Iniaes

In the U.S.

A new NBC News poll finds Americans still think the country is more united than divided, including across race and gender lines. The less cheerful part is the economy, where most respondents see a wide gap between the wealthy and everyone else.

In Arizona, investigators working a missing-person case tied to Nancy Guthrie are moving deeper into digital forensics, reviewing video, cell data, and other traces from the home where she disappeared four months ago. They are still trying to identify the masked suspect seen at her door.

Authorities also say a suspected ringleader in the alleged bomb plot targeting Donald Trump’s UFC event is now in custody. Officials say five people have been detained and that investigators are looking at a wider possible network.

In business and tech

At VivaTech in France, Foxconn, Nvidia, and Mistral AI announced a set of major AI infrastructure deals, another sign that France is being treated as a serious buildout location. Cheap nuclear power and local talent are doing the recruiting work.

Apple says it will raise prices on some products as memory chip costs keep climbing, with analysts pointing to the AI boom as a major driver of semiconductor demand. The company is not alone in discovering that “infinite compute” still has a bill attached.

The EU has launched a green investment fund worth up to €20 billion, but a sizable chunk of it may end up supporting Chinese clean tech in third countries. That includes hardware Brussels has been trying to phase out at home, which is a tidy way to make industrial policy look slightly haunted.

In the Middle East

Pakistan’s prime minister says the U.S. and Iran signed a 14-point memorandum of understanding that took immediate effect after both leaders signed it. He says the deal was mediated through Islamabad and shows a willingness on both sides to move ahead.

The oil industry is already worrying about one part of that agreement, the Strait of Hormuz. Analysts say the deal could strengthen Tehran’s long-term grip on the waterway and leave open the possibility of future fees on tankers and other ships.

In the UK

A former teacher, Jamie Varley, has been given a whole-life order for sexually abusing and murdering 13-month-old Preston Davey, the baby he was adopting with his partner. His partner, John McGowan-Fazakerley, was also sentenced after the court heard evidence of repeated abuse and severe injuries.

In Ukraine

Ukraine says it is tightening the pressure on occupied Crimea, with its defense minister saying forces are methodically cutting Russian ground supply lines into the peninsula. Separately, Ukrainian drone strikes hit several sites in Moscow, including an oil refinery, and briefly shut airports as smoke and fire spread through the city.

In business and jobs

Apple says soaring memory chip costs could force higher prices for iPhones, iPads and Macs, with Tim Cook warning the company can no longer keep absorbing the increase. The chip bill, he said, has become unsustainable.

In Britain, the jobs market is also showing more strain. The Office for National Statistics says vacancies keep falling and new job starts are now at their lowest level in five years.

In the UK

The Met says 104 repeat shoplifters were linked to thousands of offences, and nearly all kept offending even after being charged. Police say the group remained active despite enforcement.

At the same time, the Department for Work and Pensions is writing to pensioners about Pension Credit, which can top up income by up to £952 a month for eligible single claimants. Ministers say as many as 900,000 poorer pensioners may still be missing out, and the department is now asking family members and neighbours to help spot people who could qualify.

In Europe

In Milan, investigators are looking into allegations that transit workers used security feeds to spy on female passengers and share images in a WhatsApp group that rated women’s bodies. The case has raised serious privacy concerns across the city’s transport network.

France Info reports that heatwaves are taking a heavy toll in France, with studies linking nearly 5,400 deaths a year to extreme heat. The risk is said to be higher in poorly insulated housing and in deprived areas, where people are more exposed to dangerous temperatures.

In the Middle East

President Trump says he has signed an initial framework agreement with Iran, a move aimed at ending the war and restoring what the administration is calling the pre-war status quo. U.S. officials say the deal would require Tehran to dilute its stockpile of highly enriched uranium and would lift sanctions, which would let Iran sell oil freely. That is a fairly generous way to describe a ceasefire opening with a lot of unresolved nuclear business still sitting on the table.

The agreement is already drawing Republican backlash. Senator Bill Cassidy called it the worst foreign policy blunder in decades, while Trump has tried to square the circle by insisting Iran still cannot get a nuclear weapon, even as he signals flexibility on uranium enrichment, missiles, and frozen funds.

