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Slovenia joins appeal against rash changes to EU treaties

BRUSSELS, Belgium - About ten EU countries, including Slovenia, have drawn up a non-paper on the outcome of and follow-up to the Conference on the Future of Europe, warning against rash changes to EU treaties. In the document obtained by the STA the countries say the ideas presented by citizens at the conference "should not be instrumentalised to serve special institutional interests". Meanwhile, President Borut Pahor joined calls by French President Emmanuel Macron and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen for such changes.

Pahor says V Day and Europe Day more connected than one might think

TOPOLŠICA - Victory Day was marked in the town of Topolšica, some 50 km north-east of Ljubljana, which was one of the five places in Europe where the allies made the German armed forces sign unconditional surrender in 1945. President Borut Pahor said at the event that Victory Day and Europe Day are more connected than one might think. Seventy-seven years ago, the forces of good defeated the forces of evil, and Slovenia was among the forces of good, Pahor said in his keynote address.

Pahor, Milanović to attend Slovenian minority's celebration

RIJEKA, Croatia - The Union of Slovenian Associations in Croatia will celebrate its 30th anniversary with a ceremony in Rijeka on Tuesday, to be attended by Slovenian and Croatian presidents, Borut Pahor in Zoran Milanović. "We see this visit as a recognition by Slovenia and Croatia not only of the union but also of the associations that are active in Croatia," Barbara Riman, the head of the umbrella organisation, told the STA ahead of the visit.

MPs in for busy maiden session on Friday

LJUBLJANA - As the new parliament meets for its maiden session on Friday, the MPs will appoint speaker, deputy speakers, secretary general and the parliamentary Privileges and Credential Commission apart from confirming their own mandates and deciding on the distribution of seats on three committees. These committees will be in charge of foreign policy, EU affairs and general affairs, it was agreed as outgoing Speaker Igor Zorčič met the interim heads of the new deputy factions and minority MPs.

Janković to bid for 5th term as Ljubljana Mayor

LJUBLJANA - Zoran Janković declared his intention to stand for his fifth straight term as mayor of Slovenia's capital in the autumn local elections. "It's nice to be Ljubljana mayor," he said. Janković has served as Ljubljana mayor since 2006, winning every election since with an outright majority, including after a brief foray into politics at the national level in 2011 when his party Positive Slovenia won a plurality in the general election but Janković failed to form a government.

Church bells go silent again in Slovenian minority village

TRIESTE, Italy - The Trieste authorities seized the bells of the church in San Dorligo della Vallenear, a village populated by the Slovenian minority, a second time on Friday after a renewed complaint alleging their ringing was too loud and disturbing. The bells of St Ulrich Church were first seized in January. Klemen Zalar, the Dolina parish administrator, sees the seizure as violation of international law and religious freedom, and an insult to the Slovenian community, Church and local traditions.

Ana Roš opening restaurant in Croatian coastal resort

ROVINJ, Croatia - Slovenian Michelin-starred chef Ana Roš will open a restaurant in a luxury coastal resort in Croatia's Savudrija next year, according to the Croatian newspaper Glas Istre. The Petram Resort & Residences, a project by Serbian businessman Miodrag Kostić, is one of the largest investments in the Croatian hospitality sector so far. "If we sign the agreement, which is 95% certain, we will open the restaurant by June 2023," Roš told the paper. Her Hiša Franko in Kobarid has two Michelin stars.

Slovenia, Hungary mount joint bid to host 2023 Ice-Hockey Worlds

LJUBLJANA - Slovenia and Hungary announced a joint bid to host the Ice-Hockey World Championship in 2023 after both teams secured berths in the elite division of ice-hockey at a tournament in Ljubljana. "A month ago the IIHF decided that St. Petersburg will not host the elite group next year, which is why we have come up with the idea to quickly organise it together with our Hungarian friends," Matjaž Rakovec, the head of the Slovenian Ice-Hockey Association, told the press on Sunday evening.

Cinemas offer glimpse of life on border between East and West

LJUBLJANA - Ljubljana and Nova Gorica in Slovenia, and Gorizia and Trieste in Italy will host a series of screenings and debates until 16 May to shed light on life on the border between Italy and the former Yugoslavia from 1945 to 1954 through the medium of film. The multi-year project East-West, the Frontier in Cinema and History 1945-1954-2025 is part of the programme of the 2025 European Capital of Culture hosted by Nova Gorica and Gorizia. It will visit European cities in 2025.

