Author: Admin

Ethiopia’s ruling Prosperity Party has secured a comfortable parliamentary majority in this month’s elections, according to results announced by the country’s national election board on Sunday.

The outcome came as little surprise, as Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed’s party was broadly expected to dominate the vote against a fragmented and divided opposition field.

Abiy first came to power in 2018 following widespread mass protests that brought down the long-ruling EPRDF coalition. He established the Prosperity Party the year after taking office.

The party’s latest victory follows a similarly dominant performance in the 2021 parliamentary elections, when it captured more than 90% of the available seats.

LONDON — Scottish police announced Sunday that a 36-year-old man has been charged in connection with a series of violent attacks that took place in Edinburgh on Friday, which British Prime Minister Keir Starmer described as appearing to have an anti-Muslim motive.

Five men were hurt during the attacks, and three of them required hospital care for injuries that were serious but not life-threatening, according to authorities.

Footage circulated on social media showed a shirtless, tattooed white man who appeared to be armed with a large weapon chasing an Asian man and then trying to force his way into a restaurant. The man was later seen being taken into custody by officers on the ground.

According to the BBC, the attacks appeared to have started near a mosque in the western part of the Scottish capital before spreading to other areas of the city.

In a brief statement released Sunday morning, Police Scotland confirmed that the 36-year-old had been charged and that a report had been forwarded to prosecutors. The man is expected to appear in court at a future date.

Taking to social media on Saturday, Prime Minister Starmer wrote that the attacker “appears to be motivated by anti-Muslim hatred.”

The Muslim Council of Britain echoed that assessment, describing the incident as “a direct consequence of political rhetoric that demonises entire communities.”

The Scottish Association of Mosques also placed blame on “language that portrays migrants, refugees and Muslims as threats to be feared rather than people to be understood.”

The attacks come shortly after Northern Ireland experienced two days of anti-immigrant rioting earlier this month, which the British government labeled “racist thuggery.” Those disturbances followed a knife attack for which a Sudanese man was charged with attempted murder.

Nigel Farage, who leads the populist Reform UK party — currently topping British opinion polls — has repeatedly criticized the government over its handling of small boat crossings, which brought 41,000 immigrants across the English Channel last year.

Rupert Lowe, who split from Reform UK to establish the smaller Restore Britain party, has made organized child sexual abuse a central issue, claiming it is largely carried out by Muslim men of Pakistani heritage.

Last year, the government directed police to track the ethnicity of gangs involved in such abuse cases, following a report that highlighted government failures to confront the problem and a reluctance to acknowledge an “over-representation” of Asian men among those involved.

U.S. President Donald Trump made a bold prediction on Sunday, posting on his Truth Social platform that British Prime Minister Keir Starmer is set to leave office.

“Keir Starmer will resign as Prime Minister of The United Kingdom,” Trump wrote. “He failed badly on two very important subjects- IMMIGRATION AND ENERGY (OPEN NORTH SEA OIL!). I wish him well!”

The post came without any additional context or explanation from Trump about the basis for his claim. The remarks put a spotlight on the embattled UK leader, who has faced mounting pressure on both immigration and energy issues during his time in office.

President Donald Trump took to Truth Social on Sunday with a blunt warning directed at Iran: bring your Hezbollah allies in Lebanon under control, or face another round of U.S. military strikes — and this time, even more severe ones.

“Iran must immediately stop their highly paid PROXIES in Lebanon from causing trouble,” Trump wrote. “If they don’t, we’ll hit Iran very hard again, just like we did last week, only harder!!!”

The post signals a sharp escalation in tensions between the United States and Iran, with Trump making clear that military action remains on the table if Iranian-backed forces continue their activities in Lebanon.

LA PAZ — Bolivia appeared to be turning a corner on Sunday, one day after President Rodrigo Paz declared a state of emergency in response to a 50-day social crisis that had shut down the country’s primary highway routes.

In the early hours of Sunday, the Legislative Assembly voted overwhelmingly to approve Paz’s emergency decree, which was designed to restore road access and ensure the delivery of essential goods after protest groups spent weeks cutting off major roads. The blockades had left trucks stranded and severely limited the flow of food, fuel, and medicine to communities across the country.

Sunday’s congressional vote came alongside several significant developments on the ground. In Santa Cruz, local officials and protest leaders reached an agreement to end a major blockade in the town of San Julian. Separately, a well-known campesino federation based in La Paz announced it was temporarily suspending its demonstrations, though the group made clear its underlying demands had not changed.

Although police and military personnel remain stationed across the country, the national highway authority confirmed that no active protest-related blockades were still in place. That said, many roads sustained considerable damage during the weeks of unrest and will need extensive cleanup and repairs.

The roots of the crisis stretch back to a decision by Paz — who took office in November — to abruptly eliminate long-established fuel subsidies in an effort to reduce the budget deficit during a worsening shortage of dollars and ongoing discussions with the International Monetary Fund. Even after taking steps to stabilize fuel prices and walk back unpopular land reform measures, the protests grew stronger. Labor unions pushed for wage increases, relief from fuel and dollar shortages, and Paz’s removal from office.

Political analysts and legal experts have cautioned that the emergency powers could actually make the situation worse if the government fails to tackle the deeper issues driving the protests.

The calming of tensions on Sunday happened to fall on the same day as the celebration of the Andean-Amazonian New Year, a culturally significant occasion in Bolivia. Across the country, government representatives and indigenous leaders used the occasion to call for unity and healing. At a ceremony in La Paz, Tourism Minister Cinthya Yanez expressed her hope that “prosperity” and “bounty” would return to Bolivia and that its people would once again “join hands.”

Aviation authorities in Switzerland say a technical malfunction in air traffic control systems caused significant disruptions at Zurich airport on Sunday — and the cause was tied directly to security preparations for ongoing peace negotiations between the United States and Iran.

Swiss air traffic control authority Skyguide said the problem arose when a newly created no-fly zone above Buergenstock — the Swiss mountain resort hosting the diplomatic talks — was being integrated into radar display systems. That integration process triggered the technical fault.

The restricted airspace zone was established at the last minute, according to a statement from Skyguide, because the decision to hold this latest round of negotiations wasn’t finalized until Saturday.

Despite the disruption, Skyguide emphasized that safety was never compromised. “The systems are running smoothly, and security was ensured at all times,” the agency said, confirming that normal operations had resumed.

The impact on travelers was significant. An airport spokesperson told Reuters that by midday, 12 arriving flights and 14 departing flights had been cancelled outright. At least 60 other departures faced delays.

Meanwhile, U.S. Vice President JD Vance arrived at Buergenstock on Sunday for the scheduled peace discussions with Iran, as outlined in a tentative agreement. However, the diplomatic effort was quickly overshadowed by Iran’s announcement that it had reinstated its blockade of the Strait of Hormuz.

The resort where talks are being held sits roughly 50 kilometres — about 31 miles — south of Zurich airport. Switzerland had pledged to provide what it called a “discreet and reliable setting” for the high-stakes negotiations.

Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz announced Sunday that Israeli soldiers operating in Lebanon have unrestricted authority to act against any threats they encounter, with troops continuing to hold their positions in what Israel refers to as a security zone.

A ceasefire agreement with Iran-backed Hezbollah officially went into effect on Friday, following months of intensifying conflict. However, Israeli strikes the very next day — Saturday — resulted in the deaths of at least 20 people in Lebanon, according to Lebanon’s state news agency NNA.

Israel defended those strikes, saying they were carried out in direct response to projectiles launched by the Iran-backed group targeting Israeli troops in southern Lebanon. An Israeli official described the targets of the retaliatory strikes as “Hezbollah targets.”

Meanwhile, Iranian officials indicated that Lebanon is a central topic in Sunday’s peace discussions between Iran and the United States, taking place in Switzerland. Those talks follow a framework agreement signed by Washington and Tehran aimed at ending the war between the two countries, which began at the end of February and had been fueling broader regional tensions.

The Israeli military has moved into portions of southern Lebanon, while Hezbollah maintains it has the right to engage Israeli forces on Lebanese soil, though the group says it will refrain from launching attacks into northern Israel.

