07 Mar 2020, 04:34 AM

Morning Headlines for Slovenia: Saturday, 7 March 2020

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:

Slovenians urged to postpone travel, as number of coronavirus cases rises

LJUBLJANA - The Foreign Ministry advised Slovenians to postpone all non-essential trips abroad in the face of the spreading of the new coronavirus. The unprecedented call has been met with severe criticism from the Association of Travelling Agencies, which said it may spell bankruptcy of all Slovenian travelling agencies. Meanwhile, two new cases of infection have been confirmed in the country, raising the total number of cases to eight, three of them being health care workers. While the first seven patients had all traveller to or through Italy, the information is still scarce in the last patient, a doctor at the community health centre in Metlika. However, Health Minister Aleš Šabeder said that the health workers had not contracted the virus at work but while travelling abroad.

Janša suggests information on coronavirus insufficient

LJUBLJANA - PM-elect Janez Janša commented on the new coronavirus outbreak in Slovenia, saying the best way to avoid panic was to keep people well informed. He assessed the virus had been detected late in Slovenia. "The fewer people you test, the later you find out that something is wrong," he said. Outgoing Health minister Aleš Šabeder is planning to meet Slovenian protective gear suppliers to urge them to increase production. He could not say whether the Skiing World Cup races in Kranjska Gora next weekend or the Ski Jumping World Cup competition in Planica a week later will go ahead as planned.

Hotels closing doors amid coronavirus outbreak

LJUBLJANA - The head of the Slovenian hotelier association Gregor Jamnik said that certain hotels in Slovenia had been temporarily closed due to the novel coronavirus outbreak. He described the situation as serious. The Chamber of Trade Crafts and Small Business (OZS) said that 80% of its members were affected by the impact of the global outbreak. The Labour Ministry has already put forward an emergency bill to subsidise pay for workers temporarily sent on furlough or quarantined.

Four Slovenian police officers to be deployed in Greece

LJUBLJANA - After initially announcing that 35 Slovenian police officers would be deployed on the Greece-Turkey border as part of a Frontex rapid border intervention team, the Interior Ministry reduced the number to four in its latest announcement. The officers are to be sent to Greece on Tuesday, also with a donation of material aid, such as raincoats, rubber boots, blankets and sleeping bags, valued at EUR 242,300.

Gender equality in Slovenia comparatively high

LJUBLJANA - Slovenia ranks 8th among 120 countries on the OECD gender equality scale, however women's average monthly pay is nearly EUR 130 lower than men's and two thirds of pensioners below the poverty line are women. The share of discrimination in Slovenia was 12.9%, with discrimination within the family the biggest problem. Official statistics released ahead of International Women's Day also show that Slovenia has the highest rate of female employment in the EU and one of the narrowest pay gaps.

Not guilty verdict in Chemistry Institute boss murder case allegedly annulled

LJUBLJANA - The 2014 murder of Chemistry Institute boss Janko Jamnik that shocked Slovenia will reportedly return to court in what will be the third repeat of a trial featuring Milko Novič, a former employee of the institute, as the defendant. While the Higher Court decision on the prosecution's appeal against the 2019 not guilty verdict for Novič is not yet public, the web portal 24ur.com reported on Friday that the case, which becomes statute barred in October, has been sent into retrial. Unofficially, the Higher Court agreed with the prosecution, which had taken issue with some of the procedural steps taken by Ljubljana District Court judge Zvjezdan Radonjić, who has been adamant Novič could not have committed the crime.

Slovenia to get new biotechnological centre

LJUBLJANA - Slovenia will get a new biotechnological centre on the western outskirts of Ljubljana near the Faculty of Chemistry and Chemical Technology. The agreement on the construction of the Biotechnological Hub of the National Institute for Biology (NIB), valued at EUR 20.8 million, was signed today by Minister of Education, Science and Sport Jernej Pikalo and NIB head Matjaž Kuntner. The 6,500-square-metre research centre is to be built by 2023. The EU is to chip in EUR 16 million.

Open data stakeholders agree on closer cooperation

LJUBLJANA - The Open Data Hub of Slovenia, to be known as the OPSI Hub, was launched in Ljubljana in an effort to further open up public sector data, encourage the use and expansion of the government-sponsored open data portal OPSI and facilitate the cooperation of all open data contributors and beneficiaries. The communication platform was launched by the Technology Park Ljubljana and Chamber of Commerce and Industry with the support of the Public Administration Ministry.

