Latest news with #HungerGames
Euronews
21 hours ago
- Business
- Euronews
Will the EU budget turn cohesion policy into regional 'Hunger Games'?
The EU's proposed budget for 2028 until 2034 runs the risk of turning its cohesion policy into a competition for funding, as it would merge it with other major spending areas. There are now concerns over reduced local control and lack of support for disadvantaged regions. For decades, cohesion funds have helped reduce regional disparities across the EU, supporting everything from road construction and hospital upgrades to unemployment, training programmes and green initiatives. As one of the EU's most tangible policy tools, cohesion funding has delivered visible results in citizens' daily lives — but that may be about to change. This week, the European Commission unveiled its proposed EU long-term budget — the Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF) for 2028–2034 — which could fundamentally reshape how cohesion policy works, while also potentially marking the end of the system as we know it. Under the new proposal, cohesion policy would be absorbed into a single mega-fund, combining it with other major spending areas such as agriculture, rural development, migration and border control. The stated aim? Simplification. But critics warn this approach could ignite intense competition among regions, sectors and interest groups. 'Putting agriculture, migration, border control, and cohesion policy into one container will turn it into a 'Hunger Games',' said Kata Tüttő, President of the European Committee of the Regions, in an interview with Euronews. She warned that the new structure risks pitting farmers against city mayors, and those in need of agricultural support with those seeking unemployment support, for example. Fears of fragmentation and lost priorities Out of the total proposed €2 trillion budget, €865 billion would be allocated to this consolidated fund, which merges long-standing programs like the EU's Common Agricultural Policy, cohesion funds (accounting for two-thirds of the current EU budget) and the European Social Fund, which supports employment and education. The competition between different lines in the single fund has raised alarm bells among regional leaders, who fear cohesion funding may be deprioritised in the budget negotiations. According to the Commission, €450 billion of the merged fund would still go toward regional development, fisheries and rural areas. Additionally, the proposal includes a minimum allocation of €218 billion specifically earmarked for less developed regions, one of the three traditional pillars of cohesion funding — with the others being developing and developed regions. While this minimum allocation offers a safeguard for the EU's most disadvantaged areas, the remaining categories could face fluctuating support, as they are not ringfenced under the new plan. Centralisation vs. local engagement Beyond the battle for funding, critics have also voiced concerns regarding governance. The proposed delivery model marks a shift away from the EU's tradition of shared management with local and regional authorities. Tüttő sees the move as a clear case of centralisation: 'We will be kicked out from the design, the management and the creation parts of the policy. We will just become implementers, fighting for money,' she said. With many aspects of the proposal still unclear, the coming months will be critical. Local governments across the EU are calling for more involvement in the process — and potentially a rethinking of the proposal before the budget is finalised. 'This is a proposal from the European Commission — it is not the final step, but a starting point,' said Raffaele Fitto, Executive Vice-President for cohesion, while presenting the budget. He added, however, that the EU budget needs more flexibility to respond to evolving challenges.
