laura bicker has the latest from beijing. 0laf scholz came to china with a clear message, we will doo play fair, and what he means by this, there is real concern in europe and the us, that china has subsidised its green technologies, and that might mean solar panels, electric vehicles, wind turbines, and that has driven costs down, and the cost of a solar panel has been halved in the last year and china produces more than 80% of the solar panels in the world, about half of all their exports go to europe, and thatis all their exports go to europe, and that is one of the reasons why european businesses are very worried, because they believe that china is driving those costs down and driving them out of business. the clear message coming from europe is they want china to play fair and the argument from china to this is that it the argument from china to this is thatitis the argument from china to this is that it is not state subsidies that are helping reduce the costs of their solar panels, it is their own innovation, they say they are good at this and this is something that people want

now, what 0laf scholz didn't say is that he supported new tariffs, new curbs against chinese goods. european leaders are calling for more measures and more tariffs to be put on chinese goods, as have the united states. so we'll have to see how things play out over the coming weeks, whether or not europe will decide that china needs to curb its production and whether china is making too much. in other news... the uk unemployment rate increased to 4.2% between december and february. that's the highest level for six months. the number of people who are "economically inactive" — not in work or looking for employment — rose, partly due to long—term sickness. economists suggest the data could push the bank of england to cut interest rates in the summer. the spanish airline iberia express is planning to resume flying from madrid to tel aviv on wednesday. but the british airline easyjet has suspended its flights to israel until the end of october. several airlines have paused flights to israel and others are avoiding nearby airspace because of the security situation since iran's missile and

at a joint press conference in the last few minutes with german chancellor 0laf scholz in berlin, thes around the world and " a new chapter in the security relationship" between their two nations. at this dangerous moment, the bond between _ at this dangerous moment, the bond between our nations are stronger than ever— between our nations are stronger than ever and between our nations are stronger than everand we between our nations are stronger than ever and we meet as the war rages— than ever and we meet as the war rages on— than ever and we meet as the war rages on our— than ever and we meet as the war rages on our continent and new threats— rages on our continent and new threats are _ rages on our continent and new threats are rising around the world. i want _ threats are rising around the world. lwant to— threats are rising around the world. i want to congratulate you on your leadership— i want to congratulate you on your leadership and in recognising that and taking the historic decision to increase _ and taking the historic decision to increase defence spending and we stand _ i

however, 0laf scholz has stopped short of urging more tariffs or more measures to curb china's salesould be new trade tensions between east and west. could be new trade tensions between east and west-— east and west. laura bicker, live in bei'in: , east and west. laura bicker, live in beijing. thank— east and west. laura bicker, live in beijing. thank you _ east and west. laura bicker, live in beijing, thank you very _ east and west. laura bicker, live in beijing, thank you very much - east and west. laura bicker, live in i beijing, thank you very much indeed. just want to take cute live to 0lympia in greece where they will be lighting the olympic flame ahead of the paris 2024 games. the dignitaries are arriving as we speak and will be live in olympia as the is lit. it was a very unsettled day and monday, very windy for many of us and a mixture of weather conditions. tuesday looks quieter, still blustery and sunshine, a few showers around but it will stay on the cool side for the time of year in this cooler air mass which was introduced across the uk by monday's area of low pressure.

germany and looking forward to seeing 0laf - scholz tomorrow. rs in. are the largest defence spenders in europe, _ are the largest defence spenders in europe, the — are the largest defence spenders in europe, the countries— are the largest defence spenders in europe, the countries which - are the largest defence spenders in europe, the countries which have . europe, the countries which have been _ europe, the countries which have been at _ europe, the countries which have been at the — europe, the countries which have been at the forefront _ europe, the countries which have been at the forefront of - europe, the countries which havej been at the forefront of providing support— been at the forefront of providing support ukraine _ been at the forefront of providing support ukraine and _ been at the forefront of providing support ukraine and i'm - been at the forefront of providing | support ukraine and i'm confident that we'll— support ukraine and i'm confident that we'll continue _ support ukraine and i'm confident that we'll continue and _ suppor