Info commissioner critical of ePrivacy Regulation proposal

LJUBLJANA - Information Commissioner Mojca Prelesnik criticised the latest proposal on the EU's ePrivacy Regulation, recently put forward by the Croatian presidency, finding that the proposal would lower the level of protection of user rights and open door wide to potential infringements of their rights because of business interests of providers of electronic communication services. Prelesnik believes the proposal is too vague on when and how providers can process and share personal data.

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

06 Mar 2020, 21:18 PM

Coronavirus: Slovenes Urged Not to Travel, as 7th Case Found

STA, 6 March 2020 - The Foreign Ministry issued an alert on its web site on Friday, advising Slovenians to postpone all non-essential trips abroad in the face of the spreading of the new coronavirus. Meanwhile, two new cases of infection have been confirmed in Slovenia, putting the total number of cases in the country at eight.

The ministry's unprecedented call has been met with severe criticism from the Association of Travelling Agencies, which said it may spell bankruptcy of all Slovenian travelling agencies.

The association stressed that no other EU member had issued such warnings.

Because of the spreading of the new virus, some hotels in the country have already temporarily closed their door. Spas seem to be less affected than accommodation facilities in Ljubljana, lakeside resort Bled and on the coast.

Hotels in the capital are detecting a 30% decrease in occupancy rate and an even bigger slump in revenue.

Calls have been mounting for measures that would offset the negative effects of the virus on businesses, and the Labour Ministry has reportedly drawn up an emergency bill to subsidise companies for part of pay of workers temporarily laid off because of the virus.

The Chamber of Trade Crafts and Small Business (OZS) said today that Slovenian small businesses, including hoteliers, coach companies and pub and restaurant owners, were hit hard.

Tourist guides expressed concern as well, listing cancellations spanning the entire tourist season and a looming threat of complete loss of income.

Yesterday, several associations, including the trade union of employees in the hospitality sector from the ZSSS trade union confederation, the Employers' Association and the Chamber of Commerce and Industry, have urged immediate action from the government.

Meanwhile, two unrelated new cases of infection were confirmed today, one in the north-east and one in the south-east, putting the number of coronavirus cases in the country at eight.

The seventh case was related to the previous one, with the infected person being the wife of a 32-year-old man from the Štajerska region who tested positive for the virus on Thursday.

Both are employed at the Maribor UKC hospital, but the authorities say all precautionary measures had been taken to prevent further spreading of the virus.

State secretary at the Health Ministry Simona Repar Bornšek told the press today that all confirmed coronavirus patients were stable.

According to the information collected so far, the first seven infected patients have recently been in Italy.

Information is, however, still scarce on the eighth case, a doctor working in a community health centre in Metlika.

Currently, the search is on for the persons who had been in contact with him and according to Health Minister Aleš Šabeder their number exceeds 40.

The minister said that having doctors affected was "the worst possible scenario". But he noted that the medical staff got infected on trips abroad and not at work.

Some additional protective measures were introduced today, including a recommendation for hospitals and retirement homes to ban visits. Schools and kindergartens remain open.

All our stories on coronavirus and Slovenia are here

06 Mar 2020, 18:15 PM

Slovenia’s GDP Per Capita, by Statistical Region

There was considerable interest in yesterday's story on GDP per capita (expressed in PPP terms) in the EU for 2018, which noted the difference between east and west Slovenia, as well as the latter's integration into the area of richer regions stretching north, likely fuelled by the manufacturing might of Germany.

gdp per capita slovenia eurostat.JPG

The map from yesterday's story. Source: Eurostat

So today we dig a little deeper into the GDP per capita data for Slovenia’s 12 statistical regions in 2018, as released by SURS. The map at the top of the page tells the story, as does the following chart, revealing that Osrednjeslovenska – the centre of the country, with Ljubljana – has 141.1% the average GDP per capita for Slovenia as a whole. The coastal area, Obalno-kraška, is the only other region to be above average, at 102.5%. The poorest region in this regard is Zasavska, with just 52.4% of the average GDP per capita.

GDP per capita by region slovenia 2018 chart.png

If you’d like to dig deeper into the differences between the 12 statistical regions and 212 municipalities, then you can learn how to do so here. If you want to see how Slovenia’s GDP ranked against other formerly communist countries in Europe in the period 1992 to 2017, then you can do that here.

