this is bbc news broadcasting in the uk and around the globe, i'm anita mcveigh. our top stories... the vatican says pope francis is spending a few days in hospital to be treated for a respiratory infection. the uk government releases plans to cut greenhouses gases but opponents criticise the lack of new investment. king charles arrives at the german bundestag as part of his first state visit as monarch, he'll become the first british sovereign to address germany's parliament. and one of the biggest creatures ever to walk the earth, a patagotitan dinosaur is about to go on show at the natural history museum in london.

hello and welcome to bbc news. the vatican says pope francis has spent a good night in hospital after being admitted with a respiratory infection. a spokesman said he had been experiencing breathing difficulties, but they also confirmed he was not suffering from covid. the bbc�*s davide ghiglione is outside the hospital in rome. a spokesperson informed journalists that he spent a peaceful night at the hospital. so his condition remains stable at the moment. the vatican is trying to reassure journalists, people and catholics all over the world. according to italian news agency ansa, the pope should be discharged within the next couple of days.

and he should be able to celebrate next sunday's mass. everybody knows at the vatican that the pope has been particularly weak over the last couple of months. we do know already that he was forced to use a wheelchair. so it could be quite tiring for him even if he is able to attend all the ceremonies and easter celebrations. we can get more with ruth gledhill, assistant editor of the tablet, an international catholicjournal. thank you very much for your time today. the pope has been suffering from a number of ailments and health issues for a while now. how concerned is the catholic community about this? ~ ., , ., , about this? well, the pope has alwa s about this? well, the pope has always been — about this? well, the pope has always been very _ about this? well, the pope has always been very open - about this? well, the pope has always been very open about . about this? well, the pope has. always been very open about his health, so naturally when something like this happens, a sudden admission to hospital that was not expected just before the busiest

week of the church's year, then naturally that does raise concerns. in fact, even presidentjoe biden in america has been discussing it in a meeting he had with argentine president alberto fernandez yesterday, and they are both very concerned about it. i think we can take from that as read that the whole catholic world is concerned. however, it is very reassuring news, as we just heard, the agency reported a few hours ago that he had a very good night and the nursing staff at the hospital are incredibly optimistic that he should be out of hospital in time for the beginning of the very hectic holy week schedule which starts on sunday, palm sunday. i5 schedule which starts on sunday, palm sunday-— palm sunday. is it too much to exect palm sunday. is it too much to exeect the _ palm sunday. is it too much to expect the pontiff, _ palm sunday. is it too much to expect the pontiff, he - palm sunday. is it too much to expect the pontiff, he is - palm sunday. is it too much to expect the pontiff, he is 86, i palm sunday. is it too much to expect the pontiff, he is 86, if| palm sunday. is it too much to i expect the pontiff, he is 86, if he does get out of hospital in time for one of the busiest periods in the churchmy calendar to fully participate in all of those masses and other events?—

participate in all of those masses and other events? pope francis knows what he's capable _ and other events? pope francis knows what he's capable of— and other events? pope francis knows what he's capable of and _ and other events? pope francis knows what he's capable of and we _ and other events? pope francis knows what he's capable of and we mustn't i what he's capable of and we mustn't forget that shortly after his election he did sign resignation letter and said that if he became unable to carry on for health reasons or other reasons, then he would step down. so the pope has always been a really realistic, but he likes being pope, he is very good at it, and i think he will carry on. he does believe that you are pope for life. i think it would have to get much worse than it is now for him to step down as a result of something like this. however, it is possible he will find a way, or people around him will find a way to reduce some of the more hectic aspects of the coming schedule. but we mustn't forget he will do it all in a wheelchair, he has been in a wheelchair for a year now because he had got a problem with one of his knees and he does not want that to be operated on. he has been actually

working with a football team, coaching a football team, doing some physio and stuff like that, and there has been improvement in that knee. so he is on top of his health really, we can say that. we should see this hospital admission at the moment as an example of him being on top of his health rather than an example of him being frail and about to not but do very well at all. he was asked _ to not but do very well at all. he was asked under what circumstances would he decide it was time to step down and he said if he was suffering from a tiredness that does not let him see clearly, or a lack of clarity about how to evaluate situations. looking at this from the flip side of the coin, with the catholic community be better served by someone who wasn't suffering from a number of health conditions? does the role demand someone who is physically fitter? he the role demand someone who is physically fitter?— physically fitter? he is the third po -e now physically fitter? he is the third pepe now who _ physically fitter? he is the third pope now who we _ physically fitter? he is the third

pope now who we have - physically fitter? he is the third pope now who we have seen i physically fitter? he is the third - pope now who we have seen suffering frailty, can we put it like that, towards the end of their lives. i think questions will be asked, but not during the time of this pope. but i am sure that when eventually the church is looking for another pope that people will think about how to deal with this issue. however, mentally he is very robust still. you mentioned that word clarity and that is a very important word. there is no question that he still has very high acuity, so his physical discomforts are not affecting his mental clarity at all and he has got this very intense programme that he has embarked upon of the worldwide synod. there are two big meetings of the synod of bishops coming up later this year and next year. there is a big programme. we have had the listening process with the worldwide church, then there have been the continental

meetings that have just finished. documents from those are coming in. the next stage is discernment, so the synod process is an advisory body to the pope, when he will decide if and how the church needs to be reformed and what can be done with policy decisions in rome and what can be done on the ground. many churches are instituting reforms they can do without the policy change, so he has got this big programme that he is very passionately committed to. i wouldn't be surprised if we see a change in the papacy before that is true. . ., change in the papacy before that is true. ., ~ i. change in the papacy before that is true. . ~' ,, , change in the papacy before that is true. ., ~ i. , . change in the papacy before that is true. . ,, , . ., change in the papacy before that is true. ., ~ , . ., true. thank you very much for your thou~hts true. thank you very much for your thoughts on _ true. thank you very much for your thoughts on that _ true. thank you very much for your thoughts on that today. _ true. thank you very much for your thoughts on that today. the - thoughts on that today. the assistant editor of the catholic journal is tablet. at least 28 people have been killed and 230 rescued after a passenger ship caught fire on wednesday evening in the philippines. a coast guard said this happened in the southern province of basilan. the govenor there said many of those rescued had jumped off the mv lady maryjoy 3 in panic and were helped out of the sea

by the coast guard and the navy. the search and rescue effort is still under way for at least seven missing passengers. king charles has praised germany for its "extraordinary hospitality" towards ukrainian refugees during his first state visit as monarch. here he is being greeted by president scholz at the budestag. sorry, we don't have those pictures. but i can tell you that he was greeted by the german president olaf scholz at the bundestag parliament is a short while ago. the king's three—day tour with camilla, the queen consort, comes after a planned visit to france was cancelled following unrest in several cities. our royal correspondent, nick witchell reports. white tie and tiaras for the state banquet. but don't be too dazzled by all the diamonds and decorations. the first state visit of king charles�*s reign represents a serious mission set by the british government. the focus is europe, the setting is berlin, and the king's language

initially was german. es ist wunderbar, heute abend in so grosser gesellschaft zu sein. then in english, this commitment. throughout the time that is granted to me as king, i will do all i can to strengthen the connections between us. and this on ukraine. we stand side by side in protecting and advancing our shared democratic values. this is epitomised so clearly today as we stand together with ukraine in defense of freedom and sovereignty, in the face of unprovoked aggression. the king has already received the first ceremonial welcome at the brandenburg gate accorded to any state visitor to germany. a measure of the significance the germans attached to this visit. the underlying theme is the enduring

bond between two of europe's most important nations, links which continue despite the uk's withdrawal from the eu. later today, the king will become the first british monarch to address the german federal parliament and his message is expected to underline those many areas of shared endeavour, from trade to climate change to support for ukraine. nicholas witchell, bbc news in berlin. our berlin correspondent, jenny hill has been speaking to us. well, king charles has a very busy schedule today. in about half an hour, he will be meeting the german chancellor, olaf scholz. then he is going to a street market in berlin. he will presumably have a chat with some of the traders there. later he will be meeting ukrainian refugees at a reception centre here. many ukrainian people fled and are living temporarily here in germany. he will also visit a british—german military unit.

