That she was determined to use brexit as an opportunity to build a global britain, with new Trade Alliances across the world. Our Political Editor Laura Kuenssberg is in Downing Street tonight. She has the latest. In the last few moments number ten has released images of theresa may putting her name to the letter that will formally begin this process. She will go down as the tory occu pa nt of she will go down as the Tory Occupant of the building behind me who pushed the button on the process of extricating ourselves from the institution the European Union, with Which Britain has had such a complex and sometimes tortured relationship with for more than four decades. That institution that has infuriated and inspired this, divided public and inspired this, divided public and political opinion and ultimately been rejected by the decision of the british people. But in the coming yea rs british people. But in the coming years it will notjust be her cou nterpa rts years it will notjust be her counterparts around the European Union table that she has to negotiate with this, it of course will be with these sentiments, the hopes and fears of voters hear that she has to deal. Thats one of the reasons why in the last few days shes been in different parts of the country, yesterday in scotland and today in birmingham, because as this process gets under way, shes well aware of how her political fortunes will be decided this by whether she succeeds or fails. The will be decided this by whether she succeeds orfails. The promise will be decided this by whether she succeeds or fails. The promise of this trigger was made many months ago, but now the moment itself is almost here. Nine months of careful assembly, plenty of preparation, and attention to detail. The decisions that have been taken will affect all our lives and livelihoods, and her political future. Banging the drum for trade with the gulf, the Prime Minister wants to reach out. Tomorrow we begin the negotiations to secure a new deep and special partnership with the European Union. As we do so, i am determined that we should also sees this historic opportunity to get out into the world. But theres a job at home to do, too. Here in birmingham, voters favoured leaving the eu but were split almost down the middle. Never mind for now, negotiating with more than two dozen other countries, the referendum divided opinion here, notjust between north and south, or town and country, or even constituency and constituency, but sometimes street by street. In this part of birmingham on this side of the road, the harborne council ward, where nearly 70 of people voted to remain, but on the other side of the road, the quinton ward, where there was a very clear verdict the other way round. In the next two years, theresa may must try to seal her deal with voters everywhere who wanted very different things. Others, like mike wheeler, a businessman, have even changed their mind in the last few months. Ministers want to keep people on side, but we brought mike and a group of businesses together to ask how. Since the referendum, what weve seen is not what we expected, which was a massive crash of the economy and high levels of unemployment coming through. Our sales have increased locally, our Exports Sales have increased and our Employment Levels have increased. So we havent seen what we expected, so that gives me a lot of confidence. We should finish the year much better than i thought we were going to finish. However, do i think uncertainty has gone away . Absolutely not. I think its here to stay and any false move by anyone in the government, really, could bring that back, just like that. Lets get on with it. We can all do this, we can all do it together and were on the right trip together. I am bothered by short term damage that can be done now, and which will be very hard for the government to manage through policy. Im optimistic about the future from what ive seen and its fair to say that our members are cautiously optimistic about the future. Were seeing lots of our members continue to invest, continue to take advantage of the low pound, the exchange rates, etc. So for exporters its been a real boon. Yet, even from the looks on theirfaces, these prominent remainers are far less convinced. I worry that she will be pushed into a corner a little bit by the hard brexiteers, who will be reluctant to give an inch. With the Prime Minister almost ready to start a long and complicated process, the final product still looks unclear. But, however she fares, the shape of the country is being recast. Laura kuenssberg, bbc news, birmingham. The people of scotland have the right to choose between brexit or becoming an independent country. That was the First Ministers message, as the Scottish Parliament formally requested a second referendum on independence. Nicola sturgeon warned that it would be Democratically Indefensible for westminster to stand in the way. Our scotland editor sarah smith is in