• Hungarian fashion studio builds Roma cultural prestige
• Mask, gloves, cake: Hungarians bake to keep ambulance staff going
• Thousands hit Hungary's famous hiking trail to beat coronavirus blues

• Scholar from Hungary developing MUM online MA in Maharishi Ayur-Veda health care
• University in Hungary holds first Transcendental Meditation course: 300 students learn
• Hungary: Leaders of the future, and translation of historic lectures by Maharishi Mahesh Yogi - Highlights of 2009

• Water levels in Danube recede to record lows, hindering shipping in Hungary
• Hungary prisons criticised for overcrowding, racism
• Thousands protest over new Hungarian constitution

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Positive Trends
Short Summaries of Top Stories

Hungarian fashion studio builds Roma cultural prestige
18 December 2021 - A fashion studio in Hungary is challenging the centuries-old stereotypes faced by the country's Roma minority, and asserting a place at the table of high culture for the historically marginalized group. (more)

Mask, gloves, cake: Hungarians bake to keep ambulance staff going
1 March 2021 - Hungarians are baking for ambulance workers across the country ... after the founder of an online cookery group asked a friend in the service how she could help. The initiative, born out of a modest kitchen in the small town of Szentendre, mirrors other efforts around the world where people have made face masks and hung them on trees or prepared hot meals for people struggling to make ends meet. (more)

Thousands hit Hungary's famous hiking trail to beat coronavirus blues
9 February 2021 - [Wishing] to escape the pandemic lockdown, thousands of Hungarians have flocked to the country's famous National Blue Trail to savour the calm, open air of the woods. Meandering for about 700 miles from Hungary's western border with Austria to the northeast, the Blue Trail originated in 1938 and was recognized as Europe's first long-distance trail. It was featured by National Geographic in 2020 among the best trips to take in the world. Even the chilly winter weather has not reduced the trail's appeal ... (more)

Not just small talk for Hungarian solar pavements
26 October 2020 - A Hungarian tech company is taking small steps with recycled plastic waste to make solar panels built into pavements to power buildings and charge electronic devices in public places. The solar cells are protected with hardened glass tiles, which allow the pavements to carry the weight of vehicles, and the secret lies in the small-scale approach, said Imre Sziszak, co-founder of Budapest-based Platio. (more)

BYD delivers electric buses to Brazil and Hungary
13 December 2018 - Brazil's largest city, Sao Paulo, has received its first electric buses from BYD. The 15 buses are part of a pilot project involving solar power, before they will take up full service in March 2019. Meanwhile, BYD has also delivered its first ever electric bus to Hungary, to the town of Salgotarjan to be precise. (more)

Therapy through song: Choir helps Hungarian lung patients breathe more easily
16 November 2018 - A Hungarian doctor has prescribed her lung disease patients a new form of physical and spiritual therapy -- singing in public as part of a choir. Its members, many seriously ill with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and drawn from hospitals across Hungary, say the singing has improved the quality of their lives. (more)

Plum marmalade from the heart: Hungarian grandmas' way of charity
21 September 2018 - The secret of the best plum marmalade is in the heart, according to a group of Hungarian grandmothers who gather each September to cook huge pots of it to raise money for the poorest families in their village. Zsuzsanna Nagy, 65, started the charity project after winning two plum marmalade contests in her village of Bordany in southern Hungary. (more)

Yoga asanas on the Danube as Budapest bridge transformed into urban park
23 July 2018 - As the sun rises above Budapest, hundreds of people spread out their yoga [asana] mats on a bridge over the Danube, at the start of a day when the river crossing turns into a unique venue for concerts, dance, and picnics. On four weekends this summer, Budapest's 19th century Liberty Bridge is closed to traffic, becoming a free urban space for Hungarians and tourists. (more)

