7 May 2026

Archived edition

Lithuania

Summary

Andrė Lukošiūtė reached the quarter-finals of the Nottingham W35 on Thursday, extending an important week on the ITF circuit. The outdoor hard-court event in Britain carries a $30,000 prize fund and offers valuable ranking points for the Lithuanian player.

In the Baltic Sea early on Thursday, a passenger was winched off the ferry Robin Hood about 50 nautical miles from Klaipėda after crews suspected a spinal injury. Lithuania’s Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre launched a military AS-365 helicopter from Nemirseta at about 7 a.m., and the patient was flown ashore for further checks and treatment. Business attention is also turning to insolvency risks after Lithuania’s largest recent collapse and a worsening backdrop in key export markets. Germany recorded 24,064 insolvent companies in 2025, up 10% year on year, while Poland continues to see elevated restructuring and bankruptcy cases after a record 2024.

In Spain, Benediktas Vanagas and Aisvydas Paliukėnas opened the FIA European Baja Cup season on Thursday as the No. 1 crew in Cuenca. Rain and cooler weather are expected to make the Baja TT Cuenca route more technical, as the Lithuanian pairing tries to improve on last year’s series podium finish. Elsewhere, prosecutors carried out actions linked to former candidate Eduardas Bužinskas, Lithuania prepared for a visit by Sweden’s royal couple, Denmark’s Etna Foundation completed its acquisition of Brolis Defence Group, and authorities warned residents about major wildfires burning in several regions.

China sentenced to death a convicted paedophile who posed as a courier delivering a gift and murdered a seven-year-old girl. In Lithuania, President Gitanas Nausėda said he had never heard of any condition tying the presence of US troops to cooperation with Belarus and warned that if coalition decisions are not reached by the end of May, they may not come later.

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

Open-sea rescue operation near Klaipėda

A passenger was winched off the ferry Robin Hood in the Baltic Sea early on Thursday, about 50 nautical miles from Klaipėda, after crews suspected a spinal injury. Lithuania's Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre launched a military AS-365 helicopter from Nemirseta at about 7 a.m. The patient was flown ashore for further medical checks and treatment, and the helicopter later returned to base.

Why it matters

The case shows that rescue assets based near Klaipėda can reach passenger ferries far offshore within minutes. That matters for ferry operators and passengers because suspected spinal injuries require rapid evacuation to limit complications and speed up treatment.

sources:lrytas.lt

Sports

Andrė Lukošiūtė defeats Ruby Cooling in Nottingham to reach the quarterfinals

Andrė Lukošiūtė reached the quarterfinals at the Nottingham W35 event on May 7, 2026. The ITF calendar shows the week-2 Lexus British Pro Series Nottingham runs from May 4 to May 10 and carries $30,000 in prize money on outdoor hard courts. That gives Lukošiūtė a chance to push further into the draw and add ranking points at an important stop on the ITF circuit.

Why it matters

ITF W35 events are a direct route to higher-level tournaments and better prize money, so every win in Nottingham helps Lukošiūtė move up the rankings. Those points can decide whether she gains direct entry into stronger draws later in the season.

sources:tv3.lt

Sports

FIA European Baja Cup launches: Vanagas and Paliukėnas target Spain as No. 1

The FIA European Baja Cup season opens on May 7, 2026 in Cuenca, Spain, with Benediktas Vanagas and Aisvydas Paliukėnas starting Baja TT Cuenca as the No. 1 crew. The route is expected to be technical and weather-hit, with rain and cooler conditions replacing the dry gravel many teams had expected. The Lithuanian pairing is chasing a stronger result after already reaching the podium in the series last year. The May 7-9 opener sets the tone for a calendar that is heavily focused on the Iberian Peninsula.

Why it matters

For the Lithuanian crew, this is the first major test of the season before the rest of the FIA round schedule. A strong run in Cuenca would give them early points and a better platform for the championship fight, especially in a series where machinery and setup matter as much as outright speed.

sources:delfi.lt

Politics

Government backs proposal to require electricity providers to terminate contracts with some customers

On May 7, 2026, the government endorsed a proposal allowing independent power suppliers to unilaterally terminate fixed-price contracts with vulnerable customers if the agreed rate is above the public tariff. The energy ministry said some older customers remain stuck on expensive plans not by choice, but because they struggle to switch suppliers or end contracts on their own. The aim is to move those households into public supply more easily, with the draft now heading to parliament.

