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:

Matjaž Merkan steps down as CEO of Telekom Slovenije

LJUBLJANA - Matjaž Merkan, the chairman and CEO of the state-owned telecoms incumbent Telekom Slovenije, resigned after less than two months on the job effective immediately. The resignation, submitted at a supervisory board session, comes after days of media reports that Merkan was on his way out. Radio Slovenija said he would step down after refusing to launch an inquiry into his predecessor Rudolf Skobe, whose tenure has been in the spotlight after Telekom has been ordered by an arbitration tribunal to pay millions to the Greek Antenna Group, which wants to exit a media joint venture.

All clear for repatriation of Slovenians from Venezuela

LJUBLJANA - The government adopted an action plan that lays the groundwork for accepting persons of Slovenian descent who have asked for repatriation from Venezuela. A total of EUR 1.2 million has been set aside for a project that has been months in the making. The Office for Slovenians Abroad has so far received 17 requests for a total of 53 individuals, while the money covers a maximum of 70 persons over the 15-month validity of the repatriation status, State Secretary Olga Belec told the press about the "pioneering project". Official data show 335 Slovenian citizens live in Venezuela, with another several hundred who are of Slovenian stock but do not have citizenship.

Insurer Triglav's net profit up 1% in first nine months

LJUBLJANA - Zavarovalnica Triglav, Slovenia's largest insurer, said it had posted group net profit of EUR 59.1 million for January-September, a 1% year-on-year increase. Gross written premiums rose by a tenth to EUR 905.5 million. Premium growth was recorded in all three insurance segments and in most group markets, with non-life insurance premiums up by 11% and health insurance premiums rising by 22%. Life and pension insurance premiums grew by a more modest 2%. Claims payouts remained constrained, rising by just 2% year-on-year to EUR 505.5 million.

Bidding for Divača-Koper port rail track open until 20 December

LJUBLJANA - 2TDK, the state-owned company managing the construction of the new rail track between the port of Koper and the Divača hub, announced a two-stage tender process for the EUR 1bn-plus project. Bids are scheduled to be opened on 20 December and, absent major issues with appeals, construction could start in the second half of 2020. 2TDK director Marko Brezigar said that two separate calls for bids are to be published in the coming days, one pertaining to the Divača-Črni Kal section of the rail track and one to the Črni Kal-Koper part. 2TDK moreover wants to first examine the competences of the bidders and only then start discussing prices.

Minister Pivec challenging Erjavec for DeSUS leadership

LJUBLJANA - Agriculture Minister Aleksandra Pivec announced for the STA that she would run for the leader of the Pensioners' Party (DeSUS) at the election congress in January, thus challenging DeSUS's long-standing leader Karl Erjavec, the defence minister, to fight for the top position. Pivec believes that she could provide new strategies and perspectives as well as a different approach to leading the coalition party. Responding to the challenge, Erjavec said DeSUS was a democratic party and that every member was free to bid for the top post. The congress will be held on 17 January, with the deadline for bids being set on Friday. Apart from Erjavec and Pivec, other names have come up as possible candidates vying for the DeSUS top position as well.

Speaker may urge govt to declare climate crisis

LJUBLJANA - The National Assembly hosted a debate on climate change that encouraged Speaker Dejan Židan to announce he may call on the government to declare a climate crisis. He expects to receive a number of letters urging him to do so after the discussion. Indeed, Andrej Gnezda of the environmental NGO Umanotera said that more than 230 NGOs had so far called on the government to declare a climate crisis while Environment and Spatial Planning Minister Simon Zajc said that Slovenia already felt the consequences of climate change.

Fiscal Council unhappy with amended budget documents too

LJUBLJANA - The Fiscal Council repeated its concerns about the risks inherent in the budget documents for the coming two years, even after these have been amended by the government. The government has amended the budget documents for 2020 and 2021 by integrating the effects of the new income tax legislation, and the documents will be debated by the Finance Committee on Friday before being submitted for the final passage at the plenary session of parliament starting on 18 November. However, in a new assessment the Fiscal Council said that there were still discrepancies between the projections of some items and the measures valid or proposed.

