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☆ Everyone is angry at Germany after a series of snubs and screw-ups
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-06 | by ( Mia Jankowicz | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

Leaked German military discussions about sending Taurus missiles to Ukraine have caused discord. It's the latest diplomatic spat related to Germany and aid to Ukraine. After the US, Germany is the country sending the most military aid to Ukraine, at least in terms of volume. A mortifying leakPart of this anger was triggered by Russian state broadcaster RT publishing a 38-minute leaked recording of four German officials discussing how Ukraine could deploy German Taurus missiles. Taurus missiles are — very broadly speaking — Germany's equivalent to the Storm Shadow: powerful, long-range weapons with a strong ability to evade air defenses.

Persons: Olaf Scholz, —, Emmanuel Macron, Le, Ben Wallace, Scholz, Germany —, Der Westen, Dmitry Medvedev, Vladimir Putin, It's, Edward Hunter Christie, — Scholz, Antoine Gyori, Macron, Le Monde, Rafael Loss Organizations: Taurus, Service, RT, German Taurus, Associated Press, Storm, France, Politico, MOD, government's Foreign, France's Ministry of Defence, NATO, Russian Security, Finnish Institute of International Affairs, Macron, Ukraine Challenger, Ukraine, European Council, Foreign Relations Locations: Ukraine, France, Germany, allyship, German, Kerch, Crimea, Korea, Russia, Europe, Macron Germany

☆ Prague, Budapest Hold up EU Move to Sanction Violent Israeli Settlers
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-09 | by ( Feb. | At A.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +3 min

EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell said in December he would propose similar measures. The EU has not spelled out what the sanctions would entail but officials have said they would include bans on travel to the EU. The EU has already imposed sanctions on Hamas following the Oct. 7 attacks and diplomats say more are in the pipeline. Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto said on Wednesday now was "definitely not the time" to sanction Israeli settlers, state news agency MTI reported. (Additonal reporting by Jan Lopatka in Prague and Boldizsar Gyori in Budapest; Editing by Nick Macfie)

Persons: Andrew Gray, John Irish, Josep Borrell, Israel, Peter Szijjarto, MTI, Jan Lipavsky, Jan Lopatka, Boldizsar, Nick Macfie Organizations: West Bank, West Bank ., EU Locations: John Irish BRUSSELS, PARIS, EU, Hungary, Czech Republic, Israel, Palestinian, Gaza, United States, Britain, Budapest, Czech, France, Prague

☆ Hungarian Opposition Seeks Extraordinary Session of Parliament on Sweden NATO Bid
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-29 | by ( Jan. | At A.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +2 min

By Boldizsar GyoriBUDAPEST (Reuters) - Hungarian opposition parties submitted a motion on Monday calling for an extraordinary session of parliament on Feb. 5 to ratify Sweden's application to join NATO. Hungary is the only country in the 31-member Atlantic alliance yet to ratify Sweden's application. Turkey completed its approval last week, some 20 months after Stockholm applied to join NATO following Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine. But parliamentary speaker Laszlo Kover said there was no urgency for any extraordinary move to ratify Sweden's NATO accession and suggested that opposition attempts at an extra session would be likely to fail. Hungary's parliament is not currently in session, but NATO chief Jens Stoltenberg said last Friday he expected the assembly to ratify Sweden's accession at the end of February after it reconvenes.

