The Iran war has depleted America’s weapons stockpile, leaving Donald Trump vulnerable and constraining his ability to resume hostilities, military analysts say.
The majority of Iran’s missiles and launchers, meanwhile, are believed to remain intact.
Research from US military think tank the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) found that many of the most advanced offensive and defensive munitions in the US arsenal were burned through during six weeks of high intensity warfare, which could leave the Pentagon short in future conflicts.
More than 1,000 Tomahawk and JASSM long-range cruise missiles were used in the bombardment, almost a third of the total available, while more than half of Patriot and THAAD (Terminal High Altitude Area Defence) missiles were deployed. The timeline to replace the munitions is about four years, according to CSIS.
The US President has called the shaky ceasefire between the two adversaries “unbelievably weak” and on “massive life support”, with negotiations proving difficult. Iran’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesman accused the US of being “unreasonable” and “one-sided” with its most recent demands, after Trump branded Iran’s response to a previous peace proposal “totally unacceptable”.
Shorts – Quick stories
ENVIRONMENT
Eagles to return to Exmoor despite farmer concerns
Caption: Undated handout photo issued by Ainsley Bennett showing a white-tailed eagle. Natural England has given the go-ahead for up to 60 white-tailed eagles to be released into the wild, at Wild Ken Hill in west Norfolk, in an attempt to bring back the birds to England. Issue date: Monday May 10, 2021. PA Photo. See PA story ENVIRONMENT Eagles. Photo credit should read: Ainsley Bennett/PA Wire
NOTE TO EDITORS: This handout photo may only be used in for editorial reporting purposes for the contemporaneous illustration of events, things or the people in the image or facts mentioned in the caption. Reuse of the picture may require further permission from the copyright holder. Photographer: Ainsley Bennett Provider: PA Source: PA
Up to 20 young white-tailed eagles are to be released in Exmoor National Park in Devon and Somerset as the species continues its comeback from being pushed to extinction in much of the British Isles.
The species, which is the UK’s largest bird of prey, has already been successfully reintroduced in the Isle of Wight and Scotland despite concerns about conflicts with farming.
Return of raptor once common in England’s skies
Also known as “sea eagles” because of their ability to hunt over open water, the white-tailed eagle was widespread in southern England until the 1700s. But hunting led to them being wiped out in the region until a breeding programme began on the Isle of Wight. Some 45 birds have been released, with the first pair breeding successfully in 2023.
You can find both white-tailed sea eagles, the UK’s largest bird of prey, and golden eagles on the Isle of Mull,(Photo: Getty)A white-tailed eagle, also known as a sea eagle, comes in to catch a fish thrown overboard from a wildlife viewing boat (Photo: Getty)
Farming fears ‘unfounded’
Concerns have previously been raised that the large eagles, whose wingspan can reach 8ft, would prey on livestock such as lambs. But a study on the Isle of Wight found the birds were instead targeting cuttlefish, rabbits, fish and other birds. It found there were “no conflicts” with farming.
A white-tailed eagle (Haliaeetus albicilla) takes wings in light snowfall from a field (Getty Images)Caption: A ewe with her newborn lambs during a bright morning in the village of Ladbroke in Warwickshire. March is expected to have a mild start, with brighter skies and temperatures set to reach 14C in some areas this week. Picture date: Sunday March 2, 2025. PA Photo. See PA story WEATHER Spring. Photo credit should read: JAcob King/PA Wire Photographer: Jacob King Provider: JAcob King/PA Wire Source: PA Copyright: PA
Exmoor, which has long expanses of coastal woodland, is considered ideal habitat for white-tailed eagles. The national park authority has pledged support for farmers in adapting to the birds.
Today’s young people will look up one day and wonder why they’ve got nowhere to celebrate their birthday (Photo: Mike Kemp/In Pictures)
healthy eating
Popular sandwiches with highest salt content revealed
Shop-bought sandwiches can contain an “alarmingly high” amount of salt – with one in particular containing the equivalent of nearly five McDonald’s cheeseburgers or ten bacon rashers, a study has warned.
The review of 546 sandwiches sold by high street outlets named a smoked chicken club sandwich sold by Gail’s as the nation’s saltiest. The upmarket bakery’s lunch snack contained 6.88g of salt – enough to exceed the daily adult limit of 6g in a single meal.
What you need to know
Researchers warn there are “hidden health risks” in shop-bought sarnies.
Danish smorrebrod traditional open sandwich at Copenhagen food market store. Many sandwiches on display with seafood and meat, smoked salmon. Photographer: Maridav/Getty Images
Nutrition is not as simple as calorie content. Oversimplifying it is dangerous
Action on Salt found nearly 50 per cent of sandwiches should carry a red “high salt” label. 32 contained half of the maximum daily salt intake.
A third of the offerings were also high in saturated fat, while 97 per cent failed to provide a third of daily recommended fibre.
Cooling rack filled with freshly baked artisanal breads in bakery – stock photo. (Photo: Getty)
Who were the worst culprits?
Several of the worst offenders are sold at Gail’s. Alongside its £8.90 club sandwich (6.88g), the upscale bakery also has a smoked salmon bagel (4.2g) and a ham and cheese croissant (2.6g), the saltiest croissant in the study. Paul’s rosette salami offering had 4.19g and Pret’s ham and grevé baguette had 3.85g.
Caption: Sandwiches are on display at a FamilyMart convenience store in Tokyo on May 13, 2026. (Photo by Yuichi YAMAZAKI / AFP via Getty Images) Photographer: YUICHI YAMAZAKI Provider: AFP via Getty Images Source: AFP Copyright: AFP or licensors The new shot comes hot on the heels of other health shots (Photo: Jose Sarmento Matos/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
A high salt intake is regarded as a particular health risk because of its association with high blood pressure. The condition has no symptoms and yet is responsible for around half of all heart attacks and strokes.
Pensions
What a Reform government would mean for your pension
The strong performance by Reform UK in last week’s local elections has intensified scrutiny of what a government led by Nigel Farage might mean for personal finances.
To date, the party has offered only a few detailed policies on pensions but the proposals nonetheless point to possible significant changes for retirees and savers.
What you need to know
Experts are arguing that the UK should make greater use of existing government data (Photo: Andrzej Rostek/Getty/iStockphoto)
Triple lock intact
Reform has said it will keep the guarantee that pensions will rise by the highest of inflation, wage growth or 2.5 per cent.
Public sector pensions
The same cannot be said for defined benefit schemes for teachers and NHS workers. Reform has said these pensions are too costly.
Hospital Hallway with Doctors, Nurses and Specialists in Hospital. Female and Male Physicians, Surgeons, Healthcare Officials Walk Together in Corridor with Their Back to Camera – stock photo. (Photo: Getty)
Resident doctors from the British Medical Association picket outside St Thomas’ Hospital in November. Another five-day strike began today. (Photo: Hiba Kola/Reuters)
Union clash looms
Reform has said it will close DB schemes to new entrants. Experts have warned this would anger unions.
Why it’s the economy that matters when it comes to pension pots
The biggest impact of any Reform government on pensions would lie less in specific policies and more in its general marshalling of the economy, according to experts. The party has said it will reboot growth by slashing red tape and businsess taxes, thereby boosting investment performance. But some observers warn simplistic solutions risk economic stability.
Caption: ROMFORD, ENGLAND – MAY 08: Reform UK leader Nigel Farage speaks with media outside Havering Town Hall following the 2026 local election results on May 08, 2026 in Romford, England. Voters went to the polls yesterday in the local elections across England. Results counted overnight show widespread losses for the Labour Party. Several key Labour councils have surrendered their majority as Reform UK and the Liberal Democrats make significant gains. (Photo by Dan Kitwood/Getty Images) Photographer: Dan Kitwood Provider: Getty Images Source: Getty Images Europe Copyright: 2026 Getty Images
PENSIONS AND RETIREMENT
5 min read
Why do the British insist on exporting their culture when they travel? (Photo: Ceri Breeze/Getty)
FOOD AND DRINK
Greggs to open international shop at Tenerife South airport
The British chain will bring its beloved range of baked goods to the Canary Islands.
Greggs last operated shops abroad in Belgium in 2008, but said Tenerife was “the ideal location to test spreading our wings in an overseas setting”.
What you need to know
Greggs will open a branch in Tenerife South airport later this month.
The usual range of sausage rolls, pasties and sweet treats will be on offer.
A ‘Spanish omelette roll’ will also be on the menu.
Around half of Tenerife’s 13 million visitors go to and from the UK each year.
OPINION
2 min read
What Greggs is saying
It’s an exciting milestone for Greggs as we bring a slice of home to the Canaries, and we’re confident our great-value offering will resonate just as well under the Spanish sun as it does on the UK high street.
Greggs chief executive Roisin Currie
Caption: Greggs sausage rolls, UK. (Photo by: Alex Segre/UCG/Universal Images Group via Getty Images) Photographer: UCG Provider: UCG/Universal Images Group via G Source: Universal Images Group Editorial Copyright: Alex Segre
GO DEEPER ON THIS TOPIC
Greggs has made me ashamed to be British
Caption: Bay of turquoise coloured water in Los Cristianos, Tenerife, Canary Islands, Spain. Photographer: BriBar Provider: Getty Images Source: E+ Copyright: BW PHOTOGRAPHY
Emily Watkins
Freelance writer
Spain – a land of excellent food, rich cultural identity and a beautiful language. Of course, if you’re a British tourist there, odds are you won’t have noticed.
Why do the British insist on exporting their culture when they travel?
Read more here.
How would Andy Burnham become prime minister?
Andy Burnham is one of the frontrunners to replace Sir Keir Starmer if he resigns as Prime Minister. The Manchester Mayor has previously indicated he would be willing to overthrow the current Labour leader.
Caption: File photo dated 13/4/26 of Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer, Labour Party MP and former deputy prime minister Angela Rayner and Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham meet pupils during a visit to a school breakfast club at Holy Trinity C of E Primary School in Ashton, Greater Manchester. Andy Burnham “should never have been blocked” from seeking a seat in the Commons, Angela Rayner has said today. Issue date: Monday May 11, 2026. PA Photo. Photo credit should read: Paul Ellis/PA Wire Photographer: Paul Ellis Provider: Paul Ellis/PA Wire Source: PA Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham cannot run for the leadership unless he wins a seat in Parliament (Photo: Ryan Jenkinson/Getty)
First step – find a vacant seat
Caption: File photo dated 13/4/26 of Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer, Labour Party MP and former deputy prime minister Angela Rayner and Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham meet pupils during a visit to a school breakfast club at Holy Trinity C of E Primary School in Ashton, Greater Manchester. Andy Burnham “should never have been blocked” from seeking a seat in the Commons, Angela Rayner has said today. Issue date: Monday May 11, 2026. PA Photo. Photo credit should read: Paul Ellis/PA Wire Photographer: Paul Ellis Provider: Paul Ellis/PA Wire Source: PA
A vacant parliamentary seat would need to be available and finding one may not be easy.
There are two by-elections coming up in Scotland, but Burnham is unlikely to stand in these.
Caption: Mayor of Greater Manchester Andy Burnham arrives for a meeting in 10 Downing Street, London, Tuesday, March 31, 2026. (AP Photo/Alastair Grant) Photographer: Alastair Grant Provider: AP Source: AP Copyright: Copyright 2026 The Associated Press. All rights reserved
Caption: LONDON, UNITED KINGDOM – OCTOBER 31: Labour Party MP Clive Lewis addresses hundreds of activists and campaigners in London’s Parliament Square during ‘Extinction Rebellion’ protest against the inaction of the British government in the face of climate change and ecological collapse. Protesters declared a non-violent rebellion and demanded urgent action on the ecological crisis to avoid the possibility of human extinction in the near future. October 31, 2018 in London, England. (Photo credit should read Wiktor Szymanowicz/Future Publishing via Getty Images) Photographer: Wiktor Szymanowicz Provider: Future Publishing via Getty Imag Source: Future Publishing Copyright: ? 2018 Wiktor Szymanowicz
MPs have indicated in the past they would step aside for Burnham, including Clive Lewis, but these suggestions have since been quashed.
Step two – Labour’s ruling National Executive Committee
If a seat were to become vacant, Burnham would need to win over the National Executive Committee (NEC), who is responsible for choosing Labour’s candidates. In January, the NEC blocked Burnham from running in Gorton and Denton. A 10-strong group, including the PM, voted to deny Burnham permission.
Caption: FILE – Britain’s Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer poses for a photo outside Parliament Buildings, following a meeting with party leaders, during his tour of the UK following Labour’s victory in the 2024 general election, in Stormont, Belfast, Monday July 8, 2024. (Liam McBurney/Pool Photo via AP, File) Photographer: Liam McBurney Provider: AP Source: Pool PA
Exclusive
3 min read
Step three – a leadership ballot
If Burnham were to be elected to Parliament, only then could he make a Labour leadership bid. According to the Labour Party rule book, candidates seeking to enter the ballot must be an MP.
Mayor of Greater Manchester Andy Burnham speaking at a Resolution Foundation event on working-age families, at the Methodist Central Hall in central London (Photo: Jordan Pettitt/PA Wire)Caption: Angela Rayner And Andy Burnham At The Daily Mirror Party At The Labour Party Conference In Brighton, 2021 28-September-2021 (Photo by Jeremy Selwyn/Evening Standard via Getty Images) Photographer: Jeremy Selwyn Provider: Evening Standard via Getty Image Source: Evening Standard
This is because the Labour leader is the Prime Minister, therefore they would need to be a Member of Parliament. The current rules state a candidate must receive nominations from 20 per cent of their Labour colleagues in Parliament to be in the running.
A summary of necessary steps
What is standing in Burnham’s way?
Vacant seat
NEC permission
Win election, become an MP
Meet nominations threshold
Win leadership competition, become Labour leader and prime minister
Why driving test booking is set to change for learners
Changes begin on 12 May to reduce wait times and prevent bots and touts from exploiting the system.
(Photo: Steve Parsons/PA).
Driving test reforms
What you need to know
Under new laws, it’ll be illegal for driving instructors or anyone else to book tests for pupils.
They will not be able to change, swap or cancel a test for someone else either.
Learners will still need a reference from their instructor.
Only two changes to a booked slot are allowed; previously, it was up to six.
From 9 June, tests can only be moved to three locations nearest to where the original test was booked.
Why are there changes?
A backlog of driving tests built up as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic.
Instructors were being offered kickbacks of up to £250 to sell their login credentials to touts.
Slots were being bought up in bulk and offered via social media for up to £500.
The standard cost is £62 on weekdays and £75 on evenings and weekends.
Caption: File photo dated 13/10/10 of a learner driver L plate. Driving test candidates should be asked if they would like their examiner to be “chatty” or “formal” to boost female pass rates, a report commissioned by a Government agency has suggested. Transport research group TRL, which proposed the measure, said it would avoid examiners creating “potential anxiety”. AA Driving School told the PA news agency that learners do not want to be examined by “a sergeant major nor a comedian”. Issue date: Sunday August 10, 2025. PA Photo. Photo credit should read: David Jones/PA Wire Photographer: David Jones Provider: David Jones/PA Wire Source: PA
OPINION
2 min read
The diplomatic war of words will worry some in the White House who believe a return to war could put further pressure on US stockpiles.
