Mindblown: a blog about philosophy.
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Russia to Turkey: You Can’t Have Syrian Safe Zone Without Assad’s Consent
Russia told Turkey on Thursday it had no right to create a “safe zone” inside Syria unless it sought and received the consent of President Bashar Assad, signaling tensions as a three-way summit on the Syrian conflict began. President Vladimir Putin, one of Assad’s closest allies, was hosting the summit in the Black Sea resort…
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A Valentine’s Day Ski Date for Two: Putin and Lukashenko Hit the Slopes
In southern Russia’s resort city of Sochi, President Vladimir Putin shows once again that he’s always ready to demonstrate his physical fitness as he hits the slopes with Belarussian President Alexander Lukashenko. Their ski date comes a day after Lukashenko promised that despite strained ties between the two neighbors Belarus would “never deliver bad vodka or bad…
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More Russian Men Confess to Being in Love than Women on Valentine’s Day — Survey
A majority of Russians have admitted that they are currently in love, according to a state-funded poll released on Valentine’s Day, with many more men saying that they are currently in love than women. In total, 59 percent of Russian respondents told the state-funded VTsIOM pollster that they have been struck by Cupid’s arrow, the…
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Russia’s Economy Can Weather New U.S. Sanctions, Kremlin Says
The Kremlin said on Thursday that Russia’s economy could cope with any new U.S. sanctions, adding that it had demonstrated macroeconomic stability and even achieved growth while facing punitive measures from the West. Read More ‘Insane, Ridiculous’: Russian Lawmakers React to New U.S. Sanctions Bill The Kremlin comments came a day after U.S. senators introduced a…
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Celebrate Russia On Stage
Every spring Russia celebrates the best of theater with a three-month festival called the Golden Mask. This year theater-lovers are looking forward to a particularly vibrant festival, since it is celebrating its 25th year while the country celebrates its Year of Theater. The best productions of drama and comedy, opera, ballet, contemporary dance, operetta and…
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Russia Considers Japan-Style Fine for ‘Excessively Large’ Waistlines
Russia’s health and consumer rights watchdog is considering drawing on Japan’s experience in tackling obesity, including fining citizens for large waistlines. Japan made it illegal in 2008 for citizens between 40 and 74 years old to exceed the state-prescribed limit of 85 centimeters for male waistlines and 90 centimeters for female waistlines. Russia is on…
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Russian Investigators Are Reopening the Dyatlov Pass Case. But What Is It?
Sixty years after a group of hikers mysteriously died in the Ural Mountains, police are breathing new life into the notorious cold case. The group’s tent was found abandoned in the snow; cut open from the inside. Public Domain Britain has Jack the Ripper, the United States has the Zodiac Killer and Russia has the…
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Doha Hosts Premiere of Anna Karenina by Boris Eifman Ballet Theatre
Boris Eifman Ballet Theatre has presented the play “Anna Karenina” to the music of Tchaikovsky at the Qatar Foundation in Doha. Rosneft Oil Company provided for the event as its main sponsor. The performance was hosted on February 12 and 13 at QNCC Al Mayassa Theatre, following on a range of projects implemented as part…
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Arena Park Moscow
VTB Arena Park will enrich the historical center of Moscow and become a prestigious and attractive district where modern life rhythms will be harmonized with the tranquility and peace of the old Moscow. Cozy pedestrian parkways, cafes, restaurants, shops and services enterprises will create a welcoming and comfortable megalopolis environment adding new modern colors to…
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Prominent Human Rights NGO Labeled ‘Foreign Agent’ in Russia
A prominent Russian civil rights group has been blacklisted as a “foreign agent” months after its leader spent time behind bars over a protest, the Justice Ministry has said. Russia’s Justice Ministry initiated an inspection of Lev Ponomaryov’s “For Human Rights” group for engaging in suspected political activity while receiving money from abroad in December.…
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Russia Moves to Mask Its Soldiers’ Digital Trail
Russia is moving to ban its soldiers from sharing information on the internet, a step that follows the use of social media posts by investigative journalists to shine a light on Moscow’s clandestine role in foreign conflicts. Draft legislation proposes banning servicemen and reserve troops from posting anything online that would allow outsiders to glean…
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Putin Challenges Erdogan Over Syria as U.S. Exit Bolsters Russia
Kremlin.ru The planned U.S. withdrawal from Syria is fueling tensions between Russia and Turkey over control of a key region of the Middle Eastern country once American forces have left. Russia is pressuring Turkey to agree to an offensive on Idlib, seized by militants linked to al-Qaeda last month, a senior Turkish official said, speaking…
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‘Insane, Ridiculous’: Russian Lawmakers React to New U.S. Sanctions Bill
