Lithuanian PM lights up, coughs up fine

Lithuania's Prime Minister, Gediminas Kirkilas, forgot to not smoke in a bar in the port town of Klaipėda, and earned the bar a 1,000LT (€290) fine. He claims that he "simply forgot" that smoking was banned in bars, restaurants, cafes, etc Lithuania. He has offered to pay the fine on behalf of the bar. (In Lithuania, venue owners, not patrons, are fined for breaches of the smoking ban.)

We hope he doesn't wake up one day and forgot to run the country.

Lithuania wants online voting. For all the wrong reasons

Lithuania is hoping to introduce internet voting in time for the 2008 elections. So, Lithuanians will be able to choose which vile, self-serving, bribe-taking, incompetent nincompoop politician (seems there are no other kinds in Lithuania) will mislead their contry into the next decade with a click or two. No surprises there - but I love the reason cited for introducing e-voting:

"I hope that in this area we will catch up with Estonia, and
by doing this we will surpass most European Union states," Prime Minister
Gediminas Kirkilas told a news conference.
- Scientific American website

Right - so it's nothing to do with efficiency, facilitation democracy or providing convenience for all the net-savvy pensioners living in Lithuania. It's about playing catch up and surpassing other states and, presumably, earning ner-nerny-ner-ner points. That's all very noble and mature.

I simply cannot believe that a grown man, let alone a politician, would say something so daft.