Planica, the highlight of the season may be closed to spectators due to coronavirus, but ski jumpers are continuing to jump, and Slovenians are still making the podium.

Yesterday, in Lillehammer, Poland's Kamil Stoch took first place in the Raw Air Tournament,  with jumps of 131.5 m and 139.5 m and 264.3 points, while Žiga Jelar was second (259 points) and Timi Zajc third (257.6). Not in the top three, but adding the team’s overall results, was Monday’s winner, Peter Prevc, in fifth place (253.6 points).

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.

A schedule of all the main events involving Slovenia this week can be found here

This summary is provided by the STA:

Slovenia closing border with Italy as coronavirus cases rise to 34

LJUBLJANA - PM Marjan Šarec announced he had ordered the closure of the border with Italy. The measure, which Šarec said was modelled on Austria's, does not apply for freight transport. Šarec, who said that the number of coronavirus cases had risen by another three to reach 34 this afternoon, told the press "it's high time we take action" since people in Italy were disregarding quarantine orders and continued to leave the country. The Slovenian Foreign Ministry expanded its travel warning to the entire Italy and advised Slovenians in Italy to return home.

Several flights cancelled due to new virus

BRNIK, LJUBLJANA - Fraport Slovenija, the operator of the Ljubljana airport, is already facing cancellation of flights to and from the airport due to the spreading of the new coronavirus, and more cancellations are expected in the future. The national railway operator Slovenske Železnice meanwhile said that traffic was running on schedule, including by the train connecting Ljubljana and Italy's Trieste twice a day. Also, Slovenia's leading gaming company HIT announced it was closing its casinos in the western region of Goriška until 20 March.

Committee nods to foreign minister candidate Logar

LJUBLJANA - The parliamentary Foreign Policy Committee backed the candidate for foreign minister Anže Logar after what was mostly a Croatia-focused confirmation hearing. While arguing new approaches would be needed, he asserted Slovenia would continue insisting Croatia honour the border arbitration decision after he had raised eyebrows with his statement it was time to switch to silent diplomacy. Slovenia's EU presidency was among the priorities listed by the 43-year-old Democrats (SDS) member, who highlighted the EU and NATO as key elements of Slovenia's foreign policy. Thus, the plan is also to strengthen relations with the US.

Tonin green-lighted for defence minister, conscription a priority

LJUBLJANA - New Slovenia (NSi) head Matej Tonin was backed for defence minister by the parliamentary committee after he defended plans to gradually reintroduce conscription. "Nobody opposing arms will be forced to carry them. However, without people there will also not be a Slovenian army," Tonin said. He also announced higher defence spending, saying "membership in NATO remains the best and cheapest insurance policy for Slovenia" and mentioned an idea to enlist older people who have received military training to help patrol the border. He highlighted stronger presence in the Balkans as a priority in international missions.

Cigler Kralj endorsed for social affairs minister

LJUBLJANA - The parliamentary Labour, Family, Social Affairs and Equal Opportunities Committee endorsed Janez Cigler Kralj for minister in charge of labour, family, social affairs and equal opportunities. In a five-hour presentation, he listed a friendlier welfare system, care for the elderly and a stronger family policy as priorities. Kralj said he would not interfere in legislation on abortion and gay rights. He rejected criticism he was talking too much about penalising welfare abuse, saying he was "extraordinarily socially sensitive" and that his job was to work for the poor.

Constitutional Court stays act on 2013 bank bail-in recourse for investors

LJUBLJANA - The Constitutional Court has stayed the implementation of an act providing easier access to recourse for roughly 100,000 investors who lost their investments during the banking sector bailout of 2013. The court announced this two months after the central bank challenged the legislation. Banka Slovenije said in January that "the most controversial parts of the law affect monetary financing and the financial independence of the central bank".