and much later on he will be off to something called an eco—village, which houses an organic farm where we are told he will try his hand at a cheesemaking. but all eyes at the moment are on the building behind me, the parliament, and at lunchtime king charles iii will become the first british monarch to address german mps in the chamber. and, jenny, what has the reaction been to his arrival yesterday and the events we saw at the brandenburg gate yesterday, in the german media and from the public? he has been very warmly and positively received. let's not forget this is his first state overseas visit as british monarch. he has not yet been crowned and the british government were very keen for him to come to mainland europe. he should have gone to france first on what was going to be a two—leg tour. instead he has come straight to germany. the british government wanted that

to happen because of the huge significance of having someone like king charles come to the heart of europe in a post—brexit world. this is all about rebuilding relationships post—brexit, about strengthening ties. and in king charles they have someone who not only knows germany very well, he has visited more than a0 times during the course of his lifetime, he also speaks german and appears to hold a real affection for the country. so he is extremely useful to the british government, able to exercise really significant and soft power. we saw that at a state banquet here last night. we saw how well he was received by the great and the good assembled there. actually, if you look at the guest list you saw figures from the world of science, the arts, entertainment and so on. by all accounts it was an extremely convivial event, not at all formal or stiff. king charles spoke in part

in german, he was cracking jokes, he had the room in stitches. at one point he told a joke that really only german people, people who know the country pretty well, would get. and in response, don't forget germany is also very keen to make sure those post—brexit ties are strengthened, he was presented by the german president with a photograph of himself as a very young teenager on his very first visit to germany accompanied by his father, the late duke of edinburgh. it must have been a very touching moment for him, but it shows, i think, on what a personal level this visit is being conducted. i think both the palace and the british government will be really quite thrilled at how it is going so far. let's just bring you live to central

berlin to a square, one of the city's main squares where king charles is visiting a fruit and vegetable market. this square is host to a number of street market several times a week, so this is one of the key opportunities for the public to see and potentially meet king charles on the state visit. and once he is finished here, he will go to the german parliament, to the bundestag, where the president of the parliament will receive king charles. the monarch will sign the guestbook there and then he will address the parliament, as we have been telling you today. this is one of the street markets in berlin. king charles is talking to some of the stallholders in the fruit and

veg market, meeting members of the public as well. as you heard from jenny hill in the last few moments, a very good reception for king charles and indeed the queen consort camilla on this the king's first state visit since becoming monarch. the government is aiming for the uk to have the cheapest electricity in europe by 2050. proposals being unveiled today want to cut emissions, whilst reducing the uk's reliance on importing expensive fossil fuels. here's our climate editor, justin rowlatt. the secretary of state for energy security and net zero was channeling his inner churchill when he announced his new plan. today, with putin weaponising energy across europe, our energy security has become critical. the plan gives more detail on how the government will cut emissions after it lost a legal challenge

by activists last summer. it was grant shapps who decided to locate it to a world war ii bunker and rebrand it as a battle for the country's energy security. i think it's the flip side of the same coin. so as you get to more renewables, including nuclear, you actually do decarbonise the whole energy economy. so it's really two parts of the same thing. but this is a massive investment today signalled by this powering up britain document with hundreds of pages of many, many different, hundreds of different policies, actually, in 1,000 pages orso. it will make a big difference to the way we power britain. the focus will be boosting renewable energy, mostly offshore wind and solar power, but there'll also be more of this. nuclear power. mr shapps says he wants a quarter of britain's electricity to come from atomic energy in future. and there'll also be an effort to boost hydrogen production and technologies to capture and permanently store carbon dioxide

emissions underground. the effort will, mr shapps claims, cut electricity prices, drive down greenhouse gas emissions and ensure the uk isn't dependent on autocrats like president putin for its energy. he says there'll be some new money for electric vehicle chargers and to boost the heat pump industry in the uk. and he says it will expand the effort to insulate draughty homes. but mr shapps admits his proposals will not help cut bills for most of us in the short run. some of the measures in the 1,000 page long plan are not new and labour's shadow climate and net zero secretary, ed miliband, has dismissed it as a groundhog day of re—announcements and reheated policy with no new investment. justin rowlatt, bbc news. earlier i spoke to the conservative mp chris skidmore. he launched a report setting out what the government must do to reach the uk's emissions target by 2050.

i began by asking him if he was happy with the government's response. well, i would say i wouldn't think of it as my review. the review listen to well over 2500 individuals, companies and businesses and the recommendations i may wear them telling me what needed to happen in order to see the real economic opportunity that net zero can provide the country. we are in a net zero race, we have seen the us introduce $369 billion in investment introduce $369 billion in investment in green technologies and we have seen the eu makes similar measures. if the uk can't keep up, we will fall behind on the net zero race and not demonstrate the climate leadership we had in the past. so, the government's response today to those thousands of companies, businesses, right across the uk who are saying we want to go further, we want to go faster, we need this

investment support, we need the certainty and clarity of the message... certainty and clarity of the message- - -_ certainty and clarity of the message... certainty and clarity of the messaue... ., ., �* message... you haven't held back in the ast message... you haven't held back in the past from _ message... you haven't held back in the past from criticising _ message... you haven't held back in the past from criticising other - the past from criticising other conservative mps who you believe are not doing enough to deal with the climate crisis. i not doing enough to deal with the climate crisis.— climate crisis. i believe it when it comes to looking _ climate crisis. i believe it when it comes to looking at _ climate crisis. i believe it when it comes to looking at the - climate crisis. i believe it when it comes to looking at the climate i comes to looking at the climate crisis it is notjust about 2050, it is about 2030. we have got to cut our emissions by over half if we want to limit global warming by 1.5 degrees. but i also see this as a massive opportunity for the uk for taking industrialised areas and helping to regenerate them. the review identified 480,000 new extra jobs that could be created if we want to ensure we put investment in green technology. i have no patience with anyone who claims that net zero will make us colder and poorer. it is the opposite, it will make us warmer and richer and we need to seize this opportunity because the

opportunity will go elsewhere. it will go to the united states or europe and we will miss out. i don't want us to miss out. i am determined to make sure that those who peddle disinformation about net zero, who claim it is some kind of ego project, that it is not possible, those voices need to be proved wrong. obviously we need to listen to their concerns and i met with my colleagues in the scrutiny group to talk about that, how we could achieve a more affordable transition, but in reality tackling the climate crisis and improving our economy go hand in hand. ichris economy go hand in hand. chris skidmore. _ economy go hand in hand. chris skidmore, mp. _ four bankers who helped a close friend of vladimir putin move millions of francs through swiss bank accounts have been convicted of lacking diligence in financial transactions. the financiers were found guilty of not doing enough to stop russian musician — the cellist sergei roldugin — launderfunds. our geneva correspondent, imogen faulks has more... all four of the bankers, who can't be named, but they are all former employees of the zurich branch of gazprombank, they have all been found guilty of what's called lack

of due diligence. that means that they failed to properly find out where the money that was being invested in their bank, many millions, had actually come from. was the person investing it, was it really theirs? thejudge said it couldn't have been. and the person who was investing it was this russian musician, a cellist, sergei roldugin, not with a big income, but he had many millions. also a close friend of vladimir putin, believed to be godfather to the russian president's daughter. so, the implication is this money might have been connected, if not to vladimir putin himself, to the now—sanctioned russian political establishment and that sergei roldugin, the musician, was acting as a strawman for mr putin or his close associates.

