The Brief

Iran proposed a seven-day plan to reopen the Strait of Hormuz if the United States lifts its naval blockade, waives sanctions on Iranian oil sales and observes a ceasefire including Lebanon, with Tehran hoping for a deal before November's midterm elections.

Trump has rejected the proposal, telling reporters Iran only made the offer because it is losing the war. Iran's foreign minister, Abbas Araghchi, says Tehran is still waiting for an official U.S. response and for the "definitive views" of mediators Qatar and Pakistan, even as President Masoud Pezeshkian told CBS News that Iran no longer trusts talks with Washington.

A wave of Russian strikes hit several regions across Ukraine, prompting the country's largest steelmaker to halt operations, as both Moscow and Kyiv step up attacks after what officials describe as the deadliest summer since Russia's 2022 invasion began.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov vowed that Moscow's military objectives "will be achieved" and accused Europe of blocking Ukraine peace talks. Lavrov held a rare, dismissive meeting with Germany's foreign minister on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly, believed to be the first such one-on-one since the 2022 invasion.

Pope Leo XIV opened his first papal visit to France in nearly 20 years, warning that a "paradise of machines" could undermine humanity and raising concerns about artificial intelligence, nuclear arms and human rights.

The Vatican estimated turnout at an open-air Mass in Paris at between 700,000 and 800,000 people. The pope praised young people's "energy and commitment" at the Mass and also visited Notre-Dame Cathedral during the trip, with the Catholic Church attributing the turnout to growing spirituality in France.

Fighting has erupted in Ethiopia's Tigray region, with seven armed groups reported to have joined forces against Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed's government, raising fears the country could slide back into civil war.

Fano fighters said they had captured army vehicles and weapons in the Amhara region, according to Al Jazeera, as the alliance of former enemies escalates tensions between the Tigray People's Liberation Front and the national army.

An explosion destroyed a building close to the Acropolis in Athens, killing six people, including four American tourists, a Greek national and a British national, officials said.

Rescue crews recovered all six bodies from the collapsed building. The mayor of Athens said the blast was likely caused by a gas leak, and neighboring buildings were damaged and evacuated.

Police in South Africa found the body of a tenth woman in a Johannesburg-area suburb, intensifying an investigation into a string of killings that has sparked national outrage over violence against women.

Investigators say they have identified similarities among some of the deaths but have not found conclusive evidence that a single perpetrator is responsible, even as fears grow that a serial killer is at large in a country with one of the world's highest femicide rates.