this is bbc news. the headlines: eu leaders have agreed an extension to brexit until the end of october at an emergency summit in brussels. donald tusk urged the uk not welcome to bbc news, broadcasting to viewers to waste any more time. in north america and around the globe. theresa may said she was determined my name is mike embley. to deliver on the result our top stories: of the referendum as donald tusk confirms quickly as possible, there will be another delay voting is taking place to brexit until the end of october — in the first stage of the indian but there's still widespread general election — frustration. the biggest democratic poll ever held. please do not waste this time. an estimated 900 million people are eligible to vote. the first week's polling the british pm remains defiant — will take place in 20 states but has theresa may done enough across the country. astronomers have taken to calm her critics back home? the first ever image of a black hole. it measures a0 billion kilometres across — three million times we have a duty as politicians to fulfil the democratic decision the size of the earth. of the referendum. scientists are calling it an ‘absolute monster‘ — deliver brexit and move larger that the size our country forward. of our entire solar system. it was photographed by a network nothing is more of eight telescopes across the world. pressing or more vital. australians will vote in a general election on the 18th of may — prime minister scott morrison made the announcement in canberra.

the world's biggest election is underway — with tens of millions expected it is half past three in the to vote across india. the uk and the european union have agreed to delay brexit until the 31st of october. speaking after hours of talks at an emergency summit in brussels, the president of the european council, donald tusk, described the extension as ‘flexible.’ he urged the uk not to waste any more time, and said the course of action was entirely in its hands. britain will remain a full member state of the eu for now, with the option of cancelling brexit altogether. my colleague christian fraser is in brussels — he outlined what exactly, the extension is for. well, in the words of donald tusk, it needs to be used wisely. i don't think there's much

confidence at the moment in the political process in westminster but at least theresa may has set out a process this evening. she spoke to the leaders forjust over an hour, a better performance, we're told, than the one she put on in march at the eu summit here in brussels. but still, plenty of questions for the 27 other european leaders, in fact they were locked in discussions for some nine hours. and largely, that was because there was a disagreement between the german and the french camps in particular on how long this extension should be. the german chancellor had said that it should be as short as possible but long enough for people just to take a breather, and to take away some of the anxiety that surrounded brexit and in their view, that should have taken brexit to the end of the year. the french, of course, who are looking at eu reforms, the french president wants to get on with all that business of reforming the european union, were looking at a much shorter extension. it took them some time to come to what essentially is a fudge. a six month extension

which takes us to october 31, there's going to be a review injune but that won't be a cliff edge. it's really an opportunity to take stock of where the uk side has got to. for theresa may it is politically difficult to sell because three weeks ago she told the house of commons that she did not want to delay brexit beyond the 30th ofjune. now she has missed another deadline, the uk should have been leaving the european union on friday. then there was may 22, then there wasjune 30, now we're looking at october 31. is there much confidence in theresa may? no, not even within our own party. nonetheless, theresa may said that the uk could be out of the european union byjune 1st if it got on with ratifying the deal. good morning everybody, i've just met with donald tusk, the president of the european council, where i agreed an extension to the brexit process to the end of october at the latest. i continue to believe we need to leave the eu with a deal

as soon as possible. and vitally the eu have agreed that the extension can be terminated when the withdrawal agreement has been ratified which was my key request of my fellow leaders. for example, this means that if we're able to pass a deal in the first three weeks of may, we will not have to take part in european elections, and will officially leave the eu on saturday the istjune. during the course of the extension, the european council is clear that the uk will continue to hold full membership rights as well as its obligations. as i said in the room tonight, there is only a single tier of eu membership with no conditionality attached beyond existing treaty obligations. let me conclude by saying this, i know that there is huge frustration from many people that i had to request this extension. the uk should have left the eu by now and i sincerely regret the fact that i have not yet been able to persuade parliament to approve a deal which will allow the uk to leave in a smooth

and orderly way. but the choices we now face are stark and the timetable is clear. we must now press on at pace with our efforts to reach consensus on a deal that is in the national interest. tomorrow, i'll be making a statement to the house of commons, further talks will also take place between the government and the opposition to seek a way forward. i do not pretend that the next few weeks will be easy, or there is a simple way to break the deadlock in parliament that we have a duty as politicians to find a way to fulfil democratic decision of the referendum, deliver brexit and move our country forward. nothing is more pressing or more vital. theresa may stressing in the questions at the press conference that if the uk parliament was to ratify the deal in the next weeks that the uk could be leaving the european union by the first ofjune and not taking part in those european elections.

