STA, 25 April 2021 - Slovenia's rider Tadej Pogačar (UAE Team Emirates) won the Belgian one-day classic Liege-Bastogne-Liege in what is his sixth win this season and 23rd overall, as his compatriot Primož Roglič failed to defend the title.

Pagačar is thus the second Slovenian rider to win the Liege-Bastogne-Liege race, while he also won the 2020 Tour de France for a double Slovenian victory with Roglič.

The 22-year-old beat France's Julian Alaphilippe (Deceuninck-Quick-Step) and his compatriot David Gaudu (Groupama-FDJ) in today's sprint finish of the best five.

The victory comes after he has recently won the multi-stage races in the United Arab Emirates and Tirreno-Adriatico.

Roglič, 31, meanwhile finished 13th, while the third Slovenian at the race, Matej Mohorič (Bahrain Victorious), was 10th.

Last year, Pogačar finished this race third, behind Roglič and Swiss rider Marc Hirschi.

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: 

Five deaths and 416 new Covid cases recorded on Saturday

LJUBLJANA - Slovenia reported 416 new coronavirus cases for Saturday, half Friday's figure as testing is usually scaled down at the weekend, but the share of positive PCR tests dropped by a mere half a percentage point to 15.5% from the day before, shows the data released by the government on Twitter. Five patients died, and the 7-day rolling average dropped by 9 to 688, while the 14-day cumulative incidence per 100,000 residents is 494. 630 Covid patient are being treated in hospital, 12 more than yesterday, with 157 in intensive care, 3 fewer than on Saturday.

Actress Belak dies

LJUBLJANA - Ljerka Belak, a prolific theatre, film and TV actress, has died at the end of 72, the MMC news portal reported today. Belak, who was particularly fond of comedy, received the Borštnik Ring, the highest accolade for theatre acting, in 2015. After graduating from the Ljubljana Academy for Theatre, Radio, Film and Television, started her career at the Celje People's Theatre in 1970. In 1993 she joined the Ljubljana City Theatre, where she stayed until retirement in 2009, while playing as guest actress at many other theatres. Among the many awards she also received the Prešeren Fund Prize, Sever Prize and the Ježek Prize for comedy and satire.

Cycling: Pogačar wins Liege-Bastogne-Liege

LIEGE, Belgium - Slovenia's rider Tadej Pogačar (UAE Team Emirates) won the Belgian one-day classic Liege-Bastogne-Liege in what is his sixth win this season and 23rd overall, as his compatriot Primož Roglič failed to defend the title. Pagačar is thus the second Slovenian rider to win this race, while he also won the 2020 Tour de France for a double Slovenian victory with Roglič.

Gambling revenue down 42% in 2020

LJUBLJANA - Total gross revenue from gambling in Slovenia was slowly rising after the financial crisis until it plummeted in 2020 as casinos were closed for most of the year due to the coronavirus pandemic, while fewer lottery tickers were sold, shows data from the Financial Administration (FURS). Gross gaming revenue - all payments minus the prizes paid out - dropped by 42% to EUR 188 million from 2019. Both lotteries which organise classic games - the national lottery and the sport lottery - saw revenue drop 10% to EUR 61.3 million. Gross revenue of casinos and gaming parlours was down roughly 50% to EUR 127 million.

Tolmin to remember Dante's 14th century visit

TOLMIN - Tolmin, a north-western town near Italy, will join this year's events marking the 700th anniversary of Italian poet Dante Alighieri's death by remembering his alleged visit to the area in 1319 upon invitation of Aquileia patriarch Pagano della Torre. Dante will get a memorial board with the legend about the visit while also being remembered as part of an exhibition at the Tolmin Museum. The exhibition will focus on three castles from the area, including the one at Kozlov Rob (Goat's Edge), where Dante allegedly stayed. The board will meanwhile be set up in front of the Zadlaška Cave, which is also known as Dante's Cave, which the poet allegedle visited and inspired him how Hell from his masterpiece Divine Comedy should look like.

If you're learning Slovenian then you can find all our dual texts here

Is there a more iconic or famous view of Slovenia than that of Bled Lake and its island? It seems unlikely, which is why it’s a definite step in the right direction and a sign of better days to come that yesterday, Saturday, 24 April 2021, saw the reopening of the island to visitors, along with the resumption of services from the unique pletna boats to take them there in style.

