Archive of articles - December 2012, page 7
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Janko Alexy
PAINTER Janko Alexy was one of the most important Slovak artists of the 20th century. His work was inspired by his travels around Slovakia, and some of his drawings were featured on postcards, several of which have already been published in this column. This postcard from 1923, featuring one of Alexy’s drawings, depicts two wood cabins in Tvrdošín, a town located along the Orava River in northern Slovakia.
Sadiki can be extradited to Slovakia
THE KOSOVAR court in Gnjilane has ruled that the country can extradite Baki Sadiki, an Albanian convicted in absentia of serious drugs offences, to Slovakia. Sadiki may appeal the verdict, the Tvnoviny.sk website reported on December 3.
Poor marks for graft
YET ANOTHER international ranking has confirmed that the fight against corruption is one area where Slovakia urgently needs attention if the country does not want to linger at the bottom of the European Union in terms of how corrupt the public administration is seen by domestic and foreign businesses as well as observers. The Corruption Perception Index for 2012 released by Transparency International ranks Slovakia 62nd out of 176 assessed countries, and the fifth worst among European Union countries.
Sludge bed recultivation project completed
THE RECULTIVATION of the Kalové Pole sludge bed in Žiar nad Hronom, a project aimed at removing an old environmental burden that lasted six years and cost altogether €3 million, has been completed, the TASR newswire reported on December 5. The project was finished half a year ahead of schedule.
Czech Republic
Capital: PragueArea: 78,864 sq kmPopulation: 10.5 millionCurrency: Czech korunaExchange rate: €1/CZK25.195 (December 6)Earnings in the business economy (average gross annual earnings of full-time employees): €11,312 (2010)Employment rate: 59.1% (second quarter 2012)Unemployment rate: 6.7% (second quarter 2012)Inflation rate: 2.1% (2011)GDP per capita in PPS (purchasing power standard; EU27 average = 100): 80 (2011)Real GDP growth rate: 1.9% (2011)Real GDP growth rate: -1.3% (forecast for 2012)
Quote of the week
“To my surprise Mišo Martikán really is in better condition than me.”
Bojnice and Spiš listed among 25 most beautiful castles in Europe
The castles at Bojnice and Spiš have been ranked among the 25 most beautiful castles in Europe in an article recently published by www.offtoeurope.com, a website focused on travel in Europe. The ranking places Slovakia’s two historical castles in the company of renowned castles like France’s Versailles and Windsor Castle in Britain.
V4 aims to cooperate over energy
ECONOMIC ministers of V4 countries voiced support for strengthening cooperation of the V4 within the energy sector and for implementing joint measures to enhance competitiveness, at their meeting in Warsaw on October 31. They also discussed the opportunity of a joint presentation of the region for markets outside the EU. The ministers signed a memorandum for the integration of the gas market in the region, made a declaration about energy security and voiced support for the industry and for proper operation of the EU internal market, the Czech weekly Technický Týdeník wrote.
Par for the course
CHARTS, rankings and surveys highlighting Slovakia’s ongoing problems with corruption have lost their power to shock. Year after year, when Slovakia achieves an unflattering standing in corruption perception rankings, politicians respond predictably, depending on who is in power: some downplay the significance of the message; some blame the previous administration; or else they simply shoot the messenger, claiming that the watchdog in question is politically motivated in sounding the alarm.
UniCredit to unite Slovak and Czech branches
UNICREDIT Bank is combining its activities on the Czech and Slovak markets, expecting synergy in the area of expenses, revenue and rationalisation of the organisational structure in 2014, the UniCredit Bank Slovakia’s Miroslav Štrokendl said on December 3 as quoted by the SITA newswire.
Countrywide Events
Western SLOVAKIA
The V4 economies and their challenges
NO COUNTRY can remain an island in the current globalised world. This is certainly the case for the Visegrad Group (V4) countries, whose economic performance depends, apart from their size, population, economic orientation and economic policies, on what is going on beyond their borders. As a consequence, the Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland and Slovakia are affected by the debt crisis affecting the eurozone and are struggling to consolidate their public finances.
