Episoder
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The LSM Minutes From Latvia podcast makes an election-season return with an hour-long special.
With a new Saeima set to be voted in on October 6, LSM editor Mike Collier teams up again with academic Daunis Auers for an account of what has happened in the election campaign and what results we might see afterwards.
After a discussion on the main characteristics of the campaign so far, we give brief overviews of the 16 competing parties and offer some opinions about their likely chances.
We'd remind you that you can read another party-by-party overview of the upcoming election in our series of four special features: Part One, Part Two, Part Three and Part Four.
The opinions expressed are entirely those of the participants and do not represent the views of Latvian Public Media. -
This week the Minutes from Latvia podcast features British historian Philip Ruff, whose decades-long researches have cast new light on a fascinating period in both Latvian and British history.
Phil scored a huge hit in Latvia with his book Pa stāvu liesmu debesīs: nenotveramā latviešu anarhista Pētera Māldera laiks un dzīve (A Towering Flame – the life and times of Peter the Painter), published by Dienas Grāmata (Riga 2012).
It tells the true tale of a charismatic young Latvian anarchist who for a while might justifiably have claimed to be the world's most wanted man, 'Peter the Painter' a.k.a Janis Zhaklis.
Then in the second half of the podcast we revisit a lecture Phil gave in February 2015 on how we might today be able to learn lessons from the experiences of the Latvian anarchist movement in the context of civil resistance to occupation.
If you would like to see a recording of the lecture in question, it is below.
You can follow Phil on Twitter @RuffPhilip.
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Mangler du episoder?
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The Minutes from Latvia podcast is back and this week the guest is Agnese Kleina, a writer, publisher, artist, entrepreneur and avowed style leader in Latvia.
We talk in depth about her enigmatic publication Benji Knewman and follow it up with an account of her experimental hosting of a modern-day artistic salon that has proven a big hit among Riga's switched-on artistic set.
We also consider why niche publications from a small corner of the Baltic Sea seem to have found global appeal and where future trends in publishing and cultural discussion might be heading.
You can read more bout Benji Knewman via the link below or bu visiting the official website HERE. We hope you enjoy the podcast.
In the world of pins be a medal ✔️ Our @benjiknewman Vol.6 got silver at the XII festival of creative excellence #Adwards2017 #benjiknewman pic.twitter.com/XNKstPPen3
— Benji Knewman (@benjiknewman) August 26, 2017 -
Podcast number 21 sees Renaissance man Tom Crosshill (a.k.a. Toms Kreicbergs) entering the pod to talk about his dizzying array of interests.
The first half of the podcast is dedicated to Tom's activities as a successful fiction writer in various genres: science fiction, young adults' fiction and most recently as the author of The Cattle Express, a remarkable tale that takes the reader from Wall Street to the Siberian Deportations.
In the second half of the podcast we consider Latvia's pension system, and specifically Indexo, a new presence in the pensions market with which Tom is involved.
He also briefly explains how he came to be licensed to operate a nuclear reactor.
You can read more about Tom's literary creations HERE.
The website of Indexo pensions (other pension plans are available) is HERE (in Latvian and Russian).
We hope you enjoy the podcast.
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The pod is bedecked with festive streamers and the cheap champagne is flowing in copious amounts as we reach the landmark of 20 podcasts.
Therefore we go back to our roots with academic think-tanker Daunis Auers, who joined us for the very first podcast last September.
This time around we talk about Latvia's demographic challenges, comparisons with Ireland's experience, diaspora policy and the likely knock-on effects of 'Brexit' among other topics.
You can read Daunis' research in English for the Certus thinktank HERE and you can follow him on Twitter HERE.
We hope you find the podcast of passing interest.
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The Minutes from Latvia podcast is back, this time with a business-oriented flavor.
Joining us in the 'power-pod' is Baiba Rubesa, one of Latvia's top business executives. Baiba has a wealth of experience from various countries around the globe, but her most prominent role at the moment is as chair of RB Rail, the joint venture of the three Baltic states responsible for overseeing the construction of Rail Baltica, a massive and complex infrastructure project.
After considering Baiba's background we delve into the intricacies of Rail Baltica and look forward to the departure of the first train - hopefully in 2026.
To find out more about Rail Baltica, visit the official website HERE.
