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

LEAD IN:

Daffodils are going unpicked in the fields of England because of a post-Brexit migrant worker shortage.

Daffodil farmers are facing a triple misery this year, with labour shortages, lack of access to the European market and the pressures of the COVID-19 pandemic.  

STORY-LINE:

A field of golden daffodils dancing in the sunshine is one of the signs winter is ending and spring is on the way.

But for flower farmers a sight like this is not a welcome one - they want to cut the stems before the flowers emerge.

There's just one problem, there aren't enough migrant workers available to cut them.

Here on a farm in Lincolnshire, one of the largest flower producing areas in England, a group of 25 Romanians are busy picking.

But these workers are in high demand this year.

Adam Taylor, director of Taylor's Bulbs explains: "Every Spring season we require a certain number of people to crop the cut flowers, the cut daffodils in the field and normally we'd use 150 people (migrant workers) to do that job but those people just are not available, so this year it's 25."

Without the workers to cut the stems the flowers are being left in the field.

In a typical year Taylor's Bulbs would harvest 25 million daffodil stems but is estimating only six million will be cut this year.

Of course, every year there is some inevitable wastage due to the vast sizes of the fields.

Adam Taylor's cousin Sam Taylor, also a director at Taylor's bulbs and takes care of the farming side of the company.

He explains there can never be enough labour.

"Well even if we had a 1,000 pickers in this field we wouldn't harvest all the flowers, it would be impossible, there are millions of flowers in this field, so there are always flowers that are left over but we are picking less flowers than we normally would and again as I said, it's down to two things, partly Brexit, partly COVID," says Sam Taylor.

The worker shortage has been compounded by two main factors. Most importantly, a lack of provision by the government to allow seasonal workers from the EU to enter the UK.

It is permitted for food crops, but ornamental horticulture was initially left out of the scheme.

Adam Taylor says: "The government has come up with a seasonal workers scheme but unfortunately ornamental horticulture was not included in the pilot, we have been promised it will be included in the future but we don't know when exactly that's going to start. So it's presenting us with an issue because we need to plan ahead."

The global pandemic has also seen restrictions to global travel and will have dissuaded many migrant workers from making the trip.

A particularly fast picker can earn up to £180 a day if they work hard. In theory they get paid according to the amount they pick, but all the pickers are protected by a blanket of the UK's national minimum wage.

Sam Taylor explains how it is gruelling physical labour: "Some people are making some really good money so that's why if you're good at it it's really worth doing but it is back breaking work because you're bent double, you're literally bent double, all day, everyday picking. It's not for the faint-hearted, that's for sure. It's not for me I'm afraid."

British people have not been persuaded to try their hand at flower picking, and those that do rarely last more than a couple of days according to farmers.

So for the migrant workers, mostly coming from Romania, it's currently a boom time in the UK.

The demand for labour is far outstripping supply and there are fields and fields full of flowers to be picked.

They are commanding extra value, but the wages can't inflate too highly because daffodils are a cheap product.

Small bunches of stems for home flowering daffodils typically sell for around £1 and the margins for producers and sellers are already tight.

Adam Taylor explains: "There is no doubt about it, there is demand and supply so the prices have had to go up because people know there is a shortage but there is ultimately a ceiling to that because daffodils are an impulse product, they're an affordable cut flower and so the price cannot be ridiculous and there will come a point when we'll just have to say it's not worth it."

Taylor's Bulbs employs 75 full time staff, but can require an extra 200 seasonal workers during busy periods.

Most of the workers in the factory here are British, but in the fields they are nearly all migrant workers from Europe.

Adam Taylor says: "I think for the past 12 months it has been one of the most torrid times in my working life, which I hope there's still plenty more to come. But it has been really difficult and there have been many sleepless nights worrying about what you're going to do. How you're going to solve it."

Taylor's typically sells to large commercial flower markets, who then sell on to the hotels and restaurant industry. However, with the implications of lockdown on the hospitality industry this market has dried up.

Daffodil farmers who have managed to source the labour to pick their flowers are facing a second Brexit misery because of complications exporting to vital European markets.

The German and Irish markets were very important to English daffodil farmers, but they say red tape and delays at the ports are damaging this export trade.

Holbeach, UK - 11 March, 2021

1. Wide zoom to daffodil field

2. Close of daffodils in the field

3. Wide pan right of vast field

Whaplode, UK - 3 March, 2021

4. Wide of migrant workers picking daffodils

5. Mid of a Romanian migrant worker, the fastest picker in the field

6. Close of same

7. Low angle of woman picking

8. Wide of same

Holbeach, UK - 11 March, 2021  

9. Wide pan left of Adam Taylor inspecting flower bulbs in warehouse

10. Mid of same

11. Close of bulbs

12. Close of Adam Taylor

13. SOUNDBITE: (English) Adam Taylor, director of Taylor's Bulbs

"Every Spring season we require a certain number of people to crop the cut flowers, the cut daffodils in the fields and normally we'd use 150 people (migrant workers) to do that job but those people just are not available, so this year it's 25."

Whaplode, UK - 3 March, 2021  

14. Various set up shots of farmer Sam Taylor inspecting his daffodil crop

15. SOUNDBITE: (English) Sam Taylor, director of Taylor's bulbs

"Well even if we had a thousand pickers in this field we wouldn't harvest all the flowers, it would be impossible, there are millions of flowers in this field, so there are always flowers that are left over but we are picking less flowers than we normally would and again as I said, it's down to two things, partly Brexit, partly COVID."

16. Wide high shot pans right over daffodil field and migrant workers

17. Low angle tilts down of Romanian worker picking daffodils

18. Mid of same

19. Close of cut flowers ready for packing

20. Wide of packing crates and migrant workers

Holbeach, UK - 11 March, 2021    

21.  SOUNDBITE: (English) Adam Taylor, director of Taylor's Bulbs

"The government has come up with a seasonal workers scheme but unfortunately ornamental horticulture was not included in the pilot, we have been promised it will be included in the future but we don't know when exactly when that's going to start. So it's presenting us with an issue because we need to plan ahead."

Whaplode, UK - 3 March, 2021    

22. Mid of migrant worker picking

23. Close of same

24. SOUNDBITE: (English) Sam Taylor, director of Taylor's bulbs

"Some people are making some really good money so that's why if you're good at it it's definitely worth doing but it is back breaking work because you're bent double, you're literally bent double, all day, everyday picking. It's not for the faint-hearted, that's for sure. It's not for me I'm afraid."

25. Mid of worker cutting stems

26. Wide of same

27. Wide of migrant workers in the field

28. Rear view of workers

Holbeach, UK - 11 March, 2021    

29.  SOUNDBITE: (English) Adam Taylor, director of Taylor's Bulbs

"There is no doubt about it, there is demand and supply so the prices have had to go up because people know there is a shortage but there is ultimately a ceiling to that because daffodils are an impulse product, they're an affordable cut flower and so the price cannot be ridiculous and there will come a point when we'll just have to say it's not worth it."

30. Various of women workers and machinery inside the bulb and flower factory

31. Various walking shots of Adam Taylor

32.  SOUNDBITE: (English) Adam Taylor, director of Taylor's Bulbs

"I think for the past 12 months it has been one of the most torrid times in my working life, which I hope there's still plenty more to come. But it has been really difficult and there have been many sleepless nights worrying about what you're going to do. How you're going to solve it."

Whaplode, UK - 3 March, 2021

33. Wide of daffodil field  

34. Close of daffodils

35. Pull focus of pale variety of daffodil

LEAD IN:

Britons living in Spain are adjusting to a post-Brexit reality, which means they must apply for residency or stay fewer than 90 days at a time.

There are also consequences for education.

STORY-LINE:

The dream of a life on Spain's Costa del Sol has become a nightmare for many British expats.

Henny Illingworth is a British real estate agent who has been living in here for almost four years.

She, like many others, is uncertain of her position and future in a post-Brexit Spain.

"Previously, as an EU citizen in Spain, I had the right to be here and now I just have permission to stay. It does feel a big difference and it feels that there has been a huge amount of uncertainty, misinformation the last few years.  It leaves us feeling am I safe? Am I stable here? It's not a very nice feeling to live with," says Illingworth.

As a "third country" to the EU, British tourists, including people who have second homes in Spain but haven't taken residency, can no longer come and go as they please.

Since 1st January, British people living in or visiting Spain must register as resident, or apply for the appropriate visa.

If you were legally resident in Spain before 1 January 2021, 'your rights will be protected by the Withdrawal Agreement', according to the UK Government's website, 'children must also be registered with their own residency document'.

The British government also advises Britons to register for healthcare as a resident in Spain.

British driving licences will need to be changed to Spanish ones for people who have registered as resident, with a deadline of 30 June 2021, according to the UK Government's website.

British citizens, who are not registered Spanish residents, can spend up to three months out of every six in Spain. It's the so called 90/180-days rule which refers to not spending more than '90-days in any 180-day period' in the Schengen area.

As an estate agent, Illingworth says that many Brits who spent months in Spain every year are staying away, some are selling their Spanish properties, put off by both recent COVID-19 travel restrictions and Brexit rules.

"We actually have some properties up for sale which were previously,  they are known as British "swallows", they would come over for a few months of the year and some of those people then rent out their properties for business during the summer, some of then leave them empty. But now, British citizens are going to have to follow this strict 90/180-day rule, which before they could come over for five or four months and some people are selling up because it's just not worth it for them."

Others are worried about how their British families will be able to visit them in Spain.

Kirsty Ridyard has been living in Malaga since 2005 and her sister has a holiday home in the Axarquia, near Alcaucin, 45 minutes by car from Malaga.

She has several concerns.

"Personal and professionally it is going to affect me. Professionally we cannot get the products that we need to teach chemistry effectively in Spain because they are sourced in Britain and those are so expensive over there now, it's going to be prohibitive," she says.

"And personally, I just don't know what it's going to happen with the transport. It used to be like hopping on a bus getting on a plane to go to London and getting back, for me and my family who are still there. But now we just don't know if we are going to need visas or not."

Increased education costs are also worrying one of her students, Spaniard Victoria Rincon, who was hoping to go to the UK to study, but says that UK fees are too expensive.


"I have applied (to universities) in England, but I think I will not go because the fees are too high. And I think that is what is happening to a lot of people in Europe. We are going to miss their education in England because of the price. And then, I think I'm going to Netherlands."


James John Riley is 51 years-old and was born in Manchester. He came to Malaga, Spain, 20 years ago, as a teacher of geography and history in the British International school, his wife is also British and a teacher.

Their son, Jaime, is 13 years-old.

The family enjoys life in Spain, but they are worried about the future and whether Brexit will bring problems for Jaime's education.

"Now, unfortunately, it seems to be that it is more difficult for him to go to British university, even though he has got British passport and both of his parents are British. And it seems to be, even though I've looked a lot on the internet and I've gone on the UK gov (government) website I can not find the information about this and it seems to be from other sources. they're saying he will be classed as an international student," says Riley.

Almost 50 percent of British expats in Spain live in the two regions of Alicante (Costa Blanca) and Malaga (Costa del Sol).

There are now more than 360,000 British residents registered in Spain, according to official Spanish figures.

18 million British tourists visited Spain each year between 2017 and 2019.

But the tourism industry here has been hit by both Brexit and the COVID-19 pandemic.

Aaron Lopez is the manager of Doctor Livingston bar in Malaga's city center. He says that tourism has dropped by 70 percent due to the pandemic.

"In the center of Malaga we notice it. We work with tourism, and since we do not have tourism, sales have dropped, employment has dropped, and invoicing has dropped", says Lopez.

The people of the Costa del Sol are looking forward to a post pandemic future when airplanes and cruise ships will return tourists to Spain's sunshine coast, though there many be fewer Brits who turn their holiday into a lifestyle.

