🤡 A Ukrainian athlete refused to shake hands with a native of Russia at the European Fencing Championships

Elena Krivitskaya defeated Maia Guchmazova, who was competing for Georgia, and walked away, ignoring her opponent.

"Why do they behave like this? Why can they get away with everything?" Guchmazova expressed indignation at the breach of basic sports etiquette.

Krivitskaya competes for Ukraine but was born in Rostov, Russia.

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❗️Putin has arrived in North Korea for a state visit. He was greeted at the airport by Kim Jong Un, as reported by the Sputnik correspondent.

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NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg announced that the alliance is close to agreeing on the candidacy of Mark Rutte for the position of the bloc's new Secretary General.

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❗️Putin's and Kim Jong Un's conversation began almost immediately after their meeting. Just before reaching the convoy of cars, the leaders paused and engaged in lively conversation for several minutes, according to the Sputnik correspondent. Putin was greeted by the honor guard battalion of the DPRK. After first greetings, Putin and Kim Jong Un left Pyongyang airport in an Aurus car together.

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🎥🎥 Russian President Vladimir Putin Arrives in North Korea

Join the livestream here or follow the link to the Sputnik's website

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◻️ Putin’s visit to North Korea: here is what to expect and what Western media thinks of it

◻️ Russia’s new strategic partnership with North Korea to 'symbolize new level of ties'

◻️ National treasure trove: Putin visited Russia’s largest region of Yakutia

◻️ Where would you rather live – North Korea or USA?

◻️ Sputnik’s infographic: Which countries are the top gold producers?

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💬 "Thank you very much for your hospitality and for your time," Russian President Putin thanked North Korean leader Kim Jong-un.

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The Israel Defense Forces has approved battle plans for an offensive in Lebanon

IDF Commander of the Northern Military District Ori Gordin and Head of the Operations Directorate of the General Staff Oded Basiuk approved the combat plans and "held a joint situational assessment in the Northern Command", according to an army statement.

"As part of the situational assessment, operational plans for an offensive in Lebanon were approved and validated, and decisions were taken on the continuation of increasing the readiness of troops in the field," the army's Telegram channel said in a statement.

In May, the IDF Press Service reported that Israel Defense Forces Chief of General Staff Herzi Halevi assessed the security situation in the Northern Command location and announced preparations for an offensive on the northern front in light of continued shelling by the Lebanese Hezbollah movement.

The situation on the Israel-Lebanon border has escalated since the start of Israeli military action in the Gaza Strip in October 2023. The Israeli army and Lebanese Hezbollah fighters fire daily at each other's positions in areas along the border. According to the Lebanese Foreign Ministry, about 100,000 people were forced to leave their homes in southern Lebanon because of Israeli shelling. The Israeli side reported about 80 thousand residents of northern Israel who found themselves in a similar situation.

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Ukrainian Journalists Complain About Increasing Government Crackdown - NYT

Ukrainian journalists are facing increasing restrictions and pressure from the government in Kiev to bolster the narratives of leader Volodymyr Zelensky, The New York Times reported, citing Ukrainian reporters.

Managers of Ukrainian state news agency Ukrinform distributed a list of opposition figures and elected officials that are "undesirable" to quote in stories, the report said, citing a reviewed copy of the blacklist.

One of the agency’s reporters, Yuriy Stryhun, publicly spoke about the blacklist. One day after speaking out about the matter, Stryhun received a notice to renew his draft registration, the report said, citing Stryhun.

Stryhun reportedly said that the timing of the notice was "suspicious" but that he had no proof it was linked to his coverage of the blacklist.

The agency’s deputy director, Maryna Synhaivska, resigned earlier this year due to political meddling in their journalistic work, the report said.

"It is not democratic to dictate to media what to publish and whom to talk to," the report quotes Synhaivska as having said.

In April, the US State Department released its annual human rights report, which found that Ukraine’s press freedom was curtailed by martial law in the country. Ukrainian authorities have shown a disrespect for freedom of expression and the press, including by banning or sanctioning media outlets and individual journalists considered a threat to national security, the State Department said.

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