The US Secretary of State, Antony Blinken addresses the meeting of NATO foreign ministers in Latvia. Blinken said that NATO remains fully committed to fighting against terrorism worldwide and the US will use all its capability to aid in their fight.

NATO remains fully committed to fighting against terrorism worldwide, says Blinken

NATO foreign ministers are meeting as Russia and the alliance continues to spar over reports of military activity along the Ukraine border. Russia, meanwhile, has warned NATO against expanding its military infrastructure in Ukraine.

NATO and Russia spar as foreign ministers meet in Latvia, Putin warns west

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken is in Latvia for talks with the country’s leaders and a NATO meeting as the alliance expresses concern about Russia’s military buildup along the border with Ukraine.

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken in Latvia for NATO meeting on Russia military build-up

A pasta order comes in and the robotic arm springs into action at the Roboeatz eatery in Riga. After five minutes of gyrations, a piping hot plate is ready.

The Riga cafe, located under a crumbling concrete bridge, is designed in such a way that customers can observe the robotic arm at work.

It also has a seating area, although most customers prefer&nbsp;take away since vaccination certificates are required to be able to eat indoors in Latvia.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/technology/first-instance-of-killer-robot-attacking-human-without-orders-recorded-in-libya-un-report-388344">First instance of 'killer robot' attacking human without orders recorded in Libya: UN report</a>

A Roboeatz app allows customers to order and pay for their dish before picking it up at the cafe.&nbsp;

"The&nbsp;food&nbsp;tasted better than I expected!" said customer Iveta Ratinika, a teacher and a member of the Latvian capital's education board.

Ratinika said she would encourage schoolchildren to come and observe the robotic arm in action and mused that there could be robots working at the school cafeteria within "a few years".

Kitchen design is 'real challenge'&nbsp;

Roboeatz was set up in January 2018 by Konstantins Korcjomkins and Janis Poruks, who have been running the Woki Toki&nbsp;fast&nbsp;food&nbsp;chain in Latvia since 2009.

Their aim? To revolutionise the fast-food&nbsp;industry.

"This robot replaces four to six human employees, reducing labour costs significantly," said Poruks, who has a background in engineering.&nbsp;

But he stressed that the introduction of such robots would not push up unemployment rates since "people are not lining up to flip burgers".

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/watch-a-cockroach-inspired-robot-that-cant-be-squashed-withstands-1-million-times-its-weight-396703">Watch: A cockroach-inspired robot that can't be squashed; withstands 1 million times its weight</a>

"The robot will not replace people who are willing to have a career in restaurants and catering, becoming chefs or other&nbsp;food&nbsp;celebrities. The robot will take those low-paid jobs which most people already do not want," he said.

Automated kitchen technology has been gaining interest in recent years, and that has been accelerated by the <a href="https://www.wionews.com/topics/coronavirus">pandemic</a>.

At a newly opened eatery in Paris, customers can watch robots build, bake and box up pizzas at a rate of up to 80 an hour.

In the US, a robot named "Sally" belonging to the startup Chowbotics can whip up salads sold through a vending machine.

And, for the ultimate household luxury, a UK-based company last year unveiled a fully robotic kitchen that will set customers back a minimum of £248,000 (291,000 euros, $347,000).

The designers of Roboeatz say it is designed to take over some of the&nbsp;food&nbsp;prep tasks while improving&nbsp;food&nbsp;safety and eliminating the infection risks of crowded kitchens.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/technology/japan-is-sending-a-shape-shifting-miniature-robot-to-the-moon-388783">Japan is sending a shape-shifting miniature robot to the Moon</a>

During a visit by AFP this week, the robotic arm was programmed to make three different pasta dishes.

Its creators say it can be programmed to make hundreds of recipes, taking into account the owner's favourites and&nbsp;food&nbsp;allergies.

"The robotic arm actually makes the least trouble of all, we just programme it to do what we need," said Korcjomkins.

"The real challenge is to design and invent an entire kitchen around the robot, which should contain all the&nbsp;food&nbsp;ingredients, spices, sauces, rotating pots for boiling and frying," he said.

'As popular as electric cars'

The co-founders said the robotic arm would pay for itself within two years at most.

"On average in the European Union, one employee in the kitchen costs the company around 16 euros ($19) an hour, which includes salary, taxes, insurance, training and everything else," said Poruks.

"The robot does not need health insurance, its kids cannot get sick, it does not go on vacation or maternity leave, it does not complain and it cannot bring Covid from home to work," he said.