Baiba's personal Twitter feed is HERE.
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The Minutes from Latvia podcast is back in a musical frame of mind as we are joined by acclaimed contemporary composer Eugene Birman.
Born in Daugavpils, Latvia's second-largest city, Eugene already has an international reputation and a talent for generating controversy with his thought-provoking compositions, many of them in collaboration with Tallinn-based librettist Scott Diel.
Most famously they collaborated on a 'Twitter opera' based on a confrontation between former Estonian president Toomas Hendrik Ilves and Nobel prize-winning economist Paul Krugman on social media.
On July 18 from 6 p.m. Eugene will be challenging Latvian residents to come to the Kim? contemporary art center to deliver their own, entirely anonymous verdict on Latvia-Russia relations for his latest musical project. It promises to be another piece of controversial creativity.
The project, titled “Russia: Today,” is part of a wider "Trauma & Revival. Cultural relations between Eastern and Western Europe" residency co-funded by the Creative Europe Program of the European Union.
Participants will retain complete anonymity. Their answers, recorded in private chambers where they will be asked to state their hopes and fears, not to mention their true allegiances, will be turned into an ambitious staged work for the virtuoso London-based ensemble EXAUDI, to premiere in 2019.
“Russia: Today” will create a musical narrative for the un-told experiences and uncensored opinions of the project's participants, and in a larger sense, a forum for the cross-generational nightmares and dreams of Latvians on the nation's 100th anniversary," according to publicity material.
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The Minutes from Latvia podcast returns, and this week we boldly go where no podcast has gone before, across the final frontier into space.
The guest in the capsule-like pod is Amara Graps, a planetary scientist based in Latvia with an enviable list of contacts across the globe and -technically speaking - across the entire cosmos.
Amara is also organizing a major space conference in Riga in September, and we talk about what that involves, plus the way astronomers and other Latvian scientists compete in the international arena, even if this means dedicating their own free time and raising their own money.
Find out more about her project Baltics in Space HERE.
We hope you enjoy the podcast.
All EPSC 2017 Riga 1,000 Abstracts are online now, and you can browse them HERE.
If you would like to help with crowd-funding of ESPC 2017 in Riga you can do so HERE.
For videos at Amara's YouTube channel, see below:
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Boris Fishman is one of the most acclaimed contemporary novelists in the United States. Born in Belarus, last October he visited both Latvia and Estonia, talking about his two books A Replacement Life and Don't Let My Baby Do Rodeo.
This month Boris was back in Latvia. LSM joined him for a short walk along the banks of the River Amata to find out why, and how his impressions of the country have changed over the intervening months.
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Touchdown! Slam dunk! Home run! Gooooooooal! The Minutes from Latvia podcast is back.
This week's guest in the players' pod, which feels suspiciously like penalty box in a hockey game, is sports blogger and podcaster Reinis Lācis.
Reinis is not only more articulate and professional than your host, he is also more experienced when it comes to podcasting, having produced a fascinating archive of interviews with former NBA basketball stars - all from his computer in Latvia.
As always the conversation rambles far and wide, from Porzingis to the state of Latvian sport and the future of sport journalism because after all, it matters not who won or lost, but how you play the game!
Listen to Reinis' podcast HERE and follow him on Twitter using the link below.
You can find "The Handle" podcast on iTunes and Stitcher for podcast episodes with NBA, ABA and NCAA champions https://t.co/M0ncIjc7Xq
— Reinis Lācis (@LamarMatic) April 26, 2016 -
The Minutes from Latvia podcast returns for a fifteenth iteration with leading investigative journalist and TV presenter Inga Springe entering the pod.
Six years ago Inga and colleague Sanita Jemberga founded the Baltic Center for Investigative Journalism, Re:Baltica and since then has helped to break numerous major news stories, often with an emphasis on corruption and inequality.
Inga also helped put together the acclaimed 2016 documentary The Master Plan, exposing a shady network of Kremlin-connected groups in the Baltic states.
As usual, the conversation roams far and wide covering everything from fake news and journalistic ethics to the well-known global media conspiracy to make everyone miserable.
We hope you enjoy the podcast.
