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

This summary is provided by the STA:

24 people test positive for coronavirus, one death

LJUBLJANA - A total of 879 tests for the novel coronavirus were performed in Slovenia on Wednesday, with 24 persons testing positive. One person died of Covid-19, the latest government data show. A total of 22 persons were in hospital with Covid-19, five of them requiring intensive care. So far, a total of 2,139 novel coronavirus infections were detected in Slovenia and the national death toll increased to 118. The Ljubljana University Medical Centre (UKC), the country's largest hospital, has started preparing for an expected surge in coronavirus infections with the arrival of autumn and winter. Insights acquired so far will help in the treatment of patients.

Violent storms cause huge damage across country

LJUBLJANA - Violent storms with strong winds, downpours and hail hit Slovenia Wednesday evening, causing huge damage and disruption across central, eastern, northeastern and southeastern Slovenia. Several hundred firefighter units were dispatched to over 500 locations to pump water from houses, patch up roofs, divert torrents and clear fallen trees and debris from roads. Power outages landslides and flooded premises were reported. The Domžale area in central Slovenia was hit the hardest, battered by hail the size of an egg. As Economy Minister Zdravko Počivalšek inspected the damage it was estimated at around EUR 2.5 million the municipality alone.

Contact tracing app deemed operational

LJUBLJANA - The Slovenian contact tracing app #OstaniZdrav (#StayWell) will be localised and uploaded to GooglePlay and AppStore by Saturday, the deadline for the app to be up and running. According to the Public Administration Ministry, the app is operational and currently being tested by the ministry and National Institute of Public Health. It is expected to be available for download in mid-August or the second half of August. However, the Information Commissioner deems the legal basis for the app inappropriate.

Krka group ups net profit by 15% to EUR 160.3m in half year

NOVO MESTO - The pharma group Krka reported EUR 803.8 million in sales revenue for the first half of the year, a 6% increase year-on-year, as net profit rose by 15% year-on-year to EUR 160.3 million. The management said in the half-year report that "the Krka Group performed well in the first half of the business year, and reached record results." The release adds that the Novo Mesto-based group planned for the entire 2020 to generate operating income of EUR 1.52 billion, and to increase net profit to EUR 210 million.

Telekom Slovenije net profit down 24% to EUR 14.8m in H1

LJUBLJANA - The telecoms group Telekom Slovenije made EUR 335.4 million in total operating revenue in the first half of the year, a decline of 2% year-on-year, while net profit was down 24% to EUR 14.8 million. "The Telekom Slovenije group revenue in the first half of the year was affected by the Covid-19 pandemic, with revenue in the mobile segment decreasing due to lower revenue from roaming," the company said. Earnings before interest and taxes (EBIT) stood at EUR 20.7 million, but adjusted for the effects of the agreement on the sale of Planet TV, EBIT would amount to EUR 27.3 million, or 15% or EUR 3.5 million more year-on-year.

Hidria signs EUR 15m deal with three luxury car brands

IDRIJA - The industrial conglomerate Hidria, a major car industry supplier, announced it had signed a EUR 15 million deal with Germany's Audi and Porsche and Italy's Lamborghini under which it will develop and supply them with key aluminium engine parts. In the next five years, the Idrija-based company will be supplying parts for high-performance diesel and petrol engines for premium and super-sport vehicles of the three marques. Audi, Porsche and Lamborghini will install in their vehicles aluminium parts developed in Hidria, which will make the vehicles lighter and more efficient, with better fuel economy, faster acceleration and lower emissions.

Mediana poll suggests odds slim for Janša govt to fall

LJUBLJANA - Almost 41% of those questioned in a poll by Mediana for the newspaper Delo do not favour an early election, and more than half do not believe a potential attempt by the opposition to vote out the Janez Janša government would succeed. Almost 44% believe that there is no suitable candidate to lead an interim government in the given parties and a new person would have to be found for such a job.

Constitutional Court says 2019 budget did not violate fiscal rule

LJUBLJANA - The Constitutional Court ruled that the 2019 supplementary budget documents were not in conflict with the Constitution. It was the then opposition Democrats (SDS) and New Slovenia (NSi) who petitioned the court in April 2019, claiming the budget expenditure planned was so high it violated the fiscal rule. The court said that the shortcomings claimed by the two parties did not amount to jeopardising the fiscal sovereignty of the country.

Newly established AI centre hosts first event

LJUBLJANA - The International Research Centre On Artificial Intelligence (IRCAI), which was established under the auspices of UNESCO in March, completed its first cooperation with UNESCO this week, an online consultation on drafting of guidelines about AI ethics. IRCAI, which is a part of the country's top research institute, the Jožef Stefan Institute, hosted the online conference involving players from Europe alongside the Ministry of Education. Apart from Slovenia, 23 other countries had been invited by UNESCO to nominate AI experts for ethics guidelines cooperation.

