Archive of articles - September 2009, page 13
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A mute witness to turbulent times
FOR around 150 years, southern Slovakia separated territories occupied by Ottomans from those that had managed to resist their advances. It looked, however, more like a battlefront than a border, for the Ottomans often tried to advance northwards even during the period of armistice, killing people or enslaving them and burning down towns and villages.
Ten years of ‘relaxing’ work on a steam engine
GRINDING, welding, painting and never-ending polishing are not necessarily hard work. A group of hobbyists and fans of historical trains finds this work to be ‘relaxing’. Sometimes it takes a long time for them to see the results of their relaxation but they claim it is all worth it. Volunteers in Bratislava have been renovating a steam engine for 10 years already and they hope to soon see it riding the rails.
Bratislava’s wild animal hospital closes in September
BRATISLAVA Zoo’s hospital for injured or sick wild animals will be closed down in September. It has been operating provisionally at the Zoo but Miloslava Šavelová, the zoo’s director, told the ČTK newswire it does not have the money or necessary facilities to continue operating, adding that the state Environment Ministry has been asked to help several times since last year.
Kalinka
KALINKA is not only the name of one of the best-known Russian songs, but also of the Russian Interior Ministry’s men’s choir, which has it in its repertoire. Last week, the ensemble headlined the official celebrations of Slovakia’s Constitution Day. At first glance it seems ironic – the same government that on August 21 refused to let Hungary’s President László Sólyom into the country, claiming it was inappropriate for him to come on the anniversary of the 1968 Soviet invasion into Czechoslovakia, in which Hungary participated, was now celebrating Slovakia’s independence accompanied by the heroic vocals of a hundred Russians in uniforms. One can hardly imagine a better symbol of Russia’s growing role in the region.
Are newly-purchased cars being re-sold?
RECENTLY some media have written about an increasing number of newly-purchased cars being sold to used-car bazaars, indicating that some purchasers using the car-scrapping bonus may have misjudged their financial situation and are now unable to pay instalments on their new vehicles. But neither used-car bazaars nor leasing companies are confirming such a trend.
Mečiar sues Plus 7 Dní weekly
VLADIMÍR Mečiar, the leader of the Movement for a Democratic Slovakia (HZDS) has sued the 7Plus company, the publisher of the Plus 7 Dní weekly, for allegedly publishing untrue information about him. He is asking for €99,582 in damages. The Bratislava Regional Court held a hearing on the lawsuit on September 2, the TASR newswire reported.
Slovakia goes smoke-free
LITTLE groups of smokers hanging around outside cafés and pubs, puffing away and complaining about the smoking ban have now become a reality in Slovakia, just as in much of the rest of Europe. It will probably take a few years before Slovak society accepts an overall ban, but the effect of the stricter anti-smoking legislation that recently came into force can already be felt – or smelt – all around the country.
Tension over language
LANGUAGE was one of the most cited words in the Slovak and Hungarian media even before the Slovak president signed the amended State Language Act into law on June 17. Throughout the summer, ethnic Hungarians in Slovakia and Slovakia’s neighbours to the south were criticising the law as Slovaks kept defending it and the tension escalated to the point where Slovakia refused to allow the Hungarian president to cross the border on August 21. Both countries are now hoping that the cooler temperatures of September and a long-expected and long-delayed meeting between the countries’ prime ministers might bring the first steps toward an easing of tensions and reconciliation.
Countrywide Events
Western SLOVAKIA
The Maintenance of Headway
The Maintenance of Headway
Automotive companies in Slovakia
Volkswagen Slovakia, Bratislava, www.volkswagen.sk
Finance Minister says Slovakia’s deficit to reach 6.3% of GDP
The public-finance deficit is expected to reach 6.29 percent of GDP this year, Slovakia’s Finance Minister, Ján Počiatek, said at a meeting of the parliamentary finance committee on September 3, the TASR newswire reported.
