Crunch Time For Starmer, RIP Project Freedom, The Redistricting Fight Gets Worse, And A Temporary Ukraine Ceasefire

A detailed recount mixed with meme comedy to mark our times at Week 18 of 2026 featuring source material from Hazbin Hotel & Helluva Boss!

May 11, 2026

Voterama 2025 - Catastrophic Blowout

Thursday saw many parts of the UK voting in the country’s biggest set of elections since the general election two years ago, with big implications for the country’s political future. In England, voters turned out for council and mayoral polls, while Scotland and Wales selected their representatives to their national parliaments. What’s important about this race lies in the incumbents and the challengers, providing an electoral snapshot into the shifting tides of British politics. Let’s start with PM Keir Starmer’s Labour Party, which was expected to face a local election wipeout in England, coming a year after losing two-thirds of its seats in the English local elections. Election forecasts were brutal for Labour, suggesting it could only win just 616 seats out of the 2,500 seats they’re defending, falling from first to fifth among the parties vying for just over 5,000 English council seats. The Starmer government’s inability to differentiate itself from its conservative predecessors has taken a toll on public perception, and many in the party don’t believe those at the top know what the party stands for. Scandals have further damaged the Starmer government’s reputation, especially the chaotic saga of Peter Mandelson’s appointment as the UK ambassador to America. Behind the scenes, there have been months of talk of toppling Starmer as leader, with the local elections being the final straw to trigger internal change. The Mayor of Greater Manchester, Andy Burnham, as well as Labour MPs Wes Streeting and Angela Rayner, are rumoured to be the top contenders who could replace Starmer.

On the other side, the Conservatives (Tories) under Kemi Badenoch aren’t doing well either, as voters remain upset over their fourteen years of mismanagement and believe they aren’t genuine despite Badenoch’s decision to push the party further to the right. More importantly for both traditional parties, they are losing influence and votes to the challengers from their side of the political aisle. For the Tories, Reform UK has emerged as their biggest challenger. With Nigel Farage being the face of the party, Reform has attracted voters from the right over its harsh immigration policies and populist message, and is perceived as more credible than its Tory counterparts. However, Reform also has a lot of controversies, from Farage being given an undisclosed £5 million donation by a crypto billionaire in 2024 to its recruitment process that has proven to be shaky at best, given that a reporter from France’s Le Monde was almost recruited to be a candidate in the London local elections. Labour faced its political challenger from the Green Party, led by the charismatic and social media-savvy leader, Zack Polanski. Since becoming the leader of the Greens, Polanski has promoted his bold brand of left-wing politics that partially echoes New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s campaign, and his messages on Gaza and inequality have resonated with many disaffected left-wing voters who are frustrated with Labour under Starmer’s leadership. Outside of England, the Scottish National Party (SNP) and Plaid Cymru hope to capitalize on distrust towards Labour and the Tories to gain more influence in Scotland and Wales, as both nationalist parties have an independence agenda for their respective countries.

On the days leading up to the vote, a Labour dossier accused 25 Green candidates of holding “disturbing views,” pointing to social media posts that promoted “a raft of harrowing anti-Semitism, dangerous conspiracy theories and appalling comments supporting Hamas and Russia.” Anti-Semitism has become an extremely sensitive issue for the Greens, following Polanski’s haphazardly reposted tweet criticizing the police for their handling of the horrific Golders Green stabbing, and two Green candidates being arrested over allegedly antisemitic posts. Adding more damage just 24 hours before the polls opened, Polanski admitted he had falsely claimed to be a spokesperson for the Red Cross. One of Reform’s councilors was also embroiled in controversy, after it was revealed that Glenn Gibbins wrote in March 2024 that he wants to melt Nigerians and use them to fill potholes (Spoiler alert: He was elected in the local elections as a councilor in the New Sunderlands). While for Labour, sources told Channel 4 News that Labour activists are instructed not to talk to press and “do not cry” in the presence of cameras.

