Brexit. It's coming, but no one really knows what form it will take.

Prime Minister Theresa May plans to fire the starting pistol this month, leading to at least two years of complex negotiations between Britain and 27 other European Union nations with competing interests.

The results will redefine Britain's role outside the EU, transform immigration and trade laws, and affect everything from intelligence sharing to the classification of bananas.

Brexit hasn't happened yet; the formal process is about to begin.

But the June 23 referendum in which Britons voted to leave the EU is already having an immense impact on peoples' lives.

Not because of what they know about Brexit, but because of what they don't.

Five people -- three in Britain, two in continental Europe -- tell how they are coping with the uncertainty:

THE GERMAN ACADEMIC WHO IS LEAVING BRITAIN

German-born Henning Meyer and his German wife have lived in London long enough to easily qualify for British nationality.

And it's likely the British government will eventually decide to allow EU nationals already living in Britain to stay even after the divorce, so they could probably live here even without British passports.

But the Meyers are leaving.

They are building a small home in Berlin and selling their place just north of London.

They no longer feel welcome here and they believe London's role as a vital international hub will soon shrivel.

Meyer says that if he's not allowed to live in the UK as German, he no longer wants to be in the UK.

They took six months to decide to abandon Britain -- a move shaped by the belief that something fundamental had been altered in the tolerant, multi-cultural society they had embraced.

"It's not just the immediate reaction after the referendum," he said.

"You know everybody knows what happened to -- not me personally -- but Polish citizens or others who have been subject to abuse or even worse. So what also changed is how the referendum campaign altered the public discourse in this country. Because it was a shameful campaign and it has made stereotyping xenophobia mainstream."

He said some friends no longer feel comfortable speaking German with their children on London streets, and others try to conceal their Polish or German identities.

Meyer doesn't want to live that way.

THE LATVIAN STUDENT RUSHING TO GET TO BRITAIN - BEFORE IT'S TOO LATE

Katrina Rubina's dream is almost in her grasp. She fears Brexit will snatch it away.

The 18-year-old high school student's cherished goal - call it an obsession - is to study in Britain, a country with a proud tradition of academic rigour that regularly turns out skilled graduates who can compete in Europe's tight job market.

"I've been dreaming about studying in the UK for a long time, since I was 6 years old, purely because of Harry Potter. And right now if because of the Brexit, the student loans are cut, there are no more opportunities for people (from the EU) who were depending on these loans. Thus, my chance would be blown," says Rubina.

Her fear is that Britain's exit from the EU will shortly make it much harder for students from other European countries to study in Britain.

She anticipates many road blocks: New visa rules, rather than the border free travel Latvians and other EU citizens now enjoy, a hike in tuition for non-British students and, most importantly, a sharp cut in scholarships for EU students.

That's made getting to Britain a now-or-never proposition.

She and many other Latvian hopefuls are flooding British universities with applications - academic officials note a marked increase since the referendum.

She has been provisionally accepted at the Royal Holloway in London to study international business, but needs an excellent showing on her final round of exams.

Her counsellor has told her she must study still harder - competition has increased because so many students are trying to get to Britain before the rules change.

"That's all I worked for - to study in the UK. And if I cannot - it was all for nothing," she says.

THIS MAN OF STEEL SEES BETTER DAYS AHEAD - AND HE'S HIRING

John Reid & Sons is looking to hire six people at its structural steel factory in southern England - and managing director Simon Boyd thinks the 98-year-old company's expansion is a Brexit blessing.

He has argued for years that membership in the EU was holding Britain back because of a welter of regulations.

The day Brexit comes into full force, he says, will be the day when Britain is liberated from unwanted workplace rules and the capricious dictates imposed by the European Court of Justice.

He knows that in a legal sense nothing has changed, that the implementation of Brexit is at least several years away, but thinks the business climate has dramatically improved now that the end of EU regulation (over-regulation in his view) is in sight.

The midsize firm he runs is already reaping benefits - the falling value of the British pound sterling since the Brexit vote has helped its exports - and the company's largest ever expansion project is being planned in consultation with local officials.

Boyd, who started his career making tea and sweeping floors, says orders and inquiries for major projects increased after the referendum vote and expects they will shoot still higher in the coming years.

"I think government is in an excellent position to negotiate a really good deal with our European friends, and we can get out of this really damaging European Union, "says Boyd, who chafes at the way European workplace rules hamper his flexibility in a business that is cyclical by nature.

THE BRITISH RETIREE IN SPAIN: DON'T MAKE ME GO BACK

If Brexit means that retirees Karen and Peter Watling have to leave the Mediterranean coast of Spain to return to the dreary British Midlands, expect them to be kicking and screaming on the plane back home.

Their decision to retire in Spain after long careers in England made perfect sense - before Brexit.

They enjoy a reciprocal health care arrangement between Britain and Spain that allows them to receive free medical care and medication, which is crucial because Peter, 70, has a serious ailment.

Karen Watling doesn't expect the health care agreement between the two EU countries to survive the divorce, which would force them to seek government-sponsored health insurance in Spain or reluctantly move back to England.

"For us it would be a disaster because it would be well over 300 euros a month plus medication," she says of the insurance she would need in Spain. "We wouldn't be able to afford it."

Brexit has already hit their purchasing power.

Their pensions are paid in British pound sterling, which has, since the referendum, dropped by about 15 percent in relation to the euro used in Spain.

Karen Watling who is also 70 says she has been anxious and tearful since June 23.

She is angry at the government - believing that Brits living in other EU countries are being used as a bargaining chip - and mortified by what the referendum results say about the country where she worked as a teacher for decades.

"I am devastated to see how the UK has now become, "she says.

THE ITALIAN 'LONDONER' WHO SUDDENLY FEELS OUT OF PLACE - IN HIS OWN HOME

Brexit has cost him money, plenty of money each month as the cost of importing meats and cheese from Italy has risen because of the drop in value of the British pound.

But Gastronomica founder Marco Vineis seems most upset by Brexit's emotional pain, not its financial toll.

"I feel myself quite a Londoner, even if I wasn't born here," says Vineis, 52, in his salami and cheese filled deli, where the aroma of rich Italian espresso lingers.

"Now I feel myself a bit of a foreigner. So, this feeling I don't like it a lot. This is after 25 years I've been here."

With the current exchange rate of the pound against the euro, in "three years we need to close," he says, or change the business by replacing tomatoes and pecorino with scallops and cheddar.

London, UK – 17 February 2017

1. London School of Economics academic, Henning Meyer walking into office

2. Hands on keyboard mouse

3. Meyer's own picture of Berlin on his computer

4. Various Meyer looking at his photos of Berlin

5. Photos being scrolled through

6. SOUNDBITE (English) Henning Meyer, London School of Economics academic:

"It's just the feeling that the mood has changed. It's not just the immediate reaction after the referendum - you know everybody knows about what happened to, not me personally, but Polish citizens or others who have been subject to abuse or even worse - so what also changed is how the referendum campaign altered the pubic discourse in this country. Because it was a shameful campaign, in my view, and it has made stereotyping xenophobia mainstream."

7. Cutaway of hands

8. SOUNDBITE (English) Henning Meyer, London School of Economics academic:

"In the cold light of day it is clear that the best decision for us in the medium to long-term - even though in the short-term it might be more disruptive - is moving back to Berlin."

9. Various of Henning looking at photo of plot of land he has bought in Berlin

Riga, Latvia - 17 February 2017

10. Various of English class at Riga State 2nd Gymnasium

11. Close of Katrina Rubina

12. Pan of class

13. Rubina exiting classroom

14. SOUNDBITE (English) Katrina Rubina, 18, student hoping to study in UK:

"I've been dreaming about studying in the UK for a long time, since I was six years old, purely because of Harry Potter. And right now if because of the Brexit, the student loans are cut, there are no more opportunities for people (from the EU) who were depending on these loans and thus, my chance would be blown."

15. Girl holding a University of Edinburgh bag

16. Rubina talking to classmates in the corridor

17. SOUNDBITE (English) Katrina Rubina, 18, student hoping to study in the UK:

I've worked every single test and doing all these extra curriculars, and right now, kind of, all was useless if I cannot study there anymore. Because that's all I worked for - to study in the UK. And if I cannot - it was all for nothing."

18. Various exteriors of Riga State 2nd Gymnasium

Bournemouth, UK - 28 February 2017

19. Pan interior of John Reid and Sons steel factory

20. Various of steel welding

21. Various set ups of John Reid and Sons managing director, Simon Boyd

22. SOUNDBITE (English) Simon Boyd, Managing Director, John Reid and Sons:

"It was pretty clear after Mr Cameron's failed attempts to negotiate a better deal with the EU that we weren't going to get anything that worked for me, my family, my business, my employees and indeed the vast majority of people in the UK and now I think we have to support government. I think government is in an excellent position to negotiate a really good deal with our European friends, and we can get out of this really damaging European Union."

23. Cutaway tilt down face

24. SOUNDBITE (English) Simon Boyd, Managing Director, John Reid and Sons:

"I'm a businessman, I care about this company, I care about our industry, and I care about everybody in the country to be honest, no matter where you come from. The fact of the matter is that politicians will argue black is white, day in day out. We have to deal with the facts. It's us that have to bear the burden of regulation. It's us that have to cope with the stresses and anxieties that all this regulation places not only on us who run the business but on our employees, and a one size fits all approach, which is what the European Union has done with British business has been really bad for us."

