07/04/2017 Breakfast

This is Breakfast, with Steph McGovern and Charlie

The United States has carried out missile attacks in Syria overnight.

59 cruise missiles were launched from US warships targeting

President Trump said he ordered the action in retaliation

for a chemical attack that killed dozens of people.

It is in this vital national security interests of the United

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

weapons. We'll have full analysis of those

airstrikes with our correspondents in the Middle East,

America, and Russia. New figures show a big increase

in the number of ambulances being turned away from hospitals

because they're too busy. We're eating less toast

for breakfast, and sales of margarine are spread too thin

for the food manufacturer, Unilever, and they've

decided to sell their Flora And good morning from Aintree

on Ladies' Day, ahead of tomorrow's It's been confirmed that Katie Walsh

will be able to ride in the big race tomorrow on Wonderful Charm

despite a nasty fall yesterday. And the weather is supposed to be

so good this weekend, Good morning. It certainly is

depending on your definition. It is springlike this morning but also

cold. A cold start across the UK. Frost, patchy mist and fog. Lots of

sunshine later today. A very warm weekend for some of us. A high

possibly of 24. I will have more details in 15 minutes. Thank you.

The United States has launched missile strikes

59 cruise missiles were fired from US warships at an air base

in retaliation for a chemical attack that killed dozens of people

The Syrian government has condemned the action.

President Trump said it was in America's national

security interest to prevent the spread of chemical weapons.

This was what he had to say just hours after the attack.

On Tuesday, the Syrian dictator, Bashar al-Assad, launched a

horrible, the weapons attack on innocent civilians using a deadly

nerve agent. Bashar al-Assad ended the lives of helpless man, women,

and children. -- men. It was a slow and brutal death for so many, even

beautiful babies. They were cruelly murdered in this very barbaric

attack. No child of God should ever suffer such horror. Tonight I

ordered a targeted military strike on the airfield in Syria from where

the chemical attack was launched. It is in this vital national security

interest of the United States to prevent and 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.

Years of previous attempts at changing Bashar al-Assad's behaviour

have all failed, and failed very dramatically. As a result, the

refugee crisis continues to deepen, and the region continues to

destabilise, threatening the United States and its allies. Tonight I

call on all civilised nations to join us in seeking to end the

slaughter and bloodshed in Syria, and also to end terrorism of all

kinds and all types. We ask for God's with them as we face the

challenge of our very troubled world. -- wisdom. We pray for the

lives of the wounded and for the souls of those who have passed. And

we hope that as long as America stands were just as that peace and

harmony will, in the end, prevail. Good night, and God bless America

and the entire world. Thank you. So, that was President Trump

speaking in the early hours of its morning just after the cruise

missiles were launched from US warships.

Our US correspondent, Barbara Plett-Usher,

joins us now from Mar-a-lago, in Florida, where the President

Barbara, this was a limited attack on one airfield but intended to send

This is a significant moment. It is a significant moment. It is a major

shift in the US approach. It is the first time in Syria's civil war that

the Americans have directly targeted the forces of the Syrian president,

Bashar al-Assad. They supported opposition members against him but

have never targeted him before, not even under President Obama. It is

also a major shift in approach for President Trump who has been quite

ambivalent about Bashar al-Assad, saying it was not his problem and he

was focused on Islamic State and their group. Now he said his mind

has changed and Bashar al-Assad has done a heinous act and has launched

a strike against the Syrian Air Force. But the administration says

this does not change their military strategy, their military policy, in

Syria, and are still focused on Islamic State. This is a one-off

strike. But because the chemical weapons attack was carried out, it

was called specifically in a limited way on the air base from where the

attack was launched, and it was meant to send a warning and a

message to the regime that chemical attacks will not be tolerated.

Barbara, this weekend, where you are, the Chinese president is there

and the Prime Minister, sorry, the president, is having that meeting.

It is a personal message, but also, the dynamic around this, there is a

huge diplomatic dimension around this as well. Well, he is meeting

with the Chinese president, probably the most important international

relationship that he is going to have while he is president. It is a

very... It is a relationship between the leaders of the two, the two

biggest economic level powers in the world. And while he is trying to

work out a proper relationship with the president and talk about things

including North Korea, he is facing this crucial test of his ability to

act on the world stage should he respond to this chemical weapons

strike in Syria. And he acted quickly, moving a day or two after

the chemical weapons attack. He responded with a military strike to

be so here is being tested in a number of levels, his ability to say

what the role of the US will be under his presidency and to react.

That is something he has been working on over the past couple of

months and it is still a work in progress, frankly. So this weekend

has been interesting in that regard. For the moment, Barbara Plett-Usher,

thank you. Our correspondent,

Ben James, is in Beirut. Ben, what's been the

reaction in the region? We just heard her saying this is a

change in policy. We are expecting some reaction, sorry, were expecting

a reaction to this attack, so what has changed? From the Syrian

government point of view so far we have heard from the Governor of Homs

Province, the province in which this air base is located. They are

talking about risky operations at the airfield. Talking about not many

people being killed, but certainly there has been material damage. That

was the stated aim of the Pentagon in the first place, trying to target

some of the infrastructure that Barbara was talking about. We have

also heard from somebody on the ground who lives close by. One of

our producers has been talking to someone about the moment the attack

happened. They work appearing repeated strikes of those missiles,

59 launch from the destroyers on the Mediterranean. They were talking

about the anvil of activity and people on the air base as well,

saying a number of jets had been destroyed along with infrastructure.

-- the ambulance. Thank you very much. We will talk to you later on.

And we'll be bringing you the latest on this throughout the morning.

There has been a sharp rise in the number of Accident

and Emergency departments in England turning away ambulances compared

The Nuffield Trust Think Tank says its analysis shows ambulance

services are facing even more pressures than NHS hospitals.

Here's our health correspondent, Jane Dreaper.

Ambulances are diverted when hospitals are exceptionally busy.

It's a temporary measure to take the pressure off A,

but it means patients have further to travel for urgent treatment.

Today's report shows how the number of diverts has leapt

During the three winters beginning in 2013, this happened

But in this most recent winter, the number of diverts jumped

The report says this is bad for patients and explains why

ambulance trusts in England are missing their expected response

500 or so - you may say "Well, it's not a big number."

They reveal a service under tremendous pressure.

There'll be 500 diverts but there'll be many more A departments working

right at the limit that they could have diverted.

And the report says morale is low among ambulance staff,

NHS England believes too many ambulances are being dispatched

to simply try to hit targets, and it's reviewing the system.

The Basque militant group, ETA, has said that it will officially

disarm tomorrow, according to a letter obtained by the BBC.

More than 800 people were killed during ETA's campaign of violence,

Here's our chief international correspondent, Lyse Doucet.

The French presidential candidate Francois Fillon has been pelted

The conservative candidate had been at a rally in Strasbourg

when a protestor emptied the bag of flour at Mr Fillon.

The former Prime Minister has faced protests in recent weeks

since he was charged over accusations he gave his wife a fake

parliamentary job for which she was paid hundreds of thousands of euros.

The Kenyan long-distance runner, Jemima Sumgong, who won the marathon

at last year's Rio Olympics and the London Marathon has tested

positive for a banned performance enhancing substance.

The long-distance runner tested positive for the banned substance,

There's no indication as yet as to what action the authorities

Norway has unveiled plans to build the world's first ship tunnel

The mile-long and 120-foot wide tunnel will connect two fjords

so that ships of up to 20,000 tons can bypass the perilous

It will cost ?250 million and take around six years to build.

That is the artist's impression you can see. And now we will take a

moment to talk about sport. It's Ladies' Day at

Aintree race course. Mike's there with the sport

for us this morning. Good morning. Good morning. Ladies'

Day. For race-goers, the Styles Stakes for hats and suits. What a

view from the stands. My Kingdom for a horse. The Grand National is

tomorrow. The fences. The steeplechase, the toughest test for

the riders and their horses. It should be a keenly contested race.

Wide open as ever. The hardest to protect in the calibre year. --

predict. It is 40 years since this race was put on the map with an

historic three races in a row. More on that to come. For now, golf news.

The Masters is under way at Augusta, but without world number one,

He hurt his back when he fell down the stairs at his rental

Johnson seemed determined to play and made his way to the first tee,

before walking back to the clubhouse.

After the opening round, Justin Rose is one of several

British players towards the top of the leaderboard.

He's one-under-par, six shots behind the leader,

Charley Hoffman, of the United States.

Kyle Edmund is first on court in Rouen, as Great Britain

begin their Davis Cup quarter-final against France.

