12/01/2017 Breakfast

Hello, this is Breakfast, with Steph McGovern and Charlie

A stand-off between Donald Trump and the intelligence services of his

private life. I think it was disgraceful that the intelligence

agencies allowed any information that turned out to be so full of

fake out. Now the head of intelligence

services in America hits back, saying they weren't involved in any

leaks about the President-elect. Good morning, it's

Thursday, 12th January. Ben's in London on an important day

for some of our biggest shops. We have a raft of retail results

today and we will find out how some of the biggest names fared over

Christmas. Are voters willing to pay more taxes

to boost spending on the NHS? A survey suggests nearly

a half of them are. Plans for a billion pound project

to use the tides in Swansea Bay to generate electricity are backed

by a senior government advisor. In sport: Southampton lead Liverpool

in their League Cup semi-final. Nathan Redmond gave the Saints a 1-0

win in the first leg. There is snow in the forecast today,

wintry showers and windy conditions for the north in particular, and

also parts of the west. In the south we have rain initially with hill

snow but later in the day some of that will readily turn to sleet and

snow even at lower levels. I'll have more details

in 15 minutes. The US Director of National

Intelligence has rejected suggestions made by Donald Trump

that official agencies leaked claims Russia had compromising

material on him. In a statement, James Clapper said

he had called the President-elect to say the leak had not come

from the intelligence services. Our Washington reporter

Laura Bicker has the story. Donald Trump is not a huge fan of

the press corps but he had a message to send to the media and US

intelligence agencies. He believes the leak of substantiated

allegations that the election colluded with Russia. It is all

fake, it didn't happen. There are also claims Russian spies have

compiled material to blackmail Mr Trump including salacious of his

private life. Does anyone really believe that story? I am also very

much of a germaphobe, believe me. The BBC understands the Russian

memos on Mr Trump were compiled by a former member of MI6, Christopher

Steele. The director of national intelligence James Clabo has called

the President-elect. He said the leak did not come from within US

intelligence. And they have not made any judgement that the information

is reliable. As Donald Trump moved the media towards his business

dealings he confirmed he was handing total control of his empire to his

sons. These papers are some of the many documents I have signed turning

over complete and total control to my sons. That too is proving

troublesome. The ethics committee has now set his plan doesn't meet

past presidential standard. This performance was a typically

eccentric and bombastic piece of political theatre which his

supporters will love. But it did little to counter the soil of

controversies which surround this President-elect.

We'll be getting the view of a Republican commentator

in Washington in around 20 minutes' time.

Some of the biggest names on the high street are set to reveal

how they performed over the Christmas period.

Ben's at the London Stock Exchange to find out what this will mean

Welcome to the London stock exchange. It will be really busy

morning here a seven o'clock with a raft of retail results coming in and

we will find out how some of the high-street names went over the

Christmas period. We will have numbers and updates from Tesco,

Marks Spencer, John Lewis, Waitrose, Asos, companies telling us

how Christmas was for them, and we have had an indication from some

retailers, with Morrison is this week, yesterday Sainsbury's, and it

is a familiar story with the findings that shop sales haven't

done so well and online has done well. Food sales, this year has been

a Christmas of food sales, not things like clothing with

suggestions we all went and decided that this year we were going to have

a good Christmas as far as food was concerned but maybe we were shopping

around elsewhere when it came to things like clothing. And while I am

here, we should point out yesterday the London market, the FTSE 100, the

100 leading firms, that hit a record high, 7290 was the index, that is

the 10th day of rises for the London market, so some suggestions it is

because the pound is so weak, but nonetheless business is feeling

quite confident at the moment. We will find out how the high-street

names have gone from seven o'clock this morning. I will have all of the

details for you then. Doctors believe they are closer

to understanding why chronic stress increases the risk of heart

disease and strokes. Their findings, published

in The Lancet, suggest that increased activity in the part

of the brain which responds to fear and anger prompts the production

of extra white blood cells. This can make the formation

of blockages in the arteries more Volkswagen has pleaded

guilty to criminal charges in the United States

for using illegal software to cheat emissions tests for

its diesel vehicles. Its been ordered to pay

fines of more than ?3.5 billion, the largest penalty ever

levied by the US government It's been dubbed the Dieselgate,

the world's second biggest carmaker reading environmental tests boardies

diesel emissions and now Volkswagen will play a heavy price for what US

authorities have described The final ?3.5 billion

is the biggest ever levied by the US VW has already agreed a ?12.3

billion civil settlement with car owners

and environmental authorities and worldwide, 11 million vehicles

are involved in this scandal. The US Attorney General said VW lied

to cover up its actions. Hundreds of thousands of cars that

Volkswagen sold in the United States were pumping illegal

levels of nitrogen oxides Up to 40 times more than the amounts

permitted under federal law. Now, what's more, these vehicles

were equipped with software that masked the true amount

of the pollutants the cars released. And it looks as though the US

regulators are far from finished. Six executives have been formally

charged with conspiracy. Volkswagen says it deeply regrets

the behaviour that led to this scandal, but there's

still a turbulent road ahead as the company faces potentially

damaging lawsuits in Europe. Plans for the UK's first

hydro-electric tidal lagoon will take a significant

step forward today. A report from the former

energy minister Charles Hendy concludes that the technology can

deliver a secure supply of clean energy, with Swansea Bay the front

runner for the one-point-three Will this be the UK's's latest

source of low carbon energy? That hides are some of the highest in the

world. Why not build a seawall to capture the outgoing tide? That is

the plan from a private firm. They will use hydroelectric turbines to

generate power as the water flushes through gaps in the seawall. The

cost was thought too high to bear. A review says it will need subsidy. It

is not as dear as it looks. If you look at the cost spread over the

lifetime, 120 years, it comes out at 30p per household for the next 30

years. That is less than a pint of milk. That is where we can start a

new industry at an affordable cost to consumers. Supporters hope we

will see lagoons dotted around the close, that will bring down the

cost, they say. But anglers fear the impact on wildlife and they want to

agree terms for just one of them and then wait and see.

We know they can walk like you but scientists believe that

monkeys might also be able to talk like you.

The results of a study into the grunts baboons make has

found they create five sounds similar to the vowels we use

It had been thought baboons did not have the larynx needed

The research suggests language might have begun to evolve earlier

What we need is the noises to make judgement. I know some teenagers who

grunt like that owns. And also my friend Alan, if he could talk like

one, he wouldn't have to punch it when it invaded his tent -- like

baboons. Remember the story? How can I forget it? Every time I hear it,

it sounds less plausible. Wake up and find a baboon in your tent, just

grunt. Don't mention baboons. You have mentioned the baboons again!

Well, the Saints had many of punches, just the one goal to take a

liveable. They do have the edge towards Wembley.

Southampton have the advantage after the first leg of their EFL Cup

Nathan Redmond's goal was the difference as the Saints won

The sides will meet again at Anfield in a fortnight's time.

England women's record goal-scorer Kelly Smith has

announced her retirement from football.

The 38-year-old scored 46 goals in 117 appearances for her country.

Laura Robson says she felt "sluggish and flat" as she lost in straight

sets in the first round of qualifying at the Australian Open.

Robson was beaten by Amandine Hesse of France, and has now lost seven

Sam Warburton's six-year spell as Wales rugby union captain

The Ospreys lock Alun Wyn Jones is set to be named as his successor

when interim coach Rob Howley announces his Six Nations squad.

What have you got first? We'll have a quick look. The press conference

yesterday dominating the front pages this morning. Extraordinary scenes.

It might be something to get used to, the style of Donald Trump just

nine days before he becomes president. Talking about these

allegations. A former British spy has been named as the man who worked

on this dossier which has caused all of the row over these allegations on

Donald Trump. We will talk about that throughout the program. And

something else that has been in the news on what is the NHS crisis and

the fact that there is a rift between the head of the NHS and

Theresa May, who was accused of stretching the truth over the

funding. We will discuss it later. On the Sun, following the trial of

Rolf Harris, which is ongoing. The Daily Mirror, talking about the

Trump Chris -- press conference. Some of the quotes, you can see, you

are acting like Nazis, that was one of the quotes. He was talking about

his own intelligence services. We have a response at this morning from

the US intelligence services to the allegation from Donald Trump that

they might have leaked some of those stories. Shall we look inside at

this picture? This is how a rhinoceros was moved over a lake. I

was looking at this, because it looks really dangerous, but

apparently it is the best way to get the rhino across. He is blindfolded,

obviously, so he can't see how high he is. These were taken in South

Africa's Eastern Cape. Upside down. He was taken by a guy from Devon who

was on holiday. Imagine if you saw that on holiday! Not very dignified.

