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Janša calls on STA director Veselinovič to step down

LJUBLJANA - Prime Minister Janez Janša called on the director of the Slovenian Press Agency (STA), Bojan Veselinovič, to step down. "It is time for the director as a political tool of the extreme left to step down and take responsibility for his unlawful actions. And allow the STA to work and develop normally," Janša wrote on Twitter. The STA turned to the prime minister's office for explanation about which unlawful actions Janša was referring to, but the office would not comment. The Trade Union of Slovenian Journalists denounced Janša's call as unlawful interference in the STA's autonomy.

EP service's internal document provides in-depth analysis on Slovenia

BRUSSELS, Belgium - A European Parliament policy department service compiled an in-depth document on the situation in Slovenia in preparation for Friday's session of the Democracy, Rule of Law and Fundamental Rights Monitoring Group. The document, which is for internal use only, also details Prime Minister Janez Janša's attacks on media. It says "this behaviour is uncommon for leaders of European democratic states". The European Parliament will discuss threats to media freedom in Hungary, Poland and Slovenia on Wednesday.

Hojs says protests in Slovenia not banned

LJUBLJANA - Interior Minister Aleš Hojs rejected claims that protests in Slovenia were banned or that he was interfering in police work. He also told the STA in an interview that the gap between the EU Commission and Slovenia's views on migration solidarity remained wide, and did not expect Slovenia could ensure much progress on it during its EU presidency. In response to the interview, the Legal Network for the Protection of Democracy, said the minister's claims were inaccurate, pointing to a government decree banning any kind of rallies and a turned down petition to hold a small protest.

740 coronavirus cases and seven deaths on Monday

LJUBLJANA - Slovenia recorded 740 coronavirus cases from 4,700 PCR tests performed on Monday. The 7-day average of newly confirmed cases rose by two to 764 and hospitalisations dropped by 21 to 506 as the number of intensive care patients decreased by one to 90. An additional seven Covid-19 patients died, for a total of more than 4,000, according to data from the National Institute of Public Health. Slovenia will remember its Covid-19 victims with a memorial ceremony in Ljubljana's Žale cemetery on Sunday, to be addressed by President Borut Pahor.

Head teachers support Maribor student protesters

MARIBOR - Head teachers from the Podravje region expressed support for secondary school students from the Maribor area who had received fines and court summons for participating in a protest urging return to in-classroom learning in early February. The head teachers sent a letter to that effect to Education Minister Simona Kustec following their meeting on Monday. They supported the freedom of expression and said they expected appropriate constructive communication with them.

EU urged to protect independent journalism in Poland, Hungary, Slovenia

LJUBLJANA - A group of 19 NGOs and associations advocating media and human rights urged the EU to "take decisive action to protect independent journalism" in Poland, Hungary and Slovenia. The call comes a day before the European Parliament debates threats to media freedom in the three countries. A letter addressed to MEPs says that Hungary's ruling Fidesz party has "perfected the procedure to subjugate media by the state in the past decade", while the EU's failure to react has led to similar trends now being witnessed in Poland and Slovenia.

Logar talks bilateral cooperation with Algerian counterpart

LJUBLJANA - Foreign Minister Anže Logar talked with his Algerian counterpart Sabri Boukadoum over the telephone about ways to enhance bilateral cooperation between the two countries. The ministers called for boosting political dialogue and economic cooperation between Slovenia and Algeria. They also touched on regional issues, in particular the latest developments in Libya and the Sahel region, the Foreign Ministry said.

De-bureaucratisation bill ready for government

LJUBLJANA - The Government Strategic Council for De-bureaucratisation drew up a bill envisaging a cap on social security contributions, electronic sending of administrative mail and a registry of regulations. The bill would also increase powers of state secretaries. The ZSSS trade unions voiced concern about reduced legal safety and called for social dialogue, while the Information Commissioner questioned the purpose of collecting personal data of citizens such as e-mails and phone numbers. The government said this was to make communication with parties in procedures easier.

Committee passes controversial water act amendments

LJUBLJANA - The parliamentary environment committee passed amendments to the water act changes under which hazardous substances could be used under certain condition by production facilities located in water protection areas. While the government says adequate safety mechanisms are envisaged, the opposition warns of harmful effects for water sources. Another major change is the possibility to allow the construction of public-use facilities on water and coastal properties, and intermittent lakes.

Ombudsman says Environment Ministry violating democratic standards

LJUBLJANA - Human Rights Ombudsman Peter Svetina criticised the procedure whereby the Environment and Spatial Planning Ministry wants to change the environmental protection act. He says the ministry's actions are not in line with modern democratic standards, which has recently become an established modus operandi of the ministry. The ombudsman reviewed the procedure based on a request by a member an environmental NGO, finding a violation of the public's right to participate in public governance.

Top court improves judicial recusal oversight mechanisms

LJUBLJANA - The Constitutional Court said on Monday that it had overhauled its internal oversight procedures to prevent mistakes related to judicial recusal. This was after media reported that one of the judges told the court he had unintentionally not excluded himself from a case. The court's president Rajko Knez said the court regretted the mistakes which had happened unintentionally. He wondered what the purpose of "the intensive media campaign we are subject to" in this case was.

Free testing to be available along Italian border

LJUBLJANA - The government is launching a free-of-charge testing campaign near border crossings with Italy. Rapid antigen testing will be available from Wednesday for commuters, students being schooled across the border and owners of property across the border. Testing will be available free of charge in the towns of Škofije, Kobarid, Solkan, Fernetiči and Rateče every weekday between 7am and 7pm. After a week, the schedule will be adapted to address the demand at individual locations.

Jožef Stefan Institute shares top prize in Pandemic Response Challenge

LOS ANGELES, US - A team of artificial intelligence experts at the Jožef Stefan Institute won the second grand prize at the Pandemic Response Challenge. The Slovenian team, led by Mitja Luštrek, head of the ambient intelligence group, will equally share the total prize purse of $500,000 with a Spanish team from Valencia, which ranked first only due to their exemplary submissions. The competition was held as part of the Xprize challenge in conjunction with the tech firm Cognizant.

Karavanke Tunnel work on schedule

JESENICE - Work on the second tube of the Karavanke Tunnel on the border with Austria is running on schedule. Turkish Cengiz workers have already bored some 550 metres of what is a roughly 3.5-km tube on the Slovenian side. No major problems have been encountered since boring started last August and is expected to be completed in two years. Supervisor Andrej Štimulak from Slovenian company DRI told the press that 6-9 metres of the tunnel is bored a day, depending on geological conditions.

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This summary is provided by the STA: 

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

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This summary is provided by the STA: 

Covid-19 hospitalisations drop below 500

LJUBLJANA - The number of patients hospitalised with Covid-19 in Slovenia dropped below 500 for the first time in months as the country met one of the conditions to move to a lower, yellow tier of restrictions. With 920 new coronavirus cases confirmed Friday, the 7-day average of new cases fell to 776, which is still well above 600, beyond which new easing of restrictions could begin. Six Covid-19 patients died. Noting the flattening of the falling curve, Health Minister Janez Poklukar urged caution, in particular in view of novel variants of the virus.