Slovenians among most satisfied in EU with inter-personal relations

BRUSSELS, Belgium - An Eurostat survey suggests that Slovenia's residents are among the most satisfied in the EU in terms of inter-personal relations. The average mark for satisfaction in Slovenia on a one-to-ten scale is 8.6, well above the EU average of 7.9. The only other countries in the EU to have reached such rate are Austria, Malta and Ireland. Overall, satisfaction with inter-personal relations in the EU has not changed much since 2013, when it stood at 7.8. It has increased in Slovenia in this period by 0.3.

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

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

This summary is provided by the STA:

Supreme Court orders competition watchdog to release Mercator shares

LJUBLJANA - The Supreme Court ordered the Competition Protection Agency (AVK) to release 70% of shares of retailer Mercator it seized from Croatian Agrokor in December 2019. The Supreme Court said that the AVK did not have legal grounds to seize Mercator shares. In line with the minor offences act, seizure of shares is only possible if there is suspicion that the perpetrator would go into hiding or abroad before the offences procedure is completed, which is impossible for a legal entity, the Supreme Court said. Agrokor's successor Fortenova, which has been taking over Agrokor's viable businesses, plans for Mercator to become a part of the new group by the end of the year.

Fourteen new infections for second day running

LJUBLJANA - Out of 919 tests for Sars-CoV-2 performed in Slovenia on Tuesday, 14 came back positive, as many as the day before when 874 people were tested. The national case count increased to 2,115, out of which 237 remain active. Two of the latest cases were recorded at the Hrastnik care home, a major hotspot in the country. Twelve more municipalities saw one new case each. Government statistics show no new Covid-19 fatalities, but the number of hospitalisations rose to 21, including four in intensive care.

Uroš Lepoša takes over as acting NBI director

LJUBLJANA - Uroš Lepoša was appointed new acting director of the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) to replace Igor Lamberger after less than three months on the job. The appointment was made by acting Police Commissioner Andrej Jurič as he decided against picking any of the candidates who applied for the call for applications. Lepoša has been with the police force for 28 years. A crime investigator, he most recently worked at the development and system task division in the service attached to the police commissioner.

Alfi acquires more than 80% of grocer Tuš's debt

LJUBLJANA - The newspaper Delo reported that Alfi, a Slovenian equity fund, had acquired over 80% of the debt owed by Tuš, one of the largest grocers in Slovenia. The paper, which obtained confirmation on the acquisition of the last block of claims against Tuš from Alfi, says a framework restructuring agreement to deleverage the grocer is to be signed this week. Once the debt is converted into equity, Alfi is to hold a 75% stake in Tuš, with the Tuš founder, Mirko Tuš, preserving 15-20%.

Talum expects 20% drop in production and revenue this year

KIDRIČEVO - The Kidričevo-based aluminium maker Talum, which has recently also been focusing on products from remelted and waste aluminium, has operated disruption-free despite the coronavirus pandemic. However, CEO Marko Drobnič told the STA in an interview the company was expected to see a 20% drop of production and revenue this year. The management estimates the company will generate around EUR 60 million less in revenue than the originally planned EUR 325 million, but will break even.

STA's article-tracking tool makes EU list of best innovations

LJUBLJANA - An advanced article-tracking tool developed by the Slovenian Press Agency (STA) made the European Commission's list of the best European innovations as part of the Innovation Radar platform. The platform, available at the web address https://www.innoradar.eu/, features around 3,600 top innovations whose excellence and potential has been recognised by independent experts.

Court stays early dismissal of RTV Slovenija supervisors

LJUBLJANA - The Administrative Court stayed the government decision to dismiss early three members of the supervisory board of public broadcaster RTV Slovenija. Matjaž Medved, one of the dismissed supervisors, is seeking annulment of the government decision and a ban preventing the government from further interfering in the terms of the supervisory board's members. The court has decided to stay the government decision until a final decision is made to ensure effective judicial protection of Medved's constitutional rights, which were allegedly infringed by the replacement.

Competition watchdog opposes media act reform

LJUBLJANA - The Competition Protection Agency (AVK) warned about the drawbacks of changes to the media act regarding media concentration monitoring. The agency advocates a strict separation of monitoring the public interest in media, which should not be in the domain of the AVK, and assessing concentration in line with the competition law. The AVK believes that the proposed changes envisage an unnecessary and unclear interlinking of concentration procedure under the prevention of restricting competition act and monitoring concentration under the media reform. The separation between the two procedures is necessary, the AVK said in a press release.

