Estonian President Alar Karis urged EU leaders to engage in dialogue with Viktor Orbán rather than merely ‘label him’, suggesting that Hungary’s concerns over Ukraine’s EU bid must be taken seriously. His remarks mark a rare call for compromise within the bloc, as Budapest remains the sole veto blocking Kyiv’s accession.

Poland’s former president Andrzej Duda says Ukraine attempted to manipulate Warsaw into blaming Russia for the 2022 Przewodów missile strike. Duda argued that Zelenskyy’s insistence was meant to pull Poland into war—a claim that now casts other incidents in a new light.

Lisbon’s famed Glória funicular derailed on Wednesday evening, killing 17 and injuring 21. Prime Minister Luís Montenegro called it ‘one of the biggest tragedies’ in recent history, declaring a day of mourning. Hungary’s Viktor Orbán joined world leaders in offering condolences to Portugal.

Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico, fresh from nearly an hour-long private meeting with Vladimir Putin in Beijing, announced he will deliver a ‘very serious message’ to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Friday. Fico’s role echoes Viktor Orbán’s earlier peace missions, though the Slovak leader emerges at a moment when Putin insists no peace is possible without addressing NATO expansion.

Hungarian Post has issued a commemorative stamp honouring the HUNOR Hungarian Astronaut Programme, unveiled on Wednesday in Budapest. Featuring the Csodaszarvas constellation and the motto ‘Hungarian to Orbit 2025’, the stamp celebrates Hungary’s role in space research. Officials highlighted its symbolic power in inspiring future generations and uniting the nation through science.

The mystery surrounding local elections in Germany’s North Rhine–Westphalia has deepened, with seven Alternative für Deutschland (AfD) candidates now confirmed dead shortly before the vote. While authorities insist there is no evidence of foul play, the unusual string of sudden deaths has fuelled speculation and placed extraordinary strain on election preparations ahead of the 14 September ballot.

French President Emmanuel Macron’s remark calling Vladimir Putin ‘an ogre at our gates’ marks a dangerous shift in Europe’s war rhetoric. Once confined to online echo chambers, dehumanizing language is now openly used by Western leaders—laying the ground for escalation, while exposing the blatant hypocrisy of those who once condemned such tactics when used by Donald Trump.

For the first time in history, a Hungarian has signed with a Major League Baseball team: 16-year-old catcher Márkó Moura will join the San Diego Padres. Hailed as a rising talent with a powerful arm and sharp game sense, Moura continues a family legacy that began when his grandfather introduced baseball to Hungary in the 1990s.

Budapest will host major US franchise brands on 16 September, with Olive Garden, Wendy’s, Pizza Inn and others seeking to expand in Hungary. Organized by the US Embassy, the seminar highlights the growing American appetite for the Hungarian market, just days after Popeyes announced its first Budapest restaurant.

Western media suggest Viktor Orbán could ‘climb down’ from Hungary’s veto on Ukraine’s EU bid after alleged pressure from Donald Trump. Yet officials stress the call itself is disputed—and insist accession would drag an open war into the EU, a step Hungary refuses to take.

Hungarian Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó and Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico have travelled to Beijing to attend China’s 3 September World War II victory parade, where they will be the only EU representatives alongside leaders such as Vladimir Putin and Kim Jong Un. Szijjártó stressed Hungary’s interest in ‘civilized East–West cooperation’ and in deepening Chinese investment ties.

The Minnesota Catholic school massacre was not just another senseless tragedy—it was the brutal outcome of woke ideology. The transgender shooter, who admitted in his manifesto he had been ‘brainwashed’ into transitioning, killed two children and injured 18. His story exposes the deadly consequences of radical laws like Minnesota’s ‘trans refuge’ bill.

Another AfD candidate has died ahead of NRW’s local elections—the fourth such case in recent months. Ralph Lange’s sudden death in Blomberg has fuelled speculation, after economist Stefan Homburg called the coincidences ‘statistically almost impossible’, a view amplified by Elon Musk.

Robert Brovdi is no hero for Hungary. His drone strikes on Druzhba threaten Hungarian families’ energy security and mock treaties and the international law. Some may call him a hero, but in truth, he serves only Kyiv—and his own words make that painfully clear.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy condemned Hungary’s decision to ban a Ukrainian commander tied to Druzhba strikes, accusing Budapest of hypocrisy in a rare Hungarian-language post. Lithuania and Poland joined Kyiv in denouncing the ban, calling it a shameful act.

