June 15th 2026

The Economist Today Our best journalism, handpicked each day

Stephanie Studer Senior digital editor

Luckily someone has been keeping track. On roughly 40 occasions since March, Donald Trump has claimed to be close to a deal with Iran. At last he is right. According to reports, confirmed to The Economist by one diplomat, this is really a deal to keep talking about a deal—culminating, in just 60 days, in a final agreement about Iran’s nuclear programme. That is a tall order. In other news: you may be among the three-quarters of Brits who support a social-media ban for children, or feel an affinity for them wherever you are in the world. But beware Sir Keir Starmer’s promises to introduce “world-leading” blocks and more. They exemplify the prime minister’s vanilla brand of populism.

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Editor’s picks A selection of must-read articles

War is over (maybe) A deal is only the beginning of the end of the US-Iran war And they could start fighting again in the hope of getting a better one

→ A new defence champion is rising from the Gulf

Playground politics A kids’ social-media ban would be a bad parting gift from Keir Starmer But it perfectly captures the British prime minister’s vanilla brand of populism

Going ballistic The terrifying new air war in Ukraine Russia is dominating the missile war by default, but Ukraine hopes that will change

The AI curtain Donald Trump’s blocking of Anthropic is capricious and chaotic America’s closest allies are shellshocked

The road less travelled Harry Styles and other megastars now expect you to come to them Artists are visiting fewer cities on their global tours

More of our coverage ▸ China is innovative. Its economy is a mess. Which will win out? Factories are churning out whizzy electric vehicles for export while Chinese consumers are reluctant to spend. ▸ Techno-libertarians are flocking to the Caribbean. The island of Nevis is up in arms. Last year a Belgian crypto billionaire surprised its 13,000 residents by declaring the construction of a huge, futuristic enclave. Such ventures are becoming more common. ▸ Asian activists say too much egg production is cruel. In Asia around 89% of the region’s commercial laying hens are raised in cages, compared with 55% in America and 16% in Britain. A scheme pioneered by a consultancy in Singapore seeks to address this.

Tracking Donald Trump Our latest numbers The American president’s net approval rating Find out

Podcast The Intelligence On the home strait? A path to peace in Iran