2015 started with a new condemnation of Mr. Viktor Orbán; the embattled Prime Minister of Hungary was declared one of the most corrupt politicians of Europe. The Sarajevo-based Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project (OCCRP) announced on December 31, that Russian President Vladimir Putin has been named corruption’s “person of the year” for 2014. OCCRP is an international organization of […]
A whole-figure statue of Ferenc Liszt has been inaugurated at the Royal Conservatory of Music in Toronto. Jeff Embleton the Manager of Public Relations mailed me the photo of the 7 feet (2.25m) tall sculpture which was generously donated by Mr. Tamás Fekete, a Canadian with Hungarian roots, who arrived to Canada after 1956. Mr. Fekete already donated a similarly […]
Don’t you just love it! A couple of days ago, John McCain, a senior Republican told the U.S. Senate: “I am not against political appointees … I understand how the game is played, but … (Hungary) … is on the verge of ceding its sovereignty to a neo-fascist dictator, getting in bed with Vladimir Putin, and we’re going to send […]
On November 17, there was a demonstration in New York City at the Hungarian Consulate. As part of „The Day of Public Outrage” young people staged an orderly protest with signs saying “Orbán-free Hungary” at the Consulate building. As it turns out, Hungarian diplomats viewed these anti-government protesters as a major security threat. First, they sent out an employee to take photos […]
News agencies report that an American kindergarten teacher who is the mother of 11-year-old twin boys was stabbed to death in the bathroom of an Abu Dhabi shopping mall by a robed figure dubbed the “Reem Island Ghost.” The weapon used in the attack, a kitchen knife, was found in the bathroom close to where the victim was found in […]
The US Senate today voted 52-42 to confirm Colleen Bradley Bell to be U.S. ambassador to Hungary. Senator John McCain is a very influential Republican. He was presidential nominee in 2008, he lost to President Obama, and now he is considered possible presidential candidate in 2016. When Senator McCain talks American politicians listen. McCain spoke in the Senate about Ms. […]
Hungarian immigrants made important contributions to Hollywood; Michael Curtis, Adolf Zukor, George Cukor, William Fox and the Korda brothers were legends in the last century. “It’s not enough to be talented – you have to be Hungarian in Hollywood.” There is some truth to this myth; during the 1930´s some claimed that the California film industry was dominated by Hungarians. […]
In 1992 chess genius Bobby Fischer was warned against playing a $5-million match in Yugoslavia. The United States had prohibited all commercial dealings in the war-torn country, the tournament was illegal, and Mr. Fischer was cited for participating in the chess match with Boris Spassky. The erratic Mr. Fischer, 49 years old at the time, was known for bizarre behavior. He […]
Samantha Power is one of President Barack Obama’s closest confidants and currently U.S. Permanent Representative to the United Nations. Ms. Power, who is 44 years old, was formerly Special Assistant to the President and Senior Director for Multilateral Affairs and Human Rights. A graduate of Yale University and Harvard Law School, and also a noted writer, she won the Pulitzer […]
The monument of the Hungarian Freedom Fighter stands at the edge of MacArthur Park in Los Angeles. It was inaugurated and blessed by Cardinal Mindszenty of Hungary in 1974; today this corner of the park is named after him. Each October, Hungarian Americans gather here to commemorate the 1956 Revolution, dignitaries give speeches and lay a wreath on the monument. […]
