The US ambassador to Latvia, Christopher Robinson, expressed concern about the potential for backsliding in Latvia’s fight against corruption, Baltic News Network reported. Speaking in an interview with TVNET, Robinson specifically highlighted Aivars Lembergs, the sanctioned former mayor of Ventspils, as a symbol of the dangers of returning to oligarchic influence. He said that the…
Latvia’s President Edgars Rinkevics and Foreign Minister Krisjanis Karins strongly condemned the indiscriminate terrorist attacks by Palestinian group Hamas against Israeli citizens. They stressed that Israel had the right to defend its people. Latvia stands in solidarity with the people of Israel, Rinkevics stated. Karins insisted that the violence must stop. At the same time,…
An administrative court in Latvia has upheld the decision of the National Electronic Mass Media Council (NEPLP) to annul the broadcasting license of the independent Russian TV channel, Dozhd (TV Rain), TVNET reports. Dozhd announced that it would appeal the ruling in all instances, including in the European Court of Human Rights if necessary. Dozhd…
The European Public Prosecutor’s Office (EPPO) has taken up a case of suspected corruption at Latvian capital Riga’s municipal public transport company, Rigas Satiksme, LETA reports. EPPO conducted three searches as part of the ongoing criminal investigation into possible secret collaboration between Rigas Satiksme and private companies aimed at artificially inflating prices for goods and…
Estonian debt collection and credit management company Aktiva Finance Group will acquire Swedish credit management company Intrum Group’s business in the Baltic States for EUR 30mn, TVNET reports. Under the deal, Aktiva Finance Group will acquire 100% of shares in Intrum Group’s subsidiaries in Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania. The transaction is expected to be closed…
The finals of the Latvian Song and Dance Festival’s choir competition took place on 1 July 2023, TVNET reports. The winner in the mixed choir competition was the youth choir, Kamer. In the women’s choirs competition, the grand prize went to the Ventspils Culture Centre’s Venda choir. In the men’s choir group, the grand prize…
The Latvian political activist, Valentins Jeremejevs, has released several videos in which he claims that 2,000 families in Latvia will be evicted from their homes due to the construction of the Rail Baltica railway, Re:Baltica reports. Jeremejevs’s most popular video on TikTok has been viewed by almost 150,000 people and on Facebook by 2,300 people….
The Latvian government is discussing proposed changes to traffic rules for pedestrians, cyclists, and electric scooter drivers, LETA reports. Under the changes, two pedestrians will be allowed to walk side by side along the edge of low-speed roads with no pavement. Roller skating, skateboarding, and use of other similar equipment will only be allowed without…
Latvia’s State Police have initiated proceedings against the Ventspils-based oil product terminal operator, Ventbunkers, seizing documents, LTV’s Panorama programme reports. Aivars Gobins, board chairman of Ventbunkers, said that the police action was related to a case that has been under investigation for five years and the statute of limitations for which was coming to an…