16 Feb 2022, 08:11 AM

Morning Headlines for Slovenia: 16 February, 2022

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:

Health experts propose phasing out Covid pass and quarantine

LJUBLJANA - Health experts outlined a gradual easing of measures against the Covid-19 epidemic at a consultation with the government, proposing the abolition of the Covid pass for shops, banks, post offices and administrative units, and the abolition of quarantines in case of high-risk contacts. They proposed that the rule that sets out a maximum number of people inside such establishments at the same time be maintained. Health Minister said that any changes were still to be decided on by the government, adding that imposing mandatory quarantines in case of high-risk contacts could come to end as early as Friday.

Week-on-week drop in coronavirus cases continues

LJUBLJANA - A total of 7,122 new coronavirus cases were confirmed in Slovenia on Monday, a significant drop from a week ago when just over 11,000 cases were recorded. 427 people were in hospital due to Covid-19 this morning, 19 fewer than yesterday, including 114 in intensive care, down by four, government data show. In total, 943 hospital patients are infected with Covid, which is 16 fewer than yesterday. Another 23 patients with Covid died on Monday.

Health and social care workers to go on strike on Wednesday

LJUBLJANA - Trade unions representing workers in health and social care maintain they will go on strike on Wednesday, as talks with the government on their strike demands, including a pay rise, have failed to make any meaningful progress, the unions told the STA. They had announced the strike in late January, saying the government had failed to resume talks by the agreed deadline, and they insist on it after the latest round of talks with Health Ministry representatives, as they believe the government has failed to resolve the situation. On top of a pay rise, the unions' demands also include an improvement in working conditions.

Slovenia, UAE to collaborate in sustainable development, food systems

DUBAI, UAE - Slovenia and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) signed a memorandum of understanding on sustainable development and food systems as Agriculture Minister Jože Podgoršek held talks with Emirati Environment and Climate Change Minister Mariam Bint Mohammed Saeed Hareb Almheiri. Podgoršek said the two countries would "develop cooperation in sustainable rural development, sustainable food production, food safety, veterinary and phytosanitary issues, and the promotion of trade in agricultural products," according to the Agriculture Ministry.

DeSUS and LIDE to jointly contest election

LJUBLJANA - The opposition Pensioners' Party (DeSUS) decided to form a joint list of candidates for the April general election with the Liberal Democrats (LIDE), a party formed last month by parliamentary Speaker Igor Zorčič, an unaffiliated MP. The intention to form a joint slate with DeSUS was confirmed earlier in the day by Zorčič, who left the coalition SMC in March 2021 together with another two MPs. Neither Zorčič nor DeSUS leader Ljubo Jasnič excludes a closer alliance of the two parties.

Our Land launches campaign, focuses on vulnerable groups

LJUBLJANA - Aleksandra Pivec, the president of Our Land, announced that the party has collected more than 1,500 signatures of voters, so it officially enters the election race. She said the party's platform would mainly address vulnerable groups, adding that it was too early to speak about post-election alliances. The former agriculture minister said such a large number of signatures collected in a short time shows that "there is a silent majority ... who want peaceful and respectful policies."

Cultural organisations urge lifting Covid restrictions

LJUBLJANA - Cultural institutions and association have addressed a letter to decision-makers to fully reopen cultural venues in Slovenia, and lift all coronavirus restrictions which govern organising and visiting cultural events by 21 February at the latest. The appeal, which was among others sent to the president, government, parliament and political parties, was signed by 70 organisations, including most theatres and museums, several festivals and arts centres, as well as Kino Šiška and the GIZ KOS association of concert organisers.

NGOs call for gender equality ahead of April election

LJUBLJANA - A number of organisations and individuals working for equal rights and opportunities for men and women have unveiled pre-election demands and sent them to parties and movements that will stand in the April general election. Gender equality is the foundation, not an upgrade of democracy, they said. They called for education on gender stereotypes, sex education, non-violent conflict resolution and the right to personal integrity to be included in the curricula on all levels.