It is supposed to be the safest way. Looks like bungee jumping. I would

feel sick if it was me. To be hung upside down from your legs. If you

are blindfolded, it is worse. Managers often send instructions on

the pitch when things are not going well. Jurgen Klopp sent an essay on

with Daniel Sturridge. There is a piece of paper with lots of writing.

After he said it was a change in formation. Daniel Sturridge was

handing it around, showing the players instructions. It didn't

really work. Maybe he was better off grunting. We are always fascinated

by that, we see that in tennis as well. In the past, before big

matches, we have speculated on the formation and it ends up being a

shopping list. This is from the Times, Junior Masterchef Spain. It

is a Spanish version. A young British boy is involved, Oscar

Jefferson, only nine years old, and the nation has fallen in love with

him because he was making fish and chips. He has lived in Spain for two

years. Imagine, he has only been in Spain for two years, and he is

making fish and chips and the batter went wrong. And as a result he

breaks down in tears on the program and he is grandfather apparently

told him to make sure he paid attention to the temperature of the

oil, which should be between 175 - 190 degrees. Most of us wouldn't let

children anywhere near a pot of boiling oil.

Basketball Ramadi for the most played sport. It gets very little

funding. We cannot afford to insure them. Crazy. We will see you later.

You're watching Breakfast from BBC News.

US intelligence chiefs reject suggestions made by Donald Trump

that they leaked claims Russia had compromising material on him.

An important day for the British high street as a number of big names

reveal how well they did over Christmas.

Here's Carol with a look at this morning's weather.

It felt wild in Manchester last night, it has to be said. What does

it look like our there? Today there is snow in the forecast. Snow

showers in the north and west. Windy in the north. Later in the day,

sleet and snow, especially in the hills, and maybe at lower levels in

the south. Look at the isobars, it is going to be pretty windy. Further

south, an area of low pressure coming our way introducing rain and

also some snow. It all depends on how quickly the north-westerly is

coming in. It will turn to snow. I will move my microphone because it

is causing issues. Through this morning we are looking at snow

showers in Scotland and also Northern Ireland. Also the risk of

ice first thing. The Seine in northern England. Snow showers

again. Some ice in between. Hill snow this morning in Wales. At lower

levels, rain. It will push through in the day. Dry and bright in some

eastern areas but it will not last. Through the day, the snow showers

persist in the north of the country. Windy though it will slowly ease.

The rain pushes over all of us and some will be heavy. Surface water

issues. Some flooding on the roads. Then it will turn to sleet and snow,

especially in the hills. The Cotswolds especially. Some sleet and

snow at lower levels as well. A cold day wherever you are although

temperatures will be above freezing. It will be especially cold in the

north. Below freezing in the wind. Through the evening and overnight,

you can see the rain continuing to go away. More snow at the rush-hour

time. Pushing down to Kent. Behind that, quite quickly we will see the

risk of ice on damp surfaces as temperatures drop. Through the

night, further snow will go south across Scotland. Snow showers in

Northern Ireland. Watch how the snow continues to aid across northern

England and parts of North Wales and in towards the Midlands into

tomorrow morning. Largely dry tomorrow but do not forget the risk

of ice and it will be cold. We pick up the snow tomorrow morning for the

rush-hour. It goes through East Anglia and London and heading down

towards Kent before it goes away. Behind that, wintry. Strong winds

lowing a gay eel down the east coast. Showers. Strong winds

whipping up waves. There is the risk of local coastal flooding down the

east coast. Something else to be aware of. Saturday, a change. Some

dry weather. Even sunshine. Towards the west, the cloud thickened

beacons. You will see the temperatures go up. Monday, the

Windhoek west to east. Light north-westerly winds. Temperatures

going up. That does not mean they will stay because next week they

will go back down again. Back to you. The thing I love about you is

that even though you had people screaming in your ear about your

microphone you were delivering the weather beautifully without a script

or anything. Thank you. Not too shabby yourself. Thank you.

With just over a week to go until his inauguration as President,

Donald Trump is once again surrounded by controversy.

A press conference designed to clarify his business affairs

and update reporters on key policies was dominated by allegations

We will get the reaction of a Republican commentator

in a moment but first here are some of the key parts

It is all fake news. It is false staff. It did not happen. It is a

disgrace. It is something Nazi Germany would have done. Look at the

nonsense released by maybe the intelligence agencies. Can you give

us a question? Do not be rude. Do not be rude. You are fake news. BBC

News, that is another beauty. If Vladimir Putin likes Donald Trump,

that is an asset. They can help us fight Isis, who are number one

tricky. I do not know if I will get along with him but I hope I do. Do

you think Hillary Clinton would be tougher on Vladimir Putin than me?

Is anyone in this room believe that? Gives me a break. The only ones who

care about my tax reports are the reporters. No, I do not think so. I

won. I am president. My two sons you are right here are going to be

running the company. They are going to be running it in a very

professional manner. Otherwise, if they do a bad job, I will say

"you're fired." Joining us is a Republican commentator. Good

evening. That press conference was really colourful. You watched it.

What did you think of it? I think he did on the whole a pretty good job.

The clips you put together pulled out the more colourful bits from the

press conference which was geared towards highlighting what he is

going to do and what he will be undertaking to stop potential

conflicts of interest when he becomes president in a week and head

of Trump Organisation. You talk about conflicts of interest. This

controversy is not going away. You have seen the dossier. What about

these allegations of Russia having compromise in material on him? I

read the papers when they came out. They were published by BuzzFeed, a

website in the US. Immediately I was struck by how unprofessional they

look. It looks like anything anyone could sit down and type at their

laptop. They could write down allegations, some of which were

quite colourful. I will not repeat them on your programme but your

listeners can look them up. That came out because of another report

by CNN which referenced the existence of that dossier. That is

what Donald Trump was saying to the CNN reporter in the press conference

saying he will not give them a question because he considers them

fake news. From what you are saying, you are saying you do not think it

was that serious because it did not look like a typical dossier. Yet the

intelligence agencies thought it was important enough to bring to the

attention of Donald Trump and Barack Obama. Surely if they are taking it

seriously everyone else should. They definitely have to investigate it

and ask President-elect Donald Trump about the allegations. But they

investigated what was in the dossier. That is my understanding.

