PoliticsJuly 16, 2026 5:57 am • 2 min readCheng Yahan C of China competes during the preliminary round Group E handball match between China and Algeria at the 25th IHF Women's U20 Handball World Championship 2026 in Jinzhong, north China's Shanxi Province, June 24, 2026. (Yang Chenguang/Xinhua via Getty Images)The Council of the International Handball Federation (IHF) on July 15 provisionally lifted its ban on Russian and Belarusian teams and officials, allowing them to return to international competitions.The sports body said its decision, which comes into effect immediately, aligns with International Olympic Committee's (IOC) latest recommendations, just one week after the IOC announced it was lifting its own prohibitions against Russia and Belarus.The IHF's decision formally lift the prohibition of all teams, officials, referees, lecturers and experts from taking part in IHF sanctioned competitions. The ban was initially imposed in March 2022, just days after Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine."(T)he IHF looks forward to welcoming them back into the international handball community and hopes that, with the support and cooperation of all stakeholders, the necessary steps will be taken to ensure a timely and effective return," the body said in a news release. The IHF added that the "full reintegration may require a transitional period" for both countries national teams.Despite the decision, the IHF said they continue to "stand in solidarity with Ukraine.""It is the IHF’s sincere hope that the conflict will soon come to an end, paving the way for a return to peace, the restoration of normal sporting relations and the resumption of peaceful international cooperation," the release added.Since the start of the full-scale war in 2022, hundreds of athletes and coaches have been killed and numerous sports facilities damaged or destroyed in Russian attacks.The move comes as international sports bodies have gradually eased some restrictions on Russian athletes since the start of Moscow's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, although participation in many competitions remains subject to neutral status or sport-specific rules.Following the IOC's decision, nine European countries urged the European Commission to halt funding programs for international sports organizations allowing Russian and Belarusian athletes to compete. The IOC's decision to lift the ban on Russia was broadly denounced in Ukraine and across the EU.News FeedThursday, July 165:57 am4:06 am Russia's Engels-2 air base in Saratov Oblast was reportedly hit by Ukrainian drones overnight on July 16, Russian Telegram media channels reported. 2:58 am "Our naval strategic nuclear forces maintain a state of full combat readiness," Russian Presidential aide Nikolai Patrushev said in an interview with the state outlet RIA Novosti. 1:31 am Explosions rocked Kyiv shortly before 1 a.m. local time, according to Kyiv Independent journalists on the ground. Tymur Tkachenko, head of the Kyv City Military Administration, reported that Russia was attacking the city with ballistic missiles. 12:34 am The new measures, adopted based on proposals from Ukraine's National Bank, aim to stop Russia from using modern financial instruments, such as cryptocurrency, to circumvent sanctions and make international payments. Wednesday, July 1512:28 pm (Updated: July 15, 2026 11:48 pm) Parliament Speaker Ruslan Stefanchuk said the president had formally submitted his nomination for Serhii Koretskyi to be the next prime minister of Ukraine. 8:15 pm (Updated: July 15, 2026 11:05 pm) Interior Minister Ihor Klymenko has been offered the role of Ukraine's next defense minister, a lawmaker from the governing Servant of the People party told the Kyiv Independent on condition of anonymity.10:43 pm10:35 pm The decision appears to have been made at the last minute, according to one official, who said reports of Vitalii Kim's expected appointment caught even his own team off guard.8:52 pm (Updated: July 15, 2026 10:01 pm)War7:58 pm "The election results will have no impact on this escalation, because the results will be known before the election," President Volodymyr Zelensky said.3:17 pm (Updated: July 15, 2026 7:44 pm) The U.S. has begun the process of granting Ukraine licenses to produce Patriot missiles, moving the matter beyond political statements, a senior Ukrainian official familiar with the matter told the Kyiv Independent.6:48 pm The 21st sanctions package was supposed to be agreed on on July 15, but two EU officials confirmed to the Kyiv Independent that Greece was refusing to compromise on its hardline position against proposals to stop EU countries trading LNG to third countries.2:51 pm (Updated: July 15, 2026 5:46 pm) The EU also announced a 10-billion-euro ($11 billion) funding plan for additional drones, missiles, and fighter aircraft for Ukraine.Show More