Archive of articles - January 2005, page 3

Former spy boss Lexa found guilty

IAEA assesses nuclear risks

Italian money feels good

THE FINANCIAL field in Slovakia seems an attractive place for Italian capital. Two previously Slovak-owned banks, VÚB and UniBanka, have been bought by Italian companies. And on the Slovak insurance market, Italian Generali is a player.The investment trend started in 1996 when the Italian UniCredito bank bought an interest in UniBanka, becoming a majority shareholder in 2000. Spectator.

Mail ordersjump

For Italy, the sky is the limit

ITALIAN Ambassador Antonino Provenzano says "the sky is the limit" when it comes to business potential and cooperation between Italy and Slovakia.With more Slovaks taking Italian language courses than ever before, he is equally optimistic about a meaningful, ongoing cultural exchange between the two nations.The Slovak Spectator spoke with the ambassador to get his views on these and other germane topics, including the tourist industry, in which Italy is a heavyweight.

Pottery idyll

Ceramics 3 - Burnt Idyll is a rare display of traditional ceramics organized jointly by the Slovak National Museum in Martin, the Ethnographical Museum at Schloss Kitsee (just over the border from Bratislava in Austria) and the Szombathélyi Savaria Museum in Hungary.The exhibition at the museum in Martin runs until March 28.

Around Slovakia

Unhealthy return for "Blessed spring"Bank raiders getaway haltedFake cheque cabbie nabbedToo many trucks spoil the stayThree-in-one for first time mumChildren hit by car

Slovak Airlines opts for rescue landing

AN AUSTRIAN air carrier has swooped in to support Slovenské aerolínie (Slovak Airlines), which has been teetering at the brink of bankruptcy. The move has bought Austrian Airlines a majority share in Slovakia's state-run airlines.The transaction took place in mid-January, when Austrian Airlines injected another €2.8 million into Slovak Airlines and increased its ownership to 61.99 percent. Critics are calling the deal "hidden privatization".Spokesperson for the Transport Minister, Tomáš Šarluška, told The Slovak Spectator that the share increase is based on a loan agreement between Austrian Airlines and Slovak Airlines signed December 23 last year.

Reader feedback: Empty words

ANO MP leaves party

VIKTOR Béreš is leaving the New Citizen's Alliance (ANO). He blamed his departure on party boss Pavol Rusko's authoritative ways.The ANO responded with a statement discrediting Béreš as corrupt, saying the ANO would have sacked Béreš if he had not announced his intention to leave on January 25.Spokesman for the liberal ruling coalition party, Juraj Puchý, said that the ANO had recently received a written statement from an unnamed person confirming that Béreš had demanded a bribe.

NOW PLAYING IN CINEMAS

Good, honest blues

BLUES, Slovak-style, is crossing the border. Organizers of the most recent Šumperk's Blues Alive, one of the largest blues events in Europe, invited five Slovak bands to play alongside 20 top international acts, which included soulful luminaries Corey Harris and Toni Lynn Washington."The blues scene in Slovakia is first class. We follow it closely," says Vladimír Rybička, director of the Czech Šumperk festival.

Slovakia remembers village massacres

Saint's surprise

U Sv HubertaWhere: Kasalova 8, Nitra When: Monday-Friday 10:00-24:00, Saturday-Sunday 12:00-24:00Reservations: YesEnglish menu: NoTel: 037/6516-774Rating: 7 out of 10IT IS wet. Moisture hangs in the air and gusts of wind occasionally blow it, cold and prickly, into our faces. It is a perfect day to stop by St Hubert's.

Fixed-line market opening up

Global report: Slovakia progressing

Slovakia slow to adopt EU law

Bank profits and clients on the rise

World Bank praises Slovakia