The company has big expansion plans with sales offices in Canada and the United States and a technical team in Riga to programme the robots.

The technology was shown off earlier this year at the Consumer Electronics Show in the US.

The co-founders said they were unconcerned about competition from similar robots, such as the pizza-making one in France.

"Our robot is designed to do more tasks and jobs than just make pizza. Our goal is to create a robot that can be useful for many kinds of foods, cuisines and dishes," said Korcjomkins.

"Hopefully a robot in kitchen will become as popular as electric cars!"

A pasta order comes in and the robotic arm springs into action at the Roboeatz eatery in Riga. After five minutes of gyrations, a piping hot plate is ready. The Riga cafe, located under a crumbling concrete bridge, is designed in such a way that customers can observe the robotic arm at work.

A pasta order comes in and the robotic arm springs into action at the Roboeatz eatery in Riga. After five minutes of gyrations, a piping hot plate is ready. The Riga cafe, located under a crumbling concrete bridge, is designed in such a way that customers can observe the robotic arm at work. It also has a seating area, although most customers prefer take away since vaccination certificates are required to be able to eat indoors in Latvia. Also read | First instance of 'killer robot' attacking human without orders recorded in Libya: UN report A Roboeatz app allows customers to order and pay for their dish before picking it up at the cafe. "The food tasted better than I expected!" said customer Iveta Ratinika, a teacher and a member of the Latvian capital's education board. Ratinika said she would encourage schoolchildren to come and observe the robotic arm in action and mused that there could be robots working at the school cafeteria within "a few years". Kitchen design is 'real challenge' Roboeatz was set up in January 2018 by Konstantins Korcjomkins and Janis Poruks, who have been running the Woki Toki fast food chain in Latvia since 2009. Their aim? To revolutionise the fast-food industry. "This robot replaces four to six human employees, reducing labour costs significantly," said Poruks, who has a background in engineering. But he stressed that the introduction of such robots would not push up unemployment rates since "people are not lining up to flip burgers". Also read | Watch: A cockroach-inspired robot that can't be squashed; withstands 1 million times its weight "The robot will not replace people who are willing to have a career in restaurants and catering, becoming chefs or other food celebrities. The robot will take those low-paid jobs which most people already do not want," he said. Automated kitchen technology has been gaining interest in recent years, and that has been accelerated by the pandemic. At a newly opened eatery in Paris, customers can watch robots build, bake and box up pizzas at a rate of up to 80 an hour. In the US, a robot named "Sally" belonging to the startup Chowbotics can whip up salads sold through a vending machine. And, for the ultimate household luxury, a UK-based company last year unveiled a fully robotic kitchen that will set customers back a minimum of £248,000 (291,000 euros, $347,000). The designers of Roboeatz say it is designed to take over some of the food prep tasks while improving food safety and eliminating the infection risks of crowded kitchens. Also read | Japan is sending a shape-shifting miniature robot to the Moon During a visit by AFP this week, the robotic arm was programmed to make three different pasta dishes. Its creators say it can be programmed to make hundreds of recipes, taking into account the owner's favourites and food allergies. "The robotic arm actually makes the least trouble of all, we just programme it to do what we need," said Korcjomkins. "The real challenge is to design and invent an entire kitchen around the robot, which should contain all the food ingredients, spices, sauces, rotating pots for boiling and frying," he said. 'As popular as electric cars' The co-founders said the robotic arm would pay for itself within two years at most. "On average in the European Union, one employee in the kitchen costs the company around 16 euros ($19) an hour, which includes salary, taxes, insurance, training and everything else," said Poruks. "The robot does not need health insurance, its kids cannot get sick, it does not go on vacation or maternity leave, it does not complain and it cannot bring Covid from home to work," he said. The company has big expansion plans with sales offices in Canada and the United States and a technical team in Riga to programme the robots. The technology was shown off earlier this year at the Consumer Electronics Show in the US. The co-founders said they were unconcerned about competition from similar robots, such as the pizza-making one in France. "Our robot is designed to do more tasks and jobs than just make pizza. Our goal is to create a robot that can be useful for many kinds of foods, cuisines and dishes," said Korcjomkins. "Hopefully a robot in kitchen will become as popular as electric cars!"

