hello and welcome to bbc news, i'm duncan golestani. britain's prime minister has tried to inject new energy into the brexit talks with a distinctly warmer tone in a key speech in italy. theresa may says she wants the uk to be the eu's strongest friend and partner, and has called for a two—year transition deal after britain officially leaves the eu. our political editor, laura kuenssberg, has this report from florence. waiting, waiting and waiting. it's months since the prime minister gave anything away on brexit. and if you're in a hurry to disentangle completely, you might just have to wait some more. she came to florence to confirm that for as long as two years after we're technically out, not that much might change. a period of implementation would be in our mutual interest

and that is why i'm proposing that there should be such a period after the uk leaves the eu. clearly people, businesses and public services should only have to plan for one set of changes in the relationship between the uk and the eu. so during the implementation period, access to one another‘s markets should continue on current terms. and during that time we'll keep paying billions into the eu budget, but the transition won't be longer than two years under a so—called double—lock. and at the heart of these arrangements there should be a clear double—lock. a guarantee that there will be a period of implementation, giving businesses and people alike the certainty that they will be able to prepare for the change and a guarantee that this implementation period will be time limited, giving everyone the certainty that this will not go on forever. but on the vital relationship between the eu and the uk after we leave, optimism but few

more clues beyond ruling out copying someone else‘s deal. we can do so much better than this. let us not seek merely to adopt a model already enjoyed by other countries, instead let us be creative as well as practical in designing an ambitious economic partnership which respects the freedoms and principles of the eu and the wishes of the british people. in this renaissance city, theresa may has made no new blinding discoveries, instead she's admitted for some years much will stay the same. she's inching towards some of the compromises that brexit could require. but can the speech make any difference, unstick the eu talks? the eu chief negotiator used 140 characters to say — "thanks for the speech, but we shall see." but theresa may's political opponents claim it's still tory accounts that are really being settled here. this whole speech seemed to me the product of the internal negotiations of the tory party

rather than negotiations with the eu. nor has her offer pleased those who cheered for brexit loudest of all. i would say it's been a good day for the political classes, a good day for westminster and two fingers up to 17.4 million people who voted brexit. no ifs, no buts. and on the biggest question — how our histories will intertwine in the years and decades to come, relative silence, more doubts than clear answers. in a process so complex, so important, the prime minister seems to cast shadows wherever she stands. laura kuenssberg, bbc news, florence. let's take a look at some of the other stories making the news. the credit rating agency moodys has downgraded the uk's overall economic rating. it says the decision reflects an expectation of weaker public finances going forward. the impacts of brexit and what it calls political and social pressures to raise spending after seven years of spending cuts were

also behind the move. tens of thousands of people in north—western puerto rico have been evacuated after a dam in the region failed. the governor of the us territory said there was a crack in the 90—year—old guajataca dam and the situation was extremely dangerous. officials have urged everybody to get to higher ground immediately. the republican senator and former presidential candidate — john mccain — says he'll vote against the latest republican attempt to repeal barack obama's affordable care act. senator mccain said his conscience prevented him from supporting the repeal proposal without knowing how much it would cost nor how many people would be helped or hurt by it. you can get more on all our stories by going to the bbc news website. there's full background and analysis — plus video and audio content. go to bbc.com/news. stay with us here on bbc news —

still to come: with the starting whistle just a few hours away, prince harry pitches in with the final preparations for the invictus games. but first, let's get more on our top story, theresa may's speech in florence. it seems eu leaders welcomed the friendlier tone from the prime minister, but called for more detail. our europe correspondent, damian grammaticas, reports from brussels. tonight a reminder — on brexit, the eu too has a position, and it's not shifting. not yet. translation: before negotiations can move forward, we need more clarity for eu citizens,