Katz confirmed that Israeli forces will stay in all positions within the security zone, which stretches roughly 10 kilometers — about 6 miles — into southern Lebanese territory. Israel says this presence is necessary to safeguard communities in northern Israel.

“All of the IDF’s achievements in the campaign in Lebanon are being preserved, with our forces deployed in the security zone along the Yellow Line in Lebanon and operating from there inward against terrorists and terrorist infrastructures,” Katz stated in his Sunday announcement.

Iran’s Tasnim news agency reported Sunday that the Strait of Hormuz will not be reopened until a ceasefire in Lebanon is being honored, according to a source with close ties to the country’s negotiating team.

Beyond the Lebanon ceasefire condition, the source indicated that the vital shipping waterway would also remain blocked until waivers permitting the sale of Iranian oil are put in place.

LONDON (AP) — A decade has passed since the United Kingdom made the historic decision to leave the European Union, a vote that continues to shape political identities and dismantled a 50-year effort to build closer ties with the European continent.

Known as Brexit — a shorthand for British exit — the departure was set in motion on June 23, 2016, when 52% of voters, totaling more than 17 million people, chose to leave the EU. Despite the slim margin, the vote triggered the most sweeping transformation of British society and its economy since the Second World War.

Like any complicated split, the process of actually completing the break took far longer than expected — nearly five years in total.

The roots of Brexit stretched back to a growing frustration with the EU and with the aftermath of the 2008 global financial crisis. Those who championed leaving argued that Britain, freed from EU constraints, could focus on its own priorities and recapture its former economic strength. Opponents countered that the move would cause economic turmoil and damage the country’s global reputation.

Ten years later, the results are being assessed.

Brexit supporters had envisioned a Britain that would flourish outside the EU by tapping into the bold, entrepreneurial spirit that once made it the world’s dominant economic power. That vision has largely not come to pass.

While the COVID-19 pandemic and the conflicts in Ukraine and more recently the U.S.-Israeli war on Iran have contributed to Britain’s difficulties, the broader economic revival that was promised has not materialized. Businesses have repeatedly complained about the new obstacles they face when trading with EU member nations — the 27-country bloc remains by far the U.K.’s largest trading partner.

Even without formal tariffs on British goods entering the EU, a wide range of non-tariff barriers have emerged, including complicated customs paperwork, border certification requirements, and visa restrictions. Many trade agreements that Brexit supporters promoted — most notably a deal with the United States — have never been finalized.

Economic analysts estimate that the British economy is somewhere between 4% and 8% smaller than it would have been if the country had chosen to remain in the EU. That gap translates into significantly lower living standards and billions of pounds less available for public services — including the beloved National Health Service, which Brexit campaigners famously promised would receive an extra 350 million pounds (approximately $468 million) per week. That pledge was prominently displayed on their campaign bus.

Jonathan Portes, a professor at King’s College London, put it plainly: “Brexit has made the U.K. economy smaller than it otherwise would have been.”

Writing for The UK in a Changing Europe think tank, Portes added: “The effect has not been a sudden collapse, but a gradual and cumulative drag on trade, investment and productivity.”

Brexit supporters, however, maintain that the full impact of leaving the EU cannot be judged this soon. They argue that some short-term economic pain was always expected in exchange for greater control over domestic policy — particularly on immigration.

Brexit ended the free movement of people between the U.K. and EU nations, but controlling the borders has produced mixed results. Reining in immigration was a central promise of the Brexit campaign, and the message of “taking back control” struck a chord with many voters.

Net migration from EU countries has dropped sharply. However, arrivals from non-EU nations have surged — partly due to changes in visa rules introduced by the previous Conservative government to address labor shortages in sectors such as elder care.

Overall, there are signs the government is gaining more control over legal immigration. Net migration fell dramatically, from over 900,000 in 2023 down to 171,000 last year.

Even so, public anger over illegal immigration remains intense. Many Britons are particularly upset by the sight of people — often fleeing conflict zones like Afghanistan and Sudan — arriving on inflatable boats after crossing the English Channel. Small boat crossings peaked at 46,000 in 2022 and reached 41,000 last year, making it one of the country’s top political flashpoints despite representing only a small portion of overall migration. Tensions have boiled over, with angry crowds protesting outside — and in some cases attempting to set fire to — hotels being used to house asylum seekers at public expense.

Britain’s political landscape has splintered in the years since Brexit. Support for the two historically dominant parties — the Conservatives and Labour — has eroded. The Conservatives were voted out in 2024 following 14 years in power, a period heavily defined by the ongoing battles over the U.K.’s relationship with Europe.

The Labour government has also struggled to win public confidence, and Prime Minister Keir Starmer appears to be on the verge of announcing his resignation.

Meanwhile, millions of voters are gravitating toward Reform U.K., led by Nigel Farage — arguably the politician most associated with the push for Brexit. His party has topped nearly every opinion poll for more than a year.

At the same time, sentiment toward Brexit itself has shifted. According to two polls from Ipsos, 52% of people in the U.K. would now like to rejoin the EU, compared to 33% who are opposed. The same polling found that 48% believe Brexit has gone worse than expected, while just 9% say it has gone better. Additionally, 48% said they would support holding another referendum on EU membership, versus 27% who would not.

Against this backdrop, the Labour Party has been walking a careful line since winning power in 2024. Having ruled out reversing Brexit — or even rejoining the EU’s tariff-free single market — the party has limited room to maneuver on the issue.

Starmer has been pursuing a “reset” of the U.K.’s relationship with the EU, focusing mainly on reducing trade friction. He had hoped to unveil additional steps at an upcoming EU summit next month — assuming he remains in office.

His most likely successor, Andy Burnham, carefully softened his language on the question of EU membership during a recent campaign, ahead of winning a special election on Thursday. That victory came in a seat that had voted heavily in favor of Brexit, and Burnham fended off a challenge from Reform U.K.

“I am not proposing that the U.K. considers rejoining the EU,” Burnham said. “I respect the decision that was made at the referendum and it is going to undermine everything I have said about strengthening democracy if we don’t respect that vote.”

KYIV — Even as Ukraine has managed to largely stall Russian advances on the battlefield, the humanitarian suffering endured by millions of displaced Ukrainians remains severe and is being compounded by dramatic reductions in international aid, according to the leader of the International Rescue Committee.

In recent months, Ukraine has brought Russian progress on the front lines to nearly a standstill, a shift significant enough that G7 leaders acknowledged at a summit last week that the war’s momentum has changed. But that military development has done little to ease the crisis facing civilians.

David Miliband, the IRC’s president and CEO, was visiting Ukraine when he spoke out about the consequences of aid cuts — reductions largely driven by the United States — that have slashed his organization’s budget in the country by half. The IRC’s funding in Ukraine now stands at an estimated $20 million for 2027, down from $40 million the previous year.

Miliband made his remarks on Saturday, which marked World Refugee Day. “It feels particularly important at a time when there is this new sense of a different geopolitical narrative to recognise the brutality and strain that’s being faced by millions of Ukrainians,” he said.

The United Nations estimates that approximately 118 million people around the world are currently displaced, frequently due to conflict, violence, or persecution. Ukraine alone accounts for roughly 10 million of those individuals, with close to four million displaced within the country’s own borders.

Miliband pointed to what he called a broader global crisis, describing the situation as part of “the new world disorder.” He cited the toll of more than 60 ongoing wars, along with disease and natural disasters. “There are more shocks and fewer shock absorbers,” he said. “And money is one of the absorbers.”

The Trump administration has significantly scaled back foreign aid and dismantled the U.S. Agency for International Development, a move that has prompted other countries to follow suit with their own aid reductions.

On the ground in Ukraine, the IRC is working to deliver mobile medical services to communities living near sections of the 1,200-kilometer, or roughly 745-mile, front line. The organization also provides trauma support to vulnerable women and children who have experienced abuse.

Miliband highlighted an often-overlooked dimension of the conflict: the toll more than four years of war has taken on the mental health of Ukraine’s population. He argued that redirecting even a fraction of the billions in military support provided by Ukraine’s allies toward humanitarian and psychological assistance could go a long way in preserving the resilience of Ukrainian society.

