Lithuania will keep its border crossings with Belarus closed for a month after balloons carrying cigarettes repeatedly disrupted air traffic at Vilnius Airport. Some exemptions will apply.
The Šalčininkai crossing will remain fully closed, while Medininkai, near Vilnius, will operate with restricted passage. Lithuanian and EU citizens, as well as Russians holding transit documents to Kaliningrad, will still be allowed through.
Officials view the balloon incidents as a deliberate act by Russia-allied Belarus. Interior Minister Vladislav Kondratovic said the measures are meant to send “a clear message to our not-so-friendly neighbour, which is making no effort to address the problem.”
Belarus President Alexander Lukashenko criticised the move, calling it a “mad scam” and part of a “hybrid war.” He suggested Lithuania should tackle smuggling on its side and said Belarus would apologise if found responsible.
The incidents come amid heightened European concern after a surge in drone intrusions into NATO airspace last month. In Belgium, Defence Minister Theo Francken said multiple drones were spotted above a military base in Marche-en-Famenne overnight Tuesday into Wednesday, prompting an investigation.
Colombian authorities on Wednesday (28 January) located a missing plane carrying 15 people in the northeast of the country, with no survivors found, a...
Chinese authorities say they've carried out capital punishment against a group of individuals tied to notorious telecommunications fraud syndicates op...
Storm Kristin has killed at least five people and left more than 850,000 residents of central and northern Portugal without electricity on Wednesday (...
Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi's Liberal Democratic Party is likely to increase its number of parliamentary seats and gain a majority in the lower hous...
Start your day informed with AnewZ Morning Brief: here are the top news stories for the 29th of January, covering the latest developments you need to ...
Colombian authorities on Wednesday (28 January) located a missing plane carrying 15 people in the northeast of the country, with no survivors found, an Air Force source and local media said.
Storm Kristin has killed at least five people and left more than 850,000 residents of central and northern Portugal without electricity on Wednesday (28 January), as it toppled trees, damaged homes, and disrupted road and rail traffic before moving inland to Spain.
Start your day informed with AnewZ Morning Brief: here are the top news stories for the 29th of January, covering the latest developments you need to know.
Life will be particularly tough for Ukrainians over the next three weeks due to plunging temperatures and a compromised energy infrastructure that has been pummeled by intense Russian attacks, depriving millions of light and heat, a senior lawmaker said on Wednesday.
The S&P 500 edged to a record closing high on Tuesday, marking its fifth consecutive day of gains, as strong advances in technology stocks offset a sharp selloff in healthcare shares and a mixed batch of corporate earnings.
Sanctions are a long-used tool designed as an alternative to military force and with the objective of changing governments’ behaviour, but they also end up hurting civilian citizens.
Residents in Syria’s Kurdish-majority city of Qamishli have stepped up volunteer patrols amid growing pressure from the country’s Islamist-led government, expressing deep mistrust of Damascus despite a fragile U.S.-backed ceasefire.
Liverpool confirmed direct qualification to the UEFA Champions League round of 16 with a 6-0 win over Qarabağ at Anfield in their final league-phase match. Despite the setback, Qarabağ secured a play-off spot, with results elsewhere going in the Azerbaijani champions’ favour on the final matchday.
Iraq's former Prime Minister Nouri Al-Maliki said on Wednesday that he rejects U.S. interference in Iraq's internal affairs, after U.S. President Donald Trump threatened to cut off support to the country if Maliki was picked as prime minister.
Colombian authorities on Wednesday (28 January) located a missing plane carrying 15 people in the northeast of the country, with no survivors found, an Air Force source and local media said.
Chinese authorities say they've carried out capital punishment against a group of individuals tied to notorious telecommunications fraud syndicates operating across the southern border, according to state news agency Xinhua.
Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi's Liberal Democratic Party is likely to increase its number of parliamentary seats and gain a majority in the lower house, a preliminary survey by the Nikkei newspaper showed on Thursday (29 January).
Start your day informed with AnewZ Morning Brief: here are the top news stories for the 29th of January, covering the latest developments you need to know.
UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer met Chinese President Xi Jinping in Beijing on Thursday (29 January) for talks he hopes will deepen economic ties, signalling a potential breakthrough after years of strained relations.
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