Baltic News
News highlights from Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia.
Updated every Monday.

 Thursday—May 30, 2002
RIGA (BNS-CITY PAPER) A protester briefly handcuffed himself to Riga Mayor Gundars Bojars during an exposition in Moscow devoted to the Latvian capital, BNS reported. The man in his 20s, whose name was not given, was said to have been a supporter of the fringe communist group the Russian National Bolsheviks that has earlier staged anti-Latvian protests in both Russia and Latvia; several National Bolsheviks were jailed in Latvia last year for threatening to blow up a church with a grenade that later turned out to be fake. The left-wing organization opposes NATO expansion and has called for the restitution of the Soviet Union. The protester reportedly carried a small placard that said, "This exhibition is a shame on Russia." The mayor, who had just cut a symbolic blue ribbon opening the expo, was freed after five minutes and the assailant was detained, according to BNS. Boyars was not hurt.
       The so called Riga Expo in Moscow is the largest exhibition of its kind to be organized outside Latvia over the past decade; it will include cultural programs and exhibits highlighting Riga as a tourist destination. 

Wednesday—May 29, 2002
TALLINN (BNS-CITY PAPER) The medieval-era Holy Ghost Church, a major landmark in Tallinn's old city, caught fire early Wednesday morning, largely destroying its distinctive spire, BNS reported. By the time fire crews arrived around 5:30, flames were pouring out of the sides of the tower; it took firemen four hours to extinguish the blaze. The main part of the church (called Puhavaimu in Estonian) was not seriously damaged. 
       Fire officials were still inspecting the scene, but a short circuit in a power cable was seen as one possible cause. The cable ran to flood lights that illuminated the church at night. Inspectors ordered that such lights used on other historic buildings be given immediate safety checks.
       The core of the Holy Ghost Church was built in the 13th century—the spire in the 17th century. The spire caught fire once before in 1684 and it took four years to rebuild it at the time. Fire has been a curse in the Tallinn old town going back at least 700 years; to lessen the fire hazard, city elders decreed later in the 1300s that all buildings must be made predominantly of stone. 
       (The Holy Ghost Church is in the bottom right corner of the picture that you can see here: http://www.ee/vana-tallinn/pic/raek_pl3.jpg )

Tuesday—May 28, 2002
TALLINN (CITY PAPER) U.S. Ambassador to Tallinn Joseph DeThomas has urged Estonia to do more to confront the period of Nazi occupation during which at least a thousand Jews were killed. DeThomas, writing in the Eest Paevaleht daily Tuesday, said "Estonia and its people were not given the freedom to choose between good and evil" during World War II; "the fact that the Soviet occupation did more direct hard in Estonia, however, does not negate the fact that the Holocaust happened here, too." 
       The ambassador said he was motivated to speak out after reports in the Estonian press that famed Nazi-hunter Simon Wiesenthal had called for a boycott of the Baltic states because they hadn't done enough to address Holocaust issues. But spokesmen for Wiesenthal later insisted that he had never made such a statement. "The comments (in reaction to the boycott report) were angry, defensive, and—with regard to my government's position—erroneous," DeThomas wrote. 
       The diplomat recommended that Estonia spend more both on education about the Holocaust and on memorials to Jews who perished; he also said more should be done to track down and try any Estonians who took part in killing Jews. He also warned about the emergence of anti-Semitism.
       The American statement was one of the strongest directed at Estonia from Washington since this Baltic coast nation regained independence in 1991. U.S.-Estonian relations have generally been extremely warm.
       Estonians have denied accusations in the past that haven't done enough to confront the legacy of Nazi occupation. Police say they have combed their archives and found no evidence against any living Estonians that might justify a trial. As proof that they have faced the past forthrightly, Estonians also point to a historical commission set up by former President Lennart Meri that exposed the role of a handful of Estonians in the Holocaust. 
       (You can see the full text of the ambassador's article... here. You can see part of the presidential commission's report on the Holocaust in Estonia... here)

Saturday—May 25, 2002
TALLINN (CITY PAPER) Special Report!!!—Latvia Follows Estonia in Winning the World's Biggest Song Contest—The Eurovision Song Contest title stays in the Baltic neighborhood for another year after Latvia won the event in a closely fought competition with Malta that went down to the very last vote cast. Latvia trumped favorites Germany, Britain and Sweden to dramatically storm to victory.
       The contest—one of the pop music events of the year in Europe—was held Saturday night in another Baltic state Estonia, which won the right to host the extravaganza after it won last year. Estonia was the first ex-communist state ever to host Eurovision—that is watched by as many as 300 million television viewers. 
       CITY PAPER magazine, the one and only official magazine for the 2002 Eurovision Song Contest and the flagship publication of this website, had given the Latvian winner, Marie Naumova, the highest rating out of the 24 contestants it reviewed. It was one of the few media to single her out weeks ago as a potential winner. The CITY PAPER article giving Naumova an 8 out of 10 song ranking received widespread press coverage in all three Baltic states and on Eurovision websites across Europe earlier this month.  
       Naumova, an established jazz singer with a law degree, won for Latvia with a funked-up, Latin-tinged song called “I Wanna,” Facing a sea flashing cameras at a post-competition press conference in Tallinn, a maroon and white Latvian flag next to her, she said she was thrilled but overwhelmed. “I’m very happy and very nervous and I don’t quite understand what is happening at the moment,” said an effusive Naumova, a member of Latvia’s large Russian minority. “I wasn’t expecting this. Not first place.” “If I win, I will drink. I don’t know what, but a lot,” Naumova, whose stage name is Marie N, had said just before Saturday night’s event. 
       It is the highest showing for Latvia in the much maligned by heavily watched Eurovision; its previous highest showing was in 2000, when Latvia’s highly acclaimed BrainStorm came in 3rd. 
       Latvia, as Estonia the year before, appeared to benefit from strong backing from its neighbors. It won the highest possible points, 12, from Estonia. The event became an all-Baltic drama with Latvia’s victory coming down to the last votes—cast by the third Baltic neighbor Lithuania, which also gave Latvia 12 points. The final tally was Latvia 176 points, and Malta 164.
       Singers representing 24 countries, from Slovenian transvestites in glittery red flight attendant uniforms to a Russian boy band in loose-fitting hip-hop garb, battled it out on stage before 7,000 flag-waving fans at the Saku Suurhall in Tallinn, the capital. The 21-year-old winner was selected by television viewers who called special hotlines. Only those in participating nations could vote, and they couldn’t cast ballots for their own country’s entrant.
       Euro-sophisticates mock Eurovision for its perky, saccharine tunes; the lyrics from the Russian song, sung in English, includes the line, "Lady ice, how can I melt you baby?" But millions in and around Europe have come to love—and love to hate—the event. Estonia won the right to host it when its entrant, Dave Benton and Tanel Padar, triumphed in Copenhagen last year. Estonia welcomed the chance to stage the event to raise its profile and boost tourism; that opportunity now passes to Latvia.
       Some of the Estonian organizers of the Tallinn contest said they were out disprove some initial skeptics abroad who said a cash-strapped if dynamic ex-communist state couldn’t stage the technically complicated show, the largest and costliest production by far in Estonian Television's history. But the three-hour show, which showcased this Nordic-feeling nation’s culture and economy in short film clips between songs, went off without a glitch—with many of the 1000 international journalists saying is was one of the most tastefully done productions in the history of the contest. 
       Hard work on the road to international stardom still lies ahead for Naumova. Sweden's ABBA was propelled to international fame after it won with "Waterloo" in 1974; other previous contestants include Celine Dion and Julio Iglesias. But most Eurovision victors have quickly faded into obscurity. A member of last year’s winning duo, Dave Benton, said his victory opened a few doors for him, including a record contract. But his word of advice to the new title holder was to find a good lawyer and to not start dreaming of being the next ABBA. “If someone who wins Eurovision starts thinking, ‘Yes! I’ve made it’…they’re going to be so disappointed,” he said. “Winning Eurovision alone is not it. It’s what you do afterwards that counts.”

You can hear a Real Audio recording of "I Wanna" and the other Eurovision songs at www.eurosong.net . Click on "ESC 2002," then on the green colored links. See CITY PAPER6s Eurovision website, here.

Friday—May 24, 2002
TALLINN (CITY PAPER) The Eurovision Song Contest—a pop glitzfest so many love and love to hate—begins Saturday in Estonia, the first ex-communist state to host the annual event that's watched by as many as 300 million TV viewers. Singers representing 24 nations, from a trio of Slovenian transvestites in red stewardess uniforms to a Cypriot boy band, are slated to take to the stage in Tallinn. 
       Odds makers peg Corinna May—a blind singer competing for Germany— and Britain's Jessica Garlick as among the favorites. But past winners have been hard to predict. Latvia, Estonia, Belgium or even Slovenia are seen as having chances to win. Among others vying for the contest title are Russia's Prime Minister, a four-man group with a fondness for hefty gold rings and loose-fitting, hip-hop garb. "Lady ice, how can I melt you baby?" goes their song sung in English. While the 47-year-old contest is mocked by Euro-sophisticates for its perky tunes and anodyne lyrics _ it has become a kind of Olympics of pop, must viewing for millions in Europe and beyond. Even its many detractors tend to tune in. The TV audience selects the winner by calling special hotlines. While most Eurovision victors have faded into obscurity, Sweden's ABBA was propelled to international fame after it won with "Waterloo" in 1974. Eurovision also boosted the career of pop star Celine Dion, who won for Switzerland in 1988. 
       The dynamic but still cash-strapped Estonia had to foot half the 122 million kroons (7 million dollar) bill of staging the extravaganza; its total cost approaches the entire yearly budget of the main organizer, Estonian Television. But leaders widely welcomed the chance to raise the profile of this little-known nation and to increase tourism. "Eurovision: A Billion Dollar Ad for a Tiny State," read the headline of one press release from Estonia's Foreign Ministry. Estonia won the right to host the event after its entrant, Dave Benton and Tanel Padar, triumphed in Copenhagen last year—a shock win prompting Estonians to stream onto Tallinn streets waving blue, black and white national flags. 
       Estonian organizers said they're out disprove some initial skeptics abroad who doubted it could successfully stage the technically complicated show, the largest production by far in Estonian Television's history. But they're taking no chances that glitches could spoil the coming out party of their Baltic Sea Coast nation, so anxious to establish its credentials as a mainstream European state that's close to joining the European Union and NATO. A tangle of TV cables, computers and lights in the 10,000-seat Saku Suurhall—the contest venue—includes duplicates of key equipment. Two giant, diesel-powered generators are on standby on the off-chance of electricity failures. 
       (You can watch a live broadcast on most European state TV channels and also via a live webcast at www.eurovision.tv; also see CITY PAPER Eurovision page, here.)

