Archive of articles - July 2013, page 6
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Elementary schools lack textbooks
NEARLY half of Slovakia’s elementary schools are temporarily without phonics textbooks, after the Education Ministry ordered from what it now deems an unlicensed publisher.
Single public health insurer still not in sight
THE GOVERNMENT’S plan to abolish competition in the market for compulsory public health insurance by creating a single, state-owned insurer is proving trickier than it seemed at the time of its conception. There are already hints of a delay to the original plan, which aimed to have a single health insurer operating as early as the start of 2014. However, even the draft transformation bill now envisages the launch of the single insurer in 2015 at the earliest.
Slovakia aims to attract filmmakers
FOREIGN directors rarely choose Slovakia as a filming destination, preferring instead its neighbours, the Czech Republic and Hungary. The Culture Ministry aims to change this situation through an amendment to the Act on the Audiovisual Fund, which it says should not only attract big-budget film productions, but also support investment into the local film industry and create new jobs.
Purifiers, reformists and charlatans
INEXPERIENCED politicians, skilled social networkers, idealists, but also pseudo-visionaries, wannabe corruption-fighters and radicals have filled the national parliaments of (not only) central European countries in recent years. That trend has grown even more apparent as economic crisis hit. How do such candidates, often appearing out of the blue, manage to win the hearts and minds of enough people to enter mainstream politics and change the political landscape of their countries?
Trapped falcon in Devínska Nová Ves rescued
IN EARLY July a falcon caught in an antenna on an apartment building in Devínska Nová Ves was freed when local resident Elena Bakaová spotted the common kestrel and alerted Jozef Chavko of Raptor Protection of Slovakia (RPS), which helped free the bird and secure veterinary treatment.
Decommissioning costs of V1 nuclear power plant still not fully covered
SLOVAKIA closed the first of four reactors at the nuclear power stations in Jaslovské Bohunice in 2006, and the second in 2008. It committed itself to closing and decommissioning the two V1 reactors in 1999, prior to its accession to the EU, even though they were undergoing extensive upgrades that were only completed in 2000. The decommissioning process has proved demanding in terms of time as well as money. The complete dismantling and safe liquidation of the reactors and facilities related to the entire V1 nuclear power plant is projected to last until 2025 and cost €1.1 billion. The EU undertook to foot a large part of the bill for decommissioning, and on July 15 and 16 members of the European Parliament Committee on Budgetary Control visited Slovakia to check how EU funds were being spent on the process, to see what progress Slovakia has made, and to examine how financing for the process may develop in future years. For now, Slovakia has secured funds to cover decommissioning until 2020, but an expected €130 million in costs have not yet been budgeted for.
ZSSK to get dozens of new trains
PASSENGER railway carrier Železničná Spoločnosť Slovensko (ZSSK) will receive nearly €170 million to purchase new trains, to be used on regional tracks in western and eastern Slovakia, the SITA newswire reported.
Californian orchestra enchants Bratislava, helps cancer charity
THE EL CAMINO Youth Symphony is a California-based ensemble comprising several orchestras and musical bodies. Its stated mission is based on two principles: musical education for young people, and virtuosity offering great experiences to a wide range of audiences.
Košice investigates damage to mural
KOŠICE mayor Richard Raši and city representatives deny having ordered the painting over of a prominent mural, and have requested an immediate investigation into the matter.
Slovak films took home awards at Munich film festival
THE FEATURE film Môj pes Killer / My Dog Killer continues to garner awards: it received the Cine Vision Award at the International Film Festival in Munich, which is awarded to two feature films. The Slovak-Czech co-production won the award with the Mexican film Halley, by director Sebastian Hofman.
Civic association Vagus awarded for work with homeless
SLOVAK civic association Vagus, which helps homeless people in the Slovak capital, received the prestigious international award of the ERSTE Foundation for their social project Streetwork, which involves social work with the homeless, as well as for its new project, called Domec / House, which will create a day-care and integration centre for the homeless.
