This week kicked off with some good news from Tokyo. Latvia’s Rihards Snikus won a second silver medal, Diāna Dadzīte won bronze on top of silver, and Aigars Apinis brought bronze home as well.
Sometimes losing a lottery is not a bad thing. This week Latvia’s government announced dropping the idea of the vaccination lottery, which was previously a hot topic among residents and members of the government.
Estonia, meanwhile, managed to elect a new president on its second try. Alar Karis will be Estonia’s next president.
BNN gives you a summery of the most relevant events of the past week in the following topics: Medals; Wages in Latvia; Lottery Over; Estonian President; Migrants in Lithuania; Afghanistan.
MEDALS
Double accomplishment! Latvian Paralympic athlete sets a new record and wins bronze
Diāna Dadzīte. Photo: REUTERS/SCANPIX
On Tuesday, 31 August, Latvian Paralympic javelin thrower Diāna Dadzīte set a new record in the F-55 medical category and a won bronze medal.
Dadzīte reached her best result on her fourth try, throwing the javelin for 24.22 m, which is a new Paralympic record in the F-55 medical category.
Iran’s Hashemiyeh Motaghian Moavi won with 24.50 m. Silver went to Brazil’s Raissa Rocha Machado.
More here
WAGES IN LATVIA
CSP: average wages in Latgale 36% below wages in Riga
Photo: Unsplash
In Q2 2021 the average monthly gross wages and salaries for full-time work comprised EUR 1 237. Compared to Q2 2020, the average monthly gross wages and salaries grew by EUR 115 or 10.2 %, but gross hourly payment – by 4.6 % (from EUR 8.20 to EUR 8.57).
Compared to the 1st quarter, in Q2 2021 average monthly gross wages and salaries increased by 2.6 %, but hourly payment by – 8.4 %, according to data from the Central Statistical Bureau of Latvia.
Average net wages and salaries (calculated based on labour taxes applicable on workplace) comprised EUR 914 or 73.9 % of gross wages and salaries. During a year it increased by 10.4 %. Considering the consumer price growth, the real increase of the wages and salaries comprised 7.9 %.
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LOTTERY OVER
Latvian government completely drops Vaccination Lottery legislative draft
Photo: Unsplash
On Tuesday, 31 August, Latvia’s government decided to call off the Vaccination Lottery legislative draft.
On 30 July Latvia’s government approved the Vaccination Lottery legislative draft developed by the Ministry of Health. This legislative draft provided for the organization of a Covid-19 lottery for vaccinated residents with a prize pool of EUR 700 000.
However, following the outcry from residents and estimated costs of this proposal, the coalition quickly lost support for it. Now the government has decided to drop it entirely.
More here
ESTONIAN PRESIDENT
Karis to become Estonian President as parliament supports his sole candidacy
Estonia’s newly-elected President Alar Karis. Photo: REUTERS/SCANPIX
The Estonian parliament elected on Tuesday, August 31, Alar Karis as the country’s next President. The vote of the second round of elections means that the current director of the Estonian National Museum will succeed current President Kersti Kaljulaid, Estonian public broadcaster ERR reports.
In the secret ballot vote in the Estonian Riigikogu, eighty out of 101 members of parliament voted and 72 were in favour of Karis. Eight ballots were submitted empty.
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MIGRANTS IN LITHUANIA
Over 2 000 migrants on Lithuanian border sent back to Belarus in month
Lithuanian army soldiers install razor wire along the border with Belarus, in Druskininkai, Lithuania. Photo: REUTERS/Janis Laizans/Scanpix
During Lithuania’s first month of emergency situation on border region, more than 2 000 foreign nationals have been kept from entering the country from Belarus, according to Lithuanian State Border Guard Service, as quoted by LRT public broadcaster.
September 2 marked one month since the Lithuanian Interior Ministry declared an emergency situation in the border areas due to the «mass influx of foreigners».
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AFGHANISTAN
20-year war is over. Last US soldier leaves Kabul as frantic evacuation operation ends
U.S. Army Major General Chris Donahue, commander of the 82nd Airborne Division, steps on board a C-17 transport plane as the last U.S. service member to leave Hamid Karzai International Airport in Kabul, Afghanistan August 30, 2021. Photo: via REUTERS/SCANPIX
Afghanistan’s territory and its last bastion – the Kabul airport – has been left by the last plane, ending the withdrawal of US forces from the South Asian country. American forces and following them US NATO and other allies have spent there close to 20 years. The evacuation operation of Western troops, diplomats and allied Afghan civilians has also been ended, American news agency AP reports.
Shortly before US President Joe Biden’s August 31 deadline for shutting down a final airlift, and thus ending the US war, American Air Force transport planes carried a remaining contingent of troops from Kabul airport late on Monday, August 30. Thousands of military personnel had spent a harrowing two weeks protecting the airlift of tens of thousands of Afghans, Americans and others seeking to escape a country once again ruled by Taliban militants.
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BNN summary of the week: Handful of medals for Latvia. Cancelled lottery. Estonia’s new president
