The second day of Stage One in the 2024 Champions League Men tournament
has already identified few key contenders for the knockout stage
French Alliance Nîmes/Montpellier leads the standings with two victories
and Esteban DORR will face Slovakia’s TJ Geológ Rožňava next
the competition is split into two clear halves
Germany’s Postsportverein Mühlhausen 1951 e.V
and Czech SF SKK EL NINO PRAHA each hold two wins
while Romania’s CSS SZAK Odorheiu Secuiesc and Croatia’s STK STARR are winless so far
Polish KS GLOBAL PHARMA ORLICZ 1924 Suchedniów
remains unbeaten with wins over Czech TTC Ostrava 2016 and French Lille Metropole T.T
Both Ostrava and Lille share the second position
Polish UKS Dojlidy Białystok is the only unbeaten club in their group
and Piotr MICHALSKI led the team to victories over Czech SKST Havirov and Croatia’s STK LIBERTAS MARINKOLOR
the final standings and the full list of knockout stage participants tomorrow will be confirmed
The top two ranked teams in each group will advance to the Round of 16
where they will face the Top 8 seeded teams of the Champions League
The draw for the next stage will take place on Sunday
following the conclusion of the last group-stage match.Group A
HB Ostrov z.s.- Alliance Nîmes/Montpellier 2-3
ENOLI BORGES VALL – TJ Geológ Rožňava 3-1
CSS SZAK Odorheiu Secuiesc – SF SKK EL NINO PRAHA 1-3
STK STARR – Postsportverein Mühlhausen 1951 e.V
TTC Ostrava 2016 – KS GLOBAL PHARMA ORLICZ 1924 SUCHEDNIÓW 2-3
TTC SOKAH HOBOKEN – LILLE METROPOLE T.T 1-3
UKS Dojlidy Białystok – SKST Havirov 3-0
STK LIBERTAS MARINKOLOR – Roskilde Bordtennis 1-3
The European Table Tennis Union (ETTU) is the governing body of the sport of table tennis in Europe
and is the only authority recognized for this purpose by the International Table Tennis Federation
The ETTU deals with all matters relating to table tennis at a European level
including the development and promotion of the sport in the territories controlled by its 58 member associations
and the organization of continental table tennis competitions
A bookstore and a café have already moved into the Rožňava monastery
A group of enthusiasts from the civic association Otvor dvor (Open the Yard) has been restoring an abandoned Franciscan monastery in the centre of Rožňava over the last six years
After the expulsion of the Franciscans, the monastery served as a hospice and then fell into disrepair for years. Now, the association is turning it into a cultural and creative hub for local people that can also be used by artists seeking inspiration in the Gemer region as a gateway, as reported by the My Novohrad daily
“When we established the association in 2012
we began to shape the public space in Rožňava
we created the Rožňavské Radiály cycle
where artists from all over Slovakia performed
we lacked the most important thing - our own space,” said Tomáš Székely
Otvor dvor’s bold intention won the local government’s support in 2016
The association can use the monastery for twenty years if they transform it into a functioning cultural hub
the group of enthusiasts has cleaned the monastery of “socialist deposits,” replaced the windows
and restored the original paintings in the former dining room
“It has become the main common room where events take place,” Székely said
adding the reconstruction is going well thanks to their cooperation with a local labour office
a stylish bookstore and the Rajský dvor café have moved into the monastery
Other spaces on the ground floor are being renovated too
Small shops should open here at a later stage
accommodation is available for residents or performers
“We have not given up on the initial goal to create the urban public space in a broad sense,” said Székely
adding he would like to teach people that events will always take place in town
even if they do not follow any structure in terms of content at present
“We also want to motivate citizens to volunteer so that they realise a public space is what we need.”
