Latvia & nearby
Head of Latvia's "Avots" children's care centre rejects Ombudsman's findings
The director of the Augšdaugava municipality's "Avots" care centre has disputed an Ombudsman's Office report alleging poor child feeding and insufficient municipal support, as the Welfare Ministry weighs a follow-up inspection.
Delfi · 28 Sept, 19:44
Latgale region facing shortage of young STEM teachers
Latvia's Education and Science Ministry data shows a pronounced shortage of young teachers in STEM subjects across Latgale, with most current educators belonging to the older generation. Scholarships and support programs have so far proven insufficient to fix the imbalance.
LSM · 28 Sept, 19:42
Authorities investigate source of oil pollution on Ventspils beach
Oil product pollution has been found along the Ventspils coastline, affecting sand and shoreline over dozens of kilometers. Authorities are trying to determine the source while city services have begun cleanup work.
LSM (rus) · 28 Sept, 19:41
Estonia sentences Oleg Besedin to seven years for activity against the state
A Harju County Court plea deal has found Oleg Besedin guilty of acting against Estonia's independence and violating international sanctions, sentencing him to seven years in prison. Prosecutors say the case yielded extensive material on Russian intelligence service activities.
ERR (rus) · 28 Sept, 18:46
Vote depositing begins calmly at Riga city-centre polling stations
The LETA news agency, visiting four polling stations in central Riga, found that in the first half hour after voters were able to deposit their ballots for safekeeping, the process was calm and unfolded smoothly.
TVNET · 28 Sept, 18:45
Riga unveils memorial plaque to Berta Pīpiņa, the first woman elected to the Saeima
A memorial plaque to Berta Pīpiņa and Ērmanis Pīpiņš-Vizulis has been unveiled on Ģertrūdes Street in Riga, with the ceremony held on Pīpiņa's birthday.
LSM · 28 Sept, 18:44
Norovirus confirmed as cause of illness outbreak at Salaspils kindergarten
Latvia's Centre for Disease Prevention and Control has confirmed that norovirus caused an outbreak of illness at the Jāņtārpiņš kindergarten in Salaspils, with the virus detected in 40 of 51 people tested.
LSM (rus) · 28 Sept, 18:44
Estonian Fiscal Council: state has no plan to cover defence spending without borrowing
Estonia's Fiscal Council warns that the government's budget targets rely on a flexible interpretation of the rules, and even if met, the state's debt burden will rise rapidly in coming years. The Council says the state still lacks a plan to fund ever-growing defence spending without resorting to borrowed funds.
ERR (rus) · 28 Sept, 17:44
Uzputenis: a simple apple dessert from childhood
Latvijas Avīze shares a recipe for a light, airy apple dessert made with semolina — a classic treat many associate with childhood memories.
Latvijas Avīze · 28 Sept, 17:42
Lithuania imposes national sanctions on Usmanov and Fridman
Since September 25, Lithuania has applied its own national sanctions against Russian oligarchs Alisher Usmanov and Mikhail Fridman after the EU removed them from its sanctions lists. Both are barred from entering Lithuania for five years.
Ukrainska Pravda · 28 Sept, 17:41
Live from 6 PM: pre-election debate 'Culture in Latvia' — second part features four parties
Latvian Radio 3 Klasika and the LSM.lv news portal are holding pre-election debates on the development of the culture sector, featuring parties with the highest ratings in an SKDS poll. The second part of the debate includes 'Sovereign Power/Union of Young Latvians', 'Latvia First', 'New Unity' and 'For Stability!'.
LSM (rus) · 28 Sept, 16:46
Prosecutors review complaint over Latvian MP Butāns's stated education
Latvia's Prosecutor General's Office has received a complaint about inconsistencies in the education credentials that National Alliance MP Artūrs Butāns listed in his last three parliamentary election filings. His stated qualifications from Australia have changed across election documents over the years.
Jauns.lv · 28 Sept, 16:42
Business conferences could help fill Tallinn hotels in winter
The Estonian Convention Bureau says Tallinn lacks venues large enough to host major international conferences, causing the city to lose dozens of events yearly that could otherwise boost hotel revenue during the low season.
ERR News · 28 Sept, 15:47
Former minister Uzulnieks, arrested driving drunk at 3.09 per mille, says he'll take up Saeima seat
Former welfare minister Reinis Uzulnieks says that if elected he will take up a seat in Latvia's parliament and has decided to stop drinking alcohol. He lost his ministerial post after being caught driving with a blood alcohol level of 3.09 per mille.
BNN · 28 Sept, 15:43
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Riga port reaches new record for cruise passenger numbers this year
Riga port has served 150,000 cruise passengers so far this season, a new record, the Freeport of Riga Authority announced.
Apollo.lv · 28 Sept, 15:43
Lithuania bans entry for Russian oligarchs Usmanov and Fridman
Lithuania has imposed an entry ban on Russian oligarchs Alisher Usmanov and Mikhail Fridman, days after the European Union removed them from its sanctions list.
LSM · 28 Sept, 15:43
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Uzulnieks: if elected to Saeima, he would tackle addiction issues
Former Welfare Minister Reinis Uzulnieks has said that if voters elect him to the Saeima, he would take up the deputy mandate and actively work to reduce alcohol use and other addiction problems in the country.
