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234 new coronavirus cases confirmed on Sunday

LJUBLJANA - Slovenia confirmed 234 new cases of coronavirus for Sunday, a week-on-week increase of more than 60%. The test positivity stood at 16.4%, show the latest data by the National Institute of Public Health (NIJZ). The 14-day incidence per 100,000 population rose by six to 323 and the seven-day rolling average of new daily cases rose to 550. Data released by the government shows 217 patients were treated for Covid-19 in hospitals this morning, including 45 in intensive care.

PCT rule expanded to number of activities

LJUBLJANA - As of today, the recovered-vaccinated-tested (PCT) rule is expanded to a number of sectors, including for staff in healthcare, public administration, education and training, social care, in-person retail and services, cultural activities, religious education and religious services. Masks are meanwhile mandatory in all indoor public spaces, and outdoors when it is not possible to keep a distance of at least 1.5 metres.

Slovenia can expect first EU recovery funds soon

BRUSSELS, Belgium - Slovenia can expect the first transfer of funds under the EU's recovery and resilience instrument very soon, European Commission Executive Vice-President Valdis Dombrovskis said after a virtual session of EU finance ministers. Finance Minister Andrej Šircelj said the financing agreement had already been signed and submitted to the Commission last week. Slovenia is entitled to an advance payment of EUR 231 million, which represents 13% of its EUR 2.5 billion national recovery and resilience plan.

Supreme Court says govt has duty to fund STA

LJUBLJANA/BELGIUM, Brussels - The Supreme Court reversed a decision by the Administrative Court to stay the government regulation on STA public service while saying the state has a duty to provide financing to the STA under the STA law and a provision in the 7th coronavirus relief law regardless of whether the annual agreement between the STA and the Government Communication Office (UKOM) has been signed or not and irrespective of the regulation. The STA welcomed the decision as an important precedent, dismissing UKOM's excuses for not paying the STA, while UKOM said the court upheld its arguments. This was as the European Commission made a renewed call on the Slovenian authorities to ensure independence and appropriate financing of the STA public service and President Borut Pahor said he would host the heads of the STA and UKOM tomorrow in a bid to resolve the issue.

Conference stresses role of nuclear energy in transition to low-carbon society

BLED - The 30th international conference Nuclear Energy for a New Europe 2021 opened in Bled, bringing together a record 220 experts from over 20 countries. The Nuclear Society of Slovenia (DJS), the organiser, stressed that nuclear energy, together with renewables, has the potential to play a key role in shaping a carbon-free energy future. The four-day conference is designed to foster ties between Slovenian and foreign nuclear experts, providing an opportunity for cooperation and know-how exchange.

Automotive giant Magna's Slovenian plant to be relaunched in early 2022

HOČE - Magna Steyr's Slovenian plant will relaunch production at the start of 2022, Magna Steyer vice president Erwin Fandl and David Adam, director of the Slovenian Magna plant in Hoče, told the press after meeting the Slovenian government and local authorities. Fandl said production would gradually return to the Hoče paint shop after almost a year and a half since the outbreak of the Covid-19 epidemic, as most of the Hoče employees had been working at the company's plant in Austria's Graz. Despite a difficult year, the Slovenian plant finished 2020 with a net profit of EUR 1.3 million.

Ban imposed on rallies of Covid deniers in front of RTV Slovenija

LJUBLJANA - The Ljubljana Administrative Unit acted upon a proposal from Ljubljana police to ban rallies of the coronavirus deniers who stormed the public broadcaster RTV Slovenija's headquarters on Friday. It told the STA the decision on the ban will enter into force as it is handed to the organiser of the rallies on Tuesday, 7 September. RTV Slovenija has filed criminal complaints against all those involved in Friday's incident, and plans to boost security.

Justice minister reportedly suspected of tax evasion

LJUBLJANA - Justice Minister Marjan Dikaučič is suspected of tax evasion at his previous job with prosecutors waiting since August 2020 for the court to decide on its motion to open a formal investigation, the news web portal 24ur reported. Dikaučič, who denies all allegations, faces charges of tax evasion and document falsification as the person in charge of the company BGA and the company Prevozi Žižek in receivership. Dikaučič told the portal he had handed the entire documentation to the police and had been heard by the court in 2019. "Since my signature on the documents was obviously falsified, I proposed to the court for a graphologist to verify the authenticity of the signature," he explained.

Army starts three-week training with allied forces

LJUBLJANA - The Slovenian Armed Forces are starting two military exercises to train with members of allied forces on the ground and in the air in several parts of Slovenia until 23 September. The first exercise, Rock Kleščman, will feature up to 950 Slovenian and US soldiers training infantry combat procedures assisted by aircraft and mortars. The second, Triglav Star 21, will bring together around 300 members of the Slovenian, British and US soldiers.

Union of blind and visually impaired receives Golden Order of Merit

LJUBLJANA - President Borut Pahor presented the Golden Order of Merit to the Union of Associations of the Blind and Partially Sighted of Slovenia. The union has earned the distinction through its success in promoting new and original solutions to the fundamental issues of blindness and visual impairment, according to Pahor's office.

