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JD Vance travelled to Budapest to campaign for Viktor Orbán ahead of Hungary's election, accusing the EU of foreign interference, as the White House confirmed Trump has discussed withdrawing from NATO after European allies declined to join the US-Israel war on Iran.

This comes as US-Iran nuclear talks collapsed following a 21-hour session in Pakistan.

This, and more, below ⤵️

Top 5 Stories

1️⃣ 🇺🇸🇭🇺 Vance campaigns for Orbán ahead of Hungarian election: US Vice President JD Vance travelled to Budapest declaring his intention to help Orbán win today’s vote, accusing the EU of “one of the worst examples of foreign election interference.” The visit coincided with a Bloomberg report claiming Orbán told Putin “I am at your service” in an October phone call, as polls show Orbán trailing challenger Péter Magyar.

2️⃣ 🇺🇸 Trump signals possible NATO withdrawal: The White House confirmed Trump “has discussed” leaving NATO after European allies declined to contribute forces to the US-Israel war on Iran, with Press Secretary Leavitt declaring the alliance had been “tested and failed.” NATO chief Rutte acknowledged clear disappointment after meeting Trump but stopped short of confirming a withdrawal threat.

3️⃣ 🇭🇺 Explosives found near Hungary gas pipeline before election: Serbian forces discovered two rucksacks of explosives near the TurkStream pipeline, prompting Orbán to convene an emergency National Defence Council meeting. Ukraine denied involvement and called it a Russian false flag, while opposition leader Magyar and Hungarian security experts alleged the incident was staged to boost Fidesz ahead of today’s vote.

4️⃣ 🇺🇦🇱🇾 Ukraine operating covertly in Libya to strike Russian tankers: Ukrainian drone operatives deployed across western Libya under a Western-backed covert deal launched the March strike that badly damaged the Russian shadow fleet tanker Arctic Metagaz in the Mediterranean, two Libyan officials told the AP. Neither Kyiv nor Moscow immediately commented.

5️⃣ 🇺🇦 Ukraine strikes Russian oil port and major refinery: Ukrainian drones hit the Baltic Sea port of Primorsk and set fire to two facilities at the NORSI refinery in Nizhny Novgorod — Russia’s fourth largest. The strikes are part of a broader campaign that has shut down roughly 40% of Russia’s oil export capacity through attacks, pipeline closures, and tanker seizures.

Major Story

Iran War Update:

🇺🇸🇮🇷 US-Iran talks collapse after marathon 21-hour session: JD Vance announced the US negotiating team left Pakistan without an agreement following the highest-level direct engagement between Washington and Tehran in decades, with the Strait of Hormuz, nuclear development, war reparations, and sanctions all on the table. Iran had warned against "excessive demands" ahead of the talks, while Trump told reporters a deal made "no difference" to him. Netanyahu vowed Israel would "continue to fight Iran's terror regime" regardless.

🇺🇸🇮🇷 US destroyers begin mine-clearing in Strait of Hormuz: Two US Navy destroyers crossed the strait to begin clearing operations, with CENTCOM saying underwater drones would join in coming days, as Iran's Revolutionary Guards threatened to "deal severely" with any military vessels transiting the waterway. Trump said all Iranian mine-laying ships have been destroyed, though analysts warn oil supply disruptions will persist for months even if the ceasefire holds.

🇱🇧 Israeli strikes kill 18 across southern Lebanon as death toll tops 2,000: Strikes on the Nabatieh district and a village near Sidon killed at least 18 people on Saturday, pushing the total death toll since Lebanon was drawn into the war on March 2 to at least 2,020. Hezbollah rejected direct ceasefire negotiations with Israel as Lebanon, Israel and the US confirmed they would meet in Washington next week.

Other News

1️⃣ 🇰🇵 North Korea tests cluster-bomb ballistic missiles: Pyongyang confirmed a three-day weapons testing spree that included cluster-munition warheads mounted on nuclear-capable Hwasong-11 ballistic missiles, alongside anti-aircraft systems, electromagnetic weapons, and carbon-fiber bombs. South Korea’s military confirmed multiple launches flying up to 700 kilometres before falling into the sea, as a North Korean official separately declared Seoul would remain the North’s “most hostile enemy state.”

2️⃣ 🇹🇼🇨🇳 Taiwan opposition leader meets Xi in Beijing: KMT chairperson Cheng Li-wun met Xi Jinping, with both leaders voicing opposition to Taiwan independence and calling for peaceful cross-strait relations. Cheng signalled the KMT would deprioritise military buildup and US arms purchases, while President Lai Ching-te warned that “compromising with authoritarian regimes only sacrifices sovereignty and democracy.”

3️⃣ 🇺🇸🇻🇦 Pentagon denies threatening Vatican over Iran: Both the Pentagon and Cardinal Christophe Pierre denied a Free Press report claiming US officials warned the Holy See to align with the Trump administration or face consequences, with Pierre describing the January meeting as “frank, but very cordial.” Pope Leo XIV has repeatedly condemned US strikes on Iran as “illegal and immoral” and scrapped a planned 2026 US visit amid ongoing tensions.

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