STA, 25 October 2021 - Media have reported that Prime Minister Janez Janša and Defence Minister Matej Tonin on Friday received death threats by mail, with live ammunition being enclosed in the letters. The threats sent to the politicians' home addresses were later confirmed by the prime minister's office and Tonin himself.

Janša, who is the president of the Democrats (SDS), has also been sent photographs on which targets were drawn on his face and the faces of his family members.

In the threatening letter, the unknown sender told Janša that "teams are waiting for the command", that the prime minister was the "first to go down", and that the same fate awaited the supporters of the government.

Tonin, on the other hand, was reproached for being calculating by choosing political sides, and threatened that he would not get to see the next general election. The letter said that they "know all his whereabouts, so security will not be able to help him."

The police confirmed having opened an investigation into the matter. Stojan Belšak, head of the organised crime unit of the Ljubljana Police Department, told the press that threatening letters including live ammunition had also been received by two parliamentary deputy groups and the leader of the National Party (SNS) Zmago Jelinčič.

Investigators have already been dispatched to individual addresses to "investigate these despicable acts and ensure the safety of both the top officials and all other Slovenian citizens", said Belšak.

Two years in prison is one of the potential sanctions for such a crime, he pointed out, noting that these investigations were complex. It is still being established whether the same suspect was involved in all the cases.

According to news portal N1, a week ago Tonin's home was visited by two unknown men who posed as providers of telecommunication measurements. It turned out later that the two had been detained by the police at one of the Wednesday protests against the Covid pass mandate over attacks on police officers.

However, Belšak said that in this case the police had found that the lives of Tonin's family members or himself had not been in danger, highlighting that this was an accidental event.

Responding to the developments, parliamentary Speaker Igor Zorčič condemned in the strongest terms all threats made against politicians or any other human being. He also pointed out that following death threats received by Janša and Tonin, suspicious mail was also detected by National Assembly staff.

Zorčič called on politicians to take a step back and show tolerance in their communication, particularly on social media. "I think that, ultimately, it is up to each politician, or whoever is the target of the threat, to assess how threatened they feel. But given that some politicians themselves communicate in a similar way, it is of course difficult for them to claim today that they have been threatened by anyone," Zorčič said, confirming that was in reference to Jelinčič.

President Borut Pahor pledged to do his best for violence to be banished from the Slovenian society, as he expressed concern about "the tone of public debate" in the country.

"When the broadest public begins to feel that politicians are not trying hard enough to listen and hear each other, the impression is created it is legitimate to use [...] ugly and disrespectful language. And that if it's not ugly, disrespectful and rude, it's not heard."

"I'd like us to understand that this can lead to a situation where threats of violence - something we have witnessed in recent days - become our reality," said Pahor, adding it was key to state loud and clear that violent behaviour, threats and riots "have no place in Slovenia's democratic society and must be rejected by all of us".

The SDS condemned in the strongest terms the threats, noting they targeted Janša, Tonin, Interior Minister Aleš Hojs and deputy groups of the SNS and Pensioners' Party (DeSUS).

The ruling party believes that these crimes are a direct consequence of what it sees as institutions' passivity, media creating a climate of tolerance to violence, and the opposition's conduct, saying that the latter is incapable of clearly condemning violence, and in some places even fuels it.

The SDS expects from the competent institutions to treat the case with the utmost seriousness and from officials to condemn the threats. "At the same time, we expect that politicians who are threatened or feel threatened will receive adequate protection," the party said.

The prime minister's office said that Janša had responded to the threats on Twitter where he said that Slovenia had been waiting for "seven long years" to see Pahor condemn the threats in the same way he did when he had been threatened as prime minister.

Denouncing the threats, Minister Hojs said he was surprised not all political parties did the same. He expressed the expectation for police to do everything in their power to track down the perpetrators.

He said the threats were also partly due to "rather mild or in my view inappropriate response by the prosecution in the past", noting that prosecution decided not to prosecute similar threats in the past.

NSi deputy group head Jožef Horvat said the party condemned any death threats and expected from the competent authorities to react decisively to find those responsible for these crimes. He also noted that hatred or intolerance picked its targets regardless of their political affiliation, urging everyone to commit to peaceful behaviour.

