Asia

International literary luminaries confirm presence at SIBF 2021

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Best-selling writers, authors and journalists will join the start-studded cultural activities at the 40th annual Sharjah International Book Fair. The 2021 Nobel Laureate for Literature, Tanzanian novelist Abdulrazak Gurnah, will lead the list of international literary luminaries from 13 countries who will participate in the 40th edition of the Sharjah International Book Fair (SIBF 2021), which takes place from November 3 – 13 at Expo Centre Sharjah.

Organised by Sharjah Book Authority (SBA), the book fair boasts an extensive programme of 440 cultural activities, which will include literary talks and panel discussions led by renowned authors, writers, and journalists from around the world.

America’s and Canada’s bestselling authors at SIBF 2021


Among the headlining personalities at SIBF 2021 is American film producer, entrepreneur and bestselling author, Chris Gardener, whose novel The Pursuit of Happyness has been translated into more than 40 languages, including Arabic, and was adapted to an award-winning film starring Will Smith.

Also hailing from the United States, Gitanjali Rao is a child prodigy

– an inventor, scientist, STEM promoter, and the first child to be featured by Time magazine in 2020 as ‘Kid of the Year’. She is also the bestselling author of A Young Innovator’s Guide to STEM.

Wizz Air announces expansion of Budapest network with exotic destinations

 

Her compatriot, award-winning thriller writer Kathleen Antrim, is the author of the bestselling Capital Offense. She is a former journalist and radio show host. Michael Anderle is a bestselling author and publisher who has been consistently ranked among the top 100 authors available on Amazon store and has sold over 4 million of his books so far.

Abdulrazak Gurnah
 Abdulrazak Gurnah

Tosca Lee is a New York Times bestselling author of 11 novels including The Line Between, A Single Light and The Legend of Sheba.

She has won many awards including two 2020 International Book Awards, and her work has been translated into 17 languages.

Lee will be joined by Daniel Mallory, known as A.J. Finn, author of the bestselling The Woman in the Window that became a Hollywood blockbuster starring Amy Adams, will be one of the star attractions at SIBF. Social psychologist and bestselling author John V. Petrocelli will also join SIBF 2021 from the USA.

john_v_petrocelli
John V. Petrocelli. 

Lebanese-born bestselling author, speaker, educator and activist Najwa Zebian will be present in the fair coming from Canada.

K.J.Howe, also from Canada, is the bestselling author of The Freedom Broker series and has won several awards for her thrillers.

Diversity of European literary culture to be represented by UK, Ireland, France, Spain and Italy


The Ugandan-born British short story writer and novelist Jennifer Nansubuga Makumbi, who won the 2014 Commonwealth Short Story Prize, is the author of The First Woman, Manchester Happened and Kintu. Also from the UK, Karen Millie James is a novelist and businesswoman, author of The Shadows Behind her Smile, and Where in the Dark. She is now working on her third novel A Thousand Silent Cities.

Other UK-based authors include: Rabina Khan is a writer, politician, broadcaster and author of My Hair is Pink Under This Veil; Candice Carty-Williams, bestselling author of Queenie, Empress & Aniya and People Person; award-winning journalist, broadcaster and author of The Nine Waves and other bestselling books, Mihir Bose; and B.A. Paris, bestselling author of Behind Closed Doors, The Breakdown, and The Therapist, among others.

B.A. Paris
B.A. Paris. 

From Ireland, thriller writer Alan Gorevan will speak about his critically acclaimed novels including The Kindness of Psychopaths and Better Confess.

From Spain, bestselling author of self-help and inspirational books such as Ikigai: The Japanese Secret to a Long and Happy Life, Francesc Miralles, will join SIBF 2021.

Creator of the Editions du Jasmin, Saad Bouri from France is the author of traditional French-Arabic tales The Fox and the Hyena and The Wolf, the Lion and the Fox. Hans Limon, author of several popular plays and books including La Bataille d’Hernani, joins the French contingent to SIBF 2021. His compatriot Isabelle Leymarie is a pianist, filmmaker, translator, photographer, musicologist and author of Cuba and its Music and several other works.

Yasmina Khadra, also from France, is the pseudonym of Mohammed Moulessehoul. His works have been translated into 52 languages and have been adapted for the cinema and theatre.

From Italy, SIBF will welcome Lisa Ginzburg, author of Cara Pace and several other acclaimed novels; and Donatella Di Pietrantonio, award-winning novelist of L’Arminuta and Borgo Sud, among others.

Literary champions from the African continent and Russia at SIBF 2021

Serial entrepreneur, speaker, and author of Where Beauty Blossoms, I am, Swaady Martin will enrich SIBF with the point of view from Ivory Coast in West Africa, while two authors from Kenya will bring the East African perspective to SIBF 2021. Academic and bestselling author of three novels including Dance of the Jakaranda, Peter Kimani is known as the voice of his generation. Yvonne Adhiambo Owuor, winner of the 2003 Caine Prize for African Writing, showcases the East African experience through a coming-of-age story in her latest work The Dragonfly Sea.

