07/04/2017 BBC News at Six

America's air strike on a Syrian Government target

draws strong condemnation from Syria's ally, Russia.

59 missiles were fired by the US at the airbase -

said to be the launch pad for a deadly chemical

The targets - aircraft, ammunition bunkers,

and air defence systems - all owned and controlled

Tonight, I call on all civilized nations join us in seeking to end

the slaughter and bloodshed in Syria.

But Russia described the air strikes as an act of aggression

At least three are dead and many injured as a lorry ploughs

into shoppers in the Swedish capital Stockholm.

There were blood everywhere, there were bodies on the ground

everywhere and the sense of panic - people standing by their loved ones,

Andreea Cristea, who fell into the Thames during

the Westminster terror attack last month, has died.

The pressure on the Ambulance Service in England,

because of overcrowding in many hospitals.

And a lot of hot air - trying to beat the world record

We've got the latest from the second round of the Masters,

where the weather has been far more friendly

to the players, including England's Lee Westowood, at Augusta.

Good evening and welcome to the BBC News at Six.

Russia, an ally of Syria, has condemned a missile strike

authorised by President Trump on a Syrian Government target.

59 Tomahawk cruise missiles were fired from US warships

in the Mediterranean at the Shayrat air base - from where Mr Trump

said this week's deadly chemical weapons attack

In a moment, we'll get the latest on Russia's response

and how the strike could affect the long war in Syria.

But, first, here's our North America Editor Jon Sopel and a warning,

his report does contain some distressing images.

It was after dark on the east coast of America and before the sun had

risen in the Middle East when the commander in chief gave the order.

From wo war ships a volley of cruise missiles were fired at a military

air base, that has been used, say the Americans to launch the chemical

weapons attack on Idlib. It is in the vital security interest of the

United States to prevent and to deter the spread and use of deadly

chemical weapons. There can be no dispute that Syria used banned

chemical weapons, violated its obligations under the chemical

weapons convention and ignored the urging of the UN Security Council.

The after affects of the attack, the United States believe a nerve agent

was used, horrified the world and horrified this president. A line had

been crossed and unlike his predecessor, he was going to act. He

choked the lives of men, women and children. It was a slow and brutal

death for so many. Even beautiful babies were cruelly murdered in this

very barbaric attack. No child of God should ever suffer such horror.

What is astonishing, is the speed with which this administration has

changed its policy to Syria and decided to act. At the start of

week, President Trump saw Bashar al-Assad as a useful ally against

Islamic State. There was no talk of regime change. But the chemical

weapons attack changed everybody and within two days, targets had been

identified and struck. Here what is we know about the attack. 59

Tomahawk missiles were issued. The air base is 20 miles from Homs.

Targets included, aircraft, fuel depots and radar. Because Russian

forces are also at the base, Russia was informed of the attack in

advance. The aftermath shows damage at the base, but hardly devastation.