SDS deputy Mahnič under fire for "mafia" statement related to top court

LJUBLJANA - Former Constitutional Court judge Matevž Krivic urged the Constitutional Court and President Borut Pahor to bring defamation charges against opposition Democrat (SDS) MP Žan Mahnič for calling the top court "mafia" as Mahnič responsed on Wednesday to the court imposing a temporary injunction preventing a parliamentary inquiry he chairs from investigate prosecutors. Mahnič's comments were also denounced by the State Prosecutors' Association, which labelled them unacceptable. Pahor's office said the president continues to reiterate that everyone, politicians in particular, should refrain from making any statements that could be understood as insulting, intolerant or hostile.

Govt restricting access to classified info

LJUBLJANA - The government adopted amendments to the classified information act in a bid to improve security of such data, with the circle of officials with access being narrowed in line with NATO and EU standards. The government said the major aim was to improve the efficiency of the classified information system and enhance the protection of such data. The bill introduces provisions on protection of classified information in communication and information systems, and sets out explicitly the responsibilities of the relevant government office.

Creative sector seen as a generator of stability

LJUBLJANA - The cultural and creative sector is increasingly becoming a strategic asset, an engine of economic growth and a key generator of social stability, Foreign Minister Miro Cerar stressed as part of the Creative Forum Ljubljana. As Culture Minister Zoran Poznič also addressed a high-level political conference on the third day of the event hosted by the Foreign Ministry, the Union for the Mediterranean, and the German Agency for International Cooperation, Culture Minister Zoran Poznič called for humanisation of technology. The event will close on Friday.

The Login couple again by far wealthiest Slovenians

LJUBLJANA - The total assets of 100 wealthiest Slovenians amount to EUR 5.6 billion, down 2% over 2018, the magazine Manager reported, attributing the drop to a worse outlook for doing business. The spouses Iza Sia Login and Samo Login, the main founders of Outfit7, the company which has developed globally popular apps, continue to top the list for the sixth year running, with their assets estimated at EUR 689 million, the same as in 2018. The wealth of the 2nd placed Sandi Češko and his partner Livija Dolanc, who recently sold their 55% stake in Studio Moderna, an omni-channel retailer, is estimated much lower than that of the Logins, at EUR 296 million, a drop of 11% from last year.

Studio Moderna gets new CEO

LJUBLJANA - The Slovenian-founded omni-channel retailer Studio Moderna got a new CEO, as Jan Heere, former global managing director of the cosmetic division at Percassi Group, was appointed to the post. He will succeed Adrian Burleton, who was CEO for the last eight years, and who will go on to become chairman. Prior to his post at Percassi Group, Heere held various senior positions at a Spanish multinational clothing company Inditex, and also served as international director at Marks and Spencer. Studio Moderna, founded in 1992 by Sandi Češko, one of the richest Slovenians, has evolved into a leading omni-channel e-commerce and direct-to-consumer platform in CEE.

Slovenians increasingly eager for fruit

LJUBLJANA - Cereals, vegetables and meat dominate the Slovenian diet, with the consumption of all three food groups staying mostly level last year compared to 2017. Slovenians ate more fruit in 2018 on the annual level - 88 kilos per capita, up 16 kilos on 2017. Domestic fruit growers picked some 192,500 tonnes of fruit last year, with the harvest being five times better compared to the previous year due to favourable weather conditions, the Statistics Office said. Slovenian fruit consumption almost doubled compared to 2017 - some 400,000 tonnes of fruit were consumed in 2018, with the self-sufficiency rate for fruit (47%) increasing by as much as 32 percentage points.

Slovenia's project at Venice architecture biennial about co-op homes

LJUBLJANA - Slovenia's showpiece at the 17th International Architecture Exhibition in Venice next year will be a project exploring the 70-year history of co-operative homes as centres of small-town social life. The project Common in Community has been created by architects Blaž Babnik Romaniuk and Rastko Pečar and curators Martina Malešič and Asta Vrečko, both art historians, the Culture Ministry announced. The Slovenian pavilion at the Arsenal will be open between 23 May and 29 November 2020, with Matevž Čelik Vidmar, director of the Ljubljana Museum of Architecture and Design, as the commissioner.

