baltic news network

Expansion of war in the Black Sea tests NATO's red lines Repeated attacks on merchant ships in the Black Sea near Bulgaria and Romania have prompted countries in the region to request greater support from NATO.

Legal dispute with Guselnikov has already cost Latvia more than 7 million euros Latvia's legal dispute with former PNB banka owner Grigory Guselnikov has already cost taxpayers more than 7 million euros.

Cyberattacks target stores across several European countries A month after criminals caused refrigerators in French supermarkets to heat up, new attacks have taken place at stores in several European countries.

Night frost and daytime temperatures of up to +11°C – forecasters predict changeable weather for the rest of the week in Latvia Latvia faces a changeable week with occasional rain, coastal wind gusts, overnight frost in some areas and daytime temperatures reaching up to +11°C.

airBaltic plans to return six aircraft – further fleet reductions possible AirBaltic seeks court approval to return six leased aircraft and is considering further fleet reductions during restructuring.

Ryanair considers freezing employee wages and raising ticket prices High fuel prices have prompted Ryanair to consider raising flight fares and taking other measures to offset the high costs.

As the far-right gains ground in Europe, Germany's AfD re-evaluates its ideas The German far-right party AfD, sensing an opportunity to enter the federal government, has begun to soften its euroscepticism.

"Latvia must be saved": Šlesers ready to support Kulbergs' reforms and tough decisions Šlesers explained that Kulbergs had outlined his planned priorities, while discussions about the composition of the future government would, as he understood it, take place after Kulbergs received his official nomination.

Not enough money to meet all commitments: Kulbergs outlines Latvia's financial challenges Kulbergs announced that the meeting with LPV marked the conclusion of the first round of government formation talks with all centrist parties represented in the Saeima.

Livestock farmers in Estonia have lost 150 cattle to wolves; court blocks hunting permits In southern Estonia, wolves have caused serious damage to a herd; however, hunting permits have been suspended following a request from a non-governmental organization.

Help Ukrainian soldiers survive the cold: Latvia launches winter clothing donation campaign Latvia has launched a nationwide winter donation campaign to provide Ukrainian soldiers with knitted clothing and other essential supplies to help them endure the cold.

Protests against the high cost of living in Germany turn into riots and looting In Germany initially peaceful protests turned into riots and the looting of shops when far-left extremists got involved.

Allies concerned: Trump could pose a threat to NATO if Republicans loses midterm A Republican loss in the midterm elections would significantly diminish Trump's influence in domestic politics, leading him to vent his anger at NATO.

Latvia spends 30.1 million euros on unforeseen expenses in nine months – which ministries received the most? Latvia allocated 30.1 million euros from its contingency fund in the first nine months of 2026, with the Ministry of Welfare and Ministry of Health receiving the largest amounts.

From fog and rain to frost: forecasters reveal what weather to expect in Latvia this week Latvia faces a mostly cloudy and rainy week with patches of fog, overnight frost in eastern regions and stronger coastal winds towards the weekend.

Changes at the European Central Bank – Lagarde announces early resignation Christine Lagarde will leave the ECB in February 2027, eight months early, triggering an immediate search for her successor.

Without electricity, food or medicine – civilian evacuation planned in Russian-occupied Oleshky A temporary ceasefire is allowing preparations to evacuate civilians from Russian-occupied Oleshky amid severe humanitarian shortages.

"No politician is irreplaceable" – Mieriņa delivers a significant message as Latvia's 14th Saeima concludes its work Speaker Daiga Mieriņa closed Latvia's 14th Saeima by emphasising democratic values, political renewal and service to the nation.

Garisons: Drones have transformed modern warfare, but NATO is still experimenting Garisons warns NATO is adapting too slowly to drone warfare and urges faster development of specialised military units.

Grey and rainy days ahead for Latvia as temperatures fall below +10°C Latvia faces cloudy, rainy weather, with daytime temperatures dropping to +10°C or lower by the weekend.

Latvian PM's adviser and newly elected MP Brencis detained by KNAB in EPPO investigation KNAB has detained Prime Minister Kulbergs' adviser and newly elected MP Mārtiņš Brencis in an EPPO investigation.

Hundreds of airBaltic employees face layoffs – union questions staff selection process AirBaltic plans around 300 further crew layoffs as the aviation union challenges the fairness of employee selection procedures.

Billions allocated to Rail Baltica, but politicians delay decisions – RB Rail chief sharply criticises Latvia's approach RB Rail warns that Latvia's delayed political decisions threaten Rail Baltica's progress despite substantial EU funding.

Sunshine, fog and approaching rain – what weather can Latvia expect in the coming days? Latvia faces foggy mornings, increasing rain from Thursday and cooler temperatures over the weekend.

Flags of two Islamic countries raised on Riga bridge within weeks – city officials suspect provocation Riga officials suspect provocation after Saudi Arabian and Afghan flags were raised on Vanšu Bridge within two weeks.

Optimism returns to global stock markets as AI companies regain investor attention Global stocks mostly rose as renewed AI enthusiasm boosted technology shares ahead of major earnings reports and the Federal Reserve's decision.

Sunshine, fog and approaching rain – what weather can Latvia expect in the coming days? Latvia faces foggy mornings, increasing rain from Thursday and cooler temperatures over the weekend.

Romanian intelligence uncovers Russian-coordinated sabotage network – suspects sought across several countries Romanian intelligence has uncovered an alleged Russian-directed sabotage network targeting defence facilities amid reports of similar operations across Europe.

Rule of law improves in Latvia, but corruption remains a key weakness Summary: Latvia has risen to 19th place globally in the Rule of Law Index, although corruption and criminal justice remain challenges.

Riga considers postponing Vanšu Bridge repairs as plans for temporary bridge remain uncertain Riga may delay Vanšu Bridge repairs until 2028 as officials assess traffic solutions and temporary bridge options.