25. Various steel cutting

26. Forklift operating

Torrevieja, Spain - 1 March 2017

27. Wide Torrevieja beach

28. Mid people walking on the beach

29. Mid people in a bar terrace

30. Close menu sign in English

31. Various set up shots of Karen Watling, a UK pensioner from Yorkshire

32. SOUNDBITE (English) Karen Watling, UK pensioner living in Spain:

"For us it would be a disaster because it would be well over 300 euros a month plus medication, we wouldn't be able to afford it."

33. Close up of hands

34. SOUNDBITE (English) Karen Watling, UK pensioner living in Spain:

"We didn't leave the United Kingdom because we didn't like it, we left it because we thought we would have a better retirement in a warmer place and that's true. We are quite happy here. The UK is still my home country. And I am devastated to see how the UK has now become."

35. Mid food sign in English

London - 16 February 2017

36. Exterior of Gastronomica Italian deli

37. Various of customers, produce in background

38. Various of deli items

39. Various of Italian restaurateur and food importer Marco Vineis preparing sandwich

40. SOUNDBITE (English) Marco Vineis, Italian restaurateur and food importer:

"I feel myself quite (a) Londoner, even if I wasn't born here. Now I feel myself a bit of a foreigner. So, this feeling I don't like it a lot. This is after 25 years, I've been here, I feel London as it is my house, almost."

41. Cutaway hands

42. SOUNDBITE (English) Marco Vineis, Italian restaurateur and food importer:

"I hope the pound must be at least over the 1.15 (to the euro) otherwise it's going to be... if it carries on for 10 years at 1.10, after three years we need to close. Or change our business. Having English product. So, if we are very keen on these zero kilometres product, perfect. We can do it. Tomorrow we can buy, I don't know.... scallops, cheddar..."

43. Staff preparing food

44. Plate of mozzarella and tomato salad

FOR CLEAN VERSION SEE STORY NUMBER: 4069665

LEAD IN:

Virtual and augmented reality, health technology and mobile tech are taking centre stage at the annual TechCrunch Disrupt startup event in London.

According to a recent report, the British capital remains Europe's biggest tech hub despite the recent 'Leave' EU vote.

Experts say how migration is managed once Britain leaves the 28-nation bloc could be pivotal for the city's future tech scene.

STORY-LINE:

During London's 2012 Olympic Games, the Copper Box Arena hosted fencing duels and handball matches.

Four years on, a completely different type of competition is hotting up.

At TechCrunch Disrupt London, an annual tech conference, fledgling companies are competing for venture capitalists' attention in 'Start-Up Alley' and 'Battlefield' areas.

The 'Startup Battlefield' gives entrants the chance to feverishly pitch their company to a panel of judges. The winning team takes away a prize of 50,000 US dollars.

Virtual reality is a hot tech trend currently, but high-cost headsets mean many are yet to sample premium VR content.

Poland-based RiftCat is aiming to change that.

Its developers created PC technology that allows gamers to play high-quality VR games through simple mobile VR viewers like Google Cardboard.

VRidge - as it's called - is intended to act as a bridge between mobile and PC VR content.

"When you have two branches of virtual reality, the PC VR and mobile VR and they both have their advantages and disadvantages - PC VR is the highest quality, but it's expensive and mobile VR is cheap because you can use your phone and put it, you have only the lenses, but it has not that much capability," explains Marek Antoniuk from RiftCat.

"So, basically we are making a bridge in between these two worlds."

Hot on the heels of virtual reality, augmented reality - or AR - is becoming a popular topic following the global success of smartphone game 'Pokemon Go'.

Liverpool-based SwapBots created an augmented reality game which seemingly brings simple cardboard toys to life.

Users can combine boxes to create different characters, there's a variety of single and multiplayer games for players to explore.

"When you're young yourself, you imagine your toys coming to life," explains Phil Charnock from SwapBots.

"And now you can - I won't say replace your imagination - but you can kind of see your imagination living on the screen.

"You can see the toy itself, starting to move around, see them battle with each other and I think that's an incredible thing to be feeding kids' imaginations like that."

Medtech company xRapid is demonstrating its automated diagnostic smartphone app, designed to diagnose diseases such as malaria and tuberculosis.

Using the smartphone's camera and when connected to a microscope, the app deploys digital imaging and artificial intelligence to analyse smear tests.

It's claimed the technology is particularly useful in remote areas, far from trained doctors or a reliable internet connection.

"We take a blood sample, we use any kind of microscope and with the iPhone app that we developed, we can tell you if you are sick or not, give all the important details to the doctor to give the right diagnostic and the right treatment to patients," explains Charles Van Overmeire from xRapid.

Seoul-based Attocube is demonstrating its smartphone-connected wooden blocks, designed to inspire and educate young minds.

Players are challenged to create various letters, numbers and shapes using cubes decorated with different geometric patterns.

The idea is to boost creativity and problem solving while still giving children screen time.

"We created this cube and children learn the alphabet or numbers or images and create different patterns, and they make more and more creative, and (the) brain strengthens, yeah," explains Johnny Moon from Attocube.

London-based Firef.ly is demonstrating its mobile travel app which combines planning, guides and journals all in one place.

Users can browse guidebooks, add locations to Buck Lists, shoot and embed videos and photos onto a map, and tailor digital postcards for friends and family back home.

The idea is to provide all smartphone-enabled travellers require in one app.

"You look at Facebook, it's great for peeling through somebody's wall, but it's a sporadic hit of a bunch of different things, it doesn't join up the story," explains Chad Cribbins from Firef.ly.

"So, ours is uniquely dedicated to a journal of your travels, that you can peel back through time.

"So, all these lines that we capture, over months and months, even just living in London, becomes an interesting narrative for you to hold onto."

Despite Britain's recent 'Leave' EU vote, London appears to be maintaining its place as Europe's tech capital.

According to the recent 'State of European Tech' report by tech investment firm Atomico, London boasts over 300,000 developers.

French capital Paris came in second with over 134,000 - less than half London's total.

"It still remains, whatever you want to say about Brexit or anything else, London and the UK is still the biggest hub of startup ecosystems in the whole of Europe and that's really not going to change anytime soon," says Mike Butcher from tech website TechCrunch.

Despite that, Butcher says how Britain handles migration once it exits the 28-nation bloc could be pivotal for London's startup scene.

"It's going to be about talent because migration and skilled migration are hugely at the core of startups," he says.

"You know, the two things that affect startups are money and talent, and talent is really going to be affected by Brexit, how people get visas, how people access the UK, and how people are able to hire into the UK.

"Brexit is absolutely the core of this conversation about startups today."

TechCrunch Disrupt London 2016 runs 5-6 December at the Copper Box Arena in London's Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park.

London, UK - 5 December 2016

1. High wide shot of TechCrunch Disrupt London 2016 show floor

2. Wide of booths and attendees

3. Tilt down from 'Startup Battlefield' sign to show floor

4. Various of Marek Antoniuk, RiftCat, demonstrating RiftCat VRidge virtual reality technology

5. SOUNDBITE (English) Marek Antoniuk, RiftCat:

"When you have two branches of virtual reality, the PC VR and mobile VR and they both have their advantages and disadvantages - PC VR is the highest quality, but it's expensive and mobile VR is cheap because you can use your phone and put it, you have only the lenses, but it has not that much capability. So, basically we are making a bridge in between these two worlds."

6. Low shot of attendee removing virtual reality headset

7. Various of Phil Charnock, SwapBots, demonstrating SwapBots augmented reality toys

8. SOUNDBITE (English) Phil Charnock, SwapBots:

"When you're young yourself, you imagine your toys coming to life. And now you can - I won't say replace your imagination - but you can kind of see your imagination actually living on the screen. You can see the toy itself, starting to move around, see them battle with each other and I think that's an incredible thing to be feeding kids' imaginations like that."

9. Pull out from SwapBots toy to tablet showing augmented reality technology

10. Various of Charles Van Overmeire, xRapid, demonstrating xRapid automated diagnostic app with microscope

11. SOUNDBITE (English) Charles Van Overmeire, xRapid:

"We take a blood sample, we use any kind of microscope and with the iPhone app that we developed, we can tell you if you are sick or not, we give all the important details to the doctor to give the right diagnostic and the right treatment to patients."

12. Various of Johnny Moon, Attocube, demonstrating Attocube smartphone-connected wooden block learning game

13. Tilt up of smartphone showing Attocube app and complete letter 'D'

14. Pull out of blocks showing completed letter 'D'

15. SOUNDBITE (English) Johnny Moon, Attocube:

"We created this cube and children learn the alphabet or numbers or images and create different patterns, and they make more and more creative, and (the) brain strengthens, yeah."

16. Various of Chad Cribbins, Firef.ly, demonstrating Firef.ly travel smartphone app

17. SOUNDBITE (English) Chad Cribbins, Firef.ly:

"You look at Facebook, it's great for peeling through somebody's wall, but it's a sporadic hit of a bunch of different things, it doesn't join up the story. So, ours is uniquely dedicated to a journal of your travels, that you can peel back through time. So, all these lines that we capture, over months and months, even just living in London, becomes an interesting narrative for you to hold onto."

18. Wide tilt down to TechCrunch Disrupt London 2016 show floor

19. Wide of sign, reading (English): 'Startup Battlefield'

20. Various of booths and attendees

21. SOUNDBITE (English) Mike Butcher, Editor At Large, TechCrunch:

"It still remains, whatever you want to say about Brexit or anything else, London and the UK is still the biggest hub of startup ecosystems in the whole of Europe and that's really not going to change anytime soon."

