8 July 2026

Archived edition

Lithuania

Summary

Gitanas Nauseda is at the NATO summit in Ankara today, where allies are weighing a rise in defence spending to 5% of GDP. The Lithuanian president wants progress on a plan to secure 70 billion euros a year in military aid for Ukraine this year and next, while the agenda also covers defence production and NATO-Ukraine talks.

Remigijus Jakstys was released on parole today after Lithuania’s Constitutional Court struck down a blanket ban on parole for people convicted of sexual crimes against children. Prison service chief Mindaugas Kairys said two more cases are already moving through the decision process, while 91 inmates are under individual assessment and 174 offenders convicted of crimes against children are currently serving prison terms in Lithuania.

Lithuania’s National Blood Center has issued an urgent appeal for donors as supplies of some blood groups run low. Google has allocated 2.3 million euros to Talents for Tech for free artificial intelligence training in Lithuania and six other Central and Eastern European countries, with the programme aiming to reach at least 11,000 people. Lithuania and Norway also agreed today to cooperate on a standardised multifunctional naval vessel programme that could give the Lithuanian navy more flexible ships at lower lifetime operating and upgrade costs.

Lithuania is also preparing for an EU-driven building shift, with all new buildings due to be net-zero from 2030. The State Security Department responded after fresh accusations from Russia in the latest diplomatic flare-up.

Lithuania lodged a protest with Russia over shelling in Ukraine and disinformation targeting the Baltic states. The ethics watchdog opened an investigation into possible illegal lobbying by Elektrum Lietuva.

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

Worth knowing

Term

Parole

Parole allows a prisoner to leave custody before completing the full sentence if legal conditions are met. The person remains under set obligations and can be returned to prison for breaches.

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Europe

Summary

Ukraine's Unmanned Systems Forces struck nine Russian shadow-fleet tankers in the Sea of Azov overnight. Kyiv says it has attacked 21 Russian vessels in the past 72 hours, including 19 tankers carrying fuel to Crimea under sanctions.

Ukraine's General Staff said Russia lost 1,260 troops in the past 24 hours, along with three tanks, 61 artillery systems and 466 vehicles and pieces of special equipment. The same daily tally said 2,074 drones were destroyed and put Russia's total personnel losses since the full-scale invasion at about 1,413,510. Ukraine also reported shooting down a Russian aircraft. Russian military bloggers said four bridges were blown up in Russia's Belgorod region.

On NATO's northern flank, France said in Ankara today that it will send troops to NATO's Forward Land Forces in Finland alongside Sweden and Finland. The multinational force began operating in June in Finland and Sweden, and Denmark, Iceland, Italy, Norway and Britain have already backed the build-up.

Across the EU, driver-distraction monitoring became mandatory yesterday for all newly registered cars, vans, trucks and buses. New vehicles must also carry advanced emergency braking that can detect pedestrians and cyclists, while vehicles already on the road are exempt. In Lausanne, the International Olympic Committee yesterday provisionally lifted its suspension of the Russian Olympic Committee and said its recommendations on Russian athletes no longer apply to qualification for the 2028 Los Angeles Games. In Berlin, a court today sentenced doctor Johannes M. to life in prison for murdering 15 patients, while prosecutors continue to examine 76 other cases.

Russia struck Odesa with ballistic missiles, killing four people. At the NATO summit, Volodymyr Zelenskiy was promised 140 billion euros in military aid and a rocket production licence.

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

Worth knowing

Term

Shadow fleet

A shadow fleet is a network of ageing or obscurely owned ships used to move oil and other cargo outside sanctions, embargoes or price caps. These vessels often switch flags, ownership structures and insurers to conceal their operations.

War in Ukraine: Ukrainian forces struck nine ships of Russia's Black Sea Fleet in the Sea of Azov

Ukrainian Unmanned Systems Forces said they hit nine Russian shadow-fleet tankers in the Sea of Azov overnight on July 8, commander Robert Brovdi said. Kyiv said the vessels had been ferrying fuel to Crimea and were under sanctions, with each tanker carrying about 7,000 tonnes. The strike came after Ukraine said it had hit eight more tankers in the same area the night before, bringing the two-day tally to 17 tankers. The campaign is aimed at squeezing supply lines to occupied Crimea and other Russian-held areas in the south. (lrt.lt)

Why it matters

Fuel supply routes into occupied Crimea are becoming more exposed, because the ships moving sanctioned cargo now face repeated drone strikes. That can raise logistics costs for Russian forces and tighten fuel availability in Crimea and along the Azov coast. (investing.com)

Who benefits

Ukraine’s military gains, and civilians in occupied Crimea may face tighter fuel supplies, while Russian logistics, tanker operators and sanctions-evasion networks lose out. (pravda.com.ua)

What's next

The next thing to watch is whether Ukraine repeats the strikes in the Sea of Azov in the coming days, and whether Russia shifts fuel deliveries to safer routes around Crimea. (kyivindependent.com)

sources:lrt.lt

World

Summary

The World Health Organization said today the world is recording about 20.6 million new cancer cases and nearly 10 million deaths a year. WHO projects annual new cases will rise to almost 35 million by 2050, and says fewer than one in three countries include cancer care in universal health coverage. The agency also said five-year breast cancer survival reaches 87% in high-income countries versus about 42% in low-income ones.

