this is bbc news. i'm clive myrie. the headlines at 11. theresa may asks the european union for another extension to the brexit process. i want us to be able to leave the european union in a smooth and orderly way as soon as possible. and that is what i'm going to be working for. but the decision rests with the other eu leaders and there are reports of divisons among over the ideal duration of any extension. a few months, or closer to a year. i believe the consensus here in brussels and across the european union will be to give the united kingdom a little bit more time for the cross party talks that are happening to conclude. also, this hour... it's being described as a "significant milestone in humid understanding of the universe." this, the first ever image, of a black hole.

jack shepherd, the man convicted over a speedboat death on the thames and who jumped bail, is now back in the uk, after extradition from georgia. sir richard branson says virgin trains could stop running by november, after their partner in the business has been banned from bidding for rail franchises. and at 11.30 we'll be taking an in—depth look at the papers with our reviewers stephen bush, the political editor of the new statesman magazine, and katy balls, deputy political editor at the spectator magazine — stay with us for that. good evening — an emergency summit is taking place in brussels tonight, just two days before the uk is due to leave the european union. the leaders of the other 27 countries are locked in debate

after theresa may made her case for a delay to the brexit process. let's get the latest from brussels, and christian fraser is there. and thank you. a better performance andi and thank you. a better performance and i apparently from the british prime minister, she spoke for around an hourto prime minister, she spoke for around an hour to the 27 l and alban on own tea m an hour to the 27 l and alban on own team from four hours. at the whim of one income if one of them was the veto. we do not think that will happen but we understand that 17 of the 27 are going to go for a longer extension. france is digging in at the moment. we will talk about that. here is the latest from our political editor. one of the most important conversations of her career started with a laugh. angela merkel sharing an online gag

over their almost identical wardrobe choices today. we don't know yet, though, what else the leaders had in common tonight. he or she is ready to try to persuade the rest of the room of the case for delay. are you embarrassed to be asking for another delay? first of all, i'm here with fellow leaders to talk about the request i've put in for a short extension to article 50. and i know many people will be frustrated that the summit is taking place at all, because the uk should have left the eu by now, and i greatly regret the fact that parliament has not been able to pass a deal. but, prime minister, the decision on the length of the delay is not in your hands. you've said, as prime minister, you could not countenance a delay beyond june 30, so i ask you again, what would you do if the eu insists on a longer delay? i'm working to ensure that we can leave the european union within the timescale that the government wants to see. i want us to be able to leave the european union in a smooth and orderly way as soon as possible, and that's what i'm going to be working for. thank you. she doesn't want to answer that yet. her counterparts will take some

convincing of what she could do with a short pause. an extension in itself does not solve this problem. but in a way, it gives the british side more time, more space, to find a solution. i think it's worth trying. at the same time, i also think it's frustrating. the french president, the most resistant, saying he still needs more clarity. and repeated "nothing, yet nothing, is decided". the consensus here in brussels and across the european union will be to give the united kingdom a little bit more time for the cross—party talks that are happening to conclude, and we can review the situation in a few months' time. remember — the uk's still walking this red carpet because at home, the government's failed to win the case for its brexit deal in parliament. order! questions to the prime minister. the proposal — even for a delay of three months — is hated by many on her own side. rather than delivering a diluted

deal, which is unrecognisable to many of those who voted to leave, is to go under wto rules, we should grab that opportunity and believe in the ability of the british people. yet for those who'd rather stop it altogether, a likely longer wait is the chance to ask all of us again. in her final days as prime minister, will she accept the eu offer of a long extension, accept that she has run out of road and accept that the only choice now is to put this back to the people? her only answer to them all is to go on. and i'm continuing to work, continuing to work to ensure that we can deliver brexit and can do that in a way that works for people across this country. knowing the date of our eventual departure from the eu is tied to her own exit, too. the prime minister's agreed to go. i was in discussions with her. she's given a period for that. she's hinged it to the passage

or ratification of a deal. but i think the reality now is that that is becoming the firm date for departure — the end of may, june. discord at home watched so closely here. a big reason why this process has stumbled again and again. voices slamming the prime minister's leadership, or lack of it, never far away. the prime minister's back here, and we're all still in — arguing for more time to stay because the politics of getting out have proved impossible so far. now, theresa may is trying to persuade the eu that she can make it happen by finding common ground with labour. but, as yet, there's simply no hard proof she will ever be able to make that work. tonight's plea is about avoiding the turmoil of leaving without a deal at all. but on its own, more time does not remove the same dilemmas staring the country in the face. laura kuenssberg,

