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☆ Fritz aims to down Djokovic, Gauff faces Ostapenko in U.S. Open quarters
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-05 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

U.S. Open quarters would be a pretty good time to get him." In their most recent meeting, Djokovic beat Fritz last month in the quarter-finals of a U.S. Open tune-up event in Cincinnati that the Serbian went on to win by beating Carlos Alcaraz. Should Fritz prevail over Djokovic it would set up an all-American semi-final against the winner of the late match at Arthur Ashe Stadium between 10th seed Frances Tiafoe and unseeded Ben Shelton. The day's other women's quarter-final sees Czech 10th seed and French Open finalist Karolina Muchova facing Romanian 30th seed Sorana Cirstea. Reporting by Frank Pingue in Toronto; Editing by Ken FerrisOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Taylor Fritz, Germany's Yannick Hanfmann, Andrew Couldridge, Novak Djokovic, Coco Gauff, Fritz, Arthur Ashe, Djokovic, Novak's Novak, It's, he's, I've, Carlos Alcaraz, Margaret Court's, Laslo Djere, Andy Roddick, Frances Tiafoe, Arthur, Ben Shelton, Tiafoe, Jelena Ostapenko, Gauff's, Karolina Muchova, Sorana, Frank Pingue, Ken Ferris Organizations: Lawn Tennis, Croquet Club, Germany's Yannick Hanfmann REUTERS, U.S, Serbian, York, French, Sorana Cirstea, Thomson Locations: London, Britain, U.S, Cincinnati, New York, American, Latvian, Washington, Czech, Romanian, Toronto

☆ Gauff routs Ostapenko to reach U.S. Open semi-finals
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-05 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

By the time it was over, Ostapenko had 36 unforced errors compared to 14 for Gauff. With the win, Gauff avenged her round of 16 loss to the Latvian at this year's Australian Open that left the American in tears. Despite delivering a lopsided win to reach the second semi-final of her career, Gauff said she never felt comfortable on the court against Ostapenko. "I know the game she plays, she has ability to come back no matter the scoreline, so I was just really trying to get every point, trying to play every ball in," said Gauff. Up next for Gauff, who is the youngest American to reach the U.S. Open semi-finals since Serena Williams in 2001, will be either Czech 10th seed and French Open finalist Karolina Muchova or Romanian 30th seed Sorana Cirstea.

Persons: Coco Gauff, Latvia's Jelena Ostapenko, Brendan Mcdermid, Jelena Ostapenko, Gauff, Arthur, Ostapenko, Serena Williams, Karolina Muchova, Sorana, Frank Pingue, Toby Davis Organizations: Latvia's Jelena Ostapenko REUTERS, U.S, Gauff, Ostapenko, French, Sorana Cirstea, Thomson Locations: Flushing Meadows , New York, United States, American, Washington, Cincinnati, Latvian, French, U.S, Czech, Romanian, Toronto

☆ US Open: Defending champion Iga Świątek stunned by Jelena Ostapenko
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-04 | by ( Matias Grez | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

1 Iga Świątek on Sunday, eliminating the defending US Open champion in the round of 16 at Flushing Meadows. Ostapenko, the 20th seed in New York, struck 31 winners en route to her victory, ending Świątek’s 75-week run as world No. Belarus’ Aryna Sabalenka is set to take over top spot for the first time after the US Open. “I think the main thing is she doesn’t really like to play big hitters,” Ostapenko told reporters after her win. I’m on the right track,” Wozniacki, the 2018 Australian Open champion, said.

Persons: Ostapenko, ” Ostapenko, “, ”, Elsa, “ I’m, ” Świątek, ” Coco Gauff, New York Ostapenko, Coco Gauff, Caroline Wozniacki, Gauff, Dane, Wozniacki’s, Petra Kvitová, ” Wozniacki Organizations: CNN, Latvian, US Locations: Flushing Meadows, New York, Belarus, Cincinnati

☆ Gauff outlasts Wozniacki to reach U.S. Open quarter-finals
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-03 | by ( Amy Tennery | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

[1/4] Sept 3, 2023; Flushing, NY, USA; Coco Gauff of the USA after beating Caroline Wozniacki of Denmark on day seven of the 2023 U.S. Open tennis tournament at USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center. Mandatory Credit: Robert Deutsch-USA TODAY Sports Acquire Licensing RightsNEW YORK, Sept 3 (Reuters) - American teenager Coco Gauff ended Caroline Wozniacki's U.S. Open comeback with a 6-3 3-6 6-1 victory to reach the quarter-finals on Sunday. "She definitely gets to a lot of balls... today I knew going in I had to play aggressive," Gauff said in an on court interview. She helped Wozniacki to the break in the eighth game with a pair of double faults and appeared irritated with members of her coaching staff. Ticket holders would struggle to find two more well-liked figures playing on the same court at the Open, with Wozniacki the sentimental pick and Gauff the charismatic American fan-favourite.