Authorities in Russian-occupied Crimea cut off civilian access to gasoline on Sunday as Ukraine continued to hammer fuel infrastructure across the Black Sea peninsula.

Gov. Sergey Aksyonov, who was installed by the Kremlin to lead Crimea, reported that overnight Ukrainian strikes left four people dead and 28 others wounded. He did not identify the specific target of those attacks.

Aksyonov followed up with a social media post announcing that gas stations across the region would immediately stop selling fuel to private individuals and non-government businesses for an unspecified length of time.

“Fuel will be sold only to government agencies that ensure the functioning and security of the Republic of Crimea,” Aksyonov stated. “I ask everyone to remain calm and to only trust official sources of information.”

Ukrainian forces have struck Crimean fuel supplies repeatedly in recent weeks, creating the most severe energy shortage the peninsula has seen since Russia’s illegal annexation of the territory in 2014.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy confirmed in a Sunday statement that among the targets hit were a Crimean oil depot and an oil transport facility located in Russia’s southern Krasnodar region. He characterized the strikes as part of Ukraine’s strategy of “long-range sanctions” aimed at Russia’s energy infrastructure.

“Russia understands only strength, and our long-range strength is certainly working for peace,” Zelenskyy wrote.

Russian authorities in Krasnodar reported earlier Sunday that a drone attack set off a fire at a Black Sea oil terminal in the village of Chushka. Officials there also said Ukrainian strikes hit a ferry, resulting in one fatality.

While Crimea has faced fuel shortages from Ukrainian attacks in the past, the current situation is described as the worst since the 2014 annexation. Late last month, officials had already moved to limit fuel purchases to 20 liters — roughly 5 and one-third gallons — per vehicle owner each week, distributed through prepaid coupons. Those coupons were gone almost instantly after being made available through an official messaging app, leaving drivers waiting in line for hours just to refuel.

Residents have flooded social media with tips on where to find gasoline, and officials set up a hotline specifically for tourists in the area who found themselves stranded without fuel.

Some drivers have been bringing gas in from Krasnodar and other areas via the Kerch bridge, though they are limited to 100 liters — about 26 and a half gallons — per vehicle. Taking advantage of the shortage, some individuals are reselling fuel at twice the going market rate.

In an unusual move, the Kremlin publicly acknowledged the severity of the fuel crisis and pledged to resolve it quickly.

The Ukrainian strikes have underscored Kyiv’s capacity to inflict meaningful damage on Russian-held territory, even as Russia’s recent battlefield advances have largely stalled. On June 11, Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine hit its 1,569th day — a milestone that surpasses the entire duration of World War I.

BOGOTA — Colombian citizens are heading to the polls this Sunday to decide the country’s next president in a runoff election that pits a leftist senator against a right-wing lawyer and businessman making his first run for office.

The May first round failed to produce a clear winner, setting up a showdown between Senator Ivan Cepeda, who represents the left, and Abelardo De La Espriella, a political outsider from the right who has never previously held public office.

Cepeda, 63, is running on a platform that would extend the current administration’s agenda — including state pension payments for low-income Colombians, labor reforms backed by unions, continued peace negotiations with armed groups that have battled the government for decades, and a freeze on new oil exploration projects.

De La Espriella, 47, is offering a sharply different vision. He wants to end peace talks with armed groups and launch a sweeping military campaign against them, while also expanding Colombia’s oil and gas industry. He has blamed the current government for the country’s economic troubles and security problems, and has pledged to cut taxes and shrink the size of government by as much as 40%. However, he has said he would keep a 23% minimum wage increase and other well-received social programs put in place by the current administration.

No matter who wins, the new president will face serious challenges, including heavy public debt and a divided Congress that could block major reform efforts.

Polling and financial markets appear to lean toward De La Espriella, who led the first round with 43% of the vote, though analysts say the final outcome could be very close. Both candidates have worked hard to bring out voters — nearly half of all eligible Colombians sat out the May election.

LATIN AMERICA’S RIGHTWARD TURN

Colombia’s election is unfolding against a backdrop of political shifts across the region. Voters in Chile, Argentina, Costa Rica, and Ecuador have all chosen right-wing presidents in their most recent elections. Bolivia also broke with two decades of leftist leadership last year by electing center-right candidate Rodrigo Paz.

In Peru, vote counting is still underway from a June 7 election, with conservative Keiko Fujimori — daughter of former President Alberto Fujimori, who spent 16 years in prison for human rights violations — appearing set to claim the presidency after three previous unsuccessful bids.

Concerns about rising crime and sluggish economies have been the driving force behind most of these rightward shifts, including in Colombia.

Peace negotiations launched by the current Colombian government have largely fallen apart as armed factions have grown stronger and drug trafficking organizations have expanded, fueling increases in murders and extortion, particularly along the Caribbean coast.

De La Espriella has attempted to link Cepeda — whose father, a communist leader, was assassinated — to criminal elements, though the current government points out it has confiscated more cocaine than any previous administration. Cepeda has pushed back firmly, stating there is no factual basis for those claims.

Meanwhile, Cepeda has raised questions about De La Espriella’s legal career, noting that he has represented clients connected to right-wing paramilitary groups and corruption cases — including Alex Saab, who faces U.S. charges for allegedly laundering money on behalf of ousted Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro. De La Espriella has maintained that his professional work does not make him complicit in any wrongdoing.

U.S. President Donald Trump has been actively working to expand American influence throughout the region, including the arrest of Maduro, military strikes targeting alleged drug traffickers in the Caribbean, and the formation of a military coalition called the Shield of the Americas, made up of right-wing leaders committed to combating drug trafficking.

Trump, who has had a public falling-out with Colombia’s current president, came out this month with an explicit endorsement of De La Espriella.

“It is my Honor to give Abelardo my Complete and Total Endorsement,” Trump wrote on Truth Social, calling Sunday’s election “very important to the future of Colombia and its relationship to the United States.”

More than 41 million Colombians are eligible to participate in the vote. Polling locations will be open for eight hours beginning at 8 a.m. local time, or 1 p.m. GMT. Early results are anticipated within a few hours of polls closing.

LONDON (AP) — British Prime Minister Keir Starmer is at a crossroads, facing the most consequential decision of his political career: walk away from office or dig in and battle a challenge from Labour Party rival Andy Burnham.

While Starmer has publicly declared his intention to remain in his role, pressure within the Labour Party is intensifying as growing numbers of colleagues believe his leadership has run its course. There is increasing expectation that he could announce a timeline for stepping down as early as Monday — the same day Burnham is set to be sworn in as a member of the House of Commons following his victory in a special election last week.

Business Secretary Peter Kyle appeared on the BBC Sunday and said Starmer is “making time to reflect on the political realities, challenges and opportunities that he finds himself in.” Kyle described reports of an imminent resignation as “speculation,” while adding, “I know he is a prime minister who always puts his country first.”

Starmer spent the weekend at Chequers, the official country residence available to British prime ministers, accompanied by his family. He made no public statements about his political future, though he did post a Father’s Day message on X. “Being a dad is my greatest joy. Today, I’m thinking about my dad, and the father I am to my children because of him,” he wrote.

Should Starmer step down, he would become the sixth British prime minister to leave office within the past decade — an unusually high rate of leadership turnover for the United Kingdom.

Dissatisfaction with Starmer has been mounting for months. Labour lawmakers have been eager to reverse the party’s falling popularity since Starmer guided the center-left party to a sweeping election win in July 2024. He has struggled to deliver on promises of economic growth, fix deteriorating public services, and address the rising cost of living. His leadership has also been dogged by a series of missteps, including his decision to name Peter Mandelson — a figure with ties to Jeffrey Epstein and a history of controversy — as the UK’s ambassador to the United States.

The Labour Party is losing ground on two fronts: liberal voters are gravitating toward the expanding Green Party, while the anti-immigration Reform UK party, led by Nigel Farage, continues to top national opinion polls.

Burnham, who until this week served as the popular mayor of Greater Manchester, won the Makerfield seat in northwestern England decisively in Thursday’s special election. He captured nearly 55% of the 45,510 votes cast — more than 9,000 votes ahead of the Reform UK candidate who finished second.

