Plans to turn Maribor's former colossal penitentiary, which has mostly been left to decay, into a thriving centre comprising a business incubator, a centre for creative industries, a hotel or hostel and possibly a museum, were presented in Slovenia's second largest city on Thursday.

Changeable weather with local showers or thunderstorms is forecast for Friday as clouds roll in during the night from the north. Morning lows will range from 11-20 degrees Celsius and daytime highs from 21-29.

A total of 1,614 people tested positive for coronavirus on Wednesday, only 1.3% fewer than the same day a week ago as the pace of decline in infections has been slowing down.

The largest outdoor exhibition of exotic animals in Slovenia so far will open in the Mozirski Gaj flower park, north-west of Celje, on Thursday. Running until Monday, the show will feature pythons, anacondas and various species of lizards, but it will also cater to fans of less exotic creatures.

The weather in Slovenia will be mostly sunny on Thursday, with an easterly wind blowing in the interior, and a weak bora wind in the western region of Primorska. Morning lows will range from 9 to 15 degrees Celsius, and daytime highs from 24 to 28 degrees, up to 32 in Primorska.

Some 150 firefighters, seven helicopters and two Italian water bombers have largely contained the fire under Socerb hill on the Slovenian-Italian border. The fire is no longer spreading, a Koper fire brigade official announced in the late afternoon.

A fire that broke out on Monday night under Socerb hill in the Koper municipality near the border with Italy has been brought under control, but has not yet been put out, authorities said on Wednesday. For now, firefighters have less support from the air than yesterday, and the bora wind remains a cause for concern.