wow, you get to watch all your favorite stuff. it's to die for. now you won't miss a thing. this is the way. xfinity internet. made for streami. ♪ ♪ ♪ announcer: funding for presentation of this program is provided by...

woman: a law partner rediscovers her grandmother's artistry and creates a trust to keep the craft alive. a raymond james financial advisor gets to know you, your passions and the way you enrich your community. life well planned. man: cunard is a proud supporter of public television. on a voyage with cunard, the world awaits. a world of flavor. diverse destinations. and immersive experiences. a world of leisure... and british style. all with cunard's "white-star" service. announcer: funding was also provided by, the freeman foundation. and by judy and peter blum kovler foundation, pursuing solutions for america's neglected needs. announcer: and now, "bbc news"

. i'm christian fraser. . and this is "the context" >> under labour, they are clear that it is important to have defense and they want to mature have good national security. >> i think she speaks for many tory voters in saying that the tory party has changed, it has left the center-ground. >> if you look at things she said in the past, criticism on the policy on the vote, it seems incompatible with prepositions now. >> the curiosity with this one is that it is almost equal opportunities in at the scum of elation for conservative mps and labour mps. ♪

christian: another conservative mp crosses the floor to labour. member for dover, one of the hard-line voices on migration analysis with sir keir starmer. we will get her reaction. the defense secretary confirmed the white house pause bombs heading to israel. and xi jinping arrives in hungary for dinner with victor or bond, one of his closest allies in europe who tends to dig his heels in on policy that threatens china. christian: very good evening. after a weekend of disastrous results in the local elections, rishi sunak came to the commons intent of rallying the troops. waiting for him today it was an ambush. just as his mps began taking their seats behind him, one of them, the conservative natalie

elsie, across the floor to sit behind the labour leader. timed for maximum political effect on less than two weeks after the defection of another member, how the labour leader enjoyed it. >> a tory mp who is also a doctor says that prime minister can't be trusted with the nhs and joins labour, and next week the tory mp for dover on the front line of the small boats crisis says that prime minister can't be trusted with our borders and joins labour, what is the point of this failed government staggering on? christian: in her statement, the dover mp said conservatives and the rishi sunak had become a byword for incompetence and division. >> in 2019 the conservatives stood on the manifesto that was sent to the ground. under rishi sunak, to have abandoned center ground and broken many election promises.

meanwhile, under keir starmer, labour has changed and i think that will bring a much better future for our country andhat is why i will join the liberal party and play my part in. christian: the center ground. it didn't take long for her former colleagues to hit back, including this from that minister from northern ireland and former chair of the european research group to which not only elsik once belonged. "i have been searching in vain for a conservative mp who thinks himself to the right of natalie elphicke. one just quit. i didn't realize there was any room to her right." let's bring in ben wright who is at westminster for us. on the screen is at qr code that will take you to our latest news episode. our political editor chris mason has been posting that. ben, plenty of raised eyebrows. the last person he would have predicted to cross the aisle.

guest: people are pretty gobsmacked by this. it doesn't feel like your usual infection. clearly sir keir starmer is thrilled to bits to have another former conservative mp on his back benches, particularly one who represents a skewed right in the front line of the battle of dealing with the small boats issue, there she is representing dover on the south coast, and sir keir starmer can n say that the mp for that area is in tune with his party's approach on that issue. but until today, natalie elphicke and sir keir starmer would have appeared to have absolutely nothing in common. she is on the right on the parties, she was a true blue brexiteer, massive fan of boris johnson. she backed liz truss when she was standing to become prime minister. she had recently criticized the government's record on trying to tackle illegal migration and

asylum-seekers and saying their plan wasn't going to work. but i think tory mp's are incredulous but today she is presenting herself as a champion of the center ground where, for many people, that isn't where she has been until now. christian: no, there are plenty of things you can read about her point of view on labour's migration policies. let bit in the editor at the financial times. this adds to the sense of narrative, lucy, after that local elections and a difficult weekend, another day when the conservative party is on the defensive. it just feels like the prime minister isn't able to get on e front foot. guest: i think that's right. let's not forget she is the second tory mp to defect to labour in as many weeks after dan poulter, an mp in suffolk left in the last fortnight. and as you said, rishi sunak and his strategy group had invited