Rincon de la Victoria, Malaga, Spain - 23 February 2021


1. Zoom out of real estate agent Henny Illingworth walking on beach
2. Mid of Illingworth asking for cappuccino on a coffee terrace 
3. Various of Illingworth drinking coffee while looking at the sea
4. Cutaway of a black & white mural in the bar which shows women playing at the beach
5. SOUNDBITE (English) Henny Illingworth, real estate agent:
"Previously, as an EU citizen in Spain, I had the right to be here and now I just have permission to stay. It does feel a big difference and it feels that there has been a huge amount of uncertainty, misinformation the last few years.  It leaves us feeling am I safe? Am I stable here? It's not a very nice feeling to live with."


6. Wide of a closed ice cream shop and buildings on the sea front 
7. Wide of empty tennis pitch, buildings and the sea
8. Mid of a street sign
9. Mid of people walking and cycling next to the beach

Alcaucin, Malaga, Spain - 24 February 2021

10. Various of real state company signs advertising houses and apartments to rent and to sell 


Rincon de la Victoria, Malaga, Spain - 23 February 2021

11. SOUNDBITE (English) Henny Illingworth, real estate agent:
"We actually have some properties up for sale which were previously,  they are known as British "swallows", they would come over for a few months of the year and some of those people then rent out their properties for business during the summer, some of then leave them empty. But now, British citizens are going to have to follow this strict 90/180-day rule, which before they could come over for five or four months and some people are selling up because it's just not worth it for them."

Alcaucin, Malaga, Spain - 24 February 2021

12. Wide of a man shopping in a supermarket specialising in British products
13. Tilt down from the man taking a product and putting it in the basket
14. Cutaway of corned beef can
15. Cutaway of stewed steak can and chilli can 
16. Tilt down of man paying
17. Wide of people in line to pay at the supermarket
18. Mid of a man taking things out of a delivery box


Malaga, Spain - 18 February 2021

19. Mid of UK and Spain flags on a balcony
20. SOUNDBITE (English) Kirsty Ridyard, director of Phoenix College Malaga:
"Personal and professionally it is going to affect me. Professionally we cannot get the products that we need to teach chemistry effectively in Spain because they are sourced in Britain and those are so expensive over there now, it's going to be prohibitive. And personally, I just don't know what it's going to happen with the transport. It used to be like hopping on a bus getting on a plane to go to London and getting back, for me and my family who are still there. But now we just don't know if we are going to need visas or not."


21. Various of students taking biology lessons in Phoenix College 
22. Tilt up from chemistry bottles to student Victoria Rincon
23. Wide of Victoria Rincon and an another student during chemistry class
24. SOUNDBITE (Spanish) Victoria Rincon, 18 years-old, student:
"I have applied (to universities) in England, but I think I will not go because the fees are too high. And I think that is what is happening to a lot of people in Europe. We are going to miss their education in England because of the price. And then, I think I'm going to Netherlands."


Malaga, Spain - 23 February 2021

25. Pan right of teacher James Riley and his son Jaime shopping in Atarazanas market 
26. Mid of James Riley and his son Jaime having shrimps at a bar terrace
27. Tilt down from Manchester City banner to James Riley walking through his house
28. Mid of James Riley reading musical magazine which shows David Bowie on the front
29. Mid of James Riley reading magazine while his son Jaime plays the guitar
30. Various of James Riley showing their passports. It reads (English) "European Union" and "United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland"
31. SOUNDBITE (English) James Riley, teacher:
"Now, unfortunately, it seems to be that it is more difficult for him to go to British university, even though he has got British passport and both of his parents are British. And it seems to be, even though I've looked a lot on the internet and I've gone on the UK gov (government) website I can not find the information about this and it seems to be from other sources. they're saying he will be classed as an international student."


Malaga, Spain - February 18th, 2021

32. Wide of Malaga's shopping street, Calle Larios
33. Wide of souvenir shop closed while an elderly couple rolls a suitcase down the street 
34. Wide of Irish pub 
35. Mid of two women having a beer
36. SOUNDBITE (Spanish) Aaron Lopez, Bar manager:
"From one day to the next, it (tourism) has dropped by 70 percent and in the center of Malaga we notice it. We work with tourism, and since we do not have tourism, sales have dropped, employment has dropped, and invoicing has dropped."


37. Wide inside flamenco dress shop
38. Close of kids' flamenco shoes
39. Cutaway of Malaga souvenirs

40. Wide of Malaga's port, empty of yachts

FOR CLEAN VERSION SEE STORY NUMBER: 4045006

LEAD IN:

Scientists controlling EU projects worth millions of dollars say the British exit from Europe risks the future of medical research, and may endanger future treatments for cancer and children.

Research projects at Kings and University Colleges in London rely on the collaboration of hundreds of doctors and multidisciplinary scientists across Europe - which could come under threat because of Brexit.

STORY-LINE:

Precision medicine is changing the future for cancer patients.

This lab at University College London has devised a safer and simpler alternative to standard radioactive techniques of imaging tumours.

Professor Xavier Golay's team has discovered a way to make a tumour light up with a simple sugar solution.

Because the solution is not radioactive is doesn't carry the same side effects which make patients sick.

It means radiodlogists can see tumours in more detail and check them more frequently.

That in turn allows doctors to personalise drug treatments for the patient.

They can respond more quickly, seeing what works and what doesn't and that speed could save more lives.

The team here is about to begin a trial on the new imaging technique thanks to a six and a half million Euro grant from the European Union.

The whole university has 103-million Euros to fund medical and science projects over the next few years.

All currently funded projects will be allowed to complete - but it's what happens next that's vexing doctors and scientist who argue breakthroughs don't come to order at the end of one trial.

Golay says for the vast majority of scientists in Britain the result of the recent EU referendum - for the UK to exit - was a shock.

Golay says it's not just the money which will risk future projects like this.

His team - like most university and hospital research groups - comes from all over the European Union.

Collaboration on this imaging project is with other specialist scientists at the Max Planck Institute in Germany as well as other units including France and Italy.

He's already concerned about the future.

"I've heard of at least two, three very senior people who've said okay right, now I'm taking all my grant with me and I'm going back to Germany, Switzerland, France because actually, in that way, they know they'll still have access and it's not only access to funding because the funding is great in this country, it is really good. It's really (about) access to funding and this opportunity to collaborate."

At preschool age Rens Van Velzen's parents realised he was struggling with dyslexia, but when he went to school it became clear he was autistic.

Van Velzen, now a highly intelligent fifteen year old, is part of Europe's largest study into mental health disorder.

Here researchers like Hannah Haywood combine genetics, neuroimaging, cognitive testing and clinical assessments to try to discover what are the causes.

The research project called EU Aims is carried out here at Kings College London in collaboration with scientists in other centres of Europe.

Costing 32 million Euros it's also the biggest grant given to any one project.

Autism Spectrum Disorder is a developmental problem which affects the way people interact with the world around them.

People are affected differently and scientists want to understand why those differences occur.

Haywood says: "One can go on to a life where they never speak, they are highly affected and quite disabled. Another person can go on (to be) fully verbal and become a professor at Cambridge (University) and someone else can go on and live a full life with marriage and children, why does that happen? Why does it affect people so differently when it's effectively the same condition. So we're trying to answer those questions, we're trying to understand why it affects different people in different ways and I think the thing that really attracted me to the project is because, we're trying to highlight the great skills and strengths in this group as well as the things that people find difficult."

The goal is to identify biomarkers and develop drug treatments.

It's a long term study, but how long can it continue here and what happens to the research after the current funding ends in 2020?

Rens Van Velzen is already preparing for A-levels in maths, chemistry and physics.

But his autism means life outside the classroom is not always straightforward.

He explains: "Quite often when talking peer to peer, the other person can get frustrated with how I respond because they're (I'm) not responding the way that they're expecting me to respond as the people usually do. So quite often I don't pick up someone's annoyed, or that sort of thing. It's very hard to explain because I haven't had the experience of not having autism."

Haywood, like others on the team, is convinced the project must be protected and fears Britain leaving the EU will end large scale endeavours like this which progress more steadily because of the wide collaboration among doctors and scientists.

She says: "Quite often there can be a lot of negativity around being diagnosed and living with the condition and in my work, I've worked with autism for twelve years, I have met some of the most skilled and highly intelligent people."

Van Velzen has been part of the study since it started.

Now he's hoping for a career in astrophysics.

"I think I'll work on either discovering more about our universe and our place in it, or working on ways to get to other parts of the universe," says Van Velzen.

After completing puzzles in record time he goes on for tests in the eye tracking unit.

Studies have used eye-tracing technology to see how long autistic children spend looking at the social and non-social features in a series of images on pictures and videos like these.

Ren's mother Jose Van Velzen is a cognitive neuroscientist herself although she does not work on this project.

While she is confident about her son's academic success she worries about how he will cope with work and whether he will find happiness in personal relationships.

She says: "It is sometimes challenging for Rens to keep track of what the person he's talking to is feeling and how he's being perceived. He's very much driven by telling things as they are, or how he sees them and of course in normal interaction, in normal relationships you constantly monitor what the other person is thinking. That's definitely very challenging for him and he is aware that this is one of his weaknesses he needs to work on he cannot always deal with it at that particular time and I think that is something in general that will make relationships and work environments quite a challenging place for him."

According to scientists here this project is the first of it kind in the world developing the infrastructure which will underpin new treatments for autism.

There are hundreds of scientists involved in British research projects which are funded by the EU.

The lead scientist on the autism project at Kings is Professor Declan Murphy - and he too is concerned about what Brexit will mean.

He says:"It's virtually impossible for one country alone to recruit the amount of patients that you really need for a large scale, modern day trial, or study that's going to lead to reliable results. We increasingly recognise that big questions need big populations to come up with the right answers and we simply cannot deliver the amount of patients for the amount of science from one centre from one country. For Example my work needs approximately a thousand individuals who are affected by autism. You couldn't recruit that from one centre, or from one country within a time frame that is meaningful, but we can do that by going to mulitple centres across Europe, working together and learning from eachother."

The EU's Horizon 2020 budget is 80-billion Euro which funds medicine and science research across Europe.

Britain's split from the EU will leave a funding gap as well as a brain drain according to Murphy and he argues it will be the children with autism who will lose out.

FOR CLEAN VERSION SEE STORY NUMBER: 4045006

LEAD IN:

Scientists controlling EU projects worth millions of dollars say the British exit from Europe risks the future of medical research, and may endanger future treatments for cancer and children.

Research projects at Kings and University Colleges in London rely on the collaboration of hundreds of doctors and multidisciplinary scientists across Europe - which could come under threat because of Brexit.

STORY-LINE:

Precision medicine is changing the future for cancer patients.

This lab at University College London has devised a safer and simpler alternative to standard radioactive techniques of imaging tumours.

Professor Xavier Golay's team has discovered a way to make a tumour light up with a simple sugar solution.

Because the solution is not radioactive is doesn't carry the same side effects which make patients sick.

It means radiodlogists can see tumours in more detail and check them more frequently.

That in turn allows doctors to personalise drug treatments for the patient.

They can respond more quickly, seeing what works and what doesn't and that speed could save more lives.

The team here is about to begin a trial on the new imaging technique thanks to a six and a half million Euro grant from the European Union.

The whole university has 103-million Euros to fund medical and science projects over the next few years.

All currently funded projects will be allowed to complete - but it's what happens next that's vexing doctors and scientist who argue breakthroughs don't come to order at the end of one trial.

Golay says for the vast majority of scientists in Britain the result of the recent EU referendum - for the UK to exit - was a shock.

Golay says it's not just the money which will risk future projects like this.

His team - like most university and hospital research groups - comes from all over the European Union.

Collaboration on this imaging project is with other specialist scientists at the Max Planck Institute in Germany as well as other units including France and Italy.

