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.

This summary is provided by the STA:

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.

This summary is provided by the STA:

Šarec re-elected president of LMŠ on pledge to push for normalisation

MARIBOR - Marjan Šarec was re-elected president of his LMŠ party as the only candidate to vie for the post. He said the party would aim to enter the new government to push for normalisation and a return to democracy. "We never want to see Ljubljana suffocating in tear gas any more. We're sick of fences every week, we're sick of [the government] taking it out on the media and peaceful readers of the Constitution," he said.

Freedom Movement platform focuses on green transition, open society

LJUBLJANA - The Freedom Movement confirmed its list of candidates an election platform on Saturday centred on the green transition, modern welfare state, and a free and open society governed by the rule of law. "The party is offering a new social compact ... that will not leave anyone behind and will stand the test of time," party president Robert Golob said. Golob juxtaposed the party's platform with the conduct of the current government, which he said had pursued "policies that hides fear of your own people with the words of contempt."

Mohorič winner of the Milan-Sanremo road race

SAN REMO, Italy - Slovenian cyclist Matej Mohorič is the surprise winner of the 113th Milan-Sanremo. Mohorič escaped a strong group that included race favourites Tadej Pogačar and Wout van Aert four kilometres before the finish line of the 293-kilometre race to beat Anthony Turgis of France and the Dutchman Mathieu van der Poel.

Andreja Slokar wins final World Cup slalom of the season

MÉRIBEL, France - Slovenian skier Andreja Slokar won the last World Cup slalom event of the season, leaping from sixth place after the first run to achieve the second World Cup win of her career. Slokar finished almost half a second ahead of the German Lena Dürr, who was in the lead after the first run, and 0.8 seconds ahead of Olympic champion Petra Vlhova of Slovakia.

Two Slovenian podium finishes in Oberstdorf

OBERSTDORF, Germany - Two Slovenian ski jumpers made it to the podium at the Ski Jumping World Cup event on the giant hill in Oberstdorf as Žiga Jelar finished second and Timi Zajc was third. Anže Lanišek was just outside the top three.

Adria Mobil launches new van plant

BIČ - Adria Mobil, a maker of caravans and motorhomes, launched a new plant for the production of camper vans, an investment worth over four million euros. The plan is to produce 7,000 camper vans per year under the Adria and Sun Living brands, but production can be bumped up to over 10,000 units annually, CEO Sonja Gole said.

Coronavirus caseload continues to increase

LJUBLJANA - Slovenia recorded 3,162 new cases of coronavirus on Friday, an increase of more than a third on the week before as the trajectory of infections steadily bends up. The 14-day case notification rate per 100,000 population was at 1,529 and the seven-day average of new cases at 2,618, respectively up by 63 and 126 over the day before.

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Janša says EU should send diplomatic representative back to Ukraine

LJUBLJANA - Prime Minister Janez Janša told RTV Slovenija that his visit to Kyiv with the Czech and Polish counterparts was not coordinated with Russia. The EU did inform the UN about the visit though, which then informed Russia. Janša told the Odmevi current affairs show on Thursday evening that he hoped the visit to Kyiv was a step towards an ceasefire, "and above all it is a message that we have not written Ukraine off". He noted that they had the mandate of the respective governments and that the EU should return a diplomatic representative to Ukraine, despite the high risk.

Slovenia to help Poland treat sick Ukrainian refugees

LJUBLJANA - Health Minister Janez Poklukar announced after meeting Polish Ambassador Krzysztof Olendzki that Slovenia would welcome Ukrainian patients to mitigate the impact of the war in Ukraine on the Polish healthcare system. He said the plan was to mostly take in Ukrainian patients in need of rehabilitation and treatment for tuberculosis, and patients who need haemodialysis, who have had organ transplants, cancer patients, pregnant women and some intensive care cases. Talks are also under way about sending Slovenian healthcare workers to Poland.

New centre for Ukrainian refugees opens on the coast

ANKARAN - The government established a new centre for Ukrainian refugees at Interior Ministry premises on the Debeli Rtič peninsula, which have been transferred to the Government Office for the Support and Integration of Migrants. Almost 50 Ukrainian refugees, half of them children, are already accommodated there, more than half the planned number, according to the head of the government office, Katarina Štrukelj. The centre will accept only refugees from Ukraine, most of whom are mothers with children.

Porić officially inaugurated as mufti

LJUBLJANA - Nevzet Porić, who was elected mufti of the Islamic community in Slovenia in June 2021, was officially inaugurated in Ljubljana's Muslim Cultural Centre. The ceremony was attended by representatives of the Islamic communities from Austria, Croatia, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Serbia, Montenegro, North Macedonia, and Slovenia, and representatives of other religious communities in Slovenia. Porić told POP TV that the Muslim community's position in Slovenia was good, but there were some outstanding issues.

Petrol group's net profit up 72% to EUR 124.5m last year

LJUBLJANA - The energy group Petrol generated sales revenues of EUR 4.96 billion in 2021, which is up 61% year-on-year. Net profit was up by 72% to EUR 124.5 million. The group posted EUR 543.4 million in adjusted gross profit, up 27% over 2020, while EBITDA increased by 43% to EUR 238.1 million. The management will propose a dividend of EUR 30 gross per share for 2021, in line with the relevant policy. At the 21 April AGM, the shareholders will also vote on a 20:1 share split, proposed to improve liquidity and attract new investors.

Magna Steyr resumes production in Hoče

HOČE - The Austrian-Canadian multinational Magna Steyr this week resumed production at the Hoče paint shop after a suspension of almost two years due to the pandemic. The company has also been granted a two-year extension to meet its commitments in exchange for the government incentive approved in 2017. With the production resumed, some 150 workers are back in Hoče after being temporarily transferred to the multinational's operation in Austria's Graz. The development was welcomed by Economy Minister Zdravko Počivalšek as he visited the Slovenian subsidiary to learn about plans and the situation in general.

