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:

OECD forecasts at least 7.8% GDP drop for Slovenia this year

LJUBLJANA - The OECD's latest forecast for Slovenia says the country's GDP is expected to shrink by 7.8% this year, or as much as 9.1% in the event of a second wave of coronavirus infections. For 2021, the OECD expects that Slovenia's economy will grow by 4.5%, or by 1.5% in the event of another Covid-19 outbreak. The unemployment rate is expected to reach 6.4% this year, or 6.9% in the adverse scenario, and next year to stand at 5.4% or 8.1%, respectively. Measured with the harmonised index of consumer prices, the inflation rate for this year is expected to stand at 1% under both scenarios, and at 2% or 1.7%, respectively, next year.

EU Commissioner asks PM for clarifications on dismissal of Statistics Office head

BRUSSELS, Belgium - European Commissioner for Economy Paolo Gentiloni has addressed a letter to Slovenia's Prime Minister Janez Janša, asking him to clarify the changes at the helm of Slovenia's Statistics Office, the Commission's press service confirmed for the STA. The letter was sent to Janša on Tuesday with the aim to provide complete compliance with the principles of impartiality and professional independence of national statistics offices, the press service said. In late May the government dismissed director general of the Statistics Office Bojan Nastav and appointed Tomaž Smrekar acting director general.

Coalition decides demographic fund bill to be drafted within weeks

BRDO PRI KRANJU - Coalition partners underlined their unity in statements for the press after a coalition summit. A bill on the establishment of a demographic fund is to be drafted in the coming weeks, with the coalition agreeing that all state assets would be transferred onto the new fund. "One of the key starting points we agreed on is that all state assets will go into this fund. All other details will be coordinated as we go along," said Danijel Krivec of the senior coalition Democrats (SDS). He expects the bill to be discussed in parliament no later than September.

Slovenian soldiers involved in Italy border incident, POP TV reports

LJUBLJANA - The commercial broadcaster POP TV reported that two members of the Slovenian Armed Forces had likely been involved in an incident on the Slovenian-Italian border, when a man with dual citizenship was stopped at gunpoint in the woods along the border in early May. The man allegedly identified the two uniformed men in photos as part of the police investigation, which also fund that the incident happened a day earlier than previously thought. Because troops might have been in the area that day, the MOD's Intelligence and Security Service took over the investigation.

Austrian foreign minister to visit Slovenia on 22 June

LJUBLJANA - Foreign Minister Anže Logar announced his Austrian counterpart Alexander Schallenberg would visit Slovenia on 22 June. Logar also told the Foreign Policy Committee that he believes there are no sound reasons for Austria to continue with border checks it introduced five years ago. He also noted Austria opened the border with Slovenia sooner than with Croatia, which he attributes to "our diplomatic efforts". Answering questions about a Greater Hungary map and a new WWII related municipal day in Trieste during the debate on relations with neighbours, Logar said the Foreign Ministry had not and would not react to various provocations.

Slovenia records two new coronavirus cases

LJUBLJANA - Slovenia has recorded two new coronavirus cases, out of 738 tests carried out on Tuesday, the government said. The latest cases bring the national tally confirmed so far to 1,488, with only 17 cases still active. Six Covid-19 patients remain hospitalised, none of them needing intensive treatment. There have been no fatalities for over a week now, leaving the death total at 109.

Minister expects regional players to be involved in Koper-Divača track

LJUBLJANA - Infrastructure Minister Jernej Vrtovec called for a greater involvement of regional construction companies in the EUR 1 billion-plus project to build a new rail track between the Koper port and Divača, as he argued for the need to respect EU public contracting guidelines when third-country contractors are involved. The minister's comments come after 2TDK, the state-run company managing the project, has decided to enter negotiations with ten of the 15 bidders that responded to an international call to tender for the main construction work, including several Chinese and Turkish companies, aside from builders from Slovenia, Italy, Austria and Switzerland.

Slovenia sees record monthly drop in industrial output in April

LJUBLJANA - Slovenia recorded another monthly drop in industrial production and turnover in April. Both rates were the lowest since January 2000, the Statistics Office said. Industrial output was down by 14.7% in monthly and by 22.8% in annual comparison. Turnover was down by 21.1% compared to the month before. Output in manufacturing fell to a record low, dropping by 16.1% at the monthly level, and production also decreased in electricity, gas and steam supply (by 1.1%). The 22.8% annual drop in industrial output is the third biggest annual drop so far, after a 25.1% decrease in April 2009 and a 24% in June 2009.

Boris Novak to head bad bank management board

LJUBLJANA - Shortly after being appointed one of the four non-executive directors of the bad bank by the government Boris Novak has now been named chairman of the Bank Assets Management Company (BAMC) management board. The appointment was announced by BAMC in a regulatory filing on Wednesday following the decision taken on Tuesday by the board, which comprises four non-executive directors and three executive directors. Appointed as deputy chairmen of the board were non-executive directors Marko Tišma and Aleksander Lozej, who have been serving on the board since December 2018 and June 2019, respectively. Novak had previously served as director general of the state-owned postal operator Pošta Slovenije.

Parliamentary committees hear calls for improving conditions at care homes

LJUBLJANA - A debate on the treatment of care home residents during the coronavirus epidemic at the parliamentary health and labour committees on Tuesday heard calls for improving the conditions in care homes and setting new norms for the number of staff in the homes. The initiators of the session, MPs of the opposition Left, called for staffing, financial and infrastructural improvements at care homes, and for a plan for a possible second wave of the epidemic. Government officials asserted the elderly received proper treatment during the epidemic, and that the government was actively preparing for a potential new wave of infections, particularly at care homes.

Slovenians deem corruption result of politics and economy intermixing

LJUBLJANA - A vast majority of Slovenians think that corruption is widespread in Slovenia, but only roughly a third were affected by corruptive practices themselves, showed a recent Eurobarometer survey. Most believe that corruption in Slovenia is a result of the economy and politics being intermixed too tightly. A total of 87% say that corruption is widespread in Slovenia, whereas 10% think that it is rare. Not a single respondent believes that corruption is non-existent in the country.

Alojz Kovšca re-elected upper chamber president

LJUBLJANA - Alojz Kovšca was re-elected the president of the National Council in a 25:11 vote as members of the upper chamber of parliament met half way into their five-year term to elect its leadership. Kovšca, serving since December 2017, was the only candidate for the top job at the upper chamber. Addressing members of the National Council, Kovšca assessed his work in the first half of the term as successful and announced he would continue to strive for fairness. He also assessed the upper chamber's work as successful, noting more than half of its vetoes not being overriden in the lower chamber of parliament.

