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: 

Slovenia introducing 9pm-6am curfew as of Tuesday

LJUBLJANA - A 9pm-6am curfew will be put in place across Slovenia on Tuesday to limit the spread of coronavirus, Interior Minister Aleš Hojs announced on Monday. The ceiling for gatherings will be lowered from ten to six people and a blanket ban on movement among statistical regions will be in place, although there are some exceptions, notably those related to work, emergency situations and services, family assistance and farm work. Hojs stressed that all gatherings and events, including religious services and "semi-private ones like weddings" are banned.

537 new coronavirus cases confirmed in 2,637 tests on Sunday

LJUBLJANA - Slovenia confirmed 537 new coronavirus cases in 2,637 tests on Sunday. The positivity rate exceeded 20% for the first time, the government's coronavirus spokesman Jelko Kacin told the press. The number of cases confirmed since the start of the epidemic reached 13,678, of which 7,103 are active, according to data by the tracker Covid-19.Sledilnik. The 14-day cumulative rate of infection per 100,000 people reached 339 compared to 317 the day before.

Covid-19 task force head worried about fast increase in daily cases

LJUBLJANA - About 1% of Slovenia's population is infected with Sars-CoV-2 based on the test positivity rate, the head of the government task force Bojana Beović said. Under the optimistic scenario, between 480 and 680 people will be in hospital in the second half of November. She said the daily increase in cases was very high at the moment and Slovenia was slowly nearing the EU countries that have borne the brunt of Covid-19. While the situation is under control at the moment, this will unlikely be the case in a month's time, she indicated.

President confident Slovenia will overcome Covid-19 together

LJUBLJANA - President Borut Pahor delivered an address to the people, underlining that at the time of crisis, community closes its ranks. "We have to be courageous and determined but also tolerant and patient. This is particularly important for politics. It must make an honest effort for mutual respect and cooperation," he said. "Sooner or later we will bring it under control, there is no doubt about it," the president was optimistic but acknowledged that the path ahead will likely be very hard.

Janša tells MPs Slovenia had prepared for second Covid-19 wave

LJUBLJANA - Facing criticism from the opposition in parliament about the government's response to the Covid-19 epidemic, Prime Minister Janez Janša assured MPs that Slovenia had prepared well for the second wave. He said the second wave of the epidemic would eventually pass and that only then it would be possible to make comparisons with other countries. "I assure you that Slovenia will be among the winners." He said there were now at least 400 beds for Covid-19 patients, but it was impossible to double the health staff in this period.

Large part of opposition finds declaring epidemic via Twitter inappropriate

LJUBLJANA - The four left-leaning opposition parties believe announcing an epidemic on Twitter like Prime Minister Janez Janša did Sunday evening was inappropriate. Opposition leaders say adopting measures overnight makes people confused and frightened, with Marjan Šarec saying measures should be communicated at least 24 hours in advance and Tanja Fajon saying the mode of communication used had been disrespectful. The opposition National Party (SNS) and the coalition New Slovenia (NSi) say the measures have been expected.

Janša says govt plans to invest into healthcare, infrastructure

LJUBLJANA - Prime Minister Janez Janša presented in parliament the government's plans regarding the distribution of EU and state recovery funds. He said rapid investments were planned in the sectors that were crucial for recovery to secure additional capital for the healthcare system and infrastructure. "Two new infectious disease clinics will be built in Ljubljana and Maribor, nursing hospitals in all regions, and in some the existing hospitals will be turned into nursing hospitals while new regional hospitals will be built. We will significantly increase the capacities of the health system in the sections that have proven to be too small or where we need more reserves," he said.

Janša says govt willing to consider good proposals for Demographic Fund

LJUBLJANA - Prime Minister Janez Janša announced during Q&A time at the National Assembly that the government would consider all good proposals when setting up the Demographic Fund, including some of the ideas in a rival bill submitted by the opposition Social Democrats (SD) and Alenka Bratušek Party (SAB). But this does not mean it will change the course started, a course where "we have a single fund, where the management of state assets is uniform and transparent, where oversight involves - irrespective of who is in power - both the government and opposition".