again, trying to put some pressure on our own backbenchers. our intransigent backbenchers who refused to back the deal because of the opposition to the irish backstop that is contained within it. what you see in the deal that has been agreed tonight, or what you don't see, more accurately, are the more onerous conditions the french side were trying to impose on the united kingdom. they had talked about stripping away voting rights from the uk, not allowing the uk to have a commissioner, if they stay in until october the 31st, not to be taking any decisions over the eu reform programme. but donald tusk and jean claude juncker when they appeared for their press conference, were adamant that while the uk remains the member of the european union, that all the conditions it is expected to abide by are pertained to the uk side but also all the voting rights and benefits of eu membership, they remain too. they were asked a question about whether it had been

a difficult night because the french, digging in and calling for that shorter extension. donald tusk in his response said that it was easier to find an agreement within the european union than it is within the house of commons. tonight the european council decided to grant the united kingdom a flexible extension of the article 50 period until the 315t october. this means an additional six months for the uk. during this time, the call will be entirely in the uk's hands. it can still ratify the agreement, in which case the extension will be terminated. it can also reconsider the whole brexit strategy. that might lead to changes in the political declaration but not in the withdrawal agreement. until the end of this period, the uk will

also have the possibility to revoke article 50 and cancel brexit altogether. the uk will continue its sincere cooperation as a full member state with all its rights and as a close friend and trusted ally in the future. let me finish with a message to our british friends. this extension is as flexible as i expected, and a little bit shorter than i expected. but it's still enough. to find the best possible solution, please do not waste this time. we have a call to our british colleagues that there should be the principle of sincere cooperation between all member states, we are convinced that the united kingdom will respect its obligations. in

june when we meet again, we will not be renegotiating amongst ourselves or with the uk. the agreement that was reached months ago, because the withdrawal agreement must be respected in its entirety. we don't wa nt respected in its entirety. we don't want their withdrawal agreement to be called into question because that would jeopardise the backstop agreement that we have negotiated with our irish friends. and i'm sure oui’ with our irish friends. and i'm sure our irish friends comforted to see that their wishes and concerns have been taken into account by their friends in the uk — european union. so there will probably be a european union election in the united kingdom, that may seem a bit odd but rules are rules. we must respect

european law and we will see what happens. this and another exercise in kicking the can down the road, it doesn't satisfy anyone but is a compromise among the 27 and there is some reason that they have picked this 3ist some reason that they have picked this 31st of october date because that brings to an end jean claude juncker commission presidency. the new commission president will take over on november one. the european union are hoping that if the uk is going to go that it is out of the way by the white and they can get on with elected commissioners to the various points without the uk getting on the way of that process. it won't satisfy the fridge side entirely because of course, the french are looking at some of the tweets from the sceptics in the uk, who have been suggesting that the uk might play up and if it doesn't get its way, as far as they see it, and

they are kept in the european union against their will that may be the uk becomes a trunk of a member. these are the sort of questions that report to emanuel macon when he appeared. i think we delivered the best possible compromise because it was one to preserve the unity of the 27. second because we address the request from the uk to get more time to deliver a deal on the basis of the agreement negotiated a few months ago and third, because thanks to this agreement, we preserve the well—functioning of the european union, that is, we fix a deal and all the consequences before the first of november which will be the arrival of the new commission. first of november which will be the arrival of the new commissionlj think there will be a sigh of relief tonight from the irish because of any country that would be badly affected as the uk over an ideal brexit, the irish would certainly have paid a dear price. we have seen

in recent days the prime minister and island touring european capitals urging patients. there is brexit fatigue among the 27 and a frustration that it's suffocating all the rest of their business. but the president to say that i need to give the political process time in the united kingdom and you will be well satisfied that they have six months to take a breather and to give theresa may an opportunity to get this withdrawal with agreement through. from from ireland's point of view it means you won't have a new deal brexit. —— no deal. if no deal happens at all, it won't happen until the end of october. that creates a period of time for the united kingdom to essentially, to a cross—party agreement to ratify the agreement. the european union is to

focus on other matters for the next couple of months. a very interesting conversation tonight with the german press about her angela merkel was coming from and she said earlier in the day that she wanted the extension to be as short as possible but long enough to take some of the anxiety out of the process. and throughout the last few months of this brexit scenario, and the axe that we have seen in the uk over their withdrawal agreement, to four has really identified this as a moment in history that this is a political anomaly. she sees it as an aberration in british politics. it has to be allowed to take its course. if at the end of the process , course. if at the end of the process, they can't find a way through, way to ratify their withdrawal agreement, than the uk government should be given time to look at alternative options, revoking article 50, perhaps calling a general election or maybe even