Persons: Zita Gurmai, Gurmai, Viktor Orban, Vladimir Putin, Laszlo Kover, Jens Stoltenberg, Orban, Boldizsar Gyori, Jason Hovet, Timothy Heritage Organizations: Gyori, NATO, Atlantic, Reuters, Fidesz, Christian Democrat, Sweden's, Union Locations: Gyori BUDAPEST, Hungary, Turkey, Stockholm, Ukraine, Hungarian, Brussels

☆ Hungary Far-Right Would Lay Claim to Neighbouring Region, if Ukraine Loses War
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-28 | by ( Jan. | At A.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +2 min

BUDAPEST (Reuters) - Hungary's far-right Our Homeland party would lay claim to a western region of Ukraine that is home to about 150,000 ethnic Hungarians if Ukraine loses its statehood due to Russia's invasion, the party's leader said late on Saturday. "Regarding the war in Ukraine, our message is very simple: immediate ceasefire, peace and a resolution through talks," Toroczkai said in a video posted on his party's website, calling for autonomy for ethnic Hungarians in western Ukraine. "If this war ends up with Ukraine losing its statehood, because this is also on the cards, then as the only Hungarian party taking this position, let me signal that we lay claim to Transcarpathia," he said, drawing applause from the crowd. Budapest has clashed with Kyiv over what it says are curbs on the rights of roughly 150,000 ethnic Hungarians to use their native tongue. Last month all European Union states except Hungary, which is also a member of NATO, agreed to start EU accession talks with Ukraine.

Persons: Laszlo Toroczkai, Toroczkai, Viktor Orban, Zoltan Kovacs, Peter Szijjarto, Dmytro Kuleba, Denys Shmyhal, Boldizsar Gyori, William Maclean Organizations: Homeland, Dutch Forum for Democracy, Ukraine, Hungarian Foreign Ministry, Hungarian, Union, NATO Locations: BUDAPEST, Ukraine, Ukrainian, Budapest, Hungarian, Hungary

☆ Ukraine's security service alleges Russian plot involving ex-president
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-02 | by ( Max Hunder | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Poroshenko's political party, European Solidarity, said the former president had scheduled only meetings in Poland and the United States and warned the SBU security service against becoming involved in politics. Orban has frequently been at odds with Zelenskiy on several issues related to Ukraine's EU membership bid. European Solidarity, in its statement, called for dialogue with Orban who, it said, had a veto right over accession talks. Poroshenko, president from 2014 to 2019, accused Zelenskiy's administration on Friday of cancelling the permission and playing politics ahead of elections. Additional reporting by Boldizsar Gyori in Budapest, Editing by Ron Popeski and Daniel WallisOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Petro Poroshenko, Gleb Garanich, Poroshenko, SBU, Viktor Orban, Vladimir Putin, Orban, Putin, Oleksandr Korniyenko, Poroshenko's, Zelenskiy's, Zelenskiy, Boldizsar Gyori, Ron Popeski, Daniel Wallis Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, European, Hungarian, European Union, Ukraine, EU, European Solidarity, Thomson Locations: Ukraine, Kyiv, Russia, European Solidarity, Poland, United States, Moscow, Budapest

☆ Hungary gets Ukrainian truck queues as protests clog Polish, Slovak crossings
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-22 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

In Slovakia, the main border crossing with Ukraine was also blocked on Tuesday, although the country's haulers' union called it the action of a single truck. The group has still warned it could join Polish truckers in protest. The spillover of long border queues hit Hungary on Wednesday, with the main border crossing, Zahony, seeing long queues of trucks waiting to enter Ukraine. Polish truckers will also begin blocking the Medyka crossing together with farmers on Thursday, a protest organizer said. On Sunday, Ukrainian authorities said about 3,000 mostly Ukrainian trucks, including those carrying fuel and humanitarian aid, were stuck on the Polish side of the border.

Persons: haulers, Trucks, Dennik, Boldizsar Gyori, Jason Hovet, Bernadette Baum Organizations: Truckers, European Union, Authorities, Hungarian Tax, Customs Authority, EU, Thomson Locations: BUDAPEST, Ukraine, Poland, Slovakia, Slovak, Hungarian

☆ Hungary Gets Ukrainian Truck Queues as Protests Clog Polish, Slovak Crossings
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-22 | by ( Nov. | At A.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +2 min