US pilots at extra risk
The depletion of key weapons is likely to be a “factor” in whether Trump acts on repeated threats to resume bombing of Iran, said Mark Cancian, a former US Army colonel who co-authored the study.
“I think it would be a factor because of concerns regarding future conflicts, particularly China and the Western Pacific,” he said. “We could continue operations if the fighting restarted [with Iran], but one area I think would be a particular concern, where the US might actually run out is THAAD.”
Tomahawk cruise missiles have a range of up to 1,000 miles but can take up to two years to produce (Photo: U.S. Navy/Getty Images)
Senior figures in the Trump administration such as Vice President JD Vance have reportedly raised serious concerns over weapons depletion, while War Secretary Pete Hegseth faced questions over the issue at a congressional hearing on Tuesday.
Democrat Senator Mark Kelly said on Sunday that classified briefings had revealed serious shortages and raised concerns about US readiness for future conflicts. “It’s shocking how deep we have gone into these magazines,” he said.
The report by CSIS showed a shift toward cheaper, more plentiful weaponry as a result of the diminished US arsenal, requiring US bombers to be closer to their targets and take greater risk. Cancian said the US could seek to rely on cheaper munitions but “the big capability you lose is range”. While a Tomahawk has a range of more than 1,000 miles, with cheaper bombs, US pilots would “have to get right up” to the target.
The Pentagon is likely to seek to influence any future action to safeguard stocks, said the retired serviceman. “I’m sure that the Pentagon will raise it as an issue,” he said. “They won’t say ‘you can’t do this’. But they will put it in the construct ‘if you do this, then this will be the effect.’”
Cheaper, more abundant ordnance would mean that US bombers would “have to get right up” to their target, says former US Army colonel Mark Cancian (Photo by U.S. Air Force/Getty Images)
Cancian added that long lead times to replace weapons were unlikely to be shortened by much in the coming years, despite Trump’s plans to scale up production.
Michael Mulroy, a former senior war department official who served under Trump, agreed that depleted weapons would be a factor in whether the US resumes the war with Iran. “We have other weapons, but they are more of a risk to use,” he said, warning that a new approach was needed. “We essentially manufacture for peace time activities. That has to change. Our adversaries are watching.”
According to the New York Times, the reports of drained US munitions stocks has also caused anxiety from European allies. These allies have bought billions of dollars worth of munitions on behalf of Ukraine and are concerned that their orders will be delayed in order to replenish US arsenals.
However, Pentagon officials have reportedly offered assurances to European allies that their stocks are sufficient to fulfil these orders.
Iran’s arsenal still a threat
US weaponry problems may be compounded by new intelligence assessments that suggest the vast majority of Iran’s missiles and launchers survived bombardment, despite claims from Trump and his senior officials to have largely destroyed them, which was a central war aim.
Iran retains access to 30 of 33 key missile sites along the Strait of Hormuz, according to a New York Times report citing US officials, with 90 per cent of storage and launch facilities assessed to be “partially or fully operational”. These missiles could threaten American warships and oil tankers travelling through the vital waterway.
Iranian missiles along the Strait of Hormuz could threaten US warships and oil tankers (Photo: Majid Saeedi/Getty Images)
Iran still has at least 70 per cent of its stockpile of ballistic missiles, believed to number in the thousands, and 75 per cent of its missile launchers, the report found. Similar figures were reported by the Washington Post last week, also citing US military officials.
Iranian officials have claimed that their military capabilities are even greater than the reports suggest.
Abbas Araghchi, the Islamic Republic’s foreign minister, said on X last Friday that “the CIA is wrong. Our missile inventory and launcher capacity are not at 75 per cent compared to Feb 28. The correct figure is 120 per cent. As for our readiness to defend our people: 1,000 per cent”.
The findings are in stark contrast to earlier claims from the US and Israel, which claimed to have taken out almost two-thirds of Iran’s launchers by late March.
Iran’s foreign minister Abbas Araghchi has claimed that the Islamic Republic’s missile inventory and launcher capacity is at 120 per cent (Photo: Burak Kara/Getty Images)
Writing on Truth Social on Tuesday, Trump attacked the reports, saying: “When the Fake News says that the Iranian enemy is doing well, Militarily, against us, it’s virtual TREASON in that it is such a false, and even preposterous, statement.
“They have no Navy, their Air Force is gone, all Technology is gone, their ‘leaders’ are no longer with us, and the Country is an Economic Disaster.
“These are American cowards that are rooting against our Country,” he added.
Joel Valdez, the acting Pentagon press secretary, also responded strongly to the findings in a statement, labelling the New York Times and other publications “disgraceful”, adding that they “are acting as public relations agents for the Iranian regime in order to paint Operation Epic Fury as anything other than a historic accomplishment”.
But Mulroy said the assessment was realistic and likely to be a result of the fortifications around Iran’s underground facilities. “Our intelligence community’s estimates are likely accurate. There may be truth to these missile cities under extraordinary hard granite rock,” he said.
Tal Inbar, an Israeli missile expert and specialist on Iranian weapons, also backed the assessment.
“Most of the missiles were in underground facilities that bombs did not penetrate,” he said. “They collapse earth and rocks, blocking the entrance to the site. Remove the debris and everything inside is intact.”
Donald Trump’s state visit to China is one of his most important foreign policy moments during his entire presidency, but he headed to Beijing with some unusual guests aboard Air Force One.
Trump arrived in Beijing early on Thursday morning (UK time), shaking hands with Chinese President Xi Jinping and inspecting Chinese troops on a red carpet in front of the Great Hall of the People.
Trump called Xi a great leader and friend during the welcome ceremonies.
“You’re a great leader, sometimes people don’t like me saying it, but I say it anyway,” Trump told Xi as they sat face-to-face.
“There are those who say this may be the biggest summit ever … It’s an honour to be with you. It’s an honour to be your friend and the relationship between China and the USA is going to be better than ever before.”
US President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping attend a welcome ceremony at the Great Hall of the People. (Picture: Alex Wong/Getty Images)
What is the purpose of Trump’s trip?
With his poll numbers slumping as of late, Trump is aiming to secure economic wins, maintain a fragile trade truce and navigate thorny issues such as the Iran war and arms sales to Taiwan.
This week’s meetings will provide plenty of face time between Trump and Xi.
After the talks at The Great Hall of the People, they will tour the UNESCO heritage site Temple of Heaven and attend a state banquet on Thursday, before taking tea and lunch together on Friday, according to the White House.
Both sides are eager to maintain a trade truce struck last October in South Korea, in which Trump suspended triple-digit tariffs on Chinese goods and Xi backed away from choking global supplies of rare earths.
“The trip to China is, in part, a trade mission – probably in large part. It’s also a distraction from Trump’s war with Iran,” said Dr John Hart, former head of the department of political science at the Australian National University and a specialist on American government.
“China has an incentive to get Trump to lower current tariffs. I doubt that they will have to yield that much in return. But there’s no chance that China will change its position on Taiwan in order to secure better trading arrangements with the US,” Hart said.
For Xi, American arms sales to Taiwan, the democratically governed island claimed by China, will be a top priority. China reiterated on Wednesday its strong opposition to the sales.
US President Donald Trump meets with China’s President Xi Jinping at the Great Hall of the People. (Picture: Mark Schiefelbein/AP)
Who is attending the trip with the US president?
It’s not often that a US president leaves his wife at home on such an important trip, but takes his friend-turned-enemy-turned-friend again Elon Musk with him.
But Trump has never done anything by the book, and this trip is no different.
The value of the passengers aboard Air Force One as it landed in Beijing was well over a billion dollars.
Alongside Trump himself and cabinet members, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth and Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, were a crew of business titans, including Musk and Apple CEO Tim Cook.
Members of the US delegation including Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Apple CEO Tim Cook, Elon Musk and Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang, listen to the US national anthem. (Picture: Mark Schiefelbein/AP)
Joining them is Nvidia’s CEO Jensen Huang, a late addition who came aboard during a refuelling stop in Alaska en route to the Chinese capital at Trump’s request.
In a Truth Social post, Trump slammed reporting from US TV network CNBC saying Huang had not been invited.
“In actuality, Jensen is currently on Air Force One and, unless I ask him to leave, which is highly unlikely, CNBC’s reporting is incorrect or, as they say in politics, FAKE NEWS!” Trump said.
Also on the trip are Trump’s daughter-in-law Lara Trump and film director Brett Ratner, reportedly to scout locations for his upcoming movie Rush Hour 4, starring Chinese action star Jackie Chan and American comedian Chris Tucker.
“(Lara Trump) could just be accompanying her husband (Trump’s son Eric), but it’s probably more to do with the Trump family business and the deals that they want to do with China … I wouldn’t expect that she’d be dispensing advice to the President on how to handle China,” said Hart.
Is Trump there for dealing or diplomacy?
Trump’s foreign policy reputation has taken a battering in recent times thanks to the war in Iran.
“The emphasis would surely be on deal-making. Trump is not a diplomat. He doesn’t have the knowledge or skill to do diplomacy. And, judging by his appalling management of the war in Iran, he has little patience for diplomacy,” said Hart.
“I can’t see that he’s going to get any deal with China over Taiwan. That’s the major problem in US-China relations and Trump just doesn’t have the ability to negotiate that particular problem, nor does China have any reason to change its position on Taiwan.”
Will there be any MAGA backlash?
Trump has not always been so warn and effusive about China. In the past, he has frequently accused China of “ripping off” the US in trade deals, and was also scathing of the country’s handling of the Covid pandemic.
“We can’t continue to allow China to rape our country and that’s what they’re doing. It’s the greatest theft in the history of the world,” he told a campaign rally in 2016.
!!
“Mr. Trump and Xi Jinping are reportedly considering a deal to allow China to invest $1 trillion in the U.S. largely to build factories on American soil.”
Trump on verge of making massive error — against aides’ advice: report https://t.co/Xn6woCDJDU
Anti-China rhetoric was a big part of Trump’s early political campaigning, and now some of his own supporters, like pro-Trump TV host Laura Ingraham, sounded the alarm when reports emerged that Trump and Xi were considering a deal to allow China to invest $1 trillion into the US, largely to build factories.
In response, former congresswoman Marjorie Taylor-Greene, who was once a staunch ally of Trump’s before they had a bitter falling out, tweeted: “I’m old enough to remember when MAGA was demanding China not be allowed to own any land in America. But MAGA is whatever Trump says it is, according to him, so now it’s for foreign wars and China. Shocking.”
The mortgage market has always involved an element of risk – if you get a long fix and rates drop, you may end up paying more over a longer period and vice versa – if you opt for a short deal and rates rise, you could get a bill hike.
The recent conflict in the Middle East has upped the stakes. Mortgage rates always fluctuate a little, but the Iran war has made it even harder to predict what will happen next.
In gambling terms, we’ve gone from playing the penny slots on Brighton Pier to blackjack in a Las Vegas casino.
Since the start of the conflict this spring, average fixed mortgage rates – which most households have – have flown up by a percentage point, equivalent to hundreds of pounds in many situations, although they have recently dropped marginally.
If these higher rates were set in stone, buyers and borrowers would in some senses have it easier as they’d be in the same boat as everyone else – having to suck it up and pay the more expensive bills, or borrow less. But the unpredictability is jeopardising the situation.
First time buyers and homeowners don’t know if in the next few months or years, their choice of mortgage could ultimately mean they’ve locked in lower bills or in fact they’ll end up paying thousands more, should rates drop.
There are two main type of mortgages. The first are fixed loans – the mainstay of the market – which are priced primarily on swap rates, which go up or down based on trader predictions for where the Bank of England base rate goes in the future.
At the moment, the base rate stands at 3.75 per cent, but traders expect potentially two rises in the medium term, and so most lenders are pricing their mortgages at 4.5 per cent or higher – to allow for a profit margin on top.
Alongside fixed mortgages, there are variable mortgages too, of which one sub-type – the tracker – is providing borrowers with a conundrum.
This sort of deal offers a rate that directly follows the Bank’s base rate, plus a margin on top. At the moment, the cheapest of these sits at bank rate plus an additional 0.19 per cent.
But the key element posing a financial dilemma for many is that the Bank of England hasn’t actually upped its base rate yet. In fact, some economists don’t think it will at all. As a result, these tracker mortgages currently provide a sizeable saving on fixed rates, with some even being below 4 per cent.
It means that the gamblers are able to go for a tracker, and cut hundreds from their monthly bills.
If the economists who expect no change are right, these people will have backed the winning horse. Yet, if the conflict gets worse – perhaps worse than anyone expects – and the bank rate is hiked, they could end up paying much more than those on fixed rates.
These people will pay more now, but if rates climb dramatically, will be protected.
It’s essentially a game of stick or twist – but with a lot of money on the line.
It’s hard to predict what happens next because we are reliant on the actions of politicians who have shown time and time again how volatile they can be. It’s also difficult to state how much of an impact this is likely to have on the property market over the next few months.
It’s already hard enough for those refinancing to know which mortgage to get, but for those who are are trying to get on the ladder, the volatility is making it even harder to know how much they can afford. This makes deciding which properties to view and target a near impossible task.
For those that do buy or remortgage, the next few months could be nervy. Unlike most gambles, it may not be clear for months who has made the right decision.
The Duke of Sussex has spoken out about the “deeply troubling” rise in antisemitism in the UK.
Harry stressed the importance of “legitimate protest”, adding that he felt compelled to speak out because in his view standing on the sidelines allows “hate and extremism to flourish unchecked”.
, he referenced recent “lethal violence” against the Jewish community in Manchester and in London and said that “hatred directed at people for who they are, or what they believe, is not protest. It is prejudice”.
Harry also wrote about the “deep and justified alarm” at the scale of loss in Gaza and Lebanon but argued people must be more “clear” about where their anger is directed.
The duke wrote: “We have seen how legitimate protest against state actions in the Middle East does exist alongside hostility toward Jewish communities at home – just as we have also seen how criticism of those actions can be too easily dismissed or mischaracterised.
“Nothing, whether criticism of a government or the reality of violence and destruction, can ever justify hostility toward an entire people or faith.”
Police stand on duty at a rally organised by the Campaign Against Antisemitism last month, following the stabbing of two Jewish men the day before in the Golders Green neighbourhood of London. (Picture: Carlos Jasso/AFP via Getty Images)
The piece is critical of the lack of nuance in much of the media discourse in the wake of the recent spate of antisemitic attacks in the UK.
The duke bemoans how polarised public debate has become, and said it deepens the confusion that “fuels division”.
Harry acknowledged that the instinct to speak out, march and call for an end to suffering was “human and necessary” but that people must be clear that the “onus falls squarely on the state – not an entire people”.
While he references the actions of “the state” throughout the article, he at no point names Israel.
Harry wrote: “We cannot ignore a difficult truth: when states act without accountability, and in ways that raise serious questions under international humanitarian law – criticism is both legitimate, necessary and essential in any democracy.
