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:

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:

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:

Week-on-week drop in Covid cases continues

LJUBLJANA - Slovenia confirmed another 7,458 coronavirus cases on Saturday in what continues to be a drop in Covid cases in weekly comparison for the third consecutive day, show fresh official data. Hospitalisations remain stable as a total of 393 patients are hospitalised with Covid-19 as their main condition at regular wards, up by two, and 119 at intensive care units, also up by two. Additional 16 people with Covid died, the government said.

Slovenia reiterates its support for nuclear in EU taxonomy

LJUBLJANA - Slovenia has reiterated its support for the inclusion of nuclear energy in the EU's taxonomy of sustainable energy sources after the EU Commission unveiled the proposal calling for nuclear and gas energy to be included in the taxonomy. "Slovenia believes nuclear energy will be needed to maintain low-carbon energy production in the long run, not only during the transition period," the Finance Ministry told the STA.

Ski jumper Peter Prevc places fourth in men's Olympic individual

BEIJING, China - Slovenian ski jumper Peter Prevc finished fourth in the men's normal hill individual event at the Beijing Winter Olympics. He was half a point short to clinch what could have been his third Olympic medal after the two he won at Sochi 2014. Japan's Ryoyu Kobayashi won the gold medal, Austria's Manuel Fettner the silver and Poland's Dawid Kubacki the bronze. Another Slovenian made it to the top ten as Timi Zajc placed ninth.

Boxer Ema Kozin suffers first loss as a pro

CARDIFF, UK - Ema Kozin, the best Slovenian female boxer, lost against American Claressa Shields on Saturday evening in Cardiff, UK in a fight for the world champion title in a number of categories in the female middleweight class. This is Kozin's first defeat of her professional fighting career. Shields, the two-time Olympic gold medallist and world champion, dominated all ten rounds of the bout.

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Slovenia's ski jumpers win gold and bronze at Winter Olympics

BEIJING - Slovenian ski jumpers Urša Bogataj and Nika Križnar made history at the Winter Olympics in Zhangjiakou on Saturday, as Bogataj won the gold and Križnar won the bronze medal in the women's normal hill individual event. It is the first time that more than one Slovenian athlete has made the Olympic podium in the same event. The other ski jumpers representing Slovenia were Ema Klinec, who finished fifth, and Špela Rogelj, who ended the final series in ninth place, which means all Slovenian ski jumpers finished the competition inside the top ten. This was the only individual competition for female ski jumpers at this Winter Olympics, with the mixed team event to follow on Monday. The medals won by Bogataj and Križnar are the first ones for Slovenia at this year's Winter Olympics, and Bogataj became the first Slovenian after Tina Maze to win a gold medal at the Winter Olympics. Slovenia now also has 13 bronze medals thanks to Križnar, and the total number of medals in ski jumping has risen to five.

Over 11,600 new Covid cases confirmed in Slovenia on Friday

LJUBLJANA - 11,680 infections were confirmed in Slovenia for Friday, eight less than the day before, shows data from the Institute of Public Health (NIJZ), which estimates there are currently almost 198,000 active infections in the country. The 7-day average of confirmed infections is at 14,004 and the two-week incidence per 100,000 population at 9,631. Government data show that 25 Covid patients died yesterday and that a total of 944 patients were in hospital this morning.

SPIRIT agency director resigns

LJUBLJANA - According to reports on Saturday by newspaper Delo, Tomaž Kostanjevec resigned as director of the SPIRIT agency for the promotion of entrepreneurship and investment on Friday. He reportedly changed his mind after handing in his resignation, but the members of the SPIRIT agency's board found that his irrevocable resignation could not be withdrawn or revoked. Kostanjevec also stepped down as a member of the supervisory board of the state-run postal company Pošta Slovenije earlier this week.

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Ukraine crisis at forefront as Logar hosts Latvian counterpart

LJUBLJANA - Foreign Minister Anže Logar and his Latvian counterpart Edgars Rinkevičs called for a diplomatic solution to the Ukraine crisis and for the EU's unity on the issue as they met in Ljubljana. Asked at a news conference how Slovenia could help Ukraine in the event of an attack, Logar said the country was coordinating activities with the EU and NATO and was ready to assist to the best of its abilities. The ministers also discussed ways to boost trade where the opening of a Slovenian embassy in Riga would help. Rinkevičs also met President Borut Pahor, Speaker Igor Zorčič, PM Janez Janša and Defence Minister Matej Tonin.