28-year-old Austrian killed in paragliding accident

TOLMIN - A 28-year-old Austrian paraglider was found dead in the Julian Alps in the early hours of the morning. The man took off from the Kobala paragliding takeoff in western Slovenia alongside a friend at 1pm yesterday but when he was still missing in the evening, a report was made to the police. A search and rescue campaign was launched immediately and the man was found dead at about 3am in steep and inaccessible terrain on the mountain of Vršič above the Predolina pasture.

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

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

This summary is provided by the STA:

Slovenian and Croatian FMs see no need for stricter border measures

LJUBLJANA - Foreign minister Anže Logar received his Croatian counterpart Gordan Grlić Radman in Ljubljana during what was the Croatian minister's first visit abroad since he resumed office. The pair discussed measures to contain the Covid-19 pandemic and the EU Council presidency, agreeing that there was no need for stepping up border restrictions. Logar said though that a stop should be put to the practice of people attempting to avoid mandatory self-isolation by making a stop in Croatia on their way from Bosnia and claiming they were coming from Croatia.

14 new coronavirus infections, one fatality for Monday

LJUBLJANA - Slovenia recorded 14 new coronavirus cases from 874 tests on Monday and one more Covid-19 fatality, which takes the official national case count to 2,101 and the death toll to 117. There are now 242 active cases. Government data show the number of Covid-19 hospitalisations has fallen to 17, including three intensive care cases. The latest infections were confirmed in ten municipalities across the country, including one at the Hrastnik care home, where 42 of the 125 residents are now infected. Another resident has died, which means Covid-19 has claimed three lives in the outbreak there. Bojana Beović, the government's chief Covid-19 advisor, said the effective reproductive number by which the virus was spreading was now at around 2 at care homes, while it had fallen below 1 elsewhere.

Social institutions threaten to leave Covid-19 task force

LJUBLJANA - The Association of Social Institutions decided to leave the government task force for Covid-19 over what it perceives as a lack of strategy for care homes when it comes to coronavirus infections. The head of the task force has called for dialogue and the relevant ministry still hopes that the association will be cooperative. The association insists that the elderly who get infected need to be isolated from the care home immediately, as this is the only way to effectively prevent infections from spreading further.

Majority of infections in care homes, schools and shops

LJUBLJANA - In the past two months, the majority of coronavirus cases were detected in care homes (80 infections), followed by schools (54), shops (37), health institutions (32) and restaurants, pubs and cafes (13), show the National Public Health Institute (NIJZ) data. A total of 30 infections were confirmed among manufacturing workers, same as among administration workers. Warehouses saw 16 cases, kindergartens 14, universities 13 and the public administration 12. Moreover, ten lorry drivers got infected with the coronavirus as well as eight construction and engineering workers, four people working in banks and three police officers.

Two dozen villages in Austria to get bilingual signposts

KLAGENFURT, Austria - 23 villages in Austria near the border with Slovenia will get bilingual signposts, according to decisions of the town councils of Sankt Jakob im Rosental and Sittersdorf in the province of Carinthia. The Slovenia minority welcomed the move and expressed hope that other municipalities would follow suit. At least signpost will expectedly be erected on 10 October, when the Slovenian and Austrian presidents Borut Pahor and Alexander Van der Bellen will visit Carinthia for the 100th anniversary of a plebiscite following the disintegration of the Habsburg Monarchy that saw the people of Carinthia choose between Austria and Yugoslavia.

Slovenian army member involved in fatal car accident in Naples

LJUBLJANA - The Defence Ministry announced last night that a member of the Slovenian Armed Forces (SAF) serving at the Allied Joint Force Command Naples had been involved in a car accident in which one person died. It said the accident happened in his free time and involved a private car. As the investigation is ongoing, the ministry would not comment on Italian media reports suggesting that the SAF member had caused the accident under the influence of alcohol and even attempted to flee the scene but was prevented by members of the public. He allegedly hit a motorbike driven by a carabiniere that also carried his wife, who later died of her injuries in hospital.

Spurned constitutional judge nominee seeks vote annulment

LJUBLJANA - The newspaper Dnevnik reported that jurist Andraž Teršek, who failed to get elected a Constitutional Court judge by parliament June, had turned to the Constitutional Court asking it to annul the vote and order a new vote on his bid. Teršek won 42 votes in the secret ballot at the National Assembly on 16 June, four votes short of an outright majority, despite more than 50 members of the 90-strong legislature having pledged their support for him. Considering that eight ballots were invalid, Teršek is challenging the MPs' right to cast such ballot and the parliamentary rules of procedure on secret ballot, which he believes are unconstitutional.

PM's office warns against online scam featuring Janša's photos

LJUBLJANA - The prime minister's office issued a warning against internet fraud after a website featuring Prime Minister Janez Janša started making rounds on social media. The website redirects the users onto a site featuring a number of criptocurrency trade websites. The website appeared under the headline Special report: Latest investment by Janez Janša scares govt and big banks and features statements never uttered or written by Janša, the PM's office said in a press release. The office said it had already lodged a demand for withdrawal of the website but the final decision about this lies in the hands of the services provider.

