The briefing for Monday, June 15.

The United States and Iran announced an initial agreement Monday to extend their ceasefire and reopen the Strait of Hormuz, though significant hurdles remain before implementation. President Trump confirmed the deal and ordered an end to the US naval blockade, declaring 'let the oil flow!' Pakistan, serving as mediator, said an official signing ceremony will be held Friday in Switzerland. Iran's Deputy Foreign Minister confirmed the agreement but indicated final negotiations would be postponed until after the US fulfills its commitments under the memorandum.

The deal faces several major challenges. Israel's Defense Minister said the country will not withdraw from Lebanon, where it continues fighting Hezbollah, and Prime Minister Netanyahu's office stated Israel will continue defending itself against security threats. Iran has insisted any agreement include an end to fighting in Lebanon, raising doubts about the deal's viability. Trump reportedly told the Wall Street Journal he was furious at Netanyahu for ordering weekend strikes on Lebanon that nearly torpedoed negotiations.

Markets responded positively despite the uncertainties, with global stocks surging and oil prices falling more than $4 per barrel. However, energy experts warn it could take months for oil supplies to normalize. Ships must clear the strait's backlog, mines need removal, and producers who shut in operations require time to restart. The agreement also gives just 60 days to negotiate restrictions on Iran's nuclear program and its stockpile of highly enriched uranium—issues that previously took years to resolve.

The BBC reports uncertainty remains over whether the agreement will provide respite to Lebanon, where two recent ceasefires have failed. For Iran's Gulf neighbors, there is relief that missile threats may end, at least temporarily. Vice President JD Vance told Fox News that preventing Iran from possessing nuclear weapons is 'built into this agreement' with US verification, though critical details on enrichment restrictions remain unclear.

Britain will ban children under 16 from using social media apps including TikTok, YouTube, Snapchat, Instagram, Facebook, and X, Prime Minister Keir Starmer announced Monday. The move makes the UK part of a growing global movement to tighten online safety for children, with Australia, Canada, Brazil, and Indonesia having introduced similar legislation. The UK ban is expected to take effect early next year and will exclude YouTube Kids and messaging services like WhatsApp and Signal.

Starmer said he will fight back if technology companies resist the move, acknowledging some teens will try to circumvent the ban but insisting he is 'not prepared to compromise on the safety and happiness of our children.' The decision follows a public comment period that received 116,000 responses—the second-highest in UK government history after a 2012 consultation on equal marriage. Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy said the vast majority of respondents, including youths, supported an under-16 ban.

The UK plans to follow Australia's model, where platforms that fail to take reasonable steps to exclude children younger than 16 could face multimillion-dollar fines. However, according to the Sunday Times, Britain will go further by also restricting chatbots, features on some gaming apps, and placing curfews to prevent older teens from late-night scrolling. Enforcement action will target technology companies rather than children or parents.

The move has drawn criticism from some quarters. The US Embassy in London warned that regulations should be narrow and not violate free speech protections, expressing concern about greater burdens on American technology companies. University of Cambridge professor Jon Crowcroft called supporters 'well-meaning but probably misguided,' warning the ban could drive users to worse sites and that 'policing devices is close to impossible technically.'

Fox Corp. announced Monday it is buying streaming platform Roku in a cash-and-stock deal valued at approximately $22 billion, including debt. The acquisition gives Fox access to the Roku channel, first-party data, and more than 100 million global streaming households. Fox oversees a massive media network that includes sports, news, entertainment, and the free streaming service Tubi.

Under the deal terms, Fox will pay $96 in cash and 0.9693 shares of its Class A common stock for each Roku Class A and Class B share outstanding, valuing the transaction at $160 per Roku share. Existing Fox shareholders are expected to own approximately 73% of the combined company, while Roku shareholders will own about 27% once the deal closes. The companies said Roku will continue to be run as an open, partner-friendly platform.

Fox and Roku said the combined company will become the third-largest player in US television by share of viewing. The deal is expected to close in the first half of next year but still requires approval from both companies' shareholders as well as regulatory approval. Fox's stock declined in premarket trading Monday, while Roku shares rose nearly 3% on the news.

Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy each spoke separately by phone with US President Donald Trump on Sunday, as Trump marked his 80th birthday and the Ukraine war remained a flashpoint ahead of this week's G7 summit. Putin's call with Trump lasted just under an hour, according to Russian presidential aide Yuri Ushakov, who briefed reporters afterward.

According to Ushakov, Trump emphasized the need to end hostilities and stated his readiness to influence European allies and Kyiv toward that goal, including at the upcoming G7 summit. Trump also reportedly said recent strikes on civilian targets in Russia complicate a settlement, though the White House has not confirmed these details. Putin argued that attacks on Russian civilian infrastructure would not change Ukraine's battlefield position and said if Zelenskyy wants a meeting, 'let him come to Moscow.'

The calls came as drone strikes killed two people in Russia on Sunday. Meanwhile, the UK detained a tanker in connection with sanctions enforcement. US envoy Steve Witkoff and Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner are expected to travel to Russia soon, Ushakov said. The leaders also discussed Iran, with Trump saying a US agreement with Tehran was close and expressing hope the results could be made public soon.

Georgia lawmakers return to the Capitol this week for a special session aimed at resolving an election crisis of their own making. The state's election system relies on QR codes printed on ballots to tally votes, but legislators passed a law two years ago barring use of that barcode for official vote counts after July 1, 2026. No replacement tabulation method was ever implemented, and the deadline is now just weeks away.

Governor Brian Kemp called the special session with instructions to 'address issues created' by the law. The secretary of state's office and State Election Board have further complicated matters by issuing conflicting guidance to county election officials about how votes should be cast and counted. If unresolved, the situation threatens confusion and potential litigation over elections after July 1, including a special election to fill a US House seat scheduled for that month and the November midterm elections.

The current system was first used statewide during the 2020 primary. After Trump narrowly lost Georgia to Biden that year, Trump and supporters claimed without evidence that machines deleted or switched votes. Republican lawmakers in 2024 passed the law banning barcodes to address these concerns and criticism from election integrity advocates who said the machines are vulnerable to hacking. However, neither the secretary of state nor the legislature took action to comply with the law they passed.

Lawmakers could extend the deadline to allow QR codes temporarily while developing a new system for 2028 elections, but they rejected such a proposal during the regular session earlier this year. Even if they agree on a solution this week, implementation before the July 28 special election may prove difficult. The secretary of state issued preliminary guidance last week calling for a two-step process: scanners would read QR codes for election night results, then optical character recognition software would tally the human-readable text for official certification.