Day: September 7, 2020

An explosion believed to have been caused by subterranean gases has opened up a massive hole in the ground in Russia’s Arctic, the latest natural phenomenon to affect the fast-warming region amid a record-setting summer. Russian scientists discovered the 50-meter crater on an expedition to the Yamal Peninsula above the Arctic Circle in July, according…

Russia has confirmed 1,030,690 cases of coronavirus and 17,871 deaths. Sept. 7: What you need to know today Saudi King Salman and Russian President Vladimir Putin discussed Monday the possible joint production of a Russian coronavirus vaccine, the Kremlin said.  Russia’s coronavirus cases continue to rise as the country confirmed 5,185 new coronavirus infections Monday, bringing the country’s official number of…

Saudi King Salman and Russian President Vladimir Putin discussed Monday the possible joint production of a Russian coronavirus vaccine, the Kremlin said. In early August, Russia said it had developed the world’s first vaccine against the virus and claimed that more than a billion doses had been pre-ordered by 20 countries, including Saudi Arabia. Russia’s sovereign wealth…

Syria’s President Bashar al-Assad discussed economic cooperation Monday with Russia’s Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, as Moscow’s envoy made his first visit to war-torn Syria since 2012, the presidency said. Assad said “the Syrian government was determined to continue working with Russian partners” to implement signed agreements, and encourage the “success of Russian investments in Syria,”…

Prominent Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny has been taken out of his medically induced coma and is being gradually taken off a ventilator, the Charité hospital in Berlin where he has been undergoing treatment for the past two weeks said Monday. German authorities have said that Navalny, Russia’s de facto opposition leader, was poisoned with a…

The confirmation that Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny was poisoned with Novichok has heightened calls for Germany to review its support for Nord Stream 2 — Gazprom’s mega gas pipeline project linking the two countries. German Chancellor Angela Merkel will not rule out consequences for the project if Russia fails to thoroughly investigate the incident,…

French actor and naturalized Russian citizen Gerard Depardieu has continued his religious journey by converting to Orthodox Christianity, the Valeurs Actuelles weekly news magazine reported Saturday. One of France’s most prolific actors and a popular figure in Russia, Depardieu was granted Russian citizenship in 2013 as he sought to avoid tax hikes in his native…

Belarusian opposition leader Maria Kolesnikova has been kidnapped by masked men in central Minsk, media reported Monday, citing eyewitnesses. Kolesnikova, 38, was one of a trio of women who united to challenge Lukashenko in last month’s presidential elections after other opposition candidates were either jailed or driven to flee Belarus. She is the only member…

Serbia accused Russia of “primitivism and vulgarity” on Sunday after Russia’s diplomatic spokeswoman appeared to mock Serbia’s president on social media, marking a rare criticism toward Belgrade’s longtime ally. Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova struck a nerve Saturday when she posted a photo of Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic alongside a screengrab of Hollywood star…