2021-01-03 15:32
The first months of 2021 will remain extremely difficult for airlines, with some closures likely and reduced travel opportunities as a result, Henrik Hololei, Director-General of the Europe… Read More
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The Baltic Word is an independent news portal that covers latest political, economic, business, and cultural events in Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania and also highlights the situation in the world. The news portal was launched on March, 2018.
The Baltic Word provides timely, objective and comprehensive information which is complete coverage of the Baltic Sea region events.
Opinions set out in the publications are those of the authors and do not necessarily coincide with the editorial position.
2021-01-03 11:14
January 3 in Latvia saw 568 new Covid-19 cases recorded, according to the Disease Prevention and Control Center (SPKC).
The highest daily total so far was on Decemb… Read More
2021-01-03 11:08
The coronavirus pandemic and its accompanying economic crisis has brought new life to some small businesses in the southeastern Estonian town of Võru, and even led to the creation of… Read More
2021-01-03 10:40
The Lithuanian government’s Extreme Situations Commission has recommended to extend restrictions on movement between different municipalities that were set to expire on Sunday.
The b… Read More
2021-01-03 10:19
Lithuania’s statistics office reported 1,493 new coronavirus infections and 25 deaths on Saturday morning.
On Friday, it reported 3,322 new cases and 130 deaths. However, the Nationa… Read More
2021-01-03 10:18
There were 1,239 new coronavirus infections confirmed in Lithuania over the last 24 hours, the country’s statistics office reported on Sunday morning.
Moreover, 27 people died of Cov… Read More
2021-01-03 09:40
Repair of a section of rail track in southwest Estonia which will be used in the building of the planned high-speed Rail Baltica line will soon be underway. The work is largely funded by th… Read More
2021-01-03 08:56
From January 1 this year, sick pay has been due from day two of a period of illness, following a legislative change late last year.
Previously, sick pay had only been applicable from the e… Read More
2021-01-02 16:04
Shipping line Tallink has suspended the operation of its Victoria I link to Stockholm and Riga, citing financial factors.
The vessel, which also sailed between Tallinn and Helsinki, had be… Read More
2021-01-02 15:20
A second batch of nearly 10,000 Pfizer/Biontech coronavirus vaccines is due to arrive in Estonia next week.
Eike Kingsepp, media adviser at the Health Board (Terviseamet), told ERR that a… Read More
2021-01-02 13:52
Lithuania is to launch an e-residency scheme in January, joining Estonia in providing a service which allows, among other things, foreign nationals to set up companies registered in that co… Read More
2021-01-02 13:36
January 2 in Latvia saw 314 new Covid-19 cases recorded, according to the Disease Prevention and Control Center (SPKC). The lower figure than in recent days is explained… Read More
2021-01-02 11:46
The COVID-19 pandemic provided a grim reminder of its reach January with news that it had claimed the life of one of the medical professionals leading the fight against its spread.
Pau… Read More
2021-01-02 10:04
Lithuania’s statistics office reported 1,493 new coronavirus infections and 25 deaths on Saturday morning.
On Friday, it reported 3,322 new cases and 130 deaths. However, the Nationa… Read More
2021-01-02 09:42
Lithuania confirmed 2,360 new coronavirus cases and another 36 deaths over the past 24 hours, the latest figures from the country’s statistics office showed on Thursday morning.
A to… Read More
2021-01-02 09:06
A new transport agency has been set up to cover maritime and civil aviation, as well as road, transport in Estonia. These areas had previously been governed by separate state agencies.
The… Read More
2021-01-02 08:14
A Lithuanian photographer whose drone shots made headlines around the world during the first Covid-19 lockdown, has taken to the skies once again, this time to help the people of Vilnius ce… Read More
2021-01-01 20:21
The New Year in Latvia began with 711 new Covid-19 cases recorded January 1, according to the Disease Prevention and Control Center (SPKC).