Edmund was one of the singles winners in Britain's victory over

And here at Aintree, Lizzie Kelly rode "Tea for Two"

to victory in the Betway Bowl, the feature race on day one.

They were pushed all the way to the line by the two to one

Talking of falls, Katie Walsh had a bad for yesterday and it was bought

for a time she might have broken her arm, but she hasn't. She tweeted

last night that it was just bruising. She will get to ride

Wonderful Charm tomorrow. Not bad. An outsider, 32-1. Talking of the

big race, so many memories from Red Rum, when he defied all of the odds

and his age to win the Grand National for the third time. I

remember being at a school jumble sale and I was watching the TV and

they stopped the sales so we could watch this horse. It was the horse

that rang the nation together. A really vivid sporting memory. Now

the museum is open here, it just opened this week, and I will have a

little look later. A lovely walk down memory lane!

Thank you. This weekend could be

the hottest of the year so far and rising temperatures have brought

trees around the country in bloom. Carol's going to bring us the latest

weather in the moment. First, some lovely pictures to show

you of some of the blossom. Alnwick Gardens,

taken by M Whittaker. Westonbirt Arboretum

is the next shot. Brogdale Collections

looking very gorgeous. If you've got some pictures,

do send them into us at [email protected],

or share them with us We would love to see them and show

them off this morning. How is it looking where you are, Carol?

Rather beautiful! This morning it's a cold start wherever you are. But

look at Regent's Park. Some lovely blossom. On the other side we've got

sure lips, daffodils. Spring really has sprung. -- got tulips. I

mentioned it was cold. It is about six Celsius here at the moment. The

temperature will head up when the sun comes up. But for many parts of

the UK it's a chilly start. Mist and fog around and for most of us there

will be sunshine through the day. The exception to that over the next

couple of days will be in the north-west of the UK, where we will

have a bit more cloud. That will suppress temperatures. 9am this

morning in Scotland we have a fair bit of sunshine. In the east, more

cloud and drizzle. But the Pigeon ruled -- living south into England,

a bit more cloud. Inland, a bit more cloud. Currently we have cloud in

the Midlands. Then we have sunshine coming through. As we will in east

Anglia and southern counties of England's generally. Don't forget, a

chilly start and some of us have frost first thing. For Wales we have

bits and pieces of cloud around. For Northern Ireland, a bit more cloud

this morning as well. So as we go through the day it what you will

find is we still hang onto some cloud in northern and western

Scotland, where it is also breezy. The odd spot coming out of that. For

Northern Ireland, bright spells as well. For the rest of the UK it will

be drier, fine and temperatures up to 19 Celsius for example in London.

Through the evening and overnight there will be some breaks in the

cloud. Another chilly night in the countryside. Frost around again and

low cloud. Mr forming as well. -- missed forming. Breezy in the north.

Tomorrow for the north and west we start on a cloudy note. What you

will find is that will push back towards the coast through the day

and many of us will have a sunny day. Along the coast it will be

cooler, with Seabreeze is developing in the south. Inland, 20- 21.

Further north, temperatures not as high, but still a lovely day. Into

Sunday we start to pull in the southerlies, so it will turn warmer,

especially in central and eastern parts of England. This is where we

get up to 22, possibly 23 or 24. We also have a weather front coming

across Scotland and Northern Ireland, which will induce more

cloud and rain. So it won't be as warm. Temperatures close to where

they should be. Through the rest of Sunday and into Monday morning the

front crosses us all and for somewhere we have the high

temperatures on Sunday it will drop 88 or nine degrees. It sounds

lovely! Thank you. -- eight or nine. Let's bring you up-to-date with the

events as they unfolded early this morning.

The US launches a major missile strike on Syria,

President Trump says he ordered the strike in retaliation

to a suspected chemical weapons attack that killed dozens of people.

The Pentagon says this was at 1:40am, UK time. 58 Tomahawk

missiles were fired from navy ships in the Mediterranean. They say they

targeted where the chemical attack was launched from on Tuesday.

Michael Pregent is a Middle East analyst at the Hudson Institute,

He is also a former US Government Intelligence officer.

This is all unfolded in the last three or four hours. Just give us

your analysis of what has happened, why Donald Trump has made this

decision so quickly. Thanks for having me. It was important for the

president to do something based on the developments in the last 48

hours. In the last 48 hours the US intelligence confirmed that it was

Assad who carried out the chemical strike in Idlib. General Mattis and

General McMaster presented a target package to the president for

consideration. There were two target packets presented. He chose to go

with the one that focused on the specific base, leaving options to do

something else if Assad doesn't get the message. So it was important to

do it and it is even be -- more important to see what happens in the

next 48- 72 hours. It has been described as a precision strike. It

is also being... The US administration described it as a

1-off response to a specific incident. A lot of people will be

thinking possibly that this could be the beginning of something else?

Well, the thing about a strike like this is it opens up all sorts of

options. To say it's a 1-off I think is a mistake because you Telegraph

to Assad, Putin and Imran that this is just a one-time response because

of the chemical weapons. -- Iran. But what is actually the situation

is that if Assad continues to do this there will be more military

strikes on Assad's airports, specifically military targets. I

like what happened, a lot of Democrats like what happened, a lot

of advocates in the Obama administration are saying this is a

good ring. Advocates for military force, such as Susan Rice. So this

is good for this president to do something, but you're right, it's

the question, what happens next? The one good thing is Assad is looking

to Russia and Imran and wondering why they weren't able to stop this.

Especially Russia, with their defence systems in Syria and also

with Russia getting a heads up about the attack. And then warning

Syrians. Assad is very concerned about his relationship and insecure

about his relationship with Putin this morning. Talk about that a

little more. Clearly President Trump is convinced. He knows who carried

out the strike. But Russia, as you well know, has been very vocal,

saying, we don't know the answers to those questions at this stage and

seen the reaction this time was inappropriate. Russia being an

authority on whether Assad has chemical weapons are not, but is not

clear. When it was decided to instead of using military force to

address the redline issue in 2013, to work with Russia to remove

Assad's chemical weapons, there was a key phrase used during those

negotiations and it was" declare munitions". Declaring of chemical

munitions. As we saw from the attack on Tuesday, Assad still has gas and

the ability to deliver these chemicals. The Russia was either

completed or incompetent in removing the chemical weapons. We believe it

there for now. Thank you very much for your time this morning.

Obviously lots of information coming to us as this story unfolds. We've

got some words from the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a

British-based monitoring group. They say that that US strike on a Syrian

air base has killed four solders on Friday. They say it virtually

destroyed the facilities there. The air base was almost completely

destroyed. The runway, the fuel tanks and air defences were all

blown to pieces. That comes from the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.

Of course more information coming all the time. Those strikes were

carried out at 1:40am UK time. We will bring you more information from

Washington, reaction from Russia and around the world as well.

Time now to get the news, travel and weather where you are.

This is Breakfast with Charlie Stayt and Steph

We'll have the latest news and sport in just a moment.

And coming up, on Breakfast today.

We're live in Dover as more than 80 hot air balloons prepare

to set off for Calais in an attempt to set a record-breaking mass

James Wong, the self-proclaimed "botanist who is obsessed with food"

will reveal simple ways we can turn everyday ingredients

Blur drummer, Dave Rowntree, and the artist, Dom Pattinson,

join us to talk about an Easter Treasure Hunt

with a difference, there's no eggs to find, but instead,

pieces of art worth thousands of pounds.

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

The United States has launched missile strikes against Syria

overnight. 59 cruise missiles were fired from US warships at an airbase

in retaliation for a chemical attack which killed dozens of people this

week. The Syrian government has condemned the action which happened

at 20 too two this morning. President Trump said it was in the

interest of America's safety interests to do this. This is what

he said just hours after the attack. Tonight I ordered a targeted

military strike on the airfield in Syria from where the chemical

attack was launched. It is in this vital

national security interest of the United States to prevent

and deter the spread and use 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. Years of previous attempts

at changing Bashar al-Assad's behaviour have all failed,

and failed very dramatically. As a result, the refugee crisis

continues to deepen, and the region continues

to destabilise, threatening Tonight, I call on all civilised

nations to join us in seeking to end the slaughter and bloodshed

in Syria, and also to end terrorism President Trump. David Willis joins

us from our studio in Washington. This is a change in policy from

President Trump. He was opposed to intervention during the campaign.

