Bbc news. The United Kingdom has formally served notice that it is leading the European Union. A letter, signed by theresa may, was handed to be president of the and council. The primus told mps she wa nted council. The primus told mps she wanted a smooth and orderly brexit. Ina wanted a smooth and orderly brexit. In a potential setback theresa may, Angela Merkel has warned that the terms of the divorce need to be settled before any talks on trade can begin. First we get a report on the day that article 50 was triggered. Some moments make us. This is one. The minute In Westminster, belfast, edinburgh and cardiff that the United Kingdom formally changed course. The article 50 process is now underway and in accordance with the wishes of the british people, the United Kingdom is leaving the European Union. This is an historic moment from which there can be no turning back. Probably our last ambassador inside the European Union handing over the letter at 12 25pm. The document that says we are on oui way out. Theresa mays signature on our departure. Herjob now, to make it work. This, her hope. A country that goes out into the world to build relationships with old friends and new allies alike. And that is why i have set out a clear and ambitious plan for the negotiations ahead. It is a plan for a new, deep and special partnership between britain and the European Union. Her decisions about how mean we are out of the Single Market to control immigration. As european leaders have said many times, we cannot cherry pick and remain members of the Single Market without accepting the four freedoms that are indivisible. We respect that position. A friendlier tone to the continent, an ambition to bring this country together. And no cliff edge, no abrupt change for business. Mr speaker, when i sit around the Negotiating Table in the months ahead i will represent every person in the United Kingdom, young and old, rich and poor, city, town, country and all the villages and hamlets in between. And, yes, those eu nationals that have made this country their home. And it is my fierce determination to get the right deal for every Single Person in this country. In perhaps the most important letter that shell ever pen, the Prime Minister wrote of her hope to give reassurance quickly to the millions of eu citizens who live here and brits abroad. We should always put our citizens first, we should aim to strike an early agreement about their rights. But no guarantees. The Prime Minister wants a Free Trade Deal with the eu of greater scope and ambition than any before. A bold hope, seen as naive by some, to try to protect firms who do business around the continent from new rules and barriers. There was no overt threat to walk away, but a serious warning a failure to Reach Agreement would mean our co operation in the fight against crime and terrorism would be weakened. We must work hard to avoid that outcome. Her message . The eu needs us. She wants also to agree the terms of our future partnership alongside those of our withdrawal from the eu, to work out how we leave at the same time as sorting out the future. Labour arent the only ones sceptical she can deliver. If the Prime Minister can deliver a deal that meets our tests, that will be fine, we will back her. More than ever britain needs a government that will deliver for the whole country, not just the few. And that is the ultimate test of the brexit deal that the Prime Minister must now secure. The clock is ticking now. Memories of today will be so different. A public party for some. Even though thats not actually the foreign secretary. And celebrations after hours tonight. Everyone unite as brothers. Yet it was almost a wake for others. And thats the sense in the home of the eu. Theres no reason to pretend that this is a happy day, neither in brussels nor in london. Some powers coming back from brussels will bypass this place and flow to holyrood, cardiff and stormont. For remainers here and in the Scottish Government those promises dont go far enough. The Prime Minister still cant answer basic questions about what brexit will mean for businesses, the economy generally and for the type of society we live in. This six simple pages will do much to determine our place in the world in the future. The letter is less abrasive in tone to the rest of the eu than when theresa may started as Prime Minister, when she still had to persuade her party she really was committed to leaving. Now the clamour of the referendum is gone, the tone is politely practical. The message of the letter, get real. You need us and we need you. Remember we bring a lot to the table when it comes to policing, security and intelligence services. And i think thats a little. It wasnt firing a shot, but she was just making a reminder, remember what is at stake here. It is an enormous decision. I think it is exciting but i dont underestimate the scale of the task that lies ahead in the next two years. What has happened today is the biggest stimulation of british power and sovereignty in my lifetime. A letter which is really about kicking off a Trade Negotiation had six mentions of trade and ii mentions of security. It struck me as a reckless series of threats. Not that he ever needs a reason to be pictured with a pint, today ukip were celebrating. Over the moon, happy. Today, for me, after 25 years of campaigning, The Impossible Dream came true, im very pleased. And look who popped up later. What matters now is that we make sure we have a successful negotiation and try to maintain a close relationship between britain and the European Union. In a rare interview inside number 10 for the bbc, the Prime Minister promised, despite all the difficulties, our relationship with the rest of the continent will be just as good. What we are both looking for is that comprehensive Free Trade Agreement which gives that ability to trade freely into the european Single Market and for them to trade with us. It will be a different relationship but i think it can have the same benefits in