“The consequences do not remain contained within borders. They reverberate outward, shaping perception, inflaming tensions.”
Households will be given £15bn in grants and loans to install solar panels, heat pumps and batteries to help lower bills, under new legislation to boost energy resilience in the UK.
A new Energy Independence Bill, announced as part of the King’s Speech, will also seek to shave money off people’s bills if they use power during sunny or windy periods when the grid is producing excess electricity.
But the most eyecatching element of the new legislation is the creation of the new Warm Homes Agency, which will oversee the Government’s vast rollout of energy electrification over the coming years.
Shorts – Quick stories
Caption: Maintenance engineer checking elevator doors in building Photographer: Johner Images Provider: Getty Images/Johner RF Source: Johner RF
health
Are lifts still safe? Warning over UK’s obesity rates
The obesity epidemic means that many lifts are no longer big enough to transport people between floors, according to British researchers.
A study found that the maximum capacity of lifts in the UK and elsewhere in Europe has failed to keep pace with the increase in weight of the average person, raising concerns about safety and discrimination.
What you need to know
Caption: two groups of businessmen and businesswomen in glass elevators, general view, part of a series of photos with these elevators Photographer: jean-marc payet Provider: Getty Images Source: Moment RF
Lifts stuck in the past
The UK-based study found that despite weight growth and the obesity epidemic, the limit for elevators has not increased since about 2004.
Weighty concerns
In the 1970s, the average British man and woman weighed 75kg and 65kg, respectively. These figures now stand at 86kg and 73kg.
Caption: Close-up of a businessman using hotel elevator. Hand of a male pressing button on elevator panel in the hotel. Photographer: Luis Alvarez Provider: Getty Images Source: Digital Vision
Capacity problems
Because lifts assume an average weight of 75kg, this means the amount of room is becoming limited and loads are getting heavier.
Super-sized society
Researchers said their findings suggested lift designs are now based on “flawed calculations” and could lead to issues like elevators cutting out if passengers exceed total weight limits. People with obesity may also feel stigmatised when entering lifts.
Caption: Close-up of unrecognizable black woman pushing button in elevator Photographer: Grace Cary Provider: Getty Images Source: Moment RF Copyright: ? Grace Cary Nearly two-thirds of adults in England are living with obesity or excessive weight (Photo: by Matt Cardy/Getty)
Lead researcher Professor Nick Finer warned of a need to “super-size” many aspects of daily life, including lifts, to make the workplace and other environments safe and suitable for people living with obesity. By 2040, as many as seven in 10 Britons are projected to be overweight or obese.
world ANALYSIS
Trump’s fatal flaw is about to be exposed on the world stage
Donald Trump is discussing military action with aides as he calls the ceasefire with Iran ‘weak’ (Photo: Alex Wong/Getty Images)
James Rogers
Co-founder Council on Geostrategy
When the US President arrives in Beijing this week, he will be visiting a China which has spent years making itself more resilient to American influence and pressure.
Consequently, Donald Trump will be attempting to secure a series of rapid but transactional victories with a weakened hand.
Critical question for the US: who is hurting more?
The White House faces a situation of diminishing economic leverage. Trump’s tariff barrage on Beijing was supposed to force co-operation. But China has shown willingness to deploy its own economic arsenal. While Beijing is feeling the effects of US microchip curbs, Washington is being hit by China’s squeeze on critical minerals.
Caption: Shipping containers sit loaded on the deck of the BG Ireland freight ship as tugs manoeuvre the vessel out of the harbour at Scotland’s Grangemouth container port, operated by Forth Ports Plc., in Grangemouth, U.K., on Wednesday, May 1, 2013. Arcus Infrastructure Fund 1 LP acquired Edinburgh-based Forth Ports Plc for 746 million pounds in 2011. Photographer: Mike Wilkinson/Bloomberg via Getty Images Photographer: Bloomberg Provider: Bloomberg via Getty Images Source: Bloomberg Copyright: Copyright 2013 Bloomberg Finance LP, All Rights Reserved.
Analysis
4 min read
Beijing patient as Iran strife drags on
The most visible challenge constraining the White House is its ongoing conflict with Iran. While Trump struggles with rising fuel prices and a dropping approval rating, Xi Jinping is advancing Beijing’s interests in the Indo-Pacific region.
Caption: US President Donald Trump reacts as he participates in a Small Business Summit in the East Room of the White House in Washington, DC on May 4, 2026. (Photo by Kent Nishimura / AFP via Getty Images) Photographer: KENT NISHIMURA Provider: AFP via Getty Images Source: AFP Copyright: AFP or licensors (Photo: Nhac Nguyen/Pool/AFP via Getty).
Trump’s controversial moves, including the snatching of Venezuela’s Nicolás Maduro and threats to annex Greenland, have created a space for China to make overtures to European leaders. Consequently, American structural power is diminished.
Caption: Britain’s King Charles III speaks as he sits besides Queen Camilla during the State Opening of Parliament at the Palace of Westminster in London, Wednesday, May 13, 2026.(AP Photo/Kirsty Wigglesworth, Pool) Photographer: Kirsty Wigglesworth Provider: AP Source: Pool AP Copyright: Copyright 2026 The Associated Press. All rights reserved
politics
Four key takeaways from the King’s Speech
The monarch has outlined changes to health, education and the justice system on behalf of an embattled Sir Keir Starmer looking to prove he can enact the speed of change being demanded by his MPs.
In his speech at the State Opening of Parliament, King Charles unveiled a legislative programme including the introduction of digital ID, limits on trial by jury, measures curbing settled status for migrants and an overhaul of special educational needs teaching.
Four big Labour changes
1Digital ID will be introduced as a way of checking immigration status when people start a job, but will not be mandatory.
2Special educational needs teaching will be overhauled to give schools more responsibility for deciding how pupils are taught.
3A courts modernisation bill will restrict trial by jury to the most serious cases.
4Gaining settled status in the UK will be made harder for migrants under plans which could provoke a backlash from Labour MPs.
Few surprises as PM battles to stay
The King’s Speech is the set piece opportunity for the government of the day to lay out its legislative programme. But the ceremonial pomp was at risk of being overshadowed by the battle within the Labour Party over whether Starmer should remain in Number 10.
Caption: LONDON, ENGLAND – JULY 05: Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer and Shadow Health Secretary Wes Streeting leave Westminster Abbey following a service celebrating the 75th anniversary of the NHS on July 5, 2023 in London, England. The NHS was founded in 1948, introduced by Labour’s Health Minister Aneurin “Nye” Bevan, and was the first universal health system free at the point of delivery to be available to all. Currently, the NHS has over 1.6 million interactions with people across the UK per day. Nine in 10 people agree that healthcare should be free of charge, more than four in five agree that care should be available to everyone and that the NHS makes them most proud to be British. (Photo by Leon Neal/Getty Images) Photographer: Leon Neal Provider: Getty Images Source: Getty Images Europe Copyright: GETTY IMAGES Caption: LONDON, ENGLAND – MAY 13: King Charles III ahead of delivering the King’s Speech in the House of Lord’s Chamber during the State Opening of Parliament on May 13, 2026 in London, England. The State Opening of Parliament follows the prorogation of the previous session on 29 April. King Charles III will deliver the King’s Speech outlining the government’s legislative agenda for the 2026???27 session. Key priorities for the year include constitutional reforms regarding disgraced peers, a 10-year Health Plan for the NHS, and the implementation of changes to the Universal Credit two-child limit. (Photo by Chris Jackson/Getty Images) Photographer: Chris Jackson Provider: Getty Images Source: Chris Jackson Collection Copyright: 2026 Getty Images
While the bills outlined were largely expected, allies of Starmer said the programme would allow Labour to say it had fixed Britain’s emaciated public services. But rumours abound that Health Secretary Wes Streeting will launch a leadership challenge as early as Thursday.
HEALTH
How children’s taste for vegetables ‘begins before birth’
Increasing numbers of parents are bringing up their children as vegetarian or vegan, the new guidance suggests
Young children react more favourably to the smell of vegetables if they were regularly exposed to them while developing in the womb, researchers have found.
A study at Durham University found evidence that three-year-olds develop a memory of the flavour and odour of foods they were exposed to in late pregnancy.
Everything you need to know
(Photo: Getty).
Remembering tastes
The reactions of toddlers to the smell of carrots or kale was examined to see whether taste can be established in utero.
Powder capsules
Children were tested for their response to the smell of the vegetables after their mothers took capsules of carrot or kale while pregnant.
Midsection of pregnant Black woman holding belly – stock photo. (Photo: Getty)
Changing the way vegetables and salad were labelled increased sales, the researchers found. (Photo: Getty)
Flavour memory
Researchers found children reacted less negatively if their mothers were exposed to the vegetables while pregnant.
Mothers advised to eat varied diet
The scientists found an enduring favourable response in toddlers to the vegetable flavours they were exposed to in the later weeks of pregnancy.
The study recorded the facial expressions of 12 children when they were given wet cotton swabs dipped in the carrot or kale powder their mothers had taken.
PROPERTY AND MORTGAGES
4 min read
LIFESTYLE
4 min read
What the researchers said
High angle shot of Asian pregnant woman holding an ultrasound scan photo in front of her baby bump, sitting on bed at home. Mother-to-be. Precious moment in life. Preparation for a new family member. Expecting a new life. Baby and new life concept – stock photo. (Photo: Getty)
The researchers said the study suggested mothers-to-be should eat a varied diet rich in vegetables and fruits of different colours, with the added possibility it could influence the eating habits of their unborn child.
Analysis
3 min read
HEALTH
Why weight-loss pill after jabs may help keep pounds off
People using anti-obesity jabs can maintain weight loss by moving to a daily pill at the end of their treatment, a study suggests.
Researchers found that using orforglipron – an anti-obesity pill developed by US pharmaceuticals giant Eli Lilly – could be an “effective approach” for avoiding regaining pounds after injections have stopped.
What you need to know
While anti-obesity jabs are effective at promoting weight loss, patients have been found to regain the pounds after treatment stops.
Researchers in the US found that switching to orforglipron allowed patients using jabs to retain about 75 to 80 per cent of their weight loss.
Orforglipron is also a GLP-1 agonist, the same type of compound used in anti-obesity injections such as Mounjaro and Wegovy.
OPINION
3 min read
Weight-loss pill ‘cheaper’ than jabs
The US findings add to evidence that anti-obesity pills hold promise as a new method of promoting or maintaining weight loss, not least because they are significantly cheaper to manufacture than injections and easier to use.
Orforglipron, which is Eli Lilly’s hope for its next blockbuster drug, is taken as a once-a-day pill and was tested with 376 patients who had previously used jabs. The pill has been licensed in America but is still awaiting approval in the UK.
politics
Which members of Government have gone so far?
Against the backdrop of calls to quit, Starmer took refuge in the Labour Party rule book (Photo: Richard Pohle/AFP)
Sir Keir Starmer has briefly met with presumed leadership rival Wes Streeting in No 10 as the Prime Minister continues to resist calls from within Labour for him to stand down.
The crisis at the top of Government has so far seen the resignations of 10 MPs from their frontline roles, including four junior ministers. Among the most prominent has been the departure of Home Office minister Jess Phillips.
What you need to know
Six parliamentary private secretaries (PPS) – the eyes and ears of a minister in the House of Commons – have stepped down.
They include Joe Morris, PPS to Streeting, and Melanie Ward, PPS to Justice Secretary David Lammy, a key ally of Starmer.
The three ministers who have quit alongside Jess Phillips are Miatta Fahnbulleh, Alex Davies-Jones and Zubir Ahmed.
In her resignation letter, Phillips criticised Starmer for his record on online protections.
OPINION
4 min read
Crisis in Downing Street
While the Prime Minister has suffered the loss of 10 members of his Government, to date the departures have been restricted to its junior ranks. Starmer is widely seen as having laid down the gauntlet to his Cabinet colleagues to either formally challenge him, or allow him to stay in office.
Caption: Health Secretary Wes Streeting arriving at number 10 Downing Street, London, for his meeting with Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer. Picture date: Wednesday May 13, 2026. PA Photo. Photo credit should read: James Manning/PA Wire Photographer: James Manning Provider: James Manning/PA Wire Source: PA Copyright: PA Wire Sources have said Government whips were picking up a mood described as ‘dire’ among backbenchers (Photo: James Manning/PA)
Some 11 Labour-supporting unions are expected to state publicly that Starmer will not lead the party into the next election. Ministers are being watched minute-by-minute for signs of a formal split.
Why do the British insist on exporting their culture when they travel? (Photo: Ceri Breeze/Getty)
FOOD AND DRINK
Greggs to open international shop at Tenerife South airport
The British chain will bring its beloved range of baked goods to the Canary Islands.
Greggs last operated shops abroad in Belgium in 2008, but said Tenerife was “the ideal location to test spreading our wings in an overseas setting”.
What you need to know
Greggs will open a branch in Tenerife South airport later this month.
The usual range of sausage rolls, pasties and sweet treats will be on offer.
A ‘Spanish omelette roll’ will also be on the menu.
Around half of Tenerife’s 13 million visitors go to and from the UK each year.
OPINION
2 min read
What Greggs is saying
It’s an exciting milestone for Greggs as we bring a slice of home to the Canaries, and we’re confident our great-value offering will resonate just as well under the Spanish sun as it does on the UK high street.
Greggs chief executive Roisin Currie
Caption: Greggs sausage rolls, UK. (Photo by: Alex Segre/UCG/Universal Images Group via Getty Images) Photographer: UCG Provider: UCG/Universal Images Group via G Source: Universal Images Group Editorial Copyright: Alex Segre
GO DEEPER ON THIS TOPIC
Greggs has made me ashamed to be British
Caption: Bay of turquoise coloured water in Los Cristianos, Tenerife, Canary Islands, Spain. Photographer: BriBar Provider: Getty Images Source: E+ Copyright: BW PHOTOGRAPHY
Emily Watkins
Freelance writer
Spain – a land of excellent food, rich cultural identity and a beautiful language. Of course, if you’re a British tourist there, odds are you won’t have noticed.
Why do the British insist on exporting their culture when they travel?
Read more here.
How would Andy Burnham become prime minister?
Andy Burnham is one of the frontrunners to replace Sir Keir Starmer if he resigns as Prime Minister. The Manchester Mayor has previously indicated he would be willing to overthrow the current Labour leader.
Caption: File photo dated 13/4/26 of Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer, Labour Party MP and former deputy prime minister Angela Rayner and Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham meet pupils during a visit to a school breakfast club at Holy Trinity C of E Primary School in Ashton, Greater Manchester. Andy Burnham “should never have been blocked” from seeking a seat in the Commons, Angela Rayner has said today. Issue date: Monday May 11, 2026. PA Photo. Photo credit should read: Paul Ellis/PA Wire Photographer: Paul Ellis Provider: Paul Ellis/PA Wire Source: PA Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham cannot run for the leadership unless he wins a seat in Parliament (Photo: Ryan Jenkinson/Getty)
First step – find a vacant seat
Caption: File photo dated 13/4/26 of Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer, Labour Party MP and former deputy prime minister Angela Rayner and Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham meet pupils during a visit to a school breakfast club at Holy Trinity C of E Primary School in Ashton, Greater Manchester. Andy Burnham “should never have been blocked” from seeking a seat in the Commons, Angela Rayner has said today. Issue date: Monday May 11, 2026. PA Photo. Photo credit should read: Paul Ellis/PA Wire Photographer: Paul Ellis Provider: Paul Ellis/PA Wire Source: PA
A vacant parliamentary seat would need to be available and finding one may not be easy.