Ljubljana Biennial of Design to explore information crisis

LJUBLJANA - The 26th Biennial of Design (BIO 26) got under way in Ljubljana. Running until 9 February under the title Common Knowledge it will explore the information crisis and the struggles of traditional bearers of truth. Elaborating on the concept of BIO 26 for the STA, its curator Thomas Geisler said design, in particular graphic design, had always had the task of translating information and knowledge or visualising complex content.

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

How long have you been living in Slovenia, and where do you live?
I moved to Slovenia in March 2018 to be with my fiancée Anita who is a Slovenian national. We are currently living in Ljubljana, where Anita works.

I first met her via Couchsurfing in 2015. She asked me many questions about travelling around India. Unfortunately, we never met up at that time as I was out of Delhi on a tour, however we remained in contact. At the end of 2016 we arranged to do a month long yoga teaching course in Rishikesh together and from there on it was a bit like a Bollywood movie … love at first sight!

After the course we did some motorbike touring up into Nepal before Anita returned to Prague. In 2017 she returned to India again for 6 months, during which time she lived with my family. Eventually, I joined her in Slovenia in March 2018 and we got married in India a year later, then came back to Slovenia in April to make our lives here.

How do you find living in Slovenia so far? Any major obstacles?
The decision to move to Slovenia was hard, because I’d never considered living outside of India prior to meeting Anita. Obviously getting a visa was the biggest obstacle, but since I got my working/living permit for Slovenia things are improving.

That said, many things here are more expensive than in India. The language was difficult at the beginning, but now I can understand people well and also speak okay, as my free 180-hour Slovene language course is still going on. I’m also a resident in Slovenia, and can work freely. The process was easy, but it took five months before I received my documents.

What has been your experience of culture shock?
The culture here in Slovenia is very different to India and the way of living is really very different then what I am used to, but I am lucky to have knowledge of yoga philosophy, which really helps me accept people in general wherever I go.

How do you feel about Slovenian food and drink?
Since I am vegetarian I cook my own Indian food mostly at home, and I do love Slovenian food too, as my mother-in-law really cook lots of different veggie meals for me and my wife. We both love it, and I must say there is lots of nice vegetarian food here as well.

What things frustrate you about life in Slovenia?
Nothing really frustrater’s me about life here. I just wish people in general would know that when they get angry they’re harming themselves more than anyone else, such as when they’re driving.

What things delight you?
I love hiking and Slovenia has delighted me with all the beautiful hikes, paths and views. The lakes are really amazing, and now I’ve swum in most of the Slovenian lakes already, and hiked to the top of Triglav.

What do you do for work here?
When I left my school in 2007 I joined my dad in our family-based travel agency, Adventure Holiday Tours in Delhi, India. My work in India was to show visitors around the country and organize their tours with our private English-speaking drivers. Our company has a great team of drivers, and a very good reputation online because we made sure that everyone enjoyed their India Tour with us. Now here in Slovenia I started a similar company since I received my work permit – Adventure Holiday Tours, Tarun Sharma s.p.

My wife and I travelled around a lot of Slovenia before I received my permit to live and work here, she showed me the parts that even a lot of Slovenians haven’t been too. This was great, since my background is showing people around and making sure they enjoy their time, whether it’s in India or Slovenia. I am happy to say that it’s going well, and I’ve also put together a good team of local English-speaking drivers who work for me when I am not available.

If you want to learn more about the tours of Slovenia you can visit our website, Adventure Holiday Tours Slovenia., and take a look at the TripAdvisor reviews.

Slovenian food isn’t very colourful or spicy – is that a problem for your clients?
I have clients from India and all over the world. Indian clients always prefer Indian food or vegetarian food and since I know lots of good vegetarian places around Slovenia, it makes a lot easier for them.

Do your clients usually come to visit only Slovenia, or is it combined with other countries?
When people come to me, they come to visit Slovenia and also nearby places like Venice, Vienna, Zagreb and Plitvice lakes in Croatia, and even further, like Prague.

Where do you usually take people in Slovenia?
I usually take people to all the must-see sights, like Lake Bled, Lake Bohinj, Lake Jasna, Soča Valley, Kobarid, Skočjan Cave, Postojna Cave, Piran, Portorož , hiking to Velika Planina, Logar Valley, Lake Jezersko, Ptuj and a lot more places where even my Slovene friends haven’t been.

