News
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:
Over 2,000 Covid infections confirmed Wednesday amid downward trend
LJUBLJANA - Slovenia logged another 2,125 coronavirus infections on Wednesday, a figure down by over 130 from Tuesday and by over 540 from a week ago, show the latest figures released by the National Institute of Public Health (NIJZ). The seven-day average decreased by 77 to 1,986 in a day and the 14-day incidence per 100,000 residents by 73 to 1,591. Government data show that there are now 1,087 Covid patients in hospitals, down 14 from yesterday, of whom 280 are in intensive care, up by three. 14 people died of Covid-19 yesterday, one fewer than a day earlier.
EU-Western Balkans ministerial calls for closer cooperation to better manage migration
BRDO PRI KRANJU - Home affairs officials from the EU and the Western Balkans who meting at Brdo estate agreed on the need to improve the exchange of information and cooperation on the ground in the combat against organised crime and terrorism and managing of migration, Slovenian Interior Minister Aleš Hojs said after the meeting. The minister said the discussion at the EU-Western Balkans Ministerial Forum had also ascertained that the cooperation between EU agencies and Western Balkan countries "is a two-way road". It is not just that the agencies offer assistance but also that the countries properly apply the tools at their disposal and share their information with the EU.
Govt revamps Slovenia's foreign policy strategy
LJUBLJANA - The government put down in writing a new version of the national foreign policy strategy, which takes into account new challenges, particularly hybrid threats and other crises. The document was referred to the parliamentary Foreign Policy Committee. The document, titled Slovenia: Safe, Successful and Respected in the World - Foreign Policy of the Republic of Slovenia, is a revised and updated version of the country's strategy endorsed in July 2015, said the Government Communication Office (UKOM) after the session.
Agri minister happy EU members endorse 2023-2027 CAP
BRUSSELS, Belgium - EU member states confirmed the common agricultural policy (CAP) for 2023-2027 to make the CAP greener, fairer and more transparent. "We have finally reached the finish line after more than three years of hard work," said Slovenian Agriculture Minister Jože Podgoršek, who chaired the Council session. "The new CAP, endorsed today, represents a milestone in the EU's agricultural policy as it paves the way for EU farmers to have a more just and transparent future," the minister said.
Logar urges restoration of mutual trust at OSCE meeting
STOCKHOLM, Sweden - Attending a session of the OSCE Ministerial Council, Foreign Minister Anže Logar advocated in Stockholm the restoration of mutual trust and strengthening of political will of the organisation's members. He warned such efforts were key as conflicts in the region were on the rise and the threshold for use of violence was being lowered.
No proof that wholesale energy markets do not work, says Vrtovec
BRUSSELS, Belgium - After chairing a session of EU ministers in charge of energy, Infrastructure Minister Jernej Vrtovec said that the main conclusion of the meeting was that there was no evidence that wholesale energy markets were not working. The meeting of the Transport, Telecommunications and Energy Council was mainly aimed at discussing soaring energy prices and measures to mitigate the situation, as well as an interim report on the situation of the wholesale markets by the EU's Agency for the Cooperation of Energy Regulators (ACER).
Pahor attends memorial ceremony for Giscard d'Estaing
STRASBOURG, France - President Borut Pahor attended a ceremony remembering Valery Giscard d'Estaing, who served as the president of France from 1974 to 1981. On the first anniversary of his death, Giscard d'Estaing was remembered in the European Parliament for his role in the Convention on the Future of Europe, which concluded its work in 2003 by drafting the Treaty establishing a Constitution for Europe. Upon his death, Pahor wrote a letter of condolences to French President Emanuel Macron, saying that France and Europe had lost a great European and statesman who persistently advocated closer European integration.
Former minister Lovro Šturm has died
LJUBLJANA - Lovro Šturm, former minister, Constitutional Court judge in the 1990s and professor emeritus at the Ljubljana Faculty of Law, has died aged 83, New Slovenia (NSi) said. Šturm became professor of administrative law at the Ljubljana Faculty of Arts after he got his PhD there in 1966. He was also active in international organisations of jurists. He was appointed judge at the Constitutional Court in 1990 and presided the court in his final two years in office, until 1998. In 2000 he served as minister of education and sport in the Andrej Bajuk government and in 2004-2008 as justice minister in the first Janez Janša government. Janša said today he had been a great patriot, intellectual and human rights fighter.