5 years and still counting! Thanks to everyone who's been with us all this time. Support us: https://t.co/thSHP3RxZ3 pic.twitter.com/ySeCqb4LBh
— Re:Baltica (@rebaltica) August 12, 2016 -
For this week's podcast we are delighted to welcome one of Latvia's highest-profile businessmen into the pod, airBaltic chairman and chief executive Martin Gauss.
It's a podcast of two parts with the first half covering Martin's reasons for getting involved in the aviation industry in the first place and his almost six years at the helm of airBaltic, during which time he has turned the company around and started the overhaul of the entire fleet.
In the second half we broach the slightly more sensitive questions of ticket prices, investor relations and even his pay -- which prompts a response that is well worth hearing.
As ever, we hope you enjoy the podcast!
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This week we are honored to welcome a local legend to the pod: renowned journalist, blogger, tech expert and someone never short of an opinion, Juris Kaža.
This is a podcast of two halves, with the first section dealing with Latvia's strengths (and a few weaknesses) in the IT sector.
The second half of the show sees us move into the occasionally acerbic world of social media. speaking of which, you can follow Juris' running feuds and staunch defense of freedom of expression via his Twitter feed.
Juris also writes an occasional blog which is rarely less than provocative and always entertaining, which you can read by following the link below.
I just published “Telia in Latvia — The Tar Baby Gets Kicked Down the Road Again?” https://t.co/HAwdhqrenB
— juriskazha (@juriskazha) April 11, 2017 -
It's back! The Minutes From Latvia podcast returns with Jānis Sārts of the NATO Strategic Communications Center of Excellence (STRATCOMCOE) being given high-level security clearance to enter the pod.
We discuss the purpose and work of STRATCOMCOE, how it has adapted to the fast-changing world of Strategic Communications (along with a helpful explanation of what that actually means) and some of the recent research performed by the center, some of which may even bring a smile to your face!
And just to prove that's its really not hush-hush and For Your Eyes Only, here are links to STRATCOMCOE's website, Facebook page and Twitter account, where you can look up all the items discussed.
Today #NATO-#Russia Council meets.
— Latvia in NATO ?? (@LV_NATO) March 30, 2017
Meanwhile, read latest @STRATCOMCOE analysis on humour as strategic communication https://t.co/FZC6p32ZUA pic.twitter.com/XJW5gIfp4l -
Here is the news in brief for Friday March 10, 2017, brought to you by Latvian Public Media.
Football investor ejected
Valērijs Belokons, a businessman from Latvia, has been let go as president of the Blackpool Football Club.
He was suspended after a judgement in the Paris Court of Appeal, which relates to disputed allegations of money laundering.
The owners of Blackpool FC, the Oystons, and Belokons, are also set to go head to head in the summer in a separate legal case in the High Court in London.
In February the Paris Court of Appeal annulled a $16.5 million award for Belokons against Kyrgyzstan for the 2010 takeover of Manas Bank, owned by Belokons.
Ice-melt continues
Water levels rose rapidly throughout the night at Jēkabpils, Krustpils and Līvāni, according to the Environment, Geology and Meteorology Center.
At night water levels rose 6.6 m at Jēkabpils, which is at the level of 2013 great spring flood. However by morning it had dropped by 30 cm to 6.32 m above the baseline measure.
Only the Daugava River is in danger of flooding.
Seventeen refugees arrive
Seventeen asylum seekers from Eritrea arrived in Latvia from Italy on Wednesday under the EU relocation scheme, said the Citizenship and migration affairs office on March 9.
Latvia has admitted 255 refugees under the EU plan so far.
Ballet business at Saeima
Saeima might decide on granting Latvian citizenship to the Riga-born dancer and actor Mikhail Baryshnikov in late April, MP Ilmars Latkovskis told LETA news agency.
As previously reported, Baryshnikov seems to be in favor of accepting the citizenship.
You can read all the latest news from Latvia in English, Latvian and Russian at www.lsm.lv.
This is the end of our week-long trial of a brief daily news podcast. If you think it is worthwhile continuing with the format (or not) please let us know in the comments section below. We'd welcome your thoughts. -
Here is the news in brief for Thursday March 9, 2017, brought to you by Latvian Public Media Crab war continues
Agriculture Minister Janis Duklavs met with European Fisheries Commissioner Karmenu Vella in Brussels March 8 to discuss the release of a fishing ship being held in custody by Norway.
