Check the date at the top of the page, and you can find all the "morning headlines" stories here. You can also follow us on Facebook and get all the news in your feed.

A schedule of all the main events involving Slovenia this week can be found here

This summary is provided by the STA:

30th anniversary of independence milestone marked

MARIBOR - A ceremony marking the 30th anniversary of one of the major events in Slovenia's independence efforts was held in Maribor as Slovenia remembered Operation North, a police campaign which prevented a disputed rally that Serbian nationalists wanted to stage in Ljubljana. The ceremony was hosted by the Sever union of police veteran associations, which also observes its day on 1 December to mark the police campaign in 1989 preventing the attempted nationalist rally.

Police officer injured in Izola hospital shooting suing state for compensation

LJUBLJANA/KOPER - The police officer who was injured in the 2016 shooting at the Izola general hospital is suing the state for damages, according to media reports. Three years after the attack, he is still on a sick leave, while the damages he received from insurers did not cover his costs. A 70-year-old man who seriously injured the police officer in August 20016 had shot and killed another police officer and a doctor in the Izola hospital shooting. The police officer was injured as he attempted to prevent the shooter from fleeing the crime scene. The shooter was killed in the process.

Another Hypo bank corruption trial starts

LJUBLJANA, 30 November - A pretrial hearing was held at the Ljubljana District Court on Friday in an abuse of office case featuring former bankers Andrej Oblak and Božidar Špan, and former Vegrad executives Hilda Tovšak and Matej Košič as defendants. The two bankers pleaded not guilty, while Tovšak will enter her plea later due to poor health, Večer reported. The prosecution claims that Oblak as director of companies from the Hypo Alpe Adria group abused his office between 2003 and 2006 in cooperation with Špan through a series of ownership share deals.

Lanišek third in ski jumping World Cup event in Ruka

RUKA, Finland - Slovenian ski jumper Anže Lanišek finished third in a World Cup event in Ruka, Finland, after a series of disqualifications. The third place was initially to go to Peter Prevc but he was disqualified over his outfit along with several other ski jumpers. This is the second podium finish for Lanišek after he won second place in Wisla last Sunday.

Visiting Ljubljana? Check out what's on this week, while all our stories on Slovenia, from newest to oldest, are here

If you're learning Slovenian then you can find all our dual texts here

If you're not in town for the week of this guide (2 - 8 December, 2019) then you can see all the editions here, and if there's event or activity you want to promote in a future edition of What's on in Ljubljana please get in touch with me at flanner(at)total-slovenia-news.com or try and find me on Facebook, although bear in mind I'm moving house over the coming week and will be stressed, busy and possibly slow to respond. If you want something a little different and easy to print, then a comprehensive PDF of events for the next seven days, as prepared by Ljubljana Tourism, is here. If you're in town and want to follow the news then check out our regular morning headlines for Slovenia here.

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The biggest attraction is now the city itself – the lights set up, the stalls set out, and the streets full of locals and visitors, from outside Ljubljana and around the world. Move around, follow the lights, seek out some food and some music, and you’ll have enough fun without any plans.

Things you’ll see around town include the Land of Ice exhibition of ice sculptures in Congress Square / Zvezda Park, in a corner with a very good view of the Castle. That requires a ticket, but something free is the same area is the Magical Forest, 16:30 to 19:00, which will host creative workshops of making environmentally friendly Christmas decorations. The Ice Queen will also be appearing until 22 December and offering “ice artists who will impress with juggling, sorcery and acrobatic points that will convince even the most discerning viewers”. This will move around as the evening progresses, following this route from 17:00 to 19:00: Krekov trg Square, Petkovškovo Embankment, Prešernov trg Square, park Zvezda, Gallus Embankment, and Mestni trg Square. There will also be organ grinders wearing vintage clothing and performing without monkeys.

The Castle also has a festive fair, and it’s a great place to get a bird’s eye view of the city at night.

Thursday the seasonal fun finds a focus with the St. Nicholas Procession, when from 17:00 to 18:30. Here St. Nicholas will be accompanied by devils and an assembly of angels, who will be distributing biscuits, fruits and sweets to children.

6, 7 and 8 December Ljubljana's most intimate venue, the Pocket Teater (sic), right in the centre of town and near all the lights, is presenting it's new vaudeville show “Matilda, Let’s Do It!" Lean more about that here.

Something that isn’t quite so seasonal, although it is annual, is Animateka, with the 16^th edition of this animated film festival running all week, from Monday to Sunday. You can learn a lot more here, and a PDF of the programme is here.

Saturday Božidar is hosting Kraftwear, a fair of creative textiles, with the Facebook here. The same day, 7 December, in the evening, the Gospodarsko razstavišče, Dunajska cesta 18, is having a Balkan Festival headlined by Ceca & Aca Lukas, and Darko Lazić, with the first pair shown in one of their more popular videos below.

Sunday night Vlado Kreslin begins his traditional run of Christmas concerts at Cankarjev dom, continuing on Monday and Tuesday. See above is the trailer for a recent documentary on the man that's worth seeking out if you want to learn more about the varied and curious musical history of this national institution.

New or recent movies this week include the following, with the usual warning that kids' films are usually shown dubbed:

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In town and looking for a gift or souvenir? Take a look at Cook Eat Slovenia - the book.

How much do tourists spend in Slovenia? Find out here

You may have heard about Free Tour Ljubljana, the tour company that’s #1 on TripAdvisor for the city and gives away its main product. What’s the deal with that? Find out here.

While the Old Town is quaint, and full of music, where does Ljubljana really shop? One popular answer is BTC City, a vast complex of malls, entertainment facilities and more, including more than 70 different food vendors, offering everything from Slovenian to Thai, Indian to Italian, Mexican to Chinese. Check out my recent visit here.

Looking for something different to eat? Trubajeva cesta, running right by Dragon Bridge, has the greatest concentration of "ethnic food" places in Ljubljana, and thus perhaps the country. Check out our walk through guide as of June 2019.

In warmer days than you'll see this week. Photo: JL Flanner

Ljubljana is forecast to be the fastest-warming city in the world over the next few decades.

You're in the town of Slavoj Žižek, but do you find yourself lost when conversation turns to the philosopher? If so, check out our collection of quotes and clips to learn more.

Screenshot from YouTube

Contents

• Cinemas and films
• Clubbing
• Live music
• Theatre and dance
• Harm reduction and drug testing
• Things to do with children
• LGBT+ Ljubljana
• Ljubljana Castle
• Museums and galleries
• Other things to do in Ljubljana
• Daytrips
• Getting around
• Emergencies

Cinemas and films

You can read about all the cinemas in town here, while a selection of what’s playing this week is below, and note that kids' movies tend to be shown in dubbed versions, while non-English language movies for older viewers will have Slovenian subtitles.Parents should also pay attention to Kinobalon, which is Kinodvor's regular weekend series of film screenings and events for children, from babies on up, with special parent/child events, "first time in a cinema" screenings, and babysitting. Learn more about it here, and see the current schedule here.