bbc news, brussels. i think we're in for one of these long knights. there was some break up. let me explain what is going on. they did take a short break about half an hour ago. we were told by donald tusk team that 17 of the 27 countries were in favour of a longer extension. three orfour are leaning toward a short extension and in that camp is the french president emmanuel macron. who doesn't much like the idea of going to the end of the year. let's pick that up. our europe editor, katya adler is here. what happens on a evening like this we have the two big giants of germany and france in different camps? what is interesting about this debate is it doesn't matter so much about the giants or the not giants. because there are 27 eu leaders, each one has a veto on this. so they have to come to a unanimous decision. be it france or greece, of course if france and germany were to turn around to one

of the smaller nations and say you don't really mean that, they would feel a lot of pressure to comply. but i think when it comes to this extension, the reason this is complicated is because they are not alljust thinking complicated is because they are not all just thinking about the future of the european union from of each of the european union from of each of these leaders are thinking about their own political motivations for them for emmanuel macron come he is not performing very well in the polls at home. the other hat that he has come is the fender of europe. he has come is the fender of europe. he has that hat on today. that may be a closed door meeting but he knows all of this is leaking out the press. we are talking about him. that is what he wants. the question is, how long will he keep going until three or fourin will he keep going until three or four in the morning and then say, fine, or will the others 26 come around to his way of thinking and then the question is, if all of them say you are right, we will go for the 30th of june, say you are right, we will go for the 30th ofjune, as he saying 30th ofjune and no more? because that will really put them in a quandary and they want to agree to so easily. what angela merkel to try to get

away from is this rolling crisis every month. that is trying to get away. she wanted to be long enough to resource and calm. that is right. but emmanuel is threatening the june. which means that a z. brexit, whatever happens deal or no deal by then, they will not want to sign up to that, the others in the room, the prime motivation is to avoid a no—deal brexit plaza that is also why you mentioned earlier, reports of theresa may performing better today. maybe she did. but also we have to ask ourselves what did they wa nt have to ask ourselves what did they want in that room? they want her to perform well? they were not sitting there with her arms want to. most of there with her arms want to. most of the leaders were looking for a misuse or grant this new brexit extension. not to do her a favour, but to avoid no deal. —— looking for any excuse but to avoid no deal. —— looking for any excuse to grant. this is their prime thinking. how to protect himself there was some thinking. you said this before. maybe she wants the leaders to do the dirty work. she knows she needs to get some

time, she going short forjune the 30th and they go long come as long as she has that guillotine clause in it, that flex extension, she can get out if and when they passed a withdrawal agreement and she is happy. that is right. that is why i was morning it was politically easy for her to ask for a short extension and also she was hoping the eu might say what you have to have do a longer term but knowing the uk does need some time, but if macron gets his way tonight, she will get the extent since he asked for an absolutely for most of the leaders in that room, they do not want this process to go on a minute longer thanit process to go on a minute longer than it has to. they did not relish the idea of a bridge and overshadowing the eu for the next year. the reason they are thinking ofai2 year. the reason they are thinking of a 12 month long extension is that reason. they are not back care at the summit room into much time with another emergency brexit summit and the threat of no deal around the corner. it is bad for business and citizens. thank you.

we are going along this evening into the early hours of the morning. that frustration is shared by many voters in the uk. and frustration among people back at home in the uk. a lot of communities voted for brexit. in the referendum of 2016, few areas had a higher turnout than derbyshire dales, where nearly five out of six people cast their vote, and the result mirrored the national outcome. our special correspondent ed thomas has been finding out how people feel about the process nearly three years on. the government have totally let us down, mate. both sides. embarrassing. shouldn't even be... they're not fit to govern, end of story. it's split us, hasn't it? it's divided us all. we're allarguing. i'll never vote again. never. seriously? seriously, i'm not. never voting again. so my fear is that the children of tomorrow are going to be

left really short—handed and are going to have to pick up a lot of slack that these mps have now brought upon ourselves. the derbyshire dales, a place for people to relax and escape. except when it comes to brexit. i'd like to remain, but i voted out, and we should be out. he wants another referendum! excuse me, you've heard about this, haven't you? if we vote out again, that's fine, that's wonderful. but let's have another... but you know more now than you did three years ago. i did a lot of research before i voted. you're the only one! in matlock, stephen and norman have only just met. .. iam derbyshire, born and bred. ..but there's only one thing they're talking about. if we have another vote, and you can vote again to leave and everyone will accept it. we voted... oh, come on. you vote once in your life? you vote once and that's the end of it? mr cameron promised. 0ne vote? i got it on my telephone, mr cameron promised that this is a one—time vote and we will do...