Govt endorses new UKC director
LJUBLJANA - The government endorsed the decision of the council of UKC Ljubljana, Slovenia's largest medical centre, to appoint acting director Jože Golobič for a full term. He starts his four-year term today, the government said. Golobič took over as acting director in February after Janez Poklukar left to become health minister. He was appointed for a full term pending the government's approval at the end of September.
Underdeveloped communities with Roma population to get more funds
LJUBLJANA - The government submitted to parliament a bill amending the financing of municipalities act whose goal it says is to streamline the procedure to award funds to the local communities with Roma settlements. The amendments also expand the list of state-subsidised services provided by joint municipal administrations. A release issued after the government session said one of the changes concerned the provision on the co-financing of municipalities with Roma populations which the government says has been open to misinterpretation.
Govt extends validity of this year's vouchers
LJUBLJANA - Given the poor epidemiological situation and the fact that almost half of the vouchers issued this year to help the hospitality, tourism, sports and culture sectors have not been cashed in yet, the government decided on Thursday to extend their validity until the end of June 2022. The 2021 vouchers were introduced with an emergency law for tourism and associated sectors and awarded to all those who had a permanent residence in Slovenia on 30 June.
Govt donates EUR 860,000 to international organisations
LJUBLJANA - The government adopted a decree allocating EUR 860,000 to international and other organisations active in foreign policy, international development cooperation and humanitarian aid this year. EUR 510,000 of the money will go for emergency aid in various humanitarian crises, the government said. The money will go to several UN funds and agencies, the International Committee of the Red Cross, Caritas Internationalis, the World Food Programme, the OECD Development Assistance Committee and several other international organisations.
Govt declares 2022 Tartini's year
LJUBLJANA - The government on Thursday decided 2022 will be the year of Piran-born Italian composer and violinist Giuseppe Tartini (1692-1770), as 330 years will have passed since his birth next year. This means the government will encourage events and programmes dedicated to the anniversary. The Culture Ministry has urged public institutions in culture to plan projects marking the anniversary, which will also be an "excellent opportunity for enhanced cooperation between important sectors such as education and tourism".
Water bottling company Costella up for sale
LJUBLJANA - The Swiss company Agrokor, which is in liquidation, is soliciting interest in the purchase of the Costella water bottling company, whose most valuable asset is a water extraction concession valid until 2035. Non-binding bids for the company are expected in the coming days, Finance reported. The paper added that Costella has never even come close to exploiting the water extraction capacity granted by the currently valid concession: 250 million litres of water per year. Current capacities, built in 2006 and 2007, enable the extraction of up to ten million litres of water per year per shift.
Slovenia's Expo pavilion and partners to launch new sustainable initiative
LJUBLJANA - An initiative in which the company Knauf Insulation and its partners Riko and Sophia Academy focus on a comprehensive approach to sustainable development and living will be launched in Dubai in January as part of Slovenia's Expo showcase under an agreement signed today. The three partners will set out the philosophy of their initiative on a broader scale at a large event in Dubai in January and early February. Aimed mainly at the business community, the events will address topics such employee well-being, sustainable construction and green solutions.
NGO proposes container deposit system
LJUBLJANA - Eko Krog, an environmental NGO, proposed Slovenia introduce a container deposit system for drinks packaging including plastic bottles, cans and glass bottles as a means of improving the recycling rate and the economics of waste management. "Precious materials in the form of waste is disappearing from Slovenia, while waste that cannot be used is piling up and being burned," Eko Krog president Uroš Macerl said. The NGO says ten European countries already have such systems, and 15 plan on introducing one. A survey carried out by Eko Krog among almost 1,900 respondents showed 99% support for such a system.
Volunteers clock in more than 7.3 million hours of work a year
LJUBLJANA - Slovenian volunteers clock in over 7.3 million hours of work annually, Public Administration Minister Boštjan Koritnik noted in his address to a two-day virtual congress of Slovenian volunteers, which started today, focusing on the role of volunteers and solidarity in addressing social and environmental challenges. The volunteer hours have somewhat dropped in the past two years as a result of the Covid-19 epidemic after some activities were suspended while new forms of voluntary work have come to the forefront, he said, praising the response of volunteers during the epidemic as exceptional.
