Reuters World News Summary

UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer is reportedly considering resignation, but a government source disputes this, stating he remains focused on governing despite growing leadership challenges.

Following is a summary of current world news briefs.

Report says UK PM Starmer ready to quit, but source says he is still focused on the job

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. The threat to Starmer's position, which has been building for months, increased sharply on Friday when ​his rival Andy Burnham won a seat in parliament that would allow him to launch a formal leadership challenge.

At least 30 deaths ‌at Congo ​camp show Ebola could be spreading fast

At least 30 people have died since the start of May in one camp for displaced civilians in northeastern Congo, a death rate that camp officials said was unprecedented, with some confirmed to have died from Ebola in a sign the disease could be spreading fast there. It was not possible to confirm the causes of all the deaths because patients or their relatives in Kigonze camp in Bunia - the epicentre of the Ebola outbreak in Democratic Republic of Congo - had until Thursday refused testing, a camp spokesperson and aid organisation Caritas said.

Iran negotiators, Vance head for Switzerland but Lebanon fighting continues

A ‌high-level Iranian team arrived in Switzerland on Saturday for peace talks with the U.S., Iranian state media reported, as U.S. Vice President JD Vance departed Washington for meetings that Pakistan said will begin on Sunday. The Iranian delegation was led by chief negotiator Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf and included Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi as well as senior security, central bank and oil officials, Iranian media said.

Israeli soldiers in Lebanon are free to take action if under threat, Israel's Katz says

Israeli soldiers are free to act without restriction to eliminate threats in Lebanon, Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz said on Sunday, adding troops remained in position in what Israel refers to as a security zone. A ceasefire with Iran-backed Hezbollah took effect on Friday after months of escalating violence, but on Saturday Israeli strikes killed at least 20 people in Lebanon, Lebanon's state news agency NNA reported.

Vance, Iranians in Switzerland for first talks, overshadowed by ‌closure of strait

U.S. Vice President JD Vance held peace talks with Iran at a Swiss resort on Sunday, overshadowed by Tehran saying it had shut the Strait of Hormuz and would not discuss nuclear issues because Washington had failed to halt fighting in Lebanon. The talks were the first to be held under the terms of a memorandum of understanding agreed a week ago, which calls for the ‌strait to be reopened and a halt to all hostilities, including in Lebanon, which U.S. ally Israel invaded in March.

Trump says no toll on Strait of Hormuz unless US imposes one

U.S. President Donald Trump posted on Saturday that no toll will be charged for passage through the Strait of Hormuz during or after the 60-day interim ceasefire with Iran — unless the U.S. imposes one should peace talks fail. "There will be NO TOLLS in the Hormuz Strait for 60 days during the Cease Fire Period, and there will be NO TOLLS after the 60 day period has expired, unless they are imposed by and for the United States of America, should the deal not be completed, for services rendered as the Guardian Angel to the countries of the Middle East for purposes of both past, present, and future reimbursement of costs," Trump wrote in a post on Truth Social.

Israeli fire kills nine people in Gaza, including a child and journalist, medics say

Israeli strikes and gunfire killed at least nine people, including a child and a journalist ⁠from Al Jazeera, in the ​Gaza Strip on Saturday, health officials said. An Israeli airstrike killed four Palestinians, including two women and a child, in an ⁠apartment building in Gaza City, health officials said. The attack on the building in the Sabra neighborhood of Gaza City destroyed the apartment and wounded several other people, medics added.

UK minister says Starmer is considering 'political realities' as position under threat

British business minister Peter Kyle said Prime Minister Keir Starmer is reflecting on the "political realities" after party rival Andy Burnham was elected to parliament, setting up a potential leadership challenge. Speaking to broadcasters on Sunday, Kyle said he had no reason to believe Starmer was planning to announce his resignation on ⁠Monday but that it would be "delusional" not to think his position was under threat.

Soccer-U.S. defends Iran World Cup travel restrictions, says discussions ongoing

The United States will continue to assess the Iran squad's travel arrangements at the World Cup but for now the original plan remains in place despite the team saying they would lodge a complaint with FIFA, Andrew Giuliani, executive director of the White House Task Force for the tournament, told Reuters on Saturday. Iran are unhappy at restrictions that mean ​they can only travel to venues within 24 hours of their fixtures and must depart back to their training base in Tijuana, Mexico directly after each game, with coach Amir Ghalenoei suggesting his side were "the most oppressed team in the whole World Cup".

Thousands rally in Serbia's north to demand early elections

Thousands protested in Serbia’s northern city of Novi Sad on Saturday to mark ⁠the 2024 deaths of 16 people after a railway station awning collapsed and demand snap general elections. Student-led anti-government protests that turned violent at times spread across Serbia following the disaster, rattling the 13-year rule of populist Aleksandar Vucic and his Serbian Progressive Party.

Ukraine's Zelenskiy confirms drone strike on refining facilities in Russia's Tyumen region

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said on Saturday that Ukrainian drones had struck an oil refinery in Russia's Tyumen Region in western Siberia, more than 2,000 km (1,200 miles) from Ukraine. He also said Ukraine had developed new long-range drones capable of operating ⁠over ​more than 3,000 km.

Europe swelters under heatwave, France restricts alcohol consumption

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. France was expecting 35 of its 96 departments or regions to declare red heatwave alerts on Sunday with temperatures of 39 to 40 degrees Celsius (102-104 Fahrenheit) expected from the southwest through the Paris region into Burgundy, with some areas possibly reaching 41C.

Three people die in single story pavilion fire in London

Three people have died following a fire in White City, London, which involved a single-story pavilion, the London Fire Brigade said on Saturday. The cause of the fire is under investigation by the Brigade's specialist fire investigation officers and the Metropolitan Police Service.

Bolivia on edge after Paz declares emergency to ⁠clear protest gridlock

Tensions soared in Bolivia on Saturday after President Rodrigo Paz declared a state of emergency, allowing security forces to begin clearing protesters' roadblocks that have paralyzed the economy over the past 50 days and left at least 14 people dead. In an early morning address, Paz said the anti-government blockades were no longer a social protest but an organized attempt to destabilize Bolivia's democracy.

Chicago police investigate shooting ⁠that left 12 injured

An apparent drive-by shooting in Chicago injured at least 12 people on Friday night, police said. The ⁠shooting occurred near Princeton Park on the city's South Side.

Erdogan orders talks to reopen Orthodox Christian seminary in Turkey, a focus for Trump

Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan ordered officials on Sunday to resume talks on reopening an Orthodox Christian seminary near Istanbul, an issue raised by U.S. President Donald Trump, who is expected to visit Ankara next month for a NATO summit. The Halki seminary, founded in 1844 and shut by the Turkish state in 1971, played a central role in the Eastern Orthodox Church as the Ecumenical Patriarchate's main theological school. It trained generations of Orthodox clergy, including the current patriarch Bartholomew, who is based in Istanbul.

Iran's ‌Tasnim news agency says Hormuz will not reopen until Lebanon ceasefire holds, ‌oil waivers issued

Iran's Tasnim news agency, citing a source close to the negotiating team, reported on Sunday that the Strait of Hormuz would not be reopened as long as a ceasefire in Lebanon was not respected. The ​source said the waterway would also remain closed until waivers allowing the sale of Iranian oil were issued.