Latvia & nearby
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New quiz tests knowledge of Latvian cities' river locations
A new online quiz invites readers to guess which river various Latvian cities are located on, using the Daugava, Gauja, Lielupe and Venta as examples.
Apollo.lv · 17 Sept, 02:48
Estonia to see temperatures up to 19 degrees on Thursday
Thursday will bring changeable weather to Estonia with scattered showers, as daytime temperatures climb as high as 19 degrees Celsius. Thunderstorms are possible in the southeast overnight.
ERR (rus) · 16 Sept, 22:51
Lawyer: assessing moral damages after CSDD data leak will be difficult
More than 2,500 people have already filed compensation claims over the CSDD data leak, but lawyer Saulvedis Vārpiņš explains that putting a monetary value on moral damage is far from straightforward.
Latvijas Avīze · 16 Sept, 22:51
Scandal over substandard ammunition supplies continues in Estonia
The head of the Estonian parliament's special anti-corruption committee says the Defence Ministry knew about risks two years before signing a roughly €70 million ammunition contract with company Datasel.
LSM · 16 Sept, 22:50
Anti-corruption bureau to review €420,000 in gifts Stepaņenko received from father in Russia
Latvia's anti-corruption bureau KNAB has opened a review into nearly €420,000 in gifts that prime ministerial candidate Jūlija Stepaņenko received from her father, who lives in Russia. The politician refuses to explain the money's origin, citing family privacy.
BNN · 16 Sept, 22:47
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German fighter jets to help protect Latvian airspace during parliamentary election
Germany will deploy Bundeswehr fighter jets to help secure Latvia's airspace during the country's parliamentary election in early October, following repeated drone incursions over the Baltic states.
TVNET · 16 Sept, 20:50
Smiltene introduces temporary traffic changes on Daugavas Street
Since the start of this week, Smiltene has introduced traffic and pedestrian movement changes on a section of Daugavas Street between Baznīcas Square and Krāsotāju Street due to planned road resurfacing works. Both pedestrians and drivers face temporary restrictions.
Jauns.lv · 16 Sept, 20:48
Doctors and paramedics without a workplace at medical institutions will be able to prescribe medicine to themselves
Doctors and paramedics with valid professional registration who do not work at a medical institution will now be able to prescribe medicine for their own use, with prescription forms issued by the National Health Service. The procedure follows amendments approved by the government in August.
Delfi · 16 Sept, 20:47
Bus carriers' protest leaves stations empty as thousands of trips cancelled
A strike by bus carriers significantly disrupted regional bus service in Latvia, with around three thousand trips cancelled. Passengers had to find alternative ways to reach their destinations.
LSM (rus) · 16 Sept, 19:47
Lithuanian president: Ukrainian jamming likely pushed Russian drone into Lithuanian airspace
Lithuanian President Gitanas Nausėda said the drone shot down over Lithuania on the night of September 15 was a Russian Gerbera drone apparently diverted by Ukrainian electronic warfare while en route to attack Ukraine. He warned similar incidents could happen again and called for faster detection and response capabilities.
Meduza · 16 Sept, 19:44
Bus operators' protest cancels over 2,500 regional routes across Latvia
Eight regional bus operators canceled more than 2,500 routes across Latvia on Wednesday as part of a protest organized by the Latvian Passenger Carriers Association, affecting around 60,000 passengers. Some operators could face fines exceeding 100,000 euros for the unfulfilled trips.
Jauns.lv · 16 Sept, 18:49
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Drone that crashed months ago found in Lithuania
A drone that crashed several months ago has been found in the Pasvalys district of northern Lithuania, the Police Department announced on Wednesday.
Apollo.lv · 16 Sept, 18:48
Anti-Corruption Bureau to review large cash gifts from Stepaņenko's father to his daughter
Latvia's Corruption Prevention and Combating Bureau (KNAB) will review information about large cash gifts from a Russia-based father to his daughter, Jūlija Stepaņenko, the prime ministerial candidate of the "Suverēnā vara/Apvienība Jaunlatvieši" party alliance.
LSM · 16 Sept, 18:47
Estonia expels Russian citizen after threats against Ukrainians
Estonia expelled a Russian citizen in September after more than 250 problematic incidents involving him were recorded during his years living in the country. The deciding factor was a call to an emergency hotline in which he threatened and expressed hatred toward Ukrainians.
Ukrainska Pravda · 16 Sept, 18:44
Young Norwegian man found dead in Riga canal, criminal case opened
A young man from Norway who had been reported missing in Riga has been found dead in a city canal. A criminal case has been opened, though police currently see no evidence of a crime.
Latvijas Avīze · 16 Sept, 17:51
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Lithuania finds 12 tunnels dug under border barriers with Belarus this year
Lithuania's interior minister has reported that 12 tunnels dug by migrants under physical border barriers with Belarus have been discovered this year. The finding points to continued attempts to bypass the country's border defenses.
Apollo.lv · 16 Sept, 17:51
Downed Drone Over Lithuania Was Russian, Likely Meant for Ukraine, Nausėda Says
Lithuanian President Gitanas Nausėda said a drone shot down over Lithuania this week was most likely a Russian-made aircraft intended for Ukraine that strayed off course. It marked the first time a NATO jet has downed a drone in Lithuanian airspace.
The Moscow Times · 16 Sept, 17:46
Kuusemäe and Järveoja, who left Estonia's Riigikogu, to receive nearly €40,000 in compensation each
Two Estonian Reform Party lawmakers whose Riigikogu mandates ended after former ministers returned to parliament will each receive compensation equal to six months' salary — almost €40,000 apiece.
