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Royal Kennel Club figures show significant declines in registrations of French bulldogs, bulldogs and pugsSquashed-face dogs including pugs and French bulldogs are declining in popularity, data suggests, with experts hopeful the trend reflects a growing awareness of the health problems such breeds face.According to breed registration statistics from the UK’s Royal Kennel Club (RKC), there were 1,400 registrations of French bulldogs in the first three months of 2026 – a 37% drop compared with the same period in 2025. Bulldog registrations dropped by 34% and pug registrations by 43% with only 126 of the breed registered in the first three months of 2026. Continue reading...

• The article highlights a contradiction between the rise of nationalist rhetoric among global politicians and the actual public desire for international cooperation. • It argues that global solidarity remains remarkably popular among citizens, despite political efforts to belittle foreign alliances and promote isolationism. • This disconnect matters because it suggests that populist political trends may not accurately reflect the values or priorities of the general population.

Labor MP Mike Freelander says party must continue to help under-pressure workers, including considering further income tax cutsLabor will seek to highlight Pauline Hanson’s record of opposing cost-of-living relief for working people as it tries to prevent One Nation further eroding its voter base.As the government grapples with how to deal with Hanson’s surge, one Labor MP predicted One Nation’s support had peaked and the right-wing populist party wouldn’t be able to replicate its polling success at a federal election. Continue reading...

As continent faces tough headwinds, leaders are bearing brunt of delivering bad news to frustrated electorates“People hate you,” the adviser informed his leader. A think-piece in a daily newspaper noted that “almost everyone agrees on one thing: they don’t like him”.The recent disastrous set of local election results in the UK built on Keir Starmer’s longstanding reputational problem: only 11% of Britons believe he has been a good or great prime minister, and nearly 60% believe he has been poor or terrible, according to polling by YouGov. Continue reading...

Pressure is intensifying on Keir Starmer after Andy Burnham was given a route back to parliamentGood morning and welcome to our live coverage of UK politics.Housing secretary Steve Reed has been on the media round this morning urging Labour colleagues to put the “country first, party second”, even as he admits Keir Starmer is “unpopular”. Continue reading...

Housing secretary Steve Reed says no one has numbers for challenge and Labour should row in behind prime ministerOne of Keir Starmer’s closest allies in the cabinet has conceded that the prime minister is “unpopular” but has insisted Labour should not repeat the same pattern of changing leaders that damaged the Conservatives.The housing secretary, Steve Reed, one of Starmer’s most loyal ministers and staunch defenders, told broadcasters on Friday that no one had the numbers to challenge him and the party should come together behind the prime minister. Continue reading...

Amid public apathy and frustration, Labour and Reform tie for second behind the SNP, while Greens claim ‘seismic’ fourth placeLong before the final votes were counted in Scotland, veteran Labour politicians said it was a defeat made in Downing Street.When the Scottish Labour leader, Anas Sarwar, strode into the Glasgow count arena on Friday afternoon flanked by sombre-faced activists, the scene was a mirror image to the same venue in 2024, when his resurgent party won 36 seats from the Scottish National party, playing a significant part in Keir Starmer’s landslide victory. Continue reading...

Samuel Whitsed, 27, is believed to have travelled from Victoria to hike Bibbulmun Track near outskirts of PerthGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastThree months after a hiker was last seen at a popular walking track, police have become increasingly concerned for the missing man’s welfare.Police have scoured dense bushland for a Victorian man after he disappeared from a popular hiking trail on the other side of the country. Continue reading...

Owner of Japan nightclub says ‘This is a response to a year of insults directed at us – as a country – by the United States’A Mexico City nightclub has gone viral for charging Americans a nearly $300 cover charge, while citizens from any other country pay just $20 for access, and Mexicans and other Latin Americans pay only $14.The Instagram announcement from the nightclub Japan in the Roma Norte neighborhood has been liked over 26,000 times and received more than 200 comments, mostly supporting the policy as part of a broader revolt in the capital against what many see as a US takeover. Continue reading...

Kristi Noem was replaced by Markwayne Mullin as DHS secretary and Gregory Bovino was demoted, signally a change in tone even as arrests have continuedThroughout last year, Donald Trump delivered on his signature campaign promise of mass deportation in draconian and theatrical style. Hardline figures such as Kristi Noem, the homeland security secretary, and Gregory Bovino, the border patrol commander, became the face of Trump’s crackdown, defending a strategy of large-scale raids that sent immigration agents flooding into US cities, terrorizing communities and clashing with protesters.Then in January, immigration officers killed two US citizens, Renee Nicole Good and Alex Pretti, in a matter of three weeks. The killings spurred a sweeping backlash that has led Democratic members of Congress to block funding for the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) for more than a month in an attempt to rein in ICE. Even Trump said “maybe we could use a little bit of a softer touch”. Continue reading...

Iran war has split some Maga conservatives from Trump and alienated young voters. What will it mean in the midterms?This was originally published in This Week in Trumpland; sign up to receive it in your inbox every WednesdayThe American right wing has forgiven Donald Trump for his affairs, impeachments, mass deportations and the platforming of JD Vance.But having stuck with him through all that unpleasantness, it seems that we may have discovered the one thing that is capable of splitting some Maga conservatives from Trump: all it took was him starting a war in the Middle East. Continue reading...

A new book from Rebecca Solnit, promising to bring us hope in these “difficult times”, is among our pick of popular science titles out this month – along with a guide on how to talk to AI, and a look at modern warfare