Headline News

Andy Burnham has been sworn in as Labour Member of Parliament in Britain, after signaling his intention to take part in the race to find a successor to Prime Minister Keir Starmer. Starmer said he will step down after the Labour leadership contest is completed.

Chongqing is boosting the capacity of its China-Europe freight train services to meet growing demand for automobile exports, using new high-capacity containers to reduce the transport cost per vehicle.

The Chinese commerce ministry has released an action plan to stabilize and optimize foreign investment utilization. The plan prioritizes expanding market access in services, finance and pharmaceuticals, among other sectors.

Chinese Premier Li Qiang will attend the 17th Annual Meeting of the New Champions in Dalian on Tuesday and Wednesday. He will address the Opening Plenary of the event, also known as the "Summer Davos."

Pressure intensified after Andy Burnham won a by-election to return to parliament, emerging as the frontrunner to replace Keir Starmer as leader of the Labour Party. Allies cited Starmer's 2024 general election mandate to serve until 2029.

A statement by mediators Qatar and Pakistan says US-Iran talks in Switzerland have made progress, including a mechanism on further technical negotiations. The statement said all sides agreed to set up a high-level committee to oversee progress.

Neymar has completed a full training session with Brazil's World Cup squad as he prepares for his first international appearance in almost three years.

Iran's negotiating team says Tehran and Washington have finalized a draft on waivers of Iranian oil sanctions after talks in Switzerland. A member from the Iranian team also said talks on other issues will not proceed if strikes on Lebanon continue.

The United States and Iranian delegations have met at the Buergenstock resort in Switzerland, with the aim of turning this week's interim peace agreement into a broader and more durable deal.

British Sky News reports UK Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper has privately urged Prime Minister Keir Starmer to resign, as senior ministers step up pressure following a by-election win for Andy Burnham.

The United States, Iran and Pakistan are preparing for technical talks in Switzerland on Sunday, with all delegations having already arrived.

Germany came from behind to secure a dramatic 2-1 victory over Cote d'Ivoire in a thrilling World Cup 2026 Group E encounter, with substitute Deniz Undav scoring twice, including a stoppage-time winner.

Los Angeles has declared an emergency as a warehouse fire burns for a fourth day. The blaze erupted Wednesday at a cold-storage facility near downtown, sending heavy smoke across the region.

The Swiss foreign ministry says an Iranian delegation has landed in Switzerland for talks with the United States at the Burgenstock resort to halt the conflict in the Middle East. Meantime, US Vice President JD Vance has also departed Washington for Switzerland for talks with Iran.

Iranian armed forces have reportedly closed the Strait of Hormuz to all vessels. The move comes in response to what Tehran described as US and Israeli “violations” of the memorandum of understanding signed earlier between Washington and Tehran.

June 20th marks World Refugee Day, as the UN warns of a worsening displacement crisis affecting nearly 130 million people, while China calls for stronger global humanitarian cooperation and support for those in need.

Bolivian President Rodrigo Paz has declared a national state of emergency as a 50-day protest movement continues to disrupt the country.

China’s Dragon Boat Festival holiday has seen strong travel demand and a cinema boom, with over 235 million passenger trips on the first day and the holiday box office exceeding 200 million yuan.

Australia has recorded its first mainland case of the deadly H5N1 strain of avian influenza. Agriculture Minister Julie Collins confirmed a migratory brown skua found dead in a Western Australian national park on June 14 tested positive for the virus.

Iran's Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei says a scheduled meeting between Iranian and U.S. delegations in Switzerland has been postponed, and planning is underway for another one in the coming days.

Two trains collided near Bedford in eastern England on Friday evening, killing one person and injuring 89 others. The local Ambulance Service said 11 people sustained "very serious injuries."

A senior US official has confirmed a ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hezbollah, following a deadly exchange of strikes in Lebanon that left at least 18 people killed in the Nabatieh area early Friday.

China is expected to see nearly 240 million passenger trips on Friday, up 1.9% from the first day of the Dragon Boat Festival holiday, with rail travel rising 9% to 19.7 million trips and road traffic reaching 210 million, up 1.4%.

China–Europe freight trains made over 20,000 trips last year, up more than tenfold from 1,700 in 2016, with growth averaging over 30% annually.

The Swiss Foreign Ministry says planned US–Iran talks scheduled for Friday in Switzerland were canceled after US Vice President JD Vance withdrew from a planned trip to meet Iranian negotiators.