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Spurred on by Elon Musk, the two rightwing parties spent the week taking potshots at each other. We look back at who hurled which insult at whomUK politics live – latest updatesIt’s been a week of rudeness, rows and revelations in the Makerfield byelection. Not between Andy Burnham and his challengers for the seat – but between Reform UK and its even more rightwing rival, Restore Britain.Here are the key moments in a week in which the populist right turned on each other: Continue reading...

If he stands in Makerfield there will also need to be a mayoral contest to replace him in Greater ManchesterLabour’s national executive committee has approved Andy Burnham’s request to stand in the candidate selection process for the upcoming Makerfield byelection, paving the way for the Greater Manchester mayor to return to parliament.Burnham still has two more years of his term as mayor, meaning that if he stands there will need to be a mayoral byelection. Under Labour rules, sitting mayors need NEC approval to stand for Westminster. He would also need to be formally selected Continue reading...

Weeks before her death, Annabel Rook, 46, from Stoke Newington, left her sister a voice message about Clifton George’s abusive behaviourThe co-founder of a social enterprise who was fatally stabbed by her partner said he was “on the warpath” shortly before she died, in a voice message that was played during a murder trial.Clifton George, 45, is accused of murdering 46-year-old Annabel Rook during an argument at their home in north London last June. Continue reading...

• Maine Governor Janet Mills announced she is suspending her bid for the US Senate in 2026, allowing Democrat Graham Platner to run unopposed in the primary. • Mills' decision consolidates Democratic efforts in the state and removes a potential divisive primary battle within the party. • The move signals party unity heading into the 2026 midterm elections, a critical cycle for Senate control.

• Maine Governor Janet Mills announced on Thursday that she will withdraw her planned Senate bid, removing herself from the Democratic primary and effectively clearing the way for state Senator Ben Chipman to enter an open contest. • Mills cited family considerations and the toll of a high‑profile Senate race as key reasons, saying that Maine “needs steady leadership” in the governor’s office as she continues her second term. • Her exit reshapes the state’s political map, likely sparing Democrats from a bruising intra‑party primary in a state that has recently trended purple in national elections.

Manhattan church led by Norman Vincent Peale was known for opposing presidency of JFK – and Catholics in generalDonald Trump’s attacks this week on Pope Leo, for his criticism of the US attack on Iran and the US president’s decision to post an image of himself as Jesus Christ on social media, make a good deal more sense considering Trump attended services as a young man at the Protestant Marble Collegiate church in Manhattan, which was led at the time by an anti-Catholic pastor.That church’s pastor in Trump’s youth, Norman Vincent Peale, who would later officiate at Trump’s first wedding, is best-known today as the author of the Christian self-help book The Power of Positive Thinking, but when Trump was 14, Peale made national headlines as the leader of a group of Protestant churchmen who loudly objected to the presidential candidacy of John F Kennedy, on the grounds that he was a Catholic. Continue reading...

• The Supreme Court issued a ruling clearing the way for the Department of Justice to erase Steve Bannon's January 6 conviction, reversing lower court obstacles to the administration's efforts. • The decision represents a significant legal victory for the Trump administration in its effort to address convictions related to the Capitol riot. • The ruling overturned a district judge's previous injunction that had blocked the administration's actions on the matter.