Victory

Scottish Labour leader, Anas Sarwar, concedes his party was comprehensively beatenElection 2026 live: latest news updatesFull results from England, Scotland and WalesJohn Swinney, the Scottish National party leader, has declared victory in the Holyrood elections after only a handful of results confirmed Labour had been comprehensively beaten.Speaking to the BBC after holding his own seat of Perthshire North, Swinney said he was “absolutely certain the SNP is going to be the leading party coming out of this election”. Continue reading...

Ukraine suggested an indefinite ceasefire this week but it was repeatedly violated by RussiaAFP noted that Kyiv said Moscow ignored a Ukrainian call to halt fighting earlier this week that Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy cast as a test of whether the Kremlin was serious about providing a brief respite in the four-year war.Russia has threatened a massive strike on the heart of Kyiv if Ukraine disrupts the Victory Day parade on Saturday, repeatedly urging foreign diplomats to evacuate the Ukrainian capital ahead of time. Continue reading...

• President Trump declared Wednesday from the Oval Office that 'I think we won' the war with Iran, citing successful talks and Iranian willingness to negotiate. • The statement follows reports of productive discussions over the prior 24 hours, with Trump emphasizing a potential deal on nukes and the Strait of Hormuz. • Critics question the victory claim amid ongoing hostilities and rejected ceasefire proposals, impacting U.S. foreign policy credibility.

• Chandranath Rath, personal assistant to West Bengal BJP leader Suvendu Adhikari, was assassinated in Madhyamgram, North 24 Parganas, hit by three of four bullets while in a moving car. • The killing occurred two days after BJP's historic assembly election win over TMC on May 6, 2026, heightening post-poll tensions. • TMC condemned the murder on Thursday, demanding a CBI probe, while Chandra's mother broke down publicly, calling for life imprisonment for the killers.

• The BJP achieved a commanding majority in West Bengal state elections, marking its first-ever victory in India's fourth-most populous state and ending decades of opposition rule under Mamata Banerjee's Trinamool Congress. • Election results finalized this week show the BJP winning control of West Bengal while expanding majorities in Assam and making incremental gains in Kerala and Tamil Nadu, consolidating power across 21 of India's 28 states. • The victories represent a significant political rebound for Prime Minister Narendra Modi following his party's loss of outright parliamentary majority in 2024 national elections.

Kremlin tightens security ahead of Russia’s biggest national celebration on 9 May amid fears of Ukrainian drone strikesRussia shut down airports and temporarily cut mobile internet access for many users in Moscow on Tuesday, as it tightened security ahead of the 9 May Victory Day parade marking the defeat of Nazi Germany.The parade – Russia’s foremost national celebration – has already been scaled back and will proceed without heavy military hardware for the first time in nearly two decades, amid fears of long-range Ukrainian drone strikes. Continue reading...

• The United Democratic Front (UDF) achieved a decisive victory in Kerala's 2026 assembly elections, leading in over 100 seats and set to form the next government in the state. • The UDF's strong performance provided limited relief to the opposition INDIA bloc, which faced significant setbacks across other states including West Bengal and Tamil Nadu. • Kerala remained among the few states where the opposition retained meaningful electoral influence, contrasting sharply with BJP's dominance in northern and eastern India.