So far Slovenia Lake Bled and Postojna Caves are the most popular places with my clients, and the wine-tasting tours, along with visiting the country to experience Slovene village life, are also very well liked.

And you also take people from Slovenia on tours of India?
Yes, I started a Yoga retreat tour plan so that I can go back home myself and show Slovenians the best of India. It’s a very different country, and to experience India you must really be open and except it as it is. For Yoga Retreat Plan you can visit my website.

You also teach yoga, meditation, give massages and have cooking classes. What’s your background with all that?
As an Indian, yoga philosophy is always around every family, and I practiced yoga in school. My wife and I did a Yoga Teacher Training Course in India together in 2016, and continued to practice after this. We mainly did the course for our own and our family’s health. When we made the decision to move to Slovenia I started Yoga Classes and Ajurveda Marma Massages in Ljubljana Slovenia yoga studio. I started to love the feeling of showing people how to breathe properly and how to work with asanas (yoga postures), which can help the body/mind feel relaxed.

I teach Hatha Yoga, Vinyasa Yoga, Pranayama, Yoga Nidra and meditation. For me it`s very important to get people to have more awareness of their body/mind so that they can start taking care of themselves. Most of the time we are too busy with work and we forget to make time for the most important things – “our body”, “our mind” and “our health”.

I did a few Ajurveda courses and one of my favourite was Ajurvedic Marma Massage therapy course. Marmas are the pressure points throughout our body that help in proper circulation / flow and also relax the nervous system. It can help people who have stress, depression or are suffering from some pain in the body. People can already feel the benefit of the massage within a day, and the changes in the body. If you want to learn more about Yoga classes or Marma Massages you can visit my website.

I also teach Traditional Indian food cooking classes. This includes variety of different lentil dishes as well as vegetable dishes. I have spices from India which makes my food lessons interesting and makes the dishes taste like real Indian food in India. I learned most of my cooking from my mom. We provide Indian food cooking classes in our Delhi home to visitors, and I love to share the similar experience for the locals in Slovenia.

STA, 14 November - The total assets of 100 wealthiest Slovenians amount to EUR 5.6 billion, down 2% over 2018, the magazine Manager says on Thursday, attributing the drop to a worse outlook for doing business. The spouses Iza Sia Login and Samo Login continue to top the list for the sixth year running.

The Logins are the main founders of Outfit7, the company which has developed globally popular apps, which was sold for US$1 billion to China's United Luck Group in 2017.

Their assets are estimated at EUR 689 million, the same as in 2018.

Similarly, the second placed Sandi Češko and his partner Livija Dolanc have recently sold their 55% stake in Studio Moderna, an omni-channel retailer.

But their wealth is estimated much lower than that of the Logins, at EUR 296 million, a drop of 11% from last year.

Marko Pistotnik is another former owner of Outfit7 among the top 10, placing third with assets worth EUR 210 million, flat with 2018.

Placing fourth is the Lah family of financial investors with EUR 169 million, up 11%, followed by Joc Pečečnik, owner of gaming products provider Interblock, with EUR 155 million, down 20%.

Igor Akrapovič, the owner of exhaust maker Akrapovič, placed sixth with EUR 135 million, up 4%, while Damian Merlak, who sold his cryptocurrency exchange Bitstamp last year, is eighth with EUR 124m.

Rounding off the top ten rankings is construction magnate Dari Južna and his spouse Vesna Južna, whom Manager estimates to have EUR 111 million, up 10%.

The biggest leap was made by Boštjan Bandelj, founder of Belektron, a fast-growing company trading in emission coupons. His assets rose by 150% to EUR 98.8 million.

The magazine says that ever more founders of companies managing parking lots make it to the 100 top list, having constantly invested in the companies developing them to net tens of million euros.

The profit and loss statements of the companies owned by the wealthiest lot show that many have practically no debt, Manager points out.

This year's list features only one newcomer, while ten individuals or families made it to the list again after a break.

The magazine also notes that the least wealthy of the 100 richest Slovenians has EUR 22.2 million in assets, EUR 2 million less than the last-placed last year.

