Transcripts For BBCNEWS BBC News 20201213

Chancellor Angela Merkel has announced tighter coronavirus restrictions that will apply across germany from this wednesday tilljanuary the 10th. Nigerian Security Forces said they have located the kidnappers of hundreds of students abducted from their secondary school in the north of the country. Anthony joshua knocks out kubrat pulev to defend his heavyweight world titles and set up a potential super fight with tyson fury. Hello and welcome if youre watching in the uk or around the world and stay with us for the latest news and analysis from here and across the globe. The uk Prime Minister Boris Johnson and the head of the european commission, ursula von der leyen, are holding a phone call about now in a last ditch attempt to Reach Agreement on a post brexit trade deal. Today was supposed to be the final day to agree a settlement before the end of the tarnsition period under which the uk adopted much of the eus rules. Both sides still appear to be deadlocked on the issues of fishing rights and how closely the uk should be tied to eu standards in the future. This morning on the bbc, the uk foreign secretary dominic raab said there was a long way to go before an agreement could be reached, and that movement and flexibility is needed from the eu. We said, a week ago, we must leave no stone unturned. I spoke to the negotiating team this morning. Theyve been hard at it. There are all sorts of technical conversations going on, but what matters is the political will which is why the conversation between ursula von der leyen and the Prime Minister is so important. Will the eu move on the key issues level playing field, control of our laws, and fisheries. If there is the will to do that then theres progress that can be made. That was the foreign secretary. Speaking to the Andrew Marr Programme this morning, the irish taoiseach, Micheal Martin, has urged both sides to continue negotiations if an agreement isnt reached today. We know in our shared history that dialogue is far better than conflict and that dialogue is the way to go to maintain and sustain the very good relationships that have developed over the decades between our two peoples. That in the interest of the british irish relationship, in the interest of the european uk relationship, that both sides now make a major effort over the next hours to avoid a no deal. Our Political Correspondent helen catt is with me. This phone call, supposed to be happening at the moment between borisjohnson happening at the moment between Boris Johnson and ursula happening at the moment between borisjohnson and ursula von der leyen,is borisjohnson and ursula von der leyen, is the hope that although today was supposed to be the last day of talks, they might stretch on a bit longer . With negotiations there is always hope, but this call was supposed to be where they make the call, if there is any point carrying on with these negotiations. As late as last night, the noises coming from the uk site was what the eu is offering a still unacceptable. These leaders have spoken last weekend and they met face to face earlier in the wake and no political breakthrough has been found. Earlier the foreign secretary was warning that the bar would be quite high to continue negotiations at the big question is can they come to some sort of political agreement in the next hour or something that shifts it enough to make those negotiations continue . On the opposite side, if you think about it, to actually say that we are pulling the plug, we are taking our ball home, that is a huge moment and a huge deal, neither side really wa nt moment and a huge deal, neither side really want to do that. That is why we are seeing these talks continue for as long as they are, they both do not want to leave any stone unturned and they want a deal and to actually say, that is it, it is all over, that would be a huge moment. A huge statement to make. We will see what comes out of this call, as to whether this is the final moment or whether this is the final moment or whether they think there is enough there for them to be keeping on talking. The position of Boris Johnson has been if the talks fail, there is no deal, we will have no deal and trade on wto terms, like australia. The phrase he has been using is that he thinks the country will prosper mightily on the whole point about brexit is being able to set our own rules and laws are not a nswered set our own rules and laws are not answered to other countries and he believes that we can succeed on those terms. Of course, we have to think about how quickly this is coming in. The transition period ends in december the 31st and we would be trading on wto terms from january the 1st. That would mean the potential imposition of taxes and ta riffs potential imposition of taxes and tariffs coming in very soon. There would be immediate disruption regardless of any long time outlook. Helen, thank you very much. Bbc europe correspondent kevin connollyjoins us from brussels. Kevin, just hearing Angela Merkel is saying in the last few minutes, Everything Possible should be done to agree a deal and the question is whether that agrees keeping talking beyond today. Yes, it feels to me as though that is code for keep talking. If you listen to what Micheal Martin was saying, he has said in the past it is 97 done, surely it is worth spending all of the Time Available to try and close the Time Available to try and close the gap on that final three, four, 596 the gap on that final three, four, 5 of what remains to be settled, because the eu would dispute that this is about the need for them to move, they see a need to move on the british side as well and in the end, if there is going to be a compromise, they are both going to have to move. One of the interesting things about the momentum today is borisjohnson and things about the momentum today is Boris Johnson and ursula von der leyen began speaking as we came on airfor leyen began speaking as we came on air for this hour leyen began speaking as we came on airforthis hourand we leyen began speaking as we came on air for this hour and we are expecting to hear within this hour, what the outcome of that call was, there will be some kind ofjoint statement, some people here think they know that the