Today's top stories, with context, in just 15 minutes.
On today's podcast:
1) Iran said $12 billion of its frozen funds were set to be released as part of ongoing talks with the US, with the two sides broadly signaling progress in negotiations to formally end their war. The unfreezing of funds — as well as the US waiving sanctions on Iranian oil exports and pledging to help set up a $300 billion rehabilitation fund for Iran — has provoked criticism of President Trump. The US and Iran have agreed to set up technical working groups to deal with issues such as unwinding sanctions on the Islamic Republic and curbing its enrichment of uranium.
2) Keir Starmer resigned as UK prime minister after two years in office, and the UK could be set for a quick transition to a new premiership as rivals t o frontrunner Andy Burnham stand aside. Burnham was sworn in as an MP, with the former mayor of Manchester positioned to become Labour’s next leader. The coming switch means the UK will soon have its seventh prime minister in the 10 years since the Brexit vote. Burnham could potentially become prime minister by July 17 if he faces no challengers
3) Tributes to former Federal Reserve Chairman Alan Greenspan poured in after the news of his death early Monday, with many describing him as a driving force for change at the Fed and a guiding light for investors. Greenspan's former colleagues credit him for ensuring the central bank remained focused on inflation, spotting the impact of a productivity boom in the 1990s and shaking up how the Fed communicates. Greenspan's legacy is clouded by the 2008-09 global financial crisis, with critics saying he missed the build-up of a housing bubble that ultimately caused the worst economic downturn since the Great Depression.