so, all found guilty. only seven months suspended sentences, the maximum they could have been sentenced to. so, not a lot, but very symbolic of how switzerland is kind of really reinforcing its laws around finance now. i was just about to ask you, what is the penalty for this? seven months seems like a pretty small sentence, lots of people would think. well, i mean, it is and it isn't. in the one sense, their crime was they didn't think it through enough to ask questions that bankers are supposed to ask. you know, they didn't knowingly, as far as we know, launder money. we have to be careful about that. but what they have been charged with is a lack of due diligence. that means theyjust didn't tick every box, so that is the maximum sentence.

they said in court, in their defence, please don't do this, we will never work again. so the implications are there as well for them. it is a seven months suspended sentence, but it is also completely the end of a career very likely in banking and certainly banking in switzerland. the high court in london is due to hear the final day of a high—profile trial against the publisher of the daily mail and mail online, associated newspapers, into allegations they invaded the privacy of several high profile individuals and celebrities including prince harry and elton john. i'm joined now by robin brant who is outside the high court for us. before we talk about today, perhaps you could briefly sum up what has happened so far in this case, robin. we have had celebrities, well—known names, turning up over the past few days. that isn't the case today. no

elton john, days. that isn't the case today. no eltonjohn, no prince harry so far, but proceedings have been going on for 25 minutes on court 76 in the building behind me. this is not yet a trial. this is an argument, a legal argument, a trial. this is an argument, a legalargument, between a trial. this is an argument, a legal argument, between lawyers representing the people who publish the daily mail and the claimants, including prince harry, doreen lawrence and five other people, about whether there is evidence about whether there is evidence about whether there is evidence about whether also the law allows for there to be a subsequent trial. this is legal argument that has been going on forfour days now in this is legal argument that has been going on for four days now in front of thejudge, mrjustice nick lane. at the very heart of this is allegations by that core group of seven people, based on evidence they say has only relatively recently come to light, allegations they say about illegal activities like surveillance, phone tapping, blagging, which is gaining private information against false pretense, going back to the beginning of the

19905. going back to the beginning of the 1990s. we have had phone hacking trial, we have got a trial involving mirror group newspapers, but the proceedings here today involve the people who published the daily mail and the mail online and a group of seven high—profile names. and it is legal arguments. that legal argument continues. on the one hand associated newspaper say this evidence has been leaked into the public domain because it was originally submitted for the levenson inquiry. that was over 12 years ago. lawyers of associated newspapers say there are laws covering what can happen to that kind of evidence and material. they also say there is a statute of limitations of seven years in which people are supposed to bring these proceedings and that period has passed. for prince harry, eltonjohn and doreen lawrence, they say the evidence is new and there is an overwhelming case anyway because they allege criminality. prince harry has gone as far as calling

some of the reporters on fleet street sadists. what we have inside is legal argument that continues and thejudge at some is legal argument that continues and the judge at some point will have to decide whether he thinks there is enough of a case, weight of evidence within the law to allow a trial. hope within the law to allow a trial. how cuickl within the law to allow a trial. how quickly will — within the law to allow a trial. how quickly will that _ within the law to allow a trial. how quickly will that decision happen? it is not going to be that quickly. we have heard evidence over a four—day period now and the judge will have to go away and consider much of that. these proceedings could take a long time and the expectation is that nothing will be decided quickly.— decided quickly. robin, thank you very much- _ a blood test which can detect cancer cells could result in thousands of bowel cancer patients not having to go through chemotherapy each year. the royal marsden hospital in london is leading the major trial, as our medical editor fergus walsh reports. the c—word is a big word to live with. it's a year since ben cooke was diagnosed with bowel cancer. i haven't taken a single day off work, which has been incredible.

after successful surgery, patients like ben are usually offered intravenous chemotherapy to mop up any cancer cells that might be remaining. but a new type of blood test showed he was cancer free. right, what shall we do? big, enormous chelsea blow dry? so ben, who runs this hair salon in chelsea, was spared the toxic side effects, which can include nerve damage to the hands and feet. work for me is my therapy as such. like, i love going to work, i love myjob, i'm very lucky to do what i do. and if i'd have had the intravenous, i'd feel like i wouldn't have been able to have carried on. but the fact that i didn't have any tingling or anything in my hands has just been an absolute blessing. ben has regular check—ups at the royal marsden, which is leading a trial of the blood test across dozens of hospitals. your cancer was diagnosed in the cecum, in the right colon. the results could transform the way

thousands of bowel cancer patients are treated in the uk every year. i hope through this trial that we generate the evidence to show that this technology, liquid biopsies, can be used to spare patients with stage three bowel cancer unnecessary chemotherapy after the bowel cancer surgery because they don't need it. deep breath in, sharp scratch. so how can a blood test tell if a patient like ben is free of cancer? it looks for tiny fragments of tumor dna circulating in the bloodstream. if there's none present, there's a low risk the cancer will return. these blood tests or liquid biopsies are part of a revolution in the diagnosis and monitoring of cancer. they're being trialled in the uk across lung, breast, as well as bowel cancer, and can detect minute fragments of tumor dna months,

even years before they'd show up on a scan. after she had bowel cancer surgery, artist susanne winter was also spared chemotherapy as a result of the blood test. i just feel incredibly lucky. i know how toxic it is, i know that i would feel terrible. and also your whole everything is you're getting ready for it. you're psyching yourself up for it. so to suddenly hear that you aren't going to need it is just unbelievable. chemotherapy still has a vital role in treating cancer, but if blood test trials are successful, it will mean a brighter future for thousands of patients every year. as well as saving the nhs money. fergus walsh, bbc news. research in britain has found that premier league football clubs, players and their agents may have used a tax avoidance scheme to get out of paying hundreds of millions

of dollars in tax in recent years. the report seen by the bbc suggests they have used a dual representation tax structure, where an agent says they are representing the player and the club buying the player, to avoid playing millions in taxes since twenty—nineteen. newsnight�*s newsnight�*s ben chu reports. is something rotten in the state of football when it comes to tax on agent's fees? research seen by bbc newsnight suggests premier league clubs might have avoided hundreds of millions of pounds of tax that ought to be paid when players are signed or move clubs. it hinges on something called �*dual representation�* in football transfers. this is where the agent is getting paid by both the player, who they represent, and also by the club who is buying the player. when a football player pays their agent's fee out of their own pocket, that transaction attracts income tax, national insurance and vat. but if half of that agent's fee is paid directly by the club,

that half of the fee attracts none of these taxes. so we've been able to use fa published data and some conservative statistical assumptions to estimate that over three years, 250 million quid was not paid in tax that should have been paid. and over seven years, 470 million — so that's almost half a billion quid failed to be paid. it's estimated that of the £81 million that wasn't paid by the league because of dual representation agent fees in 2021, manchester city accounted for 10.9 million. this was followed by manchester united with ten million and liverpool with 8.1 million. newsnight understands hmrc is investigating the use of dual representation by top clubs, but they haven't told us which clubs. and the public accounts committee, which scrutinises hmrc on behalf of parliament and all of us, they want answers and action too.

