Slovenians in mass protest over wages, retirement

"Some 30,000 workers, pensioners and students from all over Slovenia demonstrated in the centre of Ljubljana on Saturday for a higher minimum wage and against a rise in the retirement age.

Trade unions organised the gathering to back their demand for a 31 percent rise in the minimum wage to 600 euros ($900) and the scrapping of a government plan to raise the retirement age to 65.

At present men can retire at 58 and women at 56 in Slovenia.

Despite the threat of lay-offs, 'we will continue to demand that the minimum wage be raised to 600 euros,' Davorka Pregl, a public sector trade union representative, told the crowd.

'We demand that the government scrap its pension reform plans,' Pregl added, winning cheers from the crowd, many of whom waved red flags and wore red raincoats carrying the slogans 'For higher wages' and 'For social Slovenia'."

Source: Reuters

Slovenes celebrate after qualifying for World Cup finals

"The centre of Ljubljana was packed on Thursday as thousands of soccer fans gathered to greet the Slovenia team which beat Russia in a playoff to qualify for next year's World Cup finals.

Slovenia's 1-0 win over Russia on Wednesday in the country's second largest city Maribor, earned them a spot in South Africa on the away goals rule after a 2-2 aggregate draw.

'Ljubljana is proud to greet its champions,' mayor Zoran Jankovic told a crowd of more than 10,000 people and promised to build a new sports stadium within a year as the city's present one is too small and outdated for international matches.

This is the second time Slovenia, which has only two million citizens, has qualified for the World Cup. The country declared independence from the former Yugoslavia in 1991 and made its debut at World Cup finals in 2002."

Source: Reuters

Grenade planted by Slovenia nightclub

"Slovenian police say four people have been arrested on suspicion of planting a hand grenade in front of a nightclub.

Eight people were wounded in Sunday's explosion in front of the Million Club in downtown Kranj, three of them seriously.

The head of the criminal police in the north-western city of Kranj, Bostjan Lindav, told reporters yesterday that the four suspects were arrested as they fled toward neighbouring Croatia."

Source: AP

International arbitration to solve Slovenia-Croatia border row

Slovenia and Croatia have decided to resolve their long-standing border dispute through international arbitration, Slovenian Prime Minister Borut Pahor said Thursday.

Pahor said that the two countries decided, behind closed doors, to let the arbitration commission resolve their dispute and that the European Commission will 'soon' present that agreement.

Pahor, speaking to journalists in Ljubljana, did not give details of the agreement.

'I would not put my hand in the fire if I was not sure the agreement was a good one,' he said."

Source: Deutsche Presse-Agentur

Slovenia hosts international forum on economic crisis (SETimes.com)

"More than 400 politicians and economists from around the world are taking part in an international Strategic Forum that opened on Sunday (August 30th) in Bled.

During the two-day forum, the participants will discuss ways to deal with key global issues, particularly the consequences of the current economic crisis in Europe and Eurasia."

Source: SETimes.com

Slovenia and Croatia "getting closer" to resolving border dispute

"The Slovenian and Croatian foreign ministers said Sunday they had made further progress towards resolving their border dispute which has hindered Croatia getting European Union membership.

Croatia's Davor Jandrokovic and Slovenia's Samuel Zbogar said their talks in the Slovenian resort of Bled had discussed 'major and serious' cooperation which could result in Slovenia eventually lifting its objection to Croatian EU membership.

'We're going to agree first on what to say, then make a public statement,' said Zbogar after the meeting, which was also attended by Slovenian Prime Minister Borut Pahor."

Deutsche Presse-Agentur

Slovenia arrests Croat with grenades at border

"Slovenian police have arrested a Croatian man carrying hand grenades, saying he wanted to assassinate a senior politician from Slovenia because of the country's stance against EU membership for Croatia.

Police chief Janko Gorsek said Saturday the 59-year-old man was caught on a train Friday night during a routine border check."

Source: AP