Note - most children's films will be dubbed (sinhronizirano) - for subtitles look for 'podnapisi'.

Kinodvor –This is an arts cinema, not far from the train station, that shows new features as well as hosting the occassional festival.

Kinoteka – And not far from Kinodvor you can find this revival cinema, which shows art house classics along with some deep dives in the archives.

Kino Bežigrad - A relatively small theatre, but one which usually has the biggest of the new releases.

Kolosej -The multiplex out at BTC City Mall shows all the big movies, with well over a dozen titles on the schedule, although note that there are far more movies than screens, so some of the older ones mayonly be playing once or twice a week.

Komuna – The cinema in a basement behind Nama department store shows two or three different features a week, usually including the biggest titles.

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Looking for a souvenir you'll really enjoy? Take a look at Broken Bones Gin, the first gin made in Ljubljana (learn more here, and try it at the Central Market or selected downtown bars).

Photo: Genius loci d.o.o.

Know that big triangular building behind the train station? Learn what's inside here.

Clubbing

Compared to some European capitals it can seem that nightlife in Ljubljana ends rather early, especially along the river, but there are still bars that stay open late and clubs were you can dance until dawn, and perhaps the best place to stumble across something interesting is the legendary Metelkova. Be aware it's a grungy kind of place and not for all tastes, but also that there's considerable variety to found within the various clubs there, from death metal to electropop, gay cabaret to art noise. You can read "the rules" of the place here. And if you're curious about how the place started then read our story, and look at some pictures, about last year's 25th anniversary.

Božidar - DJ events aren't too common here, but when they happen they often have a big name.

Channel Zero – DJs shows here include regular dub nights as well as electronic music.

Gala Hala – Another Metelkova venue, you can sometimes hear bhangra and Bollywood here, but more often funk, hip hop, breakbeat and so on.

Klub Cirkus – The more commercial end of clubland, and a venue that aims to serve the student party scene. Expect house, anthems, and bangers.

Klub K4 – The home of techno, old and new, along with various other electronic genres,

Koncertna Dvorana Rog– There are irregular DJ sets at this underground (not literally) venue at the far end of Trubarjeva cesta, and they range from techno to goa to drum'n'bass.

Orto Bar– 80s and 90s throwback nights can often be found here, along with rock-based DJ sets.

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Live music

Balassi Institute – Free Hungarian music, when available, from the Hungarian cultural institute just a short walk downriver from Dragon Bridge.

Cankerjev dom – The main arts venue in the country hosts classical, opera jazz, folk and occassinally pop.

Cvetličarna – Regional pop and rock concerts can be found here.

Channel Zero – This Metelkova venue sees live shows from punk and rock bands, as well as others.

Gala Hala – Another Metelkova venue with indie bands of various styles.

Kino Šiška – One of the top live venues in the city, with a varied programme that include indie, rock, pop, experimental, hip hop, and so on.

Klub Gromka – Live music is often metal, from sludge to stoner, death to thrash, while punk bands also appear, as do others.

Križanke – The venue that hosts the Ljubljana Festival often has classical music, and some rock, in the open air.

Orto Bar– The home of live rock, metal, punk and other guitar-based genres.

Pinelina dnevna soba – LIve music is rare here, but it does happen.

Slovenska filharmonija– Classical music in the centre of town.

SNG Opera and Ballet - As the name suggests, here you'll find the best of opera and ballet in the country.

Španski borci - While dance is more common here, they also have some contemporary and experimental music shows.

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Slovenska cesta, 1959. Wikimedia. See more pictures of Old Ljubljana here

Theatre and dance

Cankerjev dom- The main arts venue in the country always has something of interest going on.

Gledališče IGLU - IGLU Theatre – Saturday night this group is usually putting on an English improv show somewhere in town, but it’s generally promoted after this is written, so check the Facebook before putting on your shoes.

Kino Šiška – One of the top live venues in the city also hosts some dance performance, often of the more experimental variety.

Mini Teater Ljubljana –The English schedule of varied performances, for adults and children, for the month is here.

Ljubljana Puppet Theatre - Puppetry has a long and noble tradition in Slovenia, and you can see performances for children and adults (including non-puppet shows) drawing from the Theatre's rich repetoire as well as new productons.

SNG Opera and Ballet - As the name suggests, here you'll find the best of opera and ballet in the country.

Španski borci - The home ofcontemporary dance(and the EnKnapGroup) in Slovenia.

Pocket Teater Studio– There are regular flamenco evenings at perhaps the smallest venue town, but note that the number of seats is very limited, and thus you should make a reservation via This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or 070 325 522.

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Harm reduction and drug testing

Drogart is an organization that aims to minimise harm on the party scene, and offers drug-testing services and reports on their webpage. It’s in Slovene, but you can Google translate it or work things out yourself, and our story on the group is here.You can find the latest warnings on fake drugs and high strength pills and powders (in Slovene) here. However, be aware that all the usual drugs are illegal in Slovenia.CBD is legal, though, and our retailer of choice can be found on Trubarjeva cesta - read more about Sena Flora here.

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Photo: Igor Andjelič. See more of his work here

Things to do with children

You can find our Top 12 list of things to do with kids in Ljubljana here. If want to read more about the philosophy behind the wonderful House of Experiments look here, while our trip to the Museum of Illusions is documented here, and there’s always riverside walks, pizza and ice cream. With regard to the latter, take a look at our guide to six places that serve good ice cream in winter, and thus are serious about the dessert.

Mini Teater Ljubljana – The season sees a lot of puppet performances for children, in Slovene, at this theatre not far from Križanke. The English schedule for the month is here.

Ljubljana Puppet Theatre - The puppet theatre near the Central Market and next to the Castle funicular has a full programme or shows, for children and adults, with the schedule here.

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LGBT+ Ljubljana

If you're looking for more general links on "gay Slovenia", including a history of the scene and various projects, then you can find that here, while our stories about the community can be found here.

Klub Monokel – This lesbian bar in Metelkova is open every Friday, although sometimes there are other events

Klub Tiffany –And the gay bar next door is also open on Fridays. Other things coulds also be planned, so click on the name to find out.

Pritličje – This seems to be the only "always open" LGBT-friendly cafe / bar / events space in town, and perhaps the country, so it's a good thing it's such a good one, open from morning to night, and with fliers and posters letting you know what's happening outside the narrow confines of, say, a general interest online what's on... guide.

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Screenshot from Google Maps, showing the location of the Castle vineyard

Ljubljana Castle

The city’s main attraction is said to be the top tourist draw in the country overall, and to my mind it earns a spot near the top just for the history and views. But beyond that the current owners, the City of Ljubljana, have laid out a varied, interesting and enjoyable programme of events, one that rewards regular revisits. On until 17 November Mighty Guardians of the Past: Castles in the Slovenian Lands, a presentation that delivers on the promise of its title.

