News roundup - Sunday, 3 March

Minister says Slovenia determined to develop military capabilities

LJUBLJANA - Against the backdrop of the wars in Ukraine and Gaza, tensions in the Western Balkans and the rise of nationalism in the EU, Defence Minister Marjan Šarec told the STA in an interview that Slovenia must remain vigilant and will continue to build up its military capabilities because the army must be strong enough to act as a deterrent. He expects the army's annual readiness report due in a few weeks to be better than last year due to new equipment and boosted staff numbers. He wants Slovenia to go from buyer to seller and producer of military gear. The ministry has been stepping up investment in defence R&D, raising spending from EUR 2 million in 2022 to almost EUR 12 million last year.

Huda Jama mass grave victims remembered 15 years after discovery

LAŠKO - Fifteen years, to the day, the remains of more than 1,400 victims of summary killings committed just after the Second World War were discovered in a disused coal mine near the village of Huda Jama near Laško (NE). Marking the anniversary were calls for a decent burial of all victims of post-war reprisals. The government commission for concealed mass graves declared 2024 as the year of remembrance for the Huda Jama victims and of dialogue about the burial of those who have not yet been buried. An exhibition at the European Parliament, a documentary film and a statement calling for respect for the victims and their decent burial are planned.

Congestions expected in Bled due to bypass construction

BLED - Traffic in and out of the lakeside town of Bled will run in alternating one-way direction starting from Monday due to the construction of the Bled bypass. The new regime is expected to cause congestions, in particular at rush hours. Partial closures are needed as the construction of a new roundabout at Betin nears completion. The road will be closed at two sections in March and April. Two-way traffic will resume via a new bypass by 21 April, or, weather permitting, a week earlier. The Lesce-Bled road sees an average of 28,000 vehicles a day, so congestions during the partial closure are deemed inevitable.

Police press charges against violent neurologist nurse

LJUBLJANA - A nurse who allegedly hit an elderly patient at the neurology division of the Ljubljana UKC medical centre in August last year, threatening to kill him, has been reported to the prosecution by the police on suspicion of committing the crime of threat, several media have reported. TV Slovenija, POP TV and the news portal N1 reported that the police filed a criminal complaint against the nurse with the Ljubljana District Prosecutor's Office in mid-January. The crime he is suspected of carries a fine or up to one year imprisonment. The incident was one in a series that triggered debate about violence against the elderly in the country.

Police intervene in reckless indoor car park racing

LJUBLJANA - A multi-storey car park at a Ljubljana shopping centre saw an unusual spectacle on Saturday evening involving a reckless illegal car race that attracted an audience of several hundred people. One of the drivers crashed into a concrete pillar. A footage of the incident at the Supernova shopping mall in Rudnik has been posted on social media. The police deployed several patrols to intervene after being notified that a mass of people with cars gathered at the car park, making a racket and obstructing other drivers. They issued penalty notices to several of them and brought an offence procedure against the driver who crashed his car.