Peter Magyar, left, is hoping to beat Victor Orban, right, to become Hungary’s new prime minister (Picture: Getty/Metro)
The UK’s most recent general election in 2024 certainly contained its share of drama – think Rishi Sunak’s D-Day blunder, or Nigel Farage’s dramatic return to the fray.
But for truly bizarre politics, Hungary really takes the Dobosh.
On April 12, the eastern European nation will go to the polls for its first parliamentary elections since 2022.
Last time around, incumbent Prime Minister Viktor Orbán – a strong ally of Donald Trump with a distinctive centre-parted haircut – achieved a romping victory for his party Fidesz.
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He’s spent the last four years yanking his country further to the right and doing his best to stop support being sent to Ukraine in its fight against Russian invaders.
However, a worsening Hungarian economy has hampered his chances of scoring a fifth term as PM.
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Polls suggest his party has been overtaken by a relatively new challenger called Tisza, which has rocketed in popularity since Orbán critic Péter Magyar took over in July 2024.
Magyar – whose surname literally translates to ‘Hungarian’ – was once a loyal member of Fidesz, but resigned in February 2024 with a blistering attack on Orbán’s record.
Unsurprisingly, there is no love lost between the two men, which may explain why the latest election has become a little… messy.
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Peter Magyar speaking in Hungary during the campaign (Photo by Janos Kummer/Getty Images)
Even before campaigning had fully kicked off, Magyar attracted international headlines with claims his opponents were plotting to blackmail him with a sex tape.
The opposition leader said Fidesz was ‘planning to release a recording, recorded with secret service equipment and possibly faked, in which my then-girlfriend and I are seen having intimate intercourse’.
The accusation stemmed, he said, from a picture of a bedroom that had been shared with journalists, captioned ‘coming soon’.
Fidesz denied any involvement in such a plot, and no such video appears to have been published.
Vladimir Putin and Viktor Orban, who is considered one of the European leaders closest to the Russian president (Picture: Sean Gallup/Getty Images)
Then, on Sunday, the Washington Post published an explosive story suggesting the stakes in the election were being felt far beyond Hungary’s borders.
As mentioned above, Orbán has made a name for himself as a rare voice opposing support for Ukraine within the European Union and Nato.
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That has endeared him to Moscow, who allegedly offered some help to tip the scales of the election in his favour – with extraordinarily melodramatic methods.
Citing an internal report for Russia’s foreign intelligence service the SVR, the US newspaper said officers considered a strategy they called ‘the Gamechanger’.
It involved, bluntly, ‘the staging of an assassination attempt on Viktor Orbán’.
Orban, who has led Hungary for 16 years, sits on Donald Trump’s Board of Peace (Picture: Fabrice COFFRINI / AFP via Getty Images)
Their alleged plan may have been inspired by the impact of the attempted killing of Donald Trump during the 2024 US presidential election, which resulted in an iconic picture and rallied support.
This report was dismissed by Hungarian foreign minister Péter Szijjártó as ‘insane conspiracy theories that are beyond imagination’.
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Questions have also been asked about the decision to appoint a former interpreter for Vladimir Putin to a top role monitoring the parliamentary election.
Daria Boyarskaya will help co-ordinate the work of the Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe overseeing the democratic process next month.
But in a previous life, she worked for years in Russia’s foreign ministry and helped to interpret meetings including one between Putin and Donald Trump in 2019, according to the Guardian.
Daria Boyarskaya beside Vladimir Putin at a meeting with Donald Trump (Picture: East2West)
The choice was criticised by rights group the Hungarian Helsinki Committee, but OSCE secretary general Roberto Montella said Ms Boyarskaya retains his ‘full trust and confidence’.
A spokesperson for the group added: ‘The Russian government does not pay Ms Boyarskaya’s salary, nor has it done it so in the past.’
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Meanwhile, Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk accused Orbán’s team of ‘inform[ing] Moscow about EU Council meetings in every detail’ in an X post on Sunday.