Robo-Chef 'cooks-up' the future, pasta in five minutes

Russia on Wednesday ordered the expulsion of seven diplomats from Slovakia, Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia, in retaliation for the expulsion of Russian envoys in the wake of Czech accusations that Russian intelligence was behind a deadly 2014 blast. &nbsp;

Moscow and Prague are locked in their biggest row since the end of the Communist era in 1989, which has spiralled into a series of diplomatic disputes with other European Union and NATO countries as Russia's ties with the West linger at post-Cold War lows.&nbsp;

Russia's foreign ministry gave the three Slovak and two Lithuanian diplomats, as well as an envoy from Latvia and another from Estonia, one week to leave Russia.&nbsp;

Russia accused the four countries of showing 'pseudo-solidarity' with the Czech Republic, which ordered most Russian diplomatic staff in Prague to leave last week after accusing Russian spies of being behind the blast at an ammunition depot. &nbsp;

Meanwhile, Bulgaria said on Wednesday prosecutors were collecting evidence on the possible involvement of six Russians in four explosions between 2011 and 2020 at Bulgarian arms depots that were storing munitions destined for export to Ukraine and Georgia.&nbsp;

Russia has branded the Czech accusations absurd and dismissed the Bulgarian probe.&nbsp;

Moscow's latest diplomatic expulsions come days after President Vladimir Putin ordered the government to draw up a list of 'unfriendly' states that will be subject to restrictions.&nbsp;

Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said on Wednesday the list would soon be published. The ministry's spokeswoman, Maria Zakharova, has already confirmed the United States would be on it. &nbsp;

Izvestia newspaper reported on Tuesday that the list could also include Poland, the Czech Republic and the three Baltic states. &nbsp;

The two suspects named by Czech authorities in the 2014 ammunition depot explosion, known under the aliases Ruslan Boshirov and Alexander Petrov, were reported by the New York Times in 2019 to be part of the elite Unit 29155 in Russia's GRU military intelligence service. &nbsp;

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said after its publication that the article amounted to 'pulp fiction'.&nbsp;

Britain charged the pair in absentia with attempted murder after the poisoning of former Russian spy Sergei Skripal and his daughter with the nerve agent Novichok in the English city of Salisbury in 2018. Russia denied involvement in that incident.&nbsp;

Russia on Wednesday ordered the expulsion of seven diplomats from Slovakia, Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia, in retaliation for the expulsion of Russian envoys in the wake of Czech accusations that Russian intelligence was behind a deadly 2014 blast.

Russia on Wednesday ordered the expulsion of seven diplomats from Slovakia, Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia, in retaliation for the expulsion of Russian envoys in the wake of Czech accusations that Russian intelligence was behind a deadly 2014 blast. Moscow and Prague are locked in their biggest row since the end of the Communist era in 1989, which has spiralled into a series of diplomatic disputes with other European Union and NATO countries as Russia's ties with the West linger at post-Cold War lows. Russia's foreign ministry gave the three Slovak and two Lithuanian diplomats, as well as an envoy from Latvia and another from Estonia, one week to leave Russia. Russia accused the four countries of showing 'pseudo-solidarity' with the Czech Republic, which ordered most Russian diplomatic staff in Prague to leave last week after accusing Russian spies of being behind the blast at an ammunition depot. Meanwhile, Bulgaria said on Wednesday prosecutors were collecting evidence on the possible involvement of six Russians in four explosions between 2011 and 2020 at Bulgarian arms depots that were storing munitions destined for export to Ukraine and Georgia. Russia has branded the Czech accusations absurd and dismissed the Bulgarian probe. Moscow's latest diplomatic expulsions come days after President Vladimir Putin ordered the government to draw up a list of 'unfriendly' states that will be subject to restrictions. Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said on Wednesday the list would soon be published. The ministry's spokeswoman, Maria Zakharova, has already confirmed the United States would be on it. Izvestia newspaper reported on Tuesday that the list could also include Poland, the Czech Republic and the three Baltic states. The two suspects named by Czech authorities in the 2014 ammunition depot explosion, known under the aliases Ruslan Boshirov and Alexander Petrov, were reported by the New York Times in 2019 to be part of the elite Unit 29155 in Russia's GRU military intelligence service. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said after its publication that the article amounted to 'pulp fiction'. Britain charged the pair in absentia with attempted murder after the poisoning of former Russian spy Sergei Skripal and his daughter with the nerve agent Novichok in the English city of Salisbury in 2018. Russia denied involvement in that incident.