Govt offering EUR 2m in fresh subsidies to airlines

LJUBLJANA - The Economy Ministry is offering EUR 2 million in fresh subsidies to support airlines that will fly to Slovenia in 2022 in what is the second such call for applications. The funding is designed to encourage existing and new regular international connections with Slovenian airports after many airlines suspended their flights during the Covid-19 pandemic. Airlines have until 6 June to apply.

Boscarols donate EUR 25m to local community after selling company

AJDOVŠČINA - After selling ultralight aircraft Pipistrel to the US company Textron, CEO Ivo Boscarol decided to donate a portion of the proceeds to the Ajdovščina municipality where Pipistrel is based. The EUR 25 million donation to the municipality will be used to build a new community health centre and aviation museum, and to create new green spaces. Each employee will receive EUR 3 for every day they have worked for the company, Boscarol said.

Mercator welcomes Fortenova ownership consolidation

LJUBLJANA - Retailer Mercator welcomed the news that the Russian bank Sberbank would sell its 40% stake in Fortenova, Mercator's parent company. "We're convinced that this will strengthen the stability and development of Mercator," the company said. Mercator CEO Tomislav Čizmić said the ownership consolidation was expected and that Mercator wanted a strategic owner.

EUR 88.5m available for productivity, EUR 44m for digitalisation

LJUBLJANA - The SPIRIT Slovenija investment promotion agency is making EUR 88.5 million available in incentives for large companies to invest in boosting their productivity and competitive edge in its second call under the recovery and resilience plan. It plans to support up to 59 investment projects. EUR 44 million is meanwhile available for digitalisation under an Economy Ministry call for at least twenty consortiums.

Almost 3,000 new Covid cases as hospitalisations up

LJUBLJANA - Another 2,979 people tested positive for coronavirus in Slovenia on Thursday, about a third more than the same day a week ago, yet slightly fewer than the day before. With the daily tally up for the 14th consecutive day week-on-week, the 14-day notification rate per 100,000 of the population is now at 1,466, an increase of 58 from the previous day. The 7-day average is up by 131 to to 2,492. The number of patients treated in hospitals for Covid-19 rose to 202 this morning, including 51 in intensive care. Two more patients with Covid-19 died.

Anti-government protesters stage 100th rally

LJUBLJANA - Protesters against the government of Janez Janša gathered in front of Parliament House in Ljubljana for their 100th weekly protest to repeat their concerns about the undermining of the rule of law and government policies they perceive as damaging. The gathering featured an address by Milan Kučan, the former president of the republic, who urged the protesters to head to the polls for the 24 April general election and highlighted the government crackdown on protests.

Police charge alleged sender of death threats to politicians

LJUBLJANA - The police identified the man who allegedly sent death threats to a number of senior politicians. Several criminal charges have been filed against the suspect, who is believed to have sent threat letters both last October and in January this year. In mid-October last year, nine letters were sent, including to the prime minister, three ministers, three MPs and one deputy group. The media reported in early February that a member of the National Party (SNS) from Celje was among the suspects.

Ljubljana opera house bans Ukraine flags at Faust premiere

LJUBLJANA - Belgian director Frank Van Laecke has revealed that the director of the Ljubljana opera house, Staš Ravter, forbade him to display little Ukrainian flags in his Faust production, which premiered on Thursday. Van Laecke said an artist had a duty to speak up and the theatre or opera should hear the pulse of present time. The management said that the political situation should not affect the original appearance of the production.

State-owned company planned to manage public transportation

LJUBLJANA - The government adopted a bill that would create a state-owned limited liability company tasked with managing the tactical aspects of road and rail public passenger transportation as a public service. The company would plan public transportation and its financing, participate in infrastructure planning and strategies, and manage the integrated mass transit tickets that Slovenia has had for several years now.

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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.

This summary is provided by the STA:

Janša, Morawiecki and Fiala back in Poland

WARSAW, Poland - Prime Minister Janez Janša and his Polish and Czech counterparts have arrived safely in Poland back from their trip to Kyiv where they met Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal on Tuesday evening. Janša thanked the Ukrainian officials for the hospitality and deep insight into the situation. He also thanked to the Polish team for taking care of the many challenges before and during the visit. The Slovenian government tweeted that the Polish PM had thanked Janša on Tuesday for making the initiative to visit Kyiv.

Janša insists EU offer Ukraine fast-track membership

LONDON, UK - Prime Minister Janez Janša reiterated that the EU must offer Ukraine a fast track to EU membership, telling BBC World Service radio that this is a strategic decision. "We have to accept the challenge, we have to stop pretending that this is a normal situation and we need 15 years of negotiations and bickering about small issues. This is a strategic decision," he said. For Ukraine EU membership represents a security guarantees framework. "They need some institutional guarantees and if the EU is is that for them, we have to respect it."

Logar discusses energy supplies in Algeria

ALGIERS, Algeria - Foreign Minister Anže Logar met with senior Algerian officials as Slovenia strives to secure alternative energy sources from Algeria in an attempt to reduce its reliance on Russian natural gas. He held talks with President Abdelmadjid Tebboune, Foreign Minister Ramtane Lamamra, Energy Minister Mohamed Arkab, and chairman of the state-owned energy company Sonatech Tufik Hakkar. Vanja Lombar, the director of Slovenia's largest natural gas trader Geoplin, was present for the talks with the Sonatach chairman.

Pahor warns of risk Ukraine war poses to W Balkans

VIENNA, Austria - Slovenian President Borut Pahor emphasized the importance of the EU integrating the Western Balkans, in particular Bosnia-Herzegovina, as soon as possible to preserve peace and stability in Europe as he warned in a lecture in Vienna that the war in Ukraine revived "an outdated geopolitical mentality". The EU's enlargement to the Western Balkans "is a geopolitical issue of the first order", Pahor said, warning that the stalled enlargement process was reviving nationalisms and ideas of changing borders.

