News roundup - Tuesday, 11 June, until 3pm

Slovenia welcomes US-backed Gaza ceasefire resolution

NEW YORK, US - Prime Minister Robert Golob welcomed the US-sponsored resolution calling for a ceasefire in Gaza that the UN Security Council endorsed on Monday. Slovenia, which voted in favour of the resolution, is proud of its contribution to the adoption of the proposal, he said late on Monday evening, adding that the resolution gave hope for peace. The Foreign Ministry also welcomed the development.

Slovenia's increase in EU election turnout second only to Hungary's

BRUSSELS, Belgium - Slovenia, where the EU election was coupled with three referendum votes, was among the countries with the highest increase in voter turnout in this year's EU vote compared to 2019, the 12 percentage point surge to 41.4% coming second only to Hungary's 15-point climb to some 59%. The improved turnout among at least 14 member states was hailed on Monday at a press conference by European Parliament spokesperson Jaume Duch.

Central bank upgrades Slovenia's growth for 2024 to 2.5%

LJUBLJANA - The Bank of Slovenia upgraded its GDP forecast for Slovenia for this year to 2.5% from 2.2% last December. In 2025, growth is to pick up by 0.3 of a percentage point to 2.6%. Inflation for this year has been downgraded by 0.6 point to 2.4%, while it is projected to hit 3% next year, down 0.1 of a point from December. "We expect economic growth in Slovenia to strengthen later in the year. It will reach a long-term average of 2.8% in 2026," vice-governor Tina Žumer said.

Slovenian finally included in Apple's operating system

LJUBLJANA - Slovenian iPhone users will soon be able to use their smartphones in Slovenian, as US tech giant Apple has announced that their iOS 18 operating system will also run in the Slovenian language as of this autumn, according to two Slovenian portals. "Apple is the first major corporation to comply with the requirements of the amended law on the public use of Slovenian. We expect that other developers will soon follow suit and that all devices will finally be able to speak Slovenian," the Culture Ministry wrote.

Alternative culture centre in Maribor celebrates 30 years

MARIBOR - Pekarna, an alternative culture centre operating in an old army barracks in Maribor, celebrated its 30th anniversary on Monday with its users stressing the importance of this unique cultural venue. "Since 1994, the site of the former military bakery has been a place of creation and cooperation for many," they said as they criticised the city authorities' attitude towards alternative culture.

Grossmann fest marking 20 years of vivid film imagination in small town

LJUTOMER - The town of Ljutomer is about to be transformed as the 20th Grossmann Festival of Fantastic Film and Wine kicks off today. Despite its modest budget, this hugely popular festival has defied the odds, thriving on unwavering commitment of its volunteers and riding the crest of the surging popularity of genre movies. The jubilee edition of the festival in this small town in the north-east of the country will run until 15 June to bring 31 feature-length films and 37 shorts from 21 countries.

Fire at paper mill Paloma causes EUR 5m damage

ŠENTILJ - The paper mill Paloma in northeast Slovenia caught fire on Monday, which caused the company EUR 5 million in damage according to a police estimate. The fire broke out on the roof of a building where paper specimens are stored during a storm around 6pm and was put out around 11pm. Valentina Ošlovnik, commander of Civil Protection in Šentilj municipality, said that the roof and two floors of the building were destroyed.