talks are going to continue and i would be a bit more cautious than that, but it is certainly very possible that this will not be the end today and there will not be the end today and there will be more talking to come. You talked about using the Time Available, what is it . This deadline was in some ways an artificial one, but how many more days up until the end of the year can we keep talking for . I was almost hoping you would not ask me that, we are coming down to the wire, the question is how coffer how to the wire, the question is how coffer how far can you stretch the wire and self evidently there is only a couple of weeks until the year, so at some point in the next two week period, they are going to have to decide, but at least for now, a deal cannot be done, but we should not forget for the future looks like, there would be tariffs oii looks like, there would be tariffs on the 1st ofjanuary, but the European Union is already talking about how you would restart a talks process at some after that. Whatever happens, we are not done with the talking one way or another. |j suppose when it comes to the talking, may be on Something Like fisheries it is easier to see the possibility of a deal, but on the idea of competition and a level playing field, there are real philosophical divides, people in the eu is seeing, worried that the uk might be an economy that undercuts them and the British Government saying it is all about our sovereignty, there are very deep divisions to overcome there. Sovereignty, there are very deep divisions to overcome therem sovereignty, there are very deep divisions to overcome there. It goes back to the heart of what it was all about, breaking away from the European Union, but continuing to trade with it, is always going to be very complicated, because the eu wants to try to be carried on within its rules and its values and the british say that to close a synchronisation effectively means that you havent really left, you havent really had brexit. That is a big part of the difficulty, but also the actual nuts and bolts of the argument is on fisheries, where the argument is on fisheries, where the argument is on synchronising those regulations, we do not see those details in the public domain, so it is hard for outsiders in the negotiation to have any sense of how possible a deal is. We were just quoting what Angela Merkel has been sang, that Everything Possible should be done to agree a deal and we know that Boris Johnson should be done to agree a deal and we know that borisjohnson has been keen to talk to angler merkel and Emmanuel Macron but the eu decided that we would do this through ursula v011 that we would do this through ursula von der leyen. There has always been a suspicion on the european side that the british were going to wait until the last minute and then try and start getting individual Member States to put pressure on the european commission. The eu has been remarkably successful, i would say in resisting that idea and i would say that that is why there is no face to face meeting with angler merkel and Emmanuel Macron, the commission is determined to hang together and what they see as defending is the integrity of the european Single Market, which they see as is an extraordinary achievement that is worth defending. Of course they value trade with britain, but the truth is they value the integrity of that Single Market more and i think that has been one of the things the british negotiators have been grappling with from the start of these talks. Cavan, many thanks and i know you will keep us in touch if we hear any more on the out come of the phone call between borisjohnson and ursula von der leyen. Other news now Health Officials in the uk have warned relaxing coronavirus restrictions next week could trigger a third wave of infections during the busiest time of yearfor hospitals. Lisa hampele reports. Winter is when hospitals are at their busiest, but the pandemic means this year will be unlike any other. Hospital leaders in england are worried the high infection rate in the north during the autumn may soon be taking hold in the south. In the letter, nhs providers say there were 13,000 Covid Patients in hospital in england this week, compared to 500 in early september. The chief executive has urged caution ahead of the review of tiers on wednesday. You just need to be really careful about relaxing the restrictions on social contact because we know that that inevitably, at the moment, what that means is more covid cases, more pressure on the nhs and, to be frank, more people dying unnecessarily. All four nations have been under tough measures in recent weeks, but the r number, which shows weather the epidemic is growing or shrinking, is thought to be above one in some areas. The letter to the Prime Minister says there has been a worrying increase in infection rates across a wide range of areas, including essex, kent, london and parts of lincolnshire. And areas should be moved into tier 3, the highest level of restrictions, as soon as this is needed, without any delay. Concern is mounting that household mixing and travel over christmas could lead to a third wave. The Hospital Leaders stopped short of asking for a review of the policy but urged the Prime Minister to lead a better public debate about the risks. The government says it wont hesitate to take necessary action to protect local communities, and its review will be based on the latest data. That will include factors such as infection rates amongst the over 60s and pressure on the nhs. Lisa hampele, bbc news. Elderly care home residents and staff in scotland will receive the Coronavirus Vaccine from tomorrow. Logistical challenges with the Pfizer Biontech jab make it difficult to deliver in the community, but changes to how it can be transported and stored mean a care home rollout is possible in scotland. Its still unclear though when homes in england and wales will receive the vaccine. Meanwhile, germany will close shops, schools and hairdressers from wednesday as the country introduces harsher restrictions to counter rising covid case numbers. After talks with regional leaders this morning, Angela Merkel said that the current measures which include the closure of bars, restaurants, leisure and arts facilities were