News Archive - May 2013

Westerners ‘killed in government ambush’ in Syria

31. 05. 2013
Westerners ‘killed in government ambush’ in Syria
Three westerners including an American and a Briton are reported killed in a government ambush in the Syrian town of Idlib, according to a foreign-based human rights group.

Slovenia Supporting Chinese Solar Industry?

31. 05. 2013
Slovenia Supporting Chinese Solar Industry?
Slovenian solar panel maker Bisol is indignant after Slovenia said earlier this week it was against anti-dumping duties for solar panels from China. Slovenia voted against the proposal in a survey of member states on Monday, a move labelled by Bisol as "high treason".

Govt to Define Transitional Period for Croatian Workers

30. 05. 2013
Govt to Define Transitional Period for Croatian Workers
The government is expected to adopt today a bill enforcing a transitional period for Croatian workers after Croatia joins the EU on 1 July. The bill envisages a two-year period during which Croatian citizens would be treated as citizens of non-member states.

Swiss take cue from EU members in corporate tax row

30. 05. 2013
Swiss take cue from EU members in corporate tax row
Switzerland is considering corporate tax incentives as offered by countries like Belgium, Britain and the Netherlands as it bows to European Union pressure to scrap its own controversial tax breaks.

NKBM Ready for Transfer of Bad Claims to Bad Bank

29. 05. 2013
NKBM Ready for Transfer of Bad Claims to Bad Bank
Slovenia's second biggest bank, NKBM, is ready to start transferring non-performing loans onto a bad bank, the bank said after a supervisory board meeting on Tuesday. The first transfers could expectedly be performed in July. The bank has also adopted more than 100 measures to improve its efficiency.

Apple CEO sees more 'gamechangers'; hints at wearable devices

29. 05. 2013
Apple CEO sees more 'gamechangers'; hints at wearable devices
Apple Inc Chief Executive Tim Cook defended the company's record of innovation under his stewardship, saying he expected it would release "several more game changers" and hinting that wearable computers could be among them.

Slovenia Active on OECD Ministerial

28. 05. 2013
Slovenia Active on OECD Ministerial
Foreign Minister Karl Erjavec is to take part this week in an OECD ministerial in Paris and hold separate meetings on the occasion with OECD Secretary-General Angel Gurria and French FM Laurent Fabius.

EU lifts embargo over arms to Syrian opposition

28. 05. 2013
EU lifts embargo over arms to Syrian opposition
There has been a seismic political shift in Brussels over Syria.

Fears of Syrian spillover in Lebanon

27. 05. 2013
Fears of Syrian spillover in Lebanon
Lebanon's state news agency says a rocket has been fired from the south of the country towards Israel. There is no news on who may be responsible, or of any damage or casualties.

Slovenia Hosting Adriatic-Ionian Meeting in Brussels

27. 05. 2013
Slovenia Hosting Adriatic-Ionian Meeting in Brussels
Slovenia will host a ministerial meeting of the Adriatic-Ionian Initiative in Brussels on Monday.

Police Arrested Fugitive Construction Boss

24. 05. 2013
Police Arrested Fugitive Construction Boss
Police have arrested construction boss Hilda Tovšak, who had been on the run for almost a week. The overnight arrest, made by police in Tovšak's hometown of Mislinja, NE, was announced by police early this morning.

UK police arrest two new suspects in soldier murder

24. 05. 2013
UK police arrest two new suspects in soldier murder
Two new suspects have been arrested by police investigating the violent killing of a British soldier in London on Wednesday.

Cameron chairs UK emergency response meeting

23. 05. 2013
Cameron chairs UK emergency response meeting
The UK government's emergency response committee will meet again this morning, in the wake of a machete killing in broad daylight on a London street.

EuroBasket 2013 to Get Postal Stamp

23. 05. 2013
EuroBasket 2013 to Get Postal Stamp
Post operator Pošta Slovenije will mark the European Basketball Championship 2013, which will be hosted by Slovenia in September, by launching a special stamp. The stamp, which was presented at a press conference on Wednesday, will be available as of Friday.

