News digest: Long awaited fast fashion store opens tomorrow, have a look

US servicemen in altercation, public transport fare to rise, and some still believe everything on the Internet.

Good evening. Here is the Wednesday, May 24 edition of Today in Slovakia - the main news of the day in less than five minutes.

Eurovea extension ready to open

The Eurovea extension prepares to open. (Source: Courtesy of Eurovea)

On Thursday morning the extension to the Eurovea shopping centre will open its doors to visitors. The biggest draw for shoppers expected to be the first Slovak branch of Irish fast fashion outlet Primark.

The Danube promenade has been extended, too. Here, however, functional rails of the nearby cargo port prevent people from approaching the Danube.

Find out more and have a look inside here.

Some still believe everything on the Internet

Elon Musk. (Source: TASR/AP)

The day after President Zuzana Čaputová appealed for voters to give the new caretaker government a fair shake, Robert Fico repeated his familiar litany of slurs, foremost among them that Čaputová is an agent of the United States and that she is somehow in thrall to the Hungarian-American financier George Soros.

Hungary’s present-day prime minister, Viktor Orbán – of whom Fico has lately become an ardent admirer – has long demonised Soros using nakedly anti-Semitic tropes. And now enters Elon Musk.

SONG FOR WEDNESDAY

Remembering popular actor and musician

On Wednesday, popular Slovak actor and musician Daniel Heriban died of a heart attack at the age of 43. Colleagues paid tribute to him, describing him as a prolific and versatile actor who also composed music for several plays.

In other news

Last Sunday, two US servicemen were involved in a public altercation in a grocery store in Zvolen, central Slovakia. "It was an inexcusable display of disrespect to the Slovak police and the community. There was no damage to property or involvement of anyone outside the group of Americans," wrote the US embassy in today's post on Facebook. As a result, the servicemen have been removed from their posts in Slovakia and await further disciplinary action from their commanders.
Opposition party Smer has topped the latest opinion poll from Median SK agency. The survey put support for the party at 16.2 percent, ahead of Hlas with 13.9 percent and Progressive Slovakia with 11.6 percent. The poll was carried out throughout April and early May on a sample of 1,943 respondents. Among parties that would also make it into parliament are Sme Rodina, Saska, OĽaNO, extremist party Republika and the Christian Democrats (KDH).
Slovak national hockey team will not play in the quarter-finals of the 2023 World Championship after Latvia unexpectedly beat Switzerland on Tuesday, meaning Slovakia could not progress to the quarter finals of the event.
On Wednesday, Prime Minister Ľudovít Ódor and Economy Minister Peter Dovhun signed an investment contract with German investor The Winkelmann Group who have promised to create 450 jobs in Rimavská Sobota, central Slovakia. Learn more about the investment here.
The government approved a motion to provide an investment of €8 million to the Hoval company. It aims to expand its production in Dolný Kubín, Žilina Region, to include heat pumps. The company is set to invest €53 million and create at least 450 new jobs.