Good evening. Here is theTuesday, May 28 edition of Today in Slovakia - the main news of the day in less than five minutes.
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Near-fatal helicopter crash in the Tatras
A white helicopter crashed near a popular mountain hut in the High Tatras on May 25, 2024. (source: Facebook/Viktor Beránek)
A helicopter crashed on May 25, which was Saturday, near the Chata pod Rysmi mountain hut in the High Tatras. The three-man crew survived, but the damaged aircraft is still lying in a snow field near the hut.
It has been reported that the helicopter in question - Robinson R44 Raven with registration mark OK-STR - is identical to the one in which deputy environment minister Filip Kuffa (SNS) was a few weeks ago, when he flew over Malá Fatra National Park and violated the regulations in effect. The aircraft is owned by the Czech company Industry-logistik.
According to witnesses, a Czech pilot was experiencing difficulties landing on the helipad. The helicopter crashed into a snow field and then flipped over.
Furthermore, the company did not announce the flight to the Tatras National Park beforehand, nor did it ask for permission from the Prešov District Office. This body can grant authorisation to operate a helicopter within the fifth level of nature protection.
The national park said, “Chamois, but also marmots, see helicopters as predators, and naturally try to hide from them. As a result of a stressful situation, the animal may be injured or even die while trying to hide.”
Only after a thorough investigation of the accident will the specific consequences of the weekend helicopter crash be known. The Aviation and Maritime Investigation Authority of the Transport Ministry is currently conducting an investigation into the accident.
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FEATURE STORY
German’s dreams of working in Slovakia come true
CEO of Zurich Insurance Company’s Bratislava Competence Center Wolfgang Fischer with colleagues. (source: Courtesy of W. F.)
Wolfgang Fischer, CEO of Zurich Insurance Company’s Bratislava Competence Center, wrote the same thing for four years in his individual career plan for the insurance company he was working for: I want to go to Slovakia and grow our operation there.
It took some time, but he made it. The Slovak Spectator sat down with this lover of Central European culture and history to learn more about him.
DISPLAY
How women wore Poľana
The "How women wore Poľana" exhibition at the Lučenec Town Museum, central Slovakia, runs until July 15. (source: TASR)
The local museum in Lučenec, southern Slovakia, is showing clothes that local women made themselves out of fabrics from the Poľana wool factory. The exhibition runs until July 15. The factory was established in Opatová, today a part of Lučenec, in the middle of the 20th century. The German magazine Burda Style helped popularise the phenomenon of clothing created from fabrics from Opatová. Many women around the world received fabrics from this Slovak factory, including former British PM Margaret Thatcher.
IN OTHER NEWS
The extremist Slovenská Národná Strana party has submitted to parliament a bill proposing to introduce fees for providing information under the Freedom of Information Act. The amendment takes away the public’s constitutionally guaranteed right to information, several NGOs and opposition MPs warned on Tuesday. (TASR)
The opposition Sloboda a Solidarita (SaS) party proposes forming an international commission to investigate the May 15 attack on Premier Robert Fico (Smer), featuring representatives of the coalition and opposition in order to avoid the spread of disinformation or deliberate misinterpretation regarding the investigation. “An international investigation commission could only be formed after the investigation by the law-enforcement authorities is completed,” responded the Interior Ministry. General Prosecutor Maroš Žilinka and the Justice Ministry consider the proposal to be inappropriate. (TASR)
A classic car in front of Krásna Hôrka, a castle in the Košice Region, on May 28, 2024. Every year the international federation for historic vehicles chooses one country to host its world rally. In 2024, that country is Slovakia. The event will end in Bratislava on Friday. (source: TASR)
The World Health Organization (WHO) and Unicef have issued a warning regarding the rapid spread of measles in Europe, which poses a significant threat to millions of children. As per the most recent figures, a total of 56,634 cases of measles and four related deaths were officially reported in 45 out of the 53 countries of the WHO European Region during the initial three months of this year. Throughout the previous year, a total of 61,070 cases and 13 deaths were reported from 41 countries.
Two firefighters, 27 and 43, lost their lives in a traffic accident on the D1 motorway near Horná Streda, western Slovakia, on Monday. They were struck by a lorry while trying to extinguish a burning car on the motorway. The incident is under investigation by the police.
Following a meeting of the EU Agriculture and Fisheries Council in Brussels, Agriculture Minister Richard Takáč (Smer) stated that Slovakia is dissatisfied with the quotas for the import of agricultural commodities from Ukraine to the EU. The minister has identified two issues: cereals are not included in the agreed limits, and import limits are too high to trigger the safety brake and protect the EU single market. (TASR) Following a meeting of the EU Agriculture and Fisheries Council in Brussels, Agriculture Minister Richard Takáč (Smer) stated that Slovakia is dissatisfied with the quotas for the import of agricultural commodities from Ukraine to the EU . The minister has identified two issues: cereals are not included in the agreed limits, and import limits are too high to trigger the safety brake and protect the EU single market. (TASR) WEATHER FOR WEDNESDAY: Cloudy to partly cloudy skies. Occasionally, showers or storms will occur in the day in the eastern part of the country. The daytime temperatures will range from 19°C to 27°C. Storm warnings will be in place from 12:00 to 20:00 in a number of districts in central and eastern Slovakia. ( SHMÚ )WEATHER FOR WEDNESDAY: Cloudy to partly cloudy skies. Occasionally, showers or storms will occur in the day in the eastern part of the country. The daytime temperatures will range from 19°C to 27°C. Storm warnings will be in place from 12:00 to 20:00 in a number of districts in central and eastern Slovakia. (SHMÚ)
MAY 29 NAME DAY IN SLOVAKIA: Vilma.
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