Will become windier. Showers will be here on thursday for another spell of wider and milder air on friday. This is bbc news, the headlines at seven. Another deadline extended brexit talks will now continue as both sides agree to carry on after being unable to come to an agreement. Lam afraid i am afraid we are still very far apart on some key things that where there is life, there is hope. We will keep talking in the uk certainly wont be walking away from the talks. I think people expect us to go the extra mile. We have accordingly mandated our negotiators to continue the talks and see whether an agreement can be reached, even at this late stage. Following the decision, the Prime Minister held a conference
call to brief the cabinet on their options in the event of a no deal outcome all schools in greenwich have been told to close from tomorrow after the Council Leader said coronavirus rates in the South East London borough have reached its highest level than any time since march. A warning to borisjohnson relaxing coronavirus restrictions this christmas will lead to a third wave of infections Angela Merkel announces tighter coronavirus restrictions in germany to run through christmas until january the 10th. And in formula one, Max Verstappen wins the abu dhabi grand prix for red bull in the final race of the season and coming up in 30 minutes. The latest from the world of cinema and home viewing, in the film review with mark kermode. Good evening. If you have just joined if you havejustjoined is if you have justjoined is welcome to bbc news. The brexit trade talks will continue beyond the deadline set for today after the uk and the eu agreed their negotiators should keep talking. Major issues are still unresolved but after a telephone call this morning Boris Johnson and ursula von der leyen they said they would go the extra mile. The Prime Minister repeated that a no deal scenario was most likely. Our political correspondent, iain watson, reports. Are there still barriers in the way of a trade deal with brussels . Today the latest deadline was discarded. But the Prime Minister says some distance still remains between the two sides. As things stand, im afraid we are still very far apart on some key things. But where there is life, there is hope. We are going to see what we can do. The uk certainly wont be walking away from the talks. So why the cause for gloom . Well, there are some familiar sticking points. What access will eu fishing fleets have to uk waters . And how will any wider trade deal be policed if the two sides adopt different rules in future . As well as talking to the eu today, borisjohnson spoke to his cabinet colleagues and told them that no deal was still the more likely outcome. We have to get ready for wto terms. There is a clarity and simplicity in that approach that has its own advantages. So what are wto, or world trade, terms . Well, it means tariffs or taxes would be imposed from january the 1st on goods going from our shores to the eu and vice versa. Pushing up some prices in the process. To avoid this, the Eu Commission president said both sides would make a last gasp effort to reach agreement. Despite the exhaustion after almost one year of negotiations and despite the fact that deadlines have been missed over and over, we both think that it is responsible at this point in time to go the extra mile. Neither downing street nor brussels have set themselves yet another deadline. These tend to come and go in any case. But im told informally that the question of deal or no deal needs to be settled in the next few days. Despite the apparent pessimism in there, its important to note that detailed discussions are still continuing, so the prospect of a deal cant be completely ruled out. In fact, the Irish Government believes a deal is within reach if both sides show willing. 97 of this deal has been negotiated acrossjudicial, security, research, a whole range of areas. And it seems to me that the remaining 3 should not be beyond the capacity of both
sides to bridge. And labour argues that there is no logic to no deal. What the government seems to be saying is we are willing to accept no deal, which would mean tariffs across the board, because some future theoretical threat, maybe some time in the future, to have tariffs in relation to some products. That makes no sense. Thats like saying im worried my roof is going to leak in five years time so lets bulldoze the house now. Today the negotiating teams have been given the green light to continue. But the direction of travel remains uncertain. Our europe editor, katya adler, gave us her assessment on the state of the talks in brussels. Talks are continuing and the next 23 talks are continuing and the next 2 3 days are being described as significant, but what does that mean
and what exactly is going on . Are the two sidesjust and what exactly is going on . Are the two sides just keeping on talking because neither wants to be the first to walk away, neither wa nts the first to walk away, neither wants the blame for no deal. No is what i am being told by an eu contact close to the talks. They say both sides are being constructive and because they see no deal as a big deal they say as long as there isa big deal they say as long as there is a chance they should go for it. And what about the chance that the Prime Minister and the statement this afternoon sounded more gloomy about the prospect of a deal than the european commission. It is worth bearing in mind that is not the whole picture, what is being said in front of the tv cameras. Also very important as what is going on behind closed doors, whether between those negotiators are between Boris Johnson and his closed conversations with the european Commission President ursula von der leyen. Neither is either going to sign up to the deal unless they can sell it asa to the deal unless they can sell it as a victory. For the eu that means they can say we protected our Single Market, and for the government it is