he also promised that he would stay. down the road to matlock bath, nicknamed little switzerland. but when it comes to the benefits of europe... brexit? i'm all for being out. i think no deal, walk away. ..opinions are split. what about the economy? it's short—term. short—term's going to be difficult, i accept that, and i'm prepared for that. and i think anybody that's not... who voted out and wasn't aware that that was going to be a couple of years of hardship, then that was daft on their part. are you worried about it? your future? yeah, i'm worried about the amount ofjobs that will go from brexit, and the lack ofjobs that could possibly come from it. i'm not too worried about that because, at the end of the day... but have you got a job? yes. your daughter hasn't? no, but i still think she'll be all right. i never voted before the referendum, never in a general election, never in my locals... and three years on from that vote, liana's fears haven't gone away.

i think it's unfair, i think people hadn't been given the true reflection of what exactly‘s going to happen and me, personally, i think it should go back to a people's vote, another referendum. time and again, we kept hearing the same word. people are frustrated because we haven't got an answer. we are divided, aren't we? whichever way we go, the choices are fracturing a nation. ed thomas, bbc news, in the derbyshire dales. when the eu leaders arrive at a summit like that they are presented with the draft conclusions which have already been compiled by the eu ambassadors who are meeting last night. we live and live when we look at those, the date was blanked out so we at those, the date was blanked out so we need to know how long the extension was going to be but through the night, leaks of that d raft through the night, leaks of that draft conclusion come out to the press and we've already seen there have been several paragraphs added a toy. it is likely when we come to

the end of the evening there will be used quite tight conditions added to the uk site. there will be no renegotiations of the withdrawal agreement, there'll be no in—depth discussion about future relationship and we know that the eu 27 are adamant that if the uk is staying in adamant that if the uk is staying in a have to take part in those european election. but there is another clause that has been put into night as well. let's discuss that. chris morris, reality to correspond. it relates to the fact that emmanuel macron among others doesn't want the uk acting like a spoiler. —— a reality check correspond. —— reality check correspond. —— reality check correspond. you might think one possible compromise here if he is saying let's go short and most of the ladies are saying let's go long, split it into come if you had an extension until october, that is a little bit more time for britain to get his ducks in a row but it happens before the eu is to think the lack a new president of the

european commission and put them in place for the 1st of november fought them ina place for the 1st of november fought them in a new president of this building and the european council to replace donald tusk that have to happen on the 1st of december. if macron's big idea is to lead a european renaissance we need a rebirth of the european union with new people in charge? you could see a compromise emerging if they take a few hours this evening, perhaps sometime in the autumn saying it is a bit more time that he wanted, but it is before that crucial changing of the guard takes place. there was some thought there will be this review and renew. a rolling three month period where the uk might be misbehaving. legally, that is difficult to put into a document. misbehaving. legally, that is difficult to put into a documentm is difficult. when you are a member state and donald tusk emphasised this in the letter he sent to eu leaders setting up the summary, you have rice and you have obligations. your obligations are to behave in good faith to the other member

states but you also have rights such as the right to vote on the big issues. and different suggestion that maybe the uk should essentially give up its right to vote some other countries push back against that, the european commission i understand pushback against that, saying that is not how the system is supposed to work. britain should have a european commissioner on the european commission until the daily. because the commission view is that the commissioners once they walk to the door they represent europe as a whole and may come from a specific member state but the british commission is not here to represent british interest, that is not how the system is working. it is a member. if you were saying you're going to look after all your obligations, you also have to die make it as a two—way street. france come coin a phrase, can i have his ca ke come coin a phrase, can i have his cake and eat it. look at that. i see the cemetery. —— to coin a phrase. —— cannot have his cake. 0ur political correspodnent, alex forsyth, is in westminster.