Logar, Osmani discuss North Macedonia's EU membership bid

LJUBLJANA - Foreign Minister Anže Logar hosted his counterpart from North Macedonia Bujar Osmani for talks that focused on preparations for an intergovernmental conference at which North Macedonia expects to start EU membership talks. Logar expressed the belief that the talks would start during Germany's presidency of the EU. He also expressed Slovenia's firm support for North Macedonia's membership bid. Osmani said North Macedonia expected accession negotiations to start by the end of this year.

Pahor hails potential of Three Seas initiative, warns against divisions
LJUBLJANA - President Borut Pahor stressed at a virtual summit of the Three Seas initiative that this platform offers a unique opportunity to change this part of Europe into a modern, sustainable and innovative society. He added that the initiative must not be understood as a grouping of certain EU members countering other members. Foreign Minister Anže Logar took part in a ministerial panel devoted to "smart money", focusing on the Three Seas Initiative fund, the role of participating countries, and strategic cross-border infrastructural projects, and the fund's importance for their financing.

Report: Prosecution throws out criminal complaint over NLB

LJUBLJANA - Prosecutor Ivan Pridigar dismissed a criminal complaint filed by the parliamentary commission in 2018 against NLB bankers over transactions at NLB's Swiss subsidiary which allegedly caused the bank damage of EUR 400 million. The prosecutor said the claims could not be confirmed, web portal 24ur.com learned unofficially. The prosecutor found the claims not specific enough an said the complaint did not contain any data that could raise the suspicion to a higher level by presenting grounds for suspicion.

Ljubljana City Council says militias, nationalist groups not welcome

LJUBLJANA - Ljubljana's city councillors adopted a statement condemning any activities or gatherings of paramilitary or nationalist groups in the capital. The opposition Democrats (SDS) and New Slovenia (NSi) protested, unsuccessfully proposing that the item be removed from the City Council's agenda. The statement, proposed by the councillors of the Left, caused a clash of opinions, with SDS and NSi councillors arguing the Left was out to provoke a harsh politics-fuelled debate. Meanwhile, the Left's argument that a symbolic gesture is necessary was echoed by Maša Kociper of the Alenka Bratušek Party (SAB), who spoke of a "group of individuals who think they can execute powers that are reserved for the army and police in any normal and democratic country".

Vojnović receives Polish literary prize

WROCLAW, Poland - Slovenian writer Goran Vojnović has received the Angelus Central European Literary Prize, conferred to works by Central European writers translated into the Polish, for his 2013 novel My Yugoslavia. The annual award is conferred by the Polish city of Wroclaw to writers who take up the most important topics for the present day. It comes with a cheque for 150,000 Polish zloty (roughly EUR 33,000). Vojnović, who attended Saturday's ceremony via video call, said Angelus was "undoubtedly the most important recognition I have ever received."

Report: Court annuls dismissal of ex NBI head Muženič
LJUBLJANA - The Nova Gorica Administrative Court has annulled the dismissal of former director of the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) Darko Muženič, web portal 24ur.com reported. The case was remanded to police for re-examination. The court's decision is final, so there is no possibility of an appeal. Muženič decided to challenge his 6 May dismissal at the Administrative Court, claiming the no-fault dismissal procedure used to dismiss him in line with the act on public servants only applied to political office holders.

Ex-embassy employee acquitted in Austria of duty-free fraud charges

LJUBLJANA - A criminal court in Vienna has acquitted a former long-serving employee of the Slovenian embassy in Austria in a duty-free shopping case due to lack of evidence, the newspaper Delo reported. The man, who served as a driver for the embassy and has since been dismissed, made purchases at the UN duty-free shop, where only diplomats and bilateral mission employees can shop. The Austrian prosecution will not file an appeal, the paper says.