given the information that you and i have seen, i can't see why hmrc isn't clamping down pretty quickly right now. the key thing is we've got our beady eye on both how hmrc are dealing with this, but also this big tax avoidance issue. all premier league clubs declined to comment, but the association of football agents insisted that most are genuinely providing services to clubs too and so dual representation schemes are tax compliant. a top sports barrister agrees. well, in most cases, and certainly nearly all the cases i see, there are genuine services provided for clubs that clubs really value. the question in each case is, are those services provided and does then the transaction reflect that reality? and i genuinely believe in most cases it does. hmrc said...

the key questions which need to be answered, is the beautiful game really paying its fair share of tax? and are the tax authorities on the ball? ben chu, bbc news. well, dan neidle is the founder of tax policy associates, the organisation behind these estimates, and he explained some of the issues surrounding this case. let's say i hire an estate agent, so i'm paying the estate agent out of my post—tax earnings. it's already been taxed by hmrc. then i have to pay vat on the estate agents fees and if my employer paid the estate agent directly, you'd have the same result. it's called a benefit in kind in uk tax law and in many other countries. so i still get taxed. what the football clubs are doing is they're saying that the football agents are hired not only by the playerjointly, by the player and club. and so when the club is paying, normally pays half the fees to the agent, that half the fees

is nothing to do with the player. it's services that the agent provided the club. the problem is there are no valuable services provided by the agent to the club. they're saving tax on it. their story for how they do it ain't true. but it's absolutely. we must make this clear. we're talking here about tax avoidance, not tax evasion. so something which is legal versus something which is illegal. so we're talking about avoidance. but in the context, i think... if you don't mind, i'm going to correct you because i don't i don't think we are. please, please do. that's why we're talking about this, to get into the detail of this. this is something which i think is not compliant with tax law. if they're making the payments from the club to the agent on the basis the agent is providing valuable services to the club and it isn't, then that is not

in compliance with the law. it's not avoidance. it's simply not paying the tax that's due. if they were doing that dishonestly, we'd be into criminal law and evasion. i'm not saying that, but it's it's not lawful avoidance. it's a failure to pay the tax that they should pay. and the numbers are very large. so there's a very important distinction. now, looking at what the football association is saying during the 2019 to 2020 season, premier league football contributed £7.6 billion to the uk economy. in the same season, the premier league and its clubs generated a total tax contribution of £3.6 billion to the uk exchequer, 1.4 billion of which was generated by players and in the the social and political context of a cost of living crisis, it's a bit like the questions that have been put to the big energy companies. there are lots of moral questions here about whether more tax should be paid to help the economy and to help people who are suffering because of the cost of living crisis. i'm sorry, i'm going to disagree with you again. i don't think there's a moral question here other than we expect

people to comply with the law. the football association cannot defend tax avoidance here by saying, oh, but it's ok, we pay all this other tax here. no, no, no. i don't get to choose which of my taxes i pay, and neither do your viewers. we should expect football clubs to do the same, pay the tax that's due, and not to enter into artificial schemes to avoid tax. so where does this go? well, hmrc, i believe is investigating these schemes. that is going to take many years. i think there should be a change of law to put beyond doubt that these schemes do not work to force the clubs to pay the tax that is legally and morally due. why does an investigation like that take years? the tax system has a curious way in the uk of investigating tax that may not have been paid. there's essentially no deadline to it. it runs on for years and years with exchanges of correspondence. i worked on cases that took ten years, didn't even get close to a court.

so it's a slow process and that also is a process that happens outside public view. so we'll have no idea what's going on and it'll take a long time. just very briefly, you'd like to see reform to those sorts of slow processes, presumably. i would. how you do that? it's a difficult question. here i would short circuit all of that and pass legislation in the finance act which simply prevents these schemes working. save a lot of time. save a lot of money. to croatia now, where it's less than three months since the country abandoned its currency the kuna and joined the euro. it was one of the conditions of croatia joining the european union a decade ago. while euro membership provides advantages for the country's exporters and big business, many ordinary croatians are convinced it's been an excuse to ramp up prices, as guy delauney reports from the capital zagreb. zagreb market keeps it old school. it opens at the crack of dawn closes by lunchtime and payments are strictly cash only.

but one tradition has just been scrapped for good. croatia has been using the euro since the start of the year. it made the commitment when it joined the european union ten years ago, and that meant waving goodbye to croatia's own currency, the kuna. this is now a collector's item, or more realistically, a souvenir of the kuna's quarter of a century in circulation. it ceased to be legal tender in mid—january, and locals are still getting used to the change. translation: people can't handle euros yet, but we will learn. - for some, the price clicks immediately. for others, five or six euros. they work it out. you tell them, take it or leave it. croatians can't resist a cup of coffee, but there's consternation about the cost. since the currency switch, many consumers reckon retailers have been pulling a fast one

by introducing stealth price rises. after the new year, 1st of january and 2nd onjanuary, we were crowded, of course, because all prices rise. coffee 30%, 50%, 80%. bread, all prices were very high. prime minister andrej plenkovic celebrated the euro's adoption with the national drink. he treated european commission president ursula von der leyen to a brew. but the government has been forced to move quickly to clamp down on recalcitrant retailers. on the other hand, croatian exporters could be heading for the fast track. these trams are locally made. now they're priced in euros they stand a better chance of attracting international buyers. it will be reducing the costs and the some cumbersome things that don't have to think any more about the euro. we don't have to pay all

with the transaction costs moving from one country to another. so it's good for them. the kuna still survives in one place. retailers have to display dual currency price lists until september. that should be enough time for croatians to recalibrate their mental calculators. guy delaunay, bbc news, zagreb. here in the uk, there's been a development in the case of the killing of a black man by police in september. chris kaba, who was not armed, was shot dead by a met firearms officer in south london. let's talk to our correspondent greg mckenzie greg, what happened to chris? he was shot dead by a metropolitan firearms officer in london on the 5th of september, and evening. the police had followed the car that he was travelling in. it was hemmed in and stop in streatham hill in south london where one bullet was

discharged from a gun and an officer had fired at chris kaba. he died later in hospital. the office of police conduct upped their investigation to a homicide investigation to a homicide investigation and the family have been campaigning tirelessly for justice for their son. they want to know why he was killed. and the circumstances that led up to that case. ., ., ., , circumstances that led up to that case. ., ., .,, case. now today, in the last few minutes the _ case. now today, in the last few minutes the independent - case. now today, in the last few minutes the independent office | case. now today, in the last few. minutes the independent office for police conduct has announced it has now referred its file of evidence to the crown prosecution service who will now decide whether or not to bring a prosecution in relation to the murder of chris kaba.- bring a prosecution in relation to the murder of chris kaba. thank you ve much the murder of chris kaba. thank you very much for— the murder of chris kaba. thank you very much for that _ the murder of chris kaba. thank you very much for that update. - here in the uk, three people have been arrested after two men were shot dead

in what police say were "targeted" killings in cambridgeshire. officers found the body of a 32—year—old man after being called to the village of bluntisham near huntingdon last night. shortly afterwards, a 57—year—old man was found dead at a property in the nearby village of sutton. a 33—year—old woman and two men have been arrested on suspicion of conspiracy to murder. earlier we spoke to our reporter louisa pilbeam. the police were called at around nine o'clock at night after reports of gunshots. when they got here they found the body of a 32—year—old man in one of the houses here. half an hour later they were called to sutton, around ten minutes away, where they found the body of a 57—year—old man, who also died from gunshot wounds. police haven't named either of the men yet because formal identification hasn't happened. what they have said is that three people have been arrested.

