Latest news with #BalticNewsService
The Star
8 hours ago
- Business
- The Star
Lithuanian lawmakers pass amended real estate tax reform
VILNIUS, June 26 (Xinhua) -- The Lithuanian parliament on Thursday adopted amendments to the Law on Real Estate Tax, the most hotly debated part of the current tax reform, after the ruling coalition modified both the original government proposal and its later revision in response to criticism from the public and some politicians. The bill passed with 77 votes in favor, 46 against and four abstentions. Lithuania had pledged to broaden the real estate tax base as part of its commitments to the European Commission and failure to do so could cost the country significant funding, according to the Baltic News Service (BNS). The amendments set the threshold for taxing a primary residence at 450,000 euros (526,440 U.S. dollars) per person or 900,000 euros for co-owners. Secondary and subsequent residential properties will be taxed starting at a value of 50,000 euros. Municipalities will set tax rates ranging from 0.1 percent to 1 percent on primary residences. (1 euro = 1.17 U.S. dollar)
Canada News.Net
13 hours ago
- Politics
- Canada News.Net
Nobel laureates urge Baltic States, Poland, Finland to reconsider landmine treaty withdrawal
VILNIUS, June 23 (Xinhua) -- A group of 100 Nobel Prize laureates has called on Lithuania, Estonia, Latvia, Poland, and Finland to reconsider their plans to withdraw from the Ottawa Convention, an international treaty that bans the use of anti-personnel landmines, the Baltic News Service (BNS) reported Monday. In a statement issued last week, the laureates voiced deep concern over the potential humanitarian consequences of the countries' withdrawal, warning that such actions could endanger civilian lives and undermine decades of progress in global disarmament. The Ottawa Convention, signed in 1997, has played a pivotal role in reducing landmine-related casualties around the world. However, in light of evolving regional security threats, the defense ministers of Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia, and Poland announced earlier this year their intention to exit the treaty. Finland later joined the initiative. Withdrawal from the convention would allow these countries to legally acquire, produce, stockpile, use, and transfer anti-personnel landmines. The Nobel laureates also criticized Lithuania's recent exit from the Convention on Cluster Munitions, which was finalized in March. Under the terms of the Ottawa Convention, a country's withdrawal becomes effective six months after it formally notifies the United Nations Secretary-General.
Canada Standard
17 hours ago
- Politics
- Canada Standard
Nobel laureates urge Baltic States, Poland, Finland to reconsider landmine treaty withdrawal
VILNIUS, June 23 (Xinhua) -- A group of 100 Nobel Prize laureates has called on Lithuania, Estonia, Latvia, Poland, and Finland to reconsider their plans to withdraw from the Ottawa Convention, an international treaty that bans the use of anti-personnel landmines, the Baltic News Service (BNS) reported Monday. In a statement issued last week, the laureates voiced deep concern over the potential humanitarian consequences of the countries' withdrawal, warning that such actions could endanger civilian lives and undermine decades of progress in global disarmament. The Ottawa Convention, signed in 1997, has played a pivotal role in reducing landmine-related casualties around the world. However, in light of evolving regional security threats, the defense ministers of Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia, and Poland announced earlier this year their intention to exit the treaty. Finland later joined the initiative. Withdrawal from the convention would allow these countries to legally acquire, produce, stockpile, use, and transfer anti-personnel landmines. The Nobel laureates also criticized Lithuania's recent exit from the Convention on Cluster Munitions, which was finalized in March. Under the terms of the Ottawa Convention, a country's withdrawal becomes effective six months after it formally notifies the United Nations Secretary-General.
Yahoo
28-02-2025
- Yahoo
Lithuania foiled attempt by saboteurs to burn aid shipment for Ukraine in 2024
A sabotage group attempted to set fire to a shipment of military aid heading to Ukraine but was successfully stopped. Source: a statement by Lithuanian Police Commissioner General Arūnas Paulauskas, as reported by European Pravda, citing Lithuanian public broadcaster LRT Details: The incident occurred last year in the northern Lithuanian city of Šiauliai. Three individuals were detained, while the remaining suspects have been put on the international wanted list, Paulauskas said during an annual presentation of police activities on Thursday, 28 February. "And one more incident that I would like to mention is another hybrid attack against Lithuania, which is an attempt to burn down support to Ukraine in Šiauliai, which included some military equipment, some radar stations for Ukraine," he said. "We understand that a group of persons received an order to set it on fire. Again, it was only thanks to the excellent cooperation with the intelligence community that those persons were identified, those acts were prevented and today three persons, as far as I know, are arrested, plus a number of persons are now wanted internationally," Paulauskas said. The Baltic News Service, a news website covering the Baltic states, has submitted a request to the Lithuanian Prosecutor General's Office to confirm this information, but no response has been received yet. Background: In November, the Lithuanian Prosecutor General's Office reported the detention of two Spanish citizens in connection with suspicions of preparing a "terrorist attack" in Šiauliai. Lithuanian TV channel LNK News later reported that the two individuals may have been hired by Russian intelligence. At the time, Lithuanian Prosecutor General Nida Grunskienė told reporters that Lithuanian law enforcement agencies were conducting several pre-trial investigations into suspected sabotage operations but refrained from providing further details. Support Ukrainska Pravda on Patreon!