Why it matters

Vulnerable households could be pulled out of pricier contracts and shifted into cheaper regulated supply. That would directly affect seniors and other customers who struggle to handle supplier-switch paperwork on their own.

sources:delfi.lt

Sports

Snowboarder Rapolas Micevičius loses a leg; he was a big worry for his parents

On May 7, 2026, a fresh profile revisited Rapolas Micevičius’ turning point after the 2021 injury that led to part of his leg being amputated. Before the accident, he worked and treated sport as a hobby; afterward, he rebuilt his life around snowboarding and turned professional. His story is now being tied to a new documentary and to his push to establish himself among the top para snowboarders after competing at the Milan-Cortina Winter Paralympics.

Why it matters

For para snowboarding, Micevičius is a visible example of how a major injury can still lead to an elite sports career and international competition. In Lithuania, his profile helps give winter Paralympic sport a public face that can draw younger athletes and sponsors.

sources:delfi.lt

Economy

Surges in corporate defaults in Poland and Germany: will Lithuanian business catch it?

Germany logged 24,064 insolvent companies in 2025, up 10 per cent from a year earlier and the highest since 2014. Poland has stayed under strain as insolvency and restructuring cases remain elevated after a record 2024, with tens of thousands of firms now operating in a tougher credit environment. For Lithuanian exporters, the danger is simpler cash flow: weaker buyers in two key markets raise the risk of late payments, cancelled orders and supply-chain stress.

Why it matters

The first businesses to feel it are hauliers, industrial suppliers and wholesalers that rely on payments from German and Polish buyers. One missed invoice can quickly turn into a working-capital squeeze in Lithuania.

sources:vz.lt

Europe

Summary

Volodymyr Zelensky said today that Russia is preparing a new phase of the war this year that could become one of the fiercest since the full-scale invasion began. Ukrainian military intelligence links that warning to Russian force buildups on the eastern front, where Moscow has kept sustained pressure on the Donetsk axis for months. Kyiv is adding defensive measures and expects the next few weeks to show where Russia will strike first.

Kremlin-linked sources say Vladimir Putin is preparing for another one to two years of war as peace talks remain stalled. Russia has also tightened security around Putin, expanded surveillance at homes tied to his inner circle and barred some staff from using public transport. Moscow today urged foreign diplomats and mission staff to leave Kyiv quickly, saying a retaliatory strike was imminent. The warning came after Russia said it had shot down 524 Ukrainian drones and five missiles overnight. Kyiv also said Ukrainian and US negotiators held talks in Florida on Russia’s invasion and further coordination.

In Brussels, EU member states and the European Parliament reached an early-morning deal to ban AI tools that create sexual deepfake images without a person’s consent. The compromise includes an exemption for companies that can prove effective safeguards against abuse, and it still needs approval from EU ambassadors. EU institutions also struck a provisional deal yesterday to simplify broader AI rules so companies are not checked twice under overlapping safety, data and consumer-protection laws. Russia’s public clash with Armenia is also sharpening after Zelensky’s visit to Yerevan, leaving Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan balancing Moscow security ties against a western tilt ahead of May 9 commemorations and more EU talks.

Moscow halted trilateral peace talks and said they will resume only if Ukrainian forces withdraw from Donbas. Volodymyr Zelenskiy warned Russia’s allies not to take part in the May 9 parade in Moscow, while a warning was issued in Kyiv to leave the city within 24 hours over a possible retaliatory strike.

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

War in Ukraine could become one of the fiercest phases as Kyiv braces for a new Russian offensive

On May 7, 2026, Volodymyr Zelensky warned that Russia is preparing a new phase of the war in Ukraine this year, one that could rank among the most intense since the full-scale invasion began. Ukrainian military intelligence links that assessment to Russian force buildups on the eastern front, where Moscow has kept pressure on the Donetsk axis for months and is seeking to widen its offensive. Kyiv is putting extra defensive measures in place and expects the next few weeks to show where Russia will strike first.

Why it matters

For Ukrainian cities, that means a higher risk of missile, drone and ground attacks in the near term, especially in the east and south. If Russia does widen the offensive, Kyiv will face a harder choice between reinforcing the front and protecting critical infrastructure.

sources:15min.lt

Politics

War in Ukraine. Bad news for V. Putin: revealed what's happening at the Kremlin's top echelons

Kremlin-linked sources say Vladimir Putin is preparing for another one to two years of war, with peace talks stalled and Moscow still betting on military pressure. At the same time, Russia has tightened security around the president, adding surveillance in homes linked to his inner circle and banning staff from using public transport. Ukrainian intelligence and military analysts say the Kremlin is now planning its state machinery for a longer confrontation, not a quick settlement.