22. Various of booths and attendees

23. SOUNDBITE (English) Mike Butcher, Editor At Large, TechCrunch:

"It's going to be about talent because migration and skilled migration are hugely at the core of startups. You know, the two things that affect startups are money and talent, and talent is really going to be affected by Brexit, how people get visas, how people access the UK, and how people are able to hire into the UK. Brexit is absolutely the core of this conversation about startups today."

24. Tilt down to TechCrunch Disrupt London 2016 show floor

25. Close of tank robot toy moving

LEAD IN:

Virtual and augmented reality, health technology and mobile tech are taking centre stage at the annual TechCrunch Disrupt startup event in London.

According to a recent report, the British capital remains Europe's biggest tech hub despite the recent 'Leave' EU vote.

Experts say how migration is managed once Britain leaves the 28-nation bloc could be pivotal for the city's future tech scene.

STORY-LINE:

During London's 2012 Olympic Games, the Copper Box Arena hosted fencing duels and handball matches.

Four years on, a completely different type of competition is hotting up.

At TechCrunch Disrupt London, an annual tech conference, fledgling companies are competing for venture capitalists' attention in 'Start-Up Alley' and 'Battlefield' areas.

The 'Startup Battlefield' gives entrants the chance to feverishly pitch their company to a panel of judges. The winning team takes away a prize of 50,000 US dollars.

Virtual reality is a hot tech trend currently, but high-cost headsets mean many are yet to sample premium VR content.

Poland-based RiftCat is aiming to change that.

Its developers created PC technology that allows gamers to play high-quality VR games through simple mobile VR viewers like Google Cardboard.

VRidge - as it's called - is intended to act as a bridge between mobile and PC VR content.

"When you have two branches of virtual reality, the PC VR and mobile VR and they both have their advantages and disadvantages - PC VR is the highest quality, but it's expensive and mobile VR is cheap because you can use your phone and put it, you have only the lenses, but it has not that much capability," explains Marek Antoniuk from RiftCat.

"So, basically we are making a bridge in between these two worlds."

Hot on the heels of virtual reality, augmented reality - or AR - is becoming a popular topic following the global success of smartphone game 'Pokemon Go'.

Liverpool-based SwapBots created an augmented reality game which seemingly brings simple cardboard toys to life.

Users can combine boxes to create different characters, there's a variety of single and multiplayer games for players to explore.

"When you're young yourself, you imagine your toys coming to life," explains Phil Charnock from SwapBots.

"And now you can - I won't say replace your imagination - but you can kind of see your imagination living on the screen.

"You can see the toy itself, starting to move around, see them battle with each other and I think that's an incredible thing to be feeding kids' imaginations like that."

Medtech company xRapid is demonstrating its automated diagnostic smartphone app, designed to diagnose diseases such as malaria and tuberculosis.

Using the smartphone's camera and when connected to a microscope, the app deploys digital imaging and artificial intelligence to analyse smear tests.

It's claimed the technology is particularly useful in remote areas, far from trained doctors or a reliable internet connection.

"We take a blood sample, we use any kind of microscope and with the iPhone app that we developed, we can tell you if you are sick or not, give all the important details to the doctor to give the right diagnostic and the right treatment to patients," explains Charles Van Overmeire from xRapid.

Seoul-based Attocube is demonstrating its smartphone-connected wooden blocks, designed to inspire and educate young minds.

Players are challenged to create various letters, numbers and shapes using cubes decorated with different geometric patterns.

The idea is to boost creativity and problem solving while still giving children screen time.

"We created this cube and children learn the alphabet or numbers or images and create different patterns, and they make more and more creative, and (the) brain strengthens, yeah," explains Johnny Moon from Attocube.

London-based Firef.ly is demonstrating its mobile travel app which combines planning, guides and journals all in one place.

Users can browse guidebooks, add locations to Buck Lists, shoot and embed videos and photos onto a map, and tailor digital postcards for friends and family back home.

The idea is to provide all smartphone-enabled travellers require in one app.

"You look at Facebook, it's great for peeling through somebody's wall, but it's a sporadic hit of a bunch of different things, it doesn't join up the story," explains Chad Cribbins from Firef.ly.

"So, ours is uniquely dedicated to a journal of your travels, that you can peel back through time.

"So, all these lines that we capture, over months and months, even just living in London, becomes an interesting narrative for you to hold onto."

Despite Britain's recent 'Leave' EU vote, London appears to be maintaining its place as Europe's tech capital.

According to the recent 'State of European Tech' report by tech investment firm Atomico, London boasts over 300,000 developers.

French capital Paris came in second with over 134,000 - less than half London's total.

"It still remains, whatever you want to say about Brexit or anything else, London and the UK is still the biggest hub of startup ecosystems in the whole of Europe and that's really not going to change anytime soon," says Mike Butcher from tech website TechCrunch.

Despite that, Butcher says how Britain handles migration once it exits the 28-nation bloc could be pivotal for London's startup scene.

"It's going to be about talent because migration and skilled migration are hugely at the core of startups," he says.

"You know, the two things that affect startups are money and talent, and talent is really going to be affected by Brexit, how people get visas, how people access the UK, and how people are able to hire into the UK.

"Brexit is absolutely the core of this conversation about startups today."

TechCrunch Disrupt London 2016 runs 5-6 December at the Copper Box Arena in London's Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park.

London, UK - 5 December 2016

1. High wide shot of TechCrunch Disrupt London 2016 show floor

2. Wide of booths and attendees

3. Tilt down from 'Startup Battlefield' sign to show floor

4. Various of Marek Antoniuk, RiftCat, demonstrating RiftCat VRidge virtual reality technology

5. SOUNDBITE (English) Marek Antoniuk, RiftCat:

"When you have two branches of virtual reality, the PC VR and mobile VR and they both have their advantages and disadvantages - PC VR is the highest quality, but it's expensive and mobile VR is cheap because you can use your phone and put it, you have only the lenses, but it has not that much capability. So, basically we are making a bridge in between these two worlds."

6. Low shot of attendee removing virtual reality headset

7. Various of Phil Charnock, SwapBots, demonstrating SwapBots augmented reality toys

8. SOUNDBITE (English) Phil Charnock, SwapBots:

"When you're young yourself, you imagine your toys coming to life. And now you can - I won't say replace your imagination - but you can kind of see your imagination actually living on the screen. You can see the toy itself, starting to move around, see them battle with each other and I think that's an incredible thing to be feeding kids' imaginations like that."

9. Pull out from SwapBots toy to tablet showing augmented reality technology

10. Various of Charles Van Overmeire, xRapid, demonstrating xRapid automated diagnostic app with microscope

11. SOUNDBITE (English) Charles Van Overmeire, xRapid:

"We take a blood sample, we use any kind of microscope and with the iPhone app that we developed, we can tell you if you are sick or not, we give all the important details to the doctor to give the right diagnostic and the right treatment to patients."

12. Various of Johnny Moon, Attocube, demonstrating Attocube smartphone-connected wooden block learning game

13. Tilt up of smartphone showing Attocube app and complete letter 'D'

14. Pull out of blocks showing completed letter 'D'

15. SOUNDBITE (English) Johnny Moon, Attocube:

"We created this cube and children learn the alphabet or numbers or images and create different patterns, and they make more and more creative, and (the) brain strengthens, yeah."

16. Various of Chad Cribbins, Firef.ly, demonstrating Firef.ly travel smartphone app

17. SOUNDBITE (English) Chad Cribbins, Firef.ly:

"You look at Facebook, it's great for peeling through somebody's wall, but it's a sporadic hit of a bunch of different things, it doesn't join up the story. So, ours is uniquely dedicated to a journal of your travels, that you can peel back through time. So, all these lines that we capture, over months and months, even just living in London, becomes an interesting narrative for you to hold onto."

18. Wide tilt down to TechCrunch Disrupt London 2016 show floor

19. Wide of sign, reading (English): 'Startup Battlefield'

20. Various of booths and attendees

21. SOUNDBITE (English) Mike Butcher, Editor At Large, TechCrunch:

"It still remains, whatever you want to say about Brexit or anything else, London and the UK is still the biggest hub of startup ecosystems in the whole of Europe and that's really not going to change anytime soon."

22. Various of booths and attendees

23. SOUNDBITE (English) Mike Butcher, Editor At Large, TechCrunch:

"It's going to be about talent because migration and skilled migration are hugely at the core of startups. You know, the two things that affect startups are money and talent, and talent is really going to be affected by Brexit, how people get visas, how people access the UK, and how people are able to hire into the UK. Brexit is absolutely the core of this conversation about startups today."

24. Tilt down to TechCrunch Disrupt London 2016 show floor

25. Close of tank robot toy moving

LEAD IN:

Virtual and augmented reality, health technology and mobile tech are taking centre stage at the annual TechCrunch Disrupt startup event in London.

According to a recent report, the British capital remains Europe's biggest tech hub despite the recent 'Leave' EU vote.

Experts say how migration is managed once Britain leaves the 28-nation bloc could be pivotal for the city's future tech scene.

STORY-LINE:

During London's 2012 Olympic Games, the Copper Box Arena hosted fencing duels and handball matches.

Four years on, a completely different type of competition is hotting up.

