The EU’s High Representative for Foreign Affairs, Josep Borrell, has delivered a blistering rebuke against Viktor Orbán and his self-described “peace mission”, which saw the Hungarian premier travel to Moscow and meet with Vladimir Putin to discuss possible ways to end the war in Ukraine.

The tour, which also featured an equally-controversial stop in Beijing to meet Xi Jinping, took place earlier this month, coinciding with the start of Hungary’s six-month presidency of the Council of the EU, but continues to send shockwaves across the bloc.

“Russia is the aggressor in violation of the UN Charter and Ukraine, the victim, exercising its fundamental right to self-defence and there’s nothing of hysteria about that, it’s just telling the truth,” Borrell said after a meeting of EU foreign ministers.

“Any so-called ‘peace mission’ that ignores these basic fundamentals is, at the end of the day, only benefitting Putin and will not bring peace.”

Borell insisted that Hungary, as a member state, was bound by Article 24.3 of the EU Treaties, which posits all countries must support the bloc’s foreign policy “actively and unreservedly in a spirit of loyalty and mutual solidarity”. The article, he said, is neither “decoration” nor “empty words”.

“Each member state is sovereign on its foreign policy – true. But as far as they’re members of this club, they have to obey (with) the treaties,” Borrell said. Complying with this obligation “is not something you can do or not – you have to.”

Asked if Orbán’s actions amounted to a breach of the article, he replied: “For me, it’s clear what has happened belongs to the realm of a lack of loyal cooperation.”

Following days of mounting speculation, Borrell confirmed the informal meeting of foreign ministers, known as Gymnich, that was originally scheduled to take place in Budapest at the end of August would instead be hosted in Brussels. The switch adds to the boycott already announced by the European Commission, which consists of sending civil servants, rather than Commissioners, to informal meetings in Hungary.

Formal meetings of the EU Council are spared as their organisation does not depend on the rotating presidency’s holder.

Throughout the news conference on Monday evening, Borrell refused to use the word “boycott” to describe his decision and insisted the Hungarian representative would nevertheless be invited to the Gymnich meeting in Brussels.

“We have to send a signal, even if it’s a symbolic signal, that being against the foreign policy of the European Union and disqualifying the policy of the European Union as the ‘party of war’ has to have consequences,” he added, noting the strong criticism labelled at Orbán’s actions had been echoed by 25 members states with “one single exception”, widely considered to be Slovakia, which shares Budapest’s viewpoint.

The foreign policy chief took the opportunity to denounce, once again, Hungary’s perennial veto of the bloc’s military assistance for Ukraine, which currently affects €6.6 billion in reimbursements.

“Member states insisted that this was something unacceptable and terrible, but unhappily, the situation of blockage remains,” he said.

Borrell admitted he had “lost the hope” that Budapest would soon change its mind and warned the absence of reimbursements could disincentivise some capitals from providing Kyiv with further military assistance. “Today I said: this is shameful,” he said. “Purely shameful!”

Microsoft says EU to blame for the world’s worst IT outage

Microsoft says the European Union is to blame for the world’s biggest IT outage on Friday following a faulty security update.

A 2009 agreement insisted on by the European Commission meant that Microsoft could not make security changes that would have blocked the update from cybersecurity firm Crowdstrike that caused an estimated 8.5 million computers to fail, the Big Tech giant said in comments to the Wall Street Journal.

Thousands of flights were delayed or cancelled, leaving passengers stranded at airports worldwide, the UK’s NHS service was affected and contactless payments failed to work.

The problem was triggered by a defective update for CrowdStrike’s Falcon system which was designed to prevent cyberattacks. It has privileged access to a key part of a computer known as the kernel.

Microsoft has Windows Defender, its in-house alternative to CrowdStrike, but because of the 2009 agreement made to avoid a European competition investigation, had allowed multiple security providers to install software at the kernel level.

The European Commission had been accusing Microsoft since the early 2000s of having an unfair advantage over other companies because of its popular Windows software.

Microsoft’s main competitor, Apple, in 2020 blocked access to the kernel on its Mac computers, arguing it would improve security and reliability.

Speaking to the Wall Street Journal, a Microsoft spokesman said the company could not make a similar change because of the EU agreement.

Gunman kills at least six people at nursing home in central Croatia

An assailant entered an elderly care home in the central Croatian town of Daruvar, killing at least six people and injuring another six, authorities said.

Croatia’s police chief, Nikola Milina, said five people died immediately, while another person died in hospital. The victims were five residents of the care home and an employee.

Police said they were informed Monday norning that a man using firearms killed and wounded several people at the nursing home. The suspect fled the scene, but the police soon caught him in a cafe in downtown Daruvar.

The mass shooting in Daruvar has shocked the Adriatic nation of some 3.8 million and its leaders. President of Zoran Milanović Croatia condemned what he said was a “savage, unprecedented crime”.

Harris hits delegate mark for Democratic nomination

Kamala Harris has the support of enough Democratic delegates to win the party’s nomination for president, according to CNN’s delegate estimate. While endorsements from delegates continue to come in, the vice president has now been backed by well more than the 1,976 pledged delegates she’ll need to win the nomination on the first ballot.

Harris crossed the threshold amid a wave of endorsements from state delegations Monday evening. These endorsements are not binding and with President Joe Biden out of the race, delegates are free to vote for the candidate of their choice.

CNN’s count comes from public statements of support from delegates and state delegations, CNN reporting and conversations with delegates. Endorsements from state delegations are counted as unanimous support for Harris absent other information.