not sufficient. New years eve parties are banned as are firework sales and the consumption of alcohol outdoors is also prohibited. A number of german states have already announced even stricter restrictions with some areas imposing a complete lockdown or night time curfews. In south korea, president moonjae in has warned that covid 19 restrictions may be raised to the higest level. The announcement comes following the second day of record increases in cases as the country battles a harsh third wave of infection. Presiding over an emergency meeting at the central disaster and safety countermeasures headquarters for the First Time Since february moon urged vigilance to contain the virus. The first coronavirus vaccinations in the United States will start tomorrow, after the pfizer jab was authorised for emergency use. It comes as the country recorded the worlds highest death toll for a single day yesterday with three thousand 309 covid related deaths. The food and Drug Administration approved the vaccine on friday following intense pressure from the trump administration. The headlines on bbc news. The uk Prime Minister Boris Johnson and president of the european commission, ursula von der leyen are currently speaking about the post brexit trade negotiations the body which represents nhs trusts in england warns the Prime Minister that relaxing coronavirus restrictions will lead to a third wave of infections chancellor Angela Merkel has announced tighter coronavirus restrictions that will apply across germany from this wednesday tilljanuary the 10th four people are in hospital in washington with stab wounds after clashes at rallies for and against president trump. Police made at least twenty arrests as they tried to separate far right supporters from left wing demonstrators and campaigners linked to black lives matter. The bbcs david willis reports. Americas divisions on raw display once again, as pro and anti Trump Supporters clashed close to the white house. Tensions rose after dark, as members of the right wing group the proud boys fought with black lives matter sympathisers and members of the Left Wing Group antifa. Police used pepper spray. More than 20 people are thought to have been arrested and reports suggest some were treated for stab wounds. The stop the steal rally had been called to support president trumps substantiated claims of voter fraud. Unsubstantiated claims of voterfraud. Intended as a show of force just two days before the Electoral College meets to formally Electjoe Biden as the next us president , it brought thousands onto the streets of the Nations Capital in support. We have a republic to save and a constitution to stand up for, and we cannot let individual states act lawlessly in a land built on laws. Although the event had been planned for weeks, mr trump expressed surprise on twitter and his delight. Only to pass over the rally a short while later on his way to a Football Game in new york. All this as the president elect was attending church and then hospital, where he is being treated for a foot injury incurred while playing with one of his dogs. On friday, the Us Supreme Court rejected a challenge to mr bidens victory in four key battleground states. He is due to take office, to Donald Trumps dismay, injust over a month. Nigerian Security Forces said they have located the kidnappers of hundreds of students abducted from their secondary school. The students were abducted on friday night from an all Boys Secondary School in the kankara area of katsina state. A military led offensive to rescue the children is reportedly underway. Our nigeria correspondent, mayeni jones has the latest. We dont yet know how many students are missing but eyewitnesses say it could be as many as 400, about half of the 800 pupils who attended the secondary school in the north west of nigeria. The army said that they exchanged gunfire with the armed men and they have got Additional Support from the air force. Who would have been responsible for this . It is an horrific act had not been School Children from their school. It is not the first time that Something Like this has happened in nigeria and who do we think might be to blame . Yes, it is not the first time at large numbers of students have been kidnapped in nigeria, especially in the north, viewers will remember the famous case of the girls who were kidnapped in the north east of the country back in 2014 leading to widespread support across the world including from the then first Lady Michelle obama. This kidnapping a slightly different, it is in the north west of nigeria, it is in the north west of nigeria, it is not an area where islamist militants have been active traditionally in the past. In that area what tends to happen is you have a lot of kidnappings for ransom. Here they are referred to as bandits, armed men who target soft targets like schools, like civilians and try and get money from them. No group has yet claimed responsibility for the act but because of the geographical location, at the moment we are thinking it is more likely to be kidnappers than it is to be islamist terrorists. Poland has been rocked by weeks of protests over a ruling by the constitutional court, which has all but outlawed abortion. The ruling which bans termination even in cases of foetal defects hasnt come into force yet, but critics say it will drive even more polish women to seek abortions abroad. Those countries include neighbours such as the Czech Republic, from where our correspondent rob cameron sends this report. Once it comes into effect, polands strict new law will make abortion all but illegal. It will only be possible in cases of rape, incest, or where the Mothers Health is in danger. It has forced thousands onto the streets, and some to leave their homeland. Anna, not her real name, grew up in a conservative catholic household in southern poland, but an unwanted pregnancy changed everything. I was 22 years old, i was studying at the time and i still had one year left, and it was an accident. I found out pretty soon and it was a shock. I had no clue what i was going to do, but i knew one thing for sure, that i could not tell anyone who could probably help me. And i believe that you ordered pills over the internet, abortion pills, and they never came. Can you tell