29 April 2026

Vilnius police are investigating a case involving an attack on a minor in the capital’s Old Town, with reports pointing to as many as seven suspects and possible sexual offences. Over the past day it has also become clear that investigators are examining a second attack on the same minor, with potential charges including violence, robbery and rape.

Lithuania’s finance ministry said the country will receive 153 million euros from the EU Recovery and Resilience Facility in June. The government plans to submit another 1.1 billion-euro payment request in the autumn under the New Generation Lithuania plan, as the facility expires in August 2026. Lithuania’s fintech companies paid a record 310 million euros in taxes last year. The central bank also said the insurance market grew by a tenth last year and sector profit topped 100 million euros.

The government approved a capital increase for state-owned Lithuanian Airports to fund route expansion and rising infrastructure needs. Investigators are also tracing the use of forged Japanese financial guarantees in public procurement, with suspicious tenders at risk of being frozen. In domestic politics, lawmaker Kazys Starkevičius admitted taking a bribe, and Prime Minister Gintautas Paluckas called it a reputational blow. The Liberal Movement has meanwhile asked the anti-corruption agency STT to review Culture Ministry plans to change how theatre and concert venue heads are appointed.

In business, Revolut Bank in Lithuania reported record profit and said it had reached 700,000 customers. In sport, Marius Grigonis played a key role as Panathinaikos secured home-court advantage in the playoffs.

Prime Minister Ingrida Šimonytė said that a confession could mitigate criminal liability after bribery allegations against Kazys Starkevičius. Gabrielius Landsbergis urged conservatives to distance themselves from any ties to Starkevičius. Under the EU migration pact, Lithuania will take 58 asylum seekers and spend more than 1 million euros on the move.

Ukrainian forces said over the past 24 hours they struck a Chechen unit near Pokrovsk in the Donetsk region and put dozens of fighters out of action. The hit landed in one of the war’s most contested sectors, where Russian troops have been trying to push west and cut Ukrainian supply lines.

Kyiv said on Tuesday that Ukraine’s operation in Russia’s Kursk region has become a key card in talks on ending the war. Volodymyr Zelenskiy said he was ready to talk to Vladimir Putin if that could bring the war closer to an end, while Ukrainian negotiators keep working with the United States and other partners. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said Ukraine would receive 6 billion euros for drone purchases.

Ukraine’s navy said on Tuesday it struck the sanctioned tanker Marquise in the Black Sea with two uncrewed surface vessels. The ship was drifting about 210 km southeast of Russia’s Tuapse port with its AIS turned off and, Kyiv said, appeared to be waiting for an illegal ship-to-ship oil products transfer.

Zelenskiy also said over the past two days that Ukraine will open 10 arms export hubs across Europe this year, including in the Baltics and the Nordics, with proceeds redirected to weapons and drone production. In Britain, King Charles III publicly called for steadfast support for Ukraine’s defence and Western unity. In Brussels, the European Parliament backed a bigger 2028-34 EU budget and new revenue sources, even as France, Germany and the Netherlands remain divided over joint borrowing. Finland’s Kone also agreed to buy Germany’s TK Elevator in a 29.4 billion euro cash-and-stock deal that would create the world’s biggest lift maker.

The Kremlin said Vladimir Putin is proposing a truce in Ukraine on May 9. Two people were killed in Russian attacks on Ukraine's Dnipropetrovsk region. Volodymyr Zelenskiy said late in the day that Ukraine's battlefield position is its best in almost a year.

Donald Trump said at the White House today during a meeting with King Charles III that the United States had militarily defeated Iran. The US-led war with Iran has entered its second month, and Washington is weighing a blockade that could last for months as it tries to reopen the Strait of Hormuz.

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said in New York yesterday that ship transits tied to the Strait of Hormuz have fallen 95.3% since February 28. European crude prices have risen 53% over the same period. After the late-February US and Israeli strikes on Iran, only a small number of approved vessels are still being allowed through the route. Cargo movement through Hormuz yesterday became another test of limits, with the United States hunting for explosive mines and Iranian officials saying the waterway could reopen only if the war and blockade end. Talks in Pakistan produced no breakthrough.

Trump also said today that Vladimir Putin wants trade with the United States and money for Russia. Israel and Hezbollah continued exchanging attacks over the past day. The US Supreme Court struck down a racially based voting map in a landmark case.

In New York, former NBA player Damon Jones, 49, pleaded guilty yesterday in a federal gambling case that has led to more than 30 arrests. The United States pledged $100 million to repair the Chernobyl shelter after a Russian drone strike in February damaged the giant arch over the ruined reactor.

The U.S. Federal Reserve left interest rates unchanged again. The Kremlin said Vladimir Putin and Donald Trump discussed the Middle East, Iran and Ukraine by phone, and Putin mentioned plans to announce a ceasefire around Victory Day. Oil rose to its highest level since the war began.