AP News Summary at 7:04 p.m. EDT | National News

• The U.S. and Iran are reportedly nearing a peace deal that would effectively end their current conflict. • Key terms of the agreement include the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz and the lifting of the U.S. naval blockade.

• Chinese President Xi Jinping and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un held a summit in June 2026 to discuss regional stability and diplomatic cooperation. • The meeting serves as a critical test of China's strategic claim that it can lead and maintain a "stable" new global order.

• A peace deal is expected to be signed this Friday to end military operations across all fronts, including conflicts in Lebanon. • Donald Trump has announced that the strategically vital Strait of Hormuz will be re-opened as part of the resolution.

• The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) reported on Monday that malnutrition has worsened across much of Afghanistan, with conditions deteriorating in 26 provinces. • The situation has reached critical levels in 12 provinces, highlighting a severe decline in nutritional stability compared to 2025.

• The UN human rights chief formally praised a new peace treaty signed between the United States and Iran on June 13, 2026. • The accord aims to resolve decades of conflict between the two nations and serves as a critical step toward establishing broader regional stability.

• G7 energy billionaires have reportedly accumulated $300 million daily amid ongoing conflicts involving the US, Israel, and Iran. • Total billionaire wealth has surged by nearly $10 trillion during the fifth global economic crisis since 2020.

The US vice-president ⁠also said nuclear ​inspectors would return ⁠to Iran as part of the deal ⁠with Washington to end ​the warFull report: Trump declares deal ‘all signed’ as G7 leaders try to tie loose endsHello and welcome to the Guardian’s continuing coverage of the US-Israel war on Iran ahead of the expected signing of the framework peace deal in a couple of days. America’s ⁠memorandum ​of understanding (MOU) with Iran ⁠is “a very general document”, the US vice-president, JD Vance, has said, adding that specifics ⁠of the ​deal ‌will be ‌worked out during further ‌negotiations.With a memorandum ⁠of understanding ⁠between the ​US and Iran ⁠​signed, Trump said the strait of Hormuz “will be completely open” by Friday. A signing ceremony is scheduled to take place on Friday in Geneva, which Trump said he will probably not attend.The deal included a ceasefire in Lebanon but did not provide for a withdrawal of Israeli troops from areas that they occupied. Lebanon’s prime minister Nawaf Salam has said diplomatic efforts with the US are continuing in order to achieve the full withdrawal of Israeli troops from territory in southern Lebanon.However, in his first public address after the deal signing, Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that Israeli forces will also remain in Gaza, Lebanon and Syria “for as long as necessary”. He also announced he would be running for relection.Hezbollah has welcomed the memorandum of ⁠understanding ⁠between the ​US and ⁠Iran, saying it had resulted in ⁠a comprehensive ​ceasefire ‌across ‌all fronts, including Lebanon. In ‌a written statement, the Tehran-backed militant group warned Israel that it ‌would not accept any attacks ​that violate Lebanon’s sovereignty or targeted its ⁠people. It said Lebanon’s ​inclusion ​in the ​agreement reflected Iran’s ​commitment ‌to ​ending ​the war. Continue reading...

Environment secretary reportedly raised concerns that customers would face ‘undue burden’ from £10bn planThames Water should be nationalised, says BurnhamBusiness live – latest updatesThe UK environment secretary has reportedly objected to a £10bn rescue proposal for Thames Water because it would place an “undue burden” on consumers, pushing the troubled utilities firm closer towards public ownership.Emma Reynolds, the environment secretary, wrote to Ofwat, the regulator, on Monday to raise concerns about the plan for the UK’s biggest water company, according to the Times, as she is worried that customers will lose out. Continue reading...

Play at Gillian Lynne theatre in London will cycle through versions with weekend crowds able to pick oneIn keeping with its well-earned reputation for cloak and dagger, the stage adaptation of the hit gameshow Traitors will present audiences with different renditions of the story depending on which night they attend.The Traitors: Acts of Betrayal will take the form of a five-play cycle, with weekend crowds able to determine which version of the BBC show dramatisation they see. Continue reading...

Thinktank says decoupling electricity from gas prices has also helped shield Spain from hikes caused by Iran warSpanish households save €10 a month on electricity bills because of wind turbines and solar panels installed in the last five years, a report has found.Typical energy bills would be 19% more expensive if electricity costs were still as tightly coupled to gas prices as in 2021, according to Ember, a climate thinktank. It found Spain’s “strategic” expansion of renewables since Russia invaded Ukraine in 2022 has shielded Spanish households from the latest rises in fossil fuel prices caused by the Iran war. Continue reading...

Independent watchdog clears officers of serious misconduct but finds they ‘did not meet minimum standards’ on night Lindy Lucena was killed in BallinaFollow our Australia news live blog for latest updatesGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastAt 7pm on 3 January 2023, New South Wales police received a triple zero call reporting that a woman was “being bashed” behind the Salvation Army building in Ballina.“I’m just letting you know, there’s a woman getting bashed behind Salvation Army in Ballina and that’s all I got to say I don’t want to be reported or anything,” the caller said. Continue reading...