Covid curve keeps climbing with 2,904 cases on Tuesday

LJUBLJANA - Slovenia reported 2,904 new coronavirus cases for Tuesday, roughly a third more than the same day a week ago, but down about 30% from the previous day. Five more patients with Covid-19 died, Health Ministry data shows. A total of 208 patients are treated for Covid-19 at hospitals as of this morning, seven fewer than yesterday. Of those, 55 are treated in intensive care, one fewer than yesterday.

Parliament passes new environment protection act

LJUBLJANA - The National Assembly endorsed the new environment protection act, which has been labelled by Environment Minister Andrej Vizjak as an "environmental constitution". It predominantly deals with management of packaging waste, while also introducing measures to prevent or reduce the generation of all kinds of waste. Most importantly, the bill transposes EU rules and new directives, especially on the expanded producer responsibility for packaging.

Legislation passed on Pomurje Academic and Science Union

LJUBLJANA - The National Assembly passed legislation elevating the Pomurje Academic and Science Union from a regional association to an entity governed by public law and hence eligible for public funding. The bill was tabled by several MPs from Pomurje, who have argued that the new institution would promote the growth and quality of the sciences and drive the scientific, cultural and economic development of Slovenia's poorest region.

Parliament confirms space activities legislation

LJUBLJANA - Parliament passed the act on the supervision of space activities, which will regulate space activities in the country and set up a register of space objects. The legislation was drawn up due to a rapid development in space technologies in recent years and lays the foundations for further development of the Slovenian space sector.

Amendment expands eligibility for war victim compensation

LJUBLJANA - Parliament passed changes to the act on the rights of victims of the 1991 Independence War expanding the right to compensation to the family members of victims who were civilians. It is estimated 10 children and 15 spouses or parents of civilian victims will benefit from the law, which was endorsed by an overwhelming majority of MPs.

Efforts under way to get Ukrainian child refugees to school

LOGATEC - A total of 87 school children from Ukraine have found refuge in an aliens centre in Logatec. The state is now looking for solutions to integrate them in the education system as soon as possible, Education Minister Simona Kustec said. Until all kids get formal refugee status, they will be involved in after-class activities. One head teacher proposed that distance learning from Ukraine should be organised on the premises of the primary schools.

International campaign launched in support of Friday protests figurehead

LJUBLJANA - The Slovenian chapter of Amnesty International launched an international campaign in a bid to get the Slovenian authorities to withdraw their claims for Jaša Jenull, one of the figureheads of Friday's bicycle protests, to pay for the costs of policing of anti-government rallies. The urgent campaign will see members of the human rights organisation from all over the world call on Prime Minister Janez Janša for the compensation claims amounting to tens of thousands of euros to be withdrawn, something the organisation has already done.

Children of the Mist wins human rights award at Ljubljana docu fest

LJUBLJANA - Children of the Mist, an exploration of a child marriage tradition persisting among an ethnic minority in Vietnam, won the Amnesty International Slovenia Award as the Ljubljana Documentary Film Festival wrapped up. The jury said the winning documentary treated "the complex theme in a way that does not even need to be understood, as the consequences of depriving an individual of the right to choose their future are felt through film images".

Slovenia, France sign education cooperation agreement

LJUBLJANA - Slovenia and France have signed an agreement on cooperation in primary and secondary education for 2022-2025 that supports teaching and learning French in the Slovenian education system. The agreement was signed by Education Minister Simona Kustec, director of the National Education Institute Vinko Logaj and French Ambassador Florence Ferrari.

Mastnak third in World Cup parallel giant slalom in Rogla

ROGLA - Snowboarder Tim Mastnak finished third in the men's Snowboard World Cup parallel giant slalom in Rogla in what is his first podium finish at the home venue in Slovenia. The silver medallist in the discipline from the Beijing Olympics finished behind Italy's Edwin Coratti and Oskar Kwiatkowski of Poland. This was a third World Cup win for Coratti in Rogla, who was followed in the second place by Kwiatkowski, who eliminated both Slovenian representatives ahead of his finals encounter with the Italian.

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Janša meeting Zelensky in Kyiv with Polish and Czech PMs

LJUBLJANA - Prime Minister Janez Janša and his Polish and Czech counterparts, Mateusz Morawiecki and Petr Fiala, are headed for Kyiv to meet Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal. Janša tweeted that the purpose of the visit was to send Ukraine the message that it would soon be on the path towards the EU. "Ukraine is an European country. Every path in Ukraine is an European path. Soon, it will be an EU path, too," he said on Twitter.

Slovenian, Austrian presidents call for immediate ceasefire in Ukraine

VIENNA, Austria - Slovenian President Borut Pahor and Austria's Alexander Van der Bellen made an appeal for an immediate ceasefire in Ukraine, as they issued a joint statement following a meeting. "we condemn the Russian war aggression against Ukraine and calls for an immediate ceasefire to end the suffering of innocent people," reads the joint statement. The presidents also welcomed the decision by Kyiv and Moscow to continue negotiations. "Only political dialogue can lead to peace," they said.

Pahor says West wants ceasefire, talks and peace

LJUBLJANA - President Borut Pahor said in an interview with current affairs show Studio City on Monday that the goal of the West was not to change the regime in Russia but to secure a ceasefire, diplomatic negotiations and peace. He stressed Russia must take the first step towards solving the conflict. "It is very important in any war who has the moral advantage and why. At this point, Russia is behind in that sense, so it must take the first step towards a ceasefire, perhaps even unconditionally," Pahor said.