STA, 2 December - Given the poor epidemiological situation and the fact that almost half of the vouchers issued this year to help the hospitality, tourism, sports and culture sectors have not been cashed in yet, the government decided on Thursday to extend their validity until the end of June 2022.
The 2021 vouchers were introduced with an emergency law for tourism and associated sectors and awarded to all those who had a permanent residence in Slovenia on 30 June.
Adults received EUR 100 and under 18-year-olds EUR 50 for services offered by the hospitality, tourism, sport and culture sectors.
In line with the law, the vouchers were to expire on 31 December but the government was also given the option to extend their validity by six months.
The cabinet believes that the extension will lift the pressure off tourism and other facilities in the country in the final month of the year and thus contribute to reducing the number of infections, the Economy Ministry said after the government's session.
The extension of the vouchers will also boost demand for the various services in the first half of next year, it added.
The vouchers were activated on 16 July and until 22 November, little more than half of them were redeemed, while EUR 95.9 million in vouchers were still unused.
The government had also proposed the extension of last year's tourism vouchers until the end of June 2022 in a bill on additional measures for curbing the epidemic and its consequences, which is yet to be discussed by parliament.
STA, 2 December 2021 - Due to the spread of the Omicron variant of coronavirus, the government decreed that from today, passengers arriving in Slovenia from seven countries in southern Africa are required to take three PCR tests during their mandatory 10-day quarantine, which was imposed already on Saturday.
The government amended the rules for entering the country at a correspondence session yesterday and the decree, published in the Official Journal on Wednesday evening, entered into force on Thursday.
A 10-day quarantine remains mandatory for persons arriving to Slovenia who reside in South Africa, Botswana, Eswatini, Lesotho, Mozambique, Namibia or Zimbabwe, or persons who have visited those countries in the 14 days before entering Slovenia. Foreigners without residence in Slovenia arriving from these countries are banned from entry.
The government has now imposed an additional rule requiring that these arrivals take three PCR tests after being ordered to quarantine at home.
They need to take a PCR test upon entering Slovenia and repeat it on the 5th and 10th days while quarantining at home, but cannot end the mandatory quarantine early regardless of the test result.
Those who had been in the African countries for 14 days before the new regulation came into force must report to emergency services by dialling the number 113, after which they will be ordered to quarantine at home for 10 days. They are required to take a PCR test right after making the call and on the final day of quarantine.
Nineteen people have already been put in the 10-day quarantine due to arrivals from areas at risk. One person received a quarantine order at the airport upon arrival, while 18 cases were self-reported, the police told the STA.
After the mandatory 10-day quarantine was imposed on Saturday, five people were quarantined on the same day, while four more followed on Sunday, six on Monday, one on Tuesday and two on Wednesday.
The government also recommends for travellers from countries that are not on the list but where Omicron has been confirmed to take a rapid test on arriving in Slovenia.
However, no other restrictions are planned at the moment for entry to Slovenia from EU countries where Omicron has been detected, Interior Minister Aleš Hojs told the press today.
He noted that Health Minister Janez Poklukar was discussing the matter with his EU counterparts. "I must say that at this point I see no need to beef up measures within the Schengen zone or the EU," he said after today's EU-Western Balkans ministerial in Brdo pri Kranju.
HTEC Group, the global consulting, software engineering, and digital product development company, which has recently started hiring top engineering talent in Slovenia, announced today the acquisition of Momentum Design Lab, an award-winning Silicon Valley design studio that provides product-lead growth for its clients.
The acquisition of Momentum will further strengthen HTEC Group’s product design capabilities and enable its current and future employees to tap into their innovative side and work on a whole spectrum of exciting cutting-edge innovations with leading global brands, startups and Fortune 500 enterprises.
Leaning on Momentum’s two decades long experience—HTEC Group will offer its clients digital product design and engineering, from early conceptualization to sophisticated delivery. This presents a unique opportunity for the local teams to show their creativity and to sharpen their skills building some of the most relevant business solutions of today. Momentum’s team has expressed the desire not only to explore the existing talent from this region but to work together with HTEC Group on developing people and equipping them with the necessary skills and design-thinking approach.
Established in 2002, Momentum positions itself among the pioneers of UX, CX and product design, working with the clients that range from startups to titans of industry. Over 52% of their startup or technology customers have been acquired creating over $30B of value.