Multiple news organisations investigated and tried to verify it,

very serious ones, a couple of months ago. That is why the timing

of the dossier published at BuzzFeed has raised eyebrows and questions at

this point. Why is it coming out now? When I was initially reading it

I was concerned by what I heard was in it. But when I read it he did

nothing serious. After hearing many organisations debunked... Well, were

not able to verify it... It reinforced the idea it is not

serious. There is clearly a breakdown of trust between Donald

Trump and the intelligence services. That cannot be good. There is

certainly some tension there. It is not historically unprecedented in

our nation's history. I remind you of SJA Edgar Hoover, head of the

intelligence agency. And FDR. There were multiple reports Britain. There

was a lot of tension, famously. -- written. It is not what you want to

start out on. But as Donald Trump was saying in his press conference,

he was wondering where the leaks were coming from. He started

scheduling some of them and telling them in his office to see if he

could discover if they would be leaked and then details of the

meeting would be leaked. He said publicly he thinks it would be the

intelligence agencies. Do you think it will be a good president? I think

so. He has many people rooting for him, including the Democratic

leadership. Barack Obama and even Hillary Clinton have said they are

hoping he becomes a very strong leader and he does what is that of

the nation. That is what we are rooting for and will work towards

making that happen. Would you pay more income tax if it

meant extra money for the NHS? New research says its

an increasingly popular idea, Time now to get the news,

travel, and weather, The Forth Road Bridge is fully open

to traffic this morning, after it was closed early yesterday,

when a lorry was blown over during high winds,

blocking both carriageways. The closure resulted

in major traffic disruption, But the bridge was reopened

around 9pm last night when repairs to the central

reservation were complete. An agreement has been reached

to ensure that foreign workers on freight boats serving Orkney

and Shetland are paid The Transport Minister Humza Yousaf

said a new charter arrangement would end the long-running dispute

over seafarers' pay. The RMT union had claimed that some

workers on board two freight boats The operator, Seatruck,

had argued that the national minimum wage wasn't applicable to the crew,

many of whom were non-UK residents. A Lanarkshire cheese-maker banned

from selling its produce after a fatal E.coli outbreak wants

to put two of its products Food Standards Scotland banned

the sale of Errington Cheeses after finding bacteria in batches

of Dunsyre Blue and Lanark Blue. The firm has disputed the evidence,

and insists its cheese is safe. It is now seeking permission

to put its Lanark Blue and Corra Linn products back

on the market. In the village of Burghead

near Elgin, they are Going by the old Gregorian calendar

introduced in the late 18th century, today marks the first

day of January. Last night, despite 50 mph gusts

of wind and snow showers, locals carried out the traditional

burning of the clavie. A flaming barrel is carried

round the town and then Pieces of the clavie are said

to bring good luck and are given to houses round the village

and to Brochers all over the world. Severe weather warnings for wind

and snow are in place for Scotland with forecasters warning

of blizzard-like conditions in some areas, leading to some very

tricky driving conditions. The northbound A9 is to be fully

closed just south of Dunblane in the next hour to recover a lorry

which jack-knifed overnight. Let's find out how bad

the weather is going to get. The cold wintry continues today. The

Met Office has a combined warning for wind and snow. Tricky conditions

on the road, etc. Plenty of showers pulling in on that brisk north-west

wind. Snow over high ground. Sleet at low levels. A risk of ice on

untreated surfaces. The showers become fewer across the South and

East. Good sunny spells through the course of the morning and afternoon.

Struggling temperature wise. This evening, wintry showers in the South

will die away. A band of rain will push across the mainland. Gale-force

northerly winds. Seeing cold with an ice risk by tomorrow morning.

forecast. I am back with the latest in half an hour.

Now, though, it's back to Charlie and Steph.

Hello, this is Breakfast, with Steph McGovern and Charlie

We'll bring you all the latest news and sport in a moment,

In his first press conference since becoming president elect

an angry Donald Trump has slammed his critics.

We'll discuss his performance throughout the morning.

Christmas maybe over but today we find out where shoppers

spent their money over the festive period.

We'll be at the London stock exchange to find out how the high

street's biggest names have performed.

He's the magician who pulled the Britain's Got Talent title out

Richard Jones will be on the sofa to tell us about his new tour

But now a summary of this morning's main news.

The US Director of National Intelligence has rejected

suggestions agencies may have leaked claims that Russia had compromising

In a statement, James Clapper said he had called the President-elect

to say the leak had not come from the intelligence community.

He also said agencies had not made any judgement

on whether the unsubstantiated allegations about Mr Trump

Multiple news organisations investigated, tried to verify, they

did their best to do so, very serious organisations are couple of

months ago, so that is why the timing of the dossier being

published has raised eyebrows and questions at this point - why is it

coming out now? When I was reading it initially I was concerned by what

I had heard was in it but as I was reading through it it didn't seem to

be serious, so hearing multiple organisations had debunked it, well,

not been able to verify it, seemed to reinforce my impression that it

wasn't serious. We'll be speaking to a member

of Donald Trump's transition team It's a big day for some

of the largest high street names as they prepare to announce how

they've performed over Christmas. Marks Spencer, John Lewis

and Debenhams are amongst the companies set to

release their results. Much of the attention

today will be on Tesco - bosses there have been seeking

to turn the business around, after losing ground to discounters

like Lidl and Aldi. We'll be getting those results live

from the London Stock Exchange Doctors believe they are closer

to understanding why chronic stress increases the risk of heart

disease and strokes. Their findings, published

in The Lancet, suggest that increased activity in the part

of the brain which responds to fear and anger prompts the production

of extra white blood cells. This can make the formation

of blockages in the arteries more More than 3,00 American

troops, tanks, and armoured vehicles

arrive in Poland today - the United States' biggest military

presence in the region It's to support a Nato operation

to deter Russian aggression, following fears from neighbouring

countries since the conflict in Their arrival comes just days before

the inauguration of Donald Trump, who's signalled he wants to improve

relations with Moscow. Volkswagen has pleaded

guilty to criminal charges in the United States

for using illegal software to cheat emissions tests for

its diesel vehicles. Its been ordered to pay fines

of more than three and a half billion pounds - the largest penalty

ever levied by the US government These vehicles were equipped with

software that mast the true amount of the pollutants that cars

released, forwarding the regulators doing the environmental testing --

masked. Typically, VW knew these problems and the regulators

expressed concern. VW denied and ultimately light.

Plans for the UK's first hydro-electric tidal lagoon

will take a significant step forward today.

A report from the former energy minister Charles Hendy concludes

that the technology can deliver a secure supply of clean energy,

with Swansea Bay the front runner for the 1.3

If you look at the cost spread over the entire lifetime, 120 years, it

comes out at 30p per household for the next 30 years, that is less than

a pint of milk and that is where I think we can start a new industry

and we can do it at an affordable cost to consumers.

A 17-year-old boy from Austria has built his own miniature ski resort

in the backyard of his parents' house.

Kevin Pobatschnig has created two chair

lifts, ski slopes, skiers and a snow machine as part

The teenager uses his spare time to improve the resort,

clean up the buildings and invent new models.

What a great thing to do. How extraordinary. It looked real. Yes.

There might be some snow in certain parts of the country over the next

few days. There is an idea. Get out with cardboard boxes. A little felt.

You don't need snow, just some cotton wool. It is all about dreams.

Southampton fans might be waking up and slapping themselves, thinking,

not yet. Did that hurt? No, you have to slap me a lot harder. They have

one leg, one toe, in the final. We'll start with the EFL Cup

where Southampton have taken a slender advantage over Liverpool

in the second semi final. Nathan Redmond's cool finish gave

Saints a lead to take to Anfield for the second leg

in a fortnights time. They'll play either

Manchester United or Hull City Former France midfielder

Claude Makelele has been appointed The 43-year-old joins

Paul Clement's team, signing a deal until

the end of the season. Makelele worked with Clement

during his playing stint at Chelsea and as a coach with

Paris St Germain. Manchester City have been charged

by the Football Association for breaching anti-doping

regulations regarding Clubs have to provide training

details and players' overnight addresses on request,

and it's understood that the club failed to update this

when training schedules changed. They have to respond

to the charge by next Thursday. England women's record goal-scorer

Kelly Smith has retired. The 38-year-old scored 46 goals

in 117 games for her country. She quit the international

game two years ago. But at club level, Smith

was a Champions League winner and also won the FA Cup five times

in three spells with Arsenal Ladies. She became the first english

professional player when she went She's been given a coaching

role with Arsenal. We will speak with her just after

8:30am this morning. It feels like the time is right now.

I think I have had a very good career at international level and

club level. Travelled the world. And at the age of 38 the body is telling

me that it needs to stop. I have had some injuries along the way. It just

feels that the time is right. The game is in a magnificent place. It

is good to step away at this time. In the next few hours British number

one Johanna Konta plays Eugenie Bouchard in the semi final

of the Sydney International - a warm up ahead of

the Australian Open. Laura Robson won't be

there next week though - she says she felt "sluggish

and flat" as she lost in qualifying BBC Sport understands that

Sam Warburton's six-year spell as Wales rugby union captain

is to come to an end ahead of the Six Nations tournament

that starts next month. Warburton is still expected to be

part of the squad which is named on Tuesday but he's ready

to relinquish the role he's Alun Wyn Jones is the leading

candidate to succeed Warburton. I think Alan is a good choice

because of his consistency and performance, he is always up for the

game. His performance level never drops. You would hope the captaincy

wouldn't affect him. He is very senior international. The burden of

captaincy shouldn't affect his performance. He is an excellent

candidate. One other Rugby union line,

Joe Marler will miss at least the first of England's Six Nations

matches, against France. The Harlequins prop broke his leg

in the warm-up before the weekend Earlier this week, Marler's Quins

team-mate Chris Robshaw has already been ruled out for

the entire tournament. Jim Furyk will captain the US

Ryder Cup team at next year's event. As a player, Furyk has

played in nine Ryder Cups. He's named Davis Love III as a vice

captain for the 2018 competition, which will be held

in France just outside Paris. It has the teamwork, competition,

carmeraderie, the competition, it brings fans worldwide, and I get

chills just thinking about all the evidence I have been able to

participate in, and now to stand here as 2018 captain, see here as

2018 captain for 2018 is such an honour.

NBA basketball returns to London this evening.