me more about that . I was supposed to receive the pills within a week. After a week, nothing happened. I think it was like nine days that i waited. And then i got the letter from customs that there was a package for me, and they dont know what is inside and they would like me to come for interrogation and they would like to find out what it is and why i ordered it. Instead, anna came to prague. After providing a fake work contract, a hospitalfinally agreed to carry out the procedure. When polish women come here to the Czech Republic, they will find notjust expressions of moral support, but access to something that is legal, safe and provided on demand. Not all clinics will carry out the procedure on foreigners, but finding one that will has now become slightly easier, thanks to a new ngo set up by polish women and based here in prague. We realised, when we started hearing about what is happening in poland, that even getting an abortion that would be a result of an illegal action, of some sort of crime like rape or incest, is really difficult, because you have to go through the whole legal procedure, and some women just give up, because they are being victims, they are being treated as criminals. There are no official figures for how many polish women make the journey to the Czech Republic each year to terminate their pregnancy. It could be hundreds or several thousand. Anna has never told herfamily about her abortion. She still goes back to see them but says she never wants to live in poland again. Boxing and Britains Anthony Joshua has retained his three world heavyweight titles with victory over the bulgarian kubrat pulev in a fight at wembley arena in london. Joshua knocked pulev out in the ninth round. The bbcs tim allman watched the action. Welcome to boxing in the age of coronavirus. A small crowd of 1000 people were allowed into Londons Wembley arena, with the now standard Safety Measures in place. Even legendary floyd mayweather, a surprise guest for the evening, felt obliged to wear a face mask. But this is a sport that knows how to put on a show no matter what. Flames and fireworks greeted the contenders. The bout that followed was not quite as spectacular. It was not exactly a walkover but it was rather one sided joshuas speed and power always too much for his bulgarian opponent. Several times he brought him to the canvas and, in the ninth round, pulev could not get up. Another comprehensive display from the world champion. It was a composed and brutal performance, it was exactly what he needed going into 2021. He has not boxed for a year but got eight great rounds in and a brutal knockout victory. Tyson fury britain has two world heavyweight champions, of course. Tyson fury winning the wbc title earlier this year. And moments after the knockout three in london, the gypsy king issued this challenge on social media. I want the fight. I want the fight next. I will knock him out within three rounds. Negotiations need to take place first but if it happens, some say it could be the biggest bout in the history of british boxing. Let us take you back to the last ditch negotiations to try and get a trade deal between the uk and the European Union. This is the scene live now in brussels, today was supposed to be the last day of those talks and we gather that the uk Prime Minister, borisjohnson, is talking or has been talking this hour to ursula von der leyen, the Eu Commission president , so we will try and find out what comes out of those discussions, whether the talks indeed will continue beyond today. Angela merkel has said that Everything Possible should be done to agree a deal and the eu president says we want a deal that respects oui says we want a deal that respects our principles. Youre watching bbc news. Now its time for a look at the weather with stav we have got low pressure sweeping m, we have got low pressure sweeping in, bringing stronger winds, we have got low pressure sweeping in, bringing strongerwinds, more cloud and outbreaks of rain, some of which is quite heavy and Western Areas at the moment through the afternoon it will transfer to the north and east and we will see some milderair north and east and we will see some milder air being dragged in with it from the south west. Lots of isobars on the charts indicating the stronger winds and these weather fronts will be pretty active bringing heavy rain at times. As we head through the course of the afternoon, some of the heaviest of the rain will be cross central southern scotland and northern england, some snow on the hills for a while as it moves into the cold air there. There will be some drier interludes developing through the afternoon, central and southern areas very good for those. It will bea areas very good for those. It will be a windy day, 30 mph plus inland, 4050 be a windy day, 30 mph plus inland, 40 50 around southern and western coast, but dragging in that milder air, 11 30 across the south, still quite chilly. The rain it pushes across much of scotland during this evening, overnight stays blustery, quite a bit of powder and, some clear spells, also heavy and blustery showers as well, particularly in the west. A milder night to come, between five and 10 degrees. Low pressure still with us as we head into the start of the new working week and into the west of the uk, lots of isobars on the charts, coming infrom the uk, lots of isobars on the charts, coming in from the south west, it will stay miles, blustery for all areas, particularly in southern and western coast and it will feed on some showers, some of which could be heavy, but there will be some good spells of sunshine around, particularly the east of scotla nd around, particularly the east of scotland and eastern parts of england. Hello. This is bbc news. The headlines. The uk Prime Minister Boris Johnson and president of the european commission, ursula von der leyen, are due to release a statement shortly, after speaking on the phone about the post brexit trade negotiations. Lord frost, deal or no deal . This morning, the uks chief negotiator arrived for the final day of talks in a last ditch bid for a breakthrough. Britains foreign secretary says a deal is dependent on the eu. Will the eu move on the two key issues, level playing field, control of our laws and fisheries