he quit the ulster unionist party, which he was a very prominent member and in many ways he helped buildforce within unionist politics today. today he is widely respected, sir jeffrey donaldson, he commanded a loss of respect across political divides, many ways, and today the news is a huge shock to his followers and his political opponents. followers and his political opponents-_ followers and his political opponents. followers and his political ouonents. ., , ., , , opponents. and of course, any party, when an incident _ opponents. and of course, any party, when an incident of— opponents. and of course, any party, when an incident of whatever - opponents. and of course, any party, when an incident of whatever nature l when an incident of whatever nature arises, has policies in place to put in place a replacement. what do we know about gavin robinson, who is now the interim party leader? yes. now the interim party leader? yes, he became — now the interim party leader? yes, he became deputy _ now the interim party leader? 133 he became deputy leader now the interim party leader? 1&1: he

even in the ulster unionist party, he moved about 20 years ago to the dup, he shall boast those campslitical party, and so this was a blow notjust political party, and so this was a blow not just the political party, and so this was a blow notjust the dup, notjust to jeffrey donaldson personally, but a blow to unionism. unionism has come under immense pressure, it's made some very bad mistakes in recent years, most obviously run brexit. this is another area in which unionism finds itself on the back foot, trying to make up the ground rather than losing. just a pointer, there it is on the website, so much detail on that, our main story, with regular updates and are not of analysis. around the world and across the uk. this is bbc news. your life with bbc news. to ukraine now, and president zelensky is warning that — a new russian military offensive could happen in the next few months. and he says, his country is not ready to face it. the ukrainian leader made the comments during an interview with cbs news — confirming he believes it could happen between may and june. he stresses the nee

that's why he moved from the ulster unionist party to the dup. necessity to have stormont up and running, that solidifies the union more than having a power vacuum there so he has been crucial to the decision in recent months by the dup to end their boycott of stormont and can step back into power—sharing. his absence will be felt by those ministers who have been working closely with them. because of that story that you allude to, his personal history, it makes these events very shocking because while in the last year or so he has been the person, and everyone has talked about him being the salesman, who got the power—sharing assembly back up and running, if you go back a quarter of a century to the good friday agreement, which helped establish power—sharing in the first instance, he had lots of questions about it then. he was opposed to it then. it has been an interesting journey for him in that perspective and it makes him a very significant political figure, doesn't it? it significant political figure, doesn't it?— doesn't it? it is a classic

with regret, i have resigned from the ulster unionist party... from the ulster unionist party- - -_ fromnist pa , . ., ., ., party... his defection to a rival party _ party... his defection to a rival party eventually - party... his defection to a rival party eventually led l party... his defection to a i rival party eventually led him to the leadership of the dup, but he now stands apart from the parties did back into power—sharing. in a statement, first minister michelle o'neill said her priority is to continue to provide the leadership expect and deserve. northern ireland has former when it comes to political earthquakes, but today's development leaves a fissure in unionism at a time when some see it under increasing threat from those who want a united ireland. and gloria. for now, sirjeffrey donaldson�*s party political deysel family in the past. jennifer o'leary, bbc news, belfast. seven regions of ukraine are experiencing emergency blackouts after a wave of russian missile strikes. russia launched nearly a hundred drones and missiles across the border on thursday night — the second

he was an opponent of the good friday agreement, and eventually left the ulster unionist party to joingely seen as something of a political pragmatist, and it was a surprise to many when he took the dup out of the political institutions after he became leader in 2021, a year later he took the dup out of the political institutions, because he said post—brexit trading arrangements damaged unionism. but he was fairly soon after that determined to take the dup back in, and he succeeded six weeks ago in taking the dup back into political institutions, and if opinion polls are to be believed, most dup supporters supported the decision. so he was a figure of substance, he did have the ear of the british and irish governments. he was by far the dup's biggest player on the westminster stage, and in that sense politically he may be a hard act to fill, but the fact that he has been obliged to stand down as dup leader doesn't mean that the political institutions are now more vulnerable to collapse. now it's time for a look at the weather with elizabeth rizzini. hello there. good afternoon. well, a

