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 Record 192 infections confirmed in Slovenia on Thursday

LJUBLJANA - The number of new daily coronavirus infections reached a new high as 192 of the record 3,645 tests carried out on Thursday came back positive, according to government data. The total number of infections recorded so far exceeded 5,000. A total of 60 Covid-19 patients were in hospital, 15 of whom needed intensive care. No patient with Covid-19 died, leaving the death toll at 145. Currently, 1,509 cases are active in the country. The recent surge in cases has prompted Switzerland to put Slovenia on its quarantine list effective on Monday.

Pahor urges launch of EU accession talks with N Macedonia

SKOPJE, North Macedonia - President Borut Pahor urged for the EU to launch accession talks with North Macedonia without delay, as he met his counterpart Stevo Pendarovski at the outset of a two-day official visit. He reiterated Slovenia's support for North Macedonia's aspirations to join the EU. "The visit takes place at a time that both countries see as crucial for North Macedonia, the region and the EU," he was quoted as saying. Indeed, Pahor said that Slovenia was in favour of bringing all countries in the region into the EU.

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DeSUS deputies ask PM Janša to dismiss agriculture minister

LJUBLJANA - MPs of the Pensioners' Party (DeSUS) formally requested that Prime Minister Janez Janša dismiss Agriculture Minister Aleksandra Pivec, the former leader of their party. Jože Podgoršek, state secretary at the ministry, has been proposed as her successor. The letter comes after Pivec resigned as party leader on 9 September following a power struggle that ensued after media revelations about ethical transgressions during two trips to the coast during which she mixed business and family affairs.

Tourist arrivals drop by 47%, nights by 40% in first eight months

LJUBLJANA - The January-August period saw the number of tourist arrivals plummet by 47% to almost 2.4 million, while tourist nights dropped by 40% to almost 7.1 million compared to the same eight-month period in 2019, figures released by the Statistics Office show. The number of domestic tourists rose by 26% in the eight-month period, with nights they generated rising by 34%. Foreign arrivals plummeted by 70% in this period, and the nights they generated by 67%.

PPE whistle-blower reported to be facing the sack

LJUBLJANA - Ivan Gale, the man who came forward with accusations of flawed procurement of medical supplies during the first wave of coronavirus in Slovenia, is reportedly facing the threat of losing his job at the Agency for Commodity Reserves. TV Slovenija reported that Gale was summoned by the agency's director Tomi Rumpf for an interview before he is handed a dismissal notice on suspicion that he closed detrimental contracts for PPE supply and due to his inappropriate communication with the media.

Higher court quashes conviction of Bavčar

KOPER - Media reported that the Koper Higher Court had quashed a prison sentence against Igor Bavčar, the former CEO of Istrabenz, in a case related to a 2007 transaction involving shares of logistics company Intereuropa, and ordered a retrial. The news web portals of Nova24 and Primorske Novice said that Bavčar and another defendant Miroslav Golubić, the former CEO of Maksima Holding, would be tried by a new judging panel.

Rally for climate justice laments govt environment plan

LJUBLJANA - Over a hundred protesters gathered in Ljubljana's city centre for a rally organised by the Youth for Climate Justice as part of global protests demanding action on climate change. They slammed government plans for transition into a carbon-free society as not ambitious enough and called for nature conservation and climate justice. The protesters also called on Environment Minister Andrej Vizjak to close down the coal-fired power station in Šoštanj.

Roza wins Večernica for collection of children's poems

MURSKA SOBOTA - Author, actor and street theatre producer Andrej Rozman - Roza is the winner of this year's Večernica award for the best youth and children's book written in the past year. The award goes for a collection of poetry which the award jury said marks Roza's "return to linguistic nonsense." With the collection "Rimuzine in črkolazen", the author loses himself in a pure linguistic play of inventing unusual compounds, creating rhymes, looking for words within words, rewriting grammatical rules and and connecting homonyms, the jury said.

Pogačar's yellow jersey helps raise EUR 47,000 at charity auction

LJUBLJANA - The yellow jersey of Tour de France winner secured recently by Slovenia's young cycling star Tadej Pogačar fetched a record EUR 47,009 in the latest Botrstvo charity auction organised to support talented young athletes. The signed yellow jersey ended up in the hands of the DIY chain Bauhaus, a long-standing supporter of the initiative.