about protecting National Sovereignty after brexit, otherwise there will be no deal, and so we wait. We can talk now to the conservative mp andrew bridgen. Good evening to you. You must be getting rather fed up good evening to you. You must be getting ratherfed up with good evening to you. You must be getting rather fed up with this. |j think getting rather fed up with this. think while there is the chance of a beneficial deal for the uk we should keep talking but i think the problem is fundamentally that the uk wants a free trade agreement, we offered tariff and quota free trade, but the eu want something different. They wa nt eu want something different. They want to bind the uk to their rules and want the rights to take our fish forever and i dont know really how long we are going to talk without squaring the circle. Ijust wonder whether it is in the interests of both sides tojust whether it is in the interests of both sides to just carry on talking. I will give you a very obvious example why. You mentioned feis and i saw some example why. You mentioned feis and i saw some remarks example why. You mentioned feis and i saw some remarks you put twitter, you say we can support our fishermen, a bit of a red herring, good joke, as you put it, because
this can be resolved in other ways, not least by people buying british. That is fine, but at the moment many of the feis stocks on the south coast go to the european markets, they wont be able to go if there is a no deal brexit. At the moment, while we still talk they can carry on going. We could keep this going for months if not years on both sides. I think Business Needs that certainty and we need to be able to close off all these free trade deals with other countries. The amazing thing is we have managed to close off 57 so far free trade agreements with other countries in the time we have been talking with the European Union and we cant close a deal of what their biggest markets and closest neighbours. It is ridiculous. But i think the fact is that we are not seeking the same thing. Our membership of the European Union, previously the common market, was all about trade. That is why we joined in the first
place and what we wanted to be doing with them. For the place and what we wanted to be doing with them. Forthe european place and what we wanted to be doing with them. For the European Union im afraid it has always been a political project and these negotiations are very political. The odd thing, you can see at the other way, which is that it started out as a political project about stopping the french and germans ever going waragain, and from the french and germans ever going war again, and from that grew this institution, the various parts of it, andi institution, the various parts of it, and i from institution, the various parts of it, and ifrom knew brexiteer points of view grew and away you dont like, and then in the late 19805 Margaret Thatcher threw a hand back at the eu and convince them for a 5ingle at the eu and convince them for a Single Market without trade barriers, so we kind of ended up the thing we most wanted and that is the point at which we are leaving and we will potentially find ourselves, if we must handle this, outside of the 5ingle we must handle this, outside of the Single Market that we wanted to create. But the Single Market was never finished. Theres never been a Single Market. But isnt that because we havent been very good
negotiators. We havent built allie5 in the new Eastern European countries, conservative governments could have been doing that, the Labour Government 5till could have been doing that, the Labour Government still managed to do that in the 19905. All those allie5 who are ideological are closer to us and we somehow never got them on board against those countries who are perhaps more instinctively protectionist . We voted against eu rules 74 times but on qualified majority voting we were outvoted. You are outvoted because you dont get the allie5, that is the point we are not refighting the point we are not refighting the referendum. I am certainly not doing it but what i am arguing a5. Sorry. Membership is worthless to us than any other european country because 70 of our economy as services and services have never been covered by the Single Market. And isnt that a failure of british statecraft, to use the Prime Ministers phrase. A fully trained up ministers phrase. A fully trained up hairdresser in germany cant work in france, a lawyer from the uk
cant work in spain. That is the nature of the Single Market. There is no Single Market for services and services are the biggest part of our economy, and the fact that there is in goods, that is why we bought over 100 billion trade deficit. How was yourlamb 100 billion trade deficit. How was your lamb this lunchtime . It was absolutely superb, my favourite. So british lamb on your plate this lunchtime. If there is a no deal brexit, that will not be on european plates because of the tariffs introduced. What happens to those british farmers . There is going to be support from the government, no doubt, but the price of lamb will be lower and home consumption will increase. So we carry on subsidising farmers because we have closed offer access to our biggest market . Some people might find that not a very good deal. We have always been