the financial terms of exit and the issue of ireland. if these are not clarified, we can't move forward. theresa may's words mattered to millions today. mark cunningham was one hoping for clarity from the speech. british, he's lived in belgium for 20 years, had a family here, built a recruitment consultancy business. he's even considering taking irish or belgian citizenship, if that's the only way he can stay. will you take one of those options, irish or belgian? i think i would like to keep my british citizenship as long as i can, but things may change. it all depends on what the outcome is. the other audience listening intently, the eu's negotiators in the european commission. in a statement, michel barnier, the chief negotiator, welcomed what he called a more "constructive spirit from the uk", but said to overcome the blockages, he needs more detail, in particular on money. he's asking whether the uk will honour notjust some but all the financial commitments it's made. theresa may's speech implied the uk would pay around £18 billion during a two—year transition period, but the eu says there

are other bills. 25 billion for the uk's share of eu projects already committed to. 8 billion towards pensions of eu staff, and more liabilities on top. as for the talk of a better, brighter future when the uk has a new trading relationship, that rang hollow to some who observe the eu closely. the words that were used were, we can't be ambitious creative, imaginative. we are asked to be creative in order to get something worse than what we have today. this can't be a good dealfor the eu. but can it work for ireland? the irish prime minister was addressing an audience close to the border today. here, too, people are yet to be reassured the uk is offering a workable solution. i would be concerned that the negotiations on brexit are being, if you like, managed or influenced, by the difficult relationships and different views

within the tory party. and i think, from the point of view of the people i represent, and i think citizens across europe, we deserve better than that. so what matters now is what david davis and his team will put on the table when negotiations resume here again next week. but even if that's enough to unblock things, it could be dwarfed by the difficulties to come in negotiating both a transition and a future trade deal. damian grammaticas, bbc news, brussels. it's a minicab service that has transformed the way millions in cities around the world use taxis. allowing people to book and pay online — its popularity with its users has been matched only by the protests from existing taxi firms and unions. but now uber has lost its license to operate in london. transport for london has questioned the company's approach to conducting background checks on its drivers and reporting criminal offences by them. our business editor simon jack has more. uber has revolutionised the taxi industry. you can hail a ride, track the car on its way to you and automatically pay,

all from an app on your phone. thomas? yes. ok, thanks very much. 3.5 million passengers, and 40,000 drivers, use it to get around in london alone, but its future, and that of its drivers, was thrown into doubt today. iam worry... a lot of worry in me because it's my livelihood. i'm doing driving work for 15 years now. if uber, if they close uber down, i have no idea where i can go. london's transport chiefs said concerns over driver background checks and failures to report sexual harassment allegations meant it would be stripped of its licence, and city hall backed the move. tfl doesn't reach these decisions lightly, but they've got to act like a judge and look at the evidence and they've looked at the evidence and concluded that uber aren't playing by the rules. if users of uber and drivers are angry, they should be

angry at uber. the company refutes these charges and says it will appeal. we're absolutely astounded and we're going to fight this to support those drivers that will be be put out of work by this decision and we believe that consumer choice is a fundamental positive thing that londoners should have. some passengers say the reason they use uber is cost, yes, but also safety. i use uberfor when i need to get home safely, on time, that kind of thing. it's quite nice to be able to know, that i know that i can track literally where they were. it's going to be a pain in the backside, then i would be taking these black taxis, and they're super expensive. thank you. thank you very much, cheers. bye now. now that process is really baked into the lives of millions of people and tens of thousands of drivers, but its staggering popularity has made it unpopular in other quarters. black cab drivers have been campaigning for this for years, and welcomed today's decision. what did you make of it? in my opinion, it's

five years too late. they should never have been licenced in the first place. why not? we've got the finest taxi service in the world, they‘ re undercutting people and they can't compete with us on a level playing field. other cities are not affected by this ruling, but it will be closely watched by transport chiefs facing similar issues. uber is the poster child for using technology to disrupt traditional industries. it won't give up without a fight and the appeal could take many months. so don't delete the app just yet. simon jack, bbc news. an 18—year—old man has been charged with attempted murder in connection with the london tube terror attack a week ago in which 30 people were injured. ahmed hassan appeared at westminster magistrates' court on friday where he also faced a second charge under the explosive substances act.

