June 18, 2026

U.S., ISRAEL, IRAN WAR | Day 111.

• U.S. President Donald Trump and Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian both signed the memorandum of understanding aimed at ending the Middle East war yesterday. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif of Pakistan, whose country has been mediating U.S-Iran talks, confirmed the signings and said provisions of the memorandum were to take immediate effect. [full text of memorandum] [more]
• Among the provisions in the U.S-Iran memorandum of understanding are: diluting Iran's stockpile of highly enriched uranium as a minimum step in handling the country's nuclear program, opening the Strait of Hormuz toll-free for at least 60 days, lifting U.S. sanctions on Iran and removing the U.S. blockade of Iranian shipping and ports, developing a plan for at least $300 billion in funding for the reconstruction and economic development of Iran, releasing frozen Iranian funds, and an affirmation by Iran that it will not procure or develop nuclear weapons. According to the memorandum itself, finalization of details on implementing many of its measures will take place during a 60-day period of negotiations that follows the signing. [full text of memorandum] [more]
• Reports note that the U.S-Iran memorandum of understanding includes provisions on the termination of military operations in Lebanon – a measure to which Israel, which has continued to target the Iran-backed Hezbollah militant group in Lebanon, has not yet agreed. Additionally, the Israeli military published a map today showing an expanded zone of control for its forces in southern Lebanon. [more on Israel and Lebanon] [more on map]

UKRAINE | Today is day 1,573 of the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Here are your updates:

• Ukraine launched what analysts say was one of its largest attacks on Russia of the war overnight. Russian military officials say their forces shot down more than 550 Ukrainian drones over multiple regions, with about 200 intercepted on approach to the Russian capital, Moscow. [more]
• Among the targets in overnight Ukrainian drone strikes on Russia was the Moscow Oil Refinery, which is reported to have been struck multiple times, causing major fires at the facility. [more]

U.S. ECONOMY | Federal Reserve policymakers left the central bank's benchmark interest rate unchanged at yesterday's meeting, but, acknowledging the country's highest inflation level in three years, signaled a strong possibility of at least one rate hike later this year. [more]

U.S. UNEMPLOYMENT | In a notice to the governors of all 53 U.S. states and territories yesterday, acting U.S. Secretary of Labor Keith Sonderling warned that federal unemployment administration funds could be withheld for the first time ever if states and territories do not take immediate action to combat fraud, waste, and abuse within unemployment insurance programs. [press release] [more]

VIRGINIA | The U.S. Department of Justice filed a court complaint yesterday challenging several recently passed Virginia state laws targeting the work of federal immigration enforcement officers, including ones that ban officers from wearing masks and bar state and local law enforcement from entering into agreements to assist with federal immigration enforcement efforts. The laws are due to take effect on July 1. [more]

WASHINGTON | Some 1,500 residents of Spokane County in eastern Washington state are under evacuation orders today amidst an ongoing wildfire that has burned about 225 acres and destroyed at least 15 homes. The fire was considered 10% contained as of late yesterday. [more]

CALIFORNIA | An air quality advisory remains in place for portions of downtown Los Angeles, California, today following a large warehouse fire that broke out yesterday in the city's Boyle Heights neighborhood. An ammonia leak and thick smoke associated with the fire prompted a shelter-in-place warning yesterday, which was later lifted. [more]

U.S. AND NATO | At a meeting of NATO defense ministers today in Brussels, Belgium, U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said the Pentagon will undertake a six-month review of U.S. forces in Europe to "ensure that NATO is moving fast and irreversibly toward Europe leading, stepping up to take primary responsibility for the defense of Europe." Hegseth also criticized European allies for what he said was their "shameful" failure to provide U.S. forces access to bases in Europe to launch attacks on Iran during the Middle East war. [more]

U.S. AND JAMAICA | National Security Minister Horace Chang confirmed this week that Jamaica has signed an agreement with the United States to accept up to 25 people per week deported from the U.S. who are from countries other than Jamaica. Reports note that some details of the agreement are still to be finalized, including how much the U.S. will pay the Caribbean island nation to accept the deportees. [more]

U.S. AND BRAZIL | Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva warned U.S. President Donald Trump yesterday against meddling in Brazil’s October presidential election after Trump, citing alleged judicial action against Lula's rivals, said Brazil had become "dangerous politically." [more]

GLOBAL HUNGER | In their latest Hunger Hotspots report, the United Nations' Food and Agriculture Organization and World Food Program say that, amidst ongoing conflicts, funding shortages, and various effects of climate change, acute food insecurity is expected to worsen across 13 global “hunger hotspots” between June and November 2026. The 13 countries characterized as hunger hotspots in the report are: Sudan, South Sudan, Yemen, Palestine, Nigeria, Somalia, Afghanistan, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Haiti, Myanmar, Mali, Lebanon, and Madagascar. [press release] [full report] [more]

GLOBAL OCEANS | Fifteen of 30 countries attending the 11th Our Ocean Conference in Kenya adopted the so-called Mombasa Declaration yesterday to support increased efforts to curb illegal, unreported, and unregulated fishing that threatens marine ecosystems and the livelihoods of millions of people who depend on fisheries. [more]

EUROPEAN MIGRATION | European Parliament lawmakers voted yesterday to approve controversial plans for the establishment of deportation centers outside the European Union for rejected asylum seekers. The plans must still be approved by E.U. member countries to take effect. [more]

AI REGULATION | On the sidelines of the G7 summit in France yesterday, French President Emmanuel Macron urged the world's democracies to work together to regulate advanced artificial intelligence systems, and OpenAI CEO Sam Altman called for the establishment of an "international forum" to draw up AI-related guardrails. [more]

SLOVAKIA | The government of Prime Minister Robert Fico faces a parliamentary confidence vote in Slovakia today after the Constitutional Court said such a vote was required after the country's debt surpassed legal limits. [more]

WORLD CUP | Among the highlights from yesterday's play at the FIFA men's World Cup were: the Democratic Republic of Congo holding Portugal to a 1-1 draw, and England's Harry Kane scoring two goals against Croatia to tie the English record for career World Cup goals at 10. [more on Congo] [more on Kane]

BASKETBALL | The New York Knicks' NBA championship is set to be celebrated with a ticker-tape parade through New York City today. The team will also receive a key to the city at City Hall. [more]

TODAY IN HISTORY | On this date in 1815, Napoleon was defeated in the Battle of Waterloo, ending 23 years of recurrent warfare between France and the other powers of Europe. [more history]