houthis on ships in the red sea. >> houthi deputy foreign minister warns. the us and the uk will pay a heavy price for this blatant aggression and insists its attacks, both on israel and on commercial ships in the red sea , will continue. in the red sea, will continue. in response to israel's war in gaza. >> and the prime minister says the strikes are, quote, limited, necessary and proportionate action in self—defence . strikes action in self—defence. strikes are reported in houthi controlled areas of yemen, including the capital sanaa. we'll have full analysis and the latest developments throughout the show. our security editor, mark white, has been following the story . and joins. mark white, has been following the story . and joins . us. so the story. and joins. us. so major developments overnight with these joint us , uk with these joint us, uk airstrikes. let us know what you think. should we be getting involved? should there have been as some labour mps have been calling for a vote in parliament before we got involved ?

before we got involved? vaiews@gbnews.com. it's a packed 2.5 hour show coming up. but first here's your news headunes. but first here's your news headlines . ben. ellie, thank you headlines. ben. ellie, thank you very much . good morning from the very much. good morning from the gb newsroom i'm sam francis. >> the headlines at 9.30. well we start with our top story of the day that the uk have bombed targets in yemen in a bid to stop attacks by the iranian backed houthi rebels on ships in the red sea over night, four raf typhoons and us forces targeted military facilities in yemen that were linked to this week's attacks on hms diamond. rishi sunak says the uk will always stand up for freedom in the seas and he says he will for stand free flow of trade. well in the last few moments we've heard a spokesman for the houthi group says that they will continue to block the passage of ships in the red sea and the arabian sea. they're also warning the uk and the us will not go without punishment or retaliation. the

minister for armed forces, james heappey, says the uk, though, is acting in self—defence since the action last night was the necessary, proportionate , necessary, proportionate, limited response required to act in self—defence of the uk and us warships that are in the southern red sea seeking to protect commercial shipping as it transits on that vital route between europe and asia . between europe and asia. >> uh, what we did last night was to degrade and disrupt the houthi capability to launch those attacks. it shouldn't be seen as a start of anything more i >> meanwhile, rishi sunak is making a surprise visit to ukraine as the government announced it will provide £2.5 billion in more military aid to the country over the coming yeah the country over the coming year. it comes as the ukrainian president has been pressing allies in the west to provide more support in the fight against russian forces as the war approaches its two year mark. rishi sunak says the uk

will not falter in its support and will stand with ukraine in its darkest hour . here and will stand with ukraine in its darkest hour. here in the uk, the economy has grown by 0.3% in november. that's according to the office for national statistics gdp had declined by the same amount in october, but the latest uplift was driven by the services sector. the biggest contributor to economic growth, with a rise of 0.4. however, the chancellor, jeremy hunt, says growth will be slower as the government works to bring inflation back to its 2% target. that's the latest . 2% target. that's the latest. you can get more on all of those stories and many more, by visiting our website gbnews.com. now though . more from ellie and now though. more from ellie and ben . thanks sam. ben. thanks sam. >> it's 933. and to our top story today as britain and the us have launched air strikes against houthi rebel targets in yemen. >> yes, the houthis control much of yemen and say they're supporting their ally hamas by

targeting ships heading to israel . israel. >> the leader of the rebel group vows to respond to any assault with fresh attacks on israeli and commercial ships in the red sea. >> our security editor, mark white, joins us now. good morning. mark just in layman's terms for people who don't know, before we get too bogged down in the detail, what's going on here? why are houthis here? why are the houthis attacking ships what might attacking ships and what might the for be us the repercussions for be the us and and allies attacking, responding? >> well, you touched on it in your there. the your introduction there. the houthi is an houthi rebels, which is an iranian backed group, have said that, you know, they are full square behind the palestinian people and what's happening in gaza. people and what's happening in gaza . and so they have over a gaza. and so they have over a penod gaza. and so they have over a period of weeks now running into months being targeting commercial shipping in the red sea . but commercial shipping in the red sea. but shipping, commercial shipping in the red sea . but shipping, they claim , sea. but shipping, they claim, is linked to israel . sea. but shipping, they claim, is linked to israel. i sea. but shipping, they claim, is linked to israel . i have to is linked to israel. i have to say those links are fairly tenuous at best with some of the vessels that have come under

attack from both drones and missiles launched from these houthi rebels. >> so what do we know about the strikes that took place last night and the sites that were hit by them as well? >> well, we know, of course, that the defence secretary grant shapps counterparts, have shapps his us counterparts, have been warning for than been warning for more than a week now of the potential for military action if the houthi rebels continued with these strikes and they have done that , strikes and they have done that, of course, with strikes that were launched tuesday night, the single biggest drone and missile attack against commercial shipping and warships that were in the red sea. 21 of these drones and missiles. so in the wake of that, we had that action overnight. we have had us really at the vanguard to spearhead of this operation. but supported by the uk. and that support came in the uk. and that support came in the form you're looking at the images on the screen there. it came in the form of raf typhoon aircraft that were launched from

raf akrotiri in cyprus. that's a long haul trip . 1700 miles long haul trip. 1700 miles really, to get to down yemen and that's you know, just to get on station. they've still got to find their target , drop their find their target, drop their bombs and then return 1700 miles back to cyprus. but the reason that the uk has had to go via the raf and cyprus is because we don't have land attack capability from our surface fleet at the moment , the type fleet at the moment, the type 23, three frigates and the type 45 destroyer, that's in the region don't have the ability to launch these tomahawk cruise missiles. we can do it from our submarines , but as far as we submarines, but as far as we know, there's no submarine in the area as well. it points to the area as well. it points to the very difficult place that the very difficult place that the uk military is in at the moment , with assets, with moment, with assets, with personnel , with funding. we see, personnel, with funding. we see, we can tell you that there was talk of sending the us, the uk

aircraft carrier hms queen elizabeth the giant, 70 000 ton aircraft carrier , which is our aircraft carrier, which is our high readiness carrier at the moment. we have two of them, hms prince of wales as well, but they're both in portsmouth tied up. uh, queen elizabeth was on deployment. it's there. can deployment. it's there. it can be sent at relatively short nofice be sent at relatively short notice to red sea. and we notice to the red sea. and we understaffed under stand that the chief of the defence staff actually suggested that deployment that that would be the logical thing to do rather than of course flying typhoon and so far. but that seems , for and so far. but that seems, for the moment at least, to have fallen on deaf ears from the prime minister downwards. >> uh rishi sunak. prime minister downwards. >> uh rishi sunak . this morning, >> uh rishi sunak. this morning, of course, in kyiv, speaking with vladimir zelenskyy the ukrainian president, some would argue , why are we giving ukraine argue, why are we giving ukraine even more aid when our own armed forces are so depleted? and on that , why is it always the that note, why is it always the us and the uk leading the charge in these of attacks? in these kind of attacks? where's germany? france? where's nato? germany? france? surely from the

surely they benefit from the suez shipping routes as suez canal shipping routes as well? >> w mean , a couple of >> yeah, i mean, a couple of points. uh, the reason why the us, uk and others are are us, the uk and others are are fully supportive of ukraine at the moment and what they're doing is because they say if they don't meet russian aggression head on in ukraine and we're not doing it military in the sense that we're putting our troops in harm's way , but we our troops in harm's way, but we are supplying the ukrainians with the capability to take on the russians and what they say is if they don't do that, then russia will just feel emboldened . other nations in that area will be under threat as well. nato allies. and of course, if russia does attack a nato ally, then we're all involved. so that's why the uk, the us and others are supporting ukraine. but you're right, it's very costly. £2.55 billion this year. we will be giving to the ukrainians at a time when the defence budget is screaming out for more money here, uh, to

support the navy, to support the raf and to support the army , i raf and to support the army, i mean, sorry, go on. >> um, what do you think will will happen next? mark, there's going to be great fears that this is going to escalate. >> i think there's some real concern that that might happen. we've uh, the we've got of course, uh, the words uh , i guess, words coming out, uh, i guess, uh, sort of soothing words in a sense, coming out from the us and the uk saying these are limited, uh, these these were necessary and they're aimed at trying to de—escalate the situation . the houthi rebels are situation. the houthi rebels are not going to see these attacks in that way at all. they are very publicly saying that they will retaliate. they have the capability, you know, 200,000 of them. they've been well armed by them. they've been well armed by the iranian ones. um, so let's wait and see what happens now in the red sea. but of course, if they launch more attacks on commercial shipping and naval vessels, there, there will be

more way of strikes from more in the way of strikes from the us and the uk , maybe others. the us and the uk, maybe others. >> and let's be clear , this >> and let's be clear, this isn't just some a couple of hundred or thousand insurgent s running around with acas, is it? they they withheld heavy bombing from a saudi led coalition in 2015. they survived that. they're still here today. so we're not dealing with just some some small time, uh, bunch of guys here. are we? >> yeah. i mean, that's a very good i mean, some have good point. i mean, some have suggested. look, we don't really need to worry about this ragtag militia that point militia group, but that point you is very you make there is very pertinent. 2015 saudi arabia thought they could just bomb, uh, the houthis into submission and it wouldn't be an issue. um several years later , they had to several years later, they had to effectively call an armistice a ceasefire. uh there, which is holding at the moment. ceasefire. uh there, which is holding at the moment . and the holding at the moment. and the saudis, like everyone else , is saudis, like everyone else, is watching the situation because the houthis are felt emboldened by the action that they're taking . mhm. um, you know, in

taking. mhm. um, you know, in support of the palestinians that has a lot of popular support in populations around the arab world, governments in the arab world. that's a different matter. there's no love lost. uh, really, uh, for the houthi rebels among many of these arab nafions. rebels among many of these arab nations . but rebels among many of these arab nations. but as far as populations are concerned, they are many of them , uh, behind are many of them, uh, behind what the houthi rebels are doing. yeah. targeting as they say, uh, is really linked vessels. right >> okay. mark white, our home and security editor. thank you very much indeed for your analysis. we also have defence editor at the evening standard, robert fox, with us this morning. very morning to morning. very good morning to you, robert. and been one you, robert. and you've been one of the first really to warn about this. you're warning as early december, i believe early as december, i believe that you you thought military action would take place in the red sea and indeed it has. what prompted the strikes last night? >> well, thank goodness you didn't ask me how i knew actually, i knew i was just explaining to mark that i knew

that they'd done the target sets because they had known by the third week of december, coming up to christmas, that if the houthis raised the game , if they houthis raised the game, if they sank one of the big freighters or tankers, if they attacked direct one of the warships, which is what they have done, then they would have to consider bombing the bases on the ground . bombing the bases on the ground. the story is very complex to go on from where mark is , is what on from where mark is, is what is iran doing? and iran isn't unified. sorry to make it more complicated, you have the revolutionary guard corps doing its thing and very much behind this. and they're playing a tremendously complex game of now you see me now you don't, which it's the game of, uh, did traction as any country knows , traction as any country knows, because they're pressurising israel in the north through their proxies and allies and clients and friends like hezbollah in lebanon , the same hezbollah in lebanon, the same sort of neo hezbollah groups, which are different in iraq and

syria . and there have been well syria. and there have been well over 100 attacks on bases where we have to add, it's not only where american troops are, where there have been 30 attacks, where british military personnel have been present, the 1 or 2 have been present, the 1 or 2 have been present, the 1 or 2 have been injured , fired, um, have been injured, fired, um, and so far there have been no deaths. and that's why you've been seeing i've been seeing this creeping along that it was going to come to that and now the game is what is iran's strategy ? what is it really want strategy? what is it really want to do ? because one of the great to do? because one of the great difficulties, there are two aspects to this is one is that the fighting in gaza is not dying down, which is the cause for why the houthis and so on say that they're doing things. hezbollah in the north, in lebanon. and the other thing is that the energy aspect of this is getting more and more complex and unmanageable, because not only do we have tuesday , the only do we have tuesday, the this massive attack on british and american warships, including hms, hms diamond, but yesterday

we had the hijacking. the official state sponsored hijacking of a of a crude carrier , um, the saint nicholas carrier, um, the saint nicholas outside the strait of hormuz. we've been focusing on the red sea, but the next choke point up going east is the gulf. and they said the iranians immediately put their hands up and said, yeah, we're taking it to iranian port this is for tat. the same ship under a different name was impounded but seized by the americans last year because he said you had illegal or sanctions busting iranian oil on it . confused, complicated ? yes. it. confused, complicated? yes. and it's getting more and more complicated because what is the bottom line ? the bottom line is bottom line? the bottom line is not only do they want the houthis to stop, they want the suez and the mediterranean suez canal and the mediterranean seaway to be openly gained for shipping, because that's the way most stuff comes to western europe and america needs western europe and america needs western europe and america needs western europe and western european markets. i mean, not only are we seeing the port of rotterdam in

the north in the loop being affected, ports like genoa, affected, but ports like genoa, barcelona , uh, trieste in in barcelona, uh, trieste in in italy, and they're not getting they're not getting the custom now , now unfortunately there's now, now unfortunately there's a bit of a smell to me like now as of this morning of the crisis that came after the yom kippur war for exactly 50 years ago, october 1973, which led to a massive oil crisis , oil embargo massive oil crisis, oil embargo dnven massive oil crisis, oil embargo driven by the saudis and the arab world, then, this time dnven arab world, then, this time driven by the persian world, the iranians, saudi overnight urging restraint from washington . restraint from washington. >> they don't want anything to escalate in the area because the last thing they want as one of the world's biggest, if not the biggest oil distributor in the world, is for the global economy to go into recession, which means people won't buy their oil. that kind of oil. is that the kind of response you expected from the saudis? very much so. saudis? yes, very much so. >> one, which is >> and the other one, which is different with the other big arab is egypt arab power, of course, is egypt and the red sea run

and the canal of the red sea run through each egypt. it is it is very, very worrying for them . very, very worrying for them. they don't want war on their doorstep. they don't want to have to pick up the pieces which they've had to in the past from gaza to and in the middle of it. we haven't talked about what is russia and china up to russia is caught, is hooked up, deeply involved with its effort in ukraine with iran now and china needs as much oil and energy as it can get , not only needs as much oil and energy as it can get, not only coming down, up and down the red sea, but above all in the gulf. down, up and down the red sea, but above all in the gulf . the but above all in the gulf. the fact that the thing that i was talking about, the state sponsored hijacking yesterday, means things could be closing down in the gulf is really very , down in the gulf is really very, very bad news for china as well . very bad news for china as well. >> great stuff. robert fox, defence editor at the evening standard. i'm just going to bnngin standard. i'm just going to bring in john oxley, now political commentator. and, john, touched iran there. john, we touched on iran there. is argument in the is there any argument in the facts that back in october, november biden unfreezing november, joe biden unfreezing around $6 billion worth of

iranian oil assets, iran funding . the houthi rebels, of course. is there any connection there or are we being a bit optimistic in trying to blame biden? >> i'm not sure there's a direct connection what we've connection there. what we've seen than the last seen over more than the last decade is this very difficult management the us has had decade is this very difficult m'do gement the us has had decade is this very difficult m'do withent the us has had decade is this very difficult m'do with iran, the us has had decade is this very difficult m'do with iran, becauses has had decade is this very difficult m'do with iran, because on as had decade is this very difficult m'do with iran, because on the ad to do with iran, because on the one side, we know that iran does fund a lot of these groups , like fund a lot of these groups, like the houthis. it has links to hamas, it has links to hezbollah going all through the middle east and um, as well, you know, it had its own nuclear program that there was this agreement we've known them take hostages. um you know, british and american, your citizens be taken hostage by the iranian government. and it's the murky bit of geopolitics and diplomacy is you can't be too hard with these people, and you can't be too soft. and so it's hard to draw those direct lines from one particular payment out to a particular payment out to a particular action and say, that's because we are weak. it may well be, well, it was a large chunk. >> it was billion. >> it was $6 billion. >> it was $6 billion.

