Latest Lithuania News

Lithuania's Mykolas Alekna breaks discus throw record that stood since 1986

Apr. 15, 2024 03:43 AM EDT

RAMONA, Okla. (AP) — Mykolas Alekna of Lithuania broke a world record in the discus throw that had stood since 1986 on Sunday at the Oklahoma Throws Series competition. Alekna's throw of 243 feet, 11 inches (74.35 meters) eclipsed the mark of 243 feet (74.08 meters) set by German...

German troops arrive in Lithuania, their first long-term foreign deployment since World War II

Apr. 08, 2024 21:30 PM EDT

VILNIUS, Lithuania (AP) — Lithuanian leaders hailed a “historic event” as Germany on Monday began deploying troops in the Baltic country — a NATO member — marking the first time since World War II that German forces will be based outside the country on a long-term basis. ...

US defense official had 'Havana syndrome' symptoms during a 2023 NATO summit, the Pentagon confirms

Apr. 01, 2024 17:40 PM EDT

WASHINGTON (AP) — A senior Defense Department official who attended last year's NATO summit in Vilnius, Lithuania, had symptoms similar to those reported by U.S. officials who have experienced “Havana syndrome," the Pentagon confirmed Monday. Havana syndrome is still under...

Central and Eastern European countries mark 20 years in NATO with focus on war in Ukraine

Mar. 28, 2024 15:55 PM EDT

VILNIUS, Lithuania (AP) — Several central and Eastern European countries began marking on Thursday the 20th anniversary of the largest expansion of the NATO military alliance when formerly socialist countries became members of the bloc. Military aircraft roared over the Lithuanian...

A plane carrying the UK defense minister had its GPS jammed as it flew near Russian territory

Mar. 14, 2024 13:57 PM EDT

LONDON (AP) — A plane carrying British Defense Secretary Grant Shapps had its satellite signal jammed as it flew near Russian territory, the government said Thursday. The government said the Royal Air Force jet carrying Shapps, officials and journalists “temporarily experienced...

Ally of late Navalny accuses 'Putin’s henchmen' of attacking him in Lithuania, vows not to give up

Mar. 13, 2024 16:02 PM EDT

VILNIUS, Lithuania (AP) — A close associate of the late Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny accused Russian President Vladimir Putin’s “henchmen” on Wednesday of being behind a brutal attack that left him hospitalized. Police said an assailant attacked Leonid Volkov on...

The top strategist of late Russian opposition leader Navalny is attacked in Lithuania's capital

Mar. 12, 2024 19:01 PM EDT

TALLINN, Estonia (AP) — Associates of late opposition leader Alexei Navalny said late Tuesday that the politician's close ally and top strategist was attacked near his home in Lithuania's capital. Kira Yarmysh, who had been Navalny's spokesperson, said the assailant smashed a...

Exiled Belarus opposition leader demands news of her imprisoned husband

Mar. 08, 2024 11:13 AM EST

VILNIUS, Lithuania (AP) — Exiled Belarusian opposition leader Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya on Friday marched to the country's embassy in Lithuania, holding a photo of her imprisoned husband and demanding information about him after a year of being incommunicado. Siarhei Tsikhanouski is...

UN experts call on authorities in Belarus to pardon a cancer-stricken imprisoned opposition leader

Feb. 27, 2024 08:45 AM EST

TALLINN, Estonia (AP) — Experts from the U.N. Human Rights Commission appealed to Belarusian authorities on Monday to pardon an opposition politician diagnosed with a severe form of cancer while in prison. Ryhor Kastusiou, 66, the leader of the Belarusian Popular Front, or BPF,...

Lithuania to close 2 more checkpoints with Russian ally Belarus as tensions along the border rise

Feb. 21, 2024 09:57 AM EST

VILNIUS, Lithuania (AP) — Lithuania decided Wednesday to seal off another two of its six checkpoints with Belarus as of next month, amid growing tensions with its eastern neighbor, an ally of Russia. This brings the total of closed border crossings into the Baltic country to four. ...