TOP 10

1  Iza and Samo Login             EUR 689m (+0%)
2  Sandi Češko and Livija Dolanc  EUR 296m (-11%)
3  Marko Pistotnik                EUR 210m (+0%)
4  Lah family                     EUR 169m (+11%)
5  Joc Pečečnik                   EUR 155m (-20%)
6  Igor Akrapovič                 EUR 135m (+4%)
7  Tatjana and Albin Doberšek     EUR 126m (-31%)
8  Damian Merlak                  EUR 124m (+0%)
9  Franc Frelih                   EUR 112m (+20%)
10 Dari and Vesna Južna           EUR 111m (+10%)

Two law students from the University of Ljubljana, Katja Grünfeld and Iva Ramuš Cvetkovič, beat more than 100 teams from around the world in the Manfred Lachs Moot Court competition in Washington, DC. In this they put their knowledge of space law and international public law. into practice in order to win a lawsuit on behalf of a hypothetical state for the unlawful appropriation of a lunar base.

The teams put their cases before judges from the International Court of Justice in the championship, which was held between 21 and 25 October as part of the 70th International Astronautical Congress. The team from Slovenia – which consisted of Katja Grünfeld and Iva Ramuš Cvetkovič, Rok Kljajič as coach, and Vasilka Sancin as mentor – had already won the European heats, beating a team from the University of Vienna in the final.

The Manfred Lachs Space Law Moot Court is a competition in space law and international public law organised by the International Institute of Space Law and the European Centre for Space Law. The finals in Washington were in the form of simulated proceedings before the International Court of Justice in the Hague, and with both a written part and a live hearing.

Each team prepared two written memorandums, one for the plaintiff and one for the defendant. In these they presented legal arguments and facts supporting the individual claims addressed to the International Court of Justice in connection with a hypothetical case.

The second-placed team, winners of the African heat, was from the International Law Students Association (ILSA) of the University of Calabar, Nigeria, which included Ebruka Nelly-Helen Neji and Ushie Augustine Eneji.

STA, 13 November 2019 - The Slovenian National Security Council has called on the government to table legislation that would allow law enforcement to prosecute paramilitary militias, which have recently sprung up and started to patrol the border to keep illegal migrants out.

Changes to the penal code and misdemeanour regulations are needed to "appropriately sanction association and activities by various organisations that encroach on the powers of state authorities", the National Security Council said after Wednesday's session.

The appeal comes in the aftermath of increased activity by militias including the Štajerska Guard, whose leader Andrej Šiško was sentenced to eight months in prison earlier this year for attempting to subvert the constitutional order.

Šiško is no longer in prison, having served out most of his sentence in pre-trial detention, and in recent months his group has stepped up activities.

When he was arrested in September last year, his Štajerska Guard had only gathered for training in the woods near Maribor; in recent weeks they have been patrolling the border with Croatia in fatigues and wearing airsoft rifles, posing as defenders of the southern border.

This is the same area, along the river Kolpa, where a local family has taken it upon themselves to "protect the border" by patrolling the riverside.

Concern about their activities has been rising, with the police, which have been keeping an eye on militia activities, for example writing on Tumblr today that they were opposed to such militias, whose activities "constitute a certain degree of security risk".

The Interior Ministry said it had "zero tolerance" to such actions, noting that "the law gives the state monopoly over the use of force". It said the police would immediately act on suspicion of criminal activity and misdemeanour.

The statements by police and the Interior Ministry suggest the authorities think they cannot crack down on such conduct under existing law, hence the appeal for tougher regulation.

The fact is that the court did not find Šiško guilty of any unlawful conduct of his militia, he was convicted for trying to subvert the constitutional order by calling for a coup against the government.

All our stories on militias in Slovenia are here

Just a few days after the announcement that Michelin inspectors have been eating their way across the country for the first edition of a guide to Slovenia – further raising the profile of the nation’s culinary offer –  the 2020 edition of the Gault&Millau Slovenija guide has been launched. The event turned the spotlight on six Slovenian restaurants that the team behind the guide deem worthy of the full four toques, these are: Hiša Franko (Kobarid), Gostilna pri Lojzetu (Vipava), Hiša Denk (Zgornja Kungota), Restavracija Mak (Maribor), Ošterija Debeluh (Brežice) and Restavracija Strelec (Ljubljana).

In addtion to these the new guide, the second produced for Slovenia, also highlights a further 130 restaurants, 50 popular places, 50 Slovenian wineries  and 15 craft brewers, with the related website here.

