Slop Check Special: FT’s Fanfiction Addiction
It frequently turns out FT’s reporting is questionable at best, complete nonsense at worst. Practically fanfiction, even.
It frequently turns out FT’s reporting is questionable at best, complete nonsense at worst. Practically fanfiction, even.
‘Belgium, where most of these Russian assets are held (by the Belgian financial institution, Euroclear), is strongly resisting the European Commission’s push to use them. It fears not only repercussions from Russia, but also the capital markets losing trust, which could have long-term consequences on third countries’ willingness to invest and keep their assets in Belgium, or in Europe, indeed.’
‘Politico claims herds of antelopes and zebras are hidden away in the back garden of his countryside residence.’
German Green MEP Daniel Freund has lodged a criminal complaint against Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, alleging an attempt to hack his email using spyware. Freund—long a vocal Orbán critic—claims Hungarian intelligence was behind the attack.
Prime Minister Viktor Orbán said Hungary is globally recognized for its commitment to peace, following his attendance at the Gaza ceasefire signing in Sharm el-Sheikh. He also announced an upcoming meeting with US President Donald Trump to discuss economic and political cooperation.
‘The belligerent tone of European leaders reinforces, on the Chinese side, the image of an ideologically aggressive West, expansive and domineering by its very cultural core.’
Miklós Szánthó accused Péter Magyar and his allies of ‘fleecing Hungarian families’ even without being in power by supporting EU migration policies. At a campaign event in front of the EU Commission’s office in Budapest, he linked the EU fines imposed on Hungary for border protection to Magyar’s party and warned against following Western Europe’s migration path.
Brussels is set to investigate claims that Hungarian intelligence officers spied on EU institutions and sought to recruit an official while stationed at Hungary’s permanent representation between 2015 and 2017. The move comes eight years after the alleged network was dismantled—and just 6 months before Hungary’s general election.
Israel and Hamas have accepted the first phase of Donald Trump’s peace plan, agreeing to a ceasefire, hostage releases, and Israeli troop pullback. The breakthrough, hailed by Benjamin Netanyahu as a ‘turning point’, comes just days before the Nobel Peace Prize announcement, with Trump emerging as a leading contender.
‘When political parties on opposite sides of the parliamentary spectrum voice sharp criticism…against a politician belonging to the centrist party family, it is easy to conclude that “extremist” groups are fighting against…balanced policies. This may be true in some cases, but a closer look reveals a much more complex picture, especially in the European political arena.’