News roundup - Sunday, 20 October

Golob expects "important international action" to follow his talks in Washington

LJUBLJANA - Ahead of his visit to the White House on Tuesday, Prime Minister Robert Golob said talks in the US would cover cooperation on major international challenges as well as cooperation on innovation and energy. "I believe that these talks will later lead to some important international action," he told TV Sloveniija on Saturday. He said the visit to the US reflected the high esteem enjoyed by Slovenia and its foreign policy in recent times. He also said that no agreements would be signed during the visit.

Janša takes aim at fellow opposition party leader

LJUBLJANA - Janez Janša, the former Slovenian prime minister, responded to a call by the leader of a fellow opposition party for uniting a fragmented right bloc to form the country's next government by telling him that he and his party "blew it irreversibly" by aiding and abetting the Robert Golob government. Janša, the leader of the Democratic Party (SDS), made the comments on X in response to a speech Matej Tonin delivered to New Slovenia (NSi) congress on Saturday where he was endorsed for another two-year term as party chairman. In reference to his call for right-of-centre parties to unite, Janša told Tonin he was counting his chickens before they are hatched.

Another WWII-era bomb defused in border city

NOVA GORICA - Residents on both sides of the Slovenian-Italian border were able to return to their homes after a Slovenian bomb disposal squad safely defused a World War II-era bomb found on a construction site close to the border in the western city of Nova Gorica. The 104-kilo English-made aerial bomb was discovered by construction workers renovating the Nova Gorica train station on 23 September, the eighth to be unearthed at the construction site. This time the deactivation took a little longer because the technicians had problems removing the fuse, but it all ended well. This was the fourth such cross-border evacuation related to unexploded ordnance at the site.

New women's record set at Ljubljana Marathon

LJUBLJANA - Kenyan runner Chepkemoi Tele won the 28th Ljubljana Marathon by setting a new women's record of the event in two hours, 20 minutes and 17 seconds, while Tamire Getaneh Molla from Ethiopia reigned victorious among male athletes with 2:06:29. Joyce Chepkemoi Tele improved the event record set by Ethiopian Zinash Gerado Senbeta last year by 48 seconds. Sanbeta placed third this time, behind her compatriot Gadise Mulu Demissie. Title defender in the men's competition, Kenyan Edmond Kipngetich finished as the runner-up this time, followed by his compatriot Collins Kipkurui Kipkorir. In all more than 13,044 runners took part in 10km, 21km and 42km runs.

Forestry machinery maker's revenue, profit increase

ŠMARJE PRI JELŠAH - Pišek-Vitli Krpan, a Slovenian manufacturer specialising in forestry machinery, generated EUR 56 million in net sales revenue in 2023, up 12% from 2022, while its net profit increased by nearly 17% to EUR 6.3 million. The company had a good year despite economic and political uncertainties, its owner and director Franc Pišek says in the annual report, published by the agency for legal records AJPES. The company is the largest manufacturer of forestry winches in the world.

Maribor hosts Concert for Peace

MARIBOR - Slovenia's second largest city hosted a charity Concert for Peace to promote efforts for peace and raise funds for families - victims of war violence. A 130-member orchestra performed Ludwig van Beethoven's Ninth Symphony 200 years after it was first performed in Vienna and 12 years after it was last performed in Maribor. The concert also featured compositions by Russian and Ukrainian composers; The Piano Concerto No. 1 by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky and Valentin Silvestrov's Prayer for Ukraine, respectively.