Latest news with #Baltic
Euronews
7 hours ago
- Politics
- Euronews
Lithuania blames Russia for large rise in GPS jamming incidents
Russia is ramping up its GPS jamming operations against Lithuania, with pilots particularly affected by such interference, according to local media reports. Pilots in Lithuania reported disruptions to their GPS communications on 1,022 occasions in June, up from just 46 times in the same month last year, the Baltic News Service (BNS) reported based on data provided by the air traffic control company Oro Navigacija. This also marked a huge increase in recent months, as 585 incidents were recorded in May and 447 in April. Darius Kuliešius, deputy chairman of Lithuania's Communications Regulatory Authority (RRT), told LRT Radio that the regulator had identified more than 10 locations in the Russian enclave of Kaliningrad "from where Russia is causing this interference". Since Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, nations located on the Baltic Sea have reported several incidents of suspected hybrid warfare by Moscow, including damage to undersea power cables, incidents of arson and cyberattacks. The Kremlin has repeatedly denied any wrongdoing. Lithuania's Transport Minister Eugenijus Sabutis told BNS that the data was "worrying" and said the issue also affected Latvia, Estonia, Poland, Sweden, Finland. Estonia and Finland last year criticised Russia for GPS jamming in the region's skies. The EU must realise "that these interferences will not go away, that Russia and Belarus will continue to behave maliciously," Sabutis said. Last month, 13 EU countries — the Baltic states included — called on the European Commission to respond to interference with Global Navigation Satellite Systems (GNSS) orgininating from Russia and Belarus. Russia told global regulators that EU countries using navigation and broadcast satellites for both civil and military purposes, notably in support of Ukraine, could not protest if signals were jammed by Moscow, trade publication Space Intel Report wrote last week. Russia's Ministry of Digital Development, Communications and Mass Media has reportedly said that the country will attempt to avoid interference with non-military uses of GNSS. UN agencies including the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) recently issued a statement expressing "grave concern" about the rising cases of harmful interference. The ICAO last month urged Russia to stop interfering with GNSS signals, saying that this posed a "serious threat" to passenger flights, especially in the Baltic Sea region.
Daily Record
9 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Daily Record
Professional theatre company staging summer family pantomime in Ayrshire
Ginger & Jester Productions will showcase their newest production Hansel & Gretel this week. A professional theatre company will play it for laughs when they stage a summer family pantomime this week. Ayr-based Ginger & Jester Productions, a local theatre firm led by industry professionals, present their newest production Hansel & Gretel, which was never done as a pantomime before. Abbie Watson, co-producer, choreographer and musical director, said: "We are really looking forward to Hansel & Gretel. It's never been done as a pantomime before but we think it works really well and everyone will love it. "We have some students from our Ayrshire Youth Theatre (AYT) in it as well as professional actors, but the whole cast is outstanding - the comedy, the singing, everything. "Our youngest cast member who's playing Gretel is brilliant. She first came to AYT as we were rehearsing for The Wicked of Oz. She played Auntie Gem, and absolutely raised the roof, so she's definitely one to look out for. "The audience can expect toe tapping tunes, bent over laughter and just a right good time out to see a show." Abbie, 31, with co-producer Jerry Taylor, who is also a writer and director, have done three productions since they started the company in December 2024. Their newest production is running from this Thursday, July 24 until Saturday, July 26 with shows starting at 7pm, as well as a Saturday Matinee show at 2pm. The show will be held at The Tattie Shack in Monktonhill. Abbie added: "A very big shout out to Lizanne and Andrew from The Tattie Shack who have been absolutely amazing and have bent over backwards for us. The team and staff there are all so welcoming and friendly as well as the food being delicious." Abbie and Jerry have also bagged a huge deal as the new producers of Cumbernauld Theatre's Christmas pantomime, Baltic, later this year. The panto will be running from November 22 until December 24. Abbie said: "This is a huge scale panto and we can't wait to get started. Our cast are phenomenal and the team at Cumbernauld are absolutely a dream to work with. As well as that, we are also producing a Family Pantomime in Ayr at the same time, Beauty & the Beast, which will be held at Belmont Academy on December 20 and December 21."