Russian writer, academic and editor Dr Naumkin Vitaly will be joining the literary line-up at SIBF 2021.

He has authored more than 600 publications and has been a senior political advisor to the UN Special Envoy for Syria since 2016.

A host of 15 literary greats from India, Pakistan and Sri Lanka will be joining this group of global participants and enrich the discussions and debates at SIBF 2021.

Themed ‘There’s always a right book,’ the forthcoming 40th annual SIBF will see the participation of 1,576 publishing houses from 83 countries. More than 15 million titles will be on display throughout the 11-day celebration of literature, knowledge and culture.

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Read alsoEU to add extra step for travel from 2022

Hungary is ready to be part of Tajikistan’s water project

Hungary Tajikistan water
Hungary uses advanced technology and has ample experience in water management, Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó said in Dushanbe on Wednesday.
 
Speaking at a regional preparatory conference of the World Water Forum to be held in Dakar in early 2022, Szijjártó said Hungary had joined as an observer to the international fund for saving the Aral Sea, as a project tackling a challenge crucial for the whole planet, rather than just the central Asian region.

“The fact that we have to be convened more and more often to discuss the issue of water shows very clearly that we are in the twenty-fourth hour,” he said. Modern and effective agriculture and industry are impossible to maintain without clean water, as is the supply of private citizens, he said.
 
Water use will be the greatest challenge of the 21st century,
 
he said.

Climate change impacts some 85 percent of global water resources, he said. Some regions experience water shortage, some face the challenge of “too much water”, and in some places, water is contaminated, he said. Some 90 percent of the Earth’s population suffers from floods, while 4 billion people live in regions hit by water scarcity for at least one month a year, he said. Their number is expected to reach 5 billion by 2050, he said.

Meanwhile, the regions with the steepest growth of population see 80 percent of their waste water flow back into natural waters without purification, he said. Some 45 percent of the Earth’s population has no access to purified water, he said.
 
 

Water is key to maintaining global peace and security. “We must not allow that water crises become sources of international conflicts and we must avoid that water crises become another root cause of massive illegal migratory flows,” he said.
 
Hungary is ready to play a part in that fight,
 
he said.

Regarding Hungarian water management, Szijjártó said the country had built 4,200 km of dikes as well as water reservoirs over the past 200 years. Some 90 percent of waste water is treated before it is let back into natural waters, he said.

Several Hungarian companies have installed waste water plants in Africa and Asia, and Hungary is ready to be a part of Tajikistan’s water project too, he said. The Hungarian Exim Bank has opened a 30 million dollar credit line for Hungarian-Tajik companies, he added.
Read alsoPresident Áder explores Hungarian water management industry in podcast

Hungarian craft beers triumphed at Asia’s most prestigious beer contest! – PHOTOS

Beer-success-Asia

The Asia Beer Challenge is the biggest and most prestigious beer contest in Asia. In 2021, the premium beer of Horizont Brewing, the Hazy Queen, won two gold medals in the “New England IPA” category, while the Gentle Bastard got one gold in the “American IPA” category.

Horizont Brewing, which is already famous on the Hungarian market thanks to its premium beers, is the first Hungarian craft beer company taking part in the Asia Beer Challenge and winning gold with both their products. They are already experienced in such competitions since they regularly nominate their products in different contests, origo.hu reported.

Beer-success-Asia
https://www.facebook.com/HorizontSorok
Beer-success-Asia
https://www.facebook.com/HorizontSorok

Interestingly,

their double gold-winning Hazy Queen is unique

because no products were given two gold medals this year in the New England IPA category. The others received only silvers.

The small brewery of Budapest is an innovation giant in the sector, and they aim to satisfy the different needs of their customers. Their young and creative team would like to make constantly renewing products without compromise. They want to create tastes that can always surprise the consumers.

They make 30 new beers every year, and they attribute their success to the modern technology and the top-quality ingredients they use.

For example, they debuted their latest trademark called Margherita Pizza Gose, a real rarity in the market, produced in limited amounts. Their Night Shift is a barrel-aged beer assortment enriching their super-premium category beer offer. These stout and barley wine-type beers have high alcohol content, are aged at least six months in distilled barrels, and are marketed in October-November every year.

Beer-success-Asia
https://www.facebook.com/HorizontSorok
Beer-success-Asia
https://www.facebook.com/HorizontSorok

Gábor Ottó, the CEO of the company, said that they believe they did not only have to produce high-quality beers, but they also had to pay attention to the appearance of their beers. Therefore,

their labels are decorated with the paintings of a young and talented Hungarian artist.

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https://www.facebook.com/HorizontSorok

Mr Ottó said that more and more people are interested in their products abroad. He added that they had their lab, and they would like to make even everyday beer drinking a unique experience, a real festivity.

