STA, 23 August 2021 - With the start of the school year only a week away and facing criticism about inadequate preparedness, education officials provided assurances on Monday that educational institutions are prepared for another year of coronavirus restrictions.

Schools and kindergartens will operate according to what is called model B, which means in-person instruction for all children, mandatory masks for older children, distancing, extensive ventilation, and mandatory Covid certificates for staff.

Damir Orehovec, a state secretary at the Education Ministry, acknowledged at a conference for head teachers today that the rules concerning Covid certificates have not been finalised yet.

At present unvaccinated teachers have to be tested by an official provider of testing once a week, but it is likely that self-testing will be introduced soon.

Parents who wish to enter school or kindergarten premises will have to show a Covid certificate as well. It remains unclear who will check parents' status, though.

The rules for the school year have been issued in a 140-page publication for educational institutions and were presented today at the onset of a three-day conference for head teachers.

Vinko Logaj, the head of the National Education Institute, expects that the school year will start and finish in-person.

"The protocols that some schools have already finalised and others are still supplementing will make it possible to successfully carry out instruction in this school year," he said.

Education MinisterSimona Kustec  was supposed to address the head teachers as well but she has contracted Covid-19 and is isolating at home with severe symptoms.

Responding to calls that she should resign, she said in a written message that she would "not accept threats, insults and unsubstantiated shaming, or attempt to dehumanise by those ... who abuse the educational system for their narrow, egotistic and often partisan interests".

Messages about sufficient preparedness were also delivered at a session of the parliamentary Education Committee, called at the request of the opposition with the argument that preparations for another epidemic school year have not been sufficient.

Education Ministry State Secretary Mitja Slavinec said the planned measures were a compromise between efforts to secure a safe learning environment and effective instruction.

He said the situation was changing fast and that restrictions were unpredictable, noting that it would be easy to set very strict rules from the start, like Italy did, but that the main goal of the restrictions was to keep schools open as long as possible.

The statement came after the centre-left opposition claimed the government was a complete failure when it came to getting schools ready.

Marko Koprivc, an MP for the Social Democrats (SD), said on behalf of the opposition that with one week to go before classes start, teachers still did not have any information and it was unclear what kind of restrictions will be in place.

He accused Minister Kustec of being "incompetent" and urged her to resign, while calling on the government to finally start working and make sure instruction can proceed normally.

STA, 23 August 2021 - PM Janez Janša and parliamentary Speaker Igor Zorčič marked Europe-wide Day of Remembrance for the victims of all totalitarian and authoritarian regimes on Monday, warning against glorification of Nazi and other totalitarian regimes' symbols. Zorčič called for prosecution of such acts, which he deems extremely dangerous and inadmissible. 

Addressing an international conference on transition processes in Central and Eastern Europe marking Black Ribbon Day in Ljubljana, Janša stressed that unless the society learned from history it would be condemned to repetition.

He noted that it took more than 15 years for the resolution based on which Black Ribbon Day is marked to be adopted. He also thinks a lot more work will be needed to achieve national reconciliation.

However, at least the memory of the past has been preserved, he stressed. "Today, nobody in Slovenia can say they do not know or do not have the opportunity to know the entire truth, all aspects of events during all totalitarian regimes under which Slovenians have suffered," he said.

The prime minister also expressed concern about the attitude to totalitarian, criminal regimes. "Today, when we remember victims of totalitarian regimes on European soil, let's not look only back but also forward. If we are not capable of learning anything from history, we'll be condemned to repetition," he warned.

Speaker Zorčič said in his message on Black Ribbon Day that even though it seemed that the period of peace and economic progress after the Second World War had brought catharsis to European nations and an understanding of the evil that totalitarian regimes bring, it was clear today that Europe had still not come completely to terms with its totalitarian past.

"Worse yet, recently historical criminals, their totalitarian ideas and despicable actions are increasingly being glorified, while intolerance to those who are different and think differently is strengthening," Zorčič warned.

The current situation is a warning how extremely thin and fragile is the borderline between normality and totalitarianism, he said.

The crisis situation brought about by the Covid-19 epidemic creates the conditions for hate speech that is spreading particularly aggressively on social media, the speaker noted.

"In this situation adding fuel to the fire by irresponsible individuals, including politicians, is particularly dangerous. Any glorification of Nazism and totalitarian symbols, even only to get public attention, is extremely dangerous and inadmissible, yet it is becoming increasingly frequent, so it should be prosecuted in Slovenia as well," Zorčič said.