More broadly, cafés, bars and restaurants all over Slovenia are now free to serve customers in their outside areas, although limited to between 7am and 7pm, and thus other arrangements are needed if you wish to enjoy the sunset with a drink or something to eat.

In the three regions currently at the yellow level of restrictions, namely Obalno-Kraška (aka the coast), Goriška and Pomurje, customers can even sit indoors, although only under conditions that industry bodies have called unrealistic and absurd. To be specific, guests can only avoid the sun and fresh air and venture inside an establishment serving food and drink if they can prove they’re not infected with coronavirus by showing a negative test, or present evidence they’ve been vaccinated or have recovered from COVID-19. One inside customers will then need to keep 1.5m apart, and all tables are supposed to 3m apart.

While not yet able to enjoy such novel dining and drinking experiences, the other nine regions of Slovenia did move down from the red to orange level of restrictions on Friday, which in addition to outdoor hospitality service means that the ban on travel between regions was lifted – leading to a rush to the Croatian coast – along with the reopening of cinemas and theatres.

STA, 24 April 2021 - Juliana Trail, a 270-kilometre hiking trail circuiting Slovenia's highest peak, Mount Triglav, has been declared Best Europe Tourism Project by the British Guild of Travel Writers (BGTW).

The trail is run by the Julian Alps Community, whose coordinator Klemen Langus said he was glad the project won the recognition also for its sustainable orientation and clear philosophy.

The trail was launched in 2018 to reduce the strain of visitors on Triglav. The 16-stage trail mostly runs through villages and visitors are encouraged to use public transport to access it.

Map - source: slovenia.info

The Juliana Trail Presents Some of the Best Views & Hikes in Slovenia

Quoted in a press release from Tourism Bohinj, Langus said the award was also a responsibility "to truly honour the commitment we made when we started the trail and the criteria it follows".

"The trail runs through unknown corners and should affect many elements of local development in the Julian Alps: the negative demography, development of farming, public transport. It is designed to direct the visitors and thus protect the environment," Langus said.

Outside Magazine Walks the Juliana Trail

Nominated by BGTW member Rudolf Abraham, the trail was one of the six finalists in the running for BGTW International Tourism Awards in the Best Europe Tourism Project section, along with another Slovenian project, the Secret Rooms of Hotel Jama, Postojna. The winners were declared at an online event on 18 April.

Juliana Trail is a first-rate example of a tourism product that has a positive effect on the local community as well as on the environment, the release from Tourism Bohinj quoted BGTW chairman Simon Willmore as saying.

STA, 24 April 2021 - Waiting times of up to 45 minutes are reported from border crossing with Croatia as Slovenians headed for their favourite holiday destination at the start of the May Day school break on Saturday.

With the lifting of some of the coronavirus restrictions, including the ban on travel between regions yesterday, traffic had been expected to get busy with holidaymakers and day-trippers.

Cars waited about 45 minutes to enter to Croatia at the Dragonja crossing and about half an hour at Sečovlje. Delays are also being reported on the motorway heading towards the coast, mainly due to roadworks, and on the motorway toward Maribor.

Anita Leskovec, a spokesperson for the Koper Police Department, told the STA the delays at border crossings were not due to any problems with border controls.

She said people had prepared well for crossing the border and mostly had all the necessary documents and Covid proofs with them.

Where Can I Get a COVID Test in Slovenia?

To enter Croatia, passengers need a negative PCR or rapid antigen test no older than 48 hours, or a certificate proving they have recovered from Covid-19 within the past 180 days or have been vaccinated against it. Children up to the age of 7 are exempt if they travel with parents or carers that meet one of the valid conditions.

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: 

7-day Covid case average up as over 400,000 vaccinated

LJUBLJANA - Slovenia reported 831 coronavirus cases for Friday, the second day in a row that infections were up from the same day a week ago. The 7-day average thus rose to 697. Covid-19 hospitalisations dropped to 618 but ICU cases rose to 160, the highest since early February. Nine patients died. On the up side, the number of people who have received the first dose of a Covid-19 vaccine has passed 400,000, representing over 19% of the population. 8.3% have received two doses.

