Society
Hanukkah candles lit in the Presidential Palace for the first time
One of the most important Jewish celebrations, Hanukah, was also celebrated in the Lithuanian Presidential Palace. […]
Society
Global LT
Monument to Lithuanian guerrilla commander Vanagas planned in US
A monument to Adolfas Ramanauskas-Vanagas, a Lithuanian anti-Soviet resistance commander, will be erected in the United States next year in commemoration of 100 years of his birth. […]
Society
A Finnish Christmas for needy Lithuanian children
Earlier this week the Ambassador of Finland to Lithuania and Mrs Michelsson visited a kindergarten in one of the poorest areas of Vilnius. Mrs Michelsson carrying a large bag of home knitted warm woolen socks and the Ambassador with an enormous box of sweets in hand brought some joy to children that possibly see very little of that at home. […]
History
Drinking in the Grand Duchy of Lithuania
Alcohol, produced by fermenting liquids, has been known in many continents and cultures from as far back as the stone and bronze ages. The first knowledge of consumption of alcoholic beverages in the Balt lands, provided by the Anglo-Saxon traveller Wulfstan who visited the lower reaches of the Vistula River, date back to the end of the 9th century: “Kings and nobility drink mare milk, while the poor and slaves drink mead.” […]
Society
Lithuanian ex-president’s widow not entitled to free home – Constitutional Court (Updated)
The law that entitles businesswoman Kristina Brazauskienė, widow of Lithuania’s late president Algirdas Brazauskas, to fee housing runs counter to the Constitution, the Constitutional Court ruled on Friday. […]
Society
92,908 Euro Raised during 15th International Christmas Charity Bazaar
During the 15th International Christmas Charity Bazaar various stands had collected a grand total of 69,196 Euro. A further 23,712 Euro came for cash donations for a grand total of 92,908 Euro. The announcement was made on Thursday during a short ceremony in the Kempinski Hotel in Vilnius. […]
Society
Lithuanian doctors to offer voluntary test on alcohol habits – news portal
Lithuania’s Health Minister Aurelijus Veryga has drafted a new scheme for residents attending health care institutions to fill out tests that would reveal whether the person’s drinking habits signal a possible addiction, 15min.lt news portal said. […]
Society
Lithuanian radio, TV channels may be told to dub over Russian content
Lithuania’s radio and television channels may be ordered to provide Lithuanian-language subtitles for all programs and movies originally created in a language that is not the official language of the European Union (EU). […]
History
The sacrifice of captives
Human sacrifice is attributable to the most forbidding customs of ancient tribes. Among Asian and European cultures, it permeated unevenly. The Greek myths speak of human sacrifice but historical sources provide no data of any actual practice of the kind. In the ancient Greece, it was considered an old yet no longer exercisable rite replaced by the sacrifice of animals. Although the gladiator fights point to the fact that the Romans enjoyed terrifying shows, neither can they be associated with the human sacrifice as a common feature of their customs. […]
Society
Initiative unveiled to name both victims and killers at mass Jewish graves in Lithuania
It is proposed to put up special information boards at sites of mass Jewish graves in Lithuania to display both the names of those killed and as detailed information as possible about their executioners. […]
Society
Lithuania’s Ignalina N-plant CEO suspected of abuse in asset auction probe
Lithuanian law-enforcement officials have brought formal suspicions against Darius Janulevičius, current CEO of the Ignalina Nuclear Power Plant (NPP), and another five persons, including Osvaldas Čiukšys, its former CEO, over a suspected non-transparent auction of the plant’s assets worth over 1.5 million euros. […]
History
The development of the Lukiškės suburb during the Grand Duchy of Lithuania
Lukiškės, which today is part of the city centre of Vilnius, for a long time was one of the oldest suburbs of the city, or to be more precise, a settlement near the city. It is a territory with one of the most unclearly defined territories in the city that has caused a number of conflicts and problems, which was fated to sooner or later become a part of the city due to its location. […]
Society
Lithuanian authorities burn half a ton of cocaine worth EUR 49 mln
More than half a ton of cocaine, smuggled from South America, with an estimated street value of nearly 49 million euros were destroyed in a furnace on Tuesday, the Lithuanian Customs said. […]
Society
Panel proposes to declare national emergency over Vilnius’ Gediminas Hill
The Lithuanian government’s emergency commission proposed on Tuesday to declare a national emergency over the poor condition of Vilnius’ historic Gediminas Hill, which is suffering from landslips. […]
Society
Concerns over condition of Mindaugas Castle heightening in Belarus
Belarusians are sounding alarms over the threat to the Mindaugas Castle in Novogrudok, a city merely 150 km from the Lithuanian capital Vilnius, Lietuvos Rytas daily said on Saturday. […]
Society
54,000 people declare emigration from Lithuania in Jan-Nov
Over 54,000 persons declared emigration from Lithuania in January through November this year, which marks an increase from the same period of 2016, however, the number of immigrants also went up, Statistics Lithuania said on Monday. […]
Society
Scientists to search for Lithuanian partisan commander Ramanauskas’ grave next year
Scientists next year are planning to search for the remains of Adolfas Ramanauskas-Vanagas, a Lithuanian anti-Soviet resistance commander, and other freedom fighters in a Vilnius cemetery. […]
Economy
Lithuania’s ambition to become the leader of business tourism of the Baltic region
Opportunities for organising business events in Lithuania are attractive not only to European countries, but also to the USA, Canada and Australia. Those seeking new business tourism destinations believe that the main strengths of Lithuania are the country’s security and sustainability, implementation of innovations, professional employees and even progress in the area of gastronomic tourism, a press release from the State Department of Tourism says. […]
Society
School enrolment halves in Lithuania over 16 years
The number of school students declined by nearly a half in Lithuania over the past 16 years, dropping by a factor of three in some municipalities, which has a direct effect on the worsening quality of education, authors of the Reitingai magazine have said. […]
Society
Vilnius mayor apologizes for poor performance of road services
Vilnius Mayor Remigijus Šimašius has admitted that the road services of the Lithuanian capital city were not efficient enough in their response to the weather conditions, apologizing to Vilnius residents for the inconveniences they encountered due to traffic interruptions. […]