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Intrigue

Daily flyovers

Latest news for 13 April 2026

Quick hits of consequential news from all corners of the world.

  1. 01

    HUNGARY

    Strongman down!

    Moscow-sympathetic populist strongman Viktor Orbán (62) has conceded defeat after 16 years in power, handing the reins to the centre-right’s Péter Magyar (45), whose opposition party has romped home to a two-thirds supermajority. (Euractiv)

    Comment: Many will celebrate the ouster of Orbán, whose ‘Hungary first’ approach has often come at the cost of EU/NATO unity on existential questions like how to counter Russian aggression — Orbán has also arguably been Beijing’s friendliest face in the EU. But this election ultimately hinged more on local issues like political corruption and entrenchment, rather than any pledge to suddenly pivot hard-West.

  2. 02

    PERU

    Delayed results.

    Keiko Fujimori (daughter of the late polarising Alberto) appears to have carved a small lead in the weekend’s presidential elections, though well below the 50.1% she’d need to beat her 34 (!) opponents outright. We might know today (Monday) which two candidates face off in June’s second round. (EuroNews)

    Comment: We explored the crowded race in this copper and silver powerhouse here, with the main front-runners giving pro-business and pro-US vibes.

  3. 03

    CHINA

    Thanks for stopping by.

    Beijing has announced a 10-point package of economic incentives for Taiwan, like more market access, support for SMEs, and the resumption of direct flights, after Xi Jinping hosted Taiwan’s more mainland-friendly opposition leader. (NHK)

    Comment: China’s message to Taiwanese voters is clear here: vote for Taiwan’s more autonomy-seeking ruling party again, and you get more sticks; but vote for the more reconciliation-minded KMT, and you get more carrots. Taiwan’s presidency has already rebuked the package as “poisoned pills” and “economic coercion”.

  4. 04

    UKRAINE

    Ceasefire?

    Russia and Ukraine have accused one another of hundreds of ceasefire violations during their short Easter truce. (BBC)

    Comment: Just as we flagged last week, this was always a question of when — not if — the ceasefire would stumble: Putin likes cosplaying as the saviour of civilisation, then blaming his own breaches on the smaller neighbour he’s still struggling to invade.

  5. 05

    AUSTRALIA

    Joining forces.

    The US and Australia have offered up to $600M in potential export credit agency financing to back a rare-earths refinery project spanning Western Australia (feedstock) and the US (downstream processing). (Bloomberg $)

    Comment: One look at the end output (light and heavy rare earth carbonate) and their shared goal becomes clear: these niche products are a critical input for defence and clean tech, but they’re currently dominated by China. It’s one of the biggest steps so far in the US-Australia critical minerals pact leaders signed last October.

  6. 06

    HAITI

    Shock.

    A stampede at the UNESCO-listed Laferrière Citadel has left at least 30 dead, after the onset of heavy rains saw large crowds push through the entrance during an annual Easter celebration. (BBC)

    Comment: The whole tragedy carries extra weight because the Citadel, built by revolutionary Henri Christophe, has long been a symbol of Haitian independence.

  7. 07

    NIGERIA

    A deadly error?

    Nigerian air force officials say they’ve hit a jihadi target, but they’ve launched a probe amid reports they also/instead hit a market and killed 100+ civilians. (NBC)

    Comment: Wayward airstrikes have killed a reported 500 civilians in Nigeria since 2017, and risk playing into jihadi hands as local anger builds.