Free Republic

Péter Magyar, the Hungarian politician most likely to defeat Viktor Orbán, promises “regime change” but signals continuity on several core policies. The European Union should manage expectations and prepare for a more complex relationship than a simple post-Orbán reset. With less than two months to go before Hungary’s 12 April elections, the Tisza party led by Péter Magyar is polling ahead of Orban’s Fidesz. For the first time since 2010, a change of government appears genuinely possible. The stakes are high. A fifth consecutive term for Orbán would further entrench what the European Parliament has described as a “hybrid regime...

The Netherlands on Wednesday took a startling turn in national elections with the potential to ripple through Europe, as Dutch voters threw most support behind the party of a far-right icon with an incendiary reputation who had campaigned on an anti-immigrant platform. Geert Wilders, a political provocateur long known for his anti-Islam and anti-Europe stances, appeared poised to come out significantly ahead with the most parliamentary seats, according to some early results and exit polls, which were expected to be dependable, especially given the margin of victory they indicated. “The Dutch voter has spoken,” Mr. Wilders said in a speech...

Transgender cyclist Austin Killips wins Stage 5 Gila Monster to take home the overall victory at Tour of the Gila In what has been described as a "Lia Thomas moment" for cycling, Austin Killips, a 27-year-old transgender rider, has won first prize for women at the Tour of the Gila, the premier road race in New Mexico. It marked the most significant result yet for Killips, a trans-identifying biological male from Chicago, who also won a medal in women's cyclocross at the US National Championships and who is now tipped to challenge for a place at the Tour de France...

A 24-year-old former substitute teacher from Iowa who was arrested in July after admitting to a sexual relationship with a 17-year-old student says he had swept her off her feet with love notes scribbled on Post-Its. Mary Beth Haglin, of Cedar Rapids, has been charged with misdemeanor sexual exploitation by a school employee in connection to her six-month tryst with a male student at Washington High School. On Wednesday, Haglin pleaded not guilty to the charge in writing, and her trial date has been set for November 14. If convicted, she could face up to two years in prison and...