President Donald Trump confirmed Monday that the peace agreement with Iran has been signed electronically and that the Strait of Hormuz will reopen to international shipping on Friday, the same day the deal is formally inked in Geneva. Vice-President JD Vance described the memorandum of understanding as "about a page and a half" and a "very general" document, though US officials have confirmed it extends the ceasefire and lifts the US Navy blockade of Iranian ports. The agreement was signed electronically by Trump, Vance, and Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, with the full 14-point text expected to be released in stages.
The landmark deal takes center stage at the G7 summit in Évian-les-Bains, France, where world leaders have gathered for what is expected to be a deeply divided agenda. Trump arrived in France after talks with French President Emmanuel Macron, declaring that "great things are going to happen." A special Tuesday session on Iran will include the leaders of Egypt, Qatar, and the United Arab Emirates. Outside the summit venue, protesters clashed with French police as activists demonstrated against economic inequality, climate inaction, and what they described as an elite-driven global order. The G7 faces its most serious test of unity in years as Trump's unilateral approach to trade, defense spending, and Middle East diplomacy strains traditional Western alliances.
Russian missile strikes tore through central Kyiv overnight, killing at least 11 civilians and setting the 11th-century Dormition Cathedral at the Kyiv Pechersk Lavra monastery ablaze. The UNESCO World Heritage site suffered extensive damage to its wooden interior in what Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky called "one of the biggest Russian crimes against Christian culture today." Five rescue workers died in a separate strike while battling a fire in the north-eastern city of Kharkiv. Russia denied targeting the cathedral, a claim disputed by Ukrainian authorities who presented evidence of missile fragments found at the scene. The attacks came as Ukraine formally opened European Union membership talks, beginning what is expected to be years of reforms while the country remains locked in combat with Russian forces.
American musician and internet personality Oliver Tree was among six people killed when two helicopters collided over Rio de Janeiro on Sunday. The 32-year-old alt-pop singer, known for viral hits "Life Goes On" and "Hurt," had been on a world tour and was in Brazil for scheduled performances. Argentine content creator Gaspar Prim Diaz — known as Gaspi — was also believed to be among the victims. Brazilian authorities launched an investigation into air traffic control protocols and weather conditions that may have contributed to the midair collision. Footage published by local media showed one helicopter dropping from the sky, with flames and thick smoke rising from the crash site where debris scattered across a densely populated area.
The United Kingdom's landmark ban on social media for users under the age of 16 took effect Monday, requiring government-issued identification or biometric age verification for platform access. The measure, the first of its kind at a national level, has drawn both praise from child safety advocates and sharp criticism from privacy groups who describe it as dangerously overbroad. Australia and France are watching closely, with similar legislation in draft stages. The UK also made headlines for its first unilateral seizure of a Russian shadow fleet tanker in the English Channel, signaling a more aggressive British posture toward enforcing Western sanctions on Moscow's oil exports. Cybersecurity executives, meanwhile, urged the Trump administration to ease restrictions on Anthropic's AI models during a White House meeting focused on maintaining US competitive advantage in artificial intelligence.
Source context: BBC News, CNN International
