NOVÉ MESTO NAD VÁHOM
Mečiar's niece marries Havel's distant relative
On October 18 in this western Slovak town of 21,000, Prime Minister Vladimír Mečiar's niece, Denisa Mečiarová, married a distant relative of the Czech First Lady Dagmar Veškrnová, Vojtěch Šimíček. The wedding ceremony took place at a Catholic church in the town's center.
About seventy people witnessed the event, which kicked off with the bride and groom entering the church, followed by their families, including Mečiar and his wife. Neither family seemed pleased with the media's presence at the church, but later some family members were willing to answer questions.
Mečiar said that his wedding gift was "appropriate for the relationship we have. I have known her since she was born."
MOCHOVCE
"Special Forces" stop activists
Activists from the environmental organization Greenpeace were attacked on October 22 near this nuclear power plant in southern Slovakia by the power station's Special Forces Tactical Unit.
The nuclear station's SWAT team reacted to 20 Greenpeace members' gathering in the early morning hours on a road near the power plant, and their earlier usage of one of the reactor towers as a huge screen for projecting anti-nuclear photos. "Our aim was to inform citizens about the danger of the nuclear power plant, and give them some background information," said Igor Polakovič, a Greenpeace member.
"We don't mind when Greenpeace projects their photos on the tower," said the plant's spokesman, Rastislav Petrech. "But we do mind them filming and taking pictures of the plant."
Compiled by Andrea Lörinczová from press reports.
