The United States and Israel launched joint strikes on Iran early Saturday following days of military buildup and escalating tensions, marking a major escalation in the Middle East. Explosions were reported across Tehran, as President Donald Trump confirmed the start of ‘major combat operations’ aimed at neutralizing ‘imminent threats’ to the American people.
‘Israel is often labelled an occupier with regard to Judea and Samaria (commonly referred to as the West Bank). This small territory has been controversial for decades. From the Israeli perspective, however, the land represents a far more complex issue—one that encompasses strategy, security, history, and national survival.’
After losing the first leg 2–1 in Bulgaria, Hungarian champions Ferencváros beat PFC Ludogorets Razgrad 2–0 at home in the play-off, and thus advanced to the Round of 16 in the UEFA Europa League. There, they will face the Portuguese side SC Braga.
At an MCC event in Budapest, a lineup of distinguished speakers—featuring Minister for EU Affairs János Bóka of Hungary—criticized the Court of Justice of the European Union for overstepping its authority and advancing ideological agendas. Panellists and speakers warned that the Court’s expanding role risks undermining national sovereignty and reshaping Europe’s legal order.
A new Századvég survey indicates that a clear majority of Hungarians oppose both Ukraine’s suspension of oil transit through the Druzhba pipeline and the European Union’s plans to phase out Russian energy. The findings underscore mounting public concern over energy security, rising prices, and foreign interference ahead of the April parliamentary elections.
How strong is Iranian and Syrian political influence in Lebanon after Hezbollah was weakened? What is the status of Christian communities, and what room for manoeuvre does Maronite politics have? We asked Marwan Abdallah, Head of the Foreign Affairs Department at the Lebanese Kataeb Party, about the rise and fall of Hezbollah and the scope for Christian politics in Lebanon.
Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán announced that Hungary and Slovakia will establish a joint investigative committee to examine the halted Druzhba pipeline, urging Ukraine to grant access and restart oil transits immediately.
A Brussels meeting saw a heated debate over whether Hungary could link EU legislation for a 90 billion euro Ukraine loan package to the reopening of the Druzhba oil pipeline, highlighting tensions over energy security and EU policy.
The Stop Killing Games movement is launching official NGOs in the EU and the United States after gathering more than 1.3 million petition signatures, aiming to push for long-term changes in how video games are handled after shutdown.
Affordable energy will determine whether Europe’s automotive industry, including the Mercedes-Benz factory in Kecskemét, can remain competitive, Viktor Orbán said at the carmaker’s 140th anniversary event.
‘Climate change can be brought back to the centre of attention if abstract reporting is replaced by practical analyses connected to everyday life. Positive framing and showcasing examples that actually work can help transform uncertainty into a sense of agency—and passivity into participation.’
US Vice President JD Vance has been tasked with leading the new ‘War on Fraud’ ininative in the counrty, as President Trump has announced in his State of the Union address. As the first step, Vice President Vance has shared that the federal government will be halting $259.5 millon in Medicaid funds to Minnesota due to concerns over widespread fraud.
Hungary’s election campaign is entering a decisive phase as fresh polling by Nézőpont Institute gives Fidesz–KDNP a five-point advantage over the opposition Tisza party. With energy security and foreign pressure dominating political discourse, the latest figures point to a closely contested race, with Viktor Orbán still steadily leading.
An anonymous EU diplomat source told POLITICO that Brussels will be seeking a compromise with Hungary on the issue of the inoperational Druzhba Pipeline in Ukraine, as opposed to threatening them with more punitive action. According to the piece, the EU leadership is doing so in order to avoid helping PM Orbán of Hungary’s re-election chances in April.
Foreign policy adviser to Polish President Karol Nawrocki has backed Viktor Orbán’s claim that Ukraine deliberately halted oil transit through the Druzhba pipeline to pressure Hungary ahead of its April election. In a radio interview, Jacek Saryusz-Wolski also suggested the disruption could be part of a broader political operation involving Brussels.
‘The expansion of powers cannot take place without the explicit confirmation of member state consent—otherwise, integration will gradually become detached from national democratic legitimacy.’
Net wages in Hungary have been increasing faster than gross pay for months, a government official said, attributing the trend to family policy measures and pointing to continued wage growth and improving real earnings across the country.
Minister of Culture and Innovation Balázs Hankó of Hungary has announced a major increase in scholarship payments to Hungarian university students. The payments to high-achieving students will be raised by at least 50 per cent at each Hungarian university.
AfD co-chair Alice Weidel has accused the European Union of attempting to influence Hungary’s upcoming election by manipulating polling data and supporting Kyiv in blocking oil transit through Druzhba pipeline. Her remarks come amid controversy over surveys showing an unrealistically large lead for Péter Magyar’s Tisza party.
Budapest’s transport authority could begin procurement for a citywide electronic ticketing system after the municipal assembly backed the concept, with bank card based Pay and Go payments expected to appear gradually across the network from 2028.
Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán called on Ukrainian President Volodimir Zelenskyy to reopen the Druzhba oil pipeline and stop actions he says threaten Hungary’s energy security, in an open letter published on Facebook on Thursday.
‘The debate unfolding in Brussels is not merely institutional. It is existential. For what does European solidarity actually mean? Is it financial redistribution? Political endorsement? Or does it ultimately imply the willingness of armies and citizens to fight—and potentially die—for causes beyond their national borders—and, frankly, their national interest?’
Democrat lawmakers remained seated during a tribute to murdered 23-year-old Ukrainian refugee Iryna Zarutska at President Donald Trump’s State of the Union address, prompting a sharp reaction from the president and outrage on social media.
MP and Former Minister of Justice Zbigniew Ziobro of Poland sharply criticized Hungarian prime ministerial candidate Péter Magyar of the Tisza Party after he admitted attending a party where drugs were present. MP Ziobro questioned Magyar’s fitness for leadership and accused him of ignoring the dangers posed by organized crime and addiction.
Hungarian research astronaut Tibor Kapu said the HUNOR national astronaut programme marked the first step toward a much larger space effort, adding that work is already under way on future missions and new scientific experiments involving Hungarian teams.
Bilateral aid models took centre stage at the Danube Institute, where experts argued that direct, community-based assistance outperforms multilateral programmes burdened by bureaucracy. Hungary Helps, an aid programme launched by the Hungarian government in 2017, was presented as a sovereign, efficient alternative to global aid structures.
Hungarian Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade Péter Szijjártó claimed that EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas suggested Hungary and Slovakia should send troops to Ukraine, marking what he described as a new level of pressure from Brussels.
Prime Minister Viktor Orbán has ordered reinforced protection of Hungary’s critical energy infrastructure, citing intelligence reports of possible Ukrainian sabotage. The move comes amid escalating tensions over the Druzhba pipeline and accusations that Kyiv is using energy pressure to interfere in Hungary’s upcoming election.
Judge Tony Graf rejected a motion from the alleged killer of Charlie Krik and his defence team, who had sought to have the death penalty removed from consideration. The defence argued that the prosecution faced a conflict of interest, since one of the prosecutors’ daughters was present at the scene of the assassination.
‘The dispute over the islands has long sparked patriotic fervor on both sides, leading to domestic demonstrations in both South Korea and Japan…While contentious, the issue isn’t new, and the event didn’t spark a new debate. Both sides have shown restraint, and it is unlikely to greatly impede the future of South Korea–Japan relations.’