Wednesday evening saw the official opening of the 39th ICF Canoe Sprint World Championships in Szeged, southeast Hungary. The event that concludes this Sunday will have over a thousand competitors from 88 countries.

Forty members and friends of Democrats Abroad-Hungary have recently gathered in a vineyard on Csobánc near Lake Balaton to celebrate U.S. President Barack Obama’s 50th birthday with a luau in recognition of the President’s Hawaiian birthplace.

Gwen Jorgensen of the United States won the women’s and Brent McMahon of Canada the men’s race at the ITU Triathlon World Cup in Tiszaújváros, northeastern Hungary this Sunday. The event has been held for the 15th year.

The United States Ambassador to Hungary, Eleni Tsakopoulos Kounalakis, accompanied by some Embassy staff, was among the four and a half thousand participants who swam across Lake Balaton this past week-end.

Having arrived in Hungary two years ago, Dutch Ambassador Robert Milders says - in an interview with Diplomacy and Teade - that he has witnessed exciting times, especially “the 180-degree turn in Hungarian politics”.

According to a decision earlier this year by the Thai government, as of 11 August onwards, Hungarian citizens are exempt from visa requirement, if they travel to Thailand as tourists and stay not longer than thirty days.

Hungarian First Division football team Újpest FC has a new sports director, Leo Beenhakker. The Dutch football expert has a successful past as he won league titles in Holland (Ajax, Feyenoord) and in Spain (Real Madrid).

The Hungarian Formula One Grand Prix car race takes place for the 25th year at the Hungaroring race track in Mogyorod, east of Budapest this week-end. In 1986, it was the first F-1 race behind the Iron Curtain.

Both defense lawyer and the prosecutor lodged appeal against the acquittal of 97-year-old Nazi war crimes suspect Sándor Képíró. The first degree sentence on Monday referred to insufficient evidence in the case.

Hundreds of guests gathered at the residence in Budapest of the French Ambassador on July 14th for a reception on the occasion of the French National Day to enjoy the hospitality of Ambassador René Roudaut.

France celebrates Bastille Day as a national holiday on July 14 every year which was known as Fete Nationale or le quatorze juillet. Bastille Day is celebrated to commemorate the Storming of the Bastille on July 14, 1789. Storming of the Bastille, a fortress-prison which housed many political prisoners, arms and ammunition, symbolized uprising by the oppressed people in France and end of Monarchy in the country.

The most traditional Hungarian sailing event, the round-the-lake long distance race for Lake Balaton’s Blue Ribbon starts this Thursday. The 43rd annual race is seen as one of the most traditional sailing events in Europe.

American Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton was in Budapest Thursday to take part in the inauguration of the Tom Lantos human rights institute. Another prominent guest was Clinton's predecessor Condoleezza Rice.

H. E. Mr. Khamkheuang Bounteum, the Ambassador of the Lao People’s Democratic Republic to Hungary, has recently presented his credentials among the historic walls of Sándor Palota to Hungarian President Pál Schmitt.

Chinese Prime Minister Wen Jiabao arrived in Hungary on Friday for a two-day official visit, the first to Hungary by a Chinese premier in 24 years. It is the first leg of Wen's three-nation Europe tour that also includes Britain and Germany.

The Budapest Municipality Assembly has approved the new flag of the Hungarian capital. The change is necessary because Budapest's current flag is very similar to that of Romania, Budapest Mayor István Tarlós argued.