STA, 8 February - Norwegian Maren Lundby is the winner of the first Ski Jumping World Cup event held in Ljubno od Savinji on Friday. Japan's Sara Takanashi was second, while Slovenian Urša Bogataj was third.

Lundby earned 268,9, Takanashi tallied 263.7 points and Bogataj 262.6.

Four other Slovenian jumpers also competed in Ljubno today, all making it to the final round.

Nika Križnar (257.2p) was sixth, Špela Rogelj (240.5p) was 14th, Jerneja Brecl (226.7p) was 24th, while Katra Komar (225.9p) was a spot behind her.

Three ski jumping events will take place in Ljubno this weekend. A team competition is scheduled for tomorrow, and another individual event for Sunday.

* Results:
 1 Maren Lundby (Nor)       268.9 (90.5 m/90.5 m)
 2 Sara Takanashi (Jap)     263.7 (90.0 m/88.5 m)
 3 Urša Bogataj (Slo)       262.6 (91.0 m/89.0 m)
 4 Katharina Althaus (Ger)  260.9 (89.5 m/88.0 m)
 5 Juliane Seyfarth (Ger)   260.4 (87.5 m/88.5 m)


* World Cup Standings, overall points (15/24):
 1 Maren Lundby (Nor)           1088
 2 Katharina Althaus (Ger)       917
 3 Sara Takanashi (Jap)          706
 4 Juliane Seyfarth (Ger)        686
 5 Carina Vogt (Ger)             506

STA, 8 February 2019 - Slovenia is observing Culture Day on Friday, a bank holiday dedicated to artists and their work. While virtually every town will hold at least a small ceremony, President Borut Pahor will honour writer Florjan Lipuš, a member of the Slovenian minority in Austria, with the Golden Order of Service for his contribution to literature.

However, the main event already took place, as the Prešeren Prizes, top national accolades in arts and culture, were given out last night.

Two lifetime achievement prizes were given out this year, going to theatre costume designer Bjanka Adžić Ursulov and independent documentary director Filip Robar Dorin.

The Prešeren Fund also gave out six prizes for exceptional artistic work over the course of the past three years. These went to choir conductor Martina Batič, composer Tomaž Svete, poet Jure Jakob, actor Maruša Majer, animated film maker Dušan Kastelic and architects Aljoša Dekleva and Tina Gregorič Dekleva.

The award ceremony is usually a topical affair and last night was no different. In the keynote, Prešeren Fund board chair Vinko Möderndorfer was critical of the employment situation of many artists who are forced to freelance and barely making ends meet.

Last year being the 100th anniversary of death of Ivan Cankar (1876-1918), considered the greatest Slovenian writer, the country should have done more to improve the lives of artists, Möderndorfer said.

The many celebratory events did nothing to improve the situation, although this would have been the best way to honour Cankar, who himself struggled with financial troubles most of his life.

Drawing a different parallel, Möderndorfer noted that 120th will have pass this year since Fran Milčinski (1867-1932), wrote Butalci, a satire critical of small town mentality.

He believes that Slovenians intentionally sidelined Milčinski because Butalci hits a little too close to home. But Milčinski should be celebrated as well, because sting is the very point of satire.

"Are we a mature nation, capable of laughing at ourselves or are we Butalci," Möderndorfer wondered, referring to the residents of Butale, the fictional town in Milčinski's work.

He was also critical of the recent resignation of Culture Minister Dejan Prešiček, who was forced to step down after allegations emerged that he bullied a ministry employee who later committed suicide.

Möderndorfer said that it seemed like this government would be able to sort out the issues in the purview of the ministry. But the opposite happened: they got rid of the cleaner and the Augean Stables remain dirty.

The Prešeren Fund board chair was also critical of Prime Minister Marjan Šarec's statement about NATO, essentially saying that a a country cannot remain a member of a club without paying its dues.

Möderndorfer wondered what it takes to remain in "the club of the cultured" and told the eight award winners that the state had more appreciation for weapons that it had for them.

The Prešeren Prizes are named after France Prešeren (1800-1849), perhaps the most honoured Slovenian poet, while Culture Day is observed in the date of Prešeren's death.

