Archive of articles - December 2014, page 8
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SDKÚ loses more members
In the latest of a series of departures the head of the Bratislava branch of the opposition Slovak Democratic and Christian Union (SDKÚ), Michal Luciak, is leaving, the Sme daily wrote.
Plan to help deprived citizens gains EU financing
Slovakia will receive from the European funds €55 million for food and basicmaterial assistance for the most deprived people in the country. The European Commission approved on December 11 the Slovak operational programme to implement the new Fund for European Aid to the Most Deprived (FEAD).
Live animals to remain defined as objects under law
Live animals will continue to be legally defined as moveable objects, as parliament on December 11 rejected a Civil Code amendment sponsored by Freedom and Solidarity (SaS) that sought to redefine animals as living beings gifted with senses. SaS lawmakers stressed that the change was supposed to be more than cosmetic.
Termination of Gabčíkovo lease may still see money flow to SE
The government recently terminated the lease contract for the hydropower plant Gabčíkovo with the Slovenské Elektrárne (SE) company, but now the Sme daily suggests that this termination may actually be a good thing for SE.
Native English teachers – Preparing students for global communication
Motivation to learn comes in many forms. When speaking about language learning, the inspiring factors for secondary students are clear. Many students in Bratislava intensely study languages motivated by the idea to eventually work, live or study abroad. With a substantial amount of self study and classroom experience for the average student, another key to reaching higher levels of language knowledge is communication with foreign speakers.
Anti-corruption protestors gather on SNP Square
As many as 2,000 people in the centre of Bratislava were demanding a stop to corruption and stealing of public money on December 10, holding protest signs reading “We are not sheep” and “Fico step down”. The event was the lates in a series of protests organised by independent MP Alojz Hlina, along with opposition colleagues Daniel Lipsic (independent, member of NOVA party), Richard Sulík (Freedom and Solidarity-SaS) and Igor Matovič (Ordinary People and Independent Personalities-OĽaNO). The lawmakers repeatedly called for their six demands to be met: immediate dismissal of Health Ministry office head Martin Senčák and A. Winter Hospital director Mária Domčeková over the recent CT scan scandal at Piešťany’s hospital, the passing of new legislation to prevent the participation of garage firms in public tenders and introduction of material responsibility for public officials, among others.
Smer rejects idea of a single mandate for MPs
Slovak MPs will continue to be able to have several public positions simultaneously including serving as mayors, regional governors or heads of state institutions.
Audio recordings to be made of court sessions
In the future, audio records will be kept of court sessions, according to the amendment to the Civil Procedure Code passed in parliament on November 27 and signed by President Andrej Kiska on December 10.
Constitutional Court confirms compulsory vaccination of children
The Constitutional Court decided on December 10 that laws concerning mandatory vaccination of children were constitutional, the Sme daily wrote. Thus, the CC plenum turned down the proposal of the Nitra Regional Court to deem some of the stipulations of the law on the protection and development of public health and the Health Ministry’s regulation on prevention and control of infectious diseases as being at mutual variance.
Bratislava airport poised to announce flights to major German city
Bratislava‘s M.R. Štefánik Airport (BTS) is set to announce the launching of a new route to a German city. “In the next few weeks, we‘d like to announce the opening of a new flight route to a very significant western European city that will be key for us,” Director Ivan Trhlík told TASR newswire. The launch of the new service should be significant for Slovakia from the tourist and business viewpoints alike, as German tourists were the third most numerous group of tourists in Slovakia after Czechs and Poles in 2013. Most recently, the airport launched direct flights to Dubai through the air carrier Fly Dubai. Niki, a subsidiary of Air Berlin, is slated to launch flights to Brussels and Mallorca in April, while Ryanair will set up a base in Bratislava in March and add a new service to Madrid.
Construction output down in October
THE CONSTRUCTION output fell by 4.1 percent year-on-year in October to €448.5 million. After seasonal adjustment, it was by 0.3 percent lower than in September 2014, the Statistics Office (ŠÚ) informed on December 10.