Kövesi concerned about govt pressure on prosecution, judiciary

BRUSSELS, Belgium - European Chief Prosecutor Laura Kövesi discussed challenges in cooperation with Slovenia at a joint session of the European Parliament's Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs, and the Budgetary Control Committee. She said the delay in appointment of Slovenia's delegated prosecutors had affected some investigations of the European Public Prosecutor's Office in other countries. Justice Minister Marjan Dikaučič rejected several of her comments.

Slovenia prepared to receive patients from Ukraine

LJUBLJANA - Slovenia is prepared to receive Ukrainians in need of urgent treatment and supports the Polish proposal for the transfer of patients, Health Minister Janez Poklukar said after an online meeting of the EU health ministers. Poklukar added that Slovenia's Health Ministry was actively involved in finding solutions for providing solidarity assistance to the Ukrainian population, in cooperation with the Civil Protection Service and several government bodies.

Fuel prices capped as heating oil price surges

LJUBLJANA - The prices of the two best-selling fuels, regular and diesel, are capped for a month starting today. Regular will cost 1,503 per litre, about six cents below the lowest price at the pump on Monday, and diesel will be capped at EUR 1,541, roughly 13 cents cheaper, under the government's decision on Monday. Meanwhile, heating oil prices rose by more than 24% to EUR 1.264 a litre. Only margins on heating oil have been capped since November 2021.

Trade unions opt out of meeting with education minister

LJUBLJANA - Trade unions representing employees in education and higher education, who went on strike last week demanding higher wages, decided not to attend a meeting with Education Minister Simona Kustec that was scheduled today after the Education Ministry insisted that the meeting be broadcast live via Facebook. Kustec invited trade unions to talks to discuss "open issues" and find possible solutions to the public sector pay system that could be introduced after the election.

Prices of imported oil and gas up 38% in a month

LJUBLJANA - Prices of imported crude oil and natural gas rose by almost 38% in January on the month before, which compares to a 2.3% overall increase in the prices of imported products. At the annual level oil and gas prices surged by 485%, whereas import prices overall rose by just over 26%, show the latest figures by Slovenia's Statistics Office.

Daily coronavirus case count highest in a month

LJUBLJANA - Slovenia confirmed 4,202 new cases of coronavirus on Monday, an increase of nearly a third compared to the week before and the highest daily figure in almost a month. The 7-day average of new cases is now at 2,149 and the 14-day notification rate per 100,000 of the population at 1,300, up by 152 and 80, respectively, from the day before, according to the National Institute of Public Health.

Talum reports no major damage due to Ukraine crisis so far

KIDRIČEVO - Talum, the Kidričevo-based aluminium manufacturer, has not any suffered significant damage as a direct result of the ongoing crisis in Ukraine so far, said CEO Marko Drobnič at an online forum of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry. However, he did warn of the effect of energy price hikes. According to him, the most significant influence of the Ukraine crisis is reflected indirectly in the already problematic increases of energy prices, as Talum is the most energy-intensive company in Slovenia.

Retailers rush to assure consumers of stable food supply

LJUBLJANA - The Chamber of Commerce (TZS) assured the public of sufficient food stocks and undisrupted supply chains in Slovenia as it denied reports that store shelves were empty. The chamber has conducted a survey among retailers, who have reported back that the supply of food and other products continues as per usual and stocks are sufficient. "Consumers can be perfectly calm. Retailers have sufficient stocks of foodstuffs. Supplies are running smoothly," TZS chairman Mariča Lah said in a press release.

Ajdovščina and Solčava win development breakthrough awards

LJUBLJANA - Ajdovščina won this year's Golden Stone award for the biggest development breakthrough among Slovenia's 212 municipalities. The award went to the municipality in western Slovenia as it "systematically put young people at the heart of its development strategy, introduced participatory budgeting and became highly self-sufficient in terms of energy". Solčava won the award in the small municipality category, and Logatec received the award for the healthiest municipality.

Tackling precarious work should be priority for next govt, debate hears

LJUBLJANA - Fighting precarious work should be one of the priorities of the next government, several politicians agreed at an online debate hosted by the Slovenian Press Agency (STA) in cooperation with the Ljubljana School of Economics and Business. They called for a definition of precarious work, measures to bring the rights of precarious workers closer to those of regular employees, and stricter labour inspections.

AmCham event notes importance of robust legal framework

LJUBLJANA - Participants in an AmCham event called for a robust and predictable legal and institutional framework and a functioning rule of law as a prerequisite for economic successful and to attract investment and talent. They also urged measures to boost domestic private investment and domestic capital accumulation. Jurist Matej Avbelj criticised slow resolution of disputes and legislative hypertrophy. He and NLB bank CEO Blaž Brodnjak also noted the damaging effect of the Swiss franc loan act.

Banks approve EUR 130m for broadband internet project

LJUBLJANA - Four major European banks, including the EBRD, will invest EUR 130 million in the RUNE project to build broadband optical networks in rural parts of Slovenia and Croatia. Rune Enia, the company in charge of the project in Slovenia, said so far, 90,000 addresses had been connected to the network in the two countries. The goal is to connect 200,000 addresses in Slovenia and almost 150,000 in Croatia. The project is already co-funded by the EU and the European Investment Bank.

Brežice hospital ordered to pay EUR 81,000 in damages

KRŠKO - The newspapers Delo and Slovenske Novice reported that the Krško District Court ordered the Brežice general hospital to pay EUR 81,238 in damages to the relatives of a 61-year-old cardiac patient who died after the hospital failed to transfer him to Ljubljana for treatment on time. Both sides have appealed against the ruling. Court-appointed witnesses the man would have a great chance of survival if he was moved to an institution suitable for treatment of such a patient on time in January 2012.

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Govt sets maximum prices of fuel

LJUBLJANA - In order to tackle the rising energy prices, the government capped retail prices for fuels at service stations. From Tuesday, regular petrol will cost EUR 1.503 per litre, about six cents below the lowest price at the pump on Monday, and diesel will cost EUR 1.541, roughly 13 cents cheaper. The cap will be in force for 30 days, said Economy Minister Zdravko Počivalšek. Announcing this earlier, PM Janez Janša said the government would not allow any speculation on the fuel prices market.

