VILNIUS — Despite its recovering economy, it appears Lithuania’s age of austerity that has defined government policies since the economic crisis hit in late 2008 is not leaving anytime soon. In a meeting on Tuesday morning Lithuanian President Dalia Grybauskaitė and Prime Minister Andrius Kubilius agreed that tackling SoDra’s imbalances and the mismanagement of state [...]

VILNIUS — Belarus released a Lithuanian policeman last week, held for suspected drug trafficking, with no charges. Laimonas Bankauskas, head of the Vilnius Police Department’s equestrian police division, was arrested on Aug. 16 in in the Belarusian border town of Ashmyany with 45.5 grams of methamphetamine in his possession. Bankauskas said that the meth had [...]

NORWICH, England — A 26-year-old Lithuanian man was sentenced to seven and a half years in prison by a U.K. court last week for taking part in over 90 burglaries in eastern England. On Thursday the Norwich court found Edmundas Tamošauskas guilty of conspiracy to burgle and conspiracy to disguise criminal property. Police say Tamošauskas [...]

KAUNAS, Lithuania — Delays in the construction of a new basketball arena in Kaunas has FIBA threatening to strike Lithuania’s second-largest city from the list of 2011 Eurobasket tournament host venues. The new Žalgiris Arena, being built by the Vėtrūna construction company was supposed to be completed by October, but now the building has been [...]

VILNIUS — Twenty-one years after the Baltic Way united Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania with a human chain to protest against the Soviet occupation, a new monument commemorating the event was unveiled in Vilnius. On Monday President Dalia Grybauskaitė, Prime Minister Andrius Kubilius, Speaker of the Seimas Irena Degutienė, former President Valdas Adamkus and Sąjūdis leader [...]

VILNIUS — Vilnius’ first large-scale bicycle rally since April’s Critical Mass, which sent two people to the hospital after a hit-and-run incident, was held on Sunday and went off without a hitch, thankfully.

VILNIUS — The second violent storm to hit Lithuania this month caused power outages throughout the country including the cities of Kaunas and Šiauliai and felled numerous trees. The storm hit late Sunday evening, with the strongest winds being recorded in Kaunas at 20 m/s. On Monday about 4,000 households were without power, all of [...]

VILNIUS — New details about the arrest of a high-ranking Lithuanian policeman emerged on Thursday, as the arrested cop denied his guilt. According to statements from Lithuania’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs to the press, Laimonas Bankauskas, head of the Vilnius Police Department’s equestrian police division, is maintaining his innocence and claiming the 45.5 grams of [...]

KLAIPĖDA, Lithuania — The general director and procurement department manager of a Lithuanian oil transport company Naftos Grupė were arrested by police on Thursday under suspicion of embezzling 30 million litai (€8.7 million) via fraudulent sales. Naftos Grupė General Director Antanas Urbutis will be held in police custody for at least one month and Chief [...]

VILNIUS — A high-ranking Lithuanian policeman was arrested on Tuesday in Belarus on suspicion of drug trafficking, but little other information is being released. The Lithuanian embassy in Belarus confirmed that Laimonas Bankauskas, head of the Vilnius Police Department’s equestrian police division, was arrested but provided no further details. Belarusian authorities said the arrest had [...]