Challenge

Researchers also question whether UK’s impartiality rules allow for proper scrutiny in era of multiparty politicsBroadcasters are letting down voters by relying on so-called vox pop interviews and failing to scrutinise political claims during election campaigns, according to researchers.The study by Cardiff University looked at how this year’s national elections in Wales and Scotland, alongside the local elections in England, were reported on UK-wide television news between 2 March and 6 May. Continue reading...

Expected candidate in Makerfield byelection says party ‘needs to change if we are to regain people’s trust’Andy Burnham drew the battle lines for the future of the Labour party on Monday as the Greater Manchester mayor promised he would “change Labour” and win back the voters the party had lost.Burnham, who is expected to be Labour’s candidate in the Makerfield byelection, claimed it would be no ordinary campaign and said he would make it about national issues where Labour was failing, in a direct challenge to the prime minister. Continue reading...

Some in party fear all-out campaign could boost Reform UK chancesThe Greens are locked in an internal debate about how hard to challenge Andy Burnham in the Makerfield byelection, with some worried about allowing Reform UK to win and others wanting the party to go all out.While characterised by insiders as “very civilised”, the discussion has highlighted existing differences between Greens who believe concessions can be won from Labour through informal cooperation and others – including some newer leftwing activists – who argue it achieves little. Continue reading...

Banned White Australia group lodges documents with high court stating legislation ‘burdens freedom of governmental and political communication’Follow our Australia news live blog for latest updatesGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastA neo-Nazi group, which is aiming to start a political party and was last week banned as a hate group, has launched legal action against the commonwealth that will test the constitutional validity of the prohibition.The federal government on Friday banned neo-Nazi group the National Socialist Network (NSN), also known as White Australia, by listing it as a prohibited hate group under legislation passed in the wake of December’s Bondi beach terror attack. Continue reading...

Health secretary’s move to force race sparks scramble on left of Labour for candidate to oppose himUK politics live – latest updatesWes Streeting is preparing to launch a leadership challenge against Keir Starmer on Thursday if the health secretary can secure the support of enough MPs to trigger a contest.Streeting’s move to force a race has sparked a frantic scramble on the left of Labour to find a candidate to oppose him, with Ed Miliband and Angela Rayner both possible contenders. Continue reading...

Sources say health secretary intends to trigger leadership election as early as ThursdayUK politics live – latest updatesWho are the main threats to Starmer’s leadership?Allies of Wes Streeting have said he is preparing to stand down as health secretary amid deep frustration with Keir Starmer’s leadership, and could mount a formal challenge for the leadership as early as Thursday.Downing Street insiders had suggested Streeting did not yet have the required support from 81 MPs, which is needed to formally launch a leadership bid, after the prime minister issued a “put up or shut up” ultimatum to his cabinet. Continue reading...

Downing Street insiders suggest health secretary does not yet have the support for a leadership pushUK politics live – latest updatesKeir Starmer was increasingly confident that he had seen off the immediate threat to his job on Tuesday after a challenge from Wes Streeting failed to materialise despite several of the prime minister’s allies quitting the government.Downing Street insiders suggested that the health secretary did not yet have the required support from the 81 MPs he needed to formally launch a leadership bid after Starmer issued a ‘put up or shut up’ ultimatum to his cabinet. Continue reading...

Supporters of PM say it shows he has majority backing after more than 80 MPs call on him to quitUK politics live – latest updatesWho are the main threats to Starmer’s leadership?More than 100 Labour MPs have signed a statement saying this is “no time for a leadership contest” – as Keir Starmer told his cabinet he would not stand down while a formal leadership contest had not been triggered.The letter, coordinated by backbenchers, has been signed by 103 MPs, including parliamentary private secretaries. Organisers say it did not come from No 10, though MPs said it had been circulated by government whips. Continue reading...

Prime minister says process for challenging a leader has not been triggered and Labour should get on with governing• UK politics live – latest updates• Who are the main threats to Starmer’s leadership?Keir Starmer has told his cabinet he will not resign as prime minister, saying the threshold for a leadership challenge has not been met.In comments that effectively dared the health secretary, Wes Streeting, to launch a challenge against him, Starmer said he intended to get on with governing. Continue reading...

