Good evening. Here is theFriday, February 2 edition of Today in Slovakia - the main news of the day in less than five minutes.
Slovak flag raised at San Francisco City Hall
Slovak President Zuzana Čaputová (third from left) with San Francisco Mayor London Breed (second from left) during the hoisting of the Slovak flag at San Francisco City Hall. (source: TASR/AP)
On Thursday, Slovak President Zuzana Čaputová travelled from Canada to San Francisco, on the west coast of the United States. She was welcomed in the city by Mayor London Breed, where together they raised the Slovak flag at City Hall.
"I'm very happy, as it also sends a message that Slovakia is a respected country and that the people who live here [in San Francisco] have made a name for Slovakia," said Čaputová.
She later attended an event called 'Slovaks Meet Slovaks', during which a Slovak business delegation met with Slovak PRO, an NGO supporting the Slovak professional community in the states.
"They are probably the most successful Slovaks in the US [...] new opportunities for cooperation are opening up here," she added.
According to the head of state, Slovaks living in both the USA and Canada are watching the situation in their homeland, and asking about the government's attitude towards Ukraine and changes in regards to the rule of law. At the same time, they regard the current series of peaceful mass protests against planned law changes as 'a mature expression of democracy'.
MORE STORIES FROM THE SLOVAK SPECTATOR WEBSITE
GOOD NEWS: The reconstructed Slovak National Gallery in Bratislava has been shortlisted for a top European architecture award; and a unique operation has helped save a child's arm.
IMPORTANT BUILDINGS: Paris has the Centre Pompidou, Bratislava has the New Market Hall.
BUSINESS: Slovaks fear renting their flats to foreigners, a survey shows.
AUTOMOTIVE: A faithful replica of Drndička, the first car made in Slovakia, has been put on display near the place where the original was built.
If you like what we are doing and want to support good journalism, buy our online subscription with no ads and a print copy of The Slovak Spectator sent to your home in Slovakia. Thank you.
FEATURE STORY FOR FRIDAY
What's new in Slovak science
Illustrative image. (source: TASR)
Milan Kováč, a Slovak expert on Mayan civilization, has been going on expeditions to the Guatemalan jungle for 16 years, during which he and his team have made many important finds, including of Mayan cities. Now, in cooperation with Czech experts, they have have uncovered another ancient urban centre.
Meanwhile, in Egypt, Slovak archaeologists have unearthed a unique moat which probably ran around the fortress of Pharaoh Ramesses III, whose reign was marked by constant war. Find out more about the research carried out by universities and institutes in Slovakia here.
EVENTS FOR THE COMING DAYS
Evening in the forest, looking for owls
An owl during one of the guided night tours. (source: TASR)
Would you dare enter a forest at night? If the answer is yes and you happen to be in Trenčín on Saturday, do not miss the chance to take part in a guided tour and see owls in their natural environment. If you need your adrenaline fix, hike the Jánošíkove Diery gorges. If you want to dance, here is a selection of events to attend.
Bratislava has a lot to offer too in the next seven days: take a look at the various activities in our Top 10 events.
IN OTHER NEWS
On Wednesday evening, an earthquake with a magnitude of 1.4 hit an area between the villages of Košarovce and Jankovce in eastern Slovakia. According to the Slovak Academy of Sciences, the quake was registered at a depth of 4.6 kilometres at 10.35pm and was deemed an aftershock of the stronger earthquake that shook the area in October last year. (TASR)
Forbes Slovensko magazine has a new editor-in-chief. Lucia Okšová, who previously oversaw the Forbes website, will head the digital transformation of the magazine into a premium online version. (Forbes)
The functioning of the gallery in the Slovak Radio building in Bratislava will be suspended at the end of April due to lack of money. Curator and art historian Daniela Černá was laid off and curator Ivan Jančár, who started the gallery, is to leave as well. On social media, rumours began to spread about whether it may have been a decision by the Culture Ministry, as the minister, Martina Šimkovičová, had previously expressed outrage at a painting depicting queer love displayed in the gallery. Černá herself, as well as a spokesperson for the public broadcaster, dismissed the claims, saying the move had been made for financial reasons. (Denník N)
The opposition Progresívne Slovensko (PS) and Freedom and Solidarity (SaS) parties have collected and submitted the signatures needed to initiate a parliamentary vote of no-confidence in Culture Minister Martina Šimkovičová (SNS nom.), citing 'outrageous statements about culture itself and about various groups of people', 'incompetence', her plans for culture, and a lack of communication as the reasons. In a statement, Šimkovičová said that she sees the motion as a normal part of the political struggle. Slovak National Party (SNS) leader Andrej Danko said the minister had his full support. (TASR)
The total supply of office space in Bratislava was 2.09 million square metres in the fourth quarter of 2023. During that time, The Mill office building was added to the offer. Nonetheless, the volume of leased office space decreased by 14 percent year-on-year. With a share of more than 35 percent, the IT sector leased the largest amount of space, followed by the professional services sector with 28 percent and the pharmaceutical sector with 22 percent. The average rent remained at the level of €18 per square metre. (Bratislava Research Forum)
During excavation following a water main leak on Jerichova Street in Trnava, archaeologists discovered the remains of the Malženická Gate, the exact location of which had previously been unknown. It means that the locations of all the gates of Trnava's mediaeval fortification have been identified. (source: TASR)
Tomorrow, February 3, is the namedayin Slovakia of Blažej. In addition, if you know a Veronika,Sunday, February 4 is her nameday, while Monday, February 5 is the nameday of Agáta.
WEATHER FOR THE WEEKEND
Saturday will be mostly overcast, with rain in the northern half of the country, and occasionally in other places as well. Expect daytime temperatures of between 1°C and 11 °C. Sunday will be similar, with a rise in temperatures to between 6°C and 13°C.
Several weather warnings have been issued for both days, most notably a level 2 wind warning in the High and Low Tatra mountain ranges. Check the website of the meteorological service for more details. (SHMÚ)
Thank you for subscribing and reading. It means a lot to us.
P.S. If you have suggestions on how our news overview can be improved, you can reach us at editorial@spectator.sk.
Follow The Slovak Spectator on Facebook and Instagram (@slovakspectator).