Prešeren's poetry has left a deep mark on Slovenian national identity. Ultimately, his Toast, a toast to the Slovenian nation, peace, friends and neighbours, has become the country's national anthem.

The poetry readings in front of Prešeren's house have become a modern-day pilgrimage for many Slovenians, etymologist Janez Bogataj said at this year's event. Lovely weather several thousand people to the idyllic village of Vrba near Bled today.

Thousands also visited the Prešeren Fair, an annual event hosted by Kranj, Gorenjska regional centre that prides itself on being "Prešeren's town".

What is more, one of top tourism officials in the country, state secretary Eva Štravs Podlogar, praised the event as being a five-star experience, the kind Slovenia wants to develop more of.

Those walking through Ljubljana city centre could enjoy a poetry reading staged by professional actors, an annual event as well.

Culture Day was also celebrated by Slovenian communities abroad, as the country's embassies around the globe hosted events to observe the day.

Kinoteka and Kinodvor are the places for discerning cinephiles in Ljubljana, where you can find folk who know their auteur from their mise-en-scène, their Louise Brooks from Brooke Shields, and Paul Thomas Anderson from Paul WS Anderson. The two places are perfect complements, to each other and the multiplexes out at BTC, together covering the whole range of cinematic arts.

 Related: What’s on in Ljubljana this Week (including the current movies and trailers)

 While Kinodvor keeps up with recent releases in terms of art movies and world cinema, Kinoteka delves deep into the back catalogue to present retrospectives and binge watching opportunities for fans of, say, Polish cinema, experimental shorts, Ingmar Bergman or Agnès Varda.

But you came here for the sex, not the art, and to learn more about the annual event when Kinodvor marks Valentine’s Day and takes up the spirit of Kino Sloga, or “the cinema that saw too much” ("Kino, ki je preveč videl") in the title of a documentary about the theatre that specialised in erotic movies in the last decade of Yugoslavia.

This year the adventurous can enjoy a varied programme on Friday, February 15^th, that ranges from stag films to Oshima’s infamous In the Realm of the Senses (Ai No Corrida), starting at 19:00, although non-Japanese speakers should note that the subtitles will be in Slovene. Also on the bill are Sylvester Stallone’s early appearance in a sex movie (21:30), and an Italian language documentary about Valentina Nappi (23:15), who the Internet tells me is a pornstar. At the end of the evening there’ll be music from DJ Links. Relatively tame trailers for all three features can be seen below.

The Party at Kitty and Stud's, aka The Italian Stallion (per IMDB “Kitty and Stud are lovers. They enjoy a robust sex-life, which includes fellatio and light S&M, specifically, Stud belt-whipping Kitty. Three women come over for a party and Stud services them, one after the other.”)

As is often the case with such movies, IMDB’s Parents Guide is a fine summary of what emotions to expect, and whether you choose to experience them, as seen in this list of potential issues with Ai No Corrida

 “I don't have any role models. I would like to do porn just as Maradona played soccer.” Valentina Nappi

Tickets for a single screening are €5.30 ( € 4.50 for members of the Kinodvor Club, those of over 60, students, students and the unemployed), and there’s also a "hardcore fan" package for all three shows: €13 (€10 for Kinodvor Club members), although note the number of these is strictly limited to 69.

You can learn more at the official page here, while Kinodvor can be found at Kolodvorska ulica 13, 1000 Ljubljana.

STA, 8 February 2019 - Three events will be held in the Slovenian town of Ljubno ob Savinji as part of the Ski Jumping World Cup for women, starting on Friday with the first of the two individual events. A total of 62 competitors from a record 18 countries are expected.

The Savina Ski Jumping Centre will see all top competitors this season bar Austrian Daniela Iraschko-Stolz (illness) and Slovenia's Ema Klinec (injury).

In-between Friday's and Sunday's individual events, a team event will be held on Saturday, featuring nine teams, including the Slovenian team headlined by Nika Križnar, the best Slovenian this World Cup season.

Križnar, who is currently 8th in the World Cup standings, will be joined by another five Slovenian women ski jumpers at the 94-metre hill, at which Iraschko-Stolz holds the record with a 96.5-metre jump in 2017.