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:

Exports, imports plummet in April

LJUBLJANA - Slovenia's exports dropped by 28.8% to EUR 2.01 billion in April compared to April 2019, the sharpest contraction since 2008, while imports plummeted by 41.2% to EUR 1.86 billion, the Statistics Office said. The trend was driven by a decline in car trade, which shrank by about three-quarters compared to last April. Road vehicles are the third most traded group of products, preceded only by medical and pharmaceutical products, and electric machines and devices. The surplus in external trade in goods reached EUR 149.3 million, the highest surplus in a decade.

Pandemic to mark EU presidency trio priorities

LJUBLJANA - State secretaries from Slovenia, Portugal and Germany discussed the priorities of the countries' successive stints at the presidency of the Council of the EU in a videoconference, agreeing those would be strongly affected by the Covid-19 pandemic, ans noting the importance of development cooperation. Similarly, in an address to a meeting of ambassadors of EU countries, Western Balkans and Turkey in Ljubljana, hosted by the EU House as part of Croatia's EU presidency, PM Janez Janša said the coronavirus epidemic had changed the government priorities as well as the priorities of Slovenia's upcoming EU presidency. He suggested the need to tackle dependence on Asian markets for critical equipment, urging a joint EU action plan for potential new wave of Covid-19.

Slovenia to host Brdo-Brijuni summit on 29 June

LJUBLJANA - The next summit of the Brdo-Brijuni Process of cooperation in the Western Balkans will take place on 29 June at Brdo and will mark the 10th anniversary of the initiative. The office of President Borut Pahor said that all leaders of the participating countries - Slovenia, Croatia, Serbia, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Bosnia-Herzegovina and Kosovo - had been invited and chances were good they would all attend, provided the epidemiological situation allowed.

Chinese ambassador says 17+1 summit new opportunity for cooperation

LJUBLJANA - While China and Slovenia have had good relations, Chinese Ambassador to Slovenia Wang Shunqing told the STA a new opportunity to deepen the relations will be the 17+1 initiative summit in Beijing. Wang expects that the good bilateral relations between China and Slovenia, which were confirmed by the visit by Foreign Minister Wang Yi last December, will continue under the Janez Janša government. The ambassador also hopes Slovenia will be pragmatic in picking 5G technology. "I hope that it will take a pragmatic approach and that it will not succumb to the US influence," he said.

Opposition file ouster motion against interior minister

LJUBLJANA - The four left-leaning opposition parties filed an ouster motion against Interior Minister Aleš Hojs, their second against a minister since the Janez Janša government was sworn in in mid-March. The move comes after the ministry overrode a ban on a concert by Croatian singer Marko Perković Thompson, who is accused of glorifying the Ustasha regime. But the parties included several additional points. The four parties are seven votes short of the needed majority for the motion to pass. Meanwhile, a Thompson concert will not be held for the time being.

Šircelj says EUR 5bn in EU funds for Slovenia "adequate estimate"

BRUSSELS, Belgium - Finance Minister Andrej Šircelj believes the estimate of funds Slovenia is to receive as part of the EU's anti-coronavirus measures - around EUR 5 billion - is "adequate". He hopes the European Commission sticks to these estimates when it sets conditions for receiving the funds in more detail. This was as EU finance ministers discussed for the first time the EUR 750 billion in funds to be available to member states to revive the EU economy after the pandemic.

Zobec withdraws Constitutional Court bid

LJUBLJANA - Barbara Zobec has withdrawn her bid for Constitutional Court judge. In a statement sent to the National Assembly on Monday, she said she had decided to run for the post because of the expertise, experience and reputation she gained in her 35-year career on the bench. But she realised that in the "overheated and split Slovenian political and ideological reality" alliances take precedence over one's dedication to the constitutional order, human rights and equality. Zobec enjoyed the support of the ruling SDS, while most other parties tentatively endorsed the only other candidate, Andraž Teršek.

Slovenian, German ministers discuss EU Green Deal

LJUBLJANA - The Slovenian and German environment ministers, Andrej Vizjak and Svenja Schulze, discussed the priorities of the EU presidency which Germany is assuming on 1 July, focussing on the Green Deal, an economic growth plan aiming to make Europe the first climate-neutral continent by 2050. The pair shared a view that Europe must put the Green Deal at the forefront of its plans to revive the economy after the coronavirus.

One new coronavirus case on Monday

LJUBLJANA - Out of 814 coronavirus tests conducted, one came back positive, raising the total number of coronavirus infections in Slovenia so far to 1,486. The case is a patient at Jesenice hospital who had been in contact with a nurse who tested positive last week. There are now a total of seven cases from that cluster. Government data show six Covid-19 patients are hospitalised, none needs intensive treatment.

Doctors reject criticism of improper treatment of elderly

LJUBLJANA - Amid a debate on the treatment of care home residents during the coronavirus epidemic, a statement was issued by several medical organisations and representatives of medical staff saying that the elderly received proper care during the epidemic. Doctors' organisations said all decisions on the treatment of elderly patients and their potential hospitalisation during the epidemic were made in the best interest of the patients. "We find statements that care home residents were neglected compared to other citizens false and ill-conceived."

Court annuls anti-trust decision against United Media

LJUBLJANA - The Administrative Court has annulled the Competition Protection Agency (AVK) order that United Media, the media division of United Group, sell its Sport Klub TV channels due to anti-trust rules. The court said it had established "substantial procedural violations" and tasked the anti-trust watchdog with deciding on the matter again. Cas Media, a subsidiary of United Group, said the court had found the AVK had failed to consider all relevant circumstances and denied United Media the right to present certain relevant facts.

High fines for tourist voucher fraud

LJUBLJANA - As more details emerged on the holiday vouchers handed out to all residents to help Slovenian tourism survive the Covid-19 crisis, officials told reporters that cheating involving the vouchers will entail fines of EUR 1,200 to 40,000 for legal entities and EUR 200 to 600 for individuals. The Financial Administration (FURS) and market inspectors will conduct random checks. FURS will pay the providers for the service within 30 days. Payments will not be possible via platforms such as Booking or Airbnb.

Fish Society reports Environment Minister Vizjak to corruption watchdog

LJUBLJANA - The Slovenian Native Fish Society reported Environment and Spatial Planning Minister Andrej Vizjak to the Corruption Prevention Commission over an alleged conflict of interest and ethics breaches in connection to the recent deregulation of environmental permit procedures. It said Vizjak had been personally in charge of the pending Mokrice hydro power plant project before he became minister in March, whereupon he oversaw legislative changes that deregulate permit procedures for major projects and exclude a large part of NGOs.

NGO wants cross-border study for Venice-Trieste rail upgrade

LJUBLJANA - Alpe Adria Green requested a cross-border environmental impact assessment for Italy's project to upgrade the railway line between Venice and Trieste, as it includes construction of tunnels in the sensitive karst terrain and threatens sources of drinking water in the proximity of Slovenia. It said the construction of the Venice-Trieste railway would include "work which would have a significant environmental impact in the underground of the Trieste karst close to the border with Slovenia."