a 27—year—old man and a 33—year—old woman were arrested in the early hours of today in cambridge and a 66—year—old man was arrested in the worcester area. that is all that they have said on that. here in this close, it is normally quiet and a neat area. families live here and we have seen people taking really young children to school and people come and go through the police cordon, taking themselves off to work. they have been saying this isn't the normal kind of area where something like this would happen, they say. they have also said this was a frightening scene last night. they say that police told them to stay in their houses when those gunshots were reported and that a police helicopter was flying overhead. police have asked for anyone who saw anything to come forward with information. that is as far as the information we have at the moment. london's natural history museum

is famous for its collection of fossils but its latest display is the biggest yet. it's a huge cast of a dinosaur based on fossils found in argentina and, as you can see, there aren't many rooms big enough for it. our science editor rebecca morelle is there and has more. i am face—to—face with one of the largest dinosaurs ever to walk the earth and feeling very puny standing next to it. this is patagonia titan. it's a beast that lived 100 million years ago. let me take you on a bit of a tour. so this creature measured 120 feet. that's 37 meters from its head, all the way down to the tip of its tail. it just about squeezes into the gallery here, and you get a sense ofjust how big this dinosaur is. some of the bones are bigger than me now. what's unusual about this is you can actually get up close to it

and have a feel because this is a cast. it's an exact replica of bones that were unearthed in argentina about ten years ago. and you can even feel the texture on some of the bones. now, if we come back here, we can find the exhibition lead at the natural history museum. tell us how much of a challenge it was to get this dinosaur into the museum. yes. so, obviously, the natural history museum, we're pretty used to moving dinosaurs. we took our favorite dinosaur dippy on a tour all around the uk, but this is the largest dinosaur that we've ever had at the natural history museum. so getting it in was a logistical feat. it took a team of 18 people two weeks to piece this giant jigsaw puzzle together. and tell us a bit about what this creature was like. so, it lived 100 million years ago? yes. so, it was a herbivore, which means that it only ate plants and its huge size meant that it needed over 120 kilos of plants

every dayjust to keep moving. so it would have had to spend most of its time just eating. they lived in herds, so they roamed in groups across kind of cretaceous patagonia, which would have been a really richly forested landscape with volcanoes. it must be an astonishing sight seeing a herd of these. and, you know, the natural history museum is famous for dippy the dinosaur, how does this compare in size? yes. so, dippy maybe seems quite big when we first see it. but compared to this, actually, this is so much bigger. dippy would have been about a quarter of the size and patagotitan that we're standing under would have weighed 57 tonnes when it was alive. fantastic. and one quick question, is this the biggest dinosaur ever to walk the earth or is it probably the biggest? i'm not sure. titanosaurs are the biggest

creatures who ever walked the earth. this species, titan, is amazing because we know so much about it. they found 280 bones from six different individuals. so we can build this amazingly good replica. but this is pushing the limits of how large we think animals could live on land. thank you very much. well, the exhibition opens here tomorrow. and the amazing thing about this dinosaur is you can kind of use yourself to get a sense of scale of it. and it's it's absolutely enormous. this really was a titan of the cretaceous period. the easter holidays are almost here and you might remember last year was a bit of a disaster for travellers at airports. yes, covid restrictions had been lifted, and a combination of staff shortages and increased passenger numbers led to very lengthy queues and delays. so is there any danger of the same thing happening this year? our transport correspondent katy austin has been to manchester airport to find out. remember this? last spring, covid travel

rules had been lifted. holiday—makers were ready. parts of the travel industry were not. will this year be any better? getting passengers away on their flights without a hitch is a complex process that requires several different businesses to work together and have all the right staffing in place. providing workers at security is the airport's job. manchester airport didn't have enough last easter, leading to queues. it couldn't reverse pandemicjob cuts quickly enough. in april of this year, i have enough security officers for the busiest day in august. the boss here is now confident. this year our passengers can expect a great experience at manchester airport. how confident are you that passengers won't see those really long queues for security, those delays that they saw last year? i can absolutely reassure passengers they won't see the queues that they saw in the summer of �*22. we're aiming to deliver at least 95% of our passengers in 15 minutes. check in staff and baggage handlers are organised by airlines.

tui was just one which had delays and cancellations last year. a passenger captured this pilot, helping to get bags on to a delayed flight. tui thinks it's now got enough people and planes in the right places. there will be a lot more staff members here to assist passengers on their arrival and guiding them where to go. you will never come to the point that you can give a guarantee for everything. but what we can prepare, what we can do as companies to make sure that people can go on holiday. that's what we're doing. with passengers through to the departure lounge and gates, work goes on to prepare theirflight for take—off. out here on the airfield, you can see some of the teams helping to get the plane ready and loading the baggage. many airlines contract these services to companies like swissport. it's brought on 1,500 new recruits. that's not been easy. there is an absolute war for labour. of course there was covid. and the second point is of course, brexit. the labour pool within the uk has to come largely from the uk itself.

recruitment started early, wages have risen and rotas changed to attract and keep people. in my operation, i am confident that we are ready. but in a cost of living crisis, how many people will be travelling? we've seen incredible demand. back to probably 2019 and in actual fact probably higher than that demand. some people are having to cut their cloth a little bit and potentially shorten their holiday. back at manchester airport, a new team has been set up to step in anywhere problems develop. at london heathrow, a ten day strike by some security staff from friday threatens disruption. british airways has cancelled around 300 flights. strikes in europe have also been causing issues. but the industry and passengers hope they've left last year's level of turbulence behind. katy austin, bbc news.

to the us now — where the former ceo of starbucks howard schulz has denied allegations of �*illegal union busting�* — during a tense appearance before the us senate. labour union officials have repeatedly accused the coffee giant of breaching federal laws, including by wrongfully firing workers. as a result, mr schultz, who stepped down as starbucks�* boss this month, was called to appear before congress. our north america business correspondent michelle fleury was watching the proceedings starbucks�* former ceo was in the hot seat at a us senate hearing on wednesday. the billionaire came in for sharp criticism from bernie sanders. ,., , for sharp criticism from bernie sanders. ,.,, [k for sharp criticism from bernie sanders. , [k ., , sanders. over the past 18 months starbucks has _ sanders. over the past 18 months starbucks has waged _ sanders. over the past 18 months starbucks has waged the - sanders. over the past 18 months starbucks has waged the most - starbucks has waged the most aggressive and illegal union—busting campaign in the modern history of our country. in campaign in the modern history of our country-— our country. in response, howard schultz affirmed _ our country. in response, howard schultz affirmed the _ our country. in response, howard schultz affirmed the rights - our country. in response, howard schultz affirmed the rights of -