terms of that free access to trade. An assertion that will take a lot to prove. One her counterparts in europe struggle to believe. Number 10s time for preparation is up, now time to try to persuade. Laura kuenssberg, bbc news, westminster. Well, todays process has major implications for every part of United Kingdom s. In scotland, wales, and Northern Ireland, there are specific circumstances to consider. In a moment, we will hear from Chris Buckler at stormont and from Chris Buckler at stormont and from the National Assembly encarta. But first we go to sarah smith at holyrood. In edinburgh, the first minister, nicola sturgeon, is writing a letter of her own. One that will be addressed to theresa may, making a formal request for a referendum on scottish independence. She knows audience to that will be. Theresa may will tell they cannot be any discussions about another referendum until the deal is done and scottish voters have a chance to see what the consequences of that are. Nicola sturgeon did say today that she wishes theresa may success with the upcoming negotiations, because, she says, a good Dealfor The Uk is in scotlands interest. This could have government had not been terribly impressed, however, by the promise from westminster that they will be significantly increased powers for the scottish parliament, because they say they have not been to get any detail or commitments on which new powers will be returned to holyrood after wrexham. That is just one more political upper argument thatis one more political upper argument that is yet to come. There was a process here at stormont. They even put in place a Mock Customs Checkpoint at the entrance to the set. Protest. They want to emphasise that there could be a physical presence at the invisible Dividing Line once it becomes the only order for the uk within eu country. As people move in and out of the republic for work, food, and trade or healthcare. The government have said they are committed to keeping the roads open. And the European Parliament would further to say today that they would not tolerate a hard border on this island. And they would not do anything that jeopardise the island. And they would not do anything thatjeopardise the peace process, something theresa may also referred to in a letter today. But brexit is divisive and stormont. Rememberthe brexit is divisive and stormont. Remember the Power Sharing Government has collapsed. Brexit was not responsible for that, but it can fuel political divisions here. Certain Irish Republicans have been listening to what sarah was talking about, the push for an Independence Referendum in scotland. They point out that Northern Ireland also voted to stay inside the eu, and sinn fein is now calling for a border poll, a referendum on irish unity. Speaking inside the senate this afternoon, the tone of the response from wales is the tone of the response from wales is from carolynjones was one of frustration. He said it was regrettable at the Welsh Government was not able to contribute to the article 50 letter and also, he said, that the devolved administrations had been sidelined and showed a lack of respect. He said that he had a ready voiced his concerns over the future of subsidies coming here, at the moment, and some of Wales Community s share in aid money. He was accused of scaremongering over that. Theresa may said the specific interests of the measures would be taken into account. Chancellor Angela Merkel germany warned today that sorting out britains Future Trade Deal with the eu would only be possible once the terms of britains departure had been settled. Donald tusk said the remaining states would pull together in the talks. He confirmed he would set out his plans for Negotiating Guidelines on friday. With her assessment at the heart of the European Union, we go toa heart of the European Union, we go to a report by katya adler. The man with the burning letter in his briefcase. Good morning. Big day, ambassador . Sir tim barrow arrived without much fanfare at the European Council building this morning. But this isntjust an historic day for the uk. For the eu, it is a momentous, never to be forgotten kick in the teeth. Visibly unhappy, this was the recipient of britains letter starting the brexit process. So here it is. Six pages. Donald tusk, the man who represent all eu Member States here in brussels. There is nothing to win in this process, and im talking about both sides. This is about damage control. European Commission President Jean Claude Juncker was also down in the mouth. Im sad. Im 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. Frans timmermans is the commissions 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 non divorce comes first. That is all part of how we negotiate. But how do you square that circle . Everybody starts with his own interest and tries to formulate his own interest in the best possible way. Thats what we all do. So whats the problem in having parallel talks, talking about trade at the same time as divorce, for example . The position of the eu will be determined on the basis of careful analysis of theresa mays letter. There can be no future settlement if we are not clear on how the divorce settlement is going to be. To make two years of complex negotiations even thornier, the uk isnt talking just for the European Commission. The real power behind the throne lies in the eu capitals, berlin, paris, rome and 2a others. They will take any big political decisions for the eu when it comes to brexit and the Future Trade Deal. They dont and wont always agree with one another. And the article 50 time frame is very, very tight. Divisions there may be, but when it comes to the loaded issue of parallel trade and divorce talks, europes most powerful leader agrees with the European Commission. Much to Downing Streets dismay. Translation in the negotiations we first have to sort out how we can untangle ourselves from one another. We can speak about our future relationship. Chancellor merkel also stressed the importance of