This is sending out a strong message, isn't it? Yes. Just as

recently as a week ago, would you believe, the Trump administration

was saying they had little interest in a regime change in Syria. Well,

all of that changed when they saw those heartbreaking pictures from

Syria of that chemical weapons attack. And the administration,

which is often criticised for being chaotic, acted very decisively in

the early hours of this morning, about five hours ago, firing 60

Tomahawk missiles from warships in the Mediterranean. They were

targeting the Syrian air raids were those chemical weapons were stored

that carried out the attack and from where the planes took off to deliver

them on their target. And they have destroyed, apparently, some

infrastructure in that area, and some aeroplanes. Now, it is what the

US is calling a limited response to the chemical were up and attack

which sends, they believe, a sharp message. -- weapons attack. Rex

Tillerson says President Trump is showing his authority, saying when

red lines across, he is well prepared to take military action. A

lot of criticism as well from the administration of Syria's closest

ally, Russia. And it will be interesting to see what happens next

week when Rex Tillerson, the Secretary of State, visits Moscow on

a prearranged trip. David Willis, indeed. Thank you. Those attacks

took place at 1:40 this morning UK time. Reuters is saying the Governor

of Homs said several died and five were wounded. We will keep you

up-to-date on all the action as it comes in this morning. Let us look

at the other news this morning for you.

There has been a sharp rise in the number of Accident

and Emergency departments in England turning away ambulances compared

The Nuffield Trust Think Tank says its analysis shows ambulance

services are facing even more pressures than NHS hospitals.

The Basque militant group, ETA, has said that it will officially

disarm tomorrow, according to a letter obtained by the BBC.

More than 800 people were killed during ETA's campaign of violence,

GP practice closures have hit record levels,

with hundreds of thousands of patients forced to change

surgeries last year, according to figures obtained

The Royal College of GPs said doctors could no longer cope

with growing patient demand, but NHS England said all patients

would still be able to register with a surgery.

It added that an extra billion pounds had been invested in general

It's Ladies' Day at the Grand National at Aintree.

We will have a look. Where are you now? Good morning. Had morning. The

new Red Rum Museum at Aintree, a trip back to the certainties of my

childhood to be photos and memorabilia celebrating the third

win of Red Rum. This picture is key. This is what makes it a fairy tale.

This horse had an incurable bone condition, pass from trainer to

trainer, until one pick up and him to full fitness on this send in the

seawater. -- sand. He went for a swim in the sea before his Grand

National win. If you want to see his importance, look at this. Pictures,

a bottle of whiskey, a car, cod-liver oil named after Red Rum so

you could have his stamina. The Masters is under way.

Golf's world number one Dustin Johnson said "it sucks really

bad," after being forced to withdraw from The Masters.

He made his way to the first tee at Augusta, before deciding

Johnson hurt his lower back on Wednesday, when he fell down

Obviously, I want to play, you know, more than anything. I will have a

few swings. But I just can't swing at all.

Justin Rose is one of several well-placed Britons

He's one-under-par, six shots behind the leader,

Charley Hoffman of the United States.

Kyle Edmund will play the first rubber of Britain's Davis Cup

quarter-final today, against France's Luca Pwee.

Edmund helped the team to victory over Canada in February,

but without the injured Andy Murray, Great Britain are the underdogs

There's coverage from Rouen across the BBC.

Greg Eden scored his 11th try of the season,

to make sure Super League leaders, Castleford,

After intercepting a wayward pass, Eden ran almost the entire length

Castleford won by 27 points to ten. And well done.

Here at Aintree, Lizzie Kelly showed she'd recovered well from her fall

in the Cheltenham Gold Cup three weeks ago, when she rode the 10-to-1

shot, "Tea for Two," to victory in the feature race on day one,

It was a battle at the end, with the favourite cue card pushing

A brilliant ride. Back in the museum, I might look around the

corner to find a historian. This is fantastic. A trip down memory lane.

Tell us about the legacy of Red Rum. You can see how popular he is by all

the memorabilia we have about him. We call him the saviour of Aintree.

I do lots of tours without him we would not have such a big advance

today. You are saying that the Grand National would not be famous around

the world today without him. Was always a famous race, but in the 70s

it was down on its knees. But there was a threat it would be bought and

made into a housing estate. But Red Rum, especially being a local horse,

brought all this excitement and people flooded back to it. And he

had this bone condition and he was a horse no one wanted until they found

the rejuvenating properties of the Irish Sea. It shows the spirit of

the Grand National, anyone can win. These are not period dresses. They

have been designed by students in a tribute of 40 years to Red Rum. You

can see his colours, maroon and gold. And hats made by a girls

school as well. A jigsaw puzzle behind you. It looks very 70s. Very

70s. Books about him, postcards, whiskey, as you have seen, scarves,

teddy bears, kilts in Red Rum tighten. And this is a famous

saddle? -- tartan. This road him to two victories in 73 and 74 and

second place in 75. -- rode. I was watching in 73 and 74. I was

wondering who Red Rum was. I certainly know now. Thank you. That

was great. That was brilliant. Fascinating. We will see you soon.

Keeping you up-to-date with developments this morning. We know

that the US has carried out a missile attack against an air base

in Syria. 59 Tomahawk cruise missiles were fired from a destroyer

in the Mediterranean against a Syrian air base. The UK government

fully supports the US action, which Whibley was an appropriate response

to the barbaric chemical weapons attack launched by the Syrian

regime, intended to deter further action. A spokesman for the

government of the UK. -- which we believe. We will keep you up-to-date

on that. Six years ago, around 50 hot air

balloons soared into the record books when they completed a mass

crossing of the channel The balloons are back,

more than 80 of them hope to smash that previous record

later this morning. Our reporter, Fiona Lamdin

is getting ready to join them, Wow. Look at that. It looks amazing.

Look behind me! 82, to be precise. They are from all around the world.

We are just outside Dover. We are going to take the 26 mile journey

across the Channel. I have just in given my lifejacket. I am not keen

on that idea. Look at these balloons. Isn't that absolutely

beautiful? The weather is completely perfect. We just had a safety

briefing. We heard about the wind. All of that. Me and conditions,

absolutely, this morning. I will take you over to meet my pilot. --

mint conditions. He will give us a taste of what we can expect. We are

hoping to bring you live broadcasts as we cross on this world record

attempt. We really wants to get on to the Guinness world book of

records to become away from the burner. You can hear it getting

ready. Good morning. You tried six years ago. The last time we did this

was six years ago to the day. We flew 49 from here the front and set

a world record. That came about because everyone always asks me what

my favourite flight was. I said it was this. 82 balloons ready to go to

France. If we ordered the weather we need for this to be perfect, this is

what it would be. Tell us were these people have come from. Belgium. Ten

countries. Spain, Italy, Croatia, all of Western Europe. In fact, we

always have someone from America who just can't get here on time. How

many hours? 26 miles. How long? 50 miles an hour is the wind today.

From here the front is two hours of flying time. It will give us time to

take our time and take a look at the cliffs and enjoy it. I have flown

over land but never be sea. Do you have to do anything different, take

more fuel? You can see from the equipment and your lifejackets that

there is a lot more fuel and flight plan are going in over oceans. Umm,

but, you know, as long as the wind is there it is safe. And I think

this is going to be the most memorable flight of every pilot

thank you so much. We will keep you date throughout the morning. My

cameraman and I have shared that we are both a little bit scared of

heights. It's going to be amazing. We look

forward to what will happen through the morning. It looks like pretty

good weather. Carol can bring us up-to-date on what it will be like

for them later in the day. It is a cold start to the day, certainly in

Regent's Park, in London. Some of us seeing frost this morning. A look at

this view. Blossom, pink and white, and look at the kaleidoscope of

colour we have. Juliet -- tulips, daffs. If you are just stepping out

it is chilly. As I mentioned, some frost, also some patchy mist and

fog. But that will lift readily. For many parts of the UK it will be

sunny and pleasant. At 9am this morning in Scotland you will notice

more clout in the west, with drizzle. In the east we have some

sunshine. Further south and into northern England and the north-west

has more clout, the north-east sunny skies. Further south again we have

cloud across the Midlands. That will thin and break. The sun coming out

in east Anglia. Heading towards Kent, generally southern counties of

England. Don't forget it is cold if you're stepping out first thing. For

Wales this morning we have variable amounts of cloud and sunny spells.

