On April 16, the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe elected Artūrs Kučs as Judge to the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) in respect of Latvia, according to a release by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Author's articles
Not only young women report having experienced sexual harassment in the academic environment. A letter received by Latvian Television reveals that a young man had also encountered such issues.
Jewelry retail chain AS Grenardi Group ( which operates the GRENARDI and GIVEN brand stores), said April 16 it has successfully raised EUR 12 million in a public bond offering with a fixed interest rate of 10%.
There are already 14 countries in the 'drone coalition' founded by Latvia, and after a decision made by the government April 16 Latvia will send the first significant cargo of drones to Ukraine, Prime Minister Evika Siliņa (New Unity) told the media after a cabinet meeting Tuesday.
The Ministry of Environmental Protection and Regional Development, in cooperation with the Ministry of Transport and the Ministry of Economics, will have to revise the regulation of public parking spaces near shopping malls, the government agreed Tuesday, April 16.
The first Latvian strawberries could be ready in the second half of May, strawberry growers surveyed by LETA said.
Alcohol sales in gas station shops will not be restricted, as decided by the majority of the Saeima Social and Labor Affairs Committee on April 16.
The latest Central Statistical Bureau (CSB) estimate published April 16 shows that around 4,000 Ukrainian citizens with temporary protection status in Latvia were registered with Latvian education institutions on 1 January 2024.
The Latvian Association of Free Trade Unions of (LBAS) is urging the establishment of a minimum wage equivalent to 50% of the average monthly wage in the country.
Latvian cities and regions are actively preparing for the Big Clean-up on April 27. In the meantime, the organizers urge the cleaners to find the most interesting place on the map.
Stork nests are now bustling again. The International White Stork Census takes place this year for the eighth time, in which all residents are invited to participate by reporting observed nests on dabasdati.lv. There are approximately 14,000 inhabited stork nests in Latvia. This number has doubled since the 1930s.
The Riga World Film Festival takes place from April 25 to 28 at the intimate "Kino Bize" cinema.
Artificial intelligence tools have increasingly entered the study process this academic year. Each university is gradually developing guidelines on how and whether these tools can be used in teaching, Latvian Radio reported April 16.
A heatwave experienced in early April has woken plants up too early. Plums, apricots, and cherries are blooming, and apple trees and pears are also green. Now cooler weather has begun and frosts are expected, so fruit farmers are thinking about how to protect their plantations, Latvian Radio reported April 16.
Tuesday, April 16, will mark exactly the year since Leons Rusiņš brutally killed his ex-spouse and mum of two, Iveta, on a lonely country road near Jēkabpils with an axe. The murder took place in front of Iveta's mum and her two underage sons. Leons Rusiņš has still not been found, Latvian Television reported April 15.
The split in society in Daugavpils is palpable, said President of Latvia Edgars RInkēvičs after a visit on Monday, April 15. The city's management meanwhile does not see any problems in that, Latgale regional television reported.
In 2022, 65% of individuals in the EU engaged in streaming TV or videos online, according to Eurostat data published April 15. Latvians were slightly keener than the average with a 70% equivalent figure.
The New Unity political force has nominated diplomat Baiba Braže for the post of Foreign Minister, which is vacant after the resignation of Krišjānis Kariņš, Prime Minister Evika Siliņa (New Unity) announced in a briefing on Monday, April 15.
Chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee of the Riigikogu of Estonia Marko Mihkelson, Chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee of the Saeima of Latvia Rihards Kols and Chairman of the Committee on Foreign Affairs of the Seimas of Lithuania Žygimantas Pavilionis have issued a joint statement strongly condemning Iran's recent attacks against Israel and called for the imposition of substantial sanctions against Iran.
On Monday, April 15, Guntars Prānis, Rector of the Jāzeps Vītols Latvian Academy of Music (JVLMA), announced his resignation.
Tourist numbers coming to Latvia are growing slowly, according to data published April 15.
As of Monday, April 15, the portal eriga.lv shows the offer for open summer camps in Rīga, whereas all the camps on offer for the summer are seen on nometnes.gov.lv, Latvian Radio reports.
After increased demand for used cars and a resultant rise in prices during the pandemic, the market stabilized in the second half of last year, according to a release from car loan company Inbank Latvia.
Since last Friday, April 12, the male white-tailed eagle Hugo has been missing from the livestreamed and beloved nest in Durbe.
The high Euribor interest rates set by the European Central Bank (ECB) have had an impact on the property market. Currently, residents mainly buy serial Soviet-era building apartments, besides, a large proportion do not use bank loans, but buy apartments at their own expense, Latvian Radio reported on April 15.
Last week, a lengthy audit of former Prime Minister Krišjānis Kariņš' use of special flights during his time as PM was published. The auditor concluded that hundreds of thousands of euros were both unlawfully and uneconomically used. The possibility to get the money back will be assessed in criminal proceedings, Latvian Television's De Facto reported April 14.
Latvian State Roads (LVC) reminded the public on Monday April 15 that extensive roadworks are starting throughout the country and that drivers should count on more time on the road.
Hope for the best but expect the worst – this was the motto with which Latvian municipalities were asked to update their civil protection plans in the event of a military threat following Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Some have still not done so, Latvian Television's De Facto reported on April 14.
On Friday, April 12, concrete work began on the first bridge abutment on the Daugava. The outline of the new Rail Baltica bridge over the Daugava should be visible in a year's time, Latvian Television reported.
The Riga City Court has decided to order the arrest of Ernests Rieksts, the accused in a criminal case concerning a fire which took nine lives.
In 2022, Latvia maintained its reputation for having one of Europe's most dangerous road networks, according to fresh data published by Eurostat April 12.
State Police have detained four men on suspicion of killing a man, police reported April 12.