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Hungary
The news on 444.hu focuses on domestic Hungarian politics and economics, with a significant story about a proposed wealth tax and its potential flaws. Other domestic stories cover political maneuvering ahead of local elections, and infrastructure projects like a high-speed rail link. International…
Professors from Columbia and Berkeley business schools believe Hungary's proposed wealth tax has issues, including difficulty identifying the corrupt and the potential to miss its intended targets over time, while generating little revenue.
The former Prime Minister is never home when major problems arise, and the national football team's schedule can indicate when Fidesz is facing new challenges.
Fidesz is participating in a by-election for a local government seat, a rare move since their significant electoral defeat, while Tisza has officially stated they will not field a candidate in Nagykáta, though they could still win.
Hungary plans to use recycled EU funds for projects including a high-speed rail link to Vienna, making the trip under two hours, and to Warsaw in five and a half hours instead of 10-11. They are also applying for funds for airport development and road digitalization.
Prosecutors have requested a 14-year prison sentence for József Horváth, a vintner and restaurateur, for sexual offenses against a minor employee, but Péter Hajdú questions the accusation, suggesting the man might be the victim.
The renewed Ethiopian civil war threatens to engulf the region in flames, with external powers increasingly intervening in the historically unstable Horn of Africa, now converging with the US-Israeli-Iranian conflict and Middle Eastern struggles.
Orbán Áron, the Prime Minister's brother, contacted a Hungarian businessman-politician in Graz weeks before the election, asking him to help intercept a Ukrainian gold convoy, an offer the businessman declined and reported to Austrian authorities.