Budapest museum lifts lid on Houdini's magic, Hungarian roots
20 December 2016 - The name Harry Houdini is synonymous with escapology, but less is known about his first great escape -- how he left his Hungarian home as a child for a new life in the United States. The House of Houdini, a museum in Budapest's historic Castle district, seeks to shed light on the illusionist's roots with a display of memorabilia and a research team tracking down documents about his life. David Merlini opened the museum this year as a tribute to the artist who was born in Budapest as Erik Weisz into a Jewish family in 1874. (more)

'Light bringers' help Hungary's impoverished Roma power their homes
16 December 2016 - For Karoly Nemeth, a Roma man who lives with his family in a town just outside Budapest, having electricity in his home is not always guaranteed. Nemeth, 42, who has side jobs in construction, lives with his wife, two daughters. and son on a monthly income of about 90,000 forints ($300). With the help of Hungary's Romaversitas Foundation, an NGO, his home has now been equipped with a solar panel. ... The program, called 'Light bringers', has so far helped 40 families in various parts of Hungary. (more)

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Success of Maharishi's Programmes
Short Summaries of Top Stories

Scholar from Hungary developing MUM online MA in Maharishi Ayur-Veda health care
24 January 2014 - One of the first writers in Hungary to popularize Ayurveda, the ancient Vedic science of natural health care, Daniel Pal translated and edited numerous books and other materials on Maharishi Mahesh Yogi's knowledge and programmes, and wrote over 200 articles on natural health, Ayurveda, and Vedic wisdom. Now a graduate student at Maharishi University of Management in the USA, in his internship Daniel works on curriculum development for the Physiology and Health department, where he is helping develop an online master's programme in Maharishi Ayur-Veda and integrative medicine to be launched in the fall of 2014. (more)

University in Hungary holds first Transcendental Meditation course: 300 students learn
18 February 2010 - In Hungary, a course in the Transcendental Meditation Programme has been given at a university for the first time; 300 students learnt the technique. This university has now formed an alliance with Maharishi University of Management in the United States, to share knowledge and degree programmes. (more)

Hungary: Leaders of the future, and translation of historic lectures by Maharishi Mahesh Yogi - Highlights of 2009
8 January 2010 - In the past year, Maharishi Mahesh Yogi's historic lectures and course on higher states of consciousness were translated into Hungarian. In other highlights, future leaders of the Global Country of World Peace have formed the Maharishi Youth Foundation in Hungary, and hundreds of people attended residence courses for deep rest and rejuvenation, and to accelerate their progress through practise of the Transcendental Meditation Technique. (more)

Hungary: Professional training in Maharishi's Vedic Approach to Health - Highlights of 2009
7 January 2010 - Hungary hosted the world's second course for medical doctors to be trained in Maharishi's Vedic Approach to Health. Subsequently, a Maharishi Ayur-Veda Health Spa was opened in Debrecen, Hungary, by two of the course participants. (more)

Hungary: Education for the development of consciousness - Highlights of 2009
6 January 2010 - An innovative college in Budapest began offering the Transcendental Meditation Technique to its students, and this year the Science of Creative Intelligence course and Transcendental Meditation Teacher Training course will be offered. Also this year, the college will begin a cooperative programme with Maharishi University of Management, USA. At other universities and smaller schools around the nation, approximately 2,000 students, faculty, and school administrators learnt Transcendental Meditation recently. (more)

Hungary: Eighty students learn Transcendental Meditation in Budapest
10 November 2009 - On 2 November, the Global Mother Divine Organization held its monthly global internet broadcast - Full Moon celebration, which included highlights of the organization's activities around the world. This month's celebration featured reports from Germany, Japan, Ghana, and the following report from Hungary, where 80 lady students recently learnt the Transcendental Meditation Technique in Budapest. (more)

Developments in the field of education and health in Hamsa (Hungary)
22 August 2009 - In Hamsa (Hungary) 3,000 students from a variety of high schools in one area will have the opportunity to learn the Transcendental Meditation Programme in August and September. They will form the first invincibility group for Hamsa, with their influence spreading to the whole of Europe. A coherence-creating group has also been established by a mayor in Hamsa, who practises the Transcendental Meditation Sidhi Programme. (more)

