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Xinhua world news summary at 0030 GMT, June 18

Xinhua
| June 18, 2026
2026-06-18

TEHRAN -- Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian and his U.S. counterpart, Donald Trump, had digitally signed the memorandum of understanding (MoU) between the two countries on ending the war, said Iran's Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei early Thursday.

In an interview with state-run IRIB TV, Baghaei said that the signing was originally scheduled for an in-person ceremony in Switzerland on Friday. (Iran-US-MoU)

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WASHINGTON -- U.S. government officials on Wednesday released the full 14-point text of a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between the United States and Iran, which is expected to be formally signed on Friday in Switzerland, according to media reports.

After days of secrecy, senior U.S. officials disclosed the draft document reached over the weekend to journalists on condition of anonymity, The Associated Press reported. (US-Iran-MoU)

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EVIAN, France -- The G7 summit, chaired by France, concluded Wednesday in Evian without a final communique being issued.

This marks the second consecutive year, following the G7 summit under Canadian chairmanship in 2025, that the group of seven Western powers has failed to adopt a final communique. (France-G7 Summit-Communique)

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WASHINGTON -- The U.S. Federal Reserve on Wednesday kept the target range for the federal funds rate unchanged at 3.5-3.75 percent.

"Economic activity is expanding at a solid pace despite elevated uncertainty that owes, in part, to the conflict in the Middle East. Productivity growth and capital investment are strong. Job gains have kept pace with the workforce, and the unemployment rate has changed little," said the Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) in a statement. (US-Fed-Funds Rate) Enditem

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