How Trump could try to steal the midterms | The Economist

2026-04-13

How could Hungary’s election result reshape Europe? Matt Steinglass, The Economist’s Europe editor and Rosie Blau, co-host of The Intelligence podcast, discuss how Viktor Orban was ousted after 16 years in power, by Peter Magyar, the leader of the opposition, and what the resounding result means for Hungary’s economy, democracy and its relationship with Vladimir Putin and the EU.

00:00 – Why is it such a significant election result?
00:28 – What is the mood on the ground in Budapest?
01:14 – Why does a two-thirds majority matter so much?
02:34 – Why was Orban ousted?
03:38 – How did Orban’s relationship with Putin and the EU influence voters?
04:07 – What does Orban’s defeat mean for Europe and the wider world?

Listen to the full episode: https://econ.st/3OmpTfJ
Peter Magyar topples

2026-03-05

Donald Trump once promised no more wars. Now he’s launched one most Americans didn’t want. It’s a big gamble—if the war starts to feel like a bust, will Trump cut his losses or double down?

#uspolitics #iran #iranwar #trumpiran

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2026-02-27

President Trump has amassed his forces around Iran and across the Middle East, in an effort to pressure the country’s leaders to limit its nuclear programme. Negotiators from Washington and Tehran have been meeting in an attempt to avert conflict.

On Insider this week, our deputy editor Edward Carr and a panel of our journalists assess the president’s aims.

00:00 – Mapping the military build-up
02:34 – What America’s aims could be from a strike on Iran
05:13 – Donald Trump’s objectives in negotiations

#iran , #donaldtrump , #alikhamenei , #nuclearweapons , #diplomacy

Watch the full show: https://econ.st/4bdDLRX
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2026-02-25

Elon Musk thinks the future of AI might not be on Earth at all—but in orbit.

On the latest episode of Inside Tech, Tom Standage and Alex Hern explore how orbital data centres would work, whether the numbers add up, and why this once outlandish concept is suddenly being taken seriously.

#ElonMusk #SpaceX #xAI #AIInfrastructure #DataCenters #SpaceTech #TechNews #futureofai #datacentres

00:00 – Why put data centres in space?
03:05 The numbers behind orbital compute
06:10 The race for AI dominance

Watch the full show: https://econ.st/4aGdL00
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2026-01-12

Could Iran’s protests spark another war with Israel? Anshel Pfeffer, our Israel correspondent, and Jason Palmer, co-host of The Intelligence podcast, discuss how unrest inside Iran could spill over and seriously ramp up tensions with Israel.

00:00 – What are the Iranian protests, and why do they matter to Israel?
01:10 – Why would Iran retaliate when it is facing serious problems at home?
04:02 – Could Israel use this moment to strike Iran again?
07:25 – How might Israel hope to benefit from Iran’s instability in the long run?

Listen to the full episode: https://econ.st/49wuqT9
Israel hopes for regime change in Iran: https://econ.st/4jyCiZ0
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#TheEconomist #Iran #Israel

2026-01-07

Following his dramatic intervention in Venezuela, President Trump has set his sights on another target: Greenland. He claims America needs the remote island in the Arctic for national security. Why? And how could he try to take the territory?

2025-11-18

What does Sheikh Hasina’s conviction mean for Bangladesh’s future? Vishnu Padmanabhan, our Asia correspondent, and Rosie Blau, co-host of The Intelligence podcast, discuss how the former prime minister’s death sentence could reshape the country’s politics—and whether India will hand her over to authorities in Dhaka

00:00 – How was Sheikh Hasina sentenced?
00:34 – What caused last year’s protests?
01:45 – What has Sheikh Hasina been found guilty of
02:42 – How has the verdict been received in Bangladesh
03:36 – Was it a fair trial?
04:18 – What happens next for Bangladesh?
05:38 – How will this test India-Bangladesh relations?

Listen to the full episode: https://econ.st/4o8cnrT
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2025-11-16

People are smoking less so why are cigarette companies’ profits soaring? Jason Palmer, co-host of The Intelligence podcast, and Callum Williams, our senior economics writer, discuss why the tobacco industry is thriving despite the number of American adult smokers falling by around 20m people in the past decade.

Listen to the full episode: https://econ.st/3LABV3i