katy austin, bbc news. our business correspondent katy austin with that report, and earlier she told me how some of the multinational companies have reacted to today's tax agreement. those involved in these talks, the finance ministers from the g7, have spoken of the significance of this moment. bear in mind, of course, that although it is being seen as historic and, as you say, very significant, this kind of move, this kind of measure would not be effective without other nations agreeing as well. so there are still the g20 countries, like russia and china, to speak to, to see if they would get on with this idea, and the oecd, at which more than 130 countries would be at the table. so whether countries of all shapes and sizes and various sizes of economy would all get on board with this idea has yet to be seen. ireland has come out and said this afternoon that it has reservations about this and it looks forward to the further discussions. ireland has a corporate tax rate of 12.5%, so you can see why a minimum global rate of 15%, they might not see as to their advantage. other actions we have seen from the us, the treasury secretary, janet yellen, has said the global minimum tax would end the race to the bottom in corporate taxation. that is something she has said previously, but it really distills the aim of what these ministers are trying to achieve here. the other element of it besides the minimum tax rate itself is rules to try and make sure that companies, instead of almost shopping around for a country with a lower tax rate to pay tax on their profits there, that profits to some degree could be levied on taxes where sales are made. so if you think of a big tech company, they might provide their services in the uk, for example, but are not based there and the idea would be that then they pay tax on some of the sales to that country, for example, the uk. what about any immediate reaction from any of the big tech companies? well, we'd actually heard from facebook last night, which says it supports reform to the rules. i have also just seen statements from google. google said the company strongly supports the work being done to update international tax rules. they say they hope countries can finalise what they describe as a balanced and durable agreement soon. amazon has also reacted this afternoon, saying they hope to see discussions continue to advance with the broader g20, as i've mentioned, and what they say would be an inclusive framework alliance. so, broadly speaking at the moment, these large tech companies, which are at the centre of the reforms we are talking about, really, are expressing support for the idea but making it clear that there is further to go before we have any final global rules that everyone agrees on. so what happens next? as i said, it will have to be discussed among a wider group of countries. plenty more mileage in this, but it doesn't stop this being a really important step today and one that a few years ago would have seemed very unlikely, very surprising, in fact. the us treasury secretary, janet yellen, said today's agreement would lead to a fairer global economy. we need to have a stable tax systems that raise sufficient revenue to invest in essential public goods and respond to crises and ensure that all citizens and corporations fairly share the burden of financing government. for too long, there has been a global race to the bottom in corporate taxes, where countries compete on lowering their tax rates instead of the well—being of their citizens and natural environments. the g7 has taken significant steps at this weekend to end the existing harmful dynamic, making commitments today that provide tremendous momentum towards achieving a robust global minimum tax at a rate of at least 15%. that global minimum tax would end the race to the bottom in corporate taxation and ensure fairness for the middle—class and working people in the us and around the world. the global minimum tax would also help the global economy thrive by levelling the playing field for businesses and encouraging countries to compete on a positive basis, such as education or training or workforces or investing in research and development and infrastructure. and indeed the global minimum tax can help fund investments in those critical priorities. finally, by collaborating with one another on the global minimum tax, governments protect their national sovereignty to set tax policy, because the pressures that have forced the race to the bottom are corporate tax rates, and they are alleviated. this effort is far from over and we look forward to engaging closely with the g20 and members of the oecd's inclusive framework process in the coming weeks to finalise an agreement on the global minimum corporate tax as soon as possible. ireland is the european hub for many of the tech giants, in part because of its low corporation tax of i2.5%. the irish finance minister, paschal donohoe, who attend the g7 summit in london, said he acknowledged today's agreement, but said any deal would have to meet the needs of all countries, large and small. ireland is and has been and will continue to be a very positive, a very stable, and very competitive environment in which domestic and international investment has a very positive role to play within our economy and we will, even with an acknowledgement of the change that is coming, continue to have the kind of legitimate policies in place in ireland that deliver a competitive approach for ireland and allow us to grow and retain employment. we are doing all this in a changing world and i have always acknowledged this change is coming, much work lies ahead in that change and ireland looks forward to playing a constructive role in it. let's discuss today's agreement in more detail with the former director—general of the world trade organization, and president of the paris peace forum, pascal lamy. thank you very much forjoining us. how much fairer with a tax regime like this make the world?