At TechCrunch Disrupt London, an annual tech conference, fledgling companies are competing for venture capitalists' attention in 'Start-Up Alley' and 'Battlefield' areas.

The 'Startup Battlefield' gives entrants the chance to feverishly pitch their company to a panel of judges. The winning team takes away a prize of 50,000 US dollars.

Virtual reality is a hot tech trend currently, but high-cost headsets mean many are yet to sample premium VR content.

Poland-based RiftCat is aiming to change that.

Its developers created PC technology that allows gamers to play high-quality VR games through simple mobile VR viewers like Google Cardboard.

VRidge - as it's called - is intended to act as a bridge between mobile and PC VR content.

"When you have two branches of virtual reality, the PC VR and mobile VR and they both have their advantages and disadvantages - PC VR is the highest quality, but it's expensive and mobile VR is cheap because you can use your phone and put it, you have only the lenses, but it has not that much capability," explains Marek Antoniuk from RiftCat.

"So, basically we are making a bridge in between these two worlds."

Hot on the heels of virtual reality, augmented reality - or AR - is becoming a popular topic following the global success of smartphone game 'Pokemon Go'.

Liverpool-based SwapBots created an augmented reality game which seemingly brings simple cardboard toys to life.

Users can combine boxes to create different characters, there's a variety of single and multiplayer games for players to explore.

"When you're young yourself, you imagine your toys coming to life," explains Phil Charnock from SwapBots.

"And now you can - I won't say replace your imagination - but you can kind of see your imagination living on the screen.

"You can see the toy itself, starting to move around, see them battle with each other and I think that's an incredible thing to be feeding kids' imaginations like that."

Medtech company xRapid is demonstrating its automated diagnostic smartphone app, designed to diagnose diseases such as malaria and tuberculosis.

Using the smartphone's camera and when connected to a microscope, the app deploys digital imaging and artificial intelligence to analyse smear tests.

It's claimed the technology is particularly useful in remote areas, far from trained doctors or a reliable internet connection.

"We take a blood sample, we use any kind of microscope and with the iPhone app that we developed, we can tell you if you are sick or not, give all the important details to the doctor to give the right diagnostic and the right treatment to patients," explains Charles Van Overmeire from xRapid.

Seoul-based Attocube is demonstrating its smartphone-connected wooden blocks, designed to inspire and educate young minds.

Players are challenged to create various letters, numbers and shapes using cubes decorated with different geometric patterns.

The idea is to boost creativity and problem solving while still giving children screen time.

"We created this cube and children learn the alphabet or numbers or images and create different patterns, and they make more and more creative, and (the) brain strengthens, yeah," explains Johnny Moon from Attocube.

London-based Firef.ly is demonstrating its mobile travel app which combines planning, guides and journals all in one place.

Users can browse guidebooks, add locations to Buck Lists, shoot and embed videos and photos onto a map, and tailor digital postcards for friends and family back home.

The idea is to provide all smartphone-enabled travellers require in one app.

"You look at Facebook, it's great for peeling through somebody's wall, but it's a sporadic hit of a bunch of different things, it doesn't join up the story," explains Chad Cribbins from Firef.ly.

"So, ours is uniquely dedicated to a journal of your travels, that you can peel back through time.

"So, all these lines that we capture, over months and months, even just living in London, becomes an interesting narrative for you to hold onto."

Despite Britain's recent 'Leave' EU vote, London appears to be maintaining its place as Europe's tech capital.

According to the recent 'State of European Tech' report by tech investment firm Atomico, London boasts over 300,000 developers.

French capital Paris came in second with over 134,000 - less than half London's total.

"It still remains, whatever you want to say about Brexit or anything else, London and the UK is still the biggest hub of startup ecosystems in the whole of Europe and that's really not going to change anytime soon," says Mike Butcher from tech website TechCrunch.

Despite that, Butcher says how Britain handles migration once it exits the 28-nation bloc could be pivotal for London's startup scene.

"It's going to be about talent because migration and skilled migration are hugely at the core of startups," he says.

"You know, the two things that affect startups are money and talent, and talent is really going to be affected by Brexit, how people get visas, how people access the UK, and how people are able to hire into the UK.

"Brexit is absolutely the core of this conversation about startups today."

TechCrunch Disrupt London 2016 runs 5-6 December at the Copper Box Arena in London's Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park.

London, UK - 5 December 2016

1. High wide shot of TechCrunch Disrupt London 2016 show floor

2. Wide of booths and attendees

3. Tilt down from 'Startup Battlefield' sign to show floor

4. Various of Marek Antoniuk, RiftCat, demonstrating RiftCat VRidge virtual reality technology

5. SOUNDBITE (English) Marek Antoniuk, RiftCat:

"When you have two branches of virtual reality, the PC VR and mobile VR and they both have their advantages and disadvantages - PC VR is the highest quality, but it's expensive and mobile VR is cheap because you can use your phone and put it, you have only the lenses, but it has not that much capability. So, basically we are making a bridge in between these two worlds."

6. Low shot of attendee removing virtual reality headset

7. Various of Phil Charnock, SwapBots, demonstrating SwapBots augmented reality toys

8. SOUNDBITE (English) Phil Charnock, SwapBots:

"When you're young yourself, you imagine your toys coming to life. And now you can - I won't say replace your imagination - but you can kind of see your imagination actually living on the screen. You can see the toy itself, starting to move around, see them battle with each other and I think that's an incredible thing to be feeding kids' imaginations like that."

9. Pull out from SwapBots toy to tablet showing augmented reality technology

10. Various of Charles Van Overmeire, xRapid, demonstrating xRapid automated diagnostic app with microscope

11. SOUNDBITE (English) Charles Van Overmeire, xRapid:

"We take a blood sample, we use any kind of microscope and with the iPhone app that we developed, we can tell you if you are sick or not, we give all the important details to the doctor to give the right diagnostic and the right treatment to patients."

12. Various of Johnny Moon, Attocube, demonstrating Attocube smartphone-connected wooden block learning game

13. Tilt up of smartphone showing Attocube app and complete letter 'D'

14. Pull out of blocks showing completed letter 'D'

15. SOUNDBITE (English) Johnny Moon, Attocube:

"We created this cube and children learn the alphabet or numbers or images and create different patterns, and they make more and more creative, and (the) brain strengthens, yeah."

16. Various of Chad Cribbins, Firef.ly, demonstrating Firef.ly travel smartphone app

17. SOUNDBITE (English) Chad Cribbins, Firef.ly:

"You look at Facebook, it's great for peeling through somebody's wall, but it's a sporadic hit of a bunch of different things, it doesn't join up the story. So, ours is uniquely dedicated to a journal of your travels, that you can peel back through time. So, all these lines that we capture, over months and months, even just living in London, becomes an interesting narrative for you to hold onto."

18. Wide tilt down to TechCrunch Disrupt London 2016 show floor

19. Wide of sign, reading (English): 'Startup Battlefield'

20. Various of booths and attendees

21. SOUNDBITE (English) Mike Butcher, Editor At Large, TechCrunch:

"It still remains, whatever you want to say about Brexit or anything else, London and the UK is still the biggest hub of startup ecosystems in the whole of Europe and that's really not going to change anytime soon."

22. Various of booths and attendees

23. SOUNDBITE (English) Mike Butcher, Editor At Large, TechCrunch:

"It's going to be about talent because migration and skilled migration are hugely at the core of startups. You know, the two things that affect startups are money and talent, and talent is really going to be affected by Brexit, how people get visas, how people access the UK, and how people are able to hire into the UK. Brexit is absolutely the core of this conversation about startups today."

24. Tilt down to TechCrunch Disrupt London 2016 show floor

25. Close of tank robot toy moving

Traders at one of London's biggest wholesale fruit and vegetable markets say any concerns they may have had over Brexit have been dwarfed by the uncertainty caused by the global COVID-19 pandemic.  

Britain is entering a new lockdown as the country continues to record more than 50,000 new coronavirus infections a day.

The lockdown comes just days after Britain began a new trade deal with the EU following long Brexit negotiations.

Speaking before the announcement of the lockdown, traders at New Covent Garden Market said the virus was the biggest problem affecting their business.

Gary Marshall, owner of Bevington Salads and Chairman of the Tenants Association, explained most traders were operating at only 20 to 30 percent of the capacity they traded at before the start of the pandemic in early 2020.

He said while Brexit may have some effect on them in terms of extra administration and paperwork, their biggest concern is how to plan around virus restrictions, which has seen the closures of restaurants and schools across the UK.

He said the effect on his industry had been "astronomical".

London - 3 January 2021

1. Various exteriors of the New Covent Garden Market

2. Pan down of sign reading (English) New Covent Garden Market

3. Various of road signs

4. Close of sign reading (English) "Deliveries"  

5. Various of vegetables at Bevington salad stand at the  New Covent Garden Market

6. Various of Gary Marshall, owner of Bevington Salads and Chairman of the Tenants Association

7. SOUNDBITE (English) Gary Marshall, owner of Bevington Salads and Chairman of the Tenants Association:

"Predominantly the market supplies the food service industry within London and the southeast counties - all the restaurants, the schools, hospitals etc. So, as you can imagine our sector at the moment has been absolutely destroyed with this COVID predicament. Since back in February the city of London has been closed, but the market has managed to function and we've kept going. A lot of the businesses are running at about 20-30% of their normal capacity, which again would be back to February/March. So the lockdowns, the tier systems etc especially to the hospitality sector - have had a tremendous effect, an astronomical effect on the industry. It is really, really in a bad place."