Outdoor hospitality opens throughout the country

LJUBLJANA - Hospitality establishments across the country are again allowed to serve their guests at outdoor tables, from 7am to 7pm. In three regions with the lowest infection rates, Obalno-Kraška, Goriška and Pomurje, guests may also be served indoors if they produce a negative coronavirus test or a certificate proving they have been immunised through vaccination or recovery from Covid-19 in the past 180 days. The easing comes just as the week-long May Day school break started.

Health minister asks public to hold on a bit longer

LJUBLJANA - At the start of the week-long May Day school break, Health Minister Janez Poklukar appealed to the population to hold on and bear with coronavirus precautions a while longer. He said vaccination against Covid-19 was being stepped up as Slovenia was due to receive large quantities of vaccines. "We know vaccines are effective. Let us just hold on a bit longer and we can all contribute our bit to get our lives back as soon as possible," said the minister in a written statement.

MEP Tomc to head body advising PM on social policy

LJUBLJANA - The government formed a strategic council on social policy as an advisory group to the prime minister, appointing MEP Romana Tomc (SDS/EPP) to head the-15 member council. The Government Communication Office said the council will monitor, analyse and propose changes to legislation, IT support and organisation of social security in a bid to create a more just, transparent and simple system to allow individuals the highest possible level of social security.

Juliana Trail wins international tourism award

BOHINJ - Juliana Trail, a 270-kilometre hiking trail circuiting Slovenia's highest peak, Mt Triglav, has been declared Best Europe Tourism Project by the British Guild of Travel Writers (BGTW). The trail is run by the Julian Alps Community, whose coordinator Klemen Langus said he was glad the project won the recognition for its sustainable orientation. The winners of the BGTW International Tourism Awards, including in the Best Europe Tourism Project category, were declared on 18 April.

If you're learning Slovenian then you can find all our dual texts here

The covers and editorials from leading weeklies of the Left and Right for the work-week ending Friday, 22 April 2021. All our stories about coronavirus and Slovenia are here

Mladina: SMC to end its agony in coalition

STA, 23 April 2021 - Mladina says in its latest commentary that the Modern Centre Party (SMC) is on its last legs, including its leader and Economy Minister Zdravko Počivalšek. The party is in agony as it is missing on the opportunity to leave the coalition of Janez Janša on time and save at least some of its credibility.

"Are they aware at all how humiliating is that they publicly mull Počivalšek resigning as minister and returning for a few days to parliament so that a new speaker gets elected, and then he would let himself be appointed minister again - which he himself would vote for?" the left-leaning weekly says under the headline It's Time, SMC.

What is more, the coalition does not want to give the group of unaffiliated former MPs of the SMC and Pensioners' Party (DeSUS) seats in parliamentary working bodies, although it is there where actual debates on bills take place.

"The fundamental question is: do they really think that the public does not see this agony? Such a position is unbearable for a normal person. The agony can be seen on the faces of all DeSUS deputies and ministers and the remaining SMC deputies."

According to Mladina, the things have gone too far and the SMC, or what has remained of the party that in 2014 achieved the greatest result in the history of Slovenian parliamentary democracy, will need to think whether it is better to end things at some point.

"Will they go on and play independent deputies for the SDS and Janša? What about parliamentary procedures?" the weekly wonders, noting that public opinion polls also show that the things have gone too far and they should not be relativised.

"The SMC, its president and leadership still have an actual opportunity to stop things, exit the coalition and trigger an early election. By doing so, they would gain at least some moral capital so that they will be able to live normally."

Demokracija: France overrun by Islam

STA, 22 April 2021 - The right-wing magazine Demokracija opines in Thursday's editorial that France is a bellwether for Europe in the sense that Islam is replacing Christianity, arguing that "the great replacement" is under way accompanied by "the forced destruction of traditional European values".

"What's happening to the heirs of Joan of Arc and Charles Martel happens in a few years (more or less) elsewhere," the paper says in the commentary Cathedral Basilica of Saint Cecilia in Albi.

"France was the first country in Western Europe to officially open to the Arab world and Islamic culture, it was the first where Muslims [...] violently occupied streets during prayers, the first where Arabs started the 'culture' of torching cars."