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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: 

Parliament confirms revised budget for 2020, expenditure up by nearly 30%

LJUBLJANA - The National Assembly adopted the supplementary budget for 2020, which raises expenditure by EUR 3 billion or 29% in the face of the coronacrisis while slashing revenue by almost 15%. With a deficit of 9.3% of GDP, the budget earmarks EUR 2.6 billion, 19% of all expenditure, for measures meant to mitigate the crisis. Prime Minister Janez Janša acknowledged the deficit, at roughly EUR 4.2 billion, was high, but he added the spending was prudent and positioned the Slovenian economy for a recovery.

Slovenia logs second highest daily coronavirus tally

LJUBLJANA - Slovenia logged 136 new coronavirus cases for Tuesday, the second highest daily tally since the start of the pandemic, as another Covid-19 patient died. The latest cases come from 2,616 tests and bring the overall case count to 4,694, with the number of active cases at 1,383, show combined data from the government and tracker site covid-19.sledilnik.org. Covid-19 hospitalisations fell to 65 after ten patients were discharged. Ten patients still require intensive care. So far 143 have died.

Compulsory solidarity chief Slovenian concern about proposed migration pact

LJUBLJANA - The Foreign Ministry singled out the compulsory solidarity mechanism as the main area of concern after the European Commission unveiled the draft of a new migration and asylum pact. Slovenia expected that the plan would take into consideration "concerns by certain countries, Slovenia included, and would involve more balanced proposals," Foreign Ministry spokesman Aleksander Geržina said. It is "not good" that the Commission opted for this concept since it "creates divisions again," he said.

Trade union reps walk out of coronavirus legislation meeting

LJUBLJANA - Trade union representatives walked out of a meeting of the Economic and Social Council (ESS) amidst a debate on new anti-coronavirus legislation. The unions proposed that the government adopt only the measures which have been coordinated with social partners as it holds a session this evening, while negotiations should continue on the remaining open issues. Jakob Počivavšek of the Pergam association said this was not accepted. Labour Minister Janez Cigler Kralj said he regretted the decision.

Pahor paying two-day official visit to North Macedonia

LJUBLJANA - President Borut Pahor will pay an official visit to North Macedonia on Friday and Saturday upon invitation from his counterpart Stevo Pendarovski. In addition to bilateral relations and multilateral cooperation, the EU accession process of North Macedonia will be on the agenda. Pahor will be accompanied by Economy Minister Zdravko Počivalšek and Defence Minister Matej Tonin, who will hold separate bilateral meetings, his office said.

Left proposes digital tax on tech giants

LJUBLJANA - The opposition Left tabled a bill in a bid to levy a 7% digital services tax on multinational tech companies. They generate about EUR 100 million in turnover in Slovenia per year according to Financial Administration data but pay almost zero tax, said the Left's leader Luka Mesec. Their turnover is expected to continue to rise and given such an upward trend, Mesec believes that the tax could raise some EUR 10 million for the budget next year.

Council of Europe urges recognition of minority languages in Slovenia

STRASBOURG, France - The Croatian, German and Serbian languages should be recognised as minority languages traditionally spoken in Slovenia, the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe said in its latest recommendations. It also calls for sufficient funding for television programmes in the Hungarian and Italian languages and says Slovenia should foster teaching the Roma language and culture and enhance raising awareness about regional and minority languages in educational programmes and media.

Church's claim for natural sights turned down

RADOVLJICA - The newspaper Dnevnik reported that the Radovljica administrative unit had turned down the Ljubljana Archdiocese's claim for denationalisation of natural sights including the Triglav Lakes Valley, the Savica Waterfall area, and the lakeside of Lake Bohinj on the grounds that the Church did not own the properties when they were nationalised. According to the paper, the Church's claim also includes the Viševnik military ski slopes and some other properties the administrative unit has not decided on yet.