The pents gone say - Pentagon said it didn't target the runways, the

aim was to destroy the infrastructure that allows the base

to function and the attack has brought the president support. The

president was authorised to conduct the strike, he is not asking for a

declaration of war, he was dealing with circumstances and as the

commander in chief not only did he have the right, he has an obligation

to act. Despite the enthusiasm we can see, to quote Churchill, it is

the end of the beginning not the beginning of the end. Donald Trump

who didn't want to get embroiled in foreign conflict has just ordered US

forces into action as he ended his address last night he didn't sound

like an isolationist. Good night and God bless America and the entire

world. Thank you. The president not yet 100 days in, has travelled a

long way in a short time. Russia - as a supporter

of President Assad - has accused the United States

of violating international law. It said that President Trump's

actions damaged the fight against terrorism and the Islamic State

group in Syria. Our Moscow Correspondent Steve

Rosenberg has the latest Until recently, the Russian media

have been singing Donald Today, state TV accused

him of an unprovoked show of force with

the missile strike he ordered

on a civilian air base. Moscow said it was a gross,

groundless violation of It's definitely an

aggressive act against international law, against

a sovereign country, and without any true evidence of the Assad regime

using chemical weapons. It is Russian military

power that's been Russia's air force

and navy is helping Syria's leader turn the

tide of the country's Civil War, and boosting Moscow's

role in the Middle East. Today, the Kremlin accused

Washington of inventing a pretext Those American Tomahawks may have

been targeting the Syrian military, but judging by what the Kremlin has

been saying, its US- Russia relations that will take a real

battering out as a result The Russians had been hoping

that with Donald Trump in the White House, relations

with America would improve. So far, there's been

no sign of that. Today, Moscow suspended

a deal designed to prevent incidents between US

and Russian warplanes over Syria. Which means that we

have two make big military power was in the area

operating without any contact and any coordination,

which is very dangerous. The Russians are hoping that this US

strike was a one-off, but tonight, they are strengthening

air defence systems across Syria, Until this week's chemical

attack in northern Syria, President Trump had appeared set

against any intervention against Our Middle East Editor,

Jeremy Bowen, reports now on the implications of the US strike

for the six-year Syrian war. The war crime that killed so many in

a village pushed the Americans into military action. The long-term

impact on the war itself depends on what the Americans to next. More

chemical attacks would provoke a tougher American response. But the

US might accept a return to conventional killing. The Syrian

regime denies it has ever used chemical weapons. I think President

Trump himself knows that Syria did not use any chemical weapons, it

does not have any chemical weapons, as it has given all its stock pile

too the international organisation responsible for that. The Americans

say they have clear that the proof that the Syrian forces carrived out

-- carried out war crimes, they're certain of that, that is whoo I they

carried out this raid. 14 years after the invasion of Iraq, we see

Iraq has been destroyed. Syria is the second secular state after Iraq

that is being targeted by the west, simply because it is secular and it

has an army and it is against the Israeli occupation of Palestine. In

one of Damascus area, people stopped believing the regime years ago and

want more military action from the Americans. TRANSLATION: We hope that

any foreign intervention will be an intervention to bring an end to the

suffering of the Syrian people and not just a single hit. TRANSLATION:

The solution is for the Assad regime to step away from power. The ends of

massacres, the ends of targeting of civilians. A reason why the war is

so hard to stop is that so many countries are involved. With

different interests and objectives. President Assad's main allies are

Russia and Iran. These days the rebels still fighting the regime are

mainly Sunni Muslim slammists. Muslims. There is also the war

against so-called Islamic State. Led by the US and its allies. Think of

it all as layers of conflict. Sometimes they're parallel. And

sometimes they intersect and now Donald Trump has added a whole new

layer. The vents and the US response will force the Syrian regime to take

American threats more seriously, including calls for regime change.

Force equals influence in Syria and more foreign intervention will not

bring peace any closer. Let's go back to Jon

Sopel in Florida. Is this a one-off strike

or can we expect more? Well, that is the key question and I

think the president would love to think that this was a one-off

attack, taken in revenge, because Bashar al-Assad used chemical

weapons. It was discreet and signify nod further US engagement in the

situation in Syria. But as Jeremy described, it is complex and there

are huge questions about US foreign policy towards Syria. Does the

Americans, do the Americans strike again if barrel bombs are used?

Where does this leave their position on Bashar al-Assad staying in power.

