RIGA, Latvia (AP) — Latvians are electing a new parliament on Saturday as pro-Ukraine Prime Minister Andris Kulbergs seeks a full term. The vote comes as the small republic on NATO's eastern flank contends with growing concern about potential Russian aggression.
A political crisis in May over the handling of stray drones suspected to be from Ukraine brought down the governing coalition that had been under strain due to multiple other issues. The parliament, or Saeima, then approved a four-party coalition led by Kulbergs of the centrist United List party, previously in opposition.
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Voters fill in ballot papers at the parliamentary election at a polling station in Riga, Latvia, Saturday, Oct. 3, 2026. (AP Photo/Roman Koksarov)
A voter casts his ballot at the parliamentary election at a polling station in Riga, Latvia, Saturday, Oct. 3, 2026. (AP Photo/Roman Koksarov)
Voters cast their ballots at the parliamentary election at a polling station in Riga, Latvia, Saturday, Oct. 3, 2026. (AP Photo/Roman Koksarov)
President of Latvia Edgars Rinkevics casts his ballot at the parliamentary election at a polling station in Riga, Latvia, Saturday, Oct. 3, 2026. (AP Photo/Roman Koksarov)
Latvia, like its Baltic neighbors Lithuania and Estonia, strongly supports Ukraine in its fight against Moscow’s invasion. It borders both Russia and Moscow-allied Belarus.
Kulbergs, 47, is now seeking his own mandate from voters.
“I hope we get a good result. This would give us an opportunity to make changes, put Latvia on the right track for defense and economy,” he said outside a polling station in Riga after casting his ballot.
“A strong economy can only bring strong defense, so that is the mission for the next four years if I’m given the right to lead the country," he added. "Our party is ready to make changes."
A multiparty coalition will almost certainly be needed to govern in a splintered political landscape. Parties must take at least 5% of the vote to win parliamentary seats.
"What I want to see is just democracy in action, just people actually going to vote and voicing their opinions on who they want to govern the country for the next term," said Jānis Artis Briedis, who voted in Riga.
Nearly 1.56 million people in the nation of more than 1.8 million are entitled to choose the 100 members of the single-chamber Saeima for a four-year term.
“It’s obviously a very decisive election, and I expect that we’ll vote for parties that will be making nationally correct decisions for the defense and the economy, so I think the coalition will be maybe not ideal, but it will be still OK and we’ll be moving in the right direction,” Reinholds Pirags said after voting.
Concern about potential Russian hybrid attacks — a term used for non-conventional hostile acts such as sabotage, cyberattacks, disinformation and an array of other methods — has been mounting across parts of Europe in recent months; Latvia, among other nations on NATO’s eastern edge, is particularly exposed.
NATO has reinforced its protection of Latvian airspace for the election period, with Germany sending four Eurofighter jets to Latvia for about a week.
The Latvian State Security Service said last week that it hadn't yet detected any significant or systematic efforts by Russia or others to influence the election in favor of any party or candidate, the LETA news agency reported.
Polls are expected to close at 1700 GMT.
Associated Press writer Geir Moulson in Berlin contributed to this report.
Voters fill in ballot papers at the parliamentary election at a polling station in Riga, Latvia, Saturday, Oct. 3, 2026. (AP Photo/Roman Koksarov)
A voter casts his ballot at the parliamentary election at a polling station in Riga, Latvia, Saturday, Oct. 3, 2026. (AP Photo/Roman Koksarov)
Voters cast their ballots at the parliamentary election at a polling station in Riga, Latvia, Saturday, Oct. 3, 2026. (AP Photo/Roman Koksarov)
President of Latvia Edgars Rinkevics casts his ballot at the parliamentary election at a polling station in Riga, Latvia, Saturday, Oct. 3, 2026. (AP Photo/Roman Koksarov)
The co-pilot suspected in this week's FlyDubai attack has been identified as an Omani national, and the United Arab Emirates says he attacked the captain with the cockpit's crash axe before trying to seize the controls.
