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Police in Dorset, England have identified a man suffering amnesia as coming from Latvia, the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) reported January 25.

The regular meeting of the Latvian cabinet on January 24 approved Latvian citizenship for 28 more people who have completed the long-established naturalization process.

"They take away the television, punish by taking away food packs, and a family with an infant must live in a moldy room," such complaints have been received by asylum seekers in Latvia from Russia, Ukraine and Belarus at the accommodation center Mucenieki. The Citizenship and Migration Affairs Office (PMLP) under whose leadership the center is, denies these claims, Latvian Television reported on January 21.

A 10-year-old girl, Maribella, who vanished a week ago after a walk on the ice of the River Ilūkste, was unfortunately found dead on Saturday, January 21, Latvian Television reported.

The bills payment discipline of Rīga Housing manager (RNP) has reached the highest historical rate despite the bills also being historically highest, RNP said on January 20.

Members of the Saeima's Citizenship, Migration and Social Cohesion Committee on Wednesday, January 18 addressed plans to make thousands of Russian citizens residing in Latvia sit Latvian language tests if they wish to retain their permanent residence permits, the Saeima press service reported.

In 2021, the most common surnames among permanent residents of Latvia were Ivanovs/Ivanova (11 thousand persons) and Bērziņš/Bērziņa (10 thousand persons), according to the data of the 2021 Population and Housing Census of the Central Statistics Office (CSB) published January 19 .

The Department of Citizenship and Migration Affairs (PMLP) has issued a warning about a fake request for information about Ukrainian refugees in Latvia.

A wide range of Russian TV channels are banned in Latvia, but many are still available to watch for those who are determined to do so, reported Latvian Radio January 18.

Compared to the situation before the pandemic, last year the Resource Center for Women Marta has doubled its assistance to women affected by violence, including women from Ukraine, Iluta Lāce, head of the association Marta, told Latvian Radio in an interview on January 19.

Members of the public in Latvia are being urged to sort out and use their 'e-adrese' (electronic address), 'eParaksts' (electronic signature) and 'eID karte' (electronic ID card) to benefit from easier access to a range of services and methods of official communication in future.

A large number of people are prepared to help the victims of the Jēkabpils floods, with donations of EUR 50,000 collected so far, Latvian Radio reported on January 16.

Since the Russian invasion of Ukraine, 56% of Latvia's population has so far donated to Ukrainian and refugee aid, according to the latest data in the SKDS survey conducted on the order of the Society Integration Foundation (SIF), SIF said on January 16.

People in the top 20 % of income distribution received 38.2 % of disposable income across the European Union, but in Latvia that wealthiest slice of society does even better, according to data published by Eurostat January 13.

Ieva Jaunzeme, Director General of the State Revenue Service (VID), will stay in office despite a previous suspension, Finance Ministry (FM) said on January 13.

Mobile operators will have to send early warning messages to residents at the same time, as provided for by the amendments to the Civil Protection and Disaster Management Law, supported by the Saeima in the final reading on Thursday, January 12.

For many years, the “Otrā elpa” foundation has been helping people and animals in distress. Part of the donations they get are handed over to people in need, part is sold in charity shops. Throughout the month of January, everyone can send their donations free of charge through Omniva parcel machines, Latvian Television reported January 12.

The volunteer battalion “Carpathian Sich” and other units on the Ukrainian front have started testing the wood-gas stoves made by volunteers in Latvia, which have been given the name "Freedom Flame". The idea of the stove itself is not new, but volunteers in Latvia have come up with the idea that they could be useful for Ukrainians, Latvian Television reported on January 11.

In November 2022, among the EU Member States for which data are available, Poland granted the highest number of temporary protection statuses to Ukrainians fleeing their country (40 370) as a consequence of Russia’s invasion. Poland was followed by Germany (36 385), Romania (10 745) and France (8 835) according to Eurostat figures published January 11.

With a view to addressing the growing interest of Russian citizens to travel to Latvia, the government on Tuesday, January 10, conceptually supported the termination of the Repatriation Law which is intended to facilitate the return of Latvian and Livonian-ethnicity people to their homeland, Latvian Television reported on January 10.

On Monday, January 9, due to a technological problem, a large part of Latvia's society experienced interruptions both telephone and Internet communications. The crash was caused by a human mistake at the Latvian State Radio and Television Center (LVTRC), Latvian Television reported.

Police in the county of Dorset in south-west England are appealing for help as they try to identify a man found with no memory. He may be Latvian or in some way connected to Latvia as he appears to speak Latvian, police said, but has not been able to give details of who he is or how he wound up in the seaside town of Weymouth.

Last week, LSM reported the strange case of a post-mortem mix-up that resulted in a family being supplied with the wrong body at the funeral of their dearly departed.

Latvians who have been living abroad for some time and who are consideraing a return to Latvia will be able to get help and advice at four special online seminars planned in 2023.

Latvian residents have donated 5,100 kilograms of various knits to Ukrainian civilians, soldiers, and refugees between September 2022 and the end of December, according to a release from the Latvian postal service (Latvijas pasts, LP) on January 5.

In order to receive a pass regarding the exemption from the state language proficiency test, 22 people have already applied to the Riga Psychiatric and Narcology Center. This will only be allowed in very severe cases, psychiatrists told Latvian Television on January 5.

From January 4 to February 8, everyone is invited to register their event for the ninth 'LAMPA' conversation festival, which will be held in Cēsis on June 9 and 10 this year.

Following the death of a patient at Pauls Stradiņš Clinical University Hospital (PSKUS), a mix-up has allegedly happened and a different dead woman was brought to the cemetery. PSKUS assumes that the actual deceased woman has already been buried elsewhere, Latvian Television reported on January 4.

The war launched by Russia in Ukraine has not only created a wave of Ukrainian refugees, but also a significant wave of Russian emigration, and has also changed the thinking of many Russian citizens living in Latvia, some of whom have been here for years. Their desire to acquire Latvian citizenship has increased significantly, Latvian Radio reported on January 3.

On Saturday, December 31, the State Fire and Rescue Service (VUGD) received 10 calls for burning pyrotechnic articles in Rīga and one in Liepāja and the municipality of Ķekava, VUGD told the agency LETA.
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