There are two by-elections coming up in Scotland, but Burnham is unlikely to stand in these.
Caption: Mayor of Greater Manchester Andy Burnham arrives for a meeting in 10 Downing Street, London, Tuesday, March 31, 2026. (AP Photo/Alastair Grant) Photographer: Alastair Grant Provider: AP Source: AP Copyright: Copyright 2026 The Associated Press. All rights reserved
Caption: LONDON, UNITED KINGDOM – OCTOBER 31: Labour Party MP Clive Lewis addresses hundreds of activists and campaigners in London’s Parliament Square during ‘Extinction Rebellion’ protest against the inaction of the British government in the face of climate change and ecological collapse. Protesters declared a non-violent rebellion and demanded urgent action on the ecological crisis to avoid the possibility of human extinction in the near future. October 31, 2018 in London, England. (Photo credit should read Wiktor Szymanowicz/Future Publishing via Getty Images) Photographer: Wiktor Szymanowicz Provider: Future Publishing via Getty Imag Source: Future Publishing Copyright: ? 2018 Wiktor Szymanowicz
MPs have indicated in the past they would step aside for Burnham, including Clive Lewis, but these suggestions have since been quashed.
Step two – Labour’s ruling National Executive Committee
If a seat were to become vacant, Burnham would need to win over the National Executive Committee (NEC), who is responsible for choosing Labour’s candidates. In January, the NEC blocked Burnham from running in Gorton and Denton. A 10-strong group, including the PM, voted to deny Burnham permission.
Caption: FILE – Britain’s Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer poses for a photo outside Parliament Buildings, following a meeting with party leaders, during his tour of the UK following Labour’s victory in the 2024 general election, in Stormont, Belfast, Monday July 8, 2024. (Liam McBurney/Pool Photo via AP, File) Photographer: Liam McBurney Provider: AP Source: Pool PA
Exclusive
3 min read
Step three – a leadership ballot
If Burnham were to be elected to Parliament, only then could he make a Labour leadership bid. According to the Labour Party rule book, candidates seeking to enter the ballot must be an MP.
Mayor of Greater Manchester Andy Burnham speaking at a Resolution Foundation event on working-age families, at the Methodist Central Hall in central London (Photo: Jordan Pettitt/PA Wire)Caption: Angela Rayner And Andy Burnham At The Daily Mirror Party At The Labour Party Conference In Brighton, 2021 28-September-2021 (Photo by Jeremy Selwyn/Evening Standard via Getty Images) Photographer: Jeremy Selwyn Provider: Evening Standard via Getty Image Source: Evening Standard
This is because the Labour leader is the Prime Minister, therefore they would need to be a Member of Parliament. The current rules state a candidate must receive nominations from 20 per cent of their Labour colleagues in Parliament to be in the running.
A summary of necessary steps
What is standing in Burnham’s way?
Vacant seat
NEC permission
Win election, become an MP
Meet nominations threshold
Win leadership competition, become Labour leader and prime minister
Low-income homes
Under the Warm Homes Plan, around £5bn will be made available to fund free home improvement plans for low-income families. The packages would be tailored to what would be most suitable for people’s homes, whether that is installing solar panels, heat pumps, insulation or draught proofing. It is expected that households with a total income of around £35,000 or less would receive a grant of between £9,000 to £12,000.
Mid-to-high income homes
The Plan will also provide around £2bn of government funding to back no and low interest loans for higher income households to fit heat pumps and solar panels and batteries to help take them off the “roller coaster of fossil fuels”. Ministers had hoped to fast-track the rollout of the plan to help insulate households from the impact of higher energy bills later this year in the wake of the US-Iran war.
Solar panels
According to the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero, the war in the Middle East has led to soaring interest in fitting solar panels and batteries. The department has calculated that an owner-occupier three-bed mid-terrace house with solar panels and battery fitted could save around £450 on their bills each year. The Government is also tweaking regulations to allow those renting or living in flats to buy plug-in solar panels that could save them around £110 a year on their energy bills.
Heat pumps
The new technology has suffered from difficult media coverage, with the cost of fitting heat pumps usually cited at more than double that of a new gas boiler or around £11,000. Under the Government’s boiler upgrade plan, homeowners can apply for a grant of up to around £7,500. Officials have estimated that a three-bed detached house with solar panels and a heat pump could save £550 a year.
Energy discounts
The legislation will enable the removal of charges on power consumers export to the grid, for example from solar panels, and allow discounted energy at times of excess generation to give families more control over bills as renewables increase. Currently, when there is excess power being generated – for example on a sunny, windy weekend day – grid operators have to pay generators to reduce what they are putting into the grid, increasing costs for consumers and wasting clean power when it is most available.
Uncoupling electricity prices from gas prices
A separate piece of legislation, called the Electricity Generator Levy Bill, will aim to lower the cost of energy bills by cutting the link between electricity prices and gas prices. Under the current system, households can end up paying higher bills because the price of electricity is set by the last unit of electricity needed to meet demand at any given time. This is usually gas-generated electricity, meaning when gas prices spike, such as during international conflicts, electricity prices go up. The Government hopes to weaken this link and deliver cheaper, more stable bills.
Donald Trump won the US presidency, twice, by promising to put “America First”. This was more than just a slogan. Trump had a very particular version of what that meant, and he shared it often with the US public.
The rest of the world was laughing at America, he claimed, and had been ripping it off for too long. America was being taken advantage of through dodgy trade deals and it was working class Americans who were suffering as a result – as factories shut down and jobs were cut, because US industry couldn’t keep up with international competition from the likes of China.
When Trump returned to the White House last year, his promise was to introduce sweeping tariffs on imported goods – which he wrongly seems to believe are paid for by foreign countries, rather than by American consumers – and to bring manufacturing back to the US.
Shorts – Quick stories
Caption: Britain’s King Charles III speaks as he sits besides Queen Camilla during the State Opening of Parliament at the Palace of Westminster in London, Wednesday, May 13, 2026.(AP Photo/Kirsty Wigglesworth, Pool) Photographer: Kirsty Wigglesworth Provider: AP Source: Pool AP Copyright: Copyright 2026 The Associated Press. All rights reserved
politics
Four key takeaways from the King’s Speech
The monarch has outlined changes to health, education and the justice system on behalf of an embattled Sir Keir Starmer looking to prove he can enact the speed of change being demanded by his MPs.
In his speech at the State Opening of Parliament, King Charles unveiled a legislative programme including the introduction of digital ID, limits on trial by jury, measures curbing settled status for migrants and an overhaul of special educational needs teaching.
Four big Labour changes
1Digital ID will be introduced as a way of checking immigration status when people start a job, but will not be mandatory.
2Special educational needs teaching will be overhauled to give schools more responsibility for deciding how pupils are taught.
3A courts modernisation bill will restrict trial by jury to the most serious cases.
4Gaining settled status in the UK will be made harder for migrants under plans which could provoke a backlash from Labour MPs.
Few surprises as PM battles to stay
The King’s Speech is the set piece opportunity for the government of the day to lay out its legislative programme. But the ceremonial pomp was at risk of being overshadowed by the battle within the Labour Party over whether Starmer should remain in Number 10.
Caption: LONDON, ENGLAND – JULY 05: Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer and Shadow Health Secretary Wes Streeting leave Westminster Abbey following a service celebrating the 75th anniversary of the NHS on July 5, 2023 in London, England. The NHS was founded in 1948, introduced by Labour’s Health Minister Aneurin “Nye” Bevan, and was the first universal health system free at the point of delivery to be available to all. Currently, the NHS has over 1.6 million interactions with people across the UK per day. Nine in 10 people agree that healthcare should be free of charge, more than four in five agree that care should be available to everyone and that the NHS makes them most proud to be British. (Photo by Leon Neal/Getty Images) Photographer: Leon Neal Provider: Getty Images Source: Getty Images Europe Copyright: GETTY IMAGES Caption: LONDON, ENGLAND – MAY 13: King Charles III ahead of delivering the King’s Speech in the House of Lord’s Chamber during the State Opening of Parliament on May 13, 2026 in London, England. The State Opening of Parliament follows the prorogation of the previous session on 29 April. King Charles III will deliver the King’s Speech outlining the government’s legislative agenda for the 2026???27 session. Key priorities for the year include constitutional reforms regarding disgraced peers, a 10-year Health Plan for the NHS, and the implementation of changes to the Universal Credit two-child limit. (Photo by Chris Jackson/Getty Images) Photographer: Chris Jackson Provider: Getty Images Source: Chris Jackson Collection Copyright: 2026 Getty Images
While the bills outlined were largely expected, allies of Starmer said the programme would allow Labour to say it had fixed Britain’s emaciated public services. But rumours abound that Health Secretary Wes Streeting will launch a leadership challenge as early as Thursday.
world ANALYSIS
Trump’s fatal flaw is about to be exposed on the world stage
Donald Trump is discussing military action with aides as he calls the ceasefire with Iran ‘weak’ (Photo: Alex Wong/Getty Images)
James Rogers
Co-founder Council on Geostrategy
When the US President arrives in Beijing this week, he will be visiting a China which has spent years making itself more resilient to American influence and pressure.
Consequently, Donald Trump will be attempting to secure a series of rapid but transactional victories with a weakened hand.
Critical question for the US: who is hurting more?
The White House faces a situation of diminishing economic leverage. Trump’s tariff barrage on Beijing was supposed to force co-operation. But China has shown willingness to deploy its own economic arsenal. While Beijing is feeling the effects of US microchip curbs, Washington is being hit by China’s squeeze on critical minerals.
Caption: Shipping containers sit loaded on the deck of the BG Ireland freight ship as tugs manoeuvre the vessel out of the harbour at Scotland’s Grangemouth container port, operated by Forth Ports Plc., in Grangemouth, U.K., on Wednesday, May 1, 2013. Arcus Infrastructure Fund 1 LP acquired Edinburgh-based Forth Ports Plc for 746 million pounds in 2011. Photographer: Mike Wilkinson/Bloomberg via Getty Images Photographer: Bloomberg Provider: Bloomberg via Getty Images Source: Bloomberg Copyright: Copyright 2013 Bloomberg Finance LP, All Rights Reserved.
Analysis
4 min read
Beijing patient as Iran strife drags on
The most visible challenge constraining the White House is its ongoing conflict with Iran. While Trump struggles with rising fuel prices and a dropping approval rating, Xi Jinping is advancing Beijing’s interests in the Indo-Pacific region.
Caption: US President Donald Trump reacts as he participates in a Small Business Summit in the East Room of the White House in Washington, DC on May 4, 2026. (Photo by Kent Nishimura / AFP via Getty Images) Photographer: KENT NISHIMURA Provider: AFP via Getty Images Source: AFP Copyright: AFP or licensors (Photo: Nhac Nguyen/Pool/AFP via Getty).
Trump’s controversial moves, including the snatching of Venezuela’s Nicolás Maduro and threats to annex Greenland, have created a space for China to make overtures to European leaders. Consequently, American structural power is diminished.
Caption: Maintenance engineer checking elevator doors in building Photographer: Johner Images Provider: Getty Images/Johner RF Source: Johner RF
health
Are lifts still safe? Warning over UK’s obesity rates
The obesity epidemic means that many lifts are no longer big enough to transport people between floors, according to British researchers.
A study found that the maximum capacity of lifts in the UK and elsewhere in Europe has failed to keep pace with the increase in weight of the average person, raising concerns about safety and discrimination.
What you need to know
Caption: two groups of businessmen and businesswomen in glass elevators, general view, part of a series of photos with these elevators Photographer: jean-marc payet Provider: Getty Images Source: Moment RF
Lifts stuck in the past
The UK-based study found that despite weight growth and the obesity epidemic, the limit for elevators has not increased since about 2004.
Weighty concerns
In the 1970s, the average British man and woman weighed 75kg and 65kg, respectively. These figures now stand at 86kg and 73kg.
Caption: Close-up of a businessman using hotel elevator. Hand of a male pressing button on elevator panel in the hotel. Photographer: Luis Alvarez Provider: Getty Images Source: Digital Vision
Capacity problems
Because lifts assume an average weight of 75kg, this means the amount of room is becoming limited and loads are getting heavier.
Super-sized society
Researchers said their findings suggested lift designs are now based on “flawed calculations” and could lead to issues like elevators cutting out if passengers exceed total weight limits. People with obesity may also feel stigmatised when entering lifts.
Caption: Close-up of unrecognizable black woman pushing button in elevator Photographer: Grace Cary Provider: Getty Images Source: Moment RF Copyright: ? Grace Cary Nearly two-thirds of adults in England are living with obesity or excessive weight (Photo: by Matt Cardy/Getty)
Lead researcher Professor Nick Finer warned of a need to “super-size” many aspects of daily life, including lifts, to make the workplace and other environments safe and suitable for people living with obesity. By 2040, as many as seven in 10 Britons are projected to be overweight or obese.
politics
Which members of Government have gone so far?
Against the backdrop of calls to quit, Starmer took refuge in the Labour Party rule book (Photo: Richard Pohle/AFP)
Sir Keir Starmer has briefly met with presumed leadership rival Wes Streeting in No 10 as the Prime Minister continues to resist calls from within Labour for him to stand down.
The crisis at the top of Government has so far seen the resignations of 10 MPs from their frontline roles, including four junior ministers. Among the most prominent has been the departure of Home Office minister Jess Phillips.
What you need to know
Six parliamentary private secretaries (PPS) – the eyes and ears of a minister in the House of Commons – have stepped down.
They include Joe Morris, PPS to Streeting, and Melanie Ward, PPS to Justice Secretary David Lammy, a key ally of Starmer.
The three ministers who have quit alongside Jess Phillips are Miatta Fahnbulleh, Alex Davies-Jones and Zubir Ahmed.
In her resignation letter, Phillips criticised Starmer for his record on online protections.
OPINION
4 min read
Crisis in Downing Street
While the Prime Minister has suffered the loss of 10 members of his Government, to date the departures have been restricted to its junior ranks. Starmer is widely seen as having laid down the gauntlet to his Cabinet colleagues to either formally challenge him, or allow him to stay in office.
Caption: Health Secretary Wes Streeting arriving at number 10 Downing Street, London, for his meeting with Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer. Picture date: Wednesday May 13, 2026. PA Photo. Photo credit should read: James Manning/PA Wire Photographer: James Manning Provider: James Manning/PA Wire Source: PA Copyright: PA Wire Sources have said Government whips were picking up a mood described as ‘dire’ among backbenchers (Photo: James Manning/PA)
Some 11 Labour-supporting unions are expected to state publicly that Starmer will not lead the party into the next election. Ministers are being watched minute-by-minute for signs of a formal split.