Head of consular service to be decorated for repatriation efforts

LJUBLJANA - President Borut Pahor announced he will decorate Andrej Šter, the head of the Foreign Ministry's consular service, with the Order of Merit for helping Slovenian citizens around the world, most notably for his emergency repatriation efforts during the Covid-19 pandemic. Šter played a key role in the ministry's efforts to help stranded Slovenians return back home after air travel restrictions were imposed due to the coronavirus outbreaks worldwide.

Employment outlook for Q3 worst since 2013

LJUBLJANA - Manpower Group presented a grim employment outlook for the third quarter of the year. The share of employers planning layoffs surpasses those planing to hire by seven percentage points. The net hiring outlook for the next quarter is 5 percentage points lower than for this quarter, and 23 percentage points lower than for the same period last year. This marks the worst jobs outlook since 2013.

Fortenova hopeful to take over Mercator soon

LJUBLJANA - Mercator shareholders gave the management and supervisory boards discharge of liability for 2019. Since the controlling company of the Mercator group made no profit last year, none was distributed and the loss remains uncovered. At a separate event, Mercator chairman Tomislav Čizmić argued for prompt transfer of Mercator from Croatia's indebted Agrokor to its successor Fortenova, now blocked by the Slovenian regulator over a fine, which Fortenova chairman Fabris Peruško indicated could be settled.

Alamut to be published in China

LJUBLJANA - Alamut, a critically acclaimed novel about an 11th century Persian religious leader by Slovenian author Vladimir Bartol (1903-1967), will be published in China in autumn, said the Slovenian publisher Sanje, which holds international copyright for the novel. Sanje announced it signed a contract with the publisher Beijing Book Search Cultural Communication, which will translate the book and publish it. It will be printed in simplified Chinese.

Oscar nominee Honeyland opening 22nd Documentary Film Festival

LJUBLJANA - North Macedonia's Honeyland, an Oscar nominee, opened the 22nd Documentary Film Festival, to be followed by around two dozen films. Five documentaries will compete for the Human Rights Award conferred by Amnesty International Slovenia: Exemplary Behaviour by Audrius Mickevičius and Nerijus Milerius; For Sama by Waad Al Kateab Waad and Edward Watts; Advocate by Rachel Leah Jones and Philippe Bellaiche; Collective by Alexander Nanau; and Overseas by Yoon Sung-a.

Creators lie down in front of ministry in protest

LJUBLJANA - Culture workers held a third weekly protest in front of the Culture Ministry to point to what they believe is the ministry's inactivity in protecting the vulnerable sector during the coronavirus epidemic. An estimated hundred of them laid to the ground and stayed motionless there for a few minutes in what was labelled the Last Act for Culture. "We have gathered once more because the Ministry of Culture insufficiently cares for art and culture," the organisers said.

Volleyball team gets Order of Merit

LJUBLJANA - The men's volleyball team, the 2019 European Championship silver medallists, were decorated with the Order of Merit by President Borut Pahor for their inspiring athletic achievements and for promoting Slovenia on the international stage. President Pahor said they "proved with unpretentiousness and kindness that friendship still exists in top sports". Tine Urnaut, who captained Slovenia during the feat, thanked everyone for the "fairy tale we will always carry in our hearts".

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:

Central bank forecasts 6.5% GDP drop for 2020, 4.9% growth for 2021

LJUBLJANA - Slovenia's central bank forecast for Slovenia's economy to contract by 6.5% this year before it bounces back to 4.9% growth in 2021 and 3.6% in 2022. This is the baseline forecast, there are also two alternative scenarios that factor in the gravity of the coronavirus crisis. Under the positive scenario, the economy would contract by just 4% this year and expand by over 7% in the next two years; under the negative scenario the economy would contract by 10% this year, followed by stagnation in 2021 and a slow recovery in 2022.

Slovenia fully opens borders to nationals of 14 more countries

LJUBLJANA - Citizens of 17 EU and non-EU countries may enter Slovenia without restrictions from today under new border crossing rules adopted by the government on Sunday evening. Citizens of neighbouring Austria, Croatia and Hungary had already been allowed to cross without any health restrictions under bilateral agreements. Now, the list has been expanded with Bulgaria, Cyprus, Czechia, Estonia, Finland, Germany, Greece, Iceland, Latvia, Lithuania, Liechtenstein, Norway, Slovakia and Switzerland. Citizens of other EU and Schengen zone countries are still subject to a mandatory 14-day quarantine on arrival unless they fall under one of what are now 16 exemptions.

Opposition announce to ouster motion against interior minister

LJUBLJANA - The opposition Social Democrats (SD) are drafting a motion of no confidence in Interior Minister Aleš Hojs after the ministry overturned a ban of a concert by Marko Perković Thompson, a Croatian singer glorifying the fascist Ustasha regime. The other three left-leaning opposition parties declared support for the ouster, while their comments and the draft of the motion suggest other grievances against the minister will be included. Hojs described the move as an ideological smear campaign, saying he was not responsible for the ban reversal decision, which the ministry took based on the Administrative Court's ruling. Similarly, junior coalition parties, while opposing the concert, do not hold Hojs responsible.

No new Covid-19 cases recorded on Sunday

LJUBLJANA - None of 211 coronavirus tests conducted in Slovenia on Sunday came back positive, show data published by the government. No new deaths were recorded either. Five Covid-19 patients remain in hospital, but none of them needs intensive care. So far, 1,485 coronavirus infections have been confirmed in the country, and 109 patients have died. A total of 293 Covid-19 patients have been discharged from hospital.

Coalition seek stricter vaccination rules

LJUBLJANA - Three coalition parties filed legislative changes under which children who skipped mandatory vaccinations could not be enrolled in publicly-funded kindergartens and schools, and those without all mandatory shots could not work in healthcare or at care homes or study and train for these professions. The changes would allow exceptions for those who cannot be vaccinated for medical reasons. Health workers and care home staff would also have to get flu shots every year. Vaccinations against measles, mumps, rubella, pertussis and hepatitis B are mandatory in Slovenia.

Logar holds virtual meeting with N Macedonian colleague

LJUBLJANA - Foreign Minister Anže Logar held a virtual meeting with his North Macedonian counterpart Nikola Dimitrov to call for further enhancement of bilateral relations and discuss the current situation and efforts of both countries related to fighting the Covid-19 pandemic. Logar and Dimitrov also called for the intensive political dialogue between Slovenia and North Macedonia to continue and assessed bilateral relations as excellent.