In today’s newsletter: Our policy editor on what Keir Starmer said, how his leadership challengers have reacted, and what lies aheadGood morning. Yesterday, Keir Starmer gave a speech which he hoped would draw a line under any potential moves within Labour to replace him, after the nation resoundingly punished his party at the ballot box.However his words were not enough to quell disquiet. Pressure on the prime minister is growing, with more than 70 Labour MPs publicly calling for him to stand down, and two senior cabinet ministers believed to be among those telling him he should oversee an orderly transition of power.UK politics | A newly elected Reform UK councillor has resigned after he allegedly celebrated on social media the rape of a Sikh woman in the Midlands, declared white people the “master race” and called Muslim people “rats”.Iran conflict | Donald Trump has said the ceasefire with Iran is on “life support” and that he is considering restarting US navy military escorts of ships through the strait of Hormuz in an attempt to end the Iranian blockade.Cost of living | Households cut back on their spending in April at the fastest pace in 18 months, as the conflict in the Middle East provoked fears of another cost of living crisis, a report from one of the UK’s biggest banks has suggested.Hantavirus | A French woman who tested positive for hantavirus after she was evacuated from a cruise ship reported symptoms to doctors onboard but was told it was probably just anxiety, the Spanish health minister has said.Health | Singing, painting or visiting a gallery or museum helps people age more slowly, according to the latest study to link taking an active interest in art and culture with improved health. Continue reading...

• Banco Santander launched the Santander X Global Challenge | The Quantum AI Leap on May 11, 2026, seeking innovative companies with top solutions in quantum computing and AI. • The challenge partners with IBM, Bluzec, and Oxentia Foundation to identify breakthroughs addressing real-world applications in finance and beyond. • Open to global participants, it underscores growing corporate investment in quantum-AI hybrids to solve complex computational problems faster than classical systems.

• The White House is aggressively expanding the U.S. oil industry presence in Venezuela, prioritizing energy gains. • This oil rush starkly contrasts with Trump's commitments to democracy, as elections remain sidelined in the strategy. • The policy matters for U.S. energy security but risks undermining credibility on human rights and fair governance abroad.

Backbencher says Keir Starmer’s speech was ‘too little, too late’ but stops short of standing herselfWho are the main threats to Keir Starmer’s Labour leadership?Catherine West, the Labour MP who announced a challenge to Keir Starmer’s leadership, has changed course and said she instead wants the prime minister to set a timetable of September for his departure.West, the MP for Hornsey and Friern Barnet and a former Foreign Office minister, announced on Saturday that she would seek the gather the 81 Labour MPs’ names needed to formally challenge Starmer, while arguing that this was just a device to tempt others to stand, and that she did not wish to take over. Continue reading...

Prime minister will try to convince Labour MPs to back him after suffering major election losses last week Good morning. The news this morning is full of speculation about whether or not there will be a Labour leadership contest. A better way of explaining the situation might be to say that a leadership contest is already under way; Angela Rayner issued what was in effect her manifesto late yesterday afternoon (although she also hinted she would be happy for it to be delivered by Andy Burnham as leader), and Keir Starmer delivers what you could see as a hustings speech this morning.Leaders can survive challenges. In 1995 John Major was widely seen as doomed, but Michael Portillo postponed a decision to stand against him, Major easily saw off a challenge from John Redwood (the Catherine West of his day, in some respects), and Major survived another two years. In 2016 the vast majority of Labour MPs voted no confidence in Jeremy Corbyn, but he survived (because he was adored by Labour members, a benefit that Starmer does not enjoy). In 2006 Tony Blair accepted he would have to go. But he was allowed to work his notice for a year; Gordon Brown and his allies were powerful enough to force him out, but not to force him out quickly.To meet the challenges that our country faces, incremental change won’t cut it.On growth, defence, Europe, energy – we need a bigger response than we anticipated in 2024 because these are not ordinary times. Continue reading...

• Nigeria's Senate engaged in heated drama over amendments to its Standing Orders, attempting to impose stricter eligibility rules for the Senate Presidency to favor insiders ahead of 2027 elections. • The proposed changes, criticized as exclusionary by figures like Adams Oshiomhole, faced immediate legal scrutiny for constitutional contradictions, prompting an embarrassing U-turn. • Critics argue the episode highlights misplaced priorities amid national economic hardship, diverting focus from pressing public issues.

• Benjamin Netanyahu, Israel's longest-serving prime minister, has led the right-wing Likud party to dominate politics, shaping the landscape for Arab citizens. • Palestinians in Israel face heightened marginalization under Netanyahu's leadership as Knesset elections approach. • The dominance of Likud raises concerns over policy impacts on minority representation and rights.

Education secretary says voters feel let down but do not want Labour to ‘spend more time talking amongst ourselves’UK politics live – latest updatesLabour MPs would be wrong to remove Keir Starmer, even though voters have given the party a “real kicking” at the ballot box and people feel “bitterly let down”, the education secretary, Bridget Phillipson, has said.Phillipson said Labour had been “too gloomy” and had made a mistake in trying to withdraw the winter fuel allowance, after the party lost control of about 40 councils and 1,500 seats at the local elections on Thursday. Continue reading...