Janša accuses Russia of "ethnic cleansing" in Ukraine

LJUBLJANA - Prime Minister Janez Janša accused Russia of conducting ethnic cleansing in Ukraine as he drew parallels between the current situation in Ukraine and the war in Bosnia-Herzegovina during questions time in parliament. "This is not just war or aggression, it is simply the ethnic cleansing of the coastal area along the Black Sea," he said, adding that the Russian army was trying to displace hundreds of thousands of people.

Pahor meeting Van der Bellen over Ukraine on Tuesday

VIENNA, Austria - President Borut Pahor will start a two-day visit to Vienna on Tuesday. He will first meet Austrian President Alexander Van der Bellen to discuss Russia's military aggression in Ukraine and efforts to end it as soon as possible, and establish dialogue that could lead towards a peaceful solution. The next day, Pahor will give a talk at the Diplomatic Academy of Vienna on the Western Balkans and the war in Ukraine and its implications for European and global peace.

Slovenia, US complete second strategic dialogue

LJUBLJANA - Slovenia and the US affirmed historical friendship and shared values as they completed the second strategic dialogue in Ljubljana led by Political Director at the Foreign Ministry Jernej Müller and Deputy Assistant Secretary Robin Dunnigan from the US Department of State's Bureau of European and Eurasian Affairs. The officials exchanged views on the latest developments in Eastern Europe and its neighbourhood, including their joint condemnation of the war in Ukraine.

Army plans significant equipment purchases this year

LJUBLJANA - The Slovenian Armed Forces (SAF) is planning significant equipment purchases this year, including a new transport aircraft, new helicopters, 8x8 armoured vehicles, cargo vehicles, communication and information systems and ground sensors, the Defence Ministry's logistics director Uroš Korošec said. The purchases are not related to the current security situation in Europe, but have been planned in advance, he added.

Slovenia to send aid to Slovakia in face of refugee influx

LJUBLJANA - Slovenia will send material assistance to Slovakia in the face of an increasing flow of refugees from Ukraine under a decision taken at the government's correspondence session. The estimated value of the aid is nearly EUR 380,000. The assistance will be in the form of sleeping bags, blankets, diesel generators and protective masks, the Government Communications Office said.

Administrative units returning to business as usual

LJUBLJANA - Administrative units will return to business as usual after the government revoked a decree that severely restricted in-person operations by requiring that customers schedule appointments for services such as issuance of documents. Clients will no longer have to do this now, but the option of scheduling will remain, the Government Communications Office said.

Slovenia, Croatia, Italy launch hydrogen valley cooperation

ZAGREB, Croatia - Infrastructure Ministry State Secretary Blaž Košorok signed a letter of intent with his Croatian colleague Ivo Miletić and Massimiliano Fedriga, president of the Italian region Friuli Venezia-Giulia, to boost cooperation in building a cross-border hydrogen valley in the North Adriatic. The collaboration will contribute to efforts to achieve the targets set out in the European Green Deal and the European Hydrogen Strategy, the ministry said.

Slovenia just below EU average in barriers to wind and solar energy

LJUBLJANA - Slovenia ranks just below EU average in terms of barriers to wind and solar energy projects, with the biggest obstacle being the difficulty integrating such projects in spatial and environmental planning, the European Climate Foundation found in the first-of-its-kind report. The report puts Slovenia's barrier index at 0.82, which compares to 0.83 for the 27 EU countries and the UK. Slovenia thus ranks 18th among the EU countries and the UK.

Slovenia 7th in EU Commission's Transitions Performance Index

BRUSSELS, Belgium - Slovenia ranks seventh among all EU member states in the European Commission's Transitions Performance Index (TPI), a scoreboard that monitors and ranks countries based on implementation of sustainability policies between 2011 and 2020. The bloc has made an average progress of 4.9%, while the global rate was 4.3%. Slovenia's progress was 5%, the European Commission said.

Slovenian politicians regret the death of Erhard Busek

LJUBLJANA - Slovenian politicians, including Prime Minister Janez Janša, expressed regret at the news that Erhard Busek, former vice-chancellor of Austria, has died aged 80. The expert on the Western Balkans was considered Slovenia's ally, including during the country's independence efforts, and an advocate of Slovenia's EU accession. "Rest in peace, dear Erhard, we will never forget your support for Slovenia in the most challenging times," Janša wrote.

Ljubljana airport upbeat about summer season

BRNIK - Ljubljana airport plans to offer flights to several new destinations in the summer season that starts at the end of the month. Talks are still under way, but 16 airlines are expected to fly to 20 destinations, and several new charter flights are also planned. The airport's operator Fraport Slovenija said the increased demand showed the European aviation was recovering from the Covid-19 pandemic. The company expects passenger numbers to double this year compared with 2021 to 52% of the 2019 figure.

Ljubljana sign infrastructure deal with govt

LJUBLJANA - Ljubljana Mayor Zoran Janković and Infrastructure Minister Jernej Vrtovec signed a protocol to continue infrastructure projects and an agreement to develop railway stations in the capital. A total of 11 projects have been identified, including construction of underpasses under railway lines. The value of the planned projects and the timeline of the construction is not defined but Vrtovec said the state would earmark "tens of millions of euros".

New Ljubljana park named in honour of the erased

LJUBLJANA - A park in Ljubljana will be named in honour of some 25,000 nationals of former Yugoslav republics who were unlawfully erased from Slovenia's permanent residence register thirty years ago under a proposal confirmed by the City Council. The proposal was put forward by Amnesty International Slovenia and the Civil Initiative of Erased Persons.

