Overview of the week's top stories since 21 Sept. 2003

• Sebastian involved in traffic accident
• Slovene cultural center opens in Klagenfurt (Celovec)
• Hrup z Metelkove

Drnovšek addresses United Nations

President Janez Drnovšek addressed the 58^th session of the United Nations General Assembly on Friday, his first such address as president. Drnovšek touched on numerous issues, including the fight against poverty and the need to respect human rights. He also stressed that in the war on terrorism, freedom should not be sacrificed for security.

While Slovene diplomacy is often criticized for blindly following Washington, Drnovšek spoke out against unliateralism – and thereby indirectly criticized US actions in both Iraq and the UN Security Council. He also expressed support for the International Criminal Court, calling it an important step in the protection of human rights. Washington opposes the Court.

Later in the day, Drnovšek met with UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan, as well as with the Annan’s Special Representative for Political Affairs and former Permanent Representative of Slovenia to the United Nations Danilo Türk.

Referendum decides against Sunday shopping

With a low turnout of just over 27 percent, voters decided on Sunday to have shops closed on Sundays. Some 57.5 percent voted for keeping shops closed, with 41.7 percent voting against. Official results will be announced on 30 September, but these figures represent 99.9 percent of the vote.

Referendum legislation makes the results legally binding, and requires parliament to pass a law allowing shops to be open on Sundays just ten times per year. Only convenience stores at gas stations as well as gift shops in hospitals, airports, bus and train stations, and at border crossings would be exempt.

Trade Union of Retail Workers leaders, who pushed for the referendum, were satisfied. The union’s president, Franci Lavrač, told STA that his team "convinced [voters] with the argument that too many people work Sundays.”

Workers called for the referendum after failing to secure the working hours they wanted from employers. Though the referendum had broad political support, the leading Liberal Democracy of Slovenia party was against it, as was the Consumer Association. However, no legislation contrary to the referendum results can be passed for a full calendar year.

World Bank puts Slovene income highest in region

The World Bank released its World Development Report 2004 this week, which puts Slovenia’s gross national income (GNI) above all Central and Eastern European countries. The country’s GNI was USD 9810 per capita, just behind Greece (11,600) and Portugal (10,840). Second place in the region was the Czech Republic with 5560, just more than half of Slovenia’s GNI. The world average was 5080.

According to a second ranking adjusted for purchasing power parity, Slovenia’s GNI was 17,690, well ahead of second-place Czech Republic (14,500) and Hungary (12,810). The world average adjusted for purchasing power parity was 7570.

Slovenia was the only country from the region to be classified as "high income." The other European Union acceding countries were classified as "upper middle income," while Romania and Bulgaria ranked in the "lower middle income" category.

Ethnic Slovene journalists meet in Ljubljana

From 23 to 29 September, ethnic Slovene journalists from around the world converged on Ljubljana for a seminar organized by the government’s Office of Slovenes Abroad and the Office of Information. This year, 14 journalists came from Argentina, Australia, Bosnia, Canada, Serbia and Montenegro, Sweden and the United States.

The goal of the seminar is to provide the journalists with the latest information and new contacts, as well as to encourage networking among them and the perpetuation of an ethnic identity among Slovenes outside of the country. The journalists work in various media, from club newsletters and radio programs to websites and television.

Such seminars are held every other or every third year. This year’s seminar also included visits to Slovene minority institutions in neighboring Austria and Hungary.

The paper still has no name, but it is planned to be published six times per week. It will have 32 pages and should have a print run of around 20,000 copies within one year. Nearly 70 people will work at the paper, including 45-50 journalists, a high number for Slovene newspapers.

The paper is being supported by Styria Medien AG, financial institution Triglav, Holding Infond, Holding KD and the BeBe Agency. None of these institutions are to have a majority share. Their investment amounts to nearly five million euro, which they hope to have returned in five to six years.

And in other news...