With a seat in Parliament now secured, Burnham is positioned to mount a formal challenge for the Labour leadership. His victory speech left little ambiguity about his ambitions. “Everyone knows that politics isn’t working,” he said. “Everyone can feel that the country isn’t where it should be. Tonight could, just could, be the turning point.”

Whether Burnham would face a clear path to the leadership or a competitive race remains uncertain. Wes Streeting, who stepped down as health secretary last month in protest of Starmer’s leadership, has indicated he would enter a contest if one takes place.

Starmer congratulated Burnham on Friday but made clear he had no intention of stepping aside quietly. “I will run, I will stand,” if a Labour leadership contest is held, Starmer said. “I’ve said repeatedly I’m not going to walk away from that.”

However, Charlie Falconer, a senior Labour member of the House of Lords, said Saturday that Starmer has “absolutely no authority” remaining. “There should be an agreed transition process in which Andy and Keir cooperate as to when the handover should take place,” Falconer told the BBC.

Crowds of yoga enthusiasts came together in a massive gathering spanning India and other regions of Asia on Sunday to celebrate International Yoga Day.

The widespread event drew participants from across the continent, marking the occasion with group yoga performances and demonstrations.

Images from the day were captured and assembled into a photo gallery by editors at the Associated Press.

American and Iranian officials are sitting down together in Switzerland this Sunday, working to iron out the finer points of a temporary agreement intended to bring an end to the ongoing Iran war.

The U.S. delegation is being led by Vice President JD Vance and includes Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff. They are set to meet with an Iranian team headed by parliamentary Speaker Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf and Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi.

Representatives from Pakistan and Qatar are also participating in the technical-level discussions, which aim to resolve a conflict that first broke out in late February.

Vance expressed confidence heading into the negotiations, saying he was optimistic about making headway on both Iran’s nuclear ambitions and securing a ceasefire in southern Lebanon.

Just before the talks got underway, Tehran announced that it had once again closed the Strait of Hormuz, citing Israel’s continued military operations in Lebanon. The interim agreement between Washington and Tehran is designed to halt fighting across all fronts — including Lebanon — and calls for billions of dollars in frozen Iranian assets to be released.

President Donald Trump has warned that the U.S. will impose tolls on the strait if a permanent deal isn’t finalized within 60 days. The current interim agreement provides for toll-free passage through the waterway for that same 60-day window — a critical stretch of water for the global oil supply.

Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and army chief Field Marshal Asim Munir are also present in Switzerland for the high-level discussions, according to the prime minister’s office, though no additional details were provided.

The meetings are taking place at the Bürgenstock Resort near the Swiss city of Lucerne. They were originally planned for Friday but were pushed back due to concerns raised by Iran. Sharif had dispatched his special envoy, Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi, to Tehran to encourage Iranian officials to send a delegation to Switzerland. Naqvi eventually reported back to Islamabad that Iran had agreed to attend, and Pakistan then relayed that news to Washington.

The Strait of Hormuz has become a central issue in the negotiations. Iran’s joint military command stated Saturday that the waterway was closed again because the U.S. had, in their words, clearly breached its commitments by not bringing the war to an end. The interim deal is intended to stop all fighting, including in Lebanon where Israeli forces are engaged in combat with the militant group Hezbollah.

The U.S. pushed back on Iran’s claim. U.S. Central Command reported that shipping traffic is still moving through the strait, noting that 55 merchant vessels passed through on Saturday carrying more than 17 million barrels of oil.

Vessel traffic through the strait resumed after the interim U.S.-Iran deal was signed last week. As part of that agreement, the U.S. lifted its blockade on Iranian ports and now permits Tehran to sell its oil on the open market — a concession that has prompted some members of Congress to question whether the war was justified.

The interim deal, signed by Trump and Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, gives both sides 60 days to negotiate a formal nuclear agreement, with the possibility of extending that deadline if needed.

Taiwan’s armed forces began a five-day combat readiness drill this week, with the island’s defense ministry announcing the exercise on Sunday as part of a broader push to modernize military training by shifting away from scripted events toward more realistic, war-simulating scenarios.

The island sits at the center of an ongoing territorial dispute — China considers Taiwan part of its own territory, a claim the government in Taipei firmly rejects. Taiwan says Chinese military forces regularly operate in the airspace and waters surrounding the island in an effort to pressure it into accepting Chinese rule.

As part of its updated training approach, Taiwan’s military has begun designing drills around a scenario in which China suddenly converts one of its routine exercises near the island into a real military assault.

The defense ministry identified the exercise as the “Immediate Combat Readiness Exercise,” scheduled to run from Monday through Friday. Officials described it as part of the military’s annual joint operations training program.

According to the ministry, “The main objective is to train units at all levels to become familiar with combat practices and the battlefield environment during the readiness deployment phase, and to strengthen rapid peacetime-to-wartime transition and priority deployment actions.”

The ministry further stated the exercise would be carried out with “actual troops, on actual terrain, in real time, using actual equipment, and through actual implementation.”

Officials said the drills would sharpen command structures at every level and build combat-ready capabilities among troops, with a particular focus on joint operations command and control, supply chain sustainment, and battlefield preparation.

The announcement coincided with a separate ministry statement reporting that China had conducted another “combat readiness patrol” in the vicinity of Taiwan. According to the ministry, China deployed 21 aircraft during that patrol, including J-16 fighter jets, KJ-500 airborne early warning and control planes, and Y-20 aerial refueling aircraft. Nineteen of those aircraft moved into airspace southwest of Taiwan and out into the Western Pacific to carry out what China described as “long-distance training over open seas.”

Attempts to reach China’s defense ministry for a response went unanswered on Sunday, as the calls came outside of normal office hours.

Taiwan has been conducting military exercises with increasing frequency. Earlier this month, the island fired its newly acquired U.S.-made HIMARS rocket system — the same weapon widely used by Ukraine — into the Taiwan Strait. Taiwan’s primary annual military exercise, the Han Kuang war games, is expected to be held in August.

Five people are dead following a wave of Ukrainian drone attacks targeting Russian-controlled territory, with the strikes triggering a significant fuel crisis across the Crimean peninsula.

The Russian-installed governor of Crimea reported that four people were killed and 28 others were wounded during a Ukrainian drone assault on the peninsula. In a separate attack, one person aboard a passenger ferry was killed after a Ukrainian drone struck an oil transport facility in Russia’s Krasnodar region. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy confirmed that attack.

Russia’s Defense Ministry stated that 239 Ukrainian drones were shot down overnight during the assault.

In the aftermath, Crimean Governor Sergei Aksyonov announced that fuel stations throughout the peninsula had stopped selling gas to the general public and to private businesses. Fuel supplies are now being directed exclusively to government agencies responsible for essential services and security operations.

Ukraine has been ramping up drone strikes against Crimea in recent weeks, home to Russia’s Black Sea Fleet. The attacks have focused on the peninsula’s supply routes, creating a growing fuel shortage just as the summer holiday season gets underway.

A local power grid operator reported electricity outages across several areas due to damage to the power infrastructure. Ferry service across the Kerch Strait, which separates Crimea from the Krasnodar region, was also temporarily shut down.

Traffic on the bridge connecting Crimea to Russia’s Krasnodar region was suspended for more than nine hours, leaving 11 trains running behind schedule.

LONDON — British Business Minister Peter Kyle pushed back Sunday against mounting speculation that Prime Minister Keir Starmer is preparing to step down from office on Monday.

Appearing on Sky News, Kyle revealed he had a lengthy, “frank” conversation with Starmer just two days earlier, on Friday, though he declined to share the specifics of what was discussed.

The Observer newspaper had reported that Starmer was expected to announce his resignation Monday and lay out a timeline for leaving office. However, a government source countered that the prime minister remained committed to the work of governing the country.

When asked directly about the resignation reports, Kyle said: “I have nothing to believe that they are true. I am seeing a lot of speculation out there.”

Kyle went on to defend the prime minister’s dedication, saying: “Today, as in every other day I’ve ever known Keir, he is out there working hard. At the same time, he is also trying to create the space where he can think and reflect on the political realities and challenges — and the opportunities — that are before us.”

