The startling offer from President Trump to the family of a british teenager killed in a crash with an american diplomats wife. Its been an intense day of negotiations in brussels and the situation is still unclear. Here is the bbcs Political Editor telling us a little while like. The negotiations, though, looks set to carry on this evening and potentially into tomorrow, when the latest european summit begins. Bruno waterfield from the times says. He goes on to say. Despite all the twos and froze and the fact there is no deal coming this evening, there remains a lot of optimism about the situation. For example, listen to emmanuel macron. Translation we also worked on preparations for the European Council summit tomorrow and friday. We talked about the budget, european enlargement and of course brexit, on which i believe an agreement is about to be finalised which we can sign off on tomorrow. It looks like were heading into another layton brussels. Late night. The bbcs gavin lee is right by where the negotiations are happening. Well get more word from a monk than the ambassadors tonight. As soon as they see the Camera Committee will be hiding. We understand they have much tied up all of the issues, including the Northern IrelandCustoms Union issue, the consent issue of if the Northern Irish people get a say, if there would be some kind of vote or referendum. Not sure yet what. For 55 hours, we have got 2a negotiators on the fifth floor, with the lights on, and Michel Barnier hasjust floor, with the lights on, and Michel Barnier has just come from here. I shouted to him briefly. He said, im sure you have heard this before, classic, typical shell barnier line, we are working. Off he went into the rain. The other ambassadors are following suit. What are we expecting now . We were expecting an update from donald tusk, president of the European Council, to set out in the invitation letter to the leaders, what is going to happen. We have still not got that so far. Maybe that will come out of the next briefing Michel Barnier gives to a Steering Group of meps in the parliament. There may be some viewers thinking, hang on, vat come oi viewers thinking, hang on, vat come ordid viewers thinking, hang on, vat come or did that come from . Why did that become an issue . Because it is a big issue. Taking a few more steps. A quick word of how the talks went tonight . Well . 0k. Quick word of how the talks went tonight . Well . Ok. That is the best were going to do tonight. That is from the dutch side. Must go back to the vat, because its a massive issue. If we are assuming from the lea ks we re issue. If we are assuming from the leaks were getting they stay in the Customs Union, everything. To have to be checks of goods coming from outside into the eu, and basically comes down to a simple issue of what the eu call a level playing field. If the uk is no longer part of the eu, for the Customs Union, for a car, if you bring a car into the macro, there is a10 car, if you bring a car into the macro, there is a 10 tariff on every car coming through. If Northern Ireland is part of the Customs Union, they dont have to worry about it. Its fairly, located hence, why you still have 2a negotiators in a room talking vat. There is a sense we are getting closer. We are all waiting. There are rumours there is a borisjohnson flight are rumours there is a borisjohnson flight tonight or tomorrow morning that he is going to be there with jean claude juncker, but we that he is going to be there with jean claudejuncker, but we believe an announcement could come from the sheu an announcement could come from the shell barnier first. We will be around tonight, we will wait, and we will see. Michel barnier. This is the Sticking Point the status of Northern Ireland and of the border between Northern Ireland and the republic of ireland. Under Boris Johnsons original proposal, the uk government wanted out of the eus Customs Union. This includes Northern Ireland being out. That would mean different customs areas on either side of the irish border, which would mean checks. And the Irish Government and the eu did not like that. Now, Boris Johnsons proposal offers something alternative it shifts the need for checks from the irish border to the irish sea by taking Northern Ireland out of the Customs Union while essentially keeping it aligned to the Customs Union. If that sounds confusing, it really is and we also dont know the exact nature of what the uk is suggesting. If it is along those lines, for some in particular the crucial dup in Northern Ireland that may represents an unacceptable divide between Northern Ireland and the uk. For the eu, it works because there are no border checks on the island of ireland. Heres irish Prime Minister leo varadkar. If its to work for the people of ireland, it means avoiding a hard border between north and south. Thats always been the governments primary objective, ensuring the all island economy can continue to develop and that north side cooperation, as envisioned by the good friday agreement, can resume. And just as important, to protect the single market, its integrity and our place in it. So the proposal seems to place Northern Ireland out of the Customs Union at the same time as being in it. Heres gavin lee to explain. This is a long way from where over a couple of days ago, when it looked like it was impossible before a summit. Now we are told it could happen. How does it were