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This summary is provided by the STA:
Over 4,000 coronavirus cases second time this week
LJUBLJANA - Slovenia logged 4,069 coronavirus cases for Thursday, the third straight day that the tally more than doubled from the same day a week ago and the second time this week that the daily count topped 4,000. The government reported nine more Covid deaths with hospitalisations dropping to 547 ICU cases to 155. According to Matjaž Leskovar from the Jožef Stefan Institute, the epidemic is progressing increasingly fast and could peak in the last week of January. Hospitalisation are meanwhile expected to culminate in the first week of February, when numbers from the peak of the fourth wave of the epidemic could be reached.
Govt cuts quarantine, validity of tests, restricts public transport
LJUBLJANA - The government endorsed at a correspondence session several changes to the decree on temporary measures aimed at preventing the spreading of Covid to cut the duration of quarantine and validly of tests, and cut the number of passengers in public transport in line with the guidelines from the National Institute of Public Health. The changes will enter into force on Monday, the Government Communication Office (UKOM) said.
Businesses urge for respect of public health measures
BRDO PRI KRANJU - Business representatives agreed that public health guidelines must be respected to make sure the corporate sector can operate normally, as they met government representatives for talks that came amidst what looks set to be the worst wave of Covid so far. "This is the only way to avoid a spontaneous lockdown due to the sheer number of infections and quarantining," Health Minister Janez Poklukar said after last night's talks. Business reps contended, urging for vaccination.
Tonin flies from Italy to Slovenia aboard US aircraft, part of opposition unhappy
LJUBLJANA - Defence Minister Matej Tonin was invited to the Aviano air base in Italy in November, and flew aboard an F16 fighter aircraft from there to Poček, Slovenia's main military training area, to briefly take part in a military exercise, the 24ur.com news portal reported. Two opposition parties are rather critical of his move. Tonin was hosted by General Jason Bailey, the commander of the US air base in Aviano in northern Italy, who also piloted the multi-role fighter aircraft.
Slovenia sticks by its support of nuclear in EU taxonomy
LJUBLJANA - Infrastructure Minister Jernej Vrtovec doubled down on Slovenia's support for making nuclear energy a part of the EU's taxonomy of sustainable energy sources, telling the press that nuclear was crucial to Slovenia's and EU efforts to carry out the green transition. "As a nuclear country, Slovenia supports the inclusion of nuclear energy and natural gas in the EU taxonomy," he said during a presentation of the achievements of Slovenia's EU presidency.
Doctors oppose proposed waste incineration regulation
LJUBLJANA - Doctors trusted with monitoring, warning and raising awareness of the health risks of a contaminated environment are against a government proposal for a regulation on waste incineration. The regulation should set emission limit values as low as possible, they told reporters, warning that waste incineration should be a last resort. The draft regulation put forward by the Environment Ministry envisages concessions for four incinerator operators for a period of the next 30 years.
Union proposes recourse for warnings before termination
LJUBLJANA - The Trade Union of Slovenian Police (SPS) tabled a bill backed by over 7,000 voter signatures to give employees better protection when they receive a warning before termination, a system they say would protect workers against abuse of this disciplinary sanction. In the autumn the union noted cases of such warnings being issued to a police officer who took a photo with anti-government protester and officers who removed members of a neo-Nazi group from anti-government protests.
Agriculture minister happy with Slovenian EU presidency
LJUBLJANA - Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Food Jože Podgoršek has assessed that Slovenia achieved most of the set goals in agriculture during its six-month stint as the EU presiding country. He singled out as one of the biggest achievements the Council's formal adoption of the new common agricultural policy (CAP) for 2023-2027.
Pahor talks course of Conference on the Future of Europe
LJUBLJANA - President Borut Pahor met the head and members of the parliamentary delegation dedicated to the plenary sessions of the Conference on the Future of Europe. The participants exchanged assessments of the conference so far and their expectations for its conclusions, the president's office said.
Slovenian EU presidency's environmental efforts judged as poor
BRUSSELS, Belgium - The Slovenian presidency of the Council of the EU in 2021 was a disappointment as regards promoting the EU's green transition, according to the European Environmental Bureau (EEB), which said that Slovenia was less advanced in this area compared to fellow presidency trio countries Germany and Portugal. Before each EU presidency, the EEB, a European network of around 160 environmental citizens' organisations based in more than 35 countries, draws up a list of ten green challenges for the member state holding the presidency.
90th Friday protest against RTV Slovenija's subjugation
LJUBLJANA - Friday protesters against government policies gathered for the 90th time in Ljubljana's Republic Square tonight, this time around to highlight the political subjugation of public broadcaster RTV Slovenija and other Slovenian media. Jaša Jenull, one of their main figures, urged citizens to turn out at the April general election en masse.
New cycling paths to link Nova Gorica and Gorizia
NOVA GORICA/GORIZIA, Italy - The construction of new cycling paths started in Gorizia, with the aim of linking the cross-border area around the cities of Nova Gorica in Slovenia and Gorizia in Italy and the adjacent Soča River valley, as part of the Cross-border park of Isonzo-Soča project. "This project is an important signal about the kind of city we want to be. We want to live in a conurbation where clean and green mobility is at the forefront," Nova Gorica Mayor Miklavič told rthe ceremony on the occasion.
Most popular Slovenian weekly newspaper turns 60
LJUBLJANA - Exactly 60 years have passed since the first issue of Nedeljski Dnevnik, the most popular Slovenian weekly newspaper. "All those decades it has been an indispensable part of families. Its topics have always found their way to the people and readers repaid it with loyalty," Nedeljski Dnevnik journalist Tomaž Bukovec wrote on the occasion. In the 1970s the paper had the highest per capita circulation in the world.
Spate of stabbings and violence in Celje area
CELJE - A series of stabbings has taken place in the Celje area this week with the police reporting of four cases of stabbings plus an attack with scissors in a secondary school since 1 January, in addition to three suspected domestic violence offences. After a 35-year-old man seriously injured a 38-year-old with a knife after an escalation of an accidental argument on 1 January, a similar incident unfolded between two residents of a care home with two more cases of attempted homicide on Thursday.
