News digest: What foreign students don't like about Slovak universities

Slovakia's first climate bill, popular tourist resort occupied by financial group, and top footballer to join Paris St. Germain.

Good evening. Here is the Tuesday, February, 7 edition of Today in Slovakia - the main news of the day in less than five minutes.


Environment minister announces first climate bill

Environment Minister Ján Budaj has introduced a climate bill, the first legislation of its kind in Slovakia, which aims to transform Slovakia into a carbon neutral country by 2050.

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“For the first time, we will be learning how to adapt the country to these 21st century challenges,” the minister asserted.

The ministry had worked on the bill for two years.

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Other stories from The Slovak Spectator website

Film: Amateur film director Ivan Vredík’s films are simple and full of comedic situations thanks to “interesting costumes” and “a little bit of booze.”

Football: Top footballer Milan Škriniar will join the Parisians later this year. It did not take long and Inter Milan, his current club, has punished him.

Travel: Staré Šance is the oldest part of the unique fortress system in the Kysuce region, northern Slovakia.

Education: Lecturers, and many other Slovaks, often struggle with English, exchange students who studied in Slovakia say.


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FEATURE STORY FOR TUESDAY

Štrbské Pleso, a popular resort, owned by financial group

The J&T financial group has wanted to transform Štrbské Pleso in the Tatras region into a resort similar to Austrian resorts, but things have not gone the way they were supposed to.


SONG OF THE DAY

Naďa Urbánková’s lover with a Bugatti

Last Friday, the popular Czech singer and actress Naďa Urbánková died at the age of 83. The former nurse won five prestigious Golden Nightingale music awards from 1972 to 1976. She also appeared in Jiří Menzel’s 1966 film “Closely Watched Trains”, which won an Oscar.

Listen to her 1974 song “Blonďák S Červenou Bugatkou” (Blonde Man With a Red Bugatti), which is a Czech version of Jimmy Osmond’s song “Long-haired Lover from Liverpool”.

In the past, Czech and Slovak artists often took melodies from foreign songs and wrote their own Czech and Slovak lyrics to them.


In a few lines:

  • Slovakia is described as a flawed democracy in the Economist’s 2022 Democracy Index, ending in the 43rd place in the global ranking. The country improved its position by two places. The Economist assessed 167 countries.

  • The government has adopted a regulation that sets limits from which excess profits from the sale of electricity produced will be temporarily taxed: wind energy - €180/1 MWh, solar energy - €120/1 MWh, geothermal energy - €180/1 MWh, biomass - €240/1 MWh, waste incineration - €100/1 MWh, nuclear energy - €180/1 MWh, brown coal - €230/1 MWh, peat - €180/1 MWh, and bioliquids and mineral oils - €180/1 MWh.

  • A new day centre for 25 Ukrainian children has opened in Bratislava’s borough of Ružinov. The borough council opened it on the unused premises of the cultural house in the Nivy area. Ukrainian mothers will look after children. However, the number of women and children in Ružinov reaches thousands.

  • The day before Prosecutor General Maroš Žilinka scrapped criminal charges against oligarch Jaroslav Haščák from the Penta financial group two years ago, his daughter Kristína bought a €153,000 flat in Bratislava from Penta. She was then a law student. Žilinka claims that he paid for the flat, and that the purchase was transparent. Haščak is facing charges again. (Denník N)

  • During his last official visit to Slovakia, the outgoing Czech President Miloš Zeman repeated on February 7 that the Visegrad Group (Slovakia, Hungary, Czechia and Poland) should accept Slovenia as another member. Speaking of the group, Slovak President Zuzana Čaputová shared some doubts over the group’s political mission given the countries holding different views on the war in Ukraine and the rule of law.


WEATHER FOR WEDNESDAY: Clear skies. Cloudy in the morning. Occasional snowfall in the morning. The highest daytime temperature shall be -1°C to 4°C. No or light wind. Low-temperature weather warnings remain in place for central Slovakia.


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