(Sharecast News) - Labour MPs on the party's left are preparing to urge Ed Miliband to consider a leadership bid in the coming days, as Keir Starmer faced the prospect of a formal challenge from within his own ranks next week, the Guardian reported.
Following a poor set of local election results, former minister Catherine West said she would move to break the deadlock if no cabinet figures came forward by Monday. A number of backbenchers have already called on Starmer to set out a timetable for his departure from Downing Street, though the prime minister insisted a change of leadership would "plunge the country into chaos". Some Labour MPs are said to favour Andy Burnham as a successor.
Vladimir Putin has indicated he believes the war in Ukraine is approaching its final stages, only hours after vowing victory at Moscow's scaled‑back Victory Day parade, according to the Guardian.
"I think that the matter is coming to an end," said Putin, referring to Europe's deadliest conflict since the Second World War. He added that he was willing to discuss new security arrangements for Europe, naming former German chancellor Gerhard Schröder as his preferred negotiating partner.
The government was expected to confirm the full nationalisation of British Steel in the King's Speech, bringing an end to six turbulent years under Chinese ownership, the Times reported. Ministers took day‑to‑day control of the company in April last year through emergency legislation, amid claims that shareholder Jingye was preparing to strip the UK of its capacity to produce "virgin" steel.
The crisis prompted the House of Commons to sit on a Saturday - for only the sixth time since the Second World War - to pass laws granting the state operational control of the Scunthorpe‑based steelmaker.
WH Smith received only £10m from the sale of its high‑street arm after agreeing to cut the price of the business to £42m, the Times reported. The chain sold its struggling stores to Mayfair‑based Modella Capital last June, with the business rebranded as TG Jones. But documents circulated to creditors show WH Smith was unlikely to receive anything close to the full amount, as TG Jones now races to avoid collapse.
The retailer had been valued at £76m only last year, before the agreed price was renegotiated down to £42m following a sharp deterioration in trading. Even then, Modella paid just £10m upfront, with the remaining £32m tied to future cash flows, which were now in doubt as the chain faces a major restructuring that could see more than 100 shops close.
Peter Magyar was sworn in as Hungary's new prime minister on Saturday, reinstating the EU flag outside parliament and promising "regime change" after Viktor Orban's 16‑year tenure, the Telegraph reported.
Magyar, a conservative who won a landslide victory last month, marked a clear break from his predecessor, who did not attend the ceremony. Addressing parliament, he said he would "serve" rather than "rule" Hungary, as tens of thousands of supporters watched from the banks of the Danube. He pledged swift action, including the creation of an independent office to investigate corruption over the past two decades and recover public assets from those who "illegally acquired" them.
Nigel Farage has said Reform‑controlled councils could withdraw from government resettlement schemes that house migrants arriving in the UK, the Telegraph reported. Farage wrote that his party would "look very hard at leaving" the programmes, which provide accommodation for thousands of asylum seekers, arguing that Reform‑led authorities would "always put the needs of local people first".
Last week, Reform-led Lancashire county council announced it was quitting both the UK Resettlement Scheme and the Afghan Resettlement Programme.
Reporting by Iain Gilbert at Sharecast.com