Apollo.lv · 28 Sept, 14:46
“Rimi” delivery truck crashes into fence at high speed in Riga
A “Rimi” delivery truck veered off the road at high speed on Kārļa Ulmaņa gatve in Riga, hitting a lamp post before crashing into a roadside fence. It is not yet known whether anyone was injured or what caused the crash.
Latvijas Avīze · 28 Sept, 14:44
Tuesday to bring mostly dry weather in Latvia, some rain, air warming up to +19°C
On Tuesday, September 29, dry weather will prevail across most of Latvia with increasing cloudiness, though some rain is expected in places, while daytime temperatures will reach up to +19°C.
Jauns.lv · 28 Sept, 14:41
Estonia's Russian-language channel ETV+ marks 11th anniversary
Estonia's public broadcaster ERR marks the 11th anniversary of its Russian-language channel ETV+, which first went on air on 28 September 2015.
ERR (rus) · 28 Sept, 13:45
Constitutional Court: lifetime ban on violence offenders working as psychologists is unlawful
Latvia's Constitutional Court has ruled that a lifetime ban preventing people convicted of violence-related offenses from working as psychologists violates the Constitution. The provision will remain in force until June 1, 2027, giving lawmakers time to draft new rules.
Delfi · 28 Sept, 13:41
Teenager arrested after violent robbery in Rēzekne park
A man born in 1977 was assaulted and robbed of items worth about 300 euros in a Rēzekne park; police detained a teenage suspect the next day, who was later remanded in custody.
Latvijas Avīze · 28 Sept, 12:43
17-year-old detained in Rēzekne over robbery of man in city park
Police in Rēzekne have detained a 17-year-old suspected of assaulting and robbing a man in a city park, causing losses of roughly 300 euros.
Jauns.lv · 28 Sept, 12:42
Brother of Agnese Fūrmane, missing in Nepal, launches charity drive for children left without parents
Andris, brother of Agnese Fūrmane who went missing in a Nepal disaster along with more than 30 other Latvians, is organizing a charity art auction to support relatives left behind, including her two children who now have no parents or income.
Jauns.lv · 28 Sept, 11:47
Estonia pulls ERR law amendments from government meeting agenda
Estonia's government unexpectedly dropped amendments to the Estonian Public Broadcasting law from Monday's cabinet meeting agenda, despite them being scheduled for discussion. The Culture Ministry says it has not been told why.
ERR (rus) · 28 Sept, 11:44
LSM.lv offers a tool to compare your views with party positions ahead of the elections
The LSM.lv news portal is inviting voters to use its "Party Sorting" tool, which compares personal opinions on important social issues with the positions of political parties ahead of the 15th Saeima elections.
LSM (rus) · 28 Sept, 11:44
Nearly all heating costs to rise for Estonians this winter
As the heating season begins in Estonia, prices are rising for almost every fuel type, with natural gas costs more than doubling on global markets. Narva faces the steepest increases, as its district heating relies heavily on gas.
ERR News · 28 Sept, 10:47
Two people rescued from fire in five-storey building in Jelgava
On Sunday, firefighters rescued two people from a smoke-filled apartment building in Jelgava, while five more residents were evacuated. Latvia's State Fire and Rescue Service logged 13 calls in the Zemgale region over the past days.
Zemgales Ziņas · 28 Sept, 10:45
LSM.lv launches tool for voters to compare their views with party positions
Latvian news portal LSM.lv has released an interactive tool called "Party Sorter" that lets voters find out which political party's stance is closest to their own views ahead of the 15th Saeima elections. The tool is based on answers to questions on socially significant topics.
LSM · 28 Sept, 10:44
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Riga charity art auction to support families of Latvians missing in Nepal
Starting October 13, a charity art exhibition and auction titled "Over the Mountains - Among Our Own" will be held at the Spice shopping center in Riga, with proceeds going to support the families of 33 Latvian residents missing in Nepal.
Apollo.lv · 28 Sept, 10:44
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Criminal case opened over attempted burglary at politician Stepaņenko's home
Estonian police have opened a criminal investigation into an attempted burglary at the home of politician Jūlija Stepaņenko. The probe is currently underway.
TVNET · 28 Sept, 10:44
Russian language study drops sharply in Lithuanian schools as German and Spanish gain ground
Since Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, the number of Lithuanian students choosing Russian as a second foreign language has fallen by over 40 percent, while German, French and especially Spanish have seen sharp increases. The education ministry says the shift will likely continue for several more years.
LRT English · 28 Sept, 10:43
Police open criminal proceedings over attempted burglary at politician Stepaņenko's home
Latvia's State Police have launched a criminal investigation into an attempted burglary at the home of politician Jūlija Stepaņenko after she reported several break-in incidents. Two separate proceedings have been opened, covering property damage and attempted unlawful entry.
Delfi · 28 Sept, 10:43
Estonia to allow switching between mobile operators' networks during crises
From October 1, Estonian mobile customers will be able to switch to a rival operator's network if their own is damaged in a severe crisis, under new legislation passed this summer.
ERR News · 28 Sept, 09:46
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Eight people injured in Sunday's road accidents across Latvia
Latvia recorded 80 traffic accidents on Sunday, in which eight people were injured, according to State Police data.
TVNET · 28 Sept, 09:43
Latvia opens early 'deposit voting' ahead of Saeima elections
From September 28 to October 2, voters can cast an early, secure ballot at any of Latvia's 933 polling stations, with the option to change their choice before election day. All votes will be counted together after polls close on October 3.
Latvijas Avīze · 28 Sept, 09:42