Russia expels diplomats from Slovakia, Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia 

A Latvian father of two has taken his DIY skills to the extreme this winter by building a huge sledding track in his backyard in northern Latvia.

Latvian dad builds bobsleigh track in garden

Still in its fluffy baby fur, a newly born seal pup explored a snowy pool bank at Riga Zoo on Thursday (January 28), only two days after its birth.

Give mum a kiss: baby seal greets its mother at Riga Zoo

Riga residents joined a yoga class with a twist on Saturday (February 29) performing their poses while sipping from bottles of beer.

Latvians sip on beers in yoga class with a tipsy twist

Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu in Lithuania&nbsp;has stressed the need for collective action from all countries to tackle terrorism and also to isolate those nations who aid and abet terror.

"Terrorism is one of the major challenges confronting the world today. All the nations must intensify their collective efforts and strive to eliminate the menace of terrorism and also isolate nations which aid and abet terrorism," he said in a joint presser along with Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda on Saturday. India has extended e-Visa facility to Lithuanian nationals for ease of mobility, Naidu said.

Urging Lithuanian businesses to take advantage of economic opportunities in India, the Vice President said, "We would also be happy to have Lithuania as our energy transformation partner as India plans to generate 100 GW from solar energy by 2022."

Both countries on Saturday signed 3 MoUs to boost cultural, agricultural and legal cooperation. The signing of the agreements was witnessed by Naidu and Nauseda.

"Diversifying a historic relationship. VP @MVenkaiahNaidu and President Gitanas Nauseda of #Lithuania witnessed the signing of three MoUs to strengthen agricultural, cultural and legal cooperation between the two countries," MEA spokesperson Raveesh Kumar tweeted.

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Diversifying a historic relationship. 
 
VP <a href="https://twitter.com/MVenkaiahNaidu?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@MVenkaiahNaidu</a> and President Gitanas Nauseda of <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Lithuania?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Lithuania</a> witnessed the signing of three MoUs to strengthen agricultural, cultural and legal cooperation between the two countries. <a href="https://t.co/PhPUAhWACb">pic.twitter.com/PhPUAhWACb</a>
— Raveesh Kumar (@MEAIndia) <a href="https://twitter.com/MEAIndia/status/1162764264450527232?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 17, 2019</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">×</a></div>

Naidu is on a three-nation visit to the Balkan nations of Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia. He arrived in Lithuania on Saturday on the first leg of his visit.

The Vice President was received by the country's foreign minister Linas Linkevicius, India's Ambassador to Lithuania Tsewang Namgyal and others.

Naidu proceeded to the Presidential Palace where he was received by Nauseda. Both leaders held one-on-one talks and delegation-level negotiations to review the bilateral ties.

During the talks, the two sides agreed the need to make the UN Security Council more representative to reflect the realities of today and address current global challenges.

Lithuania has also backed India to have permanent membership in an expanded and reformed UN Security Council.

The Vice President received a copy of the book 'History of Lithuania' in Sanskrit.

"Happy to have received a copy of the book 'History of #Lithuania' in #Sanskrit. Lithuanian is the oldest Indo-European language &amp; it has strong links with Sanskrit. I hope that many more books on Lithuanian history, culture and society get published in Indian languages," read a tweet from the Vice President of India.

Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu in Lithuania has stressed the need for collective action from all countries to tackle terrorism and also to isolate those nations who aid and abet terror.

Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu in Lithuania has stressed the need for collective action from all countries to tackle terrorism and also to isolate those nations who aid and abet terror. "Terrorism is one of the major challenges confronting the world today. All the nations must intensify their collective efforts and strive to eliminate the menace of terrorism and also isolate nations which aid and abet terrorism," he said in a joint presser along with Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda on Saturday. India has extended e-Visa facility to Lithuanian nationals for ease of mobility, Naidu said. Urging Lithuanian businesses to take advantage of economic opportunities in India, the Vice President said, "We would also be happy to have Lithuania as our energy transformation partner as India plans to generate 100 GW from solar energy by 2022." Both countries on Saturday signed 3 MoUs to boost cultural, agricultural and legal cooperation. The signing of the agreements was witnessed by Naidu and Nauseda. "Diversifying a historic relationship. VP @MVenkaiahNaidu and President Gitanas Nauseda of #Lithuania witnessed the signing of three MoUs to strengthen agricultural, cultural and legal cooperation between the two countries," MEA spokesperson Raveesh Kumar tweeted. Diversifying a historic relationship. VP @MVenkaiahNaidu and President Gitanas Nauseda of #Lithuania witnessed the signing of three MoUs to strengthen agricultural, cultural and legal cooperation between the two countries. pic.twitter.com/PhPUAhWACb — Raveesh Kumar (@MEAIndia) August 17, 2019 × Naidu is on a three-nation visit to the Balkan nations of Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia. He arrived in Lithuania on Saturday on the first leg of his visit. The Vice President was received by the country's foreign minister Linas Linkevicius, India's Ambassador to Lithuania Tsewang Namgyal and others. Naidu proceeded to the Presidential Palace where he was received by Nauseda. Both leaders held one-on-one talks and delegation-level negotiations to review the bilateral ties. During the talks, the two sides agreed the need to make the UN Security Council more representative to reflect the realities of today and address current global challenges. Lithuania has also backed India to have permanent membership in an expanded and reformed UN Security Council. The Vice President received a copy of the book 'History of Lithuania' in Sanskrit. "Happy to have received a copy of the book 'History of #Lithuania' in #Sanskrit. Lithuanian is the oldest Indo-European language & it has strong links with Sanskrit. I hope that many more books on Lithuanian history, culture and society get published in Indian languages," read a tweet from the Vice President of India.

All nations must intensify collective efforts to eliminate terrorism: Vice President Venkaiah Naidu

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/united-states-announces-250-million-in-military-aid-to-ukraine-228506">Ukraine</a> on Tuesday announced it is withdrawing its invitation to monitors from the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe to observe elections later this month, in protest against Russia's reinstatement in the body.

Russian delegates had been stripped of their voting rights in the pan-European rights body in 2014 after Moscow annexed Crimea from Ukraine, but last week were allowed to return over strong objections from Kiev.

Ukrainian parliament speaker Andriy Parubiy on Tuesday said he signed a letter to PACE president Liliane Maury-Pasquier saying its monitors were no longer welcome at the parliamentary elections to be held on July 21.

"Representatives of an aggressor country, Russia, cannot be among international observers; they will be agents of a hybrid war rather than observers," Parubiy wrote on his Facebook page.

"Any influence by Russia on Ukrainian elections, by any means, is not acceptable."

Ukraine, together with Georgia, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland and Slovakia had unsuccessfully tried to block Russia's return to PACE, but it was approved by a vote of 116 in favour to 62 against.

Russia's comeback is the first relaxation of the international sanctions that were imposed on Moscow for seizing Crimea.

Ukraine's snap parliamentary polls were called by the country's recently-elected <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/ukraines-new-president-zelensky-says-ceasefire-first-priority-220138">President Volodymyr Zelensky</a> in a controversial move aimed at replacing lawmakers who he says no longer enjoy public support.

The legal status of Zelensky's move to dissolve parliament was initially disputed, but the Constitutional Court ruled that it is legitimate.

The Council of Europe on Tuesday confirmed to AFP that Russia paid its participant contribution of 33 million euros for the year 2019.

Ukraine on Tuesday announced it is withdrawing its invitation to monitors from the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe to observe elections later this month, in protest against Russia's reinstatement in the body.

Ukraine on Tuesday announced it is withdrawing its invitation to monitors from the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe to observe elections later this month, in protest against Russia's reinstatement in the body. Russian delegates had been stripped of their voting rights in the pan-European rights body in 2014 after Moscow annexed Crimea from Ukraine, but last week were allowed to return over strong objections from Kiev. Ukrainian parliament speaker Andriy Parubiy on Tuesday said he signed a letter to PACE president Liliane Maury-Pasquier saying its monitors were no longer welcome at the parliamentary elections to be held on July 21. "Representatives of an aggressor country, Russia, cannot be among international observers; they will be agents of a hybrid war rather than observers," Parubiy wrote on his Facebook page. "Any influence by Russia on Ukrainian elections, by any means, is not acceptable." Ukraine, together with Georgia, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland and Slovakia had unsuccessfully tried to block Russia's return to PACE, but it was approved by a vote of 116 in favour to 62 against. Russia's comeback is the first relaxation of the international sanctions that were imposed on Moscow for seizing Crimea. Ukraine's snap parliamentary polls were called by the country's recently-elected President Volodymyr Zelensky in a controversial move aimed at replacing lawmakers who he says no longer enjoy public support. The legal status of Zelensky's move to dissolve parliament was initially disputed, but the Constitutional Court ruled that it is legitimate. The Council of Europe on Tuesday confirmed to AFP that Russia paid its participant contribution of 33 million euros for the year 2019.