Persons: haulers, Trucks, Dennik, Boldizsar Gyori, Jason Hovet, Bernadette Baum Organizations: Truckers, European Union, Authorities, Hungarian Tax, Customs Authority, EU Locations: BUDAPEST, Ukraine, Poland, Slovakia, Slovak, Hungarian

☆ Hungary's Ruling Party Submits Bill on 'Protecting National Sovereignty'
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-21 | by ( Nov. | At P.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +2 min

BUDAPEST (Reuters) - Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban's ruling Fidesz party submitted a bill on "protecting national sovereignty" to parliament on Tuesday to defend against what it called undue political interference by foreign persons or groups. The bill would set up a separate authority to explore and monitor risks of political interference and recommend changes in regulations. It would also punish banned foreign financing for parties or groups running for election with up to three years in prison. "Hungary's sovereignty is impaired -- and it also carries a heightened risk to national security -- if political power gets into the hands of persons or organisations dependent on any foreign power, organisation or person," the bill said. Orban, who has a two-thirds majority in parliament that allows Fidesz to change any legislation, scored his fourth landslide victory in 2022.

Persons: Viktor Orban's, Orban, Ursula von der Leyen, Boldizsar Gyori, Josie Kao Organizations: European Union, Communist, Fidesz, EU, Ukraine Locations: BUDAPEST, Hungarian, Hungary

☆ Hungary's Orban seeks to stir support with survey questioning EU policies, Ukraine membership
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-17 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

"A breakaway from the voter base has started (...) this campaign aims to stop that," Zoltan Novak, a political analyst at the Centre for Fair Political Analysis think tank said. Another survey by pollster Median also showed a 5 point decline in support for Fidesz between February and October. The questions in the survey portray the EU as favouring Ukraine over Hungary, one of its own members. Earlier this week, Orban said the bloc's strategy of sending money and military aid to Ukraine had failed, and that he opposed starting membership negotiations with Kyiv. His government has taken a different stance on Ukraine than the rest of the bloc, refraining from providing arms and criticising EU sanctions on Russia, although it has eventually backed all the sanctions so far.

Persons: Viktor Orban, Orban's, Orban, Zoltan Novak, Boldizsar, Mark Potter Organizations: European Union, Fidesz, pollster, EU, Kyiv, Thomson Locations: BUDAPEST, European, Ukraine, Hungary, Russia

☆ U.S. says it is 'concerned' about Hungary's relationship with Russia
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-20 | by ( Boldizsar Gyori | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Sputnik/Grigory Sysoyev/Pool via REUTERS Acquire Licensing RightsBUDAPEST, Oct 20 (Reuters) - The United States is concerned about Hungary's relationship with Russia, and finds Prime Minister Viktor Orban's decision to meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin "troubling", the U.S. Embassy in Budapest said on Friday. He is the only EU leader to attend the forum or to maintain close ties with Putin since Russia invaded Ukraine on Feb. 24, 2022. "The United States is concerned about Hungary’s relationship with Russia," U.S. Orban told Putin during their meeting in Beijing that Hungary never wanted to oppose Russia and was trying to salvage bilateral contacts. Relations between Budapest and Washington have soured in the past year because of Hungary's foot-dragging over the ratification of Sweden's NATO accession.

Persons: Vladimir Putin, Viktor Orban, Grigory Sysoyev, Viktor Orban's, Orban, Putin, Hungary David Pressman, Pressman, Balazs Orban, Boldizsar Gyori, Alan Charlish, Gareth Jones Organizations: Hungarian, Forum, Sputnik, REUTERS Acquire, Rights, U.S, Embassy, Putin, NATO, Radio Free, Thomson Locations: Beijing, China, United States, Russia, Budapest, Ukraine, Hungary, Sweden, Moscow, Washington, NATO

☆ Hungary plans to sell 'non-strategic assets' to buy Budapest Airport
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-02 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

