it sets the terms under which the uk leaves. is really on the divorce. what the uk is more interested in talking about is what the new relationship is going to be, that is included in article 50 but it is not the focus. the challenge for theresa may, which she clearly has set her ambition on, is trying to get the future relationship into the divorce talks and have them at the same time. we talked about it being in line with the constitutional relationships of the constitutional relationships of the country that wanted to leave. that is why we went through the supreme court about the role of parliament. is it clear, the role of parliament now? most of the questions about pa rliament‘s involvement have been settled. parliament voted to give the government the right to regard to go 50 and they will have a vote at the end of this process, although we have only got two years to negotiate the deal. if the deal is rushed to parliament very late in this process , parliament very late in this process, parliament might have a ta ke process

the uk voted to leave so the uk will leave as the uk. r, she too is playing with very high stakes here because it is not at all clear that she will win by any means. certainly the view amongst many folk in westminster is that she is in a very tight corner in large part because of the economic questions which many people feel that the scottish government has not been able to answer. in other words, what happens of levels of debt and the deficit in scotland. who is going to pick up the tab of that is if the uk is no longer around. what happens regarding their plummeting oil price and currency. these are very hard economic questions which many folk in westminster feel that nicola sturgeon doesn't have answers for. that is why they lost the last independence referendum. there is also the view that many people in scotla nd also the view that many people in scotland will just think also the view that many people in scotland willjust think not also the view that many people in scotland will just think not another referendum and will perhaps reac

they want the uk because the brexit. they want the uk because the brexit.want the uk government to grant the legal right for a second ballot — a section 30 order. if the scottish parliament vote next week to request a section 30 order, then the prime minister of the whole of the united kingdom should absolutely grab that. in previous discussions with the first minister and as the secretary of state has said, there would be no sense or reason of blocking the will of the scottish parliament stop by and ——. politically be very difficult to refuse outright, but the timing will be crucial, whether it happens before the uk believes the eu, as the snp wants, or much further down the snp wants, or much further down the line. some in westminster simply don't want to distract from brexit. now the government has parliament's backing to start the official process. yesterday was a historic day. we have now formally agreed notice that we are leaving. we can all concentrate on working with the government to come up with a regime post brexit, which will be a massive benefi

impact on the export activity of the uk. an opportunity for that to increase, then fantastic. here begins a lot of hard work. ann—marie, good to see you, chief executive of the council of british chamber of commerce. thank you very much. let's stay with brexit because the world's biggest insurance market, lloyd's of london, has confirmed it will establish a new european base in brussels to avoid losing business when the uk leaves the eu. it will be up and running by january 2019. lloyds has warned that without the move, brexit could have a significant impact on its continental business — which generates $3.7 billion a year— that's 11% of its business. lloyds also says it made pre—tax profits of about $2.6 billion. earlier i spoke to the chief executive of lloyds of london, inga beale. she explained why they chose brussels as their new european base. we wa nted we wanted to have a really top quality robust regulator, brussels oi’ quality robust regulator, brussels or belgium regulator fits that bill. we also wanted great acce

also want to talk a bit more about some of the uk data, more importantly about the outlook for the uk economy give than we are facing now two years, even more than that, two years of negotiations with the eu. want to talk to colin pickering. how long do you believe these negotiations will last? >> we'llistical i realistically seven years. >> when would uk businesses have clarity about what the future looks like for them? after two years? after five years? what does it mean for the uk economy. in the short-term, yes, we dodged a recession. could that look differently in the longer run? >> how it matters for businesses is how quickly the eu and uk get going with the meat of the negotiations. which is the post-brexit trade deal. in my best case, the uk remains fairly well integrated on the good side of the market but loses the financial services passport. if firms can know that with certainty in two years, things may not be too bad. but brexit is a supply side shock. i see growth falling from 2.2 % to 1.8%. less growth in trade, in investment from the eu, and then a major hit from lower

we are representing the uk. 0 other teams to compete with, and they are the best of the whole world. go for it, girls. we asked you what you thought would be the outcome of brexit. the deal, bad deal, or no deal. nothing like brexit to get people talking and nailing their views to the mast. lots we can't read out. this one says we are screwed, theresa may is purely honouring her mandate but there could be problems later down the line. ian says we are getting our country back, wonderful day, believe we will be getting. mike is back, let's talk travel. many think about where they are going to their holidays and for some it would seem that turkey and places like egypt are back on the radar. indeed. interesting to see how these things develop because the weakness in the pound creates new challenges for going on holiday to europe so the classic destinations of spain under pressure. the turkish lira is very weak. and the egyptian pound has been under some pressure as well so it looks as though the first indications tha

that story dominates the uk front pages. e hand—delivered to the eu council president today. the largest us oil group has urged donald trump not to scrap participation in the paris climate agreement. the financial times reports exxonmobil as the latest big business to oppose the us president's move away from efforts to tackle global warming. the copenhagen post says uber has decided to switch off its engines in denmark, referring to the company's announcement it will stop operating in the country next month because of a new taxi law requiring cabs to be fitted with seat sensors and fare meters. amazon has reached an agreement to buy the middle east's largest online retailer, souq.com, for an undisclosed value. that's a story in gulf news.