Court rejects Slovenian Roma case over water access

STRASBOURG, France - The European Court of Human Rights has found that Slovenia has taken adequate steps to provide Roma settlements with drinking water, as it rejected an application by two Roma families who alleged violations of basic human rights because of inadequate access to drinking water and sanitation. The court said that the Slovenian authorities had "taken positive steps" and acknowledged the applicants' disadvantaged situation by providing them with adequate access to safe drinking water. Amnesty International Slovenije, an NGO which helped the Roma with the petition, expressed regret about the decision and said an appeal would be lodged.

Artificial intelligence research centre kicking into action

LJUBLJANA - The International Research Centre On Artificial Intelligence (IRCAI) will soon be formally established in Ljubljana under the auspices of UNESCO. Based at the Jožef Stefan Institute, it is expected to benefit the global artificial intelligence community and provide a boost to Slovenian science and business. The agreement between Slovenia and UNESCO on the creation of the IRCAI was signed in Ljubljana last week and the formal establishment of the centre as a legal person is expected to follow shortly.

Employers cautiously optimistic in second quarter outlook

Ljubljana - The employment outlook among Slovenian employers for the second quarter of the year is cautious but optimistic, shows the latest employment forecast by temping agency Manpower. The share of employers who have announced a growth in jobs is nine percentage points higher than the share of whose who expect a decline in employment. While 13% of the surveyed employers expect a growth in employment between April and June, 4% expect a decline, and the remaining 83% plan no changes in the job structure, the Manpower Group said.

Javelin thrower Martina Ratej suspended over doping suspicion

LJUBLJANA - Slovenian javelin thrower Martina Ratej has been suspended over doping suspicion based on a repeated analysis of a sample taken at the 2012 Olympics in London, the Athletic Federation of Slovenia and the Slovenian Olympic Committee (OKS) announced. The Slovenian women's record holder is facing a penalty from World Athletics for the use of a banned clostebol metabolite. "I was shocked to learn this, because I never took any banned stimulants. I had a surgery during that period, so I think that this could be the only way the mentioned substance entered my body," Ratej told the STA.

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STA, 10 March 2020 - Prime Minister Marjan Šarec has announced he has ordered the closure of the border with Italy. The measure, which Šarec said was modelled on Austria's, does not apply for cargo transport. In a statement, he said that the number of coronavirus cases had risen by another three to reach 34 this afternoon.

Šarec tweeted he had ordered the closure to the health and interior affairs ministries and that the measure was in line with the agreement on joint and proportionate measures.

The government tweeted that the border would be closed as soon as technical and administrative conditions are met. "This is a necessary measure if we want to have the situation under control," Šarec later told the press.

"Italy has declared quarantine in the entire country but people are disregarding this and continue to leave Italy. It's high time we take action.

"In Primorska, a lot of people cross the border daily, we know that children [from Italy] are in kindergartens on this side of the border, for example."

Slovenia will strive to remain in the first phase of the spreading of the virus as long as possible, the government's official Twitter account also said, adding that cargo transport would not be limited so as not to cause damage to the economy.

The closure follows the ban on arrivals from Italy introduced a few hours earlier by Austria. The ban does not apply to Austrian citizens returning home and persons carrying a doctor's note certifying they are healthy. Also allowed is transit travel through Austria without stopovers.

Šarec said the measure - stepped up from what was being mentioned on Monday - had already been discussed at Monday's session of the National Security Council. The measures are adapting to the situation, which "is changing by the hour", he said.

While explaining individuals will be able to turn to the Slovenian Foreign Ministry for help, he said he had already stressed days ago people should avoid going abroad, especially to Italy.

The Slovenian Foreign Ministry expanded today its travel warning to the whole of Italy and advised Slovenians in Italy to return home.

Asked what will happen to those commuting to Italy for work, Šarec said the detailed explanations on this would follow shortly.

Meanwhile, in the afternoon, when the total reported number of confirmed case was still 31, the Health Ministry said almost 1,500 people had been tested.

