Archive of articles - May 2013, page 4
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Exercise: People and Nature
This exercise is linked to the topic People and Nature.
Discrimination still a problem
LAST year a Slovak court issued an important verdict confirming that Roma children at a small elementary school had been segregated. Even though the ruling of the Prešov Regional Court, concerning a school in Šarišské Michaľany, brought about some positive changes, including a definition of segregation and acknowledgement that such practices violate the country’s antidiscrimination law, Amnesty International (AI) warns that there are still some schools in Slovakia where Roma children are separated from their non-Roma peers.
Quote of the week
“You have profaned the sacred place of parliament, you have crossed all the limits. No one has ever used a drug here before.”
Skalica bakers smash trdelník record
THE SKALICA-BASED mill of the Pilárik brothers is back on line after a half-century break. The three storey mill in this western-Slovak town will be open each weekend during the tourist season, joining other local attractions such as the Romanesque Rotunda of St George and the Baťa canal to the Czech Republic.
Institutions and organisations related to employment in Slovakia
Ministry of Labour, Social Affairs and Family, www.employment.gov.sk
EPH reportedly buys stake in SSE
FRENCH company Electricité de France (EDF) has reportedly sold its stake in Stredoslovenská Energetika (SSE), one of Slovakia’s three main electricity distribution firms, for around €500 million to the Czech energy group Energetický a Průmyslový Holding (EPH), the SITA newswire reported, citing reports published on the Czech news website Motejlek.com.
Glossary: People and Nature
Spectator College provides readers of The Slovak Spectator who are trying to improve their English with glossaries of useful and frequently used words and expressions from stories published as part of the Spectator College as well as in the rest of the newspaper. As well as this special glossary, which relates to the topic People and Nature, you can find more expressions in our Glossary for politics & business or in the List of names of institutions in English and Slovak.
Health-care workers protest again
DOZENS of health-care workers protested in front of parliament on May 21 and 22 against a draft amendment to the Criminal Code which introduces sanctions for those who refuse to work during officially declared periods of emergency, calling it criminalisation of health-care workers, the TASR newswire reported.
![One of the discussions with foreigners held during previous editions of [fjúžn].](https://image.smedata.sk/image/w450-h300/1ef8546f-74c0-6fea-b72e-7db0e983f689.jpg)
Fusion of cultures
CHINESE theatre, presentations of Indian cuisine, discussions about Islam and the status of foreign nationals living in Slovakia, a Slovak band performing along with refugees and various film premieres were only a few of the events featured in the 8th annual [fjúžn] festival organised by the Milan Šimečka Foundation (NMŠ) between April 18 and 24 in Bratislava.
Director Juraj Herz sets latest film in Kežmarok Castle
FAMED film director Juraj Herz has just wrapped shooting on a short film at Kežmarok Castle near Poprad in Eastern Slovakia.
Law change criminalises homophobia
AN AMENDMENT to the Criminal Code passed by MPs on May 22 will introduce several changes, among them milder sentences for people convicted of producing, keeping, and trading drugs. The change should create more opportunity for courts to sentence for specific drug-related crimes in a more appropriate way, and to distinguish between dealers and users of drugs, the Justice Ministry stated.
Vocational training in the spotlight
SLOVAKIA’S job market lacks skilled mechanics and technicians, according to businesses who claim that once the generation of workers in their fifties retires, there might not be enough qualified workers to replace them. The Education Ministry sees this as a major challenge, and promises to come up with a set of new measures that would make vocational training more attractive to students and encourage participation by businesses.
Showing diversity through theatre
THEATRE can be a means to elucidate some of the problems which might arise from misunderstandings between cultures when they come into contract with each other. Two playwrights chose this theme for their presentations at the [fjúžn] festival held between April 18 and 24. One focused on the cultural differences between China and central Europe, while the other dealt with problems that arise when so-called charitable organisations set out to solve the problems of the developing world.
Lemur born in Bratislava zoo
BRATISLAVA zoo celebrated the birth of a baby ring-tailed lemur (Lemur catta) on March 25, the first such birth of a lemur raised in the local zoo.
Changes to waste law will end Recycling Fund
SCRAP yards will no longer be able to buy scrap metal from individuals; plastic, glass, paper and iron will no longer be thrown into landfills, but collected under a waste separation programme instead; and producers and importers will carry more responsibility for the fate of their products and packaging: this is the Environment Ministry’s vision of a more environmentally friendly Slovakia, as detailed in draft legislation on waste policies. The draft also foresees the dissolution of the Recycling Fund, which collects fees from importers and producers of certain commodities and then uses these funds to support waste collection and recycling projects.
Report your whereabouts, law demands
“I’M AT work now and will be back home around 5 pm.” This is one of the numerous satirical status updates that Slovaks have been spreading across the internet to mock the latest Interior Ministry rule, which requires Slovakia’s inhabitants by law to report to the authorities whenever they leave the country for more than 90 days.
Cabinet adopts plan for growth
POLITICIANS and businesspeople, as well as analysts and market watchers, agree that Slovakia needs to do something to curb the deceleration of its economic growth. But their solutions are often diametrically opposed. The Slovak cabinet adopted a document outlining pro-growth measures on May 15. The business sector, whose input was incorporated into the document, mostly praised its adoption, while the opposition and economic analysts see it as a marketing tool that brings nothing new. The document remains open and will be further elaborated.
Slovak assets seized in dispute between state and Achmea
A Luxembourg court has ordered the sequestration of €29.5 million of assets owned by the Slovak Republic as part of a legal action brought against Slovakia by the Dutch company Achmea, which is the owner of Slovak public health insurance firm Union, the TASR newswire reported on May 23, citing Bert Rensen of Achmea.
Senior highway company officials fined for taking out insurance contracts
Two senior officials of the state-run National Highway Company (NDS), Milan Gajdoš and Daniel Mak, have been fined one year's salary. The Parliamentary Committee on Conflicts of Interest unanimously approved the fine of twelve times their monthly salary on May 23, the SITA newswire wrote.
Comenius University ranks 527th in URAP survey
Bratislava's Comenius University (UK) has ranked 527th in the University Ranking by Academic Performance (URAP) survey for 2012/2013, which evaluates the top 2000 higher education institutions in the world, the TASR newswire reported.
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- News digest: Prosecutor seeks jail for NBS Governor Kažimír as his political support wanes
- Convicted of multiple murders, Slovakia’s mafia boss seeks release from prison
- Slovakia plans to restrict access to new medicines amid funding shortfall
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- Weekend: Celebration of fun comes to Malacky Photo
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- News digest: Fico’s bloc wants to save money by restricting electoral access
- Maria Theresa on the banks of Bratislava
- 3 free things to do in Bratislava in the next seven days
- Slovakia loses another EV model to Spain as Stellantis chooses Zaragoza over Trnava
- 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
- Weekend: Celebration of fun comes to Malacky Photo
- The Kremlin’s security agency has a Russian contractor in Slovakia - no one has noticed
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- Show me your moves! Slovak hockey stars share their best pick-up lines
- 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 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 ›
