Betting on the Universe

Andris Straumanis | 

Latvia’s Ieva Kokoreviča, a 19-year-old from Rīga, has a 40-1 chance of winning the Miss Universe contest on May 30, according to oddsmakers and online casino Sportsbook.com.

Renata Sone from the Dominican Republic and Cynthia Olavarria from Puerto Rico are the surest bets, both listed at 12-1 odds. Miss Angola, Zenilde Josias, is the long shot at 250-1 odds.

The Miss Universe contest takes place in Bangkok, Thailand.

Kokoreviča, a public relations and advertising student, is the first representative from Latvia ever to the Miss Universe contest. (However, she’s not the first Latvian to participate. In 1963, 19-year-old Mārīte Ozere of Chicago won the Miss USA competition. She was the first naturalized American to compete. Ozere went on to represent the United States in that year’s Miss Universe pageant, making it to the semi-finals, according to Pageant Almanac.)

In her biography, Kokoreviča describes herself as independent.

“My parents had to work a lot,” Kokoreviča says, “which helped me become independent and accomplish my goals by myself.”

But, Ieva, what’s with the “national costume” we see you modeling? Sorry, but slapping a shield-sized sakta on a red dress does not make a national costume to us.

UPDATE 30 May 2005: It’s a good thing we didn’t put money on Latvia. Kokoreviča made it into the top 10, but did not advance to the final. And while Miss Dominican Republic and Miss Puerto Rico were among the five finalists, the title of Miss Universe went to Miss Canada, the Russia-born Natalie Glebova.

Ieva Kokoreviča

Latvia’s Ieva Kokoreviča models her “national costume” for the Miss Universe competition. (Photo from Miss Universe Web site)

Andris Straumanis is a special correspondent for and a co-founder of Latvians Online. From 2000–2012 he was editor of the website.

Latvian school to open in Ireland

Andris Straumanis | 

A new school for Latvian children in Ireland will meet for the first time May 29 in Dublin, the Latvian Ministry for Foreign Affairs has announced.

The school was started through the initiative of the Embassy of Latvia in Dublin, the foreign ministry said in a press release. The school is supported by the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Ireland.

The school will meet monthly beginning at 14:30 hours May 29 in the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Ireland, 24 Adelaide Road, Dublin. It is open to children of all ages. Heading the school will be Ramona Āboliņa and Jolanta Šmite.

The first church service for Ireland’s growing Latvian population was scheduled in December in St. Finian’s Church in Dublin. So many Latvians have migrated to Ireland for work that the government’s Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment even has published a brochure in the Latvian language to explain workers’ rights. Nearly 2,300 immigrants from Latvia were reported in Ireland in 2004, according to Ireland’s Central Statistics Office.

Andris Straumanis is a special correspondent for and a co-founder of Latvians Online. From 2000–2012 he was editor of the website.

British judge seeks inquiry in Latvian girl’s rapes

Andris Straumanis | 

A British judge is calling for an investigation of mistakes by London police that allowed a man to repeatedly beat and rape a 17-year-old girl from Latvia, according to media reports in the United Kingdom.

Judge Martin Reynolds of Snaresbrook Crown Court on May 23 sentenced Agrol Xhabri, a 22-year-old illegal immigrant from Albania, to 12 years in prison for abducting the girl from her London home, forcing her to work as a prostitute, beating her and raping her at least 30 times, according to The Evening Standard and The Guardian newspapers.

The girl, who had been living with her father, was taken from her home late last year. She escaped once in October and called police, but no help came. In November, she managed to call her mother in Latvia, who called her father in London, who then called police. But when police arrived at a location in East London to rescue girl, they hesitated. While they stalled, Xhabri reportedly beat and raped the girl again.

Xhabri, according to his sentence, is to be deported to Albania after he serves his time in prison.

Andris Straumanis is a special correspondent for and a co-founder of Latvians Online. From 2000–2012 he was editor of the website.