FEED Validator

for Atom and RSS and KML

Congratulations!

This is a valid RSS feed.

Recommendations

This feed is valid, but interoperability with the widest range of feed readers could be improved by implementing the following recommendations.

line 51, column 241: content:encoded should not contain relative URL references: /40191/slovenia-to-hold-referendum-on-new-nuclear-unit-this-year (34 occurrences) [help]

...  than 500 metres underground.<br></p>]]></content:encoded>
                                             ^

line 80, column 0: Non-html tag: gallery-widget (19 occurrences) [help]

<p> <gallery-widget foto-ids="40945,40943,40942,40941,40936,40937,40939,4094 ...

Source: http://www.sloveniatimes.com/rss?category_id=1

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8" standalone="no"?>
<rss xmlns:atom="http://www.w3.org/2005/Atom" xmlns:content="http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/content/" version="2.0">
<channel>
<title>Slovenia Times</title>
<link>https://sloveniatimes.com</link>
<description>The Slovenia Times is a web portal featuring in-depth news from Slovenia powered by the STA</description>
<lastBuildDate>Fri, 3 May 2024 16:31:29 +0200</lastBuildDate>
<language>en-GB</language>
<atom:link href="https://sloveniatimes.com/feed/" rel="self" type="application/rss+xml"/>
<item>
<title>New nature park created in Pohorje</title>
<link>https://sloveniatimes.com/40466/new-nature-park-created-in-pohorje</link>
<pubDate>Fri, 3 May 2024 09:30:04 +0200</pubDate>
<category>Environment & Nature</category>
<category>Society</category>
<guid isPermaLink="true">https://sloveniatimes.com/40466/new-nature-park-created-in-pohorje</guid>
<description><![CDATA[Woody high-altitude wetlands and mountain pastures that have long attracted visitors to Pohorje, a lush massif in northeast Slovenia, will enjoy special protection with the creation of a new Pohorje Regional Park. The park stretches over 52 square kilometres in the upper altitudes of Pohorje and ...]]></description>
<content:encoded><![CDATA[Woody high-altitude wetlands and mountain pastures that have long attracted visitors to Pohorje, a lush massif in northeast Slovenia, will enjoy special protection with the creation of a new Pohorje Regional Park.
The park stretches over 52 square kilometres in the upper altitudes of Pohorje and includes pristine natural environments that boast a variety of natural phenomena. 
It has a unique combination of dense conifer forests and open grassy areas, including high-altitude pastures. 
But Pohorje is perhaps known for high-altitude wetlands, picturesque environments that are home to a multitude of species, many of them protected. The best known among them are the Lovrenc Lakes and the Ribnica Lake. 
It also boasts one of the largest virgin forest remnants in Slovenia, Šumik. 
After the government approved the motion to create the park in January, the six municipalities of the area, Zreče, Vitanje, Mislinja, Lovrenc na Pohorju, Ruše and Slovenska Bistrica gave their final go-ahead at the end of April. 
The decree establishing the park designates two protection areas, one where management will be severely restricted to protect wildlife and fauna, and one where existing tourism, forestry and agricultural practices will be allowed to continue. 
Efforts to protect the area go back more than 100 years, with the first protected area status having been declared in 1967. The initiative to create the Pohorje Regional Park was launched in 2017. ]]></content:encoded>
</item>
<item>
<title>Work about to start on radwaste repository at Krško</title>
<link>https://sloveniatimes.com/40449/work-about-to-start-on-radwaste-repository-at-krsko</link>
<pubDate>Thu, 2 May 2024 16:59:05 +0200</pubDate>
<category>Energy</category>
<guid isPermaLink="true">https://sloveniatimes.com/40449/work-about-to-start-on-radwaste-repository-at-krsko</guid>
<description><![CDATA[Slovenia will soon start building a repository for low- and and intermediate-level radioactive waste produced by its sole nuclear power plan. Construction will start in May with the facility slated to become operational in 2028. A Slovenian consortium led by engineering company Riko has been ...]]></description>
<content:encoded><![CDATA[Slovenia will soon start building a repository for low- and and intermediate-level radioactive waste produced by its sole nuclear power plan. Construction will start in May with the facility slated to become operational in 2028. 
A Slovenian consortium led by engineering company Riko has been picked to build the main facilities adjacent to the Krško nuclear power station and has already signed a contract with the Agency for Radioactive Waste Management (ARAO).
Partnering with Slovenian builders Kolektor, CGP and Kostak, Riko will build the repository for €93 million. The only other bid, by the South Korean companies Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power Co. and Daewoo E&C, was more expensive and incomplete. 
The contract covers the construction of a silo some 60 metres deep and 27 metres wide that will have space for 990 containers of radioactive waste, in ten layers. 
This is sufficient for half the waste the Krško nuclear power station generates during its lifespan and half the waste from the decommissioning. The other half will be handled by Croatia, which owns 50% of Krško. 
The Riko-led consortium will also build several buildings on the surface, while the construction of a special elevator and lifting equipment will be tackled in a separate stage of the project. 
At its inception the entire project was valued at €200 million. But due to surging prices of construction services in recent years, a re-evaluation is under way. 
Multi-compartment concept
The silo will be the most demanding part of the project.
"It will be a multi-compartment repository concept, meaning that waste will be packed into barrels and barrels packed into concrete containers. These will then be lowered into the silo and enveloped in concrete," ARAO director Sandi Viršek said. 
Once the silo is filled, it will be topped with a concrete lid and a 15-metre layer of clay. 
As the silo starts operating, presumably in 2028, waste now temporarily stored at the Krško plant will be moved into it. The plant produces 90% of all radioactive waste generated in Slovenia. 
Radioactive waste from medicine, industry and research, stored at a facility in Brinje, near Ljubljana, will also be moved to the new silo, which is located in Vrbina, only 300 metres from the Krško plant. 
A 10- to 15-year dormant period will follow until around 2040, when decommissioning of the power plant is expected to begin. This will kick-off the second stage of operations, the storage of waste from decommissioning. 
Solution for spent fuel still pending
The silo is to be sealed in 2059, after which a 50-year active monitoring phase is planned, to be followed by 250 years of passive monitoring. The surface above the silo will be available for use soon after the repository is sealed. 
The silo is not planned to store waste from any new nuclear reactor<a href="/40191/slovenia-to-hold-referendum-on-new-nuclear-unit-this-year"> Slovenia might choose to build</a>. If the country decides to take this step, an additional silo will have to be built, said Viršek, adding that an environmental permit had been issued for two silos. 
Slovenia still needs to find a solution for spent fuel, which is currently stored in a pool at the power plant. This type of storage is planned until 2103, after which the waste is to be stored more than 500 metres underground. ]]></content:encoded>
</item>
<item>
<title>Third place for Slovenians in astronaut food cup</title>
<link>https://sloveniatimes.com/40465/third-place-for-slovenians-in-astronaut-food-cup</link>
<pubDate>Wed, 1 May 2024 07:57:52 +0200</pubDate>
<category>Science & Education</category>
<category>Science & Technology</category>
<guid isPermaLink="true">https://sloveniatimes.com/40465/third-place-for-slovenians-in-astronaut-food-cup</guid>
<description><![CDATA[Slovenian students have won third place in the NASA HUNCH Culinary Challenge, a competition where students come up with innovative meals for astronauts. The Slovenian team, the first non-American team in the history of the competition, consisted of two students from BIC Ljubljana, an educational ...]]></description>
<content:encoded><![CDATA[Slovenian students have won third place in the <a href="https://nasahunch.com/programs/culinary">NASA HUNCH Culinary Challenge</a>, a competition where students come up with innovative meals for astronauts. 
The Slovenian team, <a href="/40312/slovenian-students-make-nasa-culinary-challenge-finals">the first non-American team</a> in the history of the competition, consisted of two students from BIC Ljubljana, an educational centre offering secondary and tertiary educational programmes in food science, and their mentors. 
At this year's competition, students had to prepare a savoury breakfast with at least one vegetable. Contestants also had to follow strict nutritional value rules. 
The students from BIC Ljubljana created a dish with barley groats, a Slovenian staple, that they combined with dried pears, walnuts and smoked tofu. 
Because of strict customs rules they had to buy all the ingredients in Houston. They had trouble sourcing the smoked tofu in a store, but got the ingredient after asking a grill restaurant to smoke the tofu for them, BIC Ljubljana said. 
The contestants had two hours to cook the dish and two hours for the presentation, where they had to demonstrate how they incorporated all the dietary restrictions into the recipe. 
The dishes were evaluated by a 23-strong jury of American chefs, NASA food lab employees and an astronaut. 
Even though the Slovenian breakfast will not be served in space, which is the reward for the winners, their signatures on the doors of a cabinet will travel to space in one of NASA's future missions. ]]></content:encoded>
</item>
<item>
<title>In Ljutomer, generations of dedication to fast horses</title>
<link>https://sloveniatimes.com/40437/in-ljutomer-generations-of-dedication-to-fast-horses</link>
<pubDate>Wed, 1 May 2024 06:30:50 +0200</pubDate>
<category>Society</category>
<category>Sport</category>
<guid isPermaLink="true">https://sloveniatimes.com/40437/in-ljutomer-generations-of-dedication-to-fast-horses</guid>
<description><![CDATA[The small region of Prlekija in Slovenia's northeast, tucked away along the right bank of the River Mura, is an often overlooked part of the country, even though most people are quite familiar with many of its delicious products: from excellent wines to the sweet prleška gibanica layer cake or ...]]></description>
<content:encoded><![CDATA[The small region of Prlekija in Slovenia's northeast, tucked away along the right bank of the River Mura, is an often overlooked part of the country, even though most people are quite familiar with many of its delicious products: from excellent wines to the sweet prleška gibanica layer cake or the tünka cured meats. 
But the people of Prlekija, especially around the town of Ljutomer, are as equally proud of their horses, the thoroughbred Ljutomer Trotters, developed over generations by hardworking farmers who needed fast horses to transport their wine to Venice and Vienna, among other places.
 <gallery-widget foto-ids="40945,40943,40942,40941,40936,40937,40939,40940,40938"></gallery-widget> 
A visitor to the small museum at the Ljutomer racing track learns that to boost the speed of the their stock, farmers started to look across the Atlantic in mid-1800s and imported the first Standardbread, a stallion by the name of Brown, in 1859, laying the ground for what has since become the Ljutomer Trotter.
Keeping up with the Viennese
This year, the horse breeders in the region are celebrating 150 years since their first official harness race. The legend goes that farmers wanted to test their animals and after learning that a trotting association had been established in Vienna in 1874, they promptly decided to hold their very own first race that September. A year later, the breeders also established an association, making it the second oldest registered trotting organisation in Europe.
The first race was held on a road north of town and then repeated every year among the fields in the nearby village of Cven. It was not until the 1950s that the current track was built in Ljutomer. While modern harness races see horses drawing light-weight two-wheel carts called sulkies, the carriages used in the first competition were four-wheel vehicles used by farmers in everyday life. But the popularity of the races grew and in 1888 two-wheel carts were used for the first time, with a photo from the 1903 competition showing jockeys on wooden sulkies.
<h6><img src="/images/40886"> Harness race in Cven in 1903. Photo: Karol Grossman</h6>
In the first half a century of races, only men were competing, but this changed in 1925 with the first women's race that saw jockeys dressed in folk costumes driving two-horse chariots. Today, women compete alongside men, wearing the same apparel and protective gear.
Enthusiasm takes hold
The breeders were nothing if not dedicated, with the first trotter breeding book of the Austrian and Hungarian Empire from 1897 featuring 80 horses of as many as 64 breeders from the Ljutomer area. Moreover, over half a century after the first stallion was brought over from the US, the area was recognised as one of the key horse breeding areas of the monarchy in the Golden Book (1905) of equestrian sport.
This recognition was followed by the establishment of the First Austrian Cooperative for Breeding of Trotters in Ljutomer in 1907, and another similar cooperative was established two years later. The cooperatives have ceased to exist in the 1960s, but the drive among breeders has stood the test of time. Over the decades, many families have ventured out on their own and brought in stallions from the US in what is an unwaning competitive spirit.
Fast but far
At the moment is seems that breeders are beginning to see the efforts of generations of dedication pay off, but sadly far from the loyal fans in Ljutomer. In the recent years, many have started competing abroad, most notably in Trieste, while others have sent their horses to established trainers further abroad.
The latter was also the case for Frodo S, the most successful Ljutomer Trotter to date, who is currently competing in France, having made his way there through Swedish racetracks. Aptly named, the small but strong Frodo has ventured far from home to compete and win in races where prizes and the recognition are much higher than in Slovenia, giving hope to many breeders in Prlekija.
<h6><img src="/images/40888"> Frodo S, the most successful Ljutomer Trotter, competes in Stockholm, Solvalla in May 2022. Photo: Terhi Piispa-Helisten</h6>]]></content:encoded>
</item>
<item>
<title>Glovo quits Slovenia</title>
<link>https://sloveniatimes.com/40464/glovo-quits-slovenia</link>
<pubDate>Tue, 30 Apr 2024 14:45:51 +0200</pubDate>
<category>Business</category>
<guid isPermaLink="true">https://sloveniatimes.com/40464/glovo-quits-slovenia</guid>
<description><![CDATA[Delivery service Glovo has announced it is leaving the Slovenian market on 10 May. The decision was made on the basis of a "reassessment of the company's priority investments." "We thank you for all your orders on the Glovo app. We are grateful for the opportunity to deliver to you," the company ...]]></description>
<content:encoded><![CDATA[Delivery service Glovo has announced it is leaving the Slovenian market on 10 May. The decision was made on the basis of a "reassessment of the company's priority investments."
"We thank you for all your orders on the Glovo app. We are grateful for the opportunity to deliver to you," the company said in a statement issued on 30 April. 
Glovo will perform its services normally until 10 May at 10pm. Its customer support team will be active until the end of May. 
The company entered the Slovenian market in 2021 when it <a href="/24568/spanish-company-glovo-to-acquire-ehrana-delivery-platform">took over</a> the local food delivery company Ehrana.
Glovo, owned by the German publicly listed delivery group Delivery Hero, was founded in Barcelona in 2015 and is present in Southern, Central, Eastern and Southeastern Europe and Africa. 
Its departure leaves only one big delivery player in Slovenia, Wolt, which is owned by the US delivery company DoorDash. ]]></content:encoded>
</item>
<item>
<title>Ljubljana-Copenhagen service launched</title>
<link>https://sloveniatimes.com/40463/ljubljana-copenhagen-service-launched</link>
<pubDate>Mon, 29 Apr 2024 13:35:26 +0200</pubDate>
<category>Business</category>
<category>Travels</category>
<guid isPermaLink="true">https://sloveniatimes.com/40463/ljubljana-copenhagen-service-launched</guid>
<description><![CDATA[Low-cost airline Norwegian has launched a twice-weekly service between Jože Pučnik Ljubljana Airport and Copenhagen. Norwegian will initially fly between the Slovenian and Danish capitals Mondays and Fridays, and during the peak summer season Tuesdays and Saturdays. Airport operator Fraport ...]]></description>
<content:encoded><![CDATA[Low-cost airline Norwegian has launched a twice-weekly service between Jože Pučnik Ljubljana Airport and Copenhagen.
Norwegian will initially fly between the Slovenian and Danish capitals Mondays and Fridays, and during the peak summer season Tuesdays and Saturdays. 
Airport operator Fraport Slovenija expects high demand for the service. 
The connection with Copenhagen is particularly exciting because the Danish airport serves as a hub, connecting Ljubljana to numerous other destinations, Fraport Slovenija managing director Babett Stapel said as the inaugural flight touched down on 29 April. 
Ljubljana-Copenhagen is the third new route secured as part of a state subsidies scheme to improve Slovenia's air connectivity after the collapse in 2019 of flag carrier Adria Airways. 
<a href="/40456/latvian-flag-carrier-launches-flights-to-ljubljana">AirBaltic </a>launched flights to Riga under the same scheme last week. ]]></content:encoded>
</item>
<item>
<title>Celje national football champions</title>
<link>https://sloveniatimes.com/40462/celje-national-football-champions</link>
<pubDate>Mon, 29 Apr 2024 07:27:42 +0200</pubDate>
<category>Sport</category>
<guid isPermaLink="true">https://sloveniatimes.com/40462/celje-national-football-champions</guid>
<description><![CDATA[Celje have won their second ever championship title in the Slovenian premiere football league a full three rounds before the end of competition. They have been the dominant side since the early stages of the season and sealed the deal by defeating reigning champions Olimpija 1:0 on 28 April. ...]]></description>
<content:encoded><![CDATA[Celje have won their second ever championship title in the Slovenian premiere football league a full three rounds before the end of competition.
They have been the dominant side since the early stages of the season and sealed the deal by defeating reigning champions Olimpija 1:0 on 28 April. 
"Congratulations to the players, who played heroically throughout the season. There were a few ups and down, but nothing out of the ordinary. I believe we'll get even stronger," coach Damir Krznar said. 
Celje have been ascendant for several years thanks to foreign investments brought in by club president Valeriy Kolotilo, a Russian-Ukrainian businessman. 
They have spent heavily on players and coaches, sometimes to the extent that the club faced criticism it was throwing money out the window. 
After winning their first championship in 2020, Celje had a lacklustre next season but picked themselves up last year, when they finished as runners-up. 
This year, they have won 23 of the 33 games so far and lost only four. Their goal difference is 71:29. 
Striker Aljoša Matko has been the man of the season with 15 goals, the second highest tally in the league, while right-back Žan Karničnik has a league-leading eleven assists. 
Former coaches Roman Pilipchuk and Albert Riera also played a major role, which Krznar, the current coach, fully acknowledges. 
"I'd like to congratulate Riera and Pilipchuk, who started this story," said Krznar, who joined the club in October 2023. 
Karničnik, considered among the best players in the league, said defeating Olimpija was a fitting way to win the title. 
"There's nothing better than to defeat an opponent who has been chasing you all along. We showed today that the title is deserved," he said. 
Celje can now look forward to qualifications for the Champions League, while Olimpija and Maribor will enter lower-division European competitions. ]]></content:encoded>
</item>
<item>
<title>Melamin recovers after deadly 2022 accident</title>
<link>https://sloveniatimes.com/40451/melamin-recovers-after-deadly-2022-accident</link>
<pubDate>Mon, 29 Apr 2024 07:00:00 +0200</pubDate>
<category>Business</category>
<guid isPermaLink="true">https://sloveniatimes.com/40451/melamin-recovers-after-deadly-2022-accident</guid>
<description><![CDATA[The Kočevje chemical company Melamin returned to profit in 2023 after posting its first loss in decades the year before largely owing a deadly explosion in May 2022. The company has restored the bulk of its production capacities. The company reported nearly €1.1 million in profit for 2023, ...]]></description>
<content:encoded><![CDATA[The Kočevje chemical company Melamin returned to profit in 2023 after posting its first loss in decades the year before largely owing a deadly explosion in May 2022. The company has restored the bulk of its production capacities. 
The company reported nearly €1.1 million in profit for 2023, bouncing back from a €1.8 million loss in 2022. Sales revenue was nevertheless down 24% to €45.4 million.
Melamin said its business was affected by the war in Ukraine, the situation in the Middle East and cargo transport difficulties. Prices of key raw materials also had a significant impact. 
The plant was the site of Slovenia's deadliest industrial disaster in May 2022 when a chemical substance pumped into the wrong tank from a truck caused a massive explosion. Seven people died and several more were injured. 
Police have filed <a href="/37222/charges-filed-after-slovenias-deadliest-industrial-accident">criminal charges </a>against four individuals and one legal entity for endangering safety at work and causing general danger. Melamin CEO Srečko Štefanič is believed to be one of those charged. 
The blast also damaged production facilities, which the company has been working to restore. By the end of 2023 it was able to return to about 70% of pre-explosion capacity.. 
The company is planning to move part of production to a different location and has performed a preliminary study, the results of which will be presented this year. 
It is likely that changes to the national spatial plan will be required for the new facilities, which will demand additional effort, time and the support of the state and municipality, the company said. 
Melamin expects to restore 80% of its production capacities by the end of this year. In the next two years it aims to restore the remaining 20% by launching the production of environmentally-friendly resins to make up for the lost production of epichlorohydrin resins. 
By the end of the year, the company expects to launch production of highly resistant melamine fleece. Additional investments will be needed to optimise production so it could significantly contribute to the company's results in the coming years. ]]></content:encoded>
</item>
<item>
<title>Waste cans to be turned into mountain bivouac shelters</title>
<link>https://sloveniatimes.com/40443/waste-cans-to-be-turned-into-mountain-bivouac-shelters</link>
<pubDate>Sun, 28 Apr 2024 09:00:00 +0200</pubDate>
<category>Environment & Nature</category>
<guid isPermaLink="true">https://sloveniatimes.com/40443/waste-cans-to-be-turned-into-mountain-bivouac-shelters</guid>
<description><![CDATA[The Slovenian Alpine Association, the country's largest brewery and other partners have teamed up to collect waste aluminium cans and turn them into bivouac shelters in the mountains. The cans will be collected for a year in dedicated yellow bins at 16 locations around the country as part of a ...]]></description>
<content:encoded><![CDATA[The Slovenian Alpine Association, the country's largest brewery and other partners have teamed up to collect waste aluminium cans and turn them into bivouac shelters in the mountains. 
The cans will be collected for a year in dedicated yellow bins at 16 locations around the country as part of a project called Bivouacs for White Peaks. 
The plan is to construct three such shelters. They will need roughly 200,000 cans or 1,000 kilos of aluminium, Urban Kramberger from the brewer Laško Union estimated at the project's launch on 22 April. 
The cans will be processed into aluminium sheets, and the construction of the first bivouac is set to begin in June 2025. 
The first bivouac will be put up in the mountains above Gozd Martuljek, NW, where there is already one, Jože Rovan, the head of the Alpine Association, said.
The locations for the other two bivouacs are yet to be selected. 
The main idea behind the project is to renovate the existing bivouacs in the Slovenian mountains, which are between 80 and 90 years old. 
"The three bivouacs will meet the current needs and I'll be very happy if the project can be repeated in time, because there are some points where there are no bivouacs and it would be good to put them up," Rovan said. 
The project involves several enterprises, including the packaging company Slopak and the metalworking companies Talum, Impol and KOV. 
It is part of a broader environmental initiative involving Laško and the Alpine Association, which aims to preserve mountain habitats. 
Environmental NGOs have been campaigning for years for the country to introduce a deposit-refund system for drinks packaging, including cans. ]]></content:encoded>
</item>
<item>
<title>Austria favourite career destination for Slovenians</title>
<link>https://sloveniatimes.com/40461/austria-favourite-career-destination-for-slovenians</link>
<pubDate>Sat, 27 Apr 2024 11:00:00 +0200</pubDate>
<category>Business</category>
<guid isPermaLink="true">https://sloveniatimes.com/40461/austria-favourite-career-destination-for-slovenians</guid>
<description><![CDATA[Austria is the favourite career destination for Slovenians, while Slovenia is the most desired job destination for workers from Bosnia-Herzegovina and Serbia, a survey by employment portal Mojedelo.com and the Boston Consulting Group has shown. The survey, conducted among 150,000 respondents from ...]]></description>
<content:encoded><![CDATA[Austria is the favourite career destination for Slovenians, while Slovenia is the most desired job destination for workers from Bosnia-Herzegovina and Serbia, a survey by employment portal Mojedelo.com and the Boston Consulting Group has shown. 
The survey, conducted among 150,000 respondents from 188 countries, including 772 Slovenians, showed that 25% of respondents would be willing to work abroad, but the share among Slovenians is only 6%. If only young people from Slovenia are considered, 11% would move abroad.
Among the Slovenians surveyed, students (18%) are the most eager to work abroad, followed by volunteers and those working for non-profits (14%), and engineers and technical staff (13%). 
The number of Slovenians willing to work remotely for an employer abroad has increased by two points to 68% compared to 2020. 
Remote work abroad
"Despite the waning readiness of Slovenians to work abroad, which is well below the global average, we see a simultaneous increase in the willingness to work remotely for a foreign employer, Melanie Seier Larsen, managing director and partner at BCG, commented on the results. 
She said this parallel trend reflects the desire to maintain domestic stability and quality of life while taking advantage of global job opportunities. 
"Changes in work habits and values since the pandemic have undoubtedly reinforced this dual approach, which brings flexibility without the need for a geographical move," she added. 
Austria, Germany and Switzerland are still the most desirable countries for Slovenians to work in, the same as in 2020. 
Financial and economic reasons are the most frequently cited reasons for moving to another country for a job (78%), followed by concrete job offers (67%) and better working conditions in general (64%). 
The top reason why respondents would prefer to work from home is the inability to bring family members or a partner to another country. This is followed by the language barrier, with attachment to the home country and the cost of relocation sharing third place. 
Slovenia 66th career destination globally
Slovenia is the most attractive destination for workers from Bosnia-Herzegovina (listed by 10.8% of respondents) followed by those from Serbia (6.5%), Pakistan (2.2%) and Hungary (1.2%). 
Globally, Slovenia is the 66th favourite career destination. Australia, the USA, Canada and the UK top the list, followed by Germany, Japan and Singapore. 
Ljubljana ranks 107th among the cities where people would like to work. London tops the list, followed by Amsterdam, and Dubai and Abu Dhabi in third place. 
Quality of life is the top reason why people would like to move to Slovenia, followed by job opportunities, job security and job stability. ]]></content:encoded>
</item>
<item>
<title>Slovenians remember WWII resistance movement</title>
<link>https://sloveniatimes.com/40460/slovenians-remember-wwii-resistance-movement</link>
<pubDate>Sat, 27 Apr 2024 08:00:00 +0200</pubDate>
<category>Society</category>
<guid isPermaLink="true">https://sloveniatimes.com/40460/slovenians-remember-wwii-resistance-movement</guid>
<description><![CDATA[Slovenia observes the Day of Uprising Against Occupation on 27 April, a holiday honouring the resistance against Nazi and Fascist occupation during the Second World War. The WWII resistance was spearheaded by the Liberation Front, an organisation founded in Ljubljana on 26 April 1941, 20 days ...]]></description>
<content:encoded><![CDATA[Slovenia observes the Day of Uprising Against Occupation on 27 April, a holiday honouring the resistance against Nazi and Fascist occupation during the Second World War. 
The WWII resistance was spearheaded by the Liberation Front, an organisation founded in Ljubljana on 26 April 1941, 20 days after the then Kingdom of Yugoslavia was attacked by the Axis Powers.
However, for about two decades after the war it was believed that the meeting at which the Liberation Front was established took place on 27 April and what was celebrated as the Day of the Liberation Front before Slovenia's breaking away from the former Yugoslavia, was observed a day after the actual founding date. 
When Slovenia gained independence in 1991, the holiday was renamed the Day of Uprising Against Occupation, but the date remained unchanged. 
After the attack on 6 April, led by the Nazi Germany, Slovenian territory was divided between Germany, Italy and Hungary, while five villages near Brežice were occupied by the self-declared Fascist Independent State of Croatia. 
The Kingdom of Yugoslavia surrendered, but Slovenians decided to fight back. Nearly three weeks after the attack, representatives of the Slovenian Communist Party, the Christian Socialists, the Sokol physical education movement and cultural workers founded what they called the Anti-Imperialist Front, which was later renamed the Liberation Front. 
The founding meeting took place at the Vidmar Villa in the Rožna Dolina borough in Ljubljana, hosted by the author and politician Josip Vidmar (1895-1992). Today the villa serves as the residence of the German ambassador to Slovenia. 
The role of the Liberation Front began to be questioned after Slovenia became independent in 1991, due to summary killings committed by the Communists immediately in the aftermath of WWII. 
Many communities around the country will honour the resistance movement with a series of events, from ceremonies, to hikes and commemoration events. 
Like every year, the main ceremony was held on the eve of the holiday, this time hosted by the town of Črnomelj in the south, with National Council President Marko Lotrič delivering the keynote address. ]]></content:encoded>
</item>
<item>
<title>Slovenia to hold triple referendum with EU election</title>
<link>https://sloveniatimes.com/40457/slovenia-to-hold-triple-referendum-with-eu-election</link>
<pubDate>Fri, 26 Apr 2024 12:41:57 +0200</pubDate>
<category>Politics</category>
<guid isPermaLink="true">https://sloveniatimes.com/40457/slovenia-to-hold-triple-referendum-with-eu-election</guid>
