Archive of articles - November 2006, page 5

Soldier's death stirs debate on missions

THE RECENT death of a Slovak soldier in Iraq has again raised questions regarding Slovakia's military involvement in foreign missions.

Only 27 percent of households had Internet access in Q1

SLOVAKIA is significantly lagging behind the EU average in the number of households with Internet access. Only 27 percent of households were reportedly connected to the Internet in the first quarter of 2006, while just 11 percent had broadband Internet access.

PRESS digest: HOSPODÁRSKE NOVINY DAILY

Dining out like a native

IF you think about it, we make a lot of cultural assumptions while dining out. We expect the food, language on the menu and décor to be different, but are we ever prepared to wait half an hour for a waiter to approach our table, or to pay extra for water, bread, or ketchup with our fries?

State came out second best on SE sale, Fico says

PRIME Minister Robert Fico says he is convinced that Slovakia could have got more money and better terms in the sale of the Slovenské Elektrárne (SE) electricity utility earlier this year, and intends to find out whether the former government deliberately arranged a sweet deal for the buyer.

Headline inflation slowed to 3.7 percent

EVENTS COUNTRYWIDE

Police hunt killers among their own ranks

POLICE have arrested one man and are searching for two others who executed a businessman on November 14 during a home invasion in Central Slovakia's Polomka. To the nation's general dismay, two of the murderers are former policemen, and one is a current member of the elite police 'black masks' unit.

PRESS digest: SME DAILY

"People want something new"

PAVOL Hagyari, a well-known slovak lawyer, is running as an independent candidate for mayor of the town of Prešov. In the mid 1990's he was the chairman of the now-defunct Democratic Party, but gave up his post and left politics when the party failed to win seats in parliament. He now figures in 20 companies.

New plans for Special Court

Cultural life in towns

SLOVAKIA used to be quite a rural country, with only a few large towns. Life in small towns and villages was essentially the same, and any cultural or social life that existed, it's often unkindly noted, took place mainly in the local pub or church.

Majský fined for missing court hearing

Valko, Rehák arrested

THE JAILING of people close to the parties of the political opposition continued on November 15 with the arrest of well-known Bratislava attorney Ernest Valko, the former chief justice of the Czechoslovak Constitutional Court, and entrepreneur Ladislav Rehák, the largest sponsor of the opposition Christian Democrats.

The new sheriff in town

WHEN the previous right-wing Mikuláš Dzurinda government decided to focus on economic reforms as its main program priority, it elevated the author of these changes, former Finance Minister Ivan Mikloš, to the second most powerful position in the cabinet after the prime minister.

Inflation down for second month running

ACCORDING to a European Commission forecast published in the first week of November, Slovakia will miss its January 2009 target for adopting the euro because its inflation rate will be well over the maximum allowed.

Kia wants additional investment stimulus

Healthcare staff moving abroad

MORE than 600 healthcare staff left Slovakia to work abroad between May and October of this year according to data provided by the Slovak Health Ministry. The ministry has records on departing physicians and nurses because it issues confirmations of their education for them.

Ján Tóth: Cheaper energy popular with voters