Archive of articles - October 2013, page 4
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Report on minorities criticised
THE DEMOGRAPHICS of minorities in Slovakia have changed during the past two decades. While the number of Hungarians has dropped, other minorities, like Roma and Ruthenians, are growing, according to a report approved by the government at its October 16 session.
Editorial
COVERING ethnicity, race, gender, religion or minority communities is one of those challenging tasks that require much more than knowledge of how to draft a lead, plan a nut-graph and collect or organise quotes. It even takes more than reporting skills, curiosity or courage to pursue the unknown.
Fico silent about Gazprom meeting
PRIME Minister Robert Fico met with Alexey Miller, head of the board of directors of Russian gas company Gazprom. Yet, only the Russian firm has spoken about the meeting.
Roma role models may show the way
AMID talk of various government plans to help bring Slovakia’s Roma out of poverty, there may be no substitute for something that must come from the Roma community itself: role models. In the media, Roma success stories are as rare as negative reports and stereotypes are common.
Record number of cha-cha dancers in Bratislava
A MASS cha-cha dance can be added to the list of the more unusual records set in Slovakia recently.
Public debt up to 58 percent
SLOVAKIA’s public debt increased in the second quarter of 2013 to 58 percent of the GDP, according to the European statistics office Eurostat.
School segregation fight faces challenges
IN THE eastern Slovak town of Trebišov there are five elementary schools, the latest built near the entrance to a Roma settlement on the edge of town. Overcrowded with more than 850 Roma students, it is one of many schools and classrooms that build walls between ethnic communities in Slovakia – with a September report from Amnesty International finding that 43 percent of Roma children in Slovakia study in segregated classrooms or schools.
Learning Slovak as a foreign language
WEEKS or even months can pass when some members of the large community of ethnic Hungarians living in southern Slovakia do not use the official Slovak language. This reality is leading to increased debate over how children in the region are taught Slovak in schools.
Building a bridge to Korea
THOUGH the number of Koreans in Žilina Region grew exponentially as Korean automaker Kia set up shop, Slovaks in the area still know surprisingly little about their new neighbours.
Hidden minority wants out of the closet
“WE ARE having our third anniversary on Friday,” said Andrej, 30, smiling, who lives with his partner Milan, 30. They spend holidays, family celebrations and take trips together like any other couple, but the law does not see it the same way.
Quote of the week
“An accredited firm made the project and we always took it as a whole. We did not scrutinise each item.”
Common belief bridges differences
THE PRIEST bows before the altar at a packed St Ladislav Catholic Church in Bratislava and welcomes those who have gathered. However, his words are not in Slovak, but rather, fluent English. While Catholics are hardly a minority in Slovakia, the church can serve as a uniting force for any number of varied internationals who otherwise feel out of place.
Muslim community believes, even without mosque
EVEN AS an informal survey on Bratislava’s streets finds indifference toward Muslims as the predominant attitude, one nonetheless gets the impression that there is an underlying sense of fear.“The less we know about them, the more we are afraid,” said Alena Demianová, 47, an accountant.
Exercise: Crackdown on shifty sellers
This exercise is linked to the article: Crackdown on shifty sellers.
Crackdown on shifty sellers
A glossary of words as well as an exercise related to this article are also published online.
Glossary: Crackdown on shifty sellers
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 article Crackdown on shifty sellers, you can find more expressions in our Glossary for politics & business or in the List of names of institutions in English and Slovak.
Fico still leads presidential polls
PRIME Minister Robert Fico (Smer) still appears to be the most suitable presidential candidate for Slovaks, the results of the poll conducted by the Focus polling agency show.
Biggest drug lab in Central Europe found in eastern Slovakia
POLICE officers of the National Criminal Agency have discovered one of the largest laboratories for the production of drugs in Central Europe in the recreational area of Zemplínska Šírava in the east of Slovakia.
Human rights champions push for strategy’s completion
DOZENS of human rights advocates have come together to condemn verbal attacks and activities disgracing the preparations of the national strategy for the protection and promotion of human rights in Slovakia. They expressed their support for this strategy document as well as all other government efforts leading to an improvement in human rights protection in the country at a press conference October 24, the SITA newswire reported.
New centre to teach Slovak in the US
A SLOVAK language teaching centre will be set up in the United States, according to a memorandum that Education Minister Dušan Čaplovič and the representatives of the California University of Pennsylvania signed on October 24, the TASR newswire reported.
- Slovak female triathlete shatters barriers with historic win at Himalayan event
- 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
- 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
- News digest: Fico’s bloc wants to save money by restricting electoral access
- Weekend: Celebration of fun comes to Malacky Photo
- Top 10 events in Bratislava for foreigners
- 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
- News digest: Prosecutor seeks jail for NBS Governor Kažimír as his political support wanes
- News digest: Fico’s bloc wants to save money by restricting electoral access
- Convicted of multiple murders, Slovakia’s mafia boss seeks release from prison
- Slovak female triathlete shatters barriers with historic win at Himalayan event
- 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
- News digest: Violent gang in Bratislava is under arrest
- 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 compass points to Kúty, and people are starting to follow
- The Kremlin’s security agency has a Russian contractor in Slovakia - no one has noticed
- 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 ›