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

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

This summary is provided by the STA:

Five new coronavirus cases reported for Sunday, no fatalities

LJUBLJANA - Slovenia recorded five new cases of coronavirus from 335 tests performed on Sunday, the lowest single-day increase since the end of June. The latest increase brings the total number of confirmed infections since the start of the pandemic to 2,087. Twenty people were in hospital on Sunday, down one on the day before, with the number of those in intensive care likewise dropping by one to three. The death count remains at 116, because two deaths at the Hrastnik care home have not been added to the tally yet.

Pivec defends conduct, says she paid for accommodation

LJUBLJANA - Agriculture Minister Aleksandra Pivec defended her conduct after questions were raised about potential ethics breach over her appearance in a wine maker's promotional video and uncertainty over who paid for her family's trip to western Slovenia at the end of June. Pivec said in a Facebook post she had paid for the accommodation for herself and her sons during the 25-26 June visit to Kras region. If necessary, she will show the receipts to the competent institutions. The wine maker said the minister's visit and the video were not meant to promote the company.

Jaka Brezigar named European prosecutor from Slovenia

BRUSSELS, Belgium - Prosecutor Jaka Brezigar was appointed the Slovenian member of the European Public Prosecutor's Office (EPPO) by the Council of the EU, along with prosecutors of 21 other participating member countries. Brezigar, 41, was one of the three candidates nominated for the position by the Slovenian government last year, along with prosecutors Tanja Frank Eler and Marjana Grašič. The EPPO is to become operational at the end of the year. It will investigate, prosecute and bring to justice crimes against the EU's financial interests.

POP TV poll shows SDS firm even as govt rating slips

LJUBLJANA - The ruling SDS remains firmly in the lead in the polls even as the rating for the Janez Janša government as a whole dropped below 40% for the first time since it took office, shows a poll run by POP TV on Sunday. The SDS gained more than half a point to 17.4%, while the Social Democrats (SD) in second rose by four points to 12.3%, leapfrogging the Marjan Šarec List (LMŠ), which shed more than two points to 8.1%. The Left remains in third place at 9.3%, up from 8.9% in the month before.

Incoming ambassadors present credentials

LJUBLJANA - President Borut Pahor received the credentials of newly appointed German Ambassadors Natalie Kauther and Adrian Pollman in what is the first such ambassador rotation duo. Credentials were also presented by Algerian Ambassador Ali Mokrani, the Sultanate of Oman's Ambassador Yousuf Ahmed Hamed Aljabri and the Dominican Republic's Ambassador Lourdes Gisela Antonia Victoria-Kruse.

Ombudsman says failure to wear mask cannot be penalised

LJUBLJANA - The Human Rights Ombudsman assessed that the failure to comply with the government decree on the mandatory use of face masks in public indoor spaces cannot be penalised. The ombudsman's opinion is based on an appeal by a citizen who opposes the rule that was reimposed on 25 June. The ombudsman's office says the issue is that the rule is based on an article of the communicable diseases act that is only a general provision, while fines are foreseen with reference to a separate chapter of the act.

Top court stays renaming Titova Road until referendum

LJUBLJANA - The Constitutional Court stayed implementation of a municipal decree amending the naming of streets, squares and villages in the Radenci municipality until there is a final say on a referendum proposal launched by locals who oppose renaming a road that bears the name of the former Yugoslavia's communist leader Josip Broz Tito. Radenci Mayor Roman Leljak, who initiated renaming Titova Road Slovenian Independence Road, was critical of the decision. He believes the referendum could be held in the spring of 2021.

Retail sales down by a tenth in January-June

LJUBLJANA - Retail sales in Slovenia declined by 9.6% year-on-year from January to June as the coronavirus epidemic shut down most stores for several weeks in spring. The figures for June suggest the sector is slowly picking up. Lower sales were reported across all segments of retail for the six-month period. In June, however, only the motor fuel segment (-17.9%) and the food and drinks segment (-8.4%) saw sales contract.

Pandemic's impact on companies more uneven than 2009 crisis

LJUBLJANA - The Covid-19 pandemic has impacted Slovenian companies much more unevenly than the latest recession in 2009. A survey carried out by the Slovenian Marketing Association and the pollster Valicon shows that 58% of companies have had negative effects, 17% of them have benefited. In the autumn of 2009, 79% of the companies surveyed reported negative effects of the global economic crisis. Back then, positive effects were felt by 6% of the companies surveyed.