BUDAPEST, Oct 2 (Reuters) - Hungary plans to sell non-strategic assets to partially finance its acquisition of Budapest airport, Economic Development Minister Marton Nagy told reporters on the sidelines of a business conference on Monday. He did not say which assets the government might sell. Since Prime Minister Viktor Orban took power in 2010, his government has boosted Hungarian ownership in the energy, banking, telecoms and media sectors. The government submitted a new formal bid for a majority stake in Budapest Airport last month, with talks underway with several airport operators, one of them in Qatar, to join as a minority partner. Reporting by Gergely Szakacs Writing by Boldizsar Gyori; Editing by Kirsten DonovanOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Marton Nagy, Viktor Orban, Gergely, Boldizsar Gyori, Kirsten Donovan Organizations: Economic, Thomson Locations: BUDAPEST, Hungary, Budapest, Qatar

☆ Ukrainian captain says 'deeply sorry' about Budapest boat accident that killed 27
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-26 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

[1/2] The Mermaid, a Hungarian boat which sank in the Danube river near Margaret bridge, is moved away during a salvage operation in Budapest, Hungary, June 11, 2019. REUTERS/Tamas Kaszas/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsBUDAPEST, Sept 26 (Reuters) - The Ukrainian captain of a Swiss cruise liner told a Hungarian court on Tuesday that he was "deeply sorry" about a 2019 accident in which his boat hit and sank a much smaller boat on the Danube, killing 25 South Korean tourists and its two crew. The court is expected to deliver a sentence later on Tuesday. The smaller tourist boat Mermaid, with 35 people on board, sank under a bridge during heavy rain. Reporting by Boldizsar Gyori; Editing by Kim CoghillOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Tamas Kaszas, Boldizsar Gyori, Kim Coghill Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, South, Thomson Locations: Hungarian, Margaret, Budapest, Hungary, Ukrainian, Swiss

☆ Ukrainian captain sentenced to 5 years over deadly Budapest boat accident
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-26 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

[1/2] The Mermaid, a Hungarian boat which sank in the Danube river near Margaret bridge, is moved away during a salvage operation in Budapest, Hungary, June 11, 2019. REUTERS/Tamas Kaszas/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsBUDAPEST, Sept 25 (Reuters) - A Ukrainian captain of a cruise liner was sentenced to five years in prison in Hungary on Tuesday for his role in a 2019 accident in which his boat hit and sank a smaller boat on the River Danube, killing 25 South Korean tourists and two crew. The Mermaid's captain and its crew member also died and one Korean is still unaccounted for. The Ukrainian man, who has been in custody since 2019, told the court that he was "deeply sorry" about the tragedy. The captain was acquitted by the court on the charge of failing to provide help.

Persons: Tamas Kaszas, Yuriy, Leona Nemeth, Boldizsar Gyori, Christina Fincher Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, South, Thomson Locations: Hungarian, Margaret, Budapest, Hungary, Ukrainian

☆ Two People Killed in Explosion in Northern Hungary -Media
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-20 | by ( Sept. | At P.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +1 min

BUDAPEST (Reuters) - Two people, including a police officer, were killed and several others injured in an explosion during a police operation in the northern city of Esztergom, online media reported on Wednesday. Hungarian online media reported that the blast went off in a house on the outskirts of the city near the Slovak border as police responded to a threat. Local media said the explosion also killed the perpetrator, who was yet to be identified. In a Facebook post, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban expressed condolences to a police officer killed on duty without specifically referring to the incident reported in local media. His ruling Fidesz parliamentary group also said in a statement that a police officer was killed in an explosion in the northern city of Esztergom.

Persons: Viktor Orban, Gergely Szakacs, Marguerita Choy Organizations: Wednesday . Police Locations: BUDAPEST, Esztergom, Hungarian

Hungary imposed a national import ban on 24 Ukrainian agricultural products, including grains, vegetables, several meat products and honey, according to a government decree published on Friday. Slovakia's agriculture minister followed suit announcing its own grain ban. EU PLEAEU Trade Commissioner Valdis Dombrovskis said on Friday countries should refrain from unilateral measures against imports of Ukrainian grain. Poland, Hungary and Slovakia previously said they may extend the restrictions unilaterally while Bulgaria on Thursday voted to scrap the curbs. In August, about 4 million tonnes of Ukraine grains passed through the Solidarity Lanes of which close to 2.7 million tonnes were through the Danube.