schultz affirmed the rights of workers to unionise and defended the company�*s actions. mr workers to unionise and defended the company's actions.— company's actions. mr chairman, let me say under— company's actions. mr chairman, let me say under oath, _ company's actions. mr chairman, let me say under oath, these _ company's actions. mr chairman, let me say under oath, these are - me say under oath, these are allegations that starbucks has not broken _ allegations that starbucks has not broken the law. mr allegations that starbucks has not broken the law.— broken the law. mr schultz said starbucks had _ broken the law. mr schultz said starbucks had negotiated - broken the law. mr schultz said starbucks had negotiated in - broken the law. mr schultz said i starbucks had negotiated in good faith with employees seeking to unionise and obtain collected benefits. maggie carter, testified otherwise. mr; benefits. maggie carter, testified otherwise. g , ., ., otherwise. my partners, along with thousands of _ otherwise. my partners, along with thousands of partners _ otherwise. my partners, along with thousands of partners across - otherwise. my partners, along with thousands of partners across the i thousands of partners across the country — thousands of partners across the country still _ thousands of partners across the country still do _ thousands of partners across the country still do not _ thousands of partners across the country still do not have - thousands of partners across the country still do not have access i thousands of partners across the i country still do not have access to these _ country still do not have access to these benefits _ country still do not have access to these benefits are _ country still do not have access to these benefits are no _ country still do not have access to these benefits are no do - country still do not have access to these benefits are no do we - country still do not have access to these benefits are no do we havel country still do not have access tol these benefits are no do we have a company _ these benefits are no do we have a company that — these benefits are no do we have a company that is— these benefits are no do we have a company that is willing _ these benefits are no do we have a company that is willing to - these benefits are no do we have a company that is willing to sit - company that is willing to sit across— company that is willing to sit across the _ company that is willing to sit across the table _ company that is willing to sit across the table with - company that is willing to sit across the table with us - company that is willing to sit across the table with us and | company that is willing to sit - across the table with us and bargain for them _ across the table with us and bargain for them. ' . . , across the table with us and bargain for them. ' . ., , ., ., for them. officials of the federal a . en for them. officials of the federal agency that _ for them. officials of the federal agency that oversees _ for them. officials of the federal. agency that oversees unionisation efforts in america say the coffee chain did violate us labour law on more than a dozen occasions in response to union campaigns at its stores. roughly 290 of almost 9000 company—owned stores had voted to unionise. however, workers have yet to sign a union contract at single

location. let�*s go live now to berlin where king charles is on a visit to the german parliament. he�*s addressing mps, becoming the first british monarch to do so during his state visit. in doing so, in speaking at the parliament, he will become the first british monarch to do so. we saw pictures of king charles and queen consort kamala in one of the berlin�*s major squares. they were visiting an outdoor fruit and vegetable market. now, we can see the royal couple at the german parliament about to sign the guestbook. we saw last night at the

dinner with the german president, frank walter stein meyer commenting, it was exactly six years previous to that that the uk began its exit from the european union. the president said we are turning over a new leaf. we look ahead under changed conditions but still together. whatever lies ahead, i know are british german friendship remains important and it remain strong. that is visibly demonstrated by what is happening here today at the bundestag, at the german parliament, where king charles will become the first british monarch to address mps. we discussed yesterday at the start of this state visit, it was supposed to begin in france, but that was postponed, delayed for a period because of the protests over

pension reforms. so that first state visit, the owner goes to germany and we have heard how this soft power royal visit like this is hugely important. jenny hill has been telling us how the royal couple have been received with great enthusiasm by the german public. a huge amount of interest in this visit. mps waiting on king charles to arrive to make the speech. we understand he will begin his speech in german. and i think we canjoinjenny hill in berlin. jenny, can you hear me? yes. berlin. jenny, can you hear me? yes, i can berlin. jenny, can you hear me? yes, i can hear- — berlin. jenny, can you hear me? yes, i can hear- i— berlin. jenny, can you hear me? yes, i can hear. i wasn't _ berlin. jenny, can you hear me? yes, i can hear. i wasn't sure _ berlin. jenny, can you hear me? yes, i can hear. iwasn't sure if— berlin. jenny, can you hear me? yes, i can hear. i wasn't sure if you - berlin. jenny, can you hear me? yes, i can hear. i wasn't sure if you are - i can hear. i wasn't sure if you are uuite i can hear. i wasn't sure if you are quite ready _ i can hear. i wasn't sure if you are

quite ready for— i can hear. i wasn't sure if you are quite ready for us, _ i can hear. i wasn't sure if you are quite ready for us, i _ i can hear. i wasn't sure if you are quite ready for us, i could - i can hear. i wasn't sure if you are quite ready for us, i could see - i can hear. i wasn't sure if you are| quite ready for us, i could see you getting ready. we were chatting earlier about the visit to the fruit and vegetable market, an opportunity for the public to see and perhaps meet king charles and queen consort camilla. and now this more formal event and a very significant one. as i have explained, king charles is the first british monarch to address mps in the german parliament? plat mps in the german parliament? ijrrt everybody is so thrilled, one of the leaders of the far left party here has expressed their disappointment at the decision to allow him to address the parliament, saying it is not right for a monarch to be standing and talking in what they describe as the highest arena of democracy. i think that is a fairly minority feeling, though. there is a great sense of excitement. as you are coming to me, i was looking at pictures of everyone coming into the bundestag chamber. a lot of excitement to hear what he has got to say. as we have been saying, for

the last couple of days it is quite clear this visit is very much all about ensuring that the post—brexit relationship between britain and mainland europe, of course germany, is the most powerful country in the eu. that is to an extent rebuilt, that the ties which perhaps felt as though they were being loosened are strengthened once again. king charles iii is very well placed to exercise some really significant soft power. he knows germany really well. he has visited more than 40 times over the course of his life. he is willing, able to speak some german. that is going down really well with people, as i think is his own deep personal affection for the country. his enthusiasm seems to be shining through, too. the state banquet last night was a really, reportedly, a convivial and very

jolly affair. you saw footage of him making a speech, speaking in german and cracking jokes. at one point cracking a joke that germans and people who know this country really well with understand and the room collapsed in laughter. he has gone down very well. but it works both ways, germany wants this relationship to work and it is in it interest it has a good relationship with a post—brexit britain. i think thatis with a post—brexit britain. i think that is why we saw last night, i really personal touch from the german president, who, at the state banquet in front of all the assembled guests, presented king charles with an old photograph that showed him as a young teenager, 13, 14 years old standing next to his father, the late duke of edinburgh, in what was then the late princess�*s very first trip to germany. that must have been a very touching moment for king charles. it illustrates the depth, the willingness of both sides to really make this visit a success. after?