For Northern Ireland we have more cloud. We will hang onto that

through the day. Not as cold for you. Talking of going through the

day, most of us will have a very pleasant and sunny day. Temperatures

getting up in the south-east to about 19 Celsius. For other parts of

the UK, widely in the midteens. 14- 16, for example. Pollen levels today

are high across most of England and Wales. Moderate or low across

Northern Ireland and Scotland and northern England. Pretty sickening

and overnight once again there will be holes in the cloud. Once again we

will have mist and fog patches forming. There will also be frost

around and we hang on to the cloud and drizzle across the far

north-west. It won't be an especially cold start in towns and

cities, but in the countryside it will be. Especially where we have

clearer skies. Tomorrow, any mist and fog will lift. Looking again at

a fine day. Although it will start off on a cloudy note in Scotland and

Northern Ireland, through the day that cloud will melt away and it

will brighten up. Sea breeze will develop around the south coast in

particular. Here it will feel fresh. Inland tomorrow, especially in

England, we have up to 21. But generally 14- 16 Celsius. Into

Sunday we have some southerly winds coming our way. It really is going

to turn warm across England and Wales in the killer. For Scotland

and Northern Ireland we have a weather front introducing rain and

the cloud associated with that will fringe into counties adjacent to the

Irish Sea through the day. On Monday it will turn cooler again.

That man running behind her due! He is off! -- hard you.

Going back to the lead story. The United States has carried out a

missile attack on a Syrian air base, in response to Tuesday's chemical

attack on a rebel held town in which many were killed. The US had a red

line had been crossed by President Assad's regime and Trump said it was

in their interest to prevent the spread and use of chemical that is.

On Tuesday, the Syrian dictator Bashar al-Assad launched a horrible

chemical weapons attack on innocent civilians. Using a deadly nerve

agent, Assad choked out the lives of helpless 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. Tonight I ordered a targeted

military strike on the airfield in Syria, from where the chemical

attack was launched. It is in this vital, national security interest of

the united date to prevent and deter the spread and use of deadly

chemical weapons -- the United States. There can be no dispute that

Serie A used banned chemical weapons -- Syria used banned chemical

weapons, violated its obligations under the Chemical Weapons

Convention and ignored the urging of the UN Security Council. Years of

previous attempts at changing Assad's behaviour have all failed

and failed very dramatically. As a result, the refugee crisis continues

to deepen and the region continues to destabilise, threatening the

United States and its allies. Tonight I call on all civilised

nations to join us in seeking to end the slaughter. And bloodshed. And

also to end terrorism of all kinds and all types. We ask for God's

wisdom as we face the challenge of a very troubled world. We pray for the

lives of the wounded and for the souls of those who have passed. And

we hope that, as long as America stands for justice, then peace and

harmony will in the end prevail. Good night and God bless America and

the entire world. Thank you. That was President Trump speaking in the

last few hours. As to give you a sense of the sequence of events, all

Aberdeen in the early hours of the morning -- all happening. 1:40 a.m.,

UK time. Those 59 cruise missiles were launched from a warship in the

Mediterranean at a Syrian air base. Just getting reaction now. A

spokesperson from Number 10 Downing St, the US has taken action against

a Syrian regime, and the UK government fully supports the US

action which we believe was an appropriate response to the barbaric

chemical weapons attack launched by the Syrian regime, as intended to

deter further attacks. That's the Downing Street response coming

through in the last half-hour. We will be talking to the Defence

Secretary Michael Fallon just after 8am on this. Let's get the business

news now. You've got props. What's going on? They are crucial!

We are talking about toast. Have we fallen out of love with margarine?

Have we? We will find out. Good morning. We

are talking about toast and margarine. The food manufacturer

Unilever has said it is selling off its spreads division. That's Iran is

like Flora, I Can't Believe it's not Butter. Sales of my dream would down

7% last year. We are more conscious of our health, we are busier, we are

making less toast and fewer sandwiches. But how is that changing

our taste and affecting the business?

Let's talk to Gareth Hodgson from the market research firm

We've got some bread and toast and margarine here. Is it that we are

eating more butter and less margarine, or we aren't eating bread

much at all these days so we don't need the margarine? I think it is

symptomatic of the lifestyle change, both in terms of convenience and

looking for improved health. What we are seeing is that bread sales are

down, cereal sales are down, so consequently margarine... People

just aren't consuming it at breakfast time in the same way as

they previously were. The whole point of margarine was that it is

there and ready to spread. Put it on your knife and off you go. What

needs to be much quicker than that for breakfast in the morning? Why

aren't people happy to do that while they go to coffee shops? I think the

lifestyles have changed. We are seeing things like commute times

changing, for example, so on average people are maybe competing for an

hour into work, up to two hours, so it is very much about getting out of

the house as quick as possible, beating the traffic as quick as

possible and if that means going to a coffeeshop and grabbing something

to eat, or the cup of coffee, or taking something preprepared, then

that's a trend. What are companies like Unilever doing? They are

selling some of their divisions. What are they doing instead? I think

one of the main things with scene in the market over the last couple of

years is a massive increase in on the go products which have been

developed. Recent research we did with a manufacturer demonstrated

that across the market there was double-digit growth in the volume of

those snacks created, as people moved towards cereal bars or things

which incorporate nuts and seeds and fruits and things like that. So that

convenience but also the healthy Lifestyle. Thanks very much. I also

realised that normally I like to put my butter on a plate, with a cup of

tea, to get it to melt a little bit. What you mean? You put the butter on

a little sauce and you put it on the key, to get it warm. But studio

lights do the same thing, because this butter is perfectly spreadable

now! Hello this is Breakfast,

with Steph McGovern and Charlie The United States has carried out

missile attacks in Syria overnight. 59 cruise missiles were

launched from US warships President Trump said

he ordered the action in retaliation for a chemical attack that

killed dozens of people. It is in this vital national

security interest of the united date to prevent and deter the spread and

use of deadly chemical weapons. Good morning, it's

Friday, 7th April. We'll have full analysis of those

air strikes with our correspondents in the Middle East,

America and Russia. And the very latest response from

Downing Street. Also this morning: Under pressure,

new figures show a big increase in the number of ambulances

being turned away from hospitals A quarter of us have found we've

overspent on mobile phone bills by 50 pounds while we've been

using our phones on holiday. And good morning from Aintree

on Ladies' Day, ahead of tomorrow's Grand National, and it's been

confirmed that Katie Walsh will be able to ride in the big race

tomorrow on Wonderful Charm, And will be live at Dover ahead of a

world record attempt to get more than 80 balloons to cross the

Channel. And the weather is supposed to be

so good this weekend. Good morning from a beautiful

morning at Regents Park. It is beautiful here, and it is going to

be sunny and warm for most of us away from the north-west. That is

the same forecast for the weekend. It is getting warmer for most of us,

especially by Sunday. More details in 15 minutes.

The United States has launched missile strikes

59 cruise missiles were fired from US warships at an air base,

in retaliation for a chemical attack that killed dozens of people

The Syrian government has condemned the action which happened

at twenty to two this morning, but Downing Street has said

the action was an appropriate response.

Here's our Washington Correspondent David Willis.

It was a decisive response from an administration that has often seemed

disorganised and at times, dysfunctional. A few salade of

Tomahawk missiles fired from US Navy ships in the Mediterranean, aimed at

the Syrian air base from which America says the deadly chemical

weapons attack was launched earlier this week. A line in the sand

moment. On Tuesday, Syrian dictator Bashar al-Assad launched a horrible

chemical weapons attack on innocent civilians. Using a deadly nerve

agent, Assad choked out the lives of helpless men, women and children.

These are the heartbreaking images that moved the President to action,

triggering a remarkable shift in foreign policy on the part of his

administration. One week ago, White House officials professed little

interest in rating change in Syria, but the use of a deadly nerve agent

has changed everything. Tonight I call on all civilised nations to

join us in seeking to end the bloodshed in Syria. And also to end

the terrorism of all kinds and all types. News of the missile strikes

some want overshadowed a summit with President Xi Jinping, at which the

two leaders were expected to discuss the threat posed by North Korea.