tory mp's to downing street for a presentation on the general election national campaign and had hoped to as you say quote try to get back on the front foot. but his hopes were dashed by the very dramatic moment in which natalie elphicke crossed the floor just moments before prime minister's questions began. well it is a blow for rishi sunak, there are questions about sir keir starmer's judgment tonight among labour mps who are very concerned about natalie elphicke's past political views, her past criticism of the labor party, or past support for her disgraced former husband who was convicted of sexually assaulting two women. she defended him after that conviction. and indeed her past suspension from parliament for a day over her attempts to influence a judge involved in the case against her former husband

christian: yes, this is interesting because right now suspended from the labor party is the former leader and socialist jeremy corbyn and his key ally diane abott. and in comes natalie elphicke, who sat with the erg and was one of the key proponents of brexit. it lends itself to the criticism of keir starmer that he is creating new labour. he might say that to win elections you need to have a broad church, but i wonder how people to the left of him feel about it. guest: it's not just people to the left, there are more mainstream centrists in the labor party that i have spoken with today, people who would be very happy to be aligned with the new labor project who are still bemused and slightly concerned, some of them, about natalie elphicke's arrival to the party because of her past views not just on immigration, but criticizing manchester

united football at marcus rashford and his food and poverty campaign and for her criticisms of labour. just last year she wrote an article in which she called keir starmer sir softie, that derisive label that rishi sunak often applies to him. she a cute labour of having no plan of tackling illegal migration and of wanting open borders. so it is different of her to now go to saying that labour is this party of the future and she supports it. i think john mcdonald put it well when he said he is all for conversion, but this is what he thought would stretch even the generosity of spirit of john the baptist. so there are people who are sort of suspicious of her motivation. some labor insiders have questioned what she gets out of this. she publicly denies that she has been offered a peerage, but

an informal, unpaid role as ave consultant on housing for the party. that gives us some relevance after she leaves parliament that she will not be labour's candidate in the next election. many are pointing out that it looked like she was going to lose the seat anyway so it is a way for her to kind of remain within the political environment. christian: lucy fisher from the financial times, thank you very much indeed. the u.s. defense secretary lloyd austin confirmed in a committee hearing that a shipment of u.s. weapons bound for israel was paused over concerns about an israeloffensive in rep. cook:. the shipment included 2000-pound bombs which would be devastating in such a densely populated space. >> we have been very clear, senator, as you know, from the very beginning, that israel should not launch a major attack in rafah without accounting for and protecting the civilians

that are in that battle space. and, again, as we have assessed the situation, we paused one shipment of high payload munitions, and, again, i think we have also been very clear about the steps that we would like to see israel take into account for and take care of those civilians before a major combat takes place. christian: that will put the focus on the europeans in westminster this afternoon. the british prime minister was asked what the u.k. policy will be given the concerns expressed by secretary austin. >> mr. speaker, as we await the imminent israeli incursion into rafah where 1.2 million people are sheltering including 600,000 children, it has been reported that the united states has paused an arms shipment to

israel. the u.k. will now follow suit, what could --won't it? >> the u.k. government doesn't directly shipped arms to israel. when it comes to the situation in rafah, i have been very clear that we are deeply concerned about a full military incursion of rafah given the devastating humanitarian impact. i have made that position and points specifically to prime minister netanyahu whenever we have spoken and will continue to urge all sides to focus on negotiations at hand to bring about a pause in the conflict to release hostages and get more aid in. christian: rishi sunak speaking earlier with the senior fellow at the atlanta council in washington, d.c., previously served in the israel defense forces. good to have you with us. these were 2500-pound bombs. for those of us who aren't familiar with munitions, what

would they normally be used for, and what does the israeli inventory look like if they are not being supplied? guest: first of all, how had several months to surrender, to release hostages, and to prevent suffering from the people of god as that country would suffer the hearing knife attack that israel suffered on the seventh of october -- the heinous attack that israel suffered on the seventh of october. out of 200 40 hostages, over 100 remain. hamas is planning to release only 30 of them. now hamas is talking of releasing corpses instead of hostages. the responsibility for suffering and for the israel incursion is on hamas. as far as concerning the admonition, i think the u.s. is delivering a blow to its own

