Archived edition
Lithuania’s military basketball team beat France 87-79 in Bourges to win the world military championship, giving the country its second title after 2019. Julius Kazakauskas was named the final’s most valuable player, and Lithuania reached the gold-medal game with wins over Germany, Kenya, Canada and Latvia.
Gabija Galvydytė ran the mile in 3:59.74 in Shanghai to become the first Lithuanian to break four minutes for the distance. She finished 11th in the Diamond League race but erased a national record that had stood for 38 years. FBI agents arrested Estonian guard Kerr Kriisa on Saturday over an alleged multimillion-dollar fraud scheme, a case tied to his 2023-24 season at West Virginia. Authorities plan to move him to West Virginia for a court hearing next week, and the arrest rules him out of this month’s Basketball Tournament roster.
In Lithuania, attention remains on about 65,000 drivers whose right to drive is suspended because their medical certificates have expired, even when the physical licence card still appears valid. Police have also stepped up July checks on seat belts, child restraints, helmets, phone use and pedestrian behaviour, and a Vilnius checkpoint screened more than 300 sober drivers. In Kaunas, a hand grenade left near a shop earlier forced police to launch the Shield operation, cordon off the area and call in medics and firefighters. Authorities treat such devices as tools of panic as well as physical danger because every alert triggers a full emergency response.
Lithuania's Defence Ministry plans to buy armored vests without a public procurement procedure. Separately, Ingrida Simonyte criticized Mindaugas Sinkevicius for seeking to replace some ministers, saying those performing relatively well should be the last to go.
sources: tv3.lt, delfi.lt, 15min.lt, lrt.lt, lrytas.lt
The Shield operation is a Lithuanian police emergency procedure used when a suspected explosive device or dangerous object is found. It allows officers to seal off an area, restrict traffic and bring in bomb disposal and other emergency services.
On July 4 in Bourges, France, Lithuania’s military basketball team beat hosts France 87-79 in the world military championship final to take gold. Lithuania reached the title game after wins over Germany, Kenya, Canada and Latvia. J. eil. Julius Kazakauskas was named the final’s most valuable player. It was Lithuania’s second world military championship crown after the 2019 title. (lrt.lt)
Why it matters
The title boosts the Lithuanian armed forces’ sporting profile and gives visibility to servicemen who combine duty with elite basketball across KASP, the Logistics Command, the Military Academy and the Gediminas Staff Battalion. It also shows Lithuania can still produce a military team good enough to beat hosts in a final on home soil. (lrt.lt)
Who benefits
The Lithuanian military sports system and the servicemen players gain, while France and the other teams that finished below Lithuania lose ground. (lrt.lt)
What's next
The next concrete step is whether the armed forces keep this squad in the build-up for future military events and send it to defend the title again; no public date or vote has been announced yet. (lrt.lt)
A hand grenade left near a shop in Kaunas prompted police to launch the “Shield” operation on June 25 and cordon off the area. The point of such a device is not only damage, but panic, forcing security services into emergency mode. Every such call drags police, bomb disposal teams and emergency crews into a live response, while traffic and nearby businesses take the hit. Kaunas police, medics and firefighters were all called out to the scene.
Why it matters
Shops, bus routes and nearby residents feel the disruption first, through blocked access and delayed movement. The more of these incidents police face, the more resources get tied up in checks and cordons instead of routine patrols.
Gabija Galvydytė became the first Lithuanian to break four minutes in the mile, clocking 3:59.74 in Shanghai. She finished 11th in the Diamond League race, but still erased a 38-year-old national record. The run capped a season in which she has repeatedly lowered Lithuanian marks in middle-distance events.
Why it matters
Lithuania’s middle-distance squad now has a new benchmark in the mile and a stronger reference point for international selection. For Galvydytė, a sub-four-minute mile improves her standing in elite meets and raises expectations for the rest of the season.
FBI agents arrested Estonian guard Kerr Kriisa on Saturday, July 4, in connection with an alleged multimillion-dollar fraud scheme. The case is tied to his spell at West Virginia in the 2023-24 season, according to Reuters-linked reports. Authorities are expected to extradite him to West Virginia for a court hearing next week. The arrest rules him out of this month’s Basketball Tournament roster.
Why it matters
Former teammates, tournament organisers and prosecutors in West Virginia now face a criminal case that goes beyond basketball. If the allegations stick, the financial and reputational fallout could hit both the program and Kriisa’s career.