Persons: Cernat, Mateusz Morawiecki, Waldemar Buda, Valdis Dombrovskis, Volodymyr Zelenskiy, Julia Payne, Alan Charlish, Jan Lopatka, Karol Badohal, Boldizsar, Luiza Ilie, Nina Chestney, David Evans, Alistair Bell, Grant McCool Organizations: REUTERS, European Commission, European Union, EU, EU Commission, Ukraine, Farmers, Solidarity, Thomson Locations: Black, Constanta, Romania, Ukraine, BRUSSELS, WARSAW, Poland, Slovakia, Hungary, Bulgaria, Elk, Russia, EU, Russian, Romanian, Prague, Warsaw, Budapest, Bucharest

But the flood of grains and oilseeds into neighbouring countries reduced prices there, impacting the income of local farmers and resulting in governments banning agricultural imports from Ukraine. The European Union in May stepped in to prevent individual countries imposing unilateral bans and imposed its own ban on imports into neighbouring countries. Under the EU ban, Ukraine was allowed to export through those countries on condition the produce was sold elsewhere. EU Trade Commissioner Valdis Dombrovskis said on Friday countries should refrain from unilateral measures against imports of Ukrainian grain, but Poland, Slovakia and Hungary immediately responded by reimposing their own restrictions on Ukrainian grain imports. Farmers in the five countries neighbouring Ukraine have repeatedly complained about a product glut hitting their domestic prices and pushing them towards bankruptcy.

Persons: Cernat, Valdis Dombrovskis, reimposing, Terry Reilly, Volodymyr Zelenskiy, Robert Telus, Julia Payne, Alan Charlish, Jan Lopatka, Karol Badohal, Boldizsar, Pavel Polityuk, Luiza Ilie, Tom Polansek, Nina Chestney, Simon Webb, David Evans, Alistair Bell, Grant McCool Organizations: REUTERS, European Commission, European Union, EU, Ukraine, Facebook, EU Commission, Farmers, Solidarity, Thomson Locations: Black, Constanta, Romania, Ukraine, BRUSSELS, WARSAW, Poland, Slovakia, Hungary, Russia, EU, Bulgaria, Russian, Romanian, Prague, Warsaw, Budapest, Kyiv, Bucharest, Chicago

☆ Israel's workhorse Merkava tank could soon be refilling foreign arsenals depleted by the war in Ukraine
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-17 | by ( Michael Peck | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

Israel may be about to export its workhorse Merkava tank for the first time. Israel isn't selling the newest version of the 45-year-old Merkava tank family, the Merkava 5, or even the Merkava 4, which is used in front-line Israeli armored units. An Israeli Merkava tank in the Negev desert in November 1997. Israel Defense Forces/Michael ShvadronThough Israel is small, home to less than 10 million people, it's one of the world's top 10 arms exporters. If Merkava tanks are sold overseas, they may yet end up on surprising battlefields.

Persons: Yair Koles, Israel isn't, Antoine GYORI, Merkava, Mark, Michael Shvadron, Israel —, Efraim Inbar, MENAHEM KAHANA, Recep Erdogan, Michael Peck Organizations: Israel, Service, Israel's Ministry of Defense, Haaretz, Cypriot, El, Getty, Israel Defense Forces, United Arab, Morocco —, US Army, Jerusalem Institute for Strategy, Security, Polisario, Iranian, Defense, Foreign Policy, Twitter, LinkedIn Locations: Israel, Ukraine, Wall, Silicon, Arab, European, Turkey, Cyprus, Morocco, Spanish, El Espanol, Israeli, Soviet, Lebanon, Israel's, United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Algeria, AFP, Turkish, Russian, Europe, Eastern, Merkavas, Russia, Syria, Iran, North Korea, Forbes

