Latvia

Latvia

Exit polls put Latvia PM's New Unity party ahead in general election

Analysts believe that the New Unity party of PM Krišjānis Kariņš will take the most votes.

30/09/2022

Latvia

NATO demonstrates HIMARS rocket system in Latvia in a display of force

Latvia has hosted a military training day with High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems (HIMARS) flown in for the occasion from Germany.

28/09/2022

Latvia

Mystery as private plane crashes in Baltic Sea off the coast of Latvia

Fighter jets sent to intercept the plane said they could see no one in the cockpit, reported the German newspaper Bild.

05/09/2022

Latvia

Watch as Soviet-era obelisk comes crashing down in Riga, Latvia

The nearly 80-metre spire was a prominent feature in downtown Latvia and has been used for commemorating Russia's Victory Day.

26/08/2022

Latvia

Removal of Soviet-era war memorial in Latvia angers ethnic Russians

A new law to remove Soviet-era monuments in Latvia because of the invasion of Ukraine has caused anger among the country's ethnic Russian community.

24/08/2022

Europe News

Latvia & Estonia leave China-backed East Europe forum

The move follows China’s boosting of its relations with Russia, whose invasion of Ukraine is seen as a possible first step in a series of moves against countries that were once part of the Soviet Union.

12/08/2022

Latvia

Latvia MPs declare Russia a 'state sponsor of terrorism'

They have also called on other European countries to "express the same opinion".

11/08/2022

Latvia

Latvia to reintroduce compulsory military service amid Ukraine war

"We have no reason to believe that Russia will change its behaviour," said Defence Minister Artis Pabriks.

06/07/2022

No Comment

Unoccupied car rolls across road and into river in Riga

An unoccupied car rolled across a busy road and into the Daugava River in Riga, Latvia, on April 14, according to police.

18/04/2022

Latvia

Latvia approves ban on Russian military symbols 'V' and 'Z'

Latvian citizens face fines if they display the symbols at any public events to show support for "Russia's military aggression".

31/03/2022

Latvia

Latvian MP Juris Jurašs 'joins legion of foreign fighters in Ukraine'

Juris Jurašs "volunteered to defend the territory of Ukraine", the country's justice minister said.

09/03/2022

Latvia

Latvia passes long-awaited Holocaust restitution law

Following years of wrangling over the issue, the 100-seat Saeima voted 64-21 to approve the Law on the Compensation of Goodwill to the Latvian Jewish Community on the bill's final reading.

10/02/2022

Latvia

Three Latvian MPs suspended from voting after refusing COVID jab

The MPs will also have their pay suspended.

07/12/2021

Latvia

NATO threatens Moscow with sanctions if Russian troops invade Ukraine

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken threatened Moscow with 'high-impact economic measures' if President Vladimir Putin attacked Ukraine.

01/12/2021

Latvia

Latvia installs 'temporary' fence on Belarus border to stop migrants

Latvia and other Baltic states have been nervous about a potential influx of migrants from Belarus following the crisis on the Polish border.

18/11/2021

Latvia

Euroviews. The Latvian ban on unvaccinated MPs should be a wake-up call | View

The decision to exclude Latvian parliamentarians without a COVID-19 vaccine ought to ring alarm bells for democrats worldwide, argue Leiden University's Tom Theuns and Josette Daemen.

18/11/2021

Latvia

Latvia bans unvaccinated MPs from voting and suspends pay

Only 53.6% of Latvia's 1.9 million population is fully vaccinated, well below the EU average of 64.9%.

12/11/2021

Latvia

Latvian employers can dismiss unvaccinated workers, says parliament

All health care, education, and social care sector workers are required to get a COVID-19 vaccine in Latvia.

05/11/2021

Latvia

Latvia enters a new lockdown after record daily COVID cases

The Baltic state has seen a record-high level of cases since the start of the pandemic resulting in new strict measures.

22/10/2021

Latvia

Latvia declares three-month state of emergency as COVID-19 cases rise

Under the new rules, masks are mandatory in all public buildings and only essential shops will be open at weekends.

12/10/2021

My Europe Series

Distrust & disinformation have left Latvia lagging on vaccine rollout

More than two-thirds of EU adults have been fully vaccinated against COVID-19. In Latvia, that figure is 45.5%

30/08/2021

Latvia

Latvia's plans for mandatory vaccination spark huge protests

The Latvian government is planning to make vaccination compulsory for many professions and is debating whether to allow employers to fire workers who refuse to be vaccinated. A vote on the issue could come this week.

19/08/2021

No Comment

Riga: Kitchen robot cooks up new future for fast food

In Latvia's capital, a pasta order comes in and a robotic arm springs into action at the Roboeatz eatery.

31/07/2021

Musica

Yuja Wang embraces Mozart’s darker piano concerto

Yuja Wang expertly performs Mozart's restless, gloomy and dramatic Piano Concerto in D minor at the third edition of the Riga Jurmala Music Festival.

29/07/2021

Europe News

Latvia's PM slams 'asymmetrical reaction' after diplomats expelled

The entire staff of Latvia's embassy in Minsk was ordered to leave Monday after the red and white flags used by the opposition were raised in Riga.

25/05/2021

Latvia

Gay Latvian man dies after 'homophobic attack', campaigners say

The death of a gay man in Latvia due to severe burns has prompted a conversation about homophobia in the country.

30/04/2021