Latest news in Hungary - 19 Aug 2025

Lake Balaton Water Cleared of Contamination: The Danube Region Water Management Directorate confirmed that Lake Balaton is now free from fecal contamination, following the removal of feces that had entered the water from a stormwater drainage ditch. Laboratory results show that water quality is back to safe levels after a first-level emergency response was initiated due to instances of contaminated inflow in Balatonszemes and Balatonlelle. Read more here

Russian Man Arrested for Selling Fake Rolex: A 27-year-old Russian man living in Paks has been interrogated by police for attempting to sell a fake Rolex watch online, only to send an empty box to a buyer in Germany. He had hoped to profit from insurance after claiming the watch was lost in shipping, but his scam quickly unraveled. Read more here

Ráhel Orbán Sells Baby Store Company: Ráhel Orbán, daughter of Hungary's Prime Minister, has sold her company Odu Store Ltd., which operates luxury baby stores in Budapest and by Lake Balaton, to BDPST Zrt. Despite the ownership change, she remains the managing director, with the company previously struggling financially, generating 361 million HUF in revenue and facing losses exceeding 250 million HUF since its inception in 2021. Read more here

President Sulyok Engages with Youth at Scout Camp: Tamás Sulyok emphasized the importance of young people's communities for the future during a visit to a Romanian Hungarian Scout Association camp in Transylvania. His engagement marks a shift from previous criticisms, acknowledging scouting as a valuable source of positive experiences and practical knowledge for youth. Read more here

Tragic Loss at Budapest Zoo: Sása, a four-month-old tiger cub at the Budapest Zoo, has died after suffering from epileptic seizures that led to a stroke. Despite the intensive efforts of the zoo's veterinary team, her condition worsened, resulting in her untimely passing. Read more here

Record Low Water Levels Across Hungary: The Tisza River's water level has hit a record low of -299 cm at Szolnok, surpassing the previous low set in July. Lake Balaton and Lake Velence are also experiencing low water levels, with averages of 76 cm and 79 cm, respectively. As drought conditions persist, forecasts indicate little change in water levels in the coming days. Read more here

Tibor Kapu Returns from Space: Astronaut Tibor Kapu has returned to Hungary after over two weeks in space, where he discussed surprising political questions from Prime Minister Orbán during their conversation. Kapu successfully led 25 experiments as part of Hungary's participation in the Axiom-4 mission, surpassing expectations and hinting at future lunar missions for Hungarian astronauts. Read more here

New Database for Bank Account Fees: The Hungarian National Bank (MNB) has launched a public database to help consumers compare the annual fees of over 60 bank account packages, revealing differences of up to tenfold in costs. Customers are encouraged to explore the new resource and switch to more affordable options, with a free basic account available until inflation drops below 4% for three consecutive months. Read more here

Forint Strengthens Against Euro and Dollar: The Hungarian forint reached its strongest position in nearly a year, with the euro dropping below 394 HUF and the dollar below 338 HUF, following a recent summit in the U.S. involving President Trump and European leaders. Read more here

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