One other thick we have learned -- thing we have learned about

President Trump that is contradictory, that is very quick to

change his minds and he is very decisive. But maybe there is a wider

picture here to consider, as it was articulated by a Senator, she said

what Donald Trump has shown is that there is a new sheriff in town and

he's shown who is the boss. The world has better sit up and take

notice. It probably has. Thank you. A lorry has been driven into a crowd

of pedestrians in Stockholm, killing at least three people

and injuring many others. The Swedish Prime Minister said

everything suggested The incident happened outside

a department store on a busy pedestrian shopping street at around

2 o'clock local time. The driver of the truck

is still at large and police have Our Security Correspondent Frank

Gardner has the latest. A moment of panic

in a peaceful city. This was Stockholm this afternoon,

as people fled in terror from a truck which appeared to drive

deliberately into crowds of shoppers TRANSLATION: I saw exactly

where the lorry went in, just there. There wasn't much of a reaction,

then the police arrived. The police just said,

you have to run. Initial reports said

two people were killed, then at least three,

and several injured. Stockholm has seen nothing

like this for years. The truck crashed into a department

store and caught fire. The brewery company that owned it

said a man hijacked it You could actually see bodies lying

on the street and I could see the police covering the body

with an orange blanket. There were lots of police around,

lots of people standing around There was a lady laying

with a severed foot, there was blood everywhere,

there were bodies on People standing by their loved ones,

but also people running away. The Swedish authorities say they had

no warning of this attack. The question now is,

who did it and why? The police have issued

these pictures of a man they want to question,

while the Prime Minister says Sweden TRANSLATION: The government

is informed of the situation We support all the authorities that

are working on this, and we are asking the public to be

alert and listen to police advice. At least two people are dead and our

thoughts are with their families. Whoever was behind today's attack,

this has been a huge shock, not just for Sweden,

but for all of Scandinavia. Security is now being tightened

in neighbouring Norway and Finland. Already, some are saying this has

been a wake-up call. Let's get the latest

from Stockholm and speak There's a big security operation

in place in Stockholm tonight, but the suspect as far as we know

is still on the loose? Well, here in Stockholm, security is

incredibly tight this evening. Police out on patrol, armed police

all across the city centre and helicopters circling above us. It

was the case earlier in the day that there were reports that somebody had

been arrested. But police say that is not the case, they are still

looking for the person or people behind this. In the meantime, people

living here in the city centre have been told, if they're already home,

they should not go out this evening. A number of cinemas, shopping mall

is and theatres are closed as police keep security tight, as they

continue their investigation. We are about 500 metres away from where the

attack happened, and it is a very different atmosphere to a typical

Friday night, when this area would be packed with people out at the

shops or in the bars in this area. At the moment there are a lot of

people rather lost as they try to get home. The subway system has also

closed, train services have been cancelled, as police try to work out

what has happened. Russia has condemned US

airstrikes in Syria, and promised to strengthen

the country's air defence systems. And painting a picture over Dover -

but did these hot air balloons break Coming up in Sportsday on BBC News -

Great Britain will have to come from behind if they're to make it

through to the semifinals And they'll have to beat

France without the injured Hospitals in England were forced

to turn away ambulances nearly twice as often this winter

as in the previous three years, according to analysis

from the charity the Nuffield It says the extra time

ambulances spend on the road after being diverted to other A

departments delays their response Our health correspondent

Dominic Hughes has this report, They are the very front

line of emergency care, but across England, ambulance

services are struggling to cope with demand, and when things go

wrong, the consequences are We were all sort of stood outside

waiting for the ambulance. In December, Suzanne's husband Jack

collapsed with chest pains, but by the time the ambulance

arrived, Jack had died. I feel very bitter, because he

didn't get a chance, did he? I mean, there was a good chance

that they could have done something, None of the main targets

for ambulance response times have been met since May 2015,

and that reflects the intense pressure accident and emergency

departments have been under, sometimes diverting ambulances

to other local hospitals. Today's report shows how the number

of diverts has leapt During the three winters beginning

in 2013, this happened on average 249 times,

but in this most recent winter, the number of diverts

increased to almost 500. They have doubled, they reveal

a service under tremendous pressure. There will be 500 diverts,

but there will be many more A departments working

right to the limit. If we were to fall ill,

we would all want an ambulance to reach us quickly,

but the health service is like a great big ecosystem,

and if one local A shuts its doors, even for a short

time, that can have a really big knock-on effect on not just

the ambulance service, but also That's what's happening

in the north-east of England, which has some of the highest number

of diverted ambulances, but that simply piles

on the pressure elsewhere. What we see is the pressure building

up within emergency departments. And when we are already under

