and finally, the chief executive officers of three of the biggest airlines in the us are due to meet with president donald trump today after sending a letter to us secretary of state rex tillerson urging action against government subsidies given to its competitors in the gulf. joining us is paul charles who's ceo of the pc agency good morning. yesterday we were looking at the story of the russian political activist who is in hospital in moscow with severe organ failure. his wife is best he has been poisoned and now we have no violently be prevented to run four office —— alexei navalny. violently be prevented to run four office -- alexei navalny. this sensibly he's a threat to president putin. he would like to stand in the presidential election but there is a

sense of the legal groundhog day. in effect, he has been found guilty again of the same offences he was found guilty of a few years ago. he saysin found guilty of a few years ago. he says in the article a legal loophole may allow him to run but when you look at the popularity of vladimir putin, they are so high, something drastic would have to happen for him not to win a fourth election. he had two years as president, then prime minister and now... he hasn't said he would stand for president... but we can expect to. what would be ironic is if president trump would have a hand in these! a lot of it depends on the relationship between vladimir putin and donald trump. will he maintained a strong hand and

be influenced by donald trump? undoubtedly vladimir putin is so popular and if in some way. he is leading a new style of russia, it is working, he has been a threat to the world and it has had an impact. what baffles are lot of us in the west, if the young educated adore him. he has conviction. he is precise stop he is what young people want to see ina he is what young people want to see in a politician, he makes decisions. you might not agree with them all but his continuing an economic revival albeit the last few years have been tough. looking at the next story, i believe when theresa may met donald trump she said the careful of vladimir putin. is she a strong leader? i think she is. quietly strong. different to david

cameron. she is highly popular, she is but quiet and what she is doing is but quiet and what she is doing is actually working behind the scenes to change the political order and boy did she have a job on her hand because she's changing history. she has huge backing here in the comments and that is music to her years because fiow comments and that is music to her years because now there should not bea years because now there should not be a blockage to hurt triggering article 50. —— ears. there was a call that the lords will must not block it otherwise this is an unelected chamber. you do need checks and balances system. they are four to one. let's face it, it is an unwise member of parliament that would go against the will of the

majority, 52%. she has a lot of power behind and it is going to make the process of faster. you will see the process of faster. you will see the speed up now to the date when she could trigger article 50. angela merkel... i she could trigger article 50. angela merkel. .. i have she could trigger article 50. angela merkel... i have two stories highlighted. you have been excessive with your highlighter. stephen clark, that is his name stop after the tunisian who had been denied asylu m the tunisian who had been denied asylum in germany then drive the truck into the market, it is not surprising that she will announce these repatriation... essentially she is saying we must put repatriation right at the top of the agenda. having opened up the borders and let in so many migrants what she

is saying now is we need to speed up the asylum process and remove some of the migrants. is it because there isa of the migrants. is it because there is a little election around the corner? clearly the popular move is against having so many migrants coming in. the right incentives on offer to leave germany. —— there are. to you think some in germany may say it is a little late now, the horse has bolted... she has lost a friend in president obama. allegedly president trump is not so familiar with angela merkel and i think also what you have got is that people, the will of the people is starting to be heard and in germany they are saying the economy is not growing as fa st saying the economy is not growing as fast as it would have done had we

not met in so many migrants. in your field of expertise, travel, leisure, tourism, that is as good an indication as how people regard the feeling in any area they want to spend time. what is going on at the moment with donald trump and the travel ban and the populism and nationalism in europe? it is a really good question. it is more than anecdotal evidence they say people are not booking holidays to the us in the same number. trump is having an effect on travel to the us, certainly from the uk and europe. we are seeing in booking numbers. there is bee mac as well, once we are not members... “— brexit. of course not. people will not come to the uk because the uk