Persons: Coco Gauff, Caroline Wozniacki of, USTA Billie Jean King, Robert Deutsch, Caroline Wozniacki's, Dane, Gauff, Jelena Ostapenko, Wozniacki, Roland Garros, Caroline, she's, Amy Tennery, Pritha Sarkar Organizations: USTA Billie, USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center, Thomson Locations: Flushing , NY, USA, Caroline Wozniacki of Denmark, Flushing Meadows, United States, Latvian, Washington, Cincinnati, American, New York

☆ Swiatek routs 'sister' Juvan to reach U.S. Open last 16
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-01 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

"For sure I didn't like the fact that I was winning with my best friend. But I knew that I had to be really focused and not let myself think about that because it was really like playing against a sister," said Swiatek. "I don't have many friends but she's my best friend. Up next for Swiatek will be Latvian 20th seed Jelena Ostapenko, a 4-6 6-3 6-3 winner over American Bernarda Pera. Despite all her success, Swiatek admitted she was still coming to terms with her lofty position atop the women's game.

Persons: Iga Swiatek, Slovenia's Kaja Juvan, Brendan Mcdermid, Kaja Juvan, Swiatek, Louis Armstrong, Jelena Ostapenko, Juvan, Serena Williams, Roger, Federer, Frank Pingue, Ken Ferris Organizations: Tennis, Slovenia's Kaja Juvan REUTERS, U.S, Slovenian, Bernarda, Juvan, Thomson Locations: Flushing Meadows , New York, United States, Latvian, New York, U.S, Toronto

☆ Fact Check-Travel alert for US citizens to depart Belarus active since February 2022
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-29 | by ( Reuters Fact Check | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

A travel advisory to U.S citizens in Belarus to leave the country was first issued in February 2022, at the time of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, and has remained active, a U.S. State Department spokesperson said. A travel advisory also published in February 2022 by the U.S. Department of State Bureau of Consular Affairs placed Belarus in the “Do Not Travel” advisory category. U.S. citizens in Belarus should depart immediately via commercial or private means” (here). A U.S. State Department spokesperson told Reuters via email: “The Department has advised U.S. citizens to depart Belarus since February 2022.”VERDICTFalse. The U.S did not issue a first alert for its citizens to depart Belarus in August 2023.

Persons: Wagner, Yevgeny Prigozhin, Read Organizations: U.S . State Department, Facebook, U.S, Embassy, U.S . Department of State Bureau of Consular Affairs, Reuters Locations: Belarus, Ukraine, U.S, Minsk, COVID, Lithuania, Lithuanian, Latvian

☆ Poland, Baltics will shut Belarus border if 'critical incident' occurs -minister
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-28 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

WARSAW, Aug 28 (Reuters) - Poland and the Baltic states will close their borders with Belarus entirely if a "critical incident" involving Wagner mercenaries takes place, the Polish interior minister said on Monday, amid rising tensions on NATO's eastern flank. EU and NATO members Latvia, Lithuania and Poland, which share a border with Belarus, have been increasingly concerned about border security since hundreds of Russian battle-hardened Wagner mercenaries arrived in Belarus at the invitation of President Alexander Lukashenko. "If there is a critical incident, regardless of whether it is at the Polish or Lithuanian border, we will retaliate immediately. Lithuanian Interior Minister Agne Bilotaite told media that there were two criteria that could lead to a border closure. Poland has closed all but one border crossing point with Belarus this year following the imprisonment of a journalist of Polish origin and expulsions of Polish diplomats.