US forces struck more than 80 targets in Iran on Wednesday after three attacks on commercial shipping in the Strait of Hormuz. US Central Command said the targets included air defences, command networks, coastal radar, anti-ship missiles and more than 60 small boats linked to the Revolutionary Guard. Donald Trump said in Ankara today that the ceasefire with Iran was over and called further talks a waste of time. Bahrain sounded missile alert sirens after the strikes, Iran said it had hit Bahrain and warned that sites aiding US attacks would be treated as legitimate targets. Washington also revoked Iran's ability to openly sell crude oil on the global market, while oil prices jumped more than 6%.

In Kyiv, Russian ballistic missiles hit the capital early today, sparking fires in several districts, and Mayor Vitali Klitschko said damage was recorded across multiple parts of the city. In Kharkiv, a Russian missile hit a five-storey residential block in the Nemyshlianskyi district, killing two people and injuring 20, including four children. Ukraine's air force said Russia used drones and missiles in the same wave, with several weapons reaching targets across the country.

In New York, roads around a 37-storey Manhattan tower remained closed today after an evacuation triggered by collapse risk. City officials said the former Pfizer headquarters had been stabilised, but four nearby buildings were still under evacuation orders.

The United States launched fresh strikes on Iran, with eight Iranian soldiers reported killed. Donald Trump said the conflict should end very quickly and said Vladimir Putin had eased his conditions for ending the war in Ukraine.

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

Worth knowing

Term

Strait of Hormuz

The Strait of Hormuz links the Gulf to the Gulf of Oman and is one of the world's most important oil shipping chokepoints. Even brief disruption there can move global energy prices sharply.

WHO: worldwide cancer cases could nearly double by 2050

WHO said on July 8 that the world is facing about 20.6 million new cancer cases and nearly 10 million deaths a year, with annual cases projected to rise to almost 35 million by 2050. The agency tied the outlook to widening gaps in prevention, diagnosis and treatment, and said survival for breast cancer reaches 87% in high-income countries versus about 42% in low-income countries. It also said fewer than one in three countries include cancer care in their universal health coverage packages. WHO is pressing governments to expand tobacco control, vaccination and treatment access, as nearly four in ten cases are linked to preventable risk factors. (who.int)

Why it matters

For patients in poorer countries, the gap means later diagnosis and lower survival because cancer care is still outside universal coverage in many places. For health systems, it points to a larger burden of treatment, nursing and drug spending unless prevention is expanded. (who.int)

Who benefits

Tobacco control, vaccination and early-detection programs stand to gain, while patients in low-income countries lose out because access to treatment and support care remains thin. (who.int)

What's next

WHO and IARC’s 2026 global cancer report now lands with national governments, which must decide whether to expand tobacco control, vaccination and cancer care under universal coverage. (who.int)

sources:lrytas.lt

8 July 2026

Lithuania

Parole

After the Constitutional Court ruling, Jakštys the teen rapist was released on parole

Gitanas Nausėda will attend NATO summit, will stress defense strengthening and support for Ukraine

Dead spouses found in an apartment, their 8-day-old baby and grandmother: there were butcherings

Executioner in a white coat: doctor who killed 15 patients will serve life in prison

Google allocates 2.3 million euros for AI training for thousands of Lithuanians

Lithuania and Norway to cooperate in developing a multifunctional naval vessel program

Europe

Shadow fleet

War in Ukraine: Ukrainian forces struck nine ships of Russia's Black Sea Fleet in the Sea of Azov

World

Strait of Hormuz

WHO: worldwide cancer cases could nearly double by 2050

In Ukraine battlefield, 1,260 more Russian soldiers destroyed in the last day

France will send troops to a NATO mission in the Nordic countries

German court sentences doctor to life for 15 murders

Important driver news: strict EU requirements for all new cars

Ahead of 2028 Los Angeles Games TOKy limits eased for Russia

War in Ukraine Russia strikes Kyiv with ballistic missiles

US forces launch strikes against Iran targeting over 80 sites

Trump: ceasefire with Iran has ended

Russian strike on Kharkiv high-rise; one person dies

Manhattan skyscraper evacuated due to collapse risk