Could Honduras-gate be real?


IRAN
With his China trip in the rear-view, President Trump has pivoted back to Iran, insisting the “clock is ticking” for the regime to do a deal. Meanwhile, the UAE has blamed Iran or its proxies for a strike near an Abu Dhabi nuclear plant. (Bloomberg $)
BULGARIA
Prime Minister Radev has hailed popstar Dara’s “victory with global resonance” after she won Eurovision 2026 in Vienna over the weekend with her dance track Bangaranga. Bulgaria now gets hosting rights for 2027. (DW)
NORTH KOREA
Members of a North Korean women’s football club have travelled to the democratic South for a match, the first North-South sporting visit in eight years. (CNN)
RUSSIA
Russian authorities are reporting four dead after Ukraine’s largest-ever aerial counter-attack used ~500 drones to hit targets across 14 Russian regions, including Moscow. Ukraine’s Zelensky had warned of retaliation after Russia’s deadly missile strike on an apartment building left 24 dead last week. (Guardian)
INDIA
India’s Tata Electronics and Dutch lithography giant ASML have used PM Modi’s European tour to sign an $11B landmark deal to build India’s first 300mm semiconductor plant (enabling modern, high-volume production). (Al Jazeera)
TAIWAN
President Lai has declared “Taiwan will never be sacrificed or traded”, in a blunt response to President Trump describing a mooted $14B US arms package as a potential bargaining chip with China. (Lai’s FB post 🇹🇼)
DR CONGO
The World Health Organisation has labelled an Ebola outbreak in DR Congo and Uganda a public health emergency “of international concern”. (WHO)
Unlock full access to a community of globally curious people and help keep Intrigue going. We can’t do it without you!
Daily audio newsletter.
Unlock our unvarnished analysis in every newsletter.
Connect with Intriguers around the world.
Our weekly rundown of the week ahead.
Hang out with the Intrigue team.
No interruptions, no clutter.
Also included
Early access to everything we’re building — a job board, relaunched merch, IRL meet-ups, and more.
7 days free · $79/yr · Cancel anytime



12 May


Editor's picks
How global diplomatic pay stacks up — the numbers, the gaps, and what they signal about state priorities.
Read moreQuiet Signals: What online life inside China shows about how citizens read their own state.
Read moreReading the company's worldview through its public-facing argument — and what it implies for US tech policy.
Read more