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Janša and Borrell discuss Afghanistan, Western Balkans

LJUBLJANA - PM Janez Janša hosted EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Josep Borrell for working dinner on Saturday evening to discuss Afghanistan and the Western Balkans, Janša's office said in a press release. The pair discussed the most topical challenges of the EU, with the focus on the situation in Afghanistan and the related migration challenges, while the Western Balkans were discussed as part of preparations for an EU summit with Western Balkan countries the Slovenian EU presidency will host in October. Janša and Borrell met after Borrell attended informal meetings of EU foreign ministers and defence ministers in Slovenia earlier this week.

* Slovenia's Primož Roglič wins Vuelta race for third time

SANTIAGO DE COMPOSTELA, Spain - Slovenian cycling star Primož Roglič (Jumbo-Visma) won the Spanish race Vuelta a Espana for the third year running after winning Sunday's 33.8 km time trial for his fourth stage win at this year's race. He increased his advantage over Spanish runner-up Enric Mas (Movistar) during the last stage to 4:42 minutes, capping the victory in the final meters by catching and overtaking Mas. The Tokyo Olympic champion in time trial thus became only the third rider to win three consecutive Vueltas, after Swiss Tony Rominger (1992-1994) and Spain's Roberto Heras (2003-2005). In his first statement after the victory, Roglič said he was proud to be able to write Slovenia's and the world's cycling history.

317 coronavirus cases recorded on Saturday for 18.5% positivity rate

LJUBLJANA - Slovenia recorded 317 new coronavirus cases on Saturday for a positivity rate of 18.5%, down from 19.8% a day earlier and from 19.6% a week ago, data released by the National Institute of Public Heath (NIJZ) on Sunday shows. The new daily count brings the country's rolling 7-day average to 536, up 5 from Friday, and the cumulative 14-day incidence per 100,000 residents to 317, up by 3. The Covid tracker site Sledilnik says the number of Covid-19 hospitalisations rose by 20 to 209 on Sunday morning, with 42 in intensive care, down from 44 yesterday.

Festival discusses representation of ethnic minorities in parliament

OPCINA, Italy - In its immediate neighbourhood, Slovenia is unique in that ethnic minorities have guaranteed representation in parliament. This was the main conclusion of the first discussion held as part of a festival of the Slovenian minority in Italy which opened on Friday and ended on Sunday, the minority newspaper Primorski Dnevnik has reported. The 56th Draga Study Days opened with a talk comparing levels of legally guaranteed representation in parliament in Slovenia and neighbours Italy, Austria and Hungary. Under Slovenian law, the Italian and Hungarian ethnic minorities have guaranteed one MP each in the lower chamber of parliament.

Slovenian Nazi, Fascist camp survivors meet for 60th get-together

PORTOROŽ - Ex-internees and political prisoners from Nazi and Fascist camps as well as stolen children and exiles gathered for their 60th annual get-together in Portorož. This year's event was dedicated to two anniversaries - the 60th anniversary of the first meeting of the ex-internees and the 30th anniversary of independent Slovenia. The closing ceremony was held under the auspices of President Borut Pahor, who honoured one of the main organisers, the Ravensbrück camp committee and its chairman Matjaž Špat, with a special recognition.

Work dedicated to Afghanistan wins Piran Grand Prix

PIRAN - Italian artist Miriam Elettra Vaccari won the Grand Prix of the 61st annual Ex-Tempore workshop in the seaside town of Piran for a painting entitled Homage to Kabul. By using a needle and paper, Vaccari subtly but critically commented on the controversial developments in today's world, the Ex-Tempore's judging panel said as the Ex-Tempore ended on Saturday evening after several awards were given out.

Dialogue in focus of European festival of Jewish culture

MARIBOR/LENDAVA - Six Slovenian towns joined the European Days of Jewish Heritage, a festival focusing on the diversity of Jewish heritage and its historical role which is this year held in 36 countries. "Inter-cultural dialogue, the oldest and most fundamental manner of democratic talk, is an antidote to rejection and violence," said the Maribor Synagogue, the Center of Jewish Cultural Hertiage, the national coordinator of the project in Slovenia. The synagogue opened the door to visitors today to open a visiting exhibition from the National Library of Israel termed Dialogue. In the evening, it hosted a talk with Branko Šömen about his 2020 novel about Nazi camp Auschwitz Tišina za Oči (Silence for the Eyes).

Slovenia in focus of Zagreb world literature festival

ZAGREB, Croatia - Slovenian literature is in focus of the 9th Festival of World Literature, which opened in Zagreb on Sunday evening. The festival will feature several Slovenian authors among many literary stars from a total of 16 countries, including Belarusian Nobel Prize winner Svetlana Alexievich. One of the main reasons for Slovenia to be in the focus is that it will be a guest of honour at the 2023 Frankfurt Book Fair.

Slovenia secure crucial win against Malta in World Cup qualifying

LJUBLJANA - Slovenia beat Malta 1:0 in the qualifying for the 2022 World Cup on Saturday evening, a crucial win for the team before they head to Croatia on Tuesday for round six of qualifying. The sole goal of the broadly equal match came in the 45th minute, when Sandi Lovrić scored a penalty shot. Slovenia are now third in Group H with seven points from five games. Both Russia and Croatia have ten points, having won their games against Cyprus and Slovakia, respectively.

