Starmer resigns, Britain searches for new PM; Iran talks survive rocky start
Britain is about to get another prime minister. Keir Starmer is stepping down following a bruising political collapse, and attention is already shifting to the man many believe could replace him.
Plus, the U.S.-Iran peace deal barely survives its first week. New fighting in Lebanon has delayed talks, and President Donald Trump is openly discussing restarting military action.
And the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool saga somehow gets stranger. The White House says vandalism is to blame. Prosecutors are threatening charges, and one of the people caught up in the case is a three-time Olympian.
These stories and more highlight your Unbiased Updates for Monday, June 22, 2026.
Starmer announces resignation, Labour Party begins race for successor
After months of political pressure and a devastating round of local election losses, Prime Minister Keir Starmer announced early Monday morning that he will step down as leader of the governing Labour Party.
“Every decision I’ve taken has been about putting the country I love first. That is why I will resign as leader of the Labour Party,” Starmer said outside 10 Downing Street early Monday morning.
Starmer’s resignation has set off a scramble to replace him; however, he said he will remain prime minister until the Labour Party chooses his successor.
“I will ask the national executive committee of the Labour Party to set out a timetable with nominations opening on the 9th of July and completed by the summer recess. In the case of a contest, this will ensure a new leader is in place before parliament returns in September,” he said.
The decision follows a brutal spring for the Labour Party. The party lost more than 1,000 local council seats in May and lost control of the Welsh Parliament.
Pressure on Starmer intensified after Andy Burnham, the mayor of Greater Manchester and one of Labour’s most prominent figures, won a parliamentary seat in a recent by-election. His return to Parliament gives him a clear path to launch a formal leadership bid.
Burnham’s victory in Makerfield has strengthened his standing among Labour lawmakers looking for a reset. Under Britain’s parliamentary system, the leader of the governing party serves as prime minister, meaning Labour can replace Starmer without holding a national election.
Burnham has emerged as the early focus of succession talk inside the party, and he confirmed on Monday that he plans to see the prime minister role. “It is important that this process is conducted in an orderly and responsible way,” he wrote on X. “I will put myself forward as part of this process.”
Burnham is expected to be sworn into Parliament Monday after winning Friday’s special election.
Whoever succeeds Starmer will become Britain’s seventh prime minister in 10 years.
US-Iran peace talks wrap in Switzerland with mediators reporting ‘encouraging progress’
Top U.S. and Iranian officials wrapped up their latest round of peace talks in Switzerland Monday morning, after a weekend that nearly derailed the negotiations.
The negotiations hit an early snag Sunday after Trump warned he could order new strikes on Iran if Hezbollah did not stop “causing trouble.”
Iran responded by temporarily pausing the talks. Its chief negotiator, speaking as Vice President J.D. Vance led the U.S. delegation, warned American officials to “be careful with their statements” and said Iran was prepared to respond to any attack.
But by Monday, both sides were back at the table.
Mediators said the discussions produced “encouraging progress,” though no specific breakthroughs were announced.
Iran’s foreign minister said U.S. sanctions on Iranian oil have been waived, some frozen assets have been released, and a “major reconstruction and development plan” is now underway.
Pakistan and Qatar, which have helped broker the talks, said the two countries also agreed to create a high-level committee to oversee future negotiations on Iran’s nuclear program, sanctions relief and other parts of the peace agreement.
Colombia appears to elect right-wing political outsider backed by Trump
A Trump-backed political outsider appears to be headed for the presidency in Colombia, but his narrow victory is already triggering protests and expected legal challenges.
Violent demonstrations broke out across Colombia after preliminary results showed conservative lawyer Abelardo de la Espriella with a slim lead in the presidential runoff.
The result is expected to face challenges from the current government’s allies in the days ahead.
De la Espriella has never held elected office. The dual U.S.-Colombian citizen ran on a tough-on-crime platform and has promised to build ten mega-prisons modeled after El Salvador’s notorious Cecot facility.
