☕️ UK political turmoil, explained

Whilst you were sleeping this morning, Delta Goodrem performed her song ‘Eclipse’ on the Eurovision stage in Vienna, Austria. You can watch the performance here.

I’m famous in our office for being tone deaf, but I’m pretty sure she nailed it. And this person on X agrees with me: “This is giving winner. This is giving guest performer.... Guys, Australia might have finally done it.”

Your move, judges.

The quote: “I’m not going to apologise to anybody for joining Labor. It’s a good fit.”
Former Jacqui Lambie Network Senator Tammy Tyrrell in a press conference announcing she is joining the Labor Party. In 2024, Lambie told Tyrrell she was not happy with how she was representing the party, leading to Tyrrell sitting as an independent. Tyrrell is the second Senator to join Labor since it won the 2025 election, following former Greens Senator Dorinda Cox.

The stat: 14,070. The number of adults in NSW prisons, reaching a record high in March, according to the Bureau of Crime Statistics and Research.

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Yesterday’s results: 32% of you said you get your news from newsletters while 30% of you said you get it from social media. 14% of you get news from websites, 8% from podcasts, 7% from newspapers and 9% from TV. [1,945 votes]. Thanks for voting - your responses inform TDA's journalism and research.

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The South Carolina Supreme Court has overturned Alex Murdaugh’s murder convictions, ordering a new trial over concerns of jury bias.

Murdaugh was convicted in 2023 of murdering his wife and son in a case that captured global attention and later became the subject of the Netflix documentary Murdaugh Murders: A Southern Scandal.

Justices ruled his original trial was tainted by improper influence on jurors.

Alex Murdaugh was a prominent South Carolina lawyer, accused of murdering his wife Maggie and son Paul in 2021.

Before the court’s latest ruling, he was serving two life sentences after being convicted over their deaths.

Murdaugh is also serving separate prison sentences for financial and fraud-related crimes.

On Wednesday (local time), the court overturned Murdaugh’s murder convictions, ruling he did not receive a fair trial.

The decision centred on the conduct of the county clerk, who plead guilty last year of obstruction of justice and perjury after being accused of telling a juror to “watch [Murdaugh] closely”, according to the BBC, influencing the juror’s opinion.

Murdaugh will now face a new trial, though a date has not yet been set.

Reporting by Annabel Whitehouse.

🎧 On today’s TDA podcast, Co-founders Sam and Zara discuss Alex Murdaugh’s murder conviction being overturned.

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UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer is being urged to resign, after his party saw major losses in recent local elections.

The calls from his colleagues build on earlier pressure over the appointment of Peter Mandelson as UK Ambassador to the U.S, despite his known links to Jeffrey Epstein.

While Starmer is standing firm, talks have been growing over his potential replacement.

Here’s what you need to know.

Starmer appointed Mandelson as the UK’s Ambassador to the U.S. in February 2025, despite previous media reporting on Mandelson’s links to Epstein.

This year, UK police began investigating Mandelson for “alleged misconduct in public office”.

The investigation came after the release of Epstein-related documents, including images and correspondence with Mandelson.

Starmer issued an apology, and two of his senior staffers resigned from their postings. He was urged to also resign.

On 7 May, the UK held elections for 5,034 local council seats.

The Labour Party lost around 1,200 seats. (This does not affect their majority in the federal Parliament.)

Right-wing party Reform UK (formerly the Brexit Party), led by Nigel Farage, gained almost 1,400 seats.

On the same day, Wales held its parliamentary election, with Labour losing its majority for the first time in history. New leader Rhun ap Iorwerth is from Welsh independence party Plaid Cymru.

While Starmer represents a different level of government to the Welsh Parliament and UK local councils, these losses reflect on his Labour leadership.

The party’s unsuccessful results renewed calls for Starmer to step down, including from his fellow party members.

Around 90 Labour MPs have publicly urged him to resign, and four ministers have resigned from their postings in protest of his leadership.

In a letter to the PM, Health Innovation and Safety Minister Zubir Ahmed said: “I will be forever grateful [for your] sense of national duty before party. You once also said our work is urgent. I now ask you for the sake of that urgency and that national duty, to step aside”.

Safeguarding Minister Jess Phillips said: “I’m not seeing the change I think I, and the country, expect, and so cannot continue to serve as a minister under the current leadership” in her letter to Starmer.

To formally launch a leadership bid, nominations need to be supported by 20% of the Labour Party, or 81 MPs.

Wes Streeting, Angela Rayner, Andy Burnham, and Australian-born UK MP Catherine West are being pitched as Starmer’s replacement.

Streeting is the UK Health Secretary, and his supporters believe he could challenge Starmer as early as Thursday (UK time), the BBC reports.

Rayner has been an MP since 2015, and served as Deputy Prime Minister after Labour’s 2024 election win. She stood down from cabinet in September after reports she underpaid tax on a property purchase, but overnight it was announced that she has been cleared of wrongdoing.

Burnham served as a UK MP from 2001 until 2017, when he became the Mayor of Manchester. He cannot contest the leadership role as he is not an MP, which his supporters hope to change.

West was born in Victoria and raised in Sydney. She moved to the UK in 1998, and became an MP in 2015. West wants an “orderly transition” from Starmer.

In a speech this week, Starmer said he takes “responsibility” for the recent election results, but also takes responsibility “for not walking away.”

“I know I have my doubters. And I know I need to prove them wrong. And I will.”

The Guardian has reported a letter signed by more than 100 Labour MPs backs Starmer’s leadership.

It reportedly said this is “no time for a leadership contest”.

Reporting by Emily Donohoe.

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Igor Arrieta won Stage 5 of the Giro d'Italia in Potenza on Wednesday after one of the most chaotic finishes the race has ever seen. The 23-year-old crashed on a wet descent with 14 kilometres left, then took a wrong turn at a road split inside the final two kilometres, but still made it across the finish line first. It was his first win in a professional race. Meanwhile, Jai Hindley is the best-placed Australian, sitting six minutes behind the leaders in the overall standings. The Giro is one of the three major cycling races, alongside the Tour de France and the Vuelta a España.

Reporting by George Finlayson.

E.l.f. Cosmetics co-founder Scott-Vincent Borba is swapping the beauty business for the priesthood, with the billionaire entrepreneur to be ordained as a Catholic priest later this month.

Borba told ABC7 Eyewitness News that he once lived as the “poster boy for luxury living”, but now “lives in a little tiny room”.

American media outlets estimate his fortune at around $US3 billion ($AU4.72 billion).

He is currently training at St. Patrick’s Seminary in California and will be ordained by the Bishop of the Diocese of Fresno on 23 May.