Fighter jets scramble, interrupt leaders in Lithuania
A news conference at a NATO air base in Lithuania featuring Lithuaniaโs president and Spainโs prime minister got abruptly cut off when the pair of Spanish fighter jets serving as the backdrop were scrambled to monitor errant military aircraft in the Baltic skies.
Lithuania holds national vote, coalition talks expected
People wear face masks to protect against coronavirus as they cast their ballots during the parliamentary elections in Vilnius, Lithuania, Sunday, Oct. 11, 2020. Polls opened Sunday for the first round of national election in Lithuania, where voters will renew the 141-seat parliament and the ruling four-party coalition is widely expected to face a stiff challenge from the opposition to remain in office. Results were expected by early Monday, but the commission said there might be delays in counting because of early voting by citizens and strict coronavirus measures. Marija Kazlauskiene, a 75-year-old retiree, said she prefers the ruling coalition. Lithuania has granted shelter to Belarus opposition figure Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya, who fled Belarus after challenging President Alexander Lukashenko in the countryโs Aug. 9 presidential vote.
2 Lithuanian, 1 Norwegian spies release as part of spy swap
Lithuania's president has pardoned two Russians convicted of spying, his office said Friday, a move seen as a step toward a spy swap with neighboring Russia that could include a Norwegian citizen serving a 14-year sentence for espionage. (AP Photo/Mindaugas Kulbis)Two Lithuanian men convicted of spying in Russia and a Norwegian citizen serving a 14-year sentence have been freed as part of a spy swap, authorities said Friday. Yevgeny Mataitis and Aristidas Tamosaitis, who were convicted in 2016, have been reunited with their families, Lithuanian spy chief Darius Jauniskis said. In Oslo, Norwegian Prime Minister Erna Solberg said Frode Berg was handed over to Norwegian authorities in Lithuania. We are happy that Frode Berg is now coming home to Norway as a free man, Solberg said in a statement.