Time of India
15 hours ago
- Business
- Time of India
How Estonia outpaced the rest of Europe at digitalization
This is an AI- generated image used for representational purposes only How long does it take to divorce in your country? In Estonia, the first step of the uncomfortable undertaking can be made in less than a minute — and even without the undesired spouse being present. "It takes 45 seconds to get to the point where it says submit the divorce application," said Luukas Ilves, until last year the Estonian government's chief information officer Ilves told DW that divorce application was the last section of public administration that had yet to be digitized, which means the small Baltic state bordering Russia is probably the first fully digitized country in the world. Even in Estonia, both partners must of course consent to the procedure and be physically present in a meeting with a civil servant who formally ends the marriage. But uptake of the online service is already phenomenal, with about 60 per cent of all divorces in Estonia being initiated via the government's so-called e-divorce platform since its launch last December. "We all expect convenience, simplicity and security from digital services in the private sector. Why should government services be any different?" said Ilves. User-friendliness is key to acceptance Ilves is the author of a recent study titled "The End of Bureaucracy," which he compiled in collaboration with the Friedrich-Naumann-Foundation, which is affiliated to Germany's Free Democratic Party. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like This Could Be the Best Time to Trade Gold in 5 Years IC Markets Learn More Undo The report highlights the differences in digitization policy and what Germany can learn from the more advanced Estonia. Currently, about 62 per cent of Germans use digital service in administration, while Estonia has an uptake of over 90 per cent, the report said. Electronic identity verification, for example, is a major issue in the report, as 90 per cent of Estonians use national e-IDs to access government services, compared with less than 10 per cent of Germans. The reason for that is simple, Ilves said. The Estonian software is more user-friendly and provides access to both public and private sector services, including retail banking. Ilves told DW that until a few years ago, Belgium had used an e-ID technology similar to that in Germany. But it performed poorly, with only 10 per cent to 20 per cent of the population using it. But ever since the country's banks and telecommunication operators introduced a user-friendly mobile version that allowed access to both private sector and government services, e-ID uptake has jumped to 80 per cent. Greater acceptance of digital administration services also helps save taxpayers' money, the Ilves report states. The administrative cost of collecting taxes in Estonia, for example, are per capita only one-sixth of those in Germany. Slashing the bureaucratic jungle with OOP Following general elections in February, the new German government of Chancellor Friedrich Merz has established a Ministry for Digital Transformation and Government Modernisation (BMDS). Its aim is to offer a "comprehensive range of services to provide impetus, initiate cooperation and develop solutions for the public administration of the future." Digital industry representatives like Magdalena Zadara have welcomed the decision. Zadara is chief of staff and strategy at the German Digital Service, a government agency that develops and implements software to digitalize administrative processes. Speaking with DW, she said she was "optimistic" about the new digital ministry because it seeks to digitalize services "end-to-end," thereby cutting short the seemingly endless journeys through German bureaucracy. "If I wanted to come to Germany to work from a country outside the EU, I would have to interact with about five to seven different government agencies to get my diploma approved, and they would maybe even ask for the same data." One solution to the problem she has in mind is Estonia's so-called once-only principle (OOP), meaning that citizens and businesses only need to provide information to public authorities once. That data can then be reused and shared internally by all authorities. OOP is one of the pillars of digital government in Estonia and even codified in law. Another hallmark of Estonia's modern administration is the digital signature, which is widely used to sign documents like employment contracts. Estonian-Russian businessman Kirill Solovjov said he first used the electronic signature when he received a so-called Estonian e-Residency in 2015 — an 11-year-old government-issued digital identity which gives global entrepreneurs remote access to the country's administrative services. "Digital signatures also existed in Russia at the time, but I was never able to go through the verification process. In Estonia, you just get the [e-ID] card, plug it in, and it works — it's magic," he told DW. Jump to the top with a 'Tiger Leap' The Baltic states — Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania — regained their independence from the former Soviet Union in 1991. The first thing Estonia did at the time was bring the internet and computers to all of its classrooms and libraries under an education program called Tiger Leap. In the year 2000, the country of 1.4 million people made another big leap in digitalization when online tax declarations became available and electronic signatures were recognized as legally equivalent to ink signatures. By 2015, all major public services including health and social services had been fully digitized. Solovjov said his favorite of all the new services is digital prescriptions. Once a doctor prescribes a medicine, he explains, it automatically ends up in the online registry, and can be accessed from any pharmacy in Estonia — and now even from neighboring Finland. "You just pull out your ID card ... the pharmacist sees exactly what has been prescribed and the different options you have. There's no deciphering illegible handwriting that's so common with doctors. It's easy, safe and fast — plus there's no tampering," he said. Reducing Europe's digital dependency Online security is still a major concern for lawmakers in other European countries and the EU Commission in Brussels. This is why the European tech industry has been calling on lawmakers to reduce Europe's reliance on American tech giants such as Google, Microsoft and Amazon. They warned the EU Commission against watering down the bloc's Digital Markets Act as a safeguard against their dominance. Moreover, they are pushing for developing a so-called EuroStack as a European alternative for technological sovereignty because currently 80 per cent of the technology is imported. A "stack" refers to a layered architecture of interrelated technology components — hardware, software, networking protocols, and infrastructure — that together create a full digital platform. The EuroStack would include sovereign artificial intelligence, open-source ecosystems, green supercomputing, data commons and a sovereign cloud. Luukas Ilves is skeptical about the initiative and warns of the high opportunity costs of "reinventing the wheel" in digitalization, especially end-to-end applications. "No country can be autarkic and fully sovereign in the digital world. In Estonia, we never built an end-to-end Estonia stack but very specific applications and protocols on top of the global technology stack," he said.
