Peter Magyar's Tisza party has secured a decisive parliamentary majority in Hungary's general election, ending Viktor Orban's 16-year hold on power. With roughly two-thirds of precincts reporting, Tisza had captured 137 of 199 parliamentary seats, a supermajority threshold that gives Magyar broad legislative authority. Orban, 62, conceded Sunday, calling the result 'painful but unambiguous,' and confirmed he had congratulated the winning party. Voter turnout hit a record 77.8 percent by 6:30 pm local time, signaling exceptional public engagement in a race watched closely across Europe and Washington. Magyar, 45, a former government insider with no prior elected office, built his movement over just two years on an anti-corruption platform, capitalising on economic stagnation despite an electoral system widely regarded as structurally tilted toward Orban's Fidesz party. The margin suggests Magyar overcame those structural disadvantages substantially. The result reshuffles Europe's political alignment. Orban had positioned himself as a bridge between the EU and Russia, maintained close ties with Vladimir Putin, and drew explicit backing from US President Donald Trump and Vice President JD Vance days before the vote. A Magyar-led government is expected to reorient Hungary toward Brussels, with direct consequences for EU cohesion votes, Ukraine-related policy, and rule-of-law proceedings against Budapest. Watch whether Magyar moves quickly to restore judicial independence and whether Hungary's frozen EU structural funds are released, a potential economic catalyst for the country's 9.5 million people.
Venezuela's earthquake death toll has reached 1,430 with the US Geological Survey warning fatalities could top 10,000, placing it among Latin America's deadliest in a century. US military planes are landing in Caracas, Washington is mobilising $150 million in aid, and rescue teams from 17 countries are on the ground.
Iranian armed forces attacked a cargo ship in the Strait of Hormuz on Thursday, briefly halting traffic through the waterway. The strike threatens a fragile US-Iran arrangement and could push shipping insurance costs and oil prices higher.
The US has struck Iran, with President Trump citing an Iranian attack on a ship in the Strait of Hormuz as justification. The action raises immediate risks for global oil flows through one of the world's most critical shipping chokepoints.
The US struck ten Iranian targets on the second consecutive day of military action, putting a fragile ceasefire under serious pressure. The escalation raises immediate risks for Gulf shipping, global oil supply, and regional stability.