Persons: Wagner, Alexander Lukashenko, Mariusz Kaminski, Yevgeny Prigozhin, Agne Bilotaite, Bilotaite, Alan Charlish, Pawel Florkiewicz, Marek Strzelecki, Andrius, Conor Humphries, Nick Macfie Organizations: WARSAW, EU, NATO, Wagner Group, Lithuanian, Thomson Locations: Poland, Baltic, Belarus, Latvia, Lithuania, Minsk, Latvian, Estonian, Lithuanian, Belarusian, Russia, Europe, East, Africa, Warsaw, Andrius Sytas, Vilnius

☆ ECB rate pause now may be too early: policymaker
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-26 | by ( Balazs Koranyi | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

JACKSON HOLE, Wyoming, Aug 26 (Reuters) - It may be too early for the European Central Bank to pause interest rate hikes now as an early stop in the fight against inflation could force the bank to exert even more pain on the economy later, Latvian policymaker Martins Kazaks said on Saturday. The ECB has raised rates at each of its past nine meetings to arrest runaway inflation but policymakers are now contemplating a pause as recession risks loom, inflation slows and wage growth remains moderate. ECB projections currently see inflation returning to its 2% target only in late 2025 and Kazaks argued this was too late. Once rates peak, a plateau should be held for some time and the ECB should only start cutting rates when projections start showing inflation was at risk of coming back below 2%. Markets see a rate cut only in the second half of 2024 and Kazaks said he did not consider this inconsistent with the macroeconomic outlook.

Persons: JACKSON, Martins Kazaks, Kazaks, Balazs Koranyi, Marguerita Choy Organizations: European Central Bank, ECB, Reuters, Industry, Thomson Locations: , Wyoming, Latvian, Jackson Hole , Wyoming

Latvia's Prime Minister Krisjanis Karins addresses the opening session on the first day of the Ukraine Recovery Conference in London, Britain June 21, 2023. Henry Nicholls/Pool via REUTERSRIGA, Aug 14 (Reuters) - Latvian Prime Minister Krisjanis Karins announced his resignation on Monday, blaming a breakdown in relations with parts of his multi-party governing government. Karins' New Unity party plans to select its candidate for prime minister on Wednesday, he said. President Edgars Rinkevics has responsibility for giving a mandate to a new prime minister to try to form a government. Latvia's next parliamentary election is scheduled for 2026.

Persons: Krisjanis Karins, Henry Nicholls, Karins, Aivars Lembergs, Edgars Rinkevics, Latvia's, Janis Laizans, Andrius, Terje Solsvik, John Stonestreet Organizations: Latvia's, Conference, REUTERS, Latvian, European Union, NATO, Unity, National Alliance, Progressives, Greens, Farmers Union, Thomson Locations: Ukraine, London, Britain, REUTERS RIGA, Lithuania, Estonia, Latvia, Russia, Ventspils

☆ Pratt engine issues easing but shortages to last through 2024 -airBaltic
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-09 | by ( Tim Hepher | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

[1/2] The Pratt & Whitney logo is seen on the side of an engine at the Farnborough International Airshow, in Farnborough, Britain, July 20, 2022. With more than 40 airplanes in its fleet, airBaltic is the second-largest operator of A220s after Delta Air Lines (DAL.N). Assuming that it stays like this, I would say that at the end of 2024 we should have net zero missing engines." I don't see us going back to zero (missing engines) before the end of next year," he said. Gauss said in June airBaltic is in talks with Airbus to buy 30 more A220s as it prepares for a possible IPO next year.

Persons: Pratt, Whitney, Peter Cziborra PARIS, Martin Gauss, Gauss, airBaltic, Tim Hepher, David Gregorio Our Organizations: Farnborough, REUTERS, Pratt & Whitney, Airbus, Reuters, Delta Air Lines, Thomson Locations: Farnborough, Britain, Latvian

Kyiv last week replaced the Soviet hammer and sickle symbol with a trident – the Ukrainian coat of arms – on the shield of the Motherland Monument, which dominates the capital’s skyline. Its construction began in 1979, and it depicted a woman holding a sword and a shield emblazoned with the Soviet hammer and sickle symbol. Workers remove the Soviet-era emblem from the motherland monument in Kyiv on August 1, 2023. And they don’t know how.”Putin’s desire to undermine Ukrainian national identity and autonomy has remained a key motivation for the conflict. Kudrya, meanwhile, was a Soviet spy and a leader of a sabotage group in Kyiv during World War II.

