EU working on new guidelines to better protect children online
The European Union is working on new guidelines to protect children online. Lawmakers say the online safety of children is a top priority, but as William Denselow reports from Brussels, stricter guidelines could also worsen tensions with Silicon Valley and the US administration.
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CNA
2 hours ago
- CNA
Biggest-ever Budapest Pride defies Orban ban in Hungary
BUDAPEST: Record numbers of people marched in the Budapest Pride parade Saturday (Jun 28), defying a government ban that marked a major pushback against LGBTQ rights in the European Union. Organisers estimated up to 200,000 people took part in the 30th parade in the Hungarian capital, which was held in a festive atmosphere with rainbow flags flying high. Those numbers far exceed the previous record turnout of 35,000 people and came in spite of a police ban imposed by Prime Minister Viktor Orban's nationalist government. The governing coalition amended its laws and the constitution this year to prohibit the annual celebration, citing "child protection" to justify the years-long clampdown on LGBTQ rights. But the opposition-run Budapest city hall decided to co-host the march so it could go ahead. "I am proud to be gay and I am very scared that the government wants to bring us down," one participant, 66-year-old Zoltan, told AFP. "I am very surprised that there are so many people, I want to cry," he added. He declined to give his full name. "BIG EMBARRASSMENT" Orban said Friday that while police would not break up the Pride march, those who took part should be aware of "legal consequences". Parade organisers risk up to a year in prison, and attendees can face fines up to 500 euros ($590). The latest legal changes also empower the authorities to use facial-recognition technology to identify those taking part, and cameras had recently been installed on lamp posts along the parade route. Szabolcs Pek, lead analyst at research centre Iranytu Institute, said it would be difficult for Orban's Fidesz party to respond to the high turnout. "This is a big embarrassment for Fidesz," he told AFP. Hungarian government spokesman Zoltan Kovacs in a post on X after the march claimed the opposition staged the parade "at Brussels' command". "With Pride, the opposition incited against laws they don't like, mocked Hungary's sovereignty, and - with foreign backing - tried to force woke culture onto us," he wrote. The march began chaotically under a scorching sun. Marchers repeatedly had to pause to wait for police to stop traffic, according to AFP journalists at the scene. "I definitely wanted to come, if only to show my solidarity, and to show how important this issue is - not only to me, but to almost everyone living in Budapest," economics student Marcell Szanto, 22, told AFP. Dozens of European lawmakers also attended in defiance of the ban. "LOVE CAN'T BE BANNED" "Freedom and love can't be banned," read one huge poster put up near city hall, the gathering point for the march. Earlier this week, EU chief Ursula von der Leyen called on the Hungarian authorities to reverse the ban. Thirty-three nations, including most EU countries, have also released a statement in support of the march. Since Orban's return to power in 2010, the country of 9.6 million people has been steadily rolling back LGBTQ rights. It is the first EU nation to ban a Pride march, and Orban has said he has been emboldened by the anti-diversity push by US President Donald Trump. Some people also gathered along the route to protest LGBTQ rights, in demonstrations called by far-right groups, one of which featured a wooden cross adorned with protest messages. But opposition leader Peter Magyar said on Facebook that the government "scored not a goal, but a huge own goal with their attempt to ban today's event". Budapest mayor Gergely Karacsony in a post noting the big turnout thanked Orban "for advertising for a more tolerant society". One woman, who gave only her first name, Katalin, told AFP she agreed with the ban though she didn't want any clashes.
Straits Times
a day ago
- Straits Times
Greek migration minister resigns citing EU subsidy probe
ATHENS - Greek migration minister Makis Voridis resigned on Friday after being implicated in a European Union investigation into the misuse of subsidies to Greek farmers but he denied any wrongdoing. The EU earlier this month imposed a 392.2 million-euro ($460.3 million) fine on Greece over a major scandal involving the mismanagement of agricultural subsidies by a government agency between 2016 and 2022. "Because my status as a suspect of committing criminal acts is not consistent with my status as a member of the government and in order not to hinder the government's work, I submit to you my resignation," Voridis said in a letter to Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis. Mitsotakis accepted Voridis' resignation and a government spokesman said a replacement would be announced in the coming days. Another four government officials have also resigned, the spokesman said, without giving a reason for their decision. Greece's opposition Socialists said they would request the launch of a parliamentary investigation into Voridis' possible involvement in the subsidies scandal. Voridis served as agriculture minister from 2019 to 2021. European prosecutors recently charged dozens of Greek livestock farmers who received EU financial aid via the Greek government's payments agency OPEKEPE with making false declarations of ownership or leasing of pastureland. Last month Athens promised to overhaul OPEKEPE, which is in charge of paying out annual subsidies to farmers worth about 2.4 billion euros, by merging it with Greece's tax authorities, with international consultants assisting in the transition. The European Commission decided to reduce the farm subsidies Greece will receive in the coming years by 5%, reflecting its view that there has long been no proper supervision and operation of the subsidy management model. Greece had expected to receive about 1.9 billion euros in direct EU subsidies next year. REUTERS Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
CNA
a day ago
- CNA
EU leaders agree to renew sanctions against Russia for another six months
EU leaders have agreed to renew sanctions against Russia for another six months. The punitive measures include the freezing of more than €200 million in Russian central bank assets. The announcement comes as policymakers gathered in Brussels, days after NATO members promised to ramp up defence spending. William Denselow reports.