The Denver Nuggets are taking on the Indiana Pacers at a sell-out

The NBA Global Games London is celebrating its 10th season

I think for both teams they will be excited about being here. Of course

they travel a lot throughout the United States and a little bit to

Toronto Canada but for the most part they are all in the United States,

so they will treat it as a big deal. And it is hoped it will inspire

British basketball, the fourth most played sport, but it gets no UK

sport funding. However, this weekend on the BBC there will be live

coverage of the finals of the men's and women's BBL. I have never

watched live basketball. It is fantastic. Non-stop. You are really

close up as well. Absolutely. You should do it. I will do it.

Absolutely. It is 6:40am. You're watching their busy -- you are

watching BBC Breakfast. The NHS has been facing

a long, harsh winter. Pressure on staff and services has

reached unprecedented levels and raises questions

about how to ensure So would you be willing to pay more

tax if the money went directly A YouGov survey seen by BBC

Breakfast suggests many people would, 42% to be exact,

would be in favour of a rise in tax in order to increase

spending on the NHS. Graham Satchell looks at how

we've reached this point. Hospitals are full, patients we are

told are at risk, doctors say it has been the worst week in the NHS in

living memory. I think it is fair to say that currently we are in a

crisis. We have been seeing the number of admissions going out

yearly. We have seen the number of beds going down yearly. It is no

surprise we have reached the point where the system cannot cope any

more. There are simple reason is that the NHS is struggling. To

start, it is winter and more are are ill and more of us are ending up in

hospital. One in two of us are getting cancer. That is because

people are living longer. We have to do more with what we have. Pressure

is nothing new but professionals say that doing much more with what they

have got, the budget, won't work. The government says it is investing

record amounts in the NHS. That is true. We spend more on the health

service than ever before. In England it will be ?120 billion next year.

NHS England says in real terms spending per head will go down in

2018. What is the solution? In a YouGov poll the public were asked

this question, would you support increasing the basic rate of income

tax from 20- 21% and using that money raised to increased spending

in the NHS? 42% said yes. For someone on an average income it

would mean giving the taxman ?118 extra per year. I wouldn't mind it.

If it needs it, definitely. The NHS to me is a bottomless pit. You can

Paul Money into it and it doesn't necessarily do anything. I think you

can always pay a little bit extra in your tax. You moan about it but am a

yes. You get on with it. People might say they would pay more tax to

fund the NHS but putting up taxes is politically tricky and the

government is certainly not talking about it, so what will happen if

funding isn't substantially increased? People might have to say,

OK, we won't spend any more, so we have to wait longer. There might be

stuff that you have to get in a year's time, rather than 18 weeks.

But then you have to start talking about what we will stop doing, and

that is really hard. It means people are then going to have to pay for

those things. Should taxes go up to fund the NHS? Is continued

deterioration of service is inevitable? Many want a broader more

honest debate about the future of the health service.

Joe Twyman is the Head of Political and Social Research at polling

company YouGov and joins us from our London studio.

Thank you for your time this morning. The overall picture is

there are more people who would be happier with the idea of paying more

tax if they knew it was going directly to the NHS. Yes, popular

but not overwhelmingly. 42% say yes they would be willing. 37%, just

under four out of 10, said they would not. It is not a slam dunk.

This isn't a policy which has universal approval. It is something

that politicians would need to take a lot of attention to and be very

careful about introducing, given that all of the parties don't find

it overwhelmingly popular. Just under two years and it has changed

in a short period of time. Yes. Two years ago we found that just over

half were opposed to this, whereas a third, 34%, supported it. There has

been a reverse. That is unsurprising given their has been a lot of

attention about the difficulties the NHS has been facing over the winter.

Perhaps this could be the worst time for the NHS and is not surprising

people wish to fund it. It is a different move for a politician to

jump on board the ship, because any politician who talks about raising

taxes is in tricky territory. Absolutely. There are two things

going on. Everyone believes in it and it is almost sacrosanct in this

country. Very few politicians would be willing to risk annoying the

public over that. Having said that, at the same time, we know there are

parties that have suggested raising taxes and they do not do well at

elections. We have competing forces. We know the NHS is also a political

football on a number of occasions. It was important to the Labour Party

last election. Who could forget the ?350 million a week we can now

expect as a result of leaving the EU plastered on the side of a bus. Even

the most ardent Brexit supporters have turned against that one. In

terms of a specific percentage of income tax going to a specific task,

I mean, that notion is quite appealing to the electorate. You

know where your muggy is going and it is designated. That is an

appealing prospect. The Lib Dems have used that many times. In the

1990s they had a penny on income tax to pay for education and one for the

NHS. The difficulty on that is that while individual policies may be

popular, saying, oh, yes, a penny of income tax on this and that, when it

comes down to the ballot box, people are far more hesitant to support

parties historically speaking that want to raise taxes than otherwise.

We will leave it there. Thank you for your time. From YouGov. We were

talking about a new survey suggesting baboons are closer to

speaking. Some even say that they could do it if they wanted to. They

haven't done it yet, though. Very interesting.

You're watching Breakfast from BBC News.

US intelligence chiefs have rejected suggestions made by Donald Trump

that they leaked claims Russia had compromising material on him.

It's an important day for the British high street,

as a number of big names reveal how well they did over Christmas.

I accidentally said how whale they did. It is me talking about baboons

getting new thinking about animals. Any baboons in the weather forecast?

My cat Donald can talk. I understand everything he says, like no one ever

feeds me, give me some treats. That is wrong but I understand what he

means. This morning, snowy. Some have yet to see it and some already

have it. Still windy in the northern half of the country in particular.

You can see that from the spacing of the isobars. Look at this area of

pressure coming in. Initially, south-westerly winds. It will bring

rain as a result. As it goes through and the wind goes north-west, that

will feed into this rain. Some of it will fall as the Leif Olson though.

You'll snow this morning. -- sleet or snow. It will be at lower levels

as well. Scotland and Northern Ireland, snowy already. Sleet and

snow. There are showers. Not all of us are seeing them. Snow in Wales.

You can see it is mostly rain. Ahead of that, it still is dry. If you are

in the south and East Anglia it will not stay dry. Wind is blowing across

Scotland and Northern Ireland. Blizzards on the hills again. Here

is the rain. Pushing through Wales and the Midlands and heading towards

the south-east. You can see a south-westerly wind. Behind that, a

north-westerly. We will start to see things change. Snow in The

Cotswolds. Also hear. Later on, we will see some of that at lower

levels. Parts of north-east England and Scotland, missing this action.

Mostly a dry day but it will feel colder. It will feel cold everywhere

are almost. Through the evening rush-hour, look how we still have

some rain but it starts to change more readily to sleet and snow. A

risk of this at lower levels. Pushing down towards Kent.

Eventually it will clear away. Behind that, the risk of some highs

on untreated surfaces. Going to be near continent it. The next batch of

snow. Some showers in Northern Ireland. Then it continues by the

end of the night to push down towards the north Midlands and North

Wales. Ahead of that, still dry with a risk of ice. Then snow showers We

pick that up again tomorrow. Pushing down through East Anglia, the London

area, Essex, Kent, then clearing off. Tomorrow, a fine day and dry

day for most. A keen and cold wind. Especially on the east coast. Where

we have showers they will be wintry in nature. That will create large

waves which will coincide with the spring tide. There is the brisk in

east England are just a risk of flooding. As we had into Saturday,

quiet and dry weather around. Rain comes in parts of western Scotland.

Rain will come in. Temperatures going up. Rain on Sunday going west

to east. Windfall will be lighter. Look the temperatures, different

compared to today. That does not mean it will stay like this into

next week. Mixed news. See you in a bit.

Christmas may be over but today we find out where shoppers

spent their money over the festive period.

It's a bumper day for figures, so we've sent Ben down

We will get lots of results are from different companies this morning.

There are a whole manner of different companies that will give

out results. You will be busy. You are making me work hard this morning

at the London Stock Exchange because normally we get involved in a couple

of results. As we go and see whether they go well all bad. Today we get

many. Tesco, Jon Lewis, Waitrose, a whole list of companies reporting

this morning. Some of the biggest names on the high street. They will

let us know how they fared over the Christmas period. Some will be good,

some expected to be less good. We had two experts to talk us through

those numbers. James and Brian Roberts. Good morning to you both.

Tesco. We have had Morrisons this week already. And Sainsbury's. What

are we expecting? Quite positive news from Tesco. Kind of in the

ballpark of plus 3% like from Morrisons. They are going back to

basics. Both of them have corrected their game in terms of availability,

productivity and everyday low prices. That is telling us it is a

successful strategy. Not just over Christmas, but over the course of

the last 18 months. When we talk about the likes of Tesco and

Sainsbury is and Morrisons, it is about how we have changed our

shopping habits. There is a tendency to pick things up on the way home.