As the votes were tallied after Thursday’s election, the first result popped up in Brentwood in Essex, where Reform took a seat from the Conservatives. The initial results in England by Friday midday looked exactly as predicted, with Starmer’s Labour Party being battered in the traditional northern heartlands and having lost control of seven councils, including Tameside, a council represented by the left-leaning party for 47 years, and part of Rayner’s constituency. On the flip side, Reform UK had a great night, gaining more than 200 seats before dawn broke as Farage declared a “historic change in British politics,” to which “there is no more left-right” has arrived. The number rose to more than 1,400 seats, formerly strongholds that went for Labour and the Tories. Meanwhile, the Lib Dems have won fewer seats than anticipated. John Healey, the Secretary of State for Defence, said the PM will stay on despite the poor results, telling Sky News that “We have to be bolder. And I think Keir [Starmer] would acknowledge we have to deliver more.” By the time Labour had already lost control of its first eight councils, and calls by insiders like John McDonnell for the PM to announce a departure timetable, Starmer officially took the blame for the heavy local election losses, saying, “The results are tough, they are very tough, and there’s no sugarcoating it. We have lost brilliant Labour representatives across the country; these are people who put so much into their communities, so much into our party. And that hurts, and it should hurt, and I take responsibility.” Polanski also celebrated his party’s wins, saying two-party politics in the country is “dead and buried.” Labour got its Portillo moment in Wales, losing its majority there as Welsh Labour leader Eluned Morgan lost her seat in the Senedd elections. While in Scotland, the SNP has remained the largest party in the land. By the end of the counting, Labour lost 37 councils, more than 1,300 seats, and control of the Senedd for the first ever. According to the BBC’s projected national share (PNS), which calculates the results in more than 1,000 wards and estimates a general election where people voted along similar lines, predicts Reform being the largest party with 26% of the vote share, while the Greens are the second largest party on 18%, and Labour and Conservatives neck-in-neck for third place at 17%.

On Saturday, Starmer began seeking a reset strategy after the dismal election results, which prompted 40 Labour backbenchers to call on the party leader to resign. Most notably, Starmer appointed former PM Gordon Brown as a special envoy on global finance. Labour backbencher MP Catherine West said she would like to see a cabinet member take on Starmer for the party leadership, saying that she would launch her own bid if nobody else wants to challenge the PM. Then on Sunday, The Telegraph reported that Streeting has told Starmer that he is preparing his case to be the next PM, with one ally saying, “Wes isn’t going to challenge Keir, but he is preparing in case it all falls apart.” Rayner also issued her “last chance” to Starmer, backing Burnham’s return to Westminster, and called on the current PM to “meet the moment” with bolder action. Trying to fight for his political career, Starmer hopes to save his job with a speech next Monday, promising to “face up to the big challenges” for the UK.

The Trump Show: Series 2 - The Scramble For Redistricting

As the midterm elections are setting up to be a big win for Democrats, the White House has held private briefings between lawyers and staffers on how to deal with a Democratic Congress after the November vote. The Supreme Court temporarily restored broad access to the abortion pill Mifepristone through telehealth, mail, and pharmacies, following an appeals court ruling that jeopardized it last week. Despite taking a mostly non-interventionist approach to AI, the Trump administration is considering vetting AI models before they are made publicly available. Following Trump’s recent attacks on the Pope and Italian PM Giorgia Meloni, Secretary of State Marco Rubio was set to visit Rome, right after a clip of him DJing at a wedding last weekend went viral. According to internal ICE documents obtained by the Washington Post, reports detail widespread use of force, including chemical agents and physical tactics on detainees, in detention centers.

Amid primaries in Ohio and Indiana, the Democrats hope Sherrod Brown will succeed in unseating Republican Jon Husted in the Ohio Senate race, while Ohio’s governor race will see the Trump-endorsed Republican Vivek Ramaswamy facing off against Democrat Amy Acton. Indiana saw Trump’s political power in full display, as Republican voters voted against a majority of the Republican state senators who objected to the party’s redistricting plan for the state. Meanwhile, California held its gubernatorial debate, which included fiery exchanges between five Democrats and two Republicans vying to succeed Gavin Newsom. In an interview between comedian Stephen Colbert and Barack Obama, the former president expressed concerns about the “politicization of the criminal justice system” and joked it would be a “stupid” idea if the late-night host runs for president, but then added that “the bar has changed.” Following the Correspondents’ Dinner shooting, Senate Republicans added $1 billion to enhance security at the White House East Wing ballroom project, as part of a broader immigration bill. Inside the FDA, the health agency blocked the publication of a research finding that COVID and shingles vaccines were safe for patients. The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission sued the NYT, alleging it violated civil rights law by denying a promotion to a white man due to an adherence to DEI policy.

