The Latest Breaking News from United Kingdom

After a complete collapse, where does Welsh Labour go from here?

May 7 will go down as the worst election in the history of Welsh Labour. More than a century of electoral dominance ended with the party sitting in opposition in the Senedd (Welsh parliament) for the first time.

The Conversation · May 13

Other countries can learn from the UK’s successful shift to fortnightly bin collections

The government has recently introduced simpler rules on recycling in England, planning to end the confusion of different types of waste being collected in different postcodes. Scotland and Northern Ireland already operate (or are updating) their own devolved recycling laws that are equivalent to England’s simpler recycling system.

The Conversation · May 13

Cannabis: it’s medicine if you’re rich enough – a crime if you’re not

In Britain, whether cannabis is treated as medicine or a crime may depend less on medical need than on the ability to pay. In 2018, the UK government changed drug policy, allowing specialist doctors to prescribe cannabis-based medicinal products.

The Conversation · May 13

Starmer sets out plans for ‘stronger and fairer’ UK as he fights to save his job

The King’s Speech set out Sir Keir Starmer’s plans for government as his position as Prime Minister remained in jeopardy.

Evening Standard · May 13

Right-wing politician threatens to sue Starmer over ban on entering UK for Tommy Robinson march

‘This is what communism looks like in the 21st century,’ wrote Dominik Tarczynski

The Independent UK · May 13

Datacentres using 6% of electricity supply in UK and US, research says

Industry body says energy consumption driven by AI up 15% globally in two years as it warns of societal backlash

The Guardian - UK · May 13

TikTok Says Pay Up to Avoid Data Tracking for Ads — Privacy Now Costs £3.99 a Month

TikTok's new £3.99 ($5.44) ad-free tier removes ads and data tracking for UK users. Free accounts can no longer opt out of personalised ads.

International Business Times UK · May 13

Russian cargo ship sunk off Spain carried nuclear reactors for North Korea, probe reveals

Spanish investigators have discovered that the Russian cargo ship that sank in the Mediterranean in 2024 — originally believed to be part of a weapons retrieval mission to Syria — was secretly carrying nuclear reactor components bound for North Korea.

Euronews · May 13

UK housebuilder Vistry warns of ‘significantly’ lower profits amid Iran war uncertainty

Bovis Homes owner’s shares plunge 10.5% after being forced to cut prices as buyers become cautious

The Guardian - UK · May 13

Europe is rearming itself without addressing the political consequences

Compounding the alarm triggered by Russia’s 2022 full-scale invasion of Ukraine, the erratic unpredictability of the second Trump administration has made the need for European security autonomy obvious. On a number of occasions over the past year, Donald Trump has loosely intimated that he might leave the Nato defence alliance.

The Conversation · May 13