Slovenians firmly on Ukraine's side, poll shows

LJUBLJANA - In Russia's war against Ukraine, Slovenians overwhelmingly support Ukraine and a plurality think Russia is to blame for the war, though many feel all sides are to blame, shows a poll carried by Dnevnik and Večer. More than a half of respondents fear that the war will spread to other countries, under a quarter said this was a local war, and 15% expressed the fear that the war will end with a nuclear confrontation.

Another poll shows gap narrowing between Freedom Movement and SDS

LJUBLJANA - The Freedom Party continues to lead the field in the latest poll run by the newspaper Delo, polling at 18.8%, but just like in a poll released a couple of days ago it has lost its margin ahead of the ruling Democrats (SDS). However, pollsters somewhat changed the methodology since. The approval rating for the government is up too.

Insurer Grawe's annual net profit drops by a quarter

MARIBOR - The Slovenian subsidiary of Austrian insurance group Grawe last year collected EUR 47.7 million in gross revenue from insurance premiums, which is 1.2% more year-on-year, while net profit was down by a quarter to EUR 1 million. The number of concluded insurance policies increased by 2.7% compared to 2020 to 408,839, Zavarovalnica Grawe said, noting that gross revenue from insurance premiums for 2021 was the highest in the last 31 years.

Cleangrad develops first sliding airtight doors for cleanrooms

LJUTOMER - Cleangrad, a Ljutomer company specialising in design and construction of cleanrooms, has become the world's first to develop sliding airtight doors for cleanrooms. A total of 25 such doors have been ordered so far, and if the demand increases, a new production facility will be built solely for this product. CEO Jernej Zupančič said the company had EUR 13 million worth of orders for this year after sales rose by EUR 1 million to EUR 18.5 million in 2021. They will celebrate 20th anniversary in June.

Steady climb in Covid-19 cases continues

LJUBLJANA - Slovenia logged 907 new coronavirus cases on Sunday, up 19% from the same day a week ago. Five more patients with Covid-19 died, Health Ministry data shows. A total of 233 patients are treated in hospitals due to Covid-19, including 59 in intensive care. This is three and five fewer, respectively, than yesterday and 22 and 15 fewer than a week ago. The 7-day average of new cases is now at 1,997 and the 14-day notification rate per 100,000 of the population at 1,220.

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This summary is provided by the STA:

Connecting Slovenia believe they will decide next govt

CELJE - Economy Minister Zdravko Počivalšek is confident that the alliance Connecting Slovenia, which also includes his party Concretely, will decide what the next government will be like. He urged voters on Saturday to secure them a double-digit vote needed for that. They will run with 88 candidates in the election, including four out of the five leaders of the parties making up the movement; Počivalšek plus Andrej Čuš (Greens), Franc Kangler (New People's Party), Andrej Magajna (New Social Democracy), and the movement's coordinator Nada Pavšer.

Janša says Slovenia to reach development peak under SDS leadership

LJUBLJANA - The ruling Democrats (SDS) marked their 33rd anniversary on Saturday. On the occasion, the party's head and Prime Minister Janez Janša said that under the leadership of the SDS, Slovenia would in a few years' time be among the most developed countries in the world. He noted that the developments in Ukraine would decide the future of Europe and its neighbourhood. There is a lot at stake, he said, and many of those who hold the instruments to do more are not fully aware of this.

Whistleblower Ivan Gale becomes head of new party Our Future

LJUBLJANA - The recently-established non-parliamentary party Our Future elected on Saturday Ivan Gale, a former senior employee of the Commodity Reserves Agency and a prominent whistleblower, as its president. Violeta Bulc, the former European commissioner, has become the party's vice president. The party, which will present its candidate list for the upcoming election in the coming days, will unveil its platform at its congress in April.

Covid cases continue to rise

LJUBLJANA - Slovenia confirmed 1,108 new coronavirus infections on Saturday, up by 18% on the same day a week ago, as cases have been waxing for the ninth day in a row. A total of 172 patients were hospitalised due to Covid-19 this morning, including 64 in intensive care, down by 66 and five in daily comparison, respectively. Another six people with Covid died, according to government data.

Jaklitsch visits Slovenians in Sarajevo

SARAJEVO, Bosnia and Herzegovina - Minister for Slovenians Abroad Helena Jaklitsch continued her visit to Bosnia and Herzegovina on Saturday, meeting representatives of Slovenian communities from Sarajevo and from several other Bosnian cities or towns, including Kakanj, Breza and Zenica, her office said. She also visited the Slovenian Embassy in Sarajevo.

Ljubljana university holds meeting of Central-European universities

LJUBLJANA - The University of Ljubljana hosted on Saturday senior officials of the League of European Research Universities (LERU) and the chancellors of Central-European universities (CE7). The meeting was dedicated to the EU's development in research, innovation and education, as well as responses to the war in Ukraine in support of the academic-research community.

Slovenia win gold at Ski Flying World Championships

VIKERSUND, Norway - Slovenian ski jumpers Domen Prevc, Peter Prevc, Timi Zajc and Anže Lanišek scored a convincing win in the men's team event at the Ski Flying World Championships in Vikersund, Norway. Slovenia beat their closest pursuers, Germany, by 128 points to bag their ninth World Championships medal, including their third gold. Germany won silver and bronze went to Norway.

Podium sweep for Slovenia's female ski jumpers in Oberhof

OBERHOF, Germany - Slovenia's ski jumpers Urša Bogataj, Nika Križnar and Ema Klinec placed first, second and third, respectively, at the last women's ski jumping World Cup event of the season in Oberhof, Germany. Another Slovenian finished in the top ten - Špela Rogelj, who placed sixth in what was the last event of her career. It was confirmed that Zoran Zupančič was stepping down as the team's head coach.