has left the european union! there isa has left the european union! there is a big difference. donald trump has tarnished brand usa. without a doubt, his views, and ethics, whether you believe them or not they have had a huge... i not drawing a parallel between brexit and donald trump. well because of the exchange rate more people will be coming into the uk. me and my aviation freshness and yours, the american... the bosses of the three major us carriers are going to the white house and talk to mr trump picked andi house and talk to mr trump picked and i am wondering if he's going to give them an ear. they are miffed at the gulf carriers and their expansion into the west. you could argue it is a jealousy. they have a

better product and have had for some time stop equally, plenty ofjobs created by the gulf carriers. are they subsidise? i do not think any more than those in america. chapter in11 more than those in america. chapter in 11 brought more than those in america. chapter in11 brought in more than those in america. chapter in 11 brought in and able to get out of it. bankruptcy protection? thank you. iam of it. bankruptcy protection? thank you. i am glad you think they have a better front. i as a you. i am glad you think they have a betterfront. i as a consumer, unlike a little bit of lifestyle and ifiam unlike a little bit of lifestyle and if i am sitting in a gulf carrier i have a bigger screen, the food is better quality. i go on cattle class but ina better quality. i go on cattle class but in a gulf carrier ifill better. they are investing in their private. here they have been in chapter in 11! they also support the us

economy, they buy an awful lot of boeing aircraft. he will want to protect us carriers because ofjobs created but he cannot block off, surely, the borders otherwise —— to carriers... otherwise... coffee and cake. always a pleasure. great to see you. cattle class? you fly cattle class, really? hello, there. over the next few days it is going to feel like we have been plunged into the deep freeze, and do not expect crisp, cold weather and blue skies. in fact, for much of the time it will be grey skies. a lot of cloud, and actually, during wednesday we already saw a lot of cloud creeping in across eastern areas. this weather watcher

at gower, near swansea, did capture some sunshine. that was where the best of the sunshine was during wednesday, and the highest temperatures as well — 11 degrees. but under the cloud, further east, we were pegged well down into single digits, because of all the cloud, and also because of this increasingly cold air feeding in on an easterly wind. the easterly wind providing some wintry showers through the early hours down the east coast. a mixture of rain, sleet and snow, snow particularly inland, could get some icy stretches and, wherever you are, a very cold start to thursday morning. now, through thursday, there will be some brightness and sunshine around. again, the best of that will be out west. but for central and eastern areas, a lot of cloud, this nagging easterly wind still providing some wintry showers, particularly close to the east coast. now, we could see some quite hefty showers across the northern isles. some showers continuing down the east coast of scotland. along the immediate coastal strip, a mixture of rain and sleet. but come inland, it will be snow, yet more snow falling over the grampians, and down the east coast of england a similar story. right on the coast line, a mixture of rain and sleet.

inland, the increasing chance of seeing some snow showers. and you can see these temperatures, just 2, 3, 4 degrees. in fact, that is the story, as far as the temperatures go, right across the country, but remember, in these western fringes, there is a better chance that we will see some sunshine. now, during thursday night and on into friday, really, it is more of the same. easterly winds continue to deliver some wintry showers, these showers increasingly falling as snow. a frosty start to friday morning just about everywhere. and then during friday, we cannot rule out a wintry flurry, really anywhere across the country. probably nothing too disruptive, but there could be some small accumulations in places, and a cold—feeling day, 2, 3, 4, 5 degrees at best. and then we head into the weekend. we still have high pressure anchored up over scandinavia, bringing us these easterly winds. still the wintry showers, the increasing chance that these will be falling as snow, particularly in eastern areas. again, out west, that's where we'll see the best of the sunshine. in fact, parts of scotland, especially up to the north—west, seeing quite a lot of sunshine on saturday. by sunday, temperatures in the south just beginning to lift up a little bit, and that takes

us into next week. more of a south—easterly wind, so we could see something a little less cold into the south by then. hello. this is breakfast, with charlie stayt and steph mcgovern. record waiting times at a&e departments in english hospitals, according to figures seen by the bbc. emergency departments suffered their worst performance last month, since the target to see patients within four hours was brought in 13 years ago. good morning. it's thursday, the 9th of february. also this morning: the ayes to the right, 494,