subsidising hill farmers, it is marginal to affirm that land. Indeed, andi marginal to affirm that land. Indeed, and i come from a Health Farming area and the west country so i know exactly the point youre making. The broader point is this, that if we want a deal, we will have to move. If they want to deal they will have to move, why cant we just both move together . Because our red lines you cant move a bit. We are eitherunder eu lines you cant move a bit. We are either under eu rules or we are sovereign independent nation, and thatis sovereign independent nation, and that is a step we cant take without undermining referendum result. They are asking things of us that they havent asked of other Major Economies like canada and japan. They will say, you are very near and you will be a big competitor, but there are nontariff barriers involved, there will be extra paperwork and moving product from the uk into the Single Market, but obviously the fact that the eu cannot get a no Strings Attached free trade deal to their biggest market, the uk, as a sign of the
eus and security in their competitive future, and it is quite sad. What about this question of wt0 rules because the Prime Minister talks about this as a kind of a cce pta ble talks about this as a kind of acceptable alternative. There are problems though. Fir5t acceptable alternative. There are problems though. First of all, this australian model that we are so much about which is the wto rules is not quite the same because australia has a series of different deal5 already with the eu covering very particular areas, so it is not the case to say that they are trading ju5t areas, so it is not the case to say that they are trading just on wto rules. I think that is what the Prime Minister meant by an australia type deal, it is 84 or 82. We wont have that, an australia arrangement because we wont have negotiated any bilateral deal5 because we wont have negotiated any bilateral deals at that stage . think we will have and i think if the next suggestion from the eu may well be deals where we sort out, they have already offered as aviation and road transport and
travel. These things can be sorted out because they have already basically been agreed, but what we cant allow as bringing in through the rules and regulations that we we nt the rules and regulations that we went 11 through the front door. And also what i am very worried about is ifa also what i am very worried about is if a deal was agreed now, how much time are we going to have to study the deal, because from experience what i have always found. The devil is in the details. The devil is in the detail and there will be no mercy from the eu lawyers if we sign up to anything. Doubtless because we are very good at 5ervice5 i hope our lawyers will be equally robust on the other side. What can i put this point to you, is not a possibility, at the moment everyone i5 possibility, at the moment everyone is talking about the wto and there will be tariffs and an agreed schedule of tariffs. As we heard from the Deputy Director general of the wto yesterday, currently the wto mechanism isnt functioning because a lot of the judges have mechanism isnt functioning because a lot of thejudges have not mechanism isnt functioning because a lot of the judges have not been appointed because of the Trump Administration and the chinese are not happy with the way the wto was
operating and therefore we have a strange system where we could be going into some kind of uncharted territory we are in theory there are tariff territory we are in theory there are ta riff rules territory we are in theory there are tariff rules but nobody to actually enforce them. It could turn into a bit of a wild west. Obviously covid has disrupted many organisations, but the eu, when they say they are going to put a charge against us, for supposedly breaking some eu rules, it normally takes 2 3 years to resolve those. I think germany is currently the country with the most unresolved complaints against him for breach of Single Market rules. And the number in ireland, the republic of ireland, over the last 12 months was the biggest increase. They take 2 3 years to resolve so i wouldnt be surprised if the bto doesnt take about the same. This one could run and run. Thank you very much. Business groups have welcomed the decision to keep talking
in the hope of getting a trade deal before the transition period runs out in just over a fortnight. But theres also frustration at the effect of the continuing uncertainty. Our Business Correspondent katy austin reports. From car makers to farmers, for business the wait for clarity goes on. The sussex based porridge and snacks farmers scouting possible new Storage Space in spain because of the prospect of tariffs and import taxes with no trade deal. They are pleased that negotiations would end today. I am optimistic they are talking again. Ijust havent got full expectation that is going to come off. So you are pressing ahead with your plan b. We are pressing ahead and visiting warehouses and looking at options. What is certain is that after 31st december, the uk will be outside the Single Market and Customs Union and that means new paperwork for goods leaving great
britain for europe with delays and teething problems expected, but there are so things businesses dont yet know. Where businesses can prepare they are doing but where they cant they need governments on both sides to answer questions. We need information about rules of origin, what kind of labelling is going to be necessary products. The British Retail Consortium which represents major today repeated its warning that tariffs are taxes on imported goods could lead to price rises for customers. It says its members are stocking up on longer Life Products to ensure availability but it says the greatest impact on potential disruption would be on Fresh Produce like fruit and veg which cant be stored for so long. For groups representing Industries Like manufacturing there is relief the no deal scenario they say would be catastrophic has not come to pass today but still anxiety that it remains a possibility. And well find out how this story and many others are covered in tomorrows front pages at 10 30 and 11 30 this