The paper says these scenes are now seen in core EU countries such as Germany, Netherlands, Belgium and Sweden, whereas the resistance of countries such as Poland, Hungary and Slovenia, "who do not want imported violence and barbarian cultures on their streets", is designated as a departure from democracy, a curtailing of freedom.

"This is one reason why these countries are being served numerous scandals and fabricated stories - all with the intention to take them down and install Play-Doh dummies pliable to progressive and multicultural kneading.

"It is in this light that one should interpret the famous and fabricated 'non-paper' about alleged redrawing of borders in Bosnia-Herzegovina, which domestic and foreign leftist activists, politicians and journalists [...] have tried schemingly to plant on Janez Janša."

All our posts in this series are here

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

If you’d like to keep up on the daily headlines then follow those here, or get all our stories in your feed on Facebook.

FRIDAY, 16 April
        LJUBLJANA - President Borut Pahor rejected "naive and dangerous" ideas of redrawing Western Balkan borders as he addressed reporters in response to a non-paper floating the idea, arguing the EU's accelerated enlargement to the region would best silence such ideas. Pahor reiterated his resolute support for the EU's enlargement to the Western Balkans.
        LJUBLJANA - PM Janez Janša rang up Šefik Džaferović, the Bosniak member of the Bosnia-Herzegovina presidency, to explain there is no non-paper containing border changes or efforts to undermine Bosnia's territorial integrity that could be linked with the Slovenian government.
        BRUSSELS, Belgium - Slovenia will send its recovery plan to the European Commission by the end of the month or before the deadline, Finance Minister Andrej Šircelj said. The minister believes that Slovenia has prepared a plan that complies with all the requirements.
        BRUSSELS, Belgium - PM Janez Janša does not take Slovenia's international reputation seriously enough, European Commission Vice President for Values and Transparency Vera Jourova told news portal Euractiv. Sustainable media financing in Slovenia is endangered, particularly when it comes to the STA, she said, pointing out that she had raised concerns over the developments in recent discussions with Slovenian ministers.
        LJUBLJANA - Interior Minister Aleš Hojs discussed the priorities of Slovenia's coming EU presidency with Italian counterpart Luciana Lamorgese. They agreed a joint and comprehensive solution should be reached on EU level to tackle illegal migration. Slovenia's EU presidency will focus on providing a high level of security in the EU and strengthening security in the Western Balkans.
        LJUBLJANA - The Agency for Communication Networks and Services (AKOS) concluded a wireless spectrum auction as part of which it also offered frequency bands for 5G mobile networks. It fetched EUR 164.2 million as all four bidders - A1 Slovenija, Telekom Slovenije, Telemach and T-2 - were awarded frequency bands.
        LJUBLJANA - President Borut Pahor endorsed Polish counterpart Andrzej Duda's desire to speak on behalf of all Central European presidents at next week's online climate summit hosted by US President Joe Biden, as the pair had a telephone conversation.
        LJUBLJANA - The national vaccination advisory committee recommended Slovenia purchase all Covid-19 vaccines that are still waiting for approval from the European Medicines Agency (EMA), including Russia's Sputnik V. Its head Bojana Beović said the vaccines would be kept in quarantine warehouses and ready for use immediately after approval.

SATURDAY, 17 April
        LJUBLJANA - The police said they were leading an investigation to determine whether there are elements of suspected criminal acts prosecutable ex officio based on allegations of irregularities regarding the STA. Investigators visited STA chief supervisor Mladen Terčelj based on a number of reports of these allegations.
        LJUBLJANA - The American-Slovenian Educational Foundation (ASEF) honoured Sunita Williams, an astronaut of Slovenian descent, with the lifetime achievement award at its annual gala. The 55-year-old, who has visited Slovenia several times, was the first person to run a marathon in space.
        LISBON, Portugal - Slovenian judoka Tina Trstenjak won gold at the European Judo Championships 2021 in the women's 63 kg event. Fellow Slovenian Andreja Leški got a bronze in the same category, whereas Kaja Kajzer won silver in the 57 kg category the day before.

