Between the then Prime Minister and the editor of the daily mail help to shape the referendum . Good evening, and welcome to bbc news. The British Government has delivered its strongest criticism so far of the travel ban imposed by President Trump on seven mainly muslim countries. The Home Secretary, amber rudd, said it was divisive, and could be used as propaganda by the Islamic State group. She spoke after the president of the European Council, donald tusk, had listed the Trump Administration alongside china, russia and islamic extremism as a threat to the future of the eu. This report from washington by our north america editor, jon sopel. Four days since president tramp signed the extreme vetting policy and the administration is trying to clarify whether it was a ban or a pause, who was consulted, who will be affected and what the Executive Order is and is not. It was left to the secretary of Homeland Security to offer reassurance. This is not, i repeat, not a ban on muslims. The Homeland Security mission is to safeguard the american people, our homeland, our values, and religious liberty is one of our most fundamental and treasured values. Donald trump was today meeting leaders from the Pharmaceutical Industry after last night delivering a lethal injection to the countrys most senior law officer, the acting Attorney General. Its already being dubbed the monday night massacre. The offence of sally yates was to issue this memo to her staff at the Department Ofjustice. She said she wasnt convinced that the Executive Order was lawful and went on, consequently, for as long as im the acting Attorney General, the Department Ofjustice will not present arguments in defence of the Executive Order. This is what america looks like this drama was unfolding as once again protesters had taken to the streets to oppose the ban on refugees coming to the us. That she was fired for defying the president was hardly surprising, but the language used by the white house was. The acting Attorney General, sally yates, has betrayed the Department Ofjustice by refusing to enforce a legal order designed to protect the citizens of the United States. The word betrayal is more usually reserved for spies, for people who have committed acts of treachery. Sally yates would say she was doing what she thought was right and upholding the law, but what this episode shows us is how the Trump Administration sees dissent, and how its going to deal with it. In essence, youre either with us or against us. The whole truth. But look at this from her Confirmation Hearing back in 2015. The man asking the question is none other than Donald Trumps choice as Attorney General. If the views the president wants to execute are unlawful, should the Attorney General or Deputy Attorney general say no . I believe the Attorney General or Deputy Attorney general has an obligation to follow the law and the constitution and to give their independent legal advice to the president. But in a few hours time, for all attention will switch here. This is the Supreme Court, the highest court in the land, the body that decides all the most contentious social issues. Gun laws, abortion rights, gay marriage. And there is a vacancy that donald trump must fill, possibly the biggest decision you make as president. Because whoever he chooses is there for life and notjust a fixed term. One thing you can be sure of, it will be someone deeply conservative. Jon sopel, bbc news, washington. The number of names on a petition opposing a state visit to the uk by President Trump exceeded 1. 7 million. Our diplomatic correspondent, james robbins, has the latest. Hey hey, oh oh, donald trump has got to go refugees are welcome here days of protest across britain focused first on President Trumps travel bans, then on the early state visit offered to him by theresa may. The government calls the travel bans divisive and wrong, now the Home Secretary has gone further, suggesting the president s actions might play into the hands of the extremists, so called Islamic State or daesh. Isil and daesh will use any opportunity they can to make difficulties to create the environment that they want to radicalise people, to bring them over to their side. So, it is a Propaganda Opportunity for them, potentially. And the Home Secretary told a committee of mps that, seen from britain, the countries which are the subject of President Trumps travel ban are not the main problem. The difficulties to the uk over terrorism are not caused by people largely coming from the sort of countries that the us has named, but from people becoming radicalised here. Downing street tonight seems to be distancing theresa may from her Home Secretarys remarks. Number 10 is saying that the extremists will twist any policy from any government for their own propaganda purposes. But unease in britain about President Trumps visit is the more than matched by stark warning from mainland europe. The president of the European Council listed as key threats to europe assertive china, russias aggressive policies towards neighbours and radical islam. He said the United States this catastrophe in europe by weakening transatlantic ties. Particularly, the change in washington puts the European Union in a difficult situation. With the new administration seeming to put into question the last 70 years of American Foreign policy. We should, today, remind our american friends of their own message. United we stand, divided we fall. All this anxiety seems to be fuelling protest against theresa mays early invitation to donald trump for a state visit, delivered personally only seven days after his inauguration. President obama only enjoyed the ultimate british accolade in his third year of office. No president has ever been asked so speedily, but the government says the invitation to donald trump stands, dismissing criticism from a former head of the Foreign Office and National Security adviser. The petition against the state visit is steadily gaining support and has now triggered a parliamentary debate next month. The wider doubts about the president s policy raised by the Home Secretary makes the government Balancing Act between wooing donald trump and warning him of risks all the harder. Bbc news. Mps have been debating the bill which gives the government the authority to start the formal process of leaving the eu. The legislation allows for the triggering of article 50 of the lisbon treaty, and it looks set to be approved in a vote tomorrow, with labour mps being ordered Byjeremy Corbyn to back the bill. But some labour mps say they willjoin the snp in voting against, as our political editor, laura kuenssberg, reports. Our political correspondent, chris mason, Is Westminster for us. It is good to see you are awake. Are you hearing anything that suggests that perhaps this deal could be voted down . Is it basically a foregone conclusion . It is a foregone