a record 20 percent of the vote the pope asks for the prayers of catholics worldwide, as he continues to be treated in hospital for pneumonia. or ukraine's nato membership. hailed his centre—right grouping's victory in sunday's parliamentary elections. and their bavarian sister party on about 29 percent. he also discounted forming a coalition with the far—right

alternative for germany. it's in second place, on track for its biggest—ever share of the national vote, estimated at about 20 percent. friedrich merz hailed, what he called, a terrific election campaign by his party. for our political opponents. we had to debate the big topics — agrarian policy, we need a government with a good parliamentary

we need to be able to act soon so we can do everything that is required internally to make sure that we are present in europe, and to make sure that everybody in the world sees that germany has got a reliable and that's what i am working for, and that's what i'm standing for. thank you to all of you who are here today. in the konrad adenauer house, so i thank all of you. we've never had so many people here in the we've never had so many representatives of the press here either. we've never had so many visitors here in our

we'll have to wait. but we've got a result already. and now we can also actually party here! and as of tomorrow, we'll resume our work. but friends, once more, welcome here to the konrad adenauer house, our hq. thank you for your support. thank you for giving us your trust and confidence. thank you.

to all of you who can't be here with us, but who campaigned. communicated with voters. thank you to all of you who campaigned for us. you've done a fantasticjob. it was brilliant. comrades. it's a defeat we all need to and move forward from. so much in the last few weeks.

the polls didn't improve, and yet social democrats to say thank you. and campaigned so hard.

responsible for this too. that's something i need to make clear. it is important also to congratulate friedrich he has been given the confidence to form a government. here in the country and in fact, anywhere.

such a good election result as they have this time, that. we mustn't work together with the far right. the social democrats support this clearly, will keep that promise and not work together with the far right. this legislative period had a lot of challenges.

and yet there is no end in sight. but we also made sure that the countries as well. and i am glad that i was the chancellor it is a huge honour and up until my last day i will keep that office.

but this honour is due to the citizens who voted for me last time. democratic party. i would like to thank our chair, the general secretary and his predecessor. the parliamentary party. and who worked for us. in the past hour or so, we received an update who's been in hospital for more than a week sarah rainsford is in rome. and it is still, i think, very troubling for his doctor, but somewhat, i won't say improved, but somewhat less stark than the quite shocking picture that there here in rome who heard that the pope had had he'd had blood transfusions.

described as some anaemia. but the sort of novelty, i guess, in this kind problems, a mild, mild renal insufficiency. but they're saying that that is under control. the details, it is clearly still a critical picture. the pope did go to mass today on sunday, up on the 10th floor apartment where he is being cared for in the hospital here in in rome. he, we're told, is not entirely bedridden. he is still alert. very closely and hoping that the treatment that they're giving him can begin to show some results. but it's a picture which is

described to us as the pope so the vatican being rather guarded in what it is actually prepared to conclude from all of this, but certainly a bit less, let's say, shocked than they were yesterday. and he's asked for transparency about his condition, hasn't he? he has. and i think that's why we're getting so much detail, he is, how he is faring. he likes openness, generally. it's one of the marks of his of his papacy. so that is very much something that he is holding we know, you know, it is difficult. earlier today. he had hoped to be saying that

mass, but he was clearly unable the pope is very much still in a critical condition, the window of his hospital who are saying prayers there. throughout the day, you know, standing there, bringing candles, and saying the rosary yeah. issues for many years, in fact, since he was a young man. yes, we know that he's missing part of one lung. so he has suffered from respiratory bronchitis in the past.

he has various health conditions, but it's also been described by his doctors as something of a fighter. they said if he wasn't strong, if he wasn't a fighter, trials that he has faced in his life so far. but as i say, it is a complex picture. because since he was admitted to hospital a week ago on friday, we had had regular updates in the media, hadn't we? and his condition seemed to be stable at least. and then that was quite a shocking statement when it came yesterday about the seriousness of his condition, which will have concerned many it certainly has. it certainly did, i think, because his doctors came out on friday. it was a weekafter he'd been

condition, but they were also talking about him telling jokes. they were talking about how alert he was, you know, that he was engaging with them. he was very much still with us. day we get this very stark statement from the vatican. so i do think everyone within, you know, within the catholic community, certainly journalists and certainly vatican officials, i think were shaken by that. and so there is a degree of of relief looking at the picture today. that's not surprising. and just tell us a little bit more about what the mood we were saying that people have been there lighting candles, sorts of engagements. many people come here to st peter's square to see him recite the angelus

prayer at midday on a sunday. he wouldn't be expected to, of course, in this condition. they often come for an audience with the pope on wednesday. you know, these kinds of things are not happening. and because it's a jubilee year, there were all sorts more than 100 countries who'd come here to be at this major and the pope was supposed to be there saying mass, many tourists here, of course, too. but those who are catholics are watching closely,

he is argentinian, of course, but he has italian roots. so he means something to people here, notjust people who are devout catholics. i think, you know, for a lot of people, you know, they like the pope. so lots of people, not just here in italy, but all over the world, are watching very, very of donbas in the east of the country. if ie if is peace for if you really need me to leave my post, am ready. i my post, iam ready. second, i can this for nato. if §§§*§', 5: iii? a. r;— 215 2:77 is is such a condition? when it comes to the

negotiating table. what i want from donald trump is i want the understanding, i want to hear here what guarantees ukraine needs. be strong at 7 ”table”? " 77 77 7 77 ’ "tabled” " 77 77 7 77 table of negotiationsf table of negotiationsand i to very much of the guarantees from donald ...- eaznd f —~~— 7 ~ -. w: 77§5j|7aiél>77 7 7 7 77 7a77ndialso want 7 7a77ndialso want to 7 and i also want to speak him the and to him about the troops, and their presence �*the hold their presence after the bald of this war. we ready phase of this war. we are ready to discuss this with 7 77the european colleagues from the european ,.. ,, europe and also colleagues from the european ,.. ,, the europe and also colleagues from the european ,.. ,, the president re and also colleagues from the european ,.. ,, the president of and also with the president of the united president zelensky also says he does not recognize however, ukrainian president is ready for a new agreement with the us.