Hungary to develop healthcare from the 183 million EUR loan of the Asian investment bank

Hospital Hungary
Hungary has concluded an agreement with the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) on the provision of 183 million euros to fund developments in Hungarian health care, Finance Minister Mihály Varga said on Wednesday.
 
Hungary will receive the funds at a below-market interest rate, he said in a video posted on Facebook. The funding, which is the first the AIIB is allocating outside Asia, will be used to revamp 17 hospitals and to purchase diagnostic equipment and protective gear, he said. László Balogh, a state secretary of the finance ministry, said the resources ensured that the “funding and development of Hungarian health care has more than one leg to stand on”. Hungary joined the AIIB,
 
one of the world’s newest and most important multilateral development banks,
 
in 2017, he added.
 
Meanwhile, retail sales in Hungary rose by an annual 4.6 percent in August, the Central Statistical Office (KSH) said on Wednesday. The increase accelerated from 2.5 percent in the previous month. Retail sales have risen for five consecutive months after eight months of decline. August retail sales rose by 4.1 percent when adjusted for calendar year effects. Adjusted food sales increased by 1.7 percent and non-food sales climbed 7.8 percent. Vehicle fuel sales rose by 2.3 percent.
 
 
Industrial output in Hungary rose by an annual 2.6 percent in August,
 
continuing to slow as the global chip shortage impacted the local automotive industry, the Central Statistical Office (KSH) said on Wednesday. Output of vehicle manufacturing “fell significantly” in August as the global semiconductor shortage caused factory shutdowns, KSH said in the first reading of data. Output of the computer, electronics and optical equipment segment also declined, while output of the food, drinks and tobacco segment rose, it added.

Adjusted for the number of work days, output edged up by 0.6 percent. In a month-on-month comparison, output fell a seasonally- and workday-adjusted 2.7 percent.
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Read alsoHungarian government to give families even EUR 322,000 to build greener homes!

Hungarian pavilion at Dubai Expo draws nearly 10,000 visitors in first days

hungarian pavilon dubai expo 2020

Hungary’s pavilion at Expo 2020 Dubai, a world fair that opened last week, has attracted nearly 10,000 visitors over the first few days of the event, the managing director of project company Expo 2020 Hungary Nonprofit told public media in Dubai on Tuesday.

Andrea Tóth said the pavilion was special both for having been built from wood and for its digital exhibition.

“Hungary can be proud of its pavilion, as we have been open for four and a half days here at the Dubai Expo and we’ve had close to 10,000 visitors during this time,”

Tóth said. “And it’s not just our exhibition that’s popular with visitors, but our restaurant is also full.”

The pavilion showcases Hungary’s mineral, medicinal and thermal waters and its structure draws inspiration from the works of renowned architect Imre Makovecz. It was constructed without using a single drop of water, in line with the expo’s theme of sustainability.

Károly Pintér, executive chef of the pavilion’s restaurant, said that although getting hold of the ingredients needed to replicate the flavours of Hungarian cuisine had been a challenge, the kitchen had managed to put together a menu that is a true reflection of Hungarian gastronomy.

Expo 2020 Dubai runs until March 31, 2022.

Attendees are required to present proof of vaccination against Covid-19 or a fresh negative PCR test.

As we wrote last week, airline flydubai announced the launch of direct flights between Dubai and Budapest’s Liszt Ferenc International Airport.

Dubai World Expo Hungarian Pavilion Night
Read alsoThis is how the Hungarian pavilion looks at Expo 2020 Dubai – VIDEO

Kyrgyz Embassy opens in Budapest

Kyrgyz embassy in Budapest

Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó and Kyrgyz Foreign Minister Ruslan Kazakbayev jointly opened the Kyrgyz embassy in Hungary in Budapest on Monday.

Szijjártó said countries in the West had censured Hungary for its policy of opening up to the East because “our Western friends didn’t want competition in Eastern markets”. But it was by now clear that Hungary’s strategy had borne fruit, he added.

Commenting on Hungary-Kyrgyzstan ties, the minister said there were no unresolved political issues and ties are supported by a stable financing such as a fund to boost bilateral trade.

Also,

150 Kyrgyz students come to Hungary each year and study with scholarships, a programme which is vastly oversubscribed, he added.

Alongside his Kyrgyz counterpart, Szijjártó also participated in a ceremony marking the Day of Turkic Cooperation and Unity at the mission of the Turkic Council in Budapest.

Hungary, he said at the event, is a Christian nation and a state reaching back more than a thousand years. In the course of its history, Hungary has been closely bound up with Eastern cultures, he added.

Szijjártó said

a nation could only be “strong” if it was “proud of its national identity” and refused “to give in to pressure to abandon its values, heritage and history.”

Notwithstanding their geographical remoteness from Hungary in many cases, he said ties with Turkic nations were “fraternal”, and this could be felt in everyday life.

The value of trade with Turkic countries worth more than 4 billion US dollars last year has doubled in ten years,

he said, noting that Hungary’s Eximbank has opened a 500 million dollar credit line, while the government is backing the establishment of a Turkic investment fund.