☆ Thousands join Budapest Pride in protest at state's anti-LGBT moves
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-15 | by ( Boldizsar Gyori | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

BUDAPEST, July 15 (Reuters) - Thousands of Hungarians braved scorching heat for the annual Pride march in Budapest on Saturday, protesting against government controls over public displays by the LGBT community. "I think the Budapest Pride is really liberating, we can be very proud of it, but I think we are still discriminated in the grey everyday life," designer Danyi Mark. [1/5]People attend the annual Pride march in Budapest, Hungary, July 15, 2023. On Friday, the embassies of the United States, Germany and 36 other countries urged Hungary to protect LGBT rights and scrap discriminatory laws. The government stance towards Hungary's LGBT community was seen as resonating with Orban's conservative voters in the countryside ahead of his fourth-term election win in 2022.

Persons: Viktor Orban's, Gergely Varga, Danyi Mark, Bernadett Szabo, Hungary's, David Pressman, Boldizsar Gyori, Andrew Cawthorne Organizations: European Union, REUTERS, Thomson Locations: BUDAPEST, Budapest, Hungary, United States, Germany

☆ France protests: Nationwide demonstrations are sweeping the country. Here's what you need to know
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-30 | by ( Sana Noor Haq Joshua Berlinger Tara John Barry Neild Xiaofei Xu | Sana Noor Haq | Joshua Berlinger | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +9 min

Protesters clash with police in Nanterre, France, on Friday, June 30. Gonzalo Fuentes/Reuters A firefighter extinguishes a car that was burnt during clashes between protesters and police in Roubaix, France, on June 30. Kenzo Tribouillard/AFP/Getty Images People look at burning tires blocking a street in Bordeaux, France, on Thursday, June 29. There was no disruption to the Eurostar service connecting London, Lille and Paris as a result of the protests. Further afield, the US State Department issued a security alert on June 29 covering France.

Persons: Emmanuel Macron, Nahel, Pascal Prache, Prache, Gonzalo Fuentes, Pascal Rossignol, Bertrand Guay, Kenzo Tribouillard, Philippe Lopez, Firas Abdullah, Zakaria Abdelkafi, Benjamin Girette, Antoine Gyori, Stephanie Lecocq, ”, Gerard Darmanin, Macron, Elton John, Yves Herman, TikTok, Snapchat Organizations: CNN —, Reuters, Fort, Getty, AFP, Anadolu Agency, Police, Bloomberg, Firefighters, Overseas, Rights, Europe, Amnesty, Twitter, UN, Human Rights, French Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Interior Ministry, Metro, Eurostar, US State Department Locations: CNN — France, Paris, Nanterre, France, Roubaix, Lille, Aubervilliers, AFP, Bordeaux, Cayenne, French Guiana, Brussels, Clamart, Neuilly, Marne, Préfecture, Marseille, London, Britain, “

"All allies agree that Moscow does not have a veto against NATO enlargement," Stoltenberg told reporters as NATO foreign ministers gathered in Oslo, seeking to dispel any signs of discord ahead of the summit. At the Vilnius summit, NATO leaders aim to send a strong message of support to Kyiv. But with only six weeks to go, pressure is building for allies to find common ground on what exactly to offer Ukraine. Lithuania's Foreign Minister Gabrielius Landsbergis said Kyiv had suffered two invasions while waiting for an answer from NATO for 14 years. "Ukraine needs to get a clear path, and the next steps, on how to enter NATO," Estonian Foreign Minister Margus Tsahkna said.

