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:
PM Golob to visit Brussels next week
LJUBLJANA - Prime Minister Robert Golob will travel to Brussels next week to meet European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and European Council President Charles Michel, his office told the STA. This will be his first visit to EU institutions following his government taking office last Wednesday. A week later, on 23 and 24 June, Golob is expected to attend a regular EU summit in Brussels, the first for the new Slovenian prime minister.
Fajon stresses support to Ukraine's EU accession efforts
LJUBLJANA - Deputy Speaker of the Ukrainian Parliament Olena Kondratiuk thanked Slovenia for its support to Ukraine as she addressed the press with Foreign Minister Tanja Fajon. Fajon said Slovenia would also support Ukraine in its EU accession efforts and announced the Slovenian ambassador would return to Kyiv next Tuesday. Kondratiuk was also received by President Borut Pahor and parliamentary Speaker Urška Klakočar Zupančič, who said that Slovenia was united in its support for Ukraine and condemnation of Russian aggression in the country. Kondratiuk once again thanking Slovenia for all the assistance and support.
Top court stays provisions on extended producer responsibility
LJUBLJANA - The Constitutional Court has suspended the implementation of parts of the new environment protection act dealing with extended producer responsibility (EPR) pending its final decision on an application by a waste management company and associates worried about the damage it would do to their business. In a unanimous decision, the court stayed parts of articles 37, 38, 40, 41 and 275 but not all of the challenged provisions, explaining it had to stay those that were vital to the enforcement of the changed joint EPR implementation system.
NIJZ head's powers curtailed under government decision
LJUBLJANA - Against the backdrop of speculations that the head of the National Institute of Public Health (NIJZ), Milan Krek, will soon be dismissed or will step down, the government changed the rules governing the institution so that Krek will no longer perform the duties of NIJZ medical director. Under the decision the duties of the medical director will be performed by the acting medical director until the appointment of the full-fledged medical director, and no longer by the director general.
IAEA mission: Slovenia has good radwaste management system
LJUBLJANA - Slovenia has a comprehensive and well-functioning radioactive waste and spent fuel management system, but there is still room for improvement, a team of international experts under the auspices of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has found during their mission to Slovenia between 22 and 30 May. Release from the Agency for Radioactive Waste, which hosted the Artemis international review mission, says that the mission highlighted Slovenia as an example of good practice in its commitment to proactively pursue various options for reducing all types of radioactive waste.
Slovenia joins EU countries urging changes to Covid vaccine contracts
BRUSSELS, Belgium/LJUBLJANA - Ten EU member states, including Slovenia, have called on the European Commission to amend contracts for the supply of Covid vaccines to reduce the number of doses ordered. They warn about the issue of vaccine surpluses and the need for a better management of public funds. Ten EU countries from Eastern Europe have urged Commission to carry out a review of the terms of contracts for the supply of vaccines against the coronavirus, highlighting oversupply of vaccine doses, the threat of shots starting to expire and the protection of public funds in a letter that has been obtained by the STA.
SDS says government already trampled on constitution
LJUBLJANA - Opposition SDS MP Branko Grims has accused the Robert Golob government of trampling on the constitution as soon as it came to power; he cited its demand to compile lists of staff that were hired during the previous two governments and the interior minister's withdrawal of consent for the suits regarding anti-government rallies. In a statement to the press, Grims said that these were "illegal and unconstitutional moves" and spoke of a plan to "carry out political purges among employees".
Writer Boris Pahor laid to rest in Trieste
TRIESTE, Italy - Several hundred people gathered at St Ana's Cemetery to lay to rest Boris Pahor, one of the greatest Slovenian writers. Pahor was paid respects by several Slovenian politicians and other public figures, who highlighted the high moral and ethical standards of the writer and witness to all three totalitarianisms. Many of his compatriots from Slovenia and Italy came to pay their respects to the writer already in the morning when they signed a book of condolences at his coffin.
Latvian poet Amanda Aizpuriete wins Vilenica Prize
LJUBLJANA - Latvian poet Amanda Aizpuriete is the winner of this year's International Vilenica Prize for Central European literature, which will be presented during the 37th Vilenica International Literary Festival in September. Born in the Latvian sea town of Jurmala in 1956, Aizpuriete has published several collections of poems and her works have been widely translated.
Ibrahim Mahama artistic director of 35th Ljubljana Biennale of Graphic Arts
LJUBLJANA - Ghanaian visual artist Ibrahim Mahama has been appointed artistic director of the 35th Ljubljana Biennale of Graphic Arts, to take place between 15th September and 14 January, 2023, the event's organiser, International Centre of Graphic Arts (MGLC) has announced. According to the MGLC, Mahama has accepted the invitation as a challenging opportunity to revisit some of the lost moments or ties that used to exist between Ghana and the former Yugoslavia.
Survey: Situation in cultural and creative sector worse than a year ago
LJUBLJANA - A survey on Slovenia's cultural and creative sector has shown that despite the end of the coronavirus epidemic, the situation is worse than a year ago - more than half of all workers do not have enough work to make ends meet and half of all workers are considering leaving while almost 10% have already left the sector. The survey was carried out by the Poligon Creative Centre and the Centre for Creativity, among 1,005 workers between 17 March and 11 April.
Slovenian business diaspora gets digital hub
LJUBLJANA - The Slovenian business diaspora now has a digital hub, sloglobal.net, at its disposal. The platform will serve as a one-stop shop for all the information needed for successful business and networking for Slovenians on a global scale, the Slovenian Global Business Network said. "People in the business world don't even have time for that, so they can often miss out on a potential new business connection, contact, news or event," the network added.
SAZU urges UN to establish court for war crimes against children
LJUBLJANA - The Commission for Human Rights at the Slovenian Academy of Sciences and Arts (SAZU) submitted a proposal to UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres for the United Nations to establish an international court dealing with war crimes against children. The commission says that the UN should adopt a resolution dealing with war crimes committed against children between 2000 and 2022 while also pushing for the UN to obtain maps of cities and countries where war crimes on a massive scale have taken place. It proposed that the UN General Assembly set up a court dealing with such cases.
Bust of assassination victim Ivan Kramberger unveiled
GORNJA RADGONA - A bust dedicated to late humanitarian, politician and inventor Ivan Kramberger (1936-1992) was unveiled in the north-eastern town of Gornja Radgona on Tuesday on what is the 30th anniversary of his assassination. An independence-era presidential candidate, he was killed during his pre-election speech. Journalist Igor Kršinar recently wrote a book about Kramberger, saying it was not about unproven conspiracy theories, but about his political platform and who his voters were.
Joe Valencic inducted to Cleveland International Hall of Fame
Cleveland, US - Joe Valencic, a well known promoter of Slovenian and polka events in the US, has become the sixth American of Slovenian descent to be inducted to the Cleveland International Hall of Fame. Valencic, a founder and past president of the Polka Hall of Fame in Cleveland who is known in Slovenia as the voice of the Slovenians in America, is joining the ranks of Senator George Voinovich, journalist Dick Russ, jurists Vladimir Rus and Avgust Pust and Bishop Edvard Pevec.
Women authors in spotlight as festival of new circus opens
LJUBLJANA - A number of outdoor and indoor venues across Ljubljana will come alive with circus and theatre shows, concerts, attractions, workshops and discussions as the annual Klovnbuf festival gets under way today. This year the spotlight will be on women artists and their small-format shows. Running until 20 June, the 15th iteration of the international festival promises to bring "a lively and interesting mix of various expressive languages of new circus that are rarely on show in Slovenia".