evening in the papers our guests joining me tonight are the chief business commentator at the independent, james moore, and the property and personal finance commentator, Anne Ashworth she is a property and personal finance expert. I do hope you can join us then. The latest government figures on coronavirus show another 18,447 infections recorded in the latest 24 hour period. It means the average number of new cases reported per day in the last week was 18,023. 1,530 people were admitted to hospital on average each day over the week to the 9th december. 144 deaths were reported for the last 24 hours thats people who died within 28 days of a positive covid 19 test. On average in the past week, there were 420 deaths per day. The total number of uk deaths is now 64,170. All schools in greenwich have been told to close from tomorrow after the Council Leader said coronavirus rates in the South East London borough have reached their highest levels than any time since march. In a letter to families across greenwich, dan thorpe said schools should close on monday evening and move to Online Learning for the duration of the term. He also urged people to come forward and get tested for covid 19. One of the scientists who led the development of the Oxford University Covid Vaccine has warned that mixing over
christmas could mean a sharp rise in infections injanuary. It comes amid warnings of the existing pressure on some hospitals, with one health board in wales suspending outpatient appointments and non urgent surgery. Heres our science correspondent, pallab ghosh. Although some are being vaccinated now, the majority of high risk people will get theirjabs next year. The aim is to immunise those most at risk by easter. This would allow a gradual easing of restrictions across the country. Professor Sarah Gilbert led efforts to develop the Oxford University vaccine, currently being assessed for approval by the uk regulator. She warned peoples behaviour in the coming weeks could delay progress in tackling the virus. What we have seen in the us is that after thanksgiving, when people were travelling and mixing, theres now been a big surge in infections and theyre seeing 3000 deaths a day there now. The highest rate there has ever been in any country. If we have that kind of thing happening over the christmas
holidays in this country, with very high transmission rates then possible injanuary, its going to take so much longer to get things back to normal because partly all the vaccination clinics will be disrupted. A 73 year old man had to wait more than 19 hours in an ambulance outside Grange University hospital in monmouthshire because of pressure on its services due to covid. Non urgent care was already due to be suspended from tomorrow. Ted edwards was at home when he suffered a suspected stroke. In a statement, the health board said its hospitals remain under significant pressure due to very high numbers of covid patients. It added that it urgently needs the public to only attend if absolutely necessary as the number of covid positive patients in the community is increasing at an alarming rate. Wales first minister said that action had to be taken to reduce the number of infections. Unless we are able to reverse the current trend in coronavirus,
we are heading into a period where everything that our Health Service can do will have to be focused on the hundreds and hundreds of people who are now so ill with the virus that they need to be in a hospital bed. And that compromises the ability of the Health Service to do everything else. Hospital leaders have warned that relaxing covid restrictions could trigger a third wave of the virus. In a letter, they asked the Prime Minister to act with extreme caution in moving any area to a lower tier. Englands three tier system is due to be reviewed next wednesday. Pallab ghosh, bbc news. Germany will begin a tighter coronavirus lockdown on wednesday, with restrictions in place over the festive period. Schools and non essential shops will close until at least the tenth of january, while New Years Eve parties and fireworks will be banned. Restrictions on meeting indoors will be eased slightly for three
days over christmas. It also says lithuania has announced similar restrictions, essentially locked down for the next three weeks. Police in lincolnshire have arrested two teenagers on suspicion of murder after the discovery a school boys body. It was found on common land in the village of fishtoft near boston yesterday morning. A boy aged 14 and a 19 year old man are in custody. 0ur correspondentjake zuckerman has this update from the scene. Police were called here yesterday morning after a body, initially believed to be that of a man in his 305, was found on the grassy area just off the street behind me. Now today officers have said that the victim, although yet to be formally identified, is now believed to be a boy of secondary school age. They have launched a murder investigation