Washington monitoring media developments in Slovenia

WASHINGTON, US - The US Department of State told the STA it was monitoring threats against journalists and the integrity of public media in Slovenia closely. Freedom of the press is a fundamental principal of democracy, and the United States looks forward to continuing to partner with Slovenia to promote the open exchange of ideas and information essential for accountable governance around the world, the Department of State added in its comment.

Police commissioner says indications some investigations politically motivated

LJUBLJANA - Police Commissioner Anton Olaj, who took over in late January, told the newspaper Delo in an interview there were indications some police investigations had been politically motivated. Olaj would not elaborate on details of politically motivated investigations in the police but he noted that the success of criminal procedure depended most on prosecution. He agrees with the opposition's demand to set up a parliamentary inquiry into alleged political pressure on the police.

Golnik clinic to get modern isolation ward

GOLNIK - Health Minister Janez Poklukar visited the Golnik University Clinic of Respiratory and Allergic Diseases in the north-west of the country to learn about its work and challenges, and plans for a new isolation ward, to be build with the help of EUR 25 million in EU cohesion funds. The five-storey isolation ward is to be built by the end of 2023. It will include a modern tuberculosis micro laboratory such that Slovenia as the only country in the Balkans does not have yet.

Slovenians discarded 12.3kg of clothes per capita in 2019

LJUBLJANA - Slovenians discarded 25,079 tonnes of clothes or 12.3 kilogrammes per capita in 2019, according to a survey conducted by Ecologists without Borders in cooperation with partners. The NGO, which surveyed 1,300 people in cooperation with the environmental NGO Focus and fairtrade store 3MUHE Slovenija, said the main reason garments got thrown away was their becoming useless through tear and wear because of the poor quality of fabrics sold by fast fashion shops.

Žan Košir wins Rogla snowboard World Cup event

ZREČE - Slovenia's veteran snowboarder Žan Košir won the Snowboard World Cup parallel giant slalom event on Rogla only days after a disappointing performance by the home favourites at the World Championships at the same venue. In the finals, the 36-year old beat Russia's Andrey Sobolev, having already secured his third World Cup podium this season by besting Italian Edwin Coratti in the semi-final. This the sixth career World Cup victory and the 21st podium for Košir.

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Pahor announces donation of Covid-19 vaccine to Bosnia

SARAJEVO, Bosnia-Herzegovina - President Borut Pahor announced a donation of 4,800 Covid-19 vaccine shots to be delivered to the country next week, as he visited Sarajevo. Chairman of the Bosnian presidency Milorad Dodik said the friendly Slovenia had again showed its solidarity with and support to Bosnia-Herzegovina. Talks with Dodik and the two other members of the presidency, Željko Komšić and Šefik Džaferović, focused the country's efforts to join the EU, preparations for the Brdo-Brijuni Process summit to be held in Slovenia in a few weeks, illegal migration and Slovenia's military presence in Bosnia-Herzegovina, the president's office said.

881 new coronavirus cases, four deaths in Slovenia on Thursday

LJUBLJANA - The daily count of coronavirus cases stood at 881 on Thursday, when 5,435 PCR tests were performed for a positivity rate of 16.2%, a further drop compared to the day before. The number of people in hospitals today increased by ten to 521 with 85 in intensive care, government data show. Four patients died bringing the death toll to 3,878. The seven-day average of new cases in Slovenia was down from 784 to 780. According to the tracker site Covid-19 Sledilnik, there are currently about 10,866 active cases in the country.

NIJZ data show one in three positive rapid tests false

LJUBLJANA - Data from the National Institute of Public Health (NIJZ) obtained by Radio Slovenija and the web portal Necenzurirano show that one out of three positive rapid antigen tests have been proved false through the more reliable PCR tests after 13 February, since when all those who test positive for coronavirus in screening with rapid tests are tested again with PCR tests. The infections are not added to the official case count until confirmed with a PCR lab test.

Italian minority urges govt to reconsider border restrictions

KOPER - The Italian Union, an association of the Italian ethnic minority in Slovenia urged the government to reconsider imposing new border restrictions in a bid to prevent the import of new coronavirus variants, warning of the impact the step would have on cross-border cooperation. In a letter to Prime Minister Janez Janša, the association noted the close cooperation in the closely interlinked border region and proposed the government adopt alternative measures or allow exceptions to restrictions for the population living along the Slovenian-Italian border.

Pope appoints Maksimilijan Matjaž new Celje bishop

LJUBLJANA/CELJE - Pope Francis has appointed priest of the Maribor Archdiocese Maksimilijan Matjaž as the new Celje bishop, according to the websites of the Catholic Church. He will succeed Stanislav Lipovšek, who stepped down in 2018 after turning 75. Matjaž has so far been a professor of Biblical studies at the Ljubljana Faculty of Theology.

Italy formally against Slovenian new regulation on vinegar

ROME, Italy - The Italian Agriculture Ministry has addressed a letter to the European Commission opposing Slovenia's draft regulation on the quality of vinegar and acetic acid dilute, which also defines balsamic vinegar. The countries have until 3 June to provide any additional explanations, foreign press agencies reported. The Slovenian regulation has sparked strong protests in Italy as the proposal sets down that any vinegar mixture with concentrated fruit juice or must could be labelled balsamic vinegar.

State's exposure in loan deferral scheme at EUR 2.6 billion

LJUBLJANA - Banks and savings banks in Slovenia received until the end of February a total of 28,485 applications under the government's scheme that enables loan takers to request a deferral of loan payments. More than 85% of the applications have been approved, with the total exposure related to these loans amounting to EUR 2.6 billion. The central bank reported that more than 85% of the applications had been approved, and around 12% rejected, with the remaining applications still being processed. A majority of the loans related to the applications are due in the coming months, and it is when an increase in credit risk is expected to increase the most.

Insurer group Sava ups net profit 12.3% to EUR 56.4m last year

LJUBLJANA - The insurance group Sava generated EUR 674.9 million in operating revenue last year, up 15.5% compared to 2019, while net profit increased by 12.3% to EUR 56.4 million, which was also above plans, show the unaudited results. The group said that the increase was driven by good results in the life and non-life insurance segments, partly offset by the challenging claims experience in international reinsurance business. EUR 679.7 million was collected in gross insurance premiums, an increase of 13.6% over the year before. The group's return on equity was 13.3%, which is 1.3 percentage points above the target return set in the strategy for 2020-2022.

SKB Banka's profit down last year by 35.6% to below EUR 35m

LJUBLJANA - SKB Banka posted a net profit of EUR 34.85 million last year, which is a 35.6% drop compared to 2019, in what is largely a consequence of the Covid-19 epidemic that affected all areas of operation of the banking group. Reporting on the results for the first full year in ownership of the Hungarian banking group OTP, the Ljubljana-based bank said that the group had created additional provisions and impairments due to the increased credit risk. Net banking revenue was down last year by 1.3% to EUR 122.68 million, while the operational profit before provisions and impairments decreased by 2% to EUR 60.46 million.

