Argentina has repaid the full $2.5 billion drawn under its currency swap agreement with the United States, a move praised by Washington as proof of Buenos Aires’ improved financial stability. Hungary is negotiating a similar arrangement with Washington ahead of the parliamentary election in 2026, positioning an American swap line as insurance against market turbulence and political risk.
As Portugal prepares for its seventh election in just three years, the presidential contest is shaping up as a defining test for the country’s political future. With polls showing a near-certain run-off, Chega leader André Ventura has emerged as the frontrunner, signalling a further collapse of the traditional parties’ grip on power.
Hungary has emerged as a regional exception in Central and Eastern Europe, retaining access to Russian gas via TurkStream. While Austria and Slovakia face soaring transit tariffs due to under-utilized pipelines, Hungary’s network remains busy, with 2025 deliveries up 17 per cent and domestic consumption rising by 4.7 per cent.
Researchers from HUN-REN and the Budapest University of Technology and Economics are taking part in preparing the European Space Agency’s Plasma Observatory mission, aimed at delivering the most detailed picture yet of space weather and geomagnetic storms.
Abu Dhabi has imposed restrictions on scholarships to UK universities, warning of the risk of Islamist radicalization among Emirati students studying in Britain. The United Kingdom was deliberately omitted from the UAE’s revised list of approved foreign universities, underscoring deepening concern over Muslim Brotherhood influence on campuses.
Prime Minister Viktor Orbán of Hungary has shared a letter from US President Trump in which he compliments his leadership, wishes him luck in this year’s election, and—more importantly—hints at a potential presidential visit to Hungary in the near future.
Budapest has placed its 26th new CAF tram into passenger service after successful test runs and official approval. The modern, low-floor vehicle will mainly operate on tram line 3, further improving comfort and accessibility in the capital.
Two cute polar bear cubs were caught on camera enjoying their first snow at the Sóstó Zoo in Nyíregyháza, Hungary. A brief clip of the two of them playing has received over 109,000 likes on X within a day.
Hungary signed a record 108 new investment agreements last year, with projects worth more than €7 billion set to create over 18,000 jobs nationwide, according to government commissioner István Joó. The figures mark the strongest investment performance in Hungary’s history, despite global crises and the economic fallout of the Ukraine war.
The United States is withdrawing from 66 international organizations and bodies after President Donald Trump signed an executive order halting American support for institutions deemed wasteful, mismanaged or hostile to US interests. The decision deepens Washington’s turn away from global governance frameworks and delivers another blow to the diminishing liberal world order.
As elections approach, voters increasingly link their security to political outcomes. The right strengthened its lead in December, as the Tisza Party failed to gain ground amid growing awareness of its leaked tax plans aligned with Brussels, which many see as a direct threat to household finances and national stability, a new report by the Center for Fundamental Rights claims.
Severe winter weather led to an unusually high number of emergency callouts in Hungary, with firefighters handling more than 400 incidents in a 24-hour period as snow, strong winds and icy roads caused disruptions nationwide.
The US military has seized a second sanctions-hit oil tanker at sea, detaining the vessel Sophia in the Caribbean as part of an expanded crackdown on ‘shadow fleet’ ships accused of transporting illicit oil. A previous capture in the Atlantic involved the Russian-flagged Marinera.
Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán says the financial support Ukraine is seeking from the EU would come at the expense of Hungarian pensions and family benefits, warning that Brussels’ plans would place an unfair burden on taxpayers.
Hungary has seen unusually heavy snowfall in recent days, but no settlements have been cut off and public utilities are operating normally nationwide, disaster management officials said. Hundreds of machines and emergency personnel remain deployed as freezing temperatures and further snowfall are forecast.
In an uncovered tweet, socialist New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s Director of the Office to Protect Tenants called private property and homeownership a ‘weapon of white supremacy’. In a resurfaced clip, she also claimed that the idea of homeownership is rooted in ‘deep racism and deep classism’.
The death of Hungarian world champion sprint canoeist Miklós Dudás has taken a disturbing turn after Budapest police opened a criminal investigation into suspected bodily harm resulting in death. New autopsy findings have raised serious questions about the circumstances surrounding the 34-year-old athlete’s sudden passing.
Mercedes will begin producing the A-Class in Hungary from this year, expanding its manufacturing footprint in Kecskemét. The move further strengthens Hungary’s role in the company’s European production network, according to Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó.
AfD has entered 2026 as Germany’s most popular party, widening its advantage over the CDU in the first poll of the New Year. As the party surges ahead of all governing parties, the results reflect a growing rejection of establishment politics ahead of decisive state elections.
Viktor Orbán has once again turned political controversy into country branding, using a provocative social media post to promote Hungary to right-wing foreign tourists. Claiming democracy is in decline across Europe but thriving in Hungary, the prime minister invited followers to ‘come and see’ under the hashtag #VisitHungary.
‘The Hungarian government’s position remains unchanged…we will not build a refugee camp, we will not change the way we protect our borders, and we will not become an immigrant country. We will not accept Brussels telling us who we can live with,’ Prime Minister Viktor Orbán has declared. For his stance against mass migration, he was praised by famous British activist Tommy Robinson on X.
A new film about a young, ambitious woman suddenly becoming the governor of a state just to be pushed out by the evil scheme of her husband, Ella McCay, grossed just $4.5 million in the box office against a $35 million budget. This prompted Disney to cancel its international premiere in France due to a lack of interest.
The US Embassy in Budapest has commemorated the 48th anniversary of the return of the Holy Crown of King St Stephen, calling the 1978 transfer an important milestone in American–Hungarian relations. The gesture highlighted a moment when diplomacy, history and symbolism intersected at the height of the Cold War.
The northern section of the Corridor 5C motorway crossing Bosnia-Herzegovina, linking Budapest with Croatia’s Adriatic port of Ploče, could be completed by the end of 2026, marking a major step in a long-delayed regional project.
Hungarian defence firm 4iG Space and Defence Technologies has signed an exclusive cooperation agreement with TATRA Trucks, granting it representation and sales rights for the Czech manufacturer’s military vehicles in Hungary. The deal supports Budapest’s ambition to strengthen domestic defence production and NATO-compatible capabilities.
Ferencváros striker Barnabás Varga, who has scored five goals in five games in Hungary’s FIFA World Cup qualification campaign and four goals in six games for his club in the UEFA Europa League this season, is set to sign with 13-time Greek champions and current league leaders AEK Athens. Media reports claim AEK will pay Ferencváros €4.5 million for his transfer.
Viktor Orbán opened the year with a two-hour international press conference, declaring that 2025 marked the definitive end of the liberal world order and the dawn of an ‘age of nations’. Promoting Hungary’s ‘peace economy’, opposition to war-driven policies and EU migration plans, he framed the coming election as a decisive civilizational choice.
From 1 January, members of the Hungarian Defence Forces and civilian defence employees are receiving improved non-wage benefits, including higher travel reimbursements, increased housing support and expanded family-related allowances.
New Year’s Eve riots in several Western European cities have once again exposed the direct link between illegal migration and the erosion of public security. Citing attacks on emergency services and widespread vandalism, Viktor Orbán’s chief security adviser warned that Europe is repeating a failed model.
In the early morning hours of 3 January, the special forces of the US Army captured President Nicolás Maduro of Venezuela, who is now transferred to the United States to face justice in his criminal case. But why did the Trump administration choose to take such a drastic measure?