STA, 25 October 2021 - The ruling Democratic Party (SDS) has recorded a rise in its support ratings of almost four percentage points compared to September, while President Borut Pahor's popularity has comprehensively declined, shows the latest poll commissioned by the commercial broadcaster POP TV.

The SDS remains in the lead with 18.6%, as its support has risen by 3.6 percentage points compared to September. The opposition Social Democrats (SD) remain second with 11.5%, also rising by almost two percentage compared to last month.

The SD are followed by the opposition Left at 9%, who gained one percentage point, and the Marjan Šarec List (LMŠ) with 5.6%, which slipped back 1.4 points compared to September.

With 5%, the coalition New Slovenia (NSi) has gained 1.1 points compared to September to overtake the opposition Alenka Bratušek Party (SAB) with 4%, which lost 1.2 points and thus conceded the fifth place.

Meanwhile, the coalition Modern Centre Party (SMC) and the Pensioners Party (DeSUS) remain well below the parliament threshold at 1.2% and 0.9%, respectively.

The proportion of undecided voters (20.9%) has declined by more than five percentage points compared to September, while 8% would not vote for any of the existing parties.

NSi MEP Ljudmila Novak returned to the top of the popularity ranking of politicians to unseat the long-standing public favourite, President Borut Pahor, who recorded one of his worst results yet with coming in fifth.

Second place was taken by parliamentary Speaker Igor Zorčič, followed by Health Minister Janez Poklukar and Foreign Minister Anže Logar in third and fourth, respectively.

The poll was conducted by Mediana among 712 respondents.

STA 24 October 2021 - Slovenia's Žan Kranjec finished 3rd as the men's giant slalom on the Rettenbach glacier above Sölden, Austria opened the Alpine Ski World Cup season on Sunday. The race was won by Marco Odermatt of Switzerland, and Austria's Roland Leitinger finished second.

Kranjec was quick already in the first run of the 2021/22 season opener, finishing fourth, 0.27 seconds behind the then leading Leitinger.

The 28-year-old from Ljubljana followed it up in the second run, taking the leading position three skiers to go. He was eventually overtaken by Odermatt and Leitinger with a very narrow margin.

The giant slalom specialist was only a tenth of a second late for the first place and was only 0.03 seconds behind Leitinger.

"The feelings are great, it's nice to start the season on the podium," Kranjec told reporters, adding that he had given the best of him. "I'm exceptionally happy and self-confident about the season continuing to be good," he added.

Kranjec noted before the first race that he had had a good training camp, that his head was calmer than in the previous season and that he was looking forward to the competition more.

Klemen Bergant, a coach for technical disciplines in the Slovenian men's team, said he was "happy for Žan for competing with the best after the difficult times, after the poorer last season. Perhaps it will be easier for him to continue the season."

This is a second podium finish for Kranjec in Sölden, as he also finished third there two years ago. In 2016, he was just below the podium, at 4th place.

Today's 3rd place is the eighth career podium finish for the Slovenian, who has two World Cup victories in the giant slalom (Saalbach-Hinterglemm in 2018 and Adelboden in 2020), and one second-place finish.

The other Slovenian who competed in today's World Cup season opener, Štefan Hadalin, finished 25th.

STA, 24 October - The 25th Ljubljana Marathon on Sunday was dominated by Kenyan runners, with Ernest Kibet Tarus winning the men's race with a time of 2 hours 22 minutes and 39 seconds, and Kwamboka Momanyi Grace winning the women's competition (2:38:10). 

Ernest Kibet Tarus was far behind the official record of the Ljubljana Marathon, but nevertheless finished four minutes and a half ahead of the second-placed Marko Ranković of Serbia (2:27:09).

Slovenia's Janez Mulej (2:28:07) was third with his personal best time to win the title of the Slovenian champion.

Kwamboka Momanyi Grace meanwhile dominated the women's race, finishing more than seven minutes ahead of Slovenia's Anja Fink (2:45:29), who won the title of the Slovenian women's champion. Barbara Molnar of Hungary (2:55:18) was third.

The Ljubljana Marathon was held today after last year's race was cancelled due to the pandemic last year. This year's edition was slightly altered as well - all the races (10km, 21km and 42km) taking place on the same day.

In the half-marathon race, Slovenia's Primož Kobe won in the men's competition with a time of 1:07:02, and his compatriot Neja Kršinar had her personal best of 1:14:23 to win the women's competition.

