CDE News - The Dispatch - Europe

West could cut Russia from SWIFT, sanction Nord Stream, Latvia says

The West must send a strong message to Russia to deter the Kremlin from invading Ukraine, including cutting Russia off from the SWIFT payment system, sanctioning the Nord Stream 2 pipeline and…

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Photo Story: Snowy weather in Riga

A man walks during a snowy day at the Ziedondarzs Park in Riga, Latvia. The Finnish Meteorological Institute in its forecast for Latvia predicts winterly temperatures of down to minus…

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Latvia calls for permanent U.S. troops to guard against Russia threat

Latvia needs a permanent U.S. military presence to deter Russia and wants to boost its defences with U.S. Patriot missiles, Defence Minister Artis Pabriks said on Monday as NATO's chief…

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Lithuania says Belarus will keep testing West, urges NATO rethink

Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda said on Sunday that the NATO military alliance needed to adjust its stance towards Belarus, whose military, he said, was becoming more integrated with Russian armed…

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Lithuania, in spat with China, urges Europe to brace for ‘coercion’ from Beijing

Lithuania will adapt to "short-term" economic pain dealt by China over its moves to enhance ties with Taiwan, foreign minister Gabrielius Landsbergis said on Wednesday, while urging Europe to brace…

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Europe must make clear Russia will pay high price for Ukraine action – Estonian PM

The European Union must make it clear to Russia that there would be a high price to pay if it acted against Ukraine, Estonian Prime Minister Kaja Kallas told Reuters,…

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Taiwan opens office in Lithuania, brushing aside China opposition

TAIPEI, Nov 18 (Reuters) - Taiwan opened a de facto embassy in Lithuania on Thursday in a diplomatic breakthrough for the Chinese-claimed island, brushing aside Beijing's strong opposition to the…

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Estonia announces snap military exercise, will put razor wire along Russian border

Nov 17 (Reuters) - The Estonian government summoned 1,700 reserve soldiers on Wednesday for an unannounced exercise which will include installing a razor wire barrier along 40 km of its…

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Seabed rock may have caused holes in Estonia ferry that sank, officials say

Rock on the seabed may have gouged previously unknown holes in the hull of the ferry Estonia, which sank in the Baltic Sea in 1994 with the loss of 852…

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Photo Story: Kaunas will be the European Capital of Culture for 2022

People walk at Medieval Kaunas Castle, Lithuania. The Lithuanian city Kaunas will be the European Capital of Culture for 2022. The grand opening of 'Kaunas 2022' is scheduled for 22…

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Lithuania border, camps in state of emergency over migrants from Belarus

Lithuania's parliament on Tuesday declared a state of emergency at the country's border with Belarus and at camps hosting migrants who arrived from there, a tally of votes showed. The…

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Latvia allows businesses to fire the unvaccinated

The Latvian parliament on Thursday allowed businesses to fire workers who refuse to either get a COVID-19 vaccine or transfer to remote work, as the country battles one of the…

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Lithuania starts building first European wall to ward off migrants from Belarus

Lithuania has built the first stretches of a steel wall on its border with Belarus since migrants from the Middle East and other areas began entering from Belarus this year.…

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Lithuania says its rocky ties with China are a ‘wake up call’ for Europe

China's treatment of Lithuania is a "wake up call" for Europe, Lithuania's deputy foreign minister said, calling for the European Union to be united in dealings with Beijing. China demanded…

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Lithuania rolls out next-generation 5G plans

The Lithuanian Communications Regulatory Authority (RRT) has launched an auction for three 700 MHz radio frequency blocks to be used to deploy next-generation 5G mobile networks and provide 5G e-communication…

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Latvia announces four weeks of lockdown as COVID-19 cases spike

Latvia announced a COVID-19 lockdown from Oct. 21 until Nov. 15 to try to slow a spike in infections in one of the least vaccinated European Union countries. "Our health…

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Lithuanian hospitals stop accepting non-urgent patients amid COVID-19 surge

Two of the three largest hospitals in Lithuania's capital Vilnius stopped accepting non-urgent patients due to influx of COVID-19 cases, a hospital executive director said. Several regional hospitals around Vilnius…

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Lithuania to offer booster shots to all citizens

Lithuanian health authorities have announced that they will shortly start offering Covid-19 booster shots to everyone. Lukas Galkus, adviser to the Health Ministry, told LRT Radio that a mass booster…