I try and get up there every Saturday morning to clear my head and move my feet on the trails, and never tire of that end of the hill. At the other end, where the Castle sits, there’s a lot more than fresh air on offer. There are guided tours, restaurants, a café, Castle museum, puppet museum, a Watchtower you can climb to the highest point in the city, art shows, dances, live music, movies under the stars, festival days and more – enough to reward multiple trips up the hill through the year. All of these activities and events can be found on the Castle website, while on TSN you can see “25 things to know about Ljubljana Castle” here, and “Ten Ways to Enjoy Ljubljana Castle” here.

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Museums and galleries

Most public galleries and museums are closed on Mondays, although not the National Museum.

Bežigrajska galerija 2 – Take a trip to Vodovodna cesta 3 and until 8 February 2020 you can see Lojze Spacal (1907–2000): From the Littoral and the Karst Region.

 Cankerjev dom – On until 3 March 2020 there's an exhibition on Ancient Greek Science and Technology. Details here.

Plečnik's desk. Photo: JL Flanner

Plečnik’s House is worth a visit if you want to learn more about the architect who gave Ljubljana much of its character, and it's also in a really nice part of town, Trnovo, just a short walk or cycle upriver. Read about our guided tour here. On until January 2020 you can see plans and models for some of the things Plečnik planned but never built in Ljubljana. Take a look at some pictures here.

Image: Nejc Bernik. ZRC-SAZU

Balassi Institute – The Hungarian culture centre is next to a Spar and Hofer, and not far from Dragon Bridge, and always has something interesting going on. Learn more here. This month there's also an exhibition with more works like the one shown below for a show described as follows: “The concept of the exhibition “Awkwardly Close” in Balassi Institute is exactly the self-conscious unease coming from artistic and content similarities between the works of Kata Bereczki, and the Slovenian artistic collective Son:DA."

City Gallery - From 28 November until 19 January 2020 there's a sculpture by Jiři Bezlaj.

Jiři Bezlaj, Hrošč, 2010 - 2016. Source: Mestna galerija

City Museum – The Museum in French Revolution Square an interesting permanent exhibition on the history of Ljubljana, from prehistoric times to the present day, with many artefacts, models and so on that bring the story alive.You can read about my visit here

The Faces of Ljubljana in the City Museum. Photo: JL Flanner

Drink like a pro - find gallery openings. Photo: JL Flanner

Ljubljana - (Un)known Ljubljana is on at the top of the hill, a free to enter National Geographic exhibition with photographs of some of the lesser seen parts of the city, with one example below and more here.

MAO – The Museum of Architecture and Design has much of what you'd expect, along with some temporary shows and a good cafe.

Moderna galerija – The main branch of this gallery, to be found near the entrance to Tivoli Park, has a good collection of modern art, as well a nice café in the basement. The 9th Triennial of Contemporary Art U3 is also on here until 12 January 2020. Titled Dead and Alive: “The exhibition unfolds around three contradictory states of now – the dead and alive state of conceptualism, analogue and liquid materiality, and the subconscious as the battlefield of cognitive capitalism. Because – how do art and avant-garde progress? By making sensible what is beyond. At the end of the day, Dead and Alive is a quantum time search for an engaged form.” More details here, on one of the works on show below.

© Aleksandra Vajd, Collage by K. E. Graebner Nature the Unknown Acquaintance (1971) and a unit of five hand-dyed photograms titled: ‘rivalry of superior vs. inferior’, 2017

Alan Ford was recently at the National Gallery - read more about this comic book here.

National Gallery – The country’s main gallery has “the best” of what’s on offer from the Middle Ages to non-contemporary modern visual arts, and is in a great location for exploring other areas, just by Tivoli Park and opposite the main branch of the Moderna galerija. You can read about our visit to the room containing sacred art from the Middle Ages here. Art for the Brave New World runs until 5 January 2020: “The exhibition will present the beginnings and development of an early government art collection in Slovenia, which, despite the economic and political crisis, was created in the 1930s by artistic and professional personalities gathered around Dr Marko Natlačen, the last ban of the Drava Banovina.”

JL Flanner

The real Robba Fountain can be found in the entrance to the National Gallery - the one you see in the Old Town is a genuine fake, as seen below and reported here.

Photo: JL Flanner

National Museum of Slovenia – There’s plenty to see in the permanent collection here, from Roman times, Egypt and more. Meanwhile, the museum's Metelkova branch, located between one branch of the Moderna galerija and the Ethnographic Museum has some rooms on Church art, furniture and weapons, with the latter including more guns than you'll see anywhere else in town, and quite a thrill if coming from a nation where such objects are not household items.  

A fragment of a Coptic textile; 5th–6th cent.:  Upper Egypt; linen, wool; National Museum of Slovenia. Photo: Tomaž Lauko

Until 24 May 2019 you can see Coptic Textiles from the Collection of the National Museum of Slovenia at the branch in the Metelkova museum quarter, by the Ethnographic Museum and the Museum of Contemporary Art. Details.

Natural History Museum – On until the end of December 2019 is Our Little Big Sea, which takes a look at the oceans.

National Museum of Contemporary History - Tucked away in park Tivoli, you can see a permanent exhibition on Slovenians in the 20th century.

Slovene Ethnographic Museum – The museum has two permanent exhibitions. One of these is called Between Nature and Culture, and has a great collection of objects from Slovenia and around the world, well worth the trip up to the third floor to see it (as recounted here). 

Vžigalica Gallery – From 12 November to 1 December there was a show from called SAEBORG: SLAUGHTER HOUSE 17 from the Japanese artist Saeborg, which was promoted with the following image that we can't bring ourselves to delete this week. Details here.

SAEBORG: SLAUGHTER HOUSE 17. Photo: © DARKMOFO

Union Experience – The Ljubljana-based brewer has a museum showing the history of the company, with the ticket also including access to part of the factory and a few samples of the product. You can read about our visit here.

It's not a formal museum, but if you're interested in "Yugo-stalgia" then you'll enjoy a trip to Verba, a small, privately run space that's crammed with objects and pop culture items from the era, and is conveniently located at the start of one of the short walks to the castle. It's also a great place to take pictures, if you leave a donation, and you can read more about it here.

Verba. Photo: JL Flanner

Alternative Ljubljana isn't a museum or gallery, as such, but instead turns the city streets into a museum and gallery. Learn more about their tours of street art, history and LGBT Ljubljana here.

Photo: JL Flanner

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Other things to do in Ljubljana

Learn more about Ljubljana with "25 things to know about Slovenia's green city of dragons", or take a look at our guide to spending from four to 48 hours here.

If you like the city's architecture then check out this great book, Let’s See the City - Ljubljana: Architectural Walks & Tours, with our review here and a page from the book shown above. We took a walk with one of the authors who showed us how much there is to learn and enjoy if you slow down and pay attention - read about that here.