8. Various of vegetables

9. SOUNDBITE (English) Gary Marshall, owner of Bevington Salads and Chairman of the Tenants Association:

"Yes, we are going to have more paperwork, yes we are going to have to have clearing agents, yes there are certain products that will have to have a different type of clearance, but it is paperwork, it is paperwork, and we'll overcome paperwork. The biggest problem we've got as a country and with Europe and with the rest of the world is overcoming COVID."

London - 4 January 2021

10. Wide of the outside of Bevington Salads

11. Wide of vegetables being moved by forklift truck

12. Forklift truck carrying crates of vegtables

13. SOUNDBITE (English) Justin Denyer, fruit and vegetable importer:

"We ordered these over a week ago just to get them ready for Brexit, for all the schools to open up. So, when we placed the order just before Christmas, the schools were all due to open back up again. But, now as time has progressed, because obviously you don't know what is happening with COVID etc, now the schools aren't opening again. So, now we have ordered all this stuff, which is now not going to go to the schools. So we need now to find somewhere else to sell it all. So, the problem we now have moving forwards is we can't use the normal supply chain, because we can't order a week in advance because we don't know how things are going to keep progressing as the virus changes and the policies they use. So that is when there will become a problem with Brexit because the shorter supply chain is harder to order for."

14. Various of worker loading tomatoes onto trolley

15. Wide of vegetables being driven to be loaded onto lorry

16. SOUNDBITE (English) Justin Denyer, fruit and vegetable importer:

"I'm doing 20% of what I was, year on year. From where I am now compared to last year, I am doing 20% of what I was doing, and there's not much we can do about it, is there?"

17. Mid of British flag

18. Various of boxes of fruit from Italy

19. Wide of sign reading (English) "COVID-19. Staff only beyond this point"

20. Various of vegetables being loaded and moved

Germany's confirmed death toll from the coronavirus has topped 30,000 as the country hopes its lockdown will bring down case numbers.

The national disease control center, the Robert Koch Institute, said on Monday that another 348 deaths were reported over the past 24 hours, bringing the country's total so far to 30,126.

The number of confirmed coronavirus cases rose by 10,976 to 1.65 million.

That increase is much lower than a week ago, but lower testing and reporting over the Christmas period likely accounts for much of the difference.

Germany had a relatively low death rate in the first phase of the pandemic but has seen hundreds of deaths per day in recent weeks.

A shutdown that was deepened on Dec. 16 with the closure of schools and most shops is scheduled to remain in place until Jan. 10 and looks likely to be extended.

German government deputy spokeswoman, Ulrike Demmer, said it is key for people to maintain a "significant reduction in contacts" including over the New Year's holiday.

The German Cabinet on Monday welcomed the approval of the Brexit deal recently sealed by the EU and the U.K.

Demmer said Cabinet members showed "positive appreciation" toward the deal.

EU ambassadors gave their unanimous approval on Monday to the Brexit trade deal.

Germany, which holds the EU presidency, said the decision came during a meeting to assess the Christmas Eve agreement.

The approval had been expected ever since all EU leaders warmly welcomed it.

It still needs approval from the EU's legislature, which is expected to come in February.

Berlin, Germany - 28 December 2020

1. German government deputy spokeswoman Ulrike Demmer at government press conference with spokespeople of ministries

2. Journalist at press conference

3. SOUNDBITE (German) Ulrike Demmer, German government deputy spokeswoman:

"The number of infections with the coronavirus is still clearly too high, as is the number of deaths. Over 300 new deaths were reported today by the RKI (Robert Koch Institute). This means that more than 30,000 people in Germany have died because of the pandemic."

4. Demmer at conference

5. SOUNDBITE (German) Ulrike Demmer, German government deputy spokeswoman:

"The reports from the hospitals strongly show the difficult situation we are still facing."

6. Journalists at press conference in camera display

7. SOUNDBITE (German) Ulrike Demmer, German government deputy spokeswoman:

"The incidence of infections and the dynamics simply depend first and foremost on the behaviour of all of us, and the most important key here continues to be a significant reduction in contacts, and that of course also applies to New Year's Eve."

8. Press conference

9. SOUNDBITE (German) Ulrike Demmer, German government deputy spokeswoman:

"(On Brexit) The members of the Cabinet agreed on the German position today in a telephone conference, and they were unanimous in their positive appreciation of the agreement."

10. Demmer at government press conference

11. SOUNDBITE (German) Ulrike Demmer, German government deputy spokeswoman:

"It is simply a great success that the negotiators have managed to achieve, because now the future relations between the EU and Great Britain are clearly regulated. Of course, Great Britain remains an important partner for Germany and for the European Union also outside the European Union."

12. Press conference

In late October, Matthew Jones was enjoying a rare "bit of normality" at his London barber shop in a year that has been short on that.

He was cutting hair and laughing with colleagues — when the news that the business would have to close for the second time landed.

Jones, 43, endured 15 weeks without any income after the three Sharpes barber shops he co-owns were forced to shut in the spring as the government imposed restrictions to slow the spread of the coronavirus.

The shops, including a tiny one in east London's Hackney neighborhood, had been open for four months when Prime Minister Boris Johnson ordered a new lockdown.

"This second lockdown has been tough because you are just building up your business again trying to get back to a normal lifestyle and then all of a sudden it is all taken away and you know we still have high rents to pay here," Jones said.

The United Kingdom saw a sharp resurgence of COVID-19 infections this autumn, and the government imposed a second round of restrictions.

The suffering caused by the virus has been especially acute in the UK, where more than 57,000 people have died in Europe's deadliest outbreak and the economy has plunged.

While small businesses all over the world are struggling as the virus forces many of them to close, many in the UK are also facing the economic uncertainty caused by Britain's exit from the European Union.

Many British businesses managed to survive the spring lockdown with generous aid from the government, including grants like the £10,000 ($13,300) grant Jones received and a program that pays a portion of wages to workers whose employers are struggling.

The measures have helped keep the unemployment rate relatively low at 4.8% — though it has been rising and is forecast to hit 7.5% next spring.

The latest round of restrictions could pack a bigger punch in the crucial weeks ahead of Christmas.

Even before the second lockdown was announced, a survey conducted by Britain's Office for National Statistics showed that one in seven UK companies reported having "little or no confidence" they would survive the next three months.

Jones estimates that the pandemic wiped out 60% of his income this year.

With his shops closed, the single dad, who has a 10-year-old daughter, is doing odd jobs on building sites — and praying that business will return enough to ease the pain once restrictions lift on December 2.

The five other barbers who work in his shops are self-employed, and trying to scrape by as well.

Hackney, where one of Jones' shops is based has seen steady gentrification in the past two decades.

Located in London's historically gritty East End, the borough is filled with trendy bars and expensive apartments.

Broadway Market itself is lined with some 60 small shops, cafes and restaurants, and before COVID-19 hit, the street would throng with locals and tourists coming for the hugely popular weekend market.

These days, some shops are doing better than others, but everyone is scrambling to adapt.

Jane Howe, who has run Broadway Bookshop since 2005, said the weekends would often get so busy that her shop would take in thousands of pounds in sales per day on the back of £7.99 books.  

For a shop that relies heavily on foot traffic, the cycles of coronavirus restrictions have been hard.

In June, Howe launched a website for the first time, but she says it does not replicate shopping in person where you might buy more than you intend.

Even once her doors reopened, the tiny space meant she couldn't welcome back her usual crowds.

Sales from the website don't come close to making up for the in-person sales she's lost — especially during the crucial Christmas period.

"It's very difficult to be open because we are only allowed five people in at a time," Howe said.

With the shop pulling in just over half what it used to, Howe has stopped paying herself and when one of her two employees left, she was not able to replace her.

Like Jones, she's managed to keep paying the rent thanks to a government grant.

She has also taken out a £50,000 state loan.  

Others haven't fared as well.

A much-loved bakery next to Sharpes that was part of a 66-year-old family-run chain closed for good, Jones said.

The bakery's closure stands in contrast to a trend seen on much of the street where butchers, fishmongers, greengrocers and delis have done relatively well thanks to a surge in interest from fairly affluent locals who are now working from home and shopping locally.

Popular coffee shop Climpsons struggled to adapt at first — the cafe was shut, the wholesale business almost completely wiped out, and 34 of the company's 42 workers went on the government furlough scheme in the first weeks of the pandemic, co-owner Danny Davies said.

But now on weekdays, Climpsons often serves more take-away coffees than before the pandemic.

That makes up for losses on the wholesale side, which supplied restaurants and offices.  

"It's not great for business. We're worried about some of our customers, they're struggling. I think we ourselves have managed to weather the storm thanks to some of the resources (government grants) available," Davies said.

Down the street, Grigorios Vaitsas says business at his deli, Isle of Olive, has not been too bad, even though he has closed his small indoor cafe and Christmas shopping events have been canceled.

But Vaitsas and his partner, Paulina, who import their products from Greece, have been losing sleep over another threat: Brexit.

The couple are worried about the tariffs and bureaucracy if Britain leaves the economic embrace of the EU at the end of the year with no deal in place.

That combined with the pandemic makes a "perfect storm," Vaitsas said.  

"If the tariffs and the logistics and all of that, you know, get the prices so high that our items are now considered luxury goods, then it really changes completely our business model and what we were planning to do," Vaitas said.