Political news site Politico reported the EU was limiting the amount of confidential material passed to Hungary’s leaders out of concern it would end up in the hands of the Kremlin.
János Bóka, the Hungarian Europe Minister, described the story as ‘fake news’.
And Russia is not the only source of foreign support for Orbán and his government ahead of the crucial elections – President Trump has his back too.
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In a video message shown at a conference on Saturday, Trump said: ‘He’s a fantastic guy and it’s such an honour to endorse him.’
In less than two weeks, we’ll know whether that had an impact – but who knows what could happen before then?
Donald Trump “blinks first” in his standoff with Iran, the Daily Mail says, after the US president announced a “five-day pause on energy strikes”. Trump has claimed Tehran was close to agreeing to “no more wars, no more nuclear weapons” and “regime change”, the Mail says, but the paper also notes officials in Iran have called it “fake news”.
The Earth’s climate is in a “state of emergency”, according to the United Nations which has warned it is more out of balance than at any other time in observed history.
The World Meteorological Organisation (WMO), which is the UN’s weather agency, predicted that rapid and large-scale changes to the global climate in recent decades would trigger harmful repercussions lasting centuries.
It comes as rising greenhouse gas concentrations in the atmosphere drive global warming and melt ice.
The WMO’s annual “state of the global climate” report, released on Monday, also highlighted the impact in 2025 of intense heatwaves, heavy rainfall, wildfires, drought, tropical cyclones, storms, and flooding, including widespread death and vast economic losses.
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Image: United Nations secretary-general Antonio Guterres. Pic: Reuters
It further demonstrated the cascading impacts that extreme weather events were having worldwide, including food insecurity and displacement, and health risks driven by shifting rainfall patterns, like mosquito-borne dengue disease and heat stress.
UN secretary-general Antonio Guterres warned the global climate is in a “state of emergency”.
“Planet Earth is being pushed beyond its limits,” he said. “Every key climate indicator is flashing red.”
The report confirmed that 2015 to 2025 represented the hottest 11 years on record, with data showing last year as the second or third hottest ever documented.
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It also revealed that Earth is close to breaching the key warming threshold of 1.5C – beyond which increasingly severe and compounding climate impacts are triggered – with the figure recorded at 1.43C last year.
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Trump’s most sweeping climate reversal to date
Furthermore, the WMO found the accelerating amount of heat in the world’s oceans, which stores more than 91% of the excess heat in the Earth’s system, means the planet is moving to timescales of committed climate change for centuries.
Meanwhile, the planet’s energy imbalance – the rate at which energy from the sun enters and leaves the Earth – reached a new high in 2025.
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Image: A man cools off with water in Athens, Greece, amid a heatwave in July 2025. Pic: AP
At the same time, heat-trapping greenhouse gases like carbon dioxide, methane and nitrous oxide have risen to their highest level in at least 800,000 years.
WMO secretary-general Celeste Saulo said: “Human activities are increasingly disrupting the natural equilibrium and we will live with these consequences for hundreds and thousands of years.
“On a day-to-day basis, our weather has become more extreme.”
The report also outlined how climate data, early warning systems, and integrated climate services for health can protect people as the temperature rises.
Fire crews cut off a door to allow emergency services to work
Fire crews had to cut off a car door to allow emergency services to work after a crash. Saffron Walden fire crewswere called to a crash in Ickleton at about 8am on Monday (March 23).
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At the scene, crews removed the driver’s door from one of the vehicles to allow paramedics access. Two patients were taken to hospital after the crash.
A spokesperson for Saffron Walden fire station said: “Shortly after 8am this morning, both of our fire engines were mobilised to a road traffic collision between Strethall and Elmdon. Using specialist equipment, we quickly removed the drivers [sic] door off one of the vehicles to give our colleagues in the ambulance service some more space to work.
“We, the crew, wish both drivers a speedy recovery. This incident serves as a reminder of the importance of wearing seat belts and taking extra care when navigating our country roads.”
