Good evening. Here is theThursday, November 9edition of Today in Slovakia - the main news of the day in less than five minutes.
A Slovak convicted in a school teacher murder case in Ireland
Jozef Puška, 33, (left) being questioned by his barrister Michael Bowman SC at the Central Criminal Court in Dublin, where he is accused of killing teacher Ashling Murphy, who was killed while exercising along a canal walkway in Tullamore, Co Offaly, on January 12 2022. Picture date: Thursday November 2, 2023. (source: Elizabeth Cook/PA Wire/PA Images)
On Thursday, Slovak Jozef Puška was found guilty of the murder of Ashling Murphy in Ireland.
He killed the 23-year-old Irish school teacher during a walk on January 12, 2022. Murphy had 11 stab wounds in the right side of her neck which caused acute blood loss and her heart to stop, the Irish Times wrote.
Puška, who lives in Mucklagh with his wife and five children, had denied the murder. He initially admitted to murder. Later, he made up a story about him being attacked and stabbed by an unknown man on January 12, 2022. He went on to claim the same man killed Murphy. Puška portrayed himself as a Good Samaritan who wanted to save the school teacher.
A unanimous Thursday decision by the jury of nine men and three women ended an over three-week trial in Dublin. The judge agreed with their decision, saying that he was glad he didn't have to waste his time and listen to Puška's 'nonsense' any longer.
The man, who came to Ireland a decade ago, is set to be jailed to the mandatory life sentence on November 17 after victim impact evidence is heard. As the Irish broadcaster RTÉ noted, Puška's family were angry about the verdict.
"His father spoke loudly in Slovak. An elderly woman held up small cross and shook it at people saying "everyone in this room, Jesus,"' RTÉ wrote.
Quote: "We have evil in this room. No doubt about that," Justice Tony Hunt.
More stories from The Slovak Spectator website
Politics: Košice has made changes to its parking policy, including residential areas and tariff zones.
Business: Leo Express wants to connect Slovakia with beaches in Belgium and Germany.
Travel: A 35-metre Green Point observation tower has been opened near Prešov.
Bratislava: Check out these three events that you can do for free in the capital.
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FEATURE STORY FOR THURSDAY
Skyscrapers are a thing of the past, says a Scottish architect
Scottish architect David Sim. (source: Jana Liptáková)
David Sim, Scottish architect and creative director of the Danish studio Gehl Architects, plans to create in Bratislava a place that pulsates with life and where people have good life. Thus, the one thing that he will not include in his project is skyscrapers.
"A skyscraper is the worst possible building if you want an innovative company. Also the worst building for people to live in with children. It's a disaster in terms of energy use," he tells The Slovak Spectator.
EVENT FOR SUNDAY
Christmas Bazaar
The Christmas Bazaar in Old Market Hall. (source: TASR)
The Charity Christmas Bazaar provides a great opportunity for countries to introduce themselves to the Bratislava community. Its visitors can also start holiday shopping and simultaneously support organisations and causes in Slovakia.
The event will take place in Stará Tržnica (Old Market Hall) on SNP Square in Bratislava on Sunday, November 12, from 10:00 until 16:00.
In other news
The court ruled that Interior Minister Matúš Šutaj Eštok (Hlas) made a mistake in dismissing ex-deputy police chief Branko Kišš, a whistle-blower, from the post. Kišš was ordered to relocate to Banská Bystrica where he was supposed to start working as a regular police officer at the start of November. Kišš will go back to work in Bratislava on Friday, but the ministry has said that it is prepared to prove the court's decision wrong.
The company that produces the popular drink Kofola launched a limited sale of rum-flavoured Kofola before Christmas. In past years, it offered, for example, cinnamon-, chocolate- or nuts-flavoured Kofolas. The new flavour was criticised in the Czech Republic with regard to child protection. (Markíza)
The coal-fired power plant in Vojany, eastern Slovakia, will be closed next year. In recent years, the power plant has run minimally. Slovenské Elektrárne company said that they could not obtain enough alternative fuel for Vojany to replace coal.After its shutdown there will be no classic coal-fired power plant in Slovakia. At the end of the year, the coal-fired power plant near Nováky, which used coal from the Upper Nitra region, will also cease to operate. (HN)
Less than a month ago, former president Andrej Kiska was convicted of tax fraud by the District Court in Poprad. After the verdict, it surfaced that the husband of the judge, Anton Petruška, was the mayor for the Smer party in the village of Jamník, Spišská Nová Ves district, from 2014 to 2018. Judge Mária Petrušková concealed this fact before the main hearing. In 2017, the highest representatives of Smer began to speak about Kiska as a tax cheat. (Denník N)
Environment Minister Tomáš Taraba (SNS nom.) dismissed the director of Tatras National Park Pavel Majek and the director of the Veľká Fatra National Park Eduard Apfel. The ministry found itself under the leadership of people who oppose the reform and stricter protection of national parks. (Markíza)
Oligarch Miroslav Výboh, who has been associated with Smer for years, will have to stand trial. Judge Michal Truban from the Specialised Criminal Court must set the dates of the main hearing and decide on the charges filed with the court. Výboh is charged with asking for a bribe of €150,000 from the former head of the Financial Administration, František Imrecze, and businessman Michal Suchoba. He allegedly did so on behalf of the then deputy finance minister, Peter Pellegrini, who serves as Speaker of Parliament today. (Denník N)
A performance by the folk music group Heligonkári Spod Kľaku at the railway station in Žilina before the arrival of the Kulturvlak train November 9, 2023 in Žilina. On the occasion of the 70th anniversary of the establishment of local and regional cultural institutions in Slovakia, these organisations prepared an event full of music on a train from Košice. Music was heard at selected railway stations, too. (source: TASR)
WEATHER FOR FRIDAY: The Friday weather will see a cover of clouds and rain in many places around the country. The highest daytime temperature will rise to 11°C. (SHMÚ)
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