He's already concerned about the future.

"I've heard of at least two, three very senior people who've said okay right, now I'm taking all my grant with me and I'm going back to Germany, Switzerland, France because actually, in that way, they know they'll still have access and it's not only access to funding because the funding is great in this country, it is really good. It's really (about) access to funding and this opportunity to collaborate."

At preschool age Rens Van Velzen's parents realised he was struggling with dyslexia, but when he went to school it became clear he was autistic.

Van Velzen, now a highly intelligent fifteen year old, is part of Europe's largest study into mental health disorder.

Here researchers like Hannah Haywood combine genetics, neuroimaging, cognitive testing and clinical assessments to try to discover what are the causes.

The research project called EU Aims is carried out here at Kings College London in collaboration with scientists in other centres of Europe.

Costing 32 million Euros it's also the biggest grant given to any one project.

Autism Spectrum Disorder is a developmental problem which affects the way people interact with the world around them.

People are affected differently and scientists want to understand why those differences occur.

Haywood says: "One can go on to a life where they never speak, they are highly affected and quite disabled. Another person can go on (to be) fully verbal and become a professor at Cambridge (University) and someone else can go on and live a full life with marriage and children, why does that happen? Why does it affect people so differently when it's effectively the same condition. So we're trying to answer those questions, we're trying to understand why it affects different people in different ways and I think the thing that really attracted me to the project is because, we're trying to highlight the great skills and strengths in this group as well as the things that people find difficult."

The goal is to identify biomarkers and develop drug treatments.

It's a long term study, but how long can it continue here and what happens to the research after the current funding ends in 2020?

Rens Van Velzen is already preparing for A-levels in maths, chemistry and physics.

But his autism means life outside the classroom is not always straightforward.

He explains: "Quite often when talking peer to peer, the other person can get frustrated with how I respond because they're (I'm) not responding the way that they're expecting me to respond as the people usually do. So quite often I don't pick up someone's annoyed, or that sort of thing. It's very hard to explain because I haven't had the experience of not having autism."

Haywood, like others on the team, is convinced the project must be protected and fears Britain leaving the EU will end large scale endeavours like this which progress more steadily because of the wide collaboration among doctors and scientists.

She says: "Quite often there can be a lot of negativity around being diagnosed and living with the condition and in my work, I've worked with autism for twelve years, I have met some of the most skilled and highly intelligent people."

Van Velzen has been part of the study since it started.

Now he's hoping for a career in astrophysics.

"I think I'll work on either discovering more about our universe and our place in it, or working on ways to get to other parts of the universe," says Van Velzen.

After completing puzzles in record time he goes on for tests in the eye tracking unit.

Studies have used eye-tracing technology to see how long autistic children spend looking at the social and non-social features in a series of images on pictures and videos like these.

Ren's mother Jose Van Velzen is a cognitive neuroscientist herself although she does not work on this project.

While she is confident about her son's academic success she worries about how he will cope with work and whether he will find happiness in personal relationships.

She says: "It is sometimes challenging for Rens to keep track of what the person he's talking to is feeling and how he's being perceived. He's very much driven by telling things as they are, or how he sees them and of course in normal interaction, in normal relationships you constantly monitor what the other person is thinking. That's definitely very challenging for him and he is aware that this is one of his weaknesses he needs to work on he cannot always deal with it at that particular time and I think that is something in general that will make relationships and work environments quite a challenging place for him."

According to scientists here this project is the first of it kind in the world developing the infrastructure which will underpin new treatments for autism.

There are hundreds of scientists involved in British research projects which are funded by the EU.

The lead scientist on the autism project at Kings is Professor Declan Murphy - and he too is concerned about what Brexit will mean.

He says:"It's virtually impossible for one country alone to recruit the amount of patients that you really need for a large scale, modern day trial, or study that's going to lead to reliable results. We increasingly recognise that big questions need big populations to come up with the right answers and we simply cannot deliver the amount of patients for the amount of science from one centre from one country. For Example my work needs approximately a thousand individuals who are affected by autism. You couldn't recruit that from one centre, or from one country within a time frame that is meaningful, but we can do that by going to mulitple centres across Europe, working together and learning from eachother."

The EU's Horizon 2020 budget is 80-billion Euro which funds medicine and science research across Europe.

Britain's split from the EU will leave a funding gap as well as a brain drain according to Murphy and he argues it will be the children with autism who will lose out.

London, UK - 7 July 2016

1. Various CT scans showing liver cancer pre and post therapy to illustrate the relationship between tumours and glucose

2. Mid of Professor Xavier Golay looking at scans in his MRI lab at the UCL Institute of Neurology

3. Various of Golay and researcher looking at scans

4. Close of tumour in rat highlighted by non radioactive glucose

5. SOUNDBITE: (English) Xavier Golay, professor of neurophysics, UCL Institute of Neurology

"I've heard of at least two, three very senior people who've said okay right, now I'm taking all my grant with me and I'm going back to Germany, Switzerland, France because actually, in that way, they know they'll still have access and it's not only access to funding because the funding is great in this country, it is really good. It's really (about) access to funding and this opportunity to collaborate."

6. Close of autistic teenager Rens Van Velzen answering questions testing his cognitive and executive function at Kings College London

7. Close of psychologist Hannah Hayward asking questions

8. Mid of Velzen ticking off words he understands

9. Various of Velzen watching next task being set up

10. Mid of Velzen touching laptop screen to pick out the emotion displayed on the photo on the monitor

11. Close of Velzen touching the word "Cautious"

12. Close of touch screen

13. Mid of Velzen watching screen observed by Hayward

14. Close of Velzen

15. SOUNDBITE: (English) Hannah Hayward psychologist, EU Aims (autism research project) Kings College London

"One can go on to a life where they never speak, they are highly affected and quite disabled. Another person can go on (to be) fully verbal and become a professor at Cambridge (University) and someone else can go on and live a full life with marriage and children, why does that happen? Why does it affect people so differently when it's effectively the same condition? So we're trying to answer those questions, we're trying to understand why it affects different people in different ways and I think the thing that really attracted me to the project is because, we're trying to highlight the great skills and strengths in this group as well as the things that people find difficult."

16. Close of Hayward starting stopwatch

17. Close of cube pattern Velzen has to recreate

18. Close tilt down of Hayward observing

19. Close of Velzen

20. Close pan from pattern and blocks being constructed by Velzen

21. Mid of Velzen completing puzzle watched by Hayward

22. SOUNDBITE: (English) Rens Van Velzen, teenager in Kings College autisim research group

"Quite often when talking peer to peer, the other person can get frustrated with how I respond because they're (I'm) not responding the way that they're expecting me to respond as the people usually do. So quite often I don't pick up someone's annoyed, or that sort of thing. It's very hard to explain because I haven't had the experience of not having autism."

23. Various of Van Velzen completing other puzzles with black and yellow blocks

24. SOUNDBITE: (English) Hannah Hayward psychologist, EU Aims (autism research project) Kings College London

"Quite often there can be a lot of negativity around being diagnosed and living with the condition and in my work, I've worked with autism for twelve years, I have met some of the most skilled and highly intelligent people."

25. Various of Hayward attaching EEG wires to Van Velzen before eye tracking tests

26. SOUNDBITE: (English) Rens Van Velzen, teenager in Kings College autisim research group

"I think I'll work on either discovering more about our universe and our place in it, or working on ways to get to other parts of the universe."

27. Mid of monitor displaying photographs of facial expressions with options to pick the right description

28. Close of Van Velsen tapping keyboard

29. Mid of test continuing on monitor

30. SOUNDBITE: (English) Jose Van Velzen, Rens' mother (who is also a cognitive neuroscientist)

"It is sometimes challenging for Rens to keep track of what the person he's talking to is feeling and how he's being perceived. He's very much driven by telling things as they are, or how he sees them and of course in normal interaction, in normal relationships, you constantly monitor what the other person is thinking. That's definitely very challenging for him, and he is aware that this is one of his weaknesses he needs to work on he cannot always deal with it at that particular time and I think that is something in general that will make relationships and work environments quite a challenging place for him."

31. Mid rear view of Rens Van Velzen being shown photos in the eye tracking suite

32. Various of monitor

33. Various of Hayward carrying out tracking test

34. Hayward's monitor showing Rens Van Velzen responding to photographs

35. Mid rear view of Van Velzen watching animated patterns appear on screen

36. Various of Professor Declan Murphy lead scientist on the EU Aims study on autism

37. SOUNDBITE: (English) Professor Declan Murphy lead scientist, EU Aims study on autism, Kings College London

"It's virtually impossible for one country alone to recruit the amount of patients that you really need for a large scale, modern day trial, or study that's going to lead to reliable results. We increasingly recognise that big questions need big populations to come up with the right answers, and we simply cannot deliver the amount of patients for the amount of science from one centre from one country. For example, my work needs approximately a thousand individuals who are affected by autism. You couldn't recruit that from one centre, or from one country within a time frame that is meaningful, but we can do that by going to mulitple centres across Europe, working together and learning from eachother."

38. Mid rear view of Rens Van Velzen responding to picture during eyetracking test

39. Close of EEG reading on monitor

UK MEDICAL BREXIT

SOURCE: AP HORIZONS, LIFESTYLE, HEALTH AND TECHNOLOGY

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

LENGTH: 6.33

SHOTLIST:

London, UK - 7 July 2016

1. Various CT scans showing liver cancer pre and post therapy to illustrate the relationship between tumours and glucose

2. Mid of Professor Xavier Golay looking at scans in his MRI lab at the UCL Institute of Neurology

3. Various of Golay and researcher looking at scans

4. Close of tumour in rat highlighted by non radioactive glucose

5. SOUNDBITE: (English) Xavier Golay, professor of neurophysics, UCL Institute of Neurology

"I've heard of at least two, three very senior people who've said okay right, now I'm taking all my grant with me and I'm going back to Germany, Switzerland, France because actually, in that way, they know they'll still have access and it's not only access to funding because the funding is great in this country, it is really good. It's really (about) access to funding and this opportunity to collaborate."

6. Close of autistic teenager Rens Van Velzen answering questions testing his cognitive and executive function at Kings College London

7. Close of psychologist Hannah Hayward asking questions

8. Mid of Velzen ticking off words he understands

9. Various of Velzen watching next task being set up

10. Mid of Velzen touching laptop screen to pick out the emotion displayed on the photo on the monitor

11. Close of Velzen touching the word "Cautious"

12. Close of touch screen

13. Mid of Velzen watching screen observed by Hayward

14. Close of Velzen

15. SOUNDBITE: (English) Hannah Hayward psychologist, EU Aims (autism research project) Kings College London

"One can go on to a life where they never speak, they are highly affected and quite disabled. Another person can go on (to be) fully verbal and become a professor at Cambridge (University) and someone else can go on and live a full life with marriage and children, why does that happen? Why does it affect people so differently when it's effectively the same condition? So we're trying to answer those questions, we're trying to understand why it affects different people in different ways and I think the thing that really attracted me to the project is because, we're trying to highlight the great skills and strengths in this group as well as the things that people find difficult."

16. Close of Hayward starting stopwatch

17. Close of cube pattern Velzen has to recreate

18. Close tilt down of Hayward observing

19. Close of Velzen

20. Close pan from pattern and blocks being constructed by Velzen

21. Mid of Velzen completing puzzle watched by Hayward

22. SOUNDBITE: (English) Rens Van Velzen, teenager in Kings College autisim research group

"Quite often when talking peer to peer, the other person can get frustrated with how I respond because they're (I'm) not responding the way that they're expecting me to respond as the people usually do. So quite often I don't pick up someone's annoyed, or that sort of thing. It's very hard to explain because I haven't had the experience of not having autism."