make this visit a success. very important. _ make this visit a success. very important, jenny _ make this visit a success. very important, jenny from - make this visit a success. very important, jenny from the - important, jenny from the perspective of king charles himself as he continues to step into this role for which he has been preparing for so long, that this first state visit for him is seen back at home in the uk as going so well? absolutely. i think the british government, who obviously wanted him to come and make this his first state for an overseas trip, will be pretty pleased at how it is going, as will buckingham palace. what struck me over the last 24 hours or so, is the energy with which the king appears to be going about this tour. if you look at the schedule, it is jam—packed. he has already met the german chancellor olaf scholz. he has been to the market to talk to street traders and now he is about to make that address. then he is off to make that address. then he is off to meet some ukrainian refugees, followed by soldiers from a british

german military unit. then he is off to an organic farm in a nikko village to do some cheese making. it is also very clear he wants to meet the real people of germany and you can see him doing that. i think that is really charming a lot of the people here and it will go down very well, i think, people here and it will go down very well, ithink, back people here and it will go down very well, i think, back at home. jenna;r well, i think, back at home. jenny hill, this well, i think, back at home. jenny hill. this is _ well, i think, back at home. jenny hill, this is ssc _ well, i think, back at home. jenny hill, this is bbc news, _ well, i think, back at home. jenny hill, this is bbc news, broadcasting in the uk and around the world. we are bringing you special coverage of king charles�*s first state visit as monarch, he is in germany and he is due to be addressing the german parliament. this was king charles arriving just a a few minutes ago after that state banquet last night. also, we are expecting a speech in both english and german. we have seen a little bit of it already yesterday. being welcomed again by olaf scholz, the german chancellor. he is being accompanied by camilla,

queen consort. they were due to be in france originally this week but the protests over the pension changes meant that they had to cancel the french part of the visit, so they have started in germany. the royal family are known so they have started in germany. the royalfamily are known in so they have started in germany. the royal family are known in the so they have started in germany. the royalfamily are known in the uk so they have started in germany. the royal family are known in the uk for their german roots as well, so there is an old family connection with germany. but the vertical importance of this is about the links with germany, a key european player of course, given what has happened on the diplomatic front over brexit. ties have been strengthened in the last year because of the ukraine. and it is interesting that these visits are choreographed and designed by the government, not by the palace. in the bundestag as they prepare to welcome the royal party. and we see charles walking in there.

but of course, it is the government that decides that there is a diplomatic need for the uk and germany, as they see it, to have this visit, and it is making a very clear political signal. rishi sunak is and was a brexiteer, and yet this visit, the first state visit by the king, king charles, and queen consort camilla. there is only a few weeks left until the coronation, so there is a lot of focus on the royal family at the moment. this first state visit, olaf scholz in short as everyone takes their seats, waiting for this speech to begin. we are expecting a number of speeches potentially here. jenny, who is going to be speaking just now? what are we expecting? jenny hill, are you there?—

are we expecting? jenny hill, are outhere? , �* , you there? yes, i'm so sorry. i was 'ust you there? yes, i'm so sorry. i was just distracted — you there? yes, i'm so sorry. i was just distracted by _ you there? yes, i'm so sorry. i was just distracted by the _ you there? yes, i'm so sorry. i was just distracted by the pictures - you there? yes, i'm so sorry. i was just distracted by the pictures of. just distracted by the pictures of him walking into the bundestag to address the chamber. we were just saying here, it looks as though it is a full house. all of the german mps very keen to hear what he has to say. that looks like the president of the parliament, he will make some introductory remarks before he gets to his feet to address the lawmakers. we are expecting a translation. translation:— translation: colleagues, distinguished _ translation: colleagues, distinguished guests. - translation: colleagues, distinguished guests. your| translation: colleagues, - distinguished guests. your majesty, it is a great honour for us to greet you here at the german parliament.

applause on behalf of the whole house, i welcome you, her majesty queen consort and your high level delegation very warmly. applause i would also like to greet two former federal presidents. i would also like to greet two formerfederal presidents. its, i would also like to greet two former federal presidents. a warm welcome to _ former federal presidents. a warm welcome to you. _ former federal presidents. a warm welcome to you. in _ former federal presidents. a warm welcome to you. in addition, - former federal presidents. a warm welcome to you. in addition, i - former federal presidents. a warm l welcome to you. in addition, i would like to greet for former speakers of

parliament. i am like to greet for former speakers of parliament. iam pleased like to greet for former speakers of parliament. i am pleased that you were also able to join us today. i think the presence of so many eminent guests underlines the importance of german british relations. your majesty, on our day of national mourning in 2020, you spoke to a small select audience as the prince of wales. today, you will address the german bundestag as king. and as representative of one of the oldest democracies in the world. and your visit coincides with a very special exhibition at the bundestag, it shows the constitutional document adopted by the national assembly of 1848—1849,

a key document in german democratic history, and the exhibition includes the story of one chapter in german british history. after the forceful dissolution of the national assembly, the constitutional document was rescued by a courageous member of the assembly who to go to manchester for safekeeping, thus preserving it for posterity. this is only one brief episode in a long shared history of our two countries. in the 20th century, german— british history was one of extremes. the united kingdom made a major indispensable contribution to liberating europe from national socialism. for this, we are profoundly

grateful. and we will never forget that the united kingdom provided sanctuary to many of those subject to persecution in the weeks and months in 1938, the british took in thousands ofjewish children, often they were the only members of their families to survive the holocaust. and your majesty, a monument has been erected at liverpool street station recalling this act of humanity and your initiative. during my visit to the united kingdom a few weeks ago, i was able to meet a small number of those rescued and i was extremely moved by this encounter. i would like to greet the galleries. miss bausch a very warm welcome to you.

after the war, the united kingdom supported the integration of the federal republic of germany into the western community of states and fostered democracy. and the first foreign guest to speak in the bundestag was the head of the delegation from the house of commons stop in his speech, he advised his german colleagues of the most vital ingredients for a successful democracy, namely humour. overthe years, the united kingdom became a friend to us germans and supported reunification. this is something that we will also never forget. this parliamentary building symbolises our friendship in a special way.

symbolises our friendship in a specialway. it symbolises our friendship in a special way. it was a british architect who was responsible for reconstructing the reichstag. the glass dome has become the symbol of the reichstag. foster spoke of it as a beacon signalling the vigour of the democratic process. your majesty, many germans admire the british culture and lifestyle. and they remember your mother with deep respect. throughout her life, queen elizabeth ii worked to promote reconciliation between our two countries. in the year 2000, accompanied by your father, prince philip, she came here to the bundestag and visited the dome. the united kingdom and germany are and will remain close allies and trustful partners. this will not change after the united kingdom�*s

decision to leave the european union. the people in our countries are bound together by a travel and commerce, culturaland are bound together by a travel and commerce, cultural and intellectual exchange, and often also by mutual fascination. our parliaments enjoy close ties, governments cooperate closely, many organisations and formats. together, the united kingdom and germany seek to promote a rules —based international order, we stand together with ukraine in its battle for freedom and self—determination, we are united by shared values and by our interest in resolutely tackling the challenges of our time. nowhere is this more urgent than in the existential issue to which you, sir, have long been committed. the battle to combat climate change and to preserve our natural resources. you emphasised

our shared responsibility for the future three years ago in your speech on the 2020 day of national mourning. he said together we are indefensible —— indispensable force for good in our world. today, we need this more than ever. your majesty, i would now like to invite you to take the floor. applause translation: mr federal president. president of the _ translation: mr federal president. president of the bundestag. - translation: mr federal president. president of the bundestag. ladies l president of the bundestag. ladies and gentlemen. it is a great honour

to be here with you today. it means a great deal to both my wife and myself. that we have been invited to germany on my first overseas tour as sovereign. and it is a particular honour to be here with you, where i wish to renew the pledge of friendship between our nations. applause there could be few better places to do so than in this building. iliiuiiliidi do so than in this building. which in its very stones _