The highest daily total so… Read More
2021-01-01 20:20
The State Police have identified more than 1,500 violations of the emergency restrictions on New Year’s Eve and have also imposed substantial fines, Latvian Radio reporte… Read More
2021-01-01 07:18
What tickled your fancy in 2020? We take a look back at the most read stories that we published over the past year.
15. Lithuania confirms first case of coronavirus, to deploy troops… Read More
2021-01-01 06:12
LRT English Newsletter – January 1, 2021
Twenty-twenty is over, but not forgotten. Let us remind you what happened over the year (besides corona): from a water pollution… Read More
2021-01-01 03:48
Dear people of Latvia,
I wish everyone strength to carry on, empathy and courage in this new year.
We will all need strength to carry on.
Healthcare wor… Read More
2020-12-31 22:39
Latvian Prime Minister Krišjānis Kariņš has released the now-traditional prime ministerial New Year message, broadcast by LTV immediately before the New Year… Read More
2020-12-31 15:08
Although some of us would probably prefer to forget the year 2020, let’s take one more look back, through the lens of LRT photographers – Justinas Stacevičius, Domantas Umb… Read More
2020-12-31 14:02
In a bid to prevent crowding on New Year’s Eve, Lithuanian police will monitor not only public spaces, but also shopping centers to ensure compliance with the lockdown rules.
“… Read More
2020-12-31 13:40
In a bid to prevent crowding on New Year’s Eve, Lithuanian police will monitor not only public spaces, but also shopping centers to ensure compliance with the lockdown rules.
“… Read More
2020-12-31 12:47
Tthe evaluation committee of the “Most Family-Friendly Municipality 2020” contest has awarded its main prize to Ludza municipality in Latgale.
Municipalities in each p… Read More
2020-12-31 12:46
The last day of 2020 saw Latvia post another daily record of new COVID-19 cases.
Following a record 1,367 new cases of COVID-19 on December 30, that figure was exceeded December 3… Read More
2020-12-31 11:41
On December 31 night, a residential building exploded in Āgenskalns, Rīga, the State Fire and Rescue Service (VUGD) said on Twitter.
VUGD said a call had been received… Read More
2020-12-31 11:40
Government decided December 30 that COVID-19 tests would be available to anyone with symptoms without a doctor’s referral until January 10.
Previously, the final date was s… Read More
2020-12-31 10:22
Lithuania plans to launch an e-residency scheme in January, which will allow foreign nationals to set up companies, open bank accounts, and declare taxes online.
“We hope that the e-re… Read More
2020-12-31 09:13
Lithuania confirmed 2,360 new coronavirus cases and another 36 deaths over the past 24 hours, the latest figures from the country’s statistics office showed on Thursday morning.
A tota… Read More
2020-12-31 09:12
A Lithuanian woman might be among the 10 missing people following a landslide in Norway, according to the Lithuanian Foreign Ministry.
“The Lithuanian embassy in Norway has asked the O… Read More
2020-12-31 06:41
The Lithuanian State Labor Inspectorate has imposed a EUR 17,360 fine on a construction company in Vilnius for the illegal employment of Ukrainian citizens, according to a report posted on t… Read More
2020-12-31 06:16
On New Year’s Eve, cities in Lithuania will switch off their Christmas lights, limit traffic, and cancel firework displays in a bid to prevent crowding and stem the spread of the coron… Read More
2020-12-31 01:24
On December 31 night, a residential building exploded in Āgenskalns, Rīga, State Fire and Rescue Service (VUGD) said on Twitter.
VUGD said a call had been received at 1:22 at night… Read More
2020-12-30 20:18
As of January 2, Latvia will resume international passenger transport with the United Kingdom, the Civil Aviation Agency said December 30.
News of the spread of the new strain of coron… Read More
2020-12-30 15:37
Lithuania’s government will decide next week whether to tighten the lockdown restrictions, but does not plan any new measures over the New Year celebrations, according to the health m… Read More
2020-12-30 15:36
While future historians will likely remember 2020 as the corona year, there have been other events worthy of mention. LRT English looks back at the key things that happened in Lithuania ove… Read More
2020-12-30 15:00
State credit agency KredEx is offering up to one million euros in support for refurbishment of Soviet-era apartment blocks. KredEx will also oversee the refurbishment work, which will invol… Read More
2020-12-30 14:43
The Latvian government clarified details on the new COVID-19 rules at a meeting Wednesday, December 30, according to State Chancellery.