<description><![CDATA[As Slovenians head to the polls on 9 June for EU elections they will also cast their vote in a triple referendum about assisted dying, cannabis use and the introduction of a preferential vote in general elections, unless the Constitutional Court decides otherwise. It was the Freedom Movement, the ...]]></description>
<content:encoded><![CDATA[As Slovenians head to the polls on 9 June for EU elections they will also cast their vote in a triple referendum about assisted dying, cannabis use and the introduction of a preferential vote in general elections, unless the Constitutional Court decides otherwise. 
It was the Freedom Movement, the biggest party of the ruling coalition, which floated the idea to hold consultative referendums on the three issues, and to combine them with the election to the European Parliament to boost turnout. 
The date was endorsed by the National Assembly on 25 April despite the Social Democrats (SD), the second largest coalition party, withholding their support through abstention. 
The SD and the opposition party New Slovenia (NSi) unsuccessfully sought to have the referendum date delayed to 24 November, when <a href="/40191/slovenia-to-hold-referendum-on-new-nuclear-unit-this-year">a referendum on a planned new nuclear reactor</a> is likely to be held. 
Wrangling about referendum date
The opposition, who failed to win support for a series of their own referendum questions, accused the ruling party of wanting to use the referendums to mobilise its own voters for the <a href="/40454/coalition-bet-on-tested-names-for-eu-election">EU election</a>, especially as the party and the coalition opposed holding the nuclear energy referendum with the EU vote. 
"It's somewhat hypocritical persuading others it is important not to hold a vote about a topic that enjoys broad political consensus together with elections, and then propose the kind of referendums you think will ... benefit ruling parties at the EU polls," said Janez Janša, the leader of the opposition Democrats (SDS). 
The SD dismissed suggestions of a rift in the coalition, with the party's MP Damijan Zrim arguing the fear was that the consultative referendums would not be about content but about other arguments and about a vote against the government. 
But the Freedom Movement's Borut Sajovic insisted that it was precisely the weight of these issues that warranted them being voted on as part of a larger election, while this would also save costs. 
Opposition appeal to Constitutional Court
Unhappy with the outcome, the SDS and NSi asked the Constitutional Court on 26 April to review the referendums on assisted dying and on the use of cannabis, the former because they believe it violates the constitutional provision on the inviolability of human life, and the latter on procedural grounds. It is not clear yet whether their petition can derail the referendums. 
The cannabis referendum question was changed considerably during the parliamentary process, from the initial proposal to inquire about support for the cultivation, processing, sale and use of cannabis for medicinal purposes, to two separate questions inquiring about the voters' support for cultivation and processing of cannabis for medical purposes, and "cultivation and possession of cannabis for limited personal use". 
The question was changed after the parliamentary legal service reminded the initiators that the sale and use of cannabis for medicinal purposes is allowed already, but not the cultivation. 
Voters will be asked whether they want a law that would regulate the right to assistance in the voluntary ending of life after the National Assembly <a href="/40298/referendum-on-assisted-dying-announced">voted down an assisted dying bill</a> filed by an NGO campaigning for a dignified old age. 
Another attempt at preferential vote
In the least controversial question, voters will be asked whether they want the option of a preferential vote in general elections. 
While voters can cast a preferential vote in elections to the European Parliament, they can only vote for a party in elections to the National Assembly. 
To put such a proposal into law a two-thirds majority would be required at the national legislature, something that has so far proved elusive. 
While only the Freedom Movement and the Left backed holding the triple referendum on 9 June, with the SD abstaining and the opposition SDS and NSi voting against, some MPs did not toe the party line. 
<a href="/40050/opposition-party-fuels-speculation-prodigy-splitting-off">Anže Logar</a> and Eva Irgl, who were ostracised by the SDS after failing to sign a loyalty statement, voted in favour in the case of the referendum on the preferential vote. 
Meanwhile, two of the Left's five MPs abstained in the vote on the assisted dying referendum. Another one has been boycotting parliamentary sessions since being excluded from all parliamentary bodies and urged to leave deputy group for misconduct. 
Being consultative, the outcome of the referendums will not be binding. ]]></content:encoded>
</item>
<item>
<title>Serbian investor eyeing Kanin ski resort</title>
<link>https://sloveniatimes.com/40458/serbian-investor-eyeing-kanin-ski-resort</link>
<pubDate>Fri, 26 Apr 2024 12:16:46 +0200</pubDate>
<category>Business</category>
<guid isPermaLink="true">https://sloveniatimes.com/40458/serbian-investor-eyeing-kanin-ski-resort</guid>
<description><![CDATA[Kanin, Slovenia's only true high-altitude ski resort, which was closed this winter after failing to extend its cable car permit, is reportedly eyed by a Serbian investor linked to the Jahorina resort in Bosnia-Herzegovina. The newspaper Delo reported on 26 April that government officials had been ...]]></description>
<content:encoded><![CDATA[Kanin, Slovenia's only true high-altitude ski resort, which was closed this winter after failing to <a href="/39937/kanin-cable-car-not-to-run-this-winter">extend its cable car permit</a>, is reportedly eyed by a Serbian investor linked to the Jahorina resort in Bosnia-Herzegovina. 
The newspaper Delo reported on 26 April that government officials had been contacted on behalf of the Serbian company Trgovinsko preduzeće Ri-komerc Beograd by former Slovenian ski champion Bojan Križaj.
The paper quotes the Infrastructure Ministry as saying that Ri-komerc is also interested in investing in hospitality, golf courses, and an airport. 
Located on the border with Italy, the Kanin resort is known for its abundance of natural snow but also perpetual problems due to the lack of investment in harsh conditions at altitudes above 2,000 metres. 
Minister Alenka Bratušek told Delo that the government was not opposed such investments, having itself been looking for ways to keep the ski resort going. 
But she referred the potential investors to the Bovec municipality, the owner of the slopes and infrastructure at the resort. 
Municipal representatives are however not familiar with the case, while Križaj, who enjoyed near cult status as a skier in the 1980s before becoming a businessman, declined to comment. 
The owner and director of Ri-komerc Beograd is Dejan Ljevnaić, since 2017 director of the heavily indebted Jahorina Olympic Centre, which is majority-owned by Republika Srpska, the Serb entity of Bosnia-Herzegovina. 
Križaj has been a frequent visitor to Jahorina for years, where he has also invested in a tourist resort, according to Delo. 
Kanin, which is connected to the Sella Nevea ski resort on the Italian side of Mount Kanin, failed to get its cable car operating permit extended last autumn. 
The cable car from Bovec was built in 1973 and renovated at the turn of the century but the municipality has failed to secure the dozens of millions of euros needed for a new one. 
The resort's operator Sončni Kanin is still operational and has been looking after the maintenance of the ski lifts on the mountain, which were renovated with the help of EU and state funds a decade ago to allow the resort to start operating again in 2017 after an almost four-year hiatus. ]]></content:encoded>
</item>
<item>
<title>Coalition bet on tested names for EU election</title>
<link>https://sloveniatimes.com/40454/coalition-bet-on-tested-names-for-eu-election</link>
<pubDate>Thu, 25 Apr 2024 19:33:34 +0200</pubDate>
<category>Politics</category>
<guid isPermaLink="true">https://sloveniatimes.com/40454/coalition-bet-on-tested-names-for-eu-election</guid>
<description><![CDATA[With the date of the June elections to the European Parliament approaching fast, all of Slovenia's major parties have now presented their candidates. Like the opposition, who unveiled their candidate lists a while ago, ruling coalition parties are betting on tried-and-tested names. Half of ...]]></description>
<content:encoded><![CDATA[With the date of the June elections to the European Parliament approaching fast, all of Slovenia's major parties have now presented their candidates. Like the opposition, who unveiled their <a href="/40209/opposition-reveal-candidates-for-eu-election">candidate lists</a> a while ago, ruling coalition parties are betting on tried-and-tested names. 
Half of Slovenia's incumbent eight members of the European Parliament (MEP) are affiliated with the ruling centre-left coalition, and the other half come from the two opposition parties and a fellow conservative party that is no longer represented in the national legislature. In the next European Parliament, Slovenia will have nine seats.
Only one of the outgoing MPs, Klemen Grošelj, is currently not on any of the lists after he parted ways with the Freedom Movement, the party of Prime Minister Robert Golob, because they wanted to place him penultimate on their list, a position that he has recently told newspaper Večer is "unelectable". He has not given up hope yet to run in the 9 June election on some other ticket though. 
Seesaw at Freedom Movement 
Grošelj and MEP Irena Joveva are the sole two Slovenian MEPs affiliated with the liberal Renew Europe group. They were elected to the European Parliament in 2019 as members of the Marjan Šarec List (LMŠ), the party of the current defence minister, which has since merged with the Freedom Movement. 
The party has recently confirmed Joveva as its lead candidate, after sending out a lot of mixed signals, including that their top bet will be Aleksander Merlo, a doctor heading the Postojna maternity hospital. In the end, Merlo did not make the list at all with Joveva saying he opted against standing himself. 
Šarec will be running as No. 6, followed by state secretaries in Golob's office, Maša Kociper and Vojko Volk, and MP Uroš Brežan, a former environment minister. Another former environment minister, Jure Leben, is fourth on the list, trailing Matej Grah, head of the party's youth wing, and MP Janja Sluga. MP Tamara Vonta will be running from 5th. 
Although the order in which candidates appear on the ballot paper is important, quite a few candidates running from the bottom of their slate have won seats through preferential votes in the past. Almost half of respondents in a recent poll said they cast preferential vote. 
Asked about the party's goal at the polls, Joveva said that "everything that is equal or better than what we have now will be a success", meaning two or three seats. 
Social Democrats spring no surprise 
The Social Democrats (SD) were the last party to confirm their candidates on 25 April, having just elected a <a href="/40412/economy-minister-elected-leader-of-social-democrats">new leadership</a> with Economy Minister Matjaž Han succeeding Foreign Minister Tanja Fajon as the party leader. 
The party's incumbent MEPs Matjaž Nemec and Milan Brlgez are both on the list, with the former topping and the latter trailing the slate. Brglez was elected from the last spot the last time, while Nemec substituted for Fajon as she became foreign minister. 
Contrary to some expectations, Fajon, who served three terms as MEP, is not on the list, her wish being to continue her current job as foreign minister.
The slate features former MEP Mojca Kleva Kekuš in second and Cohesion and Regional Development Minister Aleksander Jevšek in third, followed by Lucija Karnelutti, a youth delegate of the Delegation of the EU to the UN, Economy Ministry State Secretary Matevž Frangež, Velenje Deputy Mayor Aleksandra Vasiljević, and party presidency members Primož Brvar and Neva Grašič.
The party's election manifesto highlights measures for a Europe of solidarity, green polices, innovation and security. They see a strong common policy as condition for a strong Europe and a strong Slovenia. 
Left hoping for first MEP 
The Left is the only parliamentary party that does not have its member in the European Parliament, but they are hoping to win one seat this time. Their list is topped by MP Nataša Sukič and Labour Minister Luka Mesec, the party's former leader, is at the bottom of the slate. 
The candidates in between include Dan Juvan, a state secretary at the Labour Ministry, Katja Sluga, an adviser to the ministry, Fahir Gutić, the head of the Bosniak Cultural Association, and Zdenka Badovinac, the former long-serving director of Moderna Galerija, the museum of modern and contemporary art. 
Also on the list are State Secretary at the Ministry for Solidarity-Based Future Luka Omladič, sociologist Svetlana Slapšak and representative of young activists Tara Kristan. 
"If I'm elected, I will continue to be a determined voice of a progressive civil society striving for social justice, a just green transition for human rights, for peace," said Sukič, who also plans to advocate for higher minimum wages and pensions at the European level. 
Mesec is on the list as a supporting candidate, trailing last because he wants to complete his work at the ministry, including the upcoming pension reform. He could potentially be elected with preferential votes, which is "a risk the party is willing to take," he said. 
Polls favour SDS as strongest contender 
The opposition Democrats (SDS) have consistently polled as the strongest contender ahead of the EU election with the latest poll, published by the newspaper Delo on 9 March, suggesting they will win as many as four seats. 
The Freedom Movement is projected to win two and the remaining parliamentary parties, the Social Democrats (SD), New Slovenia (NSi) and the Left, one each. 
More than 81% of the respondents said they would definitely or probably vote, but turnout projected by polls is usually overestimated. Janja Božič Marolt, director of the polling agency Mediana, which conducted the survey, estimated the turnout could reach 36%. 
Only 28.9% voters turned out to cast their vote in the 2019 election to European Parliament in Slovenia, far below the EU's average of 50.6%. 
The latest Eurobarometer poll, published earlier this month, also suggests that the turnout will be higher this time, with 62% of the respondents in Slovenia indicating they would likely cast their vote. This is 10 percentage points more than ahead of the 2019 elections, but still below the EU average of 71%. 
SDS sets demands for "fair election" 
The SDS have issued a set of demands which they say should ensure that the EU election in Slovenia is fair and democratic. These include reopening of smaller polling stations and changes to when ballots cast in early voting are counted. 
Ballots from the early voting are counted after the polls close on the election day, which is Sunday in Slovenia. The party wants them to be counted at the end of each day of early voting. They note that the results matter, beceauset in recent years the share of voters who cast their vote early reached 10% or more. 
Janez Janša, the party leader and former prime minister, said that at present "these ballot papers are uncounted ... locked in some offices or in some basements, without any serious supervision", until the election day. 
The party also posed several demands with respect to the software used to record and tally election results, including conducting an independent audit and expanding access to the software to representatives of smaller parties. 
They argue there is a theoretical risk of manipulation in the sense of computerised addition or subtraction of votes to parties that are just below or just above the threshold to win seats. 
"We are not saying that this is happening, but we are saying that there is a possibility that it could be happening because there is no control over this part of the electoral technology," Janša said. 
Non-parliamentary parties go for celebrities 
Quite a few non-parliamentary parties have announced their bids for the EU elections. To run, they need the support of at least four MPs or at least 1,000 voters. 
Having collected more than 1,680 voter signatures, the green party Vesna is so far the only non-parliamentary one to have submitted its bid with the Electoral Commission. There is still time as the deadline expires on 10 May. 
The party will campaign on its green agenda with Kočevje Mayor Vladimir Prebilič as the lead candidate. He picked 10.60% of the vote in the 2022 presidential election. Other candidates include Vesna vice-president and vice-president of the national Mountain Rescue Service Klemen Belhar and co-founder of the International African Forum Ibrahim Nouhoum. 
The Pensioners' Party (DeSUS), which was part of several governments before being squeezed out of parliament in the latest general election in 2022, is planning to run with another smaller party. They have enlisted quite a few well-known persons, including Uroš Lipušček, a former New York correspondent for the public broadcaster, economist Bogomir Kovač and actress Saša Pavček. 
Similarly, Resnica (Truth), the party that evolved from an anti-vaxxer movement during the Covid pandemic and recently faced accusations of having ties to Russia, is fielding some well-known figures and influencers. 
These include Tanja Ribič, an actress and a former Eurovision Song Contest entrant, Polona Frelih, a former Russia correspondent for the newspaper Delo, and gynaecologist Sabina Senčar, who won nearly 6% in the 2022 presidential election. 
Meanwhile, the Pirate Party has filed a lawsuit in a bid to have administrative units open specially-designated counters where voters can verify their signatures of support. With the staff <a href="/40309/administrative-clerks-on-strike-again">on strike</a> every Wednesday, the party says its supporters are often turned away by long waiting lines. ]]></content:encoded>
</item>
<item>
<title>Latvian flag carrier launches flights to Ljubljana</title>
<link>https://sloveniatimes.com/40456/latvian-flag-carrier-launches-flights-to-ljubljana</link>
<pubDate>Thu, 25 Apr 2024 17:50:18 +0200</pubDate>
<category>Business</category>
<category>Travels</category>
<guid isPermaLink="true">https://sloveniatimes.com/40456/latvian-flag-carrier-launches-flights-to-ljubljana</guid>
<description><![CDATA[The first airBaltic flight from Riga touched down at Ljubljana airport as the Latvian flag carrier launched scheduled flights between the two capitals on 25 April. AirBaltic will fly between Riga and Ljubljana twice a week, expectedly until the end of 2025. Around two-thirds of the Airbus ...]]></description>
<content:encoded><![CDATA[The first airBaltic flight from Riga touched down at Ljubljana airport as the Latvian flag carrier launched scheduled flights between the two capitals on 25 April. 
AirBaltic will fly between Riga and Ljubljana twice a week, expectedly until the end of 2025.
 Around two-thirds of the Airbus A220-300 aircraft's 148 seats were full on the first flight. The plane was piloted by Slovenian captain Ana Manevski. 
The new route is the second of the four that are being introduced at the airport under a <a href="/40136/iberia-and-norwegian-win-subsidies-to-fly-to-ljubljana">subsidy scheme</a> designed to boost Slovenia's air connectivity. 
State Secretary at the Infrastructure Ministry Andrej Rajh sees the arrival of a new carrier as proof that the ministry's efforts are bringing results. 
Last September, Luxair introduced scheduled flights from Luxembourg, and budget carrier Norwegian will start flying between Ljubljana and Copenhagen on 29 April.
In the summer, Spanish flag carrier Iberia will start operating flights to Ljubljana from Madrid. 
Intensive talks are underway to connect Slovenia and Cyprus, while a fifth public call is being drafted to improve Slovenia's air connectivity. 
"The results of our work are tangible. Traffic at Ljubljana airport has increased by 30% compared to last year. The airport expects to nearly reach pre-pandemic results by 2025," said Rajh. 
Babett Stapel, director of airport operator Fraport Slovenija, thanked the ministry for good cooperation, stressing that the Luxembourg route was well received. 
Maria Radchenko, airBaltic's regional director for the Balkans, said Ljubljana was becoming a very popular destination for their passengers this season. 
She is confident that Slovenians too will choose to visit "the hidden jewel of the Baltics" and enjoy the beauty of Riga and other Baltic capitals. 
Similarly, Vladislavs Korjagins from the Latvian association of tour operators and travel agents, noted increasing interest among Latvians in Ljubljana and Slovenia. ]]></content:encoded>
</item>
<item>
<title>Slovenia marks its Earth Overshoot Day</title>
<link>https://sloveniatimes.com/40455/slovenia-marks-its-earth-overshoot-day</link>
<pubDate>Thu, 25 Apr 2024 16:39:47 +0200</pubDate>
<category>Environment & Nature</category>
<guid isPermaLink="true">https://sloveniatimes.com/40455/slovenia-marks-its-earth-overshoot-day</guid>
<description><![CDATA[Slovenia's Earth Overshoot Day landed on 25 April this year, which is one week later than last year. The day, also known as Ecological Debt Day, marks the day when the annual biocapacity of Earth would be used up if everyone lived like people in Slovenia do. According to the Global Footprint ...]]></description>
<content:encoded><![CDATA[Slovenia's Earth Overshoot Day landed on 25 April this year, which is one week later than last year. The day, also known as Ecological Debt Day, marks the day when the annual biocapacity of Earth would be used up if everyone lived like people in Slovenia do. 
According to the Global Footprint Network organisation, the ecological footprint of a Slovenian is 5.37 global hectares, while the Earth only has 12.2 billion hectares of productive land, such as grasslands, farmland and fishing areas.
If everyone lived like Slovenians, people would need 3.4 Earth-sized planets to meet their natural resources needs, according to the Institute of Health and Environment. 
The actions of Slovenians go beyond the capacities of the planet and underline the need for sustainable solutions to preserve natural resources, the organisation said. 
It has launched an awareness-raising campaign on social media, where different speakers will note factors that affect ecological footprint, such as food, consumerism, mobility and energy.
Individuals can also calculate their individual ecological footprint on the organisation's website. 
The earliest Earth Overshoot Day this year occurred in Qatar, on 11 February, followed by Luxembourg (20 February) and the United Arab Emirates (4 March). The US, Canada and Denmark recorded theirs between 14 and 16 March. 
Slovenia fares better than countries such as Sweden (21 April), Austria (7 April) or the Netherlands (1 April), but poorer than Germany (2 May) or France (7 May). 
The fact that Slovenia's Earth Overshoot Day landed one week later than last year is no cause for optimism, the non-parliamentary green party Vesna commented. "In Slovenia we spend two thirds of the year living on credit we cannot repay, to the detriment of future generations," the party noted.]]></content:encoded>
</item>
<item>
<title>Yaskawa breaks ground on €32 million expansion in Kočevje</title>
<link>https://sloveniatimes.com/40453/yaskawa-breaks-ground-on-32-million-expansion-in-kocevje</link>
<pubDate>Thu, 25 Apr 2024 10:30:09 +0200</pubDate>
<category>Business</category>
<guid isPermaLink="true">https://sloveniatimes.com/40453/yaskawa-breaks-ground-on-32-million-expansion-in-kocevje</guid>
<description><![CDATA[The Japanese robotics company Yaskawa has laid the foundation stone for two new facilities next to its existing robots plant in Kočevje, south Slovenia, in an investment valued at €32 million. Yaskawa, which also operates two plants in Ribnica nearby, will build a European robot distribution ...]]></description>
<content:encoded><![CDATA[The Japanese robotics company Yaskawa has laid the foundation stone for two new facilities next to its existing robots plant in Kočevje, south Slovenia, in an investment valued at €32 million. 
Yaskawa, which also operates two plants in Ribnica nearby, will build a European robot distribution centre and a new modern facility for the engineering and production of robotic systems in Kočevje by 2025.
The investment will see the company expand its activity in Europe, the Middle East and Africa, Yaskawa Europe Robotics director Hubert Kosler said at the ceremony on 24 April. 
Until now, the company had to send the robots and controllers produced in Kočevje to warehouses in Germany and Sweden for further distribution. 
The new distribution centre will allow them to distribute their products, including those imported from Japan, directly to end customers in Europe, Middle East and Africa. 
The new facility for engineering and manufacturing of robotic systems will help Yaskawa expand the programme currently performed in Ribnica, where they are producing robots for different technological processes and technologies. 
 <gallery-widget foto-ids="40919,40918,40917,40916"></gallery-widget> 
Yaskawa currently employs around 270 people in Slovenia, which is expected to increase to around 300 after the investment is completed. 
The foundation stone-laying ceremony was attended by Prime Minister Robert Golob, Economy Minister Matjaž Han and Japan's Ambassador to Slovenia Akiko Yoshida. 
Japan is Slovenia's most important Asian partner, said Golob, adding that cooperation has been increasing in the last years. He hopes for more cooperation in the future. 
Han was pleased that investors see Slovenia as a country worth investing in, which he believes is owing to the country's workforce, skilled and willing to work. 
"Today's event is bigger than the Kočevje municipality, it is important for the country as a whole," Mayor Vladimir Prebilič said. "I believe that Yaskawa will increase its production with the new capabilities to the point that all robots, ordered by customers in Europe, will be ordered in Kočevje," he added. 
Yaskawa is a global leading supplier of robotics and control technology solutions. It has three companies in Slovenia, the Yaskawa Europe Robotics in Kočevje, Yaskava Ristro for turn-key robotics solutions and Yaskava Slovenija for engineering in the Ribnica area. ]]></content:encoded>
</item>
<item>
<title>Slovenia summons Serbian chargé d'affaires over Vučić's statements</title>
<link>https://sloveniatimes.com/40452/slovenia-summons-serbian-charge-daffaires-over-vucics-statements</link>
<pubDate>Wed, 24 Apr 2024 15:13:21 +0200</pubDate>
<category>Politics</category>
<guid isPermaLink="true">https://sloveniatimes.com/40452/slovenia-summons-serbian-charge-daffaires-over-vucics-statements</guid>
<description><![CDATA[The Foreign Ministry has summoned the Serbian chargé d'affaires in Ljubljana over Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić's recent offensive statements about Slovenia after a UN Security Council session dedicated to Kosovo. The decision comes after Vučić said on 23 April that Serbia had fallen into a ...]]></description>
<content:encoded><![CDATA[The Foreign Ministry has summoned the Serbian chargé d'affaires in Ljubljana over Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić's recent offensive statements about Slovenia after a UN Security Council session dedicated to Kosovo. 
The decision comes after Vučić said on 23 April that Serbia had fallen into a trap set by the US, Switzerland and Slovenia in the UN Security Council. "You don't know who's more disgusting - Slovenia or someone else," he added.
Foreign Minister Tanja Fajon described Vučić's statements as offensive, unacceptable and false. 
"We demand an explanation, an apology. This is not in the spirit of neighbourly or friendly relations," Fajon said, adding that she could not imagine good cooperation if someone uses such offensive words and insults an entire nation. 
"We expect Serbia to act in the spirit of European values that it itself advocates," she added on 24 April. 
Prime Minister Robert Golob said such rhetoric was unbefitting of a head of state, let alone of the friendly relations between Slovenians and Serbs. "Such statements remind us of a different time and are unworthy of relations between the two countries," he was quoted as saying by his office.
As a member of the UN Security Council Slovenia is sincerely working for reconciliation between nations and "a respectful attitude to these efforts of ours is the least we expect from the president of the friendly Serbia," Golob added.
Vučić was irked by Kosovo President Vjosa Osmani's bringing several ethnic Albanian women from Kosovo, who were raped during the Kosovo war, with her to the UN Security Council session on 22 April to testify about Serbian war crimes. 
Accusing Osmani of having lied that the women were members of her office, Vučić said that after it had transpired they were not, they were not allowed to attend the session under UN protocols. However, "one of the superpowers intervened" to make sure they took part in the session in the end, he added in reference to the "trap" against Serbia. 
At the session, Osmani called on the Serbian president to issue an apology to the victims of the former Serbian regime, of which, she said, Vučić was a part of. 
What also raised dust in Serbia was a draft resolution filed in the UN last week which calls for an international Srebrenica genocide remembrance day. Slovenia, a non-permanent member of the Security Council, was involved in the drafting of the proposal. 
The Serbian Embassy in Ljubljana is run by Goran Marković as a chargé d'affaires. Slovenia has not approved Serbia's candidate for ambassador Zoran Đorđević, allegedly due to concerns raised by security and intelligence circles. ]]></content:encoded>
</item>
<item>
<title>Pharma company Krka celebrates 70th anniversary</title>
<link>https://sloveniatimes.com/40450/pharma-company-krka-celebrates-70th-anniversary</link>
<pubDate>Wed, 24 Apr 2024 14:25:42 +0200</pubDate>
<category>Business</category>
<guid isPermaLink="true">https://sloveniatimes.com/40450/pharma-company-krka-celebrates-70th-anniversary</guid>
<description><![CDATA[The Slovenian pharmaceutical company Krka is celebrating its 70th anniversary. A leading generics group, Krka today manufactures over 1,000 products, which are used by more than 100 million people in 70 countries. "Our products are used to manage all the most common diseases of our time," CEO ...]]></description>
<content:encoded><![CDATA[The Slovenian pharmaceutical company Krka is celebrating its 70th anniversary. A leading generics group, Krka today manufactures over 1,000 products, which are used by more than 100 million people in 70 countries. 
"Our products are used to manage all the most common diseases of our time," CEO Jože Colarič told a ceremony, held 70 years to the day since the local authorities made a decision to found the Krka Pharmaceutical Laboratory in Novo Mesto, southeastern Slovenia.
Employing 13,000 people, Krka has been expanding its product portfolio. "We have been introducing new dosage forms and strengths, entering new therapeutic groups and new markets, even the most challenging ones," Colarič said. 
"Last year, our first sustainability rating, which ranked us in the top 10% of global pharmaceutical companies, confirmed that we are on the right track," he added. 
Krka's scope of production and annual revenue have been constantly growing. Production of tablets and capsules increased from 4.8 billion in 2004 to 16.9 billion in 2023. 
Annual revenue increased from €470 million to €1.8 billion, and profit from €65 million to €314 million in the same period. 
Many see one of the reasons for stable growth and business in Krka's stable ownership structure, and the fact that the company has only had three directors. 
Its founder Boris Andrijanič led the company for more than 30 years until 1985, followed by Miloš Kovačič and Colarič, who took over in 2005. 
Individuals from Slovenia are the single biggest group of owners, holding 41%, with a further 6% representing the company's own shares.
The state-run Pension Fund Management, Slovenian Sovereign Holding and the state directly hold a combined 27%.
<div>
Two years after it was founded by Andrijanič, at the time the director of the Novo Mesto district pharmacy, the Krka Pharmaceutical Laboratory was renamed Krka Factory of Medicines. A few years later, production was transferred to Ločna on the outskirts of town, where it has remained to this day.
 