"I'm really happy that we'll be able to welcome the world elite also this year," Rajko Pintar, the head of the organising committee, said of the event, hosted by the town in northern Slovenia for the eight time.

"We are ready and the interest is great," he said, adding that the weather was expected to be nice and that between four and five thousand spectators were expected to show up.

Much is expected from the Slovenian team, which is missing its best member Ema Klinec, who had two podium finishes at the start of the season before suffering an injury in December.

Križnar will now be the main favourite for Slovenia and the new head coach Zoran Zupančič admits that "there is some nervousness ahead of the competition at home". "We've been in a competitive rhythm since the New Year's and we're stepping up our form nicely."

Križnar said that the main favourites would be Maren Lundby of Norway, Sara Takanashi of Japan and Katharina Althaus of Germany. "But I hope I'll be able to compete for the medals myself," added the 18-year-old.

Starting time Feb. 8th (NH): 14.00

Starting time Feb. 9th (Team): 14.00

Starting time Feb. 10th (NH): 14.00

STA, 7 February 2019 - Slovenian lawyer Aleksander Čeferin was unanimously re-elected to head UEFA as the European football's governing body met for a congress in Rome on Thursday. Čeferin, the only candidate for the post, was elected for a four-year term.

The 51-year-old has led the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) since September 2016, when following corruption scandals, it was looking for a clean slate to regain its reputation.

While relatively unknown in football circles when bidding for the office in 2016, Čeferin has grown to be a respected football official.

Pundits says he has managed to steer among different interests during his first term, which has earned him the reputation of a good leader.

In his address to the congress, Čeferin outlined the achievements from the past two and a half years and pointed to major challenges ahead.

Looking back, he said "a crisis often brings an opportunity for new successes", stressing UEFA was united again and financially more successful than any time before.

UEFA's revenue will reach a record 5.7 billion euro in the coming financial year, an annual increase of 25%, yet achievements should not lull it into inactivity.

"In the fast-changing world we need to constantly adapt, in no way can current achievements be an excuse not to take effective measures for the challenges ahead."

He said the main challenges were the development of competition formates where club football and national football should be seen as opponents, women's football, and a constructive cooperation with FIFA on the development of global football which will be aligned with the interests of European football.

Here Čeferin reiterated that cooperation with FIFA should be based on open dialogue.

While FIFA is pushing for a Global Nations' League and an expanded Club World Cup, UEFA is opposed to these ideas.

He also stressed that Europe would like to host the World Cup in 2030. "With our unity, we'll try to do all in our power for the 2030 World Cup to be held in Europe."

Since Čeferin had no rival at the Rome congress, the delegates from 55 national football associations did not vote on his candidacy, but appointed him by acclamation.

"Thank you for your trust. I'm moved and proud," Čeferin said after the re-election.

STA, 7 February 2019 - Choir conductor Martina Batič, composer Tomaž Svete, poet Jure Jakob, actor Maruša Majer, animated film maker Dušan Kastelic and architects Aljoša Dekleva and Tina Gregorič Dekleva will be honoured with the Prešeren Fund Prizes tonight for their accomplishments over the past three years.

Martina Batič is one of Europe's foremost choir conductors, collaborating regularly with celebrated choral ensembles such as the Swedish, Danish, Dutch and French national radios, the Eric Ericson Chamber Choir, and RIAS Kammerchor in Berlin.

Her "exceptional talent for shaping the choral sound earned her the appointment in 2018 as the artistic director and the Choeur de Radio France in one of the biggest breakthroughs for Slovenian musicians abroad," runs the praise that Batič will hear at the award ceremony tonight.

Her repertoire includes choral and oratorial music of most styles and historic periods, spanning from the Renaissance to the latest trends, and comprising most demanding compositions.

The prize jurors will also credit her for making it possible that Slovenian compositions are featured in concerts by foreign ensembles, and that new music by Slovenian composers is commissioned from abroad. "Her affinity for domestic composers is worthy of attention and praise."

A highly emotional moment for her was her inaugural concert with the Radio France Choir in November 2018 when she picked a Slovenian folk song, Pa Se Sliš, for the encore. "The French radio choir sung the song by heart with the students of the Veno Pilon secondary School in Ajdovščina", her home town.