While Kyle would not detail what the two men discussed Friday, he did say that during the entire conversation, Starmer “not once … did he ever ask about self-interest. It was always about the country.”

The pressure on Starmer has been building for months, but intensified sharply Friday when prominent party rival Andy Burnham secured a seat in parliament — a move that now allows him to formally launch a leadership challenge.

According to The Observer, Starmer was weighing his next steps with his wife at the Chequers country residence before reaching a final decision. Senior figures within the Labour Party reportedly anticipated a definitive statement about his political future as early as Monday.

BOGOTA, Colombia — Colombian voters are heading to the polls Sunday for a presidential runoff election that has sharply divided the country, with two very different candidates each promising to end decades of brutal violence that has long plagued the South American nation.

The choice comes down to businessman and attorney Abelardo de la Espriella, a political outsider with a conservative approach, and Iván Cepeda, a sitting lawmaker who carries the torch of outgoing President Gustavo Petro — the country’s first leftist head of state. The two men outlasted nine other candidates in a May 31 first-round vote.

Both men have made security a centerpiece of their campaigns, vowing to protect Colombians from the kind of relentless violence — including car bombings, kidnappings, forced disappearances, and mass displacements — that defined life in the country for generations.

De la Espriella favors a tough-on-crime stance that has drawn an endorsement from U.S. President Donald Trump.

Cepeda, on the other hand, has pledged to build on Petro’s efforts to open dialogue with the country’s various illegal armed factions — a strategy that has largely fallen short of its goals.

The two candidates also disagree on how to fix Colombia’s troubled health care system, its growing national debt, and widespread corruption.

In Bogota, residents expressed anxiety about the nation’s direction. “Right now, what worries me is the polarization that exists between us: there are two very extreme sides, and the violence is concerning,” said John Manrique, a lawyer in the capital who was out walking his dog.

Manrique added: “What I hope is that people accept who won. Let’s accept it, regardless of the side, and try to reach a social consensus. … Let’s not go out and fight.”

According to official results from the first round, de la Espriella received 44% of the vote compared to Cepeda’s 41%. Outgoing President Petro, without presenting evidence, raised doubts about those results after Cepeda — who had led in polls heading into the May vote — not only failed to win outright but actually finished behind de la Espriella.

This election falls a decade after Colombia reached a landmark peace agreement with the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, known as FARC, which had raised hopes of breaking the country’s long cycle of armed conflict.

However, violence has surged again in the years since, largely because most rebel groups shifted away from ideological motivations and toward the financial rewards of drug trafficking.

Last year, authorities recorded 14,780 homicides — the highest number since at least 2015 — fueled by clashes between illegal armed organizations. One of those killed was conservative presidential candidate Miguel Uribe. Extortion cases have also skyrocketed, with 13,417 incidents reported in 2025, more than twice the number recorded in 2015.

More than 41 million Colombians are eligible to cast ballots Sunday.

De la Espriella, a political newcomer who goes by the nickname “The Tiger,” has vowed to crack down hard on criminal elements and construct 10 large-scale prisons. His model draws inspiration from the approach used by El Salvador’s President Nayib Bukele, which has brought homicide rates down but also sparked allegations of human rights violations.

Cepeda is seeking to continue Petro’s controversial “total peace” initiative, which aims to negotiate disarmament agreements with guerrilla groups and criminal organizations. That strategy, launched in 2022, reached a milestone just Thursday when the first armed group — one with roughly 100 members — surrendered its weapons and began a reintegration process into civilian life. Colombia’s illegal armed groups collectively have more than 27,000 members.

Yamile Guevara, a retired educator in Bogota, argued that Petro’s peace plan simply needs more time, noting that a six-decade-old conflict cannot realistically be resolved in a single presidential term. She also took issue with what she called a persistent distrust of left-leaning politics in Colombia due to its historical ties to rebel movements.

“The left has always been viewed negatively; it has been harsh, and many people have died,” said Guevara, who supports Cepeda. “So, one wonders what’s wrong with people who have forgotten history … how can they not think carefully about which candidate they are going to elect?”

The weeks leading up to Sunday’s runoff have been marked by heated exchanges between the two camps, along with allegations of election fraud, vote-buying, and voter intimidation.

Cepeda has filed formal complaints with Colombia’s Attorney General’s Office and the International Criminal Court, accusing de la Espriella of having connections to paramilitary organizations. De la Espriella has flatly denied those claims.

The Israeli military announced Sunday that it had “eliminated” two operatives with ties to the armed wings of both Hamas and Islamic Jihad.

The two men, identified as Hussein Qadra and Mohammed Farra, were connected to a large-scale financial operation that channeled funds to Hamas. According to a post on the Israeli military’s X account, Qadra led the network alongside Farra, operating under Hamas leadership and facilitating the transfer of more than half a billion shekels to the organization.

U.S. Vice President JD Vance touched down in Switzerland on Sunday, kicking off what he has described as several days of diplomatic discussions with Iranian officials.

Vance and his wife landed at Emmen Air Base at 5:59 a.m. local time (0359 GMT), according to a spokesperson for the vice president.

Vice President JD Vance touched down in Switzerland on Sunday to help formally open diplomatic talks with Iranian leaders focused on reining in Tehran’s nuclear ambitions and strengthening a shaky interim agreement to bring the conflict in Iran to a close.

A framework agreement was signed last week, and senior negotiators from both the United States and Iran are now working against a 60-day deadline to finalize the complex technical details — details that carry enormous weight for the global economy and international security.

The opening stretch of that two-month window has already been turbulent. Heavy fighting erupted in Lebanon between Israel and the Iranian-backed militant group Hezbollah, and Iran’s military announced it had shut down the Strait of Hormuz — the critical waterway through which roughly one-fifth of the world’s oil and natural gas supply passes.

Vance had originally been scheduled to arrive at the scenic Bürgenstock resort near Lucerne on Friday, but his departure from the United States was pushed back after the violence in Lebanon intensified and Iranian officials pulled out of their planned attendance at the talks.

U.S. Central Command pushed back on Iran’s assertion that the strait had been closed again, stating that American forces were actively monitoring the waterway to keep traffic moving. Vance noted that millions of barrels of oil have continued to flow through the strait in recent days.

The vice president left the U.S. shortly after Iranian state television reported that Tehran’s negotiating team had landed in Switzerland. Iran’s delegation includes parliamentary speaker Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf and Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, along with officials from the country’s central bank and oil sector.

Vance joins special envoy Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, President Donald Trump’s son-in-law, who were already on the ground working through the technical specifics of the nuclear agreement.

The broader negotiations will also involve Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, army chief Field Marshal Asim Munir, and mediators from Qatar.

Although Vance indicated he planned to stay in Switzerland for only “a day or two” — leaving the bulk of the detailed work to Witkoff and Kushner — his participation has drawn increased attention, particularly as he is reportedly weighing a run for president in 2028.

Both Trump and Vance have faced sharp criticism from within their own Republican Party over the agreement, with hardline members drawing unflattering comparisons to a nuclear deal reached under the Obama administration — one that Trump and fellow Republicans have long argued failed to actually dismantle Iran’s nuclear capabilities.

The deal signed by Trump and Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian immediately allows Iran to sell its oil on the open market and opens the door for Tehran to access billions of dollars in currently frozen assets. It also requires Iran to dilute its stockpile of highly enriched uranium, which is believed to be stored beneath nuclear facilities that were struck by U.S. airstrikes last summer.

Under the agreement, commercial ships may pass through the Strait of Hormuz for 60 days without being charged a fee — though the deal does not rule out Iran imposing tolls in the future. Trump himself threatened on Saturday to impose U.S. tolls on the strait if no deal is reached within 60 days, writing on social media that the funds would compensate for “services rendered as the Guardian Angel to the countries of the Middle East.”

Adding another layer of complexity, neither Israel nor Hezbollah are parties to the U.S.-Iran agreement. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has pledged to keep Israeli forces in southern Lebanon until all threats to Israel are eliminated, while Hezbollah has refused to stand down unless Israel commits to a full withdrawal from Lebanese territory.

