Your morning briefing: What you should know for Monday, November 19

Two year Brexit transition extension proposed

Michel Barnier, the EU’s chief negotiator, has reportedly said the Brexit transition period could be extended by two years.

He has made the proposal so that Britain will have more time to strike a full trade deal with the EU and find a solution to the Irish border issue.

Theresa May is preparing to go on the attack today over her proposed divorce deal with a speech saying it has been agreed in full, despite MPs pushing for changes.

Both the Prime Minister and Jeremy Corbyn will address the CBI’s annual conference, with Mrs May set to say negotiators will this week finalise a deal she can take to the Commons.

Mr Corbyn is expected to tell delegates the Prime Minister's plan is "a botched, worst-of-all-worlds deal".

Death toll in California wildfire stands at 77

Rescuers are stepping up efforts to search the devastated city of Paradise in California as the death toll from its horrific wildfire reached 77.

There are more than 1300 people still listed as missing and volunteers fear rain that is forecast to hit the area this week will complicate their search operation.

House prices drop across the country

Asking prices for houses are now lower than a year ago - marking the first time this has happened in seven years, according to property website Rightmove.

The average price of newly-marketed property across the country is now 0.2 per cent, of £607, lower than 12 months ago.

Rightmove director Miles Shipside said the fall was due to the political uncertainty, cooling markets in the south and more expensive properties, and the usual pre-Christmas slowdown.

Double joy for Hamilton and Antony & Cleopatra at Evening Standard Theatre Awards

Hamilton won two top prizes at the Evening Standard's Theatre Awards last night.

Lin-Manuel Miranda's historical show took home the coveted Best Musical Award while Jamael Westman won the Emerging Talent award.

It was also a night of double joy for Antony and Cleopatra, with stars Ralph Fiennes and Sophie Okonedo winning Best Actor and Best Actress .

The Best Play title went to The Inheritance and you can see more coverage here.

'VIP Paedophile ring' accuser set to face court

The man known as "Nick" whose allegations sparked the VIP sex abuse probe will appear before a judge today charged with lying to police and fraudulently receiving £22,000 in compensation.

The 50-year-old is accused of 12 counts of perverting the course of justice and one count of fraud and will appear before Newcastle Crown Court.

His claims about the existence of a VIP Westminster paedophile ring led to Operation Midland but no evidence of wrongdoing was discovered.

Demand to axe 200 Lords

The House of Lords must axe 200 peers to bring the number down to 600, the Public Administration and Constitutional Affairs Committee has demanded.

The committee’s report backs previous findings but calls for urgent action, saying the growing size of the Lords is affecting the Chamber's ability to function effectively.

Kate Silverton out of Strictly

Kate Silverton last night became the latest celebrity to be booted off Strictly Come Dancing during Blackpool Week.

The newsreader and dance partner Aljaz Skorjanec lost out to former cricketer Graeme Swann and Oti Mabuse in the dance-off.

On this day…

1600: Charles I was born at Dunfermline Palace in Scotland.

1863: Abraham Lincoln made his famous Gettysburg address, with his freedom cry: "Government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth."

1942: The Russians counter-attacked at Stalingrad and surrounded the German army.

1979: Iranian leader Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini ordered the release of 13 'hostages' held in the US embassy in Tehran.

1988: Christina Onassis, daughter of the Greek shipping magnate Aristotle, died from a pulmonary edema, aged just 37.