[
](https://www.economist.com/)
[
](https://www.economist.com/)
Subscribe to The Economist
Unlock unlimited access to all our award-winning journalism, subscriber-only podcasts and newsletters
Subscribe to The Economist
Unlock unlimited access to all our award-winning journalism, subscriber-only podcasts and newsletters
Finance & economics | Smoke signals
Buy while stocks lastPhotograph: AFP
Jul 30th 2026|5 min read
A CYNIC MIGHT say that ceasefires between Iran and America hold well between attacks. In the past fortnight a pattern has become familiar. A pause in fighting is declared; one party breaches it; tit-for-tat strikes and superlative threats ensue; détente is announced once again.
Or create a free account to unlock just this article
Fewer than academics imagine, but more than Elon Musk will admit
For that, blame high national debts
Takaichi Sanae’s economic agenda bears little resemblance to her mentor’s
These peculiar products, popular in the crypto world, are hitting the mainstream
The returns on trillions of dollars of spending are deeply uncertain
The euro gets a makeover