It added the new cases were related to previously confirmed cases, explaining a total of 17 people had been infected abroad and 14 were the result of community transmission.

Measures for containing the spreading of the virus were stepped up in line with Monday's announcement. A ban is in place on indoor gatherings that include more than 100 people, which has affected most cultural events. There are a few exemptions to the ban, including shopping malls, weddings and funerals.

University lectures in large lecture halls have been cancelled for the next two weeks, while kindergartens and schools remain open for now.

Temperature screenings are expected to be introduced in the coming days at Ljubljana airport, which is seeing an increasing number of flight cancellations.

Meanwhile, fears of supply problems were assuaged today by Agriculture, Food and Forestry Minister Aleksandra Pivec, who stressed the supply of food products in Slovenia was not disrupted or in peril.

Keep up with all our stories on coronavirus and Slovenia here

STA, 10 March 2020 - The Ljubljana police arrested two armed petrol station robbers Monday night after a car chase through the city that resulted in a car crash, after which the pair tried to escape on foot. With the help of a passer-by and a security guard at the Ljubljana train station, they were apprehended less than half an hour after the robbery.

The men, Bosnian citizens aged 25 and 36, robbed a petrol station along Celovška street around 7pm, the head of the Ljubljana criminal police Damjan Petrič told the press on Tuesday.

Threatening the staff with handguns, they stole some EUR 8,000 in cash. Their escape was observed by a passer-by, who told the police which way they escaped and provided information about the car they had been driving.

Using this information, the police soon found them and tried to stop the vehicle using blue lights and sirens. The driver, instead, made a reckless escape toward Ljubljana city centre.

Driving down the Dunajska street, the driver crashed into another car while changing lanes. As they tried to make a left turn onto Vilharjeva street, the pair crashed into another car.

Luckily nobody was hurt in the two crashes, but the robbers' vehicle was badly damaged and they tried to make an escape on foot running in the direction of the Ljubljana train station across a parking lot, ignoring police orders to stop.

Then, one of the robbers stopped and reached into a bag he was carrying, at which point one of the police officers fired a warning shot and the robber lay on the ground. The police apprehended him and seized his gun and ammunition.

The second robber continued running toward the rail tracks, where he also turned to face the police, reaching toward his waist, and the police fired a second warning shot.

The robber continued to run, crossing the railway tracks. When he reached the train station, he was apprehended by the police and a station security guard.

The pair will be charged with robbery and assaulting an officer, while the 36-year will also be charged with reckless driving.

STA, 10 March 2020 - The number of confirmed cases of coronavirus in Slovenia rose to 31 by midday Tuesday, the Health Ministry said. The first patients confirmed to have been infected with COVID-19 will be released from hospital shortly to free up capacity for potentially more serious cases.

The latest figure marks an increase from 25 confirmed cases recorded on Monday. Almost 1,500 people have been tested, according to Health Minister Aleš Šabeder.

A total of 18 patients are currently at the infectious disease ward of the UKC Ljubljana hospital. Five will be sent home today with instructions to remain in isolation. They will be subject to strict medical checks while at home, said Tatjana Lejko Zupanc, the head of UKC Ljubljana's infectious disease clinic.

The new cases are related to previously confirmed cases. A total of 17 people have been infected abroad and 14 are the result of community transmission.

The hardest hit regions for now are Ljubljana with 15 cases and Dolenjska with ten. The authorities are not disclosing the details but media reports suggest the Dolenjska cases are related to a single doctor from Metlika who came to work after he was infected.

One doctor working at UKC Ljubljana has been infected as well but he was removed from his post immediately and did not come into contact with patients, according to Eva Grilc of the National Institute of Public Health.

New measures to contain spread of coronavirus in Slovenia

As the number of cases rises, the authorities are planning new measures to contain the spread of the virus. Spot checks on the border with Italy were announced on Monday and should be deployed within a few days, once the details are hashed out, said Šabeder.