with Northern Ireland being in both . Ultimately, Northern Ireland stays in the Customs Union, you have no need for borders. Visit stay in a customs territory of the uk . What does that mean . We are waiting on clarity for that. This is key, actually. The eu site, experts, the brexit court in a different european parliament, they are saying everything is with the uk. The we are getting, we are waiting for the meetings in downing street. And Arlene Foster, the democratic unionist leader, said if you have Northern Ireland in a Customs Union, youve basely gotten all economy. It is one step towards breaking away from the uk. What matters is what borisjohnson has offered in return, what is it about a vote, a referendum, for the Northern Irish people to say whether or not they wa nt to people to say whether or not they want to stay in the union. Lets see whether or not they stay in a customs territory with the uk or be ina customs territory with the uk or be in a Customs Union with the eu. Whatever is agreed by negotiators, the uk and all 27 other eu countries to agree to it. All countries will be represented at the European Council summit that begins tomorrow morning, thursday morning. Earlier, we heard from emmanuel macron, who was meeting Angela Merkel in toulouse. Lucy williamson was there. The mood music here is sounding much more hopeful than usual. President macron talked about positive echoes. Angela merkel said, from what shed heard over the last few days, she was more and more confident of a deal. Were in the final sprint, she said. France and germany have always agreed that any brexit deal needs to protect the single market, but they sometimes seem to differ over how long to wait to give negotiations a chance. The talks in brussels today went on for longer than expected and tonight, theres optimism that key uk concessions might have given the process a final boost. We have heard from toulouse, brussels. Next, lets go to westminster. The dvcs clive myrie is there. The bbcs. Westminster. The dvcs clive myrie is there. The bbcs. Some thoughts on the brussels side they could be moving forward, there could be some kind of agreement or the skeleton be some kind of agreement or the s keleto n of be some kind of agreement or the skeleton of an agreement sometime tomorrow. Here, it has to be said, that optimism is a little bit more muted because of the situation involving that border potentially down the irish sea. Andy dups lease and all of that. Thats good of the bit more now from professor anand menon. Its good to see you. Thanks for being with us. You can hear me of the people over there. Where have to you believe we are . to you believe we are . I think several things. I think the mood to you believe we are . I think several things. Ithink the mood is more positive than we had any right to believe we can go. Clearly, both sides are keen to get this process is close to a deal as possible. The chances to get a deal signed at this summit . Slight, mere slim. Idont see this getting done at this summit, but the two sides are clearly moving closer together. But we dont know is what the proposal now says, who has conceded, or what theissues now says, who has conceded, or what the issues left open are. I suspect one of them is vat because the original british proposals that we are outside the eu vat resume and well figure that out later. Thats the sort of thing the eu absolute he hates. If there is no deal, do you believe saturdays sitting upon the will go ahead . My guess would be yes, partly because the promised or will take the opportunity to turn up, will take the opportunity to turn up, waver on will take the opportunity to turn up, waveron his will take the opportunity to turn up, waver on his letter to Michel Barnier and say, you see would you have made me do, because remember, everything that politicians are doing all that brexit is done with half an eye on the election and getting that positioning right, and borisjohnson was to getting that positioning right, and Boris Johnson was to make it clear, i wanted to leave, they wouldnt let me, get me a new palm in. I suspect, yes, they will set. If there is no agreement to vote on, the chance of anything substantive happening is slim. What around the dup . For them, this is an x essential threat. X essential threat. If the uk has their own customs territory, they see this at the beginning of the unification of ireland. I think there are three issues. On customs, youre absolutely right. Up to now, the dup, and indeed borisjohnson himself, have said, we cannot live with a Customs Border in the irish sea. That seems to be moving, that what you hear is that the dup are not less persuaded of that. Consent means the dup want to have a veto on this going forward. The eu have said, actually, no. What you can haveis said, actually, no. What you can have is not a veto on it starting or but a vote on you coming out. The third thing is cash. That is a sweetener for the dup. Whether its enough to get this over the line and get their votes, i dont know. Bear in mind the dup arejust get their votes, i dont know. Bear in mind the dup are just one problem. The other problem are the other end of the tory party, those 21 mp5 who have been expelled, whether they will support this deal. We are going to leave it there. Anand menon, thank you very much for joining us. It is back to you. Clive, thank you very much indeed to the both of you. That is