Euractiv
16 hours ago
- Business
- Euractiv
Poland's largest oil and gas discovery revealed off Baltic coast
CEP Central European Petroleum, the Polish arm of Canadian-founded Central European Petroleum, has announced Poland's largest-ever oil and gas discovery near Świnoujście, a discovery that could sharply boost output and cut heavy reliance on imports. The discovery was made at the Wolin East 1 exploration well, just six kilometers from the Baltic coast. In a statement on Monday, the company said the broader Wolin concession could hold over 33 million tons of oil and 27 billion cubic metres of market-grade natural gas. The deposit is 'the largest conventional hydrocarbon discovery ever made in Poland and one of the largest conventional oil finds in Europe in the last decade,' said CEP CEO Rolf Skaar. In an interview with the Polish Press Agency (PAP), he said the confirmed reserves may rival or even exceed the size of the Barnówko-Mostno-Buszewo field, previously considered Poland's largest. 'BMB holds around 400-500 million barrels of oil, with an estimated recovery of 100 million barrels. We're talking about a deposit of the same scale – if not larger,' he added. Poland currently imports 95% of its crude. CEP estimates the new field could more than double national oil production and increase gas output by 20%. CEP is working with US-based Noble Corporation on drilling operations and is now seeking both Polish and international partners to help develop the site. 'This is a huge opportunity for the national energy sector,' Dariusz Joński, MEP of the ruling Civic Coalition, wrote on X , noting the oil reserves 'amount to as much as 20 times Poland's annual production, and the gas reserves are five times that amount.' Foreign Minister Radosław Sikorski also welcomed the discovery, comparing it to recent national milestones, including Iga Świątek's Wimbledon victory and the country's latest space mission. 'Apparently, God really does love our government,' he wrote on X.
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Automotive
- Yahoo
Oliver Solberg almost doubles Rally Estonia lead as charge continues
Oliver Solberg won three of the four Saturday morning stages to extend his Rally Estonia lead as his impressive top-flight World Rally Championship return continued. The 23-year-old increased his advantage to 22.8s over Hyundai's Ott Tanak having ended Friday with a 12.4s lead. Competing in the Rally1 category for the first time since 2022, Solberg was untouchable on Saturday morning as he reeled off three more stage wins to take his event tally to six out of 12 tests. Solberg almost completed a clean sweep of stage wins only to be denied by Tanak in stage 12 by just 0.5s. The son of 2003 world rally champion Petter Solberg did admit that not all of his runs were perfect, but crucially he and co-driver Elliott Edmondson were faster than their more experienced Rally1 rivals. Tanak had hoped to make inroads on Solberg's overnight lead, but a couple of mistakes in stage nine (Raanitsa, 21.45 km) proved costly. The Estonian misjudged two braking points with the second causing an overshoot at a chicane and a brief stall. Tanak dropped to third behind team-mate Thierry Neuville as a result of the errors. Tanak responded in stage 10 to take the position back by 0.7s, only to drop 0.3s behind Neuville, who managed to