The Supreme Court (Senate) Department of Criminal Cases has left the Rīga Regional Court verdict unchanged, which sentences Daugavpils resident Artem Skripnik to five years in jail for taking part in the armed conflict in Eastern Ukraine by training new soldiers, according to rhe LETA news agency on December 12.
On November 8 the State Revenue (VID) Tax and Customs Police Department began criminal proceedings against a criminal group for tax avoidance and money laundering, which created losses of more than 325 000 euros for the national budget, VID announced on December 13.
The Information Technology Security Incident Response Institution Cert.lv announced on Friday, December 13 that over the last few days several state institution employees and politicians have experienced targeted cyber attacks using phishing emails purporting to be from the Russian embassy, formatted as a reply to previous correspondence.
The Association of the Deaf says that too few services are available for the deaf, according to Latvian Radio on December 13.
A conference on December 13 is discussing a subject close to our own hearts: can Latvia afford strong public service media?
Following the news that Latvian businessman-politician Aivars Lembergs has been placed on a United States Department of the Treasury blacklist, freezing his assets and those of several entities linked to him, the U.S. Department of State has added to his woes by barring several members of his immediate family from entering the U.S,, too.
Colorful Latvian buinessman-cum-politician Aivars Lembergs responded to being placed on the United States sanctions list December 10.
Aivars Lembergs, long-time big cheese in the port city of Ventspils, was named as the target of United States sanctions December 9, on International Anti-Corruption Day.
Latvia's State Forests (LVM), a state-owned company that plays a major role in the national economy, is offering residents the opportunity to collect firewood free of charge, provided they have received permission to do so for personal use only, according to Latvian Radio on December 9.
On December 6 the United Nations committee against torture published its regular report on Latvia's compliance with international law regarding torture and related civil rights topics. It praised various recent legal moves, particularly with regard to ending the status of "non-citizens" and several custodial changes.
Youth radio station Pieci.lv has its annual charity marathon up and running and would welcome contributions from anyone in a giving mood.
Latvian defense Minister Artis Pabriks said the NATO summit held 3-4 December in London "can be considered a success".
Latvia fares reasonably well in the latest Program for International Student Assessment (PISA) education rankings produced by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) and released December 3, though there is definite room for improvement, and bullying appears to be a serious area of concern.
The Welfare and Interior Ministers can't agree on which ministry should take responsibility for the refugees who arrived in Latvia, left, and have since been deported back, according to the Latvian Television De Facto broadcast.
Latvians spend more than Estonians, Lithuanians and Finns, and are only just behind Swedes, in terms of how much of their income is spent on communications, according to new data from Eurostat published December 3.
The majority of Latvian Russian speakers are proud to live in Latvia, according to survey data from the company Latvian Facts, which was included in a study by researcher Ieva Bērziņa for the National Defense Academy of Latvia (NDAL) Center for Defense Research.
With the First Advent Sunday of December on December 1, residents of Riga and visitors alike will be able to appreciate how the city is gearing up for the upcoming Christmas this year.
On November 29 the Council of Jewish Communities of Latvia announced that it was holding a remembrance in Rumbula for the largest mass murder in Latvian history when 25 000 Latvian Jews were killed in the Rumbula forest during the Nazi occupation 78 years ago on November 30.
This weekend will bring not only winter snows and the beginning of Advent, but also plenty of cultural events for the whole family to enjoy. Leave curling up by the fireplace for the work week and don't let the snow keep you indoors, there are so many fun and interesting events going on in Latvia this weekend!
70 people may have contracted an acute gastrointestinal infection in Liepāja after eating their lunch in a Baltic Restaurants canteen at Lauma Lingerie company, the Center for Disease Prevention and Control representative Ilze Araja informed the LETA newswire November 28.
Medics staged another demonstration outside Saeima November 28, protesting against the provisions for the healthcare sector provided in the budget, which was promulgated into law by President Egils Levits November 27.
Rīga City Council announced on November 28 that the Riga Central Market, which it controls, has terminated its tenancy agreement with the company Tirdzniecības nams Latgales priekšpilsēta (Latgale Suburb Trading House) after several searches were conducted on their premises related to the illicit trafficking of cigarettes. They have until January 13 to evacuate the territory.
The Ministry of Culture released information on November 26 that it is considering several courses of action in response to Prime Minister Krišjānis Kariņš' (New Unity) request for a vision and concrete proposals for strengthening the integrity of the Latvian information space.
According to a press release from Rīga city council, 1,308.2 tonnes of leaves were collected from residents of the Latvian capital during a four-week period this fall.
General practitioner Māra Meldere returned from Germany in September after nine years to open a family practice in Roja, she told Talsi Television on November 27.
According to the Ministry of Defense, new research it has conducted shows that 80% of respondents to a survey believe that in the case of a national-scale threat they would be most concerned about knowing where to turn for information.
LTV's investigative journalism program Forbidden Method (Aizliegtais Paņēmiens) has produced another notable scoop after conducting a six-month operation in which reporters infiltrated the Riga Central Market's illicit cigarette mafia, releasing the first of several episodes covering the 12,000-euro-per-month operation on November 25.
A total of 107 people have died in road accidents so far this year, and the traffic safety situation has not improved much, officials at the Road Traffic Safety Council officials said November 25, reported the LETA news agency.
Lauma Mačule flew to the UK to visit her brother at the age of 18 with one suitcase after she realized she didn't want to study IT at the Vidzeme University of Applied Sciences. The visit to Manchester ended up lasting seven and a half years, she told LSM.lv.
Defense officials have identified a person involved in leaking text messages which included restricted information, Defense Minister Artis Pabriks (Development/For!) said in an interview with the LETA news agency November 24.