The Russian Judo Federation announced on June 28 that Russian judokas will not take part in the Summer Olympics in Paris, despite the International Olympic Committee (IOC)’s approval. "Of the 17 judokas who have gained an Olympic rating, the IOC has allowed only four to participate in the Olympics. The remaining athletes are forced to stay at home.

US President Joe Biden responded to criticism at a rally in Raleigh, North Carolina, following a debate with his presidential rival Donald Trump that many saw as a defeat for the 81-year-old Biden, NBC News and Reuters quote him as saying. “I know I’m not young, to state the obvious,” Biden told supporters at a rally on June 28, the day after the debate. I don’t walk as lightly as I used to. I don’t talk as smoothly as I used to.

In the summer of 2023, a poet by the name of Gennady Rakitin began publishing his “patriotic” works on VKontakte, Russia’s version of Facebook. He wrote about war, mercenaries killed in action, the Fatherland, and Russia’s “leader.” Russian lawmakers and senators soon began following his page en masse. And his poems were entered into competitions, celebrated at festivals, and shared on channels dedicated to “Z-poetry.” But it turns out that Gennady Rakitin doesn’t exist.

The US authorities have invited Armenia and Azerbaijan to a meeting of foreign ministers within the framework of the NATO summit in Washington in July. This was stated by US Assistant Secretary of State for European and Eurasian Affairs James O'Brien on June 28, speaking at a briefing in Baku, the Azerbaijani agency Trend writes. "Secretary [Anthony] Blinken is hosting an event for all NATO partners, including Armenia and Azerbaijan. So I expect both countries to participate.

The FSB Directorate for the Samara Region has opened a criminal case under the article on high treason against artist and eco-activist Irina Izmailova, who is in pretrial detention on charges of making explosives, Mediazona and Solidarity Zone report. "We expected something like this, they don't send people like this to court without terrorism or treason. They immediately suspected Irina of collusion with the Ukrainian special services," Izmailova's lawyer told Mediazona.

The Russian Ministry of Justice updated the list of “foreign agents” on the evening of June 28. The register includes rock musician Dmitry Spirin, vocalist of the band "Tarakany!" (the band ceased operations in April 2022, shortly after the full-scale invasion of Russian troops into Ukraine).

Law enforcement officers in Dagestan are conducting searches at the martial arts school named after Abdulmanap Nurmagomedov, the father of former UFC champion Khabib Nurmagomedov. This was reported by TASS, citing law enforcement agencies in the republic. The searches are being conducted in connection with the terrorist attacks that took place in Dagestan on June 23. There is no information about arrests yet, the agency's source said.

Update. As of 19:45, one person was killed as a result of a missile strike on a residential building in Dnipro, Ukrainian Interior Minister Igor Klimenko reported . Twelve people were injured, including a seven-month-old baby and a pregnant woman, Dnipropetrovsk Oblast Head Serhiy Lysak said. According to authorities, people may be trapped in their apartments.

The German Attorney General's Office has launched an investigation into the former chief operating officer of the financial company Wirecard, Jan Marsalek, on suspicion of spying for Russia, Der Spiegel reports. The publication recalls that similar investigations into Marsalek, who is considered one of the most wanted people in Europe, are being conducted by law enforcement agencies in Great Britain and Austria.

Matthias Wehnert / Alamy / Vida Press Denis Sidorenko On June 26, Belarusian media reported that diplomat Denis Sidorenko, who served as the country’s former ambassador to Germany until his dismissal in March, had died two days earlier. Some outlets reported that the diplomat had died of a heart attack, while others said it was a suicide.

The Chairman of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation, Alexander Bastrykin, has once again proposed to return the death penalty to Russia. According to Interfax , Bastrykin stated this on June 28, speaking at a legal forum in St. Petersburg. “I still have a big question: why don’t we lift the moratorium, given that the number of serious crimes is growing, and return the death penalty to our legislation?” Bastrykin said.

The State Duma Committee on Health Protection recommended that the Ministry of Health consider the issue of reducing the maximum period for performing an abortion at a woman’s request from 12 to 9 weeks of pregnancy, RIA Novosti and TASS report, citing the document.

The cause of death is not named. There is a version that he committed suicide after interrogations in the KGB Matthias Wehnert / Alamy / Vida Press Denis Sidorenko On the evening of June 26, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Belarus reported that a farewell ceremony with the Belarusian diplomat Denis Sidorenko took place in Minsk. The last eight years - from 2016 to 2024 - he was the Belarusian Ambassador to Germany. Alexander Lukashenko fired him with his decree on March 11.

The Russian Defense Ministry reported on June 28 that Russian troops had occupied the village of Razdolovka in Donetsk Oblast. A representative of the department made this statement during a briefing devoted to the situation on the front for the week. According to him, units of the Southern group of troops took control of the village “through active actions” and “occupied more advantageous positions.” The Ukrainian Armed Forces did not confirm the information about the loss of the village.

Joe Biden has no intention of dropping out of the presidential race after his unsuccessful debate with Donald Trump, the incumbent president's campaign spokesman Seth Shuster told The Hill. "Of course he is not dropping out," the speaker said. Biden himself, speaking about the debates, said that “we did well.” Asked by reporters whether he had any doubts about his performance after some Democrats called for him to drop out of the race, he replied: “No. It’s hard to debate a liar.