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This summary is provided by the STA: 

Commemoration of Ljubelj liberation warns against spread of hatred

LJUBELJ - A ceremony marking the 76th anniversary of the liberation of the labour camp below Ljubelj Pass, a branch of the Mauthausen concentration camp, heard warnings of the dangers of the spread of hatred and history repeating itself. "There are too many politicians who sow hatred and politicians who allow and calmly observe this or pretend there is no danger," warned the keynote speaker of the ceremony, penologist Dragan Petrovec. Attending the ceremony, President Borut Pahor laid a wreath at the memorial commemorating the victims of Nazism alongside various delegations.

Kovšca: Slovenia must preserve national sovereignty

LJUBLJANA - National Council President Alojz Kovšca argued in an interview with the STA that Slovenia would not be successful until politics was capable of compromise and the government cabinet featured individuals of leftist and rightist political proclivity. He also called for a stronger stance on sovereignty. Asked about Slovenia's fight on Covid-19, Kovšča said Slovenia had not performed poorly generally speaking, but said political parties had not played a fair game.

Slovenia open for more travellers

LJUBLJANA - The Croatian Adriatic region, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Czechia, Cyprus, Germany, Luxembourg, Montenegro, Serbia, Slovakia, Switzerland, Poland, the Austrian state of Tyrolia and Vatican are no longer on Slovenia's red list of countries. Persons entering Slovenia from these countries or regions may enter the country without being ordered to quarantine at home if they prove they had continuously resided there for at least five days before entering Slovenia.

Slovenia reports 126 coronavirus cases for Friday

LJUBLJANA - Slovenia logged 126 coronavirus cases for Friday as another three Covid-19 patients died, showed latest official data. The rolling 7-day average case count dropped by 17 to 161 and the cumulative 14-day incidence per 100,000 residents fell to 135. The positivity rate was 4.7%. Hospitalisations dropped by 27 to 138 this morning after 33 patients were discharged yesterday. The total of ICU cases was at 44, down by four.

STA, 12 June 2021 - Italy's Diego Ulissi (UAE Team Emirates) won the fourth stage of the 27th Tour of Slovenia on Saturday. Slovenia's Tadej Pogačar, also a rider of UAE Team Emirates, was second and is expected to win the race tomorrow.

Third place went to Matteo Sobrero of Italy (Astana).

The 164.1 km-long hilly stage of the race took place in the west of Slovenia, running from Ajdovščina to Nova Gorica. It featured steep challenges such as the concluding climb to Sveta Gora above Nova Gorica (2.5 km/13%), during which the winner was decided.

In overall rankings, Pogačar, who will soon defend his Tour de France title, is in the lead, followed by his teammate Ulissi, whom it seemed he did not want to beat today, and Sobrero. Slovenia's Matej Mohorič (Team Bahrain Victorious) has fallen from second place to seventh.

The final and the longest stage of the race will be held tomorrow, taking the riders from Ljubljana to Novo Mesto. The start of the stage will coincide with another major Slovenian cycling event - the amateur Franja Marathon, which also kicks off in Ljubljana.

STA, 12 June 2021 - Clowns, magic and illusion are returning to Ljubljana streets as the 14th international Klovnbuf Festival kicks off in the Fužine Castle park on Saturday with clown performances and workshops. In the first part of the festival, running until 19 June, mostly foreign artists will be presented.

The opening events will include children from Montenegro, while one of the highlights will be the contemporary circus performance Instable by one of the most promising circus French artists of his generation, Nicolas Fraiseau, on Sunday.

The organisers also pointed out Tangram, a joggling performance by Stefan Sing and ballet dancer Christiane Casadio, a German-Italian project pushing the boundaries of new circus, dance and theatre, and String Theory by the group Lyapunov, uniting six artists from Belgium.

In the second part of the festival, from 25 July do 1 August, Slovenian artists will be presented with contemporary circus performances and other genres.

This year, the event will be all about searching for balance between circus and other genres, between the "normality of yearning and abnormality of living," the organisers say.

