Latvija in brief

Latvian citizen fighting in Syria

in politically and religiously motivated conflicts in various regions of the world, the Security Police are carrying out operative counter-surveillance measures, as well as keeping regular contact with foreign services.
The Security Police refused to comment on the ethnicity of the Latvian resident, and whether he has joined ISIS. The police also declined to say for how long the said person has been residing in Syria.
The Security Police previously announced that in order to eliminate national security risks caused by Latvian residents’ involvement in violent activities in conflict regions, it would be necessary to improve the current regulations, including the Criminal Law.
Involvement in armed conflicts threatens the national security of Latvia, as well as Europe’s security interests, the Security Police reports.

War and Peace to be filmed in Latvia 

The British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) plans to create a TV series adaptation of Leo Tolstoy’s literary epic drama War and Peace and the series will be shot in Latvia, Lithuania, and Russia.
The adaptation will star the American actor Paul Dano, British actress Lily James, and British actor James Norton. The series will be directed by Tom Harper and produced by The Weinstein Company, the British based film company behind oscar winning films such as the King’s Speech, and the Artist.
“I fell in love with Tolstoy’s “War and Peace” as a teenager when I read it for the first time,” Harvey Weinstein, Co-Chairman and Executive Producer for The Weinstein Company, speaking to a Hollywood magazine. “Putting an epic, iconic story like War and Peace on screen with a cast of this caliber is an incredible thrill. Lily, Paul, and James are all amazingly talented actors and it takes their level of talent to capture the scale of Tolstoy’s words.”
The series will be filmed in Russia, Lithuania, and Latvia from the beginning of this month.