Archive of articles - October 2014, page 9
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Turmoil over Penta's bid for Petit Press
AFTER weeks of negotiation, the Penta investment group is set to buy a 50-percent stock in the Petit Press publishing house, spurring resignations by editors at the daily newspaper Sme.
Government passes the budget draft
THE DEFICIT of public finances should stand at 1.98 percent of GDP next year, with the prospect of it falling to 1.43 percent in 2016 and to 0.39 percent in 2017, according to the draft budget of the public administration for the upcoming years passed by the government during its October 15 session.
Three Slovak carmakers among top 10 in the region
AUTOMOTIVE companies Volkswagen Slovakia, Kia Motors Slovakia and PSA Slovakia are listed among top 10 carmakers in central and eastern Europe, according to the CEE TOP 500 ranking compiled by Coface, based on their turnover in 2013.
Police allegedly still treats Karolyi as prosecuted
EVEN THOUGH General Prosecutor Jaromír Čižnár dropped charges against former journalist of the Trend weekly Dušan Karolyi on October 1, the police is acting as if he were still being prosecuted, the Etrend.sk website reported on October 15. They allegedly invited him to a hearing.
Former head of Matica Slovenská prosecuted
JOZEF Markuš, former head of Matica Slovenská (MS), Slovakia’s national cultural heritage and research institution, is being prosecuted for the uneconomical use of institution’s property. The charges, which the investigator laid last month, may pertain to the case of the Fund of the MS where the institution allegedly wasted more than €200,000, the TA3 news channel reported on October 14.
Šefčovič will reportedly get new post in the EC
SLOVAK nominee for the post in the European Commission, Maroš Šefčovič, will most likely become the new vice-president of the EC for energy union, a source from Brussels confirmed for the public-service Radio and Television of Slovakia (RTVS).
Sýkora gang member takes 20 years plea deal
A member of the so-called Sýkora gang Jurij Fejer is set to spend 20 years in jail for his involvement in four murders following a plea bargain that he cut with a prosecutor in charge and that was approved by the Specialised Criminal Court in Pezinok near Bratislava on October 14. The ruling is final and cannot be appealed. Fejer, 41, is to serve his sentence for taking part in the murders of Roman Deák, Eduard and Robert Diničs and the latter’s bodyguard in the late 1990s. “I didn’t join the group of my own volition,” Fejer, who also goes by the moniker “Little Russian”, told the court. “I had no power to make decisions whether or not I’d be involved in those acts. I received orders and had to go. I could have said no, but I knew full well what I’d be in for, they would’ve killed and buried me. I’m sorry.” Fejer confessed to having been involved in all four murders and to having been a gang member since 1999. Aside from the sentence which he is set to serve in a maximum security prison Fejer also forfeited several mobile phones, two guns and €27,000, the TASR newswire wrote. Eduard Dinič was murdered near the tennis courts in Bratislava’s Zlaté Piesky on May 9, 1998, after an explosive hidden under tiles was set off remotely. His brother Robert was riddled with bullets five months later in the city’s borough of Dlhé Diely, with his bodyguard killed at the same time. Deák was murdered in the borough of Dúbravka in October 1999 after sustaining 19 bullet wounds, some from assault rifles, while he was about to get into his Mercedes. The Sýkora mob is named after its erstwhile boss, Miroslav Sýkora, who was shot dead on a parking lot outside the Holiday Inn hotel in Bratislava in 1997 aged 33. Earlier this month, police apprehended František Borbely who is touted as one of the last three living ringleaders of the Sýkora gang. Borbely was among four successors to take over the reins of the gang after Sýkora was shot dead. Besides him, other ringleaders were Robert L., who has been charged with ten murders but remains at large, Peter Čongrády, who was murdered in 2004, and Ladislav Bališ, who was sentenced to 25 years in jail earlier this year for planning a murder.
Poll: Smer would win with election with 41 percent, KDH second
Had a parliamentary election been held in late August-early September, the governing Smer party would have won with 41.7 percent of the vote, according to the latest poll released by the Median SK agency. Next came the Christian Democratic Movement (KDH) on 10.2 percent and Sieť at 9.1 percent, the TASR newswire quoted the poll. These would have been followed by \Freedom and Solidarity (SaS at 6 percent, Ordinary People and Independent Personalities (OĽaNO) with 5.8 percent, the Slovak Democratic and Christian Union (SDKÚ) on 5.7 percent and Most-Híd with 5.3 percent. The extra-parliamentary Slovak National Party (SNS) and Hungarian Community Party (SMK) would not have exceeded the 5-percent threshold, according to the poll. Compared with the previous poll by Median SK of July-August, the greatest drop was recorded by Smer which went down 2.3 percentage point. Further decreases were posted by SMK (by 1.1 p.p.), Most-Híd (0.7 p.p.), OĽaNO (0.5 p.p.), SDKÚ (0.5 p.p.) and SNS (0.1 p.p.). Conversely, Sieť experienced an increase of 1.5 p.p., while KDH went up 0.9 p.p. and SaS 0.1 p.p. The survey was carried out between August 18 and September 14 and canvassed views of 1,089 respondents aged 18-79. The survey shows that 30 percent of respondents would certainly vote in the elections, 23.5 percent of the respondents would likely do so, 10.2 percent rather not, and 33.1 percent of survey participants would certainly not vote. Some 3 percent were undecided, according to the SITA newswire.
