5 May 2026

Archived edition

Lithuania

Summary

Panevėžys court has set the next steps in the child-sex case against former MP Kristijonas Bartoševičius, while his lawyer Olegas Šibkovas is seeking to overturn the conviction. The court said the offences were committed while he was a sitting lawmaker, and prosecutors are seeking a 10-year prison term plus a five-year ban on work involving minors.

Attorney General Nida Grunskienė has asked parliament to strip Gintautas Paluckas of legal immunity in a suspected illicit enrichment case. Prosecutors cite assets worth almost 344,600 euros, and newer reporting says charges have also been brought against his wife. LRT reported that leadership changes at state-controlled companies have been happening quietly, with no clear sign of open competition, raising questions over who screened candidates and when the full record will be published. In coalition politics, Mindaugas Sinkevičius said he plans to settle the coalition issue within the next month.

Lithuania’s State Security Department said the pirate site filmai.in is registered in Russia and has shifted hosting locations six times in five years. The agency said a 2021 leak exposed 650,000 usernames, email addresses and passwords that are still circulating on the dark web and could be used against state bodies and strategic companies. A rare constitutional situation also emerged on Tuesday, when Lithuania was temporarily left without all three top state office holders.

Police said a Vilnius resident who had been abducted was later found dead in a forest. In the Vilkaviškis district, officers are still searching for an underage girl who left for school and did not return home. The Transport Ministry has proposed banning drivers from holding a phone even when briefly stopped in traffic, while parliament is also facing a dispute over large municipal waste-management funds and related tenders. Teltonika Group reported higher revenue and EBITDA and said it is continuing to invest in technology.

Lithuania’s election commission opened an inquiry into the possible use of state funds for the Freedom Party’s needs. In parliament, calls also intensified for Gintautas Paluckas to give up his seat after matters that drew law enforcement scrutiny.

sources: 15min.lt, delfi.lt, lrytas.lt, lrt.lt, tv3.lt, vz.lt

It emerged where and with whom the child rapist Bartoševičius will assault.

Panevėžys court has set the next steps in the child-sex case against former MP Kristijonas Bartoševičius, with his lawyer Olegas Šibkovas already pushing to overturn the conviction. The court has said the offences were committed while he was a sitting lawmaker, and prosecutors sought 10 years in prison plus a five-year ban on work involving minors. The next ruling will determine whether the sentence stands, is cut or is altered.

Why it matters

For the victims’ families, this stage means the case is still not final and the punishment could still change on appeal. If the ruling is altered, it will also determine whether Bartoševičius faces a post-prison ban on working with children.

sources:delfi.lt

Politics

VSD: the films.in site poses a threat to users and national security

Lithuanian media and the VSD said on May 5 that the pirate site filmai.in is registered in Russia and has shifted hosting locations six times in five years. The agency said a 2021 leak exposed 650,000 usernames, email addresses and passwords, and those records are still circulating on the dark web. VSD said stolen user data from sites like this can be repurposed by hostile cyber groups against state bodies and strategic companies.

Why it matters

The fallout goes beyond viewers of a single website. Old passwords and email addresses can be recycled for account takeovers, fraud and intrusions into workplace systems if people reuse the same credentials elsewhere.

sources:lrt.lt

Politics

Attorney General to appeal to the Seimas to abolish Paluckas' legal immunity

Attorney General Nida Grunskienė asked the Seimas on May 2 to lift the legal immunity of MP Gintautas Paluckas so investigators can file suspicion notices in a probe into suspected illicit enrichment. The request cites assets valued at nearly 344,578 euros and comes after Paluckas suspended his membership in the Social Democratic Party and said he would handle any waiver of immunity through the fast-track procedure. If lawmakers agree, prosecutors can formally move the case forward and deepen the pressure on a politician who left the premiership in July 2025.

Why it matters

The Seimas vote will decide whether prosecutors can file formal suspicion notices without the shield of parliamentary immunity. It also lands squarely on the ruling Social Democrats, because Paluckas has been one of the party’s most visible figures.

sources:15min.lt

Politics

Silence path: silent leadership changes in state companies raise transparency questions

On May 5, 2026, LRT said leadership changes in state-controlled companies have been happening quietly, with little public explanation and no clear sign of open competition. The piece points to appointments and dismissals across several strategic firms where decisions are made by state bodies and company boards. That has revived questions over who screened the candidates, what criteria were used and when the full record will be made public.