In the days immediately following the U.S.-Iran agreement, clashes between Israeli forces and Hezbollah resulted in the deaths of 47 people in Lebanon and four Israeli soldiers.

LONDON (AP) — As darkness gave way to dawn, thousands of people made their way to the legendary Stonehenge monument to mark the arrival of the summer solstice — the longest day of the year.

Crowds gathered in the early morning hours, greeting the sunrise with celebration that included music, dancing, and peaceful reflection amid the towering ancient stones.

The event was captured in a photo gallery assembled by AP photo editors.

Diplomatic teams from the United States and Iran convened in Switzerland on Sunday for peace negotiations, even as a dispute erupted over whether Iran had shut down one of the world’s most critical shipping lanes.

An Iranian delegation arrived in Switzerland for the talks, according to Iranian state media, while U.S. Vice President JD Vance departed Washington for the meetings, which Pakistan said would get underway Sunday. The two countries had previously agreed to a 60-day ceasefire while negotiations proceed.

Despite that agreement, Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps declared the Strait of Hormuz closed on Saturday. However, U.S. military officials pushed back on that claim, saying commercial vessels had continued moving through the waterway without disruption. U.S. Central Command reported that 55 merchant ships passed through the strait on Saturday, carrying more than 17 million barrels of oil destined for global markets. American forces will work to keep commercial traffic flowing, Central Command added.

The Strait of Hormuz is a critical passage for the world’s oil and gas supplies, and any disruption there could have far-reaching economic consequences.

President Donald Trump addressed the situation in a social media post Saturday, stating that no toll would be charged for passage through the Strait during or after the 60-day ceasefire period — though he left open the possibility of imposing one if peace talks ultimately fall apart. He described such a potential toll as payment “for services rendered as the Guardian Angel to the countries of the Middle East.”

Mohammad Mokhber, an adviser to Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei, took to social media to accuse the U.S. of failing to follow through on the first clause of a 14-point interim agreement between the two nations. That clause calls for a ceasefire “on all fronts,” including Lebanon. Mokhber stated that as long as the deal existed only on paper, the flow of energy from the Middle East would remain halted.

The interim deal was brokered by Pakistan and signed Wednesday by Trump and Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, with the goal of ending a conflict between the two nations that has lasted nearly four months.

Complicating matters further, the Lebanon ceasefire appeared shaky. Lebanese Civil Defence reported that 20 people were killed by Israeli strikes in Lebanon on Saturday, just hours after a truce there took effect. Israel said it was responding to attacks from Hezbollah, the Iran-backed militant group, while Hezbollah said it would not allow Israel “freedom of movement” in Lebanon. Lebanon’s state news agency reported that Israeli warplanes and drones struck locations across southern Lebanon and the Bekaa Valley on Saturday. An Israeli military official said Hezbollah fired more than 50 projectiles at Israeli forces overnight.

The IRGC pointed to what it called Israeli “crimes” in Lebanon — which it said violated U.S. ceasefire commitments — as justification for warning ships that they would be at risk near the Strait.

Israel, which is not part of the U.S.-Iran negotiations, has stated it is not bound by the deal and will keep its forces in Lebanese territory it currently occupies. Israeli broadcaster Channel 12 reported that the country’s prime minister and defense minister instructed the military to hold fire in Lebanon, though Israel would not pull back from areas it has captured.

A poll conducted by Israel’s Hebrew University and shared exclusively with Reuters found that about 92% of Israelis believe Iran benefited more from the joint Israeli-U.S. military campaign than Israel did. Only around 8% of Israelis felt their country came out victorious. Nearly 90% said the war’s goals were not achieved, and more than 70% said they do not believe claims of major achievements made by the Israeli prime minister.

Lebanon’s health ministry reports that 4,057 people have been killed in Israeli attacks since March 2, including medics, women, and children, though it does not specify how many were combatants. Israeli authorities say at least 32 soldiers and four civilians have been killed in fighting with Hezbollah.

On the U.S. side, the negotiating team includes Vice President Vance along with envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, who is also Trump’s son-in-law. The Iranian delegation is led by chief negotiator Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf and also includes Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi, along with senior officials from security, the central bank, and the oil sector.

Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei said Iran would use the Switzerland talks to push for the fulfillment of commitments, pointing to what he described as past failures by the other side to honor agreements.

Vance, speaking in a Fox News interview, expressed confidence that the ceasefire would hold and said he had seen no evidence that the Strait of Hormuz was actually closed. He departed for Switzerland shortly after 4 p.m. Eastern Time on Saturday, telling reporters before boarding a plane at Joint Base Andrews in Maryland that negotiations would likely last “a couple days.”

“I think we’re going to hopefully make progress on the nuclear issue, make progress on the Lebanon ceasefire issue,” Vance said.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy issued a grave warning Saturday, telling his citizens that Russian forces were preparing to launch a massive assault on Ukraine and urging everyone to take extra precautions as strikes across the country left at least six people dead.

Speaking in his nightly video address, Zelenskiy delivered an urgent message to the Ukrainian people. “Tonight and in the coming hours, it is especially important to pay close attention to air raid warnings,” he said. “The Russians have prepared for a massive attack. Please take care of yourselves.”

Russian forces have carried out a series of devastating strikes on Kyiv and other major Ukrainian cities in recent weeks. Attacks last Monday left 10 people dead across the country and caused severe damage to the Pechersk Lavra monastery — a 1,000-year-old site considered a cornerstone of Ukrainian spiritual and cultural identity.

Zelenskiy has vowed that Ukraine’s military will continue its campaign of medium and long-range strikes, with a particular focus on Russia’s oil sector. He confirmed Saturday that Ukrainian drones hit an oil refinery in the Tyumen region of western Siberia, and that drones had also struck a Moscow oil refinery twice during the week.

In the southeastern city of Zaporizhzhia, Russian forces unleashed glide bombs Saturday, killing five people and wounding 10 others. Regional Governor Ivan Fedorov reported the details on Telegram, noting that the city absorbed nine separate strikes, with damage to multiple residential buildings and other infrastructure.

Near the Russian border, a bomb attack on the outskirts of the city of Sumy claimed one life, according to local officials.

In the southern Kherson region, Regional Governor Oleksandr Prokudin reported that one person was killed in a drone strike on a village located north of the region’s main city, also known as Kherson.

In the central city of Poltava, Russian shelling injured three children, local officials confirmed.

For the second consecutive day, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy called on neighboring Belarus to take down relay stations that he claims are playing a direct role in facilitating Russian drone strikes against Ukrainian regions.

Belarus, led by longtime President Alexander Lukashenko, has stood as one of Russia’s closest partners throughout the more than four-year conflict with Ukraine. The country allowed Russia to use its soil as a launching point for the February 2022 invasion.

Lukashenko, who has held power since 1994, has repeatedly insisted he does not wish to become more deeply entangled in the war. However, Zelenskiy has pushed Belarus to demonstrate through action that it will not actively back Russia’s military campaign.

Without mentioning Lukashenko by name, Zelenskiy addressed the matter in his nightly video message, making an indirect reference to Lukashenko’s disputed return to power. He stated that Ukraine has identified four relay stations on Belarusian soil that are supporting Russian military operations.

“Belarus still has time to dismantle this equipment. We also know about every factory in Belarus that works for Russia and supports the war,” Zelenskiy said.

He added, “Ukraine does not want this and we have warned the de facto leadership of Belarus which has influence over these developments.”

The previous Friday, Zelenskiy had given what he described as a week’s worth of time for the relay equipment to be removed, and he attached a clear warning to that deadline.

“If he doesn’t do it, we’ll do it,” Zelenskiy said on Friday, without providing further detail on what that action might look like.

In his most recent comments, Zelenskiy also turned attention to Belarus’s oil refining industry, arguing it is contributing to Russia’s ability to wage war. He said that between January and May, gasoline exports from Belarus to Russia grew by 13 times compared to the same stretch of time the previous year, while diesel exports tripled.

“Unfortunately, this helps Russia adapt to pressure and does not bring peace any closer,” Zelenskiy said. “It should be the opposite: peace should be brought closer.”

