The most important events on Tuesday in Lithuania and in the world



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Short dress. The United States Senate around 8 pm Lithuanian time should begin the impeachment of outgoing President Donald Trump. Democrats accuse him of inciting rebellion when he appealed to his supporters against the assault on the Capitol. Trump’s lawyers say the then-president’s words were just a figure of speech. At the beginning of the process, it should be discussed whether impeachment is possible for the incumbent president. The impeachment is likely to end with Trump’s acquittal, as there will not be enough Republicans to vote in favor of recognizing the constitutional crime.

Sanctions for Russia. The head of European Union diplomacy, Josep Borrell, has announced that he will propose sanctions against Russia after Moscow rejected his proposal to seek constructive cooperation during an official visit.

Coronavirus situation:

* 387 new cases of COVID-19 disease were detected in Lithuania per day, 12 people died. Incidence in 14 days 100 thousand. Currently the population is 339. Hospitals are currently treating 1,223 COVID-19 patients, 125 of whom are in resuscitation. So far, the first dose of the vaccine in Lithuania has been vaccinated against the coronavirus in about 79 thousand. people, in two doses – more than 48 thousand.

* The eighth shipment of the BioNTech and Pfizer vaccine against COVID-19 arrived in Lithuania: 22 thousand. 230 doses. This vaccine will be used to further vaccinate priority groups: cancer patients, people living with HIV and educators.

* An advisory board of government experts has recommended that the British and Swedish company AstraZeneca not apply the age limit to people over 55 years of age. This proposal is not binding, the final decision must be made by the Ministry of Health. Until now, European countries have made different decisions about the age threshold, and some experts say there is a lack of research on the effectiveness of the vaccine in the elderly.

* Prime Minister Ingrida Šimonytė stated that Lithuania would not buy the Russian vaccine “Sputnik V”, even if it was approved by the European Medicines Agency. According to the prime minister, Lithuania will receive enough vaccines produced in the West. I. Šimonytė says the Kremlin uses the vaccine as a geopolitical tool.

Ambassador to the United States. Diplomat Audra Plepytė, proposed as Lithuanian ambassador to the United States, was confirmed by BNS several sources informed about the process. This candidacy has been agreed between the Presidency and the Government, it has been presented to the Seimas Foreign Affairs Commission. A. Plepytė is currently the Permanent Representative of Lithuania to the United Nations.

Belarus Study. The Lithuanian Prosecutor General’s Office informed BNS that four people were currently identified as victims in its pre-trial investigation into violence by the Belarusian regime. The prosecution launched a pre-trial investigation for torture in December, following an appeal by Belarusian Maxim Choroshin, who lives in Lithuania.

Masiulis’s career. The former Minister of Transport and Energy Rokas Masiulis has been appointed General Director of Litgrid, the company that manages the electricity transmission network. Its main tasks will be the disconnection of the power grid from the post-Soviet system and integration with Western Europe, and it will also be tasked with securing a boycott of the Astrava nuclear power plant.

Origin of the virus. A team of experts from the World Health Organization that completed a mission in Wuhan, China, reported that it had not found an animal that was the source of the pandemic coronavirus. Experts believe that the bat was likely the source of the disease, but it could have been transmitted to humans through another mammal. The mission also found no evidence that the disease had spread to Wuhan until December 2019, when the first official cases of infection were recorded. Experts also said that the controversial theory that the virus causing the COVID-19 infection had spread from a single laboratory in Uhane was largely rejected.

Blizzard in Europe. A blizzard is ravaging parts of Europe these days. In the UK, coronavirus vaccination centers have been closed in some places due to heavy snowfall. In Germany last night, thousands of drivers got stuck in traffic jams as the country suffered the worst snowfall in a few years, causing chaos on the roads. Due to the snowstorm, a shipment of the COVID-19 vaccine from Germany was also delayed in reaching Lithuania. In Lithuania, difficult traffic conditions were also created on Tuesday due to heavy snowfall.

Gas supply. The Russian gas company Gazprom has temporarily suspended gas transit through Lithuania to Königsberg. Gas is supplied to this region of Russia in transit through Lithuania from Belarus. Gazprom says that the local storage facility has enough gas reserves to supply the region. Some Lithuanian experts and politicians consider that in this way Russia is trying to verify the possibility of gas self-sufficiency in the Königsberg region.

The Mars mission. A probe launched by the United Arab Emirates is expected to reach the orbit of Mars on Tuesday night. This is the first mission of its kind in this country, its objective is to study the atmosphere of Mars.



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