Why it matters

State companies serve households and business, so the transparency of top appointments affects trust in pricing, investment and procurement decisions. If selection happens behind closed doors, the risk grows that key posts are filled on political loyalty rather than merit.

sources:lrt.lt

Crime

Missing underage girl in Vilkaviškis district – she left for school and disappeared

Police in Vilkaviškis district were searching on 5 May 2026 for an underage girl who left for school and did not return, according to the police notice. In cases like this, officers usually publish the child's description fast to pull in tips from locals, drivers and public transport passengers. The search currently depends on public leads, and anyone who saw her or knows where she is has been asked to contact police or call 112 immediately.

Why it matters

Cases like this hit the child's family first, because they lose contact with the school route and the routines that would normally help narrow the search. Fast tips from the public can cut the time police spend checking possible routes and contacts.

sources:delfi.lt

Crime

Kidnapping survivor crypto-millionaire lands in a very tricky situation

France’s crypto underworld is facing a fresh police squeeze after six suspects were charged in a kidnapping tied to digital assets. In another case, a ransom demand was sent to the son of a victim, while investigators are also probing an €8 million crypto extortion attempt involving family members. Police are now trying to map whether the attacks were linked and who ordered them.

Why it matters

Crypto executives and their families in France are becoming direct targets because kidnappers can push for payment through digital wallets and intermediaries, not banks. That raises security costs, forces firms to hide personal data and increases risk for anyone publicly linked to large crypto holdings.

sources:delfi.lt

Europe

Summary

Ukrainian drones set the JSC VNIIR-Progress military-industrial site ablaze in Cheboksary overnight, and Russia briefly halted operations at at least 18 airports as the threat spread. Other reported targets in Russia included oil refining facilities and companies linked to components for Shahed drones and Iskander missiles. Volodymyr Zelenskiy today released video showing Ukrainian forces launching Flamingo missiles into Russian territory. The system has already been used against the Votkinsk plant in Udmurtia, about 1,400 km from the Ukrainian border.

Russian strikes across Ukraine killed at least five people today in Kramatorsk and the Dnipropetrovsk and Chernihiv regions. In the Poltava region, two rescuers were killed in a separate attack, and emergency crews are still searching residential rubble after the overnight missile and drone barrage. Ukraine's parliament also backed ratification of a convention establishing an international commission to study damage caused by Russia's war.

In Moscow, 92-year-old nuclear weapons designer Yuri Baranov, linked to the Soviet RDS-37 thermonuclear programme, was found dead yesterday. Russian media said there were no signs of foul play. The Kremlin tightened security over the past 48 hours ahead of the May 9 parade, and the defence ministry said tanks and missiles will not be shown this year. In Sweden, Gitanas Nausėda is today holding talks on Baltic Sea security, military mobility, critical infrastructure protection and cyber security.

Russia struck Ukraine just before Moscow's declared truce, and Volodymyr Zelenskiy called the attack a terrorist strike. A Russian strike killed 12 people in Zaporizhzhia and at least five civilians in Kramatorsk. Arsenal reached the Champions League final for only the second time in the club's history.

sources: 15min.lt, lrt.lt, tv3.lt, lrytas.lt, vz.lt, delfi.lt

Ukraine struck a Russian weapons plant and an oil refinery at night

Overnight on May 5, 2026, Ukrainian drones hit a Russian military-industrial site in Cheboksary, with local photos and videos showing a major fire at JSC VNIIR-Progress. The plant makes components used in Russian attacks on Ukraine, while at least 18 Russian airports briefly halted operations as the strike threat spread across the country. The attack fits Kyiv's push to reach deeper into Russia's war economy and disrupt facilities tied to weapons production and air traffic.

Why it matters

Russia's defence industry and civilian air network were hit at the same time across several regions. That forces short-term flight restrictions and raises pressure on supply chains feeding weapons production.

sources:15min.lt

Politics

Zelenskiy showed how Ukraine launched a Flamingo missile strike at Russia

On May 5, 2026, Volodymyr Zelenskiy released video showing Ukrainian forces launching Flamingo missiles into Russian territory. 15min said the system had already been used against the Votkinsk plant in Udmurtia, about 1,400 km from the Ukrainian border, a site tied to Russia's missile industry. The public display is part of Kyiv's push to show it can hit military-industrial targets far beyond the front line.

