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Byelection wins and defections push Canada’s Liberals into majority government under the prime ministerMark Carney has said he will govern with “humility, determination and a clear understanding of what this moment demands” after his Liberals swept three byelections Monday evening, forging a parliamentary majority just more than a year after he took power.Carney has achieved only the third majority government in two decades – and has done so in a highly unusual fashion, cobbling together both ballot box wins and defections from rival parties. Continue reading...

The New York Times editorial board had a message Tuesday on what it takes to defeat Trumpism — and authoritarianism — as midterms approach. The editors described how the landslide defeat of Viktor Orban by Peter Magyar in Hungary should inspire Americans hoping to see change in the United States amid President Donald Trump's tumultuous second administration. They outlined the different ways opposing candidates could identify vulnerabilities for Trump and his regime using Magyar as an example of how to defeat autocratic rule and apply "an American version of this strategy."By talking directly about Orban's 16 years in power and the stagnant living standards in Hungary, Magyar saw the opportunity to give voters a new promise: reliable medical care, a secure family life and retirement. He said that political connections shouldn't matter and used the frustrations people were feeling to lay out his plan. He campaigned in rural areas of the country, adopted an even harsher immigration policy and distanced himself from a Pride march and LGBTQ issues, and although the editorial board did not agree with all of his maneuvers, it did recommend other politicians look closely at the strategy. This is something a Trump opponent can do: highlight the corruption during Trump's leadership, including the Iran war, the use of pardons to excuse his allies, tax policies that have made life harder for working Americans and easier for the wealthy, and climbing gas prices."His populism is fake. It serves a small slice of wealthy, well-connected people at the expense of most Americans, and it leaves him and his party politically vulnerable to an opposition that can credibly use government as a force for good," according to the Editorial Board. Democrats can use this to their advantage. They need to develop an "ambitious agenda" and not just focus on criticism of Trump. "The second lesson may be harder for Democrats — and center-left parties in Europe — to absorb," the editors explained. "Mr. Magyar, who identifies as center right, won partly by avoiding the social progressivism that dominates elite left-leaning circles and alienates many voters. He ran as an economic progressive and a cultural moderate if not conservative."Magyar — whose last name means "Hungarian" — relied on symbolism, using the Hungarian flag and a variety of other messaging styles. "Mr. Magyar thoroughly defeated this far-right giant. The free world should take an honest look at how he did it," the editorial board added.

Donald Trump and Vice President JD Vance just suffered a humiliating foreign policy defeat that exposes the severe limits of American influence abroad — and signals potential disaster for the GOP in the midterm elections.According to the Washington Post's Michael Birnbaum, Trump's decision to personally intervene in Hungary's election by dispatching Vance to campaign for strongman Viktor Orban not only failed catastrophically, but also damaged Republican credibility on the international stage.Orban had been a darling of the American right, preaching to conservatives at CPAC about seizing control of institutions. "Have your own media," Orban once declared, "it was the only way to combat the 'insanity of the progressive left.'" He aligned perfectly with Trump's worldview, opposing NATO aid to Ukraine and framing it as anti-war rather than pro-democracy.Trump returned the embrace enthusiastically by exempting Hungary from energy sanctions imposed on other European countries, and Vance personally campaigned for Orban, telling Hungarians they had a guaranteed friend in Washington if they reelected their prime minister.It wasn't enough. Orban was decisively defeated. A constitutional supermajority for the opposition will now rewrite election laws that Orban had previously reshaped to favor his own party — a stunning reversal of fortune for Trump's endorsed candidate.Vance attempted to minimize the damage, claiming "I'm sad that he lost. We will work very well, I'm sure, with the next prime minister of Hungary. It wasn't a bad trip at all because it's worth standing by people, even if you don't win every race."But Republicans are furious. Rep. Don Bacon (R-NE), who is retiring, blasted the intervention as a norm-breaking disaster that backfired spectacularly."President Trump and Vice President Vance broke the norms by going and campaigning for a candidate in another democracy," Bacon said. "It's not appropriate to do it, and then they failed. So it's like a double-dumb move, and it just undermines us."The strategic implications are dire. One Republican strategist with extensive European experience warned that Orban's ouster is "a harbinger" for what might come in the midterm elections this fall."If you don't define your campaign on an issue set that gets your base energized to turnout in huge numbers, it will be a problem," the strategist told the Post.