06 Mar 2020, 16:19 PM

Coronavirus in Slovenia: Fall in Bookings at Hotels, Calls for Tax Relief & Subsidies for Small Businesses

STA, 6 March 2020 - Certain hotels in Slovenia have been temporarily closed in response to the novel coronavirus outbreak, the head of the Slovenian hotelier association Gregor Jamnik told the STA on Friday, highlighting that the situation was serious, with hotels recording cancellations and few new bookings on a daily basis.

The situation varies according to individual hotels - spas are less affected than accommodation facilities in Ljubljana, lakeside resort Bled and on the coast, said Jamnik.

Currently, hotels in the capital are detecting a 30% decrease in occupancy rate and an even bigger slump in revenue. So far, there is no detailed information provided for other parts of Slovenia.

Apart from closing doors for the time being, certain hotels have already started slimming down their workforce as well, said Jamnik, adding that the revenue lost to the outbreak would be impossible to offset.

Meanwhile, the Chamber of Trade Crafts and Small Business (OZS) warned today that Slovenian small businesses, including hoteliers, coach companies and pub and restaurant owners, were already feeling the ramifications of the coronavirus spread, urging the government to introduce temporary tax exemptions and sick pay subsidies.

Tourist guides expressed concern over the situation as well, listing cancellations spanning the entire tourist season and a looming threat of complete loss of income.

There are currently seven confirmed cases of infection with the novel coronavirus in Slovenia. The outbreak has taken a heavy toll on Italy, one of Slovenia's key tourist markets. The Foreign Ministry advised today against all travel to northern Italy and against non-urgent travel to other parts of the neighbouring country.

Small business group calls for tax relief and subsidies

STA, 6 March 2020 - Small businesses are already feeling the effects of the novel coronavirus spread, shows a recent survey by the Chamber of Trade Crafts and Small Business (OZS) indicating that some 80% of its members experience disruption. The chamber is thus urging the government to introduce temporary tax exemptions and sick pay subsidies.

Among those already seeing a slump in sales and demand are pub and restaurant owners, bus and shuttle companies, and hoteliers.

The survey was conducted between 4 and 6 March and included 233 respondents, who estimate that revenue will be halved in the first half of 2020, said the OZS today, urging tax breaks amid the coronavirus outbreak as well as subsidising paid sick leave for workers on furlough due to the emergency situation.

The OZS proposed additional measures as well, such as allocating funds for keeping companies afloat during the outbreak. "The measures should be adopted as soon as possible since we're already on red alert," said OZS head Branko Meh.

Moreover, OZS pointed to the unenviable situation coach companies have found themselves in since the outbreak, listing cancellations from travel agencies spanning until June and demand dropping by as much as 95%. The chamber highlighted that companies would have to deal with long-term ramifications as well.

The Labour Ministry has already drafted an emergency bill to subsidise pay for workers temporarily sent on furlough. It has announced that it will send the proposal for examination to social partners as early as today so it was ready to be passed should the need arise.

Under the proposal, subsidies would be granted to companies that would be forced to temporarily lay off at least half of their workforce. The workers on furlough for up to three months would get 80% of the average pay for the past three months.

The state would cover 40% of their pay as well as 40% of the pay for the employees under quarantine ordered by the Health Ministry. The remaining 60% would be covered by employers.

The companies claiming subsidies would have to commit to preserve the jobs of the workers on furlough for at least six more months after the start of such temporary lay-offs.

All our stories on coronavirus and Slovenia are here

06 Mar 2020, 15:00 PM

Slovenia #2 Emerging Destination According to USTOA Survey

According to the United States Tour Operators Association annual survey, Slovenia is high on the list of emerging tourist destinations that “promise a fuller sense of discovery”.

Slovenia made the list for the first time at second place, indicating the fast growing interest in the country by the international travelers seeking more authentic, off-the beaten-path experiences.

While Egypt, Croatia and Colombia tied for first place in travel trends, Slovenia is followed by Thailand and Vietnam, with Morocco and Ethiopia tying for fifth.

An example tour of Slovenia was presented in combination with Croatian Istria by countrwalkers.com, a hiking and walking travel agency promising “places you’d never find on your own”. The seven day tour includes pletna boat ride across Lake Bled, a tour through wine and olive oil region and an excursion to Croatia for a Mirna River Valley truffle hunt. Rates start at $4,448 per person.

06 Mar 2020, 13:11 PM

Bill to Reintroduce Conscription in Slovenia Fails at First Vote in Parliament

STA, 5 March 202 - A proposal to reintroduce mandatory military service tabled by the incoming ruling Democrats (SDS) was defeated in parliament on Thursday in a 36:51 vote. Apart from the SDS, the Pensioners' Party (DeSUS) and National Party (SNS) were in favour of the proposal, but failed to convince the others.

