Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

Katalin Halmai @eublogo.bsky.social · 19h

"We call on Ukraine to refrain from further attacks on the oil pipeline to Hungary and not to jeopardise the security of our country's energy supply!"
Who could forget HUN FM Szijjártó's statement after the August attack on the Druzhba oil pipeline? Perhaps he should have protested to his 🇺🇸 friends?

Financial Times @financialtimes.com · 23h

Ukraine hit Russian energy sites with US help on.ft.com/4q7qUpY

Ukraine hit Russian energy sites with US help

Trump administration supported Kyiv’s operations since summer in co-ordinated push to weaken Moscow

on.ft.com

1 2 4

Katalin Halmai @eublogo.bsky.social · 2d

The American writer and critic Susan Sontag once described Krasznahorkai, who cites Kafka as an inspiration, as the “master of the apocalypse”. Steve Sem-Sandberg, one of the Nobel committee members said that Krasznahorkai was now “more in tune with the times” than before

László Krasznahorkai, winner of the 2025 Nobel Prize for literature

The Hungarian author, described as a ‘great epic writer in the central European tradition’, won the Man Booker International Prize in 2015. We look back at the FT’s reviews of his novels and novellas

on.ft.com

2

Katalin Halmai @eublogo.bsky.social · 3d

🇭🇺 Huge day for Hungarian literature: László Krasznahorkai has won the 2025 Nobel Prize in Literature! 👏👏👏
#NobelPrize #Literature

1 4 28

Reposted by Katalin Halmai

POLITICO Europe @politico.eu · 3d

🚨 BREAKING: The European Commission will probe reports that Hungarian leader Viktor Orbán's spies targeted EU officials in Brussels.

Read the developing story: ow.ly/vSbA50X93ss

10 84 200

Reposted by Katalin Halmai

paper trail media @papertrailmedia.de · 3d

NEU: Wie Ungarns Spione in Brüssel gegen die EU arbeiteten. Unsere Recherche mit @tijd.be und @direkt36.bsky.social zeigt erstmals, wie der ungarische Auslandsgeheimdienst EU-Beamte ins Visier nahm - und aufflog. Hier geht's zum Text im SPIEGEL www.spiegel.de/ausland/eu-w...

(S+) EU: Wie Ungarns Agenten in Brüssel Informanten anzuwerben versuchten

Ungarische Spione trieben wohl jahrelang ihr Unwesen in Brüssel. Recherchen zeigen erstmals, dass sie sogar EU-Beamte rekrutieren wollten.

www.spiegel.de

2 41 69

Katalin Halmai @eublogo.bsky.social · 4d

There is a certain sense of trepidation in Oslo over Trump’s potential retaliation with tariffs or other measures if he is not the winner on Friday

Donald Trump looms large over Nobel Peace Prize

US president pressures Norwegian government and independent committee to select him on Friday

on.ft.com

2 2 5

Reposted by Katalin Halmai

András Tóth-Czifra @minczifra.bsky.social · 5d

I still need to watch this myself, but the newest innovation from Orbán's workshop is a movie about the 1241-42 Mongolian invasion that killed almost half of Hungary's population, depicting Batu Khan as a peacenik converted by wise Hungarian leaders and a papal legate as a scheming Western traitor.

2 6 8

Katalin Halmai @eublogo.bsky.social · 5d

‼️Ilaria Salis' immunity is not waived, the EP has decided.

1 1

Katalin Halmai @eublogo.bsky.social · 5d

"What you see in France is, of course, what happens to a country when the extremes are fighting over each other, and there doesn't seem to be a center anymore. And without a center, you see what's happening to a country". @baseickhout.bsky.social is spot on about the situation in #France

1 3

Katalin Halmai @eublogo.bsky.social · 5d

The initiative, championed by the Czech Republic, is part of a fresh set of sanctions being drawn up by Brussels in response to Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine. The package requires unanimous support to be adopted. Hungary, the last country opposed to the measure, has dropped its veto

EU to curb Russian diplomats’ travel as suspected spy attacks mount

Intelligence agencies say sabotage operations are often led by spies posing as diplomats

on.ft.com

6 18

Katalin Halmai @eublogo.bsky.social · 6d

America is now one big bet on AI

It’s seen as the magic fix for every threat to the US economy

on.ft.com

Katalin Halmai @eublogo.bsky.social · 6d

☝️ The top 10% of earners account for half of consumer spending, the highest share on record
☝️ Outside of the AI plays, even European stock markets have been outperforming the US. So far in 2025, every major sector has fared better in the rest of the world than in the US 2/2

