Term
Dementia
Dementia is a syndrome that progressively impairs memory, reasoning and the ability to manage everyday life. It is not a normal part of ageing and is commonly caused by brain diseases including Alzheimer's.
15 August 2026
Archived edition
Lithuania
Summary
Lithuania's U16 team face Spain in Oradea today for the European bronze medal. It is Lithuania's final game of the FIBA U16 EuroBasket, a 16-team tournament that ends today.
Gabija Galvydyte finished fourth at the European Athletics Championships in Birmingham today after a strong late surge. She has already made her Diamond League debut this season and broke the Lithuanian record in Shanghai in May. Ruta Meilutyte also returned to competition today for her first start of the year and reached the European Championship semi-finals.
Border guards turned back 23 irregular migrants at Lithuania's border with Belarus on Friday. Lithuania has used pushback powers on that frontier since August 2021, backed by a physical barrier and surveillance systems.
Studies highlighted in Lithuanian coverage say regular exercise, social ties and mentally demanding activity are linked to a lower dementia risk. A Sichuan University team tracked participants for an average of 11 years, and the effect is tied to later onset rather than a cure.
The government opposed a proposal to liberalize arms trade, citing security risks. A court ruled that Šuranovas, the defendant in the arson parcel case, must remain in custody. In Palanga, a 17-year-old drowned in the sea near the pier.
sources: lrt.lt, delfi.lt, tv3.lt, 15min.lt, lrytas.lt
Worth knowing
Top stories
Health
Scientists identified three factors that help delay dementia by about 13 years
Reported studies point to the same direction: exercise, social ties and mentally demanding activity are linked with a lower dementia risk. One Chinese cohort followed participants for an average of 11 years and found those habits were associated with better brain health. Other research adds sleep quality and cardiovascular health to the list, suggesting the brain benefits when blood flow and rest are better protected. The practical effect is not a cure, but a later onset and more years of independent living. (lrt.lt)
Why it matters
For older adults and their families, the key point is that the risk-cutting steps are ordinary and cheap: walking, social contact, better sleep and mental activity. That can push back the need for care, reduce day-to-day dependence and delay the strain on relatives. (lrt.lt)
Who benefits
Beneficiaries are seniors, their caregivers and primary-care doctors, while people with low activity, poor sleep and weak social contact stand to lose the most. (lrt.lt)
What's next
The next step is larger long-term follow-up studies to confirm which combinations of habits delay dementia onset the most. (lrt.lt)
sources:lrt.lt
Sports
Decisive sixteen-year-olds basketball clash for European bronze: Lithuania vs Spain
Lithuania's U16s face Spain in Oradea, Romania, on Aug. 15 for the European bronze medal, with the FIBA U16 EuroBasket ending the same day. The 16-team tournament runs from Aug. 7 to Aug. 15, so this is Lithuania's final game of the campaign. The bracket was set after the group phase, and the teams played through the knockout rounds to decide the medal places. Spain came through Group C, alongside Israel, Greece and Georgia. (fiba.basketball)
Why it matters
A bronze game at U16 level is more than a medal shot. It is a high-visibility stage for players trying to raise their standing with national-team coaches and club scouts. (fiba.basketball)
sources:lrytas.lt
Politics
Border guards: 23 illegal migrants turned away at the Belarus border on Friday
Border guards said 23 illegal migrants were turned back at the Lithuania-Belarus frontier on Friday, August 14, 2026. The move is part of the daily push to block irregular crossings at non-designated points along the eastern border. Lithuania has used turn-back powers on this frontier since August 3, 2021, alongside a physical barrier and surveillance systems. The next VSAT daily tally will show whether the pressure eased on Saturday or shifted to another section of the border.
Why it matters
The turn-backs add to the workload for border units and local authorities, because every attempt means more patrols, reporting and response in remote terrain. They also shape how tightly residents near the frontier are policed and how much security pressure remains on the eastern border.
Sports
Galvydytė takes fourth place in Europe after dramatic finish
Gabija Galvydytė finished fourth at a European event after a fast closing stretch, missing the podium by a step. In earlier European team competition in Madrid, she also placed fourth, showing she can run with the continent's best middle-distance athletes. The result further cements her place among Lithuania's leading track runners and adds momentum heading into her next international starts. Her progress has been underlined by previous personal and national records over 800m and 1500m.
