General Information
Lithuania, officially the Republic of Lithuania, is a country in the Baltic region of Europe. It is one of three Baltic states and lies on the eastern shore of the Baltic Sea, bordered by Latvia to the north, Belarus to the east and south, Poland to the south, and the Russian semi-exclave of Kaliningrad Oblast to the southwest, with a maritime border with Sweden to the west. Lithuania covers an area of 65,300 km2 (25,200 sq mi), and has a population of 2.9 million. Its capital and largest city is Vilnius; other major cities include Kaunas, Klaipėda, Šiauliai and Panevėžys. Lithuanians are the titular nation, belong to the ethnolinguistic group of Balts, and speak Lithuanian.
- Population: 2,800,000+
- Area: 65,300 km²
- Coordinates: Latitude: 54.683334350586, Longitude: 25.316667556763
- Timezone: Timezone info not available
- Current Local Time: ailab
Latest Lithuania News
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Karas Ukrainoje. Putinas pripažino kuro trūkumą po Ukrainos smūgių
Naujausias žinias apie karą Ukrainoje skaitykite žemiau.
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Už neapykantos kurstymą nuteistas Remigijus Žemaitaitis apeliaciniame teisme sakys baigiamąją kalbą
Lietuvos apeliaciniame teisme pirmadienį bus tęsiamos baigiamosios kalbos už neapykantos žydams kurstymą ir Holokausto menkinimą nuteisto „Nemuno aušros“ pirmininko Remigijaus Žemaitaičio byloje, tądien pasisakyti turėtų ir pats nuteistasis.
BBC News
Eleven killed after plane carrying skydivers crashes in eastern France
The pilot and 10 passengers - including five first-time parachutists - died in the incident, local officials said.
BBC News
Heatwave breaks records in Germany, Denmark and Czech Republic
An estimated 150 million people have been experiencing temperatures of over 35C across Europe.
BBC News
Trump threatens 100% tariff on European nations over tech tax
The US president says "Numerous European countries" have been discussing bringing in such a levy.
BBC News
Could you handle a 20-plus hour flight? This airline is banking on it
Some analysts say the first non-stop London to Sydney flight is a major milestone - but would you buy a ticket?
POLITICO
Warum die VW-Krise nicht nur aus China kommt
Listen on Spotify Apple Music Amazon Music Weltweit stehen 100.000 Jobs bei VW auf der Kippe, vier deutsche Werke könnten langfristig schließen. Aber ist nur der unfaire Wettbewerb aus China schuld? Gordon Repinski analysiert mit Romanus Otte von Industrie & Handel die toxische Mischung aus hohen Energiepreisen, Bürokratie und der schleppenden E-Mobilitäts-Wende in Deutschland. Im 200-Sekunden-Interview fordert der baden-württembergische CDU-Fraktionschef Tobias Vogt ein sofortiges Eingreifen aus Brüssel bei den strengen Flottengrenzwerten. Laut Vogt dürfe die Politik der Industrie nicht länger vorschreiben, welcher Antrieb sich durchsetzt, sondern müsse Technologieoffenheit zulassen, um die Wettbewerbsfähigkeit zu retten. Friedrich Merz beruft das Kabinett in den abhörsicheren Konferenzraum des Verteidigungsministeriums. Mit Rixa Fürsen geht es um diese Sitzung, bei der zwei zentrale Gesetze zum Bau-Turbo für Kasernen und zur Freistellung von Reservisten auf den Weg gebracht werden sollen. Zudem wird NATO-Generalsekretär Mark Rutte erwartet, um vor dem Gipfel in Ankara Geschlossenheit in Richtung Moskau und Washington zu demonstrieren. Den Spaziergang mit Botschafter Heiko Thoms in Kyjiw gibt es hier zu hören. Das Berlin Playbook als Podcast gibt es jeden Morgen ab 5 Uhr. Gordon Repinski und das POLITICO-Team liefern Politik zum Hören – kompakt, international, hintergründig. Für alle Hauptstadt-Profis: Der Berlin Playbook-Newsletter bietet jeden Morgen die wichtigsten Themen und Einordnungen. Jetzt kostenlos abonnieren. Mehr von Host und POLITICO Executive Editor Gordon Repinski: Instagram: @gordon.repinski | X: @GordonRepinski. POLITICO Deutschland – ein Angebot der Axel Springer Deutschland GmbH Axel-Springer-Straße 65, 10888 Berlin Tel: +49 (30) 2591 0 information@axelspringer.de Sitz: Amtsgericht Berlin-Charlottenburg, HRB 196159 B USt-IdNr: DE 214 852 390 Geschäftsführer: Carolin Hulshoff Pol, Mathias Sanchez Luna **(Anzeige) Eine Nachricht von Ørsted: Ørsted steht für Offshore-Windenergie – und das ist Energie für mehr: mehr Unabhängigkeit, mehr Sicherheit, mehr Stabilität für unser Energiesystem. Mehr erfahren:
POLITICO
Europe’s strategic autonomy starts on the road