deciding the fate of eu citizens living in the uk and british citizens in the eu, asap. Brussels and london agree. Thankfulfor one issue at least to unite around. Katya adler, bbc news, brussels. The brexit clock started ticking from the moment the letter of article 50 was delivered today and there will be two years to negotiate. What happens nextnext . On friday, the European Council will set out proposals. A month later, at a summit, the other 27 states will debate and then be asked to approve. Then they will talk. First, the french and german elections to be held in may and september. Negotiations should finish by october next year. The uk and the European Parliament will vote on it. That is the plan. But there is no precedent for it. James robbins has been looking at the challenges ahead as the negotiations get under way. The Europe Which Britain married into over a0 years ago looked and felt quite different. Just nine states in a predominantly economic community. Steadily, membership grew, the ties that bind reached further and further across europe. The project became more political, the union ever deeper, until british voters opted for divorce. But that very complexity makes cutting the ties and agreeing the divorce terms fu namentally difficult. The divorce rule, the famous article 50, was written by veteran diplomat lord kerr, so i asked him to describe the scale of the challenge now facing britain. This is the biggest event in our post war history. If youre building a transition you need to know where you are going to end up. If youre building a bridge, where is it going to land on the other side . So we have to be clear about what kind of country were going to become. When the brexit negotiations eventually begin, around the table the key players will be led on the british side by david davies, the cabinet minister in charge of exiting the European Union. He will try to ensure the bargaining settles both the divorce and the new framework for future relations with the eu. Facing him on the eu side, michel barnier, former French Foreign minister, with his team representing the commission and the remaining 27 Member States. Time is already very short to agree so much. Some think the crunch will come in autumn next year. They have a vast agenda to work through. Here are just a handful of the issues. The rights of eu citizens living in the uk and of british nationals now living in the eu. The uks future access, if any, to the Single Market, with the uk controlling its own borders and immigration. And then the big question of the divorce bill. Some say the uk may be required to pay over £50 billion. Britains longest serving official inside the European Commission, jonathan faull, says a bargain will have to be struck. The uk cant 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 britains Post Brexit Trade with the eu, and notjust in goods. Securing the City Of London and britains 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 theyre in the strongest position, but the governments got some key cards in its hands. Not least the fact weve got a huge Trade Deficit with the eu. So i think the government will be able to leave the Single Market, leave the Customs Union and get the Free Trade Deal they want. Thats just one confident assertion about to be tested in the crucible of hard bargaining. In the negotiations, cutting many uk eu ties while trying to hang onto others will be difficult. Both britain and the eu say they want to remain friends after the divorce. But the process could get very rough. James robbins, bbc news. Our Political Correspondent Eleanor Garnier is that westminster. The Prime Minister spoke for three hours and took over 100 mps questions. What points did she make . and took over 100 mps questions. What points did she make . A marathon statement. I spoke to theresa may this evening as she was going into a regular meeting of tory mps In Westminster and i asked how did you manage to stay on feet that long . She said all she had to eat was an apple and a handful of nuts. Impressive on that front. The key thing we learned today was the change in tone, if you like. There was a much more conciliatory tone. We have been part of the family for more than a0 years, we are notjust any old country, and we want to keep any old country, and we want to keep a really Good Relationship with the eu. Ithink a really Good Relationship with the eu. I think suggesting you are going to need to talk tough and there are going to be some bottom lines too, but theresa may is saying she wants to go into these negotiations with the aim of getting a deal out at the end of it. She does not want to and she doesnt intend to end up with no deal at the of it. The tone was interesting. There was a friendlier elements to it but there was also a hint of the steel in her stance when she linked security to any potential trade deal. That is an element that has certainly raised eyebrows, not just in the uk, but across the European Union as well. She said any failure to reach a comprehensive settle m e nt failure to reach a comprehensive settlement would lead to a weakening of cooperation in the fight against crime and terrorism. Some people said that was a bit of a threat and a strong warning at least, but Downing Street said, no, it wasjust spelling out the fact that the uk puts lots of information into europol, the European Unions crime team. Is the uk is not in, they will not put any more information in any further. Eleanor garnier In Westminster, thank you. A quick look at the front pages of tomorrows papers. The telegraph reports jubilation but immediate tension between the uk in brussels. Failure to reach a deal with the eu within the two year time limit could weaken corporation in the fight against crime. The mirror reports on the tension with Angela Merkel rejecting an early start to talks on a new trade deal. Nigel farage beaming on the front of the paper. And Security Cooperation marred attempts by theresa may. And out of farage is on the front of the express