23. Various of Van Velzen completing other puzzles with black and yellow blocks

24. SOUNDBITE: (English) Hannah Hayward psychologist, EU Aims (autism research project) Kings College London

"Quite often there can be a lot of negativity around being diagnosed and living with the condition and in my work, I've worked with autism for twelve years, I have met some of the most skilled and highly intelligent people."

25. Various of Hayward attaching EEG wires to Van Velzen before eye tracking tests

26. SOUNDBITE: (English) Rens Van Velzen, teenager in Kings College autisim research group

"I think I'll work on either discovering more about our universe and our place in it, or working on ways to get to other parts of the universe."

27. Mid of monitor displaying photographs of facial expressions with options to pick the right description

28. Close of Van Velsen tapping keyboard

29. Mid of test continuing on monitor

30. SOUNDBITE: (English) Jose Van Velzen, Rens' mother (who is also a cognitive neuroscientist)

"It is sometimes challenging for Rens to keep track of what the person he's talking to is feeling and how he's being perceived. He's very much driven by telling things as they are, or how he sees them and of course in normal interaction, in normal relationships, you constantly monitor what the other person is thinking. That's definitely very challenging for him, and he is aware that this is one of his weaknesses he needs to work on he cannot always deal with it at that particular time and I think that is something in general that will make relationships and work environments quite a challenging place for him."

31. Mid rear view of Rens Van Velzen being shown photos in the eye tracking suite

32. Various of monitor

33. Various of Hayward carrying out tracking test

34. Hayward's monitor showing Rens Van Velzen responding to photographs

35. Mid rear view of Van Velzen watching animated patterns appear on screen

36. Various of Professor Declan Murphy lead scientist on the EU Aims study on autism

37. SOUNDBITE: (English) Professor Declan Murphy lead scientist, EU Aims study on autism, Kings College London

"It's virtually impossible for one country alone to recruit the amount of patients that you really need for a large scale, modern day trial, or study that's going to lead to reliable results. We increasingly recognise that big questions need big populations to come up with the right answers, and we simply cannot deliver the amount of patients for the amount of science from one centre from one country. For example, my work needs approximately a thousand individuals who are affected by autism. You couldn't recruit that from one centre, or from one country within a time frame that is meaningful, but we can do that by going to mulitple centres across Europe, working together and learning from eachother."

38. Mid rear view of Rens Van Velzen responding to picture during eyetracking test

39. Close of EEG reading on monitor

LEADIN:

Scientists controlling EU projects worth millions of dollars say the British exit from Europe risks the future of medical research, and may endanger future treatments for cancer and children.

Research projects at Kings and University Colleges in London rely on the collaboration of hundreds of doctors and multidisciplinary scientists across Europe - which could come under threat because of Brexit.

STORYLINE:

Precision medicine is changing the future for cancer patients.

This lab at University College London has devised a safer and simpler alternative to standard radioactive techniques of imaging tumours.

Professor Xavier Golay's team has discovered a way to make a tumour light up with a simple sugar solution.

Because the solution is not radioactive is doesn't carry the same side effects which make patients sick.

It means radiodlogists can see tumours in more detail and check them more frequently.

That in turn allows doctors to personalise drug treatments for the patient.

They can respond more quickly, seeing what works and what doesn't and that speed could save more lives.

The team here is about to begin a trial on the new imaging technique thanks to a six and a half million Euro grant from the European Union.

The whole university has 103-million Euros to fund medical and science projects over the next few years.

All currently funded projects will be allowed to complete - but it's what happens next that's vexing doctors and scientist who argue breakthroughs don't come to order at the end of one trial.

Golay says for the vast majority of scientists in Britain the result of the recent EU referendum - for the UK to exit - was a shock.

Golay says it's not just the money which will risk future projects like this.

His team - like most university and hospital research groups - comes from all over the European Union.

Collaboration on this imaging project is with other specialist scientists at the Max Planck Institute in Germany as well as other units including France and Italy.

He's already concerned about the future.

"I've heard of at least two, three very senior people who've said okay right, now I'm taking all my grant with me and I'm going back to Germany, Switzerland, France because actually, in that way, they know they'll still have access and it's not only access to funding because the funding is great in this country, it is really good. It's really (about) access to funding and this opportunity to collaborate."

At preschool age Rens Van Velzen's parents realised he was struggling with dyslexia, but when he went to school it became clear he was autistic.

Van Velzen, now a highly intelligent fifteen year old, is part of Europe's largest study into mental health disorder.

Here researchers like Hannah Haywood combine genetics, neuroimaging, cognitive testing and clinical assessments to try to discover what are the causes.

The research project called EU Aims is carried out here at Kings College London in collaboration with scientists in other centres of Europe.

Costing 32 million Euros it's also the biggest grant given to any one project.

Autism Spectrum Disorder is a developmental problem which affects the way people interact with the world around them.

People are affected differently and scientists want to understand why those differences occur.

Haywood says: "One can go on to a life where they never speak, they are highly affected and quite disabled. Another person can go on (to be) fully verbal and become a professor at Cambridge (University) and someone else can go on and live a full life with marriage and children, why does that happen? Why does it affect people so differently when it's effectively the same condition. So we're trying to answer those questions, we're trying to understand why it affects different people in different ways and I think the thing that really attracted me to the project is because, we're trying to highlight the great skills and strengths in this group as well as the things that people find difficult."

The goal is to identify biomarkers and develop drug treatments.

It's a long term study, but how long can it continue here and what happens to the research after the current funding ends in 2020?

Rens Van Velzen is already preparing for A-levels in maths, chemistry and physics.

But his autism means life outside the classroom is not always straightforward.

He explains: "Quite often when talking peer to peer, the other person can get frustrated with how I respond because they're (I'm) not responding the way that they're expecting me to respond as the people usually do. So quite often I don't pick up someone's annoyed, or that sort of thing. It's very hard to explain because I haven't had the experience of not having autism."

Haywood, like others on the team, is convinced the project must be protected and fears Britain leaving the EU will end large scale endeavours like this which progress more steadily because of the wide collaboration among doctors and scientists.

She says: "Quite often there can be a lot of negativity around being diagnosed and living with the condition and in my work, I've worked with autism for twelve years, I have met some of the most skilled and highly intelligent people."

Van Velzen has been part of the study since it started.

Now he's hoping for a career in astrophysics.

"I think I'll work on either discovering more about our universe and our place in it, or working on ways to get to other parts of the universe," says Van Velzen.

After completing puzzles in record time he goes on for tests in the eye tracking unit.

Studies have used eye-tracing technology to see how long autistic children spend looking at the social and non-social features in a series of images on pictures and videos like these.

Ren's mother Jose Van Velzen is a cognitive neuroscientist herself although she does not work on this project.

While she is confident about her son's academic success she worries about how he will cope with work and whether he will find happiness in personal relationships.

She says: "It is sometimes challenging for Rens to keep track of what the person he's talking to is feeling and how he's being perceived. He's very much driven by telling things as they are, or how he sees them and of course in normal interaction, in normal relationships you constantly monitor what the other person is thinking. That's definitely very challenging for him and he is aware that this is one of his weaknesses he needs to work on he cannot always deal with it at that particular time and I think that is something in general that will make relationships and work environments quite a challenging place for him."

According to scientists here this project is the first of it kind in the world developing the infrastructure which will underpin new treatments for autism.

There are hundreds of scientists involved in British research projects which are funded by the EU.

The lead scientist on the autism project at Kings is Professor Declan Murphy - and he too is concerned about what Brexit will mean.

He says:"It's virtually impossible for one country alone to recruit the amount of patients that you really need for a large scale, modern day trial, or study that's going to lead to reliable results. We increasingly recognise that big questions need big populations to come up with the right answers and we simply cannot deliver the amount of patients for the amount of science from one centre from one country. For Example my work needs approximately a thousand individuals who are affected by autism. You couldn't recruit that from one centre, or from one country within a time frame that is meaningful, but we can do that by going to mulitple centres across Europe, working together and learning from each other."

The EU's Horizon 2020 budget is 80-billion Euro which funds medicine and science research across Europe.

Britain's split from the EU will leave a funding gap as well as a brain drain according to Murphy and he argues it will be the children with autism who will lose out.

====

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UK MEDICAL BREXIT

SOURCE: AP TECHNOLOGY

RESTRICTIONS: TECHNOLOGY CLIENTS ONLY

LENGTH: 6.33

SHOTLIST:

London, UK - 7 July 2016

1. Various CT scans showing liver cancer pre and post therapy to illustrate the relationship between tumours and glucose

2. Mid of Professor Xavier Golay looking at scans in his MRI lab at the UCL Institute of Neurology

3. Various of Golay and researcher looking at scans

4. Close of tumour in rat highlighted by non radioactive glucose

5. SOUNDBITE: (English) Xavier Golay, professor of neurophysics, UCL Institute of Neurology

"I've heard of at least two, three very senior people who've said okay right, now I'm taking all my grant with me and I'm going back to Germany, Switzerland, France because actually, in that way, they know they'll still have access and it's not only access to funding because the funding is great in this country, it is really good. It's really (about) access to funding and this opportunity to collaborate."

6. Close of autistic teenager Rens Van Velzen answering questions testing his cognitive and executive function at Kings College London

7. Close of psychologist Hannah Hayward asking questions

8. Mid of Velzen ticking off words he understands

9. Various of Velzen watching next task being set up

10. Mid of Velzen touching laptop screen to pick out the emotion displayed on the photo on the monitor

11. Close of Velzen touching the word "Cautious"

12. Close of touch screen

13. Mid of Velzen watching screen observed by Hayward

14. Close of Velzen

15. SOUNDBITE: (English) Hannah Hayward psychologist, EU Aims (autism research project) Kings College London

"One can go on to a life where they never speak, they are highly affected and quite disabled. Another person can go on (to be) fully verbal and become a professor at Cambridge (University) and someone else can go on and live a full life with marriage and children, why does that happen? Why does it affect people so differently when it's effectively the same condition? So we're trying to answer those questions, we're trying to understand why it affects different people in different ways and I think the thing that really attracted me to the project is because, we're trying to highlight the great skills and strengths in this group as well as the things that people find difficult."

16. Close of Hayward starting stopwatch

17. Close of cube pattern Velzen has to recreate

18. Close tilt down of Hayward observing

19. Close of Velzen

20. Close pan from pattern and blocks being constructed by Velzen

21. Mid of Velzen completing puzzle watched by Hayward

22. SOUNDBITE: (English) Rens Van Velzen, teenager in Kings College autisim research group

"Quite often when talking peer to peer, the other person can get frustrated with how I respond because they're (I'm) not responding the way that they're expecting me to respond as the people usually do. So quite often I don't pick up someone's annoyed, or that sort of thing. It's very hard to explain because I haven't had the experience of not having autism."

23. Various of Van Velzen completing other puzzles with black and yellow blocks

24. SOUNDBITE: (English) Hannah Hayward psychologist, EU Aims (autism research project) Kings College London

"Quite often there can be a lot of negativity around being diagnosed and living with the condition and in my work, I've worked with autism for twelve years, I have met some of the most skilled and highly intelligent people."

25. Various of Hayward attaching EEG wires to Van Velzen before eye tracking tests

26. SOUNDBITE: (English) Rens Van Velzen, teenager in Kings College autisim research group

"I think I'll work on either discovering more about our universe and our place in it, or working on ways to get to other parts of the universe."

27. Mid of monitor displaying photographs of facial expressions with options to pick the right description

28. Close of Van Velsen tapping keyboard

29. Mid of test continuing on monitor

30. SOUNDBITE: (English) Jose Van Velzen, Rens' mother (who is also a cognitive neuroscientist)

"It is sometimes challenging for Rens to keep track of what the person he's talking to is feeling and how he's being perceived. He's very much driven by telling things as they are, or how he sees them and of course in normal interaction, in normal relationships, you constantly monitor what the other person is thinking. That's definitely very challenging for him, and he is aware that this is one of his weaknesses he needs to work on he cannot always deal with it at that particular time and I think that is something in general that will make relationships and work environments quite a challenging place for him."