Slovenian and Italian defence ministers praise bilateral cooperation

LJUBLJANA - The Slovenian and Italian defence ministers, Matej Tonin and Lorenzo Guerini, praised bilateral cooperation in defence and explored the potential for its further strengthening in a video call. Tonin and Guerini discussed close cooperation within NATO and shared a view the two countries cooperated successfully in international missions and operations, with Italy being Slovenia's key operative partner. Guerini invited Tonin to pay an official visit to Italy.

Slovenia welcomes rise in EU rural development funds

BRUSSELS, Belgium - Agriculture Ministry State Secretary Jože Podgoršek "greatly welcomed" a rise in rural development funds as part of the EU's post-coronavirus measures. Although it is too early to speak about concrete figures, compared to the EU's 2021-2027 budget as envisaged in the 2018 proposal, the shortfall seems to be much smaller, he told Slovenian Brussels-based reporters after a video call of EU agriculture ministers. He also argued for country specifics to be taken into account when setting goals in the EU's new strategies on food transformation and on biodiversity.

Delo poll: SDS support up, govt rating down

LJUBLJANA - Support for the ruling Democrats (SDS) grew by two percentage points and a half to 18.8% in the past month, whereas the opposition Marjan Šarec List (LMŠ) lost two percentage points to 11.8% in the latest Mediana poll for the newspaper Delo. All coalition parties except the SDS polled lower compared to May. The voter approval rating for the government slipped for the second consecutive month, with some 31% rating its job as positive or very positive.

Germany sending married ambassador couple to Slovenia

BERLIN, Germany - In a unique decision, Germany will send a married couple of ambassadors to Slovenia in August. Termed a family-friendly job sharing experiment by the German Tagesschau news programme, it will allow Natalie Kauther and Adrian Pollmann to take turns as ambassador every eight months for the next four years. Tagesschau says that this is the first such decision by the German Foreign Ministry in an effort to give its employees more flexibility. The couple had previously both held, at the same time, the title of deputy-ambassador to Bosnia-Herzegovina.

Minister says diaspora ties enhanced during pandemic

LJUBLJANA - Helena Jaklitsch, the minister for Slovenians Abroad, believes the Covid-19 pandemic has done much to enhance ties between Slovenia and Slovenians living around the globe, and has offered an opportunity to younger generations. Commenting on the situation in neighbouring countries in an interview with the STA, she noted the issue of the minority's representation in the Italian parliament, and the issue of insufficient financing of Slovenian schools and kindergartens in Italy and Austria. In Hungary the biggest problem is strong assimilation. In Croatia, the legislation protecting the minorities is also not being implemented properly, the minister said.

Top court rejects prosecutors' appeal over temporary pay cut

LJUBLJANA - The Constitutional Court has rejected the request by the Association of State Prosecutors for a review of the part of the legislation mitigating the impact of the coronavirus epidemic which temporarily cut prosecutor salaries by 30%. It argues that prosecutors have not fully exhausted other legal means, including a labour dispute. The prosecutors argued the pay cut undermined the fundamental constitutional values and the functioning of the criminal justice system. The 30% cut applied until the end of May and affected public office holders, except judges.

Govt adopts decree on holiday vouchers

LJUBLJANA - The government specified the use of holiday vouches with which it wants to help the tourism industry survive the coronavirus crisis, deciding that a voucher could be used in several instalments, not necessarily all at once, as initially planned. The vouchers are one of the main measures in the third coronavirus stimulus package, passed at the end of May. They will be distributed to permanent residents at an estimated cost of EUR 345 million to the state.

Fewer Slovenian bathing sites get top mark in 2019

BRUSSELS, Belgium - A report from the European Environment Agency shows 38 out of 47 natural bathing sites inspected in Slovenia received the highest mark for water quality last year, three fewer than in 2018. The European bathing water quality assessment report for 2019 analyses 21 coastal and 26 inland bathing sites in Slovenia, of which 80.9% received the excellent mark. Slovenia remains close to the top in Europe when it comes to the overall quality.

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:

Slovenia records one new coronavirus case

LJUBLJANA - Slovenia recorded one new coronavirus infection out of 229 tests carried out on Saturday, which raises the number of cases so far confirmed to 1,485. There have been no new fatalities since 1 June, leaving the death toll at 109. Five Covid-19 patients remain in hospital, and 17 cases are still active. The latest case was confirmed in Jesenice, where a family cluster has been linked to a hospital nurse, including four of the five new cases confirmed on Friday, along with one in Ljubljana.

SDS with strong lead in Nova24TV poll

LJUBLJANA - A poll commissioned by the private broadcaster Nova24TV shows the ruling Slovenian Democratic Party (SDS) top the party ratings with a nine-percentage-point lead. The SDS polled at 23.6% and the Marjan Šarec List (LMŠ) at 15%, followed by the fellow opposition Social Democrats (SD), at 9.2%. Taking into account only decided voters, the SDS polled at 33.2%, down 0.9 percentage points from late May, but still as much as 12 points ahead of the LMŠ, which slipped 2.5 points to 21.1%.

Local SDS headquarters defaced by graffiti

CELJE - The headquarters of the local committee of the ruling Democratic Party (SDS) in Celje has been defaced by insulting graffiti. Pictures posted by the magazine Demokracija online show graffiti on the sign and door of the headquarters reading 'Orban d.o.o.' (Orban Ltd) and those on the window sill 'We don't want Hungarian dictatorship', as well as 'Fascists' written in chalk on the pavement in front of the building. The party has notified the police, urging a prompt investigation.

Writers and Serb community protest against Thompson concert ban overturn

LJUBLJANA - The Slovenian Writers' Association and Slovenian PEN centre issued a joint statement on Saturday to express their opposition to the Interior Ministry's decision to overturn a ban on Croatian nationalist singer Marko Perković Thompson's concert in Maribor. The associations say that Thompson is known for propagating the Ustasha heritage and thus indirectly Nazism and Fascism and collaboration. Indignation at the decision was also expressed by the Association of Serbs in Slovenia, which said Thompson glorified Ustasha crimes against Serbs, Jews and Roma.

Slovenian deportees mark 75 years since return home

LJUBLJANA - The Slovenian Association of 1941-1945 Deportees marked Day of Slovenian Deportees by commemorating the 75th anniversary of the return of deportees and refugees into their homeland. The association would like to raise awareness among young generations about the genocide policy of Fascists and Nazis during WWII. In total, 63,000 people were deported from Slovenia by the German occupying forces during the war and some 17,000 Slovenians escaped the country to avoid deportation.

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, Italian FMs indicate shared border may open on 15 June

LJUBLJANA - Slovenia will open its border with Italy very soon, Foreign Minister Anže Logar said on Saturday as he hosted his Italian counterpart Luigi Di Maio in Ljubljana. Though not naming a date, Logar repeated several times that he looked forward to 15 June with optimism. He said that the opening of the border will have to be green-lighted by the National Institute for Public Health (NIJZ) before this decision is made by the government. Di Maio said that a high level of caution will be needed in the next 10 days to prevent the number of coronavirus infections from increasing once again.