Depending where the US goes from here, it could be that President

Trump has his conflict cut out in Syria. It could define his

presidency one way or the other. And David joins us now

from our studio in Washington. David, this was a contained attack

on one airfield but intended to send Absolutely. President Trump is

calling on the global community to join him in sorting out the

situation in Syria. It is not something that he had looked to get

involved in. President Trump was elected on a mandate of America

first. His Middle East policy was confined to rooting out Islamic

State, but that changed with those heart wrenching pictures of the

victims of the chemical weapons attack in Syria a couple of days

ago. Since then, his administration has done a 360. Reaction coming in

from foreign governments as well. The richest government giving their

full support, saying it is an appropriate reaction. The response

from Russia, a very different feeling. They have said it is a

serious obstacle to an international coalition. It is interesting,

because Russia is Syria's main ally and benefactor. The United States,

particularly Donald Trump, had fought a better relationship with

Vladimir Putin. That relationship seems to have turned 360 degrees in

the time that Donald Trump has been in the White House. Its bubbly now

back to where it was at the time of Barack Obama. The Russians will not

be happy with this. Even though the Americans point out that they did

tip of Russian forces on the ground in an attempt to avoid casualties,

they have also said they did not get permission, if you like, from

Moscow's before doing this. The bigger question is, what is to

follow now? Will there be other strikes? The indication is that this

was a 1-shot deal, but we will have to wait and see. Thank you. Lots of

reaction coming in on this story. A statement from number ten this

morning, they said: The UK government fully supports the US

action. We believe it was an appropriate response to the barbaric

chemical weapons attack launched by the Syrian regime. It was intended

to do deter further attacks. We will be talking more about that later

this morning. There has been a sharp rise

in the number of Accident and Emergency departments in England

turning away ambulances compared The Nuffield Trust think-tank

says its analysis shows ambulance services are facing even more

pressures than NHS hospitals. Here's our health

correspondent, Jane Dreaper. Ambulances are diverted when

hospitals are exceptionally busy. It's a temporary measure to take

the pressure off A, but it means patients have further

to travel for urgent treatment. Today's report shows how the number

of diverts has leapt During the three winters beginning

in 2013, this happened But in this most recent winter,

the number of diverts jumped The report says this is bad

for patients and explains why ambulance trusts in England

are missing their expected response 500 or so - you may say "Well,

it's not a big number." They reveal a service under

tremendous pressure. There'll be 500 diverts but there'll

be many more A departments working right at the limit that they

could have diverted. And the report says morale is low

among ambulance staff, NHS England believes too many

ambulances are being dispatched to simply try to hit targets,

and it's reviewing the system. The Basque separatist movement, ETA,

has said that it will officially disarm from tomorrow -

according to a letter obtained More than 800 people were killed

during ETA's campaign of violence - The Spanish government has refused

to negotiate with the group, whose aim is to achieve

independence from Spain. The government is proposing to

prevent hidden charges being charged to chance in hidden fees. It comes

after information that some chance were being charged twice for the

same service. The ban begins today. GP practice levels have been changed

dramatically, and it is affecting doctors. The doctors have said they

can no longer cope with growing patient demand. NHS England have

said that all patients will be able to register with a surgery.

It added that an extra billion pounds had been invested in general

The French presidential candidate Francois Fillon has been pelted

The conservative candidate had been at a rally in Strasbourg

when a protestor emptied the bag of flour at Mr Fillon.

The former Prime Minister has faced protests in recent weeks

since he was charged over accusations he gave his wife a fake

parliamentary job for which she was paid hundreds of thousands

The Kenyan long-distance runner, Jemima Sumgong, who won the marathon

at last year's Rio Olympics and the London marathon,

has tested positive for a banned performance

The long-distance runner, tested positive for the banned

There's no indication as yet as to what action the authorities

Overnight, the US launched a military attack on Syria,

releasing dozens of missiles from navy warships -

targeting an airfield in western Syria.

It's in response to a chemical attack that killed at least 80

people and was described by President Trump as a disgrace

Here's what he had to say about the air strikes this morning.

On Tuesday, the Syrian dictator, Bashar al-Assad, launched

a horrible, the weapons attack on innocent civilians

Bashar al-Assad ended the lives of helpless men,

It was a slow and brutal death for so many, even beautiful babies.

They were cruelly murdered in this very barbaric attack.

No child of God should ever suffer such horror.

Tonight I ordered a targeted military strike on the airfield

in Syria from where the chemical attack was launched.

It is in this vital national security interest

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

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.

Years of previous attempts at changing Bashar al-Assad's

behaviour have all failed, and failed very dramatically.

As a result, the refugee crisis continues to deepen,

and the region continues to destabilise, threatening

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

the slaughter and bloodshed in Syria, and also to end terrorism

We ask for God's wisdom as we face the challenge

We pray for the lives of the wounded and for the souls of those

And we hope that as long as America stands were just as that peace

and harmony will, in the end, prevail.

Good night, and God bless America and the entire world.

We understand those missiles were launched at 1:40am UK time. A total

of 59 Tomahawk cruise missiles fired from destroyers in the eastern

Mediterranean. Conflicting reports at this stage about the damage done.

Some suggestions there may have been a number of lives lost in the

attack. Let's get the reaction from Downing Street, offering full

support for the US action. We're joined now from our

Westminster studio by our political Take after exactly what's been said.

I understand the Minister was informed ahead of the strikes taking

place, as she did know ahead of them they were going ahead with the

strikes. I've also been told by Downing Street that the UK and the

US were in contact at the highest levels, not just overnight but

yesterday too. A statement from the government says that overnight the

US has taken military action against the Syrian regime, targeting that

airfield which was used to launch the chemical weapons attack earlier

this week. The UK government fully supports the US action, which we

believe was an appropriate response to the barbaric chemical weapons

attack launched by the Syrian regime and is intended to deter further

attacks. Interestingly we heard from George Osborne, the former

Chancellor, who says that although the UK wasn't involved in the

strike, he says he assumes we were consulted and we will support. There

are further questions that will be asked about whether the Prime

Minister and government were not just informed that the strikes were

taking place, but whether they were also consulted. And if they were, is

there a reason why it particular the UK didn't go ahead and get involved

itself? So lots more questions to come. We've heard from one Labour

MP, Mary Craig, said the government was right to support the US action

against the airbase and she hopes this ends Assad's impunity. -- Mary

Creagh. Thank you. That was the information that as we understand

the British government was informed. We will speak to the UK Defence

Secretary Michael Fallon just after 8am, we can ask some of those

questions. Dr Leslie Vinjamuri,

a US analyst at the think tank Chatham House, joins us now

from our London newsroom. Thank you for joining us. It is a

real change in policy for President Trump. We heard through his campaign

how he was very imposed the intervention in Syria. What are your

thoughts on it? It is clearly a very specific reaction to the use of

chemical weapons. I wouldn't say it's a broad change in strategy,

it's a response, the limited response, directed response. It has

very widespread consensus support. Across the US there is some pushback

from Congress, that if there's any further action taken then the

president needs to with Congress, but it doesn't really represent a

significant strategy. I wouldn't say there is a very significant strategy

right now. I would say the next thing to watch will be how Russia

response, because that will be crucial in terms of any further

engagement with the conflict in Syria. But these strikes are largely

symbolic and important. The violation of the prohibition in

using chemical weapons and the intense devastation that sat in

Syria can't be understated. But they haven't been aiming to fundamentally

change what's going on in the war in Syria. You mentioned Russia and we

have had a reaction from the Kremlin this morning, saying that within the

last few minutes they've said the cruise missiles attack does

significant damage to US- Russian ties. Resident Putin considering

those US strikes as aggression against the sovereign state, which

violate the rules of international law. So clearly this is making that

relationship very tense? Yes, and that relationship, as we know, has

been in an increasingly bad place, even before Donald Trump has come

into office, for a lot of reasons. If Russia is not onboard had not

willing to put pressure on Assad and Syria, then the prospects of these

strikes having any significant impact on the war in Syria are

unfortunately quite low. Nonetheless, the symbolism is is --

is significant. In 2014 President Obama looked to the Russians to work

with Assad, to get rid of the chemical weapons, and he got a lot

flak for that, for not taking harder measures. But there was the view

that most of the chemical weapons had been destroyed. Now we know that

wasn't the case, the Trump really didn't have a proper especially

after the statement the night before last, he didn't have room to take

much more serious measures, but it doesn't change the context of the

war. If Russia isn't on side it will continue to be very difficult. There

is now pressure on the US and President Trump as to whether he

will do more to affect the conflict in Syria, which is now in its sixth

year, more than 400,000 people killed, most estimate. So it's a

very severe situation. Any further attacks really need to be taken with

a much more comprehensive strategy, for what they aim to achieve. Thank

you very much for your time this morning.

We will come back to that story throughout the morning. Let's catch

up with our reporter, who is taking part in a world record this morning.

More than 80 balloons took off this morning. She can hear us but we must

explain, your camera is in the balloon we are looking from and

that's you in the distance? I do know. Can you see me? -- don't

know. We can! You won't be able to see this but my hand is clutching

onto the banister. I can't look down, but I am sure the cameraman is

showing you the beautiful pictures. We are very close to the sea.

