Three members of his government, including Home Office minister Jess Phillips, have resigned, whilst scores of Labour MPs are calling for him to quit following a disastrous set of elections for the party last week.

Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood is among a number of cabinet ministers urging the prime minister to set out a departure timetable.

Sir Keir said he does not intend to quit and threw down the gauntlet to potential rivals to formally challenge him as Labour leader.

No MP has yet launched a formal bid to challenge him, which requires the backing of 81 colleagues or 20% of Labour MPs, according to party rules.

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The US said it has hit “dozens” of Iranian military targets in overnight attacks, in response to Iran hitting commercial ships in the Strait of Hormuz.

The military said it struck “air-defense systems, coastal radar sites, missile and drone capabilities, and small boats”, using aircraft, ships, and drones – including “one-way attack sea drones for the first time”.

“The Strait of Hormuz is a vital maritime corridor for global trade,” the US military said. “Iran does not control it”.

In response, Iran said it targeted US bases in Jordan, Bahrain, and Kuwait and also radar systems in Oman.

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President Donald Trump has said the US is reinstating a naval blockade of Iranian ports and will impose a 20% charge on all cargo shipped through the Strait of Hormuz following days of escalating strikes between the two countries.

He said this would stop “Iran’s ships or customers” from entering or leaving the key oil shipping route, but “all other countries will have fair and open use of the Strait”.

Iran’s foreign minister later said whoever provides safe passage “should be compensated for this service”, but Iran would remain the strait’s “GUARDIAN” – using Trump’s word.

Tehran and Washington clashed over the strait’s control after exchanging strikes in the region overnight and on Monday.

The US said it carried out strikes against military targets in Iran, targeting air defence systems, coastal radars, and missile and drone sites. Iran said it responded by striking US military bases in Kuwait, Jordan and Bahrain, and radars in Oman.

Reeta Chakrabari presents BBC News at Ten reporting by Jeremy Bowen.

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Wildfires of ‘exceptional scale’ have taken force in Paris, as neighbouring Spain still tackles flames across the country following its own devastating fires.

Now the UK is also experiencing wildfires in England and Wales, as its third heatwave of the year is set to intensify again this week.

Here’s what we know so far about the extent of wildfires in Europe and the UK, and how heatwaves are impacting them.

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Explosions have been heard near two Iranian port cities, Bandar Abbas and Bushehr, state media has reported.

It comes after another night of strikes between the US and Iran, with Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps saying it hit two UAE tankers in the Strait of Hormuz and targeted US facilities in Jordan and Bahrain.

The UAE called the attack “brazen”, adding that an Indian crew member was killed and eight others were injured.

Meanwhile, the US military says it completed strikes on targets aimed at degrading “Iran’s ability to attack commercial shipping” – Iranian state media reports three people were killed.

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