Ranked fourth in the world, Battai entered the competition directly in the main draw on Sunday as a seeded athlete. She comfortably defeated Anastassiya Gulik of Kazakhstan and Mariella Viale of Italy, before overcoming Maya Chamberlain of the United States and Alina Mikhaylova, competing under a neutral status, in much closer bouts.

In the semifinal, Battai faced Germany’s Larissa Eifler, against whom she had struggled in previous meetings. The match started poorly for the Hungarian fencer, who appeared hesitant in her attacks and struggled to find the right rhythm and distance. Although she scored the opening point, she quickly fell behind 8–1.

After the one-minute break, the 23-year-old from Debrecen completely changed her approach. She became more decisive and attacked far more aggressively, narrowing the gap to 11–10 and later 12–11. However, Eifler regained control in the closing stages and scored the final four touches to secure a 15–11 victory.

Battai, already a two-time team world champion and one-time team world bronze medallist, claimed her first individual World Championship medal. She also won an individual bronze medal at last year’s European Championships.

Her bronze is Hungary’s second medal at the World Championships in Hong Kong, following Dániel Dósa’s bronze in the men’s foil event on Saturday.

Before Battai’s achievement, the last Hungarian woman to win a bronze medal in the individual sabre event at the World Championships was Anna Márton in 2015.

Battai’s results

Round of 64

• Sugár Battai (Hungary) def. Anastassiya Gulik (Kazakhstan) 15–7

Round of 32

• Sugár Battai (Hungary) def. Mariella Viale (Italy) 15–7

Round of 16

• Sugár Battai (Hungary) def. Maya Chamberlain (USA) 15–13

Quarterfinal

• Sugár Battai (Hungary) def. Alina Mikhaylova (Neutral Athlete) 15–11

Semifinal

• Larissa Eifler (Germany) def. Sugár Battai (Hungary) 15–11

Final

• Larissa Eifler (Germany) def. Sara Balzer (France) 15–10

Source: MTI

According to the association’s president, Ibolya Tukoráné Kádár, just over 150 people in need—including elderly pensioners, homeless individuals, and large families—received a hot meal during the food distribution held at Petőfi Square in Debrecen.

The civil organization has been carrying out charitable work in Debrecen for 15 years. The association’s leader emphasized that throughout the past decade and a half, the organization has not received a single forint in funding from either the state or the local municipality. Its food distributions are financed entirely through its own efforts and donations from private individuals and local businesses, including Hajdúsági Sütödék Ltd. and Szováti Kemencés Bakery.

In its statement, the association stressed that, due to limited donations, it is still able to provide meals for only 150 people, despite growing demand. It also noted that previous attempts to initiate dialogue with city officials have gone unanswered.

School supply collection announced for August food distribution

The next food distribution will take place on Sunday, August 30, 2026, between 10:30 a.m. and 11:30 a.m. Due to limited capacity, numbered tickets will begin to be handed out at 9:00 a.m.

Ahead of the new school year, the association is launching a school supply donation campaign to support children from disadvantaged families. Donations will be accepted until August 27, including:

• New or good-condition used school bags and pencil cases;
• Stationery, art supplies, PE equipment, and hygiene kits;
• Devices suitable for digital learning, such as laptops, tablets, and desktop computers;
• Children’s and young adult books, including required school reading.

How to help

By phone: +36 30 9841 963

Financial donations (bank transfer):

Kéretlen Figyelem Debreceni Nők Közéleti Egyesülete

MagNet Bank: 61200261-11059802

Reference: School supply distribution 2026

During the operation, pipelines and equipment will be cleaned using high-pressure air supplied by the main compressor. Due to the nature of the process, residents in the surrounding area may experience higher-than-usual noise levels on the days when the work is carried out.

Company says the process is safe

EcoPro emphasized that only compressed air will be used during the cleaning process. No chemicals will be used or released, meaning the operation poses no environmental or health risks, and no harmful substances will be emitted into the air.

The company also noted that the affected unit is not yet in production and remains in the commissioning phase. The blow-out procedure is described as a standard and essential part of bringing the facility into operation.

According to EcoPro, the temporary increase in noise should not be considered representative of the plant’s normal operating noise levels once production begins.

The unit currently under development will eventually produce industrial oxygen and nitrogen. However, commercial production will only start after the current testing period and the full completion of the commissioning process.

The company said it had informed the relevant authorities in advance about the planned work and asked residents and affected organizations for their understanding and patience during the temporary inconvenience.