STA, 12 November 2019 - The designers of the Planica Nordic Centre in north-eastern Slovenia has received a gold medal for an architectural achievement by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and the International Association for Sports and Leisure Facilities (IAKS) among almost 100 competing projects.

The awards were announced at the 26th international IAKS congress in Cologne, Germany, last week, and presented officially on Tuesday by the Slovenian Ministry of Education, Science and Sport.

The Nordic skiing complex with one ski flying hill, seven ski jumping hills and a cross-country skiing track is one of the seven recipients of the gold medals among a total of 98 competing projects.

What speaks of the success of the Planica Nordic Centre is that the award for an architectural achievement in the past went to the likes of Beijing National Stadium, also called The Bird's Nest, and National Stadium in Singapore.

For instance, the latter cost EUR 1.2 billion build, while the cost of the Planica Nordic Centre was around EUR 48 million.

The project by three architectural firms (Stvar, Abiro and Akka) has been recognised by an international jury as a "modern complex created by expanding and modernising the existing facilities in the Triglav National Park."

According to the jury, it is noted for versatile and year-round use for elite sport and major international events, as well as tourism and recreation, and is marked by its clear, linear design in harmony with the landscape.

The jury has also been impressed by the "magnificent integration of the facility into the landscape" and the use of an underground tunnel for cross-country skiing in the summer.

Matej Blenkuš of Abiro said at today's event that while there were financial constraints, the architects were happy to "build in one of the most beautiful environments in Slovenia."

Such an environment puts overly ambitious architects on realistic grounds, as it sends a message that no one should date to change such an environment," he added.

Aleš Vodopivec of Stvar said that the project was an "unbelievable challenge, but the award proves that we have been successful".

Apart from hosting the Ski Jumping World Cup finale every year, the Planica Nordic Centre will host the Nordic World Ski Championships in 2023, at which tens of thousands of fans are expected to show up.

All our stories on Planica are here

STA, 12 November 2019 - Several civil initiatives turned to the OECD over the plans of the British oil and gas exploration company Ascent Resources for hydraulic fracturing in eastern Slovenia. The move comes after the company announced it would demand damages from Slovenia for delays in obtaining a permit for the controversial gas extraction project.

The civil initiatives and organisations filed a complaint on Tuesday with the Slovenian and British national contact points for the OECD guidelines for multinational enterprises, demanding that Ascent Resources fully adhere to the guidelines.

"Given the gravity of the potential harmful effects of hydraulic fracturing adhering to the guidelines could very well mean that Ascent Resources will have to stop these activities immediately," said Lidija Živčič of NGO Focus, one of the 17 participating organisations and initiatives.

They believe Ascent Resources has in many aspects not adhered to the guidelines on corporate social responsibility, especially when it comes to the contribution to sustainable development, as hydraulic fracturing has been found to have multiple negative effects on local environment, people's health and the climate.

According to the civil initiatives, Ascent Resources also violated those guidelines by avoiding the legal constraints and claiming that hydraulic fracturing would not affect the environment.

"Ascent Resources also violated OECD guidelines through inconsistent implementation of due diligence measures and measures to minimise risks, but also by not demanding corporate social responsibility from its affiliate and contractors in Slovenia."

The NGOs claim that this is the first case of a complaint to the national contact point of OECD in Slovenia. "We expect the OECD to recognise the gravity of the violations and demand from the company to strictly implement the guidelines even if that meant Ascent Resources has to stop its fracking activities in Slovenia," Živčič said.

Operating in a joint venture with Geoenergo, which is co-owned by the Slovenian state-controlled energy companies Petrol and Nafta Lendava, the UK company wants to extract gas on a large scale in Petišovci in east Slovenia despite much controversy and problems in obtaining environmental permits.

The company announced this summer it would demand EUR 50 million in damages from Slovenia for delays in obtaining a permit to develop the Petišovci gas field.

It also plans to lodge an investment treaty arbitration claim under the Energy Charter Treaty.

It decided for the move after the Environment Ministry upheld a decision of the Environment Agency that an environmental impact assessment and a separate environmental permit are necessary before the project could start because the location of the gas wells was close to water sources and agricultural land.