Ukraine says European observers not welcome at July polls

Pope Francis on Monday urged Latvians, who broke with the Soviet Union nearly 30 years ago, to cherish their hard-won freedom and to not forget the sacrifices of those who died for it.

Francis is visiting Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia, three countries who are looking warily towards what they fear is a newly hostile Russia.

"You know all too well the price of that freedom, which you have had to win over and over again," Francis said in a speech to President Raimonds Vejonis and the diplomatic corps shortly after his arrival in the Latvian capital.

All three countries initially won independence from imperial Russia 100 years ago, were annexed by the Soviet Union in 1940, occupied by the Nazis during World War Two and were then satellite republics of the Soviet Union until 1991.

Francis said their tragic history should remind Latvians of the importance of treasuring freedom and independence.

"If today we can celebrate, it is due to all those who blazed trails and opened a door to the future, bequeathed to you that same responsibility," he said aid before laying flowers at the Monument to Freedom in Riga.

The Nazis, who occupied Latvia during World War Two, killed some 70,000 of the country's Jews and later the Soviets deported some 60,000 people to Siberia.

Recent events in Russia, with which all three states share a land border, have brought on new nervousness. All three are members of the European Union and NATO.

"The fates of the Baltic States in the 20th century is a living testimony to the fact that a divided Europe leads only to suffering," Vejonis told the pope.

As Russia annexed Crimea in 2014 and fears grew that the Baltics might be next on Moscow's list, defence spending was increased sharply and several thousand NATO soldiers were deployed.

Pope Francis on Monday urged Latvians, who broke with the Soviet Union nearly 30 years ago, to cherish their hard-won freedom and to not forget the sacrifices of those who died for it.

Pope Francis on Monday urged Latvians, who broke with the Soviet Union nearly 30 years ago, to cherish their hard-won freedom and to not forget the sacrifices of those who died for it. Francis is visiting Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia, three countries who are looking warily towards what they fear is a newly hostile Russia. "You know all too well the price of that freedom, which you have had to win over and over again," Francis said in a speech to President Raimonds Vejonis and the diplomatic corps shortly after his arrival in the Latvian capital. All three countries initially won independence from imperial Russia 100 years ago, were annexed by the Soviet Union in 1940, occupied by the Nazis during World War Two and were then satellite republics of the Soviet Union until 1991. Francis said their tragic history should remind Latvians of the importance of treasuring freedom and independence. "If today we can celebrate, it is due to all those who blazed trails and opened a door to the future, bequeathed to you that same responsibility," he said aid before laying flowers at the Monument to Freedom in Riga. The Nazis, who occupied Latvia during World War Two, killed some 70,000 of the country's Jews and later the Soviets deported some 60,000 people to Siberia. Recent events in Russia, with which all three states share a land border, have brought on new nervousness. All three are members of the European Union and NATO. "The fates of the Baltic States in the 20th century is a living testimony to the fact that a divided Europe leads only to suffering," Vejonis told the pope. As Russia annexed Crimea in 2014 and fears grew that the Baltics might be next on Moscow's list, defence spending was increased sharply and several thousand NATO soldiers were deployed.

You had to win freedom over and over again, says Pope Francis to  Latvians

Google doodle honoured Soviet filmmaker and pioneer in the practice of montage, Sergei Eisenstein on his 120th birthday.

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false"><iframe allow="autoplay; encrypted-media" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/BftA--Lh3PI" width="560"></iframe></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">&times;</a></div>

Known for silent films, Eisenstein began his career by working in a Soviet experimental soviet artistic institution call Proletkult.

Eisenstein was born in Riga, Latvia and raised as an orthodox Christian but as he grew up he became an atheist.

In 1923 Eisenstein became a theorist by writing &quot;The Montage of Attractions&quot;&nbsp;for the group Left Front of the Arts, he also made his first film &quot;Glumov&#39;s Diary&quot; the&nbsp;same year.

Though his work was appreciated worldwide,&nbsp;but in his home, Soviet, he was under fire from the Soviet film community, forcing him to issue public articles of self-criticism and reform his cinematic visions.

He and his contemporary, Lev Kuleshov argued that montage -- the technique of editing a fast-paced sequence of short shots, was the essence of the cinema.