MONDAY, 19 April
        LJUBLJANA - Prime Minister Janez Janša condemned extremism after members of a radical Islamist group in Bosnia-Herzegovina protested in front of the Slovenian embassy in Sarajevo over an alleged non-paper linked to Slovenia that speaks about the breakup of Bosnia along ethnic lines. FM Anže Logar added that reviving a debate on the alleged non-paper benefited neither Bosnia-Herzegovina nor Slovenia.
        LJUBLJANA - A government degree allowing gatherings of up to 100 people indoor or outdoor entered into force. The decree was adopted last week in response to a Constitutional Court decision staying the blanket ban on public assembly. Gatherings must be pre-registered and prevention measures observed.
        LJUBLJANA - FM Anže Logar addressed the start of a virtual conference dedicated to Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC) hosted by the Foreign Ministry and the Bled Strategic Forum. He said Slovenia would strive to strengthen partnership with the region during its upcoming EU presidency.

TUESDAY, 20 April
        LJUBLJANA - President Borut Pahor received the annual report on the preparedness of the Slovenian Armed Forces (SAF) in which the SAF general staff assessed the force's preparedness in 2020 was good for peace time, but insufficient for war operations. The assessment remains the same as for the year before.
        BRUSSELS, Belgium - Slovenia again raised the issue of UK work visa discrimination at a meeting of ministers for EU affairs, expressing the expectation that EU countries would be united on the implementation of agreements with the UK.
        MARIBOR - A Maribor Local Court judge announced she would halt misdemeanour proceedings against a student for taking part in a peaceful protest in Maribor in February against school closures. The student's defence counsel Dino Bauk said he expected the same decision to be taken in the case of two other students facing the same charges.
        PARIS, France - Slovenia lost four spots to rank 36th among 180 countries in the 2021 World Press Freedom Index compiled by Reporters Without Borders. The report warned of the "dangerous path for press freedom" in Slovenia, finding problems for press freedom continued despite pressure from international NGOs for improvements.
        LJUBLJANA - Mario Fafangel, the head of the NIJZ centre for communicable diseases, resigned from the government Covid-19 team after he already quit the previous line-up. He said decisions taken were often contrary to epidemiologists' opinions and protocols. Health Minister Janez Poklukar regretted his decision and appointed epidemiologist Irena Grmek Košnik in his place.
        MARIBOR - The supercomputer Vega was formally launched, putting Slovenia on the global map of computer super powers. It is the first in a series of eight planned high-performance computing (HPC) centres in the EU. The project cost EUR 17.2 million. Vega was set up as part of the HPC RIVR national project and EuroHPC.
        LJUBLJANA - Montenegrin Defence Minister Olivera Injac began an official two-day visit to discuss with Slovenian counterpart Matej Tonin defence cooperation, international missions and operations, and Slovenia's EU presidency. The ministers assessed bilateral cooperation as excellent, while agreeing it could be intensified in cyberdefence and crisis management.
        LJUBLJANA - Speaker Igor Zorčič addressed a virtual session of the Euronest Parliamentary Assembly, noting that the Eastern Partnership was an important framework for cooperation and that the priorities of Slovenia's EU presidency provided prospects to countries with a European aspiration.

