Archive of articles - February 2014
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US State Department criticises Slovak courts and Roma discrimination
IN ITS latest Country Reports on Human Rights Practices for 2013 the US Department of State criticised Slovakia for weaknesses in operation of the country’s justice system and the prevailing discrimination of Roma. The Slovak Justice Ministry responded that the results show the country needs reforms.
Presidential campaign officially underway
THE PRESIDENTIAL campaign officially began on February 28 and will end on March 13 at 7:00 when a 48-hour pre-vote moratorium begins. Candidates are allowed to spend no more than €132,775, including VAT, during that period, the TASR newswire reported.
Roma health conference held in Poprad
ALL 156 assistants of health awareness and their coordinators will meet at the first ever conference focused specifically on the health of Roma in Poprad on February 28. The conference will also be attended by experts on health awareness, representatives of cooperating institutions, supporters and members of the Association of the Health Field Workers (ATZA), the TASR newswire reported.
Street View now contains special pictures from Slovakia
PANORAMIC pictures of more than 40 historical and natural beauties in Slovakia have become part of Google’s Street View application and Slovakia is only third country, after Japan and Poland, which can show pictures of its caves, the SITA newswire reported on February 27.
Fitch confirms Slovakia’s A+ rating
FITCH Ratings has affirmed Slovakia’s long-term foreign and local currency issuer default ratings (IDR) at A+ with stable outlooks. The issue ratings on Slovakia’s senior unsecured foreign and local currency bonds have also been affirmed at A+, while the country ceiling has been affirmed at AAA and the short-term foreign currency IDR at F1, the Reuters newswire reported on February 28.
German Bundestag chief to visit
THE PRESIDENT of Bundestag, Germany’s lower house of parliament, Norbert Lammert will arrive for a three-day visit to Slovakia on March 2. He will meet with his Slovak counterpart Pavol Paška, as well as President Ivan Gašparovič and Prime Minister Robert Fico, the German Embassy to Slovakia said in a statement.
Big German investment targets Slovakia
GERMAN concern Schaeffler, which operates INA Skalica and INA Kysuce engineering plants in Slovakia, plans to create 1,000 new jobs in the next three years. This figure does not have to be final as the German investor could give work to approximately 1,600 people thanks to new investments, the Hospodárske Noviny daily reported in its February 28 issue.
Roma community projects can receive €620,000 this year
The financial support for projects in Roma communities includes a total of €620,000 in 2014, Government Proxy for Roma Communities Peter Pollák said February 27.
Smer would have won a January parliamentary election
If parliamentary election took place in January 2014, the Smer party (also at the helm currently) would have won the race with 43.6 percent of votes. This stems form a poll conducted between January 6 and February 2 by the Median SK polling agency, targeting, 124 respondents.
Slovak police charge kidnappers who sold girls to the UK for prostitution
Police charged two men from eastern Slovakia in a case of abduction of two young girls to the UK.
Tycoon Vareha’s 11 years in prison confirmed, financial punishment abolished
The three-member panel of the Slovak Supreme Court (NS) confirmed the 11 year prison sentence handed to businessman Mikuláš Vareha, known as “The Lord of Zemplín (region)” in the case of tax and levies evasion in commodity trading, the TASR newswire wrote.
Government approves limiting the duration of work on agreement
Another limiting draft amendment to the Labour Code was introduced by the Labour Ministry seeking to alter the Act on Pension Savings. It introduces restrictions of the work on agreement performed outside regular employment. It is particularly designed to address payment of pensions from the private second pension pillar and was approved by the government February 26. The duration of work on agreement should be limited for a maximum of one year to avoid misusing it by avoiding paying for social insurance.
UPDATED: KDH ready to debate Smer’s bill on judiciary
After hesitation and several disputes, the opposition Christian Democratic Movement (KDH) say they are ready to discuss changes to the constitution that have been brought forward by the ruling Smer party concerning the judiciary – in exchange for its proposal concerning the protection of marriage.
Slovakia to send six communication experts to Afghanistan
Slovakia will send six more members of the Slovak Armed Forces to Afghanistan, as bolstering the Slovak presence in International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) mission was approved by the government on February 26.
Government to honour successful athletes
A total of 235 Slovak athletes and three teams have been nominated by the Education, Science, Research and Sports Ministry for awards due to their results last year at various sporting events around the world. According to the ministry’s proposal which was approved by the government during its session on February 26, a total of €237,308 will be awarded to the selected athletes. Nominations include athletes who medalled at the world and European championships, the European youth festival, the World Student Games and the Deaflympics, as well as other athletes who have represented Slovakia with excellent athletic performances at other major European and/or international events. “Last year confirmed that Slovakia is doing much better in non-Olympic as opposed to Olympic disciplines,” the TASR newswire quoted the ministry report. “Our athletes are achieving success in karate, body culture competitions and lawn bowling. In addition, our athletes have also achieved world quality in bike racing, arm-wrestling, dog sledding, water skiing and power-boating, as well as in air sports [ballooning, paragliding etc.].”
Hungarian Jobbik party campaigns in Dunajská Streda
The Hungarian nationalist Jobbik party expanded its election campaign to Slovakia, when it introduced its candidate for the general election, Péter Pallér, in the southern-Slovak town of Dunajská Streda. [According to new Hungarian legislation, also Hungarians living abroad can participate in Hungarian elections.] Deputy Speaker of Hungarian Parliament for Jobbik, Zoltán Balczó, also joined the campaigning in Dunajská Streda.
Rabindranath Tagore At Home in Šamorín
THERE ARE events, moments, experiences, and also exhibitions which are hard to share and describe, Daniel Fischer exhibition/installation in the At Home Gallery in Šamorín.
Achilova päta
INVULNERABLE demigods of the past could at least be stopped by heel injuries. Today, they undergo a quick surgery, get a crutch and return to the campaign trail within hours.
Marriage now part of campaign
WHEN supporters of the pro-life movement marched through Košice’s streets in September 2013, it may have seemed unlikely that in several months Slovakia would insert a new provision in its Constitution defining marriage as a union between a man and a woman.
Co-hosting 2022 Winter Olympics could cost Slovakia €177 million
JOINTLY hosting the 2022 Winter Olympic Games with Poland is estimated to cost Slovakia €177 million, the SITA newswire reported.
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- The disinformation scene has become a tool of media capture
- The Kremlin’s security agency has a Russian contractor in Slovakia - no one has noticed
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- Convicted of multiple murders, Slovakia’s mafia boss seeks release from prison
- 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
- The Kremlin’s security agency has a Russian contractor in Slovakia - no one has noticed
- 3 free things to do in Bratislava in the next seven days
- Digital Jarvis is real now. He is coming for your to-do list
- The disinformation scene has become a tool of media capture
- Paris leads, Bratislava trails: European cities ranked on safe travel for children
- Maria Theresa on the banks of Bratislava
- A mayor resigns over €2.7 million fraud scandal at town hall
- Show me your moves! Slovak hockey stars share their best pick-up lines
- He designed Gatwick. But this is his masterpiece
- No more photos or bank statements? Slovakia moves to ease residence process
- Fico praises China and Vietnam as models, says liberal democracy has failed
- The compass points to Kúty, and people are starting to follow
- News digest: Violent gang in Bratislava is under arrest
- Slovak female triathlete shatters barriers with historic win at Himalayan event
- Weekend: Celebration of fun comes to Stupava 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
- Maria Theresa on the banks of Bratislava
- Digital Jarvis is real now. He is coming for your to-do list More articles ›
