August 20 in Pictures

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August 20, 2012

BNN offers to take a look at the most interesting, the most scandalous and simply the most beautiful pictures of the day.

Anyone can participate in the creation of our Galleries of the Day! Send your photos to our e-mail redakcija@bnn.lv, with «Pictures of the Day» as the topic.

CPCB requests permission to initiate criminal prosecution of bribery suspected official

The Corruption Prevention and Combating Bureau (CPCB) has requested the Prosecutor General's office to prosecute former Riga City Council Housing and Environment Department Chief Arija Stabina for bribery and other crimes.

Social ,
Latvia

May 24, 2013

Germany reports sluggish first-quarter growth of 0.1%

Germany's economy barely grew in the first quarter of 2013 as exports and investment shrank, figures show.

World

May 24, 2013

Google might be considering purchase of Waze

Google Inc., author of the Android operating system, is said to be considering the purchase map-software provider Waze. Facebook has also expressed interest in buying Waze.

Money ,
World

May 24, 2013

World Bank: Latvian experts need to be more involved in other countries' development

Latvia should send its specialists to different projects, so that they would share their knowledge and experience with other countries, especially countries of the former Soviet Union. This was agreed upon by Latvian Finance Minister Andris Vilks and World Bank (WB) Nordic Baltic Group CEO Satu Santala.

Social ,
Latvia

May 24, 2013

Barroso to be involved in Estonian-Finnish LNG terminal dispute

Following the meeting with Prime Minister Andrus Ansip this week, European Commission president Jose Manuel Barroso has agreed to provide neutral assessment whether the LNG terminal should be in Estonia or Finland.

World ,
Estonia

May 24, 2013

Aldaris and Latvenergo at the top of sustainability index

In this year's Sustainability Index 13 companies received the bronze category certificate. Silver certificate was given to 24 Latvian companies. 12 participants were included in the gold category. Platinum category was awarded to two companies – Latvenergo and Aldaris.

Money ,
Latvia

May 24, 2013

Tourists from Belarus stay the longest at Latvian hotels

The number of visitors in hotels and other accommodation establishments in Q1 of this year comprised 301.3 thousand people. That is 5.9% more than in Q1 of 2012.Of which 34.3% were residents of Latvia and 65.7% – foreign tourists. Previously share of visitors was similar.

Social ,
Latvia

May 24, 2013

U.S. boy scouts allow gay members to participate

In the U.S., organisation the Boy Scouts of America has voted to allow gay boys to participate in scouting. Supporters of the ban on gay members, however, consider that the scout oath is against homosexual scouts.

Social ,
World

May 24, 2013

Voluntary car insurance is now more popular in Latvia

In Q1 of 2013, compared to Q1 of 2012, the number of clients that chose voluntary car insurance (KASKO) doubled.

Social ,
Latvia

May 24, 2013

Powerful earthquake strikes eastern Russia

A powerful earthquake on Friday, May 24, hit Russia's Far East with tremors felt as far away as Moscow, about 7,000 kilometers west of the epicenter.

World

May 24, 2013

Latvian government plans to increase school coaches' salaries

Latvian Education and Science Ministry (ESM) plans to allocate an additional 2.3 million LVL for salaries of school coaches.

Social ,
Latvia

May 24, 2013

Additional experts attracted to the Liepājas metalurgs drama

In order to resolve the Liepājas metalurgs (LM) crisis, not only was Prudentia attracted without contest, but other specialists as well. Their attraction, which is expected to cost 100 000 LVL to the state budget, has been entrusted to Prudentia.

Money ,
Latvia

2 comments

May 24, 2013

Germany – the most popular country in the world

Germany is the most positively viewed nation in the world in this year's annual Country Ratings Poll for the BBC World Service.

World

1 comment

May 24, 2013

Road bridge collapses into river in U.S.

In state of Washington, a section of a road bridge has collapsed into the Skagit river.

World

May 24, 2013

Fuel contraband steals millions from Latvia

The state of Latvia annually loses up to 100 million LVL due to fuel contraband. This money could be potentially gained from excise tax on oil products, industry representatives note. According to them, the problem of fuel contraband is still notable in Latvia.

Money ,
Latvia

May 24, 2013

U.S. General: Latvia is a leader in creating the “New Silk Road”

Latvia is a leader in the creation of a “New silk road”, which could be used after the end of the mission in Afghanistan, notes U.S. transportation command Commander Gen. William Fraser. He highly praised Latvia's contribution to the function of the Northern Distribution Network.

Social ,
Latvia

May 24, 2013

Court in France questions Head of IMF

Christine Lagarde, the Head of the International Monetary Fund, has been summoned to a court in Paris for questioning about a payout to a business magnate taken place at her time as French Finance Minister.

Social ,
World

Photo

May 23, 2013

Moscow police: Cars with Baltic license plates often used in criminal activities

Moscow traffic police pay more attention to cars with foreign license plates because such vehicles are often used in crimes, according to the press office of the State Traffic Safety Inspectorate for Moscow.

Baltics

May 23, 2013

12 million LVL overpaid for expensive compensated medications

Latvian residents overpaid a total of 12 million LVL when purchasing expensive compensated medications last year, as reported by the director of the National Health Service Maris Taube at the opening of the “Ārstējies nepārmaksājot” (Don't overpay for treatment) informative campaign.

Social ,
Latvia

May 23, 2013

10 million of Samsung Galaxy S4 sold in «record» time

Sales of the Galaxy S4 smartphone have reached 10 million in «record» time, Samsung announced on May 23.

Money ,
World

Photo

May 23, 2013

Latvia's producer prices up by 1.4%

Compared to March, the overall level of producer prices in Latvian industry in April 2013 increased by 0.1%. The producer prices of products sold on the domestic market rose by 1.1%, whereas prices of exported products reduced by 0.9%.

Social ,
Latvia

May 23, 2013

Latvia: one car per three residents

Estonia has the largest proportion of cars per capita among other Baltic States – 0.51. Lithuania's index reached 0.40 this year. That of Latvia is 0.33, according to the latest barometer survey data of Autoplius.

Social ,
Latvia

1 comment

May 23, 2013

Japanese climber, 80, becomes oldest atop Everest

An 80-year-old Japanese mountaineer became the oldest person to reach the top of Mount Everest on Thursday — although his record may last only a few days. An 81-year-old Nepalese man, who held the previous record, plans his own ascent next week.

World

May 23, 2013

Wife of Latvian official denies claims about his attempts to hide from the law

I deny the information that the whereabouts of the suspended director of the Customs Criminal Office of the State Revenue Service Vladimir Vaskevics are unknown, says his wife business woman Inara Vilkaste.