Latvia & nearby
Stepanenko: Proposed Vanšu Bridge Repair Solution Does Not Resolve All Problems
Riga City Council member Jūlija Stepaņenko says the current Vanšu Bridge repair plan leaves problems unresolved and that the council leadership cannot handle the project. She insists traffic across the Daugava must be kept running during works.
Latvijas Avīze · 9 Oct, 23:25
Cloudy Saturday with scattered rain forecast for Estonia
Estonia's forecast for Saturday is cloudy weather with rain in places and daytime temperatures of +8 to +14 degrees. Overnight winds will gust up to 22 m/s.
ERR (rus) · 9 Oct, 22:27
Man shot dead in courtyard of Vilnius apartment block; shooter detained
A man born in 1981 was shot dead on Friday evening in the courtyard of an apartment building on Savanoriu Avenue in Vilnius, Lithuania, in front of many witnesses. Police detained the shooter and opened a murder investigation.
Latvijas Avīze · 9 Oct, 22:26
Septic tank truck crashes into building fence in Babīte, driver dead
A septic tank truck crashed into a building's fence in Babīte, Latvia, on Friday evening. The headline says the driver was found to be dead.
TVNET · 9 Oct, 22:26
Sewage Tanker Crashes Into Building's Fence in Babīte
A sewage tanker truck crashed into the fence of a building in Babīte, near Riga, on Friday evening, the news agency LETA reported.
Apollo.lv · 9 Oct, 21:25
Truck driver dies at the wheel in Babīte parish, vehicle hits fence
A truck driver in Spilve, Babīte parish, possibly fell ill at the wheel and drove into a fence; medics pronounced him dead. Police have opened a criminal case.
Jauns.lv · 9 Oct, 21:25
Septic Truck Driver Dies After Crashing Into Fence in Babīte
On Friday evening a septic tank truck crashed into a fence in Spilve, Babīte parish, and its driver died. State Police have opened a criminal case to establish the exact causes.
NRA · 9 Oct, 21:24
/nginx/o/2019/10/10/12639348t1hcb98.jpg)
Police Look Into Berģi School Teacher's Correspondence With Pupils
The State Police have opened an internal departmental check into a teacher's possibly inappropriate correspondence with pupils at the Berģi Music and Art Primary School. The check followed an application from the school.
Apollo.lv · 9 Oct, 20:26
Police Examine Possible Inappropriate Messaging Between Bergi School Teacher and Pupils
The State Police have opened a preliminary check into a biology teacher at the Bergi Music and Art Primary School in Latvia, who may have communicated inappropriately with minors. The teacher worked at the school for only two days.
Delfi · 9 Oct, 20:26
Strong winds leave about 300 Sadales tikls customers without power in Latvia
On Friday evening, 9 October, strong winds cut electricity to roughly 300 customers of Latvia's grid operator Sadales tikls. Most outages are on the western coast of Kurzeme, and no significant damage has been reported so far.
Latvijas Avīze · 9 Oct, 20:25
Gusts Reach 27 m/s on Kurzeme Coast, Wind to Strengthen Elsewhere
Strong westerly gusts hit Latvia's Kurzeme coast on Friday evening, reaching 25 m/s in Liepāja and 27 m/s in Ventspils. The data comes from the Latvian Environment, Geology and Meteorology Centre.
LSM · 9 Oct, 19:26
Permanent public toilet on Narva promenade out of order again
The permanent public toilet on the promenade in Narva, Estonia, near the Gan Stairs is damaged again, and a temporary portable toilet has been installed nearby. City authorities are weighing how to keep the facility running.
ERR (rus) · 9 Oct, 19:25
Jelgava heating company plans 4.1% tariff increase from November
Gren Jelgava has asked the Public Utilities Commission (SPRK) to review a heating tariff increase in Jelgava from 1 November to 79.61 euros per megawatt-hour excluding VAT. The company links the rise to higher wood chip and natural gas prices.
Jauns.lv · 9 Oct, 18:25
Person dies in apartment fire in Saldus municipality
A fire broke out in an apartment of a four-storey residential building in Saldus municipality on the morning of 9 October, and one person died. Latvia's State Fire and Rescue Service received 51 calls over the past 24 hours.
NRA · 9 Oct, 18:24
/nginx/o/2025/03/25/16735972t1h9a7c.jpg)
Police officer accused of killing a teacher in Priekule released from custody on bail
A police officer accused of killing a teacher in Priekule has been released from pre-trial detention after posting bail.
Apollo.lv · 9 Oct, 17:27
Man Abducted in Central Riga: Police Seek Charges Against 11 People
The State Police have sent a criminal case on banditry and abduction to prosecutors, recommending prosecution of 11 people. The group abducted a man in central Riga on 25 March, but police freed the victim and detained the gang members.
NRA · 9 Oct, 17:27
Estonia poll: Centre Party overtakes Isamaa to lead party ratings
An October survey by Turu-uuringud shows Estonia's Centre Party at 23% support, ahead of Isamaa, which led in September. The two governing parties, Reform and Eesti 200, have a combined 12%.
ERR (rus) · 9 Oct, 17:26
Prime Minister Kulbergs to urge film industry to weigh alternatives to streaming platform levy
Prime Minister Kulbergs will meet Latvian film industry representatives on 13 October to discuss the planned streaming platform levy and propose assessing other ways to fund Latvian films. Industry figures argue the new payment should be introduced.
