Latvia & nearby (13)

European Prosecutor Rejects Speculation Over Timing of Search at Prime Minister's Former Adviser

European Prosecutor Gatis Doniks rejected suggestions that the search at the home of Prime Minister Andris Kulbergs' former adviser Mārtiņš Brencis was linked to the formation of a new government. He also explained why the procedural actions could not be postponed.

Delfi · 6 Nov, 01:11

Court orders asset confiscation and payment in sturgeon caviar farm fraud case

The Riga City Court has ordered the confiscation of assets of a sturgeon caviar producer in Latvia's Krāslava municipality and a half-million-euro recovery for the state in an EU funds fraud case. The ruling has not yet entered into force.

NRA · 6 Nov, 01:11

EU Funds for Sturgeon Farm in Krāslava Municipality End in Criminal Case and Asset Seizure

An EU-funded investment of more than half a million euros in modernising a sturgeon caviar facility in Latvia's Krāslava municipality has ended in a court case and asset confiscation. Half a million euros has been recovered for the state, Latvian Television reports.

Apollo.lv · 5 Nov, 23:12

Latvia media literacy study: index rises to 6.4 out of 10

The third study of media literacy among Latvian residents shows the index rose from 5.7 to 6.4 points on a ten-point scale within a year. The result is still only middling, and problems remain across age groups.

Delfi · 5 Nov, 23:11

Israeli airline plans direct Tallinn–Tel Aviv flights

Israeli airline Arkia plans to launch direct flights between Estonia's capital Tallinn and Tel Aviv next summer season. Whether they go ahead will also depend on the regional security situation.

ERR News · 5 Nov, 22:12

Private helicopter lands near high-rise buildings in Riga's Imanta

A small white helicopter landed next to apartment blocks in Imanta, a district of Riga. The Civil Aviation Agency has opened a check, and the flight is known to have been private.

Apollo.lv · 5 Nov, 22:11

Police search for missing 81-year-old Alla Novožīlova in Brocēni

The State Police are searching for Alla Novožīlova, born in 1945, who left her home in Brocēni, Saldus municipality, on 4 November and has not returned. She may have gone for a walk in the Brocēni forest.

Jauns.lv · 5 Nov, 22:11

Finnish court sentences "Fitburg" captain and boatswain over damage to telecom cables

A Finnish court has handed prison terms to the captain and boatswain of the ship "Fitburg" for severing two undersea telecommunications cables in the Gulf of Finland between Finland and Estonia. Both men denied guilt in court.

NRA · 5 Nov, 22:10

TVNET GRUPA Editor-in-Chief Toms Ostrovskis Receives Peter Greste Baltic Freedom of Speech Award

The Peter Greste Baltic Freedom of Speech Award was presented to three laureates, one from each Baltic state, at the Riga Graduate School of Economics on 5 November. Latvia's laureate is Toms Ostrovskis, editor-in-chief of the TVNET GRUPA media group.

Apollo.lv · 5 Nov, 21:12

Logging planned in Baldone near walking trail with “Forest Gallery”

The state-owned company Latvijas valsts meži plans to cut part of a forest in Baldone beside a trail displaying artists' works. Residents worry about the future of the “Forest Gallery” and say another area could be chosen.

TVNET · 5 Nov, 21:10

Professor Nikitenko urges municipalities to redirect funds to support teachers

Agris Nikitenko, a professor at Riga Technical University, said on TV24's show "Nacionālo interešu klubs" that municipalities should review their budget priorities and invest more in teachers. He argued that if the ministry cannot provide enough funding, local government resources should be considered too.

Latvijas Avīze · 5 Nov, 21:10

Union accuses airBaltic of breaching collective agreement during mass layoffs

The Latvian Aviation Union claims airBaltic is violating its collective labour agreement during a mass layoff. The company denies this, saying the contract terms have applied since 2025.

Diena · 5 Nov, 20:11

Ķirsis: Cameras and AI to Help Catch Reckless Drivers in Riga

Riga deputy mayor Vilnis Ķirsis said on TV24 that surveillance cameras and artificial intelligence will make it easier to identify traffic offenders, even though privacy will decline.

Latvijas Avīze · 5 Nov, 20:10

Nausėda says he apologised to Adamkus for missing centennial celebration

Lithuanian President Gitanas Nausėda says he phoned former President Valdas Adamkus to apologise for being absent from his 100th birthday event in Vilnius. He was on an official visit to Germany at the time.

LRT English · 5 Nov, 19:13

Bats die at wind farm near Liepāja, but company does not halt turbines

Latvia's State Environmental Service has ordered the turbines of Liepāja-based Rapsoil's wind farm stopped after more than 20 protected bats died there. The company is not complying, saying it has met all requirements.

TVNET · 5 Nov, 19:12

Former army food warehouse chief gets probation instead of prison for fraud

The Riga Regional Court has given Kaminska, the former head of a National Armed Forces food warehouse in Latvia, almost four years of probation supervision instead of prison. She was convicted of abuse of office, document forgery and fraud in a food procurement case.

Jauns.lv · 5 Nov, 18:12

Tavars Ready to Stay on as Minister in Kulbergs' Government

United List leader Edgars Tavars would like to keep the post of Minister for Smart Administration and Regional Development in the next government. He stresses that decisions on the cabinet's make-up have not yet been made.

BNN · 5 Nov, 18:12

Estonian court convicts three brothers of human trafficking over forced labor

Estonia's Pärnu County Court has found three brothers guilty of human trafficking for keeping two vulnerable people in unpaid forced labor for over four years. The case against their father is continuing separately.

ERR News · 5 Nov, 18:11

Former army food warehouse head given probation supervision for fraud

The Riga Regional Court has replaced a four-year prison term with nearly four years of probation supervision for Inga Kaminska, a former National Armed Forces official, over fraud in food procurement. The ruling can be appealed in cassation.

Apollo.lv · 5 Nov, 18:11

Children's corner at a Jelgava restaurant briefly turns into a dance floor

The Jelgava restaurant “Chocolate & Pepper” has posted a video on Facebook showing guests dancing in its children's corner. The restaurant urges people to make time for such moments amid everyday rush.

Latvijas Avīze · 5 Nov, 18:10

Estonia's Reform Party loses several prominent figures ahead of Riigikogu elections

After Andres Sutt, Liina Kersna, Maris Lauri and Hanno Pevkur decided to leave politics, Estonia's Reform Party will struggle to replace such well-known candidates, political analyst Tarmo Jüristo says. Parliamentary elections are due in March next year.

ERR News · 5 Nov, 17:11

Social media row over lotteries: Strazdiņš urges officials to call them gambling

On the social platform Threads, Elviss Strazdiņš called on officials to state plainly that Latvijas Loto lotteries are gambling. Opinions in the discussion are split, while the state company's turnover last year reached 106.48 million euros.

Latvijas Avīze · 5 Nov, 17:11

Riga City Council to replace kindergarten building attendants with technical security service

Riga City Council plans to scrap building attendant posts in municipal kindergartens and switch to an outsourced technical security service. Savings are forecast at 6.2 million euros a year from 2027.

NRA · 5 Nov, 17:11

Surge in labor disputes overwhelms Estonia's Labor Inspectorate

Estonia's Labor Inspectorate received 2,593 labor disputes in the first 10 months of this year, up from 1,516 a year earlier. The authority is asking for funding for one more dispute committee chair.

ERR News · 5 Nov, 16:11

Blood Donor Centre Appeals for Donors With 0- Blood Type

Latvia's State Blood Donor Centre is calling on healthy donors with blood type 0-, saying their help is especially important right now. Donation sites operate in Riga and in five other Latvian cities.

Diena · 5 Nov, 16:10

Riga Zoo to open only four days a week in winter

From 1 December to 28 February 2027, Riga Zoo will be open to visitors Thursday through Sunday. The exception is the “Winter Nights” event, when it will open daily.

BNN · 5 Nov, 15:12

Woman Allegedly Drunk Flees Police by Car in Talsi Municipality, Crashes Into Trees and Runs Toward Cemetery

On 31 October, Latvia's State Police chased an Audi driver in Talsi municipality who, according to police, was under the influence of alcohol. After crashing, the woman ran toward a cemetery, was caught, and refused an alcohol test.

Jauns.lv · 5 Nov, 15:11

Riga to restrict traffic and close 11 November Embankment on Lāčplēsis Day

Riga city authorities have announced traffic restrictions for Lāčplēsis Day events on 11 November, including an evening closure of the 11 November Embankment. Some parking bans begin as early as 9 November.

Latvijas Avīze · 5 Nov, 15:10

Opinion: Stadium idea in Skanste and the question of state-owned land

A commentary in the Latvian daily Diena discusses a proposal to build a football stadium in Riga across Skanstes Street, on state-owned land that currently houses the Saeima's vehicle depot. The author compares the project with other publicly significant buildings.

Diena · 5 Nov, 14:11

Estonian coding school founder: people who do not use AI are at a disadvantage

Taavi Kotka, founder of the Estonian IT school HK Unicorn Squad, says IT students now struggle to find jobs because AI handles entry-level tasks. He believes the situation is temporary and the industry will adapt within a couple of years.

ERR News · 5 Nov, 14:11

British corporal at Tapa ignored SIM card order and was blackmailed over nude photos

A British Army corporal at a NATO exercise in Estonia did not remove his phone's SIM card as ordered. His phone was hacked and he was blackmailed over nude photographs; a court martial demoted him.

ERR News · 5 Nov, 13:10

Man robbed in his Daugavpils flat by attacker using gas and a knife

A man born in 1957 was robbed in his flat in Daugavpils, Latvia, on 27 October by an attacker who used gas and threatened him with a knife. The State Police detained a suspect the same day, and he has been remanded in custody.

NRA · 5 Nov, 13:10

Estonian Social Democrat PM candidate Vseviov vows to end constant tax changes

Jonatan Vseviov, the Social Democratic Party's candidate for prime minister of Estonia, says the country must stop its erratic tax policy. He also responded to criticism over his past Reform Party membership and a possible conflict of interest.

ERR News · 5 Nov, 12:14

Journalist Jānis Geste returns to TV after health problems

Jānis Geste, a journalist at Latvian Television, has returned to the screen after a lengthy break. He told the magazine Jauns & Privāts that serious health problems had temporarily kept him from work.

Apollo.lv · 5 Nov, 12:13