coming up in business news later. up renewables investment. hello, i'm karin giannone. mineral resources. details still aren't clear about exactly what each side will get, but ukrainian officials say they see it as a good outcome.

joe inwood reports. could ukraine's vast untapped mineral deposits be the key president zelensky has suggested so in the past. graphite and lithium are essentialfor making in everything from planes to power stations. these minerals, along with other rare earths, can be found in vast quantities under ukraine, although much for access to these minerals. it's not known exactly what the terms are, but it's speaking in his nightly address, president zelensky made no mention of any deal, but it was confirmed to the bbc by ukrainian officials and hinted at by the

white house. by explicitly linking us support to mineral rights, president trump has upended years of foreign policy precedent. and made it clear that american support for ukraine is not joe inwood, bbc news. well, great question. in fact, i think what we will find is that in the immediate term,

there's not a lot in it maybe there's something in terms of bringing a faster end to the conflict in terms of negotiating but what you need to understand about critical a lot of work to get them out of the ground, you need actual people from the private sector who see value in it. minerals is that the last time they were surveyed was anywhere between 30 and 60 years ago by the soviet union. for the united states.

sorry, hayley. your line froze for a second. do continue. i'm sorry about that. you would need to map where the critical minerals are. you'd need to establish the mines, and you would need to establish off—take agreements. and so the actual tangible benefits to the us wouldn't be felt under trump. they wouldn't even be felt under the next president. companies could actually start to extract these minerals if it was determined that it was commercially this is all about countries like the us donald trump's very interested in rare earth elements. that's because they go into everything so they go into things like your iphone, your computer, car, ev batteries.

so this explains why donald trump is looking at other countries like the ukraine, like australia, even like greenland, because greenland has these mineral deposits, to help reduce china's so in case china decides to stop selling rare earth elements to the united states, the us has some other options and other partners it can turn to. just one more question foryou, hayley. it has a lot of these minerals, these critical elements and critical minerals. it has deals in place. how are they working and who's benefiting? great question. that it's valuable to the united states, and it sees over the next four years

that australia is one of the only countries in our trade relationship. to do some deals with the us on our rare earth elements. under the biden administration, we tried that through climate change because rare earth elements go into things like wind turbines and solar panels. in this instance, we know that president trump's much in defence and strategic terms to really clinch than we thought, hayley. so just one more question for you actually.

what kind and to what extent ukraine even has these minerals. just tell us about the sort of... the sort of the size of the deal, potentially, when you think about it, china invested very heavily in indonesian nickel. it tanked the price of nickel globally and australian a lot ofjobs. have the transparency you have for other fossil fuels, for instance.

i would actually think of it as though trump's trying to show the american public that he is doing a deal that the us has spent. it spent 66 billion supporting ukraine militarily and in total negotiating position. is getting something out of the aid that it's given. but americans are also struggling value to americans. any time soon. it's more symbolic. the prime minister sir keir starmer has announced

from the current 2.3% of gdp to 2.5% of gdp by 2027, which the government says amounts to a rise of more than £13.4 billion. the us says it's a strong step by an enduring partner. it comes ahead of keir starmer�*s visit to washington later on wednesday for talks with president trump. budget, which international charities say could mean around the world, will suffer the consequences. in our aid budget. so was this decision forced by donald trump's demands

more on defence? i think in our heart of hearts, we've all known that this decision has been coming for three years, since the last few weeks have accelerated my thinking on when we needed to make this announcement. of the circumstances that we face as a country. cutting international aid is popular, according to polling, that increase to 2.5% by 2027. but not everyone is convinced. of its foreign policy.

a proven winnerfor the uk, as well as for the people that it's benefited. i think, for example, we should use the russian that gets you over £20 billion. then there's the question of whether this increase of around £6 billion a year in 2027 will be enough. keir starmer says he wants to reach 3% of gdp in the next parliament, but it won't fund all the equipment and projects from submarines to nuclear weapons the armed forces says they need. here reacquainting himself

with france's president macron? harry farley, bbc news, in westminster. reached for the release of all the palestinian hostages held by hamas. of over 600 palestinians because hamas was using hostages for propoganda purposes. hamas accused israel of deliberately disrupting the ceasefire deal. who's injerusalem.

