Archive of articles - June 2012, page 3
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New photography books emerge from Banská Štiavnica
THE RAILWAY station in Banská Štiavnica was transformed into a culture hub several years ago called Banská Štiavnica Contemporary and it has been organising residential stays for visual artists. Past residential stays mostly resulted in temporary art exhibitions but last summer’s project spawned two new photography books with text in English. Katarína Hrušková, a Slovak-born photographer living abroad, and Peter Puklus, a Hungarian photographer, met last year in this picturesque Slovak mining town and have now presented their perceptions of this historic and beautiful environment in two photo books: Green Marble by Hrušková and Handbook to the Stars by Puklus.
White storks nesting near Bratislava
THOUGH not many big birds nest in trees in this region, Slovaks can catch a close up look at a flock of white storks nesting above the March Auen (Morava floodplains) near the Austrian village of Marchegg, ornithologist Marek Brindzík told the TASR newswire. The sight of these astonishing birds can be seen from a high wooden observation point across the Morava River in Slovakia.
Elderly Ladice woman accosted in her home
A WOMAN from the village of Ladice in Nitra Region, aged 84, had a shocking experience in early June when she was accosted in her home in the pre-dawn darkness by a male stranger who shined a flashlight beam in her eyes and announced that he was "her guardian angel".
New record set by a sweet and edible fujara
TIBOR Koblíček, who turned 75 at the beginning of June, got a record-breaking fujara for his birthday from local confectioners. The cake was a replica of a fujara, the traditional Slovak musical instrument, and was unique enough to make it into the Slovak Book of Records. Confectioners from the municipality of Cinobaňa in Poltár district handcrafted the cake in the form of the instrument to honour Koblíček, who is famous for making fujaras and other folk instruments.
Countrywide Events
Western SLOVAKIA
Art Film Fest hits its 20th anniversary
“WHEN something exists for 20 years, it can be called a lasting tradition. Our Art Film Fest is that old and only Matica Slovenská, the Slovak cultural institution, and Slovakia’s bryndza cheese have existed longer,” said Milan Lasica, the president of the festival, as he opened the jubilee year of this international event in Trenčianske Teplice on June 16.
Cultural Summer opens in Bratislava
The 37th annual Cultural Summer and Castle Festival (Kultúrne leto a hradné slávnosti) in Bratislava opened on June 20 when Jozef Adamovič, an actor and professor, placed his memorial plaque on the pavement in front of the City Theatre of P.O. Hviezdoslav.
Slovak singer finds international success but keeps returning home
There are not too many musicians from Slovakia who have succeeded internationally. Even though music has no language barriers, songs with lyrics – particularly lyrics that express strong feelings and opinions by the performer – sometimes make it more difficult to break through with an international audience.
NGOs ask for LGBT rights committee
THE GOVERNMENT’S Council for Human Rights, National Minorities and Gender Equality should establish a committee to deal with the rights of lesbians, gays, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) people. NGOs dealing with human rights, including the rights of LGBT people, have called on the government of Prime Minister Robert Fico to develop such a committee within the working bodies of the government advisory council.
Agreement reached on self-employed payroll levies
HIGHER future pensions as well as more money flowing into Sociálna Poisťovňa, Slovakia’s social insurer, are the two main benefits expected from an increase in payroll levies to be paid by self-employed persons. The Labour and Finance ministries told the media that agreement on the exact amount of the new levies had been reached in a meeting with organisations representing self-employed Slovaks on June 14.
Consolidation package on the table
PRIME Minister Robert Fico has presented a far-reaching fiscal consolidation package for Slovakia and challenged the opposition parties in parliament to offer their own proposals to the public. That idea did not receive a cheery response from leaders of several opposition parties who said that improving the country’s public finances is the task of Fico’s government. The package presented by the government on June 18 consists of 22 measures to bring the budget deficit below 3 percent of GDP in 2013 to meet the criteria of European Union treaties.
Malacky vaccine facility draws criticism
UP TO €880,000 might have been spent improperly on building a factory for the production of vaccines against pandemics that was originally to be built in Šarišské Michaľany in eastern Slovakia and was later moved to Malacky near Bratislava.
Two Slovenes arrested in heroine case
SLOVAKIA’S special prosecutor’s office has charged two Slovenes with trading in Anhydride acetic acid that can be used in the production of heroine. The charges against the two men came 18 months after a Czech truck driver, unknowingly participating in a police sting operation, had to spend Christmas 2010 in a Turkish prison, the TASR newswire reported.
Quote of the week
“I do not watch RTVS broadcasts. I turned to parliament’s culture and media committee only because I care about efficient use of money by the state.”
: Hurbanovo shooter to undergo psychiatric exam
THE POLICE still do not understand why 51-year-old municipal police officer Milan Juhász shot dead three Roma citizens and seriously injured another two in Hurbanovo on June 16. Though they have taken testimony from several witnesses, the investigation has not moved forward to a conclusion, Police Corps President Tibor Gašpar told the Sme daily.
Payment technology is changing
SINCE the first contactless payment in Slovakia was made four years ago, the popularity of this way of paying for goods and service, together with ongoing technological improvements, has found growing interesting among consumers here. Surveys confirm that Slovaks would like to use contactless and mobile methods for payments, creating an opportunity for more extensive usage and it seems that merchants, banks, mobile operators and other businesses are responding to this demand.
Finance Ministry ups GDP growth forecast
SLOVAKIA’S economy could grow this year at a considerably stronger pace than the Finance Ministry predicted earlier in 2012.
Cabinet halts privatisation of heating plants
THE CABINET of Prime Minister Robert Fico has halted the privatisation process for six central heating companies that was initiated by the previous government as well as the sale of state shares in other firms, the SITA newswire reported.
Government finds way to cover nurses’ salaries
THE SLOVAK government has found a way to free up €50 million in state reserves to cover the recent increase in salaries of nurses. On June 20, the Slovak parliament adopted an amendment to the existing health insurance law, raising health insurance premiums paid by the state, along with other changes, that will go into effect by the end of this year.
Former NBS governor to head budget council
A NEW Budgetary Responsibility Council, also known informally as the Fiscal Council, that will be established in accordance with Slovakia’s constitutional law on budgetary responsibility will likely be headed by Ivan Šramko, a former governor of the National Bank of Slovakia (NBS), the country’s central bank, the SITA newswire reported on June 18.
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- News digest: Prosecutor seeks jail for NBS Governor Kažimír as his political support wanes
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- Slovakia loses another EV model to Spain as Stellantis chooses Zaragoza over Trnava
- Convicted of multiple murders, Slovakia’s mafia boss seeks release from prison
- Maria Theresa on the banks of Bratislava
- Last Week: Slovakia’s central bank governor still faces bribery case verdict
- No more photos or bank statements? Slovakia moves to ease residence process
- Maria Theresa on the banks of Bratislava
- 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
- 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
- News digest: Violent gang in Bratislava is under arrest
- 3 free things to do in Bratislava in the next seven days
- The Kremlin’s security agency has a Russian contractor in Slovakia - no one has noticed
- Weekend: Celebration of fun comes to Malacky Photo
- Digital Jarvis is real now. He is coming for your to-do list
- Top 10 events in Bratislava for foreigners
- 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 ›