A federal judge ordered the release of the purported suicide note of Jeffrey Epstein, which read, “They investigated me for months — FOUND NOTHING!!! It is a treat to be able to choose one’s time to say goodbye. Watcha want me to do — Bust out cryin!! NO FUN – NOT WORTH IT!!” In a win for the Trump regime, another judge ruled the DOJ can keep the 2020 election ballots seized from Georgia’s Fulton County. Ted Turner, the billionaire media mogul who founded CNN and pioneered the 24-hour news network, died on Wednesday at age 87. The FBI searched the offices and business of Virginia state senator L. Louise Lucas, a Democrat who led the state’s successful redistricting effort, as part of an ongoing corruption investigation. Meanwhile, the DOJ launched a civil rights probe over the Democratic prosecutor of Fairfax County, Steve Descano, over alleged lenient handling of immigrant defendants. ICE made plans to scrap shortened training for new immigration officers imposed from the beginning of the Trump regime, returning to a longer instruction period.

Delivering Trump a loss on his ongoing trade war, the US Court of International Trade ruled against the president’s 10% global import tax after February’s loss at the Supreme Court. Meanwhile, Trump threatened “much higher” tariffs on the EU by July 4th if the bloc did not drop levies to 0% by then. Tennessee lawmakers passed their redistricting map that would give the Republicans one more seat in the House, while splitting up the state’s lone majority-Black district. Amid turmoil inside the Democratic National Committee (DNC) over whether the party should release its autopsy report into the party’s stinging 2024 loss, Kamala Harris has supported its release, as she considers her chances for the 2028 election. The FEMA Review Council, a Trump-appointed panel, recommended slashing the agency in half and shifting the leadership of emergency response and recovery to the states. A federal appeals court panel appeared skeptical of the Pentagon’s efforts to censure Mark Kelly, a Democratic lawmaker who was involved in a video calling on US forces to disobey illegal orders. In the Vatican, Rubio met Pope Leo in a bid to smooth tensions after Trump’s repeated attacks on the first American pope.

Giving Republicans a major lead in the redistricting fight, Virginia’s Supreme Court overturned the state’s redistricting ballot measure that would have favoured Democrats, while Alabama’s Republicans approved plans to hold new primary elections if the courts allow House districts drawn to favour Republicans to be used in the November midterm elections. Kash Patel opened a criminal probe into The Atlantic’s Sarah Fitzpatrick over her article on the FBI director’s unexplained absences and excessive drinking, and funny enough, the journalist wrote a new article titled “Kash Patel’s Personalized Bourbon Stash,” detailing how he gives away liquor for free. With a hantavirus outbreak on a cruise ship in the Canary Islands, the White House prepares to replace FDA Commissioner Marty Makary over disagreements on vaccine and drug approvals despite his support of the MAHA agenda. The US added 115,000 jobs in April, showing a more resilient labor market despite economic challenges. Instead of releasing the Epstein files, the Pentagon decided to drop the first batch of “new, never-before-seen” UFO files, with new information being dropped on a rolling basis. ABC accused the US government of violating the First Amendment, accusing the FCC’s equal time investigation into “The View” of risking imposing a “chilling effect” on free speech by trying to punish dissenting political content, marking a dramatic shift for the network that tried to comply with the Trump regime by settling a lawsuit with the president and trying to silence Jimmy Kimmel.

In news over the weekend, pastors prayed over a massive gold statue of Trump in a wild dedication ceremony in Florida. A Trump official at the Interior Department acknowledged she is involved in policy changes related to grazing policies, which benefit her family’s ranching businesses, a move some experts argue violates federal law.