and forjohn the boss this is a good day for the uk. e skipper says it is time for both sides to back the government as it steers its way through the negotiations. the thing is it is now a fait accompli and we've got to get on with it. whether we like it or not. but in this pro remain city many are nervous today. and expect the next couple of years at least to be tough. welcome to the largest brewery in leeds. the team here produces 70,000 pints a week. business began ten years ago and the idea of brexit made them nervous. but not any more. the boss believes article 50 will make things clearer. it is going to be in some ways quite nice for negotiations to begin so that businesses and ordinary people across the country will actually have some idea of what the vote to leave the eu is actually going to look like. high on the hills in teesdale the spry family are more concerned. farmers like them rely on eu subsidies and because of brexit, the government has promised to match the money up until 2020. but what about the following years? if we

very little brain across the south—east of the uk. more in the south—east of the uk. halves. saturday has sunshine and showers. they may be —— be showers may be heavy. those showers not too far away. as we had through the evening and overnight, we will find a ridge of high pressure across the uk. it will push away those showers. the second half of the weekend looks like it will be much drier, some brightness, some sunshine. with light mac —— like winds it should feel. it is only in the north—west later in the day we will see some cloud, wind and rain. ideologs this is bbc news. i'm jane hill live at westminster, where, after more than four decades as a member of the european union — the united kingdom is officially setting off on its own path. this was the moment when the letter triggering article 50 was handed over in brussels to the president of the european council. in the letter, the prime minister said the uk was "leaving the european union, but not leaving europe." we are going to take control of the things that matter most to us and we are going to take this op

has been seen as biggest market, and the uk has been seen as a biggest market, and the uk has been seen was inside the single market, but what about when it is outside? the first issue that you raise, the economy looks ok, but critics will say it looks fine because nothing has yet changed. this is the preamble, but triggering article 50 is when it really starts. absolutely. the uncertainty is key, but these two years, and you have to look at how it works, article 50, and for the past eight months the uk has defined the timing so we know that we will be leaving at some point but the prime minister has been able to decide when she triggers article 50 and what she says before and what the objectives are that she sets out and what business leaders she is able to reassure, but when we hand over power to brussels to negotiate we will have less control and i think that will be quite soon, within 48 hours the european institutions will publish a timeline of what will happen and it will be quite clear that we won't be negotiating our economic relationship first. that will come second, and that i

in 2015, the uk exported $274 billion worth of goods and services to the eu. all uk exports. so thatis that is 44% of all uk exports. so that is a sizeable chunk. it represents 13% of the entire british economy. if we look the other way, the eu exported by more to the uk in money terms than vice—versa. this figure here, $360 billion in the same year. so it runs a large trade surplus, over $80 billion, with the uk. so you can argue, from that point of view, it has more to lose in these negotiations. but the eu as a whole is far less reliant on britain than the other way around. it is actuallyjust16% of all eu exports that come to the uk. and they account for barely more than 3% of the bloc‘s economy. of course, different countries and industries armed more reliant on the relationship of uk. the german car industry has a huge amount to lose, as does the uk's financial industry. we speak to the director of the german association for foreign policy for more on this. good morning and welcome to world business report. good morning. it is interesting, it yesterday we

the uk government disagree. will it take two years before it we know what the brexit deal will be, it could take some time after that before trade dales are finalised and they say people in scotla nd are finalised and they say people in scotland should have a chance to see how it is all working before they make a big decision about the constitution or future. you make a big decision about the constitution orfuture. you can't decide because you see the negotiations, you need to live with it for a while, see what the consequences of brexit really are before people make an informed choice about whether or not they wa nt to choice about whether or not they want to be independent. where are the people of scotland on the possibility of another vote? is there a sense that perhaps nicola sturgeon could win or as the polls have been suggesting, up until now, that's unlikely? the polls in as much as we can trust them, say that voters are split roughly 50—50. both on the question of independence and on the question of indep

so if during this two yea rs, by the uk. so if during this two yea rs , we by the uk. our argument for there to bea years, we win our argument for there to be a referendum on the deal at the end which surely there should be and if the british people reject that, we can remain in the european union. i think history is still there to be made and i'm determined not to give up on that. tim farron, thank you very much. there is a news conference getting under way in fact in brussels, i believe. let's just head under way in fact in brussels, i believe. let'sjust head over and hear some of that. the condition for any european union, united kingdom partnership. this is not negotiable. as the uk will continue to enjoy its rights as a member state, it will also have to fully respect its treaty obligation until the very last day of membership. and they want to thank mrs may for committing to this principle. but let's be clear, any changes before two yea rs' but let's be clear, any changes before two years' time will be illegal. the european parliament must defend citizens rights.