In the 21-km wheelchair race was won by Andrej Rotar in the men's competition (42:43) and Tanja Cerkvenik in the women's competition (1:23:53).

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: 

Week-on-week coronavirus case count more than doubles to 1,500

LJUBLJANA - Almost 1,500 new coronavirus cases were confirmed on Saturday in what is an increase of 138% week-on-week, while the positivity rate increased on a daily basis by more than three percentage points to 33.5%, the National Institute of Public Health (NIJZ) said. The seven-day average of new cases increased by 123 to 1,673 and the 14-day incidence per 100,000 residents has climbed to 837, up by 48. The government reported that 475 people were in hospital for Covid-19 on Saturday, 20 more than on Friday, while the number of IC patients was up by six to 126. Five Covid-19 patients died yesterday.

Slovenia calls for enhanced multilateralism on UN Day

LJUBLJANA/SLOVENJ GRADEC - On United Nations Day, Slovenia has called for strengthening of effective and rule-based multilateralism, with the UN playing the primary role based on inseparable connection and mutual complementation of peace, security and development, and on human rights with respect of international law and goals and principles of the UN Charter. United Nations Day was also marked on Friday in Slovenj Gradec, a United Nations Peace Messenger City, with an address by President Borut Pahor. He said that the UN had the decisive and main role in the modern multilateral regulation of global affairs, adding that Slovenia was strongly committed to multilateralism and the role of the UN in the global architecture.

Kranjec 3rd in Alpine Ski World Cup season opener in Sölden

INNSBRUCK, Austria - Slovenia's Žan Kranjec finished 3rd as the men's giant slalom on the Rettenbach glacier above Sölden, Austria opened the Alpine Ski World Cup season, with Marco Odermatt of Switzerland winning the race, and Austria's Roland Leitinger finished second. he giant slalom specialist was only a tenth of a second late for the first place and was only 0.03 seconds behind Leitinger. "The feelings are great, it's nice to start the season on the podium," Kranjec said, adding that he had given the best of him. "I'm exceptionally happy and self-confident about the season continuing to be good," he added.

Kenyans dominate 25th Ljubljana Marathon

LJUBLJANA - The 25th Ljubljana Marathon was dominated by Kenyan runners, with Ernest Kibet Tarus winning the men's race with a time of 2 hours 22 minutes and 39 seconds, and Kwamboka Momanyi Grace winning the women's competition (2:38:10). The event was held after last year's race was cancelled due to the pandemic last year, and this year's edition slightly altered as well - all the races taking place on the same day. In the half-marathon race, Slovenia's Primož Kobe won in the men's competition with a time of 1:07:02, and his compatriot Neja Kršinar had her personal best of 1:14:23 to win the women's competition.

Piran to fight climate change by turning into live lab

PIRAN - The coastal town of Piran will turn into a live laboratory for four years to find sustainable solutions to mitigate the impact of climate change. Researchers from the Mediterranean Institute for Environmental Studies will focus on solutions to a shortage of drinking water and on a system of early detection of extreme weather phenomena. This comes after the institute, part of the Scientific and Research Centre (ZRS) in Koper, this year became a partner in Smart Control of the Climate Resilience of European Coastal Cities, a EUR 10 million project financed by the EU.

STA, 24 October - The 25th Ljubljana Marathon will take place in the Slovenian capital on Sunday, after it was cancelled due to the pandemic last year. This year's edition was slightly altered as well - all the races will be taking place on the same day, with runners testing their abilities on courses of 10km, 21km and 42km.

This year's marathon has been slightly downsized, so there were no traditional races for schoolchildren on the streets of Ljubljana in the days leading up to the main marathon.

In addition, no elite runners from abroad have signed up, while the best Slovenian marathon runners have not entered the 42km race either, opting for shorter distances instead.

The event will be opened at 9am by hand-cyclists riding a half-marathon, followed by the races on courses of 10km, 21km and 42km. The weather is expected to be sunny, with a cold morning and with temperatures rising up to 12 degrees Celsius during the day.

Leading up to the Ljubljana Marathon, the "Pink Marathon" took place throughout the month of October. With participating through the Strava app, runners were able to make a donation to the independent non-profit breast cancer awareness organisation Europa Donna.

An open fair was also held in Republic Square from Friday to Sunday with different activities for runners, athletes, fans, families and curious passers-by, said the organisers.

