Archive of articles - February 2009, page 2
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European Commissioner Figeľ will not run for KDH chairman job
Jan Figeľ denied the information circulating that he would run in the coming elections to become the chairman of the Christian Democratic Movement (KDH), the TASR newswire reported.
Parts of mobile operator Orange to move from Bratislava
Parts of the call centre of the mobile operator Orange, including the invoice, info centre and technical support departments, will move from Bratislava to Banská Bystrica, the Sme daily reported. Part of the services will remain in Bratislava.
General Prosecutor’s mother is attacked on the street
On February 20, unknown offenders brutally beat and robbed the mother of the General Prosecutor, Dobroslav Trnka, the private TV channel JOJ wrote on their website. The incident happened on a street in Bratislava.
New political party on the Slovak scene: New Democracy
Tibor Mikuš, an independent MP and the president of the Tranava self-governing region has founded a new political party named New Democracy (ND). The party is oriented toward the center of the political spectrum, the SITA newswire reported.
Social partners discuss Cabinets anti-crisis measures
Social partners meeting at the Economic and Social Council were informed about a report on implementation of the government's measures to alleviate the consequences of the global economic and financial crisis. The National Association of Employers (RÚZ) secretary Martin Hošták confirmed this information to the SITA newswire.
Three opposition parties schedule first meeting this year
Representatives of all three parliamentary opposition parties, the Slovak Democratic and Christian Union-Democratic Party (SDKÚ-DS), the Hungarian Coalition Party (SMK) and the Christian-Democratic Movement (KDH) will meet together on Tuesday, February 24 for the first time this year.
Slovak and Hungarian Economy Ministers talk
Relations with Hungary are, according to Slovakia's Economy Minister Ľubomír Jahnátek, very important for Slovakia, as it is its fourth biggest trade partner, the SITA newswire wrote. The minister further told a press conference on February 23, after a meeting with Hungary's Minister of National Development and Economy Gordon Bajnai in the Hungarian town of Komárom on the Slovak-Hungarian border, that it has been proven that such meetings are necessary.
Unemployment rate in Košice area hits 16.2% in January
The unemployment rate in the Košice area reached 16.18 percent in January, which represents 56,819 people without work. This is the second highest unemployment rate in Slovakia, according to data published by the Office for Labour, Social Affairs and Family.
Flags lowered to half mast in honour of victims of tragic accident
Slovak state flags were lowered to half mast on Sunday, February 22, from 8:00 to 20:00 as a part of a national day of mourning in the wake of Saturday's fatal bus crash in Polomka in Banská Bystrica region in which 12 people were killed, the TASR newswire wrote.
An MP smells money behind the partial ban on smoking
SDKÚ-DS MP Viliam Novotný senses that there is a lobby of tobacco producers and distributors behind the recently-approved amendment to the Non-Smokers Protection Act, he told the TASR newswire on February 22. He added that it was in the interest of restaurant and pub owners to ensure there are designated smoking areas as well as the producers and distributors of tobacco products.
SDKÚ-DS calls for debate and fair competition in presidential election
The Central Council of the opposition party SDKÚ-DS called on all party members and sympathisers to do everything possible to mobilise voters to support the joint opposition presidential candidate Iveta Radičová (SDKÚ-DS) in the presidential election on March 21, 2009, the TASR newswire wrote. “We fully support the efforts of Iveta Radičová to face the incumbent Slovak President Ivan Gašparovič in debate. The citizens have the right to see a true competition of opinions and ideas on the functions of the presidency in a direct confrontation,” reads the Council’s declaration. The Council called on the political parties to respect fair competition without personal vilification so that the election doesn't become a centre of pointless personal invectives. SDKÚ chairman Mikuláš Dzurinda pointed out that Slovakia needed an independent president with a clear vision who was able to see the problems and find their solutions.
Slovakia's unemployment rate rose to 9.03 percent in January
The unemployment rate in Slovakia reached 9.03 percent in January, the Labour, Social Affairs and the Family Office (ÚPSVAR) told the TASR newswire on February 20. This represents a month-on-month increase of 0.64 percentage points and a year-on-year rise of 0.97 percentage points. The number of officially-registered job seekers reached 269,465 in January. The highest unemployment rate was recorded in the Rimavská Sobota district in the Banská Bystrica Region at 29.11 percent, while the lowest was registered in the 1st district of Bratislava at 1.53 percent.
Countrywide Events
Western SLOVAKIA Bratislava LIVE MUSIC: FIVE briefly-attired American singers known as the Pussycat Dolls will shortly visit Bratislava to give a concert as part of a European tour to promote their latest album, released last autumn, entitled Doll Domination. The award-winning girl-group, which was founded in 1995, are best known for their hits Don’t Cha, Stickwitu and Buttons. The quintet promise their fans can now look forward to “something they have never seen before”. Pussycat Dolls will perform at the Incheba Expo Arena at Viedenská cesta 3-7 on February 24. Tickets cost between €39.50 and €52.78. For more information, call 041/5004-136 or see www.vivien.sk.
Electronic road toll system to replace stickers
FROM JANUARY 1 next year vehicles over 3.5 tonnes will no longer use stickers to pay to use highways and first class roads across Slovakia. Instead, Slovakia will be pioneering a satellite-based toll collection system. The company which won a mega-tender to install the network, the country’s first electronic highway toll system, will launch its operation on January 1, 2010.However, the tender has attracted a lot of public and media attention, not only because of its technical aspects but also due to the fact that details of the contract, which is worth hundreds of millions of euros, remain concealed from the public. Watchdog organisations have called for more information.
Broad-gauge link to be built in Slovakia
SLOVAKIA will join Russia, Ukraine and Austria in a project to prepare and construct a broad-gauge railway linking Košice, Bratislava and Vienna. The government approved a proposal to this effect, prepared by Transport Minister Ľubomír Vážny, on February 18.
Dogsleighs race
VERY bad weather with thick fog, constant rain, and a cold wind severely interfered with the competition at the Third Open Central European Championship dogsled race and the Slovak Open Championship race held at Donovaly from February 6 to 8, the SITA newswire wrote.
Ružomberok builds tunnels for toads
RUŽOMBEROK'S local government and the area's businesses will build underpasses for Hrabovská Dolina toads to protect them from being squashed by cars as they leave the valley. The toads move from the forest through the valley to the Hrabovská Priehrada dam where they lay eggs, the Sme daily wrote.Administrators of the Veľká Fatra National Park asked for this solution after batrachian carnage last year, when numerous toads died under the wheels of cars, especially in the spring.
Hearings begin in soccer bribery case
THE SPECIAL Court in Pezinok started hearings on February 16 in the case of Vladimír Wänke, a former high official in the Slovak Football Association (SFZ) who faces accusations of nine cases of bribery. During the first session, Wänke pleaded innocent to all the charges, the Sme daily wrote.
Passenger river transport in Slovakia
Slovenská Plavba a Prístavy (Slovak Shipping and Ports–Passenger Shipping - SPaP-LOD)
PPP highway construction projects go ahead
SLOVAKIA, suffering from various impacts of the global economic downturn, sees public-private partnership (PPP) projects for highway construction as one of the tools to propel its slowing economy. The Slovak government has prepared three PPP packages which should pave about 157 kilometres of highways and dual carriageways and join the more developed west with the less developed east of the country by the end of 2010.
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