Why it matters
Lithuania's middle-distance programme gets a clearer benchmark for the next European and world meetings. The athletics federation also gains a higher-profile name to build around, which matters for visibility and qualification prospects.
sources:lrt.lt
Economy
New electricity price rise looming for residents
Household power bills in Lithuania have already moved up this year after regulated tariffs rose in July, with the standard one-zone public supply rate going from 22 to 24 euro cents per kWh including VAT. Regulators said the increase followed higher wholesale purchase-price forecasts. The Energy Ministry and ESO are now pushing a seasonal transmission tariff that would reward midday consumption in the sunny months, while households on market-linked plans remain exposed to price swings. Vulnerable customers can still save by moving to public supply, but many are leaving money on the table by staying on private contracts.
Why it matters
The pressure falls on households that use most power in the evening and in winter, because they are the ones most exposed to higher wholesale and network charges. The households that can switch to public supply or shift usage into cheaper hours are the ones most likely to avoid the hit.
sources:delfi.lt
Sports
Galvydytė stays unfazed among the stars: I am fourth in Europe
Gabija Galvydytė finished fourth at the European Athletics Championships in Birmingham on August 15 and said she had not been overawed by the field. The 26-year-old Lithuanian has already made her Diamond League debut this season and set a national record in Shanghai in May, so she arrived in Britain with momentum. Fourth place leaves her just outside the medals, but it also confirms her place among Europe's leading middle-distance runners. The key question now is whether she can convert that form into a podium result later in the season.
Why it matters
Lithuanian athletics gets a rare high-level finish in a European final. For rivals, Galvydytė is now close enough to the medals to matter in every major race, while younger runners in Lithuania have a clear benchmark.
sources:delfi.lt
Europe
Summary
A Russian strike in the Dnipropetrovsk region killed a three-month-old baby and injured 11 other people, including children. In the Sumy region, one civilian was killed in shelling over the past 24 hours.
Ukraine says Russia is on course to lose about 30,000 troops this month. Volodymyr Zelenskyy has reiterated that Russian losses topped 30,000 in May. Oleksandr Syrskyi says that for three straight months Russia has been losing more soldiers on the front than it can replace. Ukraine's military also said Russia lost another 1,370 troops over the past day.
Ukrainian air defences had earlier said they neutralised 124 of 155 Russian drones, with hits recorded at 17 locations. The package included three Banderol unmanned aircraft, a system Kyiv has also linked to strikes on Odesa port infrastructure. Ukraine has also begun using balloons to carry strike drones deep into Russian rear areas this summer, while Russian air defences and electronic warfare units try to bring them down almost daily.
In Moscow, Vnesheconombank chief economist Andrei Klepach said Russia was losing the technology and economic race while war costs kept rising. New banking data showed heavier cash withdrawals and deposit losses at most large lenders, leaving the Kremlin with less domestic funding for the war budget. In Birmingham, Gianmarco Tamberi won the European Championships high jump title for a fourth time after bouncing back from modest results in Monaco and Florence.
Late sport led the headlines. Latvia's under-16 team beat France to win their first ever European title, while Atletico Madrid signed defender Cristian Romero from Tottenham for 40 million euros.
sources: lrt.lt, tv3.lt, lrytas.lt, delfi.lt, 15min.lt, vz.lt
Worth knowing
Term
Electronic warfare
Electronic warfare uses the electromagnetic spectrum to disrupt, deceive or intercept an opponent’s radars, communications and navigation systems. It is widely used against drones and missiles to jam control links or throw them off target.
Top stories
Politics
War in Ukraine. Zelenskiy: we expect Russia to lose 30,000 soldiers this month
Volodymyr Zelenskyy said in June that Russia was losing more than 30,000 troops a month, and said May alone topped that level. He tied the losses to Ukrainian strikes, Russian mobilisation pressure and the rising cost of the war for Moscow. Earlier this year, he put some monthly Russian losses as high as 35,000, while Ukrainian commander Oleksandr Syrsky said Russia had been losing more soldiers on the front than it could replace for three straight months. If that pace holds, it gets harder for the Kremlin to sustain offensive momentum and refill the ranks.
Why it matters
Russian losses directly shape its ability to rotate units, hold ground and keep offensive pressure going. For Ukraine, that creates more room to hit logistics and deepen strikes on the rear.
Who benefits
Ukraine's armed forces and drone units gain ground, while Russia's ground forces and mobilisation system take the hit.