“I am delighted to welcome Momentum into our fast growing team. For a long time, we were looking for the right company in the product design space. In Momentum we found a culture that matches our own—the passion for exceeding customer expectations and delivering excellence. Momentum brings the full suite of business domain knowledge, design prowess, and human-centric approach to creating products that have the power to transform businesses. We, at HTEC, offer world-class engineering. By merging top tech talent from SEE with the Silicon Valley product innovation and design-thinking mindset, we are well positioned to offer complete digital product development and digitization services to the best companies in the world. We will continue to look for companies that share our culture, as part of our broader growth strategy and our plan to reach a unicorn value soon.”—said Aleksandar Cabrilo, the CEO of HTEC Group.
Aleksandar Cabrilo & David Thomson
Momentum’s founder, David Thomson, commented, “We've been meshing technology, empathy and imagination in our pursuit of product value and have been looking for the right partner to help scale our capabilities for several years. As a company who is inventing the possible for our customers, it was important to find a partner that matched our design expertise and customer base with world class technology talent. HTEC’s deep technical knowledge exceeded our expectations and we're excited to join forces to build disruptive products, drive innovation and transform the way business is done from the inside out.
HTEC Group is hiring various technical and design profiles to work remotely from their homes in Slovenia and to develop their skills as well as their leadership potential by growing together with the company.
___
About HTEC Group
HTEC Group is a technology consulting and development company that provides deep tech engineering, R&D, digital product development and innovation services to the world's top high-tech companies, disruptive startups, corporations and Fortune 500 enterprises. With headquarters in San Francisco and local offices in the US, the UK, the Netherlands, Sweden and Slovenia, as well as 12 tech development centres across SE Europe, HTEC is well-positioned to deliver sophisticated digital solutions across verticals such as Robotics, Manufacturing, Retail, Healthcare, FinTech, Mobility, Green Energy, Transportation, Media and Deep Technology, to name a few.
About Momentum
Momentum is a Silicon Valley design studio headquartered in San Mateo, with offices in New York, London and Sydney. The company offers design thinking-based and technology driven services in digital product innovation, customer experience management, and digital transformation for which it was rated the #1 UX Agency globally on Clutch.co for 5 years in a row. Its customers range from startups to the Fortune 100 companies.
Christmas is coming and gifts must be bought, so here’s something to consider for the kitchen – a book that takes you on a tour of all four seasons and Slovenia’s 24 culinary regions, with more than 100 dishes over 200+ pages.
Špela Vodovc and her books
Špela Vodovc’s Cook Eat Slovenia has been available in English since 2019 (and can still be bought, here), and has now been released in a gorgeous German edition, translated by Hans Peter Kamien, whose Mein Slowenien website is an essential destination for German speakers with an interest in the country.
Since we wrote about the book when it was first released, and the German edition is the same the English one, aside from nearly all the words being different, what follows is a reprint of that, as illustrated by pictures of the English edition.
As noted in the intro, the book takes you on a tour of all four seasons and Slovenia’s 24 culinary regions, and with more than 100 dishes over 200+ pages you’re certain to find plenty of old favourites along with some you’ve never heard of. Each recipe is presented alongside a picture of the dish itself – providing inspiration as well as some serving suggestions – and thus the book also works a practical guide to Slovenian cuisine, one that outside the kitchen you can use to spot dishes in the wild and expand the range of items you order from the menu or the market, providing a checklist of things to seek out.
And the recipes are so easy-to-follow, no doubt due to the years of experience the author has explaining these dishes in cooking classes, that anyone who knows a frying pan from a sieve will be able to put together a shopping list, come home and produce the desired results. This is, after all, traditional, hone-style food, made using standard techniques, and the words foam, emulsion and sous vide seem to appear nowhere in the text.
As Slovenian cuisine gets more of a global reputation, due to the sterling work of its producers, chefs and promotors, we can expect more books that attempt to explain the canon to interested readers. With Cook Eat Slovenia, Špela Vodovc has set a high standard indeed, and one that’s available for just €24.99. Copies can be found in some bookstores, but the easiest way is to order online, direct from the author, here, with both English and German editions available.
STA, 1 December 2021 - A book about Slavic cuisines written by Slovenian ethnologist Janez Bogataj has been declared one of the best books in the 25-year history of the Gourmand world cookbooks awards. The book was published by the Forum of Slavic Cultures in Slovenian and English in 2015.