Fully 870 scholarships are available to Turkic Council member states for the purpose of studying in Hungarian higher education this year, with applications for places exceeding 5,000.

Szijjártó also welcomed the help Hungary received last year from “Eastern countries” in terms of the country’s efforts to procure health-care equipment.

As we wrote today, Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó held talks with his Kyrgyz counterpart Ruslan Kazakbaev in Budapest, details here.

Kyrgyz FM Ruslan Kazakbaev hold talks in Hungary

Kyrgyz foreign minister Ruslan Kazakbaev in Hungary.

The role of Central Asia in the world has grown more important both in terms of security and the global economy, Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó said after talks with his Kyrgyz counterpart Ruslan Kazakbaev in Budapest on Monday, adding that the European Union should devote greater attention to the region.

The failure of the international military campaign in Afghanistan means that the security of Central Asia has a greater impact on global security than ever before, Szijjártó said.

Yet certain EU leaders continue to make “irresponsible comments” that could easily lead to a migration wave bigger than the one Europe experienced in 2015, the minister warned. Szijjártó said the opinions of the Central Asian countries should not be ignored, namely that the problems arising in Afghanistan should be addressed locally.

“This is exactly why it is irresponsible and dangerous for EU institutions to encourage Afghans to migrate,” he said.

“This would destabilise the whole region, which would also have a serious impact on Europe’s security situation.”

On another subject, Szijjártó said it was also important for Hungarian businesses to benefit from Central Asia’s economic growth through the government’s strategy of opening to the East.

Trade turnover between Hungary and Kyrgyzstan is up 62 percent this year, he said, adding that Hungarian pharmaceutical company Gedeon Richter was also expanding its share on the Kyrgyz market. Also, an agreement on the establishment of a 16 million US dollar Kyrgyz-Hungarian fund to support investments by Hungarian companies will enter into force in the coming week, he added.

“We Hungarians are more understanding of Central Asia than perhaps any other European country,”

Szijjártó said. “Therefore we are happy to act as a bridge . and would prefer if the EU devoted greater attention to this region.”

Szijjártó also noted that Hungary opened an embassy in Bishkek last year.

The embassy issues visas to six EU countries, and more member states have expressed interest, he said.

As we wrote before, Hungary’s foreign policy strategy of opening to the East has proven to be successful over the past ten years, with economic cooperation with the Turkic countries greatly benefiting the country’s national economy, the foreign minister said in Istanbul. Details HERE.

Kyrgyz President Sooronbay Jeenbekov
Read alsoOrbán meets Kyrgyz president, highlights importance of ‘functioning’ foreign ties

Hungarian FM in New York: any cooperation with Taliban must be tied to strict conditions

united_nations_foreign_ministy

The international community must make any form of cooperation with the Islamist Taliban which has overtaken control of Afghanistan dependent on meeting strict conditions, such as guaranteeing the rights of women and girls, Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó said in New York on Tuesday.

Szijjártó attended an online ministerial conference on the future of the situation of Afghan women held on the sidelines of the 76th session of the United Nations General Assembly, the ministry said.

He said that in connection with the withdrawal of international forces the Hungarian government had warned that efforts must be made to

prevent the south Asian country from becoming a hiding place for terrorist organisations

and the starting point of massive waves of illegal migrants. The latter would pose a serious security challenge for the European Union and could also speed up the spread of the coronavirus, he added.

Szijjártó said that looking at the current situation, neither of those goals had been achieved. He added that the position of neighbouring countries, according to which the problems of Afghanistan must be solved within Afghanistan, should be taken seriously.

He also said that the international community should avoid making irresponsible statements that could result in the destabilisation of the region. Additionally, clear conditions must be set to the Taliban, such as making any international recognition, cooperation or financial support dependent on guaranteeing the rights of women and girls, he said.

“If they are not ready to do that, then we cannot make any compromises with them,”

he said.

Hungary to sell AstraZeneca doses to Thailand, Vietnam

Vietnam

Hungary is selling to Thailand and Vietnam 400,000 doses of AstraZeneca vaccine each, Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto said in New York on Tuesday.

In New York to attend the 76th session of the United Nations General Assembly, Szijjarto said Hungary was meeting a request from the two southeast Asian countries.

He said Hungary’s vaccine procurements had been successful since it bought from a broader market than other European Union countries. So Hungary was able to start vaccinations early and was the first country in Europe to reopen its economy, he added.

Hungary has stocks of several million doses, so the country can help others just as it has done in the past, Szijjártó said.

It is also in Hungary’s interest to have the highest vaccination rate in as many countries as possible in order to reduce the risk of infections for travellers, he added.

Szijjártó said caseload was increasing and the fourth wave would likely pose a serious challenge to every country.

“There is consensus globally that vaccinations are the solution,” he said.

The more people get vaccinated, the less harm the fourth wave can cause, he added.

