New car registrations in Latvia soared 50.3% in February 2016, which is the third steepest growth in Europe, according to the latest report by the European Automobile Manufacturers Association's (ACEA).

Ireland's budget carrier Ryanair in the fall 2016 will open a new base with two aircraft at Vilnius Airport, will launch flights between Vilnius and Berlin, and will move two routes from Lithuania's second-biggest city of Kaunas to the capital.

On Friday, 11 March 2016, a solemn ceremony of hoisting the flags of the three Baltic States was held in the Independence Square to mark the Day of Restoration of Lithuania's Independence.

Lithuanian Transport and Communications Minister Rimantas Sinkevicius says that the creation of a transport holding company grouping together state-controlled transport enterprises would help consolidate their dividends and use the funds for the European standard-gauge railway project Rail Baltica.

To fight the growing resistance of bacteria to today's antibiotics, the use of existing antimicrobial drugs should be restricted, and new ones should be developed, said the European Parliament on Thursday. In a vote on draft plans to update an EU law on veterinary medicines, MEPs advocate banning collective and preventive antibiotic treatment of animals, and back measures to stimulate research into new medicines.

On 11 March 1990, the Supreme Council of the Republic of Lithuania adopted an Act on the Restoration of an Independent State of Lithuania.

Europe has made significant steps towards creating a banking union, but the work is far from finished. Italian S&D member Roberto Gualtieri, who drafted a report on the progress made last year, said a single deposit guarantee scheme was still needed ahead. MEPs debate his report and then vote on it on 10 March. Watch our video interview with Gualtieri to find out his views on how to improve the banking union.

Danske Bank, the second-biggest financial group in Northern Europe by assets, last year hired more than 400 professionals to work at its newly-established IT services center in Vilnius and plans to add around 200 employees in 2016.

International Women's Day is held every year on 8 March. This year Parliament has selected women refugees as its theme and it also features on the plenary agenda this week. On Tuesday MEPs debate and vote on a report on women refugees, drafted by Mary Honeyball (S&D, UK). MEPs debate the current refugee crisis with Filippo Grandi, UN High Commissioner for refugees, focussing on the situation of women.

Lithuanian IT company Estina has purchased the Digidoc portal from the Estonian certification authority AS Sertifitseerimiskeskus and management of the portal will be transfered to the new owners from April 7, 2016.