</div>
The company's biggest turning point was the decision to start producing generics instead of licensed products. ]]></content:encoded>
</item>
<item>
<title>Slovenian scoops €60 million lottery jackpot</title>
<link>https://sloveniatimes.com/40448/slovenian-scoops-60-million-lottery-jackpot</link>
<pubDate>Wed, 24 Apr 2024 11:17:42 +0200</pubDate>
<category>Society</category>
<guid isPermaLink="true">https://sloveniatimes.com/40448/slovenian-scoops-60-million-lottery-jackpot</guid>
<description><![CDATA[A Slovenian player has won €60 million, the largest lottery taking in the country to date, in the transnational lottery Eurojackpot, the Slovenian national lottery has announced. The Slovenian split the €120 million jackpot with a German player by matching five correct numbers out of 50 plus ...]]></description>
<content:encoded><![CDATA[A Slovenian player has won €60 million, the largest lottery taking in the country to date, in the transnational lottery Eurojackpot, the Slovenian national lottery has announced. 
The Slovenian split the €120 million jackpot with a German player by matching five correct numbers out of 50 plus another two supplementary numbers out of another 12 numbers.
The winning combination in the 23 April draw was 2, 3, 6, 15, 35 with supplementary numbers 1 and 3. 
The lucky winner can get the money after 6 May and has until 22 July to come forward. 
After paying the 15% gaming tax, they will get €51 million in a single payment. 
The winner remains anonymous by default, but at least their approximate place of residence can be identified because the entire tax take goes to the municipality where they reside. 
Loterija Slovenije, the national lottery operator, says six Slovenians have so far won more than a million euros in Eurojackpot. 
The previous record take was worth €28.2 million and was paid out in 2014. 
In April, a lucky player won €1.96 million in Loto, the most popular national lottery game, in what was the highest winning since the rules of the game changed in autumn 2023 to increase the chances of winning and increase the prize fund. ]]></content:encoded>
</item>
<item>
<title>Gas boiler phaseout passed into law</title>
<link>https://sloveniatimes.com/40447/gas-boiler-phaseout-passed-into-law</link>
<pubDate>Wed, 24 Apr 2024 10:42:44 +0200</pubDate>
<category>Energy</category>
<guid isPermaLink="true">https://sloveniatimes.com/40447/gas-boiler-phaseout-passed-into-law</guid>
<description><![CDATA[The National Assembly has passed a controversial reform energy bill, ending months of heated debates centred on provisions on the burning of natural gas and wood. While a ban on gas boilers in new homes has been retained despite protests from the industry, a ban on wood was thrown out. The ...]]></description>
<content:encoded><![CDATA[The National Assembly has passed a controversial reform energy bill, ending months of heated debates centred on provisions on the burning of natural gas and wood. While a ban on gas boilers in new homes has been retained despite protests from the industry, a ban on wood was thrown out. 
The legislation, passed on 23 April, sets the framework for national energy policy by providing incentives and limitations as the country transitions to energy sources other than fossil fuels.
But the bulk of the debate was dedicated to the ban on biomass and gas boilers in dense urban areas, and new concessions for natural gas distributors, which will be severely restricted. 
Heating turned into campaign issue 
The smaller of the two opposition parties, New Slovenia (NSi), seized on these provisions to launch a broad campaign decrying the government's selected green transition path under the motto "We're not giving up wood". 
As a result, the provision on biomass, the main source of heating in many homes, especially in rural areas, has been <a href="/40194/biomass-boiler-ban-shelved">removed from the bill</a>. 
Having turned the freedom of choice how to heat your home into a major issue in the run-up to the EU election, the NSi party still filed for a referendum on the bill, but the coalition majority voted the proposal down. 
Ban on gas boilers in new homes 
Meanwhile, investors who apply for building permits after 1 January 2025 will not be allowed to install natural gas or heating oil boilers, and restrictions on new natural gas concessions have remained intact. 
Thus local communities will no longer be allowed to grant new concessions for the construction and management of gas distribution networks, unless the providers can demonstrate that at least 80% of the gas can come from renewable sources. 
Existing concessions can be extended under very strict conditions, and for no more than five or seven years, depending on the conditions.
The five-year extension is possible for example if there are customers in the area concerned with an annual consumption of over 100,000 kWh who use gas to produce goods or services and have no alternative energy supply or if such supply was disproportionately more expensive. 
The first concession to expire will be in Maribor in 2027, while some are valid through 2050. 
The ban comes despite <a href="/40061/gas-boiler-phaseout-plan-provokes-strong-backlash">protests by gas distributors</a>, who say the bill is harmful and will not contribute to the green transition in any way. They claim parts of the law are in violation of the Constitution. 
The government says the overhaul of the energy legislation is needed because of the green transition of the energy sector and the need for systemic solutions on energy supply in the face of the energy crisis and price hikes.
Nuclear as low carbon source 
The bill deals with energy policy management, the operations of the energy regulator, energy infrastructure, inspections, granting of subsidies for investment in renewable energy sources and efficient energy use, and management of investments. 
Nuclear energy, hydrogen, synthetic gas and excess heat are listed as low carbon energy sources. The mention of nuclear in particular is seen as very important, coming after the government had been accused of failing to throw its weight behind nuclear. 
The bill sets in more detail the priority use of energy sources to encourage the use of renewables and boost the energy efficiency of buildings and devices. 
A new concept of decarbonisation on the local level is being introduced under which municipalities will need to have plans for abandoning fossil fuel for heating and set their targets on efficient energy use and renewables. 
They will also have to make plans for managing energy poverty in their region. 
Simplified procedures have been put in place for drawing money from the EU's Just Transition Fund for the revitalisation of the Šoštanj coal-fired power plant and the Zasavje coal region. 
A new instrument will be introduced providing complementary financing for the green transition projects that are successful in EU tenders. ]]></content:encoded>
</item>
<item>
<title>World's best sport climber now a picture book hero</title>
<link>https://sloveniatimes.com/40446/worlds-best-sport-climber-now-a-picture-book-hero</link>
<pubDate>Wed, 24 Apr 2024 09:03:59 +0200</pubDate>
<category>Sport</category>
<guid isPermaLink="true">https://sloveniatimes.com/40446/worlds-best-sport-climber-now-a-picture-book-hero</guid>
<description><![CDATA[Janja Garnbret, the world's best sport climber, who will be defending her Olympic gold in Paris this year, has become the hero of a picture book called Janja and the Magic Flower. The book, released in Slovenian and English, was launched in Ljubljana on World Book Day, 23 April. It is the latest ...]]></description>
<content:encoded><![CDATA[Janja Garnbret, the world's best sport climber, who will be defending her Olympic gold in Paris this year, has become the hero of a picture book called Janja and the Magic Flower. 
The book, released in Slovenian and English, was launched in Ljubljana on World Book Day, 23 April. It is the latest in a series of picture books about some of Slovenia's greatest athletes meant to inspire children and youth.
The book combines elements of fairy tale with real facts and details from Garnbret's childhood, such as how she was climbing door frames at her home in Koroška almost before she could walk. 
Published by DZS, the book was written by Primož Suhodolčan and illustrated by Matej De Cecco and Gorazd Vahen.
It comes after "true fairy tales" about Alpine skier Tina Maze, basketball player Goran Dragić, hockey player Anže Kopitar and cyclist Primož Roglič. 
"I've always wanted to have a fairy tale book, a climbing story for children, and when I actually hold it in my hands, it really makes my heart sing," Garnbret said at the launch. 
 <gallery-widget foto-ids="40907,40906"></gallery-widget> 
An avid reader as a child, she loved books to the point of wanting to become a librarian, but her life turned out differently. 
One of the characters in the story is a goat. The authors say this was their biggest dilemma, because in Slovenian the word can be used in its derogative sense, meaning a foolish woman, while in English G.O.A.T. means "greatest of all time". 
"Goats are smart, they can climb anything, they don't give up, they are hairy," De Cecco and Suhodolčan remarked. 
"The Janja in the book is spirited, ambitious, always full of energy, persistent, she never quits," which is just like herself, Garnbret said. 
<div>
"If you dare to dream, if you work hard, if you believe in yourself, everything can happen. And I think that's really well presented in this book."
 