the journalists were asking rishi sunak and olaf. were asking rishi sunak and 0laf scholz what they botherms of the issue of, i suppose, white house in terms of the issue of, isuppose, nato white house in terms of the issue of, i suppose, nato and white house in terms of the issue of, isuppose, nato and his commitment to them. 0laf scholz shrugged it off and said us presidents have always asked for europe to increase its spending and the like — what did you make of that? i the like - what did you make of that? .., , the like - what did you make of that? .. , ,, the like - what did you make of that? , ,,. that? i can see the us perspective, havin: that? i can see the us perspective, having worked _ that? i can see the us perspective, having worked in _ that? i can see the us perspective, having worked in nato, _ that? i can see the us perspective, having worked in nato, i— that? i can see the us perspective, having worked in nato, i know - that? i can see the us perspective, having worked in nato, i know theyj having worked in nato, i know they use diplomatic channels for decades to ask e

germany's chancellor 0laf scholz has called for an open and fair market for chinese cars, but speakingai, he warned against dumping and overproduction. last week in china, the us treasury secretary janet yellen voices similar concerns about excess capacity in chinese manufacturing, leading to low export prices. chancellor scholaz is expected to challenge china's president xi tomorrow on his country's support for russia's wartime economy. it's just a few days now until the world's biggest election gets underway. nearly a billion indians are eligble to vote and many of them have been benefitting from the billions of dollars prime minister narendra modi has poured into infrastructre such as electricty grids, roads and metro lines. it's part of the reason he's favourite to win a third term. however critics including the opposition say they've dispropotantely benefited a few big business groups and haven't done enough to tackle inequality. from kolkata our india business correspondent nikhil inamadar sent this report. kolkata, a city of rusty trams... ..and traffic jams. crossing the stretc

rishi sunak will meet the chancellor here, 0laf scholz, in the morning, with a focus, after months ofnts know, that he is making a choice — if you spend money in one place, you can't spend it elsewhere or cut taxes elsewhere. also today we have seen an attempt by the conservatives to outflank labour on defence. let's see how labour on defence. let's see how labour responded in the coming days. what we have here is a collision of a volatile world and a general election year, and when we see the two big parties at westminster in a political arms race over defence spending, that tells you rather a lot about the state of the world. thank you very much, chris mason reporting. in the us, police say 133 people have been summoned to appear in court after being arrested during pro—palestinian demonstrations at new york university. the latest arrests follow a wave of protests in the past week at some of the most prestigious universities in the country. students on both sides say there has been a rise in both antisemitic and islamophobic incidents since the israel—gaza war began. here's our nort

rishi sunak and the german chancellor 0laf scholz agreed an industrial programme to develop new artilleryn £8 billion. well, that military aid can't come soon enough, if you are one of the troops defending the frontlines in ukraine. i'm joined by 0z katerji. he's a kyiv—based journalist who has just returned from the front and whose documentary on the battle of kyiv is about to premiere here in london. it is really good to have you with us. thank you for coming on the programme. tell me where you have been and what you have seen on the front line. , ,., .,, front line. yes, so i was in the east of ukraine, _ front line. yes, so i was in the east of ukraine, towards - front line. yes, so i was in the east of ukraine, towards the l front line. yes, so i was in the i east of ukraine, towards the end front line. yes, so i was in the - east of ukraine, towards the end of march, really trying to find out what the situation was like, particularly with regards to ammunition. i was fortunate enough to be in embedded with a artillery crew somewhere in the eastern front. i won't give away the specif

the prime minister is in germany today to meet the chancellor 0laf scholz.erday's pledge to increase uk military spending. 0ur chief political correspondent henry zeffman is in westminster. it seems defences and issue the government is keen to be seen to be leading on at the moment. that government is keen to be seen to be leading on at the moment.— leading on at the moment. that is riuht. the leading on at the moment. that is right. the message _ leading on at the moment. that is right. the message of— leading on at the moment. that is right. the message of rishi - leading on at the moment. that is. right. the message of rishi sunak's visit to germany today as it was his visit to germany today as it was his visit to germany today as it was his visit to poland yesterday is simple and stark. it is we live in a dangerous world. you heard a of talk from the prime minister and world leaders about the war in the middle east, but i think rishi sunak has been trying to remind people that there is a war on the european continent also that is still going and that the