Slovakia to mark European Day of Fight against Human Trafficking
In Slovakia, the European Day of Fight against Human Trafficking, October 18, is marked by a host of activities.
Court places Brusno Spa in bankruptcy, both owner and creditors unhappy
EVEN though 93 percent of creditors of the Brusno spa located in the Banská Bystrica region last week voted for adopting a restructuring plan, a session of the Banská Bystrica District Court rejected the plan and placed the spa into bankruptcy.
RBVG is to sell Petit Press shares to Penta
THE PENTA investment group is set to buy a 50-percent stock in the Petit Press publishing house. This is the result of weeks-long negotiations between the current owners of the house and the new investor.
Investigative reporting still stands out
Deeply researched investigative reports of great importance cannot be replaced by tweets or blogs, says Walt Bogdanich, a three-time Pulitzer Prize winner for his investigative reports published in major American media outlets.
Most clerks consider public orders manipulated
PUBLIC orders in Slovakia and the Czech Republic are manipulated, according to a majority of clerks who participated in the survey carried out by Otidea consulting firms on more than 600 procurers in the two countries, the SITA newswire reported on October 14.
Čižnár orders to investigate halting the prosecution in PPP case
THE GENERAL Prosecutor’s Office (GPO) will check the decision to halt the prosecution over the alleged manipulation of the analysis regarding a public-private partnership (PPP) project for the construction of certain cross-country D1 highway sections. The initiative came after Daniel Lipšic of NOVA movement turned to the GPO, the TASR newswire reported on October 13.
European Leagues against Cancer meet in Bratislava
BRATISLAVA hosts the meeting of the Association of European Cancer Leagues (ECL) that takes place between October 14 and 17. The members of the leagues and various experts are expected to discuss the prevention of cancer and new approaches to its treatment, the press release sent to The Slovak Spectator reads.
IVO criticised scrapping opposition bills from parliamentary session programme
SCRAPPING the draft laws submitted by the opposition from September parliamentary session marred the performance of MPs’ mandates, president of the Institute for Public Affairs (IVO) Grigorij Mesežnikov told the press on October 14 when presenting the results of the IVO Barometer for the third quarter of the year. This was one of the factors that worsened the evaluation of democratic institutions and the state of law within the barometer which assesses the quality of democracy in Slovakia in selected areas, the SITA newswire reported.
Segregated Roma the most frequent victims of human trafficking
ROMA living in segregated settlements become the most frequent victims of human trafficking in Slovakia. The most endangered groups are young people aged 16-25 and men aged 25-35, the study of the People in Need Slovakia humanitarian organisation showed.
Five judges will compete over ninth Judicial Council member seat.
JUDGES will select their ninth representative in the Judicial Council in November, from five candidates: Štefan Harabin, Dušan Čimo – the remaining three were announced on Monday – former vice-chair of Bratislava Regional Court, Lenka Praženková of the Supreme Court, Jozef Vanca of the Košice Regional Court, and Martin Bargela of the Žilina Regional Court, the SITA newswire reported on October 13.
Lajčák: The war against extremists in Iraq is not fight between East and West
SLOVAK Foreign and European Affairs Minister Miroslav Lajčák condemned activities of the so- called Islamic State, calling them acts of violence committed by extremists on civilians, and adding that the escalating situation in Iraq is highly disconcerting. He made these statements at the meeting with ambassadors of EU member countries to Slovakia in Bratislava on October 13.
CEPI sent 75 defence proposals to state officials
THE CENTRAL European Policy Institute (CEPI) unveiled a set of recommendations for the Slovak defence sector on Monday, including items such as the update to Slovakia’s security and defence strategy and the enshrining of a level of funding for the sector in the Constitution, TASR reported on October 13.
- The law changed. Our family papers were ready. Now my kids are Slovak citizens
- Slovak female triathlete shatters barriers with historic win at Himalayan event
- Maria Theresa on the banks of Bratislava
- From eight to thousands of runners. How Košice marathon rose to prominence Photo
- 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
- Iconic Slovak barn still draws crowds. Without donors, it might have been lost Photo
- 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
- Slovak female triathlete shatters barriers with historic win at Himalayan event
- Top 10 events in Bratislava for foreigners
- Slovakia loses another EV model to Spain as Stellantis chooses Zaragoza over Trnava
- No more photos or bank statements? Slovakia moves to ease residence process
- Convicted of multiple murders, Slovakia’s mafia boss seeks release from prison
- Weekend: Celebration of fun comes to Malacky Photo
- News digest: Prosecutor seeks jail for NBS Governor Kažimír as his political support wanes
- 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
- The law changed. Our family papers were ready. Now my kids are Slovak citizens
- 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
- 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
- Fico praises China and Vietnam as models, says liberal democracy has failed
- He designed Gatwick. But this is his masterpiece
- News digest: Violent gang in Bratislava is under arrest
- The Kremlin’s security agency has a Russian contractor in Slovakia - no one has noticed
- Weekend: Celebration of fun comes to Malacky Photo
- 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 ›