31. Mid rear view of Rens Van Velzen being shown photos in the eye tracking suite

32. Various of monitor

33. Various of Hayward carrying out tracking test

34. Hayward's monitor showing Rens Van Velzen responding to photographs

35. Mid rear view of Van Velzen watching animated patterns appear on screen

36. Various of Professor Declan Murphy lead scientist on the EU Aims study on autism

37. SOUNDBITE: (English) Professor Declan Murphy lead scientist, EU Aims study on autism, Kings College London

"It's virtually impossible for one country alone to recruit the amount of patients that you really need for a large scale, modern day trial, or study that's going to lead to reliable results. We increasingly recognise that big questions need big populations to come up with the right answers, and we simply cannot deliver the amount of patients for the amount of science from one centre from one country. For example, my work needs approximately a thousand individuals who are affected by autism. You couldn't recruit that from one centre, or from one country within a time frame that is meaningful, but we can do that by going to mulitple centres across Europe, working together and learning from eachother."

38. Mid rear view of Rens Van Velzen responding to picture during eyetracking test

39. Close of EEG reading on monitor

LEADIN:

Scientists controlling EU projects worth millions of dollars say the British exit from Europe risks the future of medical research, and may endanger future treatments for cancer and children.

Research projects at Kings and University Colleges in London rely on the collaboration of hundreds of doctors and multidisciplinary scientists across Europe - which could come under threat because of Brexit.

STORYLINE:

Precision medicine is changing the future for cancer patients.

This lab at University College London has devised a safer and simpler alternative to standard radioactive techniques of imaging tumours.

Professor Xavier Golay's team has discovered a way to make a tumour light up with a simple sugar solution.

Because the solution is not radioactive is doesn't carry the same side effects which make patients sick.

It means radiodlogists can see tumours in more detail and check them more frequently.

That in turn allows doctors to personalise drug treatments for the patient.

They can respond more quickly, seeing what works and what doesn't and that speed could save more lives.

The team here is about to begin a trial on the new imaging technique thanks to a six and a half million Euro grant from the European Union.

The whole university has 103-million Euros to fund medical and science projects over the next few years.

All currently funded projects will be allowed to complete - but it's what happens next that's vexing doctors and scientist who argue breakthroughs don't come to order at the end of one trial.

Golay says for the vast majority of scientists in Britain the result of the recent EU referendum - for the UK to exit - was a shock.

Golay says it's not just the money which will risk future projects like this.

His team - like most university and hospital research groups - comes from all over the European Union.

Collaboration on this imaging project is with other specialist scientists at the Max Planck Institute in Germany as well as other units including France and Italy.

He's already concerned about the future.

"I've heard of at least two, three very senior people who've said okay right, now I'm taking all my grant with me and I'm going back to Germany, Switzerland, France because actually, in that way, they know they'll still have access and it's not only access to funding because the funding is great in this country, it is really good. It's really (about) access to funding and this opportunity to collaborate."

At preschool age Rens Van Velzen's parents realised he was struggling with dyslexia, but when he went to school it became clear he was autistic.

Van Velzen, now a highly intelligent fifteen year old, is part of Europe's largest study into mental health disorder.

Here researchers like Hannah Haywood combine genetics, neuroimaging, cognitive testing and clinical assessments to try to discover what are the causes.

The research project called EU Aims is carried out here at Kings College London in collaboration with scientists in other centres of Europe.

Costing 32 million Euros it's also the biggest grant given to any one project.

Autism Spectrum Disorder is a developmental problem which affects the way people interact with the world around them.

People are affected differently and scientists want to understand why those differences occur.

Haywood says: "One can go on to a life where they never speak, they are highly affected and quite disabled. Another person can go on (to be) fully verbal and become a professor at Cambridge (University) and someone else can go on and live a full life with marriage and children, why does that happen? Why does it affect people so differently when it's effectively the same condition. So we're trying to answer those questions, we're trying to understand why it affects different people in different ways and I think the thing that really attracted me to the project is because, we're trying to highlight the great skills and strengths in this group as well as the things that people find difficult."

The goal is to identify biomarkers and develop drug treatments.

It's a long term study, but how long can it continue here and what happens to the research after the current funding ends in 2020?

Rens Van Velzen is already preparing for A-levels in maths, chemistry and physics.

But his autism means life outside the classroom is not always straightforward.

He explains: "Quite often when talking peer to peer, the other person can get frustrated with how I respond because they're (I'm) not responding the way that they're expecting me to respond as the people usually do. So quite often I don't pick up someone's annoyed, or that sort of thing. It's very hard to explain because I haven't had the experience of not having autism."

Haywood, like others on the team, is convinced the project must be protected and fears Britain leaving the EU will end large scale endeavours like this which progress more steadily because of the wide collaboration among doctors and scientists.

She says: "Quite often there can be a lot of negativity around being diagnosed and living with the condition and in my work, I've worked with autism for twelve years, I have met some of the most skilled and highly intelligent people."

Van Velzen has been part of the study since it started.

Now he's hoping for a career in astrophysics.

"I think I'll work on either discovering more about our universe and our place in it, or working on ways to get to other parts of the universe," says Van Velzen.

After completing puzzles in record time he goes on for tests in the eye tracking unit.

Studies have used eye-tracing technology to see how long autistic children spend looking at the social and non-social features in a series of images on pictures and videos like these.

Ren's mother Jose Van Velzen is a cognitive neuroscientist herself although she does not work on this project.

While she is confident about her son's academic success she worries about how he will cope with work and whether he will find happiness in personal relationships.

She says: "It is sometimes challenging for Rens to keep track of what the person he's talking to is feeling and how he's being perceived. He's very much driven by telling things as they are, or how he sees them and of course in normal interaction, in normal relationships you constantly monitor what the other person is thinking. That's definitely very challenging for him and he is aware that this is one of his weaknesses he needs to work on he cannot always deal with it at that particular time and I think that is something in general that will make relationships and work environments quite a challenging place for him."

According to scientists here this project is the first of it kind in the world developing the infrastructure which will underpin new treatments for autism.

There are hundreds of scientists involved in British research projects which are funded by the EU.

The lead scientist on the autism project at Kings is Professor Declan Murphy - and he too is concerned about what Brexit will mean.

He says:"It's virtually impossible for one country alone to recruit the amount of patients that you really need for a large scale, modern day trial, or study that's going to lead to reliable results. We increasingly recognise that big questions need big populations to come up with the right answers and we simply cannot deliver the amount of patients for the amount of science from one centre from one country. For Example my work needs approximately a thousand individuals who are affected by autism. You couldn't recruit that from one centre, or from one country within a time frame that is meaningful, but we can do that by going to mulitple centres across Europe, working together and learning from each other."

The EU's Horizon 2020 budget is 80-billion Euro which funds medicine and science research across Europe.

Britain's split from the EU will leave a funding gap as well as a brain drain according to Murphy and he argues it will be the children with autism who will lose out.

====

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The U.K.'s chief negotiator with the European Union David Frost arrived at the European Commission on Monday to resume in-person Brexit negotiations for the first time in three months.

The coronavirus pandemic interrupted face-to-face talks and the two sides took to video conferencing instead.

European Union chief negotiator Michel Barnier tested positive for the virus in mid-March.

In mid-May, Frost said talks had ground to a halt, making little progress on the most important issues.

In a statement, he accused the EU of insisting on "an ideological approach which makes it more difficult to reach a mutually beneficial agreement."

Barnier said he wasn't optimistic in the face of "British incomprehension."

Britain officially left the 27-nation bloc on Jan. 31, but remains within the EU's economic and regulatory orbit until the end of the year.

The two sides have until then to work out a new relationship covering trade, security and a host of other issues — or face a chaotic split that would be economically disruptive for both sides, but especially for the U.K.

The U.K.-EU divorce agreement allows for the deadline to be extended by two years, but Johnson's government insists it won't lengthen the transition period beyond Dec. 31.

Meanwhile, the office of the British Prime Minister announced that Frost will take over as national security adviser after the resignation of Mark Sedwill.

Frost will step into the role of Britain’s top civil servant while staying on as the chief negotiator for European Union talks.

Brussels - 29 June 2020

1. David Frost, Britain's chief negotiator with the European Union, arriving at the European Commission

2. U.K. negotiating team arriving

3. Cars

4. Camera operator

5. EU flags

6. European Commission exterior

7. EU flags

8. Wide of EU flags, sun reflecting off wall

The leader of Britain’s main opposition party, Jeremy Corbyn, accused Prime Minister Boris Johnson of secretly negotiating the basis of a trade deal with the United States ahead of the country’s departure with the European Union - including a contentious plan to extend patents for American drug companies.

The Labour Party’s Corbyn waved 451 pages of documents at a press conference Wednesday, declaring that they covered six rounds of negotiations beginning in July 2017 - preliminary soundings ahead of formal trade talks.

With the future of the National Health Service in focus in the December 12 general election, Corbyn highlighted the drug price issue and argued that extending patents would boost the profits of big pharmaceutical companies at the expense of taxpayers who would be barred from buying cheaper generic versions of the drugs.

"We have now got evidence that under Boris Johnson the NHS is on the table and will be up for sale," Corbyn said. "He tried to cover it up in a secret agenda and today it has been exposed."

Johnson has consistently denied Corbyn's repeated attack line that the NHS is "for sale" and he defended his government's position on Wednesday again.

Corbyn cited the drug Humira, which is used to treat a variety of ailments, including rheumatoid arthritis and Crohn’s disease.

He said the NHS pays 1,409 pounds (1,814 US dollars) a packet, way lower than the equivalent price in the United States of 8,115 pounds.

“We are talking here about secret talks for a deal with (US President) Donald Trump after Brexit. A deal that will shape our country's future,” he said.

“These reports pull back the curtain on the secrecy that's being plotted for us all, behind closed doors, by the Conservative government.’’

The leaked documents covered more than pharma issues, offering insight into how the Trump administration saw post-Brexit trade.

Other discussions focused on agriculture, chlorinated chicken and food labeling.

The documents also suggested that a post-Brexit deal between the UK and the EU involving close links and alignment with the European economy would come at the cost of a special free trade agreement treatment with the United States.

According to the documents revealed by Corbyn, the US’s trade representative made clear that the UK-EU situation would be “determinative” - that a UK commitment to the EU’s customs union and single market would make a UK-US free trade agreement “a non-starter.”

However, the documents showed that the US considers that there would be “all to play for” in the event no deal is struck between the UK and the EU.

Corbyn, meanwhile, once more responded to claims of anti-Semitism within the Labour party after struggling Tuesday to defuse harsh criticism levelled at both himself and the party by Britain’s chief rabbi.

"Our party did make it clear when I was elected leader and after that, that anti-Semitism was unacceptable in any form in our party or our society and did indeed offer its sympathies and apologies to those that had suffered," Corbyn said, adding the party had set up a strong process to deal with claims since he became leader.

Chief Rabbi Ephraim Mirvis implied in damaging remarks in The Times newspaper that Corbyn was unfit for high office and that Labour’s efforts to tackle anti-Semitism were a "mendacious fiction."

UK POOL

London - 27 November 2019

1. UK Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn arriving for news conference

2. SOUNDBITE (English) Jeremy Corbyn, Labour leader:

"What I have here is something I can reveal to you. 451 pages of unredacted documents and information, all of it here. He (UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson), his government released this, we have since obtained this (showing documents), which is a very different version of events."

