Ljubljana - Slovenia put on a "brilliant performance" to defeat Russia Wednesday night and secure its second World Cup appearance next year, Ljubljana press said Thursday.

With the 1-0 home win, following a 2-1 away loss on Saturday in World Cup qualification playoffs, the former Yugoslav republic of 2 million has denied Russia a place in South Africa next year thanks to the away goals rule.

Among those watching the match in Maribor were Russian President Dmitry Medvedev and the Slovenian state leadership.

Ljubljana  - A Slovenian climber who went missing in the Himalayas this week was found dead, a spokesman told the TVS on Saturday.

Tomaz Humar, 41, fell on Tuesday during a solo ascent on the north face of Langtang Lirung, a 7,227-metre peak in Nepal. In a single radio call on that day, he said his leg and his spine were broken.

"Humar's body was found at 5,600 metres with grave injuries of the spine, along with several leg and rib fractures," Viki Groselj, a spokesman of the Slovenian climbing organization said.

Ljubljana  - Rescuers were trying to locate a seriously injured Slovenian climber stranded in poor weather on a Himalayan mountain, Slovenian newspapers said Friday.

Tomaz Humar, 41, fell somewhere around 6,300 during a solo ascent on the north face of Langtang Lirung in Nepal. In a single radio call on Tuesday, he said his leg and his spine were broken.

A Swiss mountain rescue team has reached Nepal meanwhile, but was unable to lift off in a helicopter on Friday morning due to a low cloud ceiling, the 24Ur news portal said.

Ljubljana - Slovenian authorities on Wednesday said that they detained two top business managers suspected of corruption and money laundering.

The two men, Igor Bavcar and Bosko Srot, formerly led two of Slovenia's most powerful firms. Bavcar was the head of the Istrabenz Holding Co until this past June. Srot was, until recently, the head of Pivovarna Lasko, a brewery.

The men were arrested after police searched their homes in the capital, Ljubljana. Srot was released, while Bavcar remains in custody.

Ljubljana  - Two people died Tuesday when a small sports plane crashed near town Izlake in central Slovenia, local media reported.

The accident happened some some 45 kilometres north-east of the capital Ljubljana.

Authorities are investigating the incident. (dpa)

Ljubljana/Zagreb  - A man armed with four hand grenades was arrested early Saturday on the train at the Slovenian-Croatian border, local media reported.

The 65-year-old man, a former war veteran, allegedly planned to murder Slovenian Prime Minister Borut Pahor.

He also tried to blow himself and the train up, but was overpowered by the Slovenian police which was tipped on his intentions.

Ljubljana  - Slovenian parliamentary parties agreed Tuesday to continue talks about a border dispute that have so far led it to block neighbouring Croatia's European Union accession talks.

"It would be a pity to end this process now," Prime Minister Borut Pahor said after consulting heads of other parties in the Slovenian legislature.

Ljubljana - Slovenia's economy slipped by 8.5 per cent year- on-year in the second consecutive quarter in 2009, the national statistical office said, formally announcing a recession.

The country's gross domestic product declined by 6.4 per cent in the first half of 2009, it said.

The data in the export-oriented Slovenia reflect the recession and sharply falling demand in the European Union, particularly in the top buyer of Slovenian products, Germany.

Ljubljana  - Slovenia's conservative opposition won the most votes in the European Parliament election, defeating the ruling coalition of Prime Minister Borut Pahor.

With a record low voter turnout of 28 per cent in the election on Sunday, the Slovenian Democratic Party (SDS) won 26,9 per cent of vote and two seats. Another party from the political right, the New Slovenia, claimed a single place in the European Parliament.

Ljubljana - The Slovenian capital Ljubljana has named a street after former Yugoslav communist leader Marshall Tito, it was reported Tuesday - sparking protests from nationalists.

The maverick dictator, popular within the former Yugoslavia at the time for steering an independent line from Moscow under communism, remains a controversial figure.

Ljubljana - Slovenia warned Thursday that it could not accept without amendments a European Union mediation proposal in an ongoing dispute with neighbouring Croatia over its accession to the bloc.