Tomaž Ivešić, director of the Study Centre for National Reconciliation, which hosts today's conference in parliament together with the National Council and Foreign Ministry, said that Slovenia had so far made some important steps towards reconciliation, correcting injustices and punishing human rights violations in totalitarian regimes.

He noted that almost 36,000 decisions had been issued to political prisoners and victims of post-war violence and their relatives based on which EUR 127 million in damages had been paid out.

However, he added, one problem was that so far no one had been convicted of any crimes committed during the Second World War, and that the process of denationalisation was still not completed.

National Council president Alojz Kovšca said that the term reconciliation was being abused in a political sense. He thinks it should be made clear publicly that reconciliation meant letting go of resentments referring to the past and not giving mandate for illegitimate obtaining of privileges for anyone.

Kovšca also warned of the "aggressive political discourse", including on social media.

Victims of totalitarian regimes will be remembered today as wreaths will be laid at the Monument to the Victims of All Wars in Ljubljana's Congress Square and in front of the US Embassy. A mass will also be celebrated at the Ljubljana cathedral by Archbishop Stanislav Zore, which will also be attended by Janša.

Slovenia and Europe mark today the international day of remembrance for the victims of totalitarian regimes, specifically Stalinist, communist, Nazi and fascist regimes. The European Parliament set 23 August as Europe-wide Day of Remembrance for the victims of all totalitarian and authoritarian regimes in 2009. Slovenia has been officially marking the day since 2012.

23 August was chosen as the date of the signing of the Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact, a 1939 non-aggression pact between the Soviet Union and Nazi Germany.

STA, 23 August 2021 - Just over a quarter of respondents in the latest public opinion poll conducted by Mediana for commercial broadcaster POP TV support the work of the Janez Janša government, which is the lowest support in this term. The senior coalition Democrats (SDS) continue to top party rankings, followed by the opposition Social Democrats (SD).

While 27.5% of the respondents support the cabinet, two-thirds or 63.9% oppose it and 8.6% are undecided, shows the poll conducted among 714 respondents this month.

Although it remains the most popular party, the SDS lost ground, with its support dropping by almost two percentage points to 16.1%. The SD in second place also lost some ground going from 11.7% to 11.1%.

Meanwhile, the support for the opposition Left increased by 0.8 of a percentage point to 8.8%.

The Marjan Šarec List (LMŠ) continues to lose voters' trust, going from 7.9% to 5.6%.

In contrast, the coalition New Slovenia (NSi) saw its support rise from 4.2% to 5.6%.

The top five are followed by the Alenka Bratušek Party (SAB), whose support was up by 1.4 percentage point to 4.1%, the Pirates with 2.5%, and the Greens with 2%.

All other parties enjoy the support of less than 1% of respondents.

One in four respondents is undecided (23.3%), and one in ten would not vote for any of the existing parties. Just under 3% of the respondents would not reveal their party preferences.

MEP Ljudmila Novak (EPP/NSi) climbed to the top of the list of most popular politicians from the third place last month. She is followed by last month's favourite, President Borut Pahor, and parliamentary Speaker Igor Zorčič. Prime Minister Janez Janša ranked 15th, while Education Minister Simona Kustec is at the very bottom of the list.

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: 

Janša says EU will not open humanitarian corridors to Afghanistan

LJUBLJANA - Prime Minister Janez Janša said he EU would "not open any 'humanitarian' or migration corridors to Afghanistan". "We will not allow a repeat of the strategic mistake of 2015. We will only help individuals who have helped us in the course of the NATO mission and EU member states that protect our external border," he said on Twitter. In a different tweet, he said that it women are organising and fighting the Taliban in certain parts of Afghanistan, so should men.

Tally of new coronavirus cases reaches 244 on Saturday

LJUBLJANA - Slovenia reported 244 new cases of coronavirus on Saturday, the highest Saturday figure since mid-May and an increase of 150% on the previous week. More than 17% of all cases came back positive. There were 66 patients with Covid in hospital this morning, the same as yesterday, with the number of ICU cases rising by three to 18. Two patients with Covid-19 died.