3. Cutaway of audience

4. SOUNDBITE (English) Jeremy Corbyn, Labour leader:

"Perhaps he'd like to explain why these documents confirm the US is demanding the NHS (National Health Service) is on the table in the trade talks. These uncensored documents leave Boris Johnson's denials in absolute tatters. Voters need to ask themselves some very serious questions. Is the NHS safe in Boris Johnson's hands? We've now got evidence that under Boris Johnson, the NHS is on the table and will be up for sale. He tried to cover it up in a secret agenda, but today it's been exposed. Now we know the truth when Johnson says 'get Brexit done', it's a fraud on the British people. This is the reality. Years of bogged down negotiations and our NHS is up for sale."

5. Cutaway of audience

6. SOUNDBITE (English) Jeremy Corbyn, Labour leader:

"This election is now a fight for the survival of our National Health Service as a public service free for all at the point of need. So for the want of any doubt let me give this reassurance, Labour will never, ever, treat our NHS as a bargaining chip in trade talks with anybody. We will never let Donald Trump get his hands on our NHS because our NHS is not for sale."

7. Reports being handed out to journalists

8. SOUNDBITE (English) Jeremy Corbyn, Labour leader:

"These reports cover six rounds of talks running from July 2017 until just a few months ago, the meetings took place in both Washington, DC and London. The six rounds should be taken as one ongoing negotiation. We're talking here about secret talks for a deal with (US President) Donald Trump after Brexit, a deal that will shape our country's future. These reports pull back on the curtain of the secrecy that's been plotted for all of us behind closed doors by this Conservative government. This is what they don't want you to know."

9. Reports being handed out to journalists

10. SOUNDBITE (English) Jeremy Corbyn, Labour leader:

"The documents show that we were right. In fact, negotiations have advanced even further than we feared they had. The US and the UK have already finished initial discussion on lengthening patents for medicines. Longer patents can mean only one thing: more expensive drugs. Lives will be put at risk as a result of this."

11. Reports being handed out to journalists

12. SOUNDBITE (English) Jeremy Corbyn, Labour leader:

"I made it very clear. Anti-Semitism is completely wrong within our society. Our party did make it clear when I was elected leader and after that, that anti-Semitism was unacceptable in any form in our party or our society and did indeed offer its sympathies and apologies to those that had suffered, and the party set up a process in which I proposed it be a strong process and I proposed an even stronger process at the national executive in July, which was agreed by the party conference and was, therefore is, now part of our rules. And people who commit any acts of anti-Semitism are rapidly dealt within the party. It affects 0.001% of party membership and we are saying one is one too many. And I acknowledge what the chief rabbi said yesterday. I would also point out that very large numbers of other people in the Jewish community have made it very clear that they do support Labour, that they do recognize my absolute commitment that every community in our country will be safe under a Labour government."

13. End of news conference

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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British Prime Minister Boris Johnson commented on a report on racial disparities in Britain, calling it a "very interesting piece of work" in an interview on Thursday, but said the government did not agree with everything in it.

The report by the government-appointed Commission on Race and Ethnic Disparities concluded that Britain does not have a systemic problem with racism - a conclusion which has provoked controversy among rights groups in the day since it was released.

Johnson said the report's recommendations put forward ideas on how to promote equality of opportunity and understand "the true nature of the barriers and discrimination they unquestionably feel."

"There are very serious issues that our society faces to do with racism that we need to address," Johnson said Thursday.

"We've got to do more to fix it, we need to understand the severity of the problem and we'll be looking at all the ideas they've put forward and we'll be making our response."

Meanwhile the most senior Black adviser to Johnson resigned, the government said Thursday, the day after the report was published.

Samuel Kasumu will leave his job as a special adviser for civil society and communities next month.

Downing Street denied the resignation was related to Wednesday's report.

"I worked very closely with with Samuel in the last year or so, and he's done some some great stuff and I thank him very much, particularly on helping to to encourage vaccine take up among more hesitant groups and communities," Johnson said Thursday.

Also on Thursday, Johnson commented on the possibility of Britain adopting vaccine passports alongside other measures such as testing and natural immunity for those who have had COVID-19.

"Those three things working together would, I think, be useful," he said.

Asked about the thousands of jobs at stake at Liberty steel after the collapse of the company's main financial backer Greensill, Johnson said said he hoped a solution would be found.

"It would be crazy if we were not to use this post-Brexit moment to use the flexibility we have to buy British steel. So that's what we want to do," he added.

UK POOL

Middlesbrough - 1 April 2021

++BEGINS ON SOUNDBITE++

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

"If you look at it, they've come forward with, I think, about 24 interesting ideas to promote equality, to promote equality of opportunity, to give people of all communities, all races, all backgrounds in this country more opportunity, but also to understand the true nature of the barriers and the discrimination they unquestionably feel. So I think it's you know, there are some interesting things in it. I'm going to say we agree with every word, but we're going to be responding in due course."

++BLACK FRAMES++

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

"This is a very interesting piece of work, you know, I'm not going to say the government going to agree with absolutely everything in it, but it has some some original and stimulating work in it that I think people need to read and to consider. There are very serious issues that our society faces to do with racism that we need to address. We've got to we've got to do more to fix it. We need to understand the severity of the problem. And we're going to be looking at all the ideas that they put forward and we'll be making our response."

++BLACK FRAMES++

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

"I worked very closely with with Samuel in the last year or so, and he's done some some great stuff and I thank him very much, particularly on helping to to encourage vaccine take up among more hesitant groups and communities. And actually, we're seeing some some real success there. And although it is true that different groups have been coming forward at different paces, everybody is increasing their their take up. So I thank you very much for that."

++BLACK FRAMES++

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

"I think the most important thing is to continue the rollout of the vaccine program for everybody. I think when it comes so I think that on the issue of vaccine certification, there's definitely going to be a world in which international travel will use vaccine passports, and you can see that already other countries, the aviation industry are interested in those. And there's a logic to that. I think when it comes to trying to make sure that we give maximum confidence to business and to customers here in the U.K, there are there are three things, your immunity, whether you've had it before, we've got natural antibodies anyway, whether you've been vaccinated and then, of course, whether you've had a test. And so those three things working together would, I think, be useful."

++BLACK FRAMES++

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

"What we want to see is all the things that we're making out of steel in this country, think of the things that we're doing, think of the huge the wind farms, the high speed railway, the nuclear power stations, the Beeching reversals, all of those things that they all involve steel. It would be crazy if we were not to use this this post-Brexit moment to not to use the the flexibility we have to to buy British steel. So that's what we want to do."

++ENDS ON SOUNDBITE++

In his Christmas sermon the UK's Archbishop of Canterbury said there were "many gifts of hope" as he reflected on a difficult year which has seen the world hit hard by many crises, particularly the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.

In his message Justin Welby said 2020 had been a year of darkness and anxiety for many, citing issues such as the virus, war and the "evils of racism".

"In this Christmas of absence, mourning and restrictions of all kinds, are there any gifts of good news under the tree?," he said.

"Well, there are many. The vaccine is a gift of hope."

Welby celebrated the sense of community and care show throughout the year by so many and the recent Brexit deal which he said would give hope to businesses in the new year.

He also reiterated the joint appeal from himself, Pope Francis and moderator of the Presbyterian Church of Scotland, the Rev. Martin Fair to South Sudan and Lebanon to bring peace and stability to their nations.

He said a letter of "extraordinary collaboration" had been sent to the leaders of South Sudan on Thursday by the three figureheads and he encouraged the country to go on with its peace building.

Welby also praised volunteers who had helped feed truckers stuck at the port of Dover over recent days due to border issues with France.

UK POOL

Canterbury - 25 December 2020

1. Clergy arriving

2. Various of Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby arriving at church

3. SOUNDBITE (English) Justin Welby, Archbishop of Canterbury:

"2020 has been for so many the darkness. The darkness of COVID, of economic crisis, of climate emergency, of evils of racism, of war, of genocide and persecution.  For billions around the world, 2020 has been the year of walking through the valley of the shadow of death.   It has been a year of anxiety. Anxiety can be reasonable or unreasonable."

4. Wide of Welby

5. SOUNDBITE (English) Justin Welby, Archbishop of Canterbury:

"But our anxieties of this year are not of any fanciful kind. They spring from the realities of life familiar to so many in the world for so long but in this country, long forgotten by us. They make a cough, a fever, feeling a bit under the weather, not an inconvenience, but a genuine threat.  In this Christmas of absence, mourning and restrictions of all kinds, are there any gifts of good news under the tree?  Any gifts of hope? Well, there are many. The vaccine is a gift of hope. Our sense of community and mutual care has changed so much, that is a gift of hope. Notwithstanding the politics or recent history or the sadness or rejoicing of different groups over Brexit.  The agreement reached yesterday will be, for many businesses, a Christmas gift of hope and certainty."

6.  Mid of Welby reading prayer

7. SOUNDBITE (English) Justin Welby, Archbishop of Canterbury: ++ZOOM IN DURING SOUNDBITE++

"That letter (South Sudan appeal co-signed by Pope Francis and the moderator of the Presbyterian Church of Scotland, the Rev. Martin Fair)  is a step of extraordinary collaboration.  Its impetus is that we have sought to follow the light, to speak the truth, to provide hope because of that light. We recognize the light of Christ shining in a society that because of our Christian heritage, even if not current belief, thinks that it matters fundamentally that the poor are cared for, that the hungry are fed, that the sick have access to the health care they need, that children are educated, that the elderly are cherished and protected. We see that light in the food banks of Dover, in those helping across every part of Kent, where amidst so much struggle, people have been cared for by local government and by volunteers.  We see that right in the hospitals where people offer their life and their future in the schools that look to the long term hopes of the next generation. We praise God for that light."

8. Welby leaving church

Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer accused the government of having lost control of its COVID-19 testing regime, calling for a national effort to prevent a second nationwide lockdown.

"There should be nothing inevitable about a second lockdown," Starmer said in an address to the virtual Labour party conference on Tuesday. "It would be a sign of government failure, not an act of God," he added.

Starmer was speaking ahead of Prime Minister Boris Johnson's statement on new measures needed to stem the spread of the new coronavirus as infection rates soar.

Polls suggest a majority of people in Britain support lockdown measures to contain the virus. But they also show that trust in the government’s handling of the pandemic has declined after troubles with testing, mixed messages on reopening and the U.K.’s high death toll.

Britain has Europe’s highest death toll in the pandemic, with over 41,800 deaths, according to a tally by Johns Hopkins University. Experts say all such figures understate the true impact of the pandemic.

The rise in U.K. infection rates comes as lawmakers across the political spectrum have criticized the Conservative government’s testing program.

While ministers tout the record numbers of tests being performed, there are widespread reports of people having to travel hundreds of miles for tests or tests being voided because it’s taking labs too long to process them.

The Labour leader on Tuesday took a swipe at Johnson's government saying their "incompetence" was "holding Britain back."

Accusing Johnson of not being up to the job of Prime Minister, Starmer said he had either wished away the problems presented by the pandemic and Brexit or pretended they didn't exist.

"He kept wishing away the problems with testing, pretending they didn't exist. He wished away the problems with the Irish border. Then when he finally realised what he'd signed up to, he lashed out and decided to break international law," he said, adding "we're all doing our bit to combat the virus by obeying the rule of six. Meanwhile, the government won't even obey the rule of law."

Starmer said Johnson had also failed the country on Brexit and that he would have no one to blame but himself if there is no deal with the European Union.

UK POOL

Doncaster - 22 September 2020

1. SOUNDBITE (English) Keir Starmer, Labour leader:

"These are extraordinary times. The warnings yesterday from the government's advisers were stark. They can't be ignored. Labour, at a time like this, will act in the national interest. We will be a constructive opposition. We will support whatever reasonable steps are necessary to protect lives and protect our NHS. But I also want to say this. There should be nothing inevitable about a second lockdown. It would be a sign of government failure, not an act of God. It would take an immense toll on people's physical and mental health and on the economy."