>> it was a large which arguably some of that would have gone to, you different you know, their different proxy groups. have groups. i mean, that could have flowed but at the same flowed through. but at the same time, you things if the time, you see things if the americans have been holding back on that sort of would on that sort of stuff, would would doing more of would iran be doing more of these of these activities as a form of leverage to try and get more out of a very difficult thing to of it? a very difficult thing to balance. think you're balance. i think both if you're the americans and, you know, from iranian side, how they from the iranian side, how they try and exploit situation as try and exploit the situation as best they can. >> john, lots of our viewers are making point that why are we making the point that why are we getting when we getting involved in this when we see countries such as see other countries such as france and germany not waging in just yet, there has been no parliamentary vote this. parliamentary vote on this. the lib asking for lib dems are asking for a retrospective vote on military action as keir starmer so far has said he supports the action, but he does want rishi sunak to make a statement to parliament as soon as possible on these strikes. what you think this strikes. what do you think this means rishi sunak ? because means for rishi sunak? because it's be landmark it's going to be a landmark moment it? but moment for him, isn't it? but it's risk . it's got risk. >> it does, you know, calling in military action is one of the

powers that is still very much reserved to the prime minister. it's their decision, and it is one of the most serious decisions that they can make. even this limited action. you are putting british personnel at risk. are potentially risk. you are potentially opening to opening the country up to retaliation for, um, retaliation elsewhere for, um, at the moment, i think it's quite clear from the government they want to minimise those risks as much possible . our risks as much as possible. our involvement appears to be very limited. it is very much led by the united states. but these things can wrong. they can things can go wrong. they can escalate what we've seen. um over the last few decades, you know, there was the big issues of iraq and afghanistan, which were so terrible for tony blair. but even some the limited but even some of the limited intervention, for example, syria and libya proved difficult for, um, for david cameron . so what i um, for david cameron. so what i think you're going to see over this is rishi sunak really trying to keep things as limited as possible and making sure there is that consensus there with the other parties, which at the moment there appears largely to be. >> yeah, especially the way they left libya, the mainly the

french anyway, just from a political perspective . here, is political perspective. here, is there any clout for labour or there any clout for labour or the tories to earn by declaring maybe an election year that they're going to increase defence spending, especially at a time of heightened fears over, you know, geopolitical conflict? that's definitely there. you know, geopolitical conflict? that's weinitely there. you know, geopolitical conflict? that's we sawly there. you know, geopolitical conflict? that's we saw at there. you know, geopolitical conflict? that's we saw at conference in >> so we saw at conference in october defence, um, october the labour defence, um, shadow a shadow defence secretary made a big announcement in his speech, sort of labour is going to be the party that rearms britain rising to this challenge that we've seen from ukraine and we're now seeing in the middle east. they were pledging to increase spending by increase defence spending by about i think, in about 5 billion, i think, in that we've recently seen in the last week or so, ben wallace, the sorry, not ben wallace , um, the sorry, not ben wallace, um, grant current defence grant shapps the current defence secretary, that britain secretary, saying that britain does need to increase its defence spending the moment. defence spending at the moment. the have had this the conservatives have had this pledge increase from about pledge to increase from about two about 2.5% of gdp . um, two to about 2.5% of gdp. um, originally, boris johnson said by end of the decade, rishi by the end of the decade, rishi sunak hasn't put a firm date on that. sunak hasn't put a firm date on that . but i sunak hasn't put a firm date on that. but i think what we will see from , um, the conservatives see from, um, the conservatives running to the election is

running up to the election is probably something concrete around there are lot around that. and there are a lot of voters concerns about of voters with concerns about the strength our armed forces of voters with concerns about the the 1gth our armed forces of voters with concerns about the the need our armed forces of voters with concerns about the the need to>ur armed forces of voters with concerns about the the need to spend|ed forces of voters with concerns about the the need to spend more rces of voters with concerns about the the need to spend more on; them. >> yeah, and i think lots of people will be reflecting on that today. very much, that today. thank you very much, john fox. i just john and robert fox. i just wanted to come back to you for a moment. and in terms this moment. and in terms of this decision by rishi sunak, i mean of course there risks of course there are risks associated action, but associated with action, but surely risks as surely there are risks as well with doing nothing. >> very different >> yeah, it's very different from and the action where from libya and the action where cameron uh, 2013 over cameron failed. uh, 2013 over syria because this is a direct british interest and a direct british interest and a direct british asset has been attacked. and that that is a response to that. and that that is a response to that . the watchword. there is that. the watchword. there is proportion rmt they would be lawyered up to the hilt before they did this. batteries of lawyers would , would be lawyers would, would be summoned. um lord charles guthrie, when he was head of the armed services, used to joke and in fact, he commissioned me to write a piece. he said the only department in the army, which seems to be in inexorable

expansion is the legal corps, is the army, is the army legal corps. i'm not joking. i do take tom's point . um, it is tom's point. um, it is absolutely clear they're going to need a new national security strategy. and what? i've just been writing my commentary for the standard today. sorry to put in plug. so they've got to in the plug. so they've got to do it differently. it's an nss, a national security strategy because you cannot go on the way that they're doing because, yeah , they will increase the expenditure. go to 2.5% and it will all be eaten up by the new new sophia deterrent. >> yeah. and lots of people tell me, you know, we used to rule the world. the waves rule, britannia. now we stop britannia. now we can't stop dinghies the channel, dinghies crossing the channel, and we can't even get aircraft carriers. >> we haven't even got a dozen frigates put to sea. >> i mean, equipped >> yeah, i mean, are we equipped for this? going into this, the big and i think that big question and i think that that's what the chief of defence staff and but particularly the chiefs, because the army is very heavily committed to ukraine, we do a lot more than we're actually declaring behind the scenes training.

>> and one of the things let's not run things down. the brits, the brit trainers , are much the brit trainers, are much appreciated. not only by the ukrainian but by the baltics , ukrainian but by the baltics, the poles so on. they like the poles and so on. they like being by, by british being trained by, by, by british soldiers. very important. there's been a lot of a lot of, a lot of commitment there. and actually all praise the discipline, the approach of hms diamond and its crew, it did the job it was required to do and a lot more because the americans , lot more because the americans, again, particularly like that style of ship, because the configuration of the radar and so on. we're looking out for the americans as well. it's the way it should work. but there's not enough. and the priorities are not clear, because actually, let's call a spade a spade. the treasury , the treasury, treasury, the treasury, ministers, treasury officials hate defence. they think it's a damn nuisance . damn nuisance. >> the priorities might change, might change. now, robert fox, thank you very much. robert fox and john oxley for your analysis i >> -- >> stay with lam >> stay with us. we'll have more on this story throughout the show. this is britain's newsroom with and ellie on gb news

with ben and ellie on gb news the people's channel. >> a brighter outlook with boxt solar of weather on . gb news. >> good morning . news. >> good morning. i'm news. >> good morning . i'm alex >> good morning. i'm alex burkill here with your latest gb news weather forecast whilst it is going to be quite a cloudy day today for many of us, staying dry, but some rain arriving in the north later . arriving in the north later. ahead of it though, we have some clear skies first across clear skies first thing across parts scotland. northern parts of scotland. northern ireland. start here. ireland. so a frosty start here. some fog patches to some freezing fog patches to watch these could watch out for and these could unger watch out for and these could linger into the afternoon . linger well into the afternoon. further south for much of england wales. largely england and wales. largely cloudy, perhaps some brighter breaks times , breaks developing at times, particularly for western parts breaks developing at times, pawalesrly for western parts breaks developing at times, pawales ,y for western parts breaks developing at times, pawales , maybeestern parts breaks developing at times, pawales , maybe some parts breaks developing at times, pawales , maybe some further of wales, maybe some further inland. but on whole inland. but on the whole a cloudy picture and a cold one. two temperatures suppressed, most places staying in mid single figures at best as we go through this evening and overnight we to see overnight we start to see a front pushing its way in from the so initially the northwest. and so initially some rain across some persistent rain across northern of scotland, but northern parts of scotland, but it up as it makes its way

it breaks up as it makes its way southwards. so by the time we head towards early hours of head towards the early hours of saturday morning, it's really not going to bring a huge amount across england and across northern england and northern ireland. another chilly night though of night to come though a touch of frost in some places, perhaps some to watch out some icy patches to watch out for and again some patches for and again some fog patches as go through as well as we go through saturday itself. then that front does continue to its a does continue to push its way a little further southwards, little bit further southwards, but huge amount but doesn't bring a huge amount of . in fact, far southern of rain. in fact, far southern parts stay mostly dry, parts likely to stay mostly dry, albeit cloudy at times. albeit quite cloudy at times. limited bright or sunny spells, but should some further but we should see some further north. increasing amounts of sunshine perhaps, but also some showers and sunshine perhaps, but also some showea and sunshine perhaps, but also some showea cold and sunshine perhaps, but also some showea cold day. and sunshine perhaps, but also some showea cold day. temperatures again a cold day. temperatures suppressed for many into sunday. cold arctic air across many of us. so even colder with more snow showers in the north. >> that warm feeling inside and from boxt boilers sponsors of weather on . gb news. weather on. gb news. >> lots more still to come , >> lots more still to come, including the military action taken by the us and the uk last night against the houthi rebels

in yemen . what do you guys make in yemen. what do you guys make of it all? let us know your views. vaiews@gbnews.com. lots of you saying that we shouldn't get involved. it's not in our interests, it's too far away . interests, it's too far away. and others saying that we need to stand up and of course defend ourselves . ourselves. >> yeah, there wasn't a parliamentary vote on this. should there have been? do let us know. is britain's us know. this is britain's newsroom on gb news,

channel. >> good morning. it's 10 am. on friday, january the 12th. this is britain's newsroom with me, ben elliott and ellie costello coming up to you this morning. >> us and uk forces have carried out airstrikes against houthi rebel targets in yemen . it's rebel targets in yemen. it's a joint response to attacks by the iranian backed houthis on ships in the red sea. houthi deputy foreign minister warns. >> the us and the uk will, quote, pay a heavy price for this blatant aggression and they insist its attacks, both on israel and on commercial ships in the sea, will continue. in the red sea, will continue. in response israel's war in in response to israel's war in gaza , the prime minister says gaza, the prime minister says the strikes are limited, necessary and proportionate action in self—defence. >> he's in ukraine today trying to shore up support for ukraine. we'll have the full analysis and the latest developments throughout the show.

while this show is nothing without you, we really want to know what you think about these strikes on houthis in yemen . strikes on houthis in yemen. there wasn't a parliamentary vote last night before that action was taken. what do you think of that ? should there have think of that? should there have been gb views at gb news.com? but first let's get a news update with sam . update with sam. >> ben and ellie, thank you very much. good morning from the gb newsroom i'm sam francis, the headunes newsroom i'm sam francis, the headlines at ten. well our top story of the day. opposition parties are now calling for more clarity on the uk's strikes overnight on yemen as concerns grow over escalation in the middle east. overnight, the uk bombed houthi militants in a bid to stop attacks on ships in the red sea for raf typhoons joined us aircraft to target facilities in yemen overnight that were unked in yemen overnight that were linked to this week's attacks on hms diamond . rishi sunak has

hms diamond. rishi sunak has said that the uk will always stand up for freedom in the seas and the free flow of trade , but and the free flow of trade, but and the free flow of trade, but a spokesman for the houthi group says that they will continue to block the passage of ships in the sea and the arabian sea. the red sea and the arabian sea. they're also warning the uk and us. not go without us. us will not go without punishment retaliation. punishment or retaliation. earlier, minister for armed forces james heappey says the uk is acting in self—defence . is acting in self—defence. >> the action last night was the necessary, proportionate , necessary, proportionate, limited response. recover required to act in self—defence of the uk and us warships that are in the southern red sea seeking to protect commercial shipping as it transits on that vital route between europe and asia. uh, what we did last night was to degrade and disrupt the houthi capability to launch those attacks . uh, it shouldn't those attacks. uh, it shouldn't be seen as a start of anything more . more. >> well, meanwhile, rishi sunak is making a surprise visit to

the ukraine. that's as the government announced, it will provide £2.5 billion in military aid to the country over the coming year. it comes as the ukrainian president presses allies in the west to provide more support in the fight against russian forces. more support in the fight against russian forces . the war against russian forces. the war is now approaching. the two year mark rishi sunak says the uk will not falter in its support and will stand up with ukraine in their darkest hour. here in the uk , the economy has grown by the uk, the economy has grown by 0.3% in november. that's according to the office for national statistics gdp had declined by the same amount in october, but the latest uplift was driven by the services sector. the biggest contributor to economic growth, with a with a rise of 0.4. however, the chancellor , jeremy hunt, says chancellor, jeremy hunt, says growth will be slower as the government works to bring inflation back to its 2% target. the post office has been accused of threatening the bbc over a panorama programme involving a honzon panorama programme involving a horizon it whistleblower. the broadcaster says experts who were interviewed for the

programme in 2015 were sent intimidate letters by post office lawyers this week, the post office inquiry heard from stephen bradshaw, who helped lead the criminal investigation into some of those who were wrongly convicted. he admitted that he was not an expert on the honzon that he was not an expert on the horizon system, but he was aware there was an issue with it . there was an issue with it. israel has called accusations brought by south africa to trial. that's currently ongoing in the hague, as grossly distorted. it comes as south africa asks judges to impose emergency measures, ordering israel to immediately halt the offensive . the country claims offensive. the country claims that israel's military operation in gaza is a state led genocide aimed at wiping out the palestinian population . israel, palestinian population. israel, though, rejects those accusations accusations, calling them baseless . accusations accusations, calling them baseless. it accusations accusations, calling them baseless . it also said it them baseless. it also said it also said rather action in gaza is an act of self—defence against hamas. is an act of self—defence against hamas . princess anne is against hamas. princess anne is on her final day of engagements in sri lanka to mark 75 years of diplomacy with britain. the

princess has visited her first commonwealth war graves commission cemetery and left a floral tribute to the fallen. she also visited a hindu temple in the capital and received the blessing of the chief priest. there also no later be a reception where the princess is expected to say a few words about the relationship between the two countries. as and finally a bear found in an abandoned ukrainian zoo has now arrived at a new home in scotland. the five sisters zoo in west lothian has rescued and rehomed an asiatic bear named yampil from ukraine. ukrainian soldiers discovered the bear in an abandoned zoo in the village when they arrived in july 2022, five months after that russian invasion , ivan, out of nearly invasion, ivan, out of nearly 200 animals at the zoo, yampil the bear was one of the few animals to survive of the invasion . that's the latest from invasion. that's the latest from the gb newsroom. for more, we're on tv on digital radio and on our website gbnews.com. now though, back to ben and . ellie.