Four injured at football match on Saturday

ŠKOFJA LOKA - Three Izola footballers and an Izola fan were rushed to the emergency room as a group of masked fans carrying bats and clubs stormed a third-league match between Škofja Loka and Izola on Saturday evening in Škofja Loka, north-west, the 24ur news portal reported. The Izola club's president Damir Skomina said the reasons for the attack remained unclear, while the Škofja Loka club's president Roman Jemec said the club had nothing to do with it. He believes it was squaring accounts among the Izola fans and the attacking fans. Unofficial information available to the portal shows Green Dragons, the fans of Ljubljana's Olimpija, were behind the attack.

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Anti-vaxxers storm RTV Slovenija HQ

LJUBLJANA - A group of coronavirus deniers and anti-vaccination protesters stormed the headquarters of the Slovenian public broadcaster on Friday evening, managing to get into the newsroom studio before the police intervened to remove them from premises and disband their protest. The group had been protesting against Covid-19 containment measures and vaccination in front of the RTV Slovenija (RTVS) headquarters for months, harassing staff and demanding air time to be able to share their truth with the public. The incident drew widespread condemnation from the ranks of politicians, RTVS and journalist associations. The police said they had unsuccessfully sought for the Ljubljana administrative unit to ban the protest after the protesters entered the RTVS HQ in the past, but failed. They will seek a ban again.

Govt expands recovered-vaccinated-tested rule

LJUBLJANA - The recovered-vaccinated-tested rule (PCT) will be expanded to staff working in a number of activities and customers in some activities starting from Monday under a new government regulation that comes amidst rising numbers of coronavirus infections and hospitals filling up quickly with Covid-19 patients. Health Minister Janez Poklukar said the new regulation would come fully into effect within seven days. Mandatory wearing of masks is also being expanded, while a new tiered strategy of Covid restrictions is to be adopted next week.

Over 700 new infections, two deaths as Covid hospitalisations climb

LJUBLJANA - Slovenia reported 741 new coronavirus cases for Friday. This was as hospitalisations climbed to 189 and intensive care cases to 44 and two patients died. Health Minister Janez Poklukar said projections were showing Slovenia was in for a tough autumn unless vaccination was stepped up. These show the fourth wave will peak in October resulting in as many as 1,000 fatalities given the reproduction number of the virus is at 2% and only 51% of the people vaccinated. Currently 47% of the population has received one dose and 43% have been fully vaccinated.

Five Afghans who worked with EU arrive in Slovenia

LJUBLJANA - The Foreign Ministry confirmed that a group of five Afghans who worked with the EU delegation in the country had arrived in Slovenia along with their family members, the Foreign Ministry has confirmed for the STA. In all, 19 Afghans have thus arrived in Slovenia after withdrawing from the country in the wake of the Taliban taking over. Two weeks ago, Slovenia also welcomed the five-member family of an Afghan who worked with the Slovenian troops in Herat, while another has not managed to get out of the country yet.

Slovenian minority association in Hungary marks 30 years

SZENTGOTTHARD, Hungary - The presidents of Slovenia and Hungary, Borut Pahor and Janos Ader, honoured the 30th anniversary of the the Association of Slovenians in Hungary at a ceremony in Szentgotthard with Pahor noting the important role of ethnic minorities as a link between nations and praising the association for its efforts. The presidents' presence was described as a show of commitment to foster friendship between the two nations and to enhance and respect the role of ethnic minorities on both sides of the border.

Ban on most single-use plastics takes effect

LJUBLJANA - Most single-use plastic products bar a few exceptions are banned from today under a recently adopted government regulation. The new rules also set down the labelling of certain single-use plastic items and their packaging to inform consumers about ways to recycle them. The banned items include plastic cutlery, plates and straws as well as ear swabs, except for those used as medical equipment, plastic stir sticks and balloon sticks and polystyrene food and beverage containers.

Slovenian "post-apocalyptic design" displayed at Milan Show

MILAN, Italy - Slovenian designers have 30 products exhibited at the Milan Design Week 2021 presenting their view of how we will live in the future given the "inevitable apocalypse heralded by viruses and climate-related disasters". The exhibition [Tunel 29] - Design for a Post-Apocalyptic World brings a selection of products "that dare to look beyond the present and predict how we will live in twenty or thirty years' time", said the Centre for Creativity, the producer of the exhibition.

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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: 

Need for cooperation dominates BSF debates on topical challenges

BLED - The 16th Bled Strategic Forum brought a number of discussions on topical challenges in Europe and the world, from the Afghanistan crisis and a potential new migration crisis to problems stemming from climate change, with the need to cooperate in addressing global issues being stressed at most of the debates. The need to draw lucid lessons from Afghanistan was emphasised at a panel on European defence, while the foreign ministers of Mediterranean countries urged against a repeat of the 2016 refugee crisis. A panel on cooperation in the Adriatic Sea revolved around the emerging exclusive economic zones and cooperation of the Slovenian, Croatian and Italian ports, while Slovenian officials used the opportunity of the two-day event for a number of bilateral meetings.