HEALTH
Why weight-loss pill after jabs may help keep pounds off
People using anti-obesity jabs can maintain weight loss by moving to a daily pill at the end of their treatment, a study suggests.
Researchers found that using orforglipron – an anti-obesity pill developed by US pharmaceuticals giant Eli Lilly – could be an “effective approach” for avoiding regaining pounds after injections have stopped.
What you need to know
While anti-obesity jabs are effective at promoting weight loss, patients have been found to regain the pounds after treatment stops.
Researchers in the US found that switching to orforglipron allowed patients using jabs to retain about 75 to 80 per cent of their weight loss.
Orforglipron is also a GLP-1 agonist, the same type of compound used in anti-obesity injections such as Mounjaro and Wegovy.
OPINION
3 min read
Weight-loss pill ‘cheaper’ than jabs
The US findings add to evidence that anti-obesity pills hold promise as a new method of promoting or maintaining weight loss, not least because they are significantly cheaper to manufacture than injections and easier to use.
Orforglipron, which is Eli Lilly’s hope for its next blockbuster drug, is taken as a once-a-day pill and was tested with 376 patients who had previously used jabs. The pill has been licensed in America but is still awaiting approval in the UK.
HEALTH
How children’s taste for vegetables ‘begins before birth’
Increasing numbers of parents are bringing up their children as vegetarian or vegan, the new guidance suggests
Young children react more favourably to the smell of vegetables if they were regularly exposed to them while developing in the womb, researchers have found.
A study at Durham University found evidence that three-year-olds develop a memory of the flavour and odour of foods they were exposed to in late pregnancy.
Everything you need to know
(Photo: Getty).
Remembering tastes
The reactions of toddlers to the smell of carrots or kale was examined to see whether taste can be established in utero.
Powder capsules
Children were tested for their response to the smell of the vegetables after their mothers took capsules of carrot or kale while pregnant.
Midsection of pregnant Black woman holding belly – stock photo. (Photo: Getty)
Changing the way vegetables and salad were labelled increased sales, the researchers found. (Photo: Getty)
Flavour memory
Researchers found children reacted less negatively if their mothers were exposed to the vegetables while pregnant.
Mothers advised to eat varied diet
The scientists found an enduring favourable response in toddlers to the vegetable flavours they were exposed to in the later weeks of pregnancy.
The study recorded the facial expressions of 12 children when they were given wet cotton swabs dipped in the carrot or kale powder their mothers had taken.
PROPERTY AND MORTGAGES
4 min read
LIFESTYLE
4 min read
What the researchers said
High angle shot of Asian pregnant woman holding an ultrasound scan photo in front of her baby bump, sitting on bed at home. Mother-to-be. Precious moment in life. Preparation for a new family member. Expecting a new life. Baby and new life concept – stock photo. (Photo: Getty)
The researchers said the study suggested mothers-to-be should eat a varied diet rich in vegetables and fruits of different colours, with the added possibility it could influence the eating habits of their unborn child.
Analysis
3 min read
Is napping an invaluable part of the day or an unproductive hour?
To find out how to feel better, brighter and bushy-tailed, we asked Russell Foster, a professor of neuroscience at the University of Oxford, everything you need to know about napping.
Naps before 1pm can lead to better cognitive performance in the following hours (Photo: Lord Henri Voton/Getty Images)
Caption: A mother and new born baby taking a nap together on the sofa in a quiet but tender moment. Photographer: Jamie Garbutt Provider: Getty Images Source: Stone RF Copyright: Jamie Garbutt
How long should we nap for?
For Professor Foster, the ideal length of a time for a nap is just 20 minutes and certainly no longer than 30.
“You don’t want to do is fall into deeper sleep, because then recovery from that can leave you groggy,” he says.
Is there an optimum time of day to nap?
Napping too late in the day is warned against.
An early-afternoon nap of around 20 minutes can improve your cognition during the second half of the day.
If you have a nap later on, you can push back your sleep pressure, which means the longer you’ve been awake the greater need for sleep, at night.
As long as you’re getting the sleep that you need to function optimally, that’s the main thing.
Sleep tourism in hotel. Exhausted woman sleeps sweetly in bed in the morning – stock photo. (Photo: Getty)
How much sleep does a person need?
Sleep is like a shoe: one size doesn’t fit all.
Oversleeping on days-off or sustaining your waking day with caffeine and other stimulants are signs of tiredness.
Not everybody needs eight hours of sleep; it’s variable, dynamic and individual. And will vary over a lifetime depending on the season.
Other things to know
It doesn’t matter where you physically nap as long as it feels right and you’re comfortable. You can create the right environment by making it dark, calm or using a smell like lavender.
‘I encourage anyone that is sleepy to take a good nap, guilt free,’ writes Zuva Seven (Photo: Klaus Vedfelt/Getty)The drug is taken by one in five Americans under 14, but it is only available on prescription in the UK (Photo: ozgurcankaya/Getty)
Generally speaking, napping is probably a metric that you’re not getting the sleep you need at night, says Professor Foster. “But don’t beat yourself up over it. A short nap, if it improves the second half of the day, is fine”.
How would Andy Burnham become prime minister?
Andy Burnham is one of the frontrunners to replace Sir Keir Starmer if he resigns as Prime Minister. The Manchester Mayor has previously indicated he would be willing to overthrow the current Labour leader.
Caption: File photo dated 13/4/26 of Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer, Labour Party MP and former deputy prime minister Angela Rayner and Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham meet pupils during a visit to a school breakfast club at Holy Trinity C of E Primary School in Ashton, Greater Manchester. Andy Burnham “should never have been blocked” from seeking a seat in the Commons, Angela Rayner has said today. Issue date: Monday May 11, 2026. PA Photo. Photo credit should read: Paul Ellis/PA Wire Photographer: Paul Ellis Provider: Paul Ellis/PA Wire Source: PA Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham cannot run for the leadership unless he wins a seat in Parliament (Photo: Ryan Jenkinson/Getty)
First step – find a vacant seat
Caption: File photo dated 13/4/26 of Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer, Labour Party MP and former deputy prime minister Angela Rayner and Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham meet pupils during a visit to a school breakfast club at Holy Trinity C of E Primary School in Ashton, Greater Manchester. Andy Burnham “should never have been blocked” from seeking a seat in the Commons, Angela Rayner has said today. Issue date: Monday May 11, 2026. PA Photo. Photo credit should read: Paul Ellis/PA Wire Photographer: Paul Ellis Provider: Paul Ellis/PA Wire Source: PA
A vacant parliamentary seat would need to be available and finding one may not be easy.
There are two by-elections coming up in Scotland, but Burnham is unlikely to stand in these.
Caption: Mayor of Greater Manchester Andy Burnham arrives for a meeting in 10 Downing Street, London, Tuesday, March 31, 2026. (AP Photo/Alastair Grant) Photographer: Alastair Grant Provider: AP Source: AP Copyright: Copyright 2026 The Associated Press. All rights reserved
Caption: LONDON, UNITED KINGDOM – OCTOBER 31: Labour Party MP Clive Lewis addresses hundreds of activists and campaigners in London’s Parliament Square during ‘Extinction Rebellion’ protest against the inaction of the British government in the face of climate change and ecological collapse. Protesters declared a non-violent rebellion and demanded urgent action on the ecological crisis to avoid the possibility of human extinction in the near future. October 31, 2018 in London, England. (Photo credit should read Wiktor Szymanowicz/Future Publishing via Getty Images) Photographer: Wiktor Szymanowicz Provider: Future Publishing via Getty Imag Source: Future Publishing Copyright: ? 2018 Wiktor Szymanowicz
MPs have indicated in the past they would step aside for Burnham, including Clive Lewis, but these suggestions have since been quashed.
Step two – Labour’s ruling National Executive Committee
If a seat were to become vacant, Burnham would need to win over the National Executive Committee (NEC), who is responsible for choosing Labour’s candidates. In January, the NEC blocked Burnham from running in Gorton and Denton. A 10-strong group, including the PM, voted to deny Burnham permission.
Caption: FILE – Britain’s Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer poses for a photo outside Parliament Buildings, following a meeting with party leaders, during his tour of the UK following Labour’s victory in the 2024 general election, in Stormont, Belfast, Monday July 8, 2024. (Liam McBurney/Pool Photo via AP, File) Photographer: Liam McBurney Provider: AP Source: Pool PA
Exclusive
3 min read
Step three – a leadership ballot
If Burnham were to be elected to Parliament, only then could he make a Labour leadership bid. According to the Labour Party rule book, candidates seeking to enter the ballot must be an MP.
Mayor of Greater Manchester Andy Burnham speaking at a Resolution Foundation event on working-age families, at the Methodist Central Hall in central London (Photo: Jordan Pettitt/PA Wire)Caption: Angela Rayner And Andy Burnham At The Daily Mirror Party At The Labour Party Conference In Brighton, 2021 28-September-2021 (Photo by Jeremy Selwyn/Evening Standard via Getty Images) Photographer: Jeremy Selwyn Provider: Evening Standard via Getty Image Source: Evening Standard
This is because the Labour leader is the Prime Minister, therefore they would need to be a Member of Parliament. The current rules state a candidate must receive nominations from 20 per cent of their Labour colleagues in Parliament to be in the running.
A summary of necessary steps
What is standing in Burnham’s way?
Vacant seat
NEC permission
Win election, become an MP
Meet nominations threshold
Win leadership competition, become Labour leader and prime minister
Trump also had a clear villain in mind when he suggested who was getting the better of America under President Joe Biden and the Democrats: China. His presidency, he promised, would take on China properly, and Make America Great Again.
Yet, when Trump’s supporters see the photographs of their President getting off Air Force One as he arrives in Beijing for his summit with Xi Jinping, they could be forgiven for feeling deeply betrayed.
Trump was greeted by the kind of pomp and spectacle he so clearly admires. Thick red carpet rolled out from the steps of his plane, both sides lined by soldiers and then by rows of fresh-faced young greeters waving both US and Chinese flags.
China is superb at putting on a show for distinguished visitors, and its leader is excellent at knowing just how to get the better of those he deals with. Trump, not a man known for his poker face at the best of times, could not be more obviously charmed.
(Photo: Brendan Smialowski/AFP)
The purpose of Trump’s visit to China is to do a deal, but for a President who likes to boast about who is or isn’t “holding the cards”, he must be aware he is playing with a very weak hand indeed. Even a US Supreme Court as friendly towards him as the current one could not uphold his tariff plans, meaning Trump’s greatest weapon in his trade war with China has been taken away from him.
Meanwhile, Trump has disposed of most of the US State Department’s best professional negotiators, choosing to leave almost all global diplomacy to his billionaire pal Steve Witkoff and his son-in-law Jared Kushner. Both have had their hands full in the Middle East, meaning there is almost no groundwork for a meaningful deal in China.
During his presidential campaigning in 2024, Trump promised to represent left-behind Americans against China, which he said had taken their manufacturing jobs, and against big tech, which was accumulating wealth and power on the East and West coasts, leaving the ‘real’ America in the middle behind.
Given this, the President’s choice of travel companions for his trip to China will surely only have alarmed his supporters – as numerous bosses of big tech and global finance companies were on board the plane.
Elon Musk, the world’s richest man, was on Air Force One, as was outgoing Apple CEO Tim Cook, as well as top executives from BlackRock, Blackstone, Citigroup, Visa, Mastercard, Goldman Sachs and Meta.
Trump introducing Elon Musk to China’s Vice President, Han Zheng, at Beijing airport (Photo: Brendan Smialowski/AFP)
Trump’s political opponents have always tried to paint him as a bad representative for the working classes. They tried, time and again, to point out that Trump was himself ultra-rich. They noted that Trump had left thousands of people unemployed when he bankrupted his casinos, and that his tax avoidance had deprived the government of hundreds of millions of dollars.
None of this cut through – because Trump had a message tens of millions of Americans wanted to hear, and he did not seem to be part of the establishment elite. The angry reaction of many elites to him all but confirmed his outside status.
For a time, Trump’s popularity seemed to be untouchable. Even now, there is a sizeable ride-or-die Maga contingent for whom he can do no wrong. But millions of Republican voters are feeling doubt enter their souls: gas prices are rising, and he promised they would fall. America is at war, exactly what they thought Trump would stop happening. Things aren’t going to plan.
Now, in the middle of all of that, the “America First” President is getting a lavish welcome from China, having brought a plane full of CEOs along for the ride. Voters might not know exactly what that means – but at least some of them will know betrayal when they see it.
Say one thing for Wes Streeting, the man has more front than Brighton. He sat in the House of Commons chamber, only slightly self-conscious, chuckling along to the warm cross-party badinage that constitutes the Humble Address following the King’s opening of Parliament. Sir Keir Starmer was only a few yards away.
Elsewhere in Westminster his team had steam coming off their mobile phones as a frantic ring-round was under way to gauge how much support Streeting had. He needs above 81 MPs to challenge the Prime Minister after relations between the pair reached an all-time low.
Earlier a No 10 showdown concluded after just 16 minutes, with Streeting leaving the black front door stony-faced for the second time in 24 hours.
For Streeting, it’s now or never. Despite a letter from 100 or so supportive backbenchers, Starmer is at his most vulnerable. Some estimate the number of his MPs against may be twice as high.
And his opponents are not ready. Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham is not yet in Parliament – although he could find a seat within days – and Angela Rayner, former deputy prime minister, is still under the cloud of an HM Revenue and Customs investigation.
Despite early promises there would be no distraction from the constitutional significance of Parliament’s opening, Labour squabbles overshadowed the pomp. MPs gathered in knots to discuss the latest developments and discuss who the other candidates would be. Most expect Starmer to fight on if Streeting challenges him.
Streeting is very much what-it-says-on-the-tin. He’s made no secret of his ambitions, obsessed with Labour politics from an early age, spending a book token on a collection of Tony Blair’s speeches, which he read on the school coach. As a student campaigner he was often seen locked in political arguments at parties.
He is the son of teenage parents and his grandfather was an armed robber who did time in prison and knew East End gangsters, the Kray twins. His grandmother also served at HM’s pleasure and there met the woman at the centre of the Profumo affair, Christine Keeler.
But, what’s not to be underestimated is how much the Labour left loathes Streeting. As Health Secretary, he’s promised to fire under-performing NHS managers and did not hesitate to describe the health service as “broken”. His willingness to talk up the role of private providers in the NHS did not go down well either. His vigorous opposition to former Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn and his acolytes are also running sores.
He’s often seen as a shiny neo-Blairite. However, at university Streeting briefly left the Labour Party because he opposed Blair’s Iraq war. More pertinently, his critics will tie his friendship to Peter Mandelson in what could be a highly inflammatory leadership contest.
Streeting is also one of the most high-profile pro-Europeans in Cabinet. He has suggested Labour should consider taking the UK back into a customs union, claiming it would boost growth. In the wake of local elections where vast swathes of Leave voters backed Reform UK, that’s another internal Labour fight coming down the track.
