MORNING NEWS HIGHLIGHTS - Sunday, August 4, 2024 - 11 a.m.

TASR brings a quick morning overview of the most important events seen in Slovakia on the previous day (Saturday, August 3): STROPKOV - Interior Minster Matus Sutaj Estok's (Voice-SD) security detail pacified a man with a gun in his hands when the minister was at a fair in Stropkov in Presov region on Friday, but it turned out that the man held a dummy weapon in the end. The story was broken first by news outlets noviny.sk and pluska.sk, with the police and Interior Ministry spokesman Matej Neumann confirming the information to TASR. The police have started investigating the incident, treating it as the crime of making dangerous threats. BRATISLAVA - The coalition Slovak National Party (SNS) said on Saturday that it won't allow increases in the prices of highway toll stickers. "As long as highways in Slovakia aren't fully completed, there is no reason to raise the prices of toll stickers," said SNS spokeswoman Zuzana Skopcova. The spokeswoman noted that SNS previously proposed lowering the prices of toll stickers or scrapping them altogether. "We consider a price increase to be completely senseless," Skopcova stressed. According to her, SNS will present its position on the issue at the next government session. A possible increase in the prices of toll stickers as part of the consolidation of public finances was mentioned earlier this week by Transport Minister Jozef Raz (a Smer-SD nominee). The minister said that Slovakia is among EU-member countries with the cheapest highway toll stickers. BRATISLAVA - The Partnership Map has been available to potential applicants for EU funds as of this May, providing them with transparent information on calls and opportunities for drawing funds, the Investment, Regional Development and Informatisation Ministry announced earlier this week, adding that it the map is currently being expanded to include additional practical information. In addition to EU funds, this tool is helpful for using money from the recovery plan and, most recently, from the Environment Fund as well. "The Partnership Map in another step in a new era of communication with local governments. Many municipal leaders, especially from smaller villages, didn't have the capacity or money to monitor the calls, and although they wanted to use EU funds and other subsidies, they were unable to orientate themselves in their options," stated ministry state secretary Michal Kalinak. zel