Report: Marina Portorož sold to Japanese buyer

PORTOROŽ - Spa operator Terme Čatež confirmed that it had sold Marina Portorož but would not disclose the buyer. It also said the contract contained suspensive conditions. Newspapers Delo and Primorske Novice reported of the sale earlier today, saying the buyer came from Japan. Delo reported the buyers were Japanese investments funds and the price was below EUR 15 million, while Primorske reported of a Japanese multinational buying the country's biggest marina for EUR 16 million. Meanwhile, the business newspaper Finance says on its website, quoting unofficial information, that the buyer is Slovenian company JoanthanMars or one of its subsidiaries that manages alternative investment funds.

Mercator expected to become part of Fortenova by month's end

BELGRADE, Serbia - Serbia's competition protection authority cleared the transfer of Slovenian retailer Mercator to Croatian group Fortenova, thus clearing yet another hurdle for the step that follows the bankruptcy of Fortenova's predecessor Agrokor. Fortenova expects the transfer to be completed at the end of the month. Fortenova said in a press release that the approval by the Serbian regulator means the group has met all regulatory preconditions for concentration approval in the countries where this was required: Serbia, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Montenegro and North Macedonia. In September, the European Commission also issued a concentration approval for the EU.

Some insurers allowed to pay out dividends

LJUBLJANA - The Insurance Supervision Agency sent a letter to insurers, reinsurers and pension funds, urging them not to pay out dividends until the end of September due to coronavirus-related uncertainties, insurer Zavarovalnica Triglav said. However, the paying out of dividend is allowed in some cases, as the financial stability of the companies overseen by the agency varies and not all of them were affected by the epidemic to the same extent. The companies which will act contrary to the recommendations will have to prove to the agency that they acted prudently. Their solvency coefficient must be kept above 150% and the paying out of dividends must not reduce the sources of own funds by more than 10% or hurt the company's liquidity.

Monitoring group MEPs voice concerns in debate on media freedom in Slovenia

LJUBLJANA - The European Parliament's Democracy, Rule of Law and Fundamental Rights Monitoring Group held a virtual public discussion on media freedom in Slovenia featuring representatives from Slovenia and the European Commission. Group members expressed concern about the situation and their expectations for the Commission to take action. Although invited, Prime Minister Janez Janša and Culture Minister Vasko Simoniti did not take part in the exchange of views. A new meeting might be held on 26 March.

Diverging views as Slovenian MEPs debate state of the media

LJUBLJANA - The situation in the media topped the agenda as Slovenian MEPs talked to reporters ahead of next week's European Parliament plenary, which will debate attempts to silence free media in Poland, Hungary and Slovenia. They provided diverging views on the situation and on whether this is indeed an issue that the EU should deal with. Milan Zver (EPP/SDS) said freedom of the media was not questionable in Slovenia and he sees no reason why Slovenia should be "in the dock". For him, the main problem is the "explicit asymmetry in the media space", as a result of which the right to receive objective information is not secured. Irena Joveva (Renew/LMŠ) said the competent authorities appear to have determined that the matter had gotten out of hand and that a debate on the European level was required, not least in light of Slovenia's upcoming presidency of the EU.

New maritime traffic control centre opens in Koper

KOPER - A new centre for maritime traffic control and management in crisis situations was inaugurated in what is a project that is expected to greatly improve navigation safety in the Slovenian territorial waters and decrease risk of accidents by as much as 70%. Infrastructure Minister Jernej Vrtovec said at the ceremony that the EUR 2.3 million centre, stationed in the Maritime Administration building in Koper, was not only important for the Slovenian maritime sector, but for the country as a whole.

Kugler honoured at American Filmatic Arts Awards festival

NEW YORK, US - Film director Ema Kugler was honoured at the American Filmatic Arts Awards (AFAA) festival of independent film in New York. Her Man with Shadow was declared the best feature film of 2020 in what is the 15th award for the film. Man with Shadow is marked by the idea that the biggest human delusion is the illusion of freedom.

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EP to discuss media freedom in Slovenia next week, Janša not to attend

LJUBLJANA - Media freedom in Slovenia will be one of the items on the European Parliament's agenda as it meets for a plenary next week as the planned debate on government attempts to silence media in Poland and Hungary has been expanded to include Slovenia. The expansion was proposed by the S&D. The debate will be held next Wednesday. Tomorrow afternoon the European Parliament's Democracy, Rule of Law and Fundamental Rights Monitoring Group will discuss the situation in Slovenian media landscape in a virtual format. Although invited, PM Janez Janša and Culture Minister Vasko Simoniti will not take part. Instead, Janša proposes meeting for discussion in person on 26 March, after the EU summit.

Prosecutors complain to CoE about PM's "inadmissible pressure"

LJUBLJANA - The Slovenian Association of State Prosecutors has turned to the Council of Europe (CoE) to complain about "inadmissible pressure" that they say Prime Minister Janez Janša and media that he controls are exerting on prosecutors. In a public letter to the CoE's division for the independence and efficiency of justice circulated on Thursday, the association claims pressure directly by Janša as well as by Nova24TV.si and Demokracija.

Border checks to be stepped up Monday

LJUBLJANA - Slovenia will step up health checks on its borders starting on Monday. It plans to reintroduce checkpoints on internal borders, which were scrapped in mid-February, and tighten quarantine rules for arrivals, Interior Minister Aleš Hojs told the press. "The government is particularly concerned about [coronavirus] variants from South Africa and from countries in which some variants have not been explored and we have no way of knowing how they will react to vaccines," he said.

Outdoor hospitality temporarily allowed in two regions as of Monday

LJUBLJANA - Bars and restaurants in two eastern regions, Posavje and South-east Slovenia, will be able to start serving customers outdoor as of Monday, Economy Minister Zdravko Počivalšek announced. Initially, this will be a one-week test to see how things turn out. While Slovenia is in the orange tier of restrictions, both regions currently have figures that place them firmly in the milder, yellow tier, where serving customers outdoor is allowed.

Secondary school students in years 1-3 to switch between distance, in-person learning

LJUBLJANA - Secondary school students in years 1-3 are joining their final-year peers Monday as secondary schools fully reopen amid the coronavirus epidemic. However, this does not mean the end of remote learning just yet - under model C, half of them will come to school for a week while the other half will be distance learning at home. There are no changes to final-year secondary school students, who come to school every day, Education Minister Simona Kustec told the press.

Nearly 1,020 test positive for coronavirus, 4 die on Wednesday

LJUBLJANA - A total of 1,019 persons tested positive for the novel coronavirus in Slovenia on Wednesday in 5,822 PCR tests and four people died, the government said. So far, 83 cases of the UK variant have been detected, 7 cases of the Nigerian variant and 2 cases of the South African variant. Today, 511 people are in hospital, 86 requiring intensive care, four more than on Wednesday. The total number of those in hospital dropped by five compared to yesterday. The ratio of positive tests performed on Wednesday dropped to 17.5% from 19.5% the day before.

