Category archives for: Latest News

East Europe takes to too many cars

Quality of life in Eastern European cities will continue to fall unless outdated systems of city life dominated by cars are abandoned, NGOs in the region say. At a meeting in Prague last week environmental groups from countries from the Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland and Slovakia said city authorities were failing to address growing traffic [...]

Prominent figures sentenced in child sex ring scandal

LISBON, Sep 4, 2010 A trial that dragged on for six years amidst public outrage ended Friday in Portugal with the unexpected sentencing of prominent personalities, found guilty in a child sex abuse scandal that shook the nation. The sex ring scandal involving the Casa Pía state-run children’s home in Lisbon broke in late 2002, [...]

Hungarian TV broadcasts Rigoletto – live from Mantova

On Sept 4-5, today and tomorrow evening, Duna Television broadcasts the opera Rigoletto live from Mantova, with director Marco Bellocchio and conductor Zubin Mehta. Placido Domingo sings the title-role, while Gilda’s role features Julia Novikova, who claimed victory and a public award at the Operalia song competition, which was organized in Budapest and Pecs. The [...]

Socialists revamp communication

The Hungarian Socialist Party (MSzP) on Thursday announced its new communication officers former TV presenter Kata Kormos (pictured left) and former MP Zsolt Torok. Kormos said she believes in the party’s revival and that she intends to explain the socialist stance on people’s everyday problems, on a personal level. “Hungarians are confused about what’s going [...]

Agricultural Minister pushes for land moratorium

Hungarian Agricultural Minister Sandor Fazekas (pictured) on Wednesday announced that the Government has filed an appeal at the European Commission, to extend the moratorium on the acquisition of crop land for foreign nationals in Hungary to April 30, 2014. Fazekas said the move is due to the weakening position of Hungarian farmers, who were left [...]

Dalai Lama coming to Hungary

For the first time in more than a decade, the Dalai Lama, the Buddhist leader of religious officials of the Gelug or “Yellow Hat” branch of Tibetan Buddhism is scheduled to visit Hungary on Sept 18-19. Tickets for his lecture are already sold out, according to reports, as it has sparked international interest due to [...]

10 children die in railroad crossing

The taxi driver of a mini-bus taxi has appeared in a South African court where he faces charges of culpable homocide. The driver a week ago crossed the solid line of a railway crossing, skipping the security booms at a level crossing, before his mini-bus was hit by an oncoming train. Reports said that 10 [...]

Mortgage vice tightens

As the Orban Government implements its new economic policy allegedly focusing on the middle class, mortgage owners on Tuesday awoke in Hungary to a skyrocketing Swiss Franc, which could cause monthly payments for many to rise through the roof. Setting an all-time record on Tuesday morning, one Swiss Franc rose to 221.70 HUF, which analysts [...]

Six dead in Pozsony – Bratislava shooting

BUDAPEST – Six were killed and 13 injured in a Bratislava (formerly Hungarian Pozsony -ed) in a street shooting on Monday morning, according to Bratislava Ambulance officials, InfoRadio reported. The attacker, a 15-year-old drug addict according to locals, committed suicide. The victims, including a 3-year-old boy, have been taken to Bratislava Hospital, ambulance spokesperson Dominika [...]

Orban: IMF agreement should avoid policy

Speaking at the annual Ambassadors’ Summit on Monday in Budapest, PM Viktor Orban said that national unity has arrived in Hungary in 2010. For the diplomatic sphere, this means that the nation has regained its voice on the international stage, he added. Orban claimed that his Government has restored the rule of law in Hungary, [...]

City Council holds Demszky farewell session

With the upcoming Municipal Elections to be held without Budapest’s Gabor Demszky due to his withdrawal, caucus leaders delivered goodbye speeches thanking the outgoing politician for his his alleged work, at the City Council’s Thursday meeting. Fidesz leader Istvan Gyorgy said that criticizing Demszky is “not appropriate” at such a meeting, but added that his [...]

Budapest Airport holds photo contest

Budapet Airport’s recent photo completion, which included more than 280 participants, celebrated the institution’s 60th birthday.

Hungarian killed in Afghanistan

A Hungarian officer serving in Baghlan province was killed in a convoy attack on Monday, the Defense Ministry told Hungarian News Wire MTI. Two others sustained severe injuries in the conflict.

Tax agency to acquire wire-tapping rights?

The Hungarian Tax Agency (APEH), could gain the power to eavesdrop on citizens as the Government recently initiated its merger with the Hungarian Customs and Finance Guard (VPOP), an organization with the jurisdiction to carry out police-style investigations. The merger, overseen by recently appointed APEH President Ildiko Vida, has left security experts worried about excessive [...]

Bank for underprivileged

Reports claim that less than 70% of the population in Hungary have savings of any kind. One of the reasons is that there is a growing number of people living beneath the bread-line. Three brainy Hungarian bankers are said to have devised a scheme (similar to Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus’ Grameen Bank) where impoverished Hungarians, [...]

Zsolnay enjoys recent capital injections

World-renowned Hungarian porcelain manufacturing company Zsolnay is reportedly boosting its production output following the recent capital injections by various owners, due to be carried out before the end of August this year. One of the new owners Manufaktura Befekteto is allegedly investing some HUF 730 million, partly by acquiring a 49% stake in Zsolnay from [...]

Flood victims promised relief housing by late October

Hungarian National Flood Relief Agency Director Gyorgy Bakondi (pictured) on Wednesday told reporters that the Government must provide emergency housing for all homeless flood victims by the end of October. Bakondi said that funds will be redirected from the Aug 20 fireworks show (worth HUF 150 million) to the renovation of destroyed homes. The Director [...]

European Commission launches Youth on the Move initiative in Budapest

A new EU initiative designed to help more young people embark upon the great mobility adventure – a fun, interactive and dynamic two-day YOUTH ON THE MOVE event will take place on Oct 8-9 in Budapest. More information will be available soon on Twitter, Facebook and the YOUTH ON THE MOVE website. YOM on Facebook [...]

The price of freedom

So as of September 1st Hungarian authorities are going to be fining smokers HUF 30,000 if they are caught smoking by an underpass or entrance to Budapest’s underground system. And if they refuse to pay the fine or are too poor to do so? Well, throw them in jail then and let the taxpayers foot [...]

Getting a degree at 92

South African white nonagenarian Anna de Jager, the 92-year-old Orange Free State great-grandmother, will be awarded her doctorate degree within weeks. This wouldn’t be such a news item if it weren’t for the fact that she started her studies some 40 years earlier. She claims that she had tried to complete her studies several times [...]

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