Israel has recovered the body of Ilan Weiss, a 56-year-old hostage of Hungarian origin, from Gaza. Weiss was killed defending Kibbutz Be’eri during Hamas’s 7 October 2023 attack. His wife and daughter, once hostages themselves, were freed last November and later visited Hungary.

Irish rap group Kneecap announced the cancellation of its sold-out US tour as member Liam Ó hAnnaidh faces terrorism charges in London. The decision comes weeks after Hungary banned the band from performing at Budapest’s Sziget Festival.

A new flashpoint in Polish–Ukrainian ties emerged after President Karol Nawrocki proposed outlawing Bandera symbols, branding them equal to Nazi insignia. While Warsaw frames the bill as historical justice, Kyiv condemned it as a hostile act, warning of consequences for bilateral relations.

As peace talks gain momentum, Russia demands Ukrainian neutrality and security guarantees from global powers, including UN Security Council members. China, despite denying plans for peacekeepers, remains open to diplomatic involvement, aligning with Xi Jinping’s earlier principles for ending the war.

A young American was stabbed in the face early Sunday in Dresden after intervening during harassment on a tram. Police briefly held a Syrian man before releasing him for lack of evidence, while the attacker remains at large. The case fuels controversy amid Germany’s migrant crime debate and AfD’s rise.

Tensions escalated after Zelenskyy warned that the ‘fate of the Druzhba pipeline’ hinges on Hungary’s stance toward Ukraine’s EU bid. FM Szijjártó hit back on X, urging Kyiv to stop ‘threatening Hungary,’ while Ukrainian FM Sybiha told Budapest to ‘diversify’ and not lecture the president.

A Russian missile strike on Mukachevo (Munkács) on 21 August injured 23 and marked the first hit on Transcarpathia in the war’s three years. Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán pledged medical support from Hungarian hospitals and stressed that peace efforts must continue to protect ethnic Hungarians.

Budapest’s St Stephen’s Day celebrations drew a record crowd, with over 798,000 visitors detected via mobile data—a 12.5 per cent rise from last year. The fireworks alone attracted more than 450,000 people, including nearly 89,000 foreign tourists, marking a 27 per cent surge compared to 2024.

Péter Szijjártó said on Thursday that Hungary is ready to host potential Putin–Zelenskyy talks to end the war in Ukraine. With Trump’s administration eyeing Budapest as a possible location, the city has emerged as a strong contender—but also a divisive one, drawing a sharp rebuke from Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk, who warned against repeating past failures.

On 20 August, Hungary marked its 1025th anniversary as a state, commemorating St Stephen’s foundation of the Christian kingdom. Leaders worldwide—from US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and EU Council President António Costa to Armenia’s Nikol Pashinyan and Gulf partners—extended congratulations.

After the European Council meeting on the Alaska summit, Viktor Orbán argued that Brussels’ Ukraine strategy had collapsed—its isolation policy, battlefield expectations, and membership promises as security guarantee all failed. With Trump’s team eyeing Budapest as the venue for a potential Putin–Zelenskyy summit, Hungary’s influence in Europe could be significantly bolstered.

Inspired by a Hungarian pupil, Pariposa Preschool in Singapore hosted a cultural session led by Chargé d’Affaires Edit Kerekes. Children explored Hungarian words, music, and traditions, part of the embassy’s wider mission to connect and engage Singapore’s active Hungarian community.

A historic Putin–Zelenskyy summit may soon take place in Hungary, US officials confirmed after Trump’s White House meeting with Zelenskyy and EU leaders. The summit, to be followed by a trilateral session with Trump, could mark a breakthrough in efforts to end the war.

Tensions flared between Budapest and Kyiv after Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó accused Ukraine of striking the Druzhba oil pipeline, vital for Hungary’s energy supply. His Ukrainian counterpart Andrii Sybiha shot back, blaming Hungary’s reliance on Russia and telling Budapest to address its ‘friends in Moscow’.

Alaska hosted more than a summit last Friday—it staged the funeral of the liberal order. Trump and Putin’s display of power buried the post-Cold War consensus, sidelined Europe, and offered Russia a new role in an emerging world order no longer defined by Western institutions.