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This summary is provided by the STA:
Croatian regulators approve Petrol's takeover of Crodux, Iskra's takeover of Elka
ZAGREB, Croatia - The Croatian Competition Agency (CCA) has given Slovenia's energy company Petrol a green light on the takeover of Croatian petroleum products seller Crodux as well as authorised the Iskra electronics group to acquire Croatian electric cable manufacturer Elka. Petrol signed the acquisition deal with Crodux in January and will thus become the second biggest player in the Croatian market after the Croatian oil company Ina. At the same time, the CCA has decided to approve Iskra's takeover of Elka. The companies signed the deal in May but did not disclose its value.
Pahor makes case for rapid EU enlargement to Western Balkans
OHRID - President Borut Pahor made a case for the EU's rapid enlargement to Western Balkans as he addressed the Prespa Forum Dialogue, arguing that this was in the interest of the EU and would strengthen the bloc as well as the region. The president said continued enlargement was instrumental to the stability and prosperity of Western Balkans. He described enlargement as a "first-rate geopolitical issue" and said the region needed to be treated as a whole.
Hojs causes confusion among EU reporters with swine statement
BRDO PRI KRANJU - Interior Minister Aleš Hojs raised an issue at a briefing for Brussels correspondents, as they interpreted one of his replies as taking aim at European Commission First Vice President Frans Timmermans with a pearls-swine metaphor. The journalists confronted Hojs about the "do not cast pearls before swine" comment he made on Twitter about the Yellow Jackets, a far-right group linked to neo-Nazis which was removed from last Friday's anti-government protests in Ljubljana. Hojs responded by saying he did not refer to anyone as "swine" but later added that, taking into account what was said on Thursday, his comment might as well apply to a key player in the EU administration.
Sassoli says Slovenian presidency should defend EU values, rule of law
BRUSSELS - European Parliament President David Sassoli said Slovenia's EU presidency had a great responsibility to defend EU values and the rule of law. "Slovenian citizens are well aware of the value of Europe and of freedom. Appointing Slovenia's EPPO Prosecutors is a way to guarantee transparency and protect legal rights. We expect a fast response," he said on Twitter. Slovenia's EU presidency officially kicked off yesterday with a visit by EU commissioners. Rule of law, one of the presidency's priorities was among the principal topics on the agenda of the talks with the Slovenian government.
Corruption watchdog finds no conflict of interest in Vizjak-Mokrice case
LJUBLJANA - The Commission for Corruption Prevention (KPK) has found no conflict of interest in the case of Environment Minister Andrej Vizjak in connection to the construction of the Mokrice hydro plant on the Sava river. The matter was investigated after the KPK received several reports of suspected conflict of interest, including from an NGO. The KPK said it had received several reports last year in relation to Vizjak's previous job at the power producer HESS, which is to operate the Mokrice plant, just before he became minister and that he had been personally in charge of the Mokrice project.
25 coronavirus cases confirmed on Thursday
LJUBLJANA - Slovenia reported 25 new coronavirus infections for Thursday in 1,656 PCR tests for a positivity rate of 1.5%, roughly on par with Wednesday's figure. Both the 7-day average of new cases and the 14-day incidence per 100,000 population dropped from 25 to 22, show fresh official data. Hospitalisations decreased from 66 to 64 and the number of ICU cases remained at 16. There have been no Covid-related deaths for a week now. The National Institute of Public Health (NIJZ) estimates that there are 507 active cases currently in the country, down from 569 on the day before.
Jana Kolar to chair the ESFRI Forum
LJUBLJANA - The European Strategy Forum on Research Infrastructures (ESFRI) will be chaired for the next two years by Jana Kolar, the Slovenian representative to ESFRI and a member of its executive board. Kolar will take up her two-year term in 2022 as the first Slovenian and the first woman in this post, the Ministry of Education, Science and Sport said. Kolar's priority will be to improve the forum's functioning and make it more visible. "I would like to leave the ESFRI better integrated into a renewed European Research Area, better functioning and more visible," she said for the ESFRI website.
STA director proposes agreement to temporarily restore partial financing
LJUBLJANA - The director of the Slovenian Press Agency (STA), Bojan Veselinovič, proposed to the government an agreement that would temporarily sort out the relations between the STA and the Government Communication Office (UKOM) since the agency has been without public funding of its service for over 180 days. The STA proposes to the government to pay 80% of the money the agency was supposed to receive so far and then start transferring 80% of the funds the agency is entitled to every month until a contract on the financing is signed, the STA management said in a press release on Thursday.
Newspaper Dnevnik celebrates 70 year
LJUBLJANA - Ljubljanski Dnevnik, the forerunner of today's Dnevnik, was published for the first time on 2 July 1951. "Dnevnik has been and remains a community of people who engage because they care," wrote the newspaper's editor-in-chief, Miran Lesjak, in today's editorial marking the anniversary. "Since the media are exposed to social forces, decades are long periods in our lives; many media can emerge and disappear in a mere decade, but Dnevnik has been proving for 70 years that it is not some short-lived device that only works until its warranty expires," Lesjak wrote.
Higher Court overturns decision in sawn-off hand case
LJUBLJANA - The Ljubljana Higher Court issued a ruling in the sawn-off hand case, overturning the first-instance sentences of Sebastien Abramov and Julija Adlešič, Delo and Slovenske novice have reported. According to the Higher Court, the situation regarding the cause of Adlešič's injury was not sufficiently clarified. According to Delo, the Higher Court believes that the Ljubljana District Court violated the rights of the defence by refusing the motion for a biomechanical expert and a sawing test on a human cadaver, which affected the correctness and legality of the ruling.
Slovenia's Mohorič wins 7th stage of Tour de France
CHALON SUR SAONE, France - Slovenia's Matej Mohorič (Bahrain Victorious) won stage 7 of the Tour de France from La Vierzon to Le Creusot and took the polka dot jersey for the best climber. Defending champion Tadej Pogačar (UAE Team Emirates) lost some ground. Mohorič won the longest stage of this year's tour, at 259 kilometres, in a getaway group of 29 riders and now places fourth in the overall rankings, 3:09 minutes behind the Dutch race leader Mathieu van der Poel (Alpecin Fenix). He earned his third stage win in the Grand Tour races (he also has wins in Giro d'Italia and the Vuelta a Espana).
World music festival bringing eight concerts to Ljubljana and Maribor
LJUBLJANA/MARIBOR - The world music festival Druga Godba starts in the evening with a concert by Tigran Hamasyan Trio, featuring Armenian pianist Tigran Hamasyan, known as one of the most remarkable and distinctive jazz-meets-rock pianists of his generation, according to the organisers. Until 10 July, the festival will bring eight concerts, mostly played outdoors.
24th Storytelling Festival kicks off in Ljubljana
LJUBLJANA - The Črn, Črn Smeh (Dark, Dark Laughter) concert, featuring folktale-inspired poems accompanied by music, will open the 24th Storytelling Festival at the Švicarija venue in Tivoli Park tonight. After last year's events were cancelled, this year's edition will have two parts, with the second taking place in October at Cankarjev Dom.
