Marine Le Pen, France’s hard-Right presidential candidate, has accused Europe of waging an energy war against Russia and vowed to end funding for Ukraine if she wins next year’s election.

Ms Le Pen, who is leading or near the front of several opinion polls, said she would halt France’s bilateral aid to Kyiv within six months, arguing that the country can no longer afford the spending.

She said the “honest thing” for the European Union to do would be to tell Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky that it could no longer manage to provide financial support for his cause.

The Eurosceptic National Rally leader has consistently opposed Ukraine joining the EU and criticised the bloc’s sanctions against Russia. She argued that those policies had helped create an “energy war” between Europe and Moscow.

Her comments came as Mr Zelensky resumed attacks on Russian oil refineries, ending a proposed pause in strikes against energy infrastructure. The Ukrainian president said the United States had cut off intelligence sharing and access to vital satellite data.

Ms Le Pen accused the EU of acting foolishly in its confrontation with the Kremlin. Speaking to the Financial Times, she said: “We the EU have led an energy war against Russia, when we haven’t got any energy. It is not very smart.”

The remarks come as the National Rally leader campaigns for the French presidency on a platform that puts France’s interests ahead of those of other countries.

In her interview with the newspaper, Ms Le Pen also claimed that the French state was spending a substantial amount of money on measures that “do not contribute to the country’s development”.

She is currently forecast to top the first round of voting in April, with support of more than 30 per cent.

The EU is due to lend Ukraine €45billion (£38billion) in 2027 as part of a €90billion (£76billion) financial package set aside by the bloc.

However, critics have questioned whether the EU can continue providing financial support to Kyiv, amid estimates that Ukraine could need a further €70billion (£59billion).

At a press conference on Tuesday, Ms Le Pen said France’s net contribution should be limited to €5billion (£4.3billion), a sharp reduction from its current funding level of about €8billion (£6.8billion).

By reducing France’s contribution, Ms Le Pen hopes to disrupt EU plans for a seven-year budget worth up to €100billion (£84billion).

Ms Le Pen has longstanding links to Russia through a controversial loan from a Russian bank that was used to finance her party’s 2014 election campaigns.

She later travelled to Moscow, where she met President Vladimir Putin in 2017.

The National Rally candidate subsequently condemned the Kremlin’s aggression in 2022, after Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine.

By allowing Ukraine to join the EU, Ms Le Pen has previously criticised Brussels of stripping its member states of economic and political control. 

Her remarks come after Mr Zelensky publicly condemned US President Donald Trump on Wednesday.

Speaking on Piers Morgan Uncensored, Mr Zelensky agreed he felt ‘betrayed’ by Mr Trump’s actions over the past few days, and warned the president: ‘This is not the right side of history.’ 

YOU MIGHT ALSO LIKE: Abby Hensel, one of the conjoined twins from 'Abby & Brittany,' gets married – NewsFinale

In a separate interview with the FT, the Ukrainian leader said the cutting off of US intelligence sharing and the simultaneous weakening of Starlink satellite internet service was ‘dangerous’ for civilians.

‘The block [on attacking refineries] is out. We’re done,’ Mr Zelensky said defiantly.

It comes as a big drone attack on Russia’s Ryazan region caused a fire to break out at an oil refinery, marking the first Ukrainian strike on an energy facility since Mr Trump announced on Sunday a surprise ‘energy ceasefire’.

Separately, a fuel terminal spectacularly reignited after blazing for five days in Rostov-on-Don in southern Russia.

Mr Zelensky had paused energy strikes for three days to comply with US wishes, but said he would now resume them because Mr Putin was still attacking Ukraine’s essential ⁠infrastructure.

Elon Musk – whose company SpaceX operates the Starlink satellites which have slowed down in recent days – took to X to condemn Ukraine’s resumption of attacks on Russia’s oil facilities.

‘And so the slaughter continues,’ the tech billionaire wrote. ‘Time for Zelensky to go.’

Mr Zelensky lambasted Mr Trump over his apparent admiration for Mr Putin, accusing the US president of having an instinctive affinity for autocrats and the super-wealthy.

