The new legislation that bans UNRWA from Israel follows extensive debates within the country. Members of the Knesset in favour of the ban have pointed out a disconnect between UNRWA’s mission and the agency’s actual impact. Israeli officials have described UNRWA’s operations in Gaza as ‘rotten’, underscoring doubts about the agency’s ability to provide impartial and effective services while the agency has long become corrupt, involved in the spread of radical ideas and terrorism.

In a drive to support families amid challenging global conditions, the Hungarian government plans to double the family tax allowance in two stages, maintain tax exemptions for families with four children, mothers under 30, and individuals under 25, and extend the reduced 5 per cent VAT rate on residential property sales until 2026, the Ministry of Finance announced. Beside leaving more money in the pockets of families, the new tax amendments also aim to curb the grey economy and reduce administrative burdens.

Hungarian President Tamás Sulyok held talks with Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić in Belgrade on Monday. The two leaders praised the improving relations between their countries in recent years, which encompass not only infrastructure and energy projects but also people-to-people exchanges.

For the first time since early August, President Donald Trump is leading the national polling aggregate by RealClearPolitics over Vice President Kamala Harris. His current lead is just 0.2 points. However, he was underestimated by pollsters in the popular vote in both cycles he ran, in 2016 and 2020 as well.

In September, Hungary’s tourism sector saw continued growth, with nearly 1.5 million guests spending 3.6 million nights across the country, a rise from the previous year. Driven by a 5.8 per cent increase in international visitors, tourism revenue surged by 20 per cent, bolstering both Budapest and rural regions, according to official data.

The Hungarian government has launched a national consultation under the title Hungary Can Do It, inviting citizens to voice their opinions on a new economic policy aimed at strengthening Hungary’s economy, boosting wages, supporting small businesses, and improving housing affordability.

The Asia-Oceania Working Group (COASI) had an informal meeting in Budapest, Hungary earlier this month, hosted by the Hungarian EU Presidency. At the event, experts discussed such pressing issues as the current political and economic trade collaboration between the European Union and the countries in the Asia-Pacific area, the Indian general election in June of this year, and more.

S&P Global Ratings has affirmed Hungary’s investment-grade rating at ‘BBB minus/A-3’ for both foreign and local currency debt, with a stable outlook. The agency’s assessment highlights Hungary’s economic resilience, forecasting steady GDP growth, ongoing disinflation, and medium-term fiscal consolidation.

The latest Századvég poll indicates that Fidesz–KDNP maintains a strong lead in Hungarian party rankings, with 40 per cent support among politically active voters. Tisza follows with 31 per cent, while the Our Homeland Movement and the joke party Two Tailed Dog hold 6 per cent each. Meanwhile, left-wing parties remain below the entry threshold for parliament.

The UK government has confirmed that from June 2025 single-use vapes will be banned in England and Wales. The legislation aims to target environmental waste and counteract the products’ growing appeal among youth.

Tamás Deutsch, the leader of Fidesz’s European Parliament delegation, has accused the MEPs of the largest Hungarian opposition party TISZA of backing the EU’s migrant quotas and opposing the payment of the €1 billion Hungary had requested from Brussels as reimbursements for protecting the Union’s external borders.

While the prospect of North Korean soldiers arriving at the front lines is alarming, there are already many foreign mercenaries fighting on the Russian side in Ukraine. Moscow has trained mercenaries near Aleppo, with at least 100 Syrians believed to have joined the Russian army. A couple of months ago, the government of Nepal has demanded the Kremlin stop recruiting Nepalese into its military. Since the Crocus City Hall terror attack in Moscow, the Kremlin has also been recruiting Central Asian migrants, presenting them with the option of either serving in Ukraine or being deported back to their countries.

Newly elected Budapest District XII Mayor Gergely Kovács has vowed to remove the local Turul monument, which is dedicated to the fallen soldiers of World War II, due to its connection to fascism. However, Minister of Construction and Transportation János Lázár prevented him from doing so by placing the statue under historic monument protection.

Hungary’s Prime Minister Viktor Orbán highlighted new government measures and plans regarding Hungary’s upcoming EU presidency, the Europe Summit, and recent Brussels policy interventions. He also addressed issues such as economic policy shifts and a national consultation on migration, speaking on public Kossuth Radio.

Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán met with his Montenegrin counterpart, Milojko Spajić, in Budapest, discussing shared goals in EU enlargement and enhancing bilateral trade. Orbán reaffirmed Hungary’s commitment to supporting Montenegro’s EU accession, while both leaders welcomed deeper economic ties, particularly in investment.