Underneath us is Dover Castle. How far have we gone? We are about half

a mile from the cliffs. Just about to go over the castle and this is

the point of no return. The next stop is France. Looking ahead, 82

balloons behind us. We are leading the way and it's a pretty good site,

isn't it? It is amazing. We are all bunched up together, so it is this

mass exodus of balloons. I have no idea what the people on the ferries

are going to think when they see as passing by! No one has seen this

across the channel before? 49 was the record and we have 82 in the

air. Hopefully we will end up with a new Guinness world record. The

conditions you were telling the earlier are completely perfect. We

are going quite slowly? Slower than normal but it is safe. The upper

winds are above us. Above us are much faster winds. So once we finish

our sightseeing we will climb up and get to France quicker. Brilliant. I

love the way you say lovely views. You're great with views. Am I the

only person struggling with the heights? What more could you want?

INAUDIBLE... You might not be able to hear us because the bird is

going. We're getting very close... Look at that! Amazing. Once we are

out there, you look out and all you can see is sea? Divisibility today

is such that the weather is quite clear. We are in the middle of the

Channel. We won't be able to see France or England, which will be a

little bit disconcerting. We will get in touch and hopefully see you

soon when we are across the sea, in the middle of It! Absolutely

stunning images. Stay on the pictures for a minute. The noise you

can hear other burners. Initially you thought it was interference, but

of course it is the rise of the burners as they set off on a

journey. It looks absolutely stunning.

And the weather looks absolutely gorgeous. Let's see what the weather

is like across the rest of the country. Good morning!

Carol is at Regent's Park. Good morning. I think you have fairly

well summed it up. The weather for many parts of the UK today is going

to be gorgeous. If you like it is sunny and pleasantly warm. Here in

Regent's Park this morning it is glorious. A cold start for many of

us, but look at the colours of the spring flowers. Regent's Park has

been here a long time, since the 1800, and each season it offers

something beautiful. Lots of people have been running this morning. The

forecast for most of the UK is a chilly start. We're also looking at

sunny spells through the course of the day. The exception to that in

the north and north-west. At 9am this morning in Scotland we have the

north and north-west that seeing more cloud and some drizzle. Still

quite breezy. Eastern Scotland has some sunshine. For north-west

England, a little bit more cloud. Across the Pennines and into the

north-east, back into the sunshine. Further south still some cloud

across the Midlands. That will break and we have sunshine and sunshine

into east Anglia. Blue skies already in London. Down in the south coast

as well. And all the way over to the south-west, including the Isles of

Scilly and the Channel Islands. A bit of clout in Wales. But lots of

sunshine as well. For Northern Ireland, more cloud around. At least

it isn't such a cold start. Some of us have got that frost. What it will

quickly lift now that the sun is out and temperatures are rising. Through

the day we hang on to the breeze in the north and north-west. For the

rest of the UK, we have this sunshine. High pollen levels today

across most of England and Wales. And it is treatable. Temperatures

today up to about 19. -- it is tree pollen. Overnight it will be holes

in the cloud, so again a touch of frost in the countryside. East and

low cloud forming. Breezy in the far north. But average about 7-9. In the

tomorrow, any mist and fog will lift rapidly and for most of us there

will be another fine, dry and sunny day. The cloud in the north-west

retreating towards the coast. Inland tomorrow, especially in England, 20-

21. Widely we have about 14- 16 Celsius. But on the coast it will be

a little bit cooler. That leads us into Sunday. It will be the warmest

day of the weekend. Southerly winds coming our way. Highs of up to 23-

24. Fresh in Scotland and Northern Ireland. That will produce bigger

cloud and rain. Sounds lovely and looks gorgeous

where you are! We are going to go back to that shot

of the hot air balloons. 80 of them about to cross the Channel. Look at

that. It isn't every day we can offer you a picture like this. It's

a record-breaking attempt today and it just looks remarkable. They got

lucky with the weather. I am not an expert on good learning conditions

but it looks good. Fiona is in one of them. We will be

going back life to her later. Plenty more on our website

at the usual address. Hello, this is Breakfast

with Steph McGovern and Charlie The United States has

launched missile strikes 59 cruise missiles were fired

from US warships at an air base, in retaliation for a chemical attack

that killed dozens of people The Syrian

government has condemned the action which happened at twenty to two this

morning but Downing Street has said the action was an

appropriate response. This morning, President Trump said

it was in America's national security interests to prevent the

spread of illegal weapons. This is what he had to say just hours after

the attack. Tonight I ordered a targeted

chemical attack on Syria from where the chemical attack was launched. It

is in this vital national security interest of the United States to

prevent and deter the spread and use of deadly chemical weapons. There

can be no dispute that Syria used chemical weapons, violated its

obligations under the chemical Weapons Convention, and ignored the

urging of the UN Security Council. Numerous previous attempts at

changing Assad's behaviour have all failed, and they'll vary

dramatically. -- and failed vary dramatically. As a result, the

region continues to destabilise, threatening the United States and

its allies. Tonight I call on all civilised nations to join us in

seeking to end the slaughter and bloodshed in Syria.

President Trump talking about the airstrike there.

Let's get more details now from our Moscow Correspondent,

They have said that there has been significant damage to US- Russian

ties because of this? Yes, Moscow's faith things very differently. We

heard the first reaction from the Kremlin -- Moscow sees this very

differently. They have said it was a violation of international law, and

an attempt to distract the international community from

civilian casualties in America's military campaign in Iraq. President

Putin said that this attack would cause significant damage to the US-

Russian friendship, strong words from the Kremlin this morning. That

was expected. Although yesterday the Kremlin said that the chemical

attack in Idlib province was a monstrous crime, they also said that

there was no evidence to suggest that it had been carried out by

President Assad. Just after eight o'clock, we will be speaking to the

Defence Secretary Michael Fallon. It is understood that the British

government was informed that this strike was going to take place, but

we will discuss that later this morning. Looking at the other news

this morning. There's been a sharp rise

in the number of Accident and Emergency departments in England

turning away ambulances. Analysis by the Nuffield Trust

think-tank shows ambulances were diverted nearly

500 times last year, compared to an average of 249

in the previous three years. NHS England says too many ambulances

are being dispatched and the system The Basque separatist movement, ETA,

has said that it will officially disarm from tomorrow -

according to a letter obtained by the BBC.

More than 800 people were killed during ETA's campaign of violence -

thousands of others were injured. The Spanish government has refused

to negotiate with the group, whose aim is to achieve

independence from Spain. GP practice closures

have hit record levels, with hundreds of thousands

of patients forced to change surgeries last year,

according to figures obtained The Royal College of GPs said

doctors could no longer cope with growing patient demand,

but NHS England said all patients It added that an extra billion

pounds had been invested in general That brings you up to date. The

weather coming up in a few minutes time.

But for now, it's Ladies' Day at Aintree.

Today we have the style stakes as well. We also have the buildup to

the Grand National, the world's most famous steeplechase. At all the

officials but is oil and Tufts of grass the course to cover up any

holes after it took a pounding yesterday. Imagine that over two

miles. They go around that cause twice tomorrow in the Grand

National. Time to have a look at the rest of the sport for now.

Golf's world number one Dustin Johnson said "it sucks really

bad", after being forced to withdraw from The Masters.

He made his way to the first tee at Augusta, before deciding

Johnson hurt his lower back on Wednesday, when he fell down

Obviously I want to play, more than anything. But I was just sitting

there and I was trying to, you know, take a few swings, and I just can't

swing it at all. Lee Westwood is the leading Briton

after a blustery opening He's in third place,

five shots behind the leader, Charley Hoffman of the

United States, who's Poor weather is playing havoc

with practice ahead of this weekend's Chinese Grand Prix.

