Germany has begun deploying more soldiers to Lithuania as part of NATO's move to boost the defense of its eastern flank. Lithuania shares a lengthy border with Russia and fears Russian aggression if the war spreads beyond Ukraine.

Statues of Lenin and other communists were removed shortly after independence in 1991. But since the start of the war in Ukraine this year, other sculptures have also disappeared — and reappeared next to goats and birds.

The two small nations both neighbor larger authoritarian superpowers that frequently employ bullying tactics. Lithuania is worried about Russia; Taiwan is worried about China — and their bond has upset Beijing. DW's Joyce Lee reports from Taipei.

Lithuanian diplomats in China returned to Vilnius for consultations, according to the Foreign Ministry. Vilnius called back its diplomats in response to Beijing's efforts to downgrade its embassy.

China said it took the punitive step after self-ruled Taiwan opened a de facto embassy in Lithuania.

Lured to Belarus with promises of easy EU immigration, Iraqis, Syrians and Afghans are now trapped in Lithuania. Abbas al-Khashali and Hamza al-Shawabkeh met them there.

Illegal migration to Lithuania has increased hugely in 2021, with Lithuania blaming Belarusian strongman President Alexander Lukashenko's regime for encouraging the migrants to cross as retaliation against EU sanctions, calling it "hybrid aggression". Lukashenko has denied the allegations, insisting instead that Lithuania triggered the migrant influx itself after Vilnius announced in July it would cut the asylum request process to 10 days.

A growing number of African and Middle Eastern migrants have been illegally entering Lithuania from Belarus. The country says it is finding it hard to cope. Alexandra von Nahmen reports from the Lithuanian border.

Lithuania has seen a sharp rise of migrants entering its territory, with most of them originally coming from Africa and the Middle East. Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko is suspected of causing the surge.

The move comes as Minsk enables a huge influx of illegal migration into the EU. Lithuania says Belarus is seeking to harm the European bloc in response to sanctions.

As the world continues to battle the effects of the coronavirus pandemic, health experts and several pharmaceutical companies have come up with vaccines to reduce the effects. Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine has given a significant boost to the global fight and here are five key things to know about the controversial vaccine.

From Seoul to Florida, Lithuania to Uruguay, drive-in cinemas, which gained immense popularity during the 1950s and '60s, are making a comeback worldwide. With theatres closed across the globe to curb the spread of the coronavirus pandemic, drive-ins are an attractive and safe alternative for cinemagoers.