News roundup - Saturday, 7 September

Govt earmarks nearly EUR 1m for local community near main airbase

CERKLJE OB KRKI - The government approved on Thursday EUR 960,000 for a co-funding programme for local infrastructure in the municipality of Brežice, the location of the military airbase Cerklje ob Krki. The funds will be provided by the Defence Ministry. The funds are provided to the local community because the military is using its public infrastructure as part of its operations in Cerklje ob Krki.

SDS sees withdrawal of Vesel's EU commissioner bid as disgrace

RADLJE OB DRAVI - Democrat (SDS) leader Janez Janša and one of his party's MEPs Romana Tomc labelled Tomaž Vesel's withdrawal as EU commissioner candidate as a disgrace and proof that the current government is weak. "This slapping of Slovenia is possible only in this situation, when we have a weak government," Janša said at the informal event the largest opposition party held after its executive council's meeting in Radlje ob Dravi. Tomc said that Commission President Ursula von der Leyen apparently saw PM Robert Golob as "the weakest link".

Police fighting fake news amid Roma-related tensions

LJUBLJANA - The police have detected disinformation trends propagating fake news about alleged crimes in the Kočevje and Ribnica areas in the south of the country, areas where Roma-related issues have escalated in recent weeks and led to increased police presence. The General Police Administration said on Friday there were reports on social media alleging different crimes in Kočevje in recent days that did not actually take place. "Unverified information on social media unnecessarily creates panic and undermines a sense of security," it said.

Delo survey suggests most have doubts about reform plans

LJUBLJANA - Most participants in a recent survey commissioned by the daily Delo said that they had doubts that the government will succeed in implementing the announced reforms by the end of its term. Some 69% believe health reform should be done first, but less than one-fifth are optimistic about its implementation. They were asked about the fate of health, tax, pension and pay reforms.

Apple CEO Tim Cook visits Slovenia

POSTOJNA/LJUBLJANA - Tim Cook, CEO of US tech giant Apple, was in Slovenia in recent days, visiting the famous Postojna Cave and Ljubljana. Cook took part in a cave tour called In the Footsteps of Luka Čeč, which takes the visitors along the trails of the first cave explorers. "Everyone in the world should see this. Truly non describable with words," he wrote in the Postojna Cave visitors' book. He was also spotted in Ljubljana. His visit is believed to be an informal one.

Slovenia draw 1:1 with Austria in Nations League opener

LJUBLJANA - Slovenia drew 1:1 with Austria in their UEFA Nations League Group B3 opener in Ljubljana's Stožice Stadium on Friday evening. They managed to capitalise on a VAR-review penalty in the 16th minute when Benjamin Šeško scored for 1:0, but just twelve minutes later Austria's Konrad Laimer equalised. The national men's football team will next face Kazakhstan in another home match in Ljubljana on Monday.