though, back to ben and. ellie. >> thanks. now the time is 10:06. and to our top story this morning as britain and the us have launched airstrikes against houthi rebel targets in yemen . houthi rebel targets in yemen. >> yes, the houthis control much of yemen , and they say they're of yemen, and they say they're supporting their ally hamas by targeting . to israel. >> well, the leader of the rebel group vows to respond to any assault with fresh attacks on israeli and commercial ships in the red sea. >> we're joined now by our security editor, mark white. mark, just in layman's terms, for people that don't know what's going on, what's the basics of this situation and why did we strike the houthi rebels last night and why were they, in turn attacking ships in the red sea? turn attacking ships in the red seawell, houthi are >> well, the houthi rebels are an iranian backed rebel militia, effectively , um, but they number effectively, um, but they number around 200,000 uh fighters . they around 200,000 uh fighters. they have lots of equipment, some of

it fairly basic, but they also have anti—ship and ballistic missiles supplied to them by their backer, iran . they're one their backer, iran. they're one of the, uh, groups that is currently launching action in dc in support of the palestinian people in gaza . and for months people in gaza. and for months now they've been launching drone and missile attacks at commercial shipping in the red sea and up towards the suez canal. of course, that vital shipping, transit lane, um, that that has brought about repeated warnings from the us and the uk who have put their warships in the area to try to protect the commercial shipping. but despite that, on tuesday night we had the single biggest attack that took place in terms of the houthi rebels launching 21 drones and missiles at commercial shipping and at those warships in that region as well,

including the british warship hms diamond, which shot down seven of those drones. well i think it was then thought that it was inevitable that there would be military action and that those strikes came last night and what do we know about those strikes that took place? the strikes were spearhead by the the vast bulk of the the us. the vast bulk of the strikes were from that carrier group, the dwight d eisenhower carrier group, which is in the red sea. that's well equipped to deal with it. it has the combat aircraft in theatre in the red sea. there and able off yemen to travel there and to drop their, uh, precision munitions . so uh, precision munitions. so guided bombs and missiles, which they did , but they were they did, but they were supported by the uk in the form of four raf typhoon combat jets. but these jets flew all the way from raf, raf akrotiri in

cyprus, 1700 miles, just to get it on station in yemen . and it on station in yemen. and then, of course, you've got to find your target, drop your your bombs and then do the same trip all the way back up to cyprus. >> where are aircraft carriers? well it's a very good it's a very good question. why do we have a navy that has no aircraft carriers in the region? >> well, we believe that the chief of the defence staff and indeed, uh, navy top brass was suggesting that it was probably a to look to send hms a good idea to look to send hms queen elizabeth, which is the high readiness aircraft carrier big 70,000 ton, an aircraft carrier almost as big as the american supercarriers four and a half acres of flight deck. >> um, but but there's two issues with this. if you send the aircraft carrier, you've got to protect the aircraft carrier and there are real concern that we just don't have a big enough fleet with available ships at the moment to do that. we do have that air defence destroyer, hms diamond out in the red sea

and two frigates. so one other, uh , air defence destroyers, we uh, air defence destroyers, we can, uh, get one out of refit at the moment and a submarine would do that. or they could, uh, rely on an allied naval power to help out there. but the other issue is the f—35 combat jets that fly from the hms queen elizabeth. we only have about just over 30 of them, but half of those are being used for training. training? the new generation of pilots that will fly the f—35 . pilots that will fly the f—35. so given that probably only it could only muster about ten of these f 35 to go on to the carrier. so you would need the likes of the us marine corps f—35 jets to come and supplement the number of raf navy . um, uh, the number of raf navy. um, uh, f—355 the number of raf navy. um, uh, f—35s as well. so it's a big old issue for uk defence. it's really struggling with manpower

issues , uh, with hardware issues issues, uh, with hardware issues in terms of the ships and the aircraft and also just with budgetary issues as well. >> but with those limited resources, we know that british forces supported those us strikes last night. where is nato in all of this? where is france and germany? because surely that shipping lane is of huge importance to them as well. >> yeah, well, i mean, it's not in nato's area of responsibility , i guess is one issue, but you're right to suggest, you know, where is france and germany and, uh, and spain and, and italy and whoever else benefits from shipping coming through? >> uh, the red sea and the suez canal, >> uh, the red sea and the suez canal , which >> uh, the red sea and the suez canal, which we know is one of the, uh, the choke points, one of the main areas where these container ships and oil tankers , container ships and oil tankers, uh, will head from asia and the middle east to western nations . middle east to western nations. so it's a very legitimate and

good question to ask why other european, uh, and allied powers aren't there necessarily providing the warships at the moment? we're told that the european union does have plans and an intention , uh, to try to and an intention, uh, to try to get three up to three warships from european countries to go down there. but that would be some weeks away, we think. >> yeah. does leave a bit of a bad taste in the mouth. we've got a depleted navy. yes it's us and the americans going in and always us. >> gm- gm— always us. >> and always the americans. >> top stuff. mark what? you'll be with us throughout the rest of the day. let's speak now of the day. uh, let's speak now to editor and chief to defence editor and chief foreign affairs columnist the foreign affairs columnist at the daily coughlin, daily telegraph con coughlin, con i ask you, please, con, um, can i ask you, please, first all, say, since joe first of all, to say, since joe biden's rather botched withdrawal from afghanistan in 2021, we've had putin invading . 2021, we've had putin invading. ukraine you've had president xi pin jinping saying a couple of days ago that the motherland taiwan would return this year. you've had hamas who had their attack on israel and now iran

kicking off in the red sea via the houthi rebels, has the west, thanks to biden's slack performance in afghanistan, left us a bit of a laughing stock. are people taking the opportunity to give us a bit of a kicking? well good morning ben. >> yes, i mean, i think the when you look around the world, the absence of effective and strong leadership within the western alliance , um, is a big problem . alliance, um, is a big problem. um, traditionally we've looked to washington, uh, for that kind of leadership, but we have a very weak american president, uh, who's conflict averse , which uh, who's conflict averse, which the last thing you need when you're dealing with autocratic regimes like iran, russia and china and in the absence of effective and strong leadership, uh, you see these hostile malign states agitating to exploit the vacuum. and that's what's happenedin vacuum. and that's what's happened in the last few years , happened in the last few years, and especially since . the

and especially since. the withdrawal from afghanistan, three years ago. i mean, if you look at the timing of the invasion of ukraine, it was almost putin's response to the chaotic withdrawal from afghanistan . um, so, yeah, i afghanistan. um, so, yeah, i mean , the lack of leadership is mean, the lack of leadership is a big problem. and i'm delighted that finally it's taken a, you know, months , um, that of delay . know, months, um, that of delay. but we finally done something about the houthi threat and the red sea . it's long overdue, but red sea. it's long overdue, but at least it's a step in the right direction. >> and, con, what do you think the houthis actually want from this now? i mean, we know that they're backed by iran . perhaps they're backed by iran. perhaps it's more a question of what iran wants from this now, but do they want the suez canal to be shut? do they want this to affect world trade, or is it something greater? well the what the houthis want and you're right to mention iran, because iran's supplies, a lot of the technical expertise, the missiles , the drones, etc, that

missiles, the drones, etc, that the houthis are using to attack merchant shipping in the red sea in the approaches to the suez canal. >> what they want is to disrupt a western trade . it is very it's a western trade. it is very it's very noticeable that the houthis are only attacking western shipping. they started off saying they were attacking israeli shipping that's expanded to western shipping. they are not attacking the russian shipping or chinese shipping . shipping or chinese shipping. um, and this is basically a very clumsy attempt by the houthis and their iranian backers to put pressure on the west to tone down its support for israel. so that's what this is all about. but as i say, this is a very clumsy way of going about it. it's also illegal. um, and you know, the question is to stand up for them and say we are not going to have our economies, um, adversely impacted by your terrorist activity. okay >> con coughlin, very good to have your analysis there this morning. thank you very much

indeed. loads of you getting in touch on those strikes on houthi rebels last night, jeff says, should parliament decide whether to be involved in bombing yemen? well, parliament can't be trusted to anything done , so trusted to get anything done, so no, he says , michael says, and no, he says, michael says, and of course, this comment comes in the context of rishi sunak in kyiv this morning with more aid for vladimir zelenskyy. >> he says, should we not be slashing overseas budget slashing our overseas aid budget and more on our own and spend more on our own defence? >> good point. yeah dave makes an point, an interesting point, saying i've simple question why i've got a simple question why is uk the only country is the uk the only country giving support to the usa a reminder that this is a country that even give uk that won't even give the uk a trade deal ? that won't even give the uk a trade deal? uh, it's very interesting reflections there on the special relationship . the special relationship. >> yeah. one more from stephen just says, just to add a little clarity, decisions on military action are solely for the pm with from the cabinet, with advice from the cabinet, national security council and chief of he's chief of defence of staff. he's under obligation to inform under no obligation to inform parliament a lot of labour parliament as a lot of labour mps uh, called mps have cried for, uh, called for night , uh, mps have cried for, uh, called for night, uh, prior to any for last night, uh, prior to any action, for obvious reasons .

for last night, uh, prior to any action, for obvious reasons. nor is he obliged to abide by any parliamentary decision on military action. >> well, it is right , >> yeah, well, it is his right, isn't would say so. do isn't it? some would say so. do do know what you think. do let us know what you think. and one jefferies and finally, one from jefferies says they learn this says when will they learn this so proportionate action says when will they learn this so rubbish.�*portionate action says when will they learn this so rubbish. theionate action says when will they learn this so rubbish. the powers ction says when will they learn this so rubbish. the powers that be was rubbish. the powers that be know the rebels will now know that the rebels will now strike back. why are they letting do just that? it's letting them do just that? it's just putting our boys and girls in danger. just putting our boys and girls in danger . all just putting our boys and girls in danger. all it in unnecessary danger. all it takes one and one of takes is one glitch and one of their will get through their missiles will get through and hit one of our ships. do you keep views coming in? vaiews@gbnews.com. >> okay, let's turn our attention now reaction attention now to the reaction from labour leader sir keir starmer, says he supports starmer, who says he supports targeted houthi targeted strikes against houthi rebels but called for a statesman in in the houses of parliament, quote, at the first opportunity, joining us now is former labour party spokesman james matheson. jake good morning. um, what's the situation with labour then? we've seen a lot of tweets overnight from certain sort of, i'd say far left mps of the party, even jeremy corbyn getting involved, saying that we shouldn't be getting involved in the in the red sea . what

the in the red sea. what starmer's position . yeah. good starmer's position. yeah. good morning guys. >> so no surprise there that you've got the element obviously in the labour party from the socialist campaign group of labour mps who are very, very much opposed to this action. um, not a lot of them saying specifically why , but mainly specifically why, but mainly coming from a position of, you know, you need to recall parliament. we want to have the discussion about it. we want to debate britain gets debate before britain gets involved military action involved in any military action which is a standard which is a very standard position for that side of the party a keir starmer , as you party of a keir starmer, as you point out, has taken that opportunity and opportunity away from them. and he's said that, you he's basically said that, you know, don't need to do that. know, we don't need to do that. we the prime we will support the prime minister's right and the government's right to make these decisions . and they back it more decisions. and they back it more or less. that's that's basically keir starmer's position in a nutshell. jake i wanted to ask you about a tweet in the last few minutes from diane abbott, who has tweeted, i'll just get it up here in 2020. >> keir starmer said no more

illegal wars . he said they would illegal wars. he said they would only back war if it was legal, had a viable objective and parliament gave consent. the current military action on yemen has none of these yet he supports it. what's your reaction to that tweet . oh have reaction to that tweet. oh have we lost james? yeah, it sounds as though we've lost james. we'll just try and reconnect with him. looks as though we are having a technical difficulties there. reconnecting with james mathewson. it is very mathewson. but it is very interesting, isn't it? this criticism coming from diane abbott towards sir keir starmer, suggesting perhaps that lessons have not been learnt from labour when it comes to , to wars of the past? >> well, she makes a good point actually, which is a is a rarity to hear me saying that about diana. but but it it falls into this perception of keir starmer as, as what some opponents would call sir flip flop . he's ever call sir flip flop. he's ever changing on positions. is he now only toeing line on backing only toeing the line on backing airstrikes because , as

airstrikes in yemen because, as he knows, that he's got an open goal for government potentially, and he's got to play the game instead his his instead of sticking to his his values and his his real thoughts on things. jeremy corbyn, of course , echoing the same course, echoing the same sentiments from diane abbott and keir starmer up until a couple of years back, was, uh, one of corbyn's biggest supporters. he wanted the man to be prime minister. >> well , just as a reminder, sir >> well, just as a reminder, sir keir starmer says he does support this action, but he does want rishi sunak. the prime minister to make a statement to parliament on these strikes as soon as possible. i believe we have now reconnected to former labour party spokesman james matheson. to good see you matheson. very to good see you this morning. can you hear me, james? >> got you loud and clear. >> got you loud and clear. >> very good. i don't know if you heard just before, but i was just reading a from just reading you a tweet from diane abbott, independent diane abbott, now independent mp, critical of keir mp, being critical of sir keir starmer. i'll just share it again with you in 2020. sir keir starmer more illegal starmer said no more illegal wars. would only back wars. he said he would only back wars. he said he would only back war it was legal, had war if it was legal, had a viable objective and parliament gave current

gave consent. the current military action on yemen has none of yet he supports none of these yet he supports it. what do you make of that critical tweet from diane abbott ? >> 7- >> yeah, 7_ >> yeah, not 7 >> yeah, not surprising at all from diane to be honest. however, the fascinating thing is i had discussed it with somebody who works in the leader's office. uh, only a few days ago, the potential situation that they , um, would situation that they, um, would were, you know, the thing that they would least like to happen between now and the general election. and they said . it election. and they said. it would be, uh, airstrikes or military action because that situation puts keir in such a difficult position. try and balance the party. whereas previously he's managed to get all his books in a row and make everything off the same hymn sheet, more or less , you know, sheet, more or less, you know, you're never going to control certain elements of the labour party, but airstrikes and military action will always cause great controversy in the labour party and the wider labour party and the wider labour movement as well. you forget the trade unions have a

