Hungary

Bajnai is new Hungarian premier after Gyurcsany is voted out

Bajnai is new Hungarian premier after Gyurcsany is voted out Budapest - Former economy minister Grodon Bajnai was voted into the post of Hungarian prime minister in a parliamentary vote Tuesday which at the same time expressed no confidence in Ferenc Gyurcsany, voting the socialist premier out of office. Immediately after the vote Bajnai, who has no party affiliation, said he would be reshuffling the cabinet and bringing in experts who were also free of party affiliations to take over the key finance, economy, social welfare and energy ministries.

Arson suspected in blaze at home of Roma politician

Arson suspected in blaze at home of Roma politician Budapest - The home of a Hungarian Roma politician was set ablaze at dawn on Tuesday in what police believe was a deliberate attack.

The attack took place in Tatarszentgyorgy, a village some 40 kilometres from the capital that was the scene of a brutal murder in February.

One room in the home of the deputy leader of the local Roma Council, Lidia Horvath, was completely burned out, the fire service said.

Hungarian parliament initiates vote of no confidence in PM

Hungarian parliament initiates vote of no confidence in PM Budapest - Hungary's parliament on Tuesday initiated a constructive vote of no confidence against Socialist Prime Minister Ferenc Gyurcsany.

The motion, signed by 92 members of parliament, calls for the replacement of Gyurcsany with current Economy Minister Gordon Bajnai.

Subject to approval by a parliamentary committee, the vote should be held on April 14.

The move is in line with a plan announced by Gyurcsany himself at a party conference on March 21.

Opposition politicians attacked in Hungary

Opposition politicians attacked in Hungary Budapest - Hungary's European Parliament election campaign season got off to a rocky start in Hungary when two politicians from the centre-right opposition party Fidesz were roughed up while pamphleteering, the party reported Tuesday.

A security guard allegedly grabbed local councillor Katalin Gubicza by the neck and threw her out as she and a male colleague tried to drop leaflets into letter boxes in a tenement house.

Eggs sales double over Easter in Hungary, producers still worried

Eggs sales double over Easter in Hungary, producers still worried Budapest - Demand for eggs is set to outstrip supply in Hungary as millions are being bought in the run up to Easter, a local financial paper reported on Tuesday.

The Hungarian Poultry Produce Council estimates that around 100 million eggs per week - or ten for every Hungarian - will be bought in the run up to Easter.

This is roughly double the normal level of consumption, already among the highest in the world at around 300 eggs per Hungarian per year.

Austria's OMV sells stake in Hungarian oil and gas group MOL

Austria's OMV sells stake in Hungarian oil and gas group MOL Vienna  - Austria's leading oil and gas group OMV AG announced Monday it has ended its involvement with Hungarian counterpart MOL plc by selling its 21.2-per-cent stake to the Russian company Surgutneftegas OJSC.

The shares were sold for 1.4 billion euros (1.86 billion dollars), OMV said in a statement, calling the deal a "logical step" after the company ended its unsuccessful bid to take over MOL last August.

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