Good evening. Here is the Wednesday, March 1 edition of Today in Slovakia - the main news of the day in less than five minutes.
War in Ukraine curbed Slovakia's growth
(Source: SME)According to new analysis, the war in Ukraine curbed Slovak economic growth last year as increased energy prices affected household consumption as well as industrial output.
“As a consequence, the economy shifted from the pandemic crisis to the energy crisis, and the long-awaited post-corona economic recovery was definitely swept from the table,” analysts at Slovenská Sporiteľňa, Slovakia's biggest bank, say.
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Feature story for today
The Slovak Spectator talked to ChatGPT, chatbot software designed by the Open AI company.
We asked it about Slovakia, and discussed lesser known and fun facts about the country, what people abroad google, whether Slovak is one of the most difficult languages, and whether it can offer any advice to people anxious about the coming parliamentary elections.
Talking with AI: Fun facts about Slovakia, how not to lose hope before elections Read more Music tip of the day
Preßburger Klezmer Band has prepared a special spring performance named "A concert for two voices". Along with the band, singers Marta Potančoková and Juraj Adamuščin will also perform old Yiddish songs in Bratislava's V-klub on Saturday, March 4.
In other news
- Last year, Slovakia donated military equipment and ammunition worth €168 million to Ukraine.
- A SuperCity Pendolino train from Prague to Kosice derailed at Žilina railway station on Wednesday morning. The train service between Žilina and Čadca has been suspended and replaced by bus transport. No one was injured during the accident.
- Interim Health Minister Vladimír Lengvarský announced he is ready to hand in his resignation. In recent months, Lengvarský has been criticized mainly for not being able to manage the Recovery Plan, under which €1.4 billion should go to the health sector in the coming years. President Zuzana Čaputová said she will make an announcement on Thursday after meeting with Lengvarský and Interim Prime Minister Eduard Heger.
- On Wednesday, Slovakia sent 6.5 tonnes of humanitarian aid to Syria, including food, hygiene products, blankets, sleeping bags, and civil protection material.
- Several hiking trails in the Malá Fatra mountain range were closed today to allows animals to safely take care of their young without human interference. This includes the Medziholie - Veľký Rozsutec - Medzirozsutce, Obšívanka - Malé nocľahy, and Vendovka - Malý Kriváň trails. They will re-open in mid-June.
- On Wednesday, the Bratislava waste-management company Odvoz a Likvidácia Odpadu began collecting biodegradable waste from gardens.
The derailed SuperCity Pendolino train in Žilina. (Source: TASR)Weather for Thursday
Mostly to partially cloudy, with temperatures between 5 and 12 degrees Celsius. There may also be occasional fog.
If you have suggestions on how this news overview can be improved, you can reach us at editorial@spectator.sk.
