Archive of articles - March 2014, page 12
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Police officer who lent patrol car for video charged
THE INTERIOR Ministry charged a Nitra-based police officer who lent a police patrol car for the shooting of a music video clip accompanying the song of rapper Ramon Babka, in which men provoke the police.
Watchdog: Just three presidential candidates open about assets
The Aliancia Fair-Play (AFP) watchdog called on presidential candidates in the March 15 election to publish more information on their property and assets, business interests and income.
Record foreign trade surplus of €4.28 billion in 2013, January positive too
While Slovakia posted a foreign trade deficit year-on-year of €51.3 million in December 2013, overall exports from Slovakia rose by 7.9 percent on an annual basis to €4.673 billion in December 2013, the Slovak Statistics Office (ŠÚ) informed in a detailed report on March 11. However, all together 2013 saw a foreign-trade surplus of €4.284 billion, €728 million more than in 2012. Exports for the entire year rose by 3.6 percent to €64.361 billion. Imports also ticked up - by 2.5 percent - to €60.077 billion. In 2013, Slovakia had its largest foreign trade surplus with Germany (€4.241 billion), followed by the Czech Republic (€2.527 billion), Poland €2.486 billion), Austria (€2.418 billion) and the United Kingdom (€2.340 billion). Conversely, the largest deficits were measured in trade with South Korea (€5.074 billion), Russia (€3.601 billion), China (€2.732 billion), Japan (€677.9 million) and Taiwan (€420.1 million). Exports to the EU went up by 2 percent year-on-year and accounted for 82.8 percent of all of the country's exports. The proportion increased further to 85.9 percent when it came to exports to OECD countries, with the year-on-year rise in this regard reaching 2.7 percent last year. Imports from EU countries swelled 0.7 percent on the year, making up 62.6 percent of all imports. Imports from OECD countries accounted for 63 percent of all exports following a rise of 2.4 percent on an annual basis.
Education Minister pays millions for suspect e-learning courses
Education, Science, Research and Sports Minister Dušan Čaplovič has allocated almost €28 million to a national requalification project for already employed people, which – apart from other things – includes e-learning courses on goat- and sheep-rearing and facial massage, independent MP (ex-Slovak Democratic and Christian Union, SDKÚ) Miroslav Beblavý said March 11. The e-learning courses alone should cost €12.4 million, which according to Beblavý is more than the ministry allocates for all textbooks in Slovak schools. MP added that the national project involves a post-box company close to the ruling Smer party.
Man sentenced to six months for eating three stolen grapes
The Bratislava District Court sentenced pensioner Rudolf Šimo to half a year in jail for stealing and eating three grapes worth €0.10. His incarceration will cost taxpayers approximately €7,000. On February 22, Šimo came to a grocery store in a Bratislava shopping mall, stole three grapes, ate them and was subsequently apprehended by security on his way out, the TASR newswire wrote on March 11. He caused no damage to the grape producer. However, due to having a history of probationary sentences in April 2013 for theft and another for a similar crime in the last 12 months, under the “three strikes and you're out” rule the man was sent to jail. “The amendment drafted by [former Justice Minister] Daniel Lipsic and in effect since September 2003 has turned the legal system upside down,” lawyer Alexander Filo told the Nový Čas daily, which broke the story. “It ushered in punishments and procedures that are to the detriment rather than benefit of the state.”
Tesco helps children learn English with Disney fairy tales
Children in Slovakia can now learn English with their favourite Cinderella or Aladdin fairy tales by Walt Disney. Tesco began on March 5, 2014, a special Disney card collecting game for customers of all ages. For each €10 of purchased goods, customers will receive a free pack of English-Slovak cards featuring their favourite fairy tale characters, which they can collect and keep in a special card collection album.
PRESIDENTIAL VOTE: Profiles of the candidates - 2nd part
ON THE IDES of March Slovaks will vote to elect a replacement for President Ivan Gašparovič, whose term expires on June 15. Though the race features 14 presidential candidates, the highest number in the country’s history, opinion polls suggest that the next president will be one of these five: Prime Minister Robert Fico supported by the ruling Smer; Andrej Kiska, a businessman and philanthropist; Milan Kňažko, an actor and leader of the Velvet Revolution; Radoslav Procházka, a former member of the Christian Democratic Movement (KDH); or Pavol Hrušovský, backed by the opposition People’s Platform.
PRESIDENTIAL VOTE: Profiles of the candidates - 1st part
ON THE IDES of March Slovaks will vote to elect a replacement for President Ivan Gašparovič, whose term expires on June 15. Though the race features 14 presidential candidates, the highest number in the country’s history, opinion polls suggest that the next president will be one of these five: Prime Minister Robert Fico supported by the ruling Smer; Andrej Kiska, a businessman and philanthropist; Milan Kňažko, an actor and leader of the Velvet Revolution; Radoslav Procházka, a former member of the Christian Democratic Movement (KDH); or Pavol Hrušovský, backed by the opposition People’s Platform.
PRESIDENTIAL VOTE: Slovakia will elect its president on March 15
ON THE IDES of March Slovaks will vote to elect a replacement for President Ivan Gašparovič, whose term expires on June 15. Though the race features 14 presidential candidates, the highest number in the country’s history, opinion polls suggest that the next president will come from one of these five: Prime Minister Robert Fico, supported by the ruling Smer party; Andrej Kiska, a businessman and philanthropist; Milan Kňažko, an actor and leader of the Velvet Revolution; Radoslav Procházka, a former member of the Christian Democratic Movement (KDH); and Pavol Hrušovský, backed by the opposition People’s Platform.
