Can seem far away , and its can seem far away, and its natural to ask why does this matter to america . So let me share with you why making sure israel and ukraine succeed is vital for Americas National security. And thats as National Security. And thats as Prime Minister rishi sunak continues his whistlestop tour of the middle east in a bid to attempt to prevent the israel hamas war sparring spiralling into a wider conflict. As we speak. Rishi sunak is meeting with the Saudi Crown Prince in riyadh. Storm babet prince in riyadh. Storm babet batters scotland as a woman is swept to her death and hundreds are told to evacuate their homes as a red weather warning remains in place for parts of britain. In place for parts of britain. And so heres alex burkill with more on that. Hello we have some further exceptionally wet and windy weather to come through today due to storm babet. Ill have more shortly and paul coyte is here with your latest sport. I am. We have a springbok off weekend tomorrow. So the cricket weekend tomorrow. So the cricket world cup. Its england versus south africa. But more importantly , the semi final of importantly, the semi final of the Rugby World Cup , which is in the Rugby World Cup, which is in paris, england. Well try and paris, england. Well try and beat the champion south africa. Well, its lovely to be with you this friday morning. Well, its lovely to be with you this friday morning. Im anne diamond and this is breakfast on. Gb news breakfast on. Gb news and throughout the morning, obviously, were going to be learning more about the weather and how it may be affecting you. In fact, do get in touch and let us know whats happening in your area. Really dismal area. I had a really dismal drive in to the studios this morning. And though morning. And even though its nowhere near as in the south nowhere near as bad in the south at the moment as it is in the north, the rain was coming down in bucket loads and it makes it very, dodgy very, very difficult. And dodgy to do get in touch. To drive. So do get in touch. Vaiews gbnews. Com. Let us know what its like where you are. But first, politics is our top story and labour has dealt a double by election blow to rishi sunak by overturning huge conservative majorities in tamworth and mid bedfordshire. Sir keir starmer claimed labour was redrawing the political map by taking seats which had been comfortably conservative ahead of the general election, expected , of course, next year. Expected, of course, next year. In mid bedfordshire, alastair strathearn took the seat with a majority of 1192 over his tory rival. And following his win, he rival. And following his win, he told reporters he was ready to get to work. Just so humbled and grateful because this has been such a big campaign for me. I grew up around here. This area means so much to me and to see people across these towns and placing their faith and villages placing their faith in me today has just been so exhilarating. Im going to in me today has just been so exiworking|. Im going to in me today has just been so exiworking incredibly going to in me today has just been so exiworking incredibly hard] to in me today has just been so exiworking incredibly hard from be working incredibly hard from tomorrow they made tomorrow to show them they made the right choice. Meanwhile, in tamworth, labours defeated labours Sarah Edwards defeated tory Andrew Cooper by a majority of 1316. Speaking after the declaration, edwards said the pubuc declaration, edwards said the public has had enough of cuts to pubuc public has had enough of cuts to Public Services. Public services. Tonight the people of tamworth have voted for labours positive vision and a fresh start. Theyve sent a clear message to rishi sunak and the conservatives that they have had enough of this failed government which has crashed the economy and destroyed our Public Services. Services. Well, what do we all make of whats happened overnight . Gb news political reporter olivia utley is in westminster morning , utley is in westminster morning, olivia. Its interesting , isnt olivia. Its interesting, isnt it . On by election victories and various different sorts of results. Obviously the winners always say its because theyve won resoundingly and its time for change. And no doubt the tories will just sort of say, oh well, this is a by election and things happen in byelections. How do you read it . Well, i think normally you can take by elections results with a bit of a pinch of salt. Normally the turnout is pretty low. Normally its an low. Normally its an opportunity for concerts to rage against the government without their rage, meaning very much they know that the government isnt actually going to change hands so they can choose to vote for the Opposition Party as a sign they are discontent sign that they are discontent with going right now. With whats going on right now. But i think it is too but this time i think it is too much of a massive swing away from the conservatives to just try and explain it away to lose tamworth would have been very, very bad for the conservatives. They had a 19,000 majority there. But to lose mid bedfordshire as well, where they had a 24,000 majority is really pretty shocking. Yes turnout was low. Yes, therell be therell be sort of anger votes against the conservatives, but swings of this size are pretty much unprecedented. The swing in mid beds ayrshire away from the conservatives was the second biggest by election win for labour since the second world war. Now the first biggest was in 1996, just before labour swept to that enormous tony blair victory. I think what were hearing in westminster this morning is that until now the idea of labour just sweeping across the map in a huge general election win of the kind that we