Opposition leader notes Eastern Partnership of key importance for Belarusians

BLED - Belarusian opposition politician Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya addressed the Bled Strategic Forum to note the Eastern Partnership should be supported as a crucial instrument for helping the Belarusian people. She called for visa liberalisation and inclusion of democratic forces in European Partnership meetings. She called on the EU to suspend all consultations with Belarusian officials while they are still part of the oppressive state apparatus. Tsikhanouskaya also met PM Janez Janša, with the government saying they had talked about the state of democracy and human rights in Belarus, touching on the issue of political prisoners.

Borrell and Tonin urge strengthening EU's strategic autonomy

BRDO PRI KRANJU - EU defence ministers agreed the Afghanistan experience called for enhancing building the EU's defence and military capabilities with a view to ensure the bloc's strategic autonomy. The EU's foreign policy chief Josep Borrell said the EU must strengthen its strategic autonomy, part of which would be a rapid reaction force, as he spoke to the press at the end of a two-day informal meeting as part of Slovenia's EU presidency. Slovenian Defence Minister Matej Tonin said that to do that the EU would need political will for change, most notably to change the consensus-based decision making.

EU foreign ministers discussing relations with the Taliban

BRDO PRI KRANJU - EU foreign ministers discussed ways of engaging with the Taliban, in particular in providing humanitarian aid and assistance to people in Afghanistan who want to leave, as they began a two-day informal meeting as part of Slovenia's EU presidency at Brdo pri Kranju. EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs Josep Borrell said the purpose of the meeting is to try to reach an agreement on coordinated engagement with the Taliban on the basis of certain conditions, and on the possibilities of cooperation with regional players. This does not mean recognition, he stressed. On Friday, the focus will be on EU-China relations, the EU's approach towards the Gulf countries and o EU cooperation with the Indo-Pacific region.

Logar and Indian FM Jaishankar discuss cooperation

BLED - Foreign Minister Anže Logar met Indian counterpart Subrahmanyam Jaishankar on the sidelines of the Bled Strategic Forum, with the pair expressing their commitment to strengthening bilateral cooperation in various fields, while Jaishankar also highlighted Slovenia's support for India's agreements with the EU. Jaishankar met President Borut Pahor, with meetings with PM Janez Janša and Speaker Igor Zorčič scheduled for Friday. This is the first official visit by an Indian foreign minister to Slovenia.

Hojs criticised in EU Parliament over statement on Afghanistan

BRUSSELS, Brussels - Interior Minister Aleš Hojs presented the priorities of the Slovenian EU presidency in the area of internal affairs to the European Parliament Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs. He also received numerous criticisms over the recent joint statement of EU home affairs ministers on Afghanistan which called against an uncontrolled wave of illegal migration. Hojs responded by saying the advocates of an open door to Europe were louder and had more media space, and that the MEPs' criticism was a reflection of their pain at not being in charge of certain issues.

Opeka receives Bled Strategic Forum award

BLED - Slovenian priest and missionary Pedro Opeka is the recipient of this year's Distinguished Partner Award, an accolade bestowed at the Bled Strategic Forum. He was honoured for his humanitarian work and fight against poverty in Madagascar. During his thirty years at the mission, he has built 4,000 houses, sports halls, churches and schools, and provided jobs and education to more than 500,000 Malagasy. There are currently 14,000 children in schools built by his two humanitarian associations.

Slovenia red, with over 6,000 active coronavirus cases

LJUBLJANA - Slovenia turned red as the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control updated its Covid-19 colour-coded map of Europe. The country recorded 666 positive coronavirus cases for Wednesday to push the number of active cases over 6,000. The 7-day average of new cases stands at 491 and the 14-day incidence per 100,000 residents at 283. Covid-19 hospitalisations passed 160, including 40 ICU cases. The total death toll from Covid-19 reached 4,781.

Govt overhauls gaming legislation

LJUBLJANA - The government adopted a set of changes to the 1995 gaming act that the Finance Ministry started drawing up in 2015. The changes lift most restrictions concerning casino ownership and introduce granting concessions which will be granted on the basis of newly introduced public tenders. The changes will create a legal framework to enable granting concessions for the ongoing operation of classic and special games of chance in a transparent way based on a public tender, the Government Communication Office said the government session.

SDS presents resolution to condemn all totalitarianisms

LJUBLJANA - The ruling Democrats (SDS) presented a draft declaration with which the party would like the National Assembly to support the European Parliament's 2009 resolution on European conscience and totalitarianism, which condemns all totalitarian regimes. The resolution amounts to democratic development, while victims of totalitarian regimes deserved respect, MP Branko Grims told the press. The SDS said the draft declaration had not yet been filed to parliament as it was being harmonised with its coalition parters. This will be the fifth time the SDS files such a declaration, with its latest attempt turned down in the National Assembly in March 2019.

Another exception added to the rules for entering Slovenia

LJUBLJANA - The government changed the rules for entering Slovenia to allow crossing the border for emergency medical procedures without observing the PCT (recovered, vaccinated, tested) rule or having to quarantine. The other exceptins to the rule are international transport, transit, children under 15, landowners abroad, migrant workers, and the transport of a child under 15 for the purpose of education. The government was also expected to present a new traffic light system with tiers of restrictions which will be based on the number of hospitalisations, but the new system is still being coordinated and is expected to be adopted next week.