Hojs opposes France's proposal on migrants

LILLE, France - Interior Minister Aleš Hojs expressed opposition to France's proposal under which EU countries which do not wish to accept migrants would need to contribute financially. "I will not support this proposal because I think we first need to comprehensively evaluate what solidarity is," he said in Lille where he attended a session of the EU's Justice and Home Affairs Council. Meanwhile, he expressed strong support for France's idea to create a Schengen Council to manage the passport-free zone.

Slovenian, Portuguese presidents mark diplomatic ties anniversary

LJUBLJANA - President Borut Pahor and his Portuguese counterpart Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa issued a joint statement on the 30th anniversary of diplomatic relations between the countries noting the good bilateral relations and "continuous development and strengthening of the bonds of brotherly friendship". The anniversary will be marked as Pahor visits Portugal on 14-15 February.

Police reportedly identify sender of death threats to politicians

LJUBLJANA - Police appear to have identified the person believed to have sent death threats to several politicians in mid-January, as media reports say the suspects is a man from Celje who is a member of the National Party (SNS), whose leader was among those who received the threats. Police would not disclose any information, but several media reported the suspect was Teodor Goznikar, who confirmed for the Večer newspaper being interrogated but denied he was the sender. SNS leader Zmago Jelinčič said Goznikar's party membership had been revoked.

Left initiates referendum on APCs, govt to challenge it in court

LJUBLJANA - A day after parliament endorsed an agreement with the Organisation for Joint Armament Cooperation that will allow the purchase of 45 Boxer armoured personnel vehicles, the opposition Left started collecting signatures in support of a referendum on the ratification act. The party is bothered by the cost of the deal, at EUR 412 million, but Defence Minister Matej Tonin said the price was not agreed yet. He said the government would challenge the referendum petition at the Constitutional Court.

No final decision yet on voting for voters in isolation

LJUBLJANA - The National Electoral Commission decided that voters quarantining on election day will be able to vote during regular hours when polling stations are open, but it deferred the final decision on those ordered to isolate because of infection, having previously considered after-hours voting for the infected. The final decision on voters in isolation will be made 25 days before polling day at the latest.

16,654 coronavirus cases, 19 deaths on Wednesday

LJUBLJANA - A total of 16,654 new coronavirus cases were confirmed in Slovenia on Wednesday from 8,702 PCR and 120,515 rapid antigen tests. The seven-day average of new daily cases increased by 374 to 15,111, while the 14-day case notification rate per 100,000 is up by 310 to 9,161. A total of 425 patients are hospitalised with Covid-19 as their main condition at regular wards, up by 18 on the day before, while the number of iCU patients dropped by five to 113. 19 Covid-19 patients died, government figures show.

Essential workers exempt from quarantine over Covid contacts

LJUBLJANA - Staff employed in critical infrastructure, police force and defence will not be required to quarantine after a high-risk contact with a person infected with coronavirus, but will have to test daily at work for seven days and wear a FFP2 face mask, under a decision taken by the government that comes into effect on Friday. The decision affects employees in energy, transport, food, water supply, healthcare, finance, environmental protection sector and ICT networks and systems.

Jobless total up 2.8% in January, down 26% over year before

LJUBLJANA - Slovenia's jobless total rose by 2.6% in January when 67,834 persons were registered as unemployed, a seasonal increase that the Employment Service says is expected due to the expiry of fixed-term contracts. Compared to the year before, the figure declined by 25.9%. More than 8,600 persons were newly registered as unemployed in January, up by almost half compared to December but down nearly 18% on the year before. Almost 6,800 unregistered, of whom almost 4,600 got a job.

EUR 6.6 million subsidy for Lek expansion confirmed

LJUBLJANA - The government endorsed a EUR 6.6 million subsidy for the expansion of production that pharmaceutical company Lek is planning at its main site in Ljubljana. The entire project is valued at EUR 82.6 million. The Economy Ministry said the investment would create over 120 jobs and would include cutting-edge technology for aseptic processes of the kind that does not exist anywhere else in Slovenia. Government documents show a 14,000 m2 facility is planned to manufacture liquid vials and pre-filled syringes.