- like this make the world? well, i think it is an _ like this make the world? well, i think it is an important _ like this make the world? well, i l think it is an important agreement for different reasons. the first one is that it is a major progress, step forward in global dominance that will make it harderfor multinational companies to avoid paying taxes. in the second reason which in my view isjust paying taxes. in the second reason which in my view is just as important is that it is a major ideological paradigm shift by the g7 countries which puts an end to the reagan—thatcher era, where at times the mantra for tax competition being a good thing in order to shrink government. this year is over, as we have just heard on your programme. it is a first step, there will be many others in order to ensure more fairness, but i believe it is a really big, promising change. how do ou really big, promising change. how do you encourage _ really big, promising change. how do you encourage more _ really big, promising change. how do you encourage more countries - really big, promising change. how do| you encourage more countries beyond the g7 to sign up to it, particularly smaller countries who, once committed, won't be able to alter their own tax rates independently?- alter their own tax rates independently? alter their own tax rates inde endentl ? ~ ., , independently? well, to the first art of independently? well, to the first part of your _ independently? well, to the first part of your question, _ independently? well, to the first part of your question, i - independently? well, to the first part of your question, i think - independently? well, to the first part of your question, i think the j part of your question, i think the 620 part of your question, i think the g20 will follow. i do not see come the 620, g20 will follow. i do not see come the g20, a country that would oppose this enough to prevent a g20 agreement. and on the second part of your question, let me be frank. if i am a small country, i can put a very low tax rate, attract a lot of fiscal base without having to shrink my public spending. this is unfair. it is unfair competition. this will have to change, and notably within the european union where, as we know, countries like island, luxembourg, the netherlands, have resisted steps of this kind. it is going to be much more difficult for them to do this, although we know this is still a decision that has to be taken by unanimity in the european union, which is the reason why these countries are so far have succeeded in objecting to this. i think the resistance will be enormously eroded by g7 agreement. in terms of the tech companies themselves, they have said so far that they want this process to work. how convinced are you by that? good oint! the how convinced are you by that? good point! they know _ how convinced are you by that? good point! they know where _ how convinced are you by that? (emf. point! they know where the wind how convinced are you by that? (ef>;f>f. point! they know where the wind is blowing from. they know how they are putting these things, excessive taxation is over, it started ten years ago after the oil crisis when the oecd and the g20 started this base erosion and profit shifting exercise. so it is the end of a long process. that will now allow a new process to come. of course, this is not totally a silver bullet, it is the tax rate, but if i am a company, the way i account my profit will have a major impact on how much taxes i pay, with io%, 15%, 25%, so there is still a lot to do to harmonise in some way the way profit is accounted so that a tax rate is a meaningful part of the real profit which a multinational company does. there remains a lot of details of this kind to be sorted out, but let's look at the major political signal. out, but let's look at the major politicalsignal. i out, but let's look at the major political signal. i think this is what matters today, and of course we owe this to a change in mind in two major g7 countries which, for a long time, had opposed this, which are the us and the uk. i remember being a sherpa in the 1980s and 90s. i mean, france, germany, italy and canada were in favour — uk and us were opposing at the time. this canada were in favour - uk and us were opposing at the time.- canada were in favour - uk and us were opposing at the time. this is a chance. it were opposing at the time. this is a change. it certainly _ were opposing at the time. this is a change. it certainly is. _ were opposing at the time. this is a change. it certainly is. pascale - change. it certainly is. pascale pascal lamy, thank you very much. the headlines on bbc news: chancellor rishi sunak has said g7 finance ministers from the world's leading economies have reached a historic deal to reform the global tax system during talks in london. testing is ramped up as the uk sees the highest number of new covid infections in two months. covid restrictions have eased across much of scotland, with people in glasgow allowed to socialise indoors and drink alcohol in pubs and restaurants for the first time in nine months. a0 million people in the uk have now received at least one dose of a coronavirus vaccine, equivalent to 76.2% of the adult population. the milestone comes as the head of nhs providers, which represents health services, said covid vaccines appear to have broken the chain between catching the virus and becoming seriously ill or dying. despite this, chris hopson says any decision on easing restrictions in england on 21stjune is finely balanced. 