Why it matters

For Ukrainian civilians, it means Moscow is not yet moving toward fewer strikes or a faster ceasefire. For European security planners, it points to longer defence funding, higher ammunition demand and sustained pressure on NATO’s eastern flank.

sources:lrytas.lt

Politics

Kremlin urges all countries’ diplomats to leave Kyiv in a blaze of anger

Russia’s foreign ministry on May 7 urged diplomats and other mission staff in Kyiv to evacuate quickly, citing what it called an imminent retaliatory strike. The warning came after Moscow said it had shot down 524 Ukrainian drones and five missiles overnight, while Kyiv and other cities reported fresh attacks on their own territory the same day. The alert could force embassies to tighten security and review staffing in Ukraine’s capital, where dozens of foreign missions are still operating.

Why it matters

For diplomats still in Kyiv, the warning raises the risk of evacuation and disrupts direct contact with Ukrainian authorities at a time when the capital remains the main decision-making hub. If several missions scale back, Kyiv could face a harder time coordinating daily political and military support with allies.

sources:15min.lt

Technology

EU reached provisional agreement to simplify AI rules: 'Companies should not be regulated twice'

EU institutions struck a provisional deal in Brussels on May 6, 2026 to streamline AI rules and cut overlap with other EU laws. Negotiators said firms should not face duplicate checks on the same systems, especially where AI products already fall under sector rules on safety, data or consumer protection. The text now needs final legal polishing and formal approval, which will determine how much compliance burden falls away and when the changes take effect.

Why it matters

AI developers and users could face fewer separate checks, shorter launch timelines and lower legal costs, especially in health, finance and industry. The biggest shift would hit firms that have had to align one product with several overlapping EU rulebooks.

sources:vz.lt

Politics

Russia pushes Armenia away

Russia’s latest public broadside against Armenia comes after Volodymyr Zelensky warned in Yerevan that Moscow has been weakened by more than four years of war. Ties between Moscow and Yerevan have been strained since 2023, when Russia did not intervene during Azerbaijan’s offensive in Nagorno-Karabakh and Armenia began leaning closer to the EU. The row leaves Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan walking a tighter line between Russian security ties and a western pivot, with the pressure set to rise ahead of May 9 commemorations and more EU talks.

Why it matters

For Armenia, the fallout reaches beyond rhetoric: Russia still matters for security, remittances and energy links. The clash gives the EU more room to pull Yerevan closer, but it also raises the risk that Armenia’s westward shift becomes costlier and less stable.

sources:delfi.lt

Technology

EU agrees to ban AI tools that create sexual deepfake images

EU member states and the European Parliament struck a deal in the early hours of May 7, 2026 to ban AI tools that generate sexual deepfakes without a person’s consent. The compromise would cover systems that create sexualised images or video of real people, with a carve-out for firms that can show effective safeguards against abuse. EU ambassadors still need to sign off before the measure can move into the bloc’s wider digital rulebook.

Why it matters

People whose photos or videos are scraped into fake sexual content stand to gain the most from a clear ban. If the measure is adopted in full, developers will have to redesign products and regulators will have a firmer basis to push abusive tools off the market.

sources:lrt.lt lrytas.lt

World

Summary

Iran-U.S. nuclear talks stalled over enrichment limits and sanctions relief in the past day. Donald Trump said yesterday he was disappointed with Tehran’s position, even though U.S. intelligence has found no evidence that Iran has decided to build a nuclear weapon. A former U.S. intelligence official said earlier U.S. strikes likely did little to slow Iran’s nuclear programme and that key material may still be buried deep underground. That leaves the White House choosing between more strikes and a deal that would require Iranian buy-in.

A U.S. Navy fighter jet on Wednesday disabled an Iranian-flagged oil tanker in the Strait of Hormuz as it tried to break through a U.S. blockade. The Pentagon said U.S. forces have seized other tankers linked to Tehran this week, and the targeted vessel was already under sanctions for carrying Iranian crude. The Washington Post reported that Iran hit many more U.S. military targets than previously disclosed. Drones also struck a Russian defence ministry logistics centre near Moscow.

Japan’s Ground Self-Defense Force fired rockets from Type-88 launchers in western Kyushu today, and China lodged a formal protest. Tokyo said the exercise was routine training, while Beijing tied it to the worsening security picture around Taiwan. The World Health Organization said it will send 2,500 hantavirus diagnostic kits to five countries. In Singapore, corporal punishment in schools is back in focus because even nine-year-olds can still be caned in some bullying cases.