Victims of post-war summary executions remembered

KOČEVSKI ROG - Victims of summary executions conducted after WWII were remembered with a ceremony in Kočevski Rog, an area in south Slovenia where multiple mass graves have been discovered. Seventy-five years after the executions, national reconciliation remains elusive and statements by senior officials indicate it is still a remote prospect. Prime Minister Janez Janša, delivering the keynote alongside President Borut Pahor, recalled the horrors of war and the post-war era experienced by his father, who fought for one of the anti-communist movements, the Domobranci. "The truth was so horrible we initially could not believe fragments of it." In reference to ongoing anti-government protests and their main slogan "death to Janšism", Janša said those who are making death threats in Ljubljana needed to be told loud and clear: "We will not let you plunge Slovenians once again into fratricidal savagery. This blind hatred already caused too much sorrow and we're going to to everything it takes to prevent you from succeeding."

Five new coronavirus infections confirmed on Friday, no deaths

LJUBLJANA - A total of 715 coronavirus tests were performed in Slovenia on Friday, with five coming back positive, the most recent government data shows. This brings the tally of confirmed infections to 1,484, while the number of deaths remains at 109. Four of the five new infections were confirmed in Jesenice, where a nurse at the local hospital and her child became infected. Their contacts were subsequently tested. Six patients were in hospital on Friday, none in intensive care. There are currently 16 active cases in the country, according to the National Institute of Public Health.

Eyewear maker Safilo increases revenue in 2019, profit down

ORMOŽ - Eyewear maker Safilo, owned by the Italian Safilo group, exceeded its production and sales targets in 2019. The company generated more than EUR 32 million in revenue, an increase of some EUR 2.5 million on 2018 and almost EUR 7 million above plans. Profit however dropped to EUR 800,000 from EUR 1.25 million. The biggest company in Ormož sold 2.5 million pairs of glasses last year, mostly within the group. The share of Made in Slovenia models decreased in 2019, but the company says it strived to remain competitive by developing more economical concepts. Last year, it developed 50 new products. This year's development plans have been hindered by the Covid-19 epidemic. The company has seen supply disruption, decreased demand and reduced production.

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:

Another school class quarantined as pupil tests positive

LJUBLJANA - A Jesenice primary school year-two class was placed under quarantine for two weeks after one of the pupils tested positive for the novel coronavirus. The pupil was tested after her mum, a nurse at the Jesenice general hospital tested positive on Thursday. None of her workmates or the patients she had been in contact with have so far tested positive, but six staff were quarantined. The nurse was one of the two new cases confirmed on Thursday, bringing the total of cases to 1,479. Six Covid-19 patients are treated in hospitals, none requiring intensive care. Out of some 500 self-pay tests performed in May, none came back positive.

Slovenia against mandatory migrant quotas for EU countries

BRUSSELS, Belgium - Seven EU members, including Slovenia, addressed a letter to the European Commission expressing their resolute opposition to compulsory redistribution of migrants among EU countries. Apart from Slovenia, the letter was signed by the Visegrad four - Hungary, Poland, the Czech Republic and Slovakia, and Estonia and Latvia. Interior Minister Aleš Hojs said the idea was to clearly say in advance a compulsory redistribution was unacceptable, so a different solution had to be sought.

Slovenia finds epidemiological situation should be criteria for opening EU borders

BRUSSELS, Belgium - A videoconference of the EU's Justice and Home Affairs Council dedicated to control of internal borders heard that there must be no discrimination based on citizenship when the bloc's borders reopen, but Interior Minister Aleš Hojs said Slovenia thinks the epidemiological situation of third countries and reciprocity must be taken into account to the largest possible extent. Slovenia is keen to open borders to citizens from the Western Balkans.

US ambassador: Those responsible for George Floyd's death will face justice

LJUBLJANA - Commenting on current mass protests and widespread unrest in the US, US Ambassador to Slovenia Lynda C. Blanchard said that those responsible for the death of George Floyd would be held accountable. "None are above the law, and those responsible for this tragedy will face justice," Blanchard was quoted as saying in a press release. "I join Americans across our nation as we grieve the senseless, tragic death of George Floyd. The United States believes that those charged with ensuring the security of their communities should always be held accountable when they violate that trust," the ambassador said.

Controversy as ban lifted on Croatia nationalist singer's concert

LJUBLJANA/MARIBOR - The Interior Ministry's decision to annul the Maribor administrative unit's ban on a concert by Marko Perković - Thompson, a Croatian nationalist singer, raised controversy with all centre-left parties, including those that make part of the ruling coalition asserting that Thompson as a person inciting intolerance should not be welcome in Slovenia. Interior Minister Aleš Hojs said the ministry had assessed that the concert was organised to make money not commit crime.

Slovenian minority reps in Ljubljana on the eve of Di Maio visit

LJUBLJANA - Several representatives of the Slovenian ethnic minority in Italy visited Ljubljanabefore Italian Foreign Minister Luigi Di Maio's visit to discuss open issues with President Borut Pahor, Foreign Minister Anže Logar and Minister for Slovenians Abroad Helena Jaklitsch. The expected restitution of National Hall topped the agenda. Italy is expected to return the minority's former commercial and cultural centre in Trieste by the end of this year.

Ministry orders oversight at care homes during epidemic

LJUBLJANA - The Health Ministry ordered "extraordinary systemic oversight" at eleven care homes around the country to establish whether the elderly there received adequate medical treatment during the Covid-19 epidemic. The oversight will be carried out by the Medical Chamber and the Chamber of Nurses and Midwives. The Medical Chamber had proposed oversight after media reports alleging lists of the elderly were being compiled to establish which one of them was to be sent to hospital if they fell ill with the coronavirus and which not.

Over 140 illegal migrants apprehended since Tuesday

LJUBLJANA - Police identified 144 persons who crossed into Slovenia from Croatia illegally from Tuesday until Friday - during a four-day enhanced policing of the southern border. Interior Minister Aleš Hojs already announced that such surveillance will continue. Over 1,000 additional police officers were sent to the border with Croatia for the four days to let smugglers and migrants know the border is tightly secured.

Cycle protests continue in bad weather

LJUBLJANA - Despite the stormy weather, anti-government protesters on bicycles hit the streets of several Slovenian towns for the seventh consecutive Friday, the biggest crowd rallying in the capital Ljubljana. The initiatives organising the protests decided that next Friday the protest will be held on foot rather than on bicycles to allow everyone to take part in a demonstration against authoritarian politics.

