Homeless people speak about being abused at a Bratislava shopping mall Good evening. Here is the Friday, February 7 edition of Today in Slovakia - the main news of the day in less than five minutes mass protest gatherings have been taking place in more than 50 cities across Slovakia The demonstrations are in response to the actions of Prime Minister Robert Fico’s government which organisers claim is weakening Slovakia’s alliances within the European Union and NATO "Slovakia belongs to a free and democratic Europe We will not allow our country to be dominated by authoritarian practices and pro-Russian propaganda Citizens have the right to assemble and express their views in a respectful yet firm manner," the organisers emphasised organised by non-profit organisation Mier Ukraine (Peace for Ukraine) and local civic activists and platforms In a repeat of a similar demonstration two weeks ago Freedom Square in Bratislava was filled with people with an estimated 42,000 to 45,000 attending the company that ensures safety at the gathering pastors and activists spoke to the assembled crowd Among the speakers in Bratislava was Boris Kršňák a long-time reporter from Prague for public broadcaster RTVS (which last year was reformed as a state-controlled broadcaster and renamed STVR) "A public broadcaster must spread truthful information That cannot be done by putting the truth at one end of the table and a lie at the other What’s in the middle is not the truth," he addressed the crowd the Czech Supreme Court issued a ruling to cancel the acquittal of a primary school teacher who taught students that there was no war in Ukraine And that’s true even if the perpetrator is convinced it is The fact that there is a war in Ukraine is not a matter of opinion It is a fact," Kršňák told the people Representatives of nine student organisations also spoke, including Simon Omaník, who refused to shake hands with President Pellegrini at a recent awards ceremony – something for which Prime Minister Fico said the student should have been "slapped" Omaník urged young people not to let themselves be "intimidated by attacks from government officials but to stand up for their opinions and not be afraid to defend them." that's what Robert Fico wants," Omaník told the crowd Slovaks have also been holding protests abroad among other locations; around 40 people expressed their opinions in Stockholm Prime Minister Fico questioned the protests via a Facebook post headlined: "I am asking why people are actually protesting today." He also shared an article from the TASR news agency reporting that Paula Pinho the chief spokesperson for European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen had told TASR that the commission has no indication that Slovakia is considering leaving the European Union Opinion: As organisations seek more control and agility, the shift towards in-house operations, coupled with advances in AI and evolving work models, is reshaping the future of global business service centres Bribery: The European Public Prosecutor’s Office is investigating alleged bribery involving millions in EU funds that were supposed to be spent on hospitals in Slovakia The hospitals and private companies involved deny any wrongdoing Abuse in shopping mall: Security guards at the Nivy shopping centre in Bratislava have been accused of assaulting homeless people and minorities with the recent death of a Ukrainian man raising concerns of systemic abuse and ethnic bias a non-profit organization that works with the homeless is calling for better training and protection for marginalised groups Good news: A ride-hailing firm is rolling out a female-friendly feature, Slovakia achieved a historic result at the Bocuse d’Or 'culinary Olympics', and a scientific advance by the Slovak Academy of Sciences – these are our feel-good stories to brighten up your day Weekend: There are plenty of things to keep you captivated this weekend. Why not try a new board game with friends, admire a LEGO exhibition, or try out dog-sled racing in the High Tatras? And that's not all – discover these and more activities here If you like what we are doing and want to support good journalism, why not get our online subscription with no ads We'll send a copy of the monthly print edition of The Slovak Spectator to your home anywhere in Slovakia Ready to escape the hustle and live off the grid? Ecocapsule's new Box is changing the game with affordable, sustainable and mobile housing. Starting at €55,000, this innovative, energy-independent home could be your answer to minimalist living. Want to learn more about this revolutionary design? Keep reading Have you ever tried soy candles? Learn how to create these low-smoke, long-lasting candles from 100-percent natural soy wax that will beautifully decorate your home. For more details about when and where check out our Top 10 events for foreigners in Bratislava with 7.8 percent doing so occasionally and 4.9 percent regularly Entrepreneurs use remote work more than employees with nearly 39 percent of business owners with staff working from home Austria leads in homeworking (27.9 percent) while the Netherlands (51.9 percent) and Sweden have the highest rates in the EU Regional Development and Informatisation (MIRRI) is launching a national project aimed at mapping brownfield sites across Slovakia To identify underutilised industrial areas the first headliner of the weekend on Friday General Prosecutor Maroš Žilinka has strongly urged politicians to avoid undue interference in the work of law enforcement authorities and to refrain from publicly undermining their activities His statement comes in response to media remarks made by Juraj Gedra (Smer) Gedra stated that he fully respects law enforcement bodies he considers it both the right and duty of politicians to publicly ask questions and convey the public's concerns regarding the scrutiny of the Covid-19 pandemic period This public exchange of opinions was the first to take place between the ruling coalition and Žilinka who has so far refrained from criticising the government Zdenko and Gabriela are the lucky ones celebrating their name days this weekend 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, LinkedIn