EU Funding Reset: The European Commission has proposed unfreezing €4.2 billion in cohesion money for Hungary and reopening Erasmus+ and Horizon Europe access, citing rule-of-law and anti-corruption reforms by the Magyar government, with a final Council vote due soon. Carpathian Eight Row: Hungary’s PM Péter Magyar says Budapest never agreed to join Ukraine’s “Carpathian 8,” using a “village football team” analogy after Ukrainian FM Andriy Sybiha accused Hungary of blocking the initiative. Public Opinion Watch: A Medián poll for HVG puts Tisza at 54% support nationwide (64% among eligible voters), while Fidesz rises to 22%—a shift of 3 points each since July. Battery Industry Update: CATL has started trial production at its Debrecen battery cell plant, after earlier safety and licensing friction. Industrial Shock: Japan’s Nippon Paper will suspend operations at its Hungarian CMC plant in Vácrátót from Dec. 31, blaming weaker EV/battery demand and tougher competition. Budapest History Unearthed: A Wehrmacht motorcycle and remains of two German soldiers were recovered from the Danube in central Budapest after more than 80 years. Sports Diplomacy Fallout: Ireland’s Nations League build-up against Israel is still dominated by the “genocide” row, with the match in Debrecen, Hungary, now set amid calls for boycott.