Diaspora writer Rebula honoured with bust

LOKA PRI ZIDANEM MOSTU - A bust of Alojz Rebula (1924-2018), a diaspora writer and translator, was unveiled in front of the Church of St Helen in Loka pri Zidanem Mostu, where he spent the last years of his life. The work of sculptor Zoran Poznič, the bust was presented at a ceremony featuring President Borut Pahor, Culture Minister Vasko Simoniti and Minister for Slovenians Abroad Helena Jaklitsch. Mass was given by Cardinal Franc Rode.

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: 

Janša, Hojs heckled at mountain hut

KREDARICA - Prime Minister Janez Janša and Interior Minister Aleš Hojs were heckled by anti-government protesters at the Kredarica mountain hut below Mt Triglav on Friday evening. Video shared on social media show Janša and Hojs filmed being confronted by a group of protesters who usually stage bicycle rallies in Ljubljana returning from the peak fter marking the 70th week of protests there. Defence Minister Matej Tonin was there but he was not seen on video. The prime minister's office would not comment on the events beyond saying that Janša had gone to Triglav in his spare time.

Afghan interpreter safely evacuated to Slovenia

LJUBLJANA - An Afghan interpreter who worked for the Slovenian Armed Forces has been evacuated from Afghanistan and arrived in Slovenia on Friday evening together with his family. The government has already sorted out their legal status, according to the Defence Ministry.

Agra fair with some 1,100 exhibitors in-person again

GORNJA RADGONA - The Agra agriculture fair opened in an in-person format after a scaled-down version was held online and on-site last year, as the first large in-person fair in Slovenia since the epidemic was declared in March 2020. Some 1,100 exhibitors from 29 countries are featured. President Borut Pahor warned in his keynote that farmers would have to be helped by the state to cope with the impact of climate change.

Contemporary dance festival defies pandemic and Brexit

MURSKA SOBOTA - The contemporary dance festival Front@ stated under the slogan Despite Everything - in the Trenches of Pandemic and Brexit. Running until 27 August, it brings dance productions from Great Britain, France, Spain, South Korea and Slovenia, as well as exhibitions, concerts, workshops, and talks with the artists.

Tartini festival kicks off in Piran

PIRAN - The Tartini Festival began with a concert by the I Solisti Veneti at the Franciscan Minorite Monastery in Piran. The 20th edition of the festival will be marked by world-class musicians, including Europeo Barocco, the New Ferruccio Busoni Chamber Orchestra, the Frequenze Diverse Ensemble and the Il Terzo Suono ensemble, as well as young musicians in the Tartini Junior programme.

STA, 21 August 2021 - Prime Minister Janez Janša and Interior Minister Aleš Hojs were heckled by anti-government protesters at a mountain hut below Mt Triglav, Slovenia's tallest peak, on Friday evening.

Video shared on social media and reports by media including N1 and Reporter show Janša and Hojs filmed being confronted by a group of protesters as they were sitting in front of the Kredarica mountain hut.

This was after anti-government protesters, who usually stage bicycle rallies in the centre of Ljubljana, marked the 70th week of protests by climbing Mt Triglav, bicycle in tow.

Various social media posts suggest the protesters and the government officials met by chance.

The interchange lasted several minutes, during which Janša and Hojs faced a barrage of criticism and insults while periodically exchanging statements with the protesters.

The authors of the video said Defence Minister Matej Tonin was also there, but he is not seen on video.

Tonin's party, New Slovenia (NSi), confirmed Tonin had climbed Mt Triglv on Friday independently, with a group of ministry officials.

On the way up he encountered protesters who hurled some insults at him and behaved inappropriately.

Reporter says a helicopter landed at the mountain hut at around 9:45 PM and took the officials to the valley.

The prime minister's office would not comment on the events beyond saying that Janša had gone to Triglav in his spare time.

Uroš Urbanija, the head of the Government Communications Office, tweeted that the actions by the protesters were "a primitive attack".

One of the activists, trade unionist Tea Jarc, subsequently wrote on Twitter that an opponent of the protest movement had punched her.

What follows is a weekly review of events involving Slovenia, as prepared by the STA.

If you’d like to keep up on the daily headlines then follow those here, or get all our stories in your feed on Facebook.