we can't both be in the eu and remain within the uk. n in the eu, in scotland, there is this chance, to stay in, by being an independent country. it's not on offer to anyone else who voted remain within the uk. we are lucky in scotland to have the chance to make this joints. thank you for your time. good to talk to you. many thanks. well those plans for a new referendum have been announced as mps prepare to vote again today on whether to give the prime minister the power to start the brexit process. they'll also look at two changes wanted by the house of lords — to guarantee the rights of eu citizens in the uk and to ensure parliament gets a vote on any final deal. 0ur political correspondent, alex forsyth, reports. westminster is gearing up for a fight but whilst there are protests outside the real battle will take place inside parliament. today, mps and lords will decide whether to sign off the brexit bill. theresa may and her government want it passed today with no changes and those who back brexit agree. we've got to the stage where

of the future matters not just between the uk and the eu of the future matters notjust in the uk, thisst about what is good for the this isn'tjust about what is good forthe uk, it this isn'tjust about what is good for the uk, it is about what is good for the uk, it is about what is good for the uk, it is about what is good for the european union as well. i believe a good free trade arrangement could win the uk on european union is in the interests of both sides of that negotiation. thank you very right, thank you. studio: a few questions there from the gathered crowd who have been waiting patiently for about 1.5 hours to hear theresa may speaking following what is expected to be her last eu summit before britain triggers article 50. she took some questions about the budget, which wasn't what she was there to talk about of course. but finally she said she feels optimistic that they can achieve a free trade deal with the european union in two years. more on that later, but now a look at the weather with sarah. good evening. after a fine, springlike day we have clear skies across many par

this isn't just about taking scotland into europe, away from the uk. the first minister lost patience with knocking consistently on theresa may's door, looking for scotland's interest to be represented in any future brexit negotiations and having the door slammed in herface. the first minister talked about themntinuous intra nsigence of the uk government since june 23rd last year. this is because scotland voted 62% to 38% to remain in europe. the second thing i think that has alarmed the first minister and many to have enveloped the uk government with regard to brexit. every week or so we have another brexit minister or spokesman being dredged up. again saying that they don't know how this will work out. there's this disdainful attitude that some of these ministers seem to show for their former european partners, which makes one believe that the negotiations are not going to be very beneficial for the uk. scotland will be left out and have to take whatever the uk — or london — decides for it. and i think that nicola sturgeon said that we need to have a

for the rest of the uk, a quieter day to come. he cloud should break up later in the day. that start off across scotla nd in the day. that start off across scotland and northern ireland, sunshine in the morning. scattered showers will continue in the north of scotland, particularly in the northern and western isles where it will be breezy. heading south, largely dry across england and wales. parts of wales and the south—west have hill fog and possibly the odd spot of drizzle. a murky start. the central and eastern parts, the cloud is thin so the sunshine will break through. slightly cloudy are further north—west across england and wales. sunshine but 70 mph gusts of wind. combined with big waves for the northern island. the wind and waves could cause disruption here. northern ireland, not a bad day. mostly dry with sunshine. temperatures getting up to mainly 13 01’ temperatures getting up to mainly 13 or 15 degrees is still mild for this time of year. as we and the day for tue, most places dry, light patchy rain pushing a bit furth

nationals' right to stay in the uk after the split. however, it is merely a setback as mp5 will be able remove the lords‘ changes when the bill returns to the house of commons. embattled french presidential candidate francois fillon has suffered another setback to his political campaign as a political ally freezes its support. it follows the revelation that mr fillon is facing a formal investigation over a fake job scandal involving his wife. he denies any wrongdoing. syrian government soldiers have entered the ancient city of palmyra three months after the so—called islamic state re—captured it from them. the city, which has both strategic and cultural importance, has changed hands several times during the conflict. it's understood the army has taken control of a western neighbourhood in the city. now it's time for a look back at the day in parliament. hello and welcome to wednesday in parliament, our look at the best of the day in the commons and the lords. on this programme... drama in the house of lords, as the government suffers i