Ultra cyclist breaks world record

DOBROVNIK - Slovenian ultra cyclist Marko Baloh has set a new 1,000-km time trial world record with 28 hours, 50 minutes and 14 seconds, bicycle maker Spiegel Bikes reported on its Instagram. The 53-year-old started chasing a number of world records over the weekend. He bagged the major one, the 1,000-km record, whereas Austrian Christoph Strasser remains the person who has ridden the longest distance on a road bike in 24 hours (896.2 km); Baloh managed 865.3 km in a day.

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

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

This summary is provided by the STA:

Hrastnik care home major 16 new coronavirus infections, the bulk in Hrastnik care home

LJUBLJANA - Slovenia's daily tally of new coronavirus cases hit 16 for Saturday, including 12 residents and one staff member in the Hrastnik care home, and another person at this east central municipality, which now has the most of the country's 241 active cases. While no new Covid-19-related fatality was reported for Saturday, the care home said one of its residents died of the disease during the night to Sunday in the home and another died at Maribor UKC hospital. This would bring the national Civid-19 death toll to 118. The Hrastnik home had recorded 41 infections among its residents and 11 among staff.

14,000 quarantine orders, EUR 100,000 fines during first Covid-19 wave

LJUBLJANA - Slovenian authorities issued nearly 14,000 quarantine orders during the first wave of coronavirus infections from 12 March to 31 May. The government helped repatriate some 2,300 citizens, while fines imposed for beach of lockdown and quarantine rules exceeded EUR 100,000, shows a report adopted by the government on Thursday for the Sars-CoV-2 epidemic, which formally ended on 31 May. The country's total coronavirus case count stood at 1,473 by then, but has since crossed 2,080.

Janša defends minister over promo video appearance

LJUBLJANA - Prime Minister Janez Janša endorsed Agriculture Minister Aleksandra Pivec's appearance in a promotional video of a private company, which is being looked into by the country's anti-graft watchdog. Janša tweeted it was expected of government members to promote domestic companies. This was after a controversy arose over Pivec making a visit to the Kras region with her family on 25 and 26 June as a guest of the local winemaker Vinakras during which time she appeared in the company's promotional video.

Pandemic boosts demand for Tik Kobarid products

KOBARID - One of the Slovenian companies that has benefited from the coronavirus pandemic is Tik Kobarid, a manufacturer of disposable medical devices. Its sales revenue trumped projections by 9% in the first half of the year. Tik generated EUR 6.5 million in sales revenue last year, 6% more than the year before and 28% more than five years ago, with exports accounting for 86% of the revenue. The company, which employs 159 people, expects good results at the end of 2020 as well.

Beti developing innovative eco-friendly yarn

METLIKA - Beti, a leading European manufacturer of dyed polyamide yarns, is developing an innovative eco dye yarn made of waste plastic bottles in what it hopes will be a major development breakthrough. Maja Čibej, the CEO of the Metlika-based company, says the EUR 10,000 project involves optimised dye process that will reduce consumption of water by almost a third, cut CO2 emissions and save energy. The new yarn, made of fully recycled polyester, is to be launched onto the market next year.

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

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

This summary is provided by the STA:

Russian Chapel ceremony calls for solidarity among nations

KRANJSKA GORA - The traditional Russian Chapel commemoration below the Vršič Pass saw the keynote speaker, National Council president Alojz Kovšca, call for solidarity among nations. He said that a new opportunity was arising for nations to get connected in the efforts to preserve peace and coexistence. President Borut Pahor said the friendship and cooperation between Slovenia and Russia remained solid and sincere and that Slovenia would always strive for good relations with Russia. Unlike the previous years, the ceremony did not feature high-profile representatives from Russia due to the coronavirus pandemic. The Russian Orthodox Church was represented by Tikhon Zaytsev, the Major Archbishop of the Diocese of Berlin and Germany.

14 new coronavirus infections confirmed on Friday, one person dies

LJUBLJANA - A total of 918 tests for the novel coronavirus were performed in Slovenia on Friday, with 14 persons testing positive. One person did of Covid-19 yesterday, bringing the total death toll up to 116, the government data show. There were a total of 19 persons hospitalised for Covid-19 in Slovenia, four of them requiring intensive care. Four persons were meanwhile discharged from hospital. A total of 125,672 tests have been conducted in Slovenia so far, resulting in 2,066 confirmed cases in total.

Ambassador says Slovenia's interest should be to be good with Russia

MARIBOR - Russian Ambassador to Slovenia Timur Eyvazov has discussed the Slovenian-Russian relations in an interview for Večer. Asked about the reproaches during the term of the previous government about Slovenian foreign policy being pro-Russian oriented, he said he would not agree with such assessments. "Slovenia is a member of the EU and NATO and, as far as I know, implements its commitments as part of these organisations one hundred percent," Eyvazov said. He is convinced that Slovenia and Russia could boost bilateral trade, which could, in his opinion, go up to two billion euros or more.

