SUMMARY - Tuesday, 23 September 2025 - 5 p.m.

Bratislava, 23 September (TASR) – The coalition Slovak National Party (SNS) is calling on President Peter Pellegrini not to refuse to take government ministers on board the official government aircraft with him during his foreign trips following controversy surrounding Culture Minister Martina Simkovicova's (SNS nominee) recent trip to the United States, TASR learnt from a post by SNS on social media on Tuesday. https://etasr.sk/article/22484543 Bratislava, 23 September (TASR) – Slovakia is not an isolated country, Defence Minister Robert Kalinak (Smer-SD) has stated in response to the upcoming talks on accelerating the construction of a protective drone wall along the eastern border of the European Union to which Slovakia has not been invited. https://etasr.sk/article/22484489 Kosice, 23 September (TASR) - The Railway Hospital in Kosice has begun operating normally again following Tuesday's bomb threat, with the bomb-disposal experts giving the green light, TASR was told by Bianka Krejciova from Penta Hospitals SK. https://etasr.sk/article/22484463 Zilina, 23 September (TASR) - As a result of the government's third consolidation package and missing funds from the tax bonus, municipalities across Slovakia will see a total cumulative shortfall of €534 million in their budgets, said Slovak Towns and Villages Association (ZMOS) chairman Jozef Bozik during a meeting of the ZMOS Council held in Zilina on Tuesday. https://etasr.sk/article/22484360 Bratislava, 23 September (TASR) – The House committee for European affairs on Tuesday approved a resolution in response to Russia's act of aggression against Poland, following the violation of Polish airspace by Russian drones during Russia's attacks on Ukraine. https://etasr.sk/article/22484333 New York/Bratislava, 23 September (TASR) – Foreign and European Affairs Minister Juraj Blanar (Smer-SD) on Sunday and Monday (21 and 22 September) held bilateral meetings at the UN headquarters in New York with his counterparts from Ukraine, Guinea-Bissau and Georgia, and, alongside Slovak President Peter Pellegrini, he also met UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, the ministry's press department confirmed for TASR on Tuesday. https://etasr.sk/article/22484207 Bratislava, 23 September (TASR) – The number of public holidays during which shops will be required to close is going to be reduced to 5.5 days, while MPs' salaries and flat-rate allowances will be frozen and changes will also to be made to the VAT classification of certain food items, according to measures presented in Parliament by Finance Minister Ladislav Kamenicky (Smer-SD) at the start of the second reading of the government's latest round of fiscal consolidation on Tuesday. https://etasr.sk/article/22484128 New York, 23 September (TASR) - On Monday (22 September), a day ahead of the start of the general debate of the 80th session of the UN General Assembly, Slovak President Peter Pellegrini stressed the importance of the United Nations (UN), at the same time pointing to the need to modernise it and make it more efficient. https://etasr.sk/article/22484107 Bratislava, 23 September (TASR) – Director of the Slovak Information Service (SIS) Pavol Gaspar stated on social media on Tuesday that his diploma thesis was properly reviewed during its defence by a commission of experts. https://etasr.sk/article/22483984 Bratislava, 23 September (TASR) - Marta Simeckova, the mother of opposition Progressive Slovakia (PS) leader Michal Simecka, has announced on a social network that she and her colleague Andrea Pukova will defend themselves against attacks by filing a criminal complaint. https://etasr.sk/article/22483961 Bratislava, 23 September (TASR) – The opposition 'Slovakia' party considers the absence of Slovakia from upcoming talks on the protection of the eastern European border against drone threats to be a direct threat to the security of Slovak citizens, TASR learnt on Tuesday. https://etasr.sk/article/22483929 NOTICE: If you click on the link or copy it into the search window, the browser will display the full text of the message in the new e-TASR client zone. If you have any questions, please contact obchod@tasr.sk. jrg