Meanwhile, a hospital in Gaza says Israeli strikes have killed five people, including two from the Palestinian territory's Christian minority. And a fire broke out at an oil facility in the Saudi capital, with no details released on the cause.
Here is the latest news from the Middle East on Saturday. Full coverage is available here.
The co-pilot suspected of stabbing the captain of an Israel-bound FlyDubai flight before passengers and others stopped the attack is an Omani national named Hamam al-Hammami, three people with knowledge of the situation, including a Gulf and a Western diplomat, said.
All spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak to the media. The Gulf diplomat said investigations are underway to establish whether he acted alone.
The United Arab Emirates said the co-pilot attacked the captain with the cockpit’s crash axe and tried to take control of the plane in a “terrorist attack.”
The co-pilot, who officials said nearly crashed the sharply plummeting flight with 182 people aboard, was barred from flying by Oman over concerns he had adopted extremist views, a separate person familiar with the matter said, speaking on the condition of anonymity to discuss the ongoing investigation.
— By Samy Magdy, Sam Mednick, Anna Johnson
Israeli strikes overnight in Gaza killed five people, according to Shifa Hospital, where the casualties were taken. Four women were among the dead. A mother and daughter among them were Christians, a minority in Gaza, the hospital said, and the Latin patriarch of Jerusalem, Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa, expressed condolences.
A large fire burned at the site, where the strikes tore a gaping hole in the ground floor of a multistory building. The hospital said people were still reported missing beneath the debris.
Israel's military did not immediately comment, saying it was checking for information.
Israeli strikes have killed at least 1,439 Palestinians in Gaza since a ceasefire was reached with the Hamas militant group nearly a year ago, according to the territory’s Health Ministry. Its figures are seen as generally reliable by U.N. agencies and independent experts. It does not give a breakdown of civilians and militants.
Israel says it is targeting Hamas and other militants who pose a threat, and in response to ceasefire violations, including occasional attacks.
A fire broke out at an oil facility in the Saudi capital, Riyadh, sending dense black smoke into the air, an eyewitness said, speaking on condition of anonymity for his safety.
It wasn’t clear what caused the fire at an Aramco oil refinery. Authorities tightened security in the area and police blocked roads leading to it, the witness said.
The Saudi state-run Aramco oil company and the government-run Center for International Communication, which oversees foreign media in Saudi Arabia, didn’t immediately respond to requests for comment.
Saudi oil facilities recently have been hit in missile and drone attacks by Yemen’s Houthi rebels and Iranian-backed militias in Iraq. A major escalation between Saudi Arabia and the Iran-backed Houthis has revived Yemen’s civil war.
— By Samy Magdy
Iran-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen said airstrikes hit the capital, Sanaa, as renewed fighting raged between the Houthis on one side and Saudi Arabia and Yemen's internationally recognized government on the other. Residents reported hearing three loud explosions.
The Houthi media office accused Saudi Arabia of launching the strikes but didn’t offer evidence. There was no immediate Saudi comment.
Iran executed a man convicted of firing at police during widespread unrest in January, the state-run IRNA news agency reported.
The report identified the man as Siavash Jamshidi Kheirabadi, a resident of Shahrekord in central Iran. It said he confessed to possessing weapons and firing at police, and was convicted on charges including moharebeh, Farsi for "waging war against God."
The report did not say how the execution was carried out, though Iran typically carries out executions by hanging. Earlier this week, IRNA reported that Iran had executed two other men over violence during the January protests.
This report will be updated throughout the day as new developments emerge.
Mourners pray over the bodies of Palestinians who were killed in an early morning Israeli airstrike, during their funeral in Gaza city, Saturday, Oct. 3, 2026. (AP Photo/Jehad Alshrafi)
A destroyed building is seen at the site of an early morning Israeli airstrike in Gaza city, Saturday, Oct. 3, 2026. (AP Photo/Jehad Alshrafi)
Palestinians inspect the site of an early morning Israeli airstrike in Gaza city, Saturday, Oct. 3, 2026. (AP Photo/Jehad Alshrafi)
