News roundup - Saturday, 8 April

State-sponsored hackers could be behind cyberattack on Foreign Ministry, expert says

LJUBLJANA - A Slovenian ethical hacker told the STA that it is difficult to say who is behind cyber attacks such as the one reported by the Slovenian Foreign Ministry on Friday, but highly skilled hackers sponsored by certain governments are often behind them. Milan Gabor, director of the company Viris, said "in the vast majority of such cases we are talking about teams of highly motivated and very well trained state hackers who are capable of breaking into even the most protected systems and stealing important data". He said Slovenia is well aware of the importance of cyber security, but a lack of good human resources in this field is its biggest problem.

Mime artist Andrés Valdés dies

LJUBLJANA - Cuban-born Slovenian mime artist Andrés Valdés y Fuentes died aged 86, the Slovenian Association of Theatre Artists (ZDUS) said. Valdés is credited with bringing modern mine to Slovenia when he moved here in 1964 and remained the only mine artist in the country for a long time. Born in 1936 in Havana, he started his career as a dancer and actor, and then studied mine with legendary masters Etienne Decroux and Marcel Marceau in Paris. He also served as adviser for movement in many Slovenian theatres, and taught mime at the Ljubljana Academy of Theatre, Radio, Film and Television for a decade. He received a number of awards.

*For 90% of respondents health reform is the most urgently needed

LJUBLJANA - Health reform is the most urgently needed of all the reforms the government has announced, according to an opinion poll Mediana carried out for the newspaper Delo. 70% of those polled said that it is very urgent and 21% that it is urgent. Long-term care reform and pension reform placed second and third. If the reforms are not implemented, the entire government coalition should take responsibility for the failure according to 51% of all respondents, while 24.5% would want only PM Robert Golob to take responsibility. Over 50% believe it is not very likely the government will actually implement the reforms.

Year after deadly blast, Melamin taking part in EU green project

LJUBLJANA - Slovenia is taking part in the e-CODUCT project aiming to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in heating and industry which involves partners from several countries. The pilot line will be set up at Melamin, a chemical plant hit by a deadly explosion last year. The three-year EU-funded project launched last September to develop breakthrough technology that would simultaneously reduce carbon dioxide and hydrogen sulphide to produce green fuels and chemicals, such as carbon monoxide and sulphur. The Slovenian partners are the Centre of Excellence for Low-Carbon Technologies and the National Institute of Chemistry.

Take on Slovenian folk songs wins main award at Week of Slovenian Drama

KRANJ - A theatre production which brings a new take on Slovenian folk songs won the Šelih Award for best production among seven competing productions as the 53rd Week of Slovenian Drama closed on Friday evening. Žene v Testu (Wives in Dough) was directed by Živa Bizovičar for the SNG Drama Ljubljana. The jury praised it as an extremely original auteur project while choosing Zvezdana Mlakar as the best actress. Jure Novak, director of the Prešeren Theatre in Kranj, which organises the annual festival promoting productions based on Slovenian plays, said it was very well received, with half of the shows sold out.

Hiša Franko among Europe's best gourmet getaways

LJUBLJANA - National Geographic has put Hiša Franko, self-taught chef Ana Roš's Michelin-starred restaurant from Slovenia, among Europe's best gourmet getaways. The list features 23 restaurants, highlighting some of the dishes they offer and the nearby places to visit. National Geographic says on its website that Roš has put Slovenia on the culinary map, as Hiša Franko was the first restaurant to win a Michelin star. It also highlights the Soča Valley, where Hiša Franko is located, as a place for hiking, rafting, fishing and mountain biking, and advises readers to drive about an hour south to the Vipava Valley for some of the best wineries.