Ljubljana

Local, European and USA acrobats showed off their slum dunking skills as Ljubljana hosted the 5th Acrobatic Basketball World Cup and Olympic trampoline competition on 7 August. Two members of Slovenia's Dunking Devils set a Guinness world record in the highest mini trampoline slum dunk.

The second call for applications for subsidies offered by the Slovenian government to improve the country's air connectivity has attracted a single bid, submitted by AirBaltic, Latvia's flag carrier.

AirBaltic is planning to establish an air link between Ljubljana and Riga in the 2024 summer season, the Infrastructure Ministry said when announcing the results of the call on 2 August.

Policy-makers, experts, environmentalists and representatives of NGOs and companies discussed ways that can help reduce Slovenia's ecological footprint at a panel held in Ljubljana ahead of Earth Overshoot Day, the day when humanity's demand on nature exceeds Earth's biocapacity. This year Earth Overshoot Day falls on 2 August.

The Ljubljana-based International Research Centre for Artificial Intelligence (IRCAI) and Amazon Web Services (AWS) have partnered to support entrepreneurs and startups using advanced cloud computing and AI to create new solutions addressing climate emergency.

As they pointed out, it will be especially warm in the central and southern part of the country, where it will be even warmer than yesterday - from 37 to 40 degrees Celsius.
In umadija, Pomoravlje, eastern, southeastern, southwestern Serbia and on Kosovo and Metohija, a red weather alert is in effect, indicating very dangerous weather.

The first European Summer School on Artificial Intelligence (ESSAI) opened in Ljubljana on 24 July, featuring courses and lectures by 60 world-renowned experts. The event aims to acquaint young researchers with the latest advances in the field and stimulate AI development in Slovenia.

Large numbers of tourists are flocking to Ljubljana again this summer. Judging by the impressions some of them shared with the Slovenian Press Agency, they are charmed by the city's small size, comfort, and cleanliness. They point to to the abundance of green spaces, delicious Slovenian food, the friendliness of the locals, and the unique little shops in the old town.

Generics producer Sandoz is planning to invest roughly US$90 million at its site in Ljubljana to establish a dedicated centre for development of biosimilars by 2026. As part of the process to spin off from Novartis, Sandoz holds part of the Slovenian pharmaceutical company Lek.

Maribor, Slovenia's second largest city, will launch its first international primary school programme in September, joining Ljubljana in catering to the needs of internationally mobile families.

Ljubljana will host the world's first ever official water volleyball tournament on 12 and 13 August. After two successful promotional events, real volleyball showdowns are now on the programme as part of the re:do Volleyball on Water Ljubljanica 2023 tournament, the Slovenian Volleyball Federation has announced.