edinburgh tonight. The stage is now set for a constitutional stand off between the First Minister here in edinburgh and the Prime Minister in london. Whats already a tense and rather confrontational relationship will only get worse when theresa may tells Nicola Sturgeon there cant be another referendum possibly for several years to come. Cheering jubilant excitement as supporters heard the Scottish Parliament had just voted for a referendum. Tears of joy today, but disappointment will follow. Theyre shouting, yes, the Prime Minister will soon tell them, no, there will not be a vote. I call on Nicola Sturgeon. Earlier, the debate suspended after last weeks Terror Attack in westminster resumed. Scotlands future should be in scotlands hands. That is what this debate is about, the future of our country, how we best harness our potential as a country and overcome the challenges that we face. Is she going to spend the next two years and 100 of her time campaigning for scotland to leave the uk, at the expense of governing or will she roll up her sleeves from today and seek to secure more powers for this parliament when theyre returned from brussels to britain . Independence debates always excite passion and confrontation. We are sick of it and most people in scotland have had enough too, because this Parliament Needs to and must focus on the priorities of the people of this country and it is not the time to be sidetracked by yet more unnecessary division. So i wont take any lessons from the First Minister because actually sit down precisely nothing changed yesterday. I think ive answered the First Ministers question. The result was never really in doubt, as the greens voted with the snp. The motion as amended is, therefore, agreed. Applause. The First Minister can now formally ask theresa may for an independence vote. I hope the United Kingdom government will respect the view of parliament. This is simply about giving people in scotland a choice. We agree that now is not the right time for that choice, but that choice should be available to people in scotland when the terms of brexit are clear. So ill look forward to discussions in the weeks ahead. Nicola sturgeon knows that theresa may is going to refuse to allow another scottish referendum, so why bother asking for one at all . Well, the tories say its all part of a well rehearsed game from the snp, where they put forward proposals to westminster they know will be rejected, and then react with Righteous Indignation when they are. Rejecting holyroods request for a referendum is a risk, but thats exactly what the uk government will do. The Prime Ministers made her position very clear, 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 unfair on the people of scotland. The danger for the uk government is that saying no could backfire and stir up support for independence, but they firmly believe most scottish voters dont want another referendum and will accept now is not the time. Nicola sturgeon said that she wants to discuss the timing of another referendum but you cant negotiate with someone who wont speak to you. So what happens now . The Scottish Government will try and paint the Prime Minister as in trenchant, trying to stir up this resentment among scottish voters but number ten know that is a risk and that is why they are very carefully not saying no to another vote, not saying never this, but a very firmly saying now is not the time. Sarah, once again, thank you. Sarah smith with the latest at holyrood. Back to laura in Downing Street in a moment, but first to our europe editor katya adler brussels. The letter to be delivered tomorrow, to be hand delivered tomorrow, the response in brussels will be what . Look, this is a huge moment for the eu. Up until now this is a union thatis eu. Up until now this is a union that is only ever been growing, with European Countries east north, south, east and west knocking the door and asking to be let in. Now one of its most influential members is banging at that door demanding to be let out. This is a huge blow this, but mix without regret at seeing britain go is a growing sense of determination here that any new deal has to be in the eus interests. So as soon as the uks letter arrives here tomorrow, the eu will roll up its metaphorical sleeves. Yes, it says it wants to keep a close and friendly relationship with the uk, it says it doesnt want to punish britain, but these will be complex and tough negotiations. Any eurocrat i speak to believe that the governments aim to believe that the governments aim to get this divorce deal plus a brand new trade deal within the two yea rs brand new trade deal within the two years allowed brand new trade deal within the two yea rs allowed by brand new trade deal within the two years allowed by article 50 is simply unrealistic, they say. Of course, the European Commission will be the lead negotiator for the eus side but any big eu decisions will be taken by the european capitals, the other