say in this and they have pretty strong positions when it comes to foreign policy. >> um, tomorrow is, uh, what was a pre—organised pro—palestine march in central london, i suspect now a lot of that is going to become an anti—war, anti—military action, an, um, protest. and you may even see, as we saw with some pro—hamas, uh, placards in previous palestine marches in london, you may even see some pro houthi rebel signs or flags. it wouldn't surprise me what are you expecting? uh, tomorrow from these pro—palestine marches . do these pro—palestine marches. do you think we're going to get a growing anti—war sentiment from what is majority? a majority of the left ? yeah i think so. the left? yeah i think so. >> but i think you know, kastner offers just the left is we do at our peril because there are lots of people who don't want to see. and it was similar with the pro palestinian marches. you know, there are people who come out on those marches who genuinely are moved by this issue, by the fact that they see bombing anywhere

in the world, to see violence taking place anywhere in the world. and sometimes these people have all the people don't have all the information all context, information, all the context, but want to come out and but they want to come out and they want show their support. they want to show their support. britain a strong history of britain has a strong history of that. i mean, remember the anti—iraq march ? um, so, you anti—iraq war march? um, so, you know, there's a proud history of that. so it's not just the left, but there will be you're absolutely there will be absolutely right. there will be danger of everything being conflated into this conflated together into this anti—war anti any kind of military action march. and the labour party needs to be very careful which side it takes. okay >> james mathewson, really good to have your analysis this morning. thank you very much indeed. >> yeah. tomorrow's protest going to be very interesting indeed. very keen to see how that turns out. so yeah, lots to get through in the next couple of hours. up, what does all of hours. next up, what does all this mean for the world shipping and the economy? our economics and the economy? our economics and business editor, liam halligan tell us halligan will be here to tell us more the events in more about what the events in the red sea could mean for the markets home, including markets at home, including your

energy prices, even your food. and rishi sunak was and of course, rishi sunak was hoping this year be hoping that this year would be the year inflation falls. the year that inflation falls. it already started falling, it has already started falling, energy come down, energy bills will come down, food down in the food bills will come down in the hope potentially better hope that potentially a better economic outlook would secure re—election . but this mean re—election. but this could mean a bit turbulence on that a bit of turbulence on that front. is britain's front. this is britain's newsroom on with ben and newsroom on gb news with ben and ali. stay with

sunday mornings from 930 on . gb

news. >> good morning. it's 1027. >> good morning. it's1027. you're with britain's newsroom on gb news with ben leo and me, ellie costello. >> now , breaking news this >> now, breaking news this minute . yemeni media say that minute. yemeni media say that five people were killed and six injured in strikes last night between the us and uk on houthi rebel sites . the impact of these rebel sites. the impact of these strikes will be telling for everybody around the world, with a huge amount of goods being processed through the red sea and course, that pivotal suez and of course, that pivotal suez canal and of course, that pivotal suez canwell, let's speak now to gb >> well, let's speak now to gb news business news economics and business editor liam halligan a very unsettling news this morning , unsettling news this morning, liam, in terms of this military action on houthi rebels . but action on houthi rebels. but there are going to be much wider ramifications across the world, aren't there? tell us a bit more i >> -- >> there are indeed. we have to distinguish between what's happening in the red sea, the entrance to the suez canal and what is happening in the persian gulf about 2000 miles away. they're not the same place, um,

with the seizing of the hijacking, if you like , of an hijacking, if you like, of an oil tanker by iranian military forces in the red sea leading to the suez canal, that is the route from the middle east to europe. that's about 10% of the world's oil flows every day through that route. but the persian gulf, through that route. but the persian gulf , the straits of persian gulf, the straits of hormuz, that's the gateway into the persian gulf that accounts for 25% of the world's oil flows every single day . so the every single day. so the escalation yesterday in the persian gulf, on top of what we've seen in the red sea basin since mid—december, yesterday , since mid—december, yesterday, is escalation was particularly serious. but conflict in both those theatres, if you like , those theatres, if you like, into the suez canal and into the persian gulf, are implicated are, uh , impacting now global are, uh, impacting now global trade flows. a lot of insurance companies won't insure freight shipping going through either route . now we're hearing that is route. now we're hearing that is leading to fears that energy

pnces leading to fears that energy prices could spike, not just for oil, but also for gas and if that happens and we've seen signs of it, the oil price is up 2 or 3. so far over the last 24 hours since that hijacking in the persian gulf. that's going to impact everything. petrol prices, diesel prices, the price of shipping, freight in general. it could upend global supply chain as similarly as we saw dunng chain as similarly as we saw during lockdown and in some it hasn't happened yet. i'm not saying it will happen, but in some there's the potential here that we could see a reversal of this narrative , this benign this narrative, this benign narrative, this good news that's emerged over recent months that inflation is coming down, interest rates are coming down, the cost of living crisis is easing. uh a feel good factor is emerging . the tories pushing the emerging. the tories pushing the election out into the autumn in order to allow that feel good factor to build. if these geopolitical squalls , these geopolitical squalls, these whizz bangs, if you like, if they lead to a proper spike in energy prices, which could

happen , then all bets are off. happen, then all bets are off. politically, it will really impact, i'm afraid , the cost of impact, i'm afraid, the cost of living here in the uk and therefore politics in general. >> so yeah, the treasury have crunched the numbers and they think, well, they predict possibly in the worst case scenario could up by scenario that oil could go up by $10 natural gas up to 25. so $10 and natural gas up to 25. so of course, putting a nail in rishi sunak's plan to uh, uh, leave or get everyone feeling a bit better off before the election. can i ask you, liam, about the gdp figures released this morning? was it good news, bad were we flat bad news, or were we still flat as pancake? as a pancake? >> you're right. just to >> yeah. you're right. just to go back, the treasury has crunched those numbers. um, you know i'm one of those know, i'm one of those journalists who's closely connected with financial markets . financial . i've worked in financial markets myself . i had a markets a lot myself. i had a chat with a mate this morning who's one of the world's leading oil um, and he said oil traders. um, and he said that certainly on his oil trading desk. they are now looking at what we call triple digit oil. that means oil above $100 a barrel, potentially , uh,

$100 a barrel, potentially, uh, up from around $75 a barrel. now, again , we're not saying now, again, we're not saying that's going to happen. uh it's good news, actually , that the us good news, actually, that the us has released lots of oil in the last 24 hours from its strategic petroleum reserve , trying to petroleum reserve, trying to flood global markets with oil, trying to keep price pressures down. the saudis have done the same. of course, the linchpin provider in the world at the heart of that opec export cartel in recent months, the saudis have actually limiting oil have actually been limiting oil suppues have actually been limiting oil supplies prices up. now supplies to push prices up. now they've reversed that because they've reversed that because they to see the they don't want to see the global economy really slow down. that undermine , uh, oil that will undermine, uh, oil demand a whole. and this demand as a whole. and this morning we had some gdp numbers, and it was i wouldn't say it was good news, but it wasn't bad news. have a at some news. let's have a look at some of those gdp numbers. i think we can bring them up on the screen. and the basic the picture and the basic the basic picture here is that in october you saw gdp contract 0.3. and then in november the last month before christmas, we saw gdp recover up

nought point 3. so gdp is the growth in the global economy. the sum total of goods and services. so basically over the two months those economy , the two months those economy, the economy flatlined. and that happened because we saw strong retail sales , black friday and retail sales, black friday and so on in the run up to christmas in november. but i'm afraid we did see a slowdown in construction and manufacturing. but look again, as we go back to this geopolitical reality, if we don't see some kind of suppression in some kind of calming of tensions in the middle east, let alone russia, ukraine, which of course could also escalate in the months to come, then i do think we are in danger of seeing an energy price spike, and that will, as i say, completely reverse the whole narrative of british politics. i know i say this all the time. i know i say this all the time. i know i'm the economics and business editor. i'm also intensely interested in politics. that's why i hang out down here at westminster quite a lot. but in the end, the economy

always wins. it's the economy that drives . politics and that's that drives. politics and that's going to be particularly the case in the run up to this general election. and the economic narrative and improving economy could be completely upended unless see these upended. and unless we see these geopolitical ease and geopolitical tensions ease and soon just when we thought we were turning a corner. >> liam halligan in westminster, thank you so much, as always, for your expertise. >> well, still to come, we do want to hear from you on what you make of the uk getting involved in military action against the houthis. do get in touch with us today. the email is at gb news. com yep, is gb views at gb news. com yep, all that much more. all that and much more. >> after your morning news with sam francis . ben ali, thank you sam francis. ben ali, thank you very much. >> good morning. from the gb news room. the headlines at just after half past ten. well first to some breaking news. we now now know at this stage that five people have been killed and six

others were wounded in those strikes by the us and the uk in yemen overnight, that news coming to us from a yemeni news agency. four raf typhoons joined us aircraft to target facilities in yemen that were linked to attacks on ships in the red sea. a spokesman for the militant group says they will continue, though, to block the passage of ships and they're also warning the uk and the us will not go without punishment or retaliation . however, minister retaliation. however, minister for james heappey for armed forces james heappey says the uk was acting in self—defence in the action last night was the necessary proportion limited response required to act in self—defence of the uk and us warships that are in the southern red sea, seeking to protect commercial shipping as it transits on that vital route between europe and asia . asia. >> uh, what we did last night was to degrade and disrupt the houthi capability to launch

those attacks . it shouldn't be those attacks. it shouldn't be seen as a start of anything more i >> meanwhile, rishi sunak is making a surprise visit to the ukraine as the government announced it will provide 2.5 billion in military aid to the country over the coming year. it comes as the ukrainian president presses allies in the west to provide more support in the fight against russian forces. that's as the war approaches. the two year mark. rishi sunak says the uk will not falter in its support and will stand with ukraine in their darkest hours. the economy grew by 0.3% in november. that's according to the office for national statistics gdp had declined by the same amount in october. the latest uplift, though, was dnven latest uplift, though, was driven by the services sector , driven by the services sector, the biggest contributor to economic growth, with a rise of 0.4. however, the chancellor , 0.4. however, the chancellor, jeremy hunt, says growth will be slower as the government works to bring inflation back to its 2% target and you can get more on all of those stories by

visiting our website, gbnews.com i >> -- >> for stunning gold and silver coins, you'll always value rosalind gold proudly sponsors the gb news financial report , the gb news financial report, and here's a look at the markets this morning. >> the pound will buy you $1.2750 and ,1.1632. the price of gold is £1,599.50 per ounce, and the ftse 100 is currently at 7631 points. rosalind gold proudly sponsors the gb news financial report . financial report. >> do you stay with us? we are going to reflect that breaking news from the yemeni news agency that five people have been killed and others were killed and six others were wounded in strikes by the us and the uk in yemen overnight. wounded in strikes by the us and the uk in yemen overnight . we'll the uk in yemen overnight. we'll be asking you what you think about britain joining the us and carrying out those targeted strikes against houthi rebels.

do keep your views coming in gb views at gb news. com you're with britain's newsroom on gb news

and people that i knew had dewbs & co week nights from six. >> welcome back. >> welcome back. >> it's 1041 with britain's newsroom on gb news with ben elliott and ellie costello. lots of you getting in touch about the breaking news that yemeni media is reporting that there was five dead and six injured in those us, uk strikes last night.

let's kick off with karen. good morning karen. you say in this country we are shafted by our politicians and rishi sunak is deliberately imposed bridging, impoverishing us further by giving billions of pounds. impoverishing us further by giving billions of pounds . we giving billions of pounds. we can't afford to help ukraine of course. sunak in kyiv this morning . um, sealing the deal morning. um, sealing the deal for more aid with vladimir zelenskyy, the president also been talking about the lack of parliamentary vote last night and what you make of that, allen says. >> my view is that if we had a parliament full of statesmen and stateswomen, then a vote would be respected. unfortunately we, the electorate, see the claims by opposition debate by the opposition for a debate and as political theatre, and a vote as political theatre, and a vote as political theatre, and i think it should be avoided and a vote as political theatre, an all think it should be avoided and a vote as political theatre, an all costs it should be avoided and a vote as political theatre, an all costs .: should be avoided at all costs. >> and actually, on that point, sorry to interrupt, eddie. tim says the only problem with the votes a democratic country is votes in a democratic country is that it no remains that it no longer remains a secret, the enemy knows secret, and the enemy knows you're very good point. you're coming very good point. >> yeah, good point, but >> yeah, it's a good point, but grant was talking the grant shapps was talking to the media on wednesday, i believe, and this space when and said, watch this space when he about military he was asked about military actions, could um, actions, you could say, um, already jeff

already on the cards. yeah. jeff says no, there should not have been parliamentary debate been a parliamentary debate pnor been a parliamentary debate prior forces action. all prior to our forces action. all the corbynite would the corbynite appeasers would just which was just delay the action, which was very necessary. have general very necessary. we have general elections to determine our government, and we charge them with our security and our well—being. that is their job. well—being. that is theirjob. the opposition parties are there to scrutinise government policy, not or or not determine it or or pre—approve it. yeah. >> some people comparing it to the the of iraq. the iraq, the invasion of iraq. i mean, the obvious difference is that we haven't invaded yemen. just out some yemen. we've just taken out some key military so let's get key military sites. so let's get some more of this now with our panel some more of this now with our panel. political commentator matthew stadlen and political commentator emma webb. uh, let's start with you, matthew . are you start with you, matthew. are you in support of the us, uk and obviously netherlands, bahrain were in there as well. the action last night on the houthi rebels. yeah. >> i can't see that. they have much of a choice. and the british government certainly doesn't have to request permission parliament permission from parliament because prerogative because this is a prerogative power other words, it's an power in other words, it's an executive of the executive power of the government. i would say that by

not going the parliamentary route, having a debate about route, not having a debate about it so far, that means that if things go wrong and we do things go badly wrong and we do have record of things have a track record of things going wrong when we going very badly wrong when we intervene in the middle east, then going be on rishi then that's going to be on rishi sunak. >> p- p about this sunak. >> about this breaking >> and what about this breaking news there was news from yemen that there was five killed injured in five killed and six injured in the strikes last night? don't the strikes last night? we don't know whether they're civilian casualties. would know whether they're civilian casa alties. would know whether they're civilian casa different would know whether they're civilian casa different kettle would know whether they're civilian casa different kettle of would know whether they're civilian casa different kettle of fish|ld be a different kettle of fish compared if was houthi compared to if it was houthi rebels who had died. does that change any way? change the game in any way? >> clearly, aim was not to >> clearly, the aim was not to kill civilians, seems to kill civilians, and it seems to me the face of it that this me on the face of it that this is proportionate action and it's in our national self—defence. >> emma, do what you >> emma, what do you what do you think this? i mean, rishi think in this? i mean, rishi sunak says was limited and sunak says this was limited and necessary and proportionate action self—defence. action in self—defence. would you think it's a necessity. >> i think it's a necessity. i think we are sort of squeamish and we've become more and more squeamish about this in the west. i think we need to accept that we have enemies. sometimes it is necessary to assert power in order to secure peace. you know, the houthis, you have to

