Archive of articles - December 2013, page 3
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Record ice castle in Mlynky
AT THE BEGINNING of February this year, the Snežný Hrad Raj / Snow-Castle Paradise in the Slovenský raj / Slovak Paradise mountain range became the biggest snow-made construction in Slovakia, making it into the Book of Slovak Records. Nearly 20 people spent three weeks building it – in Gugle, part of Mlynky, a municipality in eastern Slovakia.
"Eternal" soldier in Mojtín
THE REMAINS of the verifiably longest-serving soldier in the world, Ladislav Škultéty-Gábriš, were laid to rest in his birthplace, Mojtín. This happened 275 years after his birth, on June 27 of this year. Škultéty-Gábriš is considered to have been the longest-serving active-duty soldier, being part of the imperial hussar regiment for 81 years. The western-Slovak municipality of Mojtín said on its website that he has now returned home because there was no one to pay fees for his grave in the town of Arad in present-day Romania.
Stone altar relocated after 600-year-old fresco is found
A UNIQUE medieval fresco in St Emeram’s Cathedral in Nitra was discovered under an important early Baroque altar and a debate over what to do with the fresco, a rarity in Central and Eastern Europe, quickly ensued.
Divorced mom in school book sparks protest
CHARACTERS from primary school textbooks virtually never make news. But a recent exception has drawn the ire of groups that claim to defend the idea of a traditional family.
Teachers build centre to help young Roma, mothers
PREGNANT teenage students and children lacking basic hygiene skills are just some of the problems teachers in elementary school in Dobšiná city have to face. Since government has shown little interest in such complications, teachers Eleonóra Liptáková and Erika Polgáriová opened a parental centre in Dobšiná for young families from socially disadvantaged environment on December 6.
Košice ECOC reign leaves its mark
WHICH city or town can deserve the title European Capital of Culture more than one that comprises not only one culture but rather several ones, combining and entwining to create a distinctive blend that gives a completely unique quality? In Košice, apart from Slovak culture, there has also been Hungarian, Ukrainian (and/or Ruthenian) and Jewish culture strongly represented historically, resulting in a particular atmosphere and culture. Košice’s name in Hungarian is Kassa and in German, Keschau.
Jánošík celebrated 325th anniversary
IN 2013, Slovakia celebrated the 325 years since its national hero, the legendary outlaw Juraj Jánošík, was born, and 300 years since he was executed. Every Slovak knows the story of the bandit from Terchová, who, according to legend, made his name stealing from the rich and giving to the poor.
Iranians release last two held Slovaks
AFTER MORE than 200 days in detention in Iran since mid May two Slovak paragliders, Pavol Šeliga and Marek Stolarčík, returned home. The Iranian regime alleged they had engaged in espionage.
Businessmen to buy Czech Ringier
THE CZECH branch of Ringier Axel Springer publishing house looks set to change hands. Patrik Tkáč from J&T financial group and Czech businessman Daniel Křetínský, who are also both shareholders of Energetický a Průmyslový Holding (EPH), plan to buy it, Motejlek.com reported on December 18.
Slovakia's ECHR slate criticised
SLOVAKIA’s slate of candidates for the position of judge of the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) is one of the worst scandals seen in recent months, wrote signatories of an open letter addressed to the Slovak government.
Prosecutors push Moldava raid case
FOLLOWING an investigation, the General Prosecutor’s Office (GPO) said that a June police raid on a Roma settlement in Moldava nad Bodvou should be prosecuted.
Bug is dubbed 'Lucka'
ONE OF thirteen fluorescent species of cockroach, Blaberidae, which live in South America, has been baptised with an unusual name, Lucihormetica luckae. The name is derived from the name of the daughter of Peter Vršanský, who discovered the species. His daughter is called Lucka. Vršanský discovered the new species towards the end of 2010 in Ecuador following the eruption of a volcano. In 2012, together with colleagues from several institutes of the Slovak Academy of Sciences, Vršanský described the discovery in the magazine Naturwissenschaften.
Year-end spike in tax fraud
TAX FRAUDSTERS are increasing their activities ahead of key legislative changes aimed at tackling tax evasion which will become effective in January 2014. The Financial Administration registered a suspected increase in requests for VAT refunds in November, with certain applications containing an increase of as high as 100 percent in the amount of VAT refunds, Finance Minister Peter Kažimír told the press on December 14.
Ides of March
ROBERT Fico kicked off his presidential campaign high-style at the historical building of the Slovak parliament in the presence of his government, foreign diplomats, the Supreme Court president and the media. A round-up of accomplishments of his government in 2013 and priorities for 2014, which Fico formally read for his audience, was only a pretext for announcing he would run for president in the spring. As Fico kept the nation guessing for several months about whether he would throw his hat into the presidential ring, he certainly had the attention of the nation.
The rise and fall of the Arpadian guardian of Devín
IN 1896, a millennium of the Great Hungarian Empire was celebrated. On this occasion, the Hungarian government built a monument of an Arpadian fighter on the Devín rock. The choice of location and the pomposity of the whole event were not accidental. The rock looming tall over the confluence of the Danube and Morava rivers was symbolically perceived as their own by the champions of the Great-Moravian tradition who believed that it was here where the best parts of the history of the ancient Slavonic state were written.
Inflation tamed by lower food prices
PRICE increases continued to decelerate in November as analysts see drops in prices of food and fuel as the primary drivers of lower inflation. Energy prices at the beginning of 2014 should help this trend continue well into next year, analysts say.
Three key MPs leave SDKÚ
FORMER justice minister and failed party chair candidate Lucia Žitňanská, one-time state secretary Miroslav Beblavý and Magdaléna Vášáryová, formerly ambassador to Austria, have all quit the Slovak Democratic and Christian Union (SDKÚ) on December 12. While the party was once the pre-eminent force on the centre-right, its 11 member parliamentary deputy faction has now dropped to just eight MPs.
Stork 'spy' suspect is released
THE WHITE stork called Méneš, who was marked with a tracking device within the joint Hungarian-Slovak project Vtáky bez hraníc (Birds Without Borders) on the Hungarian side of the Ipeľ river near Szécsény, was caught in Egypt on suspicions of espionage and kept in captivity for several days.
A letter from the Publisher
We are completing our 19th year on the market in 2013 and thanks to our readers as well as partners from the diplomatic and business community we are able to continue covering different aspects of Slovakia for our devoted readers both in print and online.
Sadiki gets 22 years in retrial
EVEN with a retrial drug baron Baki Sadiki could not escape prison, receiving 22 years, the very same sentence the court handed down for him in his original trial. Still, Sadiki, who allegedly has ties to Supreme Court President Štefan Harabin, is not giving up his case yet with his lawyers set to appeal.
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- He designed Gatwick. But this is his masterpiece
- Fico praises China and Vietnam as models, says liberal democracy has failed
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- 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 ›
