The Hungarian capital city of Budapest is reeling from the worst flooding that has hit central Europe in at least two decades.
Record heavy rainfall and floods generated by Storm Boris have left a trail of destruction from Romania to Poland, spreading mud and debris, destroying bridges, submerging cars and leaving authorities with a bill for damages expected to run into billions of U.S. dollars.
Floodwaters continued to rise in Budapest on Friday, flooding streets around the parliament building. The city has closed Margaret Island, a recreational area with hotels and restaurants.
In a residential neighborhood north of the city center, rows after rows of homes remain inundated. There are about 5,000 people living in this area. Their streets have been turned into rivers.
Most of the people, however, say that they are not going to evacuate. Instead, they are going to pump water out of their basements and underground car drives, so that they can stay put for safety concerns.
They are calling on the authorities for help, complaining that they didn't get the resources that they need.
The Central European country has entered the most challenging phase of dealing with the current wave of flooding, Prime Minister Viktor Orban announced on Wednesday.
Response efforts are projected to last for around a week, with floodwaters expected to recede from the southern border to Serbia by next Thursday.
Budapest reels from Central Europe's worst flooding in two decades
A former television host from Taiwan, Zhai Xuan, has made a pivotal decision to leave mainstream broadcasting in order to create content that provides a better understanding of the Chinese mainland and cross-strait relations.
Zhai, a seasoned television host with over a decade of experience in Taiwan's media landscape, recently addressed an audience at an event in Beijing, where she revealed her complete transition into independent online media.
In her remarks, she articulated her aspiration to bridge what she perceives as a significant information gap between audiences on both sides of the Strait, highlighting her commitment to fostering a deeper understanding and connection through her new endeavors.
"I was really surprised by all the fake news. There were stories saying people on the mainland can't afford tea eggs or that they live in mud houses and in Taiwan, this was the main information many people received," said Zhai.
Zhai said she initially began producing online videos to challenge such perceptions while continuing her work as a television host.
In April 2025, she travelled to the mainland with her father to fulfill her late grandfather's wish to return to his hometown. The trip, which reunited family members separated since 1949, was recorded in a video series titled "Journey to Find Our Roots", drawing attention from viewers in both Taiwan and the mainland.
"Many people in Taiwan told me that after watching, they wanted to apply for a mainland travel permit immediately and go looking for their relatives. Some had long forgotten these things, but after seeing my story, they began thinking about their hometowns and family members they had never met and decided to search for their roots," Zhai shared her story at the event.
By mid-2025, Zhai said she began to feel increasing pressure amid rising political tensions and a tightening atmosphere around cross-Strait exchanges in Taiwan.
After more than 12 years in the industry, Zhai resigned from her position, believing it was the right thing to do.
"At that moment, I felt this was a major issue，not just for me, but for Chinese people on both sides of the Strait. If I backed down then, I wouldn’t be standing on the right side," said Zhai.
Since leaving television, Zhai has broadened her online programming to encompass a range of daily-life topics, including practical guidance on applying for a mainland travel permit and using commonly employed mobile applications, in addition to content that delves into historical memory and cultural connections across the Strait.
As the debate over cross-Strait relations continues in Taiwan, Zhai said she remains committed to her current path.
Former Taiwan TV host bridges cross-Strait divide via online media
