Latvia’s centre-right Prime Minister Evika Siliņa has resigned after sacking her Defence Minister over the army’s failure to shoot down stray Ukrainian drones. Two Ukrainian drones aimed at Russia accidentally crashed in Latvia last Thursday (7 May), with one exploding at an oil storage unit.
The drones were not detected as they flew in from Russia, the head of the Latvian army said. Siliņa blamed Defence Minister Andris Sprūds for failing to develop anti-drone systems quickly enough and demanded his resignation.
Sprūds resigned on Sunday (10 May) and Siliņa appointed Latvian army colonel Raivis Melnis as the new Defence Minister.
However, in response, Sprūds’ Progressives Party withdrew its support from Siliņa’s coalition government, leaving her without a parliamentary majority.
“I am resigning, but I am not giving up,” Siliņa, who has served as Prime Minister since 2023, said in a televised statement.
Siliņa’s resignation came just months before an election due in October. Right-wing populist party Latvia First is currently leading in the polls, while Siliņa’s New Unity party is trailing in third or fourth place in recent surveys.
Her government will remain in office in a caretaker capacity until a replacement is sworn in. Latvian President Edgars Rinkēvičs, who is tasked under the constitution with selecting a new head of government, is due to meet all parliamentary parties on Friday.
Latvia and Lithuania called on NATO to strengthen air defences in their countries following last week’s drone incident, in which four empty oil tanks were damaged at a storage site in the Latvian city of Rēzekne, about 40 km (25 miles) from the Russian border.
Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha blamed “Russian electronic warfare” for “deliberately diverting Ukrainian drones " from targets in Russia.
Ukraine is considering sending experts to help strengthen air security over the Baltic states, Sybiha added.
Several stray Ukrainian military drones struck Latvia and its Baltic NATO neighbours Estonia and Lithuania in late March. One hit a chimney at a local power station, while another crash-landed in a frozen lake before exploding.
The U.S. military said it completed a sixth consecutive night of strikes on Iran late on Thursday, targeting logistics infrastructure and maritime ca...
From a Hellenistic burial chamber beneath Naples to an ornate ceiling in Oxford and the surviving fragments of a Michelangelo sculpture, 3D scanning i...
Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan met Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in Kyiv on Thursday as Türkiye stepped up efforts to revive stalled ...
The U.S. military said it completed a sixth consecutive night of strikes on Iran late on Thursday, targeting logistics infrastructure and maritime capabilities. Iran responded by launching strikes at U.S. bases in neighbouring countries.
Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan met Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in Kyiv on Thursday as Türkiye stepped up efforts to revive stalled peace negotiations aimed at ending the war with Russia.
Andy Burnham has been elected leader of Britain's governing Labour Party, clearing the way to become the country's next prime minister on Monday. The 56-year-old pledged to spread power beyond Westminster, revive neglected communities and counter the rise of Reform UK.
Apple is closing in on Nvidia's position as the world's most valuable publicly traded company, as investors increasingly bet the iPhone maker can turn artificial intelligence into sustained earnings growth.
U.S. President Donald Trump announced the reimposition of a U.S. naval blockade on all Iranian ports and warned that power plants and bridges could be targeted next week unless Tehran returns to negotiations.
The half-time interval during the 2026 FIFA World Cup final is expected to be extended to around 30 minutes to accommodate the tournament’s first-ever major half-time concert.
The U.S. military announced that it has completed a new wave of strikes against Iranian military targets under U.S. President Donald Trump's orders. The operation targeted command centres, air defence systems, missile and drone facilities, and coastal surveillance sites across multiple locations.
Nineteen years ago, at Barcelona's Camp Nou, Lionel Messi posed for a charity photo shoot with a five-month-old baby he had never met. On Sunday, that baby, Lamine Yamal, will face Messi in the 2026 FIFA World Cup final as Spain take on Argentina. A full-circle football story.
The U.S. military said it completed a sixth consecutive night of strikes on Iran late on Thursday, targeting logistics infrastructure and maritime capabilities. Iran responded by launching strikes at U.S. bases in neighbouring countries.
Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan met Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in Kyiv on Thursday as Türkiye stepped up efforts to revive stalled peace negotiations aimed at ending the war with Russia.
Andy Burnham has been elected leader of Britain's governing Labour Party, clearing the way to become the country's next prime minister on Monday. The 56-year-old pledged to spread power beyond Westminster, revive neglected communities and counter the rise of Reform UK.
Japan's parliament has approved changes to the Imperial House Law aimed at addressing the shrinking size of the imperial family while preserving the country's centuries-old male-only succession system.
SpaceX's Starship rocket aborted its 13th flight test just seconds before liftoff in Texas on Thursday after some of its 33 engines failed to start. CEO Elon Musk said the company is likely to make another launch attempt early next week.
At least 20 children and one adult have been killed after a school bus carrying pupils on a study trip crashed in eastern Uganda. Dozens of other passengers were injured when the vehicle reportedly lost control and overturned.
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment