Foreign
Labour Set For Landslide Win In UK Election – Exit Poll
Britain’s main opposition Labour party looks set for a landslide election win, exit polls indicated on Thursday, ending 14 years of right-wing Conservative rule marked by financial austerity, Brexit division and scandal.
As polling stations closed at 10:00 pm (2100 GMT), the survey for UK broadcasters suggested centre-left Labour would win 410 seats in the 650-seat House of Commons, with the Tories (Conservatives) managing only 131.
In another boost for the centrists, the smaller opposition Liberal Democrats would get 61 seats, but Nigel Farage’s anti-immigration Reform UK could secure 13.
Counting of ballots was under way across the country, with official results expected from late Thursday into Friday, putting Labour leader Keir Starmer on course to replace Rishi Sunak as prime minister.
The result, if confirmed, bucks a rightward trend among Britain’s closest allies, with the far-right National Rally in France eyeing power and Donald Trump looking set for a return in the United States.
Under Britain’s first-past-the-post electoral system, a party needs 326 seats to win an overall majority in parliament.
After a sleepless night of counting and declarations, the winner is expected to meet head of state King Charles III, who will ask the leader of the largest party to form a government.
Ministerial appointments are expected to follow soon after an acceptance speech to a mass of assembled media in Downing Street.
Confirmation of the result would cap a remarkable rise to power for Starmer, 61, who was first elected as a member of parliament in 2015.
The former human rights lawyer and chief public prosecutor was elected Labour leader in early 2020, succeeding the veteran leftist Jeremy Corbyn, who lost by a landslide to Boris Johnson in 2019.
Since then, he has dragged the party back to the centre ground, making it a more electable proposition and purging ideological infighting and anti-Semitism that lost it support.
Opinion polls have given Labour a consistent 20-point lead over the Tories for almost the past two years, which a largely lacklustre election campaign has failed to change.
That has given an air of inevitability about a Labour win, and high expectations that the party can fulfil its promise to change the country’s flagging fortunes for the better.
Starmer — the working-class son of a toolmaker and a nurse — has promised “a decade of national renewal”.
But his to-do list is daunting, with economic growth anaemic, public services overstretched and underfunded after nearly a decade-and-a-half of cuts, and households squeezed financially.
The Labour leader has also promised a return of political integrity, after a chaotic period of five Tory prime ministers, including three in four months.
His first days in office are set to be packed, representing Britain at the NATO conference in Washington next week, then hosting European leaders later this month at a summit in southern England.
AFP
United States President Donald Trump has renewed his criticism of the U.S. electoral system, warning that the country could face serious consequences if election reforms are not introduced.
In a post on his Truth Social platform, he claimed that American elections are “rigged” and have become a global embarrassment, arguing that urgent changes are needed to restore trust in the system.
He called on Republicans to rally behind a proposed electoral overhaul he referred to as the “Save America Act,” which he described as crucial to protecting democracy in the United States. According to him, the bill would strengthen voting integrity through measures such as mandatory voter identification and proof of citizenship.
Trump also proposed restrictions on mail-in voting, saying it should only be allowed in limited cases such as illness, disability, military service, or travel. He argued that mail-in ballots are vulnerable to abuse and compromise election integrity.
He further warned that he would not endorse any Republican who opposed the bill and urged lawmakers to support it regardless of party affiliation. Trump also suggested that opposition to the proposal would be politically damaging in future elections.
Observers note that the proposal is expected to spark debate, particularly given ongoing disagreements in the U.S. over voting rights, election security, and the balance of authority between federal and state governments.
The 31-year-old man, Cole Allen, who reportedly opened fire during the White House Correspondents’ Dinner in Washington, D.C., on Saturday night, has told investigators that he deliberately targeted officials of the President Donald Trump administration, according to senior federal law enforcement sources familiar with the case.
Allen allegedly confessed after his arrest on Saturday night that his intention was to “shoot Trump administration officials,” investigators disclosed, according to Fox News.
The incident occurred at the Washington Hilton, where Allen reportedly forced his way through a Secret Service security checkpoint while armed with a shotgun, a handgun, knives, and other weapons.
He subsequently opened fire, hitting a Secret Service officer, whose ballistic vest prevented fatal injuries.
Law enforcement agents at the scene returned fire, but Allen was not struck. Both the injured officer and the suspect were transported to a nearby hospital for treatment.
In the aftermath of the shooting, operatives from the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), alongside local law enforcement, moved swiftly to secure Allen’s residence in Torrance, California.
Officials said efforts were underway to obtain a federal search warrant to examine the property for further evidence.
According to the White House, new details have emerged suggesting that Allen may have communicated his intentions prior to the attack.
His brother reportedly alerted the New London Police Department after receiving what authorities described as a manifesto outlining the suspect’s motives.
Investigators said the document explicitly referenced plans to target members of the Trump administration.
Officials also pointed to Allen’s social media activity, which allegedly contained anti-Trump and anti-Christian sentiments.
Reacting to the development during an interview with Fox News, Trump described the suspect as deeply disturbed.
“The guy is a sick guy,” Trump said. “When you read his manifesto, he hates Christians. That’s one thing for sure.
“He hates Christians, a hatred. And I think his sister or his brother actually was complaining about it. You know, they were even complaining to law enforcement. So he was, he was a very troubled guy.”
Further insight into Allen’s behaviour was provided by his sister, Avriana Allen, who spoke with both the Secret Service and local police in Rockville.
She reportedly told investigators that her brother frequently made extreme statements and spoke about carrying out actions to “fix” societal problems.
She also revealed that Allen had legally purchased firearms, including two handguns and a shotgun, from a dealer identified as Cap Tactical Firearms.
According to her account, the weapons were stored at their parents’ residence without their knowledge.
Avriana added that her brother regularly practised shooting at gun ranges and was associated with a group known as “The Wide Awakes.”
She further disclosed that he had participated in a “No Kings” protest in California at some point prior to the incident.
The shooting has heightened concerns about security at high-profile political events in the United States, particularly those attended by senior government officials and members of the press.
Authorities say investigations are ongoing as they work to piece together the full scope of Allen’s motives and potential affiliations.
Foreign
“Our Girls Are Sleeping With Foreigners, They Must Leave” — Emotional South African Man Sparks Outrage with Xenophobic Rant
A video circulating on social media shows a man in South Africa expressing strong anti-foreigner sentiments, in remarks that have sparked concern over rising xenophobic tensions.
In the footage, the man appears visibly emotional as he complains about the presence of foreigners in the country, claiming that “our girls are sl33ping with foreigners” and insisting that they “have to leave.” He also warns that foreigners “must never think they can control” local communities.
This is coming amid xenophobic raids carried out by South Africans against mainly Black immigrants in the country.
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