Mr Trump has in recent days demanded Mr Zelensky quit as leader, signed a ‘treacherous’ deal with Mr Putin to buy Russian diesel and blamed the Ukrainian leader for spiralling energy prices.

‘He [Mr Trump] speaks about it openly and loudly that he loves such people and he respects such people. Because for him people who can be leaders 20 years, 30 years, 40 years, it means they can be very strong,’ Mr Zelensky said.

Washington has piled pressure on Kyiv to stop striking Mr Putin’s refineries, claiming that a moratorium, alongside a US deal with Moscow to buy hundreds of thousands of tons of Russian diesel, is necessary to bring down American fuel prices.

Despite Ukraine’s honouring of the ceasefire, Mr Zelensky said his military had been left without US early-warning alerts for incoming ballistic missiles, while Mr Musk’s Starlink satellite communications service had been slowed down across the nation, interfering with frontline operations and medium-range strikes against Russian military sites.

The Ukrainian leader said his military officials were told by their US counterparts that ‘if you will not stop [the energy strikes], we will block intelligence’, although it was subsequently presented to Kyiv as a technical error.

‘It was not a technical problem, it was the will,’ Mr Zelensky told the FT.

The US president earlier denied that Washington had cut off intelligence sharing with Kyiv.

Meanwhile, Mr Musk posted on X late on Wednesday that Starshield systems, the military-grade satellite network built on Starlink technology, were ‘owned and controlled by the US government’.

‘Any limits on speed or usage are decided by the US military and ultimately POTUS,’ he said, referring to Mr Trump.

The breakdown in relations between Kyiv and Washington comes as American officials have proposed that European countries unfreeze some Russian sovereign assets immobilised after Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine.

The assets would be transferred to a vehicle overseen by Washington in an attempt to revive peace talks.

European ⁠delegates rebuffed the plan, which was pitched by US special envoy ​Steve ⁠Witkoff and Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner, ⁠the FT said.

READ MORE: Trump lashes out at fury over Putin diesel deal and says ‘the EU paid Russia $250billion for energy – Always, America first’

A man who was already out on bail allegedly doused three fellow patients with petrol before setting one of them alight inside one of Sydney’s busiest hospitals, a court has heard.

Raymond James Dungay, 48, remains under police guard at Prince of Wales Hospital after Tuesday night’s alleged attack.

He has been charged with two counts of attempted murder, common assault, and two counts of causing grievous bodily harm to a person with intent, or attempted grievous bodily harm.

Dungay did not appear at a bail hearing on Thursday, and no application for his release was made.

The court heard he had previously been granted bail to remain at the hospital while facing separate charges linked to an alleged aggravated break-in and robbery in Redfern.

Bail was formally refused, meaning Dungay will remain in hospital under a detention order.

His case was adjourned and is due to return to court on December 8.

Police were called to the hospital in Randwick, in Sydney’s east, at about 10.45pm on Tuesday after reports raised concerns about a patient’s welfare.

Dungay allegedly poured petrol from a drink bottle over two men, aged 54 and 63, and a 64-year-old woman in the spinal injury unit.

His cigarette lighter allegedly failed to ignite until he reached Randovan Banic, 54, who suffered severe burns to his face and upper body. The injuries came on top of spinal damage he had previously sustained in a workplace incident.

Mr Banic was taken to intensive care, where he remains in a stable condition.

He said he could smell petrol after it was allegedly poured over him, before the accused patient “lit me up”.

“He’s (allegedly) come towards me, and then all of a sudden … he douses me with petrol,” he told Nine News.

“I could just smell petrol all over my hair, my eyebrows, smoke in my eyes, just everything.

“I’ve just been pumping water into my eyes.”

Mr Banic said he believed the alleged hospital attack could have been prevented, claiming the security guard assigned to the ward was asleep at the time.

CONTINUE READING: Powerful Storm to Bring Heavy Rain and Dangerous Winds to the Northeast Before First Major Fall Freeze

“I’m glad it happened to me, and it didn’t happen to the other two because they wouldn’t be here today,” he said.