Home prices up in Q2, but fewer transactions

LJUBLJANA - Prices of residential properties in Slovenia in the second quarter of 2020 were up 1.9% compared to the first quarter, and 5.2% higher than in the same period last year, according to the Statistics Office. However, transactions were significantly lower, with the total value of all real estate sold being the lowest since the first quarter of 2015. Prices of new apartments and houses were up by 7.1% compared to the previous quarter, while used homes sold 1.4% higher.

Discussion urges efforts to contain job losses

LJUBLJANA - An online debate hosted by the European Parliament's Office in Slovenia highlighted the urgency of efforts to limit job losses during the coronavirus crisis. Measures leaning on the EU's SURE mechanism and being drawn up by the government were highlighted as part of this endeavour. The debate heard the young had been hit especially hard in particular because of precarious labour arrangements, which prevent them from taking out housing loans and are detrimental to their well-being.

Diplomatic Academy established at Foreign Ministry

LJUBLJANA - The Foreign Ministry has established a Diplomatic Academy, whose main purpose will be to educate and train future Slovenian diplomats and provide permanent training to current diplomats. According to the ministry's website, it will offer professional and advanced training programmes for employees, and develop and carry out diplomatic studies, training and advanced programmes for employment at the ministry and in the foreign service.

Slovenia marks first Day of Sports

LJUBLJANA - Day of Slovenian Sports was marked for the first time in memory of the first Olympic gold medals won for the independent country in Sydney in 2000 by rowers Iztok Čop and Luka Špik and shooter Rajmond Debevec. Addressing the main ceremony in Ljubljana's Congress Square, President Borut Pahor as the honorary patron noted the importance of sports for health, the country's promotion and for national unity. On the occasion, Pahor also decorated the Slovenian Athletics Association with the Golden Order of Merit to mark the centenary of organised track and field competitions in Slovenia.

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 PM defends budget as prudent

LJUBLJANA - PM Janez Janša acknowledged the planned budget deficit for this year, at roughly EUR 4.2 billion, was high, but he told parliament the spending was prudent and positioned the Slovenian economy for a recovery. "For probably the first time in the history of this country, the government can explain to within an euro what these funds have been and will be used for," he said at the outset of a two-day debate on the supplementary budget, which was slammed by the opposition. Revenue is projected at EUR 9.19 billion and expenditure at EUR 13.39 billion, with a deficit of 9.3% of GDP.

Pahor reiterates commitment to multilateral cooperation

NEW YORK, US - President Borut Pahor reiterated Slovenia's commitment to multilateral cooperation in the framework of the United Nations and other international and regional organisations, as he delivered a video address to a ceremony marking the 75th anniversary of the organisation on Monday. "It is essential that we build our progress on the foundations of the respect for human rights, international law and rule of law, and on a comprehensive, inclusive and sustainable development of our societies," he said.

Ministers discuss priorities of EU presidency in Brussels

BRUSSELS, Belgium - Labour Minister Janez Cigler Kralj and Public Administration Minister Boštjan Koritnik visited Brussels for talks with EU commissioners and Slovenian MEPs as part of preparations for Slovenia's presidency of the Council of the EU in the second half of 2021. Cigler Kralj announced efforts to ensure a responsive labour market and quality elderly care would be the presidency's social affairs priorities, while Koritnik noted a focus on artificial intelligence and digitalisation. He also expressed disappointment with the EU's failure to develop a common coronavirus contact tracing app.

Unity deemed key in Brexit talks

BRUSSELS, Belgium - Foreign Ministry State Secretary Gašper Dovžan stressed the importance of member states remaining united in conducting Brexit negotiations with the UK as he attended a meeting of EU affairs ministers in Brussels. He warned that the internal market bill was a grave violation of the UK's requirements stemming from the Brexit agreement.

88 new coronavirus infections recorded in 2,335 tests

LJUBLJANA - A total of 2,335 tests for the novel coronavirus were performed in Slovenia on Monday, resulting in 88 new cases, show the latest data from the government. The number of hospitalised patients was up by one to 71, while the number of those requiring intensive care stayed at 13. Eight Covid-19 patients were discharged from hospital yesterday. There were no deaths, with the death toll remaining at 142. A total of 4,558 cases have been confirmed so far in Slovenia in 203,647 tests.