Senate panel passes immigration bill; Obama praises move

22. 05. 2013
Senate panel passes immigration bill; Obama praises move
A Senate panel on Tuesday approved legislation to give millions of illegal immigrants a path to citizenship, setting up a spirited debate next month in the full Senate over the biggest changes in immigration policy in a generation.

Key Fiscal Consolidation Measures Confirmed in Parliament

22. 05. 2013
Key Fiscal Consolidation Measures Confirmed in Parliament
The National Assembly passed legislation Tuesday putting into law the public sector pay deal signed by the government and trade unions on Monday and the government's motion to raise VAT, both constituent parts of fiscal consolidation measures. The changes were passed in a 49:32 vote.

Govt and Unions Sign Pay Deal

21. 05. 2013
Govt and Unions Sign Pay Deal
The government and public sector trade unions signed Monday an agreement that will bring about EUR 108.6m in savings this year and EUR 182.6m next year through pay cuts in the public sector.

At least 91 dead after tornado tears through Oklahoma

21. 05. 2013
At least 91 dead after tornado tears through Oklahoma
A tornado gusting at an estimated 320 kilometres per hour has cut a swathe through the US city of Oklahoma and surrounding state, leaving at least 91 dead and scores injured and missing.

NLB Back to Profit Next Year?

20. 05. 2013
NLB Back to Profit Next Year?
The chief supervisor of NLB Sašo Cunder and his deputy Stephan Wilcke told the STA in an interview that the bank could return to profit next year and be ready for privatization.

Syria army ‘in centre’ of Qusair amid assault on rebel town

20. 05. 2013
Syria army ‘in centre’ of Qusair amid assault on rebel town
Syrian government forces have launched a major offensive to retake the strategically important rebel stronghold of Qusair, near Lebanon.

Ljubljana to Host Outdoor Culinary Event

17. 05. 2013
Ljubljana to Host Outdoor Culinary Event
A new culinary project will be launched at the Ljubljana Central Market at 11 AM on Friday, featuring more than 50 Slovenian and foreign restaurants, master chefs and caterers. Until October, visitors of the first Slovenian "outdoor restaurant" will be able to taste their specialities and witness how they are made.

‘Assad must go’ say Turkey and the US

17. 05. 2013
‘Assad must go’ say Turkey and the US
There was a meeting of minds over a future Syria without President Assad but the US and Turkey differ over how to achieve it .

Brussels Approves EUR 166M for Slovenian Railway Project

16. 05. 2013
Brussels Approves EUR 166M for Slovenian Railway Project
The European Commission approved EUR 166m worth of cohesion funding for an upgrade of a key railway line in Slovenia on Wednesday.

Washington’s top tax official quits amid scandal

16. 05. 2013
Washington’s top tax official quits amid scandal
US tax agency chief Steve Miller has quit after it emerged his staff had singled out conservative groups for extra scrutiny. President Barack Obama announced his departure on Wednesday.

Syria set to dominate talks between Obama and Turkish PM

15. 05. 2013
Syria set to dominate talks between Obama and Turkish PM
Turkey’s prime minister says the Syrian crisis will be high on the agenda when he meets US President Barack Obama at the White House on Thursday.

Govt and Unions Agreed on Wage Cuts in Public Sector

15. 05. 2013
Govt and Unions Agreed on Wage Cuts in Public Sector
Measures to reduce the wage bill in the public sector are by and large agreed, trade union and government officials confirmed late on Monday as negotiations neared their completion. However, the final decision on whether the deal will be endorsed will depend on the relevant bodies of individual unions.

Slovenia Remains Committed to OSCE

14. 05. 2013
Slovenia Remains Committed to OSCE
Defence Minister Roman Jakič confirmed Slovenia's support for the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) as he met OSCE Secretary General Lambert Zannier in Vienna on Monday. Jakič also met Austrian counterpart Gerald Klug, with whom he discussed bilateral cooperation.

UK: Conservatives to publish draft EU referendum bill

14. 05. 2013
UK: Conservatives to publish draft EU referendum bill
Britain’s ruling Conservatives are expected to unveil a draft bill that could make Prime Minister David Cameron’s promise of a referendum on the country’s EU membership legally binding.

