Latest News from Slovenia
Parliament approves energy crisis relief package
Ljubljana – The National Assembly overwhelmingly approved on Tuesday the government package to mitigate the impact of high energy prices. As the coalition praised the bill and the wide range of beneficiaries during the debate, most of the opposition MPs also supported the bill, although they argued that the aid would come too late.
FM Logar on Ukraine crisis: Only a set of bad options remains
Paris/Ljubljana – By recognising the independence of breakaway regions Donetsk and Luhansk in eastern Ukraine, Russia has violated international law and principles, Foreign Minister Anže Logar said in a statement on the sidelines of an emergency meeting of EU foreign ministers on Tuesday. “Now we’re left with only a set of bad options,” he added.
NBA player Goran Dragić signs with Brooklyn Nets
New York – Goran Dragić, widely regarded as one of Slovenia’s best basketball players ever, has signed a new contract until the end of this season and will move to the Brooklyn Nets, said the BDA Sports International management agency. At the age of 35, this will be Dragić’s fifth team in the NBA.
Most Covid containment measures lifted
Ljubljana – Virtually all Covid-19 restrictions are being lifted in Slovenia on Monday except for the wearing of masks and hand sanitising indoors. Proof of recovery, vaccination or negative test (PCT) will only be required in hospitals, care homes and prisons.
Delo calls for scrapping masks requirement at schools
Ljubljana – As part of Slovenian schoolchildren start their winter break, the newspaper Delo welcomes the easing of Covid-19 restrictions but regrets masks at schools have not been abolished as well. “The only thing that remains is masks. 84,694 primary and 34,350 secondary students from eastern Slovenia will have them on their faces for a whole week longer.
Rogaška Slatina to host world’s largest sports film event
Rogaška Slatina – Rogaška Slatina will in June host an international festival of sports film of the FICTS – Federation Internationale Cinema Television Sportifs, recognized by the International Olympic Committee. It is the largest sports film event that attracts many global sports and film stars.
Just over 2,000 coronavirus cases on Sunday
Ljubljana – The coronavirus epidemic in Slovenia keeps receding with 2,008 new cases recorded on Sunday, roughly 45% fewer than a week ago. However, the government reported 19 deaths for the second day running.
Janša, Orban see minorities as a bridge for cooperation
Lendava – Slovenian and Hungarian PMs Janez Janša and Viktor Orban stressed as they signed an agreement on cooperation to develop the border areas populated by the countries’ respective minorities in Lendava on Monday that the minorities were a “bridge for cooperation between two friendly countries” and economic ties between them brought double benefit.
Curfew on hospitality establishments lifted
Ljubljana – Slovenia will lift Covid restrictions on shops, services and other businesses on Monday, including restrictions on opening hours of hospitality establishments and the ban on night clubs, under a decision taken by the government on Saturday.
High-school band wins Slovenia’s Eurosong contest
Ljubljana – LPS or Last Pizza Slice, a band of five teenagers, will represent Slovenia at the 66th Eurovision song contest in Turin with the song ‘Disko’ (Disco) after winning the combined vote from the audience and judges last night.
LPS made it to the final of the national EMA contest as one of the four finalists of EMA Fresh, the competition for young up-and-coming talents.
Slovenia finish 7th in Olympic mixed team parallel slalom
Beijing – Slovenia did not make it past the quarter-final of the mixed team parallel slalom on the last day of the Beijing Olympics, finishing 7th out of 15 teams overall after being eliminated by Austria, who went on to win gold.
Slovenia’s daily coronavirus count at seven-week low
Ljubljana – A total of 2,267 new coronavirus cases were confirmed in Slovenia on Saturday, the lowest daily tally in the Omicron-driven wave of infections, official figures show. According to the National Institute of Public Health, the 7-day average of new daily cases has dropped to 4,248, down by 286 from the day before, and the 14-day incidence per 100,000 fell to 3,942, down by 248.
EU answer to W Balkan issues, Pahor tells Munich conference
Munich – President Borut Pahor took part in a panel debate on the Western Balkans at the Munich Security Conference on Sunday, arguing the EU enlargement process should be stepped up and offering the EU as the answer to all the issues troubling the region.
Slovenia second in medals per capita at Beijing Games
Beijing – Slovenian athletes won seven medals at the Beijing Winter Olympic Games, which puts the country second only to Norway in medals per capita. Overall, Slovenia ranks 15th among all countries on the Olympic medal table.
Team Slovenia won two golds, three silvers and two bronze medals, four of which in ski jumping, two in snowboarding and one in alpine skiing.
PM Janša and Cardinal Rode appear in Italian documentary on foibe
Rome – Prime Minister Janez Janša and Cardinal Franc Rode featured as witnesses in a documentary on summary executions in the wake of Second World War that was aired on Rai 2, the second channel of the Italian public broadcaster, on Saturday night.