Like every year, the festival will bring a mixture of different languages of contemporary circus to different venues around the city from Fužine Castle, Tabor Park, Congress Square, Skala Center, Dance Theatre Ljubljana and the Old Power Station.

The accompanying programme will include presentations of emerging performances, residential programme and workshops.

Learn more at the website

What follows is a weekly review of events involving Slovenia, as prepared by the STA.

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FRIDAY, 4 June
        BRUSSELS, Belgium - President Borut Pahor reiterated his call for joint efforts by all stakeholders in Slovenia to make EU presidency a success after holding talks with top EU officials. He said Slovenia could preserve and enhance its image as a reliable country capable of leading demanding dossiers, despite the current political uncertainty in the country.
        BRDO PRI KRANJU - Slovenia and Italy will soon start policing the shared border with joint police patrols, the interior ministers, Aleš Hojs and Luciana Lamorgese, said after a meeting. Hojs said the patrols would be relaunched as soon as possible equipped with modern technology and devices such as drones.
        LJUBLJANA - PM Janez Janša formally nominated Marjan Dikaučič, an official receiver, Slovenia's new justice minister after the candidate was put forward by the Modern Centre Party (SMC). Dikaučič is slated to replace Lilijana Kozlovič, who resigned when the government annulled the call for applications for the country's European delegated prosecutors.
        STRASBOURG, France - The Council of Europe's Commissioner for Human Rights Dunja Mijatović urged the Slovenian authorities in a memorandum to put a stop to the deterioration of the situation regarding media freedom and freedom of expression in the country. In the context of media freedom, she pointed to harassment, intimidation and criminal lawsuits against journalists. Prime Minister Janez Janša retorted by describing Mijatović as part of as "fake news network", which earned him a rebuke from several international organisations of journalists.
        BRUSSELS, Belgium - European Chief Prosecutor Laura Codruta Kövesi expressed concern about the deadlock in the appointment of European delegated prosecutors (EDP) from Slovenia, saying it would affect the efficiency of the office and trust in oversight of EU funds. But she said her hands over the situation were tied.
        LJUBLJANA - The National Assembly passed in a unanimous vote amendments to the penal code that redefine sexual consent in line with the concept that only yes means yes. The vote was hailed as historic by MPs, who said the credit should go to the NGOs which mobilised the public to create a genuine social movement.
        LJUBLJANA - The Slovenian Armed Forces (SAF) officially took over 38 Oshkosh four-wheeled light tactical vehicles purchased from the US under a government-to-government deal. Another 37 vehicles are to be ordered this year.
        
SATURDAY, 5 June
        KOČEVSKI ROG - Retired Ljubljana Archbishop Anton Stres addressed the annual memorial and mass for victims of post-WWII reprisal killings in the Kočevski Rog woods, noting that that reconciliation was yet to be reached in Slovenia. He said the conditions for that include revealing truth about the post-war executions and condemning those who have committed the acts and forgiveness by those from the other side.
        VATICAN CITY - Pope Francis appointed Slovenian Archbishop Ivan Jurkovič, the Holy See's permanent observer to the United Nations and the World Trade Organisation in Geneva, as the new apostolic nuncio in Canada. Jurkovič has been the Holy See's permanent observer in several organisations in Geneva in the last five years.
        ANNECY, France - Golfer Pia Babnik scored the first Slovenian win at the Ladies European Tour as she won the EUR 200,000 Jabra Ladies Open tournament in the Evian Resort Golf Club in France, earning a ticket for the Summer Olympics in Tokyo.

