Brief Briefs: Politicians Confused About Condoms

• Today is "International AIDS Day," and related programs will be held in Budapest and Nyíregyháza. The number of HIV-infected people in Hungary has reportedly doubled since last year. [hírszerző]

• Members of Parliament were apparently confused when they voted on a bill related to the sale of condoms to minors on Tuesday, but most of them deny that they were. They had to decide whether the new law on retail trade should exculde condoms from "sexual products," which can not be sold to those under 18 years of age. Some representatives of the conservative opposition, for example, MDF leader Ibolya Dávid and former Prime Minister Viktor Orbán supported the modification, while Liberal leader Gábor Kuncze voted against it. As a result, it depended on only a few votes that condoms can still be sold to minors. Not many MPs admit that they were not sure what they were supposed to vote. Kuncze does. [hirado.hu]

• In other bathhouse-related news, one of our sources showed up bright and early for the long-awaited reopening of the Rudas baths, and was told it is still closed, despite a big sign outside saying it's open. He's going to try again, and so might we. You're welcome to join. [ma.hu]

• Cool TV decided to move to Romania after their cartoon series "Hungarikum" got them into trouble. [ma.hu]

• A utility fee collector from Baja (Bács-Kiskun County) has been charged with misappropriating Ft 4 million (€16,000). [stop.hu]

• Budapest transport company BKV Rt wants to take fines directly from passengers' bank accounts, the same way parking companies do. Passengers should pay Ft 4 billion a year in fines, but BKV can get them to pay only half of it. [mno]