The Modern Centre Party (SMC) and New Slovenia (NSi), the two of the four parties forming the new SDS-led coalition, did not back the bill, same as the newly-formed opposition.

The SDS tabled the proposal in January before outgoing Prime Minister Marjan Šarec's resignation. It envisaged military service of six months or civil service of twelve months for conscientious objectors.

The first reading of the proposal took place on Wednesday, with the SDS highlighting that reintroducing conscription would reinforce Slovenia's standing army and military reserves.

The caretaker government did not support the amendment, with Defence Ministry State Secretary Nataša Dolenc saying that compulsory service was not warranted and that any changes to the system should be based on a comprehensive analysis.

Most critical were members of the Left, highlighting that instead the state should come up with actual solutions for the issues of the young and announcing that, should the proposal be adopted, the party would use any means available to fight its implementation, including a referendum.

06 Mar 2020, 09:58 AM

Hoče Confectioner Found Guilty of Serving Cannabis Cookies to Unsuspecting Customers

STA, 5 March 2020 - In a court epilogue of a cannabis poisoning story that made headlines in 2017, a confectioner from Hoče near Maribor has been handed a 15-month suspended prison sentence for having served cannabis-laced cookies to four of his regular but unsuspecting customers.

Niko Štekar failed to convince the judge that Zlatko Babič, a retired health inspector and fellow Hoče resident, had not informed him of the nature of the butter Babič provided as part of a cookie baking request.

Štekar reportedly baked roughly a kilo of cookies with the THC-laced butter, keeping a share of the product for himself and offering it at one point to four guests without a warning.

Two of the guests - one said he had had ten pieces - ended up in hospital to be diagnosed with THC poisoning.

The couple testified they were convinced that Štekar, who described the cookies as excellent as he detailed the recipe in court, had known the cookies were laced, saying a strange grin escaped him as they started feeling strange in the store and confronted him.

This was also claimed by retired health inspector Babič, who said he had informed the confectioner of the type of butter he was dealing with beforehand.

Babič, who was reported to the police by Štehar, was also facing charges over the manufacture of narcotic drugs, but the judge agreed the purpose of four plants discovered in his garden had indeed been personal use for the alleviation of health issues.

This was not the only widely publicised case of this sort in Slovenia in recent years.

The other involved the organiser of a cannabis plant workshop, which was held in Vrbje near Celje in 2015 and ended with 15 of the 40 participants requiring medical assistance.

Many of the poisoned participants were pensioners and the assistance of a firefighting unit was necessary at the site to get them down from a hay drying frame they had climbed on.

The organiser, who admitted the deed an got away with a one-year suspended prison sentence, said he had not counted on the factor of people eating more of something if it was free.

All our stories on marijuana and Slovenia are here

06 Mar 2020, 09:40 AM

Lotrič Metrology Wins Business Excellence Award

STA, 4 March 2020 - Lotrič Meroslovje (Lotrič Metrology) is the winner of this year's Business Excellence Award conferred by the Ministry of Economic Development and Technology and the SPIRIT agency. The metrology company was also given at Wednesday's ceremony the certificate promoting the EFQM European model of excellence for the next three years.

This is the second Business Excellence Award for the private company based in Selca, east of Kranj, with the first coming in 2012.

Coming second in this year's selection process was the operator of the Brestanica Gas Thermal Power Plant, which too received the certificate from the European Foundation for Quality Management (EFQM).

The award ceremony in Ljubljana was attended by Economic Development and Technology Minister Zdravko Počivalšek, who said that business excellence should be put in the spotlight, as it was a foundation for competitiveness.

He added that achieving business efficiency and competitiveness was closely related to digital transformation.

"The ministry is establishing a systemic approach supporting companies, with EUR 32 million to be secured through implementing organisations by the end of the current financial perspective," Počivalšek said.

Moreover, the ministry will earmark EUR 12 million for projects aimed at improving the efficiency of operations and sustainable strategic transformation this year.

Ajda Cuderman, the head of the SPIRIT agency, said on the occasion that Slovenia was making progress on international competitiveness rankings, adding that the results could be further improved by introducing business excellence.

Marko Lotrič, the director of the award-winning company, confirmed in a statement for the STA that the business excellence certificate was "key for opening markets".

