This work, U.S. Army Civil Affairs soldiers join Lithuanian Armed Forces in Confidence 2024 Exercise, by SGT Rachel Hall, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright US EditionUK EditionScottish SunIrish SunSearchMy Account Moussa Dembele has showed no signs of slowing down as he continued to expand his off-field endeavours Dembele was recently announced as the new owner of Lithuanian club FK Minija The French striker's takeover was completed through his investment group It is not the only club Dembele owns through Triple M with Malian outfit AS Mansa also under the Frenchman's umbrella FK Minija are based in the Lithuanian city of Kretinga which has a population of just over 17,000 Although Dembele may own two clubs, his playing days are far from over. The 28-year-old plays for Saudi Pro League side Al-Ettifaq having joined in the summer of 2023. He netted seven goals in 19 league appearances this term before his season was cut short after he ruptured his Achilles during a game in February. The Frenchman's impressive displays caught the eye of several bigger clubs and he ultimately joined Scottish giants Celtic as a free agent in June 2016 Dembele, who was Brendan Rodgers' first signing at Parkhead during the first of his two managerial stints at the club He smashed home a whopping 32 goals in 49 games across all competitions in his first season with the Hoops, 17 of which came via the Scottish Premiership Dembele's stunning debut campaign helped Celtic win the treble as he earned a spot in the PFA Scotland Team of the Year Although he didn't quite reach the same goalscoring heights in his second season he still helped the Bhoys enjoy back-to-back domestic trebles Dembele then joined French side Lyon in August 2018 for an estimated £19.7million on transfer deadline day His best goalscoring return in Ligue 1 was during the 2021/22 campaign as Dembele scored 21 times in 30 matches Dembele also spent half of the 2020/21 season on loan with Spanish outfit Atletico Madrid but he failed to score a single goal from his seven appearances as he returned to Lyon His final season with Lyon ended with just three goals from 23 matches before he completed the move to Saudi Arabia Olympique Lyonnais and Fulham striker Moussa Dembele has bought FK Minija Kretinga 🇱🇹 Moussa Dembele signs in as the new owner of Lithuanian club FK Minija.Dembele has signed all documents via his investment group called Triple M which also owns AS Mansa in Mali. pic.twitter.com/lmklVsN9CX based in the city of Kretinga and sitting in ninth place in the Lithuanian second tier standings have been acquired by investment group Triple M Sports Investments Limited - in which Dembele is a director Triple M Sports Investments Limited also owns AS Mansa in Mali "They now know more about Kretinga than I do This is a win not only for Kretinga but for all Lithuanian football We will now move from away from an amateur club to a professional one," club CEO Vidas Burba told Reuters who signed for Saudi Pro League club Al-Ettifaq in 2023 made 94 appearances for Celtic between 2016-18 The 28-year-old was also part of Atletico Madrid's LaLiga-winning squad in 2021 Al-Ettifaq forward Moussa Dembélé has become the new owner of Lithuanian side FK Minija #SSFootball The previous record was set just two years ago in Kretinga where temperature rose to 33.6 degrees Record-high temperatures were recorded by almost all the country’s main weather stations with 84-year-old records broken in Vilnius High temperatures also prevailed on June 27 and 30 Industry Blogs When coming across the term “GIS technologies” many people immediately think of mapping and management of networks but GIS technologies have much more to offer Processes such as geocoding and spatial data analysis may not be the first thing to come to mind but they are important to day-to-day operations The company is responsible for the supply of drinking water and the treatment of wastewater throughout the district It employs around 65 people and serves over 13,000 users Kretingos vandenys has started using ArcGIS as an accident and work order system—a system built on Esri ArcGIS software for registering and managing malfunction events the company is seeking more efficient workflows and is interested in identifying relevant ArcGIS extensions that can optimize its operations Geocoding is the process by which location descriptions in text (e.g. addresses or place-names) are converted into geographical coordinates (usually latitude and longitude) to identify a location on Earth’s surface Geocoding and spatial data analysis did not seem relevant to Kretinga until we saw the possibilities during a technical training session organized by hnit-baltic The demo provided an understanding that immediately appeared to have a lot of potential to impact our work We used geocoding to create a consumer map we ensured the accurate representation of data not solely through addresses but by incorporating four key parameters: address This comprehensive approach enhanced the precision of the data visualization we symbolized it to show what services customers were receiving Additional data displayed on the map includes the customer’s full name This information is helpful in orchestrating further detailed analyses and customer service management we were able to quickly identify possible arbitrary connections or incorrect addresses in the database it’s very difficult to do) by looking at a list of data The fast progress to convert addresses to users on a map was unexpected Visualizing customer information on a map led to a deeper approach to spatial data analysis After viewing the map and seeing that there were incorrect addresses we were able to import a list of addresses from the Public Register Center By applying a spatial data analysis approach comparing the data in our consumer map with the data from the Public Register Center do not contain any of the services provided or the service contract (or they contain an inaccurate address on the contract) The analysis has identified a large number of addresses which are outside of our service area To better define the area where we are looking for discrepancies we used our service area boundary with a buffer of 200 meters we have eliminated all the addresses that do not impact our work and This newly extracted data leads to three possible scenarios: The analytics performed help to quickly and efficiently identify the objects that need more attention including arbitrary connections and outdated address information that requires updating we are looking for ways to facilitate various tasks or how to use the data to create new processes that will allow staff to perform various tasks more efficiently A better result than expected is often achieved we are using dashboards to better understand who will be impacted by development projects is being used within a dashboard to enable staff to draw a specific area on the map and immediately see who will be impacted by projects in their area This is a very useful tool because we can quickly calculate the expected number of impacted users before development projects are finalized and executed Spatial data analysis was also adapted for the purpose of counting contracts within the Kretinga City agglomeration A very similar method to the previous one was applied for this analysis Spatial consumer data was combined with Kretinga City agglomeration data (a polygon layer marking the geographical area around Kretinga City) and only those objects that overlap were selected—objects that fall within the marked area The obtained result was also presented in a dashboard created in