International

Commercial traffic through the strategically vital Strait of Hormuz has decelerated following targeted attacks on the container ship Ever Lovely and the oil tanker M/T Kiku. While US CENTCOM confirmed retaliatory strikes against Iranian targets after a drone strike, Washington and Tehran have reportedly agreed to a temporary pause in hostilities ahead of scheduled diplomatic talks in Doha.

In a major development indicating a potential softening of long-standing tensions, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle have accepted an offer from King Charles III to stay at a secure royal residence during their upcoming trip to the United Kingdom. Scheduled for July 7 to July 11, the family's first joint return since 2022 centers on promotional events for the Birmingham 2027 Invictus Games, paving the way for a highly anticipated private reunion between the King and his youngest grandchildren.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has strongly defended a newly signed 14-point framework agreement with Lebanon, characterizing it as a major political and security victory that weakens Iran and Hezbollah. Backed by Defence Minister Israel Katz—who immediately instructed the IDF to prepare for an extended deployment in southern Lebanon—Netanyahu emphasized that Israeli forces maintain the right to enforce security zones until the verified disarmament of non-state armed groups is completed.

The fragile interim ceasefire between Washington and Tehran has effectively shattered following a rapid succession of military strikes in and around the Strait of Hormuz. Triggered by a drone strike on the Panama-flagged oil tanker MT Kiku, the U.S. military launched widespread retaliatory airstrikes on Iranian infrastructure, prompting the IRGC to target American installations across the Gulf and pushing the region back to the brink of full-scale war.

President Donald Trump has revealed an updated rendering of a limited-edition U.S. passport designed to commemorate the upcoming 250th anniversary of American independence. Shared via social media under the White House moniker "Patriot Passport," the design places a stern-faced portrait of Trump at the Resolute Desk on the inside front cover, paired directly opposite an engraving of John Trumbull's historic 1776 signing depiction.