In Parliament on Wednesday the soft-left was anxious not to be left out of a conversation about Labour’s future direction, with ongoing discussion about who could slot in as their candidate. Energy Secretary Ed Miliband was the name on everyone’s lips. “He has the numbers,” to get on to the ballot, one Labour MP declared. A Cabinet minister told The i Paper Labour’s former leader is a likely candidate in any speedy contest.
Other pro-Burnham MPs said they would push Labour’s ruling National Executive Committee to allow sufficient time in a lengthy leadership contest for their man to return. Burnham’s allies say momentum behind him has been building with the support of the 100-strong Tribune Group swinging behind him, not Rayner. Some in the Blue Labour movement are also understood to be lending their support.
That may come as a blow to the little-known outsider Al Carns, the veterans minister, who has made no secret he will throw his hat into the ring, but is relying on the Blue Labour faction promoting blue-collar and culturally conservative values.
Back in the House of Commons chamber, Conservative Leader Kemi Badenoch broke with the convention which demands speeches during the Humble Address debate are light-hearted. She attacked Starmer then had a pop at Streeting. “There’s no point him giving me dirty looks, we all know what he’s been up to,” Badenoch told him. On Labour’s front bench, Starmer loyalist Pat McFadden allowed himself one of his rare smiles.
Starmer stood up to pay tribute to Labour MP Naz Shah who had made a witty and moving speech about her difficult childhood. Shah’s recently released autobiography, Honoured, has over 100 endorsements, Starmer noted. “At last, Mr Speaker, a list we can all get behind,” the Prime Minister joked. Even Streeting laughed, his shoulders shaking.
But the jolly faces and bonhomie belied what was going on behind the scenes. Supporters of Streeting were bitter about Starmer. “He can’t control his party, he hasn’t even got the authority to sack Wes,” one Labour MP remarked.
All the bitching off-stage allowed Streeting to present a swan-like indifference so close to Starmer on the front bench.
The Health Secretary is an irrepressible extrovert and one of life’s optimists. At parties he is usually first up with karaoke microphone in hand and has been known to sing Robbie Williams’ hit Angels, jokingly subbing in: “I’m loving Starmer instead.”
After the last few days, it’s unlikely he’ll sing that lyric again soon.
A Labour leadership contest triggered now would delay the Brexit reset Sir Keir Starmer has made central to his efforts to remain Prime Minister, EU sources have warned.
One said plans for a UK-EU summit in the next two months to sign off deals on trade and youth mobility “would be tricky”, while another said uncertainty over who would be Prime Minister would likely stop the necessary trade-offs being made in negotiations to strike agreements.
Starmer has placed an increasing emphasis on his Brexit reset, pledging at a crunch speech on Monday to strike a so-called youth experience deal to allow under-30s to move more easily between the UK and EU. He also put new laws to make it easier to align with the single market at the heart of his King’s Speech on Wednesday.
Shorts – Quick stories
Caption: Britain’s King Charles III speaks as he sits besides Queen Camilla during the State Opening of Parliament at the Palace of Westminster in London, Wednesday, May 13, 2026.(AP Photo/Kirsty Wigglesworth, Pool) Photographer: Kirsty Wigglesworth Provider: AP Source: Pool AP Copyright: Copyright 2026 The Associated Press. All rights reserved
politics
Four key takeaways from the King’s Speech
The monarch has outlined changes to health, education and the justice system on behalf of an embattled Sir Keir Starmer looking to prove he can enact the speed of change being demanded by his MPs.
In his speech at the State Opening of Parliament, King Charles unveiled a legislative programme including the introduction of digital ID, limits on trial by jury, measures curbing settled status for migrants and an overhaul of special educational needs teaching.
Four big Labour changes
1Digital ID will be introduced as a way of checking immigration status when people start a job, but will not be mandatory.
2Special educational needs teaching will be overhauled to give schools more responsibility for deciding how pupils are taught.
3A courts modernisation bill will restrict trial by jury to the most serious cases.
4Gaining settled status in the UK will be made harder for migrants under plans which could provoke a backlash from Labour MPs.
Few surprises as PM battles to stay
The King’s Speech is the set piece opportunity for the government of the day to lay out its legislative programme. But the ceremonial pomp was at risk of being overshadowed by the battle within the Labour Party over whether Starmer should remain in Number 10.
Caption: LONDON, ENGLAND – JULY 05: Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer and Shadow Health Secretary Wes Streeting leave Westminster Abbey following a service celebrating the 75th anniversary of the NHS on July 5, 2023 in London, England. The NHS was founded in 1948, introduced by Labour’s Health Minister Aneurin “Nye” Bevan, and was the first universal health system free at the point of delivery to be available to all. Currently, the NHS has over 1.6 million interactions with people across the UK per day. Nine in 10 people agree that healthcare should be free of charge, more than four in five agree that care should be available to everyone and that the NHS makes them most proud to be British. (Photo by Leon Neal/Getty Images) Photographer: Leon Neal Provider: Getty Images Source: Getty Images Europe Copyright: GETTY IMAGES Caption: LONDON, ENGLAND – MAY 13: King Charles III ahead of delivering the King’s Speech in the House of Lord’s Chamber during the State Opening of Parliament on May 13, 2026 in London, England. The State Opening of Parliament follows the prorogation of the previous session on 29 April. King Charles III will deliver the King’s Speech outlining the government’s legislative agenda for the 2026???27 session. Key priorities for the year include constitutional reforms regarding disgraced peers, a 10-year Health Plan for the NHS, and the implementation of changes to the Universal Credit two-child limit. (Photo by Chris Jackson/Getty Images) Photographer: Chris Jackson Provider: Getty Images Source: Chris Jackson Collection Copyright: 2026 Getty Images
While the bills outlined were largely expected, allies of Starmer said the programme would allow Labour to say it had fixed Britain’s emaciated public services. But rumours abound that Health Secretary Wes Streeting will launch a leadership challenge as early as Thursday.
world ANALYSIS
Trump’s fatal flaw is about to be exposed on the world stage
Donald Trump is discussing military action with aides as he calls the ceasefire with Iran ‘weak’ (Photo: Alex Wong/Getty Images)
James Rogers
Co-founder Council on Geostrategy
When the US President arrives in Beijing this week, he will be visiting a China which has spent years making itself more resilient to American influence and pressure.
Consequently, Donald Trump will be attempting to secure a series of rapid but transactional victories with a weakened hand.
Critical question for the US: who is hurting more?
The White House faces a situation of diminishing economic leverage. Trump’s tariff barrage on Beijing was supposed to force co-operation. But China has shown willingness to deploy its own economic arsenal. While Beijing is feeling the effects of US microchip curbs, Washington is being hit by China’s squeeze on critical minerals.
Caption: Shipping containers sit loaded on the deck of the BG Ireland freight ship as tugs manoeuvre the vessel out of the harbour at Scotland’s Grangemouth container port, operated by Forth Ports Plc., in Grangemouth, U.K., on Wednesday, May 1, 2013. Arcus Infrastructure Fund 1 LP acquired Edinburgh-based Forth Ports Plc for 746 million pounds in 2011. Photographer: Mike Wilkinson/Bloomberg via Getty Images Photographer: Bloomberg Provider: Bloomberg via Getty Images Source: Bloomberg Copyright: Copyright 2013 Bloomberg Finance LP, All Rights Reserved.
Analysis
4 min read
Beijing patient as Iran strife drags on
The most visible challenge constraining the White House is its ongoing conflict with Iran. While Trump struggles with rising fuel prices and a dropping approval rating, Xi Jinping is advancing Beijing’s interests in the Indo-Pacific region.
Caption: US President Donald Trump reacts as he participates in a Small Business Summit in the East Room of the White House in Washington, DC on May 4, 2026. (Photo by Kent Nishimura / AFP via Getty Images) Photographer: KENT NISHIMURA Provider: AFP via Getty Images Source: AFP Copyright: AFP or licensors (Photo: Nhac Nguyen/Pool/AFP via Getty).
Trump’s controversial moves, including the snatching of Venezuela’s Nicolás Maduro and threats to annex Greenland, have created a space for China to make overtures to European leaders. Consequently, American structural power is diminished.
Caption: Maintenance engineer checking elevator doors in building Photographer: Johner Images Provider: Getty Images/Johner RF Source: Johner RF
health
Are lifts still safe? Warning over UK’s obesity rates
The obesity epidemic means that many lifts are no longer big enough to transport people between floors, according to British researchers.
A study found that the maximum capacity of lifts in the UK and elsewhere in Europe has failed to keep pace with the increase in weight of the average person, raising concerns about safety and discrimination.
What you need to know
Caption: two groups of businessmen and businesswomen in glass elevators, general view, part of a series of photos with these elevators Photographer: jean-marc payet Provider: Getty Images Source: Moment RF
Lifts stuck in the past
The UK-based study found that despite weight growth and the obesity epidemic, the limit for elevators has not increased since about 2004.
Weighty concerns
In the 1970s, the average British man and woman weighed 75kg and 65kg, respectively. These figures now stand at 86kg and 73kg.
Caption: Close-up of a businessman using hotel elevator. Hand of a male pressing button on elevator panel in the hotel. Photographer: Luis Alvarez Provider: Getty Images Source: Digital Vision
Capacity problems
Because lifts assume an average weight of 75kg, this means the amount of room is becoming limited and loads are getting heavier.
Super-sized society
Researchers said their findings suggested lift designs are now based on “flawed calculations” and could lead to issues like elevators cutting out if passengers exceed total weight limits. People with obesity may also feel stigmatised when entering lifts.
Caption: Close-up of unrecognizable black woman pushing button in elevator Photographer: Grace Cary Provider: Getty Images Source: Moment RF Copyright: ? Grace Cary Nearly two-thirds of adults in England are living with obesity or excessive weight (Photo: by Matt Cardy/Getty)
Lead researcher Professor Nick Finer warned of a need to “super-size” many aspects of daily life, including lifts, to make the workplace and other environments safe and suitable for people living with obesity. By 2040, as many as seven in 10 Britons are projected to be overweight or obese.
politics
Which members of Government have gone so far?
Against the backdrop of calls to quit, Starmer took refuge in the Labour Party rule book (Photo: Richard Pohle/AFP)
Sir Keir Starmer has briefly met with presumed leadership rival Wes Streeting in No 10 as the Prime Minister continues to resist calls from within Labour for him to stand down.
The crisis at the top of Government has so far seen the resignations of 10 MPs from their frontline roles, including four junior ministers. Among the most prominent has been the departure of Home Office minister Jess Phillips.
What you need to know
Six parliamentary private secretaries (PPS) – the eyes and ears of a minister in the House of Commons – have stepped down.
They include Joe Morris, PPS to Streeting, and Melanie Ward, PPS to Justice Secretary David Lammy, a key ally of Starmer.
The three ministers who have quit alongside Jess Phillips are Miatta Fahnbulleh, Alex Davies-Jones and Zubir Ahmed.
In her resignation letter, Phillips criticised Starmer for his record on online protections.
OPINION
4 min read
Crisis in Downing Street
While the Prime Minister has suffered the loss of 10 members of his Government, to date the departures have been restricted to its junior ranks. Starmer is widely seen as having laid down the gauntlet to his Cabinet colleagues to either formally challenge him, or allow him to stay in office.
Caption: Health Secretary Wes Streeting arriving at number 10 Downing Street, London, for his meeting with Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer. Picture date: Wednesday May 13, 2026. PA Photo. Photo credit should read: James Manning/PA Wire Photographer: James Manning Provider: James Manning/PA Wire Source: PA Copyright: PA Wire Sources have said Government whips were picking up a mood described as ‘dire’ among backbenchers (Photo: James Manning/PA)
Some 11 Labour-supporting unions are expected to state publicly that Starmer will not lead the party into the next election. Ministers are being watched minute-by-minute for signs of a formal split.
HEALTH
Why weight-loss pill after jabs may help keep pounds off
People using anti-obesity jabs can maintain weight loss by moving to a daily pill at the end of their treatment, a study suggests.
Researchers found that using orforglipron – an anti-obesity pill developed by US pharmaceuticals giant Eli Lilly – could be an “effective approach” for avoiding regaining pounds after injections have stopped.
What you need to know
While anti-obesity jabs are effective at promoting weight loss, patients have been found to regain the pounds after treatment stops.
Researchers in the US found that switching to orforglipron allowed patients using jabs to retain about 75 to 80 per cent of their weight loss.
Orforglipron is also a GLP-1 agonist, the same type of compound used in anti-obesity injections such as Mounjaro and Wegovy.
OPINION
3 min read
Weight-loss pill ‘cheaper’ than jabs
The US findings add to evidence that anti-obesity pills hold promise as a new method of promoting or maintaining weight loss, not least because they are significantly cheaper to manufacture than injections and easier to use.
Orforglipron, which is Eli Lilly’s hope for its next blockbuster drug, is taken as a once-a-day pill and was tested with 376 patients who had previously used jabs. The pill has been licensed in America but is still awaiting approval in the UK.
HEALTH
How children’s taste for vegetables ‘begins before birth’
Increasing numbers of parents are bringing up their children as vegetarian or vegan, the new guidance suggests
Young children react more favourably to the smell of vegetables if they were regularly exposed to them while developing in the womb, researchers have found.
A study at Durham University found evidence that three-year-olds develop a memory of the flavour and odour of foods they were exposed to in late pregnancy.
Everything you need to know
(Photo: Getty).
Remembering tastes
The reactions of toddlers to the smell of carrots or kale was examined to see whether taste can be established in utero.
Powder capsules
Children were tested for their response to the smell of the vegetables after their mothers took capsules of carrot or kale while pregnant.
Midsection of pregnant Black woman holding belly – stock photo. (Photo: Getty)
Changing the way vegetables and salad were labelled increased sales, the researchers found. (Photo: Getty)
Flavour memory
Researchers found children reacted less negatively if their mothers were exposed to the vegetables while pregnant.
Mothers advised to eat varied diet
The scientists found an enduring favourable response in toddlers to the vegetable flavours they were exposed to in the later weeks of pregnancy.
The study recorded the facial expressions of 12 children when they were given wet cotton swabs dipped in the carrot or kale powder their mothers had taken.
PROPERTY AND MORTGAGES
4 min read
LIFESTYLE
4 min read
What the researchers said
High angle shot of Asian pregnant woman holding an ultrasound scan photo in front of her baby bump, sitting on bed at home. Mother-to-be. Precious moment in life. Preparation for a new family member. Expecting a new life. Baby and new life concept – stock photo. (Photo: Getty)
The researchers said the study suggested mothers-to-be should eat a varied diet rich in vegetables and fruits of different colours, with the added possibility it could influence the eating habits of their unborn child.
Analysis
3 min read
The unusually high temperatures for early June come after the UK recorded an annual average temperature of more than 10°C for the first time this year (Photo: Christopher Furlong/Getty)
NEWS
Bodies of three women pulled from sea at Brighton beach
The bodies of three women were recovered from the sea in Brighton early today, Sussex Police said.
Here is everything we know about this incident so far.
