Latvian Foreign Minister Edgars Rinkēvičs said September 14 that while the ZAPAD military exercises being conducted just across the border by Russia and Belarus are not expected to turn into genuine military conflict, they could spawn other attempts to test NATO's resolve.
Most of our 'Things of Latvia' are lighthearted observations on national quirks in this, the best of the Baltic states. But this one is different. I write it with a bottle of tranquilizers to hand and according to how things go, I may have to take one, two or possibly the whole lot.
Latvian President Raimonds Vejonis and the current government were put on a collision course September 12 with the president submitting proposals to parliament even though a member of the three-party ruling coalition said they would veto the proposals.
Back in January 2016 LSM reported on Riga-based Peace Ambassadors for Iraq (PAFI), an organization that describes itself as "an internationally-oriented, non-governmental organization that is dedicated to achieving peace in Iraq and the Middle East."
The weekend of September 9 and 10 sees a special focus on children's films at the Riga International Film Festival, currently taking place in the Latvian capital.
The Minutes from Latvia podcast is back and this week the guest is Agnese Kleina, a writer, publisher, artist, entrepreneur and avowed style leader in Latvia.
Norbis is a young man. He is very popular. Why? He plays video games and says hello.
The Latvian love of foraging for wild mushrooms is a matter of record. Indeed, while Latvians like to regard it as a national oddity (treating with barely-concealed disdain the claims of French and Italians to be keen on fungal foraging) the great mushroom hunt is in danger of becoming a cliche.
A favorite party question of mine to foreigners is: "What do you think is the most popular flavor of potato chip in Latvia?"
Podcast number 21 sees Renaissance man Tom Crosshill (a.k.a. Toms Kreicbergs) entering the pod to talk about his dizzying array of interests.
One hundred and twenty five kilometers from Riga on the Vidzeme highway, just before the turning for the town of Smiltene is the little 'Jautrais ods' ('Merry mosquito') cafe. The food there is good, fresh and cheap.
In recent years I have developed an obsession, probably unhealthy, with 'Latvian Radio Theater'. These are radio plays exhumed from the archive and broadcast after 10 p.m. in order to fill up time that would otherwise be hard to fill. They deserve a wider audience.
The pod is bedecked with festive streamers and the cheap champagne is flowing in copious amounts as we reach the landmark of 20 podcasts.
Latvian is not the easiest language to learn - at least for English speakers - but it's nice that many visitors to the country do go to the trouble of learning a few words, such as 'Sveiki' (Hello), 'Lūdzu' (Please) and 'Paldies' (Thank you).
An announcement published in the official state gazette, Latvijas Vestnesis, says the Latvian government has imposed sanctions against Taiwanese Hsien Tai Tsai in connection with North Korea's nuclear missile program.
All public transport systems have their own etiquette.
The Minutes from Latvia podcast is back, this time with a business-oriented flavor.
Last week, Latvian airline airBaltic was abuzz with its latest landmark – it had done nothing less than set a new world record in the aviation industry!
If April is 'birch month' when every self-respecting Latvian is gulping down gallons of birch juice, July might be regarded as its evil sibling, 'Latvānis month.'
Following the publication of our feature about potholes earlier July 14, we were surprised to receive a furious reaction from one reader who accused us of slandering the fair city of Alūksne by using a picture of potholes there that he claims no longer exist.
Some of Latvia's best-known voices were in full cry July 13 for an unusual collaboration which they say is necessary to defend the editorial integrity and independence of public media.
The Minutes from Latvia podcast is back in a musical frame of mind as we are joined by acclaimed contemporary composer Eugene Birman.
Latvian President Raimonds Vejonis on July 12 called for those who participated in the now-notorious "oligarch conversations" to be answerable for their actions - without specifying exactly what he meant.
There seemed to be little consensus among politicians July 5 on how to deal with the so-called 'oligarch conversations' scandal revealed by the Ir weekly magazine.
The Minutes from Latvia podcast returns, and this week we boldly go where no podcast has gone before, across the final frontier into space.
The annual 'Lampa' festival of conversation begins in the town of Cēsis June 30, promising two days of stimulating jaw-jaw.
The editor of the magazine responsible for releasing an astounding series of transcripts of conversations between Latvia's so-called "oligarchs" said June 30 that the scandal could not be ignored.
The minister responsible for negotiating the United Kingdom's exit from the European Union paid a visit to Riga June 22, it emerged after the event.
Journalists and media professionals from 13 different countries held a protest June 15 in Riga condemning the illegal kidnap from Georgia by Azerbaijan of a journalist who has displeased the authoritarian regime in Baku.
Exciting news June 14. Latvia will have another European Capital of Culture in 2027. That gives us just ten years of flattery and free goody bags in order to win an honor that would be ours anyway.
Jelena Ostapenko made history by being the first Latvian tennis player ever to contest a grand slam final on June 10. She played Romania's Simona Halep at historic Roland Garros in Paris. We did game by game updates of what happened.
A group of travelers left stranded in Tallinn after their airBaltic flight was cancelled June 8 are threatening legal action against the airline and Tallinn airport over their treatment.