From 30 December 2020 to 4 January 2021 an… Read More
2020-12-30 14:42
The curfew and other rules imposed by the government this week are ‘absolutely necessary’, said President Egils Levits in an interview to Latvian Radio December 3… Read More
2020-12-30 14:08
Lithuania should receive the third batch of the BioNTech/Pfizer coronavirus vaccine next week, Health Minister Arūnas Dulkys said on Wednesday, shortly after the ministry said it had no… Read More
2020-12-30 14:00
The government on Wednesday, December 30 decided to extend the state of emergency in Latvia until February 7, as it had signalled would be the case.
The second state of emergency of th… Read More
2020-12-30 13:02
Lithuania’s Health Ministry says it has no information when the third delivery of coronavirus vaccines will reach the country. The second batch will be used for medical workers’… Read More
2020-12-30 11:26
Wednesday saw 1,367 new cases of COVID-19 confirmed in Latvia, according to the Disease Prevention and Control Center (SPKC). This is a new daily record, exceeding the 1… Read More
2020-12-30 11:12
Lithuania’s law enforcement will investigate whether only half a ton of oil has leaked into the Baltic Sea from the Būtingė crude oil terminal, as claimed by the Polish-owned… Read More
2020-12-29 20:18
The government has on December 29 decided to introduce a night-time curfew and to extend the current state of emergency by a month, Prime Minister Krišjānis Kari… Read More
2020-12-29 15:46
Lithuania’s authorities have started an investigation after Viktor Uspaskich, member of the European Parliament and leader of the Labour Party, advertised mineral water that he claims… Read More
2020-12-29 15:02
A large sinkhole has opened up in northern Lithuania, leaving local residents without water and electricity. To top it off, they also have to ward off eager tourists.
The eight-metre sinkh… Read More
2020-12-29 14:53
A black panther confiscated by the Latvian State Police in the Skanste neighborhood has ended up in the Rīga Zoo along with the crocodile, monkey, owls, wolves and lynxes confiscate… Read More
2020-12-29 14:52
In the case of a black panther removed from an apartment in Rīga early this year, three accused persons pled guilty and have been fined, according to December 29 informat… Read More
2020-12-29 13:56
Lithuania’s Labour Inspectorate has fined a building company in Vilnius for illegally employing workers from Ukraine.
The firm claimed that 20 Ukrainians were employed by Polish comp… Read More
2020-12-29 13:12
On Tuesday, Lithuania’s Health Ministry said it found 804 previously unaccounted coronavirus-related deaths.
“It was established that 324 deaths from [Covid-19] and 480 d… Read More
2020-12-29 12:02
Calendar adjusted data (at constant prices) published December 29 by the Central Statistical Bureau (CSB) show that, compared to November 2019, in November 2020 total re… Read More
2020-12-29 11:28
Controversy has arisen between state-owned mail service Eesti Post and an organization representing private media companies in Estonia over newspaper and magazine delivery prices. While Eest… Read More
2020-12-29 11:22
After some two tons of crude had been released into the Baltic Sea on Monday, the oil spill has now disappeared, according to the Lithuanian Navy’s Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre… Read More
2020-12-29 11:13
Parcel delivery service Omniva said December 29 there have been fraud messages sent to residents requiring payment transfer to bank account.
Fraudsters under the name InfoOMNIVA have sent me… Read More
2020-12-24 17:32
Foreign minister Urmas Reinsalu (Isamaa) has welcomed news of the last-minute deal signed between the European Union and the United Kingdom, as announced on Thursday in the international me… Read More
2020-12-24 13:58
Christmas arrives in sobering form in Latvia with a record number of coronavirus infections confirmed for a second day in a row.