The Best of the Best in 25 Years award was handed to Bogataj and the forum's director Andreja Rihter in Paris by Edouard Cointreau, the founder of the Gourmand awards, which were first given out in 1995.
At the Table with the Slavs, the English version of the book "S Slovani za Mizo", features selected foods from Slovenia, Belarus, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Czech Republic, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Poland, Russia, Serbia, Slovakia and Ukraine. It also brings gastronomic and culinary characteristics of each country.
Rihter took the opportunity to say that she was happy that the book continued to stand out not only for its design but also its content.
"It is still the only monograph in the world on Slavic cuisines," she said, as quoted by the Forum of Slavic Cultures, a Ljubljana-based international NGO.
The book has meanwhile grown into a project featuring an exhibition, food tastings, and collaborations with schools, faculties, diplomats, and organisers of book fairs.
In 2016, the book received the Gourmand award for best cookbook in Eastern Europe, while Bogataj has received a few such awards for his books. This time, his book Kranjska Klobasa (Carniolan Sausage) was also selected among the best of the best, the release says.
Learn more about the book and related project 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.
This summary is provided by the STA:
Logar urges addressing risks following Afghanistan pull-out
BRUSSELS, Belgium/RIGA, Latvia - Following a two-day NATO ministerial, FM Anže Logar said the developments after the withdrawal from Afghanistan had come as a surprise and had brought up numerous risks that needed to be properly addressed. When planning future missions, goals should be laid out in advance according to regional characteristics, he noted. When it comes to the Western Balkans, the current situation there shows progress is not a given, he warned.
Hojs rejects allegations of pushbacks
LJUBLJANA - Interior Minister Aleš Hojs rejected allegations by NGOs that Slovenian police officers were engaged in pushbacks on the Slovenian border in an interview with the newspaper Delo, while he criticised Croatian police for giving migrants instructions to ask for international protection in Slovenia. Hojs said requests for international protection had increased by almost 60% in Slovenia this year whereas the number of intercepted illegal migrants dropped by some 40%.
Italian parliament approves return of National Hall to minority
ROME, Italy - The Italian Chamber of Deputies put into law a government decree on the transfer of National Hall in Trieste thus giving the go ahead for the process to start to return it to the Slovenian community there. According to a report by the Trieste-based Slovenian newspaper Primorski Dnevnik, the Mario Draghi government pegged the passage of a multi-purpose decree to a vote of confidence which it won in a broad majority. The return was agreed during last year's ceremony marking the centennial of the torching of the building by the Fascists.
Daily coronavirus infections down further, 15 deaths
LJUBLJANA - The number of new daily coronavirus infections was down both in weekly and daily comparisons on Tuesday to 2,257 as almost a third of PCR tests came back positive. Another 15 people died of Covid-19. Robert Carotta, the Health Ministry's coordinator for Covid beds, told the press that hospitalisations had apparently reached a plateau that would probably continue until mid-December, while noting that the healthcare system still operated at maximum capacity.
Multiple testing imposed on arrivals from southern Africa
LJUBLJANA - Due to the spread of the Omicron variant of coronavirus, the government decreed that passengers arriving in Slovenia from seven countries in southern Africa are required to take three PCR tests during mandatory 10-day quarantine. The government imposed mandatory self-isolation on persons residing in or visiting South Africa, Botswana, Eswatini, Lesotho, Mozambique, Namibia and Zimbabwe in the past 14 days before entering Slovenia on Saturday, now imposing testing on 1st, 5th and 10th day.
OECD significantly upgrades Slovenia's growth outlook
PARIS, France - The Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) substantially upgraded Slovenia's economic growth forecast. It projects the economy to expand by 5.9% this year, up from its May forecast of 3.5%, whereas the outlook for 2022 was revised by 0.8 percentage points to 5.4%. Growth is projected to slow to 3.2% in 2023.
Finance Committee clears higher general tax relief
LJUBLJANA - The Finance Committee approved amendments to the personal income tax act that would raise the general tax relief and thus take-home pay for everyone, as well as reduce capital gains tax. Opposition MPs expressed concern over the impact on fiscal sustainability but Finance Minister Andrej Šircelj argued it would be offset by rising tax revenue on the back of an economic rebound. If passed at the plenary session later this month, the changes will come into effect on 1 January 2022. The Chamber of Commerce and Industry says economic growth would increase by 0.5-0.75 percentage points as a result.