SUNDAY, 6 June
        LJUBLJANA - President Borut Pahor said he does not support a potential early election, arguing in an interview for TV Slovenija that a vote during Slovenia's EU presidency would mean the country misses a rare opportunity to strengthen its reputation on the international stage.
        LJUBLJANA - President Borut Pahor announced he will award presidential decorations to the Slovenian Press Agency (STA), the Koper bureau of public broadcaster RTV Slovenija and to the Slovenian bureau of Italian public broadcaster RAI.
        POZNAN, Poland - Slovenia's pair Špela Ponomarenko Janić and Anja Osterman won today's 200-metre race at the Canoe Sprint European Championships. This is their first gold from European or world championships.
        LJUBLJANA - The German youth football team won the UEFA U-21 European Championship by beating Portugal 1:0. Lukas Nmecha scored the only goal in the 49th minute to secure the third title for Germany since the competition began in 1978.

MONDAY, 7 June
        BRDO PRI KRANJU - European Commissioner for Promoting the European Way of Life Margaritis Schinas visited Slovenia before it assumes EU presidency on 1 July, discussing with Interior Minister Aleš Hojs the priorities of the presidency. Hojs said the new pact on migration and asylum was a priority in the field of internal affairs.
        SEOUL, South Korea - Foreign Minister Anže Logar started a two-day visit to South Korea by officially opening the first Slovenian embassy in Seoul. Janez Premože, a former Slovenian ambassador to India and China, has been named ambassador.
        LUXEMBOURG, Luxembourg - European Justice Commissioner Didier Reynders reiterated his call for Slovenia to appoint European delegated prosecutors for the European Public Prosecutor's Office (EPPO) as soon as possible. He hopes that he could soon discuss the issue with the new Slovenian justice minister.
        LJUBLJANA - President Borut Pahor hosted members of the Slovenian Bishops' Conference for lunch as Slovenia marks the 30th anniversary of independence. Pahor and Ljubljana Archbishop Stanislav Zore made a joint statement on the occasion saying all Slovenians should stand together, just like they did during the independence efforts.
        LJUBLJANA - Slovenia and China signed a protocol on the export of Slovenian poultry, a key precondition for the export of food products to the Asian country. Agriculture Minister Jože Podgoršek said a protocol on pork would follow soon.
        IZOLA - Slovenia assumed the two-year chairmanship of the Mediterranean Commission on Sustainable Development, a multi-stakeholder advisory body set up under the Barcelona convention, as the commission opened its 19th session.
        LJUBLJANA - Writer, publisher and editor Tanja Tuma was elected the new president of Slovenian PEN. She said she would like to open up Slovenian PEN to new members, foremost young writers.
        
TUESDAY, 8 June
        LUXEMBOURG - There was progress in the debate on the migration pact, Interior Minister Aleš Hojs said as he attended an EU ministerial. The debate on strengthening the European Asylum Support Office's (EASO) mandate could be advanced already during Portugal's presidency, but if not, the Slovenian EU presidency should make it happen in the second half of the year.
        SEOUL, South Korea - Foreign Minister Anže Logar met his South Korean counterpart Chung Eui-Yong as he continued his two-day visit. The pair urged strengthening political and economic ties between Slovenia and South Korea.
        LJUBLJANA - Hungarian energy group MOL acquired a network of 120 service stations operated by Austrian energy group OMV in Slovenia, subject to regulatory approval. The purchase consideration for the outright stake in the company OMV Slovenija is EUR 301 million. MOL's subsidiary INA already holds a 7.75% stake.
        SLADKI VRH - A new production line at the Paloma hygienic paper factory has been launched. Worth EUR 41 million, this is the largest investment in the Slovenian paper industry in the last 40 years and will make Paloma a competence centre for high-quality tissue products within the Slovak SHP Group.
        LJUBLJANA - Slovenian Agriculture Minister Jože Podgoršek and his Italian counterpart Stefano Patuanelli talked via video call to conclude that the countries cooperate well in agriculture. They agreed that Slovenia and Italy shared the same views on the common agricultural and fisheries policy.
        LJUBLJANA - Speaker Igor Zorčič decided not to call a plenary session to debate the opposition Left's party programme after the coalition Democrats (SDS) and New Slovenia (NSi) requested this last week, arguing the programme contained elements suggesting the Left could act against the country's constitutional order.
        NEW YORK, US - Slovenia and Kiribati established diplomatic relations. A joint statement to that effect was signed at the Slovenian Mission in New York by the Slovenian and Kiribati ambassadors at the UN, Darja Bavdaž Kuret and Teburoro Tito.