ERR (rus) · 16 Sept, 16:48
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Body of missing Norwegian tourist found in Riga canal
A Norwegian tourist who had been reported missing in Riga was found dead in a canal on September 16. The man had been searched for since September 12.
TVNET · 16 Sept, 16:47
Discrepancies emerge in witness testimony in fraud case against judge Siliņeviča
Witnesses testifying in the fraud trial of former judge Inese Siliņeviča gave accounts in court that contradicted their earlier pre-trial statements. The case involves an alleged fraud of over 137,000 euros from the Court Administration's budget.
Jauns.lv · 16 Sept, 15:48
Men who tortured a swan sentenced to probation supervision in Latvia
A Riga court approved a plea deal for two Uzbek nationals who tortured and abducted a swan near Carnikava in March, sentencing both to probation and a four-year ban on keeping animals.
Delfi · 16 Sept, 15:43
Young man beaten in Old Riga, police seek witnesses
State Police have launched a criminal investigation into a nighttime assault on a young man on Grēcinieku Street in Old Riga, appealing to witnesses and anyone who can help identify those involved.
Delfi · 16 Sept, 14:44
IT glitch at Estonia's Emergency Response Centre delays call answering times
A technical IT failure hit Estonia's Emergency Response Centre on Wednesday, extending wait times for emergency calls. Residents are urged to stay on the line rather than hang up.
ERR (rus) · 16 Sept, 14:43
Man from Luhansk region builds popular Ukrainian restaurant in Latvia
Dmytro Budko, originally from Ukraine's Luhansk region, now lives in Latvia, where he and his friends run the Ukrainian restaurant "SHO" in Bigauniciems, Tukums municipality, which has been drawing guests from across the country for four years.
LSM (rus) · 16 Sept, 13:51
Woman describes awkward incident with Bolt driver on social media
A Riga resident shared on social media that her Bolt driver stepped out of the car and relieved himself by the bushes near her home right after she got in. She later received a three-euro compensation from Bolt.
Latvijas Avīze · 16 Sept, 13:50
Why Estonia's minimum-wage purchasing power is the lowest in the EU
Eurostat data show Estonia's minimum-wage purchasing power is the lowest in the EU, driven by high prices and a political retreat from a prior wage agreement. Talks on the 2027 minimum wage approach amid debate over reviving faster increases.
ERR News · 16 Sept, 13:50
President pardons inventor Raimonds Skuruls
President Edgars Rinkēvičs has pardoned inventor Raimonds Skuruls, who was convicted of extortion linked to a security vulnerability he discovered in the Road Traffic Safety Directorate's (CSDD) IT system. Presidential advisor Mārtiņš Drēģeris confirmed the decision to LETA.
LSM · 16 Sept, 13:47
Estonia's incoming economy minister: talk of Russian threat makes investors more cautious
Estonia's newly appointed Economy and Communications Minister Liina Vahtras says public discussion of the Russian threat has slowed foreign investment decisions, while also boosting international trust in the country.
ERR News · 16 Sept, 12:49
Lithuania in no rush to name origin of downed drone from Belarus
Lithuania's defence minister Robertas Kaunas says determining the origin of the drone shot down on Tuesday will take time, since drone bodies from different manufacturers often look alike. He declined to confirm speculation that it came from Russia.
Jauns.lv · 16 Sept, 12:48
Estonian government agrees on distribution of next EU budget period's grants
Estonia's government has reached an initial agreement on how to distribute roughly €6.5 billion in EU funding expected under the bloc's 2028-2034 budget period, with a larger share now allocated to security.
ERR (rus) · 16 Sept, 12:44
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Italian Fighter Pilots Awarded by Latvia for Shooting Down Drone
Latvia's and Italy's defense ministers have awarded Italian fighter pilots who shot down a foreign drone that entered Latvian airspace in August. The pilots were carrying out a NATO Baltic air policing mission.
Apollo.lv · 16 Sept, 11:48
Medical workers' union to picket, demand health minister's resignation
Latvia's health and social care workers' union LVSADA has decided to hold a picket outside the Cabinet of Ministers, demanding pay raises for the sector and the resignation of Health Minister Hosams Abu Meri.
LSM · 16 Sept, 11:48
Union demands resignation of Health Minister Abu Meri, plans protest
The Latvian Healthcare and Social Care Workers' Union (LVSADA) is demanding Health Minister Hosams Abu Meri's resignation and planning a protest outside the Cabinet, calling for a pay rise for all healthcare workers in the 2027 budget.
Latvijas Avīze · 16 Sept, 11:44
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Forecasters expect warmer-than-usual weather with rain and wind this weekend in Latvia
Meteorologists forecast that air temperatures in Latvia will remain slightly higher than typical for mid-September this weekend, with rain and stronger wind gusts expected at times.
Apollo.lv · 16 Sept, 10:48
Car collides with cyclist while exiting parking lot in Bauska
On Tuesday, September 15, a Volvo car collided with a cyclist while pulling out of a parking lot in Bauska. Neither man required hospitalization.
Bauskas Dzīve · 16 Sept, 10:43
Share of children in Latgale falls to record low for Latvia
The share of children among the population in Latgale has dropped to the lowest level in Latvia, at around 15 percent, with the region's depopulation already straining infrastructure and threatening the survival of local municipalities.
LSM (rus) · 16 Sept, 09:49