EIB ready to invest in green, digital projects in Slovenia

LJUBLJANA - EIB vice president Liljana Pavlova and Finance Minister Andrej Šircelj announced plans for the European Investment Bank (EIB) and Slovenia to intensify cooperation. The EIB, which is involved in many projects in Slovenia, participating in the modernisation of roads and railways and is supporting small and medium-sized companies, would like to see more projects promoting the green and digital transitions, Pavlova said, noting that this was no longer a choice but a necessity.

Telekom seeks nullity of contract with POP TV, Kanal A, refund

LJUBLJANA - Telekom Slovenije, the state-owned telecoms operator, has filed a lawsuit against the country's largest commercial TV channels, POP TV and Kanal A, in a bid to nullify an agreement under which it pays the broadcasters to include the programmes in its TV package. It is also seeking to recover EUR 12.4 million in payments it made to them since 2017. The lawsuit, filed late last year and first revealed by the portal Požareport, claims that Telekom has been paying the two broadcasters an excess price for their programming, which it says is the result of their abuse of dominant position on the wholesale TV programming market.

Report shows green recovery marred by inadequate investments

LJUBLJANA - A report by multiple European and Slovenian environmental organisations shows that Slovenia's recovery plan is among those marred by underinvestment in renewable energy and sustainable mobility, and by projects that could potentially damage the environment. The environmental NGOs Focus said Slovenia's recovery plan was marred by under-investment in renewable energy and sustainable mobility and by potentially environmentally damaging projects.

Gender equality in management with slight improvement in 2021

LJUBLJANA - The state of gender diversity, equality and balance in the managements of 56 state-owned and listed companies in Slovenia, monitored by the Slovenian Directors' Association and the company Deloitte Slovenija, has seen a slight improvement in 2021. The joint initiative, called 40/33/2026, aims for each of 56 participating companies to achieve two goals until 2026 - 40% representation of the under-represented gender (usually women) on supervisory boards, and 33% representation in supervisory boards and management boards combined. 18 out of 56 companies (32%) achieved the goals by the end of 2021, six more than a year ago.

Govt secures funding for Hungarian and Italian minorities

LJUBLJANA - The government issued a regulation to subsidise bilinguality and the exercise of constitutional rights of the Hungarian and Italian minorities in Slovenia in 2022, under which areas populated by the two communities will get almost EUR 2 million this year. The regulation is in line with the municipalities financing act.

Ryanair rules out Ljubljana flights

DUBLIN, Ireland - Irish low-cost carrier Ryanair, which opened a base at Zagreb airport last year and also flies to Trieste, has no plans to fly to and from Ljubljana in the near future, the EX-YU Aviation web portal reported. The company says that the two airports cover Slovenia well enough, and also sees high costs as a problem.

Plečnik's UNESCO landmarks on view at Ljubljana Castle

LJUBLJANA - An exhibition opened at the Ljubljana Castle gallery to display photographs of Jože Plečnik's landmarks in Ljubljana that are listed as UNESCO's World Heritage, the sites as they looked before they were developed by Plečnik, the construction of the buildings and their role in Ljubljana's urban space. Entitled Jože Plečnik (1872-1957) it features photographs from the collections of the Museum of Contemporary History, the Slovenian Ethnographic Museum and the Plečnik House.

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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.

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Deal on sale of 43% of Sava sealed

LJUBLJANA - Prestige Tourism, a company backed by the Hungarian asset manager Diofa Asset Management, has confirmed buying a 43.2% stake in Slovenian tourism company Sava pending suspensive conditions. It plans to develop the company's tourism business with a EUR 200 million investment. The statement came after it was reported that the investment fund York had sold its stake for EUR 38 million. The state-owned Slovenian Sovereign Holding (SSH) and KAD fund now have 30 days to exercise their pre-emptive right to buy the stake, which would be in line with plans promoted by the Economy Ministry to establish a Slovenian tourism holding, consolidate it, and then privatise it.

Kokot appointed director of postal operator for full term

MARIBOR - The supervisory board of postal operator Pošta Slovenije appointed Tomaž Kokot the new director general of the state-owned company. kokot, who stepped in as Pošta Slovenije's interim director in late March 2021, when the previous director resigned. was given a full term of five years. Kokot took office today, the company said, with Sebastijan Gostenčnik, who took office in September 2021, and Karmen Lebe Grajf, who took office in October last year, staying on as members of the management board alongside him. Kokot was previously the chief supervisor of the company.

