Archive of articles - February 2013, page 8
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Impeachment hearing postponed
A SPECIAL parliamentary session at which MPs were supposed to discuss a proposal to impeach President Ivan Gašparovič for alleged violation of the constitution, prompted by his refusal to appoint Jozef Čentéš, parliament’s choice as general prosecutor, has been postponed until March 12. Lucia Žitňanská, an MP for the opposition Slovak Democratic and Christian Union (SDKÚ), asked for the postponement after deputies of the ruling Smer party walked out en masse from the original hearing shortly after it began on February 14, the SITA newswire reported.
National Geographic uses Košice app
USERS of iPhones are no longer limited to Angry Birds. Now they can learn about the lives and behaviour of birds in the real world, thanks to IT experts from the Košice-based office of Ixonos, which has developed a bird watching application for the popular magazine National Geographic, which turns a smartphone into an ornithological encyclopaedia, the Hospodárske Noviny financial daily wrote in late January.
Monastery in city gardens
THIS colourised photograph of Bratislava’s SNP Square, which dates back to 1912, is a beautiful example of how this city once looked, and how it has gradually grown. The area on which this square lies used to be just an empty space lining the outside of the city walls. Only the vast complex of a monastery, a hospital and a church stood there – which can be seen on the left side of the postcard.
Law on pensions protection criticised
THE RULING Smer party wants to block the second pension pillar, said the opposition MPs who attended a meeting at which the Labour Minister Ján Richter presented the basic principles of a new constitutional law regarding protection of pensions.
Countrywide Events
Western SLOVAKIA
Valuch is back from Iran
MATEJ Valuch, a 26-year-old Slovak national who was detained in Iran over what Iranian officials allege is a case of espionage, is back in Slovakia. On February 8 he appeared unexpectedly at a press conference accompanied by Slovak Minister of Foreign Affairs Miroslav Lajčák, the SITA newswire reported.
Slovak IT firm focuses on 'domain knowledge'
NOWADAYS, to succeed in the competitive market for information technology it is not enough to be considered an IT expert. Domain knowledge, i.e. knowing how one’s client’s business works, as well as related legislation, is now necessary to develop effective IT solutions for clients. The Slovak Spectator spoke about the latest IT trends, including mobile technologies, as well as the current challenges in the industry and expectations for the future, with Aleš Mičovský, managing partner at Softec Group.
Tax revenue forecast for 2013 slips
THE MINISTRY of Finance has not had much good news to share with Slovakia’s public so far this year: first it whittled its forecast for the country’s economic growth down to 1.2 percent and then, on February 8, it said that this year the state would collect €361 million less in taxes than it had assumed in the budget for 2013. While Finance Minister Peter Kažimír blamed gloomier economic prospects for the lowered estimate for tax collection, the opposition attributed it to changes that the government of Robert Fico has made to tax and payroll tax legislation.
Special Olympics Slovakia brought 17 medals from PyeongChang
THE TEAM OF Special Olympics Slovakia (ŠOHS) garnered numerous awards at the Special Winter Olympics World Games in Pyeongchang, South Korea. On February 6, the 21-member team returned home with a total of 17 medals, 10 of which were gold. The Special Olympics allows mentally challenged athletes to compete in Olympic sporting events.
Butoh returns to Bratislava
AFTER a long break, the Japanese dance form butoh has again returned to Bratislava – this time in the form of a one-woman-show by Sumako Koseki, a Japanese dancer living in France. She performed ‘Gold and Powder’ at the elledanse theatre on February 10.
Bank payments streamlined
DOMESTIC payments and automatic payments will be replaced by the Single Euro Payments Area (SEPA) system as of February 1, 2014 in Slovak banks, the SITA newswire reported.
Quote of the week
“We publish everything, we act transparently – but, of course, you cannot let yourself be killed in an old jalopy.”
During the Carnival season, old folk traditions are revived in eastern Slovakia
IN THE time leading up to Lent, the period of fasting before Easter, events organised across Slovakia revive old folk traditions. In the Zemplín region of eastern Slovakia, the local administration organises a host of Carnival/Shrovetide events.
Štefánik train will travel to Netherlands
THE ARMOURED Štefánik train will travel to the Netherlands where it will be on display for enthusiasts of old train technology. Marking the 300th anniversary of the signing of the Peace of Utrecht in the Dutch city of the same name, the local railway museum is organising one of the biggest exhibition projects in Europe concerning history and railways, called Trains in War. [The Peace of Utrecht comprised a series of individual peace treaties to end the War of the Spanish Succession, and was signed in the Dutch city of Utrecht in March and April of 1713. The treaties between several European states, including Spain, Great Britain, France, Portugal, Savoy and the Dutch Republic, helped end the war - ed. note.]
Slovak photographer wins major European award
SLOVAK photographer and traveller Filip Kulisev has become the recipient of an FEP European Landscape Golden Camera 2012 award. In the competition for the best European professional photographer for the year 2012, he won in the ‘Nature’ category, the TASR newswire wrote.
Slovakia not alone on its cloud
CLOUD computing is a relatively new phenomenon in Slovakia, arriving on the heels of mobile devices which are rapidly gaining in popularity. While Slovakia, as has happened with other trends, is lagging behind many other countries in its usage of the cloud, providers here report growing interest.
Slovak PC market shrank last year
THE NUMBER of personal computers sold in Slovakia in 2012 decreased by 8.1 percent compared with the previous year. During the final quarter the Slovak PC market shrank by one fifth year-on-year, especially due to a 22 percent decline in notebook sales. The situation with desktop PCs was similar, the SITA newswire reported based on data provided by the IDC consultancy company.
“Cheap Puppies” has been launched
THE successful campaign “Lacné šteniatka” (“Cheap Puppies”) to support the humane breeding of dogs and the lives of animals in rescue shelters entered its second phase on February 2. This involves the yearlong main event of the campaign, a travelling exhibition in stopping at major Slovak shopping centres.
Once and no more, Kažimír promises
AFTER months of preparation, the Finance Ministry is submitting for inter-departmental review a draft bill on the electronisation of public administration, which is a basic precondition for the launch of the e-Government system, the TASR newswire wrote on February 7.
€8 billion to go on infrastructure
A TOTAL of €8 billion is projected to be invested in transport infrastructure in Slovakia by April 2016, which will come from both EU funds and the country’s state budget, Prime Minister Robert Fico said on February 13 as reported by the TASR newswire.
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