In U.S. news

A man has been sentenced in connection with the stabbing death of his wife in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, last year. In Chester, four people were hospitalized after reports of gunfire Wednesday night. And in Winslow Township, New Jersey, police are investigating a shooting at a residential complex, with officers cordoning off the area after a large response Tuesday evening.

Separately, an AP-NORC poll says most Americans think civil liberties are under threat, including voting rights. Two-thirds of respondents said the right to vote faces at least some threat, which is not exactly a ringing endorsement of the national mood.

In science and public health

Scientists say bird flu killed more than 13,000 southern elephant seal pups on Heard Island, a remote Australian island. The study found that more than three-quarters of the pups died in the outbreak, a grim reminder that H5N1 is still doing damage far from the headlines.

In Britain

Oxfordshire County Council has asked the High Court for an injunction to stop members of Raise the Colours from hanging Union Jacks on lampposts, saying the campaign has led to trespass, obstruction, confrontation and harassment. Residents and workers reported safety risks and distress, while critics called the legal move a waste of public money. The hearing is set for June 23.

Meanwhile, temperatures above 30C are expected in parts of the UK as a European heat dome pushes very warm weather north. So the country gets flags on lampposts and a forecast that turns pavements into a mild public-health suggestion.

In the Middle East

Israel struck targets in Lebanon as leaders moved toward signing a U.S.-Iran cease-fire framework. Iran says the agreement has now been signed electronically, while the Strait of Hormuz is still not fully back to normal because mine clearance is slowing shipping traffic.

In U.S. news

A one-year-old boy, Kohen Wiley, was killed in a shooting outside a Mississippi Walmart after a police officer opened fire during an investigation. The officer has been placed on administrative leave, and state authorities are conducting an independent review.

Lawmakers are also pressing Harvard and Bard over their ties to Jeffrey Epstein, with House Judiciary Democrat Jamie Raskin calling for a fuller accounting and asking Bard’s outgoing president for an interview. Separately, Pew Research says a majority of U.S. parents with children under 18 in different-sex households now have two full-time working parents, up from 31% in 2021.

In business and technology

Canada is expected to decide within 30 days between South Korea’s Hanwha Ocean and Germany’s TKMS for a submarine program worth about $40 billion. In South Korea, SK hynix says it is dropping college degree requirements for entry-level hires and shifting the focus to practical skills and growth potential.

Researchers say they were still able to trick ChatGPT into generating graphic sexualized and violent images, despite the company’s safety efforts.

In Washington

Trump’s nominee for a top Justice Department watchdog post would not call January 6 an “attack” in Senate questioning, which tells you a lot about the definition of accountability in this town.

Elsewhere in the Trump orbit, the Justice Department sued New York over its Medicaid home care program, a federal judge ordered the administration to restore slavery, climate, and civil rights references removed from national park exhibits, and Trump settled his $100 million lawsuit against his niece, Mary Trump, over leaked tax records.

On foreign policy, Trump is now calling the Iran agreement the “Trump deal,” while Sen. Mark Kelly warned the arrangement could leave Tehran stronger and better funded.

In the Middle East

Israel struck targets in Lebanon on Wednesday even as cease-fire talks moved ahead, a reminder that diplomacy and the battlefield are still operating on different schedules.

In a separate development, a freed Palestinian prisoner met his son for the first time after 25 years behind bars. The son was conceived with smuggled sperm while his father was imprisoned.

In Europe

The European Parliament erupted in “send them back” chants after an anti-migrant bill passed, underscoring how quickly migration can turn lawmakers into a very loud stress test.

In global aid

The World Food Programme says it has received a $695 million U.S. donation, but warns acute hunger is set to worsen in 13 hotspots and that reaching 110 million of the world’s most vulnerable people this year would still require far more funding.

In weather

Tropical Storm Arthur has formed near the Gulf Coast, bringing heavy rain and a flash-flood threat to parts of Texas, Louisiana, and nearby areas already soaked by days of unsettled weather.

In courts and on the campaign trail

Luigi Mangione plans to argue in his state murder trial that he was suffering from extreme emotional disturbance at the time of the shooting he is accused of. It is going to be a closely watched defense.