Before her Paris engagement, Batič, 40, served for almost a decade as the artistic director of the Slovenian Philharmonic choir. She told the STA in an interview that a conductor needs to possess comprehensive expertise in various fields, including history, psychology and didactics, to be able to get the composer's message through to the audience.

Tomaž Svete, a 63-year-old composer, the author of ten operas, who is often praised for his uncompromising creativity is being honoured for his Concerto for Two Violins and Strings and his operas Ada and Antigone.

In the Concerto Svete "demonstrates his mastery of counterpoint, in rendering neoclassicist and neobaroque associations into subtle personal, expressionist reflections".

The piece was commissioned by the Kyiv Camerata, as an initiative in response to developments in Ukraine. The tragedy of the developments in Ukraine has moved him, without him trying to take sides.

"I won't say I'm politically engaged, but because like every other artist I am deeply religious, generally and in the humanist sense, I'm never indifferent to contemporary developments," Svete has told the STA in an interview.

In the chamber opera Ada, Svete returns to his reflection on the economics of means of sound, while Antigone is a continuation of a series of reflexive opera creations based on antique motifs.

The idea of Ada is that art, when honest, is immortal. It was written for the play by Ivo Svetina which deals with the life of Ada Škerl (1924-2009), the unrecognised poet, a pioneer of Slovenian intimist lyric poetry.

Antigone, written for Dominik Smole's interpretation of Sophocles' play, explores the heroine's being torn between whether to obey social norms or higher moral principles, a rift that Svete says extends to the Slovenian nation, which has still not buried its dead.

Jure Jakob, a 42-year-old poet has won the prize for his fifth collection of poetry Lakota (Hunger). He takes his motifs mostly from nature and from rural or suburban life.

"The tone of his voice has the quality of simplicity, clarity, precision and reliability of expression," the Prešeren Fund jurors will say.

"More often than not, Jakob's subject is a 'cough', dry, persistent and exhausting, painfully disturbing the quiet of an evening, a cough that cannot stop, that makes the effort but fails to achieve anything. The solution Lakota offers is to sustain, endure ... 'both hell and the sky'."

Jakob's motifs are to an extent related to his life-style, to his growing up in the countryside: "Rather than rich cities I visit humble, deserted villages, I walk in the woods more often than in the galleries. That's why a blackbird or an ant will find its way into my poem sooner than a car or a cyclist."

He says that a poem is meant to shed new light onto its subject matter, so that, regardless of its explicit theme, the poem should have a liberating effect, should "free us from the routine, automated, object-shaping imagining".

Considering that it is impossible to earn a living as a poet, Jakob says he is forced to compromise between his mission and his life. "I'm trying to be a surreal realist in my writing and a down-to-earth idealist in my life."

Jakob also writes essays and poetry for children. These have come out in three picture books, illustrated and initiated by his wife Anja Jerčič Jakob.

Maruša Majer has won the accolade for her internationally acclaimed portrayal of Mara, a young mother facing an impossible choice, in Ivan, Janez Burger's 2017 psychological drama, and several other theatre and film roles.

"The queen of the independent theatre scene, Maruša Majer broke through into the mainstream like a tsunami," the prize jurors say about the 34-year-old actor, a member of the SNG Drama theatre ensemble since 2018.

Perhaps her best known role is that of Veronika, an unemployed young woman from Maribor sharing her uncompromising views on current topics in weekly phone calls with a receptionist on TV Slovenija news magazine show Studio City.

Other prominent roles include the Borštnik award-winning role in The Bug, a play by Vladimir Mayakovsky, or that of an ambitious detective in the theatre crime series Praznina Spomina (Emptiness of Memory).

Majer, one of the European Shooting Stars at the 67th Berlin International Film Festival, takes an in-depth approach to each role, trying to adopt a new method each time; for Mara she internalised her biography, writing down her internal monologue during the shooting.

"I'm trying to give each role a new method, to avoid being in a straightjacket ... I find developing a method for each role one of the most exiting parts of my job. I believe that every person I want to portray demands to have its own."

The Box TRAILER from Dusan Kastelic on Vimeo.

Dušan Kastelic, an illustrator, comics artist and a pioneer of 3D computer animation, has earned the acknowledgement for his 2017 short animated film Celica (The Box), which has won him more than 50 awards at home and abroad.