Meeting of Adriatic-Ionian Initiative

13. 05. 2013
Meeting of Adriatic-Ionian Initiative
Parliamentary speakers from countries of the Adriatic-Ionian Initiative will meet at Brdo pri Kranju on Monday for their 11th conference. Hosted by Slovenia as the group's rotating chair, the participants are to discuss the formation of the Adriatic-Ionian macroregion and how national parliaments could help in the process.

The new face of the World Trade Organisation

13. 05. 2013
The new face of the World Trade Organisation
Russia has agreed to extend the term of its loan to Cyprus and reduce the interest rate to provide additional financial relief to the island. At the same time Olli Rehn laid much of the blame for Cyprus’s problems on its previous government.

New Taxes Instead of Public Sector Cuts

10. 05. 2013
New Taxes Instead of Public Sector Cuts
The government unveiled Thursday a plan to raise an additional EUR 540m with new taxes as part of efforts to balance the budget. This will be coupled with a roughly equal amount of spending cuts, Prime Minister Alenka Bratušek said.

15 State Companies Listed for Privatisation

10. 05. 2013
15 State Companies Listed for Privatisation
The government decided Thursday to privatize NKBM, Slovenia's second largest bank, Telekom Slovenije, the leading telecommunications provider, and another 13 smaller companies in a bid to get much needed funds to plug the gaping budget shortfall.

Accused Cleveland kidnapper appears in court and bailed for $8m

10. 05. 2013
Accused Cleveland kidnapper appears in court and bailed for $8m
The man accused of imprisoning three women in Cleveland, Ohio, has had his bail set at eight million US dollars – more than six million euros.

No Assad in Syria transition – US

10. 05. 2013
No Assad in Syria transition – US
The United States says Syria’s embattled president Bashar al-Assad should not be part of any transitional government for the country.

Questions mount on how Ohio women's captivity went undetected

08. 05. 2013
Questions mount on how Ohio women's captivity went undetected
Euphoria over the rescue of three Ohio woman from a decade-long kidnapping ordeal gave way to questions of how their captivity inside a house on a residential street in Cleveland went undetected for so long.

PM to Present Stability Plan to Social Partners, Opposition

08. 05. 2013
PM to Present Stability Plan to Social Partners, Opposition
Prime Minister Alenka Bratušek will present the measures her government plans to implement to stabilize public finances to representatives of trade unions and employers on the Economic and Social Council on Wednesday morning. She will then unveil the drafts of documents expected by Brussels to the opposition.

UN expresses doubt about chemical weapons use in Syria

07. 05. 2013
UN expresses doubt about chemical weapons use in Syria
The United Nations is now saying it has no conclusive evidence of chemical weapons use in Syria.

Small Shareholders Want Safeguards in NKBM Privatisation

07. 05. 2013
Small Shareholders Want Safeguards in NKBM Privatisation
An association of small shareholders demanded safeguards Monday after Prime Minister Alenka Bratušek suggested in a recent interview that NKBM bank might be slated for privatisation as part of the government's efforts to raise much needed revenue.

One killed in attack on Catholic church in Tanzania

06. 05. 2013
One killed in attack on Catholic church in Tanzania
A suspected bomb attack on a new Catholic church in the mainly Christian north of Tanzania, possibly a petrol bomb thrown through a window, has killed at least one person and injured 57, some critically.

Slovenia Lose Ice Hockey Worlds Opener

06. 05. 2013
Slovenia Lose Ice Hockey Worlds Opener
Norway proved an insurmountable obstacle as Slovenia lost their opening game at the Ice Hockey World Championship 1:3 on Saturday.

US reconsidering arming Syrian rebels

03. 05. 2013
US reconsidering arming Syrian rebels
President Barack Obama’s defence chief says America is reconsidering arming rebel fighters in Syria.

Russian FM Lavrov to Visit Slovenia

03. 05. 2013
Russian FM Lavrov to Visit Slovenia
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov will arrive in Slovenia on Friday for a working visit. He will meet President Borut Pahor, PM Alenka Bratušek and FM Karl Erjavec. The visit is expected to further strengthen bilateral ties based on a strategic partnership