</div>
She is happy that her parents are featured in the book, having always been part of "my life and my career". 
Her wish now is for the season to culminate at the Paris Olympics in a fairy tale fashion. ]]></content:encoded>
</item>
<item>
<title>Police probe suspected corruption at motorway company</title>
<link>https://sloveniatimes.com/40445/police-probe-suspected-corruption-at-motorway-company</link>
<pubDate>Tue, 23 Apr 2024 16:34:55 +0200</pubDate>
<category>Crime</category>
<guid isPermaLink="true">https://sloveniatimes.com/40445/police-probe-suspected-corruption-at-motorway-company</guid>
<description><![CDATA[Slovenian police conducted searches at two dozen locations on 23 April as part of a probe into allegations of bribery at the state-run motorway company DARS under the previous management. The police said six persons were suspected of abuse of office and accepting or offering bribes. They did not ...]]></description>
<content:encoded><![CDATA[Slovenian police conducted searches at two dozen locations on 23 April as part of a probe into allegations of bribery at the state-run motorway company DARS under the previous management. 
The police said six persons were suspected of abuse of office and accepting or offering bribes. They did not name the company or persons concerned, but several of those involved, including DARS, confirmed they had been visited by police.
The probe comes half a year after the commercial broadcaster POP TV run a <a href="/39924/report-alleges-corruption-at-motorway-company">report</a> in which a whistleblower alleged rife corruption, kickbacks, blackmail, the favouring of selected suppliers and rigged public tenders at DARS. 
The report led to the <a href="/39958/motorway-company-boss-steps-down">resignation of DARS chairman</a> Valentin Hajdinjak in November last year. At the time he, like everyone else, denied any wrongdoing, saying he was forced out. 
The police said 74 officers were conducting searches at private, business and other premises across the country. 
They suspect one of the persons of having enabled a company to obtain a €16 million deal with a state-owned company. 
In three cases, abuse of office did not go beyond an attempt. Some of the alleged crimes carry up to five years in prison, and some also involve fines, according to the police. 
DARS said it was actively cooperating with National Bureau of Investigation and would, in line with a court order, hand them the required documents. 
"These searchers are the result of past events, as you know, suspicions of irregularities were identified and are now being investigated," DARS chairman David Skornšek said. 
DARS has been subject to two forensic reviews. One has been completed, and the NBI has been informed of its findings, while the other is to be completed by the end of summer, he said. 
Rok Snežič, a tax consultant whom the POP TV report showed receiving a bribe in exchange for arranging deals with DARS for the whistleblower, confirmed that police searched his home. 
He repeated that he had never worked for DARS or Hajdinjak. 
Based on the court order he read when visited by the police, he said the police had also visited the entire DARS management, former Police Commissioner Anton Travner, who later briefly worked for DARS, former director of maintenance at DARS Damijan Jaklin and the whistleblower who claimed to have given Snežič a bribe. 
Snežič himself is suspected of taking unlawful gifts and the whistleblower is suspected of giving unlawful gifts. 
He said he had filed two criminal complaints six months ago against unknown perpetrators over the recording, which he says was forged. 
The Kranj municipality said police had visited to inquire about a plot it bought from DARS last autumn near a Kranj motorway exit, but no municipality employee is under investigation.]]></content:encoded>
</item>
<item>
<title>New train service links Villa Opicina and Rijeka via Slovenia</title>
<link>https://sloveniatimes.com/40442/new-train-service-links-villa-opicina-and-rijeka-via-slovenia</link>
<pubDate>Tue, 23 Apr 2024 12:32:20 +0200</pubDate>
<category>Travels</category>
<guid isPermaLink="true">https://sloveniatimes.com/40442/new-train-service-links-villa-opicina-and-rijeka-via-slovenia</guid>
<description><![CDATA[Slovenian Railways is launching a new passenger service running from Villa Opicina above Trieste in Italy to Rijeka in Croatia and back via Slovenia. The new service, a result of cooperation with Croatian and Italian partners, will run daily from 24 April to 30 September this year. The Slovenian ...]]></description>
<content:encoded><![CDATA[Slovenian Railways is launching a new passenger service running from Villa Opicina above Trieste in Italy to Rijeka in Croatia and back via Slovenia. The new service, a result of cooperation with Croatian and Italian partners, will run daily from 24 April to 30 September this year. 
The Slovenian rail operator says the new service is being established as part of the European SUSTANCE Interreg Central Europe project in cooperation with Croatian Railways Passenger Transport and an Italian project partner. 
A new Stadler electric multiple unit will connect Villa Opicina and Rijeka on a direct service for the first time, without passengers having to change trains. It will make four stops in Slovenia; Sežana, Divača, Pivka and Ilirska Bistrica. 
"The aim of the project is to improve the connectivity of the two regions and to test the feasibility of using public transport for tourism purposes on this route," the Slovenian rail operator says in the <a href="https://potniski.sz.si/novice/2024/02/direct-connection-vila-opicina-i-divaca-rijeka-hr-sustance/">announcement</a> on its website. 
The company notes that the service is subject to change in case of construction works on the lines, asking the passengers to check the timetable before travelling. 
The price of one-way ticket from Villa Opicina to Rijeka is €8 for adults. 
Slovenian Railways has been enhancing passenger links with neighbouring countries, recently introducing <a href="/40339/new-trains-link-ljubljana-to-graz-and-villach">six new pairs</a> of direct trains linking Ljubljana to Graz and Villach in Austria. ]]></content:encoded>
</item>
<item>
<title>European Beekeeping Association with seat and chair in Slovenia</title>
<link>https://sloveniatimes.com/40441/european-beekeeping-association-with-seat-and-chair-in-slovenia</link>
<pubDate>Tue, 23 Apr 2024 11:18:11 +0200</pubDate>
<category>Industry & Agriculture</category>
<guid isPermaLink="true">https://sloveniatimes.com/40441/european-beekeeping-association-with-seat-and-chair-in-slovenia</guid>
<description><![CDATA[Boštjan Noč, the long-serving head of the Slovenian Beekeeping Association, has been elected the first president of the European Beekeeping Association (EBA), two months after the founding members decided that their association will have its seat in Slovenia. One of two candidates, Noč was ...]]></description>
<content:encoded><![CDATA[Boštjan Noč, the long-serving head of the Slovenian Beekeeping Association, has been elected the first president of the European Beekeeping Association (EBA), two months after the founding members decided that their association will have its seat in Slovenia. 
One of two candidates, Noč was elected in a unanimous vote on 22 April, defeating Plamen Ivanov from Bulgaria.
The European Beekeeping Association was founded in Belgrade in February. It has so far been joined by 18 beekeeping organizations from 15 European countries, representing nearly 235,000 beekeepers. 
Noč called for Europe-wide cooperation as the only way to make a step forward for the bees, beekeepers and consumers. 
He believes the most important task at hand is to establish a commission comprised of a variety of experts from all over Europe to oversee the quality and safety of bee products. 
Under his guide the <a href="https://ebaeurope.eu/">EBA</a> will work toward developing effective procedures to exclude from the EU market any adulterated honey, introduce a quota for honey imports, and put in place a legal basis for beekeepers to receive compensation for pollinating services. 
<h6><img src="/images/40900"> Boštjan Noč, the president of Slovenia's and European Beekeeping Association. Photo: Nebojša Tejić/STA</h6>
Noč is also planning to push for an EU-wide promotion campaign and stricter oversight over bee-damaging phytopharmaceuticals, among other things. 
The EBA's aim is to preserve endangered beekeeping, actively cooperate with all beekeeping organisations in Europe, support the activities of the international beekeeping organisation Apimondia and bring attention to local European problems. 
The EBA head office is located in Brdo pri Lukovici, northeast of Ljubljana, where the Slovenian Beekeeping Association is based. 
At Slovenia's initiative, the UN General Assembly designated 20 May as World Bee Day in December 2017. It coincides with the birthday of Anton Janša (1734-1773), a pioneer of modern beekeeping and one of the biggest experts on bees. 
Slovenia has more than 11,000 beekeepers, which keep around 215,000 bee colonies. This makes the country the EU leader with almost five beekeepers per 1,000 inhabitants, according to Eurostat. ]]></content:encoded>
</item>
<item>
<title>Revoz reports doubling of profit as decision expected on new EV model</title>
<link>https://sloveniatimes.com/40440/revoz-reports-doubling-of-profit-as-decision-expected-on-new-ev-model</link>
<pubDate>Tue, 23 Apr 2024 09:50:14 +0200</pubDate>
<category>Business</category>
<guid isPermaLink="true">https://sloveniatimes.com/40440/revoz-reports-doubling-of-profit-as-decision-expected-on-new-ev-model</guid>
<description><![CDATA[Revoz, the Slovenian subsidiary of the French car manufacturer Renault, has reported a doubling of its profit on lower sales for last year as a decision is expected shortly on whether the plant will start producing a new version of the electric Twingo model. The Novo Mesto company posted €822.5 ...]]></description>
<content:encoded><![CDATA[Revoz, the Slovenian subsidiary of the French car manufacturer Renault, has reported a doubling of its profit on lower sales for last year as a decision is expected shortly on whether the plant will start producing a new version of the electric Twingo model. 
The Novo Mesto company posted €822.5 million in sales revenue in 2023, down from €933.3 million the year before. Net profit doubled to €9.4 million, from €4.7 million in 2022.
Revoz currently employs 1,400 people, working a single shift. Before the Covid pandemic, which coincided with the rollout of the fifth-generation Clio, the plant was running on three shifts. 
Production was reduced during the pandemic and then the company faced disruption in the supply electronic parts, a problem that has since been resolved. 
Revoz currently assembles Clio, Twingo and electric Twingo models, putting out 325 vehicles a day. Last year they made 60,881 vehicles. 
The company will wrap up production of the current-generation electric Twingo and fossil fuel Twingo this year, so its future operations will depend much on Renault's decision whether a new version of the electric Twingo is assembled in Novo Mesto. 
Reuters has recently reported that Renault plans to start producing a more affordable version of its electric Twingo at its Slovenian subsidiary in 2026, but Revoz says it can only confirm for the time being that the production of Clio will continue. 
A decision on the new electric Twingo model, the concept of which was presented at the end of last year, is expected to be made "very soon", Revoz said on 22 April. 
Renault cars have been assembled in Novo Mesto in southeastern Slovenia <a href="/39876/novo-mesto-marks-50-years-since-assembling-its-first-renault-4">since 1973</a>. ]]></content:encoded>
</item>
<item>
<title>Slovenia and its neighbours advocate open borders and EU enlargement</title>
<link>https://sloveniatimes.com/40439/slovenia-and-its-neighbours-advocate-open-borders-and-eu-enlargement</link>
<pubDate>Mon, 22 Apr 2024 16:56:28 +0200</pubDate>
<category>Politics</category>
<guid isPermaLink="true">https://sloveniatimes.com/40439/slovenia-and-its-neighbours-advocate-open-borders-and-eu-enlargement</guid>
<description><![CDATA[Together with the heads of state of Slovenia's neighbouring countries, President Nataša Pirc Musar promoted open borders within the EU and the bloc's enlargement at a high-profile event she hosted on 22 April to mark the 20th anniversary of Slovenia's EU membership. The five presidents stressed ...]]></description>
<content:encoded><![CDATA[Together with the heads of state of Slovenia's neighbouring countries, President Nataša Pirc Musar promoted open borders within the EU and the bloc's enlargement at a high-profile event she hosted on 22 April to mark the 20th anniversary of Slovenia's EU membership.
The five presidents stressed the EU's advantages, but also pointed to the challenges ahead and the need for some changes. 
After the meeting, held at the Brdo Castle estate, where Slovenian officials often receive high-level visitors, Pirc Musar highlighted excellent relations between Slovenia and its neighbouring countries - Austria, Croatia, Hungary and Italy. This manifested, for example, in the help Slovenia received after massive floods in August 2023, she said.
She underscored the many advantages of EU membership for Slovenia, singling out fundamental liberties as the bloc's major asset.
Pirc Musar is a firm advocate of a fully-functioning Schengen Area. "I would really like to call on the governments of our neighbouring countries, and the Slovenian government too, to lift border controls," she said. Open borders are a major EU asset, especially in a region that experienced walls in the past, she added.
Austria resumed border checks on its border with Slovenia in the wake of the refugee crisis in 2015 and has been extending them ever since. In October last year, Slovenia decided to do the same on its borders with Croatia and Hungary after Italy reintroduced border controls on the Slovenian-Italian border.
The Slovenian president stressed the importance of enlargement as one of the EU's strongest geopolitical tools, while expressing support for countries' accession efforts, particularly of those from the Western Balkans. These efforts enjoy the support of the four neighbouring countries as well.
Addressing a press conference, Austrian President Alexander Van der Bellen said that the EU should adopt some changes in order to get ready for the addition of new member states.
Speaking of the reforms necessary in the future, Italy's Sergio Mattarella mentioned changes to decision-making, a process that he believes should be sped up.
Slovenia and Italy are among the countries advocating qualified majority decision-making when it comes to the bloc's foreign and security policies.
Meanwhile, Croatian President Zoran Milanović expressed his opposition to efforts pushing for such decision-making, arguing that there should be a consensus.
Same as his Hungarian counterpart Tamas Sulyok, Milanović is sceptical about too tight an integration within the EU.
Sulyok thinks that increasingly tight integration would result in a weaker Europe. Hungary believes in an alliance of independent countries, he added.
This marks the first time the Hungarian president visited Slovenia after he assumed office in early March. Hungary, which will take over EU presidency in July, will host an EU-Western Balkans summit in the second half of the year, he announced.
Held in the presence of some 100 members of Slovenian and foreign media, the event has been a major one to mark Slovenia's EU membership anniversary.
As the meeting coincided with Earth Day, Pirc Musar presented her four counterparts with seedlings of the linden tree, the national tree of Slovenia.
This is the first time the presidents of the four neighbouring countries met in Slovenia since June 2011, when the country hosted them to celebrate its 20th anniversary of independence.]]></content:encoded>
</item>
<item>
<title>Jože Plečnik kiosk reopens to promote entrepreneurs</title>
<link>https://sloveniatimes.com/40438/joze-plecnik-kiosk-reopens-to-promote-entrepreneurs</link>
<pubDate>Mon, 22 Apr 2024 15:12:52 +0200</pubDate>
<category>Culture</category>
<guid isPermaLink="true">https://sloveniatimes.com/40438/joze-plecnik-kiosk-reopens-to-promote-entrepreneurs</guid>
<description><![CDATA[A kiosk designed by Slovenia's greatest architect Jože Plečnik (1872-1957) has officially reopened in Ljubljana's Prešeren Square to give up-and-coming entrepreneurs a boost. Located next to the Triple Bridge, another of the architect's masterpieces that is a major Ljubljana landmark, the ...]]></description>
<content:encoded><![CDATA[A kiosk designed by Slovenia's greatest architect Jože Plečnik (1872-1957) has officially reopened in Ljubljana's Prešeren Square to give up-and-coming entrepreneurs a boost. 
Located next to the Triple Bridge, another of the architect's masterpieces that is a major Ljubljana landmark, the renovated kiosk is one of the three in the capital that are part of Plečnik's legacy.
It used to sell newspapers and cigarettes, but now it will foster innovative ideas and aim to promote products by entrepreneurs who trained under a programme dedicated to meet local challenges, said Lilijana Madjar, head of the Regional Development Agency of the Ljubljana Urban Region. 
 <gallery-widget foto-ids="40893,40892,40891,40890"></gallery-widget> 
As the winner of an open call published by the city authorities, the agency will be able to use the kiosk for free for five years. During this time, it will be promoting the participants of its project. 
The first generation of them includes 78 entrepreneurs, and by the end of 2028 the agency aims to help another 100 participants or more. 
The programme is part of the EU Project, My Project, a nationwide campaign run by the Ministry of Cohesion and Regional Development that is dedicated to the presentation of EU-funded projects. 
"The Plečnik kiosk is a multi-purpose kiosk. And it is this multifunctionality of heritage that is the key to its preservation," Rok Žnidaršič, an architect and Ljubljana deputy mayor, said at the 22 April opening ceremony. 
The only other applicant in the open call was Z.O.P., an organisation that publishes Outsider, a magazine about architecture, culture and society. 
Since 2020, Z.O.P. has been renting another kiosk by Plečnik in Ljubljana, the one located in Vegova Street, to provide a sort of a mini cultural hub. 
<h6><img src="/images/40894"> Jože Plečnik also designed a kiosk in Ljubljana's Vegova Street, just opposite the National and University Library (NUK), also designed by him. Photo: Aleksander Vujović</h6>
Standing between the National and University Library building and the Križanke open-air theatre, both of which were also designed by the great architect, that kiosk reopened in 2021 after being restored. 
The third kiosk, standing in Croatian Square near the UKC Ljubljana medical centre, is abandoned but may well be restored one day, considering that Plečnik's works in Ljubljana have been included on the UNESCO list of world cultural heritage. 
<div>
 
