After November, the GKI economic sentiment index rose again in December. According to
the empirical survey by GKI, business expectations increased slightly, whereas consumer ones went up more strongly, reaching their ten-year peak.

The Dubai Tourism Bureau has officially opened its Budapest office. The emirate sees significant potential in Hungary and therefore would like to achieve notable growth in the number of Hungarian tourists visiting Dubai.

Diplomacy & Trade held its Japan themed 'The Club' event at the Sushi Sei restaurant in Budapest on the occasion of Diplomacy & Trade's December issue focus on Japan. The patron of the event was the Japanese Ambassador to Hungary, Junichi Kosuge.

The Swedish Ambassador to Hungary, Niclas Trouvé, presented the publication ‘Sweden Hungary Business Guide’ promoting the Hungarian investment environment. The event took place on Lucia’s Day, which is considered the brightest Swedish holiday.

Similarly to last year, a specially decorated 'Santa’s trolleybus' is circulating until Christmas on various trolley lines in the Hungarian capital. ,Kids can travel together with Santa Claus and give him presents that will be forwarded to families in need by Santa’s Factory.

The Hungarian government has withdrawn with immediate effect from the international anti-corruption organization 'Open Government Partnership' as stated in a letter sent by the Hungarian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade.

Roman Kowalski, who finished his five-year term at the end of September this year as the Polish ambassador to Hungary is one of the recepients of the Hungarian 'March of the Living' Foundation. He received the award in Budapest.

Hungary's Katinka Hosszú was named as the female Swimmer of the Year at the FINA/Alisports World Aquatics Gala held in Windsor, Canada this Sunday. She won three gold medals and a silver at the Summer Olympics in Rio earlier this year.

Ministers of Foreign Affairs of the Visegrad Four (V4) countries have released a statement after their meeting in Warsaw, Poland, pledging their support for the Western Balkan countries’ efforts to join the European Union.

The volume of investments in Hungary contracted by 9.3% y/y in the third quarter of 2016. This decrease, portfolio.hu notes should not be considered as dramatic, though, given that investments grew by 2.7% over the previous quarter.

The Budapest Water Summit (BWS) 2016 (November 28-30). receiving around 1,800 participants (including heads of government and state) and 600 Sustainable Water Solutions Expo visitors from 117 countries, has begun in the Hungarian capital.

Cherishing a tradition, a pine tree was erected as the Christmas Tree of the Country in front of the building of Hungarian Parliament this Friday. The 4.5-ton silver fir of about 20 meters in height was cut down in Sárszentmihály, Fejér County.

Technicians of the Hungarian military removed a 500-kilogram US bomb, hidden under water since WWII, from the river Danube near the Rákóczi Bridge in southern Budapest this Wednesday. The area was closed down for the duration of the operation.

Following its three-year low in October, Hungary's GKI economic sentiment index (issued with the support from the EU) strengthened to its spring level in November. both business and consumer expectations improved in November.

Hungarian President János Áder, the Patron of this year's Budapest Water Summit has issued a special stamp for the occasion. Designed by artist Anita Laczkó; the miniature sheet with a face value of HUF 400 depicts water droplets forming a unique bird.