Vilnius - Admitting media leaks were complicating its efforts, a Lithuanian official heading a parliamentary probe into claims of secret prisons operated by the US intelligence agency CIA in Lithuania said Friday the report would still be released on time.

Speaking to journalists in the Lithuanian capital Vilnius, Arvydas Anusauskas of the National Security and Defense Committee said the probe would be released on December 22, despite a growing body of evidence complicating the case.

Vilnius - The prime ministers of three Baltic states said Friday they remained committed to the joint construction of a new nuclear power station for the region in which Poland will also have a share.

After talks in the Lithuanian capital Vilnius, the three leaders - Andrus Ansip of Estonia, Valdis Dombrovskis of Latvia and Andrius Kubilius of Lithuania - issued a joint statement saying an unnamed "strategic investor" would be invited to join the four states in construction of a new nuclear facility.

Vilnius - Lithuania registered a 14.3-per-cent fall in gross domestic product (GDP) in the third quarter compared to the year-ago period, but a quarter-to-quarter GDP increase of 13 per cent raised hope Tuesday that the worst of the economic crisis may be over.

Preliminary data released by the national statistics office showed a third-quarter decline of 14.3 per cent against the same period in 2008. But an accompanying statistic showed a 13-per-cent GDP increase against the second quarter of 2009, raising hopes that Lithuania may

Vilnius - The Lithuanian parliament said Wednesday it would fast-track an official enquiry into whether the US Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) operated a secret prison near Vilnius until
2005.

The decision announced by the National Security and Defense Committee came a day after Lithuanian President Dalia Grybauskaite said she had "indirect suspicions" that allegations about the facility could have substance.

Chairman Arvydas Anusauskas said the committee would seek special permission to conduct a probe that extends beyond what its existing remit allows.

Vilnius - Irena Degutiene became the first woman to be installed as speaker of the Lithuanian parliament, or Seimas, Thursday after her candidacy was approved in a vote.

Degutiene attracted the support of 87 MPs in the 141-seat chamber with 48 opposing her candidacy.

Following announcement of the results, 60-year-old Degutiene thanked MPs for their trust and said she would welcome advice and even criticism.

"Anyone can come and tell me: 'Degutiene, you're doing something wrong'," the new speaker said.

Vilnius  - An Irishman accused of attempting to buy arms for a paramilitary group while he was in Lithuania had his appeal against being kept in jail rejected Thursday.

The Court of Appeal in the Lithuanian capital upheld a decision by Vilnius Regional Court that 36-year-old Michael Campbell should be kept in custody until the case is heard in October.

Campbell did not appear in person and has already been detained in the Baltic state for more than 18 months.

Vilnius  - Shareholders of a huge Lithuanian company formed just 14 months ago to serve as a "national energy champion" voted Friday in Vilnius to liquidate it.

The move marks the beginning of the end for Leo LT, which was technically the biggest company in the Baltics during its brief life, valued at around 5 billion litas (2 billion dollars).

However, Leo LT will live on despite the vote, as the process of unwinding the various complex agreements that created it could take a year or more.

Vilnius  - Shareholders of a huge Lithuanian company formed just 14 months ago to serve as a "national energy champion" voted Friday in Vilnius to liquidate it.

The move marks the beginning of the end for Leo LT, which was technically the biggest company in the Baltics during its brief life, valued at around 5 billion litas (2 billion dollars).

However, Leo LT will live on despite the vote as the process of unwinding the various complex agreements that created it could take a year or more.

Vilnius - The shutdown of Lithuania's sole nuclear power plant at the end of this year will not make the country dependent on Russia for all of its energy supplies, Prime Minister Andrius Kubilius said Thursday.

"There could be supplies from Estonia, Belarus, Ukraine and Russia itself. We do not see that it is necessary to award (contracts for) imports from neighbouring countries to any particular monopoly," Kubilius said on Lithuanian radio.

Vilnius  - Trade unionists representing workers in one of Lithuania's largest retail chains protested outside the German Embassy in Vilnius Thursday, calling on parent company REWE Group to intervene on their behalf.

