23 July 2026

Birutė Šernaitė-Barauskienė has died at 81, the Lithuanian National Opera and Ballet Theatre said. Vytautas Juozapaitis called her his mentor and said she helped him take his first steps at the theatre, leaving a clear mark on Lithuania’s opera community.

Klaipėda today reopened the New Ferry passenger terminal after nearly three years of reconstruction, with the project costing 13.8 million euros before VAT. The rebuilt 2,500-square-metre site adds a larger waiting hall, self-service ticket machines and spaces for people with disabilities. It also includes nearly 100 parking spaces, four EV charging spots and more than 6,000 square metres of public space with rest areas and a viewing terrace.

An audit published today found that 96% of Lithuanian websites still have GDPR or privacy gaps. The State Data Protection Inspectorate has already scheduled 15 inspections and 10 monitoring exercises this year, leaving many site operators facing urgent fixes to cookie consent, privacy notices and data-handling procedures. Gabrielius Landsbergis told LRT that Lithuania now looks like a supplicant in its dealings with China and warned that any reset with Beijing could damage ties with the United States. Businesses and economists see the second half as the weakest stretch of the year because domestic spending and services exports are carrying growth while goods exports are hit by softer foreign demand.

A public search has been launched in Lithuania for the grandchildren of families who saved Jews during the war. Organisers want to reconnect descendants with family histories that were often left undocumented and bring them into a memorial initiative.

President Gitanas Nausėda signed the so-called milk law, changing rules for milk purchasing and payments in the sector. Prime Minister Gintautas Paluckas said the government does not plan tax increases, but some areas will have to operate with tighter funding.