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This summary is provided by the STA:
Ivo Barišič wins 2022 Borštnik Ring for lifetime achievement
LJUBLJANA - Ivo Barišič, a member of the SNG Nova Gorica theatre who retired in 2014, is the recipient of this year's Borštnik Ring, the highest accolade for theatre actors in Slovenia. "Utter dedication to acting" is how the organisers of the Maribor Theatre Festival described Barišič's career, adding that one of his distinct features was that he had constantly tweaked his acting method and remained open to different theatre and film languages. He will receive the award at the closing ceremony of the Maribor Theatre Festival on 12 June.
Parliamentary working bodies ready to start work
LJUBLJANA - Parliamentary working bodies were set up at Wednesday's session and can now start their work even though the opposition Democrats (SDS) did not nominate their candidates for chairs and vice-chairs in protest over the breakdown of these posts. The SDS was supposed to get six chairmanships, but was given only five after New Slovenia (NSi) proposed that it get the top post on the Commission for the Oversight of Public Finances. The coalition endorsed the proposal.
Anti-graft watchdog finds officials ignoring law
LJUBLJANA - Slovenia's anti-graft watchdog has released its report for 2021, identifying issues of integrity, conflict of interest and incompatibility of dual offices as the most problematic, and finding that officials often act against the law or deliberately ignore it. On releasing the report, the watchdog noted the purpose of regulation in the mentioned areas is to prevent corruption and thus strengthen the rule of law as its core mission under the integrity and prevention of corruption act.
Mateja Gomboc wins Desetnica Prize for best young adult novel
LJUBLJANA - Author Mateja Gomboc has been awarded the Desetnica Prize for best children's or young adult novel by the Slovenian Writers' Association (DSP) for her novel Balada o Drevesu (The Ballad about a Tree) that the jury found to be a moving story about love and loss. The young adult novel, published by Miš in 2021, beat nine other contenders to win the prize. It plunges the reader into a whirlwind of dark, but also beautiful moments. Gomboc writes for children, teenagers and adults.
Employment outlook for next six months positive, staff shortage an issue
LJUBLJANA - The outlook for employment in the second half of the year is positive, as employers have forecast a 3.2% increase in the number of employees, the highest growth since 2014, and plan around 43,000 jobs. On the other hand, discrepancies in the labour market are increasing and employers are finding it difficult to find staff. These are the results of the latest survey by the Employment Service, in which more than 3,000 employers with ten or more employees from all around Slovenia took part.
Number of criminal acts in 2021 lowest in past decade
LJUBLJANA - The police dealt with the fewest criminal offences in the last ten years in 2021, 44,260, which compares to the ten-year average of 67,490. At the same time, the highest clearance rate in the last decade was recorded at 55%, significantly above the ten-year average of 49%, shows the 2021 report on police work. They handled with nearly 6,700 white-collar crimes, a figure that is below the ten-year average.
Calls for responsible innovation, digital development at Africa conference
LJUBLJANA - President Borut Pahor said digitalisation should be based on human rights, the rule of law and democratic society as he addressed a virtual international conference promoting Africa-Europe ties. Foreign Minister Anže Logar called for the development of cybersecurity, but warned that new technologies can either promote or restrict and violate human rights. "We must be extremely careful with digital transformation," he told Africa Day.
Storms cause major damage in east, north-east of country
MURSKA SOBOTA/RADENCI/ROGATEC - Storms that raged in parts of eastern and north-eastern Slovenia on Wednesday afternoon caused significant damage, especially in the Pomurje region and the small town of Rogatec, which were hit by egg-sized hail. There were reports of damaged roofs, broken windows, flooded basements and severely damaged crops. Radenci Mayor Roman Leljak estimates the damage at around EUR 300,000 in his municipality alone.
Pussy Riot crew member briefly detained in Slovenia
LJUBLJANA - Slovenian police briefly detained a Turkmenistan activist travelling with the Russian feminist protest punk rock band Pussy Riot ahead of the group's concert in Ljubljana this evening before releasing her. Lead singer Maria Alyokhina said her friend had been apprehended in the morning based on a 20-year-old Interpol arrest warrant. Alexander Cheparukhin, the arts collective's agent, said the activist had been falsely accused of contentious transactions and collaboration with the opposition.