What's next
The next test is the new August casualty data from Ukraine's general staff and Russia's defence ministry, which will show whether the 30,000 level holds up.
sources:lrt.lt
Politics
Ukraine neutralized 124 Russian drones and three Bandero unmanned aircraft
Ukrainian air defences said they neutralised 124 of 155 Russian drones in a June 8 overnight strike, with hits recorded at 17 locations across the country. The package included Banderol loitering munitions, alongside Shahed, Gerbera, Italmas and decoy drones launched from multiple Russian regions and occupied Crimea. On July 29, Kyiv said most strikes on Odesa port infrastructure in June and July had been carried out with Banderol weapons. That points to a dual Russian approach: saturation drone raids and targeted attacks on Black Sea logistics.
Why it matters
For Ukrainian port operators and grain exporters, Banderol strikes raise the risk to warehouses, loading terminals and shipping schedules. Air defence units then have to split limited interceptors between mass drone waves and more precise loitering munitions.
sources:delfi.lt
Politics
During Russian shelling in Sumy region a civilian died in 24 hours
One civilian was killed in Russian shelling in Ukraine's Sumy region over a 24-hour period. The border region has been under repeated fire since the full-scale invasion began, with past strikes killing and injuring civilians and damaging homes, schools and other civilian infrastructure. Local officials and prosecutors typically use these daily reports to document casualties and assess the damage. (tv3.lt)
Why it matters
For border communities in Sumy, the risk is not abstract. Shelling kills civilians, damages homes and puts pressure on ambulances, doctors and rescue crews operating closest to the Russian border. (tv3.lt)
sources:delfi.lt
Sports
Doubts behind as Tamberi crowned European champion for the fourth time
Gianmarco Tamberi won the men’s high jump at the European Championships in Birmingham on Aug. 14, taking a fourth continental title. The 34-year-old Italian arrived in the meet under a cloud after finishing sixth in Monaco on July 10 with 2.23m and clearing only 2.20m at the Italian championships in Florence on July 26. He had framed August as a key checkpoint on the road to Los Angeles 2028. His next listed stop is the Brussels Diamond League meeting later in August. (uk.lapresse.it)
Why it matters
The gold shores up Italy’s high jump programme heading into the final meets of the season and helps Tamberi keep his Olympic push alive. It also matters for the Brussels Diamond League, where he is already on the entry list. (diamondleague.com)
sources:tv3.lt
Politics
Russian strike: Ukraine color balloons destroyed daily, but met with a strong response
Ukraine has begun using balloons to carry strike drones deep into Russian rear areas, according to a June 25 Defence News report. Russian air defences and electronic warfare systems are trying to knock the systems down almost daily, but Kyiv has kept up pressure on Russian oil infrastructure, including a strike on an oil hub on Aug. 10 that killed 13, AP reported. Ukrainian officials say the point is to hit the logistics and energy assets that fund Russia’s war effort, not just the front line. The result is more strain on Russian air defences and transport routes far from the battlefield. (defensenews.com)
Why it matters
Ukraine’s drone crews gain range, while Russian energy and logistics companies absorb the damage. More strikes on oil hubs and supply nodes raise the cost of the war for Moscow and can disrupt domestic fuel flows. (defensenews.com)
sources:tv3.lt
Economy
Russia's economy is creaking at the seams: banks lack funds to finance Putin's war costs
On Aug. 14 in Moscow, Vnesheconombank chief economist Andrei Klepach said Russia is losing the technology and economic race, with war costs still rising. Separate banking data published the same day showed heavier cash withdrawals in early August and deposit losses at most large lenders except Sber. That leaves the Kremlin with less domestic funding for the war budget because banks are trying to preserve liquidity for customer lending rather than buy more state debt. Reuters reported in July that Sberbank CFO Taras Skvortsov said lenders lacked spare rubles to absorb federal bonds.
Why it matters
It makes Russia’s war financing more expensive at home. When banks and depositors pull back, the state must either offer higher yields or lean harder on the central bank.
sources:tv3.lt
World
Summary
Indonesia’s 7.7-magnitude earthquake off Flores today has killed at least 38 people and injured more than a dozen. The quake struck at a depth of 10 km near Ende, triggered several aftershocks, caused landslides and cut the Trans-Flores highway. Authorities briefly issued a tsunami warning and moved coastal residents to higher ground, then lifted the alert after monitors detected no significant sea-level change.
In southern Lebanon, Israeli airstrikes today killed at least 11 people. The Israeli military said it had targeted Hezbollah Radwan Force battalion commander Ali Samir Al-Haj Hassan, while Lebanese officials said three children were among seven people killed in a strike near Ansar. The attacks were the deadliest since the June 20 truce between Israel and Hezbollah.
