News roundup - Monday, 14 October, until 3pm

Chemistry engineer and psychologist win top science prizes

LJUBLJANA - This year's recipients of the Zois Prizes for lifetime achievement in science are chemistry engineer Željko Knez and developmental psychologist Ljubica Marjanovič Umek. Knez, a professor at the Maribor Faculty of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, is a leading expert in separation processes and product engineering involving sub- and supercritical fluids at high pressure, said the prize committee. Professor emeritus at the Ljubljana Faculty of Arts, Marjanovič Umek is an internationally acclaimed researcher in developmental psychology, her speciality being cognitive and language development in children. Igor Akrapovič, the owner of the eponymous exhaust maker, was meanwhile honoured with the Puh Prize for lifetime achievement in innovation.

Another SDS deputy leaves party

LJUBLJANA - Eva Irgl, a prominent member of the Democrats (SDS), announced she is leaving the party after being a member and an MP for twenty years. In a Facebook post, Irgl, 47, said she was grateful for all the experiences and all the people she has met on her political path. "The decision was not easy, but I feel it is necessary." While not specifying what exactly her plans are, she indicated she might join forces with another former SDS deputy, Anže Logar. She said Slovenian society was "trapped in an abusive and hostile atmosphere" and the only way to escape this is "political breadth," a phrase Logar used last week when he announced he was leaving the SDS to start his own party.

Fajon says Israeli attack on UNIFIL grave violation of intl. law

LUXEMBOURG, Luxembourg - Foreign Minister Tanja Fajon strongly condemned a recent Israeli attack on the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL), describing it as a "grave violation of international law, an appalling atrocity". Arriving at a meeting of EU foreign ministers dedicated to the latest escalation of tensions in the Middle East, Fajon announced she would urge the ministers to introduce sanctions against Israeli political leaders who violate international law, and call for stronger sanctions against Israeli settlers who perpetrate violence in the occupied West Bank.

Economy at large not to blame for Mahle layoffs, says minister

ŠEMPETER PRI GORICI/LJUBLJANA - It is not the Slovenian economic environment but issues faced by Europe's car industry that are to blame for the upcoming layoffs at the Slovenian subsidiary of the German automotive supplier Mahle, Economy Minister Matjaž Han said after meeting with the company's management and trade unions. Business representatives disagree with him, saying that the layoffs of more than 600 Mahle employees, planned due to lower demand, are the biggest symptom of the issues plaguing the Slovenian business landscape.

Slovenian ice caves disappearing at a fast pace

LJUBLJANA - Slovenia has a number of ice caves, but due to climate change ice volumes in the caves are dwindling fast. "In the past 10 to 20 years, we have seen exponential rate of ice loss," said Jure Tičar, whose team of researchers at the Anton Melik Institute of Geography visits several of what is more than 230 ice caves in Slovenia twice a year. Ice caves at lower altitudes have virtually lost their ice and as ice disappears, so does the information that accumulated for thousands of years. Researchers hope to extract as much knowledge as possible before it is too late.