Minister under fire over masks

LJUBLJANA - Education Minister Simona Kustec came under fire for appearing at a sports gala on Monday evening at which the guests were not wearing masks. This was as stricter rules on wearing masks in schools came into force and amid escalating political debates about coronavirus measures. The charity event was organised by the Slovenian Olympic Committee, featuring top Slovenian sports officials and business executives. Opposition parties as well the teachers' trade union called on the minister to step down. Kustec apologised and said she would get tested for Covid-19 out of precaution.

About 60% of Slovenians to be vaccinated against Covid-19

LJUBLJANA - Health Minister Tomaž Gantar expects that about 60% of Slovenia's population or about 1.2 million people are expected to get vaccinated against Covid-19 when a vaccine becomes available. Gantar, responding to a deputy question on Monday, cited an internal survey showing that about 55% of employees and 69% of residents of care homes expressed the desire to be vaccinated. About 60% of people are also expected to get vaccinated in the EU.

Brussels clears concentration of Fortenova and Mercator

BRUSSELS,Belgium/LJUBLJANA - The European Commission gave Croatia's Fortenova a concentration approval to transfer the Slovenian retailer Mercator from insolvent Agrokor, which still needs an approval from Mercator bank creditors and the Serbian anti-trust watchdog. Fabris Peruško, CEO of Fortenova Group, expects the approval from the Serbian Commission will follow shortly, so the transfer could be carried out by the end of the year. Economy Minister Zdravko Počivalšek suggested the state would not oppose the transfer, provided agreement is reached with Slovenian suppliers of Mercator.

NGOs urge against giving in to pressure of oil and gas company Ascent

LJUBLJANA - Slovenian NGOs warned against the country caving in to the pressure of UK-based company Ascent Resources, which had announced a lawsuit against Slovenia over its insistence on an environmental impact assessment for a hydraulic fracturing project. They warned against the effects of fracking on the environment and people's health and highlighted the dangers of the investor-state dispute settlement mechanism.

Consumer confidence down slightly in September

LJUBLJANA - After going up for four months, consumer confidence in Slovenia lost one percentage point in September to 8 points below the long-term average. The Statistics Office said the confidence indicator was down because of pessimistic expectations about households' finances and savings (down by 5 and 3 percentage points, respectively). On the other hand, consumers were more optimistic about jobs and the country's economic outlook, with respective indicators up by 2 and 1 percentage points.

Concern about physical efficiency of children post-lockdown

LJUBLJANA - A study conducted at more than 100 primary schools in May and June shows that reduced physical activity of children during the Covid-19 lockdown has had a profound impact on children's physical fitness. The share of children with high physical efficiency is the lowest ever since the first such measurements were conducted and the share of overweight children rose more than in the 2003-2007 period when childhood obesity was on the rise.

Writers' Meeting reflecting on creativity in coronatime, exile

BLED - The International PEN Writers' Meeting opened in Bled to delve into issues of particular concern during coronatimes: literature in exile, violence in literary works and artistic creativity in response to the coronacrisis. Running until Saturday, it will feature three roundtable debates on Thursday and Friday, a session of the management board of the International Writers for Peace Committee on Tuesday and a meeting of Mira, the women's committee at the Slovenian PEN Centre on Wednesday.

Cartier-Bresson's photos of 20th century icons on show in Ljubljana

LJUBLJANA - An unique exhibition of portraits by famous French photographer Henri Cartier-Bresson went on show at Ljubljana's Cankarjev Dom. After hosting a retrospective exhibition of Cartier-Bresson's work in 2002, Cankarjev Dom is now showcasing 100 photographic portraits dubbed Tête à Tête in cooperation with the artist's foundation HBC. Cartier-Bresson selected the pieces himself and the exhibition has so far been displayed only a few times. It is open until 31 January.

Ljubljana turns into City of Women

LJUBLJANA - The City of Women international festival of contemporary arts got under way in Ljubljana with the launch of an exhibition of posters around the city of 50 Slovenian women who pushed the boundaries. The opening day also saw the first screening in a segment dedicated to actress Delphine Seyrig. Running in a stretched-out format until 12 October, the festival will feature over 80 women artists, lecturers, curators and activists.