holding a second referendum. i think she will be well satisfied tonight that she has had the upper hand side of the on the french president and has got a longer extension that he would have granted. here is angela merkel. we have just concluded our extraordinary european council. and of course, we focus today on the withdrawal of great britain. we reached agreement agreement that the prime minister has asked for a postponement of withdrawal until the 315t ofjune postponement of withdrawal until the 315t of june 2019. postponement of withdrawal until the 315t ofjune 2019. we took a closer look at matters and suggested that we rather prefer the day to be postponed to the 315t of october because what we would wish to see was an orderly withdrawal of great britain and that orderly withdrawal of great britain, we believe can best be assured by cutting great britain more time. we will meet again injune to review the situation and then depending on the

circumstances, say where we stand but what we agreed today is that on the 315t of october we will take a look at the situation. for me, for germany, that is, it has been clear that we strongly favour an orderly brexit, not because of the demands made by great britain but because we believe that to be in our very own interest. that was very much the point that donald tusk and jean—claude juncker was making. it would be bad for not just the uk but all the eu countries. there wasn't much confidence in the political protest —— process in the uk and it may well be that again they need to review extension in october if there has not been away ratify the agreement that at least it does give all sides

sometime and of course a very busy political calendar here in europe over the course of the next few months with the european elections, the change of guard at the commission and a new president in place across the road. all that will ta ke place across the road. all that will take place before the leaders come back to review on october the 31st which has not lost on many people. the same day of course is halloween. the same day of course is halloween. the one thing you would say about todayis the one thing you would say about today is strong and stable, as theresa may used to say, has been replaced by smooth and orderly and there was nothing very strong about there was nothing very strong about the uk position here. over the course of the week, theresa may has been going around slightly capping hand, urging eu leaders to give her this extension. tonight she was locked outside the room. she got a chance to speak to the eu leaders for one hour and then for the next seven or eight hours, the 27 leaders talked amongst themselves about what they have heard all theresa may effectively sat on her hands with the fate of the united kingdom very much in the hands of the 27 eu

leaders and don't forget, it could have been at the whim ofjust one of these members who could have vetoed this extension and the uk could have been leading on friday. in the event, that has not happened. the can, asi event, that has not happened. the can, as i say, has been kicked down the road was of many people will see it as the road was of many people will see itasa the road was of many people will see it as a fudge but at least they can breathe a little easier tonight. certainly theresa may well, before she returns to those very important negotiations in london. and for the latest on brexit, including donald tusk‘s warning to theresa may not to waste this extra time, go to our website bbc dot com forward slash news, or download the bbc news app. —— bbc.com/news. stay with us on bbc news, still to come: the first ever photograph of a black hole — its three million times the size of earth — scientists are astonished.

25 years of hatred and rage as theyjump up on the statue. this funeral became a massive demonstration of black power, a power to influence. today, it's about the promise of a bright future. a day when we hope a line can be drawn under the bloody past. i think that picasso's works were beautiful, they were intelligent, and it's a sad loss to everybody who loves art.

this is bbc news, the latest headlines: eu leaders have agreed an extension to brexit until the end of october at an emergency summit in brussels. the australian prime minister scott morrison has called a general election for the 18th of may. his party's conservative coalition government has been in power since 2013, but is trailing in the polls behind the opposition labor party. earlier this morning, i visited the governor general here in canberra and he accepted my advice for an election to be held on the 18th of may. we live in the best country in the world. but to secure your future, the road ahead depends on a strong economy. and that's why there is so much at stake at this election.

and voting has begun in the general election in india — the largest election the world has ever seen. long queues have been forming already. around 900 million people are eligible to vote. the sheer size of the country means that voting is staged over several weeks with a final result not announced until the 23rd of may. india's election authority has ruled that a bollywood film about prime minister narendra modi's life cannot be released during the elections. our south asia correspondent rajini vaidya nathan reports. the foundations of modern india were built on one basic principle, the right to vote. over the coming weeks, people in every corner of this land will decide on its future. we travelled deep in the himalayas to the district of kinnaur, which borders china, to meet shyam saran negi. at 102, he is india's oldest voter. to him, this election

