Lithuanian's took to the ballot box on Sunday to vote in round two of the presidential election, as the Baltic nation prioritises defence and security amid fears over neighbouring Russia.
Incumbent former banker Gitanas Nauseda, 60, is the heavy favourite to win another five-year term, saying he expects to receive 75 per cent of votes.
No new opinion polls have been published since the first round, when Mr Nauseda won 44 per cent of the ballot and Prime Minister Ingrida Simonyte 20 per cent.
Both candidates agree that the Nato and EU member of 2.8 million people should boost defence spending to counter the perceived threat, and to that end the government recently proposed a tax increase.
Ms Simonyte, the 49-year-old candidate of the ruling conservatives, is running for president again after losing to Mr Nauseda in the last presidential ballot.
Mr Nauseda took to social media on Sunday to urge voters to wait for the results in the gardens of the presidential palace, which led the electoral commission to warn of a possible violation of the rule of silence during election time.
The president's spokesman Ridas Jasiulionis said Mr Nauseda would not remove his Facebook post as it did not constitute campaigning.
The Lithuanian president steers defence and foreign policy, attending EU and Nato summits, but must consult with the government and parliament on appointing the most senior officials.
While the candidates agree on defence, they share diverging views on Lithuania's relations with China, which have been strained for years over Taiwan.
Olga Sokolovska, a kindergarten worker, said she had voted for Mr Nauseda.
“I like his ideas, his approach to the family and the way he deals with the public,” the 34-year-old said.
Fifty-three-year-old artist Gediminas Zilys, voted for Ms Simonyte.
“I understand that she will not win, but because support gives people confidence, we must vote for her to show that she has a lot of supporters,” he said.
“I like that she is categorical,” said Saida, who also voted Ms Simonyte.
“Maybe she's more confrontational, but she would better stand her ground than [Mr] Nauseda,” said the marketing specialist, 37, who gave only her first name.
But pensioner Ausra Vysniauskiene preferred Mr Nauseda.
“He's an intelligent man, he speaks many languages, he's educated, he's a banker,” the 67-year-old told AFP.
“I want men to lead, especially when the threat of war is so big.”
Lithuania is a significant donor to Ukraine, which has been battling Russia since the 2022 invasion, and is already a big defence spender, with a military budget equal to 2.75 per cent of GDP.
Lithuania intends to purchase tanks and additional air defence systems, and to host a German brigade, as Berlin plans to complete the stationing of around 5,000 troops by 2027.
Vilnius fears it could be next in the crosshairs if Moscow were to win its war against Ukraine.
The uneasy relationship between Mr Nauseda and Ms Simonyte's conservatives has at times caused foreign policy debates, most notably on Lithuania's relations with China.
Bilateral ties turned tense in 2021, when Vilnius allowed Taiwan to open a de facto embassy under the island's name – a departure from the common diplomatic practice of using the name of the capital Taipei to avoid angering Beijing.
China, which considers self-ruled Taiwan a part of its territory, downgraded diplomatic relations with Vilnius and blocked its exports, leading some Lithuanian politicians to urge a restoration of relations for the sake of the economy.
Mr Nauseda sees the need to change the name of the representative office, while Ms Simonyte pushes back against it.
But for voters, personal differences between the candidates, as well as economic policy and human rights, seem to matter more.
Ms Simonyte is known for a sense of humour and for writing her own social media posts. She draws support from liberal voters in bigger cities and traditional conservative voters.
A fiscal conservative with liberal views on social issues, she notably supports same-sex partnerships, which still stir controversy in the predominantly Catholic country.
“I would like to see faster progress, more openness … more tolerance for people who are different from us,” Ms Simonyte said when casting an early vote.
Mr Nauseda, who maintains a moderate and measured stance on nearly all issues, has established himself as a promoter of the welfare state, with conservative views on gay rights.
Polling stations close at 5pm, with no exit polls expected.
More on Quran memorisation:
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The specs: 2018 Maxus T60
Price, base / as tested: Dh48,000
Engine: 2.4-litre four-cylinder
Power: 136hp @ 1,600rpm
Torque: 360Nm @ 1,600 rpm
Transmission: Five-speed manual
Fuel consumption, combined: 9.1L / 100km
The specs
AT4 Ultimate, as tested
Engine: 6.2-litre V8
Power: 420hp
Torque: 623Nm
Transmission: 10-speed automatic
Price: From Dh330,800 (Elevation: Dh236,400; AT4: Dh286,800; Denali: Dh345,800)
On sale: Now
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Green ambitions
- Trees: 1,500 to be planted, replacing 300 felled ones, with veteran oaks protected
- Lake: Brown's centrepiece to be cleaned of silt that makes it as shallow as 2.5cm
- Biodiversity: Bat cave to be added and habitats designed for kingfishers and little grebes
- Flood risk: Longer grass, deeper lake, restored ponds and absorbent paths all meant to siphon off water
The line up
Friday: Giggs, Sho Madjozi and Masego
Saturday: Nas, Lion Bbae, Roxanne Shante and DaniLeigh
Sole DXB runs from December 6 to 8 at Dubai Design District. Weekend pass is Dh295 while a one day pass is Dh195. Tickets are available from www.soledxb.com
Who has been sanctioned?