Similarly, plans for temperature screening at Ljubljana Jože Pučnik Airport are to be finalised soon.

The government has already issued a ban on indoor gatherings that include more than 100 people. There are a few exemptions, including shopping malls, weddings and funerals.

As a result of the ban, university lectures in large lecture halls have been cancelled for the next two weeks. Instruction will be provided online.

Meanwhile, Agriculture, Food and Forestry Minister Aleksandra Pivec stressed today that the supply of food products in Slovenia was not disrupted or in peril.

Pivec explained the quarantine regime in Italy was causing problems primarily for Slovenia milk exporters, while she called on Slovenian consumers to pick Slovenian products so as to provide additional support to Slovenian producers.

All our stories on coronavirus and Slovenia are here

STA, 10 March 2020 - Fraport Slovenija, the operator of the Ljubljana airport, is already facing cancellation of flights to and from the airport due to the spreading of the new coronavirus, and more cancellations are expected in the future.

The company said on Tuesday that Wednesday's flights to Belgrade, to and from Frankfurt, to and from Brussels, and to and from the Montenegrin capital of Podgorica had been cancelled.

Several flights scheduled for next week have also been cancelled - including the connections with Berlin, Brussels and London.

"It is hard to speak about additional cancellations at the moment, but it is expected that new [cancellations] will follow," Fraport said.

Slovenia imposed a ban on arrivals of aircraft from the high-risk areas until the end of month today. Fraport noted that there were no direct links between Ljubljana and these areas any way.

State aircraft, mail or cargo aircraft and aircraft without passengers returning to a base or maintenance are exempt from the ban, which relates to the Italian regions of Lombardy, Veneto, Emilia-Romagna, Piedmont and Marche, as well as China, South Korea and Iran.

As regards temperature screenings at the airport, a measure announced by the government to curb the spreading of the virus, Fraport said that it could be implemented in the coming days.

The national railway operator Slovenske Železnice meanwhile said that traffic was running on schedule, including by the train connecting Ljubljana and Italy's Trieste twice a day.

All our stories on coronavirus and Slovenia are here

STA, 9 March 2020 - Due to a spike in illegal migration across the Slovenian-Croatian border, the Ormož police station in the north-east of the country will get six new containers to process migrants.

The Maribor Police Department has underscored that the new container units, to become operational on Tuesday, will not be used for migrants' accommodation.

In a press release, the department noted that the number of cases of people illegally crossing the border into Slovenia rose by 73% last year with the cases in the region under its jurisdiction increasing nearly three-fold to 1,449.

The new containers are being supplied in order to organise work more efficiently and to ensure safety at work, the release reads.

"The containers are intended exclusively for handling and police detention of groups of persons who cross the state border illegally in the Maribor Police Department area, and will in no case serve to accommodate migrants."

Similar container units had in the past been placed in the areas under the jurisdiction of the police departments of Novo Mesto, Ljubljana and Koper.

STA, 9 March 2020 - Celje criminal investigators are filing preliminary criminal charges against four suspects and a legal entity for forcing at least 24 foreign women, most of them from Ukraine, into prostitution.

 Presenting the conclusions of an investigation that had been running for more than a year, Boštjan Hmelak, the head of the organised crime division at the Celje Police Department, said none of the suspects, aged between 42 and 74, had previous criminal records.

They face charges on a total of 25 counts of crime, including human trafficking, which carries between three and 15 years in prison as well as a fine.

The police inquiries established that the ring lured young women from abroad, mostly from Ukraine and socially deprived areas, by means of ads and personal contacts.

After putting them up in a hotel with a night club and a casino, the suspects forced the victims into prostitution. If they resisted, the women were punished by being deprived of their earnings or having their contracts cancelled.

The suspects also made money from the clients who had to pay the women costly drinks as a precondition for sexual services.

The investigators have so far identified 24 victims of human trafficking. Aged between 24 and 40, most come from Ukraine, one is a Romanian citizen and one comes from Moldova.