Norwegian coastguards impounded the Latvian ship, the Senator, for taking snow crabs near the Arctic island of Svalbard. Norway says it has exclusive rights to fish the entire continental shelf around the island. The European Union, of which Latvia is a member, disputes this.
The European Commission will send a note to Norway in the near future, demanding the urgent release of the ship and the cancellation of a €180,000 fine imposed by the Norwegian authorities. The owners of the Senator claim they are losing €7,000 a day while the ship remains impounded.
Islands in the streamFlood waters in Daugavpils region show no sign of disappearing, with four small settlements, home to around 20 people, completely cut off.
Ice blocks have accumulated in the river in the area of Nicgale and the water level continues to rise. Other settlements are threatened, but residents show little sign of wanting to leave, with one telling LTV he would only do so when the waters reached his window.
Tune-up for inspectionsA parliamentary committee meeting Wednesday supported amendments to the Road Traffic Law that would lengthen the period between technical inspections applicable to new cars.
At present, all cars must undergo an annual inspection regardless of their age. Under the terms of the new amendments, cars up to four years old would only need to be inspected every other year.
Nest eggsThis spring the Latvian Fund for Nature will begin a sixth season of live transmissions from birds' nests.
Since 2012, WWF has placed discreet live cameras in the nests of protected birds to allow viewers to watch all the drama of mating, egg-hatching a territorial battles.
Birds starring in the new season will include sea eagles, black storks, the famous Riga chicken hawk and for the first time, ospreys.
See all the live action HERE.
You can read all the latest news from Latvia in English, Latvian and Russian at www.lsm.lv
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Here is the news in brief for Wednesday March 8, 2017, brought to you by Latvian Public Media Give a little whistle
At a cabinet meeting March 7th, the Latvian government backed a draft Whistleblower Protection law.
It provides protection for individuals who leak official information from employers and state institutions, provided that information is deemed to be in the public interest and empowers law enforcement agencies and prosecutors to take action if whistleblowers face reprisals or threats for doing so.
Delna, the Latvian branch of Transparency International believes that the draft law still needs to be improved to improved, but it now moves on to the Latvian parliament, the Saeima, for debate and amendment.
Thank you for the musicThe annual Great Music Awards were handed out March 7 at a star-studded event in Riga.
Musician of the year was violinist Eva Bindere, while the concert of the year was one featuring The Latvian National Symphony Orchestra – conductor Mariss Jansons and legendary songwriter and jazz musician Raimonds Pauls.
Prizes were awarded in seven categories, with lifetime achievement awards handed to cellist Ellionora Testeļeca and veteran conductor Edgars Račevskis.
Hot shotLatvian ice hockey player Kristofers Bindulis has officially signed a three-year contract with the National Hockey League leaders the Washington Capitals.
The contract had already been announced in the North American press but has now been confirmed. 21-year old Bindulis has been in the US since 2013 and is rated as an outstanding future prospect.
Wet, wet, wetSnowfall and melting ice continue to create problems across Latvia. Flooding along the banks of the River Daugava has isolated several settlements with reports of gardens and summer cottages inundated.
Emergency services reported a spike in road traffic accidents too due to difficult driving conditions in most of the country while a couple of thousand homes in Latgale region are currently without electricity.
Read me, but don't look at meLatvian writers are preparing to tout their talents at the London book fair, taking place in the UK March 14 to 16.
In an effort to attract the interest of foreign publishers, a campaign has been launched stressing how introverted and reluctant to engage face to face Latvian writers are. The hashtag #iamintrovert has been invented as part of the campaign, but it remains to be seen if anyone can summon up the courage to use it.
You can read all the latest news from Latvia in English, Latvian and Russian at www.lsm.lv
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Here is the news in brief from Latvia, brought to you by Latvian Public Media. airBaltic up in the air
There is fresh intrigue at Latvia's national airline airBaltic, after LTV reported the surprise sale of a large holding in the company.
The 20% stake in the airline bought by German investor Ralf-Dieter Montag Girmes a year ago for 52 million euros is being sold to a Danish investor named as Lars Thuesen by LTV.
Speaking on LTV March 7th, Prime Minister Maris Kucinskis said ownership changes would strengthen the company but did not give details of the deal.