That is the story in the city. We are doing it in a different way. It

is split now. Shoppers are now value conscious. They look on line and

pick up some goods from some stores and others on line and others from

their traditional supermarkets. A next. Things may be different. We

may actually see positive clothing sales for the first time in a year

for MnS. They have been through a difficult steer period. Good has

done well but they are trained to do things differently. -- food. All

eyes will be on those fashion numbers today. Have they finally

turned a corner, especially in womenswear. They are trying new

designs. Hopefully... They will be scared last week after some gloomy

figures. But maybe after 15 years MnS may be turning the corner. Maybe

some genuine growth in terms of fashion. Debenham, not expected to

do great. Their core market is going elsewhere. They are much more under

pressure. Coming back to the point of people shopping in different

places. They are suffering. Jon Lewis on the high street as well.

Mixed results from them. Where are we expecting them to be on the

reportgood news for Waitrose but not so much for Jon Lewis. Food has been

doing well. So has the rest of the business but under pressure compared

to last year. What does that tell us about the state of the economy? Some

said Christmas was the last big hurrah. Inflation will change things

this year. That has been the message. Next morning they may need

to increase prices by up to 5% as inflation comes in. Supermarkets

have said the national living wage has changed things as well. There

will be an end to deflation. Fashion designers will think about how they

can continue to buy from the far east in dollars. It will be quite a

tricky year across the retail spectrum in 2017. We will watch that

very closely. For now, thank you very much. We will get those figures

in, oh, just about five minutes. Bear with me. There will be a lot to

read and get through. We will see you then. Thank you. Still to come

this morning. I would stand on the table and square and say you are not

my mum and dad. Based on the back of that Christmas Eve I was kicked out.

With the number of children in the care system

in England at a 30-year high, we'll be looking at whether foster

or residential homes work best for vulnerable children

Time now to get the news, travel, and weather,

The Forth Road Bridge is fully open to traffic this morning,

after it was closed early yesterday, when a lorry was blown

The closure resulted in major traffic disruption,

But the bridge was reopened around 9pm last night

when repairs to the central reservation were complete.

An agreement has been reached to ensure that foreign workers

on freight boats serving Orkney and Shetland are paid

The Transport Minister Humza Yousaf said a new charter arrangement

would end the long-running dispute over seafarers' pay.

The RMT union had claimed that some workers on board two freight boats

Campaigners opposed to plans for ship-to-ship oil transfers

in the Moray Firth will stage a protest outside the

The Cromarty Firth Port Authority wants permission to transfer

millions of tonnes of crude at sea and insists the risk

Campaigners say any accident has the potential to do

environmental damage to wildlife, including the firth's bottle

A Lanarkshire cheese-maker banned from selling its produce

after a fatal E.coli outbreak wants to put two of its products

Food Standards Scotland banned the sale of Errington Cheeses

after finding bacteria in batches of Dunsyre Blue and Lanark Blue.

The firm has disputed the evidence, and insists its cheese is safe.

It is now seeking permission to put its Lanark Blue

and Corra Linn products back on the market.

Tricky driving conditions, particularly over higher ground.

Wintry showers pile in, with a brisk north-westerly wind. Risk of ice

first thing. The winds will ease this morning. We continue to see

showers of western Scotland. Still feeling cold. This evening, a band

of rain ploughs into the Northern Isles. Accompanied by gale force

winds. The widespread frost. A risk of ice by tomorrow morning.

Now, though, it's back to Charlie and Steph.

Hello, this is Breakfast, with Steph McGovern and Charlie

A stand-off between Donald Trump and US intelligence services

I think it was disgraceful that the intelligence agencies

allowed any information that turned out to be so false and fake out.

Now the head of intelligence services in America hits back,

saying they weren't involved in any leaks about the President-elect.

Good morning, it's Thursday, 12th January.

Also this morning: Ben's in London on an important day for some

We have a raft of retail results today and we will find out how some

of the biggest names fared over Christmas.

Plans for a billion pound project to use the tides in Swansea Bay

to generate electricity are backed by a senior government advisor.

In sport: Southampton lead Liverpool in their League Cup semi-final.

Nathan Redmond gave the Saints a 1-0 win in the first leg.

Is snow. And, Ireland and northern England. Some of us will stay dry

with some sunshine. The south we have rain from the south-west moving

east with hill snow. Later on some of it will fall as sleet or snow at

lower levels. I'll have more details

in 15 minutes. The US Director of National

Intelligence has rejected suggestions made by Donald Trump

that official agencies leaked claims Russia had compromising

material on him. In a statement, James Clapper said

he had called the President-elect to say the leak had not come

from the intelligence services. Our Washington reporter

Laura Bicker has the story. Donald Trump's not a huge fan

of the press corps but he had a message to send to the media

and US intelligence agencies. He believes they leaked

unsubstantiated allegations that his election team

colluded with Russia. It is all fake news,

it is phoney stuff, There are also claims Russian spies

have compiled material to blackmail Mr Trump, including salacious videos

of his private life. Does anyone really

believe that story? I'm also very much of a germaphobe,

by the way, believe me. The BBC understands the Russian

memos on Mr Trump were compiled by a former member of MI6,

Christopher Steele. The Director of National

Intelligence James Clapper has He said the leak did not come

from within US intelligence. And they have not made any judgement

that the information is reliable. As Donald Trump moved the media

towards his business dealings he confirmed he was handing total

control of his empire to his sons. These papers are just some

of the many documents I have signed turning over complete

and total control to my sons. The ethics committee has now

said his plan doesn't meet This performance was a typically

eccentric and bombastic piece of political theatre,

which his supporters will love. But it did little to counter

the swirl of controversies The latest figures on waiting times

in the NHS will be published It comes as the chief executive

of NHS England Simon Stevens has questioned government claims

that the health service is getting A survey published today suggests

an increasing number of people would be prepared to pay more

tax to fund the NHS. 42% of people surveyed by YouGov

said they would back the move up We know the NHS is a massively

important issue for many people and the strong believe in it being free

at the point of delivery is sacrosanct in this country and very

few politicians would be willing to risk annoying the public over that.

Having said that, at the same time, we know that parties that suggest

raising taxes at all do not generally speaking do well at

elections, and so you have both of these competing forces.

Doctors believe they are closer to understanding why chronic stress

increases the risk of heart disease and strokes.

Their findings, published in The Lancet, suggest that

increased activity in the part of the brain which responds to fear

and anger prompts the production of extra white blood cells.

This can make the formation of blockages in the arteries more

Plans for the UK's first hydro-electric tidal lagoon

will take a significant step forward today.

A report from the former energy minister Charles Hendy concludes

that the technology can deliver a secure supply of clean energy,

with Swansea Bay the front runner for the ?1.3 billion project.

Will this be the UK's latest source of low carbon energy?

The tides in Swansea Bay are some of the highest in the world,

so why not build a seawall to capture the outgoing tide?

That is the plan from a private firm.

They will use hydroelectric turbines to generate power as the water

The cost was thought too high for billpayers to bear.

A review says it will need subsidy but it is not as dear as it looks.

If you look at the cost spread over the entire lifetime,

120 years to the project, it comes out at 30p per household

That is where I think we can start a new industry at an affordable

Supporters hope we will see lagoons dotted around the coasts,

that will bring down the cost, they say.

But anglers fear the impacts of lagoons on wildlife,

and the review advises government to agree terms for just one of them

Temperatures across the UK are expected to fall over the next

couple of days, bringing the possibility of snow

Some flights have been cancelled already.

Our correspondent Steven Godden is in Dunfermline this morning

which has seen some snow already, what can we expect over

It looks pretty cold at the moment. Absolutely. A sign of things to

come. This is what people in central Scotland are waking up to it and it

is making it a challenge for people to get around in the rush-hour. I am

standing at around about beside Scotland's main motorway, the M90

heading south towards the Fourth Road Bridge. Good news is it is

moving, which wasn't the case yesterday, when a lorry went across

and was blown onto its side by 70 mph winds. It took them the best

part of the four hours to recover the lorry and it meant the Fourth

Road Bridge, a main artery up and down these coastal Scotland, was

completely closed. It is reopened. They managed it around nine o'clock.

Things are moving. Across the UK there will be difficulties as the

weather came in. You about cancelled flights at Heathrow. People should

prepare for more scenes like this. Thank you.

