Hungary’s top court has approved a referendum on making 24 December a public holiday. Backed by the Jobbik party, the move would give Hungarians an extra day off for Christmas. While welcomed by many, critics warn that more non-working days could impact national productivity and GDP.

On 4 July, former US Vice President Kamala Harris posted a celebratory photo on X of herself and her husband watching some fireworks—only for users to discover that she had cropped out President Joe Biden and First Lady Jill Biden from the original picture. What’s behind the awkward move?

The Norway Grants pulled out of Hungary in 2014 after the non-profit organization in charge of allocating its funds, the Environmental Partnership Foundation, had been accused of political bias by the Orbán government. After over a decade, the Norway Grants are returning to Hungary, partnering with the same group yet again—Balázs Orbán has shared his concerns over the matter.

The Ministry of National Economy has announced in a press release that the government’s Hungarian Village Programme, which has been operating since 2023, will provide state-owned, unused real estate to towns of 5,000 or fewer people.

The American Revolution began not with a pursuit of independence, but with a demand for reform. From the Boston Massacre to ‘the shot heard around the world’ at Lexington, Massachusetts in 1775, tensions exploded into war. By 4 July 1776, a date we celebrate today, the colonies declared a bold new path: the United States of America.

Hungarian Football Association (MLSZ) Chairman Sándor Csányi told to the Hungarian sports daily Nemzeti Sport about key topics, including the men’s national team’s potential World Cup qualification, the Champions League final held in Budapest next year, and the new rule that dictates Hungarian clubs have to play at least five domestic players per game to get funding.

During his reignited feud with President Trump, Elon Musk suggested creating the America Party to challenge the two-party system in the US. On that occasion, let’s take a look at the most successful third parties in American history.

In a recent podcast appearance, comedian Dana Carvey admitted that he avoided being too harsh on President Biden with his impression of him on Saturday Night Live, since it was obvious that the former POTUS was ‘compromised mentally’.

On 1 July, Denmark is assuming the rotating presidency of the Council of the EU. They will be carrying over European competitiveness as a major priority from the Hungarian presidency a year ago. However, on the issues of migration, Russian energy imports, and Ukraine’s EU accession, they are taking the exact opposite stances, as discussed on the Hungarian news channel Hír TV.

Hungary and Türkiye aim to boost annual trade from $3B to $5B, as per a nine-point deal signed at the recent meeting of the Hungary–Türkiye Joint Economic Commission in Ankara, Türkiye. The pact includes visa facilitation, a €255M Eximbank credit line, and new investments—highlighting deepening ties between the two nations across multiple sectors.

Two firefighters were shot dead, while one was hit but survived, while responding to a bushfire near Coeur d’Alene, Idaho. Authorities believe the shooter is now dead as a deceased man was found with a rifle near the crime scene. The identity and the motive of the man who committed the heinous act are yet to be known.

Balázs Németh, the spokesperson for the Fidesz faction in the Hungarian National Assembly, called out the hypocrisy of the EU leaders in a recent Facebook post. As he pointed out, Brussels is happy to ignore its own fundamental rules when it’s convenient, such as in the case of Ukraine’s EU accession, which Hungary is currently blocking.

Hungary marks Border Patrol Day on 27 June, honuoring King Saint Ladislaus, founder of the country’s first patrol force. Unique in Europe, Hungary has led in border protection, notably since 2015. Despite EU pressure and daily fines, it continues efforts to secure its southern border and the EU’s external frontier.

At an event hosted by the Research Institute for the Defence of Sovereignty, Miklós Szánthó, Director General for the Center for Fundamental Rights, talked about the foreign threats targeting Hungary’s national sovereignty; as well as what is at stake in next year’s Hungarian parliamentary election.

33-year-old radical socialist Zohran Mamdani won the Democratic primary for the 2025 New York City mayoral election. Previously, he has publicly supported radial ideas such as defunding the police for ‘queer liberation,’ decriminalizing prostitution, and safe injection sites for drug addicts—the American political establishment on both sides is stunned.

