we have them working on the scheme since day one and government and there will be an update coming shortly. so you will have more information in relation to that. in relation to president trump, we have both spoken to president trump. i had dinner with him both spoken to president trump. i had dinnerwith him in both spoken to president trump. i had dinner with him in new york a few months ago for a couple of hours but we discussed a number of things including ukraine. yes, of course we have discussed the strategic approach that we should take. the allies have stood together behind ukraine in the face of russian aggression. we continue to do so but as you would expect, we have been talking to all of our allies in relation to that and there is this consensus that we must call it out for what it is, russian aggression and that we must put ukraine in the

strongest possible position. but yes, i think we have both discussed this with trump as he have expected.— have expected. that is correct and i think— have expected. that is correct and i think my _ have expected. that is correct and i think my perception - have expected. that is correct and i think my perception is i and i think my perception is that the president was meeting with lots of colleagues in europe. their thinking is complex, i think that is the right point. our message is that the sooner the americans can define their strategy and approach, the better and that will bring some clarity to the approach. will bring some clarity to the approach-— approach. and that is the conclusion _ approach. and that is the conclusion of _ approach. and that is the conclusion of a _ approach. and that is the conclusion of a short - approach. and that is the | conclusion of a short brief press conference by the prime minister sir keir starmer and his norwegian counterpart. of course, this came after the two

countries signed the strategic partnership agreement that focused on security issues and of course the war in ukraine was a key focus there, part of the discussions. also interestingly what was discussed was a developing story here in the uk and this is the case of an alleged chinese spy who became confident of prince andrew. news coming in, reports by several newspapers hit in the uk that these alleged spy met two former prime ministers. the prime minister was asked whether it was right to build closer ties with china as the story develops. he said it was important to engage, to challenge and he said the two countries need to cooperate on issues that they both agree on, for example, climate change. that is the press conference by the prime minister sir keir starmer and his norwegian counterpart. the other story that we continue to follow here on bbc news is the post office inquiry over the next two days.

there will be closing statements from legal representatives of the subpostmasters as well as those of the key witnesses that have taken part in the inquiry. a little earlier, we were hearing from edward henry casey, he is one of the barristers representing subpostmasters. he lay down their case saying there had been working as on there had been working as on the part of the post office. he said there were efforts to suppress knowledge of the horizon floors. this is part of the closing statements that we have been hearing. we also had from jason beare who is the leading counsel of the inquiry, setting out the evidence they had heard. he talks about 298 or witnesses over the past three years at the inquiry has been taking place. let's head back to the inquiry now and speaking there is sam steyn

casey. speaking there is sam steyn case . . , , , speaking there is sam steyn case . . ,, , , casey. that issues being repeatedly _ casey. that issues being repeatedly raised - casey. that issues being repeatedly raised about| casey. that issues being i repeatedly raised about the horizon system were never investigated. there is no accounting for a number of bugs, errors and defects in the system. high courtjudgment was not bug tape is no more than the evidence that mrjustice fraser had at that time. that is because subpostmasters who tried to raise issues regarding difficulties and errors within the system shutdown. and therefore we will never know how many bugs, errors and defects existed in the horizon system at any time. even now, the inquiry�*s you go up so they told us that subpostmasters are still paying up for shortfalls.

that means that the current truth is that we don't know the full extent of bugs, errors and defects in the current errors of horizon. the system is obsolete and careering out of control. there is no back up and fidgets he does not even dare turn it off as they have no idea what will happen. they then turn it back on again. having had all of the evidence in inquiry, now we know considerably more about the defects in the horizon system. but there remain black holes will stop the first buckle is theissue will stop the first buckle is the issue of the helpline scripts. our client group say that helpline staff members were reading from scripts and that they helpline staff, did not even appear to understand what they were reading out. we

have been tilting at this and asking for the scripts to be produced since the very first hearing and 2021. but here we are in december 2024 and still three years on, no scripts. 0ur three years on, no scripts. our clients simply do not believe that they have vanished. pedal the dishonest line about the robustness of the horizon system and sought to protect its own reputation above the lives, health and mental health of subpostmasters and the post office so they can't find the scripts. what a shocker. the second black hole is the subpostmasters' money. where has their money gone? let's be clear about this. the money which would be possible to trace would be money held in

suspense accounts and those would have been verifiable figures held for the purposes of questioning of shortfall. you will recall the evidence from earlier parts of this inquiry that in about 2003 and put into place in 2006, the impact programme limited the ability to use suspense accounts. they have all walked this path before us. we suggest that during the lifetime of horizon, these figures in relation to money put into suspense account would have been available. but post office has never wanted to look into this issue and has left time take its toll on accessing this data. i won't go on the screen

but i will read out a quote from an e—mail dated the 16th of january 2015 from christopher 0gata alison cameron. the reference is p l l 000. 408 05. as you can imagine, iam 000. 408 05. as you can imagine, i am concerned we give second sight no more information than is necessary to address the narrow proposition that money is missing from an sp mr account. it is somehow taken into our suspense account and then to our profit and loss account. so thatis our profit and loss account. so that is the suspense account. but the money that will be never found but the money that will be neverfound is but the money that will be never found is the but the money that will be neverfound is the money... we never found is the money... we are 'ust never found is the money... we are just going to step away from the post office inquiry

and that statement from sam steyn kc, one of the barristers representing some of the postmasters, some of the victims of the horizon scandal. following that in london for us is our correspondence. just talk us through what we have heard so far this morning? let me start by — heard so far this morning? let me start by bringing you what we had from edward henry kc who was speaking just before sam steyn kc. he too is one of the legal representatives of subpostmasters and subpostmistresses. his words were three us and stark and scathing. he said unspeakable crimes were committed to convert the innocent. he talked of a mindset of manipulation, he suggested that the post office had the attitude of the office had the attitude of the mid—victorian factory owner and

said that it was as if horizon, the it software was the post office's faithful spy and he said that the removal of the right of the subpostmasters to challenge the figures that were generated by that was a form of modern corporate tyranny. so really strong words to begin the closing statements today. and edward henry casey was also critical. he said people have died, people will die with no redress. the closing statements today were opened with the words of sir wyn williams who is chairing the inquiry with an announcement of the death of a former subpostmistress margaret boston who formerly ran a post office in rotherham since 2011 it has been taken over by her daughter but she died last month. it either level as

poignant is to what was said about the people who have died while seeking justice and we know people have been wrongly imprisoned and there have been suicides as well. this is something where people have been affected by this for years now. just to give you an indication, it has been more than two years since this inquiry began, it began in february 2022. and i have been speaking some of the people who have been affected by this. some names that will be familiar to you. two of them are mentioned by edward henry kc a little earlier. 0ne are mentioned by edward henry kc a little earlier. one of them, lee castleton who you may well know because he was declared bankrupt after being wrongly accused of stealing £25,000 from his branch in bridlington in east yorkshire. and earlier in the past couple of hours, the barrister said that his case reveals manipulation and abuse of the civiljustice manipulation and abuse of the civil justice system manipulation and abuse of the civiljustice system of which the post office are still capable. let me give you

another name capable. let me give y