WEDNESDAY, 21 April
        BRDO PRI KRANJU - Slovenian FM Anže Logar and Italian and Croatian counterparts, Luigi di Maio and Gordan Grlić Radman, signed a joint statement on trilateral cooperation in the northern Adriatic, in what Logar said was the foundation for strengthening cooperation in areas that are key for all three countries. The trio called for boosted cooperation between the northern Adriatic ports and joint promotion of the Adriatic navigable waterway.
        LJUBLJANA - European Home Affairs Commissioner Ylva Johansson told the STA she intended to raise the issue of media freedom and pluralism during her two-day visit to Slovenia, noting the country should not underestimate the risk to its international reputation when it comes to this issue. The visit is primarily aimed at discussing the country's EU presidency preparations.
        LJUBLJANA - The government amended the medium-term defence programme until 2023 to adjust it to the latest priorities in development of military capabilities. Procedures to buy a tactical transport aircraft and two medium-sized transport helicopters are expected to be completed by then.
        LJUBLJANA - The government adopted a resolution on Slovenia's long-term climate strategy until 2050 with ba view to reach zero emissions by 2050 or climate neutrality. The country is to cut greenhouse gas emissions by 80-90% by 2050 compared to 2005.
        LJUBLJANA - Agriculture Minister Jože Podgoršek participated in a meeting of agriculture ministers of the Visegrad Group, plus Slovenia, Bulgaria, Croatia and Romania. Slovenia thinks that efforts to pursue the Farm to Fork strategy are the right choice, said Podgoršek, highlighting that a transition to sustainable farming should be fair.
        LJUBLJANA - Those in Slovenia who have had a confirmed coronavirus infection will receive only one shot of a coronavirus vaccine six months after they had the disease, according to new guidelines issued by the national advisory committee on immunisation. The guidance was issued to vaccination centres recently after seven other European countries decided to do that.
        LJUBLJANA - Infrastructure Ministry State Secretary Blaž Košorok provided assurances to MPs that the national recovery and resilience plan will hit the green targets mandating that 37% of funds allocated under the plan be spent on projects that contribute towards the realisation of climate objectives.
        LJUBLJANA - Gregor Majdič, a researcher behavioural neuroendocrinology and professor at the Ljubljana Faculty of Veterinary Medicine and the Maribor Faculty of Medicine, was elected new chancellor of the University of Ljubljana, defeating the incumbent Igor Papič, in a run-off.
        LJUBLJANA - The Ljubljana District Court sentenced Peter Gaspeti to 30 years in prison for killing three relatives with a knife in the area of Domžale, 15 km north of Ljubljana, last June. The 25-year-old defendant will go to jail for killing his grandfather, grandmother and uncle.

THURSDAY, 22 April
        WARSAW, Poland - Prime Minister Janez Janša met his Polish counterpart Mateusz Morawiecki during a visit to Warsaw for talks on bilateral relations, the priorities of Slovenia's presidency of the Council of the EU and the future of Europe. Janša highlighted boosting the bloc's resilience for health crises and cyber security as two key priorities of the presidency.
        LJUBLJANA - EU issues and the post-pandemic recovery dominated talks as Greek President Katerina Sakellaropoulou was received by President Borut Pahor for the first official visit by a head of state since the start of the epidemic.
        LJUBLJANA - European Home Affairs Commissioner Ylva Johansson and Interior Minister Aleš Hojs discussed the priorities of Slovenia's upcoming EU presidency, highlighting the new Schengen strategy, migration pact and the Western Balkans as some of the key areas of interest.
        LJUBLJANA - EU Commissioner for Home Affairs Ylva Johansson and Interior Minister Aleš Hojs broached the issue of media freedom in Slovenia and the financing of the Slovenian Press Agency (STA). Hojs announced that after the STA management handed over to the government business documents handed over by the STA would be a basis to sign a new contract and restore financing. Johansson said she hoped "these issues can be resolved ahead of the Slovenian presidency".
        LJUBLJANA - The national advisory committee on immunisation recommended the single-dose Johnson & Johnson vaccine against Covid-19 for everyone over the age of 18, in line with the guidance issued by the European Medicines Agency. Slovenia expects to inoculate at least 50% of its population or 63% of its adult population by the end of June, said Milan Krek, the head of the National Institute of Public Health.
        LJUBLJANA - The annual general meeting of energy company Petrol decided to pay out a dividend of EUR 22 gross per share, as proposed by the management board, which is on a par with last year. EUR 45.22 million will thus be paid out in dividends out of a total of EUR 45.36 million in last year's distributable profit.
        BRUSSELS, Belgium - Potica, a rich traditional cake made of special dough and usually walnut filling, has been protected with the traditional specialities guaranteed label, meaning the cakes sold under the name will need to be certified for their shape and recipe, while not geographically limited to Slovenia.

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: 

MPs change 2020-2024 budgeting framework to allow higher expenditure

LJUBLJANA - As the country continues fighting the epidemic with a number of measures, parliament endorsed on Friday the government's proposal to raise the public spending ceiling for the period until the end of 2024. Considerably higher expenditure is planned for 2021, to be followed by a gradual decrease. The expenditure ceiling for this year will rise from EUR 24.9 billion as set last November to EUR 25.3 billion, putting the general government deficit at 8.6% of GDP.