Parliamentary debate shows major differences over national recovery plan

LJUBLJANA - The centre-left opposition criticised the emerging National Recovery and Resilience Plan for placing too much focus on investments in road infrastructure as the National Assembly debated the document that will allow Slovenia to tap on funding available as part of the EU's post-pandemic recovery. The only point on which deputies from both sides of the aisle agreed is that the available funding - Slovenia will be eligible for EUR 5.2 billion from the EUR 672.5 billion from the Recovery and Resilience Facility - will be a major opportunity for the country.

New banking bill adopted

LJUBLJANA - The government adopted a reform banking bill, which transposes the provisions of a major EU directive and creates the legal basis for the participation of workers in bank supervisory boards. The EU directive governs exempted entities, financial holding companies, mixed financial holding companies, remuneration, supervisory measures and powers, and capital conservation measures.

Bids value first part of Divača-Koper rail at EUR 404-463 million

LJUBLJANA - Two contractors have submitted financial offers for the first part of main works on the Divača-Koper rail section. A consortium led by Slovenian builder Kolektor CPG values the works at EUR 403.6 million, while the offer by Austrian builder Strabag and its consortium is EUR 463.5 million. Both bids are below the ceiling price of EUR 472 million and therefore valid. The price excludes value added tax, 2TDK, the company managing the rail project, said in a press release on Thursday. 2TDK expects it will now take ten days to review the bids.

Janša's tweet upsets Nova Revija editors

LJUBLJANA - Prime Minister Janez Janša compared in a tweet the role of TV broadcaster affiliated with his SDS party, Nova24TV, with the emergence of Nova Revija journal at the start of Slovenia's democratisation, in the 1980s. Three of Nova Revija's editors rejected such a comparison as "false and manipulative". To congratulate Nova24TV on the fifth anniversary on Tuesday, Janša tweeted: "The establishment and role of Nova24TV in the Slovenian TV landscape can be compared to the establishment of Nova Revija at the start of Slovenian Spring. A grain that has sprouted and bore fruit."

Literary historian Janko Kos leaving Writers' Association

LJUBLJANA - Literary historian Janko Kos has left the Slovenian Writers' Association (DSP) over its decision to opt out of the celebration of Slovenia's 30th independence anniversary because of certain actions by Prime Minister Janez Janša. DSP head Dušan Merc said the only comment to the move could be that "we must accept the fact that academic professor Janko Kos, a teacher and role model of many generations of Slovenian comparativists, an extraordinary intellectual and witness to our recent history and presence has left the Writers' Association," web portal MMC reported.

Pahor tests support for candidates for C-bank, top court

LJUBLJANA - After consulting heads of parliamentary factions, President Borut Pahor has narrowed down the list of candidates for consideration to put forward to the National Assembly in a renewed attempt to fill a vacancy on the governing board of the central bank and one on the Constitutional Court. He has decided to nominate Tina Žumer for a Banka Slovenije vice-governor should consultations at the end of next week show she enjoys sufficient majority.

New state secretary appointed at Health Ministry

LJUBLJANA - Franc Vindišar, the medical director of the Celje General Hospital, has been appointed a state secretary at the Health Ministry. He will join the ministry on Monday, the government decided today. Vindišar succeeds Marija Magajne, who was recently appointed the head of the ministry's directorate for healthcare.

State secretary replaced at Agriculture Ministry

LJUBLJANA - The government dismissed at today's correspondence session Agriculture Ministry State Secretary Miran Mihelič and appointed Aleš Irgolič in his place, the Government Communication Office said. Irgolič has been working at the Agency for Agricultural Markets and Rural Development since 2005.

Minister thinks fined students should take responsibility

LJUBLJANA - Education Minister Simona Kustec said that secondary school students who received fines for protesting for the reopening of schools in February understand their actions and should take responsibility. "This is the first step into the adult world," Kustec told the press. There have also been voices in support of the students and calls for a blanket amnesty, and some have offered to pay their fines for them. President Borut Pahor suggested the authorities stop the proceedings and show understanding for the problems youths face.

Tourism season similar to 2020 expected as companies call for extension of aid

LJUBLJANA - The Slovenian Tourist Board (STO) projects that Slovenia's summer tourism season will be similar to last year's in terms of visitor numbers. Companies in the sector are already urging the government to extend certain aid measures, saying many are on the brink of ruin. Last year visitor numbers were slashed by half compared to 2019. There was a surge in domestic tourists, partially due to special tourism vouchers, but the 21% increase in domestic arrivals failed to offset a 74% plunge in foreign guests.

MPs pass Demographic Fund bill at second reading

LJUBLJANA - The National Assembly passed the National Demographic Fund bill at second reading Wednesday evening, tweaking the bill slightly via amendments by the coalition, but voting down a number of amendments tabled by the opposition, including the one exempting the STA from the fund. The MPs passed several amendments by the coalition, including one on procedure to check the qualifications of supervisory board members. The opposition believes the goal of the bill is to gain control over management of state assets, while falling short of bringing a solution for the pension purse.

Annual retail sales in EU, Slovenia down in January

LUXEMBOURG, Luxembourg - Slovenia saw a 13% drop in retail sales in January over January 2020, one of the biggest in the EU, coming only after Austria and Slovakia, which both saw a drop of 16.8%, Eurostat's fresh data shows. Compared to January 2020, retail trade dropped by 6.4% in eurozone countries and by 5.4% in the entire EU. In monthly comparison, Slovenia's retail sales were up 1.3% over December, while both the eurozone and the EU's retail sales were down, by 5.9% and 5.1%, respectively.

Court of Audit says govt ineffective in providing for cybersecurity

LJUBLJANA - The Court of Audit said the government, the Public Administration Ministry and the Office for the Protection of Classified Information were ineffective in providing for cybersecurity in 2016-2019. It points to the government's failure to adopt an information security strategy, as well as to understaffing and underfunding. The audit of the three institutions covered the period between 1 January 2016 and the end of September 2019. The court says the government adopted a cybersecurity strategy in February 2016 and a law on information security was passed in April 2018 transposing the EU directive concerning measures for a high common level of security of network and information systems across the union.

Earthquake safety discussed on World Engineering Day

LJUBLJANA - The Ministry of the Environment and Spatial Planning will send a resolution on making at-risk buildings earthquake-proof to the government and parliament by the end of the year, Minister Andrej Vizjak said as he took part in an online discussion organised by the Slovenian Chamber of Engineers to mark World Engineering Day. The document will significantly contribute to reducing the risks of loss of lives, while helping reduce economic and other damage alongside strengthening the country's economy.

Minority Porabje weekly celebrating 30 years

SZENTGOTTHARD, Hungary - The Slovenian minority in Hungary started publishing the Porabje weekly 30 years ago. Marking its anniversary, the only Slovenian newspaper in Hungary has a new revamped look and plans to go digital. The paper comes out every Thursday and is 12-pages long. Its special feature is the use of standard Slovene as well as the minority's dialect spoken in Porabje or Raba Valley.