‘One million per cent, it could have been prevented. 

‘That shouldn’t happen in a hospital.’

 Mr Banic insists he is in good spirits, despite flashbacks of his ordeal.

The two other patients were treated for minor injuries and remain in a stable condition.  

NSW Health Minister Ryan Park has requested an urgent department review into the alleged incident.

‘We’re dealing with a very, very shocking incident that frightened staff, no doubt frightened other patients and has caused chaos in one of Sydney’s busiest hospitals,’ he said.

‘This could have been completely catastrophic, and serious as it was, it could have been a lot, lot worse.’

The minister also wants Dungay discharged from the hospital as soon as he is well enough and transferred to police custody.

Opposition health spokesperson Sarah Mitchell described the alleged incident as ‘beyond unacceptable’.

‘Safety must be a non-negotiable in our public hospitals,’ she said.

It’s the third violent attack at a Sydney hospital this year – and the second at Prince of Wales Hospital, where a man allegedly attacked six other people and broke a nurse’s leg in April.

Days earlier, a woman allegedly attacked a patient with a hammer at Royal Prince Alfred Hospital.

A South Eastern Sydney Local Health District spokesperson said there was no ongoing risk to patients and staff, and that support is being offered to everyone affected.

 Do you know more? Email tips@dailymail.com.au.

Irish police have arrested a man and a woman as they investigate the deaths of a mother, father and two of their children in a suspected arson attack on their family home.

Kim English, who was in her 30s, her husband Philip, who was in his 50s, and their sons Callum, 12, and Jayden, nine, died after a petrol bomb was thrown into their house early on Tuesday in the Birchwood estate, about 3km from Waterford city centre.

The couple’s other children, Nadia, 14, and six-year-old Elliot, are still in a critical condition in hospital.

Gardaí said on Thursday afternoon that a man in his 20s and a woman in her 30s had been arrested on suspicion of facilitating a criminal organisation.

Post-mortem examinations on Mr and Mrs English and their two sons have been completed. However, Gardaí said the findings would not be released for “operational reasons”.

The investigation into the fatal fire remains under way, while local reports have claimed that a Traveller gang leader may have ordered the attack.

The arrests came after John James English, Philip’s son from a previous marriage, said gangland figures in Waterford had subjected his family to years of intimidation over a £17,000 drug debt allegedly owed by someone known to them.

Just three weeks before the family was killed, their car was reportedly targeted in a petrol bomb attack. No one was injured.

John James also told RTÉ that the home of his mother, Anne, who was Philip’s former wife, had previously been attacked with a petrol bomb.

In a statement, Gardaí said some people know who was responsible for the attack and urged them to contact investigators.

Security sources said officers were concerned that the attack on the innocent family could trigger further violence.

A senior source said: “I want there to be no doubt whatsoever here. The people who were killed were completely innocent.

“They were targeted because they knew someone who had owed them money for quite some time.

“The last thing Gardaí want to see is more violence, but you have to remember that tensions are extremely high right now. So many people are grieving, and they are angry, rightly so.

“But Gardaí have seen before how an incident of this scale can lead to further bloodshed.”

On Wednesday afternoon, James English, Philip’s uncle, said: “Whoever knows, they should come forward and admit what they know about whoever carried it out.

KEEP READING: What Investigators Know About Wisconsin Plane Crash That Killed 6

“At the end of the day, a large part of our family has now been wiped out.”

‘Please, whoever’s done it, own up. Be a man and own up for what you have done.’

He said Nadia and Elliot are ‘not good’ in hospital.

There were emotionally charged scenes at the site of the quadruple murder on Wednesday, with over 100 members of the community releasing balloons in honour of the four victims.

Philip’s father Paddy broke down in tears as the song You’ll Never Walk Alone played from a car stereo as the balloons drifted skywards.

A vigil was then held in the nearby Sacred Heart Church where hundreds turned out to pay their respects.

Speaking at the balloon release, Philip’s ex-wife Anne said they were a happy family.

‘I just have no words. I’m lost, and I’m going to be lost without them,’ she said.