Geopolitical tensions, energy price volatility and growing concerns about economic security have brought competitiveness, resilience and strategic autonomy to the center of the European Union’s policymaking. Across energy, industry and defense, the focus is increasingly on reducing dependencies, strengthening domestic capacity and making the EU more resilient to external shocks. Yet one essential enabler of these objectives is still too often overlooked: commercial road transport. This becomes particularly clear when disruption hits. Energy price volatility is felt almost immediately across the sector. Higher fuel costs quickly feed into transport operations, supply chains and, ultimately, the wider economy. Costs rise, connectivity suffers and pressure builds across value chains. This reflects a broader reality. Commercial road transport is not simply another sector of the economy. It is strategic infrastructure that keeps the real economy functioning. Every day, it connects factories to markets, industrial hubs to supply chains, and businesses to workers and customers. It also ensures the mobility of people. Buses and coaches provide essential connectivity to jobs, education and services, particularly in regions where alternatives remain limited. This strategic role becomes even more important as the EU accelerates decarbonization. Decarbonizing commercial road transport is not only about meeting climate targets. It can also help reduce dependence on imported fossil fuels, strengthen energy security and improve long-term competitiveness. But this will happen only if the transition is economically and operationally workable. Commercial road transport is not simply another sector of the economy. It is strategic infrastructure that keeps the real economy functioning. The sector is committed to the transition and investment in cleaner technologies is already underway. The challenge is no longer a lack of ambition. The challenge is making deployment work at scale. Too often, policy still assumes that setting targets will automatically drive market transformation. The reality on the ground is more complex. Grid access is becoming another major bottleneck. Even where operators are ready to invest, deployment is often slowed by limited capacity, long connection times, power delivery certainty and unpredictable electricity costs. The three A’s of the grid — accessibility, affordability and assurance — will be decisive for the business case of electrification. At the same time, charging and refueling infrastructure must scale much faster. Around 70 percent of heavy-duty vehicle charging is expected to happen at depots, logistics centers and operational bases, yet policy support remains heavily focused on publicly accessible charging. Public charging is essential, but it will not be enough on its own. Public, semi-private and private infrastructure must function as an integrated system. Investment conditions must also improve, especially for small and medium-sized enterprises, which represent the majority of the sector and face the greatest difficulty absorbing high upfront costs for vehicles and infrastructure. Investments could be de-risked if policymakers supported investments through grants, guarantees and blended finance. CO2-differentiated taxation and favorable tolling schemes across the EU can significantly improve the total cost of ownership of zero-emission vehicles. The transition has a powerful built-in financing mechanism. If revenues generated by road transport, including ETS2 (a new emissions trading system) and road charging revenues, are reinvested in the sector’s decarbonization, they could unlock the scale of investment needed to accelerate change. But who will ensure that these funds are channeled back into the sector that generates them? Policy must also reflect operational diversity. Commercial road transport is not a single use case. Long-haul freight, regional logistics, urban delivery, scheduled bus services and long-distance coach operations all face different technical and economic constraints. A one-size-fits-all approach will not work. While electrification will play a central role, it cannot be the only solution. Sustainable renewable and low-carbon fuels, including renewable and synthetic fuels, will be essential for long-distance operations and vehicle segments where alternatives remain limited. Commercial road transport should therefore no longer be viewed primarily as a sector to regulate or decarbonize in isolation. It should be