WEDNESDAY, 9 June
        LJUBLJANA - President Borut Pahor hosted his Swiss counterpart Guy Parmelin for official talks to confirm the friendly relations between the two countries. The presidents agreed that relations could be further strengthened at both international and bilateral levels, in particular in business, research and science.
        PORTOROŽ - Interior Minister Aleš Hojs and his Croatian counterpart Davor Božinović discussed strategies to facilitate border crossing between Slovenia and Croatia, for hauliers, tourists and daily commuters. While it was agreed a new checkpoint will open near Brežice for daily commuters, police were tasked with coming up with a solution at Obrežje and Gruškovje to enable a faster flow of lorries.
        LJUBLJANA - Jette Ostan Vejrup, a Danish-Slovenian actress born in 1962 who is member of the Ljubljana City Theatre, was declared the winner of this year's Borštnik Ring, Slovenia's top accolade for lifetime achievement in theatre acting. The jury said that Ostan Vejrup's breakthrough into Slovenian theatre has expanded its boundaries.
        LJUBLJANA - The coalition proposed amendments to the act on public contracting in healthcare under which prices of medical equipment would be regulated with a system of reference prices. A new government office would set the reference prices.
        LJUBLJANA - The opposition Left filed criminal complaints against the ruling Democrats (SDS) and "its media network" for suspicion of a systemic spread of non-truths about the party's platform. The party also pressed charges against Police Commissioner Anton Olaj for suspicion of abuse of office.
        
THURSDAY, 10 June
        LJUBLJANA - The government declassified a 2011 document about possible further paths in the process of constitutional reform of Bosnia-Herzegovina, compiled by former Slovenian President Milan Kučan. The move comes after an alleged non-paper on border changes in the Western Balkans attributed to Slovenia had been circulated in the public. It was not immediately clear if this is document that had been subject to public scrutiny.
        PORTOROŽ - Brdo-Brijuni Process interior ministers discussed on the final day of their informal meeting illegal migration, highlighting the need for better cooperation. Interior Minister Aleš Hojs named data exchange with Western Balkan countries and the use of EU databases as possible solutions.
        LJUBLJANA - The government adopted a regulation that details how the STA should perform its public service, and defines the scope of public service and its financing. STA staff said regulation did not address the underlying issues relevant to the agency's survival and development
        LJUBLJANA - Uroš Urbanija, the head of the Government Communication Office (UKOM), filed a criminal complaint against Katarina Bervar Sternad of the Legal Network for the Protection of Democracy and lawyer Nataša Pirc Musar. He accused them of making false accusations against him over the suspension of STA funding.
        LJUBLJANA - Austrian author Josef Winkler was declared the winner of this year's International Vilenica Prize. Winkler said he knew quite a few previous Vilenica winners and was proud to be among them.
        LJUBLJANA - The government decided to extend the majority of existing coronavirus restrictions while slightly easing them in the cultural sector, where serving food and drinks will once again be permitted during cultural events.
        LJUBLJANA - Chinese company Huawei announced it planned to set up a regional logistic hub in Slovenia for some 19 markets of central and south-eastern Europe. As a result, the flow of its goods through the port of Koper will increase and new storage facilities will need to be built near Ljubljana airport.
        PARIS, France - Tamara Zidanšek lost in the semi-finals of the French Open in Paris to Russia's Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova in what was only the second semi-final appearance for a Slovenian woman tennis player in the singles competition at a Grand Slam tournament in almost four decades and a half.

STA, 11 June 2021 - Former Slovenian President Milan Kučan believes the government declassifying a 2011 document on possible further paths in the process of constitutional reform of Bosnia-Herzegovina, compiled by him, is a move to divert attention from the allegations that PM Janez Janša was spreading a non-paper on re-drawing of borders in the Western Balkans.