0ur health correspondent naomi grimley reports. it is the big question of the summer. can hospitals still cope with the numbers of people who will fall seriously ill from covid—i9 before the full effects of mass vaccination are felt? the encouraging news is that hospital admissions are well below the levels we saw in winter. and today one of those representing health trusts appeared to strike an optimistic note. what we think we can start to say now, based on that experience from those who have been at the front of this wave, is it looks as though the vaccines have broken the chain between catching covid—i9 and potentially being very seriously ill and potentially dying. but more surge testing is to begin on monday in parts of reading and wokingham because of the more transmissible delta variant first discovered in india. cases have been nudging up quite noticeably again as we mix more. yesterday over 6,000 were recorded. and some experts fear that could still translate into a problem until full vaccination is reached. it is particularly this increase in transmission that could cause us considerable problems. we are getting estimates of 40% to 60% more transmissible than the b117, the kent variant, that was dominant and that means infections can come at us quite fast. in the end, it is a political decision whether to go ahead with the final stage of loosening in england. 0pinions in the scientific community are split. perhaps the only thing everyone agrees on is that more data is needed. naomi grimley, bbc news. the government has published its latest coronavirus figures. the uk has recorded a further 5,765 confirmed cases of the virus. 13 more people have died within 28 days of testing positive for covid—i9. 0n the vaccine front, over 27.1 million people have now received both doses of a coronavirus vaccine, which means 51.6% of the uk adult population are now fully vaccinated. coronavirus restrictions have eased for millions of people in scotland today. glasgow has moved down to level two, which means people can meet in each other�*s homes, in limited numbers, and drink alcohol in pubs and restaurants for the first time in eight months. but a planned relaxation across some other parts of the country has been delayed. 0ur correspondent in glasgow, graham stewart, has more. a significant day for the citizens of glasgow. they are emerging from nine long months under some of the country's toughest covid restrictions. as you say, from today they are able to meet indoors and enjoy alcohol inside pubs and restaurants and travel in and out of the city. but for 13 other council areas that have been enjoying the same freedoms for the past three weeks, well, they are staying exactly where they are, and that is because of concerns over the now dominant indian variant. in fact, across scotland, infections have more than tripled over the past month. but in some other areas, where case numbers are relatively low, they are moving to level one. auckland, shetland, the western isles, they are moving to level zero, the lowest level of restrictions, that is where the whole of scotland hopes to be towards the end of this month. the first minister says the situation is hopeful but fragile. visitors may be returning to some of the uk's most popular tourist destinations, but employers are reporting problems recruiting staff. in cumbria, tourism bosses are warning the situation is reaching crisis point, and say the sector has been badly hit by new post—brexit immigration rules. yunus mulla reports. the lake district is looking busy. the visitors have returned in large numbers, but fewer people are choosing to work here. emma's deli in grasmere is facing an all too familiar problem. its owner has another cafe in keswick, that is down to opening just five days a week. here the chef retires soon. that position has not been filled. when we reopened lastjuly, we didn't seem to have a shortage of people coming forward forjobs and something seems to have shifted. but it might mean we have to reduce what we can offer in terms of either the days we are open or the days when we can offer food, because we just cannot keep up with the demand. the scale of the staff recruitment crisis facing the county's tourism and hospitality sector is said to have doubled within the last month. cumbria tourism's latest survey has highlighted the challenges facing businesses here in the lake district, with 68% saying there is a significant problem recruiting staff. business responses also reveal 73% cite a lack of applicants and 44% say there is a skills shortage. lack of affordable housing and public transport difficulties is not new, but many businesses were not expecting the current staff shortages. i have had clients in tears, you know, i have had them ringing up saying, please help. in fact, i had a head chef say to me the other day that the hours he is having to work because he is six or seven people down in the kitchen, he said he is going to end up in an early grave. when the lake district country hotel group reopened with the easing of restrictions, 10% of staff did not return. but brexit and the ending of the free movement of people is a bigger problem. our biggest problem in our area is pre—brexit we had 47% of our staff came from the eu. however, since the end of free movement, we are now finding it a lot harder to find people. unemployment in our area is just shy of i% and it is an ageing population in our area, so people are migrating away from our area rather than coming to it. businesses here are doing what they can to find a way out of this staffing crisis, but to grow and recover, there is also a call for government intervention. yunus mulla, bbc news, grasmere. the united nations has issued a stark warning that ethiopia could be heading for a repeat of the deadly famine of 1984, unless a ceasefire is agreed. months of fighting between government forces and the regional authorities in tigray have destroyed crops, leaving hundreds of thousands of people near starvation. now, the government is making it hard for aid agencies to reach those trapped by the fighting. laetitia bader is the horn of africa director at human rights watch. speaking earlier, she told us there's a pressing need for more international attention. we are talking about a humanitarian crisis, but this is also a human rights crisis. the ethiopian government, the eritrean government forces, and also allies to both of these parties, have directly contributed in their actions and abuses of the civilian population to the humanitarian