damian grammaticas, bbc news, rome. that's it for now. i will be back for the later this is bbc news. ukip‘s only mp douglas carswell stands down from the party to become an independent, saying he's achieved his main objective with the party. we can be absolutely certain brexit is in good hands. all the things we campaign for will come to pass. it's wonderful. ukip‘s leader paul nuttall says carswell‘s resignation isn't a surprise. his deputy says his departure won't affect the party's future. he has been a very semidetached person for a very long time with this party. frankly, this is a nice dress two breath of fresh air, that this is now behind us. tributes to the policeman killed in the westminster terror attack. the investigation into khalid massood continues and one man is still in custody. after failing to get his health care bill through congress, president trump sends out a defiant tweet on his plans to replace 0bamacare. also in the next hour... the human cost of the battle for mosul after coalition air strikes

european council despite the objections of his own country's government. 0ur correspondent damian grammaticas deal with the big exit bill first. why does britain need to hand over so much money? well, we don't know the number that is going to be put on it. there has been a lot of sort of talk about different figures, and we will see once article 50 is triggered. but essentially the discussions will revolve around commitments that have already been made. so that is things like the uk's share of all the pensions that have been built up by eu staff, including british staff who worked for the eu, that is something that will exist into the future, how much money should the uk put into that? the uk's share of items that have already been approved, spending that's already gone through but for which the bills have not been paid. there will be quite a lot of those too. and then the last item will be projects and expenditure which has been committed to into the years ahead. things that are already sort of in train, and for which the bills will come up, that will be a much more contentious thing. big pr

damian grammaticas reports from rome.try were in rome today except one, the uk on the point of triggering its exit. just as the union marks its 60th birthday. it was founded in this very same room. 1957, six nations created an economic partnership. today, it has vastly expanded, but emerging from an economic crisis, facing terrorism and refugees flows and brexit. so 27 leaders struggled to fit into the same room. crisis, facing terrorism and refugee flows and brexit. so 27 leaders struggled to fit into the same room. the union now has its own currency, a single market and even an anthem. the eu's leaders said it should not be forgotten that co—operation had brought peace and prosperity to a continent they remembered from their childhoods being destroyed by war. it is a union that rose from the ashes of two world wars, shaped by the hands and by the iron will of those who had returned from battlefields and concentration camps only a few years earlier. i was eight years old when the community established a single council an

damian grammaticas reports from rome. country were in rome today except one, the uk on the point of triggering its exit. they pledged to cooperate, even as they face challenges lie around. the countries are emerging from the economic crisis but there are fears thatjobs, telepresence, migration and among the leaders also. europe asa and among the leaders also. europe as a political entity will either be united or not at all. under a united europe —— only a united europe can bea europe —— only a united europe can be a sovereign europe in relation to the rest of the world and only a sovereign europe guarantees independence for its nations, guarantees freedom for its citizens. and on this anniversary, the world marches are europe today by the deep supporters. this was in london, more than 20,000 estimated to have taken part. and, in rome, the gatherings we re part. and, in rome, the gatherings were small. what worries eu leaders is that in the wake of brexit, their opponents, far right forces, are energised right now. for the

here's damian grammaticas at the summit.ecause donald tusk has chaired the council with its meetings which brings together all of the eu leaders for their summits here. he has been the chair for the last two and a bit years. he has been reconfirmed for another two and a half, but as you say the vote against him was from poland, the country he is from, the polish government, implacable political opponents of donald tusk, a domestic political dispute, they do not like him, it is now spilling over into the european arena. but what poland found today when the vote was called to reconfirm him, poland objectives and they found themselves totally isolated. no one else sided with them. 27 other countries said they we re them. 27 other countries said they were happy with donald tusk and with thejob he was were happy with donald tusk and with the job he was doing were happy with donald tusk and with thejob he was doing and he were happy with donald tusk and with the job he was doing and he was confirmed. that vote has gone through. he

thwart their fellow countryman‘s bid for a second two—and—a—half—year term. 0ur correspondent damian grammaticast thing that we have had, the key sort of small moment was that reconfirmation re—elections, of donald tusk, for another two and a half year term. slightly bizarre situation, his own country, poland, was against him, and had indicated they did not want him to have another two and a half years. the reason for that, of course, donald tusk, from a different political party, the government in poland is implacably opposed, and they did not wa nt implacably opposed, and they did not want him. the prime minister tried to stop it here today, made her objections known, when the vote was taken, she was the only one objecting, so poland was left isolated, 27 other nations did not object, and that means theresa may may have been able to sidestep the issue because it was not entirely clear whether she had to vote actively for donald tusk or not indicate whether she was abstaining. 27 supported him, uk sources say that they are happy with the job he has done and they are happy he is back in. then th

that seek to europe correspondent damian grammaticas in brussels. wanted to be sorted, donald tusk, before contemplating a decision about trade. take us through those? this is what pe you site has identified as the most pressing issues to be settled first of all in this article 50 exit process —— this is what the eu side has identified. there has been lobbying from citizens, it use it as an living in the uk, uk citizens living in the eu —— eu citizens living in the eu —— eu citizens living in the eu —— eu citizens living in the uk. those people have rights to live, work, study. what will happen to those rights in the future? the second thing he talked about was preventing a vacuum of laws, that talks about businesses, what certainty they will have, eu, the guidelines we have now here talking about those benefiting from eu money, project extending into the long—term. backers into the third issue, the uk's financial commitments, he says both sides must honour those. donald tusk made the point that this is not a brexiter bill, this is a settling of acc

the german chancellor angela merkel called it ‘a victory for democracy, and for europe.‘ damian grammaticasist, pro—eu leader who just held on to power, bucking the populist trend. mark rutte said holland, after brexit and the american elections, has said "stop" to the wrong sort of populism. mr rutte's liberal party lost seats but is still the largest, seeing off the far right challenge. so, no celebrations for the anti—eu anti—immigrant geert wilders, who gained a few seats and finished second, but fell far