Hermano da Silva Ramos, the oldest living former Formula 1 driver, died in France yesterday at the age of 100. The Brazilian-French racer made four World Championship starts in 1955 and 1956 for Maserati and HWM, and his death leaves Britain’s John Rhodes, 98, as the oldest surviving former F1 driver. In Palmyra, officials said today it made sense to bundle as many public works as possible into one stretch to shorten road closures, detours and noise for residents.

Multiple explosions were reported late in an Iranian coastal city and on an island in the Strait of Hormuz. At the same time, Goldman Sachs warned that global oil inventories have fallen to their lowest level in eight years, keeping Middle East tensions in focus for energy markets.

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

U.S. fighter jet attacked a blocked tanker trying to break through Iranian blockade

A U.S. Navy fighter jet knocked an Iranian-flagged oil tanker out of action on Wednesday as the ship tried to break through a U.S. blockade in the Strait of Hormuz. The vessel was on sanctions lists for hauling Iranian crude, and the Pentagon has said U.S. forces in the region have seized other tankers tied to Tehran this week. The move shows Washington is increasingly using force to choke off oil flows, raising the risk of further disruption in one of the world’s key shipping lanes.

Why it matters

The seizure and strike on tankers raise direct risks for oil supplies to Europe and Asia, because any disruption in the Strait of Hormuz quickly feeds through into fuel prices. Shipping lines and insurers now have to factor in not just sanctions exposure but the chance of military intervention on a route that carries a large share of the world’s crude.

sources:15min.lt

Politics

US general: we know what Iran will do next

A former U.S. intelligence official said on May 5 that U.S. strikes likely did little to slow Iran's nuclear programme and that key material may still be buried deep underground. The assessment suggests Washington may have failed to knock out the most sensitive parts of Tehran's atomic work, despite weeks of military pressure. It also leaves the White House facing a harder choice: more strikes, or a deal that would need Iranian buy-in.

Why it matters

For oil markets and shipping through the Gulf, the key issue is not the quote but the risk of a fresh round of strikes and retaliation. If Iran has kept its stockpiles and core infrastructure intact, talks on curbing the programme get longer and regional security pressure stays elevated.

sources:delfi.lt

Politics

Japan fires rockets during drills; China condemns

Japan’s Ground Self-Defense Force fired rockets from Type-88 launchers during drills in western Kyushu on May 7, and Beijing lodged a formal protest. Tokyo says the exercise was a routine training event, separate from any live combat operation, while China linked it to the worsening security picture around Taiwan. Japan’s defence leadership is expected to keep using the southwest islands for such drills as it steps up readiness in the region.

Why it matters

The standoff is spilling into the security routine around Japan’s southwest islands, where more frequent drills and tighter surveillance now shape daily life and shipping lanes. It also raises the diplomatic stakes around Taiwan, forcing both sides to manage incidents faster to stop them from turning into a wider confrontation.

sources:lrt.lt

Politics

Palmyra: worth doing as many projects as possible

On 7 May, Palmyra was framed as a city where it makes sense to bundle as many works as possible into one stretch. The idea is to cut the time roads stay restricted and avoid reopening the same sites again and again. If the plan is carried through, residents and drivers should face fewer detours, less noise and shorter disruption.

Why it matters

For residents, this means fewer rounds of road closures and a shorter period of traffic disruption. For city halls, it is a way to finish more utility and street works in one window and reduce repeated mobilisation costs for contractors.

sources:lrytas.lt

Politics

Analyst: Iran's task in talks – to help Trump appear better than Obama

On May 6, Donald Trump said he was disappointed with Iran’s stance in nuclear talks but had not yet decided whether to strike. U.S. intelligence has found no evidence that Tehran has decided to build a nuclear weapon, even as Trump has abandoned the Obama-era deal that once capped Iran’s enrichment. The talks now hinge on limits to enrichment and relief from sanctions, with Tehran rejecting Washington’s latest terms and preparing its own counterproposal.

Why it matters

The outcome will decide whether sanctions relief returns and whether Iranian nuclear sites face fresh strikes. Any escalation could move oil and gas prices and raise risks along shipping routes through the Gulf.

sources:lrt.lt

Sports

The oldest Formula 1 driver has died

Hermano da Silva Ramos, the oldest living former Formula 1 driver, died in France on May 6 at the age of 100. The Brazilian-French racer made four World Championship starts in 1955 and 1956 for Maserati and HWM, then went on to race in sports cars and endurance events. His death leaves Britain’s John Rhodes, 98, as the oldest surviving former F1 driver.

Why it matters

Ramos’s death removes one of the last living links to Formula 1’s formative years. For historians and racing communities, that narrows the pool of first-hand witnesses who can describe how the sport looked and felt in the 1950s.

sources:delfi.lt