Prime Minister Viktor Orbán said the government will cover 30 per cent of households’ January energy costs after extreme cold weather, warning that ending the utility price cap would double or triple bills and threaten energy security.
Is it possible to demilitarise the Gaza Strip? How strong is the Iranian regime? Will there ever be a Palestinian state? Do Israeli policies contribute to rising antisemitism? We spoke with the Head of the Military–Social Relations Department at the David Institute for Security Policy about the challenges and prospects facing the Middle East.
‘Budapest could not finance this without raising taxes and placing the burden of Ukraine’s “reconstruction” on the shoulders of Hungarian families. Financing Kyiv “will destroy the European Union,” commented on these plans Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán.’
Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico has fiercely rejected a POLITICO Brussels report claiming he questioned Donald Trump’s mental health during last week’s EU summit, calling the story a fabrication built on anonymous leaks. Fico said he made no such remarks, accused the outlet of spreading deliberate lies, and warned of a broader effort to discredit leaders pursuing independent foreign policies.
‘After 844 days, the clock counting the days of captivity of the Israeli hostages was finally switched off in Tel Aviv. The clock installed at Hostages’ Square became, over the past two years, a symbol of the grief- and hope-filled waiting endured by Israeli families.’
Viktor Orbán has backed AfD co-chair Alice Weidel’s demand that Ukraine pay reparations for the sabotage of the Nord Stream pipelines, retweeting her speech in which she vowed to make Kyiv ‘repay’ the damage. The intervention follows mounting evidence of Ukrainian involvement in the 2022 explosions and adds to growing pressure on European governments to confront responsibility for the attack.
‘Iran’s latest wave of anti-government protests may have resulted in one of the bloodiest crackdowns in the country’s modern history.’
‘You can talk all you want about international niceties and everything else. We live in a world…that is governed by strength, that is governed by force, that is governed by power.’
Crowborough has become the latest flashpoint in Britain’s migration crisis after locals staged their 12th protest against plans to house 500 male asylum seekers in a former army camp. Residents told broadcasters they fear for safety and say migrants are already ‘hanging around’ town, while Labour insists the policy will replace costly asylum hotels—despite reports the camp will require £5.5 million in extra policing.
Viktor Orbán has warned that Ukraine is trying to influence Hungary’s election by escalating attacks on his government over EU accession and war funding. After Zelenskyy said leaders like Orbán ‘deserve a smack’, FM Andrii Sybiha accused Budapest of serving Putin and likened Orbán to WWII-era far-right leader Ferenc Szálasi. Hungary says both Brussels and Kyiv are interfering in April’s vote.