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Rail Baltica to require €500–600 million annually in investments

Under the draft state budget law, €500–600 million a year will be invested in Rail Baltica through 2030, mostly from the EU’s Connecting Europe Facility. According to Anvar Salomets, CEO [..]

Firms prep for mandatory Lithuanian language proficiency for employees

By Reda Gilytė, LRT TV, LRT.lt. Yulia has worked for several years at a Rimi supermarket and used to speak mostly Russian before starting to learn Lithuanian. “The course lasted [..]

Police raid in Germany over hundreds of threats to schools, stations

German police have searched properties across several states to investigate hundreds of emails threatening bomb attacks against schools, train stations and other public places, the Federal Criminal Police Office said [..]

Air Canada to connect the capital region with Montréal, Canada, in summer 2026

Air Canada is launching a new long-haul connection to Berlin Brandenburg Airport (BER) this summer. Between 3 July 2026 and 11 October 2026, the airline will connect the capital region [..]

Survey: Most Germans don’t believe Germany can win 2026 World Cup

An overwhelming majority of Germans do not believe that the Germany national team can win the World Cup next year, according to a survey conducted by market research institute Forsa [..]

The proportion of remote workers fell in the third quarter

In the third quarter of this year, 10.3 percent of employees worked remotely, which was 3.1 percentage points less than in the second quarter, according to data compiled by the [..]

Tartu Food Bank in financial dire straits

Tartu Food Bank is facing financial hardship as voluntary funding from local governments has declined and no longer covers its fixed costs. Tartu Food Bank serves the entire Tartu County [..]

EU foreign chief: Peace plan must first and foremost set conditions for Russia

In an interview with ERR, EU foreign affairs chief Kaja Kallas said lasting peace requires binding obligations on Russia to prevent future aggression. Do you now have a clear understanding [..]

Deportations from Germany rise sharply over past two years

Significantly more people than in previous years are being deported from Germany. And the number is expected to increase further. Germany deported 19,538 people over the first 10 months of [..]

SmartLynx Airlines suspends operations

Latvia-based SmartLynx Airlines suspended operations on Monday, the company informed LETA. The decision was made after assessing the company’s financial situation and long-term prospects. SmartLynx Airlines CEO Edvinas Demenius said [..]

Riga will start charging rent for municipal apartments in six months

A new regulation on renting municipal apartments has been drafted in Riga, which provides that from May next year the municipality will start charging rent to tenants – something that [..]

Restrictions mean coastal property owners face growing hurdles when building

Landowners at several locations on Estonia’s long coastline have found their property become practically worthless, so far as potential building goes, due to new restrictions. These restrictions can relate to [..]

Does €1,128 a month make Lithuanians part of European middle class? Opinions diverge

By Justina Ilkevičiūtė, LRT TV, LRT.lt. Lithuanians who earn at least €1,128 a month after taxes can already consider themselves part of the European Union’s middle class, according to Luminor [..]

Estonia to let 15- to 17-year-olds work full time under updated labor law

The Riigikogu has lifted labor limits on 15- to 17-year-olds, reversing a recent change to allow them to work up to 40 hours a week after finishing basic school. The [..]

As Vilnius chokes on traffic, experts suggest ways to cut time spent in jams

By Goda Malinauskaitė, LRT TV, LRT.lt. The amount of time drivers spend stuck in traffic in Vilnius is increasing each year, with drivers now spending the equivalent of eight to [..]

Tina & Anastasija write history as the 2025 women’s world champions

Latvia’s Tina Graudina & Anastasija Samoilova triumphed as the new women’s world champions in beach volleyball. On Sunday evening, they defeated USA’s Kristen Nuss & Taryn Brasher in the FIVB [..]

Aviation statistics: passenger traffic at Lithuanian airports continued to grow in October

In October, more than 706,000 passengers chose to travel through Lithuanian Airports (LTOU) — a 9% increase compared to October 2024. Passenger numbers grew despite several temporary airspace restrictions introduced [..]

