SestDiena: Rapper Ozols' anniversary, US midterms and a Latvian in an Italian village

The 13–19 November issue of SestDiena, the weekend supplement of the Latvian newspaper Diena, is devoted to different sides of Latvia, including people who live abroad yet keep their ties to the country.

The central interview is with Solvita Zarupska, a handicraft maker from Kurzeme, who moved to a small Italian village, Pinja, during the Covid-19 pandemic. According to the magazine, after eight years all roughly 500 residents of the village know what Latvia is. Zarupska says that being self-sufficient matters today, and that people should hold on to the environment they have built for themselves. She compares her mountain house in Italy to a Latvian farmstead, where there is quiet and peace.

Other topics in the issue

The magazine's culture section features rapper Ozols, whose real name is Ģirts Rozentāls. On 5 December at Xiaomi Arena he will conclude celebrations of the 25th anniversary of his debut solo album Cieņa un mīlestība (Respect and Love).

The world section looks at the US midterm elections held in early November. As the magazine writes, the Democrats gained control of both chambers of Congress and of a larger number of states, including some where a Democratic win seemed unlikely until recently. It examines the causes of the result and its political consequences.

In the feature section, ahead of Latvia's national holidays, the magazine discusses the Order of the Three Stars, the country's highest state award, and how similar honours are given elsewhere.

The Time Machine section recalls Jeannette Rankin, a Republican Party candidate who 110 years ago became the first woman elected to the US Congress. The issue also includes an item on two studies indicating that both a hot sauna and a cold shower can significantly reduce the risk of catching influenza.