the uk is part of europe. we cannot turn ourselves into the middle of the atlantic and p pretend we're not. i think the idea that the european union is going to somehow recreate the kind of protective umbrella that nato has been capable of providing over the last 80 years i think is nonsensical. if i look at the enhanced forward presence missions which are all coming into action this year, those are all in members of the ueu. they are all there to be symbols of how nato guarantees european security and safety. if we had left already, three of those missions would be led by non-eu countries. it would be the u.s., canada, the uk. i mean, i think that is a sense in which of course the eu is very important, but the interconnections between our various countries go much, much deeper than that and anybody who imagines that somehow or rather leaving the european community is going to change that i think has really got it profoundly wrong. >> thank you. i see the image of president trump on the screens out there. let m

is not a day forjoy, not for the uk or for europe sibling, it is not a day forjoy, not for the uk orforenmark or anybody else. is it a day you thought would ever happen? you knew of course that there were a lot of eurosceptics in the british parliament and in the british public. i never thought it would happen. i thought that the british people would stay in the eu and fight from inside for reform of the union, but not leave it. i think it was a bit unthinkable but now we are here, it is a sad day but we have to get the best out of this very sad situation. tom nuttall, you have been looking at theresa may's letter and the reaction to it, particularly from the european parliament, what is your assessment of where we are tonight? well, in some respects, i think eu officials will have been comforted by the letter. in particular, it did not contain the threat we have heard from number ten before that britain would prefer to leave with no deal than with a bad deal, but there was one particular remark which has raised a few eye brows remark which has raised a few eyebrows and that was the lin

this week the uk triggered article 50, starting the process of the uk leaving the eu. they keep calling it, talk about the divorce. negotiate the divorce. yesterday the british government outlined how it plans to transfer thousands of pieces of european union legislation into british law. the great repeal bill will give parliament — or the devolved assemblies — the power to scrap, amend or improve eu laws. let's get more with our economics correspondent andrew walker. you are all over this? you are all over this? you will be in a minute! we have the questions we have been asking you all this week. let's get straight into these, and thank you for those. let's start with david who says what happens if there is no agreement two yea rs happens if there is no agreement two years after article 50 is triggered? 0ne years after article 50 is triggered? one of two things, there is an option in article 50 for this two year period to be expanded, it has to be agreed unanimously by the departing country, britain, and by all the remaining ones. if at the end of that stage they thin

he says he has trust in the uk's 4,000 workers. long as we improve performance and become the best, there is no risk. 13 potential uk terror attacks have been preevened in four years, say counter—terrorism police, as the public‘s urged to be vigilant and report suspicious behaviour. a new travel ban from president trump is expected shortly, but this time iraq will not be on the list. and in the next hour, a zoo in cumbria loses its licence after almost 500 animals died there in the last four years. inspectors have chris sized south lakes zoo for a lack of proper welfare and overcrowding. 30 years of the zeal brig disaster, relatives, survivors and rescuers return to pay their respects —— zeebrugge. good afternoon and welcome to bbc news. there are concerns about the future of more than 4,000 people who work at vauxhall plants in the uk after the business was bought by the french car giant psa. the company which already owns peugeot and citroen has agreed a deal to buy vauxhall in britain and opel in germany forjust under £2 billion

whether you think that leaves the uk today? ple across the uk wantedm today? this is what the majority of people across the uk wanted. it is a shambles, this country is in an absolute mess, potentially, unless we decide to change our minds. you are proudly wearing your eu citizens badge but maybe only for two years maximum will you be an eu citizen.” am sure that i will be. the country will wake up. young people will come forward and we cannot be thrown out of the eu against our will and i do believe that the will of the people will change, but we need to give it time. it wasn't the will of the people last spring and summer when they voted to leave the european union. for many people there was a protest vote against the shambles of domestic policy. and these are, unfortunately, things that are leaving the eu will not be able to change for them. i do believe that their lives will become worse, there will be less money for welder —— welfare , will be less money for welder —— welfare, housing and the nhs. did you believe it is stil

nitl-lnielchfliller: the next uk forecast is in hello. the next uk forecast is in half an hour. round the world. stories haggening around the world. start in australia. why not. let's start in australia. why not. let's start in australia. why not. let's get some warmth into us. it's coming into autumn in australia. actually for some it's been very wet. take sydney, 30 millimetres of rain on tuesday, 238 for the month so far. that is more than half the autumn average in sydney in the months of march, april and may combined already. clearly very wet. it's also very wet in parts of western australia, as we see a fiftiiiggfi 55: ii e55. 5; §§ £33 5 i §e;§e:e§ 55: ii e55. 5; §e iee 5 i tropical §e;§ee§ g: ;§ e515, 5; §e iii? 5 i tropical cyclone, §e;§ee§ 551 ;§ e5115, 5; §e1 iii? 5 i tropical cyclone, edging developing tropical cyclone, edging closer to parts of the coastline closer to garts of.thecoastllne here. we will still on wednesday see some showers and storms into the south—east of australia, but the attention is shifting further north into queen's land. here too there could be