Pogačar defends Tirreno-Adriatico title

ANCONA, Italy - Slovenia's cyclist Tadej Pogačar (UAE Team Emirates) won the Tirreno-Adriatico race, which goes from the western shores of Italy to the eastern coast, for the second time in a row. So far, he has won all the three races of this season he competed in. Denmark's Jonas Vingegaard (Jumbo-Visma) placed second overall and Spain's Mikel Landa (Bahrain-Victorious) was third.

Roglič wins Paris-Nice race

NICE, France - Slovenian rider Primož Roglič (Jumbo-Visma) won the Paris-Nice race after he held on to his advantage by finishing third in the final stage. This is his second win so far this season. Roglič's main rival in the race, Brit Simon Yates (BikeExchange-Jayco), was second overall, and Colombia's Daniel Martinez (Ineos Grenadiers) was third.

Kristoffersen wins another Vitranc Cup event

KRANJSKA GORA - Norway's Henrik Kristoffersen won another of the two World Cup giant slalom races for the 61st Vitranc Cup in Kranjska Gora. Austria's Stefan Brennsteiner was second and Switzerland's Marco Odermatt third. The only Slovenian competitor in the race, Žan Kranjec, again finished tenth.

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Defence minister visits Logatec refugee centre

LOGATEC - Defence Minister Matej Tonin visited the refugee accommodation centre in Logatec, assessing that Ukrainian refugees are well taken care of. "Slovenia has once again shown its sensitivity to fellow human beings and proved its humanitarian face," Tonin was quoted as saying in a press release from the Defence Ministry. He thanked Logatec people for the warm welcome they had given to the Ukrainian refugees. Tonin heads the taskforce coordinating humanitarian and technical aid for Ukraine.

Second shipment of Caritas Slovenia aid arrives in Ukraine

LJUBLJANA - A second shipment of aid raised by Caritas Slovenia for Ukraine, comprising 33 pallets of food, blankets, medicines and toiletries, reached the most threatened parts of the country such as Kharkiv, Dnipro and Vinnytsia. The charity thanked the company Intersport for a donation of sleeping bags and air beds and the Slovenian Medical Chamber for emergency medical supplies, as well as to the people raising aid. Several Slovenian companies and charities are contributing to the relief effort.

SDS nearly tied with Freedom Movement in Ninamedia poll

LJUBLJANA - Prime Minister Janez Janša's Democrats (SDS) have nearly caught up with the Freedom Movement, the party of Robert Golob, as the voters' top choice in the latest poll conducted by Ninamedia for four newspapers. The Election 2022 poll shows the Freedom Movement losing 0.2 percentage points to 21% and the SDS gaining 1.1 point to 20.2% with a total of eight parties projected to make it to parliament in the 24 April general election. Golob's party is projected to win 24 seats and the SDS 23.

Ex-PM vows to protect country from second financial disaster

NOVA GORICA - Alenka Bratušek invoked her brief stint as prime minister nine years ago during the time Slovenia was on the verge of default as she told voters they could trust her party and its allies to prevent a second financial catastrophe that she said Slovenia was racing to. Bratušek addressed an event in Nova Gorica to present her SAB party's candidates for the 24 April general election, including all six current MPs as well as three former ministers, discounting Bratušek.

Minister meets Slovenian communities in Bosnia-Herzegovina

BANJA LUKA, Bosnia-Herzegovina - Minister for Slovenians Abroad Helena Jaklitsch learned about the different ways in which Slovenian communities in Bosnia-Herzegovina foster their heritage and traditions as she visited Prijedor, Slatina and Banja Luka as part of her three-day tour of the country. The minister visited Kakanj in central Bosnia today and is due to meet Sarajevo Deputy Mayor Anja Margetić in the capital on Sunday before wrapping up her tour in Tuzla.

Slovenia's Covid-19 curve up for over a week

LJUBLJANA - A total of 2,257 people tested positive for coronavirus in Slovenia on Friday, up nearly a quarter from week ago as the case count has been rising for the eighth day running. Five patients died, shows data released by the health Ministry. A total of 238 patients remain hospitalised due to Covid-19, including 69 in intensive care, which is roughly on a par with the day before. The 14-day notification rate per 100,000 of the population is now at 1,199, up by 22 from the previous day.

One migrant killed, ten injured in road accident

CELJE - One person was killed and ten were injured in an accident involving a van carrying illegal migrants on the Štajerska leg of the A1 motorway just after Friday midnight. The police said the driver who caused the accident fled the scene on foot. He was carrying 11 illegal migrants in the van in the direction of Ljubljana as he swerved into the metal barrier on the Tepanje-Dramlje section north-east of Celje. The van rolled over several times. Two of the injured sustained serious injuries.

Timi Zajc wins silver at Ski Flying World Championships

VIKERSUND, Norway - Timi Zajc won silver at the Ski Flying World Championships in Vikersund, Norway, for what is the 8th medal for Slovenia since the first championship in Planica 50 years ago. Despite clinching the event's longest distances of 243.5 and 235.5 metres, Zajc was pipped to the gold by Beijing Olympic champion Marius Lindvik of Norway. World record holder Stefan Kraft of Austria won bronze. Three more Slovenians placed between 4th and 6th spots, which augurs well ahead of the team event on Sunday.

Another double win for Slovenian women ski jumpers

OBERHOF, Germany - Olympic champion Urša Bogataj won the penultimate event of the women's Ski Jumping World Cup in Oberhof ahead of Nika Križnar for the second double World Cup victory for Slovenian women ski jumpers this season. This is Bogataj's second individual World Cup career victory. Ema Klinec placed 5th and Germany's Katharina Althaus was third. Austrian Marita Kramer has already secured the overall World Cup victory ahead of Kržnar and Bogataj. Slovenia is in the lead in the Nations' Cup.

