Latvija in brief - 2006-06-07

  • 2006-06-07
Latvia is ahead of Lithuania but lags behind Estonia in terms of press freedom, shows a new report by the international organization "Reporters without Borders." In the organization's latest press freedom index Latvia was ranked 17th, Estonia 11th and Lithuania 22nd in 2005 for freedom of the press. Journalists enjoy the greatest freedom in such countries as Denmark, Finland, Iceland, the Netherlands and Norway, but the press is most restricted in North Korea, Erithrea, Turkmenistan, Iran and Myanmar. Belarus was placed 16th from last on the list. Among EU new members, the best situation in terms of press freedom is in Slovakia, which has been ranked eighth, the Czech Republic (9), Slovenia (10) and Hungary (12), according to the report.

A parliamentary committee backed plans for Latvia to adopt a four-level terror threat warning system. According to a report prepared by the Interior Ministry, Latvia needs a multi-level warning system for eventual terror threats in order to improve the national anti-terrorism system. The four warning levels will be compatible with the four terror alert stages of the NATO Crisis Response System (NCRS). Warnings would be issued based on information from the Security Police Anti-Terrorism Center. Institutions and civilians would then be notified to take all necessary security measures in accordance with the announced terrorist warning. Each terrorist level, according to its potential threat, will be marked with a different color 's blue, yellow, orange and red.

Troops that participated in the international peacekeeping operation in Afghanistan received decorations for their service. Awards were handed out at a ceremony in the Adazi military base near Riga. The Latvian National Armed Forces Commander was one of the recipients, along with Vice-Admiral Gaidis Andrejs Zeibots and Home Guard Commander, Lieutenant-Colonel Juris Bezzubovs.

Police arrested an Irish citizen in the southwest city of Liepaja for repeatedly driving without a licensce and causing a traffic accident. Liepaja city and county police department spokeswoman Jolanta Knise told the Baltic News Service that on June 1, a 47-year-old Irish citizen drove his VW Transporter onto the highway and crashed into a BMW 318, which was being driven by a policeman. Nobody was injured. The Irishman already has a criminal record 's both for drunk driving and causing an accident. Police sentenced the man to five days in prison. The Irish citizen lives in the Virga district of Liepaja, and works in horse breeding.

Latvian scientists in Egypt have discovered the original entrance of Djoser's Pyramid, which could provide the answer to how the pyramid was built. Bruno Deslandes, a French architect who led the group of scientists, told the Baltic News Service that the entrance to the 5,000-year-old pyramid was discovered using a 3D scanner. Historians said the entrance was walled up when rebuilding mastaba into a pyramid, but the Latvian scientists discovered that the original entry was only partly covered. "The discovery carries great importance, as it knocks out current theories and allows us to restore Djoser's Pyramid, built by Egyptian architect Imhotep," said Deslandes.