the ArcGIS Dashboards app the dashboard aggregates existing contracts according to the services provided The dashboard also allows filtering data by the desired contract type it is possible to select objects that only have drinking water supply contracts it is possible to identify the distribution of objects that do not have a domestic sewage disposal contract This type of dashboard makes it possible to analyze the spatial distribution of services provided processes such as counting existing users within the boundaries of a large urban agglomeration were performed simply by comparing the list of service delivery addresses with a map GIS provides powerful tools for collecting and analyzing data from various profiles This assists in making informed decisions regarding infrastructure maintenance and planning Head of the Water Supply Infrastructure Department GIS creates comprehensive network maps that easily display pipelines facilitating the identification and maintenance of faults These maps improve collaboration among different departments by providing everyone with equal access to real-time information A successful project is underway to digitize old paper maps that are approximately 30 years old This is particularly important as there is no newer information available and these maps are an irreplaceable source of information ArcGIS software and its Georeference function are used for digital conversion The resulting digital maps are stored in a GIS portal ensuring convenient access for everyone who needs this information Accessibility—Instead of a single paper map that is kept in the office and can only be accessed by a limited number of people everyone can now freely access the information they need Convenience—Large-format paper maps (7 meters x 60 centimeters x 7 units) are not always convenient to use Digitized maps are easily accessible and viewable even on mobile devices such as phones Fast Search—Information can be found and viewed much faster in the digital realm than on paper maps Digitized paper maps not only improve information accessibility and convenience but also make it easier to navigate and make better decisions we are constantly seeking new ways to adapt ArcGIS to our needs and uncover the untapped potential of this powerful software One of the best ways to achieve this is to participate in the online training courses offered by Esri you will not only gain valuable knowledge on how to perform specific tasks but also discover the diverse features and hidden gems of ArcGIS that can transform your work Kretinga Waters achieved significant operational efficiency improvements using ArcGIS technology This software helped accurately visualize customer data on a map allowing precise identification of discrepancies and targeted work organization Spatial data analysis simplified work processes by reducing the need for manual comparisons and saving time Continuous training with Esri enables our employees to fully utilize the potential of ArcGIS ArcGIS has become an essential tool in optimizing our operations and making informed decisions ArcGIS is an extensive information system that enables modernization of workflows with easy-to-use applications for the field and office Strengthen your organization with smart water solutions that will increase efficiency and provide insight for decision-makers Visit the Esri Water Utilities web site for more information Follow #EsriWater on social media: X| LinkedIn Subscribe to the Water Industry newsletter “Esri News for Water Utilities and Water Resources“ Pidpa is using ArcGIS Field Maps paired with Leica GPS receivers enabling staff to more accurately record asset information Berthold Becker GmbH is using GIS and digital twin technology to improve the response to the Ahr Valley flood disaster that occurred in 2021 ArcGIS provides a lifeline for Central Arkansas Water staff making critical information available on a daily basis European Motoball Champions Cup: back in action After 4 years without any international competitions the Motoball Club of Kretinga welcomed more than 7.000 visitors for the first round of the European Motoball Champions Cup and a lot of goals: this is exactly what the Motoball Commission was expecting from this new format | Copyright 2025 FIM Europe | Terms of use - Privacy statement | The expressionless face is easy to miss, but his proportions are massive He doesn’t fit in chairs at Crisler Center kicking up one leg atop the chair in front of him You will know Sigis Brazdeikis when you see him Michigan’s brash freshman basketball player They grew up in the ’70s and ’80s in Soviet-controlled Lithuania Sigis wanted to be the biggest kid in school but there was no such thing as a local gym membership a quiet town built around a 17th century Franciscan monastery where the Baltic Sea laps against a shallow shoreline Sigis asked his father for a weightlifting bench other than when grains of sand coated his bloody knuckles Sigis was eventually the strongest kid in school young Ignas is the strongest kid in the Big Ten He’s on the verge of being named conference Freshman of the Year an improbable honor that may come next week but because of how he plays and how he got here His style is a combination of brute force and condensed skill Like a potato sack filled with train tires His official hometown listed on the Michigan roster is Oakville a heavily migrant section of Eastern Europeans living in Western Toronto That’s where the Brazdeikis family was taken in by a Ukranian family they’d never met cramming into an already crowded apartment gravitated toward a courtyard outside the apartment taking in an immigrant family into their own apartment in Etobicoke That house is where Sigis Brazdeikis’ work van comes into focus in the rearview mirror pulls into the driveway and out comes Sigis and he is going to try to explain how this all happened He’s going to tell the story of where in the world Ignas came from potentially breaking his visitor’s sternum “Only the biggest grow where there’s more sun I’ve always had the idea that that’s what I wanted to give to my son Ignas Brazdeikis might be the closest thing college basketball has to an action star Most recently he was on the floor at Maryland one of the sport’s best home-court advantages “You are ugly.” They ended the day watching him flex he pushed back his streak of auburn hair so they could see him smile Having hung 21 on the Terps in another Michigan victory seemed moments away from climbing into a sports car and speeding off and that’s when I feel like I rise up more,” he said afterward Brazdeikis idolizes Conor McGregor because of course he does Brazdeikis is 20 and McGregor is a modern archetype of antiestablishment stardom — a thunder-skulled villain millionaire who does as much talking with his fists as he does with his mouth is usually comprised of bombastic Irish shit-talking Brazdeikis smiles enormously anytime McGregor is mentioned McGregor is a character as much as he’s a fighter.  Spend any time with him and you realize he could be cast in a Guy Ritchie film and not have to act He’s Jason Statham with a Lithuanian accent He doesn’t need to tell you he can beat you into a fine pulp He doesn’t need a million dollars to tell you where he’s been.  Sigis rises from the couch and takes up all the air He’s demonstrating how to throw a proper punch Sigis flashes his hand through the air. Fffff. He steps into it rattling the family pictures on the walls.  “That’s a punch,” he says.         