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Pahor and Macron agree closer cooperation

PARIS, France - President Borut Pahor held a working meeting with French President Emmanuel Macron focussing on the future of the EU, its neighbourhood, and bilateral relations. Closer cooperation was agreed, both personally and at the level of the two countries, Pahor said, announcing that "circumstances permitting", he could host Macron in Slovenia before the end of the year. Noting many shared views with Macron, he said they saw unity among 27 member states as a promise of internal and external cohesion.

Logar eagerly awaiting EU's new migration pact

BRUSSELS, Belgium - Foreign Minister Anže Logar, who attended a session of the Foreign Affairs Council in Brussels, told reporters the EU's forthcoming pact on migration and asylum was eagerly anticipated and that Slovenia would continue to oppose mandatory distribution of migrants, which the country made clear in June. Logar also held courtesy meetings with Executive Vice President of the European Commission Frans Timmermans and European Commissioner for the Environment Virginijus Sinkevičius. He presented them Slovenia's priorities for the upcoming EU presidency from green technologies to water diplomacy.

Bach praises Slovenia as great sporting nation

LJUBLJANA - International Olympic Committee (IOC) president Thomas Bach praised Slovenia as a true giant in sports, as he met some of Slovenia's athletes aspiring to attend the Tokyo Olympics. He reiterated the IOC would do all in its power for the Tokyo Olympics, rescheduled due to the coronavirus from 2020 to 2021, to be held next year. He also met PM Janez Janša and Sports Minister Simona Kustec, saying the prime minister and his government were aware of the important role sport plays in society, especially during the health crisis. Bach also attended a fund raiser for underprivileged athletes, contributing US$50,000 on behalf of the IOC, and visited the grave of recently deceased sports official Janez Kocijančič (1941-2020).

DeSUS threatens to leave coalition if ex-leader Pivec stays minister

LJUBLJANA - The opposition, led by the Marjan Šarec List (LMŠ), filed a motion of no-confidence in Agriculture Minister Aleksandra Pivec, a member of the coalition Pensioners' Party (DeSUS). The motion alleges risk of corruption, violation of integrity rules and concealment of public interest facts. DeSUS deputy group head Franc Jurša meanwhile announced the coalition would lose DeSUS's support if Pivec, the DeSUS former leader, who stepped down recently, remained minister. In the words of Tomaž Gantar's, health minister and DeSUS's interim leader, this is in fact an appeal to the prime minister to finally resolve the issue of Pivec's ministerial post.

Hojs remains interior minister after talking it over with Janša

LJUBLJANA - Aleš Hojs remains interior minister not only after surviving a motion of no-confidence in parliament on Saturday but also after today's meeting with PM Janez Janša. He told the STA that Janša had returned him the envelope with his resignation, which he tendered in late June after four opposition parties filed a motion to dismiss him. Back then he indicated he resigned because the police was serving the deep state in an investigation into ventilator procurement related to Covid-19. Janša and Hojs also discussed further coalition commitments that are yet to be implemented. Hojs said changes to the foreigners act, the international protection act and the police organisation and work act were ready. Another attempt is planned to give soldiers some police powers in protecting the border against illegal migrants.

50 coronavirus infections confirmed in scaled-down testing on Sunday

LJUBLJANA - The number of new Sars-Cov-2 infections discovered in Slovenia fell substantially to 50 on Sunday, but the number of tests carried out, 984, was only about a third of the figure during recent week days. There were no new fatalities, so the death toll remains at 142. The number of hospitalised patients increased by four to 70. The number of patients in intensive care increased by one to 14, with 12 attached to ventilators, show official data released on Monday. Meanwhile, the Economy Ministry and business chambers urged companies to implement all necessary measures to prevent the spread of the new coronavirus in a bid to keep the economy running.

Poll shows people not very concerned about coronavirus

LJUBLJANA - Although the epidemiological curve in Slovenia has been rising, people are not very concerned, the latest Vox Populi poll suggests. The share of respondents who are not concerned by the new coronavirus spreading rose from 13.3% in March to 27.2% in September. The share of those who are very concerned rose slightly, from 17.5% to 20%, but that did not change the overall situation. An analysis of responses has shown that women are more concerned by the situation and that the anxiety increases with age.

