Starmer Faces UK Leadership Challenge From Rival Wes Streeting

Keir Starmer’s hold on power is weakening as Health Secretary Wes Streeting prepares to resign from government and challenge the UK prime minister for the leadership. Streeting is long considered one of the strongest candidates for taking on the embattled premier.

Starmer isn’t backing down, however: Those in the prime minister’s camp say he’ll stand against any challenger. Speaking in parliament today, he defended the Labour government’s record in protecting vulnerable people and noted that the Conservatives, too, suffered losses in last week’s local elections.

In the King’s Speech today, Starmer’s government outlined a security-heavy agenda, pledging to protect the UK against external and economic threats and to respond to a dangerous world “with strength.” King Charles III’s speech on behalf of the government also pointed to legislation for closer EU ties and a tighter migration system, among other things.

Starmer wasn’t alone in suffering setbacks today. Nigel Farage, the Reform UK leader, faces an inquiry by the UK’s parliamentary standards commissioner into whether he breached the House of Commons Code of Conduct when he didn’t declare £5 million ($6.8 million) from crypto investor Christopher Harborne. A spokesman for Reform UK said that “no rules were broken.” — Philip Lagerkranser

The oil jetties at Iran’s Kharg Island were empty again yesterday, satellite images we’ve collected show. It’s the fourth straight period where no tankers have been spotted at the country’s main oil facility, curbing Iran’s ability to export crude.

US President Donald Trump, who arrived in Beijing today for talks with Chinese leader Xi Jinping that are expected to touch upon the Iran war, yesterday repeated his military threats against the Islamic Republic.