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This summary is provided by the STA:
C5 ministers commit to further assistance to Ukraine
PRAGUE, Czechia - The war in Ukraine was the main topic as the foreign ministers of the informal C5 initiative, including Slovenia's Anže Logar, met in Štirin Castle near Prague. They committed to further assistance to Ukraine and refugees coming from the country to the EU. Addressing reporters, Logar said the EU must not repeat the mistakes made after Russia's annexation of the Crimea, and urged further EU sanctions against Russia. He was hopeful Ukraine would be admitted to the EU as soon as possible.
Hojs calls for single EU approach to refugees from Ukraine
BLED - Interior Minister Aleš Hojs called for a unified EU approach to migratory flows from Ukraine as he held talks yesterday with his Greek counterpart Notis Mitarachi. "The war in Ukraine and its consequences demand our utmost attention and concerted action by member states. During these difficult times we have to have maximum solidarity with Ukraine and its residents," he said, adding that this "migration challenge" must be managed together.
Ukrainian charity centre opens in Ljubljana
LJUBLJANA - A Ukrainian charity centre was inaugurated in Ljubljana's BTC retail park to provide Ukrainian refugees with assistance, material aid and a place to socialise and study. The Chervona Kalyna Centre was created in a bid to "give refugees a place to meet and learn, and make themselves at home," its head Natalya Markevych said. The centre is the result of cooperation of the Ukrainian embassy in Slovenia, Slovenian Caritas and BTC, which provided the premises free of charge.
Pahor receives German-speaking community reps
LJUBLJANA - President Borut Pahor received representatives of three associations of German-speaking communities in Slovenia. They presented their status to the president and the problems they face. They agreed that a lot more could be done for the communities within the current constitutional framework. Pahor is to present those opportunities in more detail at the upcoming annual meeting of Umbrella Organisation of Cultural Associations of the German-Speaking Community.
Media in focus of State Department's human rights report for Slovenia
WASHINGTON, US - The latest Report on Human Rights Practice by the US Department of State for Slovenia focuses on the situation in the media, noting credible reports of serious restrictions on free expression and media, including threats of violence against journalists by non-government players. Still, the report finds Slovenia is a country without major human rights issues and the government took steps to investigate, prosecute, and punish officials who committed abuses or engaged in corruption.
Office for Demography inaugurated in Maribor
MARIBOR- The headquarters of the Government Office for Demography were inaugurated in Maribor with Prime Minister Janez Janša saying the office was created because Slovenia "has a strategic problem that has been neglected for a long time". "More than 35,000 children were born in Slovenia in 1950. In recent years, the annual number has dropped below 20,000," Janša said. He said an important message of the newly established office was that "not all state institutions need to be located in Ljubljana".
Janša denies allegations of illegal financing of his party
LJUBLJANA - Prime Minister Janez Janša told the parliamentary inquiry looking into the financing of political parties that his Democratic Party (SDS) was not financed from abroad or from illegal sources. Janša also denied that the EUR 450,000 loan taken from a Bosnian citizen in 2017 was money laundering. It was a continuation of the interview held on 3 March in which Janša denied any influence of the SDS in the companies running the Nova24TV news television channel and its web portal nova24tv.
Ministry explains why no vote cast at Moscow embassy
LJUBLJANA - The Foreign Ministry provided an explanation of its assessment that no voting should take place at the Slovenian Embassy in Moscow for the 24 April general election. This was after the Freedom Movement and the NGO 8 March Institute called the decision a violation of the right to vote. The ministry said there was no guarantee the secrecy of the vote and the anonymity of voters could be respected and it was currently not possible to send secure shipments to and from Russia.
Coronavirus keeps receding
LJUBLJANA - The Covid-19 epidemic keeps receding in Slovenia with both new infections and patients in need of hospital treatment decreasing. Cases were down on Monday by nearly 22% week-on-week to 2,653. This morning 123 patients were treated for Covid at regular Covid wards and another 17 in intensive care. The figures are down by 12 and 5, respectively, from yesterday. Three patients with Covid died, according to official data.
Pensioners receive aid to help with high energy prices
LJUBLJANA - To cope with rising energy bills, pensioners whose pension was lower than EUR 1,000 last December received a one-off allowance of EUR 150, under the law on emergency measures to alleviate the consequences of high energy prices passed in February. The money was paid out by the ZPIZ public pension fund. Other individuals eligible for the voucher will receive their money on Thursday.
Survey shows majority in favour of switch to hybrid work model
LJUBLJANA - Two thirds of those questioned in a survey on work models prefer hybrid work, meaning they would prefer to work partly from home. The conventional in-office model is preferred by 11%, while 22% are in favour of switching fully to remote work. The preferences of workers correlate closely with age, with younger workers more likely to prefer remote work, showed the survey by the job search and career portal Mojedelo.com.
Yaskawa's Kočevje company develops new robot
KOČEVJE - Yaskawa Europe Robotics, one of Yaskawa's three companies in Slovenia, has developed its own robot after it has been manufacturing only robots developed in Japan. The GP 20 is suited for the metal-processing industry and the Kočevje-based company would like to sell it in the US. According to the company, the robot has the advantage of an increased working space given its size, a high degree of rigidity and a high degree of precision.
Mercator shareholders confirm company's delisting
LJUBLJANA - The shareholders of Slovenian retailer Mercator, owned by Croatia's Fortenova, endorsed the retailer's withdrawal from the stock market, according to the minutes of the meeting posted on the website of the Agency for Public Legal Records. The decision will be implemented when entered into the court register. Trading in Mercator shares on the Ljubljana Stock Exchange has been suspended since 22 March.
Excessive levels of lead found after farmland treated with white matter
SLOVENJ GRADEC - After reports that several farmers in the Koroška region, in the north, sprinkled their fields with white substance that was supposed to be lime but was in fact gypsum, six out of seven samples taken by inspectors proved to contain excessive amounts of lead. All samples, analysed by the national Agricultural Institute, also contained chromium, the agriculture inspectorate said. Inspectors have examined 23 farms with 60 hectares of land on which 510 tonnes of the white matter had been used.
New gastronomy brand launched to promote Goriška Brda
DOBROVO - Eight gastronomy establishments from the western region of Goriška Brda joined forces to launch of a new brand in a bid to promote local cuisine in this wine-growing region. "The Brdalicious brand aims to bring together local gastronomy businesses and offer a plethora of regional delicacies year-round," Tina Nova Samec, the head of the local tourism centre, told reporters. The project will include tastings of dishes representing Brdo's culinary heritage.
Former Ski Association head gets suspended prison sentence
LJUBLJANA - Primož Ulaga, a former top ski jumper, received a 23-month suspended prison sentence with a three-year probation after he pleaded guilty to four instances of unlawful acceptance of gifts from athletes when he was the head of the Ski Association in 2013. Ulaga, 59, demanded from several top ski jumpers and two coaches that they give him a cut of their personal sponsorship contracts. Some of them did, handing him several hundred euros.
Dončić makes All-Time NBA European Teams cut
NEW YORK, US - The NBA has announced the results of the All-Time NBA European Team category as part of a campaign to celebrate the league's 75th anniversary and commemorate the contributions of European players. Slovenian basketball ace Luka Dončić made it to the All-Time NBA European First Team. Joining Dončić on the team are Greece's Giannis Antetokounmpo, Spain's Pau Gasol, Germany's Dirk Nowitzki and France's Tony Parker.
