Archive of articles - April 2012, page 8
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Presidents at GLOBSEC conference make recommendations
The three state presidents attending the Bratislava Global Security Forum (GLOBSEC) between April 12 and 14 said the most effective way to contribute to the solution of current European as well as global problems will be solving them on the national level, according to a GLOBSEC news release. Slovakia’s Ivan Gašparovič, Slovenia’s Danilo Türk and Croatia’s Ivo Josipović also supported further integration of the Balkan countries into the Euro-Atlantic structures, stated the organiser of the forum, the Slovak Atlantic Commission (SAC) in the release.
Countrywide Events
Western SLOVAKIA
Gorilla Protesters accuse police
A POLICE intervention during the Gorilla Protest held in Bratislava on March 9, one day before the general election, will be investigated by the Office of the General Prosecutor after 172 citizens submitted complaints regarding the actions by the police on that day, the TASR newswire reported.
No room for mobile virtual operators?
THE SLOVAK mobile market is saturated, with mobile service penetration reaching 116 percent at the end of 2011. This means that, in effect, everyone who wants to use mobile services already does so. This may be one of the reasons why Slovakia has so far been without a ‘real’ mobile virtual network operator, i.e. a mobile phone operator that provides services using assets leased from an existing mobile network operator.
UNDP says Roma are marginalised
CELEBRATING International Roma Day (April 8) should serve as an opportunity to draw attention to the rich culture and history of Roma as well as to the fact that large groups of Roma are marginalised in society, stated a press release from the UN Development Programme (UNDP) Bratislava Regional Centre, the TASR newswire reported.
Jenúfa returns to SND
AN OPERA by famed Czech composer Leoš Janáček was staged in 1920, the inaugural year of the Slovak National Theatre (SND) in Bratislava, and it has returned to that stage for the first time since 1986. Janáček’s opera has been staged under two different titles, Jej pastorkyně (Her Stepdaughter) and Jenúfa, both referring to the principal character.
Report: Former mayor charged
A SLOVAK news outlet has reported that police investigators have charged Andrej Ďurkovský, the former mayor of Bratislava, with violating his duties in managing public property. The report was published by news website Aktualne.sk, but police have not officially confirmed it, the TASR newswire wrote.Ďurkovský was elected as an MP for the Christian Democratic Movement (KDH) in 2010 but later resigned from the party. The criminal investigation centres on his period as mayor of Bratislava and controversy over the planned demolition of the city’s PKO cultural centre.
Ombudswoman wants to do more
BRINGING the Office of the Public Defender of Rights closer to citizens, demonstrating that the office’s services are available to everyone regardless of their political, social or ethnic background, and making Slovakia a better place to live are the main objectives of Jana Dubovcová, who was officially appointed Slovakia’s new ombudswoman on March 28. Dubovcová, a former judge and Slovak Democratic and Christian Union (SDKÚ) MP, replaced Pavel Kandráč, who had served two five-year terms as ombudsman. Kandráč defeated Dubovcová in a head-to-head vote when the office was first created in 2002.
Surplus in foreign trade account
SLOVAKIA’S foreign trade account posted a surplus of €347.7 million in February, an increase of €170.2 million year-on-year, the country’s Statistics Office announced on April 5. Overall exports reached €4.747 billion in February, rising by 8.7 percent on an annual basis, while imports increased by 5 percent year-on-year to reach €4.399 billion, the TASR newswire reported.
Contemporary expo at SNG
ALTHOUGH the Slovak National Gallery (SNG) primarily focuses on the country’s art history and its periods and trends, it occasionally offers solo exhibitions of progressive artists as well as other innovative projects. The current exhibition of works by Denisa Lehocká fits into the latter category.
Past Smer MP to head Property Fund
BRANISLAV Bačík, a Smer MP between 2006 and 2010, has been named the chair of Slovakia’s National Property Fund (FNM). The FNM is the country’s privatisation agency and owns swathes of state property, shares in state-run companies and shares in partially-privatised companies. Bačík was nominated by the new leadership of the Economy Ministry, the TASR newswire reported.
Čaplovič sets new goals for schools
STRONGER links between educational institutions and businesses, an accent on technical fields of study, more money for universities that conduct research and development, and an overall approach that is more responsive to the needs of the labour market: these are the first themes that Education Minister Dušan Čaplovič has offered to those who are seriously concerned about the condition of the education sector in Slovakia. With Slovakia currently sporting one of the highest youth unemployment rates in the European Union, the challenge of reversing the current trend of producing unemployable graduates is clear.
O2 is again ‘Operator of the Year’
THE YOUNGEST mobile operator in Slovakia, Telefónica Slovakia, which provides services under the O2 brand, has won the public competition ‘Techbox Operator of the Year’. With 61 percent in a popular vote it won the contest for a third consecutive year, the company wrote in a press release in late February.
Mobile roaming fees to fall
THE EUROPEAN Commission and European lawmakers and governments have reached an agreement to reform mobile roaming fees, allowing mobile customers to pay less for calls, texts and web services when travelling abroad, in a measure that could hit the profits of telecom operators, the Reuters newswire reported.
Amateur plots out ancient fortification
AMATEUR archaeologist Milan Pupala might have uncovered a long-lost hillside fortification in the village of Utekáč in east-central Slovakia and measured and plotted out the walls of the fortification that are partially visible from a nearby hill.
The first trams in Košice
THIS PICTURESQUE colourised postcard dates back to the early 1920s and captures the city centre of Košice. It would not be easy to determine the period of the postcard without seeing the tram.
Court to decide over Harabin
A PLENUM of Slovakia’s Constitutional Court has accepted a motion filed by former Justice Minister Lucia Žitňanská against Supreme Court President Štefan Harabin and will undertake further proceedings on the motion.
Bratislava and Trnava to get people on bikes
BRATISLAVA wants to begin an automated system of bicycle rentals for residents and visitors and the city government has launched a competition to arrange for it, with the goal to have the first phase ready this summer. Competitors can submit proposals until the end of April describing how they will cover operational costs, guarantee maintenance of the bicycles and offer a minimum of 11 stations, each with 10 bicycles.
Finding niches in a saturated mobile market
IN STATISTICS about the telecoms sector in Slovakia, mobile virtual network operators are often mentioned. However, there is in fact no real mobile virtual network operator (MVNO) in the Slovak market, even though some attempts to establish one have been discussed. There are, however, several branded resellers. These, unlike MVNOs, which provide services on assets leased from a mobile network operator, have joined forces with existing operators to resell their products and services. Even though the media has recently speculated about the arrival of an MVNO, market watchers see little space for new operators in Slovakia’s highly saturated mobile market.
Orange plans to enter ICT market
ORANGE Slovensko, one of the two biggest mobile operators in Slovakia, plans to enter the market for information and telecommunications technologies (ICT) this year.
- 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
- Maria Theresa on the banks of Bratislava
- Hockey legend with Slovak roots started playing without knowing any English Video
- Zdeno Chára inducted into world hockey hall of fame Video
- Who is behind your vending machine coffee? A look inside Slovakia’s growing caffeine empire
- 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
- 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
- Who is behind your vending machine coffee? A look inside Slovakia’s growing caffeine empire
- 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 More articles ›
