Conservative government

The UK government has axed the SHEFE program, a £45m initiative aimed at keeping 1 million girls in school across Africa, Asia, and the Middle East, which was launched two years ago by the outgoing Conservative government. The program's tender has been withdrawn by the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO).

Bolivia’s president declared a state of emergency and deployed military forces and bulldozers to dismantle roadblocks set by farmers and Indigenous groups protesting against the government. The protests, lasting over six weeks, involved unions, Indigenous groups, and coca farmers blocking roads nationwide.

The UK government is reviewing its contract with Palantir for the NHS Federated Data Platform, awarded under a SaaS model with £330 million. Experts criticize the deal due to Palantir's ties to US security agencies and the NHS's failure to establish health data standards, while the company claims improved patient outcomes.

The HS2 high-speed railway project is expected to cost up to £102.7bn and will be delayed until 2039. The original estimate was £70bn less and 13 years earlier. The transport secretary, Heidi Alexander, blames the Conservative government for the increase in costs and time.

The Trades Union Congress is urging for a windfall tax on UK banks to be reinstated from 3% to 8% after the big four lenders reported £14bn in first-quarter profits. The tax was previously reduced by the Conservative government in 2023. The call comes as banks benefit from high interest rates partly fueled by market turbulence caused by the Iran war.