Government to provide more funds for agriculture
LJUBLJANA - The government will allocate an additional EUR 210 million to agriculture in 2023-2027, on top of the EUR 100 million promised in the summer under an agreement reached as agricultural organisations met with PM Janez Janša and Agriculture Minister Jože Podgoršek. "This will be the first time since Slovenia's EU accession that more money will be provided for agriculture than is required by EU rules," said the Chamber of Agriculture and Forestry.
Home Affairs Committee okays de-bureaucratisation bill
LJUBLJANA - The parliamentary Interior, Public Administration and Local Self-Government Committee endorsed a de-bureaucratisation bill. The proposal aims to facilitate access to public services and cut red tape. However, legal experts raised concern about many of its aspects they deem problematic. The first segment of the omnibus bill amends 14 laws from various areas in a major red tape cutting effort, while the other annuls 207 laws and all by-laws based on them, including providing for expiry of 18 Yugoslav federal laws.
Prosecutors oppose changes to appointment of EPPO members
LJUBLJANA - The State Prosecutorial Council expressed strong opposition to the proposed amendments that would give the government greater say in the appointment of Slovenian prosecutors delegated to the European Public Prosecutor's Office (EPPO), saying that this allowed for "inadmissible political staffing." The council issued the opinion after discussing the amendments, drawn up by the Justice Ministry last week, at a session yesterday.
Transparency concerned about gaming act procedure
LJUBLJANA - Transparency International Slovenia warned about what it perceives as doubtful transparency in the adoption of amendments to the gaming act now in parliamentary procedure. It noted that the influence on individual changes should be clearly identified and recorded. The comments come ahead of today's second reading of the amendments on the parliamentary Finance Committee. The organisation notes that criticism and doubt had been expressed in the media regarding the transparency of their drafting.
Ski resorts hope for better season
LJUBLJANA - As the new ski season starts this weekend, ski lift operators hope that it will not be like the previous one, when ski resorts were on the brink of survival due to Covid-19 measures and many of them would be in serious trouble without government aid. Manuela Božič Badalič, the head of the Association of Ski Lift Operators, said the operators had managed to agree some improvements regarding Covid-19 restrictions with the health authorities ahead of the new season.
Events industry appeals for emergency aid
LJUBLJANA - The Slovenian conventions and events industry urged the government to provide emergency aid to the tune of EUR 50 million. Half the companies in the business are at risk of collapse next year, the Chamber of Commerce and Industry (GZS) said. Large segments of the industry have been shut down for more than a year. Concerts and other events without seating are currently banned with strict restrictions in place for events that may still be held. The sector saw a 61% drop in revenue in 2020 with similar results expected this year.
Defence Studies department opposes plans for officer training school
LJUBLJANA - The department of Defence Studies at the Ljubljana Faculty of Social Sciences is surprised at the recent proposal by the coalition NSi and SDS to set up an officer training school. The department's experts argue against the plan, saying that such a step would fundamentally change the structure of military education in Slovenia. They also note that the defence and education ministries and other experts have not been involved in the bill's drafting.
Painter Marko Jakše to represent Slovenia at Venice Biennale
VENICE, Italy - Slovenia will be represented by Marko Jakše, a painter best known for his surrealist Dali-esque canvases, at the 59th Venice Biennale, which will be held between 23 April and 27 November 2022. The exhibition of Jakše's works will feature canvases from different periods, Moderna Galerija said.
Clug's ballet on show at the Bolshoi
MOSCOW, Russia - A ballet based on the Russian classic The Master and Margarita by Romanian-born Slovenian choreographer Edward Clug will open at the Bolshoi Theatre in Moscow this evening, with four reruns scheduled until 5 December. Clug, the artistic director for ballet at the Slovenian SNG Maribor national theatre, conceived the production together with a team he has worked with for a number of years.
Bogataj's book of Slavic cuisines wins cookbook award
LJUBLJANA - A book about Slavic cuisines written by Slovenian ethnologist Janez Bogataj has been declared one of the best books in the 25-year history of the Gourmand world cookbooks awards. The book was published by the Forum of Slavic Cultures in Slovenian and English in 2015. The Best of the Best in 25 Years award was handed to Bogataj and the forum's director Andreja Rihter in Paris by Edouard Cointreau, the founder of the Gourmand awards, which were first given out in 1995.