FRIDAY, 13 August
        LJUBLJANA - The government decided that passengers transiting through Slovenia will not be required to produce a Covid certificate only until 22 August, but from 23 August they will have to produce a certificate proving that they have either recovered from Covid-19, or been tested or vaccinated.
        LJUBLJANA - The government decided that people attending public cultural events will have to wear face masks as of 16 August, with the exception of performers. There are no changes regarding restrictions of public gatherings.
        LJUBLJANA - The Ljubljana Administrative Court said it had rejected a request from prosecutors Tanja Frank Eler and Matej Oštir to stay the government's May decision not to get formally acquainted with their appointment as Slovenia's European delegated prosecutors (EDPs). However, it effectively acknowledged that the government made a formal decision about which it may now decide on the merits.
        LJUBLJANA - The four centre-left opposition parties filed for an emergency session of parliament's Environment Committee to debate the alarming findings of the IPPC report for Slovenia and measures to cut greenhouse gas emissions, after the report showed Slovenia was warming at twice the rate of the global average.
        LJUBLJANA - A chamber representing small businesses called on the government to scrap the requirement of frequent testing of staff who have not been vaccinated or have not recovered from Covid-19, saying in any event the cost of testing should be covered by the state.
        BRNIK - Fraport Slovenija, the operator of Ljubljana Jože Pučnik Airport, said that 70,011 passengers and almost 6,800 aircraft movements were recorded in the first half of 2021, with the first figure being almost three times fewer than in the same period last year. An increased number of passengers was recorded in the last two months though.

SATURDAY, 14 August
        VALLADOLID, Spain - Slovenian Olympic champion in time trial Primož Roglič won the first stage of the 2021 Vuelta a Espana, another time trial, to take the red jersey already at the start of his bid to defend the 2020 Vuelta title. His compatriot Jan Tratnik finished third.

SUNDAY, 15 August
        BREZJE - Marking Assumption of Mary, Archbishop of Ljubljana Stanislav Zore called for open-mindedness, acceptance and mutual respect as he said mass at Brezje, Slovenia's biggest pilgrimage site. Zore urged people to get vaccinated and pilgrims to Brezje indeed had a chance to get a jab on the spot.
        
MONDAY, 16 August
        LJUBLJANA - The Foreign Ministry expressed concern over the deteriorating situation in Afghanistan saying that violence should be ended, the civilian population, in particular women and children, be protected, and basic human rights standards upheld. PM Janez Janša described the chaos in Afghanistan and the handover of modern weapons to the Taliban as "the greatest defeat for NATO in history".
        LJUBLJANA - A group of Slovenian environmental NGOs called on Infrastructure Minister Jernej Vrtovec as a representative of the Slovenian EU presidency to propose a political discussion on the EU exiting the Energy Charter Treaty (ECT) at the September informal meeting of ministers in charge of energy. They said the Energy Charter Treaty was an obstacle in the transition to clean energy.
        LJUBLJANA - Education Minister Simona Kustec announced she had tested positive for coronavirus, saying on Twitter she had been isolating since Saturday. All activities for the safe start of the school year continue, she added. Kustec is fully vaccinated.

TUESDAY, 17 August
        LJUBLJANA - Four centre-left parties said they were planning to file a motion to vote Education Minister Simona Kustec out of office, arguing that two weeks before the start of the new school year, it was still not clear how primary and secondary schools will organise the education process while the epidemiological situation in the country is deteriorating.
        ISTANBUL, Turkey - Defence Minister Matej Tonin attended the opening of the IDEF International Defence Industry Fair, where he also met his counterparts from Turkey and Kosovo, Hulusi Akar and Armend Mehaj.
        LJUBLJANA - Police have filed a criminal complaint against actor and drama teacher Matjaž Tribušon, 58, after young actress Mia Skrbinac publicly accused him of sexually harassing her while she was a student in 2014-2016 and filed a sexual harassment complaint at the University of Ljubljana last spring, Delo reported.
        LJUBLJANA - Insurer Zavarovalnica Triglav saw group net profit rise by 40% to EUR 47 million in the first half of the year as premium revenue rose across all segments and all markets. The company expects to hit end-year profit targets.
        BRUSSELS, Belgium - The European Commission has approved state aid worth EUR 1.3 million for the operator of the Postojna Cave, a global tourist attraction, to help it cope with the damage resulting from the closure due to the coronavirus. The aid covers the period between 26 October 2020 and 1 June 2021, when the Postojna Cave and the cave under Predjama Castle were closed.
        