Why it matters

For Russia's defence industry, it raises the risk to sites once considered safe because of their distance from the front. For Ukraine, it offers a way to hit production that feeds strikes on its cities and power grid.

sources:15min.lt delfi.lt

Politics

Five people killed in Russian strikes in Ukraine

Russian strikes on May 5 killed at least five people across Ukraine, with deaths reported in Kramatorsk, Dnipropetrovsk and Chernihiv regions. The attacks came overnight, when Russia launched missiles and drones against several regions at once, forcing rescuers to search through rubble and update casualty counts. Ukrainian officials said the strikes also hit residential areas, leaving room for the toll to rise as crews clear the damage.

Why it matters

For civilians in eastern and northern Ukraine, the strikes mean more pressure to evacuate and another round of risk for people who stayed in their homes after earlier shelling. When attacks hit residential districts in multiple regions, rescue teams, hospitals and local councils all have to stretch scarce resources further.

sources:15min.lt delfi.lt

Politics

President travels to Sweden, will discuss security issues, Baltic Sea region

President Gitanas Nausėda left for Sweden on May 5, 2026, for talks on Baltic Sea security and regional defence. The presidential office says the agenda includes military mobility, critical infrastructure protection and cyber security. The trip comes as Baltic states are pushing to harden air defence, protect sea lanes and tighten NATO coordination around the region.

Why it matters

Closer Swedish-Lithuanian coordination matters for shipping, energy links and the protection of undersea cables, which are among the most exposed assets in the Baltic Sea. It can also speed up decisions that affect NATO force mobility and the region's resilience to sabotage.

sources:15min.lt

Politics

These Russian military tech production figures rise; Western sanctions nearly zero

Moscow tightened security over the past 48 hours ahead of the May 9 parade, and the defence ministry said tanks and missiles will not be shown this year. The Kremlin is also under pressure from a war economy that kept weapons output elevated last year, with some components still reaching Russia through third countries despite Western restrictions. The next few days will show whether the parade stays a stripped-back political show or becomes a signal of broader escalation.

Why it matters

Moscow residents and parade guests are seeing the city run under tighter security because the Kremlin is treating the drone threat as real. For Ukraine and European planners, the key point is that Russia can still keep military output high even while projecting caution in public.

sources:lrytas.lt

Politics

A weapons designer who spread death found dead in Moscow

A 92-year-old Russian nuclear designer, Yuri Baranov, was found dead in Moscow on May 4, 2026. His name is linked to the Soviet RDS-37 programme, the first two-stage thermonuclear weapon tested by the USSR in 1955. Russian media reported the death without citing signs of foul play, leaving the circumstances and any official confirmation as the next focus.

Why it matters

Deaths among veterans of Russia’s nuclear programme matter because they mark the fading of a generation that still held first-hand knowledge of Soviet strategic weapons work. For security analysts, that raises fresh interest in who now controls the expertise, archives and institutional memory around those systems.

sources:15min.lt

World

Summary

The United States launched Operation Freedom on May 5 to reopen the Strait of Hormuz after fresh Gulf strikes pushed the Iran-US truce back toward collapse. The UAE said three cruise missiles fired from Iran on May 4 were intercepted and three Indian nationals were wounded. Trump has not said whether the ceasefire is still in force, while Tehran says shipping and energy transit have been put at risk. U.S. intelligence also assessed over the past day that earlier strikes on Iran did not significantly slow its nuclear programme.

Volodymyr Zelensky said on May 4 that Ukraine would observe a ceasefire from midnight on May 5 to midnight on May 6. Russia's defence ministry paired that with its own unilateral May 8-9 truce and a threat of a massive missile strike on central Kyiv if Ukraine tries to disrupt Victory Day events in Moscow. In Washington over the past day, Secret Service officers shot an armed man near the Washington Monument after he opened fire, and two people, including a minor, were taken to hospital.

In China's Yunnan province, an explosion at a fireworks factory today killed 26 people and injured 61. The blast hit a production site storing pyrotechnic materials, and local authorities opened an inquiry into the cause and possible safety violations. The United States today approved the first gene therapy for congenital inherited deafness, but pricing, access and specialist delivery in the U.S. market remain unresolved. Taiwan President Lai Ching-te said the island has the right to engage with the world as Beijing keeps up diplomatic pressure.