Latvia on December 24 recorded 1,270 new cases of… Read More
2020-12-24 13:19
Wishing you a joy-filled Christmas season. May your holidays be spent in good cheer and unforgettable moments. Have a great time this Christmas!
The Baltic WordThe post Merry Christmas! firs… Read More
2020-12-24 13:17
At the beginning of this month, the U.S. Department of Defense media Stars and stripes has officially announced the deployment of a new military base of American Special Forces in Latvia. To… Read More
2020-12-24 12:16
The smell of gingerbread fills Lina Seneckienė’s home every Christmas. This year during the pandemic, she has even built an entire gingerbread village.
The process took several da… Read More
2020-12-24 10:48
On Thursday, Lithuania reported a record 3,799 new cases of Covid-19, exceeding the previous record set on Wednesday. Forty-three people have also died of Covid-19.
Some 4,572 people have al… Read More
2020-12-24 10:04
Russian-speaking Santa and Snow White in Lithuania are volunteering to spend their Christmas with Belarusian children whose parents had to flee their country and settle in Lithuania due to p… Read More
2020-12-24 08:45
Some will remember that thirty years ago, Denmark was very active in supporting the regained independence of Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania, and was among the first countries to restore dipl… Read More
2020-12-24 08:41
As the New Year’s celebrations are approaching, local governments are banned from organizing fireworks, according to the decision of the joint meeting of the Cabinet of Ministers and t… Read More
2020-12-24 08:37
Gazprom has lost a third of its share of the Finnish gas market after a new pipeline made it possible to import liquefied natural gas (LNG) via the Baltic States, data from Gazprom and Eston… Read More
2020-12-24 07:08
Despite the stretched out negotiations over a Brexit deal, Britons who have already secured residency in Lithuania will not be affected even under a ‘no deal’ scenario. Here are… Read More
2020-12-23 19:46
Lithuania plans to launch vaccination against Covid-19 in five hospitals at 8:00 on Sunday, December 27, simultaneously, Health Minister Arūnas Dulkys has said.
“Today we had th… Read More
2020-12-23 18:08
Charity marathon ‘Dod pieci’, run by youth radio station Pieci_LV, has come to an end Wednesday, December 23.
This year, the marathon raised 402,065 EUR which will be chann… Read More
2020-12-23 17:24
During the charity marathon “Dod pieci!” , Latvian public service media and the Baltic Research Journalism Centre “Re: Baltica” have highlighted a number of probl… Read More
2020-12-23 16:28
Lithuania has tightened quarantine restrictions by banning more than two people from travelling in a single car, unless they are from the same household.
In addition, the government has al… Read More
2020-12-23 15:22
The State will in future pay for self-isolating COVID-19 patients and contact persons in hotels Latvian Television reported December 21.
State will cover 80% of the accommodation servi… Read More
2020-12-23 15:21
Data published December 22 by the Central Statistical Bureau (CSB) show that, compared to 2018, in 2019 household disposable income increased by 6.8%, reaching 583 e… Read More
2020-12-23 15:20
Linda Mūrniece, owner of the Hotel Roma in Old Rīga which was forced to close its doors due to the pandemic, spoke to Latvian Radio December 22 about the experience.
In March… Read More
2020-12-23 15:19
For Latvian nationals, a repatriation flight from Great Britain will take place on December 28 at 17:30 UK time, Foreign Minister Edgars Rinkēvičs said on his Facebook pro… Read More
2020-12-23 15:18
Latvia’s financial regulator, the Financial and Capital Market Commission (FKTK) issued a warning December 23 about financial services being offered by an unlic… Read More
2020-12-23 14:08
With a pandemic Christmas, Lithuania has offered a pandemic response during Christmas, going digital and social distanced for the festive season.
