By late Thursday evening in the United Kingdom, it appeared as though the writing was on the wall for British Prime Minister Theresa May.
While the final results had not yet been declared, exit polls - which have been historically accurate within 20 seats for major parties - indicated that the Conservatives were facing a hung parliament, throwing Ms May’s Brexit plans into disarray.
The shock findings, which were in contrast with polls ahead of the election that indicated Ms May could secure a slim majority, saw media outlets around the world - even those traditionally aligned with the Tories - change their tune.
In the UK, newspapers emphatically splashed mayhem, shock and failure across their front pages as the exit polls pointed to the Conservatives losing a grip on their overall majority.
In France, where the impact of far-right rhetoric continues to reverberate, with Emmanuel Macron’s victory still fresh in the minds of the French, front pages including 'Le Figaro' and 'La Croix' also pointed to UK uncertainty.
Across the Atlantic, former FBI director James Comey’s testimony dominated news coverage, with the UK election overlooked altogether on the front page of 'The Washington Post', however the election did raise a mention on 'The New York Times' and the 'Los Angeles Times' - just.
While newspapers back home were limited by time constraints, Rupert Murdoh’s 'The Australian' was angling for a big win to “reset May authority”. Later digital editions by mastheads including 'The Sydney Morning Herald', 'The Daily Telegraph' and the 'Herald Sun' spelled doom for Theresa May.
The font page of The Australian, Friday, June 9, 2017. Source: The Australian