Ljubljana has some beautiful buildings from the early 20^th century, in the Secessionist style, like the one below. Learn where to find them here.

Photo: Neža Loštrek

For something a little more brual, check out Republika trg / Republic Square, in the heart of the political quarter.

Photo: JL Flanner

Photo: JL Flanner

Some view of the city you can only get from the river. If you'd like to take a boat ride then read about my experience here. If you'd like to spend an evening painting with others, then take a look at Design with Wine, which organises painting parties on Trubarjeva cesta,

If you want to see some antiques, then check out the wonderful Antika Carniola, as discussed here. The man behind it, Jaka Prijatelj, has a fine eye for life on this street, as you can see on his Facebook account.

Photo: JL Flanner

If you’re in town and want to go jogging or walking in nature, why not take another look at the Castle, with a brief guide to the trails here. If you want something bigger, head to Tivoli Park.

And if you're bored with the Old Town, why not take a walk, cycle or boat ride to nearby Špica and enjoy the riverside life. Learn more about that here.

visitljubjana.si

Nataraja Studio

Want to stretch and breath? Then check out our list of drop-in yoga classes for tourists, visitors and the uncommitted. We go to Nataraja Studio, by Dragon Bridge, and here's a story about it.

Prefer to have someone else stretch you? The check out the totally legit massages you can get from Sense Wellness - either in one of their spas or in you home, office or hotel. (And - to repeat - these are legit and non-sexual in nature)

There are some golf courses near Ljubljana, but even ones further away are not far, as seen in our list of all the golf courses in Slovenia, which usually run until the first snow.

Photo: maxpixel.net, public domain

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Daytrips

Most of Slovenia is only a few hours from Ljubljana, and you can easily visit Lake Bled, Lipica Stud Farm, Postojna Cave, Predjama Castle, the coast and other locations, while if you'd like to take a photo of from that bench in Bled, then you can learn how to get there here. If you’re looking for something more ambitious, then check out our recent guide to the 17 members of the Association of Historical Towns of Slovenia. We've also written guides on spending from four to 48 hours in Bled and Piran.

Photo: Google Image Search

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Getting around

If you want to get a Ljubljana Tourist Card, which gives you travel on the city buses and entry to a lot of attractions, then you can read more about that here, and if you want to use the bike share system, as useful for visitors as it is for residents, then you can learn more by clicking this. Visitors with reduced mobility will be pleased to find that downtown Ljubljana is generally rated as good with regard to accessibility, and that there’s a free, city-sponsored app called Ljubljana by Wheelchair highlighting cafés, attractions and so on with ramps, disabled bathrooms and Eurokey facilities, which you can read about and download here. Manual wheelchair users can also borrow, for free, an attachment that will motorise their equipment, as reported here.

Screenshot from a Twitter video

If you’re driving into town and don’t know where to park, our guide to how to park in Ljubljana is here.

Emergencies

Ljubljana is a small and relatively safe city, but if need to contact the police then there’s a special number for foreigners, and that’s 113.

Photo: JL Flanner

There aren't many places to eat after midnight, and most of them are by the train station, as reported here.

Want / need cigarettes but the stores have closed? Here's an incomplete list of bars downtown that will satisfy your craving for the demon weed. While if you’re having trouble with the ATMs then here’s a guide to the Slovene you’ll see on screen. If you get a hangover then find out where to get paracetamol (and prescription drugs) in Ljubljana here, while details on emergency birth control can be found here.

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This Sunday, 1 December, starts the festive season with the 26^th edition of SILA’s annual bazaar, which brings international food, culture and charity together at a free to enter event in Ljubljana’s  Grand Hotel Union from 10:00 to 16:00. It’s a lot of fun, a great way to meet people from all over the world, and timed just right for lunch.

One of many innovations this year, at the biggest bazaar to date, is the Latin Corner. Things brings together five countries from Latin America to showcase the region’s gastronomy, crafts and culture.

We asked Miryam Yauli Palomino, one of the organisers, some questions, and she was kind enough to reply.

How was Latin Corner born?

The initiative to unite Latin American countries was brought up by the Brazilian Ambassador Renato Mosca, who participates in the other Latin American embassies located in Austria. The process was also helped along in the early stages by Colombia and Peru, the latter represented with the Honorary Consul from Peru, Peter Ilgo.

The Latino Corner is meant to demonstrate the brotherhood of Latin countries, as represented by their embassies, by Latin American members who are part of SILA, by residents of Latin American countries in Slovenia and by Latin American-led businesses that offer products or services typical of their countries.

What can visitors expect to find at Latin Corner?

We’ll have a wide variety of products and typical Latin American cuisine:

From Peru, and with regard to gastronomy, the main dish is "stuffed cause" with three types, tuna, chicken and egg, and for dessert we will offer "Peruvian pisco truffle" and as a digestive "te de Muña" typical Peruvian product. And at noon there will be a "Pisco sour" Cocktail Show.

For Peruvian products there will be wallets, purses, chests, scarves, glasses, notebooks with handmade fabrics among other things. In addition, we’ll also offer Peruvian quinoa and literature.

From Mexico there will be Mexican tacos, tortillas chips and Mexa beer. For the products there will be handmade accessories, Mayan embroidery, shawls, leather bags, purses, handmade wool rebozos made on a pedal loom, bracelets, necklaces, and that kind of thing.

Turning to Colombia the focus will be on coffee, with an interesting presentation, and also various coffee products on sale. While for Venezuela the story will be delicious bread, ham, cheese and three kinds of milk. From Brazil all I can say is that the details remain a secret, but you can expect some traditional dishes. You’ll have to come and find out what those are! Then with regard to the products on offer there will be pareos, typical Brazilian clothing and literature.

I should also remind people that the bazaar is not just about food and charity (this year with a focus on diabetes), as there’ll also be cultural performances. So on stage there’ll be an Argentine Tango called: "I abandoned it and did not know", a dance in homage to peace in Latin America, while there will also a music and dance performance from Brazil.

Latin Corner is part of SILA's annual charity bazaar, a highly recommended event that runs from 10:00 to 16:00 Sunday December 1, in the ballroom of the Grand Hotel Union (the entrance on Nazorjeva Ulica, next to the Atelje restaurant and Hood Burger).

The covers and editorials from leading weeklies of the Left and Right for the work-week ending Friday, 29 November

Mladina: Hopeful about abolition of top-up health insurance

STA, 29 November 2019 - The left-wing weekly Mladina says in its latest editorial that Wednesday's endorsement of legislation that would effectively introduce a fully-fledged single-payer system of health insurance by the parliamentary Health Committee is crucial. Slovenia has never been this close to abolishing top-up-health insurance, says editor-in-chief Grega Repovž.

When the coalition Social Democrats (SD) announced they would present their own proposal at the committee, introducing a solidarity-based system of payment although somewhat different than the one tabled by the opposition Left, this seemed like a diversion, given that three other coalition parties are not in favour of such a system.