Trump, who endorsed him earlier this month, celebrated the result on social media.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio also praised the outcome, saying the Trump administration looks forward to working with De la Espriella’s government if the result stands.
Los Angeles warehouse fire burns into sixth day as officials warn smoke, cleanup concerns will linger
Nearly a week after a massive warehouse fire erupted in east Los Angeles, firefighters say they’re finally gaining ground, but the fight is far from over.
Crews spent the weekend battling hot spots inside a half-million-square-foot cold storage facility in Boyle Heights. They’re using helicopters, water cannons and excavators to tear into the building and reach flames buried deep inside.
Fire officials say they’ve now confined the blaze to one side of the structure, but expect smoke to continue pouring from the site for at least the next few days.
The building stored about 85 million pounds of frozen food, and a new concern is now emerging.
With refrigeration shut down, much of that food is thawing, raising fears of a potential biohazard as crews figure out how to remove it safely.
Over the weekend, Gov. Gavin Newsom and Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass declared states of emergency, freeing up additional resources as air quality alerts remain in effect across parts of Los Angeles County.
The good news Monday morning: no firefighters or civilians have been injured.
The bad news: officials warn this fire could take days — or even weeks — to fully extinguish.
Trump orders Reflecting Pool repairs, crews prepare fixes after algae and peeling liner problems
The troubles at the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool aren’t going away, and federal prosecutors have now gotten involved.
In a Truth Social post on Sunday, the president said repairs will begin immediately on what he called a “seriously vandalized” reflecting pool. That’s the same pool that reopened just weeks ago after a nearly $15 million renovation, only to develop a major algae bloom and a new problem: sections of its blue lining peeling off and floating in the water.
Workers spent much of last week cleaning the pool, treating the algae and trying to keep the new surface intact. Now, Trump said contractors may have to drain part of the pool to make repairs. He has also claimed, without providing evidence, that vandals damaged the project with chemicals and other acts of sabotage.
In a Fox News Sunday interview, U.S. Attorney General Jeanine Pirro said anyone who might have done so will face criminal charges.
“Anyone who is in a position of vandalizing or attempting to vandalize will face the criminal justice system in D.C. Look, the president has made it a priority to make DC not only safe, but beautiful. And there are several citations that have been handed out to individuals and these are cases that will be prosecuted to the fullest extent,” Pirro said.
One of the people charged is David Hearn, a 67-year-old cyclist and three-time Olympian. He was arrested Friday after stopping to inspect a partially detached section of the liner. Hearn has denied damaging the pool and told The Washington Post he touched only a piece that was already peeling.
Egypt earns first World Cup win
Mohamed Salah was at the heart of a historic night for Egypt at the World Cup. Salah scored the go-ahead goal Sunday night as Egypt defeated New Zealand 3-to-1 in Vancouver, securing the country’s first-ever World Cup victory.
The sellout crowd erupted as the Liverpool star scored his 68th international goal and was swarmed by teammates after the final whistle.
The win moves Egypt to the top of Group “G” and puts the Pharaohs in a position to reach the knockout round. A win or draw over Iran on Friday would send Egypt through.
The United States has already secured a spot in the knockout stage after its 2-0 win over Australia in Seattle.
More from Straight Arrow:
Summer electric bills could rise 10.5% this year. See where costs are up most
Summer weather is here: Heat advisories were in effect last week from California and Utah to Texas and Florida. In the coming days, the National Weather Service forecasts hazardous heat in 11 states across the Gulf and southern Atlantic coasts, with more than 34 million people facing what’s categorized as a major heat risk.
For most Americans, the heat means you’re either dipping into a pool or staying indoors and making sure that the air conditioning is turned up. This year, that comfort from sweltering weather will cost more than it did last summer, thanks to the trend of increasing electricity rates.
Ella Rae Greene, Editor In Chief
