The director of the US Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), John Ratcliffe, travelled to Moscow to warn Russia against attacking NATO countries, particularly the Baltic States, CBS, Politico, and The Wall Street Journal reported. Earlier, US intelligence assessed that Russia was considering attacks in the Baltic region to test NATO unity. Russian President Vladimir Putin’s spokesman,…
The Latvian parliament, the Saeima, has approved in an extraordinary session an urgent law that allows the state to bail out the country’s ailing national airline, airBaltic, LSM reports. The law, which was rushed through parliament in just one day, will allow the government to acquire around EUR 30mn of more airBaltic bonds. Also, the…
Latvia’s United List continues to oppose the ratification of the Council of Europe’s Istanbul Convention on violence against women, but is not committed to withdrawing from the treaty immediately, Prime Minister Andris Kulbergs stated, LETA reports. He said that the question should not be made into a top political priority, given that the treaty had…
Latvia’s National Alliance party, which is part of the current coalition government, has been embroiled in controversy due to accusations of racist messaging, LSM reports. First, a woman claimed that she was sexually assaulted by people of Indian or Pakistani origin, after which National Alliance representatives, including Interior Minister Janis Dombrava and Riga deputy mayor…
The number of children aged 0-17 years in Latvia totalled 334,233 in the beginning of 2026, which was down 2.7% from 343,555 a year earlier, according to the Central Statistical Bureau’s (CSP) data, LSM reported. Children accounted for 18.1% (18.5%) of Latvia’s population. The number of boys amounted to 171,836 (176,322) and girls to 162,486…
Two pro-Russian activists facing criminal liability in Latvia and Lithuania, Aleksejs Roslikovs and Antanas Kandrotas, have fled to neighbouring Belarus, LRT reports. Roslikovs, a former member of the Latvian parliament, the Saeima, and former member of the Riga city council representing the pro-Russian For Stability party, has been charged in Latvia with incitement of national…
Around 4,000 people attended the 20th annual Riga Pride parade in the Latvian capital, Riga, on 13 June 2026, LSM reported. Police said that the parade in the centre of Riga proceeded peacefully and without significant incidents. Participants noted that Latvian society was becoming more accepting of same-sex couples and diverse sexualities. Kaspars Zalitis, co-chair…
This year’s Baltic Pride parade was held in the Estonian capital, Tallinn, on 6 June 2026, ERR reports. The parade progressed through Tallinn’s Old Town and ended with an open-air concert at the Telliskivi Creative City. This year’s theme was “silence will not defeat hate,” emphasising the need to speak up and take action against…
Latvia’s State Revenue Service (VID) has awarded the country’s largest corporate taxpayers in 2025, Baltic News reports. The largest taxpayer in the Riga region was global technology consulting company Accenture’s Latvian branch. Latvian industrial holding UPB was the largest taxpayer in Kurzeme, while optical fiber manufacturer Light Guide Optics International (Lightguide) was the largest taxpayer…