saw in 1997 with tony blair was thought to be pretty unlikely given that the conservatives at the moment have an 80 seat majority. Now the prospect of a labour win on that scale is looking increasingly likely. Looking increasingly likely. Things are looking very, very good for keir starmer. And now good for keir starmer. And now to me its just a question of how long rishi sunak will be able to hold off calling a general election. We were all expecting a general election either in the spring or the autumn of next year. Now its looking quite likely that he could hold off until december 2024, just in the hope that things can get better for the conservatives at the moment, things are very, very bad indeed. We are looking at the sort of redrawing of the electoral map that we saw when Margaret Thatcher swept to victory and when tony blair swept to victory. Swept to victory. Yes, as keir starmer have been saying anything yet, because obviously were going to because obviously were going to be hearing calls for an early general election. But that thats just what they say, isnt it . The day after the it is always what we hear the day after. And im sure well hear hear the same from the lib dems as well. Were expecting to hear from keir starmer, i think in about an hour, maybe a little bit more. And im sure we will hear call for a general hear a call for a general election. Expect rishi sunak election. I expect rishi sunak will want to that call will not want to heed that call what he believes at the moment. So is that if he what he believes at the moment. So hold is that if he what he believes at the moment. So hold off is that if he what he believes at the moment. So hold off untils that if he what he believes at the moment. So hold off until the at if he what he believes at the moment. So hold off until the very he what he believes at the moment. So hold off until the very end can hold off until the very end of next year, then hes hoping that some of the chaos thats ensued from Rising Interest Rates will have calmed down. So hes hoping that inflation will have fallen, Interest Rates will have fallen, Interest Rates will have fallen, Interest Rates will have fallen, and people on mortgage will be in a better position. And perhaps more willing to vote conservative. Its a pretty big gamble because, of course , were going because, of course, were going to have more by elections just like this one. And the expectation is that labour will just keep on winning. Were also then expecting local elections next may, and if the conservatives are trounced in those local elections as they have been in these two by elections, then rishi sunak will be in an even worse position going into a general election next december. Other than he next december. Other than he would be if he chose to have it earlier. So itll be really interesting to see how rishi sunak responds the, as you sunak responds to the, as you say, inevitable calls for a general election over the next few hours and days. Few hours and days. What would you put your money on early or late . I would put my money on a late general election. I think rishi sunak would like to hold out. Hes a very cautious man and he knows that if he can extend the pain, push the pain down the road a little bit, then thatll probably be easier for his mps. His mps. Okay, well join you a bit later on then. Olivia, thanks very much indeed for that. There you are. Thats the news overnight. Those two by Election Results coming in just in the last couple of hours. Its 6 09 last couple of hours. Its 6 09 now. The us president , joe biden, addressed Americans Last night where he tried to convince them to fund 100 billion in new spending to buy weapons and send humanitarian aid to israel. And ukraine. Lets have a look and a listen. I know these conflicts can seem far away and its natural to ask, why does this matter to america . So let me share with you why making sure israel and ukraine succeed is vital for Americas National security. We American National security. We American Values are what make us a partner that other nations want to work to with put all that at risk. If we walk away from ukraine, if we turn our backs on israel, its just not worth it. Israel, its just not worth it. Thats why tomorrow im going to send to congress an urgent budget request to fund Americas National security needs to support our critical partners, including israel and ukraine. Is a smart investment thats going to pay dividends for American Security for generations as well. Gaza continues to suffer more destruction as now a Greek Orthodox church is hit in a strike, killing more civilians. The Greek Orthodox patriarchate of jerusalem said targeting the church constitutes a war crime. Church constitutes a war crime. Israel continues to heavily bomb gaza and hundreds of thousands of people have fled their homes. These are the latest pictures from gaza that show the devastation and misery for many thousands of people. The enclave thousands of people. The enclave also remains under siege , with also remains under siege, with israel blocking supplies of water, electricity and fuel across its border. But a deal reached with israel this week means there is hope that aid waiting in egypt can cross the border into gaza in the coming hours , as israel insists its hours, as israel insists its only striking hundreds of hamas targets in gaza, which continues to hold more than 200 hostages. Among those held captive are two britons today. The diplomatic britons today. The Diplomatic Mission to stop the conflict spilling over between israel and other arab countries continues as the Prime Minister tours the middle east, meeting with the Saudi Crown Prince in riyadh as we speak right now. Yesterday mr sunak told israels Prime Minister netanyahu that