Less than two years after Starmer won a landslide election victory that promised to end Britain's chaotic politics, one source said the prime minister had spent the weekend considering whether to step aside or fight a leadership contest.

The teams led by US Vice President JD Vance and Iran's Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf opened talks Sunday, as part of a two-month negotiating period set out under a preliminary deal agreed last week.

The first round of talks between high-ranking US and Iranian officials in Switzerland ended Monday, mediators said, after a tense opening marked by Tehran's announcement it had again closed the Strait of Hormuz and US President Donald Trump repeating his threats to resume attacks on Iran.

Many Moluccans, from the so-called "spice islands" in eastern Indonesia, fought for the Dutch colonial army during the post-World War II struggle for independence.

The Italian premier had accused Trump on Friday of being a liar for alleging that she had "begged" him for a photo with her during this week's Group of Seven summit in France.

A punishing heatwave sweeping across much of Europe prompted a partial alcohol ban in France, nationwide warnings in Germany and the closure of a soccer fan zone in Spain, as temperatures climbed towards record levels.

Britain's Observer newspaper said Prime Minister Keir Starmer was expected to resign on Monday and set out a timetable for his departure, though a government source said Starmer remained focused on getting on with the job of governing.

"I think we're going to hopefully make progress on the nuclear issue, make progress on the Lebanon ceasefire issue. Those are the two big things that I think we're to be focused on," Vance told reporters before departing from Joint Base Andrews, saying he could only join the talks "for a day or two."

The talks in Burgenstock, Switzerland, are meant to open a two-month negotiation period on issues left unresolved by the initial accord, notably Iran's nuclear program.

Some businesses in cities hosting the 2026 World Cup matches have been riding a wave of international customers, while others find themselves locked out of the action.

US officials including President Donald Trump have expressed frustration at Israel's campaign in Lebanon.

Testing had confirmed the bird, found sick near Esperance, a town about 570 km southeast of Perth, the capital of Western Australia, had the deadly strain.

The current heatwave is already the second of the year for many, and means summer is kicking off for tens of millions of Western Europeans with another spell of extreme heat.

The new aircraft features leather seats, plush carpets, wooden panelling, walls colored tan and light brown with shades of gold and patriotic-themed pictures, including a framed print of a duck swimming in the Reflecting Pool.

Lebanese President Jospeh Aoun stressed "the need for Israeli attacks on Lebanese territory to cease through the achievement of a comprehensive ceasefire".

Indonesia joined a coalition of Muslim countries on Friday in condemning recent Israeli attacks on mosques in the occupied West Bank, warning that escalating violence in the Palestinian enclave risks undermining already fragile efforts to stabilize the Middle East.

The deal was also meant to halt the fighting in Lebanon, but Israel's military announced on Friday new strikes against Hezbollah targets, with 18 people killed, according to the Lebanese health ministry.

Burnham, the Greater Manchester mayor nicknamed "King of the North", won the contest in Makerfield in northwest England with 54.8 percent of the vote, beating the candidate for Nigel Farage's populist Reform UK party, on 34.5 percent.

Vance told members of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's cabinet to "wake up and smell the reality," amid growing tensions between Netanyahu and US President Donald Trump.

Indonesia has called for expanded cooperation between ASEAN and Russia on the economy, food security and energy resilience, as leaders from the regional bloc wrapped up talks in Kazan, Russia, on Thursday with a renewed commitment to deepen engagement with Moscow amid continuing global volatility.

The 14-point agreement extends a ceasefire announced in April by another 60 days, including in Lebanon, to allow the two sides to negotiate a final truce.

US President Donald Trump and his Iranian counterpart signed the deal on Wednesday, with a ceremony set for Friday in Switzerland that will mark the start of a 60-day negotiation period.

Foreign Minister Sugiono arrived in Kazan on Wednesday morning to attend the ASEAN-Russia Summit, where discussions on pressing regional and global issues are expected to take place over the two-day conference. 

Qatar reaffirmed its US$4 billion commitment to invest in Indonesia as the two countries agreed to deepen bilateral cooperation ahead of a visit by the emir

During their phone conversation, the Palestinian president expressed appreciation for Indonesia’s support while urging the Prabowo administration’s active role in advocating for the people of Palestine.

The fund is designed to give both sides an economic incentive to conclude a final deal to end the war, said the source, who spoke on condition of anonymity because the plan has not yet been announced as Washington and Tehran prepare to sign on Friday.

HMS Tamar is forward deployed permanently in the Indo-Pacific region together with sister ship HMS Spey with a primary logistics hub in Singapore.