"If you were walking along and spotted a cell phone, would you pocket it or try to find its owner? An international survey found people were more honest than expected, with Slovenians leading the pack.
Reporters from the magazine Reader's Digest planted 960 'lost' cell phones in 30 public places in 32 cities around the world to test people's reactions in a cell phone honesty test.
They rang the phone as people walked past and watched to see if people would answer the phone, take the phone and attempt to call someone in the pre-programmed contacts later, or simply pocket it.
The most honest city in the survey turned out to be the smallest city in the group, Slovenia's capital Ljubljana, where 29 of 30 cell phones were returned."
Source: Reuters
Tuesday, July 24, 2007
Sunday, July 22, 2007
Give us our house back Heather
"It is early spring, and Heather Mills, the estranged wife of Sir Paul McCartney, falls in love with a timber mountain lodge overlooking a serene and beautiful blue-green lake in Slovenia.
She decides to add it to her ever-expanding property portfolio, and her £400,000 offer is readily accepted.
The sale runs smoothly, unimpeded by the usual obstacles that beset buying property abroad, probably because the previous occupant is the country's president.
Sensing a tourism-boosting coup, a senior Slovenian government official even goes on TV to announce details of the deal. Everyone, it seems, is happy. Not quite.
Enter Dana Stankovic, an 84-year-old widow who lives in Cornwall – and whose father built the house in 1937.
Mrs Stankovic reveals how the house still belongs to her family, how it was never the Slovenian government's to sell – and how her lawyers have now served notice on Ms Mills that they will fight to get it back.
"We had to abandon the house when the Second World War broke out," explained Mrs Stankovic.
"Then it was appropriated in turn by the Nazis, the Communists and the Slovenian government.
"And now this Mills woman – I had never heard of her until last week – has got her hands on it. But my family are the rightful owners.
"We've never sold it and now we want it back."
Source: Daily Mail
She decides to add it to her ever-expanding property portfolio, and her £400,000 offer is readily accepted.
The sale runs smoothly, unimpeded by the usual obstacles that beset buying property abroad, probably because the previous occupant is the country's president.
Sensing a tourism-boosting coup, a senior Slovenian government official even goes on TV to announce details of the deal. Everyone, it seems, is happy. Not quite.
Enter Dana Stankovic, an 84-year-old widow who lives in Cornwall – and whose father built the house in 1937.
Mrs Stankovic reveals how the house still belongs to her family, how it was never the Slovenian government's to sell – and how her lawyers have now served notice on Ms Mills that they will fight to get it back.
"We had to abandon the house when the Second World War broke out," explained Mrs Stankovic.
"Then it was appropriated in turn by the Nazis, the Communists and the Slovenian government.
"And now this Mills woman – I had never heard of her until last week – has got her hands on it. But my family are the rightful owners.
"We've never sold it and now we want it back."
Source: Daily Mail
Slovenia sets new presidential election for Oct. 21
"Slovenia will hold new presidential elections on October 21 when the five-year term of President Janez Drnovsek expires, parliament speaker France Cukjati announced Friday.
Drnovsek, 57, said he would not run for the post again. But three prominent public figures — a former Central Bank governor, an ex-assistant to former U.N. Secretary General and a member of the European parliament — have already announced their candidacies.
The elections would be the fourth since the country of 2 million declared independence from the former Yugoslavia in 1991. Slovenia joined the European Union and NATO in 2004 and is to take over EU's rotating six-month presidency on Jan. 1, 2008.
All of the three main candidates will run as independents, although each has political backing. The new president takes office in December."
Source: IHT
Drnovsek, 57, said he would not run for the post again. But three prominent public figures — a former Central Bank governor, an ex-assistant to former U.N. Secretary General and a member of the European parliament — have already announced their candidacies.
The elections would be the fourth since the country of 2 million declared independence from the former Yugoslavia in 1991. Slovenia joined the European Union and NATO in 2004 and is to take over EU's rotating six-month presidency on Jan. 1, 2008.
All of the three main candidates will run as independents, although each has political backing. The new president takes office in December."
Source: IHT
Thursday, July 19, 2007
Slovenia zoo beats heat with ice cream
"A zoo in the Slovenian capital of Ljubljana Thursday began treating bears and monkeys to ice cream to combat temperatures reaching 100 degrees Fahrenheit.
A heat wave has swept central and southern European countries and authorities in Slovenia, Slovakia, the Czech Republic, Poland and Hungary tried to help citizens to cope with temperatures that were much higher than usual for the summer months, the Serbian news agency Beta reported.
In Slovenia, veterinary authorities publicized suggestions for pet owners to make life easier for their cats and dogs, the agency said.
The Ljubljana zoo also prepared a special light diet and opened additional pools for animals.
Monkeys and bears were given special refreshments, including ice cream made of minced fruit and juice."
Source: UPI
A heat wave has swept central and southern European countries and authorities in Slovenia, Slovakia, the Czech Republic, Poland and Hungary tried to help citizens to cope with temperatures that were much higher than usual for the summer months, the Serbian news agency Beta reported.
