Archive of articles - February 2013
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UPDATED: US basketball player assaulted
JEAN Rony Cadot, an American basketball player of Bahamian origin who currently plays for a Slovak club, was seriously assaulted in front of a nightclub in Nitra on February 14, reportedly by a group of six people. He had to undergo eye surgery as a result of the attack. Slovak basketball officials as well as an anti-racism group have condemned the incident, while Slovak police have charged two men and are investigating the motive for the attack.
Economic sentiment indicator improves slightly in February
Economic sentiment in Slovakia improved modestly in February, the SITA newswire reported, citing the Slovak Statistics Office (ŠÚ). Based on ŠÚ figures, the economic sentiment indicator (ESI) rose by 0.9 points to 88.6 points. Its development was mainly influenced by an increase in confidence in services and the consumer sector, as well as by a slight improvement in trade confidence. The ESI is 8.8 points lower than in the same period last year and lags behind the long-term average by 16.7 points, SITA wrote on Thursday, February 28.
European People's Party chairman condemns Fico's statement about minorities
Joseph Daul, parliamentary caucus leader of the European People's Party, which groups centre-right parties in the European Parliament, has condemned a recent critical statement about ethnic minorities in Slovakia by Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico. Fico accused ethnic minorities of 'blackmailing' the rest of Slovakia.
Roma plan protest in Bratislava to demand jobs
A protest march by members of Slovakia’s Roma minority should take place in Bratislava on Wednesday, March 6, to demand an improvement in social conditions, organiser František Tanko from the Party of Slovakia’s Roma Union told the TASR newswire on February 27. Tanko said that more than 500 Roma had already promised to take part in a ‘Slovakia-wide Demonstration of Roma’ protest. He said that he expects far more attendees to turn up, however.
Transport Minister Počiatek and US Ambassador Sedgwick discuss motorways and U.S. Steel
Transport Minister Ján Počiatek on Wednesday, February 27, met US Ambassador to Slovakia Theodore Sedgwick to discuss the construction of highways and the future of U.S. Steel in Košice, among other issues, the TASR newswire reported, citing ministry spokesman Martin Kóňa.
J&T plans to build ‘skyscrapers’ in Bratislava
Plans have been announced to build two 100-metre-plus residential buildings next to the new building of the Slovak National Theatre in Bratislava. J&T Real Estate – part of the J&T financial group – started selling flats in the buildings on Tuesday, February 26, the Sme daily reported. In total, the towers should contain 606 flats.
EU chief diplomat to visit Slovakia on Thursday
The priorities of the EU's current foreign affairs policies as well as an assessment of the two-year era of the European External Action Service will dominate talks during the first individual visit by EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Catherine Ashton to Slovakia on Thursday, February 28.
Gašparovič becomes last president to be received by Pope Benedict XVI
Slovak President Ivan Gašparovič became the last head of state to be received by outgoing Pope Benedict XVI during an audience on Wednesday, February 27. The pontiff is due to step down this evening, February 28.
Supreme Court confirms €50,000 fine for RTVS over Cervanová programme
The Supreme Court on Wednesday, February 27, confirmed a €50,000 fine against public broadcaster Radio and Television of Slovakia (RTVS) for an instalment of its discussion programme 'Večer pod Lampou' from June 2011 which was dedicated to the Ľudmila Cervanová case, the TASR newswire reported.
Affirmative action law could help Roma
SLOVAKIA’S minorities received good news from parliament in late February when MPs passed an amendment to existing anti–discrimination legislation that extends the authority of those who provide Slovak-style affirmative action measures, as well as the scope of those who benefit from them. In particular, these measures may offer Roma living in poverty and social exclusion a better chance at improving their lives – but only if the state and municipalities are enthusiastic about implementing them, say activists.
Quote of the week
“We needed to attract publicity, so people would trust Tipos and not stop playing. The bathrobes helped.”