U.S. senators introduced a bill on Wednesday that would impose stiff new sanctions on Russia over suspected meddling in U.S. elections and aggression against Ukraine. Targets of the sanctions would include: Russian banks that support efforts to interfere in foreign elections; the country’s cyber sector; new sovereign debt; and individuals deemed to “facilitate illicit and…
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Gazprom and Uniper discuss gas supplies and Nord Stream 2
Release February 13, 2019, 19:25 A working meeting between Alexey Miller, Chairman of the Gazprom Management Committee, and Bernhard Reutersberg, Chairman of the Supervisory Board of Uniper, took place in Moscow today. The parties discussed ongoing and future cooperation, including Russian gas supplies to Germany. It was noted that the amount of gas exports to the country was maintained at the level of the previous year due…
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Belarus Will Never Send ‘Bad Vodka’ to the Russians, Lukashenko Promises Putin
Belarus will only supply good vodka and snacks to Russia regardless of strains on bilateral ties, the country’s President Alexander Lukashenko promised at a meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin on Wednesday. Lukashenko arrived in southern Russia’s resort city of Sochi for talks that could last for up to three days, the Kremlin said earlier…
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Siberian Freighters Forced to Defreeze Ships in Minus 50 C
When the Siberian winter bites and the mighty Lena River freezes, workers at the Yakutsk shipyard brace for a backbreaking but vital task — vymorozka. As Siberia’s summer is so short, freighters must be kept moving while the river, whose 4,400 kilometers carry the region’s economic lifeblood, is navigable. Repairs must be done in winter, when…
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First Russian Charged for Encouraging Children to Protest
A volunteer with opposition activist Alexei Navalny’s campaign has become the first person to be prosecuted under a new law that bans encouraging young Russians to attend unsanctioned protests. Adults face 15 days of jail and fines under the new law that President Vladimir Putin signed in late December. The law was introduced after Navalny…
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Triple Sunrise Dazzles Northern Russia, in Pictures
Early risers in the Yamal-Nenets autonomous district were treated to an enchanting illusion of three glowing suns on Wednesday morning. The phenomenon is caused by tiny ice crystals refracting the light into the sky. Local residents captured the optical illusion — also known as sundog and parhelion — and shared it on Instagram. But while social…
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Moscow Has the Worst Traffic Jams in the World, Study Says
Moscow has been named as the world capital of traffic jams in 2018 in an annual report released by the INRIX automotive analytics company. In the rating, Moscow edged out other global cities renowned for traffic congestion including Istanbul, Bogota, Mexico City and Sao Paulo. Other Russian cities in the ranking of 220 included St.…
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Neva Towers. Moscow
Neva Towers – the flagship project of Renaissance group of companies – is the most successful project among premium-class apartments in Moscow real estate market. Breathtaking views, private park with a panoramic pool, spa, fitness center, private cinema, squash courts and more… Neva Towers is a contemporary apartments complex with a private park, which provides…
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Aeroflot Cancels or Delays 100 Flights in Moscow Over Snowstorm
Russia’s flag carrier Aeroflot has drawn the ire of law enforcement for announcing the cancellation or delay of over 100 flights on Wednesday at Moscow’s Sheremetyevo Airport due to heavy snow. The Moscow Meteorological Office said Tuesday night’s snowfall set a 23-year precipitation record with nearly one-third of the monthly norm, the state-run RIA Novosti…
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A Look Back at 155 Years of the Moscow Zoo, in Pictures
From baby chimps and hippos to anti-aircraft guns during World War II, the Moscow zoo has had a rich history since it was founded on Feb. 13, 1864. Celebrating its birthday on Wednesday, we look back at archival photographs of how the grounds and residents of the zoo have changed throughout the years. Having started off…
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Tenants are puzzled: real estate in Moscow becomes cheaper, but rental rates are the same
urrently we can observe rather high market activity in renting Moscow housing. There are quite a lot of potential tenants interested in central Moscow area, especially in the area of Tverskaya, Patriarchy Ponds, Mayalovskaya metro, Arbat-Kropotkinskaya and Zamoskvorechye neighborhoods. Cental Best-sellers always carry value Housing in these areas is traditionally best-selling due to great demand…
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Insurance versus deposit: new alternative to traditional security deposit paid to property owners
Many tenants are a bit puzzled when they stumble into the must-payable ‘three amounts’ while renting an apartment. These three amounts are traditional security deposit covering possible damage to an apartment rental, commission to real estate agency along with advanced payment for one-month rent. Insurers believe than new product will fully protect owners’ property and…
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Penthouses at Arbat Stars
Penthouses at Arbat Stars Penthouses with 5* hotel service from Marriott, in the center of Moscow SURPASSING EXPECTATIONS A penthouse at Arbat Stars is a truly unique offer even for Moscow, which is rich in terms of different kinds of real estate. The capital has no other apartments with similar characteristics and services. SERVICE This…