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Rest of secondary school students returning to classrooms on Monday

LJUBLJANA - All secondary school students who have been learning remotely will return to in-person teaching on Monday, the government decided as it conducted its weekly review of coronavirus restrictions. The change comes after schools reopened in mid-February, but only final-year secondary students returned to classrooms to prepare for school-leaving exams. Starting next week, primary school students in grades six to nine will have to wear masks at all time in class. - More on this story

Daily coronavirus count climbs again to 1,209

LJUBLJANA - Slovenia's daily coronavirus case count rose to 1,209 on Tuesday, an increase of more than 10% from the same day a week ago, as the 7-day average of new cases increased to 761, having already dropped to 736 the day before, data released by the government show. Eleven patients with Covid-19 died. The number of patients hospitalised with Covid-19 inched down further to 516 after 54 patients were discharged yesterday. The number of patients in intensive care units dropped by two to 82.

Vaccination of teachers to start next week

LJUBLJANA - Slovenia is planning to start mass vaccination of teachers against Covid-19 next week, Jelko Kacin, the coordinator for the logistics of mass vaccination, announced as he visited a vaccination point in Ljubljana. If everything goes according to plan, Slovenia could administer about 240,000 doses of Covid-19 vaccines in March, which is about half the capacity, said Kacin, adding that between 500,000 and 600,000 people could be inoculated a month or roughly 30,000 per work day.

Tomc, Zver, Bogovič did not back changes to EPP rules of procedures

BRUSSELS, Belgium - Three of Slovenia's four MEPs from the European People's Party (EPP) did not back changes to the rules of procedure allowing the European People's Party (EPP) to suspend or exclude a member party from its ranks. Ljudmila Novak, the fourth Slovenian EPP MEP, voted for the changes, having been one of its proponents. The overhauled internal rules are seen as paving the way to exclude Hungarian PM Viktor Orban's Fidesz, which already announced its quitting the EPP after the vote.

Massive investigation into money laundering scheme

MARIBOR - A total of 28 house searches were carried out by the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) in relation to a suspected money laundering scheme worth millions of euros involving shell companies and the withdrawal of large amounts of cash from bank accounts. It unofficially involves Slovenian tax advisor Rok Snežič and Bosnian citizen Dijana Đuđić. In addition to Slovenia, house searches were also carried out in Croatia and Bosnia-Herzegovina as the scheme is being investigated that allegedly involved a number of Bosnian citizens, with Snežič as the mastermind.

Slovenia sees decline in joblessness in February

LJUBLJANA - After three months of growth, Slovenia's registered unemployment total dropped by 3.8% in February to 88,051. Still, the number of people registered with the Employment Service as being out of a job is 13.6% higher than the same month a year ago. On another positive note, the number of newly registered unemployed fell month-on-month as well as year-on-year as the number of those who found a job increased.

US imposes anti-dumping duty on Slovenian aluminium

WASHINGTON, US - Slovenia is one of the countries subject to new US anti-dumping duty on common alloy aluminium sheet imports under a decision taken by the US Department of Commerce on Tuesday, with the dumping rate for the country set at 13.43%. Talum, the Kidričevo-based aluminium manufacturer, told the STA they were not exporting to the US so the new duty would not affect them directly, but it would have an indirect impact, as such measures increased risks for the whole European economy.

Slovenia's GDP measured in PPS nearing 90% of EU average

LJUBLJANA - Slovenia's per capita GDP measured in purchasing power standard (PPS) reached 89% of the EU's average in 2019, an improvement of two points from 2018. Western Slovenia reached 106% of the average, whereas the country's other cohesion region, Eastern Slovenia, only reached 73%, the latest Eurostat data show. Having posted solid economic growth in 2014-2019, Slovenia's GDP gradually converged towards the EU average in this period after its gap had been widening for several years.

TEŠ decides against waste co-incineration

ŠOŠTANJ - TEŠ has decided not to introduce co-incineration of non-hazardous waste after the Šoštanj city council voted against it, the Šoštanj-based coal-fired power station told the STA. It will also discontinue a procedure to have its environmental permit changed to allow co-incineration. The Šoštanj council voted against co-incineration as the first of three neighbouring municipalities in January, arguing emissions would be its most problematic aspect.

Slovenia pledges guarantee for EIB Pan-European Guarantee Fund

LJUBLJANA - The National Assembly passed legislation enacting Slovenia's EUR 70 million guarantee for the Pan-European Guarantee Fund, a new mechanism of the European Investment Bank (EIB) designed to help business cope with the effects of the coronavirus pandemic. In total, the fund will provide EUR 25 billion in guarantees pledged by EU member states equal to their share of EIB capital.

Legislation adopted to crack down on fictitious residence registrations

LJUBLJANA - The National Assembly passed legislation designed to end fictitious registrations of residence, a widespread practice uncovered in recent months. The amendments to the residence registration act will crack down on fictitious registrations at addresses that are not residential, or residential addresses where the size of the living quarters clearly precludes the registration of a large number of people.

Left's amendments to STA act passed

LJUBLJANA - The National Assembly voted 48:38 in favour of amendments to the act governing the STA that require the STA English Service to report on the work of NGO. The English Service already reports on NGOs, but the law on the STA does not stipulate this as an explicit requirement, even as it includes such a provision for the Slovenian-language service. The amendment was backed by the centre-left opposition, the coalition SMC, and one minority MP.

Majority of news neutral, biased news more anti- than pro-government, survey shows

LJUBLJANA - A survey of ten major news portals in Slovenia in 2020 has shown that the majority of news, except on the portal Nova24TV.si, is unbiased. Among articles that were flagged as biased, those that were critical of the government far outnumbered pro-government reporting. "The majority of the analysed media has a recognizable political and ideological flavour. In general the government is treated in clearly less favourable terms than the opposition, leftist views dominate over rightist views," says the study conducted by the Media Faculty at the end of last year.

10 years since launch of ACER, first EU agency in Slovenia

LJUBLJANA - Today marks ten years since the Agency for the Cooperation of Energy Regulators (ACER) launched its operations in Ljubljana as the first and so far only EU agency based in Slovenia. Focusing on the smooth running of the EU's single electricity and gas market, the agency was established by the EU's third energy package with the goal to prevent monopoly in the sector and help consumers.

Only third of convalescent plasma suitable for Covid-19 treatment

LJUBLJANA - Only a third of plasma from those who recovered from Covid-19 contains sufficient amounts of neutralising antibodies to be used as treatment for Covid-19. The Blood Transfusion Centre said it had taken plasma or blood from 1,800 individuals who recovered from Covid-19 since July 2020. Antibody contents are highest in the blood or plasma of those who suffered stronger symptoms and had donated plasma within four to six weeks after the onset of illness.

