Theresa May is looking to alter her Brexit deal with the EU, so that MPs can give it their backing in a week's time - having overwhelmingly rejected it in January. So a UK delegation is going to Brussels to try to secure legally binding changes to what was agreed previously. It wants a guarantee that the backstop - the plan to ensure there's no hard border between Northern Ireland and the Irish Republic under any circumstances - cannot be allowed to remain in place indefinitely. Here's an explanation of what the backstop is and what all the controversy is about. The UK is due to leave the EU in 24 days' time. If MPs reject Mrs May's withdrawal agreement for a second time, they will then be able to vote on quitting without any deal at all. If they decide against this, they can vote on whether to extend negotiations and push Brexit back. But the EU's other 27 countries also have to agree unanimously to allow any such delay. It's getting complicated, so why not try our simple guide to Brexit? Council tax rises Eight out of 10 councils in England are planning to impose the maximum possible increase in council tax bills, a survey by the Chartered Institute of Public Finance and Accountancy (Cipfa) says. That means an extra 4.5% rise on average. Cipfa says this will mean households in Band D paying £75.60 more a year on average. Here's a chart explaining how council spending works. AFP.