more people are helping to revive life in the monastery
but the pandemic complicates the works on the historical building
“Perhaps there will now be an even greater need for active citizenship that will replace some institutions in the education of cultural audiences,” Székely concluded
Radiological and Nuclear (CBRN) Defence Battalion Rožňava hosted a special thank you ceremony where Defence Minister Jaroslav Naď along with Vladimír Zajačik MP and Head of the Rožňava County Office Jaroslav Šíp thanked the Rožňava-based military personnel for supporting the nation's response to the COVID-19 pandemic
The head of the MOD was keen to learn more about the needs of soldiers
their experience and expertise in combating the spread of COVID-19
and the state of local equipment and infrastructure
Praising the CBRN Defence Battalion and the MLRS Battalion in the national response to the pandemic
Defence Minister Jaroslav Naď said: “First and foremost
I would like to thank all members of both military units based in Rožňava who
alongside their colleagues from other military units
participated in carrying out very important domestic crisis management tasks – to the benefit of protecting the health and lives of our citizens
Your efforts and determination were visible to the citizens of our country day in and day out over the entire course of the pandemic
it is important to invest in equipment and infrastructure in Rožňava
and I am pleased to confirm that extensive investment projects have already been launched and that the investment we are going to make in the defence infrastructure in Rožňava will be worth millions of euros this year and next year
Unlike the empty promises [of previous governments]
our soldiers can see real improvements to the environment in which they work and to the equipment they work with.“
The day-to-day commitment and assistance of Rožňava-based soldiers at the Rožňava Hospital to take the pressure off hospital staff were appreciated by Director of the Rožňava Hospital Dušan Suchý
The Minister also spoke with Regional Hygienist Jozef Varga about the incidence rates in the region
asked about ways how the military could help in the event of negative developments
and praised the Regional Health Authority's vaccination campaign across the county's towns and villages
The CBRN Defence Battalion Rožňava can deploy its assets and forces to support military operations
to assist with Military Aid to the Civil Authorities (MACA) requests from the Ministry of Interior and civil authorities in eliminating chemical
and to aid the national response to environmental accidents and natural disasters
Among the Battalion's basic tasks is to decontaminate people
The Multiple Launch Rocket System (MLRS) Battalion Rožňava is a SVK Army tactical unit tasked with protecting the vital interests of the State and its Allies against all military and non-military threats
The Battalion is ready to deploy its forces and assets across Slovakia in order to deliver national defence in line with the SVK Armed Forces Deployment Plan and to support international crisis management operations
International troops have gathered for the opening ceremony of Ex Toxic Valley 2021
a three-week CBRN exercise held at the CBRN Defence Training and Testing Centre Zemianske Kostoľany
The exercise is designed to train Sampling and Identification of Chemical Agents (SICA) teams and CBRN mobile lab teams to identify chemical warfare agents (CWAs)
Ex Toxic Valley 2021 involves almost 300 personnel from the SVK Armed Forces and the SVK Interior Ministry and the Armed Forces from Austria
Exercise Director and Commander CBRN Defence Battalion Rožňava
said: “After last year's pause over the coronavirus pandemic in the containment of which many of the exercising soldiers were involved
we once again have an opportunity to put our capabilities to the test in realistic conditions.“
the CBRN Defence Training and Testing Centre Zemianske Kostoľany offers unique options for training CBRND specialists with the use of chemical warfare agents (CWAs)
accredited by the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW)
enhances training for military and civilian specialists in detecting CWAs and preparing their response to CBRN incidents
which serves as the cultural centre Kláštor (Monastery) today
Then the state wanted to use it as an archive
it ended up as surplus property of the town of Rožňava
it has been put to good use and makes for a great attraction for visitors to the Gemer region
There is increasing interest in the events taking place in the Rožňava monastery
built in the latter half of the 18th century
as well as accommodation in its former monastic cells
What restaurateur Tomáš Székely saw after opening the massive doors of the national cultural monument left unused for approximately 15 years was not very motivating
He is co-founder and member of the civic association Otvor Dvor (Open a Yard)
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A green tiled stove is one of many attractions in the Slavec manor house
recently won an award in the prestigious Fénix – Cultural Monument of the Year contest thanks to people's votes
Its rococo mansion, which belonged to the Andrássy family back in the day, was declared a national cultural monument in 1975. The old house, which almost vanished, was saved by the Sine Metu civic association. It owns the repaired house, the Korzár website reports
the mansion narrowly defeated the Komárno fortress in southern Slovakia by 163 votes
The manor house was renovated between 2021 and 2023
said that the home had been in a destitute state
A green tiled stove can be found in the representative room
Nászaly described that it is a replica of the oven
the remains of which were discovered during excavations in the nearby Pauline monastery
"It was a 15th century stove from a Banská Bystrica tile workshop
It collapsed and disintegrated into a thousand pieces
A sculptor managed to create a replica based on these pieces
and the tile craftsmen from Hungary built a functional stove according the replica
One is the discovery of a Renaissance wall painting from the beginning of the 17th century
it was possible to restore the coat of arms and the circular inscription on the ceiling mirror of the salon
an older vault from the times of the Pauline monastery with a mirror has also been preserved
there is a permanent exhibition in the manor house
consisting of findings from the archaeological survey of the monastery ruins
It also hosts a display that presents the history of the local ironworks
Ironworks were built in Slavec in the second half of the 18th century
The Andrássy family bought the manor house in 1869 and used it until 1945
The monument is part of the educational trail in the Gombasek area
visitors will learn more about local nature
there in Slavec visitors can find the ruins of the Pauline monastery
and an observation tower resembling a bell tower
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The village needs a solution before an ecological disaster
The village of Nižná Slaná in south-east Slovakia has asked the state to solve a problem regarding the polluted river Slaná before an ecological disaster occurs
The local municipality shared about it on social networks
adding that at least temporary solutions could be applied – filters or a cleaning system
“The rusty colour of the Slaná River worries more and more people and it affects a large area,” the municipality stated
“Water of such a colour can be also seen behind Tornaľa
which is 50 kilometres away from the shaft Gabriela
from which the orange water is flowing.”