remaining 27 states. Big countries, germany and france have elections in the next months and that means no significant brexit steps will probably be taken before the autumn, and the clock starts ticking tomorrow. Indeed. Thank you. To Downing Street. The clock will start ticking and i wonder what is your sense of the mindset within government now, as we approach this very, very big moment . I think very, very determined but also in all truth apprehensive, not surprisingly, really. Ithink also in all truth apprehensive, not surprisingly, really. I think its worth reflecting, given weve been inside this partnership for more than four decades, it is quite remarkable that even not that long ago in the big picture, miss street, even the idea of a referendum taking place was not taken that seriously, alone if the idea of the country would vote to leave. But theresa may, who started out a remainder now finds herself in this position and tomorrow she will promise fiercely, tomorrow she will promise fiercely, to use her word, to try and get a deal that will be in the best interests of every Single Person in the country. Thats quite a tall order, not least because in recent months the divisions have been profound and the pitfalls of the next two years, the pitfalls, even the ones that we know about, are many, complicated and very difficult to deal with. Many, complicated and very difficult to dealwith. Laura, we will talk again, im sure. A royal marine who shot dead a wounded taliban fighter in afghanistan, has been given a 7 yearjail sentence but is expected to be freed within weeks. Alexander blackman has already spent half that time in prison, after being originally found guilty of murder. That conviction was quashed on appeal, and replaced with manslaughter earlier this month. Our correspondent Duncan Kennedy reports. Cheering it was the news fellow marines had been waiting four years to hear. And, moments later, their euphoria was shared in the reaction of Alexander Blackmans wife. We are overjoyed at the judges decision to significantly reduce our sentence, such that he can be released imminently. This is the moment weve all been fighting hard for. Its hard to believe that this day is finally here. As a marine sergeant, Alexander Blackman had been a decisive, accomplished leader of troops, someone whod killed 30 times for his country. But on this tour of afghanistan, in 2011, he and his men went through what was called a tour from hell. They were provoked and violently targeted incessantly by the taliban. In this field, they found an injured taliban insurgent, Sergeant Blackman was recorded saying this anybody want to do first aid on this idiot . He then pointed his gun at the insurgent. Shot fire. He then added. In 2013, Sergeant Blackman was found guilty of murder, a decision that angered thousands of military colleagues. But earlier this month, that conviction was reduced to manslaughter because new evidence showed the mental strains on him had badly impaired his judgment. So today his sentence was reduced to seven years, meaning he can be freed from this prison in wiltshire some time in the next two weeks. And while his supporters are delighted, the judges did stress that Alexander Blackman did break the Geneva Convention and that his actions could be used as propaganda by insurgents to show that British Values are no different to anybody elses. Claire blackman is nowjust a few days away from being reunited with her husband, but although she and their supporters see this as a day of justice, the message from the judges is clear killing in war must always be covered by the rule of law. Duncan kennedy, bbc news, in wiltshire. The principal us commander leading the fight against so called Islamic State in iraq said today that Coalition Forces were probably involved in the deaths of civilians during recent bombings in the city of mosul. General Stephen Townsend said an investigation was under way and suggested that is might also be to blame. Our middle east editor, jeremy bowen, reports now from the frontline with the iraqi army, in Western Mosul, where civilians continue to flee. Once their identities were checked, they were allowed to move away from they were allowed to move away from the war zone. It was first light and the war zone. It was first light and the children were hungry, tired and bewildered. Theyd been waiting to bewildered. Theyd been waiting to be processed since they crossed from is controlled mosul around 11. 