Budapest continues to dominate the list this year, with only one school outside the capital—Lovassy László Gymnasium in Veszprém—breaking into the top ten at tenth place, consistent with previous years. Schools excelling in foreign language instruction, especially bilingual institutions, tend to hold an advantage in the rankings, though other criteria like exam performance remain key.

The world premiere of the ten-part Rise of the Raven (Hunyadi) TV series was held at the Palais des Festivals et des Congrès in Cannes, France at MIPCOM, one of the most important annual events for the film, television and streaming industry. The sold-out screening was attended by the series’ creators as well as Hungarian and international stars and producers.

During his speech on the 68th anniversary of the 1956 Revolution and Freedom Fight, Prime Minister Viktor Orbán warned against foreign control, vowing to defend Hungary’s sovereignty. He emphasized the importance of national unity in the face of external pressures, and stated that Hungarians will not tolerate Hungary being turned into a puppet state of Brussels.

The second ministerial-level meeting of the EU accession conference with Albania was held in Luxembourg on 15 October. The aim of the meeting was to start accession negotiations with Albania and open Cluster 1; Tirana has thus taken another step forward on the road to European integration.

At a commemoration marking the anniversary of the 1956 Revolution and Freedom Fight on Wednesday, President Tamás Sulyok highlighted that Hungary’s sovereignty today is what the nation’s heroes fought for 68 year ago. Recalling the unity manifested during the revolution, the President stated that Hungarians are a people immune to inhuman ideologies.

Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán is scheduled to meet French President Emmanuel Macron on Tuesday evening in Paris, where the two leaders will discuss important issues concerning the future of the EU. The meeting serves as another rebuttal to EPP Leader Manfred Weber’s false claim regarding Hungary’s isolation in the European political arena.

‘The EU’s entire cooperation is being undermined by its flawed migration policy, and the migration pact must be scrapped,’ Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán emphasized after meeting with Slovak PM Robert Fico and Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić on Tuesday. The leaders’ discussions focused on strengthening regional cooperation to address the challenge of illegal migration.

Researcher at the Hungarian Institute of International Affairs Julianna Ármás has told Magyar Nemzet that the European Union’s expansion into the Western Balkans is a ‘top priority’ of the Hungarian EU presidency, adding that while ‘the EU has an interest in the accession of the six Western Balkan countries,’ the issue has taken a backseat since the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

As part of the New Economic Action Plan, the government has begun consultations on stricter Airbnb regulations in Budapest to address the city’s housing crisis, the Ministry for National Economy announced on Monday. The measures aim to curb rising rental prices and ensure affordable housing for residents.

By December, an additional 125,000 Hungarian students in grades 5 and 9 will receive laptops as part of a government programme aimed at enhancing digital education and reducing social inequalities, with a total budget of 32 billion forints, Parliamentary State Secretary of the Ministry of Interior Bence Rétvári announced in Budapest on Monday.

After partnering with the company VANNET Telekommunikációs Ltd based in Pécs, Hungary, our country became the 40th nation in the world to have Starlink’s satellite internet service available to its citizens. Starlink is owned by SpaceX, which, in turn, is owned by Trump supporter Elon Musk, the richest person on Earth.

The Brazil-based polling firm AtlasIntel, which got the popular vote margins right by 0.3 points in the last two election cycles in the United States, has released its latest national vote prediction for the 2024 US presidential election. It shows President Donald Trump leading Vice President Kamala Harris by 2.7 points, a slight shift towards Harris since their last release in mid-September.

The Hungarian government has tripled research and development funding over the past decade, while launching programmes like the John von Neumann Programme and the Bring the Champions Home initiative to strengthen innovation and attract top researchers back to Hungary, State Secretary for Families at the Ministry of Culture and Innovation Zsófia Koncz stated at a Youth Innovaton Forum on Saturday.

A new exhibition featuring contemporary works from the Hungarian National Bank’s art collection opened in New York’s Fridman Gallery. Titled Abstract Narratives, the display opened on 19 October and will run until 16 November, showcasing a selection of artwork from several generations of renowned Hungarian artists.

Minister of Justice Bence Tuzson of Hungary was at a commemoration ceremony to mark the 221st anniversary of the birth of 19th-century Hungarian statesman Ferenc Deák in Kehidakustány, Hungary on Friday. Deák, one of the chief architects behind the Austro-Hungarian Compromise of 1867, ‘set an example for those who are active in public life,’ Minister Tuzson stated at the event.