the uk's future access, if any, to the single market, with the uk controlling its own borders and immigration the divorce bill. some say the uk may be required to pay over £50 billion. britain's longest serving official inside the european commission, jonathan faull, says a bargain will have to be struck. the uk can't duck its responsibilities. the fundamental principle is a very simple one. it is that the eu, with the uk in it, has made financial commitments that have to be met. and some of those commitments stretch well into the future. investment projects, infrastructure projects and so on. arguably the most important issue to be resolved will be britain's post—brexit trade with the eu, and notjust in goods. securing the city of london and britain's enormous trade in financial services could be even harder. all this worries some, but not leading pro—leavers. now, of course, as we go into the negotiations, both sides will try and pretend they're in the strongest position, but the government's got some key cards in its hands. not least the fact we've got a huge trade deficit with the eu. so

it may set out the approach that the uk wa nts to ta ke may set out the approach that the uk wants to want to negotiate the exit and the new partnership in parallel, they wanted to do it one time after another. how long will it take to sort out the actual order of the negotiation before you axing negotiate anything? this is now out of our hands, the interesting thing is that the moment we trigger article 50 we hand the bat an over to the european union. we can expect a quick reaction with some draft guidelines for negotiations. they have already arranged a summit on april the 29th to look at those guidelines, but it's probably not until late may orjune that we will get the talks about how to form the talks. one of the interesting things is with the elections, the french in may, the german in september, we may not get into the real substance until the autumn. when you not get into the real substance untilthe autumn. when you look not get into the real substance until the autumn. when you look at the kind of work load involved in the kind of work load involved in the single service and

they voted against the amendment guaranteeing the rights of european national ‘s living in the uk. also voted to reject the amendment that would have given parliament a vote on the final brexit deal. the brexit bill has now gone back to the house of lords in what is called ping—pong in parliamentary terms, the lords are debating it now. let's ta ke the lords are debating it now. let's take a look at what is going on in the house of lords. for the people do have a final say on the outcome of those negotiations but i can say that there were two things also on my mind when i went through the lobby. the first was that the government were making it crystal clear, even at that stage, that they would concede nothing with regard to the amendments, and the second thing i had the amendments, and the second thing ihad in the amendments, and the second thing i had in my mind was that the noble lady, lady smith of basildon, had already indicated that if the bill we re already indicated that if the bill were returned to this house you would concede everything. the noble lord is absolutely wrong o

the uk as we know it could soon be very different, too. is whether or not scotland is going to be taken into the abyss with this tory government. we on this side of the house have an alternative. there might not be a real, meaningful vote in this chamber, but there shall be a meaningful vote in scotland training a millennium long history asa training a millennium long history as a european nation. weather on rights for eu citizens to stay in the uk or parliament having the final say, the government has not budged much. but it won the day. over the past five weeks, we have seen over the past five weeks, we have seen parliament at its best. right honourable members and peers have spoken with passion, sincerity and conviction. so, with the uk tonight now firmly on the path to exit, the scottish government wants to give voters a chance to leave the european union. the prime minister was attending a commonwealth service today. can she really denied a chance? technically, it is down to westminster. but politically, is it really possible? nicola

she said the uk and the eu have a deep and special will issue.d been handed over, she told mps that the process of leaving the eu she hoped would make britain a more united country. we all want to see a britain that is stronger than it is today. we all wa nt stronger than it is today. we all want a britain that is fairer so eve ryo ne want a britain that is fairer so everyone has a chance to succeed. we all want a nation that are safe and secure for our children and grandchildren. we all want to live ina grandchildren. we all want to live in a truly global britain that builds relationships with new allies around the world. these are the ambitions of this government‘s plan for britain, ambitions which unite us $0 for britain, ambitions which unite us so we‘re no longer defined by the boat we cast but by our determination to make a success of the result. we are on great union of people and nations with a proud history and a bright future. and now that the decision to leave has been made and the process is underway, it is time to come together. for

