In the brexit negotiations should accelerate in the months ahead, according to a joint Statement Issued tonight by theresa may and the president of the European Commission jean claude juncker. They held talks over dinner in brussels this evening in readiness for the crucial european summit which takes place later this week. Tonights statement talked of a constructive and friendly atmosphere despite all the recent talk of deadlock and growing tensions between the two sides, as our europe editor katya adler reports from brussels. Great expectations of the Prime Ministers dinner in brussels were a little one sided. The European Commission is theresa mays latest stop, in a month long Charm Offensive across europe. Pressure from home demands she wrangles concessions from the eu, moving asap to stage two of brexit negotiations on trade and transition deals. But that is unlikely to happen tonight. We do not know exactly what will be on the menu in there, but probably a main helping of polite conversation with a side dish of awkwardness. The eu has made clear that it does not regard a private dinner as a forum for brexit negotiations. They see this visit as symbolic, even a pr exercise, trying to convince eu countries and the British Public that she is in the driving seat and she means business. Or hopefully makes more headway than during the last dinner date with Eu Commission chief jean claude juncker. Back in april, it began all smiling but ended in mutual mudslinging. At least the foreign secretary was on message today. At a meeting of eu Foreign Ministers in luxembourg. We think in the uk it is time to get on with these negotiations. It is for the great ship to go down the slipway and into the open sea and for us to start some serious conversations about the future. But as time ticked by during the Prime Ministers dinner, little progress of that sort was made, at least thats been disclosed. At the end, there were kisses of au revoirfrom the Eu Commission chief, but no promises of trade talks. No press conference either. Instead, this bland joint press statement. The Prime Minister and the president of the Eu Commission reviewed the progress made in the article 15 negotiations over, and agreed these efforts should accelerate over the months to come. As she headed out of brussels, theresa mays face said it all. She wants talks to accelerate now. So why wont the eu budge . Reports in london, denied by berlin, suggests some eu countries are willing but powerful germany says no. I think this is completely nonsense. The Brexit Debate in germany is in the background because we have had elections three weeks ago. I am sorry, but it is not all of europe circling around the uk. Tonight, brussels insists the eu speaks with one voice. The earliest transition and trade talks can start it says is in the new year. Uk points to progress already made an brexit, but the eu wants more, on money. Hurricane force winds have hit many parts of ireland as one of the most powerful storms in decades sweeps across the british isles. Storm ophelia has claimed the lives of three people in the irish republic, and around 360,000 homes and businesses have been without electricity. An amber weather warning, indicating a potential risk to life and property, has been in force in northern ireland, many parts of wales, south west scotland, and the isle of man. 0ur correspondent Chris Buckler reports. From the atlantic, 0phelia arrived in force. No longer a hurricane, but a storm still determined to show her power. Severe weather warnings were in place across ireland and homes, cars, even stadiums were no match for the winds. This roof was torn from a school in county cork amid what the Irish Government repeatedly called a national emergency. This is a national red alert. It applies to all cities, all counties and all areas. Also bear in mind, that even after the storm has passed, there will still be dangers. Galway was in the direct path. Here many listened to the appeals for people to stay inside. In the city centre most shops stayed shut because of the storm. But in galway bay, even with 0phelia approaching, some ignored all the warnings to go swimming. Thats the type of idiot that will put somebodys life at risk and wasting the resources of the Emergency Services that should be somewhere else at the same time. Lives have been lost as a result of fallen trees. And the challenges posed by this extreme weather has been obvious. Its no surprise that many flights into and out of ireland were cancelled today. We are keeping a little bit of a distance. But even at this point, you can really feel the sheer power of 0phelia. And its quite impressive. But it gives you a sense of why the authorities have been so concerned about these winds. They are going to cause a lot of damage and indeed destruction. Power lines have been brought down across the island leaving hundreds of thousands of homes without electricity. With this number of customers out its unprecedented. Its going to be a number of days before people have their power back. About 5 of customers, it will be up to ten days before they have their power back. The strong winds were felt along britains west coast too. In wales, roads and railways were closed amid gusts that reached speeds of up to 90 mph. It was a sight which some had to see and experience for themselves. Its spectacular. Are you not mad being out in it . I love big weather. Watching big seas, ijust love it. 0phelia has left much to clean up and repair. Tomorrow, for a second day, schools right across this island will remain closed. The aftermath of a storm thats tested ireland. Chris buckler, bbc news, galway. 