About 30 employees of the IKI supermarket chain, which is partly owned by the German retailing giant REWE, presented a petition to the embassy listing numerous grievances, including poor working conditions, compulsory pay cuts and "union-busting" actions by

managers.

Vilnius  - Lithuanian Prime Minister Andrius Kubilius on Thursday cast doubt on a promise from President Dalia Grybauskaite to investigate claims that a secret CIA jail holding terror suspects operated in the Baltic state until 2005.

Speaking on Lithuanian radio, Kubilius said he doubted a fresh investigation would reveal anything worthwhile.

A previous investigation conducted by a parliamentary foreign affairs committee in 2006 said there was no evidence to support the existence of the jail.

Vilnius/Riga - Government officials in Lithuania reached agreement Wednesday with Jewish organizations over the future of an historic cemetery in the capital city, Vilnius, putting an end to a long-running dispute over the site.

The Snipiskes cemetery was closed in 1831 during the Tsarist era and a sports centre was constructed over part of the site during the Soviet occupation of Lithuania.

Vilnius - Lithuanian President Dalia Grybauskaite promised descendants of the country's Jewish community that they would receive restitution Monday.

Vilnius - A court in the Lithuanian capital of Vilnius was due to begin the trial Tuesday of an Irishman accused of attempting to buy arms for the dissident paramilitary group the Real IRA.

Michael Campbell, 36, was arrested in Lithuania in January 2008 following a sting operation involving British, Irish and Lithuanian security services. He has been held in custody ever since.

He is charged with attempting to buy illegal arms, including explosives, arms smuggling and aiding a proscribed terrorist organization.

Vilnius - Tensions between Lithuania and Russia rose Tuesday, as a growing number of Lithuanian truckers travelling through Latvia experienced delays at the Russian-Latvian border.

Lithuanian Foreign Minister Vygaudas Usackas summoned Russian Ambassador Vladimir Chkhikvadze to complain about what he described as the unfair treatment of Lithuanian hauliers by Russian officials.

Vilnius - A Lithuanian ship came under attack from pirates off the West African coast and five crew members have been taken hostage, the Lithuanian Foreign Ministry confirmed Tuesday.

The attack took place on Monday off the Nigerian coast in the vicinity of the Escravos river in the western Niger Delta, a statement said.

"Five crew members who are Lithuanian citizens were taken hostage and removed to an unknown location in a high-speed boat," the ministry said.

Vilnius  - Official statistics released Tuesday in Lithuania showed a worsening outlook for the Baltic state with both Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and retail sales down sharply.

Preliminary second quarter figures from Statistics Lithuania showed GDP contracted by a staggering 22.4 per cent year-on-year with the seasonally-adjusted figure even worse at 22.6 per cent.

Compared with the first quarter of 2009, GDP declined 12.3 per cent.

GDP per capita totalled 6,740 litas (2,786 dollars) at current prices in April-June, down more than 22 per cent on last year.

Vilnius - The Lithuanian parliament voted Wednesday to increase the rate of Value Added Tax (VAT) payable on goods and services to 21 per cent from the current level of 19 per cent as the Baltic state battles to overcome one of Europe's deepest recessions.

When the measure comes into effect in September, it will represent the second time the coalition government has increased the rate of VAT in less than a year.

Vilnius  - Lithuania's President Dalia Grybauskaite and Prime Minister Andrius Kubilius looked for ways Monday to limit damage to Lithuania's reputation a week after the national parliament voted in favour of controversial legislation seen as discriminatory by gay rights groups.

Grybauskaite told a meeting of European Union ambassadors at the Swedish embassy in Vilnius that she would establish a presidential working group to come up with amendments to the Law on the Protection of Minors Against the Detrimental Effect of Public Information.

Vilnius  - European Union member states Lithuania, Latvia and Sweden submitted a tender to the European Commission Wednesday requesting 175 million euros
(246 million dollars) towards the cost of an undersea electricity cable linking the Nordic and Baltic power grids.

Construction of the cable is intended to reduce the dependency of the Baltic states on energy supplies from Russia and open up a more competitive regional energy market.