</div>]]></content:encoded>
</item>
<item>
<title>Diesel cheaper than petrol first time since Covid outbreak</title>
<link>https://sloveniatimes.com/40436/diesel-cheaper-than-petrol-first-time-since-covid-outbreak</link>
<pubDate>Mon, 22 Apr 2024 13:05:10 +0200</pubDate>
<category>Energy</category>
<guid isPermaLink="true">https://sloveniatimes.com/40436/diesel-cheaper-than-petrol-first-time-since-covid-outbreak</guid>
<description><![CDATA[Diesel will become cheaper than regular petrol in Slovenia for the first time since the outbreak of the Covid pandemic over four years ago, as regulated prices change on 23 April. Regulated prices apply at fuel stations outside the motorway network. The prices of regular petrol will go up 1.8 ...]]></description>
<content:encoded><![CDATA[Diesel will become cheaper than regular petrol in Slovenia for the first time since the outbreak of the Covid pandemic over four years ago, as regulated prices change on 23 April.
Regulated prices apply at fuel stations outside the motorway network. The prices of regular petrol will go up 1.8 cents to €1.56 per litre, while diesel will be 1.5 cents cheaper, at €1.527. 
The new prices were announced by the Ministry of the Environment, Climate and Energy on 22 April, and will stay in force for the next two weeks. 
While excise duties will remain unchanged, the ministry assessed that, absent any regulation, a litre of regular petrol would have cost around €1.622 and diesel €1.602. 
Prices at petrol stations along motorways are set freely by the retailers, while those outside are calculated every two weeks based on a method that takes into account global fuel prices and the dollar-euro exchange rate. 
Arguing that the caps on fuel retailers' margins set by the government are too low and making their business unviable, the country's largest fuel retailer. <a href="/40042/petrol-and-diesel-notably-cheaper">Petrol turned to the Constitutional Court</a> in December, but the court recently rejected the petition, proposing the company sue the state for damages. 
Prices outside the motorway network are also regulated in Croatia, where regular petrol will go up by 2 cents to €1.56 per litre on 23 April, while diesel will be a cent cheaper, at €1.45. 
Fuel sold in other countries neighbouring Slovenia is costlier.]]></content:encoded>
</item>
<item>
<title>Retrieved from a pond, ancient fir makes its musical debut</title>
<link>https://sloveniatimes.com/40435/retrieved-from-a-pond-ancient-fir-makes-its-musical-debut</link>
<pubDate>Mon, 22 Apr 2024 10:02:44 +0200</pubDate>
<category>Culture</category>
<guid isPermaLink="true">https://sloveniatimes.com/40435/retrieved-from-a-pond-ancient-fir-makes-its-musical-debut</guid>
<description><![CDATA[The first two instruments made from the wood of a Stone-Age silver fir that was discovered in a pond in the west of the country made their concert debut in Ljubljana on 20 April. The premiering lyre and flute were just part of the show in which Bakalina Velika, a band inspired by the pantheistic ...]]></description>
<content:encoded><![CDATA[The first two instruments made from the wood of a Stone-Age silver fir that was discovered in a pond in the west of the country made their concert debut in Ljubljana on 20 April. 
The premiering lyre and flute were just part of the show in which Bakalina Velika, a band inspired by the pantheistic traditions of western Slovenia, took an enthusiastic crowd on an exciting musical adventure.
 <youtube-widget video-id="tmJkKuYsOQA"></youtube-widget> 
The band's frontman Jani Kutin and one of his two brothers were involved in the find of several logs in a pond near their home village of Čadrg in the Tolmin area, inside the Triglav National Park. 
One of the samples has been <a href="/40187/conservation-project-yields-6-500-year-old-fir">confirmed by radiocarbon dating</a> in Vienna to be more than 6,500 years old, while the results of two more are still pending, Kutin says. At any rate, evidence so far shows they are more than 2,100 years old. 
The ancient logs were discovered during restoration of man-made ponds that used to serve as watering holes for cattle but were also key habitat for native species of newt and toad. 
 <gallery-widget foto-ids="40883,40882,40880,40879,40876,40881"></gallery-widget> 
In his storytelling manner Jani told the crowd gathered at the Metelkova venue that it was his third brother Samo, also a member of the band, who suggested turning the wood into musical instruments. 
Craftsmen have made two so far, but there are plans for more. They hope to make a classical guitar, a violin and a more professional lyre. 
The wood turned out to be strong enough as well as having nice resonance. "The instruments are great and we are happy," Jani told the Slovenian Press Agency ahead of the concert. 
At the concert, Jani improvised with the flute and Samo with the lyre as the instruments are new and yet to find a place in the band's compositions. 
 <youtube-widget video-id="24LYPj8l-i0"></youtube-widget> 
Featuring six experienced musicians from acclaimed world music, jazz and rock ensembles, Bakalina Velika use a variety of instruments and combine elements of diverse genres, from alt-rock to unconventional chanson and folk to jazz and experimentation. 
Their music takes audiences from remote peaks to deep ravines, from ancient caves to shrines. The lyrics, written and sung in the local dialect by Jani, tell stories about gold prospectors, the mysteries of the midsummer's night, about olden days, eagles, wolves and rivers, raising eternal questions about human existence in nature and the universe. 
Having evolved from a duo called Bakalina, an old local word for a large clay bowl, the band have so far released two albums and are working on a third one, which is due to come out next year. ]]></content:encoded>
</item>
<item>
<title>Pogačar storms to his 70th career victory</title>
<link>https://sloveniatimes.com/40434/pogacar-storms-to-his-70th-career-victory</link>
<pubDate>Sun, 21 Apr 2024 19:40:49 +0200</pubDate>
<category>Sport</category>
<guid isPermaLink="true">https://sloveniatimes.com/40434/pogacar-storms-to-his-70th-career-victory</guid>
<description><![CDATA[Slovenian rider Tadej Pogačar has proved unbeatable yet again, flying solo to win the Liège-Bastogne-Liege, the oldest of the five cycling Monuments, for his 70th career win a year after fracturing his wrist at the same race. Leaving the peloton and his UAE Team Emirates teammates behind, Pogačar ...]]></description>
<content:encoded><![CDATA[Slovenian rider Tadej Pogačar has proved unbeatable yet again, flying solo to win the Liège-Bastogne-Liege, the oldest of the five cycling Monuments, for his 70th career win a year after fracturing his wrist at the same race. 
Leaving the peloton and his UAE Team Emirates teammates behind, Pogačar attacked on the Cote de la Redoute hill, with 35 km to go to the finish line in Liege, a city in Belgium's Walloon Region.
He quickly established a lead of well over a minute, at one time opening a two-minute gap to the closest rivals. 
He finished the race 1:39 minutes ahead of France's Romain Bardet (DSM-firmenich PostNL) and 2:02 minutes clear of Dutchman Mathieu van der Poel (Alpecin-Deceuninck), who was considered his biggest rival heading into the race. 
This is a second time for Pogačar to win the Liège-Bastogne-Liege race after 2021. He did not compete in 2022 due to family reasons and then in 2023 he suffered a fall and broke his wrist at the race. 
Pogačar, now has six wins at the Monuments, the five most prestigious one-day road cycling races. 
In the 254.4 km Liège-Bastogne-Liege race cyclists had to climb more than 4,000 vertical metres. The only other Slovenian in the race was Pogačar's teammate Domen Novak, who helped set the conditions for Pogačar's attack. 
"I think after this kind of long races it's super special to come solo, and also with national champion's jersey, it's beautiful to come like this to the finish," Pogačar said after the race. 
He praised the team's efforts. "It was amazing teamwork and I couldn't have done it without them," said Pogačar, adding that his attack was carefully planned ahead of the race. "On La Redoute we did exactly what we said and from then on it was suffering to the finish." 
For Pogačar the race was emotional as he was remembering his fall last year and how he left the race in 2022 after his fiancee's mother passed away. "I was riding for Urška's mother today," he said. 
The Slovenian has been topping the UCI World Ranking for 135 weeks running. ]]></content:encoded>
</item>
<item>
<title>Vera Spirits, sober alternative to alcohol</title>
<link>https://sloveniatimes.com/40429/vera-spirits-sober-alternative-to-alcohol</link>
<pubDate>Sun, 21 Apr 2024 09:01:00 +0200</pubDate>
<category>Business</category>
<guid isPermaLink="true">https://sloveniatimes.com/40429/vera-spirits-sober-alternative-to-alcohol</guid>
<description><![CDATA[Zero-proof beverages are a major global hit and the Slovenian company Vera Spirits has made a name for itself in the alcohol-free spirits market, exporting overseas to countries such as the US and Canada. The company was founded by Luka Nagode and Urška Dvoraček in Ljubljana in 2019, initially ...]]></description>
<content:encoded><![CDATA[Zero-proof beverages are a major global hit and the Slovenian company Vera Spirits has made a name for itself in the alcohol-free spirits market, exporting overseas to countries such as the US and Canada. 
 The company was founded by Luka Nagode and Urška Dvoraček in Ljubljana in 2019, initially as a distillery to make gin and rum, but soon switched to innovative production of exclusively non-alcoholic spirits.
<div>
They rolled out their first product in 2020 and have since established themselves internationally. Today, "we are reaping the fruits of our own development, betting on organic growth", Nagode says.
</div>
<div>
 