Ljubljana airport sees 80% drop in passengers

LJUBLJANA - Ljubljana Jože Pučnik Airport saw an almost 82% drop in the number of passengers in the first nine months compared to the same period last year. In September alone, the number of passengers dropped by 87.4% compared to the same month last year to 21,686, and in the first nine months only 267,780 passengers were recorded. "We'll finish the year with some 300,000 passengers, which will be 20% of what we expected at the start of the year, the airport operator Fraport Slovenija told the STA.

Three of Telekom's five supervisors resign

LJUBLJANA - Chief supervisor of telco Telekom Slovenije Aleš Šabeder and supervisors Barbara Cerovšek Zupančič and Bernarda Babič resigned, citing the current situation in the five-strong supervisory board, the company said in press releases. Šabeder expects the remaining two supervisory board members to follow suit in order to avoid damage to the company and subsequent liability of the supervisory board.

Slovenia amends ESA association agreement, full membership targeted for 2024

LJUBLJANA - Economy Minister Zdravko Počivalšek signed a set of amendments to Slovenia's association agreement with the European Space Agency (ESA), which he said meant an important step towards full-fledged membership. The minister expects cooperation with ESA will deepen further. Slovenia has been an associate member of ESA since 2016 and so far 11 Slovenian companies have signed cooperation contracts with ESA on the basis of the association agreement. Slovenia's associate membership expires at the end of 2021 and rather than become a full-fledged member after that, Slovenia has opted for an amended association agreement with a so called programme for new member states, with the goal being full membership in 2024.

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

STA, 19 October 2020 - Below is a timeline of major events since the first case of coronavirus was confirmed in Slovenia in March 2020.

4 March - The first case of coronavirus infection is confirmed in Slovenia.

6 March - The government bans all visits to hospitals and nursing homes.

7 March - Public events in indoor spaces for more than 500 people are banned. A total of 12 infections confirmed in the country.

10 March - The government bans public gatherings indoors for more than 100 people and arrivals of flights from risky areas.

11 March - Slovenia introduces controls on the border with Italy; entry is allowed only at six checkpoints under certain conditions. Healthcare institutions suspend non-urgent preventive services.

12 March - Slovenia declares an epidemic of the novel coronavirus as almost 100 cases are confirmed. Kindergartens and schools close and primary and secondary school students switch to remote learning. Shops with non-essential goods, restaurants and bars are closed, as well as cultural institutions and libraries. Air passenger transport is suspended and public passenger transport is banned, except with taxis. Non-urgent medical services are suspended. All sporting events are cancelled. The border with Italy is closed for cargo transport and for international railway and bus passenger transport, with some exceptions.

18 March - Slovenia closes 27 local border crossings with Croatia, and only four checkpoints remain on the border with Italy. Many production companies temporarily suspend their work.

20 March - A general ban on gatherings and movement in public spaces, with some exceptions, enters into force.

20 March - The National Assembly passes the first package of measures to help the economy.

30 March - A decree limiting the movement of people to within the municipality of one's residence, with certain exceptions, enters into force.

2 April - The National Assembly passes the first anti-corona legislative package designed to help the affected companies and individuals. The measures were estimated at EUR 3 billion.

11 April - With the first signs of the epidemic waning, suspension of non-essential specialist medical services is lifted.

18 April - Maintenance and seasonal work on private land outside one's municipality of residence is allowed under certain conditions. Some sport and recreational activities are allowed within one's municipality of residence. A few days later, certain shops and service workshops are reopened.

28 April - The National Assembly passes the second anti-corona stimulus package, which includes state guarantees for liquidity loans to companies.

30 April - Exactly one month after being introduced, the ban on leaving one's municipality of residence is lifted. Visits to nursing homes are allowed, and a day earlier, cultural institutions and libraries re-open.

4 May - After several weeks, service is allowed in outdoor areas of restaurants and bars. Churches and some non-food shops, as well as hairdressers and beauty parlours reopen.