Daily Mail
a day ago
- Business
- Daily Mail
Househunter compares renting in London to 'the Hunger Games' after revealing bizarre list of 'tips' for tenants from letting agent
A woman revealed the bizarre email she received from an estate agent while looking for a flat - as she compared the London rental market to the 'Hunger Games'. Taking to TikTok, Harriet shared the message a friend got after doing viewings in the capital, which included a series of baffling 'tips' on how to get the landlord to accept an offer - such as paying a year's worth of fees upfront or pledging to increase the price each year. She hit out at the 'out of control' demands being placed on tenants, in a clip that has now racked up more than 288,000 views. The letter also stated they would need a 'bio' about each of the housemates and encouraged offering 'above the asking price'. 'Do you think I would be viewing a flat at this price if I could afford a flat over,' she quipped in the video. 'Anyway, moving along, "long contract length". Fine. Okay, whatever. Both things actually aren't really going to matter once the renters' right bill comes in.' Harriet was then appalled by the third piece of advice, which was to 'stick to the moving date or sooner'. 'Right. So, do you want me to stick to the moving date, or do you want an earlier one?' she questioned. 'Because if you wanted an earlier moving date, why didn't you just put an earlier moving date? I don't really understand this.' She continued: 'This one really got me paying up front from three to six to 12 months if possible. Oh, yes, sorry. Let me just get this £27,000 that sitting in my bank account and give it to you up front for a rental. 'Why didn't I think of that sooner? Oh, my goodness. I'm so glad you gave me these tips and tricks because now, I just feel like I'm going to get every flat I've ever wanted. F***ing idiots. The fifth was to 'offer a rent increase each year if possible'. 'Again, where is this money coming from?' Harriet questioned. 'Rent increase, absolutely fine,' she added. 'I'm not going to offer that. Why the f*** would I offer a rent increase? Landlords grab it from us already. I don't need to be offering that sh**.' She continued: 'These tips were hilarious on their own, but let's carry on. Lastly, "if your offer would be accepted, we will contact you first to give you the good news and then take the holding deposit, which is equivalent to first week's rent". 'First week's rent. Fine. Standard. You're ready for the Ending.' The email concluded: 'Thanks and good luck.' 'Is this The Hunger Games?' Harriet asked, referencing the dystopian fantasy novel series which sees poor people forced to kill each other in an arena for the wealthy to be entertained. 'I mean; to be honest, the rental market does feel quite like The Hunger Games, but this whole thing really made me laugh. 'And I just thought, this person has typed out or copied and pasted or got this email from somewhere and thought, these renters are going to love all of this. 'These tips and tricks are going to be exceptional. They're going to take all of them on board. It's just really made me laugh. God bless estate agents and the rental market in London.' Many rushed to the comments suggesting the 'tips' were 'appalling', with some saying it is 'gangster behaviour'. One person wrote: 'Who in their right SANE mind would OFFER a rent increase?!?!???' 'Estate agents are responsible for all the problems with house prices, price gauging, pitching people against each other,' another added. 'It's all gangster behaviour and seems unregulated.' A third penned: 'Literally if I had 27k I'd get a mortgage.' Many rushed to the comments suggesting the 'tips' were 'appalling', with some saying it is 'gangster behaviour' Elsewhere someone joked: 'They left off point 7 which is actually to kneel at a landlords' feet to kiss them, whilst throwing around £50 notes (which you may not keep).' Meanwhile some estate agents took to the comments to try and explain some of the 'tips'. 'It's obviously not the agents, it's the rental market,' one defended. 'Agents are only the messengers, if landlords weren't selling up there wouldn't be this level of demand.' Another suggested: 'As an estate agent most of the time we are actually instructed by our clients on what to say, sometimes we don't always agree but we must act on the clients' instructions! 'In my opinion I think this email is managing the viewers expectations and making sure that no one's time is wasted on both parties' side. Just remember it's not always the agent's fault!' 'In defence of the estate agent here, they're actually doing what many renters wish agents did: giving fair warning about existing interest before a viewing,' another advised. 'It might not be what you want to hear, but at least you know the situation upfront. 'Agents often get backlash when people view a flat and are later told their offer was too low in a competitive market. This heads that off. 'Yes, the spelling errors are a fair criticism, especially if it's a professional template. But a lot of these roles are filled by younger or less-experienced staff. You ask, "would I be viewing a flat at this price if I could afford more?" 'But yes, people often do. Some are downsizing, relocating, or going through breakups, they might have savings or sale proceeds and want to rent short-term rather than buy. 'As for the request to "offer more if possible" that's not a demand. If it's not possible, don't. But if someone else can and does, at least you know why they got it. Even the "good luck" sign-off, I think that's just human. 'There might be several viewings lined up. Would you rather they wrote "regards" instead? I know plenty of renters who complain when they lose out and say, "I would've offered more if I'd known" but this agent's giving you that chance in advance?' The Renters' Rights Bill is expected to come into effect from Autumn 2025. The bill proposes significant changes to the private rented sector in England, aiming to improve security and fairness for tenants. Key changes include ending 'no-fault' evictions (Section 21), strengthening tenants' rights, and improving property standards. The bill also seeks to ban rental bidding wars, introduce a landlord ombudsman, and create a private rented sector database.