Average gross pay up 6% in 2021

LJUBLJANA - The average gross pay in Slovenia rose by 6.1% in nominal terms in 2021 to EUR 1,970, the fastest pace in five years. The increase was almost equally driven by the public and private sectors, show the latest Statistics Office figures. While the nominal increase is the fastest in five years, the real increase was a more modest 4.1% due to high inflation last year.

Slovenia's fall in CO2 emissions in Q3 2021 biggest in EU

LUXEMBOURG, Luxembourg - Slovenia saw the biggest decline in greenhouse gas emissions in the EU in the third quarter of 2021 when compared to the same quarter a year before even as emissions across the bloc increased to slightly below pre-pandemic levels, Eurostat data shows. Slovenia was one of only three EU countries whose emissions decreased in the period, by 2.6% year-on-year, along with Luxembourg (-2.3%) and the Netherlands (-1.6%), shows the report by the EU's statistics office.

Value of construction down nearly 6% in 2021

LJUBLJANA - The value of construction in 2021 decreased by 5.8% over the year before, the latest data released by the Statistics Office (SURS) on Tuesday show. The value of construction of buildings - residential and non-residential - plummeted by 23.6%, while that of specialised construction activities dropped by 1.2%. Civil engineering construction meanwhile saw a 4.8% rise, SURS said.

Tušmobil case statute barred

LJUBLJANA - The case of Tušmobil focusing on the telecoms company's acquisition of mobile telephony spectrum free of charge in 2006 and 2008, has become statute barred for all suspects, including former Tušmobil owner Mirko Tuš and the regulator's ex-director Tomaž Simonič. The Ljubljana District Court said in a retrial for Simonič on Tuesday that the alleged crimes had become stature barred in 2018. The prosecutors announced an appeal.

Pahor receives honorary doctorate at Lisbon University

LISBON, Portugal - President Borut Pahor was awarded an honorary doctorate by the University of Lisbon at a special ceremony, being honoured for his efforts to promote dialogue and for his continued commitment to fundamental European values, the president's office said. In his speech at the ceremony, Pahor expressed his gratitude for the recognition, and stressed that the European project is based on unity and reconciliation. He also talked with international relations students from the university.

Project aims to develop common understanding of history of three nations

KLAGENFURT, Austria - A pilot project led by the Slovenian Scientific Institute in Klagenfurt, Austria, is seeking to develop a trilingual online platform in a bid to contribute to multicultural education and a common understanding of the past shared by Slovenia, Austria and Italy. In the first phase the two-year project will try to present various aspects of the shared past side by side, says Daniel Wutti of the Institute for Multilingualism and Transcultural Education at the University College of Teacher Education in Klagenfurt.

Seven suspected of distributing child sexual abuse material

LJUBLJANA - Police conducted house searches yesterday at addresses of seven people suspected of distributing child sexual abuse material online. The pictures and videos seized show foreign children aged three to 13 years, police told reporters today. "Inquiries so far show the victims of sexual abuse do not include Slovenian children, nor have we so far found the perpetrators producing the contentious material themselves or sexually abusing the children," criminal investigator Robert Tekavec told reporters.

Regulator accepts commitments by four gas utilities

LJUBLJANA - The Competition Protection Agency (AVK) said it had accepted a set of commitments that four liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) utilities have made to do away with their controversial practice pertaining to the return of gas cylinders by clients. The investigation into potential collusion among Istrabenz Plini, Plinarna Maribor, Butan Plin and Ina Slovenija was launched in November 2020 over suspicion that they had secretly agreed to only accept the returns of their own gas cylinders.

Number of passengers in public transportation up in 2021

LJUBLJANA - The number of passengers carried in public transportation in Slovenia was up significantly last year compared to 2020. However, taking into account all the restrictions due to the epidemic, the numbers recorded in 2021 are still relatively low compared to the pre-Covid year 2019, the Statistics Office said. Buses in urban mass transit networks carried 30.8 million passengers last year, which is 22% more than in 2020. An increase in the number of passengers was also recorded in rail and air passenger transport, as trains carried 11.9 million passengers in 2021, almost double the number recorded in 2020.

