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Foreign Policy

  • Pakistan Says It’s in ‘Open War’ With Afghanistan

    2026-02-27

    Pakistan says it is in an ‘open war’ with Afghanistan’s Taliban regime as cross-border strikes reach fiercest levels in years. Taliban regime suggests it is willing to negotiate with Islamabad. U.S. Ambassador to Israel tells embassy workers to leave the country today.

  • What in the World?

    2026-02-27

    More than 1,000 people trapped in Mexico’s Guadalajara Zoo overnight on Sunday. China imposed another round of export restrictions on Japan on Tuesday. Zimbabwe on track to halt all lithium concentrate exports by January 2027. Shaun White invited the U.S. women’s hockey team to celebrate its Olympic gold medal. French President Emmanuel Macron appointed Christophe Leribault, an 18th-century art historian, as the Louvre's new president.

  • China Is Running Short of Donkey for Dinner

    2026-02-27

    A local news report revealing that high prices for donkey meat were forcing some restaurants in Henan province to switch to horse meat went viral on Chinese social media. Pakistan has approved exports of the meat to China in principle, though no company has yet been approved to embark on the trade. Horse meat is about two-thirds cheaper than donkeys.

  • This Year’s Oscar Documentaries Are Tough to Watch

    2026-02-27

    Four of the five nominated pictures are pretty damn depressing. Mr Nobody Against Putin takes us inside a Russian school undergoing a radical shift from teaching to indoctrination. The film most likely to win the Oscar for best documentary feature is Geeta Gandbhir’s The Perfect Neighbor.

  • Ukraine’s Lost Generation

    2026-02-27

    In 2022, Russian forces camped out in the local school in Bohdanivka, Ukraine. With the help of savED, the village’s former community hall was renovated into a school. Since the invasion, a loose network of governmental and non-governmental entities has offered secret online classes.

  • Why No One Is Pushing Back on Trump’s Iran Threats

    2026-02-27

    Trump appears to be planning an even more flimsily justified preemptive war than Bush’s invasion was. Democrats are demanding more details about and justifications for what Trump plans. Few are seriously questioning the legality of the imminent Iran war or turning it into a major issue.

  • When Counting Comes at a Cost

    2026-02-27

    In India, Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Hindu nationalist government is introducing the caste census. The progressive left has been lobbying for it, saying it will make marginalized groups more visible. The British Empire determined which roles Indians performed based on their caste. Dominant subgroups among disadvantaged castes were the first in line.

  • ‘Bomb and Hope’ Is Not a Strategy

    2026-02-27

    President Donald Trump spent three minutes on Iran in his State of the Union address. This is alarming because the U.S. seems on the verge of a war with that country, with little public discussion about it.

  • War With Iran Would Be Illegal and Stupid. Democrats Should Care.

    2026-02-27

    Pundits and policy wonks have spent the past month speculating over whether and when Trump might decide to attack Iran. Some Democrats have expressed concern that the U.S. won't be able to bring full pressure on Iran. Julian Zelizer says there is no legal basis for such a strike.

  • Sheinbaum Breaks From AMLO on Security

    2026-02-27

    Claudia Sheinbaum has long faced comparisons to her predecessor and mentor, Andrés Manuel López Obrador. The operation sparked fears of prolonged violence. Tensions between Washington and Havana remain sky-high.

  • Europe Is Decoupling From U.S. Tech

    2026-02-27

    The EU has launched several investigations against X under the DSA. X recently challenged the fine and accused the regulators of “an incomplete and superficial investigation” The recent scandal has unnerved Europeans already seeking an age majority to reduce the impact of social media.

  • Tehran Has Discovered Moscow Is a Fair-Weather Friend

    2026-02-27

    As tensions with the United States rose, Iran’s attention shifted eastward. Iran's political spectrum is hardly unified on the wisdom of Eastern alignment. Russia's reluctance to offer military guarantees is an extension of its strategic model.

Politico

LRT

  • Lion Ceccah to represent Lithuania at Eurovision 2026 in Vienna

    2026-02-27

    Lion Ceccah will represent Lithuania at the 70th Eurovision Song Contest. He won the national selection with the song Sólo quiero más. The international contest will be held in May in Vienna, Austria’s capital.

  • Twenty million euros, 15 million calls: Lithuanian authorities tackle phone swindlers

    2026-02-27

    Bank of Lithuania said the proposed changes would introduce additional obligations for banks. If a bank fails to stop a suspicious payment, it would be required to compensate the customer’s losses. Residents would also gain the right to recover funds already transferred to fraudsters. PM Ruginienė said the changes would not mark the end of the government’s efforts. Stricter criminal liability for financial crimes is also under consideration. Some of the amendments could take effect this year, with others planned for next year.