New York Post
a day ago
- Business
- New York Post
Dallas laps New York City in the housing race — fueling the Texas boom
A straightforward description of New York City's affordable-housing lottery system sounds like one of Ronald Reagan's Soviet jokes. The program, which distributes below-market housing to randomly selected New Yorkers, received almost 6 million applications last year for just 10,000 available units — a process so unlikely to yield an apartment that it seems more like a Powerball drawing than a real policy. While New York's bureaucracy administers the housing Hunger Games, Dallas's skyline is dotted with cranes. Advertisement Amid a surge in jobs and residents, Dallas has kept rents affordable and quietly cemented its status as a premier destination for ambitious Americans. The contrast could not be starker — or more instructive. With greater Dallas on track to surpass the tristate area in economic might by the turn of the century, it's up to Gotham to deregulate its housing market if it wants to remain the nation's leading city. Advertisement New York's affordable-housing lottery is overseen by the Department of Housing Preservation and Development. It's one among numerous dubious initiatives to combat Gotham's cost-of-living crisis. Most of the lottery's 'affordable' units require that applicants earn incomes well above those of the working class. Only the most lucky and persistent applicants ever win, and while their prize often includes a luxury tower with commendable amenities, rents — which start at $2,490 — still consume a large chunk of their paychecks. Advertisement The lottery is a symptom of Gotham's failure to build new housing. The city's zoning laws, environmental reviews and endless layers of bureaucracy have made new construction difficult. Developers must navigate a maze of restrictions, community board approvals and political horse-trading just to break ground. The city, which already had a chronic housing shortage, effectively rations the remaining units to the ultra-wealthy or ultra-lucky. Advertisement By contrast, Greater Dallas, including neighboring Fort Worth, is booming. The region's pro-growth and pro-housing policies have it on track to be the only US metropolitan area to house two cities with populations over 1 million in the next five years. New York apologists will claim that Gotham, with its density and history, could never replicate Dallas' model. New York's obstacle, however, is not geography but political will. States and cities with the most restrictive zoning and land-use rules also have the highest housing prices, while those that embrace deregulation see greater affordability and economic growth. New York City's leaders would rather be powerful in a broken system than incidental in an effective one. Embracing lessons from cities like Dallas is essential if New York wants to remain America's economic engine. Advertisement For Gotham, that means abolishing exclusionary zoning, slashing permitting timelines and letting the market do what it does best: build. Radical deregulation is not a panacea, but it is the only path to restoring affordability and opportunity in New York's housing market. Without it, the city risks becoming a museum — a collection of neat galleries, manicured universities, compelling theaters and world-class restaurants, preserved for the wealthy but abandoned by the ambitious. Wealthy New Yorkers who consider that vision appealing should note the fate of world-leading cities that abandon dynamism. Advertisement Take Vienna: Tourists can visit the Austrian capital to see Freud's bust, hear Mozart at the Opera House and enjoy the world's best strudel. But the city merely reruns the hits of a century past, while larger, faster-growing European cities provide the continent with innovations in ideas, music, art and food. Dallas is striving to supplant New York, and it's attracting the kinds of companies, families and innovators who once flocked to Gotham. Between 2021 and 2022, the Dallas-Fort Worth region added more residents than any other US metro, along with 265 relocated or expanded businesses. Advertisement While Dallas' residential population grew 5.7% from 2020 to 2023, New York's fell by 2.5%. One analysis predicts that Dallas-Fort Worth will 'eclipse New York City as the biggest metro area by the year 2100.' Gotham has always prided itself on being a city where anyone with grit and determination can succeed. Advertisement But that promise is fading, as the housing lottery illustrates. It's time to stop gambling with the city's future and start preparing New York for another world-leading century. Tim Rosenberger is a Legal Policy Fellow at The Manhattan Institute, where Vilda Westh Blanc is a Collegiate Associate. From City Journal.