According to the minister, during the festival the number 1 tram will run every 15 minutes between Nagyerdő and Debrecen’s Main Railway Station, while night bus and train schedules will be adjusted accordingly to allow festival-goers to transfer conveniently.

The new night buses will depart in the early morning hours towards Hajdúböszörmény, Hajdúdorog, Hajdúnánás, Hajdúsámson, Nyíradony, Hajdúhadház, Téglás, Újfehértó, Vámospércs, Nyírmártonfalva, Nyíracsád, Nyírábrány, Hosszúpályi, Létavértes, Derecske and Berettyóújfalu.

In addition, night trains will also operate: services will depart towards Nyíregyháza at 1:38 a.m., while trains towards Hajdúszoboszló and Püspökladány will leave at 2:33 a.m. and 3:30 a.m.

Vitézy Dávid said the purpose of the additional services is to ensure that festival-goers do not have to rely solely on cars or taxis – often an expensive option – to get home, but can also choose a safe and convenient public transport alternative.

Detailed timetables are available in the MÁVPlusz application and on the MÁV Group’s official platforms.

In a message shared on social media, the artist apologized to fans:

“Sorry, Debrecen, but I can’t be there today. Unfortunately, I’ve been sick quite a lot lately. I managed to perform at my previous show with a 38°C fever, but now I’ve even lost my speaking voice.”

Following the cancellation, the festival organizers adjusted the schedule for the Metal-Sheet Beat Stage.

PIXA will now begin his performance earlier than originally planned and will play an extended set from 1:00 a.m. to 3:00 a.m., replacing Missh’s scheduled appearance.

Festival organizers have advised visitors to check the updated program for any further changes during the event.

The nationwide programme would allocate HUF 3,550 billion to the development of Hungary’s railway network. According to Zsolt Tárkányi, Debrecen could receive around 10% of the total funding.

New Debrecen Central Station

Under the plans, Debrecen’s Nagyállomás (Central Station) would be completely rebuilt. The project includes:

• a renovated station building,
• fully accessible pedestrian underpasses,
• a redesigned platform layout,
• the relocation of the Volán regional bus terminal,
• the redevelopment of Petőfi Square,
• and new retail and commercial units.

The project would also create an integrated tram-train connection between Debrecen International Airport and the city centre.

Tram-train network planned

The programme also envisions the creation of a tram-train network in Debrecen.

The first phase would see the reopening of the Nagykereki railway line (Line 106), which would be integrated with the city’s Tram Line 1.

A later phase would connect the Tiszalök–Hajdúnánás–Hajdúböszörmény railway line (Line 109) to the tram network, improving public transport for residents of the Józsa district.

As part of the project, Tram Line 1 would undergo a complete reconstruction, and new tram-train vehicles capable of operating on both railway and tram infrastructure would be purchased.

Railway modernisation

The announcement also includes the full modernisation of the Debrecen–Nyíregyháza and Debrecen–Mátészalka railway lines, with the latter to be electrified.

Two new railway stops would be built in Debrecen, serving the GÖCS industrial area and Fényesudvar.

Other planned projects include:

• the renovation of the Vágóhíd Street overpass,
• construction of a new railway underpass on Sámsoni Road,
• and a proposal for the European Union’s Recovery and Resilience Facility to finance the full cost of renovating and electrifying the Debrecen–Balmazújváros railway line.

New InterCity trains by 2029

According to the commitments announced, new double-decker, air-conditioned, low-floor InterCity trains would enter service by 2029 on the following routes:

• �ٱ�����𳦱��–B�ܻ岹������,
• �ٱ�����𳦱��–N��í���𲵲��á����,
• and Miskolc–Záhony.

In her post, Tompa said the Tisza Party would invest in transport infrastructure “instead of propaganda.” She noted that the projects form part of the party’s broader transport development programme.

Tárkányi added that his priority was ensuring that passengers come first in every development: making it possible to travel to more destinations without changing trains, reducing walking distances when transfers are necessary, and ensuring that the entire system is fully accessible.

The proposal has also attracted significant attention in the Hungarian Parliament.

Gábor Soóki-Tóth, head of analysis at Otthon Centrum, said rental prices in university cities—which are also major employment hubs—have been climbing steadily due to competition between students and workers for available apartments.

He expects rents in university cities to rise by a further 1–5% during the summer, before the market cools in October, when rents could decline by 2–4%.

In Budapest, monthly rents near university campuses currently range between HUF 205,000 and HUF 304,000. The cheapest area is District VII (HUF 205,000 per month), while District IX is the most expensive (HUF 304,000). Over the past five years, rental prices have increased by at least 50% across the capital, with some districts seeing rents double.

