George Soros, the billionaire investor and philanthropist, is giving $100m (€72m, £61m) to central and eastern Europe to counter the impact of the economic crisis on the poor, voluntary groups and non-government organisations. The Hungarian-born businessman, who has given more than $3bn to the region since the fall of communism, disclosed the planned gift in an interview with the FT in which he urged the European Union to boost its aid for the region to finance increased welfare spending and tackle rising political extremism.
Stefan Wagstyl, Warsaw
