HUNGARY: The opposition E14-PM alliance said yesterday that it will ask the European Union to step up oversight after Prime Minister Viktor Orban said he wanted to turn the country from a liberal democracy into an “illiberal state.”

Alliance co-chairman Viktor Szigetvari said that the group wanted to draw the attention of the European Commission to the “constantly deteriorating quality of Hungarian democracy,” especially concerning press freedoms and non-governmental groups.

SPAIN: Former leader of the country’s Catalonia region Jordi Pujol has given up his title as honorary regional president, along with lifetime government perks, after admitting he hid money abroad for three decades.

Mr Pujol founded Catalonia’s Convergence and Union political alliance that governs the region and was the region’s president from 1980 to 2003.

The decisions were announced yesterday by Catalonia regional President Artur Mas, Mr Pujol’s hand-picked successor.

SYRIA: The European Union said yesterday that it is increasing its aid by €175 million (£140m) to help those most affected by the fighting and to assist neighbouring countries to cope with an influx of refugees.

The EU decided to increase humanitarian assistance by €50m (£40m) to €150m (£120m) for 2014.

Governments also decided to increase development aid to Syria’s neighbours by €125m (£100m) to €200m (£160m) to help to address “the unprecedented flow of refugees.”

ROMANIA: Authorities evacuated hundreds of people from south-west Romania yesterday after surging floodwaters submerged villages during one of the country’s wettest summers in years.

The government sent three helicopters to the stricken area in the foothills of the Parang mountains.

Novaci deputy mayor Ion Mantra said 500 people had been evacuated from three villages and some 75 houses were cut off by floods after the River Gilort burst its banks.

PHILIPPINES: Maoist guerrillas yesterday freed four police officers abducted from a station three weeks ago.

The New People’s Army rebels released the officers before dawn in a remote village in Kitcharao town in Agusan del Norte, where a five-day ceasefire had been declared to avoid clashes.

The Maoist rebels, disguised as army soldiers, abducted the four on July 10 from a police station in Surigao del Norte province, also in the south.

MOROCCO: The International Monetary Fund has announced a new, two-year $5 billion (£3bn) credit line to support “reform” efforts.

It follows a two-year credit agreement approved in 2012.

An IMF statement released late on Monday described Morocco’s economic fundamentals as “sound” with solid performance despite external challenges.

Following growth of 4.4 per cent in 2013, the economy is projected to grow by only 2.5 per cent this year.

AFGHANISTAN: A cousin and close associate of outgoing President Hamid Karzai was assassinated yesterday by a suicide bomber who hid his explosives under his turban.

The bomber walked up to the home of Hashmat Khalil Karzai to greet him after morning prayers for the Eid al-Fitr holiday, and detonated the explosives after shaking hands with the president’s cousin.

POLAND: The European Union antitrust authority yesterday approved the government’s €200 million (£160m) bailout for ailing national carrier LOT airlines.

The European Commission said the assistance did not violate EU rules limiting state aid to businesses since it will “allow the company to become viable in the long term without unduly distorting competition.”