They have since returned home or left to work at other clubs. None of the 12 women interviewed by the police identified themselves as victims of crime.

The suspects were in control of eight to twelve victims on average each of whom had about 250 patrons a month, said Hmelak.

One of the suspects, employed as a waitress, was found with EUR 104,000 in cash on herself. The police are yet ascertaining how much all the suspects had made from criminal activity.

STA, 6 March 2020 - Slovenia will get a new biotechnological centre on the western outskirts of Ljubljana near the Faculty of Chemistry and Chemical Technology. The contract on the launch of the EUR 21 million project was signed on Friday.

As part of the project, which will be one of the biggest investments in biotechnology in the region, a new 6,500-square-metre research centre is to be built by 2023.

The contract on the construction of the Biotechnological Hub of the National Institute for Biology (NIB) worth almost EUR 20.8 million was signed today by Education, Science and Sports Minister Jernej Pikalo and NIB head Matjaž Kuntner.

The EU will contribute EUR 16 million, the state will chip in EUR 4 million, while the rest will be covered by the NIB.

According to Kuntner, the construction should start at the end of this or the beginning of next year.

The two-storey building with a multitude of labs, lecture rooms, conference rooms, offices, and technical and maintenance rooms will be located in Večna Pot street in the east of Ljubljana, near three other faculties.

Minister Jernej Pikalo noted that the funding of science and research was on the rise, but that Slovenia was still lagging behind in this respect and that one project would not make up for everything.

This investment is a small step towards creating better conditions for science and research, he said.

According to Kuntner, the new centre will strengthen Slovenia's excellence in science on the international level, stop brain-drain, introduce new biotechnologies and enhance ties with the business sector and tertiary education as well as various public institutes and science centres.

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.

A schedule of all the main events involving Slovenia this week can be found here

This summary is provided by the STA:

Temperature screening at Ljubljana airport, extra measures planned on land border

LJUBLJANA - Coming out of a meeting of the National Security Council, Health Minister Aleš Šabeder announced the intriduction of temperature screenings at Ljubljana airport in the coming days, and plans for extra measures on the land border as the number of confirmed coronavirus cases in Slovenia grew by seven to 23 by 2pm. Indoor events will have to be limited to 100 participants and all sports events for 500-plus visitors, including the upcoming Alpine Ski World Cup events and the Ski Flying World Championships in Slovenia, will be carried out without spectators. Schools and kindergartens will remain open for the time being. A growing number of higher education institutions across Slovenia are meanwhile cancelling in-class lectures.

Govt announces EUR 1bn package to mitigate impact of coronavirus

LJUBLJANA - The government is preparing a stimulus package worth a billion euro to mitigate the impact of the coronavirus on the economy. Short- and long-term measures such as tax deferrals, state guarantees and credit lines are planned, mostly from existing financial facilities, Economy Minister Zdravko Počivalšek said. The measures are designed to provide liquidity to businesses, preserve jobs, reduce losses and make sure companies' market position does not deteriorate, Počivalšek said after a session of the council for competitive and stable business environment, an advisory body.

Ljubljana Stock Exchange dives on coronavirus fears

LJUBLJANA - The benchmark index on the Ljubljana Stock Exchange suffered the sharpest decline since the early stages of the financial crisis, moving in lockstep with global markets spooked by the potential impact of the global spread of coronavirus on economies around the world. The SBI top lost 7.28% to 817.92 points, the third sharpest decline since its introduction in 2006 and the biggest daily loss since October 2008, as the sell-off affected all blue chips regardless of industry.

Pahor to meet new top EU officials on 18 March in Brussels

LJUBLJANA - Slovenian President Borut Pahor will visit Brussels on 18 March to meet European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, European Parliament President David Sassoli and High Representative of the European Union Josep Borrell, the president's office announced. The meetings are part of Pahor's regular annual visits to the top EU institutions, which this time will not include a meeting with the president of the European Council. Charles Michel will not be in Brussels on that date.