Persons: Vladimir Putin’s, Valentyn Ogirenko, Pilipey, ” “, ’, Maria Zakharova, Putin, Andrei Ivanov, Andriy Ivanov, Ivan Kudrya, John McCain, Andreyi, “, McCain, Kudrya, ” “ McCain, Ukraine …, Pobigay Organizations: CNN, Getty, Russian Foreign, Kremlin, UNESCO, ” Locations: Ukraine, Kyiv, Soviet, Ukrainian, Kyiv's, AFP, Kiev, Russian Kiev, Moscow, Latvian, Pavlenko, Russia

☆ From banking giants to lending up-and-comers — here are the world's top 200 fintech companies
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-02 | by ( Ryan Browne | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +11 min

Statista identified 40 firms as top digital payments companies. While digital payments is often the area that draws most investor buzz, lending generates more money in financial services. Statista identified 25 fintech companies that fall into the category of top alternate lending firms. They include American small business lending firm Biz2Credit, Irish e-commerce lending company Wayflyer, and Latvian loan refinancing startup Mintos. Digital business solutions

Persons: Monzo, there's, Statista, Afterpay, It's, Binance, eToro, Equity crowdfunding, hasn't, Peter Hazlehurst Organizations: JPMorgan —, Orange, Digital, U.S, SEC, European, Education, Equity, Republic, Tech, Federal Reserve, Bank of England, CNBC, Solaris Locations: fintech, Europe, Nigeria, Orange, Africa, Terra, U.S, Cayman Islands, American, Latvian, U.K

☆ Fact Check-Latvia did not fine citizens for celebrating WW2 victory over Hitler
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-26 | by ( Reuters Fact Check | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Fines issued by Latvian police for publishing symbols that are banned by law are being falsely claimed online to be fines for commemorating World War Two victory over Nazi Germany. One X user said: “That is the day celebrating the defeat of Nazi Germany. Because Latvia is a Nazi state in Nazi NATO” (here). Riga officially commemorates victory over Nazi Germany on May 8. Local police say the fines were not for commemorating a particular event, but for public displays of outlawed symbols.

Persons: “, Hitler, Saint George, Simona Grāvīte, ”, Grāvīte, Read Organizations: Latvian, Nazi, Facebook, Russia, Victory, Nazi NATO, Latvia’s State Police, Independent State, CIS, Local, Reuters Locations: Nazi Germany, Latvia, Nazi, Riga, Moscow, Estonia, Lithuania, Baltic, Soviet Union, Ukraine

☆ Greek PM says not fair to manage EU migration problem alone
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-10 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

The Greek coast guard rescued 104 people but hundreds of migrants drowned after an overloaded boat capsized and sank in international waters off Greece's Pylos on June 14, in one of Europe's deadliest shipping disasters in recent years. Survivors have said that the ship capsized after a disastrous towing attempt by the Greek coast guard, which Greece denies. Greece is one of the main routes into the European Union for refugees and migrants from the Middle East, Asia and Africa. Mitsotakis is expected to meet re-elected Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan on the sidelines of a NATO Summit this week. Reporting by Renee Maltezou and Lefteris Papadimas; Editing by Christina FincherOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Kyriakos Mitsotakis, Mitsotakis, Tayyip Erdogan, Renee Maltezou, Christina Fincher Organizations: European Union, EU, Latvian, NATO, Thomson Locations: ATHENS, Greece, Pylos, Riga, East, Asia, Africa, Turkey, Greece’s, EU

☆ I cofounded a billion-dollar company and left it behind to teach high school. Teaching was way harder but more rewarding than working in tech.
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-06 | by ( Krista Krumina | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

In 2020 he left to teach computer programming at his hometown's high school. In 2020, a year before the company I cofounded would be valued at $1 billion, I returned home to Cesis in Latvia to start my new job as a programming teacher at the local school. I realized how tough teaching isThe work of preparing for classes was all on me. My company and I found a suitable replacement candidate and agreed with the school to pay two-thirds of his salary. I didn't know the kids, they didn't know me, and we didn't know what to expect from each other.

Persons: Agris Tamanis, —, I'd, Draugiem, We'd, Printful, we'd, haven't, I've Organizations: Service, Entrepreneurship Locations: Latvia, Latvian, Cesis, COVID, Printful

☆ EU leaders to pledge de-risk from China and debate what this means
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-30 | by ( Philip Blenkinsop | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

BRUSSELS, June 30 (Reuters) - European Union leaders are set on Friday to commit to reducing the bloc's dependence on China and debate how to strike the balance between "de-risking" and engaging in areas such as climate change. EU leaders will seek on Friday to present a united front, but there are clear differences between countries such as France and Germany, with sizeable business interests in China, and Lithuania, on which Chinese has imposed sanctions. The conclusions, which could still be changed, say the European Union will reduce critical dependencies and vulnerabilities, including in supply chains, and will de-risk and diversify where necessary. "The European Union does not intend to decouple or to turn inwards," the conclusions say. The 27-nation European Union has since 2019 considered China a partner, competitor and system rival.