but this isn'tjust an historic day for the uk. s, never—to—be—forgotten kick in the teeth. visibly unhappy, this was the recipient of britain's letter starting the brexit process. so here it is. six pages. donald tusk, the man who represents all eu member states here in brussels. there is nothing to win in this process, and i'm talking about both sides. this is about damage control. european commission president jean—claude juncker was also down in the mouth. i'm sad. i'm deeply sad. but beneath that sadness, palpable resentment among some eu leaders today that theresa may appeared in her letter to link the likelihood of a good trade deal, so hoped for by britain, with continued cooperation on security, so needed by the eu. i think that irrespective of what an agreement can be, what sort of agreement you can do on trade at the end of the day, we remain part of the same family and we should remain committed to fighting terrorism. so what now? well, the european commission is the lead negotiator for the eu when it comes to brexit. fr

we'll hear from brussels, spain and across the uk. d i'm michelle fleury in washington — our other headlines. what are the opportunities and dangers for markets across the world of two years of talks, then brexit? have seen under the common fisheries policy is the hardships and a client of the communities that i live work and dear europe, people from across britain say farewell to the eu. it has taken nine months but today britain took the decisive step towards leaving the european union, and a relationship that has bound this country to the continent for over a0 years. the british prime minister's letter — just six pages long — was transferred to the president of the european council by the uk's ambassador to the eu. that very simple process triggers article 50 — beginning two years of devilishly difficult negotiation. the deal that is agreed — or maybe there will be no deal agreed — but either way the outcome holds consequences not only for the four nations of this united kingdom — but also for the future of the european union. we wi

much more about the uk weather in half an hour. war has entered its seventh year. the bbc has been focusing on their daily lives of people are still there. the quest to discover weather russia interfered in the us election campaign continues. some democrats are already convinced. russian propaganda on steroids. it was designed to poison the national conversation in america. i've anchored trump is now going to use

the uk appears to have voted out, scotland has voted in. to protect our place in the world's biggest single market and the jobs that depend on it. what i am proposing cannot mean membership of the single market. we voted to safeguard freedom to travel, live, work and study in other european countries. brexit must mean control the number of people who come to britain from europe, and that is what we will deliver. i want to take the opportunity this morning to speak directly to citizens of other european countries living here in scotland. you remain welcome here, scotland is your home, and your contribution is valued. last summer's eu referendum left the uk looking like two different countries articulating into mutually hostile visions of the future. a second independence referendum, if and when it comes, will be fought on different terrain. how does brexit change the independence prospectus? it makes it in some ways more likely that scotland will become independent, but also more difficult. it does. this time round, nicola sturgeon is linkin

for the uk. a mood that we want to be friendly and fair, but they also have very tough guidelines which are going to emerge now over the coming days. within 48 hours you are going to hear the initial guidelines, at the end of april the 27 european union member countries will meet to issue their red lines as well as the guidelines. the commission has promised this will be a very transparent process, they will let the public know every step of the way but for the smiles and the friendliness and the regret, absolutely, but the eu will fight to protect the integrity of the european single market. and to try and keep the other 27 member states together and that in the end will give its priority. and many here say at least, that dossier period will not be enough to leave the eu and really fix the future trade relationship. and all this week here on the bbc news channel we‘ll be putting your questions to our bbc editors on the triggering of article 50. today, at five thirty, we‘ll be speaking with our e

whereas our view and the view of the uk government remains this. ainty when it is only three years since the last fight and we were told it would be wanting a generation. that the decision would be respected by both sides that there would be no rerun without overwhelming changing public opinion and that the people in scotland have the right to see the process play out, they need to sit operating and working in practice and at the moment we should be pulling together not apart. this is the uk governments response. now is not the time for another referendum. nothing has been said in the scottish parliament which takes away from the fact that a referendum during the brexit process would be unfairon the during the brexit process would be unfair on the people of scotland. people wouldn't know what they were judging on the continuing relationship with the european union as part of the uk. scotland says yes. westminster says no. here's the bbc‘s scotland editor sarah smith on what happens next. well it sets up an unprecedented constitutional struggle betwe

from workers' rights to farming — thousands of eu laws will be transferred to the uk's law books as theountry prepares for brexit. we wa nt we want a smooth and orderly exit, the great repeal bill is integral to that approach. ministers say it means the laws can then be kept, changed or scrapped once the uk has left the european union. birds and their habitats, water, pollution — most of the uk's environmental laws currently come from the eu. so what impact will the repeal bill have? also on the programme tonight: the toddler who died after his surgery was repeatedly delayed — two surgeons decide to speak out about one of britain's biggest children's hospitals. five members of the same family die after their helicopter crashes in snowdonia. and syria's children — we return to the city of homs which was devastated by war as they try to rebuild their lives. and coming up in the sport on bbc news... arsenal boss arsene wenger is confident alexis sanchez and mesut ozil want to stay at the club but says his own future is "not sorted completely". good evening and welcome to the bbc news at 6.