Eesti Laul 2026 final tickets go on sale as road to Eurovision begins

The grand final of Eesti Laul 2026 brings 12 unique artists to the stage of Tallinn’s Unibet Arena on February 14 to decide who represents Estonia at Eurovision. Tickets for [..]

A report by Kozikowski & Partners and PAIH: Polish energy and infrastructure projects in the spotlight of Japanese investors

Poland’s energy and technological transformation makes our country one of the most interesting markets for Japanese investors in Central and Eastern Europe. Japanese companies have been present in Poland for [..]

Tartu Titans go for Baltic Bowl glory in Saturday’s American Football League final

Estonia’s only American football team – Tartu Titans – have reached the final of this year’s Baltic League. The Titans now have to overcome Kaunas Dukes on Saturday, as they [..]

Construction of the second phase of the CENTRUS quarter begins Five new buildings in the heart of Riga

Real estate developer “Centrus Real Land” has launched construction of the final phase of the CENTRUS quarter. The five new residential buildings with high-quality apartments and commercial premises on the [..]

Christmas market to open in Riga’s old town next week

The annual Christmas Market is set to open in Dome Square, Riga’s Old Town, next Friday, LETA was told by Vecrīgas Ziemassvētku Tirdziņš, the company operating the market. The Christmas [..]

Applications are now open for the EUIPO European Design Awards 2026 competition

The European Union Intellectual Property Office (EUIPO) has opened applications for the 2026 DesignEuropa Awards, with the winners to be announced next autumn in Ljubljana, the capital of Slovenia. The [..]

Accept or pay up: Lithuania weighs options under EU Migration Pact

By Reda Gilytė, LRT TV, LRT.lt. Lithuania must decide this year whether to accept 158 migrants annually under the European Union’s newly approved Migration and Asylum Pact or pay about [..]

2026 EU budget deal: EP boosts research, competitiveness and security

MEPs achieved increases for the 2026 EU budget and secured funds for Horizon Europe, transport and energy networks, civil protection and agriculture. On Saturday morning, negotiators from the European Parliament [..]

Industra Bank and Signet Bank grant €13 million loan to pharmaceutical manufacturer Kalceks

Industra Bank and Signet Bank have granted a syndicated loan of EUR 13 million to Kalceks, a company of the Grindex Group, to support its expansion in Western Europe, the [..]

Tallinn’s urban development practices and digital solutions attract international attention

This autumn, several international delegations have visited Tallinn to learn about the city’s experience in urban planning, innovation, digital governance and sustainable urban mobility. On 16 October, Tallinn hosted a [..]

Eesti Energia inks deal with Israeli firms for €100-million cogeneration power plant

Eesti Energia inks deal with Israeli firms for €100-million cogeneration power plant. The plant will both contribute to energy security of supply via electricity frequency reserves, and has potential for [..]

President: Estonia can act as a connection between Kazakhstan and the EU

Estonian cooperation with Kazakhstan will help advance economic, educational and cultural relations and can be an interface with the European Union, President Alar Karis said during an official visit. The [..]

China overtakes US as Germany’s top trading partner

In the first nine months of the year, China was once again slightly ahead of the USA. This is primarily due to strong growth in imports from the Far East. [..]

Despite change of ownership, Mere retail chain remains in Russian hands

By Edgaras Savickas, LRT.lt. The Spanish company that recently took over Valientė, the operator of the Mere discount retail chain in Lithuania, is owned by three Russian citizens who were [..]

Lithuania confronts deepening demographic crisis as birthrate plunges

By Urtė Šlevaitė & Vesta Silantjevienė, LRT TV, LRT.lt. Lithuania is grappling with a worsening demographic crisis, with nearly 11,000 fewer babies born last year than a decade ago. The [..]

Estonia opens new business center in Berlin

Estonia opened a business center at its Berlin embassy, giving Estonian companies a hub for events that promote exports, strengthen business ties, and boost Estonia’s profile. Germany is Estonia’s fifth-largest [..]