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Photo Story: Lidl open 15 stores in Latvia

A view of the logo of a Lidl store in Riga, Latvia, 07 October 2021. German retailer Lidl opened 15 stores in Latvia on October 7. Lidl is a German…

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Armenia seeks Lithuanian support for stronger relations with EU

Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda on Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan to step up implementation of democratic reforms. In a bilateral meeting, Nauseda pointed out that the democratic government led by…

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Lithuania records largest coronavirus caseload since January

There have been 1,847 new coronavirus cases in Lithuania over the past 24 hours, the country’s statistics office has said – the highest number of cases since early January. The…

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China’s Xiaomi hires expert over Lithuania censorship claim

China's Xiaomi Corp said it was engaging a third-party expert to assess allegations by Lithuania that its smartphones carry built-in censorship capabilities. Lithuania's Defence Ministry last week urged consumers to throw away…

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Photo Story: White Night in Riga

A view of the sculptures project 'Travellers/Les Voyageurs' by French artist Cedric Le Borgneat as part of the contemporary culture forum 'White Night' in Riga, Latvia. The contemporary culture forum…

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Lithuania wants more U.S. attention as it launches camp for American soldiers

Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda called on the United States to pay more attention to his nation's security on as Lithuania faces increased migration from Belarus which it claims is created artificially by…

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Lithuania says will complete Belarus border fence by Sept 2022

Lithuania said on Monday it would complete a 508-km (315-mile) fence along its border with Belarus by September next year to stop migrants it says are crossing in record numbers orchestrated…

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U.S. lends support to Lithuania against China pressure

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken spoke with Lithuania's foreign minister on Saturday and agreed on "bilateral coordinated action" to help the country withstand pressure from China over its decision…

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Latvia starts pushing back migrants at tense Belarus border

Latvian border guards turned back dozens of migrants into Belarus overnight under a new state of emergency designed to stem a flow of arrivals the European Union says is orchestrated…

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EU hopes suspension of Iraq flights will slow migrant stream to Lithuania

The European Union hopes for a stabilization of the migrant situation in Lithuania after Iraq suspended flights from Baghdad to Minsk, a spokesman for the bloc's executive said on Tuesday. "We are pleased…

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China tells Lithuania to withdraw envoy in row over Taiwan

China told Lithuania on Tuesday to withdraw its ambassador in Beijing and said it would recall China's envoy to Vilnius in a row over the Baltic state allowing Chinese-claimed Taiwan to open a de…

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Poland, Lithuania call for EU help with migration surge at Belarusian border

WARSAW (Reuters) - Poland and Lithuania on Friday called on European institutions to help them deal with a surge in illegal migration from Belarus over their borders, as tensions between…

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Lithuania denies Belarus reports of migrant death on border

Lithuania's interior ministry dismissed Belarusian reports that an Iraqi migrant had been found beaten to death after being turned away at the Lithuanian border, describing it as part of a…

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3,800 migrants cross border from Belarus to Lithuania

Around 3,800 people were transferred Monday to an immigration detention center in Vydeniai, Lithuania, after crossing the border from Belarus in the last 24 hours, most of them identifying themselves as…

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UPDATED: Frontex vows additional support for Lithuania amid migrant crisis, US expresses concern

EU border agency Frontex said it would ramp up its support for Lithuania next week, as the country deals with an increase in migrants crossing its border. The agency vowed…

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Spanish PM’s news conference in Lithuania halted for jet take-off

A news conference of Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez and Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda at a Lithuanian air base was interrupted on Thursday when Spanish jets were scrambled to respond…

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UPDATED: Turkey says ready to support Lithuania over migrants from Belarus

Turkey is ready to extend its support and expertise on migration to Lithuania, Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said on Thursday, after Lithuania accused Belarus of flying in migrants from abroad,…

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Lithuania says Belarus is flying in migrants, plans border barrier

Lithuania on Wednesday accused Belarus of flying in migrants from abroad to send to the European Union and said it would build a barrier on the border and deploy troops…

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Lithuania govt readies support for companies hit by sanctions on Belarus

The Lithuanian government stands ready to provide support to its enterprises as they get hit by European sanctions on Belarus, Lithuanian Prime Minister Ingrida Simonyte said on Monday. Outraged at the forced…

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Lithuania says Belarus is helping Middle Eastern migrants to cross its borders

Lithuania's Prime Minister says she believes Belarus is behind a recent spike of illegal immigration into Lithuania, following a threat by its president that it will no longer prevent migrants…