Janša Denies Promoting Break-Up of Bosnia Along Ethnic Lines as Islamist Group Protests in Sarajevo

"I understand the government's decision to remove the confidentiality label from the document as diverting attention from the reproaches to the prime minister about disseminating a non-paper on the changing of borders in South-east Europe," Kučan told the STA on Friday.

This comes after the government said on Thursday it had declassified a document dated 26 January 2011 on "possible further paths for a successful process of the constitutional reform of Bosnia-Herzegovina".

In the announcement, the Government Communication Office (UKOM) noted that the document had been created based on a decision of the government that had been in office at the time.

It was the government of Borut Pahor (2008-2011) that appointed Slovenia's first President Milan Kučan as its special rapporteur on Bosnia-Herzegovina in 2010.

According to Kučan, the document has already been published in a book by historian Božo Repe, and "is no secret".

The document published on the government website today is indeed identical to the document published in the book mentioned by Kučan. And it is not the document that the news portal Necenzurirano released in April claiming that this was the non-paper attributed to Slovenia.

It is, however, not yet clear whether this is the document the government refers to as the STA is still waiting for government approval to access the document.

The government said yesterday that, "considering that the content of the document has for the most part been publicly known for several weeks, the conditions required for this document to retain the classified status no longer exist."

This is probably a reference to the content of the document possibly being similar to that of the alleged non-paper on border changes in the Western Balkans.

Kučan told the STA that he had prepared the report for the Borut Pahor government at the time as the prime minister was to speak about Bosnia-Herzegovina at a session of the European Council.

"In it I speak mostly about the EU needing to show more interest in Bosnia-Herzegovina which is, as I wrote, a non-functioning state, to bring it back on its feet so that it is capable of negotiating conditions for the EU accession," he added.

Kučan stressed that his report could by no means be compared with the controversial non-paper that allegedly speaks about new borders in the Western Balkans. It has been informally labelled as Slovenian as certain media reported that Janša had helped disseminate it, which the prime minister denies.

"There is not a single word in my document about changing borders," the former president said, adding that the government's move was about diverting attention from the non-paper, the discussion about which could not be concluded in such a way.

"I said about the non-paper in an interview with a Bosnian TV station ... that the prime minister of my country denies this and if he says so, then we probably should believe this," Kučan added.

Pahor, who currently serves his second term as the president of the republic, also took issue with the government declassifying the document, saying that it should have stayed confidential.

"This report is not intended for public, but for political decision-makers and I think that it should have remained such," he told the press as he visited the Muslim Cultural Centre in Ljubljana today.

The president noted that it was a document with a title, date and signatory, and that he had asked Kučan to compile it as it had been expected from Slovenia in a debate on Bosnia to have "special knowledge given its experience about the topic."

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: 

Kučan says declassification of 2011 Bosnia document "diverting attention"

LJUBLJANA - Former Slovenian President Milan Kučan believes the government declassifying a 2011 document on possible further paths in the process of constitutional reform of Bosnia-Herzegovina, compiled by him, is a move to divert attention from the allegations that PM Janez Janša was spreading a non-paper on re-drawing of borders in the Western Balkans. According to Kučan, the document has already been published in a book by historian Božo Repe, and "is no secret". The document published on the government website is indeed identical to the document published in the book mentioned by Kučan.

Justice minister candidate okayed by committee in narrow vote

LJUBLJANA - Justice minister candidate Marjan Dikaučič was confirmed by the Justice Committee late on Thursday in a narrow vote that followed a debate in which opposition MPs mostly questioned his experience and competences. Dikaučič, an official receiver put forward by the Modern Centre Party (SMC), now faces a vote in the National Assembly, scheduled for next Tuesday. He told MPs he wanted to bring "freshness" and noted that he was well qualified for the job. Dikaučič would not comment on the setback in the appointment of European delegated prosecutors from Slovenia for the European Public Prosecutor's Office (EPPO) saying he would not interfere in ongoing procedures.

