Ēlerte: I’m ready for politics

RIGA — The former editor-in-chief of the Diena newspaper, Sarmīte Ēlerte, has expressed her preparedness to run for political office.
“I can say with confidence that I will run for election. I will put together a team and invite spirited and competent people,” Ēlerte told the Defli portal on Saturday.
The announcement comes after months of speculation [...]

Ligi threatens Estonian Public Broadcasting

TALLINN — Estonian Public Broadcasting reported Friday that Minister of Finance Jürgen Ligi sent an intimidating letter to its news program’s journalists in which he threatened cutting the the publicly-owned broadcaster’s budget in light of unfavorable editorial coverage.
In the note Ligi, sent Feb. 3, Ligi said he did not like how its news program portrayed [...]

Latvia sells entire town for €2.2 million

SKRUNDA, Latvia — An unknown Russian firm bought an entire Latvian town, albeit, a deserted one, for the price of 1.55 million lats (€2.2 million) in what privatization officials said was a successful auction.
The town, formerly a secret military installation by the name of Skrunda-1, has been vacant for over a decade and its 70 [...]

General prosecutor resigns

VILNIUS — Lithuania’s General Prosecutor Algimantas Valantinas turned in a letter of resignation to President Dalia Grybauskaitė Friday morning, which she promptly accepted.
Valantinas’ tenure as the country’s top lawmen had come under increasing scrutiny after prosecutorial mishandling of the Drąsius Kedys case. Valantinas offered to resign in January in light of the uproar.
“This decision is [...]

Prosecutor: Kedys alive, talking to family

KAUNAS, Lithuania — Kaunas regional chief prosecutor Kęstutis Betingis told journalists at a press conference Friday that police believe fugitive Drąsius Kedys is alive and in contact with members of his family.
“Today I will officially state that there are no assumptions that the Kedys is dead,” Betingis told the press.
Kedys, 37 years old of Kaunas, [...]