Qualified opinion for 2020 budget, positive opinion on closing account

LJUBLJANA - The Court of Audit issued a positive opinion on the closing account of the national budget for 2020, but it issued a qualified opinion on the implementation of the budget itself due to a range of shortcomings. These included flaws in the payment of hazard bonuses in the public sector, in the allocation of social transfers, and in public contracting. Some shortcomings were related to Covid-19 relief measures.

Restrictions on profit distribution for banks ending

LJUBLJANA - The Slovenian central bank said it would not extended a requirement that banks, savings banks and leasing companies may not distribute profit beyond the end of September. Banka Slovenije nevertheless expects the financial institutions will apply a conservative approach while taking into account individual circumstances. The regulator said banks should not underestimate still high risks when planning distribution of profit.

Hisense Europe makes loss in 2020, profit in last 14 months

VELENJE - The Hisense Europe Group generated just under EUR 2 billion in sales in 2020, more than 97% of which came from home appliances. It ended the year with a loss of EUR 12.8 million, of which Slovenian household appliances and TV sets Gorenje's loss was EUR 11.5 million. Nevertheless, the group has been generating profit in the last 14 months, Gorenje said in a written statement.

Mercator debt-to-equity swap confirmed

LJUBLJANA - Croatia's Fortenova, the largest single shareholder of Slovenia retailer Mercator, will convert EUR 6 million in claims into equity under a decision confirmed at a shareholder meeting on Wednesday. The operation involves the issue of 166,667 new ordinary shares at EUR 36 apiece, whereby the existing shareholders will not have the right of pre-emption, only Fortenova will be entitled to the new shares, show minutes of the meeting. The EUR 6 million claim stems from a subordinated loan Mercator got from its former owner Agrokor in 2014. After Agrokor became insolvent, the claim was transferred to Fortenova.

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Slovenia's GDP up 16.3% y/y in second quarter

LJUBLJANA - Slovenia's GDP increased by 16.3% on a year-on-year basis in the second quarter of the year, the Statistics Office reported, with the growth powered by household spending and gross investment. Foreign trade was up significantly as well. Gross investment in most fixed assets was up and it was up on average by 19.2% compared to the second quarter of 2020. An increase in inventories also added 3.4 percentage points to the GDP growth. Household spending was up by 18.8%, and was thus higher than in the second quarter of the pre-coronavirus crisis year 2019. Household expenditure for goods and services was up significantly. Slovenia's GDP is now just below its 2019 peak.

EU determined to prevent illegal migration and boost aid in Afghanistan's region

BRUSSELS, Belgium - The EU is determined to prevent uncontrolled large-scale illegal migration movements from Afghanistan and the region, reads a joint EU statement adopted after an emergency meeting of EU home affairs ministers. Incentives to illegal migration should be avoided, they said. The evacuation of EU citizens and Afghan nationals who had cooperated with the EU and its member states and their families remains a priority and will continue. Of vital importance is also aid to vulnerable groups, in particular women, children and the elderly, said Slovenian Interior Minister Aleš Hojs. It had been unclear ahead of the meeting whether the statement would be adopted as Luxembourg opposed the step. Seeking common ground to adopt the statement was quite hard and the debate "very heated" occasionally, said Hojs.

STA staff urges top EU officials to protect STA, media freedom in Slovenia

LJUBLJANA - Representatives of STA staff have send a letter to top EU officials noting that despite calls to restore the financing of the STA, the issue has still not been resolved. Moral support by senior representatives of the EU unfortunately no longer suffices, reads the letter addressed to Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, Council President Charles Michel, and Parliament President David Sassoli. "It is necessary to take more decisive, perhaps even unprecedented steps, to protect freedom of the press. Absent that, this will mark a new defeat of democratic values that the founding fathers of the European Union were fighting for," reads the letter.

538 new coronavirus infections recorded, positivity rate at 18%

LJUBLJANA - Slovenia recorded 538 new coronavirus cases on Monday for a positivity rate of 18.4%. The number of patients with Covid-19 in hospital this morning rose by five to 146, and the number of patients in intensive care rose by three to 30, show data by the tracker Covid-19 Sledilnik. The cumulative 14-day incidence per 100,000 population rose from 241 to 252 and the number of active cases by 218 to 5,374, according to the National Institute of Public Health (NIJZ). The rolling seven-day average of new daily cases was up by nine to 431. One death was reported.

Advisors propose keeping schools open, expansion of Covid certificate use

LJUBLJANA - The Health Ministry's Covid-19 advisory group prepared a proposal of restrictive measures to be introduced in various stages of the epidemic. According to unofficial information obtained by the STA, it proposes expanding the tested-vaccinated-recovered (PCT) rule if the situation deteriorates, while school closure is not envisaged. In line with the proposal, the tiers of restrictions will be based on the number of cases in hospitals and the phases of Slovenia's hospital activation plan. The six-stage strategy for patients determines when Covid units will open in Slovenian hospitals.

Ombudsman warns migrants often lack legal remedies

LJUBLJANA - The Human Rights Ombudsman has issued several warnings in a report on the human rights of migrants, most notably that migrants are often returned to neighbouring countries without receiving a written decision. The Ombudsman says that the absence of written decisions makes it impossible for them to appeal the return. This issue has already been raised in a motion addressed to the Constitutional Court. Other issues raised include the lack of access to legal aid, and inconsistent use of the protocol governing the return of unaccompanied minors.

