POLITICS
LJUBLJANA - The Slovenian Army confirmed on Wednesday that Tuesday's shooting death of a soldier serving in Kosovo was suicide. Army spokesperson Simon Korez told the press that the soldier shot herself in the Villagio Italia army base in Pec. He said the incident happened outside the barrack buildings in the Italian base where the Slovenian contingent serving in Kosovo is stationed.
LJUBLJANA - Robert Krmelj has been appointed charge d'affaires at Slovenia's Embassy in Zagreb pending the appointment of a new ambassador to Croatia. Media reports say former Ambassador to the UK Iztok Mirosic is tipped to be given the posting to Croatia. Slovenia's incumbent Ambassador to Croatia Milan Orozen Adamic will complete his term in office on 30 November, but his successor has not been appointed yet.
LJUBLJANA - The managing board of the Slovenian-run International Trust Fund for Demining and Mine Victims Assistance on Tuesday appointed Dorijan Marsic to head the fund as of 1 January 2010. Marsic, who served as ITF director in 2004-2005, will succeed the incumbent Goran Gacnik.
CAIRO, Egypt - Slovenian Ambassador to Egypt Borut Mahnic has been appointed ambassador extraordinary and plenipotentiary to the Arab League, seated in Cairo. According to Tuesday's press release from the Foreign Ministry, Mahnic's accreditation will enable Slovenia to follow the activities of the Arab League more easily and to strengthen relations with its member sates.
LJUBLJANA - The chair of the Bosnian Presidency, Zeljko Komsic, will begin a two-day visit to Slovenia on Thursday, the second top-level visit from Bosnia-Herzegovina in a month. Komsic and Slovenian President Danilo Tuerk are expected to discuss ways to boost economic ties, succession to the former Yugoslavia, and Bosnia's efforts to join the EU and NATO.
BUSINESS & ECONOMY
LJUBLJANA - The parent company of insurance group Zavarovalnica Triglav posted a net profit of EUR 28m in the first nine months of 2009, which is a 16% increase over the same period last year. The total assets of Slovenia's biggest insurance company increased by 11% to EUR 2.6bn, the company said in a press release on Wednesday.
VELENJE - The head of the Economic Forum of the opposition Democrats (SDS) Zofija Mazej Kukovic said at Wednesday's conference of the SDS in Velenje that the economic crisis in Slovenia was poorly managed. "We need a thriftier state, the culture of risk-taking and boosting of entrepreneurial potential," she said, adding that companies in time of crisis need relevant information on economic and financial trends, financial levers, new markets and flexible labour force.
LJUBLJANA - Slovenian tourist resorts and sights were visited by 203,714 people in October and by 2.4m in the first ten months of the year, dropping 2% year-on-year in both cases, show preliminary official figures released by the Statistics Office on Wednesday.
LJUBLJANA - The Ljubljana Stock Exchange saw on Wednesday the eight losing day in a row as the majority of blue chips posted slight losses. The SBI 20 benchmark index dropped 0.36% to 4,207.23 points, while the blue-chip SBI TOP index was down 0.26% to 1,016.61.
OTHER NEWS
LJUBLJANA - Marking International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women, Interior Minister Katarina Kresal launched on Wednesday a 16-day campaign aimed at raising awareness about domestic violence held under the motto "Do you hear that? Stop listening, act!". Kresal called upon witnesses of domestic violence to rise up against it and report it. According to estimates, 20-25% of women in Slovenia are exposed to violence by their partner.