Disabled note progress but also challenges ahead
BRDO PRI KRANJU - As Slovenia's top officials hosted a reception ahead of the 3 December International Day of Persons with Disabilities, representatives of the disabled noted several improvements this year, including the "historic achievement" to enshrine the sign language and tactile signing in the constitution. However, Borut Sever, head of the National Council of Organisations for the Disabled, also noted issues such as discrimination and poor access to public buildings, mobility, information and communication.
Call for end to stigmatisation of people with HIV
LJUBLJANA - There are about a thousand HIV-infected persons in Slovenia, with most of them being treated. While there has been tremendous progress in fighting AIDS over the years, people with HIV are still stigmatised, Janez Tomažič from Ljubljana's Infectious Disease Clinic told the STA ahead of World AIDS Day. "Persons receiving treatment have an undetectable virus, so they are not dangerous. You will not get infected even if you have unprotected sex without a condom with them," he said.
E-tolling stickers for cars become available
LJUBLJANA - Electronic vignettes became available today to eventually fully replace toll stickers. Annual e-vignettes for cars and semi-annual e-vignettes for motorbikes became available today, with weekly and monthly e-vignettes to follow in February 2022. Prices remain unchanged, while the annual vignette is no longer linked to the calendar year.
40 years pass since worst plane crash in Slovenian history
LJUBLJANA - Slovenia remembers today the worst plane crash in its history. In the morning of 1 December 1981, a plane of the former Slovenian flag carrier Inex-Adria crashed on Corsica's Mont San-Pietro, killing all 180 passengers and crew members on board. It was world's worst air accident that year. To honour the victims, President Borut Pahor laid a wreath at the grave site at Ljubljana's Žale cemetery.
Almost 160 money mules caught in latest sting
LJUBLJANA - As part of the latest effort to crack down on money mule schemes in Europe, the Slovenian police investigated 126 cases to identify a total of 156 money mules. A total loss by legal entities and individuals of EUR 1.4 million was thus prevented, the General Police Administration said. The seventh European Money Mule Action identified more than 18,000 mules and helped prevent EUR 70 million in damage in 27 countries. It was conducted between 15 September and 30 November.
STA, 1 December - Due to the spread of the Omicron variant of coronavirus, the government decreed today that passengers arriving in Slovenia from seven countries in southern Africa are required to take three PCR tests during mandatory 10-day quarantine.
The government imposed mandatory self-isolation on persons residing in or visiting South Africa, Botswana, Eswatini, Lesotho, Mozambique, Namibia and Zimbabwe in the past 14 days before entering Slovenia on Saturday. Foreigners without residence in Slovenia arriving from those countries are banned from entry.
The government has now imposed an additional rule requiring of those arrivals to take a PCR test on entering Slovenia and repeat it on the 5th and 10th day after being ordered to self-isolate at home. They cannot end the mandatory self-isolation early regardless of the test result.
Those who had been in the countries for 14 days before the new regulation came into force must report to emergency services by dialling the number 113, after which they will be ordered to self-isolate at home for 10 days. They are required to take a PCR test right after making the call and on the final day of self-isolation.
The government also recommends for travellers from countries not on the list but where Omicron has been confirmed to take a rapid test on arriving in Slovenia.
STA, 1 December 2021 - The Slovenian conventions and events industry has urged the government to provide emergency aid to the tune of EUR 50 million. Half the companies in the business are at risk of collapse next year, the Chamber of Commerce and Industry (GZS) said.
Large segments of the industry have been shut down for more than a year. "We did a bit of work in the summer, but then we were shut down again by decree on 5 November," said Dejan Žura of DB Team, a company specialising in light and sound production.
Concerts and other events without seating are currently banned, whereas strict restrictions are in place for events that may still be organised. "The situation is only getting worse," he said.
The sector recorded a 61% decline in revenue in 2021 compared to the year before, and similar results are expected this year. "We urgently need aid. If the government does not heed our calls, at least half of our companies will fold next year," he said.
Events organisers have high fixed costs. They are also grappling with the departure of staff with specialised know-how. Žura projects the total headcount in the industry will have dropped by 30% this year compared to pre-coronavirus levels.
There were three major fairs this year - the trade fair in Celje, agricultural fair in Gornja Radgona and the Nature-Health fair in Ljubljana - but exhibitor and visitor numbers were lower by roughly 60% and 40%, respectively, said Robert Otorepec, the director of Celje Trade Fair organiser Celjski Sejem.
Concert organisers estimate over 1,250 music events were cancelled last year, making for a revenue shortfall of around EUR 110 million. The situation will be even worse this year, according to concert organiser Mitja Prezelj.
The sector estimates they need EUR 50 million in aid in the form of subsidised furlough and short-time work, a universal basic income for the self-employed, and a provision valid through May next year under which they would get 100% compensation for events that are cancelled.
GZS director Aleš Cantarutti expects the government to "give it a serious thought" and amend the latest anti-corona stimulus bill, which is already in parliamentary procedure, with these measures. "I understand that funds are limited... But something must happen."
STA, 1 December 2021 - The number of new daily coronavirus infections was down both in weekly and daily comparisons on Tuesday to 2,257 as almost a third of PCR tests came back positive. The National Institute of Public Health (NIJZ) estimates there are around 35,000 active cases in the country. Another 15 people died of Covid-19 yesterday.
The rolling 7-day average dropped further to 2,063, down by 126 from the day before, and the cumulative 14-day incidence per 100,000 residents was down by 96 to 1,664.
The estimated number of active cases fell by about 2,000 compared to the day before to 35,000.
Yesterday's test positivity rate was 32.4%, down by almost 14 percentage points compared to Monday.
According to the government, hospitalisations were down by 27 to 1,101, with the number of Covid-19 patients in intensive care dropping by three to 277. 15 people died of Covid-19 yesterday.
The youngest hospitalised patient is 27 years old, as is the youngest patient in intensive care.
Robert Carotta, the Health Ministry's coordinator for Covid beds, said at today's press conference that hospitalisations had apparently reached a plateau that would probably continue until mid-December, while noting that the healthcare system still operated at maximum capacity.
It seems that projections under which the number of ICU patients would reach 320 will not be realised, he said, adding that the "dropping of the daily number of newly-infected people inspires hope that there is light at the end of the tunnel."
Carotta is meanwhile puzzled by what he sees as many Slovenians not being aware of the seriousness of the situation, with almost 300 patients in ICT units becoming an accepted fact.
"At the same time, we live almost normally, we want mass events," he said, noting that an accident with a large number of victims would result in a collapse of the healthcare system.
All the latest data on COVID and Slovenia
STA, 1 December 2021 - Electronic vignettes will soon fully replace toll stickers, as annual e-vignettes for cars and semi-annual e-vignettes for motorbikes are available as of today, with weekly and monthly e-vignettes to follow in February 2022. Prices remain unchanged, while the annual vignette is no longer be linked to the calendar year.
The existing annual sticker vignettes remain valid up to 31 January 2022, and weekly and monthly vignettes in sticker form will also continue to be used until that date.
As of 1 February, the sticker vignettes will be discontinued in full, as the use of all toll roads in Slovenia will be possible only with an electronic vignette.
During the validity period of their electronic vignette, drivers will be able to use motorways and expressways without any restrictions, the state-run motorway company DARS has said.
A new feature is also being introduced - the validity of the annual e-vignette will no longer be limited to the calendar year. Instead, it will be valid for exactly one year, starting with the date that drivers choose themselves by buying the e-vignette.
All types of e-vignettes will be available for purchase up to 30 days before the selected validity date, and will be linked to the vehicle registration number.
DARS announced that it will be the drivers' responsibility to correctly upload their registration number to the e-tolling system when purchasing an e-vignette, be it online or during a purchase at an actual point of sale.
They recommend that vignette buyers write down their registration number or take their registration certificates with them. If the number in the system does not match the vehicle registration number, the toll will not be paid, which is an offence punishable by a fine, DARS warned.
Vehicle registration numbers will be monitored by cameras installed all along the Slovenian motorway network, at checkpoints and in toll enforcement vehicles.
Once the system will have verified the vehicle for which the e-vignette has been purchased, this information will be immediately deleted and no data will remain in the system, DARS said.
Use motorways and expressways in Slovenia without a valid (electronic) vignette is a violation punishable by a fine of EUR 300.