TALLINN (CITY PAPER) A Golden Plover from Iceland Friday walked, or rather flew away with the first ever Eurovision Bird Song Contest— modeled after its counterpart for humans to be held here in Estonia the following day. The winner was named at a news conference at the Tallinn Zoo, not far from several caged lions and bears, and just across from the venue for the better known contest featuring non-feathered singers from 24 mostly European nations. 
       The 21 competing birds, including a Slovenian red-breasted Flycatcher and Maltese Shearwater, didn't participate live, but sang— sometimes squawked, crowed or clucked— in 30-second recordings on the Eurovision Bird Song website. The birds _ nominated by ornithological societies— had to be native to a participating country or migrate through it to qualify. 
       The Golden Plover— or Pluvialis apricaria by its latin name— is a brownish, yellow-tinged bird that nests in Iceland's lowlands and its call is regarded as a harbinger of spring on the North Atlantic island and other Nordic nations. "It doesn't necessarily have a beautiful voice. It's got more of a fluty call than a song," said one of the contest organizers, Robert Oetjen. "But it's interesting, and so lots of people voted for it." 
      An estimated 30,000 people visited the site over the past four weeks to listen to the mp3 audio files of the bird songs and rate them from 1-5; the Golden Plover received the highest average rating, a 3.6, to take the title.
       Second place went to a Belgian Bluethroat and a Belarussian Aquitic Warbler came in last. A panel of professional bird watchers named Estonia's entrant, a Thrush Nightingale, as its favorite. They were less enamored with the Icelandic bird that won the popular vote, putting it in 14th place. 
       The competition was organized by Estonian environmentalists, who said their goal was to raise awareness about threats to European birds. One contest news release, headlined "Illegal Killing of Bird Eurovision Artist," said millions songbirds are trapped in Cyprus each year, many for food. It said the Cypriot entry, a Blackcap, was among birds prized as a gourmet dish. "The Blackcap is better alive and singing than dead and pickled in a jar," the statement said. It criticized the government in Cyprus for not enforcing bans on the practice and said similar killings were also common in Italy and France. 
       Top prize was a small trophy and "national honor", said contest spokesman Kristjan Adjoaan. He said it wasn't yet clear whether the contest would be held next year or whether the winning country would take the lead in organizing it. A local communications firm, Tele2, foot the 20,000-dollar bill to put on the event, the brainchild of Estonia's Nature Fund and Ornithological Society. The Bird Song Contest was not formally sanctioned by the Eurovision Song Contest _ though organizers of that annual extravaganza gave their tacit approval, including by helping to publicize the birdsong competition.

(To hear the competing birdsongs, go to www.birdeurovision.org)

Thursday—May 23, 2002 
TALLINN (CITY PAPER) Estonia has launched its biggest security operation ever to protect attendees of the Eurovision Song Contest—including from terrorist attacks—officials said Thursday. Over 1000 police will be on duty as the annual contest—involving 24 nations from in and around Europe—begins Saturday in Tallinn, said police spokesman Indrek Raudjalg. Armed street patrols were tripled in Tallinn and police are highly visible at the 10,000-seat Saku Suurhall—the contest venue and press center for over 1,000 journalists—with metal detectors at entrances and guards circling the grounds.
       Raudjalg declined to confirm reports that Israel's delegation, including its Eurovision singer Sarit Hadad, asked for extra security in the wake of violence in the Mideast; Israeli spokesmen also declined comment. With the Sept. 11 airborne attacks in the United States last year in mind, planes flying over or near Tallinn would also be monitored by radar, according to Ministry of Interior spokeswoman Annela Laaneots.
       Police spokesman Raudjalg said detailed security measures for Eurovision were compiled in a brief 3-centimeters (1-inch) thick—but he wouldn't say how much terrorist acts related to the Middle East or the U.S. war on terrorism were factored in. "These regions are far away from us," he said. "But we also read the international media, and we have all potentialities covered."
       On the other end of the danger scale, police also said they wanted to thwart petty thieves targeting tourists. In a Thursday news release, Eurovision organizers boasted that pick-pocketing has already sharply reduced due to the higher police profile.

Wednesday—May 22, 2002
TALLINN (CITY PAPER) Estonian Prime Minister said Wednesday that increasingly close relations between Moscow and the West make the small, historically vulnerable Baltic states more secure. Speaking in an interview from his office in Tallinn, he said the Baltics have always suffered during East-West tension—including when they were forcibly annexed by the Red Army in 1940. "Now, if confrontation between the West and Russia no longer exists, our very vulnerable situation also disappears," he said. 
       Kallas said he welcomed a historic Russian-NATO agreement, struck in Iceland last week, giving Moscow a greater voice in the alliance—countering some skeptics who said Russia could now try to lobby against Baltic NATO membership.
       Officials here have recently emphasized they want into NATO to contribute to international security. But Kallas conceded average Estonians saw potential threats from the east as the most persuasive argument in favor of NATO entry. "I have no doubt that Russian officials have a strong intention...not to be a threat to the Western world," he said. "But I can understand the opinion of average Estonians." 

Monday—May 20, 2002
TALLINN (BNS-CITY PAPER) Delegations from 24 nations and journalists from around the world have descended on Tallinn in the lead up to the Eurovision Song Contest, to be held in the Estonian capital this Saturday. The glitzy, heavily watched competition—which Estonia won the right to host after it won last year—is considered one of the largest events of its kind ever held in the region. Streets were meticulously cleaned, extra police patrols assigned and banners were strung across some city streets welcoming the pop music delegations, as well as the tens of thousands of visitors expected to arrive for the annual happening; up to 300 million people are expected to tune in via television Saturday. Special VIP parties and concerts are slated for the week leading up to the big event, and there were already continuous new conferences at the official press center that skirts this year's Eurovision venue—Saku Suurhall. Estonia has spent several million dollars to prepare for the extravaganza and is hoping that the corresponding publicity will help boost tourism.
       (For details about the Song Contest in Tallinn, plus a new schedule of events for the week, see CITY PAPER’s Eurovision page, here.)

Friday—May 17, 2002
VILNIUS (BNS-CITY PAPER) Lithuanian officials have formally asked CNN to include Vilnius on the news channel's TV weather map, BNS reported Friday. The Lithuanians say including Vilnius will help boost the city's name-recognition around the world. The appeal was reportedly made by Lithuania's U.S. embassy in a letter this week to CNN executives in Atlanta. Vilnius mayor Arturas Zuokas made a similar request last year—to no avail. 
       Tallinn and Riga are also not included on the CNN weather map. But Minsk, the capital of nearby Belarus, and the Polish capital Warsaw are included. The Baltic states have often fretted over a lack of awareness of their countries outside northern Europe, saying a lack of elementary knowledge about their nations sometimes inhibits efforts to woo businessmen and tourists. 
       Other European capitals have also fought for inclusion on CNN's weather map. Copenhagen, the capital of Denmark, was finally included last year after months of heavy lobbying by Danes. 

Wednesday—May 15, 2002
TALLINN (CITY PAPER) The Baltic states Wednesday expressed cautious backing for a historic Russian-NATO deal giving Moscow a greater role in the alliance—though some observers said it makes them uneasy. The Baltics made NATO membership a top foreign policy priority after regaining independence, citing concerns about possible future threats from their giant neighbor Russia as a main motivation. 
       Official spokesmen said the agreement, struck during a summit in Iceland this week, could allay Moscow's fears about Baltic membership—which Russia has repeatedly said it would see as a threat. "Estonia welcomes this," said Madis Mikko, spokesman for Estonia's Defense Ministry. "Anything that calms down tensions between Russia and NATO, and between Russia and NATO applicant countries, is a good thing...for Estonia, too." 
      But others, suspicious that Russia wants to maintain undue regional influence, say Russia could use its strengthened voice in NATO to try and foil Baltic bids to join the 19-nation alliance. Some news reports did suggest that Russia lobbied for a say within a newly established NATO-Russia council about the Baltic bids to join. Russia would also have a newly upgraded presence at NATO headquarters in Brussels.
       Most observers have said that the staunchly pro-West Baltics are top contenders, even shoe ins, to join NATO within a few years. Marko Mihkelson, head of the Tallinn-based Baltic Center for Russian Studies, said he didn't share concerns that Russia would try to manipulate the process. (He said he thought most Baltic officials also weren't anxious about the Icelandic deal.) Mihkelson said he believed even Russia accepted that Baltic membership—with such widespread Western support—was now a fait accompli. "Given our history of rule by Moscow, average Estonians are suspicious of everything linked to Russia," he said. "But I don't think Russia could try to use this new NATO council to stop Baltic entry. That isn't even conceivable."

Tuesday—May 14, 2002
VILNIUS (BNS-CITY PAPER) Lithuania's Health Ministry Tuesday scrapped a widely criticized Soviet-era rule requiring that women undergo gynecological tests to qualify for a driver's license. An ombudsman office recently declared the provision discriminatory since men aren't asked to take an equivalent test—such as a urological exam. Ausrine Burneikiene, who heads the office, rebuffed a handful of officials who said certain deceases in women could cause sufficient pain to inhibit driving; she said  “a majority of our consultants said there are no specific women's diseases which could hinder women driving.”