Fiscal Council's estimate of 3rd package much lower than govt's

LJUBLJANA - While the government has estimated that the third stimulus package to mitigate the impact of the coronavirus fallout will cost the budget around one billion euro, the Fiscal Council said its first estimate was only EUR 561 million or 1.2% of Slovenia's GDP. The package, whose main measures are subsidies for short-time work and tourism vouchers, had been initially estimated at EUR 1 billion, and later changes were made in the parliamentary procedure which could have additional impact on the budget.

C-bank head confident ECB measures are helping economy recovery

LJUBLJANA - As the European Central Bank (ECB) almost doubled its Pandemic Emergency Purchase Programme to EUR 1,350 billion, Banka Slovenije governor Boštjan Vasle assessed that, barring new complications in healthcare, the economic situation in the EU is expected to improve, including because of the ECB's measures. "Pandemic programme is intended for crisis situations, is of temporary nature and is a very flexible instrument. We are all trying to set up measures so that we weather the storm in these few months, which are very problematic, and then we will try to go back to normal life as much as possible," Vasle said, adding that this would not be very easy.

Telekom Slovenije to pay out EUR 23m in dividends

LJUBLJANA - The shareholders of telecoms incumbent Telekom Slovenije endorsed the decision to pay out EUR 22.77 million in dividends (EUR 3.50 gross per share). The management had proposed the entire EUR 30.16 million in distributable profit for 2019 be retained due to uncertainties stemming from the Covid-19 crisis, but the meeting backed a counter-proposal of Slovenian Sovereign Holding. Former Health Minister Aleš Šabeder was appointed a new member of the Telekom supervisory board.

Top court rejects Agrokor's appeal over Mercator share seizure

LJUBLJANA - The Constitutional Court rejected an appeal by Agrokor, the Croatian group owning the retailer Mercator, against the Ljubljana District Court's decision to uphold the competition watchdog's decision to temporarily seize Mercator shares. The agency seized 70% of Mercator shares from Agrokor to ensure the insolvent Croatian group pay a EUR 53.9 million fine for failing to notify it of the 2016 takeover of Slovenian-based water bottling company Costella.

Former AKOS boss Simonič acquitted in Tušmobil trial

LJUBLJANA - Tomaž Simonič, former director of the Agency for Communication Networks and Services (AKOS), has been acquitted of charges of abuse of office by the Ljubljana District Court in a Tušmobil bribery trial, the newspaper Delo reported. The prosecution has appealed against the verdict. Simonič had been charged with abuse of office for giving a portion of wireless spectrum to telecoms Tušmobil in 2008 in exchange for an apartment provided by Mirko Tuš, at the time the owner of the company.

Ex-Trimo boss investigated over management buyout

NOVO MESTO - Police reported three managers and a company to the Specialised State Prosecution due to suspicion of abuse of office in a management buyout. According to an unofficial report by news portal Dolenjski List, the former long-serving chairman of Trimo, Tatjana Fink, is among the suspects. Fink led the prefabricated construction materials company from the town of Trebnje for more than 20 years.
until February 2014. In late 2015 creditor banks sold Trimo to Polish equity fund Innova.

E-conference told plastics management should be smart

LJUBLJANA - An e-conference marking World Environment Day and held by the Chamber of Commerce and Industry discussed smart management of plastics. The panellists highlighted that single-use plastics should be reduced and stressed the role of an effective system of collecting and recycling or reusing waste. The coronavirus crisis has shown that single-use plastics are indispensable in medicine and public health efforts, but the attitude to such products needs to evolve.

Slovenia exports most waste to Serbia and Bosnia

LJUBLJANA - Slovenia exported almost two thirds of waste to Bosnia-Herzegovina and Serbia in 2019, most notably refuse derived fuel, plastic waste and metal waste. The latter two were exported to Asian countries as well, however the export to China was brought to a halt, shows a study by the Environment and Spatial Planning Inspectorate. The number of declared exports of waste in Slovenia last year increased by 4% year-on-year to some 3,000 exports customs declarations.

Kocijančič posthumously awarded Silver Olympic Order

LJUBLJANA - Janez Kocijančič, the former long-serving president of the Slovenian Olympic Committee, was posthumously awarded the Silver Olympic Order by the International Olympic Committee (IOC), only a third Slovenian to win the accolade after artistic gymnastics legends Miroslav Cerar and Leon Štukelj. In honour of the most recent head of the European Olympic Committees, the Olympic flag at the IOC headquarters in Switzerland's Lausanne will he flown at half-mast for three days from Monday.

Premier football league restarts

LJUBLJANA - The national football championship resumed after being on hold for almost three months due to the coronavirus outbreak, albeit without spectators. All first league players had tested negative for Covid-19, but it is expected that they will need a game or two to return to top form.

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:

From tomorrow, Slovenians free to cross into all neighbouring countries

VIENNA, Austria/ROME, Italy - Slovenians will be able to cross the border without restrictions to all neighbouring countries from Thursday as Austria abolishes health checks on its border with Slovenia as the last neighbour to do so. Italy lifted border restrictions for EU citizens today while Croatia and Hungary have lifted restrictions for Slovenian citizens earlier. Croatia and Hungary are also the only countries whose citizens can enter Slovenia completely without restrictions based on bilateral agreements.

Registered jobless total up by 2% in May to 90,415

LJUBLJANA - After a significant uptick in joblessness in March and in April due to the Covid-19 crisis, the trend slowed down in May, as the jobless total was up by only 2% on the monthly level to 90,415. Compared to May 2019, the figure was meanwhile up by 18,403 or 25.6%, the Employment Service said. The number of persons who registered with the Employment Service in May almost halved (-45%) compared to April, standing at 7,928, which was, however, 75.6% more than in May 2019.

Slovenia plans EUR 780 million in defence investment in six years

LOŠKA DOLINA - Defence Minister Matej Tonin set out a plan to invest EUR 780 million in defence over the next six years as he joined President Borut Pahor for the viewing of a military exercise dubbed Leap 2020 in Babno Polje in the south of the country. The exercise is special in that it is not being held in the country's main military exercise grounds, but in local communities, which Tonin said welcomed SAF members well.

Two new coronavirus cases confirmed on Tuesday, no new deaths

LJUBLJANA - Two new cases of coronavirus were confirmed in Slovenia on Tuesday, most likely associated with a family cluster in Maribor that led to the quarantining of a primary school class there. There were no new Covid-19 fatalities, the latest government data show. There are now 1,477 confirmed cases in Slovenia and 109 fatalities. Five patients remain in hospital but none are in intensive care.

Alleged elderly hospitalisation lists raise dust

LJUBLJANA - A media report has revealed that health authorities introduced a form during the Covid-19 epidemic to decide which care home residents would qualify for hospital treatment if they contracted the disease. This has prompted the opposition to demand an explanation from the government, but Health Minister Tomaž Gantar said he had no problem with the form. Care homes filled in a form deciding whether a certain resident with a severe disease would be referred to hospital if they caught Covid-19, public broadcaster TV Slovenija reported on Tuesday.