Donroe Delulu - Love Tapping With Peace

Donald “I have all the cards (despite that being Uno and the game requires you to get rid of all of the cards)” Trump started the week by claiming the US would “guide” foreign ships through the Strait of Hormuz as part of “Project Freedom,” and warned Iran it would use force if the country interferes. In response, Tehran issued its own warning, stating that it will attack foreign armed forces “if they intend to approach and enter the Strait of Hormuz.” Hours later, Iranian state media said a US Navy vessel was hit by Iranian missiles near Jask in the Strait of Hormuz, after it ignored warnings from the IRGC to halt moving. But the US Central Command (Centcom) denied that one of its warships was struck by Iranian forces, before two US vessels safely passed through the Strait. Fracturing the truce even further, the UAE reported its first missile and drone attacks by Iran since the ceasefire began. Centcom noted that Iranian forces opened fire on US warships, leading them to retaliate by shooting down six small boats. Outside of the immediate chaos inside the Strait, the crew of an Iranian ship seized by the US for its failure to comply with its blockade has been transferred to Pakistan for repatriation, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said “help is on the way” to solve rising gas prices, while Japan’s PM Sane Takaichi stated the global oil supply disruptions are having an “enormous impact” across the Asia Pacific during her visit to Australia.

From the finance and market gurus that brought you TACO (“Trump Always Chickens Out,” coined by a FT columnist) comes a new acronym to describe the US president amid the ongoing Iran war, and that is NACHO, extended to “Not A Chance Hormuz Opens” (Coined by a Bloomberg columnist). Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff General Dan Caine said Iran has attacked US forces more than 10 times since the ceasefire began, but such actions are still “below the threshold” for the US to restart combat operations. At the same Pentagon press conference, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth noted the US mission to protect commercial ships in the Strait is temporary, adding that the ceasefire was still holding. By the way, Hegseth said he cannot confirm or deny the US has kamikaze dolphins in their disposal, but claimed Iran doesn’t have such weaponry. In the UAE, Abu Dhabi reported more Iranian attacks from missiles and drones. In Rubio’s press conference, the Secretary of State warned the Iranian regime’s “insane in the brain” leaders should not test the US. But soon after that, Trump announced he is suspending Project Freedom, citing progress in the negotiations to end the war.

Wednesday brought signs of hope of ending the war, with a Pakistani source telling Reuters that the US and Iran are closing in on a memorandum to stop the conflict. The Washington Post noted satellite images published by Iranian state-affiliated media, showing damage to at least 228 US military assets. On Truth Social, Trump said the war “will be at an end” if Iran agrees to a peace deal, but warned that bombing will resume “at a much higher level” if not. However, Iranian authorities poured cold water on the Trump administration’s optimism, saying they are still discussing whether to approve the plan or not. NBC News reported that Saudi Arabia once suspended US access to its bases and airspace, pushing Trump to make a U-turn in reopening the Strait of Hormuz. In Lebanon, Israel launched an airstrike in Beirut’s southern suburbs, further affecting a shaky ceasefire with Hezbollah.

Iran initially said on Thursday that it is discussing a one-page proposal to end hostilities with the US, which would include opening the Strait of Hormuz and pausing the fighting for 30 days. However, the peace soon made way to fighting as both Tehran and Washington accused each other of violating the ceasefire. The US said it launched strikes on Iranian military sites in retaliation for “unprovoked Iranian attacks,” claiming an act of self-defense. Iran accused the US of breaking the ceasefire, saying it has “retaliated by attacking US military vessels” in the region. After US forces intercepted the Iranian attacks, Trump warned that his country would knock Iran “a lot harder, and more violently.” However, the president also downplayed the US retaliation as a “love tap” and claimed the ceasefire is still ongoing. According to a confidential CIA assessment delivered to the White House, Iran can outlast Trump’s blockade of the Strait of Hormuz for months, and also retain a substantial missile and drone arsenal. The DOJ began probing $2.6 billion worth of oil trades that came ahead of Trump’s announcements on the Iran war, which have already raised suspicions of insider trading. Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, the speaker of Iran’s parliament, took to social media to slap back at Trump and Axios, which has suspiciously become the top choice for the White House for exclusive news on ending the Iran war. Ghalibaf wrote, “Operation Trust Me Bro failed. Now back to routine with Operation Fauxios.”