Top court annuls rulings unfavourable to Swiss franc loan borrowers

LJUBLJANA - The Constitutional Court announced it had annulled rulings by two courts that rejected borrowers' request for annulment of contracts on loans in Swiss francs and for a refund of overpayments, in what is the first decision of Slovenia's top court related to issue of Swiss franc loans. It has found that the rulings did not adequately address the concerns regarding the assessment of the standard of banks' duty of disclosure and that of fairness, and has returned the cases for reconsideration. The Bank Association said in a response that the decision was due to procedural reasons and thus refers to courts and not to banks.

Cross-party support indicated for Swiss franc loan bill

LJUBLJANA - Cross-party support appears to be emerging for a bill that would distribute the cost of the surge in the value of the Swiss franc in 2015 between banks and some 32,000 borrowers who saw the cost of their debt in euros soar as a result. This is despite concerns voiced by the government, banks and the parliamentary legal service.

Daily Covid case count somewhat lower than a week ago

LJUBLJANA - Slovenia logged 11,810 new coronavirus cases on Monday, a drop of 7.5% from the same day a week ago but on fewer PCR tests. Data released by the National Institute of Public Health shows the 7-day average of new daily cases dropping by 144 from the day before to 13,911. The 14-day notification rate per 100,000 people was still up by 149 to 8,328.

Change of government goal shared by Golob and KUL

LJUBLJANA - The leaders of the four centre-left opposition parties held their first formal meeting with Robert Golob, agreeing they were aspiring to the same goal, which is a change of government and the situation in the country. Speaking to reporters after the meeting, Golob said voters expected to have another alternative to the ruling politics on the one hand and the KUL alliance of four opposition parties on the other, an alternative represented by his Freedom Movement party.

STA and UKOM sign public service contract for 2022

LJUBLJANA - Igor Kadunc, the director of the Slovenian Press Agency, and Uroš Urbanija, the head of the Government Communication Office (UKOM), signed a contract on financing the STA's public service in 2022. The two sides have thus "laid the foundation for the undisrupted continuation of the STA's work in this important year, when the agency is expected to work responsibly during the super election year", Kadunc told the STA. UKOM said that the total annual amount planned when it comes to state aid in the form of compensation for the financing of public service for 2022 remained the same as in the previous two years, at EUR 2,028,000.

After-hours voting proposed for those in quarantine, isolation

LJUBLJANA - In a bid to adjust the upcoming general election to the Covid reality, the National Electoral Commission has proposed that polling stations remain open for two extra hours in the evening to enable people in isolation or quarantine to cast their votes. In line with the proposal, voters who are in isolation or quarantine would come to cast their vote between 7.15pm and 9.15pm. People unable to arrive at polling stations because of Covid-19 would be allowed to vote from home. A decision on the proposal is expected on Thursday.

Validity of Covid certificates now limited

LJUBLJANA - Validity of Covid-19 vaccination certificates for adults is now limited to 270 days in line with EU recommendations, but can be extended with booster jabs. Also from today, a rapid test will be valid as proof of infection, but only in Slovenia. For the fully vaccinated their certificates will be valid for 270 days since the last prescribed full vaccination, which in most cases means from the second shot. On getting an mRNA booster, the certificate's validity will be unlimited.

Počivalšek talks ways to decrease EU's strategic dependence

PARIS/LENS, France - Economy Minister Zdravko Počivalšek has paid a working visit to France, meeting French Minister Delegate for Foreign Trade Franck Riester on Monday and participating in an informal debate of the EU economy ministers on Tuesday, discussing ways to reduce the EU's strategic dependence on third countries. Počivalšek highlighted measures in green and digital recovery, and those related to energy-intensive industries, such as the manufacturing of semiconductors.

Bill to remediate Celje Basin rejected in parliament

LJUBLJANA - The National Assembly rejected on Tuesday a bill would have seen the chemical company Cinkarna Celje pay EUR 16 million and the state EUR 7 million in a decade to remediate the heavily polluted Celje Basin. The bill had been tabled by Janja Sluga, a former MP of the ruling coalition, and supported by four current opposition parties. It had already been voted down by the Infrastructure Committee, with the coalition saying that a more systemic law was needed.