They said that last year's cancellation of the marathon due to the epidemic caused them significant financial damage, which they are hoping to avoid with this year's edition.

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, 15 October
        LJUBLJANA - A delegation of the EU Parliament's LIBE committee visiting Slovenia on a fact-finding mission expressed concern mainly at the tone of public debate, calling for the issues of STA funding and European delegated prosecutor appointments to be addressed urgently. The delegation found that "public institutions in Slovenia work well". Slovenian MEP Romana Tomc (EPP/SDS), who had been a member of the delegation, said the latter was the mission's main finding. She also complained about the mission's secrecy and non-transparency.
        BRUSSELS, Belgium - The EU Commission said there was no room for anti-Semitism in the EU and social networks were no place for personal attacks as it responded to a tweet by PM Janez Janša about "Soros's puppets" which sparked an avalanche of criticism. The centre-left opposition condemned the tweet, urging the junior coalition partners to distance themselves from this or exit the government. The NSi urged Janša to apologise, whereas the SMC said it did not support such statements by the PM. The Ljubljana Jewish Cultural Centre and the European Jewish Congress condemned the tweet too.
        PORTOROŽ - Speaker Igor Zorčič accused the government of destroying the legal system and subjugating it to its political goals. He pointed to rule by decree, disregard of media legislation, and dismissive attitude to members of a fact-finding mission of the EU Parliament as examples of this.
        LJUBLJANA - President Borut Pahor nominated philosophy of law professor Rok Svetlič for a post on the Constitutional Court, in what is the fourth attempt in over a year to find a candidate who has cross-partisan support in parliament. During his subsequent presentation, Svetlič denied the allegation that he talked of shooting migrants at a debate in the summer of 2020.
        LJUBLJANA - Slovenia and Georgia expressed a commitment to boost ties, in particular in trade, as FM Anže Logar hosted his counterpart David Zalkaliani. Logar said he was confident Georgia's new consulate in the seaside town of Portorož would contribute to that, and Zalkaliani expressed Georgia's full commitment to the EU.
        PODGORICA, Montenegro - Defence Minister Matej Tonin was on a working visit to Montenegro to meet his counterpart Olivera Injac in Podgorica and attend the To Be Secure international security forum in Budva. The ministers were happy the activities they had agreed at their recent meetings were being implemented at military level and in other fields.
        LJUBLJANA - The country's major trade unions called on the National Assembly to vote down legislative proposals that have not been talked through on the tripartite forum featuring the government, employers and unions as they accused the government of ignoring social dialogue. Minister Janez Cigler Kralj responded by saying the door had always been open to the social partners.
        LJUBLJANA - The government decided that police officers who provided security during the EU-Western Balkans summit on 5 and 6 October will receive performance bonuses, as will civil servants who participated in the security arrangements for the event. A total of 2,380 staff will receive bonus pay.
        LJUBLJANA - The government appointed Danilo Lončarič acting director of the Government Office for Demographic Affairs, effective immediately. The appointment comes after the government decided a month ago to postpone the launch of the new office until Friday, 15 October.
        LJUBLJANA - Manica Janežič Ambrožič, the TV news programme editor at public broadcaster RTV Slovenija, stepped down, saying she had decided to do so because she disagreed with changes to the programme and production plan for the news programme for 2022. The management labelled her move as a "complete surprise", while TV Slovenija's news programmes staff and the Slovenian Journalist Trade Union (SNS) regretted the resignation and expressed concern.

SATURDAY, 16 October
        LJUBLJANA - The opposition Social Democrats (SD) set out their election manifesto with the promise of major changes over the next decade, unveiling proposals to boost public healthcare and economic value added, raise the minimum wage and pensions and gradually reduce work week to 32 hours, as well as measures to move to climate neutrality. The manifesto will be adopted early next year after a broad public debate.
        LJUBLJANA - The Slovenian International Ladies' Association held its annual charity bazaar. Organised with the help of 35 embassies, the event featured culinary delights and unique products from various countries. The proceeds have been allocated to charities and institutions helping children.

SUNDAY, 17 October
        LJUBLJANA - It was announced PM Janez Janša will lead a seizable delegation to the upcoming COP26 climate conference in Glasgow. Numbering more than 50 people, the delegation will include Environment Minister Andrej Vizjak, Finance Minister Andrej Šircelj and Infrastructure Minister Jernej Vrtovec. The costs of the participation are estimated at EUR 1.2 million.