Kristoffersen wins first leg of Vitranc Cup

KRANJSKA GORA - Norway's Henrik Kristoffersen won the first of the two World Cup giant slalom races for the 61st Vitranc Cup in Kranjska Gora. His teammate Lucas Braathen tied for second with the Swiss Marco Odermatt, who secured the victory in the overall World Cup giant slalom standings this season. The only Slovenian skier to compete, Žan Kranjec missed the podium after finishing third in the first run, placing 10th, one spot ahead of France's Alexis Pinturault, who was in the lead after the first run.

Couch Festival blurs line between stage and crowd

MARIBOR - More than 120 kitchens, living rooms, backyards and other private spaces across the country will double as performance venues at Couch Festival, a unique event series which blurs the line between performers and spectators. Over a hundred groups from Slovenia and abroad will perform genres including folk music, world music and jazz, or put on stage performances and puppet shows. The events are held in private spaces whose location is not revealed until the visitor has bought the ticket.

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Parliament endorses tax cuts

LJUBLJANA - The National Assembly endorsed amendments to the income tax act that bring higher take-home pay across the board, lower tax on capital gains, and a lower top tax rate. The legislation was slated for passage late last year but was put on the back burner because the coalition did not have a majority in parliament and due to the threat of a referendum pushed for by the Left. After Prime Minister Janez Janša raised the prospect of holding the referendum along with the general election in April, the Left abandoned the plan.

Pahor repeats call for diplomatic solution to Ukraine war

ANTALYA, Turkey - Addressing the Antalya Diplomacy Forum, President Borut Pahor issued an appeal for an all-out effort to end the war in Ukraine and find a diplomatic solution to the conflict, as he repeated that he was against NATO imposing a no-fly zone in Ukraine. "We must do all in our power to bring about an immediate ceasefire in Ukraine and to encourage the two sides to find a diplomatic solution," Pahor said. He also reiterated that it would be wrong to impose a no-fly zone over Ukraine, saying Ukraine needed to be helped in other ways. Pahor also held talks with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

Janša tells Bloomberg "much more" needs to be done about Russia

PARIS, France - Prime Minister Janez Janša has told Bloomberg TV that it is evident war crimes are taking place in Ukraine and that Russia is denying it. "We should not tolerate this, we need to do much more than we are doing now". "We have seen such horrible pictures also in the recent history, in Vukovar and Sarajevo, and the same denying and the same propaganda going on," Janša said in an interview for the US television network on the sidelines of the EU summit in Paris.

Minister calls for immediate embargo on Russian oil and gas

LJUBLJANA - Infrastructure Minister Jernej Vrtovec called on the EU to impose an embargo on the imports of Russian oil and gas as soon as possible, arguing that the only way to secure peace in Ukraine is to stop funding Russia's aggression with oil and gas purchases. "Peace does not and cannot have a price in the EU. Human life does not have a price," he said. Slovenia will try to get additional gas supplies from north Africa via Italy and Croatia.

Hungarian official raises dust by saying Mura is border with Slovenia

LJUBLJANA - High-ranking Slovenian politicians have condemned a statement by a Hungarian Secretary of State for National Policy Árpád János Potápi, who labelled Mura as the border between Slovenia and Hungary, although the river actually runs between 20 and 30 kilometres from the current official border. The Foreign Ministry immediately summoned Ambassador Andor F. David and demanded an explanation. The Hungarian embassy said the statement was a "slip of the tongue".

Vasle says ECB decisions aimed at stabilising inflation at 2%

LJUBLJANA - Banka Slovenije Governor Boštjan Vasle commented on Thursday's decision of the European Central Bank (ECB) to keep key interest rates at a record-low level saying that the goal was to stabilise inflation in the medium term at the two-percent target. The Slovenian central bank governor said that members of the ECB General Council had adjusted the monetary policy given the solid economic activity, increasing inflation and growing uncertainty.

Constitutional Court stays Swiss franc act

LJUBLJANA - The Constitutional Court stayed a controversial act on Swiss franc loans, legislation challenged by nine banks which say it is be detrimental to banks and the economy as a whole. The court said enactment of the law, which entered into force at the end of February, was suspended until it has reached a final decision.

Staff protest as new editor named at public TV web portal

LJUBLJANA - Jadranka Rebernik, the new editor-in-chief of news programme at TV Slovenija, has appointed Igor Pirkovič as acting editor of the public broadcaster's web portal MMC. This has invited protest from the staff, who say Pirkovič is biased in favour of the ruling party and is not qualified for the job. Questions have also been raised about the appointment procedure, which has been described as unlawful.

Daily Covid cases up 19% week-on-week

LJUBLJANA - A total of 2,225 new coronavirus cases were confirmed in Slovenia on Thursday, a 19% increase on the same day a week ago. This is the seventh consecutive day that the case count has been rising week on week. Hospitalisations meanwhile continued to decrease, totalling 249 this morning, down by nine. This includes 68 Covid patients requiring intensive care, or six fewer than the day before. Five Covid patients died yesterday.

Task force established to coordinate assistance to Ukraine

LJUBLJANA - The government established at a correspondence session on Thursday an inter-ministerial task force to coordinate assistance to Ukraine, including the collection, storage, transportation and handover of humanitarian and technical aid to the affected population in the country. The task force is led by the defence minister.

Charter flights from Italy to revive Maribor airport in summer

MARIBOR - The Maribor airport has not seen charter flights for three years and things are expected to change this summer as the Slovenia Guide agency announced weekly charter flights from Bolzano, Pisa and Naples, with the first arrival scheduled for 30 June. As the project manager and director of the tourism company BMG Božidar Dokl told the STA, the idea was to connect providers of tourist services from the east of the country, while also not neglecting the rest of Slovenia.

Cross-country skier Lampič 2nd in World Cup sprint in Falun

FALUN, Sweden - Slovenian cross-country skier Anamarija Lampič finished second in the women's World Cup sprint in Falun, 8.41 seconds behind the winner, Jonna Sundling of Sweden. Lampič was more than a second ahead of another Swede, Maja Dahlqvist.