remember, you know , they are the remember, you know, they are the ones who are firing missiles and endangenng ones who are firing missiles and endangering lives on merchant vessels in the red sea . this has vessels in the red sea. this has serious implications , not just serious implications, not just for global security, but also for global security, but also for global security, but also for global trade . um, it's an for global trade. um, it's an absolutely reasonable action. i think that while i take matthew's point, i think that taking this to parliament as a kind of, um , backside covering kind of, um, backside covering activity , we would have , um, you activity, we would have, um, you know, would have put that i don't think it would have been appropriate to put that above being effective, as you said . being effective, as you said. um, ben, they are , um, attacking um, ben, they are, um, attacking military targets specifically . military targets specifically. and yes, in sometimes in these instances , you do end up with instances, you do end up with collateral damage. people do get injured. um but that is just the reality of how things are. and so i think that this action was absolutely necessary. the situation was unsustainable . if situation was unsustainable. if it is done effectively, it would help to avoid further

escalation. obviously there are reasons to think that, you know, this might not be as easily solved. perhaps as we think it is. um, but this has, as has been pointed out already on this channel, this morning, this has iran's hands all over it. you know, this is part of a more complex global, um, political and military situation. and i think we were absolutely to act in the way that we did. there are problems, though, because although i support these strikes and i believe that they are in self—defence, there are important questions that follow up. >> what happens if they don't work? then how far do we go? how many times do we strike the yemeni mainland and there are i mean, if you read the analysis about this, the houthis have been gagging to draw in an america and the west for years. they've been building up their munitions thanks to the evil regime in iran. they've been building up their forces and they want to be seen. it seems , they want to be seen. it seems, as a global player. and now they

are that. >> and let's be clear, we're not just dealing with some ragtag militants around with ak militants running around with ak 47 there 200 strong 47 here. there are 200 strong rebel group. they've got a lot of money come 200,000. yeah they've got backing from iran. joe biden, of course, un froze around $6 billion worth of iranian assets at the tail end of last year. so they've got money, they've got weapons. we're not just dealing with a couple of guys running around the coast of the red sea and the suez canal. diane abbott has tweeted on twitter, she tweeted again on on twitter, she says the tories should be says when the tories should be backing ceasefire in gaza. backing a ceasefire in gaza. instead, send jet fighters instead, they send jet fighters to back the us against the houthis. no parliamentary approval and no idea where it will emma, why will all end. emma, why do people like diane i guess people like diane on? i guess the left of the argument the far left of the argument always assume that military action can never take place, no matter the circumstance ? i mean, matter the circumstance? i mean, surely we'd be speaking german if that was the case. >> it's, um, it's a very bizarre, um, mindset that is completely lacking in common sense . you know, this the sense. you know, this the situation could not have been

allowed to continue for as as was happening in the red sea since the attacks on october the 7th. this, this action was completely necessary. but of course, we know that people like diane abbott, jeremy corbyn, a certain segment of the labour party will oppose any situation in which the west defends itself . you look at the way that the houthis respond to these attacks by saying that , um, that this is by saying that, um, that this is an aggression and that they will retaliate and so on. um, it's typical al, uh, almost islamist cry—baby cry bully behaviour here. um, and i think what you see is that people like diane abbott will always side with the enemies of the west, abbott will always side with the enemies of the west , always. and enemies of the west, always. and so it's entirely predictable that her response would be completely be, um, sort of inside out. >> there's no doubt that these rebels are terrorists, right ? rebels are terrorists, right? and we have to defend ourselves. >> i don't think they're yet designated a terrorist group. i think they were. and the us rescinded it at some point.

>> if you just just to be factual, this is an act of terrorism. if you fire missiles at civilian ships, at cargo ships, then in my understanding of what a terrorist is, you are a terrorist. what this is showing, though , is that two showing, though, is that two things could be true at the same time. israel's disproportionate actions in gaza. and we've all seen the horrific images that have followed on from the medieval barbarity that we witnessed on october the 7th is not helping anyone . it's not not helping anyone. it's not helping israel. it's not helping the region. and it's not helping our interests. and we have to do more to stop israel overreaching itself . itself. >> i wanted to get both your thoughts on rishi sunak and what he does now, because i believe we have some pictures now. he's in ukraine, he's in kyiv today discussing a new military aid package for vladimir zelenskyy and for ukraine. now, what do you make of the optics of this? of course, with the strikes that we're seeing, uh, last night we heard from mark white, our home security editor, about our depleted, um, royal navy. and

actually, acting now in actually, we are acting now in the red sea with limited the red sea with very limited resources. do you think this is going to come to the fore in the next few days? >> i think this should remind us that important it is have that how important it is to have a strong military, because the, the extent to which are the extent to which we are militarily stretched and the fact that britain is known for having , um, fact that britain is known for having, um, such an incredible navy , um, that it's almost an navy, um, that it's almost an embarrassment to be stretched in this way , we need to be this way, we need to be investing more in. >> i'm going to ask the question here on behalf of a lot of our viewers. sunak the pictures now on the screen is sitting with zelenskyy, ukrainian zelenskyy, the ukrainian president, the deal on president, signing the deal on yet more military for the yet more military aid for the country to defend itself against the invasion russia . the the invasion of russia. the people going to asking , people are going to be asking, why are we doing this on a day when we're getting involved in the , we're quite the red sea, yet we're quite clearly ill equipped. we've got aircraft carriers with no jets on. we've got two ships being decommissioned because there's not enough sailors. decommissioned because there's not enough sailors . where's the not enough sailors. where's the sense in this? that's what

voters are going to be asking. >> yeah, i think we need to know exactly how our money is being spent. to the uk's spent. with respect to the uk's strategic interests. so the reason that the main reason for supporting ukraine, aside from the fact that russia is the aggressor and it's the right thing to do, um, the main reason for supporting ukraine is specifically because it is in our interests and the public need to know how that money is being used insofar as it helps to secure for us as a nation, because , as you say, you know, because, as you say, you know, we've got all of these other for, um, conflict zones and fronts opening up around the world. the situation is extremely volatile and all of these things are tied into each other. so so russia is an ally of iran. iran is backing the houthis. they're also backing hezbollah , who've also come out hezbollah, who've also come out and condemned this action. so this what we're seeing here, i think, is a military and geopolitik realignment in action. um, and it needs to be managed strategically and carefully and prudently, and we

need to make sure that our money is the way that our money is being spent, is effective, and that we're very clear about, you know, what our purposes are in how we very clear why why we're continuing to arm and support ukraine. >> i'm not a fan of rishi sunak, but i think he's right on this. we don't want the monstrous regime of the kremlin marching. its boots over europe, right? perhaps >> but how long does that go on for? is it a bottomless pit of british taxpayer money not british taxpayer money when not a doesit british taxpayer money when not a does it end? a bottomless when does it end? >> he's. because he's >> because he's. because he's given a certain so far. >> because he's. because he's givei a certain so far. >> because he's. because he's give i think:ain so far. >> because he's. because he's give i think we so far. >> because he's. because he's give i think we will so far. >> because he's. because he's give i think we will continue r. >> because he's. because he's givei think we will continue to and i think we will continue to contribute. but this sort of backlash west and backlash against west and support democracy , against support for a democracy, against a tyranny in the form of putin, well, i think is madness and populist, and i think it's nonsense, matthew, i'd argue it's not. and we have to defend free freedom in europe. and if we don't, if we give in to bullies like putin or if we give in to bullies like the houthis, our interests, in the end get degraded. >> i think it's a bit unfair to say it's a backlash when ordinary brits are

ordinary brits who are struggling afford their struggling to even afford their own cost of living when they raise about raise a slight concern about when this aid to ukraine is going to end , is i've just said going to end, is i've just said again, is it a bottomless pit? it's unfair to just say it's a backlash. quiet, don't ask backlash. be quiet, don't ask the haven't said, i haven't >> i haven't said, i haven't said be quiet. i said it's nonsense. i mean, that's essentially what you're saying. well, you're saying is we well, what you're saying is we should bullies in the should give in to bullies in the i'm asking, saying, long i'm asking, i'm saying, how long does for? does it go on for? >> when does this end? >> when does this end? >> well, until russian forces withdraw from european soil. that's where that's where they are. unspeakable, that's where that's where they are. things unspeakable, that's where that's where they are. things ueurope. ble, appalling things in europe. they've ukrainian they've kidnapped ukrainian children. finish. children. now, let me finish. they've taken in. they've taken ukrainian forces , prisoners of ukrainian forces, prisoners of war, put back , war, and then put them back, force them back onto the front to ukrainians. kremlin is to fight ukrainians. kremlin is a an absolutely horrific person who's doing terrible things. and if we give in to that sort of bully, if we'd given in to hitler, then, as you said earlier, we would be speaking german. we have to be absolutely resolute defending ukrainian resolute in defending ukrainian democracy against russian tyranny. >> okay, matthew . emma, thank

>> okay, matthew. emma, thank you very much indeed . uh, you'll you very much indeed. uh, you'll have a view on that. do let us know what it is. gb views at gb news. wgrz.com. >> yeah. stay with us. lots more to come on the yemen situation. this is britain's newsroom on gb news. stay with us. >> a brighter outlook with boxt solar of weather on . gb news. >> good morning . news. >> good morning. i'm news. >> good morning . i'm alex >> good morning. i'm alex burkill here with your latest gb news weather forecast. whilst it is going to be quite a cloudy day today for many of us staying dry, but some rain arriving in the north later . ahead of it the north later. ahead of it though, we have clear skies though, we have some clear skies first thing across parts of scotland. northern ireland. so a frosty start here. some freezing scotland. northern ireland. so a frospatches�*nere. some freezing scotland. northern ireland. so a frospatches to e. some freezing scotland. northern ireland. so a frospatches to watch|e freezing scotland. northern ireland. so a frospatches to watch out eezing scotland. northern ireland. so a frospatches to watch out eeziand fog patches to watch out for and these could linger well into the afternoon. further south, for much wales, much of england and wales, largely perhaps some largely cloudy, perhaps some brighter breaks developing at times particularly for western times, particularly for western parts wales , maybe some parts of wales, maybe some further inland. but on the whole a picture and a cold one. a cloudy picture and a cold one. two temperatures suppressed , two temperatures suppressed, most mid most places staying in mid single figures at best as we go

through this evening and overnight we start to see a front pushing its way in from the northwest. and so initially some across some persistent rain across northern scotland, but northern parts of scotland, but it up as it makes its way it breaks up as it makes its way southwards. so by the time we head towards the early hours of saturday morning, really saturday morning, it's really not huge amounts not going to bring huge amounts across northern england and northern ireland. another chilly night come a of night to come though a touch of frost in places, perhaps frost in some places, perhaps some to watch some icy patches to watch out for again, fog patches for and again, some fog patches as well as we go through saturday itself. that front saturday itself. then that front does to push its a does continue to push its way a little further southwards, little bit further southwards, but a huge amount but doesn't bring a huge amount of rain. in fact, far southern parts stay mostly dry, parts likely to stay mostly dry, albeit cloudy at times. albeit quite cloudy at times. limited bright or spells, limited bright or sunny spells, but some further but we should see some further north. increasing amounts of sunshine perhaps, but also some showers the north and showers towards the north and again cold day. temperatures again a cold day. temperatures suppress for many into sunday. cold arctic air across many of us. so even colder with more snow in north. snow showers in the north. >> warm feeling inside from >> that warm feeling inside from boxt boilers as sponsors of weather on . gb news. still to

weather on. gb news. still to come, is the uk for prepared military action against houthis and should rishi sunak have taken his decision to parliament with britain's newsroom on gb news with ben and ellie, the

channel. >> good morning . it's 11 channel. >> good morning. it's 11 am. on

friday. the 12th of january. this is britain's newsroom on gb news with ben leo and me. ellie costello , the us and the uk costello, the us and the uk forces have carried out airstrikes against houthi rebel targets in yemen, with the yemeni news agency saba reporting five dead and six injured as a result. >> it's a joint response to the attacks by the iranian backed houthis on ships in the red sea , houthis on ships in the red sea, while the houthi deputy foreign minister warns the us and the uk will pay a heavy price for this blatant aggression and insists its attacks both on israel and on commercial ships in the red sea, will continue . sea, will continue. >> in response to israel's war in gaza and the prime minister, rishi sunak, says the strikes are, quote, limited , necessary are, quote, limited, necessary and proportionate action in self—defence. >> strikes are reported in houthi controlled areas of yemen , including the capital sanaa . , including the capital sanaa. we'll have the full analysis and the latest developments throughout the show.