Diena · 9 Oct, 17:25
Estonia plans payments of up to €5 million to municipalities that approve wind farms
Estonian Minister of Energy Erkki Keldo has submitted for approval a draft regulation allowing support of up to €5 million for each municipality that enables wind farm construction. The bonus scheme totals at least €12 million for 2027 and 2028.
ERR News · 9 Oct, 17:25
Cell broadcast alert issued in western Kurzeme over very strong wind
On Friday, 9 October, a cell broadcast alert about very strong wind was sent out for the Baltic Sea coast of western Kurzeme in Latvia. Rescuers advise people to charge their mobile phones in advance, as power outages are possible.
Latvijas Avīze · 9 Oct, 16:27
/nginx/o/2026/10/09/17964725t1h9b10.jpg)
Šlesers sets three conditions for LPV to back a Kulbergs minority government
The party Latvia First (LPV) would be ready to support a minority government led by Andris Kulbergs if three conditions were met. LPV leader Ainārs Šlesers named them to the news agency LETA.
TVNET · 9 Oct, 16:27
Police Complete Probe and Seek Charges Against 11 Members of Armed Gang Over Riga Kidnapping
The State Police have finished investigating an armed criminal group suspected of abducting a man in central Riga on 25 March. The case has gone to prosecutors, with police proposing prosecution of 11 people.
Delfi · 9 Oct, 16:26
Estonia plans to add photos to records of people barred from working with children
Estonia's Ministry of Justice has sent for approval a draft law that would add document-style photos to the criminal records database for people barred from working with children. It also provides for automatic monthly checks of employees.
ERR News · 9 Oct, 16:25
11 Suspects Held in Latvia Over Banditry and Abduction Case
The State Police Riga Region Department has completed its investigation into a criminal case involving 11 suspects accused of banditry and kidnapping. Five of them are in pre-trial detention.
LSM · 9 Oct, 16:24
Kulbergs to meet film industry to discuss alternatives to streaming levy
Latvian Prime Minister Andris Kulbergs will meet film industry representatives on 13 October to discuss funding for Latvian films and an alternative to the planned streaming platform levy. Comparable calculations are to be prepared by the end of the year.
Delfi · 9 Oct, 15:27
State Language Centre: 200 Words Are Not Enough for Free Conversation in Latvian
A social media claim that 200 words suffice for everyday Latvian conversation has sparked debate. Specialists at Latvia's State Language Centre say it is only a survival minimum, not conversational fluency.
Latvijas Avīze · 9 Oct, 15:27
/nginx/o/2026/09/03/17893244t1hb88a.jpg)
Wind to pick up in Latvia on Friday evening, storm expected on the coast
Forecasters say a westerly wind will strengthen across Latvia on Friday evening and overnight into Saturday. A storm is expected on the coast, and the wind should ease by morning.
TVNET · 9 Oct, 15:26
Fire hits main building of Ozo golf club in Riga's Mīlgrāvis district
A fire broke out on Thursday in the main building of the Ozo golf club in Mīlgrāvis, Riga, destroying household items kept in a storage room. Staff spotted the smoke in time and evacuated.
NRA · 9 Oct, 15:25
Northeastern Estonian cities question value of participatory budgeting
Narva and Narva-Jõesuu are reviewing participatory budgeting, a system where residents propose projects funded by the city, because the ideas often prove too costly or vague. Narva-Jõesuu's mayor says the approach has run its course.
ERR News · 9 Oct, 15:25
Estonian parties struggle with new EU political advertising rules
Five months before Estonia's elections, parties remain unsure how to legally run political ads under a new European Union rule on funding transparency. The requirement has caused confusion and added bureaucracy.
ERR News · 9 Oct, 14:25
New Unity urges delay in appointing Gorkšs as head of State Chancellery
The Latvian party New Unity has asked the government not to rush the appointment of Kaspars Gorkšs as director of the State Chancellery. He currently heads the Employers' Confederation of Latvia.
LSM · 9 Oct, 14:25
Liviko head welcomes abolition of Estonia's alcohol register
Estonia's government will close the state alcohol register from 1 November. Janek Kalvi, chairman of the board of alcohol producer Liviko, says the move will reduce bureaucracy for producers and importers.
ERR (rus) · 9 Oct, 14:25
Kulbergs: State Budget Spending in Latvia Must Deliver Measurable Results
Latvian Prime Minister Andris Kulbergs said at a conference that the state must change how it spends money, with every euro producing a measurable result. He also proposed a Latvian development fund to manage state assets.
Latvijas Avīze · 9 Oct, 13:27
Lithuania intercepts nine balloon-borne cigarette shipments from Belarus
Lithuania's State Border Guard Service says it has intercepted nine cigarette shipments flown in from Belarus by balloon, totalling 55,490 packs. So far this year 166 such shipments have been caught, versus 635 in 2025.
LRT English · 9 Oct, 13:26
Cyclist Dies in Collision on A. Deglava Street in Riga; Police Seek Witnesses
The State Police are looking for witnesses to a road accident on A. Deglava Street in Riga, where one of two cyclists died after a collision on 28 August. The cyclist struck a passing bus, police said.
TVNET · 9 Oct, 13:26
Kulbergs: Latvia must learn to spend smarter, every euro should deliver measurable results
Latvian Prime Minister Andris Kulbergs told a budget conference that spending should be judged by results rather than the amount allocated. He also proposed a Latvian Development Fund to manage state assets.
NRA · 9 Oct, 13:26