00pm last night. Everyone was exhausted. This woman wanted to escape with her husband and four children. Translation it was hell. They are war criminals. They are not muslims and dont connect them to islam. But she said the shelling and air strikes were not justifiably. She said the shelling and air strikes were notjustifiably. Theyd spent their last day at home burying neighbours, family and friend theyd dug from the rubble. In thes last 2a hours, 2,000 people have used this road alone to escape is, nearly 250,000 have fled in the last five weeks. At least they got out, others are kept as human shields. Mosul has been broken by war, to smash the ambition of Islamic State. We drove through streets ta ken ambition of Islamic State. We drove through streets taken back from is in the last few days. The jihadis seized mosul in 2014 posing aing as the leaders of sunni muslims. They imposed a nightmare. This man was 50 meters from an is sniper. It was a street battle. We advanced in teams from house to house. The area is very aggressive, using snipers and car bombs. Fighting in a Built Up Area is the toughestjob a soldier can do. Casualties are inevitable. Mosul is a big city which makes it worse. Both sides are moving along passages knocked through walls because open ground is dangerous. Through homes whose owners left in a hurry. Dresses still hung in a cupboard. The Command Centre was in the living room. Translation the fighting has become room to room, not house to house. They are surrounded. Either they fight or surrender. They are not surrendering. Its close quarter combat. He had two Hand Grenades ready. Could heavy air strikes help them . Is theyre politically difficult, especially now the americans say their coalition probably killed at least 150 civilians. This fight is every bit as hard and slow and difficult as was predicted. Gunfire. But these soldiers seem capable and are pushing forward, theyre determined. Their enemies are around 20 meters away. Translation they are mainly french and saudis. When we kill them we find their identity cards. Now civilians, when they can, queue for handouts. On this street they said its better than when jihadists came here to build their caliphate, to start a war, to supersede islamic countries. And iraqis absorb more pain. That was the latest in a series of special reports on the fierce fighting in Western Mosul and indeed the plight of so many civilians there with our middle east editor, jeremy bowen. A brief look at some of the days other news stories the wife of the westminster attacker, khalid masood, has said she is saddened and shocked by her husbands actions. In a statement through police, rohey hydara expressed her condolences to the families of the dead and wished a Speedy Recovery to those injured. Unions have criticised as derisory a 1 pay increase for Public Sector workers. The government accepted the recommendations of pay review bodies. But unison said seven years of pay freezes and caps were Demoralising Workers and harming recruitment. Tesco, britains biggest retailer, has agreed to pay a fine of £129 million plus costs following a two year investigation by the Serious Fraud office into false accounting. The agreement, if approved by a crown court, Will Mean Tesco avoids prosecution for inflating its profits by millions of pounds in 2014. The Crown Prosecution Service is reviewing its options in the case of a man who walked free from court after admitting hitting his wife with a cricket bat. Mustafa bashir was given a suspended sentence by a judge at Manchester Crown court last week. Thejudge has been criticised by campaigners for questioning the vulnerability of bashirs victim as our correspondent, judith moritz, reports. Mustafa bashir claimed he was a promising cricketer on the verge of a professional career. In fact, he was an abusive husband who hit his wife with a bat and forced her to drink bleach. He was given an 18 month suspended sentence. Judge Richard Mansell qc said he wasnt convinced that the victim was particularly vulnerable and that she was plainly an intelligent woman who managed to hold down a job as a receptionist, had friends and went to university. Those remarks and the sentence have attracted strong criticism. Weve got to now see if this can be reviewed. Im writing to the attorney general, to the justice secretary. In a case like this, when the sentence, but the comments, are so wide of what society expects, the judge really has to question himself about what kind of retraining he needs. Ive spoken to mustafa bashirs ex wife at her request, the bbc isnt naming her she told me that shes disappointed with the judges comments about her vulnerability, and that she feels shes a strong and confident woman because of what shes been through. Bashir told the court hed lose a professional contract with Leicestershire County Cricket Club if he was jailed, the club denies all knowledge of him. Thejudge had taken his career into consideration as well as following guidelines which cover the victims vulnerability. Its difficult forjudges when seeking to determine whether a particular victim is more vulnerable than other victims and i think thats where perhaps the guidelines could do better. This situation, sadly, isnt particularly unusual. The Crown Prosecution Service is considering its options. Mustafa bashir could yet find himself back before the court if his sentence is reviewed. Judith moritz, bbc news, manchester. President trump has signed a new Executive Order reversing many of Barack Obamas efforts to limit Global Warming. The order is meant to boost employment in Americas Energy business, lifting a moratorium on the development of new coal fields. President trump has in the past called Global Warming a hoax and has repeatedly promised to help the struggling us coal industry. As our north america editor, jon sopel, reports. The coal industry was beginning to look like an Endangered Species in the us under barack obama, but if President Trump has his way, coal will soon be king again, and today he signed a raft of measures reversing the policies of his predecessor. 