting in their bedrooms, clicking a button, and getting it. why, how? the world i grew up in wasn't like that. and i don't want that future for my little lad either. my surviving little lad. michelle is now a campaigner, determined to make us all aware of the dangers of fentanyl, how easy it is to get, how easily it kills. jeremy cooke, bbc news. details of organisations offering information and support with addiction are available at bbc.co.uk/actionline, or you can call for free at any time to hear recorded information. the number is 08000155 947. uk sales of new diesel cars fell by 25% in january, according to the latest figures. diesel cars have been the focus of air quality concerns, prompting speculation that owners could face higher taxes or limits on where they can be used. motor manufacturers claim that buyers are confused by government policies on diesels. a white supremacist who planned to carry out a machete attack at a gay pride event in cumbria has been convicted of preparing an act of terrorism. 20—year—old ethan stables was arrested after police were tipped off when he posted details of his plans online. here's our home affairs correspondent, dominic casciani. ethan stables, self—confessed neo—nazi. for more than six months, the 20—year—old planned a white supremacist attack in barrow—in—furness. 0nline, he spread hate. in the real world, he bought weapons and recorded this shocking video. it's just like gay people. much nicer when they're on fire. in a series of frightening posts, he told fellow neo—nazis on facebook that he would attack this pub, hosting a gay pride night. i'm going to war tonight, he told them. i'm going to walk in with a machete and slaughter every single one. some readers encouraged him, but one replied, that's not right, ethan. he posted this reconnaissance picture and signed off, i'm fighting for what i believe in. my country, my folk, my race. barmaid katie bulger was setting up for the night when armed officers, tipped off by a facebook user, rushed in. it frightened me. because i felt like a deer in headlights. so angry, so angry afterwards to think that somebody would actually do something like that to a peaceful place. with the pub surrounded just over there by armed police, the manhunt across barrow continued. and shortly after 10pm, ethan stables was arrested on this road between his flat and the target. prosecutors said that this was his last act of reconnaissance before he would have gone home to get his weapons. and this is what police recorded finding after they broke into his flat. a swastika flag on the wall, weapons including an axe laid out and prepared, and evidence that stables was trying to make his own explosives. his intended victims are furious that he could post his hatred online. it would have been a bloodbath. personally, i think facebook should have closed his account. his main picture was him looking very aryan in front of a swastika banner, flag. and also, some of the literature was like, a new world order this, and very extreme nazi propaganda. facebook won't comment on why stables was online, despite receiving four complains about his posts. he told his trial his comments weren't serious and he was in fact bisexual. he will be sentenced later for preparing an act of terrorism only discovered by chance. dominic casciani, bbc news, barrow—in—furness. tomorrow marks 100 years since women won the right to vote. but the representation of the people act only granted that right to women over the age of 30 who had certain property qualifications. it would be another decade before all women over the age of 21 were allowed to vote. 0ur correspondent sarah smith reports now on the momentous moment in the struggle for gender equality. the palace of westminster was built as an exclusively all—male club, no women allowed. so suffragettes often targeted parliament itself. four of them chained themselves to these statues in 1909. their militant behaviour was then used as an argument for why votes for women would be exceedingly dangerous. hidden beneath those corridors of power, there is an intriguing memorial to the suffragette movement. in 1911, thousands of women tried to avoid being registered in the census. emily davison was one of the protesters who said, if women don't count, then neither shall we be counted. emily davison spent the night hiding behind this door in a broom cupboard underneath westminster hall. she was discovered in here, so she was registered in the census as being resident in the house of commons. a woman runs out. there is a fall. davison did not live to see women win the vote. she died in 1913 after running into the path of the king's horse at the epsom derby. but she may not have intended to kill herself. this is the actual scarf emily davison had with her that fateful day at the derby. and it's thought now it might have been her intention to try and attach it to the bridle of the king's horse rather than to actually bring the horse down. the scarf is owned today by a collector who let me see a telegram she's never shown publicly before. sent from queen alexandra to the injured jockey. yes, it says, queen alexandra was very sorry indeed to hear of your sad accident caused by the abominable conduct of a brutal, lunatic woman. this is really strong language. a brutal, lunatic woman. people had mixed feelings about the militant suffragettes. half of them thought they were crazy and half of them thought that that was the only way, by destroying property, that they would actually achieve the vote. as mps, women continued campaigning for equal rights. edith summerskill, on the left, was first elected in 1938. her daughter, shirley, followed her into the commons in 1964. women who have got to anywhere in their career are very conscious, and should be, of the women who went before. and paved the way. and made it possible. that includes saffron dickson, just 20 years old. and because she lives in scotland, she's already voted six times, thanks to the suffragettes who fought for her rights. hopefully, i like to think that i would be at the front line, you know, totally involved. but that's coming from a privileged perspective of somebody that has a political voice just now because of the women that made those sacrifices. but, actually, we've got so many different issues still happening. in the workplace, sexual assault and harassment, pay parity, still affecting women today. 100 years of remarkable change since women got the vote. but any suffragette surveying the political scene today would undoubtedly see much that still needs to be done. sarah smith, bbc news. time for a look at the weather. here's louise lear. we walk up to some record—breaking snow in moscow this morning. four is only uk, a light dusting in parts of sussex and into account. some blue sky and some sunshine also, as you can see inside and cold and birmingham, but were we so blue sky and sun, temperatures are likely to follow the sharply next year was. you can see this ribbon of cloud in the far north—west. that weather front arrives overnight to make bringing snow into scotland, northern ireland, north—west england, grinding to a halt in the pennines by dawn tomorrow morning. there will be a hard frost for many first thing. some sunshine across the south—east. as we go into the morning, the weather front continues to drift its way through wales and perhaps the north midlands. weakening a perhaps the north midlands. wea kening a little perhaps the north midlands. weakening a little by the end. the band of cloud follows behind. some showers in the north of scotland with hail and snow. that adds study relations you have first thing tomorrow. the weather front will be sitting down through the northwest of england and into wales. in the midlands, cloudy, best of the sunshine in the south—east. in the south—west, a band of cloud and rain. as we go into the afternoon, the weather front weakens as it goes through the midlands. the odds snow shower from through the midlands. the odds snow showerfrom time to through the midlands. the odds snow shower from time to time. nothing too substantial. it will be cold tomorrow, temperatures really struggling. 2—4dc at the very best. we need to keep a close eye through the evening. the number of areas, we could be waking up to light dusting of snow first thing on wednesday. a cold and frosty start. a dry day for most of us before more rain pushes into the north—west. thank you. this is bbc news — our latest headlines. the eu's chief brexit negotiator michel barnier warns the uk will face "unavoidable" barriers to trade if it leaves the customs union and single market. a british man, lauri love, wins his appeal against extradition to the united states — after being accused of hacking into government computers including nasa and the fbi. a white supremacist who planned to carry out a machete attack at a gay pride event in cumbria has been convicted of a terror offence. a 25—year old drug dealer has been sentenced to eight years in prison for exporting and selling the strong painkiller fentanyl on the dark web.