Janša visits Slovenia's central bank upon 30th anniversary

LJUBLJANA - PM Janez Janša paid a visit to Banka Slovenije on Tuesday after Slovenia's central bank recently celebrated its 30th anniversary. He received a gold medal that represents the "connection between the central bank and the country", his office said. One side of the medal symbolises the creation of the Slovenian state, the graphic representation of which was chosen by the citizens of Slovenia in an online vote, while the other side depicts the development of the central bank.

New honorary consul of Austria in Maribor taking over

MARIBOR - Helga Rudorfer has taken over as the new honorary consul of Austria in Maribor, which has also been moved to new premises in the building of the Grawe insurance company in Slovenia's second-largest city. The appointment comes after Jože Protner served in this capacity for the last twelve years. Announcing that Rudorfer had taken over on 10 January, the Austrian Embassy said that the consulate had moved to Gregorčičeva Road in Maribor. I will be open three days a week from 10am to noon.

Over 1,000 additional beds to be available in care homes

LJUBLJANA - The Ministry of Labour, Family and Social Affairs has secured a total of 1,107 additional places in care homes all over the country, as EUR 65 million was allocated towards that goal. Almost a third of the newly available places will open in the region of Gorenjska in the north-west, the ministry said. The region with the most additional spots in care homes, Gorenjska, will provide 348 spots in the towns of Škofja Loka, Radovljica and Cerklje.

E-vignettes fully replace toll stickers in Slovenia

LJUBLJANA - Toll stickers are no longer valid on Slovenian motorways, as e-vignettes are being fully phased in today. They are linked to an individual vehicle's registration number and their validity is no longer tied to the duration of a calendar year. The sticker vignettes that have been in use in Slovenia for the last 13 years are to be discontinued in full, and the use of all toll roads in Slovenia is now possible only with an electronic vignette.

EEA report shows Ljubljana third greenest city in Europe

LJUBLJANA - Ljubljana is among the capital cities with the highest ratings in Europe in terms of urban tree cover and total green infrastructure, while it is sub-par in terms of public access to the city's abundant green spaces, shows a report published by the European Environment Agency. In terms of the percentage of urban tree cover and total green infrastructure, Ljubljana ranked third among the EEA members' capital cities in both indicators with 67% and 50%, respectively.

Marguč replaces Košir as Slovenia's Olympic flag bearer

BEIJING, China - Snowboarder Rok Marguč will replace his team-mate Žan Košir as one of Slovenia's flag bearers at the opening ceremony of the Winter Olympics in Beijing on 4 February, as Košir remains in isolation after testing positive for coronavirus upon arriving in China, the Slovenian Olympic Committee said. It also announced that cross-country skier Eva Urevc had tested positive for coronavirus upon arriving in China as well. If her next two tests are not negative, she will need isolate.

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Rapid test enough to confirm infection as of 1 February

LJUBLJANA - Slovenia is further restricting the use of PCR tests as of Tuesday with a new testing protocol under which rapid antigen tests will be enough to confirm a coronavirus infection. The certificate of recovery obtained in this way will only be valid in Slovenia for now, Health Minister Janez Poklukar said, indicating likely changes in this area in the future.

Businesses welcome govt energy relief package, but not all

LJUBLJANA - The Chamber of Commerce and Industry (GZS) has welcomed the government scheme to help businesses cope with rising energy prices, while regretting the step has not been taken sooner. The GZS also said it was not optimistic about energy price trends in global markets. The Chamber of Craft and Small Business (OZS) is less happy about the scheme, finding the measures discriminate against its members.

Controversial changes to penal code removed from parliament's agenda

LJUBLJANA - The much criticised amendments to the penal code that could result in white-collar crimes becoming statute-barred relatively quickly have been removed from the agenda of the January plenary session of the National Assembly at the request of four centre-left opposition parties and the group of unaffiliated MPs. The proposal was backed with 46 votes while 31 MPs voted against.

Janša finds not everyone happy about good economic trends

LJUBLJANA - Prime Minister Janez Janša expressed disappointment in parliament that some should be unhappy about the good economic results posted by Slovenia, urging the opposition to compete in who does better rather than doubt about incontrovertible facts. Asked to comment on Slovenia's performance, including in view of the Economist ranking the country second among 23 select OECD countries in terms how well it has coped with the economic aspects of the pandemic, he said that the "OECD comprises the most advanced countries in the world. Our impressions may vary but numbers are objective".