to those 600 or so palestinian prisoners who were supposed to be released by israel on saturday, is going to saturday, what is going to happen with that part of the process? so, what we are expecting — process? so, what we are expecting - according i process? so, what we are l expecting - according to process? so, what we are i expecting - according to a mask and comments her mask statement and comments by egyptian mediators, —— eight statement, and by egyptian mediaters, —— eight statement, and an israeli hamas statement, and an israeli official quoted by the israeli media, we will have release of palestinian prisoners where was expected they would be it was expected they would be on saturday initially. released on saturday initially. that will be in exchange for ithat will be in exchange for body being handed overfour the body being handed overfour israeli men, all civilians who were taken captive from their homes on the 7th of october hamas led attacks. there will another set hamas led attacks. there will. another set of also be another set of prisoners released palestinian prisoners released exchange for the bodies of in exchange for the bodies of those men. that will actually —: —— z the first phase 5 the first phase of j

complete the first phase of the the exchanges we ceasefire, the exchanges we were under that. a were expecting under that. a total of 33 israeli hostages, eight of them dead, being exchanged for about 2000 palestinian prisoners, held in israeli jails and detention centres. those who centres. they include those who have been convicted of dudley on israelis —— w ’ ”én' israelisi—i—ideadly ' ' w attacks on israelis —— deadly attacks on israelis —— deadly attacks on israelis and also atteeee ere greetie'aedetee " -,.,, have been hdndreds who’havebeen picked held without in up and held without charge in gaza during the of the war. and today, the funerals of the bibas _ bodies | the bibas family whose bodies were returned last week, it has profoundly moved the whole and people will be the seen thousands 5 - fixsfeiefinrtfhousands of out in central and turning out in central and south as the funeral

south israel as the funeral procession makes its way to the where the bibas family there been so much lived. there has been so much outpouring of public grief over the plight of the family, and we have got the residents lit up we have got the residents lit up in orange, which has to up in orange, which has come to symbolise the family because of the hair �* of the little lileghair colour of the little one of whom was ngfhair colour of the little one of whom was the boys, one of whom was the youngest of all of the hostages yodngeat of alt of the'hoetagea on the of yodngeatof altof the'hoetagea on the of october, taken on the 7th of october, they were killed along with their mother in captivity in gaza. we saw the father of the family being released a couple weeks ago eiweeksagobyfiifi ’ ' ' ' viéeiié ago 5m; 7 7 7 7 eel; ago dosage; 7 7 7 of weeks ago by his hamas captors and people in israel felt so much at the idea felt so much upset at the idea that it was to him, worst fears “fl" t testes. u—�*n�*e�* t> l“ ... ~ ~ — — worst fears that his wife his worst fears that his wife and two little boys had been although the actual 7 7is going is going to take funeral is going to take place in private, people are to in private, people are able to the funeral possession

join the funeral possession turnout for that. possession turnout for that. thank very much. around the world and across the uk, this is bbc news.

which it's thought was started by male inmates trying to escape. who are backed by neighbouring rwanda — advance across the country. some of it distressing. back to a place of horror. two survivors return to goma's central prison for the first time.

pascaline and nadine want to tell their stories, and have chosen to be filmed. without being convicted. they enter the main yard of the women's prison, no—one came. and for these women, another trauma. they tell us they were among many raped here, pascaline says by prisoners who came over the wall from the block next door.

the unlucky ones were raped. the prison was engulfed by chaos. there was a mass jailbreak from the men's section, thousands of prisoners making a getaway. nadine, who saw many take their last breaths. translation: instead of opening the door, . they let us die like animals

in the prison. before i got out. the oldest just seven. in a goma hospital, we meet another survivor, sifa. she was pulled from the flames by a friend, but couldn't save esther, her two—year—old daughter. "i had esther on my back", she says, "when we wanted a bomb? i don't know.

