Russia's Putin holds talks with Slovakian PM Fico, in a rare visit to Moscow by an EU leader

Russian President Vladimir Putin on Sunday hosted Slovakia’s prime minister, Robert Fico, in a rare visit to the Kremlin by an EU leader since Moscow's all-out invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. Fico arrived in Russia on a “working visit” and met with Putin one-on-one on...

Slovakia's parliament passes legislation that could ban doctors from protesting low pay

BRATISLAVA, Slovakia (AP) — Slovakia’s parliament on Wednesday approved legislation drafted by the government of populist Prime Minister Robert Fico that could effectively ban doctors from protesting against low pay and force them to continue working. Lawmakers in the 150-seat...

Swiss skier Camille Rast gets first World Cup win in slalom as Mikaela Shiffrin sits out after crash

KILLINGTON, Vt. (AP) — Swiss skier Camille Rast earned her first career World Cup victory on Sunday in a slalom race that was wide open with Mikaela Shiffrin sitting out after a hard crash the day before in the giant slalom. In third place after the first run, Rast powered down the...

Jasmine Paolini and Italy beat Slovakia to win the Billie Jean King Cup

MALAGA, Spain (AP) — Two-time Grand Slam finalist Jasmine Paolini capped a breakthrough season by leading Italy to its first Billie Jean King Cup title since 2013 on Wednesday, defeating Rebecca Sramkova 6-2, 6-1 to seal a 2-0 victory over Slovakia in the final of the women’s team competition....

Jasmine Paolini clinches Italy's first Billie Jean King Cup title since 2013 with a victory over Slovakia in the final

Slovak opposition rallies against the government of populist Prime Minister Robert Fico

BRATISLAVA, Slovakia (AP) — Thousands of protesters gathered in Slovakia’s capital on Sunday, the 35th anniversary of the Velvet Revolution that brought an end to decades of communist rule in Czechoslovakia, to oppose the policies of populist Prime Minister Robert Fico. The...

Former Slovak President Andrej Kiska loses pension after fraud conviction

BRATISLAVA, Slovakia (AP) — Slovakia’s presidential office said Thursday it has stopped sending pension payments to former President Andrej Kiska because of his tax fraud conviction, and Kiska said he would challenge the move. The presidential office said the halt in payments...

Slovak populist premier is in a spat with the UK ambassador to Bratislava over the war in Ukraine

BRATISLAVA, Slovakia (AP) — Slovakia’s populist Prime Minister Robert Fico reacted angrily on Friday after the U.K. ambassador to Bratislava criticized his interview with Russia’s Rossiya 1 state-owned television, saying, “Slovakia is not Britain’s colony.” “I don’t...

Court in Slovakia upholds tax fraud verdict against former President Kiska

BRATISLAVA, Slovakia (AP) — An appeals court in Slovakia on Thursday upheld a lower court ruling that found former President Andrej Kiska guilty of tax fraud and gave him a suspended sentence. At the same time, the regional court in the eastern city of Presov lowered the original...

400 years later, accounts of Hungarian 'Blood Countess' remain shrouded in mystery and controversy

ČACHTICE, Slovakia (AP) — More than 400 years after her death, the truth about “the Blood Countess,” a Hungarian noblewoman alleged to have been the most prolific female serial killer of all time, remains elusive. From her castle atop a rugged peak in what is today Čachtice...