SUMMARY-Friday-January 18, 2019 - 10 p.m.

ORAVSKA LESNA/NOVOT - Firefighters have had their hands busy with snowdrifts in Zilina region this week, TASR learnt from Zilina Firefighter and Emergency Corps regional director Jaroslav Kapusniak on Friday. BRATISLAVA - The Opposition Ordinary People (OLaNO) party has never rejected a discussion with the extra-parliamentary Christian Democrats (KDH), but its priority in the presidential election is no further division of votes, said the party in response to information that KDH is again considering whether to put charity activist Marian Caucik in the presidential election, TASR learnt on Friday. KOSICKY KLECENOV - Approximately one hundred people commemorated the 74th anniversary of the liberation of Kosice as well as the end of the Battle for the Dargov Pass on Friday at the Dargov Victory Memorial. BANSKA BYSTRICA - Former judge Miroslav Radacovsky, known from a land-ownership case in High Tatras in which President Andrej Kiska was involved, will stand as a non-partisan candidate of the far-right LSNS party in the European elections due to be held in May, said LSNS leader Marian Kotleba on Friday. BRATISLAVA - I'll be honoured to compete for the Presidential Palace against Maros Sefcovic, whose long-term work has contributed towards Slovakia's good name, presidential candidate and Most-Hid leader Bela Bugar told TASR on Friday. BRATISLAVA - Presidential candidates Robert Mistrik, Zuzana Caputova and Frantisek Miklosko have warned of Maros Sefcovic's ties to the governing Smer-SD party, with Mistrik claiming that by accepting Smer-SD's offer to run, Sefcovic has become the face of a party that epitomises corruption and injustice, TASR learnt on the same day. BRATISLAVA - Academia should be apolitical, despite society's efforts towards the opposite, stated the Bratislava-based Comenius University (UK) on Friday, objecting to interpretations of its statement on Thursday (January 17) concerning the rigorous thesis of Parliamentary Chair Andrej Danko (Slovak National Party/SNS). PRESOV - Slovak Prime Minister Peter Pellegrini (Smer-SD) on Friday laid wreaths and paid tribute to victims of war at the Red Army Memorial and the Victims of the Bombing of Presov Memorial in Presov, marking the 74th anniversary of the liberation of the city in WWII. KISHINEV - The upcoming general election in Moldova is a reason why OSCE chair Miroslav Lajcak didn't delay his visit to the country, as the OSCE hopes that the race will be free and fair, TASR learnt on Friday. RUPHOLDING - Russian-born Slovak biathlete Anastasiya Kuzmina notched up her second victory this season in the 5th round of the World Cup in Rupholding, Germany on January 17. zel/mf