do so than in this building. which in its very stones tells _ do so than in this building. which in its very stones tells the - do so than in this building. whichj in its very stones tells the history of the 20th century. it is in itself a demonstration of what binds our two countries. it was burnt in 1933. severely damaged in 1945. and in the 19905, it severely damaged in 1945. and in the 1990s, it was rebuilt by a british architect to be the parliament of a reunited democratic germany. its iconic glass dome is a symbol of the transparency and accountability of parliament. from which the citizens looking down can literally oversee their politicians at work. truly democracy in action. my wife and i

last had the honour ofjoining you in this chamber in november 2020 on the occasion of the national day of mourning. it was of great importance to me, 75 years after the second world war, to stand with germans in honouring all victims of war and tyranny. and to be the first member of my family to participate in those deeply moving commemorations. that you invited us tojoin

deeply moving commemorations. that you invited us to join you deeply moving commemorations. that you invited us tojoin you on deeply moving commemorations. that you invited us to join you on that occasion showed how far the united kingdom and germany had travelled together in friendship and in peace. just as was demonstrated so powerfully two years before by your presence in london, mr president, in 2018 when you took part in the centenary of the end of the first world war. today, it gives me particular pride to be with you once again. and to renew the bond of friendship between our two countries. this friendship meant so much to my beloved mother, the late queen, who

often spoke of the 15 official visits she made to germany map including herfive visits she made to germany map including her five state visits. the first of those, in 1965, came when our continent was still deeply scarred by war and the trauma of conflict. hers was the wartime generation and, like my father, the queen had served in uniform. that my parents pass 11 day tour of germany should prove to be a pivotal moment in the reconciliation between our nations was therefore a matter of great personal significance to them both. translation: the immense achievement it represented- — translation: the immense achievement it represented. and _ translation: the immense achievement

it represented. and in _ translation: the immense achievement it represented. and in returning _ translation: the immense achievement it represented. and in returning to - it represented. and in returning to germany time and again, she was determined to play her own part. perhaps it is for this reason that her late majesty won a particular place in the affection of the german people. my my family myfamily and my family and i were deeply touched by the reaction in germany to my mother�*s death. the tributes offered in this chamber, the union flag jetted onto the brandenburg gate and the many thousands of messages in

condolence books across the country offered a tremendous comfort to us in our time of grief. on behalf of my entire family, i would like to offer our heartfelt thanks for the extraordinary kindness that the people of germany showed to us. mr federal president, president of the bundestag, since i last spoke in this building, at the scourge of war is back in europe. the unprovoked invasion of ukraine has inflicted the most unimaginable suffering on so many innocent people. countless lives have been destroyed. freedom

and human dignity have been trampled in the most brutal way. the security of europe has been threatened, as are our democratic values threatened, yet the world has not merely stood by. even as we abhor the appalling scenes of destruction, we can take heart from our unity. in defence of ukraine, of peace and freedom. applause

germany and the united kingdom have shown vital leadership. this germany and the united kingdom have shown vital leadership.— shown vital leadership. as europe's two laruest shown vital leadership. as europe's two largest donors _ shown vital leadership. as europe's two largest donors to _ shown vital leadership. as europe's two largest donors to ukraine, - shown vital leadership. as europe's two largest donors to ukraine, we i two largest donors to ukraine, we have responded decisively, we have taken decisions, decisions which might previously have seemed unimaginable. germany pass decision to send such significant military support to ukraine is remarkably courageous, important and appreciated. our pilots are flying side by side

onjoint operations over our pilots are flying side by side on joint operations over our baltic allies. here in germany, our armies have established a joint amphibious engineer battalion. which i will visit later today. germany is the only nation in the world with which the united kingdom has such a joint unit. an extraordinary testament to the partnership we enjoy. ladies and gentlemen, i can hardly begin to describe the pride i feel in the strength between our two nations. germany, her people, such a

profound impact on me over so many years of so many of my previous visits. since i first came to germany when i was just 13 years old, i have grown to become familiar with the different corners of this remarkable land. like many british people, i have close personal ties here. in my case cherished family relationships and associations that go back generations. for all of us, however, there are countless points of connection and common experience in the british— german story, which has unfolded over nearly two millennia. throughout the middle ages, the renowned traded goods from

hamburger to ports up and down the english course, establishing a trading partnership which underpins our shared prosperity to this day. where goods travelled, ideas travelled. people came to be inspired by each other�*s example. translation: we inspired by each other's example. translation:— inspired by each other's example. translation: ~ ., , ., ., translation: we developed a profound admiration of one _ translation: we developed a profound admiration of one another's _ admiration of one another�*s literature and music. german was the first language into which shakespeare was translated. and the first shakespeare association in the world was established in 1865, not in

england but in weimar. injust a england but in weimar. in just a few years�* time, in westminister abbey, at the coronation, we will again here astonishing music of handel, who was born a german and died british. just has been the case at every coronation since that of my seven times great grandfather, king george ii. in 1727. throughout the centuries, people have travelled back and forth between our lands. in the 19th century, many britons fell in love with germany, whilst on the grand tour. william turner pass mesmerising paintings of the river rhine spotting his countrymen the ambition to see there is landscapes for themselves, a demand later met by thomas cook, the pioneer of

tourism, who would organise his first foreign trip along the river rhine. with stops at cologne, frankfurt, heidelberg. today, of millions of britons visit germany each year, just as millions of germans travelled to our shores. britain has come to admire their pass vibrant culture and nightlife, making up europe�*s largest visitor group to this wonderful city. so we are still admiring of each other�*s culture, dependent on each other pass economies and inspired by each other�*s ideas. more recent generations may think as readily of

the beatles or kraftwerk. perhaps most importantly, for the last 50 years, we have laughed together. both at each other and with each other. and while miss sophie pass same procedure as every year, james. and while that does not, i hope,

give a very accurate impression of modern britain, it is i know an integral part of a german happy new year. in britain, germany�*s comedy ambassador has given us an understanding of german quirks, as monty python brought our own here. and like all old friends at moments, the warmth of our relationship allows a small smile at each other�*s expense. translation: of course, there are rivalries in some _ translation: of course, there are rivalries in some areas. _ translation: of course, there are rivalries in some areas. and - translation: of course, there are rivalries in some areas. and i - translation: of course, there are rivalries in some areas. and i think| rivalries in some areas. and i think especially of our own counters on the football pitch. —— encounters on

the football pitch. —— encounters on the football pitch. against this backdrop, it was particularly special that the england women�*s football team, the lionesses, were able to win the euros against germany. beyond their sporting success, both teams have promoted gender equality in such an impressive way. in so doing, they inspired a generation. in britain, germany, and far beyond.

this isjust one in britain, germany, and far beyond. this is just one example of how our countries together can offer a compelling example to the world. there are, i am delighted to say, there are many more. faced with so many shared challenges, the united kingdom and germany are together providing leadership to secure our shared future. today, the united kingdom and germany are europe�*s two largest producers of power from offshore wind, many german firms are involved in the production and direction of turbines of the british coast. the north sea, across which our people have travelled and traded for generations, is soon to be the site of a new interconnector, allowing us directly to trade electricity. our countries are both accelerating the expansion of our

hydrogen economies, a fuel which could transform our future. hydrogen economies, a fuel which could transform ourfuture. and i�*m looking forward to seeing the plans to use hydrogen in its efforts to become a fully sustainable port. these innovations... —— hamburg. these innovations... —— hamburg. these innovations... —— hamburg. these innovations are vital in combating the existential challenge of climate change and global warming, which confronts us all. and as such, i was delighted to meet participants of the berlin energy transition dialogue yesterday to hear how countries are

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