Hungary

The National Economy Ministry said that "intensive negotiations" with EC experts to clarify issues had preceded the EC's endorsement of Hungary's national medium-term fiscal-structural plan.

Zoltán Kovács said the approach to the Trump White House would be founded on mutual respect, "something that is entirely lacking in Western European politics".

Budapest taxi drivers protested on Heroes' Square on Wednesday evening in favour of improved taxation. Meanwhile, the president of the National Taxi Association is focussing on negotiations with the government.

A grand prize of more than 300 million forints (730,000 euros) has gone unclaimed.

Smugglers tried to smuggle 400,000 tranquillisers and anti-epileptic drugs into Hungary in a lorry.

Two companies of recruits have started their basic training, most of whom want to become professional soldiers. This was announced by Defence Minister Kristóf Szalay-Bobrovniczky on Wednesday.

The first-instance court sentenced the captain of the Viking Sigyn, the cruise ship, to 5.5 years in prison. The Appeals Court ordered a retrial, saying the judge in the case was biased.

The result of this recent 14th survey shows that "there is national consensus as regards the [government's] economic neutrality policy," Balázs Hidvéghi said.

Bence Tuzson said the agreement was designed to raise the salaries of judges by an average 48 percent in the next three years, as well as to double the wages of clerical staff.

Gergely Gulyás said he trusted that "whoever is in power after Sunday's election in Burgenlad will see how important the missing link is for the Sopron region in Hungary as well as for Burgenland."