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Masked Assailants Beat Anti-Corruption Activist to Death Near Moscow
The regional head of a Russian anti-corruption group was been beaten to death outside Moscow, the man’s colleague told local media. Civil activists, politicians and journalists have been threatened or attacked at an increasing rate in recent years in Russia, a report on political violence said last fall. Read More Attacks on Russian Activists and…
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Russia Warns U.S. Against Meddling in Venezuela Crisis
Russia said on Tuesday it was ready to facilitate the start of dialogue between Venezuela’s government and opposition but warned the United States against intervening in Caracas’ internal affairs. Russia has sided with President Nicolas Maduro in his stand-off with opposition leader Juan Guaido. Maduro retains control of state institutions including the military, but most Western countries,…
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Moody’s upgrades Severstal to Baa2 with stable outlook
February 13, 2019 PAO Severstal (“Severstal”; “the Company”), one of the world’s leading vertically integrated steel and steel-related mining companies, announces that Moody’s has upgraded its rating on Severstal to Baa2 from Baa3 and changed its outlook from positive to stable. Moody’s also raised Russia’s country ceilings for foreign currency debt to Baa2/P-2 from Baa3/P-3…
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Russia Moves to Grant Government the Power to Shut Down the Internet, Explained
Russian lawmakers advanced a contentious draft bill on Tuesday that seeks to give the authorities the power to unplug the national internet network from the outside world. Deputies submitted the measures to tighten state control over the internet in December, citing the need to respond to an “aggressive” U.S. national cybersecurity strategy. Although Russia’s state…
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Doha Hosts Sambo Exhibition Performances Sponsored by Rosneft
Aspire Zone sports complex in Doha hosted an exhibition performance of Russian sambo athletes during the celebration of National Sports Day in Qatar. Rosneft Oil Company provided for the event as its main sponsor. The exhibition show, as well as a series of workshops by the seven best Russian sambo athletes, introduced the locals to…
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Expect Slower GDP Growth in 2019, Russia’s Economic Ministry Says
Russia’s Economic Development Ministry has projected significantly slower GDP growth over the next year, describing growth at 2018 levels as “unsustainable.” The Rosstat federal statistics agency sparked skepticism last week for releasing figures that suggested that Russia’s economy had grown 2.3 percent in 2018 — its fastest rate since 2012 and up from 1.6 percent…
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ROSATOM launched the program to train managers of NPP construction projects
ROSATOM has launched the sector-wide Advance Training Program for managers of nuclear facility construction projects in the Russian Federation and abroad. It will allow building up new competences, implement best world practices of construction project management on sites and train necessary candidates pool for implementation of the world’s largest portfolio of NPP construction projects. The…
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Russia Suspends Mission to the Sun
Russian scientists have again delayed the launch of a research spacecraft to the sun over technical issues, researchers say. Russia had been scheduled to send the spacecraft as part of the “Interheliozond” project sometime after 2015, though this was later postponed to 2022 and then again to a final date of 2026. Read More Russia…
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Plane Ladder Collapses in Siberia, Injuring Passengers
A group of passengers plummeted from a plane ladder when it collapsed as they boarded a flight from Siberia to Moscow, officials said on Tuesday. Black-and-white footage of the incident showed passengers boarding a Ural Airlines flight when the ladder’s platform suddenly buckled, dropping the passengers to the ground. At least five passengers were injured…
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Two Estonians Convicted of Spying for Russia
A court in Estonia has convicted a former military member and his father of espionage for Russia. Ex-defense force member Deniss Metsavas, 38, and his father Pyotr Volin, 65, were suspected of treason and placed in custody by a court in Tallinn in September. Metsavas was suspected of passing state secrets and classified information to…
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Urengoy Waltz dancesport competition held in Novy Urengoy
News from projects and regions February 11, 2019, 18:00 On February 10, Novy Urengoy’s Gazodobytchik Culture and Sports Center hosted the 20th annual open dancesport competition Urengoy Waltz. The tournament combined an open competition for the Gazprom Dobycha Urengoy Cup with the Yamal-Nenets Autonomous Area dancesport contest and championship. This festival of dance has for many years been…
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Moscow Buddhists Commemorate Year of the Pig With Fire, in Photos
A group of Buddhists held a ceremony in honor of the new lunar year at a temple in northeastern Moscow on Sunday, Feb. 10. They celebrated the beginning of the Year of the Earth Pig at the Drepung Gomang Buddhist monastery, lighting fire offerings in a traditional ceremony. Here’s a look at the ritual.
