Lithuania

The Government plans to declare an emergency over threats to civil security posed by repeated incursions of smuggling balloons into Lithuanian airspace, which have continued to disrupt operations at Vilnius Airport

The Lithuanian parliament on Thursday approved a three-year freeze of public broadcaster LRT’s budget and backed long-term changes that will reduce its share of income tax and excise tax revenues beginning in 2029

Lithuanian Airports has signed a contract with Zaha Hadid Architects to design a new arrival terminal at Vilnius Airport, with construction planned to begin in 2027 and the terminal expected to open by the end of 2028

Repeated disruptions at Lithuanian airports caused by weather balloons drifting in from Belarus could prompt airlines to reconsider or suspend their flights to the country, the head of the Civil Aviation Association warned

A warning strike was organized by Lithuania's cultural community amid discontent that the Nemunas Dawn party was entrusted to delegate the minister of culture in the new Cabinet, despite Ignotas Adomavičius had already resigned as Culture Minister

15 people have been charged in Lithuania over an alleged plan for arson attacks through courier services backed by Russian military intelligence service GRU; suspects include citizens from Russia, Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia and Ukraine

Construction of the long-delayed, 18.000-seat National Stadium in Vilnius is at pace after resuming in July, though questions remain over permits and transparency; the multipurpose complex will include football field, athletics stadium, kindergarten

Social Democratic MP Inga Ruginienė has been appointed as Prime Minister of Lithuania; following the resignation of Paluckas on 31 July, 78 parliament members voted in favor, 35 against and 14 abstained

8 Lithuanian defence and security firms and research institutions have signed a letter of intent with Brazil’s Embraer, one of the world’s largest aerospace manufacturers, in a first official attempt to apply industrial cooperation in defence procurement

The 85th anniversary of the United States' declaration condemning the Soviet occupation of the Baltic states has been marked with a commemorative event in Washington Square in Vilnius featuring flag tribute, national anthems, American-style snacks

Gintautas Markevičius, a Lithuanian man paralysed down one side, set yet another record by covering over 3.000 km around the Baltic States on his electric trike; after more than a month on the road, he was welcomed back in Klaipėda

A passenger boat service in the Neris River will be launched by the end of July in Vilnius and the first electric vessel of the fleet has been unveiled; for Mayor Valdas Benkunskas the new type of transport could fulfill the city's recreational potential

Construction at the Rūdninkai military training area, a €125 million contract, is 6 months ahead of schedule; Lithuanian defence officials are speeding up operations on the campus that will house part of a German brigade deployed to the country by 2027