“Tonight, I am proud to have secured the broad support needed to become our party’s nominee, and as a daughter of California, I am proud that my home state’s delegation helped put our campaign over the top. I look forward to formally accepting the nomination soon,” Harris said in a statement from her campaign late Monday.

Under a plan outlined by Democratic officials Monday, delegates are expected to vote virtually to confirm Harris as the nominee by August 7.

Harris outlines her election priorities

Earlier Monday, Harris has been outlining her election priorities, including strengthening the middle class.

During a visit with campaign staff in Delaware, Vice President Kamala Harris criticised Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump and said her priorities, if she won the White House, would be boosting the middle class and abortion rights.

President Joe Biden, meanwhile, phoned into the Delaware campaign staff meeting and told Democrats to “embrace Harris”. He said he would do whatever he could to support Harris in her campaign.

The 59-year-old could become the first female, Afro-Asian, and South Asian US president if she wins against Trump in November.

Harris campaign raises $81 million in 24 hours​

Kamala Harris’ campaign said it had raised $81 million (€74 million) in the first 24 hours after Joe Biden exited the White House race and endorsed her.

“Team Harris raised $81 million in its first 24 hours, adding to the existing near quarter-of-a-billion dollar war chest already amassed this election cycle,” the statement said.

The massive haul, which includes money raised across the campaign, the Democratic National Committee and joint fundraising committees, represents the largest 24-hour sum reported by either side in the 2024 campaign. Harris’ campaign also said it was the largest single-day total in US history.

Republican VP pick makes first solo appearance

Republican vice presidential nominee JD Vance made his first solo campaign rally appearance in his hometown of Middletown, Ohio.

Vance said President Joe Biden was pushed out by a group of party elites, calling it “a threat to democracy”.

“The idea of selecting the Democrat party’s nominee, because George Soros and Barack Obama and a couple of elite Democrats got in the smoke-filled room and decided to throw Joe Biden overboard, that is not how it works,” he said, without providing any proof that it was the case.

Trump shooting was significant US Secret Service ‘failure’

US Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle admitted to lawmakers the attempted assassination of Donald Trump was “the most significant operational failure at the Secret Service in decades”.

She was testifying at a US House of Representatives hearing into her agency’s failure to prevent a would-be assassin from wounding a Republican presidential candidate.

“We failed,” Cheatle, facing calls to resign, said during testimony before the House Committee on Oversight and Accountability.

“As the director of the United States Secret Service, I take full responsibility for any security lapse,” Cheatle said.

The Secret Service director also said she apologised to Trump in a phone call after the assassination attempt.

Republican claims that the Secret Service was denied resources to protect Trump were dismissed by Cheatle, who said the former president’s security had been increased before the shooting.

“The level of security provided for the former president increased well before the campaign and has been steadily increasing as threats evolve,” Cheatle said.

She aslo added that the Secret Service provided the security the Trump campaign requested for the rally. “What I can tell you is that for the event on July 13, the details that were requested, the assets that were requested for that day, were given,” Cheatle said.

Scores of Palestinians killed in fresh fighting in Khan Younis

The Hamas-run Health Ministry reported that at least 70 bodies had arrived at the morgue at Nasser Medical Complex after Israeli forces advanced in Khan Younis. The ministry said the dead included several women and children.

The military attacked in the east of the city, witnesses told the dpa news agency. The strikes took place as hundreds of people were evacuating following a new order from the Israeli military. Reuters reported that some families fled on donkey carts, others on foot, carrying mattresses and other belongings.

Israel declares 2 hostages dead in Gaza

The Israeli military said two more hostages have died in captivity in Gaza. Although their bodies were still being held by Hamas, the Israeli army cited intelligence information that was “approved by an expert committee” as the basis of publicly declaring them dead. The two hostages were identified as 35-year-old Yagev Buchshtab, a sound technician, and Alex Dancyg, a 76-year-old historian.

The announcement comes as a team of Israeli negotiators was due to take part later this week in mediated talks on a cease-fire in Gaza and the release of hostages still held there.

Israel will remain key US ally whoever replaces Biden – Netanyahu

Israel will be the United States’ strongest ally in the Middle East regardless of who is elected president in November, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Monday before flying to Washington, where he was due to address the US Congress.

The visit, Netanyahu’s first to his most important international ally since returning for a record sixth term as prime minister at the end of 2022, has been overshadowed by President Joe Biden’s decision not to seek re-election.

Netanyahu said he would thank Biden for all he has done for Israel throughout his career and discuss with him issues such as securing the release of Israeli hostages in Gaza, defeating the Palestinian Islamist group Hamas, and confronting Iran and its proxies in the region.

A meeting with Biden is tentatively planned for today if the 81-year old president has recovered from Covid-19. Netanyahu is scheduled to address Congress on Wednesday.

World’s longest rowing boat to carry Olympic torch

The Stampfli Express, a 24-seater rowing boat, will be a part of the Paris 2024 Olympic torch relay on Sunday. Just days before the start of the Olympic Games, the impressive shell will take 23 rowers and an Olympic torch bearer down a section of the River Marne, just east of Paris. It will not be a part of the official competition – rowers are only allowed to compete alone or in teams of two, four or eight in the Olympic Games.

The boat is especially made by Swiss manufacturers Stampfli Racing Boats for big occasions.

Photo: Picture alliance / ASSOCIATED PRESS