Lithuanian police on July 1 laid out a July enforcement plan that targets seat belts, child restraints, helmets, phone use and pedestrian behaviour on roads and streets. A July 2 checkpoint in Vilnius screened more than 300 drivers and all were sober, but officers said the summer campaign will continue. The plan also includes targeted checks on cyclists and users of electric micro-mobility devices on July 13-15 and July 22-24. Police say heat and congestion make drivers more tired and less focused in summer. (lrt.lt)
Why it matters
Cyclists, scooter users, parents and drivers in Vilnius and other cities face more roadside checks and fines in the coming weeks if they ignore safety rules. The focus lands squarely on the busiest summer traffic corridors, where police say risk rises as roads get hotter and busier. (lrt.lt)
At the start of 2026, about 65,000 Lithuanian drivers had invalid licences in the Regitra system because their medical certificates had expired. Since Jan. 1, 2025, an expired medical certificate automatically suspends the right to drive, even if the plastic card itself still looks valid. Police and insurers check the status after traffic violations and crashes, which can trigger fines and insurance disputes. The issue is now pushing calls for tighter warnings and clearer rules around medical checks. (reidasofficial.lt)
Why it matters
Private drivers, taxi operators and other professional drivers can lose working hours and face fines if their right to drive is suspended. Insurers also get pulled into more claims disputes when crashes involve an expired medical certificate. (tv3.lt)
Izium was hit by a Russian strike on a gas station today, killing a 19-year-old worker and wounding four women. Investigators said the attack in Kharkiv region used a Tornado-S multiple launch rocket system, and prosecutors opened a war-crimes case.
Across Ukraine, Russian attacks killed at least seven civilians and wounded 39 more over the past 24 hours. In Kherson region, shelling of residential areas injured six people. Kyiv is still clearing the aftermath of this week’s mass strike that killed at least 30 people, the deadliest attack on the capital this year.
In Crimea, Ukraine struck several power substations overnight, including facilities in Bakhchysarai and Zymynne, cutting electricity across much of the peninsula. Ukraine’s security service said earlier this week that at least seven Russian military aircraft were damaged or destroyed at two Crimean air bases.
In Donetsk region, Russia says it captured Kostiantynivka, but Ukraine rejected the claim and said the city remains under its control. Ukraine says Russian forces launched 11 unsuccessful assaults on that axis in July, while Moscow proposed a six-hour pause in shelling tomorrow to transfer the bodies of fallen Ukrainian soldiers. In Russia, gasoline output fell about 25% in June, pump prices at some stations rose above 100 roubles a litre, and the government has curbed sales in more than 30 regions while seeking imports from India and Belarus. In Albania, the Helsinki Committee said police in Tirana used tear gas, batons, fists and water cannon without warning outside parliament on Saturday, leaving 15 officers injured and 25 protesters detained.
Poland's defense minister ordered the disclosure of information on military aid to Ukraine. The move coincided with a political row in Poland over any transfer of Patriot air defence missiles to Kyiv.
sources: tv3.lt, lrt.lt, 15min.lt, lrytas.lt, delfi.lt, vz.lt
A multiple launch rocket system fires a salvo of rockets in quick succession over a wide area. Armies use it to strike troop concentrations, equipment or infrastructure at range.
On July 5 at about 11:35 a.m., Russian forces hit a gas station in Izium, Kharkiv region, with investigators saying the strike was carried out with a Tornado-S multiple launch rocket system. A 19-year-old gas station worker was killed and four women were wounded and taken to hospital. The blast damaged the station’s administrative building, the operator room with the retail pavilion, fuel pumps and seven vehicles. Kharkiv regional prosecutors have opened a war-crimes investigation into the fatal strike.
Why it matters
The strike puts civilians at immediate risk at a site used for fueling, work and routine travel. It also disrupts local transport and supply chains, since the station was damaged along with seven vehicles and core refuelling equipment.
Who benefits
Russia gains from the pressure campaign, while gas station staff, drivers and local businesses in Izium lose from the damaged fuel site and reduced access to services.
What's next
Kharkiv regional prosecutors will continue the war-crimes probe and determine whether the strike was indeed carried out with a Tornado-S system, as investigators currently believe.
Venezuela's death toll from the June 24 twin earthquakes has risen to 2,954. The 7.2 and 7.5 magnitude shocks along the northern coast injured 16,592 people and displaced thousands in La Guaira and nearby areas. Los Angeles County fire crews are winding down their search after finding no signs of life in the latest sweeps, while teams from Florida and Virginia are preparing to leave.
