COGNICURRENT

Russian historian and North Korea specialist Andrei Lankov has been placed on Latvia's blacklist of undesirable persons following an initiative from the State Security Service (VDD).

In response to the expulsion of a Russian diplomat from Berlin, Russia has declared a member of the German Embassy in Moscow as an undesirable person.

South Africa has declared Israeli embassy commissioner Ariel Seidman an undesirable person, leading to a diplomatic tit-for-tat with Israel announcing the expulsion of South Africa's ambassador in response.