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:
An uptick in coronavirus as 1,850 cases confirmed Tuesday
LJUBLJANA - A total of 1,850 people tested positive for coronavirus in Slovenia on Tuesday, an increase of 8% from seven days ago that marks an end to a downward week-on-week trend seen for over a fortnight. Data from the government show a total of 15,946 tests were performed yesterday. Of the 5,418 PCR tests, 1,430 or 26.4% were positive. A further 420 cases were confirmed in 10,528 rapid antigen tests for a positivity rate of 4%. The number of patients hospitalised with Covid-19 dropped by 13 to 1,144, while the number of intensive care patients fell by twenty to 172. A further 19 patients with Covid-19 died, bringing the total death toll to 3,425, according to tracker site covid-19.sledilnik.org.
Out of 877 samples screened for UK strain, 16 positive
LJUBLJANA - Slovenian labs have retested 877 samples of positive PCR tests for Sars-CoV-2 from the last two weeks to find 16 of them showing two genetic changes matching the highly virulent UK strain of the virus. "For the time being the English variant of the novel coronavirus has not spread extensively through Slovenia," Tjaša Žohar Čretnik of the National Laboratory for Health, Environment and Food said. The first positive sample was taken from a person in Murska Sobota and received for testing by the lab in Maribor on 11 January. Žohar Čretnik said it was impossible to infer based on the results weather the positive samples are linked, but considering the spreading there would have been more imported cases.
Govt decides to reintroduce some restrictions in two regions
BRDO PRI KRANJU - The government decided to close shops and cultural institutions that reopened a few days ago in the Obalno-Kraška and Zasavska regions, after the two regions no longer meet the criteria for the red tier under the government's exit strategy. The other seven out of 12 regions where some restrictions were lifted are fine. A decision on schools and kindergartens in Obalno-Kraška and Zasavska regions is expected to be made tomorrow. The government also decided that stores selling food around the country will be able to sell socks and underwear again.
Slovenia issues 60-year bond worth EUR 500m
LJUBLJANA - Slovenia issued a 60-year bond worth EUR 500 million on Wednesday, the second highest bond issue this year and one with longest maturity the country has ever issued. "The 60-year euro-denominated bonds were issued with 0.70% yield to maturity and a coupon rate of 0.6875% to the tune of EUR 0.5 billion. This is comparable to the states such as France and Belgium," the Finance Ministry said in a press release.
Maja Brkan endorsed as nominee for EU General Court judge
LJUBLJANA - Maja Brkan was endorsed as nominee for a Slovenian judge on the General Court of the European Union in a near unanimous vote at the National Assembly. She will now need to pass an assessment by the court's vetting body to get the post. Brkan, an associate professor of EU law at the Maastricht University's Faculty of Law, was backed by 78 deputies in the 90-strong Assembly. Six voted against her and three ballots were invalid. She needed at least 46 votes to be confirmed.
Report: Matej Tonin to temporarily take over at Health Ministry
LJUBLJANA - Defence Minister Matej Tonin is to temporarily take over the role of health minister from Prime Minister Janez Janša on Monday, the news portal 24ur.com reported, quoting unofficial information. Tonin reportedly already informed his closest team in the New Slovenia (NSi) party of this. Tonin is to continue to serve as defence minister as well.
MPs fail to overturn veto on tonnage tax act changes
LJUBLJANA - The lower chamber of parliament failed to overturn in re-vote the veto the upper chamber imposed on changes to the tonnage tax act, with only 17 MPs voting in favour, and 41 against the changes. The legislative motion was aimed at extending by another ten years a special regulation under which shipping companies pay an alternative, lower form of corporate income tax. Several deputies, including those from the coalition, argued that the new legislation, which would apply only to the Portorož-based shipping company Splošna Plovba, owned by German shipping magnate Peter Doehle, would give it tens of millions of euros in state aid without demanding it preserve the business.
Bills toughening conditions for asylum status, residence permit pass first reading
Ljubljana - The National Assembly decided in a 51:13 vote that changes to the foreigners act tightening up conditions for residence for foreign nationals in Slovenia as well as amendments to the international protection act aiming to prevent asylum law abuses are fit for further debate. Both bills were met with mixed reactions.