a meeting took place at the District Office in Rožňava and subsequently in the area of the former mining plant Siderit
which was attended by invited representatives of the local municipality
representatives of the Environment Ministry and councillors
They should have proposed a solution for cleaning the river and adequate measures to prevent it from reocurring
will be put into practice as soon as possible,” the municipality Nižná Slaná declared
The Slaná River turned orange in mid-February
The reason is the outflow of mining waters from an iron-ore mine in the compound of the former mining company Siderit in Nižná Slaná
The authorities that monitor the situation in the river took samples of the water and are waiting for lab test results
The mining company Siderit in Nižná Slaná functioned between the years 1975 and 2008 when it went bankrupt
The state company Rudné Bane (Ore Mines) said that the company Siderit did not fulfil its commitments to eliminate mining works after mining activities were over
Therefor Rudné Bane took necessary measures in 2012
Rudné Bane is currently working on a proposal to include groundwater outflows in the register of environmental burdens
A harrowing climb revealed new spaces that have long been suspected but never foun
Members of the caving group Speleo Rožňava
led by Tomáš and Ľuboš Suchý
They man an exceptional discovery in the unexplored areas of Gombasecká Cave
If the rediscovered cave spaces will be available for the public
cavers promise that visitors will have a beautiful experience
Circumstances of the discovery looked like scenes from an adventure film
After the detection of the Gombasecká cave at the beginning of 20th century
old cavers knew that there was a high possibility of more caving areas because of its connection with the cave system of the abyss of Silická Ľadnica Cave
Ambrúž told to the Gemer.korzar.sme website
who were looking for the connection with the Silická Ľadnica Cave
whether they went out of the Gombasecká Cave against the flow of the brook in the direction of Silická Ľadnica or vice versa from the abyss in the direction of the cave
always reached a point where it wasn't possible to go further as there was an impassable fissure where
although there was less water than in other places
it was still insurmountable for a man,” Ambrúž explained for Gemer.korzar.sme
Based on the unsuccessful research of the past
the cavers tried a new path where they found an old 25-meter-long hall
Tomáš and Ľuboš Suchý then climbed up a hole of about 20 meters
“This climb was very difficult as walls are unstable in this part [of the cave],” Šturmann told Gemer.korzar.sme
adding that sometimes it seemed that they wouldn’t ever come through and that it was one of the most difficult ascents he’s ever done
Other members of Speleo Rožňava were also part of the great finding - Mikuláš Repaszký
as well as András Hegedus and speleologist Katka Csondor from Hungary
The decoration of the newly discovered parts of the Gombasecká Cave is unique thanks to formations called “hektility” which are rare both in Slovakia and abroad
the only big news event on March 10 in Slovakia
On the same day a huge fire engulfed one of the country’s best-preserved medieval castles
The fire struck the hill-top castle’s wooden roof
which was almost completely destroyed in a blaze visible from many kilometres away
On the same day a huge fire engulfed one of the country’s best-preserved medieval castles
The fire struck the hill-top castle’s wooden roof
Investigations so far suggest that the fire originated at the foot of the castle hill
It seems they inadvertently set fire to nearby dry grass
which in turn set alight brush on the hill
Firemen told the TASR newswire that from there strong winds helped the fire spread to the castle roof
the wind again fanned the smouldering timbers
starting another fire to which firefighters had to be called
Overall the fire destroyed the recently reconstructed upper Gothic palace
and some of the museum exhibits and furnishings inside the castle
Apart from an insurance payout that should cover the bulk of the necessary repair work
several fund-raising activities have already begun: the castle’s owner
opened a special account from which all contributions will go towards renovation; and the LINAJE foundation of civic activists and fans of the castle founded a community profile on Facebook and also opened an account to collect money for Krásna Hôrka
Košice Self-Governing Region (KSK) said it will help in two ways: it has offered room for the displaced exhibits in its own museums
and its spokesperson Zuzana Bobriková told TASR that KSK would donate resources from the Terra Incognita / Krajina nespoznaná grant scheme
On a visit to the site Culture Minister Daniel Krajcer said that although the damage was considerable
the ministry hopes to re-open the castle and museum in September
