Iran
Iran executes man accused of spying for Israel
Iran executed a man accused of spying for Israel, according to a report from state media on Wednesday that identified him as Babak Shahbazi.
Is Budapest set to resemble Dubai? Controversial megaproject sparks concerns
1 min Mena Today
The Hungarian government is poised to sign an agreement with the United Arab Emirates for the construction of an ambitious real estate complex in the capital, raising concerns from the city's mayor.
Budapest, the capital of Hungary © Mena Today
The Hungarian government is poised to sign an agreement with the United Arab Emirates for the construction of an ambitious real estate complex in the capital, raising concerns from the city's mayor.
The project aims to revamp a nearly abandoned railway station and its surroundings at a cost of €5 billion.
According to a document released late Thursday on the Hungarian government's website, authorities will sell the land, located not far from the city center, to a private entity selected by the UAE "without conducting a tender."
In return for this "major investment," Hungary commits to carrying out infrastructure work "amounting to at least €800 million."
The nationalist Prime Minister Viktor Orban continues his controversial endeavor of large-scale projects that alter the city's landscape, including its UNESCO-listed historic center.
In December, Construction Minister Janos Lazar defended the project, referring to it as "maxi-Dubai" in response to media headlines that called it "mini-Dubai."
He insisted that the result would not be mediocre and that it would be an "internationally acclaimed" project.
Related
Palestine
Japan won't recognise a Palestinian state given US ties, media report says
Japan will not recognise a Palestinian state for now, a decision likely taken to maintain relations with the United States and to avoid a hardening of Israel's attitude, the Asahi newspaper reported on Wednesday, citing unidentified government sources.
United Nations
Guterres’ moral bankruptcy exposed
UN Secretary-General António Guterres on Tuesday accused Israel of being “determined to go all the way” in its war in Gaza and unwilling to engage in “serious negotiations” toward a ceasefire. He went further, calling the situation in Gaza “morally, politically and legally intolerable.”
Subscribe to our newsletter
