Latvia & nearby
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Appeal court upholds Igors Trubko's conviction for offering a bribe
The Riga Regional Court on Monday left unchanged the first-instance guilty verdict against Igors Trubko, the former chairman of the board of Riga Housing Manager (AS "Rīgas namu apsaimniekotājs"). The case concerns an offer of a 2.1 million euro bribe to Riga City Council faction leader Mārtiņš Kossovičs.
TVNET · 12 Oct, 13:57
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Neurologist Leonīds Viškers charged over sexual acts against female patients
Prosecutors have brought charges against neurologist Leonīds Viškers. He is accused of sexual acts against several patients.
Apollo.lv · 12 Oct, 13:57
Latvian PM Kulbergs Considers Dropping "Netflix Tax"; Film Industry Puzzled
Latvian Prime Minister Andris Kulbergs has suggested dropping a planned levy on foreign streaming platforms to support national film, drawing criticism from the industry. He has invited film representatives to meet on 13 October to discuss an alternative funding solution.
Delfi · 12 Oct, 13:57
Man suspected of Vilnius killing released from custody
A man born in 1973, suspected of fatally shooting another man in Vilnius, Lithuania, has been released from custody. The murder investigation continues, and the suspect is under a travel ban.
NRA · 12 Oct, 13:56
Riga's night buses carried twice as many passengers this year as last year
Nearly 22,000 passengers have used night buses in Riga in under half a year, about double last year's figure. Most night routes stopped at the end of September, but buses between the airport and the city centre will keep running.
LSM (rus) · 12 Oct, 12:58
Bērziņš: Foreign nationalisation debates do not threaten Latvia's second-pillar pension savings
Andris Bērziņš, chair of the Saeima's social and labour committee, says reports of possible property nationalisation in Berlin and Madrid do not endanger Latvia's second-pillar pension funds. He notes that Latvijas Banka oversees how the savings are managed.
Latvijas Avīze · 12 Oct, 12:58
Tractor driver spends two hours trapped in cab in Tallinn's Lasnamäe
A tractor driver was stuck for about two hours in his cab in Lasnamäe, a district of Estonia's capital Tallinn. Rescuers freed him through the emergency exit, and he needed no medical care.
ERR (rus) · 12 Oct, 12:57
Gorkss earned 92,696 euros last year as he is put forward to head State Chancellery
Kaspars Gorkss, whom Prime Minister Andris Kulbergs is nominating as director of Latvia's State Chancellery, had income of 92,696 euros in 2025. Most of it came from the Employers' Confederation of Latvia.
NRA · 12 Oct, 12:56
Dzērbene fish farmer raises fish and microalgae in his ponds
Raivis Apsītis has spent ten years raising fish in six ponds he built in Dzērbene parish, Cēsis municipality. He also advises other fish farmers and grows microalgae to enrich the ponds with oxygen.
LSM · 12 Oct, 12:56
VTU Valmiera changes bus timetables for pupils' autumn break
Bus operator VTU Valmiera has announced changes to its route bus timetables for the school autumn break, 19 to 23 October. Some trips will be cancelled and others reinstated.
Ziemeļlatvija · 12 Oct, 12:56
Lithuania to use Norwegian funding to modernise prisons
Lithuania plans to put most of €36 million in Norwegian funding toward modernising prison infrastructure in Vilnius and Kaunas. The rest is earmarked for prison operations and probation services.
LRT English · 12 Oct, 11:59
Vidzeme Rescuers Handle Fallen Trees and Minor Fires Over the Weekend
Latvia's State Fire and Rescue Service received 18 calls in the Vidzeme region between 9 and 12 October. Some involved wind-felled trees, and a house in Viresi parish filled with smoke.
Ziemeļlatvija · 12 Oct, 11:59
More illegal migrants stopped on Latvia–Belarus border this year than in all of last year
Latvian border guards have prevented 12,083 people from illegally crossing the Latvia–Belarus border this year, exceeding the full-year figure for last year. The State Border Guard gave the data to the news agency LETA.
NRA · 12 Oct, 11:58
Survey: 5% of Estonians Fear They Won't Be Able to Pay Heating Bills This Winter
A survey commissioned by Citadele bank shows that 32% of respondents in Estonia will either likely be unable to pay heating bills or will have to cut essential spending. The figure is 27% in Latvia and 26% in Lithuania.
ERR (rus) · 12 Oct, 11:57
Weekend Trip to Northeast Poland: From Latvia Through Lithuania to a Three-Country Border Point
A writer for the Latvian regional outlet Zemgales Ziņas has described a two-day road trip from Latvia to northeastern Poland, with lodging in the town of Olecko. Along the way, the travellers faced heavy rain and rough tracks, visiting a tripoint border site near Vištytis and the Pobłędzie observation tower.
Zemgales Ziņas · 12 Oct, 11:57
Hiiumaa women can no longer give birth on the island, but transport to the mainland remains unresolved
Hiiumaa Hospital in Estonia stopped providing maternity services on July 1, so women must give birth on the mainland. Who will arrange and pay for travel and accommodation has not been decided.
ERR News · 12 Oct, 11:56
Telia to Cut About 100 Jobs in Estonia, 900 Across the Group
Telecommunications and IT provider Telia will eliminate around 100 positions in Estonia, as part of 900 job cuts across the group. The company says it needs to stay competitive by making greater use of AI and automation.