MPs reject merger of eight regulators

LJUBLJANA - In a 46:42 vote, MPs rejected the government's proposal to merge eight major regulators into two agencies, as the majority of opposition MPs criticised the government for wanting to subjugate oversight institutions. Under a bill the government adopted last October, one new agency for market and consumers would regulate the energy and telecommunications markets, postal services, media and audiovisual services, and all forms of transport, while also supervising mergers and takeovers, and competition and consumer protection, while the other would be the agency for financial markets, which would also take over some of the powers from the central bank.

Vaccination now open to over 50s

LJUBLJANA - All persons over 50 are now eligible for vaccination under a revised vaccination strategy that the government adopted last night. Besides the over 50s, the priority groups now once again include teachers and staff working in critical infrastructure. New priority groups include the pharmaceutical industry, staff essential to the functioning of the state, employees and volunteers offering assistance to chronic patients and other vulnerable groups.

Inter-regional travel, some cultural events permitted

LJUBLJANA - Slovenians are free to travel between regions and some cultural events are permitted as of today under government decrees, but public assembly has been scaled back from a hundred to ten people. The ten-people limit, which replaces an earlier decree that allowed the public assembly of a hundred people, comes with the caveat that organisers of such events must ask for permission under rules governing public assembly.

Case count at 900 on Thursday amid stepped-up testing

LJUBLJANA - Slovenia reported 900 new cases of coronavirus for Thursday, a slight increase over the week before amid significantly stepped-up testing. Six patients with Covid-19 died. The positivity rate for PCR tests stood at 16.8% compared to over 20% the week before, as almost 5,400 PCR tests and nearly 30,000 rapid tests were performed. The situation in hospitals remains stable with 629 Covid-19 patients currently hospitalised and 159 in intensive care.

Vaccine coordinator calls for diversity of suppliers

BRUSSELS, Belgium - Jelko Kacin, the national coordinator for vaccination, called for a diversity of vaccine suppliers as he paid a visit to Brussels. "We cannot completely rely on one supplier, even if that is BioNTech," he said. Speaking to reporters after meeting Commission staffers, he said it was necessary to face the fact that the Union has just four suppliers at the moment instead of eight as planned. This is why the Slovenian EU presidency will have to form a "very responsible and long-term policy" of cooperation with suppliers, which includes development and production of vaccines in Europe.

Govt expects digitalisation proposal by 15 Sept

BRDO PRI KRANJU - The Strategic Council for Digitalisation met for its maiden session at Brdo pri Kranju on Friday to discuss its goals, timeline and organisation while its members also presented some concrete proposals. Prime Minister Janez Janša said the government expected a proposal of the country's digitalisation plan by 15 September. "We expect a proposal of the country's digitalisation plan by 15 September, we expect you to say what should be done in individual areas, without delving into issues of how much it would cost, how it would be done or who would do it," Janša told the council.

Prime minister's wife receives death threat

CELJE - The wife of Prime Minister Janez Janša, Urška Bačovnik Janša, has received a death threat targeting her and the couple's children. The letter was sent to the hospital in Celje where she works as a doctor and has been handed over to police, Večer newspaper reported. Celje police said they had been informed about an anonymous threat and had launched an investigation. "We're vigilant and react carefully to threats against the most senior representatives of the state," the police said.

Commissioner Johansson and FM Logar talk Slovenian EU presidency

LJUBLJANA - Foreign Minister Anže Logar met EU Home Affairs Commissioner Ylva Johansson to discuss the priorities of the Slovenian EU presidency in the second half of 2021. Johansson is wrapping up her two-day visit to Slovenia in what has been an expression of support for Slovenia's coming stint at the helm of the Council of the EU. Johansson and Logar also talked migration, the Schengen system and other topics that will be in the spotlight during the Slovenian presidency, said the Foreign Ministry in a press release. Moreover, the pair discussed the current migration situation in Europe's southern neighbourhood and the Western Balkans.

Sakellaropoulou and Pahor unveil bench of friendship

KOPER - President Borut Pahor and Greek counterpart Katerina Sakellaropoulou unveiled a bench of friendship in Koper in what is a gesture celebrating ties between Slovenia and Greece. The pair highlighted that Koper was where the family of Greek statesman Ioannis Kapodistrias's originated. The bench was set up next to a bronze statue of Kapodistrias (1776-1831) in the eponymous square. The statesman was one of the most eminent diplomats in 19th century Europe and also the first head of state of independent Greece.

