MORNING NEWS HIGHLIGHTS - Saturday, September 14, 2024 - 9 a.m.

TASR brings a quick morning overview of the most important events seen in Slovakia on the previous day (Friday, September 13): BRATISLAVA - Biometric surveillance by cameras in schools would pose a security risk and wouldn't even address the problem with bomb reports, warned the opposition Christian Democrats (KDH) on Friday. KDH responded this way to a proposal, tabled by Interior Minister Matus Sutaj Estok (Voice-SD), to install in schools a camera system with artificial intelligence (AI). "It's necessary to realize that the Act on AI forbids time-unlimited biometric surveillance. This is allowed only within strictly set boundaries and with a prior permission from a court or an administrative body," underlined MEP Miriam Lexmann (KDH). The law is designed to protect citizens from surveillance and potential misuse of their private data. MP and former education minister Jan Horecky (KDH) added that installing cameras in schools would be an extremely expensive measure. "If we wish to use these finances efficiently, it's necessary to consider an investment in the building of security cyber systems instead, the way they do it in other countries as well," he said. According to the proposal, camera systems with AI should be installed in about 3,000 schools, with AI set to assess high-risk behaviour patterns that would subsequently be reported to authorities. The aim is to prevent security threats. BRATISLAVA - The district of Malacky (Bratislava region) and the town of Myjava (Trencin region) declared a state of emergency on Friday over heavy rains and concomitant risk of floods, whereas the town of Skalica (Trnava region) put its crisis team on alert. Earlier in the day, the capital city of Bratislava declared an emergency state as well. Firefighters have been busy in the Bratislava region on Friday, being out on calls in 52 cases, mostly summoned to clear fallen trees from roads, parked vehicles and power lines. They've been draining water from flooded streets in the Malacky district, where work on building anti-flood barriers is already afoot. In Bratislava, fallen trees have hindered traffic in the direction to the Devin area, with the police helping to clear broken tree branches off cars across the city. A toppled tree also blocked the road 502 between Bratislava and Svaty Jur. BRATISLAVA - After his consultations with Interior Minister Matus Sutaj Estok (Voice-SD) and representative of security bodies on Friday, head of the Slovak Intelligence Service (SIS) Pavol Gaspar decided to put the National Security Analytical Centre to a state of partial alert, TASR learnt from SIS spokesperson Katarina Nemova on the same day. "In the face of several recorded activities, including the continuing attacks in the form of threatening e-mails against schools, airports, the church but also other institutions, an active cooperation between ministries but also a cooperation with foreign partners is absolutely imperative to protect interests of the Slovak Republic and the security of its people," stated Gaspar. According to the SIS spokesperson, the purpose of these attacks could be the spreading of fear among the public and the effort to erode their trust in public institutions, as well as to make security forces busy and test their response. BRATISLAVA - Due to the worsening hydrometeorological situation concerning the Morava River and the weather forecast for the next few days, water managers and firefighters have been tasked with identifying unpopulated areas where the river could be released in a regulated manner, Environment Minister Tomas Taraba (a Slovak National Party/SNS nominee) reported following a session of the central anti-flood committee on Friday. The minister explained that the decision will depend on the development of the situation in the Czech Republic. "We don't know how much water will flow down to Slovakia, in any case, if there is a threat of an uncontrolled breaking of dams and river overflow, we will adjust the bed of the Morava River in a controlled manner," said Taraba, adding that the highest level of flood activity is expected on Saturday. Head of the Slovak Water Management Company Jozef Moravcik claimed that the location of the targeted water release hasn't been determined yet. Meanwhile, representatives of the the Firefighter and Rescue Corps and armed forces confirmed that they are preparing for the escalation of the situation, with 320 soldiers on standby for deployment within one hour and more than 800 within three hours. The committee is set to meet again on Saturday morning. BRATISLAVA - Headline inflation in August rose to 2.8 percent from 2.6 percent in July, nearing the highest level observed so far this year, the Statistics Office has reported. In yearly terms, consumer prices increased in all 12 sectors monitored, ranging from 0.5 percent in transport to 10 percent in education. Month-on-month, prices for goods and services increased by 0.2 percent. Higher prices of food and non-alcoholic beverages, which increased by 3.2 percent year-on-year, had the most significant impact on inflation. Meanwhile, prices in the housing and energy sector grew by 0.6 percent y-o-y in August. Consumer prices increased by 2.7 percent on average in the first eight months of 2024. mf