But then after a whole day of uncertainty, an ad hoc coalition was formed among those parties, the SD, Marjan Šarec Party (LMŠ), Alenka Bratušek Party (SAB), and the Modern Centre Party (SMC), and the opposition Left and National Party (SNS).

This secured enough votes to endorse the Left's proposal, which was amended by the LMŠ and coalition, and thus put it on the agenda of the National Assembly. As expected, the opposition Democrats (SDS), New Slovenia (NSi) and Pensioners' Party (DeSUS) voted against.

"We should remember that for next time, when the three parties talk about problems in health, because the legislative proposal (that was endorsed) is now so watered-down that it is only about whether insurers will continue to take EUR 60 million a year from insurants or the money will be spent in public healthcare," Repovž says.

"We've never been this close to having that money returned to healthcare. But we should not get overly excited yet. The insurers' lobby is really strong. But at least now we know who is on which side," concludes the commentary They Can Make It.

Demokracija: Attacks PM Šarec over holiday rentals

STA, 28 November 2019 - The right-wing weekly Demokracija delivers a scathing attack on Prime Minister Marjan Šarec in the latest editorial headlined Šarec Is Mad, Stop Him!, in response to his suggesting limiting holiday rentals.

Referring to the comments made by Šarec as part of the efforts to tackle the Slovenian housing crisis, Demokracija editor-in-chief Jože Biščak writes that he "is afraid because almost no one, and in particular no mainstream media, reacted strongly to Marjan Šarec's idea to time limit holiday rentals of flats".

"The prime minister would set down by law to whom and when you can rent out your flat. To put it otherwise: the government would assume the right to have your private property at its disposal ... It is not just madness, it is outright insanity owing to a complete lack of ability to govern."

Biščak likens the proposal to limitations imposed by the former Communist regime in the country, asserting that the very thought of such a flagrant interference in private property should send all alarm bells ringing.

"This is no longer democracy, it is a road to tyranny, perfidiously wrapped up in some kind of social justice, and it is all directed at a socialist utopia in which the state can take care of everything."

Biščak agrees that high prices make housing ever less affordable, in particular in big cities, and that rental housing especially is in short supply, the reason for which he says is demand outstripping supply.

He blames the state, which he says is meddling in the market with central planning measures; the legislative and executive branches are passing detrimental laws and the bureaucracy imposes ludicrous demands.

"The only solution is consistently respecting the law of the free market and capitalism," Biščak says, calling on people to raise their voice.

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What follows is a weekly review of events involving Slovenia, as prepared by the STA.

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FRIDAY, 22 November
        LJUBLJANA - MPs passed the budget acts for 2020 and 2021 in a 49:41 vote in was the first major test for the minority government after it lost the support of the Left. The populist National Party (SNS) and both minority MPs provided the missing votes. The budget implementation bill was vetoed on 28 November, requiring a parliamentary revote.
        LJUBLJANA - A special social benefit for those on welfare who are low-income earners or do voluntary work will continue to be paid out, as the National Assembly failed to override the upper chamber veto of a government proposal scraping the bonus.
        LJUBLJANA - MPs unanimously confirmed the minimum hourly rate for student work from EUR 4.13 to EUR 4.56 net, overturning a veto imposed by the National Council last month.
        LJUBLJANA - The National Assembly passed changes to the VAT act lowering the VAT rate for books and other publications from 9.5% to 5% as of 2020.
        LJUBLJANA - MPs passed amendments to provide effective legal remedy against infringements in public contracting procedures, speed up procedures and improve the independence of the National Review Commission.
        LJUBLJANA - The National Assembly overrode the upper chamber's veto against a bill that will allow the holders of subordinated bank liabilities wiped out in the 2013 bank bailout to sue for damages. However, the law will not be implemented just yet as the central bank is planning to challenge it at the Constitutional Court.
        BRDO PRI KRANJU - The Slovenian-Turkish intergovernmental commission urged closer economic cooperation to further increase bilateral trade as it met in Slovenia. The two countries expect their merchandise trade to top one billion euro if the current positive trends continue.
        LJUBLJANA - Insurance group Sava reported a net profit of EUR 37.7 million for the first nine months of the year, a 29.3% year-on-year increase driven by high premium growth and improved cost-efficiency.

SATURDAY, 23 November
        NOVO MESTO - Slovenian police confiscated seven pieces of what were possible replicas of weapons from 41 members of a self-styled militia known as the Štajerska Guard on the border with Croatia near the town of Krško. Its members said they were protecting the border against illegal migrants.
        NOVI SAD, Serbia - Slovenian President Borut Pahor attended a youth forum of the Western Balkans with his Serbian and North Macedonian counterparts, Aleksandar Vučić and Stevo Pendarovski, expressing support in his address to enlargement of the EU to the Western Balkans.
        LJUBLJANA - Dnevnik reported that Ivo Vajgl, a former MEP and foreign minister, had left the Pensioners' Party (DeSUS), where tensions continue to increase ahead of the party's election congress in January. "There is no room in DeSUS for me any longer," he said.
        LJUBLJANA - Beanpole, a Russian historical drama directed by Kantemir Balagov, was declared the best film of the 30th Ljubljana International Film Festival (LIFFe).

SUNDAY, 24 November
        LJUBLJANA - The opposition Democrats (SDS) returned to the top of party rankings for the first time since January in a poll aired by POP TV. The SDS polled at 15.4%, down from 15.7% in October, whereas the ruling Marjan Šarec List (LMŠ) lost two points to 13.8%. The coalition SocDems returned to third place with a four-point gain to 9.5%, and the opposition Left added over a point and a half to 8.8%.
        BLEIBURG, Austria - The National Council of Carinthian Slovenians (NSKS), an umbrella organisation of the Slovenian minority in Austria, marked its 70th anniversary, with Slovenian PM Marjan Šarec saying that although divided by borders in the past, "we are all part of one nation" now symbolically and de facto united in the EU.
        WISLA, Poland - Slovenia's Anže Lanišek placed second at the first individual event of the new, 41st Ski Jumping World Cup season in Poland's Wisla, only a day after the Slovenian team placed fourth in the team event.

MONDAY, 25 November
        PARIS, France - The UNESCO conference general unanimously decided that the first UNESCO-sponsored international centre for artificial intelligence will be seated in Slovenia's capital Ljubljana. Slovenia plans to formally establish the International Research Centre for Artificial Intelligence (IRCAI) early next year.
        LJUBLJANA - The SOVA intelligence agency reported opposition New Slovenia (NSi) leader Matej Tonin to law enforcement for having disclosed intelligence as the chair of the parliamentary commission overseeing intelligence services in a report on the border arbitration with Croatia. Tonin accused PM Marjan Šarec's camp of trying to discredit him and the commission, while Šarec argued it was the commission that was being abused.
        LJUBLJANA - Former central bank governor Boštjan Jazbec told the parliamentary inquiry examining potential wrongdoing at the Bank Assets Management Company that banks should have been bailed out before 2012 rather than in 2013. In this way, the erasure of junior bondholders, which he believes was in line with constitution, may not have have happened.

