Aleksandrs Damsons died after crashing his homemade aircraft near the town of Salacgriva in northeastern Latvia on April 18. Damsons, no stranger to problems with his planes, had crashed a similar aircraft two years earlier. His recent crash had been his first attempt to fly again.
Former Prime Minister Einars Repse (photo) denounced the current ruling coalition at a meeting in Tukums with regional leaders of his New Era party. Repse said the party needed a strong showing in the upcoming Europarliament elections. He also cited three areas in need of improvement: demographic situation, external and internal stability and commercial and spiritual growth.
Faced with insistent demands by ambulance drivers for a pay raise over the past few weeks, threatening also a general strike, Health Minister Rinalds Mucins said he could solve the issue no earlier than 2006. What's more, he said he couldn't promise any pay raises for drivers in the interim. "We will try to find internal reserves and possibly suggest the need during budgetary amendments," said the minister, adding that this would be linked to wage levels for the entire health care sector. "We can't raise wages for ambulance drivers to 240 lats (400 euros), if we leave medics with their current wages," said the minister.
One of the oldest Russian Orthodox icons in the world will be on display in Latvia beginning April 21. The Tikhvin Icon of Our Lady was taken to the United States for safekeeping during World War II by Bishop Janis Garklavs. The icon remained in a Chicago church. It will be returned to the Tikhvin monastery in Russia after a short stay in Latvia.
Speaking in Hong Kong, Deputy Prime Minister Ainars Slesers (photo) said cooperation between Latvian and Chinese ports could begin this year. Together with President Vaira Vike-Freiberga and Riga Mayor Gundars Bojars, Slesers visited the Hong Kong port to learn more about the efficiency of its operations. "I hope that a small part of cargos could be shipped through Latvian ports, and this would help us develop rapidly," he said.
The Transport Ministry announced that it has become the first institution to manage EU structural funds for transportation infrastructure development. Latvia has several major projects that will receive financial support from EU cohesion funds and regional development funds, including a new Riga-Koknese highway, a railroad connecting Riga and Krustpils and three other roads. The total cost of all five projects is valued at 221 million euros.