Daniella Weiss and Nachala
Described as 'the grandmother of the settler movement', she has encouraged the expansion of settlements for decades. The 79 year old leads radical settler movement Nachala, whose aim is for Israel to annex Gaza and the occupied West Bank, where it helps settlers built outposts.
Harel Libi & Libi Construction and Infrastructure
Libi has been involved in threatening and perpetuating acts of aggression and violence against Palestinians. His firm has provided logistical and financial support for the establishment of illegal outposts.
Zohar Sabah
Runs a settler outpost named Zohar’s Farm and has previously faced charges of violence against Palestinians. He was indicted by Israel’s State Attorney’s Office in September for allegedly participating in a violent attack against Palestinians and activists in the West Bank village of Muarrajat.
Coco’s Farm and Neria’s Farm
These are illegal outposts in the West Bank, which are at the vanguard of the settler movement. According to the UK, they are associated with people who have been involved in enabling, inciting, promoting or providing support for activities that amount to “serious abuse”.
The specs
Engine: 1.5-litre 4-cylinder petrol
Power: 154bhp
Torque: 250Nm
Transmission: 7-speed automatic with 8-speed sports option
Price: From Dh79,600
On sale: Now
Ballon d’Or shortlists
Men
Sadio Mane (Senegal/Liverpool), Sergio Aguero (Aregentina/Manchester City), Frenkie de Jong (Netherlans/Barcelona), Hugo Lloris (France/Tottenham), Dusan Tadic (Serbia/Ajax), Kylian Mbappe (France/PSG), Trent Alexander-Arnold (England/Liverpool), Donny van de Beek (Netherlands/Ajax), Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (Gabon/Arsenal), Marc-Andre ter Stegen (Germany/Barcelona), Cristiano Ronaldo (Portugal/Juventus), Alisson (Brazil/Liverpool), Matthijs de Ligt (Netherlands/Juventus), Karim Benzema (France/Real Madrid), Georginio Wijnaldum (Netherlands/Liverpool), Virgil van Dijk (Netherlands/Liverpool), Bernardo Silva (Portugal/Manchester City), Son Heung-min (South Korea/Tottenham), Robert Lewandowski (Poland/Bayern Munich), Roberto Firmino (Brazil/Liverpool), Lionel Messi (Argentina/Barcelona), Riyad Mahrez (Algeria/Manchester City), Kevin De Bruyne (Belgium/Manchester City), Kalidou Koulibaly (Senegal/Napoli), Antoine Griezmann (France/Barcelona), Mohamed Salah (Egypt/Liverpool), Eden Hazard (BEL/Real Madrid), Marquinhos (Brazil/Paris-SG), Raheem Sterling (Eengland/Manchester City), Joao Félix(Portugal/Atletico Madrid)
Women
Sam Kerr (Austria/Chelsea), Ellen White (England/Manchester City), Nilla Fischer (Sweden/Linkopings), Amandine Henry (France/Lyon), Lucy Bronze(England/Lyon), Alex Morgan (USA/Orlando Pride), Vivianne Miedema (Netherlands/Arsenal), Dzsenifer Marozsan (Germany/Lyon), Pernille Harder (Denmark/Wolfsburg), Sarah Bouhaddi (France/Lyon), Megan Rapinoe (USA/Reign FC), Lieke Martens (Netherlands/Barcelona), Sari van Veenendal (Netherlands/Atletico Madrid), Wendie Renard (France/Lyon), Rose Lavelle(USA/Washington Spirit), Marta (Brazil/Orlando Pride), Ada Hegerberg (Norway/Lyon), Kosovare Asllani (Sweden/CD Tacon), Sofia Jakobsson (Sweden/CD Tacon), Tobin Heath (USA/Portland Thorns)
If you go
Flying
Despite the extreme distance, flying to Fairbanks is relatively simple, requiring just one transfer in Seattle, which can be reached directly from Dubai with Emirates for Dh6,800 return.
Touring
Gondwana Ecotours’ seven-day Polar Bear Adventure starts in Fairbanks in central Alaska before visiting Kaktovik and Utqiarvik on the North Slope. Polar bear viewing is highly likely in Kaktovik, with up to five two-hour boat tours included. Prices start from Dh11,500 per person, with all local flights, meals and accommodation included; gondwanaecotours.com
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Sole survivors
- Cecelia Crocker was on board Northwest Airlines Flight 255 in 1987 when it crashed in Detroit, killing 154 people, including her parents and brother. The plane had hit a light pole on take off
- George Lamson Jr, from Minnesota, was on a Galaxy Airlines flight that crashed in Reno in 1985, killing 68 people. His entire seat was launched out of the plane
- Bahia Bakari, then 12, survived when a Yemenia Airways flight crashed near the Comoros in 2009, killing 152. She was found clinging to wreckage after floating in the ocean for 13 hours.
- Jim Polehinke was the co-pilot and sole survivor of a 2006 Comair flight that crashed in Lexington, Kentucky, killing 49.
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A timeline of the Historical Dictionary of the Arabic Language
- 2018: Formal work begins
- November 2021: First 17 volumes launched
- November 2022: Additional 19 volumes released
- October 2023: Another 31 volumes released
- November 2024: All 127 volumes completed
