have no part in the treaty can have no part in the treaty talks, but also urges him to make a deal with vladimir putin. if you were the british prime minister, how would you handle these incoherently contradictory statements? i'll ask my panel. germans are at the polls today in what is being billed as a pivotal election following the collapse of the previous coalition government. i'll be joined by the journalist rob hyde. live from berlin will give us the latest. a new film on the german theologian dietrich bonhoeffer, who was executed by the nazis, has its gala premiere in london this week. filmmaker and director todd komarnicki will join me to discuss a bonhoeffer's remarkable story. and two new shakespeare productions have hit the west end, with jonathan bailey starring as richard and tom hiddleston appearing in much ado about nothing. stefan kyriazis will be here to give me his take. before all of that, your news headlines with tatiana

sanchez. >> michael, thank you very much. the top stories. pope francis has spent a tranquil night in hospital. according to the vatican, the 88 year old pontiff is currently in rome's gemelli hospital battling double pneumonia. the vatican described his condition as critical for the first time yesterday, reporting that he'd needed supplemental oxygen and two blood transfusions. the holy father's condition, they say, remains critical. it also said he's not out of danger. sir keir starmer has urged donald trump to stand by ukraine with a security guarantee, as he warned a bad peace deal would be a disaster for everyone. the prime minister is due to meet the us president for talks in washington, dc, next week amid fragile relations between america and europe after mr trump launched a verbal attack on president volodymyr zelenskyy. mr trump called ukraine's leader a dictator on

wednesday and later said sir keir and french president emmanuel macron haven't done anything to end the war. well, writing in the sun on sunday, he said kyiv needs a strong security guarantee, so the peace will last and america must be part of that guarantee. french interior minister bruno says migration disorders were one of the causes of the terrorist knife attack in mulhouse, which killed one and injured three in the eastern french city. mr richelieu also says one of the injured victims is currently fighting for their life. the suspect, who was arrested at the scene, has been identified as a 37 year old algerian man. he was allegedly ordered to be deported and was on a terrorism watch list. president emmanuel macron said he had no doubt it was an islamist terror attack. elsewhere, german voters are heading to the polls today in a high stakes snap election. it comes as the nation grapples with economic decline and a body believed to be a man in his 40s economic and succession of highly publicised with economic decline and a succession of highly publicised

attacks on their streets. it's attacks on their streets. it's expected that the conservative expected that the conservative christian democrats will win the christian democrats will win the most seats, but there has also most seats, but there has also been a rise in support for the been a rise in support for the alternative for germany party. alternative for germany party. elsewhere, israel says it will elsewhere, israel says it will postpone the release of hundreds postpone the release of hundreds of palestinian prisoners until of palestinian prisoners until the release of the next hostages the release of the next hostages has been ensured, and without has been ensured, and without the humiliating ceremonies. it the humiliating ceremonies. it follows this week's hostage follows this week's hostage handoven follows this week's hostage handover, which the un said went handoven follows this week's hostage handover, which the un said went against international law against international law because they were not because they were not respectful. israel's respectful. israel's announcement, which has also announcement, which has also caused terror group hamas caused terror group hamas repeatedly violating the month repeatedly violating the month old ceasefire, came after the old ceasefire, came after the palestinian militant group palestinian militant group yesterday handed over six yesterday handed over six hostages from gaza as part of an hostages from gaza as part of an exchange arranged under the exchange arranged under the truce. the bodies of four dead truce. the bodies of four dead israeli hostages were to be israeli hostages were to be released next week. and police released next week. and police are investigating how human are investigating how human remains ended up on a stretch of remains ended up on a stretch of the m4 near bristol, after a the m4 near bristol, after a body believed to be a man in his body believed to be a man in his

40s was 40s was found. the body was found between junction 20 at the almondsbury interchange with the m5 and junction 21 near auckley in south gloucestershire. avon and somerset police have urged anyone who was travelling along that stretch of the m4, and thinks they may have valuable information or dashcam footage to get in touch. and those are the latest gb news headlines for now. more from me in an hour. >> thank you very much indeed. tatiana sanchez. british prime ministers are not always lucky with their american presidents, but they have to make the most of a difficult situation. i felt sorry for tony blair, who coincided with the younger george bush, whose attack on iraq was not exactly a logical response to al qaeda's terrorist outrages against new york city

and fiwith the >> whenever britain uses sza foreign policy strategy as unean foreign policy strategy as linear, even when the facts on the ground change, we lose out. that's what happened with iraq,

where we aligned our foreign policy with the us. even though outrages against new york city and %;£with their??? even outrages against new york city and fiftiwith their??? even though policy with the us. even though this was the wrong decision for this was the wrong decision for us, both morally and us, both morally and strategically. the deal that strategically. the deal that trump wants to do is one where trump wants to do is one where he allows putin off the hook, he allows putin off the hook, and he gives him a lot without and he gives him a lot without getting much in return. i have getting much in return. i have two points to make. one, brexit two points to make. one, brexit has left the uk in a weaker has left the uk in a weaker position because we used to be position because we used to be the negotiators between the the negotiators between the european continent and the us. european continent and the us. this is no longer a this is no this is no longer a this is no longer a position that exists. longer a position that exists. and secondly, because the eu no and secondly, because the eu no longer has our back. if i were longer has our back. if i were advising the government and i do advising the government and i do not envy their position, i would not envy their position, i would make it clear that trump is a make it clear that trump is a playground bully and playground playground bully and playground bullies only respond to bullies only respond to strength. strength. >> may i stop you there? yeah. >> may i stop you there? yeah.

let's take your point at sza let's take your point at face value. they only respond to strength. does britain have any strength? what? what is the strength? what? what is the strength that britain can produce to take. >> the election? we need to take the lesson from mexico and canada. who stood up to him when he was being completely irrational and they wanted him down. he backed down. and we need to no longer. we need to no longer serve the us's economic interests. and i'm disgusted and kemi badenoch. and nigel farage, who throughout this week have been flattering him and sucking up to him. nigel farage is. >> everybody has been flattering president trump. anna. anna. tell me. i mean, stella's proposition is that starmer should challenge trump and tell him that he's got things wrong and give a display of strength. is that your advice to. >> no. >> no. >> what is your advice? >> what is your advice? >> i think i agree with

>> what is your advice? >> i think i ag european defence? >> i mean, i agree that confidence has to come from wherever it can. and what what is being done is there's a package that will be unveiled of additional sanctions on russia this weekend. there will be a few other points. so obviously keir starmer is going with his pledge that britain is ready to put so—called boots on the ground if needed to, if there is a peace deal. however, none of those details have been worked out, but the mere point of that is something that is meant to resonate in washington and show that britain is more ready to play that britain is more ready to play a proactive step. and he is expected to set out a path to boosting defence spending. now, obviously, the big debate is how do you actually how does that ac