In Alberta, voters are set to face a referendum in October that could begin the legal process toward a future independence vote. It would not make the province free and clear on its own, because constitutional reality remains one of the few things harder to wish away than the paperwork.

In markets and tech

A broad market rally sent fortunes higher across the board on Monday, with Bloomberg’s Billionaires Index saying the 500 richest people gained a record amount in a single day. Elon Musk alone added $33.6 billion.

Researchers from KAIST and international institutions say they have developed a new upsampling method that could make AI vision models far more memory-efficient, using up to 16 times less GPU memory. The team says the approach could help speed up humanoid robots and on-device AI.

In Europe and Ukraine

European Council President Antonio Costa has made contact with the Kremlin in an effort to open discussions with Vladimir Putin about ending the war in Ukraine, according to people familiar with the matter. It is an early back-channel effort, not a breakthrough.

In business and public health

Thousands of Chileans who took state-backed student loans are now facing bank account seizures over unpaid debt. It is a blunt collection tactic, and not one likely to improve anyone’s mood about higher education finance.

Liver cancer deaths are rising in the UK and around the world, with more than 6,000 deaths a year in the UK alone. The main drivers are largely preventable, including obesity, type 2 diabetes, heavy alcohol use, viral hepatitis, smoking, and poor diet. The report says earlier screening, better hepatitis treatment, and stronger addiction services could reduce a lot of the harm.

In science and weather

Scientists say there is now a more than 60 percent chance of a super El Niño developing by the end of the year. That could warm the tropical Pacific enough to disrupt fish stocks, damage coral reefs and seaweed habitats, and put marine wildlife under severe strain, especially if the pattern hits as strongly as forecast.

Holiday travel

Officials at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport say the airport is scheduled to be closed for much of July 4, just as AAA is forecasting record holiday travel. A nice setup for the nation’s favorite summer tradition, which is traffic pretending to be freedom.

At the World Cup

Cristiano Ronaldo is expected to lead Portugal in its 2026 World Cup opener against DR Congo, which would make him only the second player after Lionel Messi to appear in six World Cups. The tournament is also being used as a platform for pro-Palestinian messaging, with fans from countries including Algeria and Bosnia drawing attention to the issue in the stands. International football remains committed to being about absolutely everything at once.

In U.S. politics

President Trump says he is delaying Jay Clayton’s confirmation as director of national intelligence while pressing Congress to pass a strict voter ID bill and, in a separate push, restore warrantless surveillance powers. Bill Pulte is staying on as acting intelligence chief for now. In Georgia, Republican voters picked Representative Mike Collins in the party’s Senate runoff, setting him up to face Democratic Senator Jon Ossoff in November.

In the Gulf and energy markets

A draft U.S.-Iran ceasefire deal would call for an immediate end to hostilities, sanctions relief for Iran, and the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz, with both sides also reaffirming that Iran would not build a nuclear weapon. Oil and gas prices have already fallen on the prospect of freer shipping through the waterway, though clearing the backlog of tankers and restoring normal flows will take time.

In Texas

Residents along the Texas Gulf Coast were warned that life-threatening flooding is possible this week after the National Hurricane Center designated a broad rainstorm over South Texas as Potential Tropical Cyclone One. Tropical storm watches have also been issued for parts of the upper Texas and southwestern Louisiana coasts.

In the Middle East

Israel has taken control of Hebron’s Ibrahimi Mosque, altering an arrangement that had left Palestinians in control of planning and construction across the city under the 1997 Hebron Agreement. The shift carries obvious political and religious weight, which is usually how these things become everyone’s problem at once.

In UK politics

Keir Starmer is trying to steady Labour as pressure grows over his future, with Wes Streeting warning a leadership contest looks likely unless the prime minister sets out a timetable to step aside. Starmer said he would talk to Andy Burnham after the weekend and called him a major asset to the party and the country.

Starmer also said the UK and France will launch a drone task force to monitor Channel crossings, part of the government’s effort to step up surveillance and arrests against smuggling gangs. He says the crossings will take time to stop, which is true, and politically inconvenient.