crisis we are talking about now. i'm talking about targeted attacks and destructions of harvests, burning, occupation of land, destroying infrastructures. hospitals have been destroyed, looted. all of this having an impact. at the same time as there are restrictions on aid agencies. and a lot of the attacks on civilians is having an impact on people's ability to reach assistance. lots of people are too scared to move right now. one of the big concerns is people are in need of assistance and aren't receiving it at the moment. music fans will be eagerly waiting to see if all remaining restrictions are lifted later this month, so that large—scale festivals and gigs can begin once more. but one dj just didn't want to wait that long. when dom whiting's work dried up during lockdown, he decided to improvise and started a unique project which has now seen his dj sets watched by millions. here's the story. dance music plays. throughout covid, we haven't been able to do any events. me not being able to play music added to why i'm still doing this. all right? i was actually out for a drink one night with a friend and they suggested about possibly fitting decks onto a bike. as you can see, we've got a pioneer controller. when you're mixing, you've got the tempo, which controls the speed you're playing the song at. normally, i have people around me, like spotters, so i know where i'm going and where i can and can't get through and ensure i'm not whacking into everybody. normally, i'll put out where i'm going out to a few days before, the location, like brighton or bristol. kind of two hours of you just being in another dimension, to be honest with you. just give everyone a bit of music, really, because we haven't been able to have any music over the last god knows how long. during a live stream, i'll have a feed up of who's watching in from online, say facebook or youtube or whatever. so when i'm riding around and i get through who's listening and shout them out. out to seb, out to all my audio venom crew. make them feel like they're also here as well as not being here. we have had a lack of music and it is very important for people to be able to come out and still meet people and still have a little rave, have a little dance. notjust me but for people to come along and enjoy it and get to hear some proper music. now it's time for a look at the weather with stav danaos. hello there. for many of us, part one of the weekend has been fine and dry. we saw plenty of sunshine, a little bit of thigh whether cloud across most of the country, but not sunny everywhere, cloudy skies thanks to a weather front putting into western scotland, northern ireland and the far south—west of england, courtesy of this new weather front arriving in gradually as the day wore on. now, this is going to bring outbreaks of patchy rain as we move through this evening and overnight come into western areas initially, then spreading eastwards into central, northern, southern england and wales. meanwhile, starting to dry up with clearer skies in scotland and northern ireland, and the far south—east will also see clearer skies. quite a mild night. a ridge of high pressure building in for sunday across western areas, this weather front straddling central and eastern parts, so i reverse of fortunes, sunnier skies for sunday across scotland and northern ireland, increasingly western england and west wales. in the east, cloudy thanks to this weather front, with showery rain, if you heavy downpours mixed into that as well. with more cloud around, cooler across england and wales, 19—21 degrees. as we move into monday, the weather front weekends as it pushes towards the east, leaving a legacy of cloud, but we have high pressure dominating the scene, very light winds. i think a day of variable cloud under sunny spells, but with that weak weather different across eastern areas, likely to be stabilised, heavy showers developing across the eastern side of the country into the afternoon as the temperatures rise. temperatures reaching 19—20, 21 or 22 in the warmer spots. through this week, high pressure holds on across the south of the country, these areas of low pressure skirt at the north—west, bringing stronger winds, more cloud, and showery rain to parts of scotland and northern ireland. cloudy and breezy across northern and western areas, closer to the high pressure in the south is where you will see the best of the sunshine and the warmth. good evening. it's being hailed as an "historic agreement", that could see global governments make billions. the deal made today by the g7 group of leading economies could shake up the tax system for multinational companies, like big tech giants. it could include a global minimum corporate tax rate of 15% to avoid countries undercutting each other. the chancellor, rishi sunak, said that it will mean firms pay "the right tax in the right places". tech companies, google and facebook have welcomed the move. here's our business correspondent katyto stop multinational c particularly how to stop multinational companies, particularly tech giants, avoiding tax by booking profits in low or no tax by booking profits in low or no tax jurisdictions, tax by booking profits in low or no taxjurisdictions, that tax by booking profits in low or no tax jurisdictions, that was one question at the heart of these discussions between the finance ministers of seven leading economies. ministers of seven leading economies-_ ministers of seven leading economies. �* ., ., ., . economies. i'm delighted to announce that, today. — economies. i'm delighted to announce that. today. after— economies. i'm delighted to announce that, today, after years _ economies. i'm delighted to announce that, today, after years of _ that, today, after years of discussion, g7 finance ministers have reached an historic agreement to reform the global tax system, to make it fit for the global digital age but, crucially, to make sure that it's fair, so that the right compani
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