News 08/05/26

The home secretary has described election results as devastating, especially in Birmingham, where Labour lost control of the council after fourteen years.

Writing on X, Shabana Mahmood said public servants, colleagues and friends had lost their seats. She said the results were a verdict on Labour rather than opponents and agreed with Sir Keir Starmer that the government must do better. Mahmood added it was a privilege to serve the British people and the party must live up to that responsibility.

The King has led tributes to Sir David Attenborough on his one hundredth birthday, sending warmest congratulations in a card message.

The monarch said they have known each other for more than sixty years after first meeting in nineteen fifty eight. In a clip shown at a birthday concert at the Royal Albert Hall, the King praised Sir David for revealing the beauty and wonders of nature to audiences around the world.

Russia and Ukraine have agreed a three day ceasefire and prisoner exchange following a request from Donald Trump.

The ceasefire will run from Saturday until Monday and has been confirmed by Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Vladimir Putin’s policy aide, Yuri Ushakov. Donald Trump said the agreement could represent the beginning of the end of the war.

Great Western Railway is to be renationalised in what the government called a significant moment for rail services in the West of England.

The operator runs services linking London with the south west and South Wales and will return to public ownership on the thirteenth of December. GWR said it welcomed the clarity provided by the announcement.

British passengers and crew aboard the cruise ship affected by hantavirus will be tested before returning to the UK.

Five cases have been confirmed, including one passenger among three deaths during the voyage.

The final results have been declared in the Welsh Senedd election, with Plaid Cymru becoming the biggest party and ending Labour’s dominance of Welsh politics.

Plaid won the most votes and took four seats in the final constituency, Gwynedd Maldwyn, while Reform UK claimed two. Plaid finished with forty three seats, six short of a majority.

Nigel Farage says a historic shift in politics has taken place after Reform UK won hundreds of seats and councils in England.

He said the party was proving it could win in Labour heartlands and expected support would not be a one off. Reform gained control of Havering and made gains in Essex, Suffolk, the Midlands and England.

A drug dealer has been jailed for more than sixteen years after police discovered more than one point six million pounds in cash, hidden in secret compartments at a Bradford property.

Zulfiqar Shah admitted conspiracy to supply heroin and ketamine and conspiracy to possess criminal property. West Yorkshire Police said the money was the biggest seizure of criminal cash by the force.

Zoe Coutts, Kol Page’s mother, has been jailed for ten years, while former boyfriend Scott O’Connor has been jailed for eighteen years with a five year extended licence period after attacks and neglect.

Kol suffered brain damage after being attacked by O’Connor in April twenty twenty two, while Coutts turned a blind eye. He suffered abuse in Bromley before his death in June twenty twenty four aged four. O’Connor and Coutts were convicted of manslaughter and allowing the death of a child after a trial at Southwark Crown Court.

The leaders of the main political parties have been reacting to local election results this morning.

Sir Keir Starmer told Labour members in Ealing he would not stand down after the party lost more than two hundred and fifty seats, though he accepted responsibility. Kemi Badenoch appeared in better spirits despite the Conservatives losing around one hundred and seventy five seats, after the party regained control of Westminster Council from Labour.

The boss of South East Water has quit a week after the company’s chairman, following demands from MPs for leadership changes at the utility firm.

South East Water said Dave Hinton had resigned but would remain until a successor is appointed. He had been chief executive since 2020 and previously said he would take no bonus for 2026 after an outage left thousands without drinking water for two weeks.

Free community health and wellbeing sessions in Slough are being described as a lifeline for older residents.

The health hubs are run by Viva Slough and aim to prevent long term conditions while addressing health deprivation in the town. Data shows life expectancy in Slough is lower than national and regional averages. One user, eighty three year old Sarla Seth, said arthritis had previously made it difficult to move in the morning.

Sir David Attenborough says he has been completely overwhelmed by birthday messages ahead of his one hundredth birthday.

The broadcaster and environmentalist will celebrate the milestone on Friday with a special concert at the Royal Albert Hall in London. In an audio message, he said he had expected a quiet celebration but had received greetings from pre school groups, care home residents and families of all ages.

Sir Keir Starmer has said the results overnight have hurt and are very tough, but he insists he takes responsibility for Labour’s losses.

In his first comments since results began coming in, the Prime Minister said tough days like this do not weaken his resolve to deliver the change he promised. He added they strengthen his resolve to do so, but admitted there is no sugarcoating this.

BA owner IAG says it does not expect services across main markets to be affected by jet fuel shortages throughout the summer, despite supply pressure linked to the US-Iran war.

The group includes Iberia and Aer Lingus, said in a trading update that the strength of its supply chain and inventories leaves it well placed to avert industry turbulence. But it warned that if the current conflict continues to restrict flows of crude oil and jet fuel from the Middle East, supplies could be restricted globally.

Labour MP Karl Turner has described early election results as catastrophic in some areas, saying it is more than a flesh wound.

He said concerns about Sir Keir Starmer’s unpopularity were raised repeatedly on the doorstep in his constituency, adding that Starmer is more toxic in East Hull than Jeremy Corbyn ever was.

An update from the UK Health Security Agency reports a new suspected case of a British national has been reported, in addition to two Britons already known about.

The UKHSA says the case was reported on Tristan da Cunha in Saint Helena, where cruise ship passengers disembarked last month. None are reporting symptoms but are being closely monitored, with British citizens onboard also being monitored on the vessel.

Reform UK has made gains in council election results overnight.

The votes across Scotland, Wales and one hundred and thirty six English councils are the biggest set of elections since the 2024 general election. More councils are expected to declare results on Friday, alongside results for the Senedd and Scottish Parliament.

President Donald Trump says a ceasefire remains in place between the United States and Iran after both sides exchanged fire late on Thursday night.

Iran’s military command accused the US of targeting an Iranian oil tanker, carrying out aerial attacks on coastal areas. The US says it responded with self defence strikes after attacks on Navy destroyers in the Strait. The violence comes after Iran said it was considering a US proposal to end the war.

Instagram users will no longer be able to send ultra private direct messages after Meta removed end to end encryption globally.

The technology allows only the sender and recipient to read messages, but critics say it can allow extreme content to spread online without authorities being able to intervene. Children’s charities have welcomed the decision, while privacy campaigners have condemned it.

Revised plans for a building used in the production of cancer treatments at Wexham Park Hospital have been approved after earlier proposals were considered undeliverable.

NHS Frimley Health Foundation Trust is overseeing the hospital modernisation project, including a new cancer drug centre. The current aseptic suite prepares seven hundred and fifty chemotherapy doses each month.