Conditions in Shanghai mean the medical helicopter can't operate

and therefore it's not safe for the drivers to go

on to the track. The first session was severely

disrupted and the second session was due to start at 7am,

but is yet to get underway. Olympic marathon champion

Jemima Sumgong has failed The 32-year-old Kenyan was due

to defend her London Marathon title She tested positive for the blood

booster EPO in a test by athletics' Kyle Edmund will play

the first rubber of Britain's Davis Cup

quarter-final today, Edmund helped the team to victory

over Canada in February - Great Britain are the

underdogs in this tie. There's coverage from

Rouen across the BBC. In rugby leage, Greg Eden

scored his 11th try of the season, to make sure

Super League leaders Castleford beat After intercepting a wayward

pass, Eden ran almost the entire length of the pitch,

to dive over the line. Here at Aintree, Lizzie Kelly

showed she'd recovered well from her fall in

the Cheltenham Gold Cup three weeks ago when she rode the 10-to-1

shot Tea For Two to victory in the feature race on day

one - the Betway Bowl. It was a battle at the end,

with the favourite Cue Card pushing Katy Walsh has tweeted that her

suspected broken arm was actually just a bruising. She will be able to

compete tomorrow. It is 20 years since the entire course had to be

evacuated because of a warm threat by the IRA. It was the biggest

sporting evacuation in British history -- bomb threat. This is a

reminder of how the day unfolded. It was to be a special day, the Grand

National, but it was a very sad day for sport. All 60,000 people at

Aintree were evacuated. It is so disappointing for so many people,

the biggest race in the world. I am with local resident Edie Roach. 20

years ago, it you got more involved than you had ever imagined? I did.

We were having the usual get-together, as we've always done.

And then there was... Something happened around the racecourse,

there was no activity. People started congregating outside the

house. There is no other entrants except the racecourse itself. I went

outside and said, what's happening? They said, can you tell us? Have you

got a television? We've got horses in there. They were very concerned

about the horses. I said, instead of me relaying information, why don't

you come in and have a look yourself? Not just punters? There

were owners, trainers, jockeys... The whole world of racing in my

living room. I didn't realise who they were, to be honest. Within

seconds, the house was packed. Harvey Smith was sitting on the

stairs patting the family dog, Robert Ogden was in the living room

with his brother. The Hendersons, the list just went on and on. They

have nowhere to go, they had to stay, there were no mobile phones

and they were waiting for the show first to come and pick them up. It

basically just went on and on. Once we realised that the race was

definitely off, it just developed into a nice afternoon. A positive

day! One you will never forget. Andrew, you had the logistics to

organise that day, the biggest sporting evacuation in history? It

was amazing at the time. It was great, we just got on with it. It

was just one of those things. We had all the horses in the stables and

everything. I think it was, everyone was just banding together. And then

we ran it as a one-day national for the first time ever, that was

fantastic. Let's briefly talk about the conditions. Who will they

favour? Something on the easy said I don't make side would be good, you

can get your heel in it. -- something on the easy side. I would

love a Scottish winner, I come from Scotland. At the end of the day,

it's a great race, and that's what it's all about. There's ?1 million

up for grabs, it will be amazing. Thank you very much. In one hour 's

time, I will need to smart enough a bit, because I will be speaking to

some sporting icons later in the programme.

Fantastic to hear that. If you are on holiday and you use your phone,

there is a risk that you will run up a big deal. One option is, don't use

the phone. You never use your phone, do you? A little bit more sociable

than when he is in the office. Last year I was on the phone to my

network provider for a couple of hours, trying to sort out my

contract before I went away. I didn't want to get the cost once I

got there. Some of us have nicer times of broad band Charlie. It's a

sting in the tail after time away. The customer comparison site has

found that phone bills were over ?50 more than expected after people have

been on a break. There is quite a bit of confusion about the rules and

the different providers on offer. Time to talk to Greenalls. -- Graham

Knowles. What's the capital these people? Most networks in the UK have

the amount of usage you can hit basically, so if you are on a

standard tariff you can go beyond that by ?50. You could still spend

?50 before the networks cut you off and they will most likely said you

were -- said you were text, which will say, would you like to opt out

of this? If you say you want to opt out of it that you are really

opening the floodgates. The sky is the limit. You probably don't want

that scenario. But even if you have the scenario Don Black -- have the

limit, you could still spend that ?50. Often when you are on holiday

people throw caution to the wind and you might need maps, you might be

the situation we need directions or something like that. Sometimes you

just get a voicemail message. We found people didn't realise there

was a cost associated with checking your voicemail and that can quickly

add up. A lot of this is to do with preparing. One of the things you can

do, if you speak to your network of either beforehand or at least know

what they offer, there are different deals for when you are travelling,

which might mean you can use your contract? Definitely. We recommend

getting in touch with your network. You can go on the website. Many of

them are helpful and they have guides available as two packages.

You might be done -- payee ?2.50 in Europe. It might be a bit more

further afield. You have to weigh up how much you will use it. If you are

just going to send one text message... I had a situation where I

was abroad and I got a text from a bank saying there was suspicious

activity on my card. I had to reply yes to block it. That cost me ?5

because my add-on was triggered. If you are going the way the main thing

is to be prepared. You will probably get some costs, so you have to take

care with your budget. Thank you.

My point is that you speak to the people you are with. Carol is in

Regent's Park, enjoying beautiful surroundings! Good morning. Yes, it

is beautiful. It's been a cold start and the temperature is now about

five Celsius. But look at the view! You probably won't be able to make

them out because of the sun, but if I take you around Regent's Park

we've got the blossoms behind, the gorgeous kaleidoscope of colour...

INAUDIBLE. Over there we have the red standing out against the green.

It is magnificent. If you have an allergy to pollen it is worth

mentioning across most of England and all of Wales today the pollen

levels are high and we are talking about tree pollen. The forecast for

today is a chilly start. Some of us starting off with frost, but sunny

spells. Many starting with blue skies. In Scotland we start the

forecast with a bit more cloud in the north and west, producing

drizzle. Around Argyll and Bute, for example. Eastern Scotland, dry, with

sunshine. Four Northwest England is a bit more cloud. As we come south

into east Anglia, Kent, the Midlands, down the south coast, if

you've got pockets of cloud they will tend to fade away. Into the

south-west of England in the sunny start. For Wales, a bit of cloud

around, but a lot of sunshine. For Northern Ireland, the cloudy start,

so not as cold as it is for much of the UK. Through the day the north

and west will hang on to the cloud. So if you are Northern Ireland and

Northwest Scotland that's where it will remain cloudy. There's the odd

spot of drizzle coming out. The wind is coming down, compared to

yesterday, but it will be quite breezy. Temperatures in the

south-east, up to about 19. Generally we have 14- 16. At evening

and overnight, again, some cloud around. Some of us in the

countryside waking up to a touch of frost. A little bit of mist and some

low cloud as well. Still breezy in the north, showers in the

north-west. Temperatures in towns and cities roughly from about 6-9.

Tomorrow morning we should lose any mist and fog that's formed overnight

by about 8-9 in the morning and although it will start cloudy the

north-west of Scotland and Northern Ireland as we go through the day you

will join the rest of the UK in having a sunny and pleasant day.

Tomorrow in England that averages 20- 21. It will be cool on the coast

with the sea breezes, but widely again 14- 16. Sunday is the warmest

day of the weekend across England and Wales. Highs of 23- 24 possible

in the south-east. But for Scotland and Northern Ireland, a weather

front coming in and that will introduce more cloud and some rain.

It will feel fresher. As the weather front crosses us all, it will feel

that it cooler than this weekend. Charlie and Sall. And Steph!

You get so used... It is like saying Bill and Ben.

I apologise! We keep cutting the line because we don't want to hear

your excuses! Thanks AMCU in a bit.

We will be back with Carol later. -- see you in a bit. Let's bring you up

to date with the events of the morning. Last night the US launched

missile strikes against Syria. President Trump said it was in

America's national interest to prevent the spread and use of

chemical weapons. The strike to race at 1:40am UK time and a total of 59

Tomahawk cruise missiles were fired from destroyers in the eastern

Mediterranean. The target was an air base in Syria. We will be talking to

the Defence Secretary later. Afzal Ashraf was a senior

officer in the RAF and worked as a counterinsurgency strategist

for the US commanding general We knew there would be some type of

reaction from the US. But this feels like the start of a different

military campaign. Would you say that's fair? Yes, it is fair. This

is a very significant departure from what's been going on in Syria in a

number of ways. It is unclear as to what this will lead to. What do you

think will happen next? We've been told by the US government that this

is a 1-off attack. Do you think it is? I think that's probably the

case. The Trump administration wanted to send out a message. This

was the least risky way of doing so. They've used missiles. They have

also taken steps apparently to forewarn the Russians, to take every

reasonable care to avoid Russian and possibly Iranian advisers from being

casualties, in order to avoid an escalation. However, the Russians

appear not to be too pleased about this and the Chinese are also --

were critical during the debate yesterday. Now the ball is very much

in a court and it will be interesting to see how the Russians

respond. Whether they will de-escalate at this stage or if they

will want to increase tensions. As you mentioned, in the last few

minutes we heard from the Kremlin, with Russia saying this cruise

missiles TAC does significant damage to US- Russian ties. Yes, it does.