Maharishi's programmes welcomed in Hamsa (Hungary) - Part III - Vedic Architecture, Vedic Agriculture
2 September 2008 - Raja John Konhaus, Raja of Hamsa (Hungary) for the Global Country of World Peace, reported on his recent visit to the nation and the great interest in Vedic Organic Agriculture, as well as an initiative to build a Maharishi Peace Colony. (more)

Maharishi's programmes welcomed in Hamsa (Hungary) - Part II - Consciousness-Based Education
1 September 2008 - Raja John Konhaus, Raja of Hamsa (Hungary) for the Global Country of World Peace, reported on his recent visit to the nation and the tremendous interest in Consciousness-Based Education there. (more)

Maharishi's programmes welcomed in Hamsa (Hungary) - Part I - Maharishi College of Vedic Medicine
30 August 2008 - Raja John Konhaus, Raja of Hamsa (Hungary) for the Global Country of World Peace, reported on his recent visit to the nation and the initiative to create a Maharishi College of Vedic Medicine there. (more)

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Flops
Short Summaries of Top Stories

Water levels in Danube recede to record lows, hindering shipping in Hungary
22 August 2018 - Water levels on the Danube dropped to record lows on three sections of the river in Hungary on Wednesday (22 August) due to a recent drought, hindering passenger cruise ships and causing losses to freight shipping companies. (more)

Hungary prisons criticised for overcrowding, racism
30 April 2014 - The Council of Europe says Hungary's prison system needs to reduce overcrowding, stop discrimination against Roma prisoners, and offer inmates work or recreational activities so they don't spend 23 hours a day in their cells. The report released Wednesday is based on visits to 10 jails and prisons across Hungary by a special committee of the Council in April. The report also cites several cases of the use of excessive force and racist remarks by police during arrests or questioning of suspects. In a detailed reply from the government, authorities highlighted a 'significant increase' in prisoners' employment, said other issues are being addressed but acknowledged that overcrowding at prisons has grown from 122 per cent of capacity to 144 per cent since 2009. (more)

Thousands protest over new Hungarian constitution
2 January 2012 - Tens of thousands of protesters on Monday jeered Hungarian leaders outside a glitzy gala to mark the country's brand new constitution, accusing the government of exerting control over everything from the media, to the economy and religion. Opposition activists and civil rights groups say Orban and his centre-right Fidesz party, which has a two-thirds parliamentary majority, have passed laws eroding the democratic system of checks and balances by increasing political control over the judiciary, the central bank, religious groups, and the media. Protesters repeatedly shouted 'bovli' -- 'junk' in Hungarian -- mocking Hungary's recent credit rating downgrades. (more)

Hungary requests financial help from IMF, EU
21 November 2011 - Hungary has officially requested precautionary financial help from the IMF and the European Union, confirming a sharp reversal of the government's opposition to working under the international lender's guidance. The euro zone debt crisis, and Hungary's weak economic outlook coupled with the threat of a downgrade to 'junk' debt status prompted the government to take a sudden U-turn. Prime Minister Viktor Orban's government -- which has pursued unconventional policies since it swept to power in April 2010 -- may face hard talks with lenders if it wants a deal without strict conditions attached, analysts have said. (more)

Hungary plans to axe 25,000 public sector jobs - report
12 October 2010 - Hungary plans tough public sector staff cuts in 2011 and may impose taxes on the energy sector to keep its pledge to the European Union to cut its budget deficit below 3 per cent of GDP, a local website said on Tuesday. Meeting deficit goals is essential for Hungary to maintain investor confidence and keep EU funds flowing into an economy struggling to return to growth after a deep recession in 2009. The measures could axe up to 25,000 jobs, cut bonuses, and lead to tens of thousands more losing their jobs if state funding to local municipalities is curbed, the web portal said. (more)