WEDNESDAY, 18 August
        BRUSSELS, Belgium - EU home affair ministers agreed to send additional help in the form of experts and technical support to EU member states bordering Belarus, which have been facing a wave of illegal migrants. They also urged the EU to provide additional financial aid, calling for better control on the bloc's external border.
        LJUBLJANA - Slovenia is ready to accept up to five members of the Afghan staff that worked with the EU, to show solidarity with other EU member states, FM Anže Logar said, adding that, for the time being, Slovenia will not offer to take in additional refugees from Afghanistan.
        LJUBLJANA - The opposition Marjan Šarec List (LMŠ) announced motions of no confidence in the environment and justice ministers, Andrej Vizjak and Marjan Dikaučič. The motions will be formally tabled once the remaining opposition parties have had their say.
        LJUBLJANA - The government adopted a regulation banning the sale of single-use plastic products including plastic cutlery, plates and straws, ear swabs, stir sticks and balloon sticks. There are exemptions for industrial and medical use.
        LJUBLJANA - The government adopted a watered-down version of amendments to the act on value added tax (VAT) after its first proposal was defeated in parliament in July. The new version preserves some of the key solutions but is narrower.

THURSDAY, 19 August
        LJUBLJANA - The latest reported daily figure of new confirmed coronavirus cases in Slovenia reached 381, down slightly from the almost three-month high registered on the day before. The positivity rate remained high, at 17%. The situation in hospitals remained broadly stable with 56 patients in hospital, of whom 10 were in intensive care.
        PORTOROŽ - Interior Minister Aleš Hojs met his Slovak counterpart Roman Mikulec to talk, among other things, about the issue of illegal migration from Belarus. Hojs said that Slovenia had already donated 10 kilometres of "technical obstacles" to Lithuania, and that two Slovenian police officers would be deployed there soon.
        MARIBOR - Andrej Rihter and Vinko Filipič quit the three-member management board of national postal operator Pošta Slovenije, and so did supervisors Franci Mihelič and Aleš Buležan. The former two are on the board together with Tomaž Kokot, who took over as interim director general on 1 April after long-serving Boris Novak resigned on 30 March.
        LJUBLJANA - Insurer Sava Re said it had generated a net profit of EUR 43.5 million in the first six months of 2021, an increase of 35.3% compared to the same period last year. The group collected gross premiums of EUR 414.5 million, a growth of 10.9%, show unaudited interim results.
        LJUBLJANA - Answering an appeal from the Trade Union of Hospitality and Tourism Workers, Slovenia's equal opportunities ombudsman assessed that the requirement for people to meet the recovered-vaccinated-tested (PCT) rule to access services, goods or venues is not discriminatory against the unvaccinated who could get vaccinated but have not.
        KOČEVJE - The state-owned forestry company SiDG, which has been managing state forests since July 2016, reported revenue of EUR 56 million and a net profit of EUR 7.5 million for 2020, a drop of 15% and 34%, respectively, compared to the previous year.

STA, 20 August 2021 - Passengers transiting through Slovenia are not required to produce a Covid certificate only until 29 August, the government decided on Friday, extending its previous decision regarding transit passengers by a week.

To enter Slovenia without having to quarantine for ten days, the recovered-vaccinated-tested rule continues to apply.

Transit passengers, hauliers in international transport, children below 15 years of age, property owners on both sides of the border, and people who daily cross the border for work are exempted.

To prove the exemption applies, a passenger has to produce documentation proving their status to police officers on the border, or else they are ordered to quarantine.

If a foreigner does not have residence in Slovenia, they are allowed to enter only if they unequivocally prove they have a place to quarantine, the government said after its session.

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: 

Slovenia, Austria in favour of helping Afghan refugees in Afghan neighbourhood

LJUBLJANA - Foreign Minister Anže Logar and his Austrian counterpart Alexander Schallenberg said that Afghans fleeing the Taliban should be helped in Afghanistan's neighbourhood, as they warned against a rerun of the 2015 migration crisis. "With regard to the situation in Afghanistan, Minister Schallenberg and I agreed that Slovenia and Austria will advocate the position that the events of 2015 and 2016 may not be repeated," Logar said. "As the country presiding the EU, we will promote dialogue between member states in the search of a consensus." Schallenberg said it was necessary to ensure the Balkan migration route remained closed, with Austria willing to increase its participation in the protection of borders. The pair also discussed the fight against the Covid-19 epidemic, the Slovenian minority in Austria, and ways of strengthening Slovenia's cooperation with the Austrian states of Carinthia and Styria.