Irish Independent
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Irish Independent
Chloë finds a hobby: I scream with delight as an arrow hits the target, but I'm no Katniss Everdeen
Picking up a bow allowed Chloë McPolin to live out her Hunger Games fantasy, but she soon found that archery is not ideal as a solo activity Recently, I haven't really indulged in many outdoor pursuits in my quest to find a hobby – which is interesting, considering we're in the depths of summer. It wasn't until recently when my housemates and I watched every Hunger Games film known to man that I saw Katniss Everdeen looking effortlessly suave with her bow and arrow, shooting down rivals and prey. It reminded me that I hadn't yet given archery a go. While it may often be written off as just another stag-do activity, I couldn't shake the image of myself with a bow and arrow. The idea appealed not only to my new interest in the Hunger Games but also to my long-standing aspiration to cosplay as an aristocrat.
Geek Vibes Nation
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- Geek Vibes Nation
'Squid Game' Season 3 Review: A Short, Bitter Farewell To A Pop Culture Giant
When Squid Game first premiered in 2021, it took over the internet. While the idea of the show wasn't anything unique – movies like Battle Royale and the Hunger Games franchise have similar concepts – it succeeded in its delivery in a way other stories hadn't. You couldn't go to a single convention or Halloween party that year without seeing green tracksuits and masked guards. Even Mr. Beast got on the trend! Squid Game' Season 3 is a brief, emotional finale that closes the chapter on one of the biggest pop culture sensations of the decade. At just six episodes, Season 3 is noticeably shorter than its predecessors—Season 1 ran nine episodes, and Season 2 spanned seven. Creator Hwang Dong-hyuk previously stated that these episodes were supposed to be one season, but were split into a 2nd and 3rd season due to the episode count (source). This is why season 3 really doesn't feel like season 3 – it takes place literally right after season 2. And because there's only 6 episodes, it feels like there was a lot that wasn't fleshed out, or moments that weren't given room to breathe. Despite its narrative shortcomings, the cast once again delivers outstanding work. Lee Jung-jae returns as Gi-hun, bringing a raw, haunted intensity that makes his tragic arc land even when the writing stumbles. Newer players like Park Sung-hoon and Jo Yu-ri shine in morally gray roles, illustrating how quickly compassion erodes in the face of survival. Well, you should have ended it at season 1. Just like Netflix's Queen's Gambit, season one of Squid Game was perfect and could have lived as a singular season. It told the story it needed to and it ended wonderfully – adding Gi-hun at the airport at the end was certainly not necessary, but even if that scene remained, you could have left the rest to the viewer's imagination. Season one forced viewers to reconsider the cost of economic disparity and the twisted games the system plays on ordinary people. Season 3 simply felt like the very greed and capitalism that season 1 criticized. It shouldn't be understand how season three does dilute this brilliant masterpiece. Granted, season 2 was enjoyable and at that point, you needed more to really tie things up. In my season two review, I praised the second season for complimenting the intensity of season 1. It's something I stand by today. However, after looking at season 3 and how it ends, especially with what it promises; I'm left wishing it ended with season 1. Gi-hun's arc concludes in a moment of grim self-sacrifice, destroying the game from within rather than surviving it one more time. It's a harrowing end that speaks to the show's inherent cynicism—a worldview that insists some systems are too corrupt to fix from the inside. But Netflix is not quite done. As mentioned earlier, it looks like the show is going for the MCU effect in building up their world – something that it feels like their show is criticizing. It's been teased in the past that we're getting an American version, but I also didn't believe it until Cate Blanchett showed up. Do we really need this? Oh, Hollywood, how you never fail to absolutely squeeze every last drop you can out of a previously perfectly devised story. This review has felt more negative than originally intended. In the end, Squid Game is a great show. Personally, I love this show, and we cannot deny the cultural significance that season one had. Gi-hun is the standout in season three and it should be applauded that the show really leans into darker themes this season, and in the end, is bold in where they took Gi-hun's story. And while we don't know if the American version will hit the same way as the South Korean version (guarantee it won't), we'll still look upon the work the writers and actors did in bringing us Squid Game, and I don't think anyone will look at any of these beloved childhood games the same way again.
