Daily headlines - Friday, 20 January

DELO

Banking
"Ownership shifts at small banks": There are ownership changes in sight at some small Slovenian banks. Entrepreneur Ivo Boscarol has entered the Primorska savings bank as an owner and would like to increase his stake. At least two potential buyers are eyeing DBS bank, including the Austrian banking group Erste. (front page, page 8)

Administrative affairs
"Chief replaced": Nataša Trček will be replaced as acting head of the Ljubljana Administrative Unit by Andreja Erjavec next week. The Public Administration Ministry says this is not a vote of no confidence, yet the paper reports that the unit has still more than 12,000 pending applications by foreigners and some staff are being investigated for allegations that they accepted bribes to speed up the processing of foreigners. (front page, page 11)

France retirement age protests
"French no to pension reform": French trade unions and the left opposition provoked a social movement yesterday, determined to prevent President Emmanuel Macron's pension reform in the streets. (front page, page 6)

Weapons for Ukraine
"They will give tanks if US gives them": Germany will supply Leopard 2 tanks to Ukraine only if the US sends its own Abrams tanks. (front page, page 5)

DNEVNIK

Public broadcaster
"Grah Whatmough": You can't sack me any more": The Constitutional Court deliberated on the new RTV Slovenija law yesterday but failed to take any decision. Judge Rok Čeferin recused himself because his law firm makes legal opinions for the public broadcaster. On Monday, the broadcaster's director general Whatmough will face councillors who want to dismiss him. (front page, page 3)

Weapons for Ukraine
"Allies pressuring Germany over Leopard tanks supply": Ukraine Defence Contact Group countries are meeting at Ramstein Air Base in Germany today to decide how decisively and with what weapons the West will help Ukraine. Germany's consent to send its Leopard tanks is now seen as the coalition's key move in support of Ukraine. (front page, page 6)

VEČER

Energy bills
"Heating (in)equality": District heating bills in some places in Slovenia have gone up considerably, with figures faced by some households going up to EUR 500 a month. (front page, pages 2, 13)

Financial administration law
"Torpedoing own law not ruled out": Coalition partners have not yet neared their views on amendments to the financial administration act over a provision introducing goods tracking devices. (front page, page 4)

Drug trafficking trial
"Tošić strikes bargain with prosecution": The court has accepted a guilty plea by the chief defendant in the Balkan Warrior trial Dragan Tošić as well as another defendant's. The other defendants are to follow suit next week. (front page, page 9)

Transition of coal regions
"Visit that 'brings' EUR 175 million": The European Commission visited the Savinja and Šalek region yesterday. The region is looking at 70% of the EUR 250 million funds for just transition, with first calls for projects to be published in March. (front page, page 18)

Handball worlds
"Slovenia going for quarter-finals": Slovenia will take on Spain today in their key match at the World Men's Handball Championship. (front page, page 10)