Ljubljana hosts German exhibition on Russian POWs

LJUBLJANA - A travelling exhibition on Soviet prisoners of war in World War II, mounted by the German-Russian Berlin-Karlshorst Museum, opened at the National Museum of Contemporary History in Ljubljana.
The exhibition entitled Dimensions of a Crime is dedicated to around 5.7 million Red Army soldiers who were captured by the Wehrmacht during WWII. More than three million of them died.

Križanke Outdoor Theatre reopens under new roof

LJUBLJANA - The Symphony Orchestra and Big Band of RTV Slovenija will give a concert at the Križanke open air theatre tonight featuring a number of Slovenian popular singers to mark Ljubljana Day and Europe Day and to inaugurate the theatre's new roof. The theatre that is used for summer festivals needed a new roof after the previous, movable roof was badly damaged in a snow storm in 2016. Supported by 13 steel pylons, the new roof was designed by architect Peter Gabrijelčič.

Jewellery in spotlight for a week around Slovenia

LJUBLJANA - The first rendition of the Slovenian Jewellery Week is getting under way in a dozen Slovenian towns, providing a promotion opportunity for 37 contemporary jewellery designers. It will feature exhibitions, talks and free workshops. Providing an opportunity for artisans to meet, exchange ideas and join forces, the project aims to introduce contemporary jewellery design to the wider public.

Coronavirus curve keeps flattening out

LJUBLJANA - Slovenia logged 196 new cases of coronavirus on Sunday, down 14% from the figure reported the same day a week ago, as two patients with Covid-19 died, the Health Ministry reported. A total of 91 patients were treated in hospitals for Covid-19 as their main condition, two more than yesterday. Nine required intensive care. The 14-day incidence per 100,000 of the population dropped to 524.

Helpline urges stepping up efforts against domestic violence

LJUBLJANA - In the wake of another intimate partner homicide in Slovenia, the SOS Telefon anti-domestic violence helpline and association warned that the country has not yet done enough to prevent domestic violence or domestic homicides, and called for systemic measures and more funding. The latest domestic homicide took place in the northern region of Koroška on Saturday when a 33-year-old woman was attacked by her 38-year-old partner at her home despite a restraining order issued against him.

Slovenia's section of St Martin's Way inaugurated

KOSTANJEVICA NA KRASU - Slovenia's 550km section of Via Sancti Martini or St Martin's Way, which runs from Hungary via Slovenia and Italy to France, was inaugurated on Sunday after the 90km section between Logatec and Opatje Selo was recently completed. Together with the famous St James's Way or Camino de Santiago, St Martin's Way is one of the two major European cultural routes running through Slovenia.

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Check the date at the top of the page, and you can find all the "morning headlines" stories here. You can also follow us on Facebook and get all the news in your feed.

This summary is provided by the STA:

Govt further relaxes coronavirus restrictions

LJUBLJANA - The government decided at a correspondence session to lift the Covid pass mandate for health and social care workers and the requirement to wear masks at pharmacies. The new rules enter into force on Sunday, 8 May. While staff at health and social care institutions no longer need the Covid pass - which was imposed for practically all activities in the country on 15 September - it remains in place for visitors to these institutions.

Govt agrees to promoting Urbanč to major general

LJUBLJANA - The government approved Brigadier General Roman Urbanč's promotion to the rank of major general. Urbanč, deputy chief of the general staff, has worked for the Slovenian Armed Forces (SAF) since 1994. He will now have to be formally promoted by the SAF's supreme commander, President Borut Pahor, thus joining another three active Slovenian major generals - Chief of the General Staff Robert Glavaš, Miha Škerbinc, the SAF's force commander, and ex-Chiefs of the General Staff Alenka Ermenc and Alan Geder.

President Pahor visits minority in Udine province

UDINE, Italy - President Borut Pahor and Minister for Slovenians Abroad Helena Jaklitsch visited the Slovenian ethnic minority in Italy's province Udine on Friday as the 34th festival of songs from Benečija area opened in the Grimacco/Garmak municipality. In his address, Pahor stressed the role of co-existence and the common European homeland, to which the Slovenian and Italian nations belong. Pahor and Jaklitsch also held a meeting with the minority's representatives.

