UK Column News — 8th May 2026

UKC News Show Notes

Mike Robinson, Patrick Henningsen, Basil Valentine, and guest Dr. Frank Romano present today’s UK Column News. 

00:28 May 2026 UK Local Elections — Reform Wins, Labour Loses, and the Two-party System Effectively Ends

17:12 Live Updates from the Gaza Aid Flotilla off the Coast of Greece

24:48 Hantavirus ‘Outbreak’: Another ‘New Normal’

UKHSA statement — update on the hantavirus cruise ship outbreak

Foreign Secretary's statement — Hantavirus outbreak, 6 May 2026 

HantaWatch — Global Hantavirus Surveillance

Hantavirus is giving me Covid flashbacks — so how worried should I be? | Independent

31:07 Support the UK Column — 20th Anniversary Tickets Are Selling Fast

20th Anniversary UK Column On Location: 18-20 September 2026 – UK Column Shop

The Column – Issue 1 – UK Column Shop

UK Column Shop

Homepage | UK Column

Support UK Column

33:33 Iran Updates 

US Project Freedom fell apart after 'backlash' from Saudi Arabia, Kuwait: Report | The Cradle

The Kobeissi Letter: Crude oil analysis | X

This year's US federal deficit: $2 trillion | Fortune

US inflation tripled last month on record spike in gas prices | CNN

US says airline jet fuel costs jumped $1.8 billion or 56% in March | Reuters

US Secretary of War Pete Hegseth’s propaganda video | X

Hope Rising on “ridiculous” grocery prices | X

50:26 World Press ‘Freedom’ Day 

World Press Freedom Day | UN

World Press Freedom Day 2026: Joint statement to the OSCE | GOV.UK

56:06 Online Safety

Instagram’s help on end-to-end (E2E) encryption

Meta’s statements on E2E encryption: 

Vision for Social Networking

Our Approach to Safer Private Messaging

Independent Assessment: Expanding End-to-End Encryption Protects Fundamental Human Rights

59:00 In Case You Missed It

London police refuse to investigate British nationals accused of war crimes in Gaza | Middle East Eye

Starmer set to signal path to an even softer Brexit | The i Paper

Israeli AI foreign influence op blames Palestinians for killing Hind Rajab | The Grayzone

Man arrested on suspicion of handling Morgan McSweeney’s stolen phone | The Guardian

Ban early morning pre-flight pints at airports, Ryanair boss says | The Standard

Green candidate who supports paying slavery reparations revealed to be descendant of slave traders | GB News