ERR News · 12 Oct, 10:59
Forest State Register to be offline for a week
Latvia's State Forest Service will take the Forest State Register and related e-services offline from 20:00 on 18 October until midnight on 25 October to improve cybersecurity. The hunting app "Mednis" will work only partially, and hunters are urged to send data in advance.
Auseklis (Limbaži) · 12 Oct, 10:58
Exhibition on masking and mental health opens at the House of the Blackheads in Tallinn
On World Mental Health Day, an exhibition exploring how people change their behaviour to meet others' expectations opened in Tallinn, Estonia. It runs until 22 November.
ERR (rus) · 12 Oct, 10:56
Lithuania’s prosecutor general named most influential public servant for second year running
Lithuanian Prosecutor General Nida Grunskienė has topped the public servant category of the Delfi news portal's influence ranking for a second consecutive year, with 60.6% of votes.
LRT English · 12 Oct, 09:59
Slower traffic in Ikšķile on the Daugavpils highway as road works continue at 58 sections
Road construction work continues at 58 sections of Latvia's state road network. Drivers on the Daugavpils highway in Ikšķile should expect slower traffic.
TVNET · 12 Oct, 09:59
18 Bats Found Dead at Liepāja Wind Farm as Agency Orders Turbines Halted
Latvia's Nature Conservation Agency has ordered the company Rapsoil to stop its wind turbines in Liepāja after 18 protected bats were found dead within two weeks. The company has kept operating, received a €1,000 fine, and plans to appeal.
NRA · 12 Oct, 09:58
Latvia Honours Composer Mārtiņš Brauns With Memorial Concert at University Hall
A concert in memory of composer Mārtiņš Brauns took place on 3 October in the Great Hall of the University of Latvia. He would have turned 75 this autumn and died five years ago.
Zemgales Ziņas · 12 Oct, 09:58
Vidzeme rescuers handle 18 callouts, some linked to wind-felled trees
The Vidzeme regional division of Latvia's State Fire and Rescue Service received 18 callouts between 9 and 12 October. Several involved trees on roads, and there were also fires and smoke incidents.
Valmieras Ziņas · 12 Oct, 09:57
After the vote, fact-check finds fake-election myths and wrong figures from politicians
The fact-checking project Re:Check has found that after the election in Latvia, claims of stolen votes circulated alongside politicians' exaggerations about voter turnout and party size.
LSM · 12 Oct, 09:57
Drier Than Usual Autumn Weather Expected in Latvia for Next Two Weeks
Forecasters say Latvia will see less precipitation than is typical for autumn this week and next, with temperatures mostly above the usual October and November levels.
Diena · 12 Oct, 09:57
Estonia's registered unemployment drops below 40,000
Estonia averaged 38,000 registered unemployed in the third quarter of 2026, 13 percent fewer than a year earlier. The labor market is improving as vacancies have risen and competition for jobs has eased.
ERR News · 12 Oct, 09:57
Post-election fact check: from claims of rigged voting to incorrect figures
The fact-checking project Re:Check has concluded that after the election in Latvia, politicians not only spread myths about stolen votes but also misled the public on other issues.
LSM (rus) · 12 Oct, 09:56
Hiiumaa women face costs of around €1,000 to give birth in Tallinn
Since 1 July, maternity care has stopped at the hospital on Estonia's Hiiumaa island, forcing women to travel to the mainland. There is still no agreement on how they should get there and back or who pays.
ERR (rus) · 12 Oct, 09:56
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Riga mayor: temporary bridge could be taken apart "like Lego bricks"
The state-owned company Latvian State Roads has an active tender for a "very strong" temporary bridge, and plans to speed it up. The bridge could serve already during the repair of the Vanšu Bridge, Riga Mayor Viesturs Kleinbergs said in an interview.
Apollo.lv · 12 Oct, 08:59
“Dod pieci!” charity marathon to focus on mental health and suicide prevention
Latvian Public Media’s “Dod pieci!” charity marathon will broadcast from a glass studio in Riga from 11 to 17 December, raising funds to help people at high risk of self-harm or suicide.
Zemgales Ziņas · 12 Oct, 08:58
Riga Mayor: No Other Coalition Possible in the Capital
Riga City Council chairman Viesturs Kleinbergs (Progressives) says no alternative coalition can be formed in the capital, and claims all current coalition parties are ready to keep working under his leadership.
Delfi · 12 Oct, 08:58
Bauska to Host Free Opera Music Concert “Autumn Story”
The Bauska Music and Art School invites the public to “Autumn Story” on 14 October, part of the “Born in Bauska” concert series. The opera programme is free to attend.
Bauskas Dzīve · 12 Oct, 08:57
New optometrist Evija Gulbinska starts work at Ogre District Hospital
Ogre District Hospital in Latvia now has a new optometrist, Evija Gulbinska, who sees adults and children from age 7. Appointments can be made by phone or online at piearsta.lv.
OgreNet · 12 Oct, 08:57
Driver caught with 2.75 per mille alcohol in Smiltene area; 41 road crashes in Vidzeme over three days
The State Police Vidzeme regional department reports 41 road accidents and 260 incidents between 9 and 11 October. In Silva, Smiltene municipality, a driver was caught with 2.75 per mille of alcohol.
Ziemeļlatvija · 12 Oct, 08:56
Šlesers uses pause in Kulbergs' talks to promote minority government idea
Andris Kulbergs, prime ministerial candidate of the election-winning Unity List, held no official consultations with other parties this week. Meanwhile, Latvia First leader Ainārs Šlesers has pledged to back a minority government of professionals.
LSM (rus) · 12 Oct, 07:57