Speaking from own experience, Cerar has advice for Golob

LJUBLJANA - Miro Cerar, a jurist who formed a government in 2014 after his new party won the election, warned in an interview with the STA that now that Robert Golob is following in his footsteps, it will be important how he performs as prime minister but also whether he is able to keep unity in his party and make sure it holds on to true values. Cerar, whose SMC party has since imploded, attributes the historic victory of Golob's Freedom Movement to the political bloc that rallied against outgoing PM Janez Janša getting concerned about potential dispersion and subsequent loss of votes, which was shared by the voters.

Coronavirus cases down 27% in a week

LJUBLJANA - A total of 747 new coronavirus cases were logged on Friday, a 27% drop over a week ago, and three patients died. The National Institute of Public Health estimates that there are now just over 11,400 active cases in the country, a daily drop of 306. Health Ministry data shows that there were 188 persons infected with coronavirus in hospitals on Saturday morning, of whom 20 in intensive care.

GEN-I raising gas prices for "old" clients as well

LJUBLJANA - GEN-I is joining the natural gas suppliers that have already increased prices over the last heating season, announcing a 1 July price hike for "old" clients after raising the price for households and small businesses that switched to GEN-I after 25 February already in winter. The new price will be EUR 0.060 per kilowatt-hour VAT included, up from EUR 0.032, according to a price list posted on GEN-I's website on Friday. The price without the 22% VAT rate will be EUR 0.049.

Almost 26,000 turn out for memorial Walk along the Wire

LJUBLJANA - The 64th Walk along the Wire, an event commemorating the 9 May 1945 liberation of Ljubljana, attracted over 23,150 hikers and 2,670 runners of three-member teams between Thursday and Saturday as it returned to the city after a two-year coronavirus-prompted break. What is one of the biggest recreational sport events in Slovenia usually attracts over 30,000 people. It remembers the period during WWII when the Fascists wired off Ljubljana in February 1942 to stop supplies to the Partisan resistance movement. In 2016, the Culture Ministry entered it into the Slovenian register of living cultural heritage.

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This summary is provided by the STA:

PM Janša pledges an extra EUR 1m to help Ukraine

WARSAW, Poland - Prime Minister Janez Janša pledged another million euros in Slovenia's aid to Ukraine as he took part in an international donor conference for Ukraine in Warsaw. This comes on top of almost EUR 1 million that Slovenia had already promised last month as part of the global campaign in support of Ukraine. "We have responded in line with our moral obligation," said Janša, announcing a bill to be put to parliament to shorten the procedures to be able to deliver help on time.

Slovenian army focussing more on combat readiness

LJUBLJANA - The Slovenian Armed Forces presented its plans for more than 90 different military exercises at home and abroad this year with the force commander Major General Miha Škerbinc explaining there was more focus on combat training and combat tasks than before. There is also an increased focus on tasks related to defending Slovenia's national territory and Europe's territory, and tasks related to the operationalisation of the concepts of the new military strategy.

New Ukrainian ambassador to Slovenia appointed

KYIV, Ukraine - Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has appointed Andriy Taran, the former defence minister of Ukraine, new ambassador to Slovenia. The current Ukrainian Ambassador Mykhailo Brodovych, who has served in Slovenia since 2015, was relieved of his duties. The incoming ambassador was the defence minister of Ukraine from March 2020 to last November, when he resigned.

Govt decrees on Covid pass found in breach of constitution

LJUBLJANA - The Constitutional Court upheld the information commissioner's view that collecting personal data to determine whether a person meets the recovered-vaccinated-tested rule based on a government decree rather than a law is in breach of the constitution. The challenged decrees remain in force but will be annulled after one year. By then the government must make sure a legal basis is passed to state clearly which data may be collected and processed and for which purpose and how to monitor this.

SocDem leader given mandate to resume coalition talks

LJUBLJANA - Tanja Fajon obtained a full mandate from the presidency of her Social Democrats (SD) to resume talks with the Freedom Movement and the Left to form a new government amid speculation about discontent among the rank-and-file members over the election result. Fajon said she was "aware we cannot be happy with the election result [...] but we are happy that we have replaced the Janez Janša government." The SD is to get four departments in the next government with Fajon to be foreign minister.

Businesses hit by energy hike receive aid

LJUBLJANA - The Financial Administration disbursed one-off aid to businesses and farmers who have experienced a more than 40% increase in fuel, heating, electricity and other energy costs this year. The payments, EUR 51.56 million in total to 5,996 beneficiaries, were made on the basis of a bill passed in February as part of an energy relief package meant to mitigate the impact of high energy prices for households and business entities, including agriculture.