TALLINN (CITY PAPER) This year's official Eurovision magazine gave its highest song rating to underdog Latvia—picking it, along with Britain, Estonia, Belgium and Macedonia as having the best entrants for the 2002 Song Contest.
       The pan-Baltic CITY PAPER gave its highest mark among the 24 participants, an 8 (out of 10), to Latvia's Maria Naumova, who sings a funked-up, Latin-tinged song called I Wanna. "This is a song that does stand out in the crowd," CITY PAPER wrote. "This is a commendable follow up to Latvia's highly acclaimed 2000 entry, My Star, by BrainStorm."
       The magazine, which will be handed out to thousands of journalists and other VIPs before the May 25th show, gave Britain and Estonia a 7+ rating and handed both Belgium and Macedonia a 7.
       "Between 1-10, we saw a 1 as being a completely unlistenable song. A 10 would have been, say, on the level of The Beatles or at least an ABBA hit," explained CITY PAPER editor Michael Tarm. "We didn't hear any 10s I'm afraid."
       Croatia received the lowest rating from CITY PAPER, a 2+. Denmark and Romania also fared badly, scoring 3s. 
       Lithuania received a 5+.
       Many international commentators have predicted that this year's       Eurovision winner will be either Britain, France, Germany or Spain. CITY PAPER gave France a 6, Germany a 5+ and Spain a 4+.
       Frances song, CITY PAPER wrote, "could have been sung by Celine Dion for the soundtrack of a film about a sinking ocean liner." It quoted one commentator as calling the French entry "a poor man's Celine Dion."
       But CITY PAPER—a 10-year old news and tourist magazine that early this year won a competition to be the sole official guide for the 2002 Song Contest—conceded that judging any Eurovision tune is a dicey business.
       "One guy's favorite Eurovision song is the worst song the next guy has ever heard in his life," it wrote in an editorial. 

       (You can hear a Real Audio recording of "I Wanna" and the other Eurovision songs at www.eurosong.net . Click on "ESC 2002," then on the green colored links. The Eurovision edition of CITY PAPER is now available across all three Baltic states.) 

Friday—May 10, 2002
TALLINN-RIGA (BNS-CITY PAPER) A 21-year-old man suspected of brutally murdering four people in Estonia and of shooting dead a policeman in Latvia was captured by Polish border patrols Friday afternoon, BNS reported; police said the Russian citizen, Yuri Ustimenko, may have also been involved in several murders in Russia. 
       There were widespread fears in Estonia that Ustimenko, who police said appeared to "enjoy killing," would try to kill again. Police released excerpts of a diary written by Ustimenko in which he boasted about the murders, sprinkling his commentaries with details of the deeds; he described himself as a "predator." The diary included cut-out pictures of Lenin, Stalin and Hitler, as well as press clippings of the World Trade Center attack. (One page of his diary, rerun in Thursday's Postimees, had a recent CITY PAPER cover—a drawing of Uncle Sam with Baltic flags sticking out of his red, white and blue hat—glued prominently to one page.)
       Estonia and Latvia launched a nationwide manhunt for Ustimenko after he allegedly shot dead the Latvian policeman who tried to detain him last weekend. Ustimenko and an accomplice are believed to have killed two shop employees, a taxi driver and a security man over the past month and a half in Estonia, shooting all their victims at point-blank range in the head. The other suspect, Dmitri Medvedyev, was shot dead by Latvian police Sunday, while Ustimenko managed to flee. 
       Both men were said to have been third year cadets at a top St. Petersburg naval academy before going AWOL and crossing illegally into Estonia earlier this year.  
       Details about Ustimenko's capture in Poland weren't immediately available, but it appears he was caught without major resistance.

Thursday—May 9, 2002
RIGA (BNS-CITY PAPER) Latvia's Saeima legislature voted overwhelmingly in favor of dropping a disputed language provision that NATO warned would have precluded it from joining the alliance. NATO has said repeatedly for months that the law requiring that candidates for elected office be able to speak Latvian did not meet the alliance's standards of democratic procedure. It was seen as the last major obstacle to NATO membership for Latvia, which, along with Estonia and Lithuania, was otherwise seen as a leading candidate to win an invitation to join later this year. Deputies voted 67-13 to approve the changes; there were 20 abstentions. 
       Latvia's government and president had argued that the language rule, even if justified, wasn't worth risking the country's decade-long bid to win NATO membership—a goal that was now well within reach. Others, especially those on the right, had said the requirement helped entrench Latvian after so many decades of Soviet rule, during which Russian was often given preference by leaders in Moscow. They complained that Latvia was caving in to undue international pressure.
       The Thursday bill, in a concession to critics, said candidates must state their level of Latvian-language proficiency on a written form—as a way to inform voters about the candidate's abilities to represent constituents. But Latvian citizenship and a minimum age of 21 are now the only requirements to run for office. Latvian remains the sole working language of parliament, and the pool of candidates in elections wasn't expected to change drastically.
       The U.S. embassy in Riga issued a statement later Thursday welcoming the legislature's vote. "This important decision shows that most of the people's representatives see Latvia as a country with equal rights for everybody," it said. "We rejoice at Latvia's continuous efforts to build an integrated, tolerant and generous community open for all."

VILNIUS (BNS-CITY PAPER) The Washington Post this week reportedly referred to star Lithuanian basketball player and national hero Arvydas Sabonis as a "Russian"—prompting a swift response from Lithuanian diplomats, BNS said. The influential daily apparently made the mistake in a list it ran of the best European basketball players to have been in the NBA. The Lithuanian Embassy in Washington is said to have dispatched a letter to The Washington Post asking it to publish a correction. “The fact that Lithuanian players used to be part of Soviet teams has not turned them into Russians," the letter by Embassy Secretary Rolandas Kacinskas was quoted as saying. The 37-old Sabonis, who recently played for the Portland Trail Blazers, also led the Soviet team to a gold medal in 1998; the majority of the players on that team were Lithuanian. Sabonis returned to his homeland last year and began playing again with a team he partly owns, Kaunas Zalgirs.

Wednesday—May 8, 2002
TALLINN (CITY PAPER) Eurovision Analysis: Who's Afraid of Terry Wogan?—One of the reasons Estonians have so enthusiastically embraced the chance to host the Eurovision Song Contest on May 25 is that it gives them a rare chance to shine on an international stage, to make an impression on the world at large. But there are fears here that one widely watched British Eurovision commentator, Terry Wogan, could rain on Estonia's big parade.
       Wogan's 30-year radio career has been made, at least in part, by his witty, often biting comments about Eurovision during the BBC's annual airing of the event. Last year during the Danish-hosted Song Contest, for instance, Wogan dubbed the two Danes who introduced each song as "Dr. Death and the Tooth Fairy." His fans ate it up. Danes were outraged. (Apparently red-faced higher-ups at the BBC even contemplated an apology.)
       Even Brits who otherwise don't listen to Wogan on his regular Radio 2 slot each weekday morning, seem to love his annual Eurovision shows, peppered with so much dry humor and stinging barbs. His trademark Eurovision commentary is credited with dramatically boosting the number of Brits who tuned in to watch the competition each year. 
       Said a commentator on the British-based www.dooyoo.co.uk: "Like most right-minded people, I don't much like Terry Wogan. He's irritating as hell. But for one night a year, he becomes my hero." Others peg Wogan as Britain's best broadcaster hands down, Eurovision or no Eurovision.
       Estonians have hardly sounded similar notes of appreciation for Wogan’s famous and/or infamous flare. 
       On the contrary, Estonia's Eurovision organizers have appeared to amount a preemptive defense against a fully expected Woganesque onslaught, going out of their way to single him out for criticism weeks before his plane even touched down in Tallinn.
       In an April 30 press release entitled "BBC Show Host will not have Mercy on Estonia," the Estonian organizers noted that the "Eurovision Song Contest to take place in Tallinn will be subject to a crushing assessment." "This," it went on to say "is going to happen, if, instead of our gravely serious commentators, you listen to the BBC Prime (broadcast), where Terry Wogan will be the host.”
       “This man is loved in Great Britain and hated in greater continental Europe," the statement said. "When commenting on the Song Contest, Wogan will leave no stone unturned regarding the organizing country, the presenters and their outfits, the songs and the final results of the show. He considers it funny and so do the British, who have started to watch the Eurovision more and more every year because of his ironic remarks." The press release went on to say that "booze has its affect on Wogan, who becomes more and more intolerable as the show develops."
       The executive producer of Eurovision 2002, Juhan Paadam, has also gone on the record expressing his displeasure with Wogan. "Yes, I know Terry Wogan," Paadam was quoted by Estonia’s Paevaleht newspaper as saying. "There is not such an arrogant and rare type in the world." 
       "But I still believe that we should not take him so seriously," he hastened to add. “He is an unusual person and so let him be.” 
       The security chief for this year's Song Contest in Tallinn, Urmas Piir, reportedly joked that Wogan could be searched for "a very long time in order to keep him from reaching his broadcast booth as Eurovision went on the air," Paevaleht reported.
       In the end, so used to criticism from outside Britain and always on the lookout for fresh comedic material, such comments are probably all music to the ears of Terry Wogan.

       (You can see more about Wogan and listen to his morning show on BBC Radio 2, here.)

Monday—May 6, 2002
TALLINN (BNS-CITY PAPER) A nationwide manhunt is underway in Estonia and Latvia after a murder suspect shot dead a Latvian policeman and was believed to have slipped back into Estonia, BNS reported. The 21-year-old Yuri Ustimenko, a Russian citizen, is wanted on suspicion of four brutal murders committed in recent months in Estonia; he was stopped by several policemen in a Latvian border town Sunday and then opened fire. In the ensuing gun battle, the one policeman was killed and two others were injured; a second suspect with Ustimenko was also killed. Some 1000 police were reportedly involved in the search in Estonia, with cars, buses and trucks being stopped and checked at dozens of roadblocks. The two assailants are believed to have killed two shop employees, a taxi driver and a security man during robberies over the past month and a half, shooting all their victims at point-blank range in the head. 

RIGA (BNS-CITY PAPER) Some 140 people have died in road accidents in Latvia so far this year, eight more than during the same period last year—fortifying Latvia's reputation as having among the world's most lethal roads, BNS reported. Since January, there have been a total of 11,428 road accidents, 1,154 of them resulting in serious injury or death. Six children have died and over 160 have been injured. Several years ago, Latvia (pop. 2.5 million) was listed in the Guinness World Book of Records as having the highest per capita road deaths in the world. 
       (See related story, Deathly Driving.)

Friday—May 3, 2002 
VILNIUS (BNS-CITY PAPER) A leading Lithuanian center, selected by the San Antonio Spurs in last year's U.S. National Basketball Association draft, may have received career-ending injuries in a serious road accident, doctors said. Robertas Javtokas, 22, was riding a motorcycle Wednesday when it crashed at high speeds. Javtokas badly damaged his shoulder, knee and kidneys, and his thighbone was crushed. 
       The 2.08 meter (6-foot-10) Javtokas played briefly at Arizona University before the San Antonio Spurs chose him in the second round of the 2001 draft. But he opted to return to this Baltic Sea coast nation to play for a local team, Lietuvos Rytas. 