What do we know so far?
Caption: People on the beach at New Brighton. Picture date: Monday September 4, 2023. PA Photo. See PA story WEATHER Hot. Photo credit should read: Peter Byrne/PA Wire Photographer: Peter Byrne Provider: PA Source: PA Copyright: PA
Emergency services were called at around 5.45am on Wednesday, to reports of a “person” in the water.
The bodies of three women were pulled from the water near Madeira Drive.
Explained
4 min read
The latest
It is thought the women were 20-30-years-old, the Press Association said.
Police are conducting enquiries to confirm the identities of the women.
Chief Superintendent, Adam Hays, said police are “working hard” to understand exactly what happened.
The coastguard is not searching for anyone else.
PENSIONS AND RETIREMENT
4 min read
This is a tragic incident and fast-moving enquiries are ongoing to confirm the identities of these three women and understand exactly what has happened. I know this is concerning for the community, but I would ask the public to stay away from the scene at this time while emergency services continue their work.
Chief Superintendent, Adam Hays
Male and female Asian metropolitan police officers patrol the crowds of tourists outside the Hoses of Parliament in Westminster, London, UK – stock photo. (Photo: Getty)
Is napping an invaluable part of the day or an unproductive hour?
To find out how to feel better, brighter and bushy-tailed, we asked Russell Foster, a professor of neuroscience at the University of Oxford, everything you need to know about napping.
Naps before 1pm can lead to better cognitive performance in the following hours (Photo: Lord Henri Voton/Getty Images)
Caption: A mother and new born baby taking a nap together on the sofa in a quiet but tender moment. Photographer: Jamie Garbutt Provider: Getty Images Source: Stone RF Copyright: Jamie Garbutt
How long should we nap for?
For Professor Foster, the ideal length of a time for a nap is just 20 minutes and certainly no longer than 30.
“You don’t want to do is fall into deeper sleep, because then recovery from that can leave you groggy,” he says.
Is there an optimum time of day to nap?
Napping too late in the day is warned against.
An early-afternoon nap of around 20 minutes can improve your cognition during the second half of the day.
If you have a nap later on, you can push back your sleep pressure, which means the longer you’ve been awake the greater need for sleep, at night.
As long as you’re getting the sleep that you need to function optimally, that’s the main thing.
Sleep tourism in hotel. Exhausted woman sleeps sweetly in bed in the morning – stock photo. (Photo: Getty)
How much sleep does a person need?
Sleep is like a shoe: one size doesn’t fit all.
Oversleeping on days-off or sustaining your waking day with caffeine and other stimulants are signs of tiredness.
Not everybody needs eight hours of sleep; it’s variable, dynamic and individual. And will vary over a lifetime depending on the season.
Other things to know
It doesn’t matter where you physically nap as long as it feels right and you’re comfortable. You can create the right environment by making it dark, calm or using a smell like lavender.
‘I encourage anyone that is sleepy to take a good nap, guilt free,’ writes Zuva Seven (Photo: Klaus Vedfelt/Getty)The drug is taken by one in five Americans under 14, but it is only available on prescription in the UK (Photo: ozgurcankaya/Getty)
Generally speaking, napping is probably a metric that you’re not getting the sleep you need at night, says Professor Foster. “But don’t beat yourself up over it. A short nap, if it improves the second half of the day, is fine”.
But if Wes Streeting triggers a leadership contest on Thursday, Starmer faces fighting a battle to cling on to his job with his flagship EU project put on hold.
A second source said the EU would not make any concessions or trade-offs that the UK will need to strike the reset deals it wants with Starmer’s future in question.
“Brussels will not make a move without exploring the intentions of London, whoever resides in No 10,” the EU source said.
‘Hard to see why the EU should engage’
Former UK ambassador to France, Lord Ricketts, this week warned that it was “hard to see why the EU should engage on a further drive to get closer to the UK while the UK political landscape remains so unpredictable”.
A third EU source however insisted that until a contest is triggered Brussels would “keep working” towards reset deals.
Starmer had been hoping to tie up deals to ease food and drink trade, align carbon taxes which would help UK businesses, and create a UK-EU youth mobility scheme at a second reset summit between the two sides in June or July
Ahead of this, he used the King’s Speech on Wednesday to say his Government was “setting a new direction for Britain at the next EU summit” and “putting Britain at the heart of Europe”.
It included a new European Partnership Bill that would allow ministers to fast-track EU rules into law without giving MPs a vote, which the Government has argued is crucial for its plans to align with swathes of Brussels regulation to get access to the European single market, with deals to do so on food and drink and electricity being negotiated currently.
While the Bill is set to give Parliament “a say” in the new agreements, critics have warned that the powers laid out in the legislation will allow ministers to bypass a meaningful vote by MPs.
Government sources indicated that ministers were open to discussing different mechanisms to give Parliament a say when the legislation is brought to the Commons.
Food and drink deal would lower shopping bills
The British Chambers of Commerce (BCC) said a food and drink deal would help lower prices of household goods for shoppers.
William Bain, head of trade policy at the BCC, said: “A permanent deal with the EU can’t come soon enough for UK firms.
“In the talks ahead, ministers must deliver a deal that truly unburdens business and cuts costs.
“Consumers will then reap the benefits in their shopping baskets. Making trade with the EU quicker, cheaper and simpler is crucial to boosting economic growth in the years ahead.”
Ben White’s injury shines a light on one of England’s problem positions heading into the World Cup.
The Arsenal defender is among eight players to have started at right-back in Thomas Tuchel’s 12 matches so far as England manager.
Tuchel this week submitted a provisional 55-player squad for the World Cup, although the full make-up has not been released by the Football Association , and it is unclear whether White has been included.
Ben White suffered a knee injury against West Ham (Photo: Reuters)
White’s World Cup hopes are in the balance after he was ruled out for the remainder of the season when sustaining a significant medial knee ligament injury against West Ham United on Sunday.
The 28-year-old had only just returned to the England fold, ending his exile after four years when featuring in March’s friendlies against Uruguay – against whom he scored – and Japan.
White’s potential absence therefore opens the door for other contenders, including Trent Alexander-Arnold, who has not made the German’s last four squads.
Tuchel’s starting right-backs
Reece James: 4
Kyle Walker*: 2
Curtis Jones: 1
Ezri Konsa: 1
Djed Spence: 1
Jarell Quansah: 1
Tino Livramento: 1
Ben White: 1
*Walker has retired from international duty
Real Madrid right-back Alexander-Arnold has played just 26 minutes for England under Tuchel, against Andorra last summer, but could find his chances of heading to North America have just increased.
But where in the pecking order is he? Many would make him their top pick, but here is where he realistically ranks among the right-backs in contention to start England’s World Cup opener against Croatia on 17 June.
Curtis Jones
Curtis Jones played at right-back for England last summer (Photo: Getty)
Wait, what? Well, we are counting down after all, and Liverpool’s Curtis Jones made a surprise start at right-back – ahead of Alexander-Arnold – in the game against Andorra last June.
Jones’s versatility makes him a strong squad option, but after making Tuchel’s first two squads in 2025 he has missed out on the last four.
Joe Gomez
Jones’ club teammate Joe Gomez can play across the defensive line, but he has not earned a call-up since the Gareth Southgate days. Intriguingly, there has not been a Liverpool player in any of Tuchel’s last four squads.
Jarell Quansah
Former Liverpool defender Jarell Quansah is predominantly a centre-back but his one and only England cap to date came at right-back away to Albania in November.
The Bayer Leverkusen star is therefore on Tuchel’s radar and only withdrew from the March squad due to a thigh injury he has since recovered from.
Nico O’Reilly
Nico O’Reilly is in contention to start on the left for England (Photo: Getty)
Why not? The Pep Guardiola pet project of the season has left us wondering if there is anything the Manchester City player cannot do, and though mainly a left-back – where he has started three of the last four England games – the 21-year-old would no doubt be comfortable making the switch if required.
Djed Spence
Also contending with O’Reilly for the left-back role, Djed Spence has played both sides under Tuchel.
The Tottenham Hotspur defender has had a niggling calf injury this year, starting infrequently for Spurs, but is probably on the World Cup plane thanks to his versatility.
Tino Livramento
Tino Livramento is also an injury doubt (Photo: Getty)
Newcastle United right-back Tino Livramento has been plagued by injuries this season, missing more matches than he has played due to knee, hamstring and thigh problems.
Livramento started for England against Uruguay in March, and though back in training, Newcastle boss Eddie Howe is reluctant to rush him back.
“That would feel silly,” Howe said. “We will let him recover and get a good summer behind him.”
Livramento is therefore an unknown, and should he and White miss out it could mean…
Trent Alexander-Arnold
Enter Alexander-Arnold? He has reportedly made the 55-player cut but whether he survives the final cull – well, he certainly won’t be holding his breath.
“I know what Trent can give us,” Tuchel said after omitting Alexander-Arnold in March, and when asked what the other right-backs offer he replied: “A slightly different profile.”
In short: he does not fit tactically, and his only hope of going to the World Cup is if Tuchel overlooks the, arguably exaggerated, defensive frailties and sees value in taking one of England’s best passers since David Beckham. Yes, I’m an Alexander-Arnold fan, why do you ask?
Ezri Konsa
A shoo-in for the plane and perhaps even a starting role at centre-back next to Marc Guehi, Aston Villa’s Ezri Konsa has played on the right for Tuchel and could make way in the centre if John Stones is preferred to partner his Manchester City teammate.
Konsa would be a safe pair of hands at right-back, if not entirely exciting.
Read more
Reece James
Few doubt Reece James is Tuchel’s starting right-back of choice this summer, but plenty will have doubts over his fitness.
The Chelsea captain recently returned from a hamstring injury to face Liverpool on Saturday, and provided he navigates the next month without a hitch – no guarantee – he will be in the starting XI against Croatia.
Andy Burnham is poised to attempt on of the most dramatic political comebacks in recent history after allies claimed he has found a Labour MP ready to stand aside for him so he can re-enter Parliament and challenge Keir Starmer.
Allies of the Mayor of Greater Manchester say he will make the announcement as soon as Thursday, piling fresh pressure on the embattled Prime Minister who is clinging on to power despite more than 100 MPs and ministers calling on him to go.
Burnham, who would be the frontrunner in a leadership contest, came to London yesterday, and spoke to supportive MPs during a series of phone calls on Tuesday when he made his pitch to them. He told them he was “ready to go”.
Shorts – Quick stories
Caption: Britain’s King Charles III speaks as he sits besides Queen Camilla during the State Opening of Parliament at the Palace of Westminster in London, Wednesday, May 13, 2026.(AP Photo/Kirsty Wigglesworth, Pool) Photographer: Kirsty Wigglesworth Provider: AP Source: Pool AP Copyright: Copyright 2026 The Associated Press. All rights reserved
politics
Four key takeaways from the King’s Speech
The monarch has outlined changes to health, education and the justice system on behalf of an embattled Sir Keir Starmer looking to prove he can enact the speed of change being demanded by his MPs.
In his speech at the State Opening of Parliament, King Charles unveiled a legislative programme including the introduction of digital ID, limits on trial by jury, measures curbing settled status for migrants and an overhaul of special educational needs teaching.
Four big Labour changes
1Digital ID will be introduced as a way of checking immigration status when people start a job, but will not be mandatory.
2Special educational needs teaching will be overhauled to give schools more responsibility for deciding how pupils are taught.
3A courts modernisation bill will restrict trial by jury to the most serious cases.
4Gaining settled status in the UK will be made harder for migrants under plans which could provoke a backlash from Labour MPs.
Few surprises as PM battles to stay
The King’s Speech is the set piece opportunity for the government of the day to lay out its legislative programme. But the ceremonial pomp was at risk of being overshadowed by the battle within the Labour Party over whether Starmer should remain in Number 10.
Caption: LONDON, ENGLAND – JULY 05: Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer and Shadow Health Secretary Wes Streeting leave Westminster Abbey following a service celebrating the 75th anniversary of the NHS on July 5, 2023 in London, England. The NHS was founded in 1948, introduced by Labour’s Health Minister Aneurin “Nye” Bevan, and was the first universal health system free at the point of delivery to be available to all. Currently, the NHS has over 1.6 million interactions with people across the UK per day. Nine in 10 people agree that healthcare should be free of charge, more than four in five agree that care should be available to everyone and that the NHS makes them most proud to be British. (Photo by Leon Neal/Getty Images) Photographer: Leon Neal Provider: Getty Images Source: Getty Images Europe Copyright: GETTY IMAGES Caption: LONDON, ENGLAND – MAY 13: King Charles III ahead of delivering the King’s Speech in the House of Lord’s Chamber during the State Opening of Parliament on May 13, 2026 in London, England. The State Opening of Parliament follows the prorogation of the previous session on 29 April. King Charles III will deliver the King’s Speech outlining the government’s legislative agenda for the 2026???27 session. Key priorities for the year include constitutional reforms regarding disgraced peers, a 10-year Health Plan for the NHS, and the implementation of changes to the Universal Credit two-child limit. (Photo by Chris Jackson/Getty Images) Photographer: Chris Jackson Provider: Getty Images Source: Chris Jackson Collection Copyright: 2026 Getty Images
While the bills outlined were largely expected, allies of Starmer said the programme would allow Labour to say it had fixed Britain’s emaciated public services. But rumours abound that Health Secretary Wes Streeting will launch a leadership challenge as early as Thursday.
world ANALYSIS
Trump’s fatal flaw is about to be exposed on the world stage
Donald Trump is discussing military action with aides as he calls the ceasefire with Iran ‘weak’ (Photo: Alex Wong/Getty Images)
James Rogers
Co-founder Council on Geostrategy
When the US President arrives in Beijing this week, he will be visiting a China which has spent years making itself more resilient to American influence and pressure.
Consequently, Donald Trump will be attempting to secure a series of rapid but transactional victories with a weakened hand.
Critical question for the US: who is hurting more?
The White House faces a situation of diminishing economic leverage. Trump’s tariff barrage on Beijing was supposed to force co-operation. But China has shown willingness to deploy its own economic arsenal. While Beijing is feeling the effects of US microchip curbs, Washington is being hit by China’s squeeze on critical minerals.
Caption: Shipping containers sit loaded on the deck of the BG Ireland freight ship as tugs manoeuvre the vessel out of the harbour at Scotland’s Grangemouth container port, operated by Forth Ports Plc., in Grangemouth, U.K., on Wednesday, May 1, 2013. Arcus Infrastructure Fund 1 LP acquired Edinburgh-based Forth Ports Plc for 746 million pounds in 2011. Photographer: Mike Wilkinson/Bloomberg via Getty Images Photographer: Bloomberg Provider: Bloomberg via Getty Images Source: Bloomberg Copyright: Copyright 2013 Bloomberg Finance LP, All Rights Reserved.
Analysis
4 min read
Beijing patient as Iran strife drags on
The most visible challenge constraining the White House is its ongoing conflict with Iran. While Trump struggles with rising fuel prices and a dropping approval rating, Xi Jinping is advancing Beijing’s interests in the Indo-Pacific region.
