BBC在线收听下载:沙特成立该国首个文化部

Hello, I'm Rosemary Crick with the BBC News.

Spain's new Prime Minister, the Socialist Pedro Sanchez has been sworn into office by King Felipe. His party only has a quarter of the seats in Parliament. From Madrid, here's Gavin Lee. With a brief formal ceremony, the victor stood side by side with the ousted former Prime Minister in that formal passing-over of the role. Whilst Pedro Sanchez signed on the constitution and swore an oath on the constitution, he asked for the Bible and a crucifix not to be present. He is an atheist. What now? Well, he will announce his government in the next few days. He wants to rule for two years. He wants to bring in certain changes, but there are big questions about how long this government will last.

The US Defense Secretary James Mattis has said there are no plans to remove American troops from the Korean Peninsula as part of negotiations with North Korea. A summit between President Trump and Kim Jong-un has been confirmed for June 12, but Mr. Mattis said the presence of more than 28,000 troops in South Korea wasn't negotiable. If we can restore confidence building measures with something verifiable, then of course, these kinds of issues can come up subsequently between two sovereign democracies, the Republic of Korea and the United States. But that issue is not on the table here in Singapore on the 12, nor should it be. North Korea's neighbors have welcomed the confirmation that talks between the United States and North Korea are back on.

For the first time, Saudi Arabia has set up a separate culture ministry as the country is launching huge new projects to bring to life its pre-Islamic past. It's also part of a drive by the powerful Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman, to encourage Saudis to spend more money in the Kingdom as well as to attract foreign tourists. Sebastian Usher reports. The notoriously austere kingdom has been opening up to a host of new cultural initiatives in the past two years with the arrival of cinemas, opera and pop concerts and a vast new historical area known as Al-Ula being developed in the north. It's all part of a Crown Prince's ambitious plan to transform Saudi society, opening it to the world while giving its young population new employment and leisure opportunities. Critics within the country are mostly silent for now including the religious elite. Sebastian Usher with that report.

World news from the BBC.