Volkswagen has pleaded guilty to criminal charges

in the United States for using illegal software to cheat

emissions tests for its diesel vehicles.

Its been ordered to pay fines of more than ?3.5 billion,

the largest penalty ever levied by the US government

We know they can walk like you but scientists believe that

monkeys might also be able to talk like you.

The results of a study into the grunts baboons make has

found they create five sounds similar to the vowels we use

It had been thought baboons did not have the larynx needed

I am not sure that the baboon sound has been very helpful. Who would

have thought? It had been thought baboons did not

have the larynx needed The research suggests language might

have begun to evolve earlier So you think you didn't understand

what they were saying? We interrupted the conversation when

they were agitated. I heard something about getting us about the

fries. Was it that? OK. We have all of the weather and sport coming up

shortly. It was supposed to be the moment

Donald Trump began his transition to president ahead of his

inauguration in just over Instead, Mr Trump's first press

conference as President-elect was dominated by

allegations against him. We will be getting the view

of a member of his transition team in a moment but first

here is a reminder of some It is all fake news, it is phoney

stuff, it didn't happen, I think it is an absolute disgrace. And that is

something that Nazi Germany would have done and did do. They looked at

that nonsense which was released by maybe the intelligence agencies, who

knows? Can you give us a question? Don't be rude. Can you give us a

question? I am not going to give you a question. You are fake news. BBC

News, that is another beauty. If Putin likes Donald Trump, I consider

that an asset, not a liability, 'cause we have a horrible

relationship with Russia. Russia can help us fight ISIS which, by the

way, is tricky. I do know that I am going to get along with Vladimir

Putin. I hope I do. As far as hacking I think it was Russia. Do

you honestly believe Hillary would be tougher on Putin than me? Does

anyone in this room believe that? Give me a break. The only one who

cares about my tax returns are the reporters. No, I don't think so. I

won. I became president. My two sons, who are right here, are going

to be running the company, they are going to be running it in a very

professional manner. Otherwise, if they do a bad job, I will say,

"You're fired." Goodbye, everybody. Republican commentator

Jan Halper-Hayes is a member of Donald Trump's transition team

and joins us from our Good morning. Can you just explain

this idea of the transition team. What are you transitioning to? What

happens is that generally, in April or May of last year, the president,

so, the incumbent, would start to prepare his transition team. Because

all the policies, administrative, the programs, the initiatives, what

ever they have been doing has to be passed onto the new administration.

Then what happens is the ones we think that will get the nomination,

so, there were a couple until Trump got it, they put the team together

and talks began. They begin to learn what has been going on. The biggest

thing we are dealing with right now is Trump needs to make 4000

political appointments. And so Carter, Clinton, George Bush, it

took a year to get all of it done and our goal is to have it done in

May. And you are part of the team, the transition team? Yes. Looking at

the press conference, at the moment, Mr Trump, he cannot get away from

controversy, can he? No, he can't. And I think it is because... We

cannot call it love hate, it is a hate-hate relationship. There are

sunny people who didn't want him to be president and they are still

wanting to delegitimise him. -- there are so many people. Give him a

chance to prove himself. If he fails, he fails. If you look at some

of the things around either controversy, it is allegations of

Russia has compromising material on him, and this is something the

intelligence agencies thought was serious enough to put to Mr drum and

Mr Obama, so it is not, you know, there are legitimate things behind

this if the intelligence agencies say, we need to talk to you about

this? -- Mr Trump. Note, not at all, it was presented to them so they

knew what was going on. Clapper came out yesterday and he was outraged

that it had been released because they do not consider it to be valid.

The fact of the matter is that this supposedly MI6 agent has gone to

ground. When has there been, either controversy, I can't say it the way

you do, a controversy around Trump when people haven't come out, people

have come out of the woodwork because there are so many people who

want to prove him wrong and taken down. -- take him down. Then it was

put together as Republican opposition for a never Trumper and

it was given to someone who really hates Trump. Guess what, 4Chan came

out and admitted they knew some of the people that fabricated the

story. Sorry to interrupt, so there is clearly issues, but fundamentally

how is he going to - you know, he talked in the conference about

prioritising IS, but how will he do that when in conflict with the

intelligence services? The trust is not there at the moment.

It isn't. I said yesterday one of the reasons it might have been

released by a supposedly intelligent service was that they were not happy

that he had been criticising them the past couple of weeks. First of

Klapper and Brennan are going to be gone, the other political appointees

within the intelligence service will be gone with in a period of time. --

Clapper. He is going to consider reorganising it so they focus on

things but they've also lost their credibility by partisan. Obama came

out and said he realised he couldn't trust the intelligence services

because when he called Isis JV, he blamed the intelligence services

board telling him it wasn't a serious issue and he didn't need to

worry about it. It's gone on, it's become too political because it's

even come out, on both sides of the political spectrum, Democrat and

Republican, that they have tailored the information and given it to

Obama to make him happy rather than giving him the hard truth. Thanks

very much, Republican commentator and part of Donald Trump's

transition team. Ben is at the London Stock Exchange

with the details. Lots of big numbers coming out about

some of the biggest players in terms of stores, Tesco included. What have

you got? Let me run you through some of them, a really busy morning at

the stock exchange because all of the retailers have let the stock

market and all bus know how they have fared over the crucial

Christmas period. Forgive me, there's a lot of numbers to get

through. Let's start with Marks Spencer. Sales up by 1.3% on a

like-for-like basis, comparing this year with last. That is a good

result for Marks Spencer because you will know they have had a tough

time of late. What I want to do is break those figures down because

this is where it gets interesting. Closing sales were up by 2.3%.

Familiar tale over the last few years has been clothing sales have

fallen at Marks Spencer and it has been food sales that have been

propping everything up but in this update they tell us clothing sales

are up by 2.3%. Just a rise of 0.6% for food, not doing quite as well on

food, but overall sales up at Marks food, but overall sales up at Marks

Spencer by 1.3%. At Tesco, slightly different, we already heard

this week from Sainsbury's at hand Morrisons, today it is the turn of

Tesco telling us that sales rose by 0.7% over Christmas -- at Morrisons.

Good for them. Looking at the quarter as a whole, the last three

months, not just Christmas, they were up 2%. Some others, Debenhams

telling us sales were up by 1%, a good result for them because many in

the city were expecting sales at Debenhams to fall but they are up by

1%. Crucially they say online sales did particularly well for them, up

by 14%. Mothercare says sales were up by 1% during the quarter and

again it saw online sales rising sharply, up by 5.5%. Online, macro

Asos said sales were up 13% and it has done well around the world.

Looking at the fall of the pound, it said sales were up 50% around the

world. A lot to get through, a lot of results, all turning out positive

and a good Christmas for our retailers. We are still waiting to

hear from John Lewis and Waitrose, I will get those figures to you as

soon as I have got them. We will leave you crunching the numbers.

Interesting about Marks Spencer is, first rising clothing sales for

quite a while! Here's Carol with a look

at this morning's weather. We saw Stephen in Dunfermline

earlier, very snowy and cold, you have a very snowy picture behind

you, is that what we can expect? Of last but not all of us. At the

moment we have snow in the north of the country, rain in the south. --

some of us but not all of us. Windy in the north, look at the isobars,

or blizzards in the Scottish mountains. This area of low pressure

moving from west to east in the south of the UK. We have

south-westerly winds here that are mild but as it pushes east the wind

the years to a north-westerly which is cold, as it cuts into this rain

it will more readily turn to sleet and snow. -- veers. Snow showers in

Scotland, Northern Ireland and northern England, showers, so not

everyone will catch them, watch out for highs on untreated surfaces and

in between them we will have sunshine today. Hill snow in some

parts of the country. -- highs on untreated surfaces. -- ice. Through

the day in the north, the winds will ease but it will still be windy, we

continue with snow showers and in the southern third of the country,

you can see the rain moving across, hill snow with it, in between, dry

weather and sunshine but as the wind veers too that north-westerly

direction we see it falling as sleet and snow, also to lower levels.

Wherever you are it will feel cold but add on the strength of the wind

and for some it will feel bitter, even raw. Through the rush-hour,

again we have the risk of sleet and snow, a lot of it on the hills, some

of it down to lower levels pushing through the south-east to East

Anglia and clearing Kent. Behind this quickly it will turn icy on

untreated surfaces, so if you're travelling then take extra care.