</div>
<div>
Their range includes a non-alcoholic alternative to gin, mainly intended for mixing with other drinks, a non-alcoholic drink mainly meant to enjoy on its own, and a bottled non-alcoholic cocktail.
</div>
<div>
 
</div>
<div>
"At first we had a more extensive range of products, but over time we have focused on the drinks that customers love best," Nagode says.
</div>
<div>
 
</div>
<div>
Production is based on two methods, steam extraction and maceration. In the former, herbs and spices are exposed to steam, which picks out their flavours, while maceration involves soaking and boiling the botanicals in water.
</div>
<div>
 
</div>
<div>
The steam distillation is thought to produce a more fresh and delicate drink than that produced by maceration, which is used to obtain softer botanicals and their juices.
</div>
<div>
 
</div>
<div>
Demand for non-alcoholic spirits is quite widespread abroad, and is also growing in Slovenia. Nagode believes this is mainly because of the increased public awareness of the harmful effects of alcohol.
</div>
<div>
 
</div>
<div>
"Given the fast everyday tempo, people are also finding it harder to afford to be less productive as a result of alcohol consumption, but they are not willing to give up socialising and enjoying adult beverages without compromising on the taste and presentation," he says.
</div>
<div>
 
</div>
<div>
"Such drinks are well-known in more educated markets, but competition is already quite strong. In emerging markets, educating the public entails substantial investment in marketing. As a young company we cannot afford this so our customers mainly come from abroad."
</div>
<div>
 
</div>
<div> <gallery-widget foto-ids="40858,40857,40856,40855,40853,40854"></gallery-widget>
 
</div>
<div>
Apart from the US and Canada, their most important markets are Australia, Chile, Portugal, the Netherlands and Poland. "We are growing together with small distributors, who like us are in early stages of their journey."
</div>
<div>
 
</div>
<div>
In Slovenia, they sell their beverages through their website, distributor Evino and some retail chains.
</div>
<div>
 
</div>
<div>
Overall, they sold almost 15,000 bottles last year, which Nagode says is a bit fewer than the year before, but they remain upbeat.
</div>
<div>
 
</div>
<div>
"We are obviously facing challenges. We were initially financed by external investors. We used up the funds, we wanted to gain market share at a loss, and in the meantime we needed a recapitalisation, which wasn't successful. We were undercapitalised and on the verge of bankruptcy, but somehow we pulled through. We are now back on an eventful path of growth," the entrepreneur explains.
</div>
<div>
 
</div>
<div>
Outsourcing production was an important milestone, allowing them to focus more on development and marketing.
</div>
<div>
 
</div>
<div>
Nagode is proud that they made the initial steps, including development and testing, themselves. "At that time, we didn't have any other option. Today there are agencies on the market that can help you develop such products, but back then we had to do everything ourselves."
</div>
<div>
 
</div>
<div>
The development and production team included experts such as those on food technology and certification. The latter is crucial, being that large customers demand above-standard certifications.
</div>
<div>
 