the news tonight is that the prime minister was quite happy for this extension. so long as it was a flex extension. so long as it was a flex extension they could get out. that is what she stressed today when she gave a short interview, she kept saying we have to focus on the ability for us to if we agree a brexit dil and parliament ratifies a deal we can then leave at that point. it is worth noting that according to article 50, the uk could have always left at any point. as and when the withdrawal agreement was ratified by the uk government and by the european parliament. so in they may affect up until march 29 if we have got a brexit double canal up if we have got a brexit double canal up earlier, and the fact that theresa may really is wishing that point to suggest she wants to be able to walk away from the summit think i have got something. —— if we would have got a brexit deal through, we could've left earlier. they are thinking she may not get her wish on that june the 30th limit extension. if the prime minister is

relax about a longer extension it is because her ambition the celta tried to get a withdrawal agreement through parliament within the next few weeks. no matter how long she has going to be on that because she has going to be on that because she has repeatedly said she with the uk to take part european parliamentary elections and i think it is number ten possible cup that if it is faced with a long extension or both through theresa may deal that may focus minds and encourage people to get behind her brexit deal but that is very far from certain. one of the things that they are discussing is the conditions that would be attached to that extension, no opportunity they say to reopen the withdrawal agreement and talk about the backstop yet tomorrow, we understand that arlene foster, leader of the dup, will be here in brussels along with the iain duncan smith and aaron patterson, what might they be coming for? arlene foster said specifically she is coming to request the eu look again at the question of the backstop despite the insistence and suggested

they can attach conditions to any extension saying that that is not just a no go area for the eu to look again at that. arlene foster is assisting she still believes there is scope to get that change because the dup have made clear that is what is needed to get their agreement for any brexit bill through parliament. she is going to brussels to press that point but what was interesting is that she released a statement ahead of that meeting tomorrow and what she was pretty scathing about the prime minister possibly can filling of the negotiations in her approach to brexit and said theresa may approach had been weak and foolish in the negotiations have been ham—fisted. arlene foster has not been supported of theresa may approach for some time but she is pretty strong in her statement tonight which is a sign again that of how horrified any compromise will be if indeed theresa mayjust minutes to get parliament behind something. that's how hard any compromise. thank you for that update, alex. a quick some of the

timetable, we understand they had one round of discussions among the 27, going around the table to see if they can shift any opinions, theresa may, ( eight o'clock to have they can shift any opinions, theresa may, (eight o'clock to have dinner, sitting on her hands waiting for some conclusion. we understand when it is wrapped up, donald tusk and john clydejunker will it is wrapped up, donald tusk and john clyde junker will come out and give a press conference and after that, the prime minister will come and give us our thoughts and reflections on what has been decided. but this is not taken back control. this is the uk in the hands ofa 27 control. this is the uk in the hands of a 27 of the latest, clive. thank you, christian. many thanks for the tea m you, christian. many thanks for the team for staying up late and i suspect you will keep going potentially if we get a deal at some point. it's being described as a "significant milestone in human understanding of the universe." today astronomers unveiled the first ever picture of a black hole, three million times the size of earth.

though it's 26,000 light years away, the hope is that the image will help research, into how galaxies came into being. here's our science correspondent, pallab ghosh. that. this is the nucleus of the galaxy m87 and this is the first—ever image of a black hole. unveiled to the world, this black hole is more than 3 million times the size of the earth. and devouring material that falls into it. it's been described as a monster at the heart of a galaxy. on top of a mountain in southern spain, seemingly touching the clouds, is one of the instruments astronomers used to take the picture. pico valeta is one of eight radio telescopes around the world that was pointed towards a distant galaxy, 300 million trillion miles away. together, they scanned its centre for ten days and were able to take a picture of the gigantic black hole at its heart. astronomers have used a global network of dishes from all across the world

and linked them together. no single telescope is powerful enough to see the black hole, but by adding together the information from each of them, the image gradually becomes sharper. we can actually see black holes! that's crazy! i always thought this is just way beyond what we can be doing. this is a super heavyweight champion among the black holes in the universe. they're important because they're at the heart of every galaxy and probably the reason that stars and planets form around them. gravity is so strong close to a black hole that it even alters how time flows, making it seem to pass slowly. it's not known what is on the other side of a black hole, some speculate that they may be a doorway to parallel universes. this new image proves that black holes actually exist and it's hoped it will help astronomers learn more about space, time and our own existence. i think that what's so exciting

is that we're taking our knowledge of black holes, which is really focused on the theory, simulation, simulating how the environment of a black hole looks. now having the data, seeing this, it turns the black hole into something tangible, into something you could see and there's so much we're going to learn from this. inside the telescope, the researchers are recalibrating their instruments, to take a picture of another supermassive black hole. this time, at the heart of our own galaxy, the milky way. pallab ghosh, bbc news, pico valeta in spain. jack shepherd, the british man who spent ten months on the run after a speedboat accident in which a woman died, is now back in custody in the uk, and will appear in court at the old bailey tomorrow. the 31—year—old jumped bail last summer and fled to georgia. in his absence he was found guilty of the manslaughter of charlotte brown, who was 2a, and sentenced to six years in jail. 0ur correspondent sarah rainsford was on shepherd's plane,