Slovenia gets new seismic hazard map

LJUBLJANA - The national Seismology Office has presented a new seismic hazard map for Slovenia. The upgraded danger levels and risk assessment are based on the new findings of the past two decades. Areas with the highest earthquake hazard in Slovenia are the Posavje region in the east, the Novo Mesto area in the south-east, the capital Ljubljana and certain areas in the north-west and west of the country, particularly around Kobarid, Bovec and Idrija.

Križnar wins bronze in women's large hill at Nordic worlds

OBERSTDORF, Germany - Slovenia's Nika Križnar won the bronze medal in the women's large hill competition at the Nordic World Ski Championships in what is the fourth medal for Slovenian ski jumpers there. Križnar, who already has silver in the women's team event, scored 287.1 points from the two jumps, falling behind the gold-medallist Maren Lundby of Norway (296.6) and the silver-medallist Sara Takanashi of Japan (287,9).

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Govt plans to set up 61 vaccination centres

LJUBLJANA - The government adopted a revised vaccination strategy on Monday, envisaging 61 vaccination centres, including 13 in hospitals. Presenting the changes, Health Minister Janez Poklukar said on Tuesday priority groups remain the same, with health workers in top tier, followed by people over 80, 75 and 70, and then vulnerable patients with chronic conditions. Next come diplomats, Foreign Ministry officials and officials from other ministries travelling to other EU countries for the upcoming Slovenia's presidency, followed by foreign diplomats, and soldiers on missions abroad.

729 coronavirus cases on Monday as 7-day average drops

LJUBLJANA - Slovenia recorded 729 coronavirus cases amid heavy testing on Monday, 19% fewer than the same day a week ago, to push the 7-day average of new cases down to 736 from 768 the day before, data from the government show. Nine patients with Covid-19 died. The latest cases were confirmed from 4,487 PCR tests as a record 48,003 rapid antigen tests were performed. Covid-19 hospitalisations dropped to 528 and intensive care cases to 84.

New Covid-19 advisory team appointed at Health Ministry

LJUBLJANA - Health Minister Janez Poklukar appointed a new medical taskforce that advises the ministry on measures to contain Covid-19. It will be headed by Mateja Logar, an infections diseases specialist at the UKC Ljubljana's clinic of communicable diseases who has so far been a member of the team. She succeeds Bojana Beović, who resigned as she took over as new head of the Medical Chamber, but is staying on as a member. The country's chief epidemiologist Mario Fafangel returns to the team after quitting in December.

Nigerian Covid-19 strain found in Slovenia, POP TV reports

LJUBLJANA - Following the identification of the UK and South African variants in Slovenia, the Nigerian strain of coronavirus has also been confirmed in the country, private broadcaster POP TV reported, adding that seven cases had been detected so far. Health Minister Janez Poklukar told a press briefing earlier in the day that 62 cases of the UK variant and a single case of the South African variant had been confirmed, adding he knew nothing of the presence of the Nigerian strain. The official report on the presence of various coronavirus mutations circulating in Slovenia is expected tomorrow.

Slovenia so far used 76% of vaccines delivered, ECDC data show

BRUSSELS, Belgium/LJUBLJANA - Data from the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) suggest Slovenia has so far received almost 190,000 shots of Civid-19 vaccines, but used only 144,000 shots of the vaccine, or 76.1%. The average for EU members is around 70%. Slovenia's NIJZ meanwhile said the actual figure was higher - at over 174,000. It explained the gap resulted from the fact that Slovenia sent its figures to the ECDC once a week for the week before, so the ECDC figures were not entirely accurate.

Janša, Simoniti accept invitation to EP media hearing, insist on in-person format

LJUBLJANA - PM Janez Janša and Culture Minister Vasko Simoniti accept an invitation to an exchange of views on Slovenian media with an European Parliament's monitoring group. However the discussion should be held in face-to-face format in the European Parliament, it should be public and there should be enough time to comprehensively present all the discussed topics, reads a post published on the government's website. The post also says the group's head, Dutch MEP Sophie in 't Veld (Renew), is invited to join an EU fact-finding mission that Janša would like to visit Slovenia.

Pahor to visit Bosnia-Herzegovina on Friday

LJUBLJANA - President Borut Pahor will visit to Bosnia-Herzegovina on Friday to meet members of the country's presidency. As the supreme commander of the Slovenian Armed Forces, Pahor will also visit the contingent of the Slovenian army serving in the military base Butmir. He wil be accompanied by Defence Minister Matej Tonin. The talks with the presidency will focus on bilateral relations and regional cooperation ahead of the Brdo-Brijuni Process summit in Slovenia in April.

Foreign policy council discusses upgrading foreign policy strategy

LJUBLJANA - A new line-up of the Strategic Council for Foreign Policy, led by Foreign Minister Anže Logar, met for its maiden session, discussing upgrading the country's foreign policy strategy, the Foreign Ministry said. After the first strategy was adopted in 1999, parliament passed a declaration on Slovenia's foreign policy and the government adopted an accompanying strategic document in mid-2015, which will now be "refreshed". Proposals are currently being drawn up at the ministry to "refresh" individual parts of the strategy.

C-bank says measures helping recovery at expense of fiscal situation

LJUBLJANA - The Slovenian central bank says the anti-crisis measures have contributed to the economic recovery and to keeping the country's potential afloat, albeit at the expense of public finance situation. A gradual approach and targeted withdrawal of measures will be needed so that the economy is not exposed again to negative shocks. Such an approach will be needed as the epidemic is expected to slow down, Banka Slovenije adds in its latest review of macroeconomic trends.

Centre-left seeks referendum on demographic fund bill

LJUBLJANA - Four centre-left opposition parties filed a proposal for the National Assembly to call a consultative referendum on the government-sponsored bill on the National Demographic Fund. The Marjan Šarec List (LMŠ), Social Democrats (SD), Left and the Alenka Bratušek Party (SAB) argue the bill would give the government centralised control over ownership and management of EUR 8.6 billion in state assets. Before passing the bill, the National Assembly will need to decide on the referendum initiative. The result of such a referendum would not be binding on the legislators.

Curfew, gatherings restrictions challenged at Constitutional Court

LJUBLJANA - Two applicants have asked the Constitutional Court for a review of the government decree which imposes a night-time curfew and restricts public gatherings, a motion that is supported by several NGOs. The applicants, who wish to remain anonymous, claim that the government has not based its decisions on expert advice and scientific findings. They say freedom of movement and the right to public assembly may only be restricted based on a stringent test of proportionality of the measures.

Opposition rebukes justice minister over EU prosecutors appointment

LJUBLJANA - Justice Minister Lilijana Kozlovič was urged to step down as the opposition is unhappy with her handling of the appointment of Slovenia's two members of the European Public Prosecutor's Office. The development comes after Kozlovič of the junior coalition SMC said her ministry had asked for the proposal of two prosecutors to be put on the government's agenda several times, but received no reply. This was after the EU's justice commissioner urged the government to swiftly appoint the country's two European delegated prosecutors so that the newly-established European Public Prosecutor's Office could start operating in Slovenia on 1 March as planned.