Ukraine’s armed forces have been conducting a sustained campaign of medium and long-range drone strikes, with Russia’s oil infrastructure as a primary target, as part of a broader strategy to weaken Moscow’s ability to sustain its war effort.

Three people have lost their lives following a fire at a single-story pavilion in the White City neighborhood of London, the London Fire Brigade announced on Saturday.

Authorities have launched a joint investigation into the cause of the deadly blaze, with the Brigade’s specialist fire investigation officers working in coordination with the Metropolitan Police Service to determine what sparked the fire.

LONDON — Britain’s Observer newspaper is reporting that Prime Minister Keir Starmer is expected to step down as early as Monday, with senior figures in his Labour Party anticipating a formal announcement about his future.

According to the report, Starmer was at his Chequers country residence consulting with his wife before reaching a final decision. Senior Labour members are said to be anticipating a clear statement on his political future as soon as Monday.

Despite the report, a government source pushed back, saying Starmer remains fully focused on his responsibilities as prime minister and pointing to previous statements he has made affirming his commitment to the role.

The pressure on Starmer escalated significantly on Friday when rival Andy Burnham secured a seat in parliament — a move that now allows Burnham to formally mount a leadership challenge against the sitting prime minister.

Starmer addressed the situation Friday, saying he intends to fight any challenge to his leadership and calling on Labour members to avoid destructive internal conflict. “Don’t tear itself apart with infighting,” he urged the party.

The calls for his exit have grown considerably, with more than 100 elected Labour lawmakers — representing roughly one-quarter of the party’s total membership in the House of Commons — publicly calling for Starmer to either resign or at least lay out a timeline for his departure.

TYRE, Lebanon — Vice President JD Vance departed for Switzerland on Saturday as the White House worked to get stalled negotiations with Iran back on course.

Vance is scheduled to meet Sunday with Iran’s parliamentary Speaker Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf, Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, and central bank and oil officials. Mediators from Pakistan and Qatar have also traveled to Switzerland to participate in the discussions.

The goal of the technical-level talks is to work out the finer details of a preliminary agreement signed earlier this week by President Donald Trump and Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, which is designed to halt nearly four months of war between the two countries.

The talks nearly fell apart before they began. Vance had originally been set to meet with senior Iranian officials on Friday at a mountainside resort in the small Swiss village of Obbürgen, but Iranian officials initially pulled out due to escalating conflict between Israel and Iranian-backed Hezbollah in Lebanon.

However, U.S. and Qatari negotiators — with assistance from Iran — brokered an arrangement to reduce the active fighting between Israel and Hezbollah, according to U.S. and regional officials who spoke anonymously because they were not authorized to comment publicly. Following that development, Iran’s state media announced Saturday that its top officials would make the trip to Switzerland after all.

Earlier in the day, Iran announced it had closed the Strait of Hormuz, citing what it called a U.S. failure to uphold its commitments under the interim deal by not ending the war. Iran also warned that while its team was heading to Switzerland, progress in the talks would be unlikely unless the fighting stopped.

President Trump responded by threatening to impose American tolls on the strategically vital waterway if a final deal with Iran is not reached within 60 days. In a social media post, Trump said the money would go toward “services rendered as the Guardian Angel to the countries of the Middle East,” while also noting the agreement currently guarantees toll-free transit for 60 days.

The U.S. pushed back on Iran’s claim about the strait. “Iran does not control the Strait of Hormuz. Traffic continues to flow, and U.S. forces are monitoring the situation to ensure this remains the case,” said Capt. Tim Hawkins, a spokesperson for U.S. Central Command. The military reported that 55 merchant ships moved through the strait on Saturday, carrying more than 17 million barrels of oil.

Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmail Baghaei said negotiations toward a final agreement would only begin once key commitments are honored. If they are not, he warned, “the memorandum of understanding as a whole will be jeopardized.”

Vance confirmed that top negotiators Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff were already in Switzerland working through technical details ahead of the broader nuclear talks. The interim deal gives both sides 60 days to reach a nuclear agreement, though that window can be extended given the complexity of the issue.

Pakistani Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi met with Iranian Foreign Minister Araghchi in Tehran earlier Saturday as part of efforts to help revive the direct talks, according to officials in Islamabad who spoke on condition of anonymity due to the sensitivity of the matter.

The interim agreement, signed earlier in the week, marked a significant milestone but left many questions open. Under the deal, the U.S. lifted its blockade of Iran’s ports and allowed Tehran to sell oil freely — terms that have drawn scrutiny from some members of Congress who have questioned whether the war was worth fighting. The deal also calls for billions of dollars of Iran’s frozen assets to be released.

Complicating the broader peace effort is the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hezbollah. Neither party signed the U.S.-Iran agreement. Hezbollah and Israel entered open war two days after the U.S. and Israel launched strikes on Iran on February 28, with Hezbollah firing rockets and drones at northern Israel while Israeli forces seized large portions of southern Lebanon.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has pledged to keep Israeli troops in southern Lebanon until all threats to Israel are eliminated. Hezbollah, for its part, has refused to stop its attacks unless Israel commits to a full withdrawal from Lebanon.

A new round of U.S.-backed talks between Lebanon’s government and Israel is expected to take place in Washington next week.

The United States and Iran offered starkly different versions of events Saturday regarding the Strait of Hormuz, even as high-level representatives from both countries prepared to sit down for talks in Switzerland the following day.

Iran announced earlier that it was shutting down the vital waterway and issued warnings to commercial ships to keep their distance. The announcement came amid continued fighting between Israel and Lebanon, despite a ceasefire having been declared.

According to Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting, the naval arm of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps sent warnings to ships operating near the strait, cautioning that vessels attempting to pass through could face mines or come under fire. Iranian state media also reported that maritime activity in the Persian Gulf had dropped following the announcement.

The US military flatly rejected Iran’s assertion that the strait had been closed.

“Iran does not control the Strait of Hormuz,” said Capt. Tim Hawkins, a spokesperson for Central Command, known as CENTCOM. “Traffic continues to flow, and US forces are monitoring the situation to ensure this remains the case.”

CENTCOM reported that 55 merchant vessels and 17 million barrels of oil moved through the strait on Saturday. The command further stated: “US forces remain present and vigilant to ensure all aspects of the agreement with Iran are adhered to, obeyed, and in full force and effect.”

The standoff over the waterway unfolded as diplomatic preparations continued ahead of the Switzerland talks. Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif announced plans to travel there to serve as a mediator, and Qatar is also expected to be involved in the discussions.

The American delegation heading to the talks is expected to include Vice President JD Vance, Jared Kushner, and US special envoy to the Middle East Steve Witkoff, who are scheduled to meet with an Iranian delegation.

CNN reported that resolving the conflict in Lebanon is “the most important item on the Iranian delegation’s agenda” as their representatives prepare for the negotiations.

The talks are set to get underway Sunday, even as both sides continue to publicly disagree over what is happening in the Strait of Hormuz — one of the world’s most critical shipping routes for global energy supplies.

The Israel Defense Forces announced Saturday that Hezbollah launched more than 50 rockets at Israeli troops stationed in southern Lebanon during overnight hours, calling the attack a clear violation of the existing ceasefire agreement. The military also confirmed that two soldiers lost their lives in separate combat incidents and that 13 additional troops were wounded in the attacks.

The two soldiers killed were identified as Staff Sgt. Yoav Klein, 21, from Herzliya, and Staff Sgt. Nir Ben Ari, 21, from Kerem Maharal.

Klein served in Battalion 52 of the 401st “Iron Tracks” Brigade and died in the same incident that also claimed the life of Battalion 52 commander Lt. Col. Dor Gedalia Ben Shimhon and two other soldiers whose identities have not yet been cleared for release.

Ben Ari was a member of the Maglan Unit within the Commando Brigade. He was killed in a separate incident that left 13 fellow soldiers injured. According to reports, he was just nine days away from his 22nd birthday and had been expected to begin discharge leave later this month.

Channel 12 reported that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Israel Katz directed the IDF to stand down from launching further strikes in Lebanon, a decision reached after consultations and coordination with the United States. The order does not include a withdrawal of Israeli forces from southern Lebanon, where troops are expected to remain deployed.

