ITV Good Morning Britain interrupts show to announce 'breaking news'

manchestereveningnews.co.uk:

Good Morning Britain correspondent Jonathan Swain interrupted the show's opening to deliver some breaking news. As the programme began, hosts Susanna Reid and Ed Balls immediately handed over to Jonathan, who was live at the Foreign Office.

He revealed that Beirut had endured a 'brutal night' of fierce clashes and airstrikes. A "Breaking News" banner flashed on screen as Jonathan reported: "It has been a brutal night in Beirut of intense fighting and air strikes.

It is thought as many as five thousand British nationals are still in the country but the options for them getting out are now diminishing day by day." "Many commercial flights have had to be grounded or cancelled because of what's happening in the air and the intense fighting so the British government have now chartered their own flights." Jonathan continued: "Tomorrow they will fly from Beirut to Birmingham, we understand.

There's limited space, of course, for British nationals and, of course, their dependents, and their families. They are being charged £350 per seat." He then outlined the government's efforts to assist those stranded in Lebanon, stating: "Last week, their rapid reaction force of 700 troops, they're currently being based in a RAF base in standby.