Tamás Menczer Sinopharm Vaccine in Hungary
Read alsoHungary could produce Sinopharm vaccines domestically thanks to new agreement

Afghanistan situation threatening with new migration wave, says Hungarian FM in NY

Afghanistan

The situation in Afghanistan is threatening to trigger a new wave of illegal mass migration, Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó said in New York late on Monday, adding that “the foreign ministers of European Union countries do not seem to have grasped the full scope of the danger yet.”

Szijjártó spoke at a meeting of EU foreign ministers within the framework of the 76th UN General Assembly.

The minister told reporters on the sidelines of the meeting that the “worse scenario” seems to be prevailing in Afghanistan. The economy is sinking into a crisis, a growing number of Afghans are in need of humanitarian aid, and terror threat is growing, he said.

All those factors point to a growing threat of illegal migration, Szijjártó said.

Meanwhile, European leaders continue to issue statements that “Afghans can interpret as an invitation”, Szijjarto said. Several member states “even want to organise resettlement forums,” he added.

“The events six years ago have shown us that the next step will be mandatory quotas, with some talk about family reunification already. Unfortunately, most EU states have not learnt from what happened in Europe in 2015 and has been happening since,” he said.

Meanwhile, Afghanistan’s neighbours have made it clear that Afghanistan’s problems should be solved locally, he said.

“If the EU does not change its stance, that will result in another grave wave of illegal mass migration, which we should avoid,” Szijjártó said.

Hungary illegal migration
Read alsoNot surprising: Hungarians reject migrant quotas!

Did foreign tourists disappear from Hungary?

Budapest tourism Hungary coronavirus basilica

The number of foreign tourists dropped by 70% compared to the numbers of 2019. However, the global situation was dire as well.

According to the World Tourism Barometer, international tourist arrivals in Europe decreased by 66% in the first half of 2020, and there was a 97% drop in the second half of the year. Africa saw a 57% drop in international  tourism in the first half of 2020. In Asia and the Pacific, a 52% decline was seen in tourism, followed by a 99% drop in the second half of 2020. North-East Asia was hit by the pandemic the most, as the largest decrease, -83%, was recorded in the first half of 2020. “Most destinations in Asia and the Pacific recorded declines in international arrivals close to 100% in June and July,” shows the World Tourism Barometer.

Hungary’s statistics match the global standard as well.

According to KSH (Central Statistical Office), the number of guest nights increased by 10% compared to the numbers in July 2020 but decreased by 36% compared to the same month in 2019. Domestic tourism helped the situation, but the fact that foreign tourists are not coming to Hungary still means a major setback, wrote napi.hu.

Hovercraft service to be launched between Belgrade and Budapest before next summer!

In the year before the pandemic, in the first seven months, 2,510,680 guests spent 5,800,890 guest nights in Budapest, while July was the busiest month of the year, with 1,002,248 nights.

These days, the number of domestic guests has increased by 5.3%, and the number of guest nights by 8.1%. The number of guests reached 802,000 and the number of guest nights reached 2.3 million. 59% of the nights were spent in hotels, where a 7.6% increase was registered. Boarding houses did not notice any change in the number of guests, while holiday settlements and camps saw a drop in the numbers. Communal accommodations saw an increase in traffic due to the restart of the summer camp season. 

Lake Balaton was the most popular tourist region. One-third of domestic guest nights were registered there.

“The number of foreign guests increased by 29%, and the number of guest nights by 16%. The 218,000 guests arriving at accommodations spent a total of 571,000 guest nights. Most of the guests stayed in hotels, and the number of nights spent there increased by almost one-third compared to July 2020. The increase was the highest in the case of Budapest (almost double),” wrote napi.hu.

Want to drink cheap? Come to Hungary!

 

7 irresistible reasons to start a company in Hong Kong

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Businesspersons around the world know the importance of Asia when it comes to starting a booming business. Gone are the days when Asia was not considered a heart of the industry, business, finance, culture, and a globalized place. Asia now provides the greatest place to establish a new business.

Setting up a company is not even a little bit difficult in Hong Kong. But out of all the countries in Asia, Hong Kong is the one that stands out as the best place for starting a new company. Hong Kong allows you to connect your business with the world with easier business regulations and a great taxation system.

So are you considering a hong kong company register and want to know some benefits of doing so? Well, you are in the right place. We will share with you the seven amazing reasons why you should register your business in Hong Kong with companies like get Started HK – keep reading!

1.      Connect With The World

One of the main reasons investors think of starting a company in Hong Kong is that it is the easiest entry to mainland China without setting up your business there. It means that you will not have to deal with the regulations of the Chinese government, but you will be dealing with the Chinese manufacturers directly.

Hong Kong is famous for its amazing and thriving culture that understands the standards and traditions of both East and the West. People in Hong Kong have amazing communication skills and make it easier for you to get along.

Furthermore, as Hong Kong has maintained amazing relationships with ASEAN countries and Western companies, running your operations in Hong Kong allows you to get connected with all parts of the world!

