MORNING NEWS HIGHLIGHTS - Monday, 31 August 2026 - 9 a.m.

TASR brings a quick morning overview of the most important events seen in Slovakia on the previous day (Sunday, 30 August): BRATISLAVA - A total of 13,500 visitors came to see the Presidential Palace's Open Day held in Bratislava on Sunday, making it the highest turnout ever recorded for this event, TASR has learnt from the President's Office's communications department. This year's Open Day took place concurrently with an Open Day at Parliament. In the brown salon of the Presidential Palace, the visitors could view the original 1992 Constitution of the Slovak Republic and the state seal. The green salon was arranged to give them a view of the room as it would appear during plenary talks between delegations. Also in the green salon, all types and classes of state decorations awarded by the president were displayed as well. In the Grand Hall of the Presidential Palace, visitors could take photos behind the president's rostrum. The gold salon was arranged in the style of an official dinner for foreign visitors. Gifts received by the president during foreign trips and visits to Slovak regions were also on display. Visitors of all ages could enjoy an accompanying programme, with the Slovak Olympic and Sports Committee offering various activities on Hodzovo Square. Olympians Vanesa Hockova, Bruno Mick, Christian Bosman, Miroslava Hockova and Danka Hrbekova were also available for an autograph session. In the front courtyard of the Presidential Palace, President Peter Pellegrini inspected the Guard of Honour and also met with visitors both on the palace grounds and inside the building. In Parliament, visitors had an opportunity to explore the main hall, also known as the Hurban Hall, view well-known paintings by Albin Brunovsky and visit the parliamentary chamber. In addition, they were able to meet several MPs in person. At the Bratislava Castle, visitors could also view the ceremonial rooms where House chair receives foreign visitors of the highest level. TRNAVA - A 55-year-old man has been charged with the murder of his 54-year-old wife, who was killed on Friday (28 August) in a village near Trencin, regional police spokesperson Ingrid Krajcikova told TASR on Sunday. She added that the police dealt with the case intensively, carrying out all procedural steps to shed light on the incident. "Through the investigation conducted so far, the police established that on Friday evening, while under the influence of alcohol at their residence, the accused man approached his wife and inflicted a single stab wound to her upper body using a sharp object in a manner not yet precisely determined, resulting in her death," stated Krajcikova. She went on to say that an investigator from the Criminal Police Department of the Police Corps Regional Directorate in Trencin pressed charges against the man for the particularly serious crime of murder. The case file has already been handed over to the prosecutor for further action. If found guilty, the accused man may face a prison sentence of 20 to 25 years, added Krajcikova. BRATISLAVA - Slovakia's economy should grow by 0.8 percent this year, according to the average of the latest August forecasts by analysts at selected banks, published by Slovakia's central bank (NBS) on a monthly basis. Analysts revised their estimate slightly downwards, after forecasting economic growth of 0.9 percent in July. They left the inflation estimate measured by the Harmonised Index of Consumer Prices (HICP) unchanged from the previous month when they forecast average inflation for this year at 3.7 percent. They expect core inflation to amount to 2.1 percent, which is a slight improvement from the 2.2 percent that they predicted in July. Analysts forecast that the unemployment rate will stand at 6 percent at the end of this year, just like they did last month. They expect nominal salaries to go up by 5.1 percent this year, compared to the 5.2 percent they predicted in July. Meanwhile, employment in Slovakia should decline by 0.4 percent when compared to last year, while they saw a drop at 0.3 percent in July. The predictions published by NBS represent the average of estimates of individual indicators provided by analysts from six selected banks operating in Slovakia: Slovenska sporitelna, Vseobecna uverova banka, Tatra banka, UniCredit Bank, Ceskoslovenska obchodna banka and 365.bank. The data are updated once a month. BRATISLAVA - The Foreign and European Affairs Ministry has so far received no reports of Slovak nationals being on board a ferry that capsized off the northern coast of Cyprus, while rescue operations are still ongoing, TASR learnt from the ministry's communications department on Sunday. "The ministry is also closely monitoring the situation through the Slovak Embassy in Ankara and is prepared to provide consular assistance, if necessary," added the communications department. The catamaran-type vessel carrying 267 people and 8 crew was heading from the Cypriot port of Kyrenia to the Turkish port of Tasucu. Many passengers wearing life jackets apparently managed to save themselves on the ship's hull. The tragedy has so far claimed six lives. The ministry advised Slovaks who find themselves in distress to contact the ministry's International Operational Crisis Centre, which is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week, in all time zones and can be reached by phone at +421 2 5978 5978 or by email at mokc-mzv@mzv.sk. BRATISLAVA - Slovak Foreign Affairs Minister Juraj Blanar (Smer-SD) will meet his Japanese counterpart Toshimitsu Motegi on Monday (31 August) during the first visit by a Japanese foreign minister to Slovakia in 19 years, the ministry's communications department told TASR on Sunday. According to the ministry, the bilateral talks will revolve around the further development of traditionally friendly ties between both countries, the strengthening of political and economic cooperation, as well as the possibilities of elevating mutual relations to the level of a strategic partnership. "Japan is one of our key partners in Asia, and we're interested in further developing political dialogue and bilateral trade. Last year, it reached almost one billion euros, confirming the strong economic ties between our countries. Our aim is to further deepen our partnership, particularly in areas with higher added value," stated Blanar. mf