And of course this comes in the context of what was a very different

relationship between the Trump administration, from that which the

Obama administration had with the Russians. So it really does change

the dynamic. But what it does do for the Trump administration is this is

the first occasion as far as I can tell that President Trump has been

able to take action with support from all sides of the government,

from both parties. Thank you. Sorry to interrupt you. We can now speak

to the Defence Secretary. So Michael Fallon joins us. Thank

you for your time. Can you give us the reaction to the events that

unfolded in the early hours of the morning? We fully support the

strike. We have been in close contact with the American government

over the last few days in preparation for this. The Americans

believe they've exhausted all possible diplomatic and peaceful

ways of dealing with the use by the regime of chemical weapons. And they

have been determined to want to prevent future attacks like this, so

they've taken this action today, limited and appropriate action

against the airfield and the aeroplanes and the equipment that

was used they believe in this attack. That is action that we fully

support. And whether British government informed before? Can you

take us through the sequence of events? We've been in close contact

with the American government over the last couple of days at all

levels, through the Foreign Secretary and the UN here in London

and Washington. The American Defence Secretary consulted me earlier in

the evening about our assessment of the regime's culpability for the

chemical weapons attack and be reviewed the need to understand and

to deal with any likely Russian reactions to the attacks. He was

then reviewing the different options to put before the president. He then

called me later on to advise us of the President's Cup sit on, to give

us notice of the attack, and our Prime Minister was kept informed

throughout. Will there be involvement from the British

military in any further strikes? We haven't been asked to be involved in

this. It is not part of the coalition. We are in a coalition

with the United States, fighting Daesh terrorism in Iraq and Syria,

but the US have made it clear that this was a United States operation.

But I should emphasise, we fully support it. Have you seen for

yourself Congress is evidence that Syria was responsible for the

attack? How assessment is that it is highly likely, from the intelligence

that we've seen. That this was the regime. And of course the regime has

formed here. There have been previous serious allegations of

where the regime they have used various gases against its own people

and one of the purposes of this very limited and appropriate action was

to deter the regime. This is the first time the Trump administration

has been faced with an incident like this, to deter the regime from using

gas in this appalling way. Thank you very much for your time this

morning. That was the Defence Secretary Michael Fallon speaking to

us, after the 59 cruise missiles were fired from US destroyers at a

Syrian air base in the early hours of this morning.

This is a story which is continuing to develop, so we will get

Hello, this is Breakfast with Steph McGovern and Charlie Stayt.

The United States has carried out missile attacks in Syria overnight.

59 cruise missiles were launched from US warships

President Trump said he ordered the action in retaliation

for a chemical attack that killed dozens of people.

It is in this vital national security interest

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

We'll have full analysis of those air strikes

with our correspondents in the Middle East,

Reaction from Downing Street saying the action was appropriate. More

details throughout the programme. Also this morning: Under pressure,

new figures show a big increase in the number of ambulances

being turned away from hospitals Oil prices have risen overnight

to its highest level And good morning from Aintree

on Ladies Day ahead It's been confirmed that Katie Walsh

will be able to ride in the big race Look at these images, hot air

balloons crossing the Channel in an attempt to break a record. We will

look at those pictures later on. And the weather is supposed to be

so good this weekend It's going to be a beautiful weekend

with sunny spells. The highest temperatures will be on Sunday but

across England we could hit 23 or 24 which will be the highest we are

likely to see. I will have more in 15 minutes.

The United States has launched missile strikes against Syria

59 cruise missiles were fired from US warships at an air

base in retaliation for a chemical attack that killed dozens of people

The Syrian Government has condemned the action. Downing Street has said

the action was an appropriate response.

Here is our Washington correspondent.

It was a decisive response from an administration that has

often seemed disorganised and at times dysfunctional.

A fusillade of Tomahawk cruise missiles fired from US Navy ships

in the Mediterranean aimed at the Syrian air base

from which America says that deadly chemical weapons attack was launched

A line in the sand moment for the new commander-in-chief.

On Tuesday, Syrian dictator Bashar al-Assad launched a horrible

chemical weapons attack on innocent civilians.

Using a deadly nerve agent, Assad choked out the lives

These are the heart-breaking images that moved the President to action,

triggering in the process a remarkable shift in foreign

policy on the part of his nascent administration.

A week ago, White House officials professed little interest in regime

change in Syria but the use of what they say was a deadly nerve

agent by Bashar al-Assad's forces has changed everything.

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

the slaughter and bloodshed in Syria and also to end terrorism

News of the missile strike somewhat overshadowed a one-day summit

with China's President Xi at which the two leaders

were expected to discuss the growing threat posed by North Korea

but depending on where the US goes from here he could find

he has his work cut out in Syria, a quagmire of a conflict

which could define his presidency one way or the other.

And David joins us now from our studio in Washington.

So, people here are picking up on the story this morning, those 59

cruise missiles launched and the speech shortly afterwards from

Donald Trump, both emotional but also hugely significant in terms of

the serious situation. Very much so. Yes, full of appeals to the

international community to come in, even though the President has made

clear that he is well prepared to take unilateral action if necessary

and this intended to send a signal f you like, to the Assad regime. It

was a limited response according to officials in the Trump

administration but a powerful one. Those 59 missiles fired from US Navy

forces, Navy vessels in the Mediterranean. Donald Trump has

described the attack, chemical weapons attack, as barbaric and he

said that President Assad had, as he put it, choked out the lives of

helpless men, women and children. That was what pre-empted this

turnaround, if you like, because the Trump administration had previously

made clear it really wasn't interested in forcing regime change

in Syria. Now all that has changed. The question, though, is are there

more such attacks to follow or is this a one-shot deal, if you like?

The indications are it's the latter. But we are really just have to wait

and see, I think. David, thank you. Downing Street has offered full

support for the US action. Let's go live to our Westminster studio. Our

political correspondent is there for us. Talking to the Defence Secretary

on the programme a few minutes ago, he said this was very much a United

States operation but fully supported by the UK Government. That's right.

We know that the Prime Minister was informed ahead of the strikes taking

place. Michael Fallon emphasising this morning that over the last

couple of days the UK and the US at all different levels have been in

constant contact over the situation in Syria. He did continue to say

this is a US air strike, it's not a strike by the coalition as he called

it and that's why he was saying we fully back it but it is right that

we are not involved at this stage because it is action taken by the US

on the orders of the President Donald Trump. Here is a little bit

of what the Defence Secretary said a few minutes ago. We haven't been

asked to be involved in this. It's not part of the coalition, we are in

a coalition with the United States fighting Daesh terrorism in Iraq and

Syria. But the United States has made this clear this was a United

States operation but I should emphasise we fully support it. Now

overnight we had a statement from the Government which said that the

attack in Syria was, the chemical weapons attack was barbaric. Those

are words that have been reflected in response from the Liberal

Democrats this morning, the leader Tim Farron saying that the American

forces attack was a proportionate response to the barbaric attack by

the Syrian Government on its own people. But saying that the British

Government rather than putting out a bland statement welcoming this

should now follow it up and call an emergency meeting of the Nato

alliance and see what else can be done, be that more surgical strikes

or no-fly zones. The Lib Dem statement goes on, evil happens when

good people do nothing. We can not sit by while a dictator gases his

own people, we can not stand by, we must act. Some strong words there. I

guess the questions going forward now are going to be if the

Government was informed, was it consulted and going forward is there

a possibility that the UK may become involved?

Thank you very much. We will stay with that story

throughout the morning and keep you up to date including in about five

minutes the full statement made by President Trump in the hours after

the missiles were launched. That's coming up.

The other stories this morning. There has been a sharp rise

in the number of Accident and Emergency departments in England

turning away ambulances in the last year, compared

with the previous three years. The Nuffield Trust think-tank

says its analysis shows Ambulance Services are facing even

more pressures than NHS hospitals. Here's our health

correspondent, Jane Dreaper. Ambulances are diverted when

hospitals are exceptionally busy. It's a temporary measure to take

the pressure off A, but it means patients have further

to travel for urgent treatment. Today's report shows how the number

of diverts has leapt During the three winters beginning

in 2013, this happened But in this most recent winter,

the number of diverts The report says this is bad

for patients and explains why ambulance trusts in England

are missing their expected 500 or so - you may say "Well,

it's not a big number." They reveal a service under

tremendous pressure. There'll be 500 diverts but there'll