Exports up almost 24% in March, still outpaced by growth in imports

LJUBLJANA - Slovenia's merchandise exports were up by 23.7% year-on-year in March, but imports surged by 45.5%, further widening the trade deficit, the latest Statistics Office data shows. In the first quarter of the year exports rose by 21.6% over the year before to EUR 10.5 billion, whereas imports were up by almost 50% to EUR 13.1 billion. The export-import ratio was 87.4% and the trade deficit stood at EUR 1.6 billion.

Registered jobless total in April lowest since 1990

LJUBLJANA - A total of 58,081 people were registered as unemployed at the Employment Service at the end of April, which is 4.1% less than in March and 26.7% less year-on-year. This is the lowest jobless total since 1990, the Employment Service said. Indicating that the labour market remains tight, demand for workers increased by 40.1% compared to the first four months of last year, as employers reported 59,617 vacancies.

Slovenians remain worried about Ukraine war, poll shows

LJUBLJANA - A survey carried out by Mediana shows that the level of concern about the war in Ukraine remains high but practically unchanged - 60.8% of Slovenians were worried about the war in April and 60.2% in March. Some 90% are also concerned about the negative impact on prices as a result of the war, although the shares are lower than in March. Almost 92% are worried that prices of energy will rise, and 90% that the prices of basic necessities will increase, down three and four points, respectively.

NGOs want independent environment ministry, oppose merger with infrastructure

LJUBLJANA - Environmental NGOs warned against a potential merger of the environment and infrastructure ministries, which is reportedly being mulled by the emerging new coalition. They want the Environment Ministry to remain independent and urge the new government not to speed up the degradation of the environment but put a stop to it. "This is a political practice that we've been seeing for many years and that needs to be ended because it is harmful," said the NGOs.

Ascent Resources committed to defend investment after fracking ban

LONDON, UK - As a blanket ban on hydraulic fracturing in Slovenia entered into force, the UK investor Ascent Resources, which is still in dispute with the state over the granting of permit to extract gas by means of fracking in Petišovci (NE), said it remained committed to defending its EUR 50 million investment. It said it had notified the Slovenian government of "further breaches under the UK-Slovenia bilateral investment treaty and the Energy Charter Treaty".

Ceremony held for WWII British pilot killed in Slovenia

PIVKA - Slovenian and British officials laid wreaths at a monument to a British pilot who crashed in the village of Suhorje in south-western Slovenia in 1945. The monument was erected last June by the Park of Military History in the nearby town of Pivka at the initiative of the locals. Respects to RAF patrol pilot Edmund Ramsbotham were paid by National Council President Alojz Kovšca and British Ambassador to Slovenia Tiffany Sadler.

Union demands return of original Studio City

LJUBLJANA - Studio City, a TV Slovenija magazine-format current affairs show hosted by Marcel Štefančič since 1998, continues to raise dust. The programme was suspended two months ago and the RTV Slovenija failed to extend its host's contract, announcing it will return in a changed format and with a new host. In the wake of protests by RTV Slovenija staff and journalist organisations, the Trade Union of Journalists (SNS) today demanded the weekly show return with Štefančič as its host.

New Bosch production plant to get EUR 829,000 incentive

LJUBLJANA - The Slovenian subsidiary of the German group Bosch Rexroth will get up to EUR 829,308 in state incentive for its new production facility close to Ljubljana airport, under a decision taken by the government. Valued at EUR 13.2 million, the investment is to create 123 new jobs. In February the company told the STA they were planning to relocate from their current three locations to the new location in the first quarter of 2023.

Slovenian UniCredit posts higher profit in Q1

LJUBLJANA - UniCredit Bank Slovenija posted a net profit of EUR 8 million in the first quarter of the year, a 22.2% increase over the same period last year, even as interest revenue and commissions were lower, shows the group's business report. The group, incorporating the UniCredit Bank Slovenija and UniCredit Leasing, recorded EUR 10 million in net interest revenue, down by 6.5% over the first trimester of 2021.

Coronavirus situation stable

LJUBLJANA - A total of 990 new coronavirus cases were recorded on Wednesday, a drop of 14 from a week ago. The National Institute of Public Health estimates that there are some 12,000 active cases in the country, over 260 fewer than yesterday. Five patients died. Hospitalisation figures also remain stable, with 230 persons with Covid or due to Covid currently in hospital, including 23 in intensive care.