Palfinger's revenue up 11% in 2019, but profit down noticeably

MARIBOR - The Maribor-based hydraulic loading systems producer Palfinger, a part of the namesake Austrian multinational, last year generated EUR 121 million in sales revenue or 11% more than in 2019. Nevertheless, the company's net profit was down by EUR 1 million to EUR 3.6 million. In the annual report, director Michael Steiner says that the sales had been boosted on the account on the higher production of agricultural and forestry cranes, serial cranes and lift platforms. The increase in output raised the turnover by EUR 12.5 million, but the costs of production and material were up by EUR 13 million.

Kickstarter officially coming to Slovenia in September

LJUBLJANA - Kickstarter will be officially launched in Slovenia in September, as so far users which wanted to present themselves on the US-based global crowdfunding platform had to do it through a company registered abroad. Until the end of last year, 219 Slovenian projects were presented on Kickstarter and EUR 6.8 million collected. The main obstacle for the entry of Kickstarter was the Stripe payment system, which has been available in Slovenia since last September. The most successful Slovenian campaign on the platform so far is the electric bicycle Flykly, which collected around US$700,000.

Intersex mostly seen as medical condition by doctors, says ombudsman

LJUBLJANA - The equal opportunities ombudsman has determined that the majority of health institutions in Slovenia deem intersex a medical condition that needs to be treated. The ombudsman has called on the institutions to postpone non-essential sex assignment surgeries until the intersex person is old enough to give their informed consent. Since intersex people differ from the medical and social norms regarding the typical male or female body, they are at risk of various violations of their rights, said the ombudsman.

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

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

This summary is provided by the STA:

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

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

This summary is provided by the STA:

Furlough scheme extended until end of August

LJUBLJANA - The government extended the subsidised furlough scheme by another month until the end of August with Labour Minister Janez Cigler Kralj saying the measure was still deemed needed despite an improvement in the labour market. The minister said that more than 24,000 employees were still on furlough, which meant that some sectors were not yet showing signs of recovery. Under the fourth stimulus package the furlough scheme was extended until the end of July, while giving the government the option of extending it two more times by decree, but not beyond the end of September.

Govt gearing up for EU recovery funds drawing

BRDO PRI KRANJU - Meeting a day after the EU leaders approved the pandemic recovery fund expected to yield EUR 10.5 billion for Slovenia, the government set up on Wednesday two task forces to make sure the country phases all the funds available to it. Mayors and regional development agencies will be involved in the drafting of the national recovery plan, which the government intends to adopt by the end of August. One task force will be headed by PM Janez Janša and will feature government ministers and tax advisor Ivan Simič. They will be meeting once a month. The second task force will bring together experts, including state secretaries, who will be meeting weekly.

EU Commission concerned about media pluralism in Slovenia

BRUSSELS, Belgium - The European Commission is concerned about the media legislation planned by the Slovenian government, Values and Transparency Commissioner Vera Jourova said as she presented the most recent Media Pluralism Monitor report. She said Slovenia should not follow in Hungary's footsteps when it comes to media ownership. The report says that "high media concentration, lack of transparency in ownership, the small amount of diverse local and regional news production (including correspondents), poor working conditions, verbal public attacks, frequent insults by politicians on social media and a lack of clear digital regulation are still some of the main issues of the Slovenian media landscape".

27 new coronavirus infections confirmed on Wednesday

LJUBLJANA - A total of 935 tests for Covid-19 were performed in Slovenia on Wednesday, which confirmed 27 new infections, the latest government data show. There were 24 patients hospitalised yesterday, including two in intensive care. One person was meanwhile discharged from hospital, while there were no Covid-19 related deaths, so the death toll remained at 115. The new 27 cases from Wednesday bring the national total of cases so far confirmed to 2,033. The care home in Hrastnik in eastern Slovenia remains one of the largest hot spots as nine residents and two employees tested positive yesterday.

Slovenia to sign joint declaration on 5G security with US

LJUBLJANA - The government was briefed on the intention for Slovenia to sign a Joint Declaration on 5G Security with the United States, which could curb the involvement of China's Huawei in the deployment of the fifth generation wireless communication networks in the country. The government submitted the declaration, along with explanations, to the National Assembly to be acquainted with it. It said the declaration followed from the commitments already accepted by Slovenia within the EU and NATO with a view to enhancing information security and reducing the risks entailed.

Good relations with Poland confirmed as foreign minister visits

WARSAW, Poland - Foreign Minister Anže Logar met his Polish counterpart Jacek Czaputowicz and EU Affairs Minister Konrad Szymanski. The officials reaffirmed good relations between Poland and Slovenia. Logar thanked Czaputowicz for Poland's assistance in repatriating Slovenians stranded abroad in the midst of air travel restrictions during the Covid-19 pandemic. The pair highlighted successful economic cooperation between Poland and Slovenia and pointed to the untapped potential of collaboration in terms transport infrastructure in central Europe. Logar also expressed interest in continuing and strengthening cooperation between the Visegrad Four and Slovenia in the future.