</div>
<div>
The awards they have won for their products have helped them make a name for themselves. Major ones include two in a row from The Spirits Business magazine as well as their success in the London competition, which is considered the most influential in the field. "Of course, you have to be able to monetise all these awards," Nagode points out.
</div>]]></content:encoded>
</item>
<item>
<title>New treatment available for incurable prostate cancer</title>
<link>https://sloveniatimes.com/40417/new-treatment-available-for-incurable-prostate-cancer</link>
<pubDate>Sat, 20 Apr 2024 09:14:00 +0200</pubDate>
<category>Health & Medicine</category>
<guid isPermaLink="true">https://sloveniatimes.com/40417/new-treatment-available-for-incurable-prostate-cancer</guid>
<description><![CDATA[The UKC Ljubljana medical centre has recently performed a new treatment for an incurable type of prostate cancer in what was the first time the therapy was rolled out in Slovenia. A major milestone in the fight against the most common cancer in men, the treatment extends life and stops cancer ...]]></description>
<content:encoded><![CDATA[The UKC Ljubljana medical centre has recently performed a new treatment for an incurable type of prostate cancer in what was the first time the therapy was rolled out in Slovenia. A major milestone in the fight against the most common cancer in men, the treatment extends life and stops cancer from spreading. 
UKC Ljubljana performed the first targeted radionuclide therapy in the country on two patients with an incurable type of advanced prostate cancer.
In patients who have localised prostate cancer, the likelihood of beating it is very high, but advanced or metastatic cancer is much harder to treat. When advanced prostate cancer becomes immune to standard treatment, it turns into castration-resistant prostate cancer, which is incurable, the hospital's Department of Nuclear Medicine told the Slovenian Press Agency. 
The new therapy, which was developed by Slovenian and foreign experts, targets such incurable cancers. A similar treatment is already preformed elsewhere. 
"The therapy does not help cure patients, but it prolongs life and at the same time significantly improves survival chances," stopping the disease from spreading, the department's head Katja Zaletel says. 
Unlike chemotherapy, the new radioactive substance, which is injected into the bloodstream, does not affect healthy tissues and organs, so there are few side effects and the drug is more effective, she adds. 
The hospital strives to make the therapy available to as many patients as possible, but due to the complexity of the treatment and limited capacities, there will only be a small number of recipients of the drug compound this year. 
The targeted radionuclide method shows promising signs in the treatment of other types of cancer too, Zaletel says. She believes a particle accelerator PET centre should be established in Slovenia to further promote such therapy.
Prostate cancer is the most common cancer in men in 112 countries, including in Slovenia. It accounts for 15% of all cancers in men. Most vulnerable are men aged above 50. In Slovenia, some 1,600 men are diagnosed with prostate cancer every year, and around 400 die of this disease. ]]></content:encoded>
</item>
<item>
<title>Way paved for Slovenia to participate in US space programmes</title>
<link>https://sloveniatimes.com/40433/way-paved-for-slovenia-to-participate-in-us-space-programmes</link>
<pubDate>Fri, 19 Apr 2024 17:04:17 +0200</pubDate>
<category>Politics</category>
<guid isPermaLink="true">https://sloveniatimes.com/40433/way-paved-for-slovenia-to-participate-in-us-space-programmes</guid>
<description><![CDATA[Slovenia has joined the Artemis Accords, a set of principles for cooperation in the civil exploration and use of the Moon, Mars, comets and asteroids for peaceful purposes. The step paves the way for cooperation in the US space programmes. Slovenia became the 39th country to sign the Artemis ...]]></description>
<content:encoded><![CDATA[Slovenia has joined the Artemis Accords, a set of principles for cooperation in the civil exploration and use of the Moon, Mars, comets and asteroids for peaceful purposes. The step paves the way for cooperation in the US space programmes.
Slovenia became the 39th country to sign the Artemis Accords on 19 April, during a visit by senior US officials in Ljubljana for a meeting of the group for strategic dialogue between the two countries.
 <youtube-widget video-id="fvHXTRAJ0rM"></youtube-widget> 
"Slovenia joins the principles, values and rules on the peaceful use of space as a common good of humanity," said Economy Ministry State Secretary Matevž Frangež, who signed the document on Slovenia's behalf. 
"At the same time, it is opening an exceptionally important strategic door to cooperation in the US space programmes," he added. 
Just the day before, the parliamentary Foreign Policy Committee approved the government's decision to take up the official invitation of the European Space Agency for full membership. 
Deputy Associate General Counsel for International and Space Law at NASA Rebecca Bresnik and her husband Randolph Bresnik, a NASA astronaut with Slovenian roots, noted the advantages of cooperation between Slovenia and the US in space exploration. 
Bresnik believes Slovenia is considered a growing space nation. The country has shown great promise in space exploration, she told the Slovenian Press Agency, hopeful that Slovenia's space research will contribute to the Artemis Moon exploration program.
 <youtube-widget video-id="zvdGsapUkvU"></youtube-widget> 
The group for strategic dialogue between the two countries discussed global and regional security issues and cooperation in business, energy, defence, cyber security and fighting disinformation. 
On the occasion, a memorandum on measures against foreign manipulation of information was signed by US Assistant Secretary of State for European and Eurasian Affairs James C. O'Brien, and Sanja Štiglic, a state secretary at the Slovenian Foreign Ministry. The pair also chaired the meeting. 
O'Brien said the dialogue was also devoted to looking for new opportunities in science, technology, artificial intelligence and space exploration. 
The meeting also discussed the Phoenix project, which provides consulting and technical support for the conversion of existing coal-fired power plant sites to sites generating energy with small modular nuclear reactors. 
Environment Ministry State Secretary Tina Seršen said that by participating in the project, Slovenia will be able to receive technical support from the US in preparing a study on the suitability of the use of small modular reactors. ]]></content:encoded>
</item>
<item>
<title>Sandoz breaks ground on biosimilars centre in Ljubljana</title>
<link>https://sloveniatimes.com/40432/sandoz-breaks-ground-on-biosimilars-centre-in-ljubljana</link>
<pubDate>Fri, 19 Apr 2024 15:55:06 +0200</pubDate>
<category>Business</category>
<guid isPermaLink="true">https://sloveniatimes.com/40432/sandoz-breaks-ground-on-biosimilars-centre-in-ljubljana</guid>
<description><![CDATA[The Swiss generics group Sandoz has laid the foundation stone for a new biosimilars development centre in Ljubljana. Slated for completion in 2026, the US$90 million investment will create around 200 jobs. The new centre will be Sandoz's main hub for a comprehensive development of biosimilars, ...]]></description>
<content:encoded><![CDATA[The Swiss generics group Sandoz has laid the foundation stone for a new biosimilars development centre in Ljubljana. Slated for completion in 2026, the US$90 million investment will create around 200 jobs. 
The new centre will be Sandoz's main hub for a comprehensive development of biosimilars, the group's chairman Gilbert Ghostine told the ceremony in Ljubljana on 19 April.
The 9,500-square-metre centre will accommodate the entire development process, from the development of active ingredients to the final products. 
The new investment follows after Sandoz began the construction of a <a href="/40063/lek-breaks-ground-on-biosimilars-production-centre-in-lendava">high-tech biosimilars production plant</a> in Lendava, NE, in December 2023. The construction of both centres is expected to be completed in 2026. 
The two facilities will increase access to biosimilars for healthcare systems and patients. "With the investments Slovenia will solidify its position among the leading countries in Europe in pharmaceutics and biotechnology," Robert Ljoljo, CEO of Lek and Sandoz Slovenia president, said. 
 <gallery-widget foto-ids="40871,40870,40869,40868"></gallery-widget> 
The centre in Lendava is valued at US$400 million and will create 330 jobs. Meanwhile, Sandoz has already hired 83 of the 200 experts to be employed at the Ljubljana development centre. 
The centre will strengthen Sandoz's global development network and will work closely with a biosimilars development centre in Holzkirchen, Germany, and other partners. 
The investment was hailed by European Commissioner for Internal Market Thierry Breton, who is visiting Slovenia, and Prime Minister Robert Golob, both of whom attended the ceremony. 
Golob pledged for the government to continue to work to increase funds for research and development, to ensure a stable business environment and to attract talent. "In the fight for talent, especially young talent, we will have to do more as a country, especially in terms of taxes," he added. ]]></content:encoded>
</item>
<item>
<title>Ljubljana acquires new public rental flats</title>
<link>https://sloveniatimes.com/40431/ljubljana-acquires-new-public-rental-flats</link>
<pubDate>Fri, 19 Apr 2024 12:50:21 +0200</pubDate>
<category>Investment & Real Estate</category>
<guid isPermaLink="true">https://sloveniatimes.com/40431/ljubljana-acquires-new-public-rental-flats</guid>
<description><![CDATA[Like much of the country, Ljubljana is in dire need of affordable rental housing. That need will be alleviated a little with 88 new non-profit rental flats inaugurated on 18 April. The apartments are located in a new housing estate in Zelena Jama, near the BTC shopping district and the Ljubljana ...]]></description>
<content:encoded><![CDATA[Like much of the country, Ljubljana is in dire need of affordable rental housing. That need will be alleviated a little with 88 new non-profit rental flats inaugurated on 18 April. 
The apartments are located in a new housing estate in Zelena Jama, near the BTC shopping district and the Ljubljana central cemetery, featuring a total of 157 flats. 
The municipal public housing fund purchased 80 apartments and 73 parking spaces and acquired another eight apartments and five parking spaces through a swap contract. Most of the units already have new residents. 
The Ljubljana Housing Fund now has 4,666 housing units with new projects under way. "By 2045, the capital could have some 6,000 new housing units, which would bring the total number to more than 10,000," the fund's director Sašo Rink said. 
The fund has recently assessed that the capital is short of some 4,000 non-profit rental apartments. 
 <gallery-widget foto-ids="40866,40865,40864,40863,40862,40861,40859"></gallery-widget> 
Going forward, the biggest problem will be the financing of projects, where Rink is counting on the help from the Ministry for Solidarity-Based Future and the state. 
The ministry's State Secretary Klemen Ploštajner said the Ljubljana Housing Fund has obtained €4.9 million in grants from the recovery and resilience plan and a loan from the National Housing Fund for this project. 
"The state and the local community are on the same side. It doesn't matter who is the builder, it's important that people get a home to live in," Ljubljana Mayor Zoran Janković said at the ceremony. 
He believes housing prices could decrease within a few years if three conditions are met: if a cap is put on short-term rentals through platforms such as Airbnb, if more student beds are provided to reduce the pressure on private housing from students, and if more new apartments are built. 
The Zelena Jama apartments were built by Gitri from the Krško-based Kostak group, which presented a donation of €10,000 to an association helping the homeless at the end of the ribbon-cutting ceremony. ]]></content:encoded>
</item>
<item>
<title>Akrapovič signs deal with Ferrari</title>
<link>https://sloveniatimes.com/40430/akrapovic-signs-deal-with-ferrari</link>
<pubDate>Thu, 18 Apr 2024 17:35:40 +0200</pubDate>
<category>Business</category>
<category>Sport</category>
<guid isPermaLink="true">https://sloveniatimes.com/40430/akrapovic-signs-deal-with-ferrari</guid>
<description><![CDATA[The Slovenian exhaust system manufacturer Akrapovič has signed a multi-year agreement with the Italian sports car manufacturer Ferrari that will see Akrapovič become a technical partner for Ferrari Hypercar, which competes in the FIA World Endurance Championship (WEC). The Slovenian company said ...]]></description>
<content:encoded><![CDATA[The Slovenian exhaust system manufacturer Akrapovič has signed a multi-year agreement with the Italian sports car manufacturer Ferrari that will see Akrapovič become a technical partner for Ferrari Hypercar, which competes in the FIA World Endurance Championship (WEC).
The Slovenian company said the partnership will entail close cooperation on technical aspects, beginning with the Le Mans Hypercar, the Ferrari 499P, which is competing in the top class of the WEC. 
The Ferrari 499P is a four-wheel-drive, hybrid-engine, endurance prototype racer that delivers a maximum power output of 500 kW to the wheels and has a minimum weight of 1,030 kg. 
"Everybody at Akrapovič is delighted about this new partnership," Akrapovič CEO Davorin Dobočnik commented. "To be seen as the Ferrari Hypercar Technical Partner is a great honour," he added. 
Akrapovič will join forces with Ferrari for the seven remaining rounds of the 2024 FIA WEC, which will begin at Imola, Italy, this week, before moving to Belgium, followed by the 24h Le Mans in France in mid-June. 
The rest of the calendar will see races in Brazil, the US, and Japan before the culmination of the season in Bahrain in November. 
Two of Ferrari 499P cars will line up on the starting grid. 
The two companies believe that the racetrack is the ideal laboratory for developing cutting-edge technological solutions for motorsport. 
"It will be great to see the debut of this partnership, and there is no circuit better suited to our first race together than the Autodromo Enzo e Dino Ferrari in Imola," Dobočnik said. 
Akrapovič has been successfully supporting leading teams in various racing championships. Using its exhaust systems, 175 world champions on two and four wheels have raced to success. 
The company was founded in 1991 by Igor Akrapovič, a former motorcycle racer. ]]></content:encoded>
</item>
<item>
<title>Slovenian community member re-elected to Croatian parliament</title>
<link>https://sloveniatimes.com/40428/slovenian-community-member-re-elected-to-croatian-parliament</link>
<pubDate>Thu, 18 Apr 2024 15:09:36 +0200</pubDate>
<category>Politics</category>
<guid isPermaLink="true">https://sloveniatimes.com/40428/slovenian-community-member-re-elected-to-croatian-parliament</guid>
<description><![CDATA[Slovenian minority member Barbara Antolić Vupora has been re-elected to the Croatian parliament on a party ticket, although officially the community will be represented by a member of the Bosniak minority. Running for the Social Democratic Party of Croatia (SDP), Antolić Vupora was re-elected in ...]]></description>
<content:encoded><![CDATA[Slovenian minority member Barbara Antolić Vupora has been re-elected to the Croatian parliament on a party ticket, although officially the community will be represented by a member of the Bosniak minority. 
Running for the Social Democratic Party of Croatia (SDP), Antolić Vupora was re-elected in the 17 April election, four years after becoming the first member of the Slovenian minority to make it to the Sabor in its 30 year history.
Antolić Vupora is the head of the SDP branch in Varaždin, where she has also been an active member of the minority. 
"I am happy that I can represent Slovenian's interests through the party," she told the Slovenian Press Agency. 
She will continue to advocate for Slovenians in Croatia, but noted that her role will depend on whether the SDP will be part of the ruling coalition or opposition. 
"Hard work lies ahead and I believe much more effort will be needed from Slovenia too for the Slovenian minority in Croatia to become more active," the MP said. 
The Slovenian minority has never had its own representative in the Croatian parliament and has not had a significant political presence at the local level, said Antolić Vupora. As a result, the minority's activities have not expanded beyond cultural centres to economy, education and other areas. 
The Slovenian minority did not have its candidate in the special electoral unit for ethnic minorities in Croatia. Armin Hodžić, a member of the Bosniak minority, was elected to represent the Albanian, Bosniak, Montenegrin, Macedonian and Slovenian minorities. He will replace Ermina Lekaj Prljaskaj. 
Antolić Vupora hopes working with Hodžić will bring more results than with Lekaj Prljaskaj. "In all these years we were not able to solve the issue of the Slovenian Home in Zagreb, which wanted to buy the building it was operating in. I think we could have resolved this if she advocated for it a bit more," said Antolić Vupora. ]]></content:encoded>
</item>
<item>
<title>Foreign minister talks politics and trade in China</title>
<link>https://sloveniatimes.com/40427/foreign-minister-talks-politics-and-trade-in-china</link>
<pubDate>Thu, 18 Apr 2024 12:52:58 +0200</pubDate>
<category>Business</category>
<category>Politics</category>
<guid isPermaLink="true">https://sloveniatimes.com/40427/foreign-minister-talks-politics-and-trade-in-china</guid>
<description><![CDATA[Accompanied by a sizeable business delegation, Slovenian Foreign Minister Tanja Fajon is visiting China on a four-day official trip aimed at boosting political dialogue and trade. With both countries currently sitting in the UN Security Council, global conflicts and ways to resolve them were high ...]]></description>
<content:encoded><![CDATA[Accompanied by a sizeable business delegation, Slovenian Foreign Minister Tanja Fajon is visiting China on a four-day official trip aimed at boosting political dialogue and trade. With both countries currently sitting in the UN Security Council, global conflicts and ways to resolve them were high on the agenda. 
Summing up her talks with her counterpart Wang Yi and Chinese Vice President Han Zheng, Fajon said Slovenia needs and wants to talk with China in a constructive manner.
Ensuring peace and security and protecting multilateralism, the UN Charter and international law is a shared responsibility, she said. Political solutions must be sought in that context. 
"It's essential that we talk and work together to find answers to a range of challenges, from the wars in Ukraine and Gaza to climate change," said Fajon. 
Slovenia and China "have a history of friendly relations, which is a good basis for constructive cooperation on the Security Council". 
War in Gaza, Ukraine, tensions in Taiwan Strait 
Fajon and Wang agreed that peace needs to be reached in Gaza, civilians protected and the statehood of Palestine recognised. 
"However, the most we can do now is that the international community applies pressure on all sides to prevent the conflict from spilling over," Fajon said, adding that the US must use its influence in Israel and prevent new provocations of Iran. 
Fajon said she conveyed the message to her Chinese counterpart that the war in Ukraine is about the security of Europe, which is concerned about the connection between Beijing and Moscow. 
She herself would want both China and the broader international community to participate in a peace formula that would lead to an end to the war. 
China has maintained that it wants a ceasefire in Ukraine as soon as possible, followed by a peace conference which would also involve Russia. 
 <gallery-widget foto-ids="40847,40846,40845"></gallery-widget> 
Fajon also discussed with Wang the tensions in the Taiwan Strait, reiterating Slovenia's commitment to the One China policy, while expressing concern about the threats with weapons in the area. She called on all parties to refrain from provocations. 
She noted the importance of cooperation between Europe and China despite the differences, including in the views on respect for human rights. 
Trade ties 
Fajon also discussed economic cooperation in Beijing, with both sides agreeing that Slovenia's deficit in trade with China should be reduced. A task force will be established to deal with the issue. 
Slovenia exported €259 million worth of goods to China in 2023, with imports totalling €7.4 billion. This makes China Slovenia's 4th most important trading partner, up from 13th five years ago. 
Fajon is being accompanied in China with a delegation featuring representatives of more than 50 Slovenian companies, who also participated in her meeting with Deputy China International Trade Representative Ling Ji. 
Fajon expressed concern about China looking for alternative ports in Northern Europe, which negatively affects the transshipment in the Slovenian port of Koper. 
The minister also underscored that the economic cooperation between China and EU member states should be based on fair rules. 
The Slovenian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (GZS) is happy with the visit. Executive director Marjana Majerič said it was good to hear from the Chinese vice-president that Slovenian companies are welcome in China. 
The Slovenian delegation is also meeting Chinese companies in Beijing and Shanghai, and attending a business forum, while the business part of the delegation will visit Shenzhen at the end of the week to get acquainted with China's tech giants - BYD and Huawei. 
Cultural diplomacy 
The visit is also focusing on cultural diplomacy. Fajon has opened an exhibition in Beijing on <a href="/40205/monument-celebrates-slovenian-polymath-and-ties-with-china">Ferdinand von Hallerstein</a>, a Slovenian missionary, mathematician and astronomer who headed a committee for astronomical research at the Chinese court in the 18th century. 
"The important ties Hallerstein forged while living and working in China are a symbolic reminder and compelling proof of how two peoples - even if geographically and culturally distant - can find a common language and work together, even in the modern era," Fajon said at the launch. 
An exhibition presenting the work of architect Jože Plečnik (1872-1957) in Ljubljana is being launched in Shanghai. 
Before China, Fajon visited Japan, where <a href="/40420/advanced-technologies-in-focus-as-foreign-minister-visits-japan">cooperation in advanced technologies</a> topped the agenda. ]]></content:encoded>
</item>
<item>
<title>Alien and enigmatic, Slovenian pavilion at Venice Biennale</title>
<link>https://sloveniatimes.com/40426/alien-and-enigmatic-slovenian-pavilion-at-venice-biennale</link>
<pubDate>Thu, 18 Apr 2024 07:48:00 +0200</pubDate>
<category>Culture</category>
<guid isPermaLink="true">https://sloveniatimes.com/40426/alien-and-enigmatic-slovenian-pavilion-at-venice-biennale</guid>
<description><![CDATA[Slovenia has inaugurated its pavilion at the 60th Venice Art Biennale. It features a work by conceptual artist Nika Špan, displayed in a park between the main exhibition venues of the Arsenale and Giardini. An unusual nomadic structure, Špan's Garden Secret for You is both a sculpture and ...]]></description>
<content:encoded><![CDATA[Slovenia has inaugurated its pavilion at the 60th Venice Art Biennale. It features a work by conceptual artist Nika Špan, displayed in a park between the main exhibition venues of the Arsenale and Giardini. 
An unusual nomadic structure, Špan's Garden Secret for You is both a sculpture and architecture. It is framed as an alien and unexpected element in the historical context of Venice.
It features a cellar brought from Poland that sits on a trailer, which visitors can access by stairs and a bridge while having a unique acoustic, visual and spatial experience. 
Curator Vladimir Vidmar described the exhibit as an impossible object, a cellar in the middle of Venice, a city where cellars are impossible. 
In this way it connects to the slogan of this year's international art exhibition in Venice - Foreigners Everywhere. 
Exhibited in a public space next to the former greenhouse Serra dei Giardini, the project also draws attention to the fact that Slovenia does not have a permanent pavilion in Venice. 
 <gallery-widget foto-ids="40842,40841,40838,40835,40834,40833,40837"></gallery-widget> 
Špan says she and curator Vidmar based their idea on an enigmatic entity, an industrial element but also a remarkable aesthetic achievement. 
The visitors are invited to follow their own wonderment and come up with their own unique set of questions about "what exactly is this unusual, unstable structure that we call a work of art, and how does this experience here define it," says Vidmar. 
The work was inaugurated on 17 April, three days before the official opening of the biennale. ]]></content:encoded>
</item>
<item>
<title>Torch to spread Olympic spirit around the country</title>
<link>https://sloveniatimes.com/40425/torch-to-spread-olympic-spirit-around-the-country</link>
<pubDate>Wed, 17 Apr 2024 18:42:32 +0200</pubDate>
<category>Sport</category>
<guid isPermaLink="true">https://sloveniatimes.com/40425/torch-to-spread-olympic-spirit-around-the-country</guid>
<description><![CDATA[A day after the flame for the 2024 Paris Olympics was lit in Olympia, Slovenians have sent their own torch to tour the country with the nation's first Olympic medallist making the first leg. The Slovenian torch started its journey in Lendava, northeast, near the tri-border with Hungary and ...]]></description>
<content:encoded><![CDATA[A day after the flame for the 2024 Paris Olympics was lit in Olympia, Slovenians have sent their own torch to tour the country with the nation's first Olympic medallist making the first leg. 
The Slovenian torch started its journey in Lendava, northeast, near the tri-border with Hungary and Croatia on 17 April.
In the next three months it will visit all Slovenian municipalities as well as Slovenian communities in neighbouring countries. It will be carried by some 10,000 torch-bearers. 
It will travel some 8,000 kilometres before finishing its journey on 13 July in Mojstrana in the northwest, near the tri-border with Austria and Italy. 
Rower Jani Klemenčič, the first Slovenian to win an Olympic medal in 1992 and ambassador of the Slovenian torch project, said he was honoured to begin the torch's journey. 
It is important that the torch also visits small towns to show them they are not forgotten and that everyone can dream their dreams, he said at the ceremony. 
Franjo Bobinac, the head of the Slovenian Olympic Committee, noted that Slovenia is a sporting nation. "We have so many success stories in sport that even the biggest countries envy us," he said. 
He expressed hope that the Olympic spirit would bring peace to those that need it most at least during the upcoming Olympic Games. 
This is the second time the torch is travelling around Slovenia. Made of recycled steel and Slovenian beechwood, the torch, weighing nearly 2kg, was created ahead of the Tokyo Games in 2021, when it travelled more than 7,000 km in the hands of more than 9,000 torch-bearers. 
After completing its journey, the torch will be taken to the Slovenian Olympic House in Paris, which will serve as a venue for the promotion of Slovenian businesses, culture and cuisine. ]]></content:encoded>
</item>
<item>
<title>Two Slovenian Cistercian monasteries win European Heritage Label</title>
<link>https://sloveniatimes.com/40424/two-slovenian-cistercian-monasteries-win-european-heritage-label</link>
<pubDate>Wed, 17 Apr 2024 16:01:53 +0200</pubDate>
<category>Culture</category>
<guid isPermaLink="true">https://sloveniatimes.com/40424/two-slovenian-cistercian-monasteries-win-european-heritage-label</guid>
<description><![CDATA[Two Cistercian monasteries are the latest Slovenian sites to win the European Heritage Label, a title awarded by the European Commission to what it says are milestones in the creation of today's Europe. Seven sites were picked for the title this year, including Cisterscapes - Cistercian ...]]></description>
<content:encoded><![CDATA[Two Cistercian monasteries are the latest Slovenian sites to win the European Heritage Label, a title awarded by the European Commission to what it says are milestones in the creation of today's Europe. 
Seven sites were picked for the title this year, including Cisterscapes - Cistercian Landscapes Connecting Europe, a project bringing together 17 Cisterian monasteries in Europe.
Apart from the monasteries in Stična and in Kostanjevica na Krki in Slovenia, it also involves those in Germany, Austria, the Czech Republic and Poland. Germany filed the bid for the EU heritage award. 
Stična, 35 km southeast of Ljubljana, is now the only active Cistercian monastery in Slovenia, part of which is home to the Slovenian Museum of Christianity. 
It was founded in the early 12th century by Aquileia Patriarch Peregrin as a subsidiary of the Rein monastery near Graz as the oldest monastery in present-day Slovenia. 
Due to generous gifts, it acquired a large estate and was for centuries a leading religious and economic centre in Carniola, the historical name of much of Slovenia. 
The Spring of St Mary Monastery in Kostanjevica na Krki, in the southeast, was active between the early 13th century and 1786, when it was closed as part of Hapsburg Emperor Joseph II's reforms. 
It has since served various non-religious purposes, being turned into an art gallery in the 1970s, named after painter Božidar Jakac (1899-1989). 
The monastic complex was declared a cultural monument in 1989. During a recent visit, Culture Minister Asta Vrečko announced €2.8 million in funding for a major renovation. 
<h6><img src="/images/40830"> The former Cistercian monastery at Kostanjevica na Krki, now a gallery. Photo: Kaja Šoštarec/STA</h6>
The two Slovenian institutions have collaborated on the southern leg of the 6,300 km Cistercian trail, which unites all 17 Cistercian monasteries in Europe. 
The southern leg starts in Kostanjevica na Krki. Next month, the two institutions will mount an exhibition on the legacy of Cistercian monks in Europe. 
The Cistercian monastic order, derived from the Benedictines and founded in Burgundy in France in 1098, spread widely throughout Europe, especially Central Europe. 
The European Commission says the Cisterscapes network has "a historic pan-European nature" while it contributed to European history and integration and helped shape some of the European values, such as the balance between unity and diversity. 
The ceremony at which the new sites will formally receive the European Heritage Label is taking place in Antwerp, Belgium, on 17 April. 
European Heritage Label is awarded to buildings, areas, museums, archives, monuments or events which celebrate and symbolise European ideals, values and history. 
A total of 67 sites have so far won the title, four of which in Slovenia. 
Apart from the two Cistercian monasteries, the emblem was earlier awarded to the WWII Franja Partisan Hospital (2015), the Church of the Holy Spirit on Javorca hill (2017) and Zdravljica (A Toast), a poem written by Romantic poet France Prešeren (1800-1849) whose 7th stanza serves as the lyrics for Slovenia's national anthem.]]></content:encoded>
</item>
<item>
<title>Former cinema chain owner in prison</title>
<link>https://sloveniatimes.com/40423/former-cinema-chain-owner-in-prison</link>
<pubDate>Wed, 17 Apr 2024 14:23:47 +0200</pubDate>
<category>Crime</category>
<guid isPermaLink="true">https://sloveniatimes.com/40423/former-cinema-chain-owner-in-prison</guid>
<description><![CDATA[Businessman Sergej Racman, once one of the wealthiest Slovenians, has started serving prison time for cutting off creditors in the 2014 sale of the largest cinema complex in the country. Racman, who started off in stock trading and finance before moving to entertainment and casino business, was ...]]></description>
<content:encoded><![CDATA[Businessman Sergej Racman, once one of the wealthiest Slovenians, has started serving prison time for cutting off creditors in the 2014 sale of the largest cinema complex in the country. 
Racman, who started off in stock trading and finance before moving to entertainment and casino business, was sentenced to two years in prison in 2022 before the Ljubljana Higher Court upheld his conviction in late 2023.
The news portal Necenzurirano reported on 17 April that he had started serving his sentence after his defence team failed in its request for him to work off his sentence by using sentencing alternatives. 
They proposed he serve weekend jail only and work off the rest by performing community service but the Ljubljana District Court confirmed for the portal that the request was denied. 
Racman, the former owner of the cinema chain operator Kolosej, was convicted over the transaction whereby he transferred the Kolosej cinema centre in Ljubljana to a business associate to prevent a foreclosure. 
Scheme to outwit creditors
A decade ago, Kolosej's largest creditor, NLB bank, tried to sell the Ljubljana multiplex due to debt default but Racman filed an appeal at the Constitutional Court. 
His appeal was upheld and the sale was suspended. NLB then filed for bankruptcy of Kolosej, but before the court could rule on the matter, Racman signed over the Ljubljana cinema complex to a real estate company called SIP Nepremičnine without the consent of creditors. 
Revenue that continued to be generated by the complex prior to the bankruptcy ended up with SIP Nepremičnine instead of in the bankruptcy estate. The Ljubljana District Court ruled in 2019 that the sale to SIP had been illegal and that creditors had been defrauded. 
The cinema complex was subsequently returned to the Kolosej bankruptcy estate. It was sold at public auction in 2022 to entrepreneur Ivo Boscarol for the asking price of €6.4 million. It <a href="/37544/slovenias-first-multiplex-cinema-closes-down">closed down</a> in March 2023. 
Boscarol, best known as the founder and former long-serving CEO of ultra-light aircraft maker Pipistrel, is planning to revive the neglected building, which is located in the BTC shopping district. 
The courts have also ordered Racman to pay €700,000 in damages, but his personal assets are now being targetted as he has failed to pay up. 
Sex trafficking case
Racman is in the dock in a case involving sex trafficking and money laundering charges. 
The case is known as Marina, named after the Marina Sauna Club near Nova Gorica where roughly 400 women were allegedly abused to provide sex services to an estimated 150,000 clients between 2014 and 2020. 
Racman and his two associates, who are the chief defendants in the case, allegedly made at least €21 million in illegal gains by operating a prostitution ring at the club. 
Canada extradited Racman to Slovenian authorities in 2020 on the basis of an international arrest warrant based on the Marina case. Racman spent almost a year in custody before being released against a bail of €800,000. 
Racman joins several other once well-known businessmen who ended up in prison for corporate crime, including Bine Kordež of hardware retailer Merkur, Igor Bavčar of Istrabenz holding, Boško Šrot of brewery Pivovarna Laško, Hilda Tovšak of builder Vegrad and Robert Časar of port operator Luka Koper. They have most served out their time. ]]></content:encoded>
</item>
<item>
<title>From hot to freezing in a day</title>
<link>https://sloveniatimes.com/40422/from-hot-to-freezing-in-a-day</link>
<pubDate>Wed, 17 Apr 2024 11:05:30 +0200</pubDate>
<category>Environment & Nature</category>
<guid isPermaLink="true">https://sloveniatimes.com/40422/from-hot-to-freezing-in-a-day</guid>
<description><![CDATA[Shorts are out and winter coats and gloves are back in in Slovenia after temperature rollercoaster brought down readings by up to 26 degrees Celsius in a single day in a new record. After more than ten days of unseasonably warm, summer-like weather with temperatures hitting 30C and over, the ...]]></description>
<content:encoded><![CDATA[Shorts are out and winter coats and gloves are back in in Slovenia after temperature rollercoaster brought down readings by up to 26 degrees Celsius in a single day in a new record. 
After more than ten days of unseasonably warm, <a href="/40390/april-heat-wave-brings-earliest-30c-on-record">summer-like weather</a> with temperatures hitting 30C and over, the country saw an abrupt change in weather on 16 April with icy temperatures, winds, rain and snow.
The weather forecast turned out to be accurate this time, but many still were caught unprepared, ending up shivering and with hands numb with cold. 
The U-turn in weather also caused some damage and traffic disruption due to strong winds and snowing. Temperature dropped below freezing point in many places. 
The Environment Agency's readings show that temperatures in the afternoon on 16 April were 25 degrees Celsius lower than the previous day in certain parts of the country. 
The record drop of 26.2 degrees was measured in Podčetrtek in the east, where the mercury dropped from 27.2 degrees on 15 April to one degree Celsius at 3pm the next day. 
 <gallery-widget foto-ids="40827,40826"></gallery-widget> 
Meteorologist Blaž Šter told TV Slovenija on the late evening news show that the biggest problems were caused by the bora and tramontane winds in the western region of Primorska. 
A lot of fresh snow has fallen at higher altitudes, up to 20 cm in some places. The Kredarica mountain lodge in the Julian Alps, at the altitude of 2,515 m, saw 40 cm of fresh snow, and the snow cover there is now three metres thick. 
Šter said that the situation is calming down as the cyclone that has been causing such weather is moving south. However, low temperatures will persist and there are concerns they could affect crops in the coming days. 
According to the Civil Protection and Disaster Relief Administration, firefighters removed a total of 51 uprooted trees from the roads, pumped out water from six flooded buildings and removed damaged parts of the roof from three buildings. 
They were also removing snow from vegetable gardens, greenhouses and other facilities. 
The road over the Vršič mountain pass is currently closed, while winter gear is mandatory for the Korensko Sedlo, Ljubelj and Jezerski Vrh passes. ]]></content:encoded>
</item>
<item>
<title>Green transition challenge for businesses</title>
<link>https://sloveniatimes.com/40421/green-transition-challenge-for-businesses</link>
<pubDate>Tue, 16 Apr 2024 15:37:59 +0200</pubDate>
<category>Business</category>
<category>Exclusive content</category>
<guid isPermaLink="true">https://sloveniatimes.com/40421/green-transition-challenge-for-businesses</guid>
<description><![CDATA[The impact of the green transition on competitiveness was one of the challenges discussed at the annual Day of German-Slovenian Business, organised by the German-Slovenian Chamber of Commerce and Industry at the IEDC - Bled School of Management on 16 April. The event, themed Circular Economy: The ...]]></description>
<content:encoded><![CDATA[The impact of the green transition on competitiveness was one of the challenges discussed at the annual Day of German-Slovenian Business, organised by the German-Slovenian Chamber of Commerce and Industry at the IEDC - Bled School of Management on 16 April. 
The event, themed Circular Economy: The Intersection of Innovation and Sustainable Development, heard the chamber's president Dagmar von Bohnstein speak of the worrying economic situation in Germany, also a concern for Slovenia, which generates a large share of its exports to Germany.
The German Ambassador to Slovenia, Natalie Kauther also emphasised the exceptional importance of economic cooperation between the two countries, expressing confidence that Germany and Slovenia would overcome the challenges together. 
Melanie Vogelbach, head of the international economic policy department at the German Chamber of Commerce, described the business mood in Germany as quite gloomy at present, but said the good news was that the global economy was experiencing moderate growth. 
 <gallery-widget foto-ids="40823,40822"></gallery-widget> 
Supply chains are more resilient than they were during the pandemic. However, rising protectionism and geopolitical risks are bringing a lot of uncertainty. The green transition, digitalization, and the shortage of skilled labour also pose major challenges. 
Germany's GDP contracted by 0.3% last year, and while the country expects minimal growth this year, businesses are not as optimistic, projecting an additional 0.5% contraction. A comprehensive survey of German companies has shown their expectations are negative due to various risk factors. 
High prices, more regulation
German companies are most concerned about energy and raw material prices, but increasingly about economic policy too, which is linked to business conditions and red tape, including environmental reporting. 
There are indeed more and more regulations related to ensuring greater sustainability and the requirements of the Green Deal. There are a lot of new demands coming from both Berlin and Brussels, Vogelbach said. 
Medeja Lončar, director-general of Siemens for Slovenia, Croatia, and Serbia, said that Slovenia is facing similar problems. "This is a common European problem that needs to be overcome," Lončar said. 
The head of the Slovenian Chamber of Commerce and Industry Tibor Šimonka was also critical of the European regulatory framework. "It is a major obstacle to the competitiveness of the European economy and should be reset," he said. 
"Through major technological changes, we see that Europe is not progressing as well as everyone would like," Economy Ministry State Secretary Matevž Frangež acknowledged. "We are no longer the largest global economy, but we still remain the largest global market." 
The EU should not defend itself against China and other competition with restrictions, but with standards, which also entail obligations, burdens, and obstacles for businesses, Frangež argued. 
Balance between protection and openness
Vogelbach warned that European markets are being flooded by those who do not play by the rules. That is why the German Chamber of Commerce expects foreign companies to adhere to the rules laid down, she stressed. 
She added that export-oriented countries in Europe are feeling a significant increase in protectionism in the global economy. In her view, purely defensive mechanisms are not the solution; a balance must be found between protection and openness. 
The business leaders also pointed out that energy is very expensive in Germany and Slovenia. At the same time, there are demands for a circular economy, but recycling alone consumes a lot of energy, which leads to poor competitiveness. 
"We must be aware that the development model that Slovenia has had until now is no longer working because it is dependent on cheap energy," Frangež said, convinced that it will be necessary to adapt and develop new business models. He said cooperation will be essential to overcome the challenges. 
On a positive note, Von Bohnstein pointed out that every crisis also brings opportunities. The green transition offers circular economy as one of its competitive advantages. Some companies, such as Siemens, have already recognised this and are embracing the opportunities that are emerging. 
According to Von Bohnstein, Germany is a leader in climate technologies not only in Europe but also globally. "Let's develop solutions together with competitive advantages for the challenges of our time and offer them to the market," she urged. ]]></content:encoded>
</item>
<item>
<title>Advanced technologies in focus as foreign minister visits Japan</title>
<link>https://sloveniatimes.com/40420/advanced-technologies-in-focus-as-foreign-minister-visits-japan</link>
<pubDate>Tue, 16 Apr 2024 14:29:17 +0200</pubDate>
<category>Business</category>
<category>Politics</category>
<guid isPermaLink="true">https://sloveniatimes.com/40420/advanced-technologies-in-focus-as-foreign-minister-visits-japan</guid>
<description><![CDATA[Cooperation in new technologies, in particular green hydrogen, ranked prominently as Slovenian Foreign Minister Tanja Fajon visited Japan on 15 and 16 April accompanied by a business delegation, before heading on to China. Fajon, the first Slovenian foreign minister to visit Japan in 16 years, ...]]></description>
<content:encoded><![CDATA[Cooperation in new technologies, in particular green hydrogen, ranked prominently as Slovenian Foreign Minister Tanja Fajon visited Japan on 15 and 16 April accompanied by a business delegation, before heading on to China.
Fajon, the first Slovenian foreign minister to visit Japan in 16 years, met her counterpart Yoko Kamikawa, State Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry Kazuchika Iwata and representatives of Japanese businesses.
"Japan is one of the most important investors in Slovenia, and we want to attract even more investors from this high-tech country," Fajon said, urging Japanese companies to invest further in Slovenia to upgrade cooperation in science and innovation. 
"Hydrogen, the automotive industry, science and robotics - these are all areas where Slovenian companies have a strong interest in cooperating with Japanese partners," she said. 
Meeting with representatives of Keidanren, Japan's largest business organisation, and with the CEOs of the Hitachi corporation and the SMBC bank, Fajon was joined by Igor Papič, the Slovenian minister of higher education, science and innovation, and Uroš Kerin, the coordinator of the Slovenian hydrogen consortium. 
The <a href="/40322/hydrogen-consortium-set-up-to-bid-for-japanese-funds">consortium</a> was recently formed by 18 Slovenian companies, organisations and municipalities to create an ecosystem for hydrogen from low-carbon sources to attract a Japanese partner to vie for funding from Japan's advanced technology agency NEDO. 
 <gallery-widget foto-ids="40821,40820,40819"></gallery-widget> 
Slovenia and Japan successfully implemented a three-year smart grid and smart city project in the past. Based on this positive experience, Slovenia hopes they can join forces again to establish a low-carbon hydrogen ecosystem. 
"We are working together in the UN Security Council on climate security and on finding solutions to climate change, and this project would bring a joint solution that pursues the goals of the green transition in practice," Fajon said. 
Papič, who had taken part in the three-year smart grid project as an expert, labelled what would be a low-carbon hydrogen ecosystem "one of the largest international demonstration projects".
"With the previous development project in the field of smart grids, in which I participated as an expert, we were extremely successful and even won the award for the best project in this field on a global scale," said Papič, a professor of electrical engineering. 
Papič will be having several more meetings in Japan in the coming days, including with Shigenori Mitsushima, head of the Japanese association of hydrogen energy systems.
Fajon's discussions with her counterpart focused on bilateral relations and the countries' cooperation in the UN Security Council where both serve as non-permanent members. 
"Slovenia and Japan are like-minded countries, which is also reflected in our close cooperation within the UN Security Council, where we are committed to an effective, rules-based international order," Fajon said, pointing to conflict prevention, the protection of civilians, nuclear disarmament, and a greater role of women in peace and security efforts. 
The ministers exchanged views on topical issues and conflicts, called for a "free, open, inclusive and rules-based Indo-Pacific" and agreed that the EU-Japan strategic partnership is becoming increasingly relevant also in the context of economic and climate security. 
Trade relations will also rank prominently in China, the next stop of Fajon's mini Asian tour, where she will be accompanied by a delegation representing over 50 Slovenian companies. ]]></content:encoded>
</item>
<item>
<title>Pilot geothermal plant generates electricity, but modifications required</title>
<link>https://sloveniatimes.com/40419/pilot-geothermal-plant-generates-electricity-but-modifications-required</link>
<pubDate>Tue, 16 Apr 2024 12:43:57 +0200</pubDate>
<category>Energy</category>
<category>Science & Technology</category>
<guid isPermaLink="true">https://sloveniatimes.com/40419/pilot-geothermal-plant-generates-electricity-but-modifications-required</guid>
<description><![CDATA[Slovenia's pilot geothermal power station, tapping into an abandoned wellbore in the Lendava area, has produced the first kilowatts of electricity but tests have shown that modifications will be required for viable long-term energy generation. Located at an abandoned natural gas well in Čentiba ...]]></description>
<content:encoded><![CDATA[Slovenia's <a href="/36760/ground-broken-for-geothermal-plant-on-gas-well">pilot geothermal power station</a>, tapping into an abandoned wellbore in the Lendava area, has produced the first kilowatts of electricity but tests have shown that modifications will be required for viable long-term energy generation. 
Located at an abandoned natural gas well in Čentiba in the northeast of the country, the facility is run by DEM, the company operating hydro power stations on the river Drava which is part of the state-owned group HSE.
DEM started working on the roughly 3,000 metres-deep Pg-8 wellbore in 2022. 
The €1.2 million project is meant to generate about 400 megawatt hours of electricity a year and pave the way for zero carbon geothermal energy extraction at a number of other disused gas wells in the country and abroad. 
The first tests, which got delayed a bit due to extensive well-renewal procedures, have confirmed the capacity for generating energy, but DEM said on 16 April that modifications will be needed for permanent use. 
"The thermal capacity of the well has proved to be insufficient to provide the necessary ammonia vapour flow to operate the 50-kilowatt pilot plant on a sustained basis," DEM explained, announcing a modification of the turbine section. 
The idea behind the plant, a product of Slovenian know-how, is to tap into the existing wellbore to extract geothermal energy rather than gas in what is a closed-loop system where the liquid refrigerant (ammonia) does not come into contact with the overheated rock. 
DEM announced the project at the beginning of 2021 and received a building permit in May 2022. The company Petrol Geo, one of the partners in the project, started underground works in December 2022. ]]></content:encoded>
</item>
<item>
<title>Slovenians help uncover biggest black hole in Milky Way</title>
<link>https://sloveniatimes.com/40418/slovenians-help-uncover-biggest-black-hole-in-milky-way</link>
<pubDate>Tue, 16 Apr 2024 11:49:33 +0200</pubDate>
<category>Science & Education</category>
<guid isPermaLink="true">https://sloveniatimes.com/40418/slovenians-help-uncover-biggest-black-hole-in-milky-way</guid>
<description><![CDATA[Slovenian astrophysicists Andreja Gomboc and Tomaž Zwitter have been part of a team that discovered the most massive stellar black hole yet found in the Milky Way. Unlike similar discoveries in distant galaxies, this one allows more in-depth research into the origin of such massive black holes. ...]]></description>
<content:encoded><![CDATA[ Slovenian astrophysicists Andreja Gomboc and Tomaž Zwitter have been part of a team that discovered the most massive stellar black hole yet found in the Milky Way. Unlike similar discoveries in distant galaxies, this one allows more in-depth research into the origin of such massive black holes. 
Wading through the data provided by the European Space Agency's Gaia mission, the team stumbled upon a dormant black hole with a mass of nearly 33 times the size of the Sun.
Located in the constellation Aquila, a mere 2,000 light-years from Earth, it is the biggest black hole of stellar origin ever spotted in our galaxy. Since it is the third dormant black hole found with Gaia, it was named Gaia BH3.
The ESA's Gaia Data Processing and Analysis Consortium released details of the discovery in the peer-reviewed journal Astronomy and Astrophysics on 16 April.
The report's lead author is Pasquale Panuzzo, who works at the Paris Observatory, while Zwitter (Ljubljana Faculty of Mathematics and Physics) and Gomboc (University of Nova Gorica) are among the co-authors.
 <gallery-widget foto-ids="40812,40813"></gallery-widget> 
Zwitter has been part of the Gaia team for 23 years and has played a significant role in the design and data processing of the satellite's spectroscopic instrument, which was crucial in confirming the discovery, his faculty said.
It added that the relative proximity of the black hole Gaia BH3 will allow more detailed research into the formation of such massive black holes and their properties. Gaia BH3 is the second-closest known black hole to Earth.

