Candles lit for the victims of a shooting at a school in Vantaa, Finland, in 2024. Archive photo. Photo: Roni Rekomaa/Lehtikuva/AP/TT
The most murders in the EU per million inhabitants occur in the Baltic countries and Finland, according to statistics from Eurostat.
The number of “intentional homicides” in the EU amounted to 3,953 in 2024. This is 8.8 per million inhabitants and a decrease of eleven percent compared to 2014.
The highest number of cases occurred in France with 882. In proportion to the population, the Baltic countries still stand out with 18 (Estonia), 24 (Latvia) and 26 (Lithuania) cases of fatal violence per million inhabitants and year in 2024. Finland was also high with 17 deaths per million – a total of 100 – followed by 14 in Belgium and 13 in France.
Sweden landed almost exactly at the EU average with 8.7 cases of fatal violence per million inhabitants in 2024 – a total of 92.
US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth at a press briefing at the Pentagon last week. Photo: Kevin Wolf/AP/TT
For the first time since the start of the Iran war, US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth will be questioned in the House of Representatives Defense Committee.
The topic is next year's defense budget, but Hegseth will not be able to dodge questions about the war.
During the appearance together with Defense Chief Dan Caine, Hegseth is expected to argue that the US needs more drones, missiles, defense systems and warships - and thereby justify the record-high proposed defense budget of 1,500 billion dollars, writes AP. It is 44 percent higher than this year's - which was also a record high.
The hearing comes just days before the Iran war reaches the 60-day deadline for Congress to authorize military action. The Iran war has drawn strong opposition, primarily from Democrats, but has also been questioned by members of President Donald Trump's own Republican party.
Orbán's inner circle reportedly flying out wealth in private jets
Viktor Orbán lost the election in Hungary – and now his inner circle is
reportedly sending their assets abroad. Photo: Petr David Josek/AP
Viktor Orbán is accused of having made his inner circle rich during his time in power.
Now the assets are being sent abroad in a panic, sources tell The Guardian.
"Don't let them escape," says the newly elected Prime Minister Péter Magyar.
Jubilation and celebration erupted on the streets of Hungary after Magyars and the Tisza party won the election earlier in April.
Among Viktor Orbán's inner circle, the feelings were different.
During his 16 years in power, he has been accused of corruption and abuse of power. One example highlighted is Orbán’s close friend Lőrinc Mészáros – who went from gas fitter to Hungary’s richest man.
His family is one of many with connections to Orbán who are expected to leave the country after Fidesz’s election loss, writes The Guardian.
“Oligarch families have already left”
The newspaper also writes that private jets have been operating shuttle services in recent weeks.
“I have also been informed that several oligarch families have already left the country,” writes Péter Magyar in a post on social media.
Sources with insight into Orbán’s Fidesz tell The Guardian that at least three people have already started moving their assets abroad. The wealth is being moved to countries in the Middle East, including Saudi Arabia, Oman and the United Arab Emirates. Others are said to have set their sights on Australia and Singapore, according to two sources.
“Oligarchs with ties to Orbán are transferring tens of billions to the United Arab Emirates, the United States, Uruguay and other distant countries,” writes Magyar.
“Betrayed, indebted and ruined”
He calls on the prosecutor general, the police chief and the head of the tax authority to “arrest the criminals” and not let them get away or flee to countries that do not have extradition treaties with Hungary.
Magyar has repeatedly stressed that his government will fight to dismantle the nepotism and systematic corruption that he claims has occurred during Orbán’s time in power. Something that has in turn made Hungary “one of the poorest countries in Europe.”
“Our country has no time to lose. Hungary is in trouble in every respect. It has been plundered, robbed, betrayed, indebted and ruined,” he said after the election.