Photos of Plečnik's golden age on show at SEM

LJUBLJANA - A selection of 70 photographs of the masterpieces architect Jože Plečnik (1872-1957) designed in Slovenia were put on show at the Slovenian Ethnographic Museum. The photos were taken by Plečnik's three contemporaries and bring insight into his golden age - a period between both world wars when Plečnik left a strong mark on Ljubljana. The Golden Age of Plečnik's Architecture is part of the year dedicated to the 150th anniversary of the architect's birth, and will close in mid-September.

Film essay wins Đejmi Hadrović OHO Group Award

LJUBLJANA - A film essay about a woman's situation in modern-day Bosnia and Herzegovina won the author Đejmi Hadrović this year's OHO Group Award for up-and-coming Slovenian visual artists. The judging panel described Nena as "a difficult yet magical, and local yet universal film essay". The short film essay depicts Zahida's situation in a neglected region in contemporary Bosnia-Herzegovina. The film relates directly to capitalism and the question of labour and capital structures of society.

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Minister: Govt will act on fuel prices if necessary

BREŽICE/LJUBLJANA - Economy Ministry Zdravko Počivalšek announced that the government will check the latest developments on the fuel market and act if need be after fuel prices surged with the end of price administration on 1 May. The government "will check what is going on on the market and we will take action if necessary". As for presumptive new prime minister Robert Golob's claim that fuel retailers might have to be investigated for collusion, he said the Competition Protection Agency was obliged to monitor the situation and act if the market is not functioning as it should.

Logistic hub emerging in Posavje region

BREŽICE - A business and logistic hub called Feniks is planned in the Posavje region in the south-east, a project worth several hundred million euros. A memorandum of understanding was signed today by Economy Minister Zdravko Počivalšek, Environment Minister Andrej Vizjak and Brežice Mayor Ivan Molan. The hub is to be built on a 100-hectare site between the motorway and the Cerklje ob Krki military airfield with financing from the state, local communities and EU funds.

Central bank eases restrictions on lending

LJUBLJANA - The Slovenian central bank said it would adjust its macroprudential policy as risks to financial stability stemming from the property market are increasing. It will give banks more discretion over who they lend money to, while requiring that they increase their capital buffer. From July, banks will be able to lend to customers who are not considered creditworthy under current rules, that is customers who are left with only 76% of the gross minimum wage plus the amount for dependent family members after paying their monthly instalment. Banks will be able to opt for the exemption for only up to 10% of transactions.

Outgoing defence minister stands by armoured vehicles deal

LJUBLJANA - Outgoing Defence Minister Matej Tonin was adamant the planned EUR 343.4 million purchase of 45 Boxer armoured vehicles through OCCAR would be wrapped up before the new government takes over. He invited the presumptive PM-designate Robert Golob, who has urged him not to sign long-term arms contracts, to a presentation of the deal. This comes after Golob and the likely coalition partners, the SocDems and the Left, called Tonin "to refrain from signing long term arms purchase contracts."

Some EUR 142m in vouchers left two months before expiration date

LJUBLJANA - Slovenians have so far redeemed 76% of tourist vouchers issued in 2020 and 70% of the more broadly usable 2021 vouchers. Both types of vouchers are valid until the end of June, with EUR 86 million yet to be spent in tourist facilities and EUR 56 million in tourism, culture, and sport, Financial Administration data show.

Gen-I issues EUR 60 million commercial paper

KRŠKO - Electricity and gas retailer Gen-I has a 12-month commercial paper worth EUR 60 million as an instrument to finance working capital and disperse short-term financing. The initially targeted EUR 50 million issue was extended by EUR 10 million due to high demand, the company said. A total of 62 investors subscribed to the issue.

Motorway traffic already at pre-pandemic levels

LJUBLJANA - The Covid-19 epidemic initially changed people's travel habits making roads less congested, however traffic on Slovenian motorways has already almost returned to pre-pandemic levels as restrictions have been almost fully lifted, according to motorway company DARS. Overall traffic is about the same as it was in 2019, but freight traffic is slightly higher, which means that traffic flow capacity is slightly lower.

Post-holiday uptick in coronavirus cases recorded

LJUBLJANA - Slovenia reported 1,643 new cases of coronavirus for Tuesday, an increase of more than 40% over the week before. Seventy people were treated in hospital with Covid-19 as their primary condition this morning, down by 11 over yesterday. Another ten were in intensive care due to Covid, down by two. Three patients with Covid-19 died, Health Ministry data showed.