The family of Gaza hospital director Hussam Abu Safiya and Physicians for Human Rights Israel said today that his life is in immediate danger in Israeli custody. Lawyer Nasser Odeh documented visible injuries, breathing problems and repeated loss of consciousness after visiting him in the Rakefet unit of Nitzan prison. Abu Safiya, held by Israel since December 2024, has been moved to solitary confinement, according to a statement by his son Elyas, while Israel's prison service rejects allegations of abuse and denial of medical care.
Donald Trump used U.S. 250th anniversary events at Mount Rushmore and in Washington to say American identity is under a new assault and to cast communism as a threat. Storms in Washington delayed the National Mall ceremony for hours and forced an evacuation, while the White House has put Trump at the center of the broader semiquincentennial program. Another near-term U.S. foreign policy focus is a planned meeting in the United States between Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
The Washington Wizards on Saturday formally listed Brian Keefe's coaching staff with six assistants including Patrick Ewing, David Vanterpool, Alexis Ajinca and J.J. Outlaw. The club also added Deandre Ayton in a trade for Jaden Hardy and 2031 and 2032 second-round picks, then used the No. 1 pick in the 2026 draft on AJ Dybantsa. The World Cup round of 16 opened with wins for Morocco and France, and talk on Wall Street over the past day has again turned to cutting exposure to U.S. stocks.
A cargo vessel was attacked near Yemen in the Red Sea. A dangerous super typhoon is approaching US Pacific islands.
sources: lrytas.lt, delfi.lt, tv3.lt, vz.lt, lrt.lt, 15min.lt
OPEC+ is the alliance of OPEC members and other oil producers, including Russia, that coordinates output policy. Its quota decisions can move global oil prices quickly.
Venezuela’s information ministry said on Saturday that the death toll from twin quakes on June 24 had climbed to 2,954. The 7.2 and 7.5 magnitude shocks hit the country’s northern coast and left 16,592 people injured, with thousands displaced in La Guaira and nearby areas. U.S. rescue crews are now winding down their search after their latest sweeps found no signs of life, while teams from Florida and Virginia are preparing to leave. The disaster remains one of the worst quake events in Latin America in recent years. (investing.com)
Why it matters
People in La Guaira and the Caracas coast face a prolonged housing and care crisis, with thousands injured or displaced into camps. Local hospitals and emergency services will be under heavier strain as foreign rescue teams pull back from the search zones. (investing.com)
Who benefits
Venezuela’s state rescue and health agencies gain control of the response, while La Guaira’s builders and homeowners bear the losses from collapsed and damaged buildings. (investing.com)
What's next
The next key decision is how long Venezuela keeps the rubble searches going and when it expands demolition work and longer-term housing for displaced residents. (investing.com)
Russian strikes across Ukraine killed at least seven civilians and wounded 39 more over the past 24 hours, regional officials said early on July 5. In Kherson oblast, six people were injured in shelling of residential areas. The toll comes after Kyiv buried its dead from a massive July 2 air raid that killed at least 30 people, the deadliest attack on the capital this year. Ukrainian officials say Moscow has kept up its air campaign against cities even as Kyiv steps up deep strikes of its own. (kyivindependent.com)
Why it matters
Civilians in Kherson, Kyiv and other cities are bearing the brunt of strikes that hit residential areas and drive more pressure onto hospitals, rescue services and local authorities. The latest casualties come on top of the July 2 assault on Kyiv, forcing officials to keep dealing with mass-rescue and recovery work at the same time. (kyivindependent.com)
Moscow claimed on July 3 that its troops had taken Kostiantynivka in eastern Ukraine, but Kyiv rejected the claim the next day and said the city remains under Ukrainian control. Ukraine said Russian forces had launched 11 assault attempts on the Kostiantynivka axis in July, without success. Russia then proposed a short halt in shelling on July 6 so bodies of fallen Ukrainian soldiers could be handed over. The city sits on one of the most hotly contested stretches of the Donetsk front, where fighting remained among the heaviest on July 3.
Why it matters
Kostiantynivka guards the route toward Sloviansk and Kramatorsk, so control of the city affects Ukrainian supply lines and evacuation routes across Donetsk region. Even a brief ceasefire proposal for body recovery shows how battlefield pressure and tactical negotiations are now running side by side.
A member of Russia’s State Duma warned on July 2 that the country could run short of bread as a fuel squeeze deepens, according to 15min. Reuters-backed reports show Russian gasoline output fell about 25% in June, while some roadside stations have pushed pump prices above 100 roubles a litre for the first time. The shortage is forcing Moscow to curb sales in more than 30 regions and seek fuel imports from India, Belarus and other suppliers. The immediate risk is to the harvest: farmers need diesel just as the grain season gets under way.