++BLACK FRAMES++

2. SOUNDBITE (English) Keir Starmer, Labour leader:

"We need a national effort to prevent a national lockdown. The prime minister has had months to prepare for this, but instead of getting a grip, the government lost control. Our testing system collapsed just when we needed it most. The British people want the government to succeed in fighting this virus. We all need the government to succeed."

++BLACK FRAMES++

3. SOUNDBITE (English) Keir Starmer, Labour leader:

"I've tried to be constructive. I appreciate that these are unprecedented times and that governing is hard. I've tried to be fair, to give the government the benefit of the doubt. But now, with one of the highest death rates in the world, on the threshold of one of the deepest recessions anywhere, I'm afraid there is no doubt: this government's incompetence is holding Britain back."

++BLACK FRAMES++

4. SOUNDBITE (English) Keir Starmer, Labour leader:

"Their failure to protect care homes is a national scandal, and they still can't organise a testing regime that's even serviceable, let alone world beating."

++BLACK FRAMES++

5. SOUNDBITE (English) Keir Starmer, Labour leader:

"The second thing I've learnt is that a crisis reveals character like nothing else, and I think we've learnt a lot about this Prime Minister. Tory backbenchers know it, his Cabinet knows it, we all know it. He's just not serious. He's just not up to the job. When he encounters a problem, Johnson responds either by wishing it away or by lashing out. He kept wishing away the problems with testing, pretending they didn't exist. He wished away the problems with the Irish border. Then when he finally realised what he'd signed up to, he lashed out and decided to break international law. We're all doing our bit to combat the virus by obeying the rule of six. Meanwhile, the government won't even obey the rule of law."

++BLACK FRAMES++

6. SOUNDBITE (English) Keir Starmer, Labour leader:

"The debate between leave and remain is over. We are not going to be a party that keeps banging on about Europe. The Prime Minister has repeatedly promised that he will get a deal. So go on and get one. British business needs a deal. Working people need a deal. Our country needs a deal. And if the prime minister fails to get one, he will be failing Britain. If that happens, he'll have nobody to blame but himself and he will have to own that failure. It will be on him. We want to get this deal done. And like everybody else, we're growing tired of the prime minister's bluster."

China on Tuesday suggested the decision on whether or not to restrict Huawei from the UK market would serve as a "barometer" of the safety of Chinese investment in the country.

"Whether the UK can provide an open, fair and non-discriminatory business environment for Chinese companies, will be the touchstone of the trend in the UK market after Brexit as well as a barometer of the safety of Chinese investment in the UK," said Zhao Lijian, spokesperson for China's foreign ministry.

The British government is reportedly poised to backtrack on plans to give Chinese telecommunications giant Huawei a limited role in the U.K.‘s new high-speed mobile phone network, a decision with broad implications for relations between the two countries.

China's ambassador to the U.K. Liu Xiaoming warned earlier this week Britain will have to "bear the consequences" if it treats China as a hostile country.

Liu "only stated his views at the press conference, and he did not mean threaten the British government," said Zhao.

Zhao also condemned Japan's latest defence white paper as "full of prejudice and false information against China."

The Japanese government's Defense White Paper 2020 says China is pushing harder to make territorial claims in the regional seas and using the coronavirus pandemic to expand its influence.

"Though it is called a "white paper," it is actually a pile of "black materials," exposing the dark psychology of certain Japanese forces," said Zhao.

The spokesperson also announced China will impose sanctions on Lockheed Martin, a contractor in the the latest U.S. arms sale to Taiwan.

Beijing – 14 July 2020

1. News conference

2. Reporters

3. SOUNDBITE (Mandarin) Zhao Lijian, spokesperson for Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs:

"Whether the UK can provide an open, fair and non-discriminatory business environment for Chinese companies, will be the touchstone of the trend in the UK market after Brexit, as well as a barometer of the safety of Chinese investment in the UK. China will pay close attention to it."

4. Reporter using mobile phone

5. SOUNDBITE (Mandarin) Zhao Lijian, spokesperson for Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs:

"I think your understanding is incorrect. Ambassador Liu Xiaoming only stated his views at the press conference, and he did not mean to threaten the British government."

6. Row of reporters

7. SOUNDBITE (Mandarin) Zhao Lijian, spokesperson for Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs:

"Japan's 2020 defence white paper is full of prejudice and false information against China, which tried its best to hype the so-called "'China threat.' Though it is called a 'white paper,' it is actually a pile of 'black materials,' exposing the dark psychology of certain Japanese forces. China has made solemn complaints with Japan."

8. Reporter with hot drink flask

9. SOUNDBITE (Mandarin) Zhao Lijian, spokesperson for Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs:

"China firmly opposes the U.S. arms sales to Taiwan. We urge the U.S. to strictly abide by the one-China principle and the provisions of the three Sino-US joint communiques and stop arms sales and military exchanges with Taiwan so as to avoid further damage to China-US relations and peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait. In order to safeguard national interests, China decided to take necessary measures to impose sanctions on Lockheed Martin, the main contractor in this arms sales package."

10. Reporters

11. Wide of news conference

LEADIN:

Vapers in the UK are hitting back at claims that inhaling e-liquid can lead to inflammation and chronic lung disease.

And with the number of vapers booming in the country, industry insiders and enthusiasts are keen to promote different ways of smoking e-cigarettes.

STORYLINE:

All sorts of smells fill the air in London's Olympia venue.

Strawberry, lemon, cherry bakewell, French toast, coffee and even cannabis.

An array of the UK's top vaping brands, from independent start-ups to tobacco-owned ones, have set up shop at the London Vape Show trying to lure in vapers with a never ending selection of hardware and vaping juice.

In this corner a group of reviewers, many of them Youtube celebrity vapers, is tasked with voting for the best e-liquids and vaping accessories.

Nick Bessette is a Youtube reviewer who flew in for the show from the US.

"So when we test we are looking for quality, value for your money. When it comes to hardware we are looking for ease of use. You know, things like that. We are looking out for the consumers. We want people to be able to pick up a device and be able to use it straightaway without messing about with settings and stuff like that."

Emerging after the introduction of a smoking ban in the UK in the late 2000s, the e-cigarette industry has boomed in recent years.

Public Health England (PHE) estimates that vaping helps at least 20-thousand people to successfully quit smoking every year, according to a report the agency published February 2017.

PHE went so far as to suggest that e-cigarettes should be prescribed by the British National Health Service, stating that vaping is at least 95 percent less harmful than smoking.

When the European Union's Tobacco Products Directive (TBD) came into force in 2016, limits were placed on the production of vaping products.

The burgeoning industry, mainly driven by independent entrepreneurs, had to adapt accordingly.

Brett Heaps is a director of the online store Eco Vape.

"When we started doing the new flavour creations for the legislation which is Tobacco Products Directive we invented some new flavours to the industry, like out number one selling flavour 'Prism' which you actually get different flavours every time you vape it cause it's such a complex mix. So you might get blackcurrant and then you start getting a bit of raspberry and then you get some, some other notes in there like vanilla."

Eco Vape sells between 20-thousand to 40-thousand e-liquid bottles a day, Heaps says, to customers across the world.

Their latest venture is cannabis flavoured e-juice, mixed with desert flavours such as cherry bakewell.

Director of UK Vaping Industry Association John Dunne says the UK has emerged as a market leader in the vaping industry, largely due to the government's favourable attitude towards e-cigarettes.

"The UK is a little different than almost all of the other markets in the world. We have a regulatory environment and a government that is really pro-vaping. So we are seen as being the innovators I think of the vaping industry around the world. From a consumers' perspective, the industry is worth just under one (b) billion pounds (GBP) and growing. We have just under three (m) million vapers here in the UK and about 1.5 (m) million of those are full time vapers. So they don't use anything else except vaping products."

Free market proponents such as the right-wing non-profit think tank, Institute of Economic Affairs, and the neo liberal think tank Adam Smith Institute hope that Brexit will allow for lighter regulation that will help the vaping scene grow.  

Head of Lifestyle Economics for the Institute of Economic Affairs, Christopher Snowden says: "There are various kind of petty regulations, some of which are fairly obscure. But they all damage the market in different ways. For example a limit of the amount of nicotine that can go into the fluid. That means that a product called Juul, which has proven very popular in America and got lots of people off smoking, isn't available over here because it exceeds that nicotine limit. There are silly regulations on bottle sizes, for example you can't buy vape juice in any bottle larger than 10 millilitres."

In the event of a no-deal Brexit, the UK will have the opportunity to review its legislation on tobacco and e-cigarette products.

Despite its success in helping vapours quit, several studies have warned that although better than smoking, vaping is not as safe as the e-cigarette industry presents it to be.

One study published this month found that vaping can cause inflammation and chronic lung disease by disabling key immune cells. The research was led by the University of Birmingham and funded by the British Lung Foundation.

The research showed that inhaled vape liquid can impair cell activity which is vital for immune responses in the airways that work to remove dust, bacteria, and allergens.

The chair of the New Nicotine Alliance, a consumer-led organisation advocating for 'tobacco harm reduction' without reducing the use of nicotine, calls such reports "irresponsible".

"I think probably one of the major problems in this country and in the world is a misconception about the relative risks of vaping. And even the absolute risk of vaping. People tend to think that it's the same as smoking and so there is a kind of a knee jerk reaction to want to regulate it in the same way. And public support is lacking because the public read the papers, they see these very damaging media reports, most of which are totally irresponsible and blown out of any sort of proportion at all, and they tend to think 'Well we don't want that around us'," says Sarah Jakes, chair of the New Nicotine Alliance.

Asked if he was concerned by the recent media reports on the harms of vaping, computer engineer and vaping enthusiast Eugene Baffour-Kyei says he chooses vaping over smoking as the lesser of two evils.  

"The way I think about it is that we know what smoking does for you. We know that this one is, shall we say that If we just randomise of generalise the research that has come out, at least 95 percent less bad than smoking. So if it's a choice between the two I think it's rather obvious. So yea, I'm not really too worried. I mean if there comes out more research saying this is tonnes worse, then I'll have to obviously think that over. But essentially is not as bad for you as smoking."

The London Vape Show ran August 25-26 2018.

London – 25 August 2018

1. Close of man exhaling vapour, vaping and blowing rings of vapour

2. Mid of men vaping and standing in front of stand with vaping products

3. Wide of people at display stand with vaping products

4. Mid of hand lining up e-liquid bottles

5. Focus pull of e-liquid bottles

6. Mid of man sucking on metal pipe and exhaling

7. Mid of man picking up pipe

8. Close of man sucking on pipe and exhaling

9. Various of vaping reviewers at table

10. Mid of Youtube Vape reviewer Nick Bessette – looking at vaping device and vaping

11. SOUNDBITE (English) Nick Bessette, Youtube Vape reviewer:

"So when we test we are looking for quality, value for your money. When it comes to hardware we are looking for ease of use. You know, things like that. We are looking out for the consumers. We want people to be able to pick up a device and be able to use it straightaway without messing about with settings and stuff like that."

12. Close of hands adding cotton to vape device and trimming it with scissors

13. Mid of man tucking cotton into device

14. Close of man applying e-liquid on cotton

15. Close of vapour rising from burning cotton

16. Close of vapour coming out of pipe

17. Close of man vaping from vape display

18. Close of man exhaling vapour

19. SOUNDBITE (English) Brett Heaps, Director of Eco Vape:

"When we started doing the new flavour creations for the legislation which is Tobacco Products Directive we invented some new flavours to the industry, like out number one selling flavour 'Prism' which you actually get different flavours every time you vape it cause it's such a complex mix. So you might get blackcurrant and then you start getting a bit of raspberry and then you get some, some other notes in there like vanilla."

