Delfi editor rounds up autumn's key stories, from election history to cybersecurity

Anita Sedliņa, an editor at the Latvian news portal Delfi, has put together a review of recent publications that she says stood out for their variety. The selection covers politics and society, sport, technology and everyday topics.

History and society

Viesturs Radovics wrote about how elections were run in interwar Latvia. His text mentions vote buying and missing ballot papers, as well as the then-prevailing views on women's roles, when female candidates were struck from lists most often by women themselves.

Another piece covers the farewell to the "Santa Barbara" store; an "Elvi" shop is planned to take its place. Meanwhile, debate over granting Latvian citizenship to Indian scientist Divya Vishwanathan has raised questions about what Latvian science does and what it contributes. A University of Latvia dean noted that authority figures are sometimes used for deliberate misleading.

Help and care

For the seventh time, the portal is working with "Ziedot.lv" to ask for donations in the campaign "Lai stiprie neizdeg" (so the strong do not burn out). Project content editor Nikola Šakale stresses that anyone may need help. Journalist Anna Apīne told the story of Laura, a woman who suffered violence and was not helped by the system meant to provide support. Another article reviews senior care centres in Latvia.

Sport, technology and other topics

Delfi's sports desk calculated possible pensions and social guarantees for basketball player Kristaps Porziņģis in case health problems force him to end his career at 31. Cybersecurity expert Kirils Solovjovs explained two critical vulnerabilities in a widely used web technology, which at the end of October forced website maintainers to install urgent security patches.

The roundup also includes travel advice on luggage rules, an interview with choreographer and actress Linda Kalniņa about changing her life, Edžus Miķelsons's explanation of a 1960 "Science" publication's forecast of humanity's end on 13 November, and autumn tips for caring for fruit bushes.