and of course, we want to know your views. this story really dividing the nation. do you support the military action last night? should we have gone to parliament as a lot of labour mps are calling for? of course , mps are calling for? of course, diane abbott, now an independent, she's been getting stuck in on twitter and x this morning gbviews@gbnews.com. but first here's your news headlines with sam . with sam. >> ben ellie thank you very much. good morning. from the gb news room. the headlines at 11. well first to that breaking news that we've been hearing, five people have been killed and six others were wounded in strikes overnight by the us and the uk in yemen. that's according to a yemeni news agency . four raf yemeni news agency. four raf typhoons joined the us to target facilities in yemen that were unked facilities in yemen that were linked to attacks on ships in the red sea, a spokesman for the militant group says they will continue to block the passage of ships there, also warning the uk

and the us will not go without punishment or retaliation. however, minister for the armed forces james heappey says the uk was acting in self—defence. >> the action last night was the necessary and proportionate, limited response once required to act in self—defence of the uk and us warships that are in the southern red sea , seeking to southern red sea, seeking to protect commercial shipping as it transits on that vital route between europe and asia. uh, what we did last night was to degrade and disrupt the houthi capability to launch those attacks . uh, it shouldn't be attacks. uh, it shouldn't be seen as a start of anything more i >> -- >> well, sir imam >> well, sir keir starmer has said that he does back the government's decision to defend the red sea shipping lanes from houthi rebels . houthi rebels. >> i do support labour, does support it. um, this operation against the houthi rebels , it's against the houthi rebels, it's clear that for some time now

they've been carrying out attacks on shipping, commercial shipping in the red sea , putting shipping in the red sea, putting civilian lives at risk , as well civilian lives at risk, as well as disrupting international trade and traffic and shipping . trade and traffic and shipping. and so we support this this action. >> meanwhile, rishi sunak is making a surprise visit to the ukraine as the government announced announced it will provide £2.5 billion in military aid to the country over the coming year. it comes as the ukrainian president presses allies in the west to provide more its fight more support in its fight against forces , as the against russian forces, as the war approaches, the two year mark rishi sunak says the uk will not falter in its support and that it will stand with ukraine its darkest hours . as ukraine in its darkest hours. as as been hearing, ukraine in its darkest hours. as as been hearing , the as we've been hearing, the economy here in the uk grew by 0.3% in november. that's according to the office of national statistics . gdp had national statistics. gdp had declined by the same amount in october, but the latest uplift was driven by the services sector, the biggest contributor to that economic growth, with a

rise of 0.4. however the chancellor, jeremy hunt, says growth will be slower as the government works to bring inflation back to its 2% target. the post office has been accused of threatening the bbc over a panorama probe programme that involved horizon. it whistleblowers . the broadcaster whistleblowers. the broadcaster says. experts who were interviewed for the programme in 2015 were sent intimidating letters by post office lawyers . letters by post office lawyers. this week, the post office inquiry heard from stephen bradshaw , who helped lead the bradshaw, who helped lead the criminal investigation into some of those who were wrongly convicted as branch managers. he admitted he was not an expert on the horizon it system, but that he was aware there were issues with system . well we have with that system. well we have understood that protesters are gathered outside the international court of justice international court of justice in the hague in honour of hostages taken in the 7th of october attacks. it comes as judges there hold the second day of hearings over the ongoing war in gaza, south africa is claiming that the israeli

operation is a state led genocide aimed at wiping out the palestinian population . israel, palestinian population. israel, though, says the accusations brought by south africa are grossly distorted. legal adviser for the israeli foreign ministry tal becker , says accusation in tal becker, says accusation in gaza action rather in gaza is an act of self—defence. the applicant has now sought to invoke this terme in the context of israel's conduct in a war. >> it did not start and did not want a war in which israel is defending itself against hamas . defending itself against hamas. palestinian islamic jihad and other terrorist organisations whose brutality knows no bounds . whose brutality knows no bounds. >> princess anne is on her final day of engagements in sri lanka to mark 75 years of diplomacy with britain, the princess laid flowers at a cemetery marking those who died during the first and second world war. she's also visited a hindu temple in the capital and received a blessing from the chief priest, and a

bear found a abandoned in a zoo in ukraine has now arrived at its new home in scotland. the five sisters zoo rescued and rehomed the asiatic bear named yampil. ukrainian soldiers had discovered the abandoned zoo when they arrived there in july 2022, five months after the ongoing russian invasion. out of nearly 200 animals at the zoo, yampil the bear was just one of the few animals to survive the invasion. that's the latest from the gb newsroom for more, we're on tv, on digital radio and on your smart speaker. just say play your smart speaker. just say play gb news now though, it's back to ben and . ellie. back to ben and. ellie. >> thanks , sam. it's 11:06. >> thanks, sam. it's11:06. loads of you are getting in touch this morning. thank you so much for your company. of course, in reaction to us and uk airstrikes against houthi rebels in yemen last night, david says why is the uk acting alone with

the us? does the current not affect the rest of europe? yes, lots of people are asking the same question where is spain? where is italy? where is france? where is italy? where is france? where germany ? where is germany? >> yeah, why is it always the us and the uk sort of, you know, tagging behind leading the tagging along behind leading the charge you know, charge against, uh, you know, these les says, these kind of despots? les says, good les . it isn't just good morning, les. it isn't just about joining in with the us. we have and personnel in the have assets and personnel in the area which was attacked. we have every duty to every right and duty to retaliate and defend ourselves. yesadrian agrees, saying, >> adrian agrees, saying, i agree the attacks on the agree with the attacks on the houthi rebels yemen. we houthi rebels in yemen. we cannot let iranian backed fundamentalists control shipping. is at a shipping. the world is at a pivotal moment and the west must for stand up freedom. >> and pippa says, morning, pippa. so here we go again. why is it that the uk public always ends up punished when we go to war, fuel, food , energy? why do war, fuel, food, energy? why do we bother? it's pathetic. >> well, do keep those emails coming in gb views at gb news. com and of course we're talking about this because britain and the us have launched air strikes

against houthi rebels in yemen. >> the houthis control much >> yes, the houthis control much of and say they're of yemen, and they say they're supporting by supporting their ally hamas by targeting to targeting shipping heading to israel . yemeni media say the israel. yemeni media say the strikes have killed. and this is breaking, actually, in the last 30 minutes, they've killed five people and injured six others. >> well, the leader of the rebel group vows to respond to an assault with fresh attacks on israeli and commercial ships in the sea . the red sea. >> our security editor , uh, mark >> our security editor, uh, mark white, joins us now in the studio. mark, let's get stuck into this breaking news from yemen. the death toll and the injury toll . do we know any more injury toll. do we know any more about who died specifically? is it themselves or. it a rebels themselves or. >> well, certainly a houthi spokesman that was giving a news conference in yemen had said that they were hootie members. >> so i think from that, we take it to mean that they were , uh, it to mean that they were, uh, houthi rebels, militia , uh, houthi rebels, militia, uh, members. now whether this is an interim , uh, death in and injury interim, uh, death in and injury toll, whether there are others

we don't know. i mean, it seems actually , uh, five dead and six actually, uh, five dead and six injured to be a relatively light number of casualties. given that 60 separate airstrike took place at 16 locations, uh, involved 100 um guided munitions, bombs and missiles that were launched at these sites. so, given that over a large stretch of the country, it doesn't seem like that many. what it might be preliminary. >> what does that tell us? the low, the low death count. does it suggest that the houthis knew we were coming? >> well, that's a very good point, because i and pretty much every other news organisation was reporting from fairly early on in the evening, uh, yesterday that there was an emergency cabinet meeting and sources telling us that it was to, uh, acknowledge and, uh, announce

that strike force were in the process of taking place. >> so, of course , in yemen , they >> so, of course, in yemen, they will be watching international media like everybody else. so they would have been aware if they've got good sense, then they're going to get out of the areas that might be seen as potentially targets. but clearly some didn't . some didn't. >> well, we know that british forces support the us with these strikes. last night, but many people are asking whether the other european super powers well , think a good point. , i think it's a good point. >> um , we know that, uh , it was >> um, we know that, uh, it was just the us and just the uk that launched these attacks with 100 of these precision guided bombs and missiles for the raf, typhoons flying out of raf akrotiri in cyprus , a 1700 mile akrotiri in cyprus, a 1700 mile uh flight , akrotiri in cyprus, a 1700 mile uh flight, right, uh, down to yemen. and that's just to get in country, never mind to get to the location to drop your bombs, and then you've got to fly all

the way back again. we're struggling with resources really within the british military, uh, to embark in this kind of endeavoun to embark in this kind of endeavour. but we have , you endeavour. but we have, you know, we are often , of course, know, we are often, of course, side by side with the americans on such endeavours. the british government will argue, and those that support this intervention say, look, we are an island nation, 95% of the imports and exports , uh, that the uk relies exports, uh, that the uk relies on come by sea. we are are then clearly adversely affected when you have a choke point like the red sea and the suez canal being threatened here with ships having to make that, um, extra ten days to the journey going around the cape of good hope, going around africa , uh, going around africa, uh, essentially. and as you know, clearly irritating and, uh, angry as it's making people, uh,

the thought we were being sucked into another conflict, the converse side of that is that we see, uh, if it continues to we it's continuing. are going to feel the, the, the, the effects of that the negative effects of that in terms of the prices going up in the supermarket, it's the prices of uh, uh, fuel , it's the prices of uh, uh, fuel, uh, petrol supplies and the like all adversely affected by events out in the middle east. >> yeah. and of course, putting all the hard work that we've suffered economically over the past couple of years to waste. mark can i ask you, is there something of a political open goal here for sunak or starmer? um, to commit to more defence spending , especially in an spending, especially in an election year? is it is it as simple as that? well the sad truth is , for those that, uh , truth is, for those that, uh, you know, support our military , you know, support our military, we it doesn't really gain a huge amount of votes amongst the

electorate . electorate. >> you know, the population as a whole would much rather. >> yeah. is that in quite stark contrast to the us? >> um, no , i think it's pretty >> um, no, i think it's pretty much the same in every single country. of course , you know country. of course, you know everybody or lots of people support the military and want to see them equipped, but when it comes down to the hard, the hard sort of questions are you willing to forego this tax cut or to pay a little bit more to boost the military, you know, military spending, boost the military, you know, military spending , then that's military spending, then that's not quite as popular. but having said that, it's of course , the said that, it's of course, the number one priority of any government is to protect its population . and we are in, in population. and we are in, in the world at the moment in a very, very dangerous people with place with lots of unrest in multiple locations around the globe . um, and you know, when globe. um, and you know, when you've got that taking place, you, you know , it's very

you, you know, it's very worrying to see that you've got the navy and the raf and the army all struggling really , to army all struggling really, to meet their commitments with the budget they've been given. and to be fair to the government, the budget has been increasing of late, but it's just not kept up with inflation and the cost of these, uh, big ticket items that want , you know, the that they want, you know, the ships tanks and, uh, all ships and the tanks and, uh, all of the missiles. >> well, on that note of keeping people safe, mark, we've had a couple emails in on the same couple of emails in on the same point. to put it to you. point. i want to put it to you. george says i do support the need to protect shipping on the red sea, but i can't help but wonder if this puts us at wonder if this all puts us at risk streets. what risk on british streets. what does this action mean for the terror in this terror threat level in this country, do you think? >> always there's >> well, there's always there's always any time when always a risk any time when there is a big overseas crisis , there is a big overseas crisis, particularly in the middle east, there's a potential risk to the uk. >> sadly, we've seen in the past , uh, events such as the iraq war and the war in afghanistan . war and the war in afghanistan. khan uh, being a trigger point

for some of those , those that for some of those, those that wish to do people harm, not just in the uk but other , uh, western in the uk but other, uh, western nafions in the uk but other, uh, western nations as well . and we've had nations as well. and we've had multiple attacks that have been, you know, the justice nation from, uh, these crazies that have carried out these horrific events has always been , you events has always been, you know, it's this war. it's that war. so clearly the there's concern we've already seen some attacks that have taken place in europe and the us that are being directly linked to the conflict in, in palestine at the moment in, in palestine at the moment in gaza . um, and the longer that in gaza. um, and the longer that continues, the more potential risk there is. the terror threat level has not increased . it's level has not increased. it's still at substantial meaning an attack is likely, but but, uh, you know, behind the scenes, the security services and counter—terrorism police are working very hard to keep an eye on those known extremists . it's on those known extremists. it's the unknown extremists that are

often the problem , the ones who often the problem, the ones who self—radicalize in their bedrooms over the internet looking at these images, then go off to the kitchen drawer, get a big knife out and decide to kill people, or get behind the wheel of a vehicle and decide to kill people. >> yeah, there's lone wolf attacks. well our intelligence agencies and of course our military as well. they all do a sterling job, so credit to them for keeping safe. for all keeping us safe. homeland mark homeland security editor mark white, so much. you'll white, thank you so much. you'll be sticking with us throughout white, thank you so much. you'll be rshow.g with us throughout the show. >> we can now from >> well, we can hear now from sir keir starmer on those strikes against houthi rebels. this what had to say. this is what he had to say. >> do support labour does >> i do support labour does support this operation against the houthi rebels. it's is clear that for some time now they've been carrying out attacks on shipping, commercial shipping in the red sea , putting civilian the red sea, putting civilian lives at risk , as well as lives at risk, as well as disrupting international trade and traffic and shipping. and so we support this action in well,

let's speak now to our political correspondent, olivia utley. >> olivia, good morning to you. heanng >> olivia, good morning to you. hearing there from sir keir starmer saying he supports this action. we've also had diane abbott now an independent mp for hackney, uh, saying that sir keir starmer is a hypocrite, essentially that he called for no more illegal wars and yet he supports this one. >> well , i supports this one. >> well, i think this all shows just what a problem keir starmer has with foreign policy . has with foreign policy. obviously we saw at the beginning of the attacks in israel and gaza , there were mps israel and gaza, there were mps on the left of the labour party calling for a ceasefire. keir starmer stood up to them, but he ended up losing a shadow cabinet minister over it. we're seeing something similar happen here. sir keir starmer has essentially completely backed the government . he said that he fully supports these strikes and that that, that, that shipping channel needs to be defended. those on the left of his party don't agree. they say that parliament

should have been recalled last night before any decision was taken. that's what the lib dems are saying as well. layla moran, the foreign affairs spokesperson for the lib dems, has said that parliament should have been recalled last night. the usual suspects are saying the same on the on the labour side, we've got jeremy corbyn and diane abbott independence now, but also sultana, uh, the also zara sultana, uh, the coventry mp on the left of the party. she holds quite a lot of sway in the labour party. she has quite a lot of left wing, uh, followers with her. and keir starmer has disagreed with her on this. he said he would on this. he said that he would like to see parliament debate on it as as possible, but he it as soon as possible, but he called he fell short of actually calling for parliament to be recalled . these splits in the recalled. these splits in the labour party are not going away on domestic policy, keir starmer has managed to sort of find an equilibrium. he basically brings the left of his party along with him on domestic policy, but on foreign policy , and especially foreign policy, and especially where foreign policy touches

israel and palestine. keir starmer has a real problem with the left of his party. and every time a story about israel and palestine, about foreign policy in general, raises its head , in general, raises its head, keir starmer is going to prove to the country again that there are splits within the labour party which are not going away, and that is going to be increasingly a problem for him as we head into this election year. yeah >> numbers and they reckon that if the situation in the red sea continues, oil will be hiked up by $10 a barrel. natural gas up 25. all this, of course, throwing a spanner in rishi sunaks aim to reduce inflation and of course, grow the economy. if this continues , is it going if this continues, is it going to prove fatal to the prime minister's election battle plan this year ? this year? >> well, it is a big problem for rishi sunak . >> well, it is a big problem for rishi sunak. he asked us at the beginning of 2023, rishi sunak

stood up in front of a room of journalists and asked us to judge him on how he delivered on his five pledges. now the areas in those five pledges where so far he's doing best is on the economy. inflation did half last yeah economy. inflation did half last year, as he promised , and year, as he promised, and although we aren't seeing growth of gdp yet , the obr has forecast of gdp yet, the obr has forecast that that will begin to happen in the second half of this decade. rishi sunak's whole election campaign essentially hinges on things getting better for people over the course of 2024. that's why he's holding off having an election in the first half of this year, he is hoping that as interest rates continue to go down as a result of inflation continuing to go down, and as he was hoping , the down, and as he was hoping, the cost of oil started to go down, that cost of living crisis would begin to ease. people would feel a little bit richer. hopefully people's mortgage repayments will to go down and will start to go down and overall people might, just might agree to vote for the conservatives again if, as you

say, this situation in the red sea continues gdp across the whole world will continue to struggle and britain will be no different. and as you say, that cost of oil will have the most tangible, obvious effect because people's energy prices, which is the driving force of inflation, will continue to go up. that causes a real electoral headache for rishi sunak. so this situation isn't great for either of the main parties. >> olivia, whilst we've got you wanted to reflect rishi sunak in kyiv today announcing a new military aid package with president zelenskyy, there , and president zelenskyy, there, and we've been hearing from mark white our home security editor, throughout the morning, about how stretched our own navy is and limited our and quite how limited our resources are, really, in terms of embarking this endeavour. of embarking on this endeavour. how do you think the optics of this look . to the electorate, to this look. to the electorate, to people who'd be voting in the next general election? and do you think defence will become

more of a priority than perhaps what we've seen before? >> i think that's a really interesting question. uh, up until now, we've seen that the uk public has been very, very supportive on the whole of any measures that the government takes to help ukraine. if you travel around the, the, the, the sort of shires of england, the north of england, you will see ukrainian flags still hanging from , uh, village halls, etc. from, uh, village halls, etc. the public on the whole is supportive of this, but obviously we are in a cost of living crisis . the situation in living crisis. the situation in the red sea at the moment, as we've talked about, could exacerbate that. and it could be that public, uh, sympathy for ukraine when it starts to morph into a more, uh, uh , an attitude into a more, uh, uh, an attitude of, of making sure that that the uk is okay. first, that question about defence spending is really, really important to the uk is now today pledging a 2.5 billion aid package to for ukraine 2024, 2025. that's 200 million more than in previous

years. and of course, at the same time , the armed forces are, same time, the armed forces are, uh, now are deployed to, to the red sea. so you can see just how stretched that defence budget is. ben wallace , the previous is. ben wallace, the previous defence secretary, called for an increase in defence spending. jeremy hunt denied him that increase . i wonder if he's increase. i wonder if he's regretting that decision now. the uk military, as we've been heanng the uk military, as we've been hearing all morning, has been seriously, seriously depleted over the last ten, 20, 30, 40 years. and now it has a lot of places to be. so how is rishi sunak going to square that circle in the run up to the next election? will he promise more defence spending ? or by that defence spending? or by that time, will it simply be too late for that ? for that? >> okay, olivia utley there for us in westminster. thank you very much for your analysis. >> still to come, we'll have all the reaction from across the pond the us president pond in the us as president biden launched those military strikes , along with the uk and strikes, along with the uk and other nations last night on the

houthi rebels in yemen. >> with britain's >> you're with britain's newsroom on .

