A bark beetle disaster in Brezno, the launch of a non-fiction book about the 2022 terrorist attack in Bratislava, a thunderstorm that ended the Pohoda Festival in Trencin, a tribute to the legend of independent theatre production and a Roma Holocaust expert talking in Kosice. All this in the final round of the year 2024 in the English section of Radio Slovakia International, the public broadcaster's foreign service.

Ben and Patka discuss the past week in Slovakia and look ahead to interesting upcoming events.

Interviews with Mirta Lourenco, UNESCO chief of media development and media and information literacy, Noel Curran, Director General at EBU, Cilla Benkö, Swedish Radio Director General about the role of public media.

On the 1st of January 2025, we bring you a special New Year's edition of Slovakia Today, presenting highlights of the year 2024. Enjoy!

In this Monday show, Patka is going to talk to the general director and headmaster of the newly opened high school Skyro, that is the first one in Europe focused on AI technologies. You are also going to hear an opinion of experts from Národný inštitút vzdelávania a mládeže about incorporating the AI into the education as we know it.

Ben and Patka talk Silvester traditions and look around the country at the different New Year's eve celebrations.

On the second day of Christmas, Christians commemorate the first martyr, St Stephen, who was stoned to death for his faith. Another important Stephen known in this region of Europe was King Stephen of Hungary, who was also very devoted to God. That is why today on Radio Slovakia International we are going to dedicate a special programme to Stephens or Stefans and to Hungary, or rather to the symbol of the Hungarian presidency of the EU in 2024. Tune in for the Slovak name-day episode and the revival of the Rubik's Cube. Lots of music too.

Christmas in Slovakia has evolved significantly in recent years. Climate change has made a white Christmas less predictable, and the consumption habits of the modern Western world have lessened the appeal of handmade, locally produced goods. However, there are individuals and communities across the country who are preserving traditions and shifting their priorities, making Christmas in Slovakia a little greener today.

RSI visited Moravské Lieskové, Trenčianska Teplá, and Machnáč to explore the traditions that make Christmas in Slovakia special. From trees and fish to handmade goods, we delved into the heart of festive preparations. To enhance the holiday spirit, we also curated a selection of Christmas music for a joyful celebration.

Ben Pascoe looks into modern Slovak Christmas traditions and how western culutre is influencing Slovak Christmas. He sits down with pop culutre theorist Juraj Malicek for a different point of view of local traditions.

Ježiško 999 99. This is an address that has been known to both kids and adults in Slovakia for decades, more specifically, for 26 years. Slovak Post annually receives thousands of letters from all around Slovakia and even the world from children, who are reaching Ježiško with their biggest Christmas wishes.