2.      Free Trade

One of the biggest hurdles of starting a business outside your homeland is the fear of strict regulations. Many booming countries that know their worth in the world place so huge taxation systems and sanctions on free trade that it becomes impossible to start a business there.

But Hong Kong is on another journey. Over the years, the government in Hong Kong has made it far easier to establish a business there. There are no strict guidelines on Free Trade, and you can enjoy setting up and running your business in Hong Kong.

Unbiased institutions around the world praise the Business-Friendly environment of this country. For example, the transportation costs are cheaper here. Getting raw materials in or out of the country is not costly, and it allows you to generate more revenue.

3.      Easier Setup

What if you have an amazing business idea, but all your time is spent filling up the documents and making trips to governmental offices? All this hassle will wear you down, right? When it comes to establishing a company in Hong Kong, you can rest assured that there are no such problems.

Hong Kong is famous around the world for its amazing business environment. The law and order situation favors the setup of new companies. The overall process of starting a company is fast, and you don’t have to get permission from dozens of offices before starting a business.

4.      Simpler Taxation System

Taxation is a nightmare for any business. No matter how profitable your business is, if you have been giving hefty paychecks to the government, you can never ensure your success. The good news about starting a business in Hong Kong is that you don’t have to fear taxes here.

Hong Kong prides itself on having the simplest and most effective taxation system in the world. The government understands the needs of foreign investors and ensures that everything goes smoothly for them.

The money you make in Hong Kong can be transferred outside easily with the simpler money regulations. You will not be forced to give huge percentages of your profits to the government.

5.      Amazing Regulations

With all the perks of enjoying the free market and easier taxation system, you might be wondering if doing business in Hong Kong is safe or not. The truth is that the regulations in Hong Kong are so favorable for businesspersons that you don’t have to worry about frauds or bad actors.

The business regulations in Hong Kong favor free trade. Business legal documentation is simpler to read and understand. If you are familiar with the legal system in the west, you will face no difficulties understanding the legal proceedings in Hong Kong. You change the structure of your business with great ease if you want. There are no strict legal laws for business whatsoever.

6.      Your Intellectual Rights

Securing intellectual property is also an important thing for the development of your business. If someone copies your business idea, your logo, or any other important things, you should be backed by the law to ensure that the offender faces the music.

In Hong Kong, the best thing about starting a business is that you don’t have to worry about saving your intellectual rights. The legal structure of the country ensures that you don’t have to face fraudsters. Your intellectual property is safe under the legal guidelines of Hong Kong.

7.      The Structure

There are several ways available for you to structure your business the right way. As a businessperson, you only have to choose the right structure that favors your specific needs and removes any discrepancies for you.

The good thing about starting a company in Hong Kong is adopting any business structure you want. Setting up an LLC is most favored by skilled businesspersons as it maximizes your profit and security in the country.

Business regulations in Hong Kong ensure that your private property is distinct from your business property. The court doesn’t come after your private property in case your business faces any problems.

Conclusion

Hong Kong is an amazing place for starting a secure, reliable, and profitable business. You should start a business in Hong Kong with a reliable company like Get Started HK to get on your pathway to success!

Hungarian food from Toronto to Laos – check it out!

goulash, food, Hungary

Hungarian food is amazing for many reasons, and it is definitely worth a try. Unfortunately, travelling is not in the plans for many people due to the pandemic that put our travel plans on hold, but there are plenty of great places where you can try Hungarian food until you can finally arrive in Budapest.

Canada

In this beautiful country, you can find Hungarian food in Toronto. If you would like to try chimney cake, go to Eva’s Original or make an order. Eva immigrated to Canada in 1956, and it was actually her grandson, Justin, and his wife, Kristin, who founded the place. If you are looking for a Hungarian restaurant that has been serving flavourful comfort food in the Upper Beaches, Budapest Restaurant may be your choice. Another restaurant was opened in the ’60s and is still open today. Country Style, a family-style restaurant known for traditional Wiener Schnitzel and goulash soup, can be found in Toronto.

United States of America

Langos Truck in New York has all you need. There, you can try various Hungarian foods, not just the world-famous lángos. In Anaheim, California, there is a restaurant called Dunarea Restaurant, a Romanian business that also offers Hungarian food, such as goulash.

For those who would rather cook Hungarian food, we have great news. You can order all kinds of Hungarian products from US-based shops. Savory Spice has many locations in the US, and also an online shop where you can buy Hungarian paprika, among other products. Hungarian Meat Market offers a little more variety, from spices to meat and even honey. Another shop can be found in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, but they ship nationwide. Hungarian Deli has even more variety. Looking through what they offer, I could point out some products that are definitely not Hungarian, but overall, I liked the products they sell. Just a tip from me: check out all categories, maybe you will find food, sweets or even other products you may like. I saw they even sell Baba shower gel. I would never have thought I could find them in the US!