Through the evening and overnight, rain in the Northern Isles but snow

inland in Scotland, pushing south to northern England. Snow showers

coming in on the wind in Northern Ireland and by the end of the night

we will have that snow resting in parts of northern England, the north

Midlands and north Wales. Drier but cold and icy ahead of it. Them

through tomorrow morning, you can see how the snow continues across

East Anglia, heading through the London area we think at the moment,

down through Kent and then it clears. Leaving tomorrow dry and

brighter but cold if you're exposed to the wind again. Windy down the

North Sea coastline where we could have gales, any showers we have here

could be wintry in nature and with the big waves being whipped up by

the wind and also the spring tide, the two of them merging, there's the

risk down the east coast of England potentially for some coastal

flooding. Into Saturday, a lot of dry weather, the winds that bit

lighter, cloud in over in the west. Snow coming into western Scotland

and north-east England ahead of this band of rain. Look at the rain on

Western Sunday, moving from the west to the east. One thing you will

notice on the weekend is the temperature, it is going back up but

it went necessarily stay up next week.

Keep your thermals on standby. -- won't.

The welfare of some of England's most vulnerable children in care

is being put secondary to budgets, according to a former

Lord Laming, a former chief inspector

of social care services, says some children with complex

needs are being put into foster families rather than given

specialist support in residential homes.

The number of children in care in England is at its highest

Liam Hill and Lem said they suffered at the hands of a care system that

didn't care enough. How many times where you fostered? 42 times. 42

foster placements! Liam's mum was unable to look after

him. At the edge of five he went into care but went on to have 42

foster placements, 24 care home visits. Lem had just one long-term

foster family and shortly after this picture was taken, they gave him up.

It was not care, it's called care but care was the last thing that I

received. I remember standing up on the table and swearing to them that

you're not my mum and damp, I know who my mum is and I want to go back

to my mum and based on that on Christmas Eve I was kicked out. Liam

tells us he was denied any specialist help and bounced around

the care system for the next 13 years. Foster carers aren't trained

for therapeutic help. One of the issues they put me into foster care

and not a residential place because of money. A child in a foster family

isn't necessarily the right place for it to be, a children's home if

you get the right treatment can be an incredible place to be. Do you

really believe that? I don't believe it, I know it. Successive

governments have agreed for most children fostering is a better

option, that's why the proportion of looked after children in homes has

fallen from a high of 40% in the 70s to 11% today. House excessively we

look after these children matters. Look in prisons and you'll see

between a quarter and a third of inmates have been in care. The

Howard league for penal reform said some blame lies with care homes

specifically. We've identified children living in residential homes

and are in care are more likely to be criminalised. And we're worried

that might be because the children's homes themselves are using the

police as respite care, or to control children when they haven't

got the resources. Children's homeowners tell me they are under

attack and at times like this they have specially trained staff able to

deal with the rising tide of children who need specialist help.

We're always frowned upon, we're always the last in the queue. My

job's more difficult now than it's ever been. Some of the traumas that

young people go through has got predominantly worse over the last

couple of years. The truth is there just aren't enough places out there

for all of the looked after children. But the fear is too many

of those children are in the wrong kind of place and getting the wrong

kind of support. Former government adviser Lord Laming, the man who

chaired the Victoria Climbie eight enquiry shares those concerns. He

told me he fears children with complex needs are being fostered not

because it's the best option but because it's the cheapest option.

There's no escaping it, Liam and Lemn, harrowing hearing there

experiences but it's important to point out this isn't pitching foster

care against residential care. It's not a criticism of foster care. Lord

Laming's concern is that it's not right for everybody and he's

concerned local authorities have lost 40% of budgets since 2010,

residential care costs ?3000 a week, foster care costs ?600 a week.

Harvey Gallagher from the nationwide association of fostering providers

says there's no doubt residential care offers more specialist care but

foster carers are professionals and they get inspected in the same way

as homes by OFSTED. We will be talking later to Lord Laming. What

is the government response? They say we look after all people who look

after children. Right now they are doing a stock take to look at the

skills they have access to to see if people need more and they will

report back on that early this year. Scotland and Wales? Interesting,

Scotland want the best residential child care in the world by 2018.

They won all home staff to have degree level qualifications in

childcare. In Wales they have concerns, like the Howard league,

that children in homes slip into the criminal system and they are getting

onto that this year. In England the government with the youth Justice

board is also looking at that but they don't believe the blame for

children being proved that macro lie lies is with the homes, they believe

the fault is with the difficult history these children have.

Interesting topic. Thanks, and we will be speaking to Lord Laming a

little later in the programme. Time now to get the news,

travel and weather where you are. The Forth Road Bridge is fully open

to traffic this morning, after it was closed early yesterday,

when a lorry was blown over during high winds,

blocking both carriageways. The closure resulted

in major traffic disruption, But the bridge was reopened

around 9pm last night when repairs to the central

reservation were complete. An agreement has been reached

to ensure that foreign workers on freight boats serving Orkney

and Shetland are paid The Transport Minister Humza Yousaf

said a new charter arrangement would end the long-running dispute

over seafarers' pay. The RMT union had claimed that some

workers on board two freight boats The operator, Seatruck,

had argued that the national minimum wage wasn't applicable to the crew,

many of whom were non-UK residents. Campaigners opposed to plans

for ship-to-ship oil transfers in the Moray Firth will stage

a protest outside the The Cromarty Firth Port Authority

wants permission to transfer millions of tonnes of crude at sea

and insists the risk Opponents say any accident

has the potential to do environmental damage to wildlife,

including the firth's bottle A Lanarkshire cheese-maker banned

from selling its produce after a fatal E.coli outbreak wants

to put two of its products Food Standards Scotland banned

the sale of Errington Cheeses after finding bacteria in batches

of Dunsyre Blue and Lanark Blue. The firm has disputed the evidence,

and insists its cheese is safe. It is now seeking permission

to put its Lanark Blue and Corra Linn products back

on the market. The Met Office has

a combined warning The showers become fewer

across the South and Good sunny spells through the course

of the morning and afternoon. This evening, wintry

showers in the South A band of rain will push

across the mainland. Seeing cold with an ice risk

by tomorrow morning. I am back in half an hour.

Goodbye. Hello, this is Breakfast,

with Steph McGovern and Charlie The US Director of National

Intelligence has rejected suggestions agencies may have leaked

claims that Russia had compromising In a statement, James Clapper said

he had called the President-elect to say the leak had not come

from the intelligence community. He also said agencies had

not made any judgement on whether the unsubstantiated

allegations about Mr Trump Some of the biggest high-street

names have released Christmas results. Tesco and Demens reported

growth and John Lewis will report in the next hour. -- Debenhams.

Plans for the UK's first hydro-electric tidal lagoon

will take a significant step forward today.

A report from the former energy minister Charles Hendry concludes

that the technology can deliver a secure supply of clean energy,

with Swansea Bay the front runner for the one-point-three

Doctors believe they are closer to understanding why chronic stress

increases the risk of heart disease and strokes.

Their findings, published in The Lancet, suggest that

increased activity in the part of the brain which responds to fear

and anger prompts the production of extra white blood cells.

This can make the formation of blockages in the arteries more

More than 3,000 American troops, tanks,

and armoured vehicles arrive in Poland today -

the United States' biggest military presence in the region

It's to support a Nato operation to deter Russian aggression,

following fears from neighbouring countries since the conflict in

Their arrival comes just days before the inauguration of Donald Trump,

who's signalled he wants to improve relations with Moscow.

Volkswagen has pleaded guilty to criminal charges

in the United States for using illegal software to cheat

emissions tests for its diesel vehicles.

Its been ordered to pay fines of more than ?3.5 billion -

the largest penalty ever levied by the US government

Should robots be given legal status as "electronic persons"?

That's what MEPs are due to debate as they vote for the first time

on rules for how humans will interact with artificial

They'll also decide whether designers need to build

in a kill-switch which will allow robots to be shut down

A report submitted to the European Parliament suggests

failure to prepare for advances in robot technology could pose

a challenge to humanity to "control its own creation".

That is hard going, isn't it? They are big questions, those. Very

sinister. Maybe I need an off switch at times. It is quite scary, isn't

it? Legal status for robots. They have a robot World Cup in Japan.

There is no danger of it taking over the ocean of football. We hope not.

Southampton are starting to dream a little bit about Wembley. They have

to go to Liverpool in a couple of weeks.

Nathan Redmond's cool finish gave Saints a lead to take to Anfield

for the second leg in a fortnight's time.

