Iran

• The United States and Iran have reached a preliminary agreement to pause hostilities and strikes in West Asia to prevent further escalation. • U.S. envoys Steven Witkoff and Jared Kushner met with mediators in Doha, Qatar, though Qatari officials clarified that no direct talks between the U.S. and Iran are currently taking place. • A critical component of the deal involves reopening the Strait of Hormuz, a vital global shipping lane that has been threatened by the ongoing conflict.

• Internal power struggles within the Iranian regime have intensified as rival factions clash over the direction of the country's nuclear talks. • The conflict has escalated beyond foreign policy disagreements, evolving into a bitter battle for political influence at the highest levels of government. • These regime divisions are coinciding with public protests that continue to challenge the stability of the existing political system.

Our European environment correspondent has been reporting on the shocking heatwave that continues to scorch its way across Europe, covering everything from the lack of preparation to ways to deal with the heatPost your questions now – Ajit will be here at 1pm BST (2pm CEST) to answer themMany European countries, including Germany, France, Czechia, Poland and Hungary have experienced their hottest days ever. The UK and others have suffered their hottest ever day in June. Over the past week Ajit, alongside the rest of our environment team and network of reporters, has been following this extreme heat wave as it headed east across the continent. Today, Budapest is expected to hit 40C and other parts of eastern Europe have issued red warnings for extreme heat.We have looked at how the heatwave has been used as a political football; the best ways to stay safe in the heat and how these kind of temperatures disproportionately impact women and low-income families. Continue reading...

• The United States and Iran have agreed to halt their mutual attacks as of Sunday, according to a U.S. official. • To build on this ceasefire, the U.S. will hold a "high-level" meeting with Iranian representatives in Qatar this Tuesday. • This diplomatic effort aims to stabilize regional tensions and prevent further military escalation between the two nations.

• Asia-Pacific stock markets showed mixed performance as investors monitored ongoing U.S.-Iran negotiations and anticipated upcoming U.S. employment data. • Regional indices saw varied movements, with Australia's ASX 200 rising slightly to 8,827.00 and Shenzhen's SZI growing by 0.85% to 15,946.72. • Conversely, markets in South Korea, Hong Kong, and Shanghai experienced declines, with Hong Kong's HSI contracting by 0.64% to 22,879.80.

• Iran and the United States are scheduled to hold diplomatic talks in Doha, Qatar, on June 29, 2026. • The primary objective of the meeting is to discuss the specific implementation details of a previously established US-Iran memorandum of understanding. • These negotiations are critical as they represent a formal effort to operationalize agreements and potentially reduce tensions between the two adversarial nations.

• The National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI) convened for a two-day session on June 30, 2026, to discuss critical governance and human rights issues. • The session focused on the obligation of governments to guarantee children's rights to survival, development, and protection from violence, exploitation, and discrimination. • These discussions emphasize the necessity of recognizing children's freedoms regarding thought, conscience, religion, and expression based on their maturity.

• Asian stock markets showed mixed performance on June 30, with Japan's Nikkei 225 remaining volatile and the Topix falling 0.65%. • South Korea's Kospi initially surged 1.17% at the open but reversed its gains to trade 1% lower, while the small-cap Kosdaq declined 0.41%. • Other regional indices remained relatively stable, with Australia's S&P/ASX 200 trading largely unchanged and Hong Kong's Hang Seng index futures dipping below 23,026.68.