Laos

Speaking of what I never thought of, I managed to find a Hungarian restaurant in Vientiane, Laos. Budapest Bistro even has Langos Friday, so maybe you can try it sometime. If not, just check out the menu. 

If you go to any of these places, it would be fun to hear about them. Feel free to use the comment section and tell us about your experience. Until then, check out some other great places HERE, or check out some Hungarian recipes HERE.

Hungary offers on-site help for Afghanistan, but welcomes no migrants

Hungary-USA-Afghanistan

The first Hungarian aircraft participating in an evacuation mission from Afghanistan is expected to land in Budapest around midnight, a foreign ministry state secretary said on Sunday.

Levente Magyar said the people arriving on the aircraft, rescued by Hungarian troops, include many Afghans and a significant number of Hungarian and American nationals. He added that “dozens of Americans” are being evacuated from Afghanistan on aircraft the Hungarian Army has deployed for the rescue operation. He declined to reveal further details while the evacuation is underway.

He said the timeframe for the evacuation is “extremely limited”,

adding that the Americans would either call and end to the operation or the Taliban would “change the circumstances of the ceasefire”. Magyar also mentioned “accusations” that Hungary and the Hungarian government had been “insensitive with regard to humanitarian factors”.

He said an extraordinary meeting of NATO ministers of foreign affairs called on Friday at which he participated, filling in for Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó, was “completely useless” as

“we can’t do anything to improve the situation in Afghanistan retroactively”.

At this point, he added, “we can only talk about managing the consequences”.

Magyar said it was “unacceptable” that many Afghans eligible for evacuation are reaching the airport after facing the Taliban forces only to be detained by the Americans on the grounds that the airport is full. He said he told the US secretary of state at the NATO videoconference that all means must be used to change the situation.

On Saturday, he said “a trickle” of Hungarians and their Afghan allies were allowed out. Magyar said Hungary is working with the Americans to keep the admission of people into the Kabul airport at an accelerated pace. He predicted “masses of people” from Afghanistan will head towards Europe.

“We can only manage this by offering assistance on site,

first of all by not allowing these people to charge into Europe in an uncoordinated manner,” he added.

European leaders follow Orbán’s example in days of crisis?

migration Hungary government

The migration crisis in 2015 had a more significant impact than many people thought.

The unfortunate events of Afghanistan shocked the whole world this week. Many countries are trying to get their citizens out of the dangerous areas and prepare for refugees to come to Europe.

The previous migration crisis, however, left noticeable traces that have an impact even on the recent decisions made. A technical lock will be placed on the Lithuanian-Belarus border because the Belarusian president threatened Lithuania with illegal migration. The EU had to intervene to make sure that migrants from Bagdad are not taken to Minks to later be transferred to Lithuania, writes 24.hu.

Turkey has an important role as well. If the country wanted to destabilise the EU, this could be easily achieved as it is Turkey that currently stops migrants from further travel, but it could simply let them enter the EU.

No wonder that the situation in Afghanistan raised serious concerns. Refugees are getting sympathy and support from the general public, but some fear that 1 million Afghans will probably come to Europe in hopes of a safer life. The case of Germany and France is interesting in this aspect because the approaching elections might play a part in how politicians will handle the possible issues.

The refugee crisis could affect America, Europe, and even China. A Chinese province where Uyghurs, a Muslim minority, live is actually neighbouring the land which is currently under the rule of the Taliban regime.

To keep things under control, the EU decided to follow the same tactics and plans that the Hungarian prime minister set up back in 2015.  “Most EU leaders are reluctant to be seen with him, but they have adopted almost all the practices and ideas that Orbán invented after the refugee crisis. This, in turn, will massively undermine the EU’s internal credibility,” writes 24.hu.

 

As Daily News Hungary reported, Foreign Ministry State Secretary Levente Magyar said that Hungary would help those Afghans who collaborated with Hungarian troops and whose life could be in mortal danger. These people will be accepted as refugees in Hungary. Helping them, according to Magyar, is a “moral duty”.

Samsung’s factory in Hungary causes unbearable noise to locals

samsung factory hungary plant göd

The population of the city of Göd, home to Samsung’s factory in Hungary, is becoming more and more annoyed by the continuous noise caused by the factory. While locals are fighting for immediate noise reduction, a detailed environmental impact study, and the afforestation of the entire area between the residential area and the industrial area, the Göd battery plant has been expanded to a total of 120 hectares. 

Initially, the noise only affected the residents of Göd who are living in the vicinity of the factory (at a distance of 50 metres). From 2018, it was communicated to the locals that the factory was in trial operation. However, according to Zsuzsa Bodnár, the president of the Göd-ÉRT Environmental and Urban Protection Association, this was not true. As a result, the management of the factory placed the problematic cooling towers further back and built noise barriers in front of them.

Read also: Huge investment: Samsung plant in Hungary to create 2,700 jobs!

