Fajon attends Stockholm initiative's session in New York
NEW YORK, US - Foreign Minister Tanja Fajon took part in a session of the Stockholm initiative for nuclear disarmament, which Slovenia joined in early July, as she was in New York on Monday and Tuesday for the 10th Review Conference of the Parties to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT). By joining the initiative and a separate document on reducing nuclear risks, Slovenia is stepping up its activities and contribution to global efforts to preserve international peace and security, the ministry said.
Warnings about anti-Romaism heard at Roma genocide commemoration
MURSKA SOBOTA - An event was held in Murska Sobota to mark Roma Holocaust Memorial Day in memory of the Nazi genocide against the Roma and Sinti during WWII, highlighting the need to constantly draw attention to such events and raise one's voice against hate speech, anti-Romism and genocide. Historian Danijel Vojak said at the event dubbed Genocide against the Roma, Dangers of Spreading Fascism and Anti-Romaism that killing all the Roma in the Auschwitz-Birkenau concentration camp on 2 August 1944 was only the last genocide against the Roma after the pogroms against them had been taking place for centuries.
Report: Minister dismisses head of Ljubljana administrative unit
LJUBLJANA - Bojan Babič, the director of the Ljubljana administrative unit, has confirmed for Delo that he had been notified by Public Administration Minister Sanja Ajanović Hovnik that he would be dismissed at the end of August. The newspaper notes that the unit in the country has been a target of much criticism since the outbreak of the Covid-19 epidemic. The ministry is expected to appoint the acting head of the administrative unit at the beginning of September.
Charges brought against five border police officers
MARIBOR - The Maribor Prosecutor's Office has filed charges against five former border police officers who were arrested in February 2020 over suspicion that they had stamped the passports of third-country nationals to allow them to unlawfully prolong their stay in the Schengen zone beyond the permitted 90-day period, Večer newspaper reported. The former police officers appealed the multiple charges, so they are not yet final.
Layman lawyer Poljanec announced presidential candidacy
LJUBLJANA - Ludvik Poljanec, who has successfully represented Slovenian citizens before the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) as layman, is to run in the 23 October presidential election. Announcing the bid in which he will seek support of voter signatures, he said he had decided to run due to his knowledge of law and social order in Slovenia and Europe.
Jobless total down 23.1% y/y in July to 54,341
LJUBLJANA - The number of registered jobless people was up slightly in July over the month before, by 0.9% to 54,341, while this represents a drop of 23.1% compared to the same period last year. A total of 5,008 people registered anew at the Employment Service in July, which is 26.8% more than in June and 8% less than in July 2021, the Employment Service reported. It noted that a 57.3% increase in the number of registered persons whose fixed-term contracts expired was typical for July, and that demand for workers had declined.
Solkan hydro plant back in business
SOLKAN - After a week-long shutdown due to low water levels of the Soča river, the Solkan Hydropower Plant is again operational as of Tuesday afternoon, its operator Soške Elektrarne Nova Gorica (SENG) announced on their website. The plant is operating within the currently available flow of the river. It was shut down last Wednesday for the first time since 2003. SENG told the STA today that it was able to relaunch the Solkan power plant following rainfall in the Bovec area, upstream from the power plant.
Wood removal effort starts after massive fire in Kras
KOSTANJEVICA NA KRASU - A campaign has started in the part of the Kras region south of Nova Gorica to remove the wood biomass that has been left behind the devastating fire that raged in the area in the second half of July. Around 5,000 cubic metres of wood biomass that could serve as ignition and fuel for new fires needs to be removed by 20 August.
Covid cases continue to decline in Slovenia
LJUBLJANA - Covid cases continue to be on the downward slope in Slovenia as 1,770 new infections were confirmed on Tuesday, down by 10% week-on-week. Three Covid patients died, Health Ministry data shows. Hospitalisations are stable, and the 14-incidence rate per 100,000 of the population has remained the same, totalling 1,065, the National Institute of Public Health said.
ŠKUC association celebrating 50th birthday
LJUBLJANA - For half a century the ŠKUC association has been a trailblazer in Slovenia's culture and society at large. It has evolved from a student hub into one of the most prominent cultural NGOs in the country. ŠKUC has played a major role in Slovenia's LGBTQ movement and helped launch careers of many artists who have become household names, the association's coordinator, Jasmina Kožar, told the STA.
Celje Airport hosting vintage gliders rally
ŽALEC - The Levec Airport in Celje is hosting the 49th Vintage Glider Club International Rally from 1 to 12 August with over 81 pilots and 41 gliders from 15 countries. The largest such event in the world, the rally is organized by a different country each year - all members of the umbrella organization, the Vintage Glider Club, headquartered in England, Igor Eržen, president of the Slovenian Aviation Association told the STA. The oldest vintage glider in attendance was made in 1937. All of the gliders are privately owned.