Most wanted Slovenian suspect apprehended in Spain

LJUBLJANA - A Slovenian wanted in connection to the 300 kilo heroin bust at the Koper port in April 2018 has been apprehended in Barcelona with procedures now under way for his extradition to the Slovenian justice authorities. "The arrest is the result of excellent cooperation between Slovenian and Spanish police authorities," the online portal 24ur.com quoted the Slovenian police authorities as saying. Enis Končan, 39, also known as Dec, was apprehended in Barcelona on 4 February. He had been on the list of the 62 most wanted suspects or convicted criminals released by Europol online in December.

Downhill skier Štuhec wraps up Olympic career with 22nd place

BEIJING, China - Slovenia's skier Ilka Štuhec underperformed in the women's downhill at the Beijing Olympics due to back pain. the two-time downhill world champion finished in 22nd place, three seconds behind the first-placed Corinne Suter of Switzerland. This was Štuhec's last Olympic performance. Slovenian Maruša Ferk Saioni also competed in today's downhill race to finish 23rd.

Slovenia place 11th in biathlon men's relay in Beijing

BEIJING, China - The Slovenian men's biathlon team, including Miha Dovžan, Jakov Fak, Lovro Planko and Rok Tršan, finished eleventh in men's 4x7.5km relay at the Beijing Winter Olympics. The gold medal went to Norway. The relay race featured twists and turns and had a dramatic finish, which saw Russia, the silver-medallist, losing to Norway in the last standing stage.

World's largest serving of bograč cooked in Lendava

LENDAVA - The largest serving of bograč, a traditional Prekmurje dish, was cooked in Lendava on 4 September 2021, the Guinness Book of Records officially confirmed on Monday. The cooking team prepared 1,801 kilogrammes of the dish in a single cauldron. It took 16 hours for six cooks and 20 assistants to prepare the dish is typically made of three types of meat, wine and potato.

15 Feb 2022, 13:40 PM

Lendava Enters Guinness Book of Records with World's Largest Bograč

STA, 15 February 2022 - The largest serving of bograč, a traditional Prekmurje dish, was cooked in Lendava on 4 September 2021, the Guinness Book of Records officially confirmed on Monday. The cooking team prepared 1,801 kilogrammes of the dish in a single cauldron.

It took 16 hours for six cooks and 20 assistants to prepare the dish is typically made of three types of meat, wine and potato.

Slovenian Recipe of the Week: Bograč from Prekmurje

The team consisted of professional cooks, members of the town's and local communities, local tourism board and firefighters.

It took more than three hours just to roast the 400 kilogrammes of onion. The largest serving of bograč in the world also contained four kilos of garlic, 220kg of beef, 160kg of game, 300kg of pork, 400kg of potato, 22kg of spices and 12 litres of local wine.

About 3,500 portions were distributed to visitors.

The cauldron was borrowed from the Velika Polana municipality, which made the world's largest serving of sour turnip hot pot in 2013, by cooking 1,089.5 kilogrammes of the dish.

Lendava was proclaimed the World Capital of bograč in 2011, and bograč is part of Slovenia's tradition and gastronomic heritage.

15 Feb 2022, 12:20 PM

Average Gross Pay in Slovenia Was €1,970 in 2021

STA, 15 February 2022 - The average gross pay in Slovenia rose by 6.1% in nominal terms in 2021 to EUR 1,970, the fastest pace in five years. The increase was almost equally driven by the public and private sectors, show the latest Statistics Office figures.

While the nominal increase is the fastest in five years, the real increase was a more modest 4.1% due to high inflation last year.

The average pay rose by 6.5% in the public sector, to EUR 2,337, and by 6.1% in the private sector, to EUR 1,941.

In December, the average wage dropped by a percent compared to the month before, which the statisticians attribute to lower Christmas bonuses paid out for December since most such bonuses come with November wages.