9 May - All healthcare and dental services are allowed again.

11 May - Public transport is re-launched after eight weeks, while international passenger transport continues to stand still. International air passenger transport is relaunched a day later.

15 May - The mandatory quarantine for Slovenian citizens and citizens of other EU member states upon entry in Slovenia is lifted. It remains in force for citizens of third countries.

18 May - Preschools reopen and children in the first three grades of primary schools and of the final grade of secondary school return to school. All shops and accommodation facilities with up to 30 rooms are allowed to reopen, and restaurants and bars are able to serve guests indoors as well.

18 May - The government creates lists of red, yellow and green countries relative to their epidemiological situation.

23 May - A majority of sports activities are relaunched, except in fitness centres and similar facilities.

25 May - Students of the final grade of primary school are allowed to attend school in person, while nursing homes and other social security institutions start accepting new residents.

26 May - A decree mandating a 14-day quarantine for citizens of EU member states and third countries enters into force, except for the green-listed countries.

29 May - The National Assembly passes the third anti-corona stimulus package, worth EUR 1 billion. The main measures are subsidies for shortened working time and tourism vouchers for facilities in Slovenia for all citizens. Subsidies for furloughed workers are extended.

31 May - After 80 days, the Covid-19 epidemic is officially declared over, as the daily number of infections drops below ten.

1 June - Students of the 4th and 5th grades of primary school return to school, and the number of children in units in primary schools and kindergartens no longer needs to be limited. Public events for up to 200 persons are allowed and all hotels, fitness centres and swimming pools are allowed to re-open. Night clubs remain closed.

3 June - Students of grades 6-8 of primary school return to school, while students of grades 1-3 of secondary school finish their school year remotely.

5 June - Austria is put on the list of countries from where entry is possible without limitations.

15 June - Public gatherings of up to 500 people are allowed. The restrictions on the border with Italy, introduced on 12 March, are lifted. International road and railway passenger transport is relaunched two days earlier.

19 June - The tourism voucher scheme enters into force, with the Financial Administration (FURS) transferring credit to all residents - EUR 200 per adults and EUR 50 per minor.

22 June - After two months of single-digit number of new daily cases, a double-digit daily number is recorded for the first time, mainly involving cases imported from abroad.

4 July - The government removes Croatia, France and the Czech Republic from the green list. Slovenia records a total of around 200 active infections.

9 July - The National Assembly confirms a new anti-coronavirus stimulus package with an emphasis on job preservation, mostly by extending subsidies for furloughed workers. A mobile contact tracing app is introduced. Gatherings of up to 10 people are banned, and gatherings of up to 50 persons are allowed only if the attendees are registered. Religious ceremonies and sporting events for up to 500 participants are still allowed.

18 July - A Covid-19 death is recorded for the first time after 31 May to increase the overall death toll in Slovenia to 112.

21 July - EU leaders agree on a pandemic recovery package, under which Slovenia may count on EUR 10.5 billion, including EUR 6.6 billion in grants.

23 July - The government adopts a new national plan for protection and rescue of people in the case of pandemic based on the experience with Covid-19. Restrictions on working time of food shops are lifted and stores are allowed to open Sundays.

25 August - Due to a deteriorating epidemiological situation in Croatia and the fact that many infections are imported from there, the government introduces quarantine for travellers returning from that country.

1 September - The new school year starts normally at all levels, albeit with number of precautionary measures in place.

2 September - A jump in new daily cases is recorded (55), and the number of active cases increases to around 500. Two days later, the government orders mandatory use of face masks and hand sanitation in public indoor spaces.

10 September - The daily number of new infections exceeds 100 for the first time, and the trend of a fast increase in the number of new cases starts. Infections start spreading in nursing homes and educational institutions.

13 September - The government reduces the mandatory quarantine upon entry from red-listed countries from 14 to 10 days.

19 September - Face masks are again mandatory in open public spaces where a large number of people gather, for example, at food markets. Employers are recommended to measure body temperature of employees, and opening hours of restaurants and bars are restricted to 6am-10pm.

