Gerhards refuses to speak Russian on TV

RIGA — Latvia’s transport minister walked out of the TV5 studio after insisting on speaking Latvian during a planned interview for a Russian-language news program.
The incident immediately created a storm of controversy along Latvia’s well-trod language fault line, which in recent days underwent a sizable quake after Moscow’s mayor suggested that eventually Russian will become [...]

Estonian Lutherans lash out at Mormons

TALLINN — The Estonian Evangelical Lutheran Church is lambasting the Ministry of the Interior for allowing the Mormon Church access to records that may be being used to re-baptize deceased Estonians.
Estonian Lutherans are not happy with the state’s cooperation agreement with the U.S.-based Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints that allows the copying [...]

Urbanovičs: no deal with Par labu Latviju

RIGA — Jānis Urbanovičs, Harmony Center’s prime minister candidate, downplayed suggestions that his party is planning on forming a government with the pro-business tandem For a Good Latvia (Par labu Latviju).
In an interview with the Latvijas Avīze newspaper Urbanovičs said that he did not see the possibility for a forming a government with Par labu [...]

Alleged Toompark killer caught, confesses

TALLINN — A man who is suspected for attacking two women, killing one, in downtown Tallinn last November was arrested Thursday and has confessed to the crime.
A male Estonian citizen named Vjatšeslav, 28 of Tallinn, allegedly attacked two women with a baseball bat on Nov.23 last year around 8 a.m. at Toompark in Tallinn’s Old [...]

New Kaunas arena faces unexpected delays

KAUNAS, Lithuania — Delays in the construction of a new basketball arena in Kaunas has FIBA threatening to strike Lithuania’s second-largest city from the list of 2011 Eurobasket tournament host venues.
The new Žalgiris Arena, being built by the Vėtrūna construction company was supposed to be completed by October, but now the building has been given [...]