Persons: Jens Stoltenberg, Stoltenberg, Volodymyr Zelenskiy, Gabrielius Landsbergis, Margus Tsahkna, Annalena Baerbock, Luxembourg's Jean Asselborn, Sabine Siebold, Gwladys Fouche, Terje Solsvik, Benoit Van Overstraeten, Bart Meijer, Charlotte Van Campenhout, Alezander, Boldizsar, Bart H, Meijer, Ros Russell Organizations: NATO, Kyiv, Ukraine, Lithuania's, Estonian, Thomson Locations: OSLO, Moscow, Ukraine, Vilnius, Oslo, Moldova, Kyiv, Europe, United States, Germany, Russia, Estonian, Luxembourg, Hungary, NATO, Brussels, Alezander Tanas, Chisinau, Olena, Budapest

☆ Hungarians protest against new teachers' law, police violence
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-19 | by ( Boldizsar Gyori | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Friday's protest came after a series of rallies and strikes for higher salaries and better working conditions for teachers. Protesters on Friday marched against the new so-called Status Law that would also significantly increase teachers' workload. Critics refer to the legislation as the "Revenge Law," perceived as punishment for teachers' year-long resistance. Almost 5,000 teachers have already said they will leave their profession if the Status Law comes into force. Reporting by Boldizsar Gyori, editing by Mark HeinrichOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Hungary to block EU military aid fund for Ukraine unless Kyiv takes OTP bank off blacklist
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-17 | by ( Boldizsar Gyori | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

BUDAPEST, May 17 (Reuters) - Hungary will block the next tranche of European Union military support for Ukraine and any new sanctions package against Russia unless Kyiv removes Hungarian bank OTP (OTPB.BU) from its list of war sponsors, its foreign minister said on Wednesday. "We can't give it a green light as long as OTP remains blacklisted," said Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto. Hungary this week held up a proposal to allocate a further 500 million euros ($550.40 million) from an EU-run fund, the European Peace Facility, to military aid for Ukraine. "We'll talk to the Ukrainians and we'll talk to the (EU) member states, including Hungary," a senior EU official said on condition of anonymity. The EU has provided a total of about 3.6 billion euros ($4 billion) for military support for Ukraine so far under the European Peace Facility.

☆ Teenagers tear-gassed at protest against Orban's education reforms
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-03 | by ( Boldizsar Gyori | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

[1/9] Police officers spray people, as protesters take part in a protest against Hungarian government's 'Status Law? which may increase teachers' workloads and restrict their independence in Budapest, Hungary, May 3, 2023. The police action follows a thousands-strong rally in central Budapest earlier on Wednesday against legislation that would significantly increase teachers' workload. The protest was the latest in a series of demonstrations over the past year for better working conditions for teachers. Hungary is facing a growing shortage of teachers mainly due to low wages and the unpredictability in the regulatory environment.

[1/5] Pope Francis greets the crowd ahead of a holy mass at the Kossuth Lajos Square during his apostolic journey in Budapest, Hungary, April 30, 2023. Francis believes migrants fleeing poverty should be welcomed and integrated because they can culturally enrich host countries and boost Europe's dwindling populations. He believes that while countries have a right to protect their borders, migrants should be distributed throughout the European Union. In his homily, Francis also spoke against doors "closed to the world". On Friday, he quoted what St Stephen, the 11th century founder of Christian Hungary, had written about welcoming strangers.

[1/2] Zsolt Hernadi, Executive Chairman of Hungarian oil and gas group MOL poses during an interview with Reuters in Budapest, Hungary, April 27, 2023. Hernadi said MOL was fighting to prevent a hike in oil transit fees in Ukraine and also in Croatia. The BTC pipeline transports crude oil from offshore oil fields in the Caspian Sea to the Turkish coast. He said MOL would pay Ukraine's pipeline operator Ukrtransnafta directly for the transit of Russian oil but there was still a dispute over a Ukrainian hike in fees. "There are still disputes, discussions ongoing about the transit fee, as a multi-fold increase has been flagged (by Ukraine)."

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