MONDAY, 18 October
        LJUBLJANA - PM Janez Janša announced that after the rising energy prices are discussed later this week at EU level, the government will take all the measures allowed within the single European market. He mentioned the options of regulating margins and providing energy vouchers for vulnerable households. He said domestic and European experts assured so far that the current situation was seasonal.
        LJUBLJANA - PM Janez Janša dismissed the statement by opposition SD leader Tanja Fajon that Slovenia was being stripped of dossiers as part of its current EU presidency. Janša said that passing dossiers onto the next presiding country was usual and that many dossiers had been passed onto Slovenia from the preceding presidencies, as the current presidency was the first fully operational one since the outbreak of Covid-19.
        LUXEMBOURG, Luxembourg - FM Anže Logar took part in the Foreign Affairs Council, telling RTV Slovenija that the most important topic from the perspective of the Slovenian EU presidency had been the debate on Eastern Partnership. The FMs prepared a ministerial meeting with six eastern partners, which will be held on 15 November. The EU would like to bring the countries closer together in terms of politics and business.
        LJUBLJANA - The Fiscal Council said that the Slovenian economy is recovering after the epidemic quite quickly and in 2022, departure from fiscal rules will not be possible in the absence of extraordinary circumstances, as it assessed the budget documents for 2022 and 2023. It warned of unrealistic planning of expenditure. The Finance Ministry said it was focused on gradual lifting of crisis measures and recovery, so special attention had been given to investment.
        WASHINGTON, US - Finance Minister Andrej Šircelj held several meetings as part of the annual session of the IMF and World Bank between 11 and 18 October. Bernardin Akitoby, chief of the IMF mission for Slovenia, said the upgraded economic forecast for Slovenia was a result of appropriate measures taken during the pandemic. The IMF projected a 6.3% growth for this year and 4.6% for 2022.
        LJUBLJANA - The Constitutional Court issued two decisions finding several provisions of regulations that formed the legal basis for remote schooling in primary schools and schools for special-needs children incompatible with the law. In one case the court argued the law gave the Education Ministry too much leeway in determining when remote schooling should be ordered.
        LJUBLJANA - The STA's supervisory board appointed Igor Kadunc the agency's acting director to take over from outgoing Bojan Veselinovič on 31 October, while taking over as full-fledged director on 1 January 2022. The chief supervisor said the majority of supervisors had voted for the appointment of Kadunc, the only candidate to have applied for the job.
        LJUBLJANA - Supervision at the General Police Administration carried out by the parliamentary Intelligence Oversight Commission (KNOVS) confirmed the leadership of the Interior Ministry, including Minister Aleš Hojs, was present in two operational centres of the police during the 5 October protest, KNOVS chair Matjaž Nemec said, labelling it "rather unusual". Hojs said he had not been giving any instructions.
        LJUBLJANA - PM Janez Janša said the response to the Covid-19 pandemic had been belated in particular in countries where governments needed to get parliamentary approval to take measures, as he addressed an international online conference on governments and public sector post-recovery.
        LJUBLJANA, Slovenia/ZAGREB, Croatia - Slovenian and Croatian presidents Borut Pahor and Zoran Milanović unveiled a bust to Croatian writer Ljudevit Gaj (1809-1872) in Ljubljana and one to Slovenian poet France Prešeren (1800-1849) in Zagreb, highlighting the neighbourly relations between the two countries.
        TRIESTE - The SKGZ minority organisation in Italy expressed concern over a substantial shift to the right in the local elections in Trieste as centre-right Mayor Roberto Dipiazza was re-elected and the far-right Brothers of Italy became the second strongest party. SKGZ head Ksenija Dobrila told the STA that Trieste had confirmed its extremely conservative essence.
        SAO PAOLO, Brazil - Minister for Slovenians Abroad Helena Jaklitsch completed her ten-day visit to Latin America, during which she visited the Slovenian communities in Argentina and Brazil, the Government Office for Slovenians Abroad said. Among other things, Jaklitsch discussed economic cooperation and challenges of Slovenian education.

