
Society


Just under half of the Russian citizens who have taken the national Latvian language proficiency test have passed so far, the State Educational Content Centrer (VISC) reported on May 18.

Every year, approximately between 100 and 150 bodies are pulled from the water in Lavia after drowning, according to data from the State Fire and Rescue Service (VUGD).

Latvian civic democracy portal ManaBalss (My vote) has been awarded the Democracy Technologies of the Year award at a ceremony in Warsaw, the organization announced May 15.

A couple has created a hit tourist attraction in rural Latvia with an upside-down house, reported Latvian Radio on May 16.

It is important to maintain the national network of services in eastern Latvia, otherwise, the territory would be left 'to the bears', the Minister for Environmental Protection and Regional Development, Māris Sprindžuks, said in an interview with Latvian Television's broadcast “Morning Panorama” on May 16.

The search for seven-year-old Justīne Reinikova, missing from Rēzekne municipality, Nautrēnu parish, Rogovka village, is still ongoing, the State Police said on May 15.

The National Health Service has already warned that e-Health will no longer be accessed by online banking identification tools from next year. The ministerial representatives responsible for IT systems say that online banking identification will also gradually disappear from other national e-services, the De Facto broadcast of Latvian Television, aired May 14, reported.

Central Statistical Bureau provisional data on the first three months of the year showed that on April 1, 2023, the population of Latvia was actually higher than a year earlier, by 15,400 people.

A Russian-speaking resident of Estonia, Artemy Ivanov aka rapper 'Temada', who caused outrage among many Rīga residents by holding street concerts in Russian during the Easter holidays, has been denied entry into Latvia, Latvian Television reported on May 11.

Anticipating Mother's Day on Sunday, May 14, a survey conducted by the parent organization Mammamuntetiem.lv conducted a survey which showed that nearly all mothers of Latvia feel overworked and exhausted, Inga Akmentiņa-Smildziņa, the organization's head, told Latvian Television Thursday.

A representation of the Association of Small Towns of Ukraine will be opened in Valmiera on Thursday. Ukraine's ambassador to Latvia Anatoly Kucevol will participate in the opening, which will be mostly a formal confirmation of its status, since the association has been managed from Valmiera for more than a year, Latvian Radio reported May 11.

The overall situation on the border of Latvia-Belarus is tense throughout the year, Deputy Chief of State Border Guard Ivars Ruskulis told the Saeima Defense, Internal Affairs and Corruption Prevention Committee on Wednesday, May 10.

Although gambling advertising is prohibited in Latvia, it appears on both Internet portals and television channels. Experts surveyed by Latvian Radio on May 10 acknowledged that the gambling advertising ban is not currently enforced.

In Daugavpils, more than 1,700 Russian citizens have applied to take the national language exam, reported Latvian Radio May 9.

Expressing support for Ukraine on its way to accession to the European Union (EU) and commemorating the victims of the war, a flower composition in the colors of the Ukrainian flag was created in Rīga on Monday at the Freedom Monument, Latvian Television reported.

The search for the seven-year-old Justīne Reinikova has continued since Friday evening, but still without a result. Meanwhile, the police are changing search approaches, Latvian Television reported on May 8.

During the night to Tuesday, May 9, four young people were detained in Rīga at the dismantled monument in Uzvaras Park, where flowers were placed, the Chief of State Police Armands Ruks said in an interview with Latvian Radio on May 9.

On March31, 2023, 3.9 million non-EU citizens who fled Ukraine as a consequence of the Russian invasion on 24 February 2022 were holding temporary protection status in EU countries, according to Eurostat data published May 8.

Searches involving dozens of volunteers continued all weekend for a seven-year-old girl missing in Rēzekne region, but still no sign of her had been found by Monday morning.

The experience of the pandemic has not only contributed to the use of intoxicating and addictive substances, but also hampered the possibility of detecting networks of suppliers of these substances. According to the De Facto broadcast of Latvian Television aired May 7, the number of drug-related calls for medical help has increased significantly over the last 4 years, while crime related to narcotic drugs and psychotropic substances has halved.

Although the requirement for mandatory electronic identification (eID) cards has been dropped for a few months now, the receipt of identity documents in the Office of Citizenship and Migration Affairs (PMLP) departments still take weeks. The service is still short-staffed, which has been a problem for years now, Latvian Radio reported on May 7.

The Ziemeļlatgale State Police Department is looking for Justīne Reinikova, born in 2016, who has been missing since Friday, May 5, the police said on Saturday.

From next year, it is planned to abolish the rule of law which allowed third-country citizens – descendants of Livonia and Latvia – to obtain repatriated status in Latvia, and to completely repeal the Repatriation Law from July 2028, the Interior Ministry said on May 2.

In terms of attitudes toward domestic violence, the system is "rotten", Justice Minister Inese Lībiņa-Egnere (New Unity) said in an interview on Latvian Television May 2.

A place to meet Ukrainians living in Riga, to eat borscht or teach a word in Latvian to refugee children. The Ukrainian Refugee Support and Integration Center, “The Heart of Riga” (Rīgas sirds) has started work in the city council building, Latvian Television reported on April 26.

The State Security Service (VDD) will pay increased attention this year to activities related to May 9, according to the service's statement to the media on April 26.

On the night to Monday in Rīga, an extensive fire broke out on Antenas Street in a production plant, the State Fire and Rescue Service (VUGD) said.

Since April 2022, 141 one-off childbirth allowances have been paid to Ukrainian refugees in Latvia, which means at least 141 childbirths, Rus.LSM.lv reported on April 23.

On Saturday at 18:19 the State Fire and Rescue Service (VUGD) received a call to Ieriķu Street in Riga, where a fire broke out at the Domina shopping center. Firefighters contained the spread of flames at 20:06, Latvian Radio and Latvian Television reported.

On May 9, regarded as WWII Victory Day by some of the Russian-speaking population, fireworks and festivities which do not correspond to the interests of national security, glorify military aggression or falsely reflect historical events, will be prohibited, the Saeima decided in two readings on April 20.
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