Ministry says govt cannot decide on helping migrant children in Greece

LJUBLJANA - After European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen called on EU member states to help unaccompanied migrant children on Greek islands, the Slovenian Interior Ministry said it had not received an official request and that the caretaker government could not decide on such an issue in the first place.

New containers set up at border to process migrants

ORMOŽ - Due to a spike in illegal migration across the Slovenian-Croatian border, the Ormož police station in the north-east of the country will get six new containers to process migrants. The Maribor Police Department has underscored that the new container units, to become operational on Tuesday, will not be used for migrants' accommodation but to organise work more efficiently and to ensure safety at work. The department noted that the number of cases of people illegally crossing the border into Slovenia rose by 73% last year with the cases in the region under its jurisdiction increasing nearly three-fold to 1,449.

Regulated fuel prices down by almost 5% as of Tuesday

LJUBLJANA - The global decline in petroleum prices brought by the new coronavirus will result in cheaper motor fuel in Slovenia. Regulated prices of regular petrol and diesel will drop as of Tuesday by almost 5% each to EUR 1.205 and EUR 1.146 per litre, respectively, the fuel retailer Petrol has announced. The prices of regular petrol and diesel sold at petrol stations outside the motorway and expressway network remain regulated by the state, while prices of fuel sold on motorway petrol sDrug maker Krka and insurer Zavarovalnica Triglav were the hardest hit, the former losing 9.2% to EUR 63 and the latter down 9.4% to EUR 29.
tations are fully liberalised.

SKB bank's net profit down 6% last year to EUR 54.1m

LJUBLJANA - SKB Banka, which has been part of the Hungarian banking group OTP since the end of 2019, last year posted a net profit of EUR 54.1 million, a 6% drop compared to the year before. Banking revenue was meanwhile up by 2% to EUR 124 million, the Ljubljana-based bank said. SKB Banka said that the main reason for the drop in net profit were additional impairments created after the bank was acquired by OTP to adjust its business policy and record a fair value of fixed assets.

Support for new coalition growing in Delo poll

LJUBLJANA - Janez Janša's Democrats (SDS) and members of his new coalition have improved their ratings in the latest poll commissioned by the newspaper Delo. The SDS polled at 19.6% in the latest monthly survey by Mediana, up 1.4 percentage points as the Marjan Šarec List (LMŠ) of the outgoing PM slipped back 2.8 points to 13.8%. The Left lost 0.9 points to 7% and the SocDems slid 1.2 points to 6.7%. New coalition members gained ground; New Slovenia (NSi) added 0.9 points to 5%, the Pensioners' Party (DeSUS) gained 0.8 points to 3% and Modern Centre Party (SMC) stayed level at 2.5%. The proportion of the undecided rose by almost five points to 19.3%.

Four face charges for human trafficking

CELJE - The Celje criminal investigators announced they would file preliminary criminal charges against four suspects and a legal entity for forcing at least 24 foreign women, most of them from Ukraine, into prostitution. The police, which had been investigating the case for a year, said none of the suspects, aged between 42 and 74, had previous criminal records. They face charges on a total of 25 counts of crime, including human trafficking, which carries between three and 15 years in prison as well as a fine.

Exhibition featuring WWII monument art in former Yugoslavia

LJUBLJANA - An exhibition presenting a total of 33 monuments and memorial complexes built in the former Yugoslavia opened at the Dessa Gallery, presenting what the organisers say is a selection made based on high architectural and artistic value. Entitled Architecture. Sculpture. Remembrance. The Art of Monuments of Yugoslavia 1945-1991, the exhibition features monuments to the victims of the Second World War from all republics and autonomous provinces of Yugoslavia. The show will run until 16 April.

Visiting Ljubljana? Check out what's on this week, while all our stories on Slovenia, from newest to oldest, are here

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