Lithuania

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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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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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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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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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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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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Second round of Lithuania’s Parliamentary elections underway

Parliamentary elections in Lithuania entered their second round on Sunday as the number of coronavirus infections rises sharply in the Baltic state. In the EU and NATO member state, almost…

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Lithuania’s centre-right Opposition takes lead in national election

Lithuania's main centre-right opposition party led the first round of a parliamentary vote, election commission data showed on Monday, as high unemployment and rising debt hurt the ruling coalition. The…

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Lithuanian opposition Homeland Union says on track to win election

Lithuania's main opposition party, the centre-right Homeland Union, appeared likely to win Sunday's first round of a national election, in what is seen as a backlash to Prime Minister Saulius…

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Lithuanians vote in first round of elections

Lithuanians headed to the polls on Sunday for the first round of parliamentary elections, with the ruling four-party centre-left coalition in a tight race with opposition conservatives. DW reports that…

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Lithuania blocks millions of euros of EU funding to Belarus

Lithuania has blocked 5.8 million euros ($6.83 million) in payments to Belarus for an EU-funded cross-border development programme, fearing the money could be misused, the Lithuanian government revealed. The European…

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Lithuanian foreign minister self-isolating after French visit

Lithuanian Foreign Affairs Minister Linas Linkevicius will self-isolate for a week after contact with members of visiting French President Emmanuel Macron's delegation who later tested positive for the coronavirus. The…

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Lithuania says EU’s inaction over Belarus undermines foreign policy credibility

The European Union’s lack of action over Belarus is undermining the credibility of its foreign policy, Lithuanian foreign affairs minister Linas Linkevicius told the Financial Times newspaper in an interview…

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U.S. troops to start extended exercises in Lithuania amid tensions over Belarus

U.S. troops and tanks will arrive in Lithuania on Friday for a two-month deployment near the Belarus border, but the government said the move was not a message to its…

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Europol breaks circle of human trafficking for drug dealing

Law enforcement and judicial authorities have made 18 arrests during a massive coordinated operation to smash an organised crime group suspected of trafficking victims from Lithuania to Ireland and the…

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Lithuanians stand in vast chain of support for Belarus opposition

Lithuanians stood in a 35,000-strong human chain stretching 34 km (21 miles) from central Vilnius to the Belarus border on Sunday to show support for protesters in Belarus and opposition…

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Lithuania adds Poland, Netherlands, Iceland to travel blacklist

Lithuania on Monday introduced a mandatory 14-day self-isolation requirement for Lithuanian nationals and residents returning from Poland, the Netherlands, Iceland, Cyprus and Turkey, the Health Ministry announced over the weekend.…

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Lithuania considering reintroducing compulsory use of masks

The Lithuanian government will next week consider whether to reintroduce compulsory facemask wearing in public places, following recommendations from health professionals and epidemiologists. Lithuania's daily coronavirus count has jumped to…

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Baltic countries, US reaffirm opposition to Russia’s attempts to rewrite history

On the 80th anniversary of the Welles Declaration, the foreign ministers of the United States, Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania issued a joint statement reaffirming their opposition to Russia's attempts to…

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Increased US military presence in Poland serves security interest of all region – Lithuanian President

The possible deployment of more US troops to Poland will serve the security interests of the entire region, Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda said. "That possible reassignment of troops will have…

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Photo Story: The Flower Festival Midsummer Night’s Dream 2020 in Lithuania

Scenes from the Flower Festival Midsummer Night's Dream 2020 in Pokroja, Lithuania. In the festival, visitors can enjoy scenes from Shakespeare's play Midsummer Night's Dream made up of elaborate flower…

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Lithuania bans arrivals from Bulgaria and Romania

Lithuania has banned arrivals from Bulgaria and Romania in its updated ‘safe travel’ list, the Lithuanian Health Ministry announced. The two countries were previously added to a travel blacklist of…

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Lithuania bans Russian broadcaster RT over ties with Kremlin

Lithuania took Russian broadcaster RT off-air on Wednesday, citing the channel’s ties to EU-sanctioned Russian media executive Dmitry Kiselyov. The move follows a similar ban on RT in Latvia last…

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Lithuania mints ‘coin of hope’ to remember year of pandemic

Lithuania began minting a collector's coin, dubbed a "coin of hope", to mark the year of the new coronavirus and pay tribute to doctors, nurses and others who helped the…