TUESDAY, 26 November
        LJUBLJANA - The government adopted legislative amendments designed to crack-down on the activity of self-styled village guards and militias patrolling the border with the intention of stopping illegal migrants. The amendments will be fast-tracked
        LJUBLJANA - Prime Minister Marjan Šarec visited the Government Office for the Support and Integration of Migrants and the appertaining asylum centre in the Ljubljana Vič borough, praising their efforts.
        BRDO PRI KRANJU - The SPIRIT investment promotion agency honoured top foreign investors in the country. Electricity meter maker Iskraemeco was named the best among big companies, ventilation company Systemair won the award in the long-term presence category, and maker of LED traffic displays Swarco Lea got the smart products and services development award.
        STRASBOURG, France - The European Parliament Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs (LIBE) elected Slovenian MEP Tanja Fajon (S&D/SD) the chair of a special task force for the Schengen Area. She announced she would strive to restore importance and reputation to the idea, and restore full life to the area without borders.
        LJUBLJANA - Environment Minister Simon Zajc said new legislation in the making would prioritise the environment over creditors in case a company goes into receivership. The damage it has caused needs to be cleaned up, which is usually a long and expensive effort, he said.
        LJUBLJANA - Parliament passed a bill providing more funds for arts and culture to facilitate its development. The field will get an additional EUR 122.6 million for investments in 2021-2027, or an average EUR 17.5 million a year, in addition from what its gets in annual state budgets.

WEDNESDAY, 27 November
        STRASBOURG, France - Janez Lenarčič, the European commissioner for crisis management, said he was a European commissioner but he would not forget he was from Slovenia, as he spoke to the press after Ursula von der Leyen's Commission was endorsed by the European Parliament. Slovenia's eight MEPs, all of whom voted for the new Commission, said it was time the new team got down to work.
        LJUBLJANA - Slovenian Speaker Dejan Židan announced after a meeting with the president of the regional parliament of Friuli-Venezia Giulia, Piero Mauro Zanin, that the Slovenian minority would get back Narodni Dom, a Trieste cultural centre of huge historical importance, in July 2020, 100 years after the building was burnt down by Fascists.
        LJUBLJANA - The most senior bodies of the coalition Pensioners' Party (DeSUS) cleared two contenders to challenge Karl Erjavec for the presidency of the party at the January congress, Agriculture Minister Aleksandra Pivec and jurist Borut Stražišar, ending speculations that their bids would be thwarted to ensure Erjavec is re-elected.
        LJUBLJANA - The parliamentary Health Committee surprisingly endorsed legislation that would effectively end the current system of compulsory and supplementary health insurance as of 2021 in favour of a fully-fledged single-payer system. The bill folds the current lump sum, roughly EUR 29 per month, into the existing compulsory payments.
        LJUBLJANA - The parliamentary Finance Committee urged the central bank to reconsider the recently imposed curbs on consumer lending, an appeal that came at a session called by all five coalition parties after the central bank said consumer loans would pose a risk to the banking system if left unchecked.
        LJUBLJANA - Peter Jenko took over as the new director general of the Financial Administration (FURS) for a five-year term. He announced one of his goals would be to change the tax procedure act so that the names of major tax evaders could be made public.
        LJUBLJANA - The Slovenian retail group Mercator said it posted EUR 6.21 million in net profit in the first nine months of the year, down 30.3% year on year. Mercator said the results were not fully comparable because of a change in accounting standards and last year's sale of a shopping centre and land in Serbia.
        LJUBLJANA - Abanka, Slovenia's third largest bank which was privatised in June, said it generated a net profit of EUR 42.5 million in the first nine months of 2019, a 20% year-on-year drop.
        STRASBOURG, France - God Exists, Her Name Is Petrunya, a film by Macedonia's Teona Strugar Mitevska that involves Slovenian co-producer Vertigo, won the 2019 LUX Film Prize, given out by the European Parliament.
        LJUBLJANA - The Slovenian Handball Association sacked the head coach of the men's national handball team, Veselin Vujović, who was appointed in 2015 and led Slovenia to bronze at the 2017 Worlds. The team's recent period was marked by unconvincing performances and tensions, also because Vujović verbally abused a Slovenian player during a club game.

THURSDAY, 28 November
        LJUBLJANA - Prime Minister Marjan Šarec turned down a request by President Borut Pahor to convene a session of the National Security Council due to ongoing disputes between SOVA and the parliamentary body which conducts oversight of the intelligence and security agency. Šarec said he did not want to politicise the situation and said Pahor's request came "too late".
        LJUBLJANA - Simona Leskovar was relieved of her duties as a Foreign Ministry state secretary, unofficially in order to become Slovenia's ambassador in London. Her successor is Matej Marn, the ministry's director general for the common foreign and security policy.
        LJUBLJANA - The government allocated EUR 40,000 for emergency humanitarian aid for migrants on the Western Balkan route, and EUR 50,000 for the Sahel region in Sub-Saharan Africa. The Foreign Ministry said that the number of migrants on the East-Mediterranean route travelling to Europe via the Western Balkans doubled since 2017 and kept rising.
        LJUBLJANA - Slovenia will send disaster relief aid to Albania in the aftermath of the devastating earthquake. Under the decision taken by the government today, the aid is valued at EUR 126,000, including transport. Responding to Albania's request for help, Slovenia will send material aid, including tents, beds, blankets, sleeping bags and generators.
        ŠKOFJA LOKA - Germany's multinational Freudenberg signed a contract to take over Filc, a Škofja Loka-based manufacturer of needlepunch nonwoven textiles and laminated materials for the car and construction industries, the Slovenian firm said, but did not disclose the value of the deal.
        VRHNIKA - Two illegal Syrian migrants died as a car carrying eight Syrians crashed into the motorway railing on the Ljubljana-Koper motorway near the town of Vrhnika. The accident happened as the car started to skid while overtaking a lorry, with three Syrian citizens falling out of the boot. Two died immediately while the third was rushed to the hospital.
        DORTMUND, Germany - Slovenian Damir Skomina was declared the world's best football referee in 2019 by the International Federation of Football History & Statistics (IFFHS). Skomina was the first Slovenian referee to officiate a UEFA Champions League final, the game between Tottenham Hotspur and Liverpool in Madrid in June.

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A schedule of all the main events involving Slovenia this week can be found here

This summary is provided by the STA:

Slovenia's GDP growth slows marginally to 2.3% in Q3

LJUBLJANA - Slovenia's economy expanded by 2.3% at the annual level in the third quarter of the year or a seasonally adjusted 2%, the slowest rate in three years, as growth continued to decelerate in line with predictions. Exports were sluggish, growing by 4.5% compared to 5% in the quarter before, but their lacklustre contribution to growth was offset by robust domestic spending and investments, which rose by 3.8% and 4.4% respectively.