daniel sandford reports. the moments after a fireball swept through a london underground train at parsons green last friday, injuring 30 people. that bags on fire. the cause — a home—made bomb that failed to detonate properly, made from hundreds of grams of the unstable explosive tatp, it was packed with what was intended to be shrapnel, knives and screws. today, an 18—year—old, ahmed hassan, appeared in court charged with attempted murder and causing an explosion likely to endanger life. he's an orphaned asylum seeker from iraq, who arrived in britain in 2015. he was arrested in the departure area of dover port last saturday and there's been an extensive week—long police search at the house in sunbury—on—thames, on the outskirts of london, where he had lived with elderly foster pa rents. just before ahmed hassan was taken away to prison, the prosecutor, lee ingham, told the court that it was the crown's case that he intended

to kill innocent people because of his warped political view. he will now remain in custody until he appears at the old bailey in three weeks' time. daniel sandford, bbc news, at westminster‘s magistrates' court. the war of words has continued between america and north korea — with the leaders of both countries questioning each other‘s sanity. it follows the us imposing further sanctions on pyongyang over its nuclear programme. north korea has threatened to detonate a hydrogen bomb over the pacific. mr trump again raised the issue of north korea at a rally in alabama. we can have mad men out there shooting rockets all over the place. little rocket men. we're going to do it because we really have no choice. we really have no choice. now, he's

talking about a massive weapon exploding over the ocean. and maybe something gets worked out, and maybe it doesn't. personally, i'm not sure that it will. 0ther it doesn't. personally, i'm not sure that it will. other people like to say, oh, we want peace, they've been saying that for 25 years. and then it just keeps saying that for 25 years. and then itjust keeps going and going. we are dealing with somebody that will figure out, he may be smart, strategic or totally crazy, but no matter what it is, we are going to handle it, folks, believe me. this is bbc news — i'm duncan golestani. a reminder of the headlines: britain's prime minister sets out her vision for brexit, including a two—year transition period to smooth the process of divorce from europe. the authorities in puerto rico have urged people to evacuate areas downstream of a dam which has failed after days of heavy rains. three days after mexico's earthquake, and the death toll

is now 286. nearly half of the deaths were in the capital mexico city — but the epicentre was some 70 miles to the south in a rural part of the country. 0ur correspondent aleem maqbool has travelled to the town of atzala, close to the epicentre, where 11 members of one family were killed during a christening. it is one of the most shocking stories of this national tragedy. a church less than four miles from the epicentre of the earthquake had been hosting the christening of a two—month—old baby girl. the ceremony was about to get under way, the family and intended godparents assembled, when this house of god was violently shaken. lorenzo sanchez, assistant to the priest, had been beside the altar, paralysed when the ground was rocked. "the first movement happened, then it stopped", he says. "so we thought it was over, but then the rest came and i didn't know what was falling from where.

i was totally surrounded by dust. i didn't know what was happening". well, it is simply impossible to imagine the horrors of what happened in this church at the moment the earthquake struck and these massive chunks of the building came crashing to the ground. the family was congregated here, and the town came out to try and dig them out of the rubble, but all they recovered was bodies. this mobile phone footage was taken minutes after the earthquake, the church hall completely carpeted with a deep layer of rubble. it was filmed by a man who'd come to help, not realising that six members of his own family were buried. when we were removing the rubble, you could see hands. when you found a hand, you tried to take everything off. but if she was dead, you just move her aside and you keep trying to look for the people who were alive. and you could still hear people? you could still hear people, trying to move, trying to speak.

