12 Dead in Lucknow Building Fire; UK PM Starmer Resigns; and More Key News

Lucknow building fire: At least 12 dead, high-level enquiry ordered
At least 12 people died in a fire that broke out at a three-storey commercial building housing a coaching centre in the Aliganj area of Lucknow on Monday (June 22, 2025). Multiple fire tenders were rushed to the spot, and rescue operations are underway. Unverified videos circulating on social media showed a youth falling from the first floor of the building amid flames near a railing. Deputy Chief Minister announced a high-level enquiry into the incident.

Keir Starmer announces resignation as UK Prime Minister
United Kingdom Prime Minister Keir Starmer has announced he will step down, acknowledging that Labour’s Parliamentary Party does not see him as the best candidate to lead them into the next general election. The party will set out a timetable for the transition, possibly through a contest, so that a new Premier is in place before September.

West Bengal budget: BJP government balances welfare with fiscal discipline
The BJP government in West Bengal presented its maiden budget on Monday (June 22, 2026), pledging to fill one lakh government vacancies and increase dearness allowance by 20 percentage points, while stressing the need for fiscal discipline. The budget seeks to blend welfare continuity with political and administrative reset.

Alan Greenspan, former US Federal Reserve chairman, dies at 100
Alan Greenspan, who served as Federal Reserve chairman from 1987 to 2006, died on Monday (June 22, 2026) at his home from complications of Parkinson’s Disease, NBC News reported. He was hailed as the greatest Fed chairman during his tenure but later criticised for the financial crisis that followed his retirement.

Mayawati claims Brahmins safe only under BSP rule
Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) president Mayawati on Monday claimed that Opposition parties, especially the Samajwadi Party, have become anxious after her party began fielding Brahmin leaders as candidates for the 2027 Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections. She added that the interests of upper castes, including Brahmins, are safe only under a BSP government.

Petrol and diesel margins back above pre-conflict levels: Report
Profitability at state-run oil marketing companies is set to improve as falling crude oil prices lift fuel marketing margins, according to a JP Morgan report. However, rising debt levels and uncertainty over fuel taxes could limit the sector’s longer-term earnings outlook.

RBI Governor urges banks to treat MSMEs as long-term partners
Reserve Bank of India Governor Sanjay Malhotra on Monday urged banks to treat Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) as long-term partners, calling them the “nursery of entrepreneurship” and key to the ‘Viksit Bharat’ vision.

Russian drone strike in Ukraine kills three from one family
A Russian drone strike on the city of Sumy in northeastern Ukraine killed three members of the same family, including a 13-year-old boy and his father, and wounded two others, a regional official said Monday (June 22, 2026). Since the invasion began over four years ago, more than 16,000 civilians have died, according to a UN tally.

Ebola cases in Congo outbreak top 1,000 with 254 deaths
Confirmed cases in the Ebola outbreak in eastern Congo have reached 1,003, including 254 deaths, officials said. A total of 100 people have recovered in the outbreak concentrated in Ituri Province since it was declared on May 15, Congo’s Ministry of Health said on Sunday (June 21, 2026). Tracing those who had contact with patients remains a major challenge.