recognized for what it already is: a strategic enabler of resilience, competitiveness and economic security. A coherent EU policy framework, including technology-neutral CO2 standards for both light- and heavy-duty vehicles, must recognize road transport as a long-term market for clean fuels. This would not only accelerate decarbonization in road transport but also support aviation and maritime sectors, which are expected to rely heavily on these fuels to achieve their own climate objectives. Looking more broadly at the EU’s industrial policy, including efforts to strengthen domestic production and reduce strategic dependencies, everything starts from efficient transport connectivity. Industrial hubs do not operate in isolation. Their performance depends on how efficiently goods and people move to, from and between them. Stronger connectivity, integrated transport terminals, charging and refueling infrastructure, faster permitting and targeted support will be essential if industrial acceleration is to deliver in practice. Commercial road transport should therefore no longer be viewed primarily as a sector to regulate or decarbonize in isolation. It should be recognized for what it already is: a strategic enabler of resilience, competitiveness and economic security. That requires a greater focus on infrastructure, affordable energy, financing, clean fuels and smart regulation, which will determine whether the transition accelerates at the pace policymakers expect. Regulation should make decarbonization easier, not harder. Europe’s resilience will depend not only on stronger industry and cleaner energy, but also on something more fundamental: whether goods and people can continue moving efficiently, reliably and affordably across the EU. Disclaimer POLITICAL ADVERTISEMENT The sponsor: IRU – International Road Transport Union, Av. de Cortenbergh 71, 1000 Brussels, Belgium The political advertisement is linked to ongoing EU policy discussions on transport decarbonisation, clean mobility infrastructure, energy transition and industrial competitiveness. More information here.
Al Jazeera – Breaking News, World News and Video from Al Jazeera
Australian man charged with murder after Thai girl’s body found in suitcase
Simon Peter Carman has been charged with murder after the body of 17-year-old Tunchanok Donhomla was found in a suitcase
Al Jazeera – Breaking News, World News and Video from Al Jazeera
Venezuelans angry government as time runs out to dig out survivors
Venezuelans angry government as time runs out to dig out survivors.
Europe
Putin says Russia faces fuel shortages as Ukrainian drones strike refineries
President’s comments are first admission that Kyiv’s long-range attacks have dented production
Europe
Ukraine’s vibe shift is bad news for Russia’s economy
As Kyiv’s battlefield fortunes change, policies long favoured by the west could now do real damage to Moscow
France 24 - International breaking news, top stories and headlines
Pakistan says retaliatory airstrikes in Afghanistan killed 25 militants
Pakistan has said it carried out airstrikes and ground operations in eastern Afghanistan, killing 25 militants, in response to recent deadly attacks, including the killing of paramilitary troops in Karachi. Islamabad says the strikes targeted militant groups linked to cross-border violence, while Kabul has accused Pakistan of causing civilian casualties.
France 24 - International breaking news, top stories and headlines
Middle East live: US says Iran talks to continue, with 'both sides' pausing strikes
The United States and Iran will continue their talks aimed at ending the Middle East war, a US official said on Sunday, adding that both sides will stand down after recent clashes. This comes hours after Lebanese Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri rejected a US–Israel–Lebanon framework deal, calling it “an agreement of 'dictates'” that fails to protect Lebanon’s rights. Follow our liveblog for the latest updates.
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Race against the clock in Venezuela to find survivors of twin quakes
Nearly 69,000 people have been reported missing following the disaster that left at least 3,200 people injured and thousands homeless.
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World Cup football fever helps West Bank residents forget their woes
Although the Palestinian national team narrowly missed qualifying for the competition, fans have been cheering for other nations.