BBC News Briefing

5 July, 2024

Sofia Lotto Persio

Hello. UK voters have delivered a landslide victory for Labour, ending 14 years of Conservative rule. Our correspondents bring you the key takeaways of a momentous vote. A decade after escaping the Islamic State group's persecution, Yazidi women tell Caroline Hawley they fear being forced to return to the region from which they fled. We're also looking at what Japan's Edo period can teach us about sustainable living, and hearing a heart-warming and rare story of devoted parenting in eagles.

TOP OF THE AGENDA

Sunak resigns as PM, Starmer to take over

Sir Keir Starmer, a former human rights lawyer and head of the Crown Prosecution Service, will be the new prime minister.

Even after an exit poll projected a landslide victory for Labour, the party remained cautious of celebrating. "I'm not counting my chickens", said deputy leader Angela Rainer. But by 5am, Labour had officially won the 326 seats needed for a parliamentary majority - ending 14 years of Conservative rule. With a handful of seats yet to declare, Labour's total stands at 412. Sir Keir Starmer's party wasn't the only one having a good night, as Chris Mason points out. In fact, there were more winners than losers, with the Liberal Democrats, Greens and Reform UK all scoring major results in a vote that clearly spoke against the status quo. The Conservative Party recorded its worst-ever result, while the SNP – which has dominated Scottish politics – lost dozens of seats. Outgoing Prime Minister Rishi Sunak addressed the press outside Downing Street one last time. "I take responsibility for this loss," he said. Next on his schedule, a meeting with King Charles III to deliver his resignation. Get the latest.

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Key moments: Former Prime Minister Liz Truss was among the big-name Tories who lost their seats.

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Analysis: Polling expert Sir John Curtice on why this looks more like an election the Conservatives have lost than one Labour has won.

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Pro-Gaza vote: One cloud hanging over Labour's victory is the loss of key strongholds to independent candidates campaigning on pro-Palestinian platforms.

WORLD HEADLINES

US election: A number of major Democratic donors have publicly expressed doubts that President Joe Biden can win re-election against Republican rival Donald Trump.

Death in the Atlantic: Mauritanian authorities have recovered 89 bodies of migrants from a boat that capsized off the country's south-western coast on Monday.

Robert Woodland: A Russian court has sentenced the American citizen to 12-and-a-half years at a maximum security penal colony after a conviction on drug charges.

Democratic Republic of Congo: Twenty-five soldiers have been sentenced to death for fleeing battles against the notorious M23 rebels in the conflict-hit east of the country.

Competitive eating: A 4 July tradition, Nathan's Hot Dog Eating contest in New York City's Coney Island, has crowned new winners.

AT THE SCENE

Los Angeles, USA

Homeless people facing arrest or fines

Tents covered in blue tarp are erected on a sidewalk in Los Angeles

Advocates are concerned that arresting or fining the homeless will only worsen the problem. Credit: EPA

A recent Supreme Court opinion opened the door for cities and states across the US to punish anyone sleeping outdoors. The ruling is already having a ripple effect on cities across the country, which have been emboldened to take harsher measures to clear out homeless camps.

Sam Granville and Christal Hayes, BBC News

In Los Angeles, the mayor called the ruling "disappointing" and vowed to continue investing in affordable housing, voluntary treatment and eviction protections. Days after the opinion, the city released a homeless count showing the first drop in nearly six years. "Real change takes time," said Sasha Morozov, a regional director for local homeless provider PATH. Ms Morozov noted, though, outreach teams are still working to inform those living on the streets about the Supreme Court’s ruling. Anthony had just received such a warning. "I still have 20 more minutes before I have to move," he yelled from his green tent on a Hollywood sidewalk as he heard footsteps approaching.

Keep reading

The ruling: Last week's opinion is the court's most significant decision on homelessness since at least the 1980s, when many experts say the modern US homeless crisis began.

Supreme influence: The court's nine justices - unelected and able to serve for life - loom large in the country's politics.

BEYOND THE HEADLINES

Yazidi women fear return to a broken land

A group of Yazidis sit in a tent adormed with colourful blankets and rugs

Zahra, left, inside the tent where she lives, in a camp. Credit: BBC

A decade since Islamic State militants tried to wipe out the Yazidi people in the Sinjar region in northern Iraq, survivors of their brutality face a new fear. The Iraqi government plans to close down the camps where tens of thousands of Yazidis have been living since 2014, to encourage them to return to the areas they fled and which harbour painful memories.

Find out more

An illustration of the bustling Nihonbashi Bridge in the city of Edo during the Tokugawa era

SOMETHING DIFFERENT

Zero-waste civilization

During the Edo period, Japan implemented an early example of a circular economy.

Here's how

And finally...

It's a story worthy of a Disney movie. Two white-tailed eagles skipped breeding season this year to care for their year-old offspring, who suffered from a broken wing. Recent footage captured the chick, returned to health, in flight over Scotland's Isle of Mull.

Medal Moments

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– Sofia

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