Čislák dismisses people for dubious catering tender
HEALTH Minister Viliam Čislák dismissed three of four heads of state-run hospitals which signed the dubious agreements with two interconnected companies over the food catering worth €81 million including VAT for the following 10 years. The case will also cost Martin Senčák his post of head of the service department at the Health Ministry, the Sme daily reported in its December 11 issue.
Počiatek to face no-confidence vote December 12
TRANSPORT Minister Ján Počiatek will face a no-confidence motion at a session in parliament starting on December 12 at 9:00. The date has been set by Speaker of Parliament Peter Pellegrini, the TASR newswire reported. He is expected to easily survive as the governing Smer party holds and outright majority in parliament.
Slovak-Hungarian ties could serve as an example for other states
THE CURRENT economic development and relations between Hungary and Slovakia could serve as an example for other states, Hungarian President János Áder said after meeting his Slovak counterpart Andrej Kiska during his one-day official visit to Bratislava on December 10. The president added that cooperation in trade has not even been adversely impacted by the economic crisis, the TASR newswire reported.
Rusnák fined for using vulgarisms
THE FORMER head of the public relations department of the President’s Office, Dárius Rusnák, was found guilty of defaming other nation and was fined €100 for verbally assaulting two women for speaking Hungarian in Bratislava’s Prezidentka bar back in May, the Sme daily reported in its December 11 issue.
Catering scandal cuts heads of hospitals
HEADS of state-owned hospitals in Banská Bystrica, Trnava and Poprad, together with the Health Ministry’s service office head Martin Senčák, are being forced out in yet another health care sector scandal – this one concerning overpriced catering contracts signed with mutually intertwined companies.
Concert will include a song about Bratislava
THE END of the Italian presidency over the Council of the European Union will be marked by a concert titled Italian Music on the Danube, which takes place on December 11 at 19:00 in the concert hall of the Slovak Radio (SRo) building.
Two Slovenians sentenced in Turkey truck case
THE TRNAVA District Court sentenced Slovenians Alen Ž. And Sebastjan M. to 23 and 20 years in maximum security prison, respectively, and ordered them protective supervision lasting for two years. Both were found guilty of arranging the illegal transport of components for illegal drug production in the case of the so-called Turkey truck case.
New flight to Dubai to be launched
FLYDUBAI airlines will launch the third regular flight from Bratislava to Dubai in the United Arab Emirates. Except for two return flights that take place on Tuesday and Saturday it will also operate a flight connection on Wednesdays as of January 14, 2015. The reason for increasing the number of flights is the increased interest in the destination, the SITA newswire reported.
State-run forestry firm submits criminal complaint against Mičovský
STATE-RUN Lesy SR forestry company filed a lawsuit and a criminal complaint against MP Ján Mičovský over the protection of its reputation with the Humenné District Court. The reason is recent accusations by the MP against the company in connection to the competition over transporting the wood, the SITA newswire reported on December 10.
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- Weekend: Celebration of fun comes to Malacky Photo
- Slovakia loses another EV model to Spain as Stellantis chooses Zaragoza over Trnava
- News digest: Prosecutor seeks jail for NBS Governor Kažimír as his political support wanes
- Convicted of multiple murders, Slovakia’s mafia boss seeks release from prison
- Top 10 events in Bratislava for foreigners
- No more photos or bank statements? Slovakia moves to ease residence process
- Top 10 events in Bratislava for foreigners
- 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
- Slovak female triathlete shatters barriers with historic win at Himalayan event
- The law changed. Our family papers were ready. Now my kids are Slovak citizens
- Weekend: Celebration of fun comes to Malacky Photo
- Convicted of multiple murders, Slovakia’s mafia boss seeks release from prison
- 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
- Digital Jarvis is real now. He is coming for your to-do list
- Convicted of multiple murders, Slovakia’s mafia boss seeks release from prison
- The disinformation scene has become a tool of media capture
- 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
- He designed Gatwick. But this is his masterpiece
- Fico praises China and Vietnam as models, says liberal democracy has failed
- 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 ›
