Archive of articles - April 2014, page 10
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Bratislava secondary school celebrates Turkish cuisine
THE SECONDARY Professional School on Farského Street in Bratislava trains future chefs and waiters, as well as pastry chefs, butchers and future managers in the hospitality sector. On March 20, the school organised a special day of Turkish cuisine.
Traditional puppetry eligible for UNESCO list
PUPPETRY can be included on the UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage List as a joint Slovak-Czech nomination, although there is one caveat.
IMF predicts faster GDP growth
SLOVAKIA’S economic growth will gradually accelerate, according to the latest prognosis of the world economic outlook published by the International Monetary Fund (IMF). It forecasts economic output to rise to 2.3 percent from last year’s 0.9 percent, while in 2015 it expects growth to accelerate to 3 percent, the SITA newswire reported on April 9.
Election in Muráň smooth despite lack of traditional pastry
THE AROMA of Muráň’s traditional buns no longer permeates the centre of this municipality - not even on election day. The bakery responsible for the local specialty has closed.
Passenger air traffic shrinks
SIX Slovak airports served 1,660,277 passengers in 2013, representing a 3-percent decline, or 51,702 passengers, compared with 2012. Regular transport passengers accounted for 1,024,424 people and their number decreased by 3.6 percent, or 38,375 passengers, over the year. International charter air transport increased by 0.9 percent, or 5,008 people, to 586,760, the SITA newswire wrote on April 7, based on Transport Ministry data.
30,400 cars drive toll roads daily
ON AVERAGE, 30,428 motor vehicles drove toll roads daily in Slovakia in February. Compared with January, this represented a 9.7-percent increase.
Biden and Fico discuss Ukraine
US VICE President Joe Biden discussed the crisis in Ukraine with the leaders of Montenegro and Slovakia on April 9, the AP newswire reported. Observers say the call took place as Slovakia’s attitude over the reverse gas flow seemed unclear.
Higher budget for EMO approved
AFTER months of negotiations the shareholders of Slovak power utility Slovenské Elektrárne (SE) agreed on April 8 to provide the additional funding necessary to complete the third and fourth units of the Mochovce Nuclear Power Plant (EMO). This means that the power plant’s final bill will rise to €3.8 billion, up by €1 billion compared to the original plans.
E-tolls fetched nearly €160 million
THE ELECTRONIC toll scheme, which targets motor vehicles above 3.5 tonnes on tolled roads in Slovakia, fetched €159 million in total in 2013, up 2.3 percent y/y, the toll company SkyToll reported as cited by the TASR newswire.
Regional paper praises fascist state
THE FLAG of the European Union is a symbol of occupation, and the Nazi-allied wartime Slovak state was a prosperous and successful country: these are just the two most striking examples of the kind of rhetoric found in a newspaper published by the Banská Bystrica regional government since Marian Kotleba became governor.
Easter's pagan roots
THE LAST day of the Easter holiday, Easter Monday, brings traditions that may be difficult for many foreigners to understand. Yes, the drenching and whipping of women is intentional, though to be honest, not even Slovaks themselves often know the meaning or the roots of these rituals.
Bulgarian recipes: Shopska salad (video included)
Ingredients and preparation.
Bulgarian recipes: Kozunak (Easter cake) (video included)
Ingredients and preparation.
Jail time for Košice councillor
KOŠICE city councillor František Olejník, a former deputy of Smer convicted of taking a bribe for influencing voting, will now officially spend the next few years in prison after his last hope of a reprieve evaporated on April 7.
Hailing 'slowness & silence'
IT DOES not often occur that one man comes before a sold-out Slovak National Theatre (SND) in Bratislava and holds the audience’s attention for nearly three hours. But Robert Wilson is not your average entertainer or theatre-maker. In fact, finding the right words to describe him can be difficult, which is perhaps what brought so many people to this event, called ‘1. Have You Been There? 2. No, This Is the First Time.’
Russians banned from celebration
REPRESENTATIVES of Liptovský Mikuláš, Žilina Region, have rejected the request from the Russian Embassy to Slovakia to have a Russian military attaché attend celebrations commemorating the 69th anniversary of the town’s liberation from Nazi Germany. The decision came in response to the situation in Crimea, the TASR newswire reported on April 3.
Air transport poses challenges
PASSENGER air transport is still trying to find its place even as Slovakia has witnessed the grounding of several operators in recent years. The challenge emanating from low-cost carriers, the concentration of demand for air transport in Bratislava and western Slovakia, offers from nearby foreign airports and the years of economic crisis mean that frequent change has been the reality.Most recently, the Danube Wings airline halted its passenger air transportation. After four years of operation it first closed down its Bratislava-Košice routes in late November 2013, before ceasing all other flights in December.
Quote of the week
“Some [people] already call me Mr President, which always subconsciously startles me [and I look to check] whether someone is standing behind me.”
Institutions and organisations of transport in Slovakia
-Ministry of Transport, Construction and Regional Development, www.telecom.gov.sk-Association of Road Transport Operators of the Slovak Republic (ČESMAD), www.cesmad.sk-Slovak Union of Motor Carriers (UNAS), www.uniadopravcov.sk-Transport Research Institute (VÚD), www.vud.sk-Electronic Toll Collection system, www.emyto.sk
Putin sends letter on Ukraine to EU leaders, including Fico
Russian President Vladimir Putin has sent a letter to 18 European leaders concerning the Ukrainian debt for gas supplies and pointing to the overall deteriorating situation of the Ukrainian economy. Putin in the letter states that Moscow has unilaterally helped Kiev several times in the past, adding that Ukraine’s economy has been plummeting in the past several months. “Its industrial and construction sectors have also been declining sharply,” reads the letter obtained by the TASR newswire on April 10. “Its budget deficit is mounting. The condition of its currency system is becoming more and more deplorable. The negative trade balance is accompanied by the flight of capital from the country. Ukraine's economy is steadfastly heading towards a default, a halt in production and skyrocketing unemployment.” The Russian President notes that Russia and the EU member states are Ukraine’s major trading partners; but claims that since the Russia-EU Summit at the end of January, when Russia came to an agreement with European partners to hold consultations on the subject of developing Ukraine’s economy, all attempts on Russia’s part to begin real consultations failed to produce any results. Putin stated that since Ukraine became independent, Russia has supported the stability of its economy by supplying it with natural gas at cut-rate prices. According to the contract from January 2009 between Russia and Ukraine, the total volume of natural gas delivered to Ukraine during the period of 2009-2014 stands at 147.2 billion cubic meters, Putin pointed out.
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- Maria Theresa on the banks of Bratislava
- The Kremlin’s security agency has a Russian contractor in Slovakia - no one has noticed
- From eight to thousands of runners. How Košice marathon rose to prominence Photo
- Slovak female triathlete shatters barriers with historic win at Himalayan event
- Iconic Slovak barn still draws crowds. Without donors, it might have been lost Photo
- 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
- 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
- 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
- Convicted of multiple murders, Slovakia’s mafia boss seeks release from prison
- 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
- 3 free things to do in Bratislava in the next seven days
- 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 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
- A mayor resigns over €2.7 million fraud scandal at town hall
- 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
- He designed Gatwick. But this is his masterpiece
- 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
- Slovakia plans to restrict access to new medicines amid funding shortfall
- No more photos or bank statements? Slovakia moves to ease residence process More articles ›
