Archive of articles - March 2010, page 2
If you desire to read an old article, use the search bar or select the publication date.
Around 900 people join anti-Roma protests in Košice Region
The People's Party-Our Slovakia, whose roots lay in the far-right Slovenská Pospolitosť (Slovak Togetherness) organisation that was banned by court, held two demonstrations in Krompachy and Rudňany (both Košice Region) on Saturday, March 27, in order to protest against what they describe as the unacceptable behaviour of local Roma communities. Around 400 people attended the rally in the town of Krompachy to support the party. Approximately 20 police officers were monitoring the situation but didn't have to intervene, the TASR newswire wrote. A similar demonstration took place in the village of Rudňany, where 500 people joined the protest. The party said it organized a rally in response to recent incidents in which four local inhabitants were attacked by Roma on the same day.
Police to investigate fire at Trnava stadium as criminal offence
The police have announced that Sunday's, March 28, incident at the stadium in Trnava - in which seats were set on fire after a football match between Spartak Trnava and Slovan Bratislava - will be investigated as a criminal offence. However, it is unknown for the moment who caused the fire. The damage has been estimated to be €3,000-4,000, the TASR newswire wrote. It was reported that ten firefighters from Trnava had to intervene. According to the available information, the Slovan fans tore up a banner after the match and burned it, with around one-third of the seats in the southern stand catching fire as a result. In Round 25 of the Slovak premier football league 'Corgoň Liga', Slovan Bratislava beat Spartak Trnava, 3:0.
Coneco Expo and concurrent exhibitions drew 150,000 visitors
More than 150,000 people were reported to have visited the 31st Coneco building industry expo along with the 20th Racioenergia expo and four other specialised exhibitions, all of which were held in Bratislava last week. The fairs and exhibitions opened their doors at the Incheba Expo Arena on March 23 and closed on March 28. The Coneco expo focused on the construction, repair and modernization of apartments, houses and other buildings with an emphasis on saving energy, as indicated by the slogan 'Energy is More Precious Than Gold'. Visitors had the chance to view materials, products, technologies and innovations aimed at helping to save energy, especially building materials, heating-insulation systems and facade modification. A total of 636 companies and professional organizations from Slovakia, the Czech Republic, Poland, Hungary, Croatia, Lithuania, Germany, Austria and Romania came to hold exhibitions, the TASR newswire wrote.
Foxconn is allegedly eyeing Sony plant in Slovakia
Taiwanese electronic goods producer Foxconn is reportedly set to purchase Sony's LCD TV assembly factory in the town of Nitra in western Slovakia, the SITA newswire wrote. The final deal should ease its entry into the European market and further expand its LCD TV OEM business and shipments,digitimes.com portal says with reference to market sources.
'Goodwill' appreciated
FOR THE FIRST time, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has awarded ‘Goodwill Ambassador’ awards to three Slovaks who significantly contributed to the positive representation of Slovakia and whose successful work has brought them international success around the world.
Four biogas stations open in Slovakia
ON MARCH 22, the German energy firm E.ON opened two out of four biogas power stations it has built in Slovakia. In total the company invested €16 million into the construction of the facilities.
Slovenské Elektrárne profits grow
SLOVAKIA’S dominant electricity producer Slovenské Elektrárne (SE), in which the Italian company Enel holds a 66-percent stake, reported last year’s earnings before interest and taxes (EBIT) of €826 million, which is an increase of 14 percent from the previous year.
Quote of the week
“He neighed long, he neighed well, he neighed fluently.”
My, what big teeth you have...
ALL POLITICIANS wear disguises. As elections near their makeup gets thicker, their rhetoric more baroque and their morals ever more elastic. Usually, politicians strike the poses they think will work best with their voters. Slovak National Party (SNS) boss Ján Slota perennially fixes his sights on Slovakia’s southern borders and frowns in mock horror. He has lately detected the Hungarian army training to cross rivers and has no doubt that this must be part of a massive Hungarian conspiracy to harm Slovakia’s territorial integrity. Slota, of course, is trying to appeal to the typical macho Slovak nationalism. His suggestion that the country’s armed forces are weak and its commanders incapable is in the same vein. It is one of the oldest stories in Slota’s book yet remains strangely effective, just as the Little Red Riding Hood tale does with children who want to be scared by the wicked wolf’s taste for grandmothers. Slota is understandably nervous because support for his party seems to be sinking and political scandals linked to his party’s ministerial nominees are continuing to attract adverse publicity.
Highway limits the game
THE SECTION of the D1 highway which connects Liptovský Mikuláš and Poprad is limiting the natural migration of game animals between the High Tatras and Low Tatras mountain ranges.