Sigis was born in 1973 — 12 years before Mikhail Gorbachev took control of the Soviet Union; 15 years before the Soviets loosened their grip on the region; 18 years before Lithuania gained independence “My dad was from a family of farmers,” Sigis says He built his makeshift gym in the basement storage area assigned to their unit. He wanted to wrestle or box as long as it involved training and fighting He heard about a local man teaching Shotokan you walk to the place that it’s happening.”  Sigis learned mixed martial arts and trained intensely He wanted nothing more than to be the biggest but I saw how people got bullied,” he goes on All the drinking and the smoking and everything Whoever had their head on their shoulders — it was like but I wanted to be the strongest and I eventually became that in high school.” to study engineering at Kaunas University of Technology To hear Sigis tell this portion of the story one goes through varying degrees of mental gymnastics to piece together exactly what was going on offered this band of brawlers a vague gig working security for some new privatized companies The Soviet Union had dissolved a year earlier leaving Lithuania in the backwash of communism but you didn’t understand,” Sigis remembers important or not important.” Sigis and his crew got the work they could get Sigis isn’t reminiscing as much as he’s explaining and I probably didn’t know completely everything when she was a first-year student and he was a second-year student Diana was standing outside a dormitory with a friend Diana would only go out if her friend agreed Sigis demanded his buddy ask out the other young lady “Everyone at the party was talking about him My friends knew him because he was very big and was very good at sports.”  Sigis showed up to their second date with a black eye.  Lithuania’s borders were open for the first time in a long time so he and a small group of friends All they knew was the name of a Polish guy who lived near Ealing Broadway station in West London They began randomly knocking on house doors entwined with Lithuanian and Russian.  ”I don’t know how we didn’t get arrested or something he was hired to load appliances onto trucks He kept a job as a bouncer on the weekends Nothing solid developed and when Diana told Sigis she was pregnant Sigis went to the bar to celebrate with friends He still trained upwards of three times a day and fought competitively “I had some chances to maybe do it professionally but I chose family.” His biggest asset he got a job as a bodyguard to the president of a company Sigis made the decision to go find work in the United States They were broke and something needed to change He heard that a friend of a friend in Chicago might need help running a tiling business He made it work and wrote Ignas weekly letters even though Ignas was only 3 and couldn’t read Emma and Ignas all joined Sigis in Chicago It’s hard to imagine where baby Iggy got his defiance from but he refused to let Sigis draw his bath or tuck him in He was mad his dad had left him all those months ago Sigis does not see parenting as raising a child in one’s image He softens his tone as he pushes out to the edge of the living room couch “I don’t want him to go through what I went through Sigis and Ignas Brazdeikis first visited Michigan during Ignas’ junior year of high school at Orangeville Prep 215-pound chassis — all the talent coming together around a big He grew up following his dad to the gym and was a natural in Muay Thai a combination of kick boxing and boxing. Sigis helped train him He’d get down on his knees to use boxing mitts he missed a punch and little Ignas landed a right-cross “He could do seven chin-ups as a little kid Ignas was being showered with college scholarship offers by the time he first visited Ann Arbor Rivals.com called him “a straight bucket-getter and one of the very best scoring forwards that the high school ranks has seen in recent years.” Michigan intensified its recruitment after assistant Jeff Meyer watched him drop 42 in an AAU game Everyone gathered at the end of that first recruiting visit for what Ignas and Sigis assumed was a formality — a scholarship offer who grew up knowing former Michigan star Nik Stauskas you don’t shoot the ball well enough and you have to practice harder if you’re gonna play for us,” Beilein recalls saying Imagine standing in front of Sigis Brazdeikis and telling him no Imagine recruiting a top-50 player with a growing list of high-major offers and telling him he’s not good enough Michigan’s recruitment of Brazdeikis could’ve ended right there what felt like an insult was actually the first seeds of trust Ignas began CrossFit around the seventh grade biking 20 minutes from the house in Oakville He got a subscription to Slam magazine and could dunk by the eighth grade those ridiculous shoes with the jumping pads I promise!’” Ignas remembers.) He was one of the best grade school basketball players in the Toronto area He began high school at the local parish school starting for the varsity team as a freshman but transferred to mighty Orangeville Prep — a factory of Canadian prep basketball — as a sophomore “My name was on the map a little bit more around grade 10,” Ignas says “That’s when I made Team Canada (in the U16 FIBA Americas Championship) no one would think I would be the player I am today Iggy Brazdeikis is sitting at a long table inside a University of Michigan athletic department conference room It’s interesting to talk one-on-one to someone who attracts so much attention The Brazdeikis who steps outside this room flashes money signs when he makes 3-pointers He draws the biggest crowd in the media room He has more than 26,000 followers on Instagram he makes it clear that he doesn’t lack self-awareness He says he was once just another kid playing ball He needed to have someone demand more from him.  It was one that had been places and done things It was one that had risked it all and chased a future that didn’t come with a plan There’s a reason the Brazdeikis name is tattooed across Ignas’ chest don’t take these opportunities for granted,’” he says “I remember once I wouldn’t want to drink protein shakes because I didn’t like the taste of it I’m giving you something good for your body If I had this opportunity I’d take everything I’d make sure to use every single opportunity “It really started to hit me my final year of high school I realized what they had to do to put us in this situation To move from Lithuania all the way to where we’re at now is incredible I take that into big consideration because it did everything for us It feels like I have to pay that back to my parents Beilein wanted to see Ignas play in person so he grabbed his passport and headed to Ontario Driving down a street in the Toronto suburbs he saw a work van and a pickup truck overfilled with ceramic tiles in the bed Sigis Brazdeikis couldn’t make it to the game that day I just wanted to see what he did every day for his family They didn’t talk about recruiting or sales pitches or scholarships “I could sense (Michigan) was the right place,” Sigis Brazdeikis says today you’ll do this.’ All (Beilein) promised was Ignas Brazdeikis was offered a scholarship to Michigan on April 25 Ignas moves on the floor like someone trained in a ring “My dad always said I was gonna be strong,” Brazdeikis says watching Ignas’ games streamed over the internet Basketball is the most popular sport in Lithuania and it’s no small matter that Sigis’ and Diana’s boy is a big deal Ignas is understanding that responsibility and he is eyeing the 2020 Olympics not as a member of Team Canada “It happens to be that I’ve lived in Canada and the U.S maybe one day I’ll live in Lithuania again,” he explains (Top photo: Patrick Semansky / Associated Press) 22 council members voted in favour of keeping the methanol and hydrogen industry out of the area of Darbėnai one abstained and there were no votes against the motion Kretinga Mayor Antanas Kalnius told BNS that the council’s decision was a clear political declaration meant for European Energy and government institutions “We will send the letters to both the Environment Ministry and the company saying that we are against the construction of the plant and we will ask them to stop the environmental impact assessment process,” Kalnius told BNS European Energy announced its plans to invest around 400 million euros into an e-methanol and green hydrogen plant in Lithuania The company is now in the process of picking a site in Kretinga and Akmenė Districts and expects to make the final decision in 2025 The facility is meant to start operations in 2028 The company says it will be the most powerful plant of this type in the Baltic and Scandinavian countries local communities in the potential areas are concerned about the project and its potential environmental and health impact played host to the much-anticipated third and final round of the European Motoball Champions Cup eager fans gathered to witness the adrenaline-pumping spectacle that is Motoball a unique blend of football and motorcycle racing Three-day event showcased exhilarating matches passionate fans and the sheer athleticism of the participating teams More than 5.000 fans were supporting their teams during the event In a thrilling encounter that pitted French powerhouse Suma Troyes against Lithuanian champions Kretinga fans were treated to an electrifying display of skill The European Motoball Champions Cup clash ended with a commanding victory for Suma Troyes who emerged triumphant with a final score line of 9-4 The game between Kretinga and Suma Troyes was a showcase of exceptional Motoball skills Suma’s dominant performance secured them a well-deserved victory while Kretinga displayed resilience and determination throughout the game Full stadium of fans was treated to an exciting spectacle of Motoball action they can take pride in the display of their young talents and the indomitable spirit they brought to the pitch Puma Kuppenheim wasted no time asserting their dominance with an early two goals in the opening minutes The German club’s skilful ball control and strategic positioning allowed them to maintain possession for the majority of the game Their aggressive attacks caught the Lithuanian defense off-guard resulting in a series of quick-fire goals that left Kretinga reeling All the game Puma Kuppenheim maintained their relentless pace not letting up on their attacking strategies Their impeccable teamwork and precision passing allowed them to carve through Kretinga’s defense The Lithuanian side struggled to match the German club’s speed and coordination resulting in a barrage of goals that padded Puma Kuppenheim’s lead The European Motoball Champions Cup clash between French club Suma Troyes and German club Puma Kuppenheim was nothing short of a thrilling spectacle as both teams battled it out on the field in a game that kept fans on the edge of their seats until the very end The match took place in front of an electrifying crowd at Gaston Arbouin and the final score line of 3-5 in favor of Puma Kuppenheim reflected the intense competition witnessed over the course of four intense quarters From the moment the referee’s whistle blew to signal the start of the match it was evident that both teams were eager to stamp their authority on the game The first quarter witnessed a frenetic pace with players from both sides showing off their Motoball skills and manoeuvring their motorbikes with finesse The offensive efforts of Suma Troyes and Puma Kuppenheim were relentless resulting in a series of near misses and incredible saves by the respective goalkeepers The much-anticipated European Motoball Champions Cup final between Suma Troyes and Puma Kuppenheim took place amidst roaring excitement and a packed stadium The two powerhouse teams battled fiercely for the coveted championship title with Puma Kuppenheim emerging as the victors with a dominant 6-0 victory over Suma Troyes The match began with both teams displaying a high level of intensity Puma Kuppenheim showcased their strong offensive prowess testing the defensive skills of Suma Troyes The game took an unexpected turn during the second quarter when a chilling crash occurred between Puma player Jannis Schmitt and Suma player Jérémy Colier The collision left Colier with an unfortunate hand injury leading to a brief pause in the match as medical personnel rushed to attend to the injured player The incident served as a stark reminder of the risks associated with the high-speed nature of Motoball The third quarter was marked by an eventful moment as Suma Troyes’ Sébastien Mayeur was shown a red card for unsportsmanlike behaviour leaving his team with three players on the field This put Suma Troyes at a further disadvantage and allowed Puma Kuppenheim to capitalize on the numerical superiority The final quarter saw Puma Kuppenheim sealing their dominance over the match Despite a valiant effort from Suma Troyes to stage a comeback Puma’s solid strategic play prevented any breakthroughs Puma Kuppenheim secured an impressive 6-0 victory and clinching the European Motoball Champions Cup the second round of the European Motoball Champions Cup was held at the MSC Puma Club in Kuppenheim Once more the series offered thrilling matches combining the adrenalin of the sport with the spectacle of the motorbikes on the pitch Each team pulled out all the stops to deliver an intense and captivating game covered in 12 metres of lights was unveiled in Anykščiai Christmas mail can be found inside the Christmas tree in Marijampolė The Visaginas Christmas tree is unique – it grows in Santarvės square where it was decorated Kretinga’s silver Christmas tree is covered in 20,000 white lights The Christmas tree in Naujoji Akmenė was unveiled during a light show The Joniškis Christmas tree is growing next to the town’s Cultural Centre Ten smaller trees hold the shroud of the main Christmas tree in Ignalina The Gargždai Christmas tree is covered in more than 8,000 LED lights The Mažeikiai Christmas tree is decorated with a shroud of golden lights Druskininkai unveiled a Christmas tree decorated with a golden crown Alytus has decided to go for a more modest Christmas tree to emphasise “community and not decorations” The Panevėžys Christmas tree features huge decorations The Christmas tree in Palanga is one of the most innovative this year The main Christmas tree is accompanied by a 25-metre-long Christmas train We meet outside the Royal Opera House in London on a bright February morning Kupšytė’s schedule is tight – after returning from Germany at night she is at the theatre first thing in the morning where a costume fitting awaits her after our interview We sit down for a chat in the British royal family box at the Opera House It’s just us and a few other staff members in a space which usually fits around 2,500 people Kupšytė says she felt from a very young age that singing would take centre stage in her life Her mother was a member of a women’s folk group and it was she who instilled a love for music in her daughter Kupšytė sang at the Saulainė choir at the Kretinga Music School We used to go to world competitions where we had to prepare a programme so serious music was always with me,” the opera soloist says Kupšytė traces her interest in classical music back to the period when she started studying at the Klaipėda Stasys Šimkus Conservatoire I think it all started when I was 15 or 16 we studied everything from classical to contemporary music and classical singing stuck to me naturally,” the woman explains Kupšytė studied at the Lithuanian Academy of Music and Theatre in Vilnius But she says she wanted something more and decided to apply to the Royal Academy of Music in London to experience what was happening elsewhere [...] I think it’s hard to improve when you’re in one place – you have to broaden your horizons I was simply obsessed with the Royal Academy of Music,” the opera soloist says While artists usually apply to as many high-level academies as possible there was only one name on the Lithuanian woman’s list I just have a strong intuition; I know where I want to go It’s not out of arrogance because I’m sure I’ll be accepted but rather out of sheer naivety and desire,” Kupšytė says Then the director asked me very slowly in English: ‘Do you understand what we said?’ And I answered: ‘Yes’,” she smiles Kupšytė was among 11 students and only one of the two foreigners accepted to the course She admits that it was first difficult to get over the language barrier and get used to the life in a big city “The most important thing is not to lose sight of what you came here for and what you need to make out of it when you come to such a big academy from a small country you wonder if you are meeting all the standards The transition period was maybe 2–3 months to understand how the system works the mezzo-soprano says that she has never been embarrassed or felt inferior because of the fact that she comes from Lithuania maybe the locals feel that someone came from a small country and is doing better than them But I think everyone should be appreciated for their talent and abilities and there is enough room for everyone under the sun,” Kupšytė says After studying at the Royal Academy of Music the Lithuanian woman continued her studies at the opera studio Mascarade in Florence she was selected for the Jette Parker programme which opened the door to the Royal Opera House in London “I remember when I was studying at the academy I used to walk around this building like a cat around bacon I used to think how perfect this theatre was I was attracted to it because there are so many legendary conductors how can you not want to sing in this place I wanted to sing here not for some egoistic reasons not because I’m the next best mezzo-soprano but to touch the history and become part of it,” she adds Although her life looks spectacular from the outside singing at the Royal Opera House in London is hard work It sometimes takes 14 hours a day,” the woman says what’s the weather like outside – is it rainy or sunny when people come to such a luxurious theatre and look at you on stage The opera soloist says she also has to deal with disappointments and criticism thinking that you have given so much of your heart and you are criticised But all the doubts are also part and parcel of being an artist,” Kupšytė explains she says she enjoys this way of life and feels that she could not live any other way She also thanks her Samogitian character for helping her achieve her dreams “You can be a very talented and hard-working person it’s very difficult to survive in this industry because the competition is huge and everybody has a very strong opinion it’s very easy to get lost,” the opera soloist notes young Lithuanian artists often turn to her for advice and she always tells them to be more audacious “My advice is to be more audacious because sometimes we are too modest and we diminish our talent We need not be stamped with the idea that we are from a small country and do not deserve something,” she says who is promoting Lithuania on international stages says she always emphasises where she comes from: “I always stress that I am Lithuanian because I am proud of my country.” She shares that her dream is to sing for the Lithuanian audience more often and she is especially looking forward to a concert in Vilnius in June As the Jette Parker programme draws to a close Kupšytė is also confident that the next stage will be easier “I cannot reveal what will happen there yet but it’s a new phase and I’m looking forward to it,” she says tourism is gaining popularity all over the world and human bodies,” says Neringa Sutkaitytė a local tourism expert at Travel Lithuania we have everything from a possibly ancient urn and an altar of bones to a tomb of a horse buried alive as well as fragments of a whale’s and a mammoth’s skeleton or even a marine unicorn’s tooth,” she adds One of the most brutal testimonies of Sweden’s plunder on this side of the Baltic Sea in the early 18th century has been preserved in the dungeons of the Kretinga Church The Swedes captured 120 local peasants and Franciscan monks and walled them up alive The remains were only discovered almost 300 years later and properly buried a sacrificial table with several skulls embedded in it The first capital of Lithuanian grand dukes is also known as the Lithuanian Pompeii for plentiful graves preserved here People would often be buried together with their horses The Kernavė Archaeological Site Museum gives an opportunity to learn about the oldest burial customs and see rare exhibits from the country’s prehistory The tomb of a 25-year-old woman with piles of stones and a preserved winding pin as well as an earthen urn with the burnt bones of a child a 50-year-old man’s forearm bone and part of a woman’s eye socket – these are some of the preserved artefacts dating back 3,000 Among the artefacts is a 9-10th century horse grave which introduces the Baltic tradition of burying not only humans but also animals The structure of the human body has always been of interest to curious people and scientists Vilnius even had an Anatomy Theatre in the early 19th century where exhibits on anatomy and zoology were shown to the public the Museum of the History of Medicine at Vilnius University’s Medical Faculty continues to collect and exhibit them antique medicines and pharmaceutical publications the museum also houses pathological preparations and a 19th-century male mummy “The dead serve the living” is how the Kaunas Anatomy Museum of the Lithuanian University of Health Sciences describes the science of anatomy There are also the remains of three mummified people (two men and a girl) The Baroque Church of the Holy Trinity and the adjacent monastery have in their basement a crypt of Dominican monks from the 18th century The decision to bury the old remains in glass coffins was made only a few decades ago There are many churches in Lithuania that have sarcophagi of noblemen in their burial vaults but Liškiava stands out because the coffins are open and the remains can be viewed Stories behind bones found by chance during excavations sometimes remain a mystery visitors to the home-museum of the sculptor Juozas Zikaras in Kaunas are greeted by empty skull eye sockets This is one of the museum’s most mysterious exhibits the history of which is not entirely clear The archaeological exposition of the Šilutė Hugo Scheu Museum also contains a fragment of a human skull A human skeleton was found in the 19th century with a stone axe lying nearby but the axe and the upper part of the skull became an exhibit of the museum The skull was found to be of a 40-50 year old man from the Late Neolithic period (3,100–2,000 BC) The Tauragė Region Museum Santaka transports visitors back to the Ice Age On display here is a mammoth bone found in the Sungailiškės gravel pit near Tauragė in the 1970s mammoths lived on the territory of Lithuania between 76,000 and 26,000 years ago Another interesting exhibit in the museum