pressure, then we get this call that we need to take some more

patients, it's, of course, people feel that this

is just additional pressure NHS England says too many ambulances

are being dispatched simply to meet targets on response times,

and a review of the system is now underway to find a better way

to relieve pressure. But delays to ambulances can harm

patients and make an already A man who avoided being sent to jail

for domestic violence by claiming he would lose the chance to become

a professional cricketer has been jailed for 18 months

following a review of his case. Mustafa Bashir attacked his partner

with a cricket bat and tried But the club he claimed had

offered him a contract, Leicestershire, contacted police

after the original hearing to say A Romanian tourist knocked

into the River Thames during the terror attack

at Westminster has died. 31-year-old Andreea Cristea had been

visiting London with her boyfriend. Her death brings the number

of people killed by the attacker Our home affairs correspondent

Tom Symonds reports. There had been a hope that

Andreea Cristea would make it. She was young, she'd been

on holiday, about to receive Doctors at St Bartholomew's said

she'd been in a critical Yesterday, they decided

to withdraw life support. We are saddened by the death

of Miss Andreea Cristea She had been receiving care

here since the Westminster terror attacks, having been initially

treated at the Royal And our thoughts are

with her friends and family I'd like to pay tribute

to all the staff who showed great care and compassion

in looking after her. Her family praised the kindness

and empathy shown by medical After fighting for her life for over

two weeks, they said, our beloved and irrepressible

Andreea, wonderful daughter, sister, partner, dedicated friend

and the most unique and life-loving person you can imagine,

was cruelly and brutally ripped away from our lives in the most heartless

and spiritless way. Khalid Masood can't have cared

who he targeted that day, using a blunt weapon,

a hire car. He mowed down his victims,

somehow sending Andreea over the railing of the bridge

and into the river. Leslie Rhodes, Aysha Frade,

Kurt Cochrane and PC Keith Palmer The inquest into their deaths has

been adjourned, but it will consider what happened in precise

detail that day. The benefit the coroner has

is the sheer number of witnesses. It's thought 1,500 people may

have seen what happened. Last week, Andrei Burnaz laid

a single flower in memory of the woman he'd hoped

would be his wife. Today, for all the victims,

the flowers, the candles The actor Tim Piggott Smith has

died at the age of 70. He played Prime Minister Herbert

Asquith. He was well known for his portrayal

of Ronald Merrick in the epic drama Jewel In The Crown,

for which he won a Bafta. He appeared in many films,

including, The Remains Of The Day and the James Bond movie

Quantum Of Solace. The skies above Dover

were a picture this morning. 82 hot air balloons took off,

hoping to break the world record Our reporter Fiona Lamdin

was on board one of the balloons. They gathered at first light in a

field in Kent. And as the sun rose, with almost military precision, at

exactly seven o'clock, the mass ascent began. 82 pilots from across

Europe were here to set a new record. The pack drifted over

Dover's Castle and cliffs. England will soon behind them as they headed

26 miles over the Channel in mainland Europe. It is fantastic

being able to see the other balloons. It is a once-in-a-lifetime

opportunity. The cameraman is in a balloon somewhere out there so I am

filming there myself. We are right in the middle of the flight. Can't

see France, can't see England, all I know is, I'm above the world's

busiest shipping lanes. After three hours trusting above the sea, they

arrived in France near Calais to the warmest of welcomes. After three

hours 21 minutes and 20 seconds, it was down-to-earth with the most

gentlest of bumps. Bend your knees... When we began to see a

little point in the air, and so, with the car, we tried to follow the

course of the balloons, and we are happy to see you! The pilots are

confident they've broken the previous record of 49 balloons but

are waiting for confirmation that they hold the new title.

Lovely skies on both sides of the Channel. Will it continue, Darren

Bett? It is really going to be warming up for some of us, and there

will be more blue skies and sunshine. If you can see on the map,

you can see how the cloud has broken across northern England and Northern

Ireland, so we have got a sunny end to the day here. The cloud should

retreat up to the far north-west and the Northern Isles. This fog could

affect the M4 and the five tonight. Warming up quickly in the sunshine

tomorrow morning. The fog does not last long at all tomorrow morning.

This time, across Scotland and Northern Ireland, away from the far

north of the country, temperatures will be depressed a little.

Otherwise, we could get as high as 20 degrees possibly across some

eastern parts of England. And it will be a much warmer day for

northern England and ports of Northern Ireland, too. We have got a

southerly breeze drawing up some warmer air. At the same time we've

got this weather front approaching the north-west. Not such a good day

for Scotland and Northern Ireland with this band coming in. Some cloud

wandering in over the Irish Sea, but for most of England and Wales, it

will be warm and sunny. Temperatures ranging up to a high of 23 Celsius.

That's probably the peak of the temperatures, because we've got this

weather front bringing rain to the north-west on Sunday, and

introducing a north to north-westerly airflow which will

bring down some much cooler air. For most of us, it Mark White cloudy

skies like this on Monday. Across Scotland and in the north, there

could even be some wintry showers. Our main headline... Russia has

condemned the US missile strikes in Syria which targeted a regime

airbase and have promised to strengthen the country's air defence

systems. That is all from us. It is time for the