For upcoming language referendum, absentee ballot applications top 1,200

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Latvian state TV plans Internet channel for diaspora audience

February 03, 2012

Latvian State Television (Latvijas Televīzija, or LTV) is testing a new channel aimed at Latvians abroad, the head of the service told a radio audience on Jan. 2.

U.S. securities officials charge Latvian in stock price manipulation scheme

January 26, 2012

Calling his actions “brazen,” the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission has charged a man from Latvia in a stock price manipulation scheme that allegedly netted him more than USD 850,000 in illegal profits.

Irish police seek help locating missing 16-year-old Latvian girl

January 25, 2012

Police in the western Ireland county of Limerick are seeking the public’s assistance in tracing a 16-year-old Latvian girl who has been missing for one week.

Muižnieks, American-born Latvian, elected to top human rights post

January 24, 2012

American-born Nils Muižnieks, who repatriated to Latvia and became a leader in human rights issues, has been elected the Council of Europe’s commissioner for human rights.

Voting abroad on language issue possible in more places than ever

January 20, 2012

A total of 85 polling stations in 41 countries—the greatest number ever—will be open outside the homeland on Feb. 18 for a national referendum to decide if Russian should become an official language alongside Latvian.

Court allows Feb. 18 referendum, but will consider law’s constitutionality

January 20, 2012

The Constitutional Court will take up a case questioning aspects of Latvia’s initiative and referendum law, but it will not stop the Feb. 18 vote that could make Russian the country’s second official language.

Census reveals population plunge, but greater proportion of Latvians

January 18, 2012

Latvia’s population plunged 13 percent during the first decade of this century and stood at less than 2.068 million last March, according to provisional results of the census announced Jan. 18. The census counted how many people were living in Latvia on March 1, 2011.

Diaspora leaders ask Latvians worldwide to vote against referendum

January 16, 2012

The Feb. 18 referendum on granting official status to the Russian language will be a test of Latvian unity, leaders of Latvian central organizations abroad say in a Jan. 16 open letter.

Commission clarifies referendum question; absentee ballot requests due Feb. 4

January 11, 2012

Reacting to concerns that the upcoming referendum on Russian as a second official language was worded unclearly, Latvia’s Central Election Commission has approved a new version that offers greater explanation.

British police distribute poster as probe continues in teen’s murder

January 10, 2012

British police are distributing posters in four languages, including Latvian, as they seek information into the murder of 17-year-old Alisa Dmitrijeva, whose body was found New Year’s Day on the royal family’s Sandringham Estate northeast of London.

British police confirm body found Jan. 1 is that of missing Latvian teenager

January 08, 2012

British police have identified the suspected murder victim found on the royal family’s Sandringham Estate as that of a 17-year-old girl from Latvia missing since August.

In democracy index, Latvia improves, but still listed among ‘flawed’ states

January 06, 2012

Latvia and its Baltic neighbors Estonia and Lithuania are among a long list of “flawed democracies” around the world, according to a new report from The Economist magazine released in December.

Flow of Latvian migrants to Ireland appears in 2011 to have slowed again

January 05, 2012

The number of new immigrants from Latvia settling in Ireland appears to have dropped by nearly 30 percent last year compared to 2010, suggest data compiled by government authorities.

Vote on language issue set Feb. 18

January 03, 2012

A national referendum on whether Russian should become Latvia’s second official language is set for Feb. 18, the Central Election Commission announced Jan. 3 in Rīga.

PBLA valdi atkal vadīs Jānis Kukainis

Publicēts 2012.01.02

Uz nākošajiem diviem gadiem par Pasaules brīvo latviešu apvienības (PBLA) valdes priekšsēdi 2011. gada nogalē ievēlēts pazīstamais latviešu sabiedriskais darbinieks ASV un inženieris Jānis Kukainis.

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Blogs

Music

Musica Baltica releases first CD in series of sacred music albums

February 06, 2012

Musica Baltica, a Latvian publisher specializing in scores and sheet music of Baltic composers, has released its first compact disc, Missa a cappella 1.

Music

Secular choral music by Vasks featured on new Finnish label release

January 28, 2012

The Finnish record label Ondine, in cooperation with Latvijas koncerti, has released Plainscapes, a collection of Latvian composer Pēteris Vasks’ choral music performed by the Latvian Radio Choir and conducted by Sigvards Kļava.

Dažādi

Latvia invites Facebook users to ‘like’ it

January 27, 2012

Latvia’s official Facebook page, featuring video of a folksy white-haired man tossing logs into a stove, has been unveiled by the Latvian Institute, the government’s information and public relations agency.

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