Ukrainian forces struck a Russian space and defence industry site linked to Roscosmos, though publicly verified details of the latest attack remain limited. Kyiv had earlier said it hit a plant in Russia’s Penza region that makes missile sensors, avionics and reconnaissance satellite equipment, and a fire broke out on Aug. 5 at TsNIIMash in Korolyov, Roscosmos’ main research institute. At Virginia State University, five people were wounded in a shooting near the Quad Annexes early today, and police said the investigation involves multiple suspects.
Israel said a strike in Lebanon targeted a Hezbollah commander and later said further strikes were a response to a Hezbollah ceasefire violation. Russian foreign ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova threatened the United States and Turkey, saying their actions would "seriously hurt".
sources: delfi.lt, lrytas.lt, 15min.lt, lrt.lt, vz.lt, tv3.lt
Worth knowing
Term
Roscosmos
Roscosmos is Russia’s state space agency, overseeing the country’s civilian space programme and closely tied to parts of its missile and defence industry.
Top stories
Politics
Ukraine hits Russia's space industry giant with missiles
Ukrainian forces have struck a Russian space and defence industry site linked to Roscosmos, but publicly verified details of an Aug. 14 or 15 attack were not available in the material reviewed. On July 1, Kyiv said it had hit a Penza-region plant that Ukraine's general staff said makes sensors for cruise and ballistic missiles, as well as avionics and equipment for reconnaissance satellites. On Aug. 5, a fire broke out at Roscosmos' main research institute, TsNIIMash, in Korolyov, a centre of Russia's space programme and aerospace research. The pattern shows Kyiv is broadening its deep-strike campaign beyond energy assets to parts of Russia's missile supply chain.
Why it matters
Strikes on these sites can disrupt Russia's missile supply chain and the industrial base that feeds its space sector. If component production is slowed, it can hit both weapon output and satellite-related hardware.
Who benefits
Ukraine's military and long-range strike units gain; Russia's missile and space industry loses.
What's next
The next key step is the Russian defence ministry's and Roscosmos' assessment of whether production or research work was disrupted.
sources:delfi.lt
Crime
Several people wounded in a shooting at the University of Virginia
Five people were wounded in a shooting at Virginia State University on Aug. 15, AP reported. Police said officers reached the scene before 1:30 a.m. and found the victims outside dormitories near the Quad Annexes. The campus lockdown was lifted around 9 a.m., but the investigation is still active and involves multiple suspects. One victim was upgraded from life-threatening to critical condition, while the others suffered non-life-threatening injuries. (apnews.com)
Why it matters
The injured students and their families now face treatment and recovery, while the campus community is dealing with tighter security and disruption. With multiple suspects still under investigation, the key question is whether anyone connected to the shooting remains at large near the university. (apnews.com)
Environment
Strong earthquake off the coast of Indonesia kills 20 and triggers mass evacuations
A magnitude 7.7 earthquake struck off Indonesia’s Flores region on August 15, killing at least 38 people and injuring more than a dozen others. The quake hit at 5:58 a.m. local time at a shallow depth of 10 km, according to the U.S. Geological Survey, and was followed by several aftershocks. Authorities briefly issued a tsunami warning before lifting it when monitors found no significant sea-level change. Landslides in Ende regency also cut the Trans-Flores highway, disrupting transport across the island.
Why it matters
Residents along Flores’ coast face disrupted access to hospitals, supplies and transport after the highway cutoff. The longer the road stays blocked, the harder it will be for rescue teams to reach remote villages and for authorities to assess the full damage.
Politics
Israel: strike on Lebanon targets Hezbollah leader
An Israeli airstrike in southern Lebanon on August 15, 2026 killed at least 11 people, and the Israeli military later said it had hit a Hezbollah Radwan Force battalion commander, Ali Samir Al-Haj Hassan. Lebanese authorities said one strike hit a house near Ansar, killing seven people, including three children, while a second strike in Deir al-Zahrani killed four more. The attacks were the deadliest since the June 20 truce between Israel and Hezbollah. Israel and Lebanon also announced a wider framework on June 26 that calls for Israeli withdrawal from southern Lebanon and Hezbollah’s disarmament. (apnews.com)
Why it matters
For families in southern Lebanon, the truce still does not shield homes from Israeli strikes. Each attack raises pressure on Beirut to enforce the June 26 framework on Hezbollah’s weapons and an Israeli pullout from the south. (apnews.com)