Good morning. New car sales were up compared to last year. But what happened when pent up demand dries 7 happened when pent up demand dries up . Iwill happened when pent up demand dries up . I will be looking at the long, long road to recovery. Good morning. Its footballs richest match, and fulham won it at wembley. The london club are back in the premier league after beating local rivals brentford in the championship playoff final. Good morning. Afair good morning. A fair bit of cloud around today. Rain from the west and some rain in the north. Driest and brightest conditions will be in the south and east. I have the details later in the programme. Good morning. Its wednesday july 5. Our top story lebanon is in mourning this morning after an explosion ripped through the capital beirut. At least 78 people are now known to have died and thousands have been wounded as rescue workers continue to search through the rubble. Officials say a confiscated haul of explosives was to blame. This report from sean dilley contains some distressing scenes. It was a catastrophic explosion. What . the blast was heard 150 miles away. Another view from moments earlier shows a fire in beirut report. Authorities say the flashes we re report. Authorities say the flashes were caused by fireworks. But then. As the sound of the explosion rain out across the city, windows smashed and buildings were destroyed. From the streets. Beirut could only watch as the carnage unfolded. Translation we were at home. We heard what sounded like fireworks. We thought it was a container in the port that was on fire. A few seconds later, we were flying through the air. Already heavily stretched by the covid i9 crisis, go to Public Hospitals were overwhelmed by casualties in need of urgent treatment. Translation we have at least 300 wounded in the hospital right now. We have six operating suite that are still operating right now. This keeps filling up by another group that needs attention. We have about four to five in intensive care, three arrived dad. Everyone of our crew, doctors and nurses are operating, Even Administration, eve ryo ne operating, Even Administration, everyone is working. We have a lot of damage as you can see. All the have collapsed at the entrance and the glass windows of patient by wounds. As medics struggled to help the injured, distraught locals or find lost relatives. Translation he is 29 years old, from seven oclock in the evening we have been all over every hospital in beirut and we are now waiting for the names to come out and nothing has come out. We dont know if he is dead or alive. Wejust dont know. The International Community has offered its help to a city in turmoil. Borisjohnson tweeted. Lebron en Parliament President has announced three days of morning and promised to release 100 billion lire of £50. 5 million of emergency funds. 0fficials of £50. 5 million of emergency funds. Officials say highly explosive materials believed to be Ammonium Nitrate stored in a warehouse for up to six years because the explosion. They say they are investigating what ignited it. In the meantime, Authorities Say those responsible will face the maximum possible punishment. Lets speak now to our correspondent, rami ruhayem, who is in beirut this morning. Good morning to you. The scale of this explosion really becoming clear this explosion really becoming clear this morning. Bring us right up to date with the latest developments in terms of those who have been killed any injuries. Well, the death toll is likely to rise, unfortunately. The number of injured also. Were just beginning to get figures from the authorities yesterday as soon as ones is is one thing, the next minute the total will be much higher stop as you said, the scale is massive from this explosion. The explosion was felt several kilometres away and it was experienced as an earthquake. Personally, i was quite far away, about 20 kilometres will do what i felt to begin with was an earthquake, like an earthquake, and then that was followed by an incredibly loud blast and it was quite a distant away from the site of the explosion. People closer, the contents of the explosion. People closer, the co nte nts of of the explosion. People closer, the contents of their homes were destroyed, practically unlivable, uninhabitable. People who were actually displaced by this blast, so u nfortu nately actually displaced by this blast, so unfortunately the toll is quite likely to rise. Again, one of the main questions being asked is how come all that material was just sitting there for six years in the warehouse in the port of beirut . But also other questions such as what is also other questions such as what is a country going to do without the port where most of its imports come through while it faces economic freefall . We are looking at the live images this morning, and you do get a sense of the devastation at the scene of the explosion itself with just a trail of smoke emerging from the rubble around there. Many of the injuries we know now were caused by glass shattering, buildings as you described, many miles away. Can you give us a sense of what that was like people . I tried to get close to the side of the explosion yesterday, and the highway leading from the north towards the capital was basically a blanket of shattered glass and rubble. Tractors were trying to clear the rubble so the ca is trying to clear the rubble so the cars could go by and the ambulances we re cars could go by and the ambulances were trying to rush to the scene through very heavy traffic. So for all of these people around the side of the explosion for quite a significant distance around the site of the explosion it was reallyjust a matter of luck where you happens to be at the moment the blast strikes is what is going to determine the kind of injury you are going to have, whether you will live oi going to have, whether you will live ordie, and what going to have, whether you will live or die, and what is going to happen to you, and that is talking about the wounded and the death toll, and of course, for all of those who are in the vicinity of the explosion, the question is how are they, even the