matters more than most. translation: india hasn't progressed enough. to grow, we need unity, and everyone needs equal rights. shyam saran negi's voted in every poll since this country gained independence. but this election sees india at a crossroads. like many other nations, it's facing increasing nationalism and division. some say the very idea of india is at stake. we've come more than 1,000 miles east, from kinnaur to kolkata, from old to young. many wonder if this country's become less tolerant. these first—time voters are part of the country's growing street rap scene. with more than half of india under the age of 25, the voice of the millennial majority matters more than ever. saifullah khalid's songs focus on growing religious tensions between hindus and muslims. translation: brotherhood

is disappearing. i don't want my india to become a country where people are fighting amongst each other. some blame indian prime minister narendra modi for the country's divisions. his hindu nationalist bjp party swept to power in 2014 in a landslide victory. this election's being seen as a referendum on his time in office. his supporters say he's been a strong man who's protected india's interests at home and abroad. others say the better days he promised never arrived. in the last five years, unemployment‘s risen to its highest for nearly half a century. even so, this country's advanced

under prime minister modi. it's the world's fastest growing major economy, set to overtake the uk. but india is characterised by deep divides. elections are the one time the country's powerless can send a message to those in power, are they happy with the way things are going or will they vote for change? rajini vaidyanathan, bbc news, kolkata. astronomers have taken the first ever picture of a supermassive black hole at the heart of a distant galaxy called m87. the black hole is 500—million trillion—kilometres away and was photographed by a network of eight telescopes across the world. our science correspondent, pallab ghosh, has this report. this is the first ever picture of a black hole. it's a0 million kilometres across.

that's more than 3 million times the size of the earth. it's been described as a monster at the heart of a galaxy. 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 until it comes into view. this is the nucleus of the galaxy m87 and this is the first—ever image of a black hole. applause. the image was unveiled at a news conference this afternoon. it feels like really looking at the gates of hell at the end of space and time. the event horizon, the point of no return. that is awe—inspiring, to me at least, but it's also important for physics. black holes are objects which have such a strong

gravitational pull that not even light can escape. the white ring is gas that's being superheated. it's brighter than all the billions of stars in the galaxy put together. most intriguingly, the picture may reveal what happens to material that falls inside. i think that what's so exciting is that we're taking our knowledge of black holes which is really focused on the theory, simulations, 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 can see. and there's so much we're going to learn from this. researchers now plan to take a picture of another supermassive black hole. this time at the heart of our own galaxy and so learn how the milky way came into being. pallab ghosh, bbc news.

3 million times the size of earth. not going to compete with that, just going to say goodbye. thanks for watching. hello, no sign of spring warmth in the immediate forecast. in fact, the weekend is looking a bit colder. we'll take a look at that in just a moment. first of all, how's thursday is shaping up and talking about cold weather, a widespread frost to begin the day but a fine day ahead for most places with some sunny spells. high pressure in control at the moment. that is blocking weather systems from coming away from the atlantic. also blocking milder air from coming our way as well because the flow of air around the high—pressure is bringing in this chilly breeze from the east and the chilly air with blue showing up as thursday begins, so widespread frost away from northern scotland and along north sea coasts. either the breeze or more cloud will hold temperatures just above freezing but there will be a good deal of sunshine in the day ahead. for some of us, not as much as we had on wednesday. parts of eastern england will see some more cloud around. the weak weather front close

to northern scotland with cloud, a bit of patchy rain, maybe later in the day, the odd heavy shower is possible and plenty of cloud moving into northern ireland. it is an easterly breeze, for most of us it is light and will pick up over the weekend. along that easterly breeze, with the cloud coming in towards north sea coasts and the flow of air coming in from the sea, this is where we are just into single figures. elsewhere, the range of 10—12. it still doesn't feel too bad at this time of year if you have some sunshine. as we go through the night into friday morning, some areas of cloud around, some clear spells but the clearer weather isn't as widespread so the frost isn't as widespread going into friday morning. just pockets more especially into parts of scotland and north—east england so temperatures a little bit higher as friday begins. and then on friday, it looks like there will be a bit more cloud around generally while most places will be staying dry, parts of scotland, maybe towards the north—east, could see a passing shower. the cloud increasing across east anglia and into south—east england, you could pick up a few

showers here later in the day. temperatures still pegged back into single figures along north sea coasts and generally feeling a bit cooler on friday. the cooling trend continues further into the weekend. a battle taking place between low pressure in the atlantic trying to move in with milder air. the colder air from high pressure holding it at bay, though, over the weekend. so it is going to stay mainly settled over the weekend. so no rain showing up on the charts here but notice the temperatures edging down a degree or so and the breeze picking up as well. around that area of high pressure, a stronger wind. dry for most, occasional sunshine, cloudier then by sunday but a windier picture, especially in the west, and it is going to feel chilly in that wind.