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'Renewed mission': May joins EU summit after surviving confidence vote

More than a third of Conservative MPs voted on Wednesday that they had no confidence in Theresa May's leadership, but she remains as prime minister. And the work doesn't stop. Mrs May is off to a summit in Brussels, where she will seek legally binding pledges from the other 27 EU leaders on the Irish backstop - the biggest single problem for MPs who oppose her Brexit deal.

The BBC understands that the EU won't renegotiate the deal, but may give reassurances that the backstop - which would be used to ensure an open border on the island of Ireland in the event of the UK leaving the EU without an all-encompassing deal - could only be temporary.

After Mrs May speaks, she will leave the other EU leaders to decide what to do. She still faces a battle to get any agreement through the House of Commons. The level of opposition towards her among Conservative MPs leaves her "not at all comfortable", writes BBC political editor Laura Kuenssberg. Read Laura's latest blog.

But Mrs May - who announced on Wednesday that she would not fight another general election - spoke of a "renewed mission" to make Brexit work. So what next for the PM? And remind yourself of the bigger picture, using our really simple Brexit guide.

Second Canadian 'missing' in China

A second Canadian citizen is believed to have been detained in China. Businessman Michael Spavor, who is based near China's border with North Korea, contacted Canadian officials to say he was being questioned. His whereabouts are unknown. This follows former diplomat Michael Kovrig being arrested "on suspicion of engaging in activities that harm China's state security". The detentions come after Canada arrested Chinese telecoms executive Meng Wanzhou - daughter of the founder of telecoms giant Huawei - last week.

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Deadly high-speed train crash in Turkey

At least four people have died in a crash involving a high-speed train at a station in the Turkish capital Ankara, reports say. More than 40 people are said to have been injured, with emergency services working to rescue passengers.

Winter 'shrinking' as climate change hits

Climate change means snowy winter periods on mountains are being "squeezed", scientists say. Researchers at the Scripps Research Institute in San Diego, California, studied the annual cycle of snow and melt in the western US from the early 1980s to 2018. The change has implications for wildfires and levels of drinking water, they warn.

The secret life of a fantasy shopper

By Sue Elliott-Nicholls

I love a posh shop. I love the smell, the lighting, the shimmery floors, the beautiful assistants that join in while I giddily slip a Cartier eternity ring on my finger, waft some £300 perfume around, snuggle up in the £4,000 armchair and ruminate over the benefits of the £550 Chloe sunglasses.

Obviously I have no intention of ever buying any of those things, I just like to pretend. In these grey times of austerity - or is post-austerity? - we all need a little golden sparkle in our day, don't we? I'm not alone - there are many of us out there.

Read the full article

What the papers say

"May scrapes home" is the Times's headline, as the newspapers pore over the result of Wednesday's confidence vote in the prime minister. The Guardian says the scale of the rebellion against Theresa May has damaged her, while the i calls the result a "stay of execution". But Metro describes her win as "comfortable" and the Daily Express tells her detractors: "Now just let her get on with it." It's a sentiment echoed by the Daily Mail. On other matters, the Daily Star leads on the revelation that I'm a Celebrity winner Harry Redknapp once bought a dud TV set from a market trader.

Daily digest

Strasbourg shooting Police appeal to find suspect Chérif Chekatt

Faith question Organ donors to be asked if they are religious

Walford woes EastEnders set revamp goes £27m over budget

Lockerbie The town still scarred by terror 30 years on

If you see one thing today

The strange charm of isolated petrol stations

If you listen to one thing today

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A retreat for when you tire of tech

If you read one thing today

Marmite sprouts? Retailers push festive boundaries

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Lookahead

09:30 Primary school league tables for England are published.

22:45 David Dimbleby presents his final edition of the BBC's Question Time, having served as host for more than 25 years. Here's a look back at his time on the show.

On this day

1981 Poland's military rulers declare a state of emergency after imposing martial law and placing leaders of the Solidarity trade union under arrest.

From elsewhere

Catalan tensions back as Spain threatens to send in police (Bloomberg)

The man who photographed his future deaths (The Atlantic)

The Colossus of Rhodes, bronze wonder of the ancient world (National Geographic)

The Instagram of Sisyphus (New Yorker)