TUESDAY, 19 October
        LJUBLJANA - After commercial broadcaster POP TV released a recording of Environment Minister Andrej Vizjak, the then economy minister, urging businessman Bojan Petan in 2007 to avoid paying taxes in relation to spa Terme Čatež, Vizjak denied saying those things, calling the recording "a collage" and manipulation, which he attributed to "garbage mafia". Junior coalition partners called on him to provide explanations, while the centre-left opposition demanded his resignation. In the recording, Vizjak also offered Petan cooperation by the state and the supervisory board if he agreed to his terms.
        LJUBLJANA - The web portal of the commercial broadcaster POP TV reported that the Murska Sobota District Court had opened a formal investigation against Justice Minister Marjan Dikaučič over suspicion of tax evasion and document falsification in his previous job. Dikaučič has been denying any wrongdoing.
        LUXEMBOURG, Luxembourg - Foreign Ministry State Secretary Gašper Dovžan chaired a session of the General Affairs Council which discussed the rule of law, including the primacy of the EU law, after the recent decision of the Polish constitutional court. Dovžan said Slovenia hoped for "constructive dialogue" between the EU Commission and Poland to bridge the differences.
        LJUBLJANA - Slovenia logged 2,145 new coronavirus cases, the highest daily number of confirmed infections since 12 January. The share of positive tests stood at 29.1% after it was at nearly 32% the day before, the highest since early January. The death toll since the start of the epidemic exceeded 5,000, according to government data.
        LJUBLJANA - The Court of Audit found that Slovenia was partly successful in drawing EU cohesion funds in the 2014-2020 period. The actual revenue of the state budget from EU cohesion policy was much lower than planned. All the key documents for drawing the funds had been adopted but a plan of relevant activities had not been prepared.
        LJUBLJANA/BLED - The Judicial Council warned in its 2020 report that the system under which Supreme Court judges are elected by parliament was not appropriate. It also pointed to the undermining of the judiciary's reputation. Supreme Court president Damijan Florjančič said a day earlier that the judiciary was a key and ultimate defender of the rule of law.
        LJUBLJANA - The centre-left opposition Alenka Bratušek Party (SAB) acted on its announcement that it would propose that the coalition Modern Centre Party (SMC) be expelled from the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe (ALDE) in the wake of PM Janez Janša's tweet about "Soros puppets". The SAB sent a letter to ALDE proposing to initiate proceedings to expel the SMC.
        LJUBLJANA - Kolektiv 99, an NGO protecting consumer and workers' rights, announced it had filed a class-action lawsuit with the Ljubljana District Court to claim EUR 27.5 million from US multinational corporation Apple for damages it allegedly caused to Slovenian consumers by deliberately slowing down and reducing the functionality of certain iPhone models.

WEDNESDAY, 20 October
        LJUBLJANA - Acting on growing energy prices, the government reintroduced administered pricing of heating oil by issuing a regulation on the pricing of petroleum products. Distributors will have to limit their margin to a maximum of six cents per litre of heating oil as of 9 November. Pricing will be based on the prescribed methodology as the average 14-day price.
        LJUBLJANA - Four centre-left opposition parties and the deputy group of unaffiliated MPs tabled a motion of no-confidence in Interior Minister Aleš Hojs. The parties hold him responsible for the state of emergency in the country, police violence at protests, and for a demeaning attitude towards the public and experts who disagree with the government.
        LJUBLJANA - The passage in parliament of a long-term programme for the development of the Slovenian Armed Forces (SAF) until 2035 has been put on hold as the Left has submitted a proposal for a consultative referendum, saying the document pursues wrong goals policy- and priority-wise.
        LJUBLJANA - PM Janez Janša discussed the significance of social dialogue, cooperation, green and digital transition, lifelong learning and sustainable work as he addressed a virtual Tripartite Social Summit ahead of the EU summit. On behalf of the Slovenian presidency he highlighted the importance of the European Pillar of Social Rights.
        LJUBLJANA - PM Janez Janša had a video call with Apple CEO Tim Cook with a release from the Government Communication Office saying they talked about legislative acts that are being coordinated in the EU in the field of digital transformation, and about the importance of cybersecurity in digitalisation services.
        LJUBLJANA - The National Assembly passed amendments to the act on the implementation of the 2021 and 2022 budgets that set up a special budget fund, where the money from the recovery and resilient mechanism will be collected. The fund will be managed by the Office for Recovery and Resilience, which will be led by Janet Mravljak as acting head.
        LJUBLJANA - The National Assembly passed the energy supply act, a piece of legislation that defines relationships between energy companies and end consumers, introduces the right to conclude a contract with dynamic prices, provides the legal basis for energy communities, and defines the concept of energy poverty.
        LJUBLJANA - The National Assembly passed amendments to the act governing the organisation and work of the police force. The changes pertain to the status and autonomy of the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI), placing it under the Criminal Police Directorate. The centre-left opposition argued the amendments would lead to politicisation of police.
        LJUBLJANA - An omnibus de-bureaucratisation bill passed first reading in a 45:40 vote. While coalition MPs welcomed it as a good start towards less red tape in the public administration, opposition MPs were more reserved, with the centre-left MPs voting against, arguing the bill has practically nothing to do with de-bureaucratisation.
        LJUBLJANA - The National Assembly passed amendments to the corporate income tax act which upgrade existing reliefs and add some new. The bill was put forward by the government as part of a package designed to stimulate the post-pandemic recovery. The loss of budget revenue as a result of the changes is estimated at around EUR 27 million.
        LJUBLJANA - President Borut Pahor hosted a reception for equality ombudsmen from SE Europe to mark the start of their fifth regional conference, which is held in Slovenia this year. The president highlighted the importance of public dialogue during the Covid-19 pandemic.