Bonanno
SLOVAKIA has plenty of its own mafia clans. Yet, it’s the Bonannos who are making headlines this week. More than two years ago, a group of Supreme Court judges, the deputy general prosecutor (who is now the acting general prosecutor) and several other lawyers met in a bar named after the infamous American crime family, decorated with posters of prominent Mafiosi and replicas of automatic weapons hanging on the walls. They fooled around in blue ear defenders like the kind worn by spree killer Ľubomír Harman, held speeches where they referenced their reproductive organs and gave out the Justice Oscar, an award they invented.
Poll: Smer down a few points, Lipšic’s Nova would be in parliament
If general elections took place in the first half of February, 2012, Smer would have won with 34.6 percent of the vote (down a bit from January, in which it received 36.9 percent in a similar poll). The Christian-Democratic Movement (KDH) would place second with 10.9 percent of the vote, while Ordinary People and Independent Personalities (OĽaNO) and the Slovak Democratic and Christian Union (SDKÚ) would have garnered 8.9 percent each.
Sme: Italian authorities acknowledged problems with international adoptions
Slovak children could have problems in their new families in Italy, the Sme daily wrote in its Wednesday, February 27, issue. Moreover, in some cases reports on how they are doing have disappeared, as the Italian Commission for Inter-state Adoptions indirectly admitted.
Construction of new Volkswagen body shop progresses
The shell of the new body shop for SUVs has already been erected at the Bratislava-based plant of car-manufacturer Volkswagen Slovakia, the TASR newswire learned on Tuesday, February 26, from the company's spokesman Vladimír Machalík.
Slovakia to send more troops to Afghanistan
Slovak troops will be assigned to a Special Operations Training Group (SOTG) unit as part of the ISAF mission in Afghanistan that will be partially funded by a financial contribution from the US, Defence Minister Martin Glváč said as quoted by the Sme daily.
Police charge two men with attack on basketball player
The police in Nitra have laid charges against two men who attacked Jean Rony Cadot, a US basketball player of Bahamian origin, on February 14. Cadot is currently a member of local team Edymax SPU Nitra, the SITA newswire reported on February 26.
Ftáčnik sees his complaint over PKO rejected
The Office of the General Prosecutor has dismissed a complaint submitted by Milan Ftáčnik, the mayor of Bratislava, regarding the decision to halt the criminal prosecution of his predecessor as mayor, Andrej Ďurkovský, in the case of the demolition of PKO cultural venue, the SITA newswire reported on February 25.
ÚVZ confirms presence of horsemeat in lasagne on sale in Slovakia
The Public Health Authority (ÚVZ) has confirmed that horse DNA was present in Lasagne Bolognese Nowaco, a food product sold in Slovakia, even though the information on its cover states that it contains only beef. The supplier of the product has already ordered it to be withdrawn from stores, the TASR newswire reported on February 26.
Fico lashes out at minorities, accusing them of ‘blackmail’
Minorities, whether they are Roma, “opinion” minorities or other ethnicities, should stop “blackmailing” Slovakia, according to Prime Minister Robert Fico. He was speaking during a celebration of the 150th anniversary of the state-sponsored cultural organisation Matica Slovenská, the SITA newswire reported on February 26.
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- Slovakia loses another EV model to Spain as Stellantis chooses Zaragoza over Trnava
- News digest: Fico’s bloc wants to save money by restricting electoral access
- Top 10 events in Bratislava for foreigners
- Slovakia plans to restrict access to new medicines amid funding shortfall
- Maria Theresa on the banks of Bratislava
- A mayor resigns over €2.7 million fraud scandal at town hall
- Maria Theresa on the banks of Bratislava
- No more photos or bank statements? Slovakia moves to ease residence process
- 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
- News digest: Fico’s bloc wants to save money by restricting electoral access
- The disinformation scene has become a tool of media capture
- 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
- 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
- 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
- Maria Theresa on the banks of Bratislava More articles ›
