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The United States has restored intelligence sharing with Ukraine, according to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. Zelensky has also indicated openness to freezing the front lines as part of a potential ceasefire with Russia. Following meetings with Zelensky in Oslo, U.S. envoy Steve Witkoff is traveling to Russia to push for three-way talks involving the U.S., Ukraine, and Russia.

Russian President Vladimir Putin announced the release of American citizen Stephen Hubbard, a 74-year-old Michigan native and teacher who had been detained in Russia since 2022, during a meeting with U.S. special envoy Steve Witkoff in St. Petersburg. Hubbard was taken to Pulkovo Airport following the announcement. Russia also signalled readiness to resume talks with Ukraine and the U.S. to end the war.

Nigeria has confirmed its first case of Ebola, with the patient having arrived on an international flight from Uganda. Kenya has reported a ninth infection in its ongoing outbreak. Health officials have confirmed both developments.

Iran has refused to transfer its enriched uranium stockpile to a third country, a key sticking point in ongoing US-Iran nuclear negotiations. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio has publicly stated that reaching a peace deal with Tehran is extremely difficult. Iran has also threatened to cut undersea cables in the Strait of Hormuz, adding further tension to the diplomatic situation.

North Korean state media has reported that Kim Yo Jong, sister of leader Kim Jong Un, visited frontline areas along the heavily armed border with South Korea. During her visit, she inspected fortifications being reinforced by soldiers at the border zone. The visit comes amid a period of rising tensions between North and South Korea.

The 2026 U.S. midterm elections are taking shape across multiple fronts, with President Trump actively campaigning for Republican candidates including South Carolina's Sen. Darline Graham while also announcing a $25 million whistleblower program targeting alleged election fraud. A new AP-NORC poll finds that Democratic confidence in accurate vote counting has dropped from 75% in 2022 to 55% in 2025, though it still exceeds Republican confidence levels. Redistricting, large-scale political advertising including over $400 million from Musk-backed PACs, and economic concerns such as childcare costs and farm subsidies are also emerging as significant factors shaping the electoral landscape.

French President Emmanuel Macron has publicly criticised foreign leaders, including Donald Trump, for exploiting ongoing riots in France for political gain. Macron stated that protesters would not be allowed to 'cause chaos' and pushed back against claims linking the unrest to Muslim migrants. Trump, for his part, used the situation to vow a tough approach to similar unrest in the United States.

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio is visiting Jamnagar, India, home to one of the world's largest oil-refining complexes. The visit is focused on discussing energy ties between the United States and India, with a particular focus on Venezuelan oil refining. The trip signals growing engagement between Washington and New Delhi on energy cooperation.

Elon Musk has directed hundreds of millions of dollars into political advertising through PACs ahead of the US midterm elections, with the Senate Leadership Fund receiving a reported $168 million as his largest single donation. Musk has also pledged $10 billion in SpaceX shares directed toward children's accounts linked to a Trump administration initiative. The spending comes in the weeks immediately preceding the midterm elections.

Google is facing internal employee backlash related to its AI military contracts, with some staff resigning in protest. BBC News spoke with current and former Google DeepMind employees who have expressed concerns about the use of AI in battlefield applications. The controversy sits within a broader context of scrutiny facing AI companies over ethics, safety, and government contracts.

Two critical vulnerabilities have been identified in PHP, a widely used internet programming language. Cybersecurity agencies, including Australia's Australian Signals Directorate, are urging organisations to act quickly to address the flaws. Hackers are believed to be actively exploiting the vulnerabilities, with some websites in Europe taken offline as a result.

Australian federal MP Helen Haines had both her legs amputated after a driver allegedly rammed her repeatedly outside her electorate office on Monday. She is being treated at Melbourne's Alfred Hospital, where she has undergone multiple days of surgery. Her husband Phil has described her condition as critical but said she is a 'fighter' facing a 'long and difficult' road to recovery.

Russell Brand is facing a criminal rape trial in which a woman has testified that he raped her at his London home in 2009. The alleged victim, who was 21 years old at the time, gave testimony to the jury describing the alleged incident. The trial is ongoing in the United Kingdom.

The UK government has approved or is proceeding with a decision regarding the Jackdaw gas field, which could begin producing gas by the end of the month. The decision has drawn opposition from environmental campaigners. The issue has prompted political debate, with figures including Andy Burnham defending the decision and Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch urging the Prime Minister to overturn a ban on new oil and gas licences.

The Metropolitan Police has confirmed that a 63-year-old man is under investigation in connection with an alleged rape inside the Houses of Parliament. The individual in question is identified in reporting as Jeffrey Donaldson, the former MP and disgraced politician. The Metropolitan Police issued a formal statement acknowledging the investigation without naming the individual directly.

California is preparing for a significant incoming storm system expected to bring heavy rainfall to portions of the West Coast and Intermountain West, while El Niño-driven conditions have already caused notable flooding in the state. Separately, a prolonged and dangerous heat wave is affecting millions of people across the central and eastern United States, intensifying into the Fourth of July weekend. These events reflect a broader pattern of simultaneous and extreme weather conditions affecting different regions of the country.

School choice expansion programs in the United States are contributing to the growth of classical Christian schools. Conservatives are actively working to leverage these new programs to increase the number of such schools. The trend represents an intersection of educational policy changes and religious and traditional education models.

Ford Motor Company has issued a recall affecting more than 740,000 vehicles due to a defect involving the transmission park pawl. The recall covers multiple vehicle models, though specific models are identified in the full reporting. The transmission park pawl issue represents the basis for the safety concern prompting the recall action.

An ad featuring the estranged mother of Ohio Democratic gubernatorial candidate Dr. Amy Acton has circulated online, in which the mother calls Acton 'a liar' and raises questions about her mental health. Republican candidate Vivek Ramaswamy acknowledged to reporters that the ad originated from his campaign. Acton's campaign has responded by forcefully pushing back against the ad and its origins.

Ryan Murphy's musical comedy-drama series Glee is set to return with a reboot on the streaming platforms Hulu and Disney+, approximately a decade after the original series ended. The reboot has been announced publicly and is receiving media coverage across international outlets. No further production or casting details are confirmed across the available sources.