The bloc’s leaders want a prolonged conflict with Russia despite widespread fatigue, Peter Szijjarto has claimed
Hungary’s pro-peace stance on the Ukraine conflict is quietly gaining sympathy among other EU members, although most officials are too fearful to challenge Brussels’ militaristic approach publicly, Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto has claimed.
The Hungarian government has consistently criticized the EU’s military and financial backing for Ukraine, calling it self-destructive and counterproductive to peace efforts.
Speaking to Kossuth Radio on Sunday, Szijjarto asserted that “a very harsh war psychosis reigns among European political leaders today.” He argued that the EU’s current strategy of cutting off dialogue with Moscow “will clearly result in a long war.”
“They want to burn the money of the European people by buying weapons – say, from America – and sending them to Ukraine,” he said.
According to Szijjarto, officials from other EU member states “whisper to us in the corridors that they agree with us,” and even urge Budapest “to stand our ground even more firmly,” he added.
The Hungarian diplomat also praised the recent electoral victory of Andrej Babis’ ANO party in the Czech Republic, describing it as a turning point that could usher in “a completely different European political era.” He said Babis would become a “patriotic Central European prime minister” similar to Hungary’s Viktor Orban and Slovakia’s Robert Fico.
Orban hailed the Czech result as “good news for Europe.” Meanwhile Babis reiterated that Ukraine “is not ready for the EU,” echoing Budapest’s stance on Kiev’s membership ambitions.
Earlier on Friday, former German Chancellor Angela Merkel revealed that her 2021 proposal for direct EU-Russia talks had been rejected by Poland and the Baltic states, which pushed for a unified position against Moscow.
The ministers will have to find compromises with the opposition, Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu has said
New French Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu unveiled his cabinet on Sunday, tasking it with passing the budget in a deeply divided parliament and managing multiple crises abroad.
Lecornu, a former defense minister and close ally of French President Emmanuel Macron, was appointed in September after his predecessor, Francois Bayrou, lost a confidence vote in the National Assembly during a bid to secure support for an austerity plan aimed at curbing rising debt. Lecornu is the seventh prime minister to serve under Macron.
French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot will keep his post. Under his tenure, France has continued to support Ukraine and recently formally recognized Palestinian statehood in an effort to pressure Israel to end the war in Gaza.
Former Economy Minister Bruno Le Maire will take over as defense chief, as Macron seeks to strengthen the military and increase aid to Kiev. The president has also committed to sending peacekeepers to Ukraine and said he would consider expanding France’s nuclear umbrella to cover other European countries.
Economist and banker Roland Lescure will serve as finance minister, while former prime minister Elisabeth Borne will head the Education Ministry.
French Interior Minister Bruno Retailleau and Justice Minister Gerald Darmanin – both known for their hardline stances on immigration and security – will remain in their posts. Culture Minister Rachida Dati, who faces a corruption trial next year, will also keep her job.
Lecornu said the ministers “will need to find compromises with the opposition” to pass a budget before the end of the year, and promised not to invoke the controversial Article 49.3 of the Constitution, which allows the government to push legislation through parliament without a vote.
Marine Le Pen, leader of the conservative National Rally party in parliament, denounced the new cabinet as “pathetic,” while Jean-Luc Melenchon, founder of the left-wing France Unbowed, described it as “a procession of returnees.” Several left-wing parties have already threatened to submit a no-confidence motion against Lecornu next week.
The conflict has compelled more countries to recognize Palestinian statehood, the top US diplomat has pointed out
The war in Gaza has strained Israel’s public image throughout the world, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio has said.
He made his comments after the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) announced they would suspend offensive operations in Gaza City following an agreement between West Jerusalem and Hamas on a prisoner swap proposed last week by US President Donald Trump.
“Whether we agree with it or not, we have seen countries like the UK, Australia, Canada, and others come out and sort of signal support for – or announce support for – a Palestinian state. We have seen, even in our own domestic politics, some of the attacks on Israel,” Rubio told Margaret Brennan on CBS Face the Nation on Sunday.
“And I think that’s the point the president is making here, is that whether you believe it was justified or not, right or not, you cannot ignore the impact this has had on Israel’s global standing,” he added.
Israel has so far defied Trump’s call for an immediate end to its airstrikes in the Palestinian enclave, where the death toll since October 2023 has topped 67,000.
Rubio, however, expressed confidence that Israel would halt the strikes once the prisoner swap is finalized. “Once you agree on the logistics of how this is going to happen – I think the Israelis and everyone acknowledge you can’t release hostages in the middle of strikes, so the strikes will have to stop,” he said.
Although Hamas has agreed to hand over all remaining Israeli hostages in exchange for Palestinian prisoners, it has so far refused to disarm.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, meanwhile, has declined to commit to a full withdrawal from Gaza.
The president argued that the operation saved lives by stopping the flow of drugs into the country
US President Donald Trump has described the recent strikes on alleged drug cartel-operated vessels off Venezuela as “an act of kindness,” saying the operation helped save thousands of lives at home.
