• AirBaltic will not provide pork dishes during the flights anymore
• Member of the nationalists union FF/LNIM-All for Latvia! appeals to electorate in Russian

The national company AirBaltic will not provide pork dishes during the flights anymore. Such decision is made due to flights to Muslim countries where pork is not consumed.

The national company AirBaltic will not provide pork dishes during the flights anymore. Such decision is made due to flights to Muslim countries where pork is not consumed. Diena

Telegraf reports that the nationalists union For Fatherland and Freedom/LNIM – All for Latvia! in contradiction to its programs standpoints appealed to the electorate through a Jekabpils (city in the Eastern part of Latvia) newspaper in Russian language. Latvia based only on ethnic Latvian values can become a state with a secure future – says one of the partys leaders Juris Dobelis in the newspaper.

• Unity does not support the proposal to grant voting rights to non-citizens in municipal elections

Telegraph writes about the political union Unity in the light of the upcoming parliamentary elections. Valdis Dombrovsksis, Latvias Prime Minster and the leader of Unity was asked whether the union will stand for granting voting rights to non-citizens in local municipality elections. According to Mr. Dombrovskis, the Unity does not support this proposal and believes that Latvia has sufficiently effective naturalization procedure.

• Two years of suspended sentence for incitement of hate

Latvijas Avize and Vesti-Segodnya report that yesterday, Riga Regional Court convicted Valdis Rosans to two years of suspended sentence with two years on probation for incitement of hate and illegal possession of unregistered ammunition. The Court ruled that through his internet comments, Rosans, a former member of the National Power Union (NSS), disseminated aggressive attitudes towards the Jews, Russians, visually different people, expressed support to national-socialist and racist ideology. He justified Holocaust and insulted its victims, called for extermination of people because of their ethnicity and sexuality, discussed problems such as global Judaism, racial purity and eugenics. The police also found unregistered ammunition. Rosans has previously been charged with hooliganism for throwing eggs at participants of gay pride in 2006, although was acquitted by the court. Yesterday, Rosans stood by his views and in his last words in the courtroom he declared that the whole case was fabricated and political, inspired by Soros-financed NGO in order to scare the society. Psychiatrists recognized that Rosans has a personality disorder and is partially capable. Vesti-Segodnya also reminds about the case of neo-Nazi Andris Jordans, who was completely acquitted earlier this year and alleges that Latvian justice system is treating differently ethnic Russian and ethnic Latvian nationalists, being soft on the latter.

• Janis Urbanovics calls for positive interpretation of naturalization legislation
• Interview with Ainars Slesers

Janis Urbanovics (Concord Centre) addressed Linda Murniece, the Minister of Interior with an open letter. Many non-citizens of Latvia as well as foreigners with permanent residence permits are forced to seek jobs in other countries. Many consider Latvia their home and are willing to naturalize and to prove their knowledge of the state language and history, yet in the view of the Office of Citizenship and Migration Affairs, they loose the right to apply once spent more then 6 months outside of the country. Mr.Urbanovics points out that the Citizenship Law requires that applicant lived permanently in Latvia at least 5 years after 4 May 1990, yet does not require this term to be uninterrupted before application. Mr.Urbanovics calls the Minister of Interior to find a solution for interpretation of the Citizenship Law so that it benefits those who belong to Latvia.

Janis Urbanovics (Concord Centre) addressed Linda Murniece, the Minister of Interior with an open letter. Many non-citizens of Latvia as well as foreigners with permanent residence permits are forced to seek jobs in other countries. Many consider Latvia their home and are willing to naturalize and to prove their knowledge of the state language and history, yet in the view of the Office of Citizenship and Migration Affairs, they loose the right to apply once spent more then 6 months outside of the country. Mr.Urbanovics points out that the Citizenship Law requires that applicant lived permanently in Latvia at least 5 years after 4 May 1990, yet does not require this term to be uninterrupted before application. Mr.Urbanovics calls the Minister of Interior to find a solution for interpretation of the Citizenship Law so that it benefits those who belong to Latvia. Chas, Vesti-Segodnya, Telegraph

Latvijas Avize interviewed Ainars Slesers, candidate Prime Minister of the union For Better Latvia!. Mr.Slesers believes that in order to pull Latvia out of crisis, it is necessary to have a leader, who tries to unite the society, to unite Latvians and Russians. It is important not to push out Russians, but to make them part of us and therefore, Mr.Slesers will turn to Russian voters, calling on them to support him. Mr.Slesers believes that ethnic Russian youth is more competitive in the labour market, because ethnic Latvian youth does not know Russian language. He therefore recommends the youth to learn Russian language and recognize that it is advisable to have at least one hour of Russian language per week at school.

Prime Minister: information about guest workers on the government-funded "Castle of Light" construction is unpleasant

FHRUL is concerned with significant drop in naturalization

In a morning TV show on 16th of August, the Prime Minister of Latvia Valdis Dombrovskis commented earlier information that five guest workers from Bulgaria are employed by companies which are building the "Castle of Light" National Library Project. The Prime Minister said it was “unpleasant” to hear information that enterprises, which fulfill government contracts, are hiring guest workers, while official unemployment in Latvia is 15%. 2008 contract envisaged 135,2 million Lats including VAT (192,4 million Euros) for the "Castle of Light" construction.

In a morning TV show on 16th of August, the Prime Minister of Latvia Valdis Dombrovskis commented earlier information that five guest workers from Bulgaria are employed by companies which are building the "Castle of Light" National Library Project. The Prime Minister said it was unpleasant to hear information that enterprises, which fulfill government contracts, are hiring guest workers, while official unemployment in Latvia is 15%. 2008 contract envisaged 135,2 million Lats including VAT (192,4 million Euros) for the "Castle of Light" construction. Chas, Telegraf

The Minister of Interior Linda Murniece responded to the enquiry of MPs of the party For Human Rights in United Latvia (FHRUL) “On public availability of naturalization data”. Updates were no longer available via the internet after the functions of the Naturalisation Board were handed over to the Office of Citizenship and Migration Affairs in March. In 2010, 17% of naturalization applicants failed history exam, while 45% failed language exam. FHRUL expressed its concern that the naturalization rate has diminished more than 9 times comparing to 2005 data and that given the current rate of naturalization, it could take up to 172 years to give citizenship to all 344 thousands of non-citizens.

The Minister of Interior Linda Murniece responded to the enquiry of MPs of the party For Human Rights in United Latvia (FHRUL) On public availability of naturalization data. Updates were no longer available via the internet after the functions of the Naturalisation Board were handed over to the Office of Citizenship and Migration Affairs in March. In 2010, 17% of naturalization applicants failed history exam, while 45% failed language exam. FHRUL expressed its concern that the naturalization rate has diminished more than 9 times comparing to 2005 data and that given the current rate of naturalization, it could take up to 172 years to give citizenship to all 344 thousands of non-citizens. Chas