and two young men aged 14 and 19 have been arrested on suspicion of murder and remain have been arrested on suspicion of murderand remain in have been arrested on suspicion of murder and remain in police custody. Ina murder and remain in police custody. In a statement detective superintendent Martin Parker said, this is a devastating incident in which a young boy has lost his life. The impact will no doubt be felt greatly in the community and beyond. This type of incident is not what we would expect to see within our communities. We are working with those affected to keep them informed and to offer our support. At least 27 people have been killed in the west african country of niger, with officials saying the militant Islamist Group boko haram is responsible. Others were injured and some people are still missing after the attack in the village of toumour in the diffa region, close to the border with nigeria. There are reports that at least 800 homes were set on fire as well as the central market. Local officials have described it as an attack of unprecedented savagery. The humble garden pea
is often the chosen green veg on our plates but scientists have discovered that it could be more than just one of our five a day. 0ur science correspondent Richard Westcott has more. Stashed away in this room could be one answer to a potentially lethal problem affecting nearly five million uk people, a million of whom do not even realise it. This is a seed store. It is actually freezing in here so they can preserve everything. And this is a super pea. We think of it as a pea, it is actually the seed of a pea plant. Its full of something called resistance starch and the researchers suggest that could be really significant in controlling type two diabetes. Now, down one of these corridors. Working away, is claire. Hi, claire. I know it is a bit freezing in here so we wont keep you for long. What have you actually found in these peas . Why is it so significant . They contain high amounts of resistance starch. That means the starch is digested more slowly so we do not get that big glucose spike or big sugar spike in our bloodstream shortly after we consume a meal containing those types of seeds and that is really important for preventing disorders such as type two diabetes, where insulin responses are really out of kilter with the amount of sugar which is in our bloodstream. In the lab, scientists revealed the magic inside the super pea, which is actuallyjust a type of garden pea thats been allowed to grow to maturity. These strange shapes are grains of that resistance starch, the ingredient that can help us avoid damaging sugar spikes. Type two diabetes can increase your risk of heart and liver disease, stroke and amputations. A healthy diet is a key way to control or even avoid it. Potentially, then, this is what we could all be eating in the future. The team here has made
super pea hummus. Now, they tell me this is a little bit past its sell by date so they have advised me not to try it. Apparently, its delicious, though. Here you go. Of course the big question is, claire, what if you dont like peas . A frequently asked question. You can disguise peas in many different ways. You can grind them up into a flour, incorporate that flour into bread or into these biscuits, for example, which we made using pea flour. Savoury biscuits . Savoury biscuits which you could have with your hummus. Poor food and a lack of exercise has led to a Global Diabetes epidemic. Its thought one in 11 adults is living with it. More research is needed, but the team here hopes from wrinkled super peas could have a big impact on our health. Richard westcott, bbc news, norwich. At this time of year, were used to seeing christmas
lights covering our houses and streets in the uk but an illuminated steam train is a more unusual sight. In a world first, a group of volunteers have used 14 thousand led lights to light up the tracks in hampshire in southern england. 0ur reporter Duncan Kennedy has been to see the display. This is where steam. Train whistle blows. Meets electricity. And where heritage meets wattage. Its the watercress line in hampshire, now lit up in a spectacular christmas mix of light and wonder. Red, green, blue there are almost too many colours to count. It took eight weeks to design and two weeks to rig the lights on a train run by a not for profit group of steam enthusiasts. Oh, its amazing. My boy is so happy
yes, its really made their day. The kids are loving it, its a really good experience. Nice to do something christmassy. This isnt the only heritage line to put Christmas Lights on trains, but this one is designed by simon horne, who usually creates concert lighting for the likes of westlife and 0lly murs. Youre lighting a pop star, youve got the band, youve got pop star, you got the sound system. And youre just painting a picture around them. But this was all about the lights. So, like, oh, this cant go wrong so, i dont think ive ever been as proud as i am of this. Its really touching my heart. The train is 120 metres long, and cabling led lights has not been easy. There is one more nagging question. How many lights are there on this train . Theres 14,000 individual leds on this train. Yes, thats exactly right 14,000 lights on this train, each one of them individually controllable. Simon, the lighting man, thinks that is a new world record. The trains are covid safe in an operation kept going by around 500 volunteers. You have steam trains, we have the magic of christmas and we have these wonderful lights, so, its just simply magical. Magic that now runs all the way to christmas and beyond. Light amid the darkness of 2020. Duncan kennedy, bbc news, in hampshire. I wonder if we ought to be lighting up i wonder if we ought to be lighting up the weather map at christmas. Sadly nick miller hasnt been able
to do that, we
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