Persons: Krisjanis Karins, Ursula von der Leyen, Philip Blenkinsop, Daniel Wallis Organizations: Union, European Union, EU, Thomson Locations: BRUSSELS, China, Latvian, Brussels, Russia, Ukraine, Taiwan Strait, France, Germany, Lithuania, European Union, Europe, EU

Finance Minister Shunichi Suzuki said on Tuesday: "We will closely watch currency market moves with a strong sense of urgency and will respond appropriately if the moves become excessive." Japan intervened to boost the yen last year when it weakened past the 145 per dollar level. "Euro-dollar is a bit stronger this morning, we had probably a bit of help from hawkish ECB (European Central Bank) comments this morning," said ING's Pesole. Latvian central bank governor and ECB official Martins Kazaks said in Portugal on Tuesday that the central bank will likely keep hiking interest rates after July. China's central bank set its daily yuan fixing stronger than market expectations for a second day in a row on Tuesday.

Persons: paring, Shunichi Suzuki, Francesco Pesole, ING's Pesole, Martins Kazaks, Kazaks, Christine Lagarde, Jerome Powell, Andrew Bailey, Kazuo Ueda, Lagarde, Vladimir Putin, Wagner, Sterling, Harry Robertson, Rocky Swift, Barbara Lewis, Conor Humphries, Chizu Organizations: Central, . Finance, Bank of Japan, ING, hawkish ECB, European Central Bank, ECB, Federal, Bank of England, Wednesday, Thomson Locations: TOKYO, Japan, Sintra, Portugal, Latvian, Russian, China, China's, London, Tokyo

☆ ECB's Kazaks sees rate hikes past July even as economy softens
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-27 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

SINTRA, Portugal, June 27 (Reuters) - The European Central Bank will likely keep raising interest rates after its next meeting even as the economy slows because inflation remains too high, ECB policymaker Martins Kazaks said on Tuesday. But Kazaks, the Latvian central bank governor, said he expected the euro zone economy to simply slow or stagnate, rather than contract, and this should not stop the ECB in its fight against high inflation. "I think rates will need to be raised past July but when and by how much will be data dependent." But Kazaks pushed back against market bets on rate cuts by the ECB in the first half of next year. "And not at the end of the forecast period but towards the middle of the forecast period."

Persons: ECB policymaker Martins Kazaks, Kazaks, we’ll, Francesco Canepa, Shri Navaratnam Organizations: European Central Bank, ECB policymaker, ECB, Reuters, Thomson Locations: SINTRA, Portugal, Germany, Latvian, ECB's

☆ Alphabet-backed U.K. payment firm GoCardless to cut 15% of headcount
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-13 | by ( Ruxandra Iordache | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Alphabet -backed British fintech unicorn GoCardless has said it will reduce its global headcount by 15%, slashing 135 roles in a bid to cut costs. A separate 15 roles will be transferred from Britain to Latvian capital Riga. The payments firm most recently raised $312 million in a Series G funding round in February, earning a $2.1 billion valuation. Its backers include Alphabet's venture capital investment arm GV, BlackRock and Permira. Takeuchi hinted at the firm's renewed focus on profitability to CNBC in comments at the Money 20/20 conference last week.

Persons: GoCardless, Hiroki Takeuchi, Permira, Takeuchi, CNBC's Ryan Browne, — CNBC's Ryan Browne Organizations: GV, CNBC Locations: British, Australia, New Zealand, Britain, Latvian, Riga, London, BlackRock

☆ Tsitsipas, Alcaraz soar at French Open, Djokovic row simmers
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-31 | by ( Shrivathsa Sridhar | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

Unlike after his opening match on Monday, however, there was no message on the camera lens the Serbian signed and the 22-times Grand Slam champion looked to draw a line under the issue. Djokovic missed last year's Australian Open and was deported from the country due to being unvaccinated for COVID. He won the Melbourne title this year despite a row that erupted after his father posed with some fans holding Russian flags. "A drama-free Grand Slam, I don't think it can happen for me," Djokovic added. Anna Blinkova dashed French hopes with a stunning 4-6 6-3 7-5 victory over fifth seed Caroline Garcia, wrapping up victory on her ninth match point.