His articles and books like &quot;Film Form&quot;&nbsp;and &quot;The film Sense&quot;&nbsp;explain the significance of montage in detail.

He has believed that editing could be used for more than just expounding a scene or moment, through a linkage of related images.

He used to feel that the collision of shots could be used to manipulate emotions of the audience and create film metaphors.

Noted works of Eisenstein include,&nbsp;&quot;The Battleship Potemkin&quot;, &quot;October&quot; and historical epics such as &quot;Alexander Nevsky&quot;&nbsp;and &quot;Ivan the Terrible.&quot;

Known for silent films, Eisenstein began his career by working in a Soviet experimental soviet artistic institution call Proletkult

Google doodle honoured Soviet filmmaker and pioneer in the practice of montage, Sergei Eisenstein on his 120th birthday. × Known for silent films, Eisenstein began his career by working in a Soviet experimental soviet artistic institution call Proletkult. Eisenstein was born in Riga, Latvia and raised as an orthodox Christian but as he grew up he became an atheist. In 1923 Eisenstein became a theorist by writing "The Montage of Attractions" for the group Left Front of the Arts, he also made his first film "Glumov's Diary" the same year. Though his work was appreciated worldwide, but in his home, Soviet, he was under fire from the Soviet film community, forcing him to issue public articles of self-criticism and reform his cinematic visions. He and his contemporary, Lev Kuleshov argued that montage -- the technique of editing a fast-paced sequence of short shots, was the essence of the cinema. His articles and books like "Film Form" and "The film Sense" explain the significance of montage in detail. He has believed that editing could be used for more than just expounding a scene or moment, through a linkage of related images. He used to feel that the collision of shots could be used to manipulate emotions of the audience and create film metaphors. Noted works of Eisenstein include, "The Battleship Potemkin", "October" and historical epics such as "Alexander Nevsky" and "Ivan the Terrible."

Google doodle honours Soviet filmmaker Sergei Eisenstein on his 120th birthday

Germany today stressed its promise to protect its NATO allies after White House hopeful Donald Trump called the commitment into question. 
 
&quot;The German government is fundamentally committed to Article Five of the NATO treaty. That is the central promise of solidarity within the alliance,&quot; Chancellor Angela Merkel&#39;s spokesman Steffen Seibert told reporters when asked about Trump&#39;s remarks. 
 
&quot;Collective defence according to Article Five is and remains the main duty of NATO,&quot; Seibert added, noting that the pledge had once again been renewed at a NATO summit this month in Warsaw. 
 
Under Article Five of the NATO treaty, members agree to regard an attack on one member as an attack on all, and promise to mobilise together to defeat the threat. 
 
In an interview published on Thursday in the New York Times, Trump raised questions about this vow.&nbsp;He warned that if elected he would only come to the aid of the Baltic states in the event they were invaded by Russia if he judged they had &quot;fulfilled their obligations to us&quot;. 
 
This drew a furious response from Estonia and Latvia, and outrage from Trump&#39;s domestic political critics.&nbsp;US Secretary of State John Kerry on Thursday reaffirmed Washington&#39;s promise to protect its NATO allies following the uproar. 
 
(AFP)

Trump said if elected he would aid the Baltic states only if they had 'fulfilled their obligations', drawing outrage from two Baltic nations

Germany today stressed its promise to protect its NATO allies after White House hopeful Donald Trump called the commitment into question. "The German government is fundamentally committed to Article Five of the NATO treaty. That is the central promise of solidarity within the alliance," Chancellor Angela Merkel's spokesman Steffen Seibert told reporters when asked about Trump's remarks. "Collective defence according to Article Five is and remains the main duty of NATO," Seibert added, noting that the pledge had once again been renewed at a NATO summit this month in Warsaw. Under Article Five of the NATO treaty, members agree to regard an attack on one member as an attack on all, and promise to mobilise together to defeat the threat. In an interview published on Thursday in the New York Times, Trump raised questions about this vow. He warned that if elected he would only come to the aid of the Baltic states in the event they were invaded by Russia if he judged they had "fulfilled their obligations to us". This drew a furious response from Estonia and Latvia, and outrage from Trump's domestic political critics. US Secretary of State John Kerry on Thursday reaffirmed Washington's promise to protect its NATO allies following the uproar. (AFP)

Germany stresses NATO commitment to allies after Trump comments

latvia

Latvia, News on Latvia, stories on Latvia, articles on Latvia, Latvia stories at Wion, Latvia news, Latvia latest news