Donald Trump called the war with Iran a "minor clash." Iran's Revolutionary Guards said they would respond harshly to any ceasefire violation. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Tehran must prove it is not seeking a nuclear weapon.

sources: delfi.lt, lrytas.lt, 15min.lt, tv3.lt, lrt.lt, vz.lt

Tensions Grow in the Middle East: Iran-US Ceasefire on the Brink

The United States on May 5 launched Operation Freedom to reopen the Strait of Hormuz after fresh Gulf strikes pushed the Iran-US truce back toward collapse. The UAE said three cruise missiles fired from Iran on May 4 were intercepted and that three people were wounded, all Indian nationals. Trump has not said whether the ceasefire is still in force, while Tehran says shipping and energy transit have been put at risk.

Why it matters

The Strait of Hormuz is a critical route for oil and LNG, so any renewed fighting can feed quickly into fuel prices and shipping costs in Europe and beyond. A breakdown in the truce would also raise risks for carriers, insurers and foreign workers across the Gulf.

sources:tv3.lt

Politics

War in Ukraine: Both Sides Declare Ceasefires; Russia Vows Threats

Volodymyr Zelensky said on May 4 that Ukraine would observe a ceasefire from midnight on May 5 to midnight on May 6, after Moscow announced its own unilateral truce for May 8-9. Russia's defence ministry coupled the ceasefire announcement with a threat of a massive missile strike on central Kyiv if Ukraine tries to disrupt Victory Day events. The move ties the latest truce talk to May 9 commemorations in Moscow, after the Easter ceasefire in April also collapsed into mutual accusations of violations.

Why it matters

For civilians in Kyiv, the truce window still offers little certainty, because either side can use any alleged violation to resume strikes immediately. European governments will read the episode as more evidence that ceasefire timing is being driven by Kremlin ceremony, not by a genuine negotiating track.

sources:tv3.lt

Health

Historic moment: US approves first gene therapy for congenital deafness

The FDA on May 5, 2026 cleared the first gene therapy for inherited deafness, a milestone for a field that has already delivered approved treatments for other rare genetic diseases. LRT said the drug is the first of its kind in history and is aimed at congenital hearing loss. The next hurdle is access, with pricing, rollout and specialist delivery still to be worked out in the U.S. market.

Why it matters

It could open a treatment path for children whose hearing loss is caused by a known inherited mutation, where care has so far meant rehabilitation and hearing devices. If the therapy works in routine use, it could reduce the impact of early deafness on speech and learning.

sources:lrt.lt

Crime

A brief shootout near the White House with the Secret Service

On May 4, 2026, Secret Service officers shot an armed man near the Washington Monument after spotting him in the White House area. The man tried to run when uniformed officers moved in, then opened fire, the agency said. He and a minor who was also hit were taken to hospital, while streets around the complex were shut as investigators searched for a vehicle and worked the scene.

Why it matters

The shooting happened inside one of the most heavily protected zones in Washington, forcing road closures and a tighter security posture around the White House complex. The presence of a wounded minor means the fallout extended beyond the suspect and law enforcement, affecting bystanders as well.

sources:delfi.lt lrytas.lt

Crime

Media: man suspected of ramming into a crowd in Germany had mental health issues.

A man suspected of driving into a crowd in eastern Leipzig killed two people, German media reported on May 5, adding that he had recently been treated for mental health problems. Police are now examining whether he should have remained under closer supervision after leaving care. Investigators are still assessing intent, and no motive has been disclosed publicly.

Why it matters

Two people were killed, so the case is now about more than criminal liability. It may also expose gaps in discharge procedures and the handoff between doctors and police, with pressure for tighter supervision rules.

sources:lrytas.lt

Environment

Powerful explosion at a fireworks factory in China: casualties reported

A powerful blast ripped through a fireworks plant in southern China’s Yunnan province on May 5, killing people, according to local authorities. The explosion hit a production site that stores volatile pyrotechnic materials, prompting an emergency response from rescue and fire crews. Officials have opened an inquiry into the cause and whether safety rules were followed.

Why it matters

Fireworks plant accidents in China put workers and nearby communities at immediate risk, and the damage can spread well beyond the factory fence. A prolonged investigation can also interrupt local pyrotechnics supply ahead of the summer holiday season.

sources:delfi.lt