1 1

Katalin Halmai @eublogo.bsky.social · 6d

Mind-blowing figures:
☝️ The 100s of billions of dollars companies are investing in AI now account for an astonishing 40% share of US GDP growth this year
☝️ AI companies have accounted for 80% of the gains in US stocks so far in 2025
☝️ The wealthiest 10% of the population own 85% of US stocks 2/1

1 1

Katalin Halmai @eublogo.bsky.social · 6d

“You are the ones with strong ties to MAGA, so what are you doing for us now?” he said in the plenary debate on the motions of censure submitted by the far right and far-left groups against von der Leyen, politico.eu reports 2/2

Hpolitico.eu

1 4

Katalin Halmai @eublogo.bsky.social · 6d

“Where were you back then, Alice Weidel, Viktor Orbán, [Matteo] Salvini, when von der Leyen was fighting for farmers?” Manfred Weber, the EPP chief, called out the far-right group for criticizing the U.S. trade deal sealed by von der Leyen. 2/1

1 1 7

Reposted by Katalin Halmai

Lili Bayer @liliebayer.bsky.social · 6d

I travelled to Kyiv with European officials, where they highlighted the need for Ukraine to implement reforms while they work on overcoming Hungary’s opposition to Ukraine progressing on accession negotiations.

There are many challenges ahead. Story:

www.reuters.com/world/europe...

Ukraine's path to EU will be tough, with or without Hungarian hurdle

Senior European Union officials who visited Ukraine have delivered a stern message to Kyiv that it has a lot more to do to secure membership, while they work on overcoming Hungary's opposition to Ukrainian accession.

www.reuters.com

1 1 11

Katalin Halmai @eublogo.bsky.social · 6d

The mechanism was not invented for one country, although it was inspired by the example of Hungary. So my answer is no.

1 1

Katalin Halmai @eublogo.bsky.social · 6d

Sound familiar, Hungarians?

‘Enormous fear’: Trump’s threats against George Soros chill US non-profits

Civil society groups funded by billionaire’s charitable foundation feel vulnerable to administration’s attacks

www.ft.com

3 13

Katalin Halmai @eublogo.bsky.social · 7d

Donald Trump has nominated Benjamin Landa as US ambassador to Budapest. Landa is an influential Orthodox Jewish businessman in New York and a supporter of Roger Stone, Trump's former advisor, 444.hu reports

www.congress.gov

1

Katalin Halmai @eublogo.bsky.social · 8d

A small slip, but telling. It shows how even top European leaders can struggle with the complex legal tools the EU has developed to deal with democratic backsliding in member states like Hungary 2/2

1 6

Katalin Halmai @eublogo.bsky.social · 8d

Angela Merkel gave a rare interview to Hungary’s independent Partizan youtube channel during her recent Budapest visit. While careful with her words (as always), one moment stood out: she confused Article 7 proceedings with the EU’s conditionality mechanism 😲 2/1

1 5

Katalin Halmai @eublogo.bsky.social · 9d

“President Trump’s so-called proposed ‘compact’ is nothing short of a hostile takeover of America’s universities. It would impose strict government-mandated definitions of academic terms, erase diversity, & rip control away from campus leaders to install government-mandated conservative ideology.”

Trump administration demands universities sign up to ‘compact’ in return for funding

Critics say linking funds to adherence to the White House’s principles undermines academic freedom

www.ft.com

2 4

Katalin Halmai @eublogo.bsky.social · 11d

Orbán is mentioned in the article as one of Soros’ awardees.

1 1

Katalin Halmai @eublogo.bsky.social · 11d

The list of Soros’s awardees is broad. Scott Bessent, the US Treasury secretary, ran Soros’s hedge fund for many years. Soros was the anchor $2bn investor in Bessent’s own hedge fund in 2015. Bessent’s department would be involved in any financial action against the Open Society Foundations.

1 4

Katalin Halmai @eublogo.bsky.social · 11d

Soros is as close as the world’s strongmen get to a cross-border demon. Hundreds of human rights groups, investigative journalists, democracy advocates and other disobedient types have received Soros grants. No global philanthropist comes close to Soros’ $32 bn funding of such cases.

Why Trump is going for Soros

The philanthropist is as close as the world’s strongmen get to a cross-border demon

on.ft.com

4 3 9