The average net pay rose by 5.1% in nominal terms and 3.1% in real terms to EUR 1,270.

15 Feb 2022, 11:30 AM

Cultural Organisations Call on Govt to Lift COVID Restrictions on Events

STA, 15 February 2022 - Cultural institutions and associations have addressed a letter to decision-makers to fully reopen cultural venues in Slovenia, and lift all coronavirus restrictions which govern organising and visiting cultural events by 21 February at the latest.

The appeal, which was among others sent to the president, government, parliament and political parties, was signed by 70 organisations, including most theatres and museums, several festivals and arts centres, as well as Kino Šiška and the GIZ KOS association of concert organisers.

Slovenia's culture and events sector have quickly adapted to provide for safe events, "but they cannot adapt to excessive measures which hamper or fully prevent a large segment of events which can be organised only without seats and distancing and with venues filled to full capacity if events are to be economically feasible".

The letter says that Slovenia is one of few countries where not only masks and a Covid pass but also distancing of visitors who need to sit on fixed seats is required. It says that compared to Great Britain, Ireland, Denmark, Spain, Sweden, France, Hungary, Italy, Austria and Croatia, only Slovenia has such strict restrictions.

The signatories argue that the restrictions no longer contribute to improving the epidemiological situation, so they urge the government to gradually scrap them, first the restrictions about distancing and fixed seats, and in the next stage, which should follow soon, the Covid pass, while masks should become recommended.

The letter says that after two years of closures and restrictions, and events held under impossible conditions in between, "it is time for the doors of cultural venues to open widely and for culture to breath with full lungs".

15 Feb 2022, 04:01 AM

Morning Headlines for Slovenia: Tuesday, 15 February 2022

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:

Pahor, Rebelo de Sousa urge peaceful solution in Ukraine

LISBON, Portugal - President Borut Pahor and his Portuguese counterpart Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa called for a peaceful and diplomatic solution to the Ukraine crisis and urged for a faster EU enlargement to the Western Balkans, as they met at the outset of Pahor's two-day official visit to Portugal. The visit is dedicated to the 30th anniversary of diplomatic relations between the two countries. Pahor also met Prime Minister Antonio Costa and Speaker Eduardo Ferro Rodrigues.

Janša discusses Ukraine with European Council head

LJUBLJANA - PM Janez Janša joined European Council President Charles Michel and several EU counterparts by videocall to discuss the tense security situation in Eastern Europe, assistance to Ukraine and consequences of a potential Russian invasion. Michel stressed the EU's unity, solidarity and firmness regarding over the Ukraine situation. Janša spoke with his Ukrainian counterpart Denis Shmygal on the phone on Saturday, expressing support for Ukraine's territorial integrity and every country's right to choose its alliance.

Pahor congratulates Steinmeier on re-election as German president

LJUBLJANA - President Borut Pahor congratulated Frank-Walter Steinmeier on his re-election as president of Germany. In his congratulatory message, Pahor highlighted their friendship and expressed his wish to deepen the relations between the two countries in the European spirit and on the basis of mutual respect. Pahor also wished Steinmeier success in his role as German president.

Opposition alleges political appointments of diplomats

LJUBLJANA - As seven candidates for ambassadors presented themselves behind closed doors to the parliamentary Foreign Policy Committee, the opposition Marjan Šarec List (LMŠ) said the candidates had ties to the coalition Democrats (SDS) and New Slovenia (NSi). The party called on President Borut Pahor, who signs off the appointments, to prevent political appointments just before the election. The ambassador selection procedure is conducted in secrecy until the host country endorses the candidate.

Sunday's case count down by a third week-on-week

LJUBLJANA - Slovenia recorded 3,601 new cases of coronavirus on Sunday, a week-on-week decline of more than a third and the lowest daily figure since early January. The weekly case count topped out at just over 51,000, down from nearly 89,000 in the week before. The NIJZ estimates there are currently just over 140,000 active cases in the country, 5,000 fewer than yesterday. Hospitalisations remained stable and a total of 18 patients died, according to government data.