monday to thursdays from six till 930. >> good morning. >> good morning. >> it's 1127. you're with britain's newsroom on gb news with ben leo and me. ellie costello . costello. >> well, after today's strikes, president joe biden has warned the houthi rebels will. sorry, that warned that the us will not

hesitate to strike the houthi rebels again in yemen and the red sea. and it comes as in the last few minutes, actually, turkish erdogan has turkish president erdogan has said, and this is quite significant, actually. says said, and this is quite sigrstrikes actually. says said, and this is quite sigrstrikes againsty. says said, and this is quite sigrstrikes against the says said, and this is quite sigrstrikes against the houthis the strikes against the houthis are, proportionate are, quote, not proportionate and accusing the us and britain of, quote, turning the red sea into a sea of blood. extraordinary language . yes. extraordinary language. yes. mark dolan there and fairly significant . mark dolan there and fairly significant. um, mark dolan there and fairly significant . um, well, look, significant. um, well, look, joining us now in the studio is a man who knows a bit about us politics. it's chair of republicans overseas uk, greg swenson. greg let's kick things off with that. rather as i said, extraordinary statement from turkey president erdogan turning the red sea into a sea of blood. i mean, that's fairly extreme, isn't it? >> it's pretty outrageous. and if you look at what the houthis have done in the last few months and the last few years, for that matter, but the ircg has been, you know, funding these, these rebels attack american rebels to attack american servicemen . it's not just servicemen. it's not just commercial ships in the red sea. and so there was even an attack on christmas day where an army

helicopter pilot took took a, you know, shrapnel into the head. he's in a hospital in germany right now, in a coma, you know. so if anything, this was little, too late. or was too little, too late. or maybe i should say better late than never. but biden and the administration have been dragging their feet . about dragging their feet. it's about time did erdogan is time they did this. erdogan is being silly or being foolish? you know, this is and they're obsessed with this whole proportionality thing . proportionality thing. proportionality isn't okay. we have to do exactly what they did to me. it's what what's the military target? you know what is the military benefit? and the proportionality should should be, you know, considering civilians , they telegraph this civilians, they telegraph this this was not a surprise attack like when the trump administration executed , uh, administration executed, uh, general soleimani in iran. that was done in a very stealthy, very , you know, overnight drone very, you know, overnight drone strike. this was telegraphed the defence department, the pentagon spokesman basically gave him the heads up yesterday afternoon . so heads up yesterday afternoon. so us, us lawmakers are slamming

joe biden right now for launching these strikes at the backing from congress. >> some democrats lashing out at the president for neglecting his constitutional responsibility . constitutional responsibility. but you actually think you should have reacted faster and harder. i think so there are moments where you cannot go to congress because this was not some invasion. >> this was a retaliate free strike against an aggressor. and so i think i think and you'll notice, the critics are mostly from the progressive caucus. so surprise, surprise , the critics surprise, surprise, the critics of this strike are jeremy corbyn in the progressive caucus in the us and erdogan in turkey. so it kind of shows you where people are aligned on this stuff. >> what does this attack or this whole situation in the on the red sea say about about the perception of the us , the uk and perception of the us, the uk and the west as a whole? because let me just go back to joe biden after the very botched withdrawal afghanistan withdrawal from afghanistan in 2021, putin invading 2021, we've had putin invading ukraine. had president ukraine. we've had president jinping china on his new jinping of china on his new year's address, saying that year's day address, saying that this the year that the,

this will be the year that the, quote, motherland taiwan returns to china. hamas invaded israel and now iran is kicking off via the proxy rebels. are our adversaries emboldened by the apparent weakness of joe biden? >> they really are. and it started, yes, with afghanistan . started, yes, with afghanistan. you know, that was a complete and utter disaster there. and he still had the gall to say that it was a success. if that's a success, i'd like to see a failure. but but more importantly, it's all about deterrence. and what you saw in the reagan years. and even from the reagan years. and even from the trump administration, was peace through strength and the best way to avoid war is to prepare for war. and what biden has done, he's obsessed with di and other other rubbish in the military. he's cut defence spending at a time like this with all the uncertainty , he's with all the uncertainty, he's cut defence spending by 3% in real terms, and then he's he's been critical of the military in many in many cases. so this is not a president that demonstrates strength. so now he's he's playing from behind. he's playing catch up which is

never the position. >> well let's let's talk about donald trump because of course there under trump's there are no wars under trump's premiership his and premiership. uh, his fans and supporters would say he got things done with threats and apparent strength . he was the apparent strength. he was the first president to meet a north korean leader and crossed the demilitarised zone. um, what would trump do this would trump do in this situation? would even situation? would we have even got to this point if trump was in not. in charge? probably not. >> and think if there any >> and i think if there was any retaliation from a trump president, it would have been donein president, it would have been done in october when the first missiles flew. i mean, again, they us military they were firing at us military bases in iraq and other places. so when soldiers are at risk, there has to be an immediate response. that's why i think, again, you they couldn't go through the congressional routine because it had to be done. routine because it had to be done . it should have been done done. it should have been done months i don't think months ago. i don't think it would have happened trump. would have happened under trump. look he did in ukraine. for look what he did in ukraine. for all trump, all the criticism about trump, you know, cosying up with putin or talking to putin. yeah, he he sent javelin missiles to you know, to ukraine while the obama

and biden administration was sending blankets to an airbase in poland and shipping them via truck to kyiv without an american flag on it, trump was sending , you know, javelins and sending, you know, javelins and other lethal materiel to ukraine. so he was much tougher on on russia than his predecessor for or biden in his time as president. yeah. >> greg sansone from republicans overseas. very good to see you this morning. thank you very much. now do stay with us. still to come, developments to come, the latest developments on strikes on on the uk's targeted strikes on the houthi rebels. are we prepared for a further military escalation in all that and much more after your morning news with . with sam. >> ben. ellie thank you very much. good morning from the gb news room, i'm sam francis. the headunes news room, i'm sam francis. the headlines are just after 1130. well, as we've been hearing, five people have been killed and six others were wounded in the strikes by the us and the uk in yemen overnight. that's according to a yemeni news agency for raf typhoons joined

us aircraft to target facilities in yemen that were linked to attacks on ships in the red sea, attacks on ships in the red sea, a spokesman for the militant group says the uk and the us will not go without punishment or retaliation. however minister for the armed forces here in the uk, james heappey, says the uk is acting in self—defence . is acting in self—defence. >> the action last night was the necessary proportionate limit and response required was to act in self—defence of the uk and us warships that are in the southern red sea , seeking to southern red sea, seeking to protect commercial shipping as it transits on that vital route between europe and asia. uh, what we did last night was to degrade and disrupt the houthi capability to launch those attacks . uh, it shouldn't be attacks. uh, it shouldn't be seen as a start of anything more i >> -- >> rishi sunak is making a surprise visit to ukraine as the government announced it will provide £2.5 billion in military aid to the country over the

coming year. it comes as the ukrainian president presses allies in the west to provide more support in its fight against russian forces. more support in its fight against russian forces . that against russian forces. that comes as the war is approaching. the two year mark rishi sunak says the uk will not falter in its support and will stand with ukraine in their darkest hours. elsewhere, victims of the infected blood scandal say they feel marginalised and that they should get the same coverage as those caught up in the post office scandal. the lawyers, representing 1500 victims say the government should react properly, objectively and fully to everyone who is wronged in such circumstances. the commons leader, penny mordaunt, said it wouldn't take an itv drama to compensate the victims of the infected blood scandal and get that situation resolved, and finally, the economy grew by nought point 3% in november. that's according to the office for national statistics gdp had declined by the same amount in october, but the latest uplift was driven by the services

sector, the biggest contributor to economic growth, with a rise of nought point 4. however, the chancellor , jeremy hunt, says chancellor, jeremy hunt, says growth will be slower as the government works to bring inflation back to its 2% target and as ever, you can get more on all of those stories and many more by visiting our website, gbnews.com . gbnews.com. >> for gb news.com. >> for exclusive, gbnews.com. >> for exclusive, limited edition and rare gold coins that are always newsworthy , rosalind are always newsworthy, rosalind gold proudly sponsors the gb news financial report . news financial report. >> and here's another look at this morning's markets. the pound will buy you $1.2755 and ,1.1639. the price of gold is £1,604.31 per ounce, and the ftse 100 is currently at 7630 points. >> rosalind gold proudly sponsors the gb news financial report , still to come, we'll be

report, still to come, we'll be heanng report, still to come, we'll be hearing what you have to say on britain's military action last night against the houthi rebels. >> did sunak make the >> did rishi sunak make the right keep views right call? keep your views coming also, big coming in. also, this big protest tomorrow. meant to be protest tomorrow. it meant to be a process, similar a pro—palestine process, similar to we've over the to the ones we've seen over the past of weeks. are we past couple of weeks. are we going to see new wave of going to see a new wave of support for houthi rebels? it wouldn't surprise me. >> it going to be an >> yes. is it now going to be an antiwar demonstration? let us know what you think. vaiews@gbnews.com. this is britain's

that i knew had dup and co weeknights from six.

>> welcome back. >> welcome back. >> thanks for staying with us. you're with britain's newsroom on gb news. it's 1141 with me, ben leo and ellie costello. >> and thank you so much for your company this morning. loads of in with your of you emailing in with your thoughts the us and uk thoughts on the us and uk strikes on houthi rebels last night. um, chris says i absolutely support the government's decision to attack the houthi rebels in yemen. the world cannot be held hostage by a group of radical extremists who just want see the west who just want to see the west brought to its knees. yeah. >> good point. uh maggie says the is responsible the pm is responsible for looking country looking after this country and its people. once. he is its people. for once. he is correct. we needed to do something, it's done instead something, and it's done instead of waiting for a vote. >> and mike says the houthis needed to be put in their place and cannot be allowed to threaten shipping with this piracy. yeah actually, some piracy. yeah and actually, some really you do do a vote and you that if you do do a vote and you publicise the facts that you're coming, then the enemy is going to ready and prepared, which

to be ready and prepared, which is perhaps why death of is perhaps why the death toll of the low . the houthi rebels is so low. >> our homeland >> according to our homeland security mark just security editor mark white, just five uh from six five people killed. uh from six injured, six injured. >> yeah. robin, just one more, uh, view from the inbox we uh, view from the inbox is we have a minister authorising this action who has never been in the armed forces. this action should have been authorised by the whole parliament, it could whole of parliament, as it could now to a war iran. now lead to a war with iran. >> do need a minister that >> do you need a minister that has been in the armed forces to be an armed forces minister? >> well, you'd be very limited, wouldn't you? yeah. >> not getting >> i mean, it's not getting the best from you'd have best advice from you'd have johnny wallace, johnny mercer, ben wallace, ex—armed think wallace johnny mercer, ben wallace, ex-yeah.yd think wallace johnny mercer, ben wallace, ex-yeah. wallace think wallace is. yeah. wallace >> very few who actually >> yeah. very few who actually have sort of experience. have that sort of experience. robin but keep those views robin but do keep those views coming in. views gbnews.com. coming in. gb views gbnews.com. let's widen out, shall we, let's widen it out, shall we, with our political commentator let's widen it out, shall we, with our stadlen commentator let's widen it out, shall we, with our stadlen andimentator let's widen it out, shall we, with our stadlen and political' matthew stadlen and political commentator emma who are commentator emma webb, who are on this morning. and on our panel this morning. and what you make on that point, what do you make on that point, emma, do you think that we need a with experience in a minister with experience in the forces to make the armed forces to make decisions like this, is this decisions like this, or is this an executive of government an executive power of government that entitled to a that there entitled to take at a time like this? i actually think

that's a very important question that's a very important question that mentioned enough. >> don't mean just in the >> and i don't mean just in the context of this conversation, but experience ministers context of this conversation, bugeneralperience ministers context of this conversation, bu general with nce ministers context of this conversation, bu general with nce nto isters context of this conversation, bugeneral with nce nto their in general with respect to their role, don't have role, because we don't have enough an emphasis, i think, enough of an emphasis, i think, in politics on experience, in our politics on experience, on relevant experience. instead you sort of ministers you have sort of ministers cycled to different posts cycled around to different posts where don't really have where they don't really have enough pick up enough time to pick up experience particular area experience in a particular area and be masterful it. and really be masterful of it. so of course, i think it would be a bit a huge benefit if you have somebody in that post who does have, relevant does have, um, relevant experience in the armed forces . experience in the armed forces. i don't necessarily i don't think it's absolutely necessary that a minister has to have served in the armed forces in order to be good minister served in the armed forces in ordearmede good minister served in the armed forces in ordearmed forces,d minister served in the armed forces in ordearmed forces, but nister served in the armed forces in ordearmed forces, but itster the armed forces, but it certainly would help. >> that's an argument >> well, that's an argument against that, guys. and i interviewed sir malcolm rifkind barely recently. i very barely recently. i was very impressed by him. he's a conservative. he's a former foreign secretary, a former defence secretary, and he had not been in the armed forces. and as i say, he was in charge of our defence. and i think if i

