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.

What does it mean to be human? What are the limits of the transhumanist idea that humans can overcome their biological constraints? What are the ethical issues with abortion and assisted reproduction? We asked O Carter Snead, a professor of law and an expert on bioethics, at the Axioma Center’s conference in Budapest about the concept of the human being from the perspectives of transhumanism and Christianity.

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.

The HUN-REN Hungarian Research Network will host the Agentic Discovery Hackathon in Budapest on 15–16 January, bringing together AI experts and researchers to explore how autonomous, agent-based AI systems can transform scientific research and discovery.

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.

Humanity may have gained a few extra years. The AI Futures Project, led by former OpenAI researcher Daniel Kokotajlo, has revised its forecast for superintelligent AI, concluding that the technological breakthroughs once expected by 2027 are now more likely to arrive in the early 2030s.

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.

The world that emerged after the Cold War is fading fast. As 2026 begins, a less ideological, more power-driven international order is taking shape—what Viktor Orbán has described as the ‘age of nations’. Recent US actions, shifting alliances and the decline of liberal norms reveal the defining features of this new global reality.

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’.

From 1 January 2026, the works of Albert Einstein, Thomas Mann and hundreds of other authors and artists can be freely used, as copyright protection expires 70 years after the creator’s death, Hungary’s Intellectual Property Office said.

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.

Béla Tarr, one of the most influential figures in Hungarian and international cinema, has died at the age of 70 after a long illness. Renowned for films such as Sátántangó and Werckmeister Harmonies, his work reshaped modern film language.

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.

Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán has vowed to conclude talks with Slovakia over a new law criminalizing criticism of the Beneš decrees, warning that it revives the principle of collective guilt. The legislation has strained bilateral relations and reignited long-standing disputes over the treatment of the Hungarian minority in Slovakia.

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.

More than 33 million pilgrims travelled to Rome during the Jubilee Holy Year, exceeding all expectations, as the Vatican prepares to close the Holy Door of St Peter’s Basilica, marking the end of a year dedicated to hope and renewal.

‘The Czech Republic’s new coalition government…marks a shift towards a sovereignty-focused, security-conscious, and state-centred model of governance.’