SocDems propose scrapping most Covid measures

LJUBLJANA - The opposition Social Democrats (SD) proposed scrapping the recovered, vaccinated, tested rule in all activities except health and social care, as well as abolishing mandatory quarantine for contacts of infected people. They believe people should be free to decide whether to wear masks and self-test or not. "The time has come for easing, for normal life," MP Dejan Židan said, adding that people would have to learn to live with Covid-19.

Golob's party ahead of SDS in Delo poll

LJUBLJANA - The new Freedom Movement party headed by Robert Golob leads the latest public opinion poll conducted for the newspaper Delo, at 19.9%, ahead of the ruling Democrats (SDS), at 15%. The opposition Social Democrats (SD) are third at 7%, followed by the opposition Left and the coalition New Slovenia (NSi), at 5% each. The opposition LMŠ party and Connecting Slovenia alliance trail at 3.7% each.

SAB's platform focusing on solidarity, green transition

LJUBLJANA - The opposition Alenka Bratušek Party (SAB) set out its platform for the 24 April general election with solidarity and green transition as one of the cornerstones with priorities such as stabilisation of public finances, restoration of the rule of law and improving the status of pensioners. SAB leader Alenka Bratušek said they were "aware that without a strong economy, there is no welfare state or higher pensions".

Ten parties support civil initiative's election demands

LJUBLJANA - Ten political parties, including several opposition parties but no ruling coalition party, have responded to the 138 demands set to parties ahead of the general election by the Voice of the People, an initiative which brings together over 100 NGOs and 1,800 individuals. The group said that the parties supported 77 of the demands, including commitment to Paris Climate Agreement goals, independence of the public broadcaster and legal protection of whistleblowers.

Slovenia's food processing industry presented at Expo

DUBAI, UAE - The Slovenian pavilion at the Dubai Expo hosted a business forum of the country's food processing industry, hearing about the country's sustainable orientation and high quality of its food. It was attended by Agriculture Minister Jože Podgoršek, who said that his visit to the United Arab Emirates was also about looking for new business partners. He will sign a major memorandum with counterparts from the UAE on Tuesday as a new step in cooperation in sustainable food production.

Over 70% of EU cohesion funds for 2014-2020 paid out

LJUBLJANA - By the end of 2021, EUR 2.23 billion was paid out to Slovenia under the 2014-2020 EU Cohesion Policy, which amounts to 73% of the total amount available - over EUR 3 billion, according to the Government Office for Development and European Cohesion Policy. For the new period between 2021 and 2027, Slovenia will have EUR 3.214 billion available, divided into four funds - the Cohesion Fund, the European Regional Development Fund, the European Social Fund and the Just Transition Fund.

Počivalšek calls for progress in reforming WTO

MARSEILLE, France - Economy Minister Zdravko Počivalšek urged for the WTO to contribute more to address the Covid pandemic and called for progress in reforming the organisation to make it more efficient as he took part in an informal meeting of EU trade ministers in Marseille. Apart from the situation at the WTO, the meeting also discussed trade with Africa before the upcoming EU-Africa summit, and trade relations with the US.

Slovenia submits UN resolution on early drug abuse prevention

VIENNA, Austria - Slovenia, a new member of the UN Commission on Narcotic Drugs (CND), submitted a draft resolution calling on the international community to step up efforts to prevent the use of illicit drugs in particular among children and youth. The CND will debate the resolution at its 65th session in mid-March. The EU had backed the initiative for the resolution, and in its submission Slovenia has been joined by France, with Japan, Mexico and Nigeria to follow suit soon, the Health Ministry said.

Slovenia's gross external debt at EUR 50.8bn in 2021

LJUBLJANA - Slovenia's gross external debt totalled EUR 50.8 billion at the end of December 2021, the equivalent of 108.3% of GDP at current prices, as gross external claims amounted to EUR 51.2 billion, data from the central bank shows. Gross external debt was EUR 3 billion higher than in the same period a year ago, mainly due to heavier borrowing by the central bank. External claims rose by EUR 3.2 billion.