Amid reported “sporadic clashes” between US and Iranian forces in the Strait of Hormuz, Rubio said Washington should receive a response from Tehran on its proposal to end the war. On Iran’s side, Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi accused the US of launching a “reckless military adventure” every time a “diplomatic solution is on the table.” Sunday saw Iran providing a new peace proposal to Pakistan, but it was quickly rebuked by Trump, calling it “TOTALLY UNACCEPTABLE!” with no details.

Local News: Back At Home Edition - More Press Freedom Challenges

An interesting and challenging week for the media industry in Hong Kong started with a strongly worded feud between the city’s government and Reporters Without Borders (RSF), a press freedom watchdog. Both the government and the legislature have condemned RSF for ranking Hong Kong 140th out of 180 countries and territories in last week’s annual “so-called press freedom index,” as well as German public broadcaster Deutsche Welle (DW) awarding the jailed media tycoon and former Apple Daily head Jimmy Lai with the DW Freedom of Speech Award 2026. A press release by the government last week strongly condemned “the attempts by an anti-China organisation and foreign media to sugarcoat the criminal acts” of Lai, adding that “Such despicable behaviours totally disregarded the rule of law and twisted the facts, which must be strongly condemned.”

On Monday, the Hong Kong Journalists Association (HKJA) said it was ordered to pay HK$730,000 in provisional taxes within days, with chairperson Selina Cheng noting that the figure was double that of last year. During the Monday morning press conference that pre-empted an afternoon Inland Revenue Department (IRD) press conference in the afternoon, Cheng updated the tax audits facing independent media and said, “I accept that for law enforcement, there needs to be some random checks, but clearly this is not random.” Cheng added that the tax probes appeared to be aligning with practices in countries charging journalists with tax evasion and fraud to “undermine their credibility” and imposing “undue stress and unfair punishment on those media, even if they were found to have not evaded any taxes.”

Tuesday saw John Tse begin the role as head of the Information Services Department (ISD), the government’s media relations department. Tse is a former Hong Kong police officer who led daily press briefings during the 2019 protests and was appointed in June 2024 as an information coordinator at the Chief Executive’s Office. Amid the “golden week” holiday in both mainland China, scores of mainland tourists have visited the city, overwhelming natural landmarks and ecologically sensitive spots. One clip from NowTV News (Full disclosure, I work as a part-time reporter at the English branch of the outlet) went viral, showing a Mandarin-speaking tourist smoking a cigarette after claiming he had confirmed with law enforcement officers that smoking was allowed at a Sai Kung beach. Responding to a fine on a mainland visitor imposed on a mainland Chinese visitor for littering at the same location and the responsibility of tourists, the man defiantly responded, “I find it laughable. I will just pay the fine, won’t I? Does he have the right not to take the trash away [after he was fined]?” The clip was reportedly taken down by the news outlet.

European Mayhem - A Brief Ceasefire

The week began with attempts by Kyiv and Moscow to outdo a proposed ceasefire, starting with Russian President Vladimir Putin announcing an extension for the purported “Victory Day ceasefire” by another day, proposing the truce to be in effect on May 8th and 9th. Ukraine’s Volodymyr Zelensky declared that the ceasefire was to start at midnight on May 6th, adding there was “no official appeal” from Moscow on the details of the pause. According to a European intelligence report, Putin is tightening his security over fears of assassinations and potential coups, which comes as a Ukrainian drone breached Moscow’s air defenses and hit a high-rise apartment building near the Kremlin. Flash forward to the day before the Victory Day parade, Ukraine launched dozens of drones at the Russian capital, while Zelensky said he doesn’t recommend foreign representatives attending the event. Both sides have accused each other of violating the unilateral ceasefires declared on both sides, and then on Friday, Trump announced a three-day ceasefire between Ukraine and Russia, including “a suspension of all kinetic activity, and also a prison swap of 1,000 prisoners from each country.” Ukraine also guaranteed it would not strike Red Square during the Victory Day parade. y Day parade. On Saturday’s scaled-down celebrations that featured little weaponry, Putin took the opportunity to justify his increasingly bloody war as a just one, claiming Ukraine is an “aggressive force” that is being “armed and supported by the whole bloc of NATO.”