The Box "is living proof that great works of art are not necessarily 'large', in this short, poetic but highly accessible film, the author speaks in his own unique and direct way about the individual's confinement in society's narrow confines".

His comic strip about the JBTZ military show trial, which first came out in instalments in the weekly magazine Mladina, in 1991 was one of the first globally to be made using a computer.

His first foray in the 3D animated film was the 2002 video clip for Perkmandeljc, a song by folk punk polka rock band Orlek, which went viral and caught the attention of Sundance producers, making it to the competition programme of the 2003 festival.

The Box was inspired by Kastelic's own nightmare, the product of his involvement with the group of environmental activists fighting against the waste incineration plant planned by the cement maker Lafarge in Zagorje.

"Half asleep I often dreamt up a similar scene that you can see in The Box. A dark place, an oppressive atmosphere with people rooted into the ground dozing off while I'm trying to tell them something but fail to wake them up."

Kastelic, 55, says that he has ideas enough for a lifetime, but it takes years to do the rendering, get the money and sort out the paperwork to make one short. His big desire is to make a feature-length film, but does not see any realistic chance at the moment, financially or organisation-wise.

Aljoša Dekleva and Tina Gregorič Dekleva of the Dekleva Gregorič architect studio are hailed for designing some of the finest examples of Slovenian contemporary architecture.

"They are distinguished by ingenious conceptual, technological and design innovation, refined restraint in their approach and sensitivity to cultural dimensions of living, to broader urban or natural landscape space, to the past and heritage."

Among their projects over the past three years, the Prešeren Fund jurors highlighted the Livada university campus building in the coastal town of Izola, Slovenia's pavilion for the 2016 Venice Architecture Biennale and the design of the 2017 exhibition on architect Stanko Kristl at the Ljubljana Museum of Architecture and Design.

"We do not consciously do architecture through which we would develop our own architectural signature or style, but all that we do depends on the environment we make it in and on the user we make it for," Aljoša Dekleva said in an interview with TV Slovenija.

The materials used in architecture are an important part of the story and message that the architecture makes, he said.

In designing houses, Tina Gregorič Dekleva says it is important how they are placed into the landscape and environment, with a sensibility for nature, colours, position, materials, and history.

It is also important how the architecture will affect those walking or driving by or how the view from a nearby hill.

February 7, 2019

In 1942 the underground anti-fascist Radio Kričač (Radio Screamer) broadcast its longest and also the only cultural show of this kind in Europe.

On the eve of Prešeren's death, which is celebrated every February 8th as a day for culture and national holiday in the Republic of Slovenia, Radio Kričač broadcast a show that took about a month to prepare and involved recitals, music, speeches and other messages. Its usual programme would otherwise last 15 minutes three times a week.

Radio Screamer, established by members of the Liberation Front (OF – Osvobodilna fronta) operated from various secret locations in Ljubljana between November 1941 until April 1942, when it lost its audience following the Italian order for all the radio antennas to be removed from the city.

STA, 7 February 2019 - There are currently 646 people with refugee status in Slovenia. They are housed in integration houses or private accommodations, 99 of them are living abroad. A total of 109 are enrolled in schools, while around 100 refugees have already found a job.

According to the Government Office for the Support and Integration of Migrants (Urad Vlade Republike Slovenije za oskrbo in integracijo migrantov), the majority of refugees are citizens of Syria, Eritrea, and Iran, followed by the citizens of the former Yugoslav republics. They are entitled to financial compensation for private accommodation, integration assistance, employment, health and social care, and education.

Related: Meet the People - Jana Milovanović, Working to Give Migrants the Connections and Chances Needed to Succeed

Integration assistance is available for three years after gaining an international protection status and is provided by integration consultants at the office and non-governmental organizations.

The refugees attend integration assistance courses, such as the one conducted by Odnos association that supports them in finding employment, opening a bank account or submitting applications.

The refugees are also included in 300-hour Slovenian language courses, which can be extended. The office covers the costs of a one-time language proficiency test as well.