Caption: US President Donald Trump reacts as he participates in a Small Business Summit in the East Room of the White House in Washington, DC on May 4, 2026. (Photo by Kent Nishimura / AFP via Getty Images) Photographer: KENT NISHIMURA Provider: AFP via Getty Images Source: AFP Copyright: AFP or licensors (Photo: Nhac Nguyen/Pool/AFP via Getty).
Trump’s controversial moves, including the snatching of Venezuela’s Nicolás Maduro and threats to annex Greenland, have created a space for China to make overtures to European leaders. Consequently, American structural power is diminished.
Caption: Maintenance engineer checking elevator doors in building Photographer: Johner Images Provider: Getty Images/Johner RF Source: Johner RF
health
Are lifts still safe? Warning over UK’s obesity rates
The obesity epidemic means that many lifts are no longer big enough to transport people between floors, according to British researchers.
A study found that the maximum capacity of lifts in the UK and elsewhere in Europe has failed to keep pace with the increase in weight of the average person, raising concerns about safety and discrimination.
What you need to know
Caption: two groups of businessmen and businesswomen in glass elevators, general view, part of a series of photos with these elevators Photographer: jean-marc payet Provider: Getty Images Source: Moment RF
Lifts stuck in the past
The UK-based study found that despite weight growth and the obesity epidemic, the limit for elevators has not increased since about 2004.
Weighty concerns
In the 1970s, the average British man and woman weighed 75kg and 65kg, respectively. These figures now stand at 86kg and 73kg.
Caption: Close-up of a businessman using hotel elevator. Hand of a male pressing button on elevator panel in the hotel. Photographer: Luis Alvarez Provider: Getty Images Source: Digital Vision
Capacity problems
Because lifts assume an average weight of 75kg, this means the amount of room is becoming limited and loads are getting heavier.
Super-sized society
Researchers said their findings suggested lift designs are now based on “flawed calculations” and could lead to issues like elevators cutting out if passengers exceed total weight limits. People with obesity may also feel stigmatised when entering lifts.
Caption: Close-up of unrecognizable black woman pushing button in elevator Photographer: Grace Cary Provider: Getty Images Source: Moment RF Copyright: ? Grace Cary Nearly two-thirds of adults in England are living with obesity or excessive weight (Photo: by Matt Cardy/Getty)
Lead researcher Professor Nick Finer warned of a need to “super-size” many aspects of daily life, including lifts, to make the workplace and other environments safe and suitable for people living with obesity. By 2040, as many as seven in 10 Britons are projected to be overweight or obese.
politics
Which members of Government have gone so far?
Against the backdrop of calls to quit, Starmer took refuge in the Labour Party rule book (Photo: Richard Pohle/AFP)
Sir Keir Starmer has briefly met with presumed leadership rival Wes Streeting in No 10 as the Prime Minister continues to resist calls from within Labour for him to stand down.
The crisis at the top of Government has so far seen the resignations of 10 MPs from their frontline roles, including four junior ministers. Among the most prominent has been the departure of Home Office minister Jess Phillips.
What you need to know
Six parliamentary private secretaries (PPS) – the eyes and ears of a minister in the House of Commons – have stepped down.
They include Joe Morris, PPS to Streeting, and Melanie Ward, PPS to Justice Secretary David Lammy, a key ally of Starmer.
The three ministers who have quit alongside Jess Phillips are Miatta Fahnbulleh, Alex Davies-Jones and Zubir Ahmed.
In her resignation letter, Phillips criticised Starmer for his record on online protections.
OPINION
4 min read
Crisis in Downing Street
While the Prime Minister has suffered the loss of 10 members of his Government, to date the departures have been restricted to its junior ranks. Starmer is widely seen as having laid down the gauntlet to his Cabinet colleagues to either formally challenge him, or allow him to stay in office.
Caption: Health Secretary Wes Streeting arriving at number 10 Downing Street, London, for his meeting with Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer. Picture date: Wednesday May 13, 2026. PA Photo. Photo credit should read: James Manning/PA Wire Photographer: James Manning Provider: James Manning/PA Wire Source: PA Copyright: PA Wire Sources have said Government whips were picking up a mood described as ‘dire’ among backbenchers (Photo: James Manning/PA)
Some 11 Labour-supporting unions are expected to state publicly that Starmer will not lead the party into the next election. Ministers are being watched minute-by-minute for signs of a formal split.
HEALTH
Why weight-loss pill after jabs may help keep pounds off
People using anti-obesity jabs can maintain weight loss by moving to a daily pill at the end of their treatment, a study suggests.
Researchers found that using orforglipron – an anti-obesity pill developed by US pharmaceuticals giant Eli Lilly – could be an “effective approach” for avoiding regaining pounds after injections have stopped.
What you need to know
While anti-obesity jabs are effective at promoting weight loss, patients have been found to regain the pounds after treatment stops.
Researchers in the US found that switching to orforglipron allowed patients using jabs to retain about 75 to 80 per cent of their weight loss.
Orforglipron is also a GLP-1 agonist, the same type of compound used in anti-obesity injections such as Mounjaro and Wegovy.
OPINION
3 min read
Weight-loss pill ‘cheaper’ than jabs
The US findings add to evidence that anti-obesity pills hold promise as a new method of promoting or maintaining weight loss, not least because they are significantly cheaper to manufacture than injections and easier to use.
Orforglipron, which is Eli Lilly’s hope for its next blockbuster drug, is taken as a once-a-day pill and was tested with 376 patients who had previously used jabs. The pill has been licensed in America but is still awaiting approval in the UK.
HEALTH
How children’s taste for vegetables ‘begins before birth’
Increasing numbers of parents are bringing up their children as vegetarian or vegan, the new guidance suggests
Young children react more favourably to the smell of vegetables if they were regularly exposed to them while developing in the womb, researchers have found.
A study at Durham University found evidence that three-year-olds develop a memory of the flavour and odour of foods they were exposed to in late pregnancy.
Everything you need to know
(Photo: Getty).
Remembering tastes
The reactions of toddlers to the smell of carrots or kale was examined to see whether taste can be established in utero.
Powder capsules
Children were tested for their response to the smell of the vegetables after their mothers took capsules of carrot or kale while pregnant.
Midsection of pregnant Black woman holding belly – stock photo. (Photo: Getty)
Changing the way vegetables and salad were labelled increased sales, the researchers found. (Photo: Getty)
Flavour memory
Researchers found children reacted less negatively if their mothers were exposed to the vegetables while pregnant.
Mothers advised to eat varied diet
The scientists found an enduring favourable response in toddlers to the vegetable flavours they were exposed to in the later weeks of pregnancy.
The study recorded the facial expressions of 12 children when they were given wet cotton swabs dipped in the carrot or kale powder their mothers had taken.
PROPERTY AND MORTGAGES
4 min read
LIFESTYLE
4 min read
What the researchers said
High angle shot of Asian pregnant woman holding an ultrasound scan photo in front of her baby bump, sitting on bed at home. Mother-to-be. Precious moment in life. Preparation for a new family member. Expecting a new life. Baby and new life concept – stock photo. (Photo: Getty)
The researchers said the study suggested mothers-to-be should eat a varied diet rich in vegetables and fruits of different colours, with the added possibility it could influence the eating habits of their unborn child.
Analysis
3 min read
The unusually high temperatures for early June come after the UK recorded an annual average temperature of more than 10°C for the first time this year (Photo: Christopher Furlong/Getty)
NEWS
Bodies of three women pulled from sea at Brighton beach
The bodies of three women were recovered from the sea in Brighton early today, Sussex Police said.
Here is everything we know about this incident so far.
What do we know so far?
Caption: People on the beach at New Brighton. Picture date: Monday September 4, 2023. PA Photo. See PA story WEATHER Hot. Photo credit should read: Peter Byrne/PA Wire Photographer: Peter Byrne Provider: PA Source: PA Copyright: PA
Emergency services were called at around 5.45am on Wednesday, to reports of a “person” in the water.
The bodies of three women were pulled from the water near Madeira Drive.
Explained
4 min read
The latest
Police are conducting enquiries to confirm the identities of the women.
Chief Superintendent, Adam Hays, said police are “working hard” to understand exactly what happened.
The coastguard is not searching for anyone else.
The beach will remain closed for the rest of the afternoon.
PENSIONS AND RETIREMENT
4 min read
This is a tragic incident and fast-moving enquiries are ongoing to confirm the identities of these three women and understand exactly what has happened. I know this is concerning for the community, but I would ask the public to stay away from the scene at this time while emergency services continue their work.
Chief Superintendent, Adam Hays
Male and female Asian metropolitan police officers patrol the crowds of tourists outside the Hoses of Parliament in Westminster, London, UK – stock photo. (Photo: Getty)
Is napping an invaluable part of the day or an unproductive hour?
To find out how to feel better, brighter and bushy-tailed, we asked Russell Foster, a professor of neuroscience at the University of Oxford, everything you need to know about napping.
Naps before 1pm can lead to better cognitive performance in the following hours (Photo: Lord Henri Voton/Getty Images)
Caption: A mother and new born baby taking a nap together on the sofa in a quiet but tender moment. Photographer: Jamie Garbutt Provider: Getty Images Source: Stone RF Copyright: Jamie Garbutt
How long should we nap for?
For Professor Foster, the ideal length of a time for a nap is just 20 minutes and certainly no longer than 30.
“You don’t want to do is fall into deeper sleep, because then recovery from that can leave you groggy,” he says.
Is there an optimum time of day to nap?
Napping too late in the day is warned against.
An early-afternoon nap of around 20 minutes can improve your cognition during the second half of the day.
If you have a nap later on, you can push back your sleep pressure, which means the longer you’ve been awake the greater need for sleep, at night.
As long as you’re getting the sleep that you need to function optimally, that’s the main thing.
Sleep tourism in hotel. Exhausted woman sleeps sweetly in bed in the morning – stock photo. (Photo: Getty)
How much sleep does a person need?
Sleep is like a shoe: one size doesn’t fit all.
Oversleeping on days-off or sustaining your waking day with caffeine and other stimulants are signs of tiredness.
Not everybody needs eight hours of sleep; it’s variable, dynamic and individual. And will vary over a lifetime depending on the season.
Other things to know
It doesn’t matter where you physically nap as long as it feels right and you’re comfortable. You can create the right environment by making it dark, calm or using a smell like lavender.
‘I encourage anyone that is sleepy to take a good nap, guilt free,’ writes Zuva Seven (Photo: Klaus Vedfelt/Getty)The drug is taken by one in five Americans under 14, but it is only available on prescription in the UK (Photo: ozgurcankaya/Getty)
Generally speaking, napping is probably a metric that you’re not getting the sleep you need at night, says Professor Foster. “But don’t beat yourself up over it. A short nap, if it improves the second half of the day, is fine”.
One source said: “Andy has found a seat and is ready to go.” Another source added: “Andy is ready and will announce his move as soon as tomorrow.”
Burnham would still face challenges to be elected
Polls show Burnham is the most popular of prospective leadership candidates, but at the moment cannot stand because he is not an MP.
Downing Street is understood to be braced for the announcement and believe the seat he is targeting is Afzal Khan’s seat of Manchester Rusholme. Khan is a former Lord Mayor of Manchester and is one of Burnham’s closest political allies. Khan has previously denied he would give way for Burnham.
Other seats that allies of Burham have been targeting include Peter Dowd’s seat of Bootle, in Merseyside, Charlotte Nichols’ seat of Warrington North and Marie Rimmer’s seat of St Helens South – although all have denied that they are preparing to step down.
If Burnham has found a seat he will still face obstacles. He will still need the approval of Labour’s ruling National Executive Committee (NEC), which blocked him from standing in the Gorton and Denton by-election in January in an attempt to protect a weakened Starmer from facing a leadership challenge from the so-called “King of the North”.
According to reports in The Times, Burnham’s allies believe they are at least one person short of a majority on the NEC. Several prominent Labour figures, including Lucy Powell, the Deputy Leader, and Angela Rayner, the Deputy Prime Minister, have publicly said he should be allowed to return to Parliament.
Then he must win the by-election. One ally familiar with the plans said they feared the seat Burnham had found may not be winnable. According to a recent MRP poll, the Greens are predicted to win the seat of Manchester Rusholme with a projected 50 per cent vote share, to Labour’s 24 per cent.
Warrington North is a target for Nigel Farage’s Reform party and the projected vote share for 2029 suggests this seat would lead to a neck-and-neck race between Reform and Labour. Reform is currently slightly ahead on vote share at 41 per cent to Labour’s 40 per cent.
In St Helens South, the projected vote share for the next general election suggests Reform would take the seat on 30 per cent, to Labour’s 25 per cent.
Only in Bootle does Labour’s projected vote share of 36 per cent come out on top of its nearest rival Reform, on 24 per cent.
A Source said: “Andy has found a seat, but the worry is that it might not be winnable. He is going to have to throw everything at it and knows it’s a risk but is going to go for it anyway.”
Pressure for leadership race to include him
Then there is the timescale of whether he can be back in Parliament in time for any leadership election, which may be triggered as soon as Thursday if Health Secretary Wes Streeting quits the Cabinet in order to stand.
Burnham’s allies hope that a by-election writ can be moved quickly to ensure that he is back in Parliament in time in the event a leadership contest is triggered.
A Labour insider made clear that Burnham’s backers would push the National Executive Committee (NEC), the party’s ruling body, to make sure any leadership contest allows time for the Greater Manchester mayor to return to Parliament and throw his hat in the ring.
“If Wes triggers, it is then up to the NEC to decide a timetable,” they said. “It is in the NEC’s power to set any timetable it thinks sensible.
“It is perfectly possible to set a timetable that allows for Andy to get into Parliament in the meantime.”
Put to them that would delay the start of the contest considerably, the source said: “Is that more or less mad than Labour holding a contest for leader with the most popular Labour politician in the country blocked from consideration?”
Leading soft-left Labour MP and Burnham ally said: “Angela (Rayner) will be [the candidate]” if Streeting triggers the leadership race tomorrow.
“But the enthusiasm will be muted. We’re in a very, very poor place and I think the party will become increasingly ungovernable.”
Momentum building for Burnham, allies say
Burnham’s allies say momentum behind him has been buildingand he is thought to have the support of the Tribune Group, an influential group of up to 100 soft-left MPs. On the opposite side of the party, he is also understood to have won the backing on some MPs in the Blue Labour movement.
One Labour MP in the North of England said: “Burnham is the only one who can save the Labour party and stop Nigel Farage from becoming the next Prime Minister.
“When I was out on the doorstep during the recent local elections, lots of people told me they would not be voting Labour at the next General Election. However, when I asked whether they would vote Labour if Andy Burnham was the leader, the answer was very different. They see him as their man.”
Burnham, who has made a series of policy speeches at ideologically aligned thinktanks in recent month, is said to be preparing an explicit programme for government that would be announced at a prospective parliamentary byelection campaign.
Pledges backed by Burnham, a former health secretary, include introducing proportional representation across the UK, a 10-year plan for local services and an overhaul of inheritance tax to pay for the social care system.
