Monday, June 15, 2026

World

US and Iran sign peace deal, Strait of Hormuz reopens

The US and Iran have agreed a ceasefire deal, with both governments confirming a formal memorandum will be signed on Friday. The agreement reopens the Strait of Hormuz — the chokepoint through which roughly 20% of global oil flows — and begins a 60-day window for nuclear negotiations. Asian stock markets surged on the news while oil prices fell sharply, with Pakistan's Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif having brokered the announcement.

MarketUS x Iran permanent peace deal by June 15, 2026?86%

World

Russia strikes Kyiv monastery and residential buildings

Russia has launched a massive overnight missile and drone assault on Ukraine, killing at least five people and setting fire to the Dormition Cathedral within the Kyiv Pechersk Lavra — one of the country's most sacred Orthodox sites, dating back to the 11th century. Residential buildings across Kyiv were also hit in successive waves of strikes.

MarketWill Russia capture Kostyantynivka by June 30?34%

Tech

Trump administration freezes Anthropic's most powerful AI models

The Trump administration has placed export controls on Anthropic's two most advanced AI models, Fable and Mythos, leaving the company scrambling over how to continue international operations. The move raises broader questions about how the US government intends to police frontier AI systems and which agencies will hold that authority.

Politics

UK announces under-16 social media ban

Prime Minister Keir Starmer has promised "bold action" ahead of Monday's formal announcement of new restrictions barring under-16s from social media platforms in the UK. The policy has been described as an "Australia plus" model, suggesting it may go further than the age-verification rules Australia enacted last year.

MarketWill Andy Burnham be the next Prime Minister of the United Kingdom in 2026?62%

Science

Giant's Causeway formed in globally significant volcanic event

Scientists have established that Northern Ireland's Giant's Causeway — the iconic formation of interlocking basalt columns — developed over 5.5 million years during a major globally impacting volcanic event, cutting 8 million years off the previously accepted timeline. The new geochronology work rewrites the site's geological history and connects it to a volcanic episode with worldwide consequences.