Latvia

The following articles have been tagged with "Latvia":

Swedes beat Finland to reach hockey last eight

National: 22 Feb 10
Sweden clinched a place in the last eight of the Vancouver Winter Olympic hockey tournament with a 3-0 win over Finland on Sunday evening. READ »

Nordea sees profits fall

Business & Money: 10 Feb 10
Nordic banking group Nordea has reported an operating profit of €592 million ($815 million) for the final quarter 2009, down on a profit of €781 million in the corresponding period of last year. READ »

Swedbank reports heavy losses

Business & Money: 9 Feb 10
Swedbank has reported a bigger than expected operating loss of 1.6 billion kronor ($226.7 million) for the final quarter of 2009, yet the bank's CEO Michael Wolf sees opportunities for profits in 2010. READ »

Swedes draw Dutch and Finns in Euro 2012 qualifiers

Sport: 7 Feb 10
Sweden face Holland, Hungary and neighbours Finland in a Euro 2012 qualification group that gives Erik Hamrén's side a chance to settle old scores. READ »

Russian officer denies Swedish dumping report

National: 5 Feb 10
The former commander of the Russian navy's Baltic fleet denied on Friday that Russia dumped radioactive and chemical waste into Swedish waters in the Baltic Sea in the early 1990s. READ »

Reinfeldt seeks answers on Russian dumping

National: 5 Feb 10
Swedish Prime Minister Fredrik Reinfeldt has asked for an explanation from the previous Social Democrat government over Russia's release of toxic waste into Swedish waters in the Baltic Sea. READ »

Russian nuclear waste dumped off Sweden

National: 4 Feb 10
The Russian military is suspected of having dumped chemical weapons and radioactive waste off the Swedish island of Gotland in the beginning of the 1990s. READ »

'Send Swedes to Latvia for operations'

Education: 20 Jan 10
The Stockholm School of Economics in Riga is planning to start a Swedish-owned hospital in the Latvian capital in order to raise the standards of the country's hospitals and to remove some of the burden from the Swedish healthcare system. READ »

Air scare passenger will not face jail

National: 7 Jan 10
A Latvian passenger whose drunken mid-air antics plunged a Ryanair flight into turmoil last summer has successfully appealed against an eight month jail term as a Swedish appeal court cleared him of sabotage charges. READ »

Unions ordered to pay for Vaxholm blockade

Business & Money: 2 Dec 09
Two Swedish trade unions have been ordered to pay 2.7 million kronor ($392,000) to a Latvian construction company whose 2004 project in Vaxholm in eastern Sweden was interrupted by a union blockade. READ »

Reinfeldt pushes for consensus on EU leader

Politics: 19 Nov 09
Swedish Prime Minister Fredrik Reinfeldt made a last ditch effort on Wednesday night to get EU leaders to agree on a candidate to become the European Union’s first president. READ »

Swedes cast about for EU job candidates

Politics: 16 Nov 09
Sweden, the current head of the EU's rotating presidency, is ratcheting up its hunt for consensus candidates for two new EU top jobs. Stockholm intends to have the positions filled at a summit later this week. READ »

Sweden calls summit over EU top jobs

Politics: 11 Nov 09
Sweden, which currently hold the rotating EU presidency, has called an extraordinary meeting in Brussels next week with the aim of presenting candidates for the new positions of president and foreign policy chief. READ »

Boxers pin passenger in mid-air scare

National: 5 Nov 09
A Swedish prosecutor is pushing for a longer sentence for a Latvian man who was jailed for eight months after attempting to open a cabin door on board a Ryanair plane. The man was restrained by two professional boxers. READ »

Anglicans snub Swedish lesbian bishop

Society: 4 Nov 09
Anglican bishops from England and Northern Ireland have rebuffed invitations to attend the ordination of the openly gay Eva Brunne to be the next Bishop of Stockholm. READ »

'I won’t let my country be taken over by xenophobes'

Analysis & Opinion: 4 Nov 09
Curiosity is the most effective weapon against xenophobia, writes journalist and head of think tank FORES Martin Ådahl, as a comment on the Sweden Democrats’ future role in Swedish politics. READ »

Reinfeldt urges EU unity on climate change aid

Politics: 29 Oct 09
Prime Minister Fredrik Reinfeldt pushed European leaders to commit to concrete figures for helping poor countries fight climate change as EU heads gathered for a summit in Brussels on Thursday. READ »

Estonia agrees to repay emergency Swedbank loan

Business & Money: 29 Oct 09
Swedbank learned on Thursday that the government of Estonia was planning to repay the €50 million ($74 million) it borrowed from the Swedish bank to help it through the country’s economic crisis. READ »