Four oversight institutions call for respect of independence

LJUBLJANA - The heads of four independent oversight state bodies signed a joint statement calling for appropriate communication in the country and respect for independent state bodies. Signed by Information Commissioner Mojca Prelesnik, the head of the Commission for Corruption Prevention, Robert Šumi, president of the Court of Audit Tomaž Vesel and Human Rights Ombudsman Peter Svetina, the statement expresses concern about the relentless pressure of politics on institutions. They also note many attempts at demolishing democratic standards that prevent independent institutions from conducting their tasks properly.

Prosecution Council proposes legal action against govt

LJUBLJANA - The Prosecution Council announced it had proposed that the State Attorney's Office file a lawsuit against the government for breach of law to the detriment of public interest after the government annulled the procedure to appoint Slovenia's two European delegated prosecutors (EDP). The council had announced the move at the beginning of the month. It said today it would not comment on the move pending a decision by the State Attorney's Office or the Administrative Court.

Epidemic curve flattening

LJUBLJANA - Slovenia recorded 122 coronavirus cases for Thursday as the rolling 7-day average case count dropped by 23 to 178. Four Covid-19 patients died. The latest cases were confirmed from 2,734 PCR tests, for a positivity rate of 4.7%. Hospitalisations dropped by seven to 165 this morning. 48 patients or one fewer than yesterday are in intensive care. The cumulative 14-day incidence per 100,000 residents is now below 150, meaning Slovenia entered the orange tier of restrictions according to the EU's criteria. Health Minister Janez Poklukar noted that vaccine supplies were currently sufficient. So far, almost 25% of the population has been fully immunised.

Epidemic to formally end next week, restrictions remain

LJUBLJANA - The government Covid-19 advisory group has proposed that the formal declaration of the coronavirus epidemic not be extended after it expires next week. Health Minister Janez Poklukar said next Tuesday would likely be the last day of the epidemic, however this will not mean a complete relaxation of measures. The group's head Mateja Logar expects that the epidemic curve will continue to decline and that Slovenia will be upgraded to the green tier of restrictions according to the EU's criteria in late July or early August.

Slovenia to donate part of Pfizer vaccine doses to Czech Republic

LJUBLJANA - Slovenia will donate 10,530 doses of the Pfizer vaccine to the Czech Republic to help curb the Covid-19 pandemic, the government decided. The donation, an expression of solidarity with the Czech Republic, will be made from one of the future supplies of the vaccine destined for Slovenia, said the Government Communication Office. The donated doses will be delivered to the Czech Republic directly by Pfizer.

Vrtovec calls for more sustainable EU's energy sector

LUXEMBOURG, Luxembourg - Infrastructure Minister Jernej Vrtovec presented at a session of EU ministers in charge of energy the priorities of Slovenia's upcoming presidency. The main task will be to form a more sustainable EU energy sector. "In order to achieve the climate and energy goals of the EU until 2030 and climate neutrality until 2050, we must form policies in a harmonious way, taking into account the advantages of circular economy and the principle of energy efficiency, connecting of sectors, the use of renewables and other sustainable low-carbon energy sources," he said.

Slovenia asks for extension of recovery plan assessment

BRUSSELS, Belgium - Slovenia has asked for an extension of the two-month term for the assessment of its national recovery and resilience plan along with Poland, Sweden, Croatia and Romania. The European Commission has granted the request and the deadline will be extended by two weeks. Commission spokeswoman Marta Wieczorek told the press this meant there would be more time to resolve any open issues and exchange information. She would not explain why individual member states had asked for an extension.

Pahor calls for dialogue during visit to Islamic community

LJUBLJANA - Religious, political and institutional dialogue in Slovenia is going well, but more can be done, President Borut Pahor said after meeting the Mufti of the Islamic Community Nedžad Grabus. The mufti expressed his gratitude for Pahor's support for the construction of the mosque as the president visited it for the first time. The president also thanked the mufti for his tolerant attitude, as Grabus had often had to respond to signs of nationalistic or religious intolerance.