TALLINN (BNS-CITY PAPER) When a defendant couldn't answer a judge's question in Estonia this week it wasn't because he was tongue-tied—but because he'd sewn his lips together to protest his innocence, police said Friday. Andrus Viks, 34, was charged with destruction of property for allegedly setting a Mercedes on fire two years ago; he was arrested earlier this year. If convicted of that charge, he faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison.
        Police found Viks in his cell with his mouth sewn together late last week, said police spokeswoman Kaja Kukk. A photograph in the local Ohtuleht daily showed Viks with black threads wrapping around either side of his mouth. "He refused medical help and didn't appear to be in much pain, so police took him to the trial Monday with his mouth shut like that," she said. Viks had used a needle and thread provided to prisoners to mend their clothes. When a defense attorney explained why his client couldn't respond, the judge spent the rest of Monday's proceeding addressing several co-defendants while Viks sat quietly on a nearby bench, Kukk said. Kukk said Viks has since taken the stitches out himself. She said he was unable to eat during the six days his mouth had been sealed and that hunger may have motivated his decision to end his protest.
       (You can see a photograph of Viks in court, here.)

TALLINN (CITY PAPER) City Paper's Eurovision special edition appeared for sale on Friday—in another sign that one of the biggest events ever staged in Estonia is just around the corner. The 150-page magazine—which includes interviews, articles, Eurovision song reviews, schedules, tourist information, maps and more— is the one-and-only Eurovision 2002 guide. Some 40,000 copies of the magazine will be on sale across Estonia and the other two Baltic states and will be given by the Eurovision organizers to the thousands of VIPs and journalists as they arrive for the May 25 Song Contest. "We wanted this magazine to be of practical help to visitors, but also to be entertaining, fun and, in places, maybe even a little provocative," said City Paper's executive editor Eve Tarm. 
       The introductory article is by Economist correspondent Edward Lucas, who looks at how foreigners often make false assumptions about Estonia, including that it must be technologically backward. The article is entitled "Top 10 Misconceptions About Estonia;" it's illustrated by award-winning Estonian animator Priit Pärn. The magazine cover—of a woman with silver white hair and balls of color exploding from the back of her head—was produced by leading Estonian cartoonist Rein Lauks. 
       The magazine also includes an exclusive interviews with three-time Eurovision winner Johnny Logan, with executive producer of this year's contest Juhan Paadam and with one of the 2001 winners, Dave Benton. Former Estonian Foreign Minister also discusses Estonia's bid to join the European Union. In his interview, Juhan Paadam tells City Paper that the Eurovision event is by far the biggest, the most expensive and the most complicated project in the history of Estonian TV. Asked by City Paper how he hoped to feel when he woke up the day after Eurovision ends, Paadam said: "How do I want to feel the morning after? I want to be alive!"
       (Fore details about the contents, see here.)

Thursday—May 2, 2002
WASHINGTON (AFP-BNS) The United States has signaled it might favor accepting more new members into NATO than currently anticipated, arguing that "the more allies we have, the better off we're going to be." The statement came at a Senate Foreign Relations Committee hearing on Wednesday, which featured Undersecretary of State for Political Affairs Marc Grossman and Undersecretary of Defense for Policy Douglas Feith among the key witnesses. 
       The issue of bringing new members into the 19-nation alliance will top the agenda at a NATO summit in Prague in November. The applicants include Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Bulgaria, Romania, Macedonia and Albania. But although no final selection has been made, experts have been saying until recently that about five of these candidates were most likely to make the cut; the Baltics have long been considered among the front runners. 
But according to the well-informed Republican Senator Richard Lugar, that unofficial list of those to join has now been expanded to seven, including Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Slovakia and Slovenia, as well Bulgaria and Romania. 
       When asked if he believed the alliance could undergo an even "larger enlargement," Grossman answered without hesitation: "Yes, sir, I do." "The events of September 11 show us that the more allies we have, the better off we're going to be," he continued. "The more allies we have to prosecute the war on terrorism, the better off we're going to be." 

Tuesday—April 30, 2002
TALLINN (BNS-CITY PAPER) The king and queen of Sweden are scheduled to travel to Estonia this Sunday to reconsecrate a church that was used as a gym during 50 years of Soviet rule. The St. Michael's Church will be the focus of King Carl XVI Gustaf and Queen Silvia's one-day stay, which was announced for the first time Tuesday in a statement from the Swedish embassy in Tallinn. During the private visit, however, the royal couple was also expected to stop at a coastal area once inhabited by thousands of ethnic Swedes and to dine at the palace residence of Estonian President Arnold Ruutel. 
       The 16th century St. Michael's Church was built in Tallinn when Estonia was part of Sweden's empire; Swedish rule began here in 1563 and ended in 1704 when Russian armies grabbed control of the region during the Great Northern War. Estonians returned the church to its Swedish owners in 1992, a year after regaining independence. Since then, the two nations have developed close economic and cultural ties.

BRUSSELS (BNS-Reuters) The European Commission and other EU bodies will start hiring staff from east European candidate countries next year to make itself ready for the bloc's enlargement, the Commission said on Monday. Under the Commission's hiring strategy, due to be approved later this week, more than 4,000 new jobs are to be created in EU institutions until 2008 for staff from up to 10 countries which hope to join in 2004. "The Commission must prepare hiring procedures...as it wants to be ready for enlargement on January 1, 2004," said Steve Morris, the Commission's spokesman for planning. 
       Under the plan, the new member countries are eventually to control nearly 20 percent of jobs in the EU institutions, reflecting their combined population of about 75 million. The enlarged Union of 25 members would have around 450 million. Interpreters and translators will account for some 40 percent of the new jobs as the EU's expansion will increase the number of its official languages from 11 to 20. "Each new language means about 100 new translators," said Morris, declining to name the total cost of EU staff expansion. 
       Politicians said that while the hiring plans were good news for bright young people from the candidate countries, the well-paid EU jobs might cause something of a "brain drain" for the states unable to offer the same level of salary. The new hiring plans may also be bad news for university graduates from the current 15 EU member states. "To achieve a geographical balance after enlargement, hiring from the current EU member countries will have to be suppressed for some time," said Morris. 
       The Commission plans to hire about 500 new staffers on a temporary basis next year outside its tough system of "concours," in which candidates must demonstrate a thorough knowledge of EU laws, history and policies. The Commission would then organize exams in those candidate countries with which the EU aims to wrap up membership talks by the end of this year. 

TALLINN (CITY PAPER) Three-time Eurovision winner Johnny Logan has said in an interview with an Estonian-based magazine that the quality of the Song Contest has deteriorated, and he urged organizers to rethink how they stage the event. "I do think Eurovision has lost its edge over the last ten years," the Irishman told a special Eurovision edition of the English-language CITY PAPER. "I just feel that too many of the songs are contrived these days." 
       His comments to the pan-Baltic news and tourist magazine comes just weeks before the 2002 Eurovision Song Contest is slated to be held in Tallinn, Estonia on May 25. 
       Logan, who won Eurovision as a performer twice and as a songwriter once, said there were at least five or six good songs competing 20 years ago. Recently, however, he said there seemed to be just two or three songs good enough to win. 
       He reserved his harshest criticism for a decision to abandon live orchestration in favor of pre-recorded backing tracks—which organizers say has helped keep costs of staging the extravaganza down. "Backing tracks makes it too karaoke for me," said the 47-year-old. "Backing tracks take away any feel of the real musician....I would like to see an orchestra available again, or at least for people to have a choice." 
       He also criticized recent on-air Eurovision presenters, including at Copenhagen last year, saying they've become too scripted and that there should be more spontaneity in the show. He said he also believed televoting was too easily manipulated and that an alternative voting system should be developed. Logan suggested that a forum be set up to allow Eurovision fans to propose their own ideas about how to improve the contest.
       Logan did say he thought Estonia's victory in last year's Song Contest in Copenhagen could help breathe new life into Eurovision. "It was a really great thing for Eurovision," he said. "The same countries winning all the time is just not going to allow interest to spread. After the Estonians won, everybody feels they have a shot at winning. That's good."
       But Logan, the only person ever to win Eurovision more than once in its 45-year history, also adamantly defended the Song Contest from critics who deride the event as a celebration of pop kitsch. "A lot of people who run Eurovision down are like eunuchs in a harem," he told CITY PAPER. "They see it done every night, but they can't do it themselves."
       Logan won in 1980 with What's Another Year and then in 1987 singing Hold Me Now; he wrote the 1992 winning song, Why Me?, performed by Linda Martin. The two songs he sang both became No. 1 hits in most European countries. He conceded that winning Eurovision was "a two-edged sword." "You enjoy your success at Eurovision and the success of the winning song, sure," he said. "But then you also become The Eurovision Winner _ and that can be very unfashionable, certainly in England."
       He said questions about how Eurovision has changed over the years arose in his own mind after he recently sat down to watch his 1980 victory on video. "I still get really nervous when I watch that, it's funny," he told CITY PAPER. "I'm still never quite sure I'm gonna end up winning."
       The Johnny Logan interview will appear in City Paper later this week. City Paper is the official guide for the 2002 Eurovision Song Contest. 

Monday—April 29, 2002
VILNIUS (BNS-CITY PAPER) Lithuanian discus thrower Romas Ubartas, a gold medallist at the 1992 Olympics, has tested positive for a banned steroid and will likely be barred from the sport for life, officials said Monday. The 41-year-old—who became a national hero when he won Lithuania's first gold medal after it regained independence—initially tested positive at a training camp in the United States on April 1; but a decisive follow-up test, completed late last week, confirmed traces of the anabolic steroid boldenon in the same urine sample, according to the Lithuanian Athletic Federation. 
       Ubartas denied the doping allegations and called for further tests, but it looked likely he would be slapped with a life ban as soon as next week. He also tested positive for the same substance in 1993 and was suspended for four years then; commentators said a second offense would make a life ban almost certain. 
       Ubartas, who has remained competitive past the age most discus throwers retire, had been preparing for the European athletics championships in August. He also participated in the 2000 Olympics in Sydney, though he didn't win a medal. The gold medal was taken that year by his Lithuanian compatriot, Virgilijus Alekna. 