<youtube-widget video-id="5IjTSM8vH5o"></youtube-widget> 
"Less than ten years ago, when we discovered black hole mergers with the help of gravitational waves, it was not clear how these black holes in faraway galaxies came to be and how they could be of such large mass.
"But now we have the first example of such a massive black hole literally in our neighbourhood, and since it was formed from a normal star, we can actually say for the first time that even more distant massive black holes were formed from normal stars," Zwitter told the Slovenian Press Agency. ]]></content:encoded>
</item>
<item>
<title>DHL Express building new logistics centre in Brnik</title>
<link>https://sloveniatimes.com/40397/dhl-express-building-new-logistics-centre-in-brnik</link>
<pubDate>Tue, 16 Apr 2024 10:28:58 +0200</pubDate>
<category>Business</category>
<guid isPermaLink="true">https://sloveniatimes.com/40397/dhl-express-building-new-logistics-centre-in-brnik</guid>
<description><![CDATA[The logistics company DHL Express Slovenija has begun building a new centre in the vicinity of Ljubljana Airport in Brnik to step up its capacity. The €21 million investment is expected to be completed next year. The building, which is to span 8,400 gross square metres, will accept 190 employees ...]]></description>
<content:encoded><![CDATA[The logistics company DHL Express Slovenija has begun building a new centre in the vicinity of Ljubljana Airport in Brnik to step up its capacity. The €21 million investment is expected to be completed next year. 
The building, which is to span 8,400 gross square metres, will accept 190 employees and 40 delivery vehicles. Taking into account potential expansion plans, another 20 vehicles could be added to the fleet.
The automated sorting system will be able to process about 3,500 parcels per hour. 
The construction, managed by the contractor GIC Gradnje, began in early April, according to DHL Express Slovenija. 
The new centre will be located on a plot of land leased from the airport's operator Fraport Slovenija. 
The investment is due to be a carbon-neutral project whose energy or heating will derive from a solar power plant and heat pumps. There will also be a rainwater harvesting system and 40 charging units for electric delivery vehicles. 
"Our existing logistics centre cannot keep pace with exports and imports growth given the current digitalisation and globalisation trends," DHL Express Slovenija director Matjaž Sirk said. ]]></content:encoded>
</item>
<item>
<title>Long-serving Italian minority MP Battelli dies</title>
<link>https://sloveniatimes.com/40416/long-serving-italian-minority-mp-battelli-dies</link>
<pubDate>Mon, 15 Apr 2024 18:45:08 +0200</pubDate>
<category>Politics</category>
<guid isPermaLink="true">https://sloveniatimes.com/40416/long-serving-italian-minority-mp-battelli-dies</guid>
<description><![CDATA[Roberto Battelli, a former MP who represented the Italian ethnic minority in Slovenia , has died, aged 69. Battelli served in parliament for seven terms, from 1992 to 2018. Born in 1954 in Pula, Croatia, Battelli entered politics after an initial career in journalism. He started at the ...]]></description>
<content:encoded><![CDATA[Roberto Battelli, a former MP who represented the Italian ethnic minority in Slovenia , has died, aged 69. Battelli served in parliament for seven terms, from 1992 to 2018. 
Born in 1954 in Pula, Croatia, Battelli entered politics after an initial career in journalism. He started at the Koper-Capodistria bilingual local TV station in 1975, eventually becoming editor of the news desk. In 1988 he became a corresponded for the Italian-language daily La Voce del Popolo, based in Croatia's Rijeka.
His political career began in 1990 when he was elected to the then Slovenian parliament, still under Yugoslavia. He was re-elected as the sole representative of the Italian minority in the National Assembly in independent Slovenia in 1992, 1996 in 2000, 2004, 2008 in 2011.
In 2022 former President Borut Pahor decorated Battelli with the Golden Order of Merit for his long-time work and contribution to the development of democracy in Slovenia and for his merits in connecting and preserving the Italian minority in Slovenia.
He has played an "active part in the key moments of the establishment of the Slovenian state and had an indispensable role in paving the way for appropriate legal protection of ethnic minorities in the Slovenian constitution", the president's office wrote a the time.
It also noted that Battelli had participated in the drafting of more than 200 legal acts that resolve the situation of members of national minorities in Slovenia.
These include changes to the act regulating special rights of the Italian and Hungarian minorities in Slovenia in education, which ensured a higher quality of education in the schools of both ethnic minorities.
A minute's silence in honour of the former MP will be observed in the National Assembly at its next session. "He will be forever remembered," the parliament's press service wrote in announcing his death on 15 April.]]></content:encoded>
</item>
</channel>
</rss>

If you would like to create a banner that links to this page (i.e. this validation result), do the following:

Download the "valid RSS" banner.
Upload the image to your own server. (This step is important. Please do not link directly to the image on this server.)
Add this HTML to your page (change the image src attribute if necessary):

<a href="http://www.feedvalidator.org/check.cgi?url=http%3A//www.sloveniatimes.com/rss%3Fcategory_id%3D1"><img src="valid-rss-rogers.png" alt="[Valid RSS]" title="Validate my RSS feed" /></a>

If you would like to create a text link instead, here is the URL you can use:

http://www.feedvalidator.org/check.cgi?url=http%3A//www.sloveniatimes.com/rss%3Fcategory_id%3D1

Home · About · News · Docs · Terms