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This summary is provided by the STA:
Abanka to be sold to US fund Apollo
LJUBLJANA - The Slovenian Sovereign Holding announced that Abanka, Slovenia's third largest bank, will be sold to NKBM bank, owned by US fund Apollo, with the value of the deal to be disclosed on Thursday as the sales agreement is to be signed. A merger between Abanka and NKBM would create a bank with combined total assets of EUR 8.71 billion or a 22.5% market share. Slovenia's largest bank, NLB, has total assets of EUR 8.81 billion. The decision to sell was regretted by most parties. While some see the sale as inevitable under the EU's state aid rules, several including the Left and the SocDems, believe it should have been prevented.
Ten percent of NLB bank sold for EUR 109.5 million
LJUBLJANA - Slovenian Sovereign Holding sold 10% of the NLB bank to institutional investors for EUR 109.5 million as it wrapped up its privatisation, leaving the state owning a controlling stake of 25% plus one share. SSH made the announcement after selling shares and global depositary receipts equivalent to almost two million shares at a price of EUR 54.75 per share and EUR 10.95 per GDR. The price is well below market price: NLB closed at EUR 58.20 on the Ljubljana Stock Exchange yesterday, while GDRs, which are traded in London, closed at EUR 11.33.
Tug-of-war between union and defence minister enters new stage
LJUBLJANA - A soldiers' trade union filed a criminal complaint against Defence Minister Karl Erjavec and brought a lawsuit against him, as the tug-of-war between the two sides continues over the situation in the Slovenian Armed Forces (SAF) and Erjavec's alleged false statements. The criminal complaint accuses the minister of alleged violations of trade union legislation, of abuse of office and negligence at work. The private lawsuit was meanwhile filed over alleged insult, defamation and self-willed exercise of rights, the Trade Union of Soldiers (SVS) said.
Slovenia still trailing EU average in consumption and GDP per capita
LUXEMBOURG, Luxembourg - Slovenia remained below the EU average in 2018 when in comes to indicators of actual individual consumption (AIC) per capita and gross domestic product (GDP) per capita, reaching 77% and 87% of the average, respectively, according to Eurostat. While the highest consumption was recorded in Luxembourg (32% above the average) and Germany (20%), Slovenia was among the 13 countries where the AIC was up to 25% below the European average. Slovenia's performance relative to the average improved in 2018 to 87% from 85% in 2017.
Banka Slovenije notes increasing risks to stability of financial system
LJUBLJANA - The latest Banka Slovenije Financial Stability Review released by the central bank speaks of increasing risks to the stability of the country's financial system. The key risks factors include uncertainties in the international environment as well as developments on the housing market. Speaking to the press about the macroeconomic risks, vice governor Jožef Bradeško highlighted slowed down GDP growth in Slovenia and even more so the rising number of potential negative scenarios in the international environment.
Klavdija Kutnar new chancellor of Primorska University
KOPER - Klavdija Kutnar has been endorsed as the new chancellor of the University of Primorska after she was elected to the post last month. She will succeed Dragan Marušič on 23 November as the fourth chancellor at the helm of the Koper-based university. Her formal endorsement came on Wednesday as the university's senate discussed the election outcome and unanimously appointed her for a four-year term. The dean of the Faculty of Mathematics, Natural Sciences and IT was the only candidate for the job when the university went about electing new head on 23 May.
Slovenian teachers more experienced, older than OECD average
LJUBLJANA - The 2018 OECD Teaching and Learning International Survey (TALIS) on teachers' working conditions and learning environments indicates that Slovenian teachers are more experienced than the OECD average but also older, which points to the issue of the ageing teaching workforce. The OECD study conducted in 48 countries, and in Slovenia it included 136 primary and 122 secondary schools. The results show that the country's teachers focus on clearly explaining the subject matter, Barbara Japelj Pavešić, the Slovenian TALIS coordinator, told the press.
Slovenia urged to declare climate emergency
LJUBLJANA - Over 40 non-governmental organisations urged the Slovenian government to declare a national climate emergency and make tackling climate change a priority. "We are not going to resolve the climate crisis if we do not treat it as a crisis," said Gaja Brecelj, the director of the NGO Umanotera. As she presented the appeal to the government, Brecelj noted Slovenia was warming twice as fast as Earth on average, which meant it has a vested interest in crafting an ambitious plan to tackle the climate crisis.
Slovenia's Marand to be involved in Malta's e-health
LJUBLJANA - The Slovenian IT company Marand has won the Maltese Health Ministry's tender to implement a data platform for the national electronic health records as part of healthcare digitalisation in the country. Marand said that its solution, called Better Platform, would make it possible to establish national database of patient clinical data. The co-called national health spine will store the population's health data such as vaccinations taken, allergies, past diagnoses, history of surgeries and the current list of the drugs the patient is taking.
Slovenians quite distrustful of vaccines
LONDON, UK - The latest global study on attitude towards immunisation shows that 13% of Slovenians believe that vaccines are not safe, almost double the world average. The majority of Slovenians believe that vaccines are safe (70%), while 80% think that vaccines are efficient. Only 8% do not trust their efficiency, according to data released by the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC). Globally, 79% consider vaccination safe, while 14% are undecided. In terms of vaccine efficiency, the shares are similar.
First whistleblower portal launched in Slovenia
LJUBLJANA - The first web portal for whistleblowers in Slovenia has been launched. Accessible at žvižgač.si and operated by Oštro, a centre for investigative journalism in the Adriatic region, the portal has been developed under the supervision of Anuška Delić, a Slovenian investigative journalist of the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists (ICIJ). It will allow whistleblowers to upload files, documents, photographs, data, videos an clues. The forwarded data will be checked by Oštro's team of investigative journalists.
Pascal Ackermann wins Tour of Slovenia first stage
Ljubljana, 19 June (STA) - Pascal Ackermann of the German team Bora-Hansgrohe is the winner of the first stage of the 26th Tour of Slovenia cycling race between Ljubljana and Rogaška Slatina on Wednesday. The stage saw a massive sprint at the end, with the German winning the 171 km stage with a time of 4 hours, 4 minutes and 58 seconds. Germany's national champion was followed by two Italian cyclists - Giacomo Nizzolo, a member of Team Dimension Data, who finished second and Simone Consonni, who currently rides for UAE Team Emirates, in the third place.
Photo exhibition on hidden costs of lithium on display at Ljubljana Castle
LJUBLJANA - An exhibition by one of Slovenia's most acclaimed photographers Matjaž Krivic, which explores a much neglected topic of lithium as a driving force of not only batteries but also of geopolitical change, will open today along the Ljubljana Castle avenue. The exhibition chronicles the value chain of this rare element, which includes investment and searches in the US, mining in Bolivia, the manufacturing of batteries and cars in China, as well as efforts in Norway, a small country rich in oil, to electrify all of its transport, wrote the organisers.
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