Funds approved to promote Italian minority's economic activities

LJUBLJANA/KOPER - The government approved EUR 1.4 million for promotion of the economic activity of the Italian minority in Slovenia in 2021-2024 on Monday. The goal is to improve the community's economic potential by nurturing the growth of existing and incorporation of new companies. Alberto Scheriani, who heads the minority's main representative body, told the STA this was the second such multi-year programme.

Hi-tech Instrumentation Technologies acquired by ARX Equity Partners

SOLKAN - Slovenian company Instrumentation Technologies, a leading global provider of advanced instrumentation in the field of basic particles accelerators and proton therapy, has been acquired by ARX Equity Partners, a private equity group headquartered in Prague, but the acquisition price has not been disclosed. As part of the deal, ARX intends to further Instrumentation Technologies' growth, and keep the current management team and workforce totalling 43 people.

Wood offered as major contributor in reducing CO2 emissions

LJUBLJANA - An online conference on the use of wood in reducing CO2 emissions heard that wood is Slovenia's strategic asset and a material of the future, including from the environmental aspect. One cubic metre of wood products equals a two-tonnes reduction of CO2 emissions into the atmosphere, Economy Minister Zdravko Počivalšek noted. Slovenia plans to increase domestic wood processing to three million cubic metres, capturing around 7.5 million tonnes of CO2 in wood products.

Triglav Group's premiums up 4%, net profit down 12% in 2020

LJUBLJANA - The Triglav insurance group recorded a growth in collected premiums for the sixth year in a row in 2020, as the figure rose by 4% to EUR 1.23 billion. Net profit was meanwhile down 12% compared to 2019 to EUR 73.7 million, shows the unaudited annual report. The value of the investment portfolio was up 5% to slightly under EUR 3.5 billion. The market leader in the Adriatic region increased its market share in Slovenia by 0.4 of a percentage point to 36.5%.

T-2 suing Telekom Slovenije for EUR 50m

LJUBLJANA - Telecoms incumbent Telekom Slovenije is being sued by the telecommunications company T-2 for around EUR 50 million for the damage that the latter allegedly suffered between September 2018 and July 2020, Telekom Slovenije said, while not revealing the way in which the alleged damage had been incurred. The company settled with T-2 in September 2018 over the abuse of predominant market position, with T-2 seeking EUR 129.56 million in damages from the national telco. The amount of the settlement was not revealed.

Roads claimed record-low number of casualties in 2020

LJUBLJANA - Slovenia saw a record-low number of traffic accident casualties and injuries last year, with December being the first month without any casualties since 1954. Nevertheless, the main causes remain drunk driving, speeding and right-of-way violations. Nearly 15,000 road accidents were recorded in Slovenia last year, a drop of 21% over 2019, data from the Traffic Safety Agency show. Total casualty toll reached 80, 22% below the 2019 figure.

Travellers using fake negative tests to avoid quarantine

LJUBLJANA - Police detect daily about a dozen falsified negative coronavirus tests with which passengers want to avoid quarantine upon entry into Slovenia, the General Police Department said, noting that using a fake test amounts to document falsification, a crime which carries a prison sentence of up to three years. An increase in the number of fake PCR tests at the border with Croatia presented by passengers from Bosnia-Herzegovina and Serbia was detected in January. Health Minister Janez Poklukar said the ministry was working on solutions alongside the Interior Ministry and epidemiologists.

Nadyrshina and Karl crème de la crème in snowboard parallel slalom

ZREČE - Russia's Sofia Nadyrshina and Austria's Benjamin Karl won gold in the women's and men's parallel slalom, respectively, at the Snowboarding World Championships in Rogla, Slovenia. Among female snowboarders, Germany's Ramona Hofmeister won silver, whereas second place went to Austrian Andreas Prommegger in the men's competition. Selina Jörg of Germany and Dmitry Loginov of Russia won bronze.

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Govt in dilemma about new coronavirus variants, new lockdown

LJUBLJANA - New variants of coronavirus pose a dilemma about whether to proceed with the planned colour-coded exit strategy or impose stricter lockdown for a short period of time, PM Janez Janša said in parliament, as he answered a coalition MP question whether the government was planning any new measures in connection with Covid-19. A potential fast spread of the new coronavirus variants in the coming weeks brings a dilemma of whether to tighten the measures for a short period of time to the level of lockdown, as was the case in Great Britain and the Czech Republic, Janša told the National Assembly.

Minister says beefed-up border controls likely soon

LJUBLJANA - Interior Minister Aleš Hojs told MPs that Slovenia's border restrictions could be tightened as early as this week as part of efforts to contain the epidemic. All European countries, including Slovenia, will most likely have to make their border protocols stricter in the coming days. In Slovenia, an expert group of epidemiologists and doctors is in favour of a strict closure of border crossings on the country's internal borders, said Hojs, who personally does not believe that any easing of border restrictions could take place in the near future.

Govt not planning austerity after better than expected 2020

LJUBLJANA - Prime Minister Janez Janša indicated Slovenia was not planning public spending cuts, having weathered 2020 better than expected due to stimulus measures "We're not planning any cuts. We're planning a recovery this year," he told the National Assembly. Janša noted Slovenia's economy had contracted by 5.5% last year, significantly outperforming some forecasts. Exports declined minimally and unemployment rose by just 1%.

243 new coronavirus cases confirmed on Sunday, 11 deaths

LJUBLJANA - Slovenia confirmed 243 new cases of coronavirus on Sunday, slightly fewer than in the week before, as 11 patients with Covid-19 died. More than 9,000 rapid tests and 1,451 PCR tests were performed. The positivity rate for PCR tests was at 16.7%, a slight improvement over the day before. There were 543 Covid-19 patients in hospital compared to 529 the day before, whereas the number of intensive care cases dropped by two to 91. The rolling seven-day average of daily new cases dropped slightly to 768 and the number of active cases is estimated by the National Institute of Public Health (NIJZ) to be 10,636.

All contacts of infected with South African variant negative so far

LJUBLJANA - All persons who had been in contact with an individual whose coronavirus infection was confirmed to be the South African variant last week have so far tested negative, the Maribor unit of the National Institute of Public Health (NIJZ) said, adding that the infected had a mild case of Covid-19. The infected doctor had high-risk exposure contacts with four persons who have been ordered to self-isolate. Around 10 or 12 people were deemed low-risk exposure contacts and have been told to observe their condition and heed all the prevention measures to the letter.

C5 ministers discuss Slovenia's EU presidency, pandemic

BRDO PRI KRANJU - Foreign Minister Anže Logar hosted his counterparts from Austria, the Czech Republic, Hungary and Slovakia to discuss Slovenia's upcoming EU presidency and the coronavirus pandemic. "The meeting was a great opportunity to present our views and priorities for the presidency so as to harmonise key issues that will be on the EU's agenda within the central European club of countries," Logar told the press. The Central 5 (C5) foreign ministers spent a fair share of time discussing the coronavirus pandemic. They believe the situation remains serious and encourage facilitation of vaccination efforts. They also expressed support for an EU-wide vaccination certificate.

