Author: staff

Hungary’s Magyar has ‘unlocked’ €16B in EU cash. Getting it is another story. – POLITICO Skip to main content

The European Commission estimates the next EU budget could benefit from almost €11bn in additional yearly revenues from new taxes on digital services, gambling and crypto assets, according to a document shared with EU member states and seen by Euronews. The taxation proposals are being discussed as part of negotiations over the next EU long-term budget for the period 2028-2034. The Commission’s proposal already included several new taxes, known as “own resources”, but most of those proposals faced significant opposition from EU member states, which must adopt the budget unanimously. In April, the European Parliament passed a resolution with additional…

Published on 29/05/2026 – 16:18 GMT+2 The US has crowned a new spelling bee champion. All it took was three days, 18 rounds and a 90-second spell-off that had audiences looking up words they never knew existed. Fourteen-year-old Shrey Parikh from California won the 98th Scripps National Spelling Bee on Thursday night, taking the title in a dramatic finale. Nine competitors began the evening in the field. More than two hours later, only Parikh and 12-year-old Ishaan Gupta from New Jersey remained. When neither could be separated after 18 rounds of spelling and vocabulary questions, officials turned to a rarely…

Magyar’s predecessor, right-wing prime minister Viktor Orbán, was known for his government’s crackdown on LGBTQ+ rights. In early 2025, Hungary’s parliament passed legislation that eventually led to the banning of the Budapest Pride parade. Budapest Mayor Gergely Karácsony, a political rival of Orbán and Green politician, however, found a legal loophole and proceeded with the march last year despite the ban. More than 100,000 people attended, including several European politicians and critics of Orbán’s government. Karácsony was subsequently charged for defying the government ban, but the court suspended proceedings in March. Last month, the EU’s top court struck down the…

Published on 29/05/2026 – 15:58 GMT+2 The six largest economies in the European Union have called for an acceleration of the Capital Markets Union, in a bid to speed up legislation in Brussels, according to a letter sent to the European Commission on Friday. The letter is signed by Germany, France, Spain, Italy, Poland and The Netherlands, known as the E6, who are trying to overcome the frustrations of the EU’s legislative path, which they say has obstructed the political momentum and benefits that market reform would offer. “Deeper and more integrated capital markets are key to unlocking Europe’s growth…

Published on 29/05/2026 – 15:27 GMT+2 The testicles of Milan’s most famous bull have once again become a matter of civic concern. For generations, visitors have queued up inside Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II to spin on their heels on the pink tiles depicting a bull’s testicles, an unusual tradition believed to bring good luck and guarantee a return to the city. More than a century of enthusiastic heel-spinning has left its mark. This week, workers erected a protective barrier around the famous mosaic as Milan began restoring the artwork for the first time since 2017. “Thousands of people every day……

Though much of this early progress has been made possible without breaking new ground or installing significant new hardware, the next phase of the plan will challenge us more. This is predominantly due to the planning permission we require to get started. Despite 96% of our planned sites involve upgrading existing infrastructure rather than building new masts, more than half will require planning permission under current rules. The cost of planning processes can be significant. They can place added pressure on local council resources, slow businesses’ access to new technology and may delay improved connectivity for rural communities. Analysis by…

NATO is conducting military exercises just 30km from the Finnish Russian border amid a major escalation of drone activity in NATO territory. “Northern Star” tactical training at the Vuosanka training ground in Kajaani, central Finland, involves seven NATO allies: the Finnish defence forces, the US, Poland, the UK, France, Italy and Hungary. Over several months, around 9,000 personnel will train in difficult High North terrain populated by dense forestry with temperatures as low as -20°C in winter. The allied troops are simulating combat and rapid-deployment scenarios, with live-fire artillery, infantry, and helicopter drills including heavy-lift American chinook military helicopters working…

Colombians go to the polls this Sunday in presidential elections marked by a deeply polarising campaign. The vote comes amid a sensitive regional and international backdrop, with the rise of new populist right-wing forces and growing political fragmentation in Latin America. The campaign has pitted a governing camp seeking to keep the left in power after Gustavo Petro’s historic victory in 2022 against a divided opposition, in which new outsider figures have focused on security, political confrontation and rejection of the traditional elites. “We are in an election that brings together two things: a global climate of tension, polarisation and…

Reducing compensation to symbolic amounts strips the regulation of its primary purpose: consumer protection and accountability. An independent economic analysis by Dr. Hinnerk Gnutzmann and Dr. Piotr Śpiewanowski confirms the scale of this risk. Their study concludes that under these proposed changes, total compensation actually paid to passengers would fall by 74 percent, while approximately 83 percent of delay claims would become effectively unenforceable. EC261 is effective because it creates a clear financial incentive for airlines to minimize avoidable disruption and resolve claims properly. This is not a theoretical concern. Airlines already reject 52 percent of valid initial claims, forcing…