London - 17 November 2020

1. Wide of people on Broadway Market

2. Road sign for Broadway Market

3. People walking on Broadway Market

4. Exterior of Sharpes Barbers with owner Matthew Jones putting up Christmas lights in the window

5. Close of 'Sharpes' sign

6. Various of Jones cleaning chair inside barber shop

7. SOUNDBITE (English) Matthew Jones, co-owner of three barber shops including Sharpes:

"This second lockdown has been tough because you are just building up your business again trying to get back to a normal lifestyle and then all of a sudden it is all taken away and you know we still have high rents to pay here. So yeah it's been really tough."

8. Jane Howe, owner of Broadway Bookshop, walking into shop

9. Cutaway of books in window

10. Howe changing book display in the window

11. SOUNDBITE (English) Jane Howe, owner of The Broadway Bookshop:

"People don't always come in knowing what they want. They see things on tables and they buy them, they just pick them up, like you don't always stick to your shopping list you usually buy more than you intend and that happens more in person than it would online."

12. Cutaway of books in window

13. SOUNDBITE (English) Jane Howe, owner of The Broadway Bookshop:

"It's very difficult to be open with only allowed five people in at a time and queues on the pavement and people taking a long time to buy their stuff instead of thinking about other people and hurrying up… you know."

14. Exterior of Climpson and Sons coffee shop with people queuing outside

15. Close of Climpson and Sons coffee shop and queue

16. Close of food in window

17. SOUNDBITE (English) Danny Davies, Co-owner of Climpson and Sons coffee shop and wholesale coffee business:

"I mean it's not great for business. We're worried about some of our customers, they're struggling. I think we ourselves have managed to weather the storm thanks to some of the resources (government grants) available."

18. Food in window

19. Employee serving person at entrance

20. SOUNDBITE (English) Danny Davies, Co-owner of Climpson and Sons coffee shop and wholesale coffee business.

"At one point in time it was really hard to see how it was going to go back to normal again but then the summer just gone we've seen pretty good sales figures. I think next year it will be similar with a bit more optimism with the vaccine."

21. Shop front of Isle of Olive deli, with Christmas decorations around it

22. Various of Paulina Filippou, co-owner of Isle of Olive dusting pastries with icing sugar

23. Pastries being put on shelf

24. Grigorios Vaitsas, co-owner of Isle of Olive, at till

25. Products for sale

26. SOUNDBITE: (English) Grigorios Vaitsas, co-owner of Isle of Olive deli:

"We hear and we see near us a lot of business shutting down, we know about rising unemployment so the coming of Brexit would just, or a no-deal Brexit rather, would just be like the perfect storm in terms of retail."

27. Various of Filippou dishing olives into pot

28. SOUNDBITE: (English) Grigorios Vaitsas and Paulina Filippou, co-owners of Isle of Olive deli:

Vaitsas: "We wanted to, to, have items that they're not just a one-off purchase they become part of..."

Filippou: "Not luxury products, people have good food every day."

Vaitsas: "So, if the tariffs and the logistics and all of that, you know, get the prices so high that our items are now considered luxury goods, then it really changes completely our business model and what we were planning to do."

30. Bottles of olive oil on shelf

31. Wide of products on shelves

WORLD 2017 PREDICTIONS

SOURCE: AP HORIZONS, LIFESTYLE, HEALTH AND TECHNOLOGY/POOL

RESTRICTIONS: HORIZONS CLIENTS AND AP LIFESTYLE, HEALTH AND TECHNOLOGY CLIENTS ONLY

LENGTH: 7:28

SHOTLIST:

AP Television

New York - 9 November 2016

1. Various of Trump fans celebrating

2. Wide of Trump and his family

3. Woman celebrating Trump's win

4. Trump and family walking on stage

5. People cheering Trump

6. Trump shaking hands with Mike Pence

Miami - 11 November 2016

7. Various of anti-Trump protests

New York - 1 December 2016

8. SOUNDBITE (English) Beth Ann Bovino, Chief U.S. Economist, S&P Global Ratings:

"In terms of the impact of the Trump presidency on growth, you have to keep in mind that right now campaign promises are just what they are, promises, they are not policies. So let's see what happens in terms of how they get through Congress and whether.. and basically what comes out at the end."

Washington - recent

9. Exterior of US Capitol

New York, US - 13 June 2014

10. New York Mercantile Exchange (NYMEX) floor

US - Exact date and location unknown

11. Man filling up car at petrol station

New York - 1 December 2016

12. SOUNDBITE (English) Beth Ann Bovino, Chief U.S. Economist, S&P Global Ratings:

"If you look at the job gains now averaging around 180,000 per month for the year to date and the unemployment rate under 5 percent we have a rather strong jobs market, so in terms of actually pushing the unemployment rate down even further and strengthening the jobs market that might actually result in stronger inflation as well, making the fed likely having to move further."

Moscow, Russia — December 15, 2016

13. Various of Kremlin

14. Various of political analyst Masha Lipman looking at computer

15. SOUNDBITE (English) Masha Lipman, political analyst:

"We used to say that Putin is unpredictable and keeps his intentions and his plans as secret. Now we have at least one more person, who is unpredictable and this is the President of the United States - President-elect at this point, but of course in 2017, he will become the President of the United States. We still know very little about his policies. His appointments leave many shocked and speechless even, shaking heads in this belief. But what his policies are going to be is an open question. "

Aleppo, Syria - 15 December 2016

16. Wide of Aleppo outskirts

17. Wide of buses parked near evacuation area

18. Various of United Nations vehicles parked near evacuation centre

Bartella, Iraq - 21 October 2016

19. Various of Bartella, east of Mosul during fight against IS group

20. Various of Iraqi Special Forces

Cairo, Egypt - 13 December 2016

21. Set up of Dr. Saeed Sadek Political Sociology Professor at Future university in Cairo at office

22. SOUNDBITE (English) Saeed Sadek, Political Sociology Professor at Future university in Cairo:

"The only problem for the Iraqi people is of course they have this ethnic and religion sectarian conflict may continue and erupt here and there from fanatics on both sides, corruption and oil prices will also affect the Iraqi economy for 2017."

London, UK - 13 July 2016

23. Various of British flag on parliament

UK Pool

London - 27 June 2016

24. British PM Teresa May ( formerly Home Secretary) arriving at 10 Downing Street

AP Television

Berlin, Germany - 12 July 2016

25. Various of German newspaper headlines about Teresa May

26. Various of German Chancellor Angela Merkel

Berlin - 1 December 2016

27. Various of the German Parliament building (Bundestag)

28. Thorsten Benner, director of the Global Public Policy Institute (GPPi) in Berlin, in his office

29. SOUNDBITE: (English), Thorsten Benner, director of the Global Public Policy Institute (GPPi) in Berlin:

"The AFD (Alternative Fuer Deutschland) is actually taking away quite a few voters from the Christian Democrats. And it is a very unfortunate thing for Merkel to have a party formed to her right. That indeed is a vital threat to her political ambitions."

Surat, India - 5 December 2016

30. Various of men working in Indian diamond factory

New Delhi, India – 3 December 2016

31. Various of economist Veena Jha in her office

32. SOUNDBITE (English) Veena Jha, Economist:

"India has to consolidate its trade relationships within Asia. It has to look to Europe, without Britain, for a strong trade relationship. It has to solidify its relationships, particularly, with Germany, Netherlands, and France, which are the largest markets. It has to look to the US for an Indo-US free trade agreement and kind of a strategic partnership which has been talked about but has not been inked."

New Delhi, India – 7 November 2016

33. British Prime Minister Theresa May shakes hands with her Indian counterpart Narendra Modi during her official visit to India

Surat, India - 5 December 2016

34. Various street scenes in Surat

Rojama Mayong Village, Assam, India – 18 November 2016

35. A woman waiting to exchange defunct currency bills at a bank

Beijing, China - 30 November 2016

36. Various of Chinese Feng Shui master and astrologist Dong Yilin

37. SOUNDBITE (Mandarin) Dong Yilin, Chinese Feng Shui Master and Astrologist:

"In the year of the rooster, the Heavenly Stem (in Yi Qing) is fire and the Earthly Branch is gold and they are struggling with each other. It's like a process of burning gold and beating it into a craftwork. The craftwork is beautiful but it has to go through enormous hardships. Therefore, in the year of 2017, we will see many "turmoils" not only in China but also many other parts of the world like Europe and the US."

38. Close of compass

LEADIN

2016 has been a year of upheavals and upsets that some would prefer to forget.

So what can we expect in 2017? Will the year of the rooster change the world pecking order or will it be business as usual?

While analysts are mixed on what lies ahead, one Chinese fortune teller says the world can expect "turmoil".

STORYLINE

It was a result few people predicted, but one which will play a major role in shaping the year ahead.

Donald Trump's inauguration as the 45th US President will be held on January 20th and it's expected to draw people of all persuasions to Washington whether it's to celebrate or commiserate.

His stunning election win sparked numerous protests, and it's provoked widespread speculation about the impact that some of his controversial campaign promises might have when he takes office in 2017.

Chief U.S. Economist with S&P Global Ratings, Beth Ann Bovino says there's still some uncertainty over what path he will take.

"In terms of the impact of the Trump presidency on growth, you have to keep in mind that right now campaign promises are just what they are, promises, they are not policies. So let's see what happens in terms of how they get through Congress and whether.. and basically what comes out at the end."