Culture gets new homes in Košice
IF YOU have ever walked around the housing blocks found in any Slovak town, you may have noticed some mysterious cube-shaped grey buildings with narrow windows. Purpose-built to house heat exchangers, they are now mostly abandoned as the original bulky machines have been replaced by smaller devices. But the city of Košice has decided to take advantage of these spaces to promote another kind of exchange, namely the cultural variety. The process began recently with the opening of the first of a group of such cultural mini-venues.
Institutions and organisations in the environmental sector in Slovakia
Ministry of Environment, www.enviro.gov.sk
Crisis continues for carmakers?
GERMAN carmaker Volkswagen's Slovak unit and the KOVO metal-working union at the main plant in Bratislava have concluded collective bargaining for 2010. The final agreement is to increase the employees' salaries by 3 percent with effect from May 1, 2010, the company's spokesperson said on March 22 as reported by the TASR newswire. In addition, each employee will be paid €215 in a settlement for April. The new salary rates will be effective until March 31, 2011.
Hauerland at Easter
AFTER World War II, when the Germans were forcibly deported from Slovakia, one chapter of our history, maybe over a thousands years old, was concluded. Until then, the Germans had made an important part of the population, along with Slovaks and Hungarians. They came to Slovakia gradually, in several waves. Mostly, they were invited by the country’s leaders and noblemen who knew that these people were extraordinarily hard-working, and that their craftsmanship and technological skills were much better than those of the natives.
Procurement pains worry investors
DEMOCRACY watchdogs, media and businesses who have often complained about the public procurement process in Slovakia, might have welcomed the news about the latest meeting of Prime Minister Robert Fico with representatives of the American Chamber of Commerce, where a centralised electronic public procurement system resonated as one of the topics.
Campaign to stop oil pipeline finds favour
ALMOST 40 years ago, Bratislava was hit by one of the biggest ecological catastrophes in the history of Slovakia when oil leaking from the Slovnaft refinery contaminated an underground source of drinking water and paralysed Bratislava’s water supply. On March 22, World Water Day, environmental activists unveiled a memorial tablet at the site of the facility where the accident occurred, to recall the event and reiterate their objections to the planned construction of an oil pipeline. They say the link, to connect Slovnaft and a refinery in the Austrian town of Schwechat, would cross Žitný Ostrov, a critical regional water source, and would pose a renewed danger to local drinking water supplies.
Pravda gets new owner and new editor
KAROL Biermann is the new owner of the Pravda daily, the paper's online news portal, Pravda.sk, has announced. In an article entitled 'Owner of Pravda daily is Karol Biermann' it says that publishing houses Perex, which publishes Pravda, and Avízo are in the hands of Florena. Its owner is businessman Karol Biermann, who will also hold the position of the CEO of Perex.
New airlines not deterred by failures
THE AIRLINE BUSINESS has turned into a rather bumpy ride of late for those plying the central European skies. The heavy landing of SkyEurope and Seagle Air, which both went bankrupt last year, was expected to deter those toying with the idea of operating an airline out of Slovakia.
EC auditors detect flaws
SOCIAL companies, the favourite pet project of Slovakia’s Labour Ministry, have been under Brussels’ magnifying glass now for several months. At home, eight pilot companies, fed by European cash and intended to provide opportunities for the socially disadvantaged, have come in for heavy criticism over what the local media have labelled suspicions of cronyism.
- Top 10 events in Bratislava for foreigners
- No more photos or bank statements? Slovakia moves to ease residence process
- Weekend: Celebration of fun comes to Malacky Photo
- Slovakia loses another EV model to Spain as Stellantis chooses Zaragoza over Trnava
- News digest: Prosecutor seeks jail for NBS Governor Kažimír as his political support wanes
- Maria Theresa on the banks of Bratislava
- News digest: Fico’s bloc wants to save money by restricting electoral access
- Slovakia plans to restrict access to new medicines amid funding shortfall
- 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
- News digest: Fico’s bloc wants to save money by restricting electoral access
- 3 free things to do in Bratislava in the next seven days
- Digital Jarvis is real now. He is coming for your to-do list
- 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
- News digest: Violent gang in Bratislava is under arrest
- The Kremlin’s security agency has a Russian contractor in Slovakia - no one has noticed
- 3 free things to do in Bratislava in the next seven days
- Digital Jarvis is real now. He is coming for your to-do list
- Weekend: Celebration of fun comes to Malacky Photo
- The disinformation scene has become a tool of media capture
- Maria Theresa on the banks of Bratislava
- A mayor resigns over €2.7 million fraud scandal at town hall
- Show me your moves! Slovak hockey stars share their best pick-up lines
- No more photos or bank statements? Slovakia moves to ease residence process
- 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 compass points to Kúty, and people are starting to follow
- 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
- Top 10 events in Bratislava for foreigners More articles ›
