The UK hottest day of the year (so far) is on the cards today — and the sun is already shining across the capital. With temperatures soaring, it’s not just the weather that’s heating up — the news cycle is packed, too.
Thursday’s headlines are dominated by international and domestic politics. Donald Trump is once again leading the UK news cycle, with reports that the US and Ukraine signed a mineral deal and news that the US economy shrank for the first time in three years, prompting fears the US could enter a recession.
Russia has launched a deadly drone attack on the Ukrainian city of Odesa and there is an ongoing assessment as to the effects of the Spanish blackouts.
A little closer to home, the UK weather is leading the news. Parts of the UK are facing some serious heat today with a peak of 29C expected – likely making it the hottest day of the year so far.
England’s local elections are in full swing, with polling stations now open. More than 1,600 seats are being contested in 23 councils across England, with six mayoral positions up for grabs and a by-election in Runcorn and Helsby searching for a new MP.
Several headlines pick up on a recent message from King Charles who spoke candidly about his cancer battle.
What’s the UK-focused news leading the UK headlines?
England’s local elections are underway, the sun is shining and there’s a royal health update.
UK hottest day of the year (so far)
- BBC News says analysis published a few weeks ago shows that spring is warming more quickly than other season in the UK, largely down to climate change.
- The Guardian says forecasters say temperature could soar to 30C later this week, the earliest date the high would have been reached.
- The Independent says as Britain experiences a mini heatwave, the Met Office said the highest temperature recorded on Tuesday was 24.9C in Ross-on-Wye in Herefordshire – while temperatures of 29C and potentially even 30C are expected later in the week.
England local elections
- The Guardian says today’s election will give us the first “real-world measure” of the public’s view of the parties and if they have shifted since the general election. It could be a pretty tough day for Labour and Conservatives as Nigel Farage is likely to consolidate his reputation as a growing political threat.
- The Daily Express says millions of voters in England are being “denied” the chance to vote today “thanks to a key decision made by Angela Rayner” earlier this year. The paper – which is backing Reform – highlights Nigel Farage’s comments: “Labour and the Tories have officially cancelled 5.5 votes in May.”
- The FT says the Tories are bracing for a tough day as they expect significant losses in the “five-party race”.
- The i looks at the best and worst case scenario for each party noting Labour and Tories are preparing themselves for “an electoral bashing” and the expectation is that the Lib Dems will end up being a “significant electoral challenge to the Tories across the South of England and West” and Labour will be fighting off Reform in the Midlands and the North.
Charles cancer battle
- Belfast Live says the King released a deeply personal message in which he said that “the darkest moments of illness can be illuminated by the greatest compassion”.
- The Daily Mail says Charles described the “daunting” and “frightening” experience of being told you have cancer. The paper calls his comment his most “poignant” and “deeply personal” fifteen months after he was diagnosed. The monarch also revealed he had taken inspiration from the late Dame Deborah James.
- GB News says in a moving address, “the King spoke candidly about his own experience with the disease, offering a rare glimpse into his health struggles since his diagnosis.”
- The Sun writes that the message of “rebellious hope” from King Charles was inspired by “Bowel-babe Dame Deborah James”, the late journalist and cancer campaigner.
- The Mirror shares the King’s message of “take risks” and “love deeply” in an echo of Dame Deborah.
- The Daily Express reports on the King’s “gratitude” for the “community of care” defying cancer.
- Metro quotes the King as saying “Being a statistic has shown me the very best of humanity.” The paper says he “hails patients, carers and charities.”
What’s the international news leading the UK headlines?
There are a lot of US stories dotted around the UK headlines this morning with US politics the most popular – see what’s happening with the US economy, and the minerals deal with Ukraine.
US and Ukraine sign mineral deal
- The Independent says Ukraine and the US have reached a ‘historic’ minerals deal following months of sometimes fraught negotiations.
- The Guardian says the move seals a deal to create a fund the Trump administration says will begin to repay roughly $175bn that had been provided to Ukraine.
- Politico says the U.S. and Ukraine have signed an “economic partnership agreement to develop mineral resources in the Eastern European country amid its grinding war with Russia.”
US economy shrinks
- BBC News says Trump has asked for more time on the US economy as it contracted for the first time in three years, stoking recession fears. He said the figure was misleading because companies had stockpiled imports ahead of his imposition of tariffs.
- NBC News says the decline in GDP was fuelled by a massive surge in imports, while other parts of the U.S. economy showed signs of slowing. Consumer spending climbed 1.8%, the weakest pace since mid-2023. The report also showed inflation remained firm.
- The Independent says Trump defended his attempt to cast blame on Joe Biden after the news of the economic decline. Earlier in the day he took to Truth Social to say: “Biden’s stock market, not Trump’s.”