29 September - The government adopts a new anti-coronavirus legislative package introducing new and extending the existing measures focusing on job preservation, care for the elderly and prevention of the spread of infections.

9 October - New restrictive measures enter into force. Gatherings are restricted to up to 10 people, and events with up to 500 people are allowed only with a permit from the health authorities, and held without food and drink served. Service in restaurants and bars and the number of shoppers in shops is limited.

12 October - A decree enters into force under which no country in the EU or the Schengen Area is on the green list.

15 October - The total number of confirmed cases in Slovenia exceeds 10,000, and a day later a record daily number of new cases (almost 900) is recorded.

16 October - Almost all statistical regions are classified as red zones based on epidemiological parameters, meaning that movement from and between them is banned. Face masks become mandatory in the open and gatherings of more than 10 persons are prohibited. Restaurants and bars are closed and certain sport activities are suspended in these regions.

19 October - An epidemic is declared once again, and the national protection and rescue plan is activated. Primary school students up from and including the 6th grade and secondary school students switch back to remote learning.

All our stories on coronavirus and Slovenia

STA, 19 October 2020 - Updated 14:20 Slovenia confirmed 537 new coronavirus cases in 2,637 tests on Sunday. The positivity rate exceeded 20% for the first time, the government's coronavirus spokesman Jelko Kacin told the press on Monday.

The number of cases confirmed since the start of the epidemic reached 13,678, of which 7,103 are active, according to data by the tracker Covid-19.Sledilnik.

The 14-day cumulative rate of infection per 100,000 people reached 339 compared to 317 the day before.

There are currently 289 people in hospital, 55 of them in intensive care, respectively up by 24 and 6 over the day before, according to the data tracker.

9pm-6am curfew as of Tuesday

STA, 19 October 2020 - A 9pm-6am curfew will be put in place across Slovenia on Tuesday to limit the spread of coronavirus, Interior Minister Aleš Hojs announced on Monday. The ceiling for gatherings will be lowered from ten to six people and a blanket ban on movement among statistical regions will be in place, although there are some exceptions.

Hojs told the press that the curfew follows the example of some other EU countries, for instance France, and is the result of the finding that a major share of transmissions has been occurring at private gatherings in the evening.

While the coastal Obalno-Kraška region is presently the only among Slovenia's 12 statistical regions still designated as orange as opposed to red, its inhabitants are no longer allowed into other regions.

Obalno-Kraška region, located in the far south-west, has remained the only orange region after Goriška in the west and Primorsko-Notranjska in the south-west, have also joined the regions more than 140 coronavirus cases per 100,000 people in the last 14 days.

This means there will be no more movement among statistical regions and while a number of exceptions remain in place - notably those related to work, emergency situations and services, family assistance and farm work - some exemptions have been scrapped, including for tourist bookings already made.

While the emergency exemptions also apply to the curfew, Hojs stressed that all gatherings and events, including religious services and "semi-private ones like weddings" are banned. Only members of the same household are exempt from the gatherings ban.

The government defined in greater details the possibilities for crossing the border. These do not apply to transit, which will not be stopped.

"If you have property or land abroad that needs urgent maintenance, household members have the possibility to cross the border," he said, while stressing this does not mean it is permitted to go on holiday. "Lying in the sun is not an urgent chore," the minister said.

Public transport will not be shut down, libraries, museums and galleries also remain open, "but it needs to be stressed that decrees are already ready in case museums and galleries will also have to be closed".

Hojs said fines would range between EUR 400 and EUR 4,000 and explained that the fines are issued in line with the act on communicable diseases.

The minister said that fines can for now only be issued by the Health Inspectorate, but that the police will also have this power after the fifth coronavirus stimulus package, adopted by parliament three days ago, enters into force.

"Until then, the police officer will identify you, pass all of your data to the health inspector and the fine itself will be issued by the Health Inspector," Hojs said, while indicating warnings would primarily be used in the initial stage of the ban.