Thursday—April 25, 2002
TALLINN (CITY PAPER) A Slovenian red-breasted Flycatcher and Icelandic Golden Plover are among 21 birds that began squaring off Thursday in the first ever Eurovision Bird Song Contest—modeled after its counterpart for humans. Other participants, selected by national ornithological societies, include a British Blackbird, a Swedish Bluethroat, Hungarian Mustached Warbler and an Estonian Nightingale; an entrant had to be a bird native to that country or migrate through it to qualify. 
       The competition to select Europe's most beautiful birdsong was organized by environmentalists in Estonia, which hosts the better-known Eurovision Song Contest on May 25. Birds don't participate live, but sing—in some cases squawk, crow or cluck—in the form of 30-second recordings posted on the Eurovision Bird Song website (see below). Four weeks of online voting, open to all visitors to the site, began Thursday. 
       A main goal was to raise awareness about threats to European birds, said Eurovision Bird Contest spokesman Kristjan Adojaan. One contest news releases, headlined Illegal Killing of Bird Eurovision Artist, said 10 million songbirds are trapped in Cyprus each year, many for food. It said the Cypriot entry, a Blackcap, was among birds prized as a gourmet dish. "The Blackcap is better alive and singing than dead and pickled in a jar," the statement said. It criticized the government in Cyprus for not enforcing bans on the practice and said similar killings were also common in Italy and France. 
       Website visitors can rate each birdsong from 1-5 and the one with the highest average wins; there will also be a separate vote offline by bird experts.. A winner will be named May 24 in a ceremony at the Tallinn Zoo—just across the road from the auditorium venue for the pop music contest the next day. Top prize is "basically national honor" and a small trophy, said Adojaan. He said most money appeared to be on the nightingale and blackbird to take the European Birdsong title, though he said his favorite was Malta's Cory Shearwater. A local communications firm, Tele2, is footing the 20,000-dollar bill to put on the event, the brainchild of Estonia's Nature Fund and Ornithological Society.
       The contest for non-feathered singers, derided as a celebration of kitsch by some, draws over 200 million television viewers a year. Estonia won the right to stage the 2002 Eurovision Song Contest when its entrant won last year in Denmark. The Bird Song Contest is not formally sanctioned by the Eurovision Song Contest—though organizers of that annual extravaganza have given their tacit approval, including by helping to publicize the birdsong competition. 

(To hear the competing birdsongs, go to www.birdeurovision.org and click on "voting.")

Wednesday—April 24, 2002
VILNIUS (BNS-CITY PAPER) Lithuanian Prime Minister Algirdas Brazauskas, 69, has married his long-time girlfriend in a secret ceremony after weeks of media speculation about his private life. The one-time Communist Party boss married 53-year-old hotel director Kristina Butrimiene on Tuesday, his spokesman announced only on Wednesday; they refused to provide any other details, including where the wedding was held. 
       The popular Brazauskas has been seen as a potential candidate for Lithuania's presidential election, scheduled for December. Incumbent President Valdas Adamkus is the leading contender to win a second term. But most Lithuanians are Catholic and more conservative voters could be expected to scrutinize the prime minister's marital status. The media has focused on whether Brazauskas had divorced his wife of more than 40 years; Brazauskas said in a statement last week that he divorced Julija Brazauskiene "some time ago"—though he didn't specify when. Some accused him of misleading the public or even outright lying about the matter. Some speculated that he may have wed now to ensure his private life didn't become a campaign issue later this year. 
      Brazauskas was president from 1993-98 as a member of the formerly communist Democratic Labor Party, which later merged with the Social Democrats. In the 1980s, he led the Lithuanian Communist Party, which challenged the Kremlin by demanding more political freedom. He has been a pro-market advocate since Lithuania regained independence. He came to power last year after a center-right government unraveled following coalition infighting.
Monday—April 22, 2002 
VILNIUS (BNS-CITY PAPER) A group of Americans have turned part of the Vilnius old city into a new country called Molodonia, a place that is ruled by an iron-fisted military dictatorship, BNS reported. The place is, alas, fictitious, part of a new Hollywood action movie being filmed in Vilnius and elsewhere in Lithuania. 
       The Los Angeles-based Martien A.V.V. is the latest of a string of production companies to use Lithuania as a lower-cost location to film. Parts of a TV series about Robin Hood were filmed here several years ago, and at least one other feature film and three other TV movies were made here in 2001 alone. 
       The latest movie company is also employing several Lithuanian actors and stuntman, as well as Lithuanian film crews and studios in what has been a lucrative deal for the local film industry. Robertas Urbonas, of Lithuanian Films Studios, was quoted as telling BNS that some 90 percent of its income has come from foreign filmmakers arriving to use Lithuanian sets, actors and equipment. “It it wasn't for these orders, we would have closed down back in 1994,” he said. 
       He added that by filming in a European country, American producers also got around tough restrictions on wholly American-made movies that are in place in some European nations, like France. 

Friday—April 19, 2002
TALLINN (CITY PAPER) The official Estonian ruling is in: Vladimir Lenin is guilty of serious economic fraud. 
       Many would hasten to agree about the demerits of the legendary communist revolutionary. It's just that the verdict in this particular case, handed down by an Estonian judge Thursday evening, has nothing to do with him.
       The Vladimir Lenin in question is a 35-year-old Estonian resident—convicted by a district court of setting up a phony oil firm to fraudulently claim 825,000 dollars in government tax rebates, officials said. A judge gave Lenin, an ethnic Russian living in Estonia, a two-year suspended sentence and ordered that he repay the state some 235,000 dollars, said Estonian police spokesman Haino Kurman. 
       Estonia's Lenin went into hiding in 1999 after he was indicted, and the fugitive was arrested in Tallinn three months ago. There has been one other arrest in the case, and three suspects were being sought but were believed to have fled to neighboring Russia.
       Kurman said Lenin was the convicted felon's legal name, not a nickname. Estonia's Lenin even shares the same middle initial as the Soviet founder, "I," the official explained, though his stands for Ivan instead of Ilyich. Police couldn't say how the living Lenin came to get his name, or whether he or his parents were admirers of his namesake, who died in 1924.
       But the communist ideologue is widely reviled here in the Baltic states, blamed for setting up a Soviet secret police system responsible for arresting and deporting millions of people. Giant Lenin statues that once stood in virtually every Baltic city were promptly torn down and hauled off to local scrap heaps after Estonia regained independence during the 1991 Soviet collapse. 

Wednesday—April 17, 2002
TALLINN (CITY PAPER) A pro-Moscow Orthodox church was registered in Estonia Wednesday—seen as a step toward resolving a bitter feud with a local pro-Constantinople church that has strained Orthodox unity worldwide.  "We're very happy this issue was resolved," said Maia Burlake, spokeswoman for the Estonian Interior Ministry, which oversees the church registrations. "We've been grappling with this for so long." She said the move ended a juridical no man's land that the pro-Moscow church had found itself in—but that complicated disputes between the two sides over property still weren't fully resolved.
       The friction began after Estonia regained independence in 1991, with most ethnic Estonian Orthodox pledging loyalty to the Turkey-based Patriarchate of Constantinople, headed by Patriarch Bartholomew. But Russians in this multi-ethnic country of 1.4 million said they would remain loyal to the Patriarchate of Moscow, headed by Patriarch Alexy II—effectively dividing Orthodox believers here into two camps. 
       Feuds focused on which was the heir to church property, including land and churches, nationalized after the Red Army invaded Estonia in 1940. A court ruled the pro-Constantinople side was the rightful owner of virtually all the property after it registered itself under the name "Estonian Apostolic Orthodox Church." While the pro-Moscow side was not threatened with eviction, they were infuriated, saying the ruling stripped them of legal rights to churches they had used during nearly five decades of Soviet rule. 
        The pro-Moscow wing, until recently, had insisted on registering under the same name, "Estonian Apostolic Orthodox Church," in a bid to establish its claim to the same property. Estonian authorities refused. But Burlake said the pro-Moscow church finally agreed to use a different name, "the Estonian Orthodox Church of the Patriarchate of Moscow." "Importantly, this gives them a legal foundation," she said. "We can help, but it will be up to the two sides to arrive at a final solution about property themselves. It's not a state matter." 
       Differences between the two local churches were further complicated in 1996 when the Patriarchate of Constantinople officially took the Estonian branch under its jurisdiction.  The move angered the Patriarchate of Moscow, which had presided over Orthodox believers here for 50 years. There were fears that the dispute could lead to a schism.
       Most of some 900,000 Estonians are Lutheran; there are up to 50,000 ethnic-Estonian Orthodox believers. There are an estimated 100,000 ethnic-Russian Orthodox out of a total Russian population of some 500,000. 

VILNIUS (BNS-CITY PAPER) Lithuanian Prime Minister Algirdas Brazauskas has said his country should do more to return properties owned by Jewish Holocaust victims to their rightful heirs—a process that has stalled for a decade. Brazauskas, speaking in an interview on Lithuanian Radio Tuesday evening, called for more intensive talks between Lithuania and international Jewish organizations to resolve outstanding legal obstacles. He said the legacy of the 1941-44 German occupation, during which over 90 percent of Lithuania's 240,000 Jews were killed by Nazis, made a resolution all the more urgent. 
       "We should make extensive efforts to clarify these relations after so many years," BNS quoted him as saying. “We cannot stand out from the group of other European countries....We should make some progress in a solution this year.” After regaining independence, Lithuania adopted laws to return property nationalized by communists to pre-war owners. But officials say identifying heirs is especially difficult when it comes to Jewish property. Lithuania was a center of Eastern European Jewry before the war, with leading Jewish institutes, schools and synagogues, so scores of major buildings could be involved in any restitution deal. 
        The 69-year-old Brazauskas has been one of the most outspoken Lithuanian leaders on Holocaust issues. During a visit to Israel as president in 1994, he apologized for the participation of some Lithuanians in the massacre of Jews. He also told Lithuanian Radio Tuesday there was no place in this nation of 3.5 million people for anti-Semitism, saying "we should think about our past instead of expressing groundless and unfounded criticisms," according to BNS. Last week, legislator Vytautas Sustauskas, of the fringe right-wing Lithuanian Freedom Union issued a statement saying authorities were displaying "subservience to Jews" by pledging to restore pre-war property rights. In an apparent reference to Sustauskas, the prime minister was quoted as saying prosecutors should investigate anyone who violates Lithuanian anti-racism laws that make the "instigation of national discord" a criminal offense. 