An East of England Ambulance Service spokesperson said: “We were called at 8.10am to a road traffic collision on Elmdon Road in Ickleton. Two ambulances were sent to the scene and two patients were transported to Addenbrooke’s Hospital for further treatment.”
Worshippers Melvin Cravitz and Adrian Daulby were killed when 35-year-old Jihad Al-Shamie, a Syrian-born British citizen, drove into the gates of the Heaton Park synagogue in Crumpsall, Manchester, in October last year, and then began attacking with a knife, wearing a fake suicide belt.
Spring has officially arrived, bringing with it brighter and lengthier days. The changing of the seasons naturally encourages a fresh beginning, particularly if you’re contemplating revitalising your home.
DIY enthusiasts and professionals have identified spring as the perfect moment to refresh your property, whether through applying a new coat of paint, replacing heavy winter textiles with lighter alternatives, or undertaking a thorough spring clean. Girls Aloud’s Kimberley recently spoke with DailyExpress.co.uk at the unveiling of her latest paint partnership with Wickes, sharing insights on home improvements and DIY projects.
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Your bedroom should serve as a peaceful retreat, with an ambience that helps you unwind before sleep. Yet, if you’re uncertain where to begin, DIY specialists from Wickes and Kimberley have revealed their favourite paint selections for revamping your bedroom this spring, reports the Express.
Lewis Janes, Head of Decorating & Storage at Wickes, believes spring offers the optimal opportunity to refresh your living space: “This time of year is perfect for bringing natural light into your interiors and making rooms feel more open. The right shades can lift the mood whilst enhancing the sense of space.”
Always add panelling
Kimberley noted that individuals typically understand which colours suit their bedroom environment, particularly those that promote restful sleep. To enhance a basic bedroom, she suggests incorporating panelling to introduce depth and texture to the room. She explained: “In my bedroom, I focus more on the panelling, and I made the feature that rather than a strong, bold colour. And that really works, it just elevates the space…”
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She added: “There’s the new acoustic panelling I did in my son’s room. Those kinds of things can really bring the room to life, but still keep it quite earthly and tonal if you don’t want to go too wild with colour.”
Soft Honey from Kimberley Walsh by Wickes
Lewis highlighted Kimberley’s latest interior paint Soft Honey (2.5l, £13) as an excellent choice to help brighten any bedroom space. He characterised it as “a warm, uplifting yellow with honeyed undertones that reflects daylight beautifully, creating a cosy, welcoming, and effortlessly elegant space.”
During the paint’s development, Kimberley sought assistance from her son, Bobby, whose room now showcases the inviting yellow shade.
Wheatgrass by Crown
Lewis noted that this gentle “clay hue” is ideal for those who prefer to maintain neutral walls. He characterised Wheatgrass (5l, £29) as “neutral yet inviting”.
Sage No.85 by Wickes
Green tones can help your home welcome the spring season, introducing a sense of freshness and vitality from outdoors. Lewis’ selection for spring is the Sage No.85 (2.5l, £13).
He characterised the paint colour as introducing a “gentle, timeless pastel green to the room”.
Moonlight Bay by Crown
Moonlight Bay (2.5l, £20) is a subdued pastel blue, an ideal springtime refresh for bedrooms. Lewis noted that the Crown paint “introduces a softness ideal for creating a calm, restful space.”
Kimberley’s new interior paint shade, Soft Honey, and new garden paint, Pale Clover, are now available to purchase at Wickes. Browse the Kimberley Walsh by Wickes collection here.
It’s a brief set considering the cost of entry, with Brown on and off within an hour, but the sheer pace goes some way to making up for it, leaving barely room to breathe between world-class bangers. Tonight’s gig shows that Danny Brown hit his mid-40s, got sober, settled down, and somehow came back even wilder than before.
There were tearful scenes in the central American nation of Honduras on February 23, as locals said goodbye to the Cuban healthcare professionals who had been treating them for free for around two years. It came after the Honduran government abruptly ended the Cuban medical mission under pressure from the administration of the US president, Donald Trump.
