After ICE agents were deployed in Charlotte, NC (the city where Ukrainian refugee Iryna Zarutska was brutally murdered earler this year), one Democratic official in the state posted a video claiming that ICE agents are ‘specifically coming to terrorize communities of colour’; while a disturbing video shows a white van appearing to try to run over immigration agents in the city.
Congressional Republicans are preparing to receive a major AfD delegation in Washington, potentially led by party co-chair Alice Weidel. The invitation, made by Rep Anna Paulina Luna, signals a deepening ideological alliance between MAGA Republicans and Europe’s rising sovereigntist movements.
‘Rather than embracing theoretical frameworks like the concept of the EU as a “liberal empire”, what is now needed is a far more pragmatic approach—one that focuses on enhancing economic competitiveness and developing strategies aimed at strengthening the role of the EU in the global economy.’
The Trump–Orbán summit seems to have shifted political perceptions at home: 50 per cent of Hungarians now believe Viktor Orbán will win the 2026 election, according to Nézőpont. His main challenger, Péter Magyar, trails at 32 per cent—a gap analysts link to the prime minister’s high-profile successes in Washington.
‘Why are there still some people…who stand in defence of the BBC? Because, in their view, the BBC…forms part of the institutional network they can appeal to for condemnation and a justification for contempt of Trump even after—despite their insistence that it could not happen—the people of the United States chose to vote him into power again.’
Prime Minister Viktor Orbán said in his regular Friday morning radio interview that the US president ‘likes Hungarians and hates war,’ adding that Hungary’s exemption from energy sanctions will remain secure for as long as Donald Trump is in office. He also highlighted recent government measures, including the 14th-month pension and increased child-protection funding.
‘The education system [Count Kunó Klebelsberg] established shaped the educational policies of future generations, laying the groundwork for ideas that continue to have an impact today. The reforms he enacted contributed to the emergence of a more educated, aware, and independent Hungarian society.’
Hungarian–Turkish relations took centre stage at the ‘Media Bridges’ conference in Budapest, hosted by the Foundation for a Civic Hungary. Top officials and experts from both countries discussed expanding cooperation in media, energy, and security, underscoring a partnership grounded in trust, technology, and a shared commitment to peace.
‘The renovation of the Hijaz railway is not an independent project but part of broader Turkish foreign policy, which aims to elevate Türkiye’s position in the Middle East hierarchy. Through neo-Ottomanism, Ankara is not only striving to be a strong actor in the region but also to be indispensable to the local states.’
Hungary has secured a ‘financial shield’ from the United States to guard against external financial or political attacks, Prime Minister Viktor Orbán said after meeting US President Donald Trump. The mechanism, a currency swap agreement, strengthens Hungary’s economic resilience—contrary to opposition claims that it represents a loan or bailout.