News digest: LGBT+ people's biggest fears revealed

Two cases of measles in Bratislava, meteorologists issue temperature warnings. Learn more in today's digest.

Good evening. Here is the Wednesday, February 8 edition of Today in Slovakia - the main news of the day in less than five minutes.


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LGBT+ people survey: Avoiding places, everyday fear

The LGBT+ community in Slovakia had faced hatred, attacks and inequality long before last year's terrorist attack on Zámocká Street in Bratislava which left two people dead.

According to a 2022 survey on the life of LGBT+ people in Slovakia carried out before the murders, more than one in three members of the community believed the situation was changing for the worse. This was up on the number who said the same in 2017.

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Almost 1,600 people aged 15 to 75 took part in the survey.

Read more about the situation for the LGBT+ community:


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Feature story for today

For material scientist Tamás Csanádi, it almost felt like receiving the Nobel Prize. When representatives of the Eset Science Award 2020 called and told him that he had named Outstanding Scientist in Slovakia Under the Age of 35, he was shocked.

When people ask Csanádi what brought him to Slovakia, he admits that his answer might sound strange, especially when he says he is from Budapest, which is home to many prestigious universities.

Find out his reasons by following this link.

When a Hungarian material scientist came to Košice, he felt as if he was in heaven Read more 

Song of the day

Monika Šubrtová is a Slovak electronica producer based in London. This track is from her debut EP.


In other news

  • Following her meeting with outgoing Czech President Miloš Zeman in the High Tatra mountains on Tuesday, President Zuzana Čaputova kicked off her regional tour of the Spiš region in northeastern parts of Slovakia by paying a visit to the historic town of Levoca. On Wednesday, she visited Spišská Nová Ves and Kežmarok.
  • Two cases of measles have been detected in Bratislava in two-year-old and nine-month-old children. No further spread of the disease has been confirmed. Both children have been hospitalised.
  • On Tuesday evening, mountain rescuers helped two hikers and their baby who got stuck on a summer trail between Popradské Pleso and Štrbské Pleso. The couple ignored the barrier in front of the trail and proceeded despite an avalanche warning in place. Both were rescued and transported to the mountain hut at Popradské Pleso.
  • From May, lunch subsidies for all children in the last year of kindergartens and in primary schools will be renewed. MPs approved an amendment to the law on assistance in material need. This year the costs of the subsidy will reach €110 million.
  • Slovakia posted its forst foreign trade deficit for more than a decade in 2022. For 14 years exports exceeded imports, but last year saw a €4.3 billion deficit, the Statistics Office reported on Wednesday.
  • Interim Defense Minister Jaroslav Naď said that a new package of aid for Ukraine could be approved "in the near future". No further details were provided.
  • The Slovak Hydrometeorological Institute (SHMÚ) has issued warnings for low temperatures. Level 1 and 2 warnings have been issued for several districts of north, central and east Slovakia. Temperatures could drop to -23 degrees Celsius. The map below shows level 1 warnings in yellow, and level 2 warnings in orange. Both are in place until Thursday, 10.00 AM.
  • Weather for Thursday: Clear skies with occasional clouds. In some places fog might appear in the morning. Daily temperatures between -1 and 3 degrees Celsius are forecast.

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


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