That same day, a “sensitive” US State Department memo was sent to the secretary of state, Marco Rubio. It discussed the US strategy to sabotage Cuba’s medical internationalism, which has been an integral part of the island nation’s foreign policy since 1960. In recent years it has also become a key pillar of its economy.
The US has imposed unilateral sanctions on Cuba for more than 60 years. These prevent Cuba from engaging in “normal” international trade – for example, third parties cannot sell goods to Cuba if 10% of their components are from US companies or subsidiaries. And Cuba cannot export goods to the US. On top of that, the US blockade severely restricts Cuba’s access to the international financial system.
In this context, the export of medical professionals has become vital to the Cuban economy. For decades the Cuban government sent medical missions around the world as a donation to developing nations. But over the past two decades, it has developed cooperation agreements under which governments or local authorities pay the Cuban government for the medical services of its healthcare professionals.
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Attacking that revenue looks to be a key component of the US push for regime change in Cuba by the end of the year. This is alongside the total oil blockade imposed by Trump’s executive order on January 29, which has now caused multiple national blackouts that have left the entire island in the dark.
It is a policy of carrots and sticks. Countries kicking out Cuban medics are offered US support for “infrastructure modernisation” – things like telemedicine and virtual training. A year earlier, Rubio had announced visa restrictions for current and former officials and their families from anywhere in the world who took part in Cuban programmes.
By mid-March this year, neighbouring governments fell into line. Guatemala, Paraguay, the Bahamas, Guyana and Jamaica terminated Cuban medical missions, ending decades of cooperation. In Guatemala, more than 400 Cuban healthcare professionals, most of them doctors, are serving indigenous communities under a three decades-long partnership. The last doctors will leave by the end of the year.
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Cuban doctors leaving Honduras in February 2026.
The US government’s attack on Cuban medical internationalism is not new. It began in 2006, the year after the oil-for-doctors programme between Cuba and Venezuela transformed the export of healthcare professionals into Cuba’s greatest revenue source.
US policy sought to eliminate this income and undermine the prestige the programmes earned the island. The then US president, George W Bush, set up the Cuban Medical Professional Parole (CMPP) Program, encouraging Cuban medics abroad to abandon missions and defect to the US. The programme was ended only in 2017, in Barack Obama’s final days as president.
Despite this, and reflecting the deficit in healthcare globally, Cuba’s earnings from the export of healthcare services rose. Revenues in 2018 (the first year Cuba published separate data for health services) were US$6.4 billion (£4.8 billion). Trump’s first administration developed policies, and funding, to sabotage these programmes.
Cuba’s bill of health
It also devised a new justification for doing this. The US government could not openly demand that countries sacrifice the health and wellbeing of their populations just to deny Cuba revenue. So instead, it accused Cuba of human trafficking and equated its healthcare professionals to slaves.
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Anyone who has spoken to Cuban participants – as I have – knows the overseas service contracts they sign provide them with their regular Cuban salary, plus extra remuneration from the host country. They are guaranteed holidays and contact with families.
Even with tens of thousands of medical workers overseas, the state’s investment in healthcare and medical training means that the Cuban population has the highest ratio of doctors per person in the world. In 2022, it was said to have nine doctors and nine nurses for every 1,000 citizens. In the US, there are 2.6 doctors per 1,000 citizens and in the UK the figure is 3.2.
For many Cuban healthcare professionals, it signifies the fulfilment of an internationalist duty; for others a way to travel or increase their income. The Cuban government takes the lion’s share of revenues and puts them back into Cuba’s universal free public healthcare provision and medical training.
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But under Trump’s second administration, Rubio, the son of Cuban migrants who left the island during the Batista dictatorship, has spearheaded a renewed attack on the island’s international medical programmes. The recent State Department memo stated that Cuban medical brigades were a key source of “hard cash” for the regime.