some of these people were your cousins? no, my family died right away. they got the big impact, but everybody else, there was still some hope. among the dead was the baby being christened, and her mother. this beautiful church can be rebuilt, but across this part of mexico are the struggles of those who have lost what is irreplaceable. the bbc has learned that the man in charge of the two g4s—run immigration removal centres at gatwick airport has resigned with immediate effect. ben saunders was director of brook house and tinsley house when an undercover bbc panorama investigation exposed brook house as a place where drug use and self harm were common — and there was bullying and abuse by some staff. in germany, angela merkel and her political rivals are holding their final campaign rallies ahead of sunday's election. chancellor merkel is widely expected to win a fourth consecutive

term in office, but growing support for the far—right afd or alternative for germany party could see them become the largest opposition in parliament, as our correspondentjenny hill reports from munich. the voice of discontent defines this election. angela merkel knows she's likely to win, but it doesn't feel like much of a victory. "she doesn't care about her own country," he says. "we have enough problems of our own." "we don't want her any more," she says, "she made the wrong decision in 2015 and sent all these refugees into our country. " translation: i want to help all of those who help with this humanitarian emergency

but i will also say what happened in 2015 must not, should not and will not happen again. mrs merkel barely survived the migrant crisis. her loss, afd‘s gain. it is likely to become the first far right party to sit in parliament since the second world war. their campaign, xenophobic, controversial, effective. "new germans," this poster says, "we make them ourselves." old traditions, and a new debate about the kind of country germany wants to be. afd may yet emerge as the main opposition party. it's an unprecedented shift in the tone and substance of postwar german politics. translation: they have too many policies that remind me of the past. they want to support the german nation but we need support for the whole of europe. we are all human beings and i think they sometimes forget that. angela merkel is competent. she knows what she is doing in crisis situations.

she stays calm, matter—of—fact, and i like that in her. strength, stability, experience. mrs merkel will win because for many she is the safe choice. angela merkel is going to have to get used to this. anger, division. she's going to face it in the german parliament and she'll face it too, out here in the country. the german national anthem, almost drowned out tonight by those who want a very different future for this country. the united nations says it's likely to need around $200 million over the next six months to fund its relief operation for rohingya refugees in bangladesh. more than 400,000 people have now crossed from myanmar to escape attacks on their villages by the country's military in rakhine state. as their numbers increase so does the strain on existing aid,

exacerbated by bad weather and the remoteness of many camps. our correspondent jonathan head reports from the bangladesh—myanmar border. chasing a fire truck along narrow country roads in bangladesh. we'd heard of an accident with a delivery of aid. what we found was a truck on its back, after the road had collapsed under it. nine volunteers were killed here. the bangladesh border guards offered to take us to where the aid was supposed to go. the road ends here. it's a tough one—hour walk in an area notorious for changeable weather. we knew that more than 7000 rohingya refugees, in need of almost everything, were camped up ahead, right on the border with myanmar. supplying them can only be done on these treacherous paths. wow!

just look at it. that's it. a village of bamboo and plastic. just stuck on the hill. nothing else. that's only been there for the last two to three weeks. it's amazing. right on the border. captain junayed hussain from the border guard is the only doctor they have. most of these people endured horrifying ordeals in myanmar, seeing neighbours and family members killed, then walking for days without food. they are all in poor health. mostly, they are suffering from fevers, as they are travelling such a long distance. and due to walking for a long duration, they are suffering from malnutrition, too. fatima begum has just been given vitamins for her malnourished son. the rest of the family aren't looking too great either,

and their living quarters offer no comfort. but they are relieved to be here. translation: by god's grace we are safe here, and those who are ill are being treated. we are happy here. if we had stayed in myanmar they would have killed us for sure. we watched them burning our houses so quickly, using petrol. these people are just a stone's throw from their own country, but in all likelihood they won't be going back there for years, whatever promises aung san suu kyi might make to the world. yet they can't go on living like this. something will have to be done for them. this weekend sees the third invictus games, the sporting tournament founded by prince harry for wounded servicemen and women. the prince is in toronto —