Janša announces funds to cut waiting times, changes to public sector pay

LJUBLJANA - PM Janez Janša said the government will discuss the fifth omnibus bill bringing anti-coronavirus measures this week and the bill will also bring fresh funds to cut waiting time in healthcare. It will moreover feature measures designed to prevent the spring scenario when practically all non-urgent medical services were suspended, Janša said in parliament. He also announced talks to exclude the services part of the public sector from the uniform public pay system would start soon. Health Minister Tomaž Gantar later explained excluding at least healthcare from the public sector pay system was feasible, so a task force of Health Ministry representatives and doctors would try to come up with different remuneration criteria.

2030 strategy looks to create knowledge-based industry

BRDO PRI KRANJU - The Economic Development and Technology Ministry presented a draft of the industrial strategy for 2021-2030, which looks to create the conditions for restructuring Slovenia's industrial sector into an industry of knowledge and innovativeness for new and better jobs. The principal indicator of the Slovenian industrial strategy is labour productivity, which the ministry wants to reach EUR 66,000 in added value per employee by 2030. The document was presented at a conference in Brdo pri Kranju, where PM Janez Janša urged structural reforms if Slovenia is to take advantage of the coronacrisis to gain a development momentum.

Janša announces additional oversight over immigrants

LJUBLJANA - PM Janez Janša announced more oversight over the system of social transfers as he responded to an MP question from Zmago Jelinčič from the opposition National Party (SNS) about the status of immigrants from third countries and their social transfers. Janša said the coalition agreement envisaged a reform of social transfers. He noted that in some towns, more than a hundred persons are registered at a single address, which should be looked into. Many of the loopholes in the current legislation will be fixed with changes to the foreigners act, he said.

Pahor and Logar to attend first virtual UN general debate

NEW YORK, US - This year's general debate of the UN General Assembly will be held virtually for the first time in UN history due to Covid-19. Slovenian President Borut Pahor and Foreign Minister Anže Logar will contribute their speeches via videolink. Pahor's speech is expected on Thursday, while Logar will attend a virtual meeting of the Informal Ministerial Network for the International Criminal Court on Wednesday and a ministerial of the Alliance for Multilateralism on Friday.

Vox Populi poll: Parties losing ground, SDS remains in the lead

LJUBLJANA/MARIBOR - Most parties lost ground in September's Vox Populi poll, conducted by Ninamedia for the newspapers Večer and Dnevnik, but the senior coalition Democrats (SDS) remain on top, followed somewhat closer than before by the opposition Social Democrats (SD) and Marjan Šarec List (LMŠ). If an election was held this Sunday, the SDS would receive 22.1% of the vote, followed by the SD with 13.6%. The LMŠ in third place would be receive 9% of the voters. The opposition Left, which was the only parliamentary party to see a slight rise in support thismonth, polled at 7.2%.

Jaklitsch concludes Germany visit in Baden-Württemberg

STUTTGART, Germany - Minister for Slovenians Abroad Helena Jaklitsch concluded a two-day visit to the Slovenian community in Germany on Sunday in the state of Baden-Württemberg, where she met representatives of Slovenian associations in Stuttgart and Sindelfingen and a Slovenian Catholic mission there. Slovenians in this part of Germany are facing similar problems as those living in Bavaria, whom Jaklitsch visited on Saturday. Membership is declining, as some of the older members are returning to Slovenia upon retirement, while it is hard to encourage the younger generations to get involved in the organised activities of the Slovenian community.

Trade union wants MPs to define relations between interior ministry and police

LJUBLJANA - The SPS trade union, one of the two representing Slovenian police officers, called on parliament to provide an "authentic interpretation" of the organisation and work of the police act in the part where the law determines the relations between the Interior Ministry and the police force. The move comes after tensions between Minister Aleš Hojs and police following his July order issued to the police commissioner to review five high-profile cases handled by the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI). The trade union believes this is necessary to stop clashes in the media, which are harming the police force's reputation.

Over EUR 200 million out of last year's budget for R&D

LJUBLJANA - Last year, Slovenia earmarked EUR 219.8 million in budget funds for R&D activities, up 14.7% or EUR 28.1 million on 2018. Budget funding for R&D increased for the fourth year in a row in 2019 and exceeded EUR 200 million for the first time since 2011. The share of public funding for R&D in GDP also went up from 0.42% to 0.46% in 2019 compared to 2018, show Statistics Office data.