They'll play either Manchester United or Hull City

Former France midfielder Claude Makelele has been appointed

The 43-year-old joins Paul Clement's team,

signing a deal until the end of the season.

Makelele worked with Clement during his playing stint at Chelsea

and as a coach with Paris St Germain.

Manchester City have been charged by the Football Association

for breaching anti-doping regulations regarding

Clubs have to provide training details and players' overnight

addresses on request, and it's understood that the club

failed to update this when training schedules changed.

They have to respond to the charge by next Thursday.

England women's record goal-scorer Kelly Smith has retired.

The 38-year-old scored 46 goals in 117 games for her country.

She quit the international game two years ago.

But at club level, Smith was a Champions League winner

and also won the FA Cup five times in three spells with Arsenal Ladies.

She became the first english professional player when she went

She's been given a coaching role with Arsenal.

We will speak with her just after 8:30am this morning.

In the next few hours British number one Johanna Konta plays

Eugenie Bouchard in the semi final of the Sydney International -

a warm up ahead of the Australian Open.

Laura Robson won't be there next week though -

she says she felt "sluggish and flat" as she lost in qualifying

BBC Sport understands that Sam Warburton's six-year spell

as Wales rugby union captain is to come to an end ahead

of the Six Nations tournament that starts next month.

Warburton is still expected to be part of the squad which is named

on Tuesday but he's ready to relinquish the role he's

Alun Wyn Jones is the leading candidate to succeed Warburton.

I think Alan is a good choice because of his consistency

and performance, he is always up for the game.

You would hope the captaincy wouldn't affect him.

The burden of captaincy shouldn't affect his

He is an excellent and obvious candidate.

One other Rugby union line, Joe Marler will miss at least

the first of England's Six Nations matches, against France.

The Harlequins prop broke his leg in the warm-up before the weekend

Earlier this week, Marler's Quins team-mate Chris Robshaw has already

been ruled out for the entire tournament.

Jim Furyk will captain the US Ryder Cup team at next year's event.

As a player, Furyk has played in nine Ryder Cups.

He's named Davis Love III as a vice captain for the 2018

competition, which will be held in France just outside Paris.

It has the teamwork, competition, camaraderie,

the competition, it brings fans worldwide, and I get

chills just thinking about all the events I have been

able to participate in, and now to stand

here as 2018 captain, see here as 2018 captain for 2018

NBA basketball returns to London this evening.

The Denver Nuggets are taking on the Indiana Pacers at a sell-out

The NBA Global Games London is celebrating its 10th season

I think for both teams they will be excited about being here.

Of course they travel a lot throughout the United States

and a little bit to Toronto, Canada, but for the most part

they are all in the United States, so they will treat it as a big deal.

A big weekend of basketball as well with the men and women's cup finals

on Sunday. Who knew it was the fourth most played sport? 336,000

per month in the UK. Thanks very much.

We all know stress isn't good for us but for the first time research has

suggested that reducing it benefits both our physical and mental health.

A study published in the Lancet has looked

at the function of an area of the brain called the amygdala.

It's responsible for emotions, survival instincts,

and memory and is more active when we are stressed.

Authors believe the response it produces could also cause heart

Joining us from our London newsroom is Dr Mike Knapton,

Medical Director of the British Heart Foundation,

and Neil Shah, founder of The Stress Management

Very good morning. Welcome. If I can first ask you, tell us more about

the amygdala. It is a new word for me. This research - have I said it

correctly? Tell me about it? I call it the amygdala. It is a small area

of the brain, quite deep in the brain, the part of the brain

responsible for stress, a motion, memory, though is deeper, less

conscious functions that the brain is responsible for. And what this

study has shown is that it is a novel mechanism linking our

emotional lives with very physical manifestations such as heart attack

and stroke. And while it was a small study, it does provide us with

another mechanism to study within the research laboratory, which might

in time have implications for patients that I would see as a GP,

in terms of managing their cardiovascular risk. It is not a

shock, though, is it, because we know, don't we, that stress causes

physical manifestations, don't we? We certainly do, so the common one

would be a racing heart, perhaps sweating a little bit, obviously the

emotional side of it, feeling anxious or perhaps depressed. The

important thing about this research is trying to understand how those

emotional affect, which are often caused by external life events,

stressful work environments, marital problems, money problems, how that

sort of stuff then leads to very physical manifestations in the body

such as heart attack and stroke. Because if we can understand those

mechanisms, we might be able to intervene to improve people's

outcomes. So, Neil Shah, that is the medical evidence in the Lancet

today, I suppose a lot is about how to try to help yourself, because

stress is something people have to deal with one way or another. We

can't avoid stress, and we should aim to avoid it, it is being able to

recognise it and understand steps to take to do something about it. The

first step is people don't understand what stress is. It is not

an emotion, it is a physical response is hidden by nature as a

survival mechanism. Your body has an inbuilt mechanism to put you into a

flight or fight a state, instigating physiological changes triggered by

releases of hormones, such as adrenaline, which equip you to fight

hard or run fast. Perfectly appropriate response as a short-term

intervention. We were not designed to live in stress. Most people in

modern society living in a state which was designed to put you into a

state long enough to survive an attack from a sabretooth tiger. It

sounds like there is good and bad stress. That would suggest there is

different types. There is only one response. I call it stress used

appropriately or inappropriate. In an emergency, stress is good. If you

are at your desk, overwhelmed by deadlines, watching BBC Breakfast

and getting nervous, I would say it is about using it appropriately or

inappropriately will stop being in a state of stress can have a damaging

effect to your physiology. Let me ask you a question on this, what do

you advise patients who are stressed? Yes, so, as we have heard,

the first thing is to recognise that there is stress happening. I would

say as our GP that all my patients will have psychological and physical

issues, and the important thing is to recognise that it is happening.

In terms of managing it, there are a number of interventions. Quite a lot

of them, people can manage it if they understand what is happening.

That understanding in itself is quite therapeutic. But for other

people who are affected by more severe levels of stress, which is

affecting their physiology, but also their life, it is preventing them

from living a full and productive life, there are more interventions,

such as psychological therapy, CBT, cognitive behavioural therapy, and

the like, so there are a range of interventions to choose from. The

main thing is to recognise it in the first place. If you don't do that,

you won't be able to address it effectively. Thank you. And Neil, my

attention is drawn to your lively show. And people might have noticed

your shoes. I don't mean to be flippant. Is it part of dealing with

stress? Can things you do, things you wear, have a bearing on how you

feel? Absolutely. As I said, being able to express yourself. Expression

is really important. Something to highlight is that mental health

issues are at epidemic proportions. The number one reason for death

under 45 in Britain is suicide sadly because a lot of them don't find it

comfortable expressing themselves emotionally, and expression is so

important. What you have to bear in mind is the quickest way to change

your psychology is to change your physiology. The best way to do that

is to move, to be active, laughing changes your physiology, you know,

even sitting and having a laugh at my shoes will change the way your

body is functioning. So, you know, expression, physical activity,

, , enjoyment will impact your stress.

I wasn't laughing at your shoes. Thank you for your time this morning

as well. I will see you tomorrow, won't I, in a flamboyant outfit?

Just for the hell of it. There we go.

Here's Carol with a look at this morning's weather.

You might be crying after this forecast, not laughing. Good

morning. We have some snow on the card is today, not everywhere, some

of us already have it and still windy in the northern half of the

country, you can see it by looking at the isobars so blizzards on the

mountain is. This area of low pressure has south-westerly winds

around it, a mild direction, taking rain from the west to the east but

later in the day as the wind goes to a north-westerly the cold air feeds

turn the rain more readily to snow. We have snow showers this morning

already in Scotland and Northern Ireland, showers so not everyone

seeing them and the same in northern England and Northern Wales, some

snow showers but the risk of ice on untreated surfaces. For Wales we are

likely to seize snow this morning but for most coming from the

south-west and Wales this morning my rain, ahead of it we have some dry

weather and sunshine. Through the rest of the morning we continue with

the snow showers in the northern half of the country, the blizzards

in the mountains and slowly the wind will ease and meanwhile the rain

continues to drift to East Anglia, Essex and Kent. Some of this will be

heavy and could lead to some localised surface water flooding but

not the wind, still south-westerly in the south-east. Here we have the

rain. But as it cuts in as a north-westerly we start to see the

snow. Snow in The Cotswolds, the Mendips, the Chilterns as well and

as we go through the day here, exposed to that it will feel cold

but especially when you add on the windchill in the north feeling below