Parliamentary body backs higher penalties for migrant smugglers

LJUBLJANA - The parliamentary Justice Committee endorsed changes to the penal code, raising the penalties for migrant smugglers and those involved in illegal migration. The penalty for migrant smugglers would thus increase from five years to three to ten years in prison. Under the proposed changes, those who get paid for such services or commit them as part of a criminal organisation will face three to fifteen years in prison. Currently, they could get one to eight years.

Janša responds to rejection of cross-partisan pact

LJUBLJANA - Prime Minister Janez Janša responded to the turning down of his government's offer of a cross-partisan partnership by most opposition parties. "We offered a hand of cooperation. When the SDS was in the opposition it never received such a generous offer from those on power," he wrote. All opposition parties bar the National Party (SNS) had turned down the proposal for a partnership agreement whose goal would be to involve the opposition in the drafting of legislation prior to its adoption by the government in exchange for support when the time comes to vote.

Review sought of Statistics Office boss's dismissal

LJUBLJANA - The Statistics Council asked the Constitutional Court to review the recent dismissal of Bojan Nastav as the general director of the national Statistics Office. The expert council was not sure which law applies to the director's dismissal - the one on public sector employees, which allows the government to dismiss a top public sector employee a year after the employee started their job, or the national statistics act. The government dismissed Nastav, who was appointed for a full term by the previous government last August, on 21 May, appointing Tomaž Smrekar as acting director for up to six months.

Court agrees Ascent needs environmental impact assessment for fracking

LJUBLJANA - The Administrative Court has upheld the decision of the Slovenian Environment Agency (ARSO) that an environmental impact assessment is needed before any permits can be issued for hydraulic fracturing planned by British company Ascent Resources at the Petišovci gas field in the north-east of Slovenia. The company said it was in the process of beginning preparations for submission of an environmental impact assessment and noted the decision was "important evidence to support the claim the company intends to bring against Slovenia under the Energy Charter Treaty".

Top court nominees present bids, scales tilting in Teršek's favour

LJUBLJANA - Barbara Zobec and Andraž Teršek, the two candidates for a vacancy on the Constitutional Court, presented their bids, both highlighting the protection of human rights as their main priority. Although Zobec has the support of the ruling Democrats (SDS), Teršek seems to have the better odds of getting appointed. Statements made by parliamentary parties so far indicate that Teršek could get the 46 votes, meaning absolute majority, needed for appointment, while Zobec is unacceptable for most parties.

Committee asks govt to pay attention to events industry, culture workers

LJUBLJANA - Discussing the continuing woes of the meetings industry and culture workers due to coronavirus, the parliamentary economy and culture committees adopted on Tuesday proposals to start lifting restrictions in the sector when possible, monitor the situation in the most affected areas to draw up aid measures, and establish dialogue with stakeholders. The session came in the aftermath of protests by culture workers who claim the government is ignoring their plight and saw a dozen more binding proposals by opposition voted down.

Opposition urge public health chief to resign over lack of mask guidance

LJUBLJANA - The four centre-left opposition parties urged Milan Krek to resign as director of the National Institute of Public Health (NIJZ) after he failed to provide an answer at a government press briefing as to whether face masks are mandatory at shopping malls. The parties also urged action from Health Minister Tomaž Gantar. Both rejected the criticism.

US and Slovenia mark post-WWII ski race anniversary

LOG POD MANGARTOM - The 75th anniversary of a post-WWII ski race organised by US soldiers on the slopes of Mt Mangart in Slovenia on 3 June 1945 was celebrated with an event attended by US Ambassador to Slovenia Lynda Blanchard and Defence Minister Matej Tonin. The race was organised by the 10th Mountain Division of the United States Army, a mountain warfare unit which was stationed in Slovenia after WWII because of its unresolved western border.

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:

First case of coronavirus confirmed among pupils schools reopened

MARIBOR/LJUBLJANA - A pupil at the Ludvik Pliberšek Primary School in Maribor tested positive for SARS-CoV-2 in what is the first positive case among children after they started returning to school on 18 May. The 17 classmates of the infected third-grader, who was asymptomatic, and their teacher were sent into a two-week quarantine, while the remaining pupils at the school will continue going to class. Mario Fafangel of the National Institute of Public Health said this was probably a case of an infection contracted within the family. Slovenia registered two new infections on Monday, bringing the total to 1,475. The death toll remained unchanged at 109.

More than 1,000 police officers dispatched to southern border

KOČEVJE - Over 1,000 additional police officers were dispatched to Slovenia's border with Croatia to tight border control until Friday. The aim of the four-day campaign, ordered by acting Police Commissioner Anton Travner, is to show migrants and smugglers that an attempt to enter Slovenia does not pay off, Deputy Police Commissioner Jože Senica said. According to police data, there are more than 10,000 migrants in Serbia and Bosnia-Herzegovina who want to continue their journey to the EU. He said the number of people on the Balkan migration route had increased in the past two weeks after countries started lifting restrictions they had had in place due to the coronavirus pandemic.

SAB latest to reject Janša's proposal for partnership

LJUBLJANA - The Alenka Bratušek Party (SAB) rejected the offer for a partnership agreement on key legislation proposed by PM Janez Janša, joining the other left-leaning opposition parties in opposing the proposal which is now apparently only supported by the National Party (SNS). The SAB executive committee decided not to join because there have been too many mistakes and divisions created by the government or the ruling Democrats (SDS) for SAB to formally sign the agreement. Party leader Alenka Bratušek said "the proposal itself is not too bad, but the circumstances around it are", but announced the party was still willing to cooperate, yet on a case-by-case basis.

Diplomat says Trump's response to George Floyd case could haunt him

LJUBLJANA - Božo Cerar, a former Slovenian ambassador to the US, assessed that President Donald Trump should have immediately condemned the death of African American George Floyd, which has sparked mass protests around the US. The failure to do so could come back to haunt him in the presidential election in November, diminishing his chance of re-election. Cerar told the STA commenting on the protests that the US had been dealing with incidents such as the "manslaughter of African American George Floyd for years". He believes the American society should treating all human beings as equal regardless of the colour of their skin. "I think that they are in for a lot of work, education, teaching by example. This cannot be achieved over night, but one needs to start somewhere."

Two members of bad bank's management board dismissed

LJUBLJANA - The government dismissed Tomaž Besek and Mitja Križaj as non-executive directors on the management board of the Bank Assets Management Company (BAMC) and appointed Alenka Urnaut Ropoša and Boris Novak to replace them, serving from 3 June until the end of 2022. The government provided no explanation for the replacements. Novak is director general of the state-owned postal operator Pošta Slovenije, a member of the supervisory board of the lottery operator Športna Loterija and the chief supervisor of the logistics company Intereuropa. Urnaut Ropoša owns the real estate agency Renova Real and is also a certified real estate appraiser, according to the company's website. Under the current version of the BAMC law, the bad bank is set to wrap up its operations at the end of 2022.