this isn'tjust an historic day for the uk. d never to be forgotten kick in the teeth. visibly unhappy, this was the recipient of britain's letter starting the brexit process. so here it is, six pages. donald tusk, the man who represents all eu member states here in brussels. there is nothing to win in this process, and i'm talking about both sides. this is about damage control. so, the letter has been delivered. what now? well, the european commission is the lead negotiator for the eu when it comes to brexit. frans timmermans is the commission's vice president. but how can negotiations even start, i wondered, with both sides at loggerheads? the uk wants divorce talks and talks of a new trade deal in parallel. the commission says no. divorce comes first. that's all part of how we negotiate. but how do you square the circle? everyone starts with his own interest and tries to formulate his own interest in the best possible way, that's what we all do. so what's the problem in having parallel talks? talking about trade at the same t

he sought to calm fears the uk might thai security into the deal.s region, europe, is unconditional. it is not some bargaining chip in any negotiations that may be taking place elsewhere in this capital. now article 50 has been triggered, it is the eu who can determine what about these negotiations. they want to control not just the sequence, but what the uk can achieve, too. earlier i spoke to our europe correspondent, gavin lee, and i asked him what donald tusk‘s words mean for a potential trade deal with the eu. it isa it is a tricky thing because if you look at the gargantuan issues ahead set out today by donald tusk there for my key issues, what you do about ireland border, how you make that as easy as possible. how you look at theissue easy as possible. how you look at the issue of the 3 million europeans in the uk and the i million the issue of the 3 million europeans in the uk and thei million british citizens in europe and settle their future along with businesses on both sides of the channel as well as the brexit exit the bill, there is 15

a good deal will leave the uk better off. e could make it harder to compete. richard wescott, bbc news. 0ur industry correspondent john moylan is at luton. the business secretary says he is cautiously optimistic. what about the people who work there? well it is now a shift change, we are about to talk to them. they will be concerned because since news of the deal broke two weeks ago, frantic telephone calls and meetings between the government and her show and 0pel and trade unions all trying to get guarantees and assurances. we know existing production is safeguarded until 2022. reduction of astra boast two until 2020. but asked me to make a decision on a new carfor two until 2020. but asked me to make a decision on a new car for that plant very soon. today the new boss of this huge group said the futures of this huge group said the futures of the workers were in their own hands. he will set productivity and efficiency targets for all workers across the group at it will be down to workers to meet them. but some a nalysts to wo

the uk's future access, if any, to the single market, with the uk controlling its own borders and immigration divorce bill. some say the uk may be required to pay over £50 billion. britain's longest serving official inside the european commission, jonathan faull, says a bargain will have to be struck. the uk can't duck its responsibilities. the fundamental principle is a very simple one. it is that the eu, with the uk in it, has made financial commitments that have to be met. and some of those commitments stretch well into the future. investment projects, infrastructure projects and so on. arguably the most important issue to be resolved will be britain's post—brexit trade with the eu, and notjust in goods. securing the city of london and britain's enormous trade in financial services could be even harder. all this worries some, but not leading pro—leavers. now, of course, as we go into the negotiations, both sides will try and pretend they're in the strongest position, but the government's got some key cards in its hands. not least the fact we've got a huge trade deficit with the eu. so i th

the uk government believes it should be afterwards. to me that voters in scotland would be asking to make a choice blind without seeing what's the deal would look like. that's contested by the snp. ultimately, in the end, it would be politically extremely difficult for the uk government to refuse this request. just down the road from here, mps and the house of lords preparing to sit along into the night as they grind through the final bits of getting the legislation in place to push the button on brexit. theresa may is looking at two enormous political fights on our hands. seven months m, fights on our hands. seven months in, if she was under any illusion thisjob would be in, if she was under any illusion this job would be easy, day by day, there is a question that for number ten, it is getting harder. both, thank you very much. our top story this evening. nicola sturgeon calls for a second referendum on scottish independence as soon as autumn next year. and still to come. the commonwealth games baton begins its relay through 71 countri

the uk is our largest trading partner in the eu.ng the uk to arrive at their combines a trade agreement with the eu is good for a canadian business, canadian employers and canadian consumers. explain for us what japan's desire is for all of this? what does japan want to see from the negotiations? we would like to see a successful negotiation concluded in time. what happens between the uk and the eu will affect the global economy. this is notjust one country or mcafee eu, it is a global issue that we need to be in. that is why we are keenly interested in following and supporting both the uk and the eu. we approached both last september with specific points that need to be addressed through the negotiation. this will be every difficult negotiation, for sure. but with the letter that i have seen sent by prime minister mayor, i think the spirit is high. this is a very good start to try to corporate with a positive spirit. they constructive approach will be the key for success. there are some anime or questions i have for you. i'm sorry