is a 12,000-year-old reindeer antler A blue whale’s jawbone and a mammoth’s rib in the trunk of an oak tree These unusual exhibits are part of the oldest museum of antiquities in Lithuania the Baublis Museum of Dionizas Poška (Šilalė district) A piece of the lower jaw of a great blue whale and parts of a mammoth rib were found in the peat bogs of the Bijotai area Animals preserved in amber are natural mummies with the resin having preserved their remains over millions of years The collection of 15,000 objects in the Palanga Amber Museum includes a very rare find – a piece of amber with a lizard that lived in the time of dinosaurs arachnids and other animals that have been trapped in amber resin The lesser-known Zoological Museum of Vilnius University the oldest scientific zoological museum in Lithuania It is particularly proud of the bird collection of Count Konstanty Tyzenhaus considered one of the oldest of its kind in Europe It even includes particularly valuable specimens from James Cook’s expeditions The museum also features the jaw and whisker of a bowhead whale and the teeth of a “sea unicorn” narwhal from the collection of curiosities of Christopher Radvila the Black check its website for opening hours and visiting conditions While combing the area where Sniegius had last been seen the people searching for the dog heard a bark inside a shabby-looking house our Sniegius locked in a cage!” Veronika Šiaulinskienė kept in terrible anti-sanitary conditions in small cages [...] lying in puddles of their own urine,” Šiaulinskienė described what she saw The searchers confronted the supposed owner of the dogs who said that she had found lost Sniegius and was planning to look for the dog's owners the following day the party called the police about suspected illegal dog breeding the story on social media created an uproar with people sharing sightings of other suspected illegal animal breeding kennels later raided the house and seized the dogs involving animal welfare officials aided by volunteers were reported over the weekend in western Lithuania 47 dogs were taken from suspected illegal breeders “It's as if the gates of hell opened up,” the shelter's director Jurgita Gustaitienė described the weekend's raids to LRT TV “I had no idea of the scale of this problem – [illegal dog breeding] is a very well-organised black business exploited without observing any regulations,” she said volunteer activists started sharing locations of suspected illegal breeding kennels and raiding them over the weekend Gustaitienė posted on Facebook on Saturday night people are taking dogs from private properties and taking them to shelters or to us,” she wrote “The point is not just to take in all the dogs the point is to solve the problem,” she added insisting that law enforcement officers need to record and collect evidence in order to clamp down on illegal breeders said that while the public's reaction and involvement was welcome one of the problems was that people were willing to buy puppies from unlicensed breeders regulations in Lithuania were tightened in 2012 and all animal breeders must have a license “Illegal breeding and trade is a problem faced by all EU countries We have some bitter experience in dealing with third countries: Belarus There are cases when animals are brought in under non-commercial travel documents and then stay within the EU,” Blekaitis said Plasteurope.com is a business information platform for the European plastics industry It is part of KI Kunststoff Information and PIE Plastics Information Europe one of the leading content providers for the European plastics industry We offer daily updated business news and reports polymer prices and other services for the international plastics industry News | Polymer Prices | Suppliers Guide | Jobs | Register | Advertising Zdzisław Palewicz of the Electoral Action of Poles in Lithuania–Christian Families Alliance emerged as the top-scorer in Sunday's elections winning 80 percent of the vote to be re-elected mayor of Šalčininkai District Živilė Pinskuvienė of the Party of Regions came in second with 78 percent of the vote Read more: Lithuania’s local elections: results summary was re-elected for a seventh term with 73 percent Social Democrat Vitalijus Mitrofanovas won 66 percent of the vote to be re-elected mayor of Akmenė District Social Democrat Nerijus Cesiulis secured a second term as mayor of Alytus with around 70 percent Social Democrat Nijolė Dirginčienė was re-elected as mayor of Birštonas Municipality with 54 percent keeps his job as Jonava District mayor with 72 percent Liberal Vitalijus Gailius was re-elected as mayor of Joniškis District with 50.9 percent leader of the United Kaunas political committee retains his position as mayor of Lithuania's second-biggest city with some 59 percent of the vote Social Democrat Valerijus Makūnas will continue to head Kaunas District Mantas Varaška stays on as mayor of Kazlų Ruda Municipality with almost 72 percent Antanas Kalnius was re-elected as Kretinga District mayor with 58 percent Social Democrat Povilas Isoda will continue to lead Marijampolė with almost 60 percent of the vote Saulius Jaunieka of the conservative Homeland Union-Lithuanian Christian Democrats won the re-election in the first round with 56 percent Neringa Mayor Darius Jasaitis also secured outright victory with 52.88 percent Social Democrat Saulius Margis stays on as mayor of Pakruojis District with 66 percent support With votes from half of the polling districts counted Šarūnas Vaitkus of the Homeland Union was leading in the resort town of Palanga with around 60 percent of the vote Rytis Mykolas Račkauskas keeps his job as Panevėžys mayor with around 62 percent support Liberal Audrius Klisonis will continue as mayor of Plungė District with 52 percent Social Democrat Alvydas Vaicekauskas crossed the 50 percent threshold needed for victory in Prienai Liberal Antanas Černeckis retains his post as mayor of Rietavas with 53 percent The mayor of Rokiškis will also remain unchanged after Social Democrat Ramūnas Godeliauskas secured 56 percent of the vote in the first round Sixty-five percent of voters in Šiauliai supported Arturas Visockas Rimantas Klipčius of the Freedom and Justice will continue to head Švenčionys District with almost 60 percent of the vote Tauragė District Mayor Dovydas Kaminskas keeps his post with 68 percent voter support Social Democrat Algirdas Neiberka won re-election as mayor of Vilkaviškis with 65 percent the two leading candidates will face off in runoff elections on March 19 The designers of the Vilnius Christmas tree were inspired by the beauty of wintry nature They decorated the capital’s tree with 96 different large snowflakes The butterflies made of laser-cut transparent and multi-coloured glass landed on the Christmas tree in Lithuania’s second city Kaunas The main Christmas tree in Lithuania’s port city Klaipėda is smaller than in most residents’ homes It is only 55 centimetres tall and stands under a glass cover on a pedestal The tiny tree provides a feeling of a winter fairy tale The 18 metres tall candy-decorated Christmas tree was unveiled in Panevėžys The Christmas tree in Marijampolė features innovative lighting solutions the Utena Christmas tree is akin to a Snow White The Kuršėnai Christmas tree is decorated with a shroud of luminous garlands The colours of the polar lights have been chosen for decorating the Christmas tree in Širvintos A colourful Christmas tree was unveiled in Šiauliai during an event accompanied by a musical fairy tale A couple of white bears unveiled the Christmas tree in Birštonas Alytus chose to decorate its Christmas