Persons: Roland Garros, Stefanos Tsitsipas, Spain's Roberto Carballes Baena, Benoit Tessier, Alcaraz, Djokovic, Garcia, Tsitsipas, Carlos Alcaraz, Novak Djokovic, Jiri Vesely, Roberto Carballes Baena, Japan's Taro Daniel, Denis Shapovalov, Ismet Krasniqi, Amelie Oudea, Castera, Elina Svitolina, Australian Storm Hunter, Svitolina, Sabalenka, Iryna Shymanovich, Marta Kostyuk, I've, Jelena Ostapenko, Peyton Stearns, Barbora, Lesia Tsurenko, Swiatek, Suzanne Lenglen, Jessica Pegula, Camila Giorgi, Anna Blinkova, Caroline Garcia, Kokkinakis, Stan Wawrinka, Andrey Rublev, Corentin, Shrivathsa Sridhar, Toby Davis, Ed Osmond Organizations: Spain's Roberto Carballes Baena REUTERS, Tennis Federation, Serbian, Marton, COVID, Melbourne, Kosovo Olympic, International Olympic Committee, Kosovo's Olympic, International Tennis Federation, Australian Storm, Thomson Locations: Paris, France, Kosovo, PARIS, Serbia, Marton Fucsovics, Serbian, Ukrainian, Ukraine

VILNIUS, May 29 (Reuters) - Latvians woke up to go to work on Monday morning, only to find they didn't have to. Their parliament had met at midnight to declare a holiday after the national ice hockey team chalked up its best-ever result at the world championship. Latvia, where hockey is the national sport, was co-hosting the men's championship with Finland, and the Latvians' extra-time victory over the U.S. for third place was greeted with wild jubilation. At quarter to midnight on Sunday, sporting red and white national team jerseys, members of parliament convened for a ten-minute session to unanimously declare the holiday. The bill was introduced by a smiling member of parliament with her face painted in the colours of the national flag.

[1/5] Teacher Inese Rudzite stands in front of Russian citizens during the Latvian language learning class in Riga, Latvia May 2, 2023. Speaking Russian instead of Latvian has not been a problem until now, but the war in Ukraine changed the picture. He said the test was needed because Russian authorities justified their invasion of Ukraine by the need to protect Russian nationals abroad. "I think that learning Latvian is right, but this pressure is wrong," Sevastjanova said. But now I end up learning Latvian instead.

☆ Chinese ambassador sparks European blowback over post-Soviet states comment
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-24 | by ( Simone Mccarthy | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

Several leaders in former Soviet states, including Ukraine, were quick to hit back following the interview, which aired Friday on French station LCI. Beijing has formal diplomatic relations with post-Soviet states, which include Russia. Ties have soured as Europe has uneasily watched China’s tightening relationship with Russia and its refusal to condemn Putin’s invasion. Voices in former Soviet states, where many remember being under Communist authoritarian rule, have been among those in Europe critical of such an approach. For Russia, giving up control of Crimea is widely seen as a non-starter in any potential peace settlement on Ukraine.

☆ Front-line NATO allies worry they could be next after Russia's invasion of Ukraine and are getting ready for a fight
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-23 | by ( Sinéad Baker | Jake Epstein | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +13 min

These countries along the military alliance's front line are now scrambling to make sure they're protected should the Russian military ever come knocking. "There is an imminent need of a stronger NATO presence in our region," Estonia's Foreign Minister Urmas Reinsalu said. For nearly 14 months, the Russian military has been bogged down by its grinding war in Ukraine. More boots on the groundSome leaders in the Baltic countries have said that they ultimately want to host more NATO troops, including permanent brigades, in the years to come. So as the threat landscape continues to shift, the Baltic defense has adapted along with it, Townsend said.

☆ Russian fertilizer seized in Latvia sent to Kenya by UN agency
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-22 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

VILNIUS, April 22 (Reuters) - Russian-origin fertilizer which Latvia seized due to European Union sanctions is being sent to Kenya by the United Nations' World Food Programme, Latvia's Foreign Ministry said on Saturday. The first shipment of part of the 200,000 tonnes of the seized fertilizer left the port of Riga on Friday and several more are due to follow, it added. "The Latvian Government decided to facilitate the donation, with support from the UN World Food Programme, of mineral fertilizers owned by companies sanctioned by the European Union," the statement said. "Together with its foreign partners and international organisations, Latvia continues providing support for the countries that have been affected by the food crisis triggered by Russia’s war on Ukraine." Reporting by Andrius Sytas in Vilnius; editing by Jason NeelyOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

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