The four forms of Cuban medical internationalism practices established in the 1960s are:
emergency medical brigades overseas
treatment of foreign patients in Cuba
training foreign students as healthcare professionals, and,
establishment of public healthcare facilities overseas.
This contribution to developing nations has often been ignored or censored. But it translates into millions of lives saved and improved globally every year. Sabotaging medical internationalism would devastate Cuba. But it would also leave millions of people around the world without the vital medical attention that they had previously enjoyed.
The man was spotted driving dangerously in West Belfast by PSNI officers
Rob Currell Live news reporter
21:04, 23 Mar 2026
A teenager has been charged after he was observed driving a scrambler in a dangerous manner by PSNI Air Support Team officers on Sunday afternoon, March 22.
The 19-year-old man has been charged to court with several offences, including dangerous driving. He was spotted driving the scrambler dangerously in the Glen Road area before being arrested.
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The man was also charged with resisting police, using a motor vehicle without insurance, no driving licence and failing to wear protective headgear.
He is due to appear before Belfast Magistrates’ Court on Friday, April 17.As is usual procedure, PSNI said the charges will be reviewed by the Public Prosecution Service.
Meanwhile, at the rally organised by Our Fight UK Gideon Falter, chief executive of the Campaign Against Antisemitism, told the crowd : “Burning that ambulance service down, waiting for a moment when all four of its ambulances were in one place, not on call, it’s premeditated, it’s calculated, it’s despicable.”
The Made in Chelsea star’s new Disney+ parenting documentary is just days away from release
Samantha King Content Editor
00:01, 24 Mar 2026
Made in Chelsea stars Sophie Habboo and Jamie Laing are making their pregnancy journey public in an eye-opening new Disney+ documentary that releases in a matter of days.
Raising Chelsea charts the couple’s experience preparing for the arrival of their new baby through to the labour itself across three episodes. The official synopsis reads: “An intimate three-part series following the former Made in Chelsea stars, Jamie Laing and Sophie Habboo, as they face the messy, scary and hilarious reality of becoming parents.
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“Pregnancy begins with joy, before panic quickly sets in, as medical jargon, home renovations and family opinions pile up. Fun-loving, workaholic Jamie, says he’s the boy who won’t grow up and struggles to see himself in the role of dad.
“Meanwhile Sophie balances career highs and the thrill of becoming a mum, with raging hormones and fears of maternity leave and motherhood impacting her career. Jamie and Sophie run headlong into the drama of labour to finally meet their baby – and with family and friends never far away, they laugh and cry their way through the joy and the chaos.”
A release date for the new series has been announced today (March 24), with the series landing on the streaming platform on April 2. However, ahead of its release, the couple revealed there was one moment that features in the series that they had never anticipated including.
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“We always have this struggle in our relationship with the podcast, with social media, online, everything. Jamie would want to share every single thing, and I more so find that a little bit scary,” Sophie admitted. “However, with this TV show, after we started filming, we quickly realised, well, I realised, that it wasn’t going to work unless we showed everything.”
She continued: “And with the birth scene, we really didn’t expect to go in there. I didn’t actually want to film that, but it’s there and it’s real and that is the story and that is what happened. I’ve just gone for it.”
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Jamie was quick to jump in, adding: “I didn’t force Sophie to film the birth scene,” as his wife went on to share the sweet reason she wanted to keep it in.
“What actually happened was my anaesthetist took my phone and filmed the whole thing! When I’d given birth and we were looking through the photos, we were like, ‘Oh my God, the whole thing’s been filmed’,” she recalled.
“And actually, it made us feel really emotional and obviously it was the greatest day of our lives. We thought ‘Do you know what? It happens, it’s real life’ and we put it in there.”
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The couple became parents to baby Ziggy in December following a love story that began on reality series Made in Chelsea. Following years of dating, Jamie proposed at the Rosewood London hotel in December 2021 – the same spot where they had their first date.
Raising Chelsea will be available to stream on Disney+ from April 2.
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