Tuesday—April 16, 2002
TALLINN (BNS-CITY PAPER) The 10-year-old Mercedes-Benz used by recent Estonian President Lennart Meri during his two terms in office will be sold at an auction within the coming months, BNS reported. The car, a Mercedes 300 SL, was bought for 30,000 dollars, and has been driven 400,000 kilometers. Normally such a used car would fetch around 15,000 dollars—but its historical value could jack up the price, BNS said. The report didn't say how the money raised might be spent. 

Monday—April 15, 2002
VILNIUS (BNS-CITY PAPER) Lithuania's 69-year-old Prime Minister Algirdas Brazauskas said Monday he'd marry his long-time girlfriend—an announcement that could affect the presidential election slated for later this year. The ex-communist, who became prime minister last year, came out publicly and said he'd marry 53-year-old Kristina Butrimiene after press speculation about their relationship intensified. A front-page picture in the Lietuvos Rytas daily of him and Butrimiene on a beach in Egypt last week applied further pressure; Brazauskas had reportedly said he was traveling t Egypt alone for a vacation. 
        The popular Brazauskas has been seen as a potential candidate for the presidential election, scheduled for December. Incumbent President Valdas Adamkus is the front-runner to win a second term. Lithuania is predominantly Catholic and voters could be expected to scrutinize the prime minister's marital status. Media have focused on whether Brazauskas has or hasn't already divorced his wife of over 40 years. But in a Monday statement, Brazauskas said he divorced Julija Brazauskiene some time ago—though he didn't specify when; Brazauskas and Brazauskiene had two daughters together. Butrimiene, director of a local Vilnius hotel is also divorced, the statement said. If the prime minister is seen as bending the truth about his divorce, he could concievably face pressure to step down.

VILNIUS (BNS-CITY PAPER) The Baltic divisions of the accountancy firms Arthur Andersen and Ernst and Young have signed a memorandum of understanding to merge their operations, BNS reported. It is the latest merger move of an international division of Andersen, the U.S.-based accounting company accused helping to hide financial problems of the bankrupt energy giant Enron. The merged company will have some 250 employees and annual revenues of around 10 million dollars; the merger deal is expected to be finalized within several weeks. Andersen's clients in the Baltic states have included the giant Mazeikiai Oil and the Microlink computer maker.

RIGA (BNS-CITY PAPER) Latvian Ambassador to Britain Imants Daudiss died of an apparent heart attack while he was in Riga over the weekend, BNS reported; he was 56. Once a middle-ranking communist official, Daudiss later became an important figure in the drive for Latvian independence. He served as ambassador to Russia from 1997-2001 and began his posting in London last September.
       In a written statement released Monday, Latvian President Vaira Vike-Freiberga paid tribute to Daudiss, saying he was "a man of trust, courage and patriotic feelings" and "one of the brightest diplomats of his country.”

Friday—April 12, 2002
BORDEAUX (BNS-CITY PAPER) French police have arrested two young Estonian men found with explosives and bomb-making materials in their car, BNS reported. The police arrested the 18 and 19 year olds in Western France on Wednesday; officials said they appeared to be traveling from Belgium to Spain. 
       A spokeswoman for the Bordeaux police told BNS that gendarmes stopped the car for a routine check, and initially thought the suspects were carrying hemp—then found five kilograms of explosives and fuses. 
       According to Spain's El Mundo, the French police took criminal action against the men under anti-terrorism criminal codes. The Spanish news agency EFE referred to unnamed police as saying they were looking into whether the Estonians had links to the Basque terrorist organization ETA.

Thursday—April 11, 2002
VILNIUS (BNS-CITY PAPER) The U.S.-based Williams International and Russian Yukos oil companies initialed an equity-for-crude deal Thursday that would give the Russian conglomerate a major stake in Lithuania's Mazeikiai Oil refinery. Williams has run Mazeikiai, this Baltic state's largest company, since it bought a 33 percent stake in 1999. It was the biggest privatization after Lithuania regained independence from Moscow.
       Under the agreement, which is still subject to final approval by both sides and by the government, Yukos would obtain a 26.85 percent stake in Mazeikiai Oil for 75 million dollars; Yukos would also give Mazeikiai a 75-million-dollar loan. Crucially, Yukos said it would also guarantee yearly supplies of 35 million barrels of crude to Mazeikiai. Deliveries from Russia to Mazeikiai have been repeatedly disrupted over the years, hurting Mazeikiai. Williams would maintain operational control. Williams would retain a 26.85 percent share of Mazeikiai, while the state would keep 40 percent; the remaining shares are listed on the stock market.
       The deal, if it goes through as expected, would be the largest investment ever by a Russian company in Lithuania. Speaking at a news conference in Vilnius Thursday, Williams International's Managing Director Randy Majors said he hoped it could be signed by June 1.
       Williams and Yukos had initialed a similar deal last year, but it was never signed after disputes arose over Yukos' insistence that it be able to eventually buy out Williams' holding. The new agreement stops short of giving Yukos buy-out rights, but does say it will have the first crack at stocks other shareholders want to relinquish.
       Mazeikiai Oil includes an oil terminal, a pipeline and refinery. It had a turnover of more than 500 million dollars last year.

Tuesday—April 9, 2002
VILNIUS (BNS-CITY PAPER) Vilnius officials said Tuesday that a first phase of a planned reconstruction of the city's prewar Jewish ghetto should be completed by next year—following a three-year delay. Plans to rebuild the district, devastated during the 1941-44 Nazi occupation, were approved by parliament in 1999. Financial and legal obstacles, however, raised doubts about whether the project would ever get off the ground. 
       But Vilnius Mayor Arturas Zuokas said Tuesday that public bids from builders would be announced soon. He said construction could start in June and the first of scores of buildings to be rebuilt could be finished by the middle of 2003.
       When legislators approved the 110-million-dollar project, the cash-strapped government said it could only foot a fraction of the bill. A Jewish Cultural Fund was set up to seek private donations, but it too failed to pull in sufficient money. Complicated property issues concerning the land where the Jewish landmarks once stood also stalled the project.
        But the city's mayor said it has now been decided to give private firms the city-center land to build on, plus rights to use most the premises for commercial use, in return for builders funding the costly reconstructions. Builders would also have to turn a third of the completed space over to the city, which in turn would be given to the Jewish Cultural Fund. 
       Officials and Jewish groups say the restoration will be a fitting memorial to the 240,000 Lithuanian Jews killed by the Nazis, and could also become major tourist attractions. Before World War II, Vilnius was known as the Jerusalem of the North, celebrated for its Yiddish-language theaters, libraries and schools. Jews made up half of the city's 130,000 inhabitants.
       (For related reports on this site, also see Reviving Jerusalem North and a Forgotten Yiddish Past.) 

Monday—April 8, 2002
RIGA (BNS-CITY PAPER) It could take a generation or more for living standards in the Baltic states to come even close to those in current European Union countries, EU executives said in a recent report. They said it would take 19 years for Estonia to reach 75 percent of the average living standards in the EU. It calculated that it would take Latvia 27 and Lithuania 31 years to reach that level. Currently, living standards in the Baltics are about a third of those in the EU. 
       Romania would take the longest of all EU candidate states, requiring 34 years to get close to living standards farther west; Poland would need 33 years. Among other Eastern European countries, Slovenia was the closest to EU living standards, needing just a year to reach the 75 percent target. Hungary would need 11 years and the Czech Republic 15. 
       The EU report said countries should redouble their efforts to boost economic growth. 

TALLINN (CITY PAPER) Former U.S. President Bill Clinton is scheduled to speak at an economic conference in Estonia on June 11. The one-day forum about investment in Tallinn is being sponsored by IBM and the country's Aripaev business newspaper, according to the chief organizer of the event, Teeli Remmelg. 
       She said IBM and Aripaev would pay the ex-president's speaker's fee, though she declined to disclose the sum; the Eesti Paevaleht newspaper speculated that the fee was between 10,000 and 25,000 dollars. Clinton was slated to stay in Estonia for just one day.
       It will be Clinton's first visit to Estonia, though his wife Hillary was here in 1996. As president, Clinton visited Latvia in 1994. 

Friday—April 5, 2002
(VILNIUS) BNS-CITY PAPER) Lithuanian investigators have found 34 empty radioactive zinc tubes, part of a nuclear fuel container stolen from the country’s sole atomic power plant 10 years ago, BNS reported. They unearthed similar tubes last month that were full, containing 20 kilograms of low-grade radioactive uranium; experts said it could have been used to make crude radioactive explosives, so called dirty bombs. 
       The materials were uncovered in a forest in eastern Lithuania, near the Ignalina Nuclear Power Plant where the theft took place, 80 kilometers north of Vilnius. Authorities zeroed in on the location last month after special troops registered radiation levels at many times normal levels. 
       The discoveries are part of a long-term investigation of uranium and casings stolen from Ignalina in 1992. They had been strapped beneath a bus and smuggled out, BNS reported. Plant workers involved in the theft were convicted in 1997 and have cooperated in locating the materials, reportedly buried across Lithuania. In total, some 80 of 100 kilograms of uranium have been recovered. 

Thursday—April 4, 2002
PRAGUE (AFP-BNS) The Baltic presidents will meet next month in Prague, venue for the Alliance summit which will decide the fate of NATO candidates later this fall. Arnold Ruutel of Estonia, Valdas Adamkus of Lithuania and Latvia's Vaira Vike-Freiberga will gather with their Czech counterpart Vaclav Havel on May 2, the Czech president's office reported. Prague, the capital of the Czech Republic which joined NATO in 1999 along with Poland and Hungary, will host a landmark Alliance summit in November in which the 19-member organization will decide on its next wave of enlargement. Nine ex-communist countries—the three Baltic states, Slovakia, Slovenia, Romania, Bulgaria, Macedonia and Albania—are hoping to get the green light. According to diplomats, the Baltics are most likely to get the okay, followed by Slovenia and Slovakia. Bulgaria and Romania could also be invited, some diplomats say. 