Snow, floods cause problemsFresh snowfall, plus melting ice and a strong wind have created dangerous conditions on roads across the country during the last 24 hours.
Snow and flooding completely blocked the main trunk roads from Riga to Daugavpils for a time. Officials are warning motorists to drive with care and to avoid unecessary jouneys.
Sharply rising waters in the River Daugava have also caused localised flooding in Daugavpils and Jekabpils district.
Teacher training college in limboThe ruling government coalition agreeed at a meeting March to postpone a decision about shutting down the Riga Teacher Training and Educational Management Academy liquidation.
The Eduation Ministry favours closing the institution and transferring its students to other colleges as part of a streamlining plan. Prime Minister Maris Kucinskis said after talks with coalition parties that the issue would be revisited in two weeks' time after further discussions.
Public Ombudsman Juris Jansons had asked Kučinskis not to go ahead with the liquidation plan, describing it as premature and not sufficiently evaluated.
Pothole emergencyMembers of Bauska district council have called an extraordinary meeting in order to declare a state of emergency due to the appaling state of the roads in the area.
Councillors are calling on the Government and ministries to take immediate action to improve gravel roads which are full of potholes, making driving hazardous and frequently damaging vehicles.
Unless action is taken people will continue to leave the district, resulting in a worsening of the demographic situation and a downturn in business, councillors claim.
You can read all the latest news from Latvia in English, Latvian and Russian at www.lsm.lv
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Here is the news in brief from Latvia, brought to you by Latvian Public Media. Dinner in Dubai
Controversy surrounds a dinner in Dubai recently attended by Latvian President Raimonds Vejonis.
LTV's De Facto investigative news show reported March 5th that the dinner attended by Vejonis and high-ranking officials of the United Arab Emirates had been organized by the charge- d'affaires at the Latvian Embassy in the UAE, Rudolfs Bremanis, shortly before he left his position.
Bremanis left the diplomatic service to become an entrepreneur promoting investments from the gulf states into Latvia and used photographs of the dinner on social media to promote his new company.
The dinner had already proven to be controversial as the photographs show President Vejonis sitting next to former Transport Minister Ainars Slesers, a former politician widely regarded as one of Latvia's cadre of oligarchs.
Upon his return from Dubai, Vejonis urged the government of Maris Kucinskis to participate in the Dubai 2020 Expo event.
New network of service centersThis year it is planned to establish a network of client service centers across Latvia to help residents access local and national government services more easily, according to the ministry for Environmental Protection and Regional Development.
Setting up the centers in 13 different municipalities will cost around 183,000 euros, the ministry said.
Triple jumper just misses medalLatvian triple jumper Elvijs Misāns set a new personal best to claim fourth place in the European Indoor athletics Championship in Belgrade.
Misans broke his own personal best in the first round, with a jump of 17.02 meters and narrowly missed out on a podium place. The gold medal was won by Nelson Evora of Portugal with a jump of 17 meters and 20 centimeters.
Police warn speedersState police are warning motorists to drive safely ahead of the introduction this summer of 40 mobile speed cameras in addition to the fixed speed traps already in operation.
Police say enforcement will be strict, particularly for repeat offenders and revealed that one car has been clocked exceeding the speed limit no fewer than 58 times, while another was recorded doing 148 km/h in a 50 km/h zone.
You can read all the latest news from Latvia in English, Latvian and Russian at www.lsm.lv.
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The podcast returns for its eleventh episode with a daring new innovation: two guests in the pod at the same time!
Participating in this bold experiment alongside Mike Collier are Liva Perkone from the recent TechChill event and Zane Bojare of business accelerator Start Up Wise Guys.
The good news is that after Mike's usual rambling introduction the guests take over with some fascinating insights into the startup scene, investments, names to watch and much, much more.
Follow them on Twitter via the link below!
#PitchBattle pitches available there too! If you missed out on something live at #techchill, use opportunity to see it in the archive https://t.co/fPLH6euEFw
— Startup Wise Guys (@StartupWiseGuys) February 14, 2017A Brit and two Latvians walk into a radio booth... Thank you @mikskoljers and @zancy_ for a great time talking startups and TechChill! pic.twitter.com/fEjwRysQRM
— Līva Pērkone (@Liva) February 15, 2017 - Se mer