question is how are they, even the lucky ones, how are they going to rebuild their homes at a time once again of economic freefall and the National Currency is in collapse, people bother purchasing powers have been decimated over the past few months, materials like glass, wood, everything you can think of when you think a basic reconstruction stuff, prices are going through the roof. So, really, imean, going through the roof. So, really, i mean, there is never a good time for such territories write such a city, but for beirut, you can hardly imaginea city, but for beirut, you can hardly imagine a worse time than this. We heard stories from those who have caught up close to the detriment close to the explosion, vehicles being lifted off the ground and thrown some distance, and also, as you mentioned, the infrastructure to office buildings, to homes as well. Yes, complete destruction inside homes and offices, just everything is gone. I havent been able to go inside these homes yet, but i have been hearing from friends and from everybody who is closer to the site of the blast, it looks, you walk into one of these apartments are offices, it looks like a war zone, just everything twisted into rubble, uninhabitable apartments. I dont know what is going to happen to all the people who, right now, have practically nowhere to live until this is sorted one way or another, and at the same time, it is not even the priority, it is not even the number one of priority for the authorities at the moment. They are still talking about the injured and the death toll, which is likely to rise higher, increased infections, covid i9 had already struck the country in the days and weeks ahead of this tragedy, so the hospitals we re of this tragedy, so the hospitals were already struggling. Now they are overwhelmed with thousands of people. So it isjust are overwhelmed with thousands of people. So it is just one disaster after the other. For the moment, thank you very much. Just let you know, throughout the programme, we be speaking to various different people. In a few minutes we will speak to someone who was in their apartment at the time, windows shattered and doors were all blown in as well. We will talk to her in a few minutes. Lets talk about other news this morning. Schools should be the last places to close in any future lockdowns after pubs, restaurants and non essential shops. Thats according to the childrens commissioner for england, Anne Longfield, said children were too often treated as an afterthought in the last few months. 0ur Political Correspondent nick eardley is in westminster. Good morning to you. Still some time before most children go back to school, and this is top of the agenda. It is september that children in england go back to school in scotland, it is actually next week so we will get a rough idea next week of how things are going in scotland when children start to return. But the pretty clear argument that the children by the commissioner for england is making this morning is that young people need to be more of a priority when the government is figuring out all the balance of rest that will inevitably come over the next few weeks and months. She is saying in a first lockdown children were too often an afterthought, and now she thinks he needs to be absolute priority that schools need to be numberone on priority that schools need to be number one on the list, the first thing to open up and the last thing to close if there is any need for more restrictions to come in. That is an argument being made. The guardian as well saying that getting children back to school in september in england is absolutely a priority. Now, we know that that she felt chief medical officer for england, we we re chief medical officer for england, we were talking about this yesterday, was saying there is some risk. They have probably reached the limit of what can be opened up safely. Many people are warning that if you want to open up schools and keep the virus under control, stop that rate of reproduction going up too high, then you might have to close other things as well. There is definitely some Big Questions coming from the government. I have to say i think the schools are a big priority. We have had minister after minister, the local government minister, the local government minister said yesterday schools are a priority and they are determined to be opened up in september. There is definitely a lot of pressure for that to happen and a lot of people saying to the government that whatever happens, that need to be numberone on whatever happens, that need to be number one on the list. For the moment, thank you very much. The inquest into the death of tv presenter Caroline Flack is expected to continue today. She was found dead at her flat in london in february. Lisa hampele reports. Caroline flack became synonymous with the show love island although her career when backed almost 20 yea rs. Her career when backed almost 20 years. She once quickly come dancing in 2014 and also cohosted the x factor for stopping in 2014 and also cohosted the x factorfor stopping december in 2014 and also cohosted the x factor for stopping december last year she was arrested and charged with assaulting her partner, lewis burton. She pleaded not guilty in court and her boyfriend said he did not support the prosecution. Weeks before she was due to stand trial, she was found dead in her london flat. The lawyer for her family said she had taken her own life. Todays inquest into her death is expected to last for two days. Lisa hampele, bbc news. The funeral ofjohn hume will take place today. Members formed a guard of honour in tribute to their former leader. He died on monday aged 83. The government has announced details for the commemoration of the 75th anniversary of vj day, the moment whenjapans surrender ended the Second World War. The prince of wales will lead the tributes with a national 2 minute silence. Our royal correspondent Nicholas Witchell reports. To those who took part, they were the forgotten army, fighting on against the japanese in the jungles of burma and elsewhere several months after the Second World War in europe had ended. Fighting the far it ended in august 1945 after the allies had dropped atom bombs on hiroshima and nagasaki. Japan surrendered and british servicemen returned home. But britain by then was a country eager to move on. The feeling that their sacrifice had been forgotten was exacerbated. But at the National Memorial arboretum in staffordshire on saturday the 15th of august, the 75th anniversary of victory overjapan, the prince of wales will lead the nations commemoration of the moment when the global conflict that was the Second World War finally came to an end. The service, which will include a National Two Minute Silence, will be attended by a number of veterans who fought in the far east, and it will be broadcast by the bbc. The duke of cambridge will take part in a programme, vj day 75, the nations tribute to be broadcast on bbc one. Among the veterans who will feature in the programme will be the duke of edinburgh. Asa in the programme will be the duke of edinburgh. As a Young Royal Navy officer, he was on board a british warship in tokyo by the signing by the japanese of their surrender. And captain sirtom the japanese of their surrender. And captain sir tom moore, another vetera n captain sir tom moore, another veteran who served at the burma campaign, has voiced the hope of all of his comrades. I respectfully ask britain whatever it is doing and ta ke britain whatever it is doing and take some time to remember, he said. We must all take the time to stop, think and be thankful. Nicholas witchell, bbc news. Hospitals have been overwhelmed and buildings have been destroyed in beirut after a huge blast killed dozens of people. It hit the port of the lebanese capital yesterday. Abbie cheeseman is a journalist who lives in the city, and shejoins us now. Good morning to you. Just tell us, first of all, i know you were in your flat, what happened . We saw initial reports come out on twitter that they had been an explosion at the bottom. I have a side view of the bottom. I have a side view of the pod from my balcony. Ijust peered around the balcony to see if i could see anything and i couldnt see anything but within moments, i was incredibly lucky i was in the middle of my flat, there was an explosion and all of the windows, all the furniture, flu towards me. It was complete chaos. People were screaming in my building. It was not clear whether people had been hurt and also a very loud rumbling overhead and it is important to note, when you see about people panicking, we are at a time of tension between hezbollah and israel. There was thought that could have been an airstrike. For me, the first instinct was to get to the ground floor. I am into the top floor. If the building was not stable. Because many buildings collapse. Everyone tried to get back into the car to get out of beirut. It mustve been a terrifying scene when you got down stairs . Of course, especially because so much infrastructure had crumbled. So much debris flying around even from buildings still standing. It was smoke and it was heavy in the air. People screaming, bloodied faces. The army was sprinting down the road, some of them with bloodied faces. We completely panicked. Nobody knew it was an explosion, we didnt know it was an accident. It could have been an earthquake, anything. The saint. I got to my carand anything. The saint. I got to my car and went to a friend up the mountain. The scenes. I am a kilometre away from the pot and the damage that it did to my flat and my car isa damage that it did to my flat and my car is a remarkable given that i am afair car is a remarkable given that i am a fair distance away. We are hearing that hospitals were full, having to turn people away. The fire is still burning . It is. Hospitals are very overwhelmed by this. They were already overwhelmed and that is an important point to make. Every aspect of Lebanese Society was collapsing around them. Every set, eve ryo ne collapsing around them. Every set, everyone was plunging into poverty. Sectoral. On top of this, yesterday the capital physically collapsed in on itself and the Public Hospitals, which are a minority in lebanon were overwhelmed by coronavirus cases and they were wanting ever before this happened that they were almost at capacity. Private hospitals were about to close their doors, many of them. And also many of them had severe damage. My also many of them had severe damage. My local hospital, the er was com pletely my local hospital, the er was completely destroyed in the blood. They were treating people last night in the car park. The hospitals are com pletely in the car park. The hospitals are completely overwhelmed as is every aspect of Lebanese Society at the moment. We appreciate your time and please take care of yourself. It can be a nerve wracking and exciting moment for expectant parents, but getting an ultrasound can also be the time you get some difficult news. Now, new guidance is being issued to sonographers to make sure that everything is communicated in the best possible way, especially if there are pregnancy complications. Breakfasts tim muffett has been speaking to some parents about their experience. Write the very end, she said everything looks fine, but there is no fluid around the baby. It was almost passive. I heard those words. Hannah has had several miscarriages and on more than one occasion situations were handled badly. And on more than one occasion situations were handled badlylj could feel the colour drain out my face. She said, sit in the waiting room and we will send a doctor. She looked at me and said, what is wrong with you . I just looked at me and said, what is wrong with you . Ijust had the shop of my life stop you have just given me this news and i am trying to comprehend it now i have to go and sit back in a waiting area with other expecting parents. She welcomes new guidance for sonographers who carry out scans on pregnant women. The need to be some basic principles of good care and it is not been present. Around one in 20 baby scans pickup anomalies that could indicate a Health Conditions. Some are serious some are not. It is down to sonographers to relay unexpected news. What were trying to