Two medals for Slovenian snowboarders at the Olympics
BEIJING - Slovenian snowboarders won two medals at the Olympic parallel giant slalom. Tim Mastnak got silver in the men's category as one of the medal favourites, while Gloria Kotnik won bronze in the women's competition, a feat few had expected prior to the Olympic Games. For both Mastnak and Kotnik, these were the first Olympic medals, whereas the country tally at the games has risen to five, making Slovenia one of the most successful participating nations.
EU issues top agenda as Pahor meets Mattarella
ROME - President Borut Pahor held talks with his Italian counterpart Sergio Mattarella on Monday evening. EU issues topped the agenda, the president's office said.The presidents focused on peace and stability in the EU's eastern neighbourhood, the need to coordinate post-pandemic economic recovery policies, and the need for debates on the common European future to be more ambitious. The talks came after Pahor was received in the Vatican by Pope Francis.
Foreign Minister Logar meets Emirati counterpart
DUBAI, UAE - Foreign Minister Anže Logar held talks with his Emirati counterpart Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan as he started a tour of Gulf countries. The ministers confirmed excellent bilateral ties, which have been deepened since Slovenia opened its embassy in Abu Dhabi in 2018, and discussed opportunities for stronger cooperation. Logar also presented Slovenia's bid to become a non-permanent member of the United Nations Security Council in 2024-2025.
ECHR rules partially in favour of applicants in high-profile custody case
STRASBOURG, France - The European Court of Human Rights found that Slovenia has violated an article of the European Convention on Human Rights as it partially endorsed the views of two grandparents in an application concerning foster care for their grandchildren, a case that has been making headlines in Slovenia since 2016. The court found that Slovenia violated the right to fair trial enshrined in Article 6 of the Convention, but it held that it did not violate Article 8 of the Convention concerning the contact proceedings.
New coronavirus cases down slightly on week before
LJUBLJANA - Slovenia reported 11,098 new cases of coronavirus for Monday, down about 5% over the week before and the continuation of a declining trend that has now persisted for five consecutive days. The figures come from a similar number of rapid antigen tests as a week ago, whereas the number of PCR tests was much smaller yesterday since last Monday was the last day that positive rapid tests were double-checked with PCR tests. The 14-day case notification rate has declined by almost a hundred to 8,827.
Slovenia's pavilion remaining in Dubai after Expo
DUBAI, UAE - Slovenia will leave its Expo pavilion in Dubai after the end of the world exposition. It will be turned into a "home of Slovenian business and community," Economy Minister Zdravko Počivalšek said. The decision comes after business associations appealed on the government to turn the pavilion into a venue where breakthrough achievements of Slovenian business would be presented. "Wwe wish to set the foundations for an appropriate representation of our business here," Počivalšek said.
Slovenia supports new business model of low-carbon farming
STRASBOURG, France - Agriculture Minister Jože Podgoršek welcomed an initiative for a new business model for low-carbon farming that is based on the actual sequestration of carbon and involves the option of evaluating that on the market. Podgoršek told his counterparts at an informal meeting that the initiative was an opportunity for extra income for farmers and foresters. "At the same time, we may not forget the basic function of agriculture - food production."
Tadej Pogačar recovers from Covid-19
LJUBLJANA - Slovenia's top cyclist Tadej Pogačar tested positive for Covid-19 but had only mild symptoms. He has already returned to training and should be ready in time for his first race of the season, his team UAE Emirates said. The first major event of the season for Pogačar, The UAE Tour, starts on 20 February and the 23-year-old will enter the race as defending champion.
