News roundup - Tuesday, 6 August

Slovenia urges peaceful transition of power in Bangladesh

LJUBLJANA - Slovenia urged all parties in Bangladesh to practice restraint and ensure a peaceful transition to a democratically-elected government, the Foreign Ministry wrote on X. Weeks-long anti-government protests there have led to over 400 deaths so far and to PM Sheikh Hasina resigning on Monday with the army temporarily taking over. The appeal comes a day after EU foreign affairs chief Josep Borrell issued a similar call.

Russian spies say Russian agent visited them in prison, govt will not comment

LJUBLJANA - The two Russian spies that were last week part of the prisoner swap between the West and Russia have told the Russian state TV station Rossiya 1 said that they while in prison in Slovenia they had been visited by a member of the Russian foreign intelligence service SVR, who was there to bring them a message that Russia was making efforts to save them. They also said they had felt the pressure Slovenia was under from other countries, chiefly the US or its CIA. The STA asked the Government Communication Office for comment, but it said the government would not comment.

SDS and SD want Roma issues to be more promptly, properly addressed

Ljubljana, 6 August - The opposition Democrats (SDS) proposed to the parliamentary Interior Affairs Committee to set up a sub-committee that would closely monitor Roma-related issues and the coalition Social Democrats (SD) urged the government to start properly addressing these issues by introducing a mandatory pre-school programme and systems that would ensure that parents would consistently send their children to school, and prevent peer violence. This comes after a recent incident in which a municipal traffic warden was injured with stones in a Roma village and after a package of relevant bills was voted down.

Digital transformation minister rejects ouster motion allegations

LJUBLJANA - Digital Transformation Minister Emilija Stojmenova Duh rejected all allegations made by opposition Democrats (SDS) in the ouster motion against the minister submitted in July. "The minister denies all allegations of the suspicion of negligent work and misusing public funds ..., ineffective and wasteful public fund management in the purchase of 13,000 laptops, misleading the public, failure to fulfil promises and comply with her duty," reads the minister's response, which was endorsed by the government today. The SDS accused Stojmenova Duh, among other things, of negligent work and misleading the public.

Two Slovenian films in the running for the Heart of Sarajevo

SARAJEVO - Two Slovenian entries, a black comedy family drama by acclaimed auteur Sonja Prosenc and a documentary on Zoran Predin, the popular Slovenian singer-songwriter, will be screened in the competition programme of the Sarajevo Film Festival later this month. The 30th iteration of the Sarajevo Film Festival, the biggest such event in the Southeast Europe, will take place between 16 and 23 August.

Radovljica Festival focusing on 17th and 18th century music

RADOVLJICA - The north-western town of Radovljica will host the 42nd iteration of its early music festival between 10 and 27 August. It will see ten concerts with a programme focusing on 17th and 18th century music. Most of the concerts will be held at the Radovljica Manor, two at St Peter's Church in Radovljica and one at the Church of Annunciation in Velesovo, which is known for its organ.

Cycling ace Pogačar raising funds for natural disaster victims

LJUBLJANA - Slovenian top cyclist Tadej Pogačar has raised EUR 55,000 for those affected by natural disasters one year after Slovenia was hit by disastrous floods. The cyclist, who launched the Tadej Pogačar Foundation earlier this year, hopes to also donate funds to cancer patients in the future, the foundation said. "It is no secret that I made a lot of money with cycling in the last few years," Pogačar wrote in a press release, adding that he does not feel the most comfortable having the money.

Hiroshima survivor trees grow in Ljubljana Botanic Gardens

LJUBLJANA - Two species of trees that survived the nuclear bombing of Hiroshima 79 years to the day grow in the Botanic Gardens in Ljubljana as a reminder of both the horrors of war and the power of survival and peace. The seeds of Hiroshima bombed ginkgo and Japanese hackberry were planted in Slovenia in June 2013. The initiative had been given by Shin-Ichi Uye, a University of Hiroshima professor and activist working to preserve the trees that survived the first nuclear bomb, as well as by two Slovenian professors, Stanislav Pejovnik and Alenka Malej.

Slovenia imports fewer bicycles in 2023

LJUBLJANA - Some 62,300 bicycles were imported to Slovenia in 2023, which is the lowest figure since 2001, shows data by the Statistics Office. From 2017 to 2022, Slovenia imported more than 80,000 bicycles every year, and this number dropped sharply last year. On average, the prices of bicycles rose by 1.2% since last June and by 18.9% since 2015. Last year, adult bicycles were purchased in Slovenia at an average price of EUR 304.

Burundian man arrested on suspicion of sexual offence

LJUBLJANA - Police have detained a 34-year-old Burundian man with permanent residency in Slovenia on suspicion of a sexual offence. The alleged crime occurred in a private residence in Ljubljana. Following a complaint from the underage victim, police immediately launched an intensive investigation and identified and apprehended the suspect, who has since been remanded in custody, the Ljubljana Police Department confirmed for the N1 news portal.