‘She [Kim] is my best friend. We were very, very close. I heard when I got a phone call from one of my family, and I jumped out of my bed.

‘Since then, I am numb. I am just shocked. The family is very close. Very happy.’

Ray Power, who is Philip’s cousin, urged the younger people of Waterford not to get caught up in the criminal lifestyle.

He described the rampant drug use in the city as a ‘demon’ which comes into homes and destroys them.

He said: ‘You’d be better off going off into a different country, going off and enjoying life, and enjoying yourself instead of looking up to that [dealers], because they’ll use you. They don’t care about you.’

In the latest Garda statement regarding the murders, a spokesman said: ‘The investigation is intense in nature and very active, with multiple searches being carried out across a number of premises in Waterford city yesterday evening.

‘A number of electronic devices and vehicles have been seized, which are now subject of technical examination. There have been no arrests at this time.’

This is a breaking news story, more to follow.  

An NRLW star was allegedly prompted to accuse her former girlfriend of assault after recently being convicted of domestic violence offences against the same woman.

Maddie Studdon went to police on February 19, alleging that real estate agent Bree Brown had punched, slapped and bitten her during several attacks between November 2023 and August last year.

The complaint came just 15 days after Studdon narrowly avoided prison over a series of domestic violence incidents that a judge said would have left Brown ‘terrified’.

Studdon, who last played for the Dragons in 2025 and has represented both Australia and NSW, was arrested on January 13 after a disturbance outside Brown’s home.

She pleaded guilty to stalking or intimidating Brown with the intention of causing physical harm, as well as using a carriage service to menace, harass or offend her.

Brown appeared in court the day after Studdon made the domestic violence allegations. Police initially refused her bail, but it was later granted.

Five days later, the 31-year-old pleaded not guilty to two counts of common assault, three counts of assault causing actual bodily harm and one count of destroying or damaging property.

Police have since added three alternative common assault charges, to which Brown also pleaded not guilty at Downing Centre Local Court on Thursday.

Brown attended court with her parents, a young brunette woman who sat beside her and sometimes held her hand, and three other supporters in the public gallery.

She has no criminal convictions, has never previously been charged with an offence and had never appeared in court before the current charges were laid.

Studdon, who turns 32 on Friday, was due to give evidence via audio-visual link from another part of the court. However, the judge ran out of time to hear from her on Thursday.

Solicitor Melissa Huseyin tendered documents detailing Studdon’s domestic violence convictions and an apprehended violence order imposed to protect Brown.

She argued that the material showed a possible motive for Studdon’s allegations against her client, adding that the background was not included in the prosecution brief prepared against Brown.

Ms Huseyin asked Constable Bailey Smith, the officer in charge of the case, whether Brown had disclosed Studdon’s convictions and the AVO when making her statement on February 19.

When police prosecutor Sergeant Nicholas Dobson objected to the question on relevance grounds, Judge Chris Halburd responded: ‘How’s it not relevant?’

Asked whether he knew the specific offences Studdon had committed against Brown, Constable Smith replied: ‘Not off the top of my head, no.’

The court also heard evidence from a friend of Studdon’s who insisted text exchanges between the pair were about her ordering an Uber for Studdon rather than buying drugs.

The earliest allegation against Brown is that on November 17, 2023, she grabbed Studdon around the neck and pushed her into a wall at Mercure Penrith, next to the Panthers Leagues Club.

Next, she is accused of dragging Studdon away from her friends and throwing a drink over her on August 31, 2024, at the beachside Northies venue in Cronulla.

A more serious assault allegedly took place at Brown’s family home at Green Point on the Central Coast after a wedding on March 16, 2025.

On that occasion, Brown is accused of punching Studdon in the face, cutting her lip and causing swelling to her mouth, as well as damaging the screen on her phone.

A fourth assault allegedly occurred on May 19 last year at Studdon’s family home at Botany, south of the city, where Brown is accused of biting her thumb.

The final charge relates to Brown allegedly slapping Studdon’s face on August 25 last year at her girlfriend’s home at Eastlakes, also in Sydney’s inner-south. 