Documents sent by STA to government returned

LJUBLJANA - Business documents that the STA had sent to the government in a bid to resolve the standoff over financing were returned to the agency. The reason is not clear. The STA management has rejected receipt of the package and the courier took it back to the seat of government. Quizzed by the STA about the move, the Government Communications Office (UKOM) said it had still not received the documents. The STA has reached out to the government secretariat general for comment and is yet to hear back.

Year after first cycling protest anti-govt protesters on their bikes again

LJUBLJANA - One year after the first anti-government protest on bicycles took place, another rally was held in Ljubljana on Friday with cyclists ringing their bells to show disagreement with the government. The cyclists took a round tour around the city centre from Republic Square past the government building, police headquarters and to Prešeren Square.

Transfer of retailer Mercator from Agrokor to Fortenova completed

LJUBLJANA - Slovenian retailer Mercator is in majority ownership of Fortenova after the transfer of shares from the troubled Croatian group Agrokor has been completed in line with the restructuring plan, Mercator announced. After 18.5% of Mercator stock was transferred at the end of March, the remaining 69.6% was transferred today. Fortenova now holds a 88.10% stake in Mercator. The Mercator management sees the transfer as the beginning of a new era and an opportunity for development of all stakeholders. Economy Minister Zdravko Počivalšek too welcomed the move.

Luka Koper management proposes dividends of one euro per share

KOPER - The management and supervisors of Luka Koper propose that the port operator allocate EUR 14 million of the EUR 30.64 million in last year's distributable profit for dividends, which is one euro per regular share. The rest of the profit will remain undistributed, according to a press release published on the web site of the Ljubljana Stock Exchange. The proposal on the distribution of profit was discussed by Luka Koper's supervisory board today and is to be put to a vote at the annual general meeting. The dividend for 2019 amounted to EUR 1.07 gross per share.

Unior group with EUR 2.2m loss in 2020

ZREČE - Unior, a Zreče-based group specialising in forged metals and tools, posted a loss of EUR 2.2 million in 2020, down from a profit of EUR 10.4 million in 2019, on EUR 210.3 million in sales revenue, down 18%. The core company meanwhile generated EUR 138.1 million in net sales revenue, a drop of 21.3% from its record year 2019, which is almost 21% short of the target. Its loss amounted to EUR 7.96 million, Union said in a press release on Friday after its financials were discussed by the supervisory board on Thursday.

Telekom Slovenije group revenue down by 3% to EUR 647m in 2020

LJUBLJANA - The telco group Telekom Slovenije generated EUR 647.2 million in sales revenue last year, which is 3% less than in 2019. Net profit reached EUR 24.9 million. Apart from the epidemic, the sale of the company Planet TV affected the group's business results. Excluding the negative effects of coronavirus and measures to mitigate the effects, the net profit of the group would have stood at EUR 32.8 million, Telekom said.

If you're learning Slovenian then you can find all our dual texts here

STA, 23 April 2021 - The wife of Prime Minister Janez Janša, Urška Bačovnik Janša, has received a death threat targeting her and the couple's children. The letter was sent to the hospital in Celje where she works as a doctor, and has been handed over to police, Večer newspaper reported.

Celje police said they had been informed about an anonymous threat and had launched an investigation. "We are vigilant and react carefully to threats against the most senior representatives of the state," the police said.

The prime minister and his family enjoy police protection by default according to regulations on the protection of senior state officials.

The deputy group of the senior coalition Democrats (SDS) strongly condemned all types of violence and threats in response to the news. The group said that children aged only 9 and 7 should never be the targets of any kind of violence or threats.

It also warned that there was only one step from threats to actions and urged the law-enforcement to take serious action in such cases no matter who is the target.

The Celje police station processed eight cases involving threats to the most senior representatives of the state last year. In five cases criminal charges were filed against five perpetrators, while in two cases, in which the victims did not request prosecution, the police forwarded reports to the Celje district state prosecutor's office. In one case, the investigation is still under way.