(source: SME.sk / Hej,ty)
Good evening. Here is the Thursday, October 27 edition of Today in Slovakia - the main news of the day in less than five minutes.
Drink-driving on the rise
A police officer carrying out an alcohol breathing test. (source: TASR)
At the beginning of October, a drunk driver ploughed his car into a crowd of pedestrians waiting at one of the capital’s busiest bus stops, killing five people.
The incident shocked the country. But it did not seem to stop people drinking and driving, with reports of other incidents almost daily since then - just yesterday, a drunk driver seriously injured two women on a zebra crossing in Kežmarok, eastern Slovakia.
On Thursday, Interior Minister reported a rise in reported cases of drink driving. In the first nine months of 2022, police carried out 8,068 positive alcohol breathing tests on drivers - the highest number in the same period since 2015.
In a survey by the AKO agency, almost 14 percent of respondents admitted they have sometimes driven a car under the influence of alcohol.
More stories on Spectator.sk
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TRAVELLING: New destinations in Bratislava airport's winter schedule.
FOREIGNERS: Top 10 events in Bratislava.
PARLIAMENT: Cybersecurity incident interrupts current session.
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Feature story for today
Slovaks go to the polls in the first joint municipal and regional elections this Saturday, October 29.
Both Slovak citizens and foreigners with permanent residence over 18 are eligible to vote. Polling stations open at 7:00 and close at 20:00, earlier than in previous elections.
Foreigners living in Slovakia can have their say too in the elections.
Picture of the day
The demolition of Istropolis in Bratislava continues. New drone footage shows the high-rise building gradually being pulled down. Work on the former House of Trade Unions building is expected to last until the end of this year.
For more pictures follow this link.
In other news
Police are investigating an attack on a teenager who kissed another man on a bench in Nitra. The attack on Friday night last week left the young man in hospital, where he underwent an operation for jaw injuries. He is expected to be discharged within days. A criminal complaint was filed on October 23 and police have said they will pay special attention to all such cases. The attack came two days after two LGBT+ people were killed in Bratislava.
A fog alert has been issued for Thursday evening across Slovakia with expected visibility between 50 to 200 metres. The first level alert will last until Friday 11.00 AM. A similar alert has been issued for Friday evening and night.
Weather forecast for Friday and the weekend according to the Slovak Hydrometeorological Institute. Friday will be sunny with daily maximum temperatures between 16 and 21 degrees Celsius. Saturday will be partially cloudy, with a mild increase in daily temperatures to between 17 and 22 degrees. Sunday will have a little cloud cover and daily temperatures between 17 and 22 degrees.
The Czech Republic has extended checks at the border with Slovakia until November 12. Temporary checks were brought in on September 29 amid a rise in illegal immigration. In total, since the introduction of temporary checks the police have detained almost 5,500 illegal migrants and 74 smugglers. Czech Prime Minister Petr Fiala has said the measure will be in place as long as necessary.
When it comes to geothermal energy, Slovakia is not using its full potential, President Zuzana Čaputová said during a meeting on Thursday with Iceland's President Gudni Thorlacius Jóhannesson. "I consider it very important in the long term to increase the share of renewable energy sources within our energy mix, especially geothermal energy, where, according to experts, we have untapped potential," the president said. Slovakia uses geothermal energy to produce only two percent of heat.
If you have suggestions on how this news overview can be improved, you can reach us at editorial@spectator.sk.