The US has destroyed at least four boats in international waters since September, as Trump continues to accuse Venezuela’s left-wing government of using “narco-terrorists” to smuggle drugs into his country.
Speaking at the US Navy’s 250th anniversary ceremony in Norfolk, Virginia, on Sunday, Trump praised the military for supporting efforts “to blow the cartel terrorists the hell out of the water.”
“It’s a pretty tough thing we’ve been doing, but you have to think of it this way. Every one of those boats is responsible for the death of 25,000 American people and the destruction of families,” he said. “So when you think of it that way, what we are doing is actually an act of kindness.”
Trump said the strikes eliminated a key sea route used to traffic fentanyl and other drugs into the US. “Nobody wants to go into the water anymore,” he said.
Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro has rejected the allegations of running cartels, saying his government has “eliminated all major trafficking networks and vanquished prominent gangs.”
He accused Washington of using the fight against cartels as a pretext to topple his government and seize Venezuela’s natural resources.
The shooter indiscriminately targeted vehicles and nearby buildings from his apartment window
A gunman opened fire on a busy shopping street in Sydney from his apartment window on Sunday, injuring 17 people, according to local police.
Acting Superintendent Stephen Parry said the suspect fired between 50 and 100 rounds using a high-caliber rifle, striking both people and vehicles.
Two hours later, police entered the building, arrested the 60-year-old suspect, and took his weapon. Police do not yet know his motive, Parry said.
A man in his 50s was hospitalized with gunshot wounds to his neck and chest, while 16 others were treated at the scene for injuries caused by shattered glass.
“It’s unprecedented for Sydney to experience something like this, with such a large number of shots fired,” New South Wales Acting Assistant Commissioner Trent King told ABC Radio on Monday.
“We’re very fortunate that we didn’t have more damage, more injuries, or indeed fatalities,” he added.
The US president has criticized the Israeli prime minister on Gaza peace talks, according to the outlet’s sources
US President Donald Trump has harshly rebuked Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu over his reaction to Hamas’ statement concerning the Gaza peace plan, Axios has reported, citing sources.
Hamas has agreed to free its hostages under a US proposal, the Palestinian militant group confirmed on Friday. It did not mention plans to disarm, but later on Sunday, Al Arabiya sources in the movement said the group was preparing to do so.
Trump reportedly called Netanyahu on Friday to discuss the Hamas move, which he saw as good news. The Israeli leader felt differently, telling the US president “this is nothing to celebrate, and that it doesn’t mean anything,” a US official told Axios.
”I don’t know why you’re always so f***ing negative. This is a win. Take it,” Trump reportedly replied.
On Saturday, Netanyahu’s aides stressed that the PM and the US president were “totally aligned.” The US official told Axios however, that the dynamic in Friday’s call was “contentious,” and that Trump was “annoyed.”
The US President has called on Israel to stop launching strikes in Gaza, and proposed that Hamas release all remaining hostages within 72 hours of Israel suspending military operations and withdrawing its troops “to the agreed-upon line.”
West Jerusalem has agreed to the prisoner swap but has not officially addressed Trump’s call for Israel to halt its strikes in the territory.
Indirect ceasefire talks between Israel and Hamas are set to start in Egypt on Monday.
The Palestinian militant group has denied media reports claiming it will surrender its weapons to an international body
The Palestinian militant group Hamas on Sunday denied media reports suggesting it was ready to disarm immediately to implement US President Donald Trump’s ceasefire plan.
Earlier in the day, several media outlets reported, citing anonymous sources, that the group had agreed to hand over its arsenal to a Palestinian-Egyptian body under international supervision and has informed the US of its decision.
However, Hamas was quick to deny the “fabricated claims,” stating its position is communicated only through official channels.
“What was published is baseless and aims to distort the position and confuse public opinion,” the group said in a statement.
Hamas partially agreed to Trump’s plan on Friday, signaling its readiness to hand over surviving Israeli hostages and the bodies of the deceased, as well as to transfer the governance of Gaza to “a Palestinian body of independents.”
While the group did not mention disarmament, a senior Hamas official, Mousa Abu Marzook, further elaborated on the matter to Al Jazeera shortly afterward. The group will only “hand over weapons to the coming Palestinian state, and whoever governs Gaza will have weapons in their hands,” he said.
Hamas took around 250 people hostage during its October 7, 2023 surprise attack on southern Israel that left at least 1,200 people dead and triggered the subsequent Israeli military campaign in Gaza. The group is believed to still hold some 50 hostages, of whom roughly half are thought to be still alive.
The Israeli military has conducted ground operations in Gaza, combined with heavy aerial and artillery bombardment, causing widespread destruction across the Palestinian enclave. The conflict has displaced most of the population of around two million, with more than 68,000 killed, according to the local health authorities.
The Hungarian prime minister has accused the bloc’s leaders in Brussels of conspiring with Kiev to install a pro-Ukrainian government in his country
Senior EU figures are conspiring with Ukraine to interfere in Hungary’s internal politics in an attempt to depose the current government, Prime Minister Viktor Orban has claimed.