Pragersko rail hub upgrade begins

PRAGERSKO - Works started on a project to upgrade the Pragersko railway hub, one of the main rail junctions in the country. The EUR 90 million project is slated for completion in June 2023. The overhaul aims to bring it in line with EU technical standards, increase speed on the Maribor-Celje route, and improve transport safety. Works include the expansion of the existing railway station building, removal of a level crossing, construction of two parking lots, erection of two kilometres of sound barriers, replacement of 18 kilometres of track, and modernisation of the signalling equipment.

TAB back to growth after challenging year

MEŽICA - TAB, a maker of starter and industrial batteries, saw sales decline by 15% last year to EUR 233 million after a deep slump in spring, with net profit down by nearly 30% to EUR 16 million. This year, however, sales have rebounded. In the first seven months of the year the company recorded sales of EUR 148 million and almost EUR 11 million in net profit. Director Bogomir Auprih said the situation this year was "good, perhaps even very good".

Annual inflation in August at 2.1% due to more expensive fuel

LJUBLJANA - The annual inflation rate in Slovenia in August stood at 2.1%, mostly due to significantly more expensive petroleum products, which contributed 1.2 percentage points to the headline rate, as the price of diesel was up by 29.6% on average and of petrol by 26%. The monthly inflation rate was at 0.1%, the Statistics Office reported. Measured with the harmonised index of consumer prices, an EU gauge, consumer prices rose by 2.1% year-on-year, and by 0.1% at the monthly level.

Survey unemployment rate down slightly in July

LJUBLJANA - The ILO-compatible survey unemployment rate in Slovenia in July reached 4% and was thus 0.2 percentage points lower than in June and 1.3 percentage points lower than in July 2020. The Statistics Office estimates there were about 41,000 persons jobless in July. Among the unemployed persons aged between 15 and 74, 45% were men and 55% women. The survey unemployment rate among men was at 3.3.% and among women at 4.8%, the Statistics Office said.

Celje trade fair MOS returning after one-year break

CELJE - The International Trade Fair (MOS) returns to Celje this year with a renewed image, taking place between 15 to 19 September and hosting around 1,000 exhibitors from seven countries. The partner country is Hungary. Robert Otorepec, the CEO of the organising company, said that the concept of the fair opened up new opportunities for companies that aim towards a green, digital and resilient economy.

Proposal on cryptocurrency tax amended

LJUBLJANA - Only a day after putting out a proposal on taxation of trading in cryptocurrencies, the Financial Administration (FURS) said it will amend the proposal amid a strong response from stakeholders to give taxpayers the option to chose between paying either the originally proposed 10% tax on the amount of cryptocurrency turned into non-virtual currency or spent on goods or services, or a 25% capital gains tax.

Subsidised public transportation in Slovenia expanded

LJUBLJANA - Slovenia will significantly expand subsidised public transportation starting on 1 September. Students with subsidised transport passes will no longer be limited to the home-to-school route, they will be able to travel on all routes in Slovenia year-round for the same cost as last year - EUR 25 for a monthly pass and EUR 200 for an annual pass. The Infrastructure Ministry has also reached an agreement with the municipalities of Ljubljana and Maribor to provide free bus transport for pensioners aged 65 and over. It will be available from the beginning of October.

Veronika Prize for best poetry collection goes to Tina Kozin

CELJE - Poet Tina Kozin is the winner of this year's Veronika Prize, earning the prestigious award for the best collection of poetry for Nebo pod vodo (Sky Under the Sea). The jury wrote that Kozin's collection evokes an evasive reflectivity, and the indefinable contact between the real and the illusion. In her third collection, Kozin has, according to the jury, shown an unusual maturity that is far removed from the main currents of contemporary poetic language.

Two Ars Electronica gardens to be launched in Slovenia

LJUBLJANA/NOVA GORICA - This year's Ars Electronica, taking place in Linz, Austria between 8 and 12 September, will open virtual gardens worldwide, including in Slovenia. The project by the University of Nova Gorica School of Arts delivers a selection of student works, audio-visual, intermedia and research content that is dedicated to the fusion of arts, science and technology. The other Slovenian garden brings together nine institutions and organisations from five Slovenian cities in a bid to "create improved conditions for research, development and realization of contemporary investigative art projects".

Slovenia heads FIBA Europe combined ranking

LJUBLJANA - Slovenia has climbed to the top of the FIBA Europe combined ranking for 2021, which takes into account showings by both the men's and boys' basketball squads, the International Basketball Federation (FIBA) announced. The Slovenian men's team built on its EuroBasket 2017 title by finishing fourth at the Olympic Basketball Tournament in Tokyo. Slovenia also bagged three medals at European youth championships.

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This summary is provided by the STA: 

143 new cases of coronavirus confirmed as hospital numbers surge

LJUBLJANA - Slovenia confirmed 143 cases of coronavirus on Sunday, a quarter more than in the week before, as 16% of all PCR tests came back positive and hospitals continued to fill up amidst an exponential growth in new cases. There were 141 patients with Covid-19 in hospital this morning, up by twelve, whereas the number of ICU cases rose by four to 27, show data by the tracker Covid-19 Sledilnik. The 14-day incidence per 100,000 population rose by four to 241 and the number of active cases is estimated at 5,156, according to the National Institute of Public Health.