"This and the fact that we are a family company are the important reasons why business partners pick us," he said, adding that achieving business excellence was a matter of changes in many fields, including leadership and strategies.

Last year, the Business Excellence Award went to the British-owned car industry supplier GKN Driveline Slovenija, following two years during which the award was not conferred.

You can learn more about the company here

06 Mar 2020, 09:30 AM

Pipistrel Signs Deal to Make Electric Aircraft for Australia

STA, 5 March 2020 - The Slovenian ultralight aircraft maker Pipistrel has signed a letter of intent with Australian company Eyre to There for the production of the electric two-seaters Alpha Electro. In the first phase 15 aircraft are to be exported to Australia, later the aircraft would be produced there.

Eyre to There would thus become the first producer of electric planes in Australia. It could produce up to a hundred planes a year, Pipistrel told the STA, adding that the deal with the Australian company is still in its initial phase.

A two-seat electric plane is ideal for flight training, Eyre to There CEO Barrie Rogers told the Australian magazine Aviation.

The 250 flight schools registered in Australia are currently using some 3,400 aircraft for training. A quarter of the training is dedicated to take-offs and landing near airports and Pipistrel's aircraft are very much appropriate for this, Rogers said.

05 Mar 2020, 23:42 PM

Morning Headlines for Slovenia: Friday, 6 March 2020

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:

Coronavirus cases in Slovenia increase to six

LJUBLJANA - The number of people confirmed to have been infected with the novel coronavirus in Slovenia increased to six. Health authorities confirmed that two persons had contracted the virus from the first confirmed patient, a man aged about 60, who had returned from an organised motorbike tour of Morocco via Marco Polo Airport in Venice on 29 February. About 20 persons have been identified that were in close contact with the first patient. Health officials told TV Sloveija that a man and a woman who had travelled around Italy had also tested positive. They were apparently unrelated to the Morocco group. A younger man from Štajersko also tested positive.

Tour operators in Slovenia significantly affected by coronavirus

LJUBLJANA - Several travel agencies report a significant drop in business because of the new coronavirus. The agencies organising tourist trips in Slovenia are particularly affected, while those offering trips abroad have noticed a change of tourism flows. Several tour operators said all or almost all trips for March had been cancelled. Plans for Easter and 1 May holidays are also being cancelled. Big travel agencies offering trips to other countries are not particularly affected for now.

Bill ready to subsidise businesses hurt by coronavirus

LJUBLJANA - The Labour Ministry drew up an emergency bill to subsidise companies for part of pay of workers temporarily laid off as a result of the impact of the global coronavirus outbreak, Radio Slovenija reported. Workers on furlough for up to three months would get 80% of the average pay for the past three months, of which 40% would be subsidised by the state. Companies would be eligible for the subsidy if they were forced to temporarily lay off more than half of the workforce.

Electoral reform short of needed majority

LJUBLJANA - A bipartisan bill designed to reform electoral law by abolishing electoral districts and introducing a preference vote at the level of the existing eight electoral units, fell three votes short of the needed two-thirds majority to pass at the National Assembly. The bill was put forward in response to the Constitutional Court's ruling from December 2018 that gave parliament two years to re-establish the one-person-one-vote rule, distorted by the varying sizes of electoral districts.

Zorčič appointed speaker of parliament

LJUBLJANA - Igor Zorčič, former deputy group leader of the Modern Centre Party (SMC), was elected parliamentary speaker by secret ballot in a 48:29 vote. He will succeed Social Democrat (SD) leader Dejan Židan, who stepped down as soon as Janez Janša was elected prime minister, to become the 14th speaker of the National Assembly. Zorčič pledged to build parliamentary democracy in the next two years in cooperation with all MPs.

Outgoing PM denies political staffing for EU presidency

LJUBLJANA - Marjan Šarec, the outgoing prime minister, denied allegation that his caretaker government was involved in politically-motivated staffing after government departments issued short-notice calls for applications to fill posts for Slovenia's presidency of the Council of the EU. "This is a technical procedure and no political staffing whatsoever," Šarec told reporters, adding that the application process had been ongoing and that the posts were being filled now because the staff would need to undergo training.

Conscription reintroduction proposal defeated

LJUBLJANA - A proposal to reintroduce mandatory military service tabled by the incoming ruling Democrats (SDS) was defeated in parliament in a 36:51 vote. Apart from the SDS, the Pensioners' Party (DeSUS) and National Party (SNS) were in favour of the proposal, but failed to convince the others. The Modern Centre Party (SMC) and New Slovenia (NSi), the two of the four parties forming the new SDS-led coalition, did not back the bill, same as the newly-formed opposition.

