Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán announced plans to introduce a pension top-up as part of a wider pre-election spending drive ahead of the 2026 national vote.
Facing the weakest economic period of his 15-year rule, Orbán has already pledged tax cuts, wage rises, and subsidised housing loans despite a stagnating economy.
He told state radio that Hungary’s growth this year would be between 0.6% and 1% — far below initial forecasts — and argued that austerity would not boost the economy. The proposed “14th-month pension” would grant retirees another month’s payment, a move estimated by ING Bank to cost around 0.6% of GDP.
Economists have warned the plan could worsen Hungary’s fiscal position, with Fitch Ratings recently noting that tax cuts and weak growth threaten to slow budget consolidation. Orbán also faces mounting pressure from a new centre-right opposition party that currently leads in most polls.
Eurasian leaders have gathered in Bishkek for a Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit focused on security, economic ties and regional...
Russia views NATO’s growing military activity in the Arctic as a direct threat to its national security, Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said....
U.S. forces struck two Iranian rocket launchers on Larak Island on Sunday, with Tehran responding by launching ballistic missiles at two U.S. bases...
Iran has reached an understanding with Oman on transit arrangements through the Strait of Hormuz, but the waterway will remain closed until the U.S. fulfils its commitments, a senior Iranian diplomat said on Saturday.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi accused U.S. government and Israel-aligned actors of manipulating energy markets to promote the war with Iran.
Russian strikes on the Kyiv region overnight killed 37 people, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has said. Zelenskyy added that the Ukrainian capital was under "virtually nonstop attack" from drones.
Eurasian leaders have gathered in Bishkek for a Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit focused on security, economic ties and regional co-operation, as the bloc marks its 25th anniversary. China's President Xi Jinping also hailed the “unprecedented” development in China-Kyrgyzstan relations.
At least 37 people were killed after a Russian drone strike hit an ammunition depot in the Kyiv region, triggering powerful secondary explosions President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said on Saturday, vowing to punish suspected negligence in the second such incident in two months.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has condemned the actions of Israeli settlers in the West Bank village of Qusra, saying security operations should be handled only by state institutions, including the army and police.
Rescue teams in Nepal, supported by Chinese and Indian experts, worked through the night to reach hundreds of people believed to be trapped inside blocked hydropower project tunnels following last week’s catastrophic Himalayan flood.
Start your day informed with AnewZ Morning Brief. Here are the top news stories for the 31st of August, covering the latest developments.
Around 20 people are reported missing after flooding struck parts of Grand Canyon National Park in the U.S. state of Arizona, prompting evacuations of people to safety and a large-scale response from park authorities.
Russia views NATO’s growing military activity in the Arctic as a direct threat to its national security, Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said.
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