Mini pension reform passed

LJUBLJANA - The National Assembly passed amendments to the pension and disability insurance act that will raise the pension base for men to equate it with women's and offer incentives to those who stay in work after meeting retirement requirements. Men who have worked for a full 40 years will have their pension set at 63.5% of their wages as of 2025, up from 57.25%. Those eligible for retirement who keep working, will initially get, alongside the salary, 40% of the pension they are entitled to and then 20%.

Inspectors find irregularities in intel agency hiring

LJUBLJANA - Inspectors have detected irregularities in the hiring practices at the Slovenian Intelligence and Security Agency (SOVA), in a case connected with the employment of a friend of Prime Minister Marjan Šarec. The Public Sector Inspectorate said it had found violations of vetting requirements in four cases and two cases of workers not having had all the qualifications required for their job, but it stopped short of demanding that the employees in question be terminated.

Unemployment benefits rising, requirements stiffened

LJUBLJANA - The National Assembly passed amendments to the labour market regulation act that significantly increase the minimum monthly unemployment benefit while stiffening eligibility conditions across the board. The minimum benefit is being raised from EUR 350 to EUR 530 gross, the same level as the basic minimum income for single-person households, which currently stands at EUR 402 net. Foreign citizens wanting to claim unemployment benefits will need meet language skill requirements.

NLB sees nine-month group profit rise 2% to EUR 162m

LJUBLJANA - NLB, Slovenia's largest bank, posted a group net profit of EUR 162.2 million for the first nine months of 2019, up 2% over the same period last year. All banks within the group generated profit, with the parent company's profit rising by 21% to almost EUR 163 million. The group's profit before impairments and provisions stood at EUR 170.3 million, up 7%. The group released provisions to the tune of EUR 9.7 million, down from EUR 19 million in the same period last year.

Koper port operator profit down by third

KOPER - Luka Koper, the operator of Slovenia's sole maritime port, reported its nine-month net profit drop by 29% year-on-year to EUR 34.5 million. Net sales revenue rose by 3% in the period to EUR 173.8 million. Operating profit (EBIT) was down 32% to EUR 38.5 million, which the company attributed to higher labour costs, transshipment fee costs and a one-off event in 2018. Luka Koper transshipped 17.7 million tonnes of cargo, which is roughly on a par with the figure in the same period last year.

Gorenje plans return to profit in 2020

VELENJE - The Velenje-based household appliances maker Gorenje, owned by the Chinese conglomerate Hisense, will finish 2019 in the red but hopes to return to profit next year. According to chief executive Lan Lin, this will require a change of mindset, and it will determine whether a TV production facility will be built in Velenje. Revenue is expected to rise by 5.5% this year and by at least 10% next year. Lin expects a profit of around EUR 15 million in 2020.

Survey unemployment in Q3 slightly up y/y

LJUBLJANA - Survey unemployment rate in Slovenia slid to 4.8% in the third quarter of the year, down 0.2 percentage points from the same period last year and 0.6pp more than in the second quarter, according to the Statistics Office. Compared to the April-June period, the unemployment rate increased by 0.8pp in men and 0.4pp in women. By age group, the increase was sharpest among 15-29 year-olds.

Annual inflation steady in November at 1.4%

LJUBLJANA - Consumer prices in Slovenia grew at an annual rate of 1.4% in November, which is level with the month before. On the monthly level, prices grew by 0.1%. The annual inflation is driven by higher prices of services and goods, which contributed 1.1 and 0.3 percentage points, respectively, the Statistics Office said. Annual inflation was pushed up the most by more expensive food and by higher prices in the group miscellaneous goods and services.

Unior revenue up, profit down in Jan-Sept

ZREČE - Tool maker group Unior generated EUR 192.4 million in net revenue in the first nine months of the year, 4.7% more than in the same period last year. Group net profit dropped 4.1% to EUR 9.7 million, show unaudited results. The Unior management attributed the decline in profit to poorer results of associated companies. EBITDA reached EUR 24.9 million, up 7.5%, and EBIT was 17% higher, at EUR 12.5 million.

Private school funding in focus of visit by Cardinal Versaldi

LJUBLJANA - Giuseppe Versaldi, the cardinal prefect of the Vatican Congregation for Catholic Education, met Education Minister Jernej Pikalo for talks that focused on funding of private primary schools. According to the ministry, the cardinal argued for plurality of education, and for giving parents the right to choose education for their children. The Constitutional Court ruled in 2014 that private schools should get full public funding, which is yet to be enacted by parliament.

Earliest finds from Slovenia on display at National Museum

LJUBLJANA - A new permanent exhibition was launched in the National Museum. The Earliest Stories from the Crossroads disclose the "furthest and most mysterious past of the territory of Slovenia, as evidenced by the archaeological finds from the Palaeolithic to the Bronze Age." Finding a special place among the exhibits is a Neanderthal flute, discovered in Divje Babe cave in western Slovenia in 1995 as possibly the world's oldest known musical instrument. The exhibition completes the permanent display of archaeological collections called Stories from the Crossroads, a project that has taken seven years.

BBC airs documentary about Boris Pahor

LJUBLJANA - The BBC aired a documentary about the 106-year-old Boris Pahor, believed to be the oldest living survivor of a Nazi concentration camp. The celebrated author tells BBC journalist Alan Yentob about his experiences of Fascism and Nazism in the 63-minute documentary The Man Who Saw Too Much, which is aimed at raising awareness of the horrors that happened in Europe more than seven decades ago.

Slovenians see waste as biggest environmental challenge

BRUSSELS, Belgium - While climate change is the main environmental problem for a majority of citizens of the 28 EU member states, waste is what bothers Slovenians the most, as 42% of them pointed to this as the main challenge, followed by climate change (37%) and air pollution (36%). At the level of the entire EU, climate change (52%) is followed by air pollution (35%), pollution of the sea (31%), deforestation and increasing quantity of waste (28% each), shows the latest Eurobarometer survey.

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We recently attended an annual gathering of sinologists, and were curious about what people get up to after they graduate. One person with an interesting answer was Roman Križanič, CEO of Deseti brat and an active tour guide based in Slovenia and South East Asia.

How long have you been in the tour guide business, and how has your work changed over the years?

I‘ve been involved in organizing and guiding adventure and active tours for the last 20 years. The first trips were mostly to China, as I was a Sinology student at the University of Ljubljana. After that the focus was on SE Asia in winter, as more and more summers were reserved for exploring and touring Slovenia and neighboring countries.  It became my routine: spend winters in Asia – Indonesia, the Philippines, Myanmar, Cambodia, Laos, Nepal, Malaysia,  and of course China and Taiwan – then summers in Slovenia. The best of weather all year round – escaping winter.