Slovenia and Austria to trial joint technical border surveillance

VIENNA, Austria - Slovenia and Austria agreed to try out joint surveillance of the shared border using technology such as cameras and drones, as Interior Minister Aleš Hojs held talks with his Austrian counterpart Karl Nehammer at a conference on migrations along the Balkan route. The trial will examine the possibility of effective cooperation in joint border surveillance and the transfer of these practices to the Slovenian-Croatian border. The meeting came at a conference on migrations featuring the home ministers of 18 countries at which it was decided to set up a platform to fight illegal migration on the Balkan route.

Sunday shopping ban revoked

LJUBLJANA - The government revoked a temporary ban on Sunday shopping that had been put in place during the earliest stages of the epidemic in mid-March. It said shops were now free to set their opening hours as they see fit. The decision comes just a week after legislation that would permanently close shops on Sunday stalled in parliament. The legislation had been tabled by the Left and appeared to be slated for passage, but last-minute amendments made it impossible to pass the bill outright so it had to be sent into third reading. The government voiced opposition to the legislation and urged retailers and trade unions to find common ground.

Finland imposes entry restrictions for Slovenians

HELSINKI, Finland - The Finnish government placed Slovenia on a list of countries for which restrictions apply on arrival due to the coronavirus outbreak. From Monday, the restrictions will also apply on arrivals from Austria and Switzerland. This is because these countries have seen an increase in the number of coronavirus infections since the previous assessment. EU countries already on the list from before include Spain, Luxembourg, Portugal, Poland, France, Sweden and the Czech Republic.

Carinthia plebiscite centenary to send out message to all Europeans, says Pahor

KLAGENFURT, Austria - President Borut Pahor announced that the centenary of the Carinthia plebiscite to be marked on 10 October would be an important day for all Europeans, not just Austrians and Slovenians, as he discussed preparations for the centenary in Austria's Carinthia. "It'll be an event, a day that will matter not only to Klagenfurt, to Slovenians and Austrians, it will be an important day for all of Europe and Europeans," Pahor said at a joint press conference with Carinthia Governor Peter Kaiser.

New energy efficiency bill to expand car charging infrastructure

LJUBLJANA - New buildings with more than ten parking spaces will need to have plug-in car charging infrastructure in place under a new bill adopted by the government. Another major provision will be the requirement that all new buildings with central heating or cooling systems or those connected to district heating and cooling systems will need to have individual metres installed to monitor consumption of heat for heating, cooling and hot water separately. The energy efficiency bill will extract provisions pertaining to energy efficiency and efficient energy use from the energy act and adapt it to European law in the field.

Petrol shareholders endorse record dividend

LJUBLJANA - The shareholders of energy company Petrol endorsed a record dividend payout of EUR 22 per share, which means nearly all, or EUR 45.22 million of the EUR 45.36 million in distributable profit will be paid out. The state owns almost one third of the shares in the company directly or indirectly, which means it will be the biggest beneficiary of the payout. The shareholders' meeting also appointed Janez Pušnik to the supervisory board to substitute for Nada Drobne Popovič, who took over as Petrol CEO in February.

Third of country to get 5G network by end of year

LJUBLJANA - Telekom Slovenije has started setting up the country's first commercial 5G networks using its existing base stations and within the existing 2600MHz frequency spectrum used in 4G. The national telecommunications operator said that coverage will initially be provided in about 25% of the country but is expected to exceed 33% by the end of the year. It added that the upgraded 4G/5G network will allow for data transfer speeds faster than provided by the LTE/4G network. However, the full potential of 5G will become available only after additional spectres are awarded.

Gen-I sells EUR 25m in commercial papers, half-year EBIT 20% above plan

LJUBLJANA - The energy group Gen-I has successfully completed the sale of 12-month commercial papers in the total nominal value of EUR 25 million to repeat a similar borrowing operation from a year ago. Announcing the news, Gen-I said the purpose of the issue is financing working capital and dispersing the structure of short-term financing sources in comparison with bank crediting. It also announced that its half-year EBIT exceeded plans by 20% to EUR 11.1 million. By the end of June, the group sold 65 terawatt hours of electricity and natural gas, which is almost 80% of sales in 2019.

Ruling on Teran case to be given in September

LUXEMBOURG, Luxembourg - The General Court of the EU will hand down its ruling on a case related to a derogation enabling Croatia to use Teran as the name of a red wine protected by Slovenia on 9 September, the Agriculture Ministry confirmed for the STA. Slovenia's Teran is protected under the EU Protected Designation of Origin (PDO) quality logo sign, however in mid-2017 the Commission granted the derogation allowing Croatian producers in Istria to use the name on the label as long as the name of the region was featured more prominently. Slovenia is challenging the exemption granted by the EU Commission.