  • Thousands continue to travel from Latvia to Belarus every month

    2026-02-27

    Every month, thousands of Latvian residents cross the border into Belarus. The security services and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs have been urging them not to. LSM spoke with those who organise the trips, and those who have experienced firsthand what it means to end up behind bars in Belarus.

  • Vilnius to use green hydrogen to power its public transport

    2026-02-27

    A 10 million-euro green hydrogen plant under construction in Vilnius is expected to begin producing clean fuel for the capital's public transport system this autumn. The facility is being developed by municipal heat supplier Miesto Gijos. Once completed, it will supply hydrogen to power the city’s first hydrogen-fuelled buses, which are expected to start carrying passengers in November.

  • Flooding risks subside as Lithuania expects warming weather

    2026-02-27

    Vilmantas Vitkauskas, head of the National Crisis Management Centre, said weather conditions remain manageable. Temperatures are gradual, slowing snowmelt and allowing water to seep into the ground rather than run off into rivers.

  • Hope for best, prepare for worst: Lithuanian PM seeks reassurance on first NATO trip

    2026-02-27

    Lithuania allocates the largest share of GDP to the military among NATO members. Officials stress that national spending alone is not enough and that collective defence, especially the support of major allies, remains essential. European Commission unveiled new investment strategy for EU countries bordering Russia, Belarus and Ukraine.

  • Lithuanian residents report €321,000 in losses to fraud in 24 hours

    2026-02-27

    Residents across Lithuania reported losses totalling 321,000 euros to fraudsters over the past 24 hours. In one case, a company director told Vilnius County Police he had not received medical equipment for which he had transferred 149,000 euro.

  • airBaltic to restore regular schedule in Vilnius as smuggler balloon incidents subside

    2026-02-27

    Latvian carrier airBaltic plans to return to its regular flight schedule from Lithuanian airports for the upcoming summer season. Airline advanced departure times of two routes last November due to the threat posed by contraband balloons. Finnish airline Finnair will resume flights between Vilnius and Helsinki on March 1.

  • Large fire destroys hangar in Vilnius, casualties avoided

    2026-02-27

    A large fire broke out in a hangar in Vilnius late Thursday. It was brought under control by early Friday, the Fire and Rescue Department said. Authorities initially reported one injured person but later said there were no casualties.

  • LRT English Newsletter: Four years of war

    2026-02-27

    The war in Ukraine is now grinding into its fifth year, with no realistic endgame in sight. Lithuania continues to offer unwavering support to Ukraine. The cabinet signed off on a revised National Security Strategy, now heading to parliament for final approval. Lithuanian singer-songwriters to compete in Eurovision Song Contest in May. They will be competing against each other and other acts from around the world. The event will be held in Vilnius, Lithuania.

📊 VoxEU

  • How sanctions can help stabilise global oil supply

    2026-02-28

    Venezuela has re-emerged as a flashpoint in US foreign policy. Russia’s invasion of Ukraine continues to unsettle global energy markets. Measures that restrict a petrostate‘s ability to sell oil risk removing supply from the global market.

  • Comment l'algorithme de X modifie les attitudes politiques

    2026-02-28

    Gauthier and al. 2026 présentons les résultats d'une expérience. Nous avons menée sur X (anciennement Twitter) au cours of l'été 2023. X a offert une occasion rare d'étudier les algorithmes de flux sans la coopération of the plateforme. Pariser, E (2011), The filter bubble: How the new personalized web is changing what we read and how we think, Penguin Press. Sunstein, C R (2018), Republic: Divided democracy in the age of social media,Princeton University Press.

✍ Blogs

Paul Krugman

  • The Economics of Faltering Fascism

    2026-02-27

    Donald Trump’s return to power in January 2025 was largely thanks to public dissatisfaction with the Biden economy. However, there was no economic crisis: unemployment was low and inflation had declined sharply from its peak in 2022. So his efforts to consolidate power aren’t succeeding the way he and his fellow authoritarians expected. Most successful authoritarian takeovers occur in the aftermath of economic crises. Trump simply can’t gaslight Americans into disbelieving their lying eyes and wallets. Trump would have to implement policies that actually help working families while taking on the plutocracy.

Šeši Nuliai

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Buliaus anatomija

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