Afghan suspect escapes
TWO days after the burial of Sergeant-Major Daniel Kavuliak, 35, who was killed in Kandahar on July 9 in a so-called green-on-blue shooting, the uniformed Afghan soldier, termed a “terrorist infiltrator” by Defence Minister Martin Glváč, who had fired on NATO troops escaped from custody on July 14. According to Major-General Abdul Hamid, the commander of the Afghan National Army (ANA), the attacker was assisted by at least by one Afghan soldier in the escape. The latter was supposed to escort the detainee, who claimed to have health problems, to a military hospital, from which they both escaped, TASR wrote.
Three gang-related murder cases reopened
THE POLICE have reopened three gang-related murder cases from the 1990s, including that of the murder of alleged Košice crime boss Robert Holub.
Painting lives on at Bratislava’s Pisztory Palace
THE FIRST exhibition to combine French and Slovak painters, La Belle Peinture II - Pekná maľba 2 (Pretty Painting 2), presents the works of 44 contemporary artists in Bratislava’s Pisztory Palace. Curators Ivan Jančár from Slovakia and Eva Hober from France sought to focus the exhibition on painting in contemporary art, a medium believed by some to be dying.
Volunteers continue to help Slovak cities
INDIVIDUALS and companies are becoming increasingly involved in giving a helping hand to those who need it. Each year for one weekend in June, volunteers around the country don matching t-shirts and unite to improve the environment in which they live or work.
Bonanno photos are authentic, says Nový Čas
THE BONANNO case has moved forward at the Bratislava II District Court with the testimony of Peter Mertus, the board director of Ringier Axel Springer, which faces eight lawsuits in connection with the case, with the plaintiffs seeking a total of €940,000 in damages. Mertus testified as a defendant in the lawsuit filed by the current acting general prosecutor Ladislav Tichý against his publishing house.
Chinese tourists enthusiastic about the Liptov region
LIPTOV locals aim to lure Chinese tourists to the region comprised of the Low Tatras. “While visitors from Asia have so far been a rare attraction in our mountains rather than a regular sight, this should change in the tourist seasons to come,” Miroslava Korčeková, of the regional tourism organisation Region Liptov, told the SITA newswire.
Pohoda festival educates as well as entertains
POHODA, Slovakia’s biggest summer festival, provides a rare combination of high-quality musical performances, support for third sector organisations, and political discussions, not to mention a generally relaxed atmosphere. It is an event where people can enjoy music and learn something about themselves and the society in which they live, according to representatives of various NGOs that participated in the 17th Bažant Pohoda multicultural open-air festival, which took place at Trenčín Airport between July 11 and 14.
EU member states should rationalise more
THOUGH regional groupings might make decision-making within the European Union complicated, the benefit they bring is the rationalisation and specialisation of their industries, according to Brooks Tigner, chief analyst and head of technical studies at Security Europe and a correspondent for Jane’s Defence Weekly.
Car sales down so far this year
REGISTRATIONS of new passenger cars in Slovakia barely changed month-on-month in June, but year-on-year comparisons show a drop in car sales thus far in 2013.
- Slovak female triathlete shatters barriers with historic win at Himalayan event
- Top 10 events in Bratislava for foreigners
- No more photos or bank statements? Slovakia moves to ease residence process
- UK appoints Bilal Zahid as new ambassador to Slovakia
- 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
- Top 10 events in Bratislava for foreigners
- No more photos or bank statements? Slovakia moves to ease residence process
- Weekend: Celebration of fun comes to Malacky Photo
- Slovakia loses another EV model to Spain as Stellantis chooses Zaragoza over Trnava
- News digest: Prosecutor seeks jail for NBS Governor Kažimír as his political support wanes
- Slovak female triathlete shatters barriers with historic win at Himalayan event
- Convicted of multiple murders, Slovakia’s mafia boss seeks release from prison
- News digest: Fico’s bloc wants to save money by restricting electoral access
- 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
- Weekend: Celebration of fun comes to Malacky Photo
- Top 10 events in Bratislava for foreigners
- Digital Jarvis is real now. He is coming for your to-do list
- The Kremlin’s security agency has a Russian contractor in Slovakia - no one has noticed
- The disinformation scene has become a tool of media capture
- 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
- 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 ›