credibility as an ally not just for israel, but 4 -- christian: what will the bulbs be used for, you are a military man, what will they be used for? guest: a military man is a stretch, i served something li 45 years ago, but the bones will be used, if they are used, to destroy hamas bunkers and strongholds in this unprecedented network of tunnels . that were denied by the people of gaza by hamas. the tunnels were denied as a shelter for the people of gaza by hamas, i want to make it clear. christian: alright, i understand your position vis-a-vis hamas, but presumably a 2500 pound bomb in an area like rafah that is so intensely built-up, it is the most densely populated place in the world, it is the view of the secretary of state that those shouldn't be used inn area

like that. guest: and that view could be communicated to israel and i am sure israel could conduct this operation without these bulbs. as to whether it is the most densely populated in the world, it's not. hong kong, for example, is. shanghai is. there are tons of other place in the world's more populated than rafah. christian: it is certainly the view of the u.s. administration that the 1.2 million people displaced into that area, in an already densely populated area, it will not allow those bombs to be transferred without some assurance they are being moved to safety. i seem to be picking up from what you are saying that you think it has undermined israel's defense and the wider middle east, is that the point you are making? guest: i am making an even broader point for yard yes, it undermines israel's defense.

israel is capable of producing ammunition by itself including the bombs and more sophisticated things than the bombs. however, when u.s. allies are looking at the u.s. now, looking at exhibit 1, stabbing israel in the back denying ammunition -- christian: that is a strong term. the secretary of state said the u.s. will continue to do whatever is necessary to ensure israel has the means to defend itself. "stabbing israel in the back?" guest: stabbing israel in the back while israel is locked in the conflict with a jihadist terrorist organization. yes, this is what is happening. in japan, korea, taiwan, the philippines,, poland you name it, even the u.k., should examine how reliable the u.s. can be in the military conflict when push comes to shove. christian: the point that some on the left of the democratic party make, and the one lesson that probably was learned from

iraq, and we certainly did plenty of reporting on it, is you cannot put an end to a terror group, prescribed terror group, by killing more and more people. if you depend ultimately on the support of the people. you have to win hearts and minds. ople question whether an operation like this in rafah will help israel and end this. guest: this is the decision of the israeli government, a decision the u.s. that abandoned kabul, took them six months to come up with funding for ukraine and now denyingmmunition to israel in the middle of a conflict, this is how it looks. having said that, i agree with you. you can relocate refugees from rafah to other areas. and this is ongoing. israel just opened a crossing point with 100 trucks a day

bringing -- christian: it is not enough. guest: who'd said? christian: we used to put a thousand trucks a day into gaza. now it is 150. it's not enough. guest: that is just one crossing. the other thing is when you have a terrorist organization that took its own population hostage and turned them into human shields, the easiest and fastest way to do it is to get rid of the leadership of that terrorist organization, deny them the military capability. that is what needs to happen and that is what is going to happen. christian: thank you very much for coming on the program tonight. around the world and across the u.k., this is "bbc news." for our u.k. viewers, let's look at some stories here today the. parents of 11 children who died

from what they say where the feelings of social media, called on prime minister sunak and labor leader keir starmer to do more to protect young people online. in an open letter, they say they are disappointed by the lack of ambition shown by a regulator, ofcom, which set out its plans to make socially to companies safer. he was officially sworn in at the court of edinburgh toy. and the deputy first minister returned after opting not to run against him for the s&p leadership. and prince harry celebrated the 10 year anniversary of the invictus games with a thanksgiving service at st. paul's cathedral. the duke of sussex is back in the u.k. to commemorate that most of the games for the injured veterans, but it was revealed he will not be meeting the king on this particular visit. you are live with bbc news. the court was in recess in manhattan today. the judge in donald trump's hush

money trial has given the former president wednesdays off to focus on the campaign. but no escape from the evidence we heard yesterday from the former adult film star stormy daniels. it was plastered across the front pages of the morning papers as the cable news channels served up a breakfast buffet of carefully edited highlights. her account of their sexual encounter in 2006 were at times so salacious that the judge was forced to intervene, and at one point was scolding the former president, who was cursing under his breath. pres. trump: as you see, their case is totally falling apart. they have nothing on books and records and even something that should bear very little relationship to the case. it's a disaster for the d.a. it's a disaster. christian: my guest is a former federal prosecutor. he is back with us joining us live from los angeles.

