Analysis
UK election
So long UK Conservatives, and thanks for all the memes
The tumultuous Thatcher years were memorialised in song and literature, but this current generation of Tories are probably best forgotten.
- by Rob Harris
Latest
Keir Starmer was moments from quitting. Now he’s hours from being Britain’s next PM
Barring an almighty upset, Starmer will become prime minister on Friday, his Labour Party ousting the Conservatives after 14 years. It is no mean feat.
- by Rob Harris
Updated
UK politics
‘A new chapter’: Labour forecast for record-breaking win as polls open in UK election
Rupert Murdoch’s The Sun newspaper has endorsed the opposition Labour Party rather than Rishi Sunak’s Conservatives.
- by Rob Harris
JK Rowling, David Tennant clash over gender issues in UK election
The stoush between the entertainers comes amid a now-familiar political debate on transgender policy, with the issue becoming a key battleground in the UK election.
- by Rob Harris
Updated
NATO
Dutton tells MPs to ‘be ready’ for early election after PM scraps Washington visit
Anthony Albanese was expected to attend next week’s summit marking NATO’s 75th anniversary but Defence Minister Richard Marles will now travel to the US in his place.
- by Rob Harris, Angus Thompson and James Massola
Analysis
UK politics
Bregrets? They’ve got a few. Most Brits now think leaving EU was a mistake
As Britons head to the polls this week, a majority think that leaving the European Union has delivered few benefits.
- by Rob Harris
Seine awash with bacteria one month before open-water Olympic swimming
For the third consecutive week, water in the Paris river has exhibited unsafe levels of E.coli, raising concerns with the Olympics weeks away.
- by Rob Harris
Tony Abbott, John Howard earn Putin’s ire, hit with sanctions by Kremlin
Russia’s relations with Australia has deteriorated to unprecedented lows since Moscow’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine more than two years ago.
- by Rob Harris
‘Farage our saviour?’ Divisive Brit’s bid to win over his country’s worst resort town
Long the butt of jokes, Clacton-on-Sea, a 90-minute train ride north-east of London, is at the forefront of British politics ahead of the July 4 election.
- by Rob Harris
Claire’s 70th birthday present? Driving utes into a war zone
Claire and her two sons cruised from London through Germany and Poland. The mood changed considerably as they showed their paperwork while crossing Ukraine’s border.
- by Rob Harris
‘Stupid error of judgement’: Labour candidate sacked for betting against himself to win
Kevin Craig said he had intended to give “any winnings to local charities” when he made the bet a few weeks ago “when I thought I would never win this seat”.
- by Rob Harris