Handelsbanken beats forecasts despite profit dip

Business & Money: 28 Oct 09
Sweden’s Handelsbanken on Wednesday announced lower quarterly profits which nevertheless beat forecasts on the back of a jump in earnings from basic lending operations. READ »

Swedish telecoms firm admits to Latvia meteorite hoax

Business & Money: 27 Oct 09
Swedish-owned telecoms company Tele2 admitted on Monday it was responsible for staging a meteorite crash near a small village in the Latvian countryside. READ »

Wallström: EU president 'should be a woman'

Politics: 27 Oct 09
Amid discussions by EU foreign ministers about the need for strong leadership, Swedish EU commissioner Margot Wallström has called for the appointment of a woman to serve as EU president. READ »

Söderling cruises into second round at Stockholm Open

Sport: 22 Oct 09
Robin Söderling continued his quest to gain a spot in next month's ATP finals, defeating Giovanni Lapentti 6-3, 6-0 on Wednesday in the first round of the Stockholm Open. READ »

Sweden presents new law on collective wage agreements

Business & Money: 8 Oct 09
Sweden on Thursday presented new legislation to update conditions for foreigners working temporarily in Sweden for a foreign company following a European court’s ruling against a Swedish union in a landmark wage-dumping dispute. READ »

Arctic Sea sister ship runs aground off Sweden

National: 4 Oct 09
A freighter belonging to the owners of the hijacked cargo vessel Arctic Sea has run aground off Sweden, a Swedish coastguard official said on Saturday. READ »

Swedish banks warned on Latvian economy

Business & Money: 3 Oct 09
Sweden’s finance minister Anders Borg is reported to have held secret talks with Swedbank and SEB, expressing his concern over Latvia's struggling financial situation. READ »

Record company lawsuits a 'threat to free culture'

Analysis & Opinion: 24 Sep 09
Are lawsuits and threats the music industry's new money-spinning idea, now that record sales have fallen, asks Madeleine Sjöstedt, Stockholm's Vice Mayor for Culture and Sports and member of the Liberal Party (Folkpartiet). READ »

Umeå named European culture capital for 2014

Society: 9 Sep 09
To the jubilation of Umeå residents, it was announced on Tuesday that the northern Swedish city will be the European Capital of Culture for 2014. READ »

Paul Simon speaks out on Swedish theatre ban

National: 7 Sep 09
Paul Simon has said he had nothing to do with steps taken by Universal Music to block a Stockholm performance of The Sound of Silence, a play by a Latvian theatre company based around the music of Simon & Garfunkel. READ »

'Arctic Sea hijackers in custody': Russia

National: 18 Aug 09
The Russian navy has arrested eight men who allegedly hijacked the Maltese-registered freighter the Arctic Sea off the coast of Öland in Swedish waters in July, according to the Russian defence minister. READ »

The lost art of travel: Catching the ferry to Britain

Travel: 10 Aug 09
This summer, for the inevitable trip back to the UK, Ben Kersley was determined to avoid air travel and attempt to recapture the lost art of travel. READ »

Baltic losses force cuts at Swedbank

Business & Money: 17 Jul 09
Swedbank has announced it will slash 3,600 jobs after a bigger-than-expected second quarter loss of 1.8 billion kronor ($228 million), as it felt the impact of massive provisions related to its Baltic business. READ »

Baltic yacht race heads for Västervik

Travel: 7 Jul 09
Sponsored article:The Baltic Sprint Cup is one of the highlights of the northern European sailing calendar, and in late July the 930-nautical mile race will be heading through Sweden’s most beautiful archipelago to Västervik, on Sweden’s east coast. READ »

Swedish debt soars to 200 billion kronor

Business & Money: 12 Jun 09
Sweden's lending to crisis-ridden Iceland and to domestic banks struggling in the Baltics has contributed to a vast upward revision of the country's debt for 2009. READ »

Borg beats bailout drum following belt tightening in Riga

Business & Money: 9 Jun 09
Swedish finance minister Anders Borg on Tuesday urged international lenders to open their coffers to Latvia after the country agreed to slash government spending. READ »

Baltic crisis puts pressure on krona

Business & Money: 8 Jun 09
The Swedish krona fell back against the euro on Monday as markets remained shaky on the back of concerns over Swedish bank exposure to the troubled Baltic state economies. READ »

Latvia fears prompt rollercoaster ride for Swedish bank shares

Business & Money: 4 Jun 09
Share prices of Sweden’s leading banks recovered somewhat on Thursday after major drops on Wednesday in the wake of fears that Latvia may devalue its currency. READ »

