News digest: One last day of heat before temperatures drop

Bringing Fico to court will take longer. Replica of ancient Roman boat to anchor in Bratislava. Learn more in today's digest.

(Source: SME.sk / Hej,ty)

Good evening. Here is the Thursday, August 4 edition of Today in Slovakia - the main news of the day in less than five minutes.


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Indictment of Fico and Kaliňák to take longer

The Special Prosecutor's Office has called for investigators to produce more evidence in their case against former prime minister Robert Fico (Smer) and ex-interior minister Robert Kaliňák.

Police had considered the investigation of Fico and Kaliňák finished and had handed over materials to prosecutors, expecting the pair to be brought to court.

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However, the Special Prosecutor's Office on Wednesday returned the investigation to them, with supervising prosecutor Matúš Harkabus saying he had come across errors while studying the case file.

Read more about Robert Fico:


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Feature story for today

Although Bratislava has in the recent past usually seen larger movement in real estate prices than in other parts of the country, new data suggests the opposite is now true.

National Bank of Slovakia (NBS) statistics for the second quarter of the year show that prices of property in regions outside the capital have risen substantially.

Will apartments be cheaper? What locations saw the biggest property price increases? (Q&A) Read more 

Picture of the day

Reconstruction work at the Trenčín synagogue. The building, which is architecturally one of the most important synagogues in Europe, will be partially restored to its original appearance. Once work is completed, it should function as a modern cultural centre.


In other news

  • Weather forecast for Friday and the weekend according to the Slovak Hydrometeorological Institute. Friday will be sunny and extremely hot, daily maximum temperatures will be between 31 and 36 degrees Celsius. Heat alerts have been issued for the day. Saturday will be mostly cloudy with a chance of rain and storms, and a mild drop in daily maximum temperatures to between 28 and 33 degrees is expected. Sunday will be partially cloudy, with temperatures around 28 to 33 degrees.
  • On Wednesday, a total of 84 people needed treatment in connection with the heat. Paramedics have warned that children, the elderly, and people with chronic disabilities are most vulnerable in hot weather and advise people to drink water continuously throughout the day, avoid excessive physical activities and sun. Find out where to cool off in Slovakia this summer. If you are in Bratislava, you can find more information about lakes and pools here.
  • Water has returned to the bed of the Bodva river near the town of Moldava nad Bodvou following recent rain, reports the Slovak Hydrometeorological Institute. Meanwhile, a kilometre-and-a-half section of the Rajčianka River has dried up.
  • On Thursday, a bear wandered into the yard of a family house in the village of Kľačno, in the Prievidza district, killing a rabbit and causing damage. The Trenčín Regional Police has urged residents to be vigilant. According to the State Nature Conservancy (ŠOP), there are several problematic bears near Kľačno and the situation is being monitored. The ŠOP says that when they tried to capture one such bear at the end of July, several undisciplined residents shouted, fired weapons and used firecrackers, prematurely ending their efforts. In the spring, several bear incidents were reported, leaving people dissatisfied with the government's bear management policies.
  • On Friday, a replica of an ancient Roman sailing ship - will drop anchor in Bratislava. The ship, called the "Danuvia Alacris" or Live Danube, is 18 metres long, 2.8 metres wide, and weighs about 7 tonnes. It requires a crew of 20 rowers and a command team of four to five people. It will stay in Slovakia until August 9. Its time in Bratislava will be accompanied by a rich cultural programme.
  • 385 army recruits will be trained in Martin. Their seven-week course will include developing shooting, engineering, tactical, and medical skills. Slovakia needs to modernise its small army, according to a former general.
  • People with weakened immune systems aged 12 and over can now get a fourth COVID-19 vaccination, the National Health Information Centre has announced. People over 50 can also get a fourth dose.
  • Due to the extreme drought, many trees have started to lose their leaves and are more susceptible to damage. The drought is affecting even young trees, reports state forest company Lesy SR. According to the company, problems with heat and drought can be seen throughout Slovakia but forests in the south are worse off than those in the north.

If you have suggestions on how this news overview can be improved, you can reach us at editorial@spectator.sk.


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