If there are no major shocks to the economy, growth is expected to be around 2.5 percent and more interest rate rises are likely, according to Bovino.

"If you look at the job gains now averaging around 180,000 per month for the year to date and the unemployment rate under 5 percent we have a rather strong jobs market, so in terms of pushing the unemployment rate down even further and strengthening the jobs market that might actually result in stronger inflation as well, making the fed likely having to move further," she says.

In light of CIA accusations of Russian hacking, Trump's relations with the Kremlin will come into focus in January.

The Senate Foreign Relations Committee plans to hold an open hearing that will examine possible Russian meddling in November's presidential election.

Political analyst Masha Lipman says there are signs Moscow's relationship with Washington will thaw, but adds that both leaders are not giving much away just yet.

"We used to say that Putin is unpredictable and keeps his intentions and his plans as secret. Now we have at least one more person, who is unpredictable and this is the president of the United States — President-elect at this point, but of course in 2017, he will become the president of the United States. We still know very little about his policies. His appointments leave many shocked and speechless even, shaking heads in disbelief. But what his policies are going to be is an open question."

Lipman says the ongoing civil war in Syria means Trump and President Putin will need to make some tough choices.

Syria has been torn apart by more than five years of war - at the moment both countries support different sides.

Over the border, the Iraqi special forces are still battling the Islamic State group, also known as Daesh.

UK Defence Secretary Michael Fallon says that "Daesh is now failing and controls less than 10 percent of Iraqi territory."

Political Sociology Professor at Future university in Cairo, Saeed Sadek says even if Daesh is eventually defeated, Iraq could still face many challenges.

"The only problem for the Iraqi people is off course they have this ethnic and religion sectarian conflict may continue and erupt here and there from fanatics on both sides corruption and oil prices will also affect the Iraqi economy for 2017," he says.

2017 will also see Britain set the wheels in motion for its exit from the European Union.

Prime Minister Teresa May has set a March deadline to start Brexit and will face 2 years of tense debate as she tries to get the UK the best deals on trade.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel says Britain faces "rough" and "hard" negotiation. But Merkel also faces a fight for her own survival with elections later in the year.

Germany will elect the members of the Bundestag, as the German parliament is called, after the summer in 2017.

Merkel's Christian Democrats are currently in a coalition government with the Social Democrats (SPD).

However, the Global Public Policy Institute (GPPI) in Berlin says there has been a right wing backlash because of her policy welcoming Syrian refugees.

"The AFD (Alternative Fuer Deutschland) party is actually taking away quite a few voters from the Christian Democrats. And it is a very unfortunate thing for Merkel to have a party formed to her right. That indeed is a vital threat to her political ambitions," says GPPI director Thorsten Benner.

While the West slows, the one jewel in the world economic crown is likely to be India as its growth outperforms the rest of the world.

Veena Jha, an economist and policy analyst, says India's economy is now growing faster than China and the country must seek new markets.

She says Britain could be the biggest loser because Brexit will slow Indian investment in the UK as it looks elsewhere.

"India has to consolidate its trade relationships within Asia. It has to look to Europe, without Britain, for a strong trade relationship. It has to solidify its relationships, particularly, with Germany, Netherlands, and France, which are the largest markets. It has to look to the US for an Indo-US free trade agreement and kind of a strategic partnership which has been talked about but has not been inked."

However there could be hiccups as Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi moves towards a cashless society, promoting digital transactions instead to curb the black market.

However the coins fall, 2017 is the Chinese Year of the Rooster which begins on January 28th. The Rooster is the sign of dawn and awakening, but it also means that triumph can only be achieved at the price of hard work.

Chinese Feng Shui Master and Astrologist Dong Yilin says many countries will face huge challenges with their economies.

"In the year of rooster, the Heavenly Stem (in Yi Qing) is fire and the Earthly Branch is gold and they are struggling with each other. It's like a process of burning gold and beating it into a craftwork. The craftwork is beautiful but it has to go through enormous hardships. Therefore, in the year of 2017, we will see many "turmoils" not only in China but also many other parts of the world like the Europe and the US."

One thing's for certain, a busy 2017 awaits whatever way the compass points.

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Luxemburg Prime Minister Xavier Bettel called on EU member countries to show solidarity with British Prime Minister Theresa May in her response to the recent poisoning of a Russian spy in the UK.

Bettel spoke as he arrived at a meeting of the European Parliament's Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe (ALDE) group.

Former Russian spy Sergei Skripal and his daughter were poisoned with a military-grade nerve agent in southwestern England.

Britain blamed the attack on Russia, which has fiercely denied the accusations.

The poisoning was up for discussion at the meeting, as was Brexit, the Facebook scandal over consumer data and the conflict between the European and the Union United States over steel tariffs.

Danish Prime Minister Lars Lokke Rasmussen said he was pleased that a preliminary transition agreement for Brexit has been reached.

Czech Prime Minister meanwhile expressed confidence that EU Trade Commissioner, Cecilia Malmstrom would succeed in resolving the trade war over steel tariffs

Brussels - 22 March 2018

1. Luxemburg Prime Minister, Xavier Bettel, arriving at Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe (ALDE) Party meeting

2. SOUNDBITE (English) Xavier Bettel, Luxemburg Prime Minister, speaking about poisoning of Russian spy in the UK:

"I think we should first listen to (British Prime Minister) Theresa May. We should show that there is a solidarity, that we're all behind the UK to be able to find out what happened; and then that people should get a trial and transparency is really needed. But first I need to listen."

3. Cutaway ALDE sign

4. SOUNDBITE (English) Xavier Bettel, Luxemburg Prime Minister, speaking about poisoning of Russian spy in the UK:

"I think it's really important to realize that we do have legislation on everything. We have legislation on size of eggs, on how food should be, how all the decision we have which are good protections of consumers, but we have no regulations on data protection, enough in this case. I think it's very important to have it on the agenda too. And I will ask maybe...I know it's not on the agenda now but the next Telecom meeting is in June; it's a bit late I think, as a response to that case."

5. Bettel greeing Danish Prime Minister, Lars Lokke Rasmussen

6. SOUNDBITE (English) Lars Lokke Rasmussen, Danish Prime Minister:

"I'm very pleased that we now have, under certain conditions, a transition agreement. We could remove uncertainty until the end of 2020. But of course it's under the pre-condition that we can solve other issues as well."

7. EU Trade Commissioner, Cecilia Malmstrom, arriving at ALDE party meeting

8. Czech Prime Minister, Andrej Babis, approaching media

9. Wide of room and ALDE party sign

10. SOUNDBITE (English) Andrej Babis, Czech Prime Minister:

"It's a problem for us, for our steel industry. And Commissioner Malmstrom is doing a very good job for our companies and I hope that she succeeds in the US to find some solution."

10. Dutch Prime Minister, Mark Rutte, arriving at ALDE party meeting

11. Wide of stairway at palace hosting ALDE meeting

Share prices in Germany rose to a record high on Monday morning, eclipsing the previous record set before the start of the coronavirus pandemic.

The Dax index reached more than 13,810 points, boosted by the White House approving a huge stimulus package, the Brexit deal between Britain and the European Union, and the roll-out of coronavirus vaccines.

The Dax suffered a 40% fall shortly after the pandemic started, but has now recovered all of its losses, despite the uncertain economic outlook in many parts of the world.

In many countries the economy is still lagging behind pre-crisis levels, and renewed tightening of pandemic measures is creating further risks.

Frankfurt  - 28 December 2020

1. Various trading floor of Frankfurt Stock Exchange

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson on Tuesday struck a defiant tone as he addressed the Conservative party's online conference, saying he'd had "more than enough" of the coronavirus but that the UK would defeat it, "just as this country has seen off every alien invader for the last thousand years."

In his speech the PM acknowledged that the coronavirus pandemic had been responsible for a large-scale disruption to both people's health and way of life, saying he had "had enough of this disease".

The Prime Minister also addressed accusations from both opposition party figures and his own backbenchers that his experience contracting coronavirus, which led to him receiving intensive care treatment, had affected his leadership.

"I read a lot of nonsense recently about how my own bout of covid has somehow robbed me of my mojo", Johnson said, claiming that the reports were "seditious propaganda".

He admitted that his battle with the disease had been exacerbated by being "too fat" and that he had "lost 26 pounds" since his stay in hospital.

Johnson also laid out plans for the UK's post-COVID recovery, saying that the government was not planning to "restore normality" but to instead reform and rebuild in the same way that the British government did during the Second World War with "a vision of the post-war New Jerusalem".

He also said that recovery would be led "not by the state, but by free enterprise", as well as investment in schools, police and the health service.

UK POOL

London - 6 October 2020

1. SOUNDBITE (English) Boris Johnson, British Prime Minister:

"I don't know about you, but I have had more than enough of this disease that attacks not only human beings, but so many of the greatest things about our country. Our pubs, clubs, our football, our theatre, and all the gossipy gregariousness and love of human contact that drives the creativity of our economy. And so I want to thank you all for zooming in. And I can tell you that your government is working night and day to repel this virus. And we will succeed just as this country has seen of every alien invader for the last thousand years. And we will succeed by collective effort, by following the guidance and with the help of weekly and almost daily improvements in the medicine and the science. We will ensure the next time we meet, it will be face to face and cheek by jowl. And we're working for the day when life will be back to normal. Flying in a plane. We'll be back to the moon. Hairdressers will no longer look as though they're handling radioactive isotopes and where we can go and see our loved ones in care homes and when we no longer have to greet each other by touching elbows, as in some giant national version of the Birdy Dance."