20. Various of panel during debate (left) New Nicotine Alliance Chair Sarah Jakes, (second from left) Director of UK Vaping Industry Association (UKVIA) John Dunne and (right) Head of Lifestyle Economics at Institute of Economic Affairs Christopher Snowden

21. Mid of Dunne talking to audience

22. SOUNDBITE (English) John Dunne, Director of UK Vaping Industry Association:

"The UK is a little different than almost all of the other markets in the world. We have a regulatory environment and a government that is really pro-vaping. So we are seen as being the innovators I think of the vaping industry around the world. From a consumers' perspective, the industry is worth just under one (b) billion pounds (GBP) and growing. We have just under three (m) million vapers here in the UK and about 1.5 (m) million of those are full time vapers. So they don't use anything else except vaping products."

23. Wide of audience at debate

24. Various of Snowden talking on panel

25. SOUNDBITE (English) Christopher Snowden, Head of Lifestyle Economics at Institute of Economic Affairs:

"There are various kind of petty regulations, some of which are fairly obscure. But they all damage the market in different ways. For example a limit of the amount of nicotine that can go into the fluid. That means that a product called Juul, which has proven very popular in America and got lots of people off smoking, isn't available over here because it exceeds that nicotine limit. There are silly regulations on bottle sizes, for example you can't buy vape juice in any bottle larger than 10 millilitres."

26. Mid of audience

27. Mid of Jakes talking at panel

28. SOUNDBITE (English) Sarah Jakes, New Nicotine Alliance Chair:

"I think probably one of the major problems in this country and in the world is a misconception about the relative risks of vaping. And even the absolute risk of vaping. People tend to think that it's the same as smoking and so there is a kind of a knee jerk reaction to want to regulate it in the same way. And public support is lacking because the public read the papers, they see these very damaging media reports, most of which are totally irresponsible and blown out of any sort of proportion at all, and they tend to think 'Well we don't want that around us'."

29. Close of display with coils for vaping devices

30. Pan of exhibition

31. Various of computer engineer Eugene Baffour-Kyei trying different vape flavours at display stand

32. SOUNDBITE (English) Eugene Baffour-Kyei, computer engineer:

"The way I think about it is that we know what smoking does for you. We know that this one is, shall we say that if we just randomise of generalise the research that has come out, at least 95 percent less bad than smoking. So if it's a choice between the two I think it's rather obvious. So yeah, I'm not really too worried. I mean if there comes out more research saying this is tonnes worse, then I'll have to obviously think that over. But essentially is not as bad for you as smoking."

33. Wide of people at exhibition

34. Various of men vaping and blowing rings

LEADIN:

Vapers in the UK are hitting back at claims that inhaling e-liquid can lead to inflammation and chronic lung disease.

And with the number of vapers booming in the country, industry insiders and enthusiasts are keen to promote different ways of smoking e-cigarettes.

STORYLINE:

All sorts of smells fill the air in London's Olympia venue.

Strawberry, lemon, cherry bakewell, French toast, coffee and even cannabis.

An array of the UK's top vaping brands, from independent start-ups to tobacco-owned ones, have set up shop at the London Vape Show trying to lure in vapers with a never ending selection of hardware and vaping juice.

In this corner a group of reviewers, many of them Youtube celebrity vapers, is tasked with voting for the best e-liquids and vaping accessories.

Nick Bessette is a Youtube reviewer who flew in for the show from the US.

"So when we test we are looking for quality, value for your money. When it comes to hardware we are looking for ease of use. You know, things like that. We are looking out for the consumers. We want people to be able to pick up a device and be able to use it straightaway without messing about with settings and stuff like that."

Emerging after the introduction of a smoking ban in the UK in the late 2000s, the e-cigarette industry has boomed in recent years.

Public Health England (PHE) estimates that vaping helps at least 20-thousand people to successfully quit smoking every year, according to a report the agency published February 2017.

PHE went so far as to suggest that e-cigarettes should be prescribed by the British National Health Service, stating that vaping is at least 95 percent less harmful than smoking.

When the European Union's Tobacco Products Directive (TBD) came into force in 2016, limits were placed on the production of vaping products.

The burgeoning industry, mainly driven by independent entrepreneurs, had to adapt accordingly.

Brett Heaps is a director of the online store Eco Vape.

"When we started doing the new flavour creations for the legislation which is Tobacco Products Directive we invented some new flavours to the industry, like out number one selling flavour 'Prism' which you actually get different flavours every time you vape it cause it's such a complex mix. So you might get blackcurrant and then you start getting a bit of raspberry and then you get some, some other notes in there like vanilla."

Eco Vape sells between 20-thousand to 40-thousand e-liquid bottles a day, Heaps says, to customers across the world.

Their latest venture is cannabis flavoured e-juice, mixed with desert flavours such as cherry bakewell.

Director of UK Vaping Industry Association John Dunne says the UK has emerged as a market leader in the vaping industry, largely due to the government's favourable attitude towards e-cigarettes.

"The UK is a little different than almost all of the other markets in the world. We have a regulatory environment and a government that is really pro-vaping. So we are seen as being the innovators I think of the vaping industry around the world. From a consumers' perspective, the industry is worth just under one (b) billion pounds (GBP) and growing. We have just under three (m) million vapers here in the UK and about 1.5 (m) million of those are full time vapers. So they don't use anything else except vaping products."

Free market proponents such as the right-wing non-profit think tank, Institute of Economic Affairs, and the neo liberal think tank Adam Smith Institute hope that Brexit will allow for lighter regulation that will help the vaping scene grow.  

Head of Lifestyle Economics for the Institute of Economic Affairs, Christopher Snowden says: "There are various kind of petty regulations, some of which are fairly obscure. But they all damage the market in different ways. For example a limit of the amount of nicotine that can go into the fluid. That means that a product called Juul, which has proven very popular in America and got lots of people off smoking, isn't available over here because it exceeds that nicotine limit. There are silly regulations on bottle sizes, for example you can't buy vape juice in any bottle larger than 10 millilitres."

In the event of a no-deal Brexit, the UK will have the opportunity to review its legislation on tobacco and e-cigarette products.

Despite its success in helping vapours quit, several studies have warned that although better than smoking, vaping is not as safe as the e-cigarette industry presents it to be.

One study published this month found that vaping can cause inflammation and chronic lung disease by disabling key immune cells. The research was led by the University of Birmingham and funded by the British Lung Foundation.

The research showed that inhaled vape liquid can impair cell activity which is vital for immune responses in the airways that work to remove dust, bacteria, and allergens.

The chair of the New Nicotine Alliance, a consumer-led organisation advocating for 'tobacco harm reduction' without reducing the use of nicotine, calls such reports "irresponsible".

"I think probably one of the major problems in this country and in the world is a misconception about the relative risks of vaping. And even the absolute risk of vaping. People tend to think that it's the same as smoking and so there is a kind of a knee jerk reaction to want to regulate it in the same way. And public support is lacking because the public read the papers, they see these very damaging media reports, most of which are totally irresponsible and blown out of any sort of proportion at all, and they tend to think 'Well we don't want that around us'," says Sarah Jakes, chair of the New Nicotine Alliance.

Asked if he was concerned by the recent media reports on the harms of vaping, computer engineer and vaping enthusiast Eugene Baffour-Kyei says he chooses vaping over smoking as the lesser of two evils.  

"The way I think about it is that we know what smoking does for you. We know that this one is, shall we say that If we just randomise of generalise the research that has come out, at least 95 percent less bad than smoking. So if it's a choice between the two I think it's rather obvious. So yea, I'm not really too worried. I mean if there comes out more research saying this is tonnes worse, then I'll have to obviously think that over. But essentially is not as bad for you as smoking."

The London Vape Show ran August 25-26 2018.

London – 25 August 2018

1. Close of man exhaling vapour, vaping and blowing rings of vapour

2. Mid of men vaping and standing in front of stand with vaping products

3. Wide of people at display stand with vaping products

4. Mid of hand lining up e-liquid bottles

5. Focus pull of e-liquid bottles

6. Mid of man sucking on metal pipe and exhaling

7. Mid of man picking up pipe

8. Close of man sucking on pipe and exhaling

9. Various of vaping reviewers at table

10. Mid of Youtube Vape reviewer Nick Bessette – looking at vaping device and vaping

11. SOUNDBITE (English) Nick Bessette, Youtube Vape reviewer:

"So when we test we are looking for quality, value for your money. When it comes to hardware we are looking for ease of use. You know, things like that. We are looking out for the consumers. We want people to be able to pick up a device and be able to use it straightaway without messing about with settings and stuff like that."

12. Close of hands adding cotton to vape device and trimming it with scissors

13. Mid of man tucking cotton into device

14. Close of man applying e-liquid on cotton

15. Close of vapour rising from burning cotton

16. Close of vapour coming out of pipe

17. Close of man vaping from vape display

18. Close of man exhaling vapour

19. SOUNDBITE (English) Brett Heaps, Director of Eco Vape:

"When we started doing the new flavour creations for the legislation which is Tobacco Products Directive we invented some new flavours to the industry, like out number one selling flavour 'Prism' which you actually get different flavours every time you vape it cause it's such a complex mix. So you might get blackcurrant and then you start getting a bit of raspberry and then you get some, some other notes in there like vanilla."

20. Various of panel during debate (left) New Nicotine Alliance Chair Sarah Jakes, (second from left) Director of UK Vaping Industry Association (UKVIA) John Dunne and (right) Head of Lifestyle Economics at Institute of Economic Affairs Christopher Snowden

21. Mid of Dunne talking to audience

22. SOUNDBITE (English) John Dunne, Director of UK Vaping Industry Association:

"The UK is a little different than almost all of the other markets in the world. We have a regulatory environment and a government that is really pro-vaping. So we are seen as being the innovators I think of the vaping industry around the world. From a consumers' perspective, the industry is worth just under one (b) billion pounds (GBP) and growing. We have just under three (m) million vapers here in the UK and about 1.5 (m) million of those are full time vapers. So they don't use anything else except vaping products."

23. Wide of audience at debate

24. Various of Snowden talking on panel

25. SOUNDBITE (English) Christopher Snowden, Head of Lifestyle Economics at Institute of Economic Affairs:

"There are various kind of petty regulations, some of which are fairly obscure. But they all damage the market in different ways. For example a limit of the amount of nicotine that can go into the fluid. That means that a product called Juul, which has proven very popular in America and got lots of people off smoking, isn't available over here because it exceeds that nicotine limit. There are silly regulations on bottle sizes, for example you can't buy vape juice in any bottle larger than 10 millilitres."

26. Mid of audience

27. Mid of Jakes talking at panel

28. SOUNDBITE (English) Sarah Jakes, New Nicotine Alliance Chair:

"I think probably one of the major problems in this country and in the world is a misconception about the relative risks of vaping. And even the absolute risk of vaping. People tend to think that it's the same as smoking and so there is a kind of a knee jerk reaction to want to regulate it in the same way. And public support is lacking because the public read the papers, they see these very damaging media reports, most of which are totally irresponsible and blown out of any sort of proportion at all, and they tend to think 'Well we don't want that around us'."

29. Close of display with coils for vaping devices

30. Pan of exhibition

31. Various of computer engineer Eugene Baffour-Kyei trying different vape flavours at display stand

32. SOUNDBITE (English) Eugene Baffour-Kyei, computer engineer:

"The way I think about it is that we know what smoking does for you. We know that this one is, shall we say that if we just randomise of generalise the research that has come out, at least 95 percent less bad than smoking. So if it's a choice between the two I think it's rather obvious. So yeah, I'm not really too worried. I mean if there comes out more research saying this is tonnes worse, then I'll have to obviously think that over. But essentially is not as bad for you as smoking."

33. Wide of people at exhibition

34. Various of men vaping and blowing rings

LEADIN:

Vapers in the UK are hitting back at claims that inhaling e-liquid can lead to inflammation and chronic lung disease.

And with the num