great to have you back on the program. remarkable moment yesterday. i think we have heard this story many times through different accounts in her book, but the idea of her sitting there opposite the former u.s. president, and setting all this out, what effect do you think that has had? guest: remarkable is right. i would say "extraordinary." i have never seen testimony like this where someone is describing in great detail the scandal, the cringe worthy details of a sexual encounter with donald trump, going so far as to say trump and melania sleep in different rooms, describing the sexual positions the president was in and the fact he had unprotected sex. i couldn't believe his lawyers did not object and allowed this evidence to come in. christian: that is an interesting point. the feeling of his supporters is that this is a political hit job , and even the judge said

yesterday he was amazed the defense didn't jump in earlier. was it entirely necessary on the part of the prosecution? guest: i don't thk it was necessary because the charges in this case are false business records. frankly it doesn't matter whether the affair with stormy daniels at the end or not. it is how they were booked and accounted for. were they illegal expensesr a hush-money payments? the judge allowed some questioning, but it really went sideways. we heard the sordid details of this affair that frankly the jurors and the american and british public did not need to know. christian: does the persecution risk losing the thread with some of this? i think the defense did a fairly decent job of rebuttal yesterday , she went back on the stunts tomorrow to finish that up. does that matter to the jury? does the salacious details take them away from what the central point of the case is?

guest: potentially triggered some jurors were looking away and make them to the disgusted. stormy daniels has changed her story consistently over the 1.5 decades since this happened. even on the stand giving inconsistent testimony. she said she wanted her story to be told. well you are paid $130,000 not to tell your story. and we know she has a financial motive to live because of this affair did elevate her own profile and she still owes the former president more than $500,000 for her failed defamation suit. christian: we will talk more. it begins again tomorrow, stormy daniels returning to the stand and still waiting for his former legal advisor michael cohen, that will be the blockbuster testimony of this trial.

chinese president xi jinping is in hungary in the final stage of his european tour and we hope to bring you some pictures live because he had just arrived or is due to arrive on his way from serbia. then he will go to a gala stood by the hungarian prime minister viktor orban. the main talks come tomorrow after which he will be visiting some of the many chinese investments in hungary. and it is a mutually beneficial relationship, as prime minister aurburn is an outspoken figure in brussels in support of beijing's interests, sometimes blocking the people's response to china's humanights abuses. let's go now to budapest and speak to our central europe correspondent. we will bring these pictures in when we get them. he has a strong rapport with the chinese president and slightly impervious to the pressure he has been under from european leaders like viktor orba¡n. what do you think will come from this visit?

reporter: hungaralready has a lot of investment, has attracted a lot of investment while at the countries have been wary of dealing closely with china, basically the hungarian foreign minister has been touring china, many visits over the years with open arms, attracting chinese investment. we have already, one large chinese automobile factory, byd, under construction in hungary. possibly another to be announced on this visit. 18 trade deals to be signed. over my shoulder here you can see in the distance some of the red flags, members of the chinese community, hundreds of them here to welcome president xi jinping this evening. so a chance to really for the chinese president on the one hand to drive home that message to the whole of europe from this very pro-chinese country, hungary, that you don't need to be afraid of it. and an opportunity for the hungarian prime minister to say

-- to show off in the way, all the investment he has managed to attract here so far christian: i am conscious that he also has friendly ties, viktor orba¡n, with vladimir putin coke. do you imagine your grade will be a topic of conversation? reporter: hungary is the only country of the three nations the chinese president has visited with a direct border with ukraine so ukraine may come up. but the hungarian position is similar to that of china really, calling for an immediate cease-fire and talks, unconditional talks which is very different from the position that other e.u. members and nato allies of hungary have on this issue. christian: nick, thank you very much, we wilkeep an eye on visited xi's arrival in hungary. most of the talks are going on tomorrow. we will take a short break and be right back after this. stay with us. ♪

announcer: funding for presentation of this program is provided by... financial seices firm, raymond james. cunard is a proud supporter of public television. announcer: funding was also provided by, the freeman foundation. and by judy and peter blum kovler foundation, pursuing solutions for america's neglected needs. ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ announcer: get the free pbs app now and stream the best of pbs.

♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ announcer: funding for presentation of this program is provided by...