Marian Kočner during today's court. (source: Jaroslav Novák, TASR)
Good afternoon. Here is the Friday, May 19 edition of Today in Slovakia - the main news of the day in less than five minutes.
Alena Zsuzsová has been found guilty by the Specialised Criminal Court of the murders of journalist Ján Kuciak and his fiancée Martina Kušnírová in February 2018. However, her co-defendant Marian Kočner, was acquitted for second time. The court previously acquitted the pair on grounds of lack of evidence in September 2020, but that verdict was overturned by the Supreme Court, resulting in the re-trial that concluded today. Zsuzsová and two other men were convicted of planning the murders of senior prosecutors.
The decision is not valid. The Supreme Court will make a final decision following today's appeals. It can take months, though.
The Kuciak and Kušnír families are not satisfied with the May 19 verdict, nor are President Zuzana Čaputová and PM Ľudovít Ódor. Yet, both leaders respect the verdict.
"We cannot erase corruption, crime and evil from this world, but we can build a state that can punish them. Let's not lose faith, even if it is difficult at this time," the president wrote on social media.
Read more about the Ján Kuciak case:
Kuciak murder anniversary: Lack of decency in Slovak politics, but more attacks on journalists.
Kuciak murder retrial nears its end, verdict expected in spring.
Five years after Kuciak murder, Slovak journalists are still being attacked by politicians.
After the murder of Ján Kuciak and his fiancée Martina Kušnírová, people came together to remember them. More than five years have now passed since the murders. (Illustrative photo). (source: Jozef Jakubčo, SME)
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Event for today
Aviation Days in Piešťany
Today and this weekend (May 19-21), the Aviation Days of Piešťany will take place at Piešťany Airport, Trnava Region. Visitors will be able to see a show by rogallo wings, a sky show with the aero-acrobats Očovskí Bačovia, and a wide range of aircraft. Pilots and crews from Slovakia, Czechia, Poland, Hungary, the United Kingdom and elsewhere will show off their skills. There will also be drones and night-time laser shows.
Programme
Friday: 14:45 – 18:10
Saturday: 15:30 – 23:00
Sunday: 10:30 – 16:00
Tickets are available from the festival website; parking is included in the price of the ticket. You can find the airport here.
Eyes up: A three-day air show in Piešťany begins today. (source: Ján Krošlák, SME)
In other news
Comenius University in Bratislava is among the top 3.3 percent of universities worldwide, according to the Center for World University Rankings (CWUR). The university was ranked 661st out of a total 2,000 top universities. Comenius University was the highest-ranked Slovak university in the survey. (CWUR)
The Slovak Hydrometeorological Institute (SHMÚ) is warning regions about possible floods. Recent intense rainfall could endanger Brezno, Gelnica and Košice in the proximity of the rivers Bodva and Hornád. Meteorologists advise caution during activities near or in rivers, as the flow is now heavier than normal. (SHMÚ)
Chronically ill patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) now have their own app to monitor their health, gain education and set notifications for medication. The Slovak Crohn Club and the organisation Pacienti IBD released the app, IBD Pod Kontrolou (IBD under control), for iOS and Android. (TASR)
Hlavný Denník, a conspiracy website, will be re-inscibed on a prominent list of disinformation websites. The Supreme Court rejected Hlavný Denník publisher’s defence in its case against the project Konšpirátori.sk. Hlavný Denník wanted to be removed from the list of disinformation websites. Konšpirátori’s list exists to inform the general public, as well as firms that do not want conspiracy advertisements appearing on their websites. (Konšpirátori.sk)
In April, the unemployment rate decreased by its fastest rate since October 2021. (ÚPSVaR)
The Botanical Garden of Košice's UPJŠ university is hosting an exhibition of exotic butterflies. You can see them until July 2. (source: Roman Hanc, TASR)
Weather forecast
Sunny and partly cloudy skies are expected on Saturday, with temperatures rising to around 23°C.
On Sunday, skies will remain sunny and partly cloudy, with temperatures of 23°C-25°C.
On Monday, rain and partly sunny weather is expected in western Slovakia. It will be sunny elsewhere, with temperatures of around 22°C.
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