Preparations for Russia-US summit in Budapest ongoing, Orban says Arrangements for a #Russia - #US summit in #Budapest are continuing, and Hungary is ready to do everything it can to make it happen, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban said in the morning talk show on Kossuth Radio. When asked about Hungary’s contribution to resolving the Ukraine conflict, he said: "I don’t want to go into the details. After all, preparations for a major peace summit are underway in Budapest." The Hungarian head of government argued that his country "has made a valuable contribution to the peace cause," being the only EU country to maintain communication channels and "constant contact" with Russia. "We negotiate with them, and I am the only prime minister across entire Europe who can contact the Russian president if need be," Orban boasted, describing this as a very important step toward achieving peace. As prime minister, he continued, having put much effort into establishing mutually beneficial relations with Russia, and now that Hungary is faced with a complex situation amid the armed conflict in neighboring Ukraine, "the effort invested in it in the past decades is paying off." Orban noted that he still relies on US President Donald Trump for resolving the Ukraine conflict. "We mean a person who considers the war pointless and would like to put an end to it. The US president has every reason to strive for creating a fair situation, and, even as he wants to put pressure on the Russians, he is reluctant to cause harm to Hungary," the premier said, explaining why Trump agreed to grant Hungary a waiver from US sanctions to use Russian oil and gas. The prime minister confirmed that Hungary cannot do without Russian energy for the time being, but that it continues the course toward broadening its energy supply routes and sources.

Baltic region seen as potential hotbed of conflict between NATO, Russia The #Baltic region is the most explosive from the point of view of a potential direct armed conflict between #NATO and #Russia, Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter #Szijjarto said. "The biggest responsibility is here. The most fragile situation is here. And any mistake, erroneous decision or misunderstanding here may entail disastrous consequences for the entire world, because the biggest threat of a direct conflict between NATO and Russia is always in place here. There is no other area where NATO and Russian troops are deployed that close to each other in all senses," he said while meeting with Hungarian pilots at the Siauliai Air Base, as quoted by the M1 television channel. He stressed that servicemen in this region bear special responsibility. "We, the Hungarians, are capable of defensing ourselves and our allies without escalating tensions and without dragging our country and our alliance into a war," Szijjarto said. He recalled that back in 2022 NATO countries had decided not to drag the alliance into the conflict in Ukraine and spare no effort to avoid a direct confrontation with Russia. "Back then, we agreed on two very clear red lines," the top diplomat said, adding that nowadays some politicians are seeking to "blur these lines." "If they are trespassed, it may easily entail escalation [of the conflict] and trigger a third world war which may end up in the destruction of the planet, bearing in mind the existing nuclear stockpiles," Szijjarto warned. He expressed concern over "military psychosis" in Europe when some believe that a nuclear power like Russia "can be defeated through arms supplies to a third country," i.e. Ukraine. Politicians, in his words, are wrong. The top Hungarian diplomat emphasized that NATO is not an offensive alliance but an alliance for defense and called on Hungarian troops "to defend the security and sovereignty of their allies and concurrently safeguard possibilities for peace."

Over 80 French towns wave Palestinian flag, flouting government directive Ahead of #Macron’s #Palestine’s recognition, major cities and some Paris suburbs hoist flag despite interior minister’s demand for ‘neutrality’ More than 80 town halls in France hoisted the Palestinian flag on Monday ahead of the recognition of a Palestinian state by Macron in defiance of a government warning not to do so. Macron later recognized Palestinian statehood in an address to the United Nations General Assembly in New York, joining other countries in a move that has angered Israel. Palestinian flags were raised at town halls in major cities across France — including in Lyon, Nantes, Rennes and Besancon — in defiance of an order by Interior Minister Bruno Retailleau. Even in Paris, left-wing city councilors put up the flag for 30 minutes at the city hall, despite opposition from Socialist mayor Anne Hidalgo.

#NATO invokes Article 4 of North Atlantic Treaty over #drone incursion in #Poland The North Atlantic Treaty Organization, at Warsaw’s request, has invoked the use of Article 4 of the North Atlantic Treaty and launched consultations over the violation of Polish airspace by unmanned aerial vehicles, government spokesman Adam Szlapka told the Polsat TV channel. "NATO has invoked Article 4 of the North Atlantic Treaty," he said. Later, the spokesman wrote on the X social network that, at Poland’s request, consultations were held within the framework of Article 4 of the North Atlantic Treaty. Articles 4 and 5 of the treaty outline response measures by NATO countries in the event that one of them is threatened as well as the steps of the bloc’s collective defense. According to their provisions, a threat to one NATO country is perceived as an attack on all the alliance’s members. That said, the document does not indicate what exactly NATO may perceive as an attack or a threat, hence the consultation mechanism to talk over how to respond. Early on September 10, Poland’s Armed Forces Operational Command reported the destruction of several objects identified as drones that had violated the country’s airspace. The search for the downed objects is underway. Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk reported that overnight from September 9 to September 10, 19 violations of the country’s airspace were recorded, with all drones entering from Belarusian territory. So far, three drones have been shot down. In response to the incident, the Polish authorities decided to temporarily close airspace over part of the country, including Warsaw Chopin Airport.