and Instagram(@slovakspectator) the state will take over the funding of kindergartens in Slovakia state funding will replace municipal budgets for the operation of kindergartens in Slovakia parents in some towns will still face higher fees for these services Local governments are now seeking ways to plug this financial gap. According to Jozef Božik, the head of the Association of Towns and Villages of Slovakia (ZMOS), 70 percent of municipalities have opted to increase various fees, including those for kindergartens and crèches. In Michalovce, in eastern Slovakia, the monthly kindergarten fee has already risen. For parents with permanent residence in the city, the fee has increased from €20 to €25 per child. For those without permanent residence, the fee has climbed from €40 to €50. These fees do not include meal costs, which could increase the final sum by several dozen euros. The cost of day care has also gone up, from €200 to €270, excluding meal or supervision fees. While many municipalities have yet to increase fees, cities like Nitra, Banská Bystrica, and Žilina are holding off. It remains unclear what will happen in 2025. The parliament passed the kindergarten funding reform at the end of October. In early October, a fiscal consolidation package was also approved, which will impact local governments, notably through a rise in VAT from 20 percent to 23 percent, further driving up the cost of goods and services. Some Bratislava districts, such as Petržalka, Podunajské Biskupice, and the Old Town—home to many foreigners—have also not raised fees yet. Currently, in the Old Town, parents with permanent residence pay €55 per month for kindergarten, while those without permanent residence face fees of €90. A meal costs €2.30 a day. Looking ahead, a change in the amount of the parental contribution towards partially covering kindergarten expenses is expected in 2027. “According to the proposed amendment to the law, municipalities will not be required to set the contribution, but will instead have the option to do so,” the Education Ministry said, as quoted by the daily. AROUND 100 people attended a ceremony commemorating Vranov's 1,700 Jewish deportees.photo: TASR VRANOV NAD TOP1OU - Sixty years ago, more than 1,700 of the Jewish citizens in this eastern Slovak town were transported to concentration camps. Only 120 survived. On May 15, Vranov nad Top3ou, which now numbers 23,200 inhabitants, took the first steps to honour its lost citizens and preserve what little remains of their past. While the afternoon sun beat down on an audience of about 100, mostly senior citizens, a choir sang a melody describing the birth of Israel. Standing in front of this gathering of both Jews and Christians, some from as far away as the United States, Mayor Milan Muška and Jaroslav Franek, president of the Central Union of Jewish Religious Communities (ÚZŽNO) unveiled a plaque in memory of the city's once flourishing Jewish community. The plaque faces the location where the Jewish Synagogue stood until its demolition in 1982. "This is just so moving," said Bobby Furst, who travelled to the ceremony from California with her sister on a search for the missing links in their family tree. The sisters, who have many relatives buried in Jewish cemeteries throughout the district, noted the significance of the event in light of recent anti-Semitic acts in Europe that have been linked to increased tensions in the Middle East. "It is so important to do this now," one of them commented, wiping away a tear. While nominally independent from Nazi Germany from 1939-1945, Slovakia's wartime leaders approved the deportations of some 70,000 Slovak Jews to concentration camps. The tragedy virtually destroyed the nation's Jewish community, and even today remains virtually taboo as a topic of Slovak public discussion. After the war, few of Vranov's Jewish survivors returned to the town. Today there is no Jewish community to speak of, and the cemetery shows the effects of years of neglect - weeds, fallen headstones, and, among the living, a lack of knowledge and interest in Jewish history. After 60 years of relative silence about the deportations, city leaders say, a young generation has grown up largely unaware that the Jewish community in Vranov once made up more than 25 percent of the town's population. To improve local knowledge and preserve its own history, the city has produced a book called A Short History of the Jewish Population of Vranov nad Top3ou. Published in both English and Slovak, the book traces the history of the Jews in Vranov from their first arrival in the mid-18th century to the destruction of the community during the Holocaust. In addition, the city has created a CD-Rom containing photos of more than 720 headstones from the Jewish cemetery. The documentation and preservation project began in October 2001. Explaining the need for such records, Mayor Muška said: "We want everyone who comes to Vranov nad Top3ou to know that all our citizens are respected and welcome - those who were here, those who are here, and those who will be here." Igor Solonik, the author of the book and an advocate of the preservation of the local Jewish cemetery, said the ceremony was the first step in a campaign to restore Vranov's downtrodden Jewish cemetery to its original stature. "The Jewish cemetery should look like any other cemetery," he said. "We have owed that [to the Jewish population of Vranov] for the past 60 years." Yet Solonik remains fearful that the site will suffer the same fate as that of Košice's Jewish cemetery, in which over 130 graves were damaged by three elementary school pupils over a month ago. Despite the dangers, Jozef Weiss, director of the ÚZŽNO in Bratislava, said the community should push ahead with commemoration efforts nationwide, among other things to help Slovakia come to terms with its neglected world war two history. "This is something that every city should do. Vranov should be only the first." NOT LONG since the first swallow arrived here, the first white storks have started circling above Slovakia. These elegant birds are considered the most famous harbingers of spring in Slovakia. The very first ones appeared in mid March near Malá Domaša (in the Vranov nad Topľou District), the SITA newswire wrote. NOT LONG since the first swallow arrived here, the first white storks have started circling above Slovakia. These elegant birds are considered the most famous harbingers of spring in Slovakia. The very first ones appeared in mid March near Malá Domaša (in the Vranov nad Topľou District), the SITA newswire wrote. "The storks were observed on their nest," Miroslav Fulín, an expert on white storks, said on March 15. "In the following days, we can expect numerous observations of this popular harbinger of spring at its nesting sites." The white stork is one of the most well-known and well-loved birds in Slovakia. From the second half of March until May, about 2,500 white storks arrive in Slovakia to raise their young in 1,200 nests. Some storks fly over ten thousand kilometres to get here. They complete the route between Slovakia and South Africa in 20-40 days of flying and 7-14 days of rest. Birdwatchers observed the first swallow in Slovakia on March 12 near the village of Dolné Dubové, in the foothills of the Small Carpathians. "I spotted the first swallow this year near the water tank in Dolné Dubové, where it flew about four metres high, so I had no trouble recognising it immediately," said nature enthusiast Marián Buček, who immediately reported his finding to ornithologists. Recording the first sightings of spring is a popular pastime among birdwatchers. They can now share their observations with people across Europe through the Spring Alive project, which records and evaluates the first sightings of four harbingers of spring: the stork, swallow, cuckoo and swift. More information on the project can be found at www.springalive.net. Veronika Rajek is a fashion model and social media personality. She is known for modelling and uploading pictures of herself on Instagram. She has worked for luxurious brands such as Dolce & Gabbana and Bluemarine. The model and social media influencer is posing for pictures. Photo: @veronikarajek (modified by author)Source: UGCVeronika Rajek gained worldwide fame and attention through her Instagram account. She is the first Slovakian model to amass over a million followers on the platform. Discover more about her life today. Read also "She too like shakara": Thick lady turns her back for everyone at car park Veronika Maťašová Rajek is a model and social media influencer She came into the limelight after posting her modelling shots on Instagram She has amassed over five million followers on the social media platform Veronika Rajek's age is 27 years as of 2023 The model and social media influencer is from Slovakia and educated in Slovakia in a Jewish family before moving to Vienna The social media influencer went to VSBM Kosice and Sportive Gymnasium Kosice. She attended an athletics high school for eight years, competing in track and field. Read also "I need a decent girl like you": Gorgeous tall lady crosses her legs like queen, men call her classy, photos trend She later joined the Institute of Vzdelavania Poradenstva. She holds a Master of Science and a Master of Business Administration degree. The model started her career at 16 in her home country. She competed in the Miss Summer 2015 and Miss Slovakia 2016 beauty pageants. She then landed notable modelling gigs. She has appeared in numerous commercials and worked for top-notch modelling agencies. She is presently represented by Torrid Agency. Who has Veronika Rajek modeled for? The model has worked with multiple reputable fashion brands, including Dolce and Gabbana, Philip Plain, Blumarine, and Hide & Jack, Moschino. Years back, the model started an Instagram account where she posted her modelling shots. She soon attracted the attention of fans and has since garnered over five million followers. She used the platform to endorse brands such as Fashion Nova and Rocko Piedra Style Cancun. Besides modelling, she is a fitness enthusiast and often shares her fitness and healthy lifestyle on social media. Read also JUST IN: Hoodlums on rampage in Oyo park after Makinde fired transport union leader Veronika Rajek is widely known as Tom Brady's die-hard fan and admirer. She went viral for supporting Tom Brady and the Buccaneers in the quarterback’s final NFL season She travelled to Florida in December 2022 to watch Tom Brady and his team in action She expressed delight in watching the seven-time Super Bowl champion in the groove The model has previously opened up about her childhood love for soccer. She often attends matches and has never shied away from expressing her love and admiration for Tom Brady. In early May 2023, she was spotted partying with Shaquille O’Neal in Surfside, and she called him her role model for life. Read also Birthday beauty: BBNaija Bella sports crochet look in stunning photos as she marks new age Veronika Rajek's height is 5 ft 11 in or 181 cm Her body measurements are 36-24-36 in or 91-61-91 cm Veronika Rajek is a Slovakian model and social media influencer who currently resides in Austria with her husband She has worked with many high-end fashion brands in her career Legit.ng recently published Nick Sylvester’s biography writer and musician best known in the US for writing numerous music reviews He is married to Mina Kimes, a renowned investigative journalist. He was once a member of the American punk rock music group called Mr 2023 · retired nfl legend tom brady's spicy linkup veronika rajek reacts to the latest online uproar after an unexpected ban on a popular platform has emerged as a prominent figure in the modeling industry and social media sphere 2024 · veronika is a lively spirit from slovakia whose captivating beauty and charm make her shine brilliantly throughout europe 1996) belongs to a slovakia family while she is known in this world because she is a famous model and also an instagram influencer 2021 · veronika rajek's social media profile are regularly reported as being fake claiming being “too beautiful” makes people feel threatened and forces her to constantly prove her looks aren’t Veronika rajek is a slovakian model and instagram star She became famous as a model when she joined beauty pageants in 2015 Career veronika rajek began her modeling career when