Budapest - There was more disruption to rail services in Hungary on Friday as a strike by the country's largest railworkers union entered its sixth day.

The Rail Workers' Free Trade Union (VDSZSZ) is demanding a one-off payment of 250,000 forints (1,356 dollars) to all MAV employees from the proceeds of the privatisation of MAV Cargo, the recently spun off freight wing of the loss-making state-owned rail firm.

It also wants a backdated, ten per cent pay rise for subcontracted workers.

Budapest - A nationwide strike by public sector workers in Hungary scheduled for January 12 has been averted after union and government representatives struck a compromise deal at 4 am on Friday following lengthy negotiations.

Twenty unions have signed a deal over "thirteenth month" bonuses, state secretary for employment Gabor Csizmar announced on morning television on Friday.

"On the basis of this agreement, the overwhelming majority of unions have agreed to call off the January 12 strike," said Laszlo Varga, head of the union forum involved in the negotiations.

All Hungarian public sector workers traditionally receive an extra payment equivalent to one full month's pay at the end of the year.

Budapest - Hungarian police said Thursday that French authorities have sent two officers and equipment to help search for a 22-year-old French student who disappeared two weeks ago after leaving a city centre bar to walk home alone in the early hours.

Hungarian police assigned a seven-strong team of detectives to interview over 100 possible witnesses and review footage from surveillance cameras to reconstruct Ophelie Bretnacher's last known movements.

However, they have found no trace of the young French woman, who came to Hungary in September as an exchange student.

Budapest - A strike that has crippled Hungary's rail network since since will continue indefinitely, the leader of the country's largest rail union, Istvan Gasko, said on Wednesday after the latest meeting with representatives of Hungarian State Railways (MAV).

For the fourth day in a row, railway stations across Hungary were largely deserted on Thursday morning as the Railway Workers' Free Trade Union (VDSZSZ) continued a strike that began on Sunday.

Budapest - Budapest's Ferihegy International Airport was running almost normally on Wednesday, as management and unions resumed talks following a week of damaging industrial action.

"The traffic situation at the airport has improved significantly, although for now terminal 2B is the only one handling passengers, which it is doing without any big delays," said Domokos Szollar, spokesman for the airport operator Budapest Airport (BA).

Budapest - While the Hungarian government welcomed a Tuesday court ruling that a controversial far-right nationalist paramilitary group must disband, the organization itself vowed to continue.

The Hungarian Democratic Charter, a group set up this year on the initiative of Prime Minister Ferenc Gyurcsany in reaction to the rising profile of the extreme right and frequent violent demonstrations, said in a statement that it was "relieved" by the verdict against the Hungarian Guard.