0k. My administration is putting an end to the war on coal. Were going to have clean coal, really clean coal. With todays executive action, i am taking historic steps to lift the restrictions on american energy, to reverse Government Intrusion and to canceljob killing regulations. The new measures will undo the Clean Power Plan rules aimed at reducing carbon emissions. It will lift a moratorium on the sale of new coal leases on federal land and scrap a limit on Greenhouse Emissions for construction of new power plants. No one can accuse the president of not being true to his word. So obamas talking about all of this with the global warm a lot of it is a hoax. Its a hoax. We are going to put our coal miners back to work. This is waynesburg, pennsylvania, a town that voted overwhelmingly for donald trump last november, in part down to his pledge to overturn obama era policies on energy. The colliery here shut down a year ago. Today, theres growing confidence their industry might be coming back. As of right now, mining is picking back up. I do believe that mining is going to pick up and everybodys going to get theirjob back. Around this area, mining is picking back up. But environmental campaigners are aghast and wonder where it but environmental campaigners are aghast and wonder where it leaves the paris Climate Change agreement that president obama committed the us to in december 2015. 73 of americans believe that Climate Change is real and that the government should act and lead on it. So mr trumps in the minority. If mr trump does not honour the paris deal, he willjoin a very small club that includes syria, nicaragua nicaragua and uzbekistan. But the president wants to remove regulations that get in the way of these american jobs. In essence, the president wants oil men to be able to drill and miners to be able to dig. But the reason so many pits shut down wasnt because of regulation it was because they had become uneconomic as consumers moved to cheaper, cleaner forms of fuel and its hard to see how the signing of an Executive Order changes that. Jon sopel, bbc news, washington. Tributes have been paid to the South African campaigner against apartheid, ahmed kathrada, who has died at the age of 87. He was a friend and close associate of Nelson Mandela and was imprisoned with him, spending more than a quarter of a century behind bars. President jacob zuma has said he will be given a state funeral. So tonight, in Downing Street, a letter has been signed by theresa may and tomorrow it will be delivered by hand to the president of the european council, a letter that will lead to the most far reaching changes in britains relationship with its european neighbours in nearly half a century. The circumstances in which we joined the common market, as it was called, back in 1973, are barely recognisable today and the Brexit Process raises questions, not just about britains future, but also about the future of the European Union. As allan little reports. For the founding six, the european project was notjust about trade or even prosperity, it was an act of National Redemption for they had suffered not just war, but dictatorship, crushing Military Defeat and foreign occupation. Britain had not. It had not seen foreign flags flying above its citadels. It did not need a new europe on which to rebuild a shattered democracy. For the british, it was too early five years after the end of the Second World War it was too early to conceive, to accept this project of giving equality of power to germany, essentially. So, at first, britain didntjoin. Is europe stronger with britain a member . Yes. And when it did, in 1973, Itjoined For Trade and not much more. For now the empire, on whose Trade British prosperity had depended for centuries, was gone. Mrs thatcher, now thought of as the most eurosceptic of Prime Ministers, took britain deeper into europe than any other leader when she signed the Single European Act in 1986. That created a Single Market free, borderless trade across the continent, thatcherism on a european scale, she called it. But in the optimism of the age, the fall of the berlin wall and the reunification of germany, europe was tricked by a misplaced certainty in which the seeds of todays crisis were sown. First, expansion to the east lifted half a continent out of communism,