The pair have been at loggerheads for months in an obscure row over their joint border at the Bay of Piran, which is threatening to hold up Croatia's bid to join Brussels.

Ljubljana/Vienna - Slovenia's government on Thursday decided to field former diplomat Ernest Petric as a candidate to lead the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), further widening the pool of potential successors to Mohamed ElBaradei.

Petric, 72, serves as a judge on Slovenia's Constitutional Court. He previously represented his country as ambassador to Austria and international organisations in Vienna, including the IAEA.

Ljubljana  - Slovenian foresters used tranquilizer darts to capture a young brown bear after it wreaked havoc by appearing and disappearing in the capital Ljubljana Thursday.

The first sighting of the bear was in a park at 4 am, but the search was called off eight hours later after forestry workers failed to locate the animal.

After the barricades were removed and the park re-opened, the bear again appeared and was eventually tranquilized 150 metres from the US ambassador's residence and 400 metres from the Slovenian parliament.

Ljubljana - Slovenian steeplechase champion Bostjan Buc on Tuesday dismissed media reports which mentioned him in connection doping scheme exposed in Austria.

"I have no idea why I was brought into this context," Buc, 28, sauid in a telephone interview with the German Press Agency dpa in Ljubljana.

On Monday, news reports had alleged that Buc was part of the scheme exposed in Austria around sports manager Stefan Matschiner, with the Delo daily saying: "The wave (of doping) washed over the Alps (into Slovenia)."

Ljubljana  - Slovenian President Danilo Turk on Friday signed a law paving the way for Croatia to join NATO next week, the STA news agency reported.

Slovenia, a member of NATO and the European Union since 2004, is embroiled in a border dispute with Croatia. Both countries emerged as independent countries from former Yugoslavia in 1991.

Ljubljana,  - Slovenia's premier-designate Borit Pahor presented a youthful, 18-minister cabinet to the nation's parliament on Friday.

The 45-year-old Pahor in addition proposed to introduce five women to the government and handing two of them the important ministries of interior and defence.

He has nominated the 35-year-old lawyer and Liberal Party chief Katarina Kresal as interior minister and defence expert Ljubica Jelisic, 45, as defence minister.

The four-way coalition led by Pahor's Social Democrats, won 59 of the 90 seats in the Slovenian parliament in September elections and is expected to easily pass the new cabinet in the confidence vote next Friday.

Ljubljana,- Slovenia's parliament on Friday endorsed youthful centre-left leader Borut Pahor as the nation's new prime minister.

Pahor, 45, has pledged to focus on the small European Union nation's economy.

He won 59 votes in the 90-seat parliament, becoming the sixth prime minister since Slovenia won independence from Yugoslavia after a brief 1991 war.

Pahor's Social Democrats won the most seats in September parliamentary elections and will lead a four-party coalition government.

Ljubljana - Slovenian centre-left leader Borut Pahor was formally tapped as prime minister-elect Monday and pledged to focus on the economy as the tiny European Union nation faces tougher times.

Pahor's Social Democrats won the most votes in September 21 parliamentary elections and were expected to lead a four-party coalition government with 55 seats in the 
90-member parliament.

Pahor, speaking after President Danilo Tuerk formally nominated him to head the next government, pledged to work to stabilize the economy.

Ljubljana - Security was discreetly stepped up in Ljubljana Tuesday morning, hours ahead of the first visit to Slovenia by the Queen of England to the independent Slovenia in the afternoon.

The Ljubljana airport would shut down to other traffic shortly before and after the 2 pm (1200 GMT) arrival of the Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh.

Streets near the hotel where Queen Elisabeth II and her husband would spend the night would also be closed to traffic, but otherwise life in the Slovenian capital went on as usual.

The visit was arranged on invitation by Slovenian President Danilo Turk.

Ljubljana  - Slovenia's Social Democrats won parliamentary elections by a one-seat margin, election officials confirmed Monday, clearing the way for a new government in the small European Union nation.

Prime Minister Janez Jansa's conservative Slovenian Democrats had refused to concede defeat after the September 21 voting, but after absentee votes were counted Monday they signalled they would not challenge the outcome.