Slovenian shooter Tiršek wins silver at Tokyo Paralympics

TOKYO, Japan - Shooter Franček Gorazd Tiršek won the silver medal at the Tokyo Paralympics in the men's 10m air rifle standing competition in what is the first medal for Slovenia at the games. The gold was won by Philip Jonsson of Sweden with a new Paralympic Games record of 252.8 points, while bronze went to Andrea Liverani of Italy. For Tiršek, who was only 0.4 points behind the winner, this is the third medal at the Summer Paralympics, as he also won silver medals in London in 2012 and Rio in 2016 in the same discipline.

Logar talks migration and Afghanistan with Spanish counterpart

MADRID, Spain - FM Anže Logar met his Spanish counterpart Jose Manuel Albares in Madrid to exchange views on current EU and international issues. The pair discussed migration, the situation in Afghanistan, the security situation in the region, climate change, efforts to tackle the impact of Covid-19 and economic recovery. Slovenia and Spain have similar views when it comes to efforts to prevent illegal migration, and similar concerns over how the developments in Afghanistan might affect illegal migration trends, Logar's ministry said.

Defence Ministry's efforts to evacuate Afghan who helped Slovenia continue

LJUBLJANA - The Defence Ministry continues with its efforts to evacuate an Afghan who worked for the Slovenian Armed Forces and his family from Kabul. According to the army's spokesman Marjan Sirk, evacuation is now possible only through a UN humanitarian convoy or one of Afghanistan's neighbouring countries as virtually all of them offered to help. The family has been offered several options, but the final decision will be theirs, Sirk said.

Slovenia to allocate EUR 83m for digital transformation in healthcare

LJUBLJANA - Slovenia will allocate EUR 83 million for achieving goals in digital transformation of healthcare, according to Health Ministry State Secretary Robert Cugelj. The focus will be on four areas - users and providers of health services, healthcare decision-makers and designers and those who pay for the services. The goal is to improve the transparency of waiting times, and enable good policies and decision making while providing for quality, Cugelj said at a conference entitled Days of E-Health.

FURS proposes special tax on cryptocurrencies

LJUBLJANA - The Financial Administration (FURS) has proposed changing how income from cryptocurrencies is being taxed so that a 10% tax rate would be imposed when the cryptocurrency is spent or turned into cash. They are proposing adopting the new system to tax cryptocurrencies by passing a new law. It would be a major simplification for FURS as they would no longer need to examine the many transactions the taxpayer has performed in between or how many cryptocurrencies they have bought or sold.

Qatari delegation visits Foreign Ministry, Ljubljana mosque

LJUBLJANA - A delegation of Qatari Foreign Ministry officials was in Ljubljana for a visit to the Muslim Cultural Centre, which was built with substantial financial support from Qatar, and for political consultations at the Slovenian Foreign Ministry. A press release by the ministry said the delegation was led by Ahmad Hassen Al-Hammadi, secretary-general at the Qatari Foreign Ministry. The Qatari official and his Slovenian counterpart Jernej Müller reviewed bilateral political and economic relations and ways to upgrade them.

Peter Geršak reassigned state secretary for digitalisation

LJUBLJANA - Peter Geršak was relieved of his duties as a state secretary at the Ministry of Public Administration by the government and appointed state secretary at the new Government Office for Digital Transformation effective from Tuesday. A release issued after the government's correspondence session said that Public Administration Minister Boštjan Koritnik will put forward the name of a new state secretary at his ministry to the government shortly.

Centre-left opposition rejects possibility of cooperation with SDS

LJUBLJANA - After the ruling Democrats (SDS) presented their terms of cooperation in the next coalition, most parties responded to these proposals with the centre-left opposition ruling out cooperation with the SDS. The coalition New Slovenia (NSi) said it was open to cooperation with parties with whom it shared the country's development vision. The opposition National Party (SNS), which has signed a cooperation agreement with the current government, is in favour of part of the proposals.

Nine out of ten hospital doctors inoculated against Covid-19

LJUBLJANA - Nearly 90% of doctors working at Slovenian hospitals have been fully vaccinated against Covid-19, data from the Slovenian Medical Chamber shows. The vaccination rate among other health staff is lower. Over 90% have also been jabbed at UKC Maribor, Slovenia's second largest medical centre, at the Oncology Institute in Ljubljana and the general hospitals in Brežice and Slovenj Gradec. At UKC Ljubljana, Slovenia's largest medical centre, 87% of over 1,300 doctors working there have been vaccinated.

DARS revenue, profit up in first six months

LJUBLJANA - The National Motorway Company (DARS) generated EUR 218.8 million in revenue in the first six months of the year, which is 16% more than in the same period last year. Net profit was up 55% to EUR 43.9 million, according to the company's unaudited report. DARS sold little more than 2.5 million 2021 toll stickers in the first half of the year, up slightly year-on-year, but still significantly lower than in 2019, before the Covid-19 epidemic.

Profit of Slovenian Henkel subsidiaries slightly down last year

MARIBOR - The two Slovenia-based subsidiaries of German chemical group Henkel recorded a combined EUR 81 million in revenue and over EUR 4 million in net profit last year. While the production company Henkel Maribor saw a slight drop in revenue, the revenue of the sales company Henkel Slovenija increased. Profit was down in both companies, with Henkel Maribor posting a net profit of almost EUR 2 million, and Henkel Slovenija recording a net profit of almost EUR 2.3 million.