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FBI and Poland have launched inquiries into Belarus plane, says Lithuanian police chief

The U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation and Poland have launched their own inquiries into the forced landing of a Ryanair plane in Belarus, the chief of Lithuania's criminal police said…

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Estonia eases travel quarantine requirements

Arrivals in Estonia from four European nations do not need to quarantine, from Monday, April 5: Denmark, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Portugal and the U.K. The quarantine exceptions list is two fewer…

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Estonia prolongs COVID-19 curbs by 2 weeks to April 25

Estonia extended all COVID-19 restrictions by two weeks until April 25, and said travellers arriving from Latvia, Lithuania and Finland would now need to isolate for 10 days. The government…

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Photo Story: Easter feeling in Latvia

People enjoy the installations of the Easter decoration in Ogre, Latvia. Residents and guests of the city are invited to enjoy the the spring sun and the feeling of the…

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Photo Story: Snowstorm in Riga

People walk during a snowstorm in Riga, Latvia, as heavy snowfall fell in many places in the country. Photo: EPA-EFE/TOMS KALNINS

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Photo Story: US strategic bomber training flight in Lithuania

A handout photo made available by the Lithuanian Ministry of Defence shows the US Air Force's strategic bomber B-1B Lancer (C) escorted by Italian Air force Eurofighters Typhoon during training…

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Photo Story: Ice on the River Ogre in Latvia

A boy walks on the ice float fragments piling on a bank of the Ogre river, near Ogre, Latvia. Latvia saw a new 'heat record' this week with air temperatures…

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Estonia’s goverment to boost support for agriculture by €3.8 million

ERR EE - The Estonian government was reported to be boosting the extraordinary support for agriculture by €3.8 million in response to the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on the…

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Photo Story: Frozen Baltic seacoast in Latvia

People walking on the ice of the frozen Baltic seacoast in Carnikava, Latvia. Weather forecasts predict air temperatures of up to 10 degrees Celsius in some places in Latvia for…

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Lithuanian police investigate leak of 110,000 personal IDs

Lithuanian police are investigating the leak of personal data of 110 thousand people, including five government ministers and the capital city’s mayor, they said, after the list was placed on…

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Poland and Baltics want more sanctions on Russia, diplomats say

BRUSSELS, Feb 4 (Reuters) - Six European Union states including Poland and the Baltics are pushing for new EU sanctions on Russian officials after the jailing of Kremlin critic Alexei…

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Lithuanian president nominates Belarus opposition leader for Nobel prize – sources

VILNIUS (Reuters) - Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda has nominated Belarus opposition leader Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya for the Nobel Peace Prize, two sources with knowledge of the matter said on Saturday. Nauseda…

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UPDATED: Lithuania calls for sanctions against Russia after Navalny’s arrest

European Union member Lithuania said on Sunday it will ask the European Union to swiftly impose new sanctions on Russia in response to the arrest of Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny.…

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Estonian prime minister Juri Ratas to resign, spokeswoman says

VILNIUS, Jan 13 (Reuters) - Prime Minister Juri Ratas of European Union member Estonia announced his intention to resign early on Wednesday, his spokeswoman said, in the wake of an…

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Latvia to police New Year curfew amid rising COVID infections

Latvian police and border guards will patrol the streets to enforce a New Year’s night curfew aimed at preventing large crowds gathering as coronavirus infections rise. The curfew will last…

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Photo Story: Christmas illuminations in Riga

Photos of the Christmas illuminations and decorations around Riga, Latvia. Christmas illuminations at Dzeguskalns in Riga, Latvia. People view the Christmas illuminations and decorations at Sarkandaugava in Riga. The Christmas…

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Lithuania orders tougher lockdown, to last until January 3

VILNIUS (Reuters) - Lithuania told citizens to stay at home for three weeks from Wednesday as it seeks to rein in a raging coronavirus spread that has seen the country…

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Lithuania to turn exhibition centre into makeshift hospital as COVID-19 cases soar

Lithuania’s capital Vilnius is preparing to set up a 700-bed makeshift hospital in its largest exhibition centre, as the city fears its health system may soon get overloaded by coronavirus…

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Lithuanian centre-right opposition claims victory in general election

Lithuania's main centre-right opposition Homeland Union party said it won the general election and will begin forming a new government with two smaller liberal parties, which together have a majority…

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