Why it matters
Russian farmers, grain processors and haulage firms are the first to feel it because harvest work, milling and deliveries all depend on diesel. Higher fuel costs can then feed into food prices and squeeze households in regions already facing rationing.
Ukraine struck several power substations in occupied Crimea overnight, cutting electricity supplies across the peninsula, according to social media channels cited by local media. The reported targets included the Bakhchysarai and Zymynne substations, while the pro-Ukrainian Crimean Wind channel said outages were seen across Crimea after hits on energy infrastructure. On July 3, Ukraine’s security service said it hit two Russian military air bases in Crimea and damaged or destroyed at least seven military aircraft. Ukrainian drone forces also said they struck 12 substations and one gas distribution station in occupied territories on July 1-2.
Why it matters
For Crimea’s residents and Russian-controlled utilities, the immediate effect is another disruption to power, with knock-on damage to communications, transport and business activity. For the Russian military, the strikes make air bases, command nodes and logistics on the peninsula harder to run.
Albania’s Helsinki Committee said police in Tirana used tear gas, batons, fists and water cannon without warning during a protest outside parliament on Saturday, leaving 15 officers injured and 25 demonstrators detained. The group said some protesters threw eggs, rocks and other objects, but that did not justify force against people already on the ground or subdued. The protests began in late May over a luxury resort project in a protected coastal area linked to Ivanka Trump and Jared Kushner, but have since widened into daily demands for Prime Minister Edi Rama to quit. The rights group called for an urgent, independent and effective investigation. (lrt.lt)
Why it matters
The 25 detentions and 15 injured officers in Tirana show the protests have already tipped into a force confrontation that could mean more arrests and court cases. An independent probe would put police commanders and the interior ministry under direct scrutiny. (lrt.lt)
At Mount Rushmore on July 3, Donald Trump said American identity was under a new assault and cast communism as a threat as the U.S. marked the eve of its 250th birthday. He used the anniversary to fuse patriotism with hard-edged politics, attacking radicals and extremists while recasting the founding story as a fight for national survival. On July 4 in Washington, he repeated the theme in a delayed National Mall ceremony after storms forced an evacuation and pushed the event off schedule. The wider celebration has been overtly political, with the White House putting Trump at the center of the semiquincentennial agenda. (lrt.lt)
Why it matters
For U.S. voters, the anniversary has become a sharper midterm-season fight over history, immigration and the limits of presidential power. The Mount Rushmore and Washington events also show how state ceremonies are being used as campaign-style mobilisation tools. (lrt.lt)
The family of Hussam Abu Safiya, the Gaza hospital director held by Israel since December 2024, and Physicians for Human Rights Israel said on July 4 and 5 that his life is in immediate danger in prison. His lawyer visited him on July 2 at the Rakefet unit in Nitzan prison and documented visible injuries, breathing problems and repeated loss of consciousness. Abu Safiya was the director of Kamal Adwan Hospital in northern Gaza, a role that made him one of the most prominent medical figures in the enclave during the war. Israel's prison service rejects allegations of abuse, torture, starvation or denial of medical treatment. (apnews.com)
Why it matters
The case goes to the treatment of detained Gaza medical staff and the standards of care inside Israeli prisons. If Abu Safiya's condition keeps worsening, pressure will rise on rights groups and lawyers to push for his release or urgent medical intervention. (aljazeera.com)
Washington’s official team page on July 5 listed head coach Brian Keefe and six assistants, including David Vanterpool, Alexis Ajinca and J.J. Outlaw. The Wizards also completed a trade this week for Deandre Ayton, sending Jaden Hardy and second-round picks in 2031 and 2032 to the Lakers. Washington used the No. 1 pick in the 2026 draft on AJ Dybantsa, giving the club a new frontcourt focus around its coaching setup. The team’s first Summer League game in Las Vegas is set for July 9, 2026.
Why it matters
Ayton’s arrival and Dybantsa’s No. 1 selection give Washington a new frontcourt core that will need immediate coaching attention. How quickly that group clicks will shape whether the Wizards can turn a rebuild into wins or just stack up talent.
On July 5, Palmira Kelertienė’s horoscope says the day is good for visiting others and hosting guests. It fits her summer horoscope run, which has been leaning on everyday relationships, meetups and home life. The practical takeaway is simple: people are nudged toward social plans, short trips and shared meals rather than staying inward-focused. For readers who follow the column, the message is to use the day for contact and hospitality.
Why it matters
Households and small event hosts can end up with more visits, more food shopping and more short trips. It is less convenient for people hoping for a quiet, interruption-free workday.