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Baska Due to Visit Soldiers in KFOR and ALTHEA Operations on Monday

Bratislava, December 12 (TASR) - Slovak Defence Minister Jaroslav Baska will on Monday visit Slovak soldiers, who carry out their duties within the KFOR mission in Kosovo and the ALTHEA operation in Bosnia and Herzegovina, TASR learnt on Saturday. During his one-day working visit, Baska will meet chief commander of the KFOR mission Markus J. Bentler and the Sajkovac camp.… read more

Urbani: Meciar No More Main Figure in LS-HZDS

Bratislava, December 12 (TASR) - LS-HZDS chairman Vladimir Meciar isn't the main figure in the party anymore, former party vice-chairman Milan Urbani told TASR on Saturday. Urbani, who was excluded from HZDS earlier this month, said that the persons who decide on what's going on in the party are from within LS-HZDS, as well as from outside of the party. At the same time,… read more

Dzurinda: Leaders of Six Opposition Parties to Meet on Tuesday

Bratislava, December 12 (TASR) - The leaders of six opposition parties are to meet in the SDKU-DS headquarters on Tuesday to discuss their experience from the co-operation in the recent regional elections and perspectives for the future, SDKU-DS chair Mikulas Dzurinda said at a press confererence following a session of SDKU-DS Central Council on Saturday. "I'll offer… read more

KDH Council Elects Figel as Party Leader in 2010 General Elections

Trnava, December 12 (TASR) - The Christian Democrats (KDH) Council at a session in Trnava on Saturday, as expected, elected KDH chairman Jan Figel as the party leader in the general elections scheduled for the summer of 2010. According to Figel, it is immensely important that the Council agreed on the criteria that will determine the order of 150 candidates in the list… read more

Publishers of Newspapers Call Fico a Liar in an Open Declaration

Bratislava, December 12 (TASR) - Board members of the Association of the Slovak Periodicals' Editors (ZVPTS), publishers and editors-in-chief of the most popular Slovak dailies on Saturday issued and open declaration, in which they protest against statements made by Prime Minister Robert Fico concerning the Slovak media a few days ago. According to Fico, representatives… read more

Jozef Pavuk Becomes New HZDS Regional Chair in Banska Bystrica

Banska Bystrica, December 12 (TASR) - Jozef Pavuk has become the new regional chairman of LS-HZDS in Banska Bystrica, the party extraordinary regional convention decided in Banska Bystrica on Saturday. Pavuk has replaced on the post MP Milan Urbani, former HZDS vice-chairman and an erstwhile eurocommissioner wannabe. The convention also elected two regional vice-chairmen… read more

Medved Meets Top American and British Representatives in Bratislava

Bratislava, December 11 (TASR) - Slovak Environment Minister Jozef Medved on Friday met chargé d'affaires at the U.S. Embassy in Bratislava Keith Eddins, TASR was told later by ministry spokesperson Jana Kaplanova. The main topic of the discussions was the ongoing UN climate summit in Copenhagen. Eddins confirmed that U.S. President Barack Obama will attend the summit… read more

Labour Ministry: SaS Party Scaring and Misleading Public on Pensions

Bratislava, December 11 (TASR) - The statements made by Freedom and Solidarity (SaS) party vice-chair Jozef Mihal on Friday about old-age pensions have nothing to do with any form of expertise, said Labour, Social Affairs and Family Ministry spokesman Michal Stuska on Friday. Stuska, who called on SaS to stop "scaring and misleading people", was reacting to Mihal's statement… read more

Strofova Meets Departing South African Ambassador Gumbi

Bratislava, December 11 (TASR) - Slovak Foreign Ministry State Secretary Diana Strofova on Friday met Vienna-based South African Ambassador to Slovakia Leslie M. Gumbi, who is due leave the post soon. Strofova praised Gumbi's personal approach and the development of bilateral co-operation in the political, economic, cultural and scientific-educational spheres. At… read more

Total of 17 People With A(H1N1) Flu Virus Have Died In Slovakia

Bratislava, December 11 (TASR) - A total of 17 people who contracted A(H1N1) flu have died in Slovakia so far, TASR learned from the Public Health Office (UVZ) on Friday. "A connection between these fatalities and pandemic flu cannot be ruled out," said UVZ. All together, 92 new flu cases have been confirmed over the last week. Most of the total number… read more

Madaric: Joint Complex Project for State-Owned Media Put on Hold

Bratislava, December 11 (TASR) - The project to build a joint complex for Slovak Television (STV) and Slovak Radio (SRo) has come to a halt at the moment, Culture Minister Marek Madaric told TASR on Friday. Originally, the ministry should have begun procurement processes for construction, technical equipment and running the complex by the end of 2009 . However, because… read more

HZDS to Elect New Leadership for Banska Bystrica Region

Bratislava, December 11 (TASR) - LS-HZDS will elect its new leadership for Banska Bystrica region at an extraordinary election assembly in Banska Bystrica on Saturday, LS-HZDS MP Jan Kovarcik has told TASR. The party will decide on a successor to Milan Urbani, who was HZDS chairman for Banska Bystrica region before being dismissed from the party last weekend. "Vice-chairs… read more

NGOs Toothless in Fight Against Poverty Without State Support

Bratislava, December 11 (TASR) - Representatives of the state and public sector would like to see non-governmental organisations simply playing the role of providers of social protection, newly-elected chair of the Slovak Anti-Poverty Network Zuzana Kusa told TASR on Friday. "If rightists are in power, they tend to take the burden from the state and entrust the (third)… read more

Many Slovaks to Spend Less on Christmas Presents, But Not on Food

Bratislava, December 11 (TASR) - A survey has revealed that 53 percent of Slovaks expect to spend the same amount of money this Christmas as they did last year, Jana Gasparova of Unilever, which carried out the survey, told TASR on Friday. The poll, which was carried out on 1,695 respondents in November, also revealed that 80 percent of people don't intend to save when… read more

NBS: Legal Changes to Second Pillar Will Have Negative Effect on Savings

Bratislava, December 11 (TASR) - The investment strategy for funds in the private second pillar of the pension system has shifted significantly towards lower risk not only due to negative developments on international financial markets but also as a result of the adoption of an amendment to the Old-age Pension Savings Act in March, and this shift will be to the detriment of… read more