2 November 2026

Lithuania recorded 210 cases of type B Haemophilus influenzae infection last year and four deaths. Data cited by the National Public Health Centre show the total was more than double the 95 cases logged in 2024, while uptake of the third dose of the combined vaccine among one-year-olds stood at 88.8%.

Mindaugas Sinkevičius used a radio interview today to set out priorities for Lithuania’s 2027 state budget and acknowledged criticism over heavy defence spending. The same day, a fresh row over his dissertation sharpened coalition tensions after a hard-line call from Democrat Union figure Dainius Gaižauskas. In a separate political discussion, Juozas Olekas spoke about universal defence, conscription and support for Ukraine.

Aurelijus Beras, found not criminally responsible after the 2016 Saviečiai killings, was released from Rokiškis psychiatric hospital under a court ruling in late 2022 and placed in his sister’s care. Police recorded two separate knife attacks in Vilnius and Vilnius District over the past 24 hours, leaving people injured, and criminal investigations have been opened in both cases. The U.S. approval today of a cheaper twice-yearly lenacapavir shot matters for Lithuania too because it broadens access to modern HIV prevention.

Lukas Smagurauskas won the IFBB Pro contest in Marrakech yesterday and secured his Pro card after 13 years in bodybuilding. Vilnius also plans to replace all hot water meters by the end of 2029. Doctors today also warned about five breakfast foods linked to bloating and daytime sleepiness, while separate advice on kidney health urged readers to avoid products seen as harmful to the kidneys.

Ukraine struck three Russian oil refineries over the past three days and knocked about 10% of the country’s refining capacity out of action. The targets were Novokuibyshevsk, Bashneft-Novoil and Kstovo, which together process roughly 30 million to 33 million tonnes of crude a year. Overnight, Ukrainian drones also hit an oil transport facility in Russia’s Samara region near Prosvet, a key node in the trunk pipeline system, in the fifth reported attack on that infrastructure in a month.

Kyiv said today it had missed nearly 33 billion hryvnias in tax revenue in the first two months after mass bombardments began in July and August. Ukraine’s military intelligence said today that Russia has started using an upgraded Gerbera-2 drone with a payload of up to 25 kg and a range of up to 1,200 km. Russia launched 433 drones last night, including Gerbera and decoy models, while economist Oleksandra Myronenko said Ukraine still lacks an effective answer to Russia’s jet-powered drones. Former NATO Europe commander Philip Breedlove said in Vilnius that Russia is not in a position to launch a large-scale attack on NATO, and an assessment published yesterday said Ukraine is now contesting the initiative across the front while Russia’s ground offensive has nearly stalled after net losses of 122 square km from Sept. 1 to Oct. 16.

A Russian strike on Izium in the Kharkiv region this morning killed one person and wounded 11 after guided bombs hit a five-storey apartment block. The city lost power when high-voltage lines were damaged, and rescue crews pulled two residents from a top-floor flat. In the Zaporizhzhia region, one person was killed and two were injured in a fresh Russian attack, while strikes in Komyshuvakha hit a humanitarian aid distribution point and a nearby shelter. Late yesterday, users of Ukraine’s Air Raid alert app received fake warnings of a nuclear threat, radiation danger and possible street fighting in Kyiv, and authorities told people to rely on sirens and official military channels instead. Volodymyr Zelenskiy said he was ready to meet Vladimir Putin in Turkey if that format could move talks forward, while budget disputes in Belgium are raising the risk of a government crisis.

Donald Trump said his Sunday call with Benjamin Netanyahu was “very good”, while the Israeli prime minister is pressing Washington to resume strikes on Iran right after Tuesday’s U.S. midterm elections. U.S. officials and diplomats have already warned allies in the Middle East to prepare for a possible restart of military action against Iran, as the White House has yet to choose between talks and force. Trump also said there are still “one or two” targets left in Iran, even though he has not announced a final decision on new strikes.

Israeli strikes in Gaza killed at least three Palestinians and wounded several others on Monday, according to the territory’s health officials. Gaza authorities say more than 74,000 Palestinians have been killed since the war began, and more than 1,580 have died in Israeli attacks since the ceasefire took effect. In Iraq, a Baghdad court handed life sentences to nine French citizens over the past week for Islamic State membership, while a tenth defendant received a 15-year prison term. The defendants were part of a group of 47 French nationals transferred from Syria to Iraq last year for prosecution in one of Baghdad’s biggest foreign-fighter cases.

In Miami, a federal judge dismissed Trump’s $10 billion lawsuit against The Wall Street Journal, Dow Jones and Rupert Murdoch over reporting on his ties to Jeffrey Epstein. Judge Darrin Gayles said the amended complaint still failed to meet the actual malice standard for a public-figure defamation case, leaving appeal as Trump’s main remaining option. In Afghanistan, the Taliban government said on Sunday it had serious concern over U.S. plans to deport more than 150 Afghans via Pakistan, including relatives of people who helped U.S. forces before the 2021 withdrawal. The route through Pakistan matters because Washington has no diplomatic ties with the Taliban and cannot send deportees directly to Kabul.

In the United States, the FDA cleared a generic version of lenacapavir for HIV prevention on Monday, opening the way for a much cheaper twice-yearly injection across 120 low- and middle-income countries. Backers say supplies could begin reaching some countries within weeks, although local approvals will delay rollout elsewhere. In Mexico City, Kimi Antonelli sealed the 2026 Formula 1 title on Sunday by finishing third and becoming the youngest world champion in the sport’s history. Max Verstappen won the race, Lewis Hamilton finished second, and Hamilton later threw a scooter in the Ferrari garage after a tense radio exchange.