The Nový Čas tabloid appeared to scotch speculation that the Roma youths who are alleged to have started the fire were from a nearby Roma settlement when it reported that they in fact live in the village of Krásnohorské Podhradie
the boys’ families have stopped communicating with the media and locals
and some members were reported to have fled the village
In a sign that extremists are looking to exploit the fire to fan ethnic tension
extreme nationalist activist Marian Kotleba and his Ľudová Strana – Naše Slovensko / People’s Party – Our Slovakia party announced that it would hold a rally on the weekend of March 17-18 in Krásnohorské Podhradie to
“stop Roma from destroying our past”
A FORD Model-T built in 1923 was the oldest vehicle travelling the roads at this year’s inaugural Gemer 2009 meeting of vintage cars in Rožňava on May 23-24
A FORD Model-T built in 1923 was the oldest vehicle travelling the roads at this year’s inaugural Gemer 2009 meeting of vintage cars in Rožňava on May 23-24
“This is the first year of the event and 76 vehicles from Slovakia
and one from France took part," the head of the Auto Veterán Gemer association
The biggest curiosity was a sports car with a California licence plate
according to Mariňák.In addition to private cars
historical motorbikes and two old fire-fighting trucks were also displayed
After registration on Saturday morning participants made a short drive to Krásnohorské Podhradie and from there went on to the village of Betliar
they paraded their historical vehicles on Námestie Baníkov square in Rožňava while the associated programme took place
adding that the presentation on the square lasted until 19:00
the gathering visited Domica cave and the vintage car owners also drove to the Hungarian town of Aggtelek
The season of various events organised by clubs and associations of vintage car fans usually begins in May and ends in September
For more details see www.oldtimer-ahv.sk/kluby.php (in Slovak only)
Meteorologists issued weather warnings for both August 7 and 8
Several intense thunderstorms hit Slovakia on August 6. The Slovak Karst in eastern Slovakia was even struck by a supercell storm, the meteorologists from the Slovak Hydrometeorological Institute (SHMÚ) wrote on Facebook
“We detected intense storms in the Rožňava district today
some of which brought up to 30 millimetres of precipitation,” the meteorologists wrote
“They moved further to the southeast
and on the Slovak-Hungarian borders one of the storms turned into a supercell storm.”
Slovakia should prepare for several weather extremes in the following days. SHMÚ issued weather warnings against both heat and thunderstorms that will be in place on August 7 and 8
A weak Pope John Paul struggled to celebrate a mass for tens of thousands of people yesterday
including many who crossed the border from his native Poland fearing it was the last time they would see him
who suffers from Parkinson's disease and can no longer walk
had difficulty pronouncing the prayers at the mass on a field in the far eastern part of the country
who has looked exceptionally weak on his 102nd trip abroad
braved stiff winds in the foothills of the Carpathian mountains
where he said mass in a natural amphitheatre
Wearing gold vestments and his head slumped at times
the pope could see dozens of Polish flags waved by fellow Poles who crossed the border some 150 km away to see him
The pope started the trip on Thursday and was so weak that aides had to help him finish his two speeches on his first day
when he spoke in a clearer and firmer voice
but yesterday he seemed very weak again as he presided at the mass and sounded short of breath at times
He read only brief parts of his sermon in Slovak and Hungarian
In what now appears to have become a scripted part of the tour
a Slovak cardinal read most of it for him to help him conserve his strength
The pope often had his head slumped in his hands as his delegate read his sermon
he asked his listeners to build a more just and fraternal society
Given the pope's advancing age and ailments
his followers are turning out in droves knowing each trip to his native central Europe
where he spurred the struggle against Soviet domination and was instrumental in its fall
The pontiff has urged Slovaks and the rest of the region's Catholic faithful to defend their authentic Christian values as a number of countries in the region prepare to join the European Union next year
has so far been obscured by fears over his health as he approaches the 25th anniversary of his election next month
To underscore the Catholic Church's opposition to abortion
two four-year-old twin girls who were born joined at the pelvis before they were separated by surgery
The local Catholic Church has held up their mother as an example because she refused to abort even though she knew she was bearing Siamese twins
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