Tourism ministers urge predictability of border crossing regimes

LJUBLJANA - EU ministers in charge of tourism agreed it is important to ensure simple and predictable border crossing regimes, as they held a virtual meeting. Economy Ministry state secretary Simon Zajc, who took part in the meeting alongside Minister Zdravko Počivalšek, said the debate discussed joint solutions to re-establish cross-border travel flows and relaunch tourism. "Most European destinations depend on incoming tourism, the loss of which domestic tourism cannot offset sufficiently; this is also the case in Slovenia," Zajc said.

STA cuts off govt administration in funding row

LJUBLJANA - Two months after the expiration of public and commercial news service contracts between the STA and the government, the STA restricted access to its news items for the government administration. Parliament Speaker Igor Zorčič believes the time has come for the matter to be resolved in court. "I believe that all conditions have been met, even though this is a sad moment, for the STA to try to find justice in court. The legislative basis exists, but if the government and the STA are unable to resolve this on their own and in a peaceful way, the STA probably has no other option," Zorčič said.

Landslide for Slovenian minority in Globasnitz municipality elections

KLAGENFURT, Austria - The Slovenian ethnic minority won an absolute majority in the municipality of Globasnitz (Globasnica), where Bernard Sadovnik was also reelected mayor in Sunday's local elections in the state of Carinthia. This is the first time the Slovenian minority United List (EL) party has won an absolute majority in any municipality. The EL will now have a total of 59 councillors in the 21 municipalities in southern Carinthia in which it stood with 517 candidates, or one seat more than in 2015. Slovenian minority organisations from Austria and the Government Office for Slovenians Abroad welcomed the result, the second best after WWII. The other Slovenian minority mayor in Carinthia, Franc Jožef Smrtnik, advanced to the run-off.

Slovenia increases Yemen pledge

LJUBLJANA - Slovenia has decided to increase aid to Yemen by 20%, pledging a total of EUR 120,000 for 2021-2023, Foreign Ministry State Secretary Stanislav Raščan told a high-level conference on Yemen. The increased contribution means Slovenia will have donated over half a million euro for the aid effort in Yemen since 2016 via the International Red Cross, the Foreign Ministry said.

SDS with best Mediana poll result in last six months

LJUBLJANA - The ruling Democrats (SDS) have gained 1.3 percentage points to 18.2% in the latest Mediana poll for the commercial broadcaster POP TV for its best result in the last six months. The SDS is followed by the opposition Social Democrats (SD), which have gained two points to 11%. Like the SDS, the opposition Left also gained 1.3 points to 8.2% to take third place, while the opposition Marjan Šarec List (LMŠ) lost almost a percentage point compared to the January Mediana poll to 7.9%. The government of Janez Janša is supported by 36% of the people polled, which is around two percentage points more than in January. Almost 56% of the respondents do not support it and 7.6% were undecided.

Reports: Man gets two months suspended sentence for threatening Janša

VELENJE - The Velenje Local Court has given Luka Štitić a two-month suspended sentence with a one year probation period for threatening Prime Minister Janez Janša on social media during last year's anti government protests, several media have reported. The ruling, published online, is final. Štitić was found guilty on 18 January of intimidation through making serious threats that, according to the weekly Reporter, he made on the Facebook page of the All-Slovenian People's Uprising on 3 November. Among other things, he said called for Janša's hanging in Prešeren Square in Ljubljana.

Event organisers want gradual return of public events

LJUBLJANA - Musicians and event organisers are pushing for the gradual relaunch of public events and the revival of the events sector after several countries already took steps in this direction. The Coalition of the Music Sector, Trade Union of Slovenian Musicians, the Association of Concert Organisers, the Slovenian Music and Information Centre, and the charity MiDelamoDogodke, said the events industry was completely exhausted by the restrictions. "If we lose another summer ... the damage suffered by most stakeholders will be too big for the sector to ever recover again," they said.

Layoffs announced at Alpina

ŽIRI - Alpina, a footwear maker best known for ski and hiking boots, plans to reduce its headcount by more than a tenth at its main production location in Žiri after a dismal year marked by store closures and the long shutdown of ski slopes around Europe. Maja Remic, Alpina's director of marketing and retail sales, told the STA 18 workers would be made redundant and 20 would either retire or await retirement on the dole.

Covid nurses honoured by Ona magazine

LJUBLJANA - Ona 365, an annual award given out by the editorial board of the women's magazines Ona and Ona Plus, this year went to nurses caring for Covid-19 patients in hospitals and nursing homes. The judging panel said Covid nurses worked with great dedication in unimaginable circumstances, saving lives and providing help to anybody who needed it.

Loginov and Jörg defend snowboard world titles

ZREČE - Russia's Dmitry Loginov and Germany's Selina Jörg defended their world titles in the parallel giant slalom at the Snowboarding World Championships in Rogla. Slovenian snowboarders underperformed. Silver medals went to Italian snowboarder Roland Fischnaller and Russian Sofia Nadyrshina and bronze to Andrey Sobolev of Russia and Julia Dujmovits of Austria.

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451 coronavirus cases confirmed in Slovenia on Saturday

LJUBLJANA - Slovenia reported 451 new coronavirus cases on Saturday from 2,611 PCR tests for a positivity rate of 17.3%, down from 20.1% a week ago and 19.5% on Friday, fresh official data showed. An additional seven Covid-19 patients died, bringing the death toll to 3,843. A total of 5,466 rapid antigen tests were also performed. The 7-day average of new cases increased by six to 769. Hospitalisations rose by 16 to 529 after 16 patients were discharged and the total of those in intensive care dropped by two to 93. If the current speed of vaccine deployment is not stepped up, Slovenia will not succeed in vaccinating 70% of the population by summer, Bojana Beović, former head of the government's Covid-19 task force and new president of the Medical Chamber, told the STA.

Apostolic nuncio to Iraq Leskovar tests positive for coronavirus

VATICAN CITY, Vatican City State/BAGHDAD, Iraq - Mitja Leskovar, the titular archbishop of Beneventum and apostolic nuncio to Iraq, has tested positive for the novel coronavirus and will thus not be able to accompany Pope Francis during the latter's forthcoming visit to Iraq, foreign press agencies reported. The Slovenian is quarantining outside his residence, the agencies said, quoting Vatican sources. The premises of the apostolic nunciature in Baghdad, where the pope is expected to stay the night during his visit, have been disinfected and staff tested.

CROSS-COUNTRY SKIING: Lampič and Urevc third in team event in Oberstdorf

OBERSTDORF, Germany - Cross-country skiers Anamarija Lampič and Eva Urevc won bronze in the women's team event at the Nordic World Ski Championships in Oberstdorf, Germany. The pair fell short of gold by 3.46 seconds. Sweden's Maja Dahlqvist and Jonna Sundling won the race. Today's bronze medal marked the fifth podium appearance for Slovenia at this year's world championships.

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