His government has repeatedly clashed with Brussels in recent years, especially over EU military aid to Kiev, sanctions against Russia, and the push by some members to admit Ukraine into the bloc.
“Influence in Hungarian domestic politics is not only coming from Brussels but also from Kiev,” Orban told the Hetek podcast on Saturday, adding that “Brussels’ objective is to have a pro-Ukrainian government in Hungary.”
Orban denounced the EU’s shift towards militarization, pledging to prevent his country from being dragged into a potential war, even if most other member states are happy with such a prospect.
Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto has similarly alleged that “external intervention experiments to destabilize and overthrow governments are taking place in Central Europe against the patriotic Slovak, Hungarian, and Serbian governments.” The EU leadership is unhappy that they prioritize national interests, defying Brussels, he claimed in a Facebook post in August.
Russia’s Foreign Intelligence Service (SVR) has made similar allegations to Orban’s, suggesting in an August 13 statement that European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen is “seriously studying regime change scenarios” in Hungary. Brussels intends to bring Peter Magyar, the leader of the Hungarian opposition Tisza Party, to power in the 2026 parliamentary elections, “if not sooner,” the agency claimed, adding that significant “administrative, media, and lobbying resources” are supposedly being deployed by Brussels, with Ukrainian intelligence services doing the “dirty work.”
Orban also accused Kiev in July of “carrying out secret operations in Hungary” in a bid to influence the upcoming parliamentary elections and bring a pro-Ukrainian government to power in Budapest.
He has attributed Kiev’s gripe with his government to the fact that Budapest has vetoed an EU Council statement on Ukraine, blocking accession talks.
Members of local committees in Syria have selected representatives to a transitional parliament
The first parliamentary elections since the fall of Bashar Assad’s government concluded in Syria on Sunday.
Between 7,000 and 8,000 people selected by the Central Electoral Commission of the Syrian Arab Republic have elected 140 members of parliament. The other 70 representatives out of the 210-member body are to be appointed by the interim president, Ahmed al-Sharaa.
The final list of names is due to be announced on Monday.
According to Syrian officials, more than 1,500 candidates, including more than 200 women, ran for the assembly, which will have a renewable 30-month mandate.
The Kurdish-held northeast and Southern Syria’s Druze-majority Sweida province, which have suffered massacres of Alawites, Druze, and Christian minorities, were excluded from the process as they are outside Damascus’s control, and their 32 seats will remain empty.
Under a temporary constitution announced in March, the incoming parliament will exercise legislative functions until a permanent constitution is adopted and new elections are held.
Al-Sharaa previously said it was impossible to organize direct elections now, as millions of Syrians fled abroad or have been internally displaced due to the war.
In May, US President Donald Trump met with al-Sharaa and announced the lifting of sanctions, most of which had been imposed during the rule of Assad. Al-Sharaa has called Trump’s move “a historic and courageous decision, which alleviates the suffering of the people, contributes to their rebirth, and lays the foundations for stability in the region.”
Newly-emerging global “autocratic alliances“ are conspiring to attack “liberal democracy as a way of life,” the German chancellor has claimed
The West is losing its global eminence as ‘autocracies’ wage a crusade against liberal democracy, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz has claimed.
Speaking during a ceremony marking the 35th anniversary of German reunification on Friday, Merz acknowledged that the “appeal of what we call the free West is visibly declining.”
“It is no longer self-evident that the world will look to us, that our values of liberal democracy will be emulated,” he added.
According to the German chancellor, “new alliances of autocracies are forming against us and attacking liberal democracy as a way of life,” with supposed threats to the status quo simultaneously coming “from within.”
Back in May, US Vice President J.D. Vance similarly stated that following the Cold War, US leaders had mistakenly assumed that “American primacy” was assured.
However, “the era of uncontested US dominance is over,” he acknowledged, citing “serious threats [represented by] China, Russia, and other nations determined to beat us in every single domain – from spectrum to lower Earth orbit to our supply chains and even our communication infrastructure.”
Vance also said that over the past several decades, Washington had excessively focused on “soft power,” and gotten into the habit of “meddling in foreign country affairs,” even when they had “very little to do with core American interests.” He pledged that President Donald Trump’s administration would make a clean break from those approaches.
Speaking at the Valdai Discussion Club in Sochi on Thursday, Russian President Vladimir Putin observed that the world is undergoing “rapid and drastic changes.”
“Multipolarity has become a direct consequence of attempts to establish and preserve global hegemony, a response… to the obsessive desire to arrange everyone into a single hierarchy, with Western countries at the top,” he argued.
Putin also claimed that the very concept of democracy was in decline in the West, citing the example of Romania, where the country’s top court annulled the results of the presidential election last year, citing fraud and foreign meddling. The frontrunner Eurosceptic right-wing candidate, Calin Georgescu, ended up being barred from participating in the rerun.