Studdon’s friend Sian George, who only provided a statement to police on Thursday morning, gave evidence by audio-visual link about the alleged Green Point assault.

Ms George was holding her newborn baby in her arms and was unsure whether to take an affirmation or oath. 

‘Whatever, oath’s fine,’ she said, before she was asked if she believed in God and replied, ‘No.’

IN CASE YOU MISSED IT: Metallica Rose Harrison Mugshot Revealed After Alleged Murders

Ms George said she had known Brown for about five years and Studdon for a year or two. She remained in contact with Studdon.

Brown, Studdon and Ms George had been among the guests to attend a Central Coast wedding at North Entrance on March 15 last year. After the wedding, Ms George went back to the bride and groom’s house.

Ms George said she received a message about 11pm from Studdon, who was with Brown at her family’s Green Point home, saying something like, ‘Sian, I need your help.’

Studdon later sent her a photograph showing blood all over her face and a cut lip, the witness told the court.

Ms George said she called an Uber for Studdon who arrived at the newlyweds’ home between 12.30am and 1am while she was standing with her partner Josh outside the house.

‘She got out of the Uber,’ Ms George said. ‘She was quite distressed and scared. Her face was pretty much covered in blood. She had a cut lip.’

Ms George said Brown arrived shortly afterwards in her own car and exchanged words with Studdon through the window.

‘They were just going back and forth saying things that happened, sort of leading up to the event,’ she told the court.

Ms George said once inside the house Studdon told her Brown had hit her and broken her phone. Studdon allegedly said, ‘I don’t know why she did this. I don’t know what I did wrong.’

Under cross-examination, Ms George agreed guests at the wedding had been drinking alcohol but said she was ‘not too sure’ if any had been taking drugs.

She was then shown a text Studdon sent her while she was still at Green Point which included the words: ‘Just get me something’, ‘I’ll pay for everything for the rest of the night’ and ‘I just need to get out of here.’

Ms Huseyin put it to Ms George that the message was a reference to buying drugs but she insisted it was about ordering Studdon an Uber.

She then read a text Studdon had sent Ms George which said: ‘Thanks babe but let’s party f*** this s*** split lit let’s go’ and another containing the words ‘I can’t wait to have something numb to f*** this crazy.’

Ms George denied those texts had anything to do with drugs.

She could not recall Brown contacting her the next morning to ask if Studdon wanted a lift back to Sydney. 

At the end of Ms George’s evidence, the hearing was adjourned until December, when Studdon will give her evidence. 

Studdon was given a severe dressing-down when sentenced for her crimes against Brown by Judge Megan Greenwood in February.  

Downing Centre Local Court heard that Studdon had accused Brown of being unfaithful to her with a man, but that claim was not substantiated and the Daily Mail does not suggest it is true. 

Brown had told Studdon ‘do not message me again’ and blocked her number and profile on social media.

The former State of Origin halfback then proceeded to contact Brown via a private phone number, calling her almost 30 times.

The court heard Studdon had transferred $1 to Brown’s bank account, writing in the payment description: ‘Check msgs, enjoy the d**k. Can stop being suss and own up.’

‘You make me go off ’cause of what you’re doing. Didn’t need to use me just so you could see if something else would work.’

On January 12, Studdon went to Brown’s home, repeatedly knocked and kicked her door, saying ‘You’re having f**king sex, are ya?’ 

Judge Greenwood said Brown would have been ‘terrified’ and described Studdon’s conduct as ‘classic controlling behaviour’.

‘No one should ever have to put up with being treated like this,’ Ms Greenwood said, warning Studdon she was fortunate not to be jailed.

‘You do this again, that’s where you’re going,’ she told Studdon.

Ms Greenwood put Studdon on a two-year intensive correction order and fined her $2,200.

Studdon, who is currently without an NRLW club, was a member of the Women’s All Stars team and captained the Blues in the first Women’s State of Origin in 2018, which NSW won.

She began her professional rugby league career in 2018, signing for the Sydney Roosters, before stints at St George Illawarra, Parramatta and Cronulla.