the uk was proud to support israel. Was proud to support israel. Well, in a moment well have the latest live from our reporter in israel. But first, anne warren israel. But first, anne warren reports on rishi sunak war zone mission. Mission. Very good to see you. Im sorry about the circumstances in a succession of western leaders and senior politicians being hosted in the middle east. The Prime Minister has picked up where President Biden left off israels allies are on a United Mission to show solidarity with the war on hamas terrorism while trying to keep the wider region stable. The wider region stable. Welcome, Prime Minister rishi sunak was playing his part in sending a message to iran, which supports hamas and hezbollah in neighbouring lebanon. Neighbouring lebanon. On that, a wider regional conflict would have consequences. Israels allies want to contain the conflict by minimising the human suffering. Minimising the human suffering. We also recognise that the Palestinian People are victims of hamas to and that is why i welcome your decision. Yesterday that you took to ensure that routes into gaza will be opened for humanitarian aid to enter. But i also want to thank you for the support that your government has given to the families of british nationals caught up in this horror, including your efforts to release the hostages to release. But to secure their release. But with support coming with military support coming from its allies , israel is from its allies, israel is likely to ramp up its war on hamas with a major land, sea and air invasion of gaza in september, israel was on the cusp of negotiating peace with saudi arabia, with a visit to the region by the saudi ambassador, including a tour of the occupied west bank. Like so in saudi arabia, a critical meeting with the Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman , who Prince Mohammed bin salman, who has made it clear that the war on hamas has derailed its new closer ties with israel. Not so, closer ties with israel. Not so, perhaps, according to downing street, which says the Prime Minister encouraged the crown prince to use saudis leadership in the region to support stability. Both now and in the long term. Some experts believe long term. Some experts believe that the aim of the hamas attack on october is to end closer ties between saudi arabia and israel. If hamas succeeds, the west will have lost a crucial player in bringing about peace in increasingly dangerous times. Increasingly dangerous times. Well, our reporter Charlie Peters is in tel aviv for us. And we can cross live to him now. Good morning , charlie. Now. Good morning, charlie. Youve been there nearly two weeks now and every day is this constant threat of invasion by land, sea and air and yet it still hasnt quite happened. So what is actually happening . What is actually happening . Well, that convoy still remains on the south on the border with the gaza strip. And last night we heard, i think the statement that will not be walked back from the defence minister, yoav galant , saying to minister, yoav galant, saying to troops on that border that you can see gaza from afar, but soon you will see it from the inside. Those kind of statements are a direct call that this invasion will happen. Its now a matter of when, not if. We also heard from a general speaking to troops down in the south, discussing the upcoming manoeuvres was and that the order will come. The question now is what will happen when that invasion takes place and what is the end state . We know what is the end state . We know what the primary objective is. The primary objective is to secure the north of the gaza strip to and remove the hamas terrorist capabilities in that area. But there is a concern in area. But there is a concern in israel that the war cabinet here and the unity government has not decided what they are intending to once they complete that to do once they complete that mission. A rushed mission. This is a rushed strategic objective. Thats the concerns here and indeed across the particularly in the the world, particularly in the us. Its understood that President Joe Biden pressed for more information on the Long Term Strategy in the gaza strip. But while joe biden is concerned about strategy and indeed funnelling aid into both ukraine and israel, his troops are coming under attack in the region. Last night, a Us Navy Destroyer off the coast of yemen in the red sea intercepted three missiles and some eight drones heading north, fired likely by the houthi terrorist militia. Thatis the houthi terrorist militia. That is an iran backed proxy Group Operating in yemen, which has been battling with saudi arabia for many years. Those missiles almost certainly going north towards israel. And at the north towards israel. And at the same time, over the last 48 hours, american troops and contractors deployed in iraq and syria have been targeted by missile strikes and suicide drone attacks. This represents drone attacks. This represents the clearest sign of escalation by the iranians since this conflict started and in the north this morning, the north of israel on that border with southern lebanon. Weve also heard information about another town in the north being evacuated as israel extends its compulsory Evacuation Order for civilians there. As that conflict heats up, some 30 missiles were fired from southern lebanon into the north yesterday. So escalation by the iranian proxies in the east, across the arab region and also in yemen more recently. And this upcoming order for that likely Ground Invasion. Okay , charlie, well leave it okay, charlie, well leave it there for the moment. Well be joining you, of course, later on in the program. Thanks very much indeed. Thank in the program. Thanks very much indeed. Than