she died on the spot". and was without sin. but we do know that women and children were trapped here, the prison now stands as a silent reminder of those who died here, and an indictment of 0rla guerin, bbc news, goma. we've had the latest statement from the vatican on the pope's health. it says pope francis "had a quiet night and is resting". you can see the gemelli

hospital there in rome. a very brief statement compared to some of the information we have had over the course of the pope's stay the gemelli pope's stay in the gemelli 12 he has heapital. 1.2 highte h§7h§§7 " ,, .. in there heapital. 1.2 highte h§7h§§7 ,, w w in there now. that spent in there now. that of the pope does not condition of the pope does not seem to have changed in the last 24—hour is because yesterday's was yesterday's statement was word for word the same. almost word for word the same. he had a quiet night and is almost word for word the same. he had �* 0vert night and is almost word for word the same. he had �* 0ver thejht and is resting. over the weekend things took a very concerning turn the pope said to turn when the pope was said to be in a critical condition, and suffered an acute had suffered an acute crisis. he is being respiratory crisis. he is being for pneumonia in treated for pnedmonia—ih both one of lungs had lungs, one of his lungs had part of it removed, that was age of 21 after a lung the age of 21 after a lung infection so the pope is particularly vulnerable to particdlarly s�*ulflgféblg td’m ’ " infections. he was respiratory infections. he was admitted 2: for admitted to hospital for bronchitis after some scans it showed was from pneumonia in

suffering from pneumonia in both lungs and treatment is continuing. he also had issues but the vatican kidney issdes but the'vatican now said the kidney problem has now said the kidney problem is not a cause for concern. no change as far as we know in the condition . condition. he has had a pope's condition, he has had a good night and is resting. skywatchers will be lucky enough to see a planetary parade this week. it'll be the last time all seven planets can be seen you'll need a telescope if you want to see the full able to see tonight, are mercury and saturn, which we've got in the telescope now. for weeks we've been able to see as many as six planets in the night sky.

hard to capture on camera, but capturing the imagination of young and old alike. oh, yeah! it's like a rainbow. brycheiniog national park, a dark skies area in mid—wales. you're going to look at venus. so let's have a little look. on venus, you can see this, like an orangey colour, sort of. it's lovely. it's beautiful.

in view from the earth. mercury, venus, mars and jupiter are visible with the naked eye. every time you look at the night sky, you're in awe of it because there's always something different to look those who miss the planetary spectacle last night will have pallab ghosh, bbc news. stay with us here on bbc news. hello. there is a fair bit of dry weather in the outlook the start of march. but we do have wednesday

to get through first, followed by a mix of sunny spells and showers. the outbreaks of rain come courtesy of this frontal system in the southern uplands. eastwards through the day, with sunny spells and showers northern ireland and scotland perhaps seeing a fair bit of cloud lingering into the afternoon with some northern scotland doing perhaps best of all for dry weather and sunshine — temperatures generally 7—10 celsius. but where we see clearing skies, temperatures will drop

and through thursday, well, we see this ridge some early splashes of rain, i think, across parts of eastern england, some showers into northern ireland, northern and western parts of scotland. should bring quite a lot of sunshine and temperatures of around 8—10 celsius. through thursday night, as this area of high pressure and then, a lovely—looking day, spells of sunshine, of around 9—10 celsius. so that's how we end february — what about the start of march? well, our area of high pressure will still be with us into the weekend.

weather front just weakens. cities of the uk — you can check your local

this is bbc news, the headlines... riches — a key demand

from president trump. a big u—turn at bp — the struggling oil giant is expected to refocus its efforts on oil and gas — after years of ramping up renewables investment. the uk is on the race to reach its carbon emission target set for 2040. new technologies that could put an end to potholes. the best news of the day! laughter 0ver laughter over to sally. thank you. yes, losing potholes is good, isn't it? but we is. good isn't it? belt we will to later. is. good ieh't it? belt l.a.le l.a.lill to later. let's look get to that later. let's look at the top business stories.