clive and westminster. We will turn back to brexit later in the programme. We must also talk about President Trump. He says turkeys offensive against Kurdish Forces in Northern Syria is not americas problem, adding the kurds were more of a terrorist threat than isis. A judge who says she was bullied and had a breakdown after speaking out about government cuts has won a landmark appeal at the Supreme Court. The court ruled warrington district judge Claire Gilham could be classified as a worker and was therefore entitled to whistle blowing protection. This means she can now have her case heard at an employment tribunal. She gave a statement after the ruling. Judges are just as in need of protection when whistle blowing as others. The point of whistle blowing protection is to give confidence that it is safe to raise malpractice within any organisation. Organisations that cannot hear such warnings endanger the services they are tasked with providing. In public services, transparency is key. As the Supreme Court has acknowledged, it is just as important that members of the judiciary have the confidence to whistle blowing where they feel compelled to do so as others, because they are just as vulnerable to detrimental treatment. Welcome back to the newsroom. Hello, i ros atkins with outside source. A brexit deal hangs in the balance right now, negotiators are still hard at work in brussel, but were being told there wont be a deal tonight. Even by his own standards, we have heard something quite extraordinary from President Donald Trump today. President trump has said the Kurdish Group the pkk are more of a terrorist threat in many ways than isis. Just to remind you, the pkk was a major part of the ground force for a Us Led Coalition against isis in syria. So, as such, the pkk was a us ally until recently, apparently. The thing thats common is that everybody hates isis. The pkk, which is a part of the kurds, as you know, is probably worse at terror and more of a terrorist threat in many ways than isis. So its a very semi complicated not too complicated if youre smart, but its a semi complicated problem, and i think its a problem that we have very nicely under control. Meanwhile, turkeys president has dismissed calls for a ceasefire in Northern Syria. Bearin bear in mind, the us secretary of state and usas prison are heading towards turkey order to meet president erdogan today. Here he is today. Translation our country has fulfilled the rules of being in alliance with many different allies, but we realised as our allies give us promises, they say one thing to us and do other stuff behind our back. It is clear now that despite everything, turkey supports peace, stability and the well being of people, and it will always be that way. As weve discussed a lot in the last week, there are thousands of militants held across kurdish controlled camps in Northern Syria. We know at least one of these camps has been shelled by turkey which has led to some militants escaping. Most of the fighting has been happening in the town of ras al ain. Barbara plett usher is there at the border. This is one of the areas where there has been the most intense fighting. It is the town of ras al ain, and it isa it is the town of ras al ain, and it is a town Turkish Forces have been bombarding with power. Three times, the turks try to take it and the kurds had been fighting back. We are told from inside the town the kurds still control 70 of it. This is one of the main conflict areas, but its evidence that the military operation is still ongoing, despite us requests that a cease fire take place, and also what we heard from mr erdogan in Parliament Earlier today, that the military operation would continue on the he said, until the kurds in effect a surrender, lay down their arms and leave the area that turkey wants is a safe zone, any resistance here in ras al ain shows the kurds are not at this pointing about doing that. Jeremy brown is in the turkish capital ankara. Hejoins us live he joins us live at the moment. Jeremy, i guess the next couple of days are all about who can exert influence over turkey. What is your assessment of the equation . Can you repeat that question . assessment of the equation . Can you repeat that question . I wasjust saying come in the next couple of days rn who can exert influence on turkey. I wonder what your assessment is of the different medic equation. Diplomatic equation. Assessment is of the different medic equation. Diplomatic equation. At the moment, what is happening is the us Vice President and secretary of state are going to come over here in about 2k hours from now and they will be, 12 hours from now, and they will be, 12 hours from now, and they will be, 12 hours from now, and they will be talking to president erdogan. But for my point of view, i dont quite see where the Common Ground is, because the americans, as President Trump has said, unless the turks stop what theyre doing, us sanctions will destroy their economy for site at the time, president erdogan, a man for whom prestige is very important, is deeply involved in a military operation which he has been trying to do now for some years and he has told his people that its vital for tu rkeys told his people that its vital for turkeys security, so for him to suddenly change his mind after a meeting with this deputation from the states i think is unlikely. Because they are not to nato alleys, i dont think theyre going ha