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Record Fishbone Built at East-Messoyakha field
A unique for the industry multilateral well with eight branch holes by the fishbone* technology was built at East-Messoyakha field. The length of the productive hole is 5.1 km, the total drilling rate is 9.1 km. The oil-saturated layer in the drilling area did not exceed 12 m. Fishbones are the trademark of Messoyakhaneftegaz. The…
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FSB Officer Beaten in Moscow, Reports Say
A Federal Security Service (FSB) officer on duty was reportedly assaulted in central Moscow over the weekend after an attack on his service vehicle. FSB lieutenant general Oleg Budagotsky was inside his squad car on Sunday when unknown assailants threw a bottle at the window, the RBC news website reported Monday. Budagotsky was then beaten…
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Putin’s Ambitious Plan to Overhaul Russia’s Economy Will Cost $390 Bln, Government Estimates
Russia will spend 25.7 trillion rubles ($391 billion) on carrying out President Vladimir Putin’s expansive promises to overhaul Russia’s economy by the end of his last term in office, according to a new government estimate. After his inauguration last May, Putin outlined plans to spend at least 8 trillion rubles on infrastructure and social issues…
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Mourinho Rejoins Kremlin-Run RT for Champions League
Ex-Manchester United coach Jose Mourinho will return to the Kremlin-run RT news network to cover the UEFA Champions League, the network has said. The Portuguese manager was reportedly paid at least 1 million British pounds ($1.3 million) for five days’ work during the 2018 FIFA World Cup that Russia hosted in the summer. RT has…
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‘The Theater’ in 2019
A conversation with Vladimir Urin, general director of the Bolshoi Theater. Damir Yusupov / Bolshoi Theater In Russia, the Bolshoi Theater is “the theater” — the most prestigious venue for opera and ballet in the country. The Moscow Times talked to Vladimir Urin, the Bolshoi’s general director, about the theater’s plans for 2019. Which blockbuster…
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Russian Farmer Eaten Alive by Pigs
A farmer in central Russia has reportedly been eaten alive by her pigs after suffering a seizure earlier this month. The 56-year-old lost consciousness inside the pig pen where she met a tragic end on Feb. 1, local media cited investigators in Russia’s republic of Udmurtia as saying last week. “The hungry animals chewed through…
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Russian Town Chases Out Rowdy Polar Bear Invaders
Authorities in Russia’s remote Arctic archipelago of Novaya Zemlya have taken measures to chase away a band of polar bears that had established a reign of terror over locals in recent days. Photos and videos on social media showed polar bears entering apartment blocks and other living quarters and rummaging through garbage in the settlement of 3,000.…
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Majority of Russians Believe Top Politicians Are Lying to Them – Poll
A majority of Russians say that top officials are lying to them about the true state of affairs in the country, according to a new survey released by the independent pollster Levada Center. Russians’ trust in institutions including the presidency, the government, the State Duma and political parties has reached record lows since the government passed…
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Russian Opposition Rallies Calling For Release of Political Prisoners
On Sunday Feb.10, Russian protesters rallied in Moscow and St. Petersburg to demand freedom for political prisoners after a daughter of activist Anastasia Shevchenko died in hospital while her mother was under house arrest. Shevchenko is a member of Open Russia movement, founded by Kremlin critic and former oil tycoon Mikhail Khodorkovsky, and was arrested in January, accused…
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The Magical Light of Arkhip Kuindzhi
Come and be dazzled “Birch Grove” 1879 Arkhip Kuindzhi Courtesy of Tretyakov Gallery On January 27, Arkhip Kuindzhi’s exhibition at the Tretyakov Gallery—a retrospective in honor of the artist’s 175th birthday—became a news sensation after a 31-year-old man stole the painting “Ai-Petri. Crimea” during the museum’s working hours. The heist, which made worldwide headlines, also…
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Russia’s Investigative Committee Seeks Donations for Archangel Statue, Reports Say
The head of Russia’s Investigative Committee is reportedly seeking donations for the construction of a bronze Archangel Michael statue at the entrance of his agency’s new headquarters in Moscow as religious symbols gain an increasingly prominent place in Russian state institutions. The Russian Orthodox Church has become a powerful political force since the anointment of Patriarch Kirill as its…
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Russia Says Ready for Talks With Netherlands on MH17
Russia is ready to engage in talks with the Netherlands about the downing of Malaysian Airlines Flight 17, Interfax news agency cited Russian deputy foreign minister Alexander Grushko as saying on Friday. Read More MH17: In Search of Justice (Op-ed) The Dutch government said earlier this week it was “increasingly confident” that Russian officials would…