remember correctly, he felt that the generals and the military, the generals and the military, the military leadership, were rather relieved not to have had someone who'd been maybe quite junior in the armed forces and had wanted to out general the general. so there are some advantages , actually, of advantages, actually, of political figures, not having beenin political figures, not having been in the armed forces. on the other hand, i think johnny mercer does some really important veterans and important work for veterans and thatis important work for veterans and that is clearly a very, very personal mission on his part . personal mission on his part. could i just come back on something you said earlier, ben, this vote in this idea that a vote in parliament, which, as i've said earlier, necessary earlier, is not necessary because it's a prerogative power of government to do what of the government to do what it's that vote it's done, but that vote wouldn't have told the rebels that we're coming. they knew we were coming because we had they had warned explicitly. had been warned explicitly. they ignored warning and that's ignored that warning and that's why they've been struck. >> robert fox, the defence >> yeah. robert fox, the defence editor evening editor from the evening standard, he told us earlier that actually the and uk that actually the us and the uk had identified target sites as had identified a target sites as early december, so you'd hope early as december, so you'd hope so , right. so, right. >> because if you're going to warn these people that you're

going to strike them, you have to assume you have to to assume that you may have to do that, and therefore you have to have a plan in place. >> potentially giving >> you are potentially giving them, up, them, um, an imminent heads up, though, because we know that as hamas that sorts of hamas do, that these sorts of groups like hezbollah, the houthis likely to use human houthis are likely to use human shields and to use the shields and then to use the footage of that devastation in their propaganda to, if you their own propaganda to, if you do give them an imminent heads up hey, guys, this is up like, hey, guys, this is going to happen tomorrow. um, then imagine that they then you can imagine that they could measures that could take certain measures that would effectiveness would damage the effectiveness of the that we choose to take. >> emma, let's stay with you for a moment, because rishi sunak is in kyiv today. he's announcing a new package with new military aid package with president zelenskyy. the on going support there for ukraine. we've been hearing from mark whitaker, security editor , whitaker, home security editor, throughout morning, throughout the morning, describing navy as as describing our own navy as as depleted and talking about the very limited resources that we have in our own armed forces at the moment. i mean , with this the moment. i mean, with this situation in the red sea and launching of these strikes, do you there will be more of you think there will be more of a on, on defence,

a focus on, on defence, especially when we're coming up to election? especially when we're coming up to thisection? especially when we're coming up to thisects0|? especially when we're coming up to thisectso important that >> this is so important that i don't think it can be overstated . a very, um, good . there's a very, um, good article in today's telegraph by rob clark, who is an academic who had previously been in the armed . and he's making armed forces. and he's making the just reminds the point that this just reminds us further that the serious challenge that we face, potentially, if we're dragged into a conflict and we have all of these different fronts opening up all over the world, we a depleted navy. we have we have a depleted navy. we have a recruitment crisis the a recruitment crisis in the royal a royal navy, and we have a depleted forces. and it's depleted armed forces. and it's really important that our armed forces large enough and forces is large enough and properly equipped enough to deal with the challenges that we are facing, that are becoming an increasingly hostile global situation. so i think absolutely , this should become a very important political issue. and i think we should see across the board a willingness from both parties to put more money into the armed forces and to solve the armed forces and to solve the recruitment crisis, because it's an absurd situation that we're having to use companies like serco to recruit deckhands for royal navy vessels. it's

madness . madness. >> matthew. come on then, let's let's have it out. some would argue that military has been argue that the military has been overcome with what would overcome with what they would call wokeness focus call wokeness too much focus on diversity, , equality. diversity, inclusion, equality. are we not focusing on on what we need to be doing in defending our borders instead of all that obtrusive as possible right now? >> as emma do >> because as emma says, we do have a recruitment crisis. we do >> because as emma says, we do have a strong nent crisis. we do >> because as emma says, we do have a strong and crisis. we do >> because as emma says, we do have a strong and robust we do need a strong and robust defensive capability in this country. we need sufficient warships . and our fleet has been warships. and our fleet has been depleted over recent years. we need sufficient warships to be able to be nimble so that if a crisis erupts in the red sea, as it has done, we can respond. and at the same time we're able to defend our interest against russia and help ukraine. this is critical stuff, by the way. i'm going to try and force you as a neutral presenter. then to defend your your great mate jeremy corbyn. i noted that my great mate, i noted that corbyn has said that these strikes are the wrong way forward. so i would ask jeremy corbyn, what

are you planning to go out and as a sort of deposition to to, yemen and try and talk down the houthi rebels, does he really think that they're going to take him seriously? i just find that extraordinary. >> i would like see him do >> i would like to see him do it, he might. it, but he might. >> might just say, i was in >> he might just say, i was in yemen, but i was not in the company present. >> but not involved. >> but not involved. >> those people, it does make me laugh people jeremy laugh with people like jeremy corbyn and abbott and the laugh with people like jeremy corleft and abbott and the laugh with people like jeremy corleft ofd abbott and the laugh with people like jeremy corleft of i abbott and the laugh with people like jeremy corleft of i know abbott and the laugh with people like jeremy corleft of i know they're and the far left of i know they're independents but the labour independents now, but the labour ilk point do you ilk at what point do you commence military action? i mean, wanted mean, even jeremy corbyn wanted to get rid of our nuclear deterrent. >> problem we may >> the problem is that we may find ourselves in a bit of a bind here. as i've said, i support this action. it seems to me to proportionate by me to be proportionate by proportion. doesn't mean you proportion. it doesn't mean you you do exactly the you do exactly what the opposition does the enemy opposition does or the enemy does, then it could be a does, because then it could be a stalemate. it means not overreach. yourself overreach. teaching yourself this be proportionate. this seems to be proportionate. it seems in our national it seems to be in our national self—interest and self—defence. the is, happens the question is, what happens next? could it backfire? is this going to encourage and embolden the houthis to do even more? and

if it does, that's counterproductive because there's going to be even an even greater squeeze on that trading route 15, something like that of world trade by sea comes through that area. >> and actually, emma , how can >> and actually, emma, how can striking purely military sites, missile sites , those launch missile sites, those launch pads, drone warehouse houses, how can striking those sites be anything but proportionate? i mean , are people like diane mean, are people like diane abbott saying no , you shouldn't abbott saying no, you shouldn't be targeting military sites? is that they're that what they're saying? >> well, the way that >> well, i think the way that proportionality is represented often misleading because it's often is misleading because it's not know, for tat. not about, you know, for tat. it's not an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth. proportionality is, is proportionate to the military objective of the military objective of the military objective is to stop the houthis from endangering the lives of people on these ships and from firing their rockets and making it safe for their ships to pass through with trade and so on. um, so with respect to that, of course, this is absolutely proportionate. it could be anything, but, um, it's totally justified . it's totally legal

justified. it's totally legal and above board . um, and and above board. um, and ultimately it's the right thing to do. and i just very quickly wanted one point about wanted to make one point about the army recruitment, because i think it's important. think it's very important. i think it's very important. i think do run a risk in if we think we do run a risk in if we acknowledge we need more people to be willing to go into our armed forces, we need to avoid a recruitment push that is focussed on die diversity and quality. and the same question to you we don't want to water down the quality of candidates by having, um, criteria for candidates. enough. hang on a second. >> we haven't got enough candidates, but i need to finish my point. >> you need to you need to let me finish my point because you need that you are need to make sure that you are getting the best candidates for the the purpose of the job, for the purpose of being in the military. so we have a military. if you have a strong military. if you have a strong military. if you have other criteria that are superfluous and extraneous to military , that are military objectives, that are simply try and get more simply to try and get more people in, you could easily end up with a situation where you have more people in the military, but it's just a less effective one. >> matthew we've we've >> yeah. matthew we've we've absolutely more

absolutely got to get more people military. people into the military. >> seems there's >> and it seems there's a particular crisis in the navy. clearly, we only want people in those who are capable of those jobs who are capable of doing but if that means doing them. but if that means trying to encourage people from different areas of the community, different areas of society get involved, then society to get involved, then that's absolutely need that's what we absolutely need to . we need to have a robust to do. we need to have a robust defensive capability in this country. it's screamingly obvious. i just want to make, if i may, a very quick point about how serious this situation is. i mean, it may de—escalate. let's hopeit mean, it may de—escalate. let's hope it does, because it is affecting or will affect our cost of living crisis, which is already serious. but is so already serious. but this is so big we are big scale because we are effectively in a sort of proxy war. now with iran, because iran is this big bad regime that does terrible things to its own people, that hates the west, and it is arming these militias. it's been arming hezbollah. its armed hamas. it wants to do terrible damage to the west. and we are going face to face with them now. >> and can i remind you of the turkish president erdogan's

comments last half an comments in the last half an hour so, that the us hour or so, saying that the us and the uk, a were disproportionate in their retaliation. b turning retaliation. but b turning the red sea into a sea of blood. that's extraordinary language , that's extraordinary language, isn't it? >> it's bizarre language from erdogan. but we know that he's in his own ways, a despot . i in his own ways, a despot. i mean, terrible human rights abuses in turkey. i mean, they'd call themselves democracy, but it's not really a democracy . it's not really a democracy. >> oh, emma, let's pick up on matthew's point there about the cost of living crisis, because the reality is are all going the reality is we are all going to this in our pockets , to feel this in our pockets, aren't we? we'll feel it at the petrol pumps. we'll feel it in the as prices go there the shops as prices go up. there are much wider ramifications to just what we're seeing here in the red sea. well, this is why strategy is so important, because what we need is for our leaders to take a holistic understanding situation, understanding of the situation, because it involves politics. >> it involves military strategy. to playing strategy. we need to be playing this. know this seems like this. and i know this seems like a point to make, a very obvious point to make, but not obvious but perhaps it's not as obvious as should be that this needs as it should be that this needs to played a very careful

to be played like a very careful game of chess, because we've got a situation here where you have various, actors various, um, groups or actors that are essentially holding various, um, groups or actors that arhostage. ally holding various, um, groups or actors that arhostage. ally ithey1g various, um, groups or actors that arhostage. ally ithey are various, um, groups or actors that arhostage.ally ithey are um , others hostage. um, they are um, it's you're trying to avoid being put in a situation where it's checkmate , basically. um, it's checkmate, basically. um, and so it's very, very complicated because russia is an ally now of iran, but also russia needs to use the red sea. and even if they're not targeting russian boats, it still has an impact on russian trade. so it's an extremely complicated global situation . complicated global situation. and if we if we are going to de—escalate it and try to, um , de—escalate it and try to, um, to have a prudent and proportionate response, that is actually effective and uses our resources and our finances effectively, we need to have a holistic understanding of who the players are and what their interests are so that we don't end up checkmate. >> yeah. great stuff. matthew sadler and emma webb, thank you for joining us. that's it from forjoining us. that's it from britain's newsroom with myself forjoining us. that's it from brittellie.iewsroom with myself forjoining us. that's it from brittellie. thank)m with myself forjoining us. that's it from brittellie. thank you/ith myself forjoining us. that's it from brittellie. thank you for myself forjoining us. that's it from brittellie. thank you for beingf

and ellie. thank you for being with us. and ellie, thank you for having sharing this, for for having me sharing this, for having duty you. having me this duty with you. this yes. this morning. yes. >> you for your >> and thank you for your company home for all your company at home and for all your emails well. up next is good emails as well. up next is good afternoon britain with tom and pip. >> an enormous afternoon of news today. >> not only are we expecting the prime minister to speak from ukraine, but also an exclusive interview with former home secretary suella braverman will be bringing that to you this houh be bringing that to you this hour. it's explosive . hour. it's explosive. >> also in more refreshing news, we are telling you the pub of the year . where we are telling you the pub of the year. where is it all to be revealed? very shortly, a brighter outlook with boxt solar spot answers of weather on gb news . news. news. news. >> good morning. >> good morning. >> i'm alex burkill here with your latest gb news, weather forecast . whilst it is going to forecast. whilst it is going to be quite a cloudy day today for many of us, staying dry, but some rain arriving in the north later. ahead of it though, we have some clear skies first thing across parts of scotland.

northern a frosty northern ireland. so a frosty start freezing fog start here. some freezing fog patches for and patches to watch out for and these linger well into the these could linger well into the afternoon further south for afternoon even further south for much wales. much of england and wales. largely perhaps some largely cloudy, perhaps some brighter developing at brighter breaks developing at times particularly western times, particularly for western parts , maybe some parts of wales, maybe some further inland. but on the whole a cloudy picture and a cold one. two temperatures suppressed most places mid single places staying in mid single figures best as we go through figures at best as we go through this evening and overnight we start to see a front pushing its way in from the northwest. and so some persistent so initially some persistent rain of rain across northern parts of scotland. breaks up as it scotland. but it breaks up as it makes its way southwards . so by makes its way southwards. so by the time we head towards the early saturday morning , early hours of saturday morning, it's going to bring a it's really not going to bring a huge amount northern huge amount across northern england ireland. england and northern ireland. another chilly to come another chilly night to come though of frost in some though a touch of frost in some places, perhaps some patches places, perhaps some icy patches to out for and again some to watch out for and again some fog patches as well as we go through itself. then through saturday itself. then that continue to push that front does continue to push its little bit further its way a little bit further southwards, doesn't bring southwards, but doesn't bring a huge in fact, huge amount of rain. in fact, far parts likely to far southern parts likely to stay dry, albeit quite stay mostly dry, albeit quite cloudy limited bright cloudy at times. limited bright or but we should

or sunny spells, but we should see further north see some further north increasing amounts sunshine increasing amounts of sunshine perhaps, some showers perhaps, but also some showers towards the north. again towards the north. and again a cold day. temperatures suppress for many sunday. cold for many into sunday. cold arctic air across many of us so even colder with more snow showers in the north. >> that warm feeling inside from boxt boilers sponsors of weather on gb news .

>> good afternoon britain . it's >> good afternoon britain. it's 12 pm. on friday the 12th of january. coming up today we have an exclusive interview with the former home secretary, suella braverman . it's her first tv braverman. it's her first tv interview since being sacked by rishi sunak in october, and we'll bring it to you shortly after. the uk strikes back, two days after iran backed houthi rebels fired attack drones at the royal navy, the uk and the us launched an overnight operation. >> they've struck 16 sites in yemen and killed at least five houthi rebels . houthi rebels. >> rishi speaks we'll hear live from the prime minister as he makes a surprise visit to ukraine alongside top military officials. the uk is providing more cash for british made surveillance, long—range strike drones and sea drones. surveillance, long—range strike drones and sea drones . a new uk, drones and sea drones. a new uk, uk ukraine security agreement is to be signed this afternoon and