Wednesday—April 3, 2002
TALLINN (BNS-CITY PAPER) Denmark's Maersk Air will transfer part of its airline maintenance to Estonia, joining other firms that have moved labor intensive operations to the Baltics to save costs. Maersk Air's core fleet of 21 Boeing 737s will undergo so called C-checks, a major maintenance of airliners that takes place about every two years, in Tallinn. The work, to begin this month, will be overseen by Estonia's national carrier Estonian Air, which is 49 percent own by Maersk Air, according to Estonian Air vice president Erki Urva. He said it would be the first time a major airline had taken such a step in the region. 
       "This is labor intensive work," Urva said. "Maersk will save by using cheaper labor here." He said the transfer would cost 1.3 million euros (1.1 million dollars), but that Maersk Air would make that up quickly in lower labor costs. The average monthly wage in Estonia, located some 800 kilometers to the northeast of Denmark across the Baltic Sea, is about 300 dollars; Danish salaries are some six times higher. Around 20 new jobs would be created in Estonia; Maersk Air will also shift some labor intensive accounting work here, creating 10 more jobs, Urva said.
       Estonia has wooed other international companies to transfer key services here as a way to cut costs. The Hilton hotel chain set up a telephone center in Tallinn last year to take reservations from around Europe for hotels in nearby Nordic nations; it currently employs 50 Estonians with plans to triple that capacity within the year. SAS, a main rival of Maersk Air, and two Nordic-owned ferry lines, Viking and Silja Line, recently set up a similar call centers in Tallinn. U.S.-based International Steel is slated to soon open a  180-million dollar port-side complex  where steel products will be imported, reprocessed, then exported for sale elsewhere. It also cited low labor costs a main attraction. 

Tuesday—April 2, 2002
VILNIUS (BNS-CITY PAPER) A popular comedy show in Lithuania has given an annual award to Estonian Ambassador Rein Oidekivi for helping to prompt the most laughs during the preceding year, BNS reported Tuesday. Presenters of the show, called Dviracio Zynios (Bicycle News), said Estonia's envoy to Lithuania had served as an ideal prototype for an Estonian character on their program who is always claiming Estonia is so much more progressive than the other two Baltics states. The good-humored Estonian ambassador appeared in person to accept his trophy, an ostrich egg on a stand, BNS said. 
       Another award went to two British police officers who were detained for urinating or attempting to urinate on the wall of the Lithuanian president's palace recently (see earlier news report below). Many Lithuanians expressed outrage at the incident, but it also provided a wealth of material for Lithuanian comedians.

Monday—April 1, 2002
TALLINN (BNS-CITY PAPER) A leading Estonian judge who presided over several high-profile organize-crime trials was shot by an assailant in the neck over the weekend—though her life does not appear to be in danger, BNS reported. Merle Parts, dubbed the mafia judge in the local press, was shot with a small caliber pistol in the parking lot of a Tallinn supermarket at 7:10 p.m. on Sunday; police said they arrested a 28-year-old man identified only by his first name, Eero, but haven't yet charged him. Police said the shooting appeared to be "personally motivated" and not something related to the judge's organized crime trials—but they declined to elaborate. It was the first time an Estonian judge has been shot since the country regained independence, BNS said. A leading judge was gunned down and killed in Latvia last year.

Thursday—March 28, 2002
VILNIUS (BNS-CITY PAPER) Arvydas Sabonis, a longtime center for the NBA's Portland Trail Blazers and considered one of Europe's greatest basketball players ever, said this week he will soon begin playing again—this time for a local Lithuanian team he partly owns, the Kaunas-based Zalgiris.  Speculation about the future of the Lithuanian giant has been rife for a year, after he refused to renew his contract with Portland and hinted that he would retire from basketball. The 2.2-meter (7-foot-3) center fractured two small toes on his right foot late last year, also calling into question his fitness to play. 
       The 37-year-old's three-year, 30-million-dollar contract with the Trail Blazers ended in 2001. Portland wanted to re-sign him, but Sabonis said he couldn't reach an agreement with his former team. 

TALLINN (BNS-CITY PAPER) Estonia's annual growth rate for 2001 was 5.4 percent, higher than expected, the country's Statistics Department announced Thursday. The fourth quarter figure reached 5.7 percent, well above predictions that were based on the worldwide economic slowdown following the September 11 attacks in the United States. Officials said that Estonia's finance sector showed the highest growth, of 9 percent; the  and hotel and restaurant industry was the next strongest sector, expanding by an impressive 8.8 percent. The Finance Ministry said that the growth rate should stabilize this year at between 4-5 percent, adding that business and consumer confidence now appeared strong, BNS reported. 

Wednesday—March 27, 2002
TALLINN (BNS-CITY PAPER) Estonia upset World Cup-bound Russia 2-1 in the dying minutes of a friendly match on Wednesday—in the nation's biggest victory in its short soccer history. The game at a new 10,000-seat Tallinn stadium, filled to near capacity, was part of Russia's warm-up for the World Cup competition that starts in Japan in two months. But while Russia dominated possession for most of the game, it was the scrappy Estonians who took fullest advantage of scoring opportunities.
       The quick-footed Andres Oper was the hero of the match, scoring the first goal in the 10th minute and then again dancing through Russian lines to score the winning goal just before the final whistle. Russia's Vladimir Beschastnykh scored the equalizer in the 18th minute.
       Estonians said the win demonstrated that the country was now a credible soccer-playing nation. "This was a historic day for Estonian soccer," Estonia's coach Arno Pijpers, who is from Holland, said Wednesday evening. "There are 10 years of hard work behind this victory." 
       Russia was the second World Cup qualifier Estonia has humiliated within the month. Estonia, which only rejoined international soccer in 1992 after a 50 year absence, also knocked off Saudi Arabia 2-0 in a friendly.
       Russia had hoped to improve on its dismal performance against Ireland in February, in which the Russians were clobbered 2-0. But despite a handful of good tries, the Russians couldn't get the better of the inspired Estonians.  "Today's news will hit people in Russia in the heart and soul," said Estonian soccer official Aivar Pohlak. "For them, losing to Estonia is a kind of tragedy." 
       Extra police were deployed during the match as hundreds of Russian supporters traveled to Estonia to watch the game. Around a dozen Russian fans were arrested after throwing flares from the stands. 

TALLINN (CITY PAPER) Several prominent Estonians are toying with the idea of changing the Estonian-language name for the European Union—in part because the current version sounds uncomfortably close to the Estonian name for the Soviet Union. Estonians now call the EU "Euroopa Liit;" Soviet Union is "Noukogude Liit." Ex-President Lennart Meri sparked talk about the name change this week by suggesting that "Euroopa Liit" could be changed to "Euroopa Unioon." Meri, one of the country's most outspoken advocates of EU membership and a one-time writer, has asked linguistic experts about creating what would be the entirely new Estonian word "unioon" to form "Euroopa Unioon." 
       Anti-EU forces have tried to discredit Estonia's bid to join the EU by saying the EU's too much like the centralized USSR, which Estonia broke free from in 1991; their symbol is an EU flag stamped with a Soviet hammer and sickle. EU backers, including all mainstream political parties, dismiss the alleged parallels between the EU and Soviet Union as cheap rhetoric—but concede the argument sways some Estonians with fresh memories of repressive Moscow rule.
       Polls have varied wildly, between 40-60 percent, about the level of public support for EU membership. Surveys conducted by the EU itself have shown that Estonians are among the most skeptical about the benefits of being in the EU, with just a third of Estonians asked saying they thought membership would be "a good thing."

Monday—March 25, 2002 
Quotable of the Week—"The more radical and comprehensive the initial reform has been, the greater the economic success."—Swedish economist Anders Aslund's praising the Baltic states for their post-Soviet reforms in his new book, Building Capitalism: The Transformation of the Former Soviet Bloc. Aslund was once an economic advisor to Russian President Boris Yeltsin, who Aslund said didn't push reforms hard enough. 

Weather Forecast—The weather appears to have turned the corner, with above-freezing temperatures looking like they’re here to stay. It should be partly cloudy across the Baltic states this week, with occasional sun and little chance of any rain, sleet or snow.

Upcoming Events for the Week—Estonia plays Russia in soccer friendly on Wednesday....  

Other News Below—Lithuania's Eurovision song disqualified from 2002 Song Contest in Tallinn.... Latvia's stock exchange to be sold to Helsinki counterpart.... Lithuanian suicide rate up.... Bomb blast in downtown Tallinn, and more. 

Send comments/Letters to the Editor to—citypaper@citypaper.ee. 

Friday—March 22, 2002
VILNIUS (BNS-CITY PAPER) Would-be NATO members Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia said Friday they'll draw on the experience and connections of current member Poland in a final push to enter the powerful alliance themselves. At a one-day summit in Vilnius, the Baltic and Polish presidents announced plans to form a working group made up of their respective U.S.-based ambassadors that would coordinate Baltic lobbying. The Baltics are among nine countries hoping to win coveted invitations to join the powerful 19-member alliance when it holds a summit of its own this November in Prague, the Czech Republic.
       Lithuanian President Valdas Adamkus said Poland's embassy in Washington would provide key guidance as Baltic diplomats make their case in the U.S. capital. Poland, which borders Lithuania to the south, joined NATO in 1999 along with Hungary and the Czech Republic. It also spent years lobbying NATO states, some of which appeared skeptical about the benefits of taking in new members. Despite Kremlin opposition to Baltic membership—which Moscow said would threaten Russia—the Baltics are seen as having good chances of landing invitations. NATO, though, has made no promises.
       Latvia's president expressed confidence the three Baltics, with Poland's help, would woo NATO, adding that "I hope all four of us can open a bottle of champagne in Prague to celebrate victory," according to BNS. 

VILNIUS (BNS-CITY PAPER) Lithuanian band B'Avarija, chosen to represent Lithuania in this year's Eurovision Song Contest in Tallinn, has been disqualified for presenting a song that had already been released before January 1, 2002, in violation of contest rules. The European Broadcasting Union, which oversees the hugely popular Song Contest, concluded that a Lithuanian version of B'Avarija's song, We All, had been released commercially last year—counter to strict regulations about originality.
       Under Eurovision rules, the runner-up would normally take the place of the disqualified winner. But BNS said Aivaras, which came in second at the Lithuanian final, indicated it was not interested; the report didn't explain why. That would leave the honor of representing Lithuania to the group that came in third, Saules Kliosas. 