A U.S. naval blockade of the Strait of Hormuz went into effect Monday at 10 a.m. EST at the direction of President Donald Trump, but in a matter of hours, the blockade was breached without incident by at least four Iran-linked vessels, BBC reported Tuesday.On Monday, Trump said that he had instructed the U.S. Navy to “seek and interdict every vessel in international waters that has paid a toll to Iran,” and the U.S. military later said that the “blockade will be enforced impartially against vessels of all nations entering or departing Iranian ports and coastal areas.”However, ship tracking data analyzed by BBC Verify revealed that at least four Iran-linked vessels “crossed the Strait of Hormuz” without incident; two on Monday, and two overnight.“The Rich Starry, a tanker that is sanctioned by the United States under a different name, sailed through the strait overnight Monday,” CBS News reported, with the outlet having also analyzed ship tracking data. “The Elpis, another sanctioned tanker, sailed through the strait after the blockade began, having apparently come from the Iranian port of Bushehr, according to tracking data.”The Rich Starry is a U.S.-sanctioned Chinese oil tanker, and was the first vessel to breach the blockade since its implementation Monday morning. The Chinese government called the United States’ blockade "dangerous and irresponsible,” with Chinese President Xi Jinping warning that the world must not be allowed to “revert to the law of the jungle,” NBC News reported.Despite news organizations having analyzed tracking data, the outlets could not confirm whether or not the Iran-linked vessels had broadcasted false location reports using a tactic called "spoofing," which CBS News describes as a method to conceal a vessel's true location.Trump’s decision to respond to Iran’s partial blockade of the Strait of Hormuz with another blockade has baffled experts, including Karen Young, a senior scholar at the Center on Global Energy Policy at Columbia University, who told CNN on Sunday that Trump’s blockade would only exacerbate the increasing scarcity of oil.

Fans of President Donald Trump's Make America Great Again movement were dismayed on Sunday after one of their European allies suffered a stinging election defeat. Hungarian autocrat Viktor Orbán conceded defeat to the opposition leader Péter Magyar on Sunday, ending his 16 years in power as Hungary's Prime Minister. Magyar's Tisza party is expected to take a supermajority in the country's legislature, and his victory was hailed as a relief to many across the U.S. and Europe. However, fans of Trump's MAGA movement spun Orbán's defeat as a sign of Europe's continued decline. They shared their reactions on social media. "Dreadful news for Hungary and the West," MAGA commentator Michael Knowles posted on X. "Orban is out. A sad day for Western civilization," Paul Weston, a far-right British lawmaker, posted on X. "In 5 years' time, Budapest will look like every other ruined ex-European city. This makes our Ursula very happy of course." "This is tragic," MAGA fan Wendy Patterson posted on X. "The people fell for Magyer’s lies in a month or two people are going to be in an uproar," MAGA fan Tracie James posted on X."Hungary was nice while it lasted. Where do I go on vacations in Europe now without my date and my dog being at risk of being raped by a Moslem?" conservative strategist Joey Mannarino posted on X.

The internet erupted on Sunday after a Trump-backed autocrat lost a high-stakes election. Viktor Orbán, a strongman and staunch Russian ally who has led Hungary for the last 16 years, conceded defeat to opposition party leader Peter Magyar in the country's national election. Orbán has been a symbol of the rise of the far right across Europe as he sought to roll back the country's democratic reforms. Orbán lost the election despite U.S. Vice President JD Vance traveling to the country to campaign for him. President Donald Trump also endorsed Orbán in multiple Truth Social posts. Orbán described his loss as "painful," according to a report from the Associated Press. Political analysts and observers reacted to the news on social media. "Bye bye Viktor!" former Republican lawmaker Adam Kinzinger posted on X. "MAGA hero is gone." "Voters in Hungary said no to a strong man. We can do it too," legal expert Joyce Vance posted on X. "I’m incredibly obsessed with JD Vance sinking Victor Orban," political commentator Molly Jong-Fast posted on Bluesky. "Off with you, you fascist Putin puppet," author Paul Kemp posted on Bluesky. "The return of Trump has been dreadful news for hard-right politicians around the world, and now they're disrespecting him by accepting electoral defeat," Larry the Cat, who lives at the U.K. Prime Minister's residence at 10 Downing Street, posted on X.

Viktor Orbán, the autocratic Hungarian president and staunch Russian ally, conceded defeat in the country's national election on Sunday, ending his 16-year reign in power, according to reports. The Associated Press reported that with 60% of the vote counted, opposition leader Peter Magyar’s party held 52% of the vote compared to Orbán's 38% support. Orbán described the loss as "painful." "It’s a major blow for Orbán, the European Union’s longest-serving leader and one of its biggest antagonists, who has traveled a long road from his early days as a liberal, anti-Soviet firebrand to the Russia-friendly nationalist admired today by the global far-right," the AP reported. Trump endorsed Orbán in a Truth Social post on Friday, calling him " a truly strong and powerful leader." Trump added that the U.S. stood ready to "strengthen Hungary's economy," if Orbán won.

A key U.S. ally called out President Donald Trump's fibbing about other countries agreeing to help the U.S. "clean out" land mines from the Strait of Hormuz on Sunday. Trump claimed during an interview on Fox News that “it won’t take long to clean out the Strait,” referring to reports that the Iranian regime had planted several sea mines in the area to depress shipping through the waterway. Trump also claimed that “numerous countries are going to be helping us," a claim that was swiftly undercut by a spokesperson for the government of the United Kingdom, The Guardian reported."The U.K. will not be involved in any blockade of the Strait of Hormuz, the Guardian understands, after claims by Donald Trump on Sunday that the U.S. would be blockading the waterway with the assistance of NATO allies," the outlet reported. The U.K. spokesperson added that the Strait of Hormuz "must not be subject to tolling." "We are urgently working with France and other partners to put together a wide coalition to protect freedom of navigation," the spokesperson said. The announcement came at a time when the U.S.-Iran ceasefire appears fragile, and Vice President JD Vance announced on Saturday that peace talks between the two nations had broken down.