Minister says latest vandalism presages physical violence

LJUBLJANA - Culture Minister Vasko Simoniti has responded to the building housing the Culture Ministry having been recently vandalised with spray-painted swastikas by saying that "this campaign presages physical violence by organised anti-democratic political groups". The minister said that it was a "derisive political message" and an act that "reflects the nature of [the perpetrators] and is just another in a series of campaigns in front of the Culture Ministry".

New Slovenia headquarters defaced

LJUBLJANA - A building in the centre of Ljubljana where the coalition New Slovenia (NSi) has its headquarters was defaced with paint Thursday night, an act that the party said reflected the growing intolerance in society. NSi leader Matej Tonin said the competition of ideas and arguments had moved from parliament to the streets, arguing political opponents could not compete on programme and vision which is why they are resorting to spray painting.

Five airlines apply for new subsidies to fly to Slovenia

LJUBLJANA - Five airlines have applied for subsidies to fly to Ljubljana in the second round of a call designed to improve air links to the Slovenian capital. A total of EUR 764,640 is available, the Economy Ministry said. It has not been revealed which airlines have applied and how much funds each of them will receive. The ministry said the information would be revealed after the bidders are informed thereof.

New rail link set up between Vienna, Ljubljana and Trieste

LJUBLJANA - A new direct rail line linking Vienna, Ljubljana and Trieste has been launched. The newly-established route is an important milestone in sustainable mobility efforts, said railway operator Slovenske Železnice. The line will run every day, starting this afternoon. Cutting journey times, the line can be used as a starting point for connecting journeys to a number of major European cities.

Aberasturi wins 3rd stage of Tour of Slovenia, Pogačar keeps lead

KRŠKO - The Spaniard Jon Aberasturi (Caja Rural) won the third stage of the Tour of Slovenia road cycling race, while Slovenia's Tadej Pogačar, the reigning Tour de France champion, kept the overall lead. In the final sprint of the 165.8-kilometre stage, Aberasturi beat the second placed Slovenian Matej Mohorič (Bahrain Victorious). After three out of the five stages, Pogačar (UAE Team Emirates) still has a significant overall lead on Mohorič and his team-mate Diego Ulissi from Italy.

Slovenia to host EuroBasket Women 2023

LJUBLJANA - Slovenia will host the 2023 European Women Basketball Championship, with two groups of the preliminary round to be played in Celje and Koper, and the elimination round in the capital of Ljubljana, the executive committee of FIBA Europe decided. Scheduled for the end of June and beginning of July 2023, the tournament will feature 16 national teams.

Festival June opens with Turandot musical

LJUBLJANA - The June Festival, taking place in Congress Square in Ljubljana, started tonight with the Turandot musical and will continue with a series of events for adults and children culminating in the celebration of World Music Day on 21 June. The programme will feature free-of-charge concerts, plays and dance performances. All safety measures against the spread of Covid-19 will be observed.

STA, 11 June 2021 - The Spaniard Jon Aberasturi (Caja Rural) won the third stage of the Tour of Slovenia road cycling race from Brežice to Krško on Friday, while Slovenia's Tadej Pogačar, the reigning Tour de France champion, kept the overall lead.

In the final sprint of the 165.8-kilometre stage, Aberasturi beat the second placed Slovenian Matej Mohorič (Bahrain Victorious).

After three out of the five stages, Pogačar (UAE Team Emirates) still has a significant overall lead on Mohorič and this team-mate Diego Ulissi of Italy.

On Saturday, the participants of the race around Slovenia are in for a stage between Ajdovščina and Nova Gorica (164.1 km).

It will take them for five categorised climbs, including the concluding climb to Sveta Gora above Nova Gorica (2.5 km/13%).

STA, 11 June 2021 - A new direct rail line linking Vienna, Ljubljana and Trieste was launched on Friday. The newly-established route is an important milestone in sustainable mobility efforts, said the Slovenian railway operator Slovenske Železnice. The line will run every day, starting this afternoon.

