Section
Politics
UK under-16 social media curbs pledged by end of 2026
The UK government has promised new under-16 social media restrictions by the end of 2026 after an 80,000-submission child-safety consultation closed.
Trump DOJ fund revolt stalls Senate immigration bill as GOP leaves town
Senate Republicans scrapped votes on Trump's $72bn immigration bill after a revolt over his $1.8bn fund to compensate people who claim government persecution.
Rival London marches test Starmer after day of protests
Tens of thousands joined separate anti-immigration and pro-Palestinian marches in central London, turning a major policing operation into a political test for Keir Starmer.
Wes Streeting quits and calls for Starmer to resign
Health Secretary Wes Streeting resigned from cabinet on 14 May 2026 and urged Sir Keir Starmer to step down as prime minister, triggering an open battle for Labour leadership days after the party lost roughly 1,500 councillor seats in local elections.
Starmer fights for political survival as two ministers quit
Prime Minister Keir Starmer is battling to hold his government together after two senior ministers and four aides resigned, with more than 80 Labour MPs demanding he set a timetable for his departure.
Labour councillors demand Starmer resign after historic election rout
More than 110 Labour councillors have signed a letter demanding Keir Starmer set a timetable for an orderly transition, as backbencher Catherine West threatened to trigger a leadership contest if cabinet ministers do not challenge the prime minister by Monday.
West gives Cabinet until Monday to force Starmer out
Labour MP Catherine West has given the Cabinet until Monday to force Keir Starmer to resign or face a formal leadership contest, deepening the crisis after Thursday's local election losses. The former minister said she had 10 MPs signed up and was confident of reaching the 81 needed to trigger a contest.
Swinney demands Starmer show Scotland respect after SNP election victory
John Swinney told Downing Street it must show Scotland greater respect after the SNP won a fifth consecutive term at Holyrood, as Labour collapsed to a historic tie for second place with Nigel Farage's Reform UK.
One Nation wins Farrer, taking first lower-house seat in Coalition rout
David Farley took 57.3 per cent of the two-candidate-preferred vote in the southwestern New South Wales seat, ending a Coalition hold that had stood since the late 1940s and giving Pauline Hanson's One Nation its first directly elected House of Representatives seat.
Virginia Supreme Court voids redistricting referendum in 4-3 ruling
Virginia's Supreme Court struck down a voter-approved redistricting referendum on Friday in a 4-3 ruling, blocking a map that would have given Democrats four more congressional seats. Attorney General Jay Jones said Democrats would appeal to the US Supreme Court.
Phillipson defends Starmer as West sets Monday deadline for Cabinet
Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson defended Keir Starmer's leadership on Sunday, hours after Labour MP Catherine West gave the Cabinet until Monday morning to force the prime minister out or face a leadership contest.
Swinney declares SNP victory as Labour records worst ever Holyrood result
The SNP won a fifth consecutive term in power at Holyrood but fell seven seats short of a majority, while Labour slumped to its worst ever Scottish Parliament result and tied for second place with Reform UK, which broke through with 17 seats.
Starmer brings in Brown and Harman to steady premiership after election rout
Sir Keir Starmer named Gordon Brown special envoy on global finance and Harriet Harman adviser on women and girls on Saturday, drafting in two Labour grandees to steady his premiership after the party's worst local election defeat since 1995.
Florida, Tennessee maps and Virginia ruling tilt 2026 House
Three redistricting events in 10 days have moved the 2026 US House map decisively toward Republicans. Democrats, citing Trump's approval slump and a string of special-election overperformances, insist the GOP advantage of six to seven seats will not be enough to hold the chamber.
Republicans seek $1bn for White House ballroom security in $70bn immigration bill
Senate Republicans tucked $1bn for Secret Service upgrades tied to Donald Trump's East Wing ballroom into a $70bn immigration enforcement package, drawing immediate Democratic accusations of self-dealing.
Reform UK candidate exposed for racist posts wins Sunderland council seat
Glenn Gibbins, exposed days before polling for Facebook posts demanding Nigerians in his town be 'melted down' to fill potholes, was elected to Sunderland City Council on Reform UK's slate. Reform took 58 of 75 seats and ended a 52-year Labour grip on the authority.
Indiana primary sweep restates the Republican rule on crossing Trump
Trump-backed challengers ousted at least five Indiana state senators who blocked his redistricting push. As the Texas Senate runoff still waits on a presidential endorsement, the Indiana result reads as a narrow but emphatic verdict on the enforcer question.
Alabama Republicans push primary reset as redistricting fight nears federal courts
Alabama lawmakers could vote Friday to scrap the state's May 19 congressional primary in some districts and replace it with a new ballot if federal courts allow Republicans to switch maps after a recent Supreme Court ruling weakened the Voting Rights Act.
Starmer under pressure to agree exit plan after Labour local election losses
Keir Starmer is facing the most serious threat to his leadership after Labour lost control of 25 English councils and suffered defeats in Wales and Scotland, with senior MPs urging him to agree a transition timeline.
UK borrowing costs fall and pound rises as Starmer vows to stay on
UK government bond yields fell and sterling strengthened on Friday as Prime Minister Keir Starmer said he would remain in office despite heavy losses for Labour in local elections that saw Reform UK make major gains.
Virginia Supreme Court throws out Democratic-backed US House map
The Virginia Supreme Court threw out the Democratic-backed congressional map that would have flipped four Republican-held US House seats, ruling that the rushed referendum used to enact it failed constitutional muster. Existing district lines stand for 2026.
Senedd count begins as Labour faces end of 27-year rule in Wales
Welsh Labour faces the end of a 27-year run in government as the Senedd count begins, with First Minister Eluned Morgan's own seat under threat and Plaid Cymru and Reform UK vying for first place.
Labour Suffers Heavy Losses as Reform UK Surges in Local Elections
Labour suffered heavy losses in English local elections as Reform UK surged, prompting calls from within the party for Keir Starmer to set a timetable for his departure as leader. Reform UK gained nearly 300 seats in a historic shift.
UK voters head to polls in local elections that could hasten Starmer exit
Voters across the United Kingdom went to the polls on Thursday in elections rivals have framed as a referendum on Keir Starmer. Labour is bracing for heavy losses to Reform UK, the Greens and the nationalist parties.
Eleventh Circuit rejects Trump no-bond ICE policy as circuit split deepens
Atlanta-based appeals court rules 2-1 that 8 U.S.C. 1226(a) entitles immigrants present in the US to bond hearings; second appellate loss for the no-bond policy in two weeks.