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Lithuania hands out iodine pills ahead of opening of nuclear plant in Belarus

Potassium iodide pills, to be distributed to residents in case of a nuclear accident, have been handed over to the municipalities of Vilnius and Svencionys, Lithuania's south eastern regions bordering…

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20 new cases confirmed in Lithuania over weekend

Eleven new Covid-19 cases were reported in Lithuania on Saturday and nine more on Sunday. The country's total coronavirus infection count currently stands at 1,714. However, only 306 of them…

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Photo Story: RAF Typhoons scrambled in Lithuania to intercept Russian aircraft

A handout picture provided by the British Royal Air Force shows a Russian Coot A aircraft (top) being intercepted by RAF Typhoons from Siauliai Air Base, over Lithuania, 02 June…

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Lithuania allows people from 24 countries to enter without self-isolation, Malta not included

LRT televizija reports that the Lithuanian Health Ministry has published a list of EU and European Economic Area countries, where in addition to the Baltic travel «bubble» countries of Latvia…

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Photo Story: The reopening of borders between Baltic neighbouring countries

A Lithuanian state border guard measures the temperature of a driver at the Salociai-Grenctale border checkpoint, Lithuania. Lithuania has maintained some restrictions for the citizens of the Baltic states that…

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Baltic countries open Europe’s first pandemic ‘travel bubble’

Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia opened their borders to each other at the stroke of midnight, creating the first “travel bubble” within the European Union in a bid to jump-start economies…

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Baltic states to create “travel bubble” as pandemic curbs eased

Latvia, Lithuania, and Estonia will open their borders to each other’s citizens from May 15, creating a Baltic "travel bubble" within the European Union amid an easing of pandemic restrictions, their prime…

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Photo Story: Drive-in cinema at Vilnius airport

A general view of a drive-in cinema at Vilnius airport, Lithuania. Films in this cinema are displayed on a screen which is the height of a five-story building. Until now,…

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Vibrant Old Town Cafes in Lithuania allowed to expand Seating Into Streets and Plazas as lockdown measures ease off

All public spaces in the Lithuanian capital of Vilnius have been designated as open air cafés to support its vibrant café and restaurant culture through the coronavirus pandemic. This will…

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Photo Story: Coronavirus situation in Lithuania

Lithuanian policemen guard a checkpoint on a road to the closed city of Nemencine, Vilnius region, Lithuania, 23 April 2020, amid the ongoing coronavirus COVID-19 pandemic. Only residents of Nemencine…

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An alternative Christmas in Vilnius, Lithuania

People attend a lighting ceremony for the Christmas tree at the Alternative Christmas Yard in the former Lukiskes prison yard in Vilnius, Lithuania, that was held a few days ago.…

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An unusual Christmas Tree at Vilnius Airport in Lithuania

Photos of a Christmas tree decorated by using items confiscated from passengers at Vilnius Airport, in Vilnius, Lithuania. Vilnius Airport staff decided to make a special Christmas tree decorated with…

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Photo Story: Christmas tree lighting ceremony in Vilnius

Photos from the annual lighting of the Vilnius Christmas tree at the Cathedral Square, in Vilnius, Lithuania. The annual lighting of the Vilnius' Christmas tree was held on Saturday evening,…

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13 arrested in Lithuania in €1 million car parts theft ring

An organised crime network originating from Lithuania and specialised in the theft of car parts has been dismantled this week by the German Police of Heilbronn, together with the support…

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Europe Votes: Lithuania, the projections

This is a summary of Politico’s projections of the voting today in Lithuania: Lithuania– The Projections If turnout of 47.35% is maintained in this vote, Politico predicts TS-LKD will beat…

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Lithuanian PM Skvernelis to step down

Lithuanian PM Saulius Skvernelis announced he will be steping down after failing to qualify for the second round in the country's presidential election. Skvernelis, who was one of the expected…

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Russia accused of literally toying with ex-Soviet neighbour

Distressed Lithuanian shoppers are asking questions about a game that surfaced in the market. The board game includes four military figurines and a peculiar cat that children are meant to…

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European Court of Human Rights concludes that Lithuania and Romania violated the European ban on torture

The European Court of Human Rights said on Thursday it had concluded that Lithuania and Romania hosted a CIA detention centres and allowed for Tortures. Lithuania hosted this prison from…

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