Govt endorses climate fund allocations through 2023

LJUBLJANA - The caretaker government endorsed a scheme for drawing funds from the national climate fund in 2020-2023. Some EUR 350 million is projected to be available. A total of EUR 106.3 million is to be allocated for tackling climate change this year, EUR 109.6 million in 2021, EUR 70.2 million in 2022 and EUR 63.9 million in 2023. The measures eligible for funding range from the promotion of green mobility to awareness raising and R&D.

Environmental protection programme passed

LJUBLJANA - The National Assembly endorsed the national environmental protection programme for the period until 2030, whose implementation will cost an estimated 47 million to 53 million euro a year. The document sets out goals within three areas: protecting, preserving and improving the state of natural resources, a low-carbon society, and dealing with key environmental risks. MPs criticised the document for being lacking on concrete targets.

Manager Association proposes gender-balanced corporate boards

LJUBLJANA - The Manager Association presented a bill demanding balanced representation of both genders on the supervisory and management boards of companies. In line with the proposal, a three-member supervisory board would have to have at least 33% members of the under-represented gender. On a supervisory board with four or more members the share would have to be at least 40%. The association is also pushing for compulsory rules requiring companies to adopt a gender diversity policy and says the Economy Ministry supports the motion in principle.

Statute of limitations for sexual offences extended

LJUBLJANA - The National Assembly unanimously endorsed amendments to the penal code to extend the statute of limitations for gravest sexual offences to between 30 and 90 years, up from between 10 and 30 years under the current law. The amendments were proposed by New Slovenia (NSi). Parliament also endorsed an amendment to the property code law in a 47:37 vote to introduce a new definition of animals - they are no longer things, but sentient living beings.

Nazi collaborator verdict annulment goes to top court

LJUBLJANA - The Association of WWII Veterans, the Jewish Community in Slovenia and six victims of the WWII Home Guard militia have petitioned the Constitutional Court to review the recent decision of the Supreme Court to annual the 1946 treason verdict of Leon Rupnik, a Nazi collaborationist general.
They argue the Supreme Court's decision to order a retrial was a grave interference in their dignity, right to safety and a violation of international standards and treaties Slovenia must comply with.

Slovenia nearing EU average in GDP per capita

LUXEMBOURG, Luxembourg - Slovenia's per capita GDP in purchasing power standards reached 87% of the EU average in 2018, up two percentage points on 2017. GDP per capita is a key criterion for eligibility for EU structural funds. The improvement means the country may see an even bigger drop in the amount of cohesion funds it will have available in the 2021-2027 financial framework.

Safety concerns as waste management firm shut down

VRHNIKA - Kemis, one of the two biggest hazardous waste management companies in Slovenia, was cut off power supply on Wednesday after building authorities found that much of the facility near Vrhnika had been rebuilt illegally following a May 2017 fire. There are 800 tonnes of waste, of which 70% hazardous, still at the facility. Kemis called the decision irrational, expressing concern about the risk of fire. The facility treats more than 25% of the nation's waste.

Pipistrel to produce electric aircraft for Australia

AJDOVŠČINA - The Slovenian ultralight aircraft maker Pipistrel signed a letter of intent with Australian company Eyre to There Aviation for the production of the electric two-seaters Alpha Electro. In the first phase 15 aircraft are to be exported to Australia, later the aircraft would be produced there. Eyre to There would thus become the first producer of electric planes in Australia. It could produce up to a hundred planes a year, Pipistrel told the STA.

Slovenia, Bled win sustainable tourism awards

LJUBLJANA - Slovenia's national programme for sustainable development of tourism and the lakeside resort of Bled are among this year's recipients of the Sustainable Top 100 Destination Awards. The Slovenian Tourist Board won the Best of Europe category for introducing sustainable models in tourism at the national level as part of the Green Scheme of Slovenian Tourism. Bled placed third in the ITB Earth Award category with its campaign to reduce waste.

Red Dawns focuses on connecting all collectives fighting for equality

LJUBLJANA - An exhibition exploring feminist themes in the post-Yugoslav era at Alkatraz Gallery in Ljubljana's Metelkova centre launched the feminist and queer festival Red Dawns. The festival will focus on connecting different collectives, both domestic and international, which are fighting for equality.

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

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