Logar promises Austria full transparency about nuclear plans

LJUBLJANA - Foreign Minister Anže Logar assured his Austrian counterpart Alexander Schallenberg Slovenia would be completely transparent about its plans to build a second unit at the Krško nuclear power station, in particular when it comes to environmental impact assessment. Dialogue with Slovenia's neighbouring countries regarding this issue will be "inclusive to the maximum extent", Logar said at a joint press conference in Ljubljana. Schallenberg said that an open dialogue was very important and that Austria respected decisions by other countries on what kind of an energy mix they would have.

President Pahor to attend Crimea conference on Monday

LJUBLJANA - President Borut Pahor will be in Kyiv on Monday to attend a high-profile international conference dedicated to Russia's unlawful annexation of the Crimea in 2014, at which a joint declaration will be adopted and the Crimea Platform formed. He will present Slovenia's position, backing Ukraine's territorial integrity and sovereignty. The president will also call for more eager and honest dialogue between Ukraine and Russia and between the EU and Russia, and try to encourage international efforts for lasting peace in eastern Ukraine on the basis of the Minsk agreements.

FM Logar to visit Israel on Monday

LJUBLJANA - Foreign Minister Anže Logar will pay a visit to Israel on Monday to meet his Israeli counterpart Yair Lapid, while he will continue his visit in the Palestinian territories on Tuesday to meet Foreign Minister Riyad al-Maliki and Prime Minister Mohammad Shtayyeh. Meetings with Israeli and Palestinian officials will focus on reviewing bilateral cooperation, and discussing developments in the region, cooperation with the EU, and topics related to the Slovenian presidency of the EU.

Booster shots now available for immunocompromised patients

LJUBLJANA - Booster shots of coronavirus vaccines are available for persons with transplanted organs, patients awaiting transplantation and those with severely weakened immune systems, under the latest revision of the national vaccination strategy adopted by the government today. Those who are eligible will be allowed to choose their preferred vaccine and do not have to book an appointment at a vaccination centre. Immunocompromised patients are among the groups with the highest risk of severe Covid and many countries have started offering them booster shots.

Rapid testing remains free for certain sectors

LJUBLJANA - Slovenia was expected to phase out on 23 August free rapid testing for all but the most high-risk professions, but the government changed course today. Employees in healthcare, education, retail and the events industry will continue to have access to free tests and will get tested once a week. Students in the last three years of primary school and all secondary-school students will have to wear masks, including in classroom, whereas weekly self-testing for them will be voluntary and free of charge. Another decree adopted today stipulates that from 23 August, athletes may do organised sport provided they are tested once a week, unless they are vaccinated or have had Covid-19.

333 coronavirus infections confirmed on Thursday

LJUBLJANA - Slovenia confirmed 333 new cases of coronavirus on Thursday, up almost 70% on the week before and the fourth day that infections exceeded the 300-mark. The PCR test positivity rate was 13.4%, better than in recent days but still comparatively high, show data by the National Institute of Public Health (NIJZ). The 14-day case notification rate rose by nine to 139. The number of active cases is now estimated at almost 3,000.

Transit passengers need to produce Covid certificate after 29 August

LJUBLJANA - Passengers transiting through Slovenia are not required to produce a Covid certificate only until 29 August, the government decided today. To enter Slovenia without having to quarantine for ten days, the recovered-vaccinated-tested rule continues to apply, while transit passengers, hauliers in international transport, children below 15 years of age, property owners on both sides of the border, and people who daily cross the border for work are exempted. To prove the exemption applies, a passenger has to produce documentation proving their status to police officers on the border, or else they are ordered to quarantine.

Public broadcaster TV Slovenija director Natalija Gorščak dismissed

LJUBLJANA - The director general of public broadcaster RTV Slovenija Andrej Grah Whatmough has dismissed Natalija Gorščak, the director of TV programmes, after accusing her of violating bylaws and allowing ratings to plummet. Gorščak, who is on sick leave, said she had received the notice of dismissal via courier. She announced to use legal means to proved that she had worked well and in line with the law. The decision, announced today, comes after the broadcaster's programming council was supposed to debate Grah Whatmough's motion last week. Since it was inquorate, Grah Whatmough had sole discretion to dismiss her from the post.