Epidemiological curve still on the rise

LJUBLJANA - The number of new coronavirus cases was still up in weekly comparison on Sunday, as 8,575 new infections were detected. Health Minister Janez Poklukar announced that from today more detailed data on hospitalisations would be released to distinguish between patients who have been hospitalised because of Covid and those who are in hospital due to other illnesses but have also caught Covid.

PM and chief prosecutor clash over letter sent to Brussels

LJUBLJANA - PM Janez Janša told the National Assembly on Monday that State Prosecutor General Drago Šketa had allegedly sent a letter to Brussels demanding that Slovenia should be asked to meet certain conditions in order to be paid out EU funds, which he labelled as bordering on a coup. Šketa rejected the allegation, saying that he did not propose any action against Slovenia to European Chief Prosecutor Laura Kövesi or to anyone else either in writing or orally.

Pahor due in Vatican on Sunday for official visit

LJUBLJANA - President Borut Pahor will visit the Vatican on 6 and 7 February at the invitation of Pope Francis to mark the 30th anniversary of diplomatic ties between Slovenia and the Holy See. Announcing the visit, the president's office said it would provide an opportunity for an exchange of views on relevant issues of current and future times. This will be Pahor's third meeting with Pope Francis. He is also due to meet Cardinal Pietro Parolin, the Vatican's Secretary of State, among others.

Companies positive about access to financial sources in 2021

LJUBLJANA - Companies report that access to most sources of finance improved last year, shows the latest survey by Banka Slovenije, conducted among 1,182 companies, which also notes that access to financial resources remains one of the least problematic constraints on business operations. Around 45% of companies cited limited access to qualified staff or experienced managers as the most problematic factor.

Opposition welcomes energy aid package, but says comes too late

LJUBLJANA - The centre-left opposition was unanimous in saying the government's measures to mitigate energy-price hikes were welcome, but also that they came several months too late and left out several groups of population, as it has commented on a set of measures worth around EUR 200 million adopted for households and companies. Soniboj Knežak of the Social Democrats (SD) noted that pensioner with pensions below EUR 1,000 were included, while over 10,000 workers who receive a lower monthly pay were not.

Universities find Research Agency appointment procedure unsuitable

LJUBLJANA - The universities of Ljubljana, Maribor and Nova Gorica criticised the government over the replacement of the management board of the Slovenian Research Agency. They hope the appointment of a new acting director at the weekend will not negatively affect the agency's independent work. The responsible minister has denied the charge.

Group of academics calls for restoring democracy in Slovenia

LJUBLJANA - A group uniting civil initiatives and liberal academics has issued a call for unity and restoring of democracy in Slovenia ahead of the general election. The Alliance for Democratic and Just Slovenia has urged left-leaning parties in particular to forge alliances before the election and called on citizens to go to the polls.

Banks warn about harmful consequences of Swiss franc loan bill

LJUBLJANA - Slovenian banks came out strongly against a bill the upper chamber of parliament has tabled to help several thousand borrowers who took out loans in Swiss francs at low interest rates while their monthly instalments skyrocketed when the Swiss central bank stopped protecting the value of the currency. "A petition is being prepared for constitutional challenge of the bill, including a proposal to stay it, because the bill is unimplementable," Anita Stojčevska of SKB Banka told the press.

NGOs critical of planned subsidies for industrial energy consumers

LJUBLJANA - Responding the government's recent decision to subsidise large companies due to rising energy prices, environmental NGOs Umanotera and Focus said that the planned subsidies for selected large industrial consumers of energy are socially inequitable and "make a mockery of climate efforts". These same companies already enjoy a number of discounts and refunds on energy purchases amounting to tens of millions of euros a year, the NGOs noted.

Number of unexploded ordnance items found in 2021 up by 20%

LJUBLJANA - The Administration for Civil Protection and Disaster Relief performed 654 interventions related to unexploded ordnance items in Slovenia last year, which means almost two per day and 30% more than last year. A total of 4,271 unexploded ordnance items were found in 2021, up by 20% on the previous year. The increase in terms of total mass was even greater, with 13,363 kilograms of bombs removed, a 70% increase compared to 2020, Igor Boh of the administration's bomb disposal unit said.