0ne one man has died and two others injured ina one man has died and two others injured in a stabbing outside Parsons Green tube station. The metropolitan police say the incident is not a terrorist attack and no arrests have been made. Thousands of civilians are fleeing the iraqi city of kirkuk after the iraqi army seized control of the city from kurdish forces. Kurdish fighters, known as peshmerga, have been in control of the city since 2014 when iraqi forces fled in the face of an advance by so called islamic state. The city lies in a region claimed by both the kurds and the Iraqi Government and is outside the autonomous kurdish region in the north of iraq. Last month kurds voted overwhelmingly for independence, provoking the Iraqi Government to send in troops. 0ur middle east correspondent 0rla guerin and cameraman duncan stone have sent this report from kirkuk. Pledging to defend kirkuk. Peshmerga fighters began the day with defiance but this small band was no match for tanks. Nor were the locals armed with whatever came to hand. We lost 2000 men fighting is, he says. We are not afraid of the iraqi Prime Minister. But thats not how it looked, deep in the city. A checkpoint on the outskirts, now a tense new front line. The kurds, who fought is with iraqi forces, now fearing an attack by theirformer allies. Locals said they were closing in. Shia militia units linked to the Iraqi Government, out of sight behind these buildings. Then this. Gunfire. We had to scramble for cover. We have suddenly had to pull back. There was a sustained outburst of gunfire at the position of the head. We cannot be sure where it came from but it seemed to be coming ahead of us, from positions where we were told there were Iraqi Military forces. In the last few seconds, we have heard gunfire up ahead. As kirkuk slipped out of kurdish hands, an exodus began. Desperate civilians heading north towards the autonomous kurdish region. Many eager to escape the feared shia militias. It looked like the city was emptying before our eyes. We met peshmerga volunteers heading to kirkuk, asking why the world had abandoned the kurds again. The kurds have been betrayed one more time. The world is just silent when it comes to the kurds. It is not fair. This lone fighter arrived to help. All he could do was try to organise the retreat. But he insisted last months independence vote by the kurds was the right move, though it angered baghdad, and triggered all this. By evening, an iraqi victory parade. There is an ethnic mix in the city, and some locals welcomed the troops. But the winner here may be the so called islamic state, whose enemies in iraq are now fighting each other. It has been declared that rack is now under the control of western forces. Searches continue the is fighters, it is for a few dozen remain near the stadium. The official declaration that the city has been recaptured its expected in the next few days. Is expected in the next few days. Is expected in the next few days. Wildfires have claimed the lives of at least 35 people in northern and central portugal. After months of drought, blazes have devastated regions. The irish writer and comedian sean hughes has died in hospital at the age of 51. He is perhaps best remembered as a team captain on the bbc. He was the youngest ever winner of the edinburgh comedy Festival Awards in 1990. Lets have a quick look now, the front pages. Red october says the front pages. Red october says the metro as the countrys skies changed colour due to hurricane had 0phelia dragging in tropical error along with dust from the sahara and debris from fires in spain and portugal. Rage of 0phelia leads the eye as the storm battered parts of britain with strong winds and waves to the times records that new peerages will have a 15 year time limit undera plan peerages will have a 15 year time limit under a plan to shrink the house of lords. The mirror reports on the royal mail, claiming shareholders are paid half £1 million a day. The guardian says theresa mays attempts to open talks ona theresa mays attempts to open talks on a transition period are doomed to fail as brussels hardens its approach to the express says the chancellor has been warned to give up chancellor has been warned to give upa chancellor has been warned to give up a budget plan that would raid pensions to fund tax relief for young voters. And the Financial Times records a new dawning in science as research s record a thats a summary of the news, newsday is coming up at midnight now on bbc news its time for newsnight. This is going to be a tremendous success, tremendous success. Well. At least he has a paddle. As the foreign secretary heads up the creek, theresa may heads to brussels. Tonight, already talk of accelarating the brexit talks. Mark urban is there. Last time theresa may and jean claudejuncker had dinner, his people accused her of living in a parallel universe. Ive been finding out how it went tonight. Also tonight, do your kids deserve a tax break more than you lot . Now the chancellor is looking to win back the youth vote by putting money in their pockets. Guess what these two think about that. And this. You just come back. You come all the way back. As themes of race, poverty and patriotism dominate america, we talk to mary] blige and director dee rees about their mississippi period movie, mudbound. How much has america changed since the 19a0s . I thought that things had changed. When i saw president 0bama, when he was located, that day, i saw a separation. When he was elected. They showed people over here hearing and then they showed another side that was very piseed off. Cheering. Good evening. The Prime Ministers dinner in brussels downing street insisted today had been in the diary for weeks
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