Toomas Hendrik Ilves: We cannot outsource our future

We cannot outsource our future. If we remain passive, others will absorb the talent and reap the rewards. But if we act, we will not only strengthen our university — [..]

Meeting between top diplomats of Poland and Sweden

Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Radosław Sikorski met with head of Sweden’s diplomacy, Maria Malmer Stenergard. Top of the agenda were strengthening Europe’s security and resilience, including in the [..]

Lithuanian universities protest surprise Migration Department checks on foreign students

By Kristina Karlonė, Goda Malinauskaitė, Jovita Gaižauskaitė, LRT TV, LRT.lt. Several Lithuanian universities are protesting unannounced inspections by the Migration Department, saying that officers have entered lectures and dormitories without [..]

Tartu–Riga express train expected to launch by mid-December

Estonia’s long-planned express rail linking Tartu and Riga may finally launch around December 15, offering a roughly three and a half hour trip between the two cities. Elron, Estonia’s state-owned [..]

Riga offers a diverse culture programme on National Day

On 18 November, the 107th anniversary of the proclamation of the Republic of Latvia, a wide programme of events is expected in the capital. This year, on 18 November, we [..]

Massive new data centre to be built in Germany by Lidl parent firm

Lidl’s parent company, the Schwarz Group, announced plans on Monday to build a new data centre in Germany at a cost of €11 billion ($12.8 billion), drawing praise from the [..]

Tastes and crafts of the world: International Christmas Bazaar to be held in Tallinn at the end of November

On Saturday, 29 November, the International Women’s Club of Tallinn (IWCT) will hold the 20th edition of the International Christmas Bazaar at the T1 Center in Tallinn. Embassies and representations [..]

Most people earn their income from wages

In the second quarter of this year, the majority of the country’s population aged 15-74 earned their income from wages and salaries, according to data compiled by the Central Statistical [..]

The EC forecasts 1% growth for Latvia this year

The European Commission (EC) forecasts 1 percent growth for Latvia’s economy this year, according to its autumn economic outlook published on Monday. Valdis Dombrovskis (New Unity), the European Commission’s Executive [..]

A population boom reverses decades of stagnation in Lithuanian town

By Vesta Silantjevienė, LRT TV, LRT.lt. The small town of Ukmergė in northeastern Lithuania has run out of housing space amid a growth in population fueled by returning members of [..]

Long-lost Estonian avant-garde painting fetches record sum in art auction

A Jaan Vahtra painting hidden for nearly a century — the Cubist “Harbor” — recently resurfaced, earning a record €200,000 at auction on Friday. “The painting went to a distinguished [..]

Latvia’s business environment becoming more competitive

“2025 has been a breakthrough year for the Investment and Development Agency of Latvia (LIAA) – for the first time, foreign direct investment attraction will exceed the one-billion-euro mark. Export [..]

A Lithuanian family sold everything and set off around the world – by boat

By Ieva Radzevičiūtė, LRT RADIJAS, LRT.lt. Emilija Malinauskaitė, together with her partner, Steve, decided to sell everything they owned on land, buy a boat, and set off to travel the [..]

Grenardi Group to open two new stores on Prague’s main shopping street

Latvia’s leading jewellery retailer, AS Grenardi Group, continues its expansion beyond the Baltic region. With an investment of nearly 3.5 million euros, the company is entering the Czech market by [..]

Finland sets out measures to attract data centres with high value added

Rapporteur Veli-Matti Mattila proposes in his report measures such as continuing electricity tax relief and streamlining permit procedures for data centres with high value added. The report proposes national objectives [..]

Tire changing season kicks into overdrive in Estonia

The first real snowfall isn’t far off and wait times at tire shops can stretch to a week. The rush to switch to winter tires will continue for several weeks. [..]

Cannabis consumption continues to rise in Germany, survey finds

Cannabis consumption in Germany has continued to increase, according to newly published survey data. Data from the 2024 Epidemiological Survey of Substance Abuse (ESA), published in the journal Deutsches Ärzteblatt [..]