①Chinese President Xi Jinping has had a phone conversation with his French counterpart, Emmanuel Macron. What issues have been discussed? (00:43) ②China and Saudi Arabia have signed a currency swap agreement. How will it strengthen financial cooperation and promote trade between the two countries? (13:41) ③Germany, France and Italy have reached agreement on the future of AI regulation. How will that impact negotiations at the European level? (24:13) ④China keeps lend benchmark rates unchanged. (33:13) ⑤Air China resumes direct flights between Beijing and Washington. How will it promote people-to-people exchanges between China and the United States? (42:26)

How significant is the China-Saudi currency swap agreement?

With in-depth panel discussions on domestic and global news and current affairs, World Today gives you the story behind the headlines.

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The center-right European People's Party scored a clear victory in the recent European Parliament election, tightening its grip on the chamber. But far-right forces made major gains across the bloc.  In France for example, the far-right National Rally raked in nearly a third of the votes, which prompted French President Emmanuel Macron to dissolve the National Assembly and call new legislative elections. What factors could explain the rise of the right wing in European politics? What does the 2024 election mean for the EU moving forward? Host Liu Kun is joined by Chen Weihua, China Daily EU Bureau Chief based in Brussels; Dr. George Tzogopoulos, Director of EU-China Programs and Senior Research Fellow at European Institute of Nice; Mike Bastin, China observer and senior lecturer at the University of Southampton.

Panel: What does the 2024 EU election mean for the bloc?

①Chinese Premier Li Qiang is in New Zealand for official visit. What does the future hold for bilateral relations? (00:41) ②The European Union will impose tariffs of up to 38% on Chinese-made electric vehicles. How will it impact China's EV industry? (12:39) ③Beijing says Washington's tightened suppression of China's semiconductor industry will not stop the country's technological advance. (24:33) ④The World Bank has upgraded its outlook for the global economy. What are the factors driving the slightly more optimistic outlook? (33:31) ⑤The 10th China International Technology Fair is in full swing. (43:37)

How will EU tariffs impact China's EV industry?

①	Chinese Premier Li Qiang will visit New Zealand, Australia and Malaysia. What to expect? (00:42) ②	The Group of Seven Leaders gather in Italy for an annual summit this week. What will be on top of the agenda? (12:52) ③	Hamas has responded to a US ceasefire proposal to end the war in Gaza, but Israel says the response is tantamount to a rejection. We discuss more on the fate of the ceasefire plan. (24:35) ④	China's consumer price index edged up 0.3 percent year on year in May. (33:13) ⑤	Latest survey shows trust in British politics hits record low. (43:00)

What will be the fate of the Gaza ceasefire plan?

①The BRICS Foreign Ministers' Meeting takes place in Nizhny Novgorod, Russia. How does the platform reflect the growing voice of the Global South? (00:40) ②The United Nations has endorsed a US-backed cease-fire plan to end the war in Gaza. How can it be enforced and implemented? (12:27) ③Iran has approved six candidates to run for president. What happens next? (24:36) ④China has selected ten candidates for the country's fourth batch of astronauts. (32:49) ⑤Apple unveils "Apple Intelligence" at the WWDC. (41:39)

How can an expanded BRICS promote a multipolar world order?

①Far-right parties have made significant gains in the European Parliament elections. What does it mean for the future of the continent? (00:30) ②China's foreign trade up 6.3% in the first five months of 2024 (25:00) ③Israeli minister Benny Gantz has resigned from war cabinet. What's behind the decision? (35:46) ④How significant is the first International Day for Dialogue among Civilizations? (44:46)

How significant is the China-Saudi currency swap agreement?

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