Day: October 13, 2020

The United States said Tuesday it had reached an “agreement in principle” with Russia on extending New START, the two nations’ last major nuclear accord, which is due to expire in February. President Donald Trump’s administration has been insisting without success that China enter the nuclear reduction agreement but, with U.S. elections three weeks away, signaled it…

Norway’s government on Tuesday said that it believes Russia was behind an August cyber attack targeting the email system of the country’s parliament. Hackers gained access to some lawmakers’ messages in the attack. “Based on the information the government has, it is our view that Russia is responsible for these activities,” Foreign Minister Ine Eriksen…

Belarus’s exiled opposition leader on Tuesday gave strongman President Alexander Lukashenko a deadline of two weeks to resign, halt violence and release political prisoners, warning he would otherwise face a crippling general strike. Svetlana Tikhanovskaya, who maintains she was the true winner of an Aug. 9 election, issued what she said was a “people’s ultimatum,”…

Kyrgyz President Sooronbay Jeenbekov on Tuesday asked parliament to vote again on a new prime minister after MPs backed Sadyr Japarov, a nationalist politician recently freed from jail by supporters.  Embattled president Jeenbekov met Japarov and said he would not approve his appointment, citing doubts that rules were adhered to during a vote by lawmakers,…

A young police officer has allegedly strangled his transgender girlfriend to death in Russia’s third-largest city of Novosibirsk, media reported Tuesday.  Investigators said they have detained a 20-year-old traffic officer on suspicion of killing and disposing of the 24-year-old victim’s body. He faces a maximum prison sentence of 15 years if found guilty of murder.…

Four militants allegedly planning a series of terrorist attacks in the republic of Chechnya have been killed in a counterterrorism raid, Russia’s National Antiterrorism Committee (NAC) said Tuesday. The counterterrorism operation in the Chechen capital of Grozny was ordered by regional Federal Security Service (FSB) head Igor Kochnev in order to suppress “possible terrorist acts,” the…

Russia’s humanoid space robot nicknamed FEDOR has been taken off Twitter after it insulted retired cosmonauts who criticized Russia’s space program for falling behind that of the United States. FEDOR’s social media presence came to an abrupt halt this weekend following a barrage of tweets criticizing former cosmonauts Maxim Surayev and Alexander Samokutyayev, both currently…

Russia has set a new record for coronavirus deaths and cases, nearing 14,000 infections for the third time in a week, according to the national coronavirus information center.  Russia confirmed 13,868 new Covid-19 cases Tuesday, bringing its official number of cases to 1,326,178 and setting a new record for daily infections.  The information center also confirmed…

Russia has confirmed 1,326,178 cases of coronavirus and 22,966 deaths. Oct. 12 — Russia confirmed 13,592 new Covid-19 cases, bringing its official number of cases to 1,312,310.  Oct. 11 — Russia confirmed a record 13,634 new Covid-19 cases, bringing its official number of cases to 1,298,718. Oct. 10 — Russia confirmed 12,846 new Covid-19 cases, bringing its official number of cases to 1,285,084. Oct.…

New mass deaths of marine animals have been discovered off the coast of Russia’s Far Eastern Kamchatka peninsula where an unexplained event recently killed off up to 95% of seabed life, authorities said Monday.  Scientists and witnesses reported seeing dead marine animals along the seabed south of the initial discovery last week, Kamchatka region governor…