Thursday—March 21, 2002
RIGA (BNS-CITY PAPER) The Latvian government Thursday called on a top European human rights official to resign after he suggested Latvia designate Russian a state language—a status now enjoyed solely by Latvian. Gerard Stoudmann, of the Office for Security and Cooperation in Europe, said Wednesday that Latvia should consider boosting the official standing of Russian, the mother tongue of 40 percent of Latvia's 2.4 million population. Stoudmann, in Latvia to attend an OSCE gathering, told journalists that Russian Cyrillic and Latvian Latin letters were both widely seen on shop signs and newstands around Riga and so "why not confirm this de jure?" 
       Latvia adopted policies favoring Latvian after independence in 1991, arguing the native language suffered during Russian-dominated Soviet rule. It's softened some laws—but has always drawn the line at ever giving Russian official status. Russia has strongly criticized Latvia's language policies, and the issue has sometimes soured bilateral relations.
       In a statement released Thursday, Latvian Prime Minister Andris Berzins called Stoudmann's remarks "irresponsible," adding that "he doesn't understand how detrimental his statements are to our goals here. He should resign.” While neighboring Russia has repeatedly called for Latvia to make Russian a second state language, other ranking OSCE officials said Stoudmann's comments don't reflect the OSCE's official position.
       The OCSE early this year closed its Riga office, which was first opened in 1993 to monitor the treatment of Russians, saying it was satisfied Latvia now broadly respected minority rights. But it has continued to call for some Latvian legislation to be changed, especially a law requiring that all candidates for elected office be able to speak Latvian. 

Wednesday—March 20, 2002
RIGA (BNS-AFP) A top official of a key European human rights organization called on Latvia Wednesday to amend its language laws prior to joining NATO and the European Union, adding that the country should even consider giving Russian the status of an official state language; currently, Latvian is the sole state language. "I'm calling for immediate steps—for example, changing the election law (that requires that candidates for office be able to speak Latvian) in the next months—and, on the other hand, on the beginning of a new thinking leading to a new perception, a dedramatization of politics," Ambassador Gerard Stoudmann, of the Office for Security and Cooperation in Europe, was quoted as saying. 
      Stoudmann said Latvia needed to do more to speed up the naturalization of non-citizens—Soviet era settlers who still represent some 23 percent of the population—including by waiving mandatory language and history tests for the elderly. "You can't ask 70 or 80-year-olds to understand what's going on, to learn a foreign language. It would be an act of generosity to have special provisions," he reportedly told journalists at a Riga conference on cooperation between members of the 55-nation OSCE. 
       While acknowledging concerns of some Latvian politicians about the need to protect the country's language and culture after half a century of Soviet occupation and Russification policies, he said the risks must not be overstated. He said the government should seriously consider giving official status to Russian, something that has been an anathema to many Latvians, especially to rightwing groups. "Having two state languages would reflect the de facto reality. Look at the news stands and posters in the streets where you see Cyrillic text. Why not confirm it de jure? One shouldn't get paranoid about this," he was quoted as saying. 

Tuesday—March 19, 2002
VILNIUS (BNS-CITY PAPER) Lithuanian officials revised their 2002 economic growth estimates upward by 0.4 percent to 4.4 percent after better-than-expected results came in for 2001, BNS reported. The ministry of finance said the economy expanded by a surprising 5.7 percent last year despite turmoil in other world markets. It predicted the growth rate would be 4.9 percent for 2003 and 5.3 percent for 2004. 
       The other Baltic states also registered stronger-than-anticipated growth in 2001, with Latvia posting an impressive 7.6 percent GDP figure; most analysts say that should come down to a still respectable 4-5 percent in 2002. Estonia is also looking at growth numbers of between 4-5 percent for this year. 

TALLINN (BNS-CITY PAPER) Estonia's economy could lose up to 200 million dollars a year if the country is forced to give up tax-free trade on ferries as a condition of European Union membership, a report by the Ernst & Young accounting firm concluded. The EU has pressed Estonia to abolish tax-free sales on scores of ferries servicing the country. But tourist industry leaders have warned that doing so could dramatically reduce the number of incoming tourists—especially of Finns crossing into Estonia to buy cheaper goods. The report, commissioned by the Estonian Association of Travel Agencies, said that a corresponding drop in sales brought on by the abolition of a tax-free system could damage Estonia's economy as a whole. Some analysts, however, said the report exaggerated the case and failed to take into account a possible increase in the number of tourists from other countries once Estonia joins the EU, according to BNS.

Monday—March 18, 2002
VILNIUS (BNS-CITY PAPER) Lithuania's suicide rate has nearly doubled since 1991, the country's statistics department said in a report released Monday. It said 1,533 people in the country of 3.5 million committed suicide last year—corresponding to 43 suicides per 100,000 residents, one of the highest rates in the world. The rate was 26 per 100,000 in 1990. 
       The average suicide rate in the European Union is 20 per 100,000—or more than half the current suicide figure in Lithuania. 
       Lithuania has sparked major economic growth since shrugging off communism. But new wealth has spread unevenly, with many elderly and farmers benefiting little from post-Soviet market reforms. Out of the some 17,000 Lithuanians who have killed themselves over the past decade, 82 percent were men; the report said people living in the poorer countryside were also more likely to take their own lives. 
       Other nations with high suicide rates include neighboring Russia, with 39 suicides per 100,000 people and Estonia, with 32 per 100,000, the report said. 

RIGA (BNS-CITY PAPER) Latvia's sole national stock market, the Riga Stock Exchange, is slated to be sold to the Helsinki Stock Exchange, officials from both bourses said Monday. The Helsinki exchange, or HEX, bought the Tallinn Stock Exchange last year and last month merged with HEX. The Finns said they also have their sights set on Lithuania's national exchange. 
       HEX has offered to buy over 75 percent of shares in the Riga Stock Exchange, an offer that Riga officials hinted strongly they would accept. "The aim of the cooperation is to create a well-functioning Latvian securities market infrastructure and increase the visibility of Latvian companies and liquidity of their shares. It is a logical continuation of HEX's Baltic strategy, which aims to create a well-functioning marketplace for leading Baltic companies," a joint statement from both sides said. 
       Latvia's market, like others in Eastern Europe, has been plagued by low liquidity. Average daily trading volumes in Latvia are tiny, around 7,000 lat (11,000 dollars); the figure in Estonia is a slightly more respectable 16 million kroons (900,000 dollars). 
       The Helsinki Stock Exchange bought a 62 percent stake in the Tallinn Stock Exchange last year, and the two united after Estonians took the ten-month interval to overhaul their trading procedures. Brokers worldwide who have traded Finnish shares can now trade Estonian shares the same way, from a single terminal. It's expected that Latvia's bourse will also fully merge with HEX's system by early next year.
       The Helsinki exchange is bidding to increase its influence in the economically dynamic region; its Baltic connections would also help draw money from newly established Baltic pension funds into the Helsinki market.
       In 2000, all three Baltic exchanges said they were gearing up to unite with the Nordic Stock Exchange (NOREX), a bitter regional rival of HEX. But those plans quickly unraveled after Estonia's bourse opted for a friendly buyout by HEX instead. 

TALLINN (BNS-CITY PAPER) Two bomb blasts went off seconds apart in the center of Estonia's capital early Monday, though no injures were reported, according to police spokesman Indrek Raudjalg. The explosions occurred at 4:25 a.m. outside a clothing and hunting paraphernalia store at No. 8A Roosikrantsi street, destroying a front door and shattering several windows; Raudjalg described the incident as "relatively minor." 
       Roosikrantsi, a shopping district featuring several clothing boutiques, was closed off Monday as police searched for clues and store owners swept up broken glass. Raudjalg said it would be opened later Monday. He said police were still trying to determine the type of explosives used. He said there have been no arrests, and he declined to speculate about possible motives. 
       Such blasts have been rare in Estonia in recent years. Just after Estonia regained independence, bombings were more common; police linked them to territorial disputes between organized crime gangs. "These kinds of incidents have reduced significantly since the mid 1990s," said Raudjalg. "These days explosions usually seem connected to teenage pranks or hooligans, not to organized crime." 

Friday—March 15, 2002
VILNIUS (BNS-CITY PAPER) A mass grave containing as many as 2,000 French soldiers who fought for Napoleon Bonaparte during the War of 1812 has been unearthed in a Vilnius suburb, archeologists in the Baltic state said Friday. The soldiers appear to have died from cold and starvation as Napoleon led his army on a hasty wintertime retreat after the French had been defeated by Russia further east. The bodies hadn't been placed in coffins and appear to have been thrown into a single ditch in a hurry.
       Construction workers recently stumbled across bones and soldiers' clothing at a building site in the Lithuanian capital and called archeologists, who said they'll take several months to catalogue the bodies and artifacts. The French embassy in Vilnius was informed about the find, though it wasn't yet clear whether the bodies would be reburied in France or elsewhere. 

TALLINN (CITY PAPER) A poll published Friday showed support for European Union membership has risen in Estonia—whose population has been seen as highly skeptical about the benefits of EU entry. Out of 500 Estonians questioned last month, 59 percent said they backed the nation's bid to join the 15-nation bloc, according to the EMOR polling agency; the margin of error was 5 percent. 
       In May last year, the same agency registered just 35 percent support, said EMOR analyst Ainar Voog. His said many older people seemed to have joined the ranks of EU backers. He said the poll numbers first jumped, from 35 to 44 percent, in late May of 2001 when Estonia won the celebrated Eurovision Song Contest, sparking a wave of good feeling about Europe. He said the election of left-wing president Arnold Ruutel at the end of last year also helped convince many elderly and farmers that the EU is not as bad as they once thought. 
       Every government since Estonia regained independence in 1991 has been staunchly pro-EU, with leaders hoping to join by 2004. But average people have also seemed much less enthusiastic, and critics complain the EU's too bureaucratic.
       Poll findings have varied, wildly in some cases. Another Estonian-based polling agency, Turu-uuringud, found in February that just 34 percent of 1000 people questioned would vote yes in any future referendum on joining the EU. A poll released by the EU in January showed Estonia was the most EU-skeptical of 13 candidate states; just 33 percent of those asked said entry would be a "good thing" for Estonia."The EU figures and ours don't necessarily contradict," said Voog. "Older people might not see benefits for themselves but support entry because they see it'll be good for their children and grandchildren." 
      In the same EMOR poll, 68 percent of respondents said they backed Estonia's drive to join NATO, another foreign policy priority of all three Baltics. Former Foreign Minister Trivimi Velliste said the advantages of entering a military alliance were clearer to many Estonians who believe neighboring Russia could still pose a threat. "The EU is good life. NATO is life," he said. 

Thursday—March 14, 2002 
RIGA (CITY PAPER) French Makes a Stand against English—If you're in the Baltic states and want to ask an official about regional bids to join the European Union—your best bet, if you don't speak the native language, is to address your question in English. 
        But France said this week th