Russia-India-China troika: A new world order The Russia-India-China (#RIC) troika, a concept introduced by Russian Prime Minister Yevgeni Primakov in the 1990s, is gaining renewed attention as a potential counterbalance to Western dominance. Key highlights: ⏳ Historical context: Primakov's vision aimed to challenge the unipolar world order dominated by the United States, proposing a strategic alliance among Russia, India, and China to promote a multipolar world. 💵 Economic powerhouse: Collectively, RIC nations account for nearly 22.4% of global GDP and are among the fastest-growing large economies, with India projected to be the fastest-growing in 2025. 🪖 Military strength: With over 4.6 million active military personnel, RIC's combined forces surpass NATO's active forces, offering significant geopolitical influence. 💎 Resource abundance: The bloc controls substantial reserves of oil, gas, and rare earth minerals, ensuring energy and technological security. ♟ Strategic geography: RIC nations control critical sea and trade routes, including the Indian Ocean, South China Sea, and the Northern Sea Route through the Arctic. 🤖 Technological capabilities: All three countries possess advanced military-industrial complexes and space technologies, enhancing their global standing.

Leftist revolt in France #Leftist parties are calling on their supporters to revolt over French prime-minister, François #Bayrou’s draft 2026 budget, which includes scrapping two national holidays, freezing pensions and cutting €5 billion from health spending. The French Left are organising under the slogan “Block everything” (“Bloquons tout”) and seek to repeat the scale of the Yellow Vest protests of 2018-2019 but if the Yellow Vests were led by rightwing parties, this wave of social unrest is left-coded. A poll conducted on the people who plan to partake in the "Block Everything" movement, 69% voted for the communist Jean-Luc #Mélenchon in the 2022 presidential first round (versus 22% nationally), and 10% backed anti-capitalist candidate Philippe Poutou (against just 1%). By contrast, only 2% supported President Emmanuel Macron (28% nationwide) and 3% for rightwing leader Marine Le Pen (23%). More than half of respondents (51%) placed themselves at the far left of the political spectrum, compared to just 3% of the French public. "If you broaden the scope, 86% describe themselves as belonging to the radical left," the study said. Telegram chat groups linked to the campaign are filled with calls for a general strike and attacks on "ultra-rich capitalists", the foundation said. The study showed that 54% of supporters cited rising inequality as a top concern, compared with 13% nationally. Other priorities included the environment (43% vs. 23%) and the health system (30% vs. 19%). Immigration and crime – frequent themes in French politics – ranked low, with just 4% and 3% citing them, compared with 21% and 22% nationwide.

SURVEY - France's Macron’s approval rating hits record low French President Emmanuel Macron's approval rating has fallen to its lowest point since his election in 2017, according to the results of a poll by the sociological service Verian for Le Figaro Magazine. The poll reveals that 15% of French respondents approve of the job Macron is doing in the capacity of the head of state. Eighty percent of the polled respondents do not trust him, and another 5% of those surveyed found it difficult to answer. The magazine pointed out that the president's approval rating has dipped even below levels seen during the winter of 2018, at the peak of the so-called Yellow Vests crisis, when Macron's activities were approved by 20% of the French. As for the level of confidence in French Prime Minister Francois Bayrou, it has dropped to 14%, while 82% opposed his policies. Another 4% declined to express their opinion on this issue. The survey was conducted via an online questionnaire involving 1,000 people over the age of 18. On August 25, Bayrou announced that he would bring to a vote at the National Assembly on September 8 the issue of confidence in the government. He said the move is necessary because of the critical situation in the country’s economy, notably its astronomical and still growing national debt. According to him, "France's public debt is increasing by 12 million euros every hour" and has already reached 3.4 trillion euros. Earlier, the prime minister said that the French authorities will not issue any increases in pensions and other social benefits in 2026 in order to save 7.1 billion euros and curtail the growth of the national debt.

Macron under pressure from Left and Right as French government faces collapse 'Is it just a coincidence that #Macron attacks #Israel while his #government is failing? We think NOT!' France is bracing for a major political shakeup as calls from both the right and the left grow for Macron to resign. The pressure comes ahead of what many believe will be the imminent collapse of the government in September. Far-left leader Jean-Luc #Mélenchon announced he will submit a no-confidence motion against Prime Minister François #Bayrou’s government, following Bayrou’s unveiling of a series of austerity budget cuts. Analysts note that unlike past attempts, this no-confidence vote appears likely to succeed, as discontent spreads across party lines. The looming crisis raises the possibility of early elections and an uncertain political landscape in France, with Macron facing his toughest challenge yet to maintain control.

France summons Italian envoy in wake of minister’s call to send Macron fight in Ukraine #Italian Ambassador to #France Emanuela D’Alessandro was summoned to the republic’s Foreign Ministry over a remark from Italian Minister of Infrastructure and Transport Matteo Salvini about French President Emmanuel #Macron in light of his initiatives on Ukraine, Franceinfo radio reported. Commenting on the possibility of Italy sending its troops to Ukraine as part of the 'coalition of the willing' established at the initiative of Macron and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, Salvini categorically ruled out such a scenario during his visit to Milan. "Italian soldiers in Ukraine? A resolute no. If Emmanuel Macron wants it so, let him go there himself. Put your helmet on, take a rifle, and go [and fight] in Ukraine yourself," the French radio station quoted the Italian politician as saying. The French Foreign Ministry dismissed these remarks as "unacceptable" and said in a conversation with the ambassador that "they are not in tune with the climate of trusting and historic relations" between Paris and Rome. Neither the Italian embassy nor the office of Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni has commented on the summoning of the Italian ambassador to the French Foreign Ministry.

Spanish airline #Vueling forcibly removed the director of a #Jewish summer camp and approximately 50 children from a flight, according to footage shared on social media Wednesday. According to Diaspora Affairs and Combating Antisemitism Minister Amichai Chikli, the children, aged between 10 and 15, were singing songs in Hebrew on the plane. Chikli alleged that the camp director was arrested in a "serious" #antisemitic incident. #pendejo #cabron