conclusion . It is a foregone conclusion. It is a curiosity. In myjob usually we talk about the process of all ethics because we are uncertain about the outcome. In this instance it is all about the process because the outcome is pretty much predetermined. The government will win in the vote around about seven oclock tomorrow night. It will win bya mild oclock tomorrow night. It will win by a mild because it has a majority on the conservative benches, though, a small one, but labour are saying their mps should also backed the government endorsing the triggering of 50. A good number of labour mps will not have a pressing excuse to do something else. Some will abstain. Others will vote against figures guest at tonight ranging from 30 upwards, with some thinking they cannot endorse something they never advocated in the first place. The snp and Liberal Democrats will also reject the governments advice on what it wants to see happen. This will happen. The parliamentary stages of this has been managed by the Supreme Court and will be done so the Supreme Court and will be done so in the Supreme Court and will be done soina the Supreme Court and will be done so in a week. Several more weeks to go before it clears all its hurdles, giving theresa may the power to trigger article 50 before the end of march. Indeed. Having said all that, it will go through in the vote tomorrow more than likely. The snp will put forward amendments and so will put forward amendments and so will labour. There is a sense that while the vote may be lost, these mps, they can still weak this legislation to a form more in keeping with their constituents. Twea k keeping with their constituents. Tweak the pillar absolutely. That is the argument we have heard repeatedly denied. For example, there has been a Labour Backbencher who has given this a lot of thought, saying we should leave the eu, but this is not what the people had mandated. There should still be discussions about our relationship in the single market, the customs union, and a good number of other eu institutions. Crucially, this whole parliamentary process, which is why the minister wanted to avoid it, ta kes the minister wanted to avoid it, takes the time to buy out of the governments hand. They have plenty of time to clear the hurdles before theresa may wants to trigger article 50 before the end of march, you cannot be certain she will stick to the time. It may slip a little bit. There will be some buffering with some ping pong between the commons and lords and some amendments and she could still meet the deadline. But she will have another date in the diary to keep an eye on, the 25th of march. Just days before the end of the month. That is the 60th Anniversary of the signing of the treaty of rome, if you like, the lighting of the pilot light of european integration. I suspect she will realise it would be diplomatic to probably avoid that date for triggering article 50. Indeed. Thank you very much. Chris mason. Sebastian coe, the head of World Athletics governing body, has denied misleading a Parliamentary Committee which is investigating doping in sport. E mails have been released which appear to show that lord coe was aware of Corruption Allegations in athletics before they were made public, raising questions about evidence he gave to mps last year. This report by our sports editor, dan roan, does contain some flash photography. As both athlete and administrator, lord coe has been at the very top of his sport for decades. But tonight, fresh concerns over whether he misled mps about what he knew and when over allegations of a russian doping scandal. When coe appeared in front of a Parliamentary Select Committee, in december 2015, he was asked if he knew about the Corruption Crisis before it became public the Previous Year . I was certainly not aware of the specific allegations that have been made around the corruption of anti doping processes in russia. But since then, theres been evidence coe may have known more than he initially suggested. First, the bbcs Panorama Programme last summer reported allegations hed been alerted to the scandal months before it became public. Reporter did you Mislead Parliament . Lord coe . The programme revealed that former World Champion distance runner, david bedford, had sent coe an email about the scandal, coe said he hadnt opened attachments detailing the allegations. Today, a twist. In this email, sent by coe to the iaafs ethics chief, in august 2104, he says. The purpose of this note is of course to advise you that i have now been made aware of the allegations. Looking at the evidence we have before us today, i think its clear to us that he was far more aware of serious allegations around doping and corruption in athletics than he let on when he came to the committee in december 2015. Coe denies theres any discrepancy between his evidence and what the e mail says he knew and that he was not asked specifically by mps about when he first heard of the corruption. Lord coe agreed to release this e mail after demands for him to be recalled to that Parliamentary Select Committee to give more evidence, but the pressure on athletics most powerful figure is intensifying, and tonight, yet more controversy. His former right hand man, kicked out of the iaaf, in disgrace. Nick davies, who served as coes chief of staff, admitted accepting secret payments from the governing bodys former president and then lying about it. He was cleared of corruption, but sacked with immediate effect. Coe has vowed to salvage the credibility of the sport he now rules, but the past continues to blight his attempts to look to the future. Dan roan, bbc news. In france, the centre right candidate in the president ial election, francois fillon, is facing new questions over a salary paid to his wife from public funds. There are new allegations that Penelope Fillon was paid close to three quarters of a million for her role as Parliamentary Assistant with no evidence of her actually doing the job. Mr fillon says hell withdraw his candidacy if a formal investigation is launched. Nearly 50,000 gay and bisexual men, who were convicted of Sexual Offences which have since been abolished, have been given posthumous pardons. Another 15,000 men who are still alive can also apply to be pardoned under the so called turings law which was named after the Second World War codebreaker, alan turing. The irish novelist, sebastian barry, has become the first person to win the prestigious costa book of the year award twice. At a ceremony in london tonight, he won for his historical novel, days without end, set in 1850s, telling the story of two irish soldiers in america. He said he was inspired to write about a gay relationship after his son came out. Thats a summary of the news. Newsday is coming up at midnight. Now on bbc news, its time for newsnight with emily maitlis. Tonight, we bring you a story