A senior IDF officer stated that Israeli forces continue to operate along what is known as the “yellow line” and remain active in the Nabatieh sector. The officer noted that dozens of Hezbollah fighters are surrounded in that area, which the military described as a significant hub of Hezbollah operations.

Overnight military operations targeted Hezbollah rocket launch sites, weapons depots, and command infrastructure, the IDF said.

Prime Minister Netanyahu reaffirmed Israel’s commitment to maintaining its military presence in southern Lebanon. A senior official speaking on behalf of the Prime Minister’s Office said Netanyahu made clear that Israel will stay in southern Lebanon “for as long as necessary to defend its northern border.”

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy confirmed on Saturday that Ukrainian drones had targeted an oil refinery deep inside Russia, striking a facility in the Tyumen Region of western Siberia — more than 2,000 kilometers, or roughly 1,200 miles, from Ukraine’s border.

In his nightly video address to the nation, Zelenskiy praised the Ukrainian military’s special operations forces, saying they “have reached Tyumen Region in Russia, including an oil refining facility. More than 2,000 km from our state border. This is effective work.”

The Tyumen Region’s governor, Alexander Moor, had earlier stated that Russian air defense systems pushed back the drone assault on the refinery. According to his preliminary assessment, the facility suffered no damage, and workers were safely evacuated.

The Tyumen refinery is considered one of Russia’s most advanced and capable facilities, with a nominal processing capacity of approximately 8 million metric tons of oil each year. Industry estimates indicate it processes around 6 million tons of crude annually, yielding roughly 0.5 million tons of gasoline and 2.5 million tons of diesel fuel.

Ukraine has been carrying out a sustained campaign of medium and long-range drone strikes against Russian targets for several months, with a particular focus on the country’s oil sector. The strategy is aimed at cutting off a key source of revenue that Moscow uses to finance its ongoing war effort.

Zelenskiy also announced that newly upgraded long-range drones had been successfully used in operations. “They can now reach targets at a distance of 3,000 km,” he said, adding, “These are entirely justified responses to Russian strikes against our state. Ukraine’s plan of long-range operations is being implemented.”

Scottish counter-terrorism officials have launched an investigation into a series of violent incidents that unfolded across Edinburgh on Friday evening, according to a statement released by police on Saturday.

Five men were injured during the attacks, and a 36-year-old white Scottish man was arrested in connection with a sequence of threats, robbery, and vandalism. Three of the victims needed to be taken to the hospital, though authorities confirmed their injuries were not life-threatening.

Officers on the ground confronted and apprehended the suspect at approximately 9:30 p.m. local time, which was 8:30 p.m. GMT.

Assistant Chief Constable Catriona Paton spoke out strongly against the violence, stating, “I want to send a clear message of support to all our communities that there is no place for racism or faith-based hate in a Scotland which is at its best when we stand together.”

The suspect remains behind bars as the investigation continues, police confirmed.

Thousands of demonstrators took to the streets of Novi Sad, Serbia’s second-largest city, on Saturday to honor the memory of 16 people who died in 2024 when a railway station awning gave way — and to push for snap general elections.

The tragedy sparked student-led protests that at times turned violent and spread throughout the country, putting serious pressure on the 13-year hold that populist leader Aleksandar Vucic and his Serbian Progressive Party have maintained on power.

Those taking part in the demonstrations, along with opposition figures and human rights organizations, argue that the station collapse was a symptom of widespread government corruption and poor oversight of construction projects.

Despite temperatures hovering around 30 degrees Celsius — roughly 86 degrees Fahrenheit — crowds filled the streets of Novi Sad, chanting “Victory” and directing their frustration at Vucic and his party. Many protesters wore t-shirts and carried banners with the message “Students are winning.”

Organizers from the student movement say their goal is to take on Vucic and the Serbian Progressive Party in upcoming parliamentary and presidential elections, both currently scheduled for 2027. Vucic himself has suggested he could call those elections sooner.

Sanja Belic, a university professor from Novi Sad who addressed the crowd, put it plainly: “Without free and fair elections, everything else is empty words.”

The protesters and rights groups have also leveled accusations at Vucic and government officials of manipulating elections, using violence against political opponents, suppressing press freedom, corruption, and connections to organized crime. Vucic and those aligned with him have denied all of these claims.

“We must stand up, express our will, and win; we have no other choice,” said Goran Sajin, a protester in his 50s who joined the Novi Sad rally.

While the demonstration was underway, Vucic appeared in a live television broadcast and announced that his own supporters would hold a counter-rally on June 27. “I invite them not to show anger towards anyone … but to gather under the Serbian flag,” he said.

Serbia is currently a candidate for European Union membership, but is required to make significant improvements in areas including judicial independence, conditions for free and fair elections, and fighting corruption and organized crime. The country also must bring its foreign policy in line with EU positions, which includes imposing sanctions on Russia over its invasion of Ukraine.

PARIS — French authorities announced Saturday that drinking alcohol in public will be prohibited during the country’s annual Fete de la Musique music festival celebrations on June 21 in any administrative districts placed under a red heatwave alert starting at noon Sunday.

The announcement came after Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu convened an emergency crisis meeting to address the dangerous heat conditions spreading across the country.

“Prefects will issue decrees banning alcohol consumption in public spaces in the departments under red alert,” a statement from the Prime Minister’s office said.

The statement also noted that government-organized events would be required to go alcohol-free: “For all events organised by the state and its agencies, instructions have been given not to offer alcohol.”

France’s national weather agency, Meteo France, painted a concerning picture of conditions ahead, stating in its Saturday update that “very high temperatures are settling in for the long term across the country.” The agency formally issued a red heatwave warning covering 35 departments for Sunday, a list that includes the capital city of Paris.

BARCELONA, Spain — A Spanish judge has ruled that Begoña Gómez, the wife of Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez, must stand trial on charges of influence peddling and corruption, and must hand over her passport to authorities.

Investigative judge Juan Carlos Peinado issued the order on Saturday, citing concerns that Gómez posed a flight risk. Beyond surrendering her passport, she is also required to check in with a court every two weeks. No trial date has been scheduled yet.

The ruling immediately sparked a fierce political firestorm in Spain, with opposition leaders demanding that Sánchez’s Socialist government resign.

Prosecutors allege that Gómez used her status as the prime minister’s wife to steer government contracts toward a group of technology companies. Judge Peinado also accused her of misusing public funds in connection with hiring a consultant, and of improperly using software during her time as a professor at a public university.

Gómez has maintained her innocence throughout the proceedings. Sánchez has characterized the case as a politically motivated smear campaign orchestrated by conservative rivals intent on bringing down his left-wing government, which has held power since 2018.

Judge Peinado ruled that a businessman who allegedly benefited from the government contracts, as well as the consultant who worked with Gómez, will also face trial.

Sánchez, who has been a vocal critic of U.S. President Donald Trump, is navigating legal challenges on several fronts as Spain heads toward a general election expected by next year.

Earlier this week, former Socialist Prime Minister José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero appeared before a separate judge regarding his alleged involvement in a government airline bailout and to address the discovery of expensive jewelry found during a police search of his office. He has denied any wrongdoing.

Government officials were quick to denounce Saturday’s ruling as politically driven. The Socialist Party released a sharp statement calling the decision “an absolute scandal for democracy.”

“Begoña Gómez is innocent,” the party declared. “For two years now, she has been the target of a political and judicial witch hunt. Today’s development is just the latest escalation.”

Spain’s conservative opposition took the opposite stance, pushing for the government to call an early election. Miguel Tellado, secretary-general of the main opposition People’s Party, offered a pointed rebuke.

“Lawmakers and the architects of our constitution could never have imagined that the threats to our democracy could originate from the Spanish government itself,” Tellado said. “Now we see how the government attacks judges, prosecutors and the media while attempting to silence opposition parties. This is unthinkable in any modern democracy.”

The investigation into Gómez, which has been ongoing for two years, was set in motion after accusations were brought by the pressure group Manos Limpias — meaning Clean Hands — an organization that has pursued numerous legal cases, many of them tied to conservative causes.