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This summary is provided by the STA:
Karl Erjavec returns to politics as DeSUS leader
LJUBLJANA - Karl Erjavec, 60, returned to politics having won the coalition Pensioners' Party (DeSUS) leadership contest as the party declared the results of its electoral congress. He is starting his fifth term as DeSUS leader after defeating the only rival, Srečko Felix Krope, in a 146:71 vote. In his address to the membership, he announced he would meet the party leadership and MPs on Monday to decide how to go on "in this very difficult situation". His return comes when the political arena is rather polarised, with many wondering whether with Erjavec, the party could leave the Janez Janša government.
Almost 1,640 new Covid-19 infections confirmed on Friday
LJUBLJANA - 1,636 Covid-19 infections were confirmed in Slovenia on Friday from 6,344 tests, which puts the positivity rate at 25.7%, slightly down from 26.3% on Thursday. The number of Covid-19 patients in hospitals stood at 1,272, down 12 from Thursday. The number of new deaths was 47, down from Thursday's record 61, putting the national death tally at 1,700. The seven-day average of new infections per 100,000 residents at 1,493, wgile 1,350 would triger easing of restrictive measures.
US welcomes Slovenia's decision on Hezbollah
WASHINGTON, US - US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, who is to meet Slovenian Foreign Minister Anže Logar in Washington, DC, on Monday, welcomed Slovenia's decision to declare the Hezbollah Shia Islamist movement a terrorist organisation. This week Slovenia declared the entire Hezbollah a terrorist organisation, rejecting the false differentiation between its political and military wings, Pompeo said in a written statement on Friday.
Govt urged to reintroduce STA funding, STA to provide documents
LJUBLJANA - The parliamentary Culture Committee urged the government to immediately pay the overdue liabilities to the STA and stop smearing the agency. It also urged the STA to provide the Government Communication Office (UKOM) with the requested documents, as it completed a seven-hour heated debate on the STA funding suspension early on Saturday morning. The committee's session had been requested by the four left-leaning opposition parties.
Musician Tadej Hrušovar dies
LJUBLJANA - Pop music composer and singer Tadej Hrušovar died today, aged 73. He has written more than 400 songs, among them a number of hits. In 1975, his Pepel in Kri group represented Yugoslavia at the Eurovision song contest with Dan Ljubezni (Day of Love), arguably one of the most beautiful and memorable Slovenian pop songs. While Pepel in Kri gave no cause of his death as it announced the news of the death, several media recently reported that Hrušovar had been admitted to hospital for Covid-19.
Slovenia's Žan Kranjec second in giant slalom
SANTA CATERINA, Italy - Slovenian Alpine skier Žan Kranjec finished second in a World Cup giant slalom race after clocking in the best time in the first run, conceeding the victory to Croatia's Filip Zubčić, who finished 12 hundredths ahead of Kranjec. The second place is his first podium result this season. The Slovenian camp welcomed the result, yet with some bitterness given that Kranjec was in the running for a win.
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