It’s also great because I can combine showing amazing places around the world to guests from Slovenia, and beautiful places in Slovenia to visitors from all over the world. I mostly run tours to Asia through my travel agency, Deseti brat. In Slovenia we’re a group of enthusiastic friends gathered  around the TrekTrek travel agency. Our dedicated work has also been recognized by some of the world’s best tour operators and organizations in the US, including National Geographic, as we are their main partner in the area.

What size groups do you work with?

Keeping groups small, a max of 10 to 12 people, is one of the main advantages of traveling with us. We’ll remember your name within the first day and can take you to almost every corner of the country. We avoid big buses and walk or bike whenever possible. We love off the beaten track places, which you can visit on foot or in small van along some stunning country roads. And yes, smaller groups are more likely to get invited to people’s homes!

Do you have any standard tours of Slovenia, or are they always customized?

We do both. We know our country very well, we know amazing local hosts, we can bring you to the best restaurants, from home cooking to world class chefs, you can join us on the most scenic hikes in the Julian Alps or meditation style easy strolls through green forest, alpine valleys, and meadows. Get in touch with us and we will come up with the best tour based on your wishes.

My favorite tours in Slovenia combine active days with culinary experiences. What more you can wish for than summiting a peak with great views or cycling a few hours next to a pristine river and then biting into the amazing Slovenian food. One of best tours I did was Slovenia combined with Istria and Dalmatia in Croatia. The variety of places, scenery, food, and climate on that trip was just mind blowing.

In general I’ll always be a big fan of outdoor activities, but no extremes.  And it’s this passion for this type of traveling I try to bring to our tours.

What things tend be highlights of your tours in Slovenia?

Hiking and biking are probably most popular, and I’m happy that with these more and more people follow our advice and we explore less known places. That said, I guess it’s hard to resist the beauty of Lake Bled and some caves.

Which places outside Slovenia are you favorite to visit for pleasure?

My favorite place in last few years is Raja Ampat, an amazing archipelago west of West Papua in Indonesia. Marine life at its best, amazing snorkeling, diving and island hopping. Great for active holidays for anyone that likes sea activities. I love to get into a sea kayak and quietly paddle around hidden lagoons and stop at coral reefs or just to say hi to ocean mantas, turtles or even whales. I’ve been leading to Raja Ampat for four years now.

Where haven’t you been that you’d like to visit?

Please don’t ask me this. Are trips to Mars already open? If not, I still have many places to visit around the world, including some around Slovenia. But it looks like the USA and its national parks will be next – too many friends are inviting over.

Where can people learn more about your work, and maybe book a tour?

Please visit my website – www.desetibrat.si and learn more about my trips based on different themes and with a touch of mystery, which run all through the year. All the dates of current tours are also published there. For any customized tour around Slovenia or Asia, then you can send an email to: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

STA, 28 November 2019 - Slovenia seems to be right on trend in zero-waste retail, as stores selling environmentally-friendly products in reusable packaging have been popping up across the country in the past year. Since the first zero-waste store opened in Ljubljana's Šiška borough in January, three more have been launched in Maribor, Krško and Ljubljana.

The owners of Rifuzl, the first zero-waste store in the country, are happy with business and are even planning to launch a delivery service, as many people come to shop there from other parts of the country.

Meanwhile, Ljubljana got a second zero-waste store on Wednesday. Natura was launched under the brand I Shop Responsibly and is the third zero-waste store launched under the brand started by the Association Social Economy Slovenia.

Meet the People: Neja Maruša Medved, Vegan and Zero Waste Blogger

The first store of this brand, Zelena Japka (Green Apple) was launched in May at Mala Tržnica, a market place across the street from the Maribor train station. In October, an arsonist completely destroyed the store, which opened today again in new premises within the same market place.

The Association Social Economy has been busy in the past months. Not only did it relaunch the store in Maribor and opened the new one in Ljubljana, the association also opened a store in Krško, in the south-east.

"We don't provide bags, we don't create waste and we encourage others to do the same," Miro Mihec of the association said at the opening in Ljubljana yesterday.

The premises on Gosposvetska Street are being rented out by a cooperative of a dozen social businesses from all parts of the country whose products are not packaged in plastics, have not been tested on animals, include no leather products and contain no GMO.

The store features natural cosmetics, organic cleaning products, recycled textile products, wooden and metal products and local foods. Interestingly, the store also sells sewing machines so as to encourage the reuse of old textile.

STA, 28 November 2019 - An Iraqi man who injured a taxi driver and attacked a police officer in the Nova Gorica area in July pleaded guilty at today's pre-trial hearing. The prosecution is seeking six years in prison and deportation.

 Al Hamdani Yassin Amar, 26, told the Nova Gorica district court today that he wanted to kill the taxi driver but that that was god's will.

Since he told the court he was not interested in a trial and declined an interpreter and lawyer, Judge Igor Majnik decided that given the confession the main hearing was not necessary. He said there was sufficient evidence to confirm his guilt.

Prosecutor Ana Radovanović Širok sought a two-year prison sentence for the assault on the taxi driver, another four years for the attack on the police officer and five months for the attempted car theft, or a total of six years.

The man's lawyer called for a milder sentence for the attack on the police officer because the attack was not premeditated.

The prosecutor also demanded the defendant be remanded in custody until the ruling becomes final.

The judge will declare the ruling on Monday.

The Iraqi man entered the taxi in Vrtojba but only a few kilometres later, it became clear to the taxi driver that the man does not have enough money to pay for the ride to Ljubljana, so he pulled over on the expressway and wanted him to leave the car.

But the 26-year-old resisted and attacked the taxi driver with a hobby knife. Two police officers rushed to the scene to find the driver bleeding from his neck and saying he had been attacked by a man in the near-by taxi.

The taxi driver had escaped from the vehicle and took the keys with him, while the Iraqi man attempted to hotwire the car to get to Ljubljana on his own.

As the police officers approached him, he responded with threats and started running towards one of them with the knife shouting, police said.

The officer fired a warning shot, but that did not stop the man so he shot him in the leg.

STA, 28 November - Two Syrian illegal migrants died last night as a car carrying eight Syrians crashed into the motorway fence on the Ljubljana-Koper motorway near the town of Vrhnika.

The accident happened on Thursday at around 1:30am as the car started to skid while overtaking a lorry and returning onto the main lane.

Three Syrian citizens fell out of the boot, of whom two died and the third is still being treated, Primož Kadunc of the Ljubljana Police Department told the press today.

He said a fourth person had sustained only light injuries, while all the other migrants had asked for international protection in Slovenia.

There was another person aged under 18 in the car, but was not injured.

Police apprehended the 42-year-old Bosnian driver and will press charges against him for enabling the Syrians to illegally enter Slovenia and causing a car accident.

Kadunc also said it was suspected the migrants could have tuberculosis, but the police said later in the day all the persons had been checked for contagious diseases, but were cleared of the suspicion.

The Koper-bound motorway was closed for around five hours after the accident.