All our stories on this case are here

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:

Record amount of Hungary-bound heroin seized at Koper port

LJUBLJANA/KOPER - Slovenian customs officers and police seized 730 kilos of heroin at the port of Koper in October, the largest heroin bust in the history of modern Slovenia. The shipment from Iran, the street value of which is estimated at up to EUR 87 million, was bound for a company in Budapest. The police and the Financial Administration (FURS) said a container shipment containing 437 rolls of polyethylene foil had been evaluated as risky at the port. Upon close inspection, it was discovered that 42 of the rolls contained 1,421 packs of heroin. The Slovenian authorities contacted colleagues in Hungary only to discover that they had already been conducting an investigation against known suspects.

Two-day postal strike ends with deal on pay rise

MARIBOR - After a two-day strike, postal services in the country were back to normal today as the management of national postal company Pošta Slovenije and the Trade Union of Postal Workers reached a deal late on Tuesday. The union, one of two in the company, had made several demands in late October, with all but one - a 10% pay rise - resolved before the strike, the first ever at Pošta Slovenije. It was agreed the wage bill for workers handling mail would increase to EUR 7.5 million, which is less than the EUR 12 million initially estimated. Wages are to rise over a period of two years, with the lowest ones rising by EUR 60-100 gross.

National Security Council wants tougher laws against militias

LJUBLJANA - The Slovenian National Security Council has called on the government to table legislation that would allow law enforcement to prosecute paramilitary militias, which have recently sprung up and started to patrol the border to keep illegal migrants out. Changes to the penal code and misdemeanour regulations are needed to "appropriately sanction association and activities by various organisations that encroach on the powers of state authorities", the National Security Council said after today's session. The appeal comes in the aftermath of increased activity by militias including the Štajerska Guard, whose leader Andrej Šiško was sentenced to eight months in prison earlier this year for attempting to subvert the constitutional order.

EU court to start oral hearings in Teran case on 3 December

LUXEMBOURG, Luxembourg - The General Court of the EU will start with oral hearings related to Slovenia's legal action against the European Commission for granting Croatia a derogation enabling it to use Teran, the name of red wine protected by Slovenia, on 3 December, shows the court's calendar. Although the word at the beginning of 2018 was that the court could issue a verdict by the end of 2019, the oral hearings will be held only at the beginning of this December. Slovenia brought the legal action in September 2017, protesting against the Commission's decision to enable Croatia to use the name Teran for a grape variety for the designated Hrvatska Istra (Croatian Istra) wine label under certain terms.

Kangler inquiry now unable to interview prosecutors

LJUBLJANA - The Constitutional Court has imposed another temporary injunction on the law and rules governing parliamentary inquiry. This means that, pending the court's final decision, the inquiry into prosecution of former Maribor Mayor Franc Kangler will not be able to interview prosecutors after the same restriction was imposed last month in relation to judges. The Supreme State Prosecution requested a review of the Kangler inquiry arguing it represents an encroachment on the judiciary's independence. The inquiry into the allegedly politically-motivated prosecution of Kangler was endorsed by the lower chamber of parliament in July on request of the upper chamber of parliament, a member of which is also former Mayor Kangler.

Slovenia supports collaboration among W Balkan countries, FM says

LJUBLJANA - Slovenia supports the cooperation of Balkan countries, such as in the case the mini-Schengen collaboration between North Macedonia, Serbia and Albania, Foreign Minister Miro Cerar told the parliamentary Foreign Policy Committee, arguing such actions also benefitted Slovenia. However, the key to these countries' better cooperation and success in the future will be their joining the EU, said Cerar, reiterating Slovenia's official position on EU enlargement towards the Western Balkans. He was also quizzed about response to a number of hotspots around the globe, including Turkey's intervention in Syria and drilling for oil off the coast of Cyprus, while the Committee also discussed, yet behind closed doors, the expansion of Slovenia's diplomatic and consular network.

High reps for succession broach all open issues

ZAGREB, Croatia - High representatives for succession to former Yugoslavia held their first meeting in four years to review the implementation of the 2001 succession agreement. Slovenia's High Representative for Succession Mateja Vraničar Erman said it was important that all successor countries agreed on the need to discuss all open issues. Aside from the need to digitise Yugoslav archives, Slovenia said it was necessary to come to an agreement on the use of the Yugoslav pavilion for the Venice Bienale, which Slovenia thinks should be used by all successor countries. Slovenia and Serbia also initiated a debate on the maintenance of war memorials and grave sites, Vraničar Erman said after the meeting. The next meeting is to be held in North Macedonia in June 2020.