politics, jeffrey donaldson was the leader of unionism in northern ireland, had been in the ulster unionist partyr responsibilities within unionism that simply says i�*m political party. reaction has been coming in. here�*s the former secretary of state for northern ireland julian smith, speaking on radio 4. well, i think, first of all, it is a big shock to everybody and will be a big shock to people, particularly in northern ireland. and jeffrey donaldson had, as you know, played a key role in leading the dup back into power—sharing, which has over the past weeks, since it�*s been back up and running, been an extremely positive move with michelle o�*neill and emma little—pengelly for the sinn fein party and dup party respectively, having a brilliant start. so a huge shock. but i think actually one where with the election of gavin robinson as interim leader today by in a statement the dup have just made real continuity on the position of that was taken by party officers and the dup to return to power—sharing. so i don�*t, i�*m not concerned in any way that this. shocking news today will lead to a

obviously threw into the ulster unionist party and then— threw into the ulster unionist party and thenishing from every area of life — minutes, he is vanishing from every area of life online, all social media — area of life online, all social media content is gone and all the organisations he was associated with have removed him from their website. there _ have removed him from their website. there was— have removed him from their website. there was some recent commentary from the — there was some recent commentary from the orange order he has missed in and _ from the orange order he has missed in and from _ from the orange order he has missed in and from there and no further comment— in and from there and no further comment will be made into the legal process— comment will be made into the legal process follows through. and so on. so certainty — process follows through. and so on. so certainly the homework dup minister— so certainly the homework dup ministerjim wales as being on air throughout the day describing sir jeffrey— throughout the day describing sir jeffrey donaldson as a pol

. >> with regret i have resigned from the ulster unionist party. >> his defection to a rival party eventually to the leadership of the dup. but he now stands apart from the party he steered back into power sharing. in a statement, first minister o'neill set her priority is to continue to provide the leadership the public expects and deserves. northern ireland has forum when it comes to political earthquakes, but today's developing leaves of fisher in unionism at a time when some see it under increasing threat from those that want a united ireland. for now, sir jeffrey donaldson's party's political days look firmly in the past. >> to the race for the white house in the u.s.. political donations can make or break a presidential campaign. fundraising for the 2024 race is in two swing with donald trump and joe biden making a major push for donations. in new york fundraiser for president joe biden raised 26 million dollars towards his reelection thursday according to his campaign. mr. biden got a boost from former presidents bill clinton and barack obama who joined him at radio city musical in new

with regret, i have resigned from the ulster unionist party. al party eventually led him to the leadership of the dup, but he now stands apart from the party he steered back into power—sharing. in a statement, first minister michelle o'neill said her priority is to continue to provide the leadership the public expect and deserve. northern ireland has form when it comes to political earthquakes, but today's development leaves a fissure in unionism at a time when some see it under increasing threat from those who want a united ireland. # happy and glorious...# for now, sirjeffrey donaldson�*s party political days look firmly in the past. jennifer o'leary, belfast. our ireland correspondent sara girvin has more on the sense of shock felt at stormont today. nobody at all saw this coming until we had a statement from the police service of northern ireland this morning saying that a 61—year—old man had been arrested and charged over those offences. then confirmation later this afternoon that sirjeffrey donaldson would be stepping down as the leader of

with regret, i have resigned from the ulster unionist party. to a rival party eventually led him to the leadership of the dup, but he now stands apart from the party he steered back into power—sharing. in a statement, first minister michelle o'neill said her priority is to continue to provide the leadership the public expect and deserve. northern ireland has form when it comes to political earthquakes, but today's development leaves a fissure in unionism at a time when some see it under increasing threat from those who want a united ireland. # happy and glorious...# for now, sirjeffrey donaldson�*s party political days look firmly in the past. jennifer o'leary, belfast. ina moment in a moment we will speak to damian grammaticus, who is in westminster for us _ our ireland correspondent sara girvin is at stormont tonight. and this is a shock for everyone there? the new dup leader expressing everybody�*s shock at this news? everybody's shock at this news? yes, it has been a — everybody's shock at this news? yes, it has been a massive _ everybody's

