Archive of articles - August 2008, page 7
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Unemployment increased slightly in July
The official unemployment rate in Slovakia increased to 7.47 percent in July, rising by 0.05 percentage points month-on-month, but falling by 0.83 percentage points year-on-year, the Centre for Labour, Social Affairs and the Family announced on August 18.
Gašparovič dismisses two ministers, appoints their replacements
President Ivan Gašparovič on August 18 accepted the resignation of Environment Minister Jaroslav Izák (a Slovak National Party nominee) and dismissed Agriculture Minister Zdenka Kramplova (HZDS) at the request of Prime Minister Robert Fico. At the same time, he appointed Ján Chrbet (SNS) as the new head of the Environment Ministry and Stanislav Becík (HZDS) to the post of Agriculture Minister. Izák's removal was requested by Fico after it was revealed that the head of Slovakia's State Forests Jozef Mindáš (a HZDS nominee) and SNS MP Jozef Ďuračka were allocated subsidies from the Environmental Fund for installing ecological equipment in their own houses. Kramplová's dismissal was requested last week by her party boss Vladimír Mečiar following alleged shady public procurements at the ministry and controversial donations to HZDS. TASR
A biography of Agriculture Minister Stanislav Becík
Slovak President Ivan Gašparovič appointed Stanislav Becík as the new agriculture minister on August 18.
Olympic Window: Hochschorner brothers make a hat trick
Peter and Pavol Hochschorner became the most successful water slalom athletes on August 15, winning gold in Olympic canoeing for the third consecutive time.
Crown firmed slightly over weekend
The Slovak crown moderately appreciated against the euro last week.
Survey: Smer would win elections; SDKÚ would be second
The opposition SDKÚ has jumped to the second position in election polls after clear leader, the Smer party of Prime Minister Robert Fico.
Fico threatens nationalisation to stop energy increases
Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico stated that the government is ready to takeextreme measures, including expropriation, if power monopolies do not respect the purchasing power of the population in their price proposals.
Best jobs in Slovakia
THE BEST JOBS in Slovakia are in the telecommunications sector. During the first six months of this year, the highest average wage in the non-financial sector was in telecommunications. Telecom workers make an average of Sk49,822 (€1,654) per month, the SITA newswire wrote. On the negative side, however, telecom was the only sector where wages did not increase over the previous year.
Kremnica Gold opens mining museum in the Andrej Gallery
THE COMPANY Kremnica Gold, which would like to renew gold mining in the Kremnica mines, has opened a mining museum in the Andrej Gallery in the locality of Šturec over Kremnica. In the first stage, 610 metres of horizontal mining galleries and corridors have been made accessible. They contain exhibits showing gold mining in Kremnica between the 17th and 20th century. The tour lasts for about an hour and a half, the SITA newswire wrote.
Agriculture minister’s term nipped in bud
EIGHT months after replacing Miroslav Jureňa as agriculture minister, Zdenka Kramplová, a nominee of the ruling coalition’s Movement for a Democratic Slovakia (HZDS), is about to join the ranks of ministers who have been forced to quit the Robert Fico cabinet.
The little castle that always lost
LIPTOVSKÝ Hrádok is one of three castles in the historical region of Liptov in northern Slovakia. Liptov Castle, located high in the mountains, used to be the largest. Now only ruins of it remained.
SNS fills empty ministerial post; Chrbet tightlipped
THE SLOVAK National Party (SNS) has nominated Ján Chrbet, one of its MPs, to become the new Environment Minister.Prime Minister Robert Fico has already given his approval to the choice, while environmental organisations have voiced disappointment, citing Chrbet's lack of experience in the field.
Historic town hall to take break
THE OLD Town Hall in Bratislava closed it doors on August 11 for two years of extensive reconstruction, the Pravda daily wrote.
Congratulations, Martikán and Štefečeková!
IN SPITE spite of some bad luck and disappointing performances, the Slovak team managed to come away with two medals during the first six days of the XXIX Olympic Games.As The Slovak Spectator went to press, Michal Martikán had taken the gold in water slalom and shooter Zuzana Štefečeková finished second in trap shooting.
Tipos loses Sk1 billion dispute with Športka
TIPOS, the state-controlled lottery company, will have to pay more than Sk1 billion (€33.2 million) to Športka for unauthorised use of lottery trademarks as well as technical and support know-how.On August 12, the Supreme Court upheld the verdict of the Bratislava Regional Court in March 2007. The regional court found Tipos guilty, the Pravda daily wrote. Tipos is the Slovakia's largest lottery company and is owned and run by the Finance Ministry.