THURSDAY, 21 October
        LJUBLJANA - Slovenia and four other EU countries have drawn up a proposal to transform the EU's existing battle groups into a rapid reaction force in an initiative prompted by the experience of troop withdrawal from Afghanistan where the EU had to rely on the US, the Germany press agency dpa reported. The Defence Ministry confirmed that Slovenia had participated in drawing up the proposal from the field of crisis management.
        NOVA GORICA/GORIZIA, Italy - President Borut Pahor presented his Italian counterpart Sergio Mattarella with the Order of Merit for Distinguished Service, Slovenia's highest honour. The two were also the bordering cities of Nova Gorica and Gorizia to hail their title as the 2025 European Capital of Culture.
        BRUSSELS, Belgium - The NATO defence ministers, including Slovenia's Matej Tonin, confirmed the alliance's capability goals, with the most demanding capability goals for Slovenia as of new including only one battalion-size battlegroup instead of two. The country has also been tasked with establishing a medium-sized reconnaissance battalion, the Defence Ministry said.
        RAVNE NA KOROŠKEM - Economy Minister Zdravko Počivalšek confirmed the government is considering introducing energy vouchers to help the most vulnerable groups of population cope with rising prices, but also said they hoped such measures would not be necessary. He noted that the issue of rising energy prices is a complex one and thus not easy to tackle.
        LJUBLJANA - Novartis has signed an initial agreement to use its manufacturing facility in Ljubljana to fill the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine against Covid-19. The Novartis Technical Operations site will fill at least 24 million doses in its sterile manufacturing facilities in 2022, the Swiss pharma company announced.
        LJUBLJANA - United Media, the media division of United Group, reported a takeover of Slovenian publishing company Adria Media at the country's Competition Protection Agency (AVK). United Media and Adria Media signed a cooperation agreement last year.
        LJUBLJANA - Energy companies Petrol and OMV Slovenija, leading providers of petroleum products in Slovenia, said they would abide by a new government regulation re-introducing administered heating oil prices which will kick in on 9 November. Petrol and OMV Slovenija will thus have to limit the distributors' margin to a maximum of six cents per litre of heating oil.
        LJUBLJANA - Slovenian Agriculture Minister Jože Podgoršek and his Russian counterpart Dmitry Patrushev discussed possible forms of cooperation in the field of agriculture and rural development at a bilateral meeting and signed an action plan to strengthen cooperation between the two countries.
        LJUBLJANA - Svetlana Makarovič, a leading Slovenian poet and children's author, won this year's Ježek Award, an accolade celebrating creative and witty radio and television works. Makarovič was described as the most representative contemporary author of fairy tales who has also made her mark on theatre and chanson.
        WARSAW, Poland - Alexander Gadjiev, representing Slovenia and Italy, won second place at the 18th International Fryderyk Chopin Piano Competition, sharing it with Kyohei Sorita from Japan. Gadjiev also won the Krystian Zimerman Prize for the best performance of a Chopin sonata.

