NewsThe penne dropsSpaghetti bridges are meant to be broken – but not before the weight-supporting showdown event starts. An intricate pasta structure built by Hungarian students was mysteriously destroyed Friday, 5 March before the start of the 27th annual Spaghetti Bridge Building Contest at Okanagan College in Kelowna, a small city in the province of British Columbia on the chilly nation’s west coast. more
PoliticsRoundupFidesz leads by a mile.A poll published last week by the local think tank Nézőpont Intézet put support among those who plan to vote at 52% for the centre-right opposition party Fidesz and their alliance partners the Christian Democrats (MKDP). Meanwhile backing for the governing Hungarian Socialist Party (MSZP) stands at 19% and the nationalist party Jobbik is preferred by 14% of voters. more
Top manager in discussionExpats are important customers for usVodafone Hungary Zrt. will soon have its first shop catering to English-speaking expats in Aréna Plaza. One of the key driving forces behind the change is CFO Frank Krause. We spoke to him about the reasons for the initiative and its prospects. more
CultureEighth Lions gala concert“Our event is now well established,” All Nations Lions Club of Budapest president Teréz Tál said after the gala concert in the capital last Wednesday. It was the eighth Lions “Music from Throughout the World” fundraising event. more
Eating OutFiktív Pub - Alright for the price
It’s a real location that plays with fiction. On the
corner of Horánszky and Krúdy Gyula utca one can read the words “anno
896” below the pub’s name. The preface to the menu explains the pub’s
“history”: it was apparently discovered by the Magyars in the same year
that they entered present-day Hungary. In reality Fiktív offers a modern ambience while Guinness posters lend an Irish touch.
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LeisureWalking with Dinosaurs – The Real ExperienceFor 200 million years the Dinosaurs ruled the earth Now, they’re back, roaming the arenas of Europe in an extraordinary new theatrical production.Walking With Dinosaurs - The Real Experience, based on the award-winning BBC Television series sees real size dinosaurs come to life in what is one of the most exciting and groundbreaking shows ever seen in Europe. more
Corporate Finance / M&A CornerManaging Risk to Build Corporate Value (Part II)
My previous column (Part I of this series) dealt with risks in the
valuation of companies, stressing in particular that the higher the risk
associated with a company, the lower the value of that company. This
is not static: investors’ perceptions of risks constantly evolve as they
assess a company and the valuation process is consequently also
evolving in tandem. In the context of privately-owned companies, few
things are more crucial than the due diligence process, when an investor
reviews — in detail — all of a company’s title documents, financial
records, contracts, etc. Because of this, it is in the interests of
all owners to identify and manage risks well in advance of engaging in
serious discussions with investors. more
What lies beneathNot in Kanzasz anymoreThere is a seasonal ailment that afflicts most people in Canada and many in the United States. It is called 'cabin fever'. It has an incubation period ranging from sixty to ninety days and is brought on by severe cold weather and/or abnormally abundant snow falls, day after bloody day after bloody day. To avoid these unpleasant conditions, patients usually place themselves under voluntary quarantine and stay indoors. It is indoors when the disease sets in. Cabin fever is known to cause irritability, depression and, in some cases, divorce. Attempts to remedy cabin fever by going outdoors are usually met with extreme cold, frigid winds and foul language. There are no known cures for cabin fever. There are only remedies, usually involving southbound travel. Some regions' economies, such as Florida, are based on providing those remedies, as well as cheap alcohol. more
Letters to the EditorWhat's between Avigdor Lieberman & Ferenc Szálasi?
Foreign Minister and Deputy Prime Minister of Israel,
Avigdor Lieberman, met last month with the Prime Minister of Hungary
Gordon Bajnai, in Budapest. According to Israeli media, the two
discussed expanding economic and commercial relations between the
countries and noted the good relations between them. I wonder: if
Ferenc Szálasi was alive would Mr. Bajnai embrace him with such warmth
too? Had Nyilaskeresztes Párt – Hungarista Mozgalom (Arrow Cross
Party-Hungarist Movement) existed today, would the Prime Minister join
its ranks?
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EditorialBKV a reflection of Hungary’s ailmentsUntil recently Budapest public transport company BKV
generally appeared in the press when it was broke (again) and had to
beg the state for funds, or when one of its dilapidated buses had gone
up in flames (again).
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