outpace his team-mate in stage 11. Tanak fought back again in stage 12 to snatch second position from Neuville, who had to battle dust coming into the car after losing a window. Ott Tänak, Martin Järveoja, Hyundai World Rally Team Hyundai i20 N Rally1 'Quite a few mistakes this morning. Damaging the front bumper and no front aero meant in high-speed sections like this it's quite tricky. Hopefully it'll be better than this morning,' said Tanak. Two-time world champion Kalle Rovanpera dropped away from the podium fight, ending the loop 17.6s adrift of Neuville. The Finn couldn't find the sweet spot with his GR Yaris package and was fighting the car in an event that he's previously won on three occasions. "It's always not the best feeling [when the pace is not there], but there's also not much else to do. You just keep going and trying,' said Rovanpera. The battle for fifth provided a close fight as Hyundai's Adrien Fourmaux edged Toyota's Takamoto Katsuta by 2.8s. Championship leader Elfyn Evans maintained seventh position, but ended the loop 11.4s behind Katsuta. Toyota's Sami Pajari emerged from the loop in eighth ahead of Martins Sesks, who remained the lead M-Sport-Ford runner. Josh McErlean was lucky to escape a brief excursion into a ditch on Stage 12 to hold onto 10th ahead of team-mate Gregoire Munster. Rally Estonia - Day 3 Thierry Neuville, Martijn Wydaeghe, Hyundai World Rally Team Hyundai i20 N Rally1 Austral / Hyundai Motorsport Adrien Fourmaux, Alexandre Coria, Hyundai World Rally Team Hyundai i20 N Rally1 Romain Thuillier / Hyundai Motorsport Joshua McErlean, Eoin Treacy, M-Sport Ford World Rally Team Ford Puma Rally1 M-Sport Martins Sesks, Renars Francis, M-Sport Ford World Rally Team Ford Puma Rally1 M-Sport Ott Tänak, Martin Järveoja, Hyundai World Rally Team Hyundai i20 N Rally1 Romain Thuillier / Hyundai Motorsport Ott Tänak, Martin Järveoja, Hyundai World Rally Team Hyundai i20 N Rally1 Romain Thuillier / Hyundai Motorsport Thierry Neuville, Martijn Wydaeghe, Hyundai World Rally Team Hyundai i20 N Rally1 Vincent Thuillier / Hyundai Motorsport Elfyn Evans, Toyota Gazoo Racing WRT Toyota Racing Elfyn Evans, Scott Martin, Toyota Gazoo Racing WRT Toyota GR Yaris Rally1 Toyota Racing Takamoto Katsuta, Aaron Johnston, Toyota Gazoo Racing WRT Toyota GR Yaris Rally1 Toyota Racing Takamoto Katsuta, Aaron Johnston, Toyota Gazoo Racing WRT Toyota GR Yaris Rally1 Toyota Racing Sami Pajari, Toyota Gazoo Racing WRT Toyota Racing Takamoto Katsuta, Aaron Johnston, Toyota Gazoo Racing WRT Toyota GR Yaris Rally1 Toyota Racing Kalle Rovanperä, Jonne Halttunen, Toyota Gazoo Racing WRT Toyota GR Yaris Rally1 Toyota Racing Oliver Solberg, Toyota Gazoo Racing WRT Toyota Racing Oliver Solberg, Elliott Edmondson, Toyota Gazoo Racing WRT Toyota GR Yaris Rally1 Toyota Racing Grégoire Munster, Louis Louka, M-Sport Ford World Rally Team Ford Puma Rally1 M-Sport Oliver Solberg, Toyota Gazoo Racing WRT Toyota Racing Martins Sesks, Renars Francis, M-Sport Ford World Rally Team Ford Puma Rally1 M-Sport Oliver Solberg, Elliott Edmondson, Toyota Gazoo Racing WRT Toyota GR Yaris Rally1 Toyota Racing Ott Tänak, Martin Järveoja, Hyundai World Rally Team Hyundai i20 N Rally1 Red Bull Content Pool Grégoire Munster, Louis Louka, M-Sport Ford World Rally Team Ford Puma Rally1 M-Sport Joshua McErlean, Eoin Treacy, M-Sport Ford World Rally Team