News roundup - Tuesday, 19 March

SOVA, NBI directors deny meddling by politicians in Russian spies' arrest

LJUBLJANA - The directors of intelligence agency SOVA and the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI), Joško Kadivnik and Darko Muženič, denied having been pressured by the prime minister regarding the timing of the arrest of two suspected Russian spies in 2022. They both told an inquiry commission they had never come under pressure and that the date of the arrest had been picked based on tactical and operational information. Commission chair Aleš Rezar said the hearings proved there was no pressure and that the commission would wrap up this line of inquiry.

Ljubljana official accused of perjury over sewerage project

LJUBLJANA - The parliamentary inquiry into suspected abuse of office in the construction of the C0 sewerage pipeline around Ljubljana has reported a Ljubljana local official to the police for alleged perjury. She has told the inquiry she had never followed Mayor Zoran Janković's instructions concerning the sewerage project, while certain recordings prove otherwise, inquiry chair Anja Bah Žibret said.

Croatia interested in Krško 2 project

ZAGREB, Croatia - HEP, Croatia's national energy group, which co-owns the Nuclear Power Plant (NEK) in Krško, Slovenia, is considering taking part in the construction of a second nuclear reactor in Krško - Krško 2. This was revealed by HEP chairman Vice Orlušić at a Croatian business conference on Monday. Gen Energija, the Slovenian co-owner of the plant, said several companies were interested but it does not have the mandate to pick a co-investor.

EU states close to agreement on opening accession talks with Bosnia, official says

BRUSSELS, Belgium - EU member states are very close to agreement to endorse the start of EU membership talks with Bosnia-Herzegovina, Slovenian Foreign Ministry State Secretary Marko Štucin said before a session of ministers in charge of EU affairs. Foreign Minister Tanja Fajon expressed hope the EU summit starting on Thursday will give the green light.

Large cocaine shipment seized in Koper

KOPER - Police seized 260 kilos of cocaine in the port of Koper a few days ago, after two divers were spotted trying to retrieve the drugs from the ballast tanks of a ship transporting soy from South America, public broadcaster TV Slovenija reported. Police confirmed that drugs had been seized and said that a Brazilian and Albanian citizen were in custody.

Some Turkish workers building rail track to Koper on strike

LJUBLJANA - A group of Turkish workers building the Koper-Divača rail track have gone on strike despite a strike deal reached in mid-February. The strike has been confirmed by 2TDK, the state-owned company which oversees the project. It expressed regret and of hope that the February agreement is not in jeopardy. The trade union that helped broker the agreement says that the strike, which it is not involved in, is illegal.

Ljubljana Airport operator's revenue and earnings up substantially in 2023

BRNIK/FRANKFURT, Germany - Fraport Slovenija, the German-owned operator of Ljubljana airport, saw revenue rise by 28% to EUR 43.4 million in 2023, while earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortization (EBITDA) were up 68% to EUR 12.8 million, according to the Fraport Group results.

DARS sells 15% more motorway toll vignettes

LJUBLJANA - DARS, the operator of the country's motorways, sold 8.6 million electronic vignettes in 2023, up 15% on 2022, collecting a total of EUR 236 million in motorway toll, or 16% more than the year before, the company said. Just over 60,000 fines were issued to drivers without valid vignettes.

Labour cost in Slovenia among fastest-growing in EU in Q4

LJUBLJANA - Labour costs per hour in Slovenia increased by 11.8% in the last quarter of 2023 compared to the same period in 2022, which is a significantly above the EU average, which was at 4%, and the Eurozone average of 3.4%, according to Eurostat.

Removal of hazardous silt in Koroška completed

PREVALJE - The contractor removed the last 12 tonnes of what was a total of 2,200 tonnes of hazardous silt that built up after the August 2023 floods, in what the Environment Ministry said completed a major part of the post-flood rehabilitation effort. Prevalje Mayor Matic Tasič however said that a lot of the silt still along the banks of the Meža was likely just as laced with heavy metals as the silt that has been removed.

Pogačar takes the lead in Tour of Catalonia

BARCELONA, Spain - Slovenian cyclist Tadej Pogačar (UAE Team Emirates) took the overall lead in the Tour of Catalonia by winning the second stage from Mataro to Vallter a minute and 22 seconds ahead of his closest contenders Mikel Landa and Aleksandr Vlasov. "The conditions were tough; it was a hard climb, and you could feel the altitude, but I'm happy to win," Pogačar said.

Major exhibition brings Klavdij Sluban's dark but poetic photos

LJUBLJANA - The largest retrospective to date of Klavdij Sluban, one of the world's most celebrated photographers of Slovenian descent, will open at the Jakopič Gallery in Ljubljana on Tuesday. The exhibition Elsewhere Here brings 153 photos from Sluban's various series in what the gallery said are the highlights of his career spanning over 30 years.