Foreign Affairs ministry says OSCE commissioner stands by Slovakia’s language act
At a meeting with the OSCE’s High Commissioner on National Minorities, Knut Vollebaek, on September 2, Slovakia’s ethnic-Hungarian SMK party was not able to raise any doubts about Vollebaek's positive evaluation of the Slovak State Language Act, Peter Stano, the spokesman for the Foreign Affairs Ministry told the TASR newswire on Thursday, September 3.
Slovakia’s GDP to slump by 3.5% in 2009 predicts Statistics Office
The Slovak economy will record a slump of 3.5 percent year-on-year in 2009, according to an updated prognosis released by the Slovak Statistics Office on Sptember 2, the TASR newswire reported.
NGOs ask Slovakia to sign Convention on Cluster Munitions
Amnesty International Slovensko along with the Cluster Munition Coalition, which has membership of around 300 organizations from eighty countries, have launched a national campaign to urge Slovakia to sign the Convention on Cluster Munitions, the SITA newswire wrote.
Eurostat: Slovakia's retail sales growth in July higher than EU average
Growth in Slovak retail sales in July was higher, on a month-by-month basis, than the eurozone or EU-wide averages.
New player enters Slovakia's electricity market
A new electricity distributor, Slovenská energetická, a.s., has entered the Slovak energy market.
Emergency services: MPs to conduct probe at Health Ministry
MPs will conduct an inspection at the Health Ministry in the near future to look at a tender to provide emergency medical services, the chairman of parliament’s health committee, Slovak Democratic and Christian Union (SDKÚ) MP Viliam Novotný, announced after the committee met on September 2.
Agriculture minister announces his own imminent resignation
Slovak Agriculture Minister Stanislav Becík will resign on September 9. He agreed on the date of his resignation during a meeting with Vladimír Mečiar, the leader of the Movement for Democratic Slovakia (HZDS), the party that nominated him as minister.
SkyEurope falls to earth
SKYEUROPE’S blue-liveried jets were grounded on August 31, leaving hundreds of the budget airline’s passengers seeking alternative ways to reach their destinations. The jets will be going nowhere soon: after seven years on the market, the Slovakia-based low-cost carrier declared bankruptcy on August 31, shortly before midnight. The company immediately suspended its sales and operations and apologised to all passengers for the inconvenience in an official release.
- The law changed. Our family papers were ready. Now my kids are Slovak citizens
- Liberal MP’s boxing challenge backfires as far-right MEP seizes the moment
- Hockey legend with Slovak roots started playing without knowing any English Video
- Slovakia loses another EV model to Spain as Stellantis chooses Zaragoza over Trnava
- Slovak female triathlete shatters barriers with historic win at Himalayan event
- Zdeno Chára inducted into world hockey hall of fame Video
- The Kremlin’s security agency has a Russian contractor in Slovakia - no one has noticed
- Young British boxing star who quit Slovakia over racism is now aiming for the top
- The law changed. Our family papers were ready. Now my kids are Slovak citizens
- Maria Theresa on the banks of Bratislava
- The Kremlin’s security agency has a Russian contractor in Slovakia - no one has noticed
- Slovak female triathlete shatters barriers with historic win at Himalayan event
- Slovakia loses another EV model to Spain as Stellantis chooses Zaragoza over Trnava
- From eight to thousands of runners. How Košice marathon rose to prominence Photo
- No more photos or bank statements? Slovakia moves to ease residence process
- Iconic Slovak barn still draws crowds. Without donors, it might have been lost Photo
- 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
- Top 10 events in Bratislava for foreigners
- Slovakia loses another EV model to Spain as Stellantis chooses Zaragoza over Trnava
- Slovak female triathlete shatters barriers with historic win at Himalayan event
- The Kremlin’s security agency has a Russian contractor in Slovakia - no one has noticed
- 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
- The Kremlin’s security agency has a Russian contractor in Slovakia - no one has noticed
- Fico praises China and Vietnam as models, says liberal democracy has failed
- News digest: Violent gang in Bratislava is under arrest
- Top 10 events in Bratislava for foreigners
- 3 free things to do in Bratislava in the next seven days
- Zdeno Chára inducted into world hockey hall of fame Video
- Liberal MP’s boxing challenge backfires as far-right MEP seizes the moment
- 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 More articles ›
