Lithuanian PM Resigns Amid Business Dealings Probe

Lithuanian Prime Minister Gintautas Paluckas has resigned after less than a year in office, following mounting pressure related to his business dealings and those of his family. President Gitanas Nauseda announced the resignation. The move comes amid investigations into allegations of improper EU funding awarded to a company owned by his brother's wife, which then contracted a company owned by the prime minister. Authorities have raided the company and detained a director, investigating potential loan misuse and fraudulent EU financial support. Paluckas denies wrongdoing. A coalition partner had threatened to leave the government if he did not step down. The controversy also resurfaced a decade-old conviction for orchestrating the purchase of rat poison at inflated prices when he was Vilnius administrator, which resulted in a suspended prison sentence and a fine.