Borg blasts Swedish banks' Baltic bonanza

Business & Money: 3 Jun 09
Finance Minister Anders Borg has lambasted Swedish banks for their "careless expansion" in the Baltic region as the Swedish krona felt the pinch on Wednesday from a deepening crisis in Latvia. READ »

Krona slides further on Baltic economy worries

Business & Money: 28 May 09
Concerns about economic developments in the Baltic region are the likely cause of the krona’s steady slide in recent days, according to several experts. READ »

Riksbank to boost foreign currency reserves

Business & Money: 27 May 09
The Swedish krona weakened somewhat on Wednesday following an announcement from the Riksbank that it planned to borrow 100 billion kronor of foreign currency. READ »

'Isolationism is passé - Sweden needs to join NATO': Liberals

Analysis & Opinion: 12 May 09
With neutrality outdated and Sweden unable to effectively defend it's borders, the country needs to set aside its hang-ups and start thinking seriously about joining NATO, argues Birgitta Ohlsson, foreign policy spokesperson for the Liberal Party. READ »

Sweden and Ernman gear up for Eurovision

Society: 12 May 09
Malena Ernman is in Moscow preparing for her semi-final heat of the Eurovision Song Contest on Tuesday. Meanwhile Swedes are gearing up for the party, hopeful that the opera singer can bring home the glory. READ »

Latvia police probe targets Swedish banks

Business & Money: 8 May 09
Aggressive methods employed by Swedish banks for collecting money from borrowers in Latvia are the subject of a police investigation, according to the Latvian prime minister. READ »

Swedes overcome Swiss to book slot in last eight

Sport: 4 May 09
Sweden recorded a 4-1 victory over the hosts Switzerland in Berne on Sunday to book a slot in the World Ice Hockey Championship quarter-finals. READ »

Sweden triumphant in comeback hockey win over US

Sport: 30 Apr 09
Sweden scored a thrilling, 6-5 come from behind victory against the United States in sudden death overtime on Wednesday night at the World Ice Hockey Championships in Berne, Switzerland. READ »

Latvia upsets Sweden at ice hockey world championships

Sport: 28 Apr 09
Sweden suffered an unexpected loss to Latvia in the world ice hockey championships on Monday, falling 2-3 in a penalty shootout. READ »

Baltic states agree on Sweden power link

Business & Money: 27 Apr 09
Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania agreed in Vilnius on Monday on a key undersea power link between Sweden and Lithuania that would connect the three Baltic states into the Scandinavian energy grid. READ »

Baltic banking crisis damages SEB standing

Business & Money: 8 Apr 09
Moody's ratings agency has downgraded its rating of SEB due to the Swedish bank's exposure to the financial crisis in Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia. READ »

Swedish banks badly exposed to Baltic bust

Analysis & Opinion: 16 Mar 09
Swedish banks invested massively in the emerging Baltic states when times were good but now that the tiger economies are going bust the banks risk big losses, experts tell AFP's Delphine Touitou. READ »

Untangling the role of Swedish banks in Latvia's financial woes

Analysis & Opinion: 3 Mar 09
As economies in the Baltic states falter, The Local’s Juris Kaza looks at why so many observers have placed much of the blame for Latvia’s financial woes on Swedish banks. READ »

Riksbank offers support to Estonian central bank

Business & Money: 27 Feb 09
Sweden’s central bank announced on Friday it was entering into a “precautionary arrangement” with its Estonian counterpart should the Baltic country’s battered financial system need assistance. READ »

Reinfeldt: multinational approach for eastern Europe aid

Business & Money: 24 Feb 09
Prime Minister Fredrik Reinfeldt on Monday urged the International Monetary Fund to take a leadership role in helping eastern European countries weather the current financial crisis. READ »

Management by consensus – the Swedish way

Analysis & Opinion: 21 Jan 09
Swedish managers are supposed to be consensual, non-hierarchical and informal. Is the stereotype accurate, asks Olle Wästberg, director-general of the Swedish Institute. READ »

What's on in Sweden: December 12 - 18

Lifestyle: 11 Dec 08
What's on in Sweden: December 12th - 18th. Lucia and Lykke Li in Stockholm; Harlem Gospel and Streetdance in Gothenburg; world class jazz in Malmö. READ »

Sweden gives support to Latvian economic plan

Business & Money: 11 Dec 08
Speaking on behalf of a group of Nordic and Baltic countries, Sweden said on Wednesday that Latvia’s economic structuring programme was credible and ambitious. READ »