New exhibition marks Laibach's 40th anniversary

LJUBLJANA - An exhibition of artworks by Laibach opened at Gallery P74 on the occasion of the 40th anniversary of this alternative band. Entitled RE:KONS:TRUKT, the show is a re-imagining of old works by Laibach and will be on display until 2 November. Ausstellung! Laibach Kunst is a series of exhibitions by Laibach, and according to curator Barbara Borčič, this particular exhibition evokes the memories of their early artistic practice, especially of the band's first two exhibitions at the Škuc Gallery in 1982 and 1983.

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Slovenia celebrates double victory at Tour de France

BESANCON, France - Slovenians Tadej Pogačar and Primož Roglič reigned supreme at Saturday's decisive stage of the 107th Tour de France with Pogačar becoming the big winner after a surprise twist at the only time trial of the race. After making up for Roglič's 57-second lead, the 21-year-old Pogačar became the second youngest winner of the Tour. Bagging his third stage victory at the Tour, Pogačar (UAE Team Emirates) took the yellow, white and polka dot jerseys, beating Roglič (Jumbo-Visma) by almost two minutes.

Finance Committee adopts revised budget, rejects all amendments

LJUBLJANA - The Finance Committee adopted the revised national budget for 2020 as the last parliamentary body before the plenary on Saturday with the opposition voicing concern over the rising expenditure that will have to be paid eventually and Finance Minister Andrej Šircelj arguing the budget is adjusted to the new reality.

Slovenian, Austrian speakers honour victims of Nazi violence

GLOBASNITZ, Austria - Parliamentary Speaker Igor Zorčič joined his Austrian counterpart Wolfgang Sobotka for a memorial ceremony in Austria's Globasnitz honouring the victims of a Nazi attack on a Slovenian farm in 1945. Their meeting also marked the 100th anniversary of the Carinthian plebiscite. According to a press release from the National Assembly, both stressed the importance of dialogue with ethnic minorities.

113 new coronavirus cases in Slovenia on Friday

LJUBLJANA - Slovenia recorded 113 new coronavirus infections on Friday after 3,070 tests were performed, putting the number of active cases at 1,187. Currently, 67 Covid-19 patients are being treated in hospitals, ten of them in intensive care. One person with Covid-19 died, which puts the number of deaths so far at 141. Health Minister Tomaž Gantar said hospitals treating Covid-19 patients would switch back to the regime they had during the epidemic.

C-bank governor says situation better than it seemed in spring

LJUBLJANA - Slovenia will see a significant drop in gross domestic product (GDP) this year, but the final two quarters will be positive, central bank governor Boštjan Vasle told the newspaper Delo in an interview. He said the developments are not as catastrophic as it seemed in the spring and that the demand for liquidity loans was low.

Masks now mandatory outdoors when distancing not possible

LJUBLJANA - Slovenia has made face masks mandatory outdoors as of today in cases when it is not possible to maintain a physical distance of at least two metres. The government issued the new decree on Friday evening with the addendum that it would made a biweekly assessment of whether the measure is still necessary. The decision comes after a sharp spike in new infections, with triple-digit increases in new cases for most of this week.

Due to Covid-19, annual Catholic youth meeting scattered around Slovenia

LJUBLJANA - Several thousand Catholic youths came together at 30 locations around Slovenia for an annual jamboree that promotes socialising and prayer. What is dubbed Young Stična was this year held under the slogan Stand Up. President Borut Pahor addressed the youth in Stična, praising their efforts for an inclusive society.

Slalom canoeist Kauzer wins silver at European championship in Prague

PRAGUE, Czechia - Slovenia's Peter Kauzer bagged silver at the European championship in canoe slalom in Prague. Gold went to Czech jiri Prskavec. This is Kauzer's third silver medal from European championships, while he has also won two golds. The Slovenian women's team, featuring Eva Alina Hočevar, Lea Novak and Alja Kozorog, also won silver today, while the men's team had to settle for fourth place after touching a gate.

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