Hungary sludge reservoir at risk of collapse
9 October 2010 - The cracking wall of an industrial plant reservoir appeared on the verge of collapse late Saturday, and engineers were working to blunt a possible second wave of the caustic red sludge that has already deluged several towns in western Hungary and killed seven. Residents of one nearby town were evacuated, others were ordered to be ready to evacuate, and everyone was bracing for a new onslaught of toxic material. Engineers feared a second wave could be even more toxic than the first because the sludge remaining in the reservoir was more concentrated. Prime Minister Viktor Orban said the northern wall of MAL Rt.'s storage pool, which released at least 700,000 cubic meters (184 million gallons) of caustic red sludge and water five days ago after one of its corners ruptured, was showing numerous cracks and seemed ready to fail completely. (more)

Red sludge only latest Hungarian calamity
9 October 2010 - The disaster that buried three Hungarian villages in caustic red sludge this week is deepening the gloom of a country gripped by recession, polarization, and the near-ubiquitous feeling that its people are doomed to be victims of calamity. Environmental groups are warning of other potential disasters, among them seven storage ponds about 60 miles (100 kilometers) northwest of Budapest that hold 12 million tons of sludge accumulated since 1945 -- more than 10 times the amount that spilled this week. 'If the gates break there, much of Hungary's drinking water would be endangered,' says WWF official Martin Geiger. Such worries add to the burdens of a people whose national psyche has been formed by centuries of foreign domination, internal turmoil, and economic hardships. (more)

Hungary: Possible long-term harm from toxic sludge 'mind-boggling'
8 October 2010 - The mighty Danube apparently absorbed Hungary's massive red sludge spill with little immediate damage but laboratory tests heightened concerns about possible longer-term harm caused by toxic heavy metals in the slurry. The reservoir break at an alumina plant dumped up to 700,000 cubic meters (184 million gallons) of sludge onto three villages. Red sludge samples taken a day after the spill contained 'surprisingly high' levels of arsenic and mercury, Greenpeace told reporters. The analysis suggested that roughly 50 tonnes of arsenic, 300 tonnes of chrome, and half a tonne of mercury was unleashed by the spill. (more)

Hungary: Toxic red sludge has reached the Danube
7 October 2010 - The toxic red sludge that burst out of a Hungarian factory's reservoir reached the mighty Danube on Thursday after wreaking havoc on smaller rivers and creeks, and downstream nations rushed to test their waters. The European Union and environmental officials fear an environmental catastrophe affecting half a dozen nations if the red sludge, a waste product of making aluminum, contaminates the Danube, Europe's second-longest river. The Hungarian reservoir break on Monday disgorged a toxic torrent through three villages and creeks that flow into waterways connected to the Danube. Creeks in Kolontar, the western village closest to the spill site, were still swollen and ochre red days later and villagers said they were devoid of fish. Alumina plants are scattered around the world, with the 12 largest concentrated in Australia, Brazil, and China. (more)

Hungary sludge flood called 'ecological disaster'
5 October 2010 - A lethal torrent of toxic red sludge from a metal refinery engulfed towns in Hungary, burning villagers through their clothes and threatening an ecological disaster Tuesday as it swept toward the Danube River. The flood of caustic red mud triggered a state of emergency declaration by Hungarian officials. At least four people were killed, six were missing and 120 injured, many with burns. Dozens of villagers were burned when the caustic material seeped through their clothing. Because chemical burns can take days to emerge, seemingly superficial injuries can turn deadly as they penetrate deeper tissue, Dr. Peter Jakabos of Gyor Hospital told state TV. By Tuesday, about 35.3 million cubic feet of sludge had poured from the reservoir, flooding a 16 square mile area, Environmental Affairs State Secretary Zoltan Illes called the spill an 'ecological catastrophe.' (more)