'No comment' from Sweden over aid to Latvia

Politics: 8 Dec 08
Sweden confirmed on Monday that it has entered into a dialogue with Latvia but would not comment on whether it planned to offer financial aid to the struggling Baltic nation. READ »

Man feared drowned after ferry mishap

National: 26 Nov 08
A man is believed to have drowned in the Baltic Sea after falling overboard from a ferry on Tuesday night. READ »

Riksdag ratifies EU's Lisbon treaty

Politics: 21 Nov 08
The Riksdag voted late Thursday night to ratify the European Union's Lisbon reform treaty, making Sweden the 25th of the 27 EU members to approve the text. READ »

What's on in Sweden: September 26 - October 2

Lifestyle: 25 Sep 08
What’s on: Vintage clothes fair, New Model Army & Aussie comedy in Stockholm; International book fair & Swedish-French dance in Gothenburg; The Lemonheads and funky swamp rock in Malmö. READ »

Chilling out with a Baltic spa experience

Travel: 22 Sep 08
If you're looking to pamper yourself this autumn, a spa trip to the Baltics could be just the ticket, writes Alannah Eames. READ »

What’s on in Sweden: August 29 - September 4

Lifestyle: 28 Aug 08
What’s on: World class choir and Snoop Dogg in Stockholm; Aero Show in Gothenburg, pop festival and fashion bazaar in Malmö. READ »

Stateless Latvian awaits deportation

Society: 18 Aug 08
A man who emigrated to Sweden ten years ago is being deported because he cannot prove he grew up in his former home country of Latvia. READ »

IMF warns Swedish banks off Baltic investments

Business & Money: 12 Aug 08
The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has warned Swedish banks that the global credit crisis means increased risks for Swedish banks investing in the Baltic area. READ »

Baltic woes hit SEB profits

Business & Money: 16 Jul 08
Swedish bank SEB said on Wednesday that second-quarter net profit had plunged by 20 percent to 2.8 billion kronor ($469 million). READ »

Inequality thrives in Stockholm's embassy world

Society: 18 Jun 08
Stockholm's diplomatic community is shot through with gender inequality, according to an analysis of official figures carried out by The Local. READ »

Commission calls for sweeping defence cuts

National: 13 Jun 08
The government’s commission on defence has recommended drastic cuts to Sweden’s Armed Forces in a report submitted to the government on Friday. READ »

'Permit insemination for single women'

Analysis & Opinion: 4 Jun 08
The Green Party's Gunvor G. Ericson and Maria Gudmundsson, Chair of Femmis, think it's high time that Sweden allowed single women to be artificially inseminated. READ »

iPhone coming to Sweden

Business & Money: 27 May 08
TeliaSonera announced a deal on Tuesday to bring Apple's iPhone to the Nordic and Baltic countries. READ »

Laval asking unions for 2.8 million kronor in damages

Business & Money: 13 May 08
Latvian construction company Laval wants Swedish unions to pay 2.8 million kronor ($465,000) in damages, as well as legal expenses related to the Vaxholm wage-dumping dispute. READ »

Debating NATO: Sweden and Finland keep their distance

Analysis & Opinion: 10 Apr 08
Sweden and Finland have become more willing to debate possible NATO membership, writes Tallinn-based journalist Justin Petrone. But opposition to the alliance remains strong. READ »

Riga: Strangely unfamiliar

Travel: 18 Jan 08
Taking a ferry out of Stockholm need not mean a booze cruise to Helsinki. Alannah Eames went to Latvia to check out one of Sweden's most charming neighbours. READ »

Swedish prostitution: gone or just hidden?

Lifestyle: 10 Jan 08
Sweden's tough laws banning men from paying for sex are grabbing international attention, with Britain considering similar measures. But is there really less prostitution in Sweden now? READ »

'Free-for-all' to follow EU ruling

Politics: 27 Dec 07
Experts see an influx of Latvian companies taking advantage of a judgment which weakens Swedish unions' ability to strike. READ »

Ship runs aground near Helsingborg

National: 25 Dec 07
Police suspect a first mate was drunk and fell asleep at his post. READ »

Sweden disappointed by EU ruling

National: 18 Dec 07
Christer Wälivaara, international secretary of construction union Byggnads, was one of those disappointed by Tuesday's EU ruling. READ »

Unions lose landmark EU case

National: 18 Dec 07
The industrial action taken by Swedish unions against a Latvian firm in Vaxholm was in breach of EU regulations surrounding freedom of movement, the European Court of Justice has ruled. READ »

Victory over Latvia sends Sweden to Euro finals

Sport: 22 Nov 07
Sweden goes through to the finals of Euro 2008 after a 2-1 win at home to Latvia on Wednesday night. READ »

