Archive of articles - August 2004, page 13

Industrial powerhouse and curative spas

TRENČÍN has a strong tradition of machine industry and belongs to one of the most developed regions of Slovakia. However, under socialism the industrial sector mainly focused on military production, which ceased after the Velvet Revolution. As a result, the region underwent a painful industrial restructuring.

What is so funny about Bahá'í?

DID YOU hear the one about the Iranian comedian? No, it is not an oxymoron. Omid Djalili, Britain's only Iranian stand-up comedian and actor, was headlining in Slovakia, but not at a comedy club. He was one of three featured speakers at a Bahá'í summer conference in the Low Tatras July 31 through August 5.Djalili may not be a household name, but his face should be familiar to moviegoers. He has had roles in films as diverse as The World Is Not Enough, Gladiator, and The Mummy, and is currently starring in an American sitcom with Whoopi Goldberg.

Floods hit eastern Slovakia hard

HEAVY floods hit eastern Slovakia over the past two weeks. Crops waiting for harvest have been damaged, hundreds of houses were flooded and many people were forced to vacate their homes. This is the seventh year in a row that the country has suffered such devastating floods.Although the government adopted a flood prevention programme in 2000, officials have curtailed its implementation over the past few years, and environmentalists add that the programme, if ever completed, will not be sufficient anyhow.

Homeless soccer players return home

EIGHT Slovak homeless people, sellers of the Nota Bene street magazine, participated at the world soccer championships of homeless people, The Homeless World Cup 2004, in Göteborg, Sweden during the last week of July.

Kolenčík turns attention to painting

ON THE VERGE of Painting and Graphic Works is the title of an exhibition presenting works by Vojtech Kolenčík, which runs at Bratislava's Nova Gallery on Baštova Street until September 5.Born in 1955 in Nitra, Kolenčík is one of the graduates of Albín Brunovský's class, whose work brought about a new way of thinking in graphic art in the 1980s, during the communist years.

FinMin: Country doing well

Musical runway leads to Trenčín

NEW alternative bands from Slovakia and its surrounding countries will perform at the seventh annual Runway music festival starting at 16:00 on August 14 at the Trenčín Castle."The best of the new Central European rock scene will be there," promise the organisers of the event from web magazine the Music Revue.Over 580 bands from Slovakia, the Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland, Austria, and Germany submitted demos that have not yet been officially published by the magazine this year.

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Ex-KSS member to start new "red" party

ZSE reports Sk21.1 billion in electricity

Banks profit Sk6.9 billion in H1

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Detva: a gem in the heart of Slovakia

PERHAPS the best time to visit Detva is during the second weekend in July when this small and seemingly quiet town in the heart of Slovakia hums with life. It is at this time of year that Detva plays host to singers and dancers from all corners of Slovakia and around the world, gathering at the annual Folk Festival Under Poľana. What was once a local event, showcasing the distinctive folklore of the Podpoľanie region has now outgrown its regional boundaries and become famous nationwide.

Lesy SR with Sk144 million mid-year profit

Oil scam boss arrested

Východná

NO OTHER Slovak shepherds have such a good reputation as those from Upper Liptov. In the region where almost everything involved sheep, the saying that "a sheep nourishes, shoes, and clothes a man" worked almost word for word.The shepherd depicted in this postcard watches over his herd in a meadow near the village of Východná sometime in the 1920s.

Opera diva Kirilová dies

LEADING Slovak mezzo-soprano, Ida Kirilová, passed away on July 21 after suffering from a long-term illness, the SITA newswire reported. She last performed in the role of Kabanicha in Leoš Janáček's opera Káťa Kabanová that was premiered last October in the Slovak National Theatre.

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