Related: Meet the People - Zana Fabjan Blažič, Organiser & DJ, Ambasada Rog

When it comes to employment, refugees are equal to Slovenian citizens, therefore having free access to the labour market. The Employment Service also conducts a course on integration into the labour market. According to the Office, there is no accurate data on the number of refugee employees, but they estimate that approximately 100 of them have jobs.

Among the refugees there are 184 children or minors, 12 are unaccompanied minors who are housed in boarding schools. Of the 109 enrolled in educational institutions, most are in primary school and 17 attend university.

STA, 7 February 2018 - The Administrative Court has turned down an appeal by Boris Popovič, the former mayor of Koper, who challenged his narrow loss against Aleš Bržan in the last local election. The court found some violations in the election but said Popovič had failed to submit sufficient evidence that they affected the outcome of the election.

"We will study the ruling in detail and then take any further decisions," Popovič's lawyer Franci Matoz told the STA today.

The court made the decision without the main hearing, although Popovič had proposed it.

The 28-page decision is based on evidence which had already been presented to the municipal election commission and the municipal council, the court said, adding that no "new facts or evidence" had been submitted in the appeal.

Popovič, who narrowly lost the mayoral race, lodged the appeal with the Administrative Court on 10 January to challenge the results of the 2 December run-off that he lost by just 17 votes out of almost 28,000 cast.

Formally, the appeal referred to the decision of the Koper city council that verified the result of what was arguably the biggest surprise of the local elections on 21 December last year.

In his appeal, Popovič alleged violations of the election blackout, irregularities in mail-in voting, and claimed that the municipal electoral commission had overstepped its powers. He demanded a recount.

The court cleared the electoral commission's decision regarding invalid ballots and added that a recount was not envisaged by law. It also found no irregularities in mail-in voting.

However, it agreed that a constitutional right of one voter had been violated - a disabled person who cast their ballot in the early voting - but said this did not affect the outcome of the election.

The court's decision is final. Popovič could still turn to the Constitutional Court but the former mayor told reporters on Wednesday he would respect the court's decision.

The new mayor, Bržan, told the press today he had expected such a decision and was looking forward to being able to finally start working without distractions.

"The team that had been on standby so far is ready, the municipal budget is also largely ready and it's time for us to start implementing our programme," Bržan said.

STA, 6 February 2019 - Microbiological tests for a batch of kebab meat preparation delivered to Slovenia from Poland have come out positive for salmonella, the Food Safety Administration announced on Wednesday, adding it had ordered the tainted product to be pulled out and destroyed.

Two samples tested positive for salmonella. One was from a shipment of about one tonne of meat preparation produced in Poland on 13 December and supplied to Slovenia on 18 December.

The product was made by Polish company Dunya Doner kebab. Its distributor in Slovenia, Dunya kebab still held 490 kilos of the preparation when samples were taken on 1 February.

The other positive sample was from a batch produced on 19 December by Polish Efes-pol Fedai Simsek Sp.Zoo and distributed in Slovenia by Alebon. The 175-kilo batch arrived in Slovenia on 9 January.

"Recall and withdrawal of the product is under way as we speak. This means that the subject that puts the preparation on the market must see to it that all products still in circulation be pulled out," said Janez Posedi, director of the Administration for Food Safety, Veterinary Sector and Plant Protection.

"Salmonella has absolutely no place in meat preparations. We know the preparations undergo heat treatment before being consumed by consumers, so that the risk is probably manageable, but nonetheless, there shouldn't be salmonella in the meat," Posedi told the STA.

The Food Administration has ascertained that the product does not originate from the Elkopol abattoir in Poland, which had been found to be slaughtering sick cows, contrary to what was initially suspected.

The administration also confirmed that a shipment of just over 15 tonnes of meat and meat cut-offs that arrived in Slovenia on 19 September 2018 was not from Elkopol after saying it did on Friday.

Meat processing company Panvita confirmed that it had that meat, saying that it followed from the paperwork that the meat was safe. The administration has not yet completed its tests.

In checking the facility, the administration also found that another shipment of almost 15 tonnes of frozen beef cut-offs from Poland, although not from the controversial abattoir, arrived there on 13 August.

Panvita still has almost 3,000 kilos of the meat, while the rest has been processed. The remaining meat was suspended from circulation until chemical and microbiological tests have been conducted.