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Flights From Bratislava to Dublin and Bristol Cancelled Due to Volcano Ash

Bratislava, May 17 (TASR) - Planes operated by Irish low-cost airline Ryanair from Bratislava's Milan Rastislav Stefanik Airport (BTS) to the Irish capital Dublin and the British city of Bristol were cancelled on Monday due to ash from the Icelandic volcano. "Air carriers haven't told us about any further flight cancellations. The situation is developing, however, and… read more

Third-level Flood Alert in Force on Morava and Myjava Rivers and in Kosice

Bratislava/Kosice, May 17 (TASR) - The level of the Morava River (which runs along Slovakia's borders with the Czech Republic and Austria) on Monday morning reached 459 centimetres in Kopcany in the far west of Slovakia, triggering a third-level flood alert. Slovakia's biggest river by volume, the Danube, is still below the first flood-alert level, however. "Due to the… read more

More than Half of Companies Expect Market Conditions to Improve

Bratislava, May 16 (TASR) - More than half of the companies in Slovakia expect market conditions to improve this year, says the April's 'Companies' Perspective on the Market' survey carried out by GfK Slovakia. Even though the global crisis has significantly affected about two-fifths of the business sector, 66 percent of companies included in the survey expect their turnover… read more

Bad Weather Rampaging in Bratislava, Banska Bystrica and Kosice

Bratislava, May 16 (TASR) - Bratislava, Banska Bystrica and Kosice regions have been hit the hardest by the spring storms, TASR learned from Fire and Rescue Brigade Presidium (HaZZ) spokesperson Silvia Jancovicova on Sunday. Strong winds and unrelenting rain have caused short-term power outages in western Slovakia, with electricity supplier Zapadoslovenska Energetika… read more

SMK: Slovak Constitution Makes Hungarians Second-Class Citizens

Bratislava, May 16 (TASR) - If Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico (Smer-SD) is wondering why some ethnic-Hungarians living in Slovakia are interested in gaining Hungarian citizenship on top of Slovak, he should take a look at the preamble of the Slovak Constitution, ethnic-Hungarian SMK party spokesperson Eva Dunajska told TASR on Sunday. Dunajska was reacting to Fico's… read more

Smer and Flasik to Sue SME and Novy Cas for Reports on Illicit Deal

Bratislava, March 15 (TASR) - Both the main governing party Smer-SD and its erstwhile marketing wizard Fedor Flasik on Saturday announced that they will take legal action against dailies SME and Novy Cas for their Saturday's reports on alleged Flasik's illicit deal with a wealthy entrepreneur. The deal between Flasik and entrepreneur in energy Lubomir Blasko from 2002… read more

Csaky: Fico Causes Pointless Hysteria Over Dual Citizenship Law

Budapest, May 14 (TASR) - Opposition ethnic-Hungarian SMK chairman Pal Csaky is confused at what Slovak Premier Robert Fico really wants as to the dual citizenship for foreign Hungarians which lawmakers in Hungary are considering enacting, said Csaky after the Slovak Cabinet condemned Hungarian Parliament's plans to that effect on Friday. "This game of Premier Fico reminds… read more

Kia Motors Presents Engine Plant to Premier Fico

Teplicka nad Vahom, May 14 (TASR) - South Korean car-maker Kia Motors gave visiting Slovak Premier Robert Fico a tour of its currently-under-construction second engine plant in Teplicka nad Vahom (Zilina region) on Friday. In-Kyu Bae, president of Kia Motors' Slovak unit, said that the construction of the plant, which will help increase engine output in Slovakia, will… read more

Businessmen Present Wish List to Political Parties

Bratislava, May 14 (TASR) - Businessmen in Slovakia have presented their so-called Wish List 2010, which contains the most important requirements of the business sector, and sets out the key priorities for boosting the business environment in the country. The ten points in the Wish List include the need to sustain Slovakia's macroeconomic stability via cutting the public… read more

Lawyer: Dual Citizenship Without Right to Vote Is Weird Idea

Bratislava, May 14 (TASR) - Hungary's intention to grant citizenship to ethnic Hungarians living abroad but withholding the right to vote from them is a weird idea with hardly foreseeable legal consequences, one of Slovakia's most noted lawyers Ernest Valko told TASR on Friday. The lawyer pointed out that the right to vote and to be voted for is among the most basic.… read more

UNAS Takes Legal Action Against State and NDS Over Road-toll System

Kosice, May 14 (TASR) - The Union of Slovak Road Hauliers (UNAS) on Friday filed legal action at Bratislava I District Court against Slovakia and the National Highway Company (NDS) for what it described as the poorly thought-out, unprepared and unjust toll collection under the electronic road-toll system introduced earlier this year. According to UNAS chair Miroslav Polacek… read more

Meciar: Campaign Is Calm, Parties Are Wary in Quest for Power

Zvolen, May 14 (TASR) - The election campaign in Slovakia hasn't been as rough as that in the Czech Republic, for example, as the parties don't know how the future governing coalition will look, and so are wary in their quest for power, LS-HZDS chair Vladimir Meciar said at a press conference in Zvolen (Banska Bystrica region) on Friday. "The parties don't want to get… read more

Fico Not Ruling Out Changes to Constitution vis-a-vis Dual Citizenship

Bratislava, May 14 (TASR) - Commenting on Slovakia's response to Hungary's plans to adopt an amendment to the Dual Citizenship Act, Prime Minister Robert Fico on Friday didn't rule out the possibility that one of his ministers might submit a legislative proposal similar to one valid in the Czech Republic that would serve as a counter-measure. "This is a very serious matter,… read more

Lajcak: Hungary\'s Dual Citizenship Bill Brings Only Legal Uncertainty

Bratislava, May 14 (TASR) - According to Slovak Foreign Affairs Minister Miroslav Lajcak, the amendment to the Dual Citizenship Act that Hungary is planning to adopt offers no advantages to ethnic Hungarians living in Slovakia and will only bring legal uncertainty as regards their citizenship status. "The Act offers nothing to our citizens. It grants them no rights, no… read more

MEDIAN SK Poll: Smer Would Have Won Recent Election on 38.4 percent

Bratislava, May 14 (TASR) - If a general election had been held in April, the winner would have been the main coalition party Smer-SD on 38.4 percent of the vote, according to a poll carried out by MEDIAN SK between March 29-April 25 on 2,117 respondents, Jindrich Bardon of the agency told TASR on Friday. The main opposition party SDKU-DS would have come second on 15.3… read more