New club of diplomats urges increased role of diplomacy

LJUBLJANA - The Diplomats' Club of Slovenia, established last year to link up diplomats and businesses to further Slovenia's development, held an inaugural event, which stressed the importance of diplomacy and the economy for the country as they called for an increased role for diplomacy. Club president Marjetka Kastner said that "it is an institution that brings together diplomacy and business, building ties between embassies, while also planning to host events, meetings and round table debates."

Protesters urge new govt to offer asylum to Assange

LJUBLJANA - Around a hundred people gathered outside the UK Embassy to support WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange and protest against a UK court's decision to allow his extradition to the US. Ahead of the rally, Friday's bicycle protesters said that Assange's fate would be shared by all the journalists, publishers, editors, whistleblowers and others who in the future disclose criminal acts committed by governments. The protesters urged Slovenia's future government to offer Assange political asylum.

Slovenia demolish Romania to lead Division I Championship

LJUBLJANA - Slovenia demolished Romania 9:1 (1:1, 6:0, 2:0) in the second round of Group A play of the Ice Hockey World Championship Division I in Tivoli Arena to claim the first spot in the group ahead of what is likely to be the decisive match with Hungary on Friday. Slovenia used the second period to completely demoralise the Romanians, scoring six goals while Romania were scoreless. Miha Verlič scored a hat-trick for Slovenia in the match that propelled Slovenia to the top of the standings.

Slovenia part of a New European Bauhaus lighthouse project

BRUSSELS, Belgium - Slovenia is taking part in one of the five projects selected for the EUR 25 million call for the development of "lighthouse demonstrators" of the New European Bauhaus as announced by the European Commission. The five projects will receive roughly EUR 5 million each to implement their plans in eleven member states as well as in Norway and Turkey. Slovenia is one of the five countries taking part in a project called DESIRE, which stands for Designing the Irresistible Circular Society.

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Mufti Porić says epidemic revealed all weaknesses of society

LJUBLJANA - Nevzet Porić, mufti of the Islamic community in Slovenia, stressed in his address marking Eid al-Fitr that the Covid-19 epidemic had brought all the weaknesses of the society to the surface in the last couple of years. He pointed to domestic violence, poverty, lack of solidarity, double standards and the selfishness that many nations attested during the distribution of medical equipment and vaccines. He also noted that the Islamic community in Slovenia had received no Covid aid form the state.

Convoy of 20 Ukrainian orphans on its way to Slovenia

POSTOJNA - A convoy of 20 orphans from Ukraine and accompanying staff is on its way to Slovenia, where they will be accommodated in the village of Slavina near Postojna, Sandi Curk, commander of civil protection of the Notranjska region, said on Monday. The journey will be challenging, he admitted, expressing hope that the children will reach Slovenia soon. Apart from 20 children, aged between one and seven, the convoy includes three doctors, several nurses and teachers and their children, Curk told the STA.

Covid cases down further

LJUBLJANA - The number of new coronavirus infections dropped to 229 on Sunday, down 99 week-on-week and 248 on the day before. Hospitalisations are up by seven to 88, according to the Health Ministry. The number of Covid patients in intensive care remains at 12. Two more patients have died. The National Institute for Public Health estimates there are currently 12,880 active infections in the country, down 163 from the day before.

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Fuel prices surge after price caps end

LJUBLJANA - Fuel prices in Slovenia surged after the government decided to end price administration. Regular petrol was about 8% more expensive than yesterday, with diesel up by more than 20%. Data reported by petrol stations show regular petrol costs between EUR 1,617 and EUR 1,619 per litre, and diesel was priced at between EUR 1,817 and EUR 1,824 at major providers Petrol and OMV, and even higher at some smaller petrol stations, EUR 1,876.

Unions not content with state of labour rights

LJUBLJANA/RAVNE NA KOROŠKEM - Trade unionists highlighted persistent problems with the exercise of labour rights as they pledged in Labour Day speeches that the fight for rights was not yet over. "We're far from the ideal when it's not going to be all about profit, added value and competitiveness, when the human - the worker - becomes the focus," said Lidija Jerkič, president of the ZSSS trade union association.