When it comes to Christmas decorations, Lith… Read More
2020-12-23 12:48
The record number of new Covid-19 cases is the result of intense shopping right before lockdown, Lithuanian Prime Minister Ingrida Šimonytė told members of parliament on Wednesda… Read More
2020-12-23 06:42
The possibility of reducing the distribution of COVID-19 is in the hands of the public, Prime Minister Krišjānis Karins (“New Unity”) said on Latvian Television Decem… Read More
2020-12-23 06:18
The Tallinn city government has agreed to extend rent discounts for businesses operating on city-owned premises in the city center until April 30, 2021 and to make the discount of up to 80 p… Read More
2020-12-23 06:12
After declaring independence in March 1990, Lithuania’s newly-founded border guard service faced attacks by the Soviet forces, culminating in the Medininkai massacre that left seven of… Read More
2020-12-22 16:16
On Tuesday, the Lithuanian parliament adopted the 2021 budget with 77 votes in favour, two votes against, and 49 abstentions.
The budget provides for a general government deficit of 7 perc… Read More
2020-12-22 16:06
Latvia’s government on December 22 added some more dos and don’ts to its list of measures designed to combat the spread of COVID-19, reported LSM’s Latvian language ser… Read More
2020-12-22 15:55
Just days after a call for volunteers was announced on December 17, over a thousand people have signed up to work at Covid-19 wards in Lithuania’s hospitals, according to the Red Cros… Read More
2020-12-22 15:54
A lot has changed since the 2004 enlargement of the European Union, which included the Baltic States, but despite waning enthusiasm and illiberal tendencies, the bloc continues to inspire i… Read More
2020-12-22 15:32
A lot has changed since the 2004 enlargement of the European Union, which included the Baltic States, but despite waning enthusiasm and illiberal tendencies, the bloc continues to inspire i… Read More
2020-12-22 15:10
Postal deliveries between Lithuania and the United Kingdom face serious disruptions after a number of countries closed their borders to the UK over a new strain of the coronavirus.
Lietuvo… Read More
2020-12-22 14:28
Latvian Foreign Minister Edgars Rinkēvičs announced December 22 that on Wednesday the Baltic states of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania will consult each other on a plan to repatr… Read More
2020-12-22 13:58
Lithuania must immediately start analysing coronavirus mutations, something it has not done on a broad scale until now, health experts said on Tuesday.
The proposal was discussed during Pr… Read More
2020-12-22 12:30
With online hate crime falling below the threshold of law enforcement, human rights experts in Lithuania are mulling new ways to combat abuse.
Openly gay Lithuanian member of parliament To… Read More
2020-12-22 12:02
The healthcare system has been ‘deformed’ due to the influx of COVID-19 patients, Liene Cipule, head of the Emergency Medical Service (NMPD), said in an interview on Lat… Read More
2020-12-22 06:16
In May this year, Eitvydas Bajarūnas assumed his position as the new Lithuanian ambassador to Russia. In an interview with LRT Novosti, he talked about goals to strengthen economic, po… Read More
2020-12-21 20:40
Over the past two weeks, around 14% of the arrivals in Latvia had not submitted the electronic questionnaire Covidpass.lv, said the State Border Guard December 21.
Si… Read More
2020-12-21 18:16
Pensioners in Tallinn will receive a €125 supplement following a city government decision Monday.
Deputy Mayor Betina Beškina (Center) said that the supplement is aimed at miti… Read More
2020-12-21 17:54
Forty companies involved in food processing are the latest recipients of state aid prompted by the effects of the coronavirus pandemic.
The companies will between them receive €523,90… Read More
2020-12-21 15:26
The previous week’s incidence data with Covid-19 continued to show an increase in the proportion of positive tests, Disease Prevention and Control Center (SPKC) said in a statement… Read More
2020-12-21 15:14
The recently deceased Cardinal of Wroclaw, Henryk Gulbinowicz, will remain an honorary citizen of Vilnius District, despite being sanctioned for abusing minors and covering up sexual crimes… Read More
2020-12-21 14:52
Lithuanian Foreign Minister Gabrielius Landsbergis has proposed amendments, which, according to him, will limit political appointments to the diplomatic service.
Landsbergis has proposed t… Read More
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