Hungary has obstructed €50 billion ($55 billion; £43 billion) in EU assistance for Ukraine, mere hours after an agreement was reached to initiate membership talks. Following Thursday's discussions in Brussels, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban stated, "Summary of the nightshift: veto for the extra money to Ukraine." Although EU leaders indicated that aid negotiations would resume early next year, Ukraine, heavily reliant on EU and US funding in its struggle against Russian forces, faces critical financial challenges.
The UK government has announced a 6.6% increase in the TV licence fee, raising it from £159 to £169.50. The decision to use September's rate of inflation instead of an average over the past year resulted in a smaller increase than anticipated. The current fee has been frozen at £159 for the past two years. The government's decision to raise it by a smaller percentage is expected to leave a funding gap of around £90 million.
In Delhi, police have conducted searches at the residences of well-known journalists and authors as part of an inquiry into the financing of the news website NewsClick. The founder of NewsClick, Prabir Purkayastha, along with a colleague, has been arrested, and law enforcement officers have also confiscated laptops and mobile phones. The investigation revolves around allegations that NewsClick received illicit funding from China, a claim vehemently denied by the website. Critics argue that these actions represent a deliberate assault on press freedom.