Units B and C were also built in the second phase of the factory. However, the latter have not received a commissioning permit yet, but the manufacturing activity has already started, reported Hungarian news portal Index. The lack of permits was uncovered by Göd-ÉRT after the association finally received a response to its request for public interest data. As a result, the Pest County government office ordered an investigation and immediately prohibited the production of the two units in February. Three months later, a penalty of EUR 2,850 (~HUF 1 million) was imposed to be paid by Samsung.

Despite all this, the noise remained, and production continues uninterrupted, which increasingly worries the locals, according to whom the noise is sometimes unbearable. Experts have also confirmed that the noise level emitted exceeds the permissible limit also outside the area of the factory. Subsequently, the environmental authority was forced to acknowledge the legitimacy of the complaints and establish a new noise protection area. According to a map prepared by locals,

more than 450 properties are affected by noise pollution.

On 19th July, the locals sent a public interest announcement to the head of the relevant government office, demanding that Samsung close its factory due to the violation of the law. As a second solution, they are trying to contact the supervisory authority, forcing the government office to intervene in their case.

The civilian initiatives are supported by the city’s leadership. However, the municipality’s official power over the Samsung SDI factory has been abolished after the factory has become a special economic zone. Therefore, they have limited influence regarding this issue. For the time being, they are forwarding public feedback and complaints to the appropriate institutions and trying to consult with decision makers, said the mayor of Göd, Csaba Balogh, adding that “as the Fidesz-led Pest County, which oversees the special economic zone, is given instructions from above, these talks can hardly be more than a bit of pressure, rather than a real negotiation.”

Previously, government agency authorities ordered Samsung SDI to draw up a noise reduction action plan, which was completed and adopted in January last year. So far, however, this has not resulted in any improvement,

and even more residents of Göd have been complaining about the unbearable noise that exceeds the limits especially during the night.

As a small result, the Municipality of Pest County provided funding for the installation of a narrow noise protection forest strip.

While locals are fighting for immediate noise reduction, a detailed environmental impact study, and the afforestation of the entire area between the residential area and the industrial area, the Göd battery plant has been expanded to a total of 120 hectares. 

According to Zsuzsa Bodnár, the president of the association GÖD-ÉRT, the development and implementation of newer and newer noise reduction plans could take many years, while the company that grows smoothly with the help of the authorities has also been licensed for additional noise sources. So, it is not yet known when a final solution will be figured out regarding the issue.

Read alsoInauguration of Samsung SDI’s electric car battery plant in Hungary

Hungarian citizens evacuated from Afghanistan

Hungary Afghanistan rescue

Hungary’s military allies have evacuated 26 Hungarian citizens from Kabul to Tashkent, the foreign ministry said on Wednesday.

Foreign ministry state secretary Levente Magyar had said earlier that Hungary would launch an operation in Kabul to evacuate Hungarians and their Afghan helpers.

“After consulting with Hungary, our military allies have flown 26 Hungarian citizens out of Afghanistan,”

the ministry said in a statement.

Magyar had said that Hungary was also prepared to help Afghan citizens who had helped the Hungarian troops in the country, as well as their families. This group, he said, numbers a few hundred people.

“We know who they are, and they are in mortal danger, so it is our moral duty to help them,”

Magyar said.

Magyar said Afghanistan-related tasks are fulfilled by cargo planes starting from the airport in Pápa, western Hungary. The details of the operation are under NATO command and are confidential, he said.

Government: Hungary prepared to evacuate all its citizens from Afghanistan!

Hungary-Afghanistan-evacuation

Hungary will bring all its citizens home safely from Afghanistan, a foreign ministry official said on Tuesday.

Hungarians in Afghanistan are reaching out to the Hungarian authorities about returning home every hour, state secretary Levente Magyar told public media, but could not specify how many people would be evacuated in total. The government will do everything it can to get all Hungarians home safely, he added.

One larger group of 26 people is expected to be flown home by one of Hungary’s military allies,

Magyar said. However, if this plan were to fall through for some reason, Hungary will be able to bring them home too, he added.

Magyar said the crisis in Afghanistan was approaching its denouement, which he said had been caused by the United States announcing the withdrawal of its troops from the country without any prior meaningful consultations with its allies.

The withdrawal was carried out, “paving the way for an overwhelming offensive by the Taliban, which has now allowed them to take control of the entire country”,

he added.

Because of this, there is now a threat that Europe could see a repeat of 2015 when it was “overrun” by millions of migrants from the Middle East, the state secretary said.

Magyar said the current situation indicated that the West “hasn’t learned anything”,

and after Libya, Iraq and Syria, it will leave behind “ruin, hundreds of thousands of casualties, political chaos, a reign of terror by extremists and millions of emigrants in Afghanistan, too”.

The Hungarian government, however, will not let the Hungarian people be made to “pay the price for the dilettantism of the superpowers”,

Magyar said. Hungary therefore refuses to take in the wave of migrants that will be fleeing the chaos in Afghanistan, the state secretary added.