Top World News
Counting under way in Makerfield byelection as Burnham seeks a route to replace Starmer – UK politics live
Jun 18, 2026 - World 
Result expected around 3am as Labour’s Greater Manchester mayor hopes a win over Reform UK will help force the prime minister to step asidePolls close in Makerfield byelection as Andy Burnham eyes No 10Burnham brings in top economists before possible leadership runDavid Blunkett, the former Labour cabinet minister, has suggested that Keir Starmer should stand down after the Makerfield byelection.In an interview on the BBC’s Newsnight, Blunkett suggested that Starmer standing aside would be the best option for the party regardless of whether Andy Burnham wins tonight or loses. Continue reading...
Man arrested after boy, three, injured in Cambridgeshire zoo crocodile enclosure
Jun 18, 2026 - World 
Officers arrest man on suspicion of attempted murder as child is treated in hospital for serious injuries A man has been arrested on suspicion of attempted murder after a three-year-old boy ended up in a crocodile enclosure, Cambridgeshire police said.The force said officers were called to Johnsons of Old Hurst zoo in Huntingdonshire at 1.24pm on Thursday over “reports of an incident involving a three-year-old boy, during which he ended up in the crocodile enclosure”. Continue reading...
Mangione lawyers abandon psychiatric defense over health CEO’s killing
Jun 18, 2026 - World 
Legal team of alleged gunman, 28, reverses position on ‘extreme emotional disturbance’ defense after one dayIn a stunning reversal, Luigi Mangione’s legal team said on Thursday they would no longer pursue a psychiatric defense in his upcoming state trial over the killing of the UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson.Just one day earlier, Mangione’s lawyers told Judge Gregory Carro they would pursue a defense claiming the 28-year-old was suffering an “extreme emotional disturbance” at the time of Thompson’s killing on 4 December 2024. Continue reading...
Tropical Storm Arthur downgraded from cyclone as it makes landfall in Texas
Jun 18, 2026 - World 
Several inches of rain expected in south-eastern US as forecasters expect storm to cause life-threatening floodingTropical Storm Arthur was downgraded from a cyclone to a low pressure area along the upper Texas coast as it made landfall and lost wind intensity on Thursday.Forecasters still expect the storm to cause life-threatening flooding, property damage and disruptions to commerce and travel. Continue reading...
Nearly 160 sick with flu at US air force base after Hegseth ends mandatory vaccines
Jun 18, 2026 - World 
Reports say Texas recruits ill from outbreak, which comes weeks after defense secretary made flu vaccine optionalAn influenza outbreak has reportedly sickened more than 150 recruits in training at Lackland air force base in San Antonio, Texas.The outbreak comes just weeks after the defense secretary, Pete Hegseth, ended mandatory flu vaccination for the military, citing the need for bodily autonomy for servicemembers. Continue reading...