Jerneja Jug Jerše to head European Commission Slovenia office
LJUBLJANA - The European Commission appointed Jerneja Jug Jerše as the new head of its Representation in Slovenia, and she will assume her duties in Ljubljana on 16 April. Jug Jerše succeeds Zoran Stančič, who completed his five-year term as head of the European Commission Representation in Slovenia at the end of last year. In the interim period the office is being run by Nataša Goršek Mencin as acting head. The Commission said Jug Jerše, who has worked in the directorates-general for internal market and for economic and financial affairs, "will be able to draw on her strong policy background and expertise, in particular in economics, in her new function".
United Media planning to expand to Slovenia with news portal
LJUBLJANA - United Media, the media division of United Group, plans to expand to the Slovenian market this year by setting up a news portal under the N1 brand, which is already active in the region. The Luxembourg-based United Media has already opened the Adria News subsidiary in Ljubljana under which the N1 Slovenija web portal will operate. According to unofficial information obtained by the newspaper Finance, the portal will kick off in spring. Katja Šeruga, who previously worked as a journalist at public broadcaster RTV Slovenija and commercial broadcaster POP TV, has been appointed Adria News director as well as the portal's editor-in-chief. The portal will seek to boost and elevate journalism in Slovenia, Šeruga said.
Retail revenue in 2020 down almost 10% year-on-year
LJUBLJANA - Revenue in retail in real terms in Slovenia was down last year by 9.7% compared to 2019, the Statistics Office reported. The largest drop, by 23.6%, was recorded by shops specialised in sale of motor fuels. The office noted that, after four months of decline on the monthly level, revenue in retail in real terms last December was up by 0.1% compared to the month before. In December alone, revenue in retail was up by 0.8% compared to November, excluding motor fuel sales.
Šoštanj city council says no to waste coincineration at TEŠ
ŠOŠTANJ - The city council of Šoštanj voted against coincineration of waste at the TEŠ thermal power plant. TEŠ parent company boss said before the vote that the project would not go forward if the local community opposed it. Meanwhile, the Environmental Agency is yet to decide whether it will issue an environmental approval. The council believes emissions produced by coincineration would be the most problematic aspect of the project estimated at EUR 6-10 million.
Slovenia marking International Holocaust Remembrance Day
LJUBLJANA/LENDAVA - Slovenia is marking International Holocaust Remembrance Day with a series of events, including the laying of wreaths, exhibitions and reading of the names of Slovenian Holocaust victims. Top Slovenian officials labelled the Holocaust one of the bleakest moments in history, warned against its denial and urged tolerance. Parliamentary Speaker Igor Zorčič said that WWII was also being remembered because of the Holocaust, one of the darkest crimes in the history of modern civilisation. President Borut Pahor laid a wreath at the Jewish cemetery in Dolga Vas (NE), warning about hate speech, intolerance and incitement to violence having become an all too normal part of our life in recent years.
Another religious object vandalised, bishops urge inquiry
LJUBLJANA - A can containing unidentified flammable substance was blasted in the vicinity of a Catholic pastoral centre in the Ljubljana-Rudnik parish on Saturday, the Slovenian Bishops' Conference said on its website, condemning all forms of violence and intolerance and urging the authorities to investigate the incident. This comes after unknown perpetrators threw a balloon filed with paint at one of the frescoes on the exterior of St Nicholas's Cathedral in Ljubljana, causing several thousand euro in damage.
Rog clear-out finds large quantities of possible stolen goods
LJUBLJANA - In just over a week after the Ljubljana City authorities started clearing out the disused bicycle factory Rog following contested squatter evictions, large quantities of what could be stolen goods and drugs have been found at the old factory complex, according to the Ljubljana municipality. Police had already been notified of these finds.
Trbovlje chimney turned into longest climbing route
TRBOVLJE - The Trbovlje power station's 360-metre chimney, the tallest in Europe but no longer in use, has been turned into the world's longest artificial multi-pitch climbing route. Slovenian world-class climbers, Janja Garnbret and Domen Škofic, have already successfully ascended it. The longest climbing route was designed by licenced Slovenian route setters Katja Vidmar and Simon Margon.
If you're learning Slovenian then you can find all our dual texts here