Outside Budapest, Debrecen stands out with an average monthly rent of around HUF 200,000, while average rents in Szeged and Pécs are approximately HUF 150,000.

According to András Pásztor, head of Fundamenta Ingatlan, demand for rental properties typically jumps by around 30% immediately after university admission scores are announced.

Molnár added that average apartment prices per square metre in university cities have nearly doubled over the past five years.

According to the MBH Index, the sharpest property price increase over the past decade occurred in Magdolna Quarter in Budapest, where prices rose more than fivefold between 2015 and 2025. Among the city’s central neighbourhoods, Palota Quarter (+312%) and Outer Erzsébetváros (+307%) recorded the strongest growth.

Property prices have also increased significantly in provincial university cities. Over the past year, prices rose by 28% in Pécs, nearly 20% in Miskolc, and 19% in Debrecen.

Based on transaction data compiled by the MBH Index, Debrecen has become the most expensive regional university city, with an average price of HUF 946,000 per square metre. In the other major university cities, average prices remain below HUF 900,000 per square metre. Miskolc remains the most affordable, with an average price of HUF 474,000 per square metre.

Rental demand weakens, but apartment rents remain high in Debrecen

Within Budapest, property prices exceeded HUF 1 million per square metre in every district last year, Molnár noted.

Flóra Horti, senior sector analyst at the MBH Analysis Centre, said Hungarian house prices have continued to grow at one of the fastest rates in Europe. Since 2015, residential property prices have quadrupled, compared with an average increase of just 65% across the European Union.

She added that, after several years of rapid growth, the market is expected to moderate. Nationwide residential property prices are forecast to increase by 8–13% in 2026.

As the market gradually normalises, housing construction is also accelerating. The supply of newly built homes in Budapest reached a 10-year high in the first quarter of 2026. Analysts expect 15,000 new homes to be completed this year and 20,000 next year.

Banking experts also forecast HUF 1.8 trillion in new Otthon Start home loans, equivalent to around 50,000 new loan agreements, representing annual lending growth of 25–28% across the sector.

However, the number of property transactions is expected to remain below last year’s 136,000, with the bank projecting between 118,000 and 125,000 transactions in 2026.

While last year’s market was driven largely by investor demand and the Otthon Start programme, experts say the current environment is more balanced.

On the question of whether it is better to rent or buy, András Pásztor argued that purchasing a home is clearly the better financial choice for anyone planning to stay in the same place for more than five years, while renting remains the better option for shorter periods.

With standard market-rate mortgages, the break-even point in Budapest is more than 10 years, meaning homeownership becomes more cost-effective than renting only after that period. In Hungary’s larger provincial cities, the timeframe is also close to 10 years, with the exception of Miskolc, where buying becomes more economical after about five years.

Molnár added that subsidised financing and the possibility of renting out part of the property could shorten this payback period to three to five years.

(MTI)

The company said the fire occurred in the operational area of one of its contracted partners, where construction materials were being stored. The blaze affected an area of approximately 20–30 square metres, with cables and wooden materials catching fire.

CATL’s on-site firefighting unit extinguished the flames and secured the area.

According to the company, no one was injured, and the fire did not affect the operation of the factory or pose a risk to nearby residents or homes. CATL also stated that the material damage was minor.

The company added that the cause of the fire is currently under investigation.

The latest incident comes after several safety-related events at the Debrecen battery plant in recent months, including reports of chemical leaks and other operational incidents. While CATL has consistently maintained that these events have not endangered the public, the repeated incidents continue to raise questions among local residents about safety measures and transparency at the facility.

Authorities and the company have not yet released further details about what caused Tuesday’s fire.

From 6:30 a.m. on Wednesday, July 22, until the works are completed (expected by 7:00 a.m. on Friday, July 24), the temporary Bem Square stop in the direction of Hadházi Road will be closed. During this period, buses 21 and 23 heading towards Nagyállomás and Júlia-telep, as well as 973 night buses travelling towards Széna Square and Nagyállomás, will not serve the stop. No alternative temporary stop will be provided.

On Thursday, July 23, from 6:30 a.m. until the works are completed (expected by 4:30 p.m.), the temporary Bem Square stop in the direction of Nádor Street will also be closed. During this time, buses 21 and 23 travelling towards the Western Industrial Park and Doberdó Street will not stop there. No replacement temporary stop can be established.

(DKV)