Čižnár punished Nitra regional prosecutor
GENERAL Prosecutor Jaromír Čižnár has handed down a punishment for Nitra regional prosecutor Ernest Vojtech for the mild reprimands he administered to two district prosecutors who allegedly mishandled the cases of two attacks that occurred in front of the Mariatchi Bar in downtown Nitra.
Šefčovič and Flašíková-Beňová lead Smer’s EP slate
A PRESIDIUM of the ruling Smer party has approved the slate for the elections to the European Parliament. It will be led by Maroš Šefčovič, whom the party nominated in February, followed by current Smer MEPs, Monika Flašíková-Beňová, Monika Smolková, Vladimír Maňka, Boris Zala, Katarína Neveďalová and Gabriela Kečkéšová, the last of whom currently works in Šefčovič’s team.
Týždeň to face record-high lawsuit
THE TÝŽDEŇ weekly could face a lawsuit for an article entitled “The Great Tax Burglary”, published in its March 3 issue. Budamar Logistics, a company which is featured prominently in the article, is asking the publisher not only for a printed apology, but also for €20 million in financial compensation, which is one of the highest fines sought from a media outlet in Slovakia.
Poll shows 9-percent gap between Kiska and Fico
PRIME Minister Robert Fico's lead over the opponent of his who is most likely to advance to the second round run-off in the presidential election, businessman and philanthropist Andrej Kiska, is shrinking. A poll carried out over the telephone by the Focus polling agency between March 5 and 9 on 1,009 respondents showed Fico’s support only 9 percent higher than that of Kiska, the Sme.sk website reported on March 11.
Economy slightly lags behind potential
SLOVAKIA’S economy is currently about 1 percent below its potential, according to the report by the Council for Budgetary Responsibility, a supervisory body over the economic management of the state. The council was seeking the best way to calculate the potential product based on which it would be able to determine the structural deficit, the SITA newswire reported on March 11.
Slovakia's trade balance positive again in January
SLOVAKIA’s foreign trade is expected to begin the year 2014 in the black. After posting surpluses for several months, the country's trade balance in December was at negative €60 million. However, analysts again expect a considerable surplus in the trade balance for the first month of this year, the SITA newswire reported.
Benefit concert held for victims of Ukraine crisis in Bratislava
A BENEFIT concert for Ukraine that took place on March 9 at Moyzes Hall of Comenius University in Bratislava represented an expression of solidarity with victims of the violent clashes during the anti-government protests and the subsequent crisis.
Kiska turns to police over fliers against his presidential bid
INDEPENDENT candidate Andrej Kiska filed a criminal complaint with the police on March 10 over a leaflet that he believes constitutes libel against him.
Prime minister unsure about Ukraine’s reliability
PRIME Minister Robert Fico has said he is concerned over whether Ukraine is a reliable partner when it comes to fulfilling its obligations.
Trade union proposes extending agreements in two sectors
THE OZ KOVO trade union group has filed two proposals to extend the binding character of higher-level collective agreements onto other employers in bus transport and the machine industry.
Paralympics: Slovak athletes win three medals
THREE Slovak athletes have won medals at the Paralympic Games in Sochi.
- The law changed. Our family papers were ready. Now my kids are Slovak citizens
- Maria Theresa on the banks of Bratislava
- Slovak female triathlete shatters barriers with historic win at Himalayan event
- The Kremlin’s security agency has a Russian contractor in Slovakia - no one has noticed
- Liberal MP's boxing challenge backfires as far-right MEP seizes the moment
- 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
- From eight to thousands of runners. How Košice marathon rose to prominence Photo
- The law changed. Our family papers were ready. Now my kids are Slovak citizens
- Maria Theresa on the banks of Bratislava
- The Kremlin’s security agency has a Russian contractor in Slovakia - no one has noticed
- Slovak female triathlete shatters barriers with historic win at Himalayan event
- Slovakia loses another EV model to Spain as Stellantis chooses Zaragoza over Trnava
- From eight to thousands of runners. How Košice marathon rose to prominence Photo
- No more photos or bank statements? Slovakia moves to ease residence process
- Iconic Slovak barn still draws crowds. Without donors, it might have been lost Photo
- The law changed. Our family papers were ready. Now my kids are Slovak citizens
- Maria Theresa on the banks of Bratislava
- No more photos or bank statements? Slovakia moves to ease residence process
- Weekend: Celebration of fun comes to Malacky Photo
- Top 10 events in Bratislava for foreigners
- 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
- Digital Jarvis is real now. He is coming for your to-do list
- The law changed. Our family papers were ready. Now my kids are Slovak citizens
- Maria Theresa on the banks of Bratislava
- No more photos or bank statements? Slovakia moves to ease residence process
- The Kremlin’s security agency has a Russian contractor in Slovakia - no one has noticed
- Fico praises China and Vietnam as models, says liberal democracy has failed
- News digest: Violent gang in Bratislava is under arrest
- A mayor resigns over €2.7 million fraud scandal at town hall
- Top 10 events in Bratislava for foreigners
- Legendary captain Zdeno Chára inducted into IIHF Hall of Fame Video
- Liberal MP's boxing challenge backfires as far-right MEP seizes the moment
- The law changed. Our family papers were ready. Now my kids are Slovak citizens
- 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 More articles ›
