Main News of June 29

A roundup of what has happened in the past 24 hours

RUSSIA

*A sanctioned gay pride gathering in St. Petersburg on Saturday ended in the detention of demonstrators and violent scuffles between police and anti-gay campaigners.

*This week, US and Russian officials have repeatedly noted the lack of a bilateral extradition treaty that might help budge fugitive former Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) employee Edward Snowden from his reported hideout in the transit zone of a Moscow airport.

 

WORLD

*Russian senior officials will meet North Korea’s chief nuclear negotiator in Moscow on Thursday "as part of efforts to resume the six-party talks" with Pyongyang over ending its atomic program.

*Ecuadorian President Rafael Correa said Saturday that he has spoken with US Vice President Joe Biden amid calls from the United States to reject fugitive intelligence leaker’s asylum request.

 

SPORTS

*The head of Russia's Olympic committee insists that there will be no snow deficit for the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi.

*Scotland’s rugby team battled to a 21-5 win over hosts Russia in their second match of the Rugby World Cup Sevens in Moscow.

*Russia’s women’s rugby seven team edged a 17-15 win over England on Saturday to reach the quarterfinals of the World Cup in Moscow.