• A. O. Smith Corporation (NYSE:AOS) reported first-quarter 2026 earnings per share that fell short of analyst expectations on April 30, with China market headwinds cited as a key factor in the miss. • The water heater and treatment systems manufacturer faced margin pressure and demand challenges in its largest growth market, impacting overall profitability. • The earnings miss signals broader challenges for U.S. manufacturers with significant China exposure amid ongoing trade tensions and slowing regional growth.

• Trump-endorsed candidates defeated most Indiana Republicans who opposed gerrymandering efforts in state Senate primaries reported on May 6, 2026. • The victories largely upend the Indiana state Senate, aligning it more closely with Trump's redistricting priorities. • This purge signals Trump's strong influence over GOP state-level politics amid 2026 midterm preparations.

• Nexstar Media Group's upcoming earnings report draws focus amid legal hurdles for its $5 billion-plus acquisition of TEGNA. • The company issued over $5 billion in new debt to fund the deal, prompting investor attention on leverage ratios and free cash flow generation. • Updates on the merger's progress and financial health could influence stock performance and broadcasting sector consolidation trends.

Shabana Mahmood has announced plan to cut leave to remain to 30 months, to concern of UN’s refugee agencyTwo Sudanese asylum seekers are challenging a key element of Labour’s plans to strip refugees of basic rights, rejecting the home secretary’s accusation that they are “asylum shoppers”.Shabana Mahmood has announced plans to halve refugees’ leave to remain in the UK from five years to 30 months, while refugees will have to wait 20 years before being eligible for permanent stay in the UK. Previously, people could apply for permanent settlement after five years. Continue reading...

• Louisiana has halted an active election in order to eliminate Black-majority congressional districts, prompting immediate legal challenges from Democratic groups and voting rights advocates. • The state's decision to pause the election for redistricting purposes has sparked a flurry of court filings and procedural motions as Democrats fight to block the gerrymandered map changes. • The case represents a critical battleground in the nationwide redistricting wars heading into the 2026 midterm elections, with implications for minority voting power across multiple states.

• InterSystems Senior Vice President Scott Gnau highlighted explosive demand for power, infrastructure, and intelligent software as a pressing challenge of the AI era during a keynote at READY 2026. • The focus on interoperability and scalable AI systems reflects industry concerns about building sustainable AI infrastructure that can meet growing enterprise demands. • The conference discussion underscores the need for robust data infrastructure and integration solutions to support AI deployment at scale across enterprises.

• The Bharatiya Janata Party expanded its electoral dominance across India's political map, strengthening its presence in large parts of the country and leaving only a handful of states under opposition rule following the 2026 assembly election results. • The BJP's continued electoral momentum, coupled with strong performances in states like Assam under Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, reinforces the party's structural dominance ahead of upcoming state elections. • Growing cracks emerged within the opposition INDIA bloc following the elections, with significant disagreements over issues like women's reservation-linked legislation undermining coalition unity and strategy.

• During a heated Senate Armed Services Committee hearing, Senator Kirsten Gillibrand directly challenged Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth over rising Iran war costs, specifically questioning reports of a potential $200 billion additional spending request. • Gillibrand pressed Hegseth on the lack of evidence that military operations have made Americans safer, arguing the massive spending burden conflicts with domestic economic pressures and inflation affecting citizens. • Hegseth defended the campaign as a necessary and "defined mission" with strategic objectives, comparing it to long-term conflicts like Iraq and Afghanistan, highlighting growing Washington tension over war costs and direction.

PM says there are instances in which he would support bans but organisers say this would ‘strike at root of free speech’Organisers of pro-Palestine marches have said Keir Starmer’s threat to ban some demonstrations opposing Israel’s actions in the Middle East will “strike at the root of free assembly and free speech” in the UK.On Saturday morning, the prime minister told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme that “there are instances” in which he would support stopping some pro-Palestine protests altogether. Continue reading...

• The Trinamool Congress (TMC) moved the Supreme Court on Friday for an urgent hearing challenging the Election Commission of India's decision to appoint only central government employees as counting supervisors for West Bengal Assembly elections. • Chief Justice of India Surya Kant directed an urgent hearing for Saturday, with the plea to be heard by a bench of Justices PS Narasimha and Joymalya Bagchi, indicating high-priority consideration of the electoral dispute. • The challenge reflects ongoing political tensions in West Bengal regarding electoral fairness and governance, with TMC opposing what it views as potential bias in vote counting procedures.

• Anthropic's valuation skyrocketed from $61B to $900B in approximately 14 months, reflecting unprecedented investor interest in the AI company's capabilities and growth trajectory. • The valuation surge is driven by strong revenue performance and investor confidence in Anthropic's AI models and research, positioning it as a formidable competitor to OpenAI in the generative AI market. • The rapid ascent demonstrates the intensifying capital competition in frontier AI development, with major investors backing multiple AI startups to hedge bets on the technology's transformative potential.