Farmers warn of damage caused by wildlife

LJUBLJANA - Farmers have been pointing out the serious damage caused by wild animals, as the Slovenian Forest Service estimates that it amounts to between EUR 400,000 and EUR 800,000 per year. The most affected region is Pomurje in the north-east, and the damage is most often caused by wild boars and deer.

Tina Vrščaj wins Blue Bird prize for novel for adults

LJUBLJANA - The Blue Bird Prize for the best novel for adults that has not yet been published goes to Tina Vrščaj for Na Klancu, which will be published by Cankarjeva Založba this year. Vrščaj's novel, a story about family and love written in "numerous, more or less clear scenes" and "foremost in dynamic dialogues", was picked as the best among 60 texts. The author will receive EUR 10,000.

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Pahor congratulates Mattarella on new term

LJUBLJANA - President Borut Pahor congratulated his Italian counterpart Sergio Mattarella on being re-elected for another term in office, saying he was looking forward to their continued constructive cooperation for the benefit of the two countries. President Pahor "welcomed with great joy the news of re-election of [his] friend Sergio Mattarella for Italian president," the president's office said. Mattarella's re-election was also hailed by Tatjana Rojc, the Italian senator who is a member of the Slovenian minority.

Another 13,852 test positive for coronavirus

LJUBLJANA - A total of 13,852 people tested positive for coronavirus in Slovenia on Saturday, slightly fewer than the same day a week ago, but the 14-day notification rate per 100,000 passed 8,000. Eleven more Covid-19 patients died. Total Covid hospitalisations increased by 23 to 749, including 130 ICU cases. The latter is a rise of six, show government data. The 7-day average of new daily infections dropped by 45 to 14,025.

General government deficit shrinks

LJUBLJANA - Slovenia's consolidated general government deficit, including those of the state budget, the health and pension funds and local government budgets, amounted to EUR 2.92 billion or 5.8% of GDP last year, 1.8 percentage points less than a year before, according to the Finance Ministry. The decline was due to the growth in revenue outpacing the rise in expenditure; revenue rose to EUR 21.4 billion, up 15.4% from 2020 and up 11.2% from 2019, and expenditure was up 10.1% from 2020 and up 28.1% from 2019 to EUR 24.3 billion.

Woman injured in second bear attack in a week

ŠKOFLJICA - A 53-year woman sustained light injures after being attacked by a brown bear in the woods in the Pijava Gorica area, south of Ljubljana, on Saturday in what is the second such incident in a week. The police said inquiries into what happened were ongoing but advised public to be cautions when walking in the area. Last Sunday a 63-year-old hunter was attacked by a she bear in the Postojna area, sustaining a broken arm, rib injuries and wounds on his back. This follows two such attacks in 2021.

Philosopher wins quote of the year award

MARIBOR - Philosopher Lev Kreft's remark about people being the target of politicians rather than vice versa has won the Spade of the Year title, given out by the newspaper Večer for the most apt statement capturing the spirit of 2021. "Today, we are not in a position where representatives of the people should be protected from the people, but it's the people who should be protected from its representatives," reads the winning quote declared at the 23rd Spade of the Year ceremony in Maribor on Saturday.

Two podium finishes for Slovenia in last World Cup event before Beijing

WILLINGEN, Germany - Nika Križnar won the last women's Ski Jumping World Cup event before the Beijing Olympics after setting Slovenia's national record at 151 metres in the sole series in Willingen, Germany, as Cene Prevc placed third in the men's event for hist first ever individual podium finish. The feats come after the victory for Slovenia's mixed team on Friday and Ema Klinec finishing third at the same venue on Saturday, bonding well for the Olympics starting this Friday.

Average Slovenian drinks 35 litres of wine a year

LJUBLJANA - An average Slovenian drank 35 litres of wine in the marketing year 2020-2021, that is nearly three litres a month. The country's wine consumption in this period totalled 764,000 hectolitres, and the self-sufficiency rate stood at 95%, according to data released by the Statistics Office. Slovenia produced 725,000 hectolitres of wine during this period, with white wine accounting for 70%. Wines with a protected designation of origin contributed 58% to the country's total wine production.