The Latvian Saeima has adopted amendments to the Immigration Law in the third reading, according to which almost all Russian citizens living in the country will be required to pass a Latvian language test in order to remain in Latvia, the Delfi portal reports . 82 members of the Seimas voted for the adoption of the bill, while 10 representatives of the opposition party Stability voted against it. Another six members of the Seimas did not take part in the voting.

A sculpture depicting a horse and a birch tree fused together was unveiled at the Hanoi Grand Opera House, the Vedomosti newspaper writes . As the publication reports, if you rotate it around its axis, then from one angle it forms the shadow of a young Putin, and from another it shows his current appearance. "This piece is a symbol of friendship between our peoples. It shows the desire to continue good relations," explained the concert organizers.

The defendants in the criminal case on mass poisoning of lobio and tuna salad from the food delivery service "Kukhnya na rayone" and "Gastroport" attempted to destroy evidence. This was reported by RIA Novosti, citing an unnamed investigator. "I ask that the testimony of a witness be included that the defendants in the case tried to destroy material evidence," the investigator said at a hearing in the Zamoskvoretsky Court. She did not specify what evidence was being discussed.

Russian Match TV commentator Vladimir Ivanitsky has apologized for his comment about “all sorts of scum” made during a live broadcast at the BRICS games in Kazan, RIA Novosti reports . "I did not mean to offend or hurt anyone with these expressions - regardless of position, this is simply unacceptable rhetoric. I apologize to everyone who may have been offended by my words," he noted. The incident occurred on June 19 during a live broadcast of a sambo competition.

The number of Muslim pilgrims who died in Mecca due to 50-degree heat has exceeded a thousand people, according to calculations by Agence France-Presse, based on data provided by diplomats from various countries. Among the dead, the largest number of Egyptian citizens, according to the latest data, has already killed 658 people. Also, at least 68 Indian citizens, 60 Jordanians, 35 Pakistanis, and 35 Tunisians have died due to the heat.

15-year-old schoolboy Arseniy Turbin from the city of Livny in the Oryol region was sentenced to five years of imprisonment in a correctional colony. This was reported by the human rights project "Memorial". The information about the sentence was also confirmed by the teenager's mother Irina Turbina in a conversation with "Mediazona".

About 80% of the equipment and soldiers that were previously based near the border with Finland and Norway have been transferred to the war in Ukraine, the Finnish publication Yle reports , citing satellite images obtained by the editorial office, as well as an anonymous representative of Finnish military intelligence. According to the publication, this concerns ground forces. An unnamed Yle source notes that a similar trend is observed at other Russian military bases, which are also emptying.

Vladimir Putin spoke at a press conference in Hanoi, the capital of Vietnam, where he accused the West of introducing illegitimate sanctions against the DPRK, similar, in his opinion, to the siege of Leningrad during the Great Patriotic War. This is reported by RIA Novosti. Putin says sanctions against North Korea need to be revised because the country's residents face unfair restrictions, including being unable to travel to earn money and provide for their families.

The Moscow City Services Complex warned city residents about the threat of tornadoes forming in the capital on June 20. "Super-intense precipitation is expected in the capital today, there is a possibility of tornadoes. We ask city residents to refrain from being outside in bad weather. If this is not possible, be extremely careful, do not take shelter under trees and do not park cars near them.

Nuclear energy is helping Russia spread its influence around the world, despite Western sanctions imposed after the start of a full-scale Russian invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. According to the Financial Times, the restrictions do not prevent Rosatom from participating in the construction of every third new nuclear reactor in the world. One of the largest projects of the Russian state corporation abroad is the construction of a nuclear power plant in Bangladesh.

Russian authorities have promised representatives of the Russian Orthodox Church that the law on domestic violence will not be adopted. This was reported by Verstka, citing anonymous sources in the Russian Orthodox Church, the Federal Assembly and the presidential administration. According to the publication, the Kremlin promised not to pass the law back in 2023.

Russia is exchanging secret technologies with the West's main adversaries - Iran, North Korea and China. The Pentagon fears that such cooperation could threaten US security even after the war in Ukraine ends. Thanks to cooperation with sanctioned partners, the Kremlin has already managed to increase its military power, writes The Wall Street Journal.

The United States is demanding that Ukraine step up its fight against corruption in the country, but high-ranking Ukrainian officials see the request from their Washington partners as just an excuse to reduce financial aid. The Washington Post writes about the disagreements between the United States and Ukraine. The topic of corruption in Ukraine has become a source of tension in relations between Kyiv and its Western partners.

Ukraine will receive its first F-16 fighters from its Western partners in the near future. The combat aircraft will take to the skies over the country this summer, promised the commander of the Dutch Air Force, General Arnoud Stallman. His words are quoted by The Guardian. The general admitted that the training process for Ukrainian pilots was not easy. European instructors had to prepare not only pilots, but also technical specialists.

In Novosibirsk, several former employees of the Vector Scientific Center for Virology and Biotechnology, which produced the EpiVacCorona coronavirus vaccine, were detained by the FSB on suspicion of embezzlement, TASS reported , citing the special service.