Celje win national football championship for first time ever

CELJE - The football club Celje was crowned on Wednesday evening the new Slovenian champions after drawing 2:2 with Olimpija Ljubljana in what is its first ever national championship. Celje climbed to the top in the 2019/20 season, which was interrupted due to the coronavirus epidemic, by defending the home turf in the last, 36th round of the premier league, drawing a thriller with the rivals from the capital. Olimpija finished third in the standings and was leapfrogged by Maribor, the champions from the previous season, due to the better head-to-head record.

Dutch man pulled over with 29 illegal migrants in his van

LJUTOMER - The police pulled over near Ljutomer (NE) on Wednesday a van driven by a Dutch citizen, in which he transported 29 illegal migrants - 24 citizens of Afghanistan and five women from Somalia. The Murska Sobota Police Department said the Dutch suspect would be brought before an investigating judge, while the foreigners would be returned to the Croatian authorities once the official procedure was concluded.

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

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

This summary is provided by the STA:

Pahor, Čaputova hail EU budget deal

BRATISLAVA, Slovakia - The presidents of Slovenia and Slovakia, Borut Pahor and Zuzana Čaputova, welcomed the EU budget deal as they held talks dominated by the situation in the EU in the aftermath of the pandemic. Pahor said the deal was a timely response to the challenges that are appearing in Europe after the first wave of the Covid-19 epidemic. The president's discussed bilateral cooperation with a focus on protection of the environment given that Slovakia has pledged to become carbon neutral by 2050. After their official talks, they opened a business forum focusing on green technologies that featured 34 companies and institutions from both countries.

Several joint infrastructure projects with Hungary to start soon

BUDAPEST, Hungary - Infrastructure Minister Jernej Vrtovec visited Budapest for talks with Hungarian ministers of foreign affairs and innovation and technology, Peter Szijjarto and Laszlo Palkovics. Even though economic cooperation between the two countries is good, he said it could be further upgraded with energy and road infrastructure projects. One such is the Cirkovce-Pince electric power line, which will create the first cross-border link between the countries' grids. Construction could begin in September. The countries are also planning a gas pipeline between Nagykanizsa and Kidričevo.

Slovenia's Covid-19 death toll climbs to 115, 29 new cases

LJUBLJANA - Slovenia's Covid-19 death toll increased to 115 after another fatality was reported for the fourth day running on Tuesday, along with 29 new coronavirus infections, an 11-day high. The latest cases bring the national case count to 2,006, of which 243 are active cases. A total of 22 Covid-19 patients are hospitalised, two of them in intensive care, government data show. Tuesday's cases include three more at the Hrastnik care home, where 20 residents and eight staff are now infected.

Slovenia to redefine rape in consent terms

LJUBLJANA - After a year and a half of calls for redefining rape in the penal code, the Justice Ministry said that legislative changes had been drafted. Their aim is to embed the consent standard in criminal law. The changes would make every non-consensual sexual act a punishable offence and mark a transition from the coercion-based definition of rape to the consent-based standard.

Bled Strategic Forum to be strongly marked by coronavirus

LJUBLJANA - The focus of the 15th Bled Strategic Forum, scheduled to take place on 31 August, will be on post-pandemic cooperation between Central and East European EU member countries. Katja Geršak, the executive director of the Centre for European Perspective, said the event would be strongly marked by Covid-19 in both topics and organisation. Owing to the pandemic, the invitees are mainly those from countries in Slovenia's neighbourhood and Central and East Europe.

Four smugglers of migrants apprehended

LJUBLJANA - The police apprehended four smugglers of illegal migrants on Tuesday. A man from Ljubljana was caught transporting 28 illegal migrants in a van, while a foreign citizen and two accomplices were apprehended near Ljutomer in the northeast for transporting 17 illegal migrants. The smugglers are in custody pending their appearing before an investigating judge, while the illegal migrants are to be sent back to Croatia after the relevant procedures are completed, the police said.

Vouchers rescuing Kranjska Gora tourism

KRANJSKA GORA - Hit Alpinea, the biggest accommodation provider at the alpine resort of Kranjska Gora, is fairly happy with the occupancy rates this summer given the situation. Most of the guests come from Slovenia. Between 85% and 90% of them are paying with the government vouchers. The company's director Milan Sajovic welcomed the vouchers and the furlough scheme as two very good measures in an interview with the STA, calling for their extension. Foreign visitors are expected to account for 30-40% of nights spent at Kranjska Gora this summer.

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

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

This summary is provided by the STA:

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