tree with original handmade pinecones The Mažeikiai Christmas tree is 18 metres tall and features a metal frame covered with natural spruce branches and multi-coloured lights Molėtai unveiled the Christmas tree decorated with stars The Kretinga Christmas tree is one of the most ornamental in Lithuania this year Lasers used to illuminate the Druskininkai Christmas tree create installations that constantly change colours and shapes The Kėdainiai Christmas tree was decorated with classic square lamps The Zarasai Christmas tree was praised as one of the most subtle and natural this year The Christmas tree in Elektrėnai shines in gold Lasers surrounding the tree also create a spectacular sight Joniškis is probably the only Lithuanian town that has a naturally growing tree that sparkles in different colours every year before Christmas The Ignalina Christmas tree is decorated with red Lazdijai celebrates the nut-themed Christmas The city’s tree is also decorated with giant hazelnuts The snowy Christmas tree was unveiled in Skuodas The Christmas tree in Plungė is covered with a shroud of lights Victoria and David Beckham shine at Paris Fashion Week gala dinner David Beckham opens up on ‘painful’ experience of children leaving home As footballers transition from the pitch to the boardroom several stars have taken ownership roles in clubs worldwide Here's a look at some notable player-owners as of 2025:​ ----------------------------------------------- football journalist with 20 years of experience opinions and stories from across the football world — updated daily Nogomania.com is a premier destination for football enthusiasts delivering fresh and in-depth content from the heart of the Ex-Yu region's football scene This follows a social media campaign which has seen volunteers identifying and sometimes confronting suspected illegal dog breeders since last weekend Read more: Shocking images of illegal dog breeding sparks vigilante, police raids in Lithuania 142 dogs and three cats have been taken from various allegedly illegal breeding facilities across the country Reports include suspicions of illegal breeding public figures and representatives of local authorities across Lithuania are carrying out checks on failure to provide care Often referred to as the largest island of Lithuania Rusnė is situated in the delta of its biggest river with water overspilling its banks and flooding the area People here address the flood as something alive “Don’t park your car over there – it’s the territory of the flood [...] The flood will probably come tonight.” The annual flood of Rusnė is a social event that brings the community together – everyone is ready to help their neighbour people inform each other about rising water levels and videos uploaded to the local social media group receive emotional reactions Many who choose to observe spectacular ice jams and the outburst of the river along the Rusnė promenade or travel to the Uostadvaris lighthouse the sense of the coming flood is in the air people start guessing how the situation will develop this year The first signs of the flood come with the first shards of ice moving down the stream the meadows and roads in Rusnė look not much different from anywhere else but the locals always see the landscape in the context of the flood – they know which roads will end up under water and which fields will turn into vibrant lagoons Boats kept in front of houses far from the river might raise eyebrows for visitors I drive down a small meadow road straddling the Rusnaitė River my wheels get stuck in the wet ground and the car grinds to a halt Help comes from Raimondas Plikšnys who quickly tows an unexperienced driver like myself with his SUV and suggests that I find the nearest dirt road – the water level is rising fast the unfortunate meadow road is under half a metre of water who is observing the flood from a deck in his yard turns to prepare boards and move things still standing on dry ground lots of moles made it here,” he says observing a lawn perforated with heaps of black dirt left behind by moles boats and the mole holes are surrounded by water the strength of the flood depends on many factors: on how much ice moves downstream how much of the melting snow gets absorbed into the ground and how much streams into rivers Strong winds can also impact the direction of the flood water a wave of water may also impact the situation some 200 kilometres down the river – the flood may rise or fall as a result This mosaic of the possibilities in the delta involves everyone into an exciting exercise of guessing and making forecasts This year's flood is the first one when residents of Rusnė don’t have to worry about being cut off from the rest of the world the government finally built an overpass allowing local residents to safely drive over flooded areas people from the island can reach the nearest town This year's flood is the first one to test the overpass Its flooded pillars are clearly visible when one is driving on the road Most of the people living in the flood area are satisfied with the comfort provided by the overpass they no longer need to wait for an amphibian to carry their car across the flooded parts of the road or worry that an ambulance won’t make it to the island in time Yet some people are claiming that with the new overpass the place has lost part of its charm and the romanticism of the flood Teresė Pukelienė lives with her son in a century-old house in Šyšgiriai village Flooded meadows are just a few metres away they immediately ask if the path leading to the main road is already under water I assure them it’s still dry and excited Teresė urges her son to cycle to the city “A spring without water is missing something Now I start my day with checking if water has already risen Sometimes I check how close water is even at night more water from the lagoon will flow here,” she says “Is it difficult for a person to live surrounded by water I remember my first encounter with the flood I tried to go as fast as I could to get home dry,” she remembers [...] Our homestead is the last one in the village often we are completely surrounded by water a neighbour would come with a boat and sail me to the old market in Šilutė,” says Teresė The flow of water carries the river’s fish into village canals the only time she hears about difficulties that people face in nearby villages is when she turns on the TV “Is it difficult to live in the countryside I've worked and lived in the city for so many years Many families lived in this house before us Their descendants used to come here in the past but now it’s a place just like the rest of Lithuania When permission was given to travel to Germany she points to five homesteads that are still inhabited Our conversation is interrupted by sounds of the LRT radio's news programme “We get our news from radio and television We watch LRT and can also see 20 Russian TV channels “I don't have the internet and I am happy about that Crime novels and historical books are my favourite I bought most of them back in the old days so after work in the city I would pass by the bookstore and get one,” says Teresė Bronislovas and Aleonora never receive any visitors Their house on a small hill is accessible only by crossing a few hundred metres of submerged road The family moved here from Kretinga some 40 years ago they are used to the floods and seclusion that it brings “A friend from the village of Šyša calls to tell us when his house is already flooded This is how we get a warning about water coming We get to the car and rush to the city to get essential goods: bread We have our own potatoes and some