Unhappy with imminent increase in minimum wage, employers urge new pay model

LJUBLJANA - Slovenian employers agreed at their annual get-together that the latest changes to the minimum wage called for a new pay model, which should be professional and fair and which should be a result of social dialogue. Opening the Day of Employers, the director general of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry (GZS), Sonja Šmuc, said employers had been "hit by the Sword of Damocles" against their will with last year's legislative changes which raise the minimum wage. In what is another expression of grievance over the 2020 minimum wage raise, the employers called on the ministries of labour and economy to help them come up with measures to mitigate the expected consequences, as they fear that many companies will be affected, especially in the light of the expected economic slowdown.

State-owned postal operator acquires logistics company Intereuropa

LJUBLJANA - Pošta Slovenije, the state-owned postal operator, completed the acquisition of a 72% stake in logistics company Intereuropa, which cost it EUR 28.75 million. The company will now publish a takeover bid for the outstanding Intereuropa stock and for its subsidiaries in Serbia, Montenegro and Bosna-Herzegovina. Pošta's director general Boris Novak said the acquisition was one of the most important steps in the company's history and its biggest investment to date, announced Intereuropa's integration into the Pošta Slovenije group would create one of the biggest logistics companies in the country. "Our goal is to become the leading provider of comprehensive logistics solutions in the wider SE European region," he said.

Slovenian life expectancy above OECD average, cancer mortality worse

LJUBLJANA - A recent OECD report on health indicators shows that life expectancy in Slovenia of 81.1 years is slightly above the OECD countries' average of 81 years. Slovenians also eat more fruit and vegetables than the average, while the country's cancer mortality and suicide rates are above it; 243 persons die from cancer out of 100,000 citizens in Slovenia, while the OECD average stands at 201. As for suicide, Slovenia ranks third among OECD countries with 18.1 persons committing suicide out of 100,000 citizens, placing behind Lithuania and South Korea. Slovenians, however, exercise more than residents of the other OECD countries on average, but they also consume more alcohol and cigarettes.

Hungarian driver dies as his truck plummets from viaduct

LJUBLJANA - A 53-year-old Hungarian truck driver died as his tank truck came crashing off one of the viaducts on Ljubljana's ring road, plummeting some 20 metres, during this morning's rush hour. The Ljubljana Police Department said the accident happened when a 40-year Slovenian car driver crashed into the truck due to speeding. The driver was not driving under the influence, and was not injured. The tank truck did not carry hazardous cargo. The police investigation is continuing on suspicion that the car driver caused a car crash out of negligence, which carries a prison sentence of up to eight years.

LIFFe gets under way with acclaimed US filmmaker

LJUBLJANA - The 30th Ljubljana International Film Festival (LIFFe) will get under way this evening with Tommaso, the latest film by acclaimed US filmmaker Abel Ferrara, a personal tale portraying the struggles of a recovering addict and ageing artist. Ferrara is also this year's honorary guest of the festival and will be honoured with a retrospective. The festival, running until 24 November, will feature almost 100 feature films and 25 shorts, also bringing acclaimed and experimental productions to Maribor, Celje and Novo Mesto.

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Slovenia is shocked by the footage published by the Slovenian Motorway Company (DARS) featuring a deadly accident which happened on Ljubljana ring road this morning.

The accident occurred when a 41-year-old Slovenian driver of an Opel Corsa lost control over his vehicle due to driving too fast for the conditions, and hit the truck he was passing. The truck broke through the safety barrier and fell from the viaduct, down about 20 metres. The 53-year-old Hungarian driver did not survive the accident while the driver of a car sustained no injuries.

Traffic on the motorway in the direction of Styria was obstructed until 12:30. Police meanwhile continue to gather information on the causes of the accident. Due to suspicion of causing of an accident due to negligent driving, which is a criminal offence, the findings will be reported to the district attorney's office. The person who caused the accident could face up to 8 years in prison.

DARS decided to publish the video of the horrific traffic accident as a reminder to drivers of how quickly an accident can occur.