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After Jailing of Jehovah’s Witness, Human Rights Activists Warn of ‘Wave’ of Arrests
Two days after a Russian court sentenced a Jehovah’s Witness to six years in jail, human rights activists have warned the case will trigger a crackdown on other religious minorities. On Wednesday, Dennis Christensen became the first Jehovah’s Witness convicted for extremism after Russia’s Supreme Court blacklisted the religious group in April 2017. Read More…
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Reebok Admits Cunnilingus Is No Joke in Russia
Reebok has pulled a racy ad in Russia after online users and the apparel company’s management derided it as being done in bad taste. Styled after the global #BeMoreHuman campaign that features celebrities like Gal Gadot and Ariana Grande, Reebok launched a Russian version on Thursday with a hashtag that roughly translates as #OutOfLine. Russia’s…
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Russian Journalist Charged With ‘Justifying Terrorism’ After Critical Comments
A Russian reporter faces possible jail time over comments about a 2018 suicide bombing that was critical of the authorities, in a case that rights activists have called an attack on free speech. Security officers raided journalist Svetlana Prokopyeva’s home in the northwestern city of Pskov on Wednesday in connection with her on-air criticism of…
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Paralympic Committee Lifts Russia Ban, With Conditions
The International Paralympic Committee (IPC) said on Friday it would lift the ban on Russia’s Paralympic Committee by March 15, under certain conditions. Russia has been barred from international Paralympic competitions since August 2016 over allegations of state-sponsored doping similar to the ones that led to the suspension of its athletics federation and anti-doping agency. The IPC…
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Russia Pledges Response to Norwegian Military Activity
Russia on Thursday accused Norway of pushing ahead with a military build-up which it said increased the risks of military action and required some kind of Russian response. Maria Zakharova, a spokeswoman for Russia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, said Moscow had watched as NATO member Norway had become more and more active in helping the Western military alliance build up its presence in the Arctic…
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Bus Falls Off Cliff in Russia, Killing 6 Miners
A bus carrying 22 miners plunged off a cliff in Russia on Friday, killing six workers of a company that owns the country’s largest coal mine, authorities have said. Videos from the scene of the incident in the Kemerovo region showed an upside-down orange Kamaz truck in a gray pit. “The Kamaz fell off an…
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Kremlin Says Don’t Look for Common Sense From Russia’s Rulers
Don’t rely on common sense if you want to understand how modern Russia is run. That’s the advice from President Vladimir Putin’s spokesman, Dmitry Peskov. “In governing, we can’t operate on the basis of common sense,” Peskov told reporters Thursday on a conference call. “First of all, we operate in terms of what is legal…
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Severstal’s Izhora Pipe Mill to supply Gazprom with over 200 thousad tos of pipes
February 8, 2019 Izhora Pipe Mill (IPM, part of PAO Severstal) has won several tenders to supply PAO Gazprom with over 200 thousand tons of large diameter pipes. The products will be used in the development of gas transmission capacities for the Unified Gas Supply System in the North-West Region (NEGP), as well as the…
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Russia Welcomes Trump Offer of New Nuclear Pact, Awaits Details
Russia welcomed an offer by U.S. President Donald Trump to renegotiate a landmark nuclear missile pact after he quit the agreement, while cautioning that it’s received no specific proposals yet. “We saw President Trump’s statement about the possibility of a new treaty, which should include other countries,” Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov told reporters…
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Two More Russian Cities Abolish Mayoral Elections
Igor Ivanko / Moskva News Agency The residents of two more Siberian cities have now lost the right to elect their mayor in the latest restriction of direct elections in the country. Regional lawmakers voted in April 2018 to abolish direct mayoral elections in Russia’s fourth-largest city of Yekaterinburg, leading its popular mayor Yevgeny Roizman…
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Russian Race Walker Kirdyapkina Gets Doping Ban
Russian race walker Anisya Kirdyapkina has been suspended for doping and is set to be stripped of two World Championship medals, the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) said on Thursday. “All results of Ms Kirdyapkina since 25 February 2011 were disqualified through to 11 October 2013, including forfeiture of any titles, awards, medals, points…
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