i negotiated withjoe biden and negotiated with the congress of 77united 77 77 united of 77 i grateful to the congress. it the presence of two parties was the presence of two parties in support, support for grants, and a grant is not a in support, support for grants, andagrant is nota i in support, support for grants, and a grant is not a i do and a grant is not a debt. i do not need to repay the debt. if 7 condition 7 7 7 condition today 7 7 condition today is 7 7 condition today is that7th7e states 7 states of 7 states of america, our united states of america, our strategic partner, says we will give you help but you must return and with a profit give you help but you must ret the and with a profit give you help but you must ret the united nith a profit give you help but you must ret the united states )rofit give you help but you must ret the united states of fit for the united states of america, this is an agreement, not a grant. this is a new agreement, and i said so. i am t for such a dialogue. and am sure m—f ...,., a... ........ 7 am sure ”es“ fer sac“. e �*fl'uefé�*d .,, '*' -,,,, ' 7 am sure it will be i am sure that it will be whether i 7; or james waterhouse — in kyiv — with more it was a businesslike

annual press conference invasion, and in years gone by, he's been emotional, but today he was relaxed. but the subject matter was serious. impression that he would agree to any ceasefire or an agreement giving america access to billions there is no impression, we got, that he would the interests of his country. and if that is true, and donald trump presents ukraine with a ceasefire that it doesn't agree to, then that would have seismic consequences for the course of this war. sir keir starmer has restated britain's continued support for ukraine, but the prime minister admitted that president trump is right that europe needs to spend more on its own defence and be

less reliant on the us. hannah miller reports. ukraine for three years. everywhere escaped unharmed. translation: everything caught fire at once. - wound and a broken arm. for peace, this was his reply.

he can't forget, saying it had reinforced his defence and security. while also making his support for ukraine clear. here in westminster, many mps recognise how delicate that balance is. quickly the government should set out its own plans to

increase spending on defence. move money away from welfare and foreign aid. what's happened in recent weeks, which is this shift where the us is going to focus further and faster. keir starmer will keep trying to win the us over by calling he hasn't said when he'll do that himself. as war continues in europe, there are concerns that even current pledges might not be enough. and here in ukraine they're counting the cost in a very different way. hannah miller, bbc news. presence there.

were now empty and would be occupied by the he said "nests of terror" had been cleared. bank since the gaza ceasefire was signed last month. our middle east analyst, sebastian usher, is in jerusalem with the latest. than it has for some time. after this decision by israel to suspend the release of those that hamas has been stage managing the hostage handovers has described as degrading and humiliating. we are meant to be coming to the end of phase one at the end of this week. but talks on phase two haven't even started. troops would have been stationed around three refugee camps, which are seen as hotbeds of militant activity, have been told they could be there for the rest of the year.

until the military operation is complete. is aiming to annexe the west bank. this is something that voices on the israeli right have been as the situation in gaza has got worse. now, we just want to show you some beautiful winning from spiders — to water buffalos in sri lanka — while highlighting critical conservation issues. winners are chosen from various categories, including animal behaviour and creative nature photography. this year, elephants, tigers and bears also featured

in some of the winning images. we will leave with a live image of the brandenburg gate as we have been covering the results the german elections results of the german elections as conservative party as the conservative cdu party is going to be the is largely going to be the presence in the german gcgsencecip the german . with 28%. friedrich parliament with 28%. friedrich mertz who is in pole mertz who is now in pole position to become the next german �* hailed a germanchencellcr—heiled a election the terrific election campaign. the far alternative for far right alternative for germany is become germany is expected to become the second biggest force in the country. hello. is an amberwarning in force through till 6am. we could see further flooding in these areas to take us

keep an eye on conditions if you are heading out. crossing the country, stalls and wriggles around across the south—west with rainfall pepping up through the evening into the early hours. winds still gusty around it, around 40—50mph gusts with some strong gusts in the north—west of scotland. elsewhere, the winds ease down through the night, or 10 to the south and east. across parts of wales and england, the cloud breaking across northern england.

still a blustery day with gales in the western isles, the sunshine out through the afternoon, it should still feel quite pleasant, with temperatures around 10 to 13 celsius — a little bit above where we'd be at this stage normally at the end of february. as we go into monday night, we're just watching what's happening with this weather system. an area of low pressure developing and pushing across france. it could bring some rain overnight into tuesday morning, grazing through southern counties of england, still towards the far south—east first thing. breaking up into the afternoon. then a story of sunshine and showers. for scotland and northern ireland still some wintry showers on the higher ground. greater chance of some wetter weather on wednesday. temperatures a little bit lower, but around

with a risk of frost. a bit more cloud at times in england and wales, meaning the sunshine is hazy. wettest weather likely to be crossing england and wales on wednesday. take care.

live from berlin.

the results already and now we can party here! to become the second biggest force in the country — he will not go into coalition with the afd. main stories this hour. the pope asks for the prayers of catholics world wide — and president zelensky says he would give up his presidency — in exchange for peace or ukraine's nato membership.