Hungary has received extensive negative coverage from the mainstream media in the West after the National Assembly passed a law restricting the Budapest Pride march earlier this year. Back in 2019, however, the coverage was very different when city officials in Modesto, California, denied the permit for a straight pride parade.

While foreign tourists flock to Budapest, Hungarians head for Lake Balaton in summer. New data from Szallas.hu reveals Siófok as the top domestic destination. Known for its water tower, Ferris wheel, and quirky Upside Down House, the city of Siófok draws the most domestic visitors in Hungary.

After last week’s big jump, crude oil prices have come down close to their pre-Iran attack levels after the conflict in the Middle East between Iran, Israel, and the United States started to cool down. In response, the major US stock index also rose.

According to a recently published article by The New York Times, under the leadership of new party chairman Ken Martin of Minnesota, the Democratic Party’s operations in the United States are plagued by a lack of funding and infighting.

Hungarian clubs now know their European opponents: Ferencváros will face either FC Noah (Armenia) or FK Budućnost Podgorica (Montenegro) in Champions League qualifying. In the Europa League, Paks will take on CFR Cluj (Romania), while Puskás Akadémia meet Aris Limassol (Cyprus), and Győr await Tre Fiori (San Marino) or Pyunik (Armenia) in the Conference League.

According to statements by Montenegro’s Ministry of Economic Development, Hungary and Montenegro are about to sign a comprehensive government-to-government infrastructure deal, under which a data centre will be built in the Balkan country.

Political Director for the Prime Minister of Hungary Balázs Orbán and John Mearsheimer, political scientist and Distinguished Service Professor at the University of Chicago, got together for a fascinating panel discussion at the Budapest Global Dialogue 2025, where they talked about the possible outcomes of the Russo-Ukrainian war and the differences between realist and liberal foreign policy.

On this day, 53 years ago, on 17 June 1972, five former CIA operatives broke into the Democratic National Committee’s headquarters at the Watergate Hotel in Washington, DC. This is the historic scandal known as Watergate that led to the resignation of President Richard Nixon two years later, who remains the only POTUS in history to resign from office.

A 44-year-old man in a small town in Tolna County, Hungary has been arrested after he published a video on TikTok threatening to kill Prime Minister Viktor Orbán of Hungary and other public figures. The local court ordered his detention for one month while the investigation is ongoing.

‘My colleagues listed some…fine principles: sovereignty, diversification, energy security, solidarity. However,…if the von der Leyen-Zelenskyy plan goes into effect, Hungary will be subject to the opposite of all these. This proposal is a serious violation of our sovereignty, since the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union states that energy policy decisions are a national competence.’

Leonard Lauder, Chairman Emeritus of Estée Lauder Companies and son of founder and legendary business mogul Estée Lauder of Jewish Hungarian ancestry, passed away at 92 on Saturday, 14 June.

In response to the Israeli air strike on Iran last week, oil prices rose about 10 per cent on the international commodity markets, which, in turn, raised gas prices in the US. This is not good news for the Trump administration, as so far it has been served well by low gas prices and favourable monthly inflation reports.

A 16-year-old Ukrainian refugee boy has been arrested for sending bomb threats to eight schools in Budapest, Hungary via email. Hungarian law enforcement managed to track down the perpetrator with the help of the FBI.

Hungary’s National Assembly passed a law allowing the suspension of citizenship for dual nationals deemed threats to public or national security. Non-EEA citizens serving foreign powers or convicted of serious crimes may be targeted. A designated minister will oversee cases.

Fehérvár FC (formerly known as Videoton), once a Hungarian football giant, has been relegated for the first time in 25 years. After public drama between its owner and the Mayor, the city municipality bought the club for the nominal fee of 1 HUF. Now under municipal control, survival—not promotion—is the goal for next season.