Castle ruins undergo checks
POVAŽSKÁ Bystrica has launched a check on the stability of the Považský Castle ruin in western Slovakia.
Tens of thousands cheer daredevil air show
TENS of thousands of people gathered along the Bratislava riverfront on August 10 to watch two pilots – Austrian Hannes Arch and Hungarian Peter Besenyei – in souped up, single-engine aircraft compete in a slalom race as part of an air show over the River Danube.
Bacterium named after Slovakia
THE BACTERIUM Rickettsia slovaca, which gets the second half of its name from Slovakia, is being found in Central and Western Europe more and more frequently, Rastislav Maďar, the chairman of the Forum of Contagious, Tropical and Travel Medicine informed the SITA newswire.
Labsi freed, momentarily
FORMER Justice Minister Daniel Lipšic (KDH) and current Justice Minister Štefan Harabin (HZDS) have called a ceasefire in their war of words just long enough to criticise the recent court rulings that overturned the extradition order against suspected terrorist Mustapha Labsi.
Guided by a "southern feeling"
THREE copies of The Name of the Rose, a breathtaking shot of the Sicilian horizon and an old map of Italy are some of the items that visitors to Antonino Provenzano’s office will notice immediately. However, what won’t be so apparent at first sight is the fact that the Italian ambassador is about to wrap up his four-year mission to Slovakia, which, as he says, was packed with exciting developments: Slovakia's joining the EU, its entrance into Schengen and its being approved for the eurozone.
- The law changed. Our family papers were ready. Now my kids are Slovak citizens
- Slovakia loses another EV model to Spain as Stellantis chooses Zaragoza over Trnava
- Weekend: Celebration of fun comes to Malacky Photo
- Slovak female triathlete shatters barriers with historic win at Himalayan event
- Top 10 events in Bratislava for foreigners
- Convicted of multiple murders, Slovakia’s mafia boss seeks release from prison
- News digest: Prosecutor seeks jail for NBS Governor Kažimír as his political support wanes
- No more photos or bank statements? Slovakia moves to ease residence process
- Top 10 events in Bratislava for foreigners
- No more photos or bank statements? Slovakia moves to ease residence process
- Slovakia loses another EV model to Spain as Stellantis chooses Zaragoza over Trnava
- Slovak female triathlete shatters barriers with historic win at Himalayan event
- Weekend: Celebration of fun comes to Malacky Photo
- Convicted of multiple murders, Slovakia’s mafia boss seeks release from prison
- News digest: Prosecutor seeks jail for NBS Governor Kažimír as his political support wanes
- The law changed. Our family papers were ready. Now my kids are Slovak citizens
- Maria Theresa on the banks of Bratislava
- No more photos or bank statements? Slovakia moves to ease residence process
- Weekend: Celebration of fun comes to Malacky Photo
- 3 free things to do in Bratislava in the next seven days
- Top 10 events in Bratislava for foreigners
- Digital Jarvis is real now. He is coming for your to-do list
- Convicted of multiple murders, Slovakia’s mafia boss seeks release from prison
- The disinformation scene has become a tool of media capture
- Maria Theresa on the banks of Bratislava
- No more photos or bank statements? Slovakia moves to ease residence process
- A mayor resigns over €2.7 million fraud scandal at town hall
- He designed Gatwick. But this is his masterpiece
- Fico praises China and Vietnam as models, says liberal democracy has failed
- News digest: Violent gang in Bratislava is under arrest
- The Kremlin’s security agency has a Russian contractor in Slovakia - no one has noticed
- Weekend: Celebration of fun comes to Malacky Photo
- The law changed. Our family papers were ready. Now my kids are Slovak citizens
- News digest: Prosecutor seeks jail for NBS Governor Kažimír as his political support wanes
- Slovakia loses another EV model to Spain as Stellantis chooses Zaragoza over Trnava
- Slovak female triathlete shatters barriers with historic win at Himalayan event
- Weekend: Celebration of fun comes to Malacky Photo
- News digest: Fico’s bloc wants to save money by restricting electoral access
- Slovakia plans to restrict access to new medicines amid funding shortfall
- No more photos or bank statements? Slovakia moves to ease residence process More articles ›
