Keir Starmer has stepped down as UK prime minister, saying he “a new leader will be in place before Parliament returns in September, I will remain in post until the contest is complete”.

It is the sixth prime ministerial resignation in the UK in 10 years.

After U-turns on major policies, the appointment of Lord Peter Mandelson as UK ambassador to the US, and major Labour losses in local elections in May, the pressure was ramping up.

While Starmer had been vowing to fight any leadership challenge, the tone shifted after Andy Burnham beat Reform UK in the Makerfield by-election on Thursday.

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Switzerland has hosted a first round of talks on a long-term peace deal between the United States and Iran. The US Vice President, JD Vance, called them ‘historic’ and that great progress had been made.

Iranian media are reporting that the delegation from Tehran refused to share a photo opportunity ahead of the negotiations, and they’ve been angered by renewed threats from President Trump to bomb Iran if it fails to rein in Hezbollah, its proxy in Lebanon

Israel is insisting its troops will continue to occupy southern Lebanon to protect northern Israel from Hezbollah attack.

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Archaeologists believe they have discovered an earlier, much simpler version of Stonehenge about 3 miles (5km) away from the prehistoric monument.

All that remains of the older structure is two holes in the ground, but the team says they held wooden posts that lined up with the Sun on the summer and winter solstices – the longest and shortest days of the year – in the same way as Stonehenge.

The site has been dated to about 5,000 years old, which predates Stonehenge by 500 years.

Artefacts were also found at the site, including pottery, flint tools and animal bone, suggesting prehistoric people held gatherings there.

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