Good evening. Here is the Tuesday, September 19 edition of Today in Slovakia - the main news of the day in less than five minutes.
Police charge ex-military intelligence chiefs
Former top military intelligence official Ľubomír Skuhra, as portrayed in 2013. (Source: TASR - Gabriel Kuchta )The National Crime Agency detained several persons suspected of manipulating public procurement in Military Intelligence on Tuesday.
The crimes relate to the purchases of overpriced defence technologies that took place between 2013 and 2020. According to Police President Štefan Hamran, the damage exceeded €74 million.
The police accused 16 people, including former top military intelligence officials and Smer nominees, and two companies during the 'Virus' police operation.
Smer leader Robert Fico questioned the police operation, calling it an attack on the opposition shortly before the election.
More stories from The Slovak Spectator website
- Media: UNESCO has announced that it will support Slovak media in providing the refugees with reliable news and information in Ukrainian.
- Agriculture: Ukraine plans to file a lawsuit against Slovakia with the World Trade Organisation over the Ukrainian grain ban. Slovakia is open to lifting the ban only under certain conditions.
- Travel: The most mesmerising Slovak Paradise gorges for walking trips.
- Culture: What do the Slovak words hosť, kanady and seriózny mean in English?
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FEATURE STORY FOR TUESDAY
Young writer who stands out in Slovakia and Vietnam
HOANG ANH NGUYEN. (Source: Soňa Vozárová)Hoang Anh Nguyen, 20, spent her first eight years growing up in the town of Malacky, western Slovakia, then moved to Bratislava with her parents. She belongs to the so-called banana children, meaning the second generation of the Vietnamese minority.
"I am white on the inside, but I am yellow on the outside," she says.
Last month, she won the main prize at this year's Literárny Zvolen literature competition.
EVENT FOR FRIDAY
Quasars Ensemble and Synchronos Ensemble
The inverted pyramid wich houses Slovak Radio has been proposed as a National Cultural Monument. (Source: Jana Liptáková)The international chamber ensemble Synchronos Ensemble from Zagreb, Croatia, will perform in Slovakia for the first time. The ensemble will bring to Bratislava a programme composed of works by contemporary Croatian authors, which, in cooperation with the host ensemble Quasars Ensemble, will be complemented by selected works by Slovak composers.
Tickets: Buy here.
Venue: Slovak Public Radio (pyramid building on Mýtna St.)
Time and date: 19:00 on September 22
In other news
Slovakia has signed a contract with Slovenské Elektrárne, the largest electricity producer in the country. The firm will provide households with electricity at €61.20 per megawatt hour in 2024. This price excludes other fees included in the final electricity price for households.
The Prístavný Most bridge in Bratislava, through which the D1 motorway runs, will be completely closed from 23:00 on Friday, September 22, until 5:00 on Saturday, September 23. The reason is geodetic measurements, the National Highway Company announced.
EU inflation declined for the tenth consecutive month in August 2023, reaching 5.9 percent. Consumer prices grew the most in Hungary, the Czech Republic, and Slovakia (9.6 percent).
Smer leader Robert Fico said that stricter rules need to be adopted for the Roma out of work and only then can their situation in Slovakia improve. Non-governmental organisations, media, Brussels and abroad are always against tougher measures, he said. (RTVS)
Textile waste is the largest component of unsorted municipal waste. Its collection will be another new obligation for towns, from January 1, 2025.
The "Octahedral Body" installation by Viktor Frešo has been placed by the Danube river, next to the Eurovea shopping mall, on September 19, 2023. (Source: Facebook/JTRE)
WEATHER FOR WEDNESDAY: Wednesday will be partly cloudy. It will be cloudy in the east at night. You can expect occasional rain or showers. Local fog will occur at night and in the morning. It will be a warm day: 20°C - 27°C. (SHMÚ)
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