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U.S. and Iran sign an initial deal to end the war. The agreement calls for Tehran to dilute its stockpile of highly enriched uranium and would waive sanctions on the country immediately, allowing Iran to sell its oil freely. Iran released a similar version of the accord. The agreement would also open the Strait of Hormuz toll-free for two months and affirm a commitment to Lebanon鈥檚 territorial integrity in the face of Israel鈥檚 invasion against the Hezbollah militant group. Both the U.S. and Iranian presidents have signed the deal. 鈥� The Associated Press

The Group of Seven leaders discussed AI regulation and access. Closing the three-day summit, French host Emmanuel Macron called for democracies to establish a 鈥渢rusted partners鈥� regulatory framework around artificial intelligence. He pressed the United States to allow other nations to have greater access to advanced AI models created by American companies. While leading AI tech titans attended the meeting, President Macron鈥檚 wife, Brigitte, convened a parallel event titled 鈥淧rotecting Children in the Age of Artificial Intelligence鈥� for their spouses. Amazon founder Jeff Bezos, who didn鈥檛 attend the G7 meeting, appeared at the VivaTech conference in Paris where he expressed optimism that AI will create jobs.

U.S. Defense secretary exhorts NATO to push further on defense. In an address at NATO headquarters in Brussels Thursday, Secretary Pete Hegseth called for a 鈥淣ATO 3.0鈥� characterized by a 鈥渞eal, hardline military鈥� that can defend Europe and NATO鈥檚 interests. He said the Pentagon would conduct a six-month review U.S. forces in Europe. He acknowledged some progress toward European nations spending 5% of their budgets on defense but said more must be done. Experts agree that Europe will continue to need certain key U.S. forces for some time, even as many nations significantly ramp up defense spending.

Interest rates will stay put for now, the Federal Reserve announced Wednesday. Nearly half of Fed policymakers said they would support a rate hike later this year to combat stubbornly high and rising inflation. That was an about-face from April, when the central bank signaled a possible rate cut. Stocks fell. Kevin Warsh, chairing his first rate-setting meeting, laid out five task forces to streamline the Fed鈥檚 communications, address its huge balance sheet, review its data sources, look at its productivity and jobs and its inflation frameworks.

The Justice Department announced indictment of left-wing protesters in Minneapolis. On Tuesday, the department released details of an indictment for 15 members of a left-wing group that protested the Trump administration鈥檚 immigration and fraud crackdown in the Twin Cities earlier this year. Allegedly part of a group called Direct Action Minnesota, they were charged with crimes ranging from interstate threats to assault on a federal officer. The Justice Department described the defendants鈥� activities as 鈥渙rganized political violence鈥� that 鈥渨ill not be tolerated.鈥�

Tuesday鈥檚 primaries produced mixed results for Trump-backed candidates. Rep. Mike Collins won the Republican runoff in Georgia and Rep. Barry Moore won in Alabama 鈥� both with the president鈥檚 endorsement for the U.S. Senate. In Georgia, voters picked billionaire Rick Jackson to advance in the governor鈥檚 race. Mr. Jackson will face former Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms. Mr. Trump and outgoing Gov. Brian Kemp had both endorsed a different Republican, Lt. Gov. Burt Jones. Earlier this month, the president鈥檚 favored candidate in the Iowa governor鈥檚 race lost that state鈥檚 primary.

鈥� Compiled by Monitor writers around the world

A series of dominoes might be starting to fall that could lead to Andy Burnham becoming the next prime minister of the United Kingdom. But first, he has to win Thursday鈥檚 by-election in the constituency of Makerfield. That鈥檚 not guaranteed.

Rapid advances in artificial intelligence models raise questions about national security. One example: The face-off between developer Anthropic and the federal government is highlighting the unusual leverage that some companies have in talks on regulating the technology.

The Group of Seven summit shows Europe鈥檚 enduring desire to work with the United States. But behind the flattery, leaders are showing new flexibility in dealing with the mercurial American president.

As the Obama Presidential Center opens its doors to the public this week with a basketball court, barbecue grills, and a public library branch, its vision of transforming a traditional presidential library into a modern community center will be put to the test.

In a society where a woman鈥檚 status is still largely viewed as subordinate to that of a man, a recent ruling by India鈥檚 Supreme Court spotlights the significant, and largely unacknowledged, contributions of women to both individual households and the national economy.

In dry legalese, the June 11 verdict establishes a monetary value for 鈥渓oss of domestic care鈥� in a compensation case for a 2001 vehicle crash that claimed the life of a young wife and mother of three. The court granted the woman鈥檚 family a sum of 6.3 million rupees (about $66,000) 鈥� more than 25 times the initial award offered in 2003. And the judges also set a minimum estimate for domestic 鈥渉omemaker鈥� duties at 30,000 rupees ($317) per month 鈥� which is about 10 times the amount previously used.

Arriving at the current award and the benchmark for future compensation is about much more than numbers, however. The legal process points to a slow shift in views of the innate value and potential of India鈥檚 girls and women, in both family and civic life.

The justices used their ruling to counter prevalent perceptions of women 鈥� especially wives who are not employed outside the home 鈥� as economically unproductive or dependent. Homemakers are 鈥溾�榥ation builders鈥� and they ought to be recognised as such,鈥� they wrote. At the same time, they acknowledged that an individual鈥檚 worth cannot be reduced only to monetary terms: The homemaker鈥檚 contributions are 鈥渘either entirely鈥� economic nor non-economic.

鈥淚t is ironic to describe a homemaker as dependent when, in reality, the household鈥檚 functioning depends substantially on the homemaker,鈥� read another excerpt. By serving as household manager and 鈥渇irst teacher鈥� for children, the homemaker makes it possible for a spouse to focus on paid employment outside the home.聽

Home to the world鈥檚 largest population and democracy, India aims to become a global economic powerhouse. But, while 77.6% of Indian men participate in the formal labor force, barely 33% of women do so. Successive administrations have sought to raise women鈥檚 status and expand their options, through widening educational, economic, and political opportunities. A 2023 constitutional amendment set aside 33% of state and national legislative seats for women, once the current census count is completed.

But even as Prime Minister Narendra Modi pushes for 鈥渨omen-led development,鈥� traditional attitudes run deep. On the one hand, a Pew Research Center poll a few years ago found that 80% of Indians believed it 鈥渧ery important for women to have the same rights as men.鈥� Yet, the same percentage felt that men should receive hiring preference when jobs are limited, and more than 60% agreed that wives should 鈥渙bey鈥� their husbands.

Legislation and legal verdicts, it appears, are important 鈥� but insufficient for real change.

鈥淭he Supreme Court has set the ball rolling, by recognising a woman鈥檚 worth,鈥� wrote Indian rights advocate Shobha Shukla in the Eurasia Review last week. But, she noted, it鈥檚 only when limited perceptions are questioned that 鈥渃hange begins.鈥�

As India鈥檚 citizens continue to shift views of themselves and society, not just women but the entire country stands to benefit.