(source: SME.sk / Hej,ty)
Good evening. Check out the main news of the day in less than five minutes in the Thursday, July 8 edition ofToday in Slovakia.We wish you a pleasant read.
Former special prosecutor is tried
Dušan Kováčik escorted to the courtroom. (source: TASR)
Today was the second day of former special prosecutor Dušan Kováčik's trial.
Kováčik was detained in October 2020, along with several other former high-ranking police officials. He has been charged with corruption-related crimes and with founding, organising and supporting an organised crime group, among other offences.
If the court finds Kováčik guilty, he may spend 12 or more years in prison.
Kováčik’s charges are related to the Takáčovci gang, from which he allegedly took a bribe of €50,000.
Every other young and educated Slovak considers leaving the country
Illustrative stock photo (source: Unsplash)
Every other young, educated person – university students and university graduates – is considering leaving Slovakia, according to a new study.
The survey shows that 14 percent of young people are considering permanently leaving the country and another 36 percent are thinking of doing so for a definite period of time.
The wide-ranging survey also shows where most young, educated Slovaks plan to emigrate to - top destinations include the Czech Republic (22 percent) followed by Germany, the UK, Austria. It also listed the reasons respondents want to leave and what appeals to them about life abroad.
Coronavirus and vaccination development
(source: TASR/AP)
Slovakia has eight new cases of the Delta variant. A total of 14 cases of the Delta variant have been discovered in Slovakia. In most cases, these are people who came to Slovakia from abroad and their close contacts. 11 people were not vaccinated and three were. The vaccinated people who tested positive have only mild symptoms and were not hospitalised. One unvaccinated person is in serious condition and was admitted to hospital.
People with social insurance who return to Slovakia after a holiday abroad and who have to undergo obligatory quarantine may ask a doctor for pandemic sick leave.
While the previous two waves of the coronavirus pandemic hit mainly adults and the elderly, the expected third wave is likely to be spread mainly among children. Therefore, experts invited parents to consider vaccinating their children during a press conference at the Health Ministry. Currently, adolescents from the age of 12 can receive a vaccine against Covid-19 in Slovakia.
People who receive the first dose of the AstraZeneca vaccine should be able to get a second jab by Pfizer next week. This option will be available in the registration form at korona.gov.sk.
Portugal and Italy are not considered risky countries when flying to Slovakia. New rules that will be valid as of July 9 state that everyone, even vaccinated people, flying to Slovakia from risky countries should have a negative PCR test result no older than 72 hours.
The state will reimburse a certain number of PCR tests per month. People will be required to show negative test results when entering some premises.
Photo of the day
Extremely hot temperatures hit Slovakia on July 8. The Slovak Hydrometeorological Institute issued a third-degree warning for southwestern parts of Slovakia, including the capital. Meteorologists caution against storms throughout Slovakia today.
(source: TASR)
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Feature story for today
In the US, we were trained by dealing with specific cases, recalls Special Prosecutor Daniel Lipšic of his studies at Harvard University. The career decision to go into the prosecution service does not need to be final, believes the special prosecutor who took up the post in February 2021, until when he served as an attorney.
In other news
The circulation of one-cent and two-cent coins will be limited in Slovakia following government approval. Only payments in cash will be rounded, which should be neutral and just for both sides - the buyer and the customer.
Players of Tampa Bay Lightning won the Stanley Cup for the 2020/2021 season and defended its NHL title from last year. Slovak defender Erik Černák plays on the team.
Speaker of Parliament and coalition chair Boris Kollár (Sme Rodina) wants to amend the constitution in a way that the referendum on a snap election could take place. He wants to propose it at the July parliamentary session.
Small border crossings will be open as of Friday, including those that the police closed on Monday. The controls will continue.
Slovak cyclist Peter Sagan is out of Tour de France. Sagan decided to end his participation ahead of the 12th stage because of a knee injury resulting from a collision with Australian cyclist Caleb Ewan during the end of the third stage.
As many as 821 people in Slovakia went bankrupt in June. So far, this is the only month in 2021 in which the number of bankruptcies was higher than in the same period last year, by 0.61 percent.
The start of the holiday season together with the easing of anti-epidemic measures have contributed to the growth of sales in Slovakia. The positive development is confirmed by statistics from the e-kasa system. Following retail, sales began to grow more significantly in accommodation, restaurants and pubs, as well as in the fitness industry. (Financial Administration)
Do not miss on Spectator.sk today
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