Archive of articles - January 2003, page 5

Machinery firm fires more employees

Imuna restarts production

Rusko says ANO may quit government

Cops bust Mafia party

Pope coming to visit

Petition launched for NATO vote

Top Pick: Colourful Rasputin, Slovak-style

GRIGORY Rasputin is undoubtedly one of the most scandalous figures in Russian history. Born around 1869 in Siberia, his miraculous healing powers won him an influential position in aristocratic circles, and his ability to remain there, despite his widely publicised drinking and womanising, made him a personality extolled by some and cursed by others.The story about this controversial Russian fascinated the Slovak choreographer Ján Ďurovčík's creative team. Their fascination has resulted in an entirely Slovak work, with original libretto, music, and choreography. The ballet Rasputin will premiere on January 24, just after the annual Philip Morris Ballet Flower Awards are announced. The public premiere will be on January 25."It is every artist's dream to create a work that he can leave behind," says Ďurovčík, 31, who is behind most aspects of the ballet - he is the ballet's director, choreographer, and librettist.

VSŽ share sale case reopened

Constitutional Court to revisit abortion law

THE SLOVAK Constitutional Court is set to rule on whether abortions should be banned in Slovakia in response to claims by a group of mainly Christian Democratic (KDH) MPs that the country's current abortion law is unconstitutional.Opponents of the proposed ban argue that the restriction would lead to an increase in back-street abortions and would result in more Slovak women travelling abroad to get the service.Pro-choice groups insist that education rather than legal restriction is the way to go, adding that the number of abortions has been falling steadily over the last decade due to the wide availability and increased use of modern contraception. Since the fall of communism in 1989, the number of abortions has fallen from nearly 50,000 instances in 1988 to 16,000 in 2001.

Letter to the Editor: Other things need strengthening too

Eduard Kukan for president?

Family benefits not capped as claimed

Quote of the Week

VW to make Turan model in Germany

Vote NATO, but vote

FOR SLOVAKIA'S ruling coalition, last year bore the fruits of long foreign policy labours, bringing invitations to join the European Union and the NATO military alliance. Now one last big question remains - do the people really want to join the clubs?Opinion polls have consistently shown strong support for membership in both bodies, but while EU membership requires a public referendum for approval, NATO membership does not, and Slovakia is within its rights to let parliamentarians decide.While few credibly argue against membership in the EU, NATO presents a stickier question. Will it make Slovakia stronger? Does Slovakia need to commit itself to defending all other alliance countries? Neither Switzerland nor Austria has signed on. And can Slovakia afford it?

Slovakia beats out Poland to win Peugeot plant

FRENCH auto giant PSA Peugeot Citroen has announced it will be building a new 700 million euro factory in the west Slovak town of Trnava. The announcement came a week after the cabinet agreed on a package of investment incentives for the carmaker.Although the decision was not due until the end of January, Peugeot officials said that Slovakia had won out over rival locations in Poland due to Trnava's central location and infrastructure, as well as the possibility to develop an industrial park for suppliers next to the plant.In the January 15 announcement, Peugeot also credited the Trnava site with an established "manufacturing tradition and the availability of well-educated labour".

Letter to the Editor: Fico should listen to the people

Industry output up 10% last November

Mečiar ignores illegal bonus charges