the uk government is refusing to discuss that. lled in october at our party conference for this mechanism, section 30, to authorise a new independence referendum will stop because it is the people who should determine this, how to square these two results, not government or parliament. you are talking about the brexit result, there is nothing to reconcile, brexit is happening. that is the point. theresa may says let's negotiate that and then the people of scotland will know what the deal is. that is what gives the lie to her words today. she says when the four nations set our mind to something we are unstoppable. that is not what is happening. this is being done to scotland and northern ireland. let's remember the chaos happening there with the prospect of direct rule, or a third election in a year. that in the context of brexit, when northern ireland like scotland voted to remain. what about the polling that suggests the people of scotland are not keen on having another referendum, independence referendum?” understand why people h

the uk government is representing the uk as a whole. and the welsh and northern ireland assemblies. england doesn't have an assembly so it doesn't have that level of consultation. but there is dispute between the devolved government and the central government in westminster about when powers are returned from brussels. do they all go back to london or should some of them go directly to the devolved governments? that is a big issue, particularly in scotland. the short a nswer particularly in scotland. the short answer is that england is being represented by the westminster government in london. the other nations of the uk have an additional layer of government so that level of consultation as well. this one is from neal in sandwich in kent. that is relevant, because he writes, does somebody explain where our borders are going to be at dover and calais? at the moment they are in the latter, but the french will want them but the backs of the former, and how will this impact of gridlock in kent? this is going to be a really big issue. it is

the uk factories at ellesmere port and luton employee... ew owners met government and unions last week and provided insurance that existing production commitments would be honoured at ellesmere port until 2020 and luton for some years beyond that but the combined company will have 2a factories in europe and some say that is too many. it's one of the biggest deals in the car—making sector. british and german brands vauxhall and opel are to merge with the french brands peugeot and citroen. together they will make a company which is the second—largest automotive player in europe. today, the bosses of general motors and psa welcomed the £1.9 billion deal and stressed their commitments to vauxhall and opel at least until 2020. after that it was up to the workers. theirfuture is in their hands, based on their ability to give themselves the level of performance that will ensure the sustainability of their company. we believe that we have highly talented people by opel—vauxhall, but the only thing that really protects them is their ability to be at

that story dominates the uk front pages. e letter is due to be hand—delivered to the eu council president today. the largest us oil group has urged donald trump not to scrap participation in the paris climate agreement. the financial times reports exxonmobil as the latest big business to oppose the us president's move away from efforts to tackle global warming. the copenhagen post says uber has decided to switch off its engines in denmark, referring to the company's announcement it will stop operating in the country next month because of a new taxi law requiring cabs to be fitted with seat sensors and fare meters. amazon has reached an agreement to buy the middle east's largest online retailer, souq.com, for an undisclosed value. that's a story in gulf news. and finally the guardian reporting on a world first, as a tetraplegic man paralysed in a cycling accident is once again able to feed himself and control his hand by using the power of thought. joining us is jane foley, senior currency strategist at rabobank. thank you so

the uk will lead the way. strategic communications expertise to the eu institutions to counter disinformation campaigns in the region, and we will host the 2018 western balkans summit. in the run—up to that summit, will enhance our security cooperation with our western balkan partners including on serious and organised crime, anti—corruption and cyber security. more broadly, ialso anti—corruption and cyber security. more broadly, i also reemphasised the importance that the uk places on nato as the bedrock of our collective defence. and i urged other member states to start investing more in line with nato's target so that every country plays its full part in sharing the burden. it is only by investing properly in our defence that we can ensure that we are equipped to keep our people say. turning to growth and competitiveness, i want us to build a new relationship with the eu that will give our company is the maximum freedom to trade with and operate in the european market and allow european businesses to do the

the proposals would have guaranteed the rights of eu citizens in the uk. irst minister nicola sturgeon also announced plans to hold a second independence referendum by early 2019. she said the vote was necessary after british prime minister theresa may refused to search for a compromise to allow scotla nd to search for a compromise to allow scotland to remain in the single market after brexit. what scotland deserves in the light of the material change of circumstances brought about by the brexit vote is the chance to decide oui’ brexit vote is the chance to decide our future brexit vote is the chance to decide ourfuture ina brexit vote is the chance to decide ourfuture in a fair, free and democratic way and at a time when we are equipped with the fact that we need. nicola sturgeon speaking there. earlier i spoke with david quo and asked about the implications of another scottish referendum. this has surfaced again and i think there will be continual... i wouldn't say problems but unease, not only in the uk but in europe as well. i think we're beginning to s