UK prime ministerial candidate Burnham said he believes defence spending plans must be taken seriously by the state.

Lebanese President Aoun met visiting Syrian transitional foreign minister Shibani in Beirut and said Lebanon seeks bilateral ties with Syria based on cooperation, coordination and non‑interference. Aoun welcomed formation of a high‑level joint committee and endorsed coordination on border security and joint efforts against weapons and drug smuggling and human trafficking as mutually beneficial; he reiterated calls for Israeli forces to withdraw from Lebanese and Syrian territory to support regional stability. Shibani said the visit aims to deepen ties and economic cooperation, denied any Syrian intent to militarily intervene in Lebanon and voiced support for resolving regional issues through dialogue rather than confrontation.

Shanghai silver 2608 contract rallied intraday, gains widening to 3.94% as price rose to 15,202 yuan/kg; turnover exceeded 123.0 bln yuan. Open interest increased by nearly 2,300 contracts intraday, with volume and OI activity rising in tandem.