now on bbc news, it s time for political thinking with nick robinson. welcome to political thinking, a conversation with rather than interrogation of someone his political thinking helps to shape ours. once again, london and brussels are at loggerheads. once again, the row between the uk and the eu is about the status of northern ireland. once again, politics in belfast is deadlocked, with unionists refusing to share power with sinn fein. my guess is someone whose life and career is based on a refusal to take sides in the political battle. it is a decision that has paid dividends for naomi long, who leads the alliance party, which won a record number of seats in the recent elections. brought up in one of the most fiercely loyalist parts of east belfast, she insisted that politics should not be defined by whether you want northern ireland to stay in the uk or instead to be united with the rest of ireland. but does she and her party really represent anything more than simply no
political thinking helps to shape ours. once again, london and brussels are at loggerheads. once again come row between the uk and the eu is about the status of northern ireland. once again, politics in belfast is deadlocked, with unionists refusing to share power with sinn fein. my guess is someone whose life and career is based on your refusal to take sides in the political battle to stop it is a decision that has paid dividends for naomi long, who leads the alliance party, which won a record number of seats in the recent elections. brought up in one of the most fiercely loyal as parts of east belfast, she insisted that politics should not be defined by whether you want northern ireland to stay in the uk ought instead to be united with the rest of ireland. but does she and her party really represent anything more than simply none of the above? naomi long, from belfast, welcome to political thinking. hi there. do you everfind welcome to political thinking. hi there. do you e
Names are accurate but those are the names in this translation. The statement goes on to say that the enemy, in other words israel has been refusing to accept these do hostages since friday. This does actually tally with a statement that was put out a couple of nights ago which at the time because a certain amount of bafflement which was the same names and her mouth saying they were willing to release them but they were willing to release them but the relate two israelis were refusing to accept them. At that time we thought this would be a pr stunt, it was not reported but now we see the same names being released in a statement. Weve heard nothing from israelis. Weve heard inside gaza that there does seem to be movement but it may be only that to you hostages, not 50 something are in the process of being released. I underline that at the moment none of this is confirmed. This is confirmed. Hamas had been seemed to this is confirmed. Hamas had been seemed to be this is confirmed. Hamas
Lets return to one of those main stories, and the latest on the civil war that is an golfing suit on. With the governor of the Darfur Region now urging civilians to take up arms to defend themselves. Violence is escalating around the city of elashir, the city of elfashir, where the Paramilitary Rapid Support Forces or rsf are trying to capture the city from the sudanese army. Medical aid agency msf says the citys South Hospital had seen more than 400 casualties since may ten, including 64 deaths, though it said the real toll was far higher. The United Nations says it has only received 12 of the 2. 7 billion being sought for sudan, adding that famine is closing in. People have said that they are terrified of the continued fighting exclusions. We have spoken to one local man whose identity we will protect for his own safety. It shows his life right now. Today is a friday, 17 of may. Im talking to you from el fasher since last friday, june of may, Fasher Witnessing Heavy Fighting between
Conservative mps most likely to defect to labour labour, Natalie Elphicke wouldnt have been anywhere near it. Most would have placed on the right of the Conservative Party, but as of midday today she is in the labour party. That came as shocked conservative mps and labour mps as well. Sir keir starmer is absolutely jubilant nevertheless. Lets hear a bit from him now. Im delighted to welcome Natalie Elphicke to the labour party. Shes got a strong track record on issues such as housing, she is on the front line when it comes to the crisis of small boats, and the reason that she is given forjoining the labour party is very, very important, because i think she speaks for very many tory voters in saying that the tory party has changed, its left the centre ground, but equally the labour party has changed. We are very clearly the party of the national interest, country first, party second, and i look forward to working with her on the mission to deliver the real change that this country despe