Turkish recipes: Ezo Bride Soup (Ezo Gelin Çorbasi)
Ingredients and preparation.
Aggressive pit bull who bit two people returns home
A pit bull that bit two people in Revúca on November 19 has been taken home by its owner after being placed in the town’s animal shelter following an attack on two people. The police are investigating the case as a transgression against public order. One of the victims in the case, pensioner Ján Širila, told the TASR newswire that his injured ankle still hurts.
Turkish recipes: Karniyarik
Ingredients and preparation.
Lady shepherd manages shepherd’s hut in Iliašovce
There are few women in the male-dominated field of tending sheep. But the shepherd’s hut under the 1,000-years-old chapel in Iliašovce in the Spišská Nová Ves district is managed by a young lady. The tradition was passed down to Katarína Mangerová, 28, from her father.
First charges laid in Glance House case
THE FIRST charges have emerged in the case of a controversial real estate transfer enabled by deputy general prosecutor Dobroslav Trnka. The police have charged now former director of the Senec cadastral office, Igor Svitek, with the crime of thwarting the tasks of a public official on December 5. On the same day, Svitek lost his top job with the cadastral office for having approved the controversial transfer of the Glance House luxury residential development in Bernolákovo, a municipality near Bratislava, based on a letter sent by Trnka sidestepping an embargo by the Special Prosecutor’s Office on any dealings involving the building.
Enel wants more money, says Fico
ITALIAN energy giant Enel, owner of a 66-percent stake in the power utility Slovenské elektrárne (SE), is reportedly demanding more funds for the completion of the third and fourth units of the Mochovce nuclear power plant.
'Forced adoption' rules to change
THE PARLIAMENTARY Committee of the Permanent Assembly of the Council of Europe adopted a resolution expressing concern over how the family courts in countries like the UK, Croatia, the Czech Republic, Portugal and Germany handle children’s rights. These countries are facing debates over laws that enable forced adoptions, i.e. adoptions without the parents’ consent, the Sme daily wrote on December 4.
Fostering cross- border cooperation
THE SEEDS of cooperation between Hungary’s Miskolc and Slovakia’s Košice within the European Capital of Culture 2013 (ECOC) project were planted at an international exhibition of tourism called “Let’s Travel the World”, organised at the end of March in 2012 in Miskolc, of which Košice was the main partner. The event featured 111 exhibitors and attracted 15,000 visitors. The mayors of Miskolc and Košice, Ákos Kriza and Richard Raši respectively, used the exhibition as an opportunity to emphasise the importance of cooperation between the two cities in the field of tourism and culture.
- The law changed. Our family papers were ready. Now my kids are Slovak citizens
- Maria Theresa on the banks of Bratislava
- 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
- 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
- Fico praises China and Vietnam as models, says liberal democracy has failed
- The law changed. Our family papers were ready. Now my kids are Slovak citizens
- Top 10 events in Bratislava for foreigners
- Slovak female triathlete shatters barriers with historic win at Himalayan event
- 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
- Convicted of multiple murders, Slovakia’s mafia boss seeks release from prison
- Weekend: Celebration of fun comes to Malacky Photo
- News digest: Prosecutor seeks jail for NBS Governor Kažimír as his political support wanes
- 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
- 3 free things to do in Bratislava in the next seven days
- Top 10 events in Bratislava for foreigners
- Digital Jarvis is real now. He is coming for your to-do list
- Convicted of multiple murders, Slovakia’s mafia boss seeks release from prison
- The Kremlin’s security agency has a Russian contractor in Slovakia - no one has noticed
- Maria Theresa on the banks of Bratislava
- No more photos or bank statements? Slovakia moves to ease residence process
- A mayor resigns over €2.7 million fraud scandal at town hall
- 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 Kremlin’s security agency has a Russian contractor in Slovakia - no one has noticed
- Weekend: Celebration of fun comes to Malacky Photo
- 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
- Slovakia plans to restrict access to new medicines amid funding shortfall
- No more photos or bank statements? Slovakia moves to ease residence process More articles ›
