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BBC News with Fiona MacDonald.
The U.S. Vice President JD Vance is heading to Switzerland for talks with Iranian officials on implementing the U.S.-Iran interim peace deal. He said they would focus on issues including Lebanon and ending Iran's nuclear program. Iranian negotiators have already arrived in Switzerland. Tehran earlier said it had again closed the Strait of Hormuz in response to Israel's continued strikes on southern Lebanon. Thomas Morgan reports from Washington. Tehran officials have always said they would like to implement fees for navigational services in the future. But now on social media, Donald Trump has weighed in, announcing that there would only ever be tolls if the U.S. were the ones to impose them. So as Vice President JD Vance flies to Switzerland to take part in these discussions, the number one priority of the talks may have diverted from how to decrease Iran's nuclear stockpile back to the future of Hormuz. The United Nations Security Council has expressed alarm over what it called the "imminent risk of mass atrocities" in Sudan as the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces continue to encircle the southern city of El-Obeid. In a statement, the council called for the RSF to immediately halt its assault amid reports of a possible impending ground offensive on the city. The warning follows reports of several days of drone strikes on El-Obeid and across North Kordofan state. Ukraine's President Zelenskyy says he's returned Poland's highest honor but remains open to what he called "meaningful formats of engagement." His Polish counterpart, Karol Nawrocki, said he wished stripping Mr. Zelenskyy of the medal for naming a military unit in honor of the Ukrainian insurgent army. Three senior Ukrainian officials have also said they're returning awards given by Poland to show solidarity with President Zelenskyy. King Charles is to become Britain's first monarch to publish his personal tax bill. Buckingham Palace said the details will be released next week as part of the annual Royal Financial Accounts. Helena Wilkinson has the details. We know that the decision for these to be shared was made by the king personally and he had done so as well when he was the Prince of Wales. It all comes of course as well after more calls for more openness and transparency over the royal finances following the scandals involving Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor. The bill will cover the tax year ending April, 2025 and there is a commitment to release the tax bill annually. It will include earnings from the king's private estates like Sandringham and Balmoral. A court in Madrid has ordered the wife of Spain's socialist Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez to stand trial for corruption and has barred her from leaving the country. Begoña Go´mez is accused of using her position to secure work contracts. World news on the BBC. The authorities in Colombia have tightened security and implemented a ban on alcohol sales ahead of Sunday's second round presidential vote. The campaign period has been one of the most polarized in recent memory. President Gustavo Petro is not standing but his record on security and the increasing gang violence during his four-year term has been the main issue for voters. Five men have been injured in the Scottish city of Edinburgh in a series of suspected anti-Muslim attacks. Police say a 36-year-old Scottish man has been charged. The first of the alleged attacks took place on Friday close to a mosque. Video footage posted online showed a bare-chested man roaming the streets and holding a large weapon. The French authorities have issued a red alert across more than a third of the country on Sunday as much of Europe copes with an intense heat wave. Climatologists are forecasting temperatures reaching 41 degrees in some areas, including Paris. Claire Prayant says she's not looking forward to the excessive heat. "Honestly, it's unbearable. It's unbearable. I live in a small apartment, I keep the blinds closed and the curtains shut. I have to turn on the light at 10 in the morning because it gets really dark. I can work from home, so that's great." Alcohol consumption has been banned during the annual Fête de la Musique festivities taking place across France on Sunday. Dozens of trains and school classes have been cancelled this week. At the men's football World Cup, a goal with just two minutes of stoppage time to spare enabled four-time champions Germany to inch past Ivory Coast by two goals to one. Earlier, the Netherlands thrashed Sweden 5-1 in Houston to move to the top of Group F. Ecuador and Curaçao are now playing their Group E match in Kansas City. No goals have yet been scored. BBC News. |