Slovenian, international PEN centres urge govt to restore STA funding

LJUBLJANA - The Slovenian PEN centre again called on the government to immediately settle its financial liabilities to the Slovenian Press Agency (STA), saying that the "STA is undoubtedly an autonomous and unbiased source of information about events in Slovenia and abroad" and that its "financial revenue is clearly defined by law." The head of the International PEN Centre, Jennifer Clement, and several PEN centres from other countries joined the call.

Only part of e-tolling to be ready by December

LJUBLJANA - E-tolling system for cars will not be fully up and running by December as planned. Only annual electronic vignettes for cars and semi-annual e-vignettes for motorbikes will be available from December, while weekly and monthly e-vignettes will not be available until February 2022. The delay follows from amendments to the e-tolling act that have been published on the government website as matters under consideration and still need to get endorsed by the cabinet.

Slovenian top football referee Damir Skomina retires

BRDO PRI KRANJU - The most successful Slovenian football referee Damir Skomina, whose record includes refereeing at the European championships, World Cup, the UEFA Super Cup and the 2019 Champions League final, officially announced the end of his career at a press conference. "Damir Skomina's successes should be a challenge to the many young football referees who are following his path," the Football Association of Slovenia (NZS) noted on the occasion. Skomina said he wanted to stay in football, revealing that he would run for the presidency of the third division team Izola.

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This summary is provided by the STA: 

Slovenia logged 273 new coronavirus infections on Saturday

LJUBLJANA - Slovenia logged 273 new coronavirus infection on Saturday for a positivity rate of 19.6%. The 14-day incidence per 100,000 people increased from 229 to 237, fresh official data show. Hospitalisations continue to rise, according to the national data tracker Covid-19 Sledilnik. No deaths were reported.

Janša presents SDS's terms for cooperation in next coalition

KRŠKO - The head of the ruling coalition Democrats (SDS) and Prime Minister Janez Janša commented at the party's regional meeting in Leskovec pri Krškem on Saturday on a possible new coalition, saying that the SDS did not exclude anyone but that it did have certain conditions such as that all partners work for the common good rather than own interests. He said coalition partners will need to put the interests of the people first. This is why there cannot be any talks on open borders and migration corridors, he was quoted as saying in a post on the SDS's website.

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This summary is provided by the STA: 

Slovenia reports 538 coronavirus cases for Friday

LJUBLJANA - Slovenia confirmed 538 coronavirus infections on Friday as the test positivity rate remained high, standing at 17.3%. The 14-day incidence per 100,000 population increased by 13 to 229, show fresh official data. Hospitalisations rose by four to 121 with 22 patients in intensive care, same as the day before. Two persons with Covid-19 died to put Slovenia's death toll at 4,776. The estimate of active cases in the country was up by 275 to 4,893.

Evacuation of Afghan who helped Slovenia no longer possible via Kabul airport

LJUBLJANA/KABUL, Afghanistan - The Defence Ministry is striving to get out of Afghanistan the remaining Afghan national of the two who had assisted the Slovenian troops, and his family. After a number of attempts to get them safely to Kabul airport, this evacuation route is unfortunately no longer possible in light of the escalating security situation, but other options are being considered, the ministry said.

Transit rules remain in place at least until 5 September

LJUBLJANA - Passengers transiting Slovenia do not need to meet the tested-vaccinated-recovered requirement when entering the country at least until 5 September, in line with a government decree that entered into force today. The list of exemptions from the requirement has been expanded as well. Moreover, persons over 15 exercising in indoor sports facilities need to meet the requirement as of today.

Carlos Pascual wins prize for best short story collection of the year

NOVO MESTO - Carlos Pascual, a Mexican author who has been living in Slovenia for years, won the Novo Mesto Prize for the best collection of short stories of the year for his work Nezakonita Melanholija (Unlawful Melancholy) on Friday evening. The collection plays with the concept of the chronicle genre in an ingenious way, according to critics. This marks the first time the winner of the prize, conferred by the Goga publisher, was not born in Slovenia.

EBRD head: Support for financial sector continues, with focus on green and digital transitions

LJUBLJANA - The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) has no plans for direct equity investment in the Slovenian financial sector, but it does intend to continue to support it through market investment. It is ready to support the economy in its green transition and digitalisation, EBRD head Odile Renaud-Basso told the STA in an interview. The EBRD plans to continue to invest in Slovenia's private sector, both through equity financing and lending.

Slovenia must allow deported Cameroonian to return, Dnevnik reports

LJUBLJANA - The Supreme Court has ruled that Slovenia must allow a Cameroonian asylum seeker who was deported from Slovenia twice in 2019 to enter the country and request asylum status in what is a landmark decision, the daily Dnevnik reported. The Cameroonian is currently in Bosnia-Herzegovina. The court's ruling, which was handed down in April, is final and no appeals are possible. The InfoKolpa initiative warned the ministry had not wanted to implement the ruling for the past four months. The police said it had "forwarded information about the implementation of the ruling via a law firm which represented the foreigner".