Briefs

Presidential visit

U.S. President George W. Bush may visit Lithuania as part of a tour of NATO candidates after the alliance holds its summit in Prague in November, an adviser to Lithuanian President Valdas Adamkus said.

Adamkus had invited Bush to come to Vilnius during his visit to the United States in January. Bush has also been invited to Rumania after the Nov. 21-22 Prague summit.

Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia are hoping for NATO invitations in Prague, as are Rumania, Bulgaria, Slovenia and Slovakia. (Agence France-Presse)

High seas

A 20-year-old was presumed drowned after disappearing in stormy seas off Latvia's west coast Sept. 1, but rescue workers managed to save his 17-year-old companion.

Valters Kirmis, deputy director of the Ventspils rescue service, said the boy and girl were taking part in a race and had swam three kilometers out from shore at a time when waves were 1.5 meters high.

By the time rescuers arrived, the man had already drowned, but the 17-year-old girl was pulled out and placed in an intensive care unit at a local hospital. Doctors said she was in critical condition.

The body of the drowned man was not found, and a search was scheduled to continue. (Baltic News Service)

Mayor maybe

Moscow Mayor Yuri Luzhkov said he was still interested in visiting Riga in September, according to Riga Deputy Mayor Sergei Dolgopolov, who is in Moscow for a city festival and to meet with Luzhkov and other city officials.

Riga Mayor Gundars Bojars appeared to have scuttled Luzhkov's visit last month when he said the state had sent "signals" that it would not give the Moscow mayor a visa.

If the visit does occur, the Riga City Council said it was likely to happen Sept. 28-29. (BNS)

Repse to Skele: No thanks

Einars Repse, the leader of the popular Jaunais Laiks, or New Era, party rejected statements by People's Party leader and ex-Prime Minister Andris Skele that the two parties could form a government together after October elections.

Repse accused Skele of trying to use New Era's popularity to increase the People's Party showing at the polls on Oct. 5.

New Era, favored to win the most seats, has said it will not form coalitions with the People's Party or its coalition partners in the current government, Latvia's Way and For Fatherland and Freedom.

New Era has topped recent opinion polls, while the ratings of the coalition partners are waning. (BNS)

Hoping for hoops

Prime Minster Algirdas Brazauskas has put together a working group to draft plans to host the European men's basketball championship in 2007.

The group, headed by Interior Minister Juozas Bernatonis, includes the mayors of Vilnius and Kaunas, home of Lithuania's top basketball club, Zalgris, basketball officials and others.

Conclusions of the group are expected by Sept. 16.

Lithuania would need to provide a sports arena with room for at least 10,000 spectators should it win a bid to hold the championship.

The country hosted the championship in Kaunas in 1939, a year when the Lithuanians won the top prize. (BNS)

Kallas feted

Estonian Prime Minister Siim Kallas will meet with representatives of U.S. Estonian, Latvian and Lithuanian communities during his visit to the United States this week.

Kallas will be the guest of honor at a Joint Baltic American National Committee dinner in the U.S. Capitol. U.S. lawmakers will also be on hand.

Kallas was due to meet U.S. President George W. Bush on Sept. 4 to discuss NATO enlargement.

Estonian officials have said the U.S. president may also broach the subject of signing an agreement that would grant immunity to U.S. troops from the International Criminal Court. (BNS)

Beer ban

A new law across Estonia bans sales of beer and cider in kiosks and pavilions, but Parliament is already scurrying to repeal it.

The goal of the new law, which came into effect Sept. 1, was to limit minors' access to alcohol."First and foremost, it's important to restrict children's access to alcohol," said Margus Suik, head of the trade department at the Economy Ministry.

But the government has already given its blessing to attempts to repeal the law. Strong spirits are still available around the clock at liquor stores and gas station shops.

The Interior Ministry also opposes the law. (BNS)