Slovenia spent EUR 54m on protective equipment during epidemic

LJUBLJANA - Slovenia purchased EUR 54.4 million worth of protective equipment through the national Agency for Commodity Reserves during the epidemic. Between 14 March and 31 May, the agency signed 64 contracts worth EUR 184 million, which includes contracts that were subsequently annulled or not realised. The combined value of outstanding contracts currently stands at EUR 89 million, but all open orders will probably not be fully realised. Now that the epidemic is officially over, the procurement of protective equipment was transferred back onto health institutions.

Two biggest banks to lay off about 10% of employees

MARIBOR/LJUBLJANA - Slovenia's two biggest banks, NLB and NKBM, continue to cut their workforce as part of their plans to streamline operations in the face of growing digital service use by clients and banking sector consolidation. NKBM and Abanka, which will be merged by the end of the year, currently employ about 2,090 people, while another 160 work at NKBM's leasing arm Summit Leasing. Unofficial sources say that some 250 employees are to be laid off in the coming months. Meanwhile, the newspaper Finance reported NLB planned to lay off over 300 employees out of a total of 2,650 by the end of 2020, while NLB told the STA its medium-term plan as regards the number of employees remained unchanged - 20% or over 500 people are to be let go.

Two bidders vying for Telekom's Planet TV, unofficial report says

LJUBLJANA - The Hungarian channel TV2, whose owner is associated with the Fidesz party, and Croatian entrepreneur Ivan Ćaleta are bidding to purchase Planet TV, the troubled subsidiary of telecoms incumbent Telekom Slovenije which produces the eponymous TV channel, reported web portal Necenzurirano, citing an unofficial source. According to newspaper Delo, Planet TV has cost Telekom Slovenije EUR 80 million in the form of capital injections, advertisements, loans and other services since it was launched in September 2012, and has operated in the red all the time.

Slovenia pledges EUR 20,000 for Yemen

RIYADH, Saudi Arabia - Slovenia pledged EUR 20,000 in an online donor conference for Yemen, launched by the Saudi Arabia and the UN. The conference aims to get pledges for US$2.4 billion to ensure humanitarian aid to the war-torn country in the face of the coronavirus pandemic. Slovenia pledged to provide the funds through the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), the Foreign Ministry said in a press release. Since 2016, it has provided EUR 280,000 for Yemen.

Slovenian, Italian epidemiologists OK with border opening

LJUBLJANA - Slovenian and Italian epidemiologists said after they met in Ljubljana they had no major reservations regarding the opening of borders between the two countries, given that both Slovenia and Italy had a good epidemiological situation. However, the decision is to be made by the Slovenian and Italian governments. Slovenian government coronavirus spokesperson Jelko Kacin meanwhile said the border with Italy would be open when the National Institute of Public Health assessed the epidemiological situation in Italy was good enough to allow free movement, and when a subsequent political decision on this was made. He also said the Italian government was expected to abolish the 14-day quarantine requirement for Italian citizens returning from Slovenia.

PM Janša announces digitalisation push

LJUBLJANA - Prime Minister Janez Janša announced a major digitalisation effort that would accompany the cutting of red tape in the public administration, telling Nova24TV on Monday evening that the first major steps should be taken this year. "Modern technologies make it possible to speed up procedures," he said. Digitalisation will also be accelerated in the educational system. According to Janša, the Education Ministry is working on a proposal to provide laptops for students and move workbooks online.

Public transport providers urge relaxing Covid-19 rules

LJUBLJANA - Public road transport providers associated in two major employer organisations called on authorities to take a more pragmatic approach as regards coronavirus precautionary measures in passenger transport now that the epidemic is over, or else over 3,000 jobs in coach transport could be at risk. The public transport providers at the Chamber of Commerce and Industry (GZS) and Chamber of Small Business (OZS) criticised the strict measures as out of touch with reality, giving as an example a van, in which only two passengers can be transported at a time. Public transport was relaunched on 11 May.

Goodyear Dunlop Sava Tires increases revenue, sales in the region

KRANJ - The Kranj-based Goodyear Dunlop Sava Tires saw its net sales revenue rise by 2.6% to almost EUR 226 million last year. The company attributes the rise to higher sales in the local Adriatic markets (+6.8%), higher prices and a structured sales programme. Net profit rose from EUR 6.55 million in 2018 to EUR 8.02 million last year, but this is mainly due to deferred taxes. Operating profit dropped by 17.8%, from EUR 6.89 million to EUR 5.66 million, largely due to higher tyre production costs caused by higher costs of raw materials.

Small business struggling with drop in orders, layoffs expected

LJUBLJANA - About a third of small businesses in Slovenia believe they will have to cut jobs as a result of the coronavirus crisis, as orders are expected to remain significantly lower in the coming three months, showed a survey by the Chamber of Small Business (OZS). The chamber said 97% of the 1,510 sole traders and small businesses that participated in the survey are experiencing the impact of the crisis and 91% expect the drop in orders to persist in the coming months.

Car sales bounce back in May after April slump

LJUBLJANA - Car sales in Slovenia picked up in May due to substantial discounts after the automotive industry was hit particularly hard by the coronavirus crisis. In the first five months of 2020, sales were down by 37% year-on-year. Between January and May this year, 21,440 new vehicles were registered - 37.2% less than in the same period in 2019, the Slovenian Chamber of Commerce (TZS) said. In May alone, almost 5,090 cars were sold, down 31.7% compared to the same month in 2019.

Footballers to get tested before national league resumes

LJUBLJANA - Players of the clubs participating in the first Slovenian football league will get tested for the new coronavirus on Wednesday, in what is an announcement by the Slovenian Football Association (NZS) coming virtually at an eleventh hour as games are scheduled to resume on Friday. The mandatory testing is part of the latest instructions for the clubs, issued on Monday, and testing will be carried out it two areas in Slovenia tomorrow. Games will be played without spectators and the first Slovenian league is expected to be concluded on 22 June.

Ljubljana Festival going ahead with opera star Anna Netrebko

LJUBLJANA - The 68th Ljubljana Festival will go ahead as planned despite the coronavirus crisis, taking place in Ljubljana between 2 July and 30 August. Cancellations by acclaimed ensembles have been replaced by sought-after performers, such as opera star Anna Netrebko and the Milan La Scala Philharmonic Orchestra. "The Ljubljana Festival team has prepared a programme that is in no way corona-like regarding its quality," Darko Brlek, the festival's director and artistic director, said as he addressed Tuesday's press conference.

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