flying from the georgian capital, tbilisi. this was the flight carrying jack shepherd back to britain from georgia to face justice, and we got on board. after months on the run, he was here in handcuffs, escorted by metropolitan police officers. he's never spoken publicly before, so i asked what he had to say to the family of charlotte brown — killed in a crash on his speedboat. i'm terribly sorry for my involvement in charlotte's death, and furthermore, my subsequent actions which i see have only served to make things worse, and i'd like to make amends for that. why did you run? erm. . .fear. it was just... it wasn't premeditated, as some have said. but it was just a case of being driven by kind

of an animalistic fear and just jumping on a plane, really, with not much of a plan. and it hasn't worked out very well, and here i am. it's over three years since jack shepherd's boat was found capsized in the thames after a first date ended in tragedy. this footage was filmed by charlotte brown shortly before the crash that killed her. at some point, jack shepherd handed her the controls. the boat hit an obstacle at high speed and overturned. charlotte brown was discovered in the icy water. she died later in hospital. it wasn't until january that he turned himself in to georgian police after securing the right to appeal against his conviction. the trials which will take place in great britain... in court here, jack shepherd described charlotte's death as his greatest regret. but he has since made clear that he doesn't believe he is solely responsible for the crash. his georgian lawyer told me

that he fled before his trial because he was depressed, even suicidal. now he knows the fact that his case is in appeal court. if he will be running, he will lose. he will be lose his case, his last chance to prove his innocence. but charlotte brown's family want jack shepherd to take responsibility for charlotte's death, saying his appeal will only prolong their pain and suffering. sarah rainsford, bbc news. we have white smoke from brussels after that eat you meeting of the 27 leaders to decide whether or not to give theresa may in extension. news and according to eu diplomats come eu leaders have agreed to a brexit delay until october the 31st. but there will be a review of that

timeline injune, there will be a review of that timeline in june, theresa there will be a review of that timeline injune, theresa may wanted the end ofjune as the date for which an extension should go to and that she hoped would been the uk not taking part in european elections or at least uk meps not sitting in parliament. but the fact is it will go on now until october the 31st according to the details we are getting out brussels at the moment. christian fraser has been covering this throughout the day. 0ctober christian fraser has been covering this throughout the day. october the 3ist this throughout the day. october the 31st that is a halfway house. slightly longer than theresa may wa nted slightly longer than theresa may wanted to but not as long as some people were suggesting. the idea potentially west from some leaders that an extension could go to the end of december this year. —— was from some leaders. yes. it was a date that was offered quite early in the evening by the secretary general of the european commission. 0ffering it as

of the european commission. 0ffering itasa of the european commission. 0ffering it as a compromise and it makes sense to the commission and we will explain. 0f sense to the commission and we will explain. of course it takes in what emmanuel macron was asking which is a short extension tojune, a review period and carrie gone to october if that process is still unfolding. chris morris is with me. i am thinking in terms of personnel, you have the european elections, they come back in july, have the european elections, they come back injuly, but you have a process of selecting the commissioners. i would think 0ctober 31 takes to a position the commission is resuming business. yes. the new commission president takes office on the 1st of november. the state will come before them. the new president of the european council takes office the 1st of december, there is a changing of the guard and this would extend to a certain point which gives a bit more time but before that changing of the guard takes place. so it is a compromise of sort but my understanding is that so far, and the room come all they are talking

about is of the extensive. they haven't got your to the conditions that may be attached because i think there is some surprise from other members emmanuel macron has taken perhaps a hard line in the room and they were expecting. it is a suggestion, one potential compromise. somewhere in the middle seems like a pretty good place to start. it doesn't necessarily mean thatis start. it doesn't necessarily mean that is where we will end up. my heart was jumping for joy that is where we will end up. my heart was jumping forjoy you know you are telling me there will go backin you are telling me there will go back in the room to talk about her condition. i have been to enough of the semester know it is never white smoke until i hear somebody say it publicly. and until all the countries in the room agree it has to be unanimous, it is not a done deal but it does seem an obvious potential place to end up although there are those who say it is still not enough time, it would make more sense because even if you have the president of the commission and place you have to have to get the other commissioners approved in the european parliament, and all of that down, the end of the year might seem