Thursday briefing: The UK campaign trail’s highlights, lowlights – and washouts

In today’s newsletter: From Rishi Sunak’s ‘Drowning Street’ announcement to Ed Davey’s many stunts, we chart the memorable moments of each party’s campaign with senior political correspondent Peter Walker

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Good morning.

We’ve finally come to the end of the road.

UK election | Keir Starmer has hailed a “new age of hope and opportunity” as millions of people prepare to vote in a general election that could deliver the biggest shake-up of British politics in a generation.

Israel-Gaza war | About 90% of the population of the Gaza Strip have been displaced at least once since the war between Israel and Hamas began, according to the UN’s humanitarian agency.

US politics | A group of leading Democratic governors offered words of support for Joe Biden on Wednesday as pressure mounted on the president to leave the race. The governors, including Tim Walz of Minnesota, Wes Moore of Maryland, Gavin Newsom of California and Kathy Hochul of New York, held a closed-door meeting with Biden in Washington as he sought to reassure his party – and the public – that he is up to the job after a shaky debate performance.

Labour | Undercover police officers compiled numerous secret reports on Diane Abbott while she was campaigning against racism, a public inquiry has heard. Abbott, who has been an MP for 37 years, has criticised the activities of the undercover officers as racist and unjustified.

Military | An 18-year-old Royal Marines recruit who believed training staff had called him “a failure” took his own life, a coroner has concluded. Connor MacKenzie Clark was 19 days into a preliminary training course at a commando training centre in Devon when he was struck by a train.