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.

Former President Áder János announced the upcoming Planet Budapest 2026 expo while attending an environmental competition awards ceremony, where nearly 1,000 young participants presented sustainability solutions focused on climate and water issues.

The Hungarian historical drama Királytalálkozó (The Riddle Pact) won three awards at the Vegas Movie Awards, marking a major international debut for the film that revisits the legendary 1335 summit of Central European kings.

In its ‘Beyond the Óperencia’ series, Magyar Krónika is looking at the meeting points of America and Hungary, and at Hungarians in America, from penniless peasants to political emigrants and soldiers of fortune. In this part, let us explore the Kossuth emigration that made such a deep impression on American society that the ‘Hungarian cult’ was still thriving in the United States even more than ten years after the Hungarian governor-president’s tour.

‘The idea first became a plan, then a highly acclaimed, successful advertising campaign…for which they needed to find a cow…The photographer accepted the assignment and travelled all over the Alps until he found the ideal model in the Simmental Valley. The animal was painted purple under strict veterinary supervision and then photographed. It has been Milka’s advertising cow ever since.’

Hungary’s animation industry was honoured at the Annecy International Animation Festival, gaining international attention, forging new partnerships, and highlighting over a century of creative excellence in film, education, and technology.

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.

Despite opposition leader Péter Magyar walking on foot from Budapest to Nagyvárad (Oradea) to court voters, Fidesz remains immensely popular with Transylvanian Hungarians holding dual citizenship. A new poll by a Koloszvár (Cluj)-based research firm found that 96 per cent of them would back Prime Minister Orbán’s party in an election.

Hungary saw a major tourism boom over the Pentecost weekend, with 45 per cent more visitors at Lake Balaton and a nationwide surge in hotel stays driven by warm weather and holiday travel. Tourism revenue rose 35 per cent, hitting a record 12.1 billion forints.

After Trump’s second-term crackdown on USAID—backed by Musk’s DOGE—the Fidesz faction in the Hungarian National Assembly announced a documentary in April exposing alleged ties to local liberal groups. Now, posts about it on X are blowing up, with tens of thousands of likes fuelling fresh attention to the scandal.

Budapest’s National Athletics Centre has won two public choice awards at the prestigious Architizer A+Awards, earning global recognition for its iconic design and sustainable transformation following the 2023 World Athletics Championships.

Jack Quillin, posting under the X account LA Scanner, happily shared compromising information about the whereabouts of ICE agents during the Los Angeles riots. However, once internet users shared his personal information, he quickly started begging for forgiveness and deleted his account.

Hungary’s beloved Night of Museums returns on 21 June with over 2,700 programmes at 470 venues. This year’s event pays tribute to Mór Jókai, offering a vibrant mix of literature, arts, and family-friendly activities, from concerts to card games.

Uzbekistan’s new ‘Golden Visa’ programme offers 5-year residency to foreign investors for $150,000 per family member. Aimed at boosting investment and economic growth, the initiative strengthens legal guarantees, fosters international cooperation, and reflects the country’s ongoing commitment to openness and reform.

A new four-star hotel, the TRIBE Budapest Airport Hotel, has opened just steps from Terminal 2 of Liszt Ferenc International Airport. Developed by WING and operated with Accor, the stylish new facility offers 167 rooms, a rooftop bar, and direct airport access.

A new volume by historian István Pál explores Hungary’s Cold War espionage operations in the US and UK. New York–Washington–London reveals key cases from 1950–1970, offering rare insight into the shadowy world of state socialist intelligence and its often flawed, yet revealing, tactics abroad.

Liverpool FC has announced the signing of 20-year-old Hungarian goalkeeper Ármin Pécsi from Puskás Akadémia. Midfielder and Hungarian national team captain Dominik Szoboszlai is already playing for the reigning English champions; while another Hungarian international, left-back Milos Kerkez, is reportedly close to joining the Reds.

In its ‘Beyond the Óperencia’ series, Magyar Krónika will be looking at the meeting points of America and Hungary, and at Hungarians in America, from penniless peasants to political emigrants and soldiers of fortune. In this part, we will take a look at Sándor Bölöni Farkas’ life and travelogue, Journey to North America, which was the first to introduce the New World to the Hungarian public.

‘The losses and military failures suffered by the Tatars, most of which occurred in Hungary, are rarely mentioned among the reasons for their unexpected withdrawal from Central Europe…Since Hayton’s best-selling work in Europe attributed the stopping of the Mongols to the Austrian prince, the heroic resistance of the Hungarians was almost completely forgotten.’

This Sunday, Christians celebrate Pentecost, marking the Holy Spirit’s descent upon the disciples 50 days after Easter. As one of Christianity’s most important feasts, Pentecost signifies the birth of the Church and the spreading of the Gospel.

Budapest Mayor Gergely Karácsony halted public transport for ten minutes to protest PM Orbán’s supposed draining of the city finances. He blames a state-imposed ‘solidarity contribution’, while the national Fidesz government blames the liberal city leadership’s poor fiscal management and claims the order to halt public transport was illegal.

They were close friends and allies only a week ago, now they are bitterly feuding with each other: US President Donald Trump and the world’s richest man Elon Musk cannot seem to agree if the new spending bill reduces or increases the deficit.

Researchers at the University of Szeged have uncovered a new layer of plant immunity: guard cells not only close pores to block pathogens but also produce defensins—antimicrobial proteins—triggered by jasmonic acid. The finding could lead to eco-friendly crop protection methods using plants’ own defences.

Hungarian influencer Stefi Déri has proposed a debate between Bryan Leib and former US Ambassador to Hungary David Pressman. Pressman often criticized Hungary, drawing frequent rebuttals from Leib. While Leib has accepted the challenge, Pressman has yet to respond.

Hungary’s Chief Medical Officer has issued a second-level heat alert across the entire country from Thursday to Sunday night. With temperatures rising well above seasonal norms, health authorities urge citizens to take precautions to avoid heat-related risks.

On 4 June, Hungary marks the Day of National Unity, commemorating the 1920 Treaty of Trianon, which redefined the country’s borders and left millions of ethnic Hungarians outside the nation’s territory. The day honours shared identity beyond borders.

Glenn Fahey, Catherine L’Ecuyer, János Setényi, and Avrum Tomer have discussed the benefits and drawbacks of using new technology, primarily AI, in the public education system to teach our children on Day 2 of the Mathias Corvinus Collegium’s Budapest Budapest Summit on Technology and Society.

‘ART CORNER is an ongoing project by Hotel Clark and Leo Bistro that brings art into everyday life, in a relaxed and welcoming setting. The Last Romantics is a perfect example of this mission: an exhibition that honours the past, embraces the present, and offers classical beauty to every visitor.’

‘Hungary views Uzbekistan as an important partner in Central Asia, while Tashkent, in turn, sees Hungary as a potential “entry point” into the EU economic space. Key drivers of future growth could include the development of production and logistics chains in pharmaceuticals and agriculture, as well as the promotion of Uzbek textiles, agricultural goods, and other products in the Hungarian market.’

‘In June 2024 Hungarian eco-activists participated in the International Environmental Camp in Samarkand, organized by the Zamin Foundation with the support of the Ministry of Ecology, UNICEF, UNDP, FAO, and other partners. This event strengthened the ties between the youth of both countries, laying the groundwork for a new generation of environmentally responsible leaders.’