Ford Puma Rally1 M-Sport Joshua McErlean, Eoin Treacy, M-Sport Ford World Rally Team Ford Puma Rally1 M-Sport Martins Sesks, Renars Francis, M-Sport Ford World Rally Team Ford Puma Rally1 M-Sport Romet Jürgenson, Siim Oja, FFIA Rally Star Ford Fiesta Mk II Rally2 M-Sport Martins Sesks, Renars Francis, M-Sport Ford World Rally Team Ford Puma Rally1 M-Sport Joshua McErlean, Eoin Treacy, M-Sport Ford World Rally Team Ford Puma Rally1 M-Sport Joshua McErlean, Eoin Treacy, M-Sport Ford World Rally Team Ford Puma Rally1 M-Sport Elfyn Evans, Scott Martin, Toyota Gazoo Racing WRT Toyota GR Yaris Rally1 Toyota Racing Martins Sesks, Renars Francis, M-Sport Ford World Rally Team Ford Puma Rally1 M-Sport Martins Sesks, Renars Francis, M-Sport Ford World Rally Team Ford Puma Rally1 M-Sport Joshua McErlean, Eoin Treacy, M-Sport Ford World Rally Team Ford Puma Rally1 M-Sport Joshua McErlean, Eoin Treacy, M-Sport Ford World Rally Team Ford Puma Rally1 M-Sport Martins Sesks, Renars Francis, M-Sport Ford World Rally Team Ford Puma Rally1 M-Sport Martins Sesks, Renars Francis, M-Sport Ford World Rally Team Ford Puma Rally1 M-Sport Oliver Solberg, Elliott Edmondson, Toyota Gazoo Racing WRT Toyota GR Yaris Rally1 Toyota Racing Sami Pajari, Marko Salminen, Toyota Gazoo Racing WRT Toyota GR Yaris Rally1 Toyota Racing Kalle Rovanperä, Jonne Halttunen, Toyota Gazoo Racing WRT Toyota GR Yaris Rally1 Toyota Racing Ott Tänak, Martin Järveoja, Hyundai World Rally Team Hyundai i20 N Rally1 Red Bull Content Pool Ott Tänak, Martin Järveoja, Hyundai World Rally Team Hyundai i20 N Rally1 Red Bull Content Pool Ott Tänak, Martin Järveoja, Hyundai World Rally Team Hyundai i20 N Rally1 Red Bull Content Pool Oliver Solberg, Elliott Edmondson, Toyota Gazoo Racing WRT Toyota GR Yaris Rally1 Red Bull Content Pool Oliver Solberg, Elliott Edmondson, Toyota Gazoo Racing WRT Toyota GR Yaris Rally1 Red Bull Content Pool Thierry Neuville, Martijn Wydaeghe, Hyundai World Rally Team Hyundai i20 N Rally1 Red Bull Content Pool Kalle Rovanperä, Toyota Gazoo Racing WRT Toyota Racing Kalle Rovanperä, Jonne Halttunen, Toyota Gazoo Racing WRT Toyota GR Yaris Rally1 Toyota Racing Elfyn Evans, Scott Martin, Toyota Gazoo Racing WRT Toyota GR Yaris Rally1 Toyota Racing Elfyn Evans, Scott Martin, Toyota Gazoo Racing WRT Toyota GR Yaris Rally1 Toyota Racing Martins Sesks, Renars Francis, M-Sport Ford World Rally Team Ford Puma Rally1 M-Sport Adrien Fourmaux, Alexandre Coria, Hyundai World Rally Team Hyundai i20 N Rally1 Vincent Thuillier / Hyundai Motorsport Ott Tänak, Martin Järveoja, Hyundai World Rally Team Hyundai i20 N Rally1 Romain Thuillier / Hyundai Motorsport Thierry Neuville, Martijn Wydaeghe, Hyundai World Rally Team Hyundai i20 N Rally1 Austral / Hyundai Motorsport Ott Tänak, Hyundai World Rally Team Austral / Hyundai Motorsport Cyril Abiteboul, Team principal Hyundai World Rally Team, Thierry Neuville, Hyundai World Rally Team Vincent Thuillier / Hyundai Motorsport Oliver Solberg, Toyota Gazoo Racing WRT Toyota Racing Read Also: How Oliver Solberg's rapid WRC return shakes up Rally Estonia Estonia's Robert Virves led the WRC2 class by 31.9s from compatriot Georg Linnamae. The crews will tackle four traditional stages later today, before rounding out the day with a run through the Tartu Vale, 1.76km super special this evening. To read more articles visit our website.