chickens,” says pensioner Jonas Bronislovas Krištupas For many years he worked at a water pump station nearby As he was driving on a flooded road with his tractor the front wheels got into a deep ravine eroded by the current and the tractor overturned water carried it off the road and Bronislovas was left trapped under water Only by knocking out the windshield did he manage to swim out He also rescued some wild animals trapped by the water are you mad?” Suddenly our discussion is interrupted by Aleonora bringing a sweater for her husband The couple describe the insular time during the flood: “In the morning we feed our chickens and dogs bring back some firewood and do the rest of the housework the flood was very big – it started in October and water stayed until spring.” Later it gets boring – a glance through the window is enough,” she says We sit surrounded by water and watch the news about the flood on TV “This year they are trying to scare people more than ever Perhaps you know if Kaunas Water Plant is planning to release water from the dam?” she asks Aleonora had been worried she wouldn’t fit into the unique local community she soon noticed how friendly people in the are were: “Everyone here is ready to help.” people have to rely only on each other,” she says PHOTO: DELFI / Rita Gečiūnaitė A person treated at a hospice in Klaipeda has become the latest COVID-19 fatality in Lithuania whereas the single new coronavirus case confirmed in the country over the past 24 hours involved an employee of Santara Clinics in the Lithuanian capital who was in isolation due to a contact with an infected person The latest COVID-19 victim – a 76-year-old person treated at the Klaipeda hospice since late November 2019 – was diagnosed with the coronavirus on April 18, Rolanda Lingiene, director of the National Public Health Center's Vilnius Department He died on Monday of COVID-19 and underlying health conditions the single COVID-19 case confirmed over the last 24 hours involved an employee of Santara Clinics who had no contacts with other persons following earlier isolation due to a contact with an infected person “It is a healthcare worker of Santara Clinics and that person was isolated after a celebration held by medical workers at the Beer House restaurant on June 12,” Lingiene told BNS on Wednesday All nine persons who took part in the celebration were put in isolation on June 14 after one of them tested positive for COVID-19 According to the data made available by the National Public Health Center (NPHC) 232 people are currently ill with COVID-19 and 1,484 are considered to have recovered Seventy-eight people have died of COVID-19 in the country so far and another ten coronavirus-infected patients have died of other causes French forward Moussa Dembele renowned for his successful stints at clubs like Celtic a team competing in Lithuania’s second division through his directorial role in Triple M Sports Investments Limited This acquisition marks a pivotal moment in both the club’s and the player’s journey signaling Dembele’s growing involvement in the sport beyond the pitch The club is presently ranked ninth out of 16 teams in the standings showcasing a pattern of strategic investments aimed at uplifting lesser-known football establishments expressed optimism about the ownership shift: “They now know more about Kretinga than I do We will now move from away from an amateur club to a professional one,” he told Reuters is positioning itself as a major player in the development of emerging football clubs The purchase of Minija is not an isolated move; it follows the pattern of investing in AS Mansa in Mali These acquisitions reflect a long-term vision of elevating grassroots football through better infrastructure Dembele’s credibility in the sport is unquestionable He burst onto the scene as a teenager at Fulham netting 15 goals in the 2015–16 Championship campaign His move to Celtic in 2016 on a free transfer proved to be a masterstroke he scored 32 times across all competitions with 17 goals in the Scottish Premiership alone helping Celtic secure a treble and earning a spot in the PFA Scotland Team of the Year saw immediate dividends from Dembele’s arrival Even though his second season wasn’t as prolific it was still instrumental in Celtic’s consecutive domestic treble win Dembele joined Lyon for a reported £19.7 million His peak came during the 2021–22 Ligue 1 season where he tallied 21 goals in 30 appearances A loan spell at Atletico Madrid in 2021 didn’t bear much fruit as he returned to Lyon without scoring in seven games signed for Al-Ettifaq in the Saudi Pro League in 2023 He had a promising start with seven goals in 19 appearances before a ruptured Achilles in February cut his season short but this off-field venture suggests he’s already preparing for life after football Read More: Jonathan Tah Confirms Bayer Leverkusen Exit Amid Barcelona Transfer Talks Δdocument.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value" This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. 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People from Kretinga city and region situated in the Lithuanian seacoast showed an impressive act of unity To commemorate the 30th anniversary of the Restoration of Independence of Lithuania more than 700 Samogitians united for a sentimental patriotic initiative – to raise 30 tricolours in 30 different urban and regional places Share icon The making of the video of this Kretinga residents‘ national initiative started exactly a month before March 11 the initial idea to have 30 tricolours were surpassed almost a hundredfold Share icon Faces in the video include those of Franciscan Friars The youngest patriot in the video is 5 years old The head of Kretinga district municipality Culture and Sports department Dalia Činkienė claims that people were very active: “They have been calling offering ideas on how to congratulate Lithuania in original ways adorned themselves with national accessories Parents dressed themselves and their children in the colours of the tricolour.” The video includes sights from Imbarė and Kartena mounds the manor house of counts Tiškevičiai Partisan burial site in Žvainiai village Kretinga district municipality fire department Valančius public library of Kretinga district municipality and other most beautiful places in Kretinga region Magnificent mounds that still remember their spirit and are kept alive by skilful hands What would they be without people who are so in love with their region?” – such words are being said in the video “The sight of this yellow-green-red group of youth inspires to shout “Let the unity blossom!” and a lump of joy gets stucks in the throat“ Činkienė says that this video not only congratulates Lithuania on the country‘s 30 years of independence but also gives a beautiful example of unity and love for Lithuania from people living in small Lithuanian cities And this is not the first proof of Kretinga residents’ unity while implementing the project “Kretinga of the Future” almost 200 youngsters showed a variety of their talents and an impressive youth involvement in the region during the project “Miniature Kretinga” around 200 young people created hand-made miniature models of historical Kretinga buildings Anyone can write on Bored Panda. Start writing! Follow Bored Panda on Google News! Follow us on Flipboard.com/@boredpanda! This lazy panda forgot to write something about itself 9comments 32 points 0comments 19 points 0comments 21 points 1comment 28 points 5comments 30 points 3comments 18 points 3comments 28 points 3comments 21 points 12comments 36 points 1comment 19 points