as well. Nigel. A man and a woman have been arrested in birmingham this afternoon. Counterterrorism detectives carried out the arrest. Six properties have been searched. Police are not linking todays arrest to the westminster attacks. Eu regulators have blocked the merger of the London Stock Exchange with the frankfurt stock exchange. They say the deal would have given the business too much market power and would have created a virtual monopoly. And american man paralysed below the shoulders has regained some movement by using his thoughts dissent messages from his brain to his arm. To send. Doctors is a this is the first time severe paralysis has been able to reach and hold objects through this method. A private funeral for the singer, george michael, has taken place in north london. His publicist said it was a small ceremony attended by family and friends. They thanked fa ns family and friends. They thanked fans around the world for messages of support. He was found in oxfordshire on Christmas Day last yearin oxfordshire on Christmas Day last year in his home. Commemorations has been held at westminster and new scotla nd been held at westminster and new Scotland Yard for the victims of last weeks attack when a car driven to pedestrians killing three people before a Police Officer was stabbed in front of parliament. We report. A calm and quiet show of strength on Westminster Bridge as they were here to show respect for those who lost their lives, and 75 year old london eye, a teacher, who was described by herfamily as eye, a teacher, who was described by her family as the coolest of mothers lost in a cruel and cowardly way, and could cochrane from america, the first to be struck by a vehicle. Kurt. As he was hit, he was thrown from the bridge. Today his family visited the place where he fell. Their anguish and visited the place where he fell. Theiranguish and pain visited the place where he fell. Their anguish and pain was so obvious. But they had wanted to come here and to do so together. But exactly 2a0, the moment the attack began a week ago, the familyjoined others whose lives changed forever last wednesday. They included andre from romania who suffered a Broken Footin from romania who suffered a broken foot in the attack, and his girlfriend, andrea, who plunged into the river thames as she was hit by a car. She remains in hospital in a critical but stable condition. Walking with the families, a group of schoolgirls carrying a message of peace. Faith groups speaking out against terrorism. Looking on medical staff from st thomas hospital, many of whom rushed to the scene last week. Many were here in silence and solidarity. Silence. Their memories will have been particularly raw in the Police Office ranks, who lost one of their rain. Pc keith palmer was killed on the grounds of Parliament Despite desperate efforts to save him. Of their own. In new Scotland Yard the talked about his sacrifice. This afternoon is about remembering the victims of last weeks event. Our thoughts and prayers go out to eve Ryo Ne Thoughts and prayers go out to everyone who was affected by the events last week. It was a moment of calm after the chaos here of exactly one week ago. It was also a united front against the horror and the violence of the attack. Today, inquests opened into the deaths of four of those killed. This afternoon, though, was about an act of remembrance, a chance for londoners to stand together. Daniela relph, bbc news, Westminster Bridge. A look at the front pages in a moment with our two reviewers, but first, a look at the weather forecast. Some warm weather on the way for some of us some warm weather on the way for some of us tomorrow. Some warm weather on the way for some of us tomorrow. In order to get high temperatures, we need some sunshine. Warm and clear air is moving north. It eventually should head into some of england and wales. Cloud around and further rain. Heavier rain going north across scotland. Patchy rain moving to the south west, threatening the south east of england, heading into the midlands. A lot of cloud and mild for this time of year, 11 12. Cooler in the north of scotland. During the day, a warmer day than it has been in these for some time because of southerly winds. Rain coming across the irish sea and the south west of scotland. Wet in dumfries and galloway. You can see that most of the wet weather is actually over the irish sea. A bit of rain first being heading across the south west of wales, the midlands, towards lincolnshire. That should not last too long. This bright weather already in the south east will push north as the wet weather retreats north across wales and the north west of england into the southern half of scotland. Most of the rain will sit over the irish sea. That allows it to become bright and warm with some sunshine in much of england and wales. That could boost the temperature to 22 degrees or so across the south east, making it the warmest day of the year so far. Making it the warmest day of the yearso far. Rain making it the warmest day of the year so far. Rain on friday, though. Most of it is near the low pressure which has gone towards scotland and away from Northern Ireland and Wales And West england. The rain behind it is weak. Little or no rain towards the south east. Fresher air behind that with some sunshine, it should be quite nice in the afternoon. The weekend has two halves. Some sunshine to be quite warm. Some showers around as well. Slow moving. It could be heavy. Winds not strong. After that, what we find is a ridge of High Pressure that builds in pushing away showers on saturday night. Quite chilly on saturday night. Quite chilly on saturday night. Different to the night. Weather fronts being night. Different to the night. Weatherfronts being kept at night. Different to the night. Weather fronts being kept at bay. Night. Different to the night. Weatherfronts being kept at bay. A dry and brighter day. Some sunshine around. Feeling pleasant in the sunshine with light winds. Top temperatures, 16 17