SIJ signs new EUR 230m loan agreement

LJUBLJANA - The steel group SIJ signed an agreement with a consortium of banks headed by NLB on a EUR 230 million syndicated loan with seven-year maturity to refinance existing loans, secure additional liquidity reserves for its long-term development, and finance investments into environmental efficiency. Under its new strategy, SIJ's investments focus on higher production efficiency and sustainable development, foremost environment and energy efficiency.

Salus reports revenue and profit growth

LJUBLJANA - Salus, the Ljubljana-based pharmaceutical wholesaler, increased sales revenue by 14% last year to EUR 458.28 million as net profit rose by 28% to EUR 13 million. In a regulatory filing with the Ljubljana Stock Exchange, the company said operating profit rose from EUR 12.26 million in 2020 to EUR 15.28 million in 2021 and EBITDA was up from EUR 16.16 million to EUR 19.67 million.

Slovenia win Olympic silver in ski-jumping team event

BEIJING, China - The Slovenian men's ski-jumping team, made up of Lovro Kos, Cene Prevc, Timi Zajc and Peter Prevc, won silver at the Olympics for Slovenia's seventh medal at the Beijing Games. This is Slovenia's fourth medal in ski-jumping at the Games after the mixed team won gold and Urša Bogataj won gold and Nika Križnar bronze in the women's individual event. Slovenia were in the lead after the first round, but were pipped to gold by Austria by 8.3 points. Bronze went to Germany.

NGO founder named Slovenian Woman of the Year

LJUBLJANA - Anthropologist and sociologist Nika Kovač, the founder and head of NGO the 8 March Institute, was named the Slovenian Woman of the Year 2021 by the women's magazine Jana and its readers on Sunday evening. The 8 March Institute has been warning of inequalities and the problems of the most vulnerable, the magazine said in a press release, adding: "She (Kovač) is aware that the power lies in the community and she has been proving this constantly."

Climbing star Garnbret in two films at Mountain Film Festival

RADOVLJICA - The Wall - Climb for Gold, a British documentary, opened the 16th Mountain Film Festival, which will feature 29 films from 13 countries ranging from mountaineering and climbing to mountain nature and culture until 19 February when the best films receive awards. The opening documentary follows the stories of four Olympic athletes, including Slovenia's Janja Garnbret, from qualification to their performance on the big stage.

Online fraud on the rise in Slovenia, phishing prevalent

LJUBLJANA - A press conference on online fraud heard that this type of crime is on the rise in Slovenia, with national Computer Emergency Response Team (SI-CERT) recording 3,197 reports of online fraud last year, of which 30% were reported cases of phishing. Maruša Maligoj of SI-CERT told the virtual press conference hosted by the NKBM bank that the actual number was actually much higher, as many fraud attempts remained unreported.

14 Feb 2022, 16:35 PM

Olympics: Men's Ski Jumping Team Wins Silver

STA, 14 February 2022 - The Slovenian men's ski-jumping team, made up of Lovro Kos, Cene Prevc, Timi Zajc and Peter Prevc, has won the silver medal in the team event in Beijing. This is Slovenia's fourth medal in ski-jumping at the 2022 Winter Olympic Games and the seventh overall.

Slovenia were in the lead after the first round of today's ski-jumping team event, then finished second with 934.4 points. The gold was won by Austria (942.7), and Germany finished third (922.9).

"Great! It worked out great," team captain Peter Prevc said in his first reaction for the national TV after winning his fourth career Olympic medal. "It was tight right to the end, and we really deserved second place. I am very happy," he added.

Soči 2014 ??
Peking 2022 ??@peterprevc??#imamoto #teamslovenia #ifeelslovenia @SloveniaInfo @SloskiSZS @Olympics @SLOSkiJumping pic.twitter.com/bBW7HOhrUx
— Team Slovenia (@TeamSlovenia) February 14, 2022

The last ski-jumping competition of the 2022 Winter Olympics was marked by demanding weather conditions, as strong winds howled over the Olympic centre in Zhangjiakou. The jumpers also had to cope with bitter cold.

"The conditions were very difficult, and it was hard for me to wait at the top, especially in the first round. I was also a bit nervous in the final, but I still managed a solid jump. I'm very happy," said Olympic debutant Lovro Kos.

"It was a tough competition, the wind was really bad. I couldn't do much more today, but I have to say that we all gave our best, and we should be proud of the silver medal," added Timi Zajc.

Coach Robert Hrgota was happy as well, but added in the same breath that with a bit more luck with the wind, his team could have won the gold medal. "Congratulations to the boys for eight great jumps. This achievement means a lot to all of us," he told the national TV.

Slovenia has already won the gold medal in the mixed team event with Urša Bogataj, Nika Križnar, Peter Prevc and Timi Zajc. In addition, Bogataj won gold and Križnar bronze in the women's individual competition.

Therefore, the silver medal won today by the men's team is Slovenia's fourth ski-jumping medal at the 2022 Winter Olympics and the seventh overall. It is also Slovenia's third Olympic medal in men's ski-jumping team events after silver in Calgary in 1988 and bronze in Salt Lake City in 2002.

Matjaž Debelak, Miran Tepeš, Primož Ulaga and Matjaž Zupan won the silver medal for Yugoslavia in Calgary, and the team made up of Damjan Fras, Primož Peterka, Robert Kranjec and Peter Žonta won bronze 20 years ago at the Olympics in Salt Lake City.

14 Feb 2022, 14:37 PM

Online Fraud Growing in Slovenia, Especially Phishing

STA, 14 February 2022 - A press conference on online fraud heard on Monday that this type of crime is on the rise in Slovenia, with national Computer Emergency Response Team (SI-CERT) recording 3,197 reports of online fraud last year, of which 30% were reported cases of phishing.

Maruša Maligoj of SI-CERT told the virtual press conference hosted by the NKBM bank that the actual number was actually much higher, as many fraud attempts remained unreported.

Almost a thousand cases of phishing were reported last year, with the most phishing attacks being attempted in the name of delivery services, while online advertisements and banks were also often imitated.

The number of cases of fraud in the form of fake loan offers is also increasing. In 2020, 94 such cases were detected by SI-CERT, and 137 in 2021.

This is also a consequence of the Covid-19 pandemic, as people experienced financial difficulties while banks tightened their conditions for obtaining loans, said Maligoj.

Meanwhile, the police dealt with more than 600 cases of fraud last year, with total damage amounting to more than EUR 12 million, which is a 50% increase in the number of cases and a 150% increase in damage compared to 2020.

David Gracer of the Criminal Police Administration added that the increase in the number of cases of fraud continued this year, as the police had already dealt with more than 80 cases, with total damage amounting to more than EUR 2.5 million.

Police data also show that investment fraud is among the most common types of fraud, followed by e-mail breaches, romance scams, advance-fee scam, fake loan scams, remote access scams under the pretext of technical support and money mules.

Božidar Dajčman, the head of physical and information security management department at NKBM, noted that Slovenian banks had been monitoring phishing attempts and attacks on customers for at least eight years.

"There has been more of such attacks recently. An increase in such attempts was observed in 2021, and the trend continued in 2022 and we do not expect this to change any time soon," he added.

14 Feb 2022, 12:47 PM

Nika Kovač Named Jana’s Slovenian Woman of the Year

STA, 14 February 2022 - Anthropologist and sociologist Nika Kovač, the founder and head of NGO the 8 March Institute, has been named the Slovenian Woman of the Year 2021 by the women's magazine Jana and its readers.

The 8 March Institute has been warning of inequalities and the problems of the most vulnerable, the magazine said. "She (Kovač) is aware that the power lies in the community and she has been proving this constantly," Jana said in a press release.

Kovač has mobilised more than 600,000 citizens to vote on changes to the waters act, which were overwhelmingly rejected in a referendum in July 2021, the press release stressed.

"That she is definitely a future leader had been noticed by the Obama Foundation as well, which first accepted her to a programme for 40 future European leaders and then picked her as the only representative of Europe among 15 young people who have been changing the world for the better and will continue to do so."

Currently an Obama scholar and researcher at the Columbia University, New York, Kovač remains active in Slovenia as well, building a community with her compassion and perseverance.

At last night's ceremony, she accepted a unique statuette, a work of artist Ljubica Ratkajec Kočica, from Jana's editor-in-chief Melita Berzelak.

Among those shortlisted for the award were climber Janja Garnbret, actor Zvezdana Mlakar, Špela Miroševič, a researcher who initiated research into her son's rare genetic disease, activist Andreja Slameršek and Emilija Stojmenova Duh, the professor who supported students protesting against school closure.

Shortlisted as a group were also founders of the NGO Legal Network for the Protection of Democracy.

14 Feb 2022, 12:21 PM

Warning that Slovenia is Following Hungarian Media Model

STA, 11 February 2022 - The International Press Institute has a released a report on Hungarian investments in foreign media that suggests the Hungarian model of government control of the media is being transposed to Slovenia, which it says is important in light of Slovenia's upcoming general election.

The report says that after subjugating media at home, the Hungarian government, aided by companies controlled by its political allies, has started building a media empire in Slovenia and North Macedonia that is supposed to "act as megaphones for its regional ideological allies."

Both Slovenia and North Macedonia have thus seen in recent years an inflow of Hungarian investments in media, either in media serving Hungarian national minorities in several countries, or media connected with Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban's ideological allies.

Such investments - the most notable examples in Slovenia include the TV channel Planet TV, publisher Nova Obzorja and TV station and news portal Nova24 - raise serious questions about the exporting of Fidesz's model of illiberal democracy to countries in Hungary's neighbourhood and beyond, the report says.

And while Fidesz politicians insist such investments are purely commercial, IPI says the evidence suggests that they are "rather part of a broad political strategy of influencing media and supporting ideological allies of Fidesz," in Slovenia's case Prime Minister Janez Janša.

The report, available at https://ipi.media/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/hu.pdf, was written in collaboration with independent investigative reporters and leans heavily on Slovenian investigative journalism portals.

14 Feb 2022, 08:38 AM

Morning Headlines for Slovenia: Monday, 14 February 2022

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:

Žan Kranjec wins silver in Olympic men's giant slalom

BEIJING, China - Žan Kranjec won silver in the men's giant slalom in what is his first Olympic medal and the sixth for Slovenia at the Beijing Olympics. After placing 8th in the first run, he put on a dream-like second run as conditions were tough due to snowing, to improve on his 4th place from the 2018 Games. Kranjec's is only the third men's Olympic medal in Alpine skiing for Slovenia, after Jure Košir won bronze in slalom 28 years ago in Lillehammer and Jure Franko silver in giant slalom at the 1984 Sarajevo Olympics.

Ex-state secretary loses damages suit against NSi leader

LJUBLJANA - A court has turned down a damages suit ex-PM Marjan Šarec's state secretary for national security Damir Črnčec has filed against New Slovenia (NSi) leader Matej Tonin after the latter accused him of abusing the SOVA intelligence agency to undermine the opposition, N1 news portal said on Saturday. The suit pertains to the period when Tonin, now defence minister, chaired the parliamentary Intelligence Oversight Commission as an opposition MP, while Črnčec was state secretary at Šarec's office. The Kamnik Local Court gave priority to Tonin's right to the freedom of speech over Črnčec's right to protect his reputation, arguing Črncec was a public figure.

Number of new coronavirus cases keeps dropping

LJUBLJANA - A total of 4,257 new coronavirus cases were logged in Slovenia on Saturday, a drop of over 3,000 from Friday as well as from a week ago. The total number of hospitalised patients infected with coronavirus is now 987, 5 more than on Saturday. Just over 145,270 cases are estimated to be active in the country, a drop of almost 9,590 from a day earlier. Seven coronavirus-infected patients died.

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