2. SOUNDBITE (English) Boris Johnson, British Prime Minister:

"I've read a lot of nonsense recently about how my own bout of COVID has somehow robbed me of my mojo. And of course, this is self-evident drivel, the kind of seditious propaganda that you'd expect from people who don't want this government to succeed, who wanted to stop us delivering Brexit and all our other manifesto pledges. And I can tell you that no power on Earth was and is going to do that."

3. SOUNDBITE (English) Boris Johnson, British Prime Minister:

"And yet, I have to admit, the reason I had such a nasty experience with the disease is that although I was superficially in the pink of health when I caught it, I had a very common underlying condition. My friends, I was too fat. And I've since lost 26 pounds, and you can imagine that in bags of sugar.  And I'm going to continue that diet because you've got to search for the hero inside yourself. And that individual is considerably slimmer."

4. SOUNDBITE (English) Boris Johnson, British Prime Minister:

"And so we can't now define the mission of this country as merely to restore normality. That isn't good enough. In the depths of the Second World War, when just about everything had gone wrong, the government sketched out a vision of the post-war New Jerusalem that they wanted to build. And that's what we're doing now in the teeth of this pandemic."

An abortion debate that has inflamed passions in Ireland for decades will come down to a single question on Friday: yes or no?

The referendum on whether to repeal the country's strict anti-abortion law is being seen by anti-abortion activists as a last-ditch stand against what they view as a European norm of abortion-on-demand, while for pro-abortion rights advocates, it is a fundamental moment for declaring an Irish woman's right to choose.

If the "yes" side prevails and the constitutional ban on abortions is repealed, the government plans to introduce legislation that would allow abortion within the first 12 weeks of pregnancy, and later in specific cases when the woman is at grave risk or the fetus is likely to die in the womb or shortly after birth.

Parliament would then debate this plan.

Opinion surveys suggest a continuing change of attitudes in Ireland, a traditionally Roman Catholic country that surprised many by voting in favor of same-sex marriage in 2015.

Both sides generally agree that the frenzied campaign ahead of Friday's vote has not produced the dramatic shift in public opinion that anti-abortion campaigners were hoping for.

Activists from both sides have put up thousands of emotional signs pleading their case and there were small demonstrations in Dublin on Wednesday as the vote neared.

Friday's poll will be the fourth time in as many decades that Irish voters have been asked to decide on the issue of abortion.

But this time the debate has been roiled by two factors that voters have not faced before: The extraordinary power of social media and the increased availability through telemedicine websites of new drugs that allow women to make profound decisions over whether to end a pregnancy in the privacy of their homes.

Facebook and Google have both taken steps to restrict or remove ads relating to the referendum in a move designed to address global concerns about social media's role in influencing political campaigns, from the U.S. presidential race to Brexit.

At the heart of this vote is whether or not to reverse a far-reaching 1983 referendum that inserted an amendment into Ireland's constitution that committed authorities to equally defend the right to life of a mother and that of a fetus from the moment of conception.

The issue has been revisited repeatedly after heartrending "hard cases" that, abortion rights activists say, exposed vulnerable women to miserable choices - and even, at times, death.

Abortion is legal in Ireland only in rare cases when the woman's life is in danger, and several thousand Irish women travel each year to terminate pregnancies in neighbouring Britain.  

That number has fallen dramatically in recent years as women turned to online websites to illegally import drugs that end pregnancies.

The Irish Times said in its editorial on Thursday that the constitutional abortion ban must be repealed because it has left doctors confused as to what is legal, and led women to travel abroad "in secrecy and shame" for abortions.

It cited as the type of "grotesque spectacle" the ban has caused the case of a 14-year-old who became pregnant and suicidal after being raped.

She had to go to the Supreme Court after the government blocked her from traveling to get an abortion.

Pro-abortion rights activists have sought to focus public attention on the difficult cases, including the fate of Savita Halappanavar, a 31-year-old Indian dentist who had sought and been denied an abortion before she died after a miscarriage in a Galway hospital on Ireland's west coast in 2012.

The man who led the Irish health service's inquiry into her death has called for the constitutional ban on abortion to be repealed.

In an effort to neutralize the "hard cases" argument, some prominent anti-abortion campaigners have lately shifted their stance, even suggesting that new laws could be enacted to permit abortions in certain limited cases.

But that compromise was dismissed by Irish Prime Minister Leo Varadkar, a medical doctor who favours repealing the constitutional ban.

Friday's referendum has placed the abortion debate on centre stage, with many on Dublin's crowded city streets wearing buttons or T-shirts that align them with the "yes" or "no" side.

Voting has already started on remote Tory Island, off Ireland's northwestern coast.

A helicopter landed on Thursday with a ballot box that will be brought back to the mainland for counting after the roughly 70 residents have voted.

Dublin - 23 April 2018

1. Various of anti-abortion poster reading (English): "Vote no. My heart started beating at 22 days" and pro-abortion rights poster reading (English): "Yes for compassion and respect"

2. Anti-abortion volunteer handing out leaflet in foreground, pro-abortion volunteer handing out leaflets in background

Dublin - 22 April 2018

3. Close of pro-abortion leaflets

4. Woman handing out pro-abortion leaflets

Dublin - 23 April 2018

5. Set up of Tara Flynn, pro-abortion rights campaigner

6. Close of Flynn during interview

7. SOUNDBITE (English) Tara Flynn, 48, pro-abortion rights campaigner who flew to the Netherlands to get an abortion when she was 37:

"When I realized, I finally realized, that I was pregnant, I felt trapped in my body, and trapped in my country. And because of the 8th amendment I didn't know where I could even turn to for help, I had to go and do the research to find it all out. I realized I knew nothing about abortion, I knew nothing about how I could get help."

8. Close of Flynn's hands

9. SOUNDBITE (English) Tara Flynn, 48, pro-abortion rights campaigner who flew to the Netherlands to get an abortion when she was 37:

"A vote for Yes tomorrow isn't a vote for abortion, it is a vote for solidarity, it is a vote for compassion. It is a vote to say, I don't send you away any more."

10. Together for Yes supporters posing for picture

11. Set up of Ireland's Health Minister Simon Harris

12. SOUNDBITE (English) Simon Harris, Ireland's Health Minister:

"Our country will need to unify behind that decision whatever that decision is on Saturday when the votes are counted. But let me be clear, we cannot change the status quo in Ireland as long as the 8th amendment remains in our constitution. And as the health minister in this country I cannot legislate to support parents who have fatal fetal abnormalities during their pregnancy, victims of rape and incest or to address the reality of the abortion pill and people traveling. So, if people of Ireland want change, we need them to vote Yes on Friday."

Dublin - 22 April 2018

13. Truck parked outside Save the Eight campaign headquarters with sign reading (English): "The baby was in the kidney dish, and he was alive and breathing"

14. Signs reading (English): "#Protect the 8th #Save the 8th" and "Vote No"

15. Mid of news conference with Sandra Caulfield, whose baby Hope Rose was diagnosed with Edwards Syndrome when she was 14 weeks pregnant, Hope Rose died at nine days old

16. SOUNDBITE (English) Sandra Caulfield, her baby Hope Rose, whose daughter Hope Rose died at nine days old after she was diagnosed with Edwards Syndrome:

"The women and unborn babies of our country deserve better than abortion. (Ireland's Prime Minister) Leo Varadkar and (Ireland's Health Minister) Simon Harris, how you can call abortion healthcare is beyond me. This is not healthcare. What I and Hope Rose received is proper healthcare."

Dublin - 23 April 2018

17. Anti-abortion posters reading (English): "Six months is horrific, vote no" and "It's too extreme. No"

18. Pro-abortion poster reading (English): "Your mother, your sister, your daugther, her choice"

19. SOUNDBITE (English) Irene Gilsenan, anti-abortion voter:

"It is taking a life, I think life starts at conception and to just discard human life really bothers me and the whole idea of saying it's one person's body, it's actually two bodies. I just feel God gives life and I am a Christian and I value and cherish God-given life."

Dublin - 22 April 2018

20. Anti-abortion and pro-abortion posters

21. Wide of pro-abortion poster reading (English): "Vote Yes"

22. SOUNDBITE (English) Ricky Tiilikainen, undecided, says he will abstain from voting:

"Beforehand I would have been pro-choice, and I would have felt that pro-choice wasn't that you were killing an unborn child. But now after just having a child I feel like it is almost like you are killing an unborn child."

23. Man wearing jumper reading (English): "Vote No", pro-abortion poster in background reading (English): "Your mother, your sister, your daughter, her choice"

24. SOUNDBITE (English) John O'Flaherty, pro-abortion voter:

"This whole referendum is the perfect example of the type, the hypocrisy and cant and humbug that this country goes on with. We have abortion on demand, it's just that we make those poor unfortunate girls head over to England to get it. I think it's about time we stop "codding" ourselves and feeling real holy about it and have faith and trust in the women and deliver the service to them here."

Dublin - 23 April 2018

25. Demonstrators dressed as "handmaids" from Margaret Atwood's 1985 novel "The Handmaid's Tale"

26. Various of demonstrators dressed as "handmaids" holding signs reading (English): "No"

27. Demonstrators dressed as "handmaids" holding signs reading (English): "Yes, choice, freedom, equality"