Hello. Here is theThursday, June 7 edition of Today in Slovakia - the main news of the day in less than five minutes.
In Normandy, President Čaputová honours a generation that stood up to fascism
President Zuzana Čaputová and other world leaders mark the 80th anniversary of D-Day at Omaha Beach in Normandy, France, on June 6, 2024. (source: Facebook/President Zuzana Čaputová)
World leaders, including Slovak President Zuzana Čaputová, visited the beaches of Normandy on June 6 to participate in a commemoration marking the 80th anniversary of the 1944 D-Day landings, the largest amphibious military operation in history launched by the Allied armies to liberate Nazi-controlled Europe.
“D-Day was a turning point in defeating fascism in Europe,” said the president, describing it as a “true testament to courage and sacrifice”.
She reminded that Czechoslovak pilots and soldiers who were a part of the Allied forces in Normandy also contributed to the end of the Second World War and to Europe becoming a peaceful continent, along with thousands of other soldiers.
“They also fought for our freedom and a better future.”
Because Čaputová’s tenure ends on June 15, the president saw the event as an opportunity to say goodbye to other presidents, premiers and kings.
Related: Andrew Babjak is an unknown Slovak who took part in the Normandy landings.
MORE STORIES FROM THE SLOVAK SPECTATOR WEBSITE
Opinion: Nataša Holinová, a Sme daily commentator, cannot get her head around the fact that two ministers decided to traumatise a six-year-old over a toy gun.
Travel: A cave under the Nitra Castle once full of rubbish is open to the public. Do not worry, you will not get lost.
History: The town of Spišské Bystré, eastern Slovakia, is an interesting place - due to its name.
Good news: Pictures from the Bratislava Zoo will melt your heart, as will the hard-working sheep.
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FEATURE STORY
The call of Slovakia’s famous wine region
A lookout tower in the Tokaj wine region in south-eastern Slovakia. (source: SITA)
The Tokaj winemaking region is known for its vineyards and wineries, as well as for its waterways. Will Plum Days, a gastronomic festival, be added to the list?
FREE BRATISLAVA EVENTS
Ensemble from Amsterdam (and more)
The Amsterdam Orchestra will perform in Bratislava Old Market Hall on June 7. (source: Facebook - Het Orkest Amsterdam)
The Amsterdam Orchestra (Het Orkest Amsterdam) is a symphony orchestra full of passionate and advanced amateur musicians. The ensemble performs all kinds of programmes. Come to the old market venue to hear their music.
IN OTHER NEWS
“Smer is creeping us away from the West and Europe. It is an extremely dangerous game. After all, the West and the EU are not some kind of “others, strangers”, we in Slovakia are them too,” Progresívne Slovensko leader Michal Šimečka said in reaction to PM Robert Fico’s first video after the recent shooting attack on him. In the video, he criticised the West. (SITA)
TV Markíza journalists are not going on strike, they announced in a video posted to a social network. The management has agreed to all the conditions of the strike committee, they noted. At RTVS, the public broadcaster, journalists announced a three-hour warning strike march. It will be held on Monday, a day before all MPs reconvene to start the last session before the summer.
Two Slovak women are among the victims of a night train accident in the Czech Republic. Four other Slovaks suffered injuries. Two Ukrainian women are also among the victims. The accident took place near Pardubice-Centre station before midnight on Wednesday. A RegioJet train heading from Prague to Košice, from where it was supposed to continue to Ukraine, collided head-on with a freight train.
Slovakia is among the countries with the highest incarceration rates, the Council of Europe said.
The Slovak economy started 2024 with its fastest pace in the last two years, with GDP growing by 2.7 percent year-on-year in the first quarter of 2024, the Statistics Office reported on Thursday.
PM Fico’s chief adviser Erik Kaliňák (Smer) and Juraj Gedra (Smer), chief of staff at the Government Office, have appeared in an online broadcast together with the prosecuted extremist and disinformation spreader Daniel Bombic. YouTube has recently cancelled Bombic’s channel. Smer slammed YouTube for it. (Denník N)
The cruise ship Labe in the harbour near the town of Streda nad Bodrogom in the Trebišov District on June 5, 2024. After more than 30 years, the new cruise ship Labe will replace the old cruise ship Zemplín on the Zemplínská Šírava reservoir. (source: TASR - Roman Hanc)
WEATHER FOR FRIDAY: The last working day of the week is expected to be cloudy. Rain and showers are possible in some places, in particular in the north. Thunderstorms may occasionally occur. Daily temperatures will range between 21°C and 28°C. Storm warnings are in place in central and eastern Slovakia. (SHMÚ)
JUNE 7 NAME DAY IN SLOVAKIA: Róbert, Róberta.
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