In the Channel

Starmer called a Russian warship’s warning shots near a British yacht “reckless” after a retired couple said the vessel fired as they sailed off the Isle of Wight. The couple rejected Moscow’s account, saying their yacht was turning away and that there was no radio warning. The incident was later checked by HMS Tyne, and the government says Russia remains aggressive across Europe.

In the United States

A small business jet crashed onto a highway in Laredo, Texas, killing one person and injuring five after the aircraft broke apart and burst into flames. It also struck a moving car, and bystanders rushed in with a shovel and sledgehammer to try to reach people in the wreckage. The plane had lost contact with air traffic control before going down near Laredo International Airport.

In government oddities

At the Department for Education, civil servants spent working hours playing Grand Theft Auto with members of the public as part of a taxpayer-funded Policy Lab project. Officials said it was meant to help understand participants’ experiences and create a safe space for discussion, while the unit has also tried clay modelling, Peruvian knot-tying, and commissioned artwork. Ministers are now looking into the unit’s future.

In U.S. news

Federal investigators say five suspects plotted a drone attack on a White House event on the South Lawn before authorities stopped them, according to newly unsealed court documents. In Washington, Democrat Robert White is projected to win the party primary for D.C.’s nonvoting House delegate seat after Eleanor Holmes Norton’s retirement opened up the race. Separately, the Justice Department is trying to halt an NAACP lawsuit over air pollution allegations against xAI, arguing the case touches national, economic, and energy security.

In Delaware, police say a suspect has been arrested in Philadelphia after a shooting at Wilmington Hospital left one person dead and another injured.

In world news

Portuguese police say they have recovered a body believed to be that of a 23-year-old British tourist who disappeared while swimming off Albufeira. In Ukraine, a suspected Russian drone strike hit a residential building and injured at least seven people. In Crimea, Russian-installed authorities have banned mopeds, quad bikes, and motorcycles at night, saying the noise can be mistaken for drone activity as Ukraine’s strike campaign continues.

In London, Lambeth Council says it may cut back cooperation with the Home Office on immigration enforcement raids, after residents raised concerns that the operations are making people afraid to seek help. The council plans to review its information-sharing arrangements during Refugee Week.

In business

Japan’s Fair Trade Commission raided the headquarters of six major ice cream makers, including Akagi Nyugyo, Ezaki Glico, Lotte, Meiji, Morinaga Milk Industry, and Morinaga, over suspected price collusion. Regulators believe the firms may have used food inflation as cover to raise prices heading into summer.

In sports

Lionel Messi scored a hat trick as Argentina opened their World Cup campaign with a win over Algeria, and he matched Miroslav Klose’s record of 16 World Cup goals. Nearly 70,000 Argentine fans were in Kansas City for the opener.

In U.S. security and courts

The FBI says it stopped a plot aimed at a White House UFC event, with five suspects arrested across Ohio, Missouri, and California after investigators learned of the threat four days before the event. Officials say the bureau moved to shut it down before anyone got hurt.

Separately, the Justice Department is backing Elon Musk’s xAI in a Mississippi pollution lawsuit, asking a federal judge to throw out the NAACP’s case over methane-gas turbines used to power the company’s Southaven data center. The suit says the turbines were installed without air permits and violated the Clean Air Act by releasing toxic pollutants.

And in South Jersey, authorities have charged a father in the death of his disabled daughter inside their home. The family of Devin Hall says it is preparing for her funeral later this week.

In Europe and trade

French President Emmanuel Macron will host President Trump for dinner at Versailles on Wednesday, in a gesture marking the U.S. 250th birthday. Macron’s office is calling the palace a symbol of Franco-American friendship, and Trump has accepted the invitation Macron first extended in April.

In Brussels, the European Parliament has approved its trade deal with the United States, clearing the way for lower tariffs on industrial and agricultural goods, while Washington agrees to cap its own tariffs. The vote had been delayed after Trump threatened Greenland.

France’s intelligence agency has also dropped Palantir and switched to a domestic rival, part of a broader European push for tech sovereignty. At the same time, some analysts warn that cutting back on U.S. tools could leave Europe with weaker options for military and cybersecurity work. And Trump is signaling that he may reimpose sanctions on Russian oil as the G7 refocuses on Ukraine, where Kyiv is now pursuing EU membership talks and security guarantees.