host city of the games — ahead of today's opening ceremony. our royal correspondent sarah campbell is with team uk at one of the venues for the games. this invictus games is set to be the biggest yet, and supporting from the sidelines throughout will be the prince, whose idea they were. the games are open to military personnel, active or no longer serving, who are sick or injured. this year, more than 550 men and women will take part in 12 sports. captain of the uk team is bernie broad, a former grenadier guard, injured by an ied in afghanistan in 2009. he found it difficult to cope when he left the army. you lose hope a bit, and all you have is yourfamily and you start to draw on them and use their energy. so it brought me down. then invictus came along, and inside now, the smile goes round my head 14 times. and itjust brings that real smile back and that real happiness back, and that patrols out to the family.

so fantastic. injust three years, the invictus games have become a global sporting event, and there's little doubt that that's down to prince harry's star power and his determination to make them a success. ready to watch it together? that, and his ability to recruit family members and high—profile friends to back it, the canadian prime minister among them. rumours are rife that meghan markle, harry's girlfriend, who lives and works in toronto, will make what would be the couple's first public appearance together. that may be what the media wants, but harry's focus is on the games and what they mean for those taking part. the sacrifices these competitors have made serving their countries are all too clear. but even more obvious is their strength and spirit on the road to recovery. don't forget you can get in touch with me and some of the team on twitter, i'm @duncangolestani. coming up, the headlines and then

click — but first the weather with sarah keith lucas. the autumn equinox may be behind us now but the weather is feeling reasonably summery for some of us over the weekend. this was the scene on friday afternoon. as we head through the course of the weekend, many of us will have largely dry conditions, particularly on saturday. by sunday there will be rain heading into the west of the uk and temperatures will be on the rise as well. as low pressure sets out towards the north—west with tight isobars here but at the moment high—pressure is dominating the south—east. as we start saturday morning, there will be a little cloud and drizzly rain across southern parts of the country. some low cloud, mist and murk first thing. it should brighten up during the day. if we have a look at saturday morning, nine o'clock, after a chilly start in scotland and northern ireland it should be dry and reasonably bright with a little sunshine into northern england and a little more cloud and drizzle and hill fog across the southern half of england and south wales. waking up to a grey morning here but certainly mild, fair weather as it brightens

up during the day. a fresh start for northern parts of the country, moving towards the south. through the course of the morning this cloud and drizzly spots of rain willjust ease towards the east. for many of us it will brighten, particularly along the south later in the day. a little more cloud pushing into northern england and scotland and the breeze picking up across northern ireland. all in all, a decent day with temperatures for most of us around 17 to 19 degrees. it should feel quite pleasant. into saturday evening, most places end the day on a dry note. on saturday night and into sunday you will notice a band of rain working towards the west. that is a weather front and the breeze peaks as well. across much of england and wales you should begin the day on a dry note once again. it will be mild, certainly. through the day on sunday, the weather front tries to move in from the west, bumps into high pressure in the east so it will tend to fizzle out somewhat during the course of the morning.

there will be some rain for northern ireland, scotland perhaps the western fringes of wales in england. later in the day, a chance of a few heavy bursts working in but further east across much of england and wales remains dry and bright and pretty warm. 22, 20 three degrees in the sunshine. just a little cooler in the north—west. we still have a weather front lingering around on monday that will fizzle out during the day. the east should stay warm and dry with temperatures 19 or 20 degrees. and this is bbc news, the headlines. prime minister theresa may has called for a two—year transition period to ensure a smooth separation process between britain and the rest of the european union. she's promised to meet the uk's budget commitment. prominent figures elsewhere in the eu have praised her tone but asked for more detail.

us officials say intense rain and flash floods have caused a dam to fail in puerto rico, causing an extremely dangerous situation. tens of thousands of people are being evacuated. hurricane maria brought torrential rain, swelling rivers to record