'Millions of barrels of oil in Swedish waters'

Business & Money: 21 Nov 07
A Swedish prospecting company is waiting for the all-clear to begin drilling for oil in the Baltic Sea. READ »

Sports digest: Nystrand smashes two world records

Sport: 19 Nov 07
Swimming: Stefan Nystrand excels in Berlin. Golf: Jimenez snatches Hong Kong victory from Karlsson. Football: Swedes prepare for crucial tie against Latvia. READ »

Swedes take a mauling in Madrid

Sport: 18 Nov 07
Sweden's footballers struggled to get out of the starting blocks in Saturday's Euro 2008 qualifier. READ »

Swedes aim to seal qualification in Madrid

Sport: 17 Nov 07
Sweden take on Spain in a crucial Euro 2008 qualifier at the Santiago Bernabeu Stadium. READ »

Sweden's Madrid qualifier deemed 'high risk'

Sport: 14 Nov 07
Sweden's Euro 2008 qualifier against Spain in Madrid on Saturday has been deemed a "high risk" match due to the expected arrival of some 6,000 Swedish fans and plans for several political protests in the Spanish capital. READ »

Swedbank operating profit pleases analysts

Business & Money: 24 Oct 07
Swedbank AB said its nine-month operating profit rose 11 percent to 11.476 billion kronor ($1.74), as growth in total revenues outpaced growth in costs, boosted by strong net interest income. READ »

Sweden edges closer to Euro finals

Sport: 14 Oct 07
Sweden's participation in Euro 2008 looks ever more assured after a comfortable 3-0 victory away to Liechtenstein on Saturday. READ »

Learning Swedish: accept no substitutes

Lifestyle: 10 Oct 07
Swedes might speak great English, but there's no substitute for getting your tongue around the Swedish language. Fiona Basile finds that learning the lingo needn't be a nightmare. READ »

Triathlete resumes Baltic swim

Society: 20 Aug 07
A Lithuanian triathlete is once more on his way to Gotland after resuming his attempt to to swim across the Baltic Sea and raise awareness of environmental problems. He was forced to turn around in July because of storms. READ »

Kapp-Ahl bids for Lindex

Business & Money: 13 Aug 07
Swedish clothing chain Kapp-Ahl has made a bid for rival Lindex, offering 7.013 billion kronor ($1.3 billion), or 102 kronor per share. READ »

Swedes work shortest hours in Europe

Society: 24 Jul 07
Swedes work fewer hours than any other nationality in Europe, according to a new EU survey. Swedish workers have more paid vacation than any other Europeans and work shorter weeks all but three nationalities. READ »

"Let Göran Persson run IMF" - Pagrotsky

Business & Money: 5 Jul 07
Former Swedish prime minister Göran Persson is a strong candidate to be the next head of the International Monetary Fund - that, at least, is the view of his old colleague Leif Pagrotsky. READ »

Farmer hid camera in worker's bedroom

National: 3 Jul 07
Police in Skåne are investigating the case of a vegetable farmer accused of spying on a 21-year-old Latvian woman. The seasonal worker got a major shock on Sunday when she discovered sexually explicit video footage of herself on her boss's computer. READ »

Climate change tops agenda at global forest meet

Science & Technology: 1 Jul 07
Heads of state, politicians, scientists, business leaders and aid workers have all been congregating in a Swedish forest to discuss ways of tackling climate change. READ »

Denmark to appeal UEFA decision

Sport: 8 Jun 07
Sweden have been awarded a 3-0 victory over Denmark by European football's governing body UEFA on Friday, following the abandonment of their Euro 2008 qualifier last weekend in Copenhagen. READ »

Sweden crush Iceland

Sport: 7 Jun 07
Sweden beat Iceland 5-0 in a Euro 2008 qualifier in Stockholm, in front of an enthusiastic crowd in the capital's Råsunda stadium on Sweden's National Day. READ »

Social Democrat reported to police for attack on journalist

Politics: 1 Jun 07
An employee at Social Democrat headquarters in Stockholm has been reported to the police for a derogatory blog post about a well-known journalist. READ »

Good news for unions in Vaxholm conflict

National: 23 May 07
The European Court of Justice has been recommended to rule in favour of the Swedish unions in a landmark case following a bitter industrial dispute at Vaxholm. READ »

Swedish toad chorus croaks to glory

Society: 22 May 07
A thirty-strong male toads choir from southern Sweden has become the first ever winner of the European Bombina Song Contest. The historic victory means that Sweden can now move on emotionally after a disappointing Eurovision. READ »