Opposition Romanian politicians from the left and hard-right joined forces in passing a no-confidence motion that ousted Prime Minister Ilie Bolojan, sending the country back into political turmoil. It marks a sudden end to Romania’s pro-EU coalition government, which only came into power less than a year ago. The motion received 281 votes in the 464-seat parliament, far more than the 233 votes needed to approve a no-confidence motion.

In France, the hard-left leader of the La France Insoumise (LFI) party, Jean-Luc Mélenchon, announced his fourth presidential run in the upcoming French presidential elections in 2027. The radical-left politician said of his decision to enter the race, “The discussion was not about who is the best candidate from the perspective of I don’t know what, or about some kind of aesthetic – it was about who is best prepared to face the situation ahead.” Mélenchon repeatedly tried to run for the highest office of France, and often lost during the first round of voting. After the last presidential vote in 2022, in which he was defeated by both Emmanuel Macron and far-right leader Marine Le Pen, Mélenchon vowed to stand aside for a younger generation to take charge, but then changed his mind, claiming he has the most experience. Then on Sunday, the center-right former PM Édouard Philippe launched his presidential campaign, promising a “massively optimistic” vision for France. Polls suggest Philippe is best to beat the far-right favourites from the National Rally, including Jordan Bardella and Marine Le Pen.

On Saturday, Peter Magyar was officially sworn in as PM, ending Viktor Orban’s 16-year rule of the country. During the joyful ceremony, the country’s health minister candidate, Zsolt Hegedus, was invited to dance at the inauguration party, after his moves during the election night celebration went viral. Then, at Magyar’s first speech since becoming leader, he called on Hungarian President Tamas Sulyok, a Fidesz-backed ally of Orban, to resign or be removed. By night, Magyar hosted an inauguration party as the DJ.

Because I’m Too Busy For Memeing: Some Other Important News From The Rest Of The World

Dateline Beijing, China:

Two Chinese former defence ministers, Wei Fenghe and Li Shangfu, have been handed suspended death sentences on corruption charges, with a military court sentencing the two to death with two years reprieve, meaning they will serve life sentences in prison after two years without the possibility of parole or a reduction in their sentences. Wei served as defense minister from 2018 to 2023, and Li only served in that role for a few months before being dismissed. The announcement is part of a broader push by Beijing to crack down on military corruption. Earlier this year, China removed three retired military generals from the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC), a political advisory body.

Dateline West Bengal, India:

Indian PM Narendra Modi and the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) have triumphed in the West Bengal state election on Monday, breaking through the country’s toughest political frontiers steeped in its image of cultural exceptionalism. Even in the other regions of Tamil Nadu, Kerala, and Assam, as well as the federal territory of Puducherry, the results have either tilted towards the BJP’s favor or away from the opposition. Most notably, the BJP’s West Bengal win comes with the shocking loss of incumbent Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, which could weaken the opposition bloc in the run-up to the 2029 general election. On Tuesday, Banerjee refused to resign despite her defeat, claiming “The mandate has been looted. Where does the question of resignation arise?” In a deadly show of post-election violence, Chandranath Rath, the aide to top leader Suvendu Adhikari, was shot dead.

Dateline Cape Town, South Africa:

South Africa’s Constitutional Court revived potential impeachment proceedings against Cyril Ramaphosa, over a case dubbed “Farmgate,” involving half a million dollars being stolen after the money was stashed behind a couch at the president’s farm six years ago. The theft raised questions about where the large sum of money came from, with the president denying wrongdoing. The Court overturned a law that allowed Parliament to reject the recommendation by an independent panel that advised impeaching Ramaphosa, which was pushed forward by the ruling African National Congress (ANC) party in 2022. Opposition leaders, including Julius Malema, have called on Ramaphosa to resign after the news broke.