The project will cut journey times for both passengers travelling from the north-east of Slovenia to Trieste and those heading to Vienna from the south-west, a press release by Slovenske Železnice reads.

The line can be also used as a starting point for connecting journeys with final destinations being Venice, Milan, Florence, Rome, Prague, Krakow or Warsaw, among others.

? Wir lassen eine alte Verbindung wiederaufleben, ab sofort geht es ohne Umstieg von Wien über Ljubljana nach Triest. pic.twitter.com/XBUHn6Wf79

— ÖBB (@unsereOEBB) June 11, 2021

A ceremony in the afternoon marking the first train journey using the new route will be attended by representatives of Slovenske Železnice, Austrian Federal Railways ÖBB and the Italian Friuli Venezia Giulia region.

The step is also a further upgrade of cooperation between the three countries in railway infrastructure, said Slovenske Železnice passenger transport director Darja Kocjan, adding that the next step would be to promote the line and raise awareness about the environmental aspect of train journeys.

"I'm glad that 164 years after the first train ride on this route this long-awaited direct link between Vienna, Ljubljana and Trieste has been revived," said OBB director Andreas Matthä, noting that the line connected three major European cities with rich cultural programmes.

Graziano Pizzimenti, an infrastructure advisor for the Friuli Venezia Giulia region, said that the project was not just an establishment of a new line but also a sign of a return to normal after the pandemic had upended society.

In Slovenia the train will stop at: Maribor, Pragersko, Celje, Laško, Zidani Most, Trbovlje, Zagorje, Ljubljana, Logatec, Postojna, Pivka, Divača, and Sežana. Visit the Slovenian Railway website

STA, 11 June 2021 - The government Covid-19 advisory group has proposed that the formal declaration of the coronavirus epidemic not be extended after it expires next week. Health Minister Janez Poklukar said next Tuesday will likely be the last day of the epidemic, however this will not mean a complete relaxation of measures.

Under the act on communicable diseases, there is a legal basis for certain Covid restrictions to remain in place after the formal end of the epidemic, Poklukar noted at Friday's Covid briefing.

Today, Slovenia entered the EU's orange tier of restrictions as its 14-day incidence per 100,000 residents has fallen below 150, standing at 146.

The group's head Mateja Logar said that the proposal for the government not to extend the epidemic had been made because two out of three thresholds had been met and the remaining one, the 14-day incidence below 140, would likely be reached in the coming days.

The virus is still circulating and current preventive measures do not affect day-to-day life much, she said, noting that proof of either vaccination or recovery or a negative test result would remain obligatory for events and hospitality services after next week.

The same goes for caps on visitors or customers, mask-wearing in indoor public spaces and physical distancing. On the other hand, the end of the epidemic will mean the end of a cap on patrons sitting at the same table in bars and restaurants.

Logar expects that the epidemic curve will continue to decline and that Slovenia will be upgraded to the green tier of restrictions according to the EU's criteria in late July or early August.

STA, 10 June 2021 - The government has changed the list of countries and territories placed in the red zone in terms of the Covid-19 epidemic to exclude, among others, the Croatian Adriatic area, Germany and the Czech Republic. The relevant decree adopted on Thursday will enter into force on Saturday and be valid until 20 June

The changes also include Turkey being moved from the dark red list to the red list, the Government Communication Office said.

Also removed from the red list are Switzerland, the Vatican, the Austrian state of Tyrol, Cyprus, Luxembourg, Poland, Slovakia, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Montenegro and Serbia. Meanwhile, the Portuguese territory of the Azores has been red-listed.

As of Saturday, border crossing in air traffic within the EU and Schengen Area is also possible outside the three check-points determined for international traffic.

The areas not put on the red and dark red list are considered as having no high risk of novel coronavirus infection.

Persons coming from such areas to Slovenia may enter the country without being ordered to quarantine at home if they prove that they had continuously resided there for at least five days before entering Slovenia.