even the ulster unionist party, then moved about 20 years ago to the dup. der responsibilities within unionism than simply to his own political party, and so this is a blow notjust political party, and so this is a blow not just at the dup, political party, and so this is a blow notjust at the dup, notjust atjeffrey donaldson personally, at jeffrey donaldson personally, this atjeffrey donaldson personally, this is a blow to unionism, and unionism has been under immense pressure, it is made is a very bad mistakes of recent years, obviously a very bad mistakes of recent years, of the sarah brexit, this is another area in which unionism finds itself in the back foot, and hopefully from the perspective trying to make up ground now they are losing. around the world and across the uk. this is bbc news. let's go now to the middle east — where israel is reported to have carried out air strikes in syria. observers say the strikes happened in aleppo — and may have targeted a depot storing rockets, run by the militant group hezbollah. the reports suggest that at least

dominant figure over the course of 30 years, he worked alongside the mp, the time he was in the ulster unionist partyssive, he made clear his petition to that deal, he walked away from the unionist party at a critical time and then joined to the dup, and within that party ian paisley�*s party, it was a pretty centralfigure, not paisley�*s party, it was a pretty central figure, not least during the brexit years, sirjeffrey donaldson was at the heart of the negotiations around that, and when borisjohnson came into number ten, sirjeffrey donaldson was front and centre once more whenever unionists felt that they were very much out in the cold, they were very much out in the cold, they were very much out in the cold, they were frozen out of the process and they were left with what they regard as a border. he tried to undo some of that damage to the unionists in northern ireland, and he was the man across the table. at the height of his political powers right now because he did manage to steer the dup back into the power—sharing institutions but he didn't expect to be in this position today where he is no

with regret, i have resigned from the ulster unionist party. a rival party eventually led him to the leadership of the dup, but he now stands apart from the party he steered back into power—sharing. in a statement, first minister michelle o'neill said her priority is to continue to provide the leadership the public expect and deserve. northern ireland has form when it comes to political earthquakes, but today's development leaves a fissure in unionism at a time when some see it under increasing threat from those who want a united ireland. # happy and glorious...# for now, sirjeffrey donaldson's party political days look firmly in the past. jennifer o'leary, belfast. we just heard a bit of gavin robinson mp�*s interview there. he's been named as interim leaderfor the dup. in the past hour, he's been speaking to the media about the shock being felt both in the party and across the community in northern ireland. let's hear it in full. i think it's been a devastating revelation and has caused tremendous shock, notjust for myself personally or my co

started his, his political rise as opposed back in the early 90s under david trimble in the ulster unionist partyood friday agreement in 1998 and then near—enough to the day , left near—enough to the day, left that party and came in to the democratic unionist party. it's a very conservative party and it is the largest unionist party in northern ireland. so it holds quite a lot of power here. and the power sharing executive is only back into place just over a month and a half ago. and there is now looking at how friction will happen in amongst the party, because who is going to replace someone of that, political knowledge and wisdom while he is suspended from the party? he has he has been stepped down from the political leadership . gavin robinson has leadership. gavin robinson has taken that in, he is the mp taken that in, over he is the mp for this area. and you've got to remember as well that the dup is the fifth largest party in westminster, so holds quite a lot of sway. and indeed that was brought the forefront with brought to the forefront with theresa may's coalition that she had that when

the last 26, 27 years, in fact, near enough 26 years ago, from the day he resigned from the ulster unionist partyy agreement. now, in that time, he has achieved quite a lot. he's been an mp and now he was the leader of the democratic unionist party, the largest unionist party in northern ireland. and of course , these ireland. and of course, these historical sexual, accusations have came out of have came out, he was arrested yesterday morning around about 6:00 in the morning. and, there he this morning. and, there he this morning we have had an emergency meeting of the democratic unionist party officers. it was held outside belfast up towards the lurgan direction. and those officers have put in place, these measures to make sure that he is suspended from the party. he is no longer the leader and effectively sits now as an independent mp. but this will cause problems for people such as gareth robinson, whose constituency offices in behind us, the now interim leader, because of course he sits in a very narrow, area of voting here in east belfast. and of course, if there's an election called sooner