Slow decline in coronavirus continues

LJUBLJANA - Slovenia reported 477 new cases of coronavirus for Saturday, down six percent over the week before, as hospitalisations remained broadly stable. One patient with Covid-19 died. The overall number of patients hospitalised due to Covid rose by five to 81, while the number of ICU case remained unchanged at 12.

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Left leadership gets vote of confidence, mandate for coalition talks

LJUBLJANA - The council of the Left on Friday endorsed the party's executive committee, headed by coordinator Luka Mesec, after the committee put their mandate for a vote of confidence, and the party leadership was given the mandate for talks with the Freedom Movement to enter a coalition headed by Robert Golob. Mesec told the press on Saturday he would meet the leaders of the potential coalition partners, the Freedom Movement and the Social Democrats (SD), on Tuesday. He added that he expected "concrete steps towards a new government".

Coronavirus case count down 9% week-on-week on Friday

LJUBLJANA - A total of 948 new cases of coronavirus were reported for Friday, down by 9% on the week before, as the Covid situation in Slovenia remains stable, the latest Health Ministry data show. The overall number of patients in ordinary Covid wards declined by one to 76, while the number of ICU increased by one to 12. No Covid patient died yesterday. Slovenia's 14-day case notification rate per 100,000 population is down by 16 of 619.

Türk attends first meeting of UN High-Level Advisory Board

NEW YORK, US - Former Slovenian President Danilo Türk attended the first meeting of the High-Level Advisory Board on Effective Multilateralism in New York. He told the STA on the occasion that the UN had perhaps never been in such a difficult situation as today, in particular due to the Russian attack on Ukraine. "The multilateral system is falling apart and Secretary General Guterres is trying to preserve it and give it some new content," Türk told the STA.

Belimed sees increase in demand as Covid 19 pandemic subsides

GROSUPLJE - Belimed, a subsidiary of a Swiss maker of washing-disinfecting machines and sterilization equipment used in medicine, has seen a boost in demand as medical procedures got back on track. The company generated 1.2 million in net profit in 2021 on sales of EUR 41 million. Currently employing 243 people, the company projects a 15% increase in the headcount in the near future. Their biggest market is the USA, followed by Europe, China and Japan.

Judoka Pogačnik wins European bronze in women's 70kg

SOFIA, Bulgaria - Slovenian judoka Anka Pogačnik won the bronze medal in the women's 70kg category at the European Judo Championship in Sofia, Bulgaria, her first medal in major competitions. In the decisive fight, she defeated Hilde Jager of the Netherlands after three penalties. The 30-year-old Slovenian lost in the quarter-finals to Sanne van Dijke of the Netherlands, the bronze medallist at the Tokyo Olympics and last year's world championships.

Festival of roses kicking off in Nova Gorica

MOVA GORICA - The 17th Festival of Roses will started today in Nova Gorica. Running until 22 May, it will offer visitors a number of events related to roses, which have become one of the main symbols of the city and the wider area. Visitors will be able to stroll through rose parks and the garden of Bourbon roses at Kostanjevica Hill, as well as attend workshops, exhibitions and a number of concerts, or enjoy the town's many delicacies.

Pop-up concerts to mark International Jazz Day

LJUBLJANA - Slovenia marked International Jazz Day on Saturday with a series of street performances and live concerts by jazz musicians that will be a welcome change after two years of Covid-19. In addition to Ljubljana, events will be or have already been held in several other towns as well. The cultural organisation Imago Sloveniae, the main organiser, also invited jazz musicians country-wide to perform for random passers-by from their windows.

Campsite near Pivka rated Slovenia's most popular by camping.info

BERLIN, Germany - Camping Plana & Bar 66 near Pivka has been rated the most popular Slovenian campsite and the 82nd most popular in Europe by the users of the Berlin-based portal camping.info. Along with Plana & Bar 66, one of the 110 Camping.info Award 2022 winners, Center Kekec at the foot of the Maribor Pohorje hills and Šobec, not far from Bled, have been voted best Slovenian campsites.

Slovenian gets prison in France for stealing Cessna in Italy

ROME, Italy - A court in the French town of Aix-en-Provence has sentenced a Slovenian citizen to three years and six months in prison for stealing a Cessna aircraft from an airfield in the Italian resort of Novi Ligure in March and flying it to France, the Italian media reported. The 33-year-old stole a Cessna 172 from the E.Mossi airfield north of Genoa in north-western Italy, and flew it across the coastal region of Liguria and the French Riviera.