Plan confirmed for major new water source in Istria

LJUBLJANA - Earlier this week, the government confirmed a plan for a major new water source for the water-starved Istria region on the coast, a decision that was welcomed today by municipalities in the region as a major step towards improving the reliability of supply, but decried by local environmentalists as damaging to the environment. The EUR 134 million project involves building a reservoir on the Suhorca stream, and a smaller reservoir on the Padež, a larger stream of which the Suhorca is a tributary.

NGOs urge authorities to resolve water source issue in Anhovo immediately

LJUBLJANA - Environmental NGOs appealed to the authorities to immediately make sure that the region around Anhovo, western Slovenia, gets its water supply from a new source as the risk of pollution has still not been eliminated after last year's contamination incident. They also urged the local mayor to resign over corruption allegations involving the Kanal municipality and Salonit Anhovo company.

Consumer confidence worsens further in August

LJUBLJANA - Consumer confidence in Slovenia deteriorated for the second month in a row in August as the relevant indicator was down by two percentage points compared to July. It was still higher than the long-term average though, by one point. The figure rose by two points year-on-year, the Statistics Office said. Consumers' expectations dropped the most month-on-month in three areas: expectations related to major purchases (down seven points), expectations about the financial situation in households (two points) and the current such situation (two points).

British Airways to link Ljubljana and London

LJUBLJANA - British Airways relaunched flights between Ljubljana and London's largest airport Heathrow today, the operation of the Ljubljana Jože Pučnik Airport said. Passengers will be at first able to fly to Heathrow on Fridays and Sunday, with another two weekly flights added at the end of August, on Mondays and Wednesdays. Janez Krašnja, head of airline management at Fraport Slovenija, is happy that "one of the most popular routes among Slovenian air passengers is returning to Ljubljana".

Friday protesters mark 70 weeks of protests on Mt Triglav

MOJSTRANA - To mark the 70th Friday of anti-government protests, a group of protesters headed today for Triglav, Slovenia's highest mountain, where they unfolded their flag and a slogan Power to the People, Election Now. Protesters are continuing opposing the government because they cannot wait for a general election while the government is acting in a controversial manner, the organisers said in a press release.

Mladi Levi ambitious despite epidemic, founder's death

LJUBLJANA - Several venues in Ljubljana host from today until 29 August the 24th Mladi Levi (Young Lions) international festival, which the organisers have billed as ambitious despite the epidemic and the recent death of its founder Nevenka Koprivšek. Three shows took place on the first day apart from socialising and a concert by Serbian-Croatian-Slovenian group Maika this evening.

Mura lose first leg in Europa League last qualifying round

LJUBLJANA - Slovenian football champions Mura lost 1:3 (1:1) at home to Austrian Sturm Graz in the first leg of the play-off round of Europa League qualification on Thursday evening. The only goal for Mura was scored by Žiga Škoflek in the third minute. The return leg will be played in Graz next Thursday. Even if Mura drop out of the UEFA Europa League, they have a guaranteed spot in the third-tier UEFA Europa Conference League.

STA, 20 August 2021 - Slovenia was expected to phase out as of next week free rapid testing for all but the most high-risk professions, but the government has now changed course. Employees in healthcare, education, retail and the events industry will continue to have access to free tests.

Employees in these sectors will have to test once a week, but the testing requirement does not extend to those who have been vaccinated, according to Education Ministry State Secretary Damir Orehovec.

The changed decree also stipulates that pupils in the last three years of primary school and all secondary-school students will self-test on a voluntary basis.

The tests will be free and available in pharmacies, Health Minister Janez Poklukar said after Friday's government session.

These students will also have to wear masks in school, including during classes, not just in communal areas.

The Education Ministry had initially proposed that teachers self-test, a plan supported by teachers, but this will not be rolled out immediately.

Poklukar said a legal basis for self-testing was now being prepared and may enter into effect after 6 September, assuming sufficient quantities of self-testing kits are available.

Branimir Štrukelj, the head of the teachers' trade union SVIZ, told the STA that teachers had expected self-testing from the get go.

"Nevertheless, we hope for the fundamental trust in the teaching profession to prevail," he said, adding that teachers would "responsibly, precisely and consistently" self-test to help preserve the stability of the educational system.

Another decree the government adopted today stipulates that athletes may do organised sport provided they are tested once a week, unless they are vaccinated or have had Covid-19. The new rule applies from 23 August.