Aug 25, 2010 - Slesers doing God’s work...
RIGA - The new Archbishop of Riga, Zbignevs Stankevics, does not support the introduction of mandatory Bible teaching in school, and is critical of the activities of the political alliance For a Good Latvia at the recent celebrations in Aglona, in eastern Latvia, according to the TV3 show Nothing Personal, reports news agency LETA. Stankevics also criticized Deacon of Aglona Cathedral Andrejs A...
Aug 18, 2010 - World Bank president advises long-term reforms...
SIGULDA - Latvia needs to continue implementing structural long-term reforms to achieve recovery of the country’s economy, declared World Bank President Robert B. Zoellick in his three-day visit to the Baltic country last week. On his visit he met with Latvian President Valdis Zatlers and Latvian Prime Minister Valdis Dombrovskis (New Era), among others. The World Bank president arrived i...
Aug 11, 2010 - Latvia increasingly attractive for immigrants...
RIGA - Since the changes in the Immigration law were approved on July 1, two requests have been accepted from foreigners for residence permission for five years, in exchange for buying real estate in Latvia for an amount that reaches 100,000 lats (142,800 euros). Both applicants are from Russia, reports the Department of Citizenship and Migration.
“There is no group of foreigners who wo...
Aug 04, 2010 - Mikelsons continues innocence campaign...
RIGA - Egons Rusanovs, the attorney for former electric utility Latvenergo chief Karlis Mikelsons, believes that the Corruption Prevention Bureau (CPB) exceeded its authority in the so-called Latvenergo money-laundering affair, and that Mikelsons will therefore turn to the European Court of Human Rights with a complaint, reports news agency LETA. Rusanovs, speaking on the LNT show ‘900 Se...
Jul 28, 2010 - Insolvency law may deepen financial crisis...
RIGA - The parliament passed the controversial Insolvency law, which is aimed to help borrowers who find themselves in trouble with their finances. Banks are extremely unhappy with the new regulation and promise to raise interest rates for the new customers in order to cover expected losses. This could slow lending down even more in Latvia and make recovery of the economy more complicated, bank...
Jul 28, 2010 - Winter of discontent ends...
RIGA - On the night of July 23, Riga Municipal Police officers dismantled and removed the so-called ‘tent village’ hard luck housing complex from the park-like oasis of grass and pavement opposite the Cabinet of Ministers’ building, bringing an end to the social protest that began on Nov. 30 last winter. Only one person was in residence during the clandestine police operation ...
Jul 21, 2010 - Gas tax delayed...
RIGA - The introduction of excise tax on natural gas in Latvia must be put off until later, says the Public Utilities Commission Council Chairwoman Valentina Andrejeva in an interview with LNT television on July 20, reports news agency LETA. Saeima’s Economic, Agricultural, Environmental and Regional Policy Committee decided last week to add to the Saeima amendments to the law on excise t...
Jul 21, 2010 - Latvian free press dying off...
RIGA - Ahead of the national elections, scheduled for this fall, the most influential Latvian daily newspaper Diena is now headed by politically motivated persons following personnel changes. This could be the beginning of the end for the free press in the country, say analysts and established journalists.
Since Latvia’s independence was restored in 1990, Diena had been the most power...