In Slovenia, veterinary authorities publicized suggestions for pet owners to make life easier for their cats and dogs, the agency said.
The Ljubljana zoo also prepared a special light diet and opened additional pools for animals.
Monkeys and bears were given special refreshments, including ice cream made of minced fruit and juice."
Source: UPI
'ID theft left me in Slovenian prison'
"Earlier this month, BBC Sport's Kofi Sekyere flew to Slovenia on holiday - only to land up in prison. Someone using his stolen passport was wanted for fraud, and his name was on an international arrest warrant.
'The knock on my hotel door came after just one night in Slovenia. I'd flown to Ljubljana to join friends on holiday; it had been a long night of drinking and I'd stumbled to bed in the early hours of the morning.
I was woken at about 9am by hotel reception telling me the police wanted to see me. I was tired, confused and hung-over. It was my birthday and I thought my mates had set me up.
I realised they hadn't when the officers handcuffed me and took me to the station in a police van. They told me an international warrant had been issued by German police in March but I still didn't know what for.
I remembered my passport had been stolen when my flat was burgled by a crack addict seven years ago. He'd been caught but my passport was never recovered. I'd reported it stolen and was issued with a new one.'"
Source: BBC News
'The knock on my hotel door came after just one night in Slovenia. I'd flown to Ljubljana to join friends on holiday; it had been a long night of drinking and I'd stumbled to bed in the early hours of the morning.
I was woken at about 9am by hotel reception telling me the police wanted to see me. I was tired, confused and hung-over. It was my birthday and I thought my mates had set me up.
I realised they hadn't when the officers handcuffed me and took me to the station in a police van. They told me an international warrant had been issued by German police in March but I still didn't know what for.
I remembered my passport had been stolen when my flat was burgled by a crack addict seven years ago. He'd been caught but my passport was never recovered. I'd reported it stolen and was issued with a new one.'"
Source: BBC News
Sunday, July 15, 2007
Heather Mills buys holiday home in Slovenia
According to the Daily Mail, Heather Mills has purchased a house in Slovenia that was formerly used by the country's president as a holiday retreat.
"The estranged wife of Sir Paul McCartney is said to have paid £400,000 for the house in the former Yugoslavia.
A senior Slovenian government official has appeared on TV to confirm that the property, once used by president Janez Drnovsek, had been bought by Miss Mills.
Bozo Predalic, who helped negotiate the deal, said: 'Miss Heather Mills has acquired the villa with her bid of 610,000 euros plus taxes. There were just two bidders and we took the highest.'
The wooden house stands alongside a wood and beside a mountain. It is close to Lake Bohinj and has a large garden.
During her split with Sir Paul it was reported that 38-year-old Miss Mills was looking for a property in the country as an escape from the UK. She spent several weeks in Slovenia, staying with friends.
The country holds bitter-sweet memories for the former model. She fled to Slovenia some 17 years ago when her first marriage - to a dishwasher salesman - broke down. She worked as a ski instructor in the Slovenian Alps where she fell in love with a colleague called Milos. The pair dated for several months before deciding to end their relationship."
Source: Daily Mail
"The estranged wife of Sir Paul McCartney is said to have paid £400,000 for the house in the former Yugoslavia.
A senior Slovenian government official has appeared on TV to confirm that the property, once used by president Janez Drnovsek, had been bought by Miss Mills.
Bozo Predalic, who helped negotiate the deal, said: 'Miss Heather Mills has acquired the villa with her bid of 610,000 euros plus taxes. There were just two bidders and we took the highest.'
The wooden house stands alongside a wood and beside a mountain. It is close to Lake Bohinj and has a large garden.
During her split with Sir Paul it was reported that 38-year-old Miss Mills was looking for a property in the country as an escape from the UK. She spent several weeks in Slovenia, staying with friends.
The country holds bitter-sweet memories for the former model. She fled to Slovenia some 17 years ago when her first marriage - to a dishwasher salesman - broke down. She worked as a ski instructor in the Slovenian Alps where she fell in love with a colleague called Milos. The pair dated for several months before deciding to end their relationship."
Source: Daily Mail
Tuesday, July 3, 2007
Flooding in Narnia (Slovenia)
It seems there has been some local flooding in Slovenia that has had some reverberations in Narnia as well. Yes, that's right... at least a small portion of the upcoming Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian movie will be filmed in Slovenia's Soca Valley region.
"According to Slovenian news sources, the Prince Caspian filming location and crew camp in Bovec have been flooded in yesterday’s severe rain. The Telmarine sets are located along and across the now swollen Soca River, so it is not known how much of an effect this has had on the production, which is currently filming in Bovec. "
Source: NarniaWeb
"According to Slovenian news sources, the Prince Caspian filming location and crew camp in Bovec have been flooded in yesterday’s severe rain. The Telmarine sets are located along and across the now swollen Soca River, so it is not known how much of an effect this has had on the production, which is currently filming in Bovec. "
Source: NarniaWeb
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