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: 

Covid cases climb to highest total in more than nine months

LJUBLJANA - Slovenia logged 2,270 coronavirus infections on Friday in what is a near ten-month high. The test positivity rate stood at 30.2%, show data by the National Institute of Public Health (NIJZ). The seven-day average of new cases has increased by 121 to 1,550 and the 14-day incidence per 100,000 population has climbed to 825, up by 66. Hospitalisations were at 455 this morning, up by 15 on the day before, with 120 patients requiring intensive care, same as yesterday, government data show. Another seven people with Covid died.

Home Policy Committee votes down motion for snap election

LJUBLJANA - The parliamentary Home Policy Committee voted down late on Friday evening a motion by the centre-left opposition calling for a snap election. During an emergency session of the committee, which lasted for more than nine hours, centre-left opposition MPs accused the government of creating a state of emergency in the country, criticising what they see as rule by decree and politicisation and militarisation of police. The government dismissed all the allegations, saying that its potential resignation could significantly weaken Slovenia's ability to contain the spread of the coronavirus and uphold national security.

Ministry bought Oshkosh APCs prior to anti-graft watchdog's decision, says report

LJUBLJANA - The Defence Ministry asked the anti-graft watchdog for permission not to include an anti-corruption clause in contracts for a purchase of Oshkosh armoured personnel carriers (APCs) from the US and a purchase of a transport aircraft from Italy. In the first case, the ministry did not wait for the watchdog's decision, as it had signed the agreement and paid for the APCs before receiving a reply, Delo said, while in the second case, the request was denied. The ministry told the STA that it had been notified of the watchdog's decision that the clause is optional in the Oshkosh case prior to signing the deal.

Pahor says president does not decide fate of govt

LJUBLJANA - President Borut Pahor told the news portal N1 that in his capacity as president he had neither the right nor the competence nor the duty to say that enough is enough in the current tense situation. The president does not have the power to decide on the fate of the government, he noted. Restoring trust in dialogue and cooperation is a solution for the current circumstances, he pointed out, adding that there was a lack of both on both sides of the political spectrum. He disagrees with the government on the issues of the STA funding and appointment of European delegated prosecutors.

Počivalšek says early election unlikely

LJUBLJANA - The leader of the coalition Modern Centre Party (SMC) and Economy Minister Zdravko Počivalšek believes that the next election will be held as scheduled. Speaking to the newspaper Večer, he does not completely rule out the possibility of an early election though, but also notes that a snap election would not suit his party at the moment as the SMC is in the process of restructuring, forging ties and forming a coalition for the next election. Following PM Janez Janša's hints of a possible lockdown, Počivalšek stated that there would be no more closures of the economy due to Covid-19.

STA, 22 October 2021 - Friday's protesters gathering in Ljubljana's city centre demanding the government's resignation and an early election, today raised the issue of pressure on media freedom and the suspension of funding of the Slovenian Press Agency (STA) as well as leaked recordings of Environment Minister Andrej Vizjak.

Activist Jaša Jenull stressed that independent journalism must be protected by all means. The protesters presented their demands regarding media freedom and culture, and expressed opposition to "politically motivated repression and dictatorship".

They marched through the city centre holding banners calling for early election and carrying a sculpture of a water cannon, which they said was the only one that was acceptable in the streets.

Jenull and media expert Sandra Bašić Hrvatin noted that the STA had been performing public service without government funding for 295 days. Bašić Hrvatin said that opposing the destruction of the STA meant supporting media freedom, democracy and journalists.

The protesters also pointed to the recording leaked earlier this week in which Vizjak as economy minister urged businessman Bojan Petan to avoid taxes in relation to spa Terme Čatež in 2007. They said that in any other normal democracy, Vizjak would have to step down along with some other ministers.

Since the rally had not been registered in advance, police are providing for the safety, the Ljubljana Police Department told the STA.

STA, 23 October 2021 - Slovenia logged 2,270 coronavirus infections on